Reindeer Games (Deception) poster & wallpaper

Ben Affleck, Charlize Theron, Donal Logue

Action-adventure master John Frankenheimer directs this sordid tale of deadly deception. Fresh out of prison, Rudy (Ben Affleck) poses as his cellmate Nick so he can meet Nick's alluring pen pal, Ashl...( read more  read more... )ey (Charlize Theron). Little does he know that Ashley has less romantic reasons for befriending Nick; as Rudy soon discovers, Ashley and her brother (Gary Sinise) are plotting a heist that requires his participation, whether he agrees to it or not.

Flixster Users

35% liked it

38,415 ratings

Critics

24% liked it

86 critics

R, 104 min.

Directed by: John Frankenheimer

Release Date: February 25, 2000

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DVD Release Date: August 8, 2000

Stats: 799 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (799)

  • SirPant
    October 12, 2009
    SirPant
    A laughable action film that was actually quite entertaining in it's ridiculousness.
  • clooneyfan
    December 26, 2008
    clooneyfan
    This is my husband's idea of a Christmas movie. It was a little too violent for my liking but the ending was worth it.
  • PvtCaboose91
    August 10, 2008
    PvtCaboose91
    "I read your letters, convict. Don't play no reindeer games with me."


    Reindeer Games verifies that both actors and directors suffer their substandard career moments. Director Frankenheimer is perhaps largely known for films such as Ronin and The Manc

    ...( read more)hurian Candidate. When it comes to the action/thriller hybrid, Frankenheimer's transcendent direction is largely unrivalled. However, even someone of Frankenheimer's immaculate artistic talent can be let down if a poor script is dropped into his lap. It appears that Reindeer Games inaugurates a new variation of the action/thriller genre: talking aplenty, unnecessarily excessive elucidation, and precious little action.

    The script is preposterously stupid...simply a mindless assortment of words with no redeeming value at all. If a group of 12-year-olds penned a screenplay based on this premise we'd anticipate considerably more. At least we'd be comforted with a significant amount of additional action that would exalt the overall quality. The dialogue and the scenarios would remain derisorily poor, but in any case we'd be more entertained. The film contains no fast-paced edge, no scenes to palpably progress the story, and worse yet the story isn't believable for a minute.

    Rudy Duncan (Affleck) is serving a five year stint in the Iron Mountain maximum security penitentiary and his prison term concludes in a few days. His cellmate Nick (Frain) has spent years writing to his pen pal girlfriend Ashley (Theron) whom he has never met. Nick is looking forward to spending his life with Ashley when he leaves prison, while Rudy desires to return home and spend Christmas with his family. However, Nick is killed in a lunchroom scuffle. When Rudy is released from prison he decides to assume Nick's identity and strike up a relationship with Ashley. Little does Rudy realise that Ashley's psychotic brother Gabriel (Sinise) and his gang of thugs had planned to use Nick's services to rob a casino. Rudy is therefore inadvertently entwined in the situation, and is forced to aid Gabriel in the upcoming robbery.

    While Ehren Kruger's enormously ridiculous screenplay proves lethal, it must be noted that director Frankenheimer and cinematographer Alan Caso do terrific things with the faulty material. Frankenheimer is capable of infusing each shot with visual elegance and style. Caso's cinematography perfectly captures the locales and sets. Unfortunately, though, the technical proficiency behind the camera cannot overshadow the undeniable stupidity and unforgivable dialogue. There is also no intensity in the events that unfold. There is boring dialogue and copious amounts of exposition.

    This film is also tagged as an addition to the action genre, but the action doesn't commence until the final 20 minutes. Despite the competent technical merits Frankenheimer and Caso, things become extraordinarily brainless! The worst part is the bountiful assortment of plot twists that continually unfold. The screenwriter is under the impression that plot twists create an interesting movie. That would commonly be true...but we don't care about the characters as we are never given a reason to. These twists also rely too heavily on coincidences. One character addresses this by saying "You think we don't know what a long shot is?" The funny thing is...another character says that several things could have gone wrong. Yet, absolutely everything happens as planned. Nothing goes wrong.

    Ben Affleck is among Hollywood's worst actors. I was disinclined to view this film because of the presence of Affleck. But I'm a sucker for action movies. So there was Affleck's appalling performance, and to make things worse the action is scarce.
    Charlize Theron appears to do her best.
    Gary Sinise is just criminally misused. His character is so clichéd and standard. The rest of the supporting cast appear to be let down by that horrible script. Most of all, Affleck's sub-par performance lacks any intensity or credibility and it takes effect on everyone around him.

    Overall, Reindeer Games is a silly, pretentious, dumb and primitive action/thriller that is incurably marred by the profoundly ludicrous script. Frankenheimer also edited a director's cut that added 20 minutes of footage. It does nothing but extend the already atrocious experience.
  • garyX
    April 23, 2008
    garyX
    Ben Affleck is a car thief who steals the identity of his prison cellmate to woo his pen-pal (not surprisingly considering she's played by Charlize Theron.) Unfortunately he doesn't count on her psychotic brother who is intent on using him in a armed robbery. This likeably daft h...( read more)eist movie takes a lot of cues from film noir and transplants them into a post Tarantino action film. Affleck is hardly the most charismatic leading man, but with Theron and Gary Sinise's amusing nutjob to play off there's plenty of character dynamics to make up for his shortcomings. It's briskly paced, has just the right combination of action and twists and turns to keep you interested and is tongue in cheek enough to make up for the numerous plot holes. It does lose half a star for it's cornball "happy holidays" epilogue, but otherwise it's a fun slice of trashy nonsense.
  • armybratgeo
    August 9, 2007
    armybratgeo
    oye, loved it...can't go wrong with Gary playing the bad guy
  • gkd17
    November 12, 2009
    gkd17
    its agood movie too see kk.kk.b.doll
  • citawijaya
    September 14, 2009
    citawijaya
    As far as I can remember it's pretty good, I just love twist.
  • RThornhill
    July 10, 2009
    RThornhill
    not bad, and a curveball in the plot almost elevates this one to recommendable status, but not quite.
  • 339z
    June 26, 2009
    339z
    well umn just seen this movie 4 the 1st time n think that this is a good movie 2 watch....its got a good cast of actors/actressess throughout this movie...i think that ben affleck, charlize theron, donal logue, gary sinise play good roles/parts thorughout this movie.....i think t...( read more)hat the director of this action/adventure/drama/romance movie had done a good job of directing this movie because you never know what 2 expect throughout this movie i think that this is a good movie 2 watch n its got a good cast throughout this movie n this is a good movie 2 watch
  • psyclock7
    June 23, 2009
    psyclock7
    This one had a few twist...but ultimately was predictable.

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Critic Reviews

January 1, 2000
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times

I wish I'd had a stopwatch, to clock how many minutes are spent while one character holds a gun to another character's head and gabs. full review

View more Reindeer Games (Deception) reviews at RottenTomatoes.com

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Reindeer Games (Deception) Trivia

  • (2000) When Ben Affleck donned the Santa suit, it wasn't by choice. After assuming his dead cellmate's identity to make time with the girlfriend, he got dragged into a plot to rob a casino, disguised as Santa Claus. What unfestive film was this?   Answer »
  • Deception (2000) staring Ben Afleck was released in the US under which title?  Answer »
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