Much like how Blow made you want to drop everything and get into the drug business, and You Got Serve/Step Up made you want to figure out how to spin on your head (don’t lie, you know it did), 21 makes to want to learn how to count cards and go to Vegas right now. No really, like stop reading this, empty the bank and get on a plane, right now. I mean why wouldn’t you want to – the benefits include more money than you can count, insane suites, and well, “loss prevention” specialists hunting you down.

Double Down Baby!
For anyone who loves casinos, or gambling, or well, just a good rush, this movie is great. In short, as the trailer will tell you, the main character (Jim) needs to raise money for med school, so rather than working for a crappy job, he uses his incredible math skills to win at blackjack. How? Well, Kevin Spacey is the professor who everyone likes (he even says “Bueller? Bueller?”), and he recruits Jim to join his team of counters (and, surprise, surprise, he used to be damn good at it himself).

The next hour or so is a fun ride full of lots gambling, plenty of cash, Jim getting it on with Jill (Kate Bosworth), and also losing his best friends (who are typical M.I.T. nerds). Also, accordingly to most interviews, Jim and Jill were blackout drunk (in real life) when they hooked up, which well, makes it a lot more believable. Anyways, I definitely didn’t expect the ending, so I’ll keep that a secret.

What Doesn’t Make Sense
Keep in mind that I really liked this movie, but there are a few things that just don’t make any sense. First of all, Jim goes to M.I.T., has a 4.0, and is only in the card game so he can earn the $300,000 for Harvard Med School (which he was already accepted to). Now, don’t get me wrong, but couldn’t he have just taken out a loan? I mean, damn, I’m sure a Harvard-educated doctor makes at least half a million coming out of school, right? Second of all, every single time the group goes to Vegas, they end up at the same hotel. Now, I’m not an expert on cheating the casinos (I did, however, have a fake ID at age 16, allowing me to go to Canada and gamble whenever I wanted), but I’m pretty sure changing up casinos helps you stay, you know, incognito. And lastly, it’s pretty unrealistic to think that those who get kicked off the team (and consequently, lose a lot of money), wouldn’t blackmail the teacher or anyone else in the group, so I’m not sure how all that worked out.

Random Cameo
In case you’re wondering, the dealer towards the end, before a good chunk of change is lost, is actually the real “Jim,” from the group that this movie is based on.

Final Word
In the end, 21 is a great movie. It has its flaws, but hell, it also shows you that math nerds make for great friends. The cast might not have been a little off, but the story itself (which alters from what really happened), makes for a good two-hour flick. And well, if you find yourself getting bored, you can try counting cards and creating a future for yourself.