“RUNNER RUNNER” Movie Review. Payback can be Sweet.

“RUNNER RUNNER” PRESS PREVIEW

What topic would you consider to be the safest bet when you have a film in the pipeline?

Throwing in a couple of eye-catching hunks might just work, such as JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE and BEN AFFLECK.

Their names help to pave the way.

The participation of a beautiful female interest as GEMMA ARTERTON would heighten expectations.

Rope in a competent director as in this case, it is BRAD FURMAN.

The script is of utmost importance, so enlist an award winning writer to pen an intriguing crime story set against the world of online gambling. Super idea.

There, we have this gambling feature RUNNER RUNNER, all set for a blockbuster release.

Only that something has gone awry.

There are holes in the plot, but we don’t really care, as we have two male leads in the acting arena pitching for narrative attention.

RUNNER RUNNER is indeed formulaic, you would know what’s going on, from start to finish.

What’s conspicuously overlooked is the director’s film treatment. It’s jerky all the way.

The storyline:

 Princeton undergraduate cum gambling whiz kid Richie Furst (Justin Timberlake) loses his entire savings on a rigged poker website.

Upon discovering he was hoodwinked, he ventures to Costa Rica to confront the site’s owner, Ivan Block (Ben Affleck).

Ivan sees the situation in his favor and promptly offers him a lucrative job as his right-hand man to tackle unpleasant situations.

Seduced by the lure of bright lights, money and sexy babes, Richie accepts.

Little does he know that there’s evil under the sun, hidden behind the business facade that Ivan has set traps for him.

And all doubts diminish when an FBI agent (Anthony Mackie) accosts Richie to enlist his help in Ivan’s criminal activities.

Richie hatches a scheme to escape before exposing his corrupted boss for making him a scapegoat.

There’s so much an actor can perform when he is bestowed a bland script.

Devoid of the suspense that holds you in a viselike grip, the film meanders at snail’s pace.

For fans of Justin Timberlake and Ben Affleck, this one’s for you all.