Review for 13 (Thirteen)

Remakes of foreign films? Hollywood just cannot help themselves, can they? Once a film is made and has a general buzz about it someone in an boardroom decides to remae it in English. Usually it is simply because people do not want to read subtitles (The Ring springs to mind), or in the rare occasions the creator understood what made the film amazing and just wants to give it his own twist (The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo for instance).

One of the usual indicators that the film will be a great remake is that the creators of the original are involved. This is where 13 is unique. The film, originally released as 13 Tzameti was a critical success and this remake is by the same person... yet it is such a huge disappointment.

13 looks at the 'sport' of Russian Roulette. Vincent Ferro (Sam Riley) in need of money takes over the identity of a dead man who has been given an opportunity to make a lot of money. How? By taking part in an underground gambling sport of Russian Roulette.This is something that was seen in Michael Cimino's The Deer Hunter and here it is treated almost the same. I say almost, because there is a dark voyeuristic nature to the 'sport'.

Alongside Vincent are a number of other participants and those making the bets. These include Jasper Bagges (Jason Statham) and his brother Ronald (Ray Winstone) and Patrick Jefferson (Mickey Rourke) who is being escorted by Jimmy (Curtis '50 Cent' Jackson). It appears at first that all of these characters have different reasons for taking part and these usually all end up being money.

It can not be expressed in words how much 13 fails as a film. I will try, but all I keep coming back to is the phrase everyone uses when it comes to remakes: This film is not necessary. The film is being sold based on its cast and when you look at it, it does look impressive, but a great cast can only be great within a great film. In this film, it doesn't matter how great these people have been in the past, they can do nothing to elevate this excuse for a film.

The overall acting, story and general feel to the film feel amateurish. In fact if you were to be curious and watch the original you could be forgiven for thinking that they remade this awful film and added the elements that made that film so good. It is strange looking at the original and seeing just how well it works when you consider it is exactly the same film.

Other elements of the film make 13 an unlucky film. Such as for anyone who finds it difficult to hear. The simple solution? A subtitle track. I know it's only a small thing, though to be honest it isn't, but I had to watch this film on Volume Level thirty-seven (usually on fourteen max) to hear what all of the characters on screen were saying. What is worse is that then when the sound effects or soundtrack kicks in I feel like I'm being blown away like Marty McFly. It is awful and made the film almost totally unwatchable. This is only one aspect, that I could forgive, if the film was worth watching in the first place... but it's not.

13 is an unlucky number for an unlucky film. It is almost a textbook example of how not to remake a film and the tagline for the film should simply be: If it ain't broke, don't fix it. Seek out the original version, you will find it a much more satisfying film.