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Movie Review:Series 7: The Contenders

Series 7 is a movie designed to feel like the ultimate reality TV show: the contestants have to kill each other, last one left alive lives. It is a fantastic premise, with lots of clever bits, but a lot of the scenes fall flat. Several of the characters really seem to be acting, and the nurse comes across as a weak stereotype. There also seem to be some inconsistencies with how the game works, and they never really try to explain it. It might have been easier to get into the movie if they had a little more set-up, or it was more completely over-the-top at the beginning, since I did think it picked up a lot towards the end. I guess it seemed close at first to being something that could have been a real show, but then the unexplained parts, or apparent inconsistencies, made it too hard to suspend that disbelief. Oh well. By the end, when they had the student video art project, and the dramatic re-enactments it was really entertaining, and seemed to do a better job of parodying the whole genre. Overall, I am glad I watched it, but would be careful recommending it to someone else. If you're patient, though, I think there is enough payoff to make it worthwhile.