Reindeer Games MPAA Rating: R Entertainment: +2 Content: -4

Rudy (Ben Affleck), a car thief, and Nick (James Frain) become friends in prison and both are scheduled for release in two days. All Nick talks about is finally seeing the girlfriend he met through correspondence. Rudy just wants to go home and enjoy a cup of hot chocolate. When Nick is killed in a prison fight, Rudy cant resist posing as Nick after he sees Ashley (Charlize Theron), the beautiful girl in Nicks snapshots, standing outside the prison gates. Ashley turns out to be the sister of Gabriel (Gary Sinise), the leader of a violent gang planning a huge heist at an Indian gambling casino. Goodbye hot chocolate, hello hell. Ambushed by Gabriel and his thugs in a motel room, Rudy realizes he has traded one prison for another as he is tortured and forced to help plan the casino robbery. Double-crossings, betrayals and impossible situations may satisfy those entertained by gory violence. For others, REINDEER GAMES will be anything but fun.

From the opening scene of a Santa Claus bludgeoned to death to the image of a man burning alive, the violence seldom pauses. Gabriel introduces himself with vicious kicks to Rudys head and stomach. Rudy is then chained to a bed and the beating continues. The violence escalates to gun battles, an innocent bystander literally blown away and dozens inside the casino killed with blood and gore everywhere. As Ashley and Rudy try to escape across a frozen pond, she falls through the ice. Rudy dives in after her and both are trapped under the ice. Rudy falls hard for Ashley and a few hours after they meet, a graphic sex scene includes male rear and female breast nudity. Adding to the sleaziness is the characters affinity for garbage vocabulary with 23 regular profanities and 51 obscenities counted. Gory violence, vulgar language, and graphic sex make REINDEER GAMES something you wonder why the public would pay to watch.

Preview Reviewer: Mary Draughon
Distributor: Dimension Films (Miramax), 375 Greenwich, NY, NY 10013