Gamer isn’t quite what you’d expect from the title. Sure, it has a fair share of gaming cliches but it tempers them with just the right mix of seriousness and humor and then wraps it all in an interestingly gritty cinematic style.

Don’t be mistaken. Little about this movie is subtle.

When I saw the initial unveiling of Project Natal at this year’s E3, I was impressed at Microsoft’s ability to harness the motion-control technology of Nintendo’s Wii and amplify it to include the human body. In watching that demonstration, I wondered aloud, “What would happen if that technology became the de facto means of playing video games?”

Directors Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor attempt to offer some insight into this query with the film Gamer.