The road from a college flat to a Costa Rican casino dripping cash set the backdrop for Justin Timberlake's latest foray into film acting.
At the very least, Timberlake is believable in his portrayal of college student Richie Furst, but like the rest of the film he fails to rise to the challenge of what Runner Runner was offering.
Richie Furst is a top student at Princeton University but having previously worked in a high-paying job on Wall St, he is ineligible for help with fees at university.
His answer is online gambling.
What follows are yachts, scandal, love and betrayal, but none of it at the expected high-pressure levels.
This was most evident in the relationship between Timberlake and Ben Affleck, who plays an American casino tycoon in Costa Rica.
They were enjoyable enough as they bounded through camaraderie and mishap, yet for a crocodile-owning rich-lister Affleck's character seemed lazy and willing to fail, while after everything suffered through by Timberlake's character, it was clear he either has superb anger management or Timberlake has much less superb acting skills.
Another example is the mandatory love affair in these films, but this one seemed inevitable and already agreed, removing the need for courting and chase but also leaving the idea unfinished.
Director Brad Furman clearly had a big budget to throw at the film and an idea full of dodgy laws and online crime, so it's a shame he failed to ignite the idea and force his actors to dig deeper into the minds of their characters.
Runner Runner (M)
Starring: Justin Timberlake (Friends with Benefits), Ben Affleck (Argo), Gemma Arterton (Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time).
Director: Brad Furman (The Lincoln Lawyer).
Screening: Reading Cinemas Queenstown - visit www.readingcinemas.co.nz for times.
3 stars (out of 5)
