MIT student Ben Campbell (Jim Sturgess) is a math genius who is desperate to get in to Harvard medical school when he graduates.
The only problem is he is flat broke and can't afford the steep tuition fees.

So when one of his lecturers invites him to join a team of card counting students to fleece the casinos of Las Vegas, he agrees.
But with security expert Cole Williams (Laurence Fishburne) on their tails, taking the house can be far more dangerous than Ben imagined.

Named after the ideal sum of cards in blackjack, 21 has already fought off worthy contenders to stay at number one in the US box office.

But surprisingly, after the glitzy intro slapping the audiences' faces with extreme close-ups and impossible angles of the blackjack table, the film soon descends into a very average style.

Director Robert Luketic lets Vegas do the hard work stylistically; relying on the colour and bustle of Sin City to catch the eye and the elaborate set pieces of the casinos themselves to amp the drama.

When juxtaposed against the drearier Boston setting (highlighted on several occasions by filming through a sepia hue) the result is basic, but effective.

Where the film really hits the right chord is with the casting. English born Jim Sturgess manages to juggle shy boy-genius with money hungry megalomaniac without seeming jarring, and is ably supported by an ever constant Kate Bosworth.

But it is the veterans who really shine, with Spacey putting in an electric performance as the lecturer Micky Rosa; bouncing off the young supporting cast with his unpredictable switching between friendly and fierce.

A clumsy voice over and predictable narrative may hinder the film, but they certainly don't get in the way of its enjoyment.
The only real gripe with 21 is its excessive run time. At over two hours long for what could essentially be staged comfortably in 90 minutes, some seat shifting may occur.

While 21 is a solid, coming of age film, even the Vegas setting can't make it dazzle.

7/10 - Misses the Joker but not quite Ace.