13 Sins Review

Disclaimer: Contains spoilers!

Plot Summary: Right before his wedding, a man is fired from his job yet becomes embroiled in a dangerous game where he can win a life-changing amount of money.

Review: So this is the remake of "13: Game of Death" though it may also go by that same title...yes, confusing. Regardless, this is almost as good as the original, and, in fact, could have surprisingly surpassed it if it weren't for a few blunders. However, something extremely important on the plus side is that this film actually toys with your expectations if you've watched the original. Meaning, when certain challenges are recreated they do not necessarily unfold in the same way, opening up new possibilities. Likewise, the challenges are not straight copies as there are a few new ones to keep you interested if you're intending to see both. Also, there is definitely a distinct, aesthetic difference which does make watching the two films feel unique enough that you could almost--almost--imagine this as a sequel rather than a remake.

Improvements: I prefer the drama between this set of characters since everything feels more personal. The original tried hard to get you involved with Chit's life, but I don't think the director achieved that level of investment from the audience. Here, the lead, Elliot, feels more personable, and we can understand his motivations. At the same time, he doesn't fully embrace the evil path the game takes a player on in the way that Chit did. I don't know, some might consider that wimping out in comparison, but I usually want my leads to succeed and it's harder to cheer on selfish lunatics. Another commendable distinction is expanding on the other characters to build up the lead. The original pretty much only had Tong, played by my girl Achita Sikamana. Her role was fundamentally useless except to unravel exposition for the audience. Here, the secondary characters play significant roles in both the game and fleshing out Elliot's life. This is especially important toward the end when we realize who Elliot was competing against in the game; it is a bit predictable once you learn there is a second player, but it did help add drama to the mix. As for the challenges themselves...it was amusing to see the game masters becoming more involved with the challenges and altering them on the fly. Again, the challenges are tweaked in such a way that you will be expecting certain outcomes similar to the original but then they're changed up; specifically, the clothesline challenge is altered in a way that directly messes with viewers of the original. This adds a layer of excitement since not only are the filmmakers changing the story beats, but they are presenting them in a way that will still entertain those familiar with the source material. Finally, the ending as a whole is lackluster--for different reasons than the original--but it does try to establish closure despite it being a cliched happy(ish) ending; no sequel-baiting here.

Downgrades: Out the gate, wasting the opportunity to make this a spinoff or sequel to the original was beyond idiotic to the point of being unforgivable. Would it really have been so hard to include a line about a game in Thailand or show a picture of Chit?! Seriously?! What would have been perfect is if they had a scene with Tong still trying to track down the game masters. And using similar challenges wouldn't even matter since we could simply assume the game masters use the same shit over and over again to entice people into the early stages of the game. Argh. Anyway...I hated the way they establish that these games have been going on for like hundreds of years and resulted in major catastrophes or events like the JFK assassination. Yeaaaah...okaaaay. And those games in the past were done through--what--fucking carrier pigeons?! And how would anyone even know the games were really taking place if you're one of these insiders with the game masters? It's just too implausible and nonsensical to try and explain the game in this manner. Not saying a stupid fucking little kid running the show was better--they're both incredibly moronic and disappointing reveals. Finally, the twist with the brother is so unbelievably predictable that you're hoping, no, praying, that it's a red herring. It's not even a bad twist--the execution simply wasn't there.

For the most part, the two films are comparable in terms of production quality, acting, and pacing. It's really just down to a few story aspects that shape which is the better film. To me, I give the higher rating to the original for coming first and, hence, needing to put in more work story-wise. This doesn't mean "13 Sins" isn't still a decent flick in its own right--because it is--it merely means that for every improvement made there were corresponding changes that don't work. If only the filmmakers made an association with the original we could have had something exceptionally special on our hands. In fact, this aspect would have turned this into a damn franchise with games taking place in different countries and maybe have the general public start to realize something is wrong. Oh well. I do recommend checking these two films out, but watch the original first and imagine this is a sequel.

Notable Moment: When a sexy nurse pops up out of nowhere for no real reason. Yeah, she's loosely connected to a challenge, but I guess someone on this set knows the way to my heart!

Final Rating: 6/10