Thursday, July 28, 2016

Nerve Review - 2 Stars


"Nerve" taps into high school kids' love of apps and games, and especially echoes the current "Pokemon Go" craze, which has kids bumping into walls as they follow their smart phones. "Nerve" presents as an online game, rewarding players with cash for successfully taking and completing dares while building a fan base watching them. Shy high school kid Emma Roberts decides her life in the corner has come to an end, and joins the fun. Her first dare is to kiss a stranger in a diner; and conveniently she finds Dave Franco, a total stranger we soon discover has been planted to team up with her. The dares and the cash prizes increase in intensity, building to some pretty scary stunts, so please don't try these at home. "Nerve" has some thrilling moments, but doesn't quite pay off. The "Hunger Games" knock-off ending makes little sense, and the final wrap up left me scratching my head. While we're at it, Emma Roberts is now 25 and Dave Franco is 30, so I had to chuckle at a story that asked me to believe they're 18. I guess that's a compliment to them, but come on. To drive home that this takes place in the world of social media, the screen fills with multiple computer messages and a lot of other clutter. I like Emma Roberts and Dave Franco. I hope next time I see them, they play people their own age. "Nerve" 2 stars, PG-13 for violence, frightening situations, and a few sexy moments. Does it deliver what it promises? High school kid computer game. Is it entertaining? It zips along at about 90 minutes. Is it worth the price of admission? A placeholder.