I had never seen “The Game” so I was happy to see this film pop up on one of my streaming services. Starring Michael Douglas at the height of his powers along with the always entertaining Sean Penn, the film had star power along with a very intriguing story.

Nicholas Van Orton (Douglas) is a successful and wealthy banker who seems to have everything. He looks like Gordon Gekko but Douglas plays him without the cockiness and bluster. He’s a straight-laced guy living a very comfortable life. His brother Conrad (Penn) is the opposite as we learn quickly when Nicholas meets Conrad for lunch. Their conversation sets up the contrast between the characters, and then Conrad offers up an odd birthday gift. He wants Nicholas to take part in a personalized, real-life game. Nicholas is skeptical but then reluctantly agrees to accept after looking into it. And then things spin out of control.

The story has so many twists and turns that it’s sometimes hard to keep up. The audience is often left guessing as to whether Nicholas is truly experiencing a game or if it’s all real as his life spins out of control. The end of the film is over-the-top, with a final plot twist that will surprise most viewers.

Yet the movie is flawed. It’s difficult to explain this in detail without giving away the ending, but too many of the details don’t add up. It’s too hard to believe the story. We’re used to suspending disbelief in fantasy films like superhero movies or ghost stories, but the setup here is grounded in the real world.

Still, the movie is brilliantly shot and paced. I didn’t realize this was a David Fincher film until the closing credits. It makes sense, as the entire feel of the film fits his style. But Fincher admits he probably should not have directed this film due to problems with the story, particularly in the third act. His wife told him not to take on the project but he didn’t listen. The frenetic ending of the film delivers plenty of entertaining twists and action, but you’re left asking yourself how this is all possible.

While the film is far from perfect, the performances from the cast make up for the problems with the story. Douglas is brilliant as you would expect. He’s able to handle such a wide range of emotions without ever overacting. Events if the events around him seem far-fetched, his reactions always come across as authentic. Penn dials it up and delivers a manic performance that fits the character. He’s perfect for this role, even if this is far from the best performance in the film. Deborah Kara Unger is fantastic as Nicholas’ love interest. It’s surprising that her career fizzled after this film. James Rebhorn delivers his usual great performance as he convinces Nicholas to give this crazy idea a try.

Do I recommend this movie? Yes. It’s a fun ride from a brilliant director featuring great performances from a stellar cast. But the film has issues that will leave some viewers less than satisfied. You’ll probably enjoy it if you can get past some of the unbelievable sequences and treat this as a suspenseful popcorn movie. Just don’t ask too many questions . . .

* Speaking of Finke, she claimed another “toldja” tonight. Channing Tatum will be Jonah Hill‘s costar in the upcoming comedy rendering of “21 Jump Street” written by Hill and Michael Bacall.

* A ballet comedy with Chloe Moretz, Kristen Bell and Jackie Earle Haley? Works for me. Moretz makes a lot of sense here. As we discussed when I interviewed her last summer, she has a background in ballet. She was also fairly gaga over the portions of “The Black Swan” she’d been able to see.

* A sweet tribute to the late Leslie Nielsen by David Zucker.

* Anne Thompson has a rundown of the selections for this year’s Sundance Film Festival, which is just about six or seven weeks away already, if you can believe it.

* Speaking of Anne Thompson, she posted an early review of the Coen Brothers new version of “True Grit” tonight. She was very positive about the movie herself but seemed to feel  that younger viewers don’t “get” westerns because they happened a long time ago. (Does that mean they dislike all films taking place more than a hundred years in the past? I find that a sad thought.) She also said the response at the screening she went to was “mixed.”

Well, at least so far it’s not so mixed with the geek elements of the film blogosphere because Drew McWeeney, Harry Knowles (who, yes, tends to be excitably positive), and Eric Eisenberg of CinemaBlend posted flat-out raves. This fan of Westerns, who recently read the Charles Portis novel and is looking forward to reacquainting himself with the 1969 version really soon, is excited. Only blogo-blowhard Jeffrey Welles has labeled it a “misfire” in what I’ve read so far, and I can’t help but consider the source. At least he didn’t spend the review calling Jeff Bridges fat or something. It seems like every time I read Welles, he’s criticizing someone for being overweight.

* Left over from last night. Christopher Nolan makes sense and tells us to embrace the ambiguity. Actually, the deliberate little bit of doubt at the ending was one of the few things I liked unreservedly about “Inception” which, overall, was a big, cold, glittering disappointment for me.

* Michael Douglas is apparently doing well in the health department and, from a totally selfish point of view, the best part is that it really does look like the Soderbergh Liberace movie is going forward.

* Whedonesque reveals a non-story as Entertainment Weekly manufactures a dubious scoop on the Joss Whedon-less “Buffy” movie.

* I’m sure Peter Jackson knows exactly what he’s doing, but it blows me away that a big scale fantasy epic like “The Hobbit” is going to be shot with RED Epic digital cameras. I know I have huge retro tendencies, but somehow, I’d feel better if he were using those massive old 3-strip Technicolor cameras.

* James Cameron apparently won’t be directing the latest iteration of legend of Egyptian queen Cleopatra. Instead, he’ll spend the next few years doing the inevitable: “Avatar 2” and “Avatar 3.” Apparently, the commitment now is partially in return for Fox making a large donation to green causes Cameron supports.

* Christopher Nolan gave Geoff Boucher the title of the next Batman installment “The Dark Knight Rises” — not very inspiring. Having previously eliminated Mr. Freeze as the film’s big bad, he also eliminated the Riddler. That leaves Catwoman, the Penguin, and…Man-Bat?

* New Zealand Prime Minister John Keys announced today that the “The Hobbit” will, in fact, be staying in New Zealand. Yup, the leader of an entire nation announced a movie deal today. And you thought the cinema was a frivolous pastime. As expected, there were some legislative changes and remember those tax rebates that NZ Finance Minister Gerry Brownlee assured a reporter were not being negotiated? Well, some tax rebates were thrown in to sweeten the pot for Warners as well as some legislative changes. (H/t AICN)

* Schindler-esque humanitarian hero Paul Rusesabagina, who was portrayed by Don Cheadle in 2004’s Oscar-nominated “Hotel Rwanda,” is under legal threat in Rwanda on charges of “funding terrorism.” The allegation is because of his connection to opposition figure Victoire Ingabire, who is being held on suspicion of setting up some kind of armed resistance to the Rwandan government. Considering the crappy human rights record of the current Rwandan regime, I think it’s safe to say that Mr. Rusesabagina is once again facing off against the bad guys. Best of luck to him. (H/t The Wrap.)

* Matt Damon is doing a bit of damage control today for earlier remarks which made it sound as if he was none too happy not to be kept in the loop about the Jason Bourne-less “The Bourne Legacy.” I have absolutely no doubt that we bloggers did exaggerate the whole thing, but I’ve never seen a celebrity “badgered” at a roundtable yet. I have seen inane questions and some autograph requests, however.

Anyhow, it appears that Damon is really quite happy about the whole thing, as it leaves the door open for another Bourne film reteaming him and director Paul Greengrass. Also making progress: the Liberace film costarring Michael Douglas as the famed pianistic showman and directed by Steven Soderbergh, with Damon as Liberace’s long time lover. (Despite being one of the most flamboyantly flamboyant figures in the history of popular culture, Liberace remained in a sequin-encrusted closet his entire life.)

* More news from down-under. The critically acclaimed crime thriller “Animal Kingdom” has swept the nominations for the Australian equivalent of the Oscars. My colleague, Jason Zingale, found himself in the critical minority and wasn’t too pleased with the film. I personally thought that portions of it were overly somber, but on the whole I’m rooting for it anyway. Whatever it’s problems, it’s a very solid debut for writer-director David Michôd and I thought the last third was absolutely riveting. I certainly wouldn’t mind seeing an actual Oscar-nomination for Jacki Weaver as well for her role as a crime family matriarch who’s maternal instincts take some fascinating turns.

* And, speaking of Australia, an Aussie site ran an apparently false now-deleted story relating to a gay sex plotline in the planned “Alien” prequel. Cinematical’s Eric D. Snider mines the subject for some rather amusing homosexual panic driven humor. Also at Cinematical, behold the Batman-Cat.

* “Hereafter” writer Peter Morgan — who also penned “The Queen,” the outstanding “The Damned United,” and “Frost/Nixon” — gave an unusually compelling and candid flip-cam interview to Anne Thompson. Blogging about the interview, Movieline’s S.T. Vansairdale alleges Morgan is “ready to throw director Clint Eastwood under the bus,” which might excite readers with nastier dispositions but is not at all the impression I got. That’ll show Morgan for being honest with the press.

* Are we really supposed to care who will make a movie based on the Ouija board? How about “Cutting Board: The Movie”?

* Darren Aronofsky’s movie of Max Barry’s “Machine Men” will be a cyborg tale and is drawn from a novel that’s currently only available on the interwebs on a page-per-day basis.

* I hated almost all hair bands at the time, so — much as I love a good musical — I’m not exactly chomping at the bit for the film version of “Rock of Ages.” Somehow, possibly adding Tom Cruise to the mix as a bartender does nothing for me. He may pour again, but will he ever really reign?

The smart money seems to be pretty positive that “Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps” will earn in the neighborhood of $20 million and so may end up winning the weekend. At least that’s what I’m reading via jolly Carl DiOrio and the more circumspect Ben Fritz.

The audience for the latest from Oliver Stone skews fairly older, not only because it’s a topical thriller from the bombastic but literate Stone, but because it’s a sequel to a hit movie that is — shockingly for some of us — old enough that 24 year-old co-star Shia LaBeouf was barely a toddler when it first came out. That may help with the film’s longevity since older audiences tend to take their time seeing a new movie. Also, a bit of extra publicity from Gekko-man Michael Douglas‘s well-publicized upbeat battle with cancer might add to awareness over the long term. The reviews, which also have a somewhat stronger effect on older viewers, are only meh-to-okay with somewhat better response from more blue-state-centric “top critics.”

“Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga’Hoole” is also doing better with the “cream of the crop” crowd than the critical hoi polloi, but interest from regular folks hasn’t been what the makers of this $50-60 million 3D animated production have been hoping for. The film is PG rated, but many feel it is excessively dark and violent for the kids. That may make it truer to the popular books it’s drawn from, and it’s certainly no surprise given that this is from Zack Snyder of “Watchmen” and “300.” Still, this will get at least some boost from the those 3D premium prices and is expected to make, I guess, between $15-20 million, though I personally find the character designs pretty unappealing and I wonder if others feel the same way.

The gurus are not optimistic when it comes to “You Again.” We fans of Kristen Bell are, it seems, once again being forced to wonder about this hugely skilled young actress’s bad luck, first with the early cancellation of the “Veronica Mars” television series, then somehow being saddled with the only uninteresting part in the otherwise first-rate “Forgetting Sarah Marshall,” and then to a series of roundly drubbed releases like this one, which is something considering the film’s rather amazing supporting cast.

Oddly, this comedy reunites her with Andy Fickman, the director of what I guess must be her best movie role so far, as the singing and dancing and unbelievably naive female lead of “Reefer Madness: The Movie Musical.” However, our own Jason Zingale’s very negative review is very much line with the majority of critics and audiences aren’t expected to like this one all that much better, with low expectations that still might end up covering its modest studio budget of $20 million. Still, no wonder Ms. Bell seems truly desperate to get that long discussed “Veronica Mars” movie off the ground.

“The Virginity Hit,” which has been in limited release, is expanding into 700 theaters this weekend. The mockumentary horny teenager flick had generated high hopes at one point and has been sponsored by Will Ferrell and his comedy partner Adam McKay, but those hopes have been scaled back once more people got a look at the thing, it seems. David Medsker roundly disliked it, but his slam is a love-letter compared to my Rotten Tomatoes pull quote of the week from Dustin Putnam:

Crass and detestable, a combination of American Pie, The Blair Witch Project and crap.

That, however, is not all because this weekend sees several notable limited releases. The highly buzzed and very well reviewed suspense one-man show for Ryan Reynolds and enormous cinematic challenge for director Rodrigo Cortés, “Buried,” opens in 11 theaters this weekend. There’s also the hugely divisive cinephile-bait, “Enter the Void,” a druggy fantasia about life after death from the ever controversial Gasper Noé, the acclaimed documentary about the should-be hot topic of education, “Waiting for Superman,” and two movies which I actually saw and reviewed myself, the free-speech docu-drama “Howl” starring James Franco as poet Allen Ginsberg and Woody Allen’s latest all-star outing, “You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger,” which I’m somewhat surprised to say I actually kind of recommend.

* In case you haven’t heard, the epic speculation about just who will play the Pippi Longstocking-via-the-Velvet-Underground Lisbeth Salender of “The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo” (American style) is over. The part has gone to 25 year-old Rooney Mara. Anne Thompson has the inside dope on this relative unknown.

Still, I find the comparisons with the legendary battle to cast the role of Scarlett O’Hara in “Gone With the Wind” to be slightly much. It’s more like casting Daniel Radcliffe as Harry Potter or Sean Connery as James Bond.

The obvious differences aside, Connery was, by the way, very much like Mara. He was actually the second person to play the role. The first was Gene Barry in a nationality flipped 1954 TV version of “Casino Royale” in which “Jimmy Bond” was American and “Clarence Leiter” was British.

* As if we Angelenos don’t have enough problems with aliens invading our town and the ensuing legal battles therein. The President’s in L.A. raising money from the godless sodomites of H-wood with help from communist money hating writer-producer-director-moguls John Wells and J.J. Abrams. And we know what this means — a new round of liberal criticism of the Obama Administration for, yes, the traffic. Even Hef was bothered.

* I once transcribed and informally partially edited an “as told to” book by the son of the entrepreneurial founder of a major multinational with huge ties to the film industry through his son. Nikki Finke today reminds me of a quip the second-generation captain of industry quoted: “There’s nothing wrong with nepotism, as long as you keep it in the family.”

* It sounds like he’ll be okay, but think good thoughts for Michael Douglas anyway.

* Because of my recent roundtable piece with Kevin Pollak, I’ve been giving his interview program a listen. Ironically, Christopher Walken, like William “the Shat” Shatner before him, is jumping into the interview game, perhaps inspired by Pollak for all anyone knows. Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, I’ve heard.

* Some of my best friends have post-graduate degrees in psychology but, Lord amighty, headline grabbing psychologists and their journalistic/PR enablers can really produce a special kind of stupid and shallow when they go all pop-cultural on us. Get this:

“In today’s media, superheroes and slackers are the only two options boys have,” said Lamb. “Boys are told, if you can’t be a superhero, you can always be a slacker.”

They were writing the same thing when I was kid, only the terms were different. I’d give you a more detailed case on why I consider this complete idiocy, but since I’m clearly not a superhero, I must be a slacker. (H/t Anne Thompson.)