2000, 1 hr 45 min., Rated R for strong violence, language and sexuality.�Dir: John Frankenheimer. Cast: Ben Affleck (Rudy), Charlize Theron (Ashley), Gary Sinise (Gabriel), James Frain (Nick).

Love the title, adore the cast, don't care about the movie and am absolutely befuddled by the timing of its release. How can you release a movie with so many Christmas references in February? That's as bad as if you released Armageddon the week before a meteor was to crash into the earth. Simply awful.

Of course, it's not as if this is the type of movie one needs to think too much. Even though John Frankenheimer (The Manchurian Candidate) was the director, with the frequency of explosions and gunfire and total lack of believable plot Games might as well have been made by producer Jerry Bruckheimer (Armageddon, Con Air). Actually having a thought cross your mind is unnecessary and you invest little in an emotional link to the characters.

Truth be told, I would rather have seen about five other movies currently in release, but since I came straight from the driving range, Reindeer Games was the last of the Noon showings, and I hate to miss trailers or walk in while a movie has started. Thus, a couple of hours to unwind my brain and take in a flick I'll forget in a month.

PLOT: Ben Affleck, just released from prison, falls for his cellmate's girl, who might be using him with her brother to rob a casino.

The positives all involve the actors because, as stated previously, I have great respect for the cast and have enjoyed their previous films.

Ben Affleck has developed into a true Hollywood star, and I'm glad he has broken out of the Matt-and-Ben show to forge his own path. Who'd have thought after Good Will Hunting was released that Ben would be seen on screen more, and has become perhaps the more bankable star?

I'm not as familiar with blond bombshell Charlize Theron, but that is for want of trying. She just hasn't been in movies in which I was interested, such as Mighty Joe Young and The Astronaut's Wife. When I see her in the trailers I think, "Wow, she's hot, I may have to see that one." Then I find out what the movie's about and end up seeing something else. Sorry, Charlize, you're a good actress, but your scripts and my attention-span clash.

I understood the stupid symbolism of Gary Sinise's evil character being named Gabriel, but it upset me every time I heard it because I have a one-month old nephew of the same name. Six months ago it wouldn't have bothered me, but don't defile the name of such a cute baby! Of course, this won't affect me in the future, but I wouldn't know since all characters named Jeff are such valiant souls. Despite this objection, Sinise has yet to make a movie in which he wasn't fantastic, and his merry men of thieves were likeable rogues.

The problem I have with Reindeer Games is that it tries to throw out inane plot twists that the characters themselves admit are far-fetched, and I don't fall for it when good guys are bad. Dang! There I go thinking again.