The story: Poker player Huck Cheever (Eric Bana) has always lived in the shadow of his Poker champion father L.C. Cheever (Robert Duvall). To make matters worse, the two don't seem to get along as there is bad blood between them. As a Poker tournament approaches, Huck attempts to raise the entry fee money to enter so that he can face his father and prove himself. Huck also gets caught up in drama with a love interest by the name of Billie (Drew Barrymore), who may teach and help him with a few things along the way that could dramatically improve his relationships and life.

One would think a script by Eric Roth ("Forrest Gump") and Curtis Hanson ("L.A. Confidential") would be something special. Alas no. The script is a nauseatingly bad character drama filled with gag-worthy poker/life metaphors, characters with zero chemistry, and worst of all- no suspense during poker games! In Poker movies like "Maverick" and the recent "Casino Royale," the games were intense and filled with high stakes. Here, the games are about as fun as watching paint dry. One is bound to be far more entertained by turning on the TV and watching one of the many real-life poker games. For a film that tries desperately to explore the lifestyles of poker players, it's sad that Hanson can't even make the game come to life.

As for the cast, Bana and Duvall do their best, but they can't overcome the lackluster script. As for Drew Barrymore, I don't usually have a problem with her acting, but she is sorely miscast in "Lucky You." It doesn't help that her underdeveloped character's romance with Huck is forced and awkward, but she also has to deliver lines like "I haven't had this much fun since junior high" and "You Know what I think? I think everyone's trying not to be lonely" (clearly a perceptive comment on Vegas citizens). Everytime she is on screen, I wanted to press mute.

I will say the film has one shining light- the soundtrack. Songs by great musicians such as Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, and Ryan Adams (no relation to Bryan Adams) appear throughout the film. You can't really ask for a better lineup of artists.

The DVD

Video:
The widescreen picture is mediocre. I noticed fuzz and color glare in spots. Not the best transfer I've seen, but not the worst either.

Sound: The English Dolby Surround 5.1 does its job, but there is a serious lack of sound in this movie. The dialogue is always softly delivered and there is rarely any background noise in the Casinos. Casinos are some of the noisiest places on Earth, yet they sound as quiet as a tomb in the film. Viewers also have the option to choose Spanish and French 5.1 audio tracks.

Extras: * A preview for the "Lucky You" soundtrack.

* 5 deleted scenes: 1. Drew's character sings at a bar. 2. Drew talks to her sister. 3 + 4. Two scenes of Huck playing poker. 5. Huck tries to borrow cash from a friend. None of these scenes add anything to the film.

* An informational 18 minute featurette titled "The Players At The Table" that reveals how every poker player in the film is either a pro or a player of the game. The featurette includes interviews with such famous players as Doyle Brunson, Chau Giang, Barry Greenstein, who reveal how they play the game and what strategies they tend to use.

* A 14 1/2 minute extra titled "The Reel Deal- The Time And Place Of Lucky You." This bonus pretty much states how they ripped off the idea for the film from the 2003 Poker Tournament won by online poker player Chris Moneymaker. The director and crew also explain how they reconstructed sets from the Bellagio and Binion's from the year 2003 as well. I was surprised to see how much detail went into every set and casting choice. If only more time was spent on the script...

* English, French, and Spanish subtitles.

Final Thoughts:
For those who haven't seen "Lucky You"- lucky you! Skip this one and save your money for one of the many exciting DVD releases coming out in October.

Film and television enthusiast Nick Lyons recently had his first book published titled "Attack of the Sci-Fi Trivia." It is available on Amazon.com.