His $8-an-hour job is going nowhere, but Ben's potential is spotted by his enjoyably corrupt tutor Micky Rosa (Spacey) who claims the fresh-faced student's brain "is like a goddamn Pentium chip”.

Rosa decides to open Ben’s eyes to a ‘legitimate’ alternative that he’s been running for years – a card-counting racket in Vegas.

Initially reluctant, Ben soon rejects the autumnal tranquillity of campus life for the allure of big bucks and the seductive persuasions of Jill Taylor (Bosworth).

Populated with the usual student stereotypes, including the liability and the campus beauty, under Spacey’s expert tuition the 'Numberwang' gang develop a sophisticated semaphore of hand gestures, plus language prompts and disguises to take on the gambling capital of the world.

Although the scam is legal it's inevitable their chips will fall – enter Laurence Fishburne as the foreboding eye in the sky. Injecting menace as old-school Vegas muscle, his is arguably the film’s best performance.

Weak characterisation and a lack of danger puts this in the TV movie realm of believability, not improved by endless CGI sequences of chips and cards being launched at the camera.

Stylish visuals and an edgy soundtrack provide a suitably Sodom and Gomorrah feel, but Luketic and his cast are hamstrung by a script that attempts a bit of everything, including a bizarre Ferris Bueller reference, at the expense of the fascinating true story.

Spacey and Sturgess are on good form, but 21 doesn't achieve the satisfaction of The Pursuit of Happyness and falls well short of Ocean’s Eleven's cool.

There is a message about life, money and happiness in here somewhere but it’s undone by a contrived ending.

Still, an enjoyable watch - if you can overlook Kevin Spacey’s final disguise.

Neil Graham