TV review: 'The Player' is big, dumb — and not much fun

This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2015, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

NBC's "The Player" (Thursday, 9 p.m., Ch. 5) just might be the dumbest new show this fall.

There's absolutely nothing believable about it. Including the action scenes, which are the only entertaining thing about the show.

You've got to turn off your brain and stare vacantly at your TV to enjoy it.

Philip Winchester ("Strike Back") stars as Alex Kane, a security expert in Las Vegas who's having a very bad day. His estranged wife is shot and killed during a home invasion, and while he's chasing the killer — bare chested, of course — he gets hit by a car driven by Cassandra (Charity Wakefield).

Cassandra is a dealer in a high-stakes game where wealthy individuals gamble on the ability of The Player to stop crimes before they happen. And Alex is drawn into the game.

The performances are ludicrous, none moreso than Wesley Snipes as the pit boss who co-ordinates the game.

The action sequences are cool. Unbelievable, but cool.

Fast forward through the rest of this drivel and just watch those, if you must.