When I heard that his crowdfunding was funded and he was making a movie, I was overjoyed. I would stop by Cinemassacre.com on a daily basis looking for updates, but they were few and far between. I could understand this. AVGN was a small movie with lots of post production special effects. Most filmmakers do something simple for their first indie film, like Juno.
Still, James pulled through. After a year he announced the premiers at several theaters across the country. I wanted to take a road trip to the on in PA with my friends, but we couldn't get it together. So I waited until the special edition Blue Ray was released. Lo and behold, that day came and I ordered it. Before I knew it, it was in my hand, but I was resident to put it in my PS3 and watch it. I had waited for so long... what if it sucked?
With much trepidation I forced myself to watch the movie. I was relieved to find that it lived up to the promises. Retro game references? Check. Cameos by other online reviewers? Check. Homages to shlock B-movies? Check. It was all there on the screen.
But there's more to a movie that just checking off a list of features. A movie needs characters and plot, so lets review this.
Nerd is an angry man who makes retro video game reviews in his basement. He has obtained fame and respect from fellow gamers, yet there is one problem. He can't bring himself to review the 'worst game of all time' E.T. However, they could not secure the rights to use images from the famous Spielberg movie, so it's depicted here as "Eee Tee".
That's the weirdest thing about this movie. Where the online videos had Fair Use, the movie doesn't. Whenever a game is shown on screen, it has to be a flash animated recreation of the game--a parody. That alone must have taken months of post-production.
Nerd travels to the desert to try to dig up the landfill and prove that there is no conspiracy to cover up the destruction of E.T. cartridges. With the myth dispelled, there will be less interest in the game itself, and he will feel less pressure to review it.
The only problem is that the conspiracy is real, and it's even more deep and interesting than he had bargained for. At first Nerd tries to cover up everything and make it go away, but later is forced to confront it and overcome his fears to review the terrible game. Also save the world from a giant monster.
All I wanted was a fair watch of a film. But after watching it once, I found myself re-watching several times. I got more than a simple plot from James. Here, we have a hero who starts off in the wrong and is only forced onto the path of truth and freedom after being pushed several times. Nerd generally acts selfishly, but deep down he wants to save his fans from playing terrible games. However, what the fans need and what he thinks they need are very different.
While everything else is silly, the motivations of the protagonist are complex. This juxtaposition is what makes the movie work. I would definitely recommend this film.
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