Film More impressed with the production than the product
Long time watcher of AVGN - the older episodes are classically watchable and a testament to Rolfe's passion for cinema, training, and general capability. After seeing the film, I found myself more impressed with the production of the movie than the actual product - meaning I didn't overall enjoy the film but can tell a lot went into it.
The story goes as follows: AVGN hates Eee Tee, an infamous Atari-era game that ruined his childhood, but is hounded by a company making a sequel to use his reviews as a marketing technique. This leads to AVGN and others seeking out the legendary landfill of Eee Tee cartridges and the plot (and jokes) go from there.
During his initial announcement video, Rolfe described how the film would be like Wayne's World - where characters initially limited to a particular format go out into the world at large. He also (in his game review of WW) describes the films as a series of jokes. That's what this film is, to be honest - AVGN as inspired by Wayne's World. An exploitative corporation sponsors a local media program as an instigating event leading to a series of jokes and basic plot points leading to an ultimate finale - in this case the game review. It feels like the film children would make if they had the resources rather than just using their imagination running around the backyard.
Which is not to say it's unimpressive. In segments, the film is enjoyable, even splendid. Rolfe's passion for video games, horror, monster movies, and other influences rings out clear as a bell. The connection, however, between all of the segments, is where the story breaks down.
Also notable are some jokes that require intense familiarity with the AVGN series to appreciate. A reference to the "Glass obstacle" from LJN's BTTF game might just be a confusing non sequitur to the casual viewer rather than a funny reference.
Which leads to my final point - this film feels like it was written at an earlier point in Rolfe's career, say when the web series was just starting, before several years of independent creation enhanced his technique and he didn't have the willpower or perhaps the interest in rewriting the film to bring it up to par. Perhaps AVGN simply doesn't work outside of individual game reviews. I can recognize the effort required for the logistics, the special effects, and in general the sheer energy needed to make this film a reality and respect him for it. Still, while I still turn to AVGN web episodes every now and then, don't anticipate returning to this film any time soon.
Film It's hokey, low-budget, and juvenile...vintage AVGN!
There was much anticipation of a movie adaptation of Angry Video Game Nerd, and I'm pleased to say that it pays off, big time!
The movie opens as the titular Nerd gets bombarded from all sides to do a review of the infamous Eee Tee, from his friends to his store patrons, all the way to another nerd hoping to do a documentary of the infamous New Mexico burial ground of the wretched games (who is actually a corporate executive hoping to get the Nerd's endorsement for its sequel). The Nerd doesn't want any part of it, since he and Eee Tee have a sordid history, but finally relents in the interest of saving his fans from getting caught up in what he believes is a hoax about the dumping site. Little does he know, there is more to Eee Tee than anyone can imagine, as the sinister General Dark Onward is determined to stop the Nerd and his friends from finding out the truth...
What follows is an adventure rife with humor that is equal parts witty and juvenile (Toilet Humor abounds), special effects that are impressive for an indie movie while at the same time cheesy and low-budget, and at the end of it all, the much-anticipated review of the infamous Eee Tee, which may well surprise everyone.
The wait his been more than worth it. If you love AVGN, or video games in general, this movie may well be the best indie movie in recent history, and I recommend you watch it right away!
Film Check it out if you're a fan of AVGN, but don't expect too much.
I knew about this movie being in production before I even watched a single second of a Nerd episode. When I first started watching the AVGN series, I fell in love immediately and marathoned the entire series in a matter of days. I love the Nerd's juvenile sense of humor and tendency to be a funny yet competent critic. So naturally, I wanted to see this movie. I ended up watching it on the internet, and needless to say, it's not that great. For what it is, it's somewhat enjoyable, but if it didn't have the Nerd's name attached to it, I can't think of a reason why anybody would pay attention to it.
As most people know, the entire film is based upon the legend of the Atari Landfill, you know, the whole E.T. thing. But the film's plot can basically be summed up like this without giving anything away: the Nerd, a girl named Mandi who initially uses him, and his young token black sidekick Cooper go on a quest to find stuff out about Area 51 and how it links to the landfill legend. Oh, and at the end, he reviews E.T. That's about all there is to it. It's a B-movie-quality flick with average acting and a thin story. It sucks whether you enjoy it or not. Now that I've got that out of the way, there's not much else to say.
As a whole, the AVGN movie is nothing to get excited about. It's just an amateurish film with none of the charm that the web series has. The side characters do okay, but they seem tacked on in the end. It still feels like an AVGN production, but that's the only thing that keeps it going. Worth watching if you're a fan, but it's nothing special.
Overall: 5.7/10
Film An alright watch, though a ways removed from the web series
I feel the movie's biggest issue is how seemingly distant it is from the web series in the Nerd being unusually non-swearing at times or how the usual supporting cast is reduced to bit roles while a number of newer characters were introduced, with Cooper being oddly not built up to appearing.
I have to wonder if James Rolfe got too caught up in movie making to maintain the general character of the nerd as for one the review of E.T. comes off as far more the real James than the Nerd.
But the general movie itself is decent, which makes me wish for him to do a movie that isn't tied down to a pre-existing thing just to see how it'd turn out.
All in all I wouldn't recommend full price barring being that big of a fan/etc.