Reviews

FNT came together as an organic gathering of similarly-minded content creators in the Nerd and Geek communities just to hang out and discuss pop culture events and laugh with each other.

Who knew that would grow to be as, if not more, entertaining than much of the material they discuss? Every episode is a natural discussion full of irreverent humor (and the occasional naughty word) featuring a panel of about ten regulars and one or two guests. As with any bunch of close-knit pals, there are a host of running in-jokes and personality quirks which the first time viewer might have a tendency to misunderstand. This is especially true since panelists tend to take ownership of inaccurate criticisms and ramp them up to eleven (for example, one regular has been accused--inaccurately--of being racist, so the joke is that everyone regularly points out that he's supposedly the most racist person anyone on the show knows. Another is of modest height, so the joke is that he has the stature of a dwarf). Once one establishes an understanding of the shorthand of their humor and "gets it," the genuine friendship and ease with which the group conducts their hangouts can't help but shine through unfettered.

But be aware: most of the people on the show approach life and culture from a more traditional background, and so they might feel "kind of a way" about the approaches that some of the Hollywood Elite approach entertainment creation, politics, storytelling, and criticism. If the Hollywood Elite reflect your mindset, you are welcome and appreciated by the FNT crowd, though you might find yourself in disagreement with them on a number of issues. You are still welcome and encouraged to participate in chat, so long as you remember people are all there to nerd out and have fun. People can disagree without conflict.

Chat is an important aspect of the show. The panelists keep an eye on what's being said in the live text chat, and frequently comment and riff off of what is there. There's even a group of regular chatters who typically whip up memes about what's being discussed, and these get shared live on the stream.

A dollop of Crazy Ex-Girlfriend (to the point of including two of its stars), a few slices of New Girl, a sprig of Ally McBeal in a Casual reduction, with just a hint of . . . mmm, is that Don't Trust The B-- In Apartment 23? This show is decidedly female-centered, deals with the concerns of women and female empowerment both in and out of the workplace, including their relationships with each other, with friends, co-workers, and with men, and it manages to handle these topics (are you sitting down?) WITHOUT DENIGRATING, MARGINALIZING, EMASCULATING, OR VILLAINIZING ALL OF THE MEN. (oh, yeah, there are some jokes at the expense of men, but they are not delivered in an insulting manner. For example, at one point, Kat's character Jules is told by her gyno that she's caught something from her buddy she's been effing, if you know what I mean. She's told that it's "Feelings," which can be sexually transmitted. When she worries that she might be able to transmit Feelings to someone else, her doctor bursts into a laughing jag which forces her to leave the room. On the way she manages to choke out, "Men don't get that!")

The first episode, maybe episode and a half, may trick one into thinking that it's going to be typical man-hating fare, mainly because the show is set up by the unceremonious way her clod of a boyfriend dumps Jules, prompting her to cross long-burned bridges with her former friends, but the show soon blossoms beyond anything so simple, while it constantly gets funnier and funnier as the episodes unfold. Like South Park, it manages to mock aspects of "The New Morality" even as its characters subscribe to them, and it builds humor out of the situations without ham-handedly telling the audience what's supposed to be funny (the "baby" scene in the 8th episode is a perfect example).

I got to see this at the special premiere event held at select theaters across the US, and I'm glad I did! After one lackluster animated film and one downright disappointing live-action one, a film adaptation of the celebrated fighting game hits it out of the park. Rather than trying to force-feed the viewer as many of the 44-to-date major characters as they can while explaining the history of the King of Iron Fist Tournaments to people who may or may not have played/loved the games, this movie takes a different track. Focusing on a very limited cast of characters--yet a cast drawn from all the way across the history of the games--this piece tells a story which falls squarely within the universe of the games (as opposed to one merely "based on" them). Occurring between the events of Tekken 5/Tekken 5 Dark Resurrection and Tekken 6, this follows popular character Ling Xiaoyu as she is recruited by a powerful corporation to do some undercover investigation of a handsome high school student. Along the way, she encounters and befriends the quirky Alisa Bosconovich, unaware that she is on a similar mission--not to mention unaware of some other secrets Alisa is keeping. As the two work their way closer to the truth, dirty secrets, both little and big, about their employers are uncovered, and plots within plots lead inevitably to a generational confrontation which could potentially alter what it means to be human.

This movie has a fair amount of depth and character development. Thanks to the small cast, tightly focused story, and an understanding of what makes a good game as opposed to a good movie, the audience is treated to something special--learning who these people we fight with in-game truly are, and how they got that way. Characters were clearly selected because relationships which already existed between them could heighten the drama, or because they were foils for each other, allowing new relationships to form while informing the audience of important plot points. Don't get me wrong: There's plenty of action, and plenty of fights. Characters even use those wonderful combos players are so familiar with. The Nina/Anna encounters provide a deeper understanding of their relationship than we can get in-game--yes, even while they're fighting!--and avoids being reduced to cliché. And near the end is the battle royale that gamers all wished we could have seen at the end of Tekken 4, but the consoles lacked the power to make happen. It's glorious.

There are moments when it gets a bit campy, of course, but overall, the nice mix of characters, the nice mix of action and development, and the crisp, true-to-the-game visuals make this movie the unicorn of gaming: A game-based movie that's actually good!