Reviews

As someone who played video games throughout my childhood, I was intrigued by this documentary. When I finished it, I was not disappointed. This seemed like I was watching a movie with a cast straight out of a Star Trek convention. I was waiting for William Shatner to make a cameo...but that didn't happen (of course). Some of the characters have made video gaming their whole life and the protagonist/featured player (Steve) appears as though he's totally out of his element and "trying to beat this empire" that would love to see him fail. You get to a point where you are pulling for this formerly unemployed teacher to pull it off and succeed. It's a good quick watch. A very good movie even for those who aren't video game fans and don't live in your parent's basements.

I keep hearing people say that Sideways is the BEST movie of 2004. I don't agree with that....but I'm not going to say this was a bad flick.

As I started watching Sideways, I thought I was going to doze off. The first 30 minutes of this movie were REALLY boring. I understand the director was trying to set everything up but I couldn't get into it. Fortunately, it really picked up and I enjoyed it.

I compare this movie to "Swingers" for older people. You have the hip, adventure-seeking Jack and the depressed and defeated Miles. Instead of going to Vegas (like in Swingers), the two head to Central California and find their own trouble.

One other thing about this movie that bothered me was the appearance of the boom mic in at least three scenes. It temporarily affected my focus and looked extremely unprofessional.

The main reason why I rented this movie was the appearance of Desperate Housewives star Eva Longoria. If you're thinking of doing the same...DON'T! She is barely in this terribly-acted, atrociously-produced movie and it was a complete was of 80 minutes. It's almost like many of these characters have never seen how humans act. The music is way too loud in some places and the songs are second-rate. I must admit, I did watch the entire film to see where this train wreck ended up. Plus, the actors/actresses were very kind to the eyes. That was another reason I kept tuned into this flick. Let's just say this won't be winning many awards.