GamerZ

GamerZ tells the story of a D&D campaign and the relationships between its players. Its charm is multi-faceted, the idiosyncratic (and mostly very geeky) central characters are treated with a gently mocking affection, appealing both to roleplayers (who will have a whale of a time spotting the in-jokes and laughing at the stereotypes) and the general public. There are hidden treats in almost every minor role, generally superbly played, and the Glasgwegian setting is pitch-perfect, from the slang used to the contrasting influences in the main character's life. GamerZ is also technically interesting - rotoscoping (or 'shadowplay') techniques are used to evoke the fantasy game world the characters enter.

All in all, a great laugh, and an excellent job in making a film about a minority interest appealing to the general public.

What a fantastic movie! Great characters you can't help but love, a quirky upbeat soundtrack and 100 minutes of pure fun! You really go on the journey with these characters and are excited by their relationships and antics. Excellent performances, fantastic cinematography and loads of laughs (fabulous writing and direction). GamerZ shows the comic side of Gaming and has characters everyone will recognise. Dungeons and Dragons took itself too seriously - this takes us back to the fun element of role-playing games and you really get involved with the game young Ralph has created. This is a film for everyone, we all know these people and it's interesting to see how a single interest can connect such different people. They may well be pariahs but you can't help but like them. Although the film is set in Glasgow it could be anywhere, any university campus with any group of people with a single interest. It's truly a universal film. There are some fabulous comedy moments which really do have you laughing out loud. I urge everyone to see this film. You don't have to have been a Gamer to enjoy this film, I'm not and I loved it. Give us more, Pure Magic Films - PLEASE!

When my husband picked out this movie out at Blockbuster I was expecting a movie I would cringe at and probably never finish watching. Being one half of a gaming couple who met online I tend to get impatient when all gaming females and males are portrayed in the same way. Although this movie is guilty of complete stereotyping, I surprisingly found it very enjoyable and funny. It is genuinely humorous, does not take itself seriously and the characters although stereotyped are very likable (but definitely far into the weird side even for someone who has played fantasy games).

I had no trouble with the dialect due to being British and having lived in Edinburgh for 5 years while I was at university. I could however see it being a barrier for people unfamiliar with Scottish slang, although if someone could understand "Trainspotting" they should have no trouble with this movie.

The fantasy sequences were done using "shadow-play" which in my mind was definitely one of the best decisions of the film makers. It let people (particularly non-gamers) see what the players were visualizing without looking silly, and the art landscapes were nicely drawn.

Overall it was an enjoyable film that should appeal to anyone with a lighthearted sense of humor. If you liked "Napoleon Dynamite" you will definitely like this!

Do not confuse this title with the movies "Gamers" and "The Gamers" (one of which is a good geek movie). This movie was made in Glasgow Scotland and most of the stars have thick accents, which can make it a little hard to understand them at times for us non-UK viewers. The movie is a low budget but relatively well written story about a dysfunctional group of gamers (which might be redundant) going through an interpersonal crisis and love triangle. It's a story of obsession, losing the line between reality and fantasy, and a coming of age story for kids who happen to be gamers.

Visually they have created a very cool looking movie for the budget they had to deal with, and the use of shadow plays with a mix of CG and painted background was a great way to show what was going on in the main character's imagination. It allowed a very strong separation between the game world and the real world, while not making them feel completely separate. The sound and music mix could have been a lot stronger, but again it works fine for the low budget they had to deal with.

The acting is where you have the biggest problem with the movie. Although not exactly bad, you can tell these are mostly amateurs or student actors. The characters become larger stereotypes because of this, which can actually work for certain styles of movies but this isn't one. The sets are mostly "found sets" but used very well and the set dressing they did do worked fine (again, for the budget). The story gets a little convoluted and meanders towards the middle and end, but can still be followed.

The DVD is fairly simple, with a couple of interesting behind the scenes featurettes, but has a number of technical problems. Several of the tracks on the DVD (including the movie itself) like to hang up at the end, not going back to the menu on most players. One of the "next" buttons on the select a scene section doesn't actually go to the next screen but jumps into the middle of the movie.

The subject matter of this film is hilariously familiar, the story is bizarre and the relationships between the characters are believable, complex and well-written. On one level it's a superb comedy, but it also works as a drama. It was a pleasant surprise as I had no idea what to expect when I went to see it. I will be recommending 'GamerZ' to people for a long time to come.

I would recommend this film to anybody who enjoyed 'Napoleon Dynamite'. It's got a similar geeky charm, great dialogue and the pace never lags. It's a funny, bittersweet film about the small things in life, things which seem like a big deal when they happen.