Arcade: A Realidade Mortal

Rating Breakdown.

Story - 1.25 :: Direction - 0.50 :: Pace - 0.50 :: Performances - 1.25 :: Entertainment 1.00 :::: TOTAL - 4.50/10.00.

Ah, Arcade (1993), a cyber-horror movie that promised to make us "kiss reality goodbye" but instead delivered a virtual reminder of how far CGI has come since the early '90s. Albert Pyun, known for his low-budget miracles, takes a big swing here-unfortunately, it's more of a foul tip than a home run.

The premise is tantalizing: a malevolent VR video game traps teens in a digital hellscape, forcing our lead Alex (Megan Ward) to rescue her friends. It's a concept worthy of Tron's neon dreams or The Lawnmower Man's techno-paranoia. But unlike those films, Arcade buckles under the weight of its own ambition. The budget is painfully evident, especially once the characters enter the VR world, a green-screen nightmare where the CGI resembles a rejected screensaver from Windows 95. What should've been high-octane spectacle becomes a sluggish chore, as scenes that should dazzle instead drag.

And yet, there are glimmers of hope. The cast-led by Ward, with a young Seth Green and John de Lancie along for the ride-does its best to sell the material. They bring a touch of humanity to their clichéd characters, even if the direction falters once they step into the digital void. Pyun struggles to translate VR peril into cinematic thrills, leaving the actors adrift in a sea of garish polygons.

Still, there's an earnest charm to Arcade's flawed ambition. It's a film that aims for the stars but lands in a low-resolution crater. If you have fond memories of the movie, be warned: revisiting it might tarnish your nostalgia. For everyone else, it's a cautionary tale about dreaming big on a small budget.

Something fishy is going on. After playing the newest, hottest video game on the market a bunch of teenagers in the neighborhood begin to disappear. The special effects are the main attraction here. At the time of it's release they were pretty good, but today they are badly dated. Pretty bland entertainment without any excitement.

Rated R; Violence.

Oh, Charles Band. Is there anything you won't do? Is there anything the late Albert Pyun wouldn't do? It's a little surprising, perhaps, that this was written by David S. Goyer, who became known hereafter for much more substantial and recognized films, and that Alan Howarth - arguably best known for his collaborations with John Carpenter - composed the music. These contributors portend a range of quality and value to expect from 'Arcade,' and sure enough, it's a bit of a mixed bag here. Since the advent of videogames we've gotten many sci-fi stories of a similar thrust of people getting sucked into a virtual or alternate reality (more still if you include fantasy at large), but that's alright, since every iteration can be fun in its own right. Set this aside, and the feature falls into the broader genre of sci-fi and fantasy that involves plucky teens becoming the heroes and saving the day. To that point, in those swell practical effects that are employed, one observes a kinship with similar fare of the 80s and early 90s, such as 'A nightmare on Elm Street,' or maybe even just kids' gameshows on Nickelodeon. Howarth's compositions aren't anything special, but I like them well enough. And hey, there are some identifiable names and faces here: John de Lancie, Don Stark, Seth Green, Peter Billingsley, and more. All told, this isn't half bad!

Not half bad - but also not necessarily half good. Any possible combination of factors are at play here: the budget allotted by Full Moon, guidance from producer Band, limitations of technology, relative inexperience on the part of Goyer, Pyun's knack for low-grade schlock, and maybe more. Whatever the case may be, many of the possible advantages don't come off as well as one might think, and some aspects are altogether garish. The concept and design for the game and elements therein are terrific; the CGI of the early 90s that greets us in the virtual world, on the other hand, is somewhere on the spectrum of quality between "on par" and "absolutely horrid." The production design and art direction vary between imaginative and unremarkable. Influenced in part by the "dreamscape" nature of the game world, in no few instances the acting follows a bizarre, airy ethos that feels like it belongs in a parody, and elsewhere it's simply forced or contrived. While the story at large is quite fine, suitable material with some gratifying sparks of genius, no small bit of the dialogue is painful to behold; some scene writing is kind of brilliant, and some of it inspires a quizzical "Okay, then" reaction. In its last minutes 'Arcade' struggles to find the right tone, and so the ending feels entirely "off." Some of the editing and cinematography is overdone, and it's hard to get a beat on Pyun's direction generally.

On the balance I would say this is passably enjoyable, though I would also suggest that it's recommendable only for the very curious or bored, or for those who already take no issue with pictures such as those Band or Pyun have been known for in the first place. It fits neatly within that space the filmmakers consistently play or played in, for better or for worse, and what fun it has to offer is only baseline satisfactory. For those seeking more grandly fetching, reliably well done, thrilling and compelling movies, you're better off looking elsewhere (say with 1982's 'Tron' for an all too obvious example). If all you need in the moment is something light and frivolous to whittle away 90 lazy minutes, however, 'Arcade' might just fit the bill. Don't go out of your way for and be aware of what you're getting into, but in the very least, you could do a lot worse.

Yes, this is the worst film I have ever seen. That's not to say it's the least enjoyable film I've ever seen, that dubious honour goes to My Dog Skip, a hideously patriotic story of a boy who learns all life's lessons through his pet dog that I was forced to watch on a bus. But Arcade has the worst plot, the worst production values, the worst script, the worst acting, the worst... everything, really.

This complete lack of virtue is, of course, Arcade's saving grace. This really is a freak show exhibit of a film. I watched it all the way through because I simply could not take my eyes from the grotesque spectacle on the screen. I had to see how much worse it could get. And boy, did it ever get worse.

How did this film get made? Who knows. I'm glad to see it went straight to video, which is where it deserves to be. Watch it if you've got a taste for the truly horrible.

There really isn't anything special about this movie. Filmed 2 years before its release year. Charles Band wanted to punch up the CGI to make it look better...He should have tried again. The acting is decent with such actors as Megan Ward, Peter Billingsley and Seth Green to hi0llite some of the main characters.

Arcade, though one of Full Moon better, not great, but better movies, really tries to be something big, but due to a poor script, fails to deliver the goods.

5 out of 10