Angry Video Game Nerd: The Movie

Special treat today everyone: I want to review one of my most anticipated movies ever, the independent “Angry Video Game Nerd: The Movie,” released in 2014. I have mentioned James Rolfe many times on my reviews, and I want to review his movie that didn’t take him as long as independent movies normally take, especially since he made it with the help of donations from his fans who were really eager to see his movie. Ever since he mentioned in his Spielberg Game Reviews video that his most requested game, “E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial” for the Atari 2600 (which I have to admit, I never owned and never played), was going to be reviewed in the movie. I didn’t get to see this movie in any theaters near me that played independent movies since his list of theaters he was going to play it in never played in my area. I didn’t even want to pay online to see this movie, but I did see it when it was released on DVD, and it was worth the rental. Since I am one of James Rolfe's biggest fans, I think it would be worth it if I did a review on this movie. Enough of that, let’s get on with the review.

First off, a little history: In 1982, Atari game designer, Howard Scott Warshaw, was chosen to program the “E.T.” game based on the movie, which was the highest grossing movie that year, since previous Spielberg games, like “Raiders of the Lost Ark.” Normally, an Atari game took Warshaw 6-7 months, but was only given 5 weeks for “E.T.” in order to be ready for the Christmas season. End result: a game that left gamers frustrated with the layout and gameplay that left Atari with a $536 million loss. Not only did it make Atari bankrupt, but also was one of the causes of the video game crash in 1983. Atari was apparently left with 5 million copies that were returned and they ended up burying them in the New Mexico desert.

As I have already mentioned, James Rolfe really made a brand name with “The Angry Video Game Nerd,” one of the most famous video game review shows that looks at the worst in the gaming business. Brian Orndorf mentioned in his review, “It’s no polite rundown of faults, but a program constructed with sketches, game play, and cursing. So much cursing.” Rolfe’s swear-mouthed routine has made him into an Internet Star with gamers, creating a fan base interested in the worst games dissected with phenomenal goofiness. With the amount of profanity aside, Rolfe’s videos are very entertaining, but does a guy who built a business in his basement, screaming into his handheld camera, ready to be made on the big screen? “Angry Video Game Nerd: The Movie” is determined to turn the glasses-wearing, pocket-protecting, beer-drinking, joystick-bending nerd into a cinematic great.

Making a reputation for his online video game reviews, The Angry Video Game Nerd (James Rolfe) lives a comfortable life in his chaotic basement, working at a video game store with best friend Cooper (Jeremy Suarez). Finding out that an evil corporation is about to come out with a sequel to what has been called “the worst video game of all time,” 1982’s “E.T.” (Spelled “Eee Tee” in this movie to avoid copyright infringement), Cooper and AVGN decide to drive to New Mexico to prove that the famous landfill story of the bury site of the game is fake, thus breaking its crazy air of mystery. Coming along as the third wheel of help is Mandi, played by Sarah Glendening, an employee for the game company incognito as a fan, working to convince AVGN into a review of “Eee Tee 2,” which would bring sales from the faithful. Also behind them is General Dark Onward (Stephen Mendel), a crazy military leader mistaking AVGN’s interest in alien adventures as a threat to national security, sending off Sergeant McButter (Helena Barrett) to hunt the group down and stop their mission.

Orndorf mentioned that, “Fan-backed to help scrounge up a limited budget, “Angry Video Game Nerd: The Movie” isn’t an endeavor created with the average filmgoer in mind. It’s specialized stuff, a valentine to Rolfe’s creation and his loyal viewers (reaching around the globe), celebrating the creator’s idiosyncrasies and his merciless attitude when it comes to the worst in gaming culture.” The passion is laid on a little thick (the effort takes a victory lap before the story begins), but it’s not gratuitous, especially when the public has been helping Rolfe for about a decade, turning AVGN into a YouTube star taking on the thing he dreads the most: subpar games. Once pats on the back have been given, the movie cuts to the chase, giving us a wild scenario that finds AVGN on a search for Howard Scott Warshaw, the original “E.T.” programmer, leading to the group to the home of Dr. Zandor, played by Time Winters, a shadowy man with answers that’s turned the house into “Super Mario Bros”-style video game, making visitors to prove their worth.

Orndorf said, ““Angry Video Game Nerd: The Movie” isn’t lacking in plot, covering the existence of alien life, the shocking reality that the screen design of “E.T.” is actually a map of Area 51, and the existence of a God-like evil entity that carries the power of the universe, creating a few existential moments for the film.” Rolfe and co-director Kevin Finn go the more-is-more path, always keeping the effort moving along with comedy and chase sequences, making an energetic desire to support the mission, while giving acting duties around to a game supporting cast. Rolfe’s still fun to watch as AVGN, never embarrassing himself, but turns him from Glendening, Suarez (who Orndorf says, “provides a Disney Channel-style earnestness”) and Mendel are quite amusing, while Winters and Barrett give personality as well. For added humor, cameos from Lloyd Kaufman (creator of “Toxic Avengers”) and Warshaw are included, as is Rolfe’s friends Kyle Justin, Mike Matei and even Doug Walker, and a brief turn to comedian Eddie Pepitone (as AVGN’s bitter, armed game store boss) brings out the movie’s biggest laughs. The tradition with these no-budget movies usually a lack of theatrical polish, yet the controllers do very well with their cast, who obediently flavor the crazy actions.

Orndorf admits, “At nearly two hours, “Angry Video Game Nerd: The Movie” is much too long, with slapstick encounters transforming into white noise by the end, though a few of the ideas, including The Nerd calling on his review history to deal with immediate physical danger, fit wonderfully into the scheme of the effort.” Rolfe and Finn are bringing together a combination of Monty Python, Mel Brooks and Ed Wood here, and it’s very successful, even on a small scale, putting in their tributes (zombies are included in the nightmare scene) and satire (the frustrating pits from “E.T.” are referred to periodically), while making the inside jokes that fans will enjoy. It goes into overkill in the end, but “Angry Video Game Nerd: The Movie” is a satisfying, low-tech enjoyment with the bad tempered character, who finds a comfortable cinematic home that could easily sustain additional adventures into video game comedy and mythology.

In the end, if you are an AVGN fan, then you should definitely rent this movie and check it out because you will not be disappointed. There are references to other films in this, like the death scene of the villain from “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 3” and even “Godzilla.” You could probably point them out. There are parts where it looks very high-budget and parts where it looks low-budget that you can see, but look at them and laugh. I really had an enjoyable time watching this and would check it out if I ever get the chance to see this movie again anywhere.

Thank you for joining in on this review. Stay tuned Friday to see what I will review this month, but it will be a great month, I promise you that.