What It Is: A documentary whose purpose is to explore the rise, fall and re-ascension of the video game industry. Through Sean Astin’s narration we learn of the trials, tribulations, and utter successes this now multi-billion dollar industry has endured. From the early days of MIT’s Space Wars up to this generations truer to life graphics in the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. Great stories like those of the E.T. game, which almost single-handedly killed the industry in the eighties. To Super Mario, and more so Nintendo’s raising of the bar later in that decade. Interviews from both celebrity fans, normal fans, and industry professionals give this a glossy feel, as do the graphics which tell more of the story then does the narration.

What We Think: It’s a facade. Shallow, and without merit. It’s disguised as documentary when in reality all it documents is cinematic ineptitude.  Lazy and uninteresting story telling at it’s finest. Astin’s narration moves along the story but we don’t tend to care. It’s too safe there’s none of the controversy that surrounded the creation of the video games rating system something tells me this would’ve worked better as a mini series. That gives me an idea! Maybe that’ll have the depth and importance that this completely lacked. Hard as they may have tried Snead and Producer Zach Braff don’t really make anything of effect, or that teaches anything new, profound, or groundbreaking!

Our Grade: D, You can’t make a movie like this without hitting on all the issues. This seemed like a love fest destined for the bottom of the barrel at Wal-Mart, or worse as a free extra disc at your local GameStop. Documentaries are about shining a non-commercialistic light on a subject here we get what could’ve been Video Game: The Movie sponsored by Xbox, Nintendo, and Sony. There was no mention of Sega’s fight with Nintendo nor the blunders that lead to their downfall.