Movies about nerds are getting pretty old in my opinion. They are always making fun of the same things and feature the same sort of generic stereotypes and socially awkward characters, who can't get girlfriends, still live at home with their parents (or grandmother in this case), aren't into sports and love having debates about nerdy stuff no other human being would ever be interested in or care about, while playing fantasy board games. But having said that; when done well, these type of movies can of course still be great and fun ones to watch, such as this one!
Hard to say what makes this movie better- and also why this works out better than most other genre movies. It's most likely a combination of different elements, of with its authenticity is surely one. Sure, it goes over-the-top with some of its humor and characters at times but yet the movie at all times maintains a realistic and grounded feeling. The characters feel real, which also makes the 'world' they live in feel real. Instead of just making fun of geekdom and nerds, it embraces its subject and treats it with real respect, while also keeping an open mind about things.
Not that this movie is totally realistic or a documentary though. But it's also not a movie with a real main plot line in it. It rather feels like a movie that's giving us a look into the world of geeks and especially one geek in particular, played by Sam Eidson. It's a pleasant approach, that makes things sort of cute and heartfelt to watch.But I'm probably making this movie sound more heavy and serious than it is really. Make no mistake about it, this absolutely is a comedy but it's just that it also has so many other things going for it, that aren't all as clear and prominently present as all of its humor but are all just as effective.
Some people are already in love with this movie, which is giving it a bit too much credit in my opinion. It's a still too simplistic and small and insignificant movie to fall in love with in my opinion and the lack of story was still bothering me at times, especially toward the end, when it was starting to wrap things up all a bit too neatly and sudden. I liked the start of the movie, I liked the middle part even more but I just wasn't too impressed with or happy about its final third act.
The movie has some good acting in it, which helps to make things both fun and interesting to watch. Nobody is playing their characters too goofy and even when they do some truly nerdy stuff, there always is a sense of realism to them, mainly due to the fact that the actors play their roles mostly straight.
A real good and likable movie within its genre.
7/10
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