I can say with the utmost confidence that there has never been a film quite like Angry Video Game Nerd: The Movie. The fact is, ‘independent film’ and ‘action adventure/sci -fi’ are not two phrases that usually go together, but James Rolfe and Kevin Finn have proven over the course of eight years that independent films don’t have to be quiet little dramas. So what can be said about this movie? It’s corny, it’s dumb, and I loved every minute of it.

For those of you who don’t know, The Angry Video Game Nerd is a web celebrity who reviews awful games from his childhood. But one game he hasn’t touched upon is the infamous E.T. The Extra Terrestrial on the Atari 2600, which is by far his most requested review. The character was originated by James Rolfe who’s stated on his website Cinemassacre that he’s wanted to make movies since childhood, and he’s been discussing this movie on the website for years and years now.

Fans like myself waited patiently for the film’s release, and now it’s finally arrived on vimeo.com. This is film was funded entirely by AVGN Fans, and it’s not very high budget. But it has the same ambition as every blockbuster that comes out these days, even though it kind of knows it’s cheesy. The effects look bad, because they’re supposed to be, the story is kinda lame because it’s supposed to be.

The acting and writing are good, although it’s not gonna get any serious awards traction any time soon. But I will be rooting for the film to get traction for it’s effects. Who ever said that good effects had to be realistic? The effects in this film were deliberately made to look cheesy. I like the editing, cinematography, and sound design. And kudos for the score for making the movie feel more epic than it really is.

Now if you are an AVGN fan I can’t imagine why you haven’t seen this movie, but see it! If you’re just a filmmaking fan, then you should also definitely see it. The joy of filmmaking is felt in every frame of this movie. It’s an absolute must-see for anyone who dreams of one day making an independent film, including myself.

The rating might seem a little much, but at the end of the day, my fan-boy nature refuses to give it anything less.

*****