1Up 
Starring: Ruby Rose, Paris Berelc
Director: Kyle Newman
My Rating: ★★★★★
I am a big fan of Rebel Force Radio (if you are a Star Wars fan, I highly recommend listening to them each week). During the July 15th broadcast Jason and Jimmy interviewed Kyle Newman and they talk about this movie. If you have seen the movie Fanboys then you are familiar with Kyle Newman’s work. First a quick synopsis then my 1Up review.
Vivian (Paris Berelc) is a “support” member of an elite eSports college team. After an egregious display of ego and male chauvinism, she quits the team. She forms her own, female only, eSports team with the help of Parker (Ruby Rose) to coach them against a male dominated industry.
Biggs 1Up Review
This is another one of those movies where it’s more like 3 1/2 stars but since the plugin doesn’t allow 1/2 stars, I generously gave it a 4. It is getting destroyed though on IMDB. So much so that I almost didn’t add the link to the website. I, honestly, don’t think this movie deserves so much harsh criticism.
I admit that it’s a little campy but I feel like it’s campy along the same lines as Fanboys. It’s not a unique plot. In fact this is basically the same movie as Pitch Perfect except using video games. The writers and director do embellish the actual game play a little bit, but I don’t think it ruins the movie. It’s a decent “David Denise? vs Goliath” flick.
Women and Video Games
During the first act it does, kind of, abuses the very stigma it’s trying to abolish. Paris Berelc is a “well endowed” woman and we see her frequently in a white tank top where her … “goods” are right in our face. Ruby Rose’s character even addresses the fact that, over the years, “boobs” sell video games. I feel like from that point on, however, Berelc’s wardrobe is a bit more modest. Perhaps that is on purpose.
The movie comes at a time where women are being challenged and/or ridiculed for wanting to feel welcome in a male-dominated industry. Especially on the heels of the Blizzard fiasco. It goes without saying that gaming and eSports has largely been tailored toward males for the better part of a generation. This movie challenges that and I’m on board with it. Women should feel welcome and safe in the video game industry. A penis is not a requirement for playing (or developing) MOBAs, MMOs and eSport games.
If you are a gamer and/or in the video game industry, then check it out. Keep an open mind but your expectations low. It’s not a masterpiece and certainly not as good as Pitch Perfect but I still enjoyed it (boobs aside). It does have a few subtle Star Wars references (not just the Jedi/Padawan reference, let me know if you catch it).
“The screen is a magic medium. It has such power that it can retain interest as it conveys emotions and moods that no other art form can hope to tackle.”
– Stanley Kubrick
