MAX RELOAD AND THE NETHER BLASTERS: A Gamer Movie Set On The Easy Level

Since their inception, video games have fascinated Hollywood as far back as the early ’80s. Films like Tron, The Last Star Fighter, and War Games posited the idea of young gamers becoming heroes through their mastery of joysticks and button mashing. Max Reload And The Nether Blasters attempts to bring back that nostalgia with a modern-day feel.

The film is a love letter to the gamer community with its constant references and discussions about games, gaming, and gamers. It can be a fine sentiment, though, at times, it leaves those less-knowledgeable a bit flustered as to what the characters are going on about. The writers try to explain the jargon when the terminology runs into deep-cut territory and for the most part, they make the references understandable for newbs in the audience. That’s not to say the verbiage used isn’t a touch heavy-handed throughout, which is to be expected given the writers themselves have produced game-based films in the past.

By gamers. For gamers.

What began as a Kickstarter back in 2017 has finally come to fruition with the help of fans and geek-centric celebrities contributing to a subject they feel passionate about. Directed and written by Scott Conditt and Jeremy Tremp, Max Reload tells the story of Max (Tom Plumley), a c*cky gamer who lives, works, and breathes video games with his two gamer teammates, angry about his constant bravado causing them to lose matches. One night, while working at the local video game store, Max plays an old 8-bit game which was dropped off by a mysterious figure. The game in question was thought to have never been finished by its now-reclusive creators, leaving Max with the only copy of the legendary title. Upon completing the game in one try, Max uploads the source code online for others to enjoy, unknowingly releasing an ancient evil that can possess anyone else who plays it. With the help of his teammates and the game makers, Max must learn to work with his friends in order to save the world from total destruction.

The supporting cast brings together familiar faces adding to the film’s geek culture credibility. Kevin Smith plays the fast-talking game store owner, while Star Trek alum Wil Wheaton and The Karate Kid‘s Martin Kove pop in and out of the film. Producer for the film Greg Grunberg, who has made a name for himself as a character actor from his work on Lost, Heroes, Alias, also stars as the washed-up creator of the evil video game.

Rated E for everyone. Unfortunately.

The initial film was not rated, but if I were to guess, a PG-13 rating will more than likely be the final decision, which is a detriment to the overall tone of the movie. Normally, I am not a fan of the overuse of foul language, much the way the average Seth Rogen flick might use. It can become a steady barrage of expletives hoping to be a knee-slapping good time, rather than simply writing funny dialogue. But in the case of Max Reload, the dialogue is beyond tame. In fact, besides a few potty jokes, even the verbosely vulgar Kevin Smith is reigned in well beyond his usual verbiage.

Not to say an F-bomb is needed to be dropped every third word, but if you have ever heard gamers in a chat, it can get downright blue. The characters in Max Reload speak like they are in a kids’ version of a much edgier movie, dragging down a plot that could have used more laughs. The idea of making this for a broad audience isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but to watch late teens and adults talk like children ten and under makes this ordeal feel far more childish than it needed to be.

A bit too much slo-mo

During the movie, whenever the characters need to get from point A to B, the filmmakers cut to decently animated 8-bit sequences of him tearing through the suburbs rather than watching the actor do this to lesser effect. Initially, it’s a little, sweet nod to the games that made this story possible. But the same animated sequence could have been saved for the final battle when our heroes are zapped into the evil video game to fight the final boss. Instead, the actors are dressed in bad LARPing costumes with cheap-looking plastic weapons, while forced to fight in slow motion. This scene, or any scene where the characters have to fight, are filmed through slow-mo cuts and basic choreography, where they seem to be doing slow-motion acting on top of being shot that way. It looks like a caricature of a video game. Understandably, this is a low budget film, but the several times they show the 8-bit Max on his bike could have been saved for the battle scenes and it would have made the ending far more entertaining.

That said, the digital effects crew deserves praise for the simple, yet the effective way they show certain elements of the film. With nothing more than shadowy night shots, anyone who is possessed suddenly gains sharply glowing red eyes, a solid tool to clue-in the audience. This little touch brought a slick eeriness when the environment is inked in darkness while matching the mood caused by red lightning and storm clouds. These little decisions make the movie seem much more expensive than it was to make.

Game over, man!

I’ve been a tad harsh on a good portion of Max Reload And The Nether Blasters. When it comes to crowdsourced low budget fare, though, I try to find a bright spot. Making a film like this is not easy and the filmmakers deserve respect for willing to bring their idea to fruition on a shoestring budget. At the same time, tightening of certain aspects could have put this flick on the map. A mild recommendation is given for tolerant fans of B-movies and gamers, but don’t expect to play Max Reload more than once.

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Max Reload And The Nether Blasters is available now to rent/buy on VOD.

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