Features > The Escapist Video Movie Review Report > Geekin': Love, Jealousy, and Twenty-Sided Dice

GEEKIN': LOVE, JEALOUSY, AND TWENTY-SIDED DICE

Director: John Kazuo Morehead
Starring: Justin Morgan, Alexa Anderson, Kermit Holden, Louis Puster III, Sean Mulhall, Adam Morris, Jason von Stein, Briana Westmoreland
Rated: Not rated - Contains language, situations, and subject matter that are not appropriate for children.
Release: 2006
Website: www.geekinmovie.com
IMDB listing: Geekin'
Find it at: The Geekin' website store

Geekin' tells the tale of Morgan, a gamer geek and soap opera addict, his first meeting with Meredith, a woman he has been chatting with online for months, and the shockwaves that are sent through Morgan's gaming group once he decides to bring her to a party to meet his friends.

When he introduces her to his best friend Brown, the two hit it off a little too well, and when Meredith and Brown begin dating, heated words start flying. Before long, their circle of friends begins to come apart - Austin and Mooney have a falling out over a long-held secret, Morgan meets Penny, a woman he believes to be another romantic interest of Brown's, and uses her to get a little revenge on him. In the end, it's up to Morgan to get them all back together.

Geekin' comes across as the sort of movie Kevin Smith would do if he focused on gaming instead of comic books. The dialogue and situations seem to take a lot of inspiration from his work - there's even a direct reference to Chasing Amy in the dialogue, and a quiet, cryptic character named Finch, dressed in a dark jacket, who lurks around during the last half of the film.

Geekin' is very well produced and directed - the camera angles, lighting, sound, and special effects are way above par from what you would expect in this type of film. While gaming is featured in the background through most of the film, it's a minor plot element to the story. It draws most of the characters together in the beginning, and in the end, it's a vehicle for bringing them back together after they've drifted apart. Because of this, you don't have to be a gamer to enjoy Geekin', which is another of its strong points.

Rating System 0 dice - The worst. Ever. 1 die - Very poor 2 dice - Not so bad 3 dice - Good 4 dice - Very good 5 dice - Excellent Total Score No dice - the worst imaginable score 5 dice - might be good for mocking 10-13 dice - (average) a renter 15 dice - don't miss it 20 dice - a keeper 25 dice - the best possible score

STORY - The story is well written and well paced. My only problem was with how Morgan came off as a jerk in the end - sure, he did at least one thing that earned him that title, but his efforts at the end of the story should have redeemed him.

CHARACTERS - Some of the acting is a little over the top (especially in Norm's case), but for the most part, the characters are likable. Wes is an excellent comedy relief, and in one scene set in Morgan's bedroom, he and Meredith discuss their relationship and why it didn't work out - both of them give excellent performances in this scene, and it's probably the best moment of acting in the entire film.

LAUGHS & GASPS - Morgan's "victory dance" through the game store (captured on the cover of the DVD) is a riot, as is the climactic "meltdown" scene at the gaming table. There are several other laugh-out-loud moments as well, but I'm not going to wreck them for you.

REFERENCES & REALITY - There are no direct references to what RPG they're playing in Geekin', but there are plenty of authentic RPG posters (World of Darkness games, Battletech, Ravenloft, and more) hung all over the walls in various scenes, and a couple scenes take place in what seems to be a real game store. The conversation and concepts during the gaming scenes are spot on, especially when the players devote hours arguing over rules and character restrictions. I threw in an extra die here for the Changeling poster in Morgan's room and Wes' Trogdor shirt. (Hey, it's my review, I can do what I want!)

BONUS DICE - Geekin' earns five bonus dice - one die for the cool indie-rock soundtrack, one for the inebriated commentary track, one for the DVD extras (bloopers, deleted scenes, and a little "easter egg"), one for the stop-motion garden gnome battle scene, and one for the special effects during the in-game scenes. There weren't many of them, but they were pulled off very well, especially the vanishing evil mage and the fireball cast in the last scene.

DICE BAG - Geekin' has earned a bag of 21 dice - it's a great little circle-of-friends movie that you can enjoy even if you aren't a gamer.

 

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