No longer a once a year event, gaming culture is being amplified through entertainment and we’re loving it.
There are so many movies out this holiday season! It’s that time of year when a few big blockbusters get released and families and friends who love going to the theatre get the chance to come together and connect over their favorite characters and movie stars. Ah but now, you can watch releases from the comfort of your clean couch, right with your beverage of choice, favorite dessert, and some hot popcorn to set it all the way off!
This year is a little different in the movie selection world, however, because games are being projected in a multitude of genres and age ranges!
Let’s take 8-Bit Christmas for example. As the self proclaimed modern version of A Christmas Story, 8-Bit Christmas pulls out all the stops–serving life lessons, a great cast, and the perfect 80’s references for all to reminisce about. Based in Chicago, 8-Bit Christmas is the story of a 10 year old kid who really wants a Nintendo NES console and desperately finds a few different hustles to get one.
The fun soundtrack, baseball card trading, and boy scout activities showcased in the film all lend themselves to relatable content for kids and adults alike. However, don’t expect to laugh out loud too much. While it’s not a snoozer, there’s definitely room for more “emo” or uncomfortable laughs, given the story line. Overall though, we all (6 year old, 13 year old, mom and dad) said we “liked it” when it was over. So the impact is totally there and the movie definitely moves along to help kids anticipate what’s next.
Then we have Ron’s Gone Wrong. Ron’s Gone Wrong is the story of a middle schooler who is trying to fit in but seems to be working super hard (like ALL the other kids he finds out) to do so! With everyone having a walking talking connected device at their disposal, the film spells out all the cliches around social media, making it relevant for teens and kids everywhere. For an animated movie, we all loved it!! Humor, the cast, the real on friendships and how they are ‘supposed’ to work, and the alignment with digital and tech all made this one a winner.
And finally, there’s Free Guy, which came out in late summer/early fall in theaters, but was one of those you just watch to see what gaming elements are immersed in and if Ryan Reynolds plays a totally different character. So yes to the gaming elements, but Ryan doesn’t switch it up much…but he’s still good in here though. From Joe Keery to Pokimane, Lil Rel Howery to Tina Fey, the star studded cast offers great personality scene by scene throughout the film. And you’ll definitely be like, “oh that’s from GTA,” or “that SIMS reference though,” noting fun familiar references as you watch.
It’s one of those action/adventure movies that keeps you on your toes. Funny references and epiphanies, like Ryan finding out he’s actually in the background of an open world video game as an NPC is what kept us interested. It’s coming to Disney + February 2022 so keep an eye out for it!
We’re loving the game culture mixed into the magic of movies and are seeing this as a huge preview to what’s to come in 2022! We know Nintendo plans to keep it going with the upcoming Super Mario Brothers movie, (December 2022) but we know the big studios are also looking to attract more game culture lovers in months to come. We can’t wait!!!!
