"Adventures in Game Chasing" is a shining example of just how powerful and effective amateur cinema can be. A small budget and limited experience, when coupled with a lot of work and even more heart, can yield astounding results. Nothing was neglected, from writing and acting, to direction and cinematography. It is obvious from the first frame that the film makers took this project just as seriously as a Hollywood production.
The story, on one level, is quite simple. A group of friends on a road trip to recover a long-lost and much-beloved childhood possession, encountering friends and foes, obstacles and adventures along the way. The film can certainly be enjoyed at this level, but there is a much deeper meaning that will speak to anybody who has long since seen their childhood vanish into the past. The object of our hero's quest is not a Nintendo, but what that Nintendo represents. It is a quest to find the simple joy, innocence, and freedom of childhood. It is an attempt to time travel back to a life before worries, bills, and age lines. An effort to recapture a Christmas morning when we were ten years old and opened that sacred gift that we had longed for all year. The Nintendo itself symbolizes all that still resides in our hearts from childhood. The real goal of this wacky scavenger hunt is to reawaken those forgotten feelings within ourselves.
The writing itself is crisp and tight. A lot happens over the course of the film, but it never feels rushed. The dialog feels completely natural. It is easy to imagine the characters saying the same lines in real life. The movie manages to be self-referential, with plenty of inside jokes and familiar cameos, without becoming inaccessible to those viewers who have no previous experience with the Game Chasers and their crew of friends. Those people who are longtime fans will be able to enjoy the movie on a whole different level. In either case, the script has few wasted words and keeps the story on track.
The acting is surprisingly good throughout, with the amateur and first-time performers holding their own against the professionals. I suspect this is the product of a script that caters to the real-life personas of the actors, and a dedication to shooting scenes until the desired result was achieved. Everybody in the cast is given their moment to take center stage and shine. Much of the movie centers on humor, but the cast is able to evoke a high level of emotion when the script calls for it.
The cinematography is one of the strongest points of the movie. From beginning to end, the camera movements, shot planning, lighting, and color grading are on par with a big-budget production. Shot transitions feel natural and flow seamlessly together without distracting from the story. The visual effects are extraordinary for such a limited budget. The film makers made every cent of their effects budget count and did not waste it on unnecessary shots. Knowing when to stop is a tough lesson to learn, but this film does not overplay its hand when it comes to digital effects. Lastly, the sound is very solid, with crisp, clear ambient sound, and a voice track that is not muddy or buried under background noise. The soundtrack itself is warmly nostalgic, both the original compositions and the licensed tracks.
Whether you are already a Game Chasers fanatic or totally new to these two "chodes", I would urge you to give this movie a chance. It is clearly a labor of love that speaks to anybody who longs for the days of Saturday morning cartoons and a bowl of cereal. "Adventures in Game Chasing" is a good!