All Work All Play – Esports Adventure!
This documentary about the lives and struggles of people who become professional gamers offers insights that will surprise and shock you. KIDS FIRST! Film Gerry O. comments, “It doesn’t just inform you about the subject matter, it tells a story which is an adventure in heart.” See his full review below.
All Work All Play
Reviewed by Gerry O., KIDS FIRST! Film Critic, Age 13
Many people are of the opinion that Esports is a thing of the future … or is it? Not many people know what Esports even is. This is the movie for gamers and non-gamers who want to learn about Esports in general and take a peek into the life of professional gamers
This film is a documentary, educational and thrilling at time. It doesn’t just inform you about the subject matter, it tells a story which is an adventure in heart.
The story follows primarily one team, but in a way, an entire competition called Intel Extreme Masters, which is one of the largest worldwide competitions for pro-gaming teams, focusing mainly on the video game, League of Legends. Players battle and only one team can win. The story follows American teams “Cloud 9” and “TSM” for the most part but other teams as well as they fight to become the champion.
I thought the film tells the story extremely well as it describes Esports to everyone – people who know everything about video games and people who don’t know the first thing about them. I enjoyed the way the film was put together although, at times, the editing is a bit sloppy. I did like the fact that they didn’t tweak the story to try and fit some sort of a standard – the creative team behind All Work All Play found a great adventure and heartwarming story in the presence of one of the main participants – Michal Blicharz – programming director at ESL.
My favorite scene is when the world’s greatest team from South Korea, which is undefeated, gets demolished by China’s newest team. This is a team was considered unstoppable by the underdog in the semifinals! I liked this scene because it shows you first-hand that being overly cocky can hurt you in the long run and nothing is over until it’s over!
This really is a great story good for all ages, but kids from 9 to 18 would understand most of what is going on and probably enjoy it best. I give it 4.5 out of 5 stars because it is well executed except a few editing bloopers. It is available July 21, 2012 in select theaters.
