ironhorse_iv
Directed by Steven Hilliard Stern, and based off, the 1981 novel by Rona Jaffe, Mazes and Monsters is a cautionary tale regarding the then-new hobby of fantasy role-playing games. The movie is about four college students who are heavily involved in the titular fantasy role playing game, Maze & Monsters. All four students play the game as an escape from their own various personal problems, but one person Robbie Wheeling (Tom Hanks) takes the game way too serious and bring it to the next level that lead to tragic results. I really can't believe that some parents in 1980s, really thought this was a threat to their children. They thought it was brainwashing machine or Satan witchcraft. Honestly, from all the vices in the 1980s like smoking crack, joining a gang, or getting AIDS. This sounds harmless. Just think, if the movie was made during the height of the World of Warcraft fame. This made for television movie was based in large part on the largely made-up urban legends "steam tunnel incidents" of the late 1970s that came to light after the suicidal of James Dallas Egbert. While, James Dallas Egbert did played Dungeons & Dragons; it wasn't the main cause of it. I think William Dear book entitled 'The Dungeon Master: The Disappearance of James Dallas Egbert III' was a bit misleading. There were some other factors that lead to his death in 1980. First off, he was child prodigy who had a hard time, trying to connect with an older generation gap world that isn't in his level. Add parental pressure, criticism, academic pressure to the mixed and you got a loaded shotgun, right there. This cause a history of depression, where he try to kill himself multiples time. The steam tunnel incident was indeed a fail attempt. Another factor was that he was rather confused about his sexuality. There were rumors of homosexual child abuse of Egbert that cause him to question himself. Yet another factor was the fact that he was on drugs. He manufacture drugs due to his knowledge of chemistry. Dallas Egbert's death was a tragedy. There is no denying that. But to blame only the game of Dungeons & Dragons for it is ridiculous. In the end, James Dallas Egbert was disturbed. If Dungeons & Dragons did cause this breakdown, it's no different than a book, TV, and even sports. People will take whatever media source, they're expose to, and turn it into something that works with them. The movie was indeed silly & goofy. While the subject matter is strange, it was well-acted for the most part. The movie is more famous now, due to the fact that this was Tom Hanks, early works. I have to say, while Tom Hanks is one of the best actors of our time, he still had some acting chops maturity to do when filming this movie. Watch: Payphone scene to understand how bad he was in this. Also, I have to question his character mental status. Robbie appears to be switching from delusion to reality whenever the plot demands, like able to make it to New York and use a payphone. Robbie also does things that make no sense, even by the standards of his delusion. Anyways the cause of Robbie's issues with guilt over a missing brother, and alcoholic parents that caused his insanity, not the game itself. While, Tom Hanks is indeed the lead actor, here. The movie has a number of good supporting characters. First is Jay Jay (Chris Makepeace) who feels ostracized by his mother indecisive beliefs. I think that is the reason why Jay Jay is always wearing different types of hats throughout the film. Like his mother, he can't make a solid choice of a career or how he wants to live his life. It's a bit odd that in the middle, he suddenly deserve to kill himself, as the movie makes no signs of it, beforehand with him having multiply friends, and happy like mood. It seem rush, and not explain well. It's never come up, again. Still, he is the only one that looks like somebody who might play D&D in real life. He looks the part, but gees… his hate gimmick is stupid. Kate (Wendy Crewson) is dealing with writer block and a series of failed relationships. Honestly, while gamer girls are more common today, I really doubt in the early 1980s, there were a lot of attractive gamer girls, if any. Her character seem out of place, and just there for a romantic subplot with Tom Hanks. You even get a sappy romantic montage in the film. Then there is Daniel (David Wallace) whom is repeatedly pressure him to switch schools to MIT and become a programmer despite his yearnings to be a game designer. If only his parents could see how much money, he can make programming video games. The movie thinks that the symbol of maturity is quit playing, which is kinda dumb. I do like the psychological feel to the movie. It could had gone, harder and would be alright as a horror movie. The VHS release shows the actual characters in the film, dressed as their game characters, implying a fun sword-and-sorcery picture. The modern movie DVD cover is a bit misleading as it has an older Tom Hanks on the cover, and more far out 'fantasy' medieval world than a normal modern settling. None of the problems, that the characters had to deal with, were resolved by the end of the film which I really hard. The ending is pretty bad with, his friends decide to encourage to continue his delusions. Overall: This thing was pathetic when it came out and it's still pathetic today. It's only reason of being there is to demonization: D&D due to parental paranoia. It's hard to take D&D as a serious threat to society youth. That is why this movie failed. The movie felt cheesy.
Aaron1375
Yes, about the only thing this film is memorable for is that it starred a youngish Tom Hanks who only a few short years later would be a relevant star in Hollywood. Here though is not a movie that is going to showcase his talents much at all and the only other thing that might be considered somewhat entertaining about this flick is the scene where he thinks he sees a monsters and runs a guy through. Yes, this movie is about the evils of playing a game that makes a group of people use their imaginations and try to come up with interesting scenarios. Basically, an after school type special about the evils of the game Dungeons and Dragons cleverly retitled here as Mazes and Monsters. Apparently, the makers of this film thought that nerds should not have fun of any sort unless they were going to go out and do underage drinking, drugs, having lots of unprotected sex and harass other weaker children like all the popular kids were doing. No, these bad people were playing a game that actually required one to use there brain, heaven's no! Not that, if they have a brain they actually may be able to think for themselves and not be brainwashed by certain groups out there. Yes, I think this movie is utterly stupid and a waste of time. Granted, it could be a movie against addiction, but there are a lot fewer people who died taking Dungeons and Dragons to far in its entire existence than than say what drunk driving claims in like a month.
Lee Eisenberg
In this day and age, with Tom Hanks as probably the most popular movie star in America, it's shocking that he started out in flicks like the slasher "He Knows You're Alone" and the thriller "Mazes and Monsters". The latter casts him as a college student who likes to play the title game - loosely based on Dungeons & Dragons - with his friends, but then he gets too much into his role...to an almost sinister extent.Among other things, I think that it's very neat to see Forrest Gump look nearly evil. But what I really noticed while watching the movie: the subtitles. It so happened that I watched a pirated DVD and turned on English subtitles, not knowing that it was in fact spoken in English. The subtitles sounded more like what I would expect in a very ridiculous kung fu movie. Pretty funny.So, it's not any kind of masterpiece, but quite interesting. Also starring Wendy Crewson (of "Air Force One"), Chris Makepeace (of "Meatballs"; what ever became of him?), David Wallace (sorry, I don't know him), Anne Francis (of "Forbidden Planet"), Vera Miles (of "Psycho") and Murray Hamilton (of "Jaws"). And if I may say so: Anne Francis and Vera Miles, despite both having aged since their most famous roles, still look kinda hot.
