Press Start 2 Continue

When we watch a homage, we tend to build the entirety of our expectations around a viewer's familiarity of the subject matter. That said, a 9 out of 10 is perhaps a bit generous on my part, because such films tend to restrict themselves to a very specific audience. However, as my summary denotes, Ed Glaser and his team have brought something unique to the table, creating a plot which I can only describe as the equivalent of Super Robot Wars if it were to draw inspiration from video game culture instead of Japanese mecha. Press Start 2 Continue is a crossover that has become so complicated with the mixing of details from various sources that the end result feels fresh, kind of like hitting the jackpot with the right mixture of sodas at your neighborhood Quick Trip.

I must also admit that I am a huge fan of Ed Glaser's work and have followed the progress of Dark Maze Studios since the first season of Press Start Adventures (though the series did not carry "adventures" in its title at the time) which predated the original film. So feel free to remove a star if you feel this interferes with a fair review. However, considering this is an independent film built on a threadbare budget with numerous expectations, both good and bad, already in place even before the title appears on the screen... well, let's just say the team behind Press Start 2 Continue has earned their praise.

First and foremost, this is a sequel. Sequels are normally created to cash in on the original concept. However Press Start 2 Continue (Press Start 4 in Japan, or so I am told) is superior to the original in every way. This includes the writing, camera shots, editing, effects, and the acting - especially the acting. But most importantly, there is something different about the story being told that grants it a uniqueness among its ilk...

Press Start 2 Continue pays homage to the stories, both fictional and real, found within the video game industry and its products. Not only that, but just as several Anime OVAs from the 1980s were incomplete when viewed by themselves, Press Start 2 Continue requires a familiarity with the plot of the series at large to fully understand what is going on - or at least a viewing of the second and third seasons of the Press Start Adventures web series, which covers the events between the original film and its sequel. This is not a severe flaw as some of the vital details are brought to light early in the show but this is the reason I felt this movie did not make for a perfect score as it limits the ability of the film to make itself accessible for newcomers to the series. On the other hand, it allows the show to construct a more complex and entertaining tale and reveals just how far the series has evolved with its creativity and cast.

You see, the first movie was fairly straightforward with its role as a homage and thus the plot threads became utterly predictable. However, the script was written so as to discretely laugh along with us as Count Vile was continuously warned by his underling Johnson of the obvious encroaching outcome. Yet Press Start 2 Continue combines numerous elements and ideas in such a way that it isn't really predictable at all. It even manages to creatively generate a side-plot (read: side- quest) that keeps two of the main characters who are held hostage for the majority of the film in the spotlight. By the time the credits roll, you feel like you've watched an original idea for the first time in a long while.

Peter A. Davis again graces us with his masterfully-performed Count Vile and newcomer Jenny Nelson is an exceptional Princess Xanna. Dominique Worsley, Andy Dallas, and Eric W. Sizemore all had very brief roles but come across as genuine characters. David Humphrey and Arin Hanson provide their excellent voice acting talents to round things out nicely for the non-human characters.

Joshua Stafford's acting has improved dramatically since the first film, and while he does not receive as much screen time, his interactions are largely done with CGI characters - which means he was talking to walls, tables, and thin air while shooting the film. This is not easy and is especially important since actors generally build off of visual and auditory cues from one-another to produce more genuine behavioral responses. Thus his performance deserves much applause.

Al Morrison's performance as Linku was great in the first movie and he has obviously gained much from the experience. Linku is a character that requires a unique performance because his his face mask leaves only his eyes to provide any facial visual hints as to his current emotional state. He also uses a lot of body language and gestures to convey his expressions more accurately, a skill no doubt lifted straight from the Ask a Ninja series. One need look no further than viewing the first and second episodes of Ask a Ninja to understand just how vital body language is to performing while in a costume that restricts facial expressions.

While Press Start 2 Continue does sell itself on its status as a homage film, it deviates from the predictable nature of its forebear and provides something original to its audience. I would highly recommend it to anyone even vaguely familiar with the video game industry and its stereotypes though its accessibility to individuals outside this circle, and to those who have not seen any of the series' previous outings, will have some trouble picking things up. Overall, I want to congratulate the team at Dark Maze Studios for providing their fans with a feature presentation that was well worth the wait!

Count Vile has returned from Hades, and he has a horrible new plan. He's already captured Zack Nimbus(who spent the last one accepting his role as the hero who has to save the world) and Sam(who developed a relationship with aforementioned... so it makes sense to move the spotlight away from these two. They spend this playing Jackamo in a dim room), so it's up to their estranged, ultraviolent ninja friend, Lin-Ku(whose lust for blood has gone over the top) and the upbeat Princess Xanna(who represents girly software, and poses a polar opposite to him, leading to a buddy comedy dynamic... and they may learn a thing or two from each other over the course of this), both of them still quite likable, to get the job done this time. This is even better than the first one is, and I love that one as well as this. They learned from the experience of making it, and applied that here. Where that one felt more like a quest, with numerous locations that our team had to travel through, this has our duo sneaking through hallways and offices, stealthily taking out orc guards and zombies(in case you ever wondered what they do when not attacking the player, this offers a few suggestions). It doesn't feel like the same thing over again. And yes, those are about the only common henchmen they come across in this(which might be about the same as in the old one, I don't recall for sure), though they meet half a dozen other enemies, including several characters(and all of them in this are well-written, they come off as "real", not just there to be a punchline... in general, the script is masterful) from the show(Morgan, Scarthcaroth, and seen only in video conference, Vlad(in 3D, and he looks amazing!), among others), who are very enjoyable. The action is fantastic, well-choreographed, fast and nicely varied(martial arts(with and without bladed weapons), telekinesis, even a few superpowers). This brings in new gags and jokes(other than a few running ones), and while the humor can still be pretty dry, this should make most VG fans(a group that everyone who made this clearly belongs to, as well) laugh(even if much of the material mainly revolves around classic titles). It pokes fun at the conventions of the medium, comments on the console wars, and makes points about fads and gimmicks. The end battle is worth the price of admission by itself. At a running time of roughly 80 minutes, this is well-paced and flies right by. You're left satisfied, yet hungry for more. The music is beyond reproach, again. Not goofy, and partly homage to what it's parodying. In fact, that goes for the entire movie. This is tighter than the original, with superior production values, filming, editing, lighting, etc. The FX are rather impressive. Nothing comes off as low-budget in this, they know their limitations and did fantastic work with little money. There is some disturbing content in this. The DVD comes with 3 interesting and amusing commentary tracks(#1: director and writer, #2: Ed Glaser again and production designer, #3: the cast(Al Morrison, Joshua Stafford, and Alex Mitchell)), a 12 minute well-done making of, a 6 minute short(I expected it to be like Adventures, but it's, well, screw it, they did it live!) of the trio in a Resident Evil situation, and a minute and a half long trailer for it. I recommend this to anyone who likes electronic games. 10/10

Seeing all the glowing reviews for this film (which looks a bit suspicious if you ask me), I decided to add my own two cents.

First of all, if you're not a gamer AND familiar with the world of Pokemon, you pretty much don't have to bother with this film at all. Even if you liked the original characters. It's nice to see them return (except for the character of Sam, where Lauren Chambers was replaced with Jennifer Zahn and it shows). The problem is the film is simply too short to develop a relevant story-arc for all three characters including one new character, princess Xanna. We barely learn anything about what happened between the two films. And what we learn is fragmented and only told, not shown. Characters don't really grow or change in the process, they stay the same by the end of the movie.

Some of the jokes are funny, some are not and some require some previous knowledge of the world of games.

If you liked the first one, chances are you will like this one as well. I cannot give it more than 5 stars, I simply wasn't impressed with it that much.