Free to Play

This movie is basically for everyone who doesn't understand the hype on e-sports to get it, it's seriously amazing, i couldn't have loved the movie more than what we got.

I really loved features from different sections in the e-sports world, from North America to CIS to China each one of those guys had to work hard to achieve what they've achieved. Fear for example has been like 10 years in the e-sport scene and just one couple of weeks ago he got to win his first lan (monster invitational) which i must imagine must feel amazing.

So yeah i'm rating this 10/10 because it's obviously worth the wait, it's an incredibly piece of work and valve and the players (in general) should be proud of this movie.

Was just expecting it to be good but not that good, brought tears to my eyes after seeing professional gamers using a trash desk, few notebooks and borrowed CRT monitor to fulfill their dreams. Its pretty hard for gamers to manage studies, gaming, social life, and professional life together yet they do it. Its really sad to see that gaming industry haven't flourished in developing countries yet like some of the Asian countries including Pakistan & India where there are too many passionate gamers who never had a chance to show their set of skills internationally and they might possess more than the gamers we know these days. Hats off Valve, you made us gamers proud.

Great documentary about the topic e-sports and the actual players behind it. The focus lies on 3 professional dota2 players (Dendi, hyhy and fear) and their way to, and eventually in, the biggest e-sports-tournament (1000.000$ prize pool), back to the date in 2011, but focuses not only on their gaming career but also on their familiar background and displays the flaws and positive aspects of the correlation. A further aspect is the difference between the 3 protagonists and their motivation which led them to gaming. I really sympathized with them in the end.

The movie was very well shot and got me easily entertained through the 75 minutes, although it was a little bit overly clichéd sometimes (keyword: hyhy's relationship) and people could say that the movie polarizes a bit, but that's only nitpicking. Though the international was nearly 3 years ago, I still got goosebumps by watching this and its also nice to see that e-sports is getting more and more of a deal.

Beside the fact that serious documentaries about this topic are hard to come by these days, I would definitely recommend it.

9/10

Video game producer Valve Corporation's Free To Play is an essential film for documentary lovers and video game enthusiasts. At a light 75 minute running time, it's an accessible pill to swallow, one naturally only brushing the surface, but in an entertaining way. The documentary details the events of The International 2011 based in Germany, the first gaming tournament for the game DOTA 2 with a record-breaking top prize of $1.6 million. Unfortunately as many of its players are teenagers, the tournament was scheduled during exam periods and many potential winners had to sacrifice a lot at home just for the chance at the jackpot.

However, the film wisely chooses three competitors from different teams to sum up the ethos of the tournament and its players, dipping into their backstories at will. They include a Singaporean player who's dealing with a broken heart and a disapproving family, an American player who's suffered from a life of financial trouble and a Ukrainian player who's father recently passed away. Their passion for gaming always shines through. Although many times their stories feel like the typical sob stories you find in entertainment shows, they add an essential conflict and internal desire to the story to make it more engaging. Their hardships are quite down to Earth and relatable, if somewhat sentimentally presented. It at least humanizes the players in a way that makes it feel like the tournament have more camaraderie with something at stake.

You don't need to know anything about DOTA 2 to enjoy the film as it features entertaining and impressive CGI interpretations of the battle, but still as a non-gamer it is difficult to see why the fuss over the game is warranted. It's the one thing that the documentary is lacking on, but it doesn't hinder it too much. Free To Play's main objective is to legitimize the career of a professional gamer, and it works quite well, making it quite tempting. Lacking a credited director, you can only assume that its lead editor had the biggest influence regarding a consistent style and focus, other than the current heads of Valve. Even so, the style is still quite distinct in its slick intimate look, use of text and contemporary choice of electronic music. It's a film that feels breezy and fresh, just trying to bring attention to the next big thing in popular culture, though it's arguable that it's already here. The e-sport will soon become a plain old sport.

8/10

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This film gives you a great insight into the world of e-sports and its rise in popularity. What used to be considered as a basement dweller's hobby is on its way to become a recognized, legitimate sport. And in some countries, this already is the case.

More importantly, however, the film allows you to follow the lives of three professional gamers on their way to "the international", a Dota 2 tournament whose victors would receive the highest prize money for a gaming event at that time: one million dollars.

You get to experience the pressure they undergo in the face of the tournament, but also their struggle for recognition with their families. What their peers consider a waste of time could in fact end up make those kids millionaires and celebrities.

From the beginning to the end, the film grips you tight and does send you on a roller coaster of thrill, anticipation, excitement and also disappointment, sadness and reflection. You feel for and with the people in Free to Play, also thanks to a great job in editing and scoring.

Even if you are not familiar with Dota 2 or the e-sports scene in general, I would highly recommend watching this film as it opens both the world of e-sports and the private lives of those 3 gamers. And it's definitely worth a watch.