Toubled Teen in Ben X is an MMO Gamer

October 24, 2008

A New York Times review of Ben X notes that the indie film's troubled protagonist escapes from real world difficulties by playing MMOs.

(GP: Don't we all, Ben, don't we all...)

From the review:

To Ben... school is a nightmare of peer cruelty and home... a vortex of parental frustration. To cope, he escapes into an online fantasy universe where his heroic avatar spends hours immersed in a popular video game alongside a generously endowed virtual honey known as Scarlite...

Integrating live action with Ben’s gaming exploits, “Ben X” crawls inside a troubled mind with more stylistic commitment than narrative competence...

Ben X opens today in Manhattan.

Posted in Games & Culture Movies Online Games

Comments

Re: Toubled Teen in Ben X is an MMO Gamer

Submitted by Weatherlight on Sat, 10/25/2008 - 09:58.

Looks interesting, I may just decide to go and see this movie.

~Weatherlight~

Re: Toubled Teen in Ben X is an MMO Gamer

Submitted by sarcasticassinjapan on Fri, 10/24/2008 - 18:52.

Toubled...

Re: Toubled Teen in Ben X is an MMO Gamer

Submitted by infect999 on Fri, 10/24/2008 - 17:49.

Why is he playing ArchLord? ArchLord sucks.

Re: Toubled Teen in Ben X is an MMO Gamer

Submitted by SimonBob on Fri, 10/24/2008 - 13:25.

Huh, I had a chance to see this in Ottawa a few months back, but I somehow wound up at a keg party instead. How bizarre.

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Re: Toubled Teen in Ben X is an MMO Gamer

Submitted by Pinworm on Fri, 10/24/2008 - 10:36.

Looked decent until by the end I could tell it's just yet another form of media that's going to say kids can lose their perception of reality and fantasy and act out fantasy things in reality. Bullshit.

Hello, Mazes and Monsters 2008.

Re: Toubled Teen in Ben X is an MMO Gamer

Submitted by Pierre-Olivier on Fri, 10/24/2008 - 21:41.

You have no idea what you're talking about.

It's about a guy with Asperger Syndrome who tries to escape from his painful everyday life (he's being bullied at school by both teachers and students) by playing an MMORPG in which he's the complete opposite of his real self...until he meets a fellow player in real-life.

I've seen parts of it. And from what I saw, it's an excellent movie.

Re: Toubled Teen in Ben X is an MMO Gamer

Submitted by Doomsong on Fri, 10/24/2008 - 10:13.

Well, I guess it makes for a better story than a sub-urban houswife hiding from her real world troubles by playing Bejeweled....

"Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety" - Benjamin Franklin

Re: Toubled Teen in Ben X is an MMO Gamer

Submitted by Pierre-Olivier on Fri, 10/24/2008 - 08:37.

I haven't seen it yet, but it was aired in Québec and most critics were positives. I saw the trailer and I kinda saw myself in Ben in this movie.

When it's on DVD, I'll buy it immediately.

Re: Toubled Teen in Ben X is an MMO Gamer

Submitted by Austin_Lewis on Fri, 10/24/2008 - 08:35.

This looks, uh, what's that phrase, oh yeah, like shit. Oh man, someone made a movie about an autistic kid, that's deep, even though from that clip it looks like it has less depth than a petri dish.

Re: Toubled Teen in Ben X is an MMO Gamer

Submitted by King of Fiji on Fri, 10/24/2008 - 07:59.

This game is on my list of things that make me wish I didn't have the name Ben, along with Ben 10.

Also after watching the youtube clip I can tell you its already been done in the form of a movie called The Wizard.....

Re: Toubled Teen in Ben X is an MMO Gamer

Submitted by VideolandHero on Fri, 10/24/2008 - 14:11.

But the Wizard is cheesy and was spoofed to death. This looks more serious.

--- Official Protector of Videoland!

Re: Toubled Teen in Ben X is an MMO Gamer

Submitted by E. Zachary Knight on Fri, 10/24/2008 - 11:30.

What's wrong with Ben 10?

E. Zachary Knight
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Re: Toubled Teen in Ben X is an MMO Gamer

Submitted by King of Fiji on Fri, 10/24/2008 - 13:43.

Well to be honest I was warming up to it......until they started the Ben 10 Alien Force gustapo. Then it just made it cling to the fact that I was named after Ben Cartright from Bananza.

I know that dosen't really anwser the question but now that I think about it dosen't this Ben X movie seem like a ripoffish version of Rainman?

Re: Toubled Teen in Ben X is an MMO Gamer

Submitted by Kincyr on Fri, 10/24/2008 - 14:34.

I like Alien Force, seems more serious and it reminds me of The Real Adventures of Jonny Quest.

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