Mazes and Monsters

1982 • 97 minutes
4.5
2 reviews
19%
Tomatometer
PG
Rating
Eligible
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About this movie

Robbie and his four college classmates decide to move the board game into the local legendary cavern.
Rating
PG

Ratings and reviews

4.5
2 reviews
Dragon Bjorn
August 29, 2020
This movie captures a time when Dungeons & Dragons was under assault by church groups and fear mongering parents that did not understand reality versus fantasy any more than the main protagonist of this movie does. The irony of this films creation was that its intent was to try and scare kids away from ever trying to play these types of games by showing how dangerous they can be to a person's sense of self, yet the way the film depicts the main character, it is made fairly clear he had issues well before playing the game and his hold on reality was never that strong to begin with. His friends do not seem to grasp how harmful it is to give in to his personal delusions, but at the same time, they seem to love him and showing that friendship in the end is also ironically the whole point of a lot of tabletop games. From an acting standpoint, everyone does a passable job given the writing (which is not particularly well done), but we get to see a very young Tom Hanks, stretching his drama side, well before he became known as mostly a dramatic actor (look at his film credits around this time and you will see a lot of comedies, many of them considered "goofball" style). The writing is not as well crafted and the editing could use some work, but for a movie meant to be an anti-D&D propaganda piece, it actually doesn't do anything to sway someone away from playing a game, and delves far more into the side of mental illness and the dangers that can present in a person that has those issues. I highly recommend this film on many levels. As an art piece, as a piece of history, as a look at the past of some great actors, as a bit of nostalgia for a time that hopefully has passed, and just as a movie itself. It may not hold up in every aspect of the medium, but it has its moments and at its worst it is still better than many movies made today... from a certain perspective.
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Daniel Steven Janerico (DJ DanSteve)
June 24, 2020
This Is A Dedication To Fans OF Dungeon n Dragons Players .. Tom Hanks , Amazing Actor ...And Rest Of Cast Was Magnificent .. After Sum Time Passes , Near Mid Way , Finally Get More Than A Glimpse Into T.H. Character , Where Reality n Gaming Collide , Kinda Similar To Phaze In / Phase Out , Star Treks Transporter .. So , As Tom is Going Thru Game In His Thoughts Just Wanderering Around In Big City , He Hears A Scream , Comes From An Alley Way , Most Would Not Give A Thought N Keep Walking ..YES
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