The Dungeon Masters – DVD Review
I’ve never been what you would call a social gamer. I generally play console games and even now with the advent of broadband multiplayer I rarely, if ever, play against other people. The closest I ever got to a typical D&D style experience was the few years I played Magic: The Gathering, which was mostly just amongst my close friends and family. I do however, have many friends that have delved into the world of pen and paper RPGs like D&D and all have spoken of its wonders to me. Despite what popular culture would want us to believe, all the people I know that play these games are fully functional adults and not hopeless nerds lost in their own fantasies. It’s therefore pretty awesome to watch a film like The Dungeon Masters and see that my friends aren’t the exceptions to the rule.
The Dungeon Masters is a documentary that follows three D&D nerds as they explore their experiences in the game and their at home lives. While they clearly picked the nerdiest of the bunch to follow, the film makes sure to portray all of them in a sympathetic light. Instead of showing how their lives have been consumed by this game, the film instead shows how these people have managed to escape the downfalls and stresses of their real lives by playing it. Scott is an apartment manager and failed author trying to provide for his family. Elizabeth is a New Orleans resident who survived not only spousal abuse but the devastation of Hurricane Katrina. Richard is a sanitation worker who helped raise his former wife’s three children. All three of these people have been through considerable hardship and made many sacrifices but they all seem to forget their problems when they enter the fictional world they’ve created for their characters. It’s really refreshing to see a documentary about these “social outcasts” that puts them in an extremely positive light as each one comes out looking brave for all they’ve been though. Furthermore, each person gets to have a personal triumph in their real lives by the end of the film.
I wasn’t expecting much out of this documentary. I was afraid I would have trouble relating to it as I’m not an RPG gamer. Director Keven McAlester knows that many people are in my same position and does a great job of letting us into this world without completely bombarding us with useless information about the game. Instead he lets the subjects give us just enough of a background to understand what’s going on, giving us some ability to follow their gaming stories. If you’re looking to this film to give you a crash course in the world of pen and paper RPG gaming, you’re going to be disappointed. If however, you’re looking for a film about the hardships many people face and the escapism that gives them the peace of mind to carry on, I definitely recommend checking out this flick.
Rating: 
