Mazes and Monsters (1982)

Slow pace in the most part of the movie.

Excellent but underrated film

Yo, there's no way for me to review this film without saying, take your *insert ethnicity + "ass" here* to see this film,like now. You have to see it in order to know what you're really messing with.

It's a movie as timely as it is provocative and amazingly, for much of its running time, it is weirdly funny.

Many posters find this film awful and I must admit to finding it laughable and occasionally dull when I first watched it. However, the central idea in itself is not implausible. Those who damn the film suggest that it is a hysterical piece of scaremongering about the highly unlikely ill effects of role-playing, but it is no less unlikely than the influence of the bible on serial killers. I personally know one teenage fantasy nut who has all the makings of a war-mongering Nazi politician and needs a reality check which this film, if only it had been better researched and scripted, would hopefully provide. Give it a break.

Bewilderment. Disorientation. For those who are on the fence about dungeons and dragons, be prepared for a sudden loss of cherished illusions.For 22 years I've successfully fought off any urge, small and large, to consider playing dungeons and dragons. And I've felt somewhat righteous about it. You know, I might be a nerd, but at least I'm not a D&D nerd. I might be crippled, but at least I'm not black.This movie made me doubt what I believed to be 22 years of logical decision making. Should I give D&D a try? What does it really feel like to roll 22 on 2 12 charm? Am I denying myself real joy? These are just a few questions you'll end up asking yourself. Trust me.After a lot of contemplation and heavy discussion among close friends, I've realized that dungeons and dragons is only appealing to me if Tom Hanks is the fourth.But this movie is appealing, Tom Hanks or not. It was worth the $3.99 I paid for it, and I pay for nothing.In short, any movie in which Tom Hanks cry-talks is worth watching. He's so god damn beautiful.

This made for television film marked the first feature picture where two time Oscar winner Tom Hanks was featured in the leading role. Mazes and Monsters finds Hanks as one of four college students, Wendy Crewson, Christopher Makepeace, and David Wallace are the others who are into the board game of Mazes and Monsters. Title obviously changed by author Rona Jaffe to avoid a lawsuit from the creators of Dungeons&Dragons.The game like its real life counterpart has its followers and it can get pretty intense. Not unlike some Star Trek conventions where some folks really do get into character. When things get that intense there are some that can't handle it. Hanks turns out to be one of these, it turns out he's schizophrenic and his board character after the four of them decide to add a level of realism to the game by playing in some caverns gradually takes him over.Mazes and Monsters is a cheaply shot feature and does make good use of country and New York City locations. It's a memorable feature now because of the climax shot on the roof of one of the twin towers. The leads, especially Hanks turn in good and sincere performances.For fans of Dungeons&Dragons and Tom Hanks especially.

Hoo boy, this was a real trial to get through. The DVD case has Tom Hanks' mug plastered on it and that is the only reason that anybody would buy it. He looks about forty on the box, however, the movie was made in 1982, so he still has his Bosom Buddies 'do and of course is about forty pounds lighter. The plot concerns a Dungeons and Dragons like game that Hanks and his three friends play and Hanks ends up thinking the whole thing is real. Chris Makepeace is a boy genius named Jay Jay and the best thing about the movie is that he wears a succession of funny hats. Ooh,look, he has a yellow hardhat on with a tuxedo! Now he's dressed like a WWI pilot! This was a truly awful movie but in a bad way. A bunch of vets pop up mostly as parents of the kids. There's Anne (I'm Honey West, dammit!) Francis and Louise Sorel, who actually looks kind of hot. Murray Hamilton, the Mayor from Jaws, has a thankless roll as a cop. Wendy Crewson, is the love interest for Hanks and some blonde guy I have never seen before or since. There is some syrupy music here and there and absolutely no tension or sense of danger or excitement. There is a monster that only Hanks can see because he's, you know, nuts. The monster is played by the late, great Kevin Peter Hall, he of Predator fame. A friend of mine got this out of the ol' discount bin at MallWart and advised me to chuck it in the trash without even looking at it, so naturally I had to see if it was as bad as all that. It was. The night before, I watched Apollo 13, so after that, this movie was a bit of a shock. Do yourself a favor and leave it in the bin. Oh yeah, after Hanks almost jumps from one of the World Trade Center towers because of his delusions, he goes home to recuperate and is visited by his friends. Hanks mother, a drunken Vera Miles, says he is coming along nicely now but when they walk down to the lake to visit him in his tennis outfit, he is crazier than ever. The End