Darkon is a fantasy game where competing tribes battle it out for supremacy. What makes it different from your average D&D session is that the participants actually act out the battles using padded swords and shields, and throwing nerf dodge balls to cast magic spells. The fate of the nations are played out on the battlefields of state parks, and community soccer fields.
A documentary with such an especially nerdy subject is bound to have some hilarious moments, and Darkon does provide a bunch of these. It is hard not to laugh when the film makers show us one of these players practicing his swordsmanship in his backyard, and explaining how participating in Darkon is going to give him the confidence to talk to girls.
But it seems as if there is almost too much seriousness in what should be quirky subject. While a movie such as King of Kong explored a nerdy sub-culture with an interesting mix of humor and drama, Darkon is a film that seems far too concerned with making its subjects seem deep and relevant in order to justify itself. A lot of time is devoted to exploring the psychology of the participants, and what motivates them to engage in such a strange hobby that is bound to get them ridiculed. The film tries to provide answers ranging from the need to escape the drudgery of suburban life, to the longing for respect and comradarie, or the simple fact that we all need to "roleplay" in some aspects of or life.
Some of these themes are interesting, and even may be true to an extent, but they all feel like an attempt to give "larping" a profoundness that I am not sure really exists. One particularly silly scene has members of one of the warring factions making battle plans in their living rooms while a tv set plays a news report about the battle fallujah. The implication being that larping and the war in Iraq are somehow deeply connected, which is an idea that had me rolling my eyes.
Darkon does have a couple interesting human stories, and it is interesting to watch these people play out this complex and interesting game, but I still wish the movie would have just a bit more fun with its subject matter.
6/10
A documentary with such an especially nerdy subject is bound to have some hilarious moments, and Darkon does provide a bunch of these. It is hard not to laugh when the film makers show us one of these players practicing his swordsmanship in his backyard, and explaining how participating in Darkon is going to give him the confidence to talk to girls.
But it seems as if there is almost too much seriousness in what should be quirky subject. While a movie such as King of Kong explored a nerdy sub-culture with an interesting mix of humor and drama, Darkon is a film that seems far too concerned with making its subjects seem deep and relevant in order to justify itself. A lot of time is devoted to exploring the psychology of the participants, and what motivates them to engage in such a strange hobby that is bound to get them ridiculed. The film tries to provide answers ranging from the need to escape the drudgery of suburban life, to the longing for respect and comradarie, or the simple fact that we all need to "roleplay" in some aspects of or life.
Some of these themes are interesting, and even may be true to an extent, but they all feel like an attempt to give "larping" a profoundness that I am not sure really exists. One particularly silly scene has members of one of the warring factions making battle plans in their living rooms while a tv set plays a news report about the battle fallujah. The implication being that larping and the war in Iraq are somehow deeply connected, which is an idea that had me rolling my eyes.
Darkon does have a couple interesting human stories, and it is interesting to watch these people play out this complex and interesting game, but I still wish the movie would have just a bit more fun with its subject matter.
6/10
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