Uno: The Movie (2016 Video) User Reviews

The best video game movie ever. A modern day 12 Angry Men

[shadows_million · 10/10 · 2 December 2016]

I have seen many terrible game movies,like battleship or Doom so i have always been hesitant of these type of movies. When I heard that they made n Uno movie, I thought the production company Rooster teeth had jumped the shark on their film business, ad this was only their second feature film. But i was surprised that a nearly 3-hour long movie about a card game of Uno was one of the funniest and most enthralling films I've seen in 2016. The plot is so simple its like their isn't a plot. the film takes place in the production company's video game unit (i forgot what it's called, I think it's like trophy hunters or challenge finders or something like that) and 4 of their workers (Geoff, Gavin, Jeremy and Ryan) decide to record a game of UNO. Thinking it should take a short time, they all discuss what they will do after, maybe record another game, maybe watch the election going on, maybe just get something to eat.However, after a rule of 0 and 7 enters the play, the 500 point game spirals out of control to complete madness. The entire cast of the movie was excellent. I think the performance by newcomer Ryan Haywood should be up for best supporting and Geoff Lazer Ramsey is easily the best lead of the year. Gavin Free also did very good at portraying the dread that everyone was feeling, a performance so good it felt real. Rounding out the cast is Jack "dillhole" Patillo and Jeremy Dooley, and that's it. The film is a bottle movie, taking place only in the Goal Getters office. The direction was clear and crisp. And the dialogue felt so loose and unscripted. the characters flubbed and made mistakes and references things unknown to the audience because that's what feels real. and when the game turns from fun to torture, the way each character reacts and feels is so good, its almost like the director made the actors actually go through all this pain.The film as you can see, has a lot of inspiration from Sidney Lumet's 50s masterpiece 12 angry men. The small cast, they single location, the small task that takes way to long and cause a large variety of emotions. Hell, Jeremy's character constantly references the movie Casablanca by saying "here's looking at you kid", and that movie is also black and white, so that's a connection, I guess. The length of the movie might be a turn off to most. At 2 hours and 45 minutes, the film takes its time. it actually becomes painful for the viewer which was one of my favorite aspects. Only a few filmmakers like Andrei Tarkovsky or Ingmar Bergman can make you feel like that to a movie

That being said, i did have a couple of nitpicks. Not to spoil anything , but half way through the movie one of the characters disappears and is replaced by another character. while it might be a jarring change, i found it to work to add to the dread everyone felt, but it could have been done smoother.

UNO: the movie has skyrocketed to the to of my favorites of the year. I recommend you see this before award season because you will definitely be a top contender next to Arrival, La LA Land and Moonlight. UNO the movie is a nearly 3 hour long trip of a movie, and I loved every second. A+

A roller coaster of emotions from beginning to end...

[prestonsletterman · 10/10 · 3 December 2016]

I started the film skeptical. Who are these people to think that they can build a film upon a family card game? Was I wrong...

You begin as our heroes start fresh into the world of the game. Taking in its atmosphere and overall happy to be apart of the aura it puts off. However, things begin to fall in spectacular, confusing, awe-inspiring, and meaningful ways.

This film turned out to be not just a film created from a vision, but one that shapes the vision as it is filmed. It held no boundaries and it gave no cares to what human nature may wish for in life. This film wasn't a comedy, horror, suspense, drama, nor romance. This film was a close look into the sociology behind human nature. The slow degradation of man, the ever increasing distrust of others, the wish to only find the end.

Overall, this is not a film to be taken lightly. Expect nothing and accept everything for this is a commentary on life. I won't say that I cried, but I definitely cried. I give it a perfect 5/7.

A heartbreaking and captivating tale from start to finish.

[abbystew-27925 · 10/10 · 3 December 2016]

I arrived home from work, exhausted from a long day, and noticed a video in my YouTube subscription box titled "Uno: The Movie". I scoffed at the thumbnail, Hollywood has officially run out of ideas! With a cynical smirk on my face, I decided to click on the video, thinking I was to see the death of cinema occur right before my eyes.

From the moment the video started to the moment it ended, I found myself captivated by the story, characters, and cinematography. Coworkers trapped in a room together until they finish a 500-point round of the classic card game "Uno", but with some sadistic rules added. As the hours wore on, I could feel the character's desperation to finish the game- almost as if they were actually playing a three-hour game of Uno. The camera angles used to show us each player's hand makes the viewer feel as if they were actually playing the game themselves.

With a stunning cast, crew, and soundtrack, I predict a complete sweep at next year's Oscars for this breathtaking film. "Uno: The Movie" did not kill cinema, it brought it back to life.

It's a masterpiece - and a legend to tell your children

[Kvarnie · 2 December 2016]

I had my doubt when I started this movie. A nearly three hour long comedy? There would be no way that it could keep the comedy for that long. Now, I know that the creators have pulled of some great short films before, like Fuel and The Game of Life -- but a full-length movie? I honestly didn't think they had it in them. But they did.

Their previous short film, Let's Play Uno, was a amazing. This feature length follow-up was nothing less than a masterpiece.

In my opinion, Pattillo has the best performance. His acting is superb -- ranging from his loud outbursts of obscene words and jokes, to his silent denial of reality near the end. He's the best actor Rooster Teeth has had on camera. They missed a huge potential by not giving him more screen time.

The cinematography is amazing. The red color really symbolizes the hell the players are truly lost in. My only wish would have been that the Director would have added stationary cameras for the players faces. That would have really given us an opportunity to see the true depth of their despair.

The soundtrack is also incredible. The smooth jazz playing in some of the sequences really fits the story well. The song playing during the credits was also insanely beautiful.

I haven't seen a movie where I've been so immersed in the plot in a long time. I could compare it to movies like Shutter Island -- you're just sucked into the story, coming up with crazy ideas and conspiracies for how it's going to end. It's extremely unpredictable. The entire story can change in the play of a single card. The Notorious Seven or the Crazy Zero are telltale signs that something is going to happen.

I can't recommend this movie enough. It's definitely the Let's Play Movie of the decade.

Greatest Video Game Movie of All Time!!!!

[ajs1997 · 10/10 · 3 December 2016]

Throughout the years there have been plenty of video game movies that have been terrible and some have been alright, but none have truly been great, until now.

Uno:The Movie is a story about Uno for sure, but it also has heart, joy, sadness, and a mixture of other emotions that makes it a well balanced and well paced film. The characters are great and the stakes are truly there once the film hit the final act.

This movie also shows the power of friendship and the effect an event like this can have. People's lives change in an instant and no one can really guess where this goes, and no one can guess the ending. Also, make sure to stay though the credits, you won't be disappointed with what you see.

The cast does a great job. You really feel like they are friends with each other and they all know each other so well. It gets even better when you learn that two people played Ryan in this film and you can't even tell the difference. They both sound so alike that there is not a chance to tell them apart.

Move over Mortal Kombat, this is the great video game movie of all time and one of the best ever regardless of genre.

10/10

A Classic In the Making

[gamer-77249 · 10/10 · 2 December 2016]

And now for my officially unofficial Uno: The Movie review. First entering the website, I was both excited and filled with trepidation regarding the upcoming movie I was about to sit down to. While the production company in question was tied to one that had had success in the film business before, they themselves had little to no experience. Could they successfully capture the heart and soul of what makes for a good movie going experience? Could they wow us with moments of passion and develop a strong enough bond to make us care about the plight of the characters? All I can say is that I advise you to watch the movie first before having it spoiled by this review, as the Achievement Hunter production team has made what will undoubtedly be regarded as a timeless classic for years to come.....

Uno: The Movie is the tale of four co-workers having a bitter rivalry that can only be decided one way; by playing Uno. These four brave men, Goeff, (Geoff Ramsey), Gavino, (Gavin Free), Mr. J, (Jeremy Dooley), and The Mad King, (Ryan Haywood). Throughout the course of the film, we laugh and we cry as these friends slowly anger each other one moment after the other as they each do everything in their power to stop the others from getting even a moment's advantage. They strike with all their might, and we feel the joy and sorrow as luck comes and goes. In time, the battle becomes so fierce and exhausting that they begin to lose faith that it will ever reach a conclusion, and one member, (The Mad King), is forced to make a choice between his family, and the game. Staying as long as he is able, he fights valiantly, but must eventually take his leave, showing that even Dark Gods put their loved ones first. In his place though comes a fifth challenger, Jack, (Jack Patillo), watching, and waiting, from the sidelines to have his attempt at glory. From this point on, the match only becomes more tense. Lines are crossed, and enemies are made. The grueling battle ever more seems like it'll never end, and those who remain are forced to make the same choices that prevented their companion from staying. However, they stand strong, putting their wives, kittens, and video games on hold until the victor is decided. Hearing one of the cast members, a "Mr. J", making a phone call to his wife, (played by actor Jeremy Dooley's actual spouse), is one of the most heart breaking moments in recent cinema......

Throughout the entire movie, you can hear as the battle wears the cast down, bit by bit. They fight valiantly, yet all hope slowly drains from their bodies as their souls are crushed. In spite of the strain, they still refuse to give up, never showing a moment of weakness. In time however, even gods fall to the ages, and they finally begin to see that maybe winning isn't everything. Though they still fight, they begin to cheer on their competitors and see that perhaps they have more in common than they originally thought. By the time the final moments are upon us, they finally see what we audience members could see from the beginning. That maybe, working together is more beneficial than needles suffering. The game comes town to a final hand, Gavino is primed to be the winner, and Mr. J is going all in to ensure his victory. Goeff however can't resist the urge to try for himself, and all seems lost when Mr. J is forced to call Uno a few rounds later. Having few options, the situation is turned so that Mr. J has a choice. Win the hand and potentially win the match, or throw it away and hope to engineer Gavino's sure victory. With his co-worker's supporting words, he lays down his final card...

...and cheers erupt from the four members of the cast as the score ticks over to victory for Mr. J. The moment is heartwarming and exhilarating, as the cast cheers loudly in celebration, more excited and happy than they have been at any prior point in their lives. This moment of triumph, and example of how the worst of hardships bring even the most venomous of foes together, is only strengthened even more during the credit sequence that brings back the entire cast to sing a joyous song. Doubly so, when the supporting cast is brought in from behind the scenes, (aside from Jeremy's wife, who was unable to reprise her performance due to time constraints), to join in as the chorus.....

In summary, this movie goes from an exhilarating drama full of excitement, to a somber story about the dangers of war and unwillingness to give ground, only to finish it up by giving us a thrilling conclusion that had the cast giving their best performance by far. You'd swear by the levels of excitement that they show at the end, that they were actually experiencing the fatigue from a never-ending Uno match, rather than simply being actors playing roles in a movie. This story of camaraderie forming from the least expected of places, after such a long war of attrition, is one that will be shown for years to come as a masterpiece of film making. It is an absolute must watch for any aspiring film student or actor, showing that even simple visuals and casual dialog can make for a gut-wrenching experience for the audience. Throughout the movie, I laughed with these characters, I cried with them, and I was on the edge of my seat for every moment, enthralled to see what would come next. A must see for audience members of all ages, and definitely a classic in the making......

Worth the Watch

[angeldawnclan · 10/10 · 3 December 2016]

I can honestly say that when I saw that this film was 2 hours long - I was a bit wary. I watched a preview of the video on Twitter of Jeremy and Ryan's humorous reverse debacle, and figured that I'd watch the first 10 or so minutes and then keep it on in the background while I finished up some work. But 5 minutes in I was already hooked. Rules that I'd never even hear of made it a thrilling nail-biter throughout the whole thing. The humour is made all the better by the fact that none of the players knew what was coming. Very immersive in that way. 10/10, would highly recommend for any fellow fan or someone just looking to throw away a couple of hours watching complete nonsense unfold by watching 4 grown men play a game made for children.

Play on, Achievement Hunters.

Best Movie of 2016

[roxiesbaby · 10/10 · 3 December 2016]

Coming into the movie with little knowledge, I had few expectations. In the start, it seemed like nothing more that a quirky video game movie, but it quickly turned itself around. This movie is full of laughter, anger, frustration, and tears. It's the best roller coaster I have ever been on. If you want to see a movie that has everything you could ever want, this is your film. Ramsay, Free, Patillo, Haywood, and Dooley all gave excellent performances. Their roles felt real and raw, as if it was all actually happening to them. They committed to the movie like no actor I've ever seen before. A truly Oscar-worthy performance. Do yourself the favour of watching this amazing film. It is a tale of real life hardships that will certainly leave you blown away.

In 2016, an evil spirit invades a normal workplace and traps four average men until they can score 500 in UNO

[samkeith-74191 · 10/10 · 1 December 2016]

THE MOVIE ITSELF This movie is amazing. The character development was like nothing I have ever seen before. Their acting was so good it looked like they were really held there by a spirit, and you could hear the stress in their voices. Although it is a very long movie, there is little off time. The plot twist at the end was made by a genius, and I believe the director did an amazing job with the special affects. SPECIAL AFFECTS This has some of the best special affects in recent movies, it looks like cards float and the spirit really does appear as a blue mass in front of one of them. I have even heard the cards themselves weren't real, which is insane if it's true. I would suggest this movie to anyone who isn't afraid of oceans or bad decks.

Always engaging

[isaacjones-52235 · 10/10 · 2 December 2016]

Despite the name of the movie being called Uno, ill happily keep drawing to have this rated a 10

You're first thoughts upon seeing the run time might be 'uno... for 3 hours... how could they make this a movie?' but i assure you, unlike most other video game movie adaptations this one is true to the source material in it's fullest. All the cards are well represented even with a few new character traits added to '0' and '7' which weren't shown in the short film that this was based off.

You've really got your hands full with this one

With that I call UNO

Uno: The Movie is an existential masterpiece

[amshadr · 10/10 · 3 December 2016]

Uno: The Movie is an existential tour de force from Rooster Teeth, an internet site (bizarrely) mostly known for their gaming and comedy work.

Part of the genius of Uno is the length of the movie itself: by the end of the film, as the cast exalts the end of the game, you too find yourself simultaneously relieved and exhausted. And yet, when it was all over, after the credits, I found myself recalling the scene in the ending of The Graduate--the joy of the moment of victory has passed. We don't know where we're headed, we have no plan; where do we go from here?

The suffering the characters endure is palpable, and, yet, does their suffering deserve to be validated? Facing the bleak outlook of the U.S. Election in November 2016, our characters find themselves trapped in a hellish cycle, their major pains coming from no heavier burden than a literal child's game. Are any of our problems truly problems? Is suffering inescapable? In a society so fixated on determining whose problems are more worthy of pity, are we dismissing ourselves too much, or are we just opening our eyes to the meaningless of our own small lives?

With the entire movie taking place in one single, continuous take, the audience feels the tension almost as much as the characters themselves. The choice to use four different angles, all of which look nearly identical, further emphasizes the concept that we are all on the same meaningless journey: we've been dealt different hands (so to speak), yes, but are our perspectives really so different? Our lives are completely interchangeable (as is pounded into us by the "7s and 0s" rule in Uno), and our only goal is to hurry to our own inevitable end. We seek both purpose and rest: creating nothing but chaos in an attempt to avoid our own suffering, we inevitably prolong it.

The aching throughout the course of the film to see the game through to the end--no cheats or shortcuts-- despite the intense desire to walk away would, by itself, be enough, but realizing that the end of the game does not signal the end of the journey for these characters and their audience is unspeakably moving.

Throughout Uno: The Movie, I experienced a veritable roller coaster of emotion, yet I know that nothing happened. I laughed, yet I felt the intense burden of life. I mourned with the characters as they lamented about their missed opportunities to go home and return to normalcy, and yet I cheered when a round was prolonged all the same.

The cast of Uno: The Movie was witty in their improvisations and genuine in their delivery. The subtle soundtrack perfectly suited the feeling that change had happened, but not really--much like an elevator taking you to a new floor, you still remain within the same building.

Truly, I have not walked away from a movie so deeply introspective in a long time. Uno: The Movie is indescribably profound, and I cannot recommend it highly enough.

An Achievement Hunter masterpiece

[sorrowscythe · 10/10 · 3 December 2016]

When I heard about this I thought it will be terrible. little did I know it will literally made me laugh so hard. A true masterpiece perfect for Christmas nights and New Years. Also perfect for making people think "what the firetruck did I just watch, because who the heck plays UNO THAT long?" Anyway, I still have to write around 5 more lines because I'm just here to top rate this awesome movie, okay? Seriously, it's really hilarious, and you're probably not gonna read this anyway, and there's so much I can do to extend this text! Make sure you get cozy before watching this, because your ass is gonna hurt a lot after this, sans padding. Oh and by the way, the cake is a lie.

Horrible

[sophiaisabellk · 1/10 · 27 October 2020]

Dreadful movie that I only watched because of the rating. DO NOT LOSE YOUR TIME WATCHING THIS MOVIE. Its unbelievably boring. There is no surprise, its just a 3 hour long game of Uno.

Hell is Other People

[bebanacabana · 9/10 · 3 December 2016]

Uno: The Movie quite cleverly utilizes a video game format to play with perspective. A bottle episode, the movie takes place in real-time as four faceless men play what on the surface is a simple card game. Over the course of almost three hours we learn about them and their circumstances entirely through dialogue and voice-acting as they each slowly descend into madness in what can only be a purgatorial (one of them references Sartre's No Exit) metaphor for the 2016 election.

It begins gleefully enough, a group of friends eager for a rematch of what one of them describes as "the best game ever made." Yet it quickly becomes clear that the rules they play by are an exercise in sadism and their friendly competition is immediately revealed to be the schadenfreude of systematically brutalizing one another at every opportunity. Eventually destroying each other and themselves, they devolve into grief and depression as the desire to win simply becomes the longing for it to just end at any cost.

The character of Jack/Ryan in particular was an interesting device. The quintessential family man, his children are the ticking clock that gives him the highest stake in leaving and he, predictably, is the first to crack. Within the first hour he has abandoned the notion of victory and instead becomes the unhinged antagonist. Whereas Geoff had been a fairly innocuous villain, Ryan is the deliberate anarchist, announcing his intentions of creating a 'horde bomb' in his desire just to watch it all burn. His first act arc is then subverted when he 'leaves to pick up his kids and is replaced by Jack.' Yet even with the different pitch and inflections, it is still obviously the same voice actor.

This Tyler Durden style switch allows the Jack character to openly express the underlying root of the anxiety, distress about the outcome of the election, which, much like the Hell game they've trapped themselves in, drags on with no end in sight.

By the last act they're all broken, having passed into final stages of grieving, they've called their loved ones to say they're not going to make it home. Even the energetic characters that had expressed joy in the beginning are morose and defeated. In the final round they all have abandoned hope of escape, let alone victory. They do what they can to try and bolster their best chance for any conclusion.

But in the final moments their presumptive candidate is overturned leaving Jeremy, a man who has repeatedly expressed his lack of experience and understanding of the game, a man who even in the final moments directly states that he doesn't want to win, (a man who routinely has been calling the others sluts and whores.) And yet when the final tally rolls in declaring him the champion they all release a guttural chorus of screams, not in joy, but in pure primal relief that it's finally over.

A brilliant but depressing testament, the story of a game which became an unending nightmare that left even the initiators longing for death, Uno: The Movie is an emotional roller-coaster chronicling the downfall of Man by his own hubris and folly.

An Excellent Movie with Compelling Characters!

[edhelohtar · 10/10 · 3 December 2016]

Uno: The Movie was a wonderful experience! The Ending was probably one of the funniest sequences I've seen in a very long time! The characters were incredibly interesting, though it was strange that the Actor for one of the characters switched mid-way through.

As a fan of this company for years I think it's interesting that they put out something that could have flopped so badly, but due to good chemistry between the characters and a fantastic plot, they make it work! This simply proves how talented this group is.

The plot itself is breathtaking, a simple story about a group of coworkers that just want to go home, but can't seem to finish their game of Uno. It's a basic premise, but the execution is what truly sells it!

A hilarious and wonderful experience overall.

10/10 would suffer through again.

UNO: The Movie is Fabulous

[daaaabese · 10/10 · 6 December 2016]

When I first heard that Rooster Teeth's second film would be Uno: The Movie I was skeptical as I was unsure how they could make an enjoyable 2 and a half hour movie out of a simple card game especially since the film was done by the Achievement Hunter branch of the company. I was gladly Surprised though as we follow Geoff Ramsey, Jeremy Dooley, and Ryan Haywood (later replaced by Jack Patillo) as they battle with each other as well as the film's villain Gavin Free who has forced them to play an endless game of Uno. This movie is strong with comedy but also gives some heart-filled scenes like when Ryan must depart from the group and Jeremy must call his wife to explain his delay. This is a fantastic film 9/10

Could Not Look Away

[maxxtmfacebook · 9/10 · 14 December 2016]

I really enjoyed the movie from beginning to end. The editing is perfect and actors do a spot on performance. It takes balls for a movie to do UNO: The movie does. Only thing I disliked is the lack of locations used. But everything was well lit.Overall I think the plot is solid and premise to be very original this hardcore movie viewer. Would recommend to friends, family, and kids (14+) of all ages. BONUS: Stay around for the end credits of the movie. It's no Marvel 15 seconds of footage extra. The credits could be it's own short film but let's not go too crazy. Rumor has it that actor Geoff "Lazer" Ramsey is going to star in 4 new films in 2017.

A Modern Day Breakfast Club

[profhehhoo · 10/10 · 4 December 2016]

When you first clicked on this IMDb page, you may have been asking yourself, "What is so great about a movie about a card game? Seriously, not even The Shawshank Redemption has a perfect 10/10 rating on IMDb." Well, my friend, I can honestly say, when I first heard about the Uno Movie, I was thinking the same thing. We all were, and I think that is part of the movie's charm- it is a great epic stemming from very ordinary circumstances. The entire movie takes place in a card game played in real time, with minimal camera angles. In fact, we never see the actor's faces at all- all of the drama and emotion is conveyed simply through some exceptional voice acting by the small, six-person cast.

And yet, despite its mundane settings, this movie is nothing short of an epic. Besides the length- seriously, how many filmmakers dare to make a three hour movie anymore?- this movie is an epic of human nature. It explores a full breadth of emotions in the ever-shifting alliances between the five members of the main cast, and through our full immersion in the game, we feel it as well, the joy, pain, despair, elation, humor, dread, rage, small victories, big losses and jazz of everyday life. The relationships between the cast members crackle with an authenticity rarely seen in modern Hollywood cinema, drawing us further into the game. The entire movie felt so personal and so real that I forgot I was an audience member watching a movie; I felt like I was there, living the hell of an endless game of Uno after a long day of work. The heavy tension is beautifully brought to a climax by a surprise ending and the fantastic credits song, which will surely be at the top of the charts by the end of the year.

Overall, I would highly recommend it. It's a sleeper hit- the first time you watch, you may not get it, but I promise, over the next 24 hours, you'll begin to realize the full depth of the movie, and you'll find yourself watching it again, and again, and again. Reportedly, the experience of filming the movie was too intense for the cast and crew to ever want to make another, which, on the one hand, is a shame, but on the other hand, makes me appreciate this artistic masterpiece all the more. 10/10

An emotional journey

[peterfilm · 10/10 · 4 December 2016]

Watch as the Achievement Hunter crew slowly descent into madness, as they play the longest recorded let's play of Uno multiplayer in the history of mankind! It starts off as any other video would. At the end of a long, tiring day, our favorite achievement hunters sit down to play a game of uno, but soon they real's: this game might never end. Friendships will be broken, lies will be revealed, cards will be drawn and all kinds of twists and turns all the way through. And at the end you will cry, cheer, laugh, and most importantly scream from the top of your lungs along with our unlikely heroes. You don't want to miss this emotional roller-coaster of an online video! I highly recommend it for all the uno enthusiasts, haters of the color blue and masochists out there!

Most jaw dropping experience ever

[duckboxhouse · 10/10 · 3 December 2016]

Better than the Twilight saga! I couldn't believe my eyes when Jeremy won! It was a blast from beginning to end. This movie single handedly changed my life! I could almost cry. The end song left me in tears, The uno credits were so tear wrenching. I wish and pray they decide to make a sequeal. I also really want pretzels now. MIchael needs to be in the sequel, Geoffry is my favourite. I don't think anyone understands how this changed my life. I stopped doing hard core drugs and got a stable income and now live in a mansion down under because this movie changed my life.

THIS IS A JOKE BUT I NEED MORE SH*T FOR WRITING IN THIS REVIEW AND IDK WHAT TO WRITE, ITS A GOOD MOVIE, WATCH IT, I MEAN IT

BL**DY HELL I NEED TO TYPE SO MUCH TO WRITE A REVIEW, I WATCHED UNO THE MOVIE 2 TIMES AND IM SLOWLY LOOSING MY SANITY. I CANT EVEN, I Haven't SLEPT FOR A FEW DAYS/NIGHTS AND NOW I've WATCHED THIS TWICE I THINK IM DYING. I've GONE TO HELL AND BEEN EATEN BY SATANS *SS HOLE

gOOD MOVIE WATCH IT

A Colorful Addition to Video Game Movies

[DanielStafford · 9/10 · 9 December 2016]

This is one of the most relatable movies I have ever seen. I feel like most directors would've added a lot of fluff to this film and made the situation seem better than it is, but not this one. You understand everything the characters are going through. Cheating, backstabbing, betrayal, and the ins and outs of a realistic friendship are the focus here. The best way I can describe it is that one time I was hanging out with a couple friends and we sat and played one round of Uno that lasted for an entire hour. The whole time we sat there we were wondering what the hell we were thinking, and it was miserable. This film captures that feeling perfectly.

Uno: The Movie is a roller-coaster of betrayal with an ending you'll never see coming.

DO NOT WATCH

[bernardosaguinaga · 1/10 · 27 October 2020]

2 HOURS AND 40 MINUTES OF YOUR LIFE YOU WILL NOT GET BACK. DONT SAY I DIDNT WARN YOU.

A WW1 film disguised as a video-game movie disguised as a comedy.

[dinofelis-00747 · 10/10 · 6 February 2017]

*SPOILERS AHEAD...also, I'm being entirely facetious; amazing movie nonetheless*

Unlike most video-game- or game-based- films, this one was entertaining, engrossing, and addictive. However, while many other reviewers here see it as a movie about existentialism, pride, or human nature in general, I see it as a metaphor for war, and the feelings which accompany it.

Ernst Juenger wrote in "im Stahgewittern" (Storm of Steel) about the exhilaration of war. Erich Maria Remarque wrote both about the exhilaration and horror of war in his masterpiece "Im Westen nichts neues". In both cases, we see a juxtaposition of two conflicting sets of emotions, which summarize the human experience of war.

On the one hand, there are the "positive" aspects of war: pride, honor, excitement, a spirit of adventure, an immature belief in ultimate victory, the strong feeling of Schadenfreude towards your enemy (such as when an enemy building is blow apart), and relief/joy at the end of the war.

On the other hand, there is fear, dread, the longing for home and hearth, despair, and eventually utter indifference and madness. The "positive" and "negative" sets combine to unnecessarily lengthen a given war--the futility of which is a common theme in all good war-movies.

Now the comparison of UNO: the movie with a war-movie is not to be taken as a trivialization of war or the war-movie genre--far from it. However, the themes and emotions described above, and the role they play combine in the creation and prolonging of suffering are still there--and in many ways mirror the events of the First World War. We see the effect it has on six people: five players, who embark on a game of UNO. They are each cheerful, and confident of quick victory. They come in with different levels of experience, from the inexperienced Jeremy, to the well-prepared players Gavin and Geoff. We learn that they are friends--as many soldiers on opposite sides of WW1 were. Some have wives and sweethearts. Some have a dear memory (Gavin's Cat). We never see their faces, though all whimsically talk of being seen by us. Gavin does at one point attempt to make himself seen, yet quits in frustration. This symbolizes the desire for glory, and for the humiliation of the enemy; the ultimate lack of faces symbolizes the mechanical nature of war, which renders all soldiers faceless and impersonal to those who read accounts of battles past. The red background of the UNO table--the color of blood--foreshadows the horror to come. The juxtaposition of cheerful Jazz, and its continuous running throughout the game, calls to mind the lines by Frederick Sassoon in 'Blighters': "I'd like to see a tank come down the stalls/Lurching to rag-time tunes, or 'Home sweet Home'/"

However, much as with Germany in 1914, Gavin makes a series of critical blunders: he has Geoff set the score to 500, and introduce the 0 and 7 rules. These symbolize the machinery of modern war--effective on the defense, murderous to the attacker. The rounds quickly dissolve into stalemate and deadlock, as each player attempts to beggar, deceive, and ultimately defeat the others. Hard-won wins are obtained for relatively small scores. In the process, new and ingenious ways of inflicting suffering on one another are devised: the stack-up of wild-cards--which could lead to the hapless person on the receiving end to find himself with up to 12 cards at a time--is but one example. The rage, sorrow, and eventually, despair of the players builds up throughout the film, yet none seem truly willing to withdraw: their pride, anger, or apathy compel them forward, in spite of the growing horror of the trap they found themselves in. Each begins to crack in his own way: Ryan begins to devise a terrible ordinance of cards, which he leaves to Jack, when Ryan (much as Russia in WW1) pulls out of the game. This hand proves devastating for all, and further prolongs the suffering in the game. Gavin at one point sends a wild-card on his neighbor, yet discovers that all were well prepared, and simply passed the buck around right back to Gavin himself--which led to his acquisition of excessive numbers of cards. Jeremy breaks down and calls his opponents "whores". Geoff loses track of the numbers on his cards, and repeatedly hands his enemies the opportunity to beggar him (like the time he used a seven to take Ryan's hands, only to realize--too late--that he gave Ryan a hand with multiple sevens). All this takes its toll: Jeremy's call to his wife was the most poignant scene in the movie, and highlights the suffering and sacrifice of not just the soldiers, but their families who wait at home. It's the buildup of this suffering at the home-front which ultimately causes Ryan to quit.

Gradually it becomes a race to the wire between Jeremy and Gavin, as each struggles to make it to 500. This is very nearly derailed by Geoff, in a last-ditch offensive to claim victory, in what was a blatant act of pride and selfishness brought on by his brutalization. However, it ultimately falls on Jeremy to make the call: does he commit his last card, and risk failure and the prolonging of the game? or does he defer to Gavin, who appears more likely to win, but is too far away to avoid a beggaring by Geoff or Jack? This shows the nebulous nature of war--the uncertainty of results in it so wonderfully described by Clausewitz and Moltke the Elder. The Joy and relief felt even by the losers at the end of this war symbolizes the same feeling which overcomes soldiers weary of war.

Overall, this was a compelling movie to view, and I recommend it to all and sundry.

A Haunting Look At Human Nature

[copper_watermelon · 10/10 · 5 December 2016]

To say this film surprised me would be doing it a disservice.

Through out this movie the genre of the film changed constantly. It starts out strong as a comedy but over time it surprises the viewer as it slowly becomes self referential, commenting about how long the game already was before even the halfway mark and for a short while even talking about current politics, which while it could be argued that this dates the film it also gives us an excellent view as the character's personal beliefs.

What truly struck home to me though, was that this film captures human nature so perfectly without intentionally shoving it's message in the viewer's face. We hear through out the film all the things that are waiting for our heroes once the game is over, wives and children waiting at home, dinner, and, yes, even a new kitten and yet in spite of this only Ryan's character walks away from the game, choosing his children over victory. This is the characters fighting with their own pride, even near the end when they've all become desperate for the game to end, there was still a struggle to be the victor. Truly, at it's core, this film understands human nature greater than any I've seen before.

In the end, it is only when the characters are working together so that one will at last be the winner that the game can end. Even then, when the game is in Jeremy's hand, he is apprehensive, worried that he won't have enough points at the end of the game and pleads with them all to help him get the winning hand to Gavin. It is only once he has no further options and his friends encourage him that he plays the last card and they are finally set free from their pride and arrogance.

More still, even though Geoff had tried desperately to steal the win near the end, he was likewise elated with Jeremy's victory, showing a kind of good sportsmanship you don't often see in story like this.

Christ Punchers Do It AGAIN

[tdmorrison-01378 · 10/10 · 22 December 2016]

It astounds me, that such a tale of dread, tears (of both sorrow and joy), and pure heart can be made in my lifetime.

The Christ Punchers have made a real name for themselves on the roads, but now they have done it in FILM

THIS FILM WILL GO DOWN IN HISTORY! HISTORY I TELL YOU1 HISTORY!

The roller-coaster that is my life has lead up to this moment.

But here I am, living it. Best movie of my life. I will listen to this on my deathbed. Mark my words, the next 37 generations of you're children's children will know the name... CHIRST PUNCHERS!

i miss my wife