Watch Mazes and Monsters For Free

Good start, but then it gets ruined

A Masterpiece!

The thing I enjoyed most about the film is the fact that it doesn't shy away from being a super-sized-cliche;

A terrific literary drama and character piece that shows how the process of creating art can be seen differently by those doing it and those looking at it from the outside.

Once upon a time, the popular roleplaying game Dungeons & Dragons swept across America, giving teenagers the chance to use their imaginations and build up fantastic worlds in their mind. The game would improve problem-solving and social skills and develop a whole host of mental processes - as you might guess, I'm a fan - but at the same time there was a Christian backlash against what was perceived to be "black magic". The same thing goes on today with the likes of Harry Potter.MAZES AND MONSTERS is the adaptation of a novel which follows the same 'warning against the occult' theme. A group of high school buddies play the titular game in their basements, only to be driven out of their mind by the evil influence involved. It's all completely ridiculous of course, and laughably so; the addition of some rubbery monsters doesn't add up to much. The only reason this incredibly dated film is of interest today is because it stars future superstar Tom Hanks in one of his earliest roles.

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.

Checking the spoiler alert just in case.Perhaps one of the most horrendous movies I have ever seen, Mazes and Monsters felt like I wasted 101 minutes of my life. The only redeeming quality of the movie were scenes that tried to be serious, but just ended up being funny since they were so bad. Evil Dead anyone? Unfortunately for M&M (fortunately for us) it did not develop a cult following and result in a trilogy. This movie tried to address a series of problems that the main character, Robbie (played by Hanks) encountered throughout the film. It ended up being a fear mongering video about stereotypes that helped fuel the D&D is the Devil movement in the 80s.If you want to avoid wasting your time and money, steer clear of this junk.P.S. - Even though the cover looks kinda interesting, which is why I guess my brother bought it, it in no way takes place in a fantasy realm, unless you consider New England or New York City to be such a place.

I caught this movie at a small screening held by members of my college's gaming club. We were forewarned that this would be the "reefer madness" of gaming, and this movie more than delivered.Tom Hanks plays Robbie, a young man re-starting his college career after "resting" for a semester. What we, the viewer, find out as the movie progresses, is that Robbie was hopelessly addicted to a role-playing game called "Mazes and Monsters," a game that he gets re-acquainted with after a gaming group recruit him for a campaign.This movie is laughable on many, many levels. One scene features the group "gaming by candlelight," which is probably the best way I can describe it. While I'm sure that this was meant to be "cultish" in some way, as most gamers know, it's horribly inaccurate. Most role-play sessions are done in well-lit rooms, usually over some chee-tohs and a can of soda.The acting, while not Oscar-caliber, isn't gut-wrenchingly awful either. This is one of Tom Hanks's first roles, and Bosom Buddies and Bachelor Party were still a year or two over the horizon. The supporting cast, while not very memorable, still hand forth decent performances.Mainly the badness lies in the fact that it was a made-for-TV movie that shows the "dangers of gaming" Worth a view if you and your friends are planning a bad movie night.