By Look, I’ll stand up for Will Ferrell any day. The man has delivered some of the best comedies of the past two decades, but he’s been in a bit of a slump at the moment, and that’s just one of the reasons why that the news of him starring as an professional eSports player in an upcoming comedy isn’t exciting me too much.
The others? Well, I can only cringe at how they’re most likely going to treat the world of eSports and gamers in general. Hollywood doesn’t have the best track record of representing gamers as normal human beings, especially in comedies. The film’s plot, in which Ferrell will play an elderly professional gamer in a sport where most people retire by 20, also seems ripe with cliche and only plays into the tired man-child schtick that Ferrell hasn’t been able to stick in years. Plus, I’m not sure I’m ready for how much Mountain Dew product placement is sure to be crammed into every corner of this film.
However, there is some hope. Evil Geniuses and Fnatic, two eSports teams, are reportedly in talks to show up in the film so maybe they can lend some diversion from all out mockery. The film is also said to be in the vein of Talladega Nights, which took a much mocked pastime (NASCAR) and made a comedy that was more than just laughing at rednecks. Still, I can’t see this film not leaning way too heavily on nerd stereotypes and Big Bang style comedy.
