Movie review: ‘GG’ (Good Game) injects family values into esports

CEBU, Philippines — In Donny Pangilinan’s latest film “GG” (Good Game), the Kapamilya actor sheds his heartthrob image to become Seth aka “Eskape”, an introverted gamer who joins rookie team “Tokwa’t Bad Bois” (led by Baron Geisler, Igi Boy Flores, Gold Aceron, Johannes Rissler and Kaleb Ong) to win a nationwide gaming tournament, while dealing with the loss of his grandmother (Boots Anson-Roa) and adjusting to living with his wealthy mother (Maricel Laxa-Pangilinan).

Movies about gaming are always tricky to make as the hobby constantly evolves and so it can come off outdated by the time it is released. On one hand, the games used in this lucrative industry are still being played years after their initial release and many of the terms that originated from gaming are still used heavily today.

Certain stereotypes seem to be inescapable in “GG.” Seth initially being an anti-social who prioritizes gaming over schooling may fuel some viewers’ negative perception of gamers. Despite that, this movie captures well what it’s like to be a young person in the highly competitive esports community in the Philippines where personal and online life can sometimes blur.

Some of the characters don’t feel one-dimensional and you can always understand their perspective on why someone like Seth resort to gaming as their bread and butter. It helps that the esports community depicted here are not mocked at, but treated as a serious profession where the stakes are high and potentially life-changing for some players.

But don’t mistake “GG” as a film that only the youth can relate to. It also presents some family values that older audiences can identify with and allow them to understand why others love to game and want to become successful esports players.

This is evident in the way the relationship between Seth and his mother is built throughout the film as the latter attempts to connect with his son after leaving him under the care of his grandmother when he was a baby. This is backed by the chemistry of the real-life mother-son dynamic between the Pangilinans. A turning point towards the movie’s end may be emotional for some viewers.

Some esports players and fans can also feel something is off with the way the scenes of “Requiem”, the game-within-the-movie, were depicted as some of the players’ instructions to each other during gameplay don’t match with the action. But that’s far from the biggest problem:  there’s a glaring plot hole involving the mysterious masked character “Smoke” whose origins don’t match the plot twist about their character in the end.

Some can overlook these flaws with the way the story was executed, especially at the end where one of the messages encourages viewers that they can bounce back after a major failure – a feeling that gamers may know too well.

It’s far from being perfect, but “GG” ticks the right boxes on being a movie that properly represents esports, all while injecting it with relatable family values that make it accessible for viewers of all ages. But it’s best to suspend disbelief to go through some of its rough patches. Three and a half stars out of five. — (FREEMAN)