Parents' Guide to Max Reload and the Nether Blasters

This movie is like a grilled cheese sandwich with a smiley face seared into it: It's not fancy, but it's a delicious experience filled with nostalgia and topped with fun embellishments. And cheese is the right word here: Max Reload and the Nether Blasters has some pretty low-level production qualities -- but that's the whole idea. Low-budget is a selling point here, with Kevin Smith's supporting role as the exclamation point. While the storyline is pretty convoluted, it boils down to the fact that some teens are avoiding making a decision about what to do with their lives by working and playing at a video game store. They obsess about gaming; it's how they communicate. But by following their passion of video games, they realize the extent of their capabilities and see that they're capable of anything when they work together as a team. Of course, this leads to a career path.

The cast has notable standouts. The big screen needs more of Harrison, who volleys comic lines like a tennis pro. Mirroring the standard trappings of an '80s movie, her character, Liz, is the lone female and -- of course -- serves as a love interest. But Harrison brings more dimension to Liz than how she was written. Greg Grunberg is spot-on as '80s burnout Eugene Wylder, elevating the entire production. And many former '80s kids will get a kick out of seeing Martin Kove as "Gramps," a vet who fills water guns with alcohol and has a convivial relationship with his grandson. It seems safe to say that the target audience for this film is those adults who grew up with things like ColecoVision, Atari, and Commodore 64s and now have children who are teens/young adults themselves. The movie isn't good by any means, but it racks up a lot of happiness points if your personal nostalgia aligns with the film's.