Under the Boardwalk: The Monopoly Story (2010)
*** 1/2 (out of 4)
For fans of Monopoly this documentary is going to be a must see while others will probably want to stay clear. At just 87-minutes this documentary pretty much goes through the entire history of the board game from its earliest versions and then tracks it's progress throughout the years to where it's finally at a point to where it's played in over one hundred countries and has pretty much taken over the mainstream and pop culture. The documentary not only covers the board games history but we get to learn about other things including the collectors, the various versions, different rule changes and there's even a large portion of the running time devoted to the various championships that take place each year throughout the world. Again, if you hate playing the game then it's doubtful you're going to enjoy this documentary, although I guess the history behind it might appeal somewhat to you. However, if you're a fan of the game and enjoy playing it I don't see how it would be possible for you not to fall for this film. Yes, there's no doubt that there are some flaws in the movie and the personal drama in the championship isn't nearly as intense as the "battles" in something like THE KING OF KONG but there's still plenty of great stuff here. Some of the most entertaining moments deal with the history of the game and how the original creator pretty much begged game companies to buy the product outright, which they refused and they ended up giving him royalties instead and this has made his family members filthy rich today. Other interesting topics include how the game started to pick up speed and go around the world as well as stories about it becoming popular in the media and on television shows and movies. The championship footage is also fairly interesting as we learn about the various rule changes and we get to hear from many of the people in the tournament as they talk about how they got interested in the game as well as things like their favorite game piece. UNDER THE BOARDWALK: THE MONOPOLY STORY is a fun way to spend 90-minutes and is worth watching for fans.
*** 1/2 (out of 4)
For fans of Monopoly this documentary is going to be a must see while others will probably want to stay clear. At just 87-minutes this documentary pretty much goes through the entire history of the board game from its earliest versions and then tracks it's progress throughout the years to where it's finally at a point to where it's played in over one hundred countries and has pretty much taken over the mainstream and pop culture. The documentary not only covers the board games history but we get to learn about other things including the collectors, the various versions, different rule changes and there's even a large portion of the running time devoted to the various championships that take place each year throughout the world. Again, if you hate playing the game then it's doubtful you're going to enjoy this documentary, although I guess the history behind it might appeal somewhat to you. However, if you're a fan of the game and enjoy playing it I don't see how it would be possible for you not to fall for this film. Yes, there's no doubt that there are some flaws in the movie and the personal drama in the championship isn't nearly as intense as the "battles" in something like THE KING OF KONG but there's still plenty of great stuff here. Some of the most entertaining moments deal with the history of the game and how the original creator pretty much begged game companies to buy the product outright, which they refused and they ended up giving him royalties instead and this has made his family members filthy rich today. Other interesting topics include how the game started to pick up speed and go around the world as well as stories about it becoming popular in the media and on television shows and movies. The championship footage is also fairly interesting as we learn about the various rule changes and we get to hear from many of the people in the tournament as they talk about how they got interested in the game as well as things like their favorite game piece. UNDER THE BOARDWALK: THE MONOPOLY STORY is a fun way to spend 90-minutes and is worth watching for fans.