RPG - It could have been so good

Okay, so the whole ‘Hunger Games’ scenario is very popular right now – the one where a group of people are stuck in some sort of situation that involves them having to kill each other so that one ultimately survives.  Here, with ‘RPG’ Portugal throws its hat into the ring.

In a not too distant future (where everyone drives slightly more space-age cars than now), a handful of rich people want to live forever, so they go to a place which makes them go into a ‘virtual reality’ world (think ‘The Matrix’)where they’re portrayed as younger versions of themselves (to get a feel for what it’s like to be young again).  However, once there, they have to kill each other – only one can apparently be reincarnated.  Why?  I don’t know.  I don’t think I picked up on that.

So, there you have it.  Oh, and this is probably a good time to point out that, if you saw Rutger Hauer’s name on the poster, you may need to know that he’s not in it that much.  He’s one of the oldies who quickly gets replaced by a younger version of himself (and hence actor).

I can take the lack of originality in the plot and the slightly ‘made-for-TV’ feel of it all.  It was the acting that got me.  I’ve sat through countless badly-acted horror films and never let the acting annoy me.  However, here, everyone seemed to be reading their lines.  At first I thought it was because many of the cast didn’t speak English as their first language.  However, when I saw they had a British girl among the cast who also seemed to have trouble speaking English, I realised they had just had to scrape the bottom of the barrel for acting talent.

The Hunger Games may be popular, but this is copying it in ‘scenario only.’ It’s nothing like it.  Therefore, if you’re a fan of the Hunger Games, don’t watch this expecting anything similar.  Also, if you’re generally a fan of people having to kill each other for sport (think Battle Royale or the Running Man), RPG isn’t half as good as either of them.

Just forget this film all together.  I’m sure Portugal can do better.

3/10 Jabba the Hutt wipes himself down with this film