Ashens and the Quest for the Gamechild (2013) User Reviews

You have to be a fan

[jcfcever-20202 · 7/10 · 31 December 2019]

If you have no prior knowledge of Stuart Ashen, this film isn't going to make a lot of sense. It's well filmed, and it ties in with the themes from his other work. The jokes probably won't make any sense if you are watching this as a stand alone film....they are very dependent on seeing his YouTube series.

Personally, I think it's pretty good for what it is. It's quite amazing what can be accomplished with a tiny budget. There are things in it that could have a wider appeal, but I'm not sure it's about that. I don't believe he's looking to be the next Simon Pegg, more just trying to do something to the best of his ability that resonates with his existing audience. It achieves that and a bit more....so it will be interesting to see how it develops.

Nice and funny moments but Polybius is way better

[KMBusheva · 6/10 · 1 February 2021]

I watched this after Polybius but it did not matter. I liked it overall, but Polybius is way better. There are plenty of nice and funny moments, but I really preferred the ensemble characters of the other. Also as a woman the female characters here were lacking. So you have the crazy one and the nice but a bit dull one which doesn't do it for me, in fact I am scared to think men could see women in these two categories alone (like the Heartbreak Kid and The Wrong Missy, both so awful). I have looked at the Ashens channel on YouTube and it is very different to the films being just a pair of hands and his voice. He has a good voice though. I would really advise to watch the second one by preference.

More enjoyable than I had anticipated

[r96sk · 7/10 · 30 March 2020]

More enjoyable than I had anticipated.

I do watch the Ashens YouTube channel, so knew I'd probably like this to some degree after watching. It in fact beat my expectations, as it's a film that I actually had a fun time watching.

Stuart Ashen's acting is better than expected, while Dan Tomlinson makes for a decent sidekick. 'Ashens and the Quest for the GameChild' also features a few well chosen minor cast members too, whilst having noteworthy people like Warwick Davis and Robert Llewellyn appear.

The plot is solid, the pacing is good and it brings humour with it. A pleasant surprise, this.

From YouTube to BigTube

[phoenixyk1 · 7/10 · 15 July 2015]

Stuart Ashens (Ashens) may be a guilty pleasure of some... Not as popular as some of the American YouTube Stars such as PewdePie or Markiplier but he is definitely a hit... Especially with UK audiences.

And like many more he has produced a movie... Whats it like? Well actually its pretty fun!

Do not expect ground breaking effects from a man who reviews complete cr*p for a living - But marvel at the amazing number or Pop culture references he manages to squeeze in... Squirm at the obvious little "nods" against political correctness (People not being able to say 'Don't get your knickers in a twist' is so stupid but so fun!!!)

And ask yourself the question everyone is asking - How the bloody hell did he manage to get Warwick Davis and Robert LLewellyn to do Cameos in such a low budget production???

So, yeah! This is your typical, low budget, slightly off the wall film...

But damn its good! It has just the right level of humour and cheese to make it truly watchable.

Its hard to pick a favourite point, as its just one of those films that relishes being what it is... Ashens reviews Tat and made his film to be Tat... And its that which gives it such a unique flavour and makes it work so well.

While it will not win any academy awards or even BAFTA's... Crikey it would be lucky to win a Grammy and everyone and their dog seems to be able to get one of them... It is a fantastic piece of work and well worth watching.

From a fan of his youtube channel...

[staypuff-589-883937 · 3/10 · 16 July 2018]

I really wanted to like it, but there are so many videos made on youtube that didnt cost anything to make, that are way more humorous. Its alright if you like ashens (like I do) but too many jokes are just forced and poorly timed. Most of the actors are not very good, though ashens is the exception in this case. I get some people will like it but giving it an honest watch I just wasnt one of them. Only masterpieces deserve 9 or 10 stars and this is faaar from it so I dont understand the other reviews.

A lot of fun with some genuine laugh-out-loud moments

[Ralf1138 · 7/10 · 28 December 2020]

I had the opportunity to see this recently, having watched Polybius. I have to say, I do think Polybius is better, but this is a lot of fun and there's tremendous skill already on display here.

Stuart Ashen holds the whole thing together, a special skill of his that can be overlooked when accolades go to quirkier actors. There are some genuine laugh-out-loud moments and a few gorgeous cult-movie in-jokes. One on a flight of stairs had me in stitches, it was so unapologetically random.

Ashley (Millie Reeves) was wonderfully OTT. The stuff of nightmares, but in a good way. Chef Geoff (Dan Tomlinson) was just the right level of helpless and clingy, which made him great fun to watch. I thought Marian (Kerry Gilbert) was a bit lacking, especially if the character was based on Marion Ravenwood. I don't know whether it was the way the part was written and directed, or a bit of a misfire in casting. Nemesis (Chris Kendall) had many excellent moments, but I thought he suffered from being another Jim Carrey zany-type without the necessary grounding and presence which gives such characters longevity.

As with Polybius, there are some great cameos, not least from Warwick Davis, Victoria Broom and Fawn Mead.

Overall, very enjoyable.

I wanted to like this

[spmact · 5/10 · 5 December 2014]

Seeing the cover and subject, I though I'd be in for a nice little indie treat with 80s nostalgia and some laughs. However, this didn't have much of either (a little bit of nostalgia, zero laughs). Normally I wouldn't have cared enough to write a review about this, but because of all the other reviews giving it great scores I felt I had to give another perspective so people wouldn't get their hopes up.

I've never seen the YouTube series so I didn't know what to expect, but this film wasn't entertaining at all. I seemed like it was trying to be funny, but I couldn't really tell. I guess that's how bad the humour was, since it didn't even really register as humour. I don't remember laughing once. The story wasn't that great either. It was just things happening to move the plot along, but failed at doing it in an interesting way.

In the end I could only get through about half of the film before I had to stop due to lack of any entertainment whatsoever. I'm baffled at why there are so many good reviews. Perhaps friends of the crew? If not, then I'm happy they could find some entertainment in this since I certainly couldn't.

Don't say you weren't warned. I've seen good indie. This isn't it.

A genuinely hilarious film that lives up-to the hype

[johnedwards712 · 9/10 · 10 August 2013]

I must admit that after seeing the initial trailers, each focused on an individual character, that I was slightly worried about the final product. I was worried that Chef Excellence was too much of a departure from the Tesco Value gin drinking Italian we all know and love. I worried that the film would be overloaded with secondary characters that would detract from the film. I must confess to also being worried that Stuart would be a bit wooden in the acting department.

So when it was released I sat down to watch the film ready to be disappointed... but then I laughed. And again. I laughed virtually from beginning to end.

My fears were completely blown out of the water within a matter of minutes. From an absolutely brilliant Bond-inspired intro sequence to the very last post-credits scene this really is a gem.

Despite my initial hesitation regarding Stuart's acting ability I was pleasantly surprised. Aside from a couple of moments of woodenness on the whole he is great. He really comes across as a very likable lead and his comic timing is perfect.

The rest of the cast are just as good. Dan Tomlinon played a very different Chef Excellence than we have seen before but it is a change that works. He flirts from sad to manic all in a second and his rivalry with a certain other chef is, er, brilliant. From Guru Larry and Crabstickz to Warwick Davis and Robert Llewellyn the film is full of memorable parts. The brilliant thing is that none of them outstay their welcome and slow the film down. The film always remains focused on our unlikely hero and his even more unlikely sidekick.

With a script that references everything from 'The Goonies' to 'Indiana Jones' it really is a cracking film.

I would even say that I enjoyed this more than recently released 'The Worlds End', which is a real testament to everyone involved with the film.

Well done lads.

One of the better Youtuber Movies

[freemantle_uk · 6/10 · 14 November 2020]

When it comes to films made by Youtubers most of them are pretty rubbish. Ashens and the Quest for the Gamechild is one of the few decent ones. It had internet style humour and cameos from internet personalities so it was made for fans, but there were still some good jokes in the film. My personal favourite was the Stormtrooper disguise. It also helps that the film was directed by a professional filmmaker instead of a Youtuber pretending to be Spielberg, so Gamechild looked pretty decent and Ashens is a quick-witted and doesn't resort to screaming like some other Youtubers.

Guess I don't get it

[dariansdad · 1/10 · 27 September 2014]

It takes a lot to deserve one star from me. I even gave "Stop, Or My Mom Will Shoot" 3 stars. I had to turn it off TWICE. I stopped to check (recheck) on the rating and reviews here at IMDb and saw some support from the Indie lovers. I love Indie - good Indie. This is not it. As another reviewer pointed out, this is 80 minutes of crap you can see on Youtube and that's what I would rather do than sit through another minute of ridiculous, unfunny drivel such as this.

As I said, I stopped twice. The second time was exactly one scene after the first stop. I was desperately searching for something, ANYTHING funny in the slightest. Nada, zilch, zip.

Over, moving on. I've lost 15 minutes of my life: 10 on the vid and 5 on this review, nay warning.

Well made, quick, and funny

[crabman94 · 10/10 · 9 August 2013]

In a world where we have not one, but multiple "Fred" movies, it is a breath of fresh air to see a movie based off an internet character not only done well, but that is legitimately funny all throughout as well. While there are a lot of in-jokes for those who watch the Ashens youtube channel, none of them are spotlight jokes and the movie is 100% accessible to people who've never heard of Ashens. If some said that they were making a movie for youtube, it would probably be expected to be terrible and with an apparent lack of budget, but this movie is a very well made film with very solid writing, and it will simultaneously prove that movies made specifically for free viewing on youtube can be quality works while also setting the precedent. I do have to complain that the movie feels a bit rushed, it is a very quick watch and it leaves a little to be desired.

Not bad, but not great

[thurstanjohnston · 5/10 · 13 January 2021]

Am a big Ashens fan and also wanted to like this , but the annoying characters and forced humour ruin it. Mr Ashen himself is the only good thing in it.

Bad

[Rune212 · 1/10 · 20 September 2020]

It's not funny, it's silly. Budget films can be great but not this one.

One of the best low budget films even for non ashen fans

[davidaustinf-762-280535 · 10/10 · 11 August 2013]

This really is a great movie. With a true plot and story and even without the high cost Hollywood production it still is filmed with good acting and story. A lot of passion and care was put into this film. Even if you were not a fan of Ashens famous pop station reviews you may still like this film. The film mixes real life film with little extra clay animation for a little better effect. The two main actors Ashens and chef excellence(Jeff) really do provide good acting that would not expect from a lower budget film as well as the background actors and the stage sets. Great concept/story of him going after a game boy clone the story is clear and easy to follow.

A smart and funny ride, not exactly for everyone

[accgineu · 8/10 · 30 January 2015]

//If you haven't heard of or even seen Steward Ashens work yet, your reaction to this may be mixed.\\

Ashens and the quest for the game child was not something I was expecting to come out. When the first video about it came out, I thought it was just a joke but little did I know that it was actually serious... and that the movie would be a fun movie that makes fun of itself in the progress! Egg my house because I'm not British, but I'm proud to say that I loved watching Ashens look for a worthless video game console for one hour and 30 minutes, and without spoiling anything, the ending made me both happy and odd feeling. However, the jokes are for the most part funny, yet not all of them were very funny. Some jokes were references to some British shows I've never seen, and a few others won't be very funny if you don't get the reference. But that's this movie's fatal flaw: if you don't get the references, you won't be laughing that much. While I do recommend Ashens and the quest for the game child it has a big star sign that clearly states that this movie is not for everyone. I also thought it the claymation scene was cool, and I instantly caught on to the fact that it was done by Lee Hardcastle. The plot was a little hit and miss, sometimes it caught onto something I hadn't thought about, but most of the time it was being silly just to mock itself later. I liked the plot when it was being silly but by the time it got serious I just facepalmed. I liked it when it mocked itself but sometimes I was just left with a 'what just happened' face.

So overall do I recommend Ashens and the quest for the game child? It really depends on if you get the references or not, but overall it's still very funny, and a good effort for a bit of a low budget film.

(also the films now on DVD and Blu-Ray, but that's only in the UK)

Pros: +Often funny plot +Funny... for the most part +Ashens is a good main character

Cons: -Jokes rely too heavily on references -Ending kinda lost me -Sometimes hit and miss plot

Ignore the Rating

[clarkn-nc2 · 8/10 · 24 October 2014]

Hello!

Ignore the rating, it is incredibly low for this film. (Note that before it was released to the general public rather than being solely on YouTube, the rating was 7.5/10).

Ashens and the Quest for the Gamechild a very clever, camp, fun film- something you would watch on a Saturday morning. It is incredibly light-hearted, but keeps its qualities high up there. Sure, the acting is a bit camp, but in a good way: it fits in with the film overall. There are plenty of references to episodes of Ashens (who, in case you live in Canada, or some other remote place, is a well-known YouTuber). There are not only references to past episodes, but other films as well, and keeps the humour of the references in good taste.

Long story short, if you have an hour and a half to spare, go watch this. It's good entertainment, and definitely deserves its previous rating of 7.5/10, rather than a measly 6.3.

On a final note, go take a look at Ashens' videos. You won't be let down.

Ashens hits the big time...well sort of.

[chivers677 · 8/10 · 8 August 2013]

As a big fan of Ashens post to this soon-to-be hit feature film, I, like many YouTubers longed and anticipated the release for 'Ashens and the Quest for the Gamechild'.

And notably of course the film features Stuart Ashen, everybody's favourite cherished quaint, mundane cynic chronicling the country in hope for a tacky collectible gaming device. What's to hate about this description? The plot is simple yet effective, the characters are enjoyable and performances are very comedic and OTT (With a pinch of Edgar Wright mechanics thrown in there for good measure). With some great cameos too, blink and you might miss them.

The film translates well from a proverbial YouTube episode to movie calibre very smoothly and you can't sense any desperation that anybody in the film is slumming it merely for a paycheck.

Only downside perhaps is the abrupt ending, which I admittedly longed for some kind of witty punchline/inside joke/reference or something. Then again, it was 80+ minutes of free entertainment, complain I shall not and neither should you.

Conclusively, a credible and plausible effort and let's face it the best British film since Hot Fuzz, bar none. (Keith Lemon: The Film anyone? I jest) By far one of the best free films I've ever watched.

Don't watch if you've never seen Stuart Ashen's other works.

[pycasne · 10/10 · 18 March 2015]

In the real world, Stuart Ashen is a reviewer of the garbage sold as toys, and riffs on how disgusting some children's toys are for his YouTube channel (ASHENS). He also has a few reviews of cheap video game knockoffs designed to confuse people into purchasing fake PlayStations or, in this movie's case, a GameBoy. This movie is a self satire of his real world reviews, making him out to not just be a guy with a camera and a couple pounds to spend on badly created toys, but instead a man obsessed with the collection of garbage other people throw away.

The movie is built on a modest 100,000 GBP ($150,000) supplied by the fans. The movie itself is a comedy movie worth seeing if you're a fan of Ashen's other works. I would guess that everyone who rates the movie as below 5 have never seen any of Ashen's works and are confused by the references to his reviews and comedy shorts.

Really enjoyable film

[TheSmiler_SW7 · 10/10 · 3 November 2018]

I thoroughly enjoyed watching it. I don't usually watch movies, but this was an exception as it contains one of my favourite YouTubers. Would totally recommend.

Best movie by a YouTuber I've ever seen (so far)

[stinkyjaden · 8/10 · 16 March 2019]

This is a great movie! The writing is consistently hilarious. The story was neat as well, and definitely fits the theme of Ashens' YouTube channel. The characters were entertaining. The Warwick Davis cameo was a nice touch (and a funny moment too). I definitely can't wait for Ashens and the Polybius Heist!