Pinball: The Man Who Saved the Game

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Rob A @RT76386004 Jan 15 Who knew pinball was banned in most major U.S. cities from the 1930's through the mid 70's? Certainly not me! Considered a game of chance run by the mob to rob children of their lunch money, the machines were destroyed in police raids and vilified during the Great Depression and beyond, wrecking an emerging industry in the process. The protagonist of this film, portrayed by himself and an actor (excellent performance) had to prove to NYC Hall that it is in fact a game of skill. Along the way we're treated to a history of pinball as a book was being written about it by said protagonist, and a sweet love story too. Yet another Top 10 Hidden Gem! See more Zack K @RT01890782 Nov 26 Only reason it's not 5 stars is because it's not the best movie I've ever seen . But as a whole it was an amazing and heartfelt story told in a gonzo interview 4th wall breaking format, great cinematography, great characters, just a solid solid piece of cinema. See more Ron G @RT48342791 02/17/2025 What a surprise. I was searching around and saw it and put it on. Love that it was a real story, loved the way it was done. We loved this movie! See more Ben D @RT87620530 10/31/2024 There’s an HBO short documentary (40 mins) about Andy Warhol’s “Brillo Box” that should be the template for many of these niche, biopic stories. I thought I had learned my lesson with Flamin’ Hot, but there I was again, fighting the urge to look at my phone as another predictable story unfolded before me. Although better than the one about hot Cheetos, Pinball: The Man Who Saved the Game, spends about half of the 90-minute runtime concerning a love story no one cares about. Give me significantly more history about pinball and its impact on American culture. Give me even more detail about its precarious legal status in different municipalities throughout the country. I do not care about Roger Sharpe’s (Mike Faist) relationship with his girlfriend’s child. I’ve seen that story already; I’ve never seen a story about pinball. Also, that mustache, come on. It looks like something a fraternity brother would wear at the last minute to a Halloween party. I also don’t know how I feel about the narrator-actor (Dennis Boutsikaris) playing the real-life person (Sharpe) walking around the same world as Faist also playing a younger Sharpe. The “courtroom” drama (actually, a city council meeting) was underwhelming, even though the writers made the funny decision to show that they could’ve Hollywoodified the scene, in reality, it was even more mundane than their tempered manifestation. It’s got an RT (94/93) with a decent amount of reviews, but this thing felt like a slog even at a paltry 90 mins. I don’t think this movie needs to exist. See more Kyle M @RT77296778 09/15/2024 Bizarre factuality leads to an absurdist narrative that functions just as playful when approaching the subject with innocently upbeat charisma scoring fun engagement. (B+) See more Harry N @RT30577644 09/12/2024 This movie was thoroughly enjoyable from beginning to end. It's about a man wih a passion for inanimate objecs - pinball machines - they became part of him I know the feeling. I played them for about 20 years myself. But it is so much more than that. It's a love story, one that you get you watch grow (if you read behind the lines just a bit), a story of risk, choices and more and the impact they will have on everyone's like. It is beautifully crafted movie that, like all very good movies, left me wanting more, to know more, of the people, the love characters and what their personal lives loked like during the years after the movie. Even if you've never played a pinball machine, yhere's something wrong with you if you don't love this movie. See more Read all reviews

Pinball: The Man Who Saved the Game

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