So, my wife and I just finished watching ARGO on DVD. She has wanted to see it since the trailers were first playing on TV during it's theater run. Me? I wanted to see it from the perspective of a History Major, but I wasn't all that excited, even with it winning the Academy Award for Best Picture. Half the time "Best Picture" seems to mean "Artsy Movie Most People Never Saw".
I admit, I was wrong. This was a damn good flick.
Actually, it wasn't just a "damn good flick", it was also inspirational for a spy-thriller type RPG session. Heck, it could easily play out as an extended story arc. No guns. No violence (well, there is violence in the movie, but it's part of the setting and atmosphere). It's all out smarting you opponent and beating the clock.
Yes, I could see running a Top Secret / 007 game without all of the killing and shooting that used to happen during my Top Secret games. Well, that and I'm about 30 years more mature, so maybe I could actually pull it off. Well, not actually using the Top Secret rules, as I recall they were not very intuitive. Never actually played the 007 RPG - was that Victory Games?
In any case, as much as I enjoy the Jason Bourne movies and 007 franchise, this is the first "spy" movie that really hooked me from a gaming perspective. Somehow my Top Secret games always had body counts that would do James Bond proud ;)
Yeah my TS games always ended up more Rambo than Bond! I blame our shared history of DnD.
ReplyDeleteHowever the movie itself annoys the hell out of me how it portrays the other nations. The NZ embassy were essential to their successful extraction. The NZ ambassador (with no instructions from the NZ Govt) provided a safe house, food and entertainment (i.e. they hosted parties, it wasn't exactly tough for the US guys) and the NZ second secretary actually drove them to the airport! Once again Hollywood denigrates non-US involvement in history, something that winds me up as there is no reason for that to be changed in the film.
Ben Afleck said 'it was a hard decision' and he 'likes NZ and NZers'. Thanks Ben but Americans who watch this are going to get a negative impression of NZ and NZers, no matter what you say.
And don't get me started on U-571! ;-)
Ditto for Canadas involvement here. Do some reading on what really happened. I am sure the movie is good, its just not at all accurate.
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