Classic Full Moon video about a bunch of teens who try out a new video game, only to be sucked into it and trapped there. Dull, poorly executed and downright silly at times. You know you're in trouble when characters keep saying, "Virtual reality is the future!" However, this does have John DeLancie of "Star Trek:TNG" and the very pretty Megan Ward to keep us mildly interested. A young, pre-"Buffy" Seth Green plays a teen punk and Peter Billingsley of "A Christmas Story" fame is one of the teens. When my daughters were little, we never missed a Full Moon video, and this was made during the height of Full Moon's popularity. Cheap, down and dirty entertainment. Full Moon's laurels rests on its "Puppetmaster" series, which was only slightly better than other Full Moon titles. By the way, the attractive Ms. Ward turns up in several other low-budget videos of the period, including "Amityville: Time" and "Trancers 3."

The main reason I ever watched "Arcade", was because I was into Full Moon films during my teens (back when they still made charming horror features on small but still comfortable budgets). This one actually is more sci-fi than horror, and more particularly a poor "Tron" wanna-be. I re-watched this baby because I felt like it after seeing the "Bishop of the Battle" segment from "Nightmares" (1983). Basically "Arcade" is a whole heap of nonsense about a bunch of teenagers getting sucked into a computer game. They have to complete several levels. The visual effects are very poor but fun to look at, in a way. And the boss-fight in the end is... uhm, pathetic isn't the right word, because there actually isn't a real battle. More like a confrontation, and that's it. But still, I had some fun with all this. I usually do. Megan Ward is kind of cute, and a pre-Buffy Seth Green is in it too.

The newest video game sensation is "Arcade", a virtual reality game that one must win....or lose your mind and forever be part of the game. Alex (Megan Ward) and her friends try the game, but Alex's boyfriend loses and disappears. One of Alex's friends tries a home version of the game and disappears before her eyes. Determined to get their friends back, Alex and her friend Nick (Peter Billingsley) take on the mind-reading Arcade! While the plot may be familiar to anyone who's seen TRON, this is a decent low-budget sci-fi film. Many of the actors are now familiar faces: Seth Green, A.J. Langer and John DeLancie among them. Although director Albert Pyun usually directs low-budget boredom (DOLLMAN, CYBORG, etc.), this movie actually has a good story and some pretty good actors. The pace is somewhat slow, and the CGI F/X won't impress today's kids accustomed to video game-like movies with endless amounts of special effects, explosions and loud music, but fans of movies that actually have a plot and characterization will find it entertaining. I'd place this with Pyun's better movies such as RADIOACTIVE DREAMS and THE SWORD AND THE SORCERER.Charles Band, the film's producer and CEO of Full Moon Pictures, held this movie's release back for a year in order to redo the CGI F/X. For those curious to what they originally looked like, watch the 10 minute "Videozone" featurette included on the DVD. I think it was a wise move, and the movie benefits greatly because of it. The only complaint I really have is that the DVD didn't include the full "Videozone" segment, which included this film's trailer. (This DVD was part of a import boxed set of region-free DVDs.)

Cheesy fun with pretty bad "virtual reality" effects and a very dumb ending. Like some other Albert Pyun films of that period (especially the "Nemesis" sequels"), this is short enough and unpretentious enough to be bearable...and that's all. Megan Ward's rather appealing performance is a notch above the rest. (*1/2)