Were this an American movie, the producers would doubtless hope to cast Reese Witherspoon in the lead. It's the story of a bimbo girlfriend who has to fend for herself after her slimeball car-dealership-owning boyfriend is arrested. Ragnhildur Steinunn Jónsdóttir starts out as a plastic-y trophy and grows into someone cute, warm, and surprisingly capable. It's a trajectory not unlike Legally Blonde, and Ragnhildur Steinunn Jónsdóttir handles her role as Hildur as convincingly and engagingly as Witherspoon did in her corresponding role.I don't play role-playing games, or even video games, and my taste in movies tends to the heavier stuff, but I like to praise the rare lightweight upbeat movies that work for me. It's not saccharine, and while Astrotopia (what Netflix calls this movie) is clichéd in the overall arc of the plot, it is relatively fresh in the moment-to-moment of the movie. I'm not big on visual gimmicks, but the scene-fades into comic-book panels are precisely appropriate and an added little delight.The scenes and characters in the nerdy fantasy store where Hildur finds work were reminiscent of the record store scenes in High Fidelity. Not exactly new territory, but enjoyable in the same way.Overall the movie had a nice quirky quality without being too darn cute or shoving its upbeat-ness down the viewer's throat. I enjoyed it a lot more than I had expected I would.

This is a comedy played for laughs and all you can ask of it is that it is consistently funny and it is exactly that and not very much more. Although it has some fantasy scenes that are well executed, they are taking part in the imagination of the characters and I wanted to see what was really going on as well, but perhaps the film makers knew that this would beggar belief in the outcome of the plot. Ultimately it doesn't matter because the jokes about real people speaking in fantasy parlance and fantasy characters speaking like real people is still very funny as is the concept of educating a superficial bimbo in the ways of "the force" (nerdism). This is the kind of film that I hope Hollywood picks up to be remade with some stars and a more refined script, hopefully making the Icelanders a fortune.

I saw this at FantasticFest 2008. Great LARP'er story, will appeal widely to nerds & geeks of all levels. The movie has the style and pacing of a comic book, even transitions done in panels, which don't feel gimmicky. Much like "Revenge of the Nerds" this film does the "hot model falls in love with a dork" plot, but without coming across as cheesy. Also reminded me of "Clerks" set in a comic store, in Sweden, but it could have been made in the US as far as the story goes (apparently RPG'ers share a common bond the world over). Clever effects and editing, great characters & actors, had me hooked on the first day of the festival. Another film I watched more than once, and holds up well with repeated viewings. Deserves a wide US release.. catch it if you can!

I just came home from the cinema after watching this movie, and I'm absolutely in love with it.Normally, when seeing an Icelandic film, you have to keep in mind that we're a small country with a small film budget, but Astrópía is one movie that has nothing to fear when being compared with big countries. In fact, I am proud to say that it was my country who came up with the idea for this wonderful film.The story is about Hildur, a blond bimbo, who needs to get a job for the first time in her life after her boyfriend has been arrested. She gets a job at a geek shop called Astrópía, and slowly learns the way of the geek and how to survive a battle against orcs and ice witches. Through her friendship with her fellow role players (or party members), she grows into a stronger and more independent person.This movie will leave you rolling on the floor with laughter without being degrading towards us geeks. In fact, the moral of the story is that geeks rule! At least that's what I think. But even non-geeks can enjoy it a lot, and get a glimpse into our silly little world.The outdoor scenes are beautifully shot. Iceland simply is a perfect place for fantasy adventures with its mountains and waterfalls. The dialogue is well written and realistic and the characters are just adorable. It has wonderful humour, interesting action scenes and will make you love geeks, if you don't already.Seriously, this is one of the best films I've seen this year and it deserves every single star I've given it.