|
The
point is, I myself have always been a proper nerd (Allow your shock to
settle, please!), I didn't have heaps of friends, I read more than I
left the house, and to this day I find myself both mentally and
audiably correcting people's grammar.
Looking at the DVD cover of Nerds FC,
I figured it would be another cog in the wicked machine that is reality
TV: capitalising on a trend and milking the shit out of it (It all
started with Napoleon Dynamite,
that damn squinty afro haired freak made nerds trendy, that's why every
scenester is in a nana cardigan and wearing horn-rimmed glasses EVEN
THOUGH they're the same people that called you a nerd in high school
cos' you liked rock and roll, while they were listening to Usher
and....what was I talking about again?).
Anyway, I was wrong. Nerds FC
turned out to be a heartwarming and loveable series about your average
nerds and their coming-of-age into manhood (ie; soccer). Their struggle
to break out of their comfort zone and rise to a daunting and often
paralyzing occasion was truly remarkeable. They went from bumbling,
long-haired WoW zealots to agile, competant, athletic...WoW zealots.
You can't break a true nerd totally!
It's
the story of 14 Sydney youngsters who are yanked away from their
computer screens and robotic dogs, and thrust into a world the likes of
which they have no freakin' idea. At first, the boys seem hopeless. You
wonder how the hell these misfits are supposed to navigate a ball
horizontally, let alone across a field. But coach Andy Harper whips the
boys into shape, but not in the Full Metal Jacket
way I was expecting. Harper was actually incredibly sensitive to the
boys' struggle; he allowed them to keep their identity, and also branch
into an additional one. He constantly reassured them how proud he was
of them, and how he had only the upmost confidence in their abilities.
Aww.
What I loved most was how realistic the guys were. You know
that typical way that nerds talk? That's them! They're not just skinny
young'uns that SBS have paid to look nerdy on the show, they're
actually huge bloody nerds. And they're brilliant! Centre back Marika
Deku not only speaks 5 languages, but invented his own! There is Som
Guan, the cliche Asian nerd, who is an absolute fiend on the piano. If
you're not a nerd, and you're reading this, you'll have to realise how
many different species of nerd there actually are, and that most are
present on the show.
There is the typical political nerd,
Daniel, who is accused of Communist sympathies on more than one
occasion and sarcastically notes a fashion shoot the boys do as "YAY,
Consumer culture!" (I recognise this one mainly from the, er, mirror).
And then there's my favourite: Phillip Massaad, or 'Mono' due to his
ungodly unibrow. His positivity and enthusiasm made me smile so wide.
They
go through the necessary procedures: training, team-building exercises
(watching nerds camp in the woods is too, too funny), the
aforementioned fashion upkeep in which two condescending young
girl-things primp and pamper the boys into salmon shirts and trucker
hats (I know, I hated them too, don't worry, they're not in it long)
and the odd haircut to make the nerds look presentable for the camera.
Although even this is a daunting procedure for some ("I haven't paid
for a haircut since 2001").
I won't reveal the climactic ending,
but let's just say, I've never watched a soccer game so closely in my
life. The nerds were transformed! Sure, they weren't nearly
professionals, and they were still a little weak-skilled in places, but
for people that play Halo all day, it's a damn fine effort.
Watch
for a special scene in which, when exchanging interests with some
professional soccer players, one Nerd mentions computer game Quake, and all the nerds get a jolly good derisive laugh when the jock asks "What's Quake?". It's nice to see my people giving us a good name.
EXTRAS
Podcasts!
I was expecting more, too, but the series alone is enough to
keep you enthralled. Especially when the guys get to sing their own
theme song and make a video. Owned. Conclusion:
Movie 80% Extras: 60%
|
