Hello and welcome back to My Geekology! I’m Ash and today we are going to take a look at one of the incredible sports and games from both the small and silver screen! From the sands of Tatooine to the seven seas onto the endearing gloominess of Forks, we are glad to have you on the journey! Here are 10 awesome sports and games in film and television! See you on the other side!
10. BATTLE CONTEST
Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings trilogy is masterful. There is little that has not been said in praise of the films. One of the best parts of them is how Jackson handled the large-scale action sequences. They are incredibly massive and open the door to numerous story-telling opportunities. Jackson seizes these chances. He shows instances of despair and challenge but also cuts those times of carnage with humor. This is where our “battle contest” comes from. Legolas and Gimli’s chemistry is one of the many highlights of the franchise. Their taunting verbal sparring match in which they attempt to top the other’s kill count during battles is an awesome element of Jackson’s more serious sequences.
9. VAMPIRE BASEBALL
There is “camp” and then there is “vampire baseball camp.” This game is an absolute vibe and seems to reference an incredible video game that does not exist, but absolutely should. Twilight (2008) gave us a great gift of America’s national pastime played by supernaturally strong and fast vampires for a sequence of “what is happening right now” surrealism that has stuck with me since I saw this film in theaters. Someone, please make a video game with this concept!
8. LIAR’S DICE
Although only brief, liar’s dice makes a tremendous splash upon its introduction into the Pirates of the Caribbean universe. The game appears entirely dependent on your ability to convince your opponent what you are saying is the truth while also being able to read other people’s lies. What makes this game more intriguing are the stakes that come into play. Many of Davy Jones’ crew members wager years of service because it is all they have of value left. It is tragic and illustrates that this game is one of the only mechanics that can bring about a difference for these beings.
7. UNDERGROUND FIGHT CLUB
Shang-Chi (2021) has way more than its fair share of absolutely breathtaking action sequences. It utilizes martial arts as a tool to convey the story. We see how Shang-Chi’s mother and father came to be acquainted and connect through a gorgeously choreographed fight. One particular setting in the film is the underground fight club. We only glimpse the types of fights occurring as we walk through but there are many. The main event involves our protagonist and who we find out is his sister. I think this is an awesome platform to show the audience how different fighters, fighting styles, and power levels measure up. It could be explored further in other media, maybe even a video game.
6. WIZARD’S CHESS
Wizard’s Chess is an awesome spin on the traditional board game. Brought to us in the Harry Potter books, it was brought to a larger audience in the first film: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone (2001). The traditional rules of chess seemingly apply, however, the twist comes with the pieces themselves. They are enchanted and enact violent takedowns of their fellow pieces. It creates a more exciting and chaotic playthrough.
5. LIGHT CYCLE MATCHES
In 1982 the world was introduced to the phenomenon of Tron. In the same year, we got a film and video game of the same name. Nowadays, the light cycle’s design has evolved, and its sleek, neon aesthetic is iconic. It even has rollercoasters now that allow people to ride on one of these futuristic machines at thrilling speeds!
4. PODRACING
Racing is huge in the Star Wars universe. It comes in many forms and varying degrees of formality. Podracing is the one we have been living with since its electrifying appearance in Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace (1999). It was presented as a sport that requires almost impossible skill that inspires tremendous fandom and pride. It has amazing tracks that stretch across the expanse of the natural landscape of the planets that the races occur on. This means the tracks have an incredible variance from sandy desert to icy, slick tracks.
3. RIOT RACING
Thanks to the minds of Jon Favreau and Dave Filoni we have a new arrival in the sporting landscape of the Star Wars universe: riot racing! Riot racing made its debut in the second season of Star Wars: The Bad Batch (2021-Present). In comparison to its relative, the tracks are seemingly smaller and more manufactured. The scale in general seems a bit smaller. The races we are exposed to illustrate the lack of formal rules that encourage treacherous maneuvers and at the same time a highly entertaining product. A product that is the subject of betting and like podracing, tremendous fandom.
2. QUIDDITCH
Quidditch arrived in the world with an incredible organization. So much so, that it was possible for fans of the franchise to create land-based leagues for the sport right here in the non-magic world. It takes much of its ideas from soccer (football) and incorporates them in a wizarding aesthetic. What this makes for is an equally dangerous and dazzling spectacle of flying broomsticks, darting bludgeoning balls, and the roar of an anxious crowd.
1. PRO-BENDING
Bending was always beautiful and expressive. It serves as one of the most visible cultural anchors of the Avatar universe. It is also fiercely competitive. This is illustrated to tremendous effect in The Legend of Korra (2012-2014). We see an organized bending association as well as teams. It reflects the growth of greater Wushu in the world and the birth of martial arts academies and competitions worldwide. It was an awesome addition to the universe.
Thank you for coming on this journey as we explored some of the awesome sports and games across film and television! We hope you had fun, and we’ll see you here next time at My Geekology!
