The United States is mired in The Great Depression, and the citizens of the nation are in a seemingly hopeless state. The population has nothing to look forward to. Parker Bros. gets wind of a fast-selling game in Philadelphia. This game, a miniaturized version of the system of capitalism, is giving a sense of hope to people, by giving them the ability to buy, sell, and trade property. This makes the game sell incredibly well, and Parker Bros. decided to take a chance on a game that they had once passed on, calling it “too complicated.” This game, once licensed from its “creator”, begins to sell like wildfire as the American population catches on, and starts to find hope in this neatly delivered package. This game is the now worldwide, cultural icon, Monopoly, and it is the subject of the entertaining new documentary Under The Boardwalk: The Monopoly Story.

Under The Boardwalk focuses on the board game Monopoly, and the culture that surrounds it. The documentary starts off strong by introducing the player to fundamentals of the game. Whether the viewers are new or well-acquainted to the game, the recap is a welcome beginning to what will be an exciting trip through the world of Monopoly.  We then touch on the globalization of Monopoly, and start to tell the viewers of the World Monopoly Championship. Which leads us to the introduction of the people followed throughout the documentary, through the U.S. and World Championships. Through the introductions, the documentary talks about children and Monopoly and the round of online tournament play, to see who goes to the U.S.Championship. It then tells of the creation of Monopoly as “The Landlord’s Game” by Elizabeth Magie, and follows it on the journey to Charles Darrow and his passion to modify the game into what we now know as Monopoly. It keeps discussing different facets of the game, such as strategy, and collecting Monopoly items and games. The movie then finishes off by showing the U.S. and World Championships and we, the viewers, get to watch the introduced players compete.
 
Under The Boardwalk: The Monopoly Story was made by Tostie Productions, and while it was not produced by Hasbro, the company has fully supported this endeavor to bring new recognition to classic game. The documentary is narrated by Zachary Levi (star of Chuck and Tangled) and directed by Kevin Tostado. This is Kevin Tostado’s first professional production, but second film, as he directed the film Yellow Lights while he was still in college. As first professional productions go, this one is an amazing accomplishment, obtaining both the narrator and full-licensing to use the subject.

Under The Boardwalk: The Monopoly Story is a wonderful documentary detailing pretty much everything about Monopoly, from its origins to the last World Championship. The tone is a happy, inviting one, that engages the viewer and draws them into the world that is Monopoly. It gives a fresh perspective to a topic that has been covered countless times in book form. Watching this documentary actually makes the viewer feel good, tugging at the viewer’s heartstrings every so often, while still keeping the tone light and fun. This movie is everything a documentary about a board game should be – cheerful, upbeat, lively, and respectful of its topic and subjects. There is no cultural or age barrier to an interest in this topic; parents and grandparents alike can show this to the youngest members in their family with no fear of anything inappropriate for their viewing. Under The Boardwalk: The Monopoly Story makes the viewer want to start playing Monopoly all over again.

 

 

ComicsOnline gives Under The Boardwalk: The Monopoly Story 5 hotels out of 5.