About two years ago, I had a student graduate that I wanted to make sure he would continue his education because he is too smart and capable to settle for a part-time job that turns career. I felt I needed a hook to start speaking with him on a regular basis so I wasn’t that annoying adult who kept nagging him and Magic: The Gathering was that hook. Instead, he got me into one of the craziest worlds I’ve ever been a part of and a card game that I became so obsessed with that I watched tournaments like normal people watch football games. When Enter the Battlefield: Life on the Magic The Gathering Pro Tour came out on Netflix I knew I was going to watch it. Overall, I’d say this documentary is Not a Total Waste of Time and probably won’t appeal to everyone.
Enter the Battlefield synopsis
Enter the Battlefield: Life on the Magic the Gathering showcases the lives of several Pro players of Magic the Gathering including Chris Pikula, who is trying to get back on the Hall of Fame ballot; Melissa DeTora, the first woman to top eight a Pro tour event; Owen Turtenwald, Reid Duke, and William “Huey” Jensen, three friends that represent a team in the Pro world; Shahar Shenhar, the first ever two-time world champion; and the “Innovator” Patrick Chapin, who is trying to get his first ever world championship.
There are two big problems with Enter the Battlefield are that it’s brought to you by Wizards the Coast and Matel who create, print, and distribute the cards the Pro players use and the stakes are never really clear how high they are unless you are already familiar with the culture. Ultimately, the documentary feels more like a commercial for the game then it feels like a documentary on the lives of the people involved. It’s all gravy for Magic players and the only things they have to deal with is the occasional letdown of not getting first place in a big tournament. That’s the failure of showing the stakes.
This movie only shows the good things Magic can do and the saddest storyline is Chris Pikula who many believe should be in the Hall of Fame, but has sadly never been able to. They attribute his failure to get in a result of one bad choice that stopped him from getting to his fourth top 8 in a Pro tour. It fails to show all the people who play the game who spend too much money trying, and often failing, to get to the Pro level. It doesn’t really show any of their personal lives being affected by the game in a negative way. It doesn’t show what happens to the Pros that are accused of cheating. In essence, it’s more propaganda for a game that is lots of fun, but can be very expensive to compete at a high level.
I did enjoy the film as I am familiar with every player focused on except Pikula as he wasn’t actively playing when I started watching the events. I liked having a little behind the scenes footage, but I was disappointed that the through line isn’t that strong. The biggest highlight is getting Wil Wheaton to do the narration although in many cases they just have him say what the other people already said. He does a great job though and most of the Magic fans are probably familiar with Wheaton. The production looks solid with good looking camerawork for the most part, but it’s not enough to boost the rating.
I was really hoping this would be a revolutionary documentary that would make non-player familiar with the game and see how crazy and exciting the world of Magic is. People dedicate their lives to being successful with this game. I’d love to see a story of the guys who invest everything to try and make it and come up short at a PTQ or win and get to the big show. Also, the official Pro tour isn’t the only professional level Magic that exists as there are several players who follow the Star City Games circuit and make a decent amount of money winning those. I hope ESPN 30 for 30 does their own take on this alternative-sport so that it gets the attention it deserves.
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