Iron Man 3

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For Tony Stark, (Robert Downey Jr.), life has become very complicated for the self-proclaimed genius, philanthropist, billionaire, and playboy.  In the new film “Iron Man 3”, Stark is wracked by insomnia and dread following the battle he waged to save New York in “The Avengers”.

Stark throws himself into his work and endlessly creates new Iron Man suits as well as system upgrades which currently have him at the Mark 42 version which is a huge jump from the Mark VII I was last seen in which was itself a prototype.

When a terrorist named The Mandarin (Sir Ben Kingsley), has unleashed a series of bizarre bombings on the world and has opening challenged the President (William Sadler), Stark is caught up in his own fears, most notably protecting his beloved Pepper (Gwyneth Paltrow).

When his friend Happy (John Farveau) is caught in an explosion, Stark openly challenges the Mandarin which results in a devastating helicopter upon Stark and Potts.  With the world thinking he has died, Stark sets out to stop the Mandarin at all costs and find a way to battle his inner demons and fears to save the ones he loves and do what he knows is right.

The movie is big on laughs and character as we see a more well-rounded Stark this time out. He is haunted by demons of his past yet committed to improving himself and doing what is right.  The film takes a bit of time to get up to speed, but thanks to Downey’s performance you maintain your interest as you are always waiting for what he will do next as he is in total command of the character and never lets the quirks or humor of his situation overshadow his humanity or undermine his performance.

I would have liked to have seen Downey is his armor more kicking butt and taking names, but thankfully the finale is very enjoyable.  The converted 3D in the film is very good as although I am not a fan of 3D conversions this was the best I have seen to date as ash, snow, and debris did seem to float into the audience the way it does in films that are shot properly in the new 3D technology.

The supporting cast for the film is very strong especially Kingsley and Guy Pearce and I enjoyed the effort that Writer/Director Shane Black put into allowing the characters time to grow.  I was a bit disappointed that Don Cheadle was not given a lot to do in his role especially when playing Iron Patriot/War Machine.  The battle at the end of “Iron Man 2” where he and Iron Man took on legions of bad guys had me hoping for more this time out.

That being said, this is a very enjoyable summer movie that shows the franchise is not slowing down or taking the easy road out.  There has been discussion that Downey Jr. may step away after the next Avengers film but hopefully that is not to be the case as I could not imagine another actor capturing the role as perfectly as he has.

Following a bonus post credits scene, we are told in the best James Bond style that Tony Stark will return, and you can bet legions of fans will be waiting.

4 stars out of 5.

Guacamelee

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By Joseph K. Saulnier

DrinkBox Studios brings us Guacamelee.  While I have not played any previous entries from this indie studio (which include the Tales from Space series), I am told that Guacamelee is really strengthening their library, and understandably so.  Guacamelee Is a 2D style side-scrolling adventure game (much like the classic Super Metroid and Castlevania games) featuring a luchador.  The game is a strange, yet amazingly thoughtful mesh of beat-‘em-up mechanics, elaborate and challenging level design, and a cartoon-stylized mix of Mexican cultural themes.  But basically, it’s a great deal of fun from start to finish.

Guacamelee stars Juan, an agave farmer, who is quickly murdered by an evil skeleton known as Carlos Calaca.  But never fear, Juan is quickly revived and gifted with a luchador mask.  Gift is the optimum word here as the mask also grants him incredible powers.  And so, our agave farmer-turned-luchador pursues Carlos and his gang of misfits to rescue his childhood love, who also happens to be El Presidente’s Daughter.

With a story delivered entirely in text, and includes a few laugh-out-loud moments, you will find that it is not that important.  Instead, the real gem in Guacamelee is its graphical beauty.  It has a very old-school design (hence the Metroid/Castlevania reference earlier), yet has new-school, well-crafted character models and brilliantly realized environments to explore.  Adding to the charm is a Mexican-themed soundtrack that really shines at times.

At its core, Guacamelee is a brawler.  You run around kicking, punching and grappling various sombrero’s skeletons, spike-laden armadillos and wildly colorful dragons (amongst other enemies).  There isn’t a huge array of enemies, but the game does well in introducing them in a methodical manner so as not to reveal them all at once.  As you fight through the world, you’ll find giant statues, which you destroy to learn new abilities including a flying uppercut.  You may also find treasure chests littered throughout the game that contain coins to buy new skills, hearts for more health and gold for more special meter.  These chest definitely give the game an RPG-like feel.

The story-line progression doesn’t take more than maybe five or six hours total, though nearly all of that time is very well spent.  However, one of the most interesting (and underused) features of Guacamelee is its living/dead polarity.  Juan has the ability to move between two different versions of the same world is something that is really emphasized near the beginning of the game, but you can’t take full advantage of this until somewhere around the mid-point.  When you do finally get full use of this, it adds an extra dynamic to puzzles and increases the difficulty of the action.  It’s just too bad it was not used more.

After all of this, Guacamelee is definitely too short, but also stylized, unique and downright fun to play. It can be blasted through in a single day, which is unfortunate, but it also gives you reasons to go back for more.  When your biggest complaint about a game is that you wish it was longer, that’s usually a good thing.  While I did finish the game in 4 and half hours (I am an overachiever), I did not achieve 100% completion as there are many bonus areas littered throughout the game.  An unlockable hard difficulty mode and co-op are available as well.

Guacamelee is available on the PSN for about $15.  This price will net you both the PS3 and the PS Vita versions of the game.  And, what’s really awesome, is that you can send saves between the two.  So if you are playing on the PS3 but you find it’s time to head out, you can pick up the fun right where you left off on the Vita.  Unfortunately, the co-op is local only and solely on the PS3 version.

Guacamelee is stunning to look at and great entertainment.  Its MetroidVania inspiration is very strong, and yet it stands on its own with unique features and a deceivingly deep combat system.  Is it short?  Yes, but this complaint is really just a tribute to its quality.  I want more, and really hope to see more in this strange little world from DrinkBox Studios.

4.5 stars out of 5

Dead or Alive 5 Plus

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By Joseph K. Saulnier

 

The PlayStation Vita has been thoroughly disappointing in its game selection since its launch just over a year ago.  But one thing that can be said is that it has certainly become an excellent portable machine for the fighting game fan.  There’s a healthy amount of compatible games from the PSP library and, with few exceptions, all of the native fighting games on the system are good enough to have a huge fan-base.  But what is missing from the repertoire is a proper 3D fighter.  Tecmo has filled this void with its well-known Dead or Alive franchise.  Dead or Alive 5 Plus turns out to be another great fighting game for the fledgling handheld.

 

Dead or Alive 5 Plus is your typical 3D fighter that’s probably closest to Virtua Fighter in terms of mechanics.  The expected singular buttons for punches, kicks and blocks are coupled with a grapple button that also serves as a means of countering your opponent’s moves.  This system is simple, yet is home to some depth, and the sidestepping and Power Blows only make things less shallow.

 

While other titles on the Vita sport some good-looking environments, the environments in this game are stunning both visually and in the interactivity of it all.  Getting slammed into objects for bonus damage and falling multiple levels has been a staple of this series for some time, but in DoA5+ the developers kicked it up a notch.  Levels will tilt before collapsing to lower tiers, walls on the same tier will break, and moving objects make you weary of where you are fighting.

 

Despite the technical nature of the game’s mechanics, it very vast paced.  Most of the fighters are capable of punches and kicks in the blink of an eye, and throws seem to be the only time they are actually moving at a “normal” speed.  Even the slower characters move faster than average ones in other games, so it was extremely rare that I was not able to finish a fight before time ran out.

 

For the most part, the game comes with the same modes as it did before.  Versus is exactly what you’d expect, pitting two fighters against each other in any stage.  Spectate is a CPU-vs-CPU variation of the same, essentially allowing you to take pictures in a seemingly endless match.  Arcade, Survival and Time Attack play the same as any fighting game, except you don’t have bosses.  Instead, varying degrees of difficulty is the focus here.  Story mode is the highlight of the game as far as single-player is concerned, and this is one of the few fighting games that seems interested in telling a somewhat logical story.  There are two arcs that intertwine for the store mode with the Alpha-152 arc serves as a wrapper for the tournament held by DOATEC to show some goodwill for past actions

 

While there are mane modes in this port, it does not have everything that the console versions of the game did.  The ability to post your fights to YouTube is missing, but that’s to be expected on the portable system.  What wasn’t expected, and will be missed, is the tag-team play.  A favorite since the Dreamcast days of DoA2, the ability to play modes in tandem is gone due to technical limitations of the Vita hardware.

 

Acting as a replacement for this mode is Touch Fight.  This mode is played from a first-person perspective and pits you against a CPU-controlled opponent.  Instead of using the standard controls, you now (as the mode title suggests) use the touch screen of the Vita to execute commands.  Taps and swipes with one finger determines the types of hits, while the use of two fingers determines blocks and grabs.  Movement is automatic, so things like distancing are not a factor in this mode.  Unfortunately, this mode reminded me of the days of button-mashing and it really felt more like I was playing a game on a smart-phone than anything else.

 

There are also a few other features packed into the Vita that you may not see in the console versions (when they were first released).  Zack’s Island is a new stage that was included in a patch for consoles, but is available out of the box for the Vita.  Also, all fighters are unlocked from the get go, leaving you with working towards unlocking costumes and titles.  Me personally, I would have rather left the game with unlocking characters.  It just seems more rewarding.

 

The game does feature online play, which is largely the same as the console versions.  The ability to post to Facebook is still there, along with being able to save match replays and have online training sessions with others.  The ranking system is based on a letter grade though, as compared to level based.  The leaderboards are combined with the PS3.  You can also play online against other Vita or PS3 players from any region, though there doesn’t seem to be anyone currently playing the game for either system so I was unable to see how the cross play worked.

 

Dead or Alive 5 Plus sets the bar pretty high for 3D fighters on the Vita.  It is a compelling port of the console title that sacrifices very little in order to reach parity.  The fighting is fast and technically sound, while the environments remain just as gorgeous and deadly.  All of this despite the graphical downgrade due to hardware limitations.  While previous or current owners of the console version will not find anything new or advantageous in this port, gamers who have skipped the console or who only own a Vita would be have trouble finding as impressive a fighting game in any other title.

 

4 stars out of 5.

Injustice: Gods Among Us

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Superhero games of often been a mixed bag for gamers.  For every Batman Arkham Asylum, there are several titles that failed to deliver the goods and have been relegated to being largely forgettable efforts.  Thankfully Injustice: Gods Among Us is a very nice surprise indeed.  Not only is it a very solid and enjoyable superhero game, but it is a top-flight fighting game as well.  The game is told over 12 chapters and each chapter requires the player to play as one of several heroes or villains.  The story is propelled through cut scenes which outline a very detailed and elaborate threat to the world as well is the response that the various characters have to this situation as well as each other.

A typical chapter involves three or so fights that a character has to win in order to move on to the next segment.  Since the game is done by the folks who created the recent and highly outstanding Mortal Kombat game this format should be very familiar to anybody who is a fan of fighting games.  One of the nice features of the game is that it does not require the best two out of three in order for a player to advance.  One victory is sufficient but players get a letter of armor protection over their standard health protection which requires players to inflict a severe amount of damage upon an opponent to win a match.

Should a player fall in battle there immediately able to retry it and after a few subsequent failures the opponent’s abilities ramp down to make advancement slightly easier.  There are numerous combat moves available and they differ according to characters.  This does require a bit of learning as oddly enough I found playing as Batman to be the most underwhelming character of the game.  This is not to say it was not fun simply that I found his combat options rather mundane compared to that of other characters.  Since Batman plays a large role in the game you could see how this could be slightly frustrating to me.  Interestingly enough, Aquaman and Green Arrow were an absolute delight to play as I found their combat system to be much better suited for my style of play and really enjoyed the options I was able to employ as well as the phenomenal finishing moves that each character has available to them.

In one sequence I was getting pummeled quite severely by Nightwing who unleashed a furious attack on me which knocked me into a new locale.  Interestingly enough, the new locale was right into the arms of Killer Croc who was holding a meeting with the penguin and other underworld types, who were kind enough to take the time to smack me around a bit before sending me back out to battle.  There were also some interesting mini games such as shooting cars away that had been thrown at me and a very enjoyable one as the Joker or I had to deal cards at an oncoming enemy.  Failure to successfully complete one of these mini games resulted in starting a level with the reduced armor capacity.

As the game went on I found myself really enjoying the story but becoming frustrated with what appeared to be a slower than normal reaction time from the characters.  He did take a bit of adjustment to my gameplay style, but I was able to complete the challenge and finished the game despite some frustrations.

The game has some fantastic character surprises as well as some very interesting voice talent in it but what I find most amazing is the sheer value and variety of the game.  Not only are there the story and online modes which in and of themselves would be more than enough to justify the purchase of the game.  There are also challenge modes and scenarios such as S.T.A.R. Labs were various challenge scenarios involving different characters are available for players to test their skills in.  This mode alone would’ve made a very interesting and rewarding game and the fact that there is both a story and online mode available really allows this game shine.

When you do with superheroes you must have a lot of belief suspended in order for the story to work.  One such example was believing that certain characters could take the beating was being thrown down on them by Superman and come back for more with only a little bit of their armor or health diminished.  That being said, I was always happy to dish out more for any of them who wanted it as I especially enjoyed the phenomenal ultra moves of each character as well as being able to interact with the background and bring certain objects into play.  During one battle in a hangar, I was able to finish off the opponent by grabbing a tool chest and swatting them like a bug.  Another scenario allowed me to pull a missile that was hanging overhead down upon an unsuspecting opponent.

The graphics and sound of the game are first rate and there is absolutely no reason why anybody who is a fan of comic books, superheroes, or fighting games should not get this game especially with the promise of new characters and scenarios being made available in the future through downloadable content.  The list of characters in the game alone is impressive and this is truly a phenomenal experience for those who have been waiting for a games do justice to their favorite DC comics characters.

4.5 stars out of 5

Star Trek: The Video Game

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Director JJ Abrams him breathes life into a stagnating Star Trek franchise with his daring reimagining of the franchise as currently gearing up to release the much anticipated “Star Trek: Into Darkness”, later this summer.  With franchise awareness and popularity at a level not seen in over a decade, Digital Extremes has released Star Trek: The Video Game to the delight of Trek fans everywhere. Not only is the game the first one said JJ Abrams universe, but it is also the first game to allow players to play as either Kirk or Spock in both solo or co-op play.  The game features Chris Pine and Zachary Quinto as Kirk and Spock and also features other voices from the film.  During our preview for the game at the 2012 E3 convention in Los Angeles, it was revealed to me that the filmmakers were consulted during the development of the game as it was designed to be a bridge between the first and the second of the JJ Abrams films.

Answering a distress signal, the Enterprise crew finds himself set the center of a crisis with galactic repercussions.  An evil reptilian race known as the Gorn have stolen the device of immense power and also have unleashed attacks on a Federation station as well as the new Vulcan colony.  Not only is the attacking race deadly but they also are employing a technology that allows them to infect and control Federation citizens and officers which doubles the threat posed to the Federation.  When the Gorn escape with an extremely powerful device and Vulcan scientists in tow, Kirk and Spock are tasked with saving the day.

The gameplay is similar to that of the Mass Effect series in that it is done from a third person perspective.  Players have the ability to use a Tricorder to scan enemies and objects, pathways, and electronic devices such as doors and security systems which often have to be hacked or manipulated to allow gameplay to progress.  Players are allowed to primary weapons into grenade types and have to recharge at various centers throughout the game or swap a spent weapon for weapons they find laying about.  This is at a nice new wrinkle to the game is not only are Federation and Gorn weapons available players, but having things ranging from sniper rifles to arc guns makes a nice mix from the standard Phaser weapons.  There are also various grenades it can be used by the players.

One of the more frustrating aspects of a game for me for the numerous puzzle sequences where systems had to be hacked or otherwise manipulated. While some could be done by ordering Spock or Kirk depending on which player you were controlling to handle it themselves, some had to be done in conjunction with another player.  While this was a nice touch to the game, during the final parts they were too frequent and for me undercut the drama and the urgency of the story.

There were also numerous jumping puzzles where players had to hang from ledges and you carefully timed jumps from one obstacle to another.  This became frustrating on the PC version as the control system often was very temperamental and allowed access only at certain points of the map.  During one co-op session, both live-action players were unable to complete a puzzle, and it required one of us dropping out of the game so that they could rejoin once the remaining player completed the obstacle course.

I appreciate the deviation from standard run and gun and how the developers were attempting to incorporate a true sense of co-op play by requiring the other player to be little more than backup firepower.  However, it does get a bit frustrating when somebody is unable to complete a jump and you are forced to repeat a segment over and over until it is done correctly thanks to the games checkpoint save system.

I really enjoyed the detail levels of the game especially being able to explore the Enterprise and other environments in great detail.  One segment required us to use limited range portable transporters to tag and transport one another to various spots on a damage space station.  This this was lots of fun and in my opinion really captured the essence of Star Trek as did the brash and bold gameplay style of Kirk compared to the methodical and efficient gameplay style of Spock.

While there were some frustrating moments the game was very enjoyable and with over 10 hours of gameplay did offer a very rewarding experience for Star Trek fans.  I do think that gamers who are more casual fans of the series may not be as forgiving with some of the issues I noted in the game but as franchise games go this was a very enjoyable effort.

Graphically the facial animation and lip-synch of the characters was a bit off and dated but elements of the ship and locales were extremely detailed and very enjoyable to look at and interact with.  There are some fantastic lines in the game especially some of the clips by Scotty and Dr. McCoy which really showed the effort the game designers talk to capture the essence of the game and its characters and to do their best to put players inside a true Star Trek adventure.

While it is not a perfect game and does have some flaws from the technical and gameplay side of things, it is one of the better Star Trek games ever released and does offer a very enjoyable experience for Star Trek fans as long as they are willing to temper their expectations going in.

3.5 stars out of 5

Skewed and Reviewed’s 2013 Summer Movie Preview

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With Iron Man 3 already out in parts of the world and opening next week in the states,here is our 2013 Summer movie preview from our March 2013 magazine.

 May

By Chris Daniels

 

3 – Iron Man 3 – The next in what’s already an extremely popular, well made, and profitable Marvel franchise, Iron Man 3 will see Robert Downey Jr. reprise his role as the enigmatic and egotistical, fast-talking, billionaire playboy and superhero. Other notables include Guy Pearce, Gwyneth Paltrow as Pepper Potts, and Don Cheadle as James Rhodes/War Machine. Iron Man 3 features the incomparable Sir Ben Kingsley as Iron Man’s arch nemesis: The Mandarin. I have high hopes for this film I feel confident they will deliver, as they have twice before!

 

10 – The Great Gatsby – While this film has been done many times, the trailers give me hope that it will truly be a masterful rendition of the famous book by F. Scott Fitzgerald. Leonardo DiCaprio is well chosen, in my opinion, for the title role of Gatsby, is accompanied by another great casting choice: Tobey Maguire as the other main character, Nick Carraway. If the trailers are any indication of the production values, this is sure to be an epic film, which I suspect will garner some Oscar nominations.

 

17 – Star Trek: Into the Darkness – The cast of recently rebooted, beloved cult show Star Trek will find themselves on the silver screen again, with a salivating audience. Two years ago, JJ Abrams stunned everyone with a film that further bridged the gap between geek and pop culture. The fans are hungry for more, and your second helping is only weeks away. All of the same faces from before have returned, with the addition of Benedict Cumberbatch (best known for BBC’s Sherlock) as the villain. Nothing more need be said. This will be epic.

 

24 – Fast and Furious 6 – Last year, Vin Diesel came back to the Fast and Furious franchise and reignited the quality of the films. The addition of Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson cemented F&F 5 in the books of worth-watching speed films. This year they look to continue the trend and the storyline. Ever since the first film, the lives of these outlaws have been the focal point of the franchise, but development has been very slow, given the nature of the films: speed action, not drama. The stunts and production values always make these films entertaining, along with beautiful cars and fast women. Or is that the other way around?!?

 

24 – The Hangover: Part III – What really needs to be said here? Hollywood is capitalizing on you spending money on these films! The funny is coming, and it’s the same drunkards from the previous two big screen hits, with brand new antics and witty one-liners. If you are a fan of the series, this will be for you. If you’re not, keep reading!

 

24 – Epic -Chris Wedge, one of the brains behind Ice Age, broke off on his own to do this project, which is an amalgamation of “The Leaf Men” and “Brave Good Bugs.” If you are a lover of animated films, this will likely be the one you must take your kids to, or just see yourself. It is already being compared to the work of Hayao Miyazaki. That’s a tall order, as far as statements go.

 

31 – The Purge – If Sci-Fi thrillers are a dollar-spender for you, then catching Ethan Hawke and director Jason Blum (Paranormal Activity) with their latest film, may be a requirement. The Purge is being heralded as a story that scares because of its believability; all things illegal are legal for 12 hours. WHAT?!? This one sounds like it could be a very interesting twist on conventional law movies.

 

JUNE

7 – After Earth – For those of you like me who’ve been craving another M. Night Shyamalan film: it has finally arrived. (Please take note of my sarcasm) It arrives in theaters this summer, and it does so with the recently absent Will Smith, and also his child-star son, Jaden Smith. One saving grace for this post-apocalyptic alien planet film is that Shyamalan didn’t write the script, and is only directing, which he actually does reasonably well. The buzz is quiet, which raises the intrigue.

 

7 – Now You See Me – Continuing with the trend of blockbusters this summer, Now You See Me is a highly anticipated film about illusionists that rob banks during their shows, giving their proceeds to the audience! The star-studded cast and famous French director easily propel this movie to the must-see list. The Chemical Brothers score this Louis Leterrier movie, and they’re aided by big names like Morgan Freeman, Jesse Eisenberg, Isla Fisher, and Woody Harrelson.

 

7 – The Internship – It’s been eight years since Vince Vaughn and Owen Wilson brought us the comedic genius of Wedding Crashers, and now they team up again to show us what happens when two washed-up salespeople, pushed out of jobs by technology, get internships with Google. I have two hopes: first, that it’s not just Wedding Crashers in difference pants, and second, that this isn’t one giant ad placement for Google. Aside from that, I’m excited for some very fun entertainment!

 

7 – Much Ado About Nothing – Shakespeare’s classic is being remade yet again, but this time it’s in Joss Whedon’s hands. Enough said. Go see it.

 

14 – Man of Steel – This is the year’s most anticipated film. Henry Cavill, Russell Crowe, Amy Adams, Michael Shannon star in this Superman movie, and it’s directed by Zack Snyder. You will go see this film. You don’t need to know anything more.

 

14 – This Is the End – Seth Rogen, Jay Baruchel, James Franco, and Paul Rudd star in this short, which looks absolutely ridiculous. But hey, if you like this type of comedy, perhaps you’ll piss yourself laughing! The end of the world is nigh, and these jokers are going to show you how they handle it!

 

21 – Monsters University – Monsters, Inc. was a marvel of moviemaking. But this time, instead of a sequel, Pixar has decided to do a prequel, much to my chagrin. Monsters University is the story of how Mike and Sulley met. Billy Crystal, John Goodman, Steve Buscemi return, with the addition of Sir Ben Kingsley. They are the star power that will drive this film (which I nonetheless remain dubious about). Regardless, here is your Kid Film of the Year!

 

21 – World War Z – Marc Forster directs Brad Pitt in this film adaptation of the popular book. This movie comes as no surprise to me, as we are amidst a huge zombie craze. Movies, books, TV shows, comics, gear, games, and everything else you can think of. It’s no shock that a very popular novel was turned into a movie to capitalize on the millions of zombie fans cropping up around the world. The production values look to be high, and World War Z may be a very entertaining action film, laced with drama.

 

28 – The Heat – Sandra Bullock and Melissa McCarthy star in this comedy about an FBI agent and a Boston cop who are rigid and career driven, with no friends. Hilarity ensues, as one might guess, when two socially awkward people are forced into partnership. I don’t like Sandra Bullock, but if you’re a fan of her work, then undoubtedly this film will entertain you. If you are in my camp, then stay away, dear friends!

28 – Kick Ass 2 – The cult classic Kick Ass is getting something that most people wouldn’t have bet on: a sequel. Films of this caliber are rarely graced with another opportunity to tell a different chapter in the story (and make potentially even more money than its progenitor). If you enjoyed the first, then this will be a must-see on your summer list.

 

28 – White House Down -Jamie Foxx, Channing Tatum, Maggie Gyllenhaal, and Richard Jenkins fill the screen with action and drama as the White House is overtaken by a rogue group and a Secret Service agent must protect the President. I don’t smell any awards, but the movie is likely to be very entertaining. If you are in need of an action fix, and White House films do it for you, this one should be on your list.

 

JULY
By Gareth von Kallenbach 

 

3 –  Lone Ranger – Disney kicks up the lucrative Fourth of July weekend with their adaptation of “The Lone Ranger”, which stars Johnny Depp as Tonto and Armie Hammer as the masked crusader.  The film has been plagued by budget issues were reportedly the initial budget of 250 million was trimmed to 215 million before production even began. Issues ranging from weather to set design have reportedly pushed the budget over the $250 million Mark the Disney was so anxious to avoid and rumors of script rewrites in order to control the spiraling budget have been reported. Director Gore Verbinski worked well with Depp on “Pirates of the Caribbean”, and there is hope that he can breathe life into what is considered a stagnant Western genre. The film chronicles a Texas Ranger who is betrayed and left for dead.  Assisted by Tonto is returned to health and the duo set to seek justice in the Wild West.

 

3 – Despicable Me 2 – Steve Carrell returns as Gru, this time with Al Pacino, Kristen Wiig, and Miranda Gosgrove joining the cast.  Of course the lovable minions who will be getting their own movie in 2014 are back, as are the lovable scamps that made the first film such a delight.  Expect more 3-D hijinks on this merry band of misfits reunite.  As anyone who’s seen the trailer to this point can attest this is going to be one highly anticipated film that hopefully will retain the humor and originality that vaulted the original box office gold.

 

12 – Pacific Rim – Director Guillermo del Toro’s action epic  is set to debut which portrays humanity’s struggle between trying creatures from beneath the Sea and gigantic robots built to save humanity.  The film promises post converted 3-D l visuals, solid action, and epic adventure.

Idris Elba, Charlie Hunnam, and Charlie Day represent humanity’s last hope and as anybody who’s seen the trailer knows, they face a daunting task indeed.  Typically action disaster films do well for the summer season and Warner Bros. is certainly hoping that they got a smash and perhaps a franchise on their hands with this one.

 

12 – Grown Ups 2 – Adam Sandler and the crew from the first film are back for seconds to their smash hit.  Sandler has had a couple of duds with “Jack and Jill” and “That’s My Boy”, so both star and studio are hoping for better results this time out and would be delighted to see the revenue similar to the first film.  Chris Rock, Kevin James, and David Spade bring their talents to the ensemble picture which should stay fairly close to the successful formula of the original and focusing on the bond between friends and families.

 

26 – The Wolverine – Hugh Jackman returns to the titular role, which had its planned production and filming delayed by the tragic tsunami in Japan.  Dir. James Mangold takes over from Darren  Aronofsky who departed film amidst the production delays.  Despite some issues with the previous film, he did well enough at the box office to give the popular character another chance to stand on his own studio hopes will lead to several films in the future. Set in Japan and pitted against the Silver Samurai, expect plenty of romance, action, and character development this time out which hopefully will satisfy fans who were very upset with previous film especially with the liberties taken with the characters back story in regards to his brother.

 

AUGUST
by Joseph Saulnier

2 – 300: Rise of an Empire – In this follow up to 2006’s 300, we see the Greek General Themistocles battle an invading army of Persians under the mortal-turned-god, Xerxes.  This prequel finds Noam Murro directing and Zack Snyder producing.  The cast, aside from Eva Green, are mostly unknown.  But that’s okay.  Because it really worked for 300.  There’s not a lot out there about this movie yet, but if they can pull off the same stunning visuals and stick true to the graphic novel as they did in 300, it should be rather good.

2 – RED 2 – Bruce Willis, Mary-Louise Parker, Helen Mirren and John Malkovich return for round 2 in what looks to be as a humorous and action packed as the first; possibly even more so.  This time Catherine Zeta-Jones, Neal McDonough, Anthony Hopkins and David Thewlis are along for the ride.  The first was thoroughly enjoyable, and with the Hoeber’s (Jon and Erich) returning to write and Dean Parisot of GalaxyQuest, Fun with Dick and Jane, and several TV Series fame set to direct, this should prove an interesting outing.

9 – Elysium – Set in the year 2159, where the very wealthy live on a man-made space station while the rest of the population resides on a destroyed earth, a man takes on a mission that could bring equality to the polarized worlds.  That man: Matt Damon.  Rounding out the cast in this movie is Jodie Foster and Sharlto Copley.  This looks to be a really good step for Matt Damon as he is taking a leap into science fiction.  With Neil Blokamp set to write and direct, an A-list cast, possible alien planet setting and the layers of secrecy surrounding this project, this whole movie looks very promising as a new entry into the vast science fiction landscape we have coming this year.

9 – We’re the Millers – A veteran pot dealer creates a fake family as part of his plan to move a huge shipment of weed into the U.S. from Mexico.  Starring Jason Sudekis, Jennifer Aniston, Emma Roberts and Ed Helms and directed by Rawson Marshall Thurber (Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story), this looks like it has a good formula for a classic comedy.  Though, there have been many flops coming from the comedy genre in recent months, this looks to be very smartly written and executed by a talented cast.

 

9 – 2 Guns – A DEA agent and an undercover Naval Intelligence officer who have been tasked with investigating one another find they have been set up by the mob – the very organization the two men believe they have been stealing money from. While this movie was originally conceived as an action/comedy with Owen Wilson and Vince Vaughn, it has been evolved to a straight-up action thriller starring Mark Wahlberg and Denzel Washington and Baltasar Kormakur directing.  I am a big fan of both actors and am really looking forward to what this teaming can bring.

23 – The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones – When her mom is attacked and taken from their home in New York City by a demon, a seemingly ordinary teenage girl finds out truths about her past and bloodline on her quest to get her back that changes her entire life.  Based on Cassandra Clare’s six-novel series, Mortal Instruments, this looks to be a movie that will please many fans and newcomers alike.  I have been hounded to read this book series, but I am not sure I want to as the trailer looks absolutely gorgeous.  I am very much looking forward to the dark magic, secret family histories and love-triangle dynamics this movie looks to offer, even if it does make me sound like somewhat of a teenage girl.

 

SEPTEMBER

6 – Riddick – Left for dead on a sun-scorched planet, Riddick finds himself up against an alien race of predators.  Activating an emergency beacon alerts two ships: one carrying a new breed of mercenary, the other captained by a man from Riddick’s past.  This much anticipated (at least on my part) addition to Riddick series has been kept under wraps for the most part.  A few on-set photos have leaked here and there, and a bit of the plot has been set out, but so far mum is the word on a lot. But with Vin Diesel’s return to power, as it were, in Fast Five, this should prove to have a good outing.

13 – Machete Kills – The U.S. Government recruits Machete to battle his way through Mexico in order to take down an arms dealer who looks to launch a weapon into space.  It is my opinion that Machete was a fluke.  It stemmed from a fake trailer and actually turned it into a decent movie.  But sequelizing it… I do not think this is the best thing to do.  Typically we see recycled material that was used in the first movie, only in a slightly new setting.  But who knows, I could be wrong.  Look at the success of The Expendables 2.

 

Pain and Gain

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By Ryan Guerra

Michael Bay’s latest film Pain and Gain suffers from a bit of performance anxiety. It starts hot and flashy, becomes humorous and then starts to drag as it realizes it needs to actually deliver. This is unfortunate because if Bay focused on delivering an entertaining movie from start to finish he may have succeeded. Instead we are constantly reminded by expository text on screen and one of the five unnecessary voiceovers that “sometimes the facts are stranger than fiction.” And the facts are that we get a film here that starts out as a comedy, evolves into a kidnapping/extortion story with a few more jokes only to end with minimal action and no redeeming opportunities for our protagonists. Plus the final jokes or shock opportunities are lost in the fact that our main characters become less and less likeable as the story evolves.

Mark Wahlberg plays body-builder and trainer Daniel Lugo, a self-described “doer” who is tired of working hard only to never reach the level of success that many of his rich clients have achieved. Fed up with his everyday life of being broke, Logo decides it is time to take what he thinks should be his. Together with the help of his roided-out, impotent employee Adrian (Anthony Mackie) and ex-con who found Jesus Paul (Dwayne Johnson), the trio decide to kidnap and extort the jerk off wealthy client Victor (Tony Shalhoub) for everything thing he has. The hilarity ensues while it’s obvious that these muscle heads do not have to smarts to pull off this elaborate plan other than what they have seen in the movies.

It should be noted here that Wahlberg is once again great as a character that does not possess a lot of smarts. Mackie delivers another solid character performance to add to his resume but it is Johnson who steals the show. In a movie where at first glance his physique fits right in, it is his softer more emotional side that shows some range that we have never seen from him before. He plays an ex-con who is determined to change his life only to be slowly sucked back into the lifestyle that put him in jail in the first place. Johnson’s emotional range has him delivering perhaps his best performance ever.

Eventually these three break Victor and take everything he has and they start to live out their dreams. But like all things that take no skill or real effort to earn, the three squander their new found wealth and go looking for another target. All while Victor hires a private detective (Ed Harris) to help bust the trio as the local cops do not believe that some muscle heads could pull off the elaborate heist.

And here is where the film starts to fall apart. The three main characters start to change from fun loving hard working characters to bad guys. The things they do to gain their wealth are repulsive and it stops being funny. Victor is a terrible character that is hard to like in the first place, so you do not really feel bad for him when he loses everything. It is just that you do not really feel happy for our anti-heroes either. And when the story enters its third act after dragging through the second, it feels rushed to close out the film as the gang decides to make a run at another wealthy target.

Furthermore, every character get his/hers own voice over. Seriously, what is the point? It is one thing for Wahlberg to have his own narration as he is the main character, however even Harris gets his own character development through dialogue. It makes the story disjointed and made me feel unsure about who or what I should be rooting for.

In the end I walked out of the theater feeling like we watched two different movies. A rags-to-riches comedy in the beginning that morphs into an unfunny crime drama by the end that has to remind you again and again that you are watching something that is based on a true story. It is a shame because I enjoyed the beginning of this film. I wish that Bay would have taken even additional liberties to make a more consistent film from start to finish on what was already a loosely based true story in the first place.

3 out of 5 stars

We Talk Fast & Furious 6, The Lone Ranger, Captain America: The Winter Soldier and More With Stunt Driver Robert Nagle

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Recently I spoke with Robert Nagle, who is a veteran stunt driver. His work includes Fast Five, Drive, The Dark Knight Rises, Jack Reacher, and A Good Day to Die Hard. He is also set to appear in the highly anticipated Fast & Furious 6 and The Lone Ranger.  Robert was kind enough to speak with us about his work and what we can expect from Fast & Furious 6 and hinted about what is to come in the Captain America Sequel

How did you get your start in the business and what was your first big break?

 

I met a very good friend of mine, Steve Kelso, a road racer who was already very well-established in the stunt world. We traded paint often and became good friends.  He offered me one of my first jobs. Around the same time I met Michael Mann and developed a close relationship with him as well.  I don’t think I had a “big break” per se, but rather a steady growth of performing on camera well and building relationships.

What type of prep do you do for each film and how much advance work goes into each stunt?

It really depends on the project and stunt. We often show up on set, go through what’s needed on the day of the stunt, and break down the details. Once everything’s sorted out, we shoot. A more complex stunt might require a complete rehearsal and test days or weeks ahead of time to sort out all the elements involved.

How has the digital age affected your work?

I think, if anything, it has made me more creative in developing ideas to deliver an action piece that is not CGI. I strongly believe your eye can tell the difference between live action and CGI—this can really take you out of the story. I do think CGI can be used very well to enhance certain elements, or in the case of “Total Recall,” build the world around us but keep the action real. Len Wiseman was very adamant about shooting the hover car chase with real cars and then adding the world around them—I applaud him for doing so.

How do you decide what is digital and what is a real stunt?

Ha! I wish I had a say in that decision. I’m very much in favor of combining both real and CGI elements.

With car chases being such a standard in films, how have you managed to keep the action in the Fast films fresh and original?

That accolade goes to Justin Lin, the director, and Spiro Razatos, the Second Unit Director (Action Director).  Both of them have asked us to raise the bar.

What are the most dangerous stunts you have done and how many times have you been injured?

The most dangerous stunt I’ve done, besides battle LA traffic, was in Fast & Furious 6. We shot a scene on the Canary Islands along a mountain road that is basically closed to the public because of how precarious it is. On one side, the edge of the road drops off almost 1000 feet into the ocean. On the other, there’s a mountain with randomly falling rocks. They have these small stone blocks along the edge of the road that would probably only slow the car down enough for you to get a great view of the rocks and ocean below.

I had to chase Mark Higgins, a World Rally car Champion, and Ben Collins, the former STIG from Top Gear, several times over. Mark and Ben had been driving that road for a couple of days already. I was in a purpose-built high speed chase car with cameras mounted on the front. I had never driven the road or the car. Needless to say, I had to very much bring my “A” to run these guys down and make it look exciting on camera. We got that piece in one take.

I’ve been fortunate in that I have only broken my thumb in a stunt.

What were your biggest challenges for the film and the greatest triumphs?

I think the biggest challenge was understanding exactly what the director wanted to see and offering options or ideas that were meant to enhance what he was looking for. Walking away at the end of the day with a great piece of action on film is quite rewarding.

 Did working on location present any new challenges?

We work on location 90% of the time these days. It can be hard on family life.

Since the Fast films have  involved cars, guns, fights, and jumps Which type of stunts do you prefer and which are you least favorite?

I’m a complete car nut and I’m very handy with firearms as well. 95% of what I do is car related.

 What do you have coming up that viewers can look forward to?

I just finished filming “Prisoners” with Jake Gyllenhaal. Denis Villeneuve was the director.  Now we are in the early stages of preparing for “Captain America 2.”

 If you had no restraints what is the one stunt you would love to do?

Actually we are in development of something that has never been done, it’s still pretty early but I will reach out to you once it’s a go – it will be really amazing!

 

Gangster Squad Blu-ray

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Original Review. By Ryan Guerrar

 

“Inspired” by true events, which in Hollywood means that history mostly gets ignored in favor of action, Gangsta Squad is a very simple story. A squad of police officers “off the books” team up to stop a mafia boss from taking over Los Angeles in 1949. Yes, basically that is it. You know everything you need to know from the trailer.

Gun toting gangsters, shootouts, smooth characters and car chases. This movie is trying to be an updated version of The Untouchables (1987) on the west coast. Only that film delivered more depth of character and a better all-around story. For those looking for anything more than a fun action film will be disappointed. For everyone else, this movie is entertaining.

Visually the film captures the time period well. All of the actors fit in each of their roles and you believe they actually belong in that era. Additionally, the use of framing shots in various angles and lighting are somewhat reminiscent of a film noir style (obviously not black and white). This helped create a world that is visually pleasing to the eye.

There are solid performances from an ensemble cast led by Sean Penn (I am Sam) who plays eccentric mob boss Mickey Cohen. Penn is the biggest and only standout performer as his character is the only one that we get any real insight on that is not superficial. We learn how he has been a fighter all his life to take and keep what was his. As such he seems very much the formidable villain that the gangster squad is trying to shut down. However, going with the cinematic style of the film, Penn’s character, along with the others, almost takes on a cartoonish detective serial quality that makes them all one dimensional.

Josh Brolin (Men in Black 3) plays the hard headed, honorable tough guy cop Ryan Gosling (Drive) plays the cool, smooth and collected lady killer. He gives his performance in a voice that holds true to the cartoonish detective style that plagues Penn’s character. Not too high, not too low but matches his character’s style though it may comee as an annoyance to some. Anthony Mackie (The Adjustment Bureau) plays the street smart beat cop who is looking to make a difference. Robert Patrick (Terminator 2) plays the old gunslinger along for one last ride into the sunset who is followed around by the “young guy” Michael Pena (End of Watch) who idolizes the old hero gunslinger. The group is rounded out by Giovanni Ribisi (Boiler Room) who plays the quirky communications and intelligence expert.

All of these roles are played well by really good actors, only they all have nothing to act with. There is absolutely no depth to any of these characters other than what I just explained. This creates apathy among the audience which devoids the movie of any tense moments during any of the various shoot outs. To be honest, it takes a lot of effort to really care about any of these characters.

This cast is rounded out by Emma Stone (Easy A) who plays the pretty girl on the arm of the powerful mobster that the lady killer steals away. Like the others, this is all the depth you get from Stone. However it must be noted that Stone’s natural look, red hair and smokey voice contribute to the romanticized style of the era. It is a real shame she did not have more to work with, especially across from Gosling who she had previously worked well with as a love interest in Crazy, Stupid, Love.

So in the end we find ourselves with a mostly superficial film that is visually pleasing. And if you know this going in, you will be entertained. There are plenty of gun fights and car chases to keep the story and action moving. And at no time did it ever feel dull or slow right up to the final shootout, which is grand, but not over the top and ends this movie on a Hollywood high note. I am not saying that this film is great, but at least it is entertaining.

3 of 5 stars

 

Blu-ray Review By Gareth Von Kallenbach

I really liked this movie. This is a great mix of action, drama, and film noire that harkens back to the Hollywood Gangster classics of old. Aside from the amazing cast, the Blu-ray release has amazing picture and sound presentation that for me rivals what you get in the theater and in many cases beats it hands down depending on your setup.

Director Reuben Fleisher has provided a very informative commentary that takes you through the creation of the film as well as his process and the bonus features included the deleted scenes and features really are a step above the great stuff that Warner includes with their home releases.

This is a great movie that while taking a bit of time to get starter, is a all out spectacle that is one of the better films in recent years and is not to be missed.

Why The Next Xbox’s Always On Feature Is No Big Deal

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By Joseph K. Saulnier

(Site is being restored and updated after a security hack, please excuse the mess)

Rumors are swirling about Microsoft’s next generation console, but none bigger and more controversial than the “always on” issue.  Though, it is not a rumor at this point, as we all saw with Microsoft Studios Creative Director Adam Orth’s twitter post from last Thursday.  In case you missed it, Orth sent out some tweets basically announcing that the next generation Xbox was going to have an “always on’ requirement, as in always online.  This sent the internet in an uproar, citing people to tweet him and bash him, and (in Orth’s words) cause so much drama.  But is he wrong in what he said?

Now, don’t get me wrong.  The guy didn’t handle it in the best of ways.  He could have done it with more grace, or not even started the whole thing at all.  I have a feeling he knows this now as his tweets are now private.  But really, why is “always on” so bad.  I have to agree with Orth when he said (paraphrasing) that in this day and age pretty much every device is connected to the internet.  It’s the world we live in now.  We are heading towards the reality of Total Recall, Gamer and even Blade Runner.  The Xbox is just taking one of the first steps in that direction.

People can argue and say that I am in an area that is connected location living in Seattle, that the smaller towns in the country have more issues.  But in reality, this could be blown way out of proportion.  In truth, internet access is more available than ever before with more and more expansion of the major distributors.  And yes. It sometimes goes down.  It does everywhere, even in big cities like Seattle.  But hey, there are power outages every now and then too.  But nobody’s is up in arms about a battery pack being available (connected or preinstalled) for the situations when the power is out.

I am not saying “deal with it” like Orth did.  I am just saying that people may be overreacting without being a little reasonable.  People cite issues like those seen with Diablo III and SimCity, but then they forget about all of the shining examples of where it works.  World of Warcraft, Everquest, Star Wars: The Old Republic and any other MMO you can think of.  Yes, they have server issues every now and then, and they only focus on one game, but they are massive games and can’t be overlooked.

Not to mention that this is Microsoft we’re talking about.  While they have had hiccups over the years, there was also a lot of controversy when Xbox Live was introduced.  But look at the success they have had in pioneering and perfecting the online social aspect of gaming in consoles.  Everyone forgets this and has little faith in the company and their decision despite their success, and their willingness to atone when mistakes are made.

And here begin the attacks that it’s not Microsoft that people are upset with, that the worry is about troublesome internet connections.  But let’s remember.  All we have is the tweet of one man who didn’t even directly say that the next gen Xbox will have the “always on” feature.  Microsoft has not confirmed anything.  And to another point, how many times have we seem something “officially” announced that changed before launch date, which is still a long way off.  I think we will just have to wait and see what is announced at E3 this year.  I know the current rumor is something will be announced on May 21, but again… rumors

Oblivion

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By Gareth Von Kallenbach
(Site is under updates, please excuse our basic look at this time.
60 years removed from a devastating alien attack, upon the earth a technician named Jack (Tom Cruise), tools away protecting machinery that is essential to the survival of the human race.  With only his companion Victoria (Andrea Riseborough), for company the duo form an effective team according to the company.
In the new film “Oblivion”, it is learned that while humanity won the war, the aftermath was left the earth largely uninhabitable.  As a result, the survivors have fled to the moon of Titan or are awaiting transit aboard gigantic space station Earth orbit.
Jack and Victoria watch over gigantic extractors that process seawater for much-needed resources for the fusion reactors of humanity.  Their only link to the outside world is through communication with the orbiting space station and they efficiently set about their task of repairing guard drones and monitoring water processors from any threats.
With only two weeks to go before they can join the others on Titan Jack is troubled by images of a woman and another life.  He dismisses this at first due to the fact that both he and Victoria had memory wipes in order to provide security for their assignment.
After following Jack through his various patrols he discovers the remaining pocket of alien resistance has managed to bring down and orbiting spacecraft filled with passengers in cryogenic suspension.  Despite company orders Jack decides to intervene and manages to save one of the passengers from destruction by security drone.  He is shocked to discover that the woman is the same one that he’s been dreaming about and is even further confused by the fact that she seems to know him.
This discovery does not sit well with Victoria and is not going to sit well with the company but despite this, Jack agrees to go with the survivor in order to retrieve a flight recorder from her downed ship.
This is where things really get twisted as Jack becomes a captive of the alien menace and learns that they are not what he had been led to believe.  Their mysterious leader (Morgan Freeman), proceeds to tell Jack that the life he has known it is a lie and proceeds to tell Jack of his plan to bring down the orbiting space station.
What follows is a very twisting and at times action-packed story that is awash in visual splendor.  Not only is “Oblivion” filled with incredible imagery but it is also a intriguing and at times thought-provoking story that proves you can do action driven science fiction and still have interesting characters with complexity and a branching story.
Cruise is very good in the role of Jack and he deftly combines the humanity and sense of wonder of this character very well with the action scenes.  Jack is not just a man of action he is a deeper and more complicated individual that appreciates the way the world used to be and things such as music and nature as well as possessing a fierce sense of duty.
While the ending may have been a bit too Hollywood for my liking and I was able to figure out the plot twists ahead of time, the journey was still a very enjoyable one at one that I would suggest taking for yourself.
4 stars out of 5

Updates Are In The Works

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Hello,

 

Just wanted to update you that we had a site hack and are in the process of doing some restorations and site updates. The main thing we have left is restoring the images and that will be coming. We have tons of articles, interviews, and other content in the que ready to go as well as our Cinemacon 2013 coverage and much more.

 

 

Gareth

Editor

Skewed and Reviewed

Wondercon 2013

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Story by Albert Valenzuela & Ricardo Valencia, all photos by Albert Valenzuela

This weekend’s Wondercon was a great success at the Anaheim Convention Center. Sold-Out all three days, geeks, cosplayers, movie buffs, and anime characters of all kinds reveled in the perfect 70 degree weather.

Other than the long lines on Saturday, everything seemed to run perfectly including the food trucks that lined the convention center entrance.

Many of the attendees dressed in their best zombie, anime & Star Wars costumes, which worked out in the beautiful weather and nicely air conditioned convention halls. All were looking except for one dirty looking Wookie that could have used a good washing next door at Splash Mountain.

Not many ”giveaways” as expected, at all, but there was a fleet of Pacific Rim ”army girls” handing out 3 pack trading cards. Sadly no fava beans or glasses of Chianti during the Hannibal screening that was way ”sold out”.

Those that were lucky enough to see the super extended Evil Dead trailer were not disappointed, gore gore galore, who knew Suburgatory’s Jane Levy could me such a screamer! Quick suggestion, dont eat dinner before seeing this movie.

There was not a big presence of ”movie booths” handing out premium posters and such, but the Pacific Rim army girls were there Saturday handing out 3 packs of trading cards.

The big award goes to Universal Pictures for bringing the full scale, life-size Bubbleship from Oblivion, the pod-like ship Tom Cruise flies around in the upcoming IMAX science fiction adventure.

Director Joe Kosinski even made a brief appearance early Saturday morning, before going back to work to do some final editing!

Overall, all seemed to have a great time the entire weekend, including the hundreds of vendors that were busy the entire time, including an hour past the 5pm closing on
Sunday afternoon., but sadly, no appearance by a zombie or Jedi Easter Bunny.

One suggestion if you’re going to the much larger San Diego Comic Con later this year, plenty of Red Bull for all the miles you’ll be running around trying to make all the panels and trying to see all the different costumed attendees.

42

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“42”

By Diana Sanchez

“42” is more than just a baseball movie.  It is a meaningful, intense story about how one of the greatest baseball players of all time, Jackie Robinson, created real change in the heart of major league baseball and in American hearts.  I think that “42” is Harrison Ford’s best role.  Ford plays the role of Branch Rickey, the owner of the Brooklyn Dodgers, whose idea it was to choose a player from the Negro league and offer him a spot on his team.  Rickey goes against everyone’s opinions and butts heads with other team managers and executives across the league but his belief in Robinson’s potential never waivers.  Rickey is a determined baseball executive who sprinkles humor in between his stubbornness to get what he wants.

Robinson, played by Chadwick Boseman, experiences tough opposition and resistance from players and coaches across the league and from players within his own team.  All he wants to do is play baseball for the Brooklyn Dodgers but it seems almost impossible in 1947 during a time of segregation and racism.  Robinson is depicted as a man who plays with real heart and integrity.  We get a glimpse into his personal life and see that he lives with as much integrity as he plays his game.  I found myself sobbing unexpectedly at both happy and sad moments throughout the movie.  The racial epithets and harsh comments aimed at Robinson were tough to watch and reminded me that the 40’s really was not that long ago. There are many great exchanges between Robinson and his wife and the confrontations between Robinson and other players and Rickey are equally moving

because the dialogue was just that good.

“42”is a special story that will touch the heart and inspire.  The audience in my theatre applauded several times and I think younger viewers can learn a lot about what baseball, and America, was really like in the 40’s.  If you aren’t a baseball fan going into the movie, you will be before it’s over.  I can’t wait to see it again!

4.5 stars

We Talk Call of Duty, Playstation 4, and Motion Capture With Marla Rausch, CEO of Animation Vertigo

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Motion capture technology has changed how movies, games, and television shows are created and we got to speak with Marla Rausch, CEO of Animation Vertigo. The company has worked on Call of Duty games as well as Heavy Rain and Much more. We talk about the industry as well as what the pending Playstation 4 may allow.


How did you get into the industry?

Getting into motion capture was quite by accident I was pregnant and waiting for my husband to get done with work at his studio. I watched as he worked on some motion capture data and got curious and asked about it, I got hooked. I learned how to track and clean up motion capture data and when Spectrum Studios and Sony needed trackers, they would hire me as a freelancer.

How has it changed from when you first started out until now?

When I first started, having more than three actors on stage, with finger data and facial data would have been a tough if not impossible thing to do because at that time, the hardware (cameras) weren’t that robust to handle all that marker information. These days, due to the popularity of Avatar and other motion capture movies, full performance capture is possible – facial and body data of more than six actors is possible and the data is pretty stable. This also means however that the workstations need to be stronger though with bigger memory and RAM sizes.

What have been some of your biggest challenges and success stories in your career?

I suppose like every person in business, the start is always a tough time. I think this is more so when dealing with an outsource management company – trying to determine a vendor’s business practices, level of trustworthiness and professionalism is tough when the country you are going to work with is so far away. The biggest challenge I faced was early on in my business, working with a company that supposedly could handle the managing of manpower – the HR, taxes, government requirements, etc. You expect the level of competency and professionalism to be something like you would encounter here at home. But it was a wake-up call that I shouldn’t really assume things like that – contracts could be ignored and completely disregarded, going to court is very different from here, and dealing with conflict is made more difficult being so far away. Unfortunately, I had to fire the entire company in the middle of working on a couple of my clients’ projects and had to cover all that work with a smaller, new group.

Being able to survive the big changes, continue to deliver on time and within the quality standards and re-train people with the pipelines was definitely my success story. We remained strong in the marketplace, our clients’ confidence in us was never affected and our reputation and integrity remained intact. I credit the relationships I’ve built throughout the years with our clients – just being open and honest with them and the hard work and effort the team brought to meet the expectations.

How much time does it usually take to record and capture an actor for a game?

Depending on whether the actor is the main character or not, the shoot usually begins with a breakdown of the motions that will be needed in the game; it could be in-game motions which include navigational motions, or cinematic where the actors act for the game play. Shoot days are booked and depending on the schedules of the actors (especially if the actor was hired specifically for the game), it can be completed in two weeks to staggered shoot days within three to six months, all of which depends on stellar pre-production work. Some pick-up shots might still be needed after the initial shoot days, in case the game team realizes they needed more or wanted to change/add things to their game.

Can you explain the process of how you work with game companies to obtain the footage and what happens to the footage after you record it?

Once the shoot is done, the developers or production houses send us the data from the motion capture stages. We work with Vicon’s motion capture software, Blade, to track and clean up optical data and deliver it either ready for integration into the character or ready for animation.

What are the benefits of motion capture vs animation and is there a big difference in cost?

I think this question can be misleading because truthfully, motion capture animation and keyframe animation works best together. They both help develop realistic and artistic elements in animation. It was an old discussion where these two processes are made to compete against each other, but it is now better understood as working on the strengths of each process that amazing results can be produced.

Motion capture is fast and most especially in bipedal animation, capable of producing realistic motions.

Keyframe animation adds the emotion and artistry in the animation. An example of this is a walk cycle, it would usually take keyframe animators a day to a week depending on the type of walk you are doing; whereas in motion capture, a walk cycle is captured on stage, reconstructed and ready within hours. By capturing the walk cycle through motion capture and applying animation on top of motion capture data, the process can be streamlined and be able to produce great animation.

The cost can been seen in different ways, there are cost savings in terms of hardware purchasing when dealing with keyframe animation as a motion capture stage can run up to several thousands to hundreds of thousands of dollars especially if performance capture is required. On the other hand, software and manpower cost gets to be high when talking about traditional keyframe animation. Finding a workable middle ground between both will enable a company to produce great work.


What innovations did you bring to the company and how did you get your work noticed in the early days?

The needs of our clients are simple, speedy work and quality data. We were able to meet these expectations by working 24/6, without sacrificing the home life of our team. I brought trainers to the Philippines who were involved in Hollywood level production and they were able to train the team to identify and recognize the level of quality that is expected as well as the timeframes, which can be challenging, that are demanded. By being able to produce the work our client needs quickly and in the same level of quality as it would have been if it had been done in-house, clients recognized us early and appreciated our services.

Does the studio always provide motion capture actors or do you?

We are actually a post-production motion capture service provider, we don’t have our own motion capture stage, so we don’t provide motion capture actors.

What are some of the games that you have worked on and what do you have upcoming?

We’ve worked on Call of Duty Black Ops 1 & 2, Call of Duty Modern Warfare, Heavy Rain, and a few more titles. Guardians of Middle-Earth is a project that was released lately and we were happy to be a part of this cool game. Unfortunately, we can’t mention what we are currently working on, except to say that they’re all pretty exciting and we’re pretty proud to be working on them!

Is it harder or easier to capture for a game compared to a show or movie?

I think both have their own challenges and can be very similar as well. Some games can use well known celebrities and film is the same – even more so because it’s more actors and their schedules. Depending on the type of motions, both games and film may need to prepare elaborate sets and wire rigs for the shoots. Although I think in terms of time, games have a shorter timeframe to produce and when changes happen mid-project, the pressure is on to still meet the deadline set by the producer or developer. On the other hand, while film has a longer timeframe to produce, the pressure is still pretty intense as there are several factors involved in the development of the film and any changes mid-shoot would probably cost much more than the cost of a game. Bottom-line is, it is really a matter of complexity of the whole project – directors, actors, schedules, sets, stories, etc. that impact how a shoot can go.

What are the biggest challenges in the industry you see going forward?

I think trying to match expectations that people have on games and meeting those while also keeping costs down and budgets reasonable is a big challenge. With the release of Playstation 4 and other consoles which promise better graphic capabilities and other amazing features, it is up to the developers to produce games that will take advantage of these features and provide for the market a game that is beyond what they see today. Trying to do that and stay within budget is a challenge and trying to produce a game that people would be interested in is definitely a bigger challenge.

Nightmare Batman and Wonder Woman Infinite Crisis Videos

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WARNER BROS. INTERACTIVE ENTERTAINMENT UNVEILS

INFINITE CRISIS

First Multiplayer Online Battle Arena Game Based on DC Multiverse to Debut Fall 2013

Players Can Register Now for a Chance to Participate in the Beta

BURBANK, Calif. – March 25, 2013 – Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment and DC Entertainment today announced Infinite Crisis, an all-new multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) game developed by Turbine, the award winning studio behind free-to-play online games including The Lord of the Rings Online™. Infinite Crisis is a free-to-play game that features a deep roster of DC Comics characters and is scheduled for release in 2013 for the PC.

Infinite Crisis is a new entrant into the wildly popular MOBA genre that delivers a heart-pounding competitive player vs. player battle experience set in the legendary DC Multiverse – a world in which familiar DC Comics characters have been reimagined in startling ways. Featuring a wide variety of DC Comics heroes and villains, Infinite Crisis puts players in control of twisted incarnations of their favorite characters throughout the Multiverse such as Nightmare Batman and Gaslight Catwoman, playing in league with well-known characters including Green Lantern and The Flash.

“We are thrilled to bring Infinite Crisis, a truly competitive experience featuring the DC Comics lore and characters, to the MOBA genre,” said Martin Tremblay, President, Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment. “Turbine is a pioneer in online gaming and combined with the amazing world of DC Comics, they are executing on a game concept that expands the MOBA genre.”

“The Turbine team is very excited to reveal Infinite Crisis to the world and extend the MOBA genre with new features,” said Jeffrey Steefel, Executive Producer, Turbine. “We are utilizing years of experience in the online game space to deliver innovations to the MOBA genre with a game that features fast-paced action, a major story arc, destructible environments, catastrophic events and a deep roster of iconic DC Comics characters.”

For more information or to sign up for a chance to participate in the beta visit www.infinitecrisis.com.



Jurassic Park 3D

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Back in 1993, Director Steven Spielberg brought the highly popular novel
Jurassic Park to the big screen and in doing so, created a box office
smash and a pop culture classic.

The follow up movies were not as successful as the original, but still did
big business and paved the way for the next film in the series which is
currently in production.

Since the last film in the series arrived back in 2001, many fans had
wondered why there has been such a long delay bringing the new film to
audiences, and this has been attributed mainly to Universal wanting to be
respectful following the passing of series creator Michael Crichton and
the desire to do a new film right so it can hopefully launch a new
trilogy.

With the arrival of the new 3D technology, studios are going back to
convert classic films to 3D as we have already had “Titanic”, “Top Gun”,
and “Star Wars: The Phantom Menace” be re-released with a shiny new 3D
conversion.

For those unfamiliar with the story, it follows Dr. Alan Grant (Sam Neil),
a dinosaur expert who is hired by his wealthy underwriter, John Hammond
(Richard Attenborough), to provide his expert endorsement of a new type of
animal preserve in Costa Rica.

Accompanied by fellow scientists Dr. Ellie Satler (Laura Dern), and Chaos
Theory expert Ian Malcolm (Jeff Goldblum), the group journey to the group
travel to the lush island and discover that the impossible has happened.
Hammond and his team of scientists have brought dinosaurs back to life by
means of cloning recovered strands of DNA.

It is disclosed that the investors of the attraction dubbed “Jurassic
Park” are nervous about the safety of the park following the death of a
worker at the hands of a dinosaur. It is hoped that the endorsement of the
experts will allay the fears of the investors and allow them to open as
planned and experience the fame and fortune their creations will bring.
Naturally things do not go as planned thanks to a less than honest
employee and a big storm and before long, the creatures are loose and
causing death and destruction wherever they go.

Grant and the fellow guests must use all of their skills to survive in the
chaotic world they have found themselves in.

“Jurassic Park 3D” does not try to include things like new footage,
enhanced CGI, or other gimmicks. Aside from the 3D conversion, it is the
same film that captivated audiences upon it’s initial release and it was
amazing to see it back on the big screen even though we own the series on
DVD and Blu-ray.

The 3D at the start of the film was evident, but it quickly faded for me
as the film went along. I have long been an outspoken critic of
post-converting film into 3D as there is a night and day difference
between films that were shot in 3D and those that were converted in a lab.
Although the conversion process has gotten much better in recent years it
still pales to what a film properly shot in the new 3D technology can
offer.

3D requires not only a specific set of cameras, but different lighting and
angles for best results. A film that is intended for conversion can get a
jump on the process by shooting with a mind towards 3D conversion but a
twenty year old film that was never intended for 3D will have some serious
limitations.

Some in the audience at the conclusion of our screener commented that they
thought there would be more 3D in the film but liked seeing it again on
the big screen. I loved seeing it on an IMAX screen and enjoying the
tremendous visuals of the film as well as the great soundtrack being
played through a top of the line system.

The 3D for me was a disappointment as time went on, I realized that
watching the film via Blu-ray at home on our big screen provided and
enjoyable enough experience.

For die hard fans of the series and those who want younger viewers to
experience the film on the big screen, then this is exactly what you have
been looking for. If you are looking for a significant change to the film,
then you may be disappointed. Which makes the review all that much
tougher as I am not so much writing a review of the film but rather a
review of the film as it is presented in 3D.

3 stars out of 5.

The Place Beyond The Pines

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By Joseph K. Saulnier

I really wanted to sit at my computer tonight and write about how much I disliked this movie. I was practically begging people to go with me, but no one wanted to. So I ended up going on my own. The only thing I really knew about this film going into it was that it was from Derek Cianfrance, the writer/director of “Blue Valentine”. I didn’t care much for BV, and so my hopes were not high for “The Place Beyond the Pines”, but actually, Pines surprised me.

Pines is the story of two men on opposite sides of the law, just trying to do the right thing and how what they do impacts each other’s lives, and the lives of their sons. Of course the means by which they got to the “right thing” was not always the “right way”, but ultimately they were trying to good.

Ryan Gosling plays “Heart Throb” Luke Glanton, a stunt motorcycle rider with a traveling circus. We open on him doing his thing in Schenectady, New York, and after his performance he sees Romina (“Roe”, portrayed by Eva Mendes). You can tell these two have history, as though they met the last time his little side show burned through town. Cutting through the awkwardness, Luke finds out that Roe had a kid. His kid, Jason. Though, he didn’t find out from her. Determined to make things right, despite Roe having moved on being with another man, Luke sticks around Schenectady to try and be part of his son’s life and to win Roe from her man. Only things don’t begin moving fast enough for him, and so turns to robbing banks in this small town as a way to provide for his lover and their newborn child. Only things go south fairly quickly and this puts him on a collision course with an ambitious rookie cop.

Bradley Cooper plays Avery Cross; a rookie cop on the force all of six months. After a harrowing deed that puts takes him off duty for several months and causes him so serious psychological issues which make it hard for him to even look at his son, Avery Jr. After his recovery, Avery returns to the force only to be thrust into a den of corrupt cops, gangs and a genuine fear for his life. He is not sure how to react at first, but eventually knows that he must do the right thing… even if it means ratting out his brothers in arms. This doesn’t prove to be an easy course for him, but he is determined to do the right thing, despite it tearing his family apart.

Act one of this film focuses on Gosling and Mendes’ characters and their tumultuous relationship. When they first brought Mendes on screen, I was really questioning the casting choice. By the end of the act, those questions were still there. It just didn’t seem like Gosling and Mendes had the chemistry that the makers of the film were desperately trying to portray. But we do see a lot into the character of Luke and how much he really just wants to be there for his son. Gosling did an excellent job with the role, but I feel like there was thing that was distracting from his performance: his hair. For some reason they decided bleach blond was the way to go to this character, but mostly what I was thinking when he was on screen was that it just looked out of place and I really had to concentrate to get past it.

Act two focuses on Bradley Cooper and the turmoil he goes through. I can’t say too much without giving away some major plot points of the film, but Bradley Cooper definitely did an excellent job playing the young rookie cop. He has an excellent supporting cast for his act with Harris Yulin playing his father, Rose Byrne as his wife and Bruce Greenwood as the District Attorney. He eventually manages to get from underneath all the lies, coercion and corruption to make a bid for an Assistant District Attorney position.

Fast forward to 15 years later, and this is where our act three takes place. Only now we are focusing on the lives of young Jason and Avery Jr. The deeds of their fathers in yester year, portrayed in our first two acts, affect our young subjects as they become friends without realizing the history between their families. I felt that Dane DeHaan who portrayed a 17-year old Jason knocked it out of the park with his performance. But there is something left to be said for Emory Cohen who is on screen as Avery Jr.

Want to know the rest? Watch the movie. Acts one and two, though long winded at points, blew me out of the water. Cianfrance did an excellent job of captivating the audience and making you care for the two focus points, despite them being on completely different sides of the law (as mentioned earlier). Act three, however, fell kind of flat to me. It very well could be a result of a poor casting choice in Emory Cohen, but I also felt like they could have shaped the end of this tail into so much more.

Overall, I actually enjoyed the movie, despite a lackluster ambition to go see it. Would I have gone to see it on my own if I had to pay for it? Nah! But it is a good date movie and might possibly start some interesting conversations between you and your partner.

4 stars out of 5

Evil Dead

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By Tracey Barrientos


One of the greatest horror movies of all time would have to be “The Evil Dead” which had been spawned by Sam Raimi and his original short film “Within the Woods”. “Within the Woods” was filmed with the intent of gaining investors to collaborate on a full length film starring the then unknown God of “B” horror movies Bruce Campbell. “The Evil Dead” and its predecessor “Within the Woods” was meant to be serious and horrifying, though that proved to be hard with a smaller budget that Raimi and Campbell had originally hoped for. Little did they know that Evil Dead would become one of the largest trilogies in cult film histories.

Based on Raimi’s original 1981 script, five young adult friends set out on a short vacation in a remote cabin in the woods. Whilst reading from a book that was obviously supposed to stay hidden, one of them ends up summoning dormant demons that end up causing havoc among the group. Killing them off one by one. Though the aura of the film is somewhat similar to the original, we all know that with remakes there are always some differences. In the original the five friends go to a cabin for a care free fun filled weekend the remake centers around one friend trying to kick her drug habits “cold turkey” with the help of her three friends and older brother.

The cinematography of the film is one hundred times better (remember in the original; Bruce running from the “deadite” and you could see the lights in the rafters of the studio “that does not happen in this film”). The remake pays homage to the original in certain respects and can be spotted throughout the film if you are a true “Evil Dead” fanatic. Unlike the original movie that had been filmed in Tennessee the remake was filmed in its entirety in New Zealand. The recreation of the cabin is almost uncanny with a couple of differences here and there. As expected the special FX are much better with a bigger budget and the advancement of technology. Like the original the actors are not well known and only have done a couple other projects. The cast was well selected and the acting was much better.

If you are a true fan of the original film you may like or dislike it. I myself found it to be entertaining however it doesn’t come close to the original film. If you’ve never seen the original you may like this movie based on its own merits. I must add if you’ve never seen the original film shame on you. To all Evil dead and/or Bruce Campbell fans I can not disclose to you if Bruce makes a cameo but I will say this stay till the end of the credits and you may feel pretty groovy.

3 out of 5 bloody stumps.

Check out our audio interview with Director Fede Alvarez

Evil Dead Interview

Blizzcon 2013 Tickets on Sale April 24th and 27th

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Blizzard warning in effect for Southern California!
Massive Warcraft, StarCraft, and Diablo community gathering coming to
Anaheim Convention Center November 8-9th.

IRVINE, Calif.-Get ready for a storm of epic proportions! Blizzard Entertainment,
Inc. today announced that tickets for its seventh BlizzCon gaming convention will go on sale in two batches on April 24 and April 27.

In addition, a limited number of tickets to an exclusive pre-BlizzCon dinner to benefit Children’s Hospital of OrangeCounty will go on sale May 1.

Set to tear through the Anaheim Convention Center this November 8 and 9, BlizzCon is a thundering celebration of all things Warcraft, Diablo, and StarCraft.
The annual-ish two-day community gathering features in-depth discussion panels with Blizzard developers, hands-on play time with the latest Blizzard games, and tons of other exciting events and activities.

As announced earlier this week, BlizzCon 2013 will also host the StarCraft II World Championship Series Global Finals-a high-stakes showdown where the top pro players in the world will battle for the right to be crowned StarCraft II World Champion. “We love having the opportunity to hang out with our players at BlizzCon, and it’s always awesome to see the greatest gaming community on earth swarm Anaheim,” said Mike Morhaime, CEO and cofounder of Blizzard Entertainment.
“We look forward to delivering two full days of gaming, activities, and other entertainment, and we can’t wait to show some of the exciting projects we’ve been working on.”
Tickets to attend the convention will be priced at $175 USD each and will be available for purchase from the official BlizzCon website(in two separate batches.
The first batch goes on sale Wednesday, April 24 at 7 p.m. Pacific time, and the second batch goes on sale Saturday, April 27 at 10 a.m. Pacific time.

Tickets to the BlizzCon Benefit Dinner, which include admission to BlizzCon, will be priced at $500 USD each, with proceeds going to Children’s Hospital of
Orange County. Taking place the evening of November 7, this exclusive event offers guests an opportunity to /eat, /drink, and /lol with Blizzard game developers,

community managers, and other folks from Blizzard before the show. Approximately 200 tickets to the benefit dinner will be available for purchase beginning Wednesday, May 1 at 7 p.m. Pacific time through Gamers from the far reaches of Azeroth, the Koprulu sector, or Sanctuary looking to enjoy BlizzCon from the comfort of their own home will once again have the option to order a BlizzCon Virtual Ticket, offering comprehensive live coverage of the event via a multi-channel Internet stream. Further details on the Virtual Ticket, including pricing, availability, and programming information, will be announced at a later date.

Check out Blizzcon

Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 Uprising Video and Details

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ACTIVISION AND TREYARCH SET TO DELIVER ONE OF ITS MOST CREATIVE AMBITIOUS DLC OFFERINGS
TO DATE WITH

CALL OF DUTY®: BLACK OPS II UPRISING -

AVAILABLE FIRST, EXCLUSIVELY ON XBOX LIVE ON APRIL 16

A Volcanic Town Overflown with Hot Lava. A Reimagining of Call of Duty®: Black Ops’
“Firing Range” Map. And Zombie Mobsters in Alcatraz. Yep…You Read That Correctly
- Uprising’s All-New Zombies Adventure “Mob of the Dead” Brings Together Iconic
Hollywood Mobsters and Pits Them Against the Undead in the World’s Most Inescapable
Prison

Santa Monica, CA – April 4, 2013 – Call of Duty® fans are set to receive another
premium offering of Downloadable Content (DLC) with Call of Duty®: Black Ops II
Uprising on April 16. The game’s second, epic DLC pack of the year

will be available first, exclusively on Xbox LIVE® for the Xbox 360® video game
and entertainment system from Microsoft beginning on April 16, with other platforms
to follow. Call of Duty: Black Ops II Uprising will include four new exotic multiplayer
maps, plus an exciting new Zombies experience called “Mob of the Dead” that takes
players to Alcatraz with four of the actors behind some of Hollywood’s most iconic
mobsters, including Ray Liotta, Chazz Palminteri, Joe Pantoliano, and Michael Madsen.

“With Uprising, the team has really outdone itself again,” said Mark Lamia, Treyarch’s
Studio Head. “In addition to creating four amazing new multiplayer maps, the Studio
has been hard at work on the Zombies front to surpass what we accomplished with
‘Call of the Dead.’ What they’ve done this time around is nothing Zombies fans have
seen before – and if you don’t believe me, just wait until you get into Purgatory.”

Following tradition of the original Call of Duty: Black Ops fan-favorite Zombies
mode “Call of the Dead,” Call of Duty: Black Ops II Uprising’s wildly creative
new “Mob of the Dead” Zombies experience finds the four prohibition-era mobsters,
Billy Handsome (Liotta), Al “The Weasel” Arlington (Pantoliano), Salvatore “Sal”
DeLuca (Palmentiri), and Michael “Finn” O’Leary (Madsen) serving time in Alcatraz
Prison, only to discover that being behind bars is the least of their problems.
With plans to break out of Alcatraz foiled by the rise of the undead, the quartet
of inmates will have to lean on their mob-derived skills with firearms, blunt
instruments
and improvised weaponry as they battle the zombies infesting and overrunning the
island. In order to survive, players must work their way through the steel cells
and aging concrete buildings while fighting off a multitude of zombified prisoners
and guards trapped on the island with them. Additionally, if a player becomes an
unfortunate victim, “Mob of the Dead’s” new feature known as “Purgatory” sends
players into the afterlife. This new twist on Zombies gameplay is ripe with its
own set of objectives, and offers fans a truly new and unique experience.

Uprising also delivers another four new, exotic and diverse multiplayer maps set
around the globe for fans to jump into. “Magma” is a modern Japanese village with
volcanic eruptions carving multiple paths throughout the town. “Encore” takes place
in the aftermath of a deserted London music festival and leaves numerous opportunities
for run-and-gun, close quarters combat. “Vertigo” is a futuristic high rise in India
housing a high-tech lab featuring dizzying vistas and multi-tiered pathways. Finally,
“Studio” is a contemporary remake of “Firing Range,” a fan-favorite multiplayer
map from the original Call of Duty®: Black Ops. “Studio” is a Hollywood movie back
lot with a variety of cinematic themes that range from Sci-Fi to the Old West

My Farewell to Lucasarts and Thanks For The Memories

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Disney’s decision to close LucasArts is a very sad thing not only for the talented employees and gaming industry but for the fond memories I had of the company and their games. When it was announced that Disney was going to acquire the Lucasfilm and other Star Wars assets, my first thought was that 1313 was likely in trouble as I could not see Disney releasing a mature rated Star Wars game especially with planned films on the horizon. Disney has always made more family-friendly games that are based on their intellectual properties most notably “Brave” and “Epic Mickey 2″ as well as casual games for mobile devices.

I did not see the company as being one who would take on the tremendous production cost of doing an A level Star Wars title without bringing in other companies. While it is too early to say, Disney has said that their preferences to sign licensing deals with other companies so that they can develop Star Wars games and now former LucasArts employees have said that 1313 could still see the light of day provided a deal can be struck with another company.

While the business side of things sadly plays out, fans can be content that there will be future Star Wars games to look forward to especially as we get closer to the premier of the first sequel movie in 2015. Rather than focus on the doom and gloom side of things today has there’s certainly plenty of that to go around, I wanted to instead look back upon the fond memories I have with LucasArts.

I remember when I was in college doing my first radio show how the LucasArts general store made games such as X wing versus Tie Fighter, Outlaws, and Full Throttle available to me at a student friendly rate of $10 title. I also remember a life-size Indiana Jones cut out that was sent to us for a Star Trek convention we were at prior to my days of speaking at conventions and launching the site and magazine. At that time I was working in the gaming industry and doing articles for several publications prior to the creation and launch of our site in 2001. Regardless of how my reps change over the years, I always remember getting great treatment from the company even when we were working to establish ourselves. Titles such as The Dig, Knights of the Old Republic, and the Dark Forces series provided not only plenty of entertainment and provided more Star Wars for a ravenous fan who could not get enough, especially during the three year wait between prequel films.

I have seen how changes in the company can come on unexpectedly and have dramatic results. I was at Monolith and Sierra during times of change and closure and I also know how a sense of family can develop at a good company amongst the staff. It was one of the main reasons that I moved out of the industry into journalism full-time as I did not like the transitory nature of working in the gaming industry. Sierra was very supportive of my writing and provided me with fantastic job that I loved as well is the ability to develop my website and journalism interests. For me it was the best of both worlds and had the closure not happened, I would’ve stayed on as long as I possibly could.

It is never easy saying goodbye to good people and it is also difficult to close a formative chapter of your life. At last year’s E3 I was thrilled with what I saw of 1313 and looked forward to what I saw as a potential triumphant return of LucasArts to the action gaming genre. Bolan sadly looks as if that will not happen let’s remember fondly the good people and company that brought us countless hours of entertainment and memories and hope that their brighter days ahead not only for the workers but for the Star Wars gaming franchise.

The Purge Trailer

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In an America wracked by crime, the government has sanctioned an annual 12-hour period in which any and all criminal activity—including murder—is legal. The police can’t be called. Hospitals suspend help. It is one night when the citizenry regulates itself without thought of punishment. On this night plagued by violence and an epidemic of crime, one family wrestles with the decision of who they will become when a stranger comes knocking.

Directed by James DeMonaco (writer of Assault on Precinct 13 and The Negotiator), THE PURGE is produced by Jason Blum of Blumhouse (Paranormal Activity, Insidious, Sinister), Platinum Dunes’ partners Michael Bay, Brad Fuller and Andrew Form (The Amityville Horror, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre), as well as Sébastien Kurt Lemercier (Assault on Precinct 13).

Watch and share THE PURGE trailer, photos & poster below and #survivethenight this May 31!

What The New Call of Duty Gaming Engine May Allow And What We Want To See

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During the 2013 game developers conference in San Francisco, Activision raise some eyebrows with their impressive looking graphics that are part of a new rendering engine for the Call of Duty series. Naturally details of when gamers might see the new engine in action were not forthcoming but speculation has it that the next Call of Duty game might be exclusively for the PC and next-generation gaming consoles. If this is correct not only would this be a fantastic achievement, but could breathe fresh life into the franchise. I recently wrote about the difficulty of having multiple developers working to ensure a new game every fall. While some jaded gamers have insisted that taking some time off might be the best thing for the franchise, financial responsibility would dictate otherwise especially when the most recent game generated $1 billion in revenue in just 15 days for the company.

Developing and implementing a new engine is not only a costly undertaking but it can be potentially filled with issues and delays. I have first-hand experience with a gaming engine that was the basis for three games that never provided the functionality and stability that the designers had envisioned which in turn resulted in the end of two popular franchises as well as the developer and publisher. Now admittedly this is the worst-case scenario but there is security in going with the tried-and-true rather than taking chances with and incurring the costs of a new engine development.

If the new graphics are any indication that a new engine is coming, then Activision is to be credited for being able to keep the series moving along while at the same time listening to the demands of gamers for bigger and better things for the franchise. Despite record sales, some people have bashed recent entries into the series claiming that they did not offer anything that new and were essentially reissuing the same game annually just for some new maps and weapons. Why do not agree with this sentiment I do understand that for some gamers change in the series is needed is I myself found the multiplayer element far more compelling than any part of the story campaign in the most recent release, Black Ops 2.

So aside from better looking graphics and facial animations what would I like to see from a new gaming engine? For starters, I would love to see the ability to include more players in an online game. Imagine if team sizes can be increased to 16 or more to truly build an epic team or even squad for some challenge-based missions or co-op play.

I would also like to see the return of vehicles in the series is outside of World at War, the ability to use vehicles and online play has been sadly absent from the series in my opinion. I’m not saying that they should go the full Battlefield route, but being able to bring in jets, helicopters, tanks, and other vehicles would definitely bring a new wrinkle into both the solo and multiplayer modes.

Another thing that I would love to see is an enhancement to the physics of the game. Imagine a more open world map where I can dispatch enemies by collateral damage or knocking them off buildings. This is been done to a limited extent in past games but being able to have a more sandbox approach could be just the thing. I’d also love to see a flamethrower added to the weapons options again and having fire travel over various surfaces to take out an enemy could be highly satisfying.

Of course the settings can also now become deeper and more involved. Jungles can now be teeming with dangerous animals and other dangers. The players pin down might be able to even things out by taking down various trees and using the falling logs to inflict damage upon the enemy. There is also the twisted idea of strapping explosives to a fallen comrade, animal, or landmark to set a trap that will make the enemy think twice about encountering you again.

The final thing for me would be a greater degree of character customization online. I would like to easily be able to upload and customize artwork and logos as well as unique uniforms and skins for my character. The game is always been highly customizable so wouldn’t it be great to be able to upload a photo of yourself to be digitally re-created as your online player?

Well nothing has been finalized bead on showing new facial animations and rendering the possibilities are endless and I for one am really looking forward to seeing what the future of the series holds especially with the new abilities that the next generation consoles, graphic cards, and processors, will allow.

Bioshock Infinite

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After a few delays the third game in the Bioshock series has arrived from 2K Games and he continues the amazing legacy of the series in grand style. Playing as Booker DeWitt players embark on an epic rescue adventure to the floating city of Columbia in the early 1900s.

Booker is anxious to erase his massive gambling debts and has been told that recovering a girl named Elizabeth from the floating city will clear his accounts. Upon arrival, Booker notes the grand spectacle of the city as well as the Steampunk themes that combine technology, science, and fiction.
Playing from a first person perspective, Booker is able to interact with his environment from looting ammunition, food, health, power ups, money, and other items necessary for survival in a hostile city. Booker can also obtain needed supplies from various mechanical vending machines located throughout the city.
This is a very good thing as despite the beauty of Columbia, it is rife with all manner of dangers as the self-proclaimed savior Comstock has an endless supply of enemies to throw at you to keep you from recovering Elizabeth.

The narration of the story kicks into high gear once you encounter Elizabeth as many of the missions become escort and protect in nature but the back story of the central characters as well as the social strife in Columbia become more and more evident.

An underlying tone of racial tension and labor unrest is threatening the status quo and Booker finds himself squarely in the middle of both factions.

Elizabeth has some amazing abilities of her own such as being able to open tears in time and space which would explain Comstock’s obsession with her. Aside from an arsenal of weapons which includes pistols, shotguns, machine guns, rocket launchers, and various rifles, Booker can gain special powers through the use of vigors that are located throughout the game. While only able to wield to it time, the ability to telekinetic please send enemies flying, blast them with water, fry them to a crisp, and other spectacular feats are absolutely essential to the game as well is highly satisfying. In order to power the special powers, Booker must constantly replenish assault supply which adds a new element to the game strategy.
One of the greatest features of the game was the magnetic melee weapon which also doubles as a magnetic hook. This allows Booker to travel via rail Skyway by taking spectacular leaps and sliding along the rails. The sheer rush of whipping through the city especially during combat situations is a remarkable achievement from both a visual and gameplay perspective.

Graphically the game is fantastic as the amount of detail is simply breathtaking. If one was to nitpick they could state that the character facial animations seem a bit dated but they are definitely in keeping with the previous two games and in my opinion do not detract from the game in any way shape or form.
When death happens in the game, players are able to be resurrected at a nearby point for little bit of their money which allows for a smoother gameplay experience. Some moments the game on normal setting were quite difficult and for gamers who need a break, players can choose to lower or raise the difficulty setting in game.

Unlike the previous games the storyline is more linear and your decisions do not drastically change the outcome of the game unless you are playing the game in the optional 1999 mode where decisions can in deed change the outcome of the game including placing the character in no-win situations.

The voice acting and sound of the game are first rate and I especially enjoyed the nostalgic music and primitive recording and playback devices the time which added a very unique perspective to the game. There is no multiplayer aspect of the game so players who complete the game will have to look forward to the planned DLC content which will be offered in the future.

The immersive factor of the game really captured me and in my opinion sets a new standard for storytelling and player interaction. While enemies tended to be for the most part mindless foes who charged headlong to their doom, this did change as the game went along as some enemies presented some real challenges and displayed some very interesting and clever strategies.

Upon completion of the game, I found myself pausing to reflect on the twist and turns of the storyline as well as look ahead with great anticipation for the next installment of this epic series. Bioshock Infinite is a must own for fans of the series as well as action games and is definitely an early candidate for game of the year awards.

4.5 stars out of 5