Category Archives: Reviews

Iron Man 3

Posted on by

(We are restoring and updating the site following a nasty hack attack. Please excuse the very basic look while we fix things up).

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

Posted on by

(Site was hacked and we are in a basic state while we repair, restore, and update).

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

Posted on by

(The Site Hack did lots of damage, we will fix it up and be back to full power as soon as we can. Thanks for your kind words of support).

 

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

Posted on by

(We are recovering from a site hack, please excuse the very basic state of the site).

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

Posted on by

(Please Excuse the mess, we are recovering from a nasty site hack and have put the site in a very basic state while we repair and update so we can keep the interviews, reviews, and more coming while we fix things up).

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

Pain and Gain

Posted on by

(We are repairing from a Site Hack and Doing Updates. Please Excuse The Mess)

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

Gangster Squad Blu-ray

Posted on by

(Please Excuse The Mess, We are Recovering and Updating From a Site Hack)

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.

Oblivion

Posted on by
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

42

Posted on by

“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

Jurassic Park 3D

Posted on by

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

Posted on by

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

Posted on by

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

Bioshock Infinite

Posted on by

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

The Host

Posted on by

In Stephanie Meyer’s adult sci-fi novel “The Host”, Melanie is one of the few remaining humans on Earth who hasn’t been physically taken over by a Soul. Souls are parasitic aliens that are surgically implanted into humans and take over the host body. In most cases, all that remains of the human are their memories. But not in Melanie’s case. Pursued by human-hunting Souls called “Seekers”, Melanie (Saoirse Ronan) launches herself out of a window to escape capture, but miraculously survives the fall to be captured anyway. In the hands of the aliens, Melanie is implanted with a Soul called “Wanderer” who finds herself fighting internally with her host who is alive and well in the Wanderer’s head.

It’s Wanderer’s job to dig through Melanie’s memories to find out where other humans, like Melanie’s brother Jamie and boyfriend Jared are hiding. Melanie is uncooperative and Wanderer is soon convinced she needs to be removed from Melanie’s body. But no one wants the information on the humans more than the head Seeker (Diane Kruger). Neither Melanie nor Wanderer trust Seeker to not replace Wanderer with herself, so Melanie/Wanderer escape to find a Healer who can remove Wanderer from Melanie. On the way, Melanie convinces Wanderer to help her find her Uncle Jeb whom Melanie, Jamie and Jared had been seeking before Melanie was captured.

It’s Uncle Jeb who eventually discovers his lost and dehydrated niece and takes her to his hideout, a network of caves inside an inactive volcano that houses about 3 dozen humans. There Melanie is reunited with her little brother and her boyfriend, but is soundly rejected by her Jared when he realizes she’s host to a Soul. Wanderer has to win the humans trust, which is difficult, to say the least, when all the humans want to do is kill her. This includes a boy named Ian who, after attempting to choke Wanderer to death, finds himself attracted to Wanderer, much to Jared and Melanie’s consternation.

If this review hasn’t put you to sleep already, congratulations! There’s a slight chance then that you’ll make it through the movie. While Ronan plays Melanie/Wanderer beautifully, hers was the only performance that had some semblance of emotion. Even John Hurt, who plays Uncle Jeb, looked like he had just enough energy and interest to utter a few words simply for laughs. Jared, played by Max Irons (yes, Jeremy’s son) is adequately sigh-worthy, as indicated by the teens present, and so is Ian, played by Jake Abel albeit in a less brooding manner.

While the Souls are supposed to be a peaceful race, Kruger’s Seeker is deadly intent on finding Wanderer. This is the film’s only true conflict and it’s lackluster at best. One moviegoer who read the book said the movie followed the novel closely, but the movie did away with quite a few ancillary characters. I think my husband said it best when he told me, “I never thought I’d utter these words, but Twilight was better.” Just like Twilight rewrote vampire and werewolf mythology, The Host tries to portray the story’s aliens as harmless, peaceful invaders. For someone who grew up with the Alien franchise, I think it was difficult for my husband to accept the delicate, fluttery, dandelion-esque Souls and their “peaceful” assault on Earth, much less the awkward teenage love triangle. Or square, rather.

Not having read the book yet, I went into the movie with little more than a synopsis of the plot. I had no expectations so I wasn’t terribly disappointed by the movie but I must admit I struggled more than usual to stay awake. Most of those in the audience who read the book seemed okay with its theatrical adaptation but that’s just it. No one was wowed and there was an almost tangible malaise to the crowd as we exited the theater. These advance screeners are promoted to create buzz, and good movies literally have that excited buzz as the audience exits the theater. The only buzz after this movie was the static caused by the slow shuffle of feet as we piled out of the theater. If you’re a true Meyer fan, I’m sure there’s no stopping you from catching this movie but if you’re not, there’s really no compelling you to watch.

2 out of 5

G.I. Joe: Retaliation

Posted on by

By Joseph K. Saulnier

Who didn’t grow up as a child of the eighties and nineties and not play with G.I. Joes? And of those, who can honestly say they were not thoroughly disappointed in G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra? Surprisingly, I can say that I wasn’t thoroughly disappointed, but I know the movie could have been so much more than it was. Could it have done without the surreal technology, the sappy love story and the unrealistic action scenes in the movie? Yes. Many fans cried out about this. G.I. Joe: Retaliation set out to respond.

Did they succeed? That’s debatable, but they did a lot of things right in the go-around. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not award winning or anything, and you should never expect a movie like this to be that. But let’s run through a check list. Sappy out of place love-story: gone. Surreal technology: less. Let’s face it, despite what some people felt about the first movie, it did kind of set that precedent. Retaliation is considered a true follow up to The Rise of Cobra. So would it honestly make any sense to go from one extreme of nearly impossible gadgets to none at all? Absolutely not. Besides, the cartoon series also had technology in it. I am not trying to defend the use of it, and there were some pretty crazy gadgets going on in this movie, but it seemed to jive better with what I remember of it as a kid. And they found a really unique way to tone it down without it not seeming right. Unfortunately, there is still a fair amount of unrealistic action in this movie, but that’s kind of become the norm for most action movies these days.

We pick up fairly close to where we left off in The Rise of Cobra. Duke (Channing Tatum) is now commanding a unit of the Joes with Roadblock, Lady Jaye, Flint and Snake Eyes (Dwayne Johnson, Adrianne Palicki, D.J. Cotrona and Ray Park respectively) under his command. The Joes are sent out on a mission, a good rapport is built between Duke and Roadblock, but then they go and destroy that when their convoy gets attacked by Cobra eliminating Duke from the rest of the film. Go cry spoiler somewhere else, this happens in the beginning of the movie, and it’s been everywhere since the delay of the movie from last year. I was hoping they would somehow managed to keep him in the movie, especially after seeing the chemistry between Tatum and Johnson, but alas…

So the convoy attacked, and all the Joes presumed dead. Only Roadblock, Jaye and Flint actually survive and try to get to the bottom of everything. Meanwhile President Zartan (remember how the last movie ended) is up to his own nefarious plans in breaking out Cobra Commander with the aide of Storm Shadow. The Joes work their magic, still have access to some technology (though not over the top like The Rise of Cobra), and recruit people to help them along the way, including the man who is the reason the Joes were started: General Joe Coulton (played epic-ly by Bruce Willis).

The movie was entertaining, had a lot of great and clever humor that wasn’t thrown in your face, and had some great action scenes (if you can get past the fact that in one scene they are fighting Cirque Du Soleil style on the side of a cliff). But it’s some of the little things in this movie that prevent it from redeeming the franchise after the first iteration, including the casting of RZA in a part that looks like it is meant to be serious, but his horrible acting make you really wonder if it was supposed to be a serious role or not. The other gripe I had with the movie was the unlikely resolution of the main conflict. With the Cobra Commander so confident in his plan, why would he, or any self-respecting super villain, deliver a way to foil the evil plan with literally half a second left on a silver platter. The last issue I had with the movie was Storm Shadow. I really liked the conflict between him and Snake Eyes in The Rise of Cobra, but they seemed to discredit his character a lot in this movie. Ultimately they changed the nature of Storm Shadow to make it seem as if he might switch sides in any future installments of the franchise, and that’s just not cool. The character was awesome the way he was.

As for the 3D aspect, it’s said this was the reason that the studio delayed the movie for a year. They wanted to add more effects to it. This tells me two things: the movie was shot in 2D and they had little faith in it. Honestly, I think we all know they tried to add more Duke to the movie in this time (which it’s really hard to tell if they did), but you can tell there was work done with 3D aspect. Too much. It was very distracting at points, and it seemed liked they added elements to scenes just to have 3D. For instance there was a scene where you were in a situation room viewing information on a monitor. It literally looked like they just super imposed a shoulder into the lower right of the screen so they could have in 3D as if you were looking over someone’s shoulder. That’s just silly.

All that being said. I had fun watching the movie. Dwayne Johnson is becoming a powerhouse that everyone was expecting him to years ago. I hope that he can continue this streak with some good movies (he’s got two more within the next month alone). I own the first one on Blu Ray, and I will probably buy this one when comes out as well. I would watch it in theater just for the enormity of the action on the big screen, but skip the 3D.

3.5 stars out of 5.

Admission

Posted on by

By Amy-Jo Shriner

What’s the secret to getting in? Everyone wants to know this at some point in their lives, and to some extent Admission has the answer.

Tina Fey plays Portia, a Princeton admmissions officer. She has a very uneventful life; she lives with her very long time boyfriend and has worked for the university for sixteen years. Things are pretty set for Portia, she even has her eye on a promotion. This is when John Pressman (Paul Rudd) calls her to come to his alternative school to meet Jerimiah (Nat Wolff) a gifted student whose past would never get him into Princeton. Out of a competitive streak to try and get the promotion she goes to John’s school. John tells Portia he thinks she is Jerimiah’s birth mother and she pulls out all the stops trying to get Jerimiah admitted, to try and fulfill his dream. Along the way sparks fly between Portia and John.

Admission is a great movie, it has some interesting ideas about parenting and life in general. Tina Fey is totally believable as the woman in a rut who gets dumped and rebounds into a completely different life. Rudd is a wonderfully refreshing blend of a nice guy who makes, and can admit to making, mistakes. Perhaps my favorite character was Portia’s mother, Susannah (Lily Tomlin). Her take on feminist beliefs was hilarious. The story is solid too, for the most part. I would have questioned some things Portia just let slide. Other than that; its tale of growth, both tennager and adult is excellent.

So what’s the secret to getting in? Buy a movie ticket and find out.

4 stars out of 5

Olympus Has Fallen

Posted on by

Two review For you on the film for you.

By Amy-Jo Shriner

Mike Banning (Butler) is a Secret Service agent in the Presidential detail, and it could be argued a friend to the President; he even lands a punch in an opening boxing practice. All of that changes when, during a horrible automobile accident, the President’s wife is killed. Mike couldn’t save them both, so he chose to save the President. After making “the right call”, as his director (Angela Bassett) tells him; the President just couldn’t stand to be reminded of the failure and moves Mike to the Treasury. Mike wants back into the detail, and he gets his chance when a Korean terrorist infiltrates the White House and all of the fail safes in place to keep an incursion from happening. Banning jumps into action and becomes the only one left/able to save the President and his son.

Admittedly I am a Gerard Butler fan. I see this character as a watered-down, but trying really hard, version of John McLane ala Die Hard. Except the one liners feel forced, not funny, as does the unwarranted use of foul language. A New York cop is one thing for cursing, but it just doesn’t feel right seeing it come out of a Secret Service Agent. Morgan Freeman does an excellent job portraying a man making the tough decisions as Speaker Trumbull (the acting President for much of the movie); he makes mistakes and corrects his actions based on those mistakes. Aaron Eckhart is ok as the President, but doesn’t have the gravity needed to really pull that level of authority off; he is very much an every-man version of the President. His relationship with his son and that of Banning’s and the President’s son is very believable and heartfelt.

While action packed and fast paced; the plot is wholly unbelievable. Maybe I’m just an arrogant American, but I highly doubt the sheer number of protocols that were breached would actually happen. It felt like Eckhart’s character was overriding them through the whole attack sequence. I actually could believe the amount of time it took to respond to the call, but I’ve been to the North Lawn, and could see the snipers from the street and on the surrounding buildings. The White House is just too protected to make an assault like the one depicted.

I enjoyed the movie as long as I didn’t think too much about what was actually happening.

3.5 out of 5

Second Review by Rebecca Fox

Finally a movie worth seeing! I think they could have come up with a better movie title but I digress. We start out by being introduced to some of the main players. Gerard Butler is Mike Banning, head of the Secret Service detail for the President of the United States, played by Aaron Eckhart. Banning’s character was believable, he was serious, but sweet and the camaraderie between him, the President and his family, and his fellow Secret Service co-workers was natural. This introduction was a slow build but it never felt sluggish, and ended up with President Asher demoting Banning to a desk job. Not because he was a horrible agent but because Banning reminds him of something he doesn’t want to remember. That will make more sense when you wee it.

Afterwards we are jumped to eighteen months from our introduction. Banning’s new desk job happens to have a great view of the White House, taunting him with the job he’ll never have again. The scenes with Banning’s wife, Leah, played by Radha Mitchell, were unnecessary but didn’t drag the movie down, only slightly helping towards making Banning seem like an everyman while revealing bits of his character and how hard it’s been for him to be sidelined. Bannign provides this all on his own.

One day while at work all hell breaks loose and the unthinkable happens, Olympus, code name for the White House, has ‘fallen’. The President and members of his senior staff have been taken hostage inside a bunker in the White House. Now, there are large parts in these takeover scenes that just would never happen, tactically and strategically but I have to say it didn’t matter. For me, being ex-military, I could spot almost all the inaccuracies and I still did not get pulled out of the entertainment.

Banning, seeing this from his work window immediately sets out to try and help. Naturally becoming the only eyes the Pentagon has inside. Just to clarify he doesn’t have ‘inside information’ as the previews say, he just is the man on the inside, the only one that can really be relied on. What ensues is entertaining and suspense filled, with a touch of humor. There are moments of sadness but more often moments where you want to stand up and applaud something that was said or done, it just pulls you in.

Morgan Freeman does a good job playing House Speaker, and acting President, Trumball. I did expect a little bit more from him, almost as if he wasn’t fully used, but it was still a great performance. Vouching for Banning in the Pentagon situation/war room is Secret Service Director Lynn Jacobs, played by Angela Bassett, she was believable as Banning’s cheering section and friend.

Finley Jacobsen did good playing Connor, the President’s son, as a child actor it’s harder for me to enjoy the performance but he didn’t annoy me so it worked. Ashley Judd played the Presidents wife Margaret Asher. Cole Hauser played Roma, the new head of the Secret Service detail for the President, an old co-worker, and Dylan McDermott played ‘retired’ Secret Service agent Forbes, also an old co-worker who now works private security. Melissa Leo, gave, at times, an inspirational performance as Secretary of Defense Ruth McMillan. Then there’s Rick Yune who plays Kang our bad guy. He and Banning had a subtle cat and mouse game almost the whole time that succeeded in creating tension. He did a really great job at making me hate Kang without trying to oversell that we are supposed to hate him.

The movie itself was a great pace, never too slow and the violence while graphic, is not gory or drawn out. You won’t miss anything if you don’t see it in theatres but I’d recommend it.

4 out of 5 stars.

The Croods

Posted on by

by Ryan Guerra

When seeing the trailers for this film it seemed like so many other stories that have come before (Ice Age: Continental Drift for example). I figured that this was just the next shameless animated money grab by studios attempting to cash in on those parents who take their young children to each new animated film no matter what it is. That being said, the trailer for this film does not do it justice. Seriously, 20th Century Fox is doing Dreamworks Animation a disservice by not providing better trailers and promotion for The Croods. While the complete package of this film is not the best animated film, it is more than just a mere money grab.

The film opens with Eep, voiced by Emma Stone who introduces us to her cave family led by her overly protective father Grug (Nicolas Cage) and shares her rebellious desire to follow her curiosity and see more of the world. The scene quickly shifts to the family’s quest to find some food that plays like a fast paced prehistoric game of football that clues us in on each of the characters’ strengths and weaknesses. From this point forward the film does a fantastic job of keeping a steady pace that will keep both parents and young children’s interest. As I am sure most parents know, you can always tell how good a children’s movie is based on how fast the young ones lose interest and start to become fidgety. Right from the start, my girlfriend’s three year-old son was attentively glued to his seat. Also I did not notice any of the other children in the theater talking or making noise which is usually a sign of a good children’s film.

Keeping with the fast paced action we are introduced to Guy voiced by Ryan Reynolds. Guy is traveling to high ground in an effort to escape the end of the world caused by earthquakes and lava. Unlike The Croods who are simple minded cavemen, Guy has a brain and is constantly introducing the family to new ideas like fire, shoes and umbrellas. His adventurous spirit is a foil to Grug’s living in constant fear of the unknown in order to stay alive. And while the family starts to fall for Guy’s spirit, they go on an adventure not only to find safety but to finally live.

The voice acting is solid across the board. Emma Stone really shines as the rebellious teenager and Nicolas Cage gives one of his better performances in years. Ryan Reynolds is accompanied with his sloth sidekick “Belt” who provides some of the most memorable comedic moments in the film. Together, along with the other supporting actors in this film, you have several inspired performances. It is these performances that appeal to the adults in the audience and make the film memorable and fun for all ages.

3 ½ stars out of 5

The Host

Posted on by


by Genevieve McBride

In Stephanie Meyer’s adult sci-fi novel “The Host”, Melanie is one of the few remaining humans on Earth who hasn’t been physically taken over by a Soul. Souls are parasitic aliens that are surgically implanted into humans and take over the host body. In most cases, all that remains of the human are their memories. But not in Melanie’s case. Pursued by human-hunting Souls called “Seekers”, Melanie (Saoirse Ronan) launches herself out of a window to escape capture, but miraculously survives the fall to be captured anyway. In the hands of the aliens, Melanie is implanted with a Soul called “Wanderer” who finds herself fighting internally with her host who is alive and well in the Wanderer’s head.

It’s Wanderer’s job to dig through Melanie’s memories to find out where other humans, like Melanie’s brother Jamie and boyfriend Jared are hiding. Melanie is uncooperative and Wanderer is soon convinced she needs to be removed from Melanie’s body. But no one wants the information on the humans more than the head Seeker (Diane Kruger). Neither Melanie nor Wanderer trust Seeker to not replace Wanderer with herself, so Melanie/Wanderer escape to find a Healer who can remove Wanderer from Melanie. On the way, Melanie convinces Wanderer to help her find her Uncle Jeb whom Melanie, Jamie and Jared had been seeking before Melanie was captured.

It’s Uncle Jeb who eventually discovers his lost and dehydrated niece and takes her to his hideout, a network of caves inside an inactive volcano that houses about 3 dozen humans. There Melanie is reunited with her little brother and her boyfriend, but is soundly rejected by her boyfriend when it’s discovered she’s host to a Soul. Wanderer has to win the humans’ trust, which is difficult, to say the least, when all the humans want to do is kill her. This includes a boy named Ian who, after attempting to choke Wanderer to death, finds himself attracted to her, much to Jared’s and Melanie’s consternation.

If this recap hasn’t put you to sleep already, congratulations! There’s a slight chance then that you’ll make it through the movie. While Ronan plays Melanie/Wanderer beautifully, hers was the only performance that had some semblance of emotion. Even John Hurt, who plays Uncle Jeb, looked like he had just enough energy and interest to utter a few words simply for laughs. Jared, played by Max Irons (yes, Jeremy’s son) is adequately teen sigh-worthy, as is Ian, played by Jake Abel, but in a less brooding manner.

While the Souls are supposed to be a peaceful race, Kruger’s Seeker is deadly intent on finding Wanderer. This is the film’s only true conflict and it’s lackluster at best. Others in attendance at the screener said the movie followed Stephanie Meyer’s novel of the same name closely, but the movie did away with quite a few ancillary characters. I think my husband said it best when he told me, “I never thought I’d utter these words, but Twilight was better.” Just like Twilight rewrote vampire and werewolf mythology, The Host tries to portray the story’s aliens as harmless, peaceful invaders. For someone who grew up with the Alien franchise, I think it was difficult for my husband to accept the delicate, fluttery, dandelion-esque Souls and their “peaceful” assault on Earth, much less the awkward teenage love triangle. Or square, rather.

Not having read the book yet, I went into the movie with little more than a synopsis of the plot. I had no expectations which means I wasn’t terribly disappointed by the movie but I must admit I struggled more than usual to stay awake. Most of those in the audience who read the book seemed okay with its theatrical adaptation but that’s just it. No one was wowed and there was an almost tangible malaise to the crowd as we exited the theater. If you’re a Meyer fan, I’m sure there’s no stopping you from catching this movie but if you’re not, there’s really no compelling you to watch.

2 out of 5

Game of Thrones, Starcraft 2: Heart of the Swarm, God of War Ascension, Star Citizen, Microtransaction, and More on BJ Shea’s Geek Nation

Posted on by

The gang talks Season 3 of Game of Thrones and then we talk about Starcraft II: Heart of the Swarm, GOD of War: Ascension, The growing issue with Micro-transactiosn in games and preview Star Citizen and more on the latest epsiode of BJ Shea”s Geek Nation

Click Here to Go to the External Audio Player

The Incredible Burt Wonderstone

Posted on by

Back in the early 1980s, a young boy who found himself without friends and tormented by bullies was about to have an unexpected and life-changing experience. Alone on his birthday, the young boy opens his one gift from his mom and is delighted to find a magic kit and instructional video by reknowned magician Lance Holloway (Alan Arkin). His early attempts at magic gain him a new friend and the two become inseparable through their love and practice of magic.

Flash forward, and the two friends are now all the rage in the world of magic. Burt Wonderstone (Steve Carrell), and Anton Marvelton (Steve Buscemi), have packed their theater night after night with a dazzling mix of music, showmanship, and magic. Not only does this keep their boss (James Gandolfini) happy, but it allows Burt to enjoy all of the perks of being a Las Vegas headliner: fame, fortune, and women.

Ten years later it’s a different story for the two friends. While they still have a very popular show, creative differences between the two have arisen and Burt has become a very pompous and self-centered individual. He treats those around him with utter disdain and has driven off numerous assistants due to his behavior. The latest to join his group is Jane (Olivia Wilde), whom Burt sees as nothing more than a person to assist on stage to make him look good, and to succumb to his charms after the show. When a new street magician named (Jim Carrey), starts to become garner attention with his new and shocking routines, Burt and Anton’s routine is suddenly looking very stale in comparison. Anton devises a new trick to be played out in public that he hopes will propel the duo to a fresh and hip image, but sadly things go horribly wrong and the best friends have a bitter falling out. Literally.

Burt attempts to go on with the show alone, but his ego will not allow him to acknowledge the fact that Anton was a big part of the show and that the act depends on both of them. With his career suddenly over and with no money, Burt hits rock bottom and must find a way to regain his former glory. In doing so he will have to reinvent himself and undergo a magical transformation of his own.

The movie is an absolute delight and is so much more enjoyable and funnier than the trailers imply. Carrell has pulled off his best movie since “The 40 Year Old Virgin”, and infuses Burt with a likeability and sense of wonder despite his narcissism. Buscemi and Arkin are great in their supporting roles and Carrey seems to be enjoying every minute of playing the film’s bad guy as he gives a performance that while restrained when compared to some of his more over the top roles works very well with the ensemble cast.

The film is an unexpected find as it is a comedy that does not pander to base humor to get laughs and instead uses situational comedy and the characters to tell a charming story sprinkled with some solid laughs along the way, especially in the final moments of the film.

4 out of 5

This is 40 Blu-ray

Posted on by

The last time we saw Pete and Debbie in the movie “Knocked Up”, they were just reconciling after a short separation. Pete found Debbie too controlling and regularly escaped the house leading Debbie to believe he was having an affair when really he was in a fantasy baseball draft. Five years later, Pete is no longer a band promoter but trying to keep his own record label afloat, while Debbie owns and manages a clothing boutique.

To the casual observer, Pete and Debbie, played with great chemistry by Paul Rudd and Leslie Mann, live an idyllic life with a nice house, two daughters and promising businesses. But a closer look finds Pete would rather play Scrabble on his iPad while on the toilet than spend time playing with his daughters. Most would never guess Debbie is a stress smoker since she goes to great lengths to hide her habit. Stressing over turning 40 isn’t helping her quit and neither is trying to figure out which of her employees is stealing from her. Is it the sexpot Desi, played easily by Megan Fox, or is it the strange Jodi, played with eerie weirdness by Charlyne Yi? As for Pete’s business, his stubborn antipathy towards popular music is driving his record label towards bankruptcy. But that’s not all that’s troubling Pete and Debbie. Both have daddy issues and neither know how quite to handle their over-emotional 14 year old daughter.

Sound like a hodge-podge of dilemmas? It certainly is. What started out as an amusing tale of turning 40 quickly devolved into a manic mess of pointing fingers, curse words, teenage angst and mental breakdowns. At one point in the film, Debbie’s dad, played by John Lithgow, looked utterly confused and I could empathize. If this movie had a storyline, it got lost along with any sympathy for Pete or Pete’s dad played by Albert Brooks. You know it’s bad when you start hoping the 8 year old daughter, Charlotte, says something funny again to break the tension.

With this strong cast of actors, including director Judd Apatow’s daughters Maude and Iris who played Pete and Debbie’s daughters, Sadie and Charlotte, there was no issue with the performances. Maybe some of the story was trimmed away in the editing room, but with a run time of 134 minutes, one would think some semblance of a storyline could have been left. Sure, there was plenty to laugh at, especially with bit parts played by Jason Segal, Melissa McCarthy and Chris O’Dowd.

I really wanted to like this movie. Judd Apatow, Paul Rudd and Leslie Mann sounded like the perfect trio to make a funny movie. Alas, the funny stuff is in the trailers. Save yourself some dough and wait for the DVD, where some of the storyline may make it in the deleted scenes.

2.5 out of 5

The Blu-ray set in my opinion greatly improves upon the film in several ways. First, the picture and sound quality is better than what you get in the cinemas in my opinion. Secondly the deleted, extended, and alternate scenes give a new level to the film and I wish that many of them had remained in the final cut. The gag reel alone is gerat and offers some great laughs. For me though the commentary with Judd Apatow is a real treat as getting to hear who he goes about his creative process as well as the other features on the disc greatly improve the film.

3.5 stars out of 5 for the Blu-ray relase.

Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2 Plus

Posted on by

By Joseph K. Saulnier

Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2 Plus is as basic as you get. Hand and slash, hack and slash. It’s the same basic formula as every next-gen Ninja Gaiden game. Literally. Exactly the same. The only thing that changes are the enemies and the weapons.

The story begins as a young, busty woman is looking for Ryu Hayabusa. She is almost immediately abducted as Ryu is attacked by a rogue ninja, but not before she manages to tell Ryu that someone is trying to awaken the greater fiend and his village will be attacked. Ryu then sets off on a journey to stop the greater fiend from awakening; all the while defeating those who dare stand in his way.

The game has you running around the levels where, in the end, you usually encounter a boss. Using Ryu’s skills like jumping around, using his sixth sense, running on walls… you know… ninja stuff, will help you get by. The one weakness is the camera work in the game. It has always been shoddy, and it is your most difficult enemy. It will cause you to miss locations, items and other equally important items/events.

The game also suffered from consistent frame-rate issues, causing the game to stutter and slow way down at times. It seemed to happen when the screen became extremely populated with enemies. Its kind a sad thing really, considering that this game has far less an enemy count than the original title.

In case you haven’t figured it out, especially by that last cue, the game is a port. It started as an Xbox title, was ported to the PS3, and now the PS Vita. There were a few less desirable changes to the PS3 version (which released 4 years ago, believe it or not), many of which made it the Vita version. A big difference between the PS3 and Vita, as mentioned, is that there are not nearly as many enemies in the game. This seems to make it too easy. But, the Vita managed to add back in the gore that was missing from the PS3. So no more purple blood!

Given how network friendly the Vita is, it was a bit of a disappointment that the Tag Missions were redesigned so that your partner is the CPU. A CPU controlled character who on many instances went off to fight opponents, but not do a very good job of it. It ended up just making it far more annoying and harder than the PS3 version.

The single chapters allow you to play as Ayane, Momoji and Rachel. This can be fun, but also disappointing. Aside from Ayane, the characters have no real contribution to the main story arch. It seems that they were just included to make the game last a little longer.

My overall impression is that this game is both satisfying and disappointing at the same time. I am extremely happy that Team Ninja added the blood and gore back into the game, but it just doesn’t feel challenging. Also, the slowdowns from the camera speed becomes extremely painful as you are in the thick of things. What’s really confusing is how the first Sigma Plus didn’t suffer from any of these problems, but this port is littered with them. From a horrible camera to uneven level design, and combat that tends you cheat you as often as it challenges you, the issues in Sigma 2 Plus take too much from the game and leaves me just wanting to turn on the PS3 version.

3 stars out 5.

Oz the Great and Powerful

Posted on by

Taking on a movie as beloved as “The Wizard of Oz” is a daunting task. The iconic Judy Garland film is considered a classic and many of the songs from the film have remained part of our culture since it was released in 1939. Despite several book sequels, the attempts to continue the series have had little success as there have been animated films as well as an urban remake, “The Wiz”, which also failed to reach the success of the original. Director Sam Raimi opted to do an original prequel story that tells of how the fabled Wizard of Oz came to be.

Oz (James Franco), is a small-time magician toiling away in small circus in Kansas in 1905. Life on the road has allowed him to be a womanizer and an egomaniac who dreams of greatness. When his actions catch up with him, Oz is forced to flee and takes refuge from an angry mob in a hot air balloon. An unexpected storm funnel grabs the balloon, and whisks Oz to a dazzling and colorful world filled with all manner of strange creatures and wonders.
Upon his arrival, Oz is greeted by Theodora (Mila Kunis), who believes that Oz is the great wizard that legend has said will arrive to save the land and rule the people in a kind and just way. It is revealed that the land is under siege from a wicked witch, and a prophecy indicates a great wizard will arrive with the same name as the land, and will save the day.

Naturally Oz does not believe this but is more than willing to charm Theodora and her sister Evanora (Rachel Weisz), and plot to get his hands on the abundant gold that will come with his appointment as the great wizard. Oz learns that in order to take the throne, he has to defeat another witch (Michelle Williams), and sets off on a journey to the Dark Forest with his flying monkey companion Finley (Zach Braff). Along the journey, Oz learns first hand of the horrors the witch has unleashed on the unsuspecting and learns that his selfish behavior has serious consequences not just for himself, but for innocent people as well. This leads to some serious soul-searching and a confrontation that will force Oz to become the man that many believe he is, less they all perish.

The film has some great visuals as Raimi wisely shot the movie in 3D and mixed CGI with some very impressive sets. It is clear that much of the film is shot against a CGI backdrop but the visual wonder of the film is something to behold. The biggest issues I had with the film were that it was slow-paced and did drag in several parts. Franco does his best to play up the seedier side of Oz, but makes some very odd facial expressions throughout the film that seem very forced and out of place for the film and the situations he finds himself in. Kunis and Weisz make excellent witches and their backstory is a very interesting and an integral part of Dorothy’s adventures in the original film. Williams does well with her role but never seems to develop the needed chemistry with Franco. I was also surprised that the film was very light on musical numbers as there was only a hint of one that was quickly halted by Franco. “Oz: The Great and Powerful” is a visually enjoyable film that sets the stage well for the original film and Raimi is to be praised for taking on such sacred material and providing a new chapter for the modern generation. While it is not likely to be considered a classic like the original film, it is still a worthy chapter in the series which will provide good nostalgic entertainment for fans new and old alike.

3.5 stars out of 5.

Second Review by Joseph K Saulnier

Good; not great. Those were my thoughts immediately after seeing Oz, the Great and Powerful; those are still my thoughts as I write this.

Oz was shot in 3D, and they did a great job of not going too overboard with rubbing it in your face about it being 3D. This is a drawback to most 3D movies released these days, and it’s nice to see that it’s starting to fade out. The visuals in Oz were absolutely amazing. They did a great job presenting on screen the concepts that Frank L. Baum put into writing oh so many years ago. I didn’t see anything ground breaking, but what was in the film was done very well.

I thought the supporting cast did an amazing job as well. In Oz fashion, many of them had parts before and after the Wizard’s trip to Oz. Michelle Williams brought new scope to the character once made famous by Billie Burke, showing the tougher side of the ever-regal Glinda the Good Witch of the South. Joey King shows good range both as an actress and a voice talent. Bill Cobbs and Tony Cox also provide a good balance to the group of… Oz-ites? Oz-ians? Anyway, the scene-stealer throughout the movie was Zach Braff. Who did distracted you from James Franco’s sub-par performance as Frank, Oz’s assistant in Kansas, and Finley, a flying monkey who owes Oz a life-debt shortly after his arrival in this foreign land. On the other side of the good vs. evil fight was Rachel Weisz, who played Evanora (The Wicked Witch of the East) perfectly.

While the supporting cast was excellent, I felt that Disney dropped the ball with the casting of our major players. I was impressed with James Franco’s performance in 127 Hours, and really was looking forward to seeing him in this film. During the whole movie, it felt like Franco thought he was acting in one of the raunchy comedies he has become so well known for. He wasn’t horrible, but I just don’t think he was the best choice for the part.

I could say almost same for Mila Kunis as Theodora, aka The Wicked Witch of the West. Now I say “almost” because I feel like there were moments in the movie where she played the part well. But for the most part she over acted almost the entire performance. Add to that the makeup job after she made her transformation from Theodora to the Wicked Witch was sub-par. I’ve seen better makeup job’s on SyFy’s Faceoff.

All that said, I did enjoy the movie; albeit I was a little disappointed that it was not a musical as the original was (some would argue that The Wizard of Oz was not a musical, but I say any movie with 4 or more songs sung by the cast who are not part of a band is a musical). I felt that the movie had a good presentation, with a good storyline that was based on Baum’s world. Living up to The Wizard of Oz is a daunting task, and while Disney hit it out of the park with story and visual representation, it left me wandering how much better it could have been with better casting choices.

The big question I hear after I watch movies these days is: “Should I see it in theaters?” Just for the visuals alone, and the supporting cast carrying the movie on their backs, I would say yes. That said, I would still give the movie 3.5 out 5 stars.

Red Dawn Blu-ray

Posted on by

Back in 1984 in the late stages of the Cold War, the movie named “Red Dawn” was released. It starred several young actors and actresses who went on to a variety of success including Patrick Swayze, Charlie Sheen, Jennifer Grey, and Lea Thompson. The film follows a group of high school students who fight to defend their town, families, and country after an invasion of Soviet and Cuban forces occupies mainland America.

Despite being delayed for nearly 3 years due to financial issues, the new version of “Red Dawn” has arrived and also features an impressive young cast of future stars. Chris Hemsworth has gone on to find fame as Thor while Josh Hutcherson has found fame playing Peeta in “The Hunger Games”. The fact that this movie was filmed before either of those actors appeared in their signature roles allows the studio to now benefit from the increased name recognition of the cast.

Instead of a California town, the new film is set in Spokane, Washington where thanks to news clip segments at the beginning of the film, we understand that the country is involved in numerous conflicts around the globe and some question whether or not we have enough forces to secure our borders. Enter Jed Eckert (Hemsworth), who’s just returned home on leave after serving combat duty in the Middle East. His younger brother Matt (Josh Peck), is a quarterback at the local high school team and he bears resentment toward his brother for leaving shortly after the death of their mother. Their father is a well-respected member of the force and does his best to ensure harmony between the brothers as well as their local community.

The brothers are literally shaken awake by an airborne assault as North Korea lands troops throughout their community. Unsure what is happening, Jed, Matt, and several of their friends managed to escape into the wilderness and devise a plan for survival. Further complicating matters is the fact that Matt’s girlfriend Erica (Isabel Lucas), has been taken prisoner. Jed, with his military background quickly assumes control of the group, but Matt finds himself distracted from following orders and missions whenever he sees an opportunity to pursue Erica’s freedom.

The group calls itself “The Wolverines” after the local football team, and engages in a series of hit-and-run tactics against the invading forces. The plan is to make the occupation so costly that they will eventually give up. While they do have initial success, they soon realize that they are fighting against substantial odds not the least of which is their own internal conflicts and agendas as well as diminishing supplies.

When a recon group from the military under the command of Col. Andy Tanner (Jeffrey Dean Morgan), arrives and tells the Wolverines about a device that may hold the key to their victory. The two sides must team up in an all-out assault on enemy headquarters in an effort to save the day.

While the film has plenty of action, the leaps of logic and common sense it requires the audience to take are astronomical. I understand that for a film of this type you must suspend a lot of reality in order for it to work. I’m not supposed asked questions about the logistics of the enemy’s plan and their actions. Suffice it to say that I could think of at least a dozen factors that were not brought into play. While the enemy may indeed have the ability to shut down various electronics and defensive capabilities which enabled the invasion. That does not explain where the military outside of the combat zone is, why our allies and remaining military are not dropping bombs and nukes on North Korea in retaliation, and scores of other inconsistencies. It is essentially left to our imaginations as to why this is not happening and we’re just supposed to accept on blind faith that there’s a good reason for this even though the recon unit manages to infiltrate Spokane in a helicopter and makes mentions of Missouri to Arizona as being free of any enemy influence.

The best thing I can say about the film said if you are willing to overlook the abundance of plot holes and logic gaps, as well as some at times stiff acting and dialogue, there are some enjoyable action seems to be found. The young cast works well with one another and often gave a very energetic and physical performance.

If you are a fan of the original, you may enjoy this film from a nostalgia standpoint, otherwise leave your common sense behind, sit back and enjoy the ride.

2.5 stars out of 5

Blu-ray features

There is a Blu-ray, standard DVD, and digital version included and some features on how the film was made as well as the trailer for the film included.
The Blu-ray release offers sound and picture quality that goes beyond what we expereinced in the cinema, and the extra material help make this a release worth owning, especially for fans of the original.

Wreck-It Ralph Blu-ray

Posted on by

In this modern age of console, p.c., and mobile video games it’s easy to forget the days of my youth when the video arcade was king. This is not to say that we didn’t have gaming systems of our own but an Atari 2600 and PlayStation 3 are about as similar as one of Henry Ford’s model T’s to a fully loaded Mercedes.

Suffice it to say I remember very clearly when video games were only a quarter, and how timeless classics ranging from Space Invaders, Donkey Kong, and countless other arcade treasures became cultural icons as well as school yard conversation topics in the pre-Internet days.

Walt Disney Studios have crafted an amazing visual spectacle that combines numerous references to gaming greats old and new with their new movie “Wreck-it Ralph”. The film stars John C. Reilly as Ralph, the villain of a very popular arcade game called Fix it Felix. When the arcade closes for the evening Felix Jr. (Jack McBrayer), and the other residents the game enjoy carefree life of companionship and socialization while Ralph is relegated to a pile of bricks in the town dump and forced to watch the frivolity enjoyed by his workmates from a distance.

His only relief comes when he travels to a central gaming hub and enjoys the company of other gaming villains in a support group. During one such group, Ralph drops the shocking revelation that he wishes to become a hero. Not only does this disclosure shock his fellow gaming villains but the cast of his game, one of whom taunts Ralph to go off and win a hero’s medal elsewhere.

Undaunted, Ralph sets off and finds himself in a brand-new 3-D shooter called Heroes Duty. It is here that Jack meets Sgt. Calhoun (Jane Lynch), a grizzled and bitter veteran who’s been programmed to have the most tragic back story ever developed for gaming persona. Despite his bumbling actions, Ralph achieves his medal and plans to returns to his own game in triumph. Unfortunately in the time that he is been away, the arcade owner believes that his game is defective since Ralph is missing from it and labels the game out of order.

This is a terrible situation especially for older game, as once a game is un-plugged, all of the characters contained within are lost forever. On his way back to his game, Ralph finds himself in a colorfully festooned sugar and treat filled racing game as he attempts to retrieve his medal and set things right unaware that an even bigger threat is looming that threatens all the game characters in the arcade.

Assisting Ralph is Vanellope von Schweetz, (Sarah Silverman), who is an impish glitch that Ralph views as a kindred spirit as she is also ostracized by her fellow game cast. With the gigantic race looming, and the loony King Candy (Alan Tudyk), making things difficult Ralph must rise up and become more than he ever thought he could be to save the day.

The 3-D animation the film the spectacular but what really makes the movie is fine performances by Riley, Lynch, and Silverman, as well as the amazing supporting work by Tudyk, McBrayer, and the rest of the cast. The jokes are extremely clever and come at you at a fairly steady pace. The film was nearly 2 hours in length so parents be warned that this and the PG rating might make things a little harder than usual for extremely young viewers.

There were several fantastic jokes that clearly went over the heads of many of the younger viewers during our test screening as they were geared at those who grew up with arcades and the original Nintendo console.

The film did have a few pacing issues but they were minor and did not as a whole take away from my overall enjoyment of the film. While it falls just short of being considered a modern classic, the movie is definitely one of the more enjoyable films of the year and one that I hope spawns several follow-ups as it was pure Disney magic and gaming nostalgia blended to perfection.

4 stars out of 5

Blu-ray details

The 4 disc combo pack includes both a standard and 3D Blu-ray disc as well as a DVD and digital copy for those who wish to enjoy Ralph on the go.

Aside from the very sharp picture and sound quality that was provided the bonus features are worth the cost alone.

It includes the award winning “Paperman” short, a gamers guide to Wreck-It Ralph, Features, and of course, the deleted and alternate scenes.
During their panel at Comic con, the creative talent had said how many ideas they had that did not make the final film, one can only hope the deleted scenes are a sign of a pending sequel. Either way, run, do not walk and own this impressive release.

Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 Revolution Review

Posted on by

The first of four planned map packs for Call of Duty: Black Ops 2, has arrived for the PC and PlayStation 3. The collection known as Revolution was originally released for the Xbox 360, and offers four new maps for multiplayer and one new map and game mode for the popular zombie mode. As if this wasn’t enough, the developers have released for the first time a brand-new weapon designed exclusively for multiplayer. The Peacekeeper is a very effective and stylish hybrid mixing the rapidfire of the submachine gun with the stopping power of an assault rifle.

The first collection can be obtained for $14.99 or players may purchase a season pass which allows them to get all for the planned packs for $49.99.

Each of the new maps has its share of challenges that gamers must adapt to and overcome. While I am a fan of the series as well as 3-D shooters, I often admit to a little bit of frustration while learning a new map. For me, it’s never fun to be dominated during your early efforts but thankfully the skilled designers have crafted some very impressive looking maps that will have even the most novice gamer moving up the leader board in no time. By my third time through I was able to start moving up the leaderboard and even topped it a couple of times during my early review sessions on the PC.

The first map is entitled Hydro and it is set in a hydroelectric facility in Pakistan. Players must battle it out for survival through various game modes all the while being mindful of the flowing water which can carry unsuspecting players off to oblivion. There is real” combat the takes place in this map and ample areas for snipers to set up and pick off anybody who comes in their sites.

Up next is Grind, which is one of the more clever and innovative maps in recent memory. The map is set in the skateboard park and teams must battle through generous amounts of uneven surfaces such as ramps, pipes, and jumps. There’s also a Pro shop for indoor combat which operates on multiple levels and uses ramps instead of stairs in much the locale. Obtaining the high ground is definitely recommended this one as the action is often ferocious especially in modes such as domination. The unique design of the park offers plenty of places for cover as well as unique terrain to navigate.

Downhill is set in a French ski resort and brings the action to a snowy battlefield complete with ski gondolas, runaway skis, and plenty of places to hide. I have to admit that I found this one to be the most challenging of all the maps in this collection. Incredible level of detail as a great duality and beautiful but deadly as there are so many chokepoints word unsuspecting player can find themselves staring down several enemy players gun barrels with nowhere to run.

Mirage is set in the Gobi desert and pits teams amidst a lecturer resort setting. The catch is that this resort has been largely covered by a sandstorm, which allows players to access high points via scaling a dune. There are also plenty of vehicles on hand in which to hide and pounce when the opportunity arises. They are working this map is very impressive that she go from the beautiful interiors of the resort to the desert landscape that has reclaimed much of the exterior of facility. The main entryway is always a hotly contested area, and dodging a halo grenades is often a requirement for those seeking to traverse the section of the map.

Zombie lovers wlll enjoy Der Rise: Far East which challenges teams of players to survive waves of zombies atop a series of high-rise buildings. Players can collect devices throughout the levels which they will later be able to combine to create new ways to fight the never-ending swarms the undead. Say it is a challenge would be an understatement as I’ve seen battle hardened teams reduced to nothing inside of six rounds.

The new game mode Turned allows players to play as a zombie for the first time and upon defeating the lone human in the map, players or respondents said human and then have to survive alone against an ending hordes of zombies.

Players can opt to play in Team Death Match mode, or to take place in either Domination, Mosh Pit or Hard-Core Mosh Pit which allows them to go through the maps in various gaming styles from Team Death Match, Kill Confirmed, Demolition, or Hard Point.

Maps are challenging, entertaining, and gorgeous to look at and should keep fans entertained and challenged until the release the next expansion and beyond.

4.5 stars out of 5