Clear Skies
But daaah is it cold!
I am meaning to review my films and games of January.... but really I have to start by saying MASS EFFECT 2! and how it is very much consuming my brain.
But in a lot of ways it is good brain food; re-writing my book is charging along too. Three or four days now and I'm already hitting 9,000 words, character designs for it are swimming around in my head too but they are harder to get down on paper.
On a totally random note: Why do some people give their dogs glowing red collars and send them out into the park in the pitch dark?? Aren't they intimidating enough!?
Films of January:
Drag Me to Hell
Watched as my first blu-ray rental!
What a film for the first in 2010, but I have to say I really enjoyed it! It seemed to be a bit of a hit and miss in the cinema... and there's a good reason why; Sam Raimi style of horror is nothing like Saw "horror".
Raimi returns to his favourite genre with great effect. While modern horrors regularly descend into predictable laughing fests (yet still regarded as horror) Raimi deliberately makes his film comedic, such is his style. This has the effect of pulling you into a false sense of security just before something truly outrageous, creepy or disgusting happens!
True there are some over the top moments (nose bleeds like water cannons) but overall it is a great little horror movie, for once!
Avatar 3D
So much hype, so much debate and so much praise. I have to say, I really did enjoy it! But the constant cries that it is the greatest film ever made are wearing on me now.
Number one debate; the 3D. Undoubtedly this must be seen in 3D - without question, but that isn't to say though that the 3D "leaps out at you" and I am happy to see James Cameron didn't do that. 3D's biggest flaw is to be used as a gimmick. Cameron neatly "enhances" the scope and the clarity of the image using 3D: extending distances of expanding jungle scenes; making dizzying heights truly stretch downward. The CG effects, especially the Na'vi aliens themselves, are impressive (improved by the 3D) but one has to start wondering where the line is drawn between using actors and using CG.
Second debate is the story. A lot of people are crying that the story is pathetic, but I feel this is merely to balance with the amazing spectacle. I didn't go expecting a world-moving story. What I got was quite endearing, sure it is incredibly eco-friendly, but as someone who liked Fern Gully, I liked the messages. One message in particular - which few are focusing on it seems - is the human obsession with computer interaction over real life, a very moving scene sees our hero debating which world is real, his life or that inside the avatar body.
I do wish people would stop saying its the best film ever though; it is long for what little actually happens and it is more a technical exercise in film making. Nonetheless, it is worth seeing in 3D, a good piece of original sci-fi cinema with gorgeous visuals.
Frost/Nixon
Once again I have a little history lesson via film. Sure I knew about Nixon already, but the interview itself was quite new to me... so again I feel a little stupid.
But despite this, I find myself a little curious about why this film really needed to be made, (asides educating people like me) the DVD even includes the original interview footage which - ultimately - is more moving.
However the film does have excellent acting from Michael Sheen and Frank Langella, the two of them really struck home the desperation and sadness that resided in Nixon.
A good film, but one that's hard to describe!
Sherlock Holmes
Another contender for top spots on people's person charts, sure did get a lot of attention even with Avatar out at the same time.
I must admit, Sherlock Holmes looks great and has an awesome soundtrack, plus the film itself has a real rustic, gritty quality. The characters in Robert Downey Jr and Jude Law are perfect combinations and I can't wait to see more from this cast and crew. So... what's wrong with it?
The plot and the handling of the mystery. I am not alone in the belief that this film gives the audience absolutely nothing to go on. You watch the film and see completely extraneous clues and information flung left and right (very elegantly thrown, I might say) but we have no idea what's happening. The audience feels incapable of figuring out even the smallest of puzzle pieces, until Holmes goes through a great monologue about how he'd figured it out ages ago. Now I know giving information to the audience could make it predictable... but seriously, you have to give us *something* to work with!
It is a great opening film, no doubt of that, but it is mostly setup for a promising sequel!
Man on Wire
What a crazy film this one is, I wasn't expecting it to be in a documentary style, but it was intensely moving. The real life story of a French tightrope walker, whose passion of daring exploits and thrill seeking in the 1970s brought his attention to the newly constructed World Trade Center towers.
In fact documenting the challenge of breaking into the twin towers, sneaking through the floors and from guards, all through the eyes of an excitable Frenchman was an honorable gesture to the buildings now no longer standing. Indeed throughout there was a great sense of cat and mouse, all for the sake of rigging a cable, 1350ft up, between the towers so he could walk on it.
A greatly moving film about artistic passion and living life for every moment.
City of Ember
City of Ember from the outset looks very unique and stylish, with some gorgeous rustic orange colours of an underground city were society has fled to. Unfortunately, looks is all this kids film has.
Now I understand kids films are bound to having kids running the show and going on adventures... but usually there's at least one adult with them no? At least one who is seen as a believer/supporter/mentor in whatever they are trying to get across. But not in City of Ember!
This society certainly could be brainwashed partly, but for two kids to break rules, discover conspiracy, work highly advanced technology and massive industrial machinery and free everyone... with little more than a nod of approval... just jars with me.
Unbelievable, shallow and including an out-of-place Bill Murray, this film isn't particularly worth the time, unless you really like steampunk styled visuals.
OutlanderAhhh, more B-Movies, they are so easy and preposterous to summarize! In the era of the Norse Vikings, a pilot from another world crashes his spacecraft into the middle of Norway. Unfortunately, he was hunting a vicious alien monstrosity.
Need I say more?
Yes, the acting is cheap (though John Hurt is in there!) and the plot is silly with some crazy bio-luminescent alien tearing up Vikings, with one otherworldly stranger able to save them, but it is quite a good bit of brainless fun.
Turtles Forever
I don't know if this qualifies as a "film"... but it was a good laugh for a Teenage Mutant Hero Turtles fan!
So by the mysteries of obscure cartoon science, the cartoon heroes of the new TMNT series, find themselves face to face with themselves from the original 1980s cartoon!
What's impressive about this venture is the mixing of the two animation styles, especially when the TMNT Turtles find themselves in the 1980s cartoon world! Unfortunately the original series voice talent aren't here, but they try their best. The original cast are displayed quite stupid and comical, the contrast is substantial; "Even trash cans don't have effect!" they shout as they throw trash cans at enemies from the modern show.
Also I was very confused by the TMNT's storyline... given I've never watched it, but some explanation why The Shredder is a squid from space.... would be appreciated!
But overall, I enjoyed it. It was a great homage to everything Turtles related. By everything... I mean everything.
Games of January
Lego Indiana Jones (360)
Now... having played all the Lego Star Wars games and Lego Batman to death... perhaps I am a little tired of friggin Lego games! Because Lego Indiana Jones really started getting frustrating, maybe it was because of the extraneous levels and scenarios made to boost the game's length? I don't know.
It's Lego Indy.... what more do you need? I feel it wasn't as fun as Lego Batman, but I really can't tell if that's because I played that game to death and quite recently.
Bayonetta Demo (360)
I've played the demo, and the start of the game, and I certainly enjoyed both! Hardly surprising is it? Colin liking a game with a leading woman in a catsuit blasting monsters with guns?
Certainly is the most frantic gameplay I've seen in a while... I like to think of Bayonetta as my replacement to PN03 as there are similarities, but PN03 was very stiff and precise. Bayonetta is just manic! Most of the time I just smashed buttons and backflipped when necessary. Though when she goes into a handstand and uses her.... feet-pistols? to shoot everything, that's entertaining!
Hopefully the rental arrives soon... though I'd happily buy it some time.
Call of Duty: World at War (360)
Snooooooore.
Really that's all I want to write.
Really.
I got as far as the sniper level in Stalingrad which is literally "Enemy at the Gates: the video game" before I got bored.
TMNT (360)
1000/1000
Alright... I'll say a bit more. Asides from being the rich gamer score mine that every Xbox player loots, I was surprised that Ubisoft clearly began development on Prince of Persia's gameplay here. A lot of the Prince's wall grabbing / wall running / ledge grabbing mechanics are here.
A little bit like the film it is based, good but also quite average. I'm having so many coincidental Turtles revivals at the moment!
The Simpson's Game (360)
Hm.
Seeing the game below you can see why this one hasn't had much play. From what I got from this, it is a good game... in the same way the Lego games are good. The mechanics are similar too; two characters at once (co-op available) stand on pressure pads to proceed, etc etc.
The graphics and style are perfect for The Simpsons, and being written by the show's writers does give it an authentic feel. If you were a Simpson's fan (which... I'm not really...) you would *love* this.
Mass Effect 2 (360)
Oh god the biggest one until last. So, I got up early to go to Gamestation on Friday for them opening to get this. I played Mass Effect to deeeeath, I know virtually everything about it and I have the art book and the poster. It would be an understatement to say I've been looking forward to ME2.
So far I've played a lot of it, and so far I am thoroughly impressed. Having got my HDMI cable, the graphical improvement from the first game has tripled. No more slow rendering times for normal and texture maps! Plus it just feels like everything is far more fleshed out than before; we are getting a real sense of scope and civilisation now. No more replicated rooms, no more generic planets, everything is unique and glowing with attention to detail.
But some things are bothering me. The inventory has been simplified; now instead of giving each teammate their own specific armour upgrades (through a nice visual screen no less) we are reduced to upgrading the entire team (they being reduced to text box selections).
The weapons work differently; instead of a heatsink system were too many shots rapidly overhead the weapon for a short time... we now have "thermal rounds"; weapons can fire one shot per thermal round fired. So... basically you've given us ammunition? Sure they didn't want to change the technology and probably wanted to make it more challenging... but now we have to scrape the levels for ammunition loot.
The story, well, I don't know yet! I am still intrigued, but I miss the simplicity of the ME1 story (a simple chase story effectively) this one is much more secretive, only now have I been getting some scope and relation to previous plots.
A lot of time has been put into characters, we have so many now! Each are wonderfully portrayed and subtly different, but it remains to be seen how dynamic they really are (Dragon Age feels a little more versatile at times)
But, I might be looking for faults too much, ME is a classic for me. ME2 certainly hits all the emotional responses when it refers to the previous game, Bioware certainly know how to envelope you in real, developed universes!
*must resist playing more immediately*
Wow... that took a while. I hope my net doesn't crash before I post this! (its being a slowpoke)
Feels like yesterday I started this post......
Need to go do something else! Even if that thing ends up being Mass Effect 2!
I am meaning to review my films and games of January.... but really I have to start by saying MASS EFFECT 2! and how it is very much consuming my brain.
But in a lot of ways it is good brain food; re-writing my book is charging along too. Three or four days now and I'm already hitting 9,000 words, character designs for it are swimming around in my head too but they are harder to get down on paper.
On a totally random note: Why do some people give their dogs glowing red collars and send them out into the park in the pitch dark?? Aren't they intimidating enough!?
Films of January:
Drag Me to Hell
Watched as my first blu-ray rental!
What a film for the first in 2010, but I have to say I really enjoyed it! It seemed to be a bit of a hit and miss in the cinema... and there's a good reason why; Sam Raimi style of horror is nothing like Saw "horror".
Raimi returns to his favourite genre with great effect. While modern horrors regularly descend into predictable laughing fests (yet still regarded as horror) Raimi deliberately makes his film comedic, such is his style. This has the effect of pulling you into a false sense of security just before something truly outrageous, creepy or disgusting happens!
True there are some over the top moments (nose bleeds like water cannons) but overall it is a great little horror movie, for once!
Avatar 3D
So much hype, so much debate and so much praise. I have to say, I really did enjoy it! But the constant cries that it is the greatest film ever made are wearing on me now.
Number one debate; the 3D. Undoubtedly this must be seen in 3D - without question, but that isn't to say though that the 3D "leaps out at you" and I am happy to see James Cameron didn't do that. 3D's biggest flaw is to be used as a gimmick. Cameron neatly "enhances" the scope and the clarity of the image using 3D: extending distances of expanding jungle scenes; making dizzying heights truly stretch downward. The CG effects, especially the Na'vi aliens themselves, are impressive (improved by the 3D) but one has to start wondering where the line is drawn between using actors and using CG.
Second debate is the story. A lot of people are crying that the story is pathetic, but I feel this is merely to balance with the amazing spectacle. I didn't go expecting a world-moving story. What I got was quite endearing, sure it is incredibly eco-friendly, but as someone who liked Fern Gully, I liked the messages. One message in particular - which few are focusing on it seems - is the human obsession with computer interaction over real life, a very moving scene sees our hero debating which world is real, his life or that inside the avatar body.
I do wish people would stop saying its the best film ever though; it is long for what little actually happens and it is more a technical exercise in film making. Nonetheless, it is worth seeing in 3D, a good piece of original sci-fi cinema with gorgeous visuals.
Frost/Nixon
Once again I have a little history lesson via film. Sure I knew about Nixon already, but the interview itself was quite new to me... so again I feel a little stupid.
But despite this, I find myself a little curious about why this film really needed to be made, (asides educating people like me) the DVD even includes the original interview footage which - ultimately - is more moving.
However the film does have excellent acting from Michael Sheen and Frank Langella, the two of them really struck home the desperation and sadness that resided in Nixon.
A good film, but one that's hard to describe!
Sherlock Holmes
Another contender for top spots on people's person charts, sure did get a lot of attention even with Avatar out at the same time.
I must admit, Sherlock Holmes looks great and has an awesome soundtrack, plus the film itself has a real rustic, gritty quality. The characters in Robert Downey Jr and Jude Law are perfect combinations and I can't wait to see more from this cast and crew. So... what's wrong with it?
The plot and the handling of the mystery. I am not alone in the belief that this film gives the audience absolutely nothing to go on. You watch the film and see completely extraneous clues and information flung left and right (very elegantly thrown, I might say) but we have no idea what's happening. The audience feels incapable of figuring out even the smallest of puzzle pieces, until Holmes goes through a great monologue about how he'd figured it out ages ago. Now I know giving information to the audience could make it predictable... but seriously, you have to give us *something* to work with!
It is a great opening film, no doubt of that, but it is mostly setup for a promising sequel!
Man on Wire
What a crazy film this one is, I wasn't expecting it to be in a documentary style, but it was intensely moving. The real life story of a French tightrope walker, whose passion of daring exploits and thrill seeking in the 1970s brought his attention to the newly constructed World Trade Center towers.
In fact documenting the challenge of breaking into the twin towers, sneaking through the floors and from guards, all through the eyes of an excitable Frenchman was an honorable gesture to the buildings now no longer standing. Indeed throughout there was a great sense of cat and mouse, all for the sake of rigging a cable, 1350ft up, between the towers so he could walk on it.
A greatly moving film about artistic passion and living life for every moment.
City of Ember
City of Ember from the outset looks very unique and stylish, with some gorgeous rustic orange colours of an underground city were society has fled to. Unfortunately, looks is all this kids film has.
Now I understand kids films are bound to having kids running the show and going on adventures... but usually there's at least one adult with them no? At least one who is seen as a believer/supporter/mentor in whatever they are trying to get across. But not in City of Ember!
This society certainly could be brainwashed partly, but for two kids to break rules, discover conspiracy, work highly advanced technology and massive industrial machinery and free everyone... with little more than a nod of approval... just jars with me.
Unbelievable, shallow and including an out-of-place Bill Murray, this film isn't particularly worth the time, unless you really like steampunk styled visuals.
OutlanderAhhh, more B-Movies, they are so easy and preposterous to summarize! In the era of the Norse Vikings, a pilot from another world crashes his spacecraft into the middle of Norway. Unfortunately, he was hunting a vicious alien monstrosity.
Need I say more?
Yes, the acting is cheap (though John Hurt is in there!) and the plot is silly with some crazy bio-luminescent alien tearing up Vikings, with one otherworldly stranger able to save them, but it is quite a good bit of brainless fun.
Turtles Forever
I don't know if this qualifies as a "film"... but it was a good laugh for a Teenage Mutant Hero Turtles fan!
So by the mysteries of obscure cartoon science, the cartoon heroes of the new TMNT series, find themselves face to face with themselves from the original 1980s cartoon!
What's impressive about this venture is the mixing of the two animation styles, especially when the TMNT Turtles find themselves in the 1980s cartoon world! Unfortunately the original series voice talent aren't here, but they try their best. The original cast are displayed quite stupid and comical, the contrast is substantial; "Even trash cans don't have effect!" they shout as they throw trash cans at enemies from the modern show.
Also I was very confused by the TMNT's storyline... given I've never watched it, but some explanation why The Shredder is a squid from space.... would be appreciated!
But overall, I enjoyed it. It was a great homage to everything Turtles related. By everything... I mean everything.
Games of January
Lego Indiana Jones (360)
Now... having played all the Lego Star Wars games and Lego Batman to death... perhaps I am a little tired of friggin Lego games! Because Lego Indiana Jones really started getting frustrating, maybe it was because of the extraneous levels and scenarios made to boost the game's length? I don't know.
It's Lego Indy.... what more do you need? I feel it wasn't as fun as Lego Batman, but I really can't tell if that's because I played that game to death and quite recently.
Bayonetta Demo (360)
I've played the demo, and the start of the game, and I certainly enjoyed both! Hardly surprising is it? Colin liking a game with a leading woman in a catsuit blasting monsters with guns?
Certainly is the most frantic gameplay I've seen in a while... I like to think of Bayonetta as my replacement to PN03 as there are similarities, but PN03 was very stiff and precise. Bayonetta is just manic! Most of the time I just smashed buttons and backflipped when necessary. Though when she goes into a handstand and uses her.... feet-pistols? to shoot everything, that's entertaining!
Hopefully the rental arrives soon... though I'd happily buy it some time.
Call of Duty: World at War (360)
Snooooooore.
Really that's all I want to write.
Really.
I got as far as the sniper level in Stalingrad which is literally "Enemy at the Gates: the video game" before I got bored.
TMNT (360)
1000/1000
Alright... I'll say a bit more. Asides from being the rich gamer score mine that every Xbox player loots, I was surprised that Ubisoft clearly began development on Prince of Persia's gameplay here. A lot of the Prince's wall grabbing / wall running / ledge grabbing mechanics are here.
A little bit like the film it is based, good but also quite average. I'm having so many coincidental Turtles revivals at the moment!
The Simpson's Game (360)
Hm.
Seeing the game below you can see why this one hasn't had much play. From what I got from this, it is a good game... in the same way the Lego games are good. The mechanics are similar too; two characters at once (co-op available) stand on pressure pads to proceed, etc etc.
The graphics and style are perfect for The Simpsons, and being written by the show's writers does give it an authentic feel. If you were a Simpson's fan (which... I'm not really...) you would *love* this.
Mass Effect 2 (360)
Oh god the biggest one until last. So, I got up early to go to Gamestation on Friday for them opening to get this. I played Mass Effect to deeeeath, I know virtually everything about it and I have the art book and the poster. It would be an understatement to say I've been looking forward to ME2.
So far I've played a lot of it, and so far I am thoroughly impressed. Having got my HDMI cable, the graphical improvement from the first game has tripled. No more slow rendering times for normal and texture maps! Plus it just feels like everything is far more fleshed out than before; we are getting a real sense of scope and civilisation now. No more replicated rooms, no more generic planets, everything is unique and glowing with attention to detail.
But some things are bothering me. The inventory has been simplified; now instead of giving each teammate their own specific armour upgrades (through a nice visual screen no less) we are reduced to upgrading the entire team (they being reduced to text box selections).
The weapons work differently; instead of a heatsink system were too many shots rapidly overhead the weapon for a short time... we now have "thermal rounds"; weapons can fire one shot per thermal round fired. So... basically you've given us ammunition? Sure they didn't want to change the technology and probably wanted to make it more challenging... but now we have to scrape the levels for ammunition loot.
The story, well, I don't know yet! I am still intrigued, but I miss the simplicity of the ME1 story (a simple chase story effectively) this one is much more secretive, only now have I been getting some scope and relation to previous plots.
A lot of time has been put into characters, we have so many now! Each are wonderfully portrayed and subtly different, but it remains to be seen how dynamic they really are (Dragon Age feels a little more versatile at times)
But, I might be looking for faults too much, ME is a classic for me. ME2 certainly hits all the emotional responses when it refers to the previous game, Bioware certainly know how to envelope you in real, developed universes!
*must resist playing more immediately*
Wow... that took a while. I hope my net doesn't crash before I post this! (its being a slowpoke)
Feels like yesterday I started this post......
Need to go do something else! Even if that thing ends up being Mass Effect 2!