j528491 Reviews

Batman: Arkham Asylum (2009 Video Game)

This game has it all

[1 August 2011]

This review is a little bit late as the release of the game was almost 2 years ago, but with all the hype surrounding the upcoming "Arkham City" AND "The Dark Knight Rises," how could I not review it? So let's get to it. About the game...

The game starts when Batman captures Joker and attempts to lock him up in Arkham for good. But of course that never goes well and Joker frees himself and all others being held in the asylum. From there, you, Batman, are in charge of locking up all the inmates once again. So what exactly can you do as Batman?

Batman is at his best in this game. You have all of his physical abilities: running, jumping, fighting... as well as all of his gadgets. At the beginning of the game, you start with the basics, you have Batarangs which are basically ninja stars shaped like bats. However, as you go along, you get some really cool gadgets. Explosive gel, batclaw, line launcher: and thats just to name a few. It's a lot of fun to see all of his different tools get used in combat, stealth and for just searching for things. Another cool feature is Detective Mode. With this, Batman can track down a person he is looking for, search for Riddler Challenges (I'll get to that later), and it even helps in combat. 

The combat in this game is pretty much what you would imagine perfect would be (or at least I thought so). When your in regular hand to hand fights, Batman has a lot of moves and uses them all to their full potential. He also has great ways to dodge hits to avoid damage. In stealth mode, he can fly around the room and jump from statue to statue. He has gargoyles that he sits on and if an enemy walks under him, he can take them down on the spot. It sounds like it would be easy to clear a room but when your in a small area with eight of Joker's henchmen all armed, it can be a challenge. The one thing that this game was really lacking were some of its boss battles. The first boss you fight is Bane, and its fun, but you fight about five or six more like him at different points in the game and it gets a bit redundant and simple. There a few good boss fights throughout the game, and then you get to the final fight and it is just way too easy. 

Fortunately, the game isn't powered on its fights. There is so much more to do on the island. You can go around and find The Riddler's trophies and solve his challenges. If you choose to bypass this, it will still be available after the game is completed. The game has a really good replay value, too. After you complete the game there are fight and stealth modes of game play to complete. 

"Arkham Asylum" is a fun, addicting game. Even after you complete it there is still a lot to do. There is even a "Play as the Joker" DLC available on Playstation Store. I am eagerly looking forward to the October release of "Arkham City."

Cowboys & Aliens (2011)

So that's what westerns were missing

[29 July 2011]

There's something about the old west that makes you think alien invasion. Sure we've seen plenty of westerns lately ("3:10 to Yuma", "True Grit"), but it's been a while since we've seen a western with aliens. But now, Jon Favreau (Iron Man) brings us "Cowboys and Aliens." First things first: we need some cowboys...

And who better to play these cowboys than Indiana Jones and James Bond. That's right we have Daniel Craig playing Jake Lonergan, a cowboy who wakes up in the middle of nowhere and knows only how to speak and fight. It was almost the same thing we saw in "The Bourne Identity." All he can remember about himself comes to him in memories triggered by familiar places and feelings. Then we have Harrison Ford playing the rich and powerful Woodrow Dolarhyde. From trailers and posters of the movie, I went in the movie thinking these two would be a team from start to finish. What we actually see is Ford's character start as a villain type and evolve from there. He was the most developed character throughout the entire movie and was a lot of fun to watch. Then there was Ella Swenson (Olivia Wilde) who seemed to be a little clichéd as far as strong western women are concerned, but we soon realize that she is quiet different from past westerns. All of the characters (including some of the aliens) are really dynamic. 

The movie is set in Arizona in 1873 and holds strong to the setting for a long time. You get the western feel of it and see all of the classic western elements. There are people fighting in deserts, bars, jail cells...and there was a lot of great violent action. And then the aliens come and you completely forget about the setting. But your okay with it because in the alien scenes, someone/something is getting stabbed or shot in the face. Which brings me to my next point...

The action scenes in this movie were what we should have been seeing ALL SUMMER LONG. If a helicopter is spinning out of control, I don't want to see someone imagine a roller-coaster that guides it to the ground gently (that's right Green Lantern, cut the crap). In the same way, if aliens come and invade a town and abduct most of the peoples' family members, I want those cowboys to hunt them down and find new and creative ways to make their body parts disappear. And "Cowboys and Aliens" did a really good job with that. I would say that it had a few of the best action scenes I've seen all year. 

So "Cowboys and Aliens" was a really fun movie. Not the kind that makes you think really, or even one many people could relate to, but it was still fun in that it was gory when it needed to be, it was funny when it needed to be, and it was even emotional when it needed to be. It was just a really great summer action movie (which is apparently where Jon Favreau thrives). It was a great western with great sci-fi. And really, how many other movies can say that?

Captain America: The First Avenger (2011)

A fun way to wind down the summer

[22 July 2011]

In past years its felt like we have seen the same superheros over and over with all of their reboots and sequels. Recently, there have been a few original or lesser known heroes on the big screen. After the disaster that was called "The Green Lantern," "Captain America" is a breath of fresh air. 

"Captain America" is a new brand of superhero (the first I've seen with a gun anyway). He is the kind of hero that you feel for. Hes so dynamic in his goals along with his relationships with other characters. The villain, Red Skull (Hugo Weaving) was exactly what you would want to see in a villain. He didn't show any weakness until the end and we didn't get too much of his back-story other than an origin story. 

The movie, set in the 1940's, starts with Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) who is hell bent on joining the army and fighting for his country. At the first chance he's offered, he takes it. After various events (mostly in the trailer) he becomes Captain America. After he is turned into a "Super-soldier," he is somewhat useless. He is used as a mere paperweight in the war and puts on shows reciting his lines for the public audiences to give them hope. It was a lot of fun to see him as a propaganda for the military because it gave the feel that it was his decision to become...well...Captain America. 

The setting in this movie was really convincing. Recent movies set in earlier dates (like "Super 8") just didn't give the right feel. "Captain America" made a point of giving the right effect. The graphics in the movie were very CGI/green-screen. There were a few scenes that were very out of place. The action scenes were great...assuming you could catch them. Something about all of the scenes went by really fast and almost rushed. There was one, maybe two memorable action sequences. 

As many people know, the entire Marvel universe will eventually turn into "The Avengers." Unlike "Iron Man 2," this movie was not packed full of Avengers details and subplots. It, surprisingly, had a lot to do with "Thor". It was cool to see it tie in, but if you haven't seen "Thor," it was still fun. The bottom line is that "Captain America" was a lot of fun. Maybe a little lacking on the graphics, but had a good story with real historical situations made fun. I look forward to sequels even after "The Avengers."

Inception (2010)

Nolan's best...so far

[23 June 2011]

Christopher Nolan is one of the most watched directors in Hollywood today. Each of his movies makes him more and more popular. I am a huge fan of his films and I believe Inception is his greatest work. Yes, The Dark Knight was amazing, but I prefer to see original ideas. Inception is the story of Domm Cobb (Leonardo Dicaprio) who specializes in the art of extracting information from a subjects subconscious. When he is accused of murdering his wife, Mal (Marion Cotillard), he is forced to run. He is offered a job for very powerful people that can clear his name. He and his point man Aurthur (Joseph Gordon-Levvitt) assemble a team and take on the job of planting an idea in the mind of an heir of a major corporation. 

There are a lot of elements that make Inception...well...Inception. The cast is truly amazing. Dicaprio can really capture the emotion of Cobb. Tom Hardy (Eames) really made a name for himself with his role in the movie. And this is Ellen Page (Ariadne) at her best. All of the characters blend so well together, but are still very unique. The relationships in this movie are so real and convincing. Each actor captures all of the attitude, all the emotion, all of the intensity and makes the scene what it is meant to be. 

The story itself is complex. Its not confusing; just complex. Everything is explained so well. It made me feel like Inception was a real thing. Just the basic thought that one idea can change someone's life; or that a dream can be the source of an idea, there's so much truth in what Nolan had to say. It's amazing that no one thought of it before. 

Nolan is one of the very few who has enough respect for film to keep it in 2D. The cinematography (done by Wally Pfister) is so clean. Each shot focuses on what it needs to and nothing more. There are some shots that i had never seen before. The scene transition and intensity of the movie work hand in hand. This is also true about the film score, but I would expect nothing less from Hans Zimmer. 

Usually when I review movies, I try to find the positives and negatives; for Inception, I just couldn't do it. Everything was so perfect and worked so well. Some critics have said it the dream world was not enough like a dream. My answer to that is that if Christopher Nolan changed it, the end would not have been so mind bending. That's another great thing about Inception: the ending is limited only to what you imagine it to be. I look forward to seeing what Nolan has planned for the future.

Super 8 (2011)

Great original movie with classic elements

[23 June 2011]

Watching Super 8 was like watching a classic Spielberg film with better CGI. It felt like The Goonies mixed and Close Encounters. The time setting really added to the story. It was set in 1979. A group of young kids trying to make a movie for a local film festival witness a train wreck and discover a mystery that is taking over the whole town. We also get some back stories for the kids, their parents and the alien (yes, there's an alien), but that's the basic premise of it. 

A few young actors are going to get very famous from this movie. Elle Fanning (Alice) gives her best performance yet. The characters were really fun to see. The variety reminded me of that of The Goonies. None of the characters seemed cliché either. Each one took on their own, unique person and did a great job. 

The movie had a great compelling story for about the first 45 minutes. The train wreck scene was among the best I've seen. After that, the movie seemed to drag a little. There was a lot that could have been left out. The only thing that I really had to look forward to was seeing the alien at the end. 

The fact that you don't see the alien until the end was a smart move on Abrams' part. When you do see it, it becomes a really emotional character that has the same needs as a human. You actually get an emotional connection to this creature and that is something that this move needed. The downside to this is that it makes the movie less scary. I went into it expecting a good scare and for the most part, it just gave loud startlers. 

Super 8 had a few funny and emotional moments. J.J. Abrams said from the start that this wasn't supposed to be a huge Summer blockbuster, just a fun, original movie. That's exactly what he gave us. It was a lot of fun to watch, even in its slow parts. Besides from a few moments of bad 3D cinematography, it wasn't difficult to watch. I would say Super 8 is worth the money and a great original movie.

X: First Class (2011)

A new start for a dying franchise

[22 June 2011]

Marvel's X-men saga has been scrambled to say the least. It had a strong start with X- Men and X2, then it was almost destroyed with that awful X-Men: Last Stand. Once they realized the franchise was dead, they came out with the prequel ideas. First we got the origins of Wolverine, and now we have the origins of Proffesor Xavier and Magneto. X-Men: First Class takes us back to the 1960s, in the midst of the Cuban Missile Crisis, when Charles (James McAvoy) and Erik (Michael Fassbender) were allies. They have to join forces and create a team of mutants to take down Erik's previous tormentor, Sebastian Shaw (Kevin Bacon). 

The acting in this movie is great all around. Each actor takes on their character and adapts it in a very convincing way, namely, Fassbender and Jennifer Lawrence (Mystique). McAvoy did a great job with Charles as well. It was a lot of fun to see the fun-loving partier before he became a respected professor. 

There were a lot of scenes that really jumped out at me. One was the training sequence in which Charles taught the mutants how to harness their individual powers. I attribute a lot of this scene to the score provided by Henry Jackman. It was important to see how he is able to work with the powers of others, including Erik's. 

There were also a few scenes that were almost too impossible to enjoy. These were mainly the action scenes. One in particular, was bordering on ridiculous. There were a few scenes that were repetitive as well. I would have liked to see Jennifer Lawrence's character in action more because she is one of the central characters. 

I would like to see First Class become a franchise entirely of its own. Apart from a surprising, yet hilarious cameo, the movie had very little that made it a prequel to the 2000 X-Men. The movie had me gripped to the end seeing the transformation of Erik to Magneto. Some parts had me laughing while not being afraid to cross a few lines. I wouldn't be disappointed if First Class became the future of X-Men

Green Lantern (2011)

A weak attempt at a lesser known superhero

[22 June 2011]

I'm just gonna go ahead and say it: Green Lantern is not a good comic book movie. I would say its down there with Thor and X-men: Last Stand. It compares itself to Thor in that there are two different worlds. In the movie, Hal Jordan (Ryan Reynolds) is chosen to be part of a force of universal guardians known as the Green Lantern Corp. When the universe is threatened by the yellow, fear-driven villain, Parallax (voiced by Clancy Brown), the corp needs someone who is truly fearless. 

The acting is pretty much what you would expect from a meteoker comic book movie. Reynolds had his funny moments, but couldn't seem to pull off the rest. I didn't buy the relationship between Hal and his love interest, Carol Ferris (Blake Lively). It's not that they're both not great actors, they really are, it's just that their chemistry on screen doesn't mesh. Under the circumstances, everyone in the city seemed surprisingly...well...unsurprised. We didn't get that classic whole-city panic that was portrayed so well in Batman Begins. 

The villains in this movie were identical. Hector Hammond (Peter Sarsgaard) was a very low key character and was only there to show the origins of the real villain. He could have been taken out of the movie entirely. We almost got too much back story on his character. 

The layout of the story was quiet unintriguing. There were so many simple subplots that were so separate from one another. They switched back and forth between them in such an obnoxious way and I found myself getting bored in the most intense scenes. 

In order to determine whether or not the film is relateable, I think the film has to make me ask a question. Did Green Lantern? Yes, actually. I found myself asking, "what is it to truly be fearless?"

Another positive aspect was that even though it was filmed in 3D, it didn't have that 3D, in-your-face feel. Not everything was being thrown at the camera and it felt like a 2D movie in 3D space. If we insist on filming in 3D, thats the way it should be. 

So Green Lantern is barely a good time. Seeing he other planet was new and interesting. The characters, whether hero, villain, or citizen, were all very dull. A lot of the action was borderline ridiculous. Even though it had the best 3D cinematography that I've seen in a while, save your money and see it in 2D, the way film was meant to be.

Source Code (2011)

A good time, nothing special

[22 June 2011]

After hearing the reviews for "Source Code," I was expecting a compelling storyline, great acting, and an "Inception"-like surprise ending. The most I can say about the movie is that it was just okay. The storyline, while repetitive, seemed to work very well. Though not everyone wants to go into a movie and see the same eight minutes repeated over and over and over, but I didn't have a problem with it. The scenes seemed to change just enough to still create a gripping story without spoiling the ending too soon.

As for the acting, this, in my opinion, is one of Gyllenhaal's best performances. He and Michelle Monogan blend together very well. The whole movie seemed to be held together by the very limited relationships that Gylanhalls character had with the two scientists played by Vera Farmiga and Jeffery Wright.

To talk about the ending without spoiling it will not come easy to me, so I'll keep it brief. I have heard and read from many critics that there is a plot twist in "Source Code" that really makes you think. I, however, did not get this effect. It was a surprise, but it was a very basic concept. That is all I am going to say on that.

All in all, "Source Code" is a fun movie, with great acting and an interesting story to a point. Part of my problem with it was my exceedingly high expectations. The repetition worked for me, but I can see people easily becoming bored with it. Still, this movie was a good time and I look forward to seeing more from Duncan Jones in the future.