tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18681012446719197582011-12-03T02:24:52.948-07:00A collection of movie and game reviews, and related rants and thoughtsMikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05580228790308651175noreply@blogger.comBlogger351100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1868101244671919758.post-46912695663218018602011-11-28T21:41:00.001-07:002011-12-01T22:18:54.496-07:00

Fair warning. I can be incredibly juvenile, and I love low brow humour. Therefore I absolutely loved Saints Row 2, and was mightily looking forward to The Third. I've played it through the main story once, so I feel like I can justifiably say that I really love this game. But it's not perfect. But does it need to be? Saints Row: The Third is from Volition, the fine people responsible for the

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05580228790308651175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1868101244671919758.post-32612580253898935032011-02-28T12:18:00.001-07:002011-02-28T15:00:24.974-07:00

Demos of games are weird beasts. This one's slightly weirder than most. The demo's rather short, and so shall be this review. I played the original on PC, and this demo on the 360, and if I get this, it'll be on the 360, so the incredibly awkward controls will probably be gone, and hopefully camera controls will actually be worth something, but based on this demo, you should absolutely not buy

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05580228790308651175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1868101244671919758.post-60997020536595857742011-01-23T22:42:00.000-07:002011-01-23T22:42:19.018-07:00

If I was going to sum up this game in a blurb, it'd be "fun but fundamentally flawed." Now, I've never played the first Crackdown, so I won't be comparing the sequel to the original. CD2 is going to have to stand on its own merits with me. And as a free-roaming mission-based sandbox game, it's... not terrible. It's even good some times. But it's never great, and the average is pulled down

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05580228790308651175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1868101244671919758.post-25137124821474245782010-10-25T22:50:00.001-06:002010-10-25T22:50:36.415-06:00

I've not yet played any of the other Gothic games, so I don't know if G4 is like any of the other games. I'll find out eventually, since I got a deal for all four. I figured I would play the newest one first, since I'd played the demo and it seemed interesting and fun, and not terribly tied in to the previous titles. Well, I'm thirteen hours in, now, and I'm pretty comfortable in saying that

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05580228790308651175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1868101244671919758.post-32464695533388907652010-10-16T21:16:00.000-06:002010-10-16T21:16:16.579-06:00

Most "these are real people having real things happen to them" movies tend to have a short shelf life. I watched The Blair Witch Project for the first time, recently, and found it a laughable tale of a bunch of morons doing stupid stuff and getting themselves in trouble that they deserved. Even beyond the marketing hype having a short shelf-life, these movies are generally best viewed in theatres

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05580228790308651175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1868101244671919758.post-89803458326326466432010-09-27T04:00:00.000-06:002010-09-27T04:00:47.720-06:00

I'm not much one for suspense/thriller/horror games. I hate jump scares. I find them cheap, and usually greatly telegraphed. They still work for a quick burst of adrenaline though, because there's always a great burst of noise/motion to accompany them. I'm pretty much of the same opinion of horror movies, too. Over-reliance on jump scares dilutes their effectiveness eventually, rendering the game

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05580228790308651175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1868101244671919758.post-81780979950300836052010-09-25T01:26:00.015-06:002010-09-27T02:15:47.486-06:00

People say a movie like Twilight is review-proof. Well, I`d assume a Resident Evil movie was as well, and I almost didn't bother. Then I got to thinking, Extinction was pretty bad. Bad to the point where some people may have just say "Forget it, I'm not going to bother." And I think that'd be a terrible shame. Afterlife is a great Resident Evil movie. First thing's first. This was filmed in THREE

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05580228790308651175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1868101244671919758.post-5256218954394848152010-09-06T13:51:00.000-06:002010-09-06T13:51:16.751-06:00

I never played the first Dead Rising. I'm not really sure why. I have recently watched a Let's Play of it, though, so I've got a good grasp of what it was like. Playing Case Zero, if this is what the full game of Dead Rising 2 will be like, it'll be what a sequel should be, the same, but better. I'll admit now, I apparently suck at this game, so take anything I say with that in mind. First,

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05580228790308651175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1868101244671919758.post-66816128148763876962010-08-29T02:07:00.001-06:002010-09-04T19:20:25.221-06:00

I wanted to like this game. I really did. Running around the city is awesome. Poking around for the collectables is fun. The side missions are rather varied. It reminds me in great part of Spider-man 2 for the X-Box, which I thought was pretty much the best movie-to-game adaptation ever. But I simply cannot get past my frustrations with this game. Prototype is flawed, and to me, fatally so.

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05580228790308651175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1868101244671919758.post-28996783863284340812010-08-18T19:24:00.000-06:002010-08-18T19:24:42.497-06:00

Let me preface this review by saying I had absolutely no knowledge of this movie or the Scott Pilgrim universe beyond knowing it was a popular graphic novel, and it had something to do with video games. Let me end the preface by saying I'm pretty sure I still know nothing about the Scott Pilgrim universe, but I know a fair bit about the movie. I'm warning you now, there's going to be spoilers in

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05580228790308651175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1868101244671919758.post-41099964318554711382010-08-07T23:22:00.000-06:002010-08-07T23:22:23.062-06:00

Fallen Earth is an MMORPG that flew under my radar until it was on sale on Steam. I grabbed it, since it was less than $20 for the game, and a free month of gameplay. MMOs are traditionally hard to review, since there's a butt-ton of content, and many places to visit, etc. etc., but Fallen Earth is actually really easy. It's Fallout 3 blended with Everquest II. If you like MMOs and post

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05580228790308651175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1868101244671919758.post-5766731328924327202010-08-04T00:09:00.000-06:002010-08-04T00:09:32.796-06:00

Basic is difficult to review. I'm not really sure what genre it fits in to. Drama is probably the closest. Maybe a courtroom drama without a courtroom. In addition to genre confusion, this movie is all about the revelation. Well, revelationS. There is absolutely no way I want to spoil this movie for anyone, because it's best when a first viewing is as blind as possible. Still, I'll do my best to

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05580228790308651175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1868101244671919758.post-13500945843480306412010-08-01T14:03:00.000-06:002010-08-01T14:03:38.198-06:00

So, I watched Hackers for the first time ever, last night. Wow, that is a terrible movie, and anyone who hasn't seen it should absolutely go watch it as soon as humanly possible. Everything about this movie is so ridiculous and insane that anyone who actually knows anything about computers should die laughing. And it's not just the technology and how it works that's so bad, the script is whack,

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05580228790308651175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1868101244671919758.post-49171721020140670722010-07-19T23:10:00.001-06:002010-07-23T22:59:53.892-06:00

Yeah, Disney's Aladdin. I haven't even thought of this movie in ages, but stumbling across a parody of the "Prince Ali" song put a bee in my bonnet, so I figured, "Why not review it while I rewatch it?" See if I can't peel some nostalgia film off my glasses, or maybe the movie really is that good. If anyone hasn't seen this movie, be careful, I'm gonna be spoiling the crap out of this. Okay,

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05580228790308651175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1868101244671919758.post-18413248663411436592010-07-05T20:11:00.000-06:002010-07-05T20:11:49.558-06:00

Bought it yesterday, completed it today. Want the short version? Don't buy it at full price. It's competent, even cool, but in no way worth $50. Want the long version? Here we go: First thing's first, for all you eye-candy lovers: this game looks pretty good. Usually. It's pretty much on par with any good title made after Bioshock. The effects are pretty, the lighting's good, and the atmosphere

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05580228790308651175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1868101244671919758.post-74936727038033637852010-06-26T18:54:00.000-06:002010-07-09T00:02:21.839-06:00

Hollywood does love its remakes, doesn't it? Old movies, new movies, books, and TV shows are all fodder. And remakes often suck. BUT NOT THIS ONE! Heck yeah! This was a completely awesome movie. If you haven't seen it, go. Grab a bunch of friends and have a great time. Oh fine, if you want to know why it's so awesome, read on. I admit it, I never got to watch the original A-Team on television. I

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05580228790308651175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1868101244671919758.post-7487562017309693522010-06-18T14:38:00.000-06:002010-07-09T00:02:21.840-06:00

I wanted to like this movie. I really did. I loved Shaun of the Dead. I figured that "zombie" + "comedy" was a formula that really couldn't be screwed up. Well, I was right. Just turns out they forgot the comedy. Okay, to be fair, there is comedy here, it's just not my kind of comedy, apparently. Nearly every single time I chuckled during this movie was at the stupidity. I even watched this a

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05580228790308651175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1868101244671919758.post-55292201038645712732010-06-15T21:20:00.000-06:002010-07-09T00:02:21.840-06:00

I love the bargains section of DVD stores. I managed to pick up Bloodsport for $6. This isn't the first Jean Claude Van Damme movie I've talked about (Universal Soldier and Street Fighter being the others), but this is the best. Even the first few minutes are just guys being awesome at martial arts and fighting. One guy breaks ice blocks, another guy jumps up a tree and breaks coconuts with a

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05580228790308651175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1868101244671919758.post-45271415121988469012010-06-07T19:05:00.000-06:002010-07-09T00:02:46.893-06:00

Alpha Protocol (An Espionage RPG) is a new game by Oblivion. Oblivion carries a lot of baggage with them. They're notorious for making buggy sequels to excellent games. Alpha Protocol, however, is new ground. How do they do when they're not working with something someone else created? Well, pretty good, actually. It's far from perfect, but it's a solid game. I'll discuss it in more detail

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05580228790308651175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1868101244671919758.post-11240494229706695342010-05-22T15:42:00.000-06:002010-07-09T00:01:45.037-06:00

Hey, it's a game review! And... it's a JRPG. I swear, those aren't the only games I play. Really. I really enjoyed this game, but I'm not sure I can give it a recommendation. I'd say give it a rental. It's a long game if you want to see all the content, so you won't blow through it in a weekend. I'm up to 40+ hours in my main save, and I'm still not done the story. And that's a nice segue to

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05580228790308651175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1868101244671919758.post-61080148100610319442010-05-15T12:27:00.004-06:002010-07-09T00:02:21.840-06:00

This is a Canadian flick, so I doubt many people are going to get to see it in theatres, or will ever see it in video stores unless they specifically go and look for it, which is a tragedy, because this is an awesome movie. It stars Paul Gross, who most people will remember as Constable Benton Frasier from Due South. He was also in the excellent comedy Men With Brooms. The premise of Gunless is

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05580228790308651175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1868101244671919758.post-5397335953234322832010-05-09T22:03:00.000-06:002010-07-09T00:02:21.840-06:00

The first Iron Man movie was solid. Good characters, great effects. The weakest part was the villain. The motivation was to... kill Stark, take over the company, and be CEO, raking in the cash? Seriously? You want money, and you jump straight to murder? Stark was a playboy, and very unfocused. I'm sure if you just asked for a raise, he'd give you one. Or try some nice white-collar crime.

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05580228790308651175noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1868101244671919758.post-81944978571625903842010-05-01T21:50:00.000-06:002010-07-09T00:02:21.841-06:00

I avoided the majority of reviews and comments on this one before I went to see it. The only one I saw was by Movie Bob over at the Escapist. Now, this movie unfortunately starts out with two strikes against it. 1) It's a horror movie remake, which kills nearly any chance of it being good immediately, 2) It's a horror movie remake produced by Michael Bay. Now, unlike most people, I like the

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05580228790308651175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1868101244671919758.post-25986173978560828952010-04-22T21:51:00.001-06:002010-07-09T00:02:21.841-06:00

Movies like this are why I grew to enjoy Nicholas Cage as an actor. Honestly. This was a great movie. It was a solid blend of action, dark comedy, and pathos. This is just going to be a quick review. I could make it one sentence. "Go see this movie." But I'll expand a little. This movie was bloodier than I expected, but it mostly comes from Big Daddy and Hit Girl. If they're not on-screen, you're

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05580228790308651175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1868101244671919758.post-67377476408749500862010-04-14T22:54:00.002-06:002010-07-09T00:02:21.841-06:00

I HOPE YOU LIKE CHEAP JUMP SCARES AND OVERUSE OF THE HALLOWEEN THEME!!!!

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05580228790308651175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1868101244671919758.post-84959726574483234822010-04-12T23:10:00.000-06:002010-07-09T00:02:21.841-06:00

I'm not a huge fan of Daniel Craig as James Bond. In fact, when he was first announced, I steadfastly called him "What'shisname". I'm past that stage now, and I think I can look at the movies fairly and objectively. Unfortunately, that doesn't really help these films. These are competent enough films. The plot's borderline ridiculous, same as every Bond movie. The action's decent enough, I

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05580228790308651175noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1868101244671919758.post-5902921549367829332010-04-07T21:27:00.004-06:002010-07-09T00:02:21.842-06:00

Oh man. I finally bought a copy of Casablanca, and watched it the whole way through. I'd never been able to see it before. The most I saw of it was in Screenwriting class, where we watched the beginning and the end, because we didn't have time to watch the whole thing. And I'll admit right now, I want to be Humphrey Bogart. The man is amazing. That said, how about this movie? If you don't know

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05580228790308651175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1868101244671919758.post-36214190779067797832010-04-02T20:34:00.009-06:002010-07-09T00:02:21.842-06:00

I found out there's a director's commentary on this disc. It's buried as the last item on the second page of special features. Holy balls. It's the old laserdisc commentary. Oh boy...So, apparently this was mostly conceived/written over a night. He was called up and asked if he could have something to pitch to Capcom for the next morning. That's not a good sign. Other "not good signs" are the

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05580228790308651175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1868101244671919758.post-57652026359920736942010-03-31T19:40:00.004-06:002010-07-09T00:02:21.842-06:00

Oh dear. I don't know why I got this movie. I even paid $10 for it. Heck, it was the last copy on the shelf, too! I'm not sure if that's because other people were as stupid as me, or if they just didn't have more copies because the movie wasn't selling, even at $10. Hell, even my Blu-Ray player didn't want to play this movie. I ended up having to throw it in my XBox in order to watch it. So what

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05580228790308651175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1868101244671919758.post-50582973910994855572010-03-27T20:34:00.002-06:002010-07-09T00:01:45.037-06:00

Eh, I liked it.

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05580228790308651175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1868101244671919758.post-80803014595397209722010-03-27T19:38:00.000-06:002010-07-09T00:02:21.842-06:00

Another movie I've just returned from seeing, and wow, lemme tell you, this one is a doozy. She's Out of My League is a Romantic Comedy rated 14A (R in the US of A apparently), and let me tell you, I can tell why. So much swearing. So, if you don't mind swearing, SEE THIS MOVIE. However, there are some caveats. The plot is pretty standard fare for romantic comedies in the current state of the

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05580228790308651175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1868101244671919758.post-35421849093682043112010-03-20T17:16:00.000-06:002010-07-09T00:02:21.843-06:00

So, I just got back from watching Green Zone, starring Matt Damon, and directed by Paul Greengrass, both of whom were responsible for the excellent Bourne trilogy. The question is, is this movie worth watching, is it a project where the pair won't be embarrassed to have it on their filmography later in their careers? Well, those are different questions with different answers. Solid entry in

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05580228790308651175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1868101244671919758.post-33259895180107718692010-03-07T22:47:00.003-07:002010-07-09T00:02:21.843-06:00

  The checkout is an awesome place to discover bargain DVDs. Well, in this case, bargain Blu-Rays. I was originally going to purchase Iron Man for $30. While heading up to the register, I saw The Hunt for Red October for $20. Grabbed that, too. While waiting to pay, though, I saw two movies for $15 each that I just couldn’t pass up, and put Iron Man back on the shelf. The Rundown, starring the

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05580228790308651175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1868101244671919758.post-23066936846940032982010-03-04T22:03:00.001-07:002010-07-09T00:02:21.843-06:00

I thought long and hard about what my first review should be. After all, it'd help set the tone for the blog. Would I do a good movie, and thus solidify my credentials as being able to pick out things that are done well? Pick my favourite movie, and give an insight in to my psyche? Do a horrible movie, and join the ranks of critics deservedly slamming bad movies? What genre? Comedy? (Comedy's a

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05580228790308651175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1868101244671919758.post-35650334714019771232010-03-03T19:01:00.000-07:002010-03-03T19:01:16.605-07:00

Ha, what a way to start. I had a nice long intro post done up, and then my browser crashed, and I learned that it didn't save a draft of the post. So here's the short version: The topic of this blog will be film and games. No genre, era, or level of quality will go intentionally untouched. Not all reviews will be negative, either. Any movie I watch, old or new, I intend to at least give an

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05580228790308651175noreply@blogger.com0