For a while Mickey Rourke had become one of those names in Hollywood that you didn't see too often. Then he made a big return playing Marv in Sin City. Now Rourke has proved that he can put in an outstanding performance in The Wrestler.
Rourke plays a wrestler named Randy "The Ram" Robinson. He was one of those guys who was on the top of the wrestling world in the 80s like guys like The Ultimate Warrior. But now he's in the later part of his life and he's just doing smaller shows to crowds of maybe a couple hundred people. He works a bit of a dead-end job and doesn't have any real relationships to speak of. The only one he really has is with a stripper played by Marisa Tomie.
His relationship with her is interesting because he has an obvious interest in her but she doesn't feel like he does. He also tries to rekindle the relationship with his daughter played by Evan Rachel Wood. But being one of those guys that was always on the road she resents him for never being there.
The movie does a great job showing a man who is a bit broken but at the same time yearning to be back on top again. I haven't seen too many of his movies but I doubt it's much of a stretch to say this is the best performance of his career and one of the best performances of 2008. Now the question remains will he win the Oscar? My personal pick is Frank Langella for Frost/Nixon but if anyone can steal it away it's Rourke. He has one of those quiet emotional performances that really draw you into his character.
Now Marisa Tomie should not be discounted. I don't think she will get the Oscar but she does an outstanding job. She plays a woman who is just a little too old to be a stripper but that's all she knows how to do. She tries to push off Randy's advances but at the same time you can tell she feels something for him but denies it to herself and the rest of the world.
The pacing of the movie is a little slow but it makes sense given the subject matter. It just follows a man living his day to day life hoping for something in his life to change. Whether it be that one big wrestling break or for the relationships in his life to change for the better. Overall I highly recommend this movie.
My score 8.5/10
Monday, January 26, 2009
Saturday, January 24, 2009
Game review: Mirror's Edge
Mirror's Edge is a first person action game developed by EA and Dice Studios. In it you play the character of Faith. She lives in a futuristic city where a totalitarian government has taken over. She is what is called a runner. Runners are people that deliver packages across the city without the government's knowledge. They do this by being proficient at free running. Leaping from rooftop to rooftop and doing many death defying stunts.
The idea of doing this all in the first person seems really cool. But unfortunately the game takes what is a good premise and messes it up.
First off the story is a bit weak. We start off by finding out Faith's sister has been framed for the murder of a prominent politician. So Faith takes it on herself to find out who is responsible and take them down. This could be a good story but it just isn't developed that well and the characters are kind of bland and uninteresting. It also doesn't help that the voice work in the game is sub-par at best.
The meat of the story is told through the game's cutscenes. Instead of rendering them with the game's engine they've decide to make them animated. But they are done in the same style as those annoying Esurance commercials. So you'll go from good looking graphics to almost laughably bad animation and it really doesn't do much for the flow.
The graphics in the rest of the game are pretty good. The environment has this bleached white look to it. Like uniformity has been thrust upon the society. The big hints of color show up as objects turning red. They do this as part of your "runner vision" which allows you to see what objects you need to use to progress. But one problem is in some sections the object you need is off in the distance and the game doesn't give you much in the way of what the best path would be. Also the outside scenes can get very bright sometimes almost to the point where you have to squint your eyes. But then some of the indoor parts are so dark you'd better not be playing the game during the day with glare on your screen. Many times I found myself plummeting to my death because I just couldn't see the ledge two feet in front of me.
I know the designers probably wanted to encourage people to explore. They say there are multiple ways to reach each objective. But this doesn't really work in practice. They programmed in the optimal path and most of the time the other paths will lead to certain death.
Let's talk about the gameplay. It is fun when you get a good run going and string together a bunch of movies into something that would make James Bond in Casino Royale jealous. But this usually doesn't last long as something interrupts your flow. Whether it be a bad landing, a door, a ventilation shaft of falling to your death. Now falling to your death is something you will do a lot. Most of the time you have no idea if you are going to make a jump or not until the very last moment when you either grab onto the ledge or fall to the ground. This becomes really frustrating when you keep missing because you went a fraction too far to the left or the right or you just didn't jump at the exact right moment. So the game becomes a lot of trial and error. There are also many parts that are things you really are only going to get if you've died. Like in one part you climb up a ladder and are scolded by steam. At first you think you can get by it but as soon as you climb up you die. You then find out you had to climb up a separate area to turn a valve to stop the steam. Unless you either decided not to climb up or found it by accident you are going to die at least once.
The other aspect of the game is the combat, or the lack thereof. Combat was a bit of an afterthought in this game. You have the ability to disarm your enemies or to perform a few different attacks on them. The problem is disarming them becomes a game of perfect timing. They will swing their gun at you and it will turn red for a second and you have to hit the button then or die. But once you get their gun it's only like a temporary power up. They don't have much ammo and the aiming and firing feels really stiff. Plus add to that the fact that your character will go down faster than a Thai hooker when the fleet has come in. So your best bet is to try and avoid combat but many times the game forces you to take out several enemies to progress so again it goes back to the trial and error.
The story part of the game is pretty short. If you don't make too many mistakes you can probably finish it in a good afternoon. It took me a while longer because of how often I died and how sometimes it took as much as 30 minutes to complete some smaller sections of the game.
The game doesn't really have much multiplayer. The best thing it has is a time trial mode. This allows you to run through parts of the game trying to get the best time possible. You can even download your friend's times and race their ghost.
There are also a bunch of hidden bags scattered throughout the game but the only thing this will give you is an achievement point. So the only reason to find them is if you really want the points. As far as the achievements go you will get most of them by just playing through the game normally. A few of them will take some effort but you can probably get a good 75% of them without too much effort.
So in closing this is a game that had a lot of potential but it just wasn't put together as well as it should have been. I could probably forgive this if the game was a bit longer or boasted some more features but as it stands now it is not worth the full retail price. So you are best to do like me and rent the game because it can easily be finished over a weekend.
My score: 6.0/10
The idea of doing this all in the first person seems really cool. But unfortunately the game takes what is a good premise and messes it up.
First off the story is a bit weak. We start off by finding out Faith's sister has been framed for the murder of a prominent politician. So Faith takes it on herself to find out who is responsible and take them down. This could be a good story but it just isn't developed that well and the characters are kind of bland and uninteresting. It also doesn't help that the voice work in the game is sub-par at best.
The meat of the story is told through the game's cutscenes. Instead of rendering them with the game's engine they've decide to make them animated. But they are done in the same style as those annoying Esurance commercials. So you'll go from good looking graphics to almost laughably bad animation and it really doesn't do much for the flow.
The graphics in the rest of the game are pretty good. The environment has this bleached white look to it. Like uniformity has been thrust upon the society. The big hints of color show up as objects turning red. They do this as part of your "runner vision" which allows you to see what objects you need to use to progress. But one problem is in some sections the object you need is off in the distance and the game doesn't give you much in the way of what the best path would be. Also the outside scenes can get very bright sometimes almost to the point where you have to squint your eyes. But then some of the indoor parts are so dark you'd better not be playing the game during the day with glare on your screen. Many times I found myself plummeting to my death because I just couldn't see the ledge two feet in front of me.
I know the designers probably wanted to encourage people to explore. They say there are multiple ways to reach each objective. But this doesn't really work in practice. They programmed in the optimal path and most of the time the other paths will lead to certain death.
Let's talk about the gameplay. It is fun when you get a good run going and string together a bunch of movies into something that would make James Bond in Casino Royale jealous. But this usually doesn't last long as something interrupts your flow. Whether it be a bad landing, a door, a ventilation shaft of falling to your death. Now falling to your death is something you will do a lot. Most of the time you have no idea if you are going to make a jump or not until the very last moment when you either grab onto the ledge or fall to the ground. This becomes really frustrating when you keep missing because you went a fraction too far to the left or the right or you just didn't jump at the exact right moment. So the game becomes a lot of trial and error. There are also many parts that are things you really are only going to get if you've died. Like in one part you climb up a ladder and are scolded by steam. At first you think you can get by it but as soon as you climb up you die. You then find out you had to climb up a separate area to turn a valve to stop the steam. Unless you either decided not to climb up or found it by accident you are going to die at least once.
The other aspect of the game is the combat, or the lack thereof. Combat was a bit of an afterthought in this game. You have the ability to disarm your enemies or to perform a few different attacks on them. The problem is disarming them becomes a game of perfect timing. They will swing their gun at you and it will turn red for a second and you have to hit the button then or die. But once you get their gun it's only like a temporary power up. They don't have much ammo and the aiming and firing feels really stiff. Plus add to that the fact that your character will go down faster than a Thai hooker when the fleet has come in. So your best bet is to try and avoid combat but many times the game forces you to take out several enemies to progress so again it goes back to the trial and error.
The story part of the game is pretty short. If you don't make too many mistakes you can probably finish it in a good afternoon. It took me a while longer because of how often I died and how sometimes it took as much as 30 minutes to complete some smaller sections of the game.
The game doesn't really have much multiplayer. The best thing it has is a time trial mode. This allows you to run through parts of the game trying to get the best time possible. You can even download your friend's times and race their ghost.
There are also a bunch of hidden bags scattered throughout the game but the only thing this will give you is an achievement point. So the only reason to find them is if you really want the points. As far as the achievements go you will get most of them by just playing through the game normally. A few of them will take some effort but you can probably get a good 75% of them without too much effort.
So in closing this is a game that had a lot of potential but it just wasn't put together as well as it should have been. I could probably forgive this if the game was a bit longer or boasted some more features but as it stands now it is not worth the full retail price. So you are best to do like me and rent the game because it can easily be finished over a weekend.
My score: 6.0/10
Thursday, January 22, 2009
Movie review: Doubt
One of the big Oscar movies this year is Doubt starring Meryl Streep, Philip Seymour Hoffman and Amy Adams. The movie follows a nun played by Streep who is trying to uncover if the priest (Hoffman) has an inappropriate relationship with a student at the school where she is the principal.
The movie is set in the mid 1960s which means that the clothes, buildings and cars have an older look. This kind of helps to make you not think about the modern scandals in the church.
The thing about this movie that sets it apart is the acting. Meryl Streep is very worthy of her Oscar nomination and could possibly win another one to add to her collection. Hoffman is also brilliant in his role as the accused priest. He defends his honor but at the same time you feel like he is up to no good. Amy Adams has also come a long way in her acting. She plays a nun and a teacher at the school. She sticks up for the priest and doesn't want to believe that any of what Streep is saying is true. Her performance is fairly quiet but there are times when she shows great range of emotion. Viola Davis also has a short part in the film as the young boy's mother. She doesn't have a lot of screen time but she uses it very well. She also got an Oscar nomination and she probably won't win but she is definitely worth of the nod.
The movie does move a little slow at times but the characters and dialog keep it interesting. It is also dealing with a very serious subject but it doesn't become melodramatic or try to minimalize the issue. Overall this movie is quite good and if you want something a bit more serious I recommend it.
My score: 8.0/10
The movie is set in the mid 1960s which means that the clothes, buildings and cars have an older look. This kind of helps to make you not think about the modern scandals in the church.
The thing about this movie that sets it apart is the acting. Meryl Streep is very worthy of her Oscar nomination and could possibly win another one to add to her collection. Hoffman is also brilliant in his role as the accused priest. He defends his honor but at the same time you feel like he is up to no good. Amy Adams has also come a long way in her acting. She plays a nun and a teacher at the school. She sticks up for the priest and doesn't want to believe that any of what Streep is saying is true. Her performance is fairly quiet but there are times when she shows great range of emotion. Viola Davis also has a short part in the film as the young boy's mother. She doesn't have a lot of screen time but she uses it very well. She also got an Oscar nomination and she probably won't win but she is definitely worth of the nod.
The movie does move a little slow at times but the characters and dialog keep it interesting. It is also dealing with a very serious subject but it doesn't become melodramatic or try to minimalize the issue. Overall this movie is quite good and if you want something a bit more serious I recommend it.
My score: 8.0/10
Oscar Nominations
This isn't a review but I figured I'd make mention of the Oscar nominations that just came out today. Later on when I have seen most of the movies I will give my predictions as to who will win.
Best Picture:
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Frost/Nixon
Milk
The Reader
Slumdog Millionaire
Best Director:
David Fincher - The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Ron Howard - Frost/Nixon
Gus Van Sant - Milk
Stephen Daldry - The Reader
Danny Boyle - Slumdog Millionaire
Best Actor:
Richard Jenkins - The Visitor
Frank Langella - Frost/Nixon
Sean Penn - Milk
Brad Pitt - The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Mickey Rourke - The Wrestler
Best Actress:
Anne Hathaway - Rachel Getting Married
Angelina Jolie - Changeling
Melissa Leo - Frozen River
Meryl Streep - Doubt
Kate Winslet - The Reader
Best Supporting Actor:
Josh Brolin - Milk
Robert Downey Jr. - Tropic Thunder
Philip Seymour Hoffman - Doubt
Heath Ledger - The Dark Knight
Michael Shannon - Revolutionary Road
Best Supporting Actress:
Amy Adams - Doubt
Penelope Cruz - Vicky Cristina Barcelona
Viola Davis - Doubt
Taraji P. Henson - The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Marisa Tomei - The Wrestler
Best Original Screenplay:
Frozen River
Happy-Go-Lucky
In Bruges
Milk
Wall-E
Best Adapted Screenplay:
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Doubt
Frost/Nixon
The Reader
Slumdog Millionaire
Animated Feature Film:
Bolt
Kung Fu Panda
Wall-E
Best Picture:
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Frost/Nixon
Milk
The Reader
Slumdog Millionaire
Best Director:
David Fincher - The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Ron Howard - Frost/Nixon
Gus Van Sant - Milk
Stephen Daldry - The Reader
Danny Boyle - Slumdog Millionaire
Best Actor:
Richard Jenkins - The Visitor
Frank Langella - Frost/Nixon
Sean Penn - Milk
Brad Pitt - The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Mickey Rourke - The Wrestler
Best Actress:
Anne Hathaway - Rachel Getting Married
Angelina Jolie - Changeling
Melissa Leo - Frozen River
Meryl Streep - Doubt
Kate Winslet - The Reader
Best Supporting Actor:
Josh Brolin - Milk
Robert Downey Jr. - Tropic Thunder
Philip Seymour Hoffman - Doubt
Heath Ledger - The Dark Knight
Michael Shannon - Revolutionary Road
Best Supporting Actress:
Amy Adams - Doubt
Penelope Cruz - Vicky Cristina Barcelona
Viola Davis - Doubt
Taraji P. Henson - The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Marisa Tomei - The Wrestler
Best Original Screenplay:
Frozen River
Happy-Go-Lucky
In Bruges
Milk
Wall-E
Best Adapted Screenplay:
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Doubt
Frost/Nixon
The Reader
Slumdog Millionaire
Animated Feature Film:
Bolt
Kung Fu Panda
Wall-E
Saturday, January 17, 2009
Movie review: Slumdog Millionaire
Slumdog Millionaire is one of those movies you don't really expect to get a lot of success in this country. The movie is set in India and a large portion of the dialog is in Hindi. But this movie succeeds in breaking through and reaching American audiences.
The movie follows the main character of Jamal. He is a contestant on the Indian version of Who Wants To Be a Millionaire? But he is doing so well that people suspect him of cheating. So while he is being questioned by the police we to get see his life story.
Jamal and his brother Salim live in the slums and do whatever they can to make money. Along the way they meet a girl named Latika and she becomes Jamal's love interest. But situations beyond both of their control keep them apart.
The movie is beautifully shot. Even though there are parts that take place in slums and garbage dumps the director did a great job of extracting the beauty from the locations. There is also a lot of unique camera angles in the film. There is one chase scene near the beginning of the movie where you go from POV shots, to ground level shots, to overhead crane shots. But this doesn't get disorienting and is put together very well. The music in the movie is also done very well. It is mostly Indian music but it really fits the mood and sometimes establishes the mood for a particular scene. My praise goes out to the people that scored this movie and put together the soundtrack because they did an outstanding job.
Since Jamal is telling his life story the movie jumps from present time to the past. Some movies can't really pull this off and it gets confusing or cluttered. Slumdog does a good job of having a good balance and not pulling the viewer out of the experience.
I have heard a few people complain about the ending but I personally thought the ending was done well. I won't give anything away but when you see the movie you'll probably see why some people didn't really care for it.
The acting is very good all around. The standout being Dev Patel who plays the adult Jamal. He has gotten a few award nominations and I would imagine he will probably get an Oscar nomination for his performance. The movie was a surprise to a lot of people when it won the Golden Globe for Best Drama. So I think it is one of those dark horse movies for the Oscar for Best Picture. I have said before that my pick right now is The Curious Case of Benjamin Button but if any movie can unseat Benjamin it's Slumdog Millionaire.
My score: 8.0/10
The movie follows the main character of Jamal. He is a contestant on the Indian version of Who Wants To Be a Millionaire? But he is doing so well that people suspect him of cheating. So while he is being questioned by the police we to get see his life story.
Jamal and his brother Salim live in the slums and do whatever they can to make money. Along the way they meet a girl named Latika and she becomes Jamal's love interest. But situations beyond both of their control keep them apart.
The movie is beautifully shot. Even though there are parts that take place in slums and garbage dumps the director did a great job of extracting the beauty from the locations. There is also a lot of unique camera angles in the film. There is one chase scene near the beginning of the movie where you go from POV shots, to ground level shots, to overhead crane shots. But this doesn't get disorienting and is put together very well. The music in the movie is also done very well. It is mostly Indian music but it really fits the mood and sometimes establishes the mood for a particular scene. My praise goes out to the people that scored this movie and put together the soundtrack because they did an outstanding job.
Since Jamal is telling his life story the movie jumps from present time to the past. Some movies can't really pull this off and it gets confusing or cluttered. Slumdog does a good job of having a good balance and not pulling the viewer out of the experience.
I have heard a few people complain about the ending but I personally thought the ending was done well. I won't give anything away but when you see the movie you'll probably see why some people didn't really care for it.
The acting is very good all around. The standout being Dev Patel who plays the adult Jamal. He has gotten a few award nominations and I would imagine he will probably get an Oscar nomination for his performance. The movie was a surprise to a lot of people when it won the Golden Globe for Best Drama. So I think it is one of those dark horse movies for the Oscar for Best Picture. I have said before that my pick right now is The Curious Case of Benjamin Button but if any movie can unseat Benjamin it's Slumdog Millionaire.
My score: 8.0/10
Friday, January 16, 2009
Game review: Call of Duty: World At War
World at War is the newest game in the Call of Duty series. After the success that they had with Modern Warfare it was expected that the next game would live up to those standards. Which was going to be tough since World At War was done by a different developer. But thankfully they didn't disappoint with this game.
Now it isn't as good as Modern Warfare but it's a real good World War II shooter in its own right. The action is fast paced and there aren't too many moments of slow down. The guns also feel very responsive and they behave as you'd expect that particular weapon to behave. You've got everything from pistols to rifles to machine guns like the Thompson and heavier machine guns with huge 100 round clips. Along with that you've got grenades, smoke grenades Molotov cocktails, rocket launchers and flame throwers. The flame throwers are a new addition and they are a lot of fun. Running into a swarm of enemies and roasting them is oddly satisfying. You do have pretty much unlimited ammo for it but you have to watch to make sure it doesn't overheat. If it does you have to wait 10 seconds or so for it to cool down. The fire effects in the game also look very good. But don't expect anything like Far Cry 2 where it behaves like real fire. It dies down pretty quickly and doesn't spread to other places that much.
The graphics in the game are quite good. All of the environments look really good and the character models are well detailed. There is also a good variety of environments such as the jungles of the pacific to the ruins of Soviet occupied Berlin. The draw distance is very good and I think I only noticed a tiny bit of slowdown when the action got real heavy but it wasn't enough to distract from the game. The sound effects in the game are also very good. There is a good kick to the explosions and the guns all sound very realistic and different. I don't have a surround system but some of the heavier battles would be amazing in full 7.1.
Since this is a World War II game there isn't too much of a story. You take the reigns of a US soldier fighting the Pacific theater such as Okinawa and Wake Island. The other part of the game you are a Russian soldier in Stalingrad and Germany as you work your way towards Berlin. For each part you have a different commanding officer. The American is voice by Keifer Sutherland and the Russian is voiced by Gary Oldman. Both of them do a really good job but I couldn't help but notice that Oldman recycled the voice that he used for the movie Air Force One.
Probably my biggest complain with this game is the tank sequence. You drive a Russian tank attempting to take out some radio towers. Normally this is kind of cool but the tank just does not handle very well. It's almost like they made the controls too sensitive for the turns. It doesn't take much for you to turn completely around and find that your weapons are facing in the wrong direction. And even on Casual difficulty if this happens it's almost surely a death sentence. The other vehicle sequence in the game is quite good. You take control of the guns on an American plane and you get to blow up Japanese PT boats and destroyers.
One thing I can easily say is this game is more difficult than most of the other games in the series. There were some moments in Modern Warfare that really tested you but there weren't too many of those. In this game there are several sequences that will really give you a run for your money. So you have to keep your distance and try to pick off as much of the enemy as you can before running in like a madman. Oh and watch out for some of the Japanese troops that will run at you screaming "Bonzie!" If they get to you you'll only have a moment to press your knife button or wind up with a bayonet in your stomach.
Even though the game is tough there are some issues with the AI. On the casual difficulty I found at times I could walk right up to the enemy and they'd just stare at me until I put a knife in their chest. Also there were a few times where I was tasked to clear the area of enemies only to find one guy just standing there waiting to be killed. They behave well in groups but when you get them alone sometimes problems arise. However this is not the case on the harder difficulties so the AI issues are limited to the easier version of the game.
But the fact that the game is hard helps some because the single player campaign is fairly short. If you are fast you can probably blow through it in 5 or 6 hours maybe faster if you are really good. But I will say it is one of those campaigns that will still be good on multiple plays.
The meat of the game and the thing that will keep you coming back is the multiplayer. It is very similar to what you saw in Modern Warfare. All the standard modes like deathmatch, team deathmatch and territories. As you play you earn points and level up and this allows you to unlock different perks and weapons so you can customize your character to fit your play style.
The other big thing is the addition of co-op play. You can play through the campaign either locally or online with up to 4 players. You can either play as a team or play against each other trying to rack up the most kills. But the other fun addition is the Nazi zombies mode. This is where up to 4 players are hold up in a house while they fight off wave after wave of Nazi zombies. This is similar to the horde mode in Gears of War 2 and is a lot of fun and something you've seen in other games recently like Saints Row 2.
So is this game worth the full retail price. I say it definitely is (but keep in mind I did get this game as a gift). If you are fan of the series or shooters in general I say give this a try. But if you have tired of the World War II setting I don't think this will do much to persuade you and you'd be better off going with Modern Warfare or waiting for Modern Warfare 2 to come out.
My score: 7.5/10
Now it isn't as good as Modern Warfare but it's a real good World War II shooter in its own right. The action is fast paced and there aren't too many moments of slow down. The guns also feel very responsive and they behave as you'd expect that particular weapon to behave. You've got everything from pistols to rifles to machine guns like the Thompson and heavier machine guns with huge 100 round clips. Along with that you've got grenades, smoke grenades Molotov cocktails, rocket launchers and flame throwers. The flame throwers are a new addition and they are a lot of fun. Running into a swarm of enemies and roasting them is oddly satisfying. You do have pretty much unlimited ammo for it but you have to watch to make sure it doesn't overheat. If it does you have to wait 10 seconds or so for it to cool down. The fire effects in the game also look very good. But don't expect anything like Far Cry 2 where it behaves like real fire. It dies down pretty quickly and doesn't spread to other places that much.
The graphics in the game are quite good. All of the environments look really good and the character models are well detailed. There is also a good variety of environments such as the jungles of the pacific to the ruins of Soviet occupied Berlin. The draw distance is very good and I think I only noticed a tiny bit of slowdown when the action got real heavy but it wasn't enough to distract from the game. The sound effects in the game are also very good. There is a good kick to the explosions and the guns all sound very realistic and different. I don't have a surround system but some of the heavier battles would be amazing in full 7.1.
Since this is a World War II game there isn't too much of a story. You take the reigns of a US soldier fighting the Pacific theater such as Okinawa and Wake Island. The other part of the game you are a Russian soldier in Stalingrad and Germany as you work your way towards Berlin. For each part you have a different commanding officer. The American is voice by Keifer Sutherland and the Russian is voiced by Gary Oldman. Both of them do a really good job but I couldn't help but notice that Oldman recycled the voice that he used for the movie Air Force One.
Probably my biggest complain with this game is the tank sequence. You drive a Russian tank attempting to take out some radio towers. Normally this is kind of cool but the tank just does not handle very well. It's almost like they made the controls too sensitive for the turns. It doesn't take much for you to turn completely around and find that your weapons are facing in the wrong direction. And even on Casual difficulty if this happens it's almost surely a death sentence. The other vehicle sequence in the game is quite good. You take control of the guns on an American plane and you get to blow up Japanese PT boats and destroyers.
One thing I can easily say is this game is more difficult than most of the other games in the series. There were some moments in Modern Warfare that really tested you but there weren't too many of those. In this game there are several sequences that will really give you a run for your money. So you have to keep your distance and try to pick off as much of the enemy as you can before running in like a madman. Oh and watch out for some of the Japanese troops that will run at you screaming "Bonzie!" If they get to you you'll only have a moment to press your knife button or wind up with a bayonet in your stomach.
Even though the game is tough there are some issues with the AI. On the casual difficulty I found at times I could walk right up to the enemy and they'd just stare at me until I put a knife in their chest. Also there were a few times where I was tasked to clear the area of enemies only to find one guy just standing there waiting to be killed. They behave well in groups but when you get them alone sometimes problems arise. However this is not the case on the harder difficulties so the AI issues are limited to the easier version of the game.
But the fact that the game is hard helps some because the single player campaign is fairly short. If you are fast you can probably blow through it in 5 or 6 hours maybe faster if you are really good. But I will say it is one of those campaigns that will still be good on multiple plays.
The meat of the game and the thing that will keep you coming back is the multiplayer. It is very similar to what you saw in Modern Warfare. All the standard modes like deathmatch, team deathmatch and territories. As you play you earn points and level up and this allows you to unlock different perks and weapons so you can customize your character to fit your play style.
The other big thing is the addition of co-op play. You can play through the campaign either locally or online with up to 4 players. You can either play as a team or play against each other trying to rack up the most kills. But the other fun addition is the Nazi zombies mode. This is where up to 4 players are hold up in a house while they fight off wave after wave of Nazi zombies. This is similar to the horde mode in Gears of War 2 and is a lot of fun and something you've seen in other games recently like Saints Row 2.
So is this game worth the full retail price. I say it definitely is (but keep in mind I did get this game as a gift). If you are fan of the series or shooters in general I say give this a try. But if you have tired of the World War II setting I don't think this will do much to persuade you and you'd be better off going with Modern Warfare or waiting for Modern Warfare 2 to come out.
My score: 7.5/10
Monday, January 12, 2009
Movie review: Frost/Nixon
Anybody who knows anything about history knows about the Watergate scandal and the resignation of President Richard Nixon. What not that many people know about are the interviews done of him by British talk show host David Frost. The movie Frost/Nixon examines the process that Frost and his people went through preparing for and conducting the interviews. At first this may not seem like the most interesting plot for a movie but believe me it is.
When people think about a bad President they usually think of George W. Bush. But when Nixon was accused of covering up people's involvement with Watergate and giving people hush money it was a huge deal. Then he was nearly impeached and because of this became the first sitting President to resign from office.
Of course after he was out of office many people wanted to interview him mainly to see if they could get some sort of confession out of him. So that's what David Frost set out to do and at the same time Nixon and his people set out to make Nixon look like the good guy. For those that haven't seen the movie or the interviews I won't give anything away but what happens shocks a lot of people.
The movie is directed by Ron Howard and he does his usual outstanding job. Some people have said this might be his best movie but I think that's a bit of a stretch. To me his best movie is probably Apollo 13. But this does rank up there easily in his top 5. It is very well written and very well shot and put together.
The cast is also top notch. It includes Michael Sheen as David Frost, Frank Langella as Richard Nixon, Kevin Bacon as Nixon's former Chief of Staff, and Oliver Platt as one of Frost's close colleagues. Of course all of the buzz is around Frank Langella and all of it is very well placed. Now he didn't win the Golden Globe but I'd say right now he is the hands down front runner to win the Oscar. He really embodies Richard Nixon and like Jamie Foxx in Ray you really can lose yourself in his role. there are times when he is facing away from the camera and he only see him from the back but he looks just like Nixon with the posture and the slumped shoulders. Then in close up shots he got his facial expressions and mannerisms down perfect. The voice is a little iffy but it's not to the point where it sounds like a bad impression. I usually have a good eye for which performances will win the Oscar and I'm putting my prediction with Frank Langella.
But I think the thing Langella does best is to humanize Nixon. Most people see him as this gruff character who didn't care about anybody. But Langella plays him as a bit of a sad and broken man who was forced to give up the thing he'd worked his whole life to achieve.
Of course Michael Sheen should not be discounted at all. He gives a very good performance. I was watching the original Nixon Watergate interview and the resemblance between the two of them is almost uncanny. Not only do they look very much alike but the voices are almost spot on. I doubt he will win any awards for this role but he definitely has to be commended for really capturing his character.
Now a movie with a subject like this could easily drag on or get boring. But Frost/Nixon does not do either of those. You get a good amount of character development and everything stays interesting and fresh and you want to see what happens next. But one complaint I do have is they really didn’t go that deep into David’s relationship with his girlfriend and her character was never developed too much. But I can understand that with everything else going on in this movie there is a risk of it seeming crowded or her subplot getting in the way of the main story. I personally would like to have known more about her but I think they probably cut that down for the best reasons.
Now the meat of everything comes in the interviews. When I saw the movie I had not yet seen them so I didn't know what to expect. I think Ron Howard has this ability to illicit suspense even when people know what's going to happen, like he did to great effect in Apollo 13. He also this does very well in Frost/Nixon and at times you are almost on the edge of your seat waiting to see what happens next and to see if they can make him crack. When the film does come to its climax you feel very satisfied and I think even if I had seen the interviews beforehand I still would have been just as interested in seeing what happens next.
If you are a fan of Ron Howard's movies definitely see this one. If you are at all interested in Richard Nixon or Watergate it's definitely worth a look. But probably one of the best reasons is to see probably the best performance by an actor for all of 2008.
My score: 8.0/10
When people think about a bad President they usually think of George W. Bush. But when Nixon was accused of covering up people's involvement with Watergate and giving people hush money it was a huge deal. Then he was nearly impeached and because of this became the first sitting President to resign from office.
Of course after he was out of office many people wanted to interview him mainly to see if they could get some sort of confession out of him. So that's what David Frost set out to do and at the same time Nixon and his people set out to make Nixon look like the good guy. For those that haven't seen the movie or the interviews I won't give anything away but what happens shocks a lot of people.
The movie is directed by Ron Howard and he does his usual outstanding job. Some people have said this might be his best movie but I think that's a bit of a stretch. To me his best movie is probably Apollo 13. But this does rank up there easily in his top 5. It is very well written and very well shot and put together.
The cast is also top notch. It includes Michael Sheen as David Frost, Frank Langella as Richard Nixon, Kevin Bacon as Nixon's former Chief of Staff, and Oliver Platt as one of Frost's close colleagues. Of course all of the buzz is around Frank Langella and all of it is very well placed. Now he didn't win the Golden Globe but I'd say right now he is the hands down front runner to win the Oscar. He really embodies Richard Nixon and like Jamie Foxx in Ray you really can lose yourself in his role. there are times when he is facing away from the camera and he only see him from the back but he looks just like Nixon with the posture and the slumped shoulders. Then in close up shots he got his facial expressions and mannerisms down perfect. The voice is a little iffy but it's not to the point where it sounds like a bad impression. I usually have a good eye for which performances will win the Oscar and I'm putting my prediction with Frank Langella.
But I think the thing Langella does best is to humanize Nixon. Most people see him as this gruff character who didn't care about anybody. But Langella plays him as a bit of a sad and broken man who was forced to give up the thing he'd worked his whole life to achieve.
Of course Michael Sheen should not be discounted at all. He gives a very good performance. I was watching the original Nixon Watergate interview and the resemblance between the two of them is almost uncanny. Not only do they look very much alike but the voices are almost spot on. I doubt he will win any awards for this role but he definitely has to be commended for really capturing his character.
Now a movie with a subject like this could easily drag on or get boring. But Frost/Nixon does not do either of those. You get a good amount of character development and everything stays interesting and fresh and you want to see what happens next. But one complaint I do have is they really didn’t go that deep into David’s relationship with his girlfriend and her character was never developed too much. But I can understand that with everything else going on in this movie there is a risk of it seeming crowded or her subplot getting in the way of the main story. I personally would like to have known more about her but I think they probably cut that down for the best reasons.
Now the meat of everything comes in the interviews. When I saw the movie I had not yet seen them so I didn't know what to expect. I think Ron Howard has this ability to illicit suspense even when people know what's going to happen, like he did to great effect in Apollo 13. He also this does very well in Frost/Nixon and at times you are almost on the edge of your seat waiting to see what happens next and to see if they can make him crack. When the film does come to its climax you feel very satisfied and I think even if I had seen the interviews beforehand I still would have been just as interested in seeing what happens next.
If you are a fan of Ron Howard's movies definitely see this one. If you are at all interested in Richard Nixon or Watergate it's definitely worth a look. But probably one of the best reasons is to see probably the best performance by an actor for all of 2008.
My score: 8.0/10
Thursday, January 8, 2009
Movie review: Yes Man
Yes Man is the latest comedy from Jim Carrey. Which is good because he hasn't done a starring role in a comedy since Fun With Dick and Jane in 2005. Thankfully this movie doesn't disappoint.
Carrey stars as a man who is the kind of guy that says no to just about everything and everyone. One day an old friend shows up and convinces him to attend a seminar. At the seminar he is convinced that he needs to say yes to everything. So from that point on he does just that and the comedy ensues.
Now for me there really weren't any drop down laughing moments but there were quite a few that gave me a good laugh. There is one scene where he shows up to meet someone and he's hopped up on Red Bull. So at that point you get to see some of those typical Jim Carrey mannerisms. But this movie doesn't rely too heavily on physical humor and most of the funny parts come from the situations.
There is a bit of a love story in the movie, as you'd expect. He meets a woman played by Zooey Deschanel who is the complete opposite of the way he was before. And of course they get together but eventually something happens to pull them apart. This has become pretty cliche for any kind of romantic comedy but the way it is done here works.
I hope that Jim Carrey does more of this type of movie in the future. Comedy is really his strong suit. He did prove in the past in The Truman Show, Man On the Moon and to a lesser extent The Number 23 that he can do drama but comedy is where he truly belongs. So if you want a smart and clever comedy then give this one a shot, you won't be disappointed.
My score: 7.0/10
Carrey stars as a man who is the kind of guy that says no to just about everything and everyone. One day an old friend shows up and convinces him to attend a seminar. At the seminar he is convinced that he needs to say yes to everything. So from that point on he does just that and the comedy ensues.
Now for me there really weren't any drop down laughing moments but there were quite a few that gave me a good laugh. There is one scene where he shows up to meet someone and he's hopped up on Red Bull. So at that point you get to see some of those typical Jim Carrey mannerisms. But this movie doesn't rely too heavily on physical humor and most of the funny parts come from the situations.
There is a bit of a love story in the movie, as you'd expect. He meets a woman played by Zooey Deschanel who is the complete opposite of the way he was before. And of course they get together but eventually something happens to pull them apart. This has become pretty cliche for any kind of romantic comedy but the way it is done here works.
I hope that Jim Carrey does more of this type of movie in the future. Comedy is really his strong suit. He did prove in the past in The Truman Show, Man On the Moon and to a lesser extent The Number 23 that he can do drama but comedy is where he truly belongs. So if you want a smart and clever comedy then give this one a shot, you won't be disappointed.
My score: 7.0/10
Saturday, January 3, 2009
Movie review: Bedtime Stories
Bedtime Stories is the latest movie from Adam Sandler. Sandler plays a man who works as a maintenance guy in a hotel that used to be owned by his father. But when it was going under it was sold and turned into a much larger hotel. Eventually he finds out that they are going to be opening up a new hotel and he wants his chance to run it. His father had been promised that when he got old enough he'd be given a chance to run the hotel so it could stay in the family.
Sandler is then asked by his sister, played by Courtney Cox, to look after her kids. He takes the job and finds his favorite part is telling them a bedtime story. After telling it to them he finds that the next day some of the things from the story start to come true like it raining gumballs. He then figures this is his way to get some things he's always wanted and to get the job as the hotel manager.
The main villain of the movie is played by Guy Pearce. He is in competition with Sandler for the manager job. It's not exactly a stretch for him but he does a decent job playing the obnoxious jerk.
Probably the highlight of the movie are the stories themselves. When he is telling one you get to see them acted out and they range from medieval times, space, the old west and ancient Rome. The special effects in them are good and they have a lot of humor in them but don't come off like they are trying too hard. As Sandler is a master of many different characters and voices he pulls them all off well.
One of the running jokes in the movie is the kid's guinea pig named Bugsy. He is named this because he's got huge eyes like an anime character. It's a good break from the humor in the rest of the movie and almost every time he is on screen something funny happens.
Overall this is a good family movie and will be enjoyed by kids and adults. If you are a fan of Adam Sandler I'm sure you'll like it but don't go in expecting something like Billy Madison or Happy Gilmore.
Sandler is then asked by his sister, played by Courtney Cox, to look after her kids. He takes the job and finds his favorite part is telling them a bedtime story. After telling it to them he finds that the next day some of the things from the story start to come true like it raining gumballs. He then figures this is his way to get some things he's always wanted and to get the job as the hotel manager.
The main villain of the movie is played by Guy Pearce. He is in competition with Sandler for the manager job. It's not exactly a stretch for him but he does a decent job playing the obnoxious jerk.
Probably the highlight of the movie are the stories themselves. When he is telling one you get to see them acted out and they range from medieval times, space, the old west and ancient Rome. The special effects in them are good and they have a lot of humor in them but don't come off like they are trying too hard. As Sandler is a master of many different characters and voices he pulls them all off well.
One of the running jokes in the movie is the kid's guinea pig named Bugsy. He is named this because he's got huge eyes like an anime character. It's a good break from the humor in the rest of the movie and almost every time he is on screen something funny happens.
Overall this is a good family movie and will be enjoyed by kids and adults. If you are a fan of Adam Sandler I'm sure you'll like it but don't go in expecting something like Billy Madison or Happy Gilmore.
Friday, January 2, 2009
Movie review: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
What would happen if a man aged in reverse? This is the question answered by David Fincher's movie The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.
It is a grand sweeping movie with all the feel of watching the life of someone very extraordinary. The movie starts in modern day with a woman on her death bed. She is being read the diary of Benjamin Button. He is born just after the end of World War I. But he is different than other babies because he looks just like an old man. Complete with cataracts and arthritis. He is abandoned by his father and put in the care of a woman named Queenie, played very well by Taraji P. Henson. She decides to raise him as her own. Now as he grows over time he gets younger and younger. So for his entire childhood he has all the problems and appearance of an old man.
Eventually he meets a girl named Daisy and they form a friendship. Benjamin leaves his home to explore the world and eventually winds up in Russia where he meets a woman named Elizabeth played by recent Oscar winner Tilda Swinton. As you would expect eventually he finds his way back home and has a full on relationship with Daisy who is now played by the versatile Cate Blanchett. I don't want to go too much deeper into the plot and give anything away but rest assured it has a very satisfactory conclusion.
Now when it comes to the movie itself it is just stunning. From beginning to end it grabs you and you just want to watch the characters and see what happens to them. Of course there are some ups and downs and I'm sure there will be several moments where some people will need to pull out the tissues.
The movie is also superbly written. All of the dialogue flows and Benjamin talks with the wisdom of a man way beyond his years. Aside from that there are some amazing visuals in the movie. Fincher's previous movies like Panic Room and Fight Club weren't exactly know for beautiful scenery but this movie has it in abundence. Also the makeup work is some of the best I have seen in recent years. Transforming a young actor into an old man and making it look real must have taken a lot of effort. Also when he grows older it doesn't seem artificial and you are sucked in and believe he might be a man in his 60s or 70s.
The performance that steals the show is that of Benjamin played by Brad Pitt. He is surely worthy of an Oscar nomination. You just fall in love with his character from the beginning. The way he delivers his lines and interacts with people is so expertly done you'd swear he was one of Hollywood's veterans. I think this is easily the best performance of his career and he will be hard pressed in the future to top this.
I'm trying to think of something bad to say about this movie and I really can't. The acting is superb and the directing, camerawork and editing are all top notch. This movie in my mind is a hands down front runner for Best Picture.
My score: 10/10
It is a grand sweeping movie with all the feel of watching the life of someone very extraordinary. The movie starts in modern day with a woman on her death bed. She is being read the diary of Benjamin Button. He is born just after the end of World War I. But he is different than other babies because he looks just like an old man. Complete with cataracts and arthritis. He is abandoned by his father and put in the care of a woman named Queenie, played very well by Taraji P. Henson. She decides to raise him as her own. Now as he grows over time he gets younger and younger. So for his entire childhood he has all the problems and appearance of an old man.
Eventually he meets a girl named Daisy and they form a friendship. Benjamin leaves his home to explore the world and eventually winds up in Russia where he meets a woman named Elizabeth played by recent Oscar winner Tilda Swinton. As you would expect eventually he finds his way back home and has a full on relationship with Daisy who is now played by the versatile Cate Blanchett. I don't want to go too much deeper into the plot and give anything away but rest assured it has a very satisfactory conclusion.
Now when it comes to the movie itself it is just stunning. From beginning to end it grabs you and you just want to watch the characters and see what happens to them. Of course there are some ups and downs and I'm sure there will be several moments where some people will need to pull out the tissues.
The movie is also superbly written. All of the dialogue flows and Benjamin talks with the wisdom of a man way beyond his years. Aside from that there are some amazing visuals in the movie. Fincher's previous movies like Panic Room and Fight Club weren't exactly know for beautiful scenery but this movie has it in abundence. Also the makeup work is some of the best I have seen in recent years. Transforming a young actor into an old man and making it look real must have taken a lot of effort. Also when he grows older it doesn't seem artificial and you are sucked in and believe he might be a man in his 60s or 70s.
The performance that steals the show is that of Benjamin played by Brad Pitt. He is surely worthy of an Oscar nomination. You just fall in love with his character from the beginning. The way he delivers his lines and interacts with people is so expertly done you'd swear he was one of Hollywood's veterans. I think this is easily the best performance of his career and he will be hard pressed in the future to top this.
I'm trying to think of something bad to say about this movie and I really can't. The acting is superb and the directing, camerawork and editing are all top notch. This movie in my mind is a hands down front runner for Best Picture.
My score: 10/10
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