Saturday, August 4, 2012
Movie Review: The Dark Knight Rises (2012)
I had to see The Dark Knight Rises twice before I knew exactly how I felt about it. Leaving the theatre after the first viewing, I felt thoroughly let down. After my second screening I found myself still retaining some of the same disappointment; however, I was able to look at the film more objectively, and come to some mixed conclusions. So, as a huge fan of Christopher Nolan’s Batman saga, I can finally say this: The entire trilogy is an incredible achievement, but Rises is absolutely the weakest entry in the series.
Part of the problem here is the level of expectation I had going into this final chapter. The first two, Batman Begins (2005) and The Dark Knight (2008), were incredible films, packed with a level of depth not previously seen in any comic-book adaptation. My desire for this third movie to match its predecessors in quality is a tall order in and of itself, but part of me had been hyped to believe Rises would be the best in the series.
Sunday, July 29, 2012
Nintendo Wii Review: Ice Age: Continental Drift - Arctic Games
After only one hour of playing Ice Age: Continental Drift – Arctic Games for the Nintendo Wii, I
was confident that I had experienced enough of the game to write this review. Before
you accuse me of being the laziest critic in history, I’d like to present an
important piece of evidence in my defense: Arctic
Games contains only 10 mini-games, and each of them will take you only a
couple of minutes to play. The result is a completely forgettable experience
with so little content that it’s not even worth a rental, let alone a purchase.
Yes, these 10 mini-games come packaged in three different
flavors: Story Mode, Tournament, and Free Play. Sadly, each mode is essentially
the same. All three game modes contain the exact same mini-games, with the only
change being how you gain access to them.
Wednesday, July 18, 2012
Xbox 360 Review: The Amazing Spider-Man
If you haven’t seen the Amazing Spider-Man movie yet, you should see it before you play this game. I promise to keep this review as spoiler free as possible; however, The Amazing Spider-Man videogame serves as a sequel of sorts to the film, taking place right where the movie left off.
Oscorp Labs has been busy using Dr. Connors’ research to create human and animal hybrids. When the beasts escape from the lab, Spider-Man breaks the former Lizard from his cell, and the two begin working to undo the evil deeds of Oscorp -- before all of Manhattan becomes overrun with creatures.
The story here isn’t necessarily great, but having an original story is a nice change from the typical movie tie-in game, which usually just presents some half-assed version of the film’s narrative. The Amazing Spider-Man is also different from your typical movie tie-in game because, to my surprise, it’s actually pretty good. It may not be the best game you’ll play in the action genre, but it’s certainly fun enough to be worth your valuable time.
Thursday, July 12, 2012
Movie Review: The Amazing Spider-Man (2012)
It’s been a mere five years since Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man trilogy came to a close, but
Columbia Pictures and Marvel have teamed up to reboot the franchise, this time
with Mark Webb (500 Days of Summer) at the helm. The Amazing Spider-Man is a darker take on the series that, while it’s
still very good, suffers from an inconsistent tone and a plot that lacks
proper focus.
This reboot begins with the same teenage high school
student, Peter Parker (Andrew Garfield), whom we all know and love. A visit to
Oscorp Labs causes Peter to be bitten by a genetically altered spider, leaving him with super powers and a new Spider-Man alter ego.
Yes, it’s the same origin story you’ve seen before, and the
changes to the formula really don’t switch things up all that much. Peter has
trouble with his newfound strength, and constantly finds himself breaking
doors, computers, and basketball hoops as he attempts to balance all the
aspects of his new life.
I guess these scenes are provided as comic relief, but none
of them work very well at all. The over-the-top comical moments don’t mesh with
the darker plot, which otherwise succeeds at bringing out a more human side to
the character.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)