Adventures on Flaming Volcano Mountain, or How the Wii Cheats

The faces of pure Evil.

So the other day, my sister and I were playing the Nintendo Wii.  The game: Wii Party.  It is pretty much a family game with a whole bunch of mini-games everyone can jump into a play.  Well, one of the options is to play a board-game style game that has players moving around the board with the roll of the dice.  After each player has went, a mini-game is played between the characters to decided who gets to roll first, gaining a bonus dice for the first, second, or third place winners during the games.  Alright, so now that the rules have been established, let's get to the story.  First game we played, the computer won, despite being on the lowest difficulty setting.  I know what your thinking, "Oh you probably just suck." But no, don't be foolish, otherwise I wouldn't be sharing this story.

My sister and I started Round 2 with a fire in our hearts.  We needed to beat the computer, it was simple as that.  During the first game, we started to notice some trends, mainly if one computer player was far behind on the game board, the dice rolling would become ridiculous, like us getting ones or losing spaces, and the computer getting rolls of twelve spaces, plus additional bonus spaces on the game board.  Also, there are spaces where you switch with a player randomly, (which is not random) but either human player would get replaced, never the computer player.  So this round we made it our mission to win the mini-games in order to get the bonus dice and get ahead faster.  After a fierce battle to the top of the mountain, we were all even.  Mainly because they kept switching places with my sister, who was in the front of the pack the entire time, and then would be switched with the computer and sent to the rear.  The final challenge is to roll a six or higher. That's how we needed to win the game.  You get one chance with one dice, then a chance with two, and so on until someone gets over 6.  Well, the computer got to go first with one dice.  We figured we were toast.  We were getting ripped off the whole game so why stop now?  Well, as fate would have it, the computers both missed 6.  So did I.  And so did my sister.

The champions. Well, my sister won technically.

Now we had to play a mini-game for the bonus dice.  I ended up winning in first place, with my sister in second.  I missed again, getting a 5. I'm super mad now and I'm seething, jumping up and down because of my terrible luck.  But alas, my sister had the next roll.  The roll was over 6!  I don't think I could have been a bigger spaz after winning that game.  Anyone that has ever played a video game and lost to a computer will know the feeling.  After yelling and jumping around with my sister that we finally won, I proceeded to scream at the TV, and at our computer opponents, "WE DID IT! WE WON! YEA! F*CK YOU ANDY AND MIYU!! AAAAHHH!"  I am both incredibly proud of the moment yet endlessly ashamed, mainly since it's just a game, and I yelled at a TV.

Movie Review - Tron: Legacy

Prepare to be Derezzed

Jeff Bridges as Kevin Flynn

Nearly 30 years after the original Tron hit theaters, first-time director Joseph Kosinski dazzles audiences with Tron: Legacy, a visual effects heavy film backed by a great soundtrack but burdened by some so-so acting.  The plot stands on its own for the most part, feeding off the mythos that the 1982 Tron created.  Kevin Flynn (Jeff Bridges) leaves his son one night, promising him to show him the world he has created inside of the computer.  Fast forward 20 years, and Sam Flynn, now grown up, has been searching for his dad since he disappeared that night.  One night, Sam gets a message from a colleague of his fathers, saying he has been paged on an emergency line.  The source of the page from an old arcade his dad used to own.  Sam investigates, presses one too many buttons, and voila, he is sucked into The Grid, the digital world his father created.  The rest of the story is Sam teaming up with his father to destroy the evil programs that run rampant on The Grid.  I liked the story for the most part, especially since I am into technology, so I appreciated all the techno-babble in the movie.  When the story called for human emotion, however, my attention started to wane.  Some cliche moments and an uninteresting romantic sub-plot hold Tron: Legacy back from being completely well written.

The newly designed Light Cycle accentuated by light blue.

The same can't be said for the visuals, who, like the digital frontier they portray, bring the world of The Grid to life.  The art direction for the film is simply astonishing, mainly because of the care taken to craft the realm, and bring some believability to it.  I had read an article in a magazine last week, with an interview with the art team, which talked about how they wanted the designs to look functional as well as look appropriate for the Tron mythology.  They talked in-depth of every piece of the famous light cycles, and how they re-designed it for a modern audience, but still paid tribute to the original.  The light blue and  orange colors (signifying good and bad guys) that wrap around every piece of architecture, furniture, clothing, and vehicles in the film are never too bright, but gives each digital piece a place.  The lights bend and fold around certain parts of the pieces, highlighting the curves and surfaces of different structures.  It was fascinating to watch.  I did not screen this in 3D, but I have heard good things about it.  I didn't really feel the need for 3D while watching the film, but maybe it could warrant another run through.

While the plot was above average and the visuals were fantastic, the acting was mainly just so-so.  It was nice seeing Jeff Bridges (Crazy Heart) play his character with lines like "Right on!", since he has been trapped in the computer since the early 1980's and hasn't seen the world evolve and word lingo change.  I liked that we got to see Bridges as the good guy, and also as the bad guy in this film, giving the evil character Clu some nuance.  Garrett Hedlund, playing Sam, did a serviceable job.  I didn't really think he was that great in Four Brothers with Mark Walhberg a couple years ago.  I always thought he was the weakest link in that film.  Again, I feel the same way.  It just seems like he is in chill out mood, never really getting completely into the role.  But when he and Jeff Bridges share the screen, he starts to come out of his shell a little, actually improving.  There were also some surprises as well, such as Cillian Murphy (Inception, Batman Begins) in an uncredited role as a programmer at Flynn's old tech company.  Also, Michael Sheen (Frost/Nixon, The Damned United) has a role as a night club owner, which he seemed to have a lot of fun playing.

Daft Punk, as they appear in the film.

Finally, the Tron: Legacy soundtrack was simply brilliant.  Daft Punk, who scored the whole film, really outdid themselves on this film.  Their techno and electronica beats really combined well with the whole feel of the film.  Just as Trent Reznor did on The Social Network, they were able to create their own music that fit within the film as they saw fit.  I found myself in the theater getting goosebumps as the main theme faded in at the beginning of the film.  If the music can do that to me, I know I'm hearing something amazing.

Overall, Tron: Legacy was very entertaining to watch, especially all the eye candy throughout the movie.  While the acting could have been more, I was more interested in the world they have created.  From the thrilling light cycle chases to the pulsing soundtrack, I really was pulled into the world of The Grid.  Maybe it's time for you to experience it for yourself.

4 out of 5 Stars

An Unfortunate Event

Actual picture I took off someone's luggage they checked.

Maybe there was a reason United Airlines filed for bankruptcy...

Alright, so here's the deal: I have a problem with United Airlines.  I normally don't fly United, since I prefer Southwest Airlines, mainly because they are cheaper and 100% more reliable.  I was headed home for my Christmas break to see the family.  Leaving Eppley Airfield in Omaha, Nebraska, heading to O'Hare Airport in Chicago, Illinois.  I had a 1:46 pm. departure.  I boarded the aircraft along with the other 100 people coming along for the ride.  We start to taxi out towards the runway.  Then, stillness.

http://www.businesstravellogue.com/files/2008/11/united-airlines-cartoon.jpg

Pilot comes over the intercom saying electrical failure, blah blah blah, heading back to the gate.  30 mins later, we are updated to get off the plane.  Thinking and fearing the worst, I head with everyone else to get in line to book another flight.  2 HOURS LATER. I am next in line to go.  Update over the speakers saying flight is officially canceled, so head downstairs to re-book for the next morning.  I ask for help since I am next in line.  I AM TOLD TO GO GET IN LINE AGAIN BECAUSE THEY CAN HELP ME SINCE THEY NEED TO BOOK FOR THE NEXT FLIGHT AFTER OURS. THERE ISN'T ANYONE THERE.  I head downstairs and get in another line.  I am about 15th in line.  There is only 2 people working the counter.  2 HOURS LATER, my turn arrives again.  I ask to be placed on another flight leaving within the hour.  "No, we can't do that."  "Why not?"  "We just can't."  Nice excuse United Airline worker.  So now I have to make a 6 a.m. flight the following day.  I have to call my girlfriend to come pick me up, which I feel terrible about since I am not supposed to even be in the state.  The next morning, everything runs perfect, except for the fact that I overheard a flight attendant say this is the same plane as yesterday, but it's fixed.  Oh lucky us, we got to find out if that was true.  I also heard a story about a family on the flight who bailed to drive to Denver to catch a non-stop flight to Florida, probably for Disney World.  Denver is about 10 hours away.  That family decided they'd rather drive 10 hours than to put up with United for another minute.  Good for them.

The thing is, I fly Southwest 9/10 a year.  I try United once or twice a year.  I ALWAYS have a problem.  Sure, Southwest has it's fair share of problems, like combating the elements, not crappy aircraft.  They may not have fancy TV monitors that fold down from the ceiling, but they know a thing or two about customer satisfaction.  And the flight attendants are hilarious and joke around all the time.  It's simply delightful!

Some further reading:  http://travel.usnews.com/features/Americas_Meanest_Airlines/
                                  http://www.airlinequality.com/Forum/ual.htm
                                  http://heraldnews.suntimes.com/business/berko/2321513-420/airline-united-continental-ual-employees.html
                                

Happy Holidays from Nebraska!

Hope everyone has a great holiday season!

Movie Review - Black Swan

Latest take on Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake a psychological thriller

Just in time for awards season, Darren Aronofsky’s latest directorial effort showcases his best work yet, and with good measure too.  Black Swan opens innocently enough, with Nina (played by Natalie Portman) having a dream about the ballet, when it is interrupted by a black figure, who seemingly takes control of her movements.  This single scene could represent the whole movie as well, with themes of light versus dark, dreams versus nightmares.  The film follows Nina, an insecure ballerina who is auditioning for a part in her ballet company’s new feature, Swan Lake.  The director putting the ballet together wants the main ballerina to be able to play both the seductive Black Swan and the “princess” White Swan.  While Nina is able to play the White Swan to a T, her perfectionist attitude prevents her from completely letting go emotionally to play the polar opposite Black Swan.  Herein lies the plot for the film, which shows Nina forgoing her transformation into an alter-ego of sorts. 

Natalie Portman as Nina Sayers

            Natalie Portman is simply amazing as Nina, showing a vast range of emotions and depth.  From the innocent and friendly Nina to the paranoid and nasty woman she becomes, her lapse in darkness is quite a sight to behold.  At first, Nina finds it hard to let herself go, always feeling the need to be the best by being perfect and rigid, never faltering.  The director wants Nina to embrace her dark side, and give life to her performance as the Black Swan.  Throughout the movie, Natalie Portman gives a wholly believable performance, really making the audience care for Nina, which makes it that much harder to watch as she spirals into darkness.  Rather than just seemingly flipping a switch, Aronofsky is much more subtle in how he directs Portman’s transformation.  It begins as a snippet of dialogue or a small facial expression, and over time, it develops into something much more.  Mila Kunis plays another dancer in the company, and develops a friendship with Nina  It was nice to see Kunis stretch her dramatic acting skills, mainly since I can’t seem to shake her character in That 70’s Show.  With Black Swan, though, this changes completely.  She does a great job as a free-living character who isn’t as disciplined a Portman’s character, giving the two dancers some competition between each other.  She also does a good job playing with the audience as well, making it seem like there is always an ulterior motive to her actions.  The fact that the two lead took ballet lessons for almost a year to prepare for their roles should tell you the dedication these young actresses have to their craft. 

There are some humorous parts in the film as well, to lighten up the mood, with one scene coming to mind where late one night Nina is practicing with a piano player, and halfway through the part the music stops, the player stands up and exclaims “I have a life. Don’t practice too hard.”  It’s this kind of humor that helps bring some levity to the film.  They were always in the right place in the right time, letting the audience chuckle nervously to themselves, wondering what is going to happen next.

Director Darren Aronofsky with lead Natalie Portman

Darren Aronofsky’s direction in Black Swan is in full effect.  If you have seen his past movies, it might come off as a little restrained, but in a good way. Coming off seeing The Fountain, another of Aronofsky’s work, Black Swan isn’t as hard to follow. His play on a psychological thriller is refreshing, showing the deterioration of Nina’s mind, giving the audience just as many clues as Nina.  Keeping the audience in the dark was a great way to build the suspense.  The pacing was well done, keeping viewers entranced from the beginning, which shows the day-in day-out routine of ballet dancers, and the rigors they have to endure for their art.  Seeing the leads being able to do their own ballet “stunts” really helped the realism of the film, creating a more believable atmosphere.  Who knew how hyper-competitive the performing arts are? I sure didn’t.

Black Swan, arriving late in award season, is sure to turn some heads.  While the original score was rejected for being nominated because of utilizing too much of the source material’s music, it will be interesting to see where the academy is going to place its votes.  A nomination for Best Picture is sure to be forthcoming, as is a Best Actress nod for Natalie Portman.  Only time will tell.  In the meantime, make sure to check out this incredible achievement before it leaves the theaters.

5 out of 5 Stars

Video Game Review : Singularity

 

Time Travel AND a Secret Russian Island? Sign Me Up!

Singularity, a time-traveling FPS developed by Raven Software, starts out simple enough: investigate rumors on Katorga-12, an island off the coast of Russia, of secret military experiments.  After an unexplained helicopter crash onto the island, you begin your adventure as Captain Renko, a member of a U.S. military reconnaissance team sent to the island.  As you make your way across the island, electromagnetic bursts of energy start to shift the island in and out of the timeline, phasing between 2010 and 1955, during the height of the Cold War, and where the “Singularity” first occurred on the island.  What follows is an interesting plotline filled with time-travel shifts that are sure to give you some “Ah-Ha!” moments.  I found the plot to be pretty well done.  I am a big fan of anything time travel, so I was definitely satisfied after playing through the storyline.  Even the ending gives you choices to make, giving you control over the final outcome of the game.  It would have been nice to been given some choices to make during the middle of the game, but this works just fine too.

The TMD turning enemies into dust.

The gameplay in Singularity borrows heavily from many sources, a major one being Bioshock, with its collection of health items.  To its credit though, Singularity manages to carve out its own niche, combing all of these borrowed ideas, and creating its own fun and unique gameplay additions.  The game gives you control over the TMD (time manipulation device).  This enables the player to turn enemies into dust, or turn back or fast forward the clock on items, like a safe.  Point the TMD at a safe and watch it disintegrate into dust, granting the player the rewards previously locked up.  It also acts as a “gravity gun” a la Half-Life 2, except not as rewarding or as fun.  It mainly is used to pick up items in a few sections to complete puzzles.  While the TMD is a blast to mess around with against enemies, its actual uses beyond blasting bad guys is pretty limited.  It would have been nice to see the TMD used a lot more often, since, you know, this is a TIME TRAVEL game.  When not using the TMD to destroy your enemies, the game runs the normal gambit of shotguns, pistols, and a machine gun.  One notable entry, however, saves the game from being completely helpless in new weapon invention.  The Seeker is a rifle that shoots bullets that can be steered, which is pretty frickin’ awesome.  The only downside is that you only get the gun during a few sections of the game, which is a bummer considering how fun this would be to use a lot more than a couple times.

Repairing a broken walkway.

A high point for Singularity is its surprising presentation qualities.  It does a great job graphically to show you a dilapidated and aged military base in 2010, and another great job shoving you into 1955 to show a bustling island filled with non-decrepit buildings.  The effects are well done, and the atmosphere is rich with detail, with a welcome presentation showing what the island has to offer at the beginning of the game.  Its little stuff like this that make the world more believable.  The time travel aspects of the game are awesome as well, such as a broken staircase slowly being pieced back together, or the disintegration of a soldier being hit with the TMD.  Some minor nitpicks are that some of the details look downright ugly, such as a pile of rope, which just looks like one big blob color to look like rope.  But that is besides the point, because I’m not really looking at things like that when I’m too busy shifting through portals.

Overall, Singularity is a great time-travel distraction filled with cool powers from the TMD and some exciting set pieces.  Despite the lack of flexibility with the TMD, heavily borrowing of elements from other games, and some graphical hiccups, Singularity is one hell of a fun FPS.  Just make sure you get the DeLorean up to 88 mph.

4 out of 5 Stars

Movie Review - Tangled

Who thought so much hair could actually lead to a lot of fun?


"This is the story of how I died."  I don't think anyone going into this movie expected to hear this somber quote as the first lines of the new Disney movie, Tangled.  Sitting in the theater, as I heard this line spoken by the hero of the story "Flynn Rider" (voiced by the hilarious Zachary Levi of the television show Chuck), I was immediately interested in where this story was headed.  The 50th animated movie by Walt Disney Animation Studios follows the story of Rapunzel, a princess trapped in a giant tower with no way of leaving and long locks of hair to lower down to her prince to ascend.  This is how I knew the story growing up, so the movie interested me mainly because I never knew why she was there in the first place.  Maybe I should have read the original tale by the Brothers' Grimm.  But I digress. 

This Disney tale tells of Rapunzel, who has magical healing abilities associated with her long blond locks on hair.  She is kidnapped when still a baby from her kingdom by an old woman wanting to become young again, and thus needs Rapunzel's powerful hair to turn back the clock.  The old woman locks Rapunzel in a secret tower hidden in the forest to raise her as her own.  Fast forward eighteen years, and Rapunzel wants out.  Her "step-mother" forbids Rapunzel (voiced convincingly enough by Mandy Moore) to leave the tower.  While the "step-mother" is away from the tower for the day, a young thief, Flynn Rider enters the tower, and adventure ensues.  The rapport between Moore and Levi as the two leads is fantastic, each giving them depth and emotion, really making you get to know what makes the characters tick.

"Here comes the smolder."  Zachary Levi as Flynn Rider.

 

I was surprised by the amount of comedy in the movie.  Sure, there are plenty of laughs for the kids, but the dialogue was well written, and adults will not have a problem laughing at a couple parts.  This is mainly due to Zachary Levi, who does a great job channeling his voice through the actions and emotions of Flynn Rider.  Mandy Moore does a serviceable job as Rapunzel, really showing why Rapunzel wants to leave her tower and what she wants to do next.  But, for me, I was more interested in Flynn.  Sure, the characters are cliche like all Disney movies, and while that does hurt the formula, it works here.  Characters change, like Flynn, for instance, from a thief into someone the princess can rely on. 

Rapunzel and her long-ass hair.

The animation in Tangled are some of the best I've seen.  I had to close my eyes and open them again and remind myself I wasn't watching a Pixar movie.  Each strand of Rapunzel's hair moves with a natural flow and beauty.  The attention to detail was staggering, with one such scene showing a dam breaking apart and the water flowing and destroying everything in it's path.  I can see where the movies' $260 million budget went, and I can say it was money well spent.  The characters themselves are animated very thoroughly and the motion capture is very well done.  Everything in the movie is brought to life, creating a very convincing fantasy world.

While the story was interesting enough, and held my attention to the end, you couldn't help shake the feeling of the "Disney" ending coming.  Sure, the movies are for kids, but it would be a nice change of pace to not know what's going to happen next.  Also, the final act uses a pretty big cliche, even for Disney's standards.  I literally found myself laughing at what happened.  Despite the foresight of the story, and the final act "twist", Tangled was still a great movie for the entire family.  The voice-work and animation are top notch, and it's nice to see a really good animated movie come out of a studio other than Pixar.  Congratulations to Disney for raising the bar on this one.

4 out of 5 Stars

Video Game Review : James Bond - Bloodstone

A 007 game NOT based on a Bond movie actually works

Despite what people tend to say about movie themed video games (which are never positive things) Bloodstone actually is a blast to play.  That's probably because the creators didn't have to limit themselves to create within a movie tie-in world already created.  The new Bond hits all of the right marks in terms of gameplay, matching the themes of the newer Bond movies.  This includes the brutal new fighting technique Bond uses nowadays in the movies.  It is very Jason Bourne of him, but it definitely works.  The melee combat in the game is great to play around with, and it really makes you feel like your slamming a bad guys face into your knee before throwing him head first into a wall. 

Daniel Craig as James Bond

The sound effects are great as well, with every gun shot coming off with real "oomph", as well as the beat downs you use to attack enemies.  The voice talent of Daniel Craig and Judi Dench are a great addition to the game as well as their likenesses, really giving you the movie feel inside the video game.  The in-game model of Daniel Craig is convincingly enough, but the same cant be said for Judi Dench.   Too bad the lip synchronizing and movement are atrocious, especially since people that are talking barely move their mouths.

The Aston Martin DBS

Another double edged sword of the game is the driving sections.  Graphically, they sport some of the best sequences in the game, with explosions and fireballs at every turn.  This, with the camerawork that shakes with every explosion, gives you a great feel of speed and how disorienting it might be to actually drive with bombs going off everywhere.  The downside of these sections are more about the routes themselves, which might have to be re-done multiple times.  One instance occurred towards the end where I had to drive around water patches, and if I fell in, it was game over and I'd have to load a checkpoint.  The thing is, though, is that the water patches look like the shadows being cast down from the surround buildings and mountains I pass.  Kind of frustrating, since i then get to here the radio chatter for the fifth time in a row  Simply memorizing the routes will get you to where you need to be instead of skill. 

The final gripe I have is the repetitive nature of the game itself, where I shuffle from exotic locale to the next location, infiltrate the said area, then blast my way out of it.  Sure, I know Bond is suave and is sneaky and such, but does every place have to have an ambush.  Can't I make it out successfully just once.  I can only pop out and shoot bad guys for so long before it becomes repetitive.  The thing that can break this monotony is the addition of a "bullet time" maneuver, which you can trigger when you first take some one out in hand to hand combat.  This gives you a "freebie" shot to one-hit-kill anyone in the area.  It's a nice touch that gives you some gratification in slow-mo killing.

Overall, this 007 outing is by far one of the better games to come out recently with the secret agent's name on it.  Since the game ends on a cliffhanger, I'm hoping there will be a sequel, where some of the shortcomings can be addressed.  After that, James Bond may have a chance at reaching the N64 Goldeneye status.  Ah, who am I kidding, Goldeneye is a classic and will never be topped.

3 out of 5 Stars

Where to Start

Alright folks, so you may have noticed no review of Tangled. My bad.  But I do have a good excuse, which is that Lincoln was hit with a nasty ice blizzard mess the day I was going to go, but my car barely drives as it is so the movie had to be postponed.  Plus, I've been sick, and finally recovering as of today.  But enough of that, posts coming soon.

New Posts Coming Soon

Sorry about the lack of activity on the site.  Architecture has been taking up all of my time, but it's due this week, so after that I'll be updating regularly.  I am seeing Tangled on Saturday night so expect a review over the weekend.