Tuesday, March 29, 2016

Batman: Arkham Knight

Hey everyone! I wanted to do another game review, and I thought that this was the perfect choice. I absolutely love the Arkham Video Game series and I am so happy with how Rocksteady finished it off. I hope that I can convince you to buy the game if you haven't already and enjoy it as much as I did!


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                  The game begins with the Joker being cremated at Christmas time. When the flames burst
and spit, the Bat symbol shows up, and Jim Gordon says, "This is how it happened. This is how the Batman died."
                   So you now know that the game is a flashback, a story told to someone listening. And that someone is you as the player. You begin as a cop in a coffee shop that grabs some coffee and a bite to eat. A civilian approaches you and says that there is a man smoking in the corner of the restaurant. You confront him and are blasted with fear toxin by none other than Scarecrow himself. 
                    Scarecrow makes a city-wide broadcast warning that Gotham would be covered in a cloud of his new and more lethal fear toxin. The city evacuates within several hours and Jim shines Batman's light in the sky. You assume control of Batman and fly over to him. 
                    You guys talk, and if you look closely, you can see the raindrops rolling down Jim's jacket, and the mist in his glasses. You can also see Batman's breath as he talks in the cold, and there is an occasional riffle to his cape as the wind blows here and there. In short, the graphics and visuals are stunning, Playstation 4 or XBOX ONE. 
                    You then begin the hunt for Jonathan Crane (the Scarecrow if you didn't already know
that) and are aided by Oracle, our trusty and dearly loved tech operative. Here you are introduced to the all-new, all-purpose, and totally sick Batmobile, the vehicle every Arkham fan has wanted to drive since it was first introduced in Arkham Asylum. 
                     Learn how to use it properly in driving and blowing things up with a Vulcan Gun and a 60 mm Canon that rips apart anything standing in your way to shreds. It is AMAZING!!! Free-flow combat is back and better than ever, with all new challenges, enemies, and some old friends that you can team up with to take down your opposition. 
                    Predator system is as beautiful as ever, and your foes have new technology that can detect your Detective Vision, so you better learn how to make due without it, as they can also pinpoint your location if you use it for too long. Sentry drones are now a new challenge on top of the Arkham City-introduced land mines. 
                    But don't worry! The vents are still here and are your best friends... that is until your enemy soldiers send bombs down them and try to smoke you out. But to escape those, vents can now
be traveled to and from each other using vent chutes. If you're on a perch point and you spot a wall vent, grapple to that sucker and you'll travel down to below your enemies' feet. There we see the brand new takedown system that will make you pee your pants. 
                   That new system ladies and gentleman is called the "Fear" System. When you're below two or three enemies, you can shoot out of the grates and take three armed men down in quick succession before they ever have time to aim down the sights and pull the trigger at you. 
                   However, as O.P. as this new feature is, it's a one-time use until you silently takedown a single individual without getting caught. So make sure you don't abandon your old-time Arkham Asylum and City tactics. After taking down one guy silently, the "Fear Multi-Takedown" ability is recharged.
                  Loved the Wayne Tech upgrades? Well, they're back and now, they're harder to get. You'll still get upgrade points, but now if you want to buy new abilities further down the tree, you've gotta be patient and save those suckers for later. Cuz if you spend em all in one place, you'll have a tough time advancing in the game. Seems like Rocksteady went Grandma on us saying "Don't spend it all in  one place now, dear!" 
                   And don't get me started on the new travel system! You can still grapple up to places and fly off of em hella fast, but now, with your new suit, there is a Grapnel Mark III that makes you shoot up faster than ever before. Remember how you had to double tap "A" or "X" to make yourself go faster in Arkham City? Well, try triple tapping it and you'll go CRAZY fast! 
                   Diving system is amazing like before and now that you can jump from crazy high buildings like Wayne Tower, Angel Diving has never been more fun. You'll want to find Wayne Tower and just Angel Dive over and over again when you're bored. Bored of that? Blow stuff up with your Batmobile. 
                  And I haven't even gotten to the story, bro. But lemme tell you, it is a solid campaign, full of twists and turns and on-the-edge-of-your-seat moments. I'll drop a little egg for you guys: The Joker is back. And Mark Hamill has returned to play his iconic role, funnier and darker still. He's there for some nice comical relief when a situation's gone really bad, and a lot of those show up lemme tell you. But ol' Uncle J is there for ya, don't worry.


Ratings: 
Story-line: 9/10 Batarangs- I loved the story. Well, the main campaign that is. I'm at the end and am trying to 100% it right now, so I can't tell you what happens when you do. But I'm sure it'll be great. The story really engages you and once or twice I was on the verge of tears. Yes I'm afraid we lose some dear friend(s). [You'll see why I did that () once you've gotten to the part ;)]
Graphics: 9/10 Batmobiles- Stunning, lifelike, and breathtaking. Get on top of Wayne Tower and look at Gotham. It is truly a beautiful city, and you'll have plenty of time to soak it in. Just make sure that when you're going on a chase that you explore as much as you can and appreciate all the columns you're about to demolish. And don't worry, it's only you, cops, and bad guys. So nobody minds a couple of buildings and highways missing pillars and windows.
Fighting Mechanics: 10/10 Buildings- There is no such thing as perfect, but this Free Flow System is about as close as you'll get to stunning perfection when fighting a hoard of grunts. As soon as you get the hang of it, you'll just want to pick fights everywhere you go. And don't worry about singing, they already know who you are, and you don't need to tell them that you're the mighty mighty Batman. ("Everywhere we go, people wanna know, who we are. So we tell them, we are the __, mighty mighty __" but Batman version. Don't get it? Sorry, can't help you there.)
Replay Probability: Very High (9/10 Batsuits)- Don't put down that controller, don't you dare. There is so much to this game that you can play with, explore, upgrade, and destroy that it is impossible to get bored. Oh! And once you beat the primary campaign, New Story+ is back. Just make sure you're prepared, cuz it's gonna feel like hell.
Overall:  9/10 Stars- What are you waiting for?!?! 





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"Evening the Odds"


"Father to Son"



Bibliography: "Batman: Arkham Knight" <http://siliconangle.com/files/2015/02/54e51560da563.jpg>
"Batman: Arkham Knight Batmobile" <https://i.ytimg.com/vi/7AykgIIWdPM/maxresdefault.jpg>
"Batman: Arkham Knight Trailer: Evening the Odds" <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dxa34RatmSc>
"Batman: Arkham Knight Trailer: Father to Son" <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wsf78BS9VE0>

Monday, March 28, 2016

Eddie the Eagle

                  This was truly a heartwarming story, and I had the amazing opportunity to see it on Easter and, coincidentally, my birthday! It was an incredible true story that had me in tears at the end. Don't worry, they were happy tears.



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                    Michael "Eddie" Edwards is a young English boy at the age of six that dreams of becoming an olympian. This is clear right from the start because we see from an underwater perspective, a watch. Eddie is timing himself. 
                    When he comes out of the water, he sees that he held his breath for "nearly 58 seconds!"
Michael "Eddie the Eagle" Edwards
He packs his things and heads to the downstairs front door. Bag over his shoulder and jacket on his back, he's ready for the journey and tells his mom, "To the Olympics," when his mother questions where he's off to. 
                    "Well, you're going to need this," says his mother, " to put your medals in." She hands him a tin box. 
                     "Thanks mum." 
                      The year is 1973. Eddie, with a leg brace, walks out of the door towards the bus stop. As he's walking, his mother turns away from the door and tells her husband, "Terry, he's off to the Olympics again." 
                      Eddie arrives at the bus stop and looks at the bus schedule, seeing when the next ride will be. His father drives up behind him and says, "And where do you think you're going, Eddie?"
                      "I'm going to the Olympics."
                      His father convinces him to come home, and next we see Eddie at the doctor's office.
Bronson Peary played by Hugh Jackman
The doc bends his knee back and forth, showing good progress. Five years later, Eddie is at the doctor's and is able to have the brace removed altogether. 
                      He suggests that Eddie doesn't take up sports, and that instead he should take up reading. Eddie doesn't listen though, and starts his Olympic training. Since he was told to take up reading, the first book he buys is an Olympic book. He reads up on all the records, events, and title holders.
                      His father tries to dissuade him from Olympic training and brings him to work to learn how to plaster. When Eddie and his dad exit the car, Eddie sees skiers racing down the hills. His dad had told him, "Eddie! You are NOT an athlete!" Later, he said, "You won't make it to the Olympics." 
                     Eddie, eyeing the skiers, says, "Dad! You're a genius! I'm not going to the Olympics. I'm going to the Winter Olympics." 
                     So begins his training and the pursuing of his dream to be an Olympic Skier. However, he is told that he will never be Olympic material by a rather annoying and stubborn Englishman. Eddie is only temporarily down in the mud until he finds out about Ski Jumping, and begins pursuing that.
                     Along the way, he has many setbacks, and he can't quite advance in his training until Bronson Peary (Hugh Jackman) shows up and eventually agrees to train him. They train for a year with many difficulties, but Eddie manages to make it to the 1988 Winter Olympics, and capture the hearts of all the viewers. 
                     In his celebration of setting an English record in the 70 meter Ski Jump, Eddie mocks an eagle's flying, earning him the name of the title of the film, "Eddie the Eagle."




Ratings:
Family Friendliness: 8.5/10 Hills- The film is very funny and light-hearted, but also heartwarming. There are some inappropriate references, and partial nudity, but all-in-all, a good family film.You journey with Eddie through his trials, setbacks, and victories that lead up to his Olympic qualification, participation, and rise to fame because of his never-ending and undying spirit. He never gave up, and he got to where he wanted to go. This is a film about true dedication.
Story-line: 10/10 Eagles- Now, I don't know the full true story of Eddie "The Eagle" Edwards, but I'm sure that the movie did a fantastic job of telling his story. And let's be honest, any true story is a good story worth sharing and seeing.
Rewatch Probability: Very High (9/10 Olympians)- You'll either be on the verge of tears or in tears by the end of the movie and will want to walk right back in for the next showing. Eddie the Eagle is a film that is definitely worth the price of admission and worth view on the big screen. So get to it!
Overall: 9/10 Ski Jumps



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Bibliography: "Eddie the Eagle Trailer" <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qlrTEUFOzAo>

Sunday, March 27, 2016

Happy Easter!

Happy Easter everyone! It's a little late but I hope and pray that you have a good one. Today is the day that Jesus rose from the dead, showing His dominance over death and Hell itself. He is Risen! So there truly is a reason to celebrate rather than just bunnies and eggs for the beginning of Spring.


I will be posting later on hopefully. If not, you'll definitely see one or two later this week.

Have a good week, and Happy Easter again!

Saturday, March 26, 2016

Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice

Well, here you have the DC Fanboy's greatest anticipated movie of the year that officially kicks off the DC Cinematic Universe (DCCU). And I am here to tell you fanboys and fangirls that this is the perfect DC Film for you. I'm happy for you guys finally getting the Cinematic Universe you deserve. So enjoy it!


B A T M A N   V.   S U P E R M A N
D A W N   O F   J U S T I C E


                  WARNING!!! SPOILERS AHEAD!!! READ AT YOUR OWN RISK. IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO SEE MY RATINGS, THEY ARE AT THE BOTTOM.

                   Okay, now that that's out of the way, let's begin.
                   The film begins at its end, and you'll know what I mean if you've already seen it. If not, read on. But anyway, there is a funeral march. Ben Affleck begins by saying that there were beautiful
things, good things.
                   We re-live his parents' death, which is actually important to the story later on, as it affects Bruce Wayne in a way that defines the rest of the film. Then we fast forward to the time of Man of Steel, when the world was first introduced to Superman. 
                   Superman (Henry Cavill) and General Zod are dishing it out, knocking out a crap ton of buildings and killing a lot of innocent people. One of Wayne's towers in Metropolis is falling apart, and Bruce calls one of his guys, Jack, to get out of there. Most of his employees get out, but Jack doesn't make it. Bruce runs into the smoke and finds Wallace, an important figure later, whose legs have been smashed by a giant steel pole. 
                    Bruce and some other guys pull him out and Bruce saves a young girl who is devastated because her mother died in the Wayne Tower. Fast forward 18 months.
                    Lois Lane (Amy Adams) has gone to the desert to speak to a terrorist because (obviously) she wants the scoop. However, one of her camera guys is caught as a CIA or FBI Agent (can't remember) and is killed in front of Lois. Then there's a big shootout and Lois's reporter book/journal thingy gets shot. She recovers it and is taken inside and held hostage. 
                   Superman smashes down into the building where Lois is and takes out the guy holding her hostage easy-peasy. When Lois gets home, she examines the bullet and puts it into a Ziploc bag. Hey! it's interesting! It is actually not government manufactured, so it is something completely off the US Books, which means the men in the desert were funded by a private company. We'll get to that
later. 
                   Batman is still in business and is interrogating people to try and find out what the "White Portuguese" is. All he knows is that it's connected to Lex Luthor (Jesse Eisenberg). He believes it is a person and is looking for this mysterious figure. The guy he brands with a bat symbol is the sixth man he has interrogated about the "White Portuguese." 
                   This makes Daily Planet news, and the Batman is still seen as a threat. Clark doesn't like it at all and wants to do a story on it, but Perry White (Laurence Fishburne) forbids him to do so. He then takes matters into his own hands when Batman is on a high speed chase and rips open the Batmobile. Batman stands and faces him.
                   "The next time they shine your light in the sky, don't go to it. Consider this mercy." 
                   "Tell me, do you bleed?" Superman looks back, and flies away.
                   "You will."
                   Batman heads back to the Batcave. He's gotta make repairs to it, but he's not worried about that right now. He lost the guys that he was chasing, but luckily he threw a tracker on them. He tracks them back to LexCorp. 
                    That means he needs to break into LexCorp and get the information he needs. Instead of having to break in though, he is invited to a LexCorp party/ball or whatever you want to call it. There, Bruce hacks into the mainframe and gets his data, but it'll take 7 minutes to fully download. So he goes and mingles, meeting Clark Kent there. 
                   Clark asks him about the Bat vigilante and they have a little conversation where Lex Luthor drops in. Lex is then called to attention to meet the mayor and when Clark looks to see where Lex was going, Bruce slips away and goes to get his data. But it's been taken by Diana Prince (Gal Gadot). 
                   I've told you quite a lot, but just know that there are some things you should be aware of when you see the movie. A lot of easter eggs are dropped like Flash, Cyborg, and Aquaman, opening up the DCCU. Also, Jason Todd's suit is on display, and when Bruce has his nightmare (Knightmare Batman) he also sees the Red Hood (Jason Todd) yelling at him that he was right about Superman. 
                  So really, they crammed in so much trying to set up this new universe, and I think it was a bit too much, but oh well. Prolly do your research if you're not up to speed with all of this. 
                  Who's funeral were the people at? Why do Day and Night, god and bat, Red and Black fight? Well, see the film for yourself. I think that if you're a DC Fan, you'll absolutely love it.


Ratings:
Family Friendliness- 7.5/10 Bat Symbols: There is a lot of violence and death in this film. It's not really the swearing, it's just that there's a lot of shooting, punching and stuff. Not for your youngins. But it definitely makes for a pretty sweet film.
Storyline- 8/10 Metahumans: The story itself was not bad. It's just that there was a lot of jumping around, y'know? It was very choppy. For example, when Bruce is dreaming, you don't know until he wakes up. Then it doesn't really do a good job of jumping back and forth between Bruce Wayne, Clark Kent, and Diana Prince. Also it's kind of slow until the giant explosion in D.C. Washington, D.C. that is. 
Rewatch Probability- Medium-High (7/10 Amazons): Personally, when I was in the theatre, the film was not the best view. But once I got out, I couldn't stop thinking about it and everything that transpired. It was well done, but getting out of the theatre is the only thing that prompted me to contemplate the movie. I will say that Ben Affleck actually did a good job of portraying a rageful Bruce Wayne, although in general, he's probably not the Bruce Wayne I would've chosen. He did a good job of showing anger, and it was definitely in the way he fought. I loved his fight scenes. Those were sick, because it reminds me so much of the Arkham games. The fluidity and brutality of his fighting style were beautiful. Thanks Batfleck.
Overall- 7.5


B A T M A N   V.   S U P E R M A N
D A W N   O F   J U S T I C E



Wednesday, March 23, 2016

Tom Hanks Double Feature: Big

                  Alright, I've gotta finish up this Double Feature before I see "Eddie the Eagle" and "Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice." So without further a-do... BIG!



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                 Josh Baskin is your typical 12 year old kid. He loves playing video games and he checks out the hot girls at his school. There is a carnival that comes into town and Josh and his family go check it out. The popular girl is there and he wants to impress her by going on the biggest ride at the carnival. Unfortunately, he's too short (we all know how that feels). So, bummed out, he separates from his family and takes a little stroll around.
                    He finds an old Zoltar Speaks machine and puts in a quarter. Zoltar asks him to make his
wish, and Josh says, "I wish I was big." 
                    The next morning, he finds himself as a thirty year old man, much too big for his 12 year old underwear and pajamas. He scrambles around and gets some of his father's clothing for the time being, and his mother drives him out of the house thinking that her Josh has been kidnapped. 
                     Josh goes to school and convinces Billy that he is indeed Josh, and they go into the city where Josh stays at a hotel. He then starts looking for a job, and gets one at a toy company. His first paycheck, he goes nuts with Billy and they have a blast. 
                     Josh continues working hard and one day runs into the company owner's daughter, Susan. They immediately have chemistry, but no words are exchanged. One day as Josh is at the store, he runs into the company owner, and he starts talking with him about the toys that they sell and manufacture, giving very good feedback. As they're talking, they stumble upon a floor keyboard and well... I'll let you watch it. It's quite a scene, and it always makes me smile. 


                             This is possibly one of the greatest scenes in a film I have ever seen. It really shows that you can still be a kid at heart even though you're in an adult body. I'm gonna keep this in mind when I'm big myself!
                             Anyway, Josh gets promoted and he is testing all the toys at the company, and he is getting a significant pay raise. So he buys a huge condo to live in and sends his parents letters saying that he is okay and that they shouldn't worry too much. 
                             Josh has a lot of really fun adventures in his adult body, and even dates Susan for awhile! I want you to see the film because it's truly a great film. I say that about virtually any movie, but you're going to love this so much that you'll wanna watch it all weekend. I mean, unless you've got Daredevil to watch, then watch that. THEN watch this. You won't regret it.


Ratings:
Family Friendliness- 8 out of 10 pianos: I have to warn you parents though. At one point in the film (and you'll know it) Josh and Susan are alone and Susan takes off her shirt and bra. It's suggested that they have a romantic moment, but really Josh just caresses Susan's breasts, then it's over. Make sure you cover your youngins' eyes when this comes round. Other than that, a lotta fun humor, although not always appropriate. 
Story-line- 9/10 Zoltar Machines: Great story. It's a classic. Watch it.
Rewatch Probability- Very High (9/10): You will absolutely love this movie, hands-down, no joke no thought no-how. 
Overall- 9/10

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Bibliography: "Big Piano Scene" <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CF7-rz9nIn4>

Monday, March 14, 2016

Tom Hanks Double Feature: Bridge of Spies

So, it's March already, and if you're in the Buffalo area, you see the snow out there. Looks like it's gonna be a little bit of a later winter than we thought! Hang in there, guys! But anyway, I am going to do a Double Feature with Tom Hanks! Don't worry, it won't be two movies in one review, that'd be way too much. This review is Bridge of Spies, and the next is Big. So I hope you enjoy!



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                  The film begins with Mark Rylance, who plays Rudolf Abel, a supposed Russian spy. He is going about his day, being tailed by American spies.
                    Rudolf is very elusive, and is good at what he does. While out and about, he is painting
on an easel, and obtains a nickel from underneath the bench he was sitting on. He goes home and inspects the nickel, opening it to reveal information that he must relay back to the Soviets.
                    Shortly after opening the nickel, his house is broken into by the American spies and the FBI, who start tearing up his room, looking for anything to prosecute him with. Rudolf craftily gets rid of the sheet of paper that was in the nickel by cleaning his paint pallet, and the Americans aren't lucky enough to find it.
                    Rudolf is then shoved off to jail.
                    Tom Hanks plays James Donovan, a former New York Prosecution Lawyer, and current insurance lawyer. Here, we see him speaking to another lawyer, who is debating an accident with Donovan, because there was an accident between Donovan's client and the other lawyer's client.                             Donovan's client hit five motorcycles with a car, and the other lawyer is saying that there were five accidents, but Donovan explains with a fun analogy that it was simply one accident. He says that if a tornado sweeps away a house, it did not take every single thing with it, it took the one house, and that is what the insurance will cover, same as this is only one accident with multiple people.
                    Donovan is later called in by his employer, and the employer asks that Donovan take Rudolf Abel's case. They explain that Abel is a Russian spy, and they are looking to give him a Defense Attorney that will defend him in the court. 
                    Really, the case is just for show, saying that America gave him a fair trial, but he's going to face punishment for being a foreign spy on U.S. soil. However, Donovan is an honest lawyer, and that means that he is going to follow due process of law. 
                    Donovan meets with Abel, and they start building their case. Donovan goes through
procedure, and finds that everything that was found in Abel's home that connects Abel to being a spy was not properly confiscated. The FBI did have an arrest warrant, but there was no proper search warrant; therefore, all of that evidence should be void in the case.
                    He brings this before the judge that will oversee the case of Rudolf Abel, Judge Byers (Dakin Matthews). Byers doesn't like that at all, and allows the evidence to be used, which is technically not allowed, and should never have gone through with him. But Byers just wants to sentence Abel to the electric chair, and he'll do whatever it takes to get him there.
                    Donovan doesn't back down however, even when people shoot at his home trying to kill his family. Instead of giving into all of America looking at him with looks of disapproval, he appeals. He eventually takes Abel's case all the way to the Supreme Court, and he wins, allowing Abel to live.
                     Meanwhile, pilots have been recruited to fly in huge airplanes designed to take massive pictures of land masses while cruising at 70,000 feet. One of the pilots is Francis Gary Powers. Long story short, he's captured.
                    So after Abel's case, the U.S. and A figure out Powers is being held hostage, and the Russians have contacted the U.S. to negotiate a trade-off. Donovan is sent to negotiate the trade. However, when Donovan gets there, another U.S. kid has been captured. He had gone to Germany to study economics, and got caught on the wrong side of the under construction Berlin wall. 
                    I don't want to bore you with anymore details, so I'll say that through much toil, Donovan negotiates the release of Powers and the Economics kid, and brings them both home safely. The reason the movie is called Bridge of Spies? You'll have to see for yourself.


Ratings: 
Family Friendliness- 8/10 Spies: There are some scenes of gunfire, and only on one occasion do people die. Don't worry, there's no blood, but it's still a horrible thing to see. Not something for your 6-10 year old.
Story-line- 10/10 Walls: It is based upon a true story, and any true story is a good story, especially when you have the talent of Tom Hanks in the midst of it. This is definitely a quality movie to see, and it is touching. Good Friday night movie.
Overall-  9/10: This is a great film to watch, as I keep reiterating, and it really sheds some light on the whole situation of the Cold War and how serious it was. I'm sure there are plenty of other films that do the same, but from the few I know of, this has got to be one of the best. 





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"Bridge of Spies Standing Man Trailer" <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uw4wtObPv4k>