Right off the bat, the experts divided the winners from season 1 into two groups- pre gunpowder weapons and post gunpowder weapons. From here they used the process of elimination to figure out who the two deadliest warriors were from each category and then pitted them against one another. For the pre-gunpowder group, they chose the Samurai and the Spartan to go head to head. From the post gunpowder group, they chose the IRA to go up against the Spetznaz.

The Spartan wound up beating the Samurai in a close battle. It seems like the Spartans nearly indestructible shield is what gave him the edge on defeating the Samurai. I was satisfied with the outcome because the tests they performed seemed to dictate that the Spartan ahd the clear advantage.

Spetznaz vs. IRA was very very close. Eventually the Spetznaz were victorious. I felt it could have gone either way as both had comparable weaponry but the IRA tactics seemed more tailored to defeating organized military like the Spetznaz. Either way it was a solid show and it was nice to see them wrapping everything up from the first season before moving on.

Which brings us to the new blood. The first new matchup had a SWAT unit going toe to toe with GSG-9 forces. This was also an excellent matchup that seemed very close to call. Both groups have similar weapon types and employ similar tactics. The only thing left to set the two apart was the skill level of the demonstrators. I felt that the SWAT team was slightly more skilled than the GSG-9 squad.

This season has some seriously insane matchups. Some of the matchups for Season 2 are: Alexandar the Great vs. Atilla the Hun, Jesse James v. Al Capone, Nazi SS v. Viet Kong,
Persian Immortal vs. Celt, and Ming Warrior vs. Musketeer to name a few. This season looks to be just as good as last season. Hopefully at the end they’ll have another face off with the winners to dtermine who is Season 2’s Deadliest Warrior.

Showtime: Tuesdays at 10pm. On Guam: Wednesdays at 10pm.

My picks so far: (1-5) I am getting slammed! LOL.

Polls are now open! Lock in your votes!

Matchups:

Episode 10: SWAT vs. GSG9
Episode 11: Attila the Hun vs. Alexander the Great
Episode 12: Jesse James vs. Al Capone
Episode 13: Aztec Jaguar vs. Zande Warrior
Episode 14: Nazi SS vs. Viet Cong
Episode 15: Roman Centurion vs. Rajput
Episode 16: Somali Pirate vs. Medellin Drug Cartel
Episode 17: Persian Immortal vs. Celt
Episode 18: KGB vs. CIA
Episode 19: Vlad The Impaler vs. Sun Tzu
Episode 20: Ming Warrior vs. Musketeer
Episode 21: Comanche vs. Mongol
Episode 22: Navy SEAL vs. Israeli Commando

• Deadliest Warrior – Pirate vs. Knight Controversy
• Deadliest Warrior (Spike)
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• Eastbound & Down (HBO)
• God of War 3 (PS3)

Mc Bride plays the lead role as Kenny Powers, a washed up major leauge pitcher who finds himself strapped for cash and has to move back to his hometown and work at the local middle school as a substitute P.E. teacher. In his mind, Powers still believes he is a genuine superstar and he treats everyone else as if they are beneath him. The show is flat out hilarious. It may be very offensive to some people, but those who can appreciate it at face value will be able to enjoy some serious laughs.

This is by far one of the funniest shows I have seen in a long time. If there is an “asshole” reaction to a situation, you can bet that Kenny Powers chooses that option. For those who enjoy a good laugh, I recommend checking this show out.

• Sanjaya. The next American Idol?
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• Entertainment Wrap #21
• Entertainment Wrap #19
• Land of the Lost (Theaters)

The story follows three best friends: Adam (John Cusack), Nick (Craig Robinson), and Lou (Rob Corddry). After Lou has an accident that is mistaken for a suicide attempt, his two friends and their nephew Jacob (Clark Duke) decide to cheer him up by taking him on a weekend getaway to an old ski resort that used be one of their favorite party spots growing up. After another accident in the resort’s hottub changes it into a time machine, the four of them find themselves back in Winterfest ‘86 with a chance to relive their past. The only catch is that they must relive everything exactly as they originally experienced it in order to not affect the future/present they came from.

That is pretty much the story in a nutshell. While the movie deals with the theme of time travel, it conveniently side steps many of the pre-established time travel rules from other films. For instance, the old rule that your future self and your past self can never occupy the same space is thrown out the window. The future versions actually replace their past selves. When ever anyone sees them, they are seeing the younger versions of the characters. The other rule about changing the past is pretty much scrapped also. While at first they try to leave the past as unaltered as possible, there comes a point where the characters just decide to change whatever they want to change at will.

While these minor details don’t really hurt the movie, the real star is the 80s setting. Anyone who grew up in the 80s or is at least familiar with the era will find alot to enjoy about this film. The entire movie is just filled with old school references and it is hilarious to see how much things have changed from a decade that really doesn’t seem like it was too long ago.

The cast is overall pretty solid. John Cusack plays the love sick regular guy role to a tee, something that he has had the chance to perfect as he has portrayed this same character countless times in his career. Craig Robinson is hilarious in the movie, but I can’t help but feel that his performance is a bit toned down, even for him. Clark Duke is great as the young voice of reason among the 4 of them. Expect to see Duke in more and more films starting with Kick Ass, due out this week. Then there is Rob Cordrry, who plays Lou the likeable asshole of the group. It is nice to see Cordrry in a role where he can finally be as offensive and vulgar as he wants to be.

The film is a fun walk down memory lane with some solid laughs thrown in. I was a little disappointed by the humor in this movie. The movie is very funny but nowhere near the laugh a minute fest that the previews or the movie’s title would have you believe that it is. Still, this is a funny movie and most of its appeal ccomes from just reliving the 80s through the eyes of the characters.

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Anderson “The Spider” Silva (25-4) v. Demian Maia (12-1)

The champion needs no introduction, since entering the UFC he’s been taking names and making it look easy in the process.  Not a single fighter has ever put the The Spider in danger and it’s hard to see his winning streak come to an end, but the challenger Maia could very well be the man to untangle the web of Silva.  Many would say Maia doesn’t deserve to be here and while I may agree to a certain extent, Maia has proven himself to be among the elite of the middleweights.  Though Maia got his title shot on default due to a Chael Sonnen medical suspension, Maia has finished 80% of his opponents and was stopped once in his career by fellow middleweight contender Nate Marquardt.  In order for the title to change hands, Maia will need to rely on his jiu-jitsu to win the fight, standing with Silva will only spell an end to Maia’s chances.  Maia will of course need to set up his takedown attempts with striking but he shouldn’t get overconfident if he manages to land a couple on Silva.  If Maia gets Silva to the ground, which I think he will due to Silva’s poor wrestling, he will need to attack with submissions and mix it up with punches to avoid being stagnant and potentially restart on the feet.  Although it sounds easy, Maia will still need to eat some punches whenever he shoots in and that could very well be the ender.  Silva has a huge reach and size advantage and his game plan is pretty simple, avoid the takedowns and fire away.  Although I like Maia’s chances and I’ve always known he’d get a title shot one day, I still think he’s not ready for Silva.  The Spider will once again reign supreme.

Silva by KO Rd 3

BJ “The Prodigy” Penn (15-5-1) v. Frankie “The Answer” Edgar (11-1)

The co-main event and fourth title defense will no doubt include some fireworks.  Whenever you get BJ Penn in the cage, you know you’re in for treat and it only spices it up more when an exciting fighter like Franke Edgar is standing in front of the champ.  Does Edgar have “The Answer” to solve BJ’s ever improving game?  To put it bluntly, no.  The formula to defeating The Prodigy lies in his past fights with welterweight uber-god GSP.  Edgar may have the wrestling credentials to execute that game plan, which GSP certainly has, but Edgar is not as strong as GSP nor does he have the smothering top game GSP has.  Instead Edgar will need to utilize his crisp boxing skills and take a chance standing with Penn.  But as Penn’s previous title defenses has shown, Penn is a pretty damn good boxer and puncher as well.  Edgar doesn’t possess the size in height or reach to threaten BJ in any aspect of the game.  Expect BJ to put on another dominating performance and stop Edgar before the championship rounds.

Penn by Submission Rd 3

Matt Hughes (44-7) v. Renzo Gracie (13-6-1)

If there’s any story of “bad blood” behind a fight on the card, it has to be this one.  Former welterweight champ Matt Hughes will once again welcome a Gracie to the UFC in Renzo.  For many hardcore fans, Renzo is a legend from the PRIDE days and probably the most successful from the Gracie family in transitioning from Brazilian Jiu Jitsu to MMA.  Only losing to the elite of the sport, Renzo has proven to be a dangerous opponent for anyone.  Though he last competed nearly 3 years ago, he was winning his fight with Frank Shamrock before things got dirty and Renzo was awarded the win via DQ.  Now making his debut, he’ll be looking to seek revenge not only for his family, who have had a bad showing in the UFC since its inception, but also for Hughes previous opponent Matt Serra, who received his black belt under Renzo.  It’s a tough pick for any fan and naturally I’d go with the more active fighter which is Hughes, but I’ve always been a fan of Renzo and I’d like to see him get a little revenge for his family and student.  I’d like a brawl to ensue because neither fighter really possess standing KO power but whoever imposes their will first will dictate the fight.  My heart says Renzo but my brain picks Hughes.

Hughes by Unanimous Decision

Terry Etim (14-3) v. Rafael Dos Anjos (13-4)

Two lightweights looking to make a statement in the already stacked lightweight division battle it out in the second fight of the main card.  Etim has been on a streak since his back-to-back losses to Rich Clementi and Gleison Tibau stopping 3 of his last 4 opponent via submission and TKO.  Dos Anjos also on a win streak since back-to-back losses looks to put on a better showing over his last two decision wins.  I’ve never really followed either fighter but Etim has caught my attention with his steady style of fighting mixing up strikes and takedowns leading to submissions.  Etim seems to be the more diverse fighter and looks to have most of the advantages coming in to the fight.  Etim will dominate on the feet and add win number 5 officially declaring himself contender to the lightweight belt.

Etim by Unanimous Decision

Kendall “Da Spyda” Grove (13-6-0) v. Mark “The Philippine Wrecking Machine” Munoz (7-1-0)

The main card will kick off with an Araneae(scientific name fore Spider) and end with one though this one is Da Spyda and not The Spider.  His dance mate is probably the longest nicknamed fighter in the UFC, Mark Munoz.  This could be Fight of the Night and what better way to kick it off with two aggressive fighters.  Both are coming off wins and are looking to add their name to potential Silva victims.  Since his stint in TUF, Grove started his UFC career with a bang finishing his first two opponents before hitting a roadblock with back-to-back losses.  Since then, his career has been a roller coaster ride most likely due to his overconfidence in the striking game.  Munoz’s style feeds well into Grove’s in that he’s a wrestler with mediocre striking.  Grove’s strength has always been his grappling so I expect Grove to keep it on the feet then switch it up by putting Munoz on his ass and grounding and pounding from there.  It won’t be easy though, as Munoz trains with Black House who just happen to have some guys named Silva, Nogueira and Machida.  Ya it doesn’t ring a bell either.  Munoz plan should be to strike first, though he has a reach disadvantage, and then shoot for takedowns where he can grind on Da Spyda.  On paper, Grove holds most of the advantages but Munoz is no slouch.  Expect fireworks in this one.

Munoz by Unanimous Decision

• Entertainment Wrap #2
• UFC 107: Penn v. Sanchez
• UFC 103: Franklin v. Belfort
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• Entertainment Wrap #17

Expendable: capable of being sacrificed in order to accomplish a military objective.

THE EXPENDABLES is a hard-hitting action/thriller about a group of mercenaries hired to infiltrate a South American country and overthrow its ruthless dictator. Once the mission begins, the men realize things arent quite as they appear, finding themselves caught in a dangerous web of deceit and betrayal. With their mission thwarted and an innocent life in danger, the men struggle with an even tougher challenge one that threatens to destroy this band of brothers. Full Synopsis

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I think the biggest disappointment I had with Clash of the Titans was the huge alterations to the storyline. When you remake a movie such as this one, it needs to stay true to its roots. Remakes are created to enhance the experience and retell a story using updated technology and special effects. Not ruin it by changing the very fabric of the story itself. Okay, so the basic plot of the story remained the same, (Perseus defeating the Kraken) but the storytelling and development were so foreign to me. They changed so much in the screenplay, that with a few adjustments here and there, it could have possibly been made into another film altogether.

Putting Bias and nostalgia aside, this film was still quite horrible. Besides the updated CGI monsters and action sequences, this film lacked any kind of substance whatsoever. The storyline in the original was definitely not academy award winning, but at least it had one. This film seemed to jump from idea to idea with little to no explanation. There was hardly any background info on any of the characters or development for that matter and the dialogue between the actors was just grotesque. It was really hard for me to appreciate anything in this film.

Yet despite all its flaws, I believe there will be some out there who will come out of the theaters with some sort of satisfaction. After all, the sound was great, the monsters were pretty cool, and the film maintained a nice pace. Enough to keep the average moviegoer entertained.

My suggestion? If you enjoyed the original, I’d wait till this one is released on Blu-Ray and DVD. Everything that made the original a magical experience is gone. Save yourself the time and money and rent it. If you’ve never seen Clash of the Titans, pay for the 2D version of the film. The movie was shot with 2D in mind and during its post production some genius thought it was a good idea to make it 3D. The 3D glasses didn’t enhance the story or effects one bit.

• Terminator Salvation (Theaters)
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For the casual Mafia Wars player, doing jobs and pressing the attack button off the fight menu are perhaps the two most used features of the game. For others, collecting unusual items and trading them are enough to stay interested. However, for the hardcore players like myself who pride themselves as being fighters and defending their clan members, clan life brings out a total new gaming experience to Mafia Wars.

Before discussing the advantages and disadvantages of joining a clan you might be asking yourself, how do I become a clan member? Most clans distinguish themselves using a “Tag” in front of their name. The tag is a label that distinguishes a clan from other players in the mafia world. Normally a tag would be surrounded by brackets followed by the name of a player: i.e. {CLAN} Al Capone. The Clan name being in the brackets followed by a unique name. There are many variations of clan tags but they are fairly easy to distinguish. Each clan defends their tag name viciously and if an individual “tags” themselves without proper notification it may lead to retribution by the clan admins and their family. To find a clan you may be interested in, search facebook for “clan recruitment” or ” clan warpages” which provide information to contact clan admins. Clan [EWMC] put together a great clan listing of the current clan warpages that can be found on facebook.

Mafia Wars Clan Advantages and Disadvantages

Advantages:

Personally, I would have quit playing Mafia Wars if not for my mafia war “family”. Most families work almost like a mob or military unit. Normally there is a hierarchy of players which range from the head honcho (godfather/godmother) all the way down to potential new recruits. Clans are normally similar in structure, but internal operations do vary from clan to clan. In a typical family grouping, there are the admins who are usually the founders of the clan and some close associates, followed by full members who have played and defended the clan for a period of time, and finally potential new recruits who are probationary members and restricted to certain clan information.

Regardless of the clan you are in, as with any family, you are expected to carry your own weight, and if you are a member of a warring clan, it is expected that you participate in “mock” and “real” wars against other clan groups. You are also expected to help your clan members grow in strength when you can, and protect your clan “tag” at all costs.

The advantage to all of this? Family members provide protection, help loot or “farm” equipment for each other, and exchange collection items for bonuses. There is also a comradery that exists as the clan grows and matures, and many times it results in friendships outside of the mafia war community. The sense of pride and belonging to a group is a big deal with membership in a clan, and you be surprised just how serious the game can get when a clan member is disrespected or “bullied” within the “virtual mafia world”.

As your clan grows, you inevitably gain a reputation. Reputation can be good or bad depending on how you look at it. Feared or revered, all clans attempt to establish themselves as a respected group in the mafia war community..

Disadvantages:

You might be asking yourself now, what are the disadvantages of being in a clan? All the advantages sound great so I definitely want to be recruited. Well, first and foremost, being in a clan basically means that you are linked to a group of people. Once tagged, your are connected to them and their reputation. Many clans have a set of rules to follow and several clan requirements (skill point minimums etc). If your not a team player or lack the requirements necessary, you may find it hard to be a member of a clan. The reputation of a clan is also significant because once you tag up with a clan name, you can expect people to treat you the way they treat other clan members within your group. Sometimes its positive and sometimes negative.

My advice to you? Ask an admin what is expected of you and their requirements and decide if their rules are something you want to follow. If a family is to perform well, it must have a solid chain of command or problems will inevitably arise. There have been many powerful clans who have collapsed because of disagreements and lack of structure. Its just the way things work.

Weapons, Armor and Vehicles

I wont get into too much detail with this because there are a ton or resources on the subject. However, its important to note that you should recruit a minimum of 501 members and try and loot the best items available to you as quickly as you can. Many people do not realize the importance of weaponry, but if you and your opponent are at a similar skill point range, your weapons, armor, and vehicles play and important aspect between winning and losing.

Each mafia member in your family (501 members max in a fight) will automatically use the best weapons, armor, and vehicle available to them. Some weapons specialize on offense while others specialize on defense. For example, with the recent addition of bangkok equipment, the best defense armor in the entire game that may be purchased would be the Shaolin Bodyguard found in the faction store. In order to maximize its effectiveness, you would want to own 501 of them. The same goes for the best weapons and armor. Weapons are not as important as skill points, but they do play a factor in some scenarios. Here is a great resource to find out which equipment is the best to look for and where to find them.

Clan Warpages and Spreadsheets

Clan warpages and spreadsheets are a great way of keeping track of clan wars and updates during a heated battle. I cant share too much information or links to clan spreadsheets, but they are made using google docs and the most effective ones provide a comprehensive listing of members, attack and defensive strength, levels, and links directly to enemy profiles for a quick and precise attacks.

Links are collected by the copy and paste method of the green URL found in a profile. Once in a spreadsheet or SS, the links can be pulled up quickly by pressing CTRL + LEFT CLICK on a mouse. This works for a PC only. Im not sure how links are pulled up on a Mac. Whats great about this feature is that you can hold CTRL down and click multiple links to pull up several tabbed players at one time. Each with the attack button ready for your cursor.

Many clans also boast their wins on their warpages, so while at war it is very easy to determine who your live targets are by looking at the latest posts on their warpage. If an enemy has posted a fresh kill, there is a good possibility that they might be up and ready to receive an attack. Click their name on the SS and fire away until you put them in a bodybag.

Communication

Communication during a clan war is vital to a clans success. Most successful clans use the free chat application provided by skype. It does not require a mic or camera, and the preferred method of communication on skype is through text chats.

Whats great about skype is that you can create a group and an entire clan can communicate openly with each other in a single “War Room” with the freedom to share live targets and provide backup for weaker members. Some of the best clans time their attacks on large targets and coordinate attacks to occur simultaneously. It can actually be quite fun. Disagreements between clans can also be settled within a group chat created for that particular purpose.

Fighting Tactics and the Importance of Stamina

Perhaps the most enjoyable aspect of the game is clan fights. You may think it involves just pressing the attack button, but there are actually a variety of ways to approach it. Stamina is used for three purposes. Attacking, collecting bounty, and robbing an enemy. Each attack costs a single stamina point but stamina for robbing varies depending on the target of interest. Once your stamina is exhausted, you may no longer attack or rob an enemy until it is replenished. The best class suited for fighting and robbing is the Fearless class which recharges a stamina point every 2 minutes and 30 seconds.

Methods of Attack

The Kamikaze or “Kami”

Performing a Kamikaze is pretty self explanatory. Basically when you hit the the attack button, it either says YOU WIN or YOU LOSE. In most cases, if you get the screen YOU LOSE, you back off from the target and look for a weaker target to hit. However, when you “kami” someone, despite losing every fight, you continually press the attack button on the “LOSE” screen until your opponent gets snuffed (0 health) or iced (put under 20 health).

This is most effective when facing a large opponent and having multiple clan members attack them at once. (coordinated on skype) This tactic saves stamina using the “strength in numbers” approach and at the same time focuses fire on one target to take them down. The only disadvantage to kamikaze is that you get no experience points from this and you can actually lose money doing it. The enemy also is showered with free experience points for winning every battle and taking all your cash. The advantage? Its more of a pride thing than anything else. You basically are telling your opponent, “I’m going down fighting”. Many times this earns you alot of respect when a war is over and the dust settles.

Tanking

Tanking is a great tactic when you have the health to do so. Coupled with a large number of defensive skill points, this can be very effective method at drawing enemy fire and using up the enemies stamina points. The minimum number of health points for a good tank is around 750. This normally gives you enough time to absorb some hits and reheal before an opponent can snuff or ice you. Enemies are often hesitant to attack a tank due to two reasons. The amount of stamina used on their opponent and opening themselves to attack from other clan members. I have seen a member attack a single target over 500 times and never see the ice or snuff screen. It can make life really frustrating for the enemy and not to mention quite expensive. It is a real moral drainer when you put so many stamina points into a person while never reaping the bragging rights of a kill.

Sniping

This tactic has its share of criticism, but it works when thrown into a corner. In any war, the object is to stay alive and take down as many enemies as possible. This is perhaps the most effective method to do so. In an earlier post I mentioned that remaining under 20 health provides a cover from attack. No matter how strong a enemy is, he/she cannot attack you while your under 20 health points.

Using that advantage along with a clan spreadsheet can give you a huge edge in clan wars. What basically happens is this. While you are under 20 health points, you open up links that you can attack successfully. Staying under 20 keeps keeps you hidden from taking fire. When you see that your enemy is “up” or available to attack (click the add to hitlist button. If they are not too weak to fight, it means they are up.), you quickly heal yourself and attack the target (s) as quickly as you can. While doing this you are making a kill while taking damage yourself in the exchange. After successfully achieving the kill on your objective(s), your health should be close to or under 20 points making you oblivious to return fire. The enemy can get really frustrated with this tactic. In most cases a very high attack with medium health is the most effective when using this tactic. If your a huge health freak, this will probably not work as well for you.

Hitlisting

Ah yes, the infamous hitlist button. In most friendly wars this button is usually excluded from a war completely. However, in a serious conflict, this button can be very useful. Some clans use the hitlist to ping pong their opponents to each other making it very difficult to pinpoint live targets. While one member hitlists a target, another member lies in wait to take the target out. In order for this strategy to work effectively, two mafia clan members must be on the same server at the same time. The server information is based on the last two digits of your profile URL. I do have the server key listing on my PC, but I am not certain if this information is against the TOS of the game so I will refrain from posting it at this time.

Robbing

Robbing has returned to mafia wars. It seems that it is still limited to the city of New York. I am still fairly new to this feature, so I’ll be updating this as soon as I spend more time playing with it. What I do know is that it takes a load of stamina! haha.

If this article has helped you in anyway, it would be nice to make a small donation to help make my character that much stronger! thanks for your support and dropping by.

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Out of the three crews left, Im rooting for Blu Print Crew and Poreotix to make the finals. Blu Print Crew is easily the better “dance” crew overall, and if the west coast is going to fall, I think BPC is definitely the crew to dethone them. They have a great set of dancers, and are the most well rounded crew left in the top three. Poreotix on the other hand, is easily the most entertaining of the bunch. I think entertainment plays a huge factor in being a great dancer. No matter how good you are, if you can’t entertain the audience, then your skill set is worthless. Since the regionals, I felt that Poreotix would be a crew to be reckoned with and I was correct. Their ability to entertain the crowd make them a fan favorite, and it has helped them garner the votes of the viewers. They have never made the bottom two and rightfully so. The fans have spoken each and everytime despite some of the criticism from the judges.

As for Hype 5-0, I have to agree with everything Omarion has said about them. I’m a huge supporter of our island brothers and sisters, but they have not done much to improve themselves. They bring good energy, but nothing makes them stand out. I thought Jungle Boogie should have made the top three rather than Hype.

Now for my prediction. I think entertainment will trump skill set. If the judges were to vote, then BPC would win this show hands down. However, with the Canadian community being unable to vote and Poreotix being such a huge crowd pleaser, I have to go with the robotic humor and showmanship. POREOTIX FTW!

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Although the park was quite beautiful, it was inhabited by quite a large population of homeless folk. They didn’t harass us for money or anything like that, but it definitely was an eyesore to see them just laying around all the park benches and monuments. Although they probably don’t live there by choice, its definitely something the government should clean up. The park did not have many benches as it was, so it was a bummer when my wife could not find anywhere to sit to enjoy the scenery and soak in all the park had to offer.

After taking a few photos in front of Saigo Takamori, we made our way toward the Ueno Zoo. I have this fascination about animals, and no matter how many zoos I have visited, one more is always a welcome addition. On the way however, we caught ourselves stopping at many of the wonderful sideshow attractions. There were actually some really amazing performances, and one performance in particular which caught my attention involved and old man on a bicycle playing with a ton of homemade instruments.

When we finally arrived at the zoo itself, it was nearly noon time and our bellies were empty. Fortunately, there were a ton of vendors available to us at the zoo entrance to choose from. I bought a couple large “Chinese Shrimp Dumplings” which were just amazing and we washed that down with some delicious green tea. To finish off lunch, we wanted some soft serve ice cream, and I must admit that the caramel soft serve they had at the park, was one of the best I have ever tasted.

Much to my disappointment, when we arrived to pay for our tickets, I discovered that the Ueno Zoo no longer had any Panda bears. Apparently, the last one died in 2008. Although I was a bit disappointed, I knew it was partially my fault because I didn’t do enough research. Despite the setback, we paid for our entrance fee (600 yen) and preceded to the rest of the attractions. The park had quite a few animals and the “Gorilla Wood” and “Tiger Forest” were pretty cool. The Silverback gorrilla was enormous and I actually got up close and personal when he sat up against the glass with his back facing me. His arms were larger than my legs and he just looked like an animal that demanded respect. It was fascinating. We also witnessed a newborn Hippo being nursed which was pretty cool and a Black Rhino which looked pissed the entire time I stood there. The bars protecting me from him were at least a foot thick all around.

Despite all the great animals in the park, I felt really bad for some of them after looking at their living spaces. Many of them could hardly move around in their enclosures, and many of the large cats paced aimlessly for hours at a time. The Rhino we had saw definitely looked pissed and rightfully so. He could barely turn his body around to face the other direction. It definitely didn’t look like a very comfortable existence. Although I appreciate zoos and the opportunity to look up and close at wild animals, you cant help but feel bad for them when you realize that they spend their entire lives locked up in cages unable to really run free.

Overall, my experience at Ueno Park was a good one. If you lack the time to visit all of Tokyo, this is definitely a great place to start. With temples, museums, a zoo, and so many side shows, it provides and opportunity to experience many of the wonders of Japan all in one spot. I highly recommended it for the first time visitor.

Ueno Park Zoo Information:

Hours and Days Open

Ueno Zoo opens 9:30am. to 5:00pm (tickets sold until 4:00pm) and closes every Monday (closes Tuesday if Monday is a public holiday).

*The Vivarium and the Small Mammal House close the door at 4:15pm.
*The zoo closes from December 29 through January 1.

Admission

Adults (16-64) 600 yen
Seniors (65+) 300 yen
Students (13-15) 200 yen
Children (0-12) Free

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Ninja Assassin is nothing more than a bloody action flick with a fairly basic plot. To be perfectly honest, if anyone is expecting more from this film, you will be sorely dissappointed. Fortunately, the movie is VERy bloody and VERY action packed. Right from the get go, the movie opens with a crazy assassination scene complete with severed limbs and people being sliced in half.

We are then introduced to Raizo (played by Rain), a ninja assassin who has been banished from his clan and is doing freelance assasination work. Unlike the other ninja in his former clan, Raizo has developed a bit of a conscience. This is explored through various flashbacks in which Raizo reflects on his ninja training. The film cuts back and forth between Raizo’s training days and the present. In the present, Mika, a reporter, and a group of interpol agents have been tracking the ninja clan and have linked them to numerous assasinations throughout the years. When Mika discovers too much information, she is marked for death by the ninja clan. Luckily, Raizo happens to be in the right place at the right time and manages to rescue her from the onslaught of assassins. Eventually, this leads to the ultimate showdown between Raizo and his former clan family.

Plotwise- there isn’t too much going on in this movie other than your standard revenge storyline. This is actually a good thing as Raizo has all of the acting ability and personality of a concrete block. However, despite his personality shortcomings, like many other people I prefer my ninjas to be slicing and dicing more and talking less. The action in this film is very well done for the most part. Ninja stars are constantly whizzing by while swords are heard clanging together as severed limbs fly left and right. While the acting is pretty dismal overall, the flick’s saving grace is that they action scenes are excellent.

This is the bad ass ninja personification that audiences have been waiting for. I can’t even begin to count the number of wussy ninjas that have appeared on screen in other movies that have left me waiting in vain for them to just hack somebody in half. If you want bloody, visceral ninja action- this movie delivers that in spades. Unfortunately that is about all the movie delivers. Main character Raizo, as played by actor Rain, will most likely not be nominated for any academy awards anytime soon. He is entirely believable as a killing machine and he manages to pull of this role fairly well.

Overall, this is a very entertaining movie but definitely not for everyone. There is a considerable amount of violence that is not for the squeamish. The bad acting, substandard plot, and over emphasis on action are all the trappings of a B movie, yet the one thing that manages to elevate this movie above that level are its tremendous special effects and action sequences. The movie is worth seeing for the action alone, which to be honest is perhaps the only reason someone would go to watch a movie called ‘Ninja Assassin.’

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