Just C.hill

Limitless

2011-09-21T15:03:00.000-04:00

Limitless available on Blu-Ray and DVD is a story about a down and out aspiring writer who is given a drug called NZT-48 which allows him to access 100% of his brain's capacity.

I thought this was a pretty cool concept that made for an exciting movie until I saw how the character Eddie Morra (Bradley Cooper) sqandered his ability in the selfish pursuit of wealth. While the motives of the character are baffling and often disappointing, the movie shines in its artistic cinematography. It is a bold kaledescopic journey through the juxtaposition of washed out drab color and vibrant vivid hues.

Before NZT

After NZT

The regular world, the way we see it, without being on NZT, and using only a portion of our brain is washed out, greenish in tint. On NZT it is vibrant, colorful, with every aspect popping out in startling detail.

Eddie's first order of business on the translucent tablet known as NZT, is to finish his book he had, up to this point, written nary a word. That in itself is understandable. Using his new brain power to accomplish a task that previously had remained out of his grasp. It is worth noting that Eddie completed the entire novel in 4 days.

Finishing a novel on NZT

But from there the plot gets a little murky. You have to ask yourself, if you had the full use of your brain, wouldn't you do something other than make yourself rich? Not Eddie and his self-centered pursuits. He embarks on a journey to conquer Wall Street and make millions. Having been poor and down and out most of one's life, aspiring to make money isn't far fetched, but being one of the most brilliant people on Earth, wouldn't you use your intelligence for greater things? Like helping other people. Curing disease, advancing technology, coming up with alternate sources of energy? Those things in itself would earn him billions. I'm not sure if the limitations of Eddie's ambitions were due to the character or the screenwriter.

As with most drugs there are side effects. In this case, black outs, time distortion, incapacitating illness, premature aging, frailty and death. How would you like listening to those side effect if this were an FDA approved drug available by prescription? However, NZT is an illegal black market drug and Eddie is horrified to find out the consequences of taking it well after injesting the substance, even doubling it, for quite some time.

Balancing out the journey between dullness, brilliance and insanity is Lindy, Eddie's on again off again girlfriend, played beautifully and amazingly by Abbie Cornish.

Robert De Niro also plays an important role as Carl Van Loon a business mogul who is possibly Eddie's greatest ally or greatest adversary.

The film does end on a positive note and the possibilities for the character are well... limitless. Artistically speaking, and a sucker for psychological movies, I loved Limitless.
Out of five fingers I'd give Limitless 3.5.

X-Men: First Class

2011-06-06T19:51:00.000-04:00

I know I’m in the minority here, but I found X-Men: First Class to be a very disappointing movie. I approached the movie with open acceptance saying that it takes place in an alternate reality. The producers for whatever reason chose to feature mutants who weren’t the original X-Men from the comics. Beast was the only standout that survived the transition to this new film. That’s okay. I could live with that. The true original X-Men: Cyclops, Marvel Girl, Ice Man and Angel are gone. Instead we’re given Havok (Cyclops younger brother Alex Summers), Mystique, Banshee, Angel (a different female character with insect wings who can spit fire) and Darwin (I’ll get back to him in a bit). I was on board for the “All-new, All-different” X-Men and looked forward to the movie.

Giving credit where credit is due, I liked the 60s setting, the instrumentation and the fashion (even though I’m not a fan of movies that take place in the past, I thought this was a nice touch. It distinguished this movie from the rest of the X-Men franchise.

But where my exception began was "Agent" Moira Mactaggert played by Rose Byrne (who did an excellent job of playing the wrong character). In this imagining of X-Men Moira Mactaggert is an American CIA agent. A CIA agent…and an American. Are you kidding me? (Notice I'm only using one question mark out of politeness rather than "???" which would be more appropriate).

The Moira Mactaggert that X-Men readers know and love is "Doctor" Moira Mactaggert and she’s Scottish. From the Marvel wiki: “Moira forged a brilliant career as a leading geneticist, earning a Nobel Prize, and founded a Mutant Research Center on Muir Island off the coast of Scotland.” I was outraged when this CIA version said she needed to consult a geneticist on mutation when she should have been the expert. Rather than destroy the character why couldn’t they have just introduced another woman played by Byrne who was a CIA agent? Dr. Moira Mactaggert could have been introduced in a sequel in her rightful role. Now who is Charles going to consult with about genetic mutation?

"Men call me...Magneto"

With the exception of Magneto played by Michael Fassbender, the rest of the cast seemed like one dimensional cardboard cut-outs. They were horribly under-developed and had little or no personality. The movie barely scratched the surface of their characters. It was more show (off special effects) rather than tell (who these characters were).

"Cry Havok!" I almost did when I saw him using his powers like a hula hoop.

Magneto is the only mutant we see in flashback when his mutant powers first emerge. None of the other characters are given this exposure. None! Xavier seems to have already embraced his telepathy when we see him in flashback and Mystique (played by Jennifer Lawrence) just shows up, pardon the pun—out of the blue.

They even look like cardboard cut-outs

With no depth or substance I couldn’t identify with the mutants or care to. Which is sad given that the movie was over 2 hours long. As an origin story it wasn’t quite as agonizing as some, but for me the movie didn’t really pick up until the final 30 minutes.

**SPOILER ALERT**

Now, back to Darwin played by Edi Gathegi. Let me start off by saying that most people know the X-Men is a story about tolerance, diversity and accepting those who are different--even though they are hated and feared by mankind. Why violate those ideals by lowering this film to the offensive proclivity of killing off the token black male character? If the intent was to introduce a character to be killed, why couldn’t they have been white or Asian? Why is it always the black man? Why? (Again I'm cutting back on the question marks). Some have speculated that it was apropos given the movie took place in the 1960s to carry on this racially insensitive tradition.

Why is this black man in this film?

I was passed some new information on Darwin that his “reactive evolution” ability should include the transformation into pure energy--a natural counter to Sebastian Shaw’s attack. Perhaps Hollywood can redeem themselves by bringing him back in a sequel.

Professor X and Magneto during a quiet moment

**END OF SPOILERS**
Due to lack of character development it was a put-off to see these new X-Men screaming like school girls when they were first attacked by the Hellfire Club.

Speaking of which, I liked Kevin Bacon as Sebastian Shaw, the leader of the Hellfire Club. Not only were his abilities awesome and clearly depicted energy absorption, I thought he played the character with outright malice. However, January Jones as Emma Frost--The White Queen was a letdown. The White Queen from the comics is a sultry, sexy, telepathic siren. This version of the White Queen had all the sex appeal of a Barbie doll.

Barbie, is that you?

Although Emma could turn into diamond form, could someone explain to me how a diamond, one of the hardest substances on Earth, could be cracked by the metallic constraints of Magneto? There's only one explanation: in her younger days she could only transform into cubic zirconia.

The White Queen in "zirconia" form. I bet there are lots of flaws.

The Black King and The White Queen

Overall, to me, X-Men: First Class was more offensive and insulting than entertaining. I can't recall being awe-struck by any of the special effects like in other superhero movies such as Thor. Most of them were already shown in the trailers which is truly a sign of a bad movie. Sadly, it wouldn't be much of a stretch for me to call X-Men: First Class an atrocity. In fairness, for those not familiar with X-Men comics and their lore, and don’t care about Hollywood stereotypes, this could possibly be one of the better movies of the summer. I, on the other hand, can only hope that the sequel, if there is one, will fix everything that went horribly wrong in the first one. Out of 5 fingers, I’m giving this movie 2.

Thor

2011-05-16T17:11:00.000-04:00

Thor was a refreshing and pleasant surprise. In the back of my mind I was thinking this was going to be a boring, stuffy movie filled with stodgy Norse Gods speaking in stilted prose. I also feared that Thor wouldn't be depicted as he appears in the comic books. I was wrong on both counts. Thor was extremely faithful to the comic book and filled with not only jaw-dropping action, but humor laced throughout.

I wasn't expecting him fly but he did. I wasn't expecting him to whirl his hammer and call down lightning, but he did. Basically, whatever Thor does in the comics, he did in this movie. Often the result was incredibly awesome and filled with a grandeur that only a Norse God could possess.

I enjoyed the fact that the movie didn't involve a long drawn out origin story. The back story is quickly told by Odin in a fable to a young Thor and his half-brother Loki.

The casting was quite good. I don't know where they found Chris Hemsworth, but he made the perfect Thor right down to the arrogance, golden locks and blue eyes. I liked also Anthony Hopkins as The All-father Odin.

It was a nice touch to show him vulnerable and needing the legendary Odin sleep to replenishing his waning powers. This ritual seemed to happen quite often in the comics. The only thing missing was his proclaimation when he woke up: "The Odin Sleep has ended. Let the world tremble at my awakening!" The casting for the Warriors Three was also good. Josh Dallas who played Fandral looked just like the character from the comics. Natalie Portman was also an excellent choice to play the role of Jane Foster.

Of course the casting was not without controversy. The Council of Conservative Citizens proposed a boycott of the movie due to Idris Elba being cast in the role of Heimdall, the guardian of Bifrost, the rainbow bridge. It was galling for them to see a black man in the role of a white Norse God. Although seeing a him in this role (after years of collecting comics) was a bit disconcerting, I thought Idris did an amazing job. His performance was powerful, understated and well...god-like.

I especially liked the golden eyes which accentuated his ability to see across the cosmos and into different realms and dimensions. Despite all the protests of Idris and threats to boycott the movie, I see no one complained about the role of Hogun the Grim (Tadanobu Asano) being played by an Asian actor.

Hollywood could have done a better job with multi-racial casting if they showed other Asgardians of different races and colors. Instead these two actors come across as token characters trying to fill some equal opportunity quota.

I thought Loki (Tom Hiddleston) was portrayed in an interesting and unexpected way. Rather than a character of pure mischief and malevolent evil, he started off as a meek, soft-spoken character who was vulnerable and misunderstood. Fortunately he grew into the evil character I expected him to be.

I also liked the way the rainbow bridge was explained and depicted in scientific terms. Its not just some long multi-hued expanse, but a wormhole into different dimensions. What a thrill it was to see the rainbow bridge in action for the first time. The movie was the perfect blend of magic and science. I especially liked the way Odin placed the enchantment on Thor's hammer so that only someone worthy could lift it.

He may look worthy, but he isn't

I missed notable characters such as Baldur The Brave, The Enchantress, The Executioner, The Norn Queen, The Valkyries and Hela. I'm sure showing all these characters may have been too much for the uninitiated but it would have been a nice touch for "true believers" to see them in cameo appearances. Hopefully, if there is a sequel, they will be in it.

If you do go and see Thor at the theater, make sure you sit through the credits for the bonus scene at the end. I thoroughly enjoyed Thor and I'm giving this movie 5 out of 5 fingers.

Source Code

2011-04-05T15:08:00.000-04:00

Source Code is a movie about time travel. It is comparable to Groundhog Day, Daybreak, Vantage Point, Star Trek: The Next Generation episode "Cause And Effect" and Quantum Leap. It's one of those movies that keeps repeating the same events over and over again. The first pass through you're shown everything in purposeful agonizing detail which is a clear sign that these events will repeat themselves.

Source Code stars Jake Gyllenhaal as Capt.Colter Stevens, Michelle Monaghan as Christina Warren,Vera Farmiga as Colleen Goodwin, and Jeffrey Wright as Dr. Rutledge. The story is about a soldier (Gyllenhaal) who is tasked with a mission to travel back in time to the last eight minutes before a horrific terroristic bombing aboard a crowded Chicago passenger train. By using technology to shift his consciousness inside an unsuspecting male passenger he must find out who the bomber is to stop this from happening again.

Each eight minute trip to gather clues about the bombing causes events to play out a little differently than before. The filmmaker attributes these time excursions to creating a series of alternate timelines each time Stevens is sent back. But on the surface, its just a movie repeating itself over again.

To add depth to what is seemingly an ordinary time travel story there are a few surprises about Colter Stevens' "condition" and the creation of alternate timelines and what is perceived to be "real" when Stevens isn't traveling through time. These things do set this movie apart.

In the typical Hollywood tradition, Stevens manages to cultivate a love interest during his multiple eight minute time travels with fellow commuter Christina Warren. It's one of the more heart-warming elements of the story.

Still I had hoped for something a little less mundane. While it was interesting seeing Capt. Stevens fit the pieces of the puzzle together and solve the crisis and cause the movie to end in an unexpected way, I was really hoping the movie was about more than just stopping a terrorist bombing. From the secrets being kept from Capt. Stevens I was looking for him to be mankind's last hope of survival and having to repeatedly go back in time to prevent not just the bombing but the destruction of the human race. Nothing so grand as that but the implications of the movie were nearly as deep.

I'm not a fan of watching stories repeat themselves over and over again. Yet the twists in Source Code do redeem the movie somewhat. Out of 5 fingers I'm giving Source Code 3.

I Am Number Four

2011-03-01T15:05:00.000-05:00

"Three are dead. I Am Number Four." Quite the dramatic beginning. The film is based on the novel of the same name by Pittacus Lore. It's the story of teen-aged "John Smith", an alien from the planet Lorien. He and eight others like him are being hunted down and killed by another race of aliens called the Mogadorians. I have not read the novel so my commentary is based solely on the film.

The nine Loriens are known as the "Garde" and they all have a unique "Legacy" along with other preternatural abilities. The teenagers are protected by a charm, which only allows them to be killed in a set order. John is Number Four. Each member of the Garde is accompanied by a guardian who's job it is to keep them safe.

I went to see I Am Number Four with a lot of preconceived notions. I wasn't sure what to expect based on others' comments. Was this another Twilight with aliens instead of vampires? Was it a re-imaging of Superman?

The film makes no secret this is a story about aliens right from the very start. It's the type of story I enjoy because it excuses the audience from a boring, long, drawn-out origin story. You jump right in and witness the death of Number 3 and keep running. As far as being another Twilight movie, there are some similarities. It does involve teen romance. But I found this movie to be a lot cooler and packed with far more action than I have could possibly expected. Although John does fall in love during the story, I found the relationship between John and Sarah to be more "realistic" for an alien and a human and less "fantastically romantic" than Twilight.

Another Superman? There were similarities here too. John Smith comes from an alien planet and tries to blend in and live a normal life. However, this alien is running for his life and didn't come to Earth to become a costumed superhero.

So much power!

Like superhero movies (Superman, Spider-Man) we are witness to the awakening of his preternatural abilities and the complications that come with them. I thought I Am Number Four attempted to capture the loneliness and isolation one would feel if you were different from everyone else. It could have succeeded if John Smith wasn't cast as a wholesome, comely boy next door with the build of a star athlete. I suppose there's an irony there at being attractive and yet something of a social outcast. It's a similar experience suffered by his love interest Sarah who is beautiful yet lives the life of an ostracized loner.

Sarah

Henri

I Am Number 4 stars Alex Pettyfer as John, Timothy Olyphant (Justified, Damages and Hitman) as Henri, Teresa Palmer as Number 6, Dianna Agron (Glee) as Sarah and Callan McAuliffe as Sam.

I Am Number 6

The movie really takes off when the mysterious Number 6 makes her appearance. She teams up with John to fight back and take on the Mogadorians. The outright destruction from the collateral damage of the battle was staggering.

I Am Number Four sets the audience up for a sequel and I hope the movie does well enough at the box office so we actually get to see it. One of the unanswered questions on everyone's mind is where is Number Five? He isn't shown in the movie at all. I'm sure Number 7 and 8 are being saved for the sequel.

Doesn't everyone wish they could do this?

The movie kept my attention from beginning to end. I found myself talking to the screen (much to the dismay of other theater-goers) at how incredibly awesome the powers were that Number 4 and Number 6 demonstrated. To be honest, the depiction of some of their powers reminded me of characters from my now all-time favorite video game Mass Effect(2).

Number 6: walk softly and carry a heavy pistol

I Am Number Four features a blend of heavy weapons and special abilities like Mass Effect(2). Number 6 was a lot like the Vanguard with the Biotic Heavy Charge talent who could pass through solid objects and attack an enemy with a surge of irrepressible speed. One of John's abilities was a lot like the Heavy Throw of the Sentinel where he could deflect attacks with irresistible force. It is conceivable that the author of the book or the screenwriter was influenced by this game.

Is that the tell-tale glow of a biotic barrier?

The movie goes beyond the typical teenage love story and adds elements that appeal to a much wider audience. For the entertainment value alone I'm giving I Am Number Four 4.5 out of 5 fingers.

All-Star Superman

2011-02-21T22:08:00.000-05:00

I wondered why this animated feature available on DVD and Blu-Ray was called All-Star Superman instead of something a little more catchy like The Death Of Superman Too. I did some research and found out it is based on a 12-issue comic book maxi-series of the same name written by Grant Morrison.

Launched in 2005 under DC's All Star imprint, these series are attempts by DC to allow major comics creators a chance to tell stories showcasing popular characters without being restricted by DC Universe continuity. I did not read the maxi-series, so my comments are on the animated material alone.

It's no secret from the very beginning that it is about the death of Superman. Exposed to a lethal dose of solar radiation at the heart of the sun, his cells begin to overload and break down. It's all a part of a sinister plot by his arch enemy Lex Luthor--and this time he succeeds. I know its difficult to believe, (and perhaps a little sad) but in this instance, evil triumphs over good.

While there were some action-packed sequences in the animated feature, I found that the story was all over place--most likely to condense a 12-issue comic book series into one 75 minute movie. Rather than a fever-pitched action packed adventure, it was more a love story between Superman and Lois Lane during his final days.

Lois Lane. Call her the 24-Hour Superwoman

Personally I found the All-Star Superman a bit bizarre. The things I did like: Superman allowing Lois to have a taste of what it means to be super for 24 hours--complete with costume no less. Superman's calculated use of The Gravity Gun. Superman's last heroic sacrifice.

The things I didn't like: How Lex Luthor supposedly has the greatest intellect on Earth and yet he can't tell that Clark Kent is Superman. He even admits to liking Clark (but hates Superman). While Clark was interviewing Lex in prison, the Parasite went on a rampage after syphoning Clark's powers. Lex didn't seem to notice Clark using his super powers to keep him alive. With Clark by Lex's side the whole time and the Parasite hunting them down, it would have been the only logical conclusion that Clark was the cause of the Parasite's insatiable hunger for energy since Lex obviously doesn't have any powers of his own.

Another thing that didn't make sense was Clark rescuing the guards and flying them out of the prison to safety at super speed. Then, rather than return to the prison as Superman to take on the Parasite, he resumes his disguise as Clark Kent.

I was underwhelmed by the feature as a whole and I read that it paled in comparison to the maxi-series itself. There were times when I was wondering--when is he going to die? When is this going to end? While it was different, I can't in good conscience recommend All-Star Superman to purchase. As a rental maybe. Out of 5 fingers I'd have to give it 2.0.

The A-Team

2011-02-13T11:51:00.000-05:00

The A-Team movie (now available on DVD and Blu-Ray) is actually a prequel to the 1983 TV series. If you never watched the TV series or don't remember it because it was 28 years ago, you'll be just fine. For those that have seen the series, here is where we see why The A-Team became the fugitives they were in the TV series. The premise of the movie surrounds a group of Iraq War veterans (obviously updated for modern audiences) wanting to clear their names with the U.S. military, who accuse the four men of committing a crime for which they were framed.

Exciting, slightly suspenseful, humorous, and although peppered with action, there are also agonizingly boring moments which are just a bit too numerous for my taste. I found myself dozing off when the screen wasn't erupting with gun-fire and rumbling inferno-esque explosions.

The chemistry and comraderie between the characters was excellent with all the bantering and arguing you may have come to expect. I attribute this to great casting. Liam Neeson stars as Col. "Hannibal" Smith, Bradley Cooper as Lt. "Faceman" Peck, Jessica Biel as Charissa Sosa, Sharlto Copley as Captain "Howling Mad" Murdock, and Quinton "Rampage" Jackson as Sgt. Bosco "B.A." Baracus.

Liam Neeson as Hannibal Smith

Jessica Biel as Charissa Sosa

Walk in stilettos and carry a deadly pistol

It was my fear that the actors would try to portray the actors such as the late George Peppard, Mr. T, etc. who played the original roles, rather than the characters themselves. But I think the actors were able to put their own stamp on the roles.

The Original A-Team

It was also my fear that UFC Mixed Martial Arts champion "Rampage" Jackson, who had little acting experience, wouldn't be able to pull off the B.A. Baracus role at all. I'm happy to report that all the actors did an outstanding job bringing the A-Team back to life--or to life for the first time-- depending on your perspective. There were fleeting moments when I could close my eyes and believe it really was Mr. T on the screen reprising his role, as long as I ignored that horrible mohawk and the fact that "Rampage" Jackson looks nothing like him. I couldn't tell if the mohawk on "Rampage" Jackson was real or a strip of rug glued to his head. Either way, it was an eye-sore. Another area of complaint is the sub-plot with B.A. Baracus becoming impotent after a period of incarceration and swearing off killing and violent behavior. He even ditched the trademark mohawk in favor of a nappy mini-afro that had to have been a wig. I'm still trying to decide which was worse, the impotence or the bad wig.

"Rampage" Jackson as B.A. Baracus

I Pity The Fool

I wanted to compare this movie to The Losers that featured soldiers in a similar situation, but The A-Team is a lot more light-hearted, familiar and fun. While boring at points, The A-Team overall was entertaining. Rather than continue where the TV series left off, the film starts over from the beginning which I thought was an excellent idea given the passage of 28 years. The movie ends where the TV series began with the voice-over..."Today, still wanted by the government, they survive as soldiers of fortune. If you have a problem, if no one else can help, and if you can find them, maybe you can hire...The A-Team". I'm giving The A-Team 3 out of 5 fingers.

Can A Reboot Save The Superman Franchise?

2011-01-31T10:42:00.001-05:00

It was recently announced that Brandon Routh will not reprise his role in the Superman reboot. Instead the role has been given to actor Henry Cavill.

Henry Cavill

This is welcome news. My thoughts are that the producers want to distance themselves as much as possible from the disaster that Superman Returns was. A lot of people felt that Brandon Routh couldn't act his way out of a paper bag. Rather than put his own personality (if he has one) into playing Superman and Clark Kent, he played Christopher Reeve playing Superman and Clark Kent. His rendition was hollow at best, like bringing a corpse back to life without a soul.

Christopher Reeve. Often imitated...

Brandon Routh

Clark Kent was never this geeky

Although Superman Returns with state-of-the art special effects made me believe a man could fly, that was as far as my belief could go. The movie itself was nothing but a re-hash of the 1978 Richard Donner Superman film with better special effects. Right down to the same villain (Lex Luthor which was a similarly uninspired performance by Kevin Spacey) and flying Lois Lane through Metropolis with the same song playing in the background.

Kevin Spacey as Lex Luthor

"Can You Read My Mind"--again?

What was more unnerving were the Christ-like inferences yet juxtaposing that with human shortcomings such as, eavesdropping on Lois and her family, fathering an illegitimate child and being a dead-beat dad. Someone on the production crew should have been asking what would Jesus do? Is nothing scared anymore? Superman is supposed to be above all that. The way Superman was portrayed was more frightening than any horror movie I've ever seen. What sort of message was this movie sending to our children? It probably set Superman's image back 50 years and had creators Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster rolling in their graves.

I seriously hope this reboot will get the character back on track. And just a suggestion, along with a new Superman, let's have a new villain too. I've seen enough of Lex Luthor to last a lifetime.

Mass Effect

2011-01-25T17:22:00.000-05:00

Mass Effect is a role playing, sci-fi, action-adventure, combat game for Xbox 360, PC (and now PS3) that originally debuted in 2007. I knew about Mass Effect for years and dismissed it because it was labeled as a role-playing game (RPG). Every time the term RPG was mentioned, my thoughts immediately went back to the first RPG I ever played called Shenmue on the Dreamcast. It entailed running around a city, talking to people and occasionally getting into a fight. Utterly boring.

I was browsing the Best Buy website when I saw Mass Effect 2 on sale for $19.99. The accolades for this game were nothing short of shock and awe. Not one to pass up on a bargain, especially for a game as lauded and revered as this one, I purchased it as a Christmas gift to myself. It was suggested that if I got Mass Effect 2 then I should play Mass Effect first. Curious about all the hype I kept reading about, I went out and bought the first Mass Effect and starting playing it. Inside a few hours of game play I had to admit to myself this was arguably the best game video game I've ever played! If you've been wondering why I haven't written any blogs lately, now you have your answer.

Set in the year 2183, you assume the role of Commander Shepard of the SSV Normandy. The Normandy is an Alliance Frigate (military space ship for the uninitiated) that patrols the Milky Way galaxy defending it from the incursion of hostile aliens, crime cartels and other galactic injustices. You are given the ability to customize your character in great detail, making Shepard male or female, black, white or any other race. You can also choose the default Commander John Shepard pictured on the cover of the game. If you do choose to customize your character, you are given the option to change the first name. But in the game you'll always be called "Shepard" no matter which first name you choose.

The game plays out like an interactive cinema experience where you can shape the course of events unfolding on the screen by the dialog choices you make. As a military leader, these choices are often the difference between whether someone lives or dies. This can be a heavy burden if it involves a character you've grown attached to. When not getting to know your crew and building relationships, some of which are intimate, and exploring the galaxy, you get involved in fierce combat against overwhelming odds. You pick 2 squad members to accompany you on various missions to planets and space stations based on their specialized "talents". In the Mass Effect universe some humans and aliens alike have developed "biotic" abilities.

A biotic singularity ain't no joke.

You don't want to be on the receiving end of this attack.

The powers themselves look a lot like force powers from Star Wars. Psionic in nature and amplified through the use of L2 or L3 implants, objects and people can be hurled or levitated or ripped apart at a sub-atomic level. There are different combat classes of characters in the game. Some that are adept at biotics and use them as their primary weapon. For human purists that scoff at the notion of having supernatural abilities, you can create soldiers who are masters at weaponry and combat with little or no biotic powers.

I created Commander "Troy" Shepard. He was given the combat class Vanguard which is a blend of soldier and biotic ability. It felt rewarding to watch a powerful and compassionate black man scour the galaxy and kick some @$$.

Commander Troy Shepard

Your version of Commander Shepard can become the galaxy's greatest selfless, altruistic hero or a corrupt, cold-hearted self-centered bastard (who still finds a way to save the galaxy with lots of dead and savagely beaten bodies along the way). Be advised this game is rated M for Mature and is not for children. It is filled with profanity, gratuitous violence and sex scenes which caused quite an uproar when the first Mass Effect was released.


The Normandy, powered by the legendary Tantalus Drive

Although the first Mass Effect was well received, it did have it's short comings. The game could get repetitive and tedious. A lot of the structures and buildings, although on completely different planets and solar systems, were identical in design and layout. If you saw one underground mining or colonist facility or derelict ship, you've seen them all. If you were lucky a crate might be in a different part of the room than it was on another planet. To get around on the various planets your crew is dropped from the Normandy in the Mako where you would have to drive for what seemed like forever over extremely difficult to navigate mountainous terrain.

The Mako

There were also issues with frame rate where the game would slow down tremendously. And then there were those long elevator rides that disguised loading times.

All of those issues and more were addressed in Mass Effect 2. Darker and more serious in tone, Mass Effect 2 starts one month after the epic and devastating battle against Saren and The Reaper known as Sovereign. Then after a heart-wrenching event you're taken 2 years into the future (which coincides with the development time between games). It was a brilliant transition to go from the familiar to wake up having lost 2 years of your life. You are forced to suddenly re-orient yourself with the help of some new allies as you face a new menace called The Collectors.

Mass Effect 2 (which was released in January 2010) has received more than 120 awards, including 2010 Game of the Year honors from IGN.com, MSNBC.com, GameTrailers.com, Eurogamer.net, Game Reactor and G4TV who praised it as “one of the best synergies of writing, role-playing, and combat.”

Walk softly and carry a heavy pistol

In Mass Effect 2 the combat system was completely overhauled to the point where powers are more effective and an element of strategy added to battles. Some biotic powers can now arc around corners and strike at partially concealed adversaries. You can now position your squad where you need them to hold the line against overwhelming odds or storm forward into enemy territory.

You also earn bonuses for combining your squads powers and weaponry during your assault. A devastating biotic combo I often employed was the heavy pull and the heavy throw (push). Jacob Taylor would use his ability to pull an enemy directly at us while Shepard would use the counter force of the heavy throw to create an irresistible barrier that would literally pulverize the opponent. Similar tactics worked well with the heavy pull and heavy or unstable warp ability that rips the enemy apart.

Gone are the repetitive buildings and environments. Every planet, space station and space vessel has a unique,distinctive look and layout. Gone are the tedious drives over mountainous terrain. In fact, the Mako is gone all together in Mass Effect 2, replaced by a shuttle craft that drops you at the exact location you need to be on any given planet.

The level up mechanic was simplified and streamlined. Instead of there being 60 levels like in ME1 (which would require you to play the game 2 to 3 times to get there). In ME2 there are only 30 levels which you can achieve in one play through. Yes, I'm guilty of playing ME1 3 times so I could get to level 60 and import my character into ME2 and get the maximum amount of bonuses and start off at level 5. There are also fewer talents or skills that need leveling up now that the powers have been altered and passive abilities streamlined into the paragon and renegade traits.

Some notable new characters make their debut in Mass Effect 2. They are Cerberus Agents Jacob Taylor and Miranda Lawson. Don't worry, though, the characters who survived Mass Effect 1 also make appearances or join Shepard in his quest to stop The Collectors. Hopefully we'll be seeing a lot more of Miranda and Jacob whom I like to call The Cerberus Twins.

Jacob Taylor. Its not often a strong black man finds his way into a video game and lives if you make the right choices.

Jacob about to get his mack on. Who knew what was under all that armor?

Miranda Lawson. Genetically engineered to be the perfect woman. Based on the actress Yvonne Strahovski from the TV series Chuck who also provides her voice.

Someone's in love.

Mass Effect isn't just about talking, characters agonizing over their pasts, having sex and fighting. There is an epic and intricate story unraveling before your eyes. It is a trilogy leading up to the dramatic conclusion in Mass Effect 3 which is scheduled to be released around Christmas of this year. The overall story involves the discovery of a menace (an invincible machine race called The Reapers) that threatens to exterminate life as we know it across the galaxy.

Your Commander Shepard, from ME1 can be imported into ME2 to continue the adventure. The same holds true for Shepard being imported into game 3--if he or she survives game 2. I'm told in some endings of game 2, Commander Shepard dies--all depending on the choices you make--many which have unforeseen consequences. If Shepard dies he/she cannot be imported into Mass Effect 3.

Fortunately for me, Commander Troy Shepard survived ME2. Also important to note is the decisions you make in the first game carry over into the second which can be good and heart-warming in some instances, yet lead to dire consequences in others. Again, the decisions you make in games 1 and 2 will also affect the outcome in game 3.

The mysterious Illusive Man (voiced by Martin Sheen). Commander Shepard's benefactor--for now.

If you decide you want to play Mass Effect, here are 7 tips:

1. You don't have to play the first game if it sounds too tedious. There is a video on You Tube called Mass Effect in 5 Minutes if you want to be brought up to speed and jump directly into Mass Effect 2.

2. Don't be a jack of all trades when it comes to allocating your skill points and leveling up. Max out one skill then move to the next. If you're not completely proficient at at least one skill, then plan on dying a lot more often than you may like. Under-developed skills are like bee stings to some of your adversaries. I had to learn this the hard way against Matriarch Beneziah in the first game. I ended up having to revert to an earlier save, leave Noveria and return much later in the game after I'd leveled up my character and maxed out certain skill points.

3. In Mass Effect, do not under estimate the importance of charm and intimidate skill points. Maxing out charm for example will make your Commander Shepard extremely persuasive and allow you to talk a lot of people out of doing some really bad things and save lives. The more good and selfless you are, the higher your paragon score which allows you to influence people in a positive way. The more despicable you are the higher your renegade score which allows you to threaten, frighten and cause other kinds of mayhem which usually involves someone dying. In Mass Effect 2 Shepard's appearance even changes the more renegade he becomes. The irises of his/her eyes turn crimson and his/her face becomes hideously scarred and unsightly. By the same token the more good he/she does maintains a healthy and natural appearance. Also if the scarring and red eyes become too frightening to look at, there is a device (dermal regenerator) you can install in the Medical Bay of The Normandy that will heal the scars completely--if you've done your research and collected the raw materials. And yes, if you must know, I did have to use it.

The Renegade Commander John Shepard. Wouldn't want to meet him in a dark alley.

4. Combine your powers. Fight as a team. Make sure you have a mix of different talents on your squad. In Mass Effect it was important to have someone with tech skills to decrypt data. In Mass Effect 2 that skill isn't as important but you should still have a balance of heavy biotic and heavy weapons users on your squad. Different adversaries are immune to certain abilities and weapons. Don't be prepared for anything, be prepared for everything. You should always have someone on your team with the maxed out heavy overload biotic ability to take down enemy shields.

5. If you play through ME1 and import your character into ME2 not only do you have the option to keep the character's same appearance or alter it, you can also choose a different combat class. I was a Vanguard in ME1. In ME2 I became a Sentinel with some new biotic abilities and the training to use a sub-machine gun. If you play ME2 twice and import your ME2 character, you can change his/her appearance but cannot change the combat class.

6. Save, save, save. Although the game does have automatic save points, you might want to create your own at the conclusion of every battle. The game doesn't allow saves during combat and you may find yourself having to battle the same hordes over and over again if you didn't make a save before your next fight and you get killed.

7. If you have the time play ME1 and ME2 twice. Once as the good and pure paragon and once as the repulsive renegade. The outcomes will be dramatically different.

Polished and graphically superior to the first Mass Effect, there is little to fault in Mass Effect 2. I think my biggest complaint would be that there are too many supporting characters this time around. Many with the same powers. There are a few notable exceptions. The Thief is the only one who can cloak herself and sneak up on an enemy and subdue them.

The Thief, Katsumi Goto

The Krogan, Grunt

The massive Krogan comes complete with his own heavy weapon (the Krogan shotgun) which is devastating.

Professor Mordin Solus

The Professor has impressive thermal and cryo abilities as well as a horrific neural shock power. These abilities are not biotic in nature but acquired using his omni-tool and mastery over element zero, the source of all Mass Effect phenomena. He is by far the most important crew member. Without him you would not be able to upgrade equipment and enhance biotic abilities. Other than that, its a biotic free for all. Miranda, Jacob, Samara or Subject Zero.

Subject Zero. Arguably the most powerful human biotic.

It's difficult to tell which biotic is better suited to take on a mission. Some of them do a certain biotic talent better than another. But in the end, they are all quite formidable. Often it comes down to which personality I feel like dealing with on a mission rather than what tactical advantage a specific biotic has.

Who's the most powerful biotic of them all? My money is on Samara, a Justicar who's biotic abilities rival that of an Asari Matriarch.

I was also disappointed with Tali who had the unique combat class of Engineer.

Tali'Zorah nar Rayya vas Normandy (that's a mouthful).

In the original Mass Effect she was so much more powerful and great to have on the field of battle. She had electronic abilities which included overload which would annihilate synthetic life forms and tech proximity mines that would blow the hell out of everything else. In ME2 her abilities were greatly diminished. The proximity mines were replaced by combat drones which only provided a mild annoyance and distraction to enemies. She was of such little value that I usually left her on the Normandy.

The dark and ugly side of Mass Effect is delivered with a twist of tongue-in-cheek humor. For example when the renegade Commander Shepard tries to get a discount at a supply store he yells out into the corridor in ear-shot of passers-by that the store discriminates against the poor. He's immediately given a discount. He also punches a female reporter in the face for making "disingenuous assertions" during an interview. While rescuing a hostage from his captors, Shepard threatens the captors with death. When the captors agree to release the hostage thinking they'll go free, the camera zooms in on the freed hostage's nervous face as muzzle flashes dance off his pale skin and gunshots reverberate throughout the room. The camera zooms out and the captors are all lying on the ground dead. The freed hostage is screaming in hysteria about how Shepard is a murderer--talk about being ungrateful. Some of the shocking, crass and outrageous things the renegade Shepard says reminds me of the off-the-cuff, socially inappropriate remarks made by Dr. House on the TV series House M.D.

Overall, Mass Effect 1 and 2 were an incredible unexpected thrill ride. It presented a world so deep and vivid that I came to care for the characters and even felt sorrow and joy at the outcome of certain events. That's saying a lot if a video game can illicit such emotion. I look forward to Mass Effect 3 due out at the end of the year, and will probably be standing in line on release day. Undoubtedly the Mass Effect saga thus far gets 5 out of 5 fingers.

Astro Boy

2010-12-31T11:51:00.000-05:00

Astro Boy has been around for decades. The series started off as a black and white cartoon and has had many different incarnations over the years. I was excited to hear Astro Boy was being made into a CGI movie. I never got the opportunity to watch it until now.

The movie gives background on the character that I never knew before. Astro Boy comes from a floating island in the sky of technological automated wonders called Metro City. The human inhabitants are serviced by robotic helpers that do every conceivable chore. The creator of Astro Boy, Dr. Tenma (voiced by Nicolas Cage) whose son Toby is vaporized by a run-away "Peacekeeper" robot, decides to create a robot duplicate to replace him.

He created the robot so that he would be powerful enough to prevent harm from ever befalling him again. This includes outfitting him with rocket boots and arms that transform into powerful blaster cannons. Dr. Tenma successfully brings "Toby" back to life, infused with all the memories of his late son.

The robot "Toby" even bears a striking resemblance to his deceased son. Tenma bonds with the robot and schools him from home. Everything seems wonderful for a time until Tenma realizes that this robot is not his son--but merely a machine--and rejects him.

Blaster cannons activated

Tunneling thru the ground was trademark tactic in the cartoon.

After being hunted down so he can be deactivated, Toby ends up getting blown off the floating island and wakes up in scrap heap of robot parts on the surface below. The surface has become a wasteland of refuse cast off from the island above. There is a civilization of humans and robots existing under less hospitable conditions on the surface as well. It is here that Toby gets the name Astro as he continues his search for acceptance.

Astro on the surface pretending not to be a robot.

Flying high above Metro City

The voice cast also includes notable actors such as, Kristen Bell, Charlize Theron, Samuel L. Jackson, Nathan Lane, Freddie Highmore and Donald Sutherland.

Astro Boy vs. Peacekeeper

The special effects, the CGI and the battles are nothing short of amazing. Especially the final battle at the end between Astro Boy and the gigantic "Peacekeeper" robot.

Where the movie falters is its depiction of Astro Boy. To satisfy the delicate sensibilities of the American audience, they decided to give Astro Boy a full set of clothes. Normally he appears in just a pair of speedos.

Astro Boy from the cartoon series.

Seriously, its just a robot. There's no need for modesty. Fortunately at the end, we get to see Astro Boy in his true form. I think its a great movie for younger audiences but probably not as captivating for an older one. Personally I'd like to have seen a lot more action, but for an origin movie it wasn't bad. For taking me back to my childhood and the spectacular effects, I'll give Astro Boy 3.5 fingers out of 5.

Skyline

2010-12-27T17:38:00.002-05:00

Skyline is a theatrical release about a horrific alien invasion in which mankind has utterly no hope of surviving. The trailers seemed spectacular and the special effects top notch with plumes of blue energy plummeting to the Earth heralding the invasion. Then reality sets in.

I was fortunate to see Skyline at no cost because I don't think the movie is worth paying for. I'm with the reviewers that saw Skyline and thought it should have been a Syfy Channel Original Movie. Yes, the special-effects are better than what you'd see in a made-for-TV production, but the story is exactly what I'd expect from one.

This can't be happening!

Skyline uses a storytelling technique that is a strong indication of a weak story and one that I personally dislike. It starts out in the midst of the alien invasion and then several minutes into the gripping beginning we get a sub-title that says 15 Hours Earlier! (The TV series The Event suddenly came to mind). I suppose its an attempt to help the audience connect with the characters, but at that point, in my opinion, the movie really isn't worth watching.

Sadly, Skyline features a cast of TV actors which solidifies the argument this should have been a made-for-TV movie. The characters aren't the least bit interesting or even worth delving into their backgrounds which thankfully we're not given much of.

The film stars Eric Balfour (Haven, 24 and Six Feet Under) as Jarrod, Donald Faison (Scrubs) as Terry, Scottie Thompson (Trauma) as Elaine and Brittany Daniel (Kelly Pitts from The Game) as Candice. I want to single out Brittany Daniel's character for a moment. No offense Brittany. I love you as an actress but we really need to see more range. The character of Candice was no different from the character she plays on The Game. A woman who gets by on her gorgeous looks to land a man with money and then the relationship goes sour. They might as well have called her Kelly.

Kelly Pitts, is that you?

I haven't had to do this in a while, but why is this black man in this film?

This "brainless" (and I do mean that literally) affair gets even more bizarre when half of the city is laid waste by the alien invaders and hundreds of people are seen being sucked up into the giant mother ship. Yet, during all this mayhem, the building the main characters inhabit, still has electricity, running water and elevator service. It seemed almost an after-thought that the electricity and water was finally cut off near the conclusion of the film.

Skyline instills a sliver of hope with a preemptive Air Force strike that appears to destroy the mother ship, only to have it resurrect itself minutes later. The aliens are depicted as a mix of insectoid, squid-like creatures (I was reminded of Starship Troopers) and machine. To make the storyline even more absurd, there is another unwelcome plot twist at work where Jarrod becomes some sort of alien-hybrid with super powers.

Don't look into the light!

If you're looking for an alien invasion movie there are much better ones out there, such as Cloverfield (if you can stand the hand-held camera perspective). This one just doesn't make the grade. Out of 5 fingers I'm giving Skyline 1.5.

Tron Legacy

2010-12-20T16:03:00.000-05:00

Tron Legacy is an amazing sequel to the original film filled with dazzling technological special effects and jaw dropping action sequences. Although the movie starts out in 1989, it is important to note that original Tron was released in 1982. Out of all the high tech action and pyrotechnic displays, perhaps the most notable and incredible special effect, is the ability to make Jeff Bridges look the same age he was when the original movie came out.

Jeff Bridges as the ageless Clu

In fact, the movie goes out of its way to recapture the look and feel of the 1980s with low-res faded flashbacks, a booming techno music score and some 80s lingo. It has been many, many years since I saw the original Tron and the sequel does its best through a series of flashbacks to fill in all the gaps.

Jeff Bridges as the aged Kevin Flynn

In addition to Jeff Bridges as both a young (Clu) and older version (Kevin Flynn), Tron Legacy also stars Garrett Hedlund as Sam Flynn, Olivia Wilde (the enigmatic 13 from House M.D. who up and disappeared off the show. It's good to see what she's been up to.) as Quorra and Bruce Boxleitner (Babylon 5) reprising his role as Alan Bradley / Tron.

Olivia Wilde as Quorra

For 21 years, Kevin Flynn has been trapped in a digital universe, unable to return home due to his own creation, Clu. He left behind his young son Sam who for years thought he had been abandoned. Now in his mid-20s and a lone rebel who refuses to take up his father's mantle, he balks at the idea to take control of the Encom empire his father left behind. Sam's mentor and surrogate father figure Alan Bradley comes to his apartment with a message that he received a page from a number at his father's old arcade. It here that Sam discovers a secret lab hidden beneath the arcade. Unexpectedly digitized by initiating a series of commands on his father computer, he ends up in the digital world where the adventure begins.

Garrett Hedlund as Sam Flynn

Although there are some slow moments in the movie when the action hits pause and teters on the brink of boredom, for the most part, Tron Legacy is a roller coaster ride. It is especially fulfilling at the end when the elder Flynn shows the true extent of his abilities. What was missing for me was having Sam Flynn be some sort of prodigy where he could manipulate the digital world like his father and perhaps surpass him in that regard. At best he was able to pull off death-defying stunts based on his own misadventures on Earth.

The Light Cycle match with contemporary CGI tech was astounding. I marveled at the liquid-like crystalline aspect of the digital life forms. I left the theater thoroughly entertained and I definitely recommend Tron Legacy. Out of 5 fingers I give it 4.5.

Universal Soldier: Regeneration

2010-12-13T13:25:00.001-05:00

The original Universal Soldier is back in this straight to DVD release. I found Universal Soldier: Regeneration to be a sleeper movie loaded with brain-blowing out action, devastating gun-fights, ear-splitting explosions, and inhuman hand-to-hand combat. Taking place years after the original movie, Jean-Claude Van Damme reprises his role as Luc Deveraux. An aged and seemingly impotent, decommissioned "Uni-Sol" who's undergone years of therapy and drug treatments, to get him back in touch with his "feelings" so he can live a normal life.

Unfortunately, nothing ever goes as planned. Enter a terrorist group with their own next-generation Uni-Sol, named NGU (Andrei Arlovski). Which is short for (you guessed it) Next Generation Uni-sol. They threaten the world with nuclear catastrophe by seizing a crippled Chernobyl nuclear reactor and plan to unleash a lethal ravaging radioactive cloud. To thicken the plot, they also kidnap the Russian prime minister's son and daughter and hold them hostage.

Before: Woe is me.

After: Who do I kill?

The only hope is to reactivate Luc Deveraux. Fortunately his original programming was so deep and ingrained that it doesn't take long to bring him back to his former fearsome self. Infused with all manner of drugs and injections, he is rearmed and reprogrammed.

Andrew Scott

NGU

Deveraux must not only take on his old nemesis Andrew Scott (Dolph Lundgren) from the original Universal Soldier but also NGU. The thing that really stands out in this film is the music score when the fighting takes place. African drums rise to an inevitable crescendo heightening the action in an adrenaline pumping way.

Someone is about to die.

My recollection of the original Universal Soldier is a bit hazy, but this movie stands on it's own without having to go back to the 1992 movie to refresh your memory. Universal Soldier: Regeneration isn't a low-budget offering. The film was released theatrically in the Middle East and Southeast Asia, but not in the United States, which it should have been. As an action movie that delivers, I'm giving Universal Soldier: Regeneration 4 out of 5 fingers.

Young Justice

2010-11-30T15:00:00.000-05:00

Young Justice is a new superhero animated series set to premiere on Cartoon Network in January 2011. To wet your appetite a one-hour premiere movie was shown on the aforementioned channel November 26th. My reaction to the upcoming series is a bit mixed. To begin with the Young Justice core group consists of the "side-kicks" of prominent DC Comics characters: Robin, Kid Flash, Aqualad, and Speedy. Sounds an awful lot like the Teen Titans. But the team differs with the addition of Superboy (a clone of Superman), Miss Martian and Artemis.

It also differs in that its not silly like Teen Titans was. There is humor, but it doesn't get in the way of the story or the action. It seems like the intended audience for this series is more mature.

Here is were things get weird when it comes to the characters. Aqualad is now black with blond hair and gills in his neck. After all the years Aqualad has existed as a DC character, why do they feel the need to change the race and appearance of the character? With the shameful lack of black characters in the DC Universe I think it would have been more appropriate to create a new black superhero. But this aside, Aqualad is now a much more formidable character with some sort of contraption on his back that allows him to focus his hard water powers. Unexplained, is how this contraption also generates electricity that can be used as a weapon. An origin story is really needed here.

Miss Martian is introduced at the end of the movie as the cousin of the Martian Manhunter. I've always known Jonn Jonzz to be the last surviving Martian. How is it that he now has a cousin?

Artemis? Never heard of her. She doesn't appear in the movie, but is featured in the promos. Apparently she'll be replacing Speedy in this series. I understand there is a comic book called Young Justice that I've never read. Perhaps the answers to many of my questions are there.

But throwing continuity out the window aside, the premiere movie wasn't bad. The story involves Project Cadmus a secret facility 52 floors below street level where secret and questionable genetic research is done. Here is where the clone of Superman is discovered along with a host of other genetic monstrosities. There is chilling foreshadowing of an evil force or group called The Light which is sure to play a recurring role in upcoming episodes. I'm hopeful that the questions I have about the series and the characters will be answered in subsequent stories. I think it's worth giving Young Justice a shot. For the premiere I'm giving it 3 fingers out of 5.

Superman/Shazam--The Return Of Black Adam

2010-11-25T14:41:00.000-05:00

I read a couple of reviews on Superman/Shazam--The Return Of Black Adam. Most were glowing and endorsing a live-action Shazam movie based on the portrayal of Captain Marvel in this 23 minute animated feature. While I'm all in favor of seeing a live-action Captain Marvel movie, I was unimpressed with this straight to DVD feature for 4 reasons.

1. For an origin story it fell far short of explaining Captain Marvel's abilities. As much as I don't like superhero origin stories because they often become too long, drawn out and ultimately boring, there are certain things that just shouldn't be left out in the telling of Captain Marvel's origin. For example it is important to know what the wizard's name S.H.A.Z.A.M. actually stands for. Having Captain Marvel (upon first transformation) saying that he's fast, strong and can fly just doesn't cut it. It should also be made just a bit clearer who the seemingly homeless "green-eyed" black man is in this animated adventure. I was was even thrown off by his green eyes until I saw him transform into his tiger form. It isn't often that this character is shown outside of comic books. Allow me to properly introduce Mr. Talky Tawny, talking tiger and shape-shifter who works for the wizard Shazam.

Mr. Talky Tawny I presume...

So to correct this glaring over-sight in the film, here is the meaning of SHAZAM and the nature of Captain Marvel's powers:

In times of need, call on me...

S - Solomon (wisdom) As Captain Marvel, Billy has instant access to a vast amount of scholarly knowledge, including most known languages and sciences. The wisdom of Solomon also provides him with counsel and advice in times of need. In early Captain Marvel stories, Solomon's power also gave Marvel the ability to hypnotize people. Captain Marvel has exceptional photographic recall and mental acuity allowing him to read and decipher hieroglyphics, recall everything he has ever learned and solve long mathematical equations. Instantaneously, he can make intuitive guesses based on limited data; to the point his guesses are almost always correct; also he has a great understanding of divine phenomenon in the mortal world. Captain Marvel possesses an uncanny awareness of his circumstances that allows him to turn disadvantages into advantages. Through sheer power and magic he can hypnotize people for a length of time (undetermined). Only those of great willpower can overcome this ability. He can speak every language known to humans as well as ancient or dead languages and is able to understand aliens.

H - Hercules (strength) Hercules' power grants Captain Marvel immense superhuman strength, making him one of DC Comics' most physically powerful characters; he is able to easily bend steel, punch through walls, and lift massive objects, (including whole continents like South America). In the comics, this strength has evolved in parallel to that of Superman.

A - Atlas (stamina) Using Atlas' stamina, Captain Marvel can withstand and survive most types of extreme physical assaults, and heal from them. Additionally, he does not need to eat, sleep, or breathe and can survive unaided in space when in Captain Marvel form.

Z - Zeus (power) Zeus' power, besides fueling the magic thunderbolt that transforms Captain Marvel, also enhances Marvel's other physical and mental abilities, and grants him resistance against all magic spells and attacks. Marvel can use the lightning bolt as a weapon by dodging it and allowing it to strike an opponent or target. The magic lightning has several uses, such as creating apparatus, restoring damage done to Marvel, and acting as fuel for magic spells. It can also turn other Marvels back by striking them. It aids inter-dimensional travel at the Rock of Eternity.

A - Achilles (courage) This aspect gives Captain Marvel the courage of Achilles. It also aids Captain Marvel's mental fortitude against most mental attacks.

M - Mercury (speed) By channeling Mercury's speed, Captain Marvel can move at superhuman speeds and fly. This also gives Marvel the ability to fly to the Rock of Eternity by flying faster than the speed of light.

While this level of detail isn't needed in the film, mentioning the Gods and what traits Captain Marvel gets from them would have been appreciated.

They're Seven Deadly Sins, not Enemies!

2. The Seven Deadly Enemies of Man: Pride, Envy, Greed, Hatred, Selfishness, Laziness and Injustice. When did it become a "sin" to call them what they really are: The Seven Deadly Sins of Man? In the comics they were always called sins. I've seen several animated versions of Captain Marvel where "sin" has been replaced by "enemy". In this version the sin Sloth was even replaced by Laziness. I'm not sure what the reasoning is in watering down the critical part of the Captain Marvel mythos. Kids can't pick up a dictionary and learn the meaning of sloth? Is it considered too religious to mention the word sin? I've always applauded animated movies for staying true to their source material. I'm not sure what happened here.

3. This is the first version of Black Adam I've ever seen where he was able to cast magic lightning bolts and use them as weapons. Black Adam has always had the same abilities as Captain Marvel. This is something he shouldn't be able to do.

Somebody got their *beep* whipped

4. This story has been told before as recently as last year on Cartoon Network. Batman: The Brave and The Bold, season 2 episode 10--The Power of Shazam! Again Black Adam finds his way back to Earth after being banished for 5,000 years. The plot line is slightly different, Billy Batson already has the ability to transform into Captain Marvel and Dr. Thaddeus Savannah is the mastermind behind drawing Black Adam back to Earth. Sloth is named as a Deadly "Enemy" of Man as it should be, instead of laziness. Similar in both stories, Black Adam has remained in his super-human form for 5,000 years and when he speaks the wizard's name and transforms back to his mortal form of Teth Adam...well, you'll have to see for yourself.

Aside from these major things and a little bit of predictability with the magic lightning, the fight scenes (which comprise most of this 23 minute feature) are quite good. If you're wondering why this adventure was only 23 minutes, there are several other mini-features on the DVD as well, The Spectre and Green Arrow, which sadly my free viewing privileges did not include.

Do I recommend that you watch Superman/Shazam: The Return of Black Adam? Surprisingly yes, but only if you're looking for a mindless action-packed battle and are willing to overlook all the other flaws and omissions. Out of 5 fingers I rate this feature 2.

Across The Hall

2010-11-08T20:39:00.000-05:00

This low-budget straight to DVD movie came highly recommended to me, but it was clear after watching it, I didn't see the same film. I posted in an earlier blog about the TV series The Event and how problematic I found the storytelling skipping around from past, to present to even further in the past, to present then to the not-so-distant-past, over and over again. This movie is like The Event on steroids.

Any good story should be able to stand on its own in a linear progression from beginning to end. I'm not opposed to flashbacks from time to time as background on the characters which as done fairly well in several cases here. Where I draw the line is revisiting events over and over again and seeing them from a slightly different perspective each time--much like the film Vantage Point.

Who came up with this color scheme?

The starless cast features Mike Vogel as Julian, Danny Pino as Terry,
Brittany Murphy as June and Brad Greenquist as the mysterious and creepy Porter. It seemed as if the film was alluding to more with this strange porter character, perhaps it was just the outfit and the hat, but nothing ever materialized.

The Porter. Bizarre in both appearance and character.

The plot centers around an unstable male (Terry) who suspects his fiancee (June) is having an affair. He follows her to a hotel and bribes the porter to give him a room--yes, you guessed it--across the hall from her's.

Terry

Terry calls his best friend Julian for moral support as he confesses his deepest fears that his fiancee is seeing someone else. He plans to confront June
(and the man she's there to meet) in her hotel room with the gun he stole from Julian's apartment. Julian does his best to calm his troubled friend and tells him he's on his way and will meet him in the lobby of the hotel.

Julian

I won't spoil the movie if by some chance you plan to see it. Needless to say, there is a clever twist that takes place, which is perhaps the only shining moment in this film.

June

At the end, I was completely unsatisfied and mostly bored. Although there were some interesting twists, the film had a hollow feeling to it. I don't think you'll be missing anything if you skip out on this DVD. Out of 5 fingers I'm giving this movie 1.

Stomp The Yard 2: Homecoming

2010-11-02T16:29:00.000-04:00

I could only make it through 22 minutes of this straight to DVD movie before cutting it off. How far this franchise has fallen from the original Stomp The Yard. The casting was pretty much uninspired. Collins Pennie is cast as the main character Chance Harris. Personally, I've never heard of Collins Pennie until now. I would have preferred if they had cast a lead that had a bit more star power and recognition.

Collins Pennie

Veteran actor Keith David plays Chance's father Terry. Pooch Hall (from The Game) as Dane who I'm sure is too old to be playing a college student. The wonderful thing about black college movies is how actors in their late 20s and early 30s are cast as "so-called teenagers". I suppose they could have been held back a few years to account for their "maturity". Fortunately there are also some young baby-faced actors that actually look like teens added to the mix as well.

Pooch Hall

Other notable celebrities include rapper David Banner, Twitch (from So You Think You Can Dance) and I'm told that Columbus Short from the original Stomp The Yard (who also produced this movie) makes a cameo appearance at the end.

The film takes place in Atlanta, GA. It's not that the movie was cheap or low-budget looking, it was just simply bad. The characters were boring and unappealing. They were common stereotypical characters with little substance. You've seen them all before in other dance/competition and black college movies. There was nothing innovative or different to set them apart from anything that was done before. To delve even further into bad fiction, the name of the college where all the "stomping" takes place is called Truth University. Seriously, couldn't someone come up with a more believable name?

To be fair, the most redeeming thing about Stomp The Yard 2 is the entertaining dance routines, music and choreography. But when the music stops, so does the movie. It's a good thing it was released straight to DVD, because if I had gone to see it at the movie theater, I would have walked out.

Out 5 fingers I'm giving this film the fist, 0 fingers.

The Event

2010-10-28T08:59:00.002-04:00

Two minutes earlier: I've been torn for weeks on what to say about this new series on NBC. I keep watching it hoping that it will get better and threatening each week to delete from my DVR if it doesn't.

No, you don't need to get your eyes checked.

Five weeks earlier: I just saw the season premiere of The Event. It started off with great promise, but soon I found the story bouncing all through time. After the hype and promos, and with the exception of the time-jumping narrative, I found it for the most part, very uneventful. It was more like a romance story between Sean (Jason Ritter) and his girlfriend Leila (Sarah Roemer) who go vacationing on a cruise ship with a stop off on a tropical isle.

The only thing that set this episode apart from other TV series was when a jetliner (on a collision course to kill the President no less) vanished in a coruscation of light.

Huh, where did it go?

Two weeks earlier: I was reading how the series came about and found out that the role of Sophia (Laura Innes) was intended for a man and that the series wasn't originally written with a sci-fi element to it. I'm conflicted on whether this series works better as a sci-fi show or as some sort of political terroristic detention drama. I'm leaning towards the latter.

Laura Innes as Sophia

One second earlier: I had a thought about how confusing, disjointed and unnecessary most of the flashbacks are in this show. One minute the main character Sean (Jason Ritter) is running down a hallway trying to elude the police and then suddenly we're seeing a flashback of 5 years ago when he first meets his girlfriend. Is there a correlation between him running and first meeting his girlfriend? No. Do any of the flashbacks make sense? Sometimes.

Three weeks earlier: The show hasn't gotten much better. There's too much shifting back in and forth in time--too many flashbacks. The story is actually good enough to stand on its own in a linear fashion. Tragically I think the producers are trying to be too clever for their own good. It's ruining the show. Too many questions and not enough answers, although I read that this series is supposed to answer questions and not leave people hanging like Lost. So far it hasn't lived up to it's promise.

Ok, so is this a love story or a sci-fi adventure?

Five minutes earlier: I read The Event has been getting some decent ratings and has been picked up for a full 22 episode season. I guess there's no accounting for taste.

1995: The Atlanta Braves won the World Series, beating the Cleveland Indians.

One week earlier: I forgot to mention that The Event also stars Blair Underwood as the President of the United States. The strange thing about this President is that he's supposed to be from Cuba, even has a Hispanic last name. Yet, he doesn't speak with even a trace of an accent. Honestly, does he even look Cuban to you?

We all know by now if there's a black President then we're all doomed. Think Morgan Freeman in Deep Impact. President Obama in...lets not think about that.

President Elias Martinez. I didn't vote for him.

24 hours earlier: I've been torn for weeks on what to say about this new series on NBC. I keep watching it hoping that it will get better and threatening each week to delete from my DVR if it doesn't.

5 years earlier: I was out in my back yard firing up my charcoal grill thinking we needed another TV drama that dealt with captured aliens on Earth. I was also wondering if we'd ever really elect a black man as President.

3 days earlier: The series is about human-looking aliens who crash landed on Earth and have been held in a detention center for over 60 years. It's the typical government cover up. Lucky for them they're an extremely long-lived species and haven't aged a day since the unfortunate mishap in 1944.

Jason Ritter looks so much like his Dad, the late John Ritter

1 day earlier: I forgot to add that not all the aliens are in the detention center. Some of them live and walk among us. I know this is going to come as a shock, the very notion of such a thing happening is completely implausible, I mean this never happens on a TV show, but some of them have even infiltrated our government.

30 hours earlier: I had a thought about how confusing, disjointed and unnecessary most of the flashbacks are in this show...

Now: If you haven't been suckered into this time jumping, love story, sci-fi drama, action, alien detention series, then consider yourself warned and stay away. I'm giving this series 2 fingers out of 5. It's actually a passable story, just very, very poorly told. For the rest of us suckers, I can only wonder if we can hang around long enough to get to the payoff. After enduring all these senseless flashbacks and poor storytelling, there has to be some kind of payoff--doesn't there?

Armored

2010-10-25T09:27:00.001-04:00

Available on DVD, I found Armored to be an absolute snooze fest. The plot centers around a cadre of disgruntled veteran armored car security guards who hatch a scheme to rip off their own armored car and blame it on someone else. (What a concept!) They take along a new security guard Ty Hackett who at first flat out refuses to take part in the heist but falls on hard times and is left with little choice.

Laurence Fishburne is in this one playing the character Baine. I found this character not too dissimilar from the mentally disturbed character (Nolan) he played in Predators. He needs to be careful not to get type-cast playing this type of role. Matt Dillon is Mike Cochrane, Jean Reno (The Professional) is Quinn who should really be looking for better roles. Milo Ventimiglia (Peter Petrelli from Heroes) stars as Eckehart and finally Columbus Short (The Losers, Stomp The Yard) as Ty Hackett who is really the star of the movie.

Ty is assured by his co-workers that no one will get hurt. How many times have you heard that before in a movie? So what’s the first thing that happens? Yes, that’s right. Someone gets hurt. In a not too unexpected reversal of allegiance Ty turns hero and saves a wounded cop Eckehart and turns against his former friends. Somewhere in between all this I took a sound nap.

The only positive thing I can say about this movie is that it serves as a vehicle for Columbus Short to showcase his acting ability, which was not too shabby. Aside from that, this movie can be absolutely skipped. The movie was predictable and dry. Out of 5 fingers I’m giving this DVD rental a 1.5.

NBA 2K11

2010-10-11T20:51:00.001-04:00

It's all about Michael Jordan. At 11:50pm, Oct 4th, I went to Wal-Mart for the midnight release of NBA 2K11. I thought I was the only one this excited about the game. I intended to park, run in and grab a copy and head home. Instead I was greeted by a line of 50-60 grown men who also had the same idea. After a 45 minute wait, multiple scares that they weren't going to have enough copies (when they start counting the number of people in line, you know you're in trouble). Normally I'm not so lucky, but at check out I had the fortune of receiving the last limited offer Michael Jordan poster along with my copy of NBA 2K11. I have to admit, it was fun, exciting and worth the wait. I also got the chance to meet people that shared a common interest. It's good thing I went too, when I checked a couple of stores over the weekend NBA 2K11 was completely sold out!

No, this isn't the unemployment line. Wal-Mart just after midnight. Just as many grown men in front as there were behind me.

Derek Rose is so hyped about NBA 2K11 he baked a cake for MJ and let 2K Sports film the commercials in his apt.

"The fact that 2K Sports did so much more with this game and improved it so greatly over last year's title is stunning. This isn't just the best basketball game ever; it's the best sports game of this generation". --IGN 9.5/10

I'm in complete agreement. This game has seen an almost total overhaul in AI, graphical color-palette, presentation and game play since the previous version. I bring attention to the color-palette because before NBA 2K11 the colors of the jerseys were often dull and washed out. Black jerseys looked gray, white accessories such as arm-bands and calf-sleeves looked gray and on some teams, red looked like pink. With this version of the game, the color of the uniforms and the stadiums is now deep, rich and incredibly vivid. Black is black. White is white and red is red. I don't think any sports video game has ever seen this much innovation and improvement in a one-year development cycle.

The game has a brain. Gone are the days of running coast-to-coast and dunking the ball on your opponent and throwing passes from one end of the court to the other. Try that in this game, and your pass is sure to picked off or deflected. Run straight to the hole for a dunk and you'll be cut off. The CPU defenders don't meander around on the court anymore barely aware of your presence. The game forces you to think and play real basketball. No more button mashing and running around the court like a chicken with it's head cut off. Your movements must now be deliberate. To be successful in NBA 2K11 you must be proficient in play calling, using dribble moves to break down your defender and master the timing and release of the shot stick.

For those of us who came from the dunk-fest era of basketball video games, this is quite an adjustment. This game gives you an unprecedented about amount of control over the movement of your player. In the past you were subject to the whims and unpredictability of unbreakable canned animations and incomprehensible button presses and analog stick moves (although there are many gamers out there who were able to master these techniques. I unfortunately, wasn't one of them).

Many of you may not like these changes because it forces you to learn if you want to win. There have been posts on various forums about how hard the game is. Passing is too difficult. Too many passes get deflected or stolen. Too many turn-overs. They even go so far as to suggest that the CPU players possess clairvoyance and know when you're going to throw a pass before you do. Well, I'm here to tell you there are no psychics in this game. Intercepted passes are bad passes, plain and simple. When I throw a pass and it gets picked or deflected, I can feel it in my "gut" that the pass was bad. Visually I can tell it was thrown at a bad angle, in traffic or too close to a defender. Seldom am I surprised when a "bad" pass gets picked off. Yes, it does get frustrating, but this is the game of basketball. Finally, the CPU can punish you for making a bad pass.

Fortunately for the frustrated, there are difficulty settings. This game is completely customizable. If you find it hard to adjust to this new style of play you can set the play style from Default or Simulation to Casual. Casual play style takes the game back to yesteryear where you can abuse the CPU defenders and pretty much score at will. There is also a middle-ground: Custom play style where through sliders, you can tweak any of the three play styles to your liking.

I only play Association Mode which allows me to take a struggling team and build it into a contender over the course of years. This mode was given a huge overhaul this year, visually as well as improvements to drafting and trade logic. New is the ability to scrimmage with your teammates in practice uniforms.

This year my team of choice is the Indiana Pacers who haven't had a winning season in over 10 years. As an Indiana University alumni, its probably a fitting choice since the Pacers are only an hour up the road from the Bloomington campus. Especially since one of my favorite parts of the NBA 2K series is creating myself in the game. The create-a-player feature in this game is deep. You can give yourself all sorts of signature moves (layups, dunks, fade-aways) from Kobe Bryant to Michael Jordan. Don't worry though, I start myself off as an average rookie looking to get a break in the NBA just like everybody else and hopefully rise to stardom.

Sometimes I just like to throw down.

Are those stars in my eyes?

Yeah, that's me. Rookie shooting guard for the Indiana Pacers.

Pass me the ball, I'm open!

I'm not sure I'm the answer to the Pacers championship aspirations though. With the new game play, I'm already off to a losing season and I'm playing on Pro-Default settings out of the box. This is far cry from previous versions of the game where I could dominate on even the highest levels. I'm glad I've finally found a game that gives me an incredible challenge. I actually have to take my players into the practice gym to run plays and learn the fundamentals of the game. Is this the NBA or what?

My main man Chris Smoove makes some of the most entertaining 2K videos

I haven't tried any of the other modes yet, such as the Jordan Challenge, Online, Blacktop or My Player, but hopefully I'll at least get around to the Jordan Challenge. I want to get better at playing the game before I take on trying to re-live Micheal's greatest moments. Another cool feature about NBA 2K11 is that the more you play, the more Jordan shoes you unlock. There are 40 in all. The unlockable shoes all have attribute boosts, such as +2 speed, +2 off hand dribble, and +4 offensive awareness to name a few.

NBA 2K11 is by no means perfect, but it comes close. There are a few bugs I've encountered that could be addressed in a patch but aren't critical. When time-outs are set to AUTO, the CPU will only call 20 second time outs for both teams for the entire game instead of the normal 60 second ones.

There are a few issues with the custom arena music (this is where you can add your own music to play during tipoff, halftime, time outs, etc.) where the songs aren't given enough time to play. Certain songs repeat instead of shuffling randomly through the entire playlist. Some songs don't play at all during events such as when you're taking the ball up court. Where the custom arena music is implemented beautifully is during halftime and at the end of the game when the Jordan Player Of The Game is introduced. I use the theme from the NBA on NBC at halftime to give the game an authentic broadcast feel. My Jordan Player Of The Game playlist is comprised of my favorites from different genres of music from hip hop to rock and roll. I like the type of music that makes you say "ooh" and "ahh" as you're treated to some incredible visual highlights complete with all manner of extraordinary special effects.

NBA 2K11 is one of the most incredible games I've ever played. For the past few years many sports games, including NBA 2K needed patching to fix glaring issues out of the box. I'm happy to say that this game doesn't really need one. Unquestionably I rate this game 5 out of 5 fingers.

No Ordinary Family

2010-09-29T17:14:00.000-04:00

I wasn’t sure what my reaction was going to be to this new TV series, but I’m happy to say that it’s extremely positive. It’s the story of a dysfunctional family of four that was drifting apart only to be brought together by the acquisition of preternatural abilities.

The series stars Michael Chiklis (The Shield, Fantastic Four) as the patriarch Jim Powell. Julie Benz (Dexter) as his wife, Stephanie Powell. The siblings, Kay Panabaker as Daphne Powell and Jimmy Bennet as JJ Powell. Romany Malco (Weeds) is George St. Cloud, Jim Powell’s best friend and confidant. I have to give credit to Julie Benz who I hated in Dexter for the naïve, weak and simpering character she played. This woman is truly an actor. As Stephanie Powell she exudes, confidence, strength and remarkable intelligence.

On a forced family vacation to bring them all together; their chartered plane crashes with only the family of four on board, and the pilot (who presumably didn’t survive) played by Tate Donovan (Damages). As they escape from the sinking plane they are bathed in phosphorescent particles. When they return home and resume their normal dysfunctional lives, they soon discover that they have—powers.

The powers manifest themselves from parts of their psyches. Just like the Fantastic Four, which I’m sure this show will get lots of comparisons to. Jim Powell gains nigh-impervious skin and Hulk-like leaping ability. Stephanie Powell can move at lightning speed. Daphne Powell manifests psionic abilities (telepathy for the uninitiated) and JJ, the slow and not too bright sibling gets a staggering intellectual boost.

In the super heroic tradition, Jim Powell sets out to fight crime once he has tested out his abilities. Unfortunately, thus far, no costumes or code names. But he is given a “lair” (complete with Wi-fi) by his best friend George. I’d really like to see this series commit to telling a real superhero story with all the idiosyncrasies that go along with it. As a family is involved, I think it would be important to protect their identities.

Where there are heroes, villains can’t be far behind. We learn that one of the criminals that Jim pursues also has preternatural abilities that will make X-Men fans rejoice. This criminal has the power of teleportation, not ordinary teleportation, Nightcrawler type teleportation that seemed to be ripped from the X-men 2 movie. Borrowed or not, it was still refreshing to see. Can I get a “BAMF”?

I have high hopes for this series and I plan to watch it every week. For the pilot episode, I’m giving No Ordinary Family 4.5 out of 5 fingers.

Superman/Batman--Apocalypse

2010-09-27T13:32:00.000-04:00

This is the latest in the series of DC Comics straight to DVD animated movies. The DVD gets released tomorrow (September 28th), but I was fortunate enough to get an advanced copy.

After years of countless battles against Darkseid and the armies of Apokolips (yes, that's how it's spelled in the comics), I’m sorry to say this storyline is getting repetitive and little long in the tooth.

Darkseid

It’s the same old stuff, Boom Tubes, Para-Demons, Mother boxes, and the ever-annoying Granny Goodness. To prove how truly annoying this character is, she is voiced by a man—Ed Asner. When is someone going to send this character to her final fate?


Granny Goodness--she even looks a little bit like Ed Asner

To add fuel to the repetitiveness, we are witness to another Supergirl origin story. How many times and in how many different ways is this story going to be told? And by now, who really cares?

One bright spot I found in this film, aside from the all-out Earth-shattering action, was the inclusion of Wonder Woman. I’m glad to see that she is continuing to be portrayed as a fierce Amazon warrior with strength that is on par with Superman’s.

Knock, knock

One problem I did have was that Superman and Batman were freely walking around on Paradise Island. I know I’ve been away from the comics for a while, but when was the restriction lifted that men could set foot on Paradise Island?

Did I miss the memo on men being able to set foot on Paradise Island?

Darkseid is depicted as diabolical as ever; his battle with Superman and Supergirl is jaw-dropping, especially when he unleashes his “omega beams”.

All told, there is nothing new to see here. If you’ve seen one Superman vs. Darkseid battle, you’ve seen them all. Should you buy or rent this DVD? If you’re not familiar with Darkseid and Apokolips and Granny Goodness, then you’re in for a treat. If you don’t know Supergirl’s origin, that’s icing on the cake.

It also looks like Darkseid will be making an appearance on Smallville for the final season. I’m sure he won’t be nearly as powerful as the Darkseid in the comics, but if you’re looking for background on the character, this DVD is a good place to start.

If you’re as familiar with the DC Universe as I am, then this DVD can be skipped. For retreading the same old story albeit with some new guest-stars, I’m giving Superman/Batman: Apocalypse 2.5 out of 5 fingers.

Hawaii Five-0

2010-09-24T08:46:00.001-04:00

I posted in an earlier blog that Hawaii Five-0 was such a classic and iconic TV show that it should never be remade. Well, I was wrong.

The pilot episode of Hawaii Five-0 started off with a bang and continued to deliver not only action, but humor and interesting character development. The chemistry and interaction between the characters for a first time premiere was nothing short of amazing.

Don't take my word for it. Let's go to the video tape.

I decided to record the show on my DVR primarily just to hear that classic theme song again, but I got much more than I bargained for. I really don't remember the original show all that well. But I felt this new modern version of the show captured the true essence of what Hawaii Five-0 should be.

The series stars Alex O'Loughlin as Detective Steve McGarrett, Scott Caan as Detective Danny Williams, better known as "Danno", Daniel Dae Kim as Detective Chin Ho Kelly and Grace Park as Kona Kalakaua.

A special shout out goes to Jean Smart who plays the Governor of Hawaii. It's good to see her in another position of power, other than the pill-popping First Lady on 24.

One change that was made, and perhaps for the better, when Alex O'Loughlin is introduced as Steve McGarrett during the opening theme, he doesn't make nearly as dramatic a turn as Jack Lord did in the original show.

It was an unexpected pleasure to watch Hawaii Five-0. I will definitely continue to record it and watch it faithfully. I'm giving the pilot 5 out of 5 fingers. I hope the rest of series will live up to this first episode.

Madden NFL 11--Part 2

2010-09-21T14:59:00.000-04:00

It's time to talk about GameFlow.

Let's go to the video tape. There's some really great hype here.

It simplifies how plays are called and it’s like having the coach talking to you through the radio in your helmet. It also shortens playing time and eliminates flipping through pages and pages of plays to find the right one for the situation. The AI is supposed to be aware of your position on the field; number of downs, yardage needed for first down, time on the clock, etc. and come up with the right play.

Coach, I swear, the radio in my helmet must be broken.

When I started using GameFlow, I thought, "how cool is this? This is so easy." What a great time saver not having to flip through a play book and come up with my own plays. That is until I discovered that GameFlow knows as much about calling plays as a 3 year old. Now I am in no way an NFL offensive mastermind. I only have a casual interest in the sport. But if you’re interested in winning, then GameFlow cannot be trusted.

Okay, only 14 more yards to go!

Why, for example, would you call a running play on 3rd and long, (and we’re talking 15 yards here) when you have almost absolutely no chance of making a first down? (The defense in this game isn’t that soft). The passing plays often don’t run routes so that receiver catches the ball beyond the first down marker. (I’m not throwing a lateral pass on 3rd down when the first down is 20 yards away). It also just doesn’t seem savvy enough to alternate frequently between running and passing plays to throw off the defense.

GameFlow will in no way replace human intuition, guile, guts, resourcefulness and instinct. I’ll use GameFlow for defensive plays and at the start of a game, but when the game is on the line and I’m trying to win, GameFlow goes out the window. It’s back to fumbling through the playbooks again.

Speaking of winning, I’m currently undefeated playing against the CPU on default settings. I was challenged to use the Buffalo Bills since they are not one of the more “successful” teams in the NFL. What does it say about a game when I can pick it up after 5 years, not crack open a manual and win every game I play with a bad team? And the highest rated player on this Bills team is—the Punter! I even went up against the Indianapolis Colts and destroyed them. I don’t know if this feature was taken out of Madden 11, but I was under the impression the game would compensate and become more difficult as it learned my style of play. While the games have gotten closer in score, and I haven’t been able to put up 41 points like I did when I first opened the box, it still feels like it’s almost a given that I’m going to win at the start of each game. Super Bowl here I come.

Speaking of easy, the kicking game is a joke. It’s so easy to kick a point after that the same 3 year old who couldn’t call plays could do this. Madden might as well award the point after automatically after a touchdown, it’s that easy—even though my CPU opponent managed to miss one in the rain. Punting and kickoffs are similarly simple to pull off so that the ball lands close to the 1 yard line. The only challenge here is the long range field goal. I failed on a 52 yard attempt. Not because of the controls or lack of accuracy on my part, but because the kicker just didn’t have enough leg strength.

Injuries and Penalties. Usually in a real football game there are more penalties than injuries. In Madden NFL 11, the opposite is true. Most of the games I've played have been relatively penalty free. No off sides, no delay of game, no illegal blocking. I think I've seen a holding call once or twice, and a roughing the passer, but that's it.

Somebody help me! I think I lacerated my liver!

On the other hand, as far as injuries go, players drop like flies and are often found grimacing and moaning on the ground after a majority of the plays. Expect to see at least 5-10 players on either team go out with injuries in every game--with one player being carted off the field. The commentary sometimes doesn't match the injury as one player was said to be walking off the field, but the cut scene showed the player being carried off the field by two of his teammates. Maybe in some circles that's considered walking, but if your legs aren't moving, I somehow doubt it.

Maybe on more difficult levels, the game is more challenging and is more like a simulation of an actual NFL game. But on default, the game is a piece of cake.

Should you buy Madden NFL 11? If you own Madden NFL 10, then my answer would be no. Not enough has changed in the game to warrant this purchase. The Franchise mode was even completely untouched from 10 to 11. If you haven’t purchased Madden in a few years and you can catch it on sale, then it might be worth getting, although the game will feel no different than an earlier version of Madden. It will only look better. I never understood what all the fanfare was about Madden coming from a 2K Sports background. Yes, it can be fun to play, but I feel that die-hard fans are being cheated out of what could have been by now a much better game.

I’m glad the “vision cone” is gone, but it’s time EA starts showing some vision of their own and overhaul this game. Better player models, better use of motion capture, smoothing out the herky-jerky robotic movements of the players, better franchise mode and better real-time physics. After all these years, Madden can still be distinguished from a real NFL game—even at a distance. It will probably be another five years before I purchase another Madden NFL game unless the game finally gets an overhaul. Even though it’s the only NFL game in town, it leaves much to be desired. Out of 5 fingers I’m giving this game 2.5.

Madden NFL 11--Part 1

2010-09-20T21:31:00.000-04:00

On a positive note, this is one of the best-looking Madden games to date. I was able to take advantage of our sagging economy and get this game on sale @ $10.00 off retail price for the Xbox 360—something that EA Sports and retailers aren’t known to do under any circumstances.

Let's Go To The Video Tape

I haven’t owned or played a Madden game since I had a Playstation 2 five years ago—back when the “vision cone” was introduced. This feature in effect turned the quarterback’s eyes into a giant flashlight or search beacon that radiated over the field, supposedly simulating his field of vision. The better the quarterback, the wider his “vision cone”. (I’m told at the time, Michael Vick had a vision cone the size of a toothpick). While some applauded this innovation, to me, this was one of the most ridiculous features ever put in a sports game. It took away any realism the game might have offered.

The "vision cone" in action.

That being said, I’m disappointed that after five years of being away from Madden, there have been no fundamental changes to the game. Except for a shiny new coat of paint, a “hit stick” and some new animations, the game plays the same as it did five years ago. We’ll get to GameFlow in part two of my blog.

Madden is desperate for competition. It was a tragic day when the NFL awarded EA Sports the exclusive license to the NFL. That meant that no other video game company could produce an NFL game using NFL teams, logos or players. The competition was totally eliminated with the stroke of pen.

G.O.A.T

Madden had some great competition too. ESPN NFL 2K5 by 2K Sports was arguably the best video football game ever made. 2K Sports did all it could to steal way EA’s market share by pricing their game at $19.99. But rather than compete and make a better Madden, they made NFL 2K go away. Now year after year, gamers get the same game with new rosters, a few bug fixes and a new coat of paint.

Even the graphics in ESPN NFL 2K5 still stand up to the current version of Madden after all these years.

Above ESPN NFL 2K5. Below Madden NFL 11.

I can only imagine how outstanding and innovative both games would be right now if the NFL had not signed that agreement. The NBA is a different story. Commissioner David Stern was too shrewd to sign an exclusivity agreement with EA Sports. Last year, EA decided to buy 2K Sports and finally get rid of that thorn in their side. It seems to be a pattern with this gaming giant not to make better games, but to eliminate any and all competition. Then continue to feed the masses the same mediocre game every year with little or no improvement. Fortunately, after several attempts, the buyout failed.

Stay tuned for Part Two as I look at GameFlow in depth and I give my final verdict on whether or not you should buy Madden NFL 11.