Review Bay Rong a.k.a. Clash (2009)

6 aug, 18:37

Review Bay Rong a.k.a. Clash (2009)
 genre: action,drama 

After "The Rebel" one would expect a movie starring Johnny Nguyen would at least offer the same experience action wise. Sadly somehow they found it necessary to put in focus on drama. While sometimes it does help intensify the action, in this case it doesn't help at all. It even distracts from it. Some directors have no clue what is important. Being pretentious with a story this bad is never a good idea. All this would not matter if the action sequences were up to par of those in "The Rebel". Sure there were some nice moves by the main characters but rarely were they exciting enough to be interesting. There is a joke in the movie about this being like a Hong Kong movie. While I admire their spirit and ambition in no way comes it even close to that. They wish!

Review Oblivion (2013)

28 jul, 22:07

Review Oblivion (2013)
genre:action,science fiction,romance

Some people might scratch their heads at me saying Oblivion belongs to the romance genre. But at it's core it is. While a majority will focus on the thrilling action and effects some will pick up on the subtle romantic gestures. Of course an event in the main plot line has to break this subtlety and make it obvious for the ones having some heavy deja vu feelings. Deja Vu? Oblivion pays tribute and has borrowed a lot from other sci fi movies. For some that will be a blast including me and some will  consider it lazy that is if they ignore the romantic angle. Because it all comes down  to that. To me it is the one factor that elevated what could have been a blend experience. And as for borrowing from other movies. It works in Oblivion. I prefer to see it as tribute rather than stealing as most of the references to other classics like 2001: A Space Odyssey, Solaris, Star Wars, The Matrix and to other Cruise movies like Top Gun. I am sure there are more to find which I will be on the lookout for with a next viewing. Next viewing? Yes, I believe this is one I will watch from time to time that remains entertaining. Because it is clear that we have a director here that loves the genre as I do also. The visual style from this director also never seems to stop and impress me. The visuals in Tron Legacy still haunt me in a good way. And Oblivion also has it's unique visual flair and style. It makes me look am look forward to his future work. Overall this is a must watch for sci fi fans. It is as deep as you want it to be and still kept simple. But more over it is a grandiose spectacle. And for the ones who dig romance there is a lot to be found here. The real kind not that fake Twilight nonsense. Action aficionados don't worry there is a lot of thrilling action featured in Oblivion. What are you still doing here. Go rent or buy it already!!!   *
* Miss Chofas and I watched this together and normally we talk a little during the movie. With this we simply could not because it was too damn exciting. And if Miss Chofas thinks so then you better know this is good.

Review Fast & Furious 6 (2013)

24 jul, 21:23

Review Fast & Furious 6 (2013)
genre:racing,action,adventure


Sometimes you wonder why people watch movies in the first place. More and more I hear people bitch and moan and are critical for all the wrong reasons. Normally I encourage criticism but in this case I honestly feel the need to smack around to slap some sense back in to them. First of all The Fast and the Furious was never a film with cinematic values so high that it would challenge you or change your mindset. That it did rock some people's world was because of it's awesomeness. I know someone who got into auto tuning because of it. All his well earned money went into his car. Must have driven some parents or wives completely insane.That the Fast and The Furious had impact is a given. But let's get real. It wasn't really an intelligent movie. It was just fun and pure adrenalin. The fourth entry in the franchise for me was a sign that they needed to stop because it was nowhere near fast or furious. The fifth changed my mind and now this latest part rocked my world again.  So how come a lot of people seem to be very critical all of a sudden? Exactly what were they expecting? Fast and Furious 6 is a non stop no nonsense high octane blockbuster action movie that delivers!
This sixth entry is pure fan service. It has a little of everything from all the parts in the franchise. Ok,there is less racing and more brutal and over the top stunts and action. How is that seen as a problem? Isn't that what we expect from a blockbuster? Hell yes! Complaining about plot and character development. Are you kidding? Sorry for getting worked up here. But see I enjoyed this film from beginning till end in such a way that I am actually looking forward to the seventh entry. I was so against any sequel made after the first two but have become a believer. Which is very rare I might add. Are there really no points I am critical about? Sure I have some points. But they aren't huge enough because this film is never pretentious. It knows it is being ridiculous and revels in it. There are many little nods back and forth to the other parts which makes it fun for the fans who have seen every part. It is also one of the few sequels where it is required to have seen previous parts otherwise you will just scratch your head and don't get the jokes (which I assume is a large group of the reviewers who complained about this one). Do yourself a favour don't act like a grandpa or grandma and let go of if a certain event is possible or not. It's a movie not reality. Fast and Furious 6 is a movie that is one of the best action movies in a long time so go watch it.
 
                                            

Review Evil Dead (2013)

21 jul, 16:43

Review Evil Dead (2013)
genre:horror

My viewing experience of Evil Dead (2013) in short:Oh cool, nostalgia, the cabin the woods, creepy atmosphere. So these are the characters. Ok, I get it you guys have a good motivation to be there but come one not even a little fun? Hmmmm that girl is truly troubled. When is something going to happen? Look they found a basement and some incredibly evil looking book. (Guy in glasses) Let read this satanic phrase out loud because it sounds like a marvelous idea to do. Good at least now things start go get rollling. After 40 minutes zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.....oh I dozed off...let me check my messages.....ok back to the movie. Now that is just nasty. Girl didn't your mother tell you not to play with knives.....zzzzzzzzzzzzzz....what I dozed off again? That is just ridiculous. Ok you know what. I will have to continue this tomorrow. (For the record, I rarely fall asleep during movies maybe when talking to someone very late in the night/early morning but that is about it ,just so you know). Second attempt. Where were we? Oh yeah crazy chick playing with knifes. What is she doing now. Ok seems the pace is picking up. Nice,keep it going . The last fifteen minutes. Holy F... Yeah baby,now this is what I am talking about. Pure adrenalin right here. Ok.,good ending. 
 As you can see in my little description of my viewing experience I could not watch this in one go. That rarely happens. In the movie's defense though a lot has been going with me personally so I might have been a bit distracted. But still that doesn't mean I can overlook some things that bugged me. My main problems with this remake is that I did not care much for the characters and severe lack of humour. The characters aren't well developed and the little you know is told by the characters to give you that little insight that is needed. This also means that you are being spoon fed how you should feel about a character because the other characters tell you how to feel. Other than that you don't know anything about them or learn about them since they are as flat as they can be. Sure the brutality and the gore is enough to make you quiver and care for them at one point but it did not feel like say the connection I had with Ash for example. Ash in the original was a nobody but through events turned into a badass. Of course the charisma of Bruce Cambpell has something to do with that. So I can't hold that against the new actors.Also why was this remake so serious? Would it really have hurt to add some jokes. Another critical note I have to make in relation to lack of humour is the fact that it is not compensated by scariness. I remember watching the first Evil Dead (even with some silly effects and scenes a lot was genuinely scary. Here all of that has been replaced by gore. Didn't I enjoy it. Of course I did. Was I impressed? No,not at all. You can say that while I was very willing to be taken by surprise I could not but help to become very sceptic watching the movie like i did.Until the last 15 minutes. They blew me away to say the least. They made me forgive the bad viewing experience I had the first 45 minutes or so. I appreciate it was doing something different in relation to the original. But did it have to take itself so seriously. A lot of goofiness and cheesiness was removed and here it is an example where exactly that cheesiness made the original Evil Dead the classic we all love (people who don't shame on you).
Overall I think it is decent but it is puzzling to see that  so many people are raving about this remake as it would give you the perception it is that good. No folks, it is not. Drag me to Hell (2009) is far superior to this. And certainly not even in the range of the original classic.
I should have known because Miss Chofas texted me this while she was watching World War Z:Evil Dead remake sucks IMO. But WWZ rocks !And considering who it is coming from I should take this comment immensely serious.

Review Pawn Shop Chronicles (2013)

20 jul, 23:17

Review Pawn Shop Chronicles (2013)
genre:comedy,thriller,horror,action

This latest outing of director Wayne Kramer who I know from Running Scared which was excellent BTW has all the ingredients  to make one hell of a delicious movie. Except the main course is too overcooked and the desert leaves an after taste. Sorry for the analogy I am a bit in a cuisine minded mood. The cast is huge and diverse and all give their best to get the most out of this production. You can feel the energy coming from their enthusiasm. But sadly it is not enough. Because Wayne Kramer makes one pivotal mistake. That is trying to be clever by mixing up story lines and genres. It's obvious Wayne Kramer is trying to make a contemporary Pulp Fiction and would have worked too had he focused on the story lines themselves. I am willing to believe he had this wonderful idea in his head but simply could not execute it the way he wanted. I mean what was he thinking with the whole Elvis Impersonation story line. It takes up way too much time and it was not exactly funny or interesting. The story lines with Paul Walker and Matt Dillon are the most interesting and pretty bizarre. Almost put in for the shock value alone because it seems like it is more a gimmick than that the director is trying to teach us something. I have to admit I don't look to learn anything from a movie but if a film doesn't entertain me enough the least it can do is bring my attention to something that is worth my time. And for me that did not happen. For Miss Chofas however the experience was slightly different. She liked it for the most part although I suspect it has to do with the fact Norman Reedus was in it. Where was he? Well,yes he was disguised in some gas mask but still she could recognize him. Naughty Miss Chofas. So overall I don't think Pawn Shop Chronicles is worth sitting down for. If it passes your tv screen someday on a rainy Sunday then it might not be that bad for me it was a little disappointing especially after the strong start.

Review G.I. Joe:Retaliation (2013)

11 jul, 19:56

Review G.I. Joe:Retaliation (2013)
genre:action/adventure

 
The sequel to GI JOE Rise of the Cobra has finally arrived. The trailer was full of promise but considering the first one was pretty much action all the way I wasn't expecting more from this. And yes if you liked the first chances are you will like the second one as well. Again it is all about stylish and cool action. Of which you get more than enough to see. Snake Eyes versus Storm Shadow remains one of the high points and is something that remains interesting in the larger plot. The larger plot is as simple as they come and not really surprising which could disappoint a few since the original had some story lines brewing that could have offered some nice twists and turns. That this hasn't happened is not a huge deal in my opinion. Come on who is looking for depth in a live action movie based on toys should do more research before hand. Honestly I read some comments on forums where people were expecting tales of Shakespearean calibre. Guys they blew up the Eiffel Tower and used super mech suits in the original,hardly something you can take that seriously. However this does not mean I am not critical. Because to be frank I was expecting much more from Bruce Willis. Is he even trying these days? He is basically playing the same roles not adding much than his famous smirk and almost tiresome bad assery. The Rockis always adequate and I can't really say anything bad about the guy. Adrienne Palecki holds her own as the pretty but tough girl amongst the guys which is nice. One complaint I might have is that the main villains are underused. It would have been more intriguing and threatening if they remained off screen than they way they appear in this one. GI Joe retaliation is definitely a fun action movie to watch. Even Miss Chofas who doesn't really like action movies like these and ninjas has warmed up to the genre and the guys in black pyjamas. Now actor Lee Byung-hun who plays as Storm Shadow of course has a huge part in this and who can blame her. Besides it made me happy because I have been trying for a while now to explain to her how cool ninja's are. Now she finally gets it. Hip hip Hooray! So yeah overall G.I. Joe:Retaliation does what it is supposed to. Offer you blockbuster mayhem that is entertaining and fun.
g

Review Olympus has Fallen (2013)

6 jul, 00:16

Review Olympus has fallen (2013)
genre:action,thriller

A Die Hard type like movie with Gerard Butler as the lead that can't be bad can it? Wrong! While Gerard Butler does what he can to save the stupendous plot his actions are undermined by the total ridiculousness of this movie. Ok let me backup for a minute. If you expect logic and a tight plot that is thrilling and full of surprise then better skip this one. But if you can overlook all of this then you will be able to enjoy it so much more. Gerard Butler can do no wrong in my eyes which he does prove over and over again. Surprisingly Olympus has fallen had a semi interesting start where a lot of depth and drama could have provided more dynamic and explosive interactions between important characters. However nothing really is done with the premise other than to put Gerard at the scene. Did they really need twenty minutes or so to do that. The action in itself is entertaining but don't expect much style to it. I saw in a review that someone said this was what A Good Day to Die Hard (2013) could have been. Yeah, trust me on this that while the Bruce Willis vehicle was a little disappointing compared to the original it is hands down better than Olympus. Especially because Bruce Willis doesn't take it seriously at all and action was more exciting. Also one might think that with Aaron Eckhart and Morgan Freeman around the movie has more to offer than it does. It is puzzling why they are here. Not only are they underused they barely add to the enjoyment of the viewing experience. The same goes for Antoine Fuqua. He used to have an eye for style but I guess he was too much focussed on explosions to add a little visual flair to it all. In short,watch this one for Gerard and the action! (Miss Chofas agrees! *) 
*For people who are wondering who Miss Chofas is all you have to know for now that she is an authority in many fields. One of them is cinema. From time to time I will turn to her to get a female perspective on things. Plus she is a major hottie!

Review Trine 2 by Shaun Meyers

5 jul, 20:41

 Review Trine 2 by Shaun Meyers
This is a guest post from Shaun Meyers. He is an excellent reviewer and gamer who gives in depth overviews. So check out his site:
Universal Gaming Reviews
Hello everybody, Shaun Meyers (Kyo Akiara) here to bring you my latest review for indie puzzle platformer Trine 2: Complete Story.
Trine 2: Complete Story, created by Frozenbyte, is a rerelease of highly popular puzzle platformer Trine 2 complete with its expansion pack The Goblin Menace and includes a new unlockable level the Dwarven Caverns.  The game’s story follows 3 heroes, the first known as Amadeus the wizard who can use magics to aid his other team mates. The second known as Pontius the brave and is a noble knight who uses hammers and his sword and shield to fight enemies. The last hero is known a Zoya, a cunning thief that can use a grappling hook and a bow. The story follows their latest adventure through various environments starting with a forest as they try and solve the mystery of why the artifact known as the Trine had summoned them to this area of the world.
The game features 2 gameplay modes the first is single player where you can play through the game by yourself while switching to the 3 characters on the fly as you make your way through the level. The second gameplay mode is multiplayer and is the recommended method of playing the game, which allows you to play co-op with 2 other players through the games 20 chapters. Co-op mode i also recommended because many of the orbs you need to acquire for leveling up are only obtainable through co-op and the use of the 3 heroes powers. During co-op all 3 players can switch between the 3 heroes on the fly but having each player specialize in one of the 3 heroes each is recommended as it will allow you to solve puzzles that much easier in the future.

The game features a range of different physics based puzzles that can often test your party of heroes’ skills and many often need some clever thinking to get past. Throughout each area there will be blue-green orbs scattered about the world and collecting these is highly recommended as you will be able to acquire new skills in doing so. For every 50 orbs you collect you will receive one skill point to allocate the skill tree. Each hero has its own skill tree and each level in the characters skill tree requires more skill points, making it even more vital in co-op for players to specialise in one hero enhancing their skills and aiding their fellow party members in the process. The various talents that you can earn within the games skill tree enhances the characters abilities even further, an example would be later in the game Amadeus will be able to create planks to make crossing many areas that much easier while Pontius gains the ability to infuse his shield with ice to slow enemies.  
Many of the puzzles need you to manipulate the world around you ranging from watering plants using leaking water to manipulating the direction of a portal to allow you passage across an area. Co-op makes many of the games puzzles that much easier though and skilled players can make progression through the game seemless and quick. As you progress through the game’s many different environments and chapters the game will begin to get progressively more tricky and will need more use of skill to get past the many puzzles ahead. Some areas include a swamp like area, another includes a deadly area where the ground is filled with acidic substances and landing in it will quickly drain your character’s health.
Overall, Trine: 2 Complete story is a beautiful game and is one of the best looking puzzle platformer that I’ve ever had the pleasure of playing. It’s incredibly colorful and beautiful graphics aren’t it’s only asset however, it’s soundtrack is also really well done and fits the game perfectly. It’s co-op gameplay is also incredibly fun and is a huge part of making the game fun to play. An excellent game all around and is definitely a recommended game if you’ve never played it before.
If you do happen to be interested in picking this game up, you can get the Complete Story version of the game for only $19.99 and anyone that already owns the game can upgrade their version to the complete story for only $4.99. You can find it’s store page here: http://store.steampowered.com/app/35720/
Thanks for reading our review of the game folks and I hope it has shown some insight on the game. I’ll be back with my next review soon, until then, happy gaming everyone! Shaun Meyers (Kyo Akiara) out!
 PC System RequirementsOS:[/b] Windows 7 / Vista / XPProcessor:[/b] 2.0 GHz CPU (Dual Core recommended)Memory:[/b] 1 GBHard Disk Space:[/b] 2.5 GBVideo Card:[/b] ATi Radeon HD 2400 or NVIDIA GeForce 7600 or better (Shader Model 3.0 needs to be supported)DirectX®:[/b] 9.0cSound:[/b] DirectX 9.0c compatibleAdditional:[/b] *Please note that Trine 2 may not run on most Intel graphics solutions used in 2004-2009. The game does run on new (2010-) Intel HD Graphics 3000 or better. Mac System RequirementsOS:[/b] OS X version Snow Leopard 10.6, or later.Processor:[/b] Intel MacMemory:[/b] 1 GB RAMHard Disk Space:[/b] 2.5 GBVideo Card:[/b] NVIDIA GeForce 8600M or better / ATi Radeon 2400 or better**NOTE: Please be advised that Trine 2 does not run on Intel graphics solutions used in 2006-2008. The game does run on new (2010-) Intel HD Graphics 3000 or better. Macs with NVIDIA GeForce 9400M or ATi Radeon X1600 may not achieve smooth gameplay.Additional:[/b] Keyboard, Mouse/Trackpad with Secondary click enabled Linux System RequirementsMinimum:[/b]OS:[/b] Ubuntu 12.04 LTSProcessor:[/b] 2.2 GHz CPUMemory:[/b] 1 GBGraphics:[/b] ATI Radeon HD 2400 or NVIDIA GeForce 7600 or betterHard Drive:[/b] 2.5 GBOpenGL:[/b] 2.1
Recommended:[/b]OS:[/b] Ubuntu 12.04 LTSProcessor:[/b] 2.2 GHz CPUMemory:[/b] 1 GBGraphics:[/b] ATI Radeon HD 2400 or NVIDIA GeForce 7600 or better (OpenGL 2.1 needs to be supported)Hard Drive:[/b] 2.5 GBOpenGL:[/b] 2.1Additional:[/b] Trine 2 runs best with proprietary drivers and may not function correctly with open source drivers.The VerdictRating: 9 (Amazing)
The Good: Excellent physics based puzzle gameplay.
Wide variety of different puzzles that often require quick wit and platforming skills to complete.
3 unique characters that you can switch to on the fly.
Lots of skills to learn.
Lots of hidden objects in the each area.
Excellent co-op gameplay and is recommended that you play the game on co-op for the most amount of fun.
The Bad: It’s physics based puzzle platforming may not appeal to some people.
May be a bit too colorful for some.Share this:EmailTwitter1Google +1PrintLinkedInDiggRedditStumbleUponTumblrFacebook4Pinterest
Like this:Related Posts:Papo & Yo Overview and ReviewIncredipede Overview and ReviewKyo Akiara Plays Sundays: Audiosurf (5 Videos)Hexodius Overview and ReviewSuper Splatters Overview and Review
This is a guest post from Shaun Meyers. He is an excellent reviewer and gamer who gives in depth overviews. So check out his site:
Universal Gaming Reviews

Review Wanted Weaons of Fate (xbox360)

28 jun, 17:13

Review Wanted Weaons of Fate (xbox360)

Is Wanted Weapons of Fate worth your time?
The game contains a lot of the elements that were in the movie. Supposedly it is more in tune with the comics than the movie but since I am not familiar with the comics I can't say anything sensible about that. For me the game has managed to capure the style and feel of the movie which is incentive enough if you liked the movie. Throughout the game there are some very cinematic looking quick time events that will instantly remind you of some of the high octane action scenes from the film (Oh no,did he just mention quick time events? I did but trust me nowhere near as bad as it can be like in other games. You actually don't need to press a specific button. You are required to shoot the enemy or his bullets in front of you with a short time frame. It's a little different but very fun to do.) If  you did not like that any of these stylish aspects or what the movie is about then you probably be better of skipping this game. 
Bullet time and curving bullets and the way they are implemented in the game make it one of those that could have made a typical third person cover shooter into something extraordinary. But in this aspect it has failed. After a while the game becomes a little tedious fast. Which made me want to finish the game as quickly as possible. Only at times I felt that some sequences needed to be played with style and the special curving skills. I don't know how they came up with it but curving bullets is one of the most fun mechanics and very satisfying if you managed to directly kill someone. Problem is that curving next to adrenaline (bullet time) needs to be earned. Kill someone or stab someone and you get a special point. Now I understand that this could add strategy to your game if you wanted to save up these points for difficult sections. Only apart from a few times you don't actually need the special skills. An experienced gamer can do headshots very easily. Now for me the curving and adrenaline needed to be unlimited or at east similar to what they used in the Max Payne games. And I tested this theory by inputting the binary codes that made it possible to use certain cheats. One of them was unlimited adrenaline. Which made the last level so much more fun. And almost inspired me to replay the game using these cheats. I love bullet time in games. Also in this one. But to make it limited in a pretty standard shooter is a huge flaw. I hate to say it but yes Wanted Weapons or Fate is standard stuff. You will breeze through it within a few hours if you manage to say interested otherwise boredom will kill the enjoyment very soon. My advice is,ignore your pride and use the binary codes which will make the game much more fun and even will add re playability.
So to answer the question. Since it is a very short game (5 hours) I say that in my opinion it is worth your time.Wanted Weapons of Fate has enough fun elements to entertain for the time you are playing it. Even though it is best to be enjoyed when played as stylish as possible. Oherwise it can become a boring experience.

Review The Incredible Burt Wonderstone (2013)

19 jun, 19:56

Review 
The Incredible Burt Wonderstone (2013)
genre:comedy

Abracadabra It's Magic!
It is beyond me why this movie has slipped by people's radar. It easily is one of the best and funniest comedies I have seen this year so far. So what is the deal? One thing you have to realize this is not a comedy filled with slapstick comedy or where it is relatively unknown how it will end. You will know how it will end. No,it's a feel good comedy. Therefore it's goal is not to surprise you with eventful plot lines but simply to bring you on a short journey to deliver you that good feeling in the end. And it completely succeeds in doing that. Another thing that is important to make the viewing experience more fun is the magic.You have to love it otherwise the appeal will be lost on you. Tied to the profession of magic performed by the main characters is the moral and universal element how important it is to love and be passionate about your job. I am not sure if all jobs require that but in this case you can see it does make the difference. I need to mention Jim Carrey's role in this one. He is like a combination of Criss Angel and Jim Morrison with a heavy Jesus complex. It's a villain that is not that evil but evil enough to know he is up to no good. It's a perfect contrast to Burt Wonderstone played by Steve Carrel who is the good guy with some bad habits. To be honest I thought that the whole cast was enjoyable and did what they had to do. I was laughing throughout the movie at the sometimes silly and childish jokes but wasn't really expecting high level comedy in the first place. In my opinion an underrated comedy that deserves better recognition.