Movie Reviews

[DoctorEvil]

Saw the "Fantastic Four" yesterday. It was OK.

 

The problem is the Doctor is a big comic book fan and has very high expectations for comic book movies. So the Doctor is overly critical of movies that use too much dramatic license to alter the original to fit on to the big screen. F4 uses to much creative license in the alteration of the origin story, and the portrayal of Doctor Doom. Add to that a story that quite honestly would not even make a good comic book, and you get just an OK movie. The strength of the movie is the special effects as well as the performances of the actors playing the Human Torch and the Thing (both actors hit the characters dead on).

 

Also saw "Hitch" on DVD last night. That was a really good movie. Actually it surprised the Doctor, because the expectation was to just get a good movie. The story was quite funny and the performance of Will Smith and Kevin James were great. The Doctor highly recommends this one if you're in the mood for a good romatic comedy.

[The Big Pointy One]

Ah, the Doctor has confirmed my fears. I wasn't a big F4 fan, but I'm a fan of re-creating the origin stories accurately, which I could already tell F4 didn't do. From the previews, I was disappointed with the way they made the Thing look. And Dr.Doom on the spaceship? In the words of sooo many silly little noobies out there... wtF?! I won't go off on a rant, but that's lame. Then there's the casting... Jessica Alba as the Invisible Woman? Uh, okay, people thinks she's hot, but... come on, seriously. It's the invisible *woman* not the invisible teenage girl/young woman... I mean, she looked *younger* than the Human Torch (the only good casting, imo) when she was supposed to be the older syster who acts like a mother type of thing? Lame. They totally could have done a better casting job. Get someone a little bit... oh I don't know... mature. Anyways, the Human Torch looks cool, and I hope he can make what looks like a disaster of a film into something decent.

 

Other than that, I haven't seen anything since Star Wars, and I liked that. Period.

 

 

 

Oh, by the way...Dr.Evil, didn't you go to the same Evil medical school as Dr.Doom? Or is he just some lame wanna-be?

[Wyvern]

I saw two films on DVD recently: "Being Julia" and "Million Dollar Baby."

 

"Being Julia" is a film about the theatre, and how acting can completely consume a person's life. It featured a nice performance from Annette Bening as Julia and a very cleverly crafted acting scene near the end. For the most part, however, it struck me as a bit dry and dull. The majority of the film seemed to build around the acting scene near the end, and it seemed to drag a bit with unnecessary details and scenes in the process. The film had it's moments, but overall it left me a little unimpressed.

 

"Million Dollar Baby" is the latest Clint Eastwood flick, as well as the rave film of the last Academy Awards (won Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actress, and Best Supporting Actor). It's advertised as a boxing film of sorts, but actually ends up sinking its teeth into a recent moral issue of debate at around the halfway point. I found it a very powerful and devastating film, and it evoked a long silence amongst spectators once it had finished. My only complaint would be that, while I love Eastwood as a director, I'm not quite as big a fan of him as an actor... I feel like he fits into one role well, but that it's a similar role in just about every film he's in. Stll, his performance was good, and Morgan Freeman and Hilary Swank were both great in it. Overall, it's a very sad and deeply moving film, and I recommend it.

[Patrick]

I saw Mr. and Mrs. Smith two days ago. Was pretty much what I expected, being an action film, with quite good comedy parts in it. The acting was good, and the action scenes were well made, and the humour fitted well. There was one moment, where I did not quite understand why Mr. Smith did what he did, but I'll keep this review spoiler free, so I won't mention the exact moment. But the film had definately been worth watching.

[The Portrait of Zool]

A short while ago I saw Batman Begins. The film doesn't seem to have done all that great at the box office, which I find disappointing. Of all the Batman films, I really think this one is the best.

 

I like the movie because in my opinion the movie really delivers a solid story. It delves deep into the psyche of Batman, his origin, his history, his technology, and his thinking. Christian Bale does a great job as the Dark Knight. It really gives you a believable background for a character as unlikely as Batman.

 

One thing I found a bit of a let down is the explanation that all the Bat inventions are from an R&D department of Wayne enterprises. I was always under the impression Batman himself was the genius behind all those great gadgets. While this makes the character somewhat more believable, Batman is never really someone I envisioned with a technical support staff (even if most don't know where their developments eventually go to, it seems) - though it does make sense.

 

There were a couple of real faux pas' in the movie. While the characterization and story are always really strong, a couple of spots in the action were completely flubbed. In one spot, there is (of course) a big car chase scene where Batman has to save a life but the police are chasing him. For some reason, (probably the producers, who thought it would be 'cool') Batman puts the Bat Wagon in "Stealth Mode". Suddenly, the police lose track of his car - even those driving right beside him, even the helicopter with the searchlight. He uses this time to plan a quick escape strategy, and then turns "Stealth Mode" off. Suddenly, everybody can see him again, but he makes a quick turn through a concrete barrier (?!) and drives off. What was the point of that? And if he really had a "Stealth Mode" wouldn't he have used that to escape? In another scene there is a train (which is made of aircraft aluminum) crashing though a reinforced concrete wall. Yeesh.

 

Those flaws aside, for anyone interested in the story of Batman, I HIGHLY reccomend this movie. You won't be disappointed.

[reverie]

Saw Garden State the other day... Then saw it again the day after... and now am half watching it now, as I type this.

 

This Jersey Tale stars Zack Braff (Andrew Largeman) of the popular American Television Show "Scrubs"

Zach also directed and wrote this tale, which is sort of a laid-back mixed bag of part voyage of self-discovery, part love story, and part redemption/reconcillition quest.

 

The highlight of the movie is any scene with Natalie Portman (Sam) and Zach Braff together..

Which is like 75 percent of the film, and the soundtrack is pretty good as well...

 

Reminds me of a Laid back and toned-tone version of a Kevin Smith film, but with a Wes Anderson's sense for using music to support moods and themes... Plus the dialogue is smart,funny, and introspective...

 

Best line of the film:

 

"I'm your new friend Sam..."

 

 

check it out,

 

rev...

Edited July 19, 2005 by reverie

[DoctorEvil]

The Doctor really like "Garden State". Saw it in the theather.....very interesting story.....

 

Rented "Napoleon Dynamite". Maybe the Doctor is just getting old, but the Doctor did NOT get why people rave about how funny this movie is.......

[The Portrait of Zool]

Come on Doc, you gotta admit when he hit him in the head with the steak, THAT was funny!

 

I thought Napolean Dynamite was definitely worth a rent.

[Wyvern]

I've seen numerous films over the course of the last week. Here are a few that have stood out in my mind:

 

"Charlie and the Chocolate Factory." I went to see this film in theatres with Yui and Aegon, confident from the beginning that I would probably hate it. I was actually very pleasantly surprised by it, and found it quirky and entertaining. Tim Burton does an excellent job of bringing Dahl's work to life, and definitely has a strong vision throughout the movie. The visuals are very well done, decidedly creepier than those of the original film, and Depp does a good job as Willy Wonka. Overall, I thought it was a good film.

 

"The Night of the Living Dead." I saw George A. Romero's original black and white horror film the other night, and found it quite interesting. It didn't exactly terrorize me, but I do think that it stood the test of time better than a number of the films from it's era, and have to admire it for it's originality. I was surprised by how much of the film was based around the humans and their struggles under pressure.. somewhat of a difference from more modern zombie flicks. I don't think I'm as crazy about it as the Romero fanatics, but it is an interesting landmark in scary movie history.

 

"Bad Education." I saw this foriegn film by esteemed director Pedro Almodovar this evening, and must say that I found it bizarre. Sexuality is all over the place in this movie, ranging from homosexuality, to cross-dressing, to surgical sex changes, to pedophiliac priests... all topped off by a healthy dose of impersonation to further confuse things. The plot gets thicker and thicker as time frames seem to shift and weave, but it's all brilliantly directed, and somehow manages to work. The cinematography of the film is excellent, and Gael Garcia Bernal delivers another excellent performance in his role. I thought it was a very good movie overall, but don't recommend it to people who tend to turn to more conventional forms of Hollywood cinema.

 

Another movie that I revisited recently and really enjoyed was "Memento." I think I picked up more from it watching it the second time than I did the first, probably thanks to intelligent inside commentary from Yui Temae (who, for the record, seems to have an uncanny knack of predicting film plot elements before they happen ;-)).

 

I'm definitely planning to see "Batman Begins" as soon as I get the chance, and will probably skip "Fantastic Four" after hearing a slew of bad reviews from superhero movie connaiseurs.

[Wyvern]

I finally went and saw "Batman Begins" in theatres last night. I found it very entertaining, and think that it met my expectations overall. My favorite part of the film may have been the casting of Scarecrow, as I thought the actor that played Professor Crane fit the comic book villain's personality perfectly. It's a shame that the Scarecrow was such a wimp and got beaten so easily every time he showed up, as I would have liked to have seen more screen time from him. Raz Al-Ghoul (sp?) failed to impress me as much, and I thought the League of Shadow scenes that opened the film kind of dragged for a bit. I agree with Zool that the film gives a very complete story of Batman, however, and I think it may be the most realistic Batman film to date. I personally thought that the introduction of a technical support agent in the form of Morgan Freeman worked well, though I agree about the botched chase scene. Also, is it just me, or does something about Batman's flight-enhanced costume not seem right? Good movie overall... here's hoping that Christopher Nolan decides to make a few sequels.

 

I also decided to rent and watch "Rushmore" by Wes Anderson this evening at reverie's suggestion. I was a bit ambivalent about seeing it since I wasn't a big fan of "The Life Aquatic," but must say that I found it a really excellent film in every regard. It had a very interesting approach to characters and dialogue, plenty of odd and intriguing cinematography, and some great acting and hilarious moments to boot. It's probably one of the best movies I've seen in a while, and I'm going to rent and see "The Royal Tenenbaums" as soon as possible. Thanks for the suggestion, reverie!

[Wyvern]

I've been binging on movies this Summer... The three most recent films that I watched were "Must Love Dogs," "The Royal Tenenbaums," and "Broken Flowers."

 

"Must Love Dogs" - I was enticed to see this film after watching a coming attraction for it with Yui and Aegon a few weeks back. The short preview seemed to advertise the flick as a romantic comedy revolving around internet dating. Given the intriguing subject, I thought that it might amount to more than a corny Holywood romance film... boy, was I mistaken! This film was simply awful. It was the epitome of a "chick flick," and was as boring as it was cheesy and unfunny. Furthermore, the film barely dealt with internet dating at all, and when it did it did so in the most one-dimensional, superficial manner imaginable. The corny-ness reached it's pinnacle at the end of the film, when a supermarket clerk that the main character purchased chicken from screamed "Yessss!" upon noticing that her order had changed and that she had a boyfriend. If you're in the mood for corny romance, avoid this film and stick to soap operas.

 

"The Royal Tenenbaums" - Another film that I rented at reverie's recommendation, and was eager to see after Wes Anderson's excellent "Rushmore." This film is required viewing for those studying the art of character developement, as it features a very large cast of well-developed characters. Wes Anderson's spark of originality is omnipresent throughout the film, and a number of the details he incorporates are fascinating. I found the movie very good overall, miles better than "The Life Aquatic," though I didn't find it quite as good as "Rushmore." Still, it's well worth watching.

 

"Broken Flowers" - Finally, a Jim Jarmusch film with some decent publicity! Bill Murray plays the part of a washed up Don Juan-type figure brilliantly, rarely altering tone or facial expression but conveying a lot with a little. The film details the protagonist's journies to his ex-girlfriends in search of a son he may or may not have, though much of the film is spent on his solitary travels. A very lonely film that never reaches a definitive resolution, but drives across its mood very well. Recommended to those in search of a quiet and realistic movie.

[Zadown]

Just saw "Sin City", a movie I've been waiting a long time since I liked the comics it is based on a lot. I've never seen a move that has been so faithful to the original media - it was like reading the comic while being so high on something that the panels would move and talk. Especially the on-screen Marv was frighteningly close to his comic counterpart.

 

In a way, it is very shallow movie, especially if you have already read the comics and know what happens in all the stories. At least for me, that didn't matter however: the fact the characters of one of my favourite comics have been woken up, the very unique amalgam of comic and movie, the original use of black & white with some colors added in (yes, I've seen it used before - nevertheless!) and all in all the sheer boldness of how it all has been done made it a memorable movie experience for me.

 

Because of its excessive violence and lack of certain depth, I can't recommend to everybody. A friend of mine said that it was "a series of escalating acts of gratuitous violence with no real plot", and I can't really refute him. It was still worth the ticket to me, very much so.

[Vigil StarGazer]

Saw Constantine on a Dubbed DVD during the weekend.

 

First and foremost, Kenu Reeves can't act. The demonhunter/exorcist/biblicalsuspense plot is an overused cliche (think ... er... Exorcist+6thSense+Underworld) with the infallable plot blockbuster movie int the making, but somehow Kenu Reeves can still manage to screw it up.

 

Kenu Reeves plays the coldhearted exorcist (it's not like he can play other sterotypes, but we'll get back to that) gifted with the power to see demon and angel halfbreed, and after a rather inept plotforce met up with the female Protagonist (Rachael Weisz as Angela Dodson) to investigate the death of her twin sister and somehow end up to preventing the anti-christ from being born into this world.

 

Like I said before the plot gets better as the film rolls along (mainly because it so cluelessly sucks in the beginning!) Besides the cliches combination there's also a sidedish of dying subplot characters, suspense, Romance, Apocalyplical threat, biblical conflict, gollum as the demon scourge, Hell and Lucifier himself. Special Effects are done well because they are not overly done and not forced into the scenes what was done in the matrix. The Chapter 17 Corinthians was a bit forced. Sure you might get away with some obscure books in the biblical context or some other jewish old testiments, but i'm quite sure there is never a Corinthians 17.... (Peredhil you might wanna help me out on this), and how do you get a maggot demon attacking ppl in the middle of bussy LA traffic and no one would care? even after the demon was hit by a car?

 

Back to Kenu Reeves... the only part he got right was the cold exterior... he got a monotone voice and no body language. Expressionless even after 2 of his friends have died... The character he plays was full of rage on the inside because he's angry about not being able to go to heaven, and is secretly afraid of death. Not even one scene did he manage to act this out, not even after all those smooth witty dialict he had during the movie. He's cold on the outside, and hollow on the inside.

 

In Summary: Cool Movie (biblical suspense is in these days), niffy plot, horrible acting. Next Up, How Kenu Reeves ruin Christmas.

Edited August 17, 2005 by Vigil StarGazer

[Wyvern]

I also saw the film "Sin City" recently, as a friend of mine happened to have it downloaded on his computer and hadn't seen it yet. We had both heard many good things about the film prior to seeing it, and were both very disappointed by it. I felt that, apart from the interesting uses of color, the film differed very little from the conventional format of superhero movies. It felt extremely fast-paced, with lots of action and very little character developement. I also have to agree with Zadown's friend that the film detailed "a series of escalating acts of gratuitous violence," which I often found rather distasteful. At times, I felt as if the scenes were centered around reaching a climactic moment of sadistic torture, which struck me as sort of pointless. Then again, neither I or my friend have read Frank Miller's original comics, and this is far from the first time that I've heard that the film stays very true to the comic book. Chances are that I probably wouldn't have liked the comic book to begin with, which should render this review questionable to "Sin City" comic fans. Still, this film gets a respectable thumbs down in my book.

 

One film that I saw recently that I really enjoyed was a film called "Dead Man," which came out in 1999 but somehow slipped under my radar. The movie is director Jim Jarmusch's take on a western, and features Johnny Depp in the lead role as a character named William Blake (who kills another character named Charlie Dickinson in the film, haha). I'm normally not a big fan of westerns, but I think that Jarmusch pulled the film off with enough originality and flair to make it interesting and entertaining. The film is actually more of a dark comedy than it is a western, as it spoofs several western stereotypes and conventions in Jarmusch's signature deadpan manner. The pace of the film is very different from that of your typical western, as it moves very slowly and languidly (ex: the first eight minutes of the film feature no dialogue or action whatsoever). Overall, I'd recommend giving this film a shot, especially if you've become jaded with the western genre like I have.

[DoctorEvil]

.......especially if you've become jaded with the western genre like I have.

<GASP!!!!>.......Did Doctor hear this correctly? Wyvern, you're jaded with the western genre??? Oh could this have happened?

 

The Doctor is a big fan of Westerns. Sure the same half dozen or so plots get recycled over and over and over.....but there is just something about the Western. Now the Doctor will grant you, that today's filmakers seems basically incapable of making a decent Western (with a few exceptions), but the classics still hold up well. Heck, anything with John Wayne and a cowboy hat in it and you can count the Doctor in.....perhaps the Doctor should rephrase that to read any FILM with John Wayne and a cowboy hat in it.......

 

Some of the Doctor's favorites......

 

BIG JAKE - John Wayne as a turn of the century cowboy who must return to home to his estranged family to help rescue the grandson he's never met. John Wayne kicks butt and takes names. One of the Doctor's all time favorites.

 

SILVERADO - Lately, the Doctor keeps seeing this on cable and ends up getting sucked into watching good portions of the movie. Last weekend even Mrs. DoctorEvil got sucked in. Classic Western plot that's well done by Mrs. Kasdan (of Big Chill fame) with an all-star cast. One of the few modern Westerns worth a damn.

 

UNFORGIVEN - Clint Eastwoods stars and directs. Morgan Freeman in a great supporting role. Gene Hackman as the perfect bad guy. Great characters, and some great dialogue. The best Western in the last 20 years.

 

THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN - The Doctor will grant you that Kurosawa's "Seven Samurai" is actually a better movie, but this Western adaption is damn good.

 

Any Clint Eastwood/Sergio Leone western - Classics that still hold up well today. The Doctor still sits on the edge of the Doctor's seat when watching the ending of "The Good, The Bad and The Ugly".

[DoctorEvil]

The Doctor watched "Sin City" tonight on DVD and all-in-all the Doctor liked it. While it's been years since the Doctor read the comic book, the "feel" of this movies stays very true to the comics. As far as the movie being "a series of escalating acts of gratuitous violence" doesn't that describe most good mindless action flicks Heck, that's what the Doctor liked the most.

 

Actually, the thing that surprised the Doctor was Mickey Rourke's performance as Marv. The Doctor has long considerd Mickey one of the worst actors ever, but the Doctor was shocked to see him actually pull off this role. Yes, most of the role consisted on little acting and lots of action. But the Doctor found the narrative dialogue that shed some light on Marv's character very interesting. On the surface Marv seems like the simplest and least detailed on the characters, but via the narrative dialogue the Doctor found him to be the character with the most depth a man tettering on the brink of sanity, violence and determination.

 

No this movie is not for everyone, but the Doctor like it.

[Patrick]

I saw War of the Worlds in the cinema today.

 

The film was quite ok, until it ended. But the end was, in my opinion, much too sudden, and it felt like the director needed to finish the film in five minutes and this was the best he could come up with.

[DoctorEvil]

Saw "The 40 Year Old Virgin" tonight. Very good movie. Could have been a great movie, but it just seemed to drag a little bit in the middle and near the end.

 

The Doctor did have one little issue with the movies technical details. If you're going make a movie about a 40 year old nerd and make the effort to get the correct detail of getting vintage action figures (70's era Iron Man and Aquaman figures like the Doctor had as a kid, a Six Million Dollar Man figure, etc...) do get the other nerd details wrong. For God's sake, they had a copy of Marvel Tales that came out last year framed and hanging on his apartment wall. No self respecting nerd would go to the trouble to frame that comic.

[Zadown]

Went to see "Crash" (the new one, 2004 version - not the Cronenberg movie from '96) and I am happy I did as it was the last showing here. It reminded me of "Magnolia" (partly because a review I read made the connection, perhaps), in a good way - a movie about twisting and meeting fates of different people. The way the same dozen people constantly meet each other in the huge city is of course completely unrealistic, but that hardly matters: it keeps multiple stories somewhat together.

 

I really enjoyed it and can recommend it to people who don't think drama about ordinary people is boring or who are interested in the theme of racism.

[~O~]

"Hustle and Flow" was a story about a pimp/drug-dealer who wanted to become a rapper. I'm not a real big fan of street culture, so I almost walked out when I realized that's what this movie was... but the ending was worth staying for. I do have to say that, even though I don't understand the mentality behind those who come "from the streets"--despite working with a number of them--this movie did a good job of making their cock-sure, argumentative attitudes seem human. I thought one scene was very interesting, where the pimp chewed out one of his girls for walking away from him, and then addressed the reason why she'd walked. Not the order that I'd have done it in... but then, I've never had to shoot my way out of a barfight. The music in the movie was also pretty decent, even though I'm not a huge fan of rap. So... if you are a fan of rap or are a budding sociologist looking into a specific subculture of the States, then this movie is for you.

Rating:

C for topic

A for presentation

Edited September 9, 2005 by ~O~

[DoctorEvil]

Ah, the Doctor purchased and watched Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgandy (The Uncut, Unrated and Uncalled for version) last night.

 

Now, going into this movie the Doctor was a bit skeptical, as the Doctor didn't know if it was going to be that funny. Alas, the Doctor should have faith in Will Ferrell, as the Doctor couldn't stop laughing at several of the scenes.....not necessarily because they were funny, but because they were so stupid and over the top that it was in fact funny to the Doctor.

 

The Doctor highly recommends this movie to anyone with a warped sense of humor

[Finnius]

So I saw Serenity just a bit ago.

 

Ok, I may start gushing, if so, just stick some putty over the leak.

 

To be objective, this is a movie that is unashamedly for the fans. That's ok, because rabid fandom aside, it's a durn good piece of film. For those of ya not in the know, Serenity is based on a short-lived TV show by the name of Firefly. It's a Joss Whedon series, so high expectations. Alas, Fox couldn't commit to the eclectic, genre defying cultural mish-mash that was Whedon's vision.

 

As a result, they aired 11 out of 14 episodes, out of order, and bouncing around in time slot. Critics hailed it as the most canceled TV show of all time.

 

A few years later, a lot of persistence from the cast, crew, Whedon, and (importantly) the fan base, and Universal Pictures picked up the script for this wonderful, lovely movie.

 

I'll try and review in sections. First up is camera work.

 

The key word here is dirty. Almost everything, as in Firefly, is handheld and has a 'found footage' quality to it. There's off-center closeups, out of focus backgrounds, and (everybody's favorite) extensive camera flares. In fact, the camera crew had to send back their swanky new lens systems and get older stuff, just so it'd flare more. Looks amazing.

 

Acting:

 

Top notch acting from a small-name cast. You can tell they love these characters, love the story, and just plain enjoy what they're doing. Not to mention, the guy they got to play your main 'villain' (I use that term loosely.) is fricking excellent. He brings such depth and feeling to this character that it's very hard to hate him, even as he admits that he's a monster.

 

Story:

 

A bit on the weaker side, but by no means weak. The movie is very character-driven, and is more about the differences in these people and how they relate to each other than about what's happening to them. At times this can make things seem a bit rushed, but for the most part, it's very effective.

 

As Joss Whedon said. "It's about nine people looking into the blackness of space, and seeing nine different things." It also does not shy away from distinctly human characters, who occasionally do things that, from an objective perspective, may seem morally questionable, or even downright wrong. The point is, though, that from the character's perspective, it was the right and necessary thing to do. And the best part of all is, it completely sucks you in so that you can see things from the character's perspective.

 

You go on this ride with them.

 

Overall:

 

Even if you're not a fan of sci-fi, western, or action, there is something to find and enjoy in this film. Whether it's Jayne's flippant, blunt commentary on the intrinsic greed in the human race, or Mal's flat out refusal to give up and die/conform, you'll find yourself attracted to at least one of these characters, and find yourself seeing through their eyes.

 

Ok, so now that I've gushed and gushed, hopefully you'll go see this movie, if you haven't already.

 

-Little Blue man, Signing off

[Vincent Silver]

I also saw Serinity this weekend and I was blown away, this was one of the best (if not the best) film I've seen in theathers in years.

 

The acting was top notch, these actors may not be big Hollywood names but they can act better then most of them anyway- like Finnus said, they loved these characters and played it perfectly.

 

The camera work and special effects were also great. The entire film had zooms and dirty sun-washed look, and the sences in space added one little quirk I loved- just like in the show all the sences in space had no sound (expect for the music)- why? No sound in space, too many sci-fi movies have huge explosions and lazers rining in your ears in the middle of dead space.

 

Lastly, the plot, prehaps just a little hard for those who didn't see the show to get right away but after the film takes off your sucked in regardless if your a fan of the show or not. The plot was all about the characters and less about the action (although theres plenty of it), the entire focus is on how these people feel about what their doinfg not what their doing.

 

All in all an amazing film, of course I may be a bit bias as a Browncoat, but I recomened it to anyone.

[Vigil StarGazer]

FF7 Advent Children

 

First of all, for those of you who are not final fantasy fans, please allow me to fill in some background information for you. Squaresoft™ has been one of the foremost creators of RPG (role-playing Games) on console gaming system with 8bit and later 16bit graphics. They have produced the final fantasy gaming line in which players role-play characters in a fantasy world to fight evil monsters and save the world by resolving distressful conflicts sprung by the forces of evil. Each sequence are unrelated to the next.

 

Now FF7 was considered revolutionary at the time of its release. However it was not due to the release of Play station which allowed for 32 bit graphics, nor a sub 3d environment, and it's definitely no the chocobos. What makes FF7 so unique, mind blowing, and withstand the testament of time to emerge as one of the most memorable PRG of its time is the depth of its storyline and the hidden symbolism within. While other games certainly ousted the graphics in final fantasy 7, none have a storyline so deep and appalling.

 

First and foremost please read the blog on the following page for some background information. http://biphome.spray.se/indish/analys.html

 

The plot of FF7 can be summarized in a paragraph, as taken from the blog:

"FF7 is the story of Cloud, Aeris, and their friends who try and save the world from Sephiroth and the Shinra, who are destroying the Earth. Shinra is doing it by draining out the Earths Lifestream, the lifeblood of the planet which is the energy that all living souls are made of, through its large Mako Reactors. Sephiroth is doing it by summoning a giant meteor that is going to destroy everything, allowing him to converge with this energy and claim if for his own to become a 'God.' Ultimately, the 9 heroes of the game defeat Sephiroth and all the members of Shinra (although Aeris loses her life in the process) and unleash Holy, the ultimate white magic, which is the only thing that can destroy the meteor. It succeeds in doing so but also sucks the humans, who have been doing all this damage, back into the Lifestream, realizing that their existence was a terrible error. This leaves only Nanaki, the teams sentient wolf-like friend, to live out his life propagating his species on the planet and remembering not to repeat past mistakes."

 

Now, after several years Squaresoft™ produced the sequel in the movie, and I might say that I was deeply disappointed by the sequel. If FF7 was one of the millstones for the development of gaming industries then I must also say that Advent Children was a depiction of its graceful downfall. While the generations before has applaud games with both graphics and story intensity, the current generations of gamer was all for glimmer and no substances.

 

In a brief summary Shira were still up to their old evils and found the remains of Jenova in the Northern Crater. Those eerie clones of Sephiroth (you know those wearing cloaks over themselves and have roman numerals marked on their forehead) formed the malik and begin a plan resurrect Jenova mainly to capture the remains of their ‘mother’. They hounded Cloud because they think he kept their ‘mother’ from them. Now Cloud had the problem of being a loner after his little adventure because he stills feel guilty from letting Aeris died, and the fact that he’s slowly dying from disease which is also affecting the children. Mixed with a few motorcycle battles, fights, and amazing graphics, the Malik leader eventually devoured the remains of Jenova. Sephiroth appears and Cloud has to fight the shadow that has always haunts him. Cloud finally became victorious by overcoming his guilt and defeated Sephiroth. The world rained and the water healed everyone’s disease, The End.

 

One might think that the purpose of the movie was to wrap up loose ends left at the end of FF7, mainly the triangle relationship between Aeris, Tifa, and Cloud, the existence of humans after the cataclysm, and the fate of Jenova. Square soft did moderate on tying up these loose ends.

 

It is presumed that Cloud chosen Tifa over Aeris at the end of the game and Aeris went back to the life stream. What so disdained was how square soft has twisted the original meaning in FF7 in order to fit the plot line of Advent Children. Towards the end Cloud was beaten unconscious he came to the life-stream and said “mother.” Aeris’ voices answered him and said basically it’s not his time yet and pushed him back down to the world of the living. Suddenly the whole relationship triangle between Aeris and Cloud became Opus Rex. That was never even hinted at in FF7 and suddenly made the relationship between Aeris and Cloud revolting. To quote from Aeris “Geez why’s everyone calling me mother today?” Speaking of Opus Rex Aeris made her last appearance with Sephiroth as they both exit out of the glowing door. So now Sephiroth is the dark father now?

 

Next up was the children. To be honest the theme of children was unnecessary. One could feature the movie without having the children and call the movie “Advent Cloud”. Yes it was an easy symbolism as the hope of the future. They were lured away by the evil clones of Sephiroth with the promised of cure. The clones polluted the water and the children drank and be corrupted by evil. Cloud tried to rescue the children but failed, and realized that fighting wasn’t the answer. After he defeated Sephiroth the rain of healing came and cured everyone’s disease.

 

Or was it that simple?

 

While I lack knowledge in the Jewish Lore and religions, looking deeper one can compare Cloud to the savior. False savior came and tried to corrupt the children a la mass. In the end the true savior died, resurrected, and delivers salvation. Since when was cloud seen as any resemblance to a savior at FF7?

 

I have rated the Movie FF7 Advent Children 2/5. The graphics was exceptionally well done, the fight scenes was a touch too flashy (quite literally, they were going at it so fast you can’t even see a single move clearly.) and Tifa was amazingly hawt and got a amazing body that one have to wonder if she have any back problems. The flaws however were much less apparent but amazingly frustrating. The original hidden context has been replaced with cheap clichés to stir false drama. There is no depth in the story; it’s all hack and slash with fancy animation. If this game sequel movie transpire anything, it is that Squaresoft™ has succumbed to the shallowness of this generation and raked in millions while robbing the true fans of FF7 from a deserving sequel to one of the greatest game of all times.

[Wyvern]

Over the course of the last month or so, I watched the first four seasons of "Family Guy" in chronological order. My family gave me a few boxed sets of the show for Christmas, so I thought it'd only be right to watch them ifrom beginning to end.

 

Anyway, I maintain my opinion that "Family Guy" is hands down one of the funniest shows on American T.V. I was going to post a list of some of my favorite episodes and moments, but honestly 98% of the series is laugh-out-loud hilarious and it's too hard to play favorites. One thing that I will say, though, is that I find the first three seasons funnier than the fourth, and think that the show lost a bit of its steam when it came back on after cancellation. A friend of mine mentioned that it partially has to do with Seth McFarlane no longer being afraid of going all out with his risky inflammatory humor, and I think he may be right since not all of the inflammatory jokes are done in as good taste as the first seasons. Having said this, the newer episodes certainly aren't bad, and still have a number of great moments in them (the firetruck documentary, Cookie Monster rehab clinic, and "P2: Crucify This" scenes all come to mind),. Just goes to show how funny a show this is.

 

I obviously recommend "Family Guy" and think it's laughs galore, though I will note that those with staunch stances on political correctness might find its humor too outrageous to bare. Also, if you're looking for a show that's primarily character-based, you might be baffled by the frequent cut scenes and pop culture references/parodies/disses. Still, while I'm sure most people have seen at least one episode at this point, you should definitely look into it if you haven't. One of the funniest ever!