Hello again! I have watched more movies this year than I think I ever have in one year, so I have a lot of reviews to write, starting with another superhero movie, Superman: Man of Steel.
PART ONE: THE PLOT
As the planet Krypton destroys itself from the inside out, a single pod escapes the destruction, holding the first and last naturally-born child of Krypton.
Young Kal-El crashes on a farm in Kansas and is raised as Clark Kent by the farm owner and his wife. Struggling to control massive power he doesn't understand in a world he does not belong, Clark longs for the answers of his existence, and of his past. Yet to get them, he may bring the planet and its inhabitants to their knees before self-convinced savior of Krypton, General Zod.
As strangers pry into his secrets and answers come out of the shadows, Clark finds himself at the center of a struggle for the survival of mankind.
PART TWO: THE REVIEW
While visually entertaining and full of comic-inspired, skyscraper wrecking action, as with many superhero movies, the main character seems underdeveloped and at times boring. Although Kal-El certainly has his own past, his own hurts, his own ideas, I feel like the moment he got his suit, his emotions lost all impact on the story, and his doubtful side was replaced by a macho guy in tights and a cape.
Be that as it may, the movie achieves what all movies should: it was entertaining. The fight to save planet Earth was as always full of suspense, and the visual effects were very impressive.
Clark's willingness to sacrifice himself for others and general goodness is shown over and over, sometimes almost to the point of me wanting to call him a goody-two-shoes. But as a good, strong, planet-saving guy, you can't really complain about him.
PART THREE: CONTENT REPORT
D's, S's, H's and A's, OMG's, along with slang words and someone saying 'F-ing' without filling in the middle words constitute the movie's language.
Violence includes necks being broken, people being choked, skyscrapers toppling and general mass destruction, along with guns and weapons being shot nonstop...People die, things explode. You get it.
A woman's rear is flicked, and she is rudely talked to by a man at a bar. People drink.
Clark and Lois kiss, hold hands and make googly eyes at each other.
The movie is rated PG-13 for intense sequences of sci-fi violence, action and destruction, and for some language.
PART FOUR: RATING AND CONCLUSION
I dub the movie three stars, for 'ok' and 'just worth watching'. While entertaining visually and in its fight scenes, the underdevelopment of the main character himself, along with a very rushed romance and slow pacing at times, made me not want to watch it a second time. I'll just say it was a bit lackluster, not what I was expecting, but worth watching.
So give it a try and see what you think!
Peace,
Matt~
Hey guys! I't been a while since I wrote any media reviews, but we've been watching quite a few movies lately, the first of which being the sequel to Marvel's Thor. I have this review and three more lined up for the next day or two, so keep an eye out for them!
So, starting in 3, 2, 1...
PART ONE: THE PLOT
Two years after the events of Thor, the hammer wielding god of thunder is busy quelling rebellions and crushing the foes of Asgard, bringing peace to the Nine Realms.
That peace is threatened, however, when an old foe, Malekith, and his Dark Elves from an age long past return from darkness to challenge Asgard again.
Worse, Thor's Earthling damsel Jane Foster is caught at the center of the struggle, having stumbled upon the powerful Aether which Malekith seeks, an element that will allow him to return the universe to darkness.
Forced to rely on his deceptive brother and rival, Loki, Thor must destroy the Aether and stop Malekith before all Nine Realms are cast into eternal blackness.
PART TWO: THE REVIEW
I enjoyed the sequel to Marvel's Thor, but it could have been so much more.
First of all, it could have done with quite a few less jokes, particularly in the climax, when it could have been and should have been far more epic.
Despite being visually entertaining, the movie needed and deserved more development. The villain, Malekith, failed to deliver as the ancient enemy he was described as, and was poorly developed.
More frustrating, to me, was the lack of inner struggle in Thor himself. While the original movie had Thor facing an inner flaw, his pride, to overcome a problem, the sequel included no such inner struggle, unless you count a damsel in distress and an insane brother as an inner struggle. And if neither the hero or the villain has a flaw, the story will hurt for it.
As an aspiring author, I know what goes behind the creation of writing a story, and the first thing I look for is the protagonist's inner struggle. There wasn't one.
Jane Foster, the lead female role in the movie, was much more of a distressing damsel than a brave character, although her vast intelligence as a scientist and her effectiveness in the climax was still intact.
Be that as it may, the movie was fun, and while many funny moments didn't belong, they were still funny. I was disappointed with a few of the actors/actress's performances, mainly Natalie Portman, but others were better, foremost of which being the performance of Tom Hiddleston as Loki.
Almost completely stealing away the screen, Tom Hiddleston's Loki, the untrustworthy and vengeful adopted son of Odin, kept the screen time interesting with the dynamic he added between himself and Thor. You know he'll do anything to get to the top, and yet you can't help but want to see him redeem himself. Although, if you're a reader of Norse Mythology like me, you'll know where his story ultimately ends.
I must say I expected the movie not only to be more epic, but to be a good bit different. For starters, I thought Thor would be facing the great possibility of losing Jane with more emotion, and I thought the threat against Jane would be brought up and kept in the eyes of viewers longer. Instead, the entire sub plot about Jane was dwarfed by Loki's involvement.
Secondly, I thought there would be some jealousy going on between the Asgardian female warrior Sif and Jane surrounding their affection for Thor, who shows respect towards one and little strong emotion towards the other.
Now back to the positives: The action was very cool.
I particularly enjoyed watching the Dark Elf ships in action, using their angular, rigid bodies to maneuver around and dodge laser bolts. The landscapes and visuals were impressive, and there was also a good bit more of Asgard shown than in the original movie, which only showed the city itself.
As before stated, Tom Hiddleston's performance and the dynamic between he and Thor was entertaining, and the humor was great, although I would have liked less in the climax.
As a movie based off a Marvel comic book, it's amazing. As an epic one....It could have used a little more oomph.
PART THREE: CONTENT REPORT
Predictably, there is a good bit of kissing and flirting. A man is shown in a news report running around nude, although objectionable areas are blurred out (Else the movie would be rated R!).
Violence includes knife fighting, people being killed and massive areas being obliterated throughout, although there is very little blood shown. One character's hand is shown cut off.
The Dark Elves have an elite unit called the Kursed, who use some kind of object to, I guess, burn themselves into agony and rage, which they spill out on their enemies. The Dark Elves, Malekith and the Kursed could be scary for younger children, along with a few scene including the Aether, which might also be disturbing for children.
Loki, being who he is, deceives and has his own sneaky agendas. One scene shows him in the midst of a prison cell that he wrecked, sitting with his hair down, looking slightly crazy.
Characters are shown reveling and feasting with drinking involved, and Sif asks Thor to have a drink with her.
The movie is rated PG-13 for sequences of intense sci-fi action and violence; some suggestive content.
PART FOUR: RATING AND CONCLUSION
I give it four stars. Although I was disappointed with several things as I said above, the movie was fun, funny, and had a few cool action moments, paired with the highly entertaining dynamic between Tom Hiddleston's Loki and Thor, and impressive visual effects. The movie was left wide, wide open for another sequel, which I look forward to seeing, and overall, it was well worth eight bucks to watch in theaters.
Hey everyone! Welcome back! Today I'm very excited to share with you the teaser trailer for Halo 5, along with my theories about what it entails.
343 Industries, the new owners of the Halo franchise released a teaser for the next upcoming Halo game this year at E3, so here it is:
PART ONE: FACTS
It's been less than a year since the release of Halo 4. No one would have expected any kind of Halo announcements at E3 this year, and yet Microsoft and 343i surprised us with this mysterious teaser. Why? Because Microsoft's new, next gen game console Xbox One was also announced at E3, and Halo has almost always been the killer app of Xbox consoles.
So, let's get down to business. The creators for this new Halo game have told us that Halo 5 will be formatted for 60 Frames Per Second video and made exclusively on Xbox One. Also, Microsoft Studios corporate vice president Phil Spencer has announced that the new line of Halo games will no longer be called the Reclaimer Trilogy, as he says Microsoft
"Didn't want to limit the Reclaimer story within a trilogy."
That's not surprising, given the enormous popularity of the Halo franchise and the even more enormous amount of story still open to be told.
Franchise director Frank O'Conner has said that 343i
"Will do better next time," and that the studio has learned from their experiences with Halo 4. Phil Spencer, explaining the teaser trailer, also said:
“There was no ambiguity in not putting a number after the game. For
me, what we showed wasn’t the game. Nobody should be confused on that. I
didn’t really want to try to show something that was clearly a thought
piece by the studio around where Master Chief is in his journey, and
then drop the name after it and be somewhat disingenuous about that
being the game. But I did want Bonnie [Ross] to come out and say
'First-person shooter. Master Chief.' Because they'll get the questions-
'Hey, is this ODST? What are you guys doing?'. Bonnie [Ross] comes out
and reaffirms that 343 is building this game. It’s Master Chief. It’s a
first-person shooter at 60 frames per second. It’s coming in 2014."
343i has also stated that the upcoming Halo game will be a much darker title than its predecessor.
A final note is that a new live action Halo television series will begin on Xbox One in the near future, directed by the legendary Steven Spielberg.
PART TWO: REVIEW, ANALYSIS AND SPECULATIONS
Despite what Phil Spencer said about not putting a number after the title, it has become quickly obvious that there is indeed some ambiguity going on about it. While 343i calls the upcoming Halo game 'Halo Xbox One', the title screen bears the number 5 in the clouds above it, and beneath it the letters L and O form to look like a 5 as well.
If the upcoming Halo takes place after Halo 4 (Which it obviously does), and if it is a 'legitimate' entry into the franchise as opposed to a spin-off like Halo Wars or ODST, then why not just call it Halo 5? Well, my best assumption is that 343i wants to look at the upcoming Halo as a new beginning for Halo. Perhaps the industry feels that Halo 4 was just an introduction to the Reclaimer Saga as opposed to a full chapter in it? Or that, because of the release of Xbox One, they want to start afresh?
In any case, because of supporting evidence, it seems only fair and logical to call the upcoming Halo game Halo 5.
So, let's move onto the teaser itself. The first noticeable thing about the teaser is that Master Chief is obviously on another world--a world that has at least one large moon, which can be seen in the sky if you look very closely.
Also, the surrounding terrain is desert. Many Halo fans have theorized that the Chief is on the Ark, an installation tasked with creating, replacing and activating the entire Halo Array.
As most Halo players know, Master Chief himself activated a replacement Halo on the Ark and 'did a number on it' according to Cortana. Whether doing a number means destroying it completely or just damaging it is unclear.
Another supporting fact is that the Ark is known to have vast deserts and wastelands on its surface, and that it has at least one moon, including one that is shielded at the Ark's center.
However, there is more than one Ark. The Ark Master Chief damaged is called the Lesser Ark. It handles only the Halos with 10,000 km in diameter, while the Greater Ark creates the Halo with 30,000 km diameters. However, as you'll see, it seems more likely that Chief is located on the Lesser Ark.
Next, we notice that Master Chief is heavily cloaked and hooded. 343i has stated that the Chief is purposefully disguising himself from someone or something.
Soon after, we hear some kind of odd phantom sound, followed by a moment of anti-gravity surrounding some kind of huge Forerunner construct which emerges from the sand.
Many fans have suggested the construct could be a type of or merging of War Sphinxes or a Seeker, both large Forerunner constructs, but this seems unlikely to me, as neither are described as having wings, and Seekers have no upper cabin or 'face'.
It is very clear that the construct is Forerunner in origin, although there is the slim possibility of it being a Precursor creation.
Next, the Chief reveals an AI chip on a dog tag in his hand. The sad music accompanying the scene insinuates a memory of Cortana, but Cortana's chip was destroyed on the Didact's ship in Halo 4. I've noticed that the central section of the chip appears to have some kind of Forerunner symbol or pattern on it (But more on the chip later).
Finally, we see Chief's helmet is cracked on its right side, and that all his armor is very worn and possibly damaged. What does this mean? Could Master Chief have had some falling out with the UNSC or Humanity? How much time has passed since the events of Halo 4?
What is he doing out on his own? Why is he carrying an (Obviously dormant) AI chip?
Well, that's where a new and very interesting possibility comes into play.
Because get this: the Lesser Ark is also the home of the ancient, powerful Forerunner AI Mendicant Bias.
For those of you who don't know, Mendicant Bias was a Contender-Class Forerunner AI--the most advanced and powerful Artificial Intelligence at the time of his creation by the Forerunners. He was originally created to organize and use Forerunner defenses against the Flood, but he defected to the parasite's side when a Gravemind convinced him otherwise and eventually caused Rampancy in the AI, who turned on his creators.
However, the Forerunners created a new AI, Offensive Bias, who stopped Mendicant and separated the traitorous AI into several shards.
Eons later, Master Chief and Cortana encountered a shard of Mendicant in a Covenant ship in Halo 2. Cortana managed to stall Mendicant Bias at High Charity long enough for Chief to make it aboard the ship holding the AI.
Eventually Mendicant Bias was reunited with his shards on the Lesser Ark and tried to communicate with Master Chief through Terminals in Halo 3. One message from Mendicant Bias shows clearly his intent to communicate with the Chief:
“And so here at the end of my life, I do once again betray a former
master. The path ahead is fraught with peril. But I will do all I can to
keep it stable - keep you safe. I'm not so foolish to think this will
absolve me of my sins. One life hardly balances billions. But I would
have my masters know that I have changed. And you shall be my example.”
At this point, Mendicant had become penitent for his crimes against his creators and obviously wishes to redeem himself through Master Chief. Why the AI specifically chose the Chief is unclear, but what is clear is that Mendicant could still lie 'entombed' on the Lesser Ark.
What this could imply is that the Chief is seeking out Mendicant Bias for some reason--perhaps as a guide, perhaps as a new ally...There are infinite reasons why Master Chief could be seeking Mendicant, but keep in mind, nothing has been states--the Chief could just simply be searching for a fragment or shard of Cortana, or seeking answers about the Forerunners.
Above all, it's obvious the Chief is going to be facing an even tougher foe than before--I mean, who else could manage to bang his majestic armor up that bad when four previous games haven't even made a dint in him? It is very possible and almost proven that the
Didact could return as the villain of Halo 5. Besides being a great villain overall, he was not actually shown to die in Halo 4. In fact, all he did was fall into a mist of what Cortana called a 'significant slipspace event'. Meaning he could have been teleported to another planet and survived.
Also, the Didact knows possibly more about the universe than any living being--he could have answers that the Chief needs in order to defeat a new or old enemy and save Humanity.
To recount the proposal that Halo 5 will be a darker story, what could be darker than the possible return of the Flood and an alliance with a reportedly rampant Forerunner AI, along with the loss of Cortana and a possible falling out with Humanity?
My personal opinion is that the Chief will be totally on his own in the upcoming title, and I am almost certain that the Flood will return as an even greater threat than before. After all, the Chief didn't fully end the Flood in Halo 3--he only defeated it and temporarily stopped it from growing more.
The Flood are still out there, the Didact could still be around, Mendicant Bias could make a comeback, Chief could be outlawed by Humanity, and there could be something far bigger looming ahead--possibly the return of the Precursors, if I'm any judge of story expansion and raised stakes.
All in all, I'm enthusiastic about Halo 5.
While 343i definitely made some mistakes with Halo 4, I feel confident that they have been (Possibly since before Halo 4's development) and are working double time to produce a great Halo game for 2014, especially considering that Frank O'Connor himself has said the studio has learned from its mistakes and will do better. He also said that they've specifically learned the 'players needs and wants', which is also encouraging. Compounding that, the game is being released on the next gen Xbox One console, and it will be exciting to see any positive changes resulting from the new console's abilities. Despite having some problems with Halo 4's gameplay, I am thoroughly enjoying the new story arc forcing Master Chief to come to grips with his humanity. The Reclaimer Saga will most definitely be an incredible ride, and I look forward to seeing where 343i takes us.
"Every Great Journey begins with a single step. This is our beginning. Thanks for trusting us with the universe you love and joining us on this epic adventure." -343 Industries.
So guys, hope you enjoyed this second trailer review and analysis on No Spoilers Allowed! Feel free to comment below and return for more epic media reviews in the near future! Peace.
Matt~
I recently wrote a review on one of my favorite movies, How To Train Your Dragon. I referenced the coming sequel, How To Train Your Dragon 2, and that got me thinking 'You know, I'd like to review trailers of movies, too!' so here I am, starting a new thread of Trailer Reviews and speculations about what the upcoming movies may contain. In the future I would like to start doing video reviews as opposed to text reviews, but for now, I hope you enjoy the first of my Trailer Reviews, starting with How To Train Your Dragon 2.
PART ONE: THE TRAILER(S)
So far there has only been one trailer for How To Train Your Dragon 2-actually a teaser, but it's given us enough to wonder about. You can watch the teaser on Youtube here, but just remember, I'm not responsible for any content seen outside my page.
PART TWO: BACKGROUND INFO
Dreamworks Animation has announced they have intentions of making at least three How To Train Your Dragon films. That's not surprising, given the original's financial success and lasting popularity. The HTTYD films are set to become Dreamwork's newest big franchise, which they themselves have stated.
All the original cast members from the original HTTYD film will be returning and reprising their roles, despite some doubt early on in pre-production. Also, the composer of the HTTYD soundtrack, John Powell, will be returning to create the score for the new movie, which probably has me more excited than anything.
The film will be written, directed and executive-produced by Dean DeBlois, who co-wrote and co-directed the first film, along with the return of Bonnie Arnold as producer and former co-writer/director Chris Sanders as an additional executive producer.
New characters and voice talents have been hired for the sequel, including Game of Thrones's Kit Harington as the film's new villain, Eret, Cate Blanchett as Valka, a vigilante dragon rescuer, and Djimon Hounsou as Drago Bludvist, a dragon trapper.
Dreamworks is now using two new programs, Premo and Torch for the film's animation, which they say will 'allow more subtlety, in facial animation, the sense of fat, jiggle, loose skin, the sensation of skin moving over muscle instead of masses moving together'.
As far as the new animation goes, the teaser trailer has
shown us enough to see that the overall animation atmosphere of the HTTYD universe has kept a familiar look but also introduced a positive new feel. Photos for the new movie are not abundant yet, as the sequel is scheduled for June 13, 2014, almost a year away (Oohh...I can't wait!), but a few photos have been released, which I'll spread throughout this blogpost. So, what do you think about the new animation and redesign? One more note I thought would be of interest is that the same cast, producers etc. are set to not only return for HTTYD 2, but for the third film as well. Good stuff. PART TWO: REVIEW, ANALYSIS AND SPECULATIONS
Dreamworks Animation gave us a brief blurb for the plot of How To Train Your Dragon 2, which I would have put in the background info section if not for the fact that I'm going to dissect it here for information. Here it is: It has been five years since Hiccup and Toothless successfully united dragons and vikings on the island of Berk. While Astrid, Snotlout and the rest of the gang are challenging each other to dragon races (the island's new favorite contact sport), the now inseparable pair journey through the skies, charting unmapped territories and exploring new worlds. At the beginning, Hiccup is pressured by Stoick to start a family and become chief, but Hiccup rebels by flying away from Berk and exploring new lands. When one of their adventures leads to the discovery of a secret ice cave that is home to hundreds of new wild dragons and the mysterious Dragon Rider, the two friends find themselves at the center of a battle to protect the peace. Now, Hiccup and Toothless must unite to stand up for what they believe while recognizing that only together do they have the power to change the future of both men and dragons.
Now, you may have noticed how I conveniently highlighted the key details described in the blurb, and the reason for that is because I'm going to break them down and speculate on their meanings.
So--by charting unmapped territories and exploring new worlds, what did Dreamworks mean? Well, DeBlois pretty much answered that question for us in an interview, when he said:
"At the end of last film, all these Vikings who were previously somewhat landlocked are now on the backs of dragons so the entire Northern Hemisphere opens up to them. And with that Hiccup's curiosity increases, the map expands and inevitably they are going to come across new dragons, new cultures."
My assumption is that, as Hiccup and Toothless explore, they are going to run across lands and cultures that may or may not be influenced by places in the books by Cressida Cowell. The author of the original book herself has said that the HTTYD films and books will 'share their ends', so whether or not that means elements, characters, lands from the books will be incorporated into the next couple of films or not I can only imagine. I have only read the first book by Cressida Cowell, but as far as I've read, the series really takes a more mature twist near the end of the series. The 12th and final book has yet to be published, so we won't know what 'end' Cressida was talking about until 2014, at its release.
Now onto the next tidbit: Hiccup is apparently again being pressured by his father, Stoick the Vast, to start a family and become chief. This isn't surprising, given how old Hiccup is now (I estimate about nineteen, if he was fourteen in the first movie). But why Stoick's newfound pressure? If he himself is still well and able to be chief of Berk, why is he pushing his son? Could he be aging, ailing or have some kind of new fear or enemy bothering him?
Next, we're told about an ice cave. Now, I literally have no idea what or where this ice cave could be, whether it's far away from Berk in a colder land in the Northern Hemisphere, or what. Hiccup did say that Berk was located a few degrees south of freezing to death, didn't he?
Next, we're told the ice cave is the home of many new and wild dragons, and of a mysterious character called the Dragon Rider. I cannot speculate about what other, new dragons there could be, but it seems obvious that the Dragon Rider will be Hiccup's new archenemy--a character who rides dragons but uses them for evil.
Finally, the blurb reads that Hiccup and Toothless find themselves 'at the center of a battle' to protect the peace, and that only together can they solve the problem between man and dragon. My idea of what 'at the center of a battle' means is that Hiccup and Toothless will be a median force in between human and dragon again, and that they will have to settle differences between each other to fix it. It would be interesting to see a human vs. human battle involving dragons on both sides--for instance, aerial combat between the forces of Berk and the forces of the Dragon Rider.
I wouldn't be surprised if another character, the old lady character from the first movie, called the Elder, plays a more important role in this movie, given that she was originally going to have a larger role in the first film. But that's just a random thought of mine.
All in all, I'm incredibly excited about How To Train Your Dragon 2. How could you not like that high flyin', Toothless/Hiccup teamwork (Teamed with a trailer song by my favorite epic music band Audiomachine)? As the #1 HTTYD fan, I can honestly say I'm not worried about the sequel--not worried about Hiccup and the others being five years older, not worried about the new animation, and most surprisingly, not worried about a Dreamwork's sequel ruining the original, which the company has a bad habit of doing. I think making the characters be five years older is a great move for the story, seeing as the kids like me who were four years younger when the original came out will now again be able to relate with Hiccup and his problems. The animation and redesign, though surprising at first, I now am excited about, along with the direction of the story.
Best of all, it appears Hiccup and Toothless have retained their personalities. Judging by Hiccup's new gear, including the flying squirrel flaps and newly designed prosthetic foot, it looks like he's been expanding and improving everything he uses to ride Toothless.
And Toothless is still as cute/epic as before. And even better is the fact that Jay Baruchel has kept the same toned voice for the character. Yes, it's obvious Hiccup has gone through adolescence, but there is no other voice for Hiccup--ever.
So, there it is, my first Trailer Review. I hope you've enjoyed hearing my speculations and hopes for the movie, and also that the solid facts I've presented have satisfied your taste for knowledge about the upcoming film. If so, please feel free to return for more, and comment if you have any more questions or thoughts on the review!
Peace.
Matt~
Well, Autumn has just completely dismantled Summer in a matter of days, and the wind is blowing full force around the house even now, which means I have less than two months to use the term 'Season 1'. Then come the bleak, cold days of Winter. And speaking of cold, today I'm taking you to an island twelve days North of hopeless and a few degrees South of freezing to death.
This, is Berk.
PART ONE: THE PLOT
Dragon fire blazes on the small Isle of Berk, set like a jagged spike in the midst of the great North Sea, where Vikings dwell. And only a Viking would be brave, or stubborn enough to stay.
Besieged and stolen from by wild and deadly Dragons of vast varieties and numerous abilities, the Vikings of Berk have fought this war for centuries. Hundreds of Vikings, thousands of Dragons have fallen, yet the conflict shows no sign of ending.
That is, until a hiccup occurs. No, literally, a Hiccup. Given the name reserved for Viking weaklings and shorties, young teenager Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III isn't exactly a comfortable topic on Berk, especially not for his father, Stoick the Vast, the bitter and powerful village chieftain.
Brilliant and inventive, but unappreciated, Hiccup's deepest desire is to please his father and his tribe, which by societal norm means he must slay his own Dragon.
But when he shoots down a legendary and mysterious Night Fury Dragon, which is never seen, but never misses, Hiccup discovers that everything his people have ever known about Dragons is wrong.
Suddenly caught between man and Dragon, Hiccup finds himself opposed by a foe more deadly than even his father realizes, and faced with a choice that will rock both Dragon and Viking's worlds forever.
PART TWO: THE REVIEW
One does not simply dislike this movie.
When I first watched it in 2010, I was so inspired by it that I wrote a 65-page research booklet about Vikings. Betcha didn't know they never wore horned or winged helmets, didja?
The main character, Hiccup, is immediately lovable, a character whose insecurity, struggles and own agendas can automatically be related to. Plus, he's brilliant, inventive, witty, hilarious and brave, so it's impossible not to like him.
The other characters are also hilarious or cool in their own way: Stoick, despite his frustration at his son's uniqueness, longs to relate with his son, and is an epic, powerful warrior with nearly no fear--the picture of a true Viking.
Then there's Gobber, the witty Viking with a missing hand and leg, who trains the young teen Vikings, Fishlegs, a nerdy character, Snotlout, a rough, smooth-talking character, the rowdy twins Ruffnut and Tuffnut, Astrid, the beautiful but tough, strict Viking girl, and of course, the Night Fury, who Hiccup names Toothless.
The conflict between Hiccup and his father Stoick, both polar opposites, one with a totally hatred towards Dragons, the other with sympathy towards them, one a rough and powerful Viking chief, the other a small, insecure teenager, is the main element driving the story, while the war between Dragons and Vikings is just the cloud of doom making us appreciate it.
But without the deep, sincere friendship between Hiccup and Toothless, there would be no story, and no possibility of change.
Ultimately, they are the only solution to the war.
Other than being a great story idea (Vikings vs. Dragons, but with a twist), this movie is also a fun ride that can be enjoyed by all ages (I know a twenty year old college student who LOVES this movie). There are no cheesy or cliche lines that I can think of, and the depth of the story, pacing, action and breathtaking animation all mix to make a very endearing-on-an-epic-scale movie.
I admit that I was never a huge fan of Dreamworks movies until this movie came out, but the creators of this story turned a page for the company, I believe, proving they don't have to make gross comedies and cheesy stories (e.g Shrek films) to be successful. In other words, Rise of the Guardians and The Croods have stayed true to the great storytelling and awesome animation, taking the studio to new heights.
As Dreamworks' next big movie franchise, I for once am actually very excited and hopeful for a good How to Train Your Dragon sequel--one that may even exceed its predecessor, if the rumors are true and the new, awesome teaser trailer for #2 are any guide.
PART THREE: CONTENT REPORT
The characters occasionally say things like 'Oh gods' or 'Thor almighty!' and there is one use of the H word. Violence between Dragons and Vikings occurs often--there are large scale battles and smaller training sessions against them, although no blood is shown and the action is obviously animated. Dragons are shown knocked out of the sky by catapult boulders, Vikings are lifted away, village houses are burned, ships are destroyed and minor characters are killed, but this is not often shown. Hiccup accidentally wounds Toothless very badly, partially crippling him.
The main enemy of the movie might be scary for younger children--huge and very dangerous--the equivalent of a breathing atomic bomb.
A comedic scene between Hiccup and his father shows Stoick giving Hiccup a helmet made from his mother's breastplate, which he awkwardly calls 'breast hat'.
Hiccup unintentionally lies to his father, and Stoick is very harsh to his son in one particular scene. The movie is rated PG for sequences of intense action and some scary images, and brief mild language.
PART FOUR: RATING AND CONCLUSION
Five stars. That's how big a nerd I am for this movie. I've been obsessed with both Vikings and Dragons for years, so of course I freaked about a movie with both in it. I thoroughly enjoyed it and, as aforesaid, am impatiently waiting and dreaming of June 13, 2014, the day How to Train Your Dragon 2 will finally be released.
The age of Shrek is over. The age of a great story is here.
So, hopefully you found this review helpful, and if you enjoyed it, feel free to return for more upcoming media reviews!
Peace.
Matt~
As the second part of today's back-to-back posts, I'm reviewing the one and only, the mighty and glorious..*Drumroll*...After Earth! *Wild applause*. So, that's my opening welcome, take it or leave it. Now that's done and dusted, I hope you enjoy the rest!
PART ONE: THE PLOT
Hypothetically speaking, pollution is bad for the environment, right?
News flash: global catastrophes, terrible pollution, and now we have to leave our home world.
Hypothetical THAT.
One thousand years in the future, after Earth has been abandoned and humanity has found a new home in the planet Nova Prime, the peacekeeping soldiers, the Rangers, are faced with a new and far more terrifying dilemma: we are not alone in this galaxy.
Arriving on Nova Prime only very recently, the aliens have dropped terrifying, blind monsters called Ursas that can literally smell human fear and kill them with ease.
That is, if you have any fear on you. Which is why Ranger general Cypher can stand in front of an Ursa and take it out without breaking a sweat. Literally fearless, he is invisible to the Ursas, an event others call 'ghosting' and so has taken on a very major role in the war.
His son, Ranger cadet Kitai, is another story. Having seen his own Ranger sister Senshi killed by an Ursa at a young age, Kitai isn't what you'd call the fearless type.
When his quiet, stern father returns home from long deployment, and he fails the test that would make him a full-blown Ranger, Kitai is excited to be invited on a long space trip with his father, who he barely knows but desperately wants to.
Things get complicated, though, when their ship crash lands far away from Nova Prime, on a class-1 quarantined planet called Earth. To make matters worse, Kitai and his father are the only survivors. Worse still is the fact that the tail end of their ship containing the only working distress beacon, is over one hundred kilometers away through deadly jungle and monstrous creatures.
But worst of all: An Ursa was on the ship before it crashed, and it could even now be wandering the waste in search of its human prey.
With two badly broken legs and a slight head wound, Cypher isn't exactly fit for a 100+ Km hike, so Kitai must undertake the journey alone, or father and son both are going to die.
On a planet given over a thousand years to evolve towards humanity's extermination, tracked by a relentless Ursa and haunted by traumatic memories, Kitai must find the strength and courage to save both himself and his father, and return safely to Nova Prime.
PART TWO: THE REVIEW
WHO told Jaden Smith to adopt that strange accent? Well, besides that silly accent, I was impressed with both Jaden and Will Smith's performances. Will Smith totally pulled off the stern, quiet, very military countenance and personality of Cypher.
Though not exactly the most colorful or lively character, he was still well performed by his real world counterpart. But in my book, it's Jaden who gets the bigger round of applause.
More talkative, more relatable, and more lively, Kitai is a character you can relate to: a young man on the brink of manhood, desperately trying to please his father, overcome his past, and find courage and worth in himself at the same time.
I thoroughly enjoyed the locations, cinematography and effects in the movie, along with the simple but cool backstory about Earth and humanity. I laud the acting, despite the large lack of dialogue, and the whole father-son story of acceptance and forgiving was not disappointing.
I liked the idea of Earth evolving for the sole purpose of being able to kill humans. Despite not agreeing with that possibility, it's a good plot element, and that's what matters.
The beginning is a bit slow, but there are emotional scenes including animals, flashbacks and key father-son moments as it progresses that make you want to finish. I did not like how quiet the movie was--not just because of Cypher, but because of the lack of music, and sometimes lack of all background noise.
Also, even with the volume cranked up, it's hard to understand what Cypher is saying sometimes.
But other than that, I enjoyed the movie and still think it's worth watching, and if you're an aspiring author like me, you might even gain some inspiration and concept ideas from it.
As far as positive family messages go, Kitai and Cypher both take their turn at raising their voices at each other, but at the same time desperately want to know each other better, and both express grief at Senshi's death and love for Faia, Kitai's mother. Cypher, even though badly wounded and incapacitated, tries with everything in him to help his son by guiding him via communicators through difficulties, even refusing to take painkillers that would make him drowsy and impair his vision.
Ultimately, like I said, it's about Kitai and Cypher coming to grips with and learning to understand and admire each other.
The phrase 'Danger is real, fear is a choice', along with the other wise things Cypher tells his son are also bonuses to the movie.
PART THREE: CONTENT REPORT
For language, the d word, g word and the slang 'sucks' are used. The Ursas are actually quite scary creatures, big and multi-legged, with sharp pincers, acid spit etc., and they can track you by the pheromones and chemicals you secrete when afraid.
They even make grisly scenes of death to frighten humans, such as hanging and impaling crewman up in trees, tearing apart a throng of baboons and leaving them in a gross bloody pile, and more. One Ursa kills Kitai's sister Senshi in front of his eyes at a very young age.
Kitai has a dream where he's talking to Senshi and she looks normal, but then as she yells at him to 'wake up', she turns away and turns back to reveal the side of her face gashed like when she was attacked by the Ursa. The moment she is killed is shown, but from a distance and not in detail.
The movie is rated PG-13 for sci-fi action violence and disturbing images.
One scene that gave me the heebijebees was a part where Kitai runs through a river and comes out to find a massive leech-like creature attached disgustingly to his hand, and it very nearly paralyzes him before he saves himself with a medical kit and fling the parasite off.
But maybe that's just me. I'm the guy who always checks myself coming out of bodies of water for leeches, so...Yucky!
Another part shows Cypher performing a fairly bloody medical procedure on his broken leg.
PART FOUR: RATING AND CONCLUSION
I give the movie three and a half or maybe, maybe four stars. It's worth seeing, it has a few thrills, scares and cool fights etc., but the often irritating quietness and the slowness of the beginning, along with the fairly poor dispersion of action and lack of dialogue, make it a movie I wouldn't watch over and over again. Just once all the way through and another time to skip to the final battle.
I hope you've enjoyed this review and found it helpful! Be sure to check out my other blog posts and watch for more coming in the days ahead!
Peace.
Mat~
Well, it's been a while since I posted any media reviews--that bothersome thing called 'life' distracted my attention for a bit, but I'm making up for that by posting not one but two movie reviews today, back to back, starting with one I saw two days ago, The Croods.
PART ONE: THE PLOT
Kill circle! Never, not, be, afraid!
Sloping foreheads, a stunning lack of curiosity and ideas, and bare feet: the Croods, a family of Cavemen barely surviving in a day in, day out exercise of hunting and fleeing back to the home cave.
There's Grug, the protective father and head of the family, Ugga, his wife, Thunk, their goofy son, Sandy, their tenacious, violent little girl, Gran, Grug's mother-in-law, and last but not least, Eep, their oldest daughter on the brink of womanhood.
Unlike the rest of her family, Eep has a little dangerous thing Grug calls 'curiosity'. Longing for something more than the dark and empty existence inside the home cave, Eep leaves it against her father's command and meets a handsome stranger, Guy, who serves only to intensify her curiosity.
But when their home cave is destroyed, the Croods find they need far more than their raw strength, and must rely on Guy to lead them to a mystical place called 'Tomorrow', far away through foreign terrain and countless obstacles to survive the coming end of the world.
PART TWO: THE REVIEW
I have to admit, when I saw the trailer for this movie, I was not interested--I thought it looked like some kind of weird Flintstones rehash.
But I was very wrong.
Reminiscent of the breathtaking animation and touching storytelling of How To Train Your Dragon,
The Croods far exceeded my expectations. I wish I could tell you what my favorite scene of the movie was, but that would be a spoiler, and obviously on this blog there are No Spoilers Allowed. But I can tell you the things I loved best about it.
As a huge ancient history reader, I've always wondered what it must have felt like to be that lonely caveman making paintings on stone walls, like Grug, or to be the man who led mankind to 'Tomorrow' like Guy. Both of those curiosities were aroused and then satisfied while watching this movie, and the rest was even better. Eep's wild, curious personality, Grug's over-protectiveness and lack of said curiosity, matched with Guy's personal agenda for innovation make for a fun ride! A wild lot, it's almost pointless to say it's hilarious watching how the Croods relate when stuck together in a dark cave or on a long, arduous trek across country, filled with deadly creatures, cute little pals (My two favorites are the multi-color saber tooth and Belt, Guy's sloth pal and, er...Belt) and a whole lot of adventure.
But despite their shortcomings, the Croods all show a very serious loyalty towards each other, working together to solve every problem that crosses their path and mostly enjoying each other's company along the way. Grug's instinctive and deep love for his family is shown over and over again, and more than once he puts his life on the line for his family. But ultimately it comes down to the classic triangle between father, daughter and boy, and from there stems the conflict keeping the story going and bringing The Croods to life.
PART THREE: CONTENT REPORT
The end of the world is nothing to be tampered with, and that is a pervasive overhanging threat in the story. Cataclysmic precursors of continental divide occur sporadically throughout the movie, including earthquakes, volcanic eruptions etc. and ultimately the divide itself. The Croods family wield weapons (of sorts) use traps (of sorts) and engage in battle with the potential meals they hunt, whacking and shoving each other to get at the prey. The violence in the movie is pretty tame, shown in a sort of cartoonish way (example, Grug gets smashed under a boulder and is totally fine afterward). Stories and oral retellings about death, real or fictional, occur, and the as aforesaid the characters face death time and again as the nearing catastrophe threatens their existence. One scene involves a flock of birds eating through land-whale meat like a chainsaw, though nothing is shown, and another shows the Croods accidentally catching fire to everything in sight.
PART FOUR: RATING AND CONCLUSION
I give it....Four and a half stars, shying from five only because of a few tiny cliches and cheesy lines. Other than that, I love the movie. Like I said, it feels a lot like How To Train Your Dragon, probably because it's the same creators, and that movie is WAY high up on my favorites/top ten list. My mom called it cute, and my dad laughed and liked it, so I think it's safe to say it's a good movie for all ages.
So if you're hesitating to see it because you think it looks like the Flintstones, think again, and go watch this movie.
Thou shalt like it, I do believe.
So until then,
Peace.
Matt~
Hi again! I JUST finished reading Halo: The Thursday War, the sequel to Halo: Glasslands, by Karen Traviss, so I thought it appropriate to write my review on it while it was still fresh on my mind. Before silly things like food distract my attention.
So, here's Halo: The Thursday War. Enjoy.
PART ONE: THE DESCRIPTION
Sangheilios threatened by civil war. Human colony worlds laying desolate, glassed by the very warring Sangheili who now must be stopped from rising again. The Forerunner Shield World Onyx-Trevelyan, a treasure trove of Forerunner technology is now being harvested and plugged into a high-security project called Infinity, a Human warship nearly six kilometers long that is only now reaching completion.
Admiral Margaret Parangosky, head of the Office of Naval Intelligence (ONI), is itching to test Infinity out for a Thursday War, an early practice session that will test the ship's combat capabilities on the Arbiter's enemies.
Meanwhile, black-ops team Kilo-Five, led by Parangosky's protégé Serin Osman, searches for their friend, civilian Professor Evan Phillips, on a Sangheilios ripping itself to pieces. Invited to Sangheilios by the Arbiter, Phillips has narrowly escaped a deadly encounter between the Arbiter's archenemy, Avu Med 'Telcam, and a Brute terrorist unit.
Saved from an enemy bullet only by the damaged AI BB's fragment chip, Phillips searches Forerunner artifacts and temples for anything pointing to remaining Halos, while outside the war between 'Telcam and the Arbiter explodes into action.
On an entirely different front, the terrorist Human colony of Venezia prepares for the perfect moment to strike a killing blow to Earth and the UNSC, allying with former alien soldiers and building up a supply of ships and weapons from the corners of the galaxy. And at the head of this terrorist nation is a man with an all-too-familiar name: Staffan Sentzke, father of Spartan Naomi-010.
Adding to the chaos threatening to consume the galaxy, held captive on the Shield World Onyx-Trevelyan, the Sangheili rebel Jul 'Mdama plots revenge on Humanity, and uncovers a Forerunner secret that could turn the tide forever.
PART TWO: THE REVIEW
Five things I learned about the Halo universe are:
>The motivations and events leading up to Jul 'Mdama's transformation of a simple Sangheili to the leader, 'The Didact's Hand' of the cultist Covenant Remnant present in Halo 4.
>A taste of what AI Rampancy is like, described by BB.
>The intentions and history of Dr. Catherine Halsey leading into Halo 4's story-lines, though she is only interacted with once in the book's duration.
>The backstory, creation and debut of the UNSC warship Infinity, and why it plays such an important role in Halo 4.
>More understanding of the Forerunners and the Huragok Engineers.
The book picks right up where its predecessor left off, carrying on the Human-Sangheili Arbiter-'Telcam wars, bringing them into further development, along with continuing the story of Naomi, the daughter of the terrorist leader Steffan Sentzke. Steffan resorted to terrorism as a vengeful move against the UNSC, who he rightly assumes kidnapped his daughter, cloned her and gave him the short-living clone back as a substitute, while his real daughter was turned into a super soldier.
Hence the reason why a lot of people hate the UNSC, Humans included.
As a good sequel should, Halo: The Thursday War brings more action and furthers the war between Humans and former Covenant factions. Whereas the first book has two or three small firefights, its sequel has several, bigger ones, including a shootout and a huge Sangheili vs. Sangheili siege taking place in the capitol of Sangheilios--Vadam Keep.
As with the first book, I enjoyed the well described battle scenes, well-developed characters, intricate, complicated plot lines all cleverly connected, and the deep style of writing. I was also happy with how it literally starts on the same day as the last chapter of the first book, leaving no empty space to figure out 'what happened here?'
I was also happy to finally see the story of Jul 'Mdama unfold in earnest this time around. The first book told his beginnings, but this sequel tells about his transformation from a concerned Sangheili warrior to a vengeance-thirsty hater-of-Humanity.
Another noteworthy change to the story is how Admiral Margaret Parangosky takes over the 'bad-to-the-bone old lady' role that Dr. Halsey primarily occupied in the first book, seeing things from her view and never seeing things through Halsey's even once. Parangosky is the true example of a sin-eater.
Guilty for the terrible things she's done or has had to do, she is no less determined to keep doing the dirty, behind-your-back tricks again and again for Humanity's dominance, not caring who she has to fire, execute, annihilate or imprison to achieve it. As much as I would not care to meet or know her if she was real, I have to admire her total self-confidence, determination and intelligence.
Though most of the other characters do have their own rough side, they all have their good side--particularly the members of Kilo-Five. Osman expresses remorse at having to do certain things, like destroy a ship from long range while hers is invisible, and also wonders if she is cut out for, or wants the title of Admiral, which she could very well inherit from Parangosky.
Vaz, despite looking like a Russian mobster and not giving a darn if every alien dropped dead, still has a tender, almost fatherly affection for Naomi, trying his best to help and comfort her as she comes to grips with the reality of her terrorist father.
Probably the best of the bunch, though, is Professor Evan Phillips. Clever smart-aleck personality aside, Phillips is the only character who shows any remorse or feeling for the deaths of Sangheili. He has spent much of his young life studying Sangheili language and culture, and now he is seeing it actively destroyed by the very people he has to work with. Reckless and quite the dare devil, Phillips shows deep concern for the damaged fragment of his AI friend BB, and tries to comfort him, while at the same time helping out Sangheili females keep other Sangheili warriors out of their keep. Like the others, he is willing to see the Sangheili die out, but unlike the others, he has no desire or taste for it.
Even Jul 'Mdama shows a bit of a good side, hating on Humans every step of the way, but worrying for his wife and children and trying with everything in him to return to them at the same time.
As with all of Karen Traviss' work, I enjoyed seeing the presentation of multiple viewpoints, angle and perspectives going on, along with the great character and story development, and the heightened sense of reality and threat pervasive in the book that keeps you hooked.
PART THREE: CONTENT REPORT
As with the previous book, Halo: The Thursday War has a great deal of language, ranging from d word to d word to g d word--leaving only the f bomb unused. There is a good bit of violence, more than the predecessor, including a shootout, a terrorist bomb strike, a long, bloody siege battle and several smaller firefights. Obviously because of explosions etc. People and aliens are blown up, dismembered or shot. Most of the Sangheili believe the Forerunners to be Gods. Vaz jokes to Naomi about a lady that was 'unfaithful' to him. One Human scientist creates a Genetically Modified crop that has the potential to wipe out Sangheilios, while Parangosky goes the more direct approach and blows Sangheili forces to smithereens with Infinity. Parangosky fires and imprisons a scientist for a mistake.
As is always the case with ONI, deception is used freely and dirty political tricks such as arms dealing to another side or controlling a war occur. I suggest the book for mid to late teens and adults. The author herself has said the books are not for kids, so as should always be the case, I recommend parents check into the book before letting their children read it.
PART FOUR: RATING AND CONCLUSION
Five stars. It's an exciting book with clever, funny or deadly characters, all well developed. There's loss, gain, defeat and victory, emotional struggle and the threat of more to come from both sides of the war that makes up the story and fills in the missing four years between Halo 3 and Halo 4. There are cool fights, complex political and military strategic maneuvers, and aliens.
As a Halo fan, I could not be more happy. Karen Traviss, my favorite author, making a trilogy about my favorite sci-fi universe=awesomeness. My only complaint is that I now have to wait until January of 2014 to read her next installment, 'Mortal Dictata'.
So do yourself a favor and read Halo: The Thursday War!
Until then, I hope you've enjoyed this fourth book review on No Spoilers Allowed!
Peace.
Matt~
As may be evident by the recent review I wrote on Karen Traviss' Halo: Glasslands, I'm a Halo fan. I started playing Halo games about five years ago or maybe a bit earlier, beginning and ending with Halo 2, until I was given an Xbox 360 and Halo 4 for Christmas last year. I've been playing it since then.
PART ONE: PLOT
"Wake up, John."
After four years adrift in cryo on the UNSC Forward Unto Dawn, the Master Chief, Spartan John-117, is awoken by Cortana, his Artificial Intelligence companion. Orbiting a giant Forerunner Shield World and being beamed by a high intensity sensor scan of unknown origin, Master Chief seeks answers, only to find a Covenant fleet standing between him and freedom.
Interrupting the fight, a gravity well from deep within the giant metal Shield World pulls the Dawn and the Covenant fleet crashing down onto its surface, the shipwrecked Chief and Cortana must find a way to return to Earth in hopes of stopping Cortana's Rampancy, the state of hyper-thinking that AI's go into before they ultimately die of it.
But when Master Chief unwittingly unleashes an ancient evil on the galaxy, he must choose between his loyalty to Humanity or his love for Cortana. And there isn't much time left....
PART TWO: THE REVIEW
I've always been a Halo fan. Even more so than with Star Wars, much to the chagrin of some of my friends. I started playing the games with Halo 2, a game my sisters, friends and I have spent countless hours playing from about 2008 to 2012.
The story has always been a fresh, new sci-fi tale, filled with brave Spartan super-soldiers, duty-bound Marines, the fanatically religious and genocidal Covenant, and the all-devouring parasite, the Flood. But Halo 4's story plot has completely knocked all the other games' plots out of the park.
Cortana is dying. She has been the Chief's only constant friend and companion through four games and longer, but now she is succumbing to Rampancy, the state in which AIs literally think themselves to death at the end of a seven year life span. Cortana is still trying to suppress Rampancy at eight years. But it's a losing battle, and she knows it.
In previous Halo games, Master Chief has always been a man of very few words and very little emotion, shown killing countless hordes of aliens and space zombies with scant remark. Granted, he is a genetically, physically and mentally augmented Human, kidnapped at the age of six and made into the ultimate killing machine, but we hardly know the guy. Until now.
When he learns of Cortana's Rampancy, a flood of emotional development unfolds. And when he has to choose between her and Humanity, even more so. Despite Cortana's advice: "Don't make a girl a promise you can't keep," Chief stops at nothing to return her to Earth, to Dr. Catherine Halsey, the woman who created her, and who alone can save her.
Chief and Cortana show deep feelings of friendship and loyalty towards each other throughout the game, but despite how most people talk about them being romantic, I don't feel like they are. First of all, Cortana is an AI (Not that that affects her personality). Second, they never profess love toward each other. The closest thing to an expression of love is a small moment when Cortana 'touches' Master Chief's chest armor.
So no, I don't think they LOVE each other, but I do think they (Lowercase) love each other, having been through so much together. And I like that better than a romance: two aging friends facing the threat of goodbye forever and fighting to stop it happening.
Anyway, I've never sympathized and been able to get into Master Chief or Cortana's heads better than now, and I am amazed by the incredible, emotional storytelling involved in a video game of all things.
The game controls will be familiar enough for any previous Halo players, with a few tiny tweaks.
Also, a great new element in the game are the new alien/robot enemies, called the Prometheans, who are both a unique and a tough new force to be reckoned with.
The Campaign/story mode is pretty short level-wise, featuring only eight levels in comparison to older Halo games that had up to fourteen levels, so it can get boring if you've played it as many times as me, but the cutscenes are amazing, and keep you immersed. I've beaten the story mode on the highest difficulty three times already, and I still like it.
The Multiplayer mode is another story. 343 Industries, the company newly made in charge of Halo's future, has changed the Multiplayer a good bit, and I'm not totally sold yet that it's for the better. Instead of all players starting with the same weapons and charging for the most powerful weapons on the map, 343 has set up a new Class based way to play, meaning everyone can start out with any weapon but a power weapon, which changes the former Arena Style Shooter feel dramatically--meaning they've made it more like Call of Duty, a Class Style Shooter.
Additions to gameplay such as Weapon Markers (marking weapon placements), Grenade Indicators (indicating a grenade coming at you), Armor Abilities (Jet pack, shield, etc.), Tactical and Support packages have very much changed the way Multiplayer plays. But playing against other players online or offline is still a lot of fun.
The game mode 'Spartan Ops', a smaller scale story mode taking place after Halo 4's events, is a great addition, adding more replay value to the game, allowing players to earn XP and level up their Spartan, along with getting to shoot a lot more aliens on the way. Unfortunately, to play online multiplayer or Spartan Ops, you need an Xbox Live Gold membership, which I sadly don't have as it costs some cash.
Players can still Forge (A Halo-exclusive map-editing game mode), and better and more efficiently than ever, with a larger Forge budget and larger selection of materials.
I would change some things about the game, mainly making the campaign longer and Spartan Ops available offline, but other than that, I really enjoy playing this game and hope to be able to play online soon.
PART THREE: CONTENT REPORT
There is a little language in the game, but the only words I've heard are the d, b and h word, the b word only used once and the others very occasionally, but the Marine troops can talk, too, and although I haven't heard them curse, there may be a few instances of them doing so.
When playing online Multiplayer, if you have an Xbox headset, you can hear and chat with other players, who often will curse a lot using every word in the vocabulary, or talk about inappropriate/offensive yucky stuff. Which is why I don't have a headset.
The game is a violent shooter game, rated M for Mature, and you spend its entirety shooting aliens and robots. There is blood: red from humans, blue, purple, orange or black from aliens, but it isn't exaggerated or splattered everywhere. It stays pretty tame.
Last and probably most concerning is the fact that the AI Cortana appears nude. Though there is no vivid physical detail, and she is a blue, glowing Artificial Intelligence, she stays looking rather short of clothing through the game. No characters react, remark or make note of her lack of clothing, not even Master Chief. You can avoid looking at her by skipping cutscenes with her in them, looking up, down or away when you insert her matrix chip into consoles, or walk around and find something else to shoot while she hacks the enemy ships' mainframes and all that lovely stuff that AIs do.
As it is an M rated game, suggesting players 17 and up, it would be a good idea for parents to preview the game before allowing their younger gamers to play it.
As is the case with all media.
PART FOUR: RATING AND CONCLUSION
I give the game four stars. I highly applaud the storytelling and the path 343 is taking the tale of Master Chief, and the gameplay is very fun. However, because of my iffiness about the new Class based Multiplayer and my frustration at not being able to play Spartan Ops offline, along with a short campaign and a bit less replay value, I'm giving it just four stars, for 'very good' not 'perfect'.
But despite that, I'm still playing the game almost a year after its release and having a great time with it. I strongly recommend it to sci-fi fans, familiar Halo fans, or gamers in general. It's fun, it's Master Chief and Cortana, and the graphics and story have had a HUGE facelift.
So go ahead and buy it--and tell me when you beat the Campaign on Legendary. 'Till then, my gamer tag is 'Headshothank117'. I'll see you on the virtual battlefield.
I've already written two blog posts about highly popular and well known franchises such as the Hobbit and Halo, but I don't want to restrict myself to popular media like those. Instead, today I'm going to review a much less known, small little book called The Boys of '76. I hope you enjoy!
PART ONE: THE DESCRIPTION
Alarm! Alarr---umm!
It's the warning of the Minute Man riding at top speed down the dirt road next to the home of Elijah, a young man with no former intention of joining the War of Independence. But when his father, an aging member of the Minute-Men moves to join the fight, Elijah takes on the responsibility for him and hurries to Concord with the other militia men, three among them being his young friends, Dodifer, Esek and Nicholas, who are there under similar circumstances.
Swept from one deadly fight to another, Elijah and his friends find themselves scattered across the Thirteen Colonies and fighting on nearly every front of the war for American Independence.
From Bunker Hill to Saratoga to Yorktown, this accurate account of the American Revolution captures in vivid detail the men, women, strategies and courage that echo over two hundred years later in a world changed by them forever.
PART TWO: THE REVIEW
Did I want to read another book on the American Revolution? No. I was thirteen and tired of reading about Paul Revere and George Washington. But did I and do I enjoy reading this book? Heck yes! The story begins on the day of the Battle of Concord, just after the massacre at Lexington, with a teenaged boy named Elijah who volunteers to take his aging father's place alongside the Minute-Men, and is quickly swept into a full out war with Great Britain that will challenge he and his friends, Esek, Dodifer and Nicholas to their limits.
The book focuses mainly on the battles and the war itself, spending minimal time with the characters and at some times departing from the characters altogether to explain an important battle that is affecting the course of the war elsewhere. However, I was still hooked enough by the colorful, exciting storytelling that even at thirteen I blazed through it and now read it every year on July 4th to get my 'Patriot' on. The book is very historically accurate and explains some battles and events that I still have never read explained elsewhere, such as the Battle of White Plains or the horrible massacre at Fort Griswold, which is the biggest example of violence in the book. Despite that, though, if you're like me and love the history of America and the Revolutionary War, you will love this book and learn a lot from it. And maybe you'll even be inspired to read more about the war, like I was. Charles Carleton Coffin explains the battles vividly and goes into detail about the strategic moves, positions and decisions that shaped the course of the war, but doesn't write it in a bland textbook form. The characters, Elijah, Esek, Nicholas and Dodifer are not extremely well developed--no more than they have to be, as they are just simple country boys who give heartfelt farewells to their families and enter the war, in it to win it. So again, if you're like me, and don't mind picking up your musket and charging bayonets for liberty, read it. You will not be disappointed. PART THREE: CONTENT REPORT There is at least one instance of cursing (Disperse, ye ---- Rebels), and the book is almost exclusively about the battles, highlighting brutal war violence (Not described gruesomely) throughout the duration. It retells the entire process of Benedict Arnold's betrayal, too, though I found that very interesting. Other than that, the book is flawless. PART FOUR: RATING AND CONCLUSION Twinkle, twinkle, twinkle, twinkle, twinkle. Five stars, all a-twinkling. Despite the occasional departing from the characters, I love this book and highly recommend it for its educational value and fun retelling. I would suggest it for early-late teens and up. So there you have it, The Boys of '76, written by Charles Carleton Coffin. If you've enjoyed this review and ONLY if you have, comment, share and follow No Spoilers Allowed for more media reviews! Peace. Matt~
