After a rough patch in the last few years of the X-men franchise the movies were looking like they were walking on a long dark path to nowhere. However, the minds at Marvel have been able to renew the series to its former glory by going back and telling the story of how it all started. In this film you get to see how the legendary X-Men began. The two main characters in this film are James McAvoy (Charles Xavier) and Michael Fassbender (Magneto). While Charles was brought up by a wealthy family and attended a well known college, Magneto (or Erik at the time) was a Jew struggling to survive in a Hitler ruled Germany. The film really helps you relate to the characters, even the “so called” villains. It shows you why Charles feels that it is right to save humanity and why a traumatized Erik has a distrust for those who aren’t the same as he. James McAvoy does a wonderful job of showing a young man who is thrown into a sea of responsibility and handles it extremely well. But the actor who really stole the show was Fassbender. The pain and pure hate in his eyes were some of the most genuine emotions shown on screen this year. Especially in a certain scene where he learns to use his powers without rage it makes him burst into tears of joy and is really quite touching. All of the supporting roles were filled in moderately well and X-Men fan boys should like the final product. Except for Beast’s appearance which doesn’t look that much like Beast at all. The mood in this movie tries to portray a time of uncertainty in America during the nuclear standoff with Russia. I am proud to say that it fulfills this mood adequately. Even though you don’t get to see much action of the mutants brawling it out with one another the emotional story of trying to slay inner-demons makes up for it. And while it may have the occasional “cheesy” scene you almost need to expect this going into a Marvel movie. X-Men is back and it produces much more than just another comic book summer blockbuster. It delivers a story that engulfs you and characters that you can genuinely relate with. That is what makes this movie the best in the franchise thus far.
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So I know that recently I haven’t posted any reviews whatsoever but that my friends is about to change. I have watched tons of movies over the summer and their reviews should be up soon. Thanks for bearing with me. Got a little discouraged for a while there but now I intend to stick with it.
Just when you thought that the Fast and Furious franchise had died and gone to summer blockbuster heaven it was resurrected for the fifth installment of the franchise. Some of the previous films in this series were unoriginal and poorly written. However, the “Fast Five” is a modestly well written film with a variety of action scenes that will blow your mind. Even though the story wont necessarily blow you away, the stunt scenes seem to make up for any blemishes in other areas. Vin Diesel does a pretty good job of being the tough but lovable oaf even though his acting skills are limited. Paul Walker is actually the best actor throughout the entire movie and his bride-to-be Jordana Brewster also does a fairly decent job in the role that she is in. Dwane Johnson or “The Rock” still doesnt impress and he actually tends to make this movie a little less believable. Even Ludacris seems to be a better actor than he is. Its quite obvious that the director Justin Lin poured a lot of money into the action sequences and it has seemed to pay off. The massive car chases are enjoyable and make you lose yourself in the moment. All in all this movie is a very well made summer thrill ride that isn’t just one of those movies that is only fun to watch with your friends. It is in itself a good movie.
No one was expecting much from this movie and it really lived up to its expectations. The actors were horrendous, the dialouge was cheesy, and the plot was uninspired. The whole movie just felt like an even worse “want-to-be” Twilight. If the large demographic of viewers were fourteen year old girls this movie would be a box-office hit. But from a film standpoint the whole movie just felt like it was made without any care for attention to detail.
Hope you guys like it!
Overview
The fighting genre is making a comback in the world of videogames. Marvel vs. Capcom is back in all its glory. It has been over a decade since we last saw heroes from Marvel duke it out with the characters of Capcom. But all the time thats been spent sitting comatose on the couch waiting for this sequel to come out was well worth it. The third installment of the franchise continues its legacy of a great fighting experience mixed with characters that you want to see in a fist fight together. Its flashy and cartoony art style really make players feel like they are back in the 90′s punching it out with their friends.
Story – 3
Not much can be said about the story in this game. The whole purpose of the first two games were just to create a lot of fun and memorable fighting moments. The same is with this game. Don’t be fooled by the rating that was given. Even though there practically is no story it doesn’t matter. This whole game is based around fast and energetic fighting sequences. Also it focuses a lot on the multiplayer sort of thing. If anyone comes into this game planning to have a deep storyline and characters that will touch your heart they probably have no idea about this franchise. There is arcade mode, training, offline versus, multiplayer online, and missions. The arcade is pretty short and not many characters can be unlocked but it still is fun everytime you go back to play it. The replay value on this game is unlimited.
Visuals – 10
Marvel vs. Capcom 3 really captures the style of the franchise in this game. With bright and mesmorizing colors, over exaggerated muscles, and a cartoonish look with deep shadows this game will make you smile. It almost feels like your reading a comic book the whole time the game is in the console. When players execute their hyper-combos colors blaze onto the scene. Every time a match is played it looks unique. The backgrounds in this game move around and look very natural behind the fighters. The particular map with the giant chicken should make everyone watching laugh out loud.
Audio – 9
From the music, dialouge, and the sounds of swords clashing, Marvel vs. Capcom 3 has a very unique tune to it. The music’s tempo is very upbeat and will get you in the mood for an epic beatdown. If you participate in training mode it even has the song from the character select menu in the second game. The dialouge in this game is funny and well timed. Characters will call out the name of their friends when switching in and out of the arena. The sounds of the gameplay in this installment are phenomenal. With all the action going on its hard to imagine how Capcom got all of the sounds to perfectly sync in with the actual fighting. Hyper combos will be music to your ears and the sound of gun-fire will make you want to punch a small woodland creature.
Gameplay – 10
This game runs smoother than any fighting game in the history of the world. Yes thats right, even smoothe than Super Street Fighter 4. Combos are easy to execute, players can call in teammates for mid-air switches and those hyper combos will have you begging for more. The previous game had problems with button mashers before but somehow Capcom did something amazing. Button mashers will have a fun time in this game but experienced players will be rewarded. A button masher can get through the story mode on his or her own but when they go online they will stand little to no chance against the players who know how to use their combos. This is a great improvement of the second one. The multiplayer is phenomenal. Besides some problems with the match-malking, it is truly an amazing experience. Players can level up and gain new avatars and titles, a type of online very similar to Modern Warfare 2. Previously stated, this games replay value is through the roof. This wont be a “play through one time and then go straight to trade it” in sort of game. Players will constantly want to learn new combos and play with their friends online.
Conclusion
Marvel vs. Capcom 3 has really set the quota for the fighting games that are set to release later this year. With some of the smoothest gameplay available, it truly lives up to the potential. The art-style and sound of the game really display what the developers were pushing for. A fun game that you could online with friends. That is where this game succeeds. Playing an online fighting game has never been this addictive and people will continue to play this game, just like its predecessor , until the next installment comes out. The only lackluster part to this game is the story. But its hard to complain when the focus of the game was the replay value. However, if the story had been strong this game would have easily been a can’t miss. If you have online and are looking for a fun experience, then Marvel vs. Capcom 3 is the game for you.
“Stacking” is a charming puzzle game that is completely unique and extremely fun. Players will take control of Charlie Blackmore and the whole plot is that you have to rescue your family from an evil Baron. Not very outstanding right? Well what “Stacking loses in its story it makes up for in its visuals. The whole game is set up like an old silent movie. The dolls are very carefully designed and painted. Each doll looks special and that is why this game is so great. The puzzles are fun as well. However, sometimes the puzzles seem to easy and sometimes the puzzles are nearly impossible. Altogether, “Stacking” might already be a candidate for downloadable game of the year.
“Joe Danger” is a well made game that will leave you banging your head on the table for hours but at the same time keep audiences coming back again and again for more. Joe is a stuntman who is making his return to the buisiness. You have to control him and his motorcycle to help him get back to his former glory. This game plays like a charm. The controls are tight, in a good way, and they play like a charm. No one will ever feel frustrated with the controls while they are playing this game. However, players will be frustrated with the horrific difficulty. “Joe Danger” isnt just a racing game, each stage has many different challenges to accomplish. These challenges include : hit all the targets, time trials, collect all the stars, and collect the letters to spell D-A-N-G-E-R. Players dont have to complete every challenge to go to the next round but if you want additional points or just the satisfaction of completing every challenge on a level you will have to retry the level several different times. The visuals are cute and cuddly and the music is nice and quirky. It is a huge reminder of the NES days. “Joe Danger” is a game that is definitely worth $14.99 and a game every PS3 owner should take a look at.
For what the “Green Hornet” loses from its weak plot line and cheezy action sequences, it makes up for in laughs and overall charm. Even though this movie is a remake of a classic television show, it has a certain uniqueness to it. Other comedies these days follow a methodical code of joke, dilema, joke. That makes them seem mediocre at best. The “Green Hornet” seems to follow this path to a point but also has many detours that make it seem like an original concept. Seth Rogen is purely Seth Rogen. He seems to just be acting like himself in this movie. But if you enjoy his style and his humor, this movie will make you laugh out loud. Jay Chou is a good sidekick in the movie and as an actor. Christopher Waltz does a good job of portraying a thug having a mid-life crisis. Cameron Diaz could have been completely taken out of the film and no one would have noticed any difference. The plot is simple and quite boring. It wont have any audiences on the tip of their toes in anxiety but as shown in modern comedies, the plot always seems to be irrelevant. The action in this movie is over the top and really quite phenomenal. This is the difference from the “Green Hornet” and a movie like “Dinner for Shmucks”. At least in this movie there is some action in between the jokes. Overall this movie feels very similar to a summer blockbuster. The laughs are pretty decent and the action will keep you interested where as the plot won’t.
Here is the link to the Mass Effect 2 video review.
