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An error has ocurred. Please try againI would split the series into 4 movie parts, Part 1 would end with Maes Hughes Death Part 2 would end with the Discovery of Homonculi Part 3 would end with Sloth's attack on the Wall Part 4 would end with the Final Battle (mirroring the seasons of the show with varying degree.
Reviews
Terminus (2020)
DIRECTOR REVIEW
This and my other films iDream and LATHER. RINSE. REPEAT. Are my attempts at more improvisational work. Terminus we wanted to have that hallmark movie feel, with longer takes and locked off wide shots.
Circuit Phreaks (2019)
DIIRECTOR REVIEW
I give my own movies ten stars just so they look good, no one in the industry reads these reviews. This was my first attempt at a cinematic look, and I'm really happy with how that turned out.
Scales (2016)
DIRECTOR REVIEW
This was my first ever short film, so I have to give it a ten as the director. I really enjoyed getting into this movie, and it's led me to my first feature length production!
Mad Max (2015)
Can an ending ruin a game?
I have been excited for this game for a while. It's actually a big reason behind my PS4 purchase (besides Arkham Knight and Kingdom Hearts III), so I want antsy to get home and pop this bad boy into the disco drive.
Positives;
Gameplay - This game isn't fluid at first by any means, but I called upon previous gaming experience to adapt quickly. Seeing as the game is about adaption, perhaps that was the intended plan. Burnout III was all I needed to recall to get the hang of "Offensive Driving Maneuvers" in vehicle combat. The Batman gaming franchise had trained me well for the fighting (it uses the same engine), but it didn't prepare me for the brutality. Coming from batman games, I was use to bone snapping, but careful consideration for human life. Max says "F*ck human life" and eviscerates his adversaries. Grand theft auto has taught me not to become overwhelmed by large maps, the story will take you through all of it in time. The initial area you are dropped into is the same size as the desert in GTA V. And it's a drop in the bucket compared to the rest of the map that you unlock.
Story- The initial first 2/3's of the game creep by slowly. Tons of driving, fighting, and exploding, but not much as far as exposition goes. Like most Mad Max stories, we're introduced to the world abruptly and forced to figure things out for ourselves. Once you've worked you way up to your first car and stronghold though, the story dries out like the desert you're surviving. I had explored half the map and done most of the side missions for the first two strongholds before I even ventured near Gastown. However, I was glad I did, because the northern half of the map is unforgiving and relentless. Once there, the story picks back up and doesn't let up til the very end. At first I thought maybe the game maker didn't have enough plot so they spread it thin, but then i realized; this game wouldn't be nearly as fulfilling if you didn't have to brave the wasteland, walk for miles to find gas or shelter when you didn't plan well and run out, or die fighting your way into an enemy camp. By the time you come the final acts of the game, you feel like a weathered warrior.
Negatives;
Gameplay - In game mission markers are not well done. Sometimes the activate, sometimes they don't, sometimes they move and don't tell you. The map system can be a joke at times; good luck looking for mission markers the size of pencil erasers on a map the size of Pennsylvania. There's no way to jump to current mission markers, it's just a hunt and peck type mapping system that can drive you crazy. There are some sound issues as well, one I had happen pretty often was the dropping of certain sound layers. Sometimes the music would drop out, sometimes it was just the car sound effects that would mute. Chumbucket (faithful companion and mechanic) has little quips in game that sometimes wouldn't activate, and then would all catch up and be spoken in succession. Maybe that was just me, but it happened enough for me to learn to quit the game and restart to fix it.
Story - My only real issues with the story were at the end. The characters would tend to be a little flat and stereotypical of dystopian settings, but I could look past that. Opportunities for good exposition into Max were glossed over, replaced with bipolar helpfulness-to-gruffness transitions without rhyme or reason. I could even look past that, but the real kicker for me was the ending. SPOILER: You beat Scrotus with two thunderpoon hits. That's it. By the time you've brawled your way through thousands of war boys and bosses, the final boss is defeated with two measly hits. You don't even get to punch him. Maybe it's because I was raised on increasingly difficult arcade bosses that glowed red with a good hit, but I was expecting more. Maybe they wanted you to feel hollow in your revenge victory to really pull you into the emotion of the game. If that's the case, they failed on my part. I spent the next 5 minutes into the credits going "is that really it?" over and over in disbelief to my TV. I need harder bosses.
All in all, I was satisfied with this game. There is lots to be learned and improved on, but that just means further installments will be that much sweeter!
Fantastic Four (2015)
If you're out for blood...
I had a free movie ticket to use last night, and while I was not going to use it on Pixels or Vacation, my other options were to see Ant- man again, or see Fantastic 4. I've been perusing the boards on IMDb and I've seen nothing but malice; but it was free. I went into the theater expecting to see something as bad as X-men 3 or Ghost Rider, or god forbid, something worse than the first 2 F4 movies. When I left the theater, I left angry. I wasn't angry at the movie, and I wasn't angry at Hollywood. I was angry at you.
And I get it! Everyone has a chip on their shoulder because Hollywood is pumping out either EPIC blockbusters, nonsensical indie movies, or absolute pig swill. Pixels was a last straw; the beginning of the new era where everyone isn't just a critic, but a legitimate movie reviewer. Pixels was torn to shreds, and there is still blood in the water. F4 was sadly wading in the pool when it all went down, and has been blasted for no GOOD reason. I believe this film is the sad casualty of the mob mentality of the average Joe. You didn't understand what the movie was shooting for, and therefore couldn't see it for what it was.
This movie is NOT: The Avengers. Or really any super hero film that has come out in the last two decades. The CGI effects are 90% amazing. There were a few shots of the Thing and Reed that were a little less than perfect, but I'll allow that blame to fall on executive rushing.
This movie is NOT: A huge budget action flick. It's not self aware like Deadpool, it's not drummed up with anticipation like Avengers, it's not a Shakespearean trip to Asgard.
This movie IS: A new idea for hero flicks. It finely walks the line between the realism of The Dark Knight, and the Sci-fi nature of the source material. I thought it walked the line very well. There are sci-fi horror-esque scenes that help you feel the real fear in the 4. There are balls out action scenes where the thing is tearing apart a small army (This scene shouldn't have been reduced to a TV viewing screen, probably a Trank scene that Fox cut for no good reason). The over all tone is Super 8 meets the X-men.
Did you want a huge movie? Sorry there bub, this isn't for you. Did you want to be catered with easy to swallow cheesiness and shallow dialogue? Probably not your cup of tea either. If you wanted a movie that acts as a great launchpad for future explorations into space, our messed up military, REAL science fiction, and more than just a popcorn flick, this is for you. If you wanted a movie that didn't HAVE to be huge to be fun, didn't HAVE to be ultra real to be believable, and actually has the ability to save some of the hugeness to bank later, this is the one for you. The characters are REAL. The villain isn't over the top and laughable. Reed learns his place and has DIMENSION. You actually feel sorry for the Thing instead of wishing you could be made of rock. Human torch is ACTUALLY hot headed, not just wise cracking and sexy. Sue Storm plays a REAL introvert, not someone flower just waiting to bloom.
Trank took an odd route and made a smaller movie, in hopes to get bigger and bigger with each sequel, and you pooped all over him for having the balls to go small. I really liked this movie for being what it set out to be; 4 scared kids gain powers they can't quite control, get exploited by our government and learn how to be a team in a real world with real consequences.
This movie lands above the middle for Marvel movies. There have been A lot worse (Looking at you Iron Man 2-3) and there have been better (Winter Soldier was rad as hell). Hopefully the world comes to it's senses before we don't get another sequel, Galactus can be redeemed on the silver screen, and we can maybe in the next decade get an Onslaught movie.