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Reviews
House on Haunted Hill (1999)
Not too good, but good enough.
House on Haunted Hill is unfortunately about as obvious as its title. While it certainly has a few good tricks, there's really not much of value as things quickly turn from witty thrills to a standard slasher flick. The show's detailed setup amounts to almost nothing fairly quickly, and seems like a waste of time.
The first of many mistakes with this film is ghosts changing the information in Price's painfully simple guest list early in the show. Corny barely describes it as we watch the cursor move across the screen in his word processor and the words retype themselves. Very old Internet hacking ghosts, that work in real time on the screen. No technical knowledge: check.
The next big problem is the films quick reliance on blood, torture, screams and CGI to pull it's horror. Rather than go for the witty scare at it does quite well during the initial theme park scene, things fall into the standard gore fest for much of the film. There's enough gore that after I had watched it, I wished I hadn't. I still get a slight queezy feeling in my stomach just thinking about it. Personally, I don't find torture and buckets of blood good film making or entertaining.
Despite the flaws, there's a halfway decent action/horror movie in here, and a few witty scenes. If you watch it with the right atmosphere it can be mildly scary and unnerving. More just for the sheer amount of gore than for any real scares though. It's far from a movie I'd buy, but it's probably worth watching once if your a fan of such films.
A Knight's Tale (2001)
Pure fun, if you know how to have fun.
A Knight's Tale is what you get when you cross underdog sports drama, comedy, medieval knights, and a healthy dose of Gen X attitude. William Thatcher is a nobody, son of a peasant, fascinated with knights. When the knight he's serving dies before the final round of a joust, William takes a chance and assumes his identity.
The show wastes no time whatsoever getting straight to the fun stuff. The above paragraph is the very first thing you'll see in the movie, and the very next is the movie's first joust set to Queen's We Will Rock You. The twist here isn't just a cheap soundtrack, but the fact that it's interwoven into the movie itself. The jousting audience is more of a football crowd, clapping along to the legendary beat and having fun. The herald trumpet players are even shown to belt a few notes, while the guards step along.
The best example I can think of this previously is Robin Hood: Men in Tights. A Knight's Tale takes it one step farther however by taking it all very seriously. By the end of the show you could almost believe it. Heralds that sound more like boxing announcers, armor with famous looking logos, ultra modern hair and outfits, and even an amazing dance sequence that blends classical with modern set to David Bowie. It's a highlight of the movie and worth watching just for that scene alone.
The best thing I can say about A Knight's Tale is how real it all is, despite it's theme. The modern aspects are blended into the events with real tact, the comedy is honestly funny, and the drama is in no way cheapened by the lightheartedness. It's not exactly Oscar material, but the show has a few honestly dramatic and heart touching moments that are go over extremely well to anyone but scoffing critics.
If you've ever had even a slight fascination with Knights and the joust, give this a watch. It's a great movie filled with all the fun and wit one could ask for. The Gen X attitude may seem like a gimmick, but if you're as tired as I am of lame actors speaking in extremely poor old English, this movie is for you.
EDtv (1999)
Worst take possible of the Truman Show
From the very start, this film tries to convince the viewer that this is a horrible idea and should never be made. It's happens to be the only thing the show ever manages to get right. Edtv is nothing but shallow, boring, rude comedy. If watching an unshaven loser in sweatpants scratch himself, sit on the john, and clip his toenails is what you consider good film making, well then you're in luck.
From the family in tanktops gathered round with ol' uncle Ben arguing and eating KFC, to the useless girlfriend who hates herself and loves her boyfriend's brother, this movie is so painfully stereotypical it's just insulting. The 'romance' boils down to a drunk idiot crying about her obsession with obvious jerks while the hero pats her back and tells her how perfect she is, at least until she'll finally sleep with him.
There's not one joke, not one concept that I found to make this movie worth even a half hour of your time. The only way I could possibly recommend this movie is if you consider Jerry Springer to be the best television show ever made. And sadly, that's exactly what this movie relies on, the Jerry Springer effect. It even demonstrates in the movie as the show is so awful, the mindless masses zone out and follow along all day, forgetting about their lives. The Truman Show may be the best example of this concept, but Edtv is easily the worst. There's just no reason for this movie to have been made.
Twelve Monkeys (1995)
Over rated, and far too hyper.
Twelve Monkeys tries to be an interesting movie, and it does have a few sound concepts, but overall this movie is just plain annoying. Every last part of this screams low budget, poor acting, and cheap plot. Vastly over rated by it's fans, it explains it's plot in such detail nearly anyone can understand it and feel good.
The first half of this movie is an absolute mess. Willis spends much of the first half drooling on himself, while Pitt rambles for hours on end with horrible acting. Throw in some random screaming insanity every few seconds, and you have the first hour of this movie. The worst part is the movie tries to capture a sense of desperateness, which amounts to nothing but people screaming at the top of their lungs at each other for long stretches of time. This movie is annoying, noisy, shallow, and way too hyper.
The second half of the movie does actually manage to work out a few interesting concepts, but it's far too little and far too late to save it. Note that I don't say the second half of the movie is good, because it isn't. Tacky wardrobe, cheap locations, bad camera angles and dramatic fuzzy scenes only make the movie that much worse.
This one isn't even worth watching on cable, save your time and spare yourself the hassle of listening to Pitt ramble and Willis try to be dramatic. If your idea of the future is plastic wrap jumpsuits, lame camera angles, and stock footage of animals in places and climates they'd never survive however, then go for it.
Hulk (2003)
Just like the Bad Old Days
Remember not so long ago, when almost every comic book turned movie was cringed at? The only people who would dare see them without plenty of reassurance would be the die hard comic fans, who would love the movie no matter what? Well sadly, The Hulk is a big step backward from recent releases and takes the genre back to those very days.
The acting and story are extremely over the top. What's worse is all seems like it's in the wrong dang movie. If a very few select scenes were removed, you'd be hard pressed to even call this sci-fi much less The Hulk. It's yet another pseudo-intellectual flick trying to be more than it is and failing miserably. I'm so sick of movies using cheesy editing and over the top acting and dialog to beg the audience to believe it's saying something intelligent. Intelligence doesn't require gimmicks.
Hulk is by far too nice and friendly to be the Hulk. In one scene, he's peacefully sitting in the desert looking at flowers. No rage, no anger, nothing. Yet, he's still Hulk. The only good CGI scene in this entire flick is a helicopter battle in the desert. Sadly, even that's pretty much ruined by constant cries of "I'm okay!!" over the radio so our Hulk stays a good boy.
This entire movie is cliché rips from anything and everything, but barely including the comic in that list. The stereotypical General, the genius criminal without access to a comb in his life, the vanilla hero, even the nosy won't shut the heck up girlfriend. If this obsessive daddy's girl could mind her own freaking business for a half a millisecond, maybe Hulk boy wouldn't be so stressed!
- Rirath_com
Serial Experiments Lain (1998)
Masterpiece of Anime and Animation
Lain is by far one of my favorite animes of all time. The story is deep, well thought out, and very entertaining throughout. The characters develop perfectly, the atmosphere is incredible, and the story is flawless. Some of the story is left slightly open ended, leaving the viewer to fill in his or her own conclusions.
Tech heads will relate to this story effortlessly. The Wired is easily a souped up version of our own Internet, and the history isn't outrageously far from our own and well explained. The parallels between our world and this fictional world really make things interesting. This series really hits a sweet spot for sci-fi technological dramas.
Every anime fan should see this series, but be prepared for a brain twister. I've watched it a good five times and I can honestly say I still find new tidbits of the story every time. You just can't sit back and put your brain on cruise control; You must make an effort to follow the story or it will leave you mercilessly lost and confused.
And remember folks, this is fiction. You have to be willing to suspend belief a few times and accept the universe of the work at hand. Those unwilling or unable to do this, need not apply. Think of it as a deep mystery novel. Even when following the concrete parts of the story with great attention, there's enough misdirection to leave you wondering what if... and that's half the fun.
If you simply can't accept that the story isn't handed to you neatly gift wrapped, and that you may have to fill in the details from your own imagination, then go watch a simpler anime. This isn't for you. If you like the confusing story of animes like Neon Genesis Evangelion, or Boogiepop Phantom then you'll love this. If you live and breath technology, you'll only love it that much more. All in all, this is a masterpiece of animation.
- Rirath_com
Puni Puni Poemi (2001)
Solid if short comedy
It's pointless, it's random, it's rude and crude, and it's a spinoff of Excel Saga. You've got to love it. The jokes are as random as they can possibly be and that's half the fun. The other half is the great fan service and plenty of it. Most of the fan service is even funny to boot.
Being only two episodes though, it doesn't really have time to become anything more than a quick laugh. Don't expect Excel Saga's great story and you'll have a great time and a lot of laughs. Puni Puni is even more random and has far more fan service than Excel Saga. The jokes are pretty much spot on for Excel Saga fans, but non fans will dislike this one even more.
- Rirath_com
Onegai Teacher (2002)
Good but just not great
Onegai Teacher is a pretty good anime, but it falls short from being anything more. If you're not expecting a masterpiece, it can be quite entertaining really. There's a good amount of humor and some fun characters to follow. The story is rather weak, but it's good enough.
The relationship between Mizuho and Kei just never seems to click. It never seems to stop being awkward, and that's really ashame. I just can't agree with some of the "choices" made in the series, and I know anyone in that position would not choose the path in this series. It feels stretched with no explanation of why. Mizuho makes even less sense in this fashion. I'm being quite vague, but I don't want to spoil things.
Frankly I think they just tried way too hard. Just when you think things might finally get on track, they're jerked back again and without warning, things take a sharp left turn. It barrows far too much from series like Ah! My Goddess and does a rather poor job at it. Even the name bugs me... Onegai Teacher? Couldn't they at least call it "Onegai Sensei"?
This isn't a series I'd recommend, as hard as that is for me to say about any anime. If you've watched all the other recent animes and you need something new, go for it. Otherwise, skip it. It's not horrible, in fact I had a rather good time watching it. Personally, I believe there's just better animes out there to choose from. Other folks have loved this anime though, so it's all a matter of personal preference.
- Rirath_com
Metroid Fusion (2002)
A Metroid Fan's Dream
Samus starts the game without most of her abilities, but regains most of them and several new tricks throughout the game. Some are simple but well though out, like the ability to automatically grab ledges and pull yourself up. Other abilities are newer and cooler, like charging freeze missiles that freeze a room at a time.
The difficulty of the game is pretty much spot on. Early in the game things will flow smoothly, not too tough and not too easy. As the game progresses though, the challenges get harder and harder until things really heat up. By the end of the game, you'll be fighting for your life. Unlike previous Metroid adventures, you won't be running around aimlessly this time. You'll almost always have a near complete map, and an idea where to go thanks to your new AI commander.
The downside to this however is it severely shortens the game's length. I finished the game my first time through in about 4:33 play time. That translates to a few days counting replaying saves, breaks, and such. It's not a very long game. A casual player would probably take a week or maybe two at the most to finish the game. A hardcore player could do it in a day if they really wanted to.
- Rirath_com
Dumb and Dumberer: When Harry Met Lloyd (2003)
Might be a sleeper hit
Many folks are going to hate this movie with a passion, but they'll be the ones missing out. I fully expected Dumb and Dumberer to be a bomb, but man was I surprised. The guys playing Harry and Lloyd are not only perfect, but they've got a hilarious supporting cast as well.
Every member of the "Special Needs" class is quite a laugh. The scenes where they're all together had me rolling. Even the store clerk is a good laugh. Though, of course the stars of the show are Eric Christian Olsen as Lloyd Christmas and Derek Richardson as Harry Dunne. Playing a young Jeff Daniels and Jim Carrey in his prime is an insane challenge, but they pull it off flawlessly.
The only flaw in this otherwise hilarious movie is the entire Principal scamming money plot. Not only is it dull, but Cheri Oteri and Eugene Levy are absolutely horrible. Not one scene of theirs is even slightly funny. Cheri Oteri is just yet another no talent SNL'er who's popular for no good reason. Thankfully they get very little screen time.
If not for the lame Principal plot and acting, this would be a five. Don't let that stop you though, everyone else in the film turns in a terrific performance. This is the most I've laughed at a movie in quite a long time; It's more than worthy of the Dumb and Dumber title.
- Rirath_com
Jet Set Radio (2000)
Nice Style
If you like good music, good fun, and a good challenge, it's hard to go wrong with Jet Grind Radio. It's fast paced, unique and very hard to put down. The first thing that will grab you is the style of the game. The graphics are very nicely cel shaded and the music will keep you jamming along nodding your head. The music isn't all golden, but for the most part, it's cool.
The gameplay is rather simple but very fun. Skate around, find red arrows, spray paint your tag. All the while avoid cops, tear gas, dogs, even missile launching helicopters. It's hard and frustrating at times, but it's oh so worth it. You'll keep coming back for more and more.
The game stands up to repeat plays, and the style never wears thin. The story is entertaining and well told by DJ K. Unlike so many games where the story between levels is the dull part, you'll be jamming along with DJ K all the way through. It's quite hard not to be brought into the Jet Set Radio universe. It's very well done.
- Rirath_com
Metroid Prime (2002)
Perfect
Prime is not actually a FPS, despite how it looks. It's not Halo, it's not even Half Life. It shares more with Zelda 64, in fact. What I mean is that most all fighting is done via a lock on system. The game is far more based on adventure, strategy, and tactics. It's not based at all on aim, and very little on reflexes. It feels exactly like the Metroid series should.
The graphics are incredible, the best on the Gamecube to date. It's hard not to be amazed when you jump out of a lake and water streams down the front of Samus's visor. The first time you try the Thermal visor or the X-ray visor, you'll be thrown for a loop. It's simply stunning. The bosses are incredible looking, and the game never skips a beat. Loading is done seamlessly as you move through the map, so you'll never see a loading bar even once.
Samus has some new abilities that both help the story along, and make perfect sense for a bounty hunter of her skill and experience. Using your visor, you can scan computers or other electronics and the power suit will hack any security in no time flat. This is used for everything from opening force fields, and shutting down turret guns. Best of all is hacking computers to read messages and files and figure out what the heck is going on. The visor scans other items in the same fashion. It will translate carvings in walls, scan weaknesses in structures, scan enemies for weaknesses, and just about anything else you come across.
All in all, this game in unmatched on the Gamecube. It's by far the best Gamecube game today, and possibly the best Metroid game to date. You'll be amazed. The game is roughly 20 some game hours, which translates into 30 some real world hours. A dedicated player can beat it in a week, but a casual gamer could play for a month. If you replayed the old Metroids, you'll probably replay this. If not, you probably won't reply this one either. But either way you'll have one amazing trip from the title screen to the ending sequence.
- Rirath_com
Bruce Almighty (2003)
Falls short
I didn't expect much from this film, and sadly that's exactly what I got. The entire movie borders on boredom, saved only by Carrey, Freeman, and Carell. Without these three, this movie would be a total and utter bomb. Aniston, popular for no good reason, is as poor as ever.
It's not a total waste though. There's some good jokes along the way that'll at least give you a chuckle. The love story is as horribly bland as Episode 2, but it's not so bad you can't get through it. As for the special effects... I haven't seen stop motion so obvious since the early 80's of film. It's just pathetic how obvious it is, though in a scene or two Carrey manages to make it funny. All in all, wait for the DVD and rent it for the 3 big names.
- Rirath_com
Tears of the Sun (2003)
Too Sentimental
Tears of the Sun just isn't my type of movie, but it's not all bad either. I'd rank it slightly above Black Hawk Down. Honestly, I was hoping for more action. This movie is rather slow paced with lots of "emotion" tossed in. It takes an otherwise entertaining action flick downhill, in my opinion.
Things aren't all bad though. There's some great action mixed in between all the sappy parts, and nearly all the the actors playing the US soldiers give a great performance. The ironic thing is, most of the characters seem just as annoyed at the slow pace and sappy nature of it all as I did, which made it that much more tolerable.
- Rirath_com
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City (2002)
Keeps up the fun
(This review refers to the PC port.) This game is a much needed breath of fresh air. It's incredibly fun, and like Grand Theft Auto 3, it's very easy to pick up and play. You can easily play this game for hours on end, but you don't hours to be able to play. From the moment you start, it's seamless to start doing your thing and simply have fun.
The missions are quite fun. They're better than before, cooler, and just plain entertaining. I thought not being the nameless thug would be annoying, but it's better than ever. The story is perfect for a game of this type, and the game's atmosphere is flawless. Don't be surprised if you find a love for 80's music after playing this game.
The only downsides are like GTA3, there's bugs left in that really should have been taken care of. Also, it's rather obvious it's a PS2 port as the game's memory is rather short. You can clearly see a car coming, turn around so it's out of sight, and poof... gone. "Out of sight, out of mind." And like GTA3, after awhile the fun may wear thin and things may get repetitive depending on your tastes.
- Rirath_com
Final Destination 2 (2003)
Solid fun.
Despite all the bad reviews, I highly enjoyed this flick. If you're willing to just kick back and have a good time, this is one enjoyable movie. The acting is good, the special effects are incredible, and the plot is actually above average.
Like Final Destination before it, this is a more creative horror film. It's not a hack and slash, but more a dark comedy of sorts. The fun of this film comes not from the events leading to death, but death itself. Luckily there's a large cast and the inbetween time is quite enjoyable.
The scene that puts this movie over the top however, comes right at the start. Just like FD's plane explosion, it sets the pace for the entire movie. FD2's highway scene is simply an amazing event. It's jaw dropping, it's gruesome, and it's fun.
They thankfully went for a strong R rating, and didn't shy away from getting really gruesome. They also threw in biker babe who briefly flashes early in the film, which probably should have been left out. Otherwise though, the suspense to gore ratio is just about right.
- Rirath_com
Star Wars: Rogue Squadron II - Rogue Leader (2001)
Quite flawed
Rogue Leader was the first game I played for the Nintendo Gamecube. Sadly, it was a poor choice. I own the original Rogue Squadron and I really enjoy the game, so I figured this would be a great first rental. Right from the start though, I was disappointed.
Being new to the Gamecube, I hit the training mission. I figured I'd learn about all the cool abilities of the various crafts and how to best fight the Empire. Instead, I'm "treated" to a empty field with random training icons floating. Most are completely useless, such as "press A to fire. Good Job!!" A few are truly retarted. "You found a Jabba's Palace. GOOD JOB!!". If I had that computer tell me 'good job' just one more time... I would have thrown my controller down right then and there. So, annoyed, I quit and headed for the first mission...
Without any good explanation or reason, I'm suddenly fighting above the Death Star. Lasers are shooting everywhere, tie's are flying in every possible direction, and my wingmen are screaming at me for leadership. I liked it. I quickly pull up the targeting computer and take down a few ties. Then I order my wingmen to do the same, and set upon the mission's goals. It was a great mission, but random.
Next mission, I'm in an asteroid field. How on earth did I get here? No. never mind... it looks gorgeous, who cares. I'm blasting stuff, having a unconvinced but good time. Sadly, this doesn't last until mission 3. By mission 3 I'm bored, the gorgeous graphics die down to just standard locations, and the missions are very tedious. By the later levels, it was so easy to mess up a small detail and have to start over I said forget it, no more.
- Rirath_com
Golden Boy: Sasurai no o-benkyô yarô (1995)
Solid comedy
Believe me when I say this show is just plain hilarious. The basic story is about Kintaro Oe who travels from town to town taking part time jobs, chasing women, and learning all he can about life. Kintaro has to be one of the easiest to relate to characters ever made. He takes everything to the extreme, and it's just laugh out loud funny every time. From his constant never ending quest to study life, to tiny things he instantly blows up into life or death matters.
One of the funniest things about this show is simply Kintaro's constantly extremely over the top expressions and reactions. He spends a great amount of time in various super deformed modes like Dragon Half or Trigun. Other times in less then 0.1 seconds his face will turn not just serious, but manga-fighter-style life or death expressions like a weight lifter trying to benchpress a new record. It's hilarious.
If that wasn't enough, the writing is superb and the english voice acting couldn't possibly be better. Kintaro's English VA is just perfect and will have you rolling around when he's not even really saying anything. The one thing to mention though is this is without a doubt an Ecchi series. It practically defines the word. If you're an adult anime fan who can get a laugh out of movies like American Pie, you'll love this.
- Rirath_com
Wrong Turn (2003)
A solid standard horror flick
Quite simply, Wrong Turn is a pretty standard horror flick. It doesn't break new ground, or strive to bend the genre... but really, that's not such a bad thing. It's been a long time since the last quality "standard" horror flick. And in that respect, Wrong Turn delivers with a solid show.
Unlike so many other movies, this movie doesn't just try to creep you out; It tries to scare the snot out of you half the time and make you squirm and hide your eyes the other half. This one ain't for the gore shy, there's plenty of hacking and slashing going on. The gore level is almost shocking compared to recent movies though there's no nudity to be found. At least two scenes begged for it, but oh well.
The problem with most movies like this isn't that they're forgettable, it's that the acting is so horrible you can't enjoy them. I'm glad to say this movie has solid acting, a good enough plot, a fast pace, and a great cast. It's still largely forgettable, but you'll enjoy it while it lasts. And really, that's more than enough for me.
- Rirath_com
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2002)
Sub Par
This one was pretty much a flop for me. While it wasn't all bad, and I've certainly seen worse movies... it just didn't hold the same appeal as Sorcerer's Stone. The magic was gone and in it's place just a few whiny sidekick kids and Harry. And, slight spoiler... the "Chamber of Secrets" is very poorly named indeed.
Many things disappoint me about this film. The first of which is the utter lack of magic in a school of magic. Flying cars, check. Ghosts, check. Bunch of other ridiculous things having nearly nothing to do with magic, check. But actual spells and wizardry? Very little. The only one of this whole gang of wizards that seems to be able to cast a spell is Hermione, and she sits a lot of this movie out. Apparently Harry and Ron should both be held back a few grades.
Another HUGE disappointment for me, and it nearly ruins the movie, is the constant overuse of the school system. Oh, gee... our three heros are in trouble again because they happen to be in the wrong place. Oh no, better not tell them what's really going on... better break another few dozen rules instead. What's that? You think we did it? Oh no... we might be, gulp, expelled for the 25th time. Give me a break. It's used and reused and used yet again to the point of utter insanity.
The acting is good, nothing mind blowing but good. Harry stands well in most scenes, but Ron is often overacted. Though, from the looks of things, I'm willing to bet he was told to overact. "Harry, you look brave. Ron, you look cowardly and whiny. - Action!" Worse is the character Dobby, who I couldn't hate any more than I already do. The best new character is probably the girl ghost Moaning Myrtle. Both her CGI effects and acting were really good, sadly they look like they got stuck in the wrong movie and belonged in something much better.
- Rirath_com
Hand Maid May (2000)
Less is More - Sadly not found here.
I really wanted to like this series, and for the first few episodes I did. Saotome, Kasumi and May make for an enjoyable show. But once Kei, Mami, Rena, Sara, and the annoying Nambara get added to the mix, the show is just diluted beyond hope. It's a Tenchi / Hina formula that just doesn't work and too many characters are just plain annoying.
Not to give anything away, but later in the show things come together and wrap up rather well, if quite a bit stretched. The ending is quite nice. This series had a chance of being great, but it ends up simply sub par. If you really like Robo Girl series and Tenchi / Hina series, give it a shot. The first few and last few episodes are quite worth watching. Sadly, the middle is rather filler.
- Rirath_com
The Powerpuff Girls Movie (2002)
Made for Fans
I was very surprised. The quality is leaps and bounds over the series, and the movie is made to be a fan's dream. The entire movie start to finish seems made with the fan in mind. The animation quality is top notch. From the little things like eye movement to the big things like debris and destruction of a city. It's all done superbly well and it all looks absolutely wonderful.
The story is quite nice as well, though nothing too extreme. They managed to squeeze in the origins of just about anything and everything. Yet, it never seems forced... there's never a scene that was obviously put in just to explain something.
The sound and music is perfect with the movie. The music fits it very well and the subtle cues really draw the fans in. The VA's do a wonderful job as well, there's really nothing to dislike.
It's far from a deep movie, and it's certainly no epic animation. But for fans of the show it's PPG perfection. For folks yet to see the show, it's a very entertaining flick well worth your time. The full length commentary on the dvd by the director and art director is well worth watching by itself. Not only is it great to hear a behind the scenes look, there's many great tips for artists spread around on how they made certain effects and made some effects easier. The commentary is worth the rental alone.
- Rirath_com
Daredevil (2003)
Darker fun
Daredevil really surprised me. I expected nothing more than a cheap comic turned movie, what I got was a lot more. The movie is much darker than I expected and the acting is spot on. I absolutely love the darkness of this film and it really helps it stand apart from the crowd.
Ben Affleck, Colin Farrell, and Michael Clarke Duncan all give wonderful performances that play on the characters perfectly. The only blemish is perhaps Jennifer Garner's character. She seemed kinda out of place in nearly every action scene. She did a fine job in the more sentimental scenes though, with feeling but without making it overpowering or sappy.
Her story of training under a different master every year is pathetic and the brief woman power non-victim speeches are kinda ridiculous. There's also a brief rage scene where the character seemed all but blind to the situation around her. She serves her purpose rather nicely in the film though, and it had me cheering they had the guts to write the role and the story right.
All in all this is a great superhero action flick with a darker side. Leaps and bounds above the horrible ranks of Spawn, yet not quite as good as X-Men. I'd say the darker, more realistic story and the lack of anything truly corny puts it slightly above Spiderman.
- Rirath_com
Fainaru fantajî X (2001)
Ups and Downs but it comes out on top.
Well, this game certainly has it's shares of ups and downs. When I first started playing, I was simply in love with it. The first day I played for 7 hours in one sitting, the next day 10 hours, and another 5-6 the day after. I had a wonderful time but the more I played, the more I realized things were somewhat falling apart. I wanted to give this a 3, but anything less than a 4 just seems unfair. I almost love to hate it.
Where FF7 succeeds with a huge multi-layered story, FFX keeps a quite simple plot. And where FF7 has enough well written dialog to fill a novel, FFX throws it all out the window in place of a few lines of voice acting. However, FFX does a great job with the battle system, and almost every single character is extremely useful. The level system is unique, but good. The battles are fun, quick, and a huge improvement over FF8 and FF9. FFX truly brings some great things to the table while keeping the best of the old school Final Fantasy.
Sadly though, the story can't really hold up to the gameplay. It has it's bright spots, but overall it's rather flawed. Tidus and Yuna may just be the most pathetic lead characters in FF history, except maybe FF9. In battle, they're both incredible and so is nearly every other character. The rest of the time however is a very different story. Tidus is an overgrown toddler who hates his daddy for no good reason. His voice acting is atrocious with non stop whining. Yuna seems almost like a poorly done Aeris with the energy of Hyatt from Excel Saga. Both in voice acting and story Yuna is simply so withdrawn it's not even funny. She sounds and acts like she's on life support or some kind of pain killer.
The rest of the characters don't fare much better, but at least they have fairly good to great voices. Kimari seems like a bad SNL skit. Then we have Wakka, at times a complete retard and redneck. Rikku is the picture of nubile cuteness and my personal favorite, but she's often given airheaded lines. Lulu fares the best of the girls with a mysterious story and lovely dark attitude. Leaving Auron with the best story and a level of cool that's unmatched.
All together, you get a game with a mild story at best but a top notch battle system and quite enjoyable gameplay. So long as you can stomach the most bland of voice acting from the most unlikable of couple you'll have a good time playing. The game is fun, fast paced, and graphically stunning under the junk. It's by far the best Final Fantasy since FF7, making it the second best to date in my book and bumping FF8 to a distant third.
- Rirath_com
The House of the Dead 2 (1999)
A solid light gun shooter, but with show stopping flaws.
As far as light gun shooters go this is one of the better games on any system. The graphics are just plain cool. The backgrounds and environments are a little simple, but the zombies and the way they react to being shot is insane.
The first time I saw this game I couldn't believe my eyes. The sheer amount of enemies, the fast pace, the gruesome look. You won't really notice the bad when you're looking through the sight of a gun blasting down anything that moves trying to stay alive.
The way zombies react to being shot is amazing. You'll have to pump several rounds into the body to kill one, usually blasting a hole clean through them. Even a well placed headshot may not do the trick though, as some zombies will keep coming at you even with half their face blown clean off. Others are armored and armed to the teeth and know how to use tools for protection. It makes it quite interesting.
Story wise however, it fails so hard it hurts. The script and voice acting is just atrocious. One of the worse in video game history. I don't know if it's meant to be some kinda B movie joke, but it's not funny. It's just, plain, awful. Thankfully you can skip it all and save yourself the headache.
Sadly, you can beat it in a single 30 minute sitting or so, but these games are never really all that long. If you can still find it, it's real cheap these days. Great game to play with friends and after Trigun marathons. Well worth the sub $15 range.
- Rirath_com