thekeymusicthepeople

One of the things that made "The Last of Us" special was it's uncanny ability to blend story-telling and game-play together so seamlessly in a captivating environment. "The Last of Us" accomplishes this through it's combat and live time crafting system which solidify the intensity and depth of the game. These same elements are still present in the "Left Behind" DLC, but just presented in a slightly different way. And to be clear there is very little combat. Most of the interactions taking place are between the main characters, Ellie & Riley (who's actresses give tremendous performances), is in the form of conversations and the form of social activities like water gun fights or riding mall attractions. Even though this may not sound appealing, the way it is executed makes it something extremely special. The interactions done through the game-play enhance the player's emotional involvement in the main characters' relationship in a way only the developers at Naughty Dog could have ever imagined and executed with such brilliance. In the end "Left Behind" is a fantastic add-on to "The Last of Us" since it brings a lot to the table: Great game-play, amazing performances, and an amazing story that truly changes the way the player perceives the entire canon of the franchise. The only thing that may be the downside to some is that it's not combat focused and is only 3 to 5 hours long depending on how you play it for the price of $15 dollars right now. If so then wait, but it is still worth experiencing since it enhances the overall experience of "The Last of Us".

In a sense the film is just like its characters. For example, Christian Bale's comb over hairstyle for the movie describes it perfectly: elaborate, misleading, entertaining, and attempting to be something it's not. First off, the film looks great and presents it's self well, like the characters do, but it's all there to just make up for what it lacks underneath, which is heart and substance. The film prances around too vicariously in an attempt to find it's footing between a good looking comedy to portray the theme of pretending to be something more while being empty inside, or being a drama with an awkward pacing and strange comedic timing in an act to seem sincere in proving it has something to say. Overall, 'American Hustle' is pretty solid with great performances, set designs, and a stellar wardrobe department but is definitely a hit or miss depending on how you look at it. Some of it works for me, some of it doesn't. Even though it's not David O. Russell's best work in comparison to his others, it's still pretty entertaining.