Sunshine (Movie Review)

You may have not heard of this movie. It's distributed through "Fox Searchlight", which usually showcases independent films. But there's nothing "indie" about the production value on this flick. Great actors, sets and special effects, although this isn't a summer CGI filled popcorn flick.

The sun is dying, and 8 astronauts are sent on a mission to re-ignite it. Many elements of this film are nothing boldly new. You may be reminded of "Mission to Mars", or "Red Planet" a few times, but it's not so blatant to make the movie unenjoyable by any stretch. It's a sci-fi suspense thriller, with some possible supernatural elements, although the audience is asked to decide that on their own.

If you enjoyed "Event Horizon", but don't wish to be scarred that horrifically ever again, you'll really enjoy "Sunshine". Cilian Murphy (28 Days Later, Batman Begins) and Chris Evans (Fantastic Four, Cellular) are the two "stars" in this ensemble cast. All the actors perform very well, and the directing and eerie score keep you on edge for much of the movie.

With the lack of publicity this movie has, there's a chance it will come and go from your theater quickly, but if you like sci-fi thrillers or any of the other movies referenced above, you won't want to miss "Sunshine".

9.0/10.0

Who Wants To Be A Superhero?

Season two of this remarkable reality show started last night on the Sci-fi channel. If you're reading this, you're probably a fan of sci-fi, comics books or fantasy, but I think EVERYONE should watch this show. Why?

I became tired of reality TV a couple years ago. The same formula, the same competition, the same back-stabbing... all these shows were the same. Different packaging, but nothing really new.

Enter "Who Wants To Be A Superhero" and suddenly reality TV became alot more interesting. Here's a show where the contestants are all trying to be good, noble and self-sacrificing. In a nutshell...heroes. It's not the person that knows the most about comic books that will win this competition. It's the person who behaves most like a classic, morally driven superhero.

The tests in this competition are of morality and courage. Not sheer wit, social manipulation and athletic prowess. This is a show that leaves you feeling hopeful that some people can choose to do what's right, instead of what's easy.

Contenstants don't vote each other off, but instead are eliminated by Stan Lee, the creator behind Spider-man, The X-Men, The Fantastic Four, The Hulk and a slew of other Marvel comics characters. He converses with the contestants often and is the "Donald Trump" of the show.

In season one I didn't always agree with Stan's calls, and sometimes you get the feeling his decisions are influenced by executives that want to create good television, but for the most part, his calls to "turn in your costume" are fair, and uphold the moral sensibilities of classic comic book superheroes.

If you're looking for something different, exciting, funny and that will keep you on the edge of your seat, really caring for these people, check out "Who Wants To Be A Superhero", Thursday nights on the sci-fi channel. If you missed the first episode, you can catch it online at: http://www.scifi.com/superhero/
"Excelsior!"

"I Need A Fix, Man!"

So it turned out that Ivalice needed saving first. I finally beat Final Fantasy 12 on Monday.

I won't give a full review, since the game has been out for awhile. My summary of the experience is that although the lack of customization for camera control nearly put me off the game, after sticking with it I came to greatly enjoy the new battle system.

Graphics and sound were superb and the design of Ivalice and all its monsters was very enjoyable.

The story did nothing for me, however, and I didn't care a single bit about the characters. Too much politics for my taste.
In the end it's a 9.0 out of 10.

My biggest problem now(well,"biggest" is a gross overstatement, I suppose) is video game withdrawal! I've gone back and picked up where I left off about a year ago on Final Fantasy 8 (had to read a game script online to remember what was going on in the story) and I'm enjoying that, but I'll still be looking for a new PS2 RPG.

Although I'm digging Diablo 2 and Bard's Tale (PC and PS2), I'm in the mood for a more traditional RPG that's not as much in the "action RPG" genre.
Guess I'll see what's at the used bookstore while I get comics today!

Video Game Day!!

After a long weekend of recording, I'm taking a half-day off today to prevent burnout. And I am itchin' to save the universe! The only question is, which universe needs saving first?

Knights of the Dinner Table

If you play paper and pencil RPGs, you owe it to yourself to at least give this book a try.

I was given a trade paper-back of collected issues a number of years back, and it wasn't long until I was a monthly buyer.

Knights of the Dinner Table, or "KODT", is a comic/magazine featuring comic strips that chronicle the on-going fun and oddities of a gaming group. If you are a part of gamer culture, you'll find several characters in here that remind you of people you know. Sometimes the strips are laugh out loud funny. Other times, they're just very interesting.

Like many fans of the book, I'll always remember when the GM told the players they see a "Gazebo" in front of them. Not knowing what it was and not interested in showing their ignorance, the players chose to assume it was a monster and began hacking away at it. The GM simply kept them up to date on how much damage they were doing, letting them know each round that the gazebo "is still standing".

For awhile, when I didn't have a gaming group of my own, this book helped me feel connected to the world of gaming, and even let me enjoy a few of the antics that come with role-playing.

The book also comes loaded with gamer stuff like reviews of games, industry news and other fun stuff that gamers will dig.

So do yourself a favor and check it out!

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (Movie Review)

BEWARE OF MINOR SPOILERS

I'm not what you'd call a "Harry Potter Fan". I've read three of the books now, because my sister is a nut for Harry Potter and has somehow cornered me into developing a mild interest in the books. The first 3 movies did nothing for me, although I'll eventually buy all of them on DVD as a more tolerable alternative to "Shark Boy and Lava Girl" for our future kids.

I generally don't enjoy stories where adults are idiots and children are the only ones empowered to save the day. Don't get me wrong, I LOVED those kinds of stories when I was a kid, but as an adult they don't fly with me.

However, as the characters in the books and actors in the films have gotten a little older, I've been able to enjoy the stories a little more each time. It also helps that each book seems to get a little darker than the one before it.

At the end of "Goblet of Fire", we were finally treated to a wizarding duel where the threat of death was obvious. It was wonderful, but all too short. Now, finally, in "Order of the Phoenix", we see a ton of great wizard dueling in the last 20 minutes of the film. Like the famous "Yoda v. Dooku" fight in Episode 2, the battles near the end of "Phoenix" make the ticket worth buying.

As for the rest of the film, it is the shortest of the movies despite coming frome the longest yet of the books. This is seen through the choice of quick cuts and short scenes that ask the audience to infer many minor details instead of taking us through them all with the actors. A montage sequence is effectively used to cover Dolores Umbridge's "survey" of the Hogwarts staff.

A few sequences and minor character introductions seem off the beaten path of the main plot even more so than they did in the book (The "pet" Giant and the Centaurs being two that come to mind.), although these are probably present as set-up for the next book/film. (I haven't read Half-blood Prince yet.)

The actor cast as Luna Lovegood didn't sell me on her performance right away. But after a few minutes when I realized that spacey "drugged" look that's always on her face was an expression of her character (and not the sign of a really poor actress), I really enjoyed her performance for the remainder of the film.

All in all, I'd say it's the best Harry Potter film so far. Among movies in general I give it a solid 8.0 out of 10. Mainly because after the fantastic action at the end I found myself wondering why they couldn't get to stuff this great much earlier in the film.

The Reliance, #3

Facing the powerful "Arbitrator", servant to the alien Khund, The Reliance was nearly outmatched.

Without warning, Road Warrior and "The Beast" evaporated from the scene, leaving Surge sitting on the floor of the alien craft.
Likewise, a sinister blur of a figure slammed into Chronos, speeding him away, beyond his will, to vanish somewhere over the horizon. This left only Iron Hand, Candice, and Surge.

Iron Hand elected to patrol the perimeter, making sure that no more innocents were pulled into this conflict.
Candice quickly swooped in to join Surge, and the two combatants faced off against the alien menace.

At first, it seemed the battle would be over quickly. Surge summoned his maximum level of power, pushing himself to the absolute limit of his ability. A massive blast of electricity sent the Arbitrator slamming into the wall of the craft. Determined to win however, the Arbitrator tapped into reserves of strength and will, shaking off most of the attack.

A second major blow was dealt in the form of a mystical attack from Candice. Although the Arbitrator's powers of defensive adaptation protected him from further electrical attacks, he found no defense from a second mystical assault and was defeated.

Bound by his honor, the alien servant of the Khund de-activated the planetary doomsday mechanism, instead vowing to leave earth and never return.

In the aftermath of their first true test as heroes, members of the Reliance are beginning to develop greater potential as a result of their experience. No doubt their abilities will need to grow quickly as they face their next challenge...




THE KING OF CRIME, Chapter 1

A call for help went out from the Mayor of Central City. Since the death of Bart Allen, the Flash, Central City has been without a defender, and the criminal underworld is taking advantage.

Road Warrior and Chronos are still missing, causing their companions to fear for the safety of their friends.
Although Iron Hand was forced into spending more time at work to compensate for his recent "time off", Alex Noir booked a hotel and flight for Candice and Surge to visit Central City with instructions to notify him if they require back-up.

With the full support of the Mayor, Surge and Candice began an immediate investigation of the local criminal activity. Villains already spotted in the area include: Captain Cold, Heatwave, The Pied Piper and The Weather Wizard. In addition, a disturbing message was sent to the Mayor that The Reliance is currently using to fuel their investigation:

Greetings Mayor Field,
It has come to our attention that you have called in a group of would be heroes to stop our advancing agenda in your fair city. But while your ranks are growing, we're making the choice to thin ours a little. Central city has become the proving ground for those who will soon be part of the most elite criminal undergound network the world has ever known. So by all means, we'd like to make their auditions as telling as they can be.

All this to say that we invite your support of our efforts to create the underworld of tomorrow using only the finest of today. You'll find one among our number enjoying a nice cold drink of Central City's finest. A second will be having some fun with the sound of music. And our last potential of the day is looking to steal Central City's biggest diamond.

We know you'll make us proud by providing a good challenge for our subjects. See you soon...

So far, investigation of Central City's largest diamond store turned up no unusual signs.
Although Evan McCulloch (AKA, The Mirror Master) was captured by police earlier, the heroes' questioning of him yielded few results. The Scottish rogue seemed confident that he would be broken out of prison by his allies very soon.

Meanwhile, at the police station, The Reliance wonders who might strike at either tonight's performance of the "Sound of Music" downtown, or at the outdoor orchestral concert in the park at around the same time.

It is now 1pm, and they have 6 hours remaining until both events begin at 7pm tonight...

Old things made new (JSA #7)

I think I'm going to start a "Comic Of The Week" feature in the podcast, rather than reviewing more than one. We'll see. Anyway, my comic of the week this week is a really close call, with Green Lantern #21 a near second. This week, though, I've gotta give it to Justice Society Of America #7.

Although I just talked to someone this week that hates pretty much everything Geoff Johns does as a writer for DC, I'm probably one of his biggest fans. This week's issue of JSA is a good example of why.

Johns, probably the busiest writer at DC comics, has a knack for taking old things and making them new. And not new in the way of complete change and an entirely new direction, which we saw alot of in the early and mid- 90's. Instead, he looks at the essence of DC history and makes an effort to revive the classic concepts found in it's rich legacy.

If there's one thing I love about DC, it's the rich sense of history and legacy, and nowhere is this aspect of the universe displayed better than in the pages of JSA. Whenever possible, Johns uses the old-timers like Wildcat, Jay Garrick and Alan Scott instead of replacing the original members of this team that have been around since WW2. But when he DOES replace a character with say, a new version of Hourman, or the Sandman, or in this issue Commander Steel, he tries to make a connection by bloodline or some other method that gives a clear feeling of legacy and family tradition that I don't see in other comic universes.

I know very little about the original Commander Steel, but his replacement in this issue of JSA was done with such respect and an abvious desire to make the concept cool all over again, that I can't help but be excited about getting to know this brand new character. I can't wait for next month!

Final Fantasy 12

When I was visiting my sister in North Dakota last week I started playing FF12 again after about a 3 month break. The story is still waaaay to political for me to find interesting, but the game system is pretty fun.

I lost interest in the game a few months ago, but I can't really remember why. Maybe I just needed some time away. But now I'm diggin' it again (it's still not as good as FF9, though) even though I have virtually no time to play!

Maybe I'll see if I can sneak in a little time tonight, but this will be a big weekend for Dark Ritual recording and I need to get ready for that. So I won't hold my breath...

Descent Report

Well, after a long weekend of gaming, my friend Mark emerged victorious over two out of three quests. He's got a great mind and sense of strategy for this type of game, as he always has, but some of these quests seem designed to be impossible. Although, by his own admission, he may have done much better on the quest he failed had he taken a more conservative strategy.

Now we'll just have to see if my brother-in-law, Jon, can do any better. Of course, to schedule and play a game he has to e-mail me back. Right, Jon?

Descent Weekend!

My friend since High School, Mark, is coming to town specifically to play the boardgame "Descent" with me this weekend. We've been doing these marathon game weekends every few months for the last several years, and it's always something I look forward to.

Sometime soon I should probably do a review of this game here and on the podcast so you can get a sense of what it is we're doing all day and night like obsessive compulsive maniacs.

However, right now I need to prepare my legions to destroy his stalwart band of heroes. Look for a report on Monday!

Oh, and if you want to hear a gory story of something that happened to ME today, listen to this week's podcast that I just uploaded over at: http://paeter.libsyn.com/

Donut Time!!

I have nothing interesting to say, or even a cool graphic to go with this post. I'm beat from an exciting week visiting my sister in Grand Forks ND, and now I'm basically worthless. But Holly wants a donut, so that's where we're headed!

Enjoy your explosions!

Justice League Heroes- PS2 (Review)

Okay, this is actually just a review for the PS2 game. I haven't played the GBAdvance game featuring the Flash. The image I found just had the Flash game stuck to it.

I just finished playing through this game for the 4th time last night and the replay value is just insane!

This game is an action RPG made by the same company that developed Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance and the Champions of Norrath games. Like those games, you have a bird's eye view of the action with an adjustable camera. There are always two hereos on each level. You have the choice of having a live second player or having the second hero AI controlled. (And the AI is pretty good, too!)

Although you don't have a choice of what heroes to play until later in the game, you'll play using the core JLAers: Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Martian Manhunter, Flash, Green Lantern(John Stewart), and Zatanna (I would have preferred Dr. Fate). As you progress, you can unlock Hawkgirl, GLs Kyle Rayner and Hal Jordan, Jay Garrick, Walter West, Green Arrow, Aquaman and Huntress, in addition to new costumes for the existing heroes!

Throughout the game you pick up power upgrades so that you can choose what aspects of your hero's powers you want to focus on. And the powers are handled beautifully in this game! Even a simple block is unique for each character and incorporates who they are and what they can do! GL's form a shield, Wonder Woman reflects the attack BACK with her bracelets, and Martian Manhunter becomes intangible!

The villains you face include classics like Killer Frost, Brainiac, The Key, Doomsday and one villain that I won't ruin the surprise for!

The framerate is as smooth as melted butter and despite being a little too short, the game has incredible replay value as you unlock new characters and your power animations change in subtle ways as they grow in strength.

Although I am partial to the DC universe, I found this to be a better game than the PS2 version of Marvel: Ultimate Alliance. The environment is MUCH more interactive in "Heroes" (guys like superman can fly around swinging cars like baseball bats on the very first stage of the game!) and the animation and framerate is alot more smooth.

If you like action RPGs and haven't given this one a try, go check it out! Saving the world has never been this cool!