http://www.brickweekly.com/ Brick Weekly News en-us sitehelp@gatewayva.com Thu, 04 Sep 2008 1:47:00 EST http://www.brickweekly.com/index.php/filmtv/games_bang_on/ 2008/09/04 Only in 2008 could a sequel to one of the most obscure Sega Dreamcast games be released on the world’s most popular handheld game system, the Nintendo DS. Thank heaven for niche publisher D3 who wrested Bangai-O Spirits, the recently released sequel to the 2001 two-dimensional shooter, out of Japan with its weirdness fully intact. The sprite-based visuals don’t push the DS’s graphics capabilities, but its other features will astound you. As the studio behind such classics as Gradius V, Gunstar Heroes and Ikaruga, the game’s developer Treasure is highly revered in hardcore gaming circles because it knows a thing or two about pushing video game systems to their limits. Once again, the Nintendo DS shows it is capable of more tricks than developers ever thought possible beyond its simple touch screen. The game’s most innovative feature is Sound Load, a revolutionary data transfer http://www.d3publisher.us technology system that uses sound to move data between DS systems. The scripted action takes place over 160 levels, and if you ever get bored with those, the level editor makes it easy to edit existing stages or generate new ones that you can share. If you were lucky enough to play the first game, you’ll definitely notice changes in the core game play. Whereas the previous installment focused solely on shooting, players have access to new moves in the sequel such as dash and melee attacks that let you damage enemies without firing a single blast. Hey, what other game can you name where mech robots fill the screen with tiny bullets while collecting fruit and whacking their foes with baseball bats? At $29.99 MSRP, Bangai-O Spirits is guaranteed to give DS owners the most bangs for their bucks. Wed, 27 Aug 2008 2:18:01 EST http://www.brickweekly.com/index.php/filmtv/watch_it_or_not_tell_no_one/ 2008/08/27 France is renowned for its films. Maybe more so for the powerful themes of love and relationships in their movies. Tell No One embraces those themes then throws them in a blender with a good murder mystery and tense action sequences to create a compelling adventure that places regular, every-day people in unusual, and often difficult, situations. Pediatrician Alexandre Beck (François Cluzet) mourns his wife Margot Beck (Marie-Josée Croze), who was murdered eight years earlier at their family’s private lake. When two bodies are discovered near the secluded murder site, the police reopen the investigation into Margot’s case with Alexandre himself implicated again as the prime suspect. He struggles with the possibility that Margot is still alive after receiving anonymous e-mails with live video that may or may not be her with a message to “Tell no one. We’re being watched.” The pacing of this film is only just shy of brilliant. The relatively slow build at the beginning increases at the same rate as the tensions of the main character inviting you to take on a good portion of that tension yourself. As the story unfolds you find yourself being sucked in, leaning toward the screen, and it’s not just to read the subtitles. There are a couple of scenes that throw the pacing off a bit. On occasion you may wonder why Alexandre has done something odd or gone somewhere that doesn’t make sense like parking on the side of the road, running deep into, and flailing about in the woods. It could be an attempt to reflect his inner turmoil but it kills the momentum and makes the scene shifts feel stiff and disjointed.  The direction behind the cinematography is well done. The shots are all perfectly framed and tell the story with great efficiency. Uses of light to create atmosphere is handled with expert care. Unfortunately, the fact this is shot digitally is painfully obvious but that may be due to the digital transfer. Hopefully the theater presentation will be of better quality. It can be difficult to examine the acting in a foreign language film accurately. Without knowing the language, picking up the proper inflections that convey emotion can be difficult or even impossible. That said, François Cluzet may just be the French equivalent of Dustin Hoffman. He maintains a considerably low-key demeanor throughout the film yet is intense and bursting with emotion when it is called for. The rest of the cast is equally well suited for their roles and deliver talented performances, whether large or small. The best part of this film is the complexity of the story. It doesn’t spell out every little detail and it challenges you to think right up to the final shot.  From scene to scene, this movie keeps you guessing where the story is headed. It takes predictability and tosses it out the window. Something many American films could learn from. If you’re suffering from the sugar-shock of summer blockbusters this flick will be a refreshing change. Catch Tell No One this weekend. It starts Friday at the Westhampton Theater. Verdict | Watch It! Wed, 27 Aug 2008 2:07:00 EST http://www.brickweekly.com/index.php/filmtv/games_be_the_ninja/ 2008/08/27 When I was a kid, I wanted to be a ninja.  Since I have a strong aversion to wearing pajamas in public, playing the Ninja Gaiden video game series on the Nintendo Entertainment System was the closest I ever got to it.  Making the game’s hero Ryu Hayabusa do precise backflips, sword slashes and screen-filling magic spells was one of my fondest childhood video game memories.  Certainly, the popularity of ninjas has fallen prey to the pirate craze of the last few years, but after you play Microsoft’s and Team Ninja’s Ninja Gaiden II for the Xbox 360, a prequel to the NES series and a sequel to the update on the original Xbox, the debate over which group is cooler will finally be put to rest. I’ll be the first to admit that Ninja Gaiden on the Xbox was one of the toughest games of all time with a maddeningly frustrating story mode.  Thankfully, four difficulty levels have been added to the sequel in order to level the playing field for longtime fans and newbies alike. In order to progress through the levels, players must master Ryu’s many acrobatic moves including wall running and swinging from poles.  But what’s a ninja without cool weapons?  Fans of graphic video game violence will eat this one up as Ryu uses a variety of unique weapons including his legendary Dragon Sword and Lunar Staff, bladed tonfas, shuriken and a bow to both dismember and destroy his numerous foes.  Magic spells called ninpos are also available but not using them during stages actually results in a better overall score. With intricate environments and compelling character designs, Ninja Gaiden II is one of the most visually exciting games released so far for the Xbox 360.  $59.99 MSRP. WEB | http://www.ninjagaidengame.com Wed, 20 Aug 2008 1:56:01 EST http://www.brickweekly.com/index.php/filmtv/watch_it_or_not_star_wars_the_clone_wars/ 2008/08/20 I have a bad feeling about this. Or at least I did through the first 15 minutes of this film. This is one of those movies that is so visually stylized, that it takes your brain several minutes to adjust to what you’re looking at. While I’m disappointed that the 2-D animation was abandoned for 3-D, that can be chalked up to personal preference in animation techniques about which I’m biased. This movie returns us to the Star Wars universe at the height of the Clone War. Anakin Skywalker has proven himself to be one of the most gifted Jedi in the Republic’s arsenal. To advance his training, Yoda assigns a young padawan learner to Anakin’s tutelage. They have to work together to unravel the twisted plot of Count Dooku in order to preserve the Republic and rescue a baby Huttling. To my surprise, this movie performed well above my expectations, which were for it to suck… big-time. The story is full of fun action and is written better than the newest trilogy of live-action Star Wars films. Not necessarily a tough task to accomplish.  There are some moments that may make you groan. The use of some bad nick names was edging toward too cutesy for my taste. Some of Obi-wan’s lines are delivered in a tone more appropriate for conversation over tea than for use in a lightsaber duel and he always seems to be late getting into the action once the plot begins to unfold. The 3-D animation isn’t anywhere near Pixar’s quality but it is most impressive as a whole. The atmospheric use of lighting is simply amazing in certain scenes. The application of texture and distance is great. The closer to an object the camera is, the more texture the object has. The only major downfall in the animation is some of the motions are stiff giving the 3-D animation the look of photographed action figures. The design of the characters are well conceived, especially Dooku with his exaggerated beard. As annoying as the thought of a baby Hutt is, it turns out the creature is so ridiculous looking, you’ll have a hard time not laughing whenever it’s on screen. As one who grew up with Star Wars and loves the original series, especially Empire, I tend wield a heavy staff of criticism with anything related. Games, comics, toys, movies… if it gets away from what makes the first trilogy so fun, I boo it emphatically. So, surprisingly enough, I think you should check this movie out. It’s a lot of fun and adventure, just the way a Star Wars movie should be. Too bad we have to wait until fall for the Cartoon Network series to continue the story. Verdict | Watch It! Wed, 20 Aug 2008 1:38:01 EST http://www.brickweekly.com/index.php/filmtv/games_history_defeats_itself/ 2008/08/20 If Joan of Arc battled Rasputin in a martial arts tournament, who would win?  More importantly, how would the match up end if they could perform wrestling moves and shoot glowing fireballs at each other? SNK Playmore lets you answer this question and others that you probably wouldn’t ask in yet another retro game collection, World Heroes Anthology.  The compilation includes World Heroes, World Heroes 2, World Heroes Jet and World Heroes Perfect and gives each of the 56 historical figures in its roster superhuman abilities that include over-the-top special moves.  Jet and Perfect stand out here since all the kinks had been worked out in the later releases. The series’ storyline is as flimsy as the fabric of time itself.  Scientist Dr. Brown perfects a time machine to gather famous icons in history and pit them against each other in order to find out who is the greatest fighter of all time. When the original World Heroes cabs were released in arcades in the 1990s, many players assumed they were knockoffs of Capcom’s Street Fighter II and they weren’t too far off the mark.  Most of the special moves are pulled off in the same way, so get ready for a lot of moves that are “down-down right-right” familiar.  Since most current players aren’t familiar with World Heroes, an exclusive training mode has been added to practice the numerous moves, so lock the door behind you, grab your joystick and get ready for fun.  World Heroes Anthology is available for the PlayStation 2 for $14.99 MSRP. WEB | http://www.snkplaymoreusa.com Wed, 13 Aug 2008 2:11:01 EST http://www.brickweekly.com/index.php/filmtv/watch_it_or_not_pineapple_express/ 2008/08/13 James Franco is either a better actor than I had given him credit for or was stoned out of his gourd the entire time this movie was being filmed. When I found out he was playing the part of a drug dealer, I couldn’t picture it. Turns out, aside from being a touch too muscular, he was perfect for this role. Dale (Seth Rogen) is a process server who serves people with legal documents. Upon witnessing a murder at the residence of a known drug lord , he panics and runs to his drug dealer Saul (James Franco) for fear of being tracked down and killed. The pair go on the run jumping from one adventure to the next in their attempt to resolve their sticky situation. The biggest problem with this movie is that the basic idea is not very original. This film is a Harold and Kumar knockoff with guns. The premise is pretty much the same. Two pot smokers find themselves in trouble and have to endure two hours of nonsense before the film is over. Only in Pineapple Express there is a little less nonsense and much more weaponry. This flick also suffers from stop and go pacing. The beginning is slow-going and it feels like an eternity before we get into the entertaining parts of the film. Once it gets moving, it can be comparable to being in a car with a bad driver. His foot is on the gas speeding toward a red light letting up only to stomp on the breaks before it’s too late. Then repeat for the next several lights. The end result is something akin to whiplash. Little effort has gone into making any of these characters endearing. The main character, Dale, is 25 and dating a high school girl. An age difference of seven years isn’t that bad, but the whole school thing just makes him feel really creepy. While most of the other characters have their moments of being funny it’s impossible to cheer on any of them except perhaps Saul, a drug dealer who also happens to be a genuinely nice guy. Even though this film is mediocre at best, there are some moments that are truly funny. The fighting is so chaotic and disorganized it feels more like a real fight than if these scenes were well choreographed. The car chase scene, short as it may be, is very entertaining. The build toward the conclusion is also a lot of fun with the feel of a video game where one starts with a basic weapon, then upgrades to a pistol, then finding a semi-automatic and so on. While I can continue picking this film to pieces, my basic conclusion is that you can have great fun watching this, but not in the theater. Catch it once released to DVD. Wad yourself up on your couch with a friend or two, surrounded with plenty of soda and snacks. Just watching this film will give you the munchies. Verdict | Watch It (On DVD) Wed, 13 Aug 2008 1:47:00 EST http://www.brickweekly.com/index.php/filmtv/games_invading_spaces/ 2008/08/13 Just when we thought we’d blasted them all, Space Invaders have returned. In 1978, the arcade game became such a phenomenon when it was released in Japan that the country ran out of the one hundred yen coins people needed to play the game.  Countless sequels and clones have been released over the last three decades, but how do you successfully update one of the most revered game series of all time to make it relevant for audiences in 2008? Taito’s Space Invaders Extreme is a portable revision of the classic game for today’s generation that commemorates the original game’s 30th anniversary.  As before, you can only move your ship from left to right and shoot, but power-ups give your ship new abilities. Each level includes different enemy formations that get more challenging as the levels progress.  By achieving specific results such as hitting certain colors or enemy types, you can get bonus points. Since the original game’s soundtrack was nothing but an assortment of beeps and bloops, the ambient techno music in the background is a welcome change.  The trippy psychedelic graphics complement the sounds and are just strange enough to keep you entranced while you battle aliens. Two players can compete against each other using local wi-fi to see who can get the higher score.  Space Invaders Extreme is available for the Nintendo DS and the Sony PSP for $19.99 MSRP. WEB | http://www.taito.com Thu, 07 Aug 2008 8:41:00 EST http://www.brickweekly.com/index.php/filmtv/watch_it_or_not_on_tv/ 2008/08/07 Reality television is a scourge of the airwaves. It’s a fact. They’ve taken over nearly everything and I hate it! These shows have become so pervasive that I hesitate to pick up the remote control… or at least I used to. Enter Ewan and Charley to the rescue! After the two actors rode motorcycles around the world for UNICEF in the entertaining and engaging Long Way Round, the duo are back for their next adventure, Long Way Down. This new journey begins in Scotland and ends at the bottom of Africa. Along the way, you’re sure to see plenty of wild animals, welcoming villagers, near accidents and a trying time for Ewan and Charley. Riding to bring awareness to UNICEF, Children’s Hospice Association of Scotland and Riders for Health, it will be the most interesting and altruistic reality television this year! The season has just started, so be sure to catch it Saturdays at 9 p.m. on Fox Reality TV. Verdict | Watch It! Thu, 07 Aug 2008 8:37:00 EST http://www.brickweekly.com/index.php/filmtv/watch_it_or_not_mummy_tomb_of_the_dragon_emperor/ 2008/08/07 After watching the previous Mummy movies and contemplating the portfolio of work put out by Brendan Fraser, I have come to a conclusion. He needs a new agent. Someone that will tell him, “pass on this one. Trust me.” Rick O’Connell (Brendan Fraser) and his wife Evelyn (Maria Bello) lead an adventureless life while their son Alex (Luke Ford) has skipped school in favor of an archeological dig at the tomb of China’s cursed Emperor Han. Rick and Evelyn arrive in Shanghai and reunite with their son only to get caught up in events that release the mummified Han and the chase is on to stop him from becoming immortal. During the first 10 minutes explaining the back story of Emperor Han, one could mistakenly believe there is hope for this film. Once it moves beyond that, the flat acting and bad script quickly deteriorate into a mess where the jumps from one scene to the next leave viewers disoriented and wondering how they arrived there. Why do we go see movies starring Jet Li? For the kung-fu and action scenes, right? The filmmakers obviously didn’t realize that Li’s skills are wasted spending most of his time as a computer-generated clay mummy or riding around in armor engaging in few fights. The supporting characters are as lame, if not more so, than in the first Mummy movies. They seem to exist only to toss out bad one-liners that make the audience groan. The characters played by Michelle Yeoh and Isabella Leong are pretty, fun and interesting, but when they call to the Yeti for help, my frustration with the ridiculousness of this film gets the better of me and I just want it to stop. The father/son squabble has been done to death and is made even worse in this instance by terrible acting. I had hope for this film. I like the concept behind this mummy story and with Li and Yeoh in the cast, there was great expectation for spectacular action sequences, which didn’t happen. The movie did one thing really well. The same thing the first two Mummy films did well… disappoint. I guess you can’t teach old mummy writers new tricks. Verdict | NOT! Thu, 07 Aug 2008 8:12:00 EST http://www.brickweekly.com/index.php/filmtv/games_the_soul_still_burns/ 2008/08/07 In 1999, the 3D weapons-based fighting opus Soul Calibur was one of the first arcade games with a home version on the Sega Dreamcast that surpassed it in terms of graphics and content.  With each sequel, Bandai Namco has always added more features to keep players coming back to the arena. Soul Calibur IV, the newest installment, proves that the series still has a few tricks up its sleeve.  Set in the 16th century, the game continues to follow fighters in their quests to find and wield the legendary Soul Edge and Soul Calibur swords. New features have been implemented to balance game play.  The Soul Gauge is a defense gauge that diminishes when you repeatedly block offensive moves, and if you can deplete your opponent’s Soul Gauge twice, you can perform Critical Finish moves that will stop him or her instantly. The game’s cast also comprises an array of new characters including a few Star Wars mainstays you might recognize.  The Xbox 360 version of the game includes Jedi master Yoda as its exclusive character while the PlayStation 3 version pits players against the Sith lord Darth Vader.  Soul Calibur purists might scream foul, but how many chances do you get to go sword-to-light saber with two of the most popular characters in pop culture? Both versions also feature The Apprentice, a new Jedi from the upcoming LucasArts game, The Force Unleashed.  And if you’re not a Star Wars fan, the create-a-fighter mode has returned so you can create a digital copy of yourself as a martial arts master, if you so desire. Most notably, players can square off against other players online this time, returning to the tournament feel that made this series famous in the first place.  Soul Calibur IV is available for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 at $59.99 MSRP. WEB | http://www.soulcalibur.com Wed, 30 Jul 2008 1:35:00 EST http://www.brickweekly.com/index.php/filmtv/watch_it_or_not_x_files_i_want_to_believe/ 2008/07/30 Can you believe it has actually been ten years since the last X-Files film?! Ten years without Mulder and Scully chasing ghosts in the dark and being caught in the middle of some scheme plotted by insidious men. After sitting through this film, I find myself undecided if it has been too long to add a new chapter to this series or not long enough. Time has passed. Mulder (David Duchovny) is no longer with the FBI and has become a recluse in his home office. Scully (Gillian Anderson) moved on continuing her career as a doctor at a Catholic hospital. When an FBI agent goes missing and the only lead they have is a former priest and pedophile claiming to have psychic visions, the agency turns to Mulder for his expertise who drags Scully into the fray. This new film takes us back to the basics of what made the original TV series such a hit. It examines the unexplainable and addresses it using solid investigating and science. This makes sense as Mulder and Scully have been out of the game for a while. Throwing them into a really complicated plot without having it set up in the TV series as the first film did could have felt forced. While it’s good the film goes back to its roots, it feels like an episode from one of the first couple of seasons and not a larger story deserving of a theatrical release. The title I Want To Believe, fitting for this film, if incredibly obvious and repetitious, especially when Mulder looks directly into the camera and says it as dialog. Belief is a theme that saturates the story in both paranormal activity and religion. The writers did a good job interweaving them in a fashion that is compelling but by the time every character has to look at his or her own beliefs, it gets old. There are some parts in this film that simply feel awkward. The first thing is the relationship between Mulder and Scully. They are pitted at odds with each other as usual. The weirdness comes from their conversations. Much has happened between the two films. Some events get mentioned only to go unaddressed for the rest of the movie leaving you scratching your head. While the nature of The X-Files is to be mysterious and leave questions unanswered, this isn’t something that helps in this instance. Another thing that seemed odd was the lack of paranormal activity. One guy that may or may not have psycic visions isn’t a lot of fuel for the fans hoping for something more… intriguing. The plot itself is sound, providing plenty of twists and turns that will be perfectly exciting for someone that loves crime stories but when resurrecting a franchise with such a strong fan base, something a bit more extreme may have been in order. I honestly enjoyed this film but it wasn’t what I had hoped for. If you really liked the first several seasons of the X-Files TV series, then you’ll probably love this film. If you were more partial to the complicated plots that came later in the series you could end up disappointed. My suggestion? Flip a coin. Heads, go see this retro take on X-Files. Tails, use that as an excuse to go watch The Dark Knight again. Verdict | Flip a Coin! Wed, 30 Jul 2008 1:21:00 EST http://www.brickweekly.com/index.php/filmtv/games_unreal/ 2008/07/30 Avid gamers know that Unreal Tournament III already made its debut on PC and PlayStation 3 earlier in 2008.  The recently released Xbox 360 port showed up a bit late to the party, but Epic Games and Midway made sure that 360 owners got a few favors.  The Xbox 360 version includes new characters, five exclusive multi-player maps and a two player split-screen mode. The single-player mode is really just a training sequence where players learn the skills they need to be successful in multi-player matches.  Co-op with and multiplayer against bots, friends or strangers on Xbox Live will keep the game inside your 360 for months to come.  Fan-favorite Unreal weapons are back in the sequel including the flak cannon, link gun and rocket launcher, each guaranteeing a gory, over-the-top death sequence. With the realistic graphics tech seen in other 360 titles such as Gears of Wars, the desolate, decaying scenery looks striking.  Of course, you shouldn’t linger too long since staring at scenery instead of constantly moving will probably end with you getting blown into bloody chunks. On a system with a library flooded with first-person shooters like the Xbox 360’s, Unreal still stands out.  Unreal Tournament III is the fastest shooter I’ve ever played, which makes it a great alternative to more strategic games such as Halo 3 and The Orange Box. Once you start playing, you’ll hardly notice that several hours have flown by.  But even if you’re only interested in getting in a few quick kills before dinner, Unreal Tournament III will hit the spot. $59.99. WEB | http://www.unrealtournament3.com Wed, 23 Jul 2008 1:49:00 EST http://www.brickweekly.com/index.php/filmtv/watch_it_or_not_the_dark_night/ 2008/07/23 I hate going into a film with this much hype. It always raises my expectations to a level where I find myself disappointed at the conclusion of the film. The Dark Knight proves to be an exception to this general fact, in strong fashion. Christian Bale returns as the caped-crusader to continue his quest to rid Gotham City of its infestation of crime. Enter Heath Ledger as the Joker and Gotham is on a course of chaotic destruction where no one is safe. The story begins dark and takes a steady slide toward evil and chaos. It builds to a frantic pace near the end, bent to the devious designs of the Joker. Much has been made of Heath Ledger’s performance as the Joker, and rightly so. The subtle inflections in his voice, the peculiar facial ticks and his stiff, jerky movements communicate a calculating, yet psychotic, menace. With his outstanding performance, we tend to overlook how well this character is scripted. There is a saying that “genius borders on insanity.” The Joker is written to be as brilliant as he is crazy. His plans are not those of a logical person and thus makes him incredibly dangerous and unpredictable keeping him one step ahead of everyone throughout the film. There is a focus on relationships that is very interesting and complex. Bruce Wayne, Rachel Doss, Harvey Dent, Alfred, Batman, Luscious Fox, Joker, The Mob, Commissioner Gordon, Two-Face… the links that cross all of these individuals create a dynamic tension most films try to achieve using more generic themes of either romantic drama or family conflicts. This movie manages to create a bond between all of these characters with the glue holding their relationships together being the city itself and their attempts to either make it better or reduce it to rubble. Truly a magnificent achievement. There is very little to gripe about in this movie. I still don’t like the baleful voice used for Batman. Yes, pun intended. Granted, this is probably to help protect his identity but the raspy gravel was a bit much at times. I was concerned with the makeup for Two-Face but that was handled with amazing care reflecting the comics perfectly. Length could have been an issue also. Is the two and a half hours that is The Dark Knight too long? Not at all. Filmmakers should take the time they need to tell the story the way it needs to be told, be it 90 minutes or three hours. Just be mindful of how much soda you drink when you go see it. If you miss this film in the theater, you should be slapped silly and have a room reserved for you in Arkham. VERDICT | Watch It Wed, 23 Jul 2008 1:25:00 EST http://www.brickweekly.com/index.php/filmtv/games1/ 2008/07/23 Wanna brawl?  Think again. Nintendo’s recently released fighting game “Super Smash Bros. Brawl” where classic Nintendo characters such as Mario, Donkey Kong, Link and Pikachu battle it out is responsible for rendering a small percentage of Wii systems inoperable. The game, which is a system-exclusive and the subject of a past Brick “Experience It” feature, has a double-layer disc makes the Wii’s disc drive work harder to run than other titles.  Nintendo won’t admit that the disc itself causes the disc read errors, instead stating on its Web site that the problem stems from contamination of the lens on the disc drive. I personally witnessed this problem with my own Wii during a session of the single-player story mode where Mario fell into and bounced out of into a pit of spikes indefinitely while the number on the damage counter continued to increase.  I couldn’t stand watching Mario suffer, so I turned the system off and it didn’t boot up again when I tried to restart. Wii owners can send their systems back to Nintendo for repairs, but if your warranty is up, it’s going to cost you. – Thanks a lot, Nintendo.  My arms were getting tired anyway.  WEB | http://www.nintendo.com/consumer/repair/repair_form_us_ssbb.jsp Wed, 16 Jul 2008 12:58:00 EST http://www.brickweekly.com/index.php/filmtv/watch_it_or_not_hell_boy_ii_the_golden_army/ 2008/07/16 To speak briefly as a fan of Hellboy, where the hell is Roger?! Johann Krauss is an interesting — and in the movie, annoying — character, sure, but with all the steampunk imagery it would have been an easy task to introduce the homunculus into this story line. Ron Perlman returns as everyone’s favorite wise-cracking, cigar smoking Beast of the Apocalypse. Relationships at B.P.R.D. are strained by Hellboy’s desire to go public. Meanwhile, in another realm of Earth, an elfin prince declares war on the humans, breaking a truce that goes back beyond human memory. The prince’s sister opposes his actions and escapes to B.P.R.D. headquarters with a piece of a crown that can control the indestructible Golden Army. The prince tracks her down, awakens The Golden Army and faces down Hellboy in a battle of princes. For as flimsy as that sounds, the plot of the movie actually plays out really well. The story is solid and unfolds smoothly. Setting up the foundation of this movie in the beginning with the reading of a fairy-tale and told using simple, iconic animation is the best part of the film. The style and direction there is superb. The overall art direction is great for the most part. The creature design is fantastic and clearly has del Toro’s signature style. What doesn’t hold up are the useless gears at the end of the film that are clearly there just for decoration. They’re so large and fat and often not connected to anything else that they simply look like a set. I have major beef with the editing. The pacing is really off balance and will keep interfering with your suspension of disbelief. The elfin prince is the biggest underachiever in all fairydom. When his friend gets whacked by Hellboy, the prince is upset and sics a monster on him promising death… all of that when what he really needs is in his sister’s possession and she happens to be standing right in front of him. Not very smart. For all of his dexterity and skill with a sword he just comes across as a whiner with no follow through. What hurt this movie most is the dialog. The first film had a lot of good, clever quips, the timing and delivery is smooth and everyone has the right attitude for their characters. All of that is missing from the sequel with the exception of a scene where Hellboy and Abe end up drinking. That bit was unexpected and very fun. The film gets horribly bogged down with the whole love aspect. It solidifies the relationship between Liz Sherman and Hellboy which is territory the comics avoid. The script tries to use that as both comic relief and dramatic catalyst but utterly fails. That relationship works much better as an uncomfortable attraction between them while facing the fact that of one is a human and the other a demon. The love theme is abused again toward the end making Abe do something incredibly out of character. It felt like the filmmakers took the easy way out to quickly usher in the confrontation with The Golden Army. The fight scene that follows almost makes it worth the wait as this flick is about twenty minutes too long. If you have a 42” television, you’ll be better off just waiting for it on DVD. Save your popcorn and theater money for The Dark Knight.  VERDICT | Watch It (On DVD) Thu, 10 Jul 2008 9:09:00 EST http://www.brickweekly.com/index.php/filmtv/watch_it_or_not_hancock/ 2008/07/10 The one thing I hate most about the movie industry is the advertising machine behind it all. For almost any movie out there, you can watch the handful of trailers online and you’ve seen the bulk of the movie. Thankfully, not so with Hancock. Nearly everything given away in the trailers was contained to the opening 20 minutes or so. While some of the funnier parts are indeed depicted in the previews, they don’t give away any surprises for the sake of advertisement. A rare thing these days. Hancock (Will Smith) is an asshole. A super-powered asshole who hates hearing the truth. Drinking all the time, he has no problems cursing at old ladies and children alike. He uses his powers to save people and stop crime but his reckless behavior means his services come at a substantial monetary cost. After saving a talented public relations agent, Ray Embrey (Jason Bateman), and facing public outcry for punishment due to his damages to the city, Hancock agrees to work with Ray to improve his public image. He surrenders to authorities and begins his jail sentence. After an escalating crime spree and a dire situation the police cannot handle themselves, he is called upon to help protect the public.  Surprise, surprise! Another well-written superhero movie! The genre has definitely turned a corner this summer and Hancock is another example that these stories can translate into more than just good visuals and fun fight scenes. The movie does a lot right and very little wrong. First, Smith does a great job of being a disgruntled superhero. He’s actually much more fun to watch this way than when he begins to clean up, but that is contained to a small portion of the film. For the most part he’s either drunk, pissed or both, yet still comes across as introspective and lonely. The script for this film is surprisingly smart and relies on character interaction instead of brute force visuals which makes it so strong. It also addresses interesting concepts in physics. What happens when a superhero goes into flight? There must be some sort of force that propels the individual and thus should have an impact on the environment around them, right? The story also avoids getting bogged down in the hero’s origin which is a trap most superhero movies get sucked into. There are hints to them but the film doesn’t feel the need to explain anything in detail, leaving much to the imagination. The biggest complaint I have is the final encounter. Well, not so much the encounter but the bad guy involved in the encounter. Is this guy possibly the worst evil villain ever? I think so. Then again, even that seems purposeful. Use a lame enemy and catch Hancock at his weakest point in the movie. The circumstances surrounding the final encounter leading to the end of the film is very well crafted and full of interesting surprises. While I’m sure this is well on its way to a sequel, I’m keeping my fingers crossed for the prequel. The arrogant, angry, drunk Hancock can easily entertain for hours. If you clean him up, we might as well slap a big S on his chest, say he’s super and call in Lex Luthor.  Thu, 10 Jul 2008 9:07:01 EST http://www.brickweekly.com/index.php/filmtv/games_videogame_noir/ 2008/07/10 While using the Nintendo DS to learn French or solve timed math problems can be fun for a few minutes, some of us bought the system because we wanted to play real games on it.  Thankfully, there are still a few engaging DS titles out there. Case in point: Aksys Games’ Jake Hunter: Detective Chronicles is an adventure game set in the film noir style.  As Jake, you set out to solve murder cases in the gritty streets of New York over three episodes. The game’s publisher Aksys Games touts it as an interactive digital novel, so great storytelling is the big hook here.  Best of all, Jake Hunter: Detective Chronicles is only $19.99 MSRP. WEB | http://www.aksysgames.com/jakehunter Wed, 02 Jul 2008 1:47:00 EST http://www.brickweekly.com/index.php/filmtv/watch_it_or_not/ 2008/07/02 How do you go 30 minutes without dialog and still manage character development? Just ask Pixar. With their talented team of animators who practically have to be actors themselves, and the sound expertise of Ben Burt who crafted R2-D2’s emotional trills and whistles, they make a winning combination pumping vibrant life into a little lonely robot. Set centuries from now, Wall•E is a lonely trash compactor tasked with fixing up the planet which has become unable to sustain life. After a ship lands and deploys another little robot who is on a search mission, Wall•E falls photoreceptors-over-treads in love which puts him on track for an adventure that is out of this world. Wall•E is a sound flick all around. The character development using only sounds and action is nothing short of amazing. The background detail has been taken to a new level with this movie. From the garbage piles on the planet to soaring through the stars, the visuals are a feast for the eyes. The other robot characters were another delightful aspect. Their singular purpose combined with interesting personality quirks make for some really fun encounters. The only thing I was not a fan of was my first impression of the design of Wall•E himself. He bears an extreme resemblance to Johnny-5 from Short Circuit fame. To the credit of the animators, after about five minutes I was looking at the little boxy robot as his own being and not as influenced by the other movie as I originally thought. The main story behind this film is based on falling in love. It’s a simple theme that works incredibly well with the wacky little robots. There are also plenty of other commentaries, a first for Pixar, that address concerns of human society and the environment. This is great because the earlier we can get kids engaged in such topics the better their chances for improving this world. The success of Pixar comes from a simple philosophy they follow when constructing their 3D tales. Story comes first. Characters come second. Animation innovation is the third. It’s as genius as it is simple and the success of their films prove it. This film is a can’t-miss while it’s in the theater. The amazing animation and wonderful sound engineering behind this makes it the total movie experience worthy of the money for admission plus soda and popcorn! Verdict | Watch It! Wed, 02 Jul 2008 1:43:00 EST http://www.brickweekly.com/index.php/filmtv/games/ 2008/07/02 Shoot-‘em-up videogames, or shmups as they’re known in hardcore gaming circles, are those old-school titles where firing and dodging hundreds of small bullets across vertical or horizontal scrolling screens is the norm.  While first-person shooters clutter the shelves at most retailers these days, the shmup genre peaked in the 1990s and it has been on life support ever since.  Apparently, nobody told Majesco and Budcat Creations because the companies recently teamed up to release Blast Works: Build, Trade, Destroy, a two-dimensional shmup for the Wii.  Based on a freeware PC game called Tumiki Fighters, Blast Works combines simple graphics with some of the freshest gameplay the Wii has seen in months.  By shooting enemy ships and attaching the debris that falls off them to your craft, you can stay alive throughout the levels.  While the attaching feature seems gimmicky at first, it adds a challenge as you figure out how to arrange the parts in order to protect your craft.  Collecting parts is especially necessary in the arcade mode where one hit from an enemy bullet results in a quick death. The creation mode makes the game infinitely replayable.  By creating your own levels, ships, bullets and enemies, you can make your own shmups when you get tired of playing the game’s challenge and arcade modes.  You can even trade your levels with other gamers via WiiConnect24 wi-fi connection.  While Blast Works supports the remote and nunchuck control scheme, be warned that this game plays much more smoothly with a classic controller.  Blast Works: Build, Trade, Destroy is available for $39.99 MSRP. WEB | http://www.majescoentertaiment.com