Man of Steel - Review

So, Superman’s my favorite superhero.........besides Batman. Alright, so Batman’s my actual favorite superhero, but Supes is a very close second. Whenever the brooding, gothic, hard-hitting escapades of The Dark Knight begin to wear me down, the inspiring, diligent and sunny adventures of the Man of Tomorrow help me to catch my breath and not look at the world with such cynical and pessimistic eyes. DC’s philosophy of aspiration rather than relativity has always been close to me since I was a kid, especially a creative kid. However, Superman being unrelatable has always been a surface assessment at best. Superman’s origin is the original immigrant story and his alien heritage pulled the “fear of fitting in” card long before the X-Men hit the scene. In spite of this however, he hasn't had the same recent luck that Batman has had in film.

The Batman and Superman films had gone through an interesting parallel during the course of both their franchises. Prior to reboots, they both had four films under their belt, each one garnering significantly less critical praise than the previous entry and by the end of both Superman IV: The Quest for Peace and Batman & Robin, the franchises seemed stuck in limbo for the time being, with multiple attempts to re-oil the machine on both sides to no avail. But, the Caped Crusader struck a chord with audiences once again with Christopher Nolan helming Batman Begins. But, the same couldn’t be said for Bryan Singer’s admirable but misguided Superman Returns, a half-reboot, half-sequel that failed to bring the world’s first superhero back into the spotlight. Because of this fumbling, the series had been halted with failed attempts to produce a sequel to Returns and a desire to start completely from scratch much like the increasingly successful Dark Knight Trilogy. So here we are.

Man of Steel is the freshly rebooted take on the character written by David S. Goyer (Blade, The Dark Knight Trilogy) and directed by Zack Snyder (300, Watchmen), and produced by Christopher Nolan himself, although his stake on the actual film is very exaggerated. The film re-tells the origin of Kal-El/Clark Kent/Superman in a modern context as Clark travels the world to discover himself whilst the threat of General Zod and a militia of surviving Kryptonians travel to Earth in search for him.

Now, the origin has been done a million times, this isn’t news to anyone, including myself. The Man of Steel, Superman: Birthright, Superman: Secret Origin, the list goes on. However, this is the first time audiences have experienced the origin on film in forty years, so I don’t think a renewal is unwarranted. As far the origin goes in this film, I felt the weight of Clark’s turmoil and comprehension throughout his young life, even if it doesn’t go as in-depth with his history as something like Batman Begins did for Bruce Wayne. But, considering the lack of enthusiasm and weariness towards superhero origin stories, I found it refreshing that we begin on Krypton and transition to an adult Clark travelling the world and his childhood is illustrated through flashbacks as the narrative progresses. Some may criticize this as being fragmented, but I found it an interesting change of pace and each stroll down memory lane felt natural and contextual to the situation whenever it occurred.

Russell Crowe was a great Jor-El, he actually gave his performance a bit of effort for once.

We’ve done away with the distracting miscasts of Brandon Routh and (especially) Kate Bosworth and now have the very likeable Henry Cavill and Amy Adams as Clark and Lois Lane, respectively. Not since Christopher Reeve and Margot Kidder have there been such serviceable and accurate portrayals of both these characters. Henry Cavill portrays a more brooding Superman, no doubt about that, which may put off fans and casual viewers alike, but considering the events that surround him and the purpose of the film being that he’s on the road to becoming the hero he needs to be, it made sense. Besides, he’s not all frowns and sighs, there are plenty of moments of levity where Cavill can just stand and pull off that trademark smile so few actors can pull off.

From an aesthetical standpoint, this is a gorgeous looking film; Zack Snyder lends his cinematographic prowess to what is essentially the Superman film that we’ve been long overdue. The film is shot entirely on single-camera, and handheld, at that. Speaking of things belated to us, Man of Steel delivers non-stop ounces of mayhem, destruction and a threat worthy of the character for the first time since 1980, when Superman II hit theaters. The final forty minutes of the film are relentless but not without earning such a breathtaking climax after thirty-three years of dead space from this franchise.

I believe the film is worth it. I also believe the marketing is somewhat misleading, and the tone is more in line with later trailers, so I’d recommend not getting overhyped. For a first chapter in what will hopefully now become a recharged series, this film was a blast, especially after the polarizing and unsatisfactory Iron Man 3. It is most definitely a relevant but faithful take on the timeless character, even if it’s not as deep as you might as expect. But hey, after Superman III, IV, and Returns, this comes as blessing. As a huge Superman fan, it’s the most fun I’ve had so far this summer. There will be repeat viewings, and this will sit right next to my Superman: The Animated Series volumes and Superman Collector’s Edition DVD, where it belongs. 8.5 out of 10.

Comic Book: The Movie - Review

Given the popularity of superhero films in recent memory and my personal association with the comic book medium altogether. I couldn’t resist choosing Comic Book: The Movie as a mock documentary to write about, as I am the obvious demographic. Directed by Mark Hamill (known as Luke Skywalker and the voice of the Joker), this film documents the experience of Donald Swan (Hamill) being brought in as a technical director for a Hollywood adaptation of his favorite comic book character. Like any purist though, Donald is unhappy with the film’s direction, as it is adapting a darker, modern iteration of the character, and Donald slowly tries to conver the producers to his way of thinking, vain or not. As expected, what follows is a silly, geeky, enjoyable (to the right person) little journey that knows when to pay respect and knows when to laugh at itself.

Without retreading too much of the aforementioned description, I feel like this film was made for me. Being an avid comic book fan myself, the idea of Hollywood “distilling” or “bastardizing” the source material is a worry I go through whenever a new comic book film is released, since some have been satisfactory and some has been less so. On the other hand though, there is also the semblance of purism and looking at things through rose-tinted glasses, which Swan quite literally wears throughout the majority of the film as a clever touch. The majority of the film takes place during a comic book convention, which allows for some cameos by well-known voice actors, which also make up the entirety of the major cast. The casting is effective in this regard because these actors know the crowd, and are all in on the joke.

Over time, the plot seems to devolve into absolute mayhem when Donald becomes closer to the production and derails the producers’ intent. The conflict between nostalgia vs. topicality over the character’s past and current incarnation relates to a similar commodity in cinema all the time, adaptation. Whether it’s a book, or a comic book/graphic novel or an old television program, someone somewhere will cry foul if it’s not word-for-word when adapted into another medium, regardless of what merit the adaptation may have in its own right (e.g., The Shining, V for Vendetta). Until the ending, no side is necessarily right or wrong, considering both Donald and the corporate executives are almost cartoonish in their actions. What draws the line? When do you need to let go of something? Should fans oversee these kinds of endeavors? Can it become better when the attachment is diminished? In some cases, the source material wouldn’t be nearly as well-known as it might’ve been without a film.

I find this film to be a lot deeper than someone else might see initially, considering it is very much a comedy, and has plenty of in-jokes to back up that fact. But, I’ve always felt you can unearth genuine drama from exaggeration if the execution is right, the same way something like A Clockwork Orange demonstrates an ironic sense of reality through hyper-reality and bizarre settings and archetypes. Although, that’s the closest you’ll get to these films being even remotely comparable. 

Also enforcing its assumed legitimacy, like any effective mock documentary, is the intentional (or permissible, depending on how you interpret it) technical prowess of Mark Hamill’s character. Donald Swan is filming a documentary on his experience during the preparation prior to the making of the Commander Courage film and a lot of the convention happenstances. Everything is handheld unless it’s an interview, and sometimes the quality can falter depending on the situation, which only aids the illusion, albeit somewhat in vain considering the audience knows from the start that this is meant to be a farce. So, whether or not Mark Hamill can direct even remotely well is almost irrelevant as it’s supposed to look unprofessional and he can use that as an advantage (or a crutch).

I think it’s good that we have a film like this considering the age of The Avengers and the Christopher Nolan Batman films, since the medium does have a stake in the general public these days, and superhero films are the latest fad (much to my delight). Even though it was released in 2004, prior to Batman Begins, it holds relevance before and after this particular boom. Now we all sit and wonder how long it will last. Love them or hate them, denying their spotlight is futile. Donald Swan is an archetype, and there are plenty of those like him out there to either placate others like him or moan about their favorite character when Hollywood strangles the Easter bunny. 8 out of 10.

Injustice: Gods Among Us - Review

It’s hard to be unbiased when dealing with a game that includes characters from theDC Universe, most of them very deep to my heart. But, I put personal bias aside for The Avengers, so I think I can manage. Now, before we begin. I will wholeheartedly admit that I am no fighting game fanatic, unlike some people I know. When it came to my childhood, I was very partial to SoulCalibur and occasionally Mortal Kombat if it was available to me. Thanks to SoulCalibur IV and Mortal Kombat: Deception and Armageddon though, I had pretty much lost touch with both properties, and Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe and SoulCalibur V didn’t do a single thing to sway me otherwise. But, prior to SoulCalibur V, was Mortal Kombat (2011), or MK9. Mortal Kombat brought the franchise back to its roots, and nicely rebooted the franchise with a re-telling of the original three games. So, when NetherRealm announced that they would be making a new title solely focused on the DC Universe by itself, I was somewhere between curious and wary.

The mediocrity of MK vs. DC attributed to both feelings. I was curious to see if they could take what they had established with it and greatly improve and fine-tune it, and on the other hand I was worried it might be an MK9 clone or just MK vs. DC without the MK, which wouldn’t be an improvement. Thankfully, the Injustice Battle Arena matches hosted by WB Games had impressed me, and after talking about it with friends, I was convinced to buy it. Well, not just buy it... pre-order the Collector’s Edition.

The backstory is more touched upon in the comic.

Now, I want to be fair and judge the title on its own merit but comparing it to MK9 is somewhat inevitable, so I’ll touch on that at some point. Injustice: Gods Among Us from a narrative standpoint chronicles the events of an alternative universe where The Joker has infected Superman with Scarecrow’s fear toxin, which made him harbor the delusion that he was in battle with Doomsday, before the effects wear off and he realizes he had been battling Lois, killing her and her unborn child. Upon this moment of grief and hysteria, Superman murders The Joker and institutes martial law of the entire planet under his rule to eliminate any potential crime. Batman, upon accidentally stumbling into this alternate dimension along with the Joker, joins the Insurgency, a group of rebels on a crusade to end the Regime; Superman’s dictatorship.

Given that the game is not scripted by any experienced DC Comics writer, it’s impressive how well-crafted and balanced the story is, albeit a brief one. But, considering most titles in this genre never bother with any semblance of a storyline, it’s appreciated here. NetherRealm also made the right decision in bringing in DC’s Chief Creative Officer, Geoff Johns for referral and advice for accuracy to the established lore these characters hail from.

Now, getting to comparisons, the Injustice fighting structure is as you’d expect, fairly similar to that of MK9, but with some major contrasts. For one, battles are not split into rounds, fights instead having two health bars given to both combatants, and there is a short break once the initial bar is diminished, with no damage allowed to bleed over into the latter. This allows players to better prepare and strategize when and when not to utilize their character powers, specials, or a stage transition. Another contrast is the environmental interaction, such as knocking your opponent into the Batcomputer sitting in the background if you happen to bring your opponent near context sensitive area, or slamming a car onto your opponent if your character has that kind of strength.

New 52 Batman is my fave. Collector's Edition exclusive.

There are enough elements in Injustice for it to speak for itself and not be overshadowed by NetherRealm’s previous game. Characters are varied and I don’t feel starved for a good roster, especially when no character seems to branch outside of what their styles and limitations and power or lack of have been in the comics. However, even while I may have just said that Injustice holds up as its own game, I’d be cheating myself I wasn’t honest... Injustice could honestly afford to be a little more like Mortal Kombat, and not necessarily from a general gameplay perspective. 

MK9 seemed to be bursting with content, especially in the wake of Marvel vs. Capcom 3, which offers barebones. Not that Injustice is comparable to it, it’s just... where’s the Tag-Team mode? Where are the non-DLC unlockable characters and other content? S.T.A.R. Labs missions are a nice distraction and are better than typical fighting game mission modes with some interesting criteria, but an Elseworld’s Finest Flash skin doesn’t seem worth all that effort and time. Also, characters need to be balanced, but that’s kind of a given with any new fighting game on the market.

240 Missions, not including DLC like Red Son.

Regime Superman is thankfully no Shao Kahn, but I’m not surprised that he still remains a somewhat obnoxious end fight for Classic Battle mode, the equivalent to Arcade Mode. As far as properties go, I think NetherRealm could make this into a franchise, I wouldn’t mind a sequel to this a few years down the road. Overall, the game may leave a little something to be desired to a non-fan, but it’ll be pretty minute, but there’s quite a lot of fanservice for myself and friends. So there’s not THAT much to complain about, but there’s definitely room for improvement. For what we got though, I’m happy about it. 8.5 out of 10.

Sly Cooper: Thieves in Time - Review

If I’m to be completely honest, the PlayStation 2 is my favorite system. It just has the most enjoyable library of games that are closest to me. Final Fantasy X, Kingdom Hearts, Shadow of the Colossus, Dragon Quest VIII, the Dragon Ball Z Budokai’s and Budokai Tenkaichi’s, God of War, Okami... Metal Gear Solid 3, I could spend all night writing a list of great titles for this particular system. The point is, one of the many gems to spawn from to spawn from the sixth generation was Sly Cooper and the Thievius Raccoonus, Sucker Punch’s first great success. The cel-shaded cartoon adventure-stealth platformer followed the exploits of the Cooper Gang and their battle against the Fiendish Five. Its success spawned Sly 2: Band of Thieves and Sly 3: Honor Among Thieves, which had seemingly concluded the series; as Sucker Punch later moved onto their current franchise: inFamous.

Headed by Sanzaru Games; who previously worked on The Sly Collection for the PlayStation 3, Sly Cooper: Thieves in Time brings back the Cooper Gang for another adventure. After the events of Sly 3, titular character himself has settled into civilian life with Carmelita, having made that decision at the end of the previous installment. But, when the pages of the Thievius Raccoonus seem to be going blank, the gang deduces that a time-traveler is altering the past in order to reap the benefits, and is erasing the Cooper family history. The Cooper Gang travel through multiple periods in history to save the Cooper ancestors and restore the natural order and all that good stuff.

Now, the Sly trilogy was great for the time and still holds up. Sly 3 was a definite conclusion to said trilogy, so theorizing any kind of future for the franchise ran the risk of undermining the events of Sly 3 no matter how hard you may have tried to avoid it. Much like Indiana Jones 4, this is a case of fans wanting another installment even if they may not realize just how much they don’t need it. Also, like Indy 4, given what I’ve just said, while both had the potential for an interesting narrative, especially given the time between installments, they both fumble. Now, neither franchise is by no means deeply philosophical or even remotely complex, but they’re carried by memorable casts and colorful characters. So, it’s only natural we’d like to see what they’ve been up to in all this downtime.

So, we know Sly 4 wasn’t going to have much of an interesting call to action when compared the original three. That was kind of inevitable. The concept is there but there’s not much in the way of execution. Now that we’ve gotten that out of the way, we can discuss other things. Aesthetically-speaking, the game is vibrant and colorful, and uses the time periods to its advantage, including but not limited to Feudal Japan, The Old West and Medieval Europe. Most of the characters, especially the Cooper family, have impressive new designs that translate well for seventh generation, even if we are at the end of the PlayStation 3’s life cycle. Murray and Carmelita’s new looks however, leave something to be desired.

From a mechanic standpoint, this installment is neither as smooth nor as balanced as its predecessor (Ninja Spire Jump, lookin’ at you.) but it is not without redeeming qualities. As far as most platformers go these days, it’s above average, and while the Cooper ancestor abilities might not have been as creative as I might’ve liked, they do vary gameplay well enough throughout the main story. I just wish we could’ve gotten something beyond climbing a bit faster or jumping a bit farther than usual. As far as the voice acting goes, all the cast (except Carmelita, of course) returns to the fold and none of them phone it in. The humor, while not as clever, does invoke a few chuckles. So overall, the general gameplay is solid; it’s just not as good as what we’ve had before.

Now, onto the game’s most definitive detriment: events. What I mean by that is instances of gameplay outside of the normal jumping and running and pickpocketing, etc. For example, the dance with Carmelita in Sly 2 or the very entertaining ship battles in Sly 3. Those were fun. The ones here... aren’t irredeemable, so much as lazy. And while I do appreciate variation for Bentley’s hacking and a pretty funny nod to 80’s training montages... why am I using SIXAXIS controls in 2013? Also, that final boss fight. Really, Sanzaru? That’s it? That’s the most effort you could muster? Now, it may seem like I dislike this game, but that isn’t the case. This is an enjoyable title, especially if you love the characters. It makes mistakes, but they’re forgivable here and there. When it’s good, it’s very enjoyable. For new players, I’d recommended The Sly Collection instead. For fans of the series, I’d say it’s worth another adventure just for novelty’s sake. Also, the cross-save capability for the Vita is greatly appreciated. 7 out of 10.

Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance - Review

Kingdom Hearts is a series very near and dear to me, in spite of its now convoluted encompassing narrative and its tendency to pad or dance around the issue. As a nine year old brought up on a steady diet of RPGs and fantasy films and TV series, there couldn't have been a better title to put in my hands than the original Kingdom Hearts back in 2002, especially considering all the Disney films I watched repeatedly during my childhood. The seemingly impossible but surprisingly well-handled crossover between Final Fantasy and Disney’s various properties was nothing short of a godsend for me as a kid. By the end of the first installment, my mouth was watering for a sequel. And then came Chain of Memories. As a Game Boy Advance title, it was fairly impressive. As a continuation of the mythos, it’s satisfying enough and did advance the plot, but it’s not a title I often go back to. Kingdom Hearts II, however, is the opposite, it being the game I most often revisit. By the end of my first run of it, I had the most genuine smile on my face. Unfortunately... this seemed to be the last installment of the series that I legitimately loved.

I’ll say it, Kingdom Hearts: coded and 358/2 Days were pointless. Days in particular is the most disappointing entry in the series to date. You would think a title elaborating on the workings of Organization XIII and the tasks that befall its members would write itself, but evidently, there’s not much to look forward to past the same string of recycled missions and re-colored enemies. My distaste for this title did not sway my excitement for the next, though. Birth by Sleep, the prequel to the first game, is one of only two games I've ever bothered to pre-order, the other being inFamous 2 if you’re curious.

This PlayStation Portable exclusive, while a technical achievement for the series, did not satisfy me from a storytelling standpoint. The plot suffers from allusion syndrome by painstakingly tying things together to the original game much like the Star Wars prequels did for the Original Trilogy. The three leads were complete and utter morons. Terra in particular and his relationship with Master Xehanort also emanates a similarity to Anakin and Palpatine’s relationship in Episode III. Either way, Birth by Sleep was an acceptable sequel with some impressive core gameplay. Because of my constant disappointment I wasn’t very excited for whatever would come next. But, seeing as how I’ve gotten a Nintendo 3DS, and was impressed by the demo, I decided to give the latest installment a shot, I bought Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance.

This installment marks the series’ tenth anniversary and I am happy to say (especially after that long introduction and retrospective) that it doesn’t disappoint. This is the first I’ve loved since Kingdom Hearts II. One of the reasons being, believe it or not, is the fact that it sets the foundations for the much anticipated Kingdom Hearts III, which is long overdue to hit shelves. The game takes place after the events of Kingdom Hearts II and coded and follows Sora and Riku performing their Mark of Mastery tests to become Keyblade Masters, to do so, they must enter a realm of dreams and awaken seven sleeping keyholes. Along the way, they come across a shadowy antagonist who seems to know where they are at all times. Accompanied by more Disney characters and companion Dream Eaters, who also serve as the antagonist creatures of this title, their test goes through some unforeseen bumps and slopes.

Introduced to this title is Flowmotion, a combat innovation involving your environment, such as wall jumps and swinging on poles, which then can become a specific attack. This is the most welcome innovation to the series in a long time, and makes traveling through each world much more fast-paced and convenient. Returning from Birth by Sleep is the Command Deck, which is now easier to utilize effectively during combat. Overall, the combat feels like the happy intermediate between the original KH, KHII, and BbS, further influenced by the Dream World models of Sora and Riku being reminiscent of their KH designs in their youth.

New worlds include La Cité des Cloches (The Hunchback of Notre Dame), The Grid (Tron: Legacy), Symphony of Sorcery (Fantasia) and more. New characters include the aforementioned companion Dream Eaters as well the cast of The World Ends with You in the returning Traverse Town. I’d rather not spoil every little surprise the cartridge holds so I’ll leave it at. I will admit though that Hunchback is my favorite traditionally animated Disney film and I was honestly disappointed with how it was adapted.

The storyline finally matches the impressive gameplay for the first time in a long time. Again, since it ties into what will be KHIII, the narrative has weight and the plot developments (especially by the climax and conclusion) are important to the series. However, because of the complexity of the story, I find it hard to recommend to anyone who hasn't played KH, KH2 and BbS at minimum. However, the game does offer Chronicles and Flashbacks to satiate the uninitiated if they have the patience for it.

Then again, considering how expensive games are nowadays you might as well brush up on your history and squeeze every bit of juice out of this one. Also, the game seems to pad out its final act and some worlds give less incentive for you to be invested than others. Also, the customization could’ve been utilized for better variation, but as a portable game it’s still impressive. In short, Dream Drop Distance is a welcome addition, more so than most. It’s a game worthy of the 10 year mark and I cannot wait to see where these complicated and tumultuous plot threads build towards in the next game. 8.5 out of 10.