Batman v Superman: Does It Suck?

The most anticipated movie of 2016 was just released over this Easter weekend: Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. The hype and anticipation for this movie was and still is crazy and for good reasons. For one, this movie is suppose to be the first film of many that will start the DC movie universe. A lot is riding on this movie, especially considering that it is a follow-up, not a sequel (sort of) to Men of Steel that was favorably a disappointment by DC fans and critics alike. Will it rise above our standards and expectations? Does it suck?

Story

The premise of the movie is that it takes place a couple of years after the events of Man of Steel. Superman has become a polarizing figure. You have people who trust him thinking that he is here to help humanity meanwhile you have people who think that he is a problem that needs to be dealt with or be put in serious check. One of these people is Bruce Wayne/Batman. Lex Luthor also has that issue, but to those who haven't seen it yet I don't want to spoil it too much. The movie did feel like a mix-up of The Manchurian Candidate, an episode of Homeland, and the last season of Smallville (only written better. Slightly)
     Batman v. Superman for a majority of the movie had this sort of political feel to it and deal with the issue of Superman in a political way. There is a lot of action in it, but what director Zack Snyder tries to do is mainly focus on how the world would react to a being like Superman if he did exist.
     For the Batman parts it did feel like Snyder try to make things Christopher Nolan-esque, but he didn't execute it properly. Another thing that wasn't executed properly was the DC Universe tie-ins. Batman vs. Superman is suppose to be the first movie that launches the live action DC movie universe. The film did feature a few cameos from other heroes that will be in the upcoming Justice League film, but these cameos were too blatant and didn't offer anything to the storyline other than oh look here they are. Wonder Woman was the already and most obvious tie-in they have and it would've made more sense if they would've just stuck with her and subtlety include the other heroes in other DC projects. Snyder should've taken notes of what Marvel has done to construct their movie universe more carefully.

Performance

The movie is sort of a sequel of Man of Steel so I'm not going to discuss Henry Cavill and Amy Adam's roles as Supeman and Lois Lane. For the most part it was a continuation of their roles in the last film so it you loved/hated it then, you probably will in this movie. The standout of the movie was Gal Gadot. Not much was known about her and her acting chops before she was cast as Wonder Woman. People were worried about whether or not she would deliver the role and she did effortlessly. Another person that did good was Ben Affleck. When we heard that he was going to be Batman people flipped, almost like how they flipped when Michael Keaton was cast as Batman in the 1989 film. I kept an open mind about him playing the character and he didn't disappoint. Affleck played a different Bruce Wayne than what we normally seen in the past live action films. His Bruce was more of a person who was haunted and troubled by the death of his parents and moved by vengeance that it almost driven him to insanity. Jesse Eisenberg was good in most parts. The movie's version of Lex Luthor was pretty much a paranoid almost in the same way of Superman turning against humanity as well as Bruce was, but on a more extreme way. Eisenberg played brilliant militant genius well, insane brilliant militant genius not that much.

Final Verdict

Did Batman v Superman suck? Not that much. I respected the script and its topic, however there were parts that were poorly executed and were unnecessary. A lot. It wasn't a bad movie at all, but it's nothing precisely to write home to, especially considering how other superhero movies fared better. Snyder made a much better film than Man of Steel but he's no Christopher Nolan, and that was apparent with what he tried to do with Batman. It gets a 2.5 out of 5.

Will the Nintendo NX Use VR?

VR is turning out to be a big thing this year. A matter of fact, a lot of VR devices will be released this year. Consumer versions of Oculus Rift are coming out in mere days as well as Playstation VR's release date and price has been revealed recently. It is becoming a trend. Everyone seems to be catching on to it. Will Nintendo catch on the trend? Will the NX support VR?
      Ever since the NX was announced Nintendo has been very tight lipped about it. There was a supposed leak about what the controller could look like and work, but we can take that with a grain of salt and brush it off as being fake. They have announced what it will support, including the 3DS, PC, and smartphones but not exactly how. We basically know nothing. Could it very well support VR as well?
     VR seems like it's going to be a big thing in gaming with a lot of companies interested in it as well as people who are looking forward to it as well. It would be a terrible thing for Nintendo to pass this up, especially if they want to undo the errors of the Wii U. President of Nintendo, Tasumi Kimishima did promise that the company would do and try plans that were outside of what they normally would do. However if they do decide to go the VR route, the NX shouldn't be solely VR. They should however do something like having the NX support a VR device, pretty much like how the PS4 supports PlayStation VR. Also hopefully they learned their lesson with the Virtual Boy.

PG-13 vs. Rated R: Dawn of Better Superhero Movies?

   
     Deadpool is killing it at the box office. It has currently made over $600 million worldwide and is sitting at #1 for three weeks. It has been reported to be the highest grossing R-rated comic book movie of the US box office. It is making millions. What Deadpool is also doing is creating a trend of R-rated Superhero movies. The next Wolverine movie has been confirmed to be rated R and there will be a rated R version of the Batman vs Superman: Dawn of Justice movie for Blu-Ray. The question is does a superhero movie need to be rated R to truly be good.
    Let's not forget the fact why movies are rated as they are. Most of them have been rated PG-13 in order to get the most people to go in and see them. They want a broader audience, something they might have trouble with a rated R movie. Superhero movies are cash cows for studios. They make serious money. It is expected for a Superhero movie to make over hundreds of millions, if not billions or else it is considered to be a flop. So with that of course studios would be clamoring to try to get the broadest rating to get the broadest number of audience members to sit and watch. Now that didn't seem to be the case with Deadpool, but before its success studios might have been scared to lessen things down in order to get that PG-13 rating. But will you have a better experience with a R-rated Superhero movie than a PG-13 one? Would a little bit more blood and a tad bit of nudity, with an occasional vulgar line make the movie better.
     Not necessarily. Like all good movies it all depends on the writing. After all that's truly what makes Deadpool great. I should know, I reviewed it. Deadpool's awesomeness all has to do with its script and the people aboard than the stuff that probably gave it it's rating. It is nice to see that due to Deadpool that studios are deciding that maybe it is all right to not be scared to experiment a bit and do something diffrent, or maybe they've just decide to make it a trend and cash on it until a few films tank at the box office.

What are your thoughts?

Deadpool: Does It Suck?

     The Deadpool movie was released over this weekend. If don't know who Deadpool is, he is this wacky mercenary with a heart of gold and quite a hardon for killing bad guys. The comic books Deadpool seems almost like a self-aware parody of most comic book heroes and antiheroes. The character has the nickname Merc with a mouth as he is wisecracking and never shuts up, often saying and doing things that are out of place and comical. This is do to him being mentally unstable and unpredictable. His mind is so out of wack that he often breaks the fourth way in his comics and other Marvel characters' comics as well. This isn't our first run of seeing Deadpool in movies. How could you not forget, or try to, his appearance in X-Men Origins: Wolverine also played by Ryan Reynold. That version of him was a contrast to the comic book version where that movie's version was more of a badass that occasionally said something funny and smart whenever the bad script provides time to do so. Anyway, long painful lack of story short, that version sucked. This film promised to be more inclined to the comic book version of the character. Even if that is true, it could still be bad, Reynolds was cast as Deadpool in both movies.  Will this movie break our hearts as well as the fourth wall? Does the move suck?


Acting

     Ryan Reynolds did a great job playing Deadpool. That really shouldn't comes to no surprise. The man has a pretty stellar resume not only playing superheroes, but in comedy as well. See two of his most comedic performances X-Men Origins: Wolverine and Blade Trinity. It does seem like he has gotten a bit of his character from the school of Nolan North, that's a good thing, but do get a bit of classic him in it as well. Not only did Reynolds deliver, but most of the cast did.
     Stefan Kapicic did a good job voicing Colossus, who is not played Daniel Cudmore (as if the X-Men movie universe is not as fucked up as it is with the continuity errors and Kitty being somehow able to phase consciousnesses through time). He played Colossus as this very comedic goody two-shoes that worked in counter balance with Deadpool's anti-heroic attitude. Brianna Hildebrand as Negasonic Teenage Warhead was another gem from the movie. She played this brooding teen which often acted as the straight man, err woman, to many of Deadpool's jokes throughout the movie. It's also funny how Warhead and Colossus plays almost like a Batman and Robin throughout the movie, almost like an Adam West Batman meets a non killing Damien Wayne type Robin. Most of the cast was good except for Ed Skerin. If his role was to play a pretty boy dick then he should be nominated for an Academy Award. He wasn't very intimidating or very menacing. Hell, the woman who played Angel Dust, Gina Carano, was more of a badass villain than him.

Story

     Deadpool isn't just your normal superhero (origin) story, it's a love story, or a horror story, maybe a revenge story. It's probably all the above. Kinda like When Harry Met Sally meets Kill Bill with a bit of Spider-Man for taste. Any, the story is Deadpool basically getting his revenge on a guy who turned him into a superhero, and super ugly, and therefor can't get back with his girlfriend. It's a lot better than what I described it.
     The comedic writing was masterfully done. Of course if you're new to Deadpool, you would know that the character, and comic, is a mixture of comedy and action. That's exactly what they've done to the script, incorporate the comedy and action and had them coexist together. Unlike the other Superhero films, it did intend to focus more on story than action. There were some little fourth wall bits to look for in the film, not just in the obvious points where Deadpool himself breaks it. It's fun to see a couple of more times to find them.

Action

     The movie is jammed pack full of action scenes and very cool action scenes at that. The comedic spin of Deadpool cracking jokes and playing around gave the scenes a little more personality.

Final Verdict

     Did Deadpool suck? Not at all. Again it was a lot of action and a lot of comedy and the great thing was that they were mixed together beautifully. It didn't come off as all try hardish like how most superhero films do, and often fail miserably. Also kudos to the production team for giving us a Deadpool who was faithful to the comics and undoing the one we got from the X-Men Origins: Wolverine movie, which was greatly referenced in the movie. If I had to rank Deadpool, it would get a five out of five. Take you girlfriend, it's kinda a rom-com movie. Deadpool said it himself. That's your excuse to take her to it. Now have a Happy International Women's Day, if you're into that kinda thing and like it.

9 Shows Nintendo Needs to Make

In last week's post, it was announced that Nintendo president Tatsumi Kimishima was going to start 2016 by doing five key objectives in order to branch out the company and make even more money. One of these objectives was to start making more anime and shows that could feature Nintendo stars. This is huge news. I remember watching the Super Mario and Legend of Zelda cartoons during the 80s-90s. They occasionally did make shows based on the other characters like Kirby and Donkey Kong, but now it seems that they are going to be invested in making more shows with more characters. Here's a list of shows that hopefully Nintendo might make or probably some ideas that sound just as good.

Detective Pikachu

The Detective Pikachu trailer came out this week and it was glorious. You're not only a Pikachu, but you're a Pikachu that talks with a weirdly adult male voice. There is comedy gold in this as well as potential to make this something more than just a video game. Detective Pikachu already has a little Detective Conan feel to it but that's a good thing already and would be a greater thing if they make a show to tie with the game coming out in the near future.

The Cat Mario & Cat Peach TV Show

I know there's a show online on the Nintendo UK channel, but  maybe it is time to move it to another format? The possibilities they could do with the Cat Mario and Cat Peach is huge. Along with games facts, which they give in their episodes, they can also do skits, jokes and probably play cartoons in the middle. Almost a revival of the Super Mario Super Show with Captain Lou. They could even play some of the old Mario and Zelda cartoons if they get the rights from them. Hopefully we'll include Kitsune Luigi and Tanooki Toad.

Wacky Mario Kart Races

For those who aren't old enough to remember. Wacky Races was an awesome show. You had Yogi and other Hanna Barbara characters race along on weird and funny track full of comedy and suspense guessing who will win the race. Since the Mario Kart games are almost the same thing, why not make a cartoon series to showcase the wackiness of the games. This would probably mean that Bowser Jr. will probably be the Muttly of the show.

Koopalings Series

I'm a Koopalings fan and I'm proud of that. They have been used in Nintendo games recently after a hiatus since Mario & Luigi Superstar Saga. Ever wonder what they did during that hiatus? A cartoon series could be an explanation of what they've been up to and what they do in-between helping Bowser take over the Mushroom Kingdom and kidnapping Peach. It could explain why they're not related to Bowser anymore too.

Zelda Anime

I know people were excited about the possibility of a live action Legend of Zelda series being on Netflix only to be saddened by it being a false rumor. While I don't exactly think that a live action Zelda could ever work. The story could wind up be poorly written fanfic and game pandering, going Once Upon a Time bad quickly. An anime or at least an adaptation based on the manga series could work however. The story is already there and I feel it could do more justice to the series than a live action Zelda series ever could. Just add a great animation team like the people behind the Marvel Anime series and it could be solid.

Animal Crossing Series

For those who loved the Animal Forest anime movie would probably love the idea of an Animal Crossing series. The idea could be to do everything in the movie but better and hopefully including more things in the game that couldn't fit into the movie.

Wario Series

A Wario series is kinda long overdue. you have Wario which gets into the most bizarre adventures in his own video games. Add that along with the zany characters of the Warioware games and you'll have a pretty awesome cartoon series.

Captain Toad

When we first introduced to Captain Toad we loved the little guy. We loved how adorable he looked navigating on the giant 3D puzzle grabbing stars. We loved him even more when he got his own game. We'll probably love him even more if he got his on cartoon. It could be him discovering places and going on adventures finding treasure, not just stars. Each episode could even start like Uncle Traveling Matt from Fraggle Rock with Toad or Toadette receiving postcards from Captain Toad himself.

Metroid Anime

I feel that a Metroid show was is way overdue. Even during the height of Nintendo's popularity there should've been a Metroid cartoon. It would be moreso like the idea I have for the manga Zelda anime except it would be have original stories instead of it being adapted by the Metroid manga series. I think anime Samus would look awesome.

What video games do you think Nintendo should make into shows?

Nintendo's 2016 Plans: A 1-Up or A Game Over?

     Nintendo has had a pretty stellar couple of years. The most stellar was probably their 2015. With a constant release of awesome games, along with awesome DLC and  Amiibos being a huge thing, it would be almost crazy for Nintendo to slow things down. Luckily they aren't.

      The current president of the company, Tatsumi Kimishima, is promising that 2016 will be a big year for Nintendo. He is making some pretty huge promises five to be exact that will help improve the companies sales and content. Right off the bat, he is promising to be very big on smartphone gaming as well as branching into other media like TV and anime. The president is also promising to try new concepts and new ideas instead of sticking to old ones. Nintendo is really thinking outside of the box, the console box.
     Nintendo's theme for 2016 seems to new, which is great. For a company to survive and stay as productive and relevant over the years it is important to always try to come up with new ideas. It keep s things fresh and it keeps people interested. In Nintendo's case, it was needed. Again, most of 2013 through 2015 was them trying to help improve Wii U and 3DS sales. The low sales of the Wii U and the 3DS were a product of using old outdated methods of marketing. Luckily Nintendo understood that and have made improvements and sale improvements were shown.
     There are a couple of things I'm excited for with seeing Nintendo's mission plan for 2016. One is the expansion of games in smartphones. Mobile gaming has not only become a huge trend but it has made itself known to  be a new form of gaming that is here to stay. We've seen this, sadly, with Kim Kardashian Hollywood and the over 200 million dollars it made. It's is a smart move for Nintendo to utilize this. Kimishima has promised that we will see Nintendo characters in mobile games. We sorta was introduced to this with Pokemon Go which is coming out this year, hopefully.
      Another is information about the next console Nintendo is working on, the NX. It is suppose to be the hub of what Nintendo is striving for this year as it is rumored to be connected to the internet, handheld, PCs, and smartphone. We are suppose to get information around E3, but since they seem to be planning on releasing it this year as well we need the information on it now.
      Bottom line it is refreshing and interesting to hear that Nintendo is going to do some big and innovative things that are new and very different. Will it work? There is a huge chance that it will as well as a huge chance that it won't. The good thing however is that Nintendo is gambling big. The 2016 plan is suppose to give them if it is pulled off an extra 100 billion yen. Let's see if that will happen in the end.

How do you think Nintendo's plan will work out in 2016?

Games We're Checking For in 2016

2016 is here and that only means one thing. No, that not that resolution to lose weight or quit smoking, video games. 2015 was kinda ok. We got Fallout 4, Star Wars Battlefront and Bayonetta is finally in Smash Bros. 2016 is looking to be even bigger and better. Here's a list of games we cannot wait to play this here, or at least hope they won't be delayed and we'll actually get to play this year...

Star Fox Zero

It's nice to see that the Star Fox series isn't gone, forgotten, and only relevant in Smash Bros games, sorry F-Zero. we were teased about a new potential Star Fox game all the way back in E3 2013 when Shigeru Miyamoto showed us a small demo in a Nintendo Direct. Star Fox Zero plays a lot like the earlier Star Fox games like Star Fox and Star Fox 64. It also incorporates a bit of mechanics from the cancelled Star Fox 2 for the SNES like the leg Airwing. Miyamoto states that Zero isn't a reboot, but more of an reimagining of the Star Fox 64 game where each mission is more episodic than 64's cinamatic approach.

Yooka-Laylee

We all remember playing Banjo-Kazooie on the N64. We also missed playing it after Rare was bought be Microsoft and haven't done much with the franchise. Yeah we did eventually get Nuts & Bolts but it wasn't the B&K that we weren't used too. Well fortunately Platonic Games, former employees from Rare, has heard your cries. As stated above the gameplay of Yooka Laylee is very reminiscent to Banjo-Kazooie as its your traditional 3D platformer where you will have a ton of things to collect. It even has you transform into various things, like Banjo-Kazooie. When it ended its Kickstarter, it made over three million, so it's an understatement that people are dying to have this game.

No Man's Sky

No Man's Sky is simply beautiful and stunning. The game pretty much involves you exploring different planets in search for material and lifeforms.You are dealt with an enormous sandbox of planets and star systems to explore all which seems to be individual and running independently in real time. As almost as the universe you are exploring in the game, the possibilities of what you can do in this game is endless.

Legend of Zelda Wii U

There is not much that can be said about this game as Nintendo has been pretty much hush about it. All we know is that the thing of the new Zelda game is all about exploration. Zelda Wii U is pretty much going back to the roots of the original Legend of Zelda game where the its just you exploring a large Hyrule map, except this time the map is much, much larger. Zelda Wii U gives us what is possibly the largest map of Hyrule in the series ever.

Doom

It's been awhile since we had a new game in the Doom franchise. A matter of fact almost twelve years. The game has been in development ever since 2008. Years went by and people got worried that the game was probably cancelled. The folks at iD decided to start everything from scratch in 2011 and that is how we got this. They've seem to have gone back to the basics and there is nothing wrong with that at all. It plays like old Doom and looks like new Doom. What's more to ask?

Uncharted 4

If you're new to the Uncharted series it is basically you, as Nathan Drake, going through exciting levels where everything is action packed and there are always surprises at every turn. Nathan's almost like an Indiana Jones, that steals. This time around Drake has been out of the thief business for three years. He is now getting back into the business after his long lost brother suddenly shows up. It is supposedly the last Uncharted series Naughty Dog will be working on so if that isn't a reason to buy I don't know what is.

Cuphead

I'm pretty much excited about this myself. Cuphead gives us a return of the shoot em' up genre. It's pretty as well with the classic 1930s cartoon animation. Seriously, it's like Mickey Mouse meets Contra.

Final Fantasy XV

Believe it or not, we've been waiting for this game for so long. The current and fifteenth installment of the series was once suppose to be Final Fantasy Versus XIII, which we thought we would never get after many postponements from Square Enix. Well we can now have a sigh of relief as it is now here and it is definitely will be releasing in 2016. Like Zelda Wii U, XV will be all about exploration. You and your party will be traveling across a huge map full of destinations and secrets that you will find and explore. What's different than the other series is that artistically the world you are in is a mixture of our world and the fantasy world, meaning that you'll be able to see giant admantoise  as you're driving down a highway and will actually encounter goblins, a staple enemy of the series, in caves. We were able to play a demo earlier and it was ok. Can't wait to play the whole thing in its entirety.

The Last Guardian

After years of postponement and tears of hope we have our prayers answered. Not much has been heard of this game for so long, we even thought that this game would be quietly cancelled, until it was recently revealed at E3 in 2015. The game has been in development hell since 2007. Helmed by director Fumito Ueda, Guardian will look and play just like popular and well renowned games Ico and Shadow of the Colossus. You're a boy who has to navigate and solve puzzles through a giant ruin with this giant dog-chicken creature.

Dark Souls III

Unlike a lot of these games listed, we weren't really waiting for years or a long period of time to finally get to play Dark Souls. That doesn't mean that people have not been clamoring for another game in the series. Being the fourth installment Dark Souls III pretty much plays like its predecessor II, which I don't know how good that is being so damn hard. What's new to the series is a new gaming feature Ready Stance in which you can deal more damage to an enemy as well as faster combat gameplay. So if you like the last Dark Souls game, or just like dying over and over again I think you would love this.

What games are you looking forward to playing the 2016?