MOVIE REVIEW: "Brave"

Pixar Studios have been flawless as far as making hits and classic films that both kids and adults love and cherish. Whether it be for the Toy Story franchise or Incredibles or yes, even the mixed crowd of Cars fans, you gotta love Pixar. Their newest is Brave, what is being labeled as their first fairy tale and that is definitely what this is... to an extent. Not much else is being said about the film, but there are many moviegoers curious to see what this tale is all about. 

So does it hit the mark? Yeah yeah, I said it...

The story is all about Merida, a young, but very headstrong princess who is armed with a bow and arrow and spirit that knows no bounds. Her parents, King Fergus and Queen Elinor, want her to follow in the royal Scottish tradition as they have selected three possible suitors to unite the kingdom. Merida just wants to be her own person and because of this, she constantly clashes with Elinor and creates chaos for all of the kingdom. Merida runs away and it wouldn't be a fairy tale without Merida finding... a witch. I won't spoil anything after that!

First off, Merida. What a great character. So strong and determined, she is really a great character for the young girls. Voiced by Kelly MacDonald (HBO's Boardwalk Empire), this powerful lass with the bright red hair shows she is still young in her manner of speaking, but her actions show she's her own individual and not one to be messed with. Definitely not your typical Disney princess and that's a good thing!

Fergus and Elinor, played by Billy Connelly and Emma Thompson, do an exceptional job as King and Queen parents, especially Thompson. Fergus is a gentle giant king, willing to protect his family and kingdom but he'll definitely have a good time while doing it too, while Elinor is the serious, by-the-book queen but is also the heart of both the family and all of their traditions. 

The suitor families, with one of the fathers being voiced by the always funny Craig Ferguson, are just a part of the comic relief to the film. Any time the fathers and their kids appear, you can't help but chuckle at their silliness. Merida's little brothers, the Triplets, are the stars here, however. What the Minions were to Despicable Me, is what these boys were to this movie. Adorable little mischief makers that you can't help but love... but you definitely don't want to be trapped in a room with them!

The animation is worth noting as well. Beautiful work by the people at Pixar, with the most noticeable upgrades being the environmental visuals (the forest, waterfalls, castle) and every bit of strand of hair on Merida. You can tell the improvements here as everyone had strand upon strand of hair and not just a block formed to look like hair, but hers... wow. 

Now, the bad. The twist that happens in the film, I've been told, put off some people. It may not be what you are expecting, unless you've seen every single ad or clip for this movie, which I DO NOT ADVISE! The twist had me doubting halfway in and kind of took me out of it for a bit, but if you go in head-first and give it a chance like I did, you will have a great time in the end.

Fun characters, not-your-average-princess story, stunning animation, and a really great message about family, "Brave" is another solid film from Pixar. Not their best yet, however, but one you really shouldn't miss.

8/10

E3 2012 In A Nutshell!

As I type this up, E3 2012 is still going on, but the Big Three in video games have already had their press conferences so let's get into how they all fared. 

First, Microsoft... 

We start off with "Halo 4" and it was an pretty impressive showing for the return of Master Chief. Now, I'm not a fan of the series, but I can only imagine how the fans must feel for this one. Still, I won't lie and gotta say it looks really damn good. But... not as good as "Tomb Raider."

Wow. I need this game in my life. Essentially the prequel to the original games, 21 year-old Lara goes on her first adventure in what seems like a mix of the old and some of the new (very Uncharted kind of feel). Lara is beaten up and dragged around but is still tough as nails and ready to kick some ass! Looking dirty and gritty and yet so beautiful, "Tomb Raider" is the one to watch out for.

"South Park: The Stick of Truth" surprised many with its appearance at the conference, as it kept VERY true to the look of the series and seems like its fun factor as well. Basically an RPG, you play the new kid in town, teaming up with the boys to take on all that is evil (yes, Cartman, even the hippies). Definitely gonna give this one a try.

Now, what didn't work? Too many shooters, I think. Also, best not to end the show with one either, especially when you hype it like it's no tomorrow. Sorry, Black Op 2. Also, people expect games and Microsoft brought out... TV. And Nike Fit. So where were the games?? Well, we're still looking...

Now for Sony...

"Beyond: Two Souls"... Wow. What a way to kick it off for Sony. From the creators of "Heavy Rain," we follow our main protagonist, played by Academy Award nominee Ellen Page, on a cinematic experience similar to the previously mentioned game. With one added bonus: The girl has powers. This is one to watch.

"Playstation All-Star Battle Royale" is a mouthful, not to mention "a Smash Bros. clone." I can't help but agree with many of the critics, but at the same time, this COULD be fun. It is Smash with Sony characters. Beat down Parappa with Nathan Drake? Sweet Tooth's Mecha taking on Kratos? I'll definitely give it the time of day, let's see how this one goes...

"The Last of Us" was, no doubt, THE game of the show. If you haven't checked this one out yet, YOU NEED TO. Naughty Dog, the people who brought us "Uncharted," brings us this post-apocalyptic survival adventure game where you play as the two of last survivors Joel and 14 year-old Ellie. No, you don't fight zombies, you do have to fight for life as you must collect health and there are limited ammo. No pressure!

Sony's worst? Undoubtedly, the Wonderbook. Went on too long, and really? Do kids with a Playstation want to read? Sorry, but not sure this will work. Also, not alot of love for the Move. Does that mean Sony doesn't have much faith in it? Same for the Vita. At the end of the day, it was still a good show and way better than Microsoft's.

Now, for the big one... Nintendo.

We start off with Shigeru Miyamoto playing with the audience and shows off "Pikmin 3" for the Wii U. Things look promising for the new console as the game and its atmosphere is very crisp, clear and very beautiful. It was like stepping into a garden, no matter how cheesy that may sound. I actually want to play a Pikmin game and that says something since I never had interest in the series. 

They also showed "Lego City", a silly but funny Grand Theft Auto kid-friendly type game. Entertaining, so I wouldn't mind checking it out. "New Super Mario Bros. 2" also announced, along with a new "Super Scribblenauts" and "ZombiU," a unique, zombie survival game. The developers bring up that each game utilizes the new Wii-U Game Pad and its screen to enhance the game experience, like "Arkham City" using it as Batman's utility belt and "Sing" for a karaoke lyrics screen. 

Finally, the Big N capped off their show with "NintendoLand," a combination of the usual Wii Sports-like minigame extravaganza and many of the company's franchises. 

From Luigi's Mansion to Donkey Kong Country, players use their costumed Miis to play through 12 different themed worlds and its many minigames. Seems like it could be a good time, though there's still alot to learn about this game. Working title from Plantinum and Nintendo, "Project P-100," was shown after the conference and was interesting as it looked to have a bit of Earthbound and just a drop of Bayonetta's combo attacks and Pikmin's teamwork.

What went wrong with Nintendo? There was much hype and expectation and to many, including myself, it was not THAT strong of a showing. They have a new console coming out by the end of the year, but where are the main franchises? Are these the only launch titles? How much is the Wii-U? When releasing your new console, you HAVE to bring out your best. It didn't feel like Nintendo did and they definitely need to bring everyone back on the train. Only time will tell if this will work out or what.

In the end, who had the best conference of  the three? Possibly Playstation, but really... the strongest, no doubt, was Ubisoft. "Rayman," "Assassin's Creed 3." "Watch Dogs," "ZombiU," etc. Nothing but great looking games along the board, showing how strong this company is. And for sure, Nintendo must be happy to have them as they were heavily focused on how they're incorporating their games with the Game Pad.

Not the best E3, but hey. Like Christmas, it's the best time of the year, especially if you're a gamer. So now as the 2012 edition winds down, let's just be happy and enjoy some real quality games in the year to come! GAME ON!

P.S, just because, here are the conferences... all in a couple of nutshells. Enjoy!

MOVIE REVIEW: "Snow White And The Huntsman"

Whether you read the books, or saw the Disney film, or known about it through pop culture and its countless parodies, you know the story of "Snow White." For sure, this is not the cartoon you have grown up with. Like many times before, Hollywood tries to bring out the Grimm in these classic tales and it always doesn't work. In this version of "Snow White," I have to say it is fairly successful.

"Twilight" star Kristen Stewart plays the fairest of them all, who must stop the wicked queen Ravenna (Charlize Theron) and her quest for immortality. Snow White is aided by the Huntsman, played by Thor himself Chris Hemsworth, and a group of the last living dwarfs (Ian McShane, Nick Frost, just to name a few). You know the rest of the story, but even then, it works very well and you still get shocked when certain moments happen. Stewart does a fairly good job as Snow White, especially considering I didn't expect much from her (I'm not a fan of hers or the vampire series) and even then, I was still willing to give her a shot. Hemsworth as Huntsman also does well enough, being the tough yet caring brute who will make sure the job is done.

Now Charlize... not everyone will love her performance, but I believe she did incredible work. She may not be the most believable villain, sometimes abit over the top, but you knew enough about her to really hate her and still sympathize with her at the same time. Plus it didn't hurt that the visuals that came with the Queen were beautiful, dark, and very elegant. Love the bird skull dress!

So the flaws... there were some, yes. Again, Kristen Stewart did well, but not enough for me in some parts. I like that she can be this headstrong, all-powerful woman, but it was hard to buy it sometimes. She's not that strong of an actress to pull it off completely, honestly. And definitely not for everyone in the audience, for that matter. Sam Claflin, who played Prince William, could have been used more, considering how important his character is to Snow White at one time. And there are moments that can be groan-worthy, very cheesy, and played-out, but that's minor besides the fact that this story has been done to death. So how can it not be cheesy, right?

Still, there is much good. The special effects and visuals were well-done as it felt more like Wonderland than that stupid "Alice" movie could ever bring. The Dark and the light forest were stunning to look at and felt very magical. The one scene with Snow White and all the forest creatures is worth noting and the Queen turning into birds and her rising from the milk bath... wow. Alot of action too keeps this from being that repetitive (gotta love the castle raid) and the dwarfs also keep this a fun affair with their jokes and occasional silly actions. But of course, don't have them fooled as the Disney versions since these guys kick butt and are seriously while doing it.

All and all, I must say I was genuinely surprised by "Snow White." There was action, romance, drama, horror, and really great visuals to boot. No movie can ever be perfect, this is one of those cases. However, for a story told many times over, it's not boring, you actually care for the characters, and the scope of this film is so epic that it can feel like Lord of the Rings or Kingdom of Heaven at times and that's not a bad thing. And come on, you just have to see Charlize go crazy while wearing outlandish outfits! It's worth a shot, seeing as I had very low expectations and I had a pretty good time with it. So check it out, if not in theaters, then definitely on home video.

7.5/ 10

MOVIE REVIEW: "Men In Black 3"

14 years after our first encounter with them, the Men in Black are back! Sure, the sequel was not that good and difficult considering the massive success the original film was able to bring, but doesn't hurt to try again... does it?? Three time MAY be the charm, or should we just bust out the Neurolizer and forget all about this movie? Well... let's find out!

 Director Barry Sonnenfeld and stars Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones (Agents J and K) return for one more adventure. Agent J must time travel to 1969 to save a young Agent K (played by Josh Brolin) from the evil alien Boris The Animal (Jemaine Clement from Flight of the Conchords), his long-time nemesis who wants revenge. Along the way, the duo meet some familiar faces, new creatures, and all while forming a tighter bond for the two agents. That's the plot, simple as that. Rumors are that there were plenty of rewrites, even as they were filming, changing things on the fly. It feels that way at times, as some of the heart and fun from the original is lacking at times. Not to say this isn't fun though. It has its moments and yes, it does have a bit of heart. Let's dig deeper...

Josh Brolin made this movie worth the watch as young K. Acting and sounding like Tommy Lee Jones, Brolin really pulls it off and makes this character his own with some little tweaks. Young K is just as serious as older K, but his feelings show a little more now, especially when it comes to the young Agent O, played by the beautiful but underused Alice Eve. Also underused is the current Agent O, played by Emma Thompson, who has one moment of note... but then disappears into oblivion. 

Jemaine Clement as Boris makes for an interesting villain, being creepy (thanks to Rick Baker for a great makeup job) and quite the menace and yes, maaaaybe even a little funny! If you know his work from Flight of the Conchords and love it, you're going to enjoy seeing him here. Also, it's worth noting Bill Hader as Andy Warhol and Griffin, played by "Boardwalk Empire's" Michael Stuhlbarg, who brings the most heart to this film. 

Complaints? Most of the jokes fall flat here, the writing gets really bad at times with plot holes aplenty, and this one moment, meant to be heartfelt... it just felt tacked on and cheesy. It's not a bad movie, though, but it's just not a great one. It definitely needed more bizarre creatures and weird moments, more... fun... to really make this movie great. Oh, and I saw this in 3D and it was not worth the extra bucks AT ALL. The time travel scenes made some use of the 3D effects, but other than that, nothing. So is the film itself worth a watch? Sure, why not? It was an OK way to pass the time, but I almost want to say it's more of a rental. At least if this is the last MIB movie we ever get, it's good they ended it this way. Er, minus the song during the credits. Ugh, that Pitbull...

5/10

"Blunderbuss" - Jack White

In my opinion, Jack White is a musical genius. Many would disagree otherwise, but after his 3 other projects (Raconteurs, Dead Weather, and White Stripes) I really think this man is one of a kind. He knows music and once I heard he was going solo, I was curious to hear what he would do next.

"Blunderbuss" has that Jack White sound, blues and all, a bit of piano and even his cover of the track "I'm Shakin'." The song can be heard below...

Such a catchy song and really gets you moving, while still capturing the soul of the original. In between this song and some others, you can tell there is some heartache over White's split from his wife and the end of the White Stripes and this was his way of coping through it all. "Weep Themselves To Sleep" gives off those vibes, one ivory key at a time, but remains such a beautiful, powerful song. 

It does take more than one listen to really get into the album, like it was for me, which I was expecting more of his other bands' sounds. The closest thing you get to that is the single "Sixteen Saltines." It's a good song, but I feel it doesn't really fit here. It does make me miss White Stripes very much. In any case, it's great to hear Jack again and experimenting with both an all male band and an all female band as well. 

"Blunderbuss" is Jack White at his more interesting and what I feel like is really his true side. If you're a fan of his, you NEED this album in your life. I've heard people compare it to Dylan, but it's only slight for me. But still, it is a beautiful piece of work. Also, if you liked the samples above, more reason for you to own the album. It may not be loud too often, or guitar heavy, but definitely worth a bit of your time.

MOVIE REVIEW: "Comic-Con Episode IV: A Fan's Hope"

As you may have already guessed from past reviews, I am a fan of comics and superheroes. So no brainer here, I had to check out "Comic-Con Episode IV." What is it all about? It's all about San Diego Comic-Con and its die-hard fans. This documentary was put together by director Morgan Spurlock of "Supersize Me" fame, along with comic book and movie staples Stan "The Man" Lee, Joss Wheadon (seems to be another trend in my reviews, huh?), Harry Knowles, and many other familiar faces and names.

The film follows some very different fans on their road to the event, as two are looking for a career in comics, one group puts together a Mass Effect cosplay show for the ages, a man and his epic comic collection struggle to survive, and one young man wants to solidify his love for his girlfriend at a Kevin Smith panel. Very interesting stories from each, especially the man and his collection of million dollar comics. The Con, as he and many others learn, is not so much about comics anymore as Hollywood has taken over and made it into a huge press conference for their next big projects. Kind of sad, but it's the truth.

Still, the love for the event is there and you can tell from those that attend the show. Whether you've been to the San Diego Con or any of the other Cons, you know how these shows work and you have seen how people go all out. Sure, it may seem like a joke and you get a laugh or three from the silly outfits and situations, but "Comic-Con" shows that passion people have for what they love and you're not an outcast here. It's a fun little flick, completely harmless, not particularly life-changing but worth a watch if you're a fan of anything comic and nerd culture. 

I say check it out. You get moments like the one above, so how can you go wrong?

7/10

MOVIE REVIEW: "MARVEL'S The Avengers"

It took Marvel Comics and most of Hollywood more than 40 years to put together this band of superheroes on the big screen. Definitely a large undertaking and just an ounce of pressure on the writer and director, "Buffy" creator Joss Wheadon, to finally bring Earth's Mightiest Heroes on the same stage.

So does the flick assemble greatness or is it just a super waste of time? Well, bad puns aside, "Avengers" was a incredibly fun ride and an epic start to the summer movie season. Now where to start... Ah, the plot!

The evil and mischievous Loki makes his way to Earth and is looking to tear it apart, especially if it means taking out his powerful step-brother Thor with it. Nick Fury and the agents of S.H.I.E.L.D decide it's time to form the team. It's time to form... THE AVENGERS! And that's all you need to know. Of course, it helps if you saw the 5 movies that came before it as it goes straight in, no more origin stories and right to the action.

From Robert Downey, Jr. as the over-confident Iron Man, to Chris Evans as the straight-laced, old-fashioned boy scout Captain America, each of the Avengers stays true to their comic and movie ways and none of the characters are really overshadowed. Well, one character does kind of stand above the rest...

Mark Ruffalo is the new Bruce Banner/Hulk here and completely steals the show. His Banner is abit different than the others, as he's older, wiser, and knows his fate. His Hulk... Wow. Now THIS... is the Hulk that the people wanted! Mean, green, and full of attitude. Once he hits the screen, it is so much fun! Scarlett as Black Widow and Sam Jackson as Fury are worth mentioning as well, as they play bigger roles in this film and show that even heroes without powers can still kick much ass! Jeremy Renner does alright as Hawkeye, though. If only there was more to him here, but still, watching him take down everyone with a bow and arrow in every way is pretty cool!

And yes, Agent Coulsen is back! Clark Gregg is Coulsen and here, his interactions with our heroes really help the movie. As much as he is a veteran agent and seen his fair share, he can get starstruck and be a fan too. Like his reactions to one of the characters, you can't help but feel like a kid again during this whole experience. It's just too much fun!

It's also to note that there is plenty of action here, obviously. But this is a fan boy's dream. You get heroes fighting heroes, heroes fighting villains and even more huge villains. And just to see these guys bickering at one another and even praising each other at any time... come on. Wheadon knows and loves his characters, and he is a pro at writing for an ensemble cast, not to mention ensemble comic book casts. It shows here, like in his run in the X-Men comics, that just the scenes of Iron Man and company at the round table talking to each other are worth the price of admission alone.

Now, any complaints? Sure, but not many. Some explanations in the film are quick, to-the-point, let's move on, kind of thing. I do understand that these explanations could be elaborated on in the future solo movies, so it's only just a small nitpick. One scene involving Iron Man and an engine felt alittle too long for me, but other than that... no real complaints. 

So final verdict? Obvious, you need to see this movie! Much action, alot of laughs (especially from Tony Stark and his "entrances"), and Hulk smashing! It's the perfect comic book movie, the definition of a summer movie, and with just enough personality and good times to keep you smiling until the very end. By the way, reminder: STAY AFTER THE CREDITS. It's a Marvel Studios movie, people didn't realize about any of the post-credit scenes. So don't leave or you'll miss the best one yet! Ok, I'm still in fanboy mode. Much apologizes!

In any case, go see it, especially in IMAX! 

9/10