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Resident Evil: Damnation [Review]

Submitted by Ian Fisher on Fri, 09/28/2012 - 12:31
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Overall Feeling: 

With no Milla Jovovich in sight and a story that stays true to the RE universe more or less, Resident Evil: Damnation exceeds the somewhat low expectations set for it as it provides a fun and somewhat thrilling experience.  On top of the standard RE levels of diabolical plans which are never laid out perfectly, Damnation ends up being a good action movie which rests high above the mediocre and dreadful offerings we've received in the past.

The Pros: 

+ Story is simple, dumb, filled typical characters – it’s pure Resident Evil.

+ Leon isn’t a muscle bound mope with an emo haircut as he’s instead a one-liner cracking badass.

+ None of the action scenarios are similar to one another and ….

+ Stylistically the movie has some true character to it even though the visuals are a bit inconsistent.

+ Acting manages to make a silly plot acceptable thanks to the talents of actors such as Matthew Mercer.

The Cons: 

- Visuals are inconsistent in some areas and aren’t prime top-tier material.

- Plot has some rather gaping holes but such a thing is par for the course for the RE franchise.

ShogunGamer.com Rating : 
8

Sometimes when we play a video game we may come to a certain realization, in particular the wonderful thought of “Wouldn’t this be cool as a movie?”  For the last decade or so video games have matched if not exceeded the scope of certain Hollywood movies, but at the same time the feeling always creeps up on us of seeing a particular world brought to life in a live-action setting and perhaps being expanded upon, either to add a little more thematic juice to the story or even up the action quotient higher than what we were able to control.

Resident Evil: Retribution [Movie Review]

Submitted by Ian Fisher on Sat, 09/15/2012 - 14:40
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Overall Feeling: 

Resident Evil: Retribution is still an over-the-top movie which has people rappelling out of aircraft duel-wielding machine guns or a giant Licker roaming a faux Russia, but it’s a level of stupid action that isn’t inane or too fluffy; it’s just fun if you go with it and love that sort of thing.  A bit more mature in some departments, Resident Evil: Retribution tries some new things which work while others, such as the addition of established game characters, aren’t pulled off successfully due to somewhat shoddy writing and character development.  I don’t think Resident Evil: Retribution is an instant action movie classic, but it is good enough to have some fun with and it’s ultimately a continued improvement over past RE movies.

The Pros: 

+ The plot is a bit different, but it has some nice callbacks to past entries in the series, and is more reserved in getting to the action.

+ This may be the fifth time she’s portrayed the character, but Milla Jovovich does a good job portraying Alice and adding new dimension to the character.

+ Action scenes may be shorter this time out but thankfully they’re still shot well as everything is captured without shaky cam effects.

+ Once again Tomandandy deliver an excellent soundtrack that adds a nice layer to the film.

+ Albert Wesker (Shaun Roberts) is awesome. Seriously, make a spin-off movie or game just about him and I’ll be there day 1.

The Cons: 

- It’s cool to have Leon and Barry in the mix, but neither of them really does anything and they aren’t fully established as characters.

- The action oddly feels a bit shorter and a few sequences are missing an impact to fully convey what’s happening.

- The movie doesn’t feel unfocused, but at times it does feel like certain things were trimmed, though not affecting the meaning/impact of the plot.

- The directing and 3D effects are good but lack some of the flourish found in Resident Evil: Afterlife.

ShogunGamer.com Rating : 
7

When a movie goes on to spawn sequels so much that it becomes an established franchise it’s hard to know what to expect. In some ways we as movie viewers know that a few returning faces will appear and that the action will remain same more or less (swashbuckling sword action/martial arts brawling), but in some cases sequels in a franchise can feel like completely new movies by having a different tone or style.

Tekken: Blood Vengeance [Movie Review]

Submitted by Ian Fisher on Wed, 07/27/2011 - 07:55
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Overall Feeling: 

I don’t exactly know what caused such a thing to happen, but Tekken: Blood Vengeance doesn’t break the curse of mediocre video games movies.  The film definitely receives some good marks for staying true to the design and general look of Tekken, but the horrible story which is somewhat hard to follow and simply pointless along with the terrible dialogue makes the film tough to watch. The fight scenes are serviceable but ultimately aren’t enough to carry the film past a point where it won’t be grouped in with Dead or Alive, Street Fighter or Mortal Kombat: Annihilation in the bad video game movie department.

The Pros: 

+ The fight scenes were generally well done minus the very last battle.
+ Aside from a few ugly background models and weird skin textures, the visuals for the movie were pretty outstanding even if it didn’t reach the Square Enix benchmark.
+ Some of the bad moments are so bad that they in turn become funny which present some nice riff opportunities.

The Cons: 

- The story is absolute nonsense even by Tekken standards.
- Tonally the film is all over the place and never really establishes a foothold of what it’s trying to be.
- I really don’t know what happened, but the voice acting is either bad or in some cases doesn't fit the character as well as it should.
- Having only eight Tekken characters appear in the film with no major cameos outside of one is incredibly disappointing.
- No Yoshimitsu appearance sucks big time.

ShogunGamer.com Rating : 
5

There are some video game franchises out there that would work perfectly when adapted to become a movie to the point where it’s almost painful when it doesn’t happen.  Properties like Metal Gear Solid, Devil May Cry and Halo would make for perfect films but for some reason despite having the film rights snatched up by film studios/production companies, nothing has come to fruition and various projects are simply in the ever occupied development hell.  But every now and then we get lucky and see a video game make the leap to the big screen in some form, whether it’s in live-action

TRON: Legacy [Review]

Submitted by Ian Fisher on Thu, 12/16/2010 - 10:37
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Overall Feeling: 

TRON: Legacy may be a film that doesn’t offer an immense amount of character or cutting edge story elements, but as a whole the film is one of the most entertaining things I’ve seen this year and it’s a complete orgy to the eyes from a visual perspective. The film may not have that same amount of computer references as the original film had, but this is still a TRON movie despite all the changes that have been made. With action that is perfectly directed and entertaining to watch, a nice cast that brings some depth and likeability to their characters and a plot that offers more than a simple tale of a guy being stuck inside a computer, TRON: Legacy has lived up to the hype and will surely please the fans of the franchise.

The Pros: 

Director Joe Kosinski has created a world that perfectly encapsulates the core sensibilities of the old TRON while taking it to the next level. Visually, the movie is an absolute gem as the special effects are stellar and the design of the world is unlike anything we’ve seen before. Garrett Hedlund, Olivia Wilde and of course Jeff Bridges all turn in really good performances that help to establish a connection to the audience – or at least to me. Daft Punk’s score is a nice combination of buttery beats and orchestral arrangements that soothe the soul. There are a ton of callbacks to the original TRON including a potential set-up to a TRON: Legacy sequel.

The Cons: 

Not enough scenes with TRON. While he may have a strong presence in the film, I would've liked to see more of Clu in action. The lack of obvious tech lingo being thrown around may disappoint the hardcore fans of the franchise.

ShogunGamer.com Rating : 
9

Upon first seeing TRON as a kid in 1993 I really didn’t know what to expect from the film. Having missed out on the first few minutes but still knowing the basic jest of the plot (dude gets sucked into a computer world), my young mind was trying to process what was going on along with figuring out if the film was as dire as some had made it out to be.  Even at a young age, I knew that TRON had a reputation for being “silly” or “bombing” at the box office, but being a geek I felt compelled to watch it.

Resident Evil: Afterlife [Movie Review]

Submitted by Ian Fisher on Mon, 09/13/2010 - 09:18
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Overall Feeling: 

Resident Evil: Afterlife is by far the most cohesive RE movie release so far. The film does a nice job of balancing certain elements from the video games while injecting them into the film world occupied by Alice. Featuring 3D effects that are good and aren’t too gimmicky, the action is good and for once the script isn’t terrible or ill-conceived. Resident Evil: Afterlife may not be the RE film that gives us a 1:1 match of the video games but it accomplishes enough to stand on its own merits.

The Pros: 

The action is so over-the-top that it’s hard not to be amused and entertained, especially keeping in mind what has been presented in the RE video games. Director/writer Paul W.S. Anderson does a nice job with managing the action and for once the script won’t induce constant head shaking while viewing. No shaky cams during action scenes = YAY! The 3D effects are decent and don’t feel too gimmicky. The music from tomandandy is worthy of buying from iTunes.

The Cons: 

It would’ve been nice if there was more character development for characters like Alice and Chris Redfield. The 3D effects are executed well but it would’ve been nice if they were used a bit more naturally instead of being so in your face at times. The middle section of the film drags a bit. While the action is plentiful, the film could’ve benefitted from one more “boss battle” type action scene. Did the movie really have to end on another cliffhanger?

ShogunGamer.com Rating : 
7

For having stories that are often full with various cinematic homages or plots that are ripe for a live-action retelling, the Resident Evil film franchise hasn’t exactly lived up to its potential so far.  The three Resident Evil films that have hit cinemas in the past eight years haven’t been on the same horrific level as other video game adaptations such as Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li but they’re still not the same masterpieces of zombie action goodness that fans of the games have been wishing for.  A major source for some of the fan outcry with the Resident Evil movies

Tekken: The Movie [Review]

Submitted by Ian Fisher on Fri, 08/13/2010 - 07:47
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Overall Feeling: 

Instead of coming across as a high-powered action movie, Tekken: The Movie is an absolute bore that feels and looks like a bad syndicated TV show. The film has the characters and themes from the Tekken games but fails to stay true to them which makes the movie even more disappointing. With lackluster action scenes, the only reason to watch Tekken: The Movie is if you want to see a bad move to riff on MSTK-3000 style.

The Pros: 

Some of the acting and production values are hilariously bad so there’s something to goof on. It’s admirable that some of the costumes stay true to the look established in the video games. There are quite a few shots that feature the ass crack of an attractive lady so if that’s your type of thing then you’ll dig that. Seeing certain characters come to life such as Yoshimitsu is almost cool.

The Cons: 

Both the writing and the re-imagined nature of the movie are quite horrendous. Some of the acting is a bit stiff, even for a martial arts movie. Actions scenes are rather disappointing, mainly due to poor directing. The teaser ending is lame and lacks a true impact.

ShogunGamer.com Rating : 
3

Ever since I was a kid I’ve loved martial arts movies. I don’t know what it was that captured my attention as a lad but seeing dudes jump around and perform amazing physical feats just captured my imagination.  That love of martial arts of course carried over into my main passion and hobby, the world of video games.  Obviously I’m not the only person who was bitten by the martial arts bug as a child which is why there’s almost a never ending supply of straight up 1v1 brawlers or crazy beat-em-up video games.

Freddy Krueger cosplay pics and his review of A Nightmare on Elm Street 2010 midnight premier

Submitted by Corey Rollins on Sat, 05/01/2010 - 02:06
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Overall Feeling: 

An interesting reboot of the origin of Wes Craven's original Freddy Krueger that is ultimately dragged down due to poor casting and weak dialogue exchanges.

The Pros: 

A fresh spin on the original storyline that drives Freddy. Great "dream world" transition and visuals. Fantastic performance by Jackie Earle Haley as Freddy Krueger.

The Cons: 

Horrible casting of Elm Street teens. Weak acting creates some terrible dialogue exchanges that are on par with a high school play. Ruined a classic scene with cheesy CG. Freddy's face is more realistic, but not as memorable as the original.

ShogunGamer.com Rating : 
6

When I originally heard that A Nightmare on Elm Street (ANOES) was being remade, I was a mess. I didn't know whether to flip my desk over or do a happy jig. So I did the only logical thing I could think of to reduce my potential disappointment of this film. Dress up as Robert Englund's classic portrayal of Freddy Krueger and go see the midnight premier with all of Vancouver's hardcore ANOES fans. This way, at least everyone there would have original Freddy's shoulder to cry on at the end of the film.

[Movie Review] Daybreakers

Submitted by Ian Fisher on Mon, 01/11/2010 - 04:39
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Overall Feeling: 

Daybreakers is a good film but it isn’t the vampire tour de force some had hoped it would be based on the trailers. The film is still good as it’s quite nice visually and has some good acting but the story is missing a certain amount of depth to it which hinders things a bit. It’s nice that we have a vampire movie that doesn’t have romance or is merely gore porn as Daybreakers does some unique things and is a solid film to check out if you have your expectations dialed down a bit. If you like the aspects of vampire society that was shown in the first “Blade” movie then you’ll probably love Daybreakers as it’s that amped up a bit.

The Pros: 

The style of the film is good and the Spierig Brothers show their talent in directing despite this only being their second film. Ethan Hawke and Willem Dafoe turn in nice performances with Sam Neill being the best out of the bunch as the antagonist. Thankfully Daybreakers doesn’t hold back with the gore and doesn’t have CG blood and all around has some nice special effects.

The Cons: 

The story is a bit weak at times with under developed characters. For a world whose population is mostly vampires the exact rise of that society is laid out a bit too conveniently. Even though the gore is awesome it may be a bit too much for some, especially at the end of the film which as a whole falls apart a bit.

ShogunGamer.com Rating : 
7

In this day and age vampires just aren’t what they used to be. Sure, they still have that mystique to them but for the most part they’ve been relegated to starring in the dreams of women, and surely a few men, due to the craze of Twilight and True Blood. For a good portion of their history aside from being romanticized vampires were also extremely deadly and frightening creatures that just didn’t fall in love with girls and sparkle in the sun.

[Movie Review] Avatar

Submitted by Ian Fisher on Sat, 12/19/2009 - 21:37
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Overall Feeling: 

Avatar won’t amaze you with an amazing story or characters but it will blow your mind when it comes to the visuals and how rich and engaging the world James Cameron created is. There hasn’t been a film like this that has created something that is so detailed and fully realized that it will just suck people up into the experience of Jake Sully and the battle happening on the planet of Pandora. And as far as being a James Cameron film it is easily in his top three as he’s on the top of his game and presents some amazing action scenes and once again sets the bar for special effects.

The Pros: 

Jaw dropping special effects, intense and original action and the design for Pandora and its creatures is some of the most original stuff that’s been created in awhile. The technology used to capture the performance of the actors is amazing and shines through Zoe Saldana’s amazing performance as Neytiri. Though a bit cliché the story still has moments where it shines and has a few classic James Cameron trademarks.

The Cons: 

The story isn’t anything we haven’t seen before and that may turn some people off. Most of the characters never really grow after they’re established and that’s a missed opportunity especially when it comes to characters like Parker Selfridge.

ShogunGamer.com Rating : 
9

I don’t think there has been a movie that has had the same amount of anticipation as Avatar.

[Movie Review] Far Cry - A Uwe Boll film

Submitted by Ian Fisher on Sun, 11/29/2009 - 19:13
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Overall Feeling: 

Far Cry isn't the complete trash many would expect it to be. Instead it's a dumb popcorn action movie that stays pretty true to the video game. Things are still a bit rough around the edges but as a whole the film is worth checking out for those who love B-grade action movies or want to sit back with some friends and goof on the cheesy acting.

The Pros: 

Uwe continues to improve his directing and even though it may not be as epic as it was in "In the Name of the King" the action scenes are entertaining. Til Schweiger turns in a nice performance as the lead and the rest of the cast is solid despite some stiffness and hackneyed dialog. The audio commentary by Uwe is priceless.

The Cons: 

The movie doesn't have that epic scope some may have associated with what a Far Cry movie would be like. Towards the end things drag a bit and the finale could've used a bit more punch. And like some of Uwe's other films the ending just kind of happens and feels off in a way. Some of the comedy can be bad and drag on longer than it should have.

ShogunGamer.com Rating : 
6

Most gamers hate him but you have to admit that Uwe Boll is a genius. The man knows how to keep his name popping up in various entertainment circles and he continues to make films based on video games for reasonable budgets despite the apparent low quality.  When it comes to Uwe I personally love him since he doesn’t take any crap from anyone and he makes films that you can always laugh at since they can be complete trash at times.  After his last effort Postal, Uwe is back at it again with an adaptation of the hit game Far Cry.

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