Category Archives: Reviews

Nutcracker Fantasy Review

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It’s time for a classic tale although this Nutcracker story takes quite a few liberties from the usual formula. It’s almost always a good idea to do that as it keeps the story fresh and this is no exception. While I wish we had gotten to see more of the infamous Ragman, the main story will keep you entertained the whole time. There’s a whole lot going on here.

The movie begins with the Ragman turning a poor kid into a rat because he stayed up past his bedtime. The unfortunate thing is that every kid knows about the Ragman but he is so well known that he is considered to be a superstition now. We then cut to Clara who was planning to stay up late even while her aunt tried to warn her not to. Fortunately Drosselmeyer shows up and gives her a Nutcracker doll. He’s not too pleased with how it looks but she insists on keeping it. That night, some mice try to kidnap him but the Nutcracker fights back once Clara is in danger. When she wakes up, they’re all gone though. She must navigate a dangerous world of twin headed monsters and a kingdom on the brink of ruin. Is Clara up for this?

Lets get the elephant out of the room right away which is that this film is stop motion. Yeah I know that’s not ideal but look at the end of the day that’s going to happen. As far as that style goes I would say this movie does a pretty good job with it. I liked the fight scenes and this style does make for some pretty fun facial expressions. The characters tend to look shocked quite often and everyone appears to be very suspicious so you really can’t trust them. Meanwhile the backgrounds are all sinister which really drops the hammer on the fact that this is a brand new world.

Keeping all that in mind, Clara handles things really well. She doesn’t waste a lot of time wanting to go back home or complaining about the state of affairs. Instead she gets right to work on finding the Nutcracker and it isn’t easy since nobody is particularly helpful. It also turned out that she looks just like the princess who is currently in a coma so Clara will work with the Nutcracker on saving her. Little does she know the princess would end up being one of the worst characters in the film. Ah well, it’s actually a pretty nice change of pace to have a member of royalty just be unashamedly petty and arrogant the whole time. More often than not that would actually be pretty realistic.

So I give Clara a lot of points throughout the film. Meanwhile the Nutcracker was also good. He was quick to put his life on the line in order to help Clara out and he is very skilled in combat. Even if it means turning back into a doll afterwards, he is not someone who will just give up halfway. It was nice for Clara to have at least one dependable ally.

That’s where I take points away from Drosselmeyer. Now it depends just how aware of things he is because the guy vanishes for most of the film but it’s hinted throughout that he at least know the basis of what’s going to happen. Sure he steps in at the very end but I wanted him to do more. Maybe at the beginning warn Clara that she is about to be facing the fight of her life and giving her some tips.

The Nutcracker’s ending tends to be a little different each time but there is always that moment where you wonder what is real and what isn’t. Well, at least in this case I think it’s clear that it was all real and Drosselmeyer is the key to the whole thing. It’s why the Princess Tutu was a fun TV show because it really went deep into the lore for all of this. It’s probably the best adaption even if some would probably say that it isn’t technically a Nutcracker adaption. I’d say it is at any rate….

Now while there is a ton happening and a whole lot of characters showing up, for that reason is can also be a bit overwhelming at times. Clara is constantly thrown into different situations with more and more characters that it can be tough to keep track of them all. Typically you just have the rats and the rat king but this time there are characters everywhere. At one point Clara basically stumbles into Alice and Wonderland as there are these two guys in the middle of the forest who are just cryptic. They didn’t have much to do with anything although I’m sure there would be some lore videos about them depending on how popular this movie is.

I get the feeling that Nutcracker Fantasy probably has tons of themes and hidden messages beyond most of the scenes and plots. Even the whole Ragman intro that didn’t go anywhere probably has some kind of hidden meaning but in the meantime it’s up to you to grab the meaning. The main thing is to just make sure you are helping out because you want to and not for the satisfaction. After all Clara would have probably been crushed if she had been doing all this to save the princess as opposed to doing the right thing since the princess had no gratitude. The King also looks bad for allowing himself to be dragged on so easily. He at least should have done more for the heroes.

Then again the King couldn’t even take control of a whole room of mad spellcasters who all had crazy schemes on how to wake up the princess. It’s no wonder that the kingdom was losing to the rats. Meanwhile Morphia was a fun main villain. Her rat army definitely could do a lot of damage and so she should take most of the credit there as their leader. Without her they would definitely be a lot more aimless. I would have liked her to have gotten to fight herself more because fighting styles with two heads can be really solid but the film already does have more action than I would have expected so it’s not a negative or anything like that.

Overall, Nutcracker Fantasy is a pretty good film. One of its strengths is absolutely in how wild and unpredictable it is. Even the most seasoned of movie viewers will probably be unable to predict every twist and turn in here. I’d definitely recommend checking it out. The stop motion visuals may be a little hard to get into at first but once you have gotten past that then you will be all set. I’d definitely be up for a sequel to this some day.

Overall 7/10

Naruto X Boruto Ultimate Ninja Storm Connections Review

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I may not have gotten this game day 1 but I knew at some point that I would need to take the plunge. The whole marketing was about a new Uchiha showing up and that’s like finding out that there is a new Saiyan. It’s an immediate way to build up hype and I can tell you that it succeeded. Really one of the only reasons this wasn’t a day one is because most of the story is old.

When you boot up the game you have your usual array of modes. Vs mode, the main story, and special story. The main story is basically compiled from all of the previous games where they paste a lot of those fights but apparently remove a lot of the interactable bits. From what I’ve heard it’s a straight downgrade which is a shame but that’s just how it goes I suppose. We weren’t hear for the main story either way and I skipped it entirely. At some point I’ll play through it for the trophies but that’ll be a while.

The special story starts off with Boruto getting hooked on this online game where he can play as Naruto. Unfortunately there is a deeper conspiracy here and someone is mind controlling Naruto and the others. Sasuke will have to hold Naruto off but Boruto had to stop the threat at its core. If he doesn’t succeed then that will be game over. Now while the main history mode is longer, they did put a good amount of effort into this special story and it lasted longer than I expected with the post game story chapter. It’s really got a lot of good stuff to it. The beginning of the story is certainly slow paced but once the game starts cooking, it really doesn’t hold back at all.

The gameplay is very familiar to long time Storm fans. You have your auto combos and then several ninjutsu and ultimate jutsu. Use them all to really get the edge in combat and absolutely dominate everyone in your path. The story is generally easy but you still can’t just approach it blindly. You need to have some strategy in mind or you will end up being defeated in short order. Generally I would say that the giant monsters are the toughest to deal with since they don’t really flinch or stagger.

As expected the graphics are pretty high end. The cutscenes still look really amazing as well as the in game graphics which are on that PS5 level. They definitely kept in line with what you would expect from the series. Additionally the soundtrack is also really good with a lot of different tunes. The game can get really dramatic and the themes are able to keep up with the tempo and themes the whole time.

In terms of replay value, this is a fighting game so of course it’s basically endless. You can keep on having new experiences with each fight as they will all be different. Additionally some of the trophies look rather difficult so that will buy some more time as well. Since the gameplay is a lot of fun, you’ll certainly be incentivized to play as much as possible.

The story also handled the new Uchiha, Nanashi really well. She’s a really well written character who manages to get interesting really quickly and ends up having a complete arc. The game even sets up a romance that you could argue is better than any of the romances in the main Boruto and even Naruto series. It definitely has one of those super tragic endings to it too. Naturally you usually want to have a very happy ending for any kind of plot but the tragic angle can sometimes work too and this one pulled it off.

I would say there are some power level issues here as I think Boruto could easily wipe out any of the old Uchiha soldiers. Maybe I’m underselling them but I just see Boruto winning that one. Likewise it feels like Sasuke and Naruto could do even better in the present but at the end of the day power level issues never hurt the game’s actual score and quality. This is still a very engaging story by the end and helps make the experience worthwhile.

This is also a gameplay style that I grew up with so it’s super nostalgic. I won’t say for a minute that I’m the best at it or anything like that but I feel comfortable in the system. Mixing up the combos and trying out new techniques is something I can do without too much trouble. The different cinematics for every finishing special is also another incentive to use each character and learn all of their finishers. Adds to the replay value without a doubt.

Overall, Boruto Connections is definitely an excellent game. It would have been nice to see them redo the whole story from the start to Boruto but it’s definitely easy to see why they would choose to just reuse the assets since they were already there. Naturally if this is your first Storm game then it’ll hit even harder because then this is really an amazing amount of content to go through. You have a ton of replay value here with the trophies and everything so there is more than enough value to justify the price. No downsides there so pick up the game as soon as possible.

Overall 9/10

Shaq Fu: A Legend Reborn Review

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Shaq Fu is one of those games that ordinarily might not have crossed into my radar but I happened to see it in store for a great price so I decided to take the plunge. How could I not right? The concept is just pretty interesting and the execution ended up being on point. I’m not going to say that it’s an all star or anything but what I can say is that the graphics and controls are on point. The story will also keep you engaged with how fun it is.

The game starts off with introducing us to Shaq who was found inside a purse and nearly drowned. Who would put a baby through such hardship? Well, he got to grow up learning martial arts and now that will come in handy because there are monsters around. It looks like a lot of celebrities can’t be trusted and things get extra personal when Shaq’s master is seemingly murdered in cold blood. He will not stand for this! No sirrrr!

The gameplay is classic 2D beat em up style. Basically you use your punch, kick, and slam moves to take down enemies. There are tons and tons of enemies so get ready for a lot of punching. Generally you can beat most enemies with the punch buttons but there is a little strategy here. Use your kicks for enemies that are holding a shield because they will block normal hits. When you have enough meter you can also do a ground slam to send the enemies away. It’s a strong attack and does the job but use it sparingly since it takes a while to get the energy back.

Meanwhile you’ve also got a few super forms that appear in different levels like cactus Shaq and robot Shaq. Both of these forms are basically unstoppable since you can spam their heavy attacks with no real drawbacks. So in this form don’t overthink things and just keep attacking everybody. Usually to compensate for how overpowered you are, the game will stack the other side with even more minions than needed. So get ready to deal with a whole lot of that. The super forms are fun but it probably would have been a good idea to have still given some kind of a challenge for them.

After all, the main levels are rather difficult to get through at times. I won’t say it’s a hard game as this is easier than most other similar beat em ups in the genre. You still do have to focus though, if you try to just close your eyes and beat this on instinct then you are going to get absolutely demolished. That’s because of how many enemies there are and how they’re all different. You can react quickly enough to shut them all down but if you get overconfident and let them walk all over you then you’re in real trouble.

The graphics are pretty solid here. It’s going for a very drawn out/cartoony look that works well with the themes of the game. Likewise the cutscenes work really well for that reason as well. Not only is the dialogue great but the fact that it’s all voice acted is incredible. As with all comedies, not every joke will land and the game did go for at least one full crude humor boss which was really unnecessary. Still, aside from that the game had been doing pretty good on the humor.

The soundtrack is solid but the main theme song can be a little much. It’s extremely loud and you hear it for the main menu and every loading screen. So you’ll be hearing it a whole lot, particularly since the loading screens themselves are really slow. I like the concept of the song but the lyrics could definitely be a whole lot better.

In terms of replay value, well you could go for the Platinum. I actually haven’t checked how hard that would be but I get the feeling it will be easy. So with the main game being under 4 hours, maybe this can add another 2-3 hours of replay value. You can usually get the game for a pretty low price so all in all I would say it’s a pretty fair deal. You’re partially playing this game for the pure novelty value after all. A good story goes a long way and since the gameplay is also sound then you have a good bargain. If the gameplay was bad then this would be a harder sell but I do think they actually put some effort into this one. It’s not just some random cash-in or anything like that.

Overall, Shaq Fu gets a lot of points for how up front it is. This game knows that the premise is rather silly and so instead of being subtle about this, it just doubles down on absolutely everything. Trust me, you haven’t seen many games that are as shameless as Shaq Fu is. It’s really the full package and while it isn’t a particularly long game, the most important part is that you will have fun playing it. That’s the key here and if they ever make a sequel, I’d be tempted to buy it day 1!

Overall 7/10

Sonic the Hedgehog 3 Review

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It’s time to look at one of the all time best films. Sonic 3 is the kind of title that reminds you just how awesome the franchise is. It’s got nonstop action and laughs for all of the viewers. You won’t be the same person you were by the time you finish this movie, that’s just how good it is. Now the tough part is going to be waiting for that sequel!

The movie starts out with the ultimate life form known as Shadow breaking out of his containment unit. He quickly takes down GUN and starts a fire fight in Japan. At this point they are forced to call in Team Sonic but the heroes are quickly taken out as well. Their only hope may be in Eggman but the villain is in retirement after his crushing defeat in the second film. Is he even in a position to help this time or the heroes are barking up the wrong tree here?

Within 15 minutes we’ve already got different action scenes and the film keeps that energy up the whole time. How much you enjoy the film will really be connected to how much you enjoy the action and the characters running around. Fortunately that is all handled really well by the film. There really aren’t any bad characters here and everyone has their roles to play. Additionally the fights are all really intense and show how far the franchise has come.

Naturally the highlight of the film is Sonic vs Shadow but beyond that it was fun seeing the various chase scenes. Eggman even gets a big fight of his own near the end of the film which was pretty fun. His battle is definitely super over the top which is really the whole point of it but it works well. You’ll probably be cackling the whole time. The effects have never looked better so you can expect to see top tier visuals throughout the movie. This really should have been 2 hours so the movie could show off even more but I have no real issues here. Naturally the climax is absolutely top tier. You will be at the edge of your seat here.

As for the soundtrack, quite a few really good tracks there as well. The Shadow danger theme works really well and there were some really nice nods to the games. Some jingles here and there and even a big remix. It’s clear that they really wanted to make this a nice tribute to the fans and it definitely worked out well. Of course the big deciding factor for folks was always going to be the humans. Would they be able to keep up with the creatures or would the humans hold all of the scenes back.

Well, fortunately the humans are really solid. Generally speaking the humor was operating at a very high level. I was cracking up for most of the jokes. In any comedy film there will be some that don’t land of course and that was the case here as well but the important thing is that most of them landed. I was consistently chuckling as the characters got up to all of their nonsense. Sonic has the best jokes for the most part and they really nailed his cocky persona. The fact that he is always making light of everyone and not feeling like he is in danger is a really big deal. I would expect nothing else from the blue blur! I guess some highlights are the marble scene, the play on kunichiwaaaaaat, and reminding an opponent that if you’re gunning for the fastest thing alive then you better not miss.

Sonic learns about teamwork and things here but for the most part he’s still a one man show. When the going gets tough, Sonic gets going and doesn’t have time to wait for the others. I could really appreciate this because Tails and Knuckles mean well but obviously they are nowhere near Sonic’s level. So when there is a big threat that needs to be defeated, it’s not like Sonic can just wait and let them help. Worst case, they would just get in the way. This solo effort is portrayed as a bad thing but if Sonic had waited then they all would have died.

So yeah Sonic was on point here. I’d also give a shoutout to both Knuckles and Tails for both getting some really important moments. Knuckles in particular saved the day on multiple occasions which was really impressive. Meanwhile on the human side of things, Sonic’s guardians got their moments to shine as well. The whole GUN scenes were pretty cheesy of course but it’s probably hard to write in a plausible way for them to help out anymore so I’ll cut them some slack.

On the villain side, Agent Stone looks pretty solid here. He gets a really intense opening scene to the point where I was wondering what character was easily taking out the drones. Stone’s got more of an emotional subplot compared to the others which is tactfully handled with a good blend of humor and seriousness. That’s what the movies really specialize in after all. It can be hard to tell when a scene is supposed to be serious and emotional or when you’re laughing with the characters. The movie really plays with your emotions in all the best ways.

As for Eggman, he gets a lot of good insults and burns the entire time. His opening scene may have been a bit rough but after that he was really ready for action. The way he easily betrays everyone reminds you how the guy is a complete villain through and through. Don’t let all the joking fool you, this is a man who will do whatever he needs to in order to win. Then of course we have Gerald as well who acts a lot like Eggman but a bit more serious. He was another fun villain. I may have preferred Eggman but he was a good contrast.

Now I’m not going to say the movie is absolutely perfect. For every fun comedy scene that really landed like Wade showing up briefly you would eventually get a joke that didn’t quite land. Well the ratio might be more like 10-1 of jokes that worked vs didn’t. I would say Sonic not knowing where his heart is might be a little weak for example. Still, nothing that would really knock you out of the film at any point. Then of course you always have a lot of fun moments where the film wins you back anyway.

A good example of this is the Chao Garden when we get a double fake out. It’s just a really brilliant scene because it shakes you up multiple times. I dare say that a lot of films would not be able to pull that off. The movie gets a whole lot done in under 2 hours so this is also an example of top tier pacing. This even carries over to after the film is over. There are two scenes after the credits and the second is solid but the first may be the best across all of movie history. I have to think about it carefully but I can’t see anything else passing it.

Typically these scenes are very short, maybe a few seconds or so. This one includes a whole fight, real dialogue, and just continues things really well. It was an amazing moment and I can only imagine all the yelling in theaters when this happened. This is absolutely great news for Sonic 4 and I will be there for sure. Sonic continues to prove why it is such a top tier franchise. After the climax of this film with all the DBZ type action, it’s pretty easy to see how they can handle the rest of the fights that will be coming up. This looks better than 99% of all live action movies and I expect that to remain as the case for the sequels.

Meanwhile Shadow’s character arc was really top tier. They did the game justice for sure and I can already see how they will adapt his future story arcs. There is a ton of potential here without a doubt. Because of his high power level it might be a little tough to balance him though. They properly showed that he is significantly stronger than Sonic to the point where we needed some plot armor so who could possibly come in to challenge him? The main villain for 4 seems like a good pick and then we have Infinite but after that it’ll get difficult. Well, at this point I trust the writers. They seem to really have a strong understanding of the characters so I have absolutely no worries here.

Overall, Sonic 3 is an absolute masterpiece! Definitely check it out as soon as possible. I’m definitely going to be rewatching the fight a whole lot! Right now the quality online isn’t all that great though so it’ll be more fun in a few months or so. This was really a great adaption of Sonic Adventure 2 Battle and really hit just about all of the major notes I could have hoped for. It may not have done everything and left a little meat on the bone but I was still content. The Sonic movies continue to be better and better each time so the stakes are really high for the 4th one.

Overall 9/10

Nowhere to Go Review

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After a heist, the average criminal will quickly realize that he has nowhere to go. You’re now on the run for life and eventually the law will catch up. Well that’s the general premise of this film and it definitely makes for a good thriller right out of the gate. It’s very high energy with a lot happening at all times and a really solid cast of characters.

The film starts off in the present with Paul escaping from prison and getting to a nearby hideout. We then get a flashback to the events leading up to this and the flashback was so long that I forgot it was a flashback halfway through the adventure. Basically he decided to swindle an old lady out of her famous coins collection. To do that, he quickly became her friend and took her out to dinner many times. Unfortunately she ended up trusting him so he sold the coins and split. The plan was always to get caught though. He figured he would do a few months and then be out in a snap but instead the judge sentenced him to 5 years.

So Paul breaks out and all he has to do is get to the safe where he has the money stored. If he can make it there then he is now rich and can make a new life for him. It won’t be easy though as his old partner Victor wants a bigger cut of the pie and the cops may be onto him. Paul can’t really trust anybody, he can’t even trust himself. Is he accurately seeing the world as it is or is he starting to jump at ghosts?

Paul really sells the role of the tricky villain here. He acts a lo like a classic Bruce Wayne kind of character. He’s very confident at all times and they say even in the real world that this is the real trick to being successful. When you have other people believing that you are in the right spot, then that ends up being the case. He certainly manipulate a number of characters here even if I think that it was a little convenient for him to meet a lady named Bridget who is into lost cases.

She even says she has a title to that effect and it is readily apparent as she is willing to help this guy. It’s not like Paul is a secret hero who has been framed or anything, he’s straight up a criminal. So it’s not admirable to see Bridget helping him, it just shows that she is not a good character either. It’s a pretty bad look for her and she is definitely one of the weakest characters in the film. She should have been trying to stop him especially with how suspicious the living arrangements were. From her point of view it would certainly seem like he did something to her fiancé.

Victor is a criminal just like Paul but he made for a solid rival. I liked how he was always laughing and was not afraid of Paul. No this guy was talking as big as possible and made sure that Paul knew the score. Victor just wasn’t a particularly smart guy. Threatening someone and then giving them all day to come up with a plan is never going to end well. He was practically begging Paul to do something to him the way that he acted. When you double cross someone, you’re going to need to bump them off right away or things are going to get messy. it doesn’t take a genius to figure that out.

Paul made his own share of mistakes to be sure but nothing on that level. Of course each mistake is appreciated since you are rooting for the cops the whole time. You need Paul to be taken down because taking advantage of the elderly is absolutely one of the worst things you can do. There’s not really much coming back from that. This is yet another example of how the noir genre can churn out solid films even with the whole cast being bad.

There really aren’t any characters to root for here and yet the film is still pretty good. So why is that? Well, that’s because the story and writing are really on point. You may not have someone to root for but you certainly have someone to root against. The film never gives the villains too many wins or makes things too dark but still establishes why you want them to fail. The movie is very measured about this at all times and the pacing is also good. You’re really at the edge of your seat here.

The movie may not be really long but they certainly squeeze in a whole lot of action. The film also covers a long period of time as the main character’s dinner dates are shown in montage format. You can assume this was over the case of weeks to maybe even months. A successful criminal is often looking at things in the long term which is why you really need to keep your eyes open and not lower your guard. You never truly know another person after all and before you take the leap of faith you better give yourself a lot of time to think about it.

Overall, Nowhere to Go is a very solid film with a satisfying ending. I would definitely recommend it to any Noir fans. It reminds you to always keep a careful eye out because it is so easy for anybody to be lying about something. Particularly if you are in a new environment then you need to be able to analyze things on your own without being told. The more you can figure out on your own, the less susceptible you are to being tricked. This goes 10 fold if you are rich or have something worth a whole lot of value. People will tell you any kinds of stories to get close to you and you just have to be able to see through that. It may be a tough burden to get around but at the end of the day it is your burden. The price of being rich as they say.

Overall 7/10

A Christmas Carol (1984) Review

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The Christmas Carol is one of those classic stories that has been told many times over the years. It’s a story that will continue to be retold for generations because the whole thing is easy to understand and has a good moral at the end. You can’t ask for much more than that right? This one is a pretty solid adaption, I won’t say it’s the best or anything like that but I didn’t have any issues with it.

The movie starts off by introducing us to Scrooge who runs a really tight ship. He has earned a lot of money over the years and has decided that he won’t see any of it be squandered! No, he will work in a cold office if needed but the money will remain his. Everyone around him tells Scrooge to lighten up but he refuses. He heads home one night only to be visited by the ghost of his old partner. This ghost named Marley is trapped in chains and laments how his fate is already doomed but perhaps Scrooge can still be saved. He threatens Scrooge with visits from 3 supernatural creatures and then fades away. Scrooge aims to stay strong but these ghosts will use every trick in the book in order to get at him. Can Scrooge properly resist such an onslaught??

Now this version of Marley was a bit confusing. In the film they act as though he was a fairly nice guy and even in his speech it sounds as though he did use his money to help people out. So why is he trapped in chains and about to be doomed for all eternity? That part just didn’t seem particularly clear here. In a way they should have mentioned more about him being just as bad as Scrooge and not paying heed to the lessons which is why he’s in chains now.

Well after that the ball is in Scrooge’s court. Of course we all know the story by this point so the fun is in seeing how strong this Scrooge can be. Some of them break down almost immediately and side with the light while others make it to the end. I would say this was one of the tougher Scrooges. He made it midway through the second ghost before really breaking down. This version of the second ghost was also one of the most aggressive ones as he actively threatened Scrooge so you have to keep that in mind as well. Often times the ghosts try to be a little more subtle than that.

Scrooge was basically someone who took things a little too far. Nothing wrong with deciding to live a quiet life of not spending any money if that’s what you want to do. It really just starts to get dicey with how he treats his partner. The reason why Scrooge is a character that still works though is because he’s not too exaggerated. You could argue that the way he treats his partner is the only thing that is objectively bad. He does other things that may not be socially popular but he’s not breaking any rules or actively murdering people. And as he points out during the movie, he was ultimately able to achieve these riches in part due to his lifestyle.

He sacrificed a lot to get to the top such as his relationships and family. He basically became a loner and at the end of the day he doesn’t really have anything important in his life other than money. He’ll end up having a lonely existence and that’ll be that. It is still a little surprising to see how Scrooge is surprised by this outcome though. Surely that was just part of the choices he made right? I’d have expected him to realize that he would be all alone in death since he actively did his best to make sure he had no friends in life.

Meanwhile the families may have all been upset at Scrooge even to the end but it makes sense. From their point of view this change of heart is incredibly sudden. His nephew was really glad at Scrooge’s presence the whole time since he had always held out hope for this but the others will take some time. Ultimately Scrooge is in a good place in the present and now it’ll just be a question of where he draws the line. He has a fortune large enough to completely change many lives but of course he won’t be able to do that for everyone. Then he would run out of money and things would get dicey. For now we can at least be reassured of the fact that he will have a support network and friends to talk to.

As for the ghosts, they were all fun enough. Like I said the second ghost was a lot tougher this time around. He seemed to be the most sinister out of the 3 because he tries to have a nice facade the whole time until it breaks. That makes him incredibly suspicious. Then you’ve got the first ghost who could be a bit sarcastic at times but was trying to get through to Scrooge. Finally the third one is just hear to put some fear into him as normal. This may be a ghost of few words but he gets the job done. Considering how many people in the town are now saved, maybe Marley did deserve to break the chain and get a happy ending too.

Overall, A Christmas Carol is one of those films where you know all of the story beats so the critical factor is really in how well they are executed. I would say the film was handled pretty well overall. I didn’t really have any issues with it here. The whole story plays out well and it’s a classic uplifting kind of tale. I think the next really influential adaption will be another one to have a little fun with the format like Scrooged though. You gotta throw a wild card in there and yes it will be risky but sometimes you really have to take a risk in order to pull something like this off. Without that, the film is limited a bit by just how predictable it is. Still, check this one out and see where you stack it up among all the versions.

Overall 6/10

One Piece: Heart of Gold Review

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It’s time for a One Piece adventure! Generally I’ve enjoyed all of the One Piece movies and this one’s no exception. I would say it is one of the weakest titles in the franchise as it can’t really keep up on a story or battle basis. Still, you’ll be entertained which is the important part and it’s always fun to see the gang in new situations.

The story starts with the Strawhats coming across a girl who has just escaped from a bunch of other pirates. She has a piece of gold with her that will enable her to find a hidden city. The main characters are pirates so this sounds like a good time to them. They all end up getting sucked into a giant fish where the island is being hidden. Can Luffy and friends secure the treasure and get out or have they just stumbled onto a massive conspiracy?

This is a classic adventure which feels like a return to the original One Piece days. The nostalgia adds a nice boost to things and the film also does out of its way to try and give everyone something to do. I’d say the main exception is Franky but you had Chopper blocking projectiles and Brook even got to play the piano. Naturally Zoro and Sanji get to have their big fights at the end while Luffy takes on the big shot. Now there are some power level issues here but you would probably expect that from the jump. Mad is strong but nowhere near the level he would need to be in order to take down someone like Luffy.

The film extends things a bit to make it exciting. I can sort of look the other way, it’s not going to hurt the score or anything but seeing Luffy struggle with some chains was definitely rough. That’s not something that I would expect out of him at this stage in the game. Personality wise the Strawhats all looked good though with the exception of Sanji. For Sanji they really leaned into his more pervy side here so he was definitely taking L after L the whole time. I would have liked him to have done better but I’m not the biggest fan of his anyway.

Now for the new characters, the main one here is Olga who is basically a kid who says her thoughts out loud. It’s a classic gimmick that you see from time to time in different titles and I’d say it’s not a bad one. There isn’t much to her beyond this but her character design is memorable and she has a tough personality so she automatically beats a bunch of the other film OCs. Now if she could just fight then she would really rise up.

Mad is a fairly generic villain. He basically wants treasure and likes a good fight. Nothing particularly bad about him but I don’t think anyone will be talking about the guy after a few years. The chains ability is really handy though and it was nice to see animated. There aren’t a ton of chain users out there so I always like to see another user. If the chains themselves were stronger I could definitely see this guy being a top fighter.

Meanwhile the animation is good but nothing amazing. The chain fights are really the only times when the film is actively flexing. Beyond that it’s fairly standard stuff. Better than what you’ll see in the average mainstream movie but not quite near where you’d expect the anime movies to be at. I did like the effect they used for when Luffy was using observation haki though. The red eyes really looked menacing. In terms of soundtrack, not really any big knockout tunes to change things up. The main themes are good enough though. That’s sort of the feel of the whole movie. It’s all good enough without actively trying to be the best or anything more than that. So it’s a pretty good time and you will have fun with it but then it will blend with the background.

The best character here is definitely Zoro and I dare say that will be the reaction of just about anyone who checks out the film. He gets his fight and dominates from start to finish. There is no point where you think he will be on the losing side or anything like that. He even gives a nice speech the whole time and you wouldn’t be surprised if he was actually stronger than Luffy. The guy definitely carries that level of confidence after all.

In terms of the general story, it may be a stretch to have someone from CP0 losing to the new villain but I know it’s a quick way to build up some hype. The film needs an ultimate treasure and so having a secret elixir or immortality is one way to do it. It’s perhaps a little too overpowered though considering there are basically no side effects and it doesn’t seem all that hard to mass produce. It certainly works well in upping the stakes and everything but yeah the world government would be all over that in a heart beat.

Overall, The idea of a movie to set up another movie is pretty interesting. That’s such a bold movie that I can respect it. One Piece Film Gold definitely looks way more impressive and is also the better movie but this is a good title all around. You do have to ignore the fact that the heroes could have ended this film within 5 minutes when the villains showed up due to the gap in power though. I would recommend it if you like One Piece or generally if you like a good adventure film. It’s a very stand alone adventure and only a few cameos will just feel meaningless to someone who is not a fan. The story’s framework and the general plot are both straight forward enough where this won’t be confusing or anything like that.

Overall 7/10

A Visit to Santa Review

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So blurry!!! That’s what you’ll be thinking right away but even 4K visuals would not have been able to save this short film. All films should have some kind of point. Even if we’re talking 10 minutes, there should be some reason that you want to watch the product right? I mean if there isn’t, why would you be watching this at all right? Unfortunately it didn’t seem like this movie actually knew what it wanted to do at all and that’s absolutely disgraceful.

The film starts with two kids whining about Santa. The parents quickly get them off to bed so they can get out of there but Santa learns that the kids want to see him thanks to their message. So he has his elf bring them in and the kids get to see all about how Santa’s workshop works. It’s an intense experience but someone forgot to tell the kids that as they are visibly bored the whole time and want to go home. Here we have Santa being a nice guy and showing them things that almost nobody has seen before and they are bored??? It was such a mean thing for these kids to do.

I’m not saying they had to be yelling up and down but these are rather fantastic events. They are moving at high speeds and seeing such big secrets. At least a bunch of “thank you” responses and general excitement would be good. Unfortunately while I say this would be big for the kids, it’s not so entertaining for the adults though. The effects haven’t aged extremely well at the end of the day and even the costumes are really weak. They could learn something or two from how we have the Macy’s Santa costumes lined up.

Like I said earlier, it’s also hard to find any point to this. What lesson is the film teaching us? How do they want the audience to react and feel? It’s all just aimed so low that anyone over the age of 2 will be bored and anyone under that age will just fall asleep. This film isn’t effectively targeting anyone and so in the end it will just blend in with the background. That is definitely not a good thing at all. It’s only around 10 minutes or so, so at least it doesn’t drag on for as long as it would have otherwise.

Still, there isn’t really much to defend about the film at all. In fact I would say there is a lot to attack instead. Giving us a quick antagonist would have been good even if it was the parents. Like maybe they tracked the kids down and are looking for them so Santa says they will have to move quickly or something like that. At least then you will have a sense of urgency that could push the whole thing forward. Perhaps I am asking for too much but that would have been a nice way to make it all more exciting if you ask me.

Overall, A Visit to Santa is definitely a film to stay away from. It doesn’t do anything particularly bad or offensive but the problem is that it doesn’t really do anything period. I wanted something to excite me but this film just didn’t pull that off. At the end of the day it’s one of those film that has lost its way. I can see why it has been lost to time since nobody would have cared enough about it to preserve this piece of history. It’s best left in your memories so for that reason I would say to give it the boot. Watch Jingle All The Way instead.

Overall 3/10

Fairy Tail 2 Review

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Man did it take years to get to this sequel but at long last Fairy Tail has returned! It’s one of those franchises that is perfect for the video game world because the storylines and fights were always dynamic. The series just got plagued by fanservice issues which are far less noticeable in a video game. Like with the last game, this is a pretty elite title. I would give the first game the edge overall as I thought the menus and hub world layout was a bit clearer. Everything there was perfect while here it’s all elite but slightly less user friendly. The gameplay is also a bit different and I would give the original the edge there as well.

This adapts the final arc of the series as the villains launch an all out invasion to destroy Fairy Tail. They have hundreds of thousands of fighters while the heroes just have their family and friends. That said, they are still not going to give up without a fight! They are fighting for a whole lot here and the game really gives time for everyone to shine. You’ll get to play as a whole bunch of characters and fortunately EXP share is always on so you don’t have to worry about them lagging behind the rest.

The only criticism you could probably give the game is that it is extremely easy. To put it one way, I didn’t have to even open up my item bag until the final post game boss. Nothing in the main campaign was worth it, most of them died really quickly. It helps that you have several attacks and super attacks which replenish your health. I’m not talking about a little either, Juvia’s basic healing attack restores close to 80% of your health. The health bars here are pretty massive too so that’s a lot of health that you are saving each time.

You get level ups very quickly and then you’ve also got equipment that can make you stronger. Even if you don’t bother fighting most of the enemies you will be in a decent spot. The fights are so fast and give so much EXP that I would often fight the minion battles anyway though. There are a lot of different collectibles to be found around the world and I decided to grab most of them. From chests to mini creatures to orbs of knowledge, they’re always close to being within your grasp so it’s too tempting to let linger.

The main campaign is pretty long and then the post game adds on a few hours to that. You also have a bunch of optional bosses and individual character stories to go through. I have no doubt that you will be here for at least 30-40 hours by the end of your run. So it definitely makes the value of the purchase worth it. You won’t feel short changed or anything like that. The story is also very captivating so you won’t get bored or anything. Like I said it’s just an excellent game around the board.

The gameplay is a classic turn based style mixed in with real time action. I’d compare it to Final Fantasy XIII. You have turns but if you don’t attack fast, the opponent can just take his turn and attack you anyway. So you really need to have a plan at the ready and can’t just be wondering what to do next. Always be moving forward. Do that and you will be in a really good position here.

The graphics are really solid as you’d expect. The character models and environments all work really well and the fights that we get are a lot of fun. The soundtrack is also pretty good. It could maybe use a few extra tunes but the ones that are there all match up well with the individual scenes so I can’t say that I have any complaints. Because the character all level up with you, you should have fun just playing whoever you want to at any given point in time. Yes there are type advantages in the game but they don’t actually make a bunch of difference. You can use Natsu against a water type and you’ll still be fine. Maybe there’s a hard mode that will make more of a difference but at least in a standard match you won’t experience any issues.

It was only the final boss that really gave me a hard time. I almost thought that I might lose at one point but I was still able to pull through in the end. Using all of the healing attacks was definitely a must though. Keep those in mind because they are absolutely broken but it does keep in with the themes of friendship and family. Healing should be very powerful in such a world.

Overall, Fairy Tail 2 is another elite title. This is a perfect example of how you make a big action RPG with hundreds of collectibles while not letting it feel overwhelming. At no point did I want to give up on opening chests and just focusing on the story because it was not an inconvenience. The devs place everything in a way that makes you want to succeed and that’s a pretty important skill. It’s why designing is such an art because if you make a mistake then it will impact the rest of the game. I highly recommend this to all gamers in general as a result. Good game design is good game design after all. I think anyone can really appreciate what they did here.

Overall 9/10

Jujutsu Kaisen: Cursed Clash Review

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Jujutsu Kaisen really got big so it makes sense that it would get a video game. Anime brawlers are fairly common after all. This one is a bit of a step down from some of the others though. If the gameplay was just a tad bit better then it could have reached the next stage but ultimately I didn’t think it would quite reach that point. I had a good time with it but you feel like the game definitely left a lot of meat on the bone.

The story covers the first season of the show along with the movie. It’s a reasonable amount of content particularly since the game goes very in detail with this. There are over 80 missions in the game, I think maybe 100 if you count all of the bonus ones. Not every mission involves a fight though so some are really just big cutscenes. The game has full voice acting which is nice but I didn’t love the presentation of the cutscenes. It’s sort of like panels out of a comic book that are stuck together but not very organically so there is often a little break before the next person starts talking. There are also portions where it will just get silent as someone types up a report.

I can see the attempt there as it’s spooky and all but I didn’t think it worked great. At the end of each main chapter was one CG cutscene though and those always looked good. Getting more of them would have been a good idea. In general the graphics are pretty good here. Not amazing or anything like that but the characters are on model and the quality is good so I can’t ask for much more out of them. The soundtrack also isn’t bad. I’d like a few more tunes but the ones that we do have are pretty solid. Some are downright catchy.

Where the game got messed with is the general gameplay. They decided to make it so that normal attacks don’t deal damage. You can only effect people with cursed energy which is typically only the last 2 hits of a combo or with special moves. You gain this energy gradually as you fight but I just never like the idea or not being able to generally damage someone outside of certain conditions. It lengthens the match for no reason and doesn’t feel organic. It’s sort of like Playstation All Stars. It’s fine to want to be a little different but this is one gimmick in particular that I think is really hard to pull off.

The stages are also impressively big but this also means that it can be tough to land blows at times. You’ll punch the enemy across town and then have to go find him. You have to jump rather high at times and sometimes that won’t be enough. There is even a super jump button for that reason and then you can attack once you’re on the same level as the enemy. It’s a bit excessive but this could have been fixed with better movement options. The game is also meant as a big online title but it’s hard to synergize with your partner since your hit will often mess up with the timing of their combo and vice versa.

It makes it so that you almost want your partner to stay out of the fight and just let you handle it so it all goes down quicker. Since you need the last hits of the combo, it basically means that your hits were meaningless when your ally hits them out of the combo. You can control your partner’s tactics at least like aggressive and co-operative but to be honest I didn’t notice much of a difference there during the game. I suppose I would need to play for a longer amount of time to really see the difference there.

The game also doesn’t feel super well balanced but I only know it on a surface level so that really might not be correct. For all I know, the game is better than most 3D titles. The trophies look rather difficult with a huge focus on online content so I don’t see myself getting the Platinum here but a few more to increase my percentage still sounds good. We’ll see if they end up adding Shibuya to the game as DLC or if they just keep that for a sequel some day. This game doesn’t seem to be super well liked so the odds of a sequel could be dicey.

Overall, Jujutsu Kaisen made some mistakes on the gameplay side but it still a pretty good game. It’s impressive how detailed the story mode is. They really wanted to cover everything to the point where we almost could call this a visual novel to an extent. There are a ton of cutscenes, then the gameplay, then cutscenes, etc. If we get a sequel I’d like it to be streamlined somewhat but it’s clear that the game was doing its best to try and make sure gave a good amount of content in the single player mode. I didn’t even touch a bunch of the side missions and mini stories for that replay value. If you’re a big fan of Jujutsu Kaisen then you should check this one out but otherwise you could do better in the fighting games arena.

Overall 7/10