Category Archives: Reviews

Final Fantasy VII Advent Children Review

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Final Fantasy is a legendary video game series that just about every gaming fan has heard of. Whenever you think of an RPG, Final Fantasy will be the first series that pops into your head. The series practically defines the genre and has had many excellent games in the past. (With more coming in the future) After the…interesting Final Fantasy film that had come out earlier, Advent Children was definitely a welcomed surprise. This time the film was going to be set in the VII continuity. (While we still struggle to find out where they got the Spirits Within plot from!) The movie is set after the Final Fantasy VII game so it is definitely exciting to see what the characters have done with their lives after the game ended.

Immediately you can tell that this won’t be your average CGI film (Not usually a big fan of those) and the animation is very well done. A battle scene happens almost immediately between Cloud and a gang of newcomers. The fight scene is definitely intense and a nice foreshadowing of what is to come. It effortlessly blows away just about any other CGI film and we’re just at the opening scene! After the fight, we find out that Cloud is now part of a mail delivery service. After some discussions between Cloud and a character that may surprise some people, we go to another scene.

Tifa and Denzel are waiting for Cloud, but it’s been a while since he returned. They are attacked by one of the new villains and it’s the only pure hand to hand fight in the movie. I like hand to hand fights (Almost as much as sword fights) and it was pretty good. Cloud heads to the Forgotten City and takes on the three villains. Of course the battle did feature hostages and interference from another character so the conclusion wasn’t completely satisfactory.

The climax happens soon after and the villains summon the legendary Bahamut SIN! From there on, the rest of the film is really just one large action scene. We get to see many cameos from the VII cast and they all pitch in to help. Cloud’s big battle against the three adversaries is epic and they’re battling while atop motorcycles and moving at high speeds. (Cloud will always be the strongest Final Fantasy protagonist!)

The soundtrack in this film was incredible and I like just about every one of the tracks. Sephiroth’s new remix was great and it definitely made his scenes have a very grand scale effect. During the last battle we also get a pretty good track by the name of J-E-N-O-V-A which is pretty fast paced and fun to listen too.

Once again I’ve got to say that the fight scenes were spectacular. They’re the best that I’ve ever seen from a CGI film and I doubt that it will be surpassed anytime soon. The fight scenes were very fast paced, but you could still follow along and really feel every blow.

Cloud reprises his role as the main character from the games and he’s a solid lead. He’s definitely not as happy in this film, but he still proves himself as a hero. Sometimes he may appear uncaring, but when he knows that someone’s in danger, he’ll head off right away. He’s battling through a sickness the whole time, but he never complains about it and fights to his last breath. His swordsmanship is definitely excellent and while he’s constantly outnumbered, he always holds his own.

Denzel is a boy that gets some decent screentime. I wouldn’t call him a bad character, but he wasn’t that necessary to the film. He was just there to be there I suppose. Aside from Cloud, Tifa was really the only hero to have her own fight. It was a good battle and she got to show off her super strength, but I would have liked the fight to be a little longer. It was still a pretty good role overall and while I think that she could have helped in the climax (Make it 2-3 odds) at least she helped against the Bahamut. Cloud’s other friends get cameos to help, but they’re really too small to be mentioned that much. Vincent had one critical scene, but I would have liked him to fight some more. (If you’ve played Dirge of Cerberus then you will know just how much he could have helped)

The three villains are all right. I definitely don’t like them as characters, but they’re good as villains. Kadaj is pretty much the leader of the trio and he tends to call the shots. His skills are definitely not as good as Cloud’s and in a one on one fight, he wouldn’t stand a chance. Not to say that he’s weak. He’s a very powerful fighter and he would do good in many other franchises, but against Cloud he never stood a chance. Luckily for him, he’s got his two backup members. The three of them tend to gang up on Cloud during their fights. Loz has super speed, which is pretty cool to watch, Yazoo is the group’s long range fighter, and Kadaj is the close combat fighter. Together they make a very dangerous fighting force. The monster known as the Bahamut SIN also appears and he has a decently cool design. It was a good way to bring in the whole cast together to fight him, but he’s definitely not one of the stronger characters in the film. Still, he’s a decent addition if you like seeing monsters battle.

Sephiroth is naturally the villain that sticks out from the rest. His first scene set the tone immediately. (Catching Cloud’s powerful slash with his bare hands) He is leagues ahead of any other villain in terms of power and speed. His skills even seem to surpass Cloud’s by a considerable margin and it feels like he’s toying with him the whole time. Sephiroth is pretty awesome and I can see why he’s a fan favorite. I agree that he’s one of the best Final Fantasy characters out there. All of his scenes are extremely epic and he knows how to be dramatic.

Final Fantasy VII Advent Children is currently my favorite CGI film and one of the greatest films of all time. The action scenes are very good and the animation is definitely excellent. Cloud’s ultimate attack is stunning and it’s an attack that you will remember for a long time. I highly recommend this film to all viewers and Final Fantasy fans will get a kick out of it. Even if you haven’t played Final Fantasy before and you don’t recognize the references to the past, don’t worry about it! It’s still a very enjoyable film and you’ll end up liking Cloud by the end. If you want a little extra action I recommend buying the Blu Ray version. It’s uncut and features some additional scenes that help you enjoy the overall experience even more. I’ve watched this film many times over the years and I’ll continue to watch it at least once a year.

Overall 9/10

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Marvel Masterworks The Mighty Thor volume 4 Review

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The Mighty Thor is easily one of Marvel’s most popular characters and his comics have been published and republished in many different collections. The Marvel Masterworks lineup includes some insight from Stan Lee which Marvel fans will be especially happy to see. The quality level in which the comics were printed is pretty good and they did a good job choosing the cover for the collection. A very nice piece of art!

The collection starts out with a bang as the Absorbing Man attacks Thor with his signature wrecking ball. His abilities are pretty potent and by making contact with Thor’s hammer, Mjolnir, The Absorbing Man’s power skyrockets and he becomes virtually indestructible. His abilities are definitely risky though and if he were to touch glass before getting hit, it would be the end. The battle between Thor and The Absorbing Man is pretty good and it’s closer than you may have figured. Of course just having strength is not enough to win a battle against the Prince of Asgard!

This comic was one of my favorites from the collection. It’s always nice to see an opponent who can actually give Thor a good fight, since his battles are always epic. Unlike the modern comics, Thor shows off his super speed a lot in the comic and uses his combat experience to aid him in the battle. It was definitely a well written battle/comic.

Later on, Loki brings the Absorbing Man to Asgard where he wrecks havok upon the realm. Unfortunately, without Thor, the Asgardians go down pretty quickly. Finally the only opponent left to defy the Absorbing Man is the legendary Odin! Thor heads to Asgard, but will he make it in time to save Odin!?

Well, this comic was also pretty good. We got to have a pretty high stakes battle between Odin and the Absorbing Man. Some fans may be skeptical as to how the Absorbing Man could give Odin any sort of fight. (Much less an evenly matched one) The comic has a good explanation for this at the end so it was believable.

In the next part of the comic, which lasted the rest of the collection, Hercules comes down the Earth and starts causing some trouble. Thor had finally wrapped up all of the various problems and obstacles that had kept him from Earth, so he wasn’t exactly thrilled to see Hercules already there. Jane Foster isn’t particularly welcoming about the whole thing, but before she can talk things out with Thor, Hercules slams into him from behind with a solid hit. Thor has been ignoring him and he didn’t like that. Thor is never a fighter to stay on the ground and he immediately retaliates.

Hercules and Thor is pretty similar to the Thing and Hulk rivalry. Hercules is definitely a powerful opponent, but his level of power is nothing close to Thor’s. There were many times during the comic that Thor could have finished him off, but he didn’t. Thor knew that a single full powered hit could end up destroying Hercules and he was also hoping that Hercules would learn not to always resort to fighting right away. In his youth, Thor had also been pretty hotheaded, but he has learned to try and talk things out more through the years. Hercules will hear none of it and the fight continues. The fight becomes less one sided once someone intervenes and wrecks the honor of the battle.

In the next part of the Hercules saga, he goes to the movies and gets easily tricked by Pluto into signing a contract. Now, Thor must fight in Hercules place and defeat all the legions of Pluto. It’s a pretty solid way to end the collection and we see Thor go up against many powerful adversaries. Even the Crusher appears, but he learns that his unstoppable grip may be stoppable after all!

After each comic, there would be a mini segment about Thor’s adventures back in the olden days. He looks pretty much the same (Since he’s an immortal) and his friends are still present. The comics are pretty fun and the Warrior’s Three gets a much bigger role. They aren’t quite as action packed or as high stakes as the main comics, but they’re pretty fun to read. They also deal with the end of the universe as we know it!

All of the comics were pretty fun to read and this is currently my favorite Thor collection. We got two pretty great fights in the form of Thor vs Absorbing Man and Thor vs Hercules. Thor was a very good protagonist and I can see why he acquired such a large fan base right away. I much prefer this portrayal of him to his recent incarnations. Thor never backs down from a fight, but he also knows when to turn away and attend more pressing matters. Even if it means defeat, Thor will end up doing what he feels is right. There are several times where Thor knows that he cannot win, but he fights until the bitter end anyway. Unfortunately, Thor is probably the only character that I really enjoyed a lot. I can’t say that I liked Odin (He made some pretty iffy calls) and the rest of the Asgardians were all right. Balder was decently good and Volstagg definitely had some good lines as well. Loki pulls a lot of tricks as per usual, but he’s not supposed to be a very likable character. At most you can sympathize with him a little bit. Hercules and the Absorbing Man can be interesting characters, but I definitely wouldn’t be putting them on my really good characters list for now.

This is certainly the Marvel Masterworks volume to purchase if you are a Thor fan or if you enjoy Marvel Comics. The page count is pretty good and the price is definitely worth it considering how much fun the comics are to read. I wholeheartedly recommend checking it out.

Overall 8/10

Eleventh Hour Review

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The Eleventh Hour is a Superman short that was created over 50 years ago. The animation holds up pretty well and even though it’s only about 8 minutes long, they manage to get a solid plot inside. Superman decides to sabotage to Japanese on the eleventh hour of each night. He always manages to make it back home, but he gets sloppy and they see him. They take Lois as a bargaining chip, so now Superman’s got to hurry and rescue her! The villains are pretty tricky and they actually land some bullets on Superman. The climax is pretty exciting and Superman definitely cuts loose against them. I dare say that they won’t be forgetting that fight in a hurry! It’s a fun Superman short and all Superman fans should enjoy it.

Overall 7/10

Yugioh 3D Bonds Beyond Time Review

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I was highly anticipating this film from the moment that I saw the first trailer. Seeing the three main characters from their respective series in one film would be immensely awesome. I’m a big fan of crossovers and especially when they’re done right. Yugioh has always been an incredible franchise and the three series that were being crossed over into one series were all amazing! (Yugioh GX 10/10, Yugioh 9/10, Yugioh 5Ds 9/10) When you’ve got three series as well made as those three meeting up in one film, then you know that it’s going to be amazing.

Of course, that could make the film confusing for non Yugioh fans right? How can you keep up with all of the mythology and easter eggs that only Yugioh fans would catch? Well, the film has a quick introduction to each of the characters before the actual film starts. It’s pretty awesome and they did a good job of highlighting the critical moments for each character. It’s a good explanation of the past events and I’m sure that you’ll have a good understanding of the series by the time it’s over.

The film starts out with Yusei dueling a mysterious duelist. Yusei is holding his own, but the new opponent doesn’t play by the rules and quickly escapes the duel after stealing Yusei’s best card! Yusei gives chase thanks to the incredible power of the Crimson Dragon which allows him to travel through time.

In the slight past, Jaden is defending the city from a group of dragons. Their master is the same mysterious duelist who faced off against Yusei, Paradox! Jaden activates his Yubel and Supreme King eyes and summons his all mighty Neos! Seeing as how Jaden is the strongest of the three protagonists, I have no doubt that he would have crushed Paradox in this scene. Of course, they are interrupted and the scene shifts back even more into the past.

Yugi Moto was attending a celebration and he seems to have forgiven Pegasus. His Grandpa seems pretty happy about the whole thing as well, but the dragons appear and quickly lay waste to the city. Paradox deals some immense damage to the environment and there are many casualties. Someone dies and Yugi must end Parodox once and for all!

Yusei, Jaden, and Yugi meet up in the past before Parodox could destroy the city and unite to duel against him. All three of them use very different decks, so teaming up could be risky. In one of the best scenes of the film, they all power up with their unique abilities. Yugi’s is the most traditional as he lets Yami Yugi take control. Yusei unlocks his Signer abilities and Jaden goes into total battle mode. Unlike a certain Man of Steel, they make sure to evacuate the city before they start their climatic duel. We don’t want any casualties right?

From the 3 main characters, Yusei gets a bit more of a focus than the other two. It makes sense since he’s had the least amount of time to leave an impression on his fan base. (Yugi = 200+ Episodes. Jaden = 170+ Episodes. Yusei = around 150 episodes) Also, Yusei was the most current at the time (Sadly, Yuma is now the newest protagonist) so fans may be able to relate to him the most. Yusei is a solid character and he’s pretty confident in his abilities. When he meets up with Yugi and Jaden, it gets a little rough for him since both of them are better duelists. Yusei is an A-S rank duelist in his own right, but these guys are living legends. Still, Yusei fights until the end and he proves to us why he’s the hero.

Yugi is the original master duelist and he’s the King of Games. All games, I might add. He’s not just a master duelist, but he is unbeatable in whatever game he tries. It’s all thanks to Yami Yugi who is another soul that rests within Yugi’s body. He has the uncanny ability where he (seems) to be unable to lose any game unless he wishes to lose or is not in his right mind. Yugi is a decently good character, but for most of his epic scenes I’m talking about Yami Yugi. Yami Yugi appears right before the duel starts and you can immediately tell the difference between him and Yugi. His cape seems to flow with the wind more and he’s much more confident. His cards may be a lot older than Jaden’s or Yusei’s, but he still manages to show the others why he’s known as the best. Yami Yugi has the most experience with the Shadow Duels and he’s definitely not afraid of Paradox.

Jaden is the man in the middle. His series wasn’t the most positively received and people tend to forget him a lot more than the other two. I’m in the minority, but I think that Jaden is the best duelist from the three. He doesn’t need extremely overpowered cards to win his duels and he does it through pure skill. Unlike the others, Jaden seems to be able to make his cards do real damage in the world. Not to mention that he’s easily got the best attitude from the three. He treats the whole thing like a game and if you thought Yami Yugi was confident, just check out this guy! Jaden’s easily the best Yugioh character of all time and I don’t see that changing anytime soon.

Paradox is the main villain of this movie and he wants to change the future. It would seem that card games are more deadly than we could have ever thought possible. To prepare himself, he stole some of the most powerful dragons in the Yugioh universe and created evil versions of them. Paradox is definitely out of his league considering that he’s fighting three of the best duelists of all time. Still, he manages to give them a decent fight and proves his worth as the villain. In the actual duel, I dare say that Jaden put up the best fight. Yusei did all right, but he set himself up for destruction a couple of times. Yami Yugi had some critical saves when it came down to his turn and he had a solid offense. The reason that Jaden did the best in my opinion, is that he not only dealt intense damage to Paradox (Destroying two dragons) but he also saves Yugi and Yusei quite a couple of times.

Also, I can’t forget to mention the amazing soundtrack. They did a really good job of making sure that the music played at appropriate times. Jaden’s (Awesome) theme played when his turn came to duel and it was definitely a great throwback to the old days. Likewise with Yugi and Yusei when their turns came to fight. I’m happy to say that I immediately recognized all of their themes and the soundtrack helps you to appreciate your Yugioh knowledge from watching the shows. It’s an incredible movie for everyone, but Yugioh fans can especially appreciate some of the smaller things that only they would pick up.

This is definitely a film that I’ll always remember and I’ll be watching it many more times in the future. They should definitely make another Yugioh crossover in the future. While it would be extremely difficult to be better than this one, (Near Impossible) I know that it would still be awesome. Seeing them all on the big screen (I saw this one in theaters!) was a truly great experience and there will probably never be a film as good as this one. There was nothing negative about it and I would say that this was the perfect film. I only allow one perfect score for each category and this is definitely the film that earns it. Naturally I completely recommend this film to all audiences and you should watch it as soon as possible.

Overall 10/10

Dragon Ball Z Super Android 13 Review

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Dragon Ball Z is an incredible franchise that has spawned many video games and movies in the past. This is the 7th film in the series (I’m not counting Dragon Ball at all in this review. I’m only talking about the Dragon Ball Z days) and it definitely defeated the previous six films.

The film opens up with Goku and his family shopping and then settling down to eat some good looking food. It’s a pretty happy way to start the film and seeing the city was definitely unexpected. The Z fighters are usually on the go or fighting in the mountains. Trunks, Krillin, and Roshi are waiting in line to make it to a show (in a very awful subplot) but as per usual they didn’t think ahead. After a lot of crushing realizations, they join up with Goku and pals. At a very top secret base, the androids wake up and immediately head for Goku. Due to their scanners, they find him pretty fast and commence their attack by blowing up the building.

Dragon Ball Z never disappoints when it comes to a fight and that was the perfect way to start the film off. The Androids don’t take time to act mysterious or talk tough in the shadows. They just barge in and blow up the place. It’s definitely a very efficient way to get Goku’s attention. The rest of the film is a huge fight against the three androids and that’s a very good thing! The fight scenes in this film would put just about any other big franchise to shame. (Marvel, DC, Nintendo, Sega, etc) The villains are immensely powerful and they actually manage to give Goku an impressive fight. Granted that he was being attacked 2-1 for his first battle, but it’s still a feat.

As I mentioned earlier, there are three androids. Android 15 has a pretty large hat and “cool” sunglasses to remind us that he’s the most stylish of the three androids. His rival in this film is the (vastly superior) Vegeta. I’d personally go ahead and say that Android 15 is the weakest of the three, but considering that he’s still a faster than light, planet buster, he’s still strong enough. As for Android 14, he seems to have a lot of raw strength, plus he’s definitely the quietest of the bunch. His rival in this film is Trunks and he makes sure to give him a good fight. He’s immensely powerful and a pretty decent villain. I much preferred him to Android 15.

The film was named after the final Android and that’s definitely for a good reason. He’s much more skilled than the other two androids and he is able to fight on par with Super Saiyan Goku. He’s incredibly good at martial arts and he has a large array of energy attacks. I liked his character and he was definitely to the point. He attacks Goku and is possibly winning, but then he pulls the ultimate Dragon Ball Z villain technique…He transforms! After merging with the parts from the other androids, he is able to become the Super Android 13. In this form, the combined might of the Z fighters seems to be no match for him. I’d easily say that he’s an S rank fighter in this form and he could easily annihilate the planet with a single blast. He made for an extremely awesome final boss and the fight scene is intense.

Goku is pretty awesome in this film and he shows us what a true hero is. He stands up for all that is right and he’s someone that everyone can look up too. He takes a huge beating for the majority of the film, but he always gets up. He fights pretty well and even though he was outnumbered for a while, he managed to hold his own.

This is one of the only films where (Future) Trunks gets to appear. He does pretty well for the most part and while he’s significantly weaker than his fellow Saiyans, he gives it his all. For a while it is just him and Goku against the three androids and he made for a good ally. Piccolo appears very briefly, but he manages to have a critical moment where he saves the life of one of the Saiyans. Unfortunately, he is no match for the villains so he doesn’t look particularly great in the fight scenes.

Krillin and Gohan try to lend some moral support, but that’s about all of the support that they can give in this kind of fight. Once Vegeta shows up (Apparently he was inside a glacier or in the ocean…) things definitely look up for the heroes. He has a spectacular entrance and it should remind everyone why he’s the greatest Saiyan. (He’s my favorite anyway)

This film has everything that you could have hoped for as a DBZ fan. There were spectacular fighting scenes, the Saiyans all got some pretty good screen time, and they actually got to fight in the city for a little bit. The only negative in the film would be the Roshi and Oolong subplot, but that couldn’t bring down the rest of the film. It was just far too good. This is one film that I strongly recommend as it’s one of the greatest films of all time.

Overall 9/10

Xmen Blank Generation Review

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Xmen is definitely a pretty big franchise and there are a lot of different series currently being written. This series is about Storm’s group of Xmen who stop threats that could endanger the other groups. So, big shots like Cyclops and Wolverine aren’t really present, but a comic should be able to succeed even without them.

A mad scientist finds the bodies of many ancient mutants that he uses to create mutant monsters of immense power. There was a flaw in the design so they aren’t very stable, but they are pretty dangerous nonetheless. The Xmen find out about this danger and they head out to find all of the samples and secure them before the government or other unwanted parties have a chance to do so.

The team of Xmen that Storm has assembled are Pixie, Psylocke, Domino, and Colossus. Definitely not the strongest team of fighters out there, but they can still tackle this threat with ease. Storm makes some pretty risky calls and even tries to keep Cyclops out of the loop. Cyclops didn’t get the role of leadership by staying on the sidelines and he takes steps to find out what has been going on. Aside from some decisions, Storm was still pretty good, but it was a little uncharacteristic when she threatened Colossus. Could she back up her brave words? It would be close, but I think that Colossus would be able to win that battle.

Domino is all right in this comic, but she just looks a little weak. Likewise with Colossus and Psylocke. They just feel like they’re all talk in this comic, but there wasn’t a real enemy to battle in this story. That could be why they didn’t look so impressive. Pixie isn’t a fighter, but at least she continues to master her teleportation and is quickly becoming the team’s greatest asset. As I said earlier, there are no real villains to discuss in this comic.

The art is all right for the most part, but it takes a dip during the 2nd half. The scene with Cyclops telling Storm about how tricky the situation is, was probably the worst part of the comic for the art. The art also had other scenes where it dipped and it’s certainly not going to be a selling point in this comic.

Overall I’d say that it was an all right Xmen comic. Probably a little more boring than an Xmen title tends to be, but it can’t always live up to its name. Considering that there was no real fight scenes or any sense of danger, the comic was decently good. I’d recommend this comic if you want to know more about the mutants of the past, or you just want a break from the usual mutants like Cyclops and Wolverine.

Overall 6/10

The Incredible Hulk Crossroads Review

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The Incredible Hulk is definitely one of the more popular Marvel characters out there and he’s been through a lot. This particular graphic novel features the Crossroads arc, but that one was hardly my favorite. Still, it’s the Hulk so you can’t go wrong….right!?

After Nightmare messed with Hulk’s mind, Dr Strange was “forced” to banish him from earth and into the Crossroads. (Even though it was Nightmare’s fault) The Crossroads is a place between dimensions. It contains countless portals that lead into different worlds, all of which were specifically picked so that the Hulk wouldn’t be able to harm anyone. He also placed a spell on the Hulk, so that he would be warped back to the Crossroads if he became discontent. The plan was foolproof right? There is also a comic that retells Hulk’s origin, but makes sure to add a lot of tragic and sad scenes to make his life even more miserable. I have to say that it’s a bit unneeded (Since he’s one of the most tragic heroes of all time as it is!) but I guess it may help you to sympathize with him even more. The origin feels like something out of Xmen.

Well, the problem with making sure that the worlds wouldn’t be hurt by Hulk was…that they were all massively stronger than the Hulk. Personally, I thought that the comics didn’t do a good job on showing us that. Instead the Hulk appeared to be much weaker than usual. Of course, that’s usually the case without Bruce Banner inside of him (Did I mention that Bruce Banner died psychically?) Things definitely got dicey for the Hulk and if you don’t like the Crossroads; I’m afraid that you’ll be spending a long time there.

The Hulk is the main character of course and he gets a lot of screen time. For the most part he doesn’t have that much of a mind and he’s a rampaging monster. Later on, he starts to grow smarter and smarter, but he does tend to regress back to his savage state. The Hulk is a decent protagonist, but he’s definitely not the greatest one. I prefer when the Hulk can think, but preferably when he doesn’t have to talk that much. (Unless he’s World War Hulk!)

The Puffball Collective is another major character. He/She/It is stuck on the Crossroads and it unable to get out. They try to go after the Hulk whenever he visits a planet, but to no avail. Eventually the Hulk gets a space crew to help him save the Puffballs. Then, there is a big plot twist about the Puffballs. It was definitely in line with what usually happens to the Hulk.

The Hulk created 3 monsters based off of his emotions and personalities. (If they’re who I think they are, then they lead into a pretty epic arc for the Hulk later on) One symbolizes his rage, The 2nd symbolizes his reason, and the 3rd is his intelligence and survival instincts. They help the Hulk comprehend what is happening and guide him through the tough parts. I can’t say that I really cared for them, but they at least added some dialogue to the comics.

The Hulk meets the Alpha Flight over time and they were the protagonists of that comic. They did all right, but they were definitely outmatched from the beginning. “The Hulk is the strongest there is” is what the catchphrase is after all and it may ring true in this particular comic. Dr Strange makes many cameos, but mostly to wonder if he did the right thing. The Hulk also tackles the U Foes and they definitely gave him a good fight. Their abilities are pretty lethal.

The Hulk went through many planets and I wouldn’t be able to name them all, but some examples include: A Desert Planet, A planet ruled by dead skeletons, A planet where the green civilization was taken over, A planet filled with explosive fruit, A planet filled with giant monsters, A planet where a human landed and quickly became king, etc.

Overall, this was definitely one of my least favorite Hulk arcs. The premise was interesting, but I didn’t care for many of the planets that he visited. Also, I’m used to the Hulk smashing anyone who gets in his way. I’m afraid that things rarely go that way. Still, the comic was good overall and I’d recommend it to Hulk fans mostly. Some of the comics can be good popcorn fun and it’s always cool to see the Hulk have his moments of glory.

Overall 6/10

The Messengers Review

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The Messengers is an intriguing title, but nobody really gets to carry the message. After Roy Solomon loses his job and the family is pretty low on cash, they decide to go live on a farm. There’s not much to do around there, but the place looks all right. It’s not my type of place since there are way too many insects and bees around the flowers, but it could be worse. Jess starts to see ghosts and human/zombie hybrids around the house, but only her kid brother seems to notice them. The ghosts start to get more and more destructive, but how can she deliver the message to her parents?

Well, this movie deals with supernatural creatures who possess reality warping abilities. It wasn’t stated, but that power seems to make the most sense based on their feats. They can wreck the place and then bring it back together, Summon Crows, and even turn the very ground into mud. Of course, while the ghosts may be super powerful…they never show it. Sure, they can attack kids, but they seem to be afraid of showing themselves to the parents. So, for all of their power, they can’t win the big battles and they tend to need some help. They were incapable of overpowering the main character (Jess) and even once someone had thrown the main villain into the mud…they couldn’t keep him in. These guys were hardly the strongest ghosts out there.

I never really liked any of the cast, but they were all right. Jess was your average teen protagonist who can see the ghosts, but can’t convince anyone. Her kid brother lost his ability to talk after a car crash. Her parents are trying to live life to its fullest on the farm, but it’s tough work since the stains on the wall never go away. A stranger whose name is John (Suspicious eh?) comes along and says something about how this would be a good opportunity for him. He decides to work for sunflowers until the main characters get enough money to pay him.

I don’t think that I would let a total stranger live on the farm, but to each his own. I think I would have been satisfied with the ghosts, but at the end there is a plot twist which makes them a little irrelevant. Or at least it makes them less frightening. I didn’t like the plot twist and it brought the film down a couple of notches along with the obligatory animal death. If you’re a fan of horror movies, then maybe you’ll enjoy this one. (I’ve never been a horror fan myself)

Overall 2/10

The Hitch Hiker Review

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The Hitch Hiker is a movie that had a unique idea, but it wasn’t handled the best way possible. Two guys are heading out to go fishing, but they pick up a hitch hiker on the road. He turns out to be evil and he’s got a gun. None of the two are brave enough to try anything and they must do everything that he says. Can they get enough nerve to do something or will they die!?

Well, the two main characters are very frustrating to watch. They let slip over 100 chances that they could have used to escape. Sure, seeing a gun can be unnerving, but there are two of them and one of him. If they both rushed him, they would have done just fine. Not to mention that if they quickly tackled him when he wasn’t expecting him, he’d only be able to get off one shot. It’s a risk that they definitely should have taken. It’s better to die on your feet than to die on your knees after all. Now some would argue that it was better to just go along with the guy and hope that he doesn’t destroy you, but not in this case. He tells them multiple times that he is going to destroy them when he’s good and ready. So, either way they’re going to die. Might as well put up a fight before you go down right?

The film is pretty short and it’s barely over an hour, but it drags on a bit. It’s really just them in the car and making little stops for the whole time. The police get involved and show why they’re the best in the biz, but I would have liked to see them appear a little more. There’s also a very unneeded scene where a dog dies and that definitely took some points away from the film. Animal violence in any film is pretty sad and always unneeded. That’s why real films like (The Avengers and Man of Steel) don’t resort to such things.

Overall, if you want to watch a movie about the good ole times before cell phones, then maybe give this one a shot, but to be honest, I wouldn’t recommend it. You’d be better off checking out the legendary Twilight Zone series. This film may not have been the best, but at least the cops finally got their due respect.

Overall 3/10

Super Paper Mario Review

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Paper Mario has always been a pretty solid spin off to the main Mario game series. They switched up the gameplay and also featured some pretty deep plots. They were a big step away from the casual Mario plots and I’d say that it was a good move to keep things fresh.

Super Paper Mario is a game that I’m pretty familiar with. A long time ago, I rented it from the library and was able to complete most of it. Unfortunately the game was due back before I could complete it and my Wii ended up breaking two to three years later. So it wasn’t until the other day, that I finally got to complete it.

This installment of the Paper Mario series changed the gameplay so that it was more like the traditional Mario games. I missed the turn based gameplay that the other games had, but this gameplay is still pretty fun. It’ll feel like you’re playing one of the retro Mario games, but you can also shift the gameplay into 3D temporarily. While in 3D, Mario will lose energy and eventually lose all of his health, so use this ability at your own risk. It is essential to shift to 3D throughout the game, so just keep an eye on your energy meter.

The plot involves Count Bleck attempting to use the legendary Chaos Heart to destroy all worlds. The only thing that can possibly stop him is the seven Pure Hearts. Mario and his new friend Tippi must gather them as quickly as possible before the Dark Void consumes everything. There is also a subplot involving Luigi. (Who foiled Count Bleck’s plans in the first place) Luigi looks pretty awesome in this game, but more on that later. Mario and Tippi must also locate Bowser and Peach because only the 4 legendary heroes teaming up can possibly stop Bleck and his group of…loyal followers. The best part of the story mode was when the villains would have a meeting. It was pretty epic and surprisingly intense for a Mario game. I definitely enjoyed each meeting and they felt like a true villain group. (Like the Espada, Spiders, or Akatsuki)

Mario makes for a pretty good protagonist and he never seems to back down from a fight. He’s definitely very brave and heroic, plus he gets the job done. Throughout the game people mention his mustache in a very positive light and it would appear that he may have one of the best mustaches of all time!

Luigi is the real star of this story and he performs better than Mario for a majority of the game. Not only is he the one to stop Count Bleck in the initial meetup, but his defense seems to be better than Mario’s. When the team are knocked out during the end of the game, Luigi wakes up before Mario. Luigi also takes on the powerful Dimentio and proves that he’s not to be messed with. Since Luigi can talk (unlike Mario) he steals all of the epic lines for himself. Unlike the main Mario games, Luigi is incredibly brave in this game and talks tough to all of the villains. Just about all of his lines are pretty epic.

Tippi was a pretty good helper to Mario, but I didn’t really care much for her back story. She talks to herself a lot, but luckily Mario and his friends never seem to notice. Otherwise she may have blown her cover a little too early. Princess Peach was a pretty solid character in this game and she’s tougher than you may have guessed. She can fight and doesn’t need anyone to save her for the most part. Bowser is as strong as always and he never fears the opponents. Next to Luigi, he definitely gives the villains the hardest time.

Mr. L is a mysterious figure who appears towards the end of the game. He bears a bit of a resemblance to Luigi, but we quickly dismiss the notion since Mario would probably have recognized him….right? He goes on to help Count Bleck and the gang, but he seems to have an ulterior motive. He’s very smart and he was even able to build a powerful machine known as the Brobot. Mr. L was easily the best villain in this game and he quickly stole the show with his epic lines and comebacks.

Count Bleck is the leader of the villains, but he’s not quite as interesting as the other characters. He gets some character development, but it’s pretty predictable (Once they start hinting at it) and he doesn’t strike me as a big villain. Once Mario and friends took him on, Count Bleck went down pretty quickly. His other minions O Chunks and Mimi were all right. O Chunks has some pretty impressive strength and he was actually keeping up with Bowser. Mimi has a very cool moment where she turns into a twisted spider like creature and terrorizes the heroes.

Dimentio is a pretty tricky villain and you can never guess what he’s thinking. He’s constantly goading the other villains into attacking Mario or hinting that he knows more than he’s letting on to Count Bleck. He can teleport around whenever he wishes and he was a pretty powerful opponent. His cube attack is deadly and he actually destroys several of the heroes…he DESTROYS them. Who knew that a Mario game would have so many fatalities. In one of the best scenes in the game, Dimentio and Mr. L have a climatic battle.

The soundtrack in this game is pretty good and I particularly like Count Bleck’s theme. It’s a fun piece to listen too and helps to elevate the anticipation to even greater levels. The final boss theme is also pretty exciting and I found the quiz theme to be catchy. Once again, Mario never disappoints with the music.

There is one thing that I wasn’t too fond of in this game. There was several puzzles and things to look for that just felt like time wasters. Locating the star pillars was a bit more work than it needed to be. It takes forever to walk across the town and look for them all. Of course, there weren’t too many of them so it’s not a huge negative. All right, there’s one more mildly negative thing in this game. They played up the romance a bit much towards the end and I don’t think that it was a needed subplot to add in this game.

Super Paper Mario was definitely a fun Mario game and it’s something that all Mario games should strive to be like. The plot was deep and there was a real sense of danger. The fatality count has never been so high and the fate of all planets was at stake. I’d definitely recommend this game to you gamers out there and it was pretty fun.

Overall 7/10