Movies: Law Abiding Citizen Review
by
Jesse Cohn
Posted November 4th, 2009 at 9:06 am
Law Abiding Citizen struck me as a film with a lot to say. It’s one of those movies that wants to do more than just entertain, more than just serve as a popcorn distraction. While that message may not always be prevalent, it is most certainly present and very apt, particularly considering some recent events. The basic premise is this: Gerard Butler plays a father whose wife was raped and murdered and daughter was murdered during a home invasion. Justice wasn’t served, so he takes it upon him...
Movies: Zombieland Review
Rule # 32: Enjoy the little things. That’s one of the many rules Columbus (played by Jesse Eisenberg) lives by in Zombieland. And he lives by those rules because they keep him alive. They also happen to be a little on the absurd side, like don’t use bathrooms, and are initially presented by narration giving examples of why the rules are so important. And that lets the movie kick off with a good series of gags, firing on all cylinders and never, ever letting up. The movie is one long series o...
Video Games: WET Review
by
Jesse Cohn
Posted September 28th, 2009 at 10:32 am
There is no middle ground when you deal with Rubi, the pissed off assassin at the center of Artificial Mind and Movement’s WET, just as there really isn’t likely to be a middle ground of opinions about the game. The developers know it, the game knows it, and there are no apologies made, no attempts to grab a larger audience. The game was made by fans of Grindhouse films, for fans of Grindhouse films. You’ll either love it, or you’ll hate it, but either way, WET is worth a look.
The game...
Movies: Pandorum Review
by
Jesse Cohn
Posted September 26th, 2009 at 11:09 am
Pandorum is one of those rare films with the power to reach out and grab you. Not only is it a superbly executed thriller, it also features a hefty psychological component that is made powerful by the interjection of images and events. The filmmakers were not afraid of their script, and they let their imaginations run wild in the best of ways. Throw in a pair of fantastic performances from Dennis Quaid and Ben Foster, and you’ve got yourself one heck of a film.
The movie starts out with a f...
Video Games: Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2 Review
by
Jesse Cohn
Posted September 21st, 2009 at 8:53 am
Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2 is the sequel to the 2006 Ultimate Alliance by Raven Software. Ultimate Alliance 2 was developed by Vicarious Visions, the same developers who were responsible for the PSP and Wii versions of the original. This change, while seemingly minor, turns out to perhaps not have been the best of ideas, considering Vicarious Visions not so glorious track record, in fact running through their history of games, the vast majority of them are ports.
One good thing, of both games...
Games: Mini Ninjas Review
by
Jesse Cohn
Posted September 15th, 2009 at 7:47 am
Mini Ninjas is a game that stands out among the dozen of similar titles released a year (by that I mean games aimed at children but with an all-ages appeal) that actually transcends the normal stigma of being aimed at children and is rather good. The game has a Mario and Sonic kind of classic style feel to it, and the game truly is one that would feel right at home next to them, and certainly is better than the current generation of Sonic offerings.
You control Hiro, the youngest of the titul...
Movies: Gamer Review
by
Jesse Cohn
Posted September 12th, 2009 at 11:53 am
Gamer, starring Gerard Butler is the third film from the writing/directing team of Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor. Their previous films are Crank and Crank 2. Much like those two, Gamer is a film that knows exactly what it wants to show and be, knows exactly how to keep the audience engrossed, and exactly what that audience wants to see. In this case, after Crank and Crank 2, the audience wants to see over the top, insane violence. Gamer delivers, but adds a rather compelling story on top of it...
Movies: 9 Review
by
Jesse Cohn
Posted September 11th, 2009 at 11:40 am
9 is one of those films that come along quite infrequently. Much like the works of Pixar, the film works on levels that are suitable for all ages, however it is undoubtedly aimed at teens and older audiences. This aim is reinforced by the imagery used in throughout the movie, particularly when 9 first awakes and is greeted by the body of his creator and the images of the war between humans and machine.
There’s a lot of world building going on right at the beginning, and it is very well done...
Video Games: Batman: Arkham Asylum Review
You’ve ripped a vent off a wall, discarding it casually across the room, leaving the unconscious body of your latest victim beneath a set of monitors from which your nemesis cackles at you. Crawling through the vent, you hear his voice mocking you and teasing his own thugs. As you come to the end of this section of the vent, you kick another grate off the wall and come up behind a thug picking up a dead guard’s weapon. After a quick knock out, you fire a grappling hook up to a gargoyle and p...
Video Games: Mass Effect: Pinnacle Station Quick Review
by
Jesse Cohn
Posted August 29th, 2009 at 12:01 am
Pinnacle Station is the final DLC for Mass Effect. It is added onto the Galaxy Map, like any other planet, and permanently tagged. But is this content worth the purchase? Well... No, not really.
The DLC adds a series of Combat Trials to the game on the titular station. The station is run by mostly Turians, with a few Human staff as well. Needless to say, the Turians aren't particularly fond of the humans, and there's a little not-so-friendly competition going on. Enter Vidinos and Bryant, two...
