Lego Batman: The Video Game

Summary

The Lego series of video games imparts a strange reaction in people, myself included. In fact, for awhile, I never even entertained the idea of playing one, even while one of my friends owned Lego Star Wars for the Xbox 360. Just didn’t occur to me to play it. Then one day, my friend and I decided to give the game a whirl. And why not? It’s got Legos, Star Wars and co-op. Seemed like a recipe for some reasonably satisfying entertainment.

Over the next few visits, we did not stop playing until we had conquered it.

To say that I was pleasantly surprised would be an understatement. The games are loads of fun. So much so, in fact, that it prompted the purchase of the Lego Indiana Jones game when I had access to a Wii and the Gamefly rental of Lego Batman. I never got to finish the Indiana Jones adventure, but rest assured, it’s in my queue for the PS3.

At first glance, any of the Lego games don’t look like all that much. The graphics are certainly smooth enough, but remember, the entire premise rests on using blocks for almost everything. So though the textures, resolution and mapping are quite impressive, the overall feel is still… well, blocky. This is not an actual problem though. Starting out, the game seems a little childish. Make no mistake, the game is clearly geared for younger audiences… to an extent. I’ll get to that extent in a bit. As you continue playing, you start to notice small things, like quality sounds taken directly from the source movies, impressive game flow and the most important aspect: incredibly fulfilling gameplay.

All of the games rely on the same basic principles. You advance from one stage to the next, fighting off enemies, discovering interactive pieces, building and manipulating items and using both yourself and your partner to overcome any number of obstacles. What is truly incredible about these games is that they manage to balance almost everything one could want from a game into one great package. The stages increase in difficulty, and admittedly, some of the later puzzles require some real brain juice to figure out. The real treat is the creativity put into the puzzling. It never gets truly difficult for the gaming or puzzling veteran, but it can be a bit challenging at times, requiring both players to work in tandem to come to a solution. Some require players to physically alter items or building, some require the players to split up and accomplish separate goals in order to adhere them and progress. Others require switches and levers, while others deal with vehicles or beasts. You begin to see how fun and different the various levels can be. On top of that, the action, while very simple, is fun. Because they’re all Legos, it’s not so violent and that plays well in the world they’ve created. The combat is essentially boiled down to a button mashing affair, but each game expands further on this by allowing either blocking, several methods of fighting, or in Batman’s case, some sweet combo action. It’s odd, because there’s no real reason why that particular aspect should really be enjoyable, but it is somehow. Not incredibly so, but not bad either.

Another resoundingly effective aspect to these games is the humor. The writers (creators) for the games have given each iteration an incredible sense of humor and it’s surprisingly relevant. It’s silly, cynical and topical. It’s really hilarious stuff IMO. Even more-so when they insert funny bits that parody other movies, video games or pop culture. Allow me to illustrate a parallel for you. The Lego series of video games is to gaming what Pixar studios is to cinema. Both are geared for a younger crowd but very much appeal to adults and an older audience. Both provide rather balanced entertainment experiences but don’t necessarily hit on any major genre points. Just good, clean, relatively simple fun.

So let’s touch on the Batman experience, specifically. The refinement in this iteration is impressive. The graphics are clean, colorful and smooth. The combat has been enhanced from previous games, by offering combo bonuses as well as the ability to throw your enemies. In addition, both Batman and Robin brandish projectiles (Batarang and whatever lame thing Robin throws), which you can use to lock-on to various enemies or objects. So there’s some surprising depth to the combat, despite the relatively simple execution. The puzzling is also enhanced. Most of the puzzles require a specific suit, that either Batman or Robin must employ, in order to progress. For example, Batman can get a glider suit to glide over to a switch and allow Robin to cross a gap. Robin can get a magnet suit that allows him to walk up certain metallic surfaces and interact with a switch or button to allow certain actions to Batman. The combination of the various suits plus the Lego building creates for some really nifty puzzles and really cool boss fights.

The game is divided into three large episodes, each spanning 6 levels. Each level is composed of several screens, or stages, and at the end of each level, you fights a different Batman villain. This is good old fashioned fun and even more-so for those of us who love the hero and the animated series that aired when we were growing up. True to fashion, the game is chalk full of humor and silly antics. Again, perhaps a bit childish, but for my money, really entertaining and a welcome component of the game. The replay value is actually relatively high, despite the short-ish play time necessary to finish the game. This is because there are all kinds of things to collect in each level, many of which you can’t access until you’ve unlocked “Free Play” and return with a specific suit. It requires some thought and plenty of dedication to remember certain locations but it’s fun to do, overall.

In the end, unless you’re really averted to games that don’t bear an ‘M’ or even ‘T’ rating, then I say to give this game (and any Lego title) a chance. You’ll find a really well-balanced and finely tuned experience. It’s a ton of fun to grab a friend, sit down and go adventuring. Even solo (which is actually how I ran through Batman), it’s a blast. BOOM! POW!!

Overall Score (out of 100): 85

Summary

Graphics/Presentation: The graphics never really wow, but that’s partly because of the Lego context. Try focusing on the actual presentation and you might find yourself rather impressed, I know I did.

Gameplay: Wonderfully executed and fun from start to finish. The best part of the game and what makes the entire Lego series shine. A solid mixture of combat, puzzling, platforming and vehicles.

Story/Narrative: Each level has you chasing a villain who is doing standard villain things. There’s no real story to speak of, which is unfortunate but not a huge hindrance.

Sound/Music: The sounds are spot on and comical. Like the music, many of them are taken directly from the films or culture they’re emulating, which provides an awesome gaming ambiance. Music follows suit.

Replay Value: Pretty high considering all the unlockables and hidden items to go back for. Won’t last forever though, as treasure hunting loses it’s excitement relatively quickly. The game itself is rather short, clocking in at around 15 hours or so for the first play-through and about half that any subsequent time.

Website: http://games.kidswb.com/official-site/lego-batman/

Metacritic: http://www.metacritic.com/games/platforms/ps3/legobatman

Apple Inc.: Company or Cult?

This is a topic that I have been privy to since my earliest days as a Mac user. It is also a topic I’m getting pretty fucking tired of hearing about.

I get it PC users. I was once a Windows guy myself and it’s easy to dislike that which you don’t use. I mean, it essentially boils down to a “gang-mentality.” This fundamentally ignorant, yet psychologically prevalent and powerful notion that we must invest a great deal of pride into what we have or what we identify with; and that we must detest anything negatively related. It’s odd, because a lot of the time, people conjure up this sentiment based on little more than an association with a certain group or creed, instead of an actual and logical dislike of the opposing element. We’ve all been guilty of it at some point or another. Taking up allegiances then finding ourselves not tolerating whatever it is that that allegiance deems unworthy. In this case, it’s this PC vs. Mac debate.

Before I get into it, I’ll start out by saying that I understand that both sides are guilty of fueling this bipartisan contention. I’ll address my problems with both perspectives. My problem is not that there is a divide here. It’s not that people have opinions or even strong feelings about this. It lies in the fact that too many people are willing to blindly lump Apple and more importantly, Apple users, into a “cultist-elite” hive-mind, incapable of understanding rational computing or marketing trends. It’s like the whole of the technology community assumes that all Mac users eat shit out of Steve Jobs’ asshole and would march right off a fucking cliff if he asked us to do so. Check it out people: WE ARE NOT LEMMINGS. Believe it or not, a lot of us don’t worship the ground that Steve Jobs walks on. I know that’s very tough for some of you to believe, but I’ll give you a second to let that soak in.

Now, I do understand that there are those who are what many of us would refer to us “fanboys.” Yes, they LOVE Apple and everything that Apple does. Blind devotion? Maybe, but not necessarily. I think one of the biggest (and most flawed) arguments that PC users like to tout over Mac users, is that the PC allows for unlimited flexibility and far more options; which translates for a far more robust user experience. Sounds good on paper except for a glaring problem. Many users, including power or advanced users, don’t always want that degree of “flexibility.” Sure, more apps are written for Windows, but if a user wants to keep things simple and streamlined, then what does it matter if there are 100,000 or 10 choices? As long as the list of limited options includes functional and well designed choices, then there isn’t a fundamental problem there. In fact, I believe it makes the whole computing process that much easier. And yes, both Mac’s built-in software and available third-party choices are well constructed, functional and comprehensive. Remember, some people actually like things really, really simple.

There are just some programs that OSX can’t run yet though. I know that. For some professionals, certain esoteric software suites or applications are just not available on the Mac platform and that’s a legitimate gripe. Good news is that Macs come with Boot Camp now, giving users a decent, though not perfect solution. Just create a Windows partition and boot up into that sum’ bitch and you’re ready to rock. Downsides? Have to reboot to use it and you have to pay for the OS license. The functionality is free though, which is a plus. So this whole idea that having a giant range of options in order to have a truly satisfying computing experience is just bullshit, up and down. It is arrogant to assume that everyone has the same needs, desires and motivations in their technological pursuits.

Now, for the other compelling argument. This one states that Apple is just way too expensive and not worth the cost; in other words, the performance does not reflect the entry fee. To me, this is the far more poignant assertion and certainly carries some weight to it. The fact is, Apple’s are more expensive. They just are. PC users can grab a great, lightning fast machine in the neighborhood of well under $1000, and often, for half that number. That’s just not a viable budget for the Mac user.

If only we lived in a society built on capital competition and consumer evaluation. A society that valued corporate success, partly by allowing for value appraisal throughout the business process and encouraging investment priorities based on the personal assessment of cost vs utility. If only…. wait.

</cynicism>

Seriously though. Yeah, Macs cost more but there is clearly a value vs. price consideration here. For those of us who choose to buy an Apple product, we choose to do so because we believe that the product or service tendered is deserving of the cost associated with it. The Nissan GT-R competes pretty much pound-for-pound with a Porsche 911 Turbo, which is just stupid to think about considering it costs about $40,000 less. Yet people still purchase the Porsche. Are they stupid or misinformed for doing so? Of course not. It might have a few more amenities, sure, but that might not fully justify the seemingly vast price difference. There’s a degree of elegance and pride in purchasing the Porsche. There’s so much more to value than price. The owning experience and the satisfaction of having a well-crafted, beautifully designed product is often more than enough to warrant not only the purchase, but brand loyalty as well. What Apple offers is a full community, not just the withdrawal from your bank account then the subsequent product usage. There is an ecosystem that comes with the Apple product. Yeah, that ecosystem can be a little overwhelming and ethereal at first, but it’s nothing to go crazy over. It’s a smaller, tighter knit user-base and one can elect to participate or not. One of the huge advantages that Apple has is that they design both the hardware and the software, allowing them to systemically manage the relationship between the user, the interface and the device. And to that end, they are incredibly innovative. I will agree though, at times, they can be overbearing and controlling. It’s a hassle at times, admittedly. I believe this behavior will be leveraged off as they continue to grow and understand what the market wants from them, just my opinion. On top of that, their marketing is imaginative and alluring; utilizing incredible typography and topical (as well as applicable) contexts.

So I started by stating that a lot of us aren’t “fanboys” then went on a tirade about how great Apple is. Hmmm, fair enough. Time to move onto the other side. I mentioned that Apple is expensive but that there is a value associated with that price. Though true, some of Apple’s products are honestly just too damn expensive. No ifs, ands or buts. Just too much fucking money. If Apple wants to maintain their status as a higher end computing company, that’s fine. But their products get steep really quickly, and quite frankly, the lower priced ones just aren’t equipped competitively enough. Again, I’m not saying that it’s not worth it, per se, but I see why so many people would be turned off by Apple’s offerings. Personally, I’d like to see a few more sub-$1000 machines and a more relaxed pricing hierarchy. $2500 is way too high of a starting point for a 17″ laptop, plain and simple.

With the relative success, Apple has been enjoying lately, I’ve also witnessed something I honestly have to admit I do not like one bit. Recently, Apple has gotten a bit stubborn and bullish. Combating companies and consumers alike on mere principle and getting themselves into some needless debacles simply because they have achieved a considerable market-share or product IP. As a Mac user, Apple’s success makes me happy, but certainly not at the cost of an inflated business ego. I’m not going to provide a list of examples because I really don’t want to. Either you know what I’m talking about or you don’t. I imagine those of you still reading this probably do. Lastly, and this relates a bit to my prior point, is that Apple has begun to display some pretty clear signs of vulnerability in the form of defensive advertising. I wish they would stop. For me, it just comes across as petty, threatened and condescending. The latter quality is something that Apple most certainly does not need to be associated with their brand. I’m a fan of their print media and iPod commercials in general, but their extremely popular Mac v PC TV ads with Justin Long simply don’t do it for me. Though clever and sometimes accurate, they just seem like a dick move, for lack of better term. I can’t help but understand why some Windows users would see that and think “uhhh, OK, go fuck yourselves Apple.”

At the end of the day, it’s all about choice. For some users, Windows and a PC make more sense, for others, Apple’s OSX and Macs might do it. And for some, it comes down to just one aspect. Could be price, design or even the sense of community. None of those constitutes a bad or invalid reason for a purchase, and certainly, none are cause for accusations of religious devotion. Both are great options IMO. I’m not naive though. I do know that there are those out there who might consider Apple to be the best thing on Earth, ever, for all time. Yes, they are crazy. Fine. But the same could be said for many brands or services. It’s easy to label people who have a passion as “crazy” or “nuts” but god forbid that someone really enjoys the product they just purchased with their hard earned money. I think the point where someone is completely oblivious to the flaws in something, to the point of denial, is where there is a problem. For instance, I love my iPhone, but holy shit, it annoys the hell out of me sometimes. Best phone I’ve ever had but it’s far from perfect and I know that. I too, would have a problem with a loyalty based on nothing more than hearsay or obligation. Recognizing the flaws with something you love is part of maturity (like in any relationship you have) and that applies to something as superficial as a computer company. So get over yourselves, buy what you want and love it (hopefully). Otherwise, shut the fuck up. No one cares that you think that Apple is a cult. Asshole.

I Miss Reading – The Short History of a Boy and His Books

Books and I broke up early in college. We had always had a great relationship; spending plenty of time together and making sure to give the other what they wanted. Books wanted to be appreciated and understood; I wanted to expand my imagination and learn. Everything was going so well.

Then school came along. At first, it wasn’t so bad. After all, high school was laughably easy and though there was required reading, I typically elected to not read it and go ahead and get an ‘A’ anyways. NBD. Textbooks are a different beast though and ignoring those entirely was not a recommended approach. So I found myself reading out of textbooks, glancing at my leisure reading from time to time, just to let it know that I still cared and that the textbook was strictly business.

It happened slowly, but by the time I made it to college, the sentiment was palpable. I was beginning to dislike books. I still took some time out to sit down and revel in a good read, but those times were becoming more and more tenuous. College, unlike high school was most certainly not easy. In all honesty, it was tougher than shit and I found myself forcibly plucked from the upper echelons of academic accomplishment and shamefully tossed into the veritable gutter of scholastic failure. (A bit of context for you: I transitioned from a small, private Christian high school that emphasized religion and moral value over college preparation and rigorous curriculum; to the University of California San Diego, conceivably one of the most strictly-academic focused schools on the west coast, if not America.) As I slowly adjusted to life in college, I quickly discovered that reading the books assigned to me, whether textbooks or not, was no longer an option.

And that was the straw that broke the camel’s back. I became resentful towards reading. I was now being forced to read and therefore, it was no longer enjoyable. When I had free time, I didn’t even want to be around a book. It was an unfortunate digression, but there was nothing I felt like I could do about it. ‘Leisure reading’ no longer existed in my lexicon and that saddened me.

It has more or less stayed that way for years now. A couple of times, I’ve managed to pick up a book, but it’s always a very forced effort to get through them. I can’t even count how many books I used to read; but in the last couple of years, I think I’ve finished two good novels. To their credit, I really, really enjoyed both books (The Da Vinci Code and Diary).

Recently, I’ve felt an urge to get back into reading. I have learned so much from literature, and that’s to say nothing of the incredible and creative expeditions my mind has taken while reading. This urge has grown stronger and stronger each day. Obviously not strong enough for me to just pick up something and read, but certainly strong enough to persist on the periphery of my ambitions. I really enjoy the horror/sci-fi/mystery genre(s) and really want to start reading my way through some authors I think have helped to champion these genres: Clive Barker, H.P. Lovecraft, Chuck Palahniuk, Steven King, Anne Rice; as a few examples. There are plenty of other authors I want to read as well and considerably more books by any given author. Once I started to think about this, I realized that buying all the books I want to read would be rather expensive.

Naturally, my mind starting concocting ways I could start reading the wealth of material I was interested in. Libraries are one way, but the selection is typically rather limited plus I would have to, you know, go in them. Still not a terrible option. The next is to just pony up and accept that buying them is what it’s gonna be. Not cheap, but I’ll own them and can revisit them whenever I please; which is not uncommon for me to do when I enjoy a book. The last option is an e-Reader. These devices are all the rage now and I honestly never even considered one until very recently. The idea behind an e-Reader is great: take a tablet-sized device, focus it on reading, digitize the content and give the user thousands of options. Nice. Two problems for me though. The first is that it’s a bit pricey. The cheaper ones still cost about 200 bones and the one I like in particular, The Nook, is closer to $300. The second issue is that I actually like the tactile experience involved in reading. Physically turning the pages and holding the actual book is enjoyable to me, odd as that may sound. Admittedly, the second issue is not nearly as important as the former one, and the advantage of having a plethora of varying literature at my disposal is noteworthy.

So that’s my dilemma with this new aspiration. Either way, I want to figure it out relatively soon and I have a feeling the e-Reader solution is gonna win out on this one. If that’s true, then the purchase wouldn’t be made until next year, when money is a little more stable and the post-holidays recovery has set in. What do you guys think?

The Twilight Saga: New Moon

Summary

Yeah, that’s right. No, you’re not reading the title wrong. I am indeed reviewing New-fucking-Moon; which of course means that I have paid for and subsequently watched New Moon. Allow that to digest and we shall proceed.

Pop culture anti-bias aside, I legitimately wanted to give New Moon a chance. I really did. I remember when the Harry Potter movies first came out, I was that guy. No, not the guy waiting in line, going ape-shit about Dumbledore and Hermione and whoever the fucking else. I was the guy who dismissed the entire franchise based on little more than the generally obnoxious hype and my slight delusion of film snobbery. I can admit that. For awhile, I insulted HP fans, avoided the movies at all cost and pushed judgment on anyone who enjoyed the series; whether books OR films. I am a prick. Fuck if I care most of the time, but when it prevents me from experiencing new and interesting things, then I cross the threshold from prick to arrogant, ignorant asshole. Though I’m willing to accept any of those words as single adjectives to myself, I will not tolerate being the combination. In any case, one day I got tired of riding and went ahead and dismounted my high horse. Turns out Harry Potter is awesome. Real awesome. I enjoyed the movies from the first to the most recent. I actually get excited for new ones now and want to go get a Gryffindor scarf for the next movie. I haven’t read the books but will do so after the movies so as to not completely sour my experience due to cinematic license. The reason I bring up this HP experience is because I felt very much the same way about Twilight. The hype is over-the-top, once again, only this time, there’s the welcome addition of throngs of pre-teen and young adolescent girls to add to the mixture. THRONGS. Terrific.

So the fanbase is incredibly obnoxious but the series revolves around vampires (I like vampire lore). Only the entire marketing campaign (and as it turns out, platform for the films) revolves around teen-pop-drama. So my hesitance is understandable. In the end, the overall culture of Twilight suffocates my curiosity and I end up skipping the first one entirely. Fast forward to Thanksgiving. New Moon has released and the craze has once again risen from its slumber. It is stronger than ever before and hungers from its long hibernation. My best friend’s younger brother is a shameless pop culture fan and wants to go see New Moon Thanksgiving night. He enjoyed the first enough and pushes it. My friend and I are not so convinced, but I, more than him, am willing to give it an honest shot. We head to the movie theater and I am ready to see what all the commotion is about.

New Moon was almost unbearable.

I almost want to leave it at that, but in the interest of the reviewing process; I won’t. Where to begin though. I’ll start with the thing that bothered me most consistently throughout the film. As far as a story arc is concerned nothing fucking happens in this movie. You might have seen this rhetoric elsewhere on the internet, but I’m willing to wholeheartedly support it. The movie is as follows:

Kristen: I am useless. I love you so much Robert.

Robert: No, I love you more. I am immortal and perfect but choose you as my obsession.

Kristen: Holy crap, I am annoying as shit. Constantly. God I love you Robert.

Robert: I am leaving now because we are different.

Kristen: As if I weren’t useless enough, I will now do absolutely nothing. No wait, now I will try to be raped then kill myself, in that order. Take note young girls.

Taylor: I love you, I would never leave you.

Taylor: We too, are different. I’m leaving now.

Kristen: I’m a dumb bitch.

Taylor: I am a werewolf. I love you.

Kristen: Enjoy those blue balls.

Robert: I’m going to kill myself.

Kristen: No! I love you!

Taylor: Fuck all.

Robert: Good to see you Kristen. Thanks for showing up.

Kristen: I love you.

Taylor: Seriously, fuck all.

Robert: Too bad.

Kristen: Too bad. Oh, and I want to be a vampire, always.

Robert: No. Ok, yes.

Kristen: Great.

Robert: Marry me.

The End.

No joke, that’s what the movie was. Throw in some awful wolf animation and the action scenes that you see in the trailer, and you’ve got New Moon; only 100x longer than it took you to read that. I was hoping, going in, that the action sequences in the trailer would play out better in the full-length, featured film. They did not. I was, well, disappointed. The werewolves are actually just large dogs and the vampires sparkle in the sunlight. Ok. Remember how I mentioned that I like vampire lore? This pretty much shit on vampires and werewolves. It was disheartening.

The acting was incredibly contrived but I’m actually willing to accept that, to a degree. The movie was clearly intended to be overly-dramatic so line delivery almost has to be forced and a bit unnatural. Sort of like a soap opera. That being said though, the acting was still not good. Kristen Stewart performs Bella so listlessly, it’s just uncomfortable to watch. One thing I will say is that I think her performance is 50% acting, 50% character requirement. Bella, as a character, is a shell. She is so unbelievably melodramatic and insincere, that anyone who is NOT an adolescent girl should have problems identifying with her in any way. Likewise with Edward Cullen’s character. Robert isn’t the worst actor ever, but Edward is absurd. Take the mopey persona of Louis from “The Vampire Chronicles”, remove the deep-seeded emotional conflict of that character, add teenager angst (he’s over 100 years old, mind you) and you’ve got Edward Cullen. Jacob’s character is actually the most believable and well-fleshed character, in my opinion. His relationship with Bella is something most guys have experienced. We like a girl, we care about her, she likes someone else, he hurts her, she comes a runnin’ for support, she goes back to that other guy despite our being there during the emotional storm. It sucks, but it happens. I can actually relate. Unfortunately, that’s where it ends. His dialogue with Bella is awful and, again, the entire werewolf depiction in this film is out of control. I get that I’m not the target demographic here, but holy shit, there’s a lot of man-candy in this movie. Young, man-candy. That never wears shirts… Weird.

I think now I can move onto a few things I did like about New Moon. For starters, the camera work is actually pretty decent. Some of the shots are fantastic and the cinematography wasn’t a very weak point here. Several times during the movie, I thought that a specific shot was well done, considering the steaming shit stew it was encapsulating. The music in the movie is also pretty damn good. In fact, the soundtrack is actually really good. So much so that I would recommend buying (or downloading) it. My favorite sequence in the movie was undoubtedly the scene featuring the Thom Yorke song, “Hearing Damage.” Oh, and also when Dakota Fanning shows up and mind-fucks people. That was cool. The last thing I liked about the film is far more amorphous. The whole time I was sitting there, frustrated as all hell at the cinematic abortion I just paid for, I couldn’t shake the feeling that there was something to the Twilight essence that was residing just below the surface. Something better, something good. I don’t know how to describe this accurately, but I can say that it was a persistent impression. The best way to translate that feeling is to say that I felt like there was some really good material here that just wasn’t being appropriately synthesized. I think the entirety of the Twilight Saga wants to be something truly creative and inspiring. It is not; but it planted a few seeds that even I delicately water from time to time. After all, I have to admit that, despite my negative experience with New Moon, Eclipse is something I am going to want to see; for whatever fucking reason.

*Note: One thing I forgot to mention above: the movie is insistent on shoving the “Romeo and Juliet” allegory down your throat. I was simply incredulous at how aggressive the film was with this analogy. It wasn’t even subtle. The feeling you got was that not only is the target demographic gullible and desperate, but stupid as shit as well. It is unusual for a movie to be so unbelievably explicit about a thematic parallel, but sure enough, New Moon shamelessly imposes this on the audience. It is distracting and trite at best, insulting and aggravating at worst.

Overall Score (out of 100): 53

Summary

Story/Writing: Poor, poor, poor. There’s just so little actual substance here unless you are really invested in the teenage drama. The overall arc is pointing at some decently interesting developments though (Bella’s immunity….?).

Acting/Cast: This is sorta tough. The acting is horrible but the cast seems appropriate. Kristen’s performance is as drab as her character so it almost seems more accurate. Robert and Taylor are good choices for their roles as well, but also deliver subpar portrayals.

Camera/Cinematography: A relative high point in the film. Some pretty good shots along with well-coordinated sequences add some technical depth to the movie. The CG is downright awful though.

Sound/Music: Spectacular soundtrack. I don’t really have feelings one way or the other on the sound in the movie, which I suppose should tell you something.

Website: http://www.twilightthemovie.com/

IMDb: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1259571/

Bread and Cie

Summary

Let me go ahead and get this out there: I really like cafe’s, bakeries and small, local shops/eateries. I’m into it. I know you may not know this, but I REALLY am. I, sadly enough, hadn’t even heard of Bread and Cie before actually seeing it in Hillcrest. At first glance, to be honest, it seemed out of my league. Like maybe the kind of place that wealthy stay-at-home wives or successful hipster designers would go to. Well one afternoon, Eddie (yet again) decided that we should go. Yeah man, sounds like a plan.

We got there at what was probably the tail end of the lunch rush. It was busy, but not hectic. Right off the bat, I fell in love with this place. Its size is deceiving (it’s rather large, despite the reasonably small storefront), and though I’ve never actually been to a French bakery, this is what I imagined it would look like. The walls are draped with art, there is a huge case of assorted baked goods and sandwiches surrounding a large center area comprised mostly of ovens, baking equipment, a kitchen and scrambling workers. The whole thing came together marvelously for me. seating inside isn’t limiting but also not terribly plentiful, partly due to the fact that most of the tables are meant to accommodate only two people. There is a patio out front as well though.

Intimidated by the prodigious atmosphere surrounding me, I meekly step up to order after deciding on a fantastic sounding panini sandwich. Only, the orders are taken on the other side of the counter. Fucking great. Good start Eric. I get my order in and am impressed with the friendliness of everyone working there. All smiles and willing to help. Wow. The prices aren’t bad either.

Eddie and I grab a table near the back and wait for our food. Eddie’s sandwich (a deli-style roast beef) arrives after a bit and we wait for my order to arrive soon after. Then we wait some more. Then some more beyond that.

Then a bit more.

It’s coming any minute, right?

Grrr. I think about 20-25 minutes had passed before my panini FINALLY hit the table. Jesus H., I know it’s a hot sandwich and that quality takes time, but… come on. That was entirely too long to wait. Especially when your friend is just sitting there, begging with his puppy eyes, for you to allow him to begin eating the food that has sat in front of him for the better part of a television show. (I told Eddie to get started, I was clearly in for the long haul.) So that was no fun.

Tell you what was fun though, eating the damn thing. Delicious. Oh holy shit it was good. I won’t say it was worth the wait, because I maintain that that’s just too long for any sandwich, but it was incredibly satisfying. I forget the name of the sandwich, so too fucking bad if you wanted to know. When I was finished with half, I approached the counter to ask for a take-out box and once again, the service was noteworthy. The guy, who’s attention I mistakenly got, stopped what he was doing, kindly asked me what I needed, then quickly moved to the other side of the bakery to grab the box for me and returned to actually hand it to me; all the while smiling. A+

So what to take away from this? Go to this place. Immediately. Eat and hang out. You will enjoy it.

Overall Score (out of 5): 4.8

Summary

Ambiance: Incredible. For me, I love this kind of place. It’s open, airy, friendly, cultured and fun. You may disagree but then you’d be wrong.

Service: Very friendly and helpful. The food took way too long though and that made me sad. That was one trip however, so we’ll have to see if that’s a pattern.

Food: Delicious. This is a bakery and it’s obvious that they pride themselves on quality. The bread was fantastic and all the stuff between it was certainly tasty as well.

Price/Value: Very reasonable. I would never not go here because of money. My sandwich ran me about $6 or $7 I think. And considering the taste, it is well worth it.

Address: 350 University Ave.

Phone #: 619.683.9322

Website: http://breadandciecatering.com/default.aspx

Yelp: http://www.yelp.com/biz/bread-and-cie-san-diego

Bai Yook

Summary

Finally some dining goodness! Bai Yook as a small Thai restaurant located on University Ave. When I say small, I mean tiny. The inside can’t fit more than 15-20 people, 25 max; there is a patio, but I didn’t see how many can fit out there. The interior is cozy though, and it strikes me as a nice neighborhood spot to take a date to.

As per usual, the inside is adorned with Asian and Thai decorations, including statues, flowers and paintings. The ceiling has a neat fauna about it (if I remember correctly, though I could be totally lying about that). The service was fantastic. Our server clearly did not speak English as his first language, but at no point did that hinder the level of accommodation and overall efficiency of the service. This is, in fact, quite common in many Asian restaurants. Those of you who frequent smaller places or Mom and Pop shops and eateries probably know this.

My experience here was particularly interesting, and here’s why. Eddie and I arrived to this place to find only two other tables occupied. Mind you, that’s half of the restaurant, but it wasn’t busy. It was actually rather quiet. Almost too quiet. There was one 6-top at the front of the restaurant and one couple slightly behind us and to my left. Within a few minutes, it became clear why there was a palpable tension in the air. The strange silence was broken by the unmistakable bickering of this couple as they seemingly discussed the terms of their fucking divorce.

Really Eric? Yeah. Yes. Yup.

Awesome. The other table was just petrified in discomfort and I finally found myself just sort of chuckling at the sheer ridiculousness of it all. Eddie joined me as well. My god people, get a fucking grip.

Anyhoo, back to the actual restaurant. We started with a large fire pot of Tom Kah, because that soup is the tits. It arrived quickly enough and we immediately took to dumping it into small bowls and taking in the delicious flavors. Our entrees arrived shortly thereafter and by this point I have to admit, I was already getting full. The panang curry I ordered looked incredible though, so I scooped myself up a serving and went to town. If the soup were a 8, then the curry was a high 6. It was good, but didn’t particularly stand out to me. Now I have to provide this disclaimer: for a good while, most of my Thai food was eaten at Spices Thai in Mira Mesa. That was, and still is, my favorite Thai restaurant in town. Their panang curry, in particular, was my dish of choice and just rocks the shit out of my taste buds. So whenever I compare curries, that’s what I am setting it against. So don’t take a high 6 as a truly marginal experience. Instead, it just didn’t stack up incredibly well compared to a very specific standard I have for it.

Bottom line: it was tasty.

Being as we were so full going into the entree, it was time to pack it up and head out. Unfortunately, our server didn’t pack up extra rice for us (which we requested, and is also sort of standard in these situations). This was probably the only part of the service that garnered negative points, but I have to say, that’s not gonna really make much of a difference to me. Everything else was fine and I would happily revisit the place. Hell, maybe next time, a couple will be getting engaged in there or something, who knows?

Overall Score (out of 5): 3.6

Summary

Ambiance: Pleasant and cozy. Very, very small though, which might not appeal to some guests’ sense of social enjoyment.

Service: Efficient and friendly. Might run into a few language barriers (almost certainly a sign of a tasty, genuine Asian dining experience), but it’s certainly worth it. Food to go should come with more rice!

Food: I would say a little above average compared to other Thai places. I wouldn’t necessarily think to go here all the time but I certainly wouldn’t refuse the suggestion either. Tasty overall.

Price/Value: Reasonable and about average for this genre.

Address: 1260 University Ave.

Phone #: 619.296.2700

Website: http://www.baiyookthaicuisine.com/pages/home.html

Yelp: http://www.yelp.com/biz/bai-yook-thai-cuisine-san-diego-2

By the Way…

You might have noticed that it’s been awhile since I’ve put up a dining-related post. Apologies.

This is for two reasons. The first is that, for the most part, I’ve become pretty accustomed to eating at a lot of the same places, all being within walking distance of downtown, as I now love to walk downtown. The second reason ties into the first. I told myself that I would not retroactively review places, because quite honestly, there are just too many to do and it would take forever. This isn’t supposed to be a chore. Some places probably deserve a mention though, so I’m in the process of figuring out how I want to approach that. More on that development as it gets resolved.

So bearing those things in mind, I do have some dining posts forthcoming, intermingled with everything else.

Also, my NetFlix account will be reactivated this month, so be ready for a bevy of film reviews. I’m excited to get back into watching more movies again and look forward to writing about them and seeing your comments as well.

Lastly, I am aware that the games I’m reviewing aren’t exactly new. I’m playing catch up and things will be a little more up to date throughout the early part of the year of our Lord 2010. Thanks for being patient.

Gaming and You – An Observation

Over the last 3 or 4 months, I’ve watched more television than I care to admit. With the exception of when I was a child, I have not been a big TV watcher. I love watching movies and playing video games, so 80% of the time, if the TV was on, that’s what I was doing.

Funny how losing your job and home will change things.

In any case, it’s not all bad. I’ve come to discover a few shows I really, really enjoy (House, Lie to Me and copious amount of Adult Swim) and have an idea of what the hell people are talking about when ‘The new Office’ is brought up. So though I feel sort of lazy and useless (because I am), at least I have some social semblance of current television trends.

Which brings me to an interesting observation. Video games are not at all what they were when I was growing up. And I’m not talking about graphics, hardware or content. I’m talking about marketing. Advertising. Enterprise level investment and unbelievable amounts of production. Since I’ve started watching more television, I’ve noticed more and more ads for video games. Tons of them. Games like Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare 2 and Assassin’s Creed 2 have seen more ad space than I could have ever imagined. Those are just two examples, but think about it, how many commercials about video games have you seen in the last month? 6 months? Year? The answer might surprise you. The numbers are staggering. It seems like every other commercial is for something video game related, whether it be a new, A+ title or some hardware plug. Granted, competition has gotten far more fierce; and now that consoles have begun to share traits with their computer brethren, the amount of digital content, and thus potential revenue, has skyrocketed. There is simply so much more to gain… and to lose. The market is opening up wider than ever and people are eating it up. Couple that with celebrity endorsements, star studded voice casts and Hollywood caliber composers. The industry is-a-boomin’.

Personally, as a gamer, I think this is great. Plenty of new gaming outlets are emerging and those of us who still enjoy “classic” or “hardcore” type titles still have plenty to enjoy. In addition, I like the creativity and the new development that has opened up. It’s a new dawn for gaming, and though I’m a bit nervous, I step into it gladly and willing. After all, the future is an exciting prospect if you keep your mind open.

Mercenaries 2: World In Flames

Summary

Time for more sandbox carnage. I actually had no idea what to expect from this game, since I had not played its predecessor. I thought it would be a straight up third-person action game. As it turns out, Merc 2 is an action-sandbox title, very similar to the GTA or Godfather series of games.

The game starts out innocuously enough, with your character driving a boat across some well-rendered water onto a beach to start the action. Right away, the game wants to introduce you to the action elements you’ll be utilizing throughout the game. It has you shooting, driving both a regular vehicle as well a tank and using an airstrike; all within the prologue mission. Let’s rewind just a tad. The game actually has three separate characters to choose from. Each character has some kind of bonus attribute, increased health or speed for instance. Additionally, each character has a unique personality and so will interact slightly different during some of the dialogue. That’s where the buck stops though. The entire game is the exact same no matter which character you play as. There is literally no difference outside of the subtle changes in dialogue and the bonuses each character gets. Considering that sandbox titles typically don’t even have character selection, this isn’t a minus point, I just found it odd that they created 3 different characters that all experience the same thing.

That being said, the game never has to be the same. Like similar titles, which factions you fight for and how you choose to structure your missions can have a great deal of effect on the atmosphere of the game. There’s plenty to do in Merc 2, but considerably less so than in the GTA IV or even the Godfather. That’s not saying that Merc 2 is lacking in substance though. Each faction has upwards of 10 or so missions, with just as many bounties or building targets to match. Bounties are basically just “find and kill” missions, with your only objective being to either apprehend a target, or kill them and take a 50% reduction in pay. Apprehending is more difficult, requiring your character to essentially clear that area of support, incapacitate the target, then request an evac chopper.

The game has a surprisingly deep roster of items, vehicles and my favorite: airstrikes. For the action junkie, Merc 2 is definitely the king of sandbox titles. Even more so than GTA and the Godfather, Merc 2 is all about action, action, action. Explosions, guns and death are the name of the game in this one. The entire map is war-torn, unlike other games, so as you progress, factions will become more and more aggressive and the streets will go from being dangerous to outright apocalyptic. Pretty cool. Driving vehicles is surprisingly satisfying in Merc 2 , infinitely moreso than in GTA IV and I liked that each vehicle had different armor, speeds, support options and firepower. If there are empty seats or a 50-cal, honk your horn around allies and they come running to help you out. You even get to fly attack choppers. The weapons have a good diversity as well, with 6 or 7 machine guns, 4 rocket launchers, a grenade launcher, 4 or 5 sniper rifles, several SMGs and a several pistols. Plenty to choose from. It’s the airstrikes that take the cake though. These fuckers are awesome. In addition to money, the other resource you wanna keep your eye on is your fuel. This is because fuel is used for transport, picking up large items and airstrikes. If you have the ordinance and the fuel, you can literally rain down death on your enemies. Wanna clear out an entire outpost without running in and dealing with it? Call in a cluster bomb or  MOAB (Mother of all Bombs) and watch the screen become sheer fire. Everything is blown to shit and you are pleased. That’s another thing I enjoyed about Mercs 2, nearly EVERYTHING is destroyable. On a purely visceral level, this game satisfies the pyro in all of us. Here’s the irony though: Mercs 2 is considerably less gratuitous than its competition. In fact, there is almost no blood at all in the game. It’s a “T” rated title so it’s all fire and destruction, no blood and guts.

The controls in the game are simple enough, not requiring any real learning curve. The aiming is less than par though, as was the shooting in general. The guns sound pretty awful sometimes and there’s no deep targeting system. You simply aim and sputter. The graphics are actually decent. There’s a lot going on at any given time and I was pleasantly surprised by how little the game seemed to experience any slowdown. Even during massive explosions, withe debris, bodies and particles flying everywhere, the game handled itself pretty well. One glaring problem, however, was clipping. It was not uncommon for rockets to just go straight through targets, missing them entirely. Very frustrating. On top of that, navigating the world in general can be a buggy affair. Getting stuck, falling through things, etc. It’s a noticeable hindrance, unfortunately.

The story in this game is like your spleen. It’s there, but totally unnecessary. It essentially boils down to a completely detached betrayal, principle and revenge. At no point in the game, did I give a shit about the motivation behind my progression. I just wanted to blow things up. The cinematics are relatively scarce and barely move what little narrative there is along. This doesn’t really detract from the game, because it seems to me that the developers didn’t really want the player to care about the story. It’s just there to provide a loose framework for your actions. The replay value in this game, like any sandbox title, is enormous. There’s just so much to do and no two playthroughs will be the same. I didn’t even get close to doing all there is to do and I still logged in about 20-25 or so hours for my first playthrough and 10-15 thereafter, mostly just completing missions to advance the “story.”

Mercenaries 2: World In Flames isn’t going to change anything. It’s not a title you really talk about or getting heavily invested into. What it is, is damn good fun. It doesn’t really want to be too much though and just asks the gamer if they want to drive around, shoot things and blow shit up. Sure. I can get behind that. Technically, it’s got a few too many issues, but as long as you can practice some patience with them, you’ll find a raw, entertaining experience lying beneath.

Overall Score (out of 100): 73

Summary

Graphics/Presentation: The rendering is good and the overall detail in the world is impressive. The game runs shockingly smooth despite so many things happening at once. Clipping is a glaring issue though.

Gameplay: What you’ll come back for with this one. Nothing new or creative here, but some work was definitely put into making this game accessible, deep (within its scope) and fun. With so much to do and so many ways to do it, one would be hard pressed not to enjoy themselves.

Story/Narrative: Weak and pointless. Unfortunate since there’s no drive to progress characters or developments. Oddly enough, this isn’t a huge deal with this title. The game is still fun and the story is more of a sidenote.

Sound/Music: The sounds were a mixed bag. Guns were generally poor but the explosions were fantastic. Speech was marginal, at best. The music had some glimpsing moments of operatic grandeur but was otherwise relatively plain. Not great, but not bad.

Replay Value: There’s just so much to do in this game. Less than GTA or the Godfather, but that’s like saying that Donald Trump has less money than Bill Gates. Whatever.

I Thought This Was Hilarious…

This excerpt is from the site 27bslash6.com. Run by David Thorne, it is a hilarious way to pass some time on the internets.

Spiderman 3

I can get by the escaped convict falling into an open air particle accelerator (we have one in the vacant lot next door and I am always telling my 8 year old to stop playing near it), I can even get by the space slime landing coincidently metres from Peter and jumping on his bike… What I cant get past is Mary Jane. What a fucking bitch. In the first movie she is letting the school bully do her, then she lets the rich guy, then Peter has a turn. In the second movie she goes through about eighteen different guys before abandoning her big expensive wedding after realising Peter is spiderman. In the third film I think she does about sixty guys and whinges a lot about peter saving lives instead of coming to the theatre to watch her crap acting. Why does he put up with her? It makes no sense and is the one glaring discrepancy in an otherwise completely scientifically believable movie.