Blissful Life: review

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Friday, August 30, 2013

[Movie] Now You See Me

Now You See Me is 2013 movie, this year movie that I was waiting for. To tell you the truth, it was not half bad. It have everything, well almost, what I hoped for. If you have seen the trailer, then you'll know that it a story about street magicians working together to make it big.

So what is so great about this movie? Well, they manage to rob a bank in Paris, while doing a show in Las Vegas. And also, technically they didn't commit the crime, but one of their audience. How did they do that? Is magic real? Or just a sleight of hands and illusions? Well, the closer you look, the less you would see.

So they say. Click on read more to read on the movie's spoiler. Don't worry, I won't expose too much. Its magic anyway, so how does one explain that specifically.

Click Here to Read More....

Thursday, August 8, 2013

[Movie] Machete

Machete is a action exploitation movie released on 2010. Directed by Robert Rodriguez, with Danny Trejo as the main cast, it is understandable that the movie did not appear in my local cinema. Probably censored by my country's Board of Film Censorship or something. But, when I found the movie trailer in the Youtube, I quickly find the DVD release of the movie off from the Amazon.

The casting in the movie is not to be underestimate. It includes Robert De Niro, Jessica Alba, Steven Seagel and, Lindsay Lohan (ooh~ yeaah~). Now the movie itself is pretty much um, its not exactly epic with huge explosion or fighting robots, but suffice to say that it is entertaining despite the female nudity and extreme gore.

The hero, or should I say anti-hero, is called Machete Cortez (Danny Trejo). The movie starts with Machete who is a Mexican Federal agent got screwed over by his superior who works for a powerful drug-lord, called Rogelio Torrez (Steven Seagel). Barely escapes with the skin of his teeth (btw his wife got killed too) Machete cross the border and scraping for yard works in Texas.

Then in Texas, he got an odd job of killing a corrupt Texas State Senator, John McLaughlin (Robert De Niro). The senator is winning the voter by promising to put an end to the Mexican illegal immigration by putting electric fences across the border (huh..). However at the same time, he made a deal with the powerful drug-lord Torrez so that now he can control the Mexican illegal migration (in other word, human trafficking, and um, also supply of gardeners..). And so, in the twist of fate, Machete must do what is necessary to be done to save his fellow countr- ah screw it. Turns out the guy who hired him to kill the senator is actually the senator collaborator who staged the assassination to increase the public opinion.

Machete, solves the whole messy affair with the only that he knows, the Mexican way. So yeah, he goes around and kills everybody with er, a machete. The final fight was the most hilarious, in my opinion of course. A whole group of Mexican immigrant (they drives a whole bunch of stereotype jumping cars equipped with rocket launcher that looked like fireworks) confront the so called Border Vigilantes (the senator henchmen) to end the urm, war?

Hahaha, all in all, the movie is actually just for fun. Enjoyable and cartoonish. Like the time Machete cut open a guy's stomach and use his intestine to drop on the lower level, or the part that he armed himself with gardening tools and enter a house with tight security by just saying, 'I'm the new gardener'.
The first film is admittedly have a weak appearance and weak acting (especially Jessica Alba), but there are going to be a sequel called 'Machete Kills'. Ooh.. I can't wait for this one. Charlie Sheen, Cuba Gooding Jr, and Antonio Banderas is also gonna be in that movie.

Sunday, July 21, 2013

[Games] Pacific Rim the Video Game

Ok, I'm going to write one more about the Pacific Rim, then I'm done. Before this we have the movie, the comic (graphic novel), and now we have the video game.

Actually, I might have been waiting for this. Too bad its kinda disappointing for me. But hey, don't let my own personal opinion and preference deter you from enjoying whatever that is you enjoy. If you love the movie, then why not collect some of its merchandise, a fan is still a fan.

This game is published and developed by Yuke's Co. Ltd, a game company based in Japan. I'm not exactly familiar with this game company but apparently they known for developing WWE Smackdown! game series. They also have experience in developing games based on a movie called The Incredibles.. so..
By the way, this game is developed in a multi platform so there would be for Playstation, Xbox and PC.

I think the gameplay is already spread all over the net, especially in Youtube. So I don't think Spoiler Alert! would be necessary. Every one could see exactly what to expect in this game. But I must warn you though, don't get your hopes too high. The poster might look good, the movie could be great, but with game, well, we've seen what kind of a game it would be when the title have 'the Video Game' at the end..

The game's genre is fighting, a fighting arcade. You know, Street Fighters or Mortal Combat, something like that. The gameplay is pretty much a simple one. In fact, its very simple. You choose which Jaeger or Kaiju (thats right, you can choose to be a Kaiju), and fight with the AI opponents. The opponent could also be either a Kaiju or Jaeger.

The character for both Jaeger and Kaiju is pretty much the same with the one in the movie. There are extra character but it will be included in the urm... DLC (Seriously? A fighting arcade game nowadays have DLC?). Well, back in my days we would just trash the buttons on the controller to get some hidden characters unlocked.

But what makes this game different from other fighting arcade game, aside from the DLC of course, hm? Just as all the fans (probably maybe) would have hope for a video game version of Pacific Rim, yes, there is a customize feature in the game. You can build up your own Jaeger (or Kaiju) and use it to urmm.. fight. The character that the player use would gain experience (you'll get it each time you throw a punch and finishes mission) where the accumulated experience can be use to purchase new gear or increase body part level. Sound nice, eh?

Well, too bad all that prettiness would just go to waste because you still gonna brawl like a piss drunk. In case you still haven't realize from the top all the way down of this article, the graphic is really sucks. I mean, its not like it really matters- wait, it does. The movie was great is precisely because of the graphic.

I mean it was the details of the machine monster what makes us drool over the awesomeness of robot vs monster battle. Not to mention that the entire game lacks of a proper background sound or even something as simple as effect sound. The game might as well put the sound of Whack! or Kapoww! each time somebody's punches landed on something.

Oh yeah, right. I almost totally forgot about the 'single player' and 'mission' part. Well, because of this is a fighting arcade game, so the mission is not exactly something complex with multiple objective. In fact, all you gotta do is pound your opponent's head like a mashed potato. And yes, there would be rounds, like in a wrestling. And no, you not gonna get a chance of walking around rampaging in a city full with scared population. In fact, the mission is completely repetitive and it have nothing to do with any story line, at all. Its just gonna be you, your opponent, and clobbering time! Doesn't matter if the opponent is a Kaiju or Jaeger.

Overall, I think- does it matter if I try to sugar-coat it? Honestly the game really sucks and what would you expect for a game developed and released almost at the same time as the movie. Hey, the movie alone uses $200 million for a budget. So its understandable that the video game version of Pacific Rim is just another way to fork up some money just to break even.

Good news is that movie director, Guillermo del Toro, said that if the movie is a success (they already started the production of the sequel) then next time he would do his best to ensure the gaming experience to be the same as in the comic and the movie.

Thursday, July 18, 2013

[Book] Pacific Rim: Tales from Year Zero

That right everyone, I got my hand on the Pacific Rim comic book. Took me a lot of hassle searching around Amazon.com and you wouldn't believe the price tag they put on this 112 pages of a comic book. $16!! I've paid less for a even thicker graphic novel (its a comic, really) before. Luckily, I found a really nice guy who resold it at cheaper price and still good as new. Good thing you could find the 'used' comic book along with the new ones. Gives you choices and whatnot.. but do be careful for a 'used and damaged' goods.

So what does this comic book (opss, its graphic novel) reveal about the Pacific Rim storyline? As per title, the novel starts with the background story, how the human-made titan robo the Jaeger came into being. Now, because of this book is newly released, so, some unwritten rule could be in effect somewhere along the line like, Spoiler Alert! probably maybe. So, yeah, spoiler alert and click read more to know more about the graphic novel.

Click Here to Read More....

Monday, July 15, 2013

[Movie] Pacific Rim

Finally, an Westernized mech battle. Well, not exactly the first. But I always like a mech movie incorporated both Western and Eastern culture. I do like anime, but I really hate Japanese over dramatizing of things like, the answer to life, universe and everything, and why human is such a piece of shit that polluting the world . It just infuriates me. For example, I was once a fan of Gundam series, but ever since they make the Gundam Seed series into 'more of a drama and less of mobile suits battle', I kinda hate Gundam now. I practically skipped over 60% of the entire episodes (the dialog, reminisce, conversation regarding on the reason of the existence of humanity, bla bla bla) and proceeded to watch the mobile suits battle scenes only.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not trying to glorify the western movie instead. Even the western motion picture have its flaw. Like the iconography, popular culture, its all just tiring. For example like, in every western motion picture, there will be a woman. Who is strong, equal to man bla bla bla something like that but end up being a sex object. Yeah, hey, remember Transformers the movie? With its sequel the Revenge of the Fallen and Dark of the Moon? Did you remember how awesome was Optimus Prime? Don't lie to me, I bet the only thing you remember was Megan Fox bending on a sports car. And she was not even involved with the story line at all!

But today I'm not gonna write about my opinion on Western Eastern motion picture or what is wrong with the Transformer the movie. Let by gone be by gone. I'm only gonna say this, if you're a real fan of science fiction, the this movie will blow you mind. Click on read more to see the spoiler. Oh yea, spoiler alert, I guess, if you haven't watch 'em.

Click Here to Read More....

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[Movie] Now You See Me

[Movie] Machete

[Games] Pacific Rim the Video Game

[Book] Pacific Rim: Tales from Year Zero

[Movie] Pacific Rim

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