My Dark Knight review

I have a blog. I can write about whatever I want. I want to write about The Dark Knight.

Awesome. Amazing Stupendous. Great. Good. Best. And I’m running out of synonyms. The only thing I can tell you if you are reading this is the following. Close your laptop or turn of computer. Now, go to your car and turn it on and go to the nearest movie theater. See it. See it again afterward because it is that good. This might be the only movie I might see more than twice.

The acting of the late Heath Ledger is beyond anything I was expecting. It was funny and terrifying at the same time. We can only wonder how much more he could have done if he was still here. The rest of the cast, being Christian Bale, Aaron Eckhart, Michael Caine, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Gary Oldman, Morgan Freeman, and Cillian Murphy all bring their A-game to the movie.

After the introduction of Batman and his origin story in the first movie, this movie follows it up with action and lots of it. Christopher Nolan, the director, doesn’t give a back story to the Joker but I think that is good, we don’t really want to know what it is that made him the monster that he is. And Nolan does something in the middle of the movie that I would have never imagined possible, the man has b***s.

So far, this is the best movie of the year. It transcends the superhero/comic book genre into something more. I really can’t describe it, go see it even if you don’t like these type of movies. You won’t regret it. It is amazing.

Why so serious? Does it depress you, how alone you really are…

Quote of the Day

“The greatest trick the devil ever pulled was convincing the world he did not exist.” Roger ‘Verbal’ Kint

That quote is from the movie The Usual Suspects. It’s a kick-ass quote from a kick-ass movie. I highly recommend it, very entertaining and well, it is very smart and I loved the ending. I just saw it the other day which is why I’m bringing it up. This is one of the smartest movies I’ve ever watched. Watch it!

Video Game Review: Star Wars Jedi Knight 2: Jedi Outcast

Jedi Outcast is a Star Wars fanboy’s dream come true. It is easily the best Star Wars game I’ve ever played. Simply put, you are Jedi bad-ass who uses a lightsaber to kill peo–er…bring justice to the galaxy. The Force powers in the game are awesome. The ability to lift someone and choke the life out of him while also shielding yourself from blaster fire is just amazing. Did I mentioned you can use a lightsaber?

Now, I’ve only played the Gamecube port of the game though. Why?  At the time of the release, my PC couldn’t handle the game so instead I got the port. The graphics are ok but I’m sure it is better on the PC. The FPS controls surely are. Yes, the first few levels are FPS oriented, before you get the lightsaber. I guess I could get this game again for my laptop, I would love to see it in its original form. You don’t need to play the games before this one to understand the story which is good and the story itself is easy to follow. Anyway, did I tell you that you can use a LIGHTSABER?

Trailer 1. The game was also made for the Macs, and the original Xbox.

Trailer 2

Trailer 3

The Visitor

Immigrants can change people’s lives. If only people on the other side, the anti-side, took some time to do learn who we are and dispel all the wrong notions that they have of us. We are not all criminals, we are not trying to subvert the US law, we try to blend in and lead peaceful lives. Tell me, to anyone who is reading this blog, have you met an immigrant and if so, how has that person changed your life?

This is the trailer of a movie of an immigrant, from Syria,  and how changes the life of a citizen, for the better. I have watched the movie and highly recommend it. The movie doesn’t hammer away the fact that detention is unfair for those who have done nothing wrong, it is the story of an immigrant changing the life of someone else. I can only hope that I’ve had a positive impact in the people I know. I can only hope, because God knows I’m a depressive schmuck.

Here is the trailer for The Visitor.

Trailers: Indiana Jones IV and Blade Runner

Yeah, well, yesterday I found the trailer for Indiana Jones IV. Watch, and be in awe. Haha. I’m sorry, but I really like the other films and so I wanted to share that. I can’t wait for May.

Okay, here is a trailer for a film that already came out and I believe that everyone should watch. Blade Runner. Classic of the sci-fi genre. It is above a classic probably. I have the final version which cleaned up a lot of the images and Riddley Scott took time to fix some things in the film. It is called Final Version too, the definitive version. If you can get it on HD than do it. I don’t have an HD TV so there was no sense for me to buy it on Blue-Ray or HD-DVD. This movie is where this line came from, something I believe in, “Quite an experience to live in fear, that’s what it’s like to be a slave.” What makes us human if something that else that is artificial can be too?

If you could only see what I see…and know what I know…

Video Games: The Legend of Zelda series

Well, what can I say about this series other than it is perfect it in my eyes. Of course, not just mine but many others. My favorite video game in the series is The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. It is the highest rated game of all time, even after almost being 10 years old this year, according to both Metacritic and Gamerankings. It also has the most perfect scores from most video game publications of the time, including, Famitsu from Japan, and EGM, IGN, and Gamespot in America. The other game in the series that I’ve played are the follow ups to Ocarina of Time. Majora’s Mask for the N64, The Wind Waker for the Gamecube and Twilight Princess for the Gamecube and Wii. All of them are great games, they just don’t quite reach the perfection of Ocarina. No, I don’t play the handheld versions of the game and I haven’t played Link to the Past from the Super Nintendo. My first console was the Nintendo 64 so that’s why.

Anyways, I really like the series and there is nothing better out there. Yeah, I went there and I stand by it no matter what. Not Halo, no Mario game, no other game series. But that’s just my opinion and the opinion of hundreds of others. The  Legend of Zelda=Awesomeness. I highly recommend any of the games in the series, especially Ocarina of Time even if it is old by today’s standards.

Ocarina of Time for the Nintendo 64. Get it! There is a Gamecube port, and it is available on the Wii Shop Channel. I have all versions. Yes, I’m a fanboy.

Ad for the Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker for the Nintendo Gamecube. Very fun game, kind of easy though.

Trailer for The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess for the Gamecube and Wii. I suggest the Wii version, controls great!

Book: World War Z

So, this is the last book I read. I finished last weekend and want to write about it since I liked it and have done video games in the past. So why not a book right? And I apologize for my poor reviewing skills. I can only narrow it down to these simple words: I liked the book and recommend you get it.

World War Z. It is the first and only book that I’ve read that has zombies in it. And I’m telling you, it is a pretty good one. It is a horrifying vision of the future as the entire planet is engulfed in a world war against the zombies. The book doesn’t really explain how the zombies come about, that is said in the prequel to WWZ, The Zombie Survival Guide. The zombies are explained in a very scientific way, as if they were real. WWZ deals with the war against them, humanity losing lots of territory and utter chaos in every part of the globe. This book makes everything be realistic because of the fact that it doesn’t have a straight narrative as most novels do. The book is told from various points of views in the style of a documentary. It makes it more real and therefore more scary.

I liked the way it was done, very original. I’ve known about zombies, mainly because movies and especially video games with the Resident Evil series and I found the book to be quite entertaining. It does not deal with only the American front of the war, but treats it as a global issue. The reader can see the points of view from lots of different places, like England, Russia, Cuba and Antarctica. Not all the chapters are great but most of them are. I highly recommend it if you like an entertaining read.

Video Games: God of War 1 and 2

Wow, it looks like this is becoming more of a thing I do every week, reviewing a video game. I like it and will continue to do so. But on to the God of War games.

Action filled. No other words can describe those two games. God of War 2 is the reason I own my PS2 in the first place. I, being a Nintendo player, had never experienced that kind of action. Not even a Legend of Zelda game has as much. The Gamecube was not going to have this level of action until Resident Evil 4 was released. The violence in the game is not for kids, even though I was under the age of the M rating when I played it. And no, unlike mass media is trying to say, I’m not going to turn into a mass murderer.

Anyways. The graphics of both games push the PS2 to the max, especially the second one. I like this because the second game doesn’t actually have load times or if it does, they tend to be a second long. The score of the game is fantastic. But the story, now those are special. It takes the background of something, in this case Greek mythology, and reinvents it to make it a kick ass story of a man who has been royally screwed over by the gods of Olympus. Ares in the first game, Zeus in the second one.

Kratos is an anti-hero. Someone who is not going to be stopped by ANYTHING in his search for revenge over what has happened in his past. The blades of chaos are wonderful weapons and great for pulling of combos, and his other powers are not bad either. I especilly liked the blade of Artemis in the first game, missed it in the second. The first game in opinion suffers from the sin of being short, too short for my liking and the only reason I forgive it is because because the action is VERY good. It is a hell of a ride. The second game tries to rectify this by being longer. Another flaw of the first game is that it didn’t have many bosses, 2 or 3 I think. The second has more, with the first 10 minutes of the game being a boss fight against a gigantic statue that wants to crush you. Most games start small and slow, and God of War 2’s beginning is its way of saying ‘f**k you’ to normal conventions. Never will you experience a beginning of a game like in God of War 2.

What else can I say about the game? Both of them recieved their respective game of year award in the year they were released, at least for the PS2. I don’t know what the competition was in a multiplatform level. One thing is for sure, when God of 3 arrives, I’m pretty sure I’m going to run to a store to buy a PS3 and play that game. Go out and buy it now, you won’t regret it, epic awesomeness!

God of War trailer

God of War 2 trailer

Another God of War 2 trailer, for the hell of it

Video Game: Resident Evil 4

One can easily call this game the masterpiece of the last generation of video games. I’m not one to argue with that. Despite my love of the Zelda series, the Wind Waker cannot match the greatness that is Resident Evil 4. Simply said, this was one of the greatest moments in video game history.

It all started in 2001, when Capcom announced that the Resident Evil series was going to be exclusive to the Gamecube platform, Nintendo. I was quite happy about this since the only console I owned and would own for quite some time was going to be the Gamecube. First, the original Resident Evil was remade and it was wonderful, followed by the new chapter of Resident Evil 0. Following that game, straight ports of the Resident Evil 2, 3 and Code Veronica were made. And finally, Resident Evil 4 arrived to the Gamecube in 2005. I bought it, having played Resident Evil, 0 and Code Veronica. I expected a great game but I was literally blown away by everything in it.

The graphics were fantastic for their time. The control scheme was excellent, despite the ‘tank’ controls. The pacing of the game was spot on, it was frantic and action filled. I liked the cut scenes that required you to push buttons in the middle of them as a way to keep you on your toes. It was lengthy game too, more than 10 hours of pure gaming bliss. I literally found no fault with the game, with the exception of one thing. The last boss was not epic enough, he was too easy to beat. It was a bad way to end the game.

Following the release of the game on the Gamecube, Capcom sold out and released on the PS2. That version as far as I know is not as good visually, and has no in game engine cut scenes. All the cut scenes were FMVs which showed the fact that the PS2 version was the inferior one. Later on it was released for the PC, based on the PS2 port which was a mistake. And finally, one last time it was rereleased, on the Nintendo Wii. This is the version to play. The Wiimote and Nunchuck controller prove to the world that a traditional hardcore game can be made even better on the Wii. The Wii version of the game is a port of the Gamecube version but with the added extras of the PS2 version, with Wii controls which are superb. I suggest either of the Nintendo consoles to play this game, but if you don’t have neither, the other versions are fine. Just play the game, you won’t regret it.

First trailer, Gamecube version

Another trailer, Gamecube version

Wii trailer

Video Game: Shadow of the Colossus

Okay, it is time for another retro review. No, not about immigration now. I’m tired and stressed. I’ve been helping friends at another university so that they could reunite funds for scholarships so I’ve been spending a lot of time doing that. Having neck pain and being tired is bad. So, right now I’m not feeling like writing something about immigration because it will probably be depressing. Video games make me happy though, so lets get on with the review.

I’m calling it a retro review because it is dealing with a video game from the last generation. Not a Nintendo game either. In fact, this video game, along with the God of War series, are the only things that give me a tiny bit of respect for Sony’s own video game development studios. Not everyone can be Nintendo Tokyo or EAD after all.

Shadow of the Colossus is an experience. That’s really the only way to describe it. There are only 16 bad guys, or bosses as they are called in the video game world. That number is chronically low for a video game. The game suffers from sometimes bad camera angles and also slowdown during the fights. The game is still amazing though. It is unique. Very unique. It is a quiet game, unlike most of the stuff coming out now. It is a love story at it’s core, one about bringing a loved one back to life by any means necessary. The video game gives a great sense of solitude to the main character Wander. There is no music through out most of the game either, that is until the player faces a colossus. The orchestra takes over the silence and it is magnificent. I loved the music so much I imported the Japanese soundtrack, there is not one in America. I envy the Japanese because of stuff like this, they are also getting the Super Mario Galaxy soundtrack and America is not. Anyways, the music is fantastic, worthy of being in any big Hollywood film. The majority of the boss fights are memorable, only 2 were annoying but that’s just me. As for the visuals, amazing for their time and maybe even now. Hell, it looks better than most games on the Wii which is quite sad. All in all, this is the ONLY game I can put in the same sentence with the Legend of Zelda video game series. For people who know, that is saying quite a lot. So, for people who like killing giants and have a PS2, go out a buy this game. It’s cheap now too. And if you played it and didn’t enjoy it, well, you suck. That’s right, I went there. Some time soon I’m also going to have to speak about why I think the Legend of Zelda is the best series ever, later though.

Trailer 1, the short one.

Trailer 2, the longer one

Movie Reviews: Cloverfield and Juno

Cloverfield. I got sucked into watching this movie because of the viral marketing and everything I heard about in Rotten Tomatoes. I first heard about the movie when I watched Transformer last summer. The trailer had no name, only a date, and there was a rolling head of the Statue of Liberty in the street. I was intrigued to say the least. And I went to watch it today.

I liked it. It was a good monster movie. I don’t advice watching it if you easily get motion sickness. Some reviewers have called it like a roller coaster ride. I will have to take their word for it since I’ve never gone on a roller coaster. It was a fun movie though. I think it needed to get to the action a lot quicker but over all it was good. There was one great moment on the subway that is scary as hell. We don’t get learn everything there is to know about what happens but that’s fine, it leaves the viewer’s imagination wondering about what happened. I happily recommend it. Here is the YouTube trailer.

Juno. What can I say about this other than it is fantastic. It is extremely funny and I loved the dialogue. I didn’t know much about the movie until it came out and I started to see that it was getting rave reviews. So I decided to check it out. Now I’ve seen twice. The movie is very charming and has great characters, especially Juno herself. Now I will quote one of the best lines from the movies, “Well, honey, doctors are sadists who like to play God and watch lesser people scream…” It is a feel good movie and if by the end of the movie you are not feeling good, it means that you are in fact heartless. Here is the trailer for the movie, go watch it!

Video Game: Bioshock

One of my favorite games from last year. Bioshock. It is not a game on a Nintendo console which makes it strange for me to say it is one of the best but it is. I’ve gotten over my own snobbery when it comes to video games. I still consider Nintendo to be the best company out there but there are other good companies that make good games. Bioshock is one example. I heard a lot about this game before it came but I didn’t get a chance to play it until my roommate got himself an Xbox 360. I played this afterward.

It is a great experience as far as video games go. Great atmosphere and good story line. The water effects are great, amazing. Makes me wish my Nintendo Wii could do those kinds of visuals but alas, Nintendo decided to not go the HD route on this generation. FPSs (First Person Shooters) are not the kind of games I usually play. I find them repetitive because all you do is shoot stuff but I made an exception for this game just because of how everything is put together so well. The only bad thing about the game is that it is too easy. Way too easy. Dying is not really a bad thing. And the game is all about choices too, and I learned something about myself. I couldn’t bring myself to kill little girls, I saved them all. I love the plasmids! Force like powers that allow me to set things on fire, electrocute, and telepathy, those things are just too cool. Love it. What else can I say though, besides being one of the best games ever made? Not much but if you are hardcore gamer, you need to get this. Casuals need not apply.

Trailer, and the quote that is said is something I like, “We all make choices but in the end our choices make us.”

Trailer with gameplay. Showing gameplay is always important.

Last trailer, the one for the launch of the game. I love it just because of the music.

Video Game: Super Mario Galaxy

This post is not about immigration but it is my first attempt at getting a Youtube video on here. So, I decided I wanted to do it on a video game. The following video is trailer from the latest offering in the Mario franchise from Nintendo, Super Mario Galaxy.

What can I say about the game besides that it is fantastic, absolutely sublime from start to finish. It is the most fun I’ve had in a video game in a long time. All levels are original, the use of gravity is awesome yet weird, but in a good way. It has one of the best soundtracks in the business and the graphics are great. I reached the 120 star limit and I can’t wait to start over. For the casual Wii owner, I say give it a rental at least. Try it out and if it’s too hard, then just return it. I think the controls are intuitive and easy. For the hardcore video game enthusiast Wii owner, get your head checked because if you haven’t bought this game yet, something most be wrong in your head. Buy it, now. That’s an order.

And to the readers of this blog, now, I won’t transform this into a blog about video games. I will bring them up from now and again, at random times mainly because I like them and like to share my passion with the world. Video games are very therapeutic actually, they help me escape for at least a bit my harsh reality. Also, another word on the randomness. I might also talk about some other things that I like, mainly movies and writing.

A year in review…video games

Video games. My only addiction that can rival my writing addiction. It is an expensive addiction too, one which I am trying to control. I write about video games and movies because they are a large part of my life. My life, not being easy or stress free, is very dificult so most of the time I need something that I can use for escape. Video games have done that for me, they are my escape and keep me sane to some degree. Make me forget of who I am for at least a bit and I value that highly. Anyways, read on if you like or interested in video games and if not, well, don’t.

Another year of great games has come and gone. This year also saw my first purchase of a console outside of Nintendo. No, the PS1 I owned is borrowed from a friend. I bought a PS2 of course. I’ve always wanted to play some games I never got a chance to because of my allegiance to Nintendo and its high quality. Also, I had money this time around and that is very important. I also got to play the Xbox 360 thanks to my roommate and Bioshock…which is one of the best games. I can’t really have a category for that system since I don’t own it and aside Bioshock, the only other game I played on it was Halo and that is certainly not the game of the year.

So, console of the year I’ll give it to the Wii. The Nintendo 64 I have has brought me great nostalgia moments, such as beating Jet Force Gemini for the first time and replaying Rayman 2 but it is not number 1. The PS2 brought me the opportunity to play God of War, God of War 2, FFXII, Shadow of the Colossus, Ico, and other games. Those games were great but stood no chance against the Wii for the following reason. Super Mario Galaxy. That is all I need to say right there. That game is by far one of the best games I’ve ever played, it is the definition of fun and craziness. The musical score is excellent as well.

64 Game of the Year will be Jet Force Gemini, it is the reason I have the console in the first place. Sorry Perfect Dark, the other RARE game won it.

PS2 Game of the Year will be Shadow of the Colossus. It is short, there isn’t that much to do in it. There is slowdown and camera problems. But it is an experience worth having. It is the only other game that I can put in the same sentence as a Legend of Zelda game. For those who know me and the video games I play, that is saying a lot.

Wii Game of the Year. Super Mario Galaxy. That is all. It is the definition of fun. Metroid, Strikers, Zak and Wiki, Galaxy Wars just do not cut it.

Most addictive game. There were only real 2 choices in this category. One is Galaxy Wars for the Wii. Hardcore game. Easy to learn, hard to master. Great fun. But as always, with addiction there is a game that stands above the rest. Civilization. Or Civilization IV in this case. The process of starting with one individual to conquering the entire planet is just…addictive. Can’t really say much else.

There is much to look forward to in 2008. Wait, who am I kidding. I’m only waiting for one game, Super Smash Brothers Brawl. That game will probably be the only game I’ll need for the rest of the year after February.

A year in review…movies

AvP 2, or Alien vs. Predator 2: Requiem. I don’t know why it has that subtitle. Anyways, that was the last movie of the year that I saw. People will probably think it is a sucky movie, like these people, but I don’t care. I’ve always had a soft spot for those franchises since I saw those movies in Mexico and they may make me think about my old life. The same with Star Wars and Back to the Future.

2007 was a good year for movies. Since I was in school I was able to go see movies without having to depend on my dad. I either went to the big movie theater or the small one where more indie films were shown. So here we are, the movies that I like the best. I know this is not about immigration, maybe I’ll write something about that later, or maybe not. Immigration is an inescapable part of my life, but not the only thing.

Horror. I want to say that I liked The Host the best only because the friend I went to see it with jumped when something happened. I don’t remember clearly what it was. It is a Korean film and I highly recommend watching foreign films, they are great even if they have subtitles. I’ve also seen Resident Evil: Extinction (I think that’s the subtitle) but that’s not really horror. It was okay, not the worse but not the best. So my pick for the best horror movie I’ve seen will go to 28 Weeks Later, only because I actually jumped myself at the beginning of the film and I give it props because that had not happened since I watched Alien when I was 7.

Comedy: I’ll say Hot Fuzz for this one. It is one of the best films action comedies I’ve ever seen. Warning, if you have an aversion to violence, do not watch this film! Yes, Superbad and Knocked Up were great films, not being on the top spot does not make them any lesser. I laughed out loud when I saw them.

Animated: I’ve seen very few animated films this year, in fact, only 3 I think. Paprika, a Japanese anime film. The problem with that is that I didn’t understand it. Great animation though. Ratatoille (I think that’s how it’s spelled) is great film. Another great Pixar achievement. But ultimately, my favorite animated film was The Simpsons Movie. Spider-pig won it for me. No, I didn’t see Shrek 3 and have no desire to.

Action: This was a tough choice since there were two actions films I liked the best, Live Free or Die Hard (aka Die Hard 4) or The Bourne Ultimatum. Both were great, had lots of action. Tough choice, I’ll give it to…ah, I can’t decide. Oh what the hell, McClane wins it.

Sci-fi: I’m going to give this one to Transformers. Giant transforming robots kick ass. Hollywood, we need more giant robots.

Fantasy: I’ve seen Stardust, Harry Potter 5 and the Golden Compass. While I liked all those films, but I am actually a Jedi and I’m going bend the laws of time and space. Ok, fine, Jedis cannot do that…I wish they did though. I liked Pan’s Labyrinth the best. Yeah, it came in 2006 but I saw it on 2007 so I say it was the best. Not for the squeamish, or little kids. It is another subtitled film too. But it is very, very original.

Most badass (is that even spelled correctly) film is a new category. That goes to 300. THIS IS SPARTA! Great line. The only real competetion for me was Grindhouse, the Machete trailer in particular, but 300 wins it.

Weirdest film: It went between two movies on DVD I saw this year. Memento, which was great. Loved the concept. But I’m going to give it to David Lynch’s Mulholland Drive. Okay, that was just…wow. I can’t even explain it. Note to self, watch more David Lynch’s films.

Greatest disappointment: Spiderman 3. What the hell happened there? Too much crying, and than the writers seemed to have been fired halfway through the movie. I really wanted to like it but it was a disappointment. One good thing out of it though was that the last time I saw it was in my college theater and the commentary people made during the movie made it worth it.