Top Video Games (With a Heavy Emphasis on Story) #19

19. Gun (2005) – GC

This Western game has got a stellar cast of voice actors including Thomas Jane, Lance Henrikson (who clearly has way too much fun as the bad guy), Kris Kristofferson, Brad Dourif, Ron Perlman, and Tom Skerritt. It’s a real pleasure just to have all this talent together in one project.

The story of Gun is simple. Colton White is kicking ass and taking names on the trail of the men who killed his father. Along the way he meets Thomas Magruder, a railway baron who is convinced that a native legend about a city of gold is true. This antagonist will stop at nothing to find the map that will lead him there, and, inevitably, Colton becomes involved.

The game world is truly epic. You start out in the woods learning to hunt, but you eventually make your way to one of the landscape’s two large urban centers. In these towns there are saloons, laundromats, Sherriff Offices, general stores, and everything else you can imagine. You can play poker, pick fights, take on jobs such as deputy or errand boy, and you will have an opportunity to become intimately involved in the towns’ political affairs and struggles. You will help finish the construct of a bridge spanning a great canyon, you will protect the voyage of a stagecoach, and run cattle. If some of these plots sound familiar, then you, like me, have seen the movies that inspired these sequences: Red River (1948), Stagecoach (1939), The Searchers (1956), My Darling Clementine (1946), etc. Gun is a terrific homage to these great Westerns, and there is no limit to the fun that can be had reliving some of these iconic moments.

There are a lot more regions to explore in the canyons, forests, rivers, mountains, and caverns that populate the area between the two main cities. My only complaint is that, eventually, you run out of things to do. I would have liked to stick around a little longer.

Movie Review: Monsters vs Aliens (2009)

Monsters vs Aliens (2009)

Whether or not DreamWorks is still trying to disassemble Pixar’s ambitious but more family-oriented projects with a more adolescent brand of animation is difficult to say (although you would most likely think yes); regardless, it’s certainly entertaining to view the competition or experience the product, and Monsters vs Aliens (2009) is no exception. Directors Rob Letterman and Conrad Vernon take us on another DreamWorks rollercoaster, this time around it’s the supernatural, and yes the title is true, DreamWorks is killing two birds with one stone!

The story is obviously simple, but that doesn’t really matter because all we really want to see is a fight between monsters and aliens. We begin with Susan Murphy (voiced by Reese Witherspoon), who eventually becomes Ginormica when a “special” meteorite lands on her at her wedding, causing her to rapidly grow tenfold! Not surprisingly, the US government is on her like, well, the US government. Under the orders of General W.R. Monger (Kiefer Sutherland), she is taken to Area 51 where she meets a cast of other monsters that have been collected since the 1950s, including the doctor cockroach Dr. Cockroach Ph.D. (a back-to-British Hugh Laurie), the creature The Missing Link (Will Arnett), the giant bug Insectosaurus (absolutely awesome and voiceless), and the blob B.O.B. (Seth Rogen). Each monster, of course, has its own amusing back-story, as told by Monger. Unbeknownst to all of them, in a galaxy far far away, the evil alien Gallaxhar (Rainn Wilson) decides to engage Earth because it possesses an essential material for his conquest of the universe. As you can probably imagine, this is that same substance that crashed into Susan. Once it’s clear that it’s going to take everything Earth has to defeat Gallaxhar, The US President Hathaway (Stephen Colbert) calls on Monger and his monsters to save the day; let the games begin!

So what’s good and what’s bad? Well, for the most part it’s quite good. The animation is no doubt thrilling (as we’ve come to expect), and the story moves through its medium with a carefree excitement; this film is a lot of fun, simple as that (and the battle for San Francisco… WOWZERS!). And to top it all off we have monsters fighting aliens! But all in the space of 94 minutes? Is that right? I’m almost sure I could watch something like that forever, but that is not the case here. Truth be told, there is not enough screen time given to the monsters fighting the aliens, and everything feels super rushed, which is something that keeps this film from truly achieving the OMG!! M V. A!!! OMG!!! status. It’s not necessarily like too much time was allotted to another less exciting section of the film, it’s just that the film is too short and unfulfilling, which is ultimately disappointing. It’s also interesting to note that while the voice characterization is well cast, virtually none of the voice actors actually come through, the sole exception here being Rogen, who’s absolutely hilarious B.O.B. steals the show. Even Stephen Colbert’s president Hathaway can’t fully bloom, because while the character itself is fantastic (especially with the “Axel F” bit), Colbert’s familiarities are surprisingly unable to transcend and you wouldn’t know it was him if no one told you. This issue, while not technically a negative, actually serves to decrease the accessibility of the characters, because we all love hearing our favorite actors channel themselves through fantastical avatars!

All in all, it’s been a bit of a rough go for DreamWorks over the last few years. Despite having commercial successes, they’ve lost the Oscar to Pixar for the last two years straight (not since Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit in 2005, and that wasn’t really them), and after Pixar’s WALL-E (2008) (my pick for the best film of 2008, and certainly one of the most important films in animation), DreamWorks certainly has metric ton of catching up to do. Some might find this as taking pot shots at Pixar’s Monsters, Inc. (2001) (which is mostly inaccurate yet has confused some people/idiots!); but then again, DreamWorks is to blame for Antz (1998) against A Bug’s Life (1998). Fortunately, the film is more aligned to the Shrek movies, but without the reflexive bravado. In the end, Monsters vs Aliens is another valiant attempt by DreamWorks at striking back against Pixar, but it might not be enough to secure the Oscar. In my opinion, it doesn’t deserve it, but we will all have to wait and see how Up (2009) performs before we can truly judge this quite enjoyable film.

3.5/5

S. McSmoke-Smoke

TV Pilot Review: Caprica

Caprica (2008)

58 years before the fall of Caprica

Caprica starts with a bang. Nudity, violence, human sacrifice all within the first 5 minutes. It's all a bit to much for TV (Even Space or the soon to be renamed SyFy network), which may be why this pilot was released on DVD first.

In many ways, Caprica takes up where Battlestar Galactica left off. It continues the themes of religion, morality, ethics, and technology within a modern world within a new setting and story. This is no space epic. It is instead a family drama with significant elements of sci-fi and BSG canon mixed in. At the centre of this new series are two families, the Greystones and the Adamas, that are united by a single tragedy. A suicidal bombing at the hands of her boyfriend kills Zoe Graystone, daughter to Daniel and Amanda Graystone. Also caught in the blast is Shannon Adama, wife of Joseph Adama, and Tamara Adama, daughter to Joseph and Shannon and sister of William Adama. What is left of each family is united by a chance meeting between Daniel Graystone, a leader in the military technology field, and Joseph Adama, a corrupt lawyer who struggles with his ties to his home-world mob. It is a complicated set of connections, which Caprica sets up and defines clearly.

The crux of this story lies in the fact that prior to the terrorist activity, which Zoe is unwillingly made an accomplice and victim of, Zoe had been able to create and store a near perfect digital copy of her self. (Apparently the human brain is only about 350mb in size, about half a CD) The copy is trapped in the digital world of the holoband (an advanced version of the internet combined with a sophisticated virtual reality) but also has an undefined connection to the real world through the real Zoe. Upon Daniel’s realization of his daughter’s activities, he begins a journey in which he seeks to bring his daughters digital representation into the real world so that he may be with his daughter once again. And so the story of the first Cylon begins.

While only one character, William Adama is directly connected between Caprica and Battlestar Galactica, there is no doubt that this show will be closely linked with BSG. Constant references to events and peoples permeate the hour and a half pilot. However, there were significant issues that may make it very difficult to see this as a show that belongs entirely within the 2004 BSG canon. Firstly, the level of technology is extremely inconsistent. Caprica is home to cars and a monorail system that appears no more advanced than what is seen in most urban centres today. However, in contrast to this, Caprican’s have access to robotic servants (with basic AI), a very powerful virtual reality system, the holoband, and a touch screen display device that looks and behaves like paper and makes an Iphone look like the first ever cell phone. It seems very difficult to integrate these miraculous technologies into the canon of the BSG universe when there was no mention of this technology 58 years in the future on the Battlestar Galactica. In fact, the Battlestar Galactica should be built within the time period of Caprica and so the lack of this technology seems all the more suspect.

For the most part the show is shot well. The documentary/guerrilla style of filming that gave BSG its sense of realism is instead replaced with more generic smooth camera movements. This switch suits the new show. However, the CG is a mixed bag. Some shots are of a quality that is similar or even greater than what was seen on Battlestar, while others are weaker then what would have barely pass as good on video games from 7 years ago.

Thankfully, Bear McCreary returns to the BSG universe and writes a beautiful score that supports the characters on screen and suits the family drama style of the show. Gone are the pounding drums, tribal themes and middle-eastern instruments (which I loved for Battlestar), replaced with more typical, but no less amazing, string sections. While McCreary makes sure to use original cues from BSG, he has done so very sparingly and only with great purpose.

All in all, Caprica represents a new opportunity for the universe of the 12 Colonies to be explored and like BSG, the show does a good job of not explaining to many of the details to quickly. There are issues with the show, but with Ronald D. Moore as an executive producer, more than likely the series (should it ever go into production) will embrace these issues and integrate them into the story. Moore is known for taking on tough subject matter head on and Caprica, if guided with the right amount of force and creativity should become a strong compliment to Battlestar Galactica.

Movie Review: Ripley's Game

Ripley’s Game (2002)

I’m not sure what the story is behind this movie. It didn’t get a wide theatrical release in North America, and it didn’t make very much money. Its budget is a fraction of its predecessor’s, The Talented Mr. Ripley (1999), and Matt Damon is nowhere to be found. All that being as it is, Ripley’s Game is a substantially superior product: the film is more coherent, more entertaining, more thought-provoking, and John Malkovich’s performance is far more Oscar-worthy than Matt Damon’s.

Yes, John Malkovich plays this character expertly. He is both charismatic and emotionless, a tough combination to pull off convincingly. Tom Ripley is the character Malkovich was destined to play: Ripley is a perfect fit for Malkovich’s quirky mannerisms, dry sarcasm, and peculiar face. I almost laughed when I watched Ripley introduced in the film wearing a French beret, but then Malkovich opened his mouth and I said, “Yeah, okay.” Ripley is an odd character, one whose primary joy in life is manipulating others. He gets no true satisfaction from the affluent lifestyle he strives to maintain. Food bores him, and he has questionable taste in art. Yet he maintains his image so meticulously, allowing him to go about his games. When the film opens, Ripley is trying to scam an art buyer out of more money than the sketches are worth. He leaves the meeting with both the art and the money, but he gives the money away. So why would he take such great risks? Ripley partially addresses this question later when asked if he feels anxious after a crime. He replies, “I don't worry about being caught as I don't believe anyone is watching.” He is clearly psychotic, but he has a rationale for everything he does, and the only joy he ever feels is watching others be troubled by emotions he himself cannot feel.

Although this is a Ripley film, the lead character is Jonathan Trevanny, played by Dougray Scott. Scott also does a fantastic job here, as the innocent man, dying of cancer, who is manipulated by Ripley after Trevanny offends him at a party. The game played between these two and a third character, Reeves (Ray Winstone), leads to some really breathtaking suspense sequences. The highlight is a crime-gone-wrong onboard a speed train. This is a splendid sequence, filled with tension, black humor, and expert direction. Watching great scenes like this only furthers the contention that this film should have been given a chance in North American theaters.

The final verdict: Ripley is the role John Malkovich was born to play. The actor and his presence are just weird enough to make Ripley a believable character, like Christian Bale was to Patrick Bateman. I was a little confused when Matt Damon tried on the role. Thankfully, he is nowhere to be found in Ripley’s Game, and we don’t miss him for a second.

Professor P

Top Video Games (With a Heavy Emphasis on Story) #20

20. The Journeyman Project 3: Legacy of Time (1998) – PC

I bought this game and its two prequels in a box set for $9.99. At the time I was mostly just impressed with the value: I got 8 discs for $10. This is of course back when games were on CDs. It was advertised as an adventure game franchise, and the screenshots looked cool, and the price was unbeatable. I later discovered that the company who developed the games went bankrupt after releasing the third and best entry in the franchise, which not only explains the discounted price, but also why you probably have not heard of the game.

The Journeyman Project 3: Legacy of Time is spread over 4 CDs (although I later picked up the DVD version of the game which has higher resolution graphics), and continues the story that precipitated in part one about the adventures of a temporal protectorate agent who is tasked with the intimidating responsibility of safeguarding all of mankind’s history from negligent time travelers. This by itself is an interesting concept. Should we one day invent time travel, what’s to stop people from abusing this power, and what kind of devastating global effects might be rendered if someone were to alter past events? It is logical, then, that we would need an agency to safeguard and police the technology, and even, perhaps, to go back and mend damage caused by other travelers.

The previous storylines addressed neat paradoxical dilemmas, and involved wonky artificial intelligence and human saboteurs. Legacy of Time tells the most epic tale of the trilogy, and gets the entertainment factor just right, an important element that was sacrificed in the first two games in lieu of often dry history lessons. After the events of part two, the government has decided to close all time travel agencies, deeming the technology unsafe. Our hero, Gage Blackwood, receives a distress call from an agent missing and assumed dead, who informs Gage about a secret kept hidden for millennia, a secret that would spell disaster for recent peace talks with alien consortium visitors. Gage turns rogue, travelling back in time in a new prototype chameleon suit which allows him to project an image matching any person that he encounters. This proves to be the game’s most interesting puzzle dynamic. You can capture a character’s image, but if you are seen by that character disguised as that character, it’s game over. The fun is in impersonating characters and manipulating them against each other.

You travel to ancient cities of legend: Shangri-La, Atlantis, and El Dorado, just hours before they are destroyed and their technologies lost forever. What’s really genius about these locations is that developers took time to really ground the civilizations in known history and plausibility. Atlantis, for example, is a Greek city that directs water in extraordinarily advanced ways to power all their technology. Nothing is too far-fetched, and it is all grounded in real science. The city is walled in, and many who venture in accidentally are imprisoned or enslaved, never to leave, keeping the secret city safe. El Dorado has learned to harness the power of hot air. They use this technology to travel within their valley, and artists use the topographical perspective to create the famous Nazca Lines like those that appear in Peru. Finally, Shangri-La has found ways to exploit geothermal tunnels and vents within their mountain valley to grow plants and heat homes.

It’s wonderful to have so much fun with history, and yet still feel like you’re learning something. You even meet Genghis Khan in Shangri-La. If you are rude to him, watch out.

Top Video Games (With a Heavy Emphasis on Story) #21

21. Castlevania IV (1991) – SNES

This was the first game to show me that video games could be atmospheric. I had never played the previous games in the franchise, but even a decade and a half later, IV remains the highpoint in the series. It was the first one to appear on Super Nintendo (in North America), and it was the first entry that allowed the protagonist (who is usually a Beaumont descendent) to swing his iconic whip in any cardinal direction.

The story here isn’t much. Dracula has resurrected himself for the fourth time, I assume, and Simon Beaumont is blessed with the familial responsibility of putting the vampire back in his coffin. What really impresses me about the game is the sheer diversity and creativity of its characters, enemies, and the bosses which are taken from a variety of mythological sources. You have Medusa, a golem, Frankenstein’s Monster, a hydra, and even the Grim Reaper himself…who is somehow less intimidating then Dracula. I would have though the Grim Reaper would have had some authority over Dracula, but I guess not. Anyway, your journey takes you through all kinds of crazy sections of Dracula’s Keep. The game is also one of the few Super Nintendo games to take advantage of Mode 7 technology: graphical software that allows pseudo-three-dimensional effects. These were used sparingly, but effectively, such as having a cylindrical room continuously rotate around the player as he walks through the room, which was very disorienting, or having giant haunted candelabras swing back and forth very fluidly.

The music is an eclectic standout as well. Yes, the instrumentations were limited to the 16-bit midi format, but the composition for each level is fun, quirky, unique, and exceptionally memorable. Every now and then one of Castlevania IV’s peculiar tunes will be stuck on repeat at the edge of my mind and won’t go away for days.

Top Video Games (With a Heavy Emphasis on Story) #22

22. Clive Barker’s Undying (2001) – PC

This incredible first-person fantasy/horror game was released to almost no attention. The reviews were extremely positive, and the technology really pushed the limits for PCs at the time; perhaps this contributed to its poor sales. But Undying is really one of the best horror games I have ever played, one of the only ones to effectively combine a cinema-quality scarefest with a first-person shooter, and, honestly, the best adaptation of a Clive Barker story aside from Hellraiser. Undying absolutely has all the trademarks of a creepy Clive Barker thriller: an intricate family drama, mysticism and the occult, demons from another dimension, over-the-top violence, and shocking twists and revelations. It’s nothing short of genius that all this was captured flawlessly in a videogame.

In 1923, World War I veteran Patrick Galloway travels to the coast of Ireland to visit a dying friend, Jeremiah Covenant. Galloway has a reputation for dealing with matters of the occult, and so his friend pleads him to help end an enduring family curse that the Covenant family has been able to keep secret for hundreds of years, despite their last name. Along the way, Galloway must fight off the re-animated spirits of the dead Covenant siblings, and uncover a dark, forgotten ritual on an island of standing stones that holds the key to undoing the evil.

The first chunk of the story takes place as you explore the depths of the Covenant mansion, but just when you think this is all the story has to offer, you travel to neighboring islands, home to extinct civilizations, pirate coves, ancient castles, and even a mystical dimension. This is compelling, horrific storytelling that is as unpredictable as it is adventurous.