Wallpapers | Devil May Cry
Resolution – 1920 x 1080 | Aspect Ratio – 16:9
I’ll be the judge of that
A self interest blog.
Wallpapers – Brave
Resolution – 1920 x 1200 | Aspect Ratio – 16:10
32-Bit Fixed
A while ago I added a 4th gigabyte of RAM to my system in the hopes of squeezing out a little bit more performance out of my (relatively) dated PC (running Core 2 Duo E8200 CPU), however after checking the system properties I was rather annoyed to see –>> 4.00 GB (3.00 GB usable), meaning that the additional gig was a complete waste as the system was unable to utilize the extra RAM. The reason for this being a limitation with the 32-bit architecture that the operating system uses. This brings us to the topic at hand, a solution is needed and given the fact that my CPU uses a 64-bit design the logical conclusion point to rectifying my RAM issue was to upgrade to a 64-bit version of Windows, something that I’ve been very apprehensive about due to the amount of incompatibilities with the majority of software out there, but regardless of that I pressed forward and upgraded to a 64-bit version of Windows 7 and the result was rather pleasing.
Well the first and most obvious thing after installing the 64-bit operating system was that it now registered all 4 gigs of the RAM and with that came a noticeable performance increase, not only does Windows initialize faster, but games like Skyrim and Need for Speed: The Run were running at a much higher frame rate. The second thing I noticed is that apart from the typical Program Files folder there was an additional Program Files (x86) directory, which I never anticipated. This means that any of the old non-64-bit software is automatically allocated to the Program Files (x86) directory negating any compatibility issues. So I was pretty pleased that I could use all my old software though obviously I did need to download a few new versions of certain applications and drivers such as a 64-bit version of the ATi Catalyst suite and iTunes. In case you were wondering x86 is the designation for an operating system with a 32-bit architecture and x64 (technically x86-64) is that of its 64-bit successor.
After switching to a 64-bit operating system, all 4GB of memory now register.
So apart from being able to support more than 4GB of RAM, a 64-bit architecture also has an added benefit of being more secure, this is because most malware and malicious code is written for 32-bit software, and writing code for 64-bit is a bit more difficult considering that you have to write to address 64 bits (integers) instead of 32 bits. Encryption, in this sense, will be more effective. So all-in-all, it was definitely worthwhile switching over to a 64-bit operating system, I’m only sorry it took me so long to do so.
Crysis 2
Info:
Developer/s: Crytek
Publisher/s: Electronic Arts
Platform/s: Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360
Genre: First-person shooter
Release Date: 2011-03-24
Review:
I put off playing Crysis 2 for quite sometime now, after completing the dreary shit-fest that is Syndicate, I decided it was time to install this game and see what it had to offer. In case you were wondering, the reason why I’ve been avoiding this game is because I really disliked the glorified tech-demo that is Crysis 1, not because of the ludicrous system requirements mind you, just because the first game was an empty husk of mediocrity gift-wrapped in shiny paper. As a rule, I’m usually quite weary about any game that has ‘EA’ stamped on it (so then it’s a given that I’m weary of most games given Electronic Arts‘ apparent bid for platform domination) but thankfully, unlike its predecessor and the aforementioned Syndicate, Crysis 2 isn’t bad at all, in fact it’s pretty good.
The amount of detail is amazing, notice the realistic blurring of the out-of-focus firearm.
So this time around, the focus has been switched from a Pandora-esque jungle to an urban one, and you play as ‘Alcatraz’ who has taken ownership over the Nanosuit 2.0 from former Delta Force officer Laurence ‘Prophet’ Barnes. Since CryNet Systems have been hunting down Prophet in order to reclaim the Nanosuit, your character – Alcatraz, is inadvertently pursued. Needless to say, human operatives won’t be the only thing on your tail, as the squid-like alien race known as the Ceph make their return, ditching the ‘outdated’, tentacle-exo suits in favour of an armoured humanoid variety. Crysis 2 takes place in a war-torn New York City, and if all the destruction wasn’t enough, a disease nicknamed the ‘Manhattan Virus’ has rendered most of the denizens as immobile, moaning meat sacks.
No time to look at the pretty lights, pissed-off aliens demand your attention.
You will need some pretty bad-ass hardware in order to contend with all the hostiles in Crysis 2, from CELL (CryNet Enforcement & Local Logistics) operatives – a private military contractor tasked with handling the alien invasion on Manhattan Island, to the aliens themselves, and there is no weapon better than the highly-advanced Nanosuit 2.0 that you will be stomping around in (though there are plenty of shooty-things too). The Nanosuit has been upgraded and streamlined since the first outing and switching between the various modes that the suit has to offer has never been easier. The Nanosuit 2.0 is equipped with a cloaking mode – enabling players to become invisible and for the most part, undetectable to the enemy’s field of vision, this stealth mode is an integral part of the game-play and can be used to lure and ambush enemies or bypass them all together and allows you to perform melee ‘stealth kills’ though be warned, any attack while in stealth mode will cause you to decloak.
Nano vision, this thermal mode is especially handy for detecting hidden enemies or navigating through dust-laden sections.
The predecessor’s strength & speed modes have now been combined into what’s called power mode, turning the player into a veritable human tank, plodding around with this mode engaged while hearing bullet impacts on your suit gives you the feeling of what being a Terminator is like. Power mode offers a fair amount of resilience to projectiles and limited protection against electricity-based attacks (at the expense of suit power). The Nanosuit is also equipped with binoculars that provide on-the-fly tactical recommendations, as well as nano vision, a built-in thermal mode much like what is seen in the Predator films. It’s up to you to use the Nanosuit’s various modes in order to outwit your foes and it is this kind of strategy that was sorely lacking with Syndicate’s DART 6. It is also worth noting that all of the Nanosuit’s abilities drain energy (rather quickly) and will require brief intervals between use while your suit recharges, so players always have to be vigilant of the suit’s power levels as there’s nothing worse than sneaking past a group of enemies only to have your suit decloak on you midway…
Even though I played the game on extreme graphics settings, my Radeon HD4870 still couldn't process all the detail, so essentially the game looks even better than pictured here.
The game-play in Crysis 2 is a bit more complex than the average shooter, and there’s far more to it than just sneaking around in an invisible power suit. After you’ve killed an alien, they will leave behind a shimmering cloud (derived from Ceph tissue) referred to as ‘nano catalyst’, different types of aliens leave behind different amounts of the substance and collecting the stuff will earn you points that can be spent on various upgrades for your Nanosuit, such as faster regeneration, a cloak tracker (for detecting invisible foes), increased resistance to gunfire and so forth. It is therefore vital that players eliminate as many of the aliens as possible in order to upgrade the suit as it will be needed as you progress through the game. There is also a multitude of firearms which players can wield ranging from traditional weapons like the SCAR (Superior Combat Assault Rifle), Grendel Assault Rifle, Feline SMG, Jackal (semi-automatic shotgun), and various side arms to more exotic weaponry like the K-Volt (Electrostatic pellet SMG), M20 14 Gauss (electromagnetic anti material rifle) and X-43 Mike (Microwave Induced Klystron Emitter), these are just some of the available weapons and most of them are customizable too allowing you to switch out scopes, add silencers and so forth, all-in-all very impressive.
Some of the most mind-blowingly realistic scenarios seen in a game.
Crytek have made something of a name for themselves when it comes to the graphics department and Crysis 2 is no exception being the first game to feature the CryEngine 3 with Crysis 2 being lauded as the most visually impressive game ever created and it would certainly be difficult to dispute that claim as Crysis 2 is a beautiful-looking game. Not since Half-Life 2 and Metal Gear Solid 4 have I stopped during a game just to take in and fully appreciate how awe-inspiring the graphics are (no point in harping on about shaders, anti-aliasing and anisotropic filtering just check out the screens for proof, all in-game footage). Crysis 2 had a multi-platform release, and while the console versions of the game look amazing, as Crytek CEO Cervat Yerli stated, the PC version is indeed graphically superior to its counterparts so needless to say you will require a pretty decent PC in order to run this game on extreme settings.
Not only was this scene somewhat harrowing (what with all the needles pointed in your direction) this is a good example of light-blooming done right, Syndicate could learn a thing or two here...
Conclusion
The only area that I can really fault Crysis 2 in is the linearity of the maps, and that’s only when compared to its predecessor, though the open-world jungles are gone, Crysis 2 still offers plenty exploration in this concrete jungle setting, and a longer than average single-player campaign mode. The addition of a multi-player mode further extends the longevity of Crysis 2, rounding off an already impressive gaming experience. The second and last gripe I have is that the few driving sections in the game are quite crap due to the awful handling of the vehicles but I’m really just nitpicking. Otherwise, good AI, awesome visuals and an interesting single-player campaign make Crysis 2 a definite must for all first-person shooter fans. Highly recommended.
Grade: A
Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance Exclusive Trailer
While it does definitely look cool, Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance is certainly a far cry from the original series, whereas strategy and stealth played a key role in Solid Snake’s adventures, Raiden’s outing seems to be the exact opposite, resembling Devil May Cry more than anything else. Spearheaded by Platinum Games in conjunction with Kojima Productions, only time will tell whether or not Hideo Kojima’s Metal Gear magic will rub off on the Platinum Games design team.
Syndicate
Info:
Developer/s:Starbreeze Studios
Publisher/s: Electronic Arts
Platform/s: Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360
Genre: First-person shooter
Release Date: 2012-02-24
Review:
In all their wisdom, Starbreeze Studios, in conjunction with EA Games, have decided that what gamers need, in a market saturated by tactical and first-person shooters is in fact, a tactical first-person shooter, set in a dystopic future-shiny world where you play as a corporate agent named Miles Kilo, for the mega-corporation known as ‘Eurocorp’. Needless to say, since originality seems to be frowned upon in this day and age, Syndicate also happens to be a reboot of a series of games developed by (now defunct) Bullfrog Productions who were absorbed by EA in 2004. Sounds like a winning formula…
An example of the DART 6 X-Ray overlay in action, for a limited time your enemies are slowed down in a 'bullet-time' fashion.
Syndicate’s premise is nothing new, the year is 2069, you play as Miles Kilo, Eurocorp’s latest and greatest agent equipped with a prototype chip called DART 6 created by scientist Lily Drawl. Free will is at an all time low, and pretty much everything in the world is controlled by über-powerful mega-corporations. As a Eurocorp agent, you are tasked with various wetwork missions to ensure that your company stays on top, so it’s a given that mass murder and assassination will be the order of the day. Needless to say, all does not go smoothly as the overly predictable and crappy ‘badass hero gets betrayed by his boss’ plot device rears its ugly head rather quickly. It’s so painfully dull that being slapped in the face with a fish would be exponentially more entertaining. The generic plot is compounded further by archetypal characters that have about as much depth as a 2D cardboard cutout. Two of the central characters, Lily Drawl (voiced by Rosario Dawson) and Jack Denham (voiced by Brian Cox) are instantly recognizable by their distinctive voices, yet if you were still unable to recognize them Starbreeze Studios have modeled the characters on the actual voice actors themselves which is kind of weird given that for the most part, you are bombarded by faceless nobodies.
The DART chip also allows players to hack into camera feeds at certain points in order to gain intel.
But it can’t all be that bad right? Well, the only redeeming factor of Syndicate is the innovation of the DART 6 bio-chip. Apart from the stock-standard firearms (various assortments of pistols, automatic weapons, smart-guns etc) that a player can harness (in this case the player can carry two main weapons and grenades), the DART 6 chip offers a new dimension to the combat in the form of an X-Ray type overlay that slows down time similar to the ‘reflex-time’ mode from F.E.A.R. allowing you to pick off your enemies much faster as you move in real-time, though obviously this effect only lasts a few seconds and will require brief intervals in order to recharge. The other prominent element of the DART 6 chip is the ability to hack into enemies minds – called ‘breaching’ thus presenting the player with three options; ‘Backfire’ – the enemy’s gun explodes stunning them, ‘Suicide’ – the enemy kills himself and damages nearby foes, and ‘Persuade’ – where the enemy temporarily becomes your ally. The three breaching abilities also require recharging after use and charging can be expedited by successive kills, however there’s not much strategy involved in picking which breach to use as it’s more of a matter of which one is available first. Certain enemies such as end-of-level guardians or plot-sensitive characters can be ‘chip-ripped’ and once their bio-chip has been extracted it offers the player additional upgrades such as improved armour, faster regeneration and so forth. The DART 6 chip can also be used to hack locked doors, elevators, automated turrets, as well as certain shielded enemies that are invulnerable until their defenses are breached.
Extracting bio-chips earns your player valuable upgrades.
As far as game-play goes, Syndicate is a washed-down version of Deus Ex: Human Revolution, there’s no need for stealth, character building or conversation as you march from one location to the next hosing down anything that moves in a rain of gunfire. The environments are also populated by civilians who will cower in fear the moment you start shooting, the player is able to kill them indiscriminately and without consequence, and in fact the civilians don’t even seem like people, instead merely there to occupy empty space. The boss battles are also horribly frustrating as the difficulty spikes from being infuriating to absolutely insane to the point where any level of fun has been replaced by Vegeta levels of anger, so expect plenty rage quits. Sadly, much like the characters, the locations seem to be horribly dull and ‘samey’ as you move from one monolithic structure to the next. In a way, Syndicate feels a lot like F.E.A.R. but without the psychological-thriller aspect that made the latter fun and interesting. It’s also worth noting that Syndicate’s single-player campaign can be completed in a mere 5 – 6 hours so you may want to think twice before handing over your hard-earned cash.
The LTB Thermite gun (flamethrower) originally designed to quell public riots, also effective for turning people into screaming bacon bits...
Finally, the worst aspect of the game has to be the visuals. While the graphics aren’t too bad at all, with certain sequences looking pretty awesome, Starbreeze Studio’s overuse of blooming has made Syndicate almost unplayable for the most part as the overdone lighting effects will obscure the player’s view completely resulting in severe eye-strain. Syndicate is broken up into chapters called ‘milestones’ and in fact during milestone 13 the game was completely unplayable as whenever I moved in any direction the screen would repeatedly flash white (though in this case I’m pretty sure this was some kind of bug), I managed to get around this by using the developer console Ctrl+Alt+~ and typing the command xr_effectmodels 0, oddly enough, typing the command once more returned all the lighting effects and got rid of the flashing white screen, though in the end it’s still only a temporary workaround for a persistent visual problem.
This is a prime example of the overdone lighting effects that plague the game throughout. It's actually so bad it causes eye strain and headaches, and needless to say you can't see shit...
Conclusion
While the DART 6 feature is an innovative aspect of the game, Syndicate fails on too many levels to make it really worth any of your time, apart from the terrible overuse of lighting effects which render the game almost unplayable at times, there have reportedly been several other glitches (in one section I encountered a horrid graphic flaw) including intermittent freezing which have led many to think that Syndicate has not been compiled properly, combined with over-used plot devices, uninspired locations, little-to-no character development as well as what may be the crappiest ending to a game ever and you get a title that drowns in an ocean of mediocrity and generic tedium. Is the gaming industry really so hard-up for fresh ideas that they need to reboot a series that was last seen in 1996? Avoid.
Grade: D
Nightwish | Imaginaerum
Info:
Genre: Symphonic metal, power metal, orchestral
Length: 74.50
Tracks: 13
Origin: Kitee, Finland
Release Date: 2011-10-30
Review:
Ever since Tarja Turunen‘s departure from the band in 2005, it was hard to believe that Nightwish would ever be the same again without her soprano vocals , especially with the new lead singer Anette Olzon, who quite frankly didn’t fit the part aesthetically or vocally, seemingly better suited as a pop star rather than a symphonic metal queen. After the 2007 album – Dark Passion Play, I was pretty certain that post-Tarja Nightwish was doomed for failure. However, fast-forwarding to 2012, Nightwish have upped their game releasing an album that is absolutely brilliant.
I have to admit, that Dark Passion Play was not one of my favourite albums, in fact I hated it, and this was probably to due to the fact that the most recognizable and unique aspect of Nightwish had been extinguished – Tarja Turunen. For me, it was inconceivable for Nightwish to change their lead vocalist and even though Dark Passion Play did exceedingly well, I did not enjoy it, even to this day. To me, Dark Passion Play sounded like the band were doing what they do best, except that they failed to compensate for the fact that Tarja was gone, with the result that the music suffered as it didn’t quite suite Olzon’s voice. However, it’s been five years since Dark Passion Play, and the band have reinvented themselves by creating a concept album that would never have worked with Tarja. Anette Olzon returns with a wonderfully Gothic presence in Imaginaerum (just watch the Storytime vid), an album that is tailor-made to fit her, allowing Olzon to flex her vocal talents in a spectacular fashion.
So let’s get down to brass tacks. Imaginaerum is the seventh studio album released by the symphonic metal band Nightwish, it is also worth noting that the band’s latest work is a concept album that tells the story of an old composer on his deathbed, the album was produced alongside the film of the same name. Since Imaginaerum is a concept album, it incorporates many different musical styles with the result that each song sounds quite different from the last yet somehow the album manages to masterfully maintain a sense of cohesion and consistency. Apart from the usual staples of symphonic metal (insane guitar riffs, keyboards etc), the album makes use of a full orchestra as well as a choir resulting in an album that sounds very much like a film score from a Tim Burton movie and in fact Tuomas Holopainen has cited that the three main influences of Imaginaerum are film director Tim Burton, author Neil Gaiman and painter Salvador Dalí. It is also worth mentioning that this album is far heavier than Dark Passion Play. I can also see why it has taken the band five years to produce this album, as every aspect of Imaginaerum is a finely tuned work of genius, not only is it technically brilliant, but it features some of the eeriest and coolest lyrics ever with lines like;
♫ Where is the wonder, where’s the awe?
Where’s dear Alice knocking on the door?
Where’s the trapdoor that takes me there?
Where the real is shattered by a Mad March Hare ♫
Conclusion | Imaginaerum is without a doubt, Nightwish’s best album to date, everything about it is just so damn good, and the more you listen to it, the more you will like it as the countless hooks present in the album embed themselves into your mind. If like me, you were put off by Dark Passion Play, fear not, because Nightwish has returned in full force with a masterfully-crafted album, brilliant in every aspect. I embrace the post-Tarja Nightwish and highly recommend Imaginaerum to anyone with a love of music and if the deal wasn’t sweet enough already, the limited edition of Imaginaerum features a bonus disk with instrumental versions of all the songs, what more could one want out of an album?
Grade: S
Grouplove – Never Trust A Happy Song
Info:
Genre: Indie rock, alternative rock
Length: 46.34
Tracks: 12
Origin: Los Angeles, California
Release Date: 2011-09-05
Review:
Grouplove’s debut album – Never Trust A Happy Song, has been a long time coming, having first heard the single ‘Colours‘ back in 2010 on a website featuring a compilation of up-and-coming indie rock bands, Grouplove was the one that stuck out for me and unfortunately at the time, Colours along with a ‘Captain Cuts‘ remix version (equally good, incorporating a faster tempo) was the only material available at the time, but regardless I had the words – ‘black, black, green and brown, brown, brown, brown and blue, yellow, violets, red…‘ lodged in my brain for ages.
So the big question is – how does the rest of the album compare to Colours? Well, while Colours remains to be the best song on the album, the other songs aren’t bad at all with lead singer Christian Zucconi’s distinct voice shining through on every track and accentuated with backing vocals by the sweet canary-voiced Hannah Hooper. Colours has been featured on EA Sport’s Madden NFL 12 and FIFA 12 soundtracks, as well as a Polish beer advertisement. Other notable songs like Tongue Tied featured on Apple’s iPod Touch commercial. On December 8, 2011 Tongue Tied debuted on #78 on the Billboard Hot 100, not surprising as the song is both catchy and upbeat (like the majority of the album). Never Trust A Happy Song is first and foremost a feel-good musical experience (rather ironic given the title of the album), the album’s tempo is fast and seldom diminishes, and even the song Slow picks up rather quickly. Grouplove fits the indie moniker to a tee with an alternative rock sound that opposes the contemporary sounds of popular music. The world would be a happier place if more radio stations played this sort of music (not about to hear this on my local radio) but alas it is not so, so if you’re able to, do yourself a favour and get a copy, in the high probability that the album isn’t available in your local music store, I’m sure iTunes can oblige.
Conclusion | Music is subjective, if for instance you have a propensity for the indie genre then odds are you will share my opinion, if not then move on to something else. Grouplove’s Never Trust A Happy Song is a well-crafted, easy to listen to and pleasant musical experience. Furthermore, one can always judge the ability and authenticity of a band by its live performance ability and after listening to Grouplove performing Colours on the Letterman show I am glad to see that Zucconi’s distinct voice is his own and not that of auto-tuning processors. Grouplove is also highly energetic (just follow the Letterman link to see for yourself), and one can clearly see that they’re doing ‘a hundred in a fifty zone’ if I were to put it that way. If grouplove sounds interesting to you then you can check out more from them on their official site, which includes 90 second samples of each song from their debut album as well as photos and music videos.
Grade: B+
Real Steel
Info:
Genre: Science-fiction, drama, action
Director/s: Shawn Levy
Running Time: 127 mins
Budget: $110 million
Released: 6 October 2011
Origin:
Plot:
Set in the near future, a down-on his-luck robot boxing promoter continues to sink in debt and misfortune until he reconnects with his 11-year-old son who finds an old discarded robot that proves to be a solid fighter in the ring.
Review:
It is a realistic and logical assumption that sometime in the future, robot warriors may replace their human counterparts in the world of combative sports, in the case of Real Steel, that sport happens to be boxing. The robots in question are not sentient, or autonomous and require human intervention in order to control them, usually in the form of a control pad. It is made quite clear in the beginning of the film, that Charlie Kenton (Hugh Jackman), an ex-boxer turned robot boxing promoter, has managed to get himself into an awkward position, he owes plenty people a lot of money and due to recklessness, over confidence or distraction, invariably his robots get destroyed, landing him further in debt.
When Charlie learns that his ex-girlfriend has died, he is required to attend a court hearing in order to determine the fate of his estranged son Max (Dakota Goyo). Max’s guardians wish to have full custody of the boy who Charlie sees as an opportunity to make some money, $100 000 to be precise, 50k in advance on the condition that Charlie looks after Max for three months while the foster parents go away on their second honeymoon. So reluctantly Max and Charlie are forced to interact, and after Charlie manages to waste $45 000 on a robot that he destroys due to recklessness, it’s off to the scrapyard as father and son search for some usable parts to repair the damaged machine and in doing so they get more than they bargained for in the form of an obsolete Generation-2 sparring bot that proves to be a formidable and resilient fighter.
The premise is interesting enough, without being overly original in that Real Steel plays out like a traditional David and Goliath tale, as the underdog – in this case a bot named Atom, fights his way to the world championships and eventually faces off against the undefeated champion – Zeus, the name seemingly a hats off to Rocky as in the first two Rocky films, the world boxing champion is Apollo Creed, Apollo being the son of Zeus in Greek mythology. These sort of stories of perseverance and defying the odds are always attractive, and though it’s nothing new, it’s always entertaining though from a logical standpoint, I couldn’t help but think that these robots could be used for more than just boxing. While I understand that robot boxing would be an extremely enjoyable activity to watch, what prevents these giant, powerful machines – who being controlled by man, hence allowed to bypass Asimov’s law of robotics
from say, killing another person, being used for military application or simply robbing a bank? I realize that these factors are never covered in the film, and that it’s probably due to the focus of the film being boxing and the bonding of father and son, it just would have been nice to have seen some sort of contingency in place that would make the viewer believe that these robots were only capable of boxing (like if they were the size of Medabots it would be immediately obvious that these robots would be incapable of harming a human being) and what have you, but perhaps I’m nit-picking.
…what prevents these giant, powerful machines from say, killing another person, being used for military application or simply robbing a bank?…
Aesthetically, Real Steel looks fantastic, no expense was spared in bringing the robot warriors to ‘life’ with CGI on par with Michael Bay’s series of Transformers films. The CGI visuals seamlessly blend into reality, what bugged me though is that the robots seemed to be the only futuristic thing in the film. Real Steel is set in the near future year of 2020, what I found strange is that everything apart from the bots looked to belong to the contemporary world, and while I realize 2020 is not too far off, the technology exhibited for the robots definitely is, at least another 20 – 30 years away.
Conclusion
Real Steel is not an overly cerebral science-fiction experience, apart from the typical themes like the aforementioned ‘David and Goliath‘ aspect, the film also focuses on the bond of father and son, or rather the lack thereof, and as Charlie spends more time with Max, he learns to value the time spent with his son, essentially changing his world-view. The ‘son-teaches-father’ dynamic isn’t new to cinema and overall Real Steel is pretty straight forward and predictable, what saves the film however is the robots – the true stars of the show, who engage in combat in a spectacular fashion making the action sequences quite enjoyable. Overall, Real Steel doesn’t cover any new ground, but the robot battles are entertaining enough to warrant your attention, just don’t expect repeat viewing.
Grade: C
Space Battleship Yamato | ヤマト
Info:
Genre: Science-fiction, drama, adaptation
Director/s: Takashi Yamazaki
Running Time: 131 mins
Budget: $23.9 million
Released: 1 December 2010
Plot:
The crew of the space battleship Yamato set out on a journey to the planet Iscandar to acquire a device that can heal the ravaged Earth – imdb
Review:
I’ve decided to make this the first in a series of Asian film reviews over the next few weeks, just to spice things up a little due to the fact that the majority of my film reviews focus on the American film industry (though that’s not to say I won’t review any American stuff in-between), and I’m interested to see what our Eastern counterparts have been up to. As it stands, I intend on reviewing a yet-to-be determined number of films both old and new, some of which are adaptations of popular manga or animes (like this review) and some being original stories. So without further ado, I present to you – Space Battleship Yamato.
Based upon the 1974 anime series of the same name, Space Battleship Yamato – also known to English-speaking audiences as Space Cruiser Yamato (the original English dub being heavily edited) and Star Blazers in North America and Australia, is a live-action adaptation that has been in development since 2005. On July 17, 2009, Noboru Ishiguro – director and staff member of the original anime series confirmed the film’s development at Otacon with an expected release date around December, 2010.
Right from the onset, Space Battleship Yamato throws you into the thick of it, opening with an epic space battle reminiscent of the battles seen in the popular Star Wars franchise, in fact, one of the scenes is basically lifted from A New Hope (1977), whether this was intentional (perhaps as a hats off to George Lucas) or coincidental, the similarity is undeniable.
A screen cap taken from the opening scene of Space Battleship Yamato...
...and here's a screenshot from Star Wars - A New Hope...homage to George Lucas or simple coincidence...?
So for the premise of the film – the year is 2199 and an alien race known as the Gamilas have ravaged Earth and reduced it to an irradiated wasteland. Mankind’s last hope rests with a message sent from a distant world called Iscandar with promises of a device that will eradicate all the radiation on the surface. So Captain Jūzō Okita (Tsutomu Yamazaki) sends out a request for volunteers for the mission, one volunteer being Susumu Kodai (Takuya Kimura) – a former pilot, whose brother sacrificed himself to allow Okita and his crew to survive during a battle five years ago. So with humanity’s last battleship – the Yamato, the crew sets off on a journey that will determine the survival of the human race.
…the characters in these films spend far too much time moaning about a problem (such as escaping from a bad situation or defeating an enemy) instead of actually doing something about it…
Given the considerably low-budget of this film, I’m amazed at what director Takashi Yamazaki and all those involved managed to produce. Approximately 80% of the film incorporates supposedly the latest CGI technology, however I think that statement is subjective as while the CGI is good, compared to its American counterparts, it’s quite obvious that the CGI present is not the best available, and perhaps it would be more accurate to say that the CGI incorporated in the film is the best possible with the given budget. The spaceships, space environment and so forth look quite impressive,
One of the aliens up close, while it doesn't look bad, it's definitely not conceived by the 'latest CGI' technology.
but the Gamilas themselves look quite artificial and detract from the overall enjoyment of the film somewhat. But perhaps more annoying is the acting in the film, maybe it’s just a case of a culture clash, but I find it incredibly difficult to connect or feel anything for any of the characters in this film. This feeling isn’t limited to Space Battleship Yamato, as several Asian films that I’ve watched (including the odd romantic film) have felt devoid of any emotion at all, especially with the Japanese films, and I think this is due to a major difference in culture and how East and West tackle everyday things such as love, loss, honour and duty. What I find with Japanese films in particular, is that the concept of ‘leave no man behind‘ really doesn’t compute with the Japanese as self-sacrifice seems to be the order of the day and the remedy for solving most problems and when they try to do the opposite it comes across as a feeble attempt to emulate a Western ideology, with the result that the actors are incapable of making the audience believe what they’re saying, in fact most of the time it comes across as either being insincere or just plain goofy. Perhaps it’s just me, but this is how a lot of Asian films come across to me so while Space Battleship Yamato held my interest, the performance of the actors prevented me from being able to take anything seriously as even the most ‘intense’ scenes lacked a sense of urgency. Incessant whining
Yamato under siege.
also seems to be a prerequisite of Asian film (culture perhaps?), as a lot of the time the characters in these films spend far too much time moaning about a problem (such as escaping from a bad situation or defeating an enemy) instead of actually doing something about it. So while I understand that dialogue is necessary to build atmosphere and progress a story and so forth, sometimes, that huge threatening alien that’s stomping towards you needs to be put down quickly and silently (cough..cough…Gantz…). On another note, I was pleasantly surprised by the inclusion of Hiroyuki Ikeuchi who plays as commando leader Hajime Saitō in the film, you may also recognize him from Ip Man as Miura.
Conclusion
Space Battleship Yamato is a film not without scope, as the creators have managed to create a decent science-fiction experience, using a meager budget to put out an action-packed film that will please fans of the original anime show. While I felt that the acting in the film lacked depth or believability, Space Battleship Yamato is fast-paced and interesting enough to keep you watching, even if you have only the mildest interest in science fiction films. So while it lacks the grandeur of films like Star wars, Space Battleship Yamato is a fine science fiction film and vastly superior to the majority of Western sci-fi films of similar budget and subject matter.
Grade: B
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