iZombie Episode 6: Virtual Reality Bites

Hey everybody - sorry I'm late, but life the universe and everything happened, and I wasn't able to watch this on the night of the actual broadcast. I did pick up a few spoilers along the way before I did get to watch it, and they only made me want to see it even more. Now that I've finally watched it, I can say this: Holy shit! Oh - and, uh... ew?

With each episode, we are getting less of the vision-y type stuff and more deductive logic being used to solve the cases. I don't know if that's a good thing or not, though. I mean, a big part of the series premise is the whole "eat a brain, see what happened" thing. The characters are becoming much more cohesive as a team, and that's definitely a good thing. Each of the characters' skills contributes to a well-balanced group.

I'd really love to see Payton play a bigger part. I love Aly Michalka in this role. Sure, her character isn't absolutely necessary to the crime-solving part, but an attorney tends to look at the evidence in ways that a cop or medical examiner might not. That could provide some interesting flavor to the whole "whodunnit" angle. Besides - I'm getting attached to all of these characters, and it's not difficult for me to see them as real people that I would want to hang out with - hell, who am I kidding? I'm actually starting to wish I could be part of that team because they just have too damn much fun!

I can't help but wonder if Major is just bluffing about being able to move on. I think he still has it for Liv and he's just trying not to pressure her. Liv is clearly trying to move on with Lowell, but will she be able to? I hope we're not going to see her running back and forth from Major to someone else and then back again. Some things make for good drama, yes. But I don't think that would be one of those things.

I'd also like to see Major play a bigger role with the team, as well - and not just as the rejected love interest. As a social worker, there is so much potential to expand on the character. He could also transition into being a victim/witness advocate, or he could become a private investigator specializing in missing persons/cold cases. Hell, send his ass to the Police Academy and have him be Clive's new partner. Robert Buckley wears this role well, and the character seems well-suited to become more than just a recurring one.

Each episode has been better than the last, and there's so much potential for this to have a nice long run - as long as the character development keeps going the way it has been, the possibilities for good storytelling are endless, and y'all know how I love a good story!

What do you think will happen - will Evan actually get a job at the Meat Cute? Do you ship Ravioli, Livwell, or Limaj? How about the possibilities for Bliv? Any thoughts on the bromance ship Rajor? Hit the jump for the recap, and tell us how you ship in the comments!

Marvel's Daredevil is Brutally Brilliant Art

This isn’t the Daredevil I grew up with. This show doesn’t have any of the signifiers for which many know the character. There aren’t a lot of high flying acrobatics. We don’t constantly see the world through the beautiful and haunted perception of the Man Without Fear. And we most certainly don’t get the colorful cast of characters like Elektra, Bullseye, or (most importantly) Stilt Man. This is something else entirely.

And thank gods for that, because a show that had adhered so closely to the source material might have denied itself the excellence we’re seeing here today.

iZombie Season 1 Episode 3 - The Exterminator Recap

Things get real on iZombie this week! Liv uncovers new evidence in a case that Peyton was prosecuting that connects to a case that Clive is working on, and what she finds puts Peyton's career in jeapeordy. It also puts Ravi in danger - but she just doesn't care, thanks to the brain of a guy who did some bad stuff.

This is developing into something so much better than I had dared to hope for! There were a couple of "Jeez WTF!" moments for me, and a few "AHA! Now it makes sense!" things. And there was a really fun zombie bash scene that had me going "YESSS!" It's a good thing I was watching this by myself, or I would have really annoyed someone.

There are some scenes and dialogue that aren't what I would consider suitable for younger viewers, but they definitely add to the context of the story and action. The voice-over narratives are becoming more relevant and less redundant, which is a good thing. There are fewer narrative break-ins, and the ones that do occur now bring more context and detail to the scene and storyline.

Like I said in my recap of the pilot episode, I wasn't a very big fan of Veronica Mars - but I am absolutely going to give it another go, after seeing the way iZombie is shaping up. I have the feeling I won't be disappointed.

Our recap starts after the jump!

Marvel Universe Live - Fun for Kids, Maybe Not Great for You

Arena shows are a tough thing, especially in the modern world. Back in the day, the Ninja Turtles would show up, tell a few jokes, kick a foot ninja in the face, and everybody goes home happy. But now these supposedly "kids properties" are the subjects of major motion pictures, with billions of dollars spent and effects by the wizards at Industrial Light and Magic. It's no longer enough to just show up in costume and call it a day - a modern arena show has to bring kids at least a semblance of the same magic they'll see on the big screen. So far, Batman was on point but disappointing, and How to Train Your Dragon (I can't believe we never reviewed this) blew me the hell away. So where does Marvel Universe Live fall on that scale? Somewhere in the middle.

iZombie Raises our TV Hopes from the Dead

I'm not a big fan of Veronica Mars. I watched the first few minutes of it once and was like, "bored now..." But it took off, and that's what I'm hoping will happen with iZombie - it hits all the right notes with current pop culture trends: 80's nostalgia, zombies, drama, zombies, whodunnits... did I mention zombies? 

All the elements are there:

• The plucky zombie protagonist coming to terms with her situation and making the most of it
• Her boss - the Chief Medical Examiner, the enabler who covers for her as she helps herself to dead brains that she takes (after the examinations and notes are made, of course - she may be dead but dammit she still has her ethics)
• The detective who benefits from her work as a medical examiner in the morgue
• The dysfunctional family and social situation - her family and friends don't know she's a zombie, and can't understand why she left her fiance

Check out the recap after the jump and tell us what you think in the comments! 

I Really Wanted To Like Kingsmen...

I truly wanted to like Kingsmen. Adapted from a comic by writer Mark Millar (Kickass, Civil War) and directed by Matthew Vaughn (Kickass, X-Men: First Class) it looked like the comic book action flick I've been dying for this winter. True, the movie had gadgets, eccentric villains, an unlikely hero and a secret society... but when it all came together not only did it fall flat, it made me feel gross for watching it.

Why do all the "best" assassins have a thigh gap these days...

Kingsman: The Secret Service, A New Template for the Spy Genre

Is it me, or has the spy genre of films been feeling stayed and dull for the past few years? Whether it was Jason Bourne, or Daniel Craig's Bond, I have found myself loosing interest based on the formulaic path they follow. The only film to draw me out previously was the 2011 film adaptation of John le Carré's book Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (and this was not near as good as the 1979 TV miniseries done by the BBC). However, the new film Kingsman: The Secret Service, breathes new life into the spy genre bringing excellent cinematography, comedy, social cometary and class struggles along with the prerequisite action sequences and beautiful women.

The Perfect Cocktail: Stock Spy Story blended with Topical Current Events, and Comedy (Beware of Spoilers!)

Spy films are all about betrayal, global crisis, action, and occasionally character study (in the case of the recent Bond reboot). Kingsman manages to maintain the basics of the spy genre while evading campy pitfalls by creating an ugly duckling/redemption story that questions Britian's issues with class as well as global issues of the health of the planet. The basic premise is this: Colin Firth, a Kingsman agent known as Harry Hart/Galahad, attempts to repay a life debt to Gary "Eggsy" Unwin by bringing Eggsy into the Kingsman Agency. Eggsy's dad, it turns out, was a former Kingsman trainee who died protecting Galahad. During the boy's evaluation it soon becomes clear that a global threat is imminent as celebrities and dignitaries begin to disappear, and a technology mogul named Valentine, played by Samuel L. Jackson, releases a new sim card that gives free wifi and calls to everyone around the globe. Basic spy film story right? What I found more exciting was the deeper elements of the story dealing with class and the problems our planet is facing.

Britain has always struggled with issues of class. It seems that the lines have been firmly drawn in British society while still remaining permeable to those who strive to improve their lot. Despite those efforts however it seems engrained (at least in British fiction) that there are those in the gentry and elite of Britain that still think themselves superior to the common man by stint of their birth. This is the plot line that drives the  Harry/Eggsy plotline. Apparently, Kingsman agents had always been "gentleman" implying that their ranks were filled from the members of the landed elite and gentry classes. This is also emulated in the cover profession of Kingsman agents, elite Savile Row tailors. Harry's mantra is "manners maketh man" and it is Harry's "controversial" belief that Kingsman should start to recruit out of the wider population of Britain rather than sticking to the old class structures. That is why Harry first recruited Eggsy's father, and the bravery and self sacrifice made by Eggsy's father only cements that choice. In the beginning of the film, Eggsy struggles with his lot in life, displaying a sense of honor and morality as well as a thirst to prove himself when dealing with his social equals. This sets him apart and makes him a somewhat prickly person to deal with as he chooses to stand on his principles rather than bow his head to a threat. When brought to the training facility, Eggsy struggles not only to fit in amongst his "social betters" but has to deal with their taunts and provocations, while not fighting back. In recent years this has been a prominent issue in British social discussions, as class tensions are running high with the increase in economic constraints around Europe.

Another argument of class struggle is the villain Valentine's social engineering element to his evil scheme. Throughout the early stages of the film there are rumors of celebrities, dignitaries, and world leaders disappearing from all over the globe. At the same time politicians are running about claiming that every resource within their power is being expended to finding people. Valentine, who to the world at large appears to be an eccentric genius/technology mogul/philanthropist releases a new cell phone sim card that give free access for calls and wireless access to everyone all over the globe. What is the point to all this you ask? The sim cards are weapons, a neural augmentation device that triggers hyper aggression in people when broadcasting on a specific frequency controlled by Valentine. Valentine's kidnapping and recruiting of world leaders separated the wealth, intelligent, and elite from the masses that were consigned to die at the whim of Valentine. All of Valentine's allies were implanted with a chip of their own behind their right ear that protects them from the signal the phones broadcast, but at the same time acts as a remote monitoring device that allows valentine to super heat the tissues of the brain, causing them to explode should an ally be caught and compromised.  This dividing the "elite" from the masses is a throwback to the eugenics philosophies of the late Victorian era, and continued to thrive in certain circles through WWII.  Furthermore, Valentine's conceit displays a general disregard for human life based on birth, economic value, and talent choosing only to preserve those he deems worthy in his eyes.

Valentine's plot also ties into our real world problem of over population, pollution/climate change, the failure of Environmental reforms, and the seeming lack of will to change facing destruction at our own hands. Valentine takes what I like to refer to as the "Agent Smith" theory to humanity. Agent Smith of the Matrix, posits the idea that the pattern of human expansion and population growth is reminiscent of how viruses and bacteria spread in a body. The idea is that humans, like viruses, move into an area, expand until the population is not sustainable in that area and then move on to a new area. In the case of viruses this means the destruction of the host cell and the corruption of other cell,  for humans it means never ending growth and expansion. Valentine is somewhat driven by an altruistic goal, as well as the frustration of watching failed attempts to stave off the death of the globe. In his opinion, humans at large have proven themselves incapable of changing and saving the planet from destruction. He describes his situation as being a doctor and offered 2 choices do nothing and let the host (earth die) or kill the virus (humanity) and save the host. Valentine's solution is save the earth from humanity and preserve the "best" examples of human society, while causing the rest of the human population to engage in rage driven self slaughter until population levels reach a sustainable level for the earth to support.

Within these dark depths of evil plotting the film contains tongue in cheek comedy that pokes fun at the spy genre, garnering laughs from the audience while still taking itself somewhat seriously. One such element is the occasional reference to traditional spy film story arc. At one point Harry and Valentine are squaring off talking about films and they talk about spy movies. Valentine wishes to be the hero where as Harry acting under cover confesses to wishing to be a Bond like villain. There are other opportunities like this where the writers and film maker acknowledge the normal tropes and cheekily poke fun at them while paying them homage. There are gadgets galore in this film including a bullet proof umbrella that can shoot lethal and non lethal ammo of its own. Eggsy even gets to have some time alone with a beautiful woman after saving the world. There are plenty of other comedic moments through the film that will leave audiences gripping their sides in search of relief, many of them are supplied by Samuel L. Jackson's eccentric character Valentine who hates the sight of blood but is hell bent on destroying the human population.

While I was excited for the trailer when I first saw it, I did not realize my opinion of the finished product would change from my preconceived notion. I expected to see a spy thriller in the same vein as the older James Bond films. However I walked out of the theater happily surprised by the intelligence and wit that was contained in the film. This project could easily have fallen flat had there been an imbalance in the film. Yet the final product has the right mix of action, suspense, comedy and social commentary that created something fresh. I'm not suggesting that the Bond franchise should change, or if another Bourne film were made that it should deviate from what has been established. Rather, I am excited to see this new format of spy film and hope that more writers and directors are willing to take the risk to put a new twist on a favorite drink so to speak.

David is a local historian, techie, home brewer, stage hand, gamer and geek. He loves Star Wars and Shakespeare with equal passions and is prone to quoting it at random!

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The Librarians and The Horns of a Season Out of Order

I'm back again with a little bit of a rant and whine, and a happy part about the Horns of the Dilemma episode. Yes, I know, the whole season is done now, but I never got to recap this one and I needed to get this off my chest. It was the only episode of the entire serie that disappointed me. But now that I know why it was so disappointing to me, I'm not so butt-hurt. Bear with me, and let me explain...

After the rollicking two hour premiere, I was hoping for another fun ride. What I got... was something that made me feel like I was towed behind a Tonka truck and dropped off at the PlaySkool Barnyard.

In "The Horns of a Dilemma," the Librarians are off on what seems to be their first mission as a confirmed group. This time, it's the legend of the Minotaur and the Labyrinth. They are investigating murders that have been unsolved, and find that they all have ties to a big agricultural firm that houses a labyrinth in the basement - minotaur included. Jenkins whammys up a wormhole (this is where they get the "back door") for them, and this is a good thing. Nothing explodes, though. No papers flying through the air, no books all over the floor... Jenkin's head stays on his neck and shoulders. I was a little bummed about no big messy whirlwind, but oh well.

Certain things were starting to make sense to me, to a point. My biggest gripe with this episode was with the writing. The dialogue and cast's performances seemed so... retro. Like, they were actually kids who got yanked from 1985 and stuffed into grown-up bodies in 2014. In my recap of the premiere episodes, I previously said that the roles were pretty perfectly cast. I still stand by that, more so now that we understand what happened with the episodic sequence of the series. For those who don't know or haven't read that bit of news yet, I'll explain in a bit - but for now, hear me out if you would...

In my first recaps of the pilot episodes, I said that I thought Rebecca Romijn as Eve Baird didn't seem to fit the group - that she was like the mom trying to be cool. Well, in this episode she's the only one who does fit. But now I see that it's because she's supposed to be the mom type character - it appears to be written that way. The way she talks to them, one minute as if they are her kids then the next as if they are soldiers. Cassandra reminded her that they are not soldiers.

The other characters appear to be written younger than they were cast. Lindy Booth and Christian Kane seem to be reading dialogue for characters that are at least 15 years younger than the actors are. That may not be a big deal in Hollywood in general with regard to filming, but for this I think it is. Even John Larroquette's dialog sounded like it was written for a millenial, although his delivery is natural and it only made me twitch for a minute.

As much as I love Christian Kane for the part of Jake Stone, in this episode the character seems to be written like a youngish late teens, maybe early 20's type roughneck kid, Christian Kane is a bit more mature than that dialogue was. His performance is great, but his delivery seemed more "older dude" than it was written. I think if the writers could have written it a little more "grown up" in this episode, then I think it might have played better. (I hope that the Kane Nation and all the Kaniacs can forgive me for my very humble opinion!)

The character of Cassandra also seemed to be written as young adult-ish. Lindy Booth gave a great performance as well - but her delivery of the dialogue was too college-age for what seemed to be high school age dialogue. She has moments when her character delivers some appropriate adult sounding dialogue with big words and a "grown-up" tone of voice, which brings things back into focus for a second. Then it's gone. She goes back to delivering lines that could have been written on a high school campus in the mid-80's. Her wardrobe definitely looked like something you would see on a high-school campus. Again - if the part were written older, it would have played perfectly for Lindy Booth. Or if it were say... Emily Osment that was cast for the episode, it could have worked.

At 20 years old, John Kim was probably the most age-appropriate to the dialogue. But strangely enough, even his delivery of the dialogue seems a bit "old guy talking." He speaks really fast, so some of his lines get lost in his accent - which is beautiful, I just wish he'd slow the hell down and enunciate so I could understand it better! My DVR remote and thumbs thanks him for the workout, by the way - it asks you to meet up with my thumbs at the game console next time.

I think that one of the hardest things for me to get past was the speech mannerisms - that jerky, spastic, incomplete sentence thing. There was a lot of wincing and unfinished statements ("I can't... I just... You don't... It's not... lets not even.. ok?") that sound like some of the conversations I had with people when I was in high school - back in the day... the teenage angsty '80s. Right before grunge and Anne Rice vampires kicked in. So while I watched this, I kept thinking "Wow, I feel old. I remember saying that myself in high school..." I kept wanting to reach down their throats and pull up the rest of their words!

Adult actors playing teen/young adult roles, with adult delivery of teen-type dialogue and wearing clothing and hairstyles that are way too young for them just didn't work all that well here, and the seemingly inconsistent character development had started to annoy me a little bit. With the premiere episodes, I saw the potential for a really awesome series - one that we could have watched the actors grow up with in their character roles over time. With "Horns," that potential seemed to be wasted.

With the scripting of generational dialogue and wardrobe that dated the cast, I had started to worry that this might not last more than a season. I had been so excited when I first heard that they were doing this series! I started thinking that maybe I got ahead of myself with that. Yet, I still had I had hope that the powers-that-be behind the show would give us their best and do something with all that potential.

I'm really glad I stuck around for the whole season, because this series absolutely delivered. When I read some of the interviews from Dean Devlin and some of the tweets from the Kane Nation and the Kaniacs, I found a bit of news that made things a lot clearer to me. Here comes the happy part...

As I understand it, the network (TNT) decided to air the episodes out of order. (Why do networks always bloody do this? -Ed) So with that in mind, all of the above makes sense to me now! This episode was meant for a different point in the character development! The writing team and producers do such a fantastic job with a establishing a linear timeline for the characters' development that airing the episodes out of order kind of did the series - and the team who work so hard to bring us our Librarians - a disservice. I am absolutely thrilled to find that it wasn't just a weird thing with the writers, and knowing that the episode was indeed intended to occur at a different point in the character development actually makes my butt-hurt go away.

Sorry that was such a long way to go for the happy, but it was burning in my brain pan. Now - if TNT will just give us back our Librarians for at least another season, and air it in the order it was meant to be aired, I'm sure that all will be right in this world - and any other worlds that we may find outside the "back door."

Raven is an avid cosplayer and TV fan.

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SELMA's brilliance shines a light on diversity - a light we all need to see.

Selma movie poster

Sunday's 72nd Annual Golden Globe Awards were illuminating. For me, primarily because much has changed in the realm of equality, and it was apparent that even with the approximate 80% white attendance and nominations at the show, we are now continuing to see a steady stream of minority representation in the Hollywood & entertainment realms. That steady representation's message is one of continual improvement and change, which was the message behind the nominees. Specifically, that of the movie Selma. Last week I went with some very close friends to see a special pre-screening of Selma. The film took the post 1964 Civil Rights Act which desegregated the south and allowed blacks to vote, events in Selma, Alabama and made it into a gorgeous screenplay told in a docudrama format. Selma, was nothing short of perfectly cast by Aisha Coley, and brilliantly directed by Ava DuVernay. It is unmistakably Oscar worthy.

The Librarians and the Rule of Three Recap!

This episode opens in a high school student's bedroom. He's getting ready for a science fair presentation. While he puts on his tie, he reviews the periodic table and rehearses his presentation. As he finishes tying his his tie, his body starts to petrify and something strange flows through the veins of his outstretched arm. The paralysis completes as a single tear runs down his cheek.

Halo 5 Multiplayer: A Taste of Things to Come

I preordered my copy of Halo: The Master Chief Collection for two reasons. First, I love Halo more than any other shooter, and second, I would get a crack at the multiplayer beta. It is this second reason that I put fingers to keys over the holidays, and found myself checking out the world of Halo 5.

The beta suffers from some of the normal issues expected in early release tests, long lobby wait times, occasional server issues, and wary apprehension to new mechanics. When I got in, I was expecting bedlam, visuals not up to scratch, balance issues, and frustration. I was pleasantly surprised to be wrong in my expectations.

Galavant Sings His Way into Our Hearts - For Now

We here at the Ace of Geeks have been looking forward to Galavant ever since the first trailers dropped. What was not to like - a musical comedy, with music by the team behind Tangled (legendary composer Alan Menken and lyricist Glenn Slater), and a villain played by Timothy Omundson. It seemed like the exact sort of goofy distraction the mid-season break needed. And thank god, it's going to stay as just that.

The Librarians and the Fables of Doom recap!

It was brought to my attention by one of our readers (OK - my daughter) that I have been messing up the numbering of the episodes. I am one behind on my numbering, because I took the two-hour premiere as a single episode. It's considered two episodes. So I apologize for that, and it will be corrected going forward. Today, I have some thoughts that I'd like to share about the characters.

"The Librarians" has fast become one of my favorite TV shows - one that I choose to set the DVR for, as opposed to waiting for it to post online. I love how the team is becoming more cohesive and their roles are becoming more clearly defined. Their family dynamic is becoming more evident as well. Here are my observations:

Flynn Carsen is still the same Flynn that we saw in the movies, His rapid-fire speech and sudden starts and stops provide the shot of comedic effect, but his presence is a chaotic distraction from the stability that Eve is trying to provide for the team. He's like an absent father who comes back once in a while to make sure they still know he's alive and trying to be in charge. I'm thinking that this role is transitional, as are the roles of Judson and Charlene. As the series goes on we will see less and less of them.

Eve Baird is becoming a "mama bear" type, a true Guardian and protector. After all, who better to protect the kids than a mom? Moms will fight fiercely to keep the kids safe, and try to make sure that they don't have a bad day... even if it embarrasses them. Yet she does avoid becoming a helicopter mom. She remembers that the kids do have their own skills and talents, and they'll be alright.

Jake Stone is becoming the quintessential big brother, especially where Cassandra is concerned. He can get her to focus when she starts overloading, and keeps her balanced. He doesn't trust her anymore, but he does provide the kind of support she needs. He always seems to be keeping an eye on her, in spite of - or perhaps because of  his distrust. He's also a good back-up for Eve in situations where a second gun (or sword, or fist) is required. That fits in with the concept of a household with an absent father, with the oldest son taking on the role of "man of the house."

Cassandra Cillian is the little sister who keeps getting shoved to the back of the line until her skills are needed. She wants to be recognized for what she can do and hasn't figured out yet how to effectively assert herself, so she patiently waits until called upon. But don't piss her off. As we saw in the last episode, the potential for her to be really bad-ass lurks deep in her dark side. I'm hoping a way will be found to rid her of the brain tumor without taking away her skills, because her character really is a valuable part of the group.

Ezekiel Jones is definitely showing that he's more than just a snot-nosed little brother. He still wants to be the rock star, but he's learning the value of being a part of a team - and a family group. He has the street smarts to get out of sticky situations, but lacks the discipline and experience to do it in a way that doesn't have an "oops, didn't think really think that through" attached to it.

Jenkins is definitely the uncle who acts as a mentor - he's picked his favorite kid, and that would be Zeke. The growing respect between them is becoming more evident the more they learn about each other. Jenkins has both the discipline and the experience to guide Zeke through things in such a way that Zeke can learn from it and follow through, without the "oops" factor. I hope that we see more of their teamwork - and possibly some shenanigans from them too. Jenkins seems so serious sometimes, but I am sure he is hiding a wicked sense of humor in his coat pocket.

What do you think? Do my observations make sense, or am I missing something? I'd love to hear about it in the comment box below!

Dragon Age Inquisition is a Beautiful Piece of Crap

Well hello there, Ace of Geeks readers! I've been away for a while but it feels great to be back with another unpopular opinion! Didn't ya miss me?  Now, just to be clear here, the Ace of Geeks has already reviewed Dragon Age: Inquisition. But I had such a vastly different experience that I begged my editor in chief to let my opinion be known.

When I completed the story missions in Dragon Age: Inquisition with my level 21 Rogue, I couldn't help but just stare at the screen. I had spent more hours than I'd like to admit roaming the world of Thedas, slaying demons and faux French soldiers (wondering why there are more French accents in a Dragon Age game than Assassins Creed Unity, which takes place in France, but that's a story for another time), and of course, hunting Dragons. I'd be lying to you if I said I didn't got lost in this world, trying to find every piece of Elfroot and Bloodstone I could find, saying to myself "just one more quest" for hours and grinding my way up the levels so I could fight that dragon who kicked my ass the night before. And I was enjoying myself, immensely, while doing it.

Still, it was during the last third of my play through that I slowly started to realize what was happening. I was playing an extraordinarily bad game. Despite all the improvements from Dragon Age II, the shiny "Next Gen" graphics (which I will get to in a moment) and addicting game play, its a hollow shell of a game from a developer that used to give us deep and engrossing worlds and stories and characters. BioWare has lost it's way and I hope they can right the ship before Mass Effect 4 comes out.

So what, exactly, are my problems with this horribly overrated game? Let me tell you.

Dragon Age Inquisition: Bioware's Crown Jewel

Imagine it, you're an elf who finds himself in the Fade, the spirit realm that hides behind the fabric of the real world, held back by the thinnest of barriers. The space you're in is all rough stone, green light, shadows, and noise. With just a second to look around massive spiders appear and begin the chase you. You hear a cry for help and spy a golden woman telling you to run as she is menaced by a shadow. You race towards her, spiders on your heels, and as you reach for the womans outstreched hand, a flash of fade fire surrounds you. You're transported to the real world in the ruins of a temple. Wreathed in green fade fire and surrounded by soldiers who stare at you as you, with more green light pouring from your right hand,  as the startled soldiers look at you, weapons drawn, you fall to the ground and everything fades to black. That is how BioWare's newest title, Dragon Age Inquisition, begins: with an exciting hook that doesn't let go.

Lessons Learned from Defeat
BioWare has not always known success with its Dragon Age titles. Dragon Age II received numerous negative reviews upon release, highlighting the various failings of the game. Complaints ran the gammut from the seeming lack of polish on the game to the repetitive levels, driving you through the same five areas throughout the game. The only redeeming quality of the game was the newer combat system, more reminiscent of the Mass Effect titles, and of course the excellent characters. The combat system was a change from the top down, quasi turn based combat system BioWare developed and showcased in Neverwinter Nights 2 (NWN2) and Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic (Kotor). BioWare would later admit that they were being rushed by publisher Electronic Arts to deliver the next Dragon Age title and promised fans that the eventual Dragon Age III would not suffer from the same problems. I am glad to report that BioWare not only kept their promise, they exceeded it. Not only is Dragon Age Inquisition  bigger and better looking than any of its predecessors, it retains the BioWare traditions of excellent gameplay and engrossing storytelling.

                   

Bigger and Better Looking
In previous Dragon Age titles, I always felt like the levels were a bit small. Similar to NWN2 and KOTOR, the levels were generally small to medium in size and scope, with defined boundaries and definite paths to follow. Due to Dragon Age II being rushed, many of the maps were used multiple times through out the story. Thankfully the Inquisition team destroyed that previous template with a mallet and tossed all the pieces in the bin. Drawing on similar games such as Elder Scrolls: Skyrim and The Witcher II, Inquisition's maps are huge. The first region available after the prologue, called The Hinterlands, feels roughly half the size of the entire Skyrim map. Gone are the small or medium scripted map areas, now "open world" unique maps deliver topography and flora. Wandering around Thedas, one realizes all the time that the development team spent in creating these realms. Not only are they big, there are all sorts of paths to wander, so the key word is explore! Always something to find or a material to gather so wander and explore and horde those materials.

On top of the new and bigger maps, the development team kept up with the current standards of graphics. No major graphics glitches, with the exception of the hair and the occasional pixelization/bluring around characters during conversations or cut scenes. The most noticeable differences is the textures and shaders used on the evironment. Trees and rocks look as they would in the real world. There are different colored veins in rock formations, trees have realistic looking leaves and canopy. Light and shadows follow as character moves through the world. There is no change from night to day however, so time passing is non realistic, but with so much to do its kind of nice. Where Dragon Age II looked bland and somewhat flat Inquisition is bright, vibrant, and nearly real.

Characters and Combat: Minor tweaks & Marked Improvement
Character creation has always been a staple of BioWare games. For Inquisition, players have complete control on the face of the character they choose to play. Players first pick their sex, and which race they choose to play each with specific benefits: Human, Elf, Dwarf, and Qunari. Players then pick from several face templates, and then are given free reign in how they want to sculpt that face. Hair color, skin color, scars, tattoos, bone structure; its all available for sculpting. Players can also choose from two types of voices, either a casual or an aggressive voice. After finally choosing a name, the game picks up where the opening video leaves off. There are a few changes, however, that some players may not like. First, players still do not have control over their avatar's body type. Secondly, players no longer control stat point distribution. Rather as the player levels up, the stats adjust accordingly. Class specific stats are increased as different active and passive skills are chosen upon leveling up. This essentially means that while the player has less direct control over stat points than previous games, the wider variety of skills and the later class specialization options offer more tactical options for balancing out party abilities. This change is an adaptation of the system implemented in Mass Effect 3.

Inquisition's combat system is more or less a direct import from Dragon Age II. While playing in "real time", players are still fighting in the third person, slinging basic attacks while adding in spells as mana and stamina are available. Innovation to Inquisition's combat system comes in the tactical control mode. When the tactical mode is engaged, everything stops and players are given a top down view of the battlefield. the player may freely move the camera around the whole battle ground allowing for players to plan ahead . Party members may be individually moved to specific points on the battlefield to take advantage of topography. Attacks, skills, and spells may also be individually targeted and cast here, allowing for maximum micromanagement of combat. The ultimate change is that players may now see their actions unfold without leaving tactical mode. Players may allow as much or as little time to pass watching their decision unfold and then pause to give new commands or avert disasters. This update of the tactical system first implemented in Neverwinter Nights 2 gives the ultimate control to lovers of tactical combat.

Minor Glitches
In spite of how polished this game is, there are still a few glitches that will annoy players. Occasionally, during cut scenes and conversations players might notice blurring or foxing around characters similar to poor rendering of blue/green screen effects. While this is rare it is noticeable under scrutiny. The one issue that I have run into are random game crashes. Im not sure if this error is confirmed for PC or Playstation versions of the game, but occasionally on Xbox One the game will randomly crash and return to the home screen. This most often occurs when fast traveling from one camp to another within a given area, returning to Haven or entering a different realm. Since any of these events initiates an auto save, data is rarely lost. I have yet to experience another incident where these crashes have occurred. However, it is best to remember the maxim "save early and save often".

Buy This Game!
BioWare has quickly become a household name in gaming circles. There have been growing pains as well as a few failures, but despite that, they trend towards consistently creating polished and cutting edge games. Dragon Age Inquisition is not different, it contains an excellent story combined with stunning visuals and polished gameplay. Coupled with over 100 hours of content, there is rarely a lack of anything to do. Players will find themselves running around a given area until they complete everything. Just remember that Thedas is a wide world with much to do, so eventually you should leave the starting area.

David Losey is an actor, writer and stagehand living and working in the Bay Area.

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Assassin's Creed Unity, and the Difficulty of Modern Franchises

Video games have evolved as the art form has demanded. From one off games came franchises that rose and fell. For a franchise to succeed, it has to constantly keep up with current technology, add new features, but still stay true to what makes the franchise work. Some games like Super Mario, Mass Effect, Grand Theft Auto, and Legend of Zelda constantly put out high quality games that tend to receive rave reviews. This is rare and difficult to maintain; Bioware has had its struggles with Dragon Age, Activision and its various Call of Duty developers have had troubles of their own, and now it seems that Ubisoft is having trouble with its flagship title Assassin’s Creed.

Big Hero 6: A Triumph in Transcendence

The story begins like so many, with tragedy. It was the year 2000, and Walt Disney Feature Animation studio was going through turmoil. Operating a traditional pencil and ink animation studio was driving cost of production up, and films were not succeeding, or barely breaking even. Facing competition from computer animated features generated by competition such as Blue Sky Studios and DreamWorks Animation, Disney’s only successes of the early 2000’s came from the Feature Animation Florida studio’s Lilo and Stitch. The Burbank Studio eventually began to convert to a CGI studio in 2004 (a 2 year transition) and began to rid itself of staff and traditional animation equipment.

However, this ailing studio was rescued by an erstwhile partner, Pixar. When Disney purchased Pixar in 2006, Pixar execs Edwin Catmull and John Lasseter assumed control of Walt Disney Feature Animation. Lasseter and Catmull, resolved to turn the studio around, brought the “film first” philosophy of Pixar and changed the name to Walt Disney Animation Studios. From that point on, the animators have jumped from success to success, culminating in last year’s huge film, Frozen. Now, they have released Big Hero 6, and it seems that this is the culmination of the rebirth of the now-hybrid Disney Animation Studios, a place where the old and new blend and the sky is the limit.

A Comic Book Reimagined 

Big Hero 6 began as a side project by Steven T. Segale and Duncan Rouleau, and intended to appear in Marvel Comics Alpha Flight #17 in December 1998, but appeared in their own miniseries prior to that release. Hiro and Baymax appeared again in their own six issue miniseries in September of 2008. Their original conception (1998) was of a young boy and a large winged green monster. In 2008 their appearance is changed, Hiro now dressed in a school uniform and Baymax a large combat robot seeming on the verge of sentience. Hiro is a brilliant programmer and inventor, who is dealing with not only the problems of adolescence but the issues that come being part of a secret team of super heroes. If anything, Hiro’s personality is that of a smart precocious teenager who is not given to disobedience. He has a strong sense of curiosity, defined boundaries of right and wrong and a personality that tends towards service that is often attributed to those who join the real secret services of nations. The comics are entertaining, but leave the reader wishing for more of an origin story.

The film takes the bare bones of the Marvel IP and for the lack of better word, “Disneyfied" the characters around a Pixaresque story. These are not bad things, in fact they are excellent qualities. Looking at the body of work starting with Meet the Robinsons (2007) to present, Disney’s full length animated features have markedly improved. Big Hero 6 looks as if all the previous films were examined and broken down to their constituent parts, and distilled into a new and greater whole. This alchemical process yielded an engaging tale of loss, growth, and personal discovery that provides a powerful moral grounding for children to ponder and learn from. I really, really, hate spoilers, so I’m going to avoid spoiling the plot and instead focus on what I feel is the critical element of this film that caught my attention the most. The screen play penned by Robert L. Baird, Dan Gerson, and Jordan Roberts is set up similar to many recent Disney and Pixar stories. There is the exposition where the principle and supporting characters are introduced; followed by a conflict or loss that becomes the driving force for the plot. As the film progresses, the characters learn more about themselves and arrive at a crossroad, presented with a choice of how to act in a critical moment. This is followed by the ultimate resolution of the conflict and a wrap up to tie all the loose ends. In point of fact, our protagonist Hiro is faced with numerous and potentially life altering choices throughout this film. If anything, that is the most endearing and captivating aspect of this movie, the portrayal of youth facing Janus. For those of you who are not up on your classical mythology, Janus is the Roman God of doors and choices and is described to have two faces. Adults who watch this film will immediately recognize the choices put before Hiro and be engrossed watching a young prodigy navigating issues he may not have the worldly experience to fully understand. Children and teens, depending on their ages, will be in awe and inspired by the adventure and the courage shown by a young boy touched by loss and tragedy, and wondering if they could bear up and be strong in the same situation and the animated protagonist on the screen. It is this focus on choice and consequence that takes Big Hero 6 beyond its previous counterparts such as Frozen or Wreck it Ralph by adding “real world” elements to fiction, therein making the story more personal than a fairy tale or the emotional crisis of a video game character.

Characters: There and not There 

Like its recent counterparts The Princess and the Frog, Tangled, and Frozen, Big Hero 6 has a small core of strong principle characters supported by an excellent supporting cast. Hiro Hamada is a 14 year old prodigy who builds complicated robots with ease. Because of his intelligence, Hiro is somewhat brash, youthfully arrogant, self-assured, cocky, and looking for a way to prove his worth. At the beginning of the film, Hiro is a hustler in illegal bot fights who uses his unassuming early creation to lure opponents into underestimating him before Hiro takes them for all their worth. Hiro’s brother Tadashi is a perfect foil for the ne’er-do-well protagonist. Tadashi has had to study and work hard to get to where he is when the story begins. He attends the local university in San Fransokyo where he works on his thesis project, Baymax. Tadashi is confident in age and knowledge, but knows he is not as brilliant as his little brother. Rather than resenting that, Tadashi assumes the archetypical role of the “wizard or old man” and attempts to guide his brother through adolescence. Both boys are orphaned and live with their Aunt Cass, and Tadashi is thus Hiro’s male role model/parent. Instead of being overbearing, Tadashi uses well-meaning cunning and guile to guide his brother with a soft hand rather than an iron fist. The final main character is Baymax, the personal healthcare companion. Baymax is the personification of innocence in both image and deed. He does look like a cross between a comfortable pillow and a marshmallow while speaking with a melodious, soft toned and caring voice. Baymax’s primary function is to take care of his patient and monitor their health. He is activated by any iteration of a “pain noise”. He then scans patients and assesses their injuries doing his best to treat the patient. This kind fluffy robot serves as comic relief as well as a security blanket for Hiro offering comfort, care, and well-meaning though often poorly timed medical advice.

While these principle characters are quite well developed in their personalities, the supporting cast of Tadashi’s friends who end up forming the team Big Hero 6 are not as well realized. Their names are GoGo Tamago, Honey Lemon, Wasabi, and Fred. All of them (with the exception of Fred) attend university as students of the Robotics and Engineering program, while Fred is the school mascot. When they are all introduced in the film their fields of study, or lack thereof, are displayed for the audience to puzzle out. Hiro will later make “super suits” for each of them custom designed based on their personalities and talents. What bothered me most was the seeming lack of deep character depth or at least an exploration of their relationship. My first impression during the film left me wishing there was more exploration of each of the future team members. I guess I wanted more of a back story to explain their different personalities. Also the fact that Tadashi’s four best friends would all rally around Hiro after only meeting him for a short period of time bothered me a bit. But for the expedience of film production this is not a major drawback. In a perfect world I would have gotten all the character development I wanted, but the world is not perfect and my complaint is minor if anything. The cool function of all of these team members is that they eventually all become different role models for Hiro to learn from. Each of their personalities represents a different aspect of Tadashi and they become a large informal family for Hiro to lean on and learn from.

The Look and Feel 

As audiences have come to expect, films from Walt Disney Animation Studios are beautiful. The animators have blended traditional and new animation techniques to create amazing looking environments that enhance the visual aspect of the film. Moving away from the comic book’s setting in Tokyo, the screen writers envisioned a melding of San Francisco and Tokyo called San Fransokyo. Somehow the Disney animators managed to blend the two cities together in this film in a seamless manner. It seemed as if the high rise and neon of Tokyo was picked up and dropped on the San Francisco footprint. They then added in elements of classical San Francisco architecture and kept all the landmarks that locals will know and love. Before I saw this film, I was curious to see what a hybrid San Francisco/Tokyo would look. As the film unfolds I found myself noticing land marks I was familiar with and still awed by this new city. It was as if Chinatown and Japantown took over the whole of the city and it looked amazing. The sweeping aerial shots of the city combined with street level scenes lent a feeling of authenticity to those familiar with either city - whether it was watching Hiro try to dodge to densely packed pedestrian traffic, or watching Baymax ride a cable car.

Big Picture
Looking back on this year, I realize that I have not seen many movies. It seems that more and more that I am of the opinion that I can wait for the film to come out on Blu-ray or ITunes and purchase it then. It is rare that I am drawn to see a film from its first trailer. When I found the trailer for Big Hero 6 I was captivated by the innocent robot that could not pick up a ball. When I saw the film my joy and interest were confirmed and expanded upon. Drawn in by the magical art of Disney, I sat in my seat watching an orphaned boy deal with sorrow, rage, confusion, and acceptance. I watched Hiro come to an understanding not only with his emotions but with a general truth; that the dead are always with us. But it was not some wise old sage or knowledge gleaned from a book that taught this boy. Rather it was a robot, created by his older brother, that only desired to heal the sick. And in the end, Baymax did exactly that. Leaving the theatre I was astounded by the simple lessons on how to deal with tragedy in one’s life. There are few Disney films that I hold dear, many are of the old school such as The Sword in the Stone, Mary Poppins, The Black Cauldron, and the Rescuers. I now have a new film that I will have to buy when it is available. When I have children of my own I will show them this movie, so that they might experience the same joy I did.

David Losey is a writer, actor and stagehand in the San Francisco Bay Area.

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Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare Review

Gamers who play first person shooters are always looking for the next big thing. That game changer, that alters how shooters are made. Bay Area company Sledgehammer Games may just have that in their brand new installment of Call of Duty. Why is it special though? Is this reviewer just perpetuating internet hype, or is there something to this latest installment of the storied Activision Franchise. Based on my time with the game, I can say that Sledgehammer Games has the pedigree of a great design company, as well as the wisdom to innovate and borrow from other games to make the one of the best first person shooters out on the market.

Sledgehammer Games' Roots

 Sledgehammer games was started by Glen Schofield and Michael Condrey. They are veteran developers who left Electronic Arts developer Visceral Games, after starting the Dead Space franchise, to start their own company. Their first work as a new company was to co-develop Modern Warfare 3 with Infinity Ward. If anyone reading this has played those games, then you will know that those are some solid bona fides. If you’ve been living under a rock and never played either Dead Space or Modern Warfare 3, I suggest you start educating yourself. They were both seriously great games. Either way, Sledgehammer’s owners made a killer and down right deviously scary horror/shooter for EA and their new company cut its teeth on a previous Call of Duty game. They were ready to develop this one on their own.

Multiplayer; its what really matters right?

Since Valve launched Counter Strike, multiplayer has become the driving force of shooters.  Since then, new games have to evolve to survive. Whether it was increasing the number of players on a map, adding vehicles, or a slew of other options multiplayer can be what makes or breaks a game. We saw that with Mass Effect 3, who’s multiplayer mode felt like an almost complete part of the game. It was a survival mode instead of team deathmatch; admittedly it tied into the story portion of the game to drive players towards it. Previous COD titles have had varying structures of multiplayer design. Whether it's adding on new modes or adding new options for custom classes; Activision's developers have always tried to add new things.

Instead of going for something new, Sledgehammer borrowed from aspects from a variety of titles and perfected them. Players who played Call of Duty Black Ops II will enjoy a return to a familiar mechanic: the fully customizable load out system pioneered by Treyarch. Here players can alter their guns through attachments, equip exo suit abilities, change perks, alter their killstreaks, and add Wild Card perks. Unlike Ghosts and Black Ops I, there is no money or coin system that earns new guns or attachment faster, so players will have to be patient and level up to get new guns. New to the game are Exo abilities. Exo abilities are specific perks that have a battery life. Once activated the battery drains and does not recharge. The Exo abilities allow you to do very Crisis-like things, like run faster, or cloak.

Another borrowed mechanic that is “new” to COD is the Supply Drop. This is not like the killstreak reward, but rather a post match reward that unlocks new rare items. Those familiar with Mass Effect 3 multiplayer will remember either spending hard cash or grinding out in game currency to purchase supply drops for new guns, buffs, or new playable characters. In Advanced Warfare players earn them by leveling up or by completing challenges. They contain random items that vary from a free in game reward like a supply drop, different cosmetic clothing or armors, to rare varieties of base weapons earned in the game by leveling up. The values are denoted by colors: Enlisted (green), Professional (blue), and Elite (orange). Slegdehammer has also reintroduced the competitive ranked modes from Black Ops, for those players who either play professionally or want a greater challenge than offered in public matches. There is a survival mode that plays similar to Halo ODST's Firefight mode, but allows players to choose between 3 Exo frames ( light, heavy, or specialist) each with its own available weapons, as well as benefits and drawbacks. Finally, Zombie mode will also return to the game at an undisclosed time as DLC. 

Story: It's Important, and in this case, worthwhile!

For the competitive player who enjoys first person shooters, story mode is an afterthought. In the case of Advanced Warfare, Sledgehammer added a gimmick that may just drive players to play through their story to earn a competitive edge against their friends and opponents.

Before the gimmick, let it be said the narrative for Advanced Warfare brings new emotional currents to the well known COD story. There is a formula to COD stories: Exposition, Act One, Conflict/Betrayal, Act Two, Climax, Resolution, and finally a cut scene set up for next game. I won't be revealing the story in this article, but play the campaign, its worth it for the story alone. I will say that what the writers at Sledgehammer Games injected emotional life into their shooter that is rarely seen outside of a role playing game. The writing team encourages, nay drives, players to emotionally connect not only with the character they are playing, but with the villain as well. The writers inject real emotions to each glimpse of joy, frustration, or sorrow that occurs in the game.

The gimmick added by the game developers is tied into the Exo Suit upgrade systems. Throughout the campaign, players are encouraged to complete challenges: getting a certain number of kills per level, headshots, grenade kills, and the ever present "collect the intel." As each level of the challenge is completed, an upgrade point for the Exo Suit is earned. Players can upgrade their suits to get better passive better response from their suit. Upgrades range from increased reload speed, to threat detection, to sprint duration. There are 2 upgrade levels, with level one costing one point, and level two costing two points. As upgrade levels are maxed out, players will unlock multiplayer supply drops earning players a potential edge to online combat.

Design for the sake of art and brilliant mechanics

Call of Duty hasn't always been the best looking game. Granted, the franchise has stayed abreast of industry standards but rarely can I say that the game was beautiful in the same way Skyrim or Mass Effect 3 were beautiful. That being said, the artists and creators at Sledgehammer Games have made a beautiful looking game. Game levels have depth of field, and beautiful texturing that grab the eye. The cut scenes are film quality with principal character faces and bodies are completely motion captured. The dialogue helps bring emotion to the campaign as well as creating a stage for Kevin Spacey to run wild with acting chops worthy of Calculon! Looking at this game is a feast for the eyes. One can tell that the developers took time and care making this game.

The game mechanics for this game feel like a return to Modern Warfare 3, with bits of Black Ops and other games tossed in. The speed of multiplayer is reminiscent of that game. Players are not being slaughtered left and right but now players need to think in new directions. The Exo suit allows players not only to boost jump but to dodge quickly on the ground as well as in mid air. Possibly borrowed from Titanfall, this dodge ability feels smoother and more practiced in its new home. Players now can reach new heights in their attempts to find sniper hideouts, as well as new avenues for escape to dodge incoming fire. Exo abilities grant players timed bonuses to make them tougher, faster, quiet, or nearly invisible. This grants each player with new avenues for strategy to deal death upon their opponents. These new tools breath fresh life into Call of Duty while retaining the core values that have made the IP great.

Play it all

When it comes down to it, this new addition to the Call of Duty family is a great game made by a company that cares about quality. They borrowed and adapted aspects and mechanics from previous games to bring new life to a multiplayer franchise that had started to feel stale, as seen in Call of Duty: Ghosts. The return of the ranked competitive playlists will surely make competitive gamers happy and content in an arena designed for professional tournaments. For myself however, what made this game great was the story. A story of a man tired of the failure of governments who takes a step too far. Like the Greek tragedies of old hubris brings the downfall of a man who reached to far, and the player is the deus ex machina that resolves the imbalance. A great cast led by Kevin Spacey dives into a story that touches our current problems and provides a cautionary tale of loss, sorrow, righteous anger, and ultimately the futility of attempting to end violence with violence. Sledgehammer Games has released a classic that has set a new benchmark for the Call of Duty franchise as well as shooters as a whole.

The Legend of Korra Video Game? Not great...

It is with a heavy heart and great remorse that I am here today to report that the new Legend of Korra video game is a bit of a flop.

Run awaaaaaay

While at work I read that reviews of the game had given it some of their lowest scores of the year. But I mean - come on. Platinum Games doing a Legend of Korra title?  I had to put those articles aside tonight, and I knew I was just going to have to play it myself.

I...don't want to say the reports were mistaken, but they definitely aren't too far off.  This was particularly disappointing, given that the development company—Platinum Games—had released several critically acclaimed games such as Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance and Vanquish.

The Maze Runner is "The Event" movie of the Summer.

Personally, I'm really excited by the current state of Young Adult Fiction. Despite the rebirth of the genre coming from series I'm either indifferent to (Twilight) or sort of annoyed by (The Hunger Games), there's a lot of really good and interesting stuff happening in that world, and a lot of fantastic book series, like Mistborn, being rebranded for a new generation to discover. It's great, and I fully support the YA fever that seems to have swept the nation. Anything that leads to more kids reading is great. Anything that leads to more kids reading fantasy and sci-fi, to me, is even better.

So, I was excited to go and check out The Maze Runner. The previews showed a really cool mystery, an interesting location, and some decent acting from the usual twenty year olds pretending to be teenagers. It seemed like Lord of the Flies meets...well, a maze, and that could be really fascinating. When I saw the final movie, the mystery was there. The acting was there. The setting was there. But the movie fell into a deep trap, one we should long ago have learned to avoid. One that is exemplified best by a short-lived television series on NBC known as: The Event. Spoilers for The Maze Runner to follow.