I wasn’t sure what my reaction was going to be to this new TV series, but I’m happy to say that it’s extremely positive. It’s the story of a dysfunctional family of four that was drifting apart only to be brought together by the acquisition of preternatural abilities.
The series stars Michael Chiklis (The Shield, Fantastic Four) as the patriarch Jim Powell. Julie Benz (Dexter) as his wife, Stephanie Powell. The siblings, Kay Panabaker as Daphne Powell and Jimmy Bennet as JJ Powell. Romany Malco (Weeds) is George St. Cloud, Jim Powell’s best friend and confidant. I have to give credit to Julie Benz who I hated in Dexter for the naïve, weak and simpering character she played. This woman is truly an actor. As Stephanie Powell she exudes, confidence, strength and remarkable intelligence.
On a forced family vacation to bring them all together; their chartered plane crashes with only the family of four on board, and the pilot (who presumably didn’t survive) played by Tate Donovan (Damages). As they escape from the sinking plane they are bathed in phosphorescent particles. When they return home and resume their normal dysfunctional lives, they soon discover that they have—powers.
The powers manifest themselves from parts of their psyches. Just like the Fantastic Four, which I’m sure this show will get lots of comparisons to. Jim Powell gains nigh-impervious skin and Hulk-like leaping ability. Stephanie Powell can move at lightning speed. Daphne Powell manifests psionic abilities (telepathy for the uninitiated) and JJ, the slow and not too bright sibling gets a staggering intellectual boost.
In the super heroic tradition, Jim Powell sets out to fight crime once he has tested out his abilities. Unfortunately, thus far, no costumes or code names. But he is given a “lair” (complete with Wi-fi) by his best friend George. I’d really like to see this series commit to telling a real superhero story with all the idiosyncrasies that go along with it. As a family is involved, I think it would be important to protect their identities.
Where there are heroes, villains can’t be far behind. We learn that one of the criminals that Jim pursues also has preternatural abilities that will make X-Men fans rejoice. This criminal has the power of teleportation, not ordinary teleportation, Nightcrawler type teleportation that seemed to be ripped from the X-men 2 movie. Borrowed or not, it was still refreshing to see. Can I get a “BAMF”?
I have high hopes for this series and I plan to watch it every week. For the pilot episode, I’m giving No Ordinary Family4.5 out of 5 fingers.
This is the latest in the series of DC Comics straight to DVD animated movies. The DVD gets released tomorrow (September 28th), but I was fortunate enough to get an advanced copy.
After years of countless battles against Darkseid and the armies of Apokolips (yes, that's how it's spelled in the comics), I’m sorry to say this storyline is getting repetitive and little long in the tooth.
Darkseid
It’s the same old stuff, Boom Tubes, Para-Demons, Mother boxes, and the ever-annoying Granny Goodness.To prove how truly annoying this character is, she is voiced by a man—Ed Asner. When is someone going to send this character to her final fate?
Granny Goodness--she even looks a little bit like Ed Asner
To add fuel to the repetitiveness, we are witness to another Supergirl origin story. How many times and in how many different ways is this story going to be told? And by now, who really cares?
One bright spot I found in this film, aside from the all-out Earth-shattering action, was the inclusion of Wonder Woman.I’m glad to see that she is continuing to be portrayed as a fierce Amazon warrior with strength that is on par with Superman’s.
Knock, knock
One problem I did have was that Superman and Batman were freely walking around on Paradise Island.I know I’ve been away from the comics for a while, but when was the restriction lifted that men could set foot on Paradise Island?
Did I miss the memo on men being able to set foot on Paradise Island?
Darkseid is depicted as diabolical as ever; his battle with Superman and Supergirl is jaw-dropping, especially when he unleashes his “omega beams”.
All told, there is nothing new to see here. If you’ve seen one Superman vs. Darkseid battle, you’ve seen them all. Should you buy or rent this DVD? If you’re not familiar with Darkseid and Apokolips and Granny Goodness, then you’re in for a treat. If you don’t know Supergirl’s origin, that’s icing on the cake.
It also looks like Darkseid will be making an appearance on Smallville for the final season.I’m sure he won’t be nearly as powerful as the Darkseid in the comics, but if you’re looking for background on the character, this DVD is a good place to start.
If you’re as familiar with the DC Universe as I am, then this DVD can be skipped.For retreading the same old story albeit with some new guest-stars, I’m givingSuperman/Batman: Apocalypse 2.5 out of 5 fingers.
I posted in an earlier blog that Hawaii Five-0 was such a classic and iconic TV show that it should never be remade. Well, I was wrong.
The pilot episode of Hawaii Five-0 started off with a bang and continued to deliver not only action, but humor and interesting character development. The chemistry and interaction between the characters for a first time premiere was nothing short of amazing.
Don't take my word for it. Let's go to the video tape.
I decided to record the show on my DVR primarily just to hear that classic theme song again, but I got much more than I bargained for. I really don't remember the original show all that well. But I felt this new modern version of the show captured the true essence of what Hawaii Five-0 should be.
The series stars Alex O'Loughlin as Detective Steve McGarrett, Scott Caan as Detective Danny Williams, better known as "Danno", Daniel Dae Kim as Detective Chin Ho Kelly and Grace Park as Kona Kalakaua.
A special shout out goes to Jean Smart who plays the Governor of Hawaii. It's good to see her in another position of power, other than the pill-popping First Lady on 24.
One change that was made, and perhaps for the better, when Alex O'Loughlin is introduced as Steve McGarrett during the opening theme, he doesn't make nearly as dramatic a turn as Jack Lord did in the original show.
It was an unexpected pleasure to watch Hawaii Five-0. I will definitely continue to record it and watch it faithfully. I'm giving the pilot 5 out of 5 fingers. I hope the rest of series will live up to this first episode.
Let's go to the video tape. There's some really great hype here.
It simplifies how plays are called and it’s like having the coach talking to you through the radio in your helmet. It also shortens playing time and eliminates flipping through pages and pages of plays to find the right one for the situation. The AI is supposed to be aware of your position on the field; number of downs, yardage needed for first down, time on the clock, etc. and come up with the right play.
Coach, I swear, the radio in my helmet must be broken.
When I started using GameFlow, I thought, "how cool is this? This is so easy." What a great time saver not having to flip through a play book and come up with my own plays. That is until I discovered that GameFlow knows as much about calling plays as a 3 year old. Now I am in no way an NFL offensive mastermind. I only have a casual interest in the sport. But if you’re interested in winning, then GameFlow cannot be trusted.
Okay, only 14 more yards to go!
Why, for example, would you call a running play on 3rd and long, (and we’re talking 15 yards here) when you have almost absolutely no chance of making a first down? (The defense in this game isn’t that soft). The passing plays often don’t run routes so that receiver catches the ball beyond the first down marker. (I’m not throwing a lateral pass on 3rd down when the first down is 20 yards away). It also just doesn’t seem savvy enough to alternate frequently between running and passing plays to throw off the defense.
GameFlow will in no way replace human intuition, guile, guts, resourcefulness and instinct. I’ll use GameFlow for defensive plays and at the start of a game, but when the game is on the line and I’m trying to win, GameFlow goes out the window. It’s back to fumbling through the playbooks again.
Speaking of winning, I’m currently undefeated playing against the CPU on default settings. I was challenged to use the Buffalo Bills since they are not one of the more “successful” teams in the NFL. What does it say about a game when I can pick it up after 5 years, not crack open a manual and win every game I play with a bad team? And the highest rated player on this Bills team is—the Punter! I even went up against the Indianapolis Colts and destroyed them. I don’t know if this feature was taken out of Madden 11, but I was under the impression the game would compensate and become more difficult as it learned my style of play. While the games have gotten closer in score, and I haven’t been able to put up 41 points like I did when I first opened the box, it still feels like it’s almost a given that I’m going to win at the start of each game. Super Bowl here I come.
Speaking of easy, the kicking game is a joke. It’s so easy to kick a point after that the same 3 year old who couldn’t call plays could do this. Madden might as well award the point after automatically after a touchdown, it’s that easy—even though my CPU opponent managed to miss one in the rain. Punting and kickoffs are similarly simple to pull off so that the ball lands close to the 1 yard line. The only challenge here is the long range field goal. I failed on a 52 yard attempt. Not because of the controls or lack of accuracy on my part, but because the kicker just didn’t have enough leg strength.
Injuries and Penalties. Usually in a real football game there are more penalties than injuries. In Madden NFL 11, the opposite is true. Most of the games I've played have been relatively penalty free. No off sides, no delay of game, no illegal blocking. I think I've seen a holding call once or twice, and a roughing the passer, but that's it.
Somebody help me! I think I lacerated my liver!
On the other hand, as far as injuries go, players drop like flies and are often found grimacing and moaning on the ground after a majority of the plays. Expect to see at least 5-10 players on either team go out with injuries in every game--with one player being carted off the field. The commentary sometimes doesn't match the injury as one player was said to be walking off the field, but the cut scene showed the player being carried off the field by two of his teammates. Maybe in some circles that's considered walking, but if your legs aren't moving, I somehow doubt it.
Maybe on more difficult levels, the game is more challenging and is more like a simulation of an actual NFL game. But on default, the game is a piece of cake.
Should you buy Madden NFL 11? If you own Madden NFL 10, then my answer would be no. Not enough has changed in the game to warrant this purchase. The Franchise mode was even completely untouched from 10 to 11. If you haven’t purchased Madden in a few years and you can catch it on sale, then it might be worth getting, although the game will feel no different than an earlier version of Madden. It will only look better. I never understood what all the fanfare was about Madden coming from a 2K Sports background. Yes, it can be fun to play, but I feel that die-hard fans are being cheated out of what could have been by now a much better game.
I’m glad the “vision cone” is gone, but it’s time EA starts showing some vision of their own and overhaul this game. Better player models, better use of motion capture, smoothing out the herky-jerky robotic movements of the players, better franchise mode and better real-time physics. After all these years, Madden can still be distinguished from a real NFL game—even at a distance. It will probably be another five years before I purchase another Madden NFL game unless the game finally gets an overhaul. Even though it’s the only NFL game in town, it leaves much to be desired. Out of 5 fingers I’m giving this game 2.5.
On a positive note, this is one of the best-looking Madden games to date. I was able to take advantage of our sagging economy and get this game on sale @ $10.00 off retail price for the Xbox 360—something that EA Sports and retailers aren’t known to do under any circumstances.
Let's Go To The Video Tape
I haven’t owned or played a Madden game since I had a Playstation 2 five years ago—back when the “vision cone” was introduced. This feature in effect turned the quarterback’s eyes into a giant flashlight or search beacon that radiated over the field, supposedly simulating his field of vision. The better the quarterback, the wider his “vision cone”. (I’m told at the time, Michael Vick had a vision cone the size of a toothpick). While some applauded this innovation, to me, this was one of the most ridiculous features ever put in a sports game. It took away any realism the game might have offered.
The "vision cone" in action.
That being said, I’m disappointed that after five years of being away from Madden, there have been no fundamental changes to the game. Except for a shiny new coat of paint, a “hit stick” and some new animations, the game plays the same as it did five years ago. We’ll get to GameFlow in part two of my blog.
Madden is desperate for competition. It was a tragic day when the NFL awardedEA Sports the exclusive license to the NFL. That meant that no other video game company could produce an NFL game using NFL teams, logos or players. The competition was totally eliminated with the stroke of pen.
G.O.A.T
Madden had some great competition too. ESPN NFL 2K5 by 2K Sports was arguably the best video football game ever made. 2K Sports did all it could to steal way EA’s market share by pricing their game at $19.99. But rather than compete and make a better Madden, they made NFL 2K go away. Now year after year, gamers get the same game with new rosters, a few bug fixes and a new coat of paint.
Even the graphics in ESPN NFL 2K5 still stand up to the current version of Madden after all these years.
Above ESPN NFL 2K5. Below Madden NFL 11.
I can only imagine how outstanding and innovative both games would be right now if the NFL had not signed that agreement. The NBA is a different story. Commissioner David Stern was too shrewd to sign an exclusivity agreement with EA Sports. Last year, EA decided to buy 2K Sports and finally get rid of that thorn in their side. It seems to be a pattern with this gaming giant not to make better games, but to eliminate any and all competition. Then continue to feed the masses the same mediocre game every year with little or no improvement. Fortunately, after several attempts, the buyout failed.
Stay tuned for Part Two as I look at GameFlow in depth and I give my final verdict on whether or not you should buy Madden NFL 11.
This film has got to be the sci-fi sleeper of the year. When I first saw the trailers for Repo Men, I wasn’t too interested in seeing it. I can't recall why, but it just didn’t catch my attention. After it was recently recommended to me, and I actually sat down and watched it, I have to say this is one of the better movies I’ve ever seen. Not only did I watch it once, I had to go back and watch again after being totally thrown for a loop by the twist at the end.
The film is set in the not too distant future 2025 to be exact. The narrative at the beginning talks about the collapsing economy and is a haunting reminder of our current economic crisis. If you’re looking to escape from the worries of financial doom and gloom, this isn’t the film. It also tends to be quite graphic and gory. This definitely is not a film for younger kids.
When I first started watching the film, I kept comparing it to Logan’s Run. There, people did not want to die or participate in “Carousel” to supposedly prolong their lives past the age of 30. They “ran” to be free of the system to live out their natural lives. In Repo Men artificial organs (“artiforgs”) seem to be the “Carousel” of that time period allowing them to live out a longer life. But due to economic conditions that hope is false and temporary. More than likely they will end up not being able to pay for the organs. After three months of non-payment “The Union” sends the Repo Man, who forcibly repossesses the organs, which usually results in the customer’s “termination”. The Repo Men are not unlike the Sandmen in Logan’s Run. Chasing down “debtors” or “runners” and ending their lives. It’s similar even to the point that partners and best friends are turned against one another by “the system” as their buddy “runs” for their life. Both films have cool guns that set them apart from the norm. That is where the similarities end.
The film stars Jude Law as Remy and Forest Whitaker as Jake. Whitaker is one of those actors that totally immerses himself in whatever character he plays. He makes them come alive and appear as though they could exist in real life. He can actually make a mediocre film (Vantage Point) bearable when he's on screen. The thing I find so amazing about this movie is that it isn’t predictable. I was in no way bored and couldn't speculate on how the story was going to end. Several key clues are literally thrown smack in your face and I didn’t realize them for what they were.
Cinematically speaking there is an incredibly vivid scene where Remy and Beth (Alice Braga) enter a totally white clean room where the “artiforgs” are created. The room is huge and houses rows and rows of workers all dressed in white bio-hazard suits. Remy and Beth are dressed in black. The contrast is astounding as armed guards also dressed in black enter the room. It’s like an invasion of a virulent disease into otherwise healthy tissue.
I think one of the key questions in this movie is the one that Remy asks, referring to the cat in the box experiment, which is detailed in the opening of the film: "How can anything be alive and dead at the same time?" You’ll get your answer.
There is only one quirky scene in the film that I take exception with. It is a beautifully choreographed sequence, but I am forced to ask two questions:
1. Why bring a knife to knife fight when you have gun?
2. Why not pick up another gun when your gun runs out of ammo and the hallway is littered with guns from fallen guards?
But aside from that, Repo Men is a fantastic movie that I highly recommend. For its unpredictability; for totally throwing me off guard even with obvious clues right in my face, and for innovation that sets this film apart from others, I must give this movie 5 out of 5 fingers.
