This Comic- con trailer left me intrigued and confused. First, not knowing anything about the the source material going in, I felt I was watching a trailer for 2 totally different stories. The first half feels like a dark, war thriller while the other half feels like a dark fantasy. Either way, I like the tone and I’m always a fan of James McAvoy’s work as an actor. Upon doing some quick research I discovered the Golden Compass was an adaptation of the first part of this series and frankly I prefer this look and feel more than the film adaptation; the armored up polar bear is pretty badass here. I’m actually curious and may look into the books after seeing this. May the gaming gods bring you glory.
Category: Television
Dragonball Z : Bojack Unbound
I love the idea of treating Bojack’s movie as an epilogue to Dragonball Z: Android Saga (Cell Games) and honestly it does work pretty well in concept. Gohan’s on his own and he’s the strongest fighter Earth has to offer so there’s a lot that can done. So how does Gohan’s first time leading the Z Fighters go?
After Cell was destroyed by Gohan, Hercule gets the credit and becomes arguably the biggest celebrity on the planet. A spoiled rich kid has Hercule host a huge tournament with the opportunity to face real aliens. Of course the Z fighters show up and advance to the real show, only to discover the aliens they were supposed to fight were killed by a group of space pirates that King Kai had stored away, unleashed by his planet getting destroyed. The band is led by Bojack, who means to go on a rampage unless Gohan and his friends can stop him…
This movie could have been awesome but there is a huge flaw I have with it. Gohan isn’t a bad hero on his own and it was cool to see him in Goku’s colors; it was also cool seeing Trunks again and I like the detail about Vegeta mourning over Goku. I really like the opening fight with Trunks and Tien, two of my favorite characters in the series. There are some cool fights with Bojack’s crew and the Z Fighters throughout. The problem is Bojack. He predominately let’s his minions do the fighting for him, jumping in for a few cheap shots. Once Gohan goes Super Saiyan 2, Gohan mops the floor with him and it doesn’t remotely feel like Bojack was a challenge. If you don’t mind a disappointing end, it’s not a bad movie and worth a watch. May the gaming gods bring you glory.
Dragonball Z: Broly, the Legendary Super Saiyan
I’m spoiling this now, this is my favorite DBZ film period. No contest; no arguments. I was thrilled when Broly became canon, though I was able to see his DB: Super movie yet. But let’s take a look at this special specimen of a DBZ movie and find out why…
The South Galaxy is destroyed almost instantly to King Kai’s horror; the culprit is believed to be a Saiyan. Intrigued, Goku goes out to investigate, leaving Chi Chi enraged Goku bails out on a meeting that would have gotten Gohan into a fancy school. Meanwhile while Goku’s friends are at a picnic, a spaceship lands near them a aging, one eyed Saiyan named Paragus emerges and seeks Vegeta out, pledging with him to come lead the new Saiyan home-world. Vegeta, his ego stroked follows Paragus despite Trunks trying to talk sense to him. The world is broken and desolate with only the slaves feebly rebuilding and Paragus’s seemingly meek son Broly the only inhabitants until the gang show up. Something about Goku bothers Broly though, enrages him in fact. The next day the trap is sprung after a failed murder attempt by Broly. Paragus , once a servant of Vegeta’s father was betrayed when King Vegeta tried to murder his baby son, then him when he tried to defend the infant? Why so much fuss over a baby? Goku and Broly were born on the same day; Broly was born with a power level of 10,000 and a natural birth defect where being critically beaten doesn’t drastic increase his power but naturally skyrockets on it’s own. Broly unleashes his full might, the power of the Legendary Super Saiyan…
This the most brutal DBZ movie of the bunch. Broly is a cruel sadistic monster when Legendary is achieved and he enjoys torturing Goku, Gohan, Trunks, Vegeta and Piccolo for the sake of it and they are powerless to stop him. Seeing Vegeta shut down hit me, because the odds against Frieza, Cell, and Buu he was never frozen in fear as he was with Broly. The story is surprisingly good and the transformation into Legendary is my favorite of maybe my favorite of all DBZ. There is some good music including Pantera for the transformation which only made it more awesome. It’s a damn awesome movie that’s brutal and epic with a great villain an d definitely worth seeing. May the gaming gods bring you glory.
Stranger Things (Season 3) Review
So I didn’t really binge this the way I did with Stranger Things (Season 1) or Stranger Things (Season Two) but that really had very little to do with the quality of the show and had more to do with the time I had to watch it. The show starts out a bit after season 2, the kids are a bit older and it is summer time. Just prior to American Independence day, also known as the 4th of July.
The season starts off a bit slow, but it does set up all the characters nicely. El ends up with a nice friendship with Max, we get to know the sister of Lucas, Erica. Mike and Hopper end up butting heads a bit due to Hopper being quite overprotective of El, and it really sticks out in this season. There is a reason for it, and I don’t want to get into why because it spoils some things, but it really makes the end of his story arc for this season that much more powerful.
The story with Billy being more or less possessed by the Mind Flayer is also pretty interesting, and admittedly I think season 3 does a better job with it than season 2 did. In fact, overall I think season 2 is the weakest of the 3, tho that is kind of like being the slowest person in on the Olympic swim team. Sure its the weakest, but its the weakest of a great show. There is as you would expect talk of a season 4, in fact, the creators, Matt, and Ross Duffer have long said there will only be 4, maybe 5 seasons of the show so it really shouldn’t be a surprise there is talk of season 4. Regardless, since season 3 just came out we will have to wait a while to see what’s going to happen, best wishes and may the gaming gods bring you glory.
Christine
It’s been a long time since I did a dual layered book/ movie review. My earliest ones such as A Clockwork Orange , The Hellbound Heart , and Cujo were pretty popular. Since King’s adaptations are awesome once again, let’s look at a different kind of love story from the master of horror…
Arnie Cunningham is a typical nerdy teenager. He works his ass off to save money for college, is packed with extracurricular activities, and gets bossed around by his parents. His best friend Dennis is your typical good looking high school football player. One day while driving home, they stumble upon a peculiar piece of scrap- a red and white 1958 Plymouth Fury. Arnie immediately falls in love with the hunk of junk. Arnie goes out of his way to get the car from the old man who owned it and essentially he gives away most of his money for it. Dennis ,Arnie’s overbearing parents, and not even Leah, Arnie’s pretty new girlfriend seem to like his new car named Christine. Arnie puts every bit of his energy into the car, restoring her to her prime until the asshole bullies that plague him destroy Christine. Leveled, Arnie’s heart breaks because the car meant freedom, opportunity and in the weeks that lead there, Arnie grew a pair. But that was all gone, or was it? Christine rebuilds herself right before his eyes, and Christine wants to take Arnie for a bloody ride…
I love the book and the movie pretty equally but for different reasons. The book doesn’t really feel much like a horror story, more like a relate-able teen drama until the first death scene in the second act. The book goes into some way darker territory towards the end and I prefer that ending to the more “Hollywood” ending of the movie. Also the dude who sells Christine to has way more to do with the plot than the movie would have you believe as well as a pretty messed up backstory which helps Arnie feel more in danger later. The only drawback is that the book is much more of a slow burn which will turn some off but the payoff is well worth it.
The movie is one of Carpenter’s best in my opinion. Keith Gordon does an amazing job playing Arnie as a lovable but frustrated geek while the rest of the cast is solid. The effects are pretty badass, especially for the early 80’s, and Carpenter’s eerie electronic score is iconic. The scene where Christine rebuilds herself is my favorite. There are some haunting moments with the car that genuinely freaked me out and Carpenter is great at making her feel unstoppable. The only drawback I have with the movie is it feels rather short and bare bones compared to the book and I would’ve liked a grittier ending like the book had.
Regardless it’s a awesome story from book a legendary author as well as a legendary director and either way I can highly recommend it. May the gaming gods bring you glory and on Christine’s good side.
Dragonball Z: Super Android 13
Its no secret the Android Saga ( Dragonball Z: Android Saga (Trunks) , Dragonball Z: Android Saga (Cell) , and Dragonball Z: Android Saga (Cell Games) ) was my favorite saga of the series and also had some pretty cool movies to correlate with it. One movie that fit really well was the Android 13 movie…
Dr Gero was a busy mad scientist indeed. Besides Androids 16- 19, the currently incubating Cell, and turning himself into Android 20, he had another bizarre mechanical trio created to destroy Goku: the dim headed trucker 13, the tall mute 14, and the small shit talking, drinking 15. During a shopping trip for the Z fighters and there families, Androids 14 and 15 make an explosive entrance. Goku and Trunks lure them only to be joined by 13 and Vegeta soon after. The Androids at first beat down the three Saiyans until they transform and the Super Saiyans demolish 14 and 15, leaving 13 on the ropes- until he absorbs there pieces and makes a drastic transformation. Can our heroes survive Super Android 13?
The movie for 13 is simple but pretty good. The beginning feels a bit slow, even when 14 and 15 show up but once its 3 on 3 it’s a good time. I can’t say I’m a huge fan of 13 in his normal state but as Super he is pretty cool. How he gets defeated I always found kind of strange and even kind of pointless but still cool to look at. In the end, it’s a enjoyable DBZ movie that isn’t great but definitely not bad. May the gaming gods bring you glory.
Dragonball Z: Android Saga (Cell)
Last we saw, things weren’t looking good for the Z fighters. Despite the medicine, Goku is struggling against the heart virus while his family is trying to keep away from the androids who easily beat Vegeta at Super Saiyan. Piccolo, seeing no other option goes to merge with Kami, making him stronger than a Super Saiyan but leaving Earth without Dragonballs. It’s a discovery that raises a whole new series of questions when another time machine is found, same model as Trunks’s but in the brush they find a broken exoskeleton. Entire towns are seeming to vanish, leaving clothes behind. Piccolo mistakes what he feels are the powers of his friends only to discover the monstrosity at work: enter Cell. Dr Gero’s ultimate creation, an living machine made from the cells of all the Z fighters and Frieza, Cell has come from the future to absorb Android 17 and 18 to become perfect. The only real hope they have is finding a level beyond Super Saiyan, but can Goku, Vegeta, Gohan and Trunks find this power before Cell becomes unstoppable?
The Android Saga continues to get better with who I’d say is the best villain of the series. Cell in his earlier forms is creepy as hell but always intimidating; I love seeing the other characters abilities and attacks biting them in ass. What’s great is this is one of the last times the other characters besides the Saiyans are relevant; Krillin and Tien have great moments but I love Piccolo’s fight against 17 which is one of my favorites of all DBZ. Vegeta vs Cell was pretty badass too but Cell’s turnaround makes you fear for the Z fighters. This is DBZ at it’s best and I highly recommend it. May the gaming gods bring you glory.
Dragonball Z: Android Saga (Trunks)
So we come to what many consider to be the best saga Dragonball Z has to offer: the Android Saga. It all begins with the conclusion to Dragonball Z:The Frieza Saga with the reveal that despite being cut in half and the destruction of a planet, Frieza is not dead. His remains were found in the vastness of space by his father, King Cold; Frieza is restored with a host of mechanical pieces and is pissed, taking Cold and his soldiers to Earth for revenge. The Z fighters sense him coming, but without Goku there chances of survival as well as Earth’s are slim. Frieza and Cold land, to be greeted by a young man they’d never seen. Easily he slays the soldiers and faces Frieza and his father, demonstrating his true power- he’s a Super Saiyan. He destroys Frieza and Cold once and for all and continues to wait for Goku to return. The young man is Trunks, Vegeta and Bulma’s son from the future. In the future, Goku dies of a yet undiscovered heart virus. Years later, 2 androids emerge created by Dr Gero of the fallen Red Ribbon Army and systematically kill the Z fighters one by one. Trunks brings Goku the medicine he’ll need to survive the virus and delivers the date the androids will arrive, years from then. Three years later, they arrive as Trunks predicted but when Trunks arrives to help, he finds the terrible fact that the androids he warned about aren’t the same. History has changed but can the Z fighters survive?
This is where I truly began to love DBZ. Trunks’s debut is one of DBZ’s most epic moments and he is one of my favorite characters. Also, I love that Vegeta becomes a Super Saiyan. Android 19 and 20 were cool but 17, 18, and 16 are a great, likable trio as well as badasses; watching 18 fight Vegeta was brutal. The season ends with an awesome cliffhanger of the horrors to come. There are some filler episodes but I don’t mind them, especially when Goku and Piccolo compete learning how to drive. Definitely worth a watch and may the gaming gods bring you glory.
Dragonball Z: The Garlic Jr Saga
So Dragonball Z:The Frieza Saga left us with a cliff hanger, what became of Goku after Namek finally exploded? Well, you ain’t finding that answer here. Months after getting back from Namek, the gang goes on with there normal lives. Gohan is studying, Goku’s friends are partying and Krillin has a new girlfriend. Life goes on, until the Black Water Mist is unleashed, turning nearly everyone evil. Garlic Jr ( from Dragonball Z: The Dead Zone ) has found himself freed from the Dead Zone, and has come back with a new scheme. It’s up to Gohan, Krillin and Piccolo to stop him before its too late..
If this review seems unenthusiastic, it’s because this tiny saga is strictly filler. There is no real weight to the rest of the series, except to add something else to a point made later in the series. Garlic Jr is a pretty weak villain compared to Vegeta, the Ginyu Force, or Frieza. If you decide to watch this arc, it is short but if you chose to skip feel free and skip to Trunks. May the gaming gods bring you glory.
Dragonball Z: Android Saga (Cell Games)
*spoiler alert: due to a posting error, my Cell Games review came out ahead of schedule. The first part will come out July 3rd, and the second part on the 4th.
We come to the finale of the Android Saga and one of the greatest climaxes in anime. Cell, confident he is all powerful, issues a challenge to the world; face him in the Cell Games for the fate of the world. Goku and Gohan emerge from the hyperbolic time chamber, far stronger than before. Unlike the others who are dreadfully training, Goku urges Gohan to relax and enjoy life. The young Super Saiyan agrees, wearing Piccolo’s colors during the games to come. The Z fighters arrive with a famous fighter named Hercule Satan who Cell bitch slaps away like a fly. Goku is first up. Cell and Goku clash but Goku isn’t able to put Cell down as hard as he tries. Instead, Goku promises there is someone far stronger than him among them that can beat Cell. Gohan, the youngest Super Saiyan. It becomes apparent though Gohan doesn’t have the same urge to fight as the other Saiyans but he understands why he will kill Cell; all his life, Gohan has shown explosive leaps of power when enraged, leaps of power he couldn’t control. Cell finds this intriguing and tortures Gohan trying to make him snap; when that doesn’t work, he spawns his twisted Cell Jrs. that attack the others, each as powerful as Cell. Gohan still doesn’t snap. When Android 16 is destroyed, he tells Gohan he understands his fear but to protect life, sometimes you have to fight. When Cell crushes 16’s head, Gohan explodes and becomes stronger than any of them ever imagined but can this new power finish Cell once and for all…
I love this ending. Throughout the series and especially this saga, Gohan has always been more of a background character but during this saga we get a very well done look at his character. Super Saiyan 2 is amazing and the fight between him and Cell is beyond epic. There’s a goodbye that may bring some to tears (Violet) but its well done. This finale is equal parts action and epicness and I feel its the best way the show could have ended. In fact I’m pretty upset it isn’t. I highly recommend the Android Saga as some of the best anime I’ve seen and may the gaming gods bring you glory.
Savior Gaming 