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Turbo: A Power Rangers movie

turbo

So the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers The Movie was fun and goofy with pretty much everything about the show we loved. Well the classic series ended, then came Power Rangers Zeo, and a third series was coming in Turbo, because- 90’s. Turbo, which is one of the least popular Power Rangers series is one of the last to deal with the remaining original rangers. So how do these new rangers measure up?

The story begins with veteran rangers, Tommy, Adam, and Rocky training for a charity martial arts competition when Rocky critically injuries himself, leaving the group one ranger down. A new threat emerges in Diva Tox and her pirates who are on the hunt for a inter-dimensional wizard to reunite her with a lava demon so they can take the world over. The rangers find the wizard but he’s taken quickly after a hostage exchange gone bad. With there Zeo powers rendered useless, Zordon bestows upon Tommy, Kat, Tonya, and Adam the new Turbo morphers and Turbo Zords while enlisting young kid Justin to act as Blue Ranger as they race to not only stop Diva Tox and save the wizard but also classic past rangers Jason and Kimberly.

As a kid I might’ve liked this movie but as I got older, this movie sucks. It pretty much feels like a really drawn out episode. Their isn’t hardly any action and you barely see the rangers in costume; the new Zords are pretty much just giant cars that become a bland looking robot. The acting isn’t great but I have to say the little kid Blue Ranger is annoying. For people that crapped on Power Rangers 2017, I have to say at least that movie had more going on than this movie which feels like a long episode and marketing tool that I can’t really recommend. May the gaming gods bring you glory.

Hostel Part 2

hostel 2

It seems like yesterday for me when everyone was talking about the first Hostel and the latest Saw sequel. While I was more of a Saw fan, I watched Hostel 2 with low expectations and found myself hugely shocked by how far the movie went; it was pretty much what I was expecting from the first movie. So what made Hostel 2 a better sequel?

Three well off college girls are in Italy and are told of a awesome party scene in Slovakia by a model they’re sketching. Wanting the time of there lives, the go follow the model’s advice and go to the familiar hostel. Meanwhile, two business men come to Europe for the time of there lives, paying a small fortune for the ultimate experience, being able to take a life without consequence. As the girls disappear one by one and they discover how far this torture ring’s grasp reaches, these new torturers may be in for more then they bargain for…

If you loved the first movie, Hostel 2 kicks the gore, torture, and nudity up ten fold from the first one. The killings are surprisingly disturbing, including a ritualistic murder about a half hour in that stayed with me for a while. What I liked is the twists that happen in the final act and how a huge portion of the story follows these fresh torturers as they set up for there first kills and the emotions they go through on the way. If you don’t have a strong stomach, avoid the hell out of this movie but if you like some intense gore and WTF moments, horror fans should absolutely check this movie out. May the gaming gods bring you glory.

Star Wars Episode 2: Attack of the Clones

clone

Many argue what is the best Star Wars movie, in which usually dissolves into either the original or The Empire Strikes Back . As for the worst, there are sadly too many candidates including the entirety the sequel trilogy. While not a fan of Star wars: Rogue One , my vote goes to good ole Episode 2.

Ten Years after the events of the Star Wars Episode 1:The Phantom Menace, Anakin Skywalker has grown into a promising Jedi apprentice under the tutelage of Obi-Wan as Qui-Gon requested. When there friend and Anakin’s secret love, Padme Amidala, survives an assassination attempt, the Jedi are assigned to protect her. When a bigger plot unfolds, Obi-Wan is sent to investigate deeper, leading him to a mysterious army of clone soldiers being developed for the Republic under the order of a long deceased Jedi; the clones derived from a bounty hunter named Jango Fett- the assassin he’s been searching for. Anakin, haunted by dark visions of his mother suffering, is ordered to protect Padme and suddenly there feelings ignite but Jedi are forbidden to love and with Padme’s political seat, it would ruin her. Are they willing to throw everything away for there love?

I’m going to start by saying, while my least favorite Star Wars movie, I tolerate it, I don’t hate it. My favorite part is watching Anakin snap after the death of his mother and in that brief moment, I could believe I was watching the precursor to Darth Vader. The Fight with Obi-Wan and Jango was cool; just the sight of seeing dozens of Jedi united in battle was a dream come true, plus, the introduction of the purple lightsaber. The score is fantastic and cinematic-ally it looks pretty good, despite too much damn CGI . So, let’s begin the negatives. The love story is pretty shitty, like pre Twilight level cringe worthy shit; the actors have chemistry but the story and horrendous dialogue crash and burn it. The pacing of the movie drags horribly and following two different stories makes it worse- as a kid I seriously thought it was 3 hour movie. Dooku isn’t in the movie enough to feel like a main villain. The lightsaber fights aren’t great, even Yoda’s debut in combat is damn damn flashy it looks fake to me. Anakin Skywalker comes off like a whiny ass brat most of the time and I found it hard to like him. The story is fine but I feel it tries too hard to connect with the originals. Overall, I don’t hate the movie, like Vader himself- there is good in it- but damn the dark side is strong in this thing so it maybe a watch once kind of deal. May the gaming gods keep you safe from sand, it gets everywhere.

Locke and Key season 1 trailer 1

For a while now, I’ve wanted to look into Joe Hill’s body of work. With NOS4A2 on Hulu (which I sadly haven’t gotten down to read yet in my collection), we get a Netflix series based on the graphic novel series written by him. I really like the concepts show and there’s a lot that can be done with it. I definitely want to check it out. May the gaming gods bring you glory.

New Mutants trailer 2

I know this movie has had a hell of a lot of problems behind the scenes, but I must admit the second trailer looks pretty decent. I like the horror aspects of the movie so far but I have to admit, I think the superhero parts look kinda shotty and low budget. I appreciate this movie follows mutants most of us aren’t familiar with. I want to see it, mainly as an end of an era before Disney takes over X-men but there’s a chance it’ll blow. May the gaming gods bring you glory.

Neverwinter Nights: Enhanced Edition (PS4)

Two things to get out of the way before we get started, first and foremost a huge thank you to Skybound Games and Beamdog. They hooked me up with a review copy of this one at release and it is always an honor and appreciated. Second, I do have to apologize for how late this review is getting out. Over the holidays there was a family emergency and a death in the family and things got a bit hectic and I couldn’t give things the time they deserved and I wasn’t going to unfairly judge things that way.

With that out of the way, let us get to what the enhanced edition of what Neverwinter Nights is, and what it probably isn’t. What it is, is almost the complete version of the game spanning its entire existence. It is, however, missing the Infinite Dragons portion. I doubt this is a deal-breaker for anyone but if this was the part you wanted, you will be a bit upset. The graphics and sound have also been updated as have the controls, UI and even boast online play there promises to be plenty of hours of fun for the truly dedicated. ( the DLC alone will clock in at around 100 for most people)

The story itself is pretty amazing but as with all my reviews, I won’t spoil anything, just know it is a true dungeons and dragons story of growth, betrayal death and far more. We do have to touch on what the game is not tho. While a lot has been upgraded, it still looks like a product of when it was made. Fans of the original will see these graphics and know it is an upgrade, people playing for the first time, however, won’t really see the big deal honestly. The controls also take some getting used to, tho you will get used to them. Truth is fans of the original will love it, and that is who it is made for. Hardcore RPG fans or people that love that older style will also think it is great. Newer fans that like flashy things, however, are better off skipping this one. It is a solid 7/10 game and the story is phenomenal, but I just think many fans of modern games won’t see the same joy as I did. Best wishes and may the gaming gods bring you glory.

Star Wars Episode 1:The Phantom Menace

menace

A long time ago, in a galaxy far far away there was a legendary movie called Star Wars that captivated audiences and inspired generations with one of cinemas greatest trilogies. Well almost two decades later, we got the first of a prequel trilogy, aiming to reignite our love of Star Wars. Well, did it succeed?

The Trade Federation is leaning heavy on the newly elected Queen Amidala so Jedi master Qui-Gon Jinn and his apprentice Obi-Wan Kenobi go to delegate. The viceroys try in vain to kill the Jedi who escape and sneak aboard an invasion ship of battle droids to warn the Queen war is likely coming. On the way they meet a goofy creature named Jar Jar who aids them get to her. The Jedi, the Queen with her security head as well as a few handmaidens and the goofball, manage to escape the Trade Federation getting stuck on the desert planet of Tatonine where Qui-Gon finds a helpful yet curious boy named Anakin Skywalker, who is seriously strong with the force. Qui-Gon is determined to have this boy trained as a Jedi despite the Jedi council’s hesitation while a new threat looms in the background. Enter Darth Maul.

Okay, there is a lot to say for this movie. There are some great things about it: I love Qui-Gon and Obi-wan; the final lightsaber duel against Maul is iconic, and Maul is a badass with the also iconic double bladed lightsaber. The score is amazing and the cinematography at times is breathtaking. On the opposite side of the spectrum are some hard negatives.: wooden characters, lame dialogue, overuse of CGI that hasn’t aged well in certain parts, Jar Jar is annoying as hell and Anakin has moments of surpassing Jar Jar and I hate the inserted “Chosen One” thing. Phantom Menace is overall a fair first entry to set the series up but damn their is a huge room for improvement. May the gaming gods bring you glory.

Birds of Prey trailer 2

Lately DC has been on fire with there last few movies and it seems the new directions they’ve been taking are going in the right direction. So I say that to say I’m curious if this movie is either going to be a more cringe- worthy counterpart to Suicide Squad or this maybe decent. I see some potential in this new trailer but I can’t help but feel like it may be a mess. It’s going to be a interesting birthday trip. May the gaming gods bring you glory.

Brahms: The Boy 2 trailer 1

Why, I wonder; of all the deserving horror movies out there why the hell would anyone want a sequel to The Boy ? While not the worst horror movie, it does have one of the dumbest twists in recent memory. Well the sequel looks like most generic ghost stories and besides why is this a thing, I also ask why the hell Katie Holmes decided to jump on board this thing. I’m hoping for a decent flick but I’m not openly optimistic. May the gaming gods bring you glory.

Star Wars Episode 3: The Game

sith game

I’ve been holding off talking about the Star wars prequels, there is so much to say and so little time. I will say this though, of all the movie tie in games I’ve played over my life, I honestly think this game is actually superior to the movie it’s based off of. Revenge of the Sith is the story Star Wars fans had been craving for ages, the story of Anakin Skywalker’s turn to the dark side and becoming Darth Vader. Without getting into the movie too much, this game does a lot with early Vader I wanted to see in the movie. As a new Sith lord, you fight hordes of Jedi and as an assassin you get to fight through some heavy resistance. Certain scenes were elongated and gave some nice character moments the movie was missing, like a final battle with Mace Windau, paused moments between Obi-Wan and Anakin, and Anakin fighting two legendary Jedi swordsmen.

The gameplay is pretty fun, switching between Anakin and Obi-Wan’s point of view, but the best part are the boss fights which were the challenging as hell but feel like a real lightsaber duel. The combos are easy enough to execute and the powers are well done. Upgrading throughout the game noticeably increases your power and feels earned. There is a multiplayer vs mode which is a blast with friends and a few bonus stages including an alternate ending, a stage dedicated to replaying Obi-wan and Vader’s rematch, and some horde maps. The music is a nice touch and the cut-scenes are mainly from the movie which I liked a lot. The graphics are fine but the voice acting is mostly flat. The game isn’t too long but there’s fun to be had after but overall it’s rather short. I recommend it for Star Wars fans and it’s a pretty solid game. May the gaming gods bring you glory.