Again, a Pixar movie that I almost let pass me by.
My excuse, here, could have been "Wall-E was so good, they can't do that twice in a row". Not that they haven't done that in the past, mind you (Toy Story 2, Monsters Inc. for me). So well yes they can.
When it took 1/2 of Wall-E to make me shed a tear, it took Up only 10min. Just for this opening, presenting a perfect life in little moments, the movie could just be the best of the year. Simply amazing. And although the movie kind of climaxes emotionally here, the rest always manages to juxtapose extremely serious scenes with pure Tex Avery-style slapstick. Cry & laugh are just seconds of one another. It's a very difficult balancing act but they just manage to pull it off easily.
And with that tone set right, you can just have a stupid bird called Kevin, talking dogs, it's fine, it all works. It's all funny, well paced, well used (no fart joke here).
And the action packed final could stand amongst the best "summer blockbusters" scene of the year.
You could argue that on the whole it's yet another buddy movie with a mismatched pair of characters and it's true that the movie does follow the blue prints of the genre. Yet, the context, the themes change everything in my view.
Because at its heart, Up is finally a fairly children-unfriendly film. Loss, nostalgia, all these are difficult to empathise with if you haven't lived a little.
But as such, I don't care, I'm an old git already, screw the kiddies. :p
Another stand out for me here was that it was the 1st movie I watched in 3D. Initially I wanted to refrain myself until Avatar comes out, in order not to spoil anything of the experience that it promises.
But with Up available in 3D, how could I say no? And having seen it, I'm actually glad that I did. Because it's not a "3D effect" movie with lots of "in your face" moments. So it was very interesting to see how 3D can enhance a "standard" picture. Because it does. It gives real depth to the picture, which is stupid to say because that's exactly what 3D does, but the addition is really striking.
That final action scene just gives vertigo as a consequence. I can't imagine what a Spiderman movie could do with this...
So yeah another addition to the great movies I've seen this year. What a year indeed...
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Friday, October 23, 2009
Play it simple.
2 posts in a day wouhou! ;)
I read a very interesting interview of Spike Jonze on AICN earlier and beyond the fact that I'm dying to see Where The Wild Things Are, he made a comment on music that I found quite interesting.
Talking about his composer: "He was working with these world-class musicians from the New York Philharmonic, and saying, "Play it simpler. Play it like a fifth grader." "
It's true that you can write a very simple melody, but if you have an experienced musician, he'll play it with all his technical skill. So it actually make it SOUND simple, you also have to play it simply...
Might seem obvious, I think that's an interesting thought.
I read a very interesting interview of Spike Jonze on AICN earlier and beyond the fact that I'm dying to see Where The Wild Things Are, he made a comment on music that I found quite interesting.
Talking about his composer: "He was working with these world-class musicians from the New York Philharmonic, and saying, "Play it simpler. Play it like a fifth grader." "
It's true that you can write a very simple melody, but if you have an experienced musician, he'll play it with all his technical skill. So it actually make it SOUND simple, you also have to play it simply...
Might seem obvious, I think that's an interesting thought.
Gamer.
Yet another "late" review.
I tend to get lots of ideas on things to write and not actually take the time to write anything. Hence the pretty much "cinema review only" content of late.
Anyway, I went to see Gamer back in September and here we are.
That's my 3rd Neveldine/Taylor film in the year (after Crank, 1 & 2). So I kind of know their MO now: they don't do art and they know it. But although they tend to go into B/exploitation territories, they manage to put so many ideas in their thing that maybe it sticks as more than it "should" be. If you compare this and Robert Rodriguez's Planet Terror, they share quite a lot of points (most notably blood, guts & boobies). But while the Rodriguez's Grindhouse look at the past, they bring it right up in the present.
I guess there a a lot of direct-to-DVD pictures that do that as well, but N/T do that in their own flamboyant way...
Gamer could feel like a more "serious" movie than Crank, yet they stay true to their formula. It's less hectic, but they put a lot of crazy ideas and I have to say they hit their targets right on the nail, bending just a little our own gaming / social networking world...
As for the rest, it's all ably crafted, I quite like Gerard Butler as an action hero. And Michael C. Hall is in a type-cast role but does it perfectly.
And there's a brilliant dance scene!
1 disappointment could be that they could push the social commentary further. In a sense I wish it could have been more than a souped up B-movie. But then again would it work if it took itself seriously?
It's still worth a look.
I tend to get lots of ideas on things to write and not actually take the time to write anything. Hence the pretty much "cinema review only" content of late.
Anyway, I went to see Gamer back in September and here we are.
That's my 3rd Neveldine/Taylor film in the year (after Crank, 1 & 2). So I kind of know their MO now: they don't do art and they know it. But although they tend to go into B/exploitation territories, they manage to put so many ideas in their thing that maybe it sticks as more than it "should" be. If you compare this and Robert Rodriguez's Planet Terror, they share quite a lot of points (most notably blood, guts & boobies). But while the Rodriguez's Grindhouse look at the past, they bring it right up in the present.
I guess there a a lot of direct-to-DVD pictures that do that as well, but N/T do that in their own flamboyant way...
Gamer could feel like a more "serious" movie than Crank, yet they stay true to their formula. It's less hectic, but they put a lot of crazy ideas and I have to say they hit their targets right on the nail, bending just a little our own gaming / social networking world...
As for the rest, it's all ably crafted, I quite like Gerard Butler as an action hero. And Michael C. Hall is in a type-cast role but does it perfectly.
And there's a brilliant dance scene!
1 disappointment could be that they could push the social commentary further. In a sense I wish it could have been more than a souped up B-movie. But then again would it work if it took itself seriously?
It's still worth a look.
Thursday, September 17, 2009
District 9.
I've this one ages ago and have attempted to write something about it several times already, but it's one of those movies for which I feel my words are not worthy.
I can't really express how brilliant it is.
So I'll make it short:
This is one of the best piece of SciFi committed on celluloid since, probably Spielberg's War Of The Worlds (which I loved).
The documentary style is an excellent idea and feels fresh.
The special effects are mind blowing (the aliens are just there, which is pretty important given the documentary style).
The main actor is incredible (I can't believe he's not a professionnal).
And the social subtext is amazingly relevant and well implemented.
I'm running out of superlatives so I'll conclude that, when considering that this is Neil Blomkampf's 1st feature and that it was produced on just around $30M (10 times less than Tranformers 2, when the action is if not better at least as good), it just becomes an achievement of heroic proportions!
Following up on that might be difficult for the director...
I can't really express how brilliant it is.
So I'll make it short:
This is one of the best piece of SciFi committed on celluloid since, probably Spielberg's War Of The Worlds (which I loved).
The documentary style is an excellent idea and feels fresh.
The special effects are mind blowing (the aliens are just there, which is pretty important given the documentary style).
The main actor is incredible (I can't believe he's not a professionnal).
And the social subtext is amazingly relevant and well implemented.
I'm running out of superlatives so I'll conclude that, when considering that this is Neil Blomkampf's 1st feature and that it was produced on just around $30M (10 times less than Tranformers 2, when the action is if not better at least as good), it just becomes an achievement of heroic proportions!
Following up on that might be difficult for the director...
Sunday, September 13, 2009
Monday, September 07, 2009
Inglorious Basterds.
I rewatched Deathproof not long ago and althoug h I did enjoy it when I saw it in the cinema, I just couldn't watch it in full. Too chatty... "Too chatty"???? That's a Tarantino what did I expect? Well, given that's chatting for chatting in this case, despite the fact that the dialogs are perfectly built, it just fell flat on the 2nd viewing for me. That never happenned to Pulp Fiction, Jackie Brown and the others...
And that will certainly not happen with this 6th feature... QT comes back at the top of his game...
From the 1st notes of the opening, the titles' polices and the 1st images (the chaptering...), you know where you are. This is a Tarantino Movie, with the inevitable references and shots taken straight out of a Sergio Leone Western to start with. Yet what could annoy (why does he feels compelled to COPY???) just doesn't. Because what follows is one of the greatest opening scenes in recent memory. A simple dialog, very long (this is a Tarantino feature!), but incredibly well constructed, both in French and English and that builds up an incredible tension, leading to the unavoidable.
In it, Christoph Waltz directly imposes himself as a baddy to be remembered in an incredible performance. Just a close up where you can see his affable expression fading into that of a hunter about to deliver the final blow is quite simply astonishing (and I have to say that I don't praise actors easily, as I tend to put most of the responsibility on the person directing them).
That's only the opening and the rest delivers at least as much...
In a sense it's a "classic" Tarantino movie. Very chatty, with burst of brutal violence and lots of references to other movies. Yet in all he does, he manages to throw eveything out so it feels fresh. He doesn't copy. He recycles. He pays tribute and adds his 2 cents. And he does that incredibly well.
The dialogs here are also a marvel. It's always the case with him, sure, but in our case, they deal with 4 languages!
And they're all delivered by incredible actors. Sure, Christoph Waltz comes on top, but all of them should be commended for their turn. Also, in this case, the dialogs do add to the story. They distill the tension until violence breaks loose. Like in a horror movie, where the "jump" moment is delayed only to be more effective. And we're graced with the music of the words in the meantime.
They are also especially relevant in a setting where only one word (or sign!) can give an ennemy away...
The story is masterfully told, incredibly tense, brutal and darkly ironic as usual.
I realise I refer to "classic" and "usual" a lot. It might give the impression everything is expected, but that's not the case, as here what is expected is to be surprised...
There are things that made me think of Verhoeven's Black Book, despite the fact that Basterds doesn't share its depth (nor does it would try to). But shall we say that the title does describes pretty well every character depicted here...
It is also extremely layered. For example, in essence, this is a WW2 movie without battle scenes. Yet there are, in a movie in the movie...
It's that kind of stuff that you can take home a think about and that make such work very rewarding.
Tarantino movie comes with high expectations which are met in spades here. I might not be far from thinking that this is his best work yet...
Always a good feeling.
This is what Cinema is.
And that will certainly not happen with this 6th feature... QT comes back at the top of his game...
From the 1st notes of the opening, the titles' polices and the 1st images (the chaptering...), you know where you are. This is a Tarantino Movie, with the inevitable references and shots taken straight out of a Sergio Leone Western to start with. Yet what could annoy (why does he feels compelled to COPY???) just doesn't. Because what follows is one of the greatest opening scenes in recent memory. A simple dialog, very long (this is a Tarantino feature!), but incredibly well constructed, both in French and English and that builds up an incredible tension, leading to the unavoidable.
In it, Christoph Waltz directly imposes himself as a baddy to be remembered in an incredible performance. Just a close up where you can see his affable expression fading into that of a hunter about to deliver the final blow is quite simply astonishing (and I have to say that I don't praise actors easily, as I tend to put most of the responsibility on the person directing them).
That's only the opening and the rest delivers at least as much...
In a sense it's a "classic" Tarantino movie. Very chatty, with burst of brutal violence and lots of references to other movies. Yet in all he does, he manages to throw eveything out so it feels fresh. He doesn't copy. He recycles. He pays tribute and adds his 2 cents. And he does that incredibly well.
The dialogs here are also a marvel. It's always the case with him, sure, but in our case, they deal with 4 languages!
And they're all delivered by incredible actors. Sure, Christoph Waltz comes on top, but all of them should be commended for their turn. Also, in this case, the dialogs do add to the story. They distill the tension until violence breaks loose. Like in a horror movie, where the "jump" moment is delayed only to be more effective. And we're graced with the music of the words in the meantime.
They are also especially relevant in a setting where only one word (or sign!) can give an ennemy away...
The story is masterfully told, incredibly tense, brutal and darkly ironic as usual.
I realise I refer to "classic" and "usual" a lot. It might give the impression everything is expected, but that's not the case, as here what is expected is to be surprised...
There are things that made me think of Verhoeven's Black Book, despite the fact that Basterds doesn't share its depth (nor does it would try to). But shall we say that the title does describes pretty well every character depicted here...
It is also extremely layered. For example, in essence, this is a WW2 movie without battle scenes. Yet there are, in a movie in the movie...
It's that kind of stuff that you can take home a think about and that make such work very rewarding.
Tarantino movie comes with high expectations which are met in spades here. I might not be far from thinking that this is his best work yet...
Always a good feeling.
This is what Cinema is.
Thursday, September 03, 2009
Canabalt
Another great flash game: Cannabalt.
1 button to jump that's all you need.
And reflexes, good ones as the game accelerates almost constantly...
I just love the style of this.
There's a great sense of elation as you perform those crazy jumps at a crazy speed, quite similar to Mirror's Edge 2D (the music itself has me play just to listen to it...).
And it's also great that the level are randomly generated. It's pure skill that way...
My best is 2153m so far...
Thanks to Kotaku for the tip.
I notice see what I was running from after a few plays...
UPDATE!
I did 3848m!!! \(^0^)/
3966!!
1 button to jump that's all you need.
And reflexes, good ones as the game accelerates almost constantly...
I just love the style of this.
There's a great sense of elation as you perform those crazy jumps at a crazy speed, quite similar to Mirror's Edge 2D (the music itself has me play just to listen to it...).
And it's also great that the level are randomly generated. It's pure skill that way...
My best is 2153m so far...
Thanks to Kotaku for the tip.
I notice see what I was running from after a few plays...
UPDATE!
I did 3848m!!! \(^0^)/
3966!!
Tuesday, September 01, 2009
Today's joke...
So the return from holiday is less painful...
--------------
A panda walks into a restaurant, sits down and orders a sandwich. He eats the sandwich, then pulls out a gun, and shoots the waiter dead. As the panda stands
up to leave, the manager shouts: "Hey! Where are you going? You just shot my waiter and you didn't pay for your sandwich!" The panda yells back at the manager: "Hey man, I'm a panda! Look it up!" So the manager opens his dictionary and looks up the word "panda". "What does it say?" asks a confused onlooker. The boss reads: "Panda: A tree dwelling marsupial of Asian origin, characterised by distinct black and white colouring. Eats shoots and leaves."
--------------
I knew those things were evil... :)
--------------
A panda walks into a restaurant, sits down and orders a sandwich. He eats the sandwich, then pulls out a gun, and shoots the waiter dead. As the panda stands
up to leave, the manager shouts: "Hey! Where are you going? You just shot my waiter and you didn't pay for your sandwich!" The panda yells back at the manager: "Hey man, I'm a panda! Look it up!" So the manager opens his dictionary and looks up the word "panda". "What does it say?" asks a confused onlooker. The boss reads: "Panda: A tree dwelling marsupial of Asian origin, characterised by distinct black and white colouring. Eats shoots and leaves."
--------------
I knew those things were evil... :)
Monday, August 03, 2009
Saturday, August 01, 2009
Mirror's edge 2D (redux)
I think I mentionned this one before, but that was a demo and now they got the full game out!
(not sure when they rolled it out, might be old news, but I only discovered it...)
So here it is: Mirror's Edge, but in 2D!
It's beautiful, the music is great and most importantly it plays great!
Jump, wall run, jump, slide, run jump... It's fast, responsive and feels great.
It's only 3 levels, but they're well entertaining. You can spend some time looking for secret stuff and there's also the time trial that pits you against the clock to clear each of them the fastest, which can make you come back for more...
And it's all a free flash game!
(not sure when they rolled it out, might be old news, but I only discovered it...)
So here it is: Mirror's Edge, but in 2D!
It's beautiful, the music is great and most importantly it plays great!
Jump, wall run, jump, slide, run jump... It's fast, responsive and feels great.
It's only 3 levels, but they're well entertaining. You can spend some time looking for secret stuff and there's also the time trial that pits you against the clock to clear each of them the fastest, which can make you come back for more...
And it's all a free flash game!
Friday, July 31, 2009
Saturday, July 25, 2009
Bruno.
So I finally got the courage to go and see Bruno.
I think it does come down as a courage thing. Anyone who's seen (or even heard of) Borat will know that it's a ticket to be shocked.
And it does deliver that in spades.
Actually, due to the sexual nature of the subject, it does feel "sicker"... More twisted would be a better term I guess. In a sense, I think it's wrong that talking about sex seems more shocking than being antisemitic. Yet that's how our society works, I guess...
Anyway it is a perverted movie, for sure and it does prove some fair points, as Borat did. "Disgusting" moments are only more disgusting... Be ready for pubes and a talking penis...
The set pieces are really great, wonderfully subversive: that judge from the X-Factor (or wherever) talking of her chritative work sitting on mexican workers, a cage fights which degenerates into a gay love scene... In a turn of brilliance, Bruno makes conversations with people specialised in turning gay people straight disturbingly "gay"...
Whatever you think of the movie you have to give it (!) to Sacha Baron Cohen: he's talented and he's got guts...
As with Borat, 2 questions stay in my mind:
1) How much of the movie was staged?
2) How is he still alive???
It is hitting hard on the US, but indirectly, we get the flack, as the US are just a bit more extreme than we are...
To paraphrase the review I read in liberation, "if you're laughing everywhere, you're missing the point and if you're standing here shocked, you're missing it also".
Whether you find it funny or not, I think it still raises a point worth reflecting upon.
And as a piece of trash cinema (in a sort of Michael Moore meets Jackass) it's just pure gold.
I think it does come down as a courage thing. Anyone who's seen (or even heard of) Borat will know that it's a ticket to be shocked.
And it does deliver that in spades.
Actually, due to the sexual nature of the subject, it does feel "sicker"... More twisted would be a better term I guess. In a sense, I think it's wrong that talking about sex seems more shocking than being antisemitic. Yet that's how our society works, I guess...
Anyway it is a perverted movie, for sure and it does prove some fair points, as Borat did. "Disgusting" moments are only more disgusting... Be ready for pubes and a talking penis...
The set pieces are really great, wonderfully subversive: that judge from the X-Factor (or wherever) talking of her chritative work sitting on mexican workers, a cage fights which degenerates into a gay love scene... In a turn of brilliance, Bruno makes conversations with people specialised in turning gay people straight disturbingly "gay"...
Whatever you think of the movie you have to give it (!) to Sacha Baron Cohen: he's talented and he's got guts...
As with Borat, 2 questions stay in my mind:
1) How much of the movie was staged?
2) How is he still alive???
It is hitting hard on the US, but indirectly, we get the flack, as the US are just a bit more extreme than we are...
To paraphrase the review I read in liberation, "if you're laughing everywhere, you're missing the point and if you're standing here shocked, you're missing it also".
Whether you find it funny or not, I think it still raises a point worth reflecting upon.
And as a piece of trash cinema (in a sort of Michael Moore meets Jackass) it's just pure gold.
Sunday, July 19, 2009
LOST!
My my my...
5 episodes into the 4th season and I'm already jumping around in glee...
I have to say, with this time-travelling episode, I just can't think of any TV series that stimulated me like that. EVER.
God I love that show.
5 episodes into the 4th season and I'm already jumping around in glee...
I have to say, with this time-travelling episode, I just can't think of any TV series that stimulated me like that. EVER.
God I love that show.
Tuesday, July 07, 2009
Rabbit wants cake.
It's been a while since the last flash game.
This one, called "Rabbit wants cake has a crazy concept: you enter your direction inputs first and then watch your rabbit do what you told it to. And not hat you wanted it to do...
Later levels get quite crazier...
On top of that it's very well designed and very humorous...
Reminds a bit of Portal in a sense, but that might have a lot to do with the cake...
I like! :)
(I got originally that from Ecrans)
This one, called "Rabbit wants cake has a crazy concept: you enter your direction inputs first and then watch your rabbit do what you told it to. And not hat you wanted it to do...
Later levels get quite crazier...
On top of that it's very well designed and very humorous...
Reminds a bit of Portal in a sense, but that might have a lot to do with the cake...
I like! :)
(I got originally that from Ecrans)
Monday, July 06, 2009
Public Ennemies
Strange how Michael Mann always seems to do the same movie.
Cops & robbers. Viril friendships. Strong women, yet sacrified for the men's choices.
Yet that's only a frame. And one movie after another, he manages to explore different characters, different stories.
Beside the fact that Public Ennemies takes place in the 30s, Johnny Depp's John Dillinger is very different from Hanna, McCauley, Vincent or Crockett & Tubbs.
He might as well been a rockstar, for in that time, to enjoy fast money and fame, robbing banks might have seem the way to go. Live fast, don't think about tomorrow die shot down by the cops. Although an expert bank robber, he just fancies himself as a movie hero. And he's got a band, that goes by the same rules. Some wilder...
On the oherside of the line, Christian Bale's Melvin Purvis portrays in a sense the birth of modern police, with the beginning of interstate investigations, telephone wiring, etc. He also loses his soul in the process, having to give up his principles to achieve his goals (or those of his superiors?).
Tragic characters, which make for an engaging story, deep and layered.
The cast supporting it is perfect.
It's quite interesting to see this era, the flamboyant all gun blazing bank robberies treated that way. Characters like Baby Face Nelson, who was portrayed as a comical character in the Coen's "O'Brother...", come across in a similar fashion here (crazy gun-blazing psycho). Only the context doesn't make it funny of course.
In another difference to other Mann's movies, the focus here is also on the "villains" (or are they?). There's not much emphasis on the confrontation (as in Heat) but more on how everyone works.
As for direction, well anyone who's seen Collateral or Miami Vice can guess that it's incredible. Mann still hasn't given up his DV and shows us the American 30s like no one has shown it before. Classic yet modern, aiming for a gritty feel during the tense shoot-outs and very intimate (lots of close ups) in character development, making sure every detail feels authentic. It feels like a true time travel.
So I won't carry on because it's the kind of complex movie for which my weak words are just not worthy. Suffice to say that, even it might not reach up to the height of Heat, it's yet another classic from Mann, that can certainly support comparision with The Untouchables...
There's a very interesting iterview of Michael Mann over at AICN. Better read after seeing the movie I think.
Cops & robbers. Viril friendships. Strong women, yet sacrified for the men's choices.
Yet that's only a frame. And one movie after another, he manages to explore different characters, different stories.
Beside the fact that Public Ennemies takes place in the 30s, Johnny Depp's John Dillinger is very different from Hanna, McCauley, Vincent or Crockett & Tubbs.
He might as well been a rockstar, for in that time, to enjoy fast money and fame, robbing banks might have seem the way to go. Live fast, don't think about tomorrow die shot down by the cops. Although an expert bank robber, he just fancies himself as a movie hero. And he's got a band, that goes by the same rules. Some wilder...
On the oherside of the line, Christian Bale's Melvin Purvis portrays in a sense the birth of modern police, with the beginning of interstate investigations, telephone wiring, etc. He also loses his soul in the process, having to give up his principles to achieve his goals (or those of his superiors?).
Tragic characters, which make for an engaging story, deep and layered.
The cast supporting it is perfect.
It's quite interesting to see this era, the flamboyant all gun blazing bank robberies treated that way. Characters like Baby Face Nelson, who was portrayed as a comical character in the Coen's "O'Brother...", come across in a similar fashion here (crazy gun-blazing psycho). Only the context doesn't make it funny of course.
In another difference to other Mann's movies, the focus here is also on the "villains" (or are they?). There's not much emphasis on the confrontation (as in Heat) but more on how everyone works.
As for direction, well anyone who's seen Collateral or Miami Vice can guess that it's incredible. Mann still hasn't given up his DV and shows us the American 30s like no one has shown it before. Classic yet modern, aiming for a gritty feel during the tense shoot-outs and very intimate (lots of close ups) in character development, making sure every detail feels authentic. It feels like a true time travel.
So I won't carry on because it's the kind of complex movie for which my weak words are just not worthy. Suffice to say that, even it might not reach up to the height of Heat, it's yet another classic from Mann, that can certainly support comparision with The Untouchables...
There's a very interesting iterview of Michael Mann over at AICN. Better read after seeing the movie I think.
Wednesday, July 01, 2009
Control over games...
I responded to an article over at Kotaku. The initial article is by Leigh Alexander who's got a very interesting gaming blog (much better than this one) and does a lot of other stuff as well. It regards the classic way of controlling games, reminding that although motion control seems to be the new thing, it doesn't necessarily enhance the gaming experience. Very true. Yet that seems to include the Wiimote and here comes things I would tend to argue on.
I've also wanted to rant a bit over the amount of slack the Wii's taking and that seemed like a perfect opportunity!
Since I did take the hassle to write a comment I might as well reproduce it here...
Here it is.
----
I would like to know how "classic controller" is defined.
I kind of feel that the Wii controller isn't included in there. Would that be because it features motion control?
That would be a bit silly, in my opinion.
If you really look at it, the wiimote/nunchuk is a classic controller. It's broken in 2, sure, but it's got 2 sticks, shoulder buttons, face buttons, etc. Sure, it's streamlined, but pretty much like anything like Nintendo released after the SNES (which should be the quitessential classic gamepad, as Sony only built on it to create the PS controller, which is the best pad ever created): the pads for the N64 or the GC were attempts to innovate on its base. They only took it a step further with the Wii controller, even breaking away from the shape (OH MY GOD!).
Now, having established that, the Wii controller adds 2 features to the classic controller scheme: the IR pointer & the motion controls.
Now who will stands and say that FPSs are better played with a pad? Or RTSs?
Personnally, I would even go as far as saying that having played FIFA 09 with the pointer, I would not want to play a football game without it anymore...
It's an evolution of the same medium, it's an enhancement. And it's not because you use motion controls that the game becomes easier.
Back to FIFA 09, replacing the shoot button by a Wiimote movement enables the control to be analogic, you need to learn to get your movement right. It's not especially well implemented in FIFA, sure, but still, it's a lot better than just pressing a button and releasing at the right time and it's not dumbing it down. It's just different.
Natal would be more the issue and here I believe that it's pushing it too far.
But the culprit is not the Wii. The Wii innovated wildly and created something new, while being able to build on the old stack.
The problem is that it seems to be driving the rest to try to cash in on motion control. Done the right way it could open huge possibilities. For money, it won't yield anything better than what was done with the PS2 EyeToy...
I'm saying this being a Wii-fanatic, sure and I do stand a bit disappointed that there are too few games that take real advantages of all the possibilities the Wii controller has to offer.
But to me as an interface, it's the new best one ever done for a game.
And at least it's fresh, unlike Sony who's releasing the same system only with improved graphics for the past 3 generations...
I've also wanted to rant a bit over the amount of slack the Wii's taking and that seemed like a perfect opportunity!
Since I did take the hassle to write a comment I might as well reproduce it here...
Here it is.
----
I would like to know how "classic controller" is defined.
I kind of feel that the Wii controller isn't included in there. Would that be because it features motion control?
That would be a bit silly, in my opinion.
If you really look at it, the wiimote/nunchuk is a classic controller. It's broken in 2, sure, but it's got 2 sticks, shoulder buttons, face buttons, etc. Sure, it's streamlined, but pretty much like anything like Nintendo released after the SNES (which should be the quitessential classic gamepad, as Sony only built on it to create the PS controller, which is the best pad ever created): the pads for the N64 or the GC were attempts to innovate on its base. They only took it a step further with the Wii controller, even breaking away from the shape (OH MY GOD!).
Now, having established that, the Wii controller adds 2 features to the classic controller scheme: the IR pointer & the motion controls.
Now who will stands and say that FPSs are better played with a pad? Or RTSs?
Personnally, I would even go as far as saying that having played FIFA 09 with the pointer, I would not want to play a football game without it anymore...
It's an evolution of the same medium, it's an enhancement. And it's not because you use motion controls that the game becomes easier.
Back to FIFA 09, replacing the shoot button by a Wiimote movement enables the control to be analogic, you need to learn to get your movement right. It's not especially well implemented in FIFA, sure, but still, it's a lot better than just pressing a button and releasing at the right time and it's not dumbing it down. It's just different.
Natal would be more the issue and here I believe that it's pushing it too far.
But the culprit is not the Wii. The Wii innovated wildly and created something new, while being able to build on the old stack.
The problem is that it seems to be driving the rest to try to cash in on motion control. Done the right way it could open huge possibilities. For money, it won't yield anything better than what was done with the PS2 EyeToy...
I'm saying this being a Wii-fanatic, sure and I do stand a bit disappointed that there are too few games that take real advantages of all the possibilities the Wii controller has to offer.
But to me as an interface, it's the new best one ever done for a game.
And at least it's fresh, unlike Sony who's releasing the same system only with improved graphics for the past 3 generations...
Sunday, June 28, 2009
Lost...
I've just finished the 3rd season of Lost...
Well now even more than ever, I just sit there and think "how can they be so good?".
There is a serie like that once in a while that sucks me in and never let me go. Lost is one of them. Sometime I even wonder how I can be so into it. Yet there's no point asking.
So far (and 3 seasons in I hope it's not going to change), I love everything about this series. The atmosphere, the characters, the ever renewed twists and turns...
It's a series where everything can happen. It's in the middle of so many genres that it's become one in itself... Therefore, you're always on your toes. Nobody's safe. Actually not quite but you can never be sure and that's the whole point. You care, you're afraid...
I so love the fact also that they took time in the 1st season especially to make it ABOUT the characters. They're not numbers. You care for them. It makes everything outside the "main" story (i mean about the Island) interesting and it's therefore not too much a big deal when the story stops a bit to develop some characters interactions.
Plot-wise, you could argue that it's fabricated to throw the audience off into another direction every episode or so, yet they alwasy manage to go back to stuff they have left for a while. Identifying a body you saw a season earlier for example. That tends to lead me thinking they have a plan. Maybe they haven't. Yet why should I care, as long as they manage to fool me? All I want is being fooled. That's what the moving pictures are all about.
As much as I would like answers, I still wish it could never end...
Now let's tackle the 4th season...
Well now even more than ever, I just sit there and think "how can they be so good?".
There is a serie like that once in a while that sucks me in and never let me go. Lost is one of them. Sometime I even wonder how I can be so into it. Yet there's no point asking.
So far (and 3 seasons in I hope it's not going to change), I love everything about this series. The atmosphere, the characters, the ever renewed twists and turns...
It's a series where everything can happen. It's in the middle of so many genres that it's become one in itself... Therefore, you're always on your toes. Nobody's safe. Actually not quite but you can never be sure and that's the whole point. You care, you're afraid...
I so love the fact also that they took time in the 1st season especially to make it ABOUT the characters. They're not numbers. You care for them. It makes everything outside the "main" story (i mean about the Island) interesting and it's therefore not too much a big deal when the story stops a bit to develop some characters interactions.
Plot-wise, you could argue that it's fabricated to throw the audience off into another direction every episode or so, yet they alwasy manage to go back to stuff they have left for a while. Identifying a body you saw a season earlier for example. That tends to lead me thinking they have a plan. Maybe they haven't. Yet why should I care, as long as they manage to fool me? All I want is being fooled. That's what the moving pictures are all about.
As much as I would like answers, I still wish it could never end...
Now let's tackle the 4th season...
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Transformers: Revenge of the fallen
I feel a bit bad, because I couldn't get myself to the cinema to watch Drag Me To Hell, but I did for Transformers 2. As an excuse, I woul say that in my current state I prefer to become deaf than being scared shitless... Anyway.
So I enjoyed the 1st one very much, funny bits included, strangely enough...
In true Bay style, this one takes things to 11. It's a far bigger movie. Unfortunately, it means that if the good things have become better, the faults have gone worse...
The humour is the main point of complaint. Sure, I said I enjoyed it in the 1st one. I did. It managed to walk that fine line for me that delimits what I find funny and justified in the context of the movie and what's not (from my point of view). Here it does cross the line. Humping dogs seen once might be just about OK, by the 3rd time, it's a bit tiring. Farting Decpticons? No thanks. Balls on Devastator? No thanks.
I read an interview of Bay where he said that he was surprised how people likes the humour of the 1st one. I guess it took this as an incentive to go further. Well it didn't work for me.
Also, no cliche is forgotten. You get those "Team America" moments. Mimes in France, to name but 1. Only here it's not Team America, so you can be sure it hasn't been done on purpose. So that makes so laughs, but that's in spite of the movie. Never a good sign...
Having said that it all happens in such a sensorial aggression that in a good mood (and with beers), you might just forgive all that (with clearer ideas, I'm not sure though).
And that's because apart from this, Bay brings the shit. And when he brings the shit, he brings the shit.
The action as some pretty awesome moments. The fights between robots are much clearer, longer (although still too short!) and more choreographed. It's seriously cool.
And it's very VERY good looking (especially Megan Fox ;) )...
On the robots, 1 thing that's cool is that you get some Megatron/Starscream bickering. So you get a bit of "character development" on that side. I only wish they did the same for the autobots, which bareloy have anything to say through the movie. The focus seems a bit too much on the humans... Come on, this is a TRANSFORMERS movie!!!
On a similar level, during the final set piece, Bay clearly unleashes his military fetish and almost seems to forget there are robots involved...
It's strange, but when coming straight out of the movie, I was feeling quite good, you know this feeling like you're walking with a power stance and a camera is filming you with a low-angle shot (I call that the Bay effect). I did enjoy myself.
And then I thought really about what I saw and felt a bit cheated.
I would think that somewhere in there cutting nearly 1h (I mean it lasts 2h30!!), there's a pretty strong (and "respectable") blockbuster. As it stands, because of all these annoyances and despite the much better action, it scores lower than the 1st...
So I enjoyed the 1st one very much, funny bits included, strangely enough...
In true Bay style, this one takes things to 11. It's a far bigger movie. Unfortunately, it means that if the good things have become better, the faults have gone worse...
The humour is the main point of complaint. Sure, I said I enjoyed it in the 1st one. I did. It managed to walk that fine line for me that delimits what I find funny and justified in the context of the movie and what's not (from my point of view). Here it does cross the line. Humping dogs seen once might be just about OK, by the 3rd time, it's a bit tiring. Farting Decpticons? No thanks. Balls on Devastator? No thanks.
I read an interview of Bay where he said that he was surprised how people likes the humour of the 1st one. I guess it took this as an incentive to go further. Well it didn't work for me.
Also, no cliche is forgotten. You get those "Team America" moments. Mimes in France, to name but 1. Only here it's not Team America, so you can be sure it hasn't been done on purpose. So that makes so laughs, but that's in spite of the movie. Never a good sign...
Having said that it all happens in such a sensorial aggression that in a good mood (and with beers), you might just forgive all that (with clearer ideas, I'm not sure though).
And that's because apart from this, Bay brings the shit. And when he brings the shit, he brings the shit.
The action as some pretty awesome moments. The fights between robots are much clearer, longer (although still too short!) and more choreographed. It's seriously cool.
And it's very VERY good looking (especially Megan Fox ;) )...
On the robots, 1 thing that's cool is that you get some Megatron/Starscream bickering. So you get a bit of "character development" on that side. I only wish they did the same for the autobots, which bareloy have anything to say through the movie. The focus seems a bit too much on the humans... Come on, this is a TRANSFORMERS movie!!!
On a similar level, during the final set piece, Bay clearly unleashes his military fetish and almost seems to forget there are robots involved...
It's strange, but when coming straight out of the movie, I was feeling quite good, you know this feeling like you're walking with a power stance and a camera is filming you with a low-angle shot (I call that the Bay effect). I did enjoy myself.
And then I thought really about what I saw and felt a bit cheated.
I would think that somewhere in there cutting nearly 1h (I mean it lasts 2h30!!), there's a pretty strong (and "respectable") blockbuster. As it stands, because of all these annoyances and despite the much better action, it scores lower than the 1st...
Saturday, June 13, 2009
No More Heroes
Writing about the Force Unleashed and realising, as I wrote, that I was mentionning a passable (yet enjoyable) game while I hadn't mentionned another (others in fact) that was truly great finally made me take the decision to finally repair this obvious anomaly.
I bought No More Heroes by chance. It did have raving reviews and seemed to be bound to be of my taste, but somehow the screenshots I saw didn't really appeal to me. But when I saw it at budget price, I just couldn't resist to take the chance.
And I'm glad I did.
Your usual good (to very good) game will usually rely on a solid gameplay. Not something especially original but solid and very enjoyable. And then you have the excellent game that manage to break out of the mould and take that gameplay further, including it in an atmosphere, a story, a world. To me that's when a game becomes an "experience". Big word, but still.
And to me No More Heroes just does that and some.
At its core it's a very well designed brawler. The controls are tight and make good (and parcimonious) use of the motion control: you control your stance (high or low) and carry out wrestling moves with it. Your foes will also take stances so you have to adapt yours to hit them (high beats low, low beats high), bringing a bit of strategy in the mix. And you get to wield a lightsaber!! :)
Graphics are very cool, at least in my opinion. They have character. Actually they remind me of Interstate 76, in their (wanted) polygonal look. The thing is that it's what didn't catch me in the screenshots, but it takes another shape when it all starts to move.
The game itself is linear. The designers tried to create a pseudo-GTA in which you move freely around the city to gather money and other power ups. But the things you can do outside the missions is pretty limited, which is OK, because it's not what the game is about.
It's the story and characters that won me over. It's like being in a crazy anime. And there's a sort of postmodernist touch, the game knowing it is just a game, that takes the whole thing as a joke. You have this feeling that anything can happen. You never know where it's going to go next. I think it's genius.
So here's an example where various excellent bits come together and adds up to actually more than their expected sum...
And to me that amounts to one of the best games I've ever played.
I bought No More Heroes by chance. It did have raving reviews and seemed to be bound to be of my taste, but somehow the screenshots I saw didn't really appeal to me. But when I saw it at budget price, I just couldn't resist to take the chance.
And I'm glad I did.
Your usual good (to very good) game will usually rely on a solid gameplay. Not something especially original but solid and very enjoyable. And then you have the excellent game that manage to break out of the mould and take that gameplay further, including it in an atmosphere, a story, a world. To me that's when a game becomes an "experience". Big word, but still.
And to me No More Heroes just does that and some.
At its core it's a very well designed brawler. The controls are tight and make good (and parcimonious) use of the motion control: you control your stance (high or low) and carry out wrestling moves with it. Your foes will also take stances so you have to adapt yours to hit them (high beats low, low beats high), bringing a bit of strategy in the mix. And you get to wield a lightsaber!! :)
Graphics are very cool, at least in my opinion. They have character. Actually they remind me of Interstate 76, in their (wanted) polygonal look. The thing is that it's what didn't catch me in the screenshots, but it takes another shape when it all starts to move.
The game itself is linear. The designers tried to create a pseudo-GTA in which you move freely around the city to gather money and other power ups. But the things you can do outside the missions is pretty limited, which is OK, because it's not what the game is about.
It's the story and characters that won me over. It's like being in a crazy anime. And there's a sort of postmodernist touch, the game knowing it is just a game, that takes the whole thing as a joke. You have this feeling that anything can happen. You never know where it's going to go next. I think it's genius.
So here's an example where various excellent bits come together and adds up to actually more than their expected sum...
And to me that amounts to one of the best games I've ever played.
Friday, June 12, 2009
Polygonal fury
This is a time warp.
I started it and then I stopped 1h later.
Understandably, those chainreaction games are stupid. You just play with chance. Yet they are strangely addictive...
This one, with its 3 objects and a point system to enhance them, adds a (little) strategy, which tends to make it even more compelling...
Try it at your own risk.
Polygonal fury.
To say how sick I am, I had another go and had to finish the game... (^_^;
Another hour gone.
I'd prefer not think about all the better things I could have done in that time (including sleeping...).
Original link from Ecrans.fr
I started it and then I stopped 1h later.
Understandably, those chainreaction games are stupid. You just play with chance. Yet they are strangely addictive...
This one, with its 3 objects and a point system to enhance them, adds a (little) strategy, which tends to make it even more compelling...
Try it at your own risk.
Polygonal fury.
To say how sick I am, I had another go and had to finish the game... (^_^;
Another hour gone.
I'd prefer not think about all the better things I could have done in that time (including sleeping...).
Original link from Ecrans.fr
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