Josh's Inner Dorkdom Journal - Episode 10

1. HD for last-gen games?
Go on and do yourself a favor and download a Playstation 2 emulator. I've recently been replaying Final Fantasy XII and I can honestly say that one of the low points of the series (in my opinion) is now a more pleasurable experience because of PCXE2. The once (again, in my opinion) horrid graphics of one of the last major PS2 titles are much more palatable at a higher resolution, due mainly to the various plugins available for the emulator.

I'm not condoning the use of a pirated copy of FFXII, as PCXE2 will play titles directly off of the original game DVD. So if you have some old PS2 games (and a powerful enough PC rig) and you want to see what those games look like in HD quality, download the emulator and give it a look. You won't be disappointed.

2. Selling your soul to the devil... all for a videogame.
In my last post, I talked about the fact that I would probably be reviewing Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn. To someone like Nic, this may come as something of a shock since I've been staunchly against paying a monthly fee for a game.

My opinions on charging players to play a game is a whole other story for a whole other article.

But I figured... what the heck? (censored Back To The Future quote)

The pricing schemes for FFXIV are kind of ridiculous, but I won't be playing the game forever. I'm planning on paying the minimal fee so I can see if I like it or not. Plus, you get a month free when you start the game, so that should be plenty of time to check the game out and give it a trial run.

When The Elder Scrolls Online releases, however, I may just have to suck it up and pay for it full-tilt. Those are games I can get into for a long period of time, so I'll probably be just a tiny bit more justified in the month-to-month fee... right?

3. People need to leave Ben Affleck alone.
Seriously, what did this guy do to garner all this hate over him playing Batman? I think it's a great choice and he's a great actor. I've never seen a movie with him in it that I didn't like. Or at least, I've never seen a movie of his that I thought was terrible.

Yes, I saw Gigli, Phantoms and Daredevil. I personally like Daredevil, and Phantoms (in which he was da bomb, yo) and Gigli certainly weren't the best movies I've ever seen, but they weren't nearly as bad as jerks on the internet make them out to be. And even if one thinks that those movies are bad, exactly how much do they really believe that Affleck was the cause? He didn't write those films, or direct them, he just starred.

So I guess because Ben Affleck, a good actor, decides to take a few acting gigs in movies that people deem terrible means that we should crucify him for playing Batman? Really? The internet really needs to take a minute and think about the logic they use to come to a conclusion sometimes.

Just as a side note: I also think Ben Affleck should play Eddie Dean in The Dark Tower films if they ever get made.That's the guy I've always pictured since I read the character in The Drawing of the Three. Hate me, internet.

-Josh

A Batman, A Batman, My Kingdom For A Batman!!!!!!!!!!!!!

We have a new Batman and he is Daredevil. Affleck is the Dark Knight Detective.


So its been awhile since I posted anything. Having a new baby, a child starting school, and big life decisions to make will do that to you. So, I'm trying to get back into the game. Hopefully, this will be a regular occurrence. Anyway, like the title says, Ben Affleck is Batman. Warner Brothers confirmed it this evening along with Zack Synder. I'm not going to get into my opinion of this decision just yet, because I need to write up my (very late) piece on Man of Steel. It's been kind of a down summer at the movies (especially after last summer), and out of the movies I saw I only had two really stand out. Pacific Rim and Man of Steel. I want to really get into an in-depth review of this summer at the movies as a whole, so I'll save the commentary til then. I will just say one thing, "never would have thought of Ben Affleck, but sometimes there are smarter people in Hollywood than I am. Perfect." If you are a Ben Affleck hater, you might want to rethink your movie watching habits (he does have more Oscars than you). There is always French foreign language films you may be interested in, just saying. Full press release after the jump.

An Overview of Christopher Nolan's Batman Trilogy

Disclaimer: Sorry about the lack of spaces that may be present in this article. For some reason, the blogger program messes up sometimes and removes them when I post from my phone. Also, watch out for MAJOR SPOILERS below!!!

Dark Knight Rises review from guest reviewer

Nic here. One of my fourth cousins, Parker, is a good friend of mine, as well as a connoisseur of films. Also, he loves the Batman. He and I have had discussions about the Caped Crusader, and in particular his film exploits as helmed by Christopher Nolan, for some time now. He was anticipating The Dark Knight Rises the same way I anticipated the Star Wars prequels.

Well, he's seen the movie, and has written a review for us. So, after the break, I invite you read his thoughtful analysis of the film.

!!! Jimmy Stewart As Bane In It’s A Wonderful Dark Knight (The Dark Knight Rises Review With Spoilers) !!!

I've been putting this off for a while. Not because I didn’t know how I feel about the movie, but because of the tragedy in Aurora Colorado. I want to say that my heart goes out to all those people and their families. I have felt extremely close to this since I heard the news on the morning of the 20th. I distinctly remember Columbine and I can tell you exactly where I was when 9/11 happened. Those awful events will forever haunt our country and our lives. It is truly sad that Aurora has to take its place among those events. I felt that I was somewhat removed from Columbine because I was no longer in high school when it occurred. I also felt removed from the events of 9/11 because it was taking place in large metropolitan areas on high profile targets while I lived in a decidedly small community a good distance from the bustle of the big cities. Aurora, on the other hand, took place in a movie theater, a place of wonder and joy for many around the world. It felt to me that this had taken place in my world and in a place I felt safe and at home. I love movies and to think that this could happen in a place I go to forget the world around me is disturbing. I can‘t begin to imagine the pain, loss, and fear that took place in that community, but I do know that this cowardly act cannot break our spirit and take away the small joys that we have when we go to the movies. We cannot let this one evil man destroy our love of sitting in a theater with family and friends to enjoy, for a couple of hours, an escape from the cares of this world. I feel horrible for those people that were in that theater and have had a great movie tainted forever because one fool had to destroy peoples lives because of his own demons (if you want to destroy yourself don’t take other people with you). We must not forget those people and the lives that they lived. They will forever be more important to this world than the scum (I will not use his name because he doesn’t deserve that kind of care) who took them from it. God bless them and keep them.


On a different note, if you’ve been paying attention you know how I feel about the movie soundtracks of Hans Zimmer (Hint: One Note). But for all the uninspired music he produces he is one upstanding gentleman. Hans has written a song to honor the memory of those people who died in Aurora and to help those who are dealing with the aftermath. Simply titled “Aurora” the proceeds from the song go to the victims and their families and you can help the cause by purchasing the song through iTunes (it‘s only $1.29 and it‘s worth it). I may have issues with the way he scores movies, but that does not change the fact that he is one heck of a human being. Keep it up Hans, I’m behind you 100%.

Well, after that, my thoughts on the Dark Knight Rises, seem unimportant. Movies are certainly not more important than lives, but I know that if I stop these reviews, then in some way that allows the shooter to win. That can’t happen, and I won’t let it. Spoiler Warnings Abound!!! You Are Warned!!! I'm Not Kidding I Will Spoil The Movie So Bug Out Now If You Want To Stay Clean And Clear!!!

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The Dark Knight Rises is first and foremost an end to the story Chris Nolan has been telling in the previous two films. Together all three movies (Batman Begins, The Dark Knight, and The Dark Knight Rises) constitute one large story that, for a comic movie, is extremely well thought out and highly detailed. I am a huge fan of the Tim Burton Batman movies (Michael Keaton was inspired casting) and I have been a comic book nerd for as long as I can remember (Batman is my favorite in DC comics, Wolverine in Marvel comics) so I have high expectations when it comes to comic characters I love and know well. Christopher Nolan has taken Batman and knocked it out of the park. Batman has always been a more realistic figure (if you can call someone who dresses like a bat and has a tank for a car realistic) and this is the aspect that Nolan plays up throughout the trilogy. That doesn’t mean that nods to the comic aren’t present, it just means that they might be represented by different things (more later). I have read that some people found the movie overly complicated. Really? It seemed to me that The Dark Knight was a harder movie to follow than Rises. Maybe that is because I have watched that film many times and had prepared myself for Rises. I also like to think that we are a more enlightened creatures who can handle bigger things from our movies.

The Movie clocks in at about 2 hours and 45 minutes and it needs every bit of that time to tell it’s story. If there is a criticism that I could level against the movie it would be that it was perhaps too short (I like to get my money’s worth). Strike that, I can also say that the score once again was underwhelming (sorry Hans). It just seemed to sound the same after a while (I’ve been watching the Olympics and hearing the theme written by John Williams so at this point it’s hard to get excited for Hans’s one note). I will limited my discussion of the soundtrack to those thoughts because I really like Hans (just not his music).

The cast for these movies has been unbelievable. Christian Bale was the perfect choice for Bruce Wayne/Batman (Yes voice and all). He can pull off both sides to the character in equal measure where as some actors could only manage one (Clooney, Arrrg). Charming as Bruce Wayne, determined and cool as Batman, to say he was born to play the role is an understatement. As much as Bale does a great job, the real standouts in this cast are Gary Oldman (there will never be another Commissioner Gordon), Michael Caine (I really wanted more Alfred), Morgan Freeman (I want to have a guy like Lucius Fox around), and Joseph Gordon-Levitt (John Blake or Tim Drake, coincidence? I don’t think so). They are all standouts in their respective roles with Gary Oldman stealing every moment he’s in the film and showing why he‘s one of the greatest actors working today (when he gets out of his hospital bed and takes out the guys coming to get him, WOW). Gordon-Levitt deserves special mention for his performance. If this is any indication of the future that he’s going to have on film, I can’t wait to see it (very ready for Looper). I don’t want to sound like I’m selling the other actors short, I’m not. Anne Hathaway is a great Catwoman, Tom Hardy is menacing as Bane (is he trying to do an impression of Jean-Luc Picard, cause you know he was a Picard clone  in Star Trek Nemesis, or a weird Jimmy Stewart? I can’t decide), and Marion Cottillard as Miranda Tate makes the most of her very surprising role (for everyone who doesn’t know !!! Spoiler Alert!!! she’s Ra’s al Ghul daughter Talia !!!Spoiler Alert!!!). The somewhat unfortunate problem that occurs (and is it really a problem?) is that everyone is so good that it’s hard to pick the best performance. Every comic to film adaptation should have that problem, think of the movies we would have (hey, like The Avengers). I also have to mention that almost everyone is back with the exception of Heath Ledger and Aaron Eckhart (we get a picture though). We see Liam Neeson as Ra’s and Cillian Murphy as Dr. Jonathan Crane, which was unexpected but very welcome. And I have to mention that one of Bane’s henchmen is played by Teal’c himself, Christopher Judge, how cool is that. We also get Nestor Carbonell (Ricardo Alpert from Lost) as the mayor, Matthew Modine as the deputy Commissioner, Juno Temple as Jen (but we all know that she really plays Holly Robinson from Year One), and William Devane as the President (doesn’t he always play the President, Vice President, Congressman, and/or hold some type of political office in everything he’s in?). With a cast like that, I could write an entire paper on their skills alone, but I’ll limit it to, “These guys ain’t half bad.”

When it comes to story, Christopher Nolan (and consequently Jonathan Nolan and David Goyer) have taken influences from the entire history of Batman, with a heavy emphasis on the 1970’s through today. While it’s not new for comic book movies to pull from different storylines to form the basis of a film, Nolan’s trilogy is like an overview of the entire history of Batman. From Bob Kane and Bill Finger’s early Caped Crusader, to the birth of Ra’s al Ghul by Denny O’Neill and Neal Adams, right up through Frank Miller’s “Year One” and “The Dark Knight Returns”. Nolan utilizes all of it to craft the definitive Batman story. The very fact that the “Knightfall” and “No Man’s Land” series are used in Rises speak to the willingness of the creators to dig deep into the lore of Batman and find meaningful influences by which to craft an intelligent film. Writers and Directors can really screw up a film by twisting different storylines together and altering the fundamental elements to suit a specific purpose (Example: Green Lantern). But Nolan has found the sweet spot by combining the different elements into a whole while retaining the spirit and intent of the original narrative (I feel like I’m writing a college paper on the intricacies and influences of Christopher Nolan’s Batman, which wouldn’t be a half bad title if I was). The fundamental difference between the fantastical world of the comic Batman and the grounded in reality Dark Knight of the films is the use of a supernatural element to place the printed Dark Detective in the greater world of aliens and demons found in DC continuity. Nolan chose to place his movies in a realm separate and apart from the wider world of Wonder Woman and Superman and to his credit (and to the credit of the wide choices Batman stories offer to a creator of any type) this strategy has proved extremely effective. Batman has always had the ability to move seamlessly between the greater universe of fantasy and the gritty detective drama that formed the basis for the origin of the character. This doesn’t mean that Nolan ignores some of those elements. He has placed subtle nods to some of the more outlandish ideas throughout the three movies. Resurrection is a recurrent motif in all of the comic worlds and Batman is no different. People die in a certain storyline only to return later on having been brought back to life via supernatural means (Superboy Prime punching all of reality and knocking Jason Todd back from the dead) or shown to have never been dead to begin with (Stephanie Brown’s faked death in “War Games”). These type of events are common place in comics but in the world that Nolan crafted people are meant to stay dead and those deaths have consequences. But Nolan has also found a way to acknowledge those elements while still retaining the reality in which he has placed his films. Liam Neeson returns as the seemingly dead Ra’s al Ghul (which is a story element throughout the history of the character) only revealed to be a hallucination of a battered and broken Bruce Wayne. In this way, Nolan gets to appease fans and still retain the atmosphere that has informed all three movies. Certain allusions are made to things in the comic such as the case with the prison that Bane puts the injured Wayne in after their initial fight. We see this prison dug into the ground with a round opening at the top which serves as the only way out. It’s called “the Pit” and it is most certainly a veiled reference to the Lazarus Pits that are used to bring someone back from the dead (in this case Bruce Wayne and Bane, metaphorically speaking). John Blake is another example of taking a less than realistic element from the comic (in this case, Robin) and adapting it to fit the world of the films (bye, bye Chris O’Donnell). In these ways, Nolan gives fans what they want without sacrificing the films artistic integrity.

This Trilogy of films have been a shining example of how to make a great film based on a comic. It has nothing to do with the tone of the film or how heavy the subject matter is. It has everything to do with the people involved with making the film. You could have the darkest, grittiest film you can make about a comic character, if you don’t have the talent both in front of and behind the camera it makes no difference. With the right people (those who understand and really get what the comic is about), you could make any comic, no matter the tone, into a hit film and a true money maker (Avengers, anyone?). Chris Nolan gets it, he understands how this character works and what motivates the stories that have been beloved by countless fans for over 70 plus years. If there was anything going right for Warner Bros. and DC comics when it comes to live action movies it was this series of films (the animated side of the DC universe is knocking it out of the park right now, so if you want good comic to film adaptations, I highly recommend these films). Marvel seems to be on the rise (pun intended) while DC seems to be coming to a conclusion of their film making (yeah, I know Man of Steel is coming, but come on, a realistic gritty Superman movie, read that again and listen to how it sounds, SEE). I sincerely hope DC and Warner Bros. can salvage there properties and start making good films that can rival Marvel’s offerings. As of right now, we bid a fond farewell to an incredible film series and say hello to an uncertain future when it comes to DC comic characters. But for the moment, Batman represents the pinnacle of comic storytelling. Nolan and everyone involved have given their all to bring the most ambitious and ultimately greatest comic book trilogy created to the silver screen. This film caps off an incredible summer filled with fantastic movie after fantastic movie and a banner year for comic book properties. There’s no reason to stop and as far as Hollywood is concerned (Especially, Marvel) it’s full speed ahead. Go see this movie if you’re a fan and if you just like really good movies. For all of you out there that have seen it and say, “I didn’t like it because it was too complicated (really?).” I say maybe it’s good for you to use your brains once and a while. I highly recommend The Dark Knight Rises and I praise Nolan and his crew for a job well done (It’s got a nuclear explosion in it, come on!). Until later go see a movie and enjoy your life because it is certainly too short.

"When Gotham is in ashes, you have my permission to come back and save the entire city and kill me in the process." -Bane (before rewrites)

Todd “Joe Kerr” B.

(If you don’t get the reference, check out the Batman Begins final scene where Gordon shows Batman the card from an familiar foe. The evidence receipt is signed J. Kerr, funny right?).

Batman: Earth One (Hardcover) Review

First off,I’ll say that I liked this book. Second,I didn’t “love“ it. I’m always down for a new Batman story (he's my favorite superhero, after all) and there have been many takes on his origin in particular, but honestly,this book reads like a rejected Batman Begins movie script. Don’t get me wrong,I think that Geoff Johns is a good writer,but it seems as though Earth One tries a bit too hard to change things and doesn’t really succeed.

Cleanse the Palette, Cleanse the Palette

Nic here, trying to get the bad "dark and edgy Superman" taste out of all of our mouths (I wholeheartedly agree with Todd's commentary on the Batmanification of Superman being a bad thing), by pointing to a Superman-related product that actually appears to be good.

I'm talking, of course, about LEGO Batman 2: DC Superheroes!

Y'all may not know this yet, but I'm a big fan of LEGO, and have been for a long time. Some proof:

1. My swisscheesed brain (i.e., I don't have the greatest memory) can't recall anything about my first day of elementary school, but can recall quite well when I got a LEGO cement mixer set for Easter.
2. I had a LEGO monorail set when I was a kid.
3. I made my own Star Trek: The Next Generation LEGO sets in the early 90's (thus foreseeing a time when LEGO would get into the licensed properties business).
4. I played with LEGO regularly through middle and into high school.
5. Even when I officially entered my LEGO Dark Ages (google it), I still jumped at the chance to dabble with them when over at Josh's house. (Josh is six years younger than me. As such my friendship with him was a great excuse to play with toys and play make-believe long after it was age appropriate.)
6. I let my nephews (17 years younger than I) borrow my Super Nintendo and all my games (which, incidentally, know one knows the whereabouts of), but they couldn't borrow my LEGO collection. If they wanted to play with my LEGO bricks, they had to do so at my parents' house.
7. My Dark Ages started to end in 1999 with the release of the first Star Wars sets.
8. I have at least 93 different LEGO sets, with an estimated retail value of more than $2,947.
9. That retail value figure includes seven LEGO videogames (a few Star Wars, one Indiana Jones, LEGO Rock Band).
10. Next year when my family, Todd's family, and hopefully Josh go to Orlando, FL, I've already demanded that we go to LEGOLAND.

Why am I telling you this? I'm not sure...hmmm....

Anyway, here's the point of this post: today the newest LEGO videogame came out for all major videogame platforms. The game is, as I said, LEGO Batman 2: DC Superheroes. As the subtitle suggests, this game isn't just about Batman and the Boy Wonder. No, the scope is much bigger. Other DC superheroes also are playable in the game. There's Wonder Woman, Green Lantern, The Flash (Yay Dawson's dad!!!), and the Man of Steel himself, Superman.

I haven't played the game yet, so I can't give you a review. But the folks who have, and have, say it's great. The addition of an original story, open-world gameplay, and voice acting (yes, the minifigures talk) take the already enjoyable LEGO videogame formula and make it even more enjoyable.

So if you have a chance, check it out. You can find reviews for the game at many of the major gaming sites (IGN says it's the best Superman videogame ever). In the meantime, I leave you with three of the game's trailers.

Miss Teschmacher!!!!

 - Nic


END OF LINE

!!! Wait, What? Oh No, They Ditnt! (Man Of Steel News) !!!

You Will Lick John Williams' Boots For This!!!

John Williams is a master! No ifs, ands, or buts about it. He has written more music that you instantly recognize than anyone else on the planet. He is a modern day Mozart, no "foolin'" (Def Leppard, 1983). I have recently been buying all the John Williams soundtracks I can find (for those interested, you can find them "here" and "here"). I have found that iTunes has a great selection of Williams' music. The other day I got the soundtrack to "Superman: The Movie". The Superman theme from that film is easily known worldwide by billions of fans. It is synonymous with the red and blue tights and the huge "S" symbol on the "Man of Tomorrow's" chest. To me, there will never be another theme for Superman. Bryan Singer knew this when he made his movie and Zack Snyder should know it now (oh, he knows, but he can only do so much). You see, the powers on high at Warner Bros. have a case of the "Dark Knights". They have decided that every DC Comics movie has to be "Dark" and "Edgy", or people won't come to see it and, consequently, they won't make a gazillion dollars off of it (because ya know, the Avengers didn't just make over a billion smackers and counting). So, what better way to do that than to chunk everything from the previous films and go with a Batmanification (my own word) to the entire world of Superman. Well, if Siegel and Shuster haven't already turned over in their graves they might as well get to turning and digging so they can get to China before they completely decompose, because that's a "STUPID IDEA"!! Superman is the opposite of Batman, that's why they are both the perfect friends and the perfect enemies. If you screw that up, you got two Batmans and one of them will kill the other (because there can be only one... Sorry).

!!! Boy, Those Superman Underoos Make You Look Fat (Man Of Steel AndTransformers News) !!!

I went to Krypton and all I got was this lousy cape!?!

The Licensing Expo 2012 is taking place in Las Vegas the week and the studios are pushing the merchandising world hard to support their upcoming slate of films in an effort to bring about world peace (actually they just want to make a lot of money, peace is secondary). There are a lot of posters of upcoming movie that basically just show the name of the movie and nothing else. Rarely, you might have a studio bring props or costumes from a highly anticipated big budget bonanza to whet the appetite of the companies with deep pockets. Such is the case with this years expo, because Warner Bros. has pulled out the big guns too woo said merchandise pushers to license it come next summer. What is the said movie, you might ask?