27.7.06
Prey
Prey XBOX 360 – 2006
The story: You play a Cherokee Indian mechanic who is protecting his hot girlfriend from local scumballs in her bar when aliens reveal themselves to the world in order to harvest/horribly kill all the humans for necessary protein requirements. So Tommy gets zapped up and has to explore this huge and quite amazing ship (with humans being slaughtered and experimented on everywhere). Later, with the aid of his grandfather, he gains a spirit walking ability adding further scope to the game.
I would not agree with people saying it's too short. However, it is far too easy. Those rapidly gained achievements count for nothing. Even the puzzles are too easy. It's full of absolutely stunning design, clever ideas and the story rolls along pretty fine, but that never makes up for it being so damned easy. It's easy because you can't really die, and never have to start sections again. When you die, you just play this stupidly easy mini game in order to get back all your health and return back to your exact last known location with the enemies you have already almost killed. COD-style check points are the best for console games and Prey 2 better make it so. I hope it was not this easy in order to entice the gamer score-whores into buying it regardless. The multiplayer is seriously lagging and ill-balanced. Get the rockets and you win. It has some damn fine potential, but it needs patching.
Some good points are it is worth playing though the story, experiencing the original concepts throughout and Tommy says some pretty funny and cool stuff. The guns will certainly entertain for a while. The one vehicle you get to ride is actually utter horse shit. 6.5/10
Lost
Lost Season 1 and most of 2 (SPOILERS)
I watched season 1 via DVD bliss – episode after episode... relentless intrigue. Season 2 comes to me via Channel 4, with oh so many freakin adverts! Agggh. It's a good show, so very far from perfect, but still excellent entertainment. I'm just past halfway through season 2. You can't help but feel that there is a strong making it up as we go along element. I don't care as long as they keep coming up with good stuff. I presume they have a strong framework holding it all together somehow. One slightly annoying guy on the extras excitedly talks of how this show is gonna have a high turnover, and that they will kill off anyone whenever they need too; they will pull no strings. So far they have killed off Shannon and Boone – two of the most uninteresting characters. So they are clearly playing it carefully. Nah...kill off a key member like the Doctor or Sawyer or Kate. Or maybe kill all 3 off in one episode!
I do recommend it to everyone, even old people. There are still so many things that remain unanswered. Polar bears and Kate's horse being just two of many. Maybe they won't bother tidying it all up in the end. Complements: the acting is satisfying and occasionally pretty outstanding. Most of the characters are riveting and yet flawed in some way to grab our interest more so. The guest support is good: look out for Clancy Brown and Mira Furlan (Babylon 5's Delenn). 7.5/10
23.7.06
Azumi あずみ
Azumi – 2003
I'm back! After so long without watching a film I am back! In fact, this film, Azumi, I watched many long days ago, but have been far to lazy to write my review. But, by God, I will pointlessly review every film I watch... oh yes I will. It's this thing, this thing I must do. Now Azumi is pretty good. It is a bit more than your standard samurai/ninja/bandits/assassins Tokugawa-era Japanese fighting type flick. Yes it includes all those infinitely cool character types but includes some thoughful and emotional moments too and a worthy story. Ahhh shit I don't remember it so clearly now. I really should have reviewed it shortly after watching it. Anyway, the main character is a female assassin-warrior played by Aya Ueto (very nice smile that you won't see much in the actual film because she is too busy hacking enemies up or being forlorn – see the extras on the DVD for girly smile) extremely well. The main villian is created brilliantly by Joe Odagiri (see Shinobi too). This effeminate and totally insane bad guy could be the most fucked up I have seen in some time.
The first section of the film is quite heart wrenching (and some later parts). After the battle of Sekigahara 10 young, close and happy warriors are brought up, by a master in martial arts and war, to be great assassins in order to bring down all potential peace-destroyers; the warlords keen on bringing down the current shogunate. The master's first real test requires that the 10 become 5. To be true cold-blooded assassins they must pair off and kill their best friends in a fight to the death. The survivors must then hunt down and ruthlessly kill the enemy warlords. Go watch... now. 7.5/10
