Note: My video game review are going to be structured differently then my movie reviews. I'm going the more traditional route and breaking it up into categories, if only because I do feel video games can be defined on more basic terms. I'm not saying that I won't be looking for depth it's just that I think games can be enjoyed on more simple levels
I also will use this space to say that I will never review a game I haven't beaten.
Anyways...
It has been so long since there was an actual good console Sonic game that I was beginning to think that it would never happen. As soon as Sonic stepped into 3D and tried to have "plot" it went downhill fast. The Dreamcast games were standable for their time, but became dated quickly. Every game that followed basically took all that was wrong with the Dreamcast games and went with it, somehow making those things worse. Unleashed was a step in the right direction but it might have been one of the most painful experiences I've ever had attempting to beat a game. So I had given up hope...then out of no where comes a Wii game with a name that's hard to take seriously and I am 10 years old again. I never thought this day would come but finally, a Sonic game that feels like a logical progression of the series.
Story:
One of the biggest mistakes Sonic games have made is how they've handled the story. There's nothing wrong with trying to give a plotless game a real story but the series has had such a an awful combination of anime nonsense, flat characters, fan service, furry subtext and just plain painful writing that it made every game a painful ordeal to sit through if you didn't skip the plot (which unfortunately just isn't an option for me).
The plot in Sonic Colors isn't great but it's what it should be. It's a silly little nothing. Eggman has an evil plan. You are trying to stop it. There are aliens and a theme park involved. You won't care what's going on, but that's okay because the game take it all very lightly. The plot never get's convoluted or strange or serious nor does it get in the way. It's all just there to move the game forward, which is fine.
The dialogue is actually above average, which is actually pretty surprising. All the characters just come across as downright likable. Sure they're all still pretty one-dimensional, but I actually don't want that much more from a Sonic game. While some of it falls flat, there are some okay jokes in the mix and this is the first Sonic game with an attempt at a plot where I didn't end up hating all the character. Yes this is weak praise but really this is the best plot a Sonic game has ever had.
Gameplay:
The gameplay in Sonic Colors is truly good. It is the best it has been since Sonic and Knuckles. I like the portable ones but they were their own style of game. This feels like a classic Sonic game. Not just that, it feels like a truly modern take on the classic Sonic gameplay. One of the false ideas most Sonic games have is that the series is only about speed. This has never actually been true. Sure speed has always been a major factor but so has platforming. Even in the early levels of the first Sonic game there were moments where you had to wait and bide your time. Sonic Colors is the first Sonic game in years to remember this.
Sure there's still speed (in fact there is lots of it) but there also moments of clever platforming that require you to be careful and think about what your doing. Many of these sections introduce ideas I hadn't really seen done before. For example there's an elevator segment where there are three buttons on the floor that cause it to rise. You have to basically navigate a maze of lasers switching from button to button to find the best route up. Is it fast? No, but it was interesting and showed some creativity.
These platforming sections are mainly in 2D. The 3D segments tend to be the fast ones. Sonic has had trouble with autorunning sections because you're just going so fast that it's hard to control. Sonic Colors solves this by making it more limited. When you're running fast you pretty much just move between preset lanes. It might sound constricting but it works so well and the other version of it were so bad that it's hard to complain. In the end it's not that much different then how it normally is anyways. There are still a few sections where you have complete control while free running, but these actually control pretty badly. However, for better or worse, these sections tend to not really have any consequences for doing them badly, so it doesn't matter.
It's odd that after Sonic failed in 3D so many times they finally get it right...by essentially making a 2D Sonic game. The section never have you controlling more than two plains. Sometimes the game looks 3D but it's an illusion. I don't have a problem with this, but it's funny that, as good good as this game is, they still haven't figured out this whole "making a 3D Sonic game" thing.
The level design and themes in general are kind of awesome and there seems to be a real sense of joy going on in them. I mean one level is a combination missile silo/cake factory. Another is a rollercoaster in an asteroid belt. There's just such purely fun ideas going on. I couldn't help but smile when I did something like run full speed over a collapsing bridge, right into a spring that launched me onto an already moving roller-coaster which then lead me to an asteroid field which I then navigated by bouncing from asteroid to asteroid until I found solid ground. How can anyone not just feel a little bit of joy at that?
The bosses are a mixed bag. On the one hand, they're all pretty fun, on the other, except for the boss of the game, they all repeat once. There is essentially three bosses in the game that later you fight a harder version of. It could be worse but it's hard to deny how lazy it is. I will say that the boss of the game is pretty awesome though.
There are also a bunch of abilities that Sonic can get and, for the most part, they're all fun to use. These abilities all turn you into an unstoppable force of some sort, ranging from a simple drill to a beast that devours all in it's path. There's even one which is Sonic at it's purest, which turns you into an ultra fast, wall clinging ball of death. They're not all winners (the rocket one, blah), but none are really that bad either.
The abilities are activated by shaking the Wii remote and thankfully that's the only Wii specific thing you have to do in the game. The game controls pretty well overall. Unlike previous Sonic games, deaths felt like they were my own fault most of the time. In general there was not much BS going on (aside from one part in a very late level). The controls were tight and thankfully can be used just as easily without a wii remote.
Graphics and Sound
This is a very pretty game, especially for the wii. Honestly, this was one of the rare times in playing a Wii game where the graphics didn't feel like a majot downgrade from whatever I was also playing on my PS3. It's all bright and colorful with some extremely creative and awesome things going on. There's one level in particular where you're racing across a light bridge through a giant battle armada which is just jaw dropping. The cut scenes are nice, but are honestly not as interesting as the levels.
As with all Sonic Games (except 4) the music is fantastic. I still really hate the cheesy rock anthems but as long as the song doesn't have lyrics, it is assured to be good. The voice acting isn't great, but it gets the job done and didn't get on my nerves. I will say that this is the best Tails has ever been voiced.
Conclusion
As I've mentioned, Sonic Colors is the Sonic game I've been waiting years for. It's not perfect but the things it does wrong are far outweighed by the things it does right. Maybe my standards have just been set to low after years of disappointment but I did find this to be a truly good game. If you used to like Sonic, you should give this one a try. It won't win over anyone that never even liked the originals, but it's the closest this series has come to greatness since the 16 bit days.
8.5/10
Monday, March 28, 2011
Friday, March 25, 2011
Rango (film)
Since this is my first review here I'll mention that for plot synopsis I'm just going to copy paste it from somewhere else (probably imdb). Plot synopsis just mess with the flow of how I like to write so I'm just gonna keep them separate. I don't think explaining the movies setup really adds that much , but I feel that some people kind of expect it, so here:
Synopsis: Rango is an ordinary chameleon who accidentally winds up in the town of Dirt, a lawless outpost in the Wild West that is facing a water crisis and is in desperate need of a new sheriff.
Rango just kinda came out of nowhere and blew me away. When I first saw the trailer for it before True Grit, it looked like a typical animated movie set in a western setting starring Johnny Depp playing Johnny Depp in lizard form. It had potential but I say that for most trailers. If you were to tell me that I would wind up liking it considerably more than True Grit, I would have laughed in your face but here we are.
On a simple level I'll compare Rango to another animated film that surprised me: Kung Fu Panda. What made that movie so great was it was a celebration of Kung Fu movies. You could really feel the love from the creators of the film towards the genre. Sure the plot was basic but it didn't matter. Every other element was so solid that is was hard to care. Rango is like that but for westerns instead of kung fu movies. The thing is, I don't love westerns a like I like Kung Fu Movies, yet I think I enjoyed Rango more. Why is that?
Well, Kung Fu Panda, despite all it's awesomeness, was still a kids movie at it's core. As devoted as it was to kung fu movies, it still could not really pass for one. On the other hand Rango could pass as a western surprisingly well. Frankly, This is barely a kid's movie. It might wear the skin of one, but at it's core, it's a western. There is a rarely a moment where it feels like it's holding back. Now to be fair, this wasn't true for Kung Fu Panda either, but during that I never felt it was fulfilling the full potential of it's genre. Rango kind of does. It is a western with animals instead of people. Maybe because I'm not as familiar with westerns I don't see how it gets it wrong, but as far as I can tell, it seems pretty genuine.
Don't get me wrong, this isn't a blood bath or anything but characters do die, which just doesn't seem to happen in kid's movies anymore. Sure alot of kid's movies have the threat of death but it's always kind of abstract. It's something that propels the plot but no one takes seriously. In this you actually see a dead body. Hell the movie opens with it's version of a Greek chorus (mariachi owls) telling the audience the main character is going to die. This adds something that most kid's movies seem to lack: an actual sense of danger. While it's unlikely a beloved character will die, it might happen. It's not a sure thing like in most movies aimed at kids. The villains are also pretty intimidating. Rattlesnake Jake in particular is quite frankly terrifying in every shot he's in, with his unreal movements and eyes that look straight from Sauron.
This movie also has some of the ugliest characters you'll ever see in an animated film and I mean that in a good way. This is a hard bitten, though as nails western town. The characters look like they belong here. There fur looks matted, they have teeth missing, they're dusty and generally they're just plain ugly. They also don't really have any of the typical cartoon exaggeration. Their eyes all seem to be the size they would be in nature. There are still some cute character, but they're cute in the way the actual animal would be cute.
This is not to say the movie is ugly. Honestly this might be one of the best look animated films I've ever seen. There are shots of staggering beauty in this film. The beauty ranges from simple desert landscapes to elaborate and trippy dreams. It all looks so real too. Rango doesn't really try for cartoon exaggeration. This is true with the characters and the world the inhabit. While you can tell things are animated, nothing is really rendered in a way to accentuate this. It's funny that this movie shows the kind of realism mocap always hopes to get without resorting to it (as far as I know). The camera work is also quite nice. Most of the time it sticks to western staples: extreme close ups or wide shots. However, because it's a cartoon it occasionally does the impossible. There is on shot where it goes through the tip of a rolling bottle and out the other side. The movie also has the most amazing water. I suggest you see this movie thirsty. It will actually enhance the movie. The water will look like mana from the Gods.
That leads me into the plot, which is the weakest part. This isn't to say that it's bad but it's not anything that hasn't been done before. Also while the humor is good, it falls flat a little more than it probably should. This can be attributed to the jokes being aimed at kids. It's the only way I can see that the movie tries to appeal to kids at all and it just doesn't always work. Still, when a joke falls flat it is not lingered on you're quickly move along. Also, I'm not saying they ALL fall flat. In fact most work. There are some really hilarious moments.
That being said it does handle it's plot about as well as it possible can. This is mainly due to the characters being well written. Even characters with one line seem like they have some real depth actual them. The cast is made up of various westerns stereotypes, but thanks to the writing they don't usually play out like stereotypes. Not all characters are equally well developed mind you but even the most minor character doesn't come off as flat. Sure characters have their quirks but they aren't defined by them. They just seem kind of genuine (even with some of the more wacky ones). The plot is helped by this because as typical as it can be all the action seems to be driven logically by the characters action. There are moments that most movies try and pull off so badly and this movie seems to do effortlessly. One example of this is the reveal towards the end. Every movie where the main character is living some sort of lie needs to have that reveal of where everyone find out who he truly is. In most films this is feels forced as do the consequences. Not here. The romance plot, which is almost always badly handled in kid's movies, also feels genuine and flow from the characters.
The voice work is also solid. Johnny Depp does a great job. Sometimes it's easy to forget how talented he is when he has some sort of direction other than "be Johnny Depp".He doesn't need carry the move though. Everyone does a great job. Isla Fisher is especially good as beans. In general the film is greatly enriched by some truly rich performances by the likes of Ned Beatty, Alfred Molina, Bill Nighy, Ray Winstone and others. Really every one is quite good.
In general what makes this movie so odd in the realm of kid's movies though is that it essentially a series of references to movies that no one in it's target it audience will understand. Really it's almost like a Tarantino movie in that it's like a well put together series of homages that form a coherent story. Some of them are obvious but other are less so. Rango is not the main characters real name. His real name is never given. He remains a lizard with no name the entire movie if you see what I'm getting at. Hell, Rango's design is a reference to the famous poster for Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas.
There are also deeper themes running under the film. Like most modern westerns this is a film about the death of the west and the coming of the modern age. It's a film about identity and what it means (it's no coincidence that Rango is a chameleon). There are themes of the romantic myth going against the reality (and not just in the obvious way) and there are themes of faith and the heartbreak that it can lead to. If you dig there is plenty you can find in here to keep you thinking.
So if you like westerns check out Rango. If you like animation, check out Rango. If you good characters, check out Rango. Hell if you like good movies, check out Rango. I honestly can't think of anything about it that's actually bad. I know it's early in the year, but I don't expect a better animated film this year.
9/10
Synopsis: Rango is an ordinary chameleon who accidentally winds up in the town of Dirt, a lawless outpost in the Wild West that is facing a water crisis and is in desperate need of a new sheriff.
Rango just kinda came out of nowhere and blew me away. When I first saw the trailer for it before True Grit, it looked like a typical animated movie set in a western setting starring Johnny Depp playing Johnny Depp in lizard form. It had potential but I say that for most trailers. If you were to tell me that I would wind up liking it considerably more than True Grit, I would have laughed in your face but here we are.
On a simple level I'll compare Rango to another animated film that surprised me: Kung Fu Panda. What made that movie so great was it was a celebration of Kung Fu movies. You could really feel the love from the creators of the film towards the genre. Sure the plot was basic but it didn't matter. Every other element was so solid that is was hard to care. Rango is like that but for westerns instead of kung fu movies. The thing is, I don't love westerns a like I like Kung Fu Movies, yet I think I enjoyed Rango more. Why is that?
Well, Kung Fu Panda, despite all it's awesomeness, was still a kids movie at it's core. As devoted as it was to kung fu movies, it still could not really pass for one. On the other hand Rango could pass as a western surprisingly well. Frankly, This is barely a kid's movie. It might wear the skin of one, but at it's core, it's a western. There is a rarely a moment where it feels like it's holding back. Now to be fair, this wasn't true for Kung Fu Panda either, but during that I never felt it was fulfilling the full potential of it's genre. Rango kind of does. It is a western with animals instead of people. Maybe because I'm not as familiar with westerns I don't see how it gets it wrong, but as far as I can tell, it seems pretty genuine.
Don't get me wrong, this isn't a blood bath or anything but characters do die, which just doesn't seem to happen in kid's movies anymore. Sure alot of kid's movies have the threat of death but it's always kind of abstract. It's something that propels the plot but no one takes seriously. In this you actually see a dead body. Hell the movie opens with it's version of a Greek chorus (mariachi owls) telling the audience the main character is going to die. This adds something that most kid's movies seem to lack: an actual sense of danger. While it's unlikely a beloved character will die, it might happen. It's not a sure thing like in most movies aimed at kids. The villains are also pretty intimidating. Rattlesnake Jake in particular is quite frankly terrifying in every shot he's in, with his unreal movements and eyes that look straight from Sauron.
This movie also has some of the ugliest characters you'll ever see in an animated film and I mean that in a good way. This is a hard bitten, though as nails western town. The characters look like they belong here. There fur looks matted, they have teeth missing, they're dusty and generally they're just plain ugly. They also don't really have any of the typical cartoon exaggeration. Their eyes all seem to be the size they would be in nature. There are still some cute character, but they're cute in the way the actual animal would be cute.
This is not to say the movie is ugly. Honestly this might be one of the best look animated films I've ever seen. There are shots of staggering beauty in this film. The beauty ranges from simple desert landscapes to elaborate and trippy dreams. It all looks so real too. Rango doesn't really try for cartoon exaggeration. This is true with the characters and the world the inhabit. While you can tell things are animated, nothing is really rendered in a way to accentuate this. It's funny that this movie shows the kind of realism mocap always hopes to get without resorting to it (as far as I know). The camera work is also quite nice. Most of the time it sticks to western staples: extreme close ups or wide shots. However, because it's a cartoon it occasionally does the impossible. There is on shot where it goes through the tip of a rolling bottle and out the other side. The movie also has the most amazing water. I suggest you see this movie thirsty. It will actually enhance the movie. The water will look like mana from the Gods.
That leads me into the plot, which is the weakest part. This isn't to say that it's bad but it's not anything that hasn't been done before. Also while the humor is good, it falls flat a little more than it probably should. This can be attributed to the jokes being aimed at kids. It's the only way I can see that the movie tries to appeal to kids at all and it just doesn't always work. Still, when a joke falls flat it is not lingered on you're quickly move along. Also, I'm not saying they ALL fall flat. In fact most work. There are some really hilarious moments.
That being said it does handle it's plot about as well as it possible can. This is mainly due to the characters being well written. Even characters with one line seem like they have some real depth actual them. The cast is made up of various westerns stereotypes, but thanks to the writing they don't usually play out like stereotypes. Not all characters are equally well developed mind you but even the most minor character doesn't come off as flat. Sure characters have their quirks but they aren't defined by them. They just seem kind of genuine (even with some of the more wacky ones). The plot is helped by this because as typical as it can be all the action seems to be driven logically by the characters action. There are moments that most movies try and pull off so badly and this movie seems to do effortlessly. One example of this is the reveal towards the end. Every movie where the main character is living some sort of lie needs to have that reveal of where everyone find out who he truly is. In most films this is feels forced as do the consequences. Not here. The romance plot, which is almost always badly handled in kid's movies, also feels genuine and flow from the characters.
The voice work is also solid. Johnny Depp does a great job. Sometimes it's easy to forget how talented he is when he has some sort of direction other than "be Johnny Depp".He doesn't need carry the move though. Everyone does a great job. Isla Fisher is especially good as beans. In general the film is greatly enriched by some truly rich performances by the likes of Ned Beatty, Alfred Molina, Bill Nighy, Ray Winstone and others. Really every one is quite good.
In general what makes this movie so odd in the realm of kid's movies though is that it essentially a series of references to movies that no one in it's target it audience will understand. Really it's almost like a Tarantino movie in that it's like a well put together series of homages that form a coherent story. Some of them are obvious but other are less so. Rango is not the main characters real name. His real name is never given. He remains a lizard with no name the entire movie if you see what I'm getting at. Hell, Rango's design is a reference to the famous poster for Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas.
There are also deeper themes running under the film. Like most modern westerns this is a film about the death of the west and the coming of the modern age. It's a film about identity and what it means (it's no coincidence that Rango is a chameleon). There are themes of the romantic myth going against the reality (and not just in the obvious way) and there are themes of faith and the heartbreak that it can lead to. If you dig there is plenty you can find in here to keep you thinking.
So if you like westerns check out Rango. If you like animation, check out Rango. If you good characters, check out Rango. Hell if you like good movies, check out Rango. I honestly can't think of anything about it that's actually bad. I know it's early in the year, but I don't expect a better animated film this year.
9/10
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