brandon_lee420

Max Payne and Max Payne 2 were groundbreaking and innovative games that were released more than a decade or so ago. Everything about them was awesome, like the never seen before bullet time, the cool looking comic-page cutscenes, and the amazing story and gameplay. Skip to 2012 and Rockstar release Max Payne 3, this time more different in many ways to its predecessors. Firstly, while the previous games were set in the cold, dark, snowy nights of L.A., this game is set mostly in the blaring heat of Sao Paulo, Brazil and I didn't really appreciate it because it didn't feel like Max Payne anymore. Secondly, the comic-page cutscenes are gone as well to be replaced with motion scenes and I was a bit bothered as well by this because it was starting to feel less and less like the Max Payne we knew and loved. Another thing about the cutscenes in this game was that there were too much and control was taken away from the gamer a lot, yet the cutscenes were awesome and worth it. I could keep comparing the game to its predecessors but I think you get my point.

Max Payne has a strong storyline supported by great animations and brilliant voice acting. No character feels or sounds cheesy thanks to the animations and the talent of the cast members. The animations, while although can't compare with Crysis 2 or God of War 3, are still pretty neat and clear. As you travel through the slums of Sao Paulo you begin to see the insane amount of detail put into buildings and the environment around you. The story is different this time around, Max is still haunted by the memories of his murdered wife and and child, but this time he is protecting some rich family. Obviously things don't go well and someone gets kidnapped and its up to Max to wreak hell and get her back. The ending was a bit predictable but overall, the story was very immersing. One of the main things we as an audience love about Max Payne is the amount of ass he kicks. The game has strong violence and strong language as well yet in a game like this you cannot have one without the other. As you face waves of enemies after enemies, you have no choice but to spray the walls and the floor with their blood. There a different guns to choose from yet all of them have the same objective: kill. The use of bullet time is really handy in this game and it is crucial for you to use it in order to survive certain parts of the game. Plus, the game looks hell cool in slo-mo.

Overall, while this game might be different to its predecessors, it doesn't mean that it is bad. It is a great game yet no a game worthy of ten. I urge every gamer to play it. 8/10.

'Over and out.' 2nd of October, 2012.

The Dark Knight Rises is one of those rare films that you want to continue longer than its run time. The film is mind-blowingly awesome and I feel that the movie is immensely better than its predecessors. Why?

Well, for one, it has outstanding performances by each and every cast member and not once did I feel the acting to be corny or lame. The real standouts were, of course, Christian Bale, Michael Caine, and Tom Hardy. Bale returns to take up the mantle of Batman once again and he doesn't disappoint in any way. His butler Alfred also made this movie great because Michael Caine is such a fine actor who can really evoke your emotions. Tom Hardy's performance as Bane is indescribable. It is just so good. We all expect Bane to be ruthless,and he is, but he is also very smart and sophisticated. He is no shape or form similar in any way to the piece of sh*t Bane from Batman and Robin. That Bane was just a vomit-inducing dumbass. I consider Hardy to give the finest performance in the film. You just have to see him on screen. Anne Hathaway, Morgan Freeman, and the rest were also great in the film.

Secondly, the action along with the score make TDKR a film to watch. Batman is back after 8 years and he has a new vehicle at his disposal. The Bat-copter accounts for some action scenes in the film and it plays a crucial part in the story. Bane's physique, strength, and fighting skills are better than Batman's and the fighting scenes between them two makes you want to stand up and cheer. The score and soundtrack also alleviate the action and give the fight scenes a sense of epicness. We have Hans Zimmer to thank for that. Overall, the film's score makes every scene more better.

Finally, the story is very interesting and never becomes boring or makes you want the film to skip to the fighting already. Batman has to come out of his hiatus and take on Bane who is terrorizing Gotham City. The film cleverly explores Bane's background in order to give the reader a reason as to what causes him to become the madman that he is. Not everything is what it seems. I won't go into too much because I don't want to spoil anything.

I did have one issue with the film though. Bane's mask makes it hard to clearly understand what he is saying and a couple of times I had to ask my brother next to me what Bane just said. Even my brother didn't have a clue.

Anyway, I really enjoyed the film and I consider it to be one of the best superhero films made, even better than the Avengers - which I really liked.

'Over and Out.' 22nd of July, 2012.

Get the Gringo. Strange title. Hasn't been released in Australia or America, I'm glad I got the chance to watch this movie. Right from the start, the movie kicks off with a good, ol' car chase. The chase scene is quite fun to watch and it results in the capture of Gibson's unnamed character who is then thrown into a prison. Mind you, it is not a typical lights out at 10 sorta prison film but rather the prison has its own rules and to be honest, there aren't that much rules. For starters, the prison houses both males and females, adults and children, and the inmates can carry guns. Gibson is thrown into the prison and makes friends with a young boy with a knack for smoking. The two then work together to survive the harsh conditions inside the facility.

Mel Gibson is back to kicking ass and being cool. No doubt he is the highlight of the show and it is great to watch him being in one of his better roles in recent years. I think it is safe to say that he is better here than he was at 'The Beaver'. But anyway, Mel acts very cool and charismatic and his character is very likable. While the film may not star major or well-known actors, they aren't too bad. The kid he teams up with isn't too bad in this film and he is quite an alright kid. Kevin Hernandez has potential to be a great actor. It also stars Dean Norris, from Breaking Bad, who has a small but appreciated cameo in the film. This is Adrian Grunberg's directorial debut and he pulls of a fun, sort-of smart, and stylish action film.

The action in the film is entertaining enough but it is what we have all seen before in numerous other films. The thing I like about it is that it doesn't try to be anything too ambitious or over the top and throughout the film, it keeps a constant and steady pace. the film is around 1 and half hour long and while it could have been a bit longer it was very well done.

Some of the issues I did have was that some of the English-language was a bit hard to hear, especially from the Mexicans or whoever they were. Some lines were mumbled or a bit too fast and I got annoyed in certain parts. And yes, my hearing is fine.

Overall, it was nice action film to watch that didn't have a dumb story like lots of films today. Gibson has left a mark for people to see that he isn't going to be disappearing anytime soon and that he will still continue amazing us. While the film isn't going to gross much, those who do see it will like it.

'Over and out.' 13 May 2012