shadowolf2k

I gave it a 7 because I'm a geek to the games, and this is pretty loyal to the series. In truth, as a critic, I'd say a 6 would be a more accurate portrayal of my review.

First, it's really awesome to see Claire and Leon together again. There's plenty of action, and the zombies are fun when they pop up (mostly at the airport setting - which is actually not a setting it takes place in for the majority of the movie, just to say).

It's not a perfect movie though, and I can't help but draw comparisons in ways which "Final Fantasy 7: Advent Children" suffered from (which was a movie I utterly despised). While you don't have to have played the game to understand it (unlike FF7) - yeah, you're definitely gonna have to be a fan of the series to truly appreciate it.

It looks beautiful, but there's the every-now-&-then when the characters still look and move too CGI-ish. And I can't help but notice how Leon has more Japanese facial features here. The plot works enough for a story to tell, but it seems to force in some cheesy melodrama, and the typical "if you ain't important, you're meat" thing. The way it moves and ends, I wonder if anything here will even be incorporated to the game arc, or if it was really its own story (because it feels like it)... like the games, some things aren't entirely resolved and new questions are made (and with the games going zombie-less, it makes you wonder!).

Still, if you're a fan, it's definitely worth watching -- you got the pair again (and I'm always pleased with Alyson Court continuing to reprise her role; there's no other Claire!), you got real zombies again, and it's all about kicking back and just watching them kick serious ass!

This DVD is compiled with every music video the Smashing Pumpkins ever did, except the one from the Batman & Robin soundtrack, "The Beginning is the End is the Beginning". The Pumpkins is one of greatest bands of all time, with their unique inspiration and daring approaches to music. In general, their songs and art and photographs in their album booklets have always had a theme of the complicated happy and sad concepts of nostalgia, which I find very unique, being inspired by personal past, values, and so on. The lyrics have always been deeply poetic, and Corgan's voice is unique and distinctly recognizable, though you either love it or hate it. Iha's guitar has always been new sounds to my ears, and has always connected very well with D'arcy and Auf Der Maur's great bass playing. And Chamberlin is a god of drums, with his interesting choice of paces with a lot of the songs (especially in "Tonight, Tonight"). The videos have had daring approaches that don't leave the themes of their own albums. They've always tried to be different from the usual MTV videos and did a good job with that, like "Ava Adore" and "Tonight, Tonight". What's interesting is that they don't leave their past videos alone either ("1979" seems to have a sequel, "Perfect"). Pumpkin fans will love this DVD. However, some of the images in their videos are incredibly disturbing ("Try, Try, Try") though it is a very powerful video with a message to tell. And it includes the short film "Try" as well.

Anyway, if you like the Pumpkins to any degree, I highly recommend this DVD. You'd have to be biased against them to not like at least one video, in which many have unique artistic approaches and inspiration that follows well with their incredible music.

I bought the Smashing Pumpkin's DVD 1991-2000 Greatest Hits Video Collection, and had found this short film in the "Extras" section.

This short film (which used segments for the Smashing Pumpkin's "Try, Try, Try" music video, from their last album, "Machina: The Machines of God")was overall quite disturbing, and yet, very powerful. Despite being short, much was accomplished in portraying the film's message. The images portrayed many of the physical darker images of the world in connection to the more psychological aspects, and there was much foreshadowing. I overall found these image very appropriate and contributed to the film's power. Despite the two characters fateless life of drugs, prostitution, stealing, and so on...you get quite an emotional feeling for the two, as they hang on to each others love to move through the torture they go through.

And even aside those disturbing images, the film ends in a very cold fashion that didn't use any harsh images at all.