thegaelichummingbird

When I learned about Ötzi as a kid, I was fascinated. So younger me would have loved the idea of a) befriending said Chalcolithic mummy and b) having him teach me to use magical shaman powers. This movie just had such a charming premise, and the actor for the titular iceman (Michael Smiley) not only looks a lot like scientists' recreations of Ötzi, but he also played the character in such a sweet and fun way. He was the best part of the movie.

Unfortunately the rest of the film suffers. The adult villains grossly overact and somewhat ruin this childhood-wish-fulfillment tale. (I just found them grating). The main villainess even wears a fake red-and-black fur coat and a very fake-looking wig. The pacing is off, and the child actors do their best but are still not very believable. I wanted to like this more than I did; the premise was there but the execution fell flat.

I honestly didn't expect to like this as much as I did. But I loved the main character, and the enchanted forest was magical. Also, puzzle games are hit-or-miss for me, but the puzzles in this game were not only intuitive, but genuinely fun (especially the puzzles once you get to the castle). Aside from that, it was really sweet to play as Tove, a determined and kind girl working to find and save her little brother (Lars) from the Raven Queen. Lots of fun Scandinavian folklore, too.

What really made the game aside from the fun play-style was the emotions in the story. Throughout her magical journey Tove has to face old memories in unique and thought-provoking ways. I love it when fantasy is used to further emotion in a story.

The premise is both simple and intriguing: The French Revolution, but with automats/steampunk robots. This actually works very well, as historically King Louis XVI was very interested in all things mechanical. You play as Aegis, a mysterious automat with the power of speech who at the behest of Queen MarieAntoinette, a virtual prisoner of her husband, sends you to find your inventor to try and put a stop to Louis's evil clockwork army that is wreaking havoc. Along the way you get to meet various historical figures, such as Lavoisier the chemist, Lafayette, Robespierre and Marat. The choices you make with these characters determine the ending. (Since I knew all about Robespierre and Marat from documentaries and my history-loving sister, I purposefully didn't trust those two.) Challenging at times, but also very fun!