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Reviews
Biohazard 4 (2005)
Heck...
While not a die-hard RE fan, Capcom has always presented exceptional games in every aspect of play (My personal favorite is the Onimusha Trilogy). Even is the early Street Fighters, the graphics for an old system were something else. Now, with the latest installment in the Resident Evil series, the greatest graphics in the world have possibly been found.
Thus, I shall start with graphics. The graphics in the game are so intense that I can only describe them as Onimusha tripled (sad to say). This, coupled with spectacular shots and "camera" movements make for the most spectacular "cinematography" in a video game ever. (Sadly enough, though it's a close tie with Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory, the latter lacks the astonishing graphics and shots in the few cut scenes to make it just right.) It's amazing to finally see a video game that presents realistically moving body parts, such as the finer details like the hair. However, the chief flaw in these is the lack of definition on more minor things, such as enemies. The Old-Western hue of everything and the fall scenery and dull enemy clothing provides a difficulty in seeing your enemies (unless, of course, they're brandishing scythes or sticks of dynamite.) Otherwise, the game merits some sort of award for graphics.
And, the crucial component: gameplay. The over-the-shoulder shooting style is a new and unique fighting mode that prevents you from moving while attempting to shoot. Of course, this provides more of a sense of realism. You can't ACTUALLY aim quite as well as C.J. from GTA: San Andreas while speeding in a car or running from the cops. This style also provides you with an intense problem when you're being attacked in large numbers ("en masse!"). If you've got people surrounding you, you've gotta break out of shooting mode to run away, and that's a half-second that you never have to spare. Which, in turn, brings me to another original aspect of gameplay: split-second input! I have never seen a game with interactive cut scenes. You can never stop to just watch the cut scenes anymore. Now, you must be on the lookout for either the "L+R" or "A+B" button combinations in order to avoid gruesome death. In some cases, you just have time to catch the colors before you can press the combination. And, while there are only two possible combinations, you can NEVER be sure which one it is. Each time you play the scene or point in gameplay, the combination could potentially change. If you don't like a challenge, DON'T PLAY THIS GAME! As for voice-acting, it still has the occasional corny line in all Capcom games, but from other Resident Evil games, it has improved. However, in all actuality, it lacks a sense of realism. That, and something else I can't quite put my finger on. I'll get back to you.
All-in-all, one of the most intense, visually stunning games I've ever played. 9 outta 10.
Unseen Evil 2 (2004)
This is the worst movie I have ever seen, hands down.
If I weren't giving this a sympathy point, I would give it a 0, were it available. Never, ever, EVER have anything to do with this horrible waste of time.
For starters, the acting is miserable, and I have never heard the "F" word used more, not even in a Wes Craven movie. Not only do they curse more than necessary, but they sound like uneducated dope-heads when they do. More than once, there are painfully obvious Audio/Visual mismatches. Seriously, they don't even come close. Then there are scenes with various shots, and people talking, but you never really SEE them talking, which is ridiculous.
The picture quality looks like something way back in say, the eighties. The scene transitions go from bad to worse as they go to screen swipes towards the end. The special effects are worse than a Sci-Fi original movie, and CREATURE CHANGES ALL THE TIME!!! Seriously, when the beast is in the cave, it has maybe four legs, and when out, it is bipedal. And more often than all the time, footage is repeated from other scenes; easily recognizable.
In the DVD, the movie is divided into only 4 scenes to start from, and there are only previews and a ridiculous interview with the director.
The movie is full of plot holes, and NOTHING is explained.
And finally, the beast on the box, while very cool but looks somewhat like Alien, is NOT in the movie. I don't know what it is, but it is most certainly not what you get. The beast in the movie looks like a Power Rangers reject, and most importantly, it bleeds a bright green and can camouflage. God knows we've never seen that before (*cough cough*) Predator! On the bright side, this movie is good for a laugh, though I'm sure they didn't have such in mind. Lion's Gate has gone from bad (House of 1,000 Corpses) to absolutely horrible (Alien 3000). With a sympathy point for inadvertent humor, I give Alien 3000 1 outta 10.
AVP: Alien vs. Predator (2004)
Half-decent. Good action and special effects, but @$$ acting.
Not a bad work. The special effects are thrilling, and the action borderlines intense, but the acting is crap. And the fact that two of the(will not list what species) are killed in the same scene was dumb. It's not very Alien versus Predator, if two of the (will not list what species) die back-to-back.
I did like the idea of a pyramid in Antartica, but to have it under the ice blows chunks, and the movie takes to long to pick up. Sure there's a snippet or two here and there of a Predator ship, but other wise, no extraterrestrial action until later on. The plot is mediocre and full of holes, and, as aforementioned, the acting is poor, and when coupled with your aunt's constant jawing about what this person or that person should be doing, you've got yourself a heaping platter of man-speak that will drive you insane. If you know of someone who won't shut up during a movie about the characters and their actions, do not watch this movie with that person.
On a positive note, as I have already said, the fight scenes are really cool, and the Predators and Aliens look much better than they used to. The movie also features really nifty camera angles that make for cool shots. And of course, the last battle between Predator and Alien features potentially the coolest action shot ever (but I'll let you see for yourself). So, in short, decent with good special effects but poor acting. 6 outta 10.
The Village (2004)
Disappointing, Shyamalan.
Normally, I'm impressed with Shyamaln's work. Unbreakable was good and Signs was good. Sixth Sense was pretty good too. But The Village just turned out to be a piece of crap. I mean, come on! How can you have a trailer that good and have something that sucked so bad? For an M. Night Shyamalan film, this was disappointing.
On a brighter note, the plot was creepy and when someone entered the woods, the sound effects and whatnot were very scary. And when you only see that little bit of the monsters, they were also scary. However, when you see the full Monte of them, they look like something taken from Power Rangers. I half expected them to grow gigantic and shoot eye beams at the village. And while the plot was creepy, it was overall weak and in some cases pointless. All in all: not impressive. 4 outta 10.
The Ring (2002)
My lord, this was quite possibly one of the greatest horror movies ever.
My lord, this was quite possibly one of the greatest horror movies ever. This isn't some gory crap like House of 1,000 Corpes, oh no. This is a mental-type movie. It doesn't show you how people are physically damaged when killed, and so there are so very many ways your mind can perceive based on their corpses. I love this movie, and was straight up terrified. Of course, if your all into gore and don't have an imaginative mind, then this is not for you.
The terror of not being able to see your enemy is played up in this, which I like. You never really see Samara, except in the hospital and at the end, but you see her effects, and such things are scary to me. And the sense of lack of time is something that also adds a suspenseful feeling. It's one of those things where you really are hoping and praying for the hero or heroine before time is up. And of course, kudos to the ending. I must say I was not expecting that. And the ending makes you think...or at least...it did until they made a sequel, which I have yet to see but am still disappointed. Of course, I won't give away the ending, but I will tell you that if your mind works like mine, you'll be thinking about the future of Rachel.
On the downside, the beginning was fudged up. How would anyone know about the tape if they haven't watched it? Doesn't everyone die after watching it? And of course, THEY MADE A SEQUEL! Other than that, I was totally impressed and terrified by this movie. 9 outta 10.