The Geek Galaxy Video Game Show - Episode 4: Game Updates Galore

After a delayed start, The Geek Galaxy Video Game Show has finally been worked to be a video podcast! I'm so thrilled to be doing this kind of work and interact in new, diverse ways with you all! Go check out the video, and while you're at it, why don't you like give the video a like, leave a comment, and subscribe? It all goes to spreading the word and getting me more known, and we all know that getting more geeks out in the world can only mean nothing but good! To my dedicated readers, thanks so much for the continued support you've all shown! It means the world to me!

SPECTRE Review (No Spoilers)

After the groundbreaking success and reaching the climactic heights of 2012's Skyfall, the people behind the 007 franchise had quite the hill to climb when setting out to bring Bond back to audiences in a refreshing and entertaining way. With Spectre facing the monstrous reality of following up one of the greatest Bond movies ever, it packages in some new ideas that give the movie much more meaning than other entries in the series, albeit with a few missteps in the overall conflict.

The main story revolves around James Bond, as a message from his past prompts him to take his own course of action and discover the secrets behind the newly-revived evil organization SPECTRE. Bond will go from Mexico to England, from Italy to Austria, and these locales are the perfect backdrops for some intense action sequences. As a matter of fact, the opening scene that takes place in Mexico City's Day of the Dead celebration is one of the best openings of any Bond movie, and it perfectly encapsulates both the high-octane action outlook of the film while also lying nuggets of humor to assure the audiences that it's okay to have fun at a Bond movie. Concurrently with Bond's quest is newly-appointed M having to deal with the backlash of Skyfall's events and Bond's new roguish nature, as MI-5 and MI-6 are being merged to more effectively control their surveillance operations both in the homeland and worldwide. These stories are a good contrast from one another, as Bond's own quest of discovery actually reveals more into who he is as a character than Skyfall ever did, and the question that perhaps spies aren't needed in a world full of cameras really drives the movie thematically, bringing Bond into a truly modern age.

The acting in this movie is superb. Daniel Craig returns as Bond in his finest moments ever, partially I fell because he has more to do this time around. The character's story is fleshed out in this movie and isn't there just to seduce the woman or blow up the car. The character has a clear purpose and his motives are genuine, rather than simply following the orders of MI-6. Ralph Fiennes returns for his debut commanding role as M, and he really brings his A-game as a man trying to keep the values of a long-forgotten age a reality. Other returning characters like Naomi Watts as Moneypenny and Ben Whisaw as Q are also given more to do this time round, and the film makes them more team-oriented rather than staying on the sidelines as Bond does all of the stunts. Newcomer Lea Seydoux as Madeleine Swann is the series' definitive Bond girl, as she portrays both an intelligent and headstrong woman to juxtapose Bond's rugged and concealed nature. The banter and chemistry that Craig and Seydoux share is actually really fun to watch, and probably the best chemistry Craig has ever shared with anyone in his Bond career. And it's clear that Lea has fun with the role, as she brings out a new angle of Bond audiences might not have seen before. Swann is the character that brings out Bond's humanity and it's an absolute joy to watch unfold onscreen.

What about the villainous characters though? The biggest name out of this list is Christoph Waltz, but the fact that Dave Bautista and Monica Bellucci are also on this list is nothing to shake a stick at. I've kept them separate because they actually have some issues with them, some that hinder the movie as a whole. While these actors all deliver fantastic performances themselves, the script didn't give them much to work with. On the antagonist side of things, it seemed as though the writers were trying to have all of the answers wrapped up in a nice little bow for the audience, but this is ultimately what took me out of the movie. Christoph Waltz's Franz Oberhauser is used as the connective tissue of the Bond universe as a whole for some reason, and this actually diminishes the gravitas of past movies in ways I won't spoil here. Dave Bautista's Mr. Hinx (who is actually never referred to by name) only serves to beat Bond up about every other 15 minutes. While these fight scenes are absolutely magnificent and intense, the fact that Mr. Hinx brings nothing but size with him makes him a lesser Bond henchmen rather than the likes of Jaws or Oddjob. It is a bit nitpicky, but it's a letdown to see a personality like Bautista not actually have any personality for the character. Finally, looking at the highly-anticipated Bellucci's appearance into the Bond series, don't get your hopes up. She's in the movie for 15 minutes, tops, and is completely underutilized.

And therein lies the problems with this movie: the story and villains are really underutilized. Most of the film focuses on the progression of Bond as both a spy and a man, yet forgets to provide any substance for the people around him. The returning characters only benefit because we as the audience have seen them before so the movie doesn't have to waste time letting us get to know them in any great context. However, when all is said and done, Spectre is a fantastic action movie and an awesome character study of James Bond and the world he lives in. If you're a fan of Agent 007, you shouldn't have a hard time enjoying this movie, but newcomers might have a hard time enjoying this movie on its own.

Rating: 7.5/10

LATE REVIEW: Inside Out

For those of you unaware, animation company Pixar is well known for their ability to make adult movies that can appeal to kids; no, not in the dirty or inappropriate sense. I mean that many of the films Pixar has put out often contain themes that appeal more to the adults than to the kids - from the worry of age and loss in Up to the family lifestyle adjustment in The Incredibles, Pixar has no one main demographic of appeal. Considering that they do animation, of course it encourages parents to bring their children along. However, Pixar gives something for those adults to enjoy in the form of deep and developed characters, witty dialogue, and truly heartwarming stories. Inside Out is no different.

Yes, I'm aware that this movie was released in most countries way back in June of 2015, but being in Germany, I only just saw it the other night. Let me tell you ladies and gentlemen, I had thought that the incredible hype surrounding this movie would weigh down on me and not give me the same kind of emotional impact that it had for everyone else; I could not have been more wrong. If you want the short part, just go and see this movie. Seriously. Treat yourselves to the experience, because right now you're missing out on one of the best movies of the year.

The plot focuses on the emotions of the 11-year old girl Riley: Joy, Sadness, Disgust, Fear, and Anger. As Riley's world is turned upside down, the emotions try their best to keep her from falling into a depressive state. When Sadness and Joy begin disputing the best way to take care of Riley, the memories that form the basis of Riley's personality go missing. It's then up to Joy and Sadness to team up and return those memories back to Riley, while Fear, Disgust, and Anger look after Riley in the now. The dynamic between  these emotions is great to see, and the banter between them all is fantastic.

The animation here is top-notch; seriously some of the most intelligently and cleverly-designed artwork that Pixar has put out in years. The same can be said for the story itself, and that's what grabbed me the most. This movie is just so damn creative, from the dynamic of the characters to the plot to the emotional gravitas: this movie has it all. It's probably the most creative an idea Pixar's had since Monster's Inc.; and that's not a stab at the movies that followed Monster's, I'm just saying that this movie was a fresh perspective and ingenious look at an aspect of life most people wouldn't have thought of, which as a cognitive person now watching movies was a thrill to experience.

Beyond that, this movie has an emotional resonance that just freaking hit me to my core. Not one to traditionally cry during movies, I was in tears by the time this story was done being told. It's sensitive and heartwarming; even more so, the movie resonated with me because I've found myself in Riley's place a number of times, so I related with the character on such a deep level I felt that I was part of the movie. Acknowledging that I am unique in this instance, this film is still an incredibly human story about the progression of life, and the unique way of telling a story like that by focusing on your emotions was so refreshing.

In all, this is probably my new most-favorite Pixar movie: it has the emotional gravitas, the quirky but lovable characters, and a story so strong even those who can't fully identify with Riley will feel some sense of empathy for the character's journey. As far as a new age in Pixar, this is the best time to start, and it only glimpses us with an even brighter future of what they have in store for us. Please, for all that is good in this world, go see this movie.

Rating: 10/10

*Note: This rating does not mean the movie is perfect; it means that I believe the movie is a masterpiece. 

Anticipated Video Game: MIGHTY NO. 9

Now, for those of you unaware, I'm just getting into the retro video game scene - the original Super Mario Bros., the original The Legend of Zelda, Castlevania, ect. ect. - but I am still unfamiliar with many of the classics that helped to progress games to where they are. As I have listened to those who were around during the birth and the growth of the industry, I hear the name Mega Man thrown around almost always. This series was beloved by many kids, and it shows by the sheer number of games that they put out before the serious went incognito for the likes of my generation. From my recollection, there was the original Mega Man saga made up of 6 games for the Nintendo Entertainment System, then followed the Mega Man X saga, as well as the Mega Man  Battle Network, and the list just continues on and on. I personally have only played Mega Man II, and that's a pretty solid platformer. The jumps are precise, the shooting is fun, and the enemies and levels are creative. Certainly the 8-bit era at it's finest.

That being said, although it's now been about two years since I first heard about it, I've probably been aware of Mega Man producer Keiji Inafune's spiritual successor, Mighty No. 9, for longer than I've been aware of where it came from. And it makes perfect sense that I should - considering all the adults in the industry loved Mega Man and wanted more to be made, they were quick to jump on the hype train for this new, cutting edge Mega Man-esque game. And why shouldn't they be? The main character of the game, Mighty No. 9 (a.k.a. Beck) is pretty reminiscent of the original blue bomber.
He moves like Mega Man, he shoots like Mega Man, he jumps like Mega Man. However, Inafune and his team have made developments to give Beck distinct differences from his predecessor. For one, Beck has an absorption ability where he can zoom through enemies and absorb them for temporary power upgrades such as increased strength or speed. This looks like a promising Mega Man for the new generation of gamers.

This project was borne of the popular Kickstarter method, where crowdfunding powered the development of the game. After meeting their goals only after 2 days active, and with more cash flowing in, Inafune and his team have added even more features to the game, such as more varied and expansive stages to play through, special play modes, localization and even development for various platforms. As of now, the game will  be launching on every system that can play games - the PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4,Xbox 360, Xbox One, Wii U, PlayStation Vita, Nintendo 3DS, and even on Microsoft Windows, OS X, and Linux. The handheld console versions are being worked on by external studios Abstraction Games and Engine Software, while Inafune's own company, Comcept (partnered with Inti Crates and Deep Silver) are working on the main console and computer versions.

Now, as I've said before, this game has held my attention for a while. The gameplay looks tight, from fantastic stages to play through to the shooting mechanics in some proper HD display to the new dash-absorb ability that Beck has. My one upset with this game is the fact that there is voice acting, even in the English version. Call me crazy, but it just seems that making a 2D side-scrolling platformer voice-acted for its characters is a bit of a waste of time. The perspective and medium of gameplay doesn't really allow for as an enticing narrative as something like a third-person action game might. Stories in side-scrollers can be fine, don't get me wrong - Mega Man X did it pretty well - but it just seems like the voice acting is unnecessary, especially considering that I don't go to side-scrollers for a story in the first place. I go for the tight gameplay and the thrill of finishing a stage in record time, or with the most enemies defeated.

With all that said, I'm still super excited for what Mighty No. 9 has to offer me in terms of that gameplay. It looks like both an incredibly fun side-scroller and a warm love letter to the Mega Man series that so many people knew and loved. And hey, there's no telling what will happen if this game is successful as everyone hopes it is. Maybe, just maybe, Beck is the one that brings Mega Man back from the depths of non-development. It's probably unlikely, but one can wonder...

By the way, for those of you wondering, the game launches in February 2016. Only a few more months away!

The Martian Review

While a little late, it's still a good time for the good word of The Martian to be spread far and wide. After what seems to be a resurgence of the space genre, with films like Guardians of the Galaxy, Gravity, and Interstellar, famed director Ridley Scott pairs with the charismatic and charming Matt Damon to take audiences into the not-so-far future for a journey to Earth's red planet counterpart, Mars. While the movie isn't perfect, especially when held in comparison to the narrative of the novel that it's based on, The Martian still delivers a fantastic scientific survival film.

As super-biologist Mark Watney (Matt Damon) gets left behind on Mars after a horrific sandstorm and is unable to make contact with his team or Earth, Watney has to use all of his knowledge to survive on the harsh desert world, including repairing communications and growing food! On Earth, NASA deals with the backlash of leaving a man stranded on Mars and then having to solve the problem of getting him home safely. As far as space stories go, this may sound less enticing, but the film is still a fantastic ride to be apart of.

Now, most of the film's success should be accredited to Matt Damon's humorous and intelligent performance as Mark Watney. As a character in general, it would have been easy for Mark to go into a depressive state and die. However, what Damon does so great with the character is instill a sense of hope that transcends to the audience, and the fact that he's so humorous and willing to crack jokes at his own expense, as his life is in true peril, makes the character all that more enjoyable to watch.

The film also should be credited with it's fantastic cinematography and mix of special effects with the practical: the sequences in space look amazing, the rockets are fantastic, but when you're on Mars with Mark in the space lab, you really feel like you're on Mars. The rovers that Watney manipulates are all real, the tools and equipment seems like they actually borrowed everything from NASA...which, to the film's credit, they had NASA consultants on set, so they probably did borrow things from them. But beyond all that, the wide shots of Mars paints an oddly serene picture of the planet, almost as if the director is writing it a love letter with this film.

Director Ridley Scott should also receive props as well. Lately, with films like Prometheus, Robin Hood and Exodus: Gods and Kings, Scott has had issues really captivating an audience with a narrative for some time. That pattern changes with The Martian: both incredibly intelligent considering the amount of information it needed to tell, along with containing surprisingly strong comedic beats throughout, Scott has delivered one of the most entertaining films in a while, which could quite honestly make it one of his best of all time.

Couple all of this with a solid supporting the cast laced with the likes of Jessica Chastain, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Jeff Daniels, and a few other surprising pop-ups, The Martian  has one of the largest, most solid casts that compare it to the likes of a powerhouse like The Avengers. Make no mistake, though: The Martian's main focus is on Mark Watney and his incredibly intelligent endeavor to stay alive on Mars. That being said, this film is surprisingly light on details compared to the novel. It's just as well; the novel was overflown with scientific facts and jargon that could have been an easy turn-off for many paying customers. With that in mind, someone like myself would have liked to hear more of the science, even if the film stretched past its original 2-hour runtime.

While it may be considerably lighter on the science, The Martian boasts an impressive cast, one of Matt Damon's strongest performances, a welcome return to form for director Ridley Scott, and a story that truly boasts the best reasons why space expansion can be both exciting and terrifying.

Rating: 8.5/10