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LeftSideCut (3776 KP) rated Alita: Battle Angel (2019) in Movies
May 26, 2020 (Updated Jun 18, 2020)
Alita: Battle Angel is great. Is there a good helping of sci-fi dumbfuckery to be found? Of course. But the positives far outweigh any negatives in this instance.
Based on a Manga series and subsequent Anime from the early nineties, Alita brings the signature Japanese comic style to life in style, as a whole heap of (mostly) decent digital effects collides with real-life.
The world of A:BA is really well realised, with the film taking place in the 26th Century, a future that sees man and cyborg live side by side. The plot takes place in The Iron City on the ground, eclipsed by the floating city of Zalem above. It's a striking aesthetic that reminded me of something from a Final Fantasy game. The main narrative follows Dr. Ido (Christoph Waltz) who finds the remains of a deactivated cyborg in a trash heap. He gives the cyborg a new body and a new life, and gives her the name Alita. She has no memory of who she was before, but as she begins to explore the world, her memories slowly return. Alita (Rosa Salazar) is a stupidly likable protagonist. She's a fiery, lethal weapon who has a child like innocence. The motion capture combined with Salazar's performance work really well. In fact, the whole cast is great. Christoph Waltz, Mahershala Ali, Jennifer Connelly, Jackie Earl-Hailey - it's a stellar line up. The only cast member I couldn't get on with was Hugo (Keean Johnson) who mainly serves as Alita's love interest. I didn't particularly like his character and as a result didn't fully buy their romance side plot.
The main issue I had was the pacing. The plot is trying to pack so much into 2 hours, that it moved forward at breakneck speed at times. Some plot points become a bit lost in the whole thing, and a few of the characters seemed inconsequential as a result.
It does go a bit CGI overload at times but that's to be expected by the very nature of what A:BA is. The effects on some of the other cyborg characters are ropey as well, but honestly, these are small gripes against a film that I found myself really enjoying.
I sincerely hope a sequel gets green lit as I for one want more of this world to be explored.
Based on a Manga series and subsequent Anime from the early nineties, Alita brings the signature Japanese comic style to life in style, as a whole heap of (mostly) decent digital effects collides with real-life.
The world of A:BA is really well realised, with the film taking place in the 26th Century, a future that sees man and cyborg live side by side. The plot takes place in The Iron City on the ground, eclipsed by the floating city of Zalem above. It's a striking aesthetic that reminded me of something from a Final Fantasy game. The main narrative follows Dr. Ido (Christoph Waltz) who finds the remains of a deactivated cyborg in a trash heap. He gives the cyborg a new body and a new life, and gives her the name Alita. She has no memory of who she was before, but as she begins to explore the world, her memories slowly return. Alita (Rosa Salazar) is a stupidly likable protagonist. She's a fiery, lethal weapon who has a child like innocence. The motion capture combined with Salazar's performance work really well. In fact, the whole cast is great. Christoph Waltz, Mahershala Ali, Jennifer Connelly, Jackie Earl-Hailey - it's a stellar line up. The only cast member I couldn't get on with was Hugo (Keean Johnson) who mainly serves as Alita's love interest. I didn't particularly like his character and as a result didn't fully buy their romance side plot.
The main issue I had was the pacing. The plot is trying to pack so much into 2 hours, that it moved forward at breakneck speed at times. Some plot points become a bit lost in the whole thing, and a few of the characters seemed inconsequential as a result.
It does go a bit CGI overload at times but that's to be expected by the very nature of what A:BA is. The effects on some of the other cyborg characters are ropey as well, but honestly, these are small gripes against a film that I found myself really enjoying.
I sincerely hope a sequel gets green lit as I for one want more of this world to be explored.
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KalJ95 (25 KP) rated Marvel's Spider-Man in Video Games
Jun 19, 2020
All Round Performances Are Fantastic. (4 more)
Combat Is Arkham-esque.
New York Sandbox Is The Definition Of Fun.
Story Feels Fresh And Thrilling.
The Webswinging.
Frame Rate Issues. (1 more)
Few Missed Opportunities With The Story.
The Best Superhero Game Ever?
When I was nine years old, I fell thirty feet out of a tree on a British summers day. Coincidently, because of damp moss on a branch. I spent seven days in a hospital, recovering from a punctured lung, caused by impact on my ribs. In that week, I spent most of my time playing Spider-Man 2, a tie in with the Sam Raimi film, on a hospital owned PlayStation 2. Why am I telling you this story? Well, I spent quite a substantial amount of time playing that game, and it slowly made me realise the mechanics and skill that go into making a video game. Spider-Man wouldn't just shoot his web up in the sky and start swinging, like the Spider-Man game previous. Spider-Man would have to attach his webs to buildings he flew by, and this blew my mind and kept me occupied for hours and hours. For me, it encapsulated a feeling of being so immersed within a medium, you forget everything around you, and in my case it just so happened to be bed ridden in a hospital with a punctured lung. Spider-Man games have come and gone since that 2004 classic, but none have ever been as fun to play.
Marvel’s Spider-Man is the best Spider-Man game ever made, and an even bolder statement, it just might be the best superhero game ever made. Insomniac have crafted an original experience, whilst keeping the spirit and tone of Spidey the same of that from the comics. You can tell right from the opening cinematic, Insomniac have done their research extensively, from the witty dialogue of Peter Parker’s banter, to the wise cracks he makes as his alter ego when punching the pulp out of thugs and villains. The fundamental idea of what this game strives to be is fun, and this is the very definition.
The story is follows Peter, as he juggles the responsibility of being a superhero, with the very normal aspects of everyday life, like holding down an apartment, or retaining a relationship with his Aunt May and Mary Jane Watson. While this remains the core of the narrative, villainy is taking shape in the background, as multiple antagonists are preparing to take down the web-slinger, once and for all. Included in the story comes a variety of side missions, activities to complete, collectables to find, and costumes to unlock. The sheer amount of things to do in this game is unbelievable. The costumes alone ranks up to thirty eight (with DLC included), all in ridiculously beautiful detail. I specifically remember a moment when the rising sun over the Big Apple shone over the windows of a skyscraper, bouncing onto the red of Spider-Man’s suit. I was in awe. In fact, I was in awe over the entire map of New York City, which feels alive, even a character within itself. The major monuments all bring such authenticity to the overall feel of a city you can fully explore. Its a massive playground for Spider-Man, and I never felt the need to fast travel at all.
The characters make the story worth playing multiple times. Certain characters can’t be mentioned due to spoiling aspects of the narrative, but stand-out performances happen time and time again. This also brings a dynamic between characters that shines over the entire experience. Peter and MJ are partners, yet their relationship seems distanced from past troubles. We never find out specifically, but the seeds are planted from dialogue that we can only guess from an audiences’ perspective. It brings so much back story to the characters, making them seem so fleshed out and real. No Uncle Ben death scenes either, so that is a plus in my book.
The combat, at first, felt all to familiar with Rocksteady’s Arkham Series, which isn't a problem, but instead I wanted something a little new to engage with. Then a collection of gadgets are introduced, and this mixes everything up. Everything feels so fluid and silky smooth, from webbing thugs against a wall, or sending out a spiderdrone to fire rounds of electric bullets to incapacitate an opponent. Again, this never feels stale, even when I had collected every collectable and finished all activities, I spent hours just waiting for police calls so I could attend crimes an battle enemies. This is perhaps where Insomniac need to be commended most. Games are all too disposable at times, once its done you're done with it, but Marvel’s Spider-Man is so damn fun, even when everything is done. You feel the need to explore, the need to finish the side missions and activities, because every aspect is so well produced.
I do however have minor issues to mention. I did experience tiny pauses in gameplay whilst the city loaded more buildings, I don't know if this was down to playing on a standard PS4 rather than a Pro. The story does sometimes cut a few beats short in areas, and the DLC feels like it could of been included within the game, which ultimately feels like it was, and was decided to be DLC for an extra cost. But, these are little gripes for an overall fantastic package. I can’t wait to see what happens next.
Marvel’s Spider-Man is the best Spider-Man game ever made, and an even bolder statement, it just might be the best superhero game ever made. Insomniac have crafted an original experience, whilst keeping the spirit and tone of Spidey the same of that from the comics. You can tell right from the opening cinematic, Insomniac have done their research extensively, from the witty dialogue of Peter Parker’s banter, to the wise cracks he makes as his alter ego when punching the pulp out of thugs and villains. The fundamental idea of what this game strives to be is fun, and this is the very definition.
The story is follows Peter, as he juggles the responsibility of being a superhero, with the very normal aspects of everyday life, like holding down an apartment, or retaining a relationship with his Aunt May and Mary Jane Watson. While this remains the core of the narrative, villainy is taking shape in the background, as multiple antagonists are preparing to take down the web-slinger, once and for all. Included in the story comes a variety of side missions, activities to complete, collectables to find, and costumes to unlock. The sheer amount of things to do in this game is unbelievable. The costumes alone ranks up to thirty eight (with DLC included), all in ridiculously beautiful detail. I specifically remember a moment when the rising sun over the Big Apple shone over the windows of a skyscraper, bouncing onto the red of Spider-Man’s suit. I was in awe. In fact, I was in awe over the entire map of New York City, which feels alive, even a character within itself. The major monuments all bring such authenticity to the overall feel of a city you can fully explore. Its a massive playground for Spider-Man, and I never felt the need to fast travel at all.
The characters make the story worth playing multiple times. Certain characters can’t be mentioned due to spoiling aspects of the narrative, but stand-out performances happen time and time again. This also brings a dynamic between characters that shines over the entire experience. Peter and MJ are partners, yet their relationship seems distanced from past troubles. We never find out specifically, but the seeds are planted from dialogue that we can only guess from an audiences’ perspective. It brings so much back story to the characters, making them seem so fleshed out and real. No Uncle Ben death scenes either, so that is a plus in my book.
The combat, at first, felt all to familiar with Rocksteady’s Arkham Series, which isn't a problem, but instead I wanted something a little new to engage with. Then a collection of gadgets are introduced, and this mixes everything up. Everything feels so fluid and silky smooth, from webbing thugs against a wall, or sending out a spiderdrone to fire rounds of electric bullets to incapacitate an opponent. Again, this never feels stale, even when I had collected every collectable and finished all activities, I spent hours just waiting for police calls so I could attend crimes an battle enemies. This is perhaps where Insomniac need to be commended most. Games are all too disposable at times, once its done you're done with it, but Marvel’s Spider-Man is so damn fun, even when everything is done. You feel the need to explore, the need to finish the side missions and activities, because every aspect is so well produced.
I do however have minor issues to mention. I did experience tiny pauses in gameplay whilst the city loaded more buildings, I don't know if this was down to playing on a standard PS4 rather than a Pro. The story does sometimes cut a few beats short in areas, and the DLC feels like it could of been included within the game, which ultimately feels like it was, and was decided to be DLC for an extra cost. But, these are little gripes for an overall fantastic package. I can’t wait to see what happens next.
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Lucy Buglass (45 KP) rated Black Mirror: Bandersnatch (2018) in Movies
Jun 20, 2019
It comes as no surprise that Black Mirror was Netflix’s guinea pig for their first ever interactive film. Charlie Brooker’s anthology series about the dark side of technology has captivated fans ever since it first aired on Channel 4 in the UK. With Netflix being a leading entertainment service, the time had come for them to try something brand new. The film dropped over the Christmas break, and I for one was very excited to sit down and try it.
Black Mirror: Bandersnatch is set in the ’80s and follows teenager Stefan Butler as he works to create a choice/consequence video game called ‘Bandersnatch’. He’s basing it off one of his mother’s ‘choose your own adventure’ books, where you could flick back and forth between chapters to change the course of your story. He’s been invited to speak with video games company Tuckersoft, comprised of video game creator Colin Ritman and savvy businessman Mohan Thaku, in the hopes he can make the game for their company.
As Stefan works on ‘Bandersnatch’, he also visits a therapist to help with his depression following the loss of his mother. He takes an unnamed medication in an attempt to ease his symptoms. Soon, the lines between reality and the video game world start to blur for Stefan, and he becomes more and more unhinged before our eyes.
That’s about all I’m going to tell you about the plot itself, because I don’t want to give away any spoilers. My advice when approaching this for the first time is to go in completely blind and just make your own decisions. You can find numerous pathway guides online, but try to avoid these until your later playthroughs if you can. Black Mirror: Bandersnatch is an experience that requires multiple watches and a lot of patience, but I promise you it’s worth it.
Personally I adore this episode, and I think they did such a fantastic job of bringing it to life. It’s so fluid and engaging; the scenes continue to play even when the options pop up on screen. The acting is absolutely stunning, with Fionn Whitehead (Stefan) and Will Poulter (Colin) impressing me the most, but every character is so well acted and believable. For the very first time, you feel part of the Black Mirror universe, and everything starts to feel so meta. There are also a lot of references to previous episodes which will delight long term fans, but aren’t too jarring for those new to the series.
Both Black Mirror and Netflix have proven they can work with interactivity without making it too gimmicky or tedious. It’s a fascinating format that I’m excited to see more of, and I’m sure we haven’t seen the last of this. I have equal amounts of praise for both the series and Netflix themselves, because they’re constantly upping the entertainment game which makes me fall in love even more. This is the kind of stuff that really excites me!
In classic Black Mirror style, there are some disturbing pathways but they’re arguably my favourite. They’re chilling, harrowing and bloody brilliant. At this point I think I’ve explored every possible ending or pathway, but I’m reluctant to spoil any of them on here because that would ruin the experience. However, if you do want to discuss anything, please do message me on @LGTHBlog so we can fangirl together!
https://lucygoestohollywood.com/2019/01/06/netflixs-first-interactive-film-my-thoughts-on-black-mirror-bandersnatch/
Black Mirror: Bandersnatch is set in the ’80s and follows teenager Stefan Butler as he works to create a choice/consequence video game called ‘Bandersnatch’. He’s basing it off one of his mother’s ‘choose your own adventure’ books, where you could flick back and forth between chapters to change the course of your story. He’s been invited to speak with video games company Tuckersoft, comprised of video game creator Colin Ritman and savvy businessman Mohan Thaku, in the hopes he can make the game for their company.
As Stefan works on ‘Bandersnatch’, he also visits a therapist to help with his depression following the loss of his mother. He takes an unnamed medication in an attempt to ease his symptoms. Soon, the lines between reality and the video game world start to blur for Stefan, and he becomes more and more unhinged before our eyes.
That’s about all I’m going to tell you about the plot itself, because I don’t want to give away any spoilers. My advice when approaching this for the first time is to go in completely blind and just make your own decisions. You can find numerous pathway guides online, but try to avoid these until your later playthroughs if you can. Black Mirror: Bandersnatch is an experience that requires multiple watches and a lot of patience, but I promise you it’s worth it.
Personally I adore this episode, and I think they did such a fantastic job of bringing it to life. It’s so fluid and engaging; the scenes continue to play even when the options pop up on screen. The acting is absolutely stunning, with Fionn Whitehead (Stefan) and Will Poulter (Colin) impressing me the most, but every character is so well acted and believable. For the very first time, you feel part of the Black Mirror universe, and everything starts to feel so meta. There are also a lot of references to previous episodes which will delight long term fans, but aren’t too jarring for those new to the series.
Both Black Mirror and Netflix have proven they can work with interactivity without making it too gimmicky or tedious. It’s a fascinating format that I’m excited to see more of, and I’m sure we haven’t seen the last of this. I have equal amounts of praise for both the series and Netflix themselves, because they’re constantly upping the entertainment game which makes me fall in love even more. This is the kind of stuff that really excites me!
In classic Black Mirror style, there are some disturbing pathways but they’re arguably my favourite. They’re chilling, harrowing and bloody brilliant. At this point I think I’ve explored every possible ending or pathway, but I’m reluctant to spoil any of them on here because that would ruin the experience. However, if you do want to discuss anything, please do message me on @LGTHBlog so we can fangirl together!
https://lucygoestohollywood.com/2019/01/06/netflixs-first-interactive-film-my-thoughts-on-black-mirror-bandersnatch/