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Jan 11 2010
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Reviews, TV & Movies

Day of the Triffids Is Back

The day of the Triffids makes its return

Some time ago I wrote about one of my favourite Sci-Fi TV Series “Day of the Triffids“. Made in 1981, much like “Blakes 7” it is a little known British gem of a show that never really seemed to get the regard it should have got. Over Christmas the BBC have finally shown the new version. With some excellent actors, and a more grown up feel it is an excellent addition to the growing catalogue of remakes of this classic story.

I have to confess I have not read the book, and now I am starting to think I should. Every remake of this story has something new, while the core story still remains as chilling as ever.
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Jan 05 2010
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Reviews, Video Games

My game of the year 2009

Up until two weeks ago my favourite game of 2009 was definitely, and without doubt Batman: Arkham Asylum. This is the Batman game I have been waiting twenty years to play. It has absolutely everything you can want in a Batman game and the best production of a game you can hope for. All of the artistic elements are there that make Batman a thoughtful super hero, as well as some of the best voice acting I have ever heard in a game. All that before we even get onto the game play and story.

All of these things should make this the best games? Until two weeks ago you were right and I was ready to fight to preserve it as the best game I played all year. But all that has changed. While it is still the high point for me in terms of stealth/action/super hero games there is now one game that does all of that, but only much better. Continue reading →

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Dec 14 2009
8 Comments
Anime & Manga, Reviews

Macron-1

One of the first robot anime I ever saw was Macron 1, shown rediculously early (5am) on the Super Channel back in the 80s. Of course I didn’t know it was an anime then.Macron1 To me it was a cartoon with fighter jets that combined into a robot or more often, just docked into the legs and chest of an even larger super robot MacStar (GoShogun) that fired beams from its eyes, had a Photon Battle Axe, and Sword and a gigantic Bazooka that fired a huge energy beam, not to mention it’s trademark lazer bombardment (GoFlasher).

Accompanying the awesomeness of being one of the first super robot shows I saw, it was given a soundtrack comprised of covers of then contemporary music. To this day I still hear the voices of Kathy and Jason as they shoot robotic skeleton warriors whenever I hear “Hit me with your best shot”. Other 80s songs covered included Beat It, The Reflex, Electric Avenue and more.

Click to view Macron 1 European Intro

A Bit of History

At this point I will admit that Goshogun isn’t particularly well loved in Japan but they had had Mazinger Z and countless other super robot shows. Us UK cable TV viewers had Transformers, Voltron, Saber Rider and the Star Sheriffs, Macron-1 and Robotech and I’m not sure that some of those weren’t after Macron-1 (my memory sucked when I was 7 too).  Anyway, I loved and still love robot shows and being one of so few I saw in my highly impressionable youth definitely helped make this all the more memorable.

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Sep 15 2009
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Reviews, TV & Movies

District 9 Review Lite

For Humans Only

For Humans Only

Over the weekend I got the chance to see “District 9” but what I can’t tell you is whether I enjoyed it?

This is technically a very good film, the CG work is outstanding and the plot is good. The film is shot like a documentary at the start, talking about various events like the arrival of the ship 20 years earlier, and how once we eventually got inside they found it filled with aliens. A camp is created, and the aliens are basically left there. Coming back to the present the camp is almost a prison, squalid and over run with crime.

Various groups are exploiting the aliens for their own ends and we are introduced to Wikus, a mostly useless middle manager for the company in charge of looking after the aliens. The style continues as we follow him around the camp doing the dirty work of the corporation.

Thoughts

This is a very good film, I would recommend you go and see it. Did I really enjoy it.. I don’t know, it was not bad. I can see how it could become an important film in this genre. It did manage the most important thing which is to make you think, and discuss what you have seen.

I will see it again, but I don’t feel the need to to go the cinema to do it.

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Sep 03 2009
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Anime & Manga, Reviews

Shin Mazinger Shōgeki! Z-Hen

Shin Mazinger Shōgeki! Z-Hen - A lot of awesome needs a lot of nameIf there is one anime I want to be released on blu-ray that won’t be in the UK or US for a long time if ever, it is 2008′s Macross Frontier, my next choice would be the 2009 remake of Mazinger Z.

Mazinger Z is the original, big giant robot piloted by a human. A world without Mazinger Z is unimaginable. And now, the king of big giant robots is back in this hi-def re-telling and it is seriously awesome. From the adrenalin pumping intro you know you are in for a treat and it does not disappoint in the action stakes.

Most Insane Begining Ever!

The first episode blew me away, it dumps you straight in the middle of the fight to end all fights.  I have to admit, I haven’t seen all of the original Mazinger Z and while I marked out like mad as everyone I recognized appeared in the first episode, I still didn’t know everyone and was left thinking there is no way anyone could just pick this up.  Then the episode ended, without finishing the epic battle and without telling us how we got to this point.  I was hooked, I wanted more, much more. Continue reading →

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Aug 17 2009
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Reviews, TV & Movies

The ballard of G.I. Joe

On Sideswipes recommendation, and to celebrate nikobe’s birthday we saw G.I. Joe. We all agreed Sideswipe was right, as long as you don’t think too hard its a great action-fest that is definitely worth checking out.

But if there is one thing better than that, its the Ballard of G.I. Joe

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Aug 09 2009
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Reviews, TV & Movies

G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra

The official poster does the job but I'd have had Baroness and Scarlett much more prominent

The official poster for G.I. Joe does the job but I'd have had Baroness and Scarlett much more prominent...

G.I. Joe, or Action Force and then G.I. Joe the Action Force as it was known in the UK back in the day has it’s first film out and it’s suffered a lot of negative press and I have to set the record straight here.

It is an excellent popcorn film

You read that right. This film is not without its faults and I’ll get on to those later but first and foremost, this is a fun film.  Well paced action that really deserves to have a sequel (which is cleverly set up at the end).  Seriously, that Transformers Revenge of the Fallen is one of the top 10 movies of all time and this has been somewhat a failure is a mystery of the highest level.

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Aug 01 2009
6 Comments
Reviews, TV & Movies

Watching the Watchmen

A treat of a film that you have to see

A treat of a film that you have to see

Just out (in the UK at least) is Watchmen on Blu-Ray. It is shameful to admit but I have never read the comic and I missed the film at the cinema (double shame.. I’m sorry) but I have been waiting for the release on Blu-Ray and I can tell you my wait was not in vein.

I’m not going to review the film, there are plenty of other sites out there who have done a great job. They know the story a lot better than me, so I will let them do it. All I will say is this is a great film, subtle and nuanced, that is more to do with the source than it is the quality of the production, but that is not a let down either. All in all a great film, very well done.

I wanted to look at the technical side of the release. What is included and how does the disk stack up in our new HD world. Continue reading →

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Jul 28 2009
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Reviews, TV & Movies, Video Games

Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun Li

Street Fighter: The Legend of Fail, I mean Chun Li

Street Fighter: The Legend of Fail, I mean Chun Li

The second official live action film based on the Street Fighter video games is possibly the most mediocre action film  I have ever seen.

That said, I will buy it on blu-ray just for the awesomeness of Balrog.

There’s an awful lot wrong with this film from a Street Fighter fan’s point of view but as a stand alone film it’s not bad, just average, from the competant but not great fights to the glory of Balrog and an RPG which really sums up a lot about this film, it shouldn’t really have been called Street Fighter at all really.

Of course there’s also the question, how does it compare to the original live action film?

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Jun 14 2009
5 Comments
Reviews, TV & Movies

Transformers – Revenge of the Fallen

Due to friends with good contacts and one of the best Transformer websites  http://www.transformertoys.co.uk I was privileged to see Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen at a special FDA screening at the Odeon cinema in Leicester Square on Friday 12th June. I would have reviewed it sooner but this was an invite only screening and there was a blackout on mentioning it in public until today.

The film was more of the same, the stuff that made the first film awesome is all here and the weak points from the first film are all still here. I’m not going to go into much detail here but there will be some mild spoilers but nothing you probably couldn’t have guessed but don’t read on if you really don’t wanna know.

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