Best game in a long time

Arkham City is without doubt one of the best games I have ever played. I don’t say that lightly, I sincerely mean it. It has everything you could possibly want in a game, for starters you are Batman. But not some hobbled “I have had all my toys taken away from me and I won’t be cool till the end of the game” Batman but a “I am so freaking cool I can kill guys just by looking at them” Batman… which is nice!

You have great toys to play with and the actual mechanics of playing the game are exactly right. Fighting is at the forefront in this game and you will be doing plenty of it. But its fun, there are so many things you can do as you pound people it is just an endless joy. Then you get to throw in all your cool gadgets and you are set. But its not straight forward, do something stupid and you die almost instantly (that is a good thing as you still have to think rather than button bash).

The artwork and production value in the game is utterly stunning, the art-deco style of Gotham is extended into some weird and wonderful ideas but all of them feel at home here. While some of it is absurd none of it felt out of place. You are playing a man with no special powers but dresses up like a bat.. absurd was left at the door. On top of that the voice acting is superb, I have already mentioned my gripe so we will leave it at that. You have to praise the developers for not sticking with the established designs for the characters, they have taken some already great concepts and just improved on them with this game. It is worth playing the game just to get the the unlocks that let you examine the models in more detail (Kudos to them for including the design of Cat Woman from the animated series as a model as well).

But the standout thing here is the story. I’m not going to tell you a single thing about it that would only spoil it for you, but lets just say it was not what I expected at all and was just fantastic. There are plenty of older characters that make an appearance not just the Joker, Penguin or Riddler, and there are twists and turns all through the story. But at its heart it stays true to who Batman is and what he is about.

Final thought

This is just the perfect superhero game that I don’t you could ever really do with any other superhero. You know you are playing a great game when you finish it before you wanted and you want to start it again straight away.

*I will give you one little spoiler*
I got to beat up a shark!

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.

It has a new look, but the same story

“Ghost in the Shell” is simply one of the most amazing films ever made! I don’t say that lightly, there are a lot of films out there, but very few come close to the depth and insight portrayed in GITS.

As far as Sci-fi or Anime films go, this is the bench mark. There are only a few other films that can match it (Akira, My neighbor Totoro, basically master peices). But for me it is the standard by which all of these types of films are measured.

When I saw “The Matrix” (over 10 years ago now) I was astounded like everyone else. But then you compare it to GITS are you start to see whole sequences where they just stole the concepts. It doesn’t detract from “The Matrix”, but shows just how strong GITS is.

Which is why I am so pleased they have gone back to the oringal 1995 film and “Renewed” it.

What do you mean.. Renewed?

I have been waiting for the UK release of “Ghost in the Shell” on Blu-Ray, but it seems we will not be getting the original version. Instead we are going to be getting the Renewed version. At first I was a little upset, I wanted (and still really do) the original version as it was when I first saw it at the cinema. You can of course get it on DVD, but it does not really do the film justice.

But now I am actually really looking forward to this new release of the original. Basically they have gone back to the original film and reworked a large number of the animations. Either compositing new 3D work, or re-colouring and cleaning the original frames. So what you are left with is the original film, but with a cleaner look.

But it seems not everything is as it was. Some scenes have been added and most notably the voice of the puppet master has been changed from male to female. This news is from the Japanese release so it is possible when it is re-dubbed into English they may keep it as it was, but until I can actually see it its hard to know. My biggest fear is they will changes the voices of the English version. I am very used to how they sound now, and if it suffered from the “Akira Effect”* I would not be able to enjoy the films.

*Akira Effect: I am used to the original release of this film in the UK. When the film was re-released with additional content on DVD, they took the liberty of re-voicing the entire film. This has lead to a version I just can’t watch anymore, the voices just don’t fit like they should and I am not able to watch it without screaming.

Most interestingly for the new release the sound has been remixed into 6.1 surround by Skywalker Sound. As well as some of the original music being replaced with entirly new work.

Conclusion

This is a great film, always has been, and always will be. I am so pleased they are finally releasing it in the UK, and to my surprise very happy they have gone back to it and done more than just transfer it and tidy it a little. This film deserves all the attention it gets, and if they can give it a little more love, and a better look then why not.

I have already ordered my copy on Blu-Ray which will be released on 26th October 2009. You can get it from Play. As ever it just not contain the extras I would like to see. Directors commentary, comparison of the original to the new release. It does it contains the “Original Movie”, but I get a feeling that is not right. Only time will tell, I will put up my thoughts on this new version when it comes out.

In the mean time, take a look at what is new in these comparision shots.

Mini Review
Not a bad film, but not great. John C. Reilly is always funny, but Apatow takes the comedy too far. Would have been much better if they had stoped most jokes one line earlier.

This made me think. Most of my favourite films are either comedy, or have something funny at their core. But while they are playful, and sometimes hilarious they have a seriousness and a substance that I find mostly missing from current films.

You can be funny and serious at the same time?

There are so many comedy films that are coming out, that are just goof-ball stupid. They are not especially clever, or in many cases all that funny. But they can get away with making a terrible film by claiming its a comedy or a satire, and anything stupid that happens.. well that’s the funny part.

How wrong can you get? A great comedy film is possibly one of the hardest things to make, and a serious film with a comic overtone has to be harder still. You want people to laugh, but you want them to think as well. For me this is when a film goes from being just good to being great.

Some of my favourite films

• Kind Hearts & Coronets
• The Ladykillers
• The Flight of the Phoenix
• The Green Man
• Dr Strangelove
• The Great Escape
• North by Northwest

Something different

When character and plot are king, comedy and action take a back seat. When you have truly talented actors they can bring the film to life in a way others just can’t. Above all, this is something I miss, it seems the the true gem’s of films are few and far between. If you look over my list you will see a few comedy’s, some action films, and even drama. But all of them have something else to say, and in the case of “Dr Stangelove”, “The Great Escape”, and “”the Flight of the Phoenix” its a very serious message indeed. But they all know how to balance that with comedy and action.

Black Heart

At the heart of all these films is a black core. What could be classed as an overridingly  evil idea that should in no way be fun. But all of these films play with that idea and find a way to turn it into something more meaningful. Most change the idea and turn it inside-out until you are left with a ending that is entirely unexpected.

“The Ladykillers” and “Flight of the Phoenix” have to be the best examples of that. Through out the film you feel sure you know there will be a grizzly end, there is no way it can be any other way. But the ending comes quickly, and twists in the most unexpected way just when you think you have it all understood.

The flight of a great film

“The Flight of the Phoenix” has to be one best examples (at least for me) of something you did not expect. The story is initially very straight forward. A plane crashes in the middle of the desert, and the men have to survive until help comes. It become obvious help is not going to reach them in time, and they have to come up with a plan to escape this dire situation.

But what makes it special was when I had one of those most joyous moments you can have when you watch a film. When you suddenly understand the twist just as the characters understand it. I was right with the director as he unveiled his revelation, and it is funny, shocking, and pure genius all at the same time. But all you can think is “Holy crap, its going to work!”.

All these films have touches of comedy. Some more than others, but they all have it when it is needed. It is something that makes you love the film just a little more.

Not such a kind heart

“Kind Hearts and Coronets” is outrageously dark. The main character is so outraged at how his mother is treated by the rest of his more noble family he decides he wants to become the next duke. The only problem of course are the eight heirs who stand between him and the title. But there is a very simple solution to that minor problem.

This film always brings a smile to my face, and the ending has to be one of the best ever committed to film. Plus seeing such a great actor like Alex Guinness do something a little more challenging than Obi Wan is a bonus.

Final Thoughts

If you have never seen any of these films, then you are missing some of the best films ever made (that is my opinion of course). They all have something to offer, they will all make you laugh, and think.