Every week we’re bringing you recommendations for great movies or TV shows streaming on Netflix. This week’s selection is…

“RoboCop (2014)” 6 out of 10 – Directed by Jose Padilha; Written by Joshua Zetumer, Edward Neumeier, and Michael Miner; Starring Joel Kinnaman, Gary Oldman, Micheal Keaton, Abbie Cornish, Jackie Earle Haley, Michael Kenneth Williams, Samuel L. Jackson, and Jay Baruchel; Rated PG-13.

“RoboCop” is a modernized remake of the 1987 film of the same name. The movie centers around detective Alex Murphy who is the victim of an attempted murder when investigating police corruption within his own department.

Omnicorp, a robotics company helmed by Raymond Sellars (Keaton) is using their high-tech robots to police the streets of developing nations and sees an opportunity in Murphy’s tragedy to convince the American people to allow their robotic force to roam the streets here at home.

Dr. Dennett Norton (Oldman), a scientist working for Omnicorp, uses his formidable technology to rebuild Murphy, to make him better, faster, stronger, and save him from being blown to smithereens.

By the time Norton is done, Murphy is nothing more than a head with lungs and heart descending and encased in glass and a hand attached by a metal skeleton. The rest of his being is made up entirely of robotic replacement parts. While this scene provides one of the coolest moments in the film, it is at odds with previous hospital shots that showed Murphy mostly intact, aside from a missing hand, lower leg, and damage to one of his eyes. It begs the question, what happened between the hospital and the robotic awakening? It feels as though Murphy was stripped down to the bare essentials purely in order to provide a cool visual.

“RoboCop” also suffers from being over the top at times. A man improved by bleeding edge technology is cool enough; it doesn’t need to be enhanced with actions that seem unrealistic even for the apparent technology. POV shots of Murphy’s RoboCop provided another of the movie’s highlights, each time he calculated the geometry of his movements in advance and then executed them my heart skipped a beat.

As Murphy explores his new skin, Sellars and Omnicorp manipulate him to their ends threatening not only his wellbeing but that of the entire nation. With the help of Dr. Norton and his obvious badassness Murphy is able to take down the evil corporation and finally reunite with his family.

This movie has so much going for it but continued to miss the mark just slightly or get a little too big for its tin britches. Though most of its failings can be forgiven by virtue awesome robot battles and the who’s who list of pop culture favorites including Sam Jackson as America’s futuristic Rush Limbaugh, Gary Oldman who can never do any wrong, Michael Keaton playing the charming villain, Jackie Earle Haley playing the face-punchable villain, and Jay Baruchel playing the skinny loveable scamp who looks sixteen years old even with a beard. Not to mention Joel Kinnaman (The Killing) who plays the hardened street smart detective with ease.

I only wish that “RoboCop” had realized what it had in its hands and found its potential rather than relying on gimmicks and name recognition to carry it. Those two things can take you far and can make for worthwhile weekend Netflix viewing, but they do not a good movie make.

“RoboCop” earns six stars out of ten because are some excellent visuals and a couple good performances. It isn’t terrible, but it isn’t great. In the end, it’s just forgettable, and considering what they had in the way of acting and technological resources, that’s kind of sad. 

This is my first year at Anime Banzai and it has been a learning experience for me. My exposure to anime and manga is minimal at best. I’m familiar with “Black Butler,” “Attack on Titan,” and of course “Pokémon” but most of the cosplay and references at the con have gone over my head. Banzai has been an opportunity to immerse myself in a culture that is alien to me and find out if there is anything that interests me.

The thing that has stuck out most over the last couple of days has been the level of excitement and engagement the fans have exhibited. It goes above anything I’ve seen at any other convention. Perhaps it’s an element of this fan base or maybe it’s just a characterization of a niche market. Either way, the fans here are more energized about their collective hobby then at your more generalized geek related conventions and that’s refreshing.

The other thing that has become apparent is that I’m overdressed, in as much as the average amount of body coverage has been at about 22% give or take (except for the furries). Anime characters apparently have a bad relationship with garments.

Perhaps the most notable thing I’ve learned about this niche is that unlike other geeky subcultures, they have incorporated video games like no one else. The game room is the hoppingest place in the joint and for good reason. Where else can you see Ash and a Titan (I’m showing my limited character knowledge here) face off in a “Dance Dance Revolution” battle?

Obviously not Ash or a Titan but you get the point. 
Photo by Brandigirlio

The game room is like a miniature arcade filled with a couple dozen cabinets all set to free play. This is worth the price of admission alone. It’s like ten year old Neverbot’s dream to walk into an arcade and not have to worry about how many quarters are left in my pocket. Aside from the three variations of DDR there are classic games like “TMNT” and “Dr. Wario.” Not to mention the fact that the Nintendo DS to attendee ratio is off the charts. You could do nothing else but collect street passes all day if that’s your cup o’ proverbial tea. You could drown in a sea of portable gaming consoles.

I wonder what it is about anime that so seamlessly incorporates video games into the culture. Is it the fact that there are more “Pokémon” games than stars in the sky? Maybe. More probably it’s the fact that anime fans seemingly enjoy all things related to Asian culture and they have absolutely had their hands in gaming from the start.

Whatever the reason, this weekend has offered an experience more different from your average con than I expected, and different is good. Today is the last day of Anime Banzai so if you haven’t made it down yet, start packing your things and meet me there. I’ll be playing the weird hand version of DDR… badly.  

Among the cosplay, the exhibitors, and the panels of Salt Lake Comic Con was a mostly undiscovered gem hiding on the convention floor, or rather, next to it. Just to the north of Kid Con was a moderately sized room that, once entered, almost felt out of place. Not because of any of the content, it fit in the theme of the three day spectacular nicely, but because it was calm and quiet, relaxed.

It was called simply, the gaming room, and was filled with table top games, video games, miniature painting, and more. I kept an eye out for the room as I made my way around the convention Thursday and Friday but never saw it. Finally on Saturday I asked the lovely volunteers at one of the information desks and was directed there immediately. I was told to walk through Kid Con and continue north, I did so and still almost missed it. Directly north of Kid Con was a hallway with a couple of tables, a handful of attendees, and some abandoned pizza boxes. Surely this can’t be it, I thought before continuing forward. Then the hall opened up onto a room and there I found haven.

I wish I had found the gaming room earlier; it was a welcome break from the chaos of the rest of the convention. To the left of the entrance was a considerable game library where you could check out a selection of table top games to play at no charge. If you liked any of those games you could buy them from the vendor next to it. Attendees were also encouraged to grab a free blank miniature and try their hand at painting it. On the right end of the room were oversized board games you could play while standing along with a large projector displaying video games. “Super Smash Bros.” was in play while I was in the room.

While the room would have been perfectly comfortable for a casual gamer, that wasn’t all they had to offer.  Competitive games of “Dungeons & Dragons” (among others) were scheduled almost hourly. If you didn’t have a chance to check out the gaming room during the 2014 festivities, I recommend you locate it quickly next year. The availability of free games and the quiet environment will be a welcome escape from the mobs. 

Fantasy Con has come and gone and now the time for recollection is here. The inaugural fantasy themed convention in Salt Lake marks the fifth convention I’ve attended in the last 12 months so I’m left with the task of weighing it against my other experiences. At first blush and after analysis I can confidently say that Fantasy Con was an excellent time and a convention that absolutely should continue into the future. It had all of the usual things that attract convention goers: vendors, special guests, panels, and sweet costumes, among other things.

There were convention staples like comic book artists, t-shirt vendors, and the required Spider-Man/Deadpool duo…

But what made the convention special wasn’t what made it the same, but what made it different. The focus on fantasy themes resulted in attendee costumes that may not have been seen at a “normal” convention. Things like this lady who was wearing a unicorn skin, making her both the most badass, and most terrible person in all of fiction.

Killing a unicorn is like…. killing a unicorn.

Or these ladies dressed as… dragons? Demons? Either way they had pointy teeth and head prosthetics, and who doesn’t love a dog dressed as a dragon? Soulless jerks are the only people I can think of.

While many a convention may offer an opportunity to be the lunchmeat in a sexy Sean Astin/Summer Glau sandwich (which totally happened, so long as your definition of sandwich allows for each slice of bread to be roughly 15 feet away from me in opposite directions) we’re here to talk about what was special and unique about Fantasy Con, so let’s get back to it.

The first thing that struck me upon entering was the arena laid out in the center of the convention floor. Complete with stadium seating, it offered the opportunity to watch complete strangers beat the foam covered crap out of each other as often as you could possibly desire. If you were so inclined, and 16 or older, you could jump into the melee.

There were fighting lessons, and archery lessons available at no additional cost. I no longer have to worry how quickly I would have died had I lived during that time. Spoiler: it would have been super fast. In truth, I was pretty good at archery, provided the arrows were padded, the target wasn’t moving, and I was in no actual danger. Though, there were tarantulas and giant snakes within eyesight so I’m counting it, I’m totally a kick ass warrior.

The advertised centerpiece of the weekend was the three story tall dragon with impressive expansive wingspan, but it was only the tip of the proverbial iceberg. A functioning dragon/warrior statue, a giant stone goblin dude (they look like such strong hands), stockades, guillotine, photography set pieces and more meant that you could spend a significant amount of time enjoying the scenery and included activities, and that’s before you even get to a panel. Oh and I forget to mention, some of the most impressive beards I’ve ever seen.

I have many wonderful memories from last weekend’s festivities that it is impossible to relate them all to you, which is why, if you missed out this year, be sure to attend the next time around. I promise you won’t be disappointed, and if you are, I’ll see you on the battle grounds. 

Speaking of next year, check out the press release on how Fantasy Con went and what plans they have for the future.

Every year, I make it a point to set aside time to watch Games Done Quick and support Doctors Without Borders. Not only is it a great way to support an incredible, Nobel Peace Prize winning charity – you’re also helping to build upon what is becoming a great streaming culture dedicated to speed running video games via live stream. The dudes (hey ladies, we need more speed running representation up in here!) are volunteering their time to the event, and have thoroughly practiced their games to perfection. Some may even break the world record for their respective title! 

Watch the Live Stream on Twitch all week here:  

http://www.twitch.tv/speeddemosarchivesda

During the event, you can catch everything from classics like “Final Fantasy VI” to modern hits like “Bioshock 2.” The best part? You’ll see the games in ways you’ve likely never seen before – with time-saving glitches, frame skips, tips and tricks. There are also some fun traditions associated with the event: incentives to 100% complete a game the traditional way (as quickly as possible), donations that reference “Saving” or “Killing” the animals (don’t worry – it’s a reference to “Metroid”) and all the fun hats that will appear on the folks sitting in the background on-site. Not to mention awesome moments like this, when Alpacasso threatened to CONSUME US ALL:

Looking to watch a run for a specific game? You can find the entire schedule here. 

What are you waiting for? Load up the stream and get watching! You can donate to the event here: http://gamesdonequick.com/tracker/10

All of your donations go to the 501(c)(3) nonprofit Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) 

Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) is an international medical humanitarian organization created by doctors and journalists in France in 1971. Today, MSF provides independent, impartial assistance in more than 60 countries to people whose survival is threatened by violence, neglect, or catastrophe, primarily due to armed conflict, epidemics, malnutrition, exclusion from health care, or natural disasters. MSF provides independent, impartial assistance to those most in need. MSF also reserves the right to speak out to bring attention to neglected crises, challenge inadequacies or abuse of the aid system, and to advocate for improved medical treatments and protocols. In 1999, MSF received the Nobel Peace Prize.

Enter “Entwined,” a game made by a small team of college graduate developers who sought to fuse art and experience. It’s clear that the team had a strong focus in illustration and animation, but I’m also looking forward to checking out the twin-stick mechanics that they’ve chosen to weave you through their tale. 

In “Entwined,” you take control of two souls that are hopelessly in love, but have been kept apart. Utilizing each of the analog sticks, you’ll collect items as you scroll froward and try to unite the lovers.  As you try to bring them closer together, you will travel through nine unique lifetimes as the game grows in complexity. Mild spoiler from the video below – every time you unite the couple, they transform into DRAGONS! The concept, in of itself, is a great way to immerse the player in an artistic experience, and to include the less-utilized (in gaming) themes of unrequited love. (Let’s face it, everybody can get behind a relationship that culminates in dragonhood!) 

I think the chance of pace is a good one. Why would you just announce a ton of titles coming far in the future, when you can also use E3 as a great opportunity to give your newly available titles some love? It costs SO MUCH to present at E3, so I’m honestly pretty impressed (and happy!) that they’ve devoted some time to this student-created title. 

Check out the video from today’s E3 presentation here, and pick up the game on PSN.

and story-based Trophies? They’ve got ’em! Check out the pre-release list here: 

Today saw the premier of the new “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” trailer, which, as expected, has Michael Bay written all over it. At its most basic elements we have: nondescript city in danger, explosions, gunshots, gritty action, and finally, the new Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (not to be confused with ogres, trolls, or Reptile from “Mortal Kombat”). Was there anything particularly wrong with the trailer? No, if we’re talking about what looks like a high-octane action movie written for older teens and adults, but here’s the thing – I don’t know if Nickelodeon’s effort to position the story as a dark but witty action flick with a somewhat unsettling (terrifying?) version of the Turtles is going to work. 

At its core, I think Bay and the production team on the movie have missed the mark on what made the heroes in a half-shell successful. The tone of the trailer just feels wrong: too dark, too serious, and definitely too adult. To quote a related and appropriate Reddit comment that resonated with me this morning, “I loved the sudden contrast between the Nickelodeon logo and the terrorist firing a rifle in public.” Who is this movie really for, Nickelodeon? 

The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles that many of us grew up with (1990’s – 2000’s, specifically) were more than a lighthearted group of teenage heroes that liked pizza and were coming of age in a somewhat unusual-yet-badass mutation. They were a part of films and cartoons that had fun, didn’t take themselves too seriously, and gave crime fighting a hip sense of humor. Sure, the new trailer as a fun “Batter-up!” comment thrown in, but it is completely drowned out by Inception-like sound effects, gunfights, and what I assume are terrorist Foot Clan members.     

If you’re not a long-time Turtles fan, go back and watch the original film trailers for both “Teenage Mutant Turtles” and “Secret of the Ooze.” I think you’ll start to see just how different the themes are from this present rendition. The “Secret of the Ooze” trailer, in particular, captures the tone and themes seen in both the cartoon and live action versions. Admittedly, I did not read the original comic books that came prior to the live action and cartoon properties. I’m told the original comics were much darker, but I would love for someone to elaborate as to which formula was more successful and resonated with a larger audience. For me, teenagers that are coming of age as turtle ninjas just doesn’t make sense with the darker formula, but perhaps I’ve grown too close to the versions I grew up with. 

In the trailer, we open on New York City and the announcer tells us about the Pizza-scarfing population. Slapstick humor, lighthearted action, self-aware dialogue, and the setup for Shredder’s return form the backbone of this preview. We’re told that we’re going to learn more about the origin of our fearsome, fighting teenage friends. Most importantly, however, we find out that Vanilla Ice is going to rap, and the turtles are going to break-fight-dance. “GO NINJA GO NINJA GO! GO NINJA GO NINJA GO! GO! GO! GO! GO!…

Sorry… I get a little carried away when I hear that song…

To the matter at hand: yes, the execution in these films is dated – we wouldn’t get Vanilla Ice to do a modern version of the Ninja Rap for this movie (or would we?), nobody says “Radical!” anymore and most of the jokes wouldn’t work today. I just don’t want to believe that the executives over at Nickelodeon really thought everything about the Turtles needed an overhaul. 

In summary, I’m really struggling to think that this movie will do well in theaters, in that I think its only audience includes young, high-octane action movie fans AND those that don’t already love the 90’s-era Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. I’ve lowered my expectations for the film significantly as a result of this trailer, but for me that’s because these just aren’t the Turtles I want to see.

Well, what do you think fellow Turtle fans? Has this trailer peaked your interest, or does something feel off? Has anybody out there read the original comics and believes this is the proper return to the pre-film and pre-cartoon universe?