Disney put together some artwork slides and CGI progression slide decks together for us in anticipation of the June 5th release of John Carter (of Mars.)
I have to admit that I went and saw it at the theatre again yesterday and it blew me away all over again. This film got such a bad rap it’s ridiculous.
Make sure you pick up the Blu-ray if you haven’t seen it. It’s worth every penny ten times over.
Disney/Pixar’s Brave is scheduled to be released on June 22 in theaters, but Mattel has already released a new toy line in preparation of the film.
This line is aimed primarily at girls, focusing on dolls of Merida and her horse Angus. I’ve listed the items below with brief descriptions and suggested retail prices, as well as my own observations based on the dolls I received for this review.
Fashion & Doll Play
Brave Merida Fashion Doll – Perfect for girls to re-create their favorite movie moments. $14.99
Brave Merida & Angus the Horse Gift Set – Sit Merida atop Angus and play out the pair’s adventures. $26.99
This is an incredible set. Merida’s dress is a beautiful turquoise color, and she has adorable freckles on her cheeks and a cascade of red hair. She is designed to sit atop her horse, which is something I always found lacking in my dolls of old.
Brave Gem Styling Merida Doll – Lets girls style Merida’s signature gown and red hair with decorative “gems.” $20.99
My only complaint about this is how long it took me to get the doll out of the packaging. I had to use a pair of scissors and probably cut twenty different little strings and plastic ties. The good thing is her hair didn’t move a curl while she was in the box, so welded to the packaging was she. Her dress is gorgeous, with little yellow ruffles at the bodice, a reversible cloak, and gems sewn to the front. Her bow and arrow are tied to her hands, which move easily with articulated elbows. There are extra gems you can add to decorate her hair, but they have Velcro on the back which will more than likely pull strands loose, so use at your own risk. I opted to use the little comb as a hair ornament, and it looks like a little tiara.
And you can’t see it in any of the pictures, but she has the neatest shoes. They have plastic “laces” that go practically to her knees, and the closest comparison I can think of is to call them gladiator sandals. Very stylish, though.
So yes, I play with dolls. At least for the purpose of this article. I take my role as writer very seriously, so I must endure these hardships to bring information to you, our loyal readers.
I think little girls (and even boys!) will love these toys. And if the dolls and transforming sets aren’t up your alley, then I have no doubt there will be tons more to choose from as the film release approaches.
There’s been quite a bit of buzz for I Am Alive from Ubisoft. The game was announced ages ago and disappeared for a while, leading many to believe it had been canceled. After the long wait, it was released on XBLA earlier this month, leading PS3 owners to wonder when they’d get their chance. Ubisoft has announced it will be coming to PSN on April 3, 2012. PS Plus subscribers will get a 20% discount for the first two weeks of release on PSN. This game is a slightly different take on the “survival horror” genre as it doesn’t feature zombies or monsters. Well, maybe monsters, but only in that the other survivors have become monstrous in the post-apocalyptic world. The XBLA release currently has an “average” score (in the 70s out of 100) on Metacritic. GameSpot and Eurogamer both seemed to have enjoyed the title, giving it an 8 out of 10. IGN seemingly had a different experience, rating it only 4.5 out of 10.
Another PSN title recently given a release date is Wheels of Destruction: World Tour. This one’s coming next week on Tuesday, March 27th. If you’re not sure what this is and want to know if it’s for you, think of it like Twisted Metal without all the seriously twisted violence. Basically, if you love car combat and over the top destructiveness, but get nightmares from Sweet Tooth and Dollface, grab this title. Also, it’s only $10, so it’s probably worth the risk if you’ve never played a car combat title.
The first episode in Telltale Games’ The Walking Dead is also coming to PSN, XBLA, PC, and Mac next month for just $4.99. This first episode is planned for “late April” and features a separate cast from the TV and comic series. Robert Kirkman is involved in the game version, but you won’t be helping Rick Grimes’ group survive. Instead you’ll be handling an entirely different group of survivors in similar circumstances after the zombocalypse. The remaining four episodes are expected to release monthly through August at $4.99 each. A “Season Pass” is available for PC and Mac from Telltale’s online store. That’ll get you the entire series for $22.49, a savings of $2.46. Buying the Season Pass also enters you into a contest to have your likeness appear in episode 4 as a killable character. Zombietron’s got the trailer.
A couple of idiot Representatives in the House are trying to get legislate gaming again. It didn’t work for California, and this is nowhere near as far-reaching or stupid, but it shouldn’t work again. Tricuit of Doom brings you the full story about a bill that would regulate what the ESRB already does incredibly well. Keep an eye on Big Shiny Robot! for more information. If this gets any bigger or becomes cause for concern we’ll have it well-covered.
Then again, if the US government gets a little overzealous regulating video games, we could always move to the UK. Chancellor George Osborne revealed the 2012 budget on Wednesday, including plans to provide tax relief to their local game developers. This is good news for the UK’s local gaming scene, which will translate to good news for all of us. Fewer taxes mean lower development costs. On the other hand, they’re raising the price of a pint of beer by 10p. Maybe I’ll hold off emigrating.
And now for the first of what will surely be too much of me talking about Mass Effect 3…. Sort of kidding, actually. Square Enix has announced a pair of downloadable costumes for Final Fantasy XIII-2‘s Noel and Serah based on Bioware’s recently ended trilogy. Does anyone even care? Both games are good, but is this really the DLC people want from Square Enix? Of course not, they want story-based stuff. But at least it’s N7 armor, not some kind of sexy Asari garb like the bikinis they released earlier.
When Epic Mickey was announced I had extremely high hopes. Bringing back Oswald, Warren Spector developing, restoring Mickey’s mischievous personality? All good things in my book. Unfortunately, this Wii-exclusive fell a little short. It was still a good game, but not the great game I was hoping they’d deliver. But it looks like Spector is taking another shot with Epic Mickey 2: The Power of Two. This next attempt will have full voice acting, even making it a musical in the best Disney tradition. As the title suggests, there will be two playable characters. Mickey with his paintbrush and Oswald the Lucky Rabbit will be traveling together in drop-in/out co-op through the Cartoon Wasteland, a home for forgotten characters and theme park rides. In single-player you’ll only be controlling Mickey, but Oswald will be tagging along as a helper character. And, yes, they’re fixing the camera! Though no date or further details are available, what has piqued my interest the most is that this sequel will be multi-platform, coming to PS3, 360, and Wii. More curious, why hasn’t it been announced for WiiU.
Ubisoft has revealed at least two pre-order incentives for Far Cry 3, coming in September. North American pre-orders will get the Monkey Business Pack, four single player missions “hosted by Hurk and his bomb-carrying monkeys” with “two bonus ways to humiliate your friends” in the multiplayer mode. UK buyers will get a free upgrade to the The Lost Expeditions Edition featuring two bonus missions, The Forgotten Experiment and Ignition in the Deep. It’s probably safe to say both additions will probably be crossing the Atlantic as paid DLC soon after release.
You didn’t really think you were going to get away with DLC costumes in a different game as your only piece of Mass Effect 3 news did you? It saddens me to report that Bioware has let the bullying get to them and will be providing additional content to appease those who hated the ending. While it doesn’t appear that they have any intention of actually changing the ending, Casey Hudson (Executive Producer) and his team are “hard at work on a number of game content initiatives that will help answer the questions, providing more clarity for those seeking further closure to their journey,” says Ray Muzyka (Bioware co-founder). On the one hand, it’s reassuring that a business is listening to, and taking to heart, the feedback of their fans. On the other hand, I’ve long held the belief that video games are an art form just as much as film, music, or novels. You know what we call musicians who alter their sound for mainstream acceptance? Sellouts! Is Bioware really ready to sell out to make angry internet people happy? Bioshock‘s creator, Ken Levine, has thrust his opinion on the matter into the public eye. Normally this guy irritates me with his presence on things that don’t concern him, but he’s got the right idea. He’s called this “an important moment” for the industry and believes fans will be disappointed if the ending is changed. In all fairness, what may or may not be changed, and what it will become is still unknown. If Bioware only looks to provide more clarity about threads left open, (for instance, what are the consequences for curing or not curing the genophage, what actually comes from combined DNA, etc.) then maybe it’s not so bad. But if they actually change the Shepard’s fate, or the ultimate fate of the galaxy just to make whining gamers feel like they’ve “won” then they’re committing as serious a mistake as Greedo shooting first.
Beta for World of Warcraft: The Mists of Pandaria is starting. Triscuit of Doom has details. Sounds like it may be the shot in the arm he needs to get playing again. Will it be enough for Blizzard to retain subscriptions and save their sagging numbers?
Suda 51 and Grasshopper Manufacture are lookgin to make more dick innuendos, and EA is seemingly supportive. A Shadows of the Damned sequel was seemingly confirmed by, of all people, the composer, Akira Yamaoka. At the London launch of Sine Mora for XBLA, Yamaoka mentioned the sequel, then cut himself short with “I can’t tell you here, but clearly I’d like to.” When asked if EA would be involved again through the EA Partners program, his response was “probably, well yes.” EA Partners is a good way for non-blockbusters to get released, but they tend to not get much advertising support. That’s probably why the first game is considered one of the most underrated titles of 2011 and didn’t do particularly well at retail.
I mentioned the possibility of Little Big Karting in VGQH some time ago based on a rumor. Sony has now confirmed the game is underway, but is not being produced by the franchise’s creators, Media Molecule. Instead, development is being done at United Front Games, whom you’ll recognize as the creators of ModNation Racers. I guess that sort of answers my question about why the game was even being made when Sony already had a successful play. create. share. karting game where you can play as Sackboy. I loved ModNation Racers and was hoping to see more of it in the future. Unfortunately, it would seem that series is probably being shelved in favor of this one, likely because of Sackboy’s name recognition.
Anarchy Reigns is coming from SEGA on July 3rd. But we already knew that. What we know now is that Bayonetta, the world’s hairiest witch, will be a playable character with your pre-order. Further, more information has come about the multiplayer modes. There will be eleven of them, including the standard Death Match and Survival modes. Modes will generally feature two, four, or eight players. Online arena melee combat will allow up to 16.
Leave it to Rockstar to take gangs from the streets and into our game consoles. A new feature for Max Payne 3 (May 15th)is “Gang Wars,” a multiplayer mode that will see you forming “crews” online for matches. These will be persistent groups of players, small or large, that you’ll join and will eventually form alliances or feuds with other crews. Think of it like e-Bloods and e-Crips. Through the use of Rockstar’s Social Club, that analogy is even more apt. Because you’re not just forming a friend group for one match, it’s fuh life Yo. Your crew will be persistent each time you enter multiplayer, in ALL Rockstar games. So if you join the Sharks in Max Payne 3, you better watch for the Jets when you jump into Grand Theft Auto V (supposedly later this year). It’s an interesting concept that I think fans have sort of done on their own over the years, but Rockstar’s now officially integrating it for all future titles.
I don’t know if this goes for everyone, but drinking and video games are sort of companion hobbies for me. Having a couple beers and starting a plastic instrument band rum-fueled rounds of Buzz Quiz were my version of going to the club for a long time. Not that I’m a shut-in. I had friends over, I just don’t like going to clubs. Despite these connected hobbies, I just don’t understand the need to make interactive versions of traditional bar games. You know what I mean. Virtual pool? A darts video game? It’s just silly. Which is why I very likely won’t be downloading Foosball 2012 when it release on PSN this spring. Grip Games is developing, and it will have cross play between your PS3 (Move enabled) and Vita. Having the Move controls and touch screen seems like it will actually be playable, something I think would be incredibly difficult with a Dualshock, though that will also work. Considering my disdain for the game in a physical setting, I really don’t see the point. But hey, there’s clearly got to be some market for it. Right? Two on two co-op competitive multiplayer has to be a niche that needs to filled.
Am I really going to end this one on virtual foosball? You bet I am. See you next Tuesday.
It’s been no secret around these parts that I’ve been excited for the release of John Carter (of Mars). I’ve been posting every trailer, chiding people to read the books, previewing Marvel’s comics. I’ve been a fan of this franchise for a while and it’s been evident in all of my coverage.
Where some people saw doubt, I saw the team behind the film and expected that they would give me something better than the average Hollywood blockbuster fare.
My trust in them was not misplaced.
Andrew Stanton, Michael Chabon, Edgar Rice Burroughs, Michael Giacchino, Ryan Church, Willem Dafoe, Bryan Cranston, Samantha Morton. It’s names like these that made this film one of my most anticipated films of 2012.
And it came off beautifully.
There’s one thing you have to do for this movie, and that is this: forget that you’ve seen every other cliched, formulaic blockbuster of the last thirty years. The source material is the thing that inspired all of the tropes we’ve seen in cinema since the old Flash Gordon serials and somehow John Carter’s adventures have remained sacred and off the big screen.
Watch this and understand that it’s true to the source material. You’ll have fun.
But on a subconscious level, you’ll be entertained by a level of filmmaking much more even handed, capable, and mature than you’re used to. The story is told elegantly, the wraparound sequences serve a purpose, the characterizations are deep and complex. The princess, Dejah Thoris, isn’t just a damsel in distress, she’s vulnerable but can take care of herself. The hero, John Carter is that devil-may-care rogue we all love in films, but he has a complexity to him that makes him truly human, which is an important distinction when you’re in a land full of martians. There’s so much more going on in this story beneath the surface and behind all of the characters, it’s just incredible.
But it’s still a Saturday afternoon serial, perfect for a matinee.
The action and adventure in this film is top notch. Just like the books, it’s breathless and fun. I had a hard time keeping the dopey grin off of my face. Not only did the characters and situations cause that reaction, but so did the level of care that went into the craft of the filmmaking.
The editing and visual storytelling was much, much better than your average Hollywood fare. Plot points and character motivations aren’t spelled out for the dolts in the audience, it’s doled out to you like an excellent three course meal. You have to work for the understanding and context provided in the film and are rewarded with one of the most fun adventures that’s been on the big screen. This is easily one of the best films to come out this year so far, and I wouldn’t hesitate to say that it will probably outshine most of the summer movies this season.
Ignore the marketing they’ve done for this film and just trust me. I can’t impress upon you enough how entertained I was by this movie. You don’t need to know anything going in. All you need to do is just go.
You’ll like it.
A lot.
Trust me. I left this movie with a big grin on my face, fulfilled. Satisfied. People always seem to complain about today’s movies not being as good as movies used to be. I assure you, this movie will not have that problem. If you’re even half a fan of good adventure movies, this is how you should be spending your weekend.
To promote the theatrical release of The Muppets, several movie parodies hit the internet. We saw Kermit and the gang pay homage to some of last year’s releases, including The Hangover 2 in “The Fuzzy Pack”, the Green Lantern and The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (“>cleverly called The Pig with the Froggy Tattoo). They mocked the release of Twilight: Breaking Dawn with a set of posters featuring Bella Swine and WereRowlf. And now their latest victim is one of the most eagerly awaited films of 2012: The Hunger Games.
The clip extracts all the zany “violence” from The Muppets and combines it into one trailer loosely inspired by the arena battle of The Hunger Games. Pepe even counts down as in the original Hunger Games trailer (but without the benefit of having a deep and intimidating voice as his counterpart).
Just as the earlier trailers promoted the theatrical release of The Muppets, the latest installment promotes the DVD and Blu-Ray release, scheduled for March 20. The Wocka Wocka Value Pack includes the two aforementioned versions as well as a digital copy of the film and a download card for the film’s soundtrack, including the beloved classic “The Rainbow Connection” and the Academy Award-winning song “Man or Muppet.”
May the odds be ever in the Muppets’ favor!
If you don’t want to see this movie, there has got to be something wrong with you.
It’s Andrew Stanton from Pixar (Finding Nemo, Wall-E) is directing it. The books are amazing.
Watch it. Know it. Love it.
Disney∙Pixar has released a clip from their upcoming film Brave, and my excitement for this film has dramatically increased. The teaser trailer piqued my interest, but there wasn’t enough there to help me decide if I wanted to rush out on June 22 to see this movie.
Based on the new clip, however, I can tell that the teenaged Merida with the flaming hair is the kind of spunky heroine I am drawn to in films. Voiced by Kelly Macdonald (Margaret Schroeder in Boardwalk Empire), Merida is a princess forced to sit and await the results of an archery contest. The winner will be rewarded her hand in marriage.
She and her father King Fergus (voiced by Billy Connolly, Il Duce in Boondock Saints II: All Saint’s Day) joke with each other as the contest begins, but Queen Elinor (Emma Thompson) obviously disapproves. This brief interaction between the three characters shows us that Merida has a strong bond with her father, and they seem to have fun together. Her mother, however, is more serious and focused on the task at hand.
The trio of kilted archers fail to impress the young princess, and she sneaks away to appear on the field in a dress poorly suited for archery. She declares that she will compete for her own hand and lets her arrows fly. While what happens next isn’t all that surprising, the way her expertise is depicted is still exciting to watch. She and Robin Hood should go against each other in a tournament, but who would win between the two is anyone’s guess.
The clip ends with Merida glaring defiantly at her mother.
The animation in this film looks incredible, and I’m already in love with the music by Patrick Doyle (composer of Thor). Hopefully it will live up to expectations.
While modern Disney Princesses have become a bit more proactive and tougher than the helpless damsels in distress of Walt’s day, I think I can safely say we’ve never seen them like this!
DeviantArt artist Joshwmc has created a line of Disney Fighters, and they are stunning.
In the artist’s words, Rapunzel is the:
10th and final fighter. Rapunzel’s new back story is that she’s an imprisoned sorceress who manages to escape her solitary confinement. I’m much happier with this one compared to the last one, in fact I think I might go back and fix Mulan coz I wasn’t in the right mood when designing that one. I desperately wanted to find a way to add her frying pan but numerous attempts failed to find a solution. After several revisions this was about 8-9 hours work in Painter.
Belle:
Neeeeeeeeew and a bit………disarming! Warrior number 5 in my Disney Fighter series is hot bookworm Belle who I’ve turned into a Muay Thai kick-boxer. Her new back story is Belle turned to self defense after being kidnapped and held hostage when she was younger, she’s now a world champion kick-boxer. I actually used a shot of Gina Carano as reference for this which had the right kind of energy I was looking for in a pose. Done in Painter over about 7 hours.
I think the pose is so dynamic, and I love the way the artist translated her famous yellow ballgown into an outfit more suited to battling an opponent.
And Princess Aurora is a wrestler:
Get your wrestling trunks on, latest Disney Fighter is Aurora. Her back story is now she’s a professional wrestler called Briar Rose who goes by the in ring name of Aurora. Took me a while to figure out what to do with the character, had ideas for all other characters except her for the longest time. It wasn’t until I noticed a resemblance between the character and WWE wrestler Michelle McCool when the idea finally came, so I referenced Michelle for this. Done in about 7 hours in painters, with a touch of Photoshop for the belt.
Taking the Princesses in a new direction has been a popular pastime with artists lately. They’ve become Dark Jedi and Zombies, and it’s always so much fun to see how an artist will interpret some of Disney’s most beloved characters. The DeviantArt site also has Mulan, Snow White, Tiana, Ariel, Pocahantas, Jasmine, and Cinderella.
(via Nerd Bastards)
Old Hollywood glamour meets a technological marvel in Disney’s The Rocketeer, now available in a 20th anniversary edition on Blu-Ray. Directed by Joe Johnston (Captain America: The First Avenger), the film takes us back to the era of World War II. A young test pilot named Cliff Secord (Bill Campbell) stumbles across a jetpack that has several rival factions searching for it. Among those are a Nazi spy and Howard Hughes (portrayed by Terry O’Quinn of LOST fame, and in this role he has hair!).
Secord’s beautiful girlfriend is Labyrinth’s Jennifer Connelly, and she is an aspiring actress desperately seeking the role of a lifetime. However, it doesn’t take long for her to become tangled up in the drama surrounding the jetpack and her boyfriend.
I haven’t watched The Rocketeer in a very long time, but I remembered that I really liked the movie. And I still do! I think Bill Campbell is a slightly goofy but very attractive leading man, and Jennifer Connelly is perfectly cast as the beautiful but not entirely helpless damsel in distress Jenny. Timothy Dalton, as actor Neville Sinclair, provides a dashing performance, though he easily has the cheesiest dialogue in the film. His character is a bit reminiscent of Errol Flynn, and the fight scene on the movie set is delightful to watch. Although I thought his hair in that scene more resembled Inigo Montoya’s than Flynn’s.
In spite of being released twenty years ago, the movie looks fantastic, and even the visual effects hold up extraordinarily well. And I think I’m going to have to purchase the score. I knew without reading the credits that James Horner was the composer. His style is so distinctive, and he is second only to the greatness that is John Williams, in my eyes. Or rather, my ears.
The climactic finale is perhaps a bit over the top (and includes what I would consider the most disappointing effects in the film), but it provides a satisfying conclusion. Still, if you want even more of The Rocketeer, there’s the graphic novel by Dave Stevens. I would like to familiarize myself a bit more with the source material to see how faithful the adaptation was.
Without hesitation I recommend getting a copy of The Rocketeer. It’s fun, wholesome enough for the entire family to watch, and I just love the costumes and glamour of the era.
In other words, “I like it!”
Michael Giacchino is fast becoming one of my favorite composers in Hollywood. In the interview he discusses his influences and I can tell I’d like this guy. He lists his favorite and most influential composers as John Williams, Max Steiner, and Bernard Hermann. His score to UP was truly deserving of the Academy Award, I want to buy the soundtrack to The Incredibles on vinyl with my other Mancini records, and his work on Star Trek was fantastic. But he’s done plenty of other stuff, too. He did the iconic music for LOST. He also did music for games in the Medal of Honor and Call of Duty series.
Predictably, he’s reteaming with Brad Bird for Mission: Impossible: Ghost Protocol, but more exciting is this: He’s doing the music for John Carter of Mars.
There are 10 minutes of music from the John Carter of Mars score here in this interview and it’s pretty great. That movie sounds like it’s getting better and better all the time.
Aside from the music, this interview from WQXR’s Music on the Radio is a great listen. This is a perfect example of why we need to support our public radio stations.
