Foxbot Reviews

Enemy (2013)

Wow! Deep, thought provoking and multiple interpretations

[8/10 · 24 June 2014]

I blind bought this because I liked Prisoners and the trailer very much appealed to my style of film. It is a very deep and thought provoking film. There is a lot to take in, much to view and even times to pause and think about what is happening. In the end, I let the credits roll and just sat and thought. Then I understood what the film was all about. Very cool style and brilliantly filmed and acted by all involved.

The PQ is decent, but a little inconsistent at times. There are some extremely sharp shots, however some of the darker scenes seem cloudy or not as dark as they should be. There were a lot of filtered shots, hazing and other film techniques used, so much of that could have been intentional. The audio is decent, however even when blasting there were a few lines which seemed muffled or too low. Again, maybe intentional.

The extras are short and simple, which I am fine with for a movie like this. There is simply a behind the scenes documentary.

This movie is very odd and probably not like anything you've seen before. again, it can be taken many ways. Some may not be able to get through half of it because it's just too weird, however I loved it an couldn't take my eyes off the screen. I feel this movie is geared more toward men, and I can relate to both Jake Gyllenhaal characters. Women, which have been with men who have been in these situation may also be able to relate. There are two strong female characters in this as well as a wonderful performance by Isabella Rossellini as the mother.

Rated R for nudity/sex and some language.

As usual, NEVER watch the behind the scenes or making of before the movie, only after!!! Highly recommended!

inFamous: Second Son (2014 Video Game)

Finally! A True Next-Gen Game!

[9/10 · 25 March 2014]

Like many of you, I purchased a PS4 on release day and have played through all the major PS4 titles (Killzone, Assassin's Creed: Black Flag, Call of Duty: Ghosts, Battlefield 4, Thief, Tomb Raider) and we've been waiting for that true next-generation game which we were promised. I must say, inFAMOUS: Second Son is that game and is simply phenomenal and blows all others away in graphics and over-all gameplay.

What They did Right! + Amazing graphics! Smooth, crisp and very Detailed. Great use of the PS4 potential. + Very fun open-world Gameplay. Lots to do an see, plenty of exploration. + Very good character voice acting and story building. You really get into the characters. + Fun and rewarding ways to earn and upgrade new powers.

Frustrations... - As in past games, you sometimes accidentally walk into a mess of bad guys and die, then will be ported back to the nearest checkpoint, which may be 10 blocks away. As the game is huge, sometimes when you go back to the nearest checkpoint it takes time to find where you just were. The good news is anything you accomplished (shard collection, drug bust, other side mission) will be saved when you die and go back to the checkpoint.

The graphics are amazingly detailed and very smooth. Eye poppingly crisp with lively colors. The control is perfect and the voice acting is some of the best I have ever witnessed. It is clear they put a lot of time and effort into this game and it was well worth the wait. They made good use of the power of the PS4 while also utilizing the PS4 controller speaker and touchpad. So far the story and attention to character building is great. It is a completely new story with all new characters, just as we suspected. Though there is mention of Empire City and you'll see some familiar faces as you progress though the game. Very fresh feeling gameplay with lots to offer and plenty to do and explore. This is a very open-world game and every block of the city has lots to do and explore.

There are new and improved powers and abilities and new interesting ways to upgrade your abilities. You start off with utilizing smoke as an energy source instead of electricity as in previous games. Then you "earn" neon, which is nothing short of amazingly beautiful at night, taking neon energy from the neon lights around the city. You also earn more and different powers as you progress through the game. This is a completely new gaming experience as compared to the two previous inFAMOUS titles. The in game clips are directed like movies and the cut scenes are cool and artsy, similar to previous games. You can jump, climb, hover, push through objects like walls, and even quickly swoop through vents in buildings to get to the roof or new areas. Very well designed and thought out. So much fun to play. You quickly can choose your karma by progressively doing good or bad. You can be a hero or a villain, good or evil.

Some of your enemies also have abilities which make the gameplay more challenging. The city of Seattle is huge and there is so much to explore and see. I am looking forward to being good and playing through this game, then replaying it and being bad. The story and over-all experience will be different. I see this being a very time consuming and epic game. I could spend hours and hours simply exploring.

Highly recommended for any PS4 owner. The first true next-gen game.

PSN: adrielaugust

Nymphomaniac: Vol. I (2013)

Brilliant Filmmaking, but will it Meet Expectations

[9/10 · 7 March 2014]

This part of Nymphomaniac focuses on the storytelling of young Joe, played by the amazing Stacy Martin, and her feelings and sexual escapades. Saying this movie has nudity would not even touch the surface of what is actually depicted. There is consistent sex involving multiple characters. It is not meant to arouse, yet show us what feelings and stimulation the characters where going through. Basically, in summery that is the 2-hour Volume 1 of Nymphomaniac. Of course there is intense depth and symbolism and it's meant to make us relate to one or more of the characters. It is a brilliantly well done film and a solid presentation as we would expect from Lars Von Trier. The acting is all top notch and I was surprised at the intensity of some of the actors we know which we may have expected less of a performance.

In my opinion, Volume 1 was simply setting the stage for something much more intense forthcoming in Volume 2. Nymphomaniac pushes the boundaries of nudity in movies as well as the simple subject matter of Lars Von Trier films. Entertaining is not how I would describe his films. They are unsettling and over-all upsetting, depressing and make you squirm in your seat. However his films have meaning and symbolism unlike any other film I have seen. They are thought provoking and will stay with you. Under it's sexual surface, there is deep theories and talk of creation, mathematics, science and religion. Yet, not as deep as Antichrist, or maybe even Melancholia.

Fans of Lars Von Trier should not hesitate to check this out, however newcomers should be warned this is unlike any other film. It is extremely graphic with high nudity and sexuality. I was a little let down as I did not enjoy it as much as Antichrist, however I felt it was more emotionally appealing that Melancholia.

Recommended.

We Need to Talk About Kevin (2011)

A Devastatingly Beautiful film about a Troubled Child

[9/10 · 25 October 2012]

As parent of two boys and based off some of the reviews of this movie I was very unsure whether I should watch We Need to Talk about Kevin. While it does focus on Kevin, the son who is troubled, disturbed, depressed and at times violent, this films main character is the mother Eva, Played by Tilda Swinton. The cast was perfectly chosen and the multiple children who played Kevin were ideal to play one another at different ages as they look so much alike. And the older Kevin, played by Ezra Miller greatly resembles Tilda Swinton and is very believable as her son.

I watched this movie the other night and I cannot get it out of my mind. It is very intense, there is a lot of symbolism and there are little things which happen and you must put the pieces together as the movie is all over the place and events are not presented in order. It is disturbing at times and makes you uncomfortable at others, yet you cannot wait to unravel the secret of the film. To start off you know something drastic happened, yet it is a very slow transformation to reveal what event happened.

While a movie like this would usually leave a person depressed, I was surprisingly not so. I enjoyed the film and each level of sophistication and art style that I almost instantly wanted to watch it again.

So is it worth a blind buy on Blu-ray? I would say yes! I greatly enjoyed We Need to Talk About Kevin and I am proud to own such a masterpiece of a film in my collection. Highly recommended.

Excision (2012)

Bizarrely Sexual, Disgustingly Dark

[8/10 · 25 October 2012]

For what Excision is, and what it was going for, it is a perfect movie. It is not the norm, it is highly erotic, yet it is not good erotic, it is disgusting and upsetting. The movie flows well, is brilliantly directed and well acted. AnnaLynne McCord as Pauline and Traci Lords as Phyllis were amazing as daughter and mother.

This story of a troubled teenage girl is an interesting study and while at times it may not be realistically accurate, it is entertaining and pleasantly disturbing. I would not say the ending has a twist, however it is a bit of a surprise.

It is violent at times and should not be seen by anyone who is too young or feels they are not mentally able to watch it.

So, is Excision worth owning on Blu-ray? Well, I took a chance and blind bought it for $12.99 and I was not disappointed. It may not be a movie I watch over and over again, yet I like having it in my collection and when in the right mood I can see myself watching it many times in the future.

Looper (2012)

Great well done Action Sci-fi Flick. Lots of Surprises.

[9/10 · 30 September 2012]

By the movie trailer, I thought I knew what to expect from Looper. I thought it would be a semi-mindless sci-fi action movie with little character development and a weak plot. Boy was I wrong.

Looper does have action, it is a futuristic sci-fi movie, yet it is also deep. There is a lot of character development and you really thirst for knowledge about the characters past, or future. It is more violent and there is a bit more swearing that I originally would have thought, however the it is the simple ideas and plot developments which are so well depicted and directed throughout the film which amazed me.

Joseph Gordon-Levitt was great and considering the role, of being the young Bruce Willis, he did great. Levitt is the main character, though his older future self, Bruce Willis also holds quite a large role too.

You may have noticed in the trailer that Joseph Gordon-Levitt does not look quite like himself. This is true because they digitally altered his face, eyes and nose to look like Bruce Willis's rugged mug. They really did a great job of doing this and I was honestly quite surprised.

As far as the story goes, I was caught off guard about a lot of things. There are a few twists in the plot, however they are more like surprises that I did not see coming which further advance the story and what you think you may know about the characters.

Over-all Looper was a great sci-fi action movie and it is one of the better movies I have seen all year. I do plan on purchasing this on Blu-ray the day it is available.

Highly recommended.

Lockout (2012)

Very fun and Entertaining for what it is

[8/10 · 19 July 2012]

First off, Lockout is not meant to be taken seriously. It is a fun action sci-fi movie that breaks the boundaries of what it physically possible. Remember when you were a kid playing with your little action figures in the sandbox, well that is how they designed Lockout. They forgot about what is real and what can actually be done and simply had fun.

Guy Pearce is hilarious and teamed up with Maggie Grace the laughs just keep rolling. It is an action, sci-fi, comedy that is amazingly well crafted if you can take your thinking cap off and just have fun. There are a few plot twists, but nothing you didn't see coming. While Lockout doesn't really bring anything completely new to the table, it is very entertaining and well worth multiple viewings.

Due to mixed reviews I did not expect much, but Lockout really impressed me with its style and fast paced action. Other reviews has said that the special effects looked terrible, that is simply because of the style. One thing Lockout has is style and solid direction and cinematography. They knew what they were doing with this movie and they pulled it off perfectly.

The PQ & AQ were great on Blu-ray and while the special features were lacking, it is still a solid Blu-ray release.

Recommended!

Prometheus (I) (2012)

Brilliant original sci-fi Film, Nothing like Alien

[9/10 · 8 June 2012]

I just got out of the theater from seeing Prometheus in 3D. I must say I have had very high expectations of this film since I first caught wind of it. The original Alien film is by far my favorite movie of all time, it's original and brilliantly directed. The perfect blend of sci-fi and horror is exactly the type of movies love.

The idea behind Prometheus is that Ridley Scott did not want to trespass on his original masterpiece from 1979, Alien. Prometheus is a prequel yes, however it is very original and is o so careful about not overstepping it's boundaries into the Alien film series. It is extremely well done and well written with solid acting and amazing special effects. Those who are not true fans or do not know Ridley will not understand why he was so careful with this film. Of his 30+ directed movies, this is only his third sci-fi film. The others being the original Alien 1979 and Blade Runner 1982 (also, he is currently working on a new Blade Runner project).

Prometheus does start off a little slow, simply to build the tension for the remainder of the film. The cast was perfectly chosen and each character has a strong, solid personality. The special effects are quite natural and realistic looking, they did an amazing job. The last 45 minutes of the movie are very intense and it is almost too wild for your mind to keep up with. The sets and models are huge and very detailed and each shot is naturally filmed which glues your eyes to the screen.

Those who are expecting a new film just like Alien may be disappointed due to the fact that this is an entirely new story built in as a early prequel to Alien. I also could see them making a sequel to Prometheus, which would be another prequel to Alien.

For true fans, Prometheus will not disappoint. It is new, fresh and is the untold story of one of the best scI-fi films of all time. Prometheus is less horror and more of a solid sci-fi film, don't get me wrong, there are plenty of scary moments and parts which will make you jump, but it seems like it had less of a focus on the horror aspect. This is one of those movies which is very deep on many levels and you must contemplate the movie after you watch it. There is a link to religion, mostly scientology, and basic human beliefs and interactions. It was very well done, well written and brilliantly filmed. I highly recommend this film and I honestly cannot wait to see it again. By far the best movie I have seen all year.

Haywire (2011)

Seemed to Have Potential, however was simply a Disappointment

[6/10 · 25 May 2012]

I had all my friends over one night to watch this movie and we all were very disappointed. Even with the perfect cast, it lacked the intensity and realism that I was expecting. I do understand this is not anything like a Bourne movie and I was not expecting anything like that, however I was still disappointed by the plot and simple dialogue.

The PQ was very bland as well as the AQ. Over-all the presentation was dull and lifeless.

We did watch the movie throughout, however it is not one that I ever plan on watching again. It was all over the place and difficult to watch.

Not recommended to buy, maybe a rent on a boring evening.

Perfect Sense (2011)

Impressively Fresh, Saddening, Awakening Independent Film

[8/10 · 25 May 2012]

I was highly anticipating this film after seeing a trailer before another independent style movie I watched. Over-all I was very intrigued by this film and I do plan on watching it again, however there was a little something missing. I think that one little thing was the sense of urgency and realism. The story is being told to us, there is narration throughout the film which I feel greatly takes away the connection with the story, characters, and any sort of relation to the actions taking place. The narration takes away the horror.

The AQ and PQ are both great and have a very clean-cut style of cinematography.

I love the cast and everyone was brilliant in their portrayal of normal people going through a horrible transformation due to a spreading contagion. At it's heart, Perfect Sense is a love story, however it is semi-predictable and at times frustrating to watch. I do love the end, even through I "saw" it coming. I feel the movie trailer may have given too much away, it should have been advertised as a love story and nothing else should have been given away.

I do highly recommend this movie to fans of the cast and of the indie style epidemic film genre.

Ghost Recon: Future Soldier (2012 Video Game)

A Fresh, New, and Fun Challenge. Realistic Military Shooter!

[9/10 · 24 May 2012]

The game requires 6.5gigs of hard drive space, there is a very small update already, it is PS Move and 3D compatible, an it requires a Uplay passport code to play online (which is included).

I've always been a fan of the Ghost Recon games because of the third person military action as well as the strong stealth aspect of the game play. I have been waiting for some time now to get my hands on Future Soldier as I waited through all of the release-date push backs and delays. I must say it is an amazing game. The graphics are phenomenal, the control is tight and the over-all game play is very realistic and entertaining. Sync Shot is a really cool feature where you tag multiple enemies and your team takes all of them out instantly. I think I am more into being alone in the game, however working as a team greatly has its advantages in Future Soldier. The game is very well put together and I can tell a lot of time went into the menu, weapon and inventory system.

PROS + Well detailed graphics, very realistic and natural looking. The scenes and maps are very well laid out. + Perfectly crafted control and weapon system. Creating your own weapon is a blast. + The game is fast, controls are very well responsive and not sluggish at all. It is a smooth running game, no glitching or lagging. + Music, voice-acting and sounds effects are very well produced. I was blown away by the clarity and the level on my surround speakers. + Weapons are fully customizable and gadgets are very helpful. Camouflage is very cool. + Multiplayer is incredibly fun when you have the right teammates.

CONS - Some of the cut scenes and the character models seem dated and less detailed than the actual game play. - There is no slit-screen (couch) co-op in the game. All co-op is online. - Like in past Ghost Recon games the area is limited and you are warned when you are leaving the area. It gives the appearance of a larger area, yet it still is quite linear. - In combat your progression options are sometimes limited and you must stick with your team. - There are a few small clipping issues like floating objects or your characters arms not linking around an enemies neck when doing a stealth kill, very minor though.

Multiplayer is a huge amount of fun and quite a challenge, but it is a must to have good teammates. It makes it difficult when your teammates just shoot everything. When you get hit you can spawn back to a standard location or to a teammate. It is very fast paced and cover is the key. Cover is also important in single player, however with it is a necessity in multiplayer.

This may be the first time I have ever said this, but I enjoy the multiplayer much more than the single player. The single player is great and it is a very solid game, however the multiplayer is just so much fun.

Over-all Ghost Recon Future Soldier has met what I was expecting out of the game. I am very happy with it and I highly recommend this for gamers who want a smart military shooter. Future Soldier is not for gamers who are expecting another cookie cutter Call of Duty game. This game is smart and realistic in that you need to plain your missions and attacks and take your time. It is a stealth shooter which requires you to think. The movement and sliding from cover to cover is very fast and the controls come very naturally. Highly addicting game.

Game on!

The Divide (2011)

A Division of Humanity

[8/10 · 18 April 2012]

*** The less you know about this movie the better. Don't read reviews, don't view the trailer again and again, just watch it. But be warned, it is disturbing. I blind bought it and I am glad I did. Worth multiple viewings. ***

It is hard to rate a movie like The Divide and I'm hesitant to say I liked it due to being judged as a psychopath. I'm not going to tell my mom about it, but I actually like this movie. Yes movie, not film. It is very fast paced yet patient as it cooks the crazy in each of the tenant's minds while they're stuck in the basement/bunker. The movie starts off with a bang and never lets up. It gets more and more intense as it goes on. At first I found the acting a bit cheesy, however as the movie went on each character became more interesting and well played.

The movie is violent, disturbing, un-nerving, and sometimes makes you squirm in your seat. There is a little twist here or there, however not much is really explained. You know what they know and nothing more. You are viewing the people experiencing this tragedy and you are locked in that basement with them. If you are one of those people who have to know why something happened or try and make sense of the madness, you may not like this movie. It is not a thinking movie however it projects the psychological effects of being confined to a small space with a bunch of people with little food and water. The beginning of the movie started to annoy me because I wanted answers. Why did the city blow up? Was it bombed? But as the movie progressed I understood that the explosion had really nothing to do with the movie, it is all about the people and the toll it takes on the mind.

Michael Biehn and Lauren German were brilliant and strong characters in The Divide. Milo Ventimiglia also had a very intense character to play. There were times where I was laughing (more in the beginning) due to the interaction between the tenants as not all of them get along. It is quite a rapid turn from the beginning of the movie to the end.

The PQ and AQ are both very good. The PQ is sharp, yet a little grainy as the director indented. The graininess really adds something to this movie and I 100% appreciate it. The AQ is crystal clear and at a good level blows you away with the intensity of the actions on the screen. It is a great movie to give you subwoofer a workout. There also is an almost constant buzz of the lights throughout.

Do I recommend The Divide? Yes, I do. Is it worth multiple viewings? Yes, I very much think so. It is one of those movies that wasn't great, however it will sit and stew around in your head for weeks to come and it will become one of those guilty little pleasure movies that you watch every once and a while and enjoy it.

Recommended for the post-apocalyptic psychological movie fans.

Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol (2011)

Decent Action Flick. Fun, yet Predictable Story

[8/10 · 3 January 2012]

I have been a fan of the Mission Impossible movies since the first one and I have enjoyed them all. I must say that I liked the third Mission Impossible much better. Ghost Protocol was simply an action film with some cool stunts and scenes and zero story. There was not a point in the movie which I didn't see coming around the next corner. Most of the best scenes were in the trailer and I kept waiting for a twist that never came.

I did not see this movie in IMAX, although I'm sure it would have made the movie visually more entertaining, though it still would be lacking in story. It was your basic fun action flick. Tom Cruse did well as usual as well as the rest of the cast. Everyone did a great job and made the movie a lot of fun to watch. But again, story was lacking in my opinion. There was a thing with his wife, which never really materialized into a good twist or story. It was just confusing and we really didn't figure out what really happened until the very very end. Jeremy Renner (Hurt Locker) did a great job as well as Paula Patton (Déjà vu) and Simon Pegg (Shaun of the Dead). Michael Nyqvist (The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, Swedish version) was a nice surprise role, as I didn't know he was in this.

I must say that the locations and scenes were well thought out and take us out of the usual locations in many movies. That was one of the most interesting aspects of the film; the locations. Another fun aspect of the film was the team's gadgets and gizmos. There are many times in the film where their gadgets don't work as well as planned and greatly add tension and a bit of thrill to the situation.

Over-all it is a very good action flick with a little less of a story than one would have hoped. Yes I love action, however action mixed in with twists and character development is always more fun. In the theater there were times when everyone laughed and other times where everyone cringed as they watched Tom Cruse climb the exterior of at glass building or drive around in a sand storm. It is a fun movie and I do recommend a watch, however don't expect to be blown away by the average nearsighted story or the silly sweet ending. Watch it for the action and suspense and leave your thinking caps at home.

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2011)

A Highly Entertaining, Smart, Fast-Paced, Dark Murder Mystery

[10/10 · 27 December 2011]

I have seen the Swedish films, yet not read the books. The US version is not a remake of the Swedish version; it is simply another adaptation of the novel. I must say I was very impressed with the pacing and over-all style and raw feeling of the US version of The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo. The story, whether from the books, Swedish version or US version is quite a dark and winding journey. If you have not read the books or watched the Swedish versions I recommend now starting with the US version of the film. This US version will be the first of the trilogy; The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, The Girl who played with Fire, and The Girl Who Kicked the Hornets Nest.

The opening credit sequence, as I'm sure many of you have heard is quite amazing. I loved it and all the work they put into it. It was very Bond like yet encompassed the dark complexities of this story and the film. This film is much more speedy than the Swedish versions. I found the Swedish films to be a little slow at times, which yes builds tension however the pacing of the US version is much more my speed. Very fast and smart.

It is a murder mystery film, however it is also about the two main characters and their interactions and working together to solve a murder, or series of murders. I do not want to give anything away as the story and how it unfolds is what makes the movie run so well. Clocking in at 2 hours and 40 minutes, the US version is quite long. However it is a movie which you rather it not end due to the entertaining characters and the intense visual situations which you wish to look away from, but you can't.

When it comes to the characters, I found that Rooney Mara played a much better Lisbeth than Noomi Rapace. And the interactions with Mikael Blomkvist (Daniel Craig) were great and at times quite funny. The two of them working together when they seem to be opposites was very entertaining and Daniel and Rooney pulled it off perfectly. As a huge fan of the new Bond reboots I have grown to love Daniel Craig and enjoy seeing him on the screen. He is a very talented actor and seems to give the audience what they want. Stellan Skarsgård, Christopher Plummer and Robin Wright also did a great job, as well as the other cast members. Each character was very carefully cast and bond perfectly to the heart of this film.

The story, the acting, the directing; everything was perfect and I must say that director David Fincher is at the top of his game. For those who do not know, he directed Fight Club, Se7en, The Game, Zodiac, The Social Network, Alien 3, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, and Panic Room. The music, the ambiance, and the over-all dark feel to the film was so well done I couldn't believe it. I could not have asked for a better-crafted film. I am quite anxious to see the rest of the trilogy.

Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception (2011 Video Game)

My Least Favorite Uncharted, Yet Still Better than Most.

[7 November 2011]

The Uncharted games are by far my favorite game series and I have played them many times through, because of this I was very much anticipating the release of Uncharted 3. Sadly, after a play through and a half, Uncharted 3 has not lived up to my expectations or the Uncharted series. Below are my reasons why I feel this. They are my personal opinions and I am not saying that all will hate this game, I am simply stating the facts as I see them. I also purchased the hard-copy walk through book. It is an amazing guide for this game and truly helped. One quick note is that the game gets much better as you play on. The first half is very slow, dull and boring. The second half is much more interesting and the levels and their design are great. Seems like they spent more time on the later levels than the beginning.

What they did Right:

+ Basically everything in Uncharted 2 has traveled over to Uncharted 3. The menus, options, trophies, statistics are all basically the same. Some of the bonuses are now downloadable content instead of being included in the game like usual. They just wanted more money out of it. + Great graphics which are a bit better than Uncharted 2. + There are no boss fights. This could be a good or bad thing depending on the player. I rather like not having a boss fight in the Uncharted games. God of War games, yes I want a boss. + Flashbacks, hallucinations, and blurred vision really made an interesting impression on the game play. Finding out a little of Drakes past boosted the story for a while. + Voice acting is fairly solid as usual, however the lack of jokes and little comedic relief was also a huge let down after Uncharted 2 did so well with that.

What they did Wrong:

• Aiming is slightly off compared to the other Uncharted Games. - Story is lacking interest and depth. I lost track of what the mission even was due to just being bored. - To much gun play and hand to hand combat. I wanted more of an adventure game, not a shooter game. - The hand to hand combat gets really old very fast and it still not perfected. I just want to punch a guy out, not have to keep pushing the triangle or circle buttons. - Characters now have this annoying habit of touching walls when they are near them. Sort of like a balance thing if they are running or maneuvering though narrow areas. I find it distracting. - Treasures now lifelessly blink in a quick flash instead of the usual polished shine. I hate this new technique for making the treasures semi-visible. - There are to many cut scenes and times in the game which they disable your control or ability to run. Very distracting and takes you out of the game. I want complete control over the character at all times and much less cut scenes to interrupt the game play.

Over-all Uncharted 3, as well as the other Uncharted games are much better than any other game out there. The Uncharted series has perfectly combined action and adventure with breathtaking graphics and pristine control while still focusing on a story which keeps the player motivated. Most games lack most, if not all of these qualities which the Uncharted games have raised the bar in.

My idea as to why Uncharted 3 has not fulfilled what I expected it to is this; I feel like Uncharted 3 was rushed. They wanted this release by the end of this year due to preparations for Uncharted 4 as the main title release for Playstation 4 which is said to release holiday 2013. That is just an idea as to why UC3 seemed to be lacking in areas which the other games excelled in.

My 3 favorite parts of this game are most of the chase scenes, The cruise ship level (Cruisin' for a Brusin') is amazing, and the plane (The Stowaway) level where the plane falls apart and crashes in the desert. The cruise ship and the plane are amazing levels and truly impressed me in this otherwise dull game. Those scenes seem to have had the most time spent on them, as they were flawless. Unlike the rest of the game which I spent most of my time searching for treasure and figuring out what I need to do next.

Like my review title suggests, this game is very good in the sea of games. However it is by far the lesser of the 3 Uncharted games. The story, game play, control, combat, and exploration simply do not impress after such amazing titles like Uncharted 1 & 2. It is a great game, and I will probably play it again on crushing, however I will not come near to enjoying it as much as the other Uncharted games. Hopefully they take their time on Uncharted 4, which will be the first big title for the Playstation 4.

PSN Name: adrielaugust

Melancholia (2011)

A Beautifully Disturbing Art House Flick

[9/10 · 3 November 2011]

***No Spoilers*** Being a huge fan of Lars Von Trier's work I was highly anticipating this film. It was released in cinemas on 29 May 2011 in the Czech Republic on 12 screens as well as other locations like Denmark, Finland and Italy. It soon will come to theaters in the US. Luckily we live in the time that we do and this movie can be streamed before its US theatrical release. I took advantage of this and greatly enjoyed watching this film from the comfort of my own home.

I loved Antichrist. In my opinion it is Trier's best work. It was a very disturbing film, yet it had a very strong message with hidden meanings and was all around a beautiful poetic piece of work.

Melancholia also is a beautiful film, though I believe I expected more. Antichrist is very deep and constantly keeps you on the edge of your seat because so much is happening and you must decipher the message and meaning of the film. Melancholia is very slow and drawn out. Lars Von Trier did this due to the high anticipation of what will happen, and if it will happen. Trier used the characters anxiety and built upon that and made the viewer feel that anxiety too. Just like Antichrist, Melancholia is a feeling. Your not just watching a movie, eating popcorn and drinking a pop, you are feeling this film.

Just a quick summary for those who don't know, Melancholia is a planet which is seemingly coming closer to Earth. This phenomenon happens when Justine (Kirsten Dunst) has just been married to Michael (Alexander Skarsgård). Justine's sister, Clair (Charlotte Gainsbourg), her husband John (Kiefer Sutherland), and Justine and Clair's mother Gaby (Charlotte Rampling) greatly put pressure on Justine to have this perfect wedding. Justine is not very interested in the wedding reception and seems to come in and out of reality. She is not the type of person to have such a large wedding because she doesn't care. She is a wild girl who seems to have been roped into marrying Michael and marrying into this new family which she is nothing like. There is a lot of drama in this film and for the first half, Melancholia is a back story which the viewer patiently waits for.

The cast is amazing and works well together. I really enjoyed Kiefer Sutherlands character. Kirsten Dunst did an amazing job, however her performance seems unbalanced at times, though the character she is playing is unbalanced.

After viewing this film I was left speechless due to the raw power of the cast and the images of the film itself. However it made me feel very uneasy, disturbed and very anxious. I immediately thought, "I never want to watch that again". Yet I cannot get it out of my mind and I watched it again later that night. This movie will deeply leave an impression on you.