shivermetimbers15 Reviews

Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic (2003 Video Game)

It's like being there.

[5 July 2004]

Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic (KOTOR for short), has been heralded by some as being the greatest Star Wars game ever made. After having played this game, I think that the people making those claims may be right.

The events in KOTOR take place about 4,000 years before the events in the films. It is a time of galactic war, between the Galactic Republic and the Sith Empire. For me, at least, the setting is what allows the game to be so rich; instead of being bogged down by having to tie into the films, it can have its own unique story, while still retaining most of the familiar details of the Star Wars universe. The aspect of KOTOR that so many have found most appealing is the ability to play as light or dark. It give the player the ability to develop the already unique story in the way they see fit, bringing the player as close as they have ever come to being their own Star Wars saga. There are thousands of choices to make, and they can affect your alignment, the story, and the gameplay.

The gameplay of KOTOR is an interesting experience. While it is an RPG, the combat takes place in real time, with the all the calculations and dice throwing taking place behind the scenes (though that information is readable). The attacks are basic, so the character building often has more to do with statistics and equipping. However, you and a few other characters play as Jedi, giving you Force abilities which can have a range of powerful effects. However, using the Force drains your Force Meter, which recharges gradually. Also, force alignment affects the cost of using the powers; using the Force to choke the life out of your opponent will cost more if you are playing on the light side. There is a pretty quick and efficient targeting system, but going through the inventory and using items is not all that fun, especially in a battle. There are a few out-of battle statistics as well that allow you to open locked doors, disable mines, and hack computers, but those duties generally fall on NPCs. There are also three classes to choose from, both at the beginning and when you become a Jedi, and both affect gameplay.

The main quest of the game takes you to several different worlds, inhabited with many different characters. Coming along to help you in your journey is a variety of NPCs: Bastila, a young Jedi with the power of "Battle Meditation", Carth, a Republic soldier who isn't quick to trust, Mission, a teenaged Twi'lek, Zaalbar, her Wookiee friend, Canderous, a Mandalorian warrior turned mercenary, and T3-M4, an astromech droid. More characters will join your party later, but I don't want to spoil the story.

There are many sidequests within the main story, and their are several choices and endings in each of them, as well. Most of the NPCs have their own character-specific sidequests as well. You gradually learn more about each character's past through talking to them, and you can pursue either Carth or Bastila as a romantic interest depending on which gender you selected for your character. Once again, you determine your relationships with the characters.

This game is full of dialog, all of it scripted and spoken by actors and actresses (except for your character). In many instances you can be talking to aliens and they will use the same generic alien sounds over and over to convey different meanings, but at least there are unique words for every character, and an extensive dialog branch for each. And of course, there's the classic Star Wars music, which is always great to listen to. Throughout the game, you get to experience a big taste of what the Star Wars universe is like. You discuss the matters of the Force with other characters, and learn about the recent history of the galaxy. Each world has its own history and problems that you learn about, and you often get to directly experience the native cultures in interesting ways. While I said before that KOTOR creates its own story without tying in directly to the movies, some of the things you learn during the course of the game can actually help you understand them better.

You may have noticed I did not mention the game's graphics or level design. There are some nice-looking indoor and outdoor environments, and flashing lightsabers, but many characters look the same, and the in-game animation doesn't always look that great. The levels do not allow for extensive exploration, and they always lead you back to the story.

Which is why I guess I really love this game. It is totally driven by a story that you create, a story that takes you to places you've never been before, yet are so familiar that you may find yourself wanting to learn all that you can about them. It's a quest across space to save the galaxy, and for the very first time, it's starring you.

The Kid Stays in the Picture (2002)

Robert Evans allowed us to experience many great stories. Turns out the best of them was his own.

[6 April 2004]

"The Kid Stays In The Picture" plays a lot like an E! True Hollywood Story, chronicling the rapid rise,fall, and rise of producer Robert Evans, but with a few crucial differences: First off, it's much prettier, with images flying around the screen, bringing the past completely to life. Second, it's narrated by Evans himself, in his own cool, croaky voice, so it doesn't go straight for the pity factor, with people he knew providing their own dark revelations about his lifestyle. He really gets into the telling of his own life, and just amazes you with all that he's been through. Here's a guy whose whole life has been about making movies, and he's here to tell you about how he fired Francis Ford Coppola four times while making the Godfather, and how his life left him for Steve McQueen. He's seen the entire scope of life: love, despair, joy, frustration, relief. It's just so enthralling hearing him narrate his story and see scenes from his movies paralleling them in eerie symmetry. It never actually takes itself to seriously, and you get the feeling that this guy doesn't regret his life at all. The stories he tells are pure Hollywood: He talks about the time he had to sell a movie at Cannes with a poster and nothing else, and then goes on to speak of when Jack Nincholson got him back his house. He doesn't take the easy way out and make anyone the villain, he just creates a cast of characters that come and go in the story. It's a memoir, really. And it might be the best story he's had a part in.

The Ring (2002)

A haunted movie.

[10/10 · 7 January 2004]

Good God. The Ring is probably the only true horror classic we've had in the past decade, and is more frightening than many of the other classics one can name. It's a shame that more people don't realize how deep and well-crafted this movie truly is, and how well the visuals tie together the whole film. It really helped me appreciate how nearly everything in the entire movie meant to frighten can be traced all the way back to Samara's experience, because throughout the whole movie, she is forcing everyone to share her experience. Take a look at all the deaths that happen in the movie. What is similar about them? Watch it again, and you'll see it's just another way of Samara forcing others to share her pain. The visuals in this movie are tremendous and subtle; I recommend that anyone go slowly through the tape scene, just to see where these visuals are repeated, and where they come from. You've noticed that I haven't said anything of the actors or the plot. They're really secondary to me, even if they all give decent performances. And I'm not going to even mention The Scene near the end of this movie. If you've seen it, you already know it is probably one of the most frightening things ever filmed. In the end, this movie is sucha totally solid and coherent piece, because nearly every moment of it seems to be haunted by the presence of a little girl who has seen horrible things and will never stop sharing them with you.

The Haunting (1999)

The special effects ruined it for me.

[4/10 · 31 March 2003]

I rarely say this about movies, but yeah, all the CGI animation used in this movie really brought it down. Remember when Eleanor looked away for one second, and then saw the carvings facing the other way? Many more times effective than actually seeing the carvings come to life. Also, the special effects themselves just aren't that good. They look very fake, and verk plastic. The Haunting simply went over the top on everything, except anything that horror is actual about.

Cool World (1992)

Very strange...

[2 January 2003]

I just recently saw Cool World, and I found myself very confused. They take a good idea, and fill it so many random twists and turns that it ends up a jumbled mess. Simply put, this movie has the power to make anyone not like it, because it gives us just about the worst of the animation world, and the worst acting as well. It just doesn't ever make any sense.

Me, Myself & Irene (2000)

My favorite Farrelly Brothers film.

[9/10 · 21 September 2002]

Me, Myself, & Irene is my favorite Farrelly brothers movie to date. It's just SO damn funny at points, and it maintains an odd sort of sweetness. Both of Carrey's characters are hilarious in their own right, and this film is the best example yet of his comic talent. This is definitely Jim Carrey's movie, and like all Jim Carrey movies, it's about him acting fairly weird in a world that doesn't know what to make of him. Renee Zellwegger plays her character with plenty of attitude, and it's nice to see how she is so able to stand up to Hank, yet is really submissive with Charlie.

The biggest scene-stealers in history have to be Jim Carrey's three sons, who happen to be black (it's explained at the beginning). All three are geniuses, brought up by a single, white father in a small town in Rhode Island, yet they speak like they've been living in a ghetto all their lives, sprouting profanities all around. They're really a sidelight to the movie, the only other part that's intentionally funny. The sweetness I'm talking about comes from Charlie, and the soundtrack. Boy, does the soundtrack rock. It's full of great music. It's what makes this film more than just a Jim Carrey vehicle, it really allows the viewer to get a look at the characters. It's hard to believe, but this film actually does have a message, which interrupts the comedy enough to make the movie into an actual story.

But what the heck. It's funny. If you liked "Dumb and Dumber", you'll love this. For me, it had me rolling in the aisles, and actually watching when I wasn't.

The Final Sacrifice (1990 Video)

Rowsdower!

[16 March 2002]

I don't know why this pathetic piece of trash tries to pass itself off as a movie. If anything, it has the worst heroes possible: a nerdy teen, a redneck with a truck (yup, that's him, ZAP ROWSDOWER), and an old ornery feller. The movie has so little plot that scenes seem to have no correlation whatsoever, and when the plot is revealed, it can produce nothing but groans. Don't watch it unless it's the MST3K version, but it's not very likely that anyone would ever have this in stock.

Zoids (2001)

Finally, a series that combines CG with handdrawn animation well.

[1 December 2001]

Zoids, as it is currently known in the US, is actually the second series of the Zoids franchise, which stemmed from a popular line of toys. Zoids, produced by Tomy, were assembled models of gigantic fighting robots that resembled animals. The series focuses on these battles, which are officially regulated by robot judges. The concept vaguely resembles that of Pokémon, but with fighting robots, instead of animals. The main character of the series is Bit Cloud, a former junk worker who ends up joining the Blitz Team, and receiving the zoid Liger/Zero, rumored to have strange powers. He goes through many battles, both against other teams in official battles, and also against zoids sponsored by the treacherous Backdraft Group. The zoids, and other mechanical things like the judges and satellites in this series are all computer-generated, but made to resemble standard animation through shading. The zoids are often presented in the standard anime framerate, but occasionally are given a much higher and smoother one. I'm personally glad that they use the standard framerate, because you can sometimes forget that they are computer-generated. And though there are times you can tell they are just made of polygons, most of the objects are too detailed to let it slip through. The series itself is decent, though with too little character development for some. However, there is complete continuity throughout the series, building up to the "Royal Cup" at the end. There are plenty of comic moments to be had, and the series is generally light-hearted. No one ever dies in the series, and zoids are never destroyed, just wrecked up. This doesn't keep the series from presenting exciting battles, however. Although most of the battles are formulaic (the opponents attack, beat on the Blitz Team, Bit retreats and turns his Liger into one of his other three forms, then comes back and beats the other team), they rarely disappoint.

One of the highlights of the series is its music. There aren't many themes, but they do manage to capture the spirit of the battles taking place.

Zoids is an above average anime series, combining the charm of Pokémon, and the excitement of robot battles. It's also worth checking out just for the wonderful CG animation.

Hobgoblins (1988)

Ow. My brain. I think it's shrunk.

[15 November 2001]

If you want to know the general theme of this movie, here ya go: 'Everything bad about '80s movies rolled into one bad movie.' The horrid acting, the mind-numbing music, the materialistic characters, the poor, cheap effects, the stupid fashions. I was born in 1985, but I have no real memories of the '80s. I guess my brain was trying to shield me from all the horror. Well, the '80s finally caught up with me, and have succeeded in doing irreparable damage. MST3K could not, even through all its efforts, provide adequate shielding.

I think I'll go now and have some sleeping pills with a Vodka chaser.

Band of Brothers (2001)

Perfect, and nothing more.

[10/10 · 4 November 2001]

Band of Brothers is a true epic, in every sense of the word. HBO has yet again shown its amazing ability to create dramatic cinema, and to go where the networks can't. In this ten part miniseries, we follow the men of Easy Company from their training, all the way up until the end of the war. Each man has his own character development, and the focus is constantly shifting, to play out the story of WWII through the eyes of each soldier. Each episode is beatifully shot, with a very subdued feel. The combat scenes are excellent, of course, and they do not as merely a showcase for special effects and explosions, but as another medium in which the plot character development can be advanced. During a battle, we may be treated to a scene of a soldier aside, and be shown his own, personal struggle within the greater conflict. The series, being based on a book chronicling the real-life saga of the men of Easy Company, is always set firmly in realism, without fabricated dramatics. The realism is supported before each episode, where the real men of Easy Company, now aged, present their own real-life accounts. They tell the story just as well as the film does, and are a special treat to watch. I recommend this series to anyone who has ever wondered, and asked the question: "What was it really like?" This film gives the answer, and so much more, and does it in exactly the right way.

Band of Brothers gets a 10 out of 10, and a place in my heart.

Invasion of the Neptune Men (1961)

Mind-bogglingly bad, back-breakingly funny.

[1 October 2001]

Where to begin? The soap-bubble thin plot? The lame "hero"? The annoying little kids? The repetitive and strafing footage filled battles? I honestly don't know. This film fails on so many levels, you can't really pinpoint what makes it the horror that it is. I don't think Mike and the Bots were even able to cover half the bad points that occured in the movie. The plot in the movie seems to continuosly go around in circles, with the evil bulletheaded aliens appearing, the scientists trying to look worried, the children in hot pants running, and Space Chief coming to the rescue. Sometimes we can't be sure exactly what is going on; all we know is that it's bad. So it comes to the final "climactic" battle, blah blah, the bad guys are defeated after a lengthy missile sequence, yadda yadda, and you're just glad it's over.

Shrek (2001)

I'm quite disappointed.

[15 September 2001]

Shrek is a simple attempt to spoof classic fairy tails. Or so Dreamworks would have you think. It's a quite thinly guised jab at Disney, and it all too often comes off as mean-spirited in that sense (the "compensating" joke comes to mind). Some of Shrek's jokes are funny, but frankly, they try too hard to make a joke into a scene, rather than incorporate it. I saw half of the jokes coming from a mile away, too. The ending was also anti-climactic and a little "harsh". You'll probably like it, but I don't know why.

Beast Wars: Transformers (1996–1999)

3-dimensional in more ways than one.

[1 September 2000]

Beast Wars: Transformers is a great series, easily enjoyable by viewers of all ages. Stunning CGI graphics take center stage to make the environment lush and detailed. Probably the best thing about BW is the amazing characters and how they develop. After seeing a few episodes, I fell in love with all of their personalities, even those of the evil Predacons. Who could forget the likes of Rattrap and Dinobot? The storyline is very intriguing, in that both the Maximals and Decepticons are made to fight it out on such a primitive and mysterious world, while many layers are further and further revealed in the plot. Comedy and drama abound, with Rattrap providing almost constant comic relief, and many side-stories like the relationship between Silverbolt, a Maximal, and Blackarachnia, a Predacon. And when you get right down to it, Beast Wars can produce great emotions in you. If you watch "Code of Hero", don't be suprised if you shed a tear or two.

The Blair Witch Project (1999)

Totally spooked me out!

[3/10 · 30 August 1999]

Wow. This film may be what the horror industry may be waiting for! Looked incredibly like a documentary at the beginning, and the acting (if you could call it that) was extremely casual and real. Mike, Heather, and Josh formed a perfect disfunctional trio that could get at each other's throats if things went wrong. Before the scary stuff started, there were some real funny parts, i.e., "If I heard a cackle I would have s*** my pants!" The scariest part is when they heard they noises on the second and third nights. That really scared me. It was wierd how Mike went crazy and threw away the map. When Josh dissapeared, I knew that is was the beginning of the end. Everything became clear in the final seconds of the movie, and that made it so spooky. When the movie ended everyone was completely silent. I knew why.