Hello all! Sorry our news is two days late but that's just because we have been busy with the Holiday Gamer Gift Guide (which you should check out) and due to the fact that this week had some huge trailer releases because of Spike's VGA's. Now enough with the stalling and lets get straight to it.
Naughty Dog showed off their new IP called "The Last of Us" showing off stunning visuals, interesting characters and an apocalyptic setting. All of this is definitely worth checking out in the trailer here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qLGxubfC1Ik
Epic Games also showed off a new IP named "Fortnite", a Minecraft inspired game that blends cartoonish graphics with crafting and survival gameplay. Check out the trailer here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2GSfjeYVpkQ
Lego: Batman is getting a sequel! Boxart in a new Lego set showed off work from the game including the title. The title is Lego Batman 2 DC Superheros and features the likes of more than just Batman but other DC characters such as Superman. No trailer has been posted.
Elder Scrolls V Skyrim is already getting DLC as Bethesda announced that the DLC will feature massive content that should keep the players occupied for a long time. Also it's good to point out that the first 2 DLC packs will be exclusive to Xbox Live users 30 days before PS3 owners.
Men in Black 3 received its first official trailer and it doesn't look all that impressive. NNandMR is sceptical but we'll let you be the judge of that by visiting the trailer here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FLHTASPjQMo
In the spirit of unimpressive trailers G.I. Joe 2 Retaliation also came out with it's first trailer and looks as bad as the first. All action and no story, but if that's your thing check it out here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oTrIVfnTi8Q&feature=related
And that's about it for this weeks big news guys! We thank you for tuning in every week to check out what's new and as always if you have anything you want us to check out/review either comment the blog or tweet us on Twitter @NNandMR
Wednesday, December 14, 2011
Sunday, December 11, 2011
Holiday Gamer Gift Guide
Hello all! Welcome to New News and Movie Reviews' Holiday Gamer Gift Guide! This time of year can be hard for parents and others who don't know what to get people really good gifts so NNandMR is here to help! We've created a guide that will help you find that fantastic gift no matter who the person is!
We start for the person that has either an Xbox 360 or a PS3 because we were graced with many many good 3rd party games. Elder Scrolls V Skyrim, Batman: Arkham City, CoD Modern Warfare 3, Dark Souls, Battlefield 3, LA Noire, Portal 2, Saints Row The Third, Assassins Creed Revelations and Metal Gear Solid HD Collection.
For viewers that only have an Xbox 360, here's some exclusives that they are sure to be happy with, Gears of War 3, Forza Motorsports 3, Halo Combat Evolved and The Gunstringer (only on Kinect)
The PS3 had a very good year as it also received many exclusives that are worth checking out, Uncharted 3, Killzone 3, Resistance 3, Infamous 2 and Ratchet and Clank: All 4 One. Great job this year Sony.
Unfortunately the Wii didn't receive the same treatment as the other consoles because this year was a big let down with Nintendo. The only game I can actually recommend to someone would have to be The Legend of Zelda Skyward Sword. Better luck next year.
Sports fans don't feel left out! There were a ton of great sports games this year like NHL 12, NBA 2K11, WWE 12, and Fifa 12. These are sure to put a smile on your face.
For parents that don't want to get their kids violent games, we have also come up with some great kids games such as Rayman Origins (All systems), Kirby's Return to Dreamland (Wii), Mario Kart 7 (3DS), Super Mario Land 3D (3DS), and Sesame Street's Once Upon a Monster (only on Kinect).
So there we go! Our finest picks for all too share. Hope it helps people get great gifts this year and as always, stay tuned to New News and Movie reviews in the next few months. January is going to be a big month for us because we have been holding a lot of reviews till after the holidays. Happy holidays to all!
Monday, December 5, 2011
Past Weeks Big News
Hey all, first of all NNandMR would like to sincerely apologize for our lack of posts this week. This is because of our main and only writer having phone issues (which he writes on), so it is hard to get our major content out. Were hoping to resolve this issue soon. Also, because of the lack of content from the past week, New News and Movie Reviews has decided to post our Holiday Gift Guide this week so stay tuned! Now onto the news.
Disney's new movie John Carter received a new trailer this week, showing off powerful and impressive CGI. John Carter looks like it's going to win audiences around the world when it releases March 9th. To view the trailer click the link here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nlvYKl1fjBI
Reports have been coming in about the latest Elder Scrolls 5 Skyrim patch claiming to make the game run even worse than before. Bethesda has said that it involves corruption issues that were leaked and are working on a solution to this problem. NNandMR recommends anyone that doesn't have the patch to not download it as it can corrupt save files.
Microsoft's Xbox 360 is getting a huge new Dashboard update that will bring a fresh new look, upgraded Kinect support, Hulu Plus and ESPN to American customers, and search technology with Bing Microsoft's search engine. The upgrade will hit Xbox Live on December 6th. Microsoft also plans to add a ton of new features with 3rd party developers coming in later December.
Epic Games, the studio behind Gears of War and the Unreal franchise, is planning to show off a brand new game at this years Spike VGA's. Epic has stated that it will be an entirely new IP and like nothing we have seen before.
Game of Thrones is finally being put to Blu-Ray/DVD. HBO has revealed that the set will come out on March 6th 2012 and will cost 79.98 for Blu-Ray and 59.99 for DVD.
Well, that's it for this weeks new news. For all your movie/tv/videogame info make sure you subscribe to us on Twitter @NNandMR and remember about out Holiday Gift Guide coming this week!
Disney's new movie John Carter received a new trailer this week, showing off powerful and impressive CGI. John Carter looks like it's going to win audiences around the world when it releases March 9th. To view the trailer click the link here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nlvYKl1fjBI
Reports have been coming in about the latest Elder Scrolls 5 Skyrim patch claiming to make the game run even worse than before. Bethesda has said that it involves corruption issues that were leaked and are working on a solution to this problem. NNandMR recommends anyone that doesn't have the patch to not download it as it can corrupt save files.
Microsoft's Xbox 360 is getting a huge new Dashboard update that will bring a fresh new look, upgraded Kinect support, Hulu Plus and ESPN to American customers, and search technology with Bing Microsoft's search engine. The upgrade will hit Xbox Live on December 6th. Microsoft also plans to add a ton of new features with 3rd party developers coming in later December.
Epic Games, the studio behind Gears of War and the Unreal franchise, is planning to show off a brand new game at this years Spike VGA's. Epic has stated that it will be an entirely new IP and like nothing we have seen before.
Game of Thrones is finally being put to Blu-Ray/DVD. HBO has revealed that the set will come out on March 6th 2012 and will cost 79.98 for Blu-Ray and 59.99 for DVD.
Well, that's it for this weeks new news. For all your movie/tv/videogame info make sure you subscribe to us on Twitter @NNandMR and remember about out Holiday Gift Guide coming this week!
Wednesday, November 30, 2011
First Impression: The Legend of Zelda Skyward Sword
When The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword was first shown off at last year's E3 (Electronic Entertainment Expo) the motion controls completely didn't work and everyone (including me) was sceptical about the art style and design. As the game came closer and closer to the release date my excitement grew. Every trailer or preview showed of something new to the Zelda franchise and to motion control in general. The game is now here and after playing with it for a couple of hours I am very happy with what Nintendo put together.
If I were to describe Skyward Sword I would say it's a mix of Ocarina meets Windwaker meets A Link to the Past. Yes I know that sounds crazy, but Nintendo has carefully crafted another fine Zelda game that (so far) can hold up it's weight with the best of the series. The art style is brilliant and something to be wondered at. The first time you see Skyloft you will be amazed at what the Wii actually produced. All enemies, items, chests, trees, boulders, hell everything works with it! This is by far the best looking game on the Wii.
At first I stumbled to grasp the controls, as they are different from Twilight Princess, but after no more than 10 minutes I was sword swiping, dodging, and manoeuvring like a pro. The new stamina meter is a great addition, making Link more agile and fluid but contained as you only have a limited amount. The full sword control works just as Nintendo promised and it makes each enemy different and more challenging than previous instalments. I will say that the item/equipment menu systems are a bit confusing and the camera does feel a little loose but that's usually the case in the beginning of every Zelda. It's safe to say that the folks at Nintendo are the kings of motion control.
It's weird to say but one of my favourite parts (so far) of the game is the music. Every area has some new song to offer and when you find yourself in a fight the music will also change. It is a small addition but it makes a big difference and had me very excited, especially when your going toe to toe against a boss or mini boss. I'm really excited to hear what the later levels are going to bring because if they are like any of the tracks I heard, there is no doubt in my mind that I will be happy. This is the best Zelda soundtrack to date.
With so much content packed into this game it is hard to choose what to talk about. The game developers added many tweaks to the Zelda franchise like upgrading weapons and items, riding a big bird instead of Epona, aiming is now different thanks to WiiMotion Plus, and how you get around the games landscape is faster and easier than all other Zeldas. Even how you progress through temples/dungeons feels different, but it is a good different as the game is now less linear than previous Zelda games. All these tweaks are a nice welcome addition to the franchise and I hope to discover more of them when I fully play through the game.
So what's the First Impression? The Legend of Zelda Skyward Sword is not only one of the most intriguing Zelda games, but one of the most intriguing action/adventure games of all time. The more you play the game the more you don't want to stop. It was hard to pry my hands away from the controllers and it has now become the game I am most looking forward to this holiday season.
If I were to describe Skyward Sword I would say it's a mix of Ocarina meets Windwaker meets A Link to the Past. Yes I know that sounds crazy, but Nintendo has carefully crafted another fine Zelda game that (so far) can hold up it's weight with the best of the series. The art style is brilliant and something to be wondered at. The first time you see Skyloft you will be amazed at what the Wii actually produced. All enemies, items, chests, trees, boulders, hell everything works with it! This is by far the best looking game on the Wii.
At first I stumbled to grasp the controls, as they are different from Twilight Princess, but after no more than 10 minutes I was sword swiping, dodging, and manoeuvring like a pro. The new stamina meter is a great addition, making Link more agile and fluid but contained as you only have a limited amount. The full sword control works just as Nintendo promised and it makes each enemy different and more challenging than previous instalments. I will say that the item/equipment menu systems are a bit confusing and the camera does feel a little loose but that's usually the case in the beginning of every Zelda. It's safe to say that the folks at Nintendo are the kings of motion control.
It's weird to say but one of my favourite parts (so far) of the game is the music. Every area has some new song to offer and when you find yourself in a fight the music will also change. It is a small addition but it makes a big difference and had me very excited, especially when your going toe to toe against a boss or mini boss. I'm really excited to hear what the later levels are going to bring because if they are like any of the tracks I heard, there is no doubt in my mind that I will be happy. This is the best Zelda soundtrack to date.
With so much content packed into this game it is hard to choose what to talk about. The game developers added many tweaks to the Zelda franchise like upgrading weapons and items, riding a big bird instead of Epona, aiming is now different thanks to WiiMotion Plus, and how you get around the games landscape is faster and easier than all other Zeldas. Even how you progress through temples/dungeons feels different, but it is a good different as the game is now less linear than previous Zelda games. All these tweaks are a nice welcome addition to the franchise and I hope to discover more of them when I fully play through the game.
So what's the First Impression? The Legend of Zelda Skyward Sword is not only one of the most intriguing Zelda games, but one of the most intriguing action/adventure games of all time. The more you play the game the more you don't want to stop. It was hard to pry my hands away from the controllers and it has now become the game I am most looking forward to this holiday season.
Monday, November 28, 2011
Past Weeks Big News
Hey guys! It was a big week for the entertainment industry and especially for TV. The Walking Dead had its mid season finale, Dexter had another fantastic episode and Hell on Wheels keeps producing quality episode after quality episode. On the movie end, The Muppets reboot came out (our review is also out) and so did Hugo, Martin Scorsese's latest film. We hope to have a review of it in the coming weeks.
It was also a big week for Nintendo as The Legend Of Zelda: Skyward Sword became the fastest selling Zelda game of all time. The Black Friday sales has boosted the game to the top of the series. The Wii and Nintendo 3DS also received excellent sales numbers from the Black Friday sales so kudos to them.
The "Mad Max" movies are receiving another trilogy. Director and writer George Miller has stated that while writing the upcoming 4th movie "Fury Road" they developed a second story, and a third. Tom Hardy is rumoured to play Max, and Charlize Theron is set to play the female lead.
The Elder Scrolls 5 Skyrim has received a patch soon to help PS3 players cope with freezing issues. Many gamers have said that while loading previous save files or backing up saved files the game has a tendency to freeze causing some loss of data. The patch will also fix other minor bugs and help the game to run more smoothly.
NNandMR would also like to say sorry for the lack of posts this week. With all the new things coming out, it has been hard to keep schedule with all our shows. We will post our Walking Dead review either Tuesday or Wednesday, and we will also have an overall post about our thoughts on this half of season 2. That's it for the past weeks big news guys! As always, if you have any Movie/TvShow/Videogame you would like us to check out give us a comment or contact us on Twitter at @NNandMR
It was also a big week for Nintendo as The Legend Of Zelda: Skyward Sword became the fastest selling Zelda game of all time. The Black Friday sales has boosted the game to the top of the series. The Wii and Nintendo 3DS also received excellent sales numbers from the Black Friday sales so kudos to them.
The "Mad Max" movies are receiving another trilogy. Director and writer George Miller has stated that while writing the upcoming 4th movie "Fury Road" they developed a second story, and a third. Tom Hardy is rumoured to play Max, and Charlize Theron is set to play the female lead.
The Elder Scrolls 5 Skyrim has received a patch soon to help PS3 players cope with freezing issues. Many gamers have said that while loading previous save files or backing up saved files the game has a tendency to freeze causing some loss of data. The patch will also fix other minor bugs and help the game to run more smoothly.
NNandMR would also like to say sorry for the lack of posts this week. With all the new things coming out, it has been hard to keep schedule with all our shows. We will post our Walking Dead review either Tuesday or Wednesday, and we will also have an overall post about our thoughts on this half of season 2. That's it for the past weeks big news guys! As always, if you have any Movie/TvShow/Videogame you would like us to check out give us a comment or contact us on Twitter at @NNandMR
The Walking Dead Ep 6 Review
Another week, another mediocre Walking Dead. This weeks episode "Secrets" was one of the better ones this season but still yet again does not compare to season one. Yes guys, I know, I'm repeating myself but this is an issue and it must be discussed but I will save the whole rant for the mid-season finale. Now onto the review.
"Secrets" felt different from most eps this season as it had subtle changes that made me actually enjoy this episode. We start off with Carl (who is now on his feet from his surgery) stealing one of the guns the crew has. He gets caught causing Lori to get into a fuss. Looks like it's time for some gun training but not for just Carl, but for the whole group. The scene was cool and showed off some nice camera angles but ended too short. Andrea appears to be the quickest learner as Shane thinks she is ready for the advance lesson.
Those lessons are cut short as Shane mentions Amy (Andrea's sister). This insults Andrea and makes her storm off. Shane apologizes and asks her to join him on the hunt for Sophia. She says yes and they are off to a nearby housing complex. This was my favourite part of the episode, they get overrun by zombies and Andrea finds her zen in all the chaos. Headshot after headshot, this was a cool scene that reminisced of season 1. Good job. Also on the way home a little bond forms between Shane and Andrea. We then get our second sex scene of the series but don't expect anything too graphic as we are left to imagine the rest of it (sorry guys its TV).
Back on the camp, Glenn and Maggie go for another run into town to get medical supplies (morning after pills) for Lori. This also gets interrupted by a zombie (yeah guys TWO zombie scenes) and has Glenn beating the everloving crap out of it. When they arrive back at camp Maggie freaks on Lori for asking them to go get medical supplies and leaves in complete rage. When Glenn confronts Maggie she says she doesn't want him (Glenn) to turn out like the others in the group. She kisses him passionately then leaves Glenn with a very confused look on his face. At first when she does get the morning after pills from Glenn she takes them, but then she runs to the field and forces herself to throw them up. Sarah Wayne Callies' acting was fantastic this week and she has become one of my favourite female actors on TV. Rick walks into his tent and notices the pill box and runs off to find Lori. He finds her and this leads to a very strong scene from both Andrew Lincon and Sarah Wayne Callies. The emotion and passion they both drew makes me totally believe in their marriage. Well done to both. Rick learns about the pregnancy and how Lori and Shane slept together, words are exchanged and cut to credits.
I'm not really sure what to say when it comes to this weeks Walking Dead. We did get two cool zombie scenes (makeup teams definitely deserve awards this season), and we did get brutality and headshots, but the story still hasn't progressed in any major way giving us a lot of filler and unnecessary content. It's times like this when I wished AMC stuck to the story of the graphic novels. I did enjoy Andrea (Laurie Holden) and Dale (Jeffery DeMunn) this episode, usually I can't stand either, but the writers found a nice groove of making them different. From Andrea taking down a horde of zombies to Dale trying to tell off Shane, the characters are progressing. That's what this first half of this season essentially is.
We have Rick learning that sometimes he has to make hard decisions, Daryl becoming more caring and likeable, Shane becoming a huge asshole, Andrea becoming almost fearless, and Lori having the revelation with her pregnancy. It is quite dull compared to last season but you can't say AMC isn't trying. That's why I keep giving the show good ratings, because compared to other TV shows The Walking Dead can still deliver quality content and it still is one of the best and original shows on nowadays . That is why this weeks episode "Secrets" was enjoyable, but be warned, my expectations are set high on next weeks finale.
8.6/10
"Secrets" felt different from most eps this season as it had subtle changes that made me actually enjoy this episode. We start off with Carl (who is now on his feet from his surgery) stealing one of the guns the crew has. He gets caught causing Lori to get into a fuss. Looks like it's time for some gun training but not for just Carl, but for the whole group. The scene was cool and showed off some nice camera angles but ended too short. Andrea appears to be the quickest learner as Shane thinks she is ready for the advance lesson.
Those lessons are cut short as Shane mentions Amy (Andrea's sister). This insults Andrea and makes her storm off. Shane apologizes and asks her to join him on the hunt for Sophia. She says yes and they are off to a nearby housing complex. This was my favourite part of the episode, they get overrun by zombies and Andrea finds her zen in all the chaos. Headshot after headshot, this was a cool scene that reminisced of season 1. Good job. Also on the way home a little bond forms between Shane and Andrea. We then get our second sex scene of the series but don't expect anything too graphic as we are left to imagine the rest of it (sorry guys its TV).
Back on the camp, Glenn and Maggie go for another run into town to get medical supplies (morning after pills) for Lori. This also gets interrupted by a zombie (yeah guys TWO zombie scenes) and has Glenn beating the everloving crap out of it. When they arrive back at camp Maggie freaks on Lori for asking them to go get medical supplies and leaves in complete rage. When Glenn confronts Maggie she says she doesn't want him (Glenn) to turn out like the others in the group. She kisses him passionately then leaves Glenn with a very confused look on his face. At first when she does get the morning after pills from Glenn she takes them, but then she runs to the field and forces herself to throw them up. Sarah Wayne Callies' acting was fantastic this week and she has become one of my favourite female actors on TV. Rick walks into his tent and notices the pill box and runs off to find Lori. He finds her and this leads to a very strong scene from both Andrew Lincon and Sarah Wayne Callies. The emotion and passion they both drew makes me totally believe in their marriage. Well done to both. Rick learns about the pregnancy and how Lori and Shane slept together, words are exchanged and cut to credits.
I'm not really sure what to say when it comes to this weeks Walking Dead. We did get two cool zombie scenes (makeup teams definitely deserve awards this season), and we did get brutality and headshots, but the story still hasn't progressed in any major way giving us a lot of filler and unnecessary content. It's times like this when I wished AMC stuck to the story of the graphic novels. I did enjoy Andrea (Laurie Holden) and Dale (Jeffery DeMunn) this episode, usually I can't stand either, but the writers found a nice groove of making them different. From Andrea taking down a horde of zombies to Dale trying to tell off Shane, the characters are progressing. That's what this first half of this season essentially is.
We have Rick learning that sometimes he has to make hard decisions, Daryl becoming more caring and likeable, Shane becoming a huge asshole, Andrea becoming almost fearless, and Lori having the revelation with her pregnancy. It is quite dull compared to last season but you can't say AMC isn't trying. That's why I keep giving the show good ratings, because compared to other TV shows The Walking Dead can still deliver quality content and it still is one of the best and original shows on nowadays . That is why this weeks episode "Secrets" was enjoyable, but be warned, my expectations are set high on next weeks finale.
8.6/10
Sunday, November 27, 2011
The Muppets Movie Review
It's time to play the music, it's time to light the lights, it's time to meet the Muppets on the Muppet Show tonight! The Muppets are back and their return to the big screen is nothing but magical for fans young and old.
The story follows two brothers Gary (Jason Segel) and Walter(Peter Linz). The boys come from a small town (ironically named Smalltown) where they live a happy normal life. All that changes when they take a trip to LA with Gary's girlfriend Mary (Amy Adams) where they find out that Tex Richman (Chris Cooper), a wealthy oil tycoon, wants to tear down The Muppets Theater and turn the site into an oil rig. OH NO! They find Kermit and inform him of the evil scheme and it's up to them to reunite the old gang and put on one last show to raise the money to buy the theater back themselves!
So what does one get when you have James Bobin (writer/director of Flight of the Conchords) as a director, and Jason Segel and Nicholas Stroller (writers of Get Him to the Greek), topped off with The Muppets? A surprisingly funny and fresh take on a fan favorite. I was skeptical at first when I saw the cast and crew being filled up with R-rated comedy stars but not even 5 minuets into the movie, a smile was put on my face and it never left.
Jason Segel put dedication and hard work into reviving the Muppets and it all pays off as this has become one of my favorite family movies of the year. Catchy songs, cheesy Fozzie jokes, simple plot, great acting, heartwarming moments and charm. The movie is full of it and it felt great to see the whole gang back together. From Gonzo to Rat to Kermit to Animal, they're all here and just as you remember them. Jason Segel is fantastic nailing each and every scene being hilarious as always but also able to provide tear jerkers in other scenes. Amy Adams is simply charming although her character seems to get dropped during the third act. Chris Cooper was fine but felt like he overacted in many parts.
The story was fantastic and felt just like the old Muppet movies, Segel really did the series justice. The movie has charm and will have you cracking up often. It's quite funny to see the Muppets poking fun at the movie, I got a kick when Fozzie said "Wow, that was such an expensive looking explosion! I can't believe we had that in the budget". The songs are catchy as I said previous but they also can draw laughs from the audience. Usually every singing movie has one song that is just too cheery or is just overkill but The Muppets doesn't take itself seriously and uses it to it's advantage, Gary "I got you flowers, ooh, sorry they got damaged in that last dance number". The pacing is spot on and there isn't a moment when the story feels like it's dragging on. The film is just done really well.
As for complaints with the movie, I don't really have any. I did find the audio not syncing with the lips during two songs, Chris Cooper could have done a better job as the main villain, the Kermit/Mrs.Piggy subplot lacked some information that might confuse younger viewers, and there were a few jokes that felt out of place considering this is a kids movie at heart.
Overall if you have to go take your kids to go see a movie make it this one. The Muppets is one of those movies that has something that can appeal to audiences of all ages. Muppet fan or not it's well worth the watch as it was crafted with heart and care for the original material.
9.0/10
The story follows two brothers Gary (Jason Segel) and Walter(Peter Linz). The boys come from a small town (ironically named Smalltown) where they live a happy normal life. All that changes when they take a trip to LA with Gary's girlfriend Mary (Amy Adams) where they find out that Tex Richman (Chris Cooper), a wealthy oil tycoon, wants to tear down The Muppets Theater and turn the site into an oil rig. OH NO! They find Kermit and inform him of the evil scheme and it's up to them to reunite the old gang and put on one last show to raise the money to buy the theater back themselves!
So what does one get when you have James Bobin (writer/director of Flight of the Conchords) as a director, and Jason Segel and Nicholas Stroller (writers of Get Him to the Greek), topped off with The Muppets? A surprisingly funny and fresh take on a fan favorite. I was skeptical at first when I saw the cast and crew being filled up with R-rated comedy stars but not even 5 minuets into the movie, a smile was put on my face and it never left.
Jason Segel put dedication and hard work into reviving the Muppets and it all pays off as this has become one of my favorite family movies of the year. Catchy songs, cheesy Fozzie jokes, simple plot, great acting, heartwarming moments and charm. The movie is full of it and it felt great to see the whole gang back together. From Gonzo to Rat to Kermit to Animal, they're all here and just as you remember them. Jason Segel is fantastic nailing each and every scene being hilarious as always but also able to provide tear jerkers in other scenes. Amy Adams is simply charming although her character seems to get dropped during the third act. Chris Cooper was fine but felt like he overacted in many parts.
The story was fantastic and felt just like the old Muppet movies, Segel really did the series justice. The movie has charm and will have you cracking up often. It's quite funny to see the Muppets poking fun at the movie, I got a kick when Fozzie said "Wow, that was such an expensive looking explosion! I can't believe we had that in the budget". The songs are catchy as I said previous but they also can draw laughs from the audience. Usually every singing movie has one song that is just too cheery or is just overkill but The Muppets doesn't take itself seriously and uses it to it's advantage, Gary "I got you flowers, ooh, sorry they got damaged in that last dance number". The pacing is spot on and there isn't a moment when the story feels like it's dragging on. The film is just done really well.
As for complaints with the movie, I don't really have any. I did find the audio not syncing with the lips during two songs, Chris Cooper could have done a better job as the main villain, the Kermit/Mrs.Piggy subplot lacked some information that might confuse younger viewers, and there were a few jokes that felt out of place considering this is a kids movie at heart.
Overall if you have to go take your kids to go see a movie make it this one. The Muppets is one of those movies that has something that can appeal to audiences of all ages. Muppet fan or not it's well worth the watch as it was crafted with heart and care for the original material.
9.0/10
Friday, November 25, 2011
30 Minutes or Less Movie Review
Hey guys! It's time for NNandMR's first official movie review. With all the good shows and video games that have been coming out it has been hard to find the time to review a movie that I wanted to see. Well I finally found one and with it coming to Blu-ray and DVD on November 29th it just seemed like the perfect time.
When I saw the trailer for 30 Minutes or Less I thought it looked pretty funny. Just another harmless comedy that would give you a few laughs and not be anything special. I just gave the whole film a watch and I rather enjoyed what I saw so here's the review.
30 Minutes or Less stars Jessie Eisenberg as our pizzaboy protagonist Nick. An average guy just working a crappy minimum wage job. As you can probably tell his life isn't that exciting, but all this changes when he is kidnapped and wakes up with a bomb strapped to his chest. He is told by Dwane and Travis (Danny McBride and Nick Swardson) that he has 10 hours to bring them 100,000$ or they will explode the bomb and the movie is off!
I figured I was going to like the movie when I saw actors like Danny McBride and Aziz Ansari in the trailers but I wasn't expecting to like it this much. It really took me by surprise. Raunchy humor, sex jokes,and foul language, it's all here. But the good thing about the movie is that they're all done well. Nick Swardson and Danny McBride are hilarious together and there were only a couple of scenes that didn't have me chuckle at least once. Danny McBride does feel like he always plays the same character in every movie, but it seems to work in his advantage here as he plays the character quite well. It also helps that he has Nick Swardson beside him. I've always enjoyed Nick's humor (haven't seen Bucky Larson yet) and love his stand-up comedy so it was great to see him paired with McBride. They work well together and both do a good job in the movie.
Our other duo shown off is Aziz and Jessie. Aziz is also someone I usually find funny in a movie and he doesn't disappoint here. He plays the best friend Chet well although his acting is sometimes off in scenes and he can ramble on in a joke but he can still provide a laugh which is all I was looking for. Jessie Eisenberg is very good in this movie, when he has the bomb strapped to his chest he genuinely looks scared, he can show emotion well. The thing that surprised me in this movie is how funny he can actually be. Yes he was good in Zombieland but other than that he is usually the same neurotic nervous loser. 30 Minutes or Less gives him a chance to be funny and it shows. Jessie and Aziz have great chemistry together and make a great duo. Good job on that casting call.
Although the main actors are good most of the side characters are just unappealing. The love interest Kate (Dilshad Vadsaria) is alright in the acting department but her character just feels so underused. Same goes for all the other side characters. You get meh acting and characters that you will grow no attachment for but its fine as there not really in the movie a whole lot.
So what do you usually look for in a B-list comedy. A few laughs, weak story, crappy acting, and most highlight jokes that were given off in the trailer right? Well 30 Minutes or Less is one of those movies just done with more polish. You will find a lot of laughs, the story is more developed than you think but still has holes and is predictable at points, solid acting from the main characters but weak from the others, and an overall feeling of just having fun. If you go into this movie with normal expectations you will enjoy it. If you go in with a sour mood or with high hopes expect to be bored. It's a good time and is at least worth the rent to watch with friends.
7.8/10
When I saw the trailer for 30 Minutes or Less I thought it looked pretty funny. Just another harmless comedy that would give you a few laughs and not be anything special. I just gave the whole film a watch and I rather enjoyed what I saw so here's the review.
30 Minutes or Less stars Jessie Eisenberg as our pizzaboy protagonist Nick. An average guy just working a crappy minimum wage job. As you can probably tell his life isn't that exciting, but all this changes when he is kidnapped and wakes up with a bomb strapped to his chest. He is told by Dwane and Travis (Danny McBride and Nick Swardson) that he has 10 hours to bring them 100,000$ or they will explode the bomb and the movie is off!
I figured I was going to like the movie when I saw actors like Danny McBride and Aziz Ansari in the trailers but I wasn't expecting to like it this much. It really took me by surprise. Raunchy humor, sex jokes,and foul language, it's all here. But the good thing about the movie is that they're all done well. Nick Swardson and Danny McBride are hilarious together and there were only a couple of scenes that didn't have me chuckle at least once. Danny McBride does feel like he always plays the same character in every movie, but it seems to work in his advantage here as he plays the character quite well. It also helps that he has Nick Swardson beside him. I've always enjoyed Nick's humor (haven't seen Bucky Larson yet) and love his stand-up comedy so it was great to see him paired with McBride. They work well together and both do a good job in the movie.
Our other duo shown off is Aziz and Jessie. Aziz is also someone I usually find funny in a movie and he doesn't disappoint here. He plays the best friend Chet well although his acting is sometimes off in scenes and he can ramble on in a joke but he can still provide a laugh which is all I was looking for. Jessie Eisenberg is very good in this movie, when he has the bomb strapped to his chest he genuinely looks scared, he can show emotion well. The thing that surprised me in this movie is how funny he can actually be. Yes he was good in Zombieland but other than that he is usually the same neurotic nervous loser. 30 Minutes or Less gives him a chance to be funny and it shows. Jessie and Aziz have great chemistry together and make a great duo. Good job on that casting call.
Although the main actors are good most of the side characters are just unappealing. The love interest Kate (Dilshad Vadsaria) is alright in the acting department but her character just feels so underused. Same goes for all the other side characters. You get meh acting and characters that you will grow no attachment for but its fine as there not really in the movie a whole lot.
So what do you usually look for in a B-list comedy. A few laughs, weak story, crappy acting, and most highlight jokes that were given off in the trailer right? Well 30 Minutes or Less is one of those movies just done with more polish. You will find a lot of laughs, the story is more developed than you think but still has holes and is predictable at points, solid acting from the main characters but weak from the others, and an overall feeling of just having fun. If you go into this movie with normal expectations you will enjoy it. If you go in with a sour mood or with high hopes expect to be bored. It's a good time and is at least worth the rent to watch with friends.
7.8/10
Thursday, November 24, 2011
First Impression: Doctor Who
"Who are you?" "I'm The Doctor". After a week of watching I have grown to love those simple six words. This week's First Impression is Doctor Who and god damn what an impression it left.
Doctor Who was a 1960's British television series that was famous for its ground-breaking science fiction and originality. It was canned in 1989 as the views started to slow down disappointing many people but in 2005 BBC decided to bring it back and since then it has gained a very large and die hard fanbase. Many many people have been telling me to watch it but I never had the time to get into it and the show just seemed weird to me. I never saw the original so I didn't think I would be interested in this one. This was a big mistake as after watching a bunch episodes I cannot stop.
The show follows "The Doctor" a time lord who has the means and will to go wherever and whenever he pleases in time and space. This plot gives the story endless amounts of possibilities and makes every episode new, exciting and a joy to watch. Remember when I say wherever and whenever I really do mean it! From Charles Dickens to the first people on Mars to the end of the world, The Doctor goes as he pleases visiting anyone he wants.
Most shows I watch nowadays do take a while to get into but not Doctor Who. After the first episode I was deeply intrigued by the strong protagonist and wanted to learn more and more about him. I honestly haven't seen anything like it! The die hard fans are right and I can see why they love it. With all the stuff I have to watch/play for NNandMR I find myself wanting to skip it all so I can dive deeper into the universe of Doctor Who. It really is a thing of wonder. The writing is cool and snappy and most episodes do have different writers giving more strength to that "fresh" feeling I was talking about. The Doctor has a great sense of humour to him and reacts really well with all the characters he encounters. He's kind and lovable, if your not charmed by him you have no heart. Side characters are all quirky and witty in their own way but aren't nearly as cool compared to The Doctor.
I don't really have to much to complain about either. I would say that some characters get drafted to the side because The Doctor is so awesome but I can't get mad at someone for creating a fantastic character. Some CGI looks a little weak for the time and some of the side characters have very cheesy acting, but if you look past those minor problems you will find a deep and enriching storyline like nothing you have ever seen. Seriously check it out.
So what's the First Impression? Doctor Who is an incredible scifi series that impressed me to the point that it was overwhelming. I can't say too much because I have barley scratched the surface of this beauty, but lord knows I cannot wait to fully experience all The Doctor has to offer.
Doctor Who was a 1960's British television series that was famous for its ground-breaking science fiction and originality. It was canned in 1989 as the views started to slow down disappointing many people but in 2005 BBC decided to bring it back and since then it has gained a very large and die hard fanbase. Many many people have been telling me to watch it but I never had the time to get into it and the show just seemed weird to me. I never saw the original so I didn't think I would be interested in this one. This was a big mistake as after watching a bunch episodes I cannot stop.
The show follows "The Doctor" a time lord who has the means and will to go wherever and whenever he pleases in time and space. This plot gives the story endless amounts of possibilities and makes every episode new, exciting and a joy to watch. Remember when I say wherever and whenever I really do mean it! From Charles Dickens to the first people on Mars to the end of the world, The Doctor goes as he pleases visiting anyone he wants.
Most shows I watch nowadays do take a while to get into but not Doctor Who. After the first episode I was deeply intrigued by the strong protagonist and wanted to learn more and more about him. I honestly haven't seen anything like it! The die hard fans are right and I can see why they love it. With all the stuff I have to watch/play for NNandMR I find myself wanting to skip it all so I can dive deeper into the universe of Doctor Who. It really is a thing of wonder. The writing is cool and snappy and most episodes do have different writers giving more strength to that "fresh" feeling I was talking about. The Doctor has a great sense of humour to him and reacts really well with all the characters he encounters. He's kind and lovable, if your not charmed by him you have no heart. Side characters are all quirky and witty in their own way but aren't nearly as cool compared to The Doctor.
I don't really have to much to complain about either. I would say that some characters get drafted to the side because The Doctor is so awesome but I can't get mad at someone for creating a fantastic character. Some CGI looks a little weak for the time and some of the side characters have very cheesy acting, but if you look past those minor problems you will find a deep and enriching storyline like nothing you have ever seen. Seriously check it out.
So what's the First Impression? Doctor Who is an incredible scifi series that impressed me to the point that it was overwhelming. I can't say too much because I have barley scratched the surface of this beauty, but lord knows I cannot wait to fully experience all The Doctor has to offer.
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
The Walking Dead Season 2 Ep 5 Review
As you all know I haven't really been a fan of this season of The Walking Dead. It has been full of slow story development and just plain boring content compared to last seasons action packed epic. I have explained why this is in previous reviews but honestly, I feel like I'm just making excuses for it now.
This weeks episode "Chupacabra" was better than most episodes this season but still lacked the action and suspense that made me attached to the show in the first place. I really hope that AMC can somehow step up the pacing now that we enter the second half of the season. Enough with that tho, onto the review.
This episode starts off with a flashback bringing us to Shane, Lori and Carl, before the initial takeover of the zombies. It also shows how they met up with Carol, Sophia and Ed who was still an asshole even before the apocalypse. We are shown a scene where the government is dropping napalms down on a city while Shane and Lori watch in horror. I would like to see more flashbacks that show the characters fleeing from their hometown and seeing zombies for the first time, but this was nice as well.
Back to the farm where the gang continues the hunt for the still missing Sophia. They split up into groups to cover more ground and they're off. Rick and Shane pair up together and have a nice little scene in the woods together, it gave us more info on their back stories and it also shows us the differences between the two. Rick is a good leader but lacks the discipline to make the hard decisions for the group, something that Shane is willing to do (killing Otis to save Carl).
Now onto Daryl, whom most of this episode focus' around. Daryl takes one of Hershel's horses so that he can go to the top of the mountain ridge to get a birds eye view of the ground, this gets interrupted as the horse gets scared by a snake and sends Daryl tumbling down the side of the mountain leaving him with an arrow through his side and stranded at the bottom. When he tries to climb back up he falls yet again injuring him further. It seems like all the falls gets to Daryl's head as he starts to hallucinate that his brother Merle is with him. They have a very weird heart to heart that ends with Merle's hallucination being a walker. Daryl soon wakes up and goes straight to zombie killing. This scene was very cool because it shows us how tough Daryl actually is and the lengths he will go to to survive. He makes an ear necklace from the walkers he killed and its back to climbing where Merle returns to antagonize Daryl yet again. This brings Daryl to a state of rage which does lead to him making it to the top.
When Rick returns to the camp he gets in trouble with Hershel. It seems that Daryl never asked to borrow a horse and Jimmy (one of Hershel's men) never asked for Hershel's permission to join the hunt for Sophia. In my opinion it looks like the writers are just trying to find ways for Hershel to kick Ricks group out so the story can progress. The only problem with this is that the group isn't going to go anywhere until they find Sophia, this is the main thing holding the whole story back from getting anywhere.
When Daryl returns to the camp Andrea mistakes him for a walker and shoots at him, just grazing his head and knocking him unconscious. This was also another thing that just felt like it was added to give Hershel more excuses to kick the group out. It looks like the writers are waiting for the mid-season finale to kick the group off the farm. It's a good and bad thing, it makes me have faith for the second half of the season, but it also makes me angry that they wasted most of the first half dealing with things that could have been solved in two episodes or less.
Onto the end of the episode, Maggie and Glenn's relationship seems to be growing as they plan to have sex again. Glenn leaves Maggie a note telling her to meet him in one of the barns but Glenn gets more than he bargains for when he finds the barn full of walkers and then cut to credits.
This weeks episode "Chupacabra" was better than most episodes this season but still lacked the action and suspense that made me attached to the show in the first place. I really hope that AMC can somehow step up the pacing now that we enter the second half of the season. Enough with that tho, onto the review.
This episode starts off with a flashback bringing us to Shane, Lori and Carl, before the initial takeover of the zombies. It also shows how they met up with Carol, Sophia and Ed who was still an asshole even before the apocalypse. We are shown a scene where the government is dropping napalms down on a city while Shane and Lori watch in horror. I would like to see more flashbacks that show the characters fleeing from their hometown and seeing zombies for the first time, but this was nice as well.
Back to the farm where the gang continues the hunt for the still missing Sophia. They split up into groups to cover more ground and they're off. Rick and Shane pair up together and have a nice little scene in the woods together, it gave us more info on their back stories and it also shows us the differences between the two. Rick is a good leader but lacks the discipline to make the hard decisions for the group, something that Shane is willing to do (killing Otis to save Carl).
Now onto Daryl, whom most of this episode focus' around. Daryl takes one of Hershel's horses so that he can go to the top of the mountain ridge to get a birds eye view of the ground, this gets interrupted as the horse gets scared by a snake and sends Daryl tumbling down the side of the mountain leaving him with an arrow through his side and stranded at the bottom. When he tries to climb back up he falls yet again injuring him further. It seems like all the falls gets to Daryl's head as he starts to hallucinate that his brother Merle is with him. They have a very weird heart to heart that ends with Merle's hallucination being a walker. Daryl soon wakes up and goes straight to zombie killing. This scene was very cool because it shows us how tough Daryl actually is and the lengths he will go to to survive. He makes an ear necklace from the walkers he killed and its back to climbing where Merle returns to antagonize Daryl yet again. This brings Daryl to a state of rage which does lead to him making it to the top.
When Rick returns to the camp he gets in trouble with Hershel. It seems that Daryl never asked to borrow a horse and Jimmy (one of Hershel's men) never asked for Hershel's permission to join the hunt for Sophia. In my opinion it looks like the writers are just trying to find ways for Hershel to kick Ricks group out so the story can progress. The only problem with this is that the group isn't going to go anywhere until they find Sophia, this is the main thing holding the whole story back from getting anywhere.
When Daryl returns to the camp Andrea mistakes him for a walker and shoots at him, just grazing his head and knocking him unconscious. This was also another thing that just felt like it was added to give Hershel more excuses to kick the group out. It looks like the writers are waiting for the mid-season finale to kick the group off the farm. It's a good and bad thing, it makes me have faith for the second half of the season, but it also makes me angry that they wasted most of the first half dealing with things that could have been solved in two episodes or less.
Onto the end of the episode, Maggie and Glenn's relationship seems to be growing as they plan to have sex again. Glenn leaves Maggie a note telling her to meet him in one of the barns but Glenn gets more than he bargains for when he finds the barn full of walkers and then cut to credits.
Chupacabra was one of the better episodes this season but it was still full of filler and didn't progress the story in any major ways. I did enjoy the fact that most of the episode was centred around Daryl because it made me realize how much he has actually changed since last season. He has come from the big huge jackass, to a caring man and one of the strongest members of the group. I enjoyed seeing Merle again because Michael Rooker put up a hell of a performance. I also liked Dale (Jeffrey DeMunn) a lot more this episode as he was actually funny and did provide support to other characters. Hershel (Scott Wilson) is beginning to get on my nerves as he is now being written off as the cranky mean old man, and I still can't stand Andrea (Laurie Holden) because she continues to be the dumb blonde that won't listen to anyone.
Still not a big fan of this how this season has been turning out but Chupacabra gave me some hope that this season will get better.
8.5/10
Still not a big fan of this how this season has been turning out but Chupacabra gave me some hope that this season will get better.
8.5/10
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