WHO YA GONNA CALL?!
Ghostbusters and I have a rich history. It was one of my favorite films when I was a young child (and I do mean young, like elementary school young), and it's still one of my favorite films today. I literally grew up with this film, and have fond memories of it. So, naturally it felt good to re-visit it for the Halloween season and it only seems fitting that Ghostbusters be the first Fright Fest film review for this year.
In Ghostbusters, amateur paranormal investigators Dr. Peter Venkman (Bill Murray), Dr. Ray Stantz (Dan Aykroyd), and Dr. Egon Spengler (Harold Ramis) lose their cozy gig at a university and so decide to go into business for themselves, creating a ghost catchers group for hire named Ghostbusters. Together with new partner Winston Zeddmore (Ernie Hudson) they set out to rid NYC of all ghostly activity, while trying to stay ahead of nosy EPA agent Walter Peck (William Atherton). Soon enough, the Ghostbusters realize that NYC and the Earth is on a collision course with Gozer, an ancient Sumerian God that has some big nasty plans for humanity, and the Ghostbusters may be the only ones who can stop him. Along for the chaos is Venkman's crush Dana Barrett (Sigourney Weaver) and her next door neighbor Louis Tully (Rick Moranis).
Naturally the standout of the cast is the phenomenal Bill Murray as the always cool under pressure Peter Venkman. It's always fun to watch his reactions to events and interactions with other characters, and he's got most of the best lines in the film ("Back off man, I'm a scientist"). That isn't to say though, that all the other actors don't do a good job. Each actor is perfectly cast, from Sigourney Weaver who is gifted with one of her best roles, to Dan Aykroyd who is perfect as the geeky kid at heart, to Harold Ramis who is goofy fun as the devoted nerd of the group, even to William Atherton who is unforgettable as the human villain here. All do superb jobs as classic characters that are instantly unforgettable.
There are no real deeper themes here, Ghostbusters is nothing more than pure, supernatural, ass-kicking fun. I do love the mythology created for the Gozer role, and the atmosphere created in the film is pretty damned cool. While the film is extremely funny, it is also surprisingly creepy at times as well (I remember this film freaked me out a good deal when I first saw it, and at times it still does today). Ghostbusters manages to balance both humor and scares, with not one element outweighing the other. This gives the film a unique tone that I can't say I've ever seen anywhere else before. Many other films have tried to capitalize on and replicate Ghostbusters (even the failed attempt at a sequel), and none have succeeded.
The ghosts found within the film are also quite memorable (Slimer anyone?), and most of the effects still hold up fairly well (all except for the demon dog that chases Tully thru the streets, only real terrible effect in the film.) The Proton Packs and Ghostbusters outfits are just as cool as I remember them being. By far though, the one thing that most people think of first when they hear Ghostbusters is most likely that most jolly of sailors, The Sta-Puft Marshmallow Man. While it's clear that it's really just a man in a costume, it's surprisingly easy to suspend your disbelief and just go with it. His grand reveal is still every bit as amazing as it used to be, and it never ceases to amuse me as he goes about causing untold amounts of destruction all while wearing that ridiculous grin on his face. The final rooftop battle featuring Gozer and Sta-Puft is still one of the best climaxes in film history, and for good reason.
Ghostbusters has easily earned it's classic status, and it's one it definitely deserves. It's freaky, funny, and also insanely fun. I must have seen this film well over a dozen times, and it still never gets old. Ghostbusters is a real treat that is fun to watch and re-watch anytime, and not just during the Halloween season.
5 STARS
Also: And who doesn't LOVE that theme song?
Friday, October 4, 2013
SMALLS' FRIGHT FEST: THE WALKING DEAD SEASON 3
I would suggest you watch Season 3 FIRST (if you haven't already), before reading this article.
I've never been a huge fan of AMC's The Walking Dead, a tv show about zombies, survivors, and what it takes to hold onto your humanity as the world falls apart. The first two seasons were interesting, and the show became known for it's surprise kills of popular characters. I'll admit I did enjoy the first 2 seasons, but it's in the show's third season where The Walking Dead finally gets significantly better.
I've never been a huge fan of AMC's The Walking Dead, a tv show about zombies, survivors, and what it takes to hold onto your humanity as the world falls apart. The first two seasons were interesting, and the show became known for it's surprise kills of popular characters. I'll admit I did enjoy the first 2 seasons, but it's in the show's third season where The Walking Dead finally gets significantly better.
Like the seasons before it, Season 3 still focuses mainly on character drama with zombies occasionally interrupting the proceedings. The characterizations are still strong (Steven Yuen as Glenn, Norman Reedus as Daryl, and Andrew Lincoln as Rick are still my favs), and characters that used to be annoying really step it up, like Carl (Chandler Riggs), who becomes quite the bad-ass this season. However, the main reason this season rocked my couch so hard is because the main storyline this time around is that of a small, protected town named Woodbury and the mysterious man known as The Governor (David Morrissey) who runs the place.
The Governor is, in my opinion, the show's strongest character to date. He starts out likeable enough, but as the season treks onwards more of his true character is revealed until we are left with vastly different feelings towards him. The Governor starts out as a nice guy, is slowly revealed to be bad but with understandable intentions, then he goes nuts and becomes a complete monster. David Morrissey does a top notch performance as the unhinged Governor, giving him more than enough layers so he's not your typical bad guy. His arc is pretty thrilling, and it would seem that we may get more of his story in the 4th season.
The Governor's arc, also becomes Woodbury's. The town of Woodbury on the outside seems like a utopia in the middle of a zombie wasteland. It's well protected by a bunch of military wanna-be's (who are also run by The Governor. With military types involved this time around you would expect a lot of gun play and action scenes, and luckily we get more then our fair share of this, thank God!), it seems peaceful and happy, and people generally tend to live longer in the town. However, there is a mystery surrounding the town and it's citizens and the town continually morphs and degrades throughout the season until it is a pretty scary place. In a way, Woodbury is an extension of The Governor and his psyche: On the outside it seems well-meaning and peaceful, but underneath it's dark, violent, and mysterious.
The 2nd arc of the story is that of Rick and his group, who have taken over a prison which at first glance seems to be a safe reprieve, but holds more than it's fair share of dangers and challenges inside. This arc is fairly interesting, but The Woodbury/Governor arc is so much stronger and engaging that every time the show switched back to the prison I was left anxiously waiting for Woodbury or The Governor to come back. In a way, the strength of the Woodbury/Governor arc can be counted as a weakness because it outshines most everything else this season.
The show also introduced a few new, notable characters including Michonne (Dania Gurira), Milton (Dallas Roberts), and Tyreese (Chad L. Coleman) and his small group. Michonne is a katana weilding woman who seems to be fairly intense and is a tough person to read, Milton is the scientific adviser and friend to the Governor (Milton gets a small but fun and satisfying arc here, really loved his character), and Tyreese is the well-meaning and friendly leader of a tiny group that stumbles into the prison for a brief encounter with Rick and friends before journeying onward to Woodbury. It's clear that the show is nowhere near done with Michonne and Tyeese and his small group, and I'm looking forward to see what arcs they will be dealt in later seasons. We are also introduced once again to Merle (Michael Rooker), brother to Darryl. He has also holed up in Woodbury, and has become the unofficial leader of the wanna-be military that protects the town. Merle is an asshole, just like we remember him being, but is given a really good arc that has a great ending (could Merle be given a shot at redemption, you'll have to watch and see). There's also the re-introduction of Morgan from Season 1, and the way the show deals with his character is beautiful and so so so perfect.
While, there are still a few minor problems with this season (still a lot of drama, but you won't notice it as much since a good deal has to do with Woodbury and The Governor. Not a whole lot of zombie action, though what's there is satisfying enough I suppose. Not a lot of good surprise deaths here, so that's kind of disappointing), Season 3 of The Walking Dead is still the best season of this show so far, and with Season 4 seeming to tease the continuation of The Governor/Woodbury arc, let's hope that it's only going to get better from here on out.
4.5 STARS
Sunday, September 29, 2013
SMALLS THINKS DON JON IS PRETTY GOOD, BUT IT COULD HAVE BEEN A CONTENDER
Don Jon marks the debut of Joseph Gordon Levitt, the screenwriter/director. As someone who has followed most of this guys career, seeing this film was a no brainer. JGL has already proven he can act like it's nobodies business, but does he have what it takes to be a truly formidable writer/director?
In Don Jon JGL plays Johnny, a ladies man who is addicted to porn. He meets and falls for Barbara (Scarlett Johansson), a straight up 10 who challenges John in several ways, including forcing him to take a night class where he meets Esther (Julianne Moore), who will end up changing the way John thinks about himself, others, sex, and his lifestyle.
Don Jon was a film that I so badly wanted to love, to praise. Unfortunately, it falls flat in many areas. JGL has shown that he is a fairly smart man that enjoys taking on challenging characters with intricate arcs and deep stories. You would think that he would have a lot to say....and while what he does have to say is fairly entertaining and truthful, it's not as deep as you would hope for it to be.
As a writer, JGL proves constantly that he's got the shine. His script for Don Jon is pretty great. This is how real people talk, what real people talk about, and how men and women really act. As a director, he seems to be fine as well (he doesn't do anything really stand out here though), managing to evoke fairly great performances from Scar Jo (she is super hawt here, just wait till you see the hallway dry humping scene) and Julianne Moore (Moore is the most memorable thing about this film, surprisingly). However, after the first hour or so I couldn't help but notice that the film didn't seem to be going anywhere. The character of John did remind me a bit of myself, but ultimately he's not a super deep character and there's not much that Levitt can really do to make him memorable. He's definitely like what a real guy is, but he's just not super memorable. John does end up changing a bit, but it happens a bit too quickly and a little bit late (in the last 20 mins or so is where this happens). The message here seems to be: There's more to love than sex. It's a good message for young people, but I imagine that most adults that are past their 20s already know this. The film does seem to be aimed squarely at the 20-something crowd, and it's certainly tons of fun....however, the film feels like it's going to have this huge message and that this guy is really going to end up making a drastic change and it's all going to be uplifting.....but the film doesn't really do any of this. Not to mention, it feels like the film would have benefited from an extra hour where things could be fleshed out a bit more and where a more concrete and solid ending could have been formed (the way the film ends is just bad, really bad).
Don Jon, from opening credits to final shot is all about sex. It's clear that JGL is trying to say meaningful things about society's obsession with sex, about the falsity and meaningless repetition of religion and religious rituals, about the surface culture we live in, etc. The film has room for several message, but as it is most of these end up being half-messages and half-formed ideas with the big message being contained solely to that of relationships. JGL has so many ideas, that it's almost like he was unable to reel himself in. I can see how this film could have been great, and it hurts to watch it get so much right and so much wrong at the same time.
Don Jon is surely an entertaining, fun film....but if you're hoping for more than just that, you might as well look somewhere else. To his credit, JGL does try to create a strong message here. Don Jon shows that JGL can make believable, REAL dialogue and knows how to just about perfectly mimic real life conversation...however, he still has to work on his story creating skills and on how to end a film the right way. I hate saying bad things about JGL, I really do love the guy. He's got an insane level of talent, and it's clear that he's got some good writing skills. He's still a beginner, but if he keeps working at honing his craft he may just become one of the bigs eventually. I'd say that if you are a JGL completionist like me, the film's a must-see and it's interesting to be able to watch the beginnings of what may turn into something great later on down the road, but for right now JGL still has some work to do. I enjoyed myself, I just wish there had been more substance and more of a payoff. Don Jon is a good college effort, and it's tons of surface fun but there's not as much going on underneath the surface as Joseph Gordon Levitt seems to think there is.
3.5 STARS
In Don Jon JGL plays Johnny, a ladies man who is addicted to porn. He meets and falls for Barbara (Scarlett Johansson), a straight up 10 who challenges John in several ways, including forcing him to take a night class where he meets Esther (Julianne Moore), who will end up changing the way John thinks about himself, others, sex, and his lifestyle.
Don Jon was a film that I so badly wanted to love, to praise. Unfortunately, it falls flat in many areas. JGL has shown that he is a fairly smart man that enjoys taking on challenging characters with intricate arcs and deep stories. You would think that he would have a lot to say....and while what he does have to say is fairly entertaining and truthful, it's not as deep as you would hope for it to be.
As a writer, JGL proves constantly that he's got the shine. His script for Don Jon is pretty great. This is how real people talk, what real people talk about, and how men and women really act. As a director, he seems to be fine as well (he doesn't do anything really stand out here though), managing to evoke fairly great performances from Scar Jo (she is super hawt here, just wait till you see the hallway dry humping scene) and Julianne Moore (Moore is the most memorable thing about this film, surprisingly). However, after the first hour or so I couldn't help but notice that the film didn't seem to be going anywhere. The character of John did remind me a bit of myself, but ultimately he's not a super deep character and there's not much that Levitt can really do to make him memorable. He's definitely like what a real guy is, but he's just not super memorable. John does end up changing a bit, but it happens a bit too quickly and a little bit late (in the last 20 mins or so is where this happens). The message here seems to be: There's more to love than sex. It's a good message for young people, but I imagine that most adults that are past their 20s already know this. The film does seem to be aimed squarely at the 20-something crowd, and it's certainly tons of fun....however, the film feels like it's going to have this huge message and that this guy is really going to end up making a drastic change and it's all going to be uplifting.....but the film doesn't really do any of this. Not to mention, it feels like the film would have benefited from an extra hour where things could be fleshed out a bit more and where a more concrete and solid ending could have been formed (the way the film ends is just bad, really bad).
Don Jon, from opening credits to final shot is all about sex. It's clear that JGL is trying to say meaningful things about society's obsession with sex, about the falsity and meaningless repetition of religion and religious rituals, about the surface culture we live in, etc. The film has room for several message, but as it is most of these end up being half-messages and half-formed ideas with the big message being contained solely to that of relationships. JGL has so many ideas, that it's almost like he was unable to reel himself in. I can see how this film could have been great, and it hurts to watch it get so much right and so much wrong at the same time.
Don Jon is surely an entertaining, fun film....but if you're hoping for more than just that, you might as well look somewhere else. To his credit, JGL does try to create a strong message here. Don Jon shows that JGL can make believable, REAL dialogue and knows how to just about perfectly mimic real life conversation...however, he still has to work on his story creating skills and on how to end a film the right way. I hate saying bad things about JGL, I really do love the guy. He's got an insane level of talent, and it's clear that he's got some good writing skills. He's still a beginner, but if he keeps working at honing his craft he may just become one of the bigs eventually. I'd say that if you are a JGL completionist like me, the film's a must-see and it's interesting to be able to watch the beginnings of what may turn into something great later on down the road, but for right now JGL still has some work to do. I enjoyed myself, I just wish there had been more substance and more of a payoff. Don Jon is a good college effort, and it's tons of surface fun but there's not as much going on underneath the surface as Joseph Gordon Levitt seems to think there is.
3.5 STARS
Saturday, September 28, 2013
SMALLS' FRIGHT FEST CONJURES UP MORE SCARES THIS HALLOWEEN SEASON
Welcome again, my children of the night.....TO SMALLS' FRIGHT FEST!!! Yes, it is that time of year again where ghosties and ghoulies are awakened once more to spread fear and chaos over the Earth for one special night: HALLOWEEN. It's the witching season, and this year I, your humble Ghost Host with the most most, will once again attempt to scare up only the best of the best Halloween films and, like always, will bring you my trip report from Scare Central: Halloween Horror Nights. So, ready or not, hang on for your afterlife, because Smalls' Fright Fest starts TODAY!!!
Monday, September 9, 2013
THE BLING RING HAS LOTS OF BLING, LITTLE BRAIN
Today is the day I finish what I call The American Dream Trilogy (Spring Breakers, Pain and Gain, The Bling Ring). All of these films are about people doing whatever it takes (usually by illegal means) to live their version of the American Dream. Spring Breakers followed a group of college girls that turn to a life of crime, drugs and murder to fuel that dream, Pain and Gain focused on three dim-witted meat heads that decided kidnapping, extortion and murder was the only way to live their dream, so....what does Bling Ring focus on?
In Bling Ring, we follow spoiled rich teens Rebecca (Katie Chang), Marc (Israel Broussard), Nicki (Emma Watson), and Chloe (Claire Julian). Although they are pretty well off, all four still yearn for more....in this case, fame and the celebrity lifestyle. Rebecca hits upon a way to live this lifestyle, mainly by following the news to find out when certain celebs are away and then using Google maps to find the celeb's house, drive there, break in, and then party and steal stuff. She invites her posse to join her and soon enough the four are living the high life and snorting cocaine like it's candy (lots of cocaine usage in this film). Naturally, the group isn't all that intelligent (Marc is the smartest one in the group, and is also the most likeable...although this isn't really saying much) so after a little while the four are indeed caught. This is also based on a true story.
Katie Change does a pretty good job as Rebecca, a real conniving and manipulative bitch who also acts as the ring leader. By far the best parts of this film are Israel Broussard as Marc and Emma Watson as Nicki.. Marc is a new student at school that is a bit socially awkward and a bit closeted. Rebecca picks up on this and quickly brings him under her wing, almost immeadietly bringing him into her life of naughtiness. Once again, Marc is the most likeable character here, and is easily the smartest one in the bunch. Emma Watson plays a real airhead and is not only super hot but also immensely watchable (dare I say, it's almost like she's in a different film). Whenever her character of Nicki is on, you can't take your eyes off her. Watson is pretty highly intelligent in real life, so to watch her play someone who has just about zero intelligence and just nail the role...it's really impressive. Watson isn't in the film a whole lot, we get just the right amount of her character.
Bling Ring is filmed with lots of bizarre segments of pics of celebs and celeb interviews that whiz by at a fast speed, and some segments featuring Facebook updates. It's an interesting touch that helps add a bit of personality to the film (the celeb pic and interview segments feel a bit misplaced, but the Facebook bits were a welcome addition and worked surprisingly well). The cinematography was fine and pretty, but never really stood out a whole lot minus a few scenes here and there (The opening scene was cool, and there was one club scene that was very pretty). The soundtrack is also a little too obvious most of the times, but the addition of Crown On The Ground for the opening scene was somewhat inspired.
The Bling Ring does have a tiny bit of brains, mainly by it's message: that even the rich want to be richer and famous, and how the public has a fascination with the whole Robin Hood thing. Most of the film consists of scenes of the group robbing houses and partying, and while the first few scenes of these are cool and naughty, it quickly grows stale and repetitive. It's clear that Sophia Coppola wanted to send a message out there through this film, but she never really has much fun with the proceedings or comes up with anything truly innovative (she even has one of the characters recite the message of the film, in case it was too hard to figure out on your own....which it's not).
Bling Ring starts out kind of fun, but quickly becomes kind of dull as the appeal wears off. While the main characters are bad people, they are still likable. We already know the outcome of their hijinx, so once the scenes of thievery become stale we are left waiting anxiously for the crew to get caught (takes around an hour for this to happen). While Bling Ring is an enjoyable film, it's not very engaging, creative, or even all that fun. If the story sounds interesting to you, go ahead and rent it on Redbox and see if you like it.......however, I wouldn't say it's worth a full purchase....just a tentative peek. The Bling Ring had potential, it could have been a great film....but it's not. As it is, it's just a little better than O.K.
2.5 STARS
It also ends on a super awkward note.
In Bling Ring, we follow spoiled rich teens Rebecca (Katie Chang), Marc (Israel Broussard), Nicki (Emma Watson), and Chloe (Claire Julian). Although they are pretty well off, all four still yearn for more....in this case, fame and the celebrity lifestyle. Rebecca hits upon a way to live this lifestyle, mainly by following the news to find out when certain celebs are away and then using Google maps to find the celeb's house, drive there, break in, and then party and steal stuff. She invites her posse to join her and soon enough the four are living the high life and snorting cocaine like it's candy (lots of cocaine usage in this film). Naturally, the group isn't all that intelligent (Marc is the smartest one in the group, and is also the most likeable...although this isn't really saying much) so after a little while the four are indeed caught. This is also based on a true story.
Katie Change does a pretty good job as Rebecca, a real conniving and manipulative bitch who also acts as the ring leader. By far the best parts of this film are Israel Broussard as Marc and Emma Watson as Nicki.. Marc is a new student at school that is a bit socially awkward and a bit closeted. Rebecca picks up on this and quickly brings him under her wing, almost immeadietly bringing him into her life of naughtiness. Once again, Marc is the most likeable character here, and is easily the smartest one in the bunch. Emma Watson plays a real airhead and is not only super hot but also immensely watchable (dare I say, it's almost like she's in a different film). Whenever her character of Nicki is on, you can't take your eyes off her. Watson is pretty highly intelligent in real life, so to watch her play someone who has just about zero intelligence and just nail the role...it's really impressive. Watson isn't in the film a whole lot, we get just the right amount of her character.
Bling Ring is filmed with lots of bizarre segments of pics of celebs and celeb interviews that whiz by at a fast speed, and some segments featuring Facebook updates. It's an interesting touch that helps add a bit of personality to the film (the celeb pic and interview segments feel a bit misplaced, but the Facebook bits were a welcome addition and worked surprisingly well). The cinematography was fine and pretty, but never really stood out a whole lot minus a few scenes here and there (The opening scene was cool, and there was one club scene that was very pretty). The soundtrack is also a little too obvious most of the times, but the addition of Crown On The Ground for the opening scene was somewhat inspired.
The Bling Ring does have a tiny bit of brains, mainly by it's message: that even the rich want to be richer and famous, and how the public has a fascination with the whole Robin Hood thing. Most of the film consists of scenes of the group robbing houses and partying, and while the first few scenes of these are cool and naughty, it quickly grows stale and repetitive. It's clear that Sophia Coppola wanted to send a message out there through this film, but she never really has much fun with the proceedings or comes up with anything truly innovative (she even has one of the characters recite the message of the film, in case it was too hard to figure out on your own....which it's not).
Bling Ring starts out kind of fun, but quickly becomes kind of dull as the appeal wears off. While the main characters are bad people, they are still likable. We already know the outcome of their hijinx, so once the scenes of thievery become stale we are left waiting anxiously for the crew to get caught (takes around an hour for this to happen). While Bling Ring is an enjoyable film, it's not very engaging, creative, or even all that fun. If the story sounds interesting to you, go ahead and rent it on Redbox and see if you like it.......however, I wouldn't say it's worth a full purchase....just a tentative peek. The Bling Ring had potential, it could have been a great film....but it's not. As it is, it's just a little better than O.K.
2.5 STARS
It also ends on a super awkward note.
Friday, August 23, 2013
SMALLS JOINS N.E.S.T IN TRANSFORMERS: THE RIDE 3-D
In Transformers: The Ride 3-D, we play new recruits to N.E.S.T. stationed at N.E.S.T HQ in Orlando, Florida which houses the last remaining shard of the All-Spark (which the Decepticons desperately want to get their hands on). It is our first day of training, but things don't go as smoothly as we would have hoped (do they ever?). Our training is interrupted by a large scale attack on N.E.S.T HQ by the Decepticon forces. If N.E.S.T loses the All-Spark shard, it could mean the end of Earth and Humanity as we know it. So, we are quickly shipped out with an Autobot rookie named Evac with the mission of aquiring and protecting the All-Spark at all costs. Naturally, it isn't long until we find ourselves stuck in the middle of all out war.
Transformers: The Ride 3D is the next step in the evolution of theme park rides. It borrows it's ride system from The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man (which lies next door at IOA), but perfects that system. People that were afraid of Transformers losing some of it's power by being next door to Spidey have nothing to fear. Both Transformers and Spidey offer different and unique expereinces. Spidey resembles a dark ride run wild, and Transformers resembles an out-of-control rollercoaster. I can't say if one ride is better than the other (I will say, however, that the tech on Transformers is leaps and bounds above Spidey's) Before I get into the ride itself (don't worry, I won't spoil anything), I first want to talk about the ride's building and queue.
Transformers: The Ride 3D's building is perfectly constructed to resemble N.E.S.T HQ. It's beautiful in it's simplicity and it towers over park guests. Guarding the entrance to N.E.S.T is a full sized Optimus Prime with eyes that glow blue at night. Once inside, you find yourself smack dab in N.E.S.T. . The inside is beautifully realized and themed to a secret military compound. There are large screens that relay the story of the ride to us, and there are dozens of buttons, keyboards, switches, and dials for us to play with. Walking through the queue, I felt like a kid in a candy store. The queue also has some cool surprises in it: the room that houses the All-Spark pulses, buzzes and hums with neon blue light and sound, in the press release Universal said you would be able to feel the power of the All-Spark in this room and they weren't lying. I'm also a sucker for flashing red and blue alarm lights, which there is plenty of later on in the queue when N.E.S.T comes under attack. I'd say this is one of the best queues at Universal and IOA right now, right on par with the Hogwarts queue. Both are different, but offer thrilling experiences for park guests.
Now, onto the ride. Holy shit, the ride. As soon as you depart from the loading station, you are thrust into chaotic battle and by the time you unload your head should be spinning in a good way. The ride barely gives you any time to breathe, or to even think. It's fast, it's furious, it's insane and I loved it. The ride doesn't have a soundtrack to it, but I barely even noticed that. There are some sets and background elements, but they are minimal. This is more of a screen-based ride, and there is absolutely nothing wrong with that. The sets that are there are highly themed, and the set pieces blend perfectly into the screens. I never thought I would say this, but the transition from screen to screen is absolutely seamless and it never feels like you are sitting in front of a screen (for example, one time in the ride you pass through a barrier from one screen to the next, but it's designed like a bridge. This perfectly cements the illusion that you are on an actual street. It's just insane). One time the ride broke down on me and when I looked around, I was surprised to find I was inside a building....I'm not exaggerating when I say you completely lose yourself in the ride (also feels like you are traveling into the screens most of the time....once again, just insane). You also really feel the scale and size of these robots, the first time you see Optimus on the ride is quite breath-taking.
Outside the ride, you can take a picture with Megatron, Bumblebee, or Optimus. These are full costumed stilt-walkers that are fully realized characters from the film. They stand around 7 ft tall and are quite impressive. I would recommend you take a pic with them if you feel so inclined, it's very surreal.
I had been looking forward to riding Transformers: The Ride 3D for a long time, before it even came to Florida. This project had one of the shortest build times in Universal Studios history, it spans 2 floors (there is an elevator lift that escorts cars up to the 2nd level as part of the ride experience, you won't even notice that you're going up or where the lift is located), and it's the top version of the attraction due to it's fully realized exterior and the fact that it has the superior technology when compared to the Hollywood and Singapore versions. Transformers: The Ride 3D easily emerges as the flagship attraction for Universal Studios Florida. N.E.S.T is still accepting new recruits, you would be wise to enlist as soon as possible. You're in for one helluva experience.
9/10 STARS
BONUS TIP: If you don't feel like waiting in an hour plus line (which if you choose to wait in the regular queue, you WILL be waiting in an hour plus line. Expect the wait times to stay like this for a while) and you are ok with your party being split up, I HIGHLY reccommend you choose the Single Riders line. It was because of this that I was able to ride Transformers a total of 7 times in one day. The waits are usually much shorter in single riders.
Transformers: The Ride 3D is the next step in the evolution of theme park rides. It borrows it's ride system from The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man (which lies next door at IOA), but perfects that system. People that were afraid of Transformers losing some of it's power by being next door to Spidey have nothing to fear. Both Transformers and Spidey offer different and unique expereinces. Spidey resembles a dark ride run wild, and Transformers resembles an out-of-control rollercoaster. I can't say if one ride is better than the other (I will say, however, that the tech on Transformers is leaps and bounds above Spidey's) Before I get into the ride itself (don't worry, I won't spoil anything), I first want to talk about the ride's building and queue.
Transformers: The Ride 3D's building is perfectly constructed to resemble N.E.S.T HQ. It's beautiful in it's simplicity and it towers over park guests. Guarding the entrance to N.E.S.T is a full sized Optimus Prime with eyes that glow blue at night. Once inside, you find yourself smack dab in N.E.S.T. . The inside is beautifully realized and themed to a secret military compound. There are large screens that relay the story of the ride to us, and there are dozens of buttons, keyboards, switches, and dials for us to play with. Walking through the queue, I felt like a kid in a candy store. The queue also has some cool surprises in it: the room that houses the All-Spark pulses, buzzes and hums with neon blue light and sound, in the press release Universal said you would be able to feel the power of the All-Spark in this room and they weren't lying. I'm also a sucker for flashing red and blue alarm lights, which there is plenty of later on in the queue when N.E.S.T comes under attack. I'd say this is one of the best queues at Universal and IOA right now, right on par with the Hogwarts queue. Both are different, but offer thrilling experiences for park guests.
Now, onto the ride. Holy shit, the ride. As soon as you depart from the loading station, you are thrust into chaotic battle and by the time you unload your head should be spinning in a good way. The ride barely gives you any time to breathe, or to even think. It's fast, it's furious, it's insane and I loved it. The ride doesn't have a soundtrack to it, but I barely even noticed that. There are some sets and background elements, but they are minimal. This is more of a screen-based ride, and there is absolutely nothing wrong with that. The sets that are there are highly themed, and the set pieces blend perfectly into the screens. I never thought I would say this, but the transition from screen to screen is absolutely seamless and it never feels like you are sitting in front of a screen (for example, one time in the ride you pass through a barrier from one screen to the next, but it's designed like a bridge. This perfectly cements the illusion that you are on an actual street. It's just insane). One time the ride broke down on me and when I looked around, I was surprised to find I was inside a building....I'm not exaggerating when I say you completely lose yourself in the ride (also feels like you are traveling into the screens most of the time....once again, just insane). You also really feel the scale and size of these robots, the first time you see Optimus on the ride is quite breath-taking.
Outside the ride, you can take a picture with Megatron, Bumblebee, or Optimus. These are full costumed stilt-walkers that are fully realized characters from the film. They stand around 7 ft tall and are quite impressive. I would recommend you take a pic with them if you feel so inclined, it's very surreal.
I had been looking forward to riding Transformers: The Ride 3D for a long time, before it even came to Florida. This project had one of the shortest build times in Universal Studios history, it spans 2 floors (there is an elevator lift that escorts cars up to the 2nd level as part of the ride experience, you won't even notice that you're going up or where the lift is located), and it's the top version of the attraction due to it's fully realized exterior and the fact that it has the superior technology when compared to the Hollywood and Singapore versions. Transformers: The Ride 3D easily emerges as the flagship attraction for Universal Studios Florida. N.E.S.T is still accepting new recruits, you would be wise to enlist as soon as possible. You're in for one helluva experience.
9/10 STARS
BONUS TIP: If you don't feel like waiting in an hour plus line (which if you choose to wait in the regular queue, you WILL be waiting in an hour plus line. Expect the wait times to stay like this for a while) and you are ok with your party being split up, I HIGHLY reccommend you choose the Single Riders line. It was because of this that I was able to ride Transformers a total of 7 times in one day. The waits are usually much shorter in single riders.
Saturday, July 13, 2013
PACIFIC RIM TOUCHED SMALLS IN HIS NO-NO'S AND HE LOVED IT
My God I loved this film. For anyone who has ever smashed their toys together when they were young, imagining epic fights, Pacific Rim takes these moments of playtime fun and translates it to the big screen....making a film of an epic scale.
In Pacific Rim, A rift in the Pacific Ocean becomes a portal for a whole host of monsters (called Kaiju's) which begin to wreck havoc on our world. In response, we created our own monsters...giant robots (called Jaegers) piloted by 2 people. Their sole purpose: To lay the mother of all beatings on the Kaiju. For several years, this worked but then, the Kaiju started adapting...many Jaegers and pilots were lost. Now, 5 years later the Jaeger program is on the verge of being shut down...so the ones in charge decide to throw all they've got in one final showdown between the remaining Jaegers and the most ferocious Kaiju's we've encountered thus far.
Pacific Rim is the latest outing from Guillermo Del Toro, and boy does he not disappoint. He has made mostly nerdy films, and Pacific Rim is indeed a film made for nerds ...especially nerds that enjoy some big robot on alien butt-kicking. The film has earned comparisons to Transformers, but I an happy to report that this is a Grade A Prime Rib compared to that other franchise. You really get a fantastic sense of scale for the robots and the monsters that Transformers never really accomplished, plus you can actually tell what's going on in the fight scenes (all of which are intense and insane, but more on that later.) Expect to walkout of Pacific Rim saying Transformers who?
One of the things I had been hearing gripes about was a lack of character development....well, I am once again happy to report that I was surprised that there was actually character development here....and it was of a pretty good quality. It's always nice when you walk into a film expecting a brainless action fest and instead get a film that is indeed an action fest, but one that has some brains and characters in it. (and what's more, characters you actually care about).
Our cast of characters here include Raleigh (Charlie Hunnam), an ex- Jaeger Pilot who used to be the best of the best but quit when his brother and co-pilot was KIA. He is brought back on board the Jaeger program for the final battle and he is the lead character here. Charlie does a pretty great job in the role, adding charisma and believability to the character, I was impressed. There's Stacker Pentecost (Idris Elba), the head of the Jaeger program who is a complete bad-ass. Idris Elba is absolute perfection in the role, and I pretty much squeed whenever he was on screen. There's also Mako Mori (Rinko Kikuchi), a new recruit to the program....Rinko did good but I wasn't as impressed with her as I was with others. One of my personal favorite characters was Ops Tendo Choi (Clifton Collins Jr.), one of the head guys at the program. I don't know what it was about him, but he just screamed super-cool bad-ass to me, and Clifton Collins Jr. added a lot of charm and style to the role that probably helped. Joining our crew is Dr. Newton Geiszler (Charlie Day) and Gottleib (Burn Goman), an oddball scientist duo. Dr. Newton is really the focus out of the two and Charlie Day does have a lot of scene-stealing moments here...but Burn Goman also does an excellent job at his role of the straight-man. I really dug the chemistry these two shared and the almost brotherly dynamic they had going on. Finally, Ron Pearlman gets essentially an extended cameo as Hannibal Chau. He is all kinds of fun in his role although the film doesn't really give him much to do.
Now although Pacific Rim has a fantastic story, great characters, and great performances from it's cast...that's essentially all delicious toppings. The main reason we came here was to see some superb action and fight scenes, and as I said before my god does this film not disappoint. While there is a sizable gap between the first fight scene and the 2nd, there are plenty here and all are guaranteed to get you clasping your arm rests pure unbridled shock, joy and awe (especially in 3-D. Torrents of water drown you, Kaiju open their large mouths and roar right in your face, Jaegers step right over your head, in the opening scene the theater is engulfed in a star field. The 3D also enhances the sense of scale, and even the epicness of the battle scenes. it really feels like you are right in the middle of the action). I can't even begin to describe how truly euphoric I was watching Jeagers beat the ever-loving snot out of the Kaiju...I was in Nerd Nirvana. Pacific Rim also has some of the most beautiful visuals I've seen in a film all year....downright gorgeous and breath taking. There is plenty of CGI here but none of it bothered me and for the most part it blended pretty well into the live-action parts of the film.
Pacific Rim runs at 2 hours +, and you do start to feel it near the end (feels like a 3 hour film). However, this doesn't really detract from much. I'd rather have an epic action-packed film feel like 3 hours than have it feel like 90 minutes. Also, the film is kind of fast-paced and a lot of info is spit-out at a fast speed...so it helps if you stay alert and listen closely....basically just pay attention if you want to get everything that's going on.
Pacific Rim was my most anticipated film of the summer, and I couldn't be happier with the product I got. Superb fight/action scenes, beautiful visuals, fantastic 3-D, strong performances, great characters, A fantastic story, some tender moments, and some surprisingly good character development. I couldn't say enough good things about Pacific Rim. It's the event film of the summer. Guillermo Del Toro shows Michael Bay how it's done. I'm pretty sure the words Kaiju, Jaeger, and Gipsy Danger will be the It words of this year. Without a doubt in my mind, this is the best film I have seen this summer...it's certainly the most fun I have had in a movie theater in quite a while. Pacific Rim brings some magic back to the action/epic film genre, magic that has been sorely missed for a while.
5/5- BETTER THAN SEX
I could easily see them turning this into a ride somewhere
The first 20-30 minutes is set-up and the first fight (The film drops us right in the middle of the action, several years after the first Jaeger was built), the next 45-60 mins is spent establishing character and story and the last hour or do of the film is all fights.
Gotta throw in there that I LOVE LOVE LOVE the sets in this film, especially the awe-inspiring and pure awesome Shatterdome: The home of the Jaeger program.
In Pacific Rim, A rift in the Pacific Ocean becomes a portal for a whole host of monsters (called Kaiju's) which begin to wreck havoc on our world. In response, we created our own monsters...giant robots (called Jaegers) piloted by 2 people. Their sole purpose: To lay the mother of all beatings on the Kaiju. For several years, this worked but then, the Kaiju started adapting...many Jaegers and pilots were lost. Now, 5 years later the Jaeger program is on the verge of being shut down...so the ones in charge decide to throw all they've got in one final showdown between the remaining Jaegers and the most ferocious Kaiju's we've encountered thus far.
Pacific Rim is the latest outing from Guillermo Del Toro, and boy does he not disappoint. He has made mostly nerdy films, and Pacific Rim is indeed a film made for nerds ...especially nerds that enjoy some big robot on alien butt-kicking. The film has earned comparisons to Transformers, but I an happy to report that this is a Grade A Prime Rib compared to that other franchise. You really get a fantastic sense of scale for the robots and the monsters that Transformers never really accomplished, plus you can actually tell what's going on in the fight scenes (all of which are intense and insane, but more on that later.) Expect to walkout of Pacific Rim saying Transformers who?
One of the things I had been hearing gripes about was a lack of character development....well, I am once again happy to report that I was surprised that there was actually character development here....and it was of a pretty good quality. It's always nice when you walk into a film expecting a brainless action fest and instead get a film that is indeed an action fest, but one that has some brains and characters in it. (and what's more, characters you actually care about).
Our cast of characters here include Raleigh (Charlie Hunnam), an ex- Jaeger Pilot who used to be the best of the best but quit when his brother and co-pilot was KIA. He is brought back on board the Jaeger program for the final battle and he is the lead character here. Charlie does a pretty great job in the role, adding charisma and believability to the character, I was impressed. There's Stacker Pentecost (Idris Elba), the head of the Jaeger program who is a complete bad-ass. Idris Elba is absolute perfection in the role, and I pretty much squeed whenever he was on screen. There's also Mako Mori (Rinko Kikuchi), a new recruit to the program....Rinko did good but I wasn't as impressed with her as I was with others. One of my personal favorite characters was Ops Tendo Choi (Clifton Collins Jr.), one of the head guys at the program. I don't know what it was about him, but he just screamed super-cool bad-ass to me, and Clifton Collins Jr. added a lot of charm and style to the role that probably helped. Joining our crew is Dr. Newton Geiszler (Charlie Day) and Gottleib (Burn Goman), an oddball scientist duo. Dr. Newton is really the focus out of the two and Charlie Day does have a lot of scene-stealing moments here...but Burn Goman also does an excellent job at his role of the straight-man. I really dug the chemistry these two shared and the almost brotherly dynamic they had going on. Finally, Ron Pearlman gets essentially an extended cameo as Hannibal Chau. He is all kinds of fun in his role although the film doesn't really give him much to do.
Now although Pacific Rim has a fantastic story, great characters, and great performances from it's cast...that's essentially all delicious toppings. The main reason we came here was to see some superb action and fight scenes, and as I said before my god does this film not disappoint. While there is a sizable gap between the first fight scene and the 2nd, there are plenty here and all are guaranteed to get you clasping your arm rests pure unbridled shock, joy and awe (especially in 3-D. Torrents of water drown you, Kaiju open their large mouths and roar right in your face, Jaegers step right over your head, in the opening scene the theater is engulfed in a star field. The 3D also enhances the sense of scale, and even the epicness of the battle scenes. it really feels like you are right in the middle of the action). I can't even begin to describe how truly euphoric I was watching Jeagers beat the ever-loving snot out of the Kaiju...I was in Nerd Nirvana. Pacific Rim also has some of the most beautiful visuals I've seen in a film all year....downright gorgeous and breath taking. There is plenty of CGI here but none of it bothered me and for the most part it blended pretty well into the live-action parts of the film.
Pacific Rim runs at 2 hours +, and you do start to feel it near the end (feels like a 3 hour film). However, this doesn't really detract from much. I'd rather have an epic action-packed film feel like 3 hours than have it feel like 90 minutes. Also, the film is kind of fast-paced and a lot of info is spit-out at a fast speed...so it helps if you stay alert and listen closely....basically just pay attention if you want to get everything that's going on.
Pacific Rim was my most anticipated film of the summer, and I couldn't be happier with the product I got. Superb fight/action scenes, beautiful visuals, fantastic 3-D, strong performances, great characters, A fantastic story, some tender moments, and some surprisingly good character development. I couldn't say enough good things about Pacific Rim. It's the event film of the summer. Guillermo Del Toro shows Michael Bay how it's done. I'm pretty sure the words Kaiju, Jaeger, and Gipsy Danger will be the It words of this year. Without a doubt in my mind, this is the best film I have seen this summer...it's certainly the most fun I have had in a movie theater in quite a while. Pacific Rim brings some magic back to the action/epic film genre, magic that has been sorely missed for a while.
5/5- BETTER THAN SEX
I could easily see them turning this into a ride somewhere
The first 20-30 minutes is set-up and the first fight (The film drops us right in the middle of the action, several years after the first Jaeger was built), the next 45-60 mins is spent establishing character and story and the last hour or do of the film is all fights.
Gotta throw in there that I LOVE LOVE LOVE the sets in this film, especially the awe-inspiring and pure awesome Shatterdome: The home of the Jaeger program.
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