Castlevania: Lords of Shadow Limited Edition

Beanie and Francis open up their Castlevania: Lords of Shadow limited edition box and see what's inside.

Happy Birthday Nintendo

Sometimes there are coincidences, and then there is fate. Today in history: the Nintendo Entertainment System was launched in 1985, making it 25 years old. Also today in history: I was born in 1986. That means that Nintendo and I have the same birthday. It is as if I was destined to be a gamer.

For a quarter century, Nintendo has been entertaining millions, and there's no sign of it stopping. And with many of their premier titles still kicking out games, it seems that gaming indeed has some longevity. Congrats Nintendo, for making it 25 years, and heres a toast to another 25!

Jackass 3D

Utilizing state-of-the-art 3D cameras and high speed slow-motion, Jackass is considerably the best 3D movie of all time, if no THE best movie of all time. Unlike other 3D movies which use the technology as a gimmick to have things appear to fly out at the audience "whoa, that hand looks like it's coming out at me!" Jackass does not. In Jackass, there is more play with perspective and depth of field. Making object appear either closer or further away than they actually are. That is how 3D should be treated.
Have you ever wanted to see someone getting slapped in the face with a mackerel in super slo-mo? I have. Have you ever wanted to see someone get knocked over by a giant hand? I have. While much of the movie is filled with childish stunts and immature gags, there is a deeper meaning. Spreading a message of good natured feelings, there is no hate, nor malice anywhere to be found in this movie. It is filled with a childlike innocence and brotherly love. The Jackasses are retaining that innocence of childhood, playing as we all did as children. It is the paramount of escapism that we as a society desperately need. Harmless fun.
There is no conflict, no great task to undertake, no damsel to rescue, only laughs to be shared and fun to be had. They bring us back to a simpler time, when we were children. Playing and laughing together as we pushed our friend down a hill into a questionable nasty pond or frolicked naked through a field. I did these things, and you did too. It is the embodiment of the never grow old mentality. Not in the sense that you should never mature and live your life. We've seen these guys when they're not goofing around, leading normal lives, many of them are very successful in their careers outside of Jackass. No, what I mean, is that you should retain your childhood innocence in some way, whether it be goofing around with your buddies or just doing something nostalgic and meaningful to yourself. That is what Jackass is really about, Memories of a better time. I highly recommend this movie. And don't give me that crap about imitatible acts. When I was a kid I did much of the very same stuff, and that was long before jackass was around. I will not lie, there is a lot of peni in this movie, and you should take caution if you're uncomfortable around that, but lets be honest. By this time in your life your bound to have already seen at least one.
Go see this movie!

Big News

I was planning on waiting until after the series finale of Power On to debut the new format video series but I've already got two episode raring to go. So I've decided to push up the release date on the new episodes to next week. Actually the first was supposed to be up this week, but work got in the way. Be on the listen and be on the lookout for the new and improved Random Ninja Attack!

Power On - Episode 5 "What Sweeps The Mind"

At last the long awaited episode 5 of the hit web series Power On.

Investigative journalist Weston Harris tracks down a lead in a case involving mysterious events and strange sightings. Where will his search lead him?

Anniversary of PlayStation

PlayStation is now 15 years old! Can you believe it? For a decade and a half, Sony's PlayStation gaming console has been entertaining millions of gamers and non-gamers alike. I am proud to count myself in that number. I became a PlayStation gamer 12 years ago when I was introduced to Metal Gear Solid. Since then I have been a loyal fan of PlayStation, also owning the PlayStation2, PlayStation3, and PlayStation Portable. It has been 15 wonderful years of advancement in the art of gaming and we can only hope for it to continue. With the industry movie towards downloadable games, 3D gaming, accurate motion control, and as always, great stories that keep us entertained and escaped from our everyday lives, we can only expect the best in the years to come.

The Last Airbender

I recently just saw the movie based on the popular nicktoon "Avatar: The Last Airbender." Let me be the first to say that this movie is vastly underrated by others. It is a great movie, Now it does have flaws but none of them are deal breakers in my book. Especially when you keep in mind that this movie is intended for younger audiences. There are a few things that will take people by surprise, and these were explained in an interview with director M. Night Shayamalan. One major thing that differs between the show and the movie is that in the movie the names are pronounced correctly whereas in the cartoon they are not.
I actually heard people complaining the reverse. No offense intended (well maybe a little) these people belong to the uneducated masses. These were not children either. They were adults. These are probably the same people who think that China and Japan are the same country.
The movie itself had action a little adventure, some romance, and the best special effects so far this year. The actors were perfectly cast, fully embodying the characters they personafied. The story remained true to the original apart from certain things which were not problematic. The Last Airbender movie was basically an abridged version of season 1 of the show. Keeping to the key points of the overall plot while glancing over or omitting unnecessary adventures (things that contribute in no way at all to the plot)
There are a few things that could have been done better: there was one scene where exposition was uncomfortably spouted out hastily and was shot entirely in close-up. This scene should have been a medium shot and with a better paced delivery. Another scene that should've been done better (this is a bit of a spoiler) Aang (pronounced with and extended short a sound) turns to Zuko and says, "we could be friends" and then the scene cuts to something else abruptly. It should have either zoomed out slowly revealing Zuko's reaction or panned slowly to do the same, or even had a close up of Zuko's reaction. But no, there is no shot of Zuko's reaction. Apart from that, I would've enjoyed a more steady calm pace to the production, but again, I have to keep in mind the movie is intended for younger audiences and they have shorter attention spans than I do. (I can sit through Seven Samurai without needing the intermission to stretch my legs.) If the movie was 2 hours rather than 1 1/2 it would've had more time to flesh out everything, as it was, it was a bit rushed at times, but it did manage to fit an entire season into that 1 1/2 hours, and for that I am impressed.
The artistic design is amazing, taking different approach than the show, while still keeping the same themes. Fire nation wears reds and their dress is similar to that of feudal era Japan. Earth nation wears greens and browns with styles similar to Ancient China. Water nation dresses in blues and dresses in both Inuit garb and Norwegian fair. And the Air nomads dress as Tibetan monks with oranges and yellows. The fire nation's ships have a mechanical industrial feel whereas the other ships seen are made of wood as those of the sailing age. Character designs are true to the source material but have their own style. Zuko for instance appears as he does in season 2 rather than his appearance in season 1. Katara's hair is down, and the Fire lord has short hair, which suits the actors. Another thing that may take people aback is that the Water nation are all Caucasian rather than "Inuit" as in the show. The Earth nation are all Southeast Asian, and the Fire nation are Asian-Indian. The Air Nomads are mix between many ethnicities.
While the story may not seem as compelling to adult audiences, remember it is for children and is based on a children's show. The people who complain about it are ignorant of this fact and of the show itself. For instance, I've heard in other reviews that the show was referred to as an anime. Which is incorrect. The show is American made, though it is done in a Japanimation style, it is a nicktoon, written by Americans (hence the mispronunciations,etc) This movie is actually well done, with amazing actors especially Shaun Toub as Iroh. I really do hope that M. Night Shyamalan makes the other two to complete the story. The Last Airbender is a great movie and should be viewed in the manner it was intended. I'm actually planning on seeing it again, and maybe for a 3rd time, who knows. I suggest this movie not only to fans of the show but to casual viewers as well. Though keep in mind, you won't be getting the whole story. For that you'd need to watch the series.
Go see it, now!