The Martian is a movie that goes for 2+ hours and yet feels very short. It is also a movie that has no business in being as good as it is especially seeing as it eschews allot of the modern trappings of current similar movies.
Set sometime in the future, humanity is doing manned missions to Mars. However, during one of these missions, Mark (Matt Damon) is left stranded on Mars after his crew departs. Now it is up to Mark to survive on Mars until he is rescued. And if that sounds simple, it is because it is.
Jumping between NASA and Mark on Mars, this story is a very simple one. It doesn't have a big villain or mystery. All it comes down to is a bunch of people each trying to do their best to save the life of Mark. It also has no tragic backstory or the like, with the filmmakers correctly guessing that surviving on Mars alone is a big enough villain for this movie. Gravity and San Andreas should've taken some notes.
All the actors in the movie bring exactly what they need to. In fact, this whole movie is a bunch of parts (music, acting, etc.) coming together and doing exactly what they need to for the whole to be good. And it ends up being very good.
By the time I got out of the cinema, I was feeling like the movie was very short. This was until I checked the time and discovered it went for 2+ hours. The pace and story of The Martian were that good that it kept me on the edge of my seat the whole time. And that is saying something because this is the sort of movie where the result is never in doubt.
5 out of 5 International Watered Down Martian Waffles.
Thursday 29 October 2015
Tuesday 20 October 2015
Movie Review: Self/Less
Self/Less is a 2015 movie that has it's moments, but is an ultimately flawed movie. Starring Ryan Reynolds in the lead role, the film often relies on co-incidences and false mysteries rather than having faith in its story.
The premise of Self/Less is that an old man, a leader in his field, approaches the end of his life. However, he learns of a technology where he can be put in the consciousness of a younger body that has been grown in a vat. This was originally to allow him to continue his good work but instead he starts using his body for a good time.
Instead of exploring the premise of what people would really do with a second chance, it instead switches gears. From a philosophical opening, it morphs into a standard action/mystery thriller which leaves all potentially deeper musings behind (until the climax, where the tonal shift is quite unexpected).
As an action/thriller, it doesn't really hold up. All the mystery's are easily predicted and tend to fit standard tropes. Although this isn't necessarily a bad thing, Self/Less doesn't really offer anything in its place. the action scenes aren't really that engaging and the characters aren't really anything to invest in. A billionaire who can buy his way out of aging and someone who is so obviously telegraphed as being the bad guy aren't really anyone that I could emphasise with.
t the end of the day, Self/Less starts by looking at some of the deeper questions but ends up being a sub-par action/mystery with nothing much to offer.
1.5 out of 5 Selfish Waffles.
The premise of Self/Less is that an old man, a leader in his field, approaches the end of his life. However, he learns of a technology where he can be put in the consciousness of a younger body that has been grown in a vat. This was originally to allow him to continue his good work but instead he starts using his body for a good time.
Instead of exploring the premise of what people would really do with a second chance, it instead switches gears. From a philosophical opening, it morphs into a standard action/mystery thriller which leaves all potentially deeper musings behind (until the climax, where the tonal shift is quite unexpected).
As an action/thriller, it doesn't really hold up. All the mystery's are easily predicted and tend to fit standard tropes. Although this isn't necessarily a bad thing, Self/Less doesn't really offer anything in its place. the action scenes aren't really that engaging and the characters aren't really anything to invest in. A billionaire who can buy his way out of aging and someone who is so obviously telegraphed as being the bad guy aren't really anyone that I could emphasise with.
t the end of the day, Self/Less starts by looking at some of the deeper questions but ends up being a sub-par action/mystery with nothing much to offer.
1.5 out of 5 Selfish Waffles.
Sunday 11 October 2015
MOBILE GAME REVIEW: SAMURAI SIEGE (SPACE APE)
In the world of clone games to the ever popular Clash of Clans, Samurai Siege is an offering from Space Ape games. It follows the usual Clash of Clans formula of training troops and then attacking other players bases while waiting for time-based upgrades and collecting resources.
Samurai Siege has a bright, colourful aesthetic set in feudal japan. Your troops include samurai, ninjas and mongols. Most of these troops fit in a standards trope of the tank, the glass cannons, the heavy but expensive troop. However, there are some characters that add interesting wrinkles in the formula. These include a commander, who can boost or change the targets of nearby troops, or alternate weapon upgrades for some troops.
However, the bright colours also serve to work against it. Newcomers may find it hard to pick different defences out when looking at bases to attack. By the very nature of the game, you don't spend allot of time looking at bases so it is easy to miss things when you are assaulted by a wall of colour. Another hard thing for newcomers is that the matchmaking isn't particularly good, often being matched with opponents who have been at it for awhile.
The things that make this game stand-out are the interesting aesthetics and some of the new ideas behind some of the units. It isn't particularly welcoming of newcomers however, and this is likely to continue as the game is still being updated, leading to bigger gaps between the new players and veterans. Newcomers aren't helped that the waiting times seem to scale quickly. While Clash of Clans tends to have a long time before you feel like you are just waiting around for upgrades, Samurai Siege seems to reach this point allot quicker.
Overall, the game is interesting and you will like it if you like Clash-style games and some of the new ideas it brings. However, it won't change your mind if you don't and the entry level seems to be quite high.
3 out of 5 sword-tapping waffles.
Samurai Siege has a bright, colourful aesthetic set in feudal japan. Your troops include samurai, ninjas and mongols. Most of these troops fit in a standards trope of the tank, the glass cannons, the heavy but expensive troop. However, there are some characters that add interesting wrinkles in the formula. These include a commander, who can boost or change the targets of nearby troops, or alternate weapon upgrades for some troops.
However, the bright colours also serve to work against it. Newcomers may find it hard to pick different defences out when looking at bases to attack. By the very nature of the game, you don't spend allot of time looking at bases so it is easy to miss things when you are assaulted by a wall of colour. Another hard thing for newcomers is that the matchmaking isn't particularly good, often being matched with opponents who have been at it for awhile.
The things that make this game stand-out are the interesting aesthetics and some of the new ideas behind some of the units. It isn't particularly welcoming of newcomers however, and this is likely to continue as the game is still being updated, leading to bigger gaps between the new players and veterans. Newcomers aren't helped that the waiting times seem to scale quickly. While Clash of Clans tends to have a long time before you feel like you are just waiting around for upgrades, Samurai Siege seems to reach this point allot quicker.
Overall, the game is interesting and you will like it if you like Clash-style games and some of the new ideas it brings. However, it won't change your mind if you don't and the entry level seems to be quite high.
3 out of 5 sword-tapping waffles.
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