Book Review “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Ultimate Visual History”

Author: Andrew Farago
Hardcover: 192 pages
Publisher: Insight Editions
Release Date: June 24, 2014

Our Score: 5 out of 5 stars

“Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” are my jam. They just are amazing. I grew up with them from the very first episode on TV when I was a kid. I had all the action figures, t-shirts, Halloween costumes etc. What I love the most about them is that they have been around for 25 years now and are just as cool as they were when I was a kid. With the new live-action $100 million dollar movie coming out this August only proves that point. “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Ultimate Visual History” is the latest companion book put out by Insight Editions. This book is literally a must own for any TMNT fan, no question. It has the same feel as other Insight releases like “The Dark Knight Manual” and literally a piece of art itself.

“Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Ultimate Visual History” takes us through the entire history of these heroes in a half shell. We are in their first appearance with their black-and-white comics to the new hit animation show from Nickelodeon and even the latest Michael Bay–produced live-action movie. There are tons of great interviews with every key figure in the Turtles’ evolution including co-creators Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird, animation legend Fred Wolf, creature effects maestro Brian Henson, and even Vanilla Ice, who made my made the song “Ninja Rap” from the film “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II The Secret of the Ooze”. So there are plenty of great content to accompany this visual history.

I was found myself just starring at each page for minutes just soaking up all the details and beautiful content included in this book. This is one of those books that you need to go through a few times just to get every time out of it. Also like I mentioned, like “The Dark Knight Manual”, this book has numerous pull outs and bonus extras included through the book. I love that Insight comes out with these great books for their fans, it is a really a treat opening this book it is not only visual amazing with the high quality images but also with the additional content. If all that isn’t enough in the back of the book, there is a reprint of the original #1 comic included, which is worth the price of the book alone and then there is also a fold out decent poster size of our green friends. If you love TMNT, I just cannot stress enough that you need to have this in your collection!

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Blu-ray Review “Noah”

Starring: Russell Crowe, Jennifer Connelly, Emma Watson, Logan Lerman, Ray Winstone, Anthony Hopkins
Director: Darren Aronofsky
Rated: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Studio: Paramount
DVD Release Date: July 29, 2014
Run Time: 137 minutes

Film: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Blu-ray: 5 out of 5 stars
Extras: 3 out of 5 stars

Director Darren Aronofsky has come ALONG way since his first film “Pi”, which was shot for $60,000 and mostly without permits etc. Now he is making $120 million dollars films and I saw good for him since he is a great director. “Noah” is the theatrical re-telling of the story of Noah’s Ark from The Bible. This film has had a lot of controversy surrounding it but I actaully really enjoyed it. It has a fantastic cast including Russell Crowe, Jennifer Connelly and Emma Watson, whom all deliver great performances. The film is paced well and is visually stunning. Plus it is cool to find out it was partly shot in Long Island, NY (my hometown). Make not be straight from the pages of the Bible, which is not a bad thing, but this is a very visually entertaining movie. Key word being that exactly…movie!

If you don’t know the premise for this film, then you probably shouldn’t be seeing it. But here it is anyway “Noah (Crowe) suffers visions of an apocalyptic deluge before taking measures to protect his wife (Connelly), children and thousands of animals from a coming flood.” I love that before the film they had to put the following text in to make everyone happy. “The film is inspired by the story of Noah. While artistic license has been taken, we believe that this film is true to the essence, values and integrity of a story that is a cornerstone of faith for millions of people worldwide. The biblical story of Noah can be found in the book of Genesis.” This is a movie people not a freaking biopic…chill out.

Paramount is delivering “Noah” as a combo pack with a Blu-ray + DVD + Digital HD included. They have also created one of the best Blu-ray presentations that I have seen all year. The 1080p, 1.85:1-framed transfer is absolutely fantastic. You can see that a lot of work went into this film in post and the digital effects are superb and very detailed. The DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 is also outstanding. Since this is taken from the Bible, it is quite epic and the when the flood comes raise the volume and just enjoy this great well-balanced track.

The special features included on this release are good and add up to about an hour of extra content. I would have loved to seen a commentary track but these are still solid. “Iceland: Extreme Beauty” focuses on the shooting in Iceland, it’s benefits and difficulties and contains some great behind-the-scenes footage. “The Ark Exterior: A Battle for 300 Cubits” talks about planning and building of the film’s ark. It also includes some great on-set footage. “The Ark Interior: Animals Two by Two” is a deeper focus on the ark and the process that went into bringing it and it’s passengers to life.

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Blu-ray Review “Sabotage”

Starring: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sam Worthington, Mireille Enos, Joe Manganiello, Max Martini, Josh Holloway
Director: David Ayer
Rated: R (Restricted)
Studio: Universal Studios
Release Date: July 22, 2014
Run Time: 109 minutes

Film: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Blu-ray: 4 out of 5 stars
Extras: 2 out of 5 stars

Arnold Schwarzenegger hasn’t really been up to his prime recently with his latest films outside of “The Expendable” franchise. They have been decent (except “The Last Stand”) but not big draws at the box office. “Sabotage” is no different in that department but it is quite a wild ride. It is low-key yet very gritty, gory, in-your-face and actually quite awesome. It is from the director of “End of Watch” and the writer of “Training Day”. and it really has that same kind of feel as those films, which is a great thing. This is definitely not your typical Schwarzenegger films and that is also a good thing. Action fans, should check this out!

Official Premise: When DEA task force leader Breacher Wharton (Schwarzenegger) storms a heavily armed cartel safe house, rogue members of his team use it as a cover to steal $10 million in cash. But just when they think their secret is safe, agents begin to be killed off one-by-one and everyone becomes a suspect, including the squad itself.

Besides Schwarzenegger, “Sabotage” packs a solid cast including Sam Worthington, Olivia Williams, Terrence Howard, Joe Manganiello, Josh Holloway and Mireille Enos. Great talent here and the ensemble really works well together. I think this film should have received much more attention. People just see it is “another Schwarzenegger comeback” and look the other way. I think we are going to see some great things from director David Ayer. If you haven’t seen “End of Watch”, I also highly recommend that…stunning film.

Universal delivered “Sabotage” as a combo pack including a Blu-ray + DVD + Digital HD copy. Universal also delivered again with a fantastic Blu-ray presentation. The 1080p is fantastic, like I said gritty and dark but with a really nice polish on it. Same goes for the DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround track, which works well with the film’s action. Now we get to the special features, which are a big let down for me. There is a short behind-the-scenes look with “Making of Sabotage” and few alternate endings and deleted scenes included.

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Film Review “Dawn of the Planet of the Apes”

Starring: Andy Serkis, Gary Oldman and Jason Clarke
Directed by: Matt Reeves
Rated: PG 13
Running time: 2 hrs 10 mins
20th Century Fox

Our Score: 4 out of 5 stars

I’m currently co-authoring a book about the making of movie sequels. Among the earlier ones were the very successful “Planet of the Apes” films. Five in total, they took moviegoers to what they thought was a distant planet, underneath it, back to it and then finally watched the conquest of and the battle for it. Almost three decades after the last film, Tim Burton put his very puzzling stamp on a remake/reboot/reimagining of the original 1968 film. Another decade would pass before Hollywood went back to the well with the very well done “Rise of the Planet of the Apes,” which did away with the time travel plot and brought the apes to us. Now that we’re all caught up, let’s talk about “Dawn of the Planet of the Apes.”

The time is now. While the genetically evolved apes from the first film, led by Caesar (Serkis, in what should be an award winning performance) occupy the woods mankind, overwhelmed by the ravages of disease now lives in camps that were one time major cities. We find such a group of survivors in what used to be San Francisco. While on an exploration mission outside the city, a group of humans come across two young apes. A standoff occurs, broken when one of the group panics and fires his gun. The ape is only wounded but the shot of the gun brings out a shrewdness of apes (yes, dear readers, if you want to impress your friends tell them that a group of apes is referred to as a “shrewdness), led by Caesar. Caesar still remembers the kindness he received from some humans and brokers a peace between the two factions. This does not sit well with Koba (Toby Kebbell), a fellow ape who longs to battle. He will soon get his wish.

Much darker than “Rise,” “Dawn of the Planet of the Apes” rises and falls on the large shoulders of Andy Serkis. He gives Caesar a quiet dignity and, if possible, almost makes him human in his emotions. He does not want war, even when those around him insist on it. Serkis conveys more with his eyes than many actors do with their words. From the anger or betrayal to the joy of holding his newborn son, Caesar is the strongest and best drawn out character in the film. Serkis is joined by other actors who also bring out the emotions under their computer generated fur. Kebbell is angry and bitter as Koba while Karin Konoval, as the gentle orangutan Maurice (a nice nod to the late Maurice Evans, who appeared in the original 1968 film), is kind and caring. On the human side, Clarke and Keri Russell do well as the leaders of the observation group, as does Kodi Smit-McPhee, as a young man who spends his time sketching his new simian friends. Oldman is a little over the top in his distrust of the furry fellows. Perhaps someone told him that Hollywood is actually a town run by apes.

Visually the film is outstanding. The apes and their world are rendered well as is the inner workings of what is left of the city of San Francisco. As for the 3D…once again it brought nothing to the film but a lot of blurry images in the foreground. I honestly think the process needs to be saved for animated films, where it seems to work the best.

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Blu-ray Review “Make Your Move”

Actors: Derek Hough, BoA
Director: Duane Adler
Rated: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Studio: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
Release Date: July 22, 2014
Run Time: 110 minutes

Film: 2 out of 5 stars
Extras: 2.5 out of 5 stars

I am getting a little tried of the same movie every time. I can deal with the “Step Up” films because they are amazing to look at and have great dancing but even they are wearing on me. “Make Your Move” is the latest dance from from the co-writer of “Step Up” and “Save the Last Dance”. It makes too big mistaking casting non-actors, Derek Hough from TV’s “Dancing With the Stars” is an outstanding dancer…actor not so much. Same goes for Korean pop star BoA, great singer…not a wonderful actress. Plus the film is nearly two hours long, I was yawning and rolling my eyes and not so much sitting on the edge of my chair by the time this ended.

Official Premise: The music is pumping, the dance floor is moving and Donny (Derek Hough, TV’s “Dancing With the Stars”) stops when he sees the beautiful Aya (Korean pop star BoA) performing with her hip-hop Cobu crew at the hottest underground club in New York. They come from two different worlds, but they speak the same language — dance. When the couple finds themselves in the middle of a bitter rivalry, they must choose between family ties or their love for each other. Now, they must make their move.

Sony usually has been really good about Ultraviolet digital copies but this one does not include one, which is a bit odd. I am not sure why they pick and choose which release gets it and which doesn’t. The 1080p transfer works well with the dance scenes, as does the DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 tracks, which delivers with the tunes. In terms of special features we get a commentary track with Writer/Director Duane Adler & Choreographers Napoleon & Tabitha D’umo, a featurette “Making the Moves” and a few Deleted Scenes.

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Blu-ray Review “Heaven is for Real”

Actors: Greg Kinnear, Thomas Haden Church
Director: Randall Wallace
Rated: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Studio: Sony
Release Date: July 22, 2014
Run Time: 99 minutes

Film: 3 out of 5 stars
Extras: 3 out of 5 stars

Normally, I am not a huge of inspiration faith based films but this one drew me in right from the trailer. I went to catholic school all my life and I was an alter boy for many years, but I still don’t know where I really stand with faith. This is based on the No. 1 New York Times best-selling book by Todd Burpo and Lynn Vincent. Greg Kinnear really gives a fantastic performance here, I got to give it up to him. While I was a little skeptical here, I could still recommend it to those faith crazy people for sure and those in the middle like myself as well.

Official Premise: Heaven is for Real recounts the true story of a small-town father who must find the courage and conviction to share his son’s extraordinary, life-changing experience with the world. Starring Academy Award® nominee Greg Kinnear (Best Supporting Actor, As Good As It Gets, 1997) as Todd Burpo, the real-life father whose son Colton claims to have visited Heaven during a near death experience. Colton shares the details of his amazing journey with childlike innocence and speaks matter-of-factly about things that happened before his birth … things he couldn’t possibly know.

Sony is releasing this film as a combo pack including a Blu-ray + DVD and Ultraviolet digital copy. Solid 1080p transfer & DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track. here are some decent special features as well continuing the inspirational journey. First we get a featurette ““Colton Goes to Heaven””, which takes us behind-the-scenes into the task of bringing the book to the big screen. There are also two Blu-ray exclusive featurettes. ““The Making of Heaven is For Real” look into the production itself with cast interviews. ““Creating Heaven” talks about the films religious themes. Lastly there are six deleted scenes included.

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Blu-ray Review “Under the Skin”

Starring: Scarlett Johansson
Director: Jonathan Glazer
Rated: R (Restricted)
Studio: LIONSGATE
Release Date: July 15, 2014
Run Time: 106 minutes

Film: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Extras: 2.5 out of 5 stars

Scarlett Johansson playing a man-eating alien? Sounds good to me! “Under the Skin” is definitely one hell of a unique film. Most of it feels very unscripted, which is was, and feels like you are watching from a hidden camera, which you were. Scarlett Johansson is literally fantastic in the role, she is emotionless, erotic and just amazing. The film is so strange and different, so if you are expecting big special effects etc, look somewhere else. This has a very minimalist feel to it and is driven by an amazing (and extremely disturbing) score by Mica Levi. Plus Ms. Johansson strips down for the first time very artfully, which is not a bad sight but also at the same time a little strange. Watch it and you will know what I mean. Definitely not for everyone but I haven’t stopped thinking about this creepy little film.

Official Premise: A voluptuous woman of unknown origin (Johansson) combs the highways in search of isolated or forsaken men, luring a succession of lost souls into an otherworldly lair. They are seduced, stripped of their humanity, and never heard from again. Based on the novel by Michel Faber, Under the Skin examines human experience from the perspective of an unforgettable heroine who grows too comfortable in her borrowed skin, until she is abducted into humanity with devastating results.

Lionsgate is releasing this film as a combo pack with a Blu-ray + UltraViolet included. Like I mentioned above, the film has a very handheld look and feel to it, so the 1080p transfer varies. There are some shots though that are just stunning and look absolutely amazing. I especially loved the alternate dimension scene in the run down house, really well shot. The DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 is also a real winner for this release. Mica Levi’s score is creepy as well and really sounds amazing. There is only one special feature called “Making of Under the Skin” but it is split up into multiple featurettes focusing on various aspects of the film. I would have loved to see a commentary track included to help explain various aspect deeper of this film.

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Book Review “Jake and the Never Land Pirates: Sailing the Never Sea”

Author: Marcy Kelman
Age Range: 3 – 5 years
Grade Level: Preschool – Kindergarten
Series: Jake and the Never Land Pirates
Board book: 12 pages
Publisher: Disney Press
Release Date: July 1, 2014

Our Score: 3.5 out of 5 stars

When it comes to “Jake and the Never Land Pirates”, our family can never get enough! AHOY!!! Thankfully Disney is keeping up with our appetite with great new releases. “Sailing the Never Sea” is the latest book, which is such fun for kids and adults and I also love the way it is shaped. It may be something so simple as a design that just makes a book so much more enjoyable and this a must have for all families.

Official Premise: It’s anchors away when that sneaky snook Captain Hook nabs Bucky’s brand new golden anchor. Jake and the crew will need some help from some finned friends to get the anchor back in a quest that takes them across the high seas.

Disney has really scored with this series and with each new book, there is just endless possibilities for this show to go. This book has become a must read for my two year old and has traveling from our car to her bedroom for nightly reading. We have actually even gotten to the point that our daughter is reading the words as we are saying it, that’s right two years old. I have to give credit to Disney for their constant supply of excellent books. Can’t wait to see what is next in the cards for this series!

 

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Product Review “Dyson DC59 Cordless Vacuum Cleaner”

About 5-6 years ago, I was really getting stressed out about cleaning out house. We have three cats at the time and between the fur and litter everywhere, it was just a mess. We literally went through three vacuum in a few months and were not satisfied with anything we got…this is till we discovered the Dyson brand. Wow, I have never been so happy with cleaning using their products. On thing that still caused me occasional issues is the cord. I wanted a vacuum with the power and efficiency of a Dyson but without a cord.  Well, my prayers have been answer with the new Dyson DC59 Cordless Vacuum Cleaner.

This vacuum cleaner is one of the most sleek and downright coolest vacuum that I have ever seen. Like I mentioned it comes with no cord and no hassle. It has a docking station, which is setup to be wall mounted, that charges the machine. So it will be ready to use whenever you need it and most importantly you will not need to keep plugging and unplugged the vacuum at each room. We do not have a big house but during our weekly cleaning, we have to plug and unplug three times in order to clean the entire house. Now, all that extra work has been eliminated.

So I am sure you are wondering, how long this thing is going to last on a charge. Well, it is quite impressive running at 24 minutes of cleaning time when using the run-time enhancing trigger. It also claims to suck up as much dust as a conventional vacuum and when I tested it, I was very impressed. In fact, this actually has 75% more brush bar power and removes more dirt from carpet. It works just like my big Dyson, better in fact. It is much quieter and weighs about barely anything.  I love that is has a balanced build, so it is not top heavy at all. All the key components are located around the grip for easy handling from the floor to the ceiling.

Speaking of handheld cleaning, with this vacuum there is no more awkward hose. This Dyson DC59 comes with a brand new brush bar which includes a direct-drive motor for edge to edge cleaning. Other additional tools are included as well to clean tight gaps, on the stairs and in the car. I have a two year old daughter and let’s just say my car needs a cleaning from cheerios to cookies all on my car floor. I would have never done this in the past because I would have had to drag the big vacuum in the garage, find a place to put it in etc but this new cordless vacuum changed that entire experience and made things much easier. You can now just remove the long bar as seen above and connect a smaller brush and it works like a mega powerful dust buster.

If you are not impresses yet, then let me throw some big technical terms at you describing just how amazing this is. Firstly like all Dyson products, this comes with a two-year warranty on parts and labor, which is a such a great reassurance (and being an owner of a Dyson for over 5 years, we have never needed this). This vacuum is powered by the Dyson digital motor V6, which spins up to 110,000 timesa minute – up to 3 times faster than conventional motors. The DC59 also using 2 Tier Radial cyclones and carbon fiber cleaner head technology. It seems weird to get excited about a vacuum cleaner, so trust me I realize that but this is not a vacuum cleaner it is a work of art. Dyson is changing the world of cleaning and this is easily one of their best products. I highly recommend it.

 

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Book Review “The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug Chronicles: Cloaks & Daggers”

Author: Weta Workshop designer Daniel Falconer
Hardcover: 256 pages
Publisher: Harper Design
Release Date: July 8, 2014

Our Score: 5 out of 5 stars

It has been seven months since I saw “The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug” in theaters and I am seriously starting to get mega withdrawal. Along to saw the day is another book in the “Chronicles” series. This is actually the fourth book in this series since each “The Hobbit” film has been getting two each. The latest “Cloaks & Daggers” is another gem if you are a fan of these films. Harper Design doesn’t just release a book, they release a piece of art itself. These books are amazing coffee table books and I am proud to have them on display. I cannot wait to see what they are going to do for the last film “The Battle of the Five Armies”.

“The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug Chronicles: Cloaks & Daggers” is jam-packed with some amazing behind-the-scenes photographs, digital renders, and film stills. The focus here is obviously on the film’s accessories including the costumes and props, including armour, weapons and jewelry. We get an inside look into the various character types including Dwarves, Wizards, Hobbits, Rivendell Elves, Mirkwood Elves and more. Besides just beautiful pretty things to look at this book also includes commentary from the actors, artists, digital effects specialists, and many other crew members talking about the items displayed.

You would think by the fourth book that you have seen everything there is to be about “The Hobbit” but I can honestly say that I have read them all and yet I am still blown away but how much actually content is included in this book. It was compiled by Weta Workshop designer Daniel Falconer and he did such an amazing job of showcasing the littlest details in this series that will make the hardcore “The Hobbit” fans so happy! PErfectly blended amazing look behind-the-scenes mixed with a narrative content. Next up we have “The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies Chronicles: Art & Design” set to street on December 17th.

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Comic Book Review “Disney Kingdoms: Figment #2″

Published: July 02, 2014
Rating: All Ages
Writer: Jim Zub
Cover Artist: John Tyler Christopher

Our Score: 4 out of 5 stars

After reading the first issue of “Figment” from the Marvel line of Disney Kingdoms, I couldn’t wait to start reading the second issue. If you are familiar with name of the ride in Disney World’s Epcot, “Journey Into Imagination”, then you will appreciate this issue because it follows the Blarion Mercurial and Figment into the imagination world. In the end of the last issue, they were both being sucked into a portal and this one starts off with them ending up in a strange world with many different creatures including the extremely cute Chimera.

This world of imagination looks so amazing and I couldn’t help but race to the next page. Kudos need to go to acclaimed creators Jim Zub (Skullkickers) and Filipe Andrade (Captain Marvel) for really creating this wonderful new world for these classic characters. When I first read that they were making a comic book series about Figment and angling it as a steampunk fantasy, I didn’t know what to expect but this has been quite the ride so far. I felt like I wanted a little more out of this second issue but it still continued to setup the pace well for future issues. Only three more to go in this series, I wish it doesn’t have to end so soon.

 

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DVD Review “The Twilight Zone: The Essential Episodes”

Starring: Rod Serling, William Shatner, Burgess Meridith, Bill Mumy
Directed by: Ida Lupino, James Daly, Douglas Heyes
Not Rated
Studio: Image Entertainment
Release date: July 4, 2014
Running time: 425 mins

Episodes: 5 out of 5 stars
Extras: N/A

In what is being touted as a 55th Anniversary Edition (the show began in 1959), Image Entertainment has released a collection of seventeen of the best and most memorable episodes of the ground breaking television series “The Twilight Zone.”

Conceived by the great Rod Serling, “The Twilight Zone” was one of the first television programs that not only entertained but made you think about society and the choices made by the people in that society. It was also a show about irony. A book-loving bank teller finds that the world has been altered by war and finds himself surrounded by thousands of volumes in the local library. Then he breaks his glasses. Or the seemingly sane man who sees a gremlin on the wing of the plane he’s currently flying on. Or the man who goes for a walk in his old home town and discovers that, in the Twilight Zone, you CAN go home again.

Among the classic episodes included here include the three referenced above (“Tme Enough At Last,” “Nightmare at 20,000 Feet” and “Walking Distance.”) Other popular episodes in this collection include “To Serve Man,” “The Masks” and “The Monsters Are Due On Maple Street.” These episodes also boast casts made up of some of the most popular actors of the era (or those that would go on to be) including Shatner, Meridith, Ron Howard, Gig Young, John Carradine and Cloris Leachman.

These seventeen shows are a fine way to start your collection if you’re a “Twilight Zone” fan and a great way to discover one of the best shows ever put on television if you’re not.

 

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Comic Book Review “Metabarons Genesis: Castaka” by Alexandro Jodorowsky

Author: Alexandro Jodorowsky
Illustrator: Das Pastoras
Hardcover: 112 pages
Publisher: Humanoids, Inc.
Release Date: March 26, 2014

Our Score: 3.5 out of 5 stars

Not only a few months ago, I discovered and got to dive into the comic series “The Metabarons Ultimate Collection” and fell in love with it. It is really a fantastic blend of amazing storytelling along science fiction. Well, of course as a fan I was hungry for more, well my prayers were answered with “Metabarons Genesis: Castaka”, which is a prequel the first series. Like “The Metabarons”, it is a not an easy series to just pick up and read, it is deep like the work that Jodorowsky is know for and that is what makes it exciting and very interesting read. A must if you are a fan of “The Metabaron”.

Official Premise: “The Metabarons” recounted the extraordinary saga of the genealogy of the galaxy’s ultimate warrior. But his ancestors also had ancestors. And far from being noble warriors with an inflexible code, one will discover they were in fact disloyal, vengeful pirates born out of brutality and war. From legendary creator Alexandro Jodorowsky and artist Das Pastoras, and for all of those who dreamt of a sequel to “The Metabarons,” comes instead the origin tale of their first ancestor, Dayal de Castaka.

One thing that I did some a small problem with was that this did feel a little shorter than Jodorowsky other comic series but I still enjoyed it nonetheless. I was not widely familiar with the work of Das Pastoras but I did really enjoy the illustrations from this book. The colors were vibrant and it was well drawn. I have to admit though, after reading this I did go back and re-read the Ultimate Collection of “The Metabarons” and “The Incal” Complete Collection again. I warn you though, this book is definitely relient on your having read both of those books previous to this to really get the full effect.

 

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Comic Book Review “The White Lama” by Alexandro Jodorowsky

Author: Alexandro Jodorowsky
Illustrator: Georges Bess
Hardcover: 296 pages
Publisher: Humanoids, Inc.
Release: Date: May 7, 2014

Our Score: 3.5 out of 5 stars

So in case you follow this website at all, you should be started to think “Damn, this guy is reviewing a lot of Alexandro Jodorowsky’s comics. Well, that is thanks to the amazing people at Humanoids. They have been releasing his comics in complete hardback collection that really have been keeping me quite busy and being obsessed with this author’s work. “The White Lama” is one of the latest releases of Alexandro Jodorowsky’s work. This is a tale told taking place within a mystical adventure with martial arts and magic realism. If you enjoy this other work like “The Incal” and “The Metabarons“, this is another great series to check out.

Official Premise: Late 19th century Tibet. When the Grand Lama Mipam dies, the seeds of corruption are sown across the land. Raised by locals, Gabriel, the orphan of white explorers, is chosen as the reincarnation of the Grand Lama. Torn between two worlds, he must master the sacred ways, defeat his own personal demons, and battle a great evil. He will need to enlist the aid of warrior monks, yetis and the Lord of Cats if he is to save his adopted country from utter devastation.

If you aren’t familiar with Alexandro Jodorowsky as a comic book writer, you might be know him better as cult director of films like “Santa Sangre”, “El Top” and “Holy Mountain”. The illutration in this book are so unique and come from the award-winning team that created “Son of a Gun”. This series also travels a bit away from the world of sci-fi that Jodorowsky has conquered with his past comics but it does show his range and that he is able to show some great range. “The White Lama” is still a story that screams Alexandro Jodorowsky and I love that you can see that in his work. Can’t wait to see what Humanoids as planned next for Jodorowsky…keep them coming!!

 

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Filed Under: Book Reviews, Comic Book Reviews Tagged With: alexandro, book, comic, jodorowsky, lama, review, ...

Nintendo 3DS Video Game Review “How to Train Your Dragon 2: The Video Game”

Format: Nintendo 3DS
Developed by Torus Games
Published by Little Orbit
Rated: E
Release Date: June 10, 2014

Our Score: 2 out of 5 stars

How you think of the successful film and TV series “How to Train Your Dragon”, you can’t really go wrong. The first film is amazing, the second is even better and the TV series is a great companion.  Unlike all those, “How to Train Your Dragon 2: The Video Game” on Nintendo 3DS is quite underwhelming. In the game you basically choose a dragon and it’s rider from the series, then you fly around Berk racing other dragons, exploring for coins and playing mini-games. After the first hour, it gets quite repetitive. I would recommend sticking to the films and TV series and skip this game.

Official Premise: Take to the skies and return to the epic Viking Isle of Berk Five years later Dragon Racing has become the hot new sport for the Vikings. Hiccup Astrid Snoutlout Tuffnut & Ruffnut and their dragons are competing in fierce flying tournaments to determine the ultimate Dragon Rider. Soar through clouds and discover unmapped territories. Discover a secret ice cavern that is home a mysterious Dragon Rider and find yourself in an epic battle to protect their peaceful homeland.

I know I really should be shocked about this game, since usually all video game adaption of films never pan out. This was made on a tight budget and probably was just an updated version of the last “How to Train Your Dragon” handheld console game. The control are very weak when it comes to flying, which takes forever to figure out and master, but by the time that happens, I was just left wanting to turn this game off and play anything else. If you are a die-hard fan of this series, you could give the WiiU or XBOX 360 version a try…just don’t expect nothing spectacular their either.

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Filed Under: Game Reviews Tagged With: 2, 3ds, dragon, game, nintendo, review, ...
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