First Impressions Review Diary 21-Jun-2014

   Hello again. :)
   We'll be starting off this week with two recent releases – both of which I saw on their opening day, I might add. So I know those reviews are coming a little late – you've probably seen the movies already – but once again, I've had neither the time nor the inclination to write them until now. 

Godzilla (2014)

   I'd need a full review to properly describe this one, so consider this the abridged version. :)
   Most of the time, I'm against American remakes, but I think, considering what a betrayal the last American Godzilla was, they really didn't have a choice with this one. And thankfully, this movie completely blows the 1998 version out of the water, creating an affectionate tribute to the whole franchise. (I'm guessing; I've only seen the original, and my knowledge of the rest of the series comes from Cinemassacre's Godzillathon.) For example, they mention that Godzilla and other monsters have been feeding and growing on radiation, which presumably refers to the other monsters in the series. It never forgets, however, that Godzilla will leave destruction in his wake.
   The human characters are boring, and they take up so much of the movie that that can be a little disappointing. But the story, and the plan they devise, still consistently held my interest.
   But the final monster battle was definitely the highlight. :) In particular, when Godzilla actually unleashes his trademark atomic breath, it was all I could do to keep from crying out, "YEEEEEAAAAAHHHHH!!!!!"
   I didn't like how Godzilla's head looks disproportionately small – which could be where all this "bloated Godzilla" stuff came from.
   In short, while I could have used a little more focus on the monsters, I was still more than satisfied with what I got. Just don't let the trailer fool you: it's nowhere near as grim and serious as the original.
   My rating: 80%.

X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014) 

   The title of this movie is a bit misleading: this isn't a strict adaptation of the classic story from the comics. Yes, it involves time travel to prevent an assassination, but it's still within the continuity of the other X-Men movies. And, in a word, wow! :)
   The movie is impressive in almost every respect, but I'm especially amazed at how well written it is. The story is everything that a comic book movie should be: very well written, and exciting thanks to being witty with both its clever ideas and its endearing characters.
   One personal highlight for me was that they actually addressed a continuity hiccup between First Class and X-Men 2 involving Beast. It's revealed that Hank has developed a serum that controls his mutation – which leads to a character arc with Xavier using it to allow himself to walk, at the cost of his psychic powers.
   All the performances are top-notch, but Michael Fassbender stands out in particular: he had me convinced by about five minutes in that he was Magneto! :)
   But the main thing the movie did for me was the last half-hour. The tension in the climax is nothing short of exhilarating. Mild spoilers here, but what's especially poignant about it is Xavier's attempts to convince Mystique not to kill Trask.
   In conclusion, I have no doubt that this will be proclaimed one of the best X-Men movies, but I personally don't even have to think twice: it is the best. :)
   My rating: 85%.

Batman: Year One (2011) 

   Like with most of these DC animated movies, the main focus of my attention was the story. It's a fascinating look at Batman and Jim Gordon's early days: Gordon's efforts to rid the Gotham police force of corruption, and Bruce Wayne beginning his life of crime-fighting as the Batman. I especially like how they didn't make Batman perfect from day one: he's still an amateur who has to hone his skills. I also loved Catwoman's story arc and her frustration at always being second to Batman. The Harvey Dent cameo was welcome, too. :) The only thing I didn't like was Gordon's affair with Detective Essen: not only is it completely unfounded – Gordon never implies that he's in any way unhappy with Barbara – but it ultimately proves pointless. Overall, this is a well-written and insightful look at the back-stories of your favourite characters that makes you wonder what happened to all that talent Frank Miller clearly used to have.
   My rating: 75%.

22 Jump Street (2014)

   I haven't seen the show, but I loved the first 21 Jump Street movie. Watching it was like being at a really wild party: a flurry of inspired jokes constantly subverting the hyperreality movies usually create. Imagine my disappointment, then, that that sensibility is completely lost in this sequel. The jokes this time around are few and far between.
   On top of that, it's one of those sequels that simply repeats the original formula. Literally: it's almost exactly the same, beat for beat. The movie constantly makes it clear that it's aware of this, but it barely makes any effort to make fun of it. Most of the time, the same jokes are just blatantly recycled. So no matter how self-aware the movie tries to be, that doesn't make it any less redundant.
   But thankfully, the climax saves this movie from being a complete disappointment. It's completely insane and over the top, and is packed with genuinely good jokes, so that's when it finally starts resembling the first movie. That last half-hour is the main thing I took away from this movie; I doubt I'll ever laugh so hard again this year. :)
   Aside from that, there are some good parts along the way, like the twists involving the photograph and Captain Dickson. But with its reliance on copying from the first movie, as well as some all-too-familiar clichés, it's mostly just kind of a bore.
   My rating: 50%.

   And finally, I've played through the two successors to Batman: Arkham Asylum, both on the PS3 – including yet another take on Batman's beginnings! :D

Batman: Arkham City (PS3) 

   This game is basically the same as Arkham Asylum, but in a sandbox (or open world) environment. I personally have mixed feelings about this. On one hand, it's a repeat of one of my favourite games of all time, so I can't complain about that! :D On the other hand, I generally don't like sandbox games, and all the problems I usually have with them are present here: the side missions are nothing but distracting. But it's still just so much fun to be Batman that it's totally worth it! :D
   The plot definitely has higher stakes than Asylum. The Joker infects Batman with the same Titan formula poisoning that's slowly killing him, so Batman has to find a cure to save both their lives.
   Several more of Batman's classic enemies are introduced, including Mr Freeze, Ra's al Ghul and the Penguin. I was still surprised and disappointed that Two-Face got the short end of the stick, though; he's barely in this. Hell, the Mad Hatter gets more screen time than him!
   But the main thing the game did for me was the ending. Not to spoil anything, but several characters die, and I genuinely wasn't expecting it.
   To sum it up, this sequel is kind of like Portal 2: in many ways it's superior, but I'll always hold the first one closer to my heart. It's still just as fun and dramatically strong as its predecessor; I just have some minor personal issues with it.
   My rating: 90%.

Batman: Arkham Origins (PS3) 

   In this prequel to Arkham Asylum, Batman is being hunted by eight of the world's deadliest assassins for a bounty on his head.
   With its similar sandbox style, this game is almost identical to Arkham City. And sadly, that includes my problem with the side missions. Whenever a "crime in progress" alert came up, I just thought, "Oh, come on! I'm trying to focus on the mission here!"
   The overall story isn't quite as solid as Arkham City, either. But whenever there are hard-hitting dramatic moments (mostly involving Bane, I realise), they always work wonderfully. There's a subplot dealing with the beginning of Batman's alliance with Jim Gordon. And the Joker is just as fascinating as ever. There's actually a section where you wander through his mind! :)
   However, this is the first Arkham game not to be released by Rocksteady, and there are parts where it definitely shows. In particular, the combat controls are a little rusty this time around: during brawls, Batman seems to dive towards every other thug except the one I actually want to hit! And most baffling of all, they swapped the L buttons! In the other Arkham games, you use L1 to aim and L2 to use Detective Mode, but here it's the opposite. That took me ages to get used to!
   In conclusion, it's definitely the lesser of the series, but still a satisfying experience that keeps the best traits of everything that is Batman intact.
   My rating: 80%.

   Also, on a final note, I'm thoroughly looking forward to Arkham Knight, which is set for release next year. But I really hope Two-Face finally gets a bigger part this time. Not that he's my favourite villain or anything: it's just, out of all Batman's most familiar adversaries, he's the only one who hasn't got a big part in these games yet.