MOVIE PREVIEWS
SHERLOCK HOLMES
A Game of Shadows
By Mahir
The first Sherlock Holmes movie, although entertaining was a disappointment to the fans. The sequel followed the footsteps of its predecessor and continued to portray the world's most brilliant detective as an action hero. Once you watch the movie, you'll realise that Guy Ritchie has succeeded in creating another James Bond, only the protagonist in this film has a sidekick.
The story commences in 1891 with rising hostility between France and Germany and a series of bombings in both nations that have escalated the antagonism. These explosions, however, are caused by none other than the infamous Professor Moriarty but Holmes is the only one who actually believes in that theory. So it's up to him to stop this evil menace.
Meanwhile, Watson gets married but guess who intervenes in his honeymoon? Yup, Holmes shows up, pushes Mrs. Watson off the carriage and uses some really unusual (even for him) and disturbing means (you'll know what I mean when you see the movie) to persuade Watson to join him for one last investigation.
The movie deviates from the usual S.H. character but it's insanely entertaining. Many fans may not appreciate the changes in Holmes' personality but these changes made the movie continuous and not a single minute it will bore you.
Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law were phenomenal in portraying the legendary duo and Jared Harris played Moriarty perfectly. The whole movie is intense, action packed and hilarious but a little less slow motion fighting and psychological combat would have been appreciated.
Though the movie redefines Sherlock Holmes, it does so in a good way. After watching it in 3D and spending 14 dollars, I can say my money wasn't wasted. But really, 3D had nothing to do with it!
GAME PREVIEWS
LORD OF THE RINGS
WAR IN THE NORTH
By Mahir
It's been decades since the last Lord if the Rings book came out and even the last movie seems so distant that it leaves fans with nothing to gossip about. Although you might think that every angle of this epic story has been explored, apparently Warner Brothers Interactive, the game developers, thought different as they brought out the latest game of the series with a completely new storyline to follow along with three new characters.
The protagonists of the game are a shadow of the original Fellowship consisting of three heroes: a Dwarf champion Farin who excels in close combat; Andriel, an Elven Loremaster specialising in long ranged magic and the ranger Eradan who is good in close combat as well as long ranged shootouts. Together, they thwart Agandaur, Sauron's chief lieutenant, from dominating the Northern Realms and as far as the plot is concerned, these unsung heroes play a vital role in preventing Sauron's plans to take over the world.
The game is designed to be played co-op and if you have two hack-n-slash games loving, psychotic buddies then you have the perfect team. Rest is how you strategise your steps and teamwork. The gameplay is a lot like that of Dragon Age with similar armour and weapons upgrades and lots of loot. But it beats Dragon Age with superior combat sequences and glib graphics.
What's the best thing about War in the North is also the worst aspect. The game is great when you play in groups and time flies by pretty quick but if you decide to play solo then you might be up for some bumps. In single player mode you play as one character only and the other two companions of yours wonder aimlessly without any definite plan and you can't use any strategies as you can't control them. Basically they'll just move around killing less significant foes while the rest of the army gang up, making a short work of you if you aren't careful enough.
But hey, if you have the buddies for it, buy the game. The multiplayer mode is highly recommended and if you are up to the challenge, you can try out the single mode as well. After all, slaying Orcs is always fun!
COMIC REVIEW
Since we have been reviewing a lot of comics from Vertigo, this writer thought to go back to a few classics. DC comics published this limited three issue comic series about Superman and it's quite the read. We all love parallel universes, right? Who doesn't love a story which puts the original character in a different world on completely different paths? So here's the scoop on Superman's adventure in an alternate reality.
Even though it's pretty much self explanatory, this short series deals with a Superman who is no longer the 'shinning beacon of hope' but rather the exact opposite. The original Superman story went something like this: His home, Krypton was going to blow up, and in order to save their species and only son, his super awesome parents shot baby Kal-El (Superman) out of the home planet on a space-pod to Earth. So there he was, minding his own business and getting ready to become one of the greatest heroes ever, when a black hole diverts his space-pod away from Earth and into Apokolips. There, he's raised by tyrannical ruler Darkseid, who the original Superman really hates.
Imagine Superman without his dumb blue and red underwear-over-the-latex costume; No, he's not naked so instead he's got a badass red and black armor with a Superman logo on it similar to the insignia of Hitler's SS (two red thunderbolts joined to make an 'S') AND a sword. He chills with his 'father', hangs out with other bad guys, learns the ways of the dark side and destroys a few planets.
Why would you read such a story? Because it's interesting to see Superman from a different point of view. Anything from a different point of view is always interesting. Plus, Superman never looked better.
ANIME REVIEW
Episodes: 100, 4 seasons
(+ 3 extra episodes) and one movie
Status: Ongoing
Length of each episode: 5 minutes Rating: 15+
Genres: Historical, Comedy
Hetalia Axis Powers
By N. S. Rasul (No, seriously)
The Story
Based loosely on the history of the world, Hetalia begins with WWI. However, before you start thinking this is a dreary, depressing story of war and pain, guess again. Each character is named after a country and acts like a stereotype of the people of that country, whilst historical, political, and military interaction between countries is allegorically represented in Hetalia as interaction between the characters.
The main character is Italy - a pasta loving coward. The story revolves (Don't shoot me!) around the Axis Powers and their encounters against the Allied Forces. However this is one anime with pretty much no plot at all, so along with the two world wars, other pieces of history are shown, including Italy during the renaissance and other snippets tossed in here and there just for fun.
There is, on the other hand, one problem with the story - speed. It is not that big a problem because of the absence of a plot, but sometime the show might seem a little too fast. There are also notes you'd need to pause to read if you want to get many of the history based jokes, which at times might be a bit annoying. One thing is for sure though - you will LOL. Literally.
The Characters
Overall, character design is a definite highlight for this anime. Each stereotype is an excellent representation of that country, with plenty of quirks and awesomeness. This might also be a good time to mention the fact that Hetalia is a bishonen. Remember how I mentioned that history is represented by interactions between countries? Yeah, it can get pretty suggestive at times, but honestly, the whole thing is portrayed all in good humour, not to mention awkwardness is relatively few and far between. You are more likely to be stifling hysterical bouts of laughter than asking questions.
The Visuals
The animation in Axis Power Hetalia is pretty good. It is nothing breathtakingly amazing, but it is not bad either.
The details of the scenes differ depending on the mood of the scenes and are usually quite laid back, mainly using pastels. Personally though, I wish the characters were a little more detailed.
The Sound
For the first time in my life, I am going to say something I never thought I'd say - watch it in English. Honestly, the FUNimation dub is epic. Each and every one of the character has an accent of some sort or another. It simply does not feel the same in the Japanese dub. The ending songs (two so far) are also noteworthy. I swear you will be singing them in the shower after a few episodes. (Guilty as charged).
Final Word
Hetalia is an anime with something for everyone. If you like comedies, if you have a passion for History or Geography, then this is a jewel of an anime for you. Looking for a short anime to kill a little time? Here's five minutes of insane hilarity per episode. And then there are the fangirls. All I have to say is there is a boatload of anime guys in military uniforms. Hurry up!
Some of the series is widely available on torrents, some are not. You could just stream the whole thing. After all, five minutes per episode is like watching a YouTube video.
DISCLAIMER: The writer will not be held responsible for and nose bleeds, concussions, fangrling or addictions caused from watching this anime.
