LEGO Marvel Avengers - Building Bridges

Because this is what you do in LEGO Marvel Avengers, you build bridges. The first missions I played were basically one Avenger after the other having to build a bloody bridge for the other, more useless Avenger to use. I am going to read a very deep message of world peace and the meaning of cooperation and teamwork into these repetitive and painful missions.

Well, I suppose I did at least get to know what each of the characters could do and which one I needed to use for certain tasks. I did find this slightly unbelievable however, since everybody knows Iron Man can basically do EVERYTHING. I do not know why he would need the Hulk to bust a electric panel. This little LEGO trick to make you use all characters aside, I loved being able to play with all the Avengers and use their different attacks and skills. I believe my favorite special skill was Cap's ability to put out fires like a boss. This distracted me from every other quest and I just put out fires one after the other. 'Twas magical. If you are a fan of the franchise, this will truly be a treat - not the fires, the characters' specificity. You need to have loved Age of Ultron though, otherwise you will be doomed to relive every single scene of that movie again. Another trick LEGO reused from previous installment was the remix of original movies' voices to create the game's VOs. I didn't remember that they used the same artifice in the Lord of the Rings version but apparently they have been doing it for years. It was pretty neat anyway to hear the Avengers' real voices. However, I was able to recognize the scenes these sound bites were taken from, which made it slightly weird.

Regarding mechanics and gameplay, I did love the change in pace when flying Avengers took center stage. There was a sweet Iron Man sequence where I had to fly around shooting baddies and it was a lot of fun. The latter is sort of what I am expecting from a LEGO game. Unfortunately, I was pretty disappointed because somehow, the fun was limited and I always had to go through some annoying puzzles to get to the next fun bit. They were very unintuitive even for the serious gamer. Fighting my way through enemies and destroying everything as the Hulk was just freaking amazing. There is no denying that. However, having to find what I am supposed to do for 30 minutes and where to go and which character to use was just painful. I felt like I was in a Tomb Raider game without sexy Lara or a cool story. I do not want to invest time and/or brain power in a LEGO game, I just want it to be pure entertainment (unless it has some amazing original story and character development, somehow). I am not going to see a Marvel movie for a complicated plot I have to decipher. No. I am going to see a Marvel movie to be entertained. I am sure this game fares well with kids who have time to spare for puzzles but I personally will only find a puzzle worth my while if it is pushing the story forward or if I get a badass loot out of it. You get neither here. I am also very picky with my stories and I feel like rehashing something and using the same plot and visual is just plain lazy now. It's an easy cash grab for sure but the admiration I had for the business acumen is dwindling. Also, they just pop these out every 6 months, I am not sure how many LEGO games people are going to be able to keep on their shelves at this point. Apparently people were excited for LEGO Avengers since Superheroes was good but I feel like this one doesn't live up to the hype.

Have you guys ever played a LEGO game? Do you or kids like them? Did you like this Avengers version? Let me know!

I give the LEGO Marvel Avengers a 2/5 cats. (I am aware this is DC. Try and find two cats in a Marvel costume in the same picture, it's tricky AF)

The Walking Dead mid season return - Did it win me back?

The Walking Dead lost me about 2 years ago. I still watched it because it is my sworn duty but I have to admit I fast-forwarded through most of the last few seasons. Why? Because I thought it was boring and had a case of the "Game of Thrones" disease. What is the Game of Thrones disease you ask? It is an ailment that plagues shows that should and could be extraordinary, but instead, are crowd pleasers without focus. Perhaps I am narrow minded, and if this blog ever proved anything, it's that I surely am, but I do not appreciate shows that follow a myriad of characters in twenty different locations. In my opinion, good shows have a character core and a home. That's it. I feel like The Walking Dead has been losing its focus in the past years and that's why I was fast-forwarding through the many side plot arcs. In the end, whole episodes totally seemed beside the point to me. My fault. I made a point of keeping away from the fast forward button for this mid season return. I lied, I fast forwarded the credits.

I think I made a point several posts ago that kids were the worst in apocalyptic situations and I think writers and directors alike love to taunt us with this. They find a sort of vicious pleasure in torturing us with stupid bloody kids all the time. They even ended a mid season finale with a kid being a mother fucking dumbass. That's how much they love it. This episode was basically an ode to the stupidness of children. Is it me or are kids the worst thing in this show? It's not just Sam and his moron brother, it's also Enid and Carl (back in the day). They're all such a liability, they always need a pep talk or they need to be protected or they become psychopaths. I guess this is super accurate to what teenagers and kids are in real life but I have to believe that in this screwed up world, there is at least one badass kid out there who can cope with this shit. A kid who said, fuck being a moody bastard, I am stepping up, taking karate lessons and I am going to survive this shit. I can't wait to meet this kid! When you see Rick and the group with the most children, you know. You know it is just a disaster waiting to happen. And it is! Sam, the most annoying kid on the planet is remembering what Carole said to him when she was trying to scare him. Of course. I am wondering at this point if it wouldn't be smarter to knock these kids out and carry them like little piggies. Sam clearly argued that he could keep going but of course he couldn't, he's a pussy. Talking about kids, when the priest puts Judith under his tarp, the most random thought crossed my mind - can you imagine having to do this with a cat or kitten under your poncho? This would be a nightmare, much like doing this with a baby. I would be dead in the apocalypse, dead trying to save all the animals and miserably failing.

So what happened with the adults in this episode? Well, they showed they rock! This episode was adults vs kids and we all know who won. They started this episode with Daryl kicking ass right left and center. There was so much tension and there were so many twists in the first scene, it was very well done. In that very short amount of time I was frustrated, amused, excited, scared and shocked. That was a great opening scene. I also very much enjoyed that bit of spirituality talk in the church where Glenn says "they're still here, because you're still here". I feel like apart from Daryl, Glenn is the character that grew the most in this show. At least in the right direction. He's such an awesome role model, I love him. I really hope he'll stick around for a little longer otherwise I will be super upset. Just like I was during that "Sam screws up - 10th Edition" scene. To me it's like watching a sports game and seeing my team lose. I just can't take it. It makes me so angry. That's why I have made the conscious decision of never being a fan of any team again. I guess that's why I have given up on The Walking Dead too. It's just too frustrating and I hate when things go sideways for characters that I like. I am a coward.

I loved that scene for so many other reasons too though. It was somewhat funny, if you have no empathy for kids whatsoever, like me. I also loved how it was very quick and surgical and you have to watch these people who are still standing and shocked and freaked out remain stoic and understanding that in this world, you cannot show emotion anymore. Survival depends on it and this scene is a great concrete representation of what this means. The pacing was great in this episode, obviously it is a mid season premiere so there's a lot of things going on and no time to slow down. However, something happened towards the end of this episode that made me go "YES! This is what I have been waiting for!". Everybody knows I am a fan of superhero movies, of people kicking ass and being powerful. I feel like The Walking Dead has been lacking this for a very long time. The group we are following are just letting the world happen to them and they're not really taking charge. In this episode, they did, in a massive and very uplifting way. Obviously, they were led there by badass motherfucking Rick. This is what I need from The Walking Dead, more badassery. More uplifting, powerful moments. "No one gets to clock out today". Hell yeah!

This is 4/5 cats because kids ruin everything.

Deadpool - The hype has been delivering lately

I haven't been disappointed in a movie I have dragged my ass to theaters for in a long time! The hype behind Star Wars: The Force Awakens was a lot bigger than it was for Deadpool, but still, you had expectations. They built the movie up so much with their incredible marketing and the plethora of short, very funny, clips they released. I knew I was in for a treat: Ryan Reynolds, superhero action, over the top, quirky comedy. This is everything I love.

However, after the first 5 minutes, I got slightly anxious as I couldn't quite adapt to the rhythm of the comedy and the flow of dialogue vs action. This is a very original, quirky movie and to be thrown in it was a little overwhelming for me at first. Thankfully, I got the hang of it after the first action sequence and I was hooked. There are many things that are just beautifully done in this film. The first is simply the writing. As they announced in the credits, the writers are the fucking superheroes of this movie. And that is very true. The dialogues were written to make you laugh, shock you, push boundaries and break codes of cinema. However, the performance by Ryan Reynolds was beyond brilliant too. He spends most of the movie behind a mask and manages to transmit emotions better than 80% of dramatic actors out there. The best thing about his performance was that those emotions were raw and truthful. He reacted just like any normal person would with very simple and primal expressions. I loved that about Deadpool. The random appearance and mention of Hugh Jackman/Wolverine was a treat. So was the reference to the studio not being able to afford more X-men.

Of course, all of these make for a super fun, extremely hilarious and exciting ride, but would have I enjoyed it as much should the movie had no substance? Perhaps it didn't have any. I mean, the premise was pretty basic and the story was quite cliche. However, two things, no three things 'saved' the narrative core of Deadpool. 1. the movie was not stretched out to be 3 hours long. It was the right amount of time to tell this story. 2. the flashbacks and original timeline made the story more interesting and complex. 3. the characters were all very interesting and fleshed out. I even cared whether the cab driver got the girl or not. In the end, it didn't really matter whether the story was complex or deep enough. We all paid to see a superhero movie and it might make it worse to try and convey a message with that sort of genre. Everything about Deadpool was beautifully violent and gory, hilarious and completely inappropriate, intimate and in your face. Please, do not take your kids to see this. Not because it's over the top violent or sexual, but because you will spend the whole movie trying to explain to them what "it's the only thing pulling out tonight" means. I had the best time watching this film and I actually was wrong about the message. There's a deep message in Deadpool: don't leave your trash in the theater, it's a dick move. Also I didn't know unicorns were a thing, I am buying one tomorrow.
This is totally a 5/5 cats!

Jessica Jones Season 1 - Anything to say?

I waited a while to watch Jessica Jones but I decided to start about 3 weeks ago with a pace of about 1 episode a day (with a break in the middle as I was moving houses).
I did watch Daredevil and didn't like it at all so I was fairly reluctant to watch this new Marvel/Netflix collaboration. Again, old age, prejudices, habits, all that. It thought it was going to be Daredevil with a girl.

However, we had to find something to watch during dinner as we finished the 6 seasons of Lost and none of the current shows were back on TV yet. Don't go thinking that we don't have anything to say to each other and that's the reason why we watch TV during dinner, it's just that we both love TV Shows but also want to keep the rest of the night to play video games. We talk about our day while it is happening through gmail so we pretty much have said everything we needed comes dinner! No judging!!

Anywho. We decided to give Jessica Jones a go. If that failed, we would have settled on rewatching X-Files from the beginning. Well, it turns out that this new Marvel "superhero" is pretty damn cool. The first episode totally hooked me. I find it to be extremely rare nowadays to find a TV show that has the ability to grab my attention and interest from its first episode. I feel like I have to watch at least 3 episodes to be really committed. With Jessica Jones, I wanted to watch the second episode right away and only had positive things to say about its pilot. And that is a feat in itself.
A colleague of mine said that he watched the whole season and hated it. First, why would you watch 13 episodes of something if you have a shit time with it? His argument was that the story was far fetched and unfocused. He also argued that the main character, Jessica Jones, wasn't a hero at all and that she wasn't the type of character he wanted to follow for a season. I have a problem with everything he said!

First, I found the story and plot arc to be perfectly steady and exponential throughout the season. Even though the core of the season's plot is not introduced right away, there's enough meat to the story and the characters to set up an interesting premise. Throughout the season, the main plot is always part of the episode in some way and there's no "baddie of the week", which I loved. Everything is tied together very neatly and if you actually look back at the first few episodes, random plot points or dialogue actually make a lot of sense and tie in with the overall season arc. The side plots were also thrilling. I never once minded knowing more about supporting characters. It is fairly tricky to make side plots work. There's always some that you will just not care about. That didn't happen for me in Jessica Jones. Also, every story that you thought was a side note actually links back to the main plot and the main villain. By the way, the latter was absolutely amazing.

As a European who live 5 years in England, David Tennant will always be Dr Who, no matter what he does. However, he was a very believable and appealing villain. He made this psychotic murderous mind controller compelling and likable. Of course, he is a crazy killer and he's totally evil, but he has a way about him that makes you love him and empathize whenever he's sad or angry. To me, that is the mark of a complex and worthwhile villain. This is the type of villain that makes you reconsider your allegiance to the "hero". It's all the more true when the hero is very flawed and the lines blur between good and evil. I am going to end on the hero, Jessica Jones. She's the hero because she's obviously the title character and she is the focus of the story. However, just like my colleague mentioned, she's not your typical heroin. She drinks all the time, she's very selfish and narrow minded and she is emotionally wounded and weak. However, I don't think this makes her less of a hero. To me, she's more of a hero because of these traits. She's on a journey and she is trying. The latter is what makes a hero. Also, she's totally badass and overcomes her fears and reminds me of Buffy so I love her! Period.

I can't wait for a second season and I hope they'll make many more after that. Have you guys made it past the first episodes? What did you think of the season? Let me know! I personally give it 5/5 cats.

The Walking Dead returns - with a deep message

The Walking Dead is back! TWDisback! Or however you want to say it, the most popular show on TV is returning from its mid-season break and everybody is pretty damn psyched because this season is by far the best of them all. There was death and drama and suspense and action. But everybody is super sad now. Well, Beth is gone and I was pretty surprise when it happened during the mid-season finale. Beth was sweet and didn't deserve to die. But that's also why she did. She was kind of the easiest non-secondary we-dont-give-a-shit-about-your-face character to kill off.

I loved that they showed the first 2 minutes of this episode prior to the premiere but to be fair, it was sort of a teaser trailer if you look at the way it was edited and everything. So the first few minutes of this episode served as a polished and aesthetically intriguing reminder of the horror they have been going through and the loss and the hardships of survival. The title of this episode is amazingly well suited for what you are about to watch. After the credits, you see part of the gang driving to somewhere supposedly safe and we get some character development along the way. Tyreese keeps sharing his deep voice wisdom, all through the first part of the episode. Thanks Yoda Tyreese! For the good it did him to be all wise and shit, am I right?

When they arrive close to their destination, Rick decides they will go through the woods "just in case". Rick has truly become a rock and this force of nature you can rely on. He's the closest thing to a superhero this show will ever get. He's a leader, he makes the tough decisions and he's awesome for it. Obviously, everybody is on their guard and as a viewer, you know better than to hope for some "normal" people to answer the door. So you are as wary as they are. You just know there is a nasty surprise waiting for them. And no, it is not a safe haven. You feel bad for poor Noah, but you haven't known him long enough to feel heart broken. Noah takes Tyreese and the viewer on a tour of his house and damn, it's grim! There are walkers and there are scares but they are not so scary as they are sad and uncomfortable. And ew, that Tyreese scene, talk about having death starring you right in the eyeballs. That was unpleasant. The end was very thrilling too and pretty macabre walker wise.

Unfortunately, the town's demise also means the end of the very short lived dream for Rick and the group. Nobody truly believed anyway. Not the viewer, not the group, definitely not Rick. So hope is running super thin and now that they're all back together with no DC mission the question is, "what the hell do we do?" Michonne wants to stay put or at least, she wants a plan. I would want a plan in their situation too! So Washington is back on the map baby.

I found the cinematography and editing pretty genius in this episode, it was visually stunning but the pace was slow. Of course, there needs to be a beat, the characters need to reflect on what has been going on and take a breath. That's credible and welcomed. But it didn't come close to the quality of the season premiere in my opinion. I was blown away by Carole and didn't expect it at all whereas this episode didn't have any wow factor. Tyreese bitten? I saw that coming a mile away. But what this episode lacked in wow, it made up in feels. I enjoyed Tyreese vision, the writing was incredible, "Domino Shit", that's what I am calling this monologue. "You don't want to be part of it, but being part of it, is being now", that shit is deep. Is it better to die and to be in peace rather than live in this violent hopeless world? Is it worth fighting anymore? It's not a question of survival or morality anymore, it's a question of will. And Tyrese lost it.

The Governor was back (for 1 minute) motherfuckers! I am just all sorts of excited when I see this man. They should really pull a CW and bring him back to life. This episode reminded me that I was also going to miss Beth's voice, she was awesome. Beautifully written and edited episode, if slow, it was a good come back TWD.

Fantastic 4 Trailer - I AM PUMPED!

For a movie coming out this summer, there hasn't been much to see of the Fantastic Four. I was eagerly waiting a trailer because, let's face it, after the debacle of the last installment, we were doubtful they could make this franchise any good. I am WAY more optimistic now!

The trailer looks great. It is definitely in the 2015 vibe with your dramatic music and big voice over telling you life's truths and even though it seems a little cliche for a Marvel movie, I am glad this is what they came up with. It's a total departure from the 2005 films and it looks darker and more intriguing.  I like that what you see in that trailer is mostly sci-fi and not much of the superheroes. I adore the cast they have put together and I am hopeful this will be the start of a good franchise because let's be completely honest here, the Fantastic Four are awesome and we want them to succeed! Who isn't a fan of Kate Mara and Miles Teller? Those guys are great actors and I am glad they look credible in this trailer.

I could have done without the last scene where Miles/Mister Fantastic asks "What's coming" but overall it was a good teaser that I believe put a lot of skeptic minds to rest.

The Flash Mid Season Return - wait, what?

Revenge of the Rogues was the title of the episode that marked the return of The Flash. You can only create a shitty episode with a title like that!
So I think I watched Prison Break last night. They gave us the actors, and, at the end of the episode they gave us what was effectively a prison break, plus the twist of the century: the sister is the one breaking them out! Anyway, that was kind of weird but I thought I could roll with it. I can't. I am so sorry Wentworth but you should have your agent get you roles you actually would be credible in. He was not credible in Resident Evil. He still isn't in the Flash. My guess is that he should give up any sort of action/crime oriented material and do romantic comedies. Also, the guy can't act.




To be fair, the script didn't give him great material to work with. The one liners were soooo cheesy and predictable and dull. They should hire Joss Whedon to give them some pointers because this show is getting ridiculous. I am not sure if the script was bad or if the director did an awful job but the only enjoyable moment of this episode was probably the fight sequence at the end, at least they didn't talk.

I am always rooting for super hero and comic based television but I have to say that the Flash is getting way too cheesy and obvious. This is entirely due to the dialogue and script but I am afraid to say the acting is pretty awful too. Am I missing something about her character or has Danielle Panabaker skipped drama school?

When the cross over between the Flash and Arrow aired, I was so excited and it turned out to be an extremely good episode. The comedy was there thanks to Felicity and Oliver and the tone was a bit more balanced too. Grant Gustin also did a better job opposite these darker and drier characters. I read that they are planning more crossovers and for Felicity to go back to Central City so I might end up just watching these episodes. Some people might say that it's not cheesier than, let's say, a Smallville. That's fair, but I watched the 1st season of Smallville when I was 13 so I guess I am now looking for a little bit more substance in my shows. Also the dude is Superman. Comparing the Flash to CW's Arrow, ABC's Agents of Shield and Agent Carter or Fox' Gotham, I feel like The Flash is losing the battle for my attention.

Arrow Mid Season Return - A tiny bit dubious

I was looking forward to Arrow's return. I was wondering how they would bring Oliver back and how they would continue the fight in Starling City, the show must go on after all.

In this episode, instead of having two stories intertwine, we had three: the Starling City story, Oliver being dead in the Frostback Mountains story and the usual flash back we are used to by now. I really didn't think I would see present time/dead Oliver in this episode and I really didn't expect to see Oliver alive at the end either. I found that it was all terribly quick. They surely could have spent a bit more time on the following questions: "did he win or is he dead?" from everybody in Starling and most importantly "how the hell do I retrieve this huge body from a rock I can only access by falling off a mountain" from Maseo. Unfortunately, we didn't get to see much of that or none at all. Maseo just retrieves the body and off he goes. It all seemed very easy and anti climatic to me. 

The same was true of the events in Starling City. I thought that the beginning of the episode was quite exciting and I loved to see the gang trying to get by without their leader. It was awfully similar to the Buffy episode called "Anne" (Season 3 Episode 1) where Buffy is in Los Angeles, trying to figure out who she is, and the Scooby gang is left alone in Sunnydale to manage the vampire population on their own. Even more so when Felicity says that they got two out of the three criminals, it reminded me a lot of Xander's line: "we're losing half the vamps". So I liked the beginning of Left Behind. However, I found Diggle and Roy very quick to agree that Oliver was dead and they didn't seem too heart broken about it. When Buffy was gone, Willow and Xander were miserable and Giles was flying everywhere trying to find her. I really thought Diggle would try harder to find out where Oliver was - Malcom had the information - and find out what happened to him. 

When they get the news that yes, indeed, Oliver is dead, again, I didn't feel like their world fell apart. Except for Felicity who was slightly sad, I was very surprised by everybody else's reaction. At the end of the episode you find out that Oliver has been brought back to life and that's that. No more suspense. I can understand that it would be quite difficult to go on for several episodes without the eponymous hero of your show but looking at today's television quality, I expected to be teased longer about Oliver's fate. I knew he would come back, obviously, but I wanted to feel a little bit more of a void before being reunited with him. Of course, at the end of Anne, Buffy came back and Season 3 was on its way. When she died at the end of Season 5, she was back at the end of Season 6's first episode. But I missed her much more than I missed Oliver because I saw her friends and everybody else struggling and trying to find a way to get her back. I didn't get that in Arrow. 

I also found that the introduction of a new villain, Brick, was a bit superfluous and that the black Canary, who was said to take over the city with Arsenal and Atom while Oliver was AWOL, had a tiny and irrelevant part in this episode. As a whole, I think that they could have dealt with Oliver's death a bit better, at least giving the fans a bit more longing for the character that, we did see it tonight, makes the entire show.

Gotham Mid Season Return - Alastair is in the house!

I mean come on, the dude is legendary! His voice is the best, second perhaps to Cumberbatch, I love him so much. In Gotham too, he had that scary calm whispering voice that I adore. But he's dead. So bye bye Alastair, it was nice to see you!

Apart from the Electrocutioner making a, I have to be honest, forgettable appearance, the Gotham mid season return didn't impress me a whole lot. I was expecting a bit more decisive plot turns and more Arkham intrigue but it was just not there. The first episode of this second half of the season was fairly enjoyable. Any fan of the video games or the comics will have enjoyed another tour inside the infamous asylum but it was brief to say the least. The first two episodes just very much served one purpose: Get Jim back to the precinct. That was all. The whole Electrocutioner story was very predictable and anybody who tells me that they thought Jim wouldn't find the guy in 24 hours is a bloody liar. Also, who cares about dopey eyed Barbara? The time we spent with her in these two episodes were a waste of time and I would much rather have spent it with the Penguin who is and remains the best thing about this show.

I have come to care less and less about what happens to Gordon and the police department and more and more about Maroni, Falcone and Fish. That's where the story is interesting, the characters complex and the twists surprising. Gotham obviously doesn't have the level of twists and shockers an Agents of SHIELD or a Breaking Bad has. But look at the end of Monday night's episode. Go Falcone! We all know that Jim Gordon is a straight up kind of guy and not complicated in the least. I guess he's just not my type of character then and that might be why I do not love cop shows. The leads always seem so dull to me. A superhero on the other side, or a villain, have much more to offer than a simple principled cop.

I was quite happy we didn't see Bruce this time around. Or Cat for that matter. I feel like these two characters were just shoved in there to appeal to the most ignorant TV viewers out there. They don't add much to the story and are very much just here as a reminder that this is the Batman world and you should be watching if you loved the Batman films. Obviously, I am looking forward to seeing what is going to happen to Fish and Butch. Even though they have been conspiring against my two favorite characters, they are great villains. Fish for her hair and her angry eyes and Butch for his positive attitude. That is a happy man right there.

I was happy to see the Penguin win this one but you know that he's going to go down before he rises to the highs we know he can get to. I am not looking forward to seeing that. The Penguin is genius. He's such an underdog you can't help but be on his side, whatever evil he does. He makes me think of Walter White somehow. They are both outsiders, stepped on at every turn and both are genius in their own way. They also have a super huge ego. I hope the Penguin doesn't get to the point where I want to see him thrown into a cave full of venomous snakes though. Well, that would be good writing but if I do not like the Penguin anymore, who will my interest shift to? It shifted to Hank and Jesse in Breaking Bad, I doubt it will shift to boring Gordon though. Who knows?