The Dark Knight Rises Teaser Trailer & Thoughts

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This week the world finally gets it's first look at the upcoming sequel to The Dark Knight. The Dark Knight Rises will be the final entry in the Christopher Nolan Batman series. Check out the teaser trailer below and I will give my thoughts below.



Thoughts: I think this teaser trailer did exactly what it was suppose to do. The trailer teases the hell out of you and raises so many questions. First question is why is Commissioner Gordan in the hospital? Does Gordan know Bruce is Batman? "We were in this together, then you were gone. Now this evil rises. The Batman must come back." Bruce: What if he doesn't exist anymore?" Gordan: He must...he must. I feel like Gordan is encouraging Bruce to go back to being Batman. He's trying to tell Bruce that Batman is necessary. Then we see the symbolism of Gotham crumbling. I this not only symbolizes that Gotham is going through a dark time, but also the end of the series. Finally we see Bane walking up the steps to an exhausted Batman. Batman looks like he's just got through fighting a ton of guys. Also if you look closely you'll see someone is a hostage in the background. Who can this hostage be? Also Ra's Al Ghul narrative from the first movie, makes me wonder if a Batman will die in this film. Usually people die in order to become legends in the eyes of the people. How will Selina Kyle play in this movie?What about Ra's Al Ghul? Finally I would love to know what was being chanted in the background of this trailer? Needless to say the trailer did it's job by raising many questions. I can't wait to see what will happen in the upcoming months.

Will Sony & Microsoft Team Up For Their New Console??

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For those who havent heard, someone at Microsoft registered the domain name Microsoft-Sony.com. Yes I know anyone can register a domain name and nothing may come of this, but here is why I think this would be good for the overall health of the gaming industry.


1.PSN outtage & 3 red lights: Both PS3 and Xbox360 users experienced gaming hardships. While we were at home crying and complaining these 2 companies lost billions because of these unique events.

Sony is great at making hardware, besides a little D.R.E. on the PS2 all 3 Playstations are like tanks. They keep ticking.

Microsoft is a software 1st company. They create great OS and UI...but most importantly a secure network.

If this dream console happens let Sony focus on the hardware while Microsoft does the software(Dash,System updates etc etc)


2.Too many consoles: Do we really need 3? Lets look at videos games golden years NES vs Master System then SNES vs Genesis. Now that Nintendos new console is for the "hardcore audience" let make a 2 man race again.


3.Iphone/Andriod & Facebook: Believe it or not Mobile and Social games are taking over gaming. While Sony fanboys & Xbots fight the Social & Mobile markets are making more and more $. Why should you care???Investors and Developers are leaving traditional console gaming to work in those fields. Yu Suzuki is a perfect example,he created Shenmue and Virtua Fighter among many others. Now he will be focused on Social games for Japan....sucks I know.




Regardless if this happens or not Sony and Microsoft fans need to come together.Hardcore gamers represent a very small percentage of the world.Instead of fighting about Halo vs Uncharted lets enjoy games as one....as brothers.Lets use our all hate on garbage like Farmville and Angry Birds lol joking joking!















Image Anime Store

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One thing a lot of Otakus wanted to know is, where is a store that they can find Otaku things in New York? Today Sean (The Comic Guy on the site) and myself took a trip to Image Anime. For those who live in New York City. The store is located on 242 West 30th Street New York, NY 10001. This is a great store with tons of Gundam Kits, Dvd's/ Blu-Ray, Figures & Plushies. If you're an Otaku in New York or just want to shop for Otaku stuff, check out the store. They also have import stuff as well. Great staff as well, these guys know they Anime and Asian Films. Here is what I brought from them today. What are you New York Otakus or Otakus in general waiting for. Go check out Image Anime.

Goku SSJ Figure


Image Anime Info
Location: 242 West 30th Street New York, NY 10001.
Phone:(212) 631-0966
Website:
Visit Image Anime Website

Vegeta & Hiei: Two Very Similar Characters

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In the world of Anime we usually see characters that are sometimes very similar. In this case I have found two characters that are very similar, however very different. Vegeta from Dragonball Z and Hiei from Yu Yu Hakusho. You're probably wondering, what makes these two so similar and different? Let's examine these two great warriors purely based on their personal life, characterization and honor.

The Similarities: When we first meet Vegeta and Hiei, they are on the wrong side of the tracks. Vegeta is out to collect the seven Dragonballs and destroy Earth. Hiei is planning to kill Kayko and use his new weapon to build a demon army. Both characters are defeated by guys (Goku and Yusuke)who would later become they rivals. Both Vegeta and Hiei are used as aids to help they sworn rivals win their battles. Whether it was by giving some words of encouragement, or forcing them to unlock they full potential. Eventually these characters greatest rivals, became they greatest friends. Hiei and Vegeta personalities are very alike. Both of these guys are arrogant, driven, but if you look deeper into them both guys are hurt. Vegeta & Hiei backstories are a little similar. Both characters felt the pain of losing a family member. Vegeta losing his Father to Frieza. Hiei being abandoned by the Ice Apparitions and losing his Mother. The pain of this at a young age, leaves these characters no choice but to be strong as a defense mechanism. Both characters throughout the series appear cold and distant. It's only when they face death, despair and desperation, that their true self emerge. Vegeta revelations comes when he dies at Frieza's hands. He reveals to Goku, that Frieza killed his Father and force him to work for him. Hiei revelation is revealed during the Demon World Tournament saga. Here we see the demons Hiei must overcome in order to find solace within himself.

Many love Yusuke and Goku the most, however the transformation that Vegeta and Hiei go through to find themselves is more interesting. Vegeta and Hiei also live by a set of rules and code. These rules and code are sometimes compromise by their selfish ambitions. However make no mistake that Hiei and Vegeta live by a set of rules, that only they understand. Fighting styles these two are ruthless. Hiei and Vegeta show no mercy, and only respect fighters that best them or come close to it. Both characters had suffered major defeats to their egos, leaving them to train not only to reclaim their pride, but to make a statement. Hiei and Vegeta are two sides of the same coin. Both fight for pride, honor and have something hidden inside them driving them. It's the complex rules, passion, pain that makes these guys so much interesting. Whether it's the Dragon Flame, or the Final Flash these two characters are cut from the same cloth. Both started out as evil, but as the layers pulled off you see the humble side to them, the reason for why they are that way. Hiei and Vegeta are almost each other in their universes. Thank goodness they have never met.



The Godfather Of Manga: Osamu Tezuka

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With the upcoming premiere of "Buddha" coming to this year's New York Asian Film Festival. Today we will give you guys a little history lesson, and glimpse at the wonderful work of Osamu Tezuka.

Who Is Osamu Tezuka? Osamu Tezuka is one of the most beloved, writers, illustrator and creators of many Manga and Animes. Some of his work includes Astro Boy, Buddha, Black Jack, Metropolis, Apollo Song and many more. Osamu is also the one responsible for the famous large eyes Anime style of drawing. Osamu storytelling have been captivating, inspiring and usually is related to social events taking place. His work has talked about the effects of War, Love, Relationships and many more. He has inspired other greats in the Anime world such as, Akira Toriyama (Dragonball, Dragonball Z and Hayao Miyazaki (Spirited Away, My Neighbor Totoro).

Some Works Of Osamu Tezuka with a Presentation

Mermaid
A boy sees a mermaid, everyone calls him crazy and forces him into an institute to rid him of his delusions. But are they really delusions?!


Bagi The Monster Of Mighty Nature


Astro Boy


God Of Manga Presentation






Ar tonelico Qoga Knell of Ar Ciel Impressions

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I just got this game yesterday on my b-day and I love it. Ar (for short since its such a long name) is a great rpg game (for me at least). Here is the review. (P.S No spoilers so you have to get the game to find out what I'm talking about. Synopsis from Amazon).

Story

"Ar Ciel, a planet that was once lush with many prosperous inhabitants.

The humans of this planet created a new species with the power to convert songs into various energies, Reyvateils, and boasted about their highly advanced civilation.

However, a foolish release of immense energy triggered a global catastrophe that changed the world. The planet was shrouded by deadly clouds, called the Sea of Death. With the loss of the land, only three artificial Towers were left for the people to reside on.

The world of the Third Tower, Sol Clister, is practically controlled by Reyvateils.
The State of Reyvateils who reside in the upper part of the Tower, Clustania, exert their authority over most other nations from the top of the world.

Clustania aims to establish a society that consists only of Reyvateils and "Purified" human slaves.
To acheive that goal, they carry out genocidal campaigns, called Cleansing, upon the human communities that dare to defy them. They literally annihilate cities and towns, turning them to ruins. It is in this sort of world that a young boy meets a maiden who sing songs."

In the last installment of the Ar series you are in control of a 17 year old Aoto who is a steeplejack. His life gets turned upside down when he saves Saki a cute girl with enormous power and secrets. There are also many other characters during the journey and each have their own agendas and personalities especially Saki and a girl named Finnel.


Gameplay

Gameplay is pretty simple in this game. When you go into battle mode, you press the square button to attack and the joy stick to run. You will always have Saki or Finnel on your team and they can use Song Magic. To activate it, the heart at the bottom of the screen will grow until it says Purge Ready. That's when you click R1 etc to activate. Other wise its straight forward. Also to climb ladders walk in front and press x. The rest you figure out yourseelf. (By the way the game is full of fan service but after a while, I got immune to it. Its rated M for a reason). Also there are a few secrets waiting to be discovered....

Graphics

Graphics are pretty good except the fact that at some stairs you walk on the camera shakes. The backgrounds look like they are painted but the characters are in 3D so its like a scenery in 2D while your characters are 3D. I have no problem with it. I think its really cool.

Sound

The Ost is beautiful with full of lighthearted music and some somber sounds at the appropriate time. The voice actors are all awesome so far and I wouldn't change a thing.

Replay Value

I;ll just say a few words about this. You can play this on easy, normal or hard any time during the game or play it on the difficulty level you want. So yes you can replay and replay it. Still a really good game either way.


Final Impressions

I am really enjoying this game so far. I didn't add any other information because I want you to experience it. I'm not being mean. I'm doing this because I care. Well that's my review. RPGs Rule!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Death Of Spider-Man Review

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Title: The Death Of Spider-Man
Author: Brian Michael Bendis
Illustrator: Mark Bagley
Number Of Volumes: 5
Pages: 120

Story - It has finally happened. The time has come to bid farewell to one of the greatest heroes of them all Spider-Man. To give a little overview of the story, Peter Parker and Mary Jane have settle their differences and got back together. Norman Osborn who was thought to be dead is alive and well in Shield Custody. Not to mention Spider-Man is going through training with Captain America for the dispute going on with the New Ultimates and the Avengers. Meanwhile Goblin breaks lose and frees Doctor Octopus, Electro, Sandman, Kraven the Hunter, and Vulture. He dubs them "Men Of God" and their goal is to finally kill Spider-Man. I won't go into any more detail, because it will contain major spoilers.

The story is a fun ride and emotional down to it's final battle. The story really shines with the Green Goblin. His hatred for Peter Parker is rooted so deep, that he even had some villains rethinking their lives. The addition of the conflict between the New Ultimates and The Avengers is a nice add on. It's actually one of the reasons Spider-Man is in a certain situation. The emotional part comes as you turn page by page and you see Spider-Man slolwy reaching his last breath. Of course he wouldn't be Spider-Man without his witty remarks and punchlines. As he slowly goes to death their is severe irony in this. How can the one who saves so much people? Couldn't find someone to help or save him? His death was a cruel fate and it's only fitting for Peter Parker. The story is well written and has enough balance of drama, humor and love that only Spider-Man can bring.

Art

There are tons of detail in this series. I really love the facial expression of Parker and Goblin in this. The hatred on Goblin face is almost scary, they really capture his rage in this one. What really will grip you the most, besides the action is the expressions of the supporting cast. The faces of Aunt May, Gwen Stacy and Mary Jane are heartbreaking. The environments and detail on pages with the sun are amazing. There is this one panel that has the Goblin looking at the helicopter and the way the sun is capture is outstanding. The art is worthy enough to give Spider-Man a just cause death.

Final Grade A-/9.0 - Death Of Spider-Man is a fun read, each volume will have you wanting to see the end. His death isn't as epic as other Superheroes but it's pretty good for Spider-Man. The story is solid, the characters bring emotional depth and I love the irony. The theme of great power comes great responsibility is really tested here. Sometimes you have to do things you don't even want to do, this time Spider-Man had no choice in the matter. R.I.P Spider-Man.

Interview With Miracole Burns

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Cosplaying, Acting, Modeling, Make Up Artist and more and all around nerd. Miracole Burns has her hands in a lot of things. Check out our interview with her from comics, modeling and more this is one talented woman.



OtakusandGeeks.com: Let’s start from the beginning. Do you remember the exact moment you knew you were a Comic Geek?

Miracole Burns: Looking back in retrospect, I guess it would have to be picking my first Halloween costume at age 5. Instead of the typical fairy, witch or ballerina, I chose Wonder Woman. Who would have known that was the first step into a lifelong love affair with the Amazonian Princess and all things geek.

OtakusandGeeks.com: Superheroes has always had a big impact on so many people. When we talk to people who are into comics, they always say that there is one character that sticks with them. What character sticks close to you?

Miracole Burns: Jean Grey as Dark Phoenix without a question. While I love and admire Wonder Woman, among other great female characters, I feel Dark Phoenix reflects my personality the most. She is immensely powerful, conflicted, passionate, insane, and always teetering on the edge of being a heroine or destroying the entire universe. I always find it way more fun to portray characters that have a conflicted dynamic, more so then your basic stoic hero that is always a perfect role model. Don’t get me wrong, those characters are enjoyable to cosplay as well, but the conflicted characters always have more fun.

OtakusandGeeks.com: Let’s focus on the modeling aspect for a bit. How did you get into Cosplaying?

Miracole Burns: Superheroes are larger than life, always defend what’s right and look out for those who can’t protect themselves. I, along with a small group of like-minded friends, founded the non-profit superhero group the Heroes Alliance in 2005. Over the years, The Heroes Alliance has done all sorts of events; from helping local law enforcements with community events, to visiting sick children in the hospital to help brighten their spirits. Our little group has grown and now has branches that span across the US and the UK as well. Working with this charity eventually led me to attend comic conventions as a cosplayer.

OtakusandGeeks.com: What was your favorite character to cosplay as?

Miracole Burns: Rogue is by far my favorite character to cosplay. I’ve done almost every incarnation of her that isn’t the traditional green/yellow ‘Jim Lee’ version. I have 7 versions of Rogue in my costume collection. It’s crazy! Again, she is a powerful woman, who’s isolated from physical contact. It must be incredibly lonely and difficult to deal with the fact that physical contact with someone could kill them. Her power is both a blessing and a curse. I’ve always loved her southern charm and sassy attitude. As a character, she is truly a lot of fun to step inside of.

OtakusandGeeks.com: Which character was the most challenging to cosplay?

Miracole Burns: Oh my god. That would have to be Mystique. I did her for San Diego Comic Con in ’07. It took my dear friend Heath Hammond from Sideshow Collectibles 2 ½ hours to paint my skin. That’s just painting me blue like a smurf. That doesn’t include getting into the costume, putting in the full scelera contacts, gluing the skull to my head, brushing and styling the wig, etc. It is a very involved outfit.

OtakusandGeeks.com: We featured you as Cosplay Girl Of The Week for Black Widow. Can you tell us about the shoot?

Miracole Burns: I was in Chicago for C2E2 and the amazing Leonard Lee wanted to do a shoot of the costume. We had been trying to find a dynamic location to use as a backdrop and in the middle of this conjoined convention center was an amazing water fountain. It had multiple jets that shot 20 feet in the air and looked like the fountain was being strafed by gunfire. Leonard jokingly mentioned how cool it would be to actually get some shots in the water. Before he finished his sentience, I was ankle deep in the fountain. Thankfully we shot fast because security came by and chased us out of the pool in less than 3 minutes. It was totally worth it, as you can see from the pictures.

Miracole As Black Widow


OtakusandGeeks.com: Can you tell us on how you became an illustrative model? What is the experience like?

Miracole Burns: While doing charity work as a costumed super hero and attending Comic based conventions like MegaCon, DragonCon and SDCC, I met several amazing Comic Book Artists and would later become a reference model for several different characters and comics. Seeing myself embodied as the characters I grew up reading about and admiring has been the ultimate expression of flattery. It’s an electrifying experience being a part of such a collaborative and creative medium where you’re helping to bring your heroes to life. I even met my husband at one of these conventions randomly while at a dinner with mutual friends.



OtakusandGeeks.com: You don’t just model and do cosplay. You’re also a make-up artist and costumer that has worked on tons of shows, films and commercials. Do you have any advice for women looking to get into that field?

Miracole Burns: Last year I had the pleasure of working on ‘Fast 5’, ‘The Change Up’ and ‘Xmen: First Class’. I’m currently doing wardrobe for a new show on USA called ‘Necessary Roughness’ starring Callie Thorne and Mehcad Brooks. I would tell any young lady or woman to follow their dreams regardless of what it is they want to do. Don’t let other people’s negativity and cynicism stop you from believing in yourself. You can do what ever you put your mind and heart to. It won’t be easy, and it won’t always be enjoyable, but it will pay off doing what you love in the long run. Working in the Film and Television Industry is very hard work. The hours are long, the work can be very demanding, and sometimes personalities can be a challenge to deal with, but I find that the rewards far out weigh anything that I ever imagined.

OtakusandGeeks.com: Speaking of films and filmmaking. Tell us about the Avengers Assemble and how that came about.

Miracole Burns: Series writer and actor who plays Tony Stark Brian Godleski and my husband Chris who is a Producer and plays Hawkeye have been friends and collaborators for years. Brian had sent Chris a one off sketch of Super Heroes talking about Healthcare. Chris decided to produce the skit, but suggested that they create a web series and have the same characters attack a number of different topics. He and Brian then began creating scripts for the show. We shoot with a very small crew and almost everyone involved either works professionally in Film and Television or is a cosplayer. It takes a lot of work and dedication from everyone to shoot each episode. Many people where multiple hats. For example, I play Ms. Marvel on the show, but I also do Costuming, Makeup, Props, just to name a few things. My husband is a Producer, Co-writer, Actor, Casting Director, Locations, among all of the other things he does for the show and that’s while we both have full time jobs working on big budgeted studio films and tv shows. I love the show, it’s just very, very taxing.

Avengers Assemble Episode 3


OtakusandGeeks.com: Ready to answer some of our reader’s questions?

Miracole Burns: Of course! Love your readers!

OtakusandGeeks.com: Anon asked “Who is your favorite Comic Book Couple and why?

Miracole Burns: Rogue and Gambit with out a question. There’s nothing more attractive than the idea of a woman who is unattainable pursued by a good man with a dangerous and sordid past. And despite the dangers and physical limitations of their relationship, their love overcomes all. They are, and always will be, my favorite comic couple.

OtakusandGeeks.com: StarGirl asked “Did you ever have an outfit malfunction while doing cosplay?”

Miracole Burns: OMG! Have I ever. I was at Megacon in ’08 and debuted Black Widow for the first time. As I walked out on to the center of the convention center, I may have been out there for literally five minutes, the PVC on the spandex I was wearing was faulty and began peeling away very rapidly. And it was peeling away in a not so flattering area, my hiney! It looked as if I had farted the fart to end all farts. Luckily my girlfriend Emily was there as my handler and was shielding my bum as I made a mad dash to get back to the hotel room to examine the extent of the damage. Needless to say the suit was unsalvageable.

OtakusandGeeks.com: R4D4 asked “Name one planet you would love to visit from Comic Books?”

Miracole Burns: Mogo, the living planet from the Green Lantern lore. I mean how often do you get the opportunity to have a conversation with a living planet?

OtakusandGeeks.com: Here at OtakusandGeeks.com we really love gaming, anime, music, films, etc. Almost anything and everything can become a form of geekiness. Miracole besides what we already know. What are you secretly geeky about?

Miracole Burns: Wine! I love love love red wine. But maybe that’s not so much of a secret.

OtakusandGeeks.com: You have the floor promote, promote, promote!

Miracole Burns: You can see my work on my website at www.miracole.com, our web series ‘Avengers Assemble the Series’ starts airing Season 2 july 29th and can be seen at www.avengersassembletheseries.com, Watch “Necessary Roughness” on USA, go see Xmen: First Class, and lastly go support your local comic book shop! They love you and miss you!

OtakusandGeeks.com: Finally words of wisdom or inspiration for our readers.

Miracole Burns: Be Honest, be real, be a good person, love your job, love what you do, and most importantly love who you are!

The Top Ten JRPG Games!

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During this discussion we considered pretty much ever JRPG from Phantasy Star 1 to FF13 and everything in between.
Since Zelda and Kingdom Hearts are action oriented Jrpgs we decided to leave those two great series off the list.
Check out our discussion to see how & why we came up with the list.



10.Star Ocean
9.Shining Force 3
8.Pokeman Series
7.Mario RPG
6.Tales of Symphonia

5.Grandia 2


4.Final Fantasy 6



3.Panzer Dragoon Saga



2.Chrono Trigger



1.Final Fantasy 7




OtakusandGeeks.com Android App

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We have been pretty busy lately working on new stuff for our readers. The first thing we've been working on is an Android app. This Android app will basically bring the mobile site right to your phone. All updates from the site, Youtube channel, Twitter and Podcast will be directly available for you to enjoy. Here is a video of me showing you the app. Sorry for the blurry look, my camera was messing up, but you get the idea. The app will be available for free this July.

Features
All New Articles Directly Updated To Your Phone
All Podcast & Music Monday
All Youtube Channel Videos
All Twitter Feeds
Exclusive Otakus & Geeks Wallpapers



Update the app is now available to download. Click the link below it will take you to the Android Market!
Otakus and Geeks App


Transformers: Dark Of The Moon Review

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The Autobots are back for their final showdown with their enemies the Decepticons. How does the final installment of Transformers hold up? Does this film go out with a bang? Or does fall short?

Story - The Autobots learn of a Cybertronian spacecraft hidden on the Moon, and race against the Decepticons to reach it and to learn its secrets. That is the story synopsis.

If there is one thing all of the Transformers movies suffer from is lack plot, story and character development. This installment is no different. I know a movie like Transformers doesn't need a huge story, or some important theme to move the audience. The movies are about a bunch of robots battling it out. Who needs a theme? Who needs a plot? Who needs character development? The answer my friends is you do. It takes more then action to make a good movie. I will say it again, it takes more then action to make a good movie. The Transformers story suffers from many things. Once again we have no idea on who some of the Autobots or Decepticons are. These guys are just thrown in there and we're expected to just say "Oh that's just Optimus teammates." Who is Laserbeak? What rank is he in with the Decepticons? Simple things you would like to know don't get answer. Another problem with the characters is a change in the leading lady. We all know what happen with Megan Fox, we question how they would handle the new love interest. The answer is it was handle pretty poorly and lazy. Just a minor spoiler they handle with a few words "She dumped me." That's it no further explanation, nothing! They were better off killing Fox's character in an opening scene or something. The new girl Carly (Rosie Huntington Whiteley) doesn't really make an impact. Her character is generic, bland and flat out boring. She's not interesting at all. She's mainly used as eye candy, similar to Megan's Fox character but at least Fox character was interesting. There is an attempt to add some relationship problems between Sam (Shia Labeouf) and Carly, by adding a man named Dylan (Patrick Dempsey)into the mix. Dylan is Carly's boss, he's rich, successful and a total jerk. Sam has been out of work and has been living with Carly. He feels insecure about not having a job and having to rely on Carly. This is actually a really good part in the movie. It's something a lot of people are going through and I felt that it was handle well, for the little time that it had. I also did enjoy Dylan's character and felt that his miss guidance made a great addition to the film. Let's talk a little about the overall story.

To sum up some the story a little bit for you. The Autobots learn of a piece from their home world is on the moon. This piece was the key for the Autobots to win the war on Cybertron. When the first men to walk the room discovered this object, the government decided to keep it a secret. As usual all secrets are revealed and it turns out to bite the humans in the butt. It's a race against time to who will have control of the power and who will survive. Without spoilers the story is average at best. It's way too predictable and it runs way too long. You will know who will betray who, you will know when the stale "I'm not leaving without her" is going to the come.

Characters are just thrown in there, just to be there. Tyrese character is pretty pointless in this installment. His character could have been any extra, or any new army guy. This installment has too many dead scenes. There are tons of scenes that could have been cut out. The military scenes, the hunt for clues are way too long and it drags the film down. Once again there is pointless comedy that really isn't needed. Too many stereotypes, homosexual references and enough eye candy shots to make you wonder is this how Michael Bay views women? Despite the running time, plot holes, lack of character explanation on the robots. The movie is your typical summer flick. Whatever piece of story that is there is interesting enough, to keep you watching for the fight scenes. It's just the wait to get to the big battles that is a real killer.

Acting - The acting is so, so. You really can't blame the actors for not performing well. They really have nothing to do to challenge them. Shia Labeouf is the same as you always see him in this series. In some scenes he actually looks kind of bored. Rosie Huntington Whiteley as Carly didn't work for me. Some of her line delivery made me cringe a little and she really didn't have much range to show what she can do. She is basically used as eye candy for the guys. Tyrese and Josh Duhamel do they jobs as military men, nothing really special. There's even a cameo from Ken Jeong who is becoming a little stale with his antics. The voice acting however is spot on. I will never get tired of listening to Peter Cullen as Optimus Prime. He brings so much emotional depth and life into the character. Leonard Nimoy also delivers a powerful voice for Sentinel Prime. Hugo Weaving is underused as Megatron but he still delivers that powerful voice. Overall the acting is so, so, but the voice acting is wonderful.

Music & Filmmaking - The music is epic. This is really a great powerful soundtrack. The music really captures the struggle of war between these robots. The last battle theme with the choir during the invasion is my favorite. Michael Bay really makes sure that his movies, have a movie soundtrack that sounds close to the trailer music we all love in our trailers. The film looks beautiful. The 3D brings you right into the action and looks very clear. They were a few hiccups, but that is being picky. The action scenes are the best in the series, especially the final battle. This time you can tell a lot more of who is fighting who. However some of the Decepticons still are the same silver color and it's hard to tell who they are. The last fight though was disappointing between Optimus and the final villain. I felt this being the last film that it should have really been a epic battle. The fight kind of ends quick. If you're going to see this, see this in 3D. The sound, the locations are worthy of IMAX 3D.

Final Grade C+/**1/2 - Transformers is not bad, but not good either. The pacing is way too slow and drags. There are tons of pointless scenes, not having any clue on which robot is which will be frustrating to the non comic crowd. However the action is great, the voice acting is great, the music is epic. I also like the theme of humanity and how it was focus through Optimus eyes. It's not a home run, but it's a decent way to end the series. It's better than Revenge Of The Fallen for sure. If your fan of the series give it a least a look.









Resident Evil: From Survival Horror To Action Shooter

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If you're a Resident Evil fan or a purist, then you know there is a division between fans of the series. On one side we have the fans who love the old school gameplay of the original Resident Evil. On the other side you have fans who love the new direction of a more action orientated Resident Evil. With new games such as Resident Evil Mercenaries, Resident Evil Revelations and Resident Evil Operation Raccoon City coming. Fans of the original series are fully up in arms in disgust of the direction of the series. We're going to examine both viewpoints of the original and the new direction. I will also add my two cents into this as well. Let's start off the original/purist argument.

Original/Purist Fan Point Of View: If you ask any Resident Evil fan what they love about the original, you'll usually get four of the same answers. The zombies, the story, the game was scary and made you think with the puzzles and the music was awesome. I must say that I agree with the fans of the original on this one. The old Resident Evil games had something that new one 4 and 5 seem to lack. It was missing that horror element, that puzzle element and the music wasn't really capturing the spirit of Resident Evil. The story of Resident Evil 1 and 2 are downright classic, 3 was so, so but it kept the spirit of needing to think to conserve your bullets and find a way to survive. Fans rooted for characters like Jill, Chris, Leon, Claire and Rebecca. They were invested in the story of an evil corporation behind a tragic incident. The story kept you surrounded in mystery, until it's final climax. Nothing could go wrong with this series until they got rid of the most key ingredient.

Old School Resident Evil


To the original fans they feel that the creators forgot who the characters were (Key Ingredient.) Go to message boards, videos of Resident Evil you'll hear many people cry out, "I miss the old Jill," "I like Leon when he was a vulnerable, more believable character." "I loved Ada win she wasn't a total badass." If you really examine the characters on how they began, and how they're now you will see a major difference. Ada was a spy in Resident Evil 2, but she wasn't such a badass. She made mistakes, she was surrounded in mystery, you didn't know whether she really care for Leon or was she just doing her job. Today's Ada Wong is like James Bond now and it really takes out any form of belief to the character. The gadgets, the ability to move fast in high heels, really turns off a lot of the purist. Ada is not the only one who has change, the direction of the story did as well. Resident Evil went from a conspiracy of an organization Umbrella, to "I'm going to form a new race of mankind (Play Resident Evil 5). To the original fan that storyline is a little to much of a Superhero plot. Fans want to go back to basics, they want the cover ups, the puzzles, the believable characters and more importantly the zombies and monsters. Fans feel that the new direction has strayed away from it's survival horror roots, in attempts to please a more bigger audience in the third person shooting crowd. Did Resident Evil sellout? Or is it just called progression. Progression is the key argue for fans who love the new direction.

Fans Of The New Direction Point Of View: Sometimes in life you have to adapt in order to survive. For fans of the new Resident Evil that is exactly what the series did. The gameplay was getting stale, the story was getting boring and new life was needed. Entered Resident Evil 4, which got rid of the zombies and introduce a smarter foe, which can set traps, think and use weapons. For the new fans this added more intense experience, than having to run from some slow zombies. The new direction for the main characters is an adaptation of the times. How many times can you have a game in a mansion, lab or secret base? How many times is Jill going to be in a situation that Chris has to bail her out from? The theme of today's villains is terrorism. That's exactly what the story did, it brought you a madman (Wesker) bent on world domination. Fans love the new strong, dynamic feel of these characters. For the new fans Leon was a wuss (Resident Evil 2) and he's more confident, tougher and believable in today's installments.

New School Resident Evil


As far as gameplay is concern, the hottest thing on the market is shooters, whether it's third person or first person. Shooters is what's in right now. The new fans love the new direction, why spend time solving puzzles, when I can have the intensity of killing a crazy chainsaw guy. If the Resident Evil series was going to go with the same formula over and over, it would've became stale and suffer from the same formula that many old school games suffer from. In history those that can't adapt usually get left behind. Resident Evil has changed, but it's adapted itself to a new audience and style of gaming. For the new fans it's all about progression and survival of the times. Did Resident Evil stray from Survival Horror? To the new fan who cares if it did, the new direction is awesome, as long as they can play Resident Evil they don't care.

Justin's Two Cents: It's no secret that I'm really not a fan of the new direction. I do however agree with both sides. From the story, character direction I agree with the original/purist fans. I feel that the theme of terrorism is stuff down our throats too much these days. On the other I do agree with the new fans point of view with progression. I feel that if the new games can balance both sides, everyone will be satisfied. What I think really needs to be back in Resident Evil is the horror. I felt 4 and 5 weren't scary and went for more an intense feel than actually scares. Only time will tell if this series will get back to basics or learn how to balance it.

Supernatural Anime

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YAY! Well now I'm really a Supernatural fan and it's awesome. Now one of the best shows (in my opinion) is going to be an anime ands most of them are original episodes with twists! I've seen the trailer and I think this can be good. Plus people who aren't anime fans but are Supernatural fans will have the best of both worlds. Jared Padalecki and Jensen Ackles will be dubbing the show. I love anime and Supernatural. Two of my favorite things coming together to make something awesome. Yay! As you can tell I'm happy. The anime is 22 episodes long explaining basically the first season. It comes out July 26. On blueray it is $54.97 and on regular dvd is $49.98 (got this info on www.dreadcentral.com with the help of username Nueva74 on youtube. P.S click on Nuvea's links and you can find the episodes. Big shout out for giving out the info). Anyway go and check it out. Plus if any of the Supernatural cast and crew are reading this thank you for giving us such a great show. I wish I could go to the con in NJ but I can't. However I can still spread my Supernatural love. lol That's it for me guys. See ya ^-^. Anime and Supernatural Rules!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (Not my vid. This is from Nueva74 on youtube. Look up the channel).

THE GUARD Trailer

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For the film geeks and those who love Sundance this is a really cool movie to check out. Here is a full synoposis of the film and trailer. The movie stars Don Cheadle (IRON MAN 2 (War Machine), Hotel Rwanda) and Brendan Gleeson (Harry Potter) check it out.

THE GUARD is a comedic fish-out-of-water tale of murder, blackmail, drug trafficking and rural police corruption. Two policemen must join forces to take on an international drug- smuggling gang - one, an unorthodox Irish policeman and the other, a straitlaced FBI agent.

Sergeant Gerry Boyle (Brendan Gleason) is an eccentric small-town cop with a confrontational and crass personality and a subversive sense of humor. A longtime policeman in County Galway, Boyle is a maverick with his own moral code. He has seen enough of the world to know there isn't much to it and has had plenty of time to think about it.



When a fellow police officer disappears and Boyle's small town becomes key to a large drug trafficking investigation, he is forced to at least feign interest when dealing with the humorless FBI agent Wendell Everett (Don Cheadle) assigned to the case. Left to run his territory to his liking for many years, he is not at all impressed when the FBI comes to town. Everett looks down on Boyle as a low-level provincial policeman with a limited and flippant view of the world; Boyle sees Everett as a by-the-book policeman with a chip on his shoulder and no understanding of how the real world runs.

Despite the fact that Boyle seems more interested in mocking and undermining Everett than in actively working to solve the case, Boyle finds that circumstances keep pulling him back into the thick of it. As unconventional as Boyle is, these events unwittingly offend his murky moral code. He realizes that he needs to take matters into his own hands, and that Everett is the only person he can trust. And so the scene is set for an unlikely friendship and explosive finale.