Friday, August 1, 2014

Movie Review - Guardians of the Galaxy


GTuck -

We have really slacked off on our movie and game reviews over the summer.  This has been the movie we have been looking forward to most, so I feel that I need to get off my lazy ass and write something about it. When I saw the first trailer for this movie, I knew I wanted to see it on opening night in IMAX 3D, and last night at 7:00 was that night.  The only thing that bugged me about this movie was the August 1st release date. I hated anticipating it as an end of summer release.  Not that summer is over, but it practically is at this point. Anyway, on to the movie.

It's awesome, that's all I have to say about it.  For an "origin" movie it's fantastic.  Not a lot of screwing around, it just gets in to the action and gets the crew together and we move on.  You don't have to sit through an hour of boring movie watching everyone develop, it's quick and to the point. There is a lot of great action, humor, and spaceships flying around.  Everything I need in a movie and more.  I want to see it at least one more time in the theater.  I give Guardians of the Galaxy a 10 out of 10.

GurleeGirrl -

I too had been anxiously anticipating the release of this movie.  After seeing the trailer about a hundred times, and the fact that every time Rocket would talk I would laugh, I knew this movie was for me.

As much as I love Chris Pratt, I really thought it was a gamble of a casting, as he really isn't huge in "Hollywood".  Let me say, if you weren't a fan before, after seeing this movie, there is no doubt in my mind you will be now.  He really is just extremely charismatic, played the dumb-hero to a tee, and provided ample comedic relief.  He was utterly perfect in my eyes (and not-so-hard on the eyes either).

Rocket (Bradley Cooper), Groot (Vin Diesel), Drax (Dave Bautista) and Gamora (Zoe Saldana) round out the major "Guardians" and all added their own touches to help make this one unforgettable origin movie.  I also have to mention the movie soundtrack.....awesome!

I laughed, I cried (of course) and actually clapped when the credits were rolling.

Be patient and sit through the credits, as there is an "after credit".  There is a Guardian of the Galaxy 2 slated for a 2017 release, and I'm not sure I can wait that long!

I will be seeing this movie several more times, and know that it will entertain me over and over.

My advice - see this movie in the theater and in IMAX if possible.

I give Guardians of the Galaxy a 10 out of 10.

Tuesday, May 20, 2014

Friday, April 4, 2014

Movie Review - Rush


GTuck - 

Somehow we didn't see Rush in the theaters, even though we had talked about going to see it.  Scheduling must not have worked out and now I'm mad at myself for not seeing it on the big screen.  Although the Blu-ray looked great and sounded great on my home theater setup, it would have been even better to see it out at the theater.

Rush is a movie about a great sport rivalry that I didn't know anything about.  Probably because it took place before I was born and mostly in Europe.  That may have something to do with it and the fact that F1 racing isn't popular in the United States, but wow, did I love this movie.  The rivalry between John Hunt and Niki Lauder took place during the 70's, but the main rivalry and excitement from the movie was in 1976.  It was for the Grand Prix cup and it's an amazing rivalry to watch.

The movie is intense, I didn't know how it was going to play out which made it that much better.  These drivers really do risk their lives every time they race and I didn't know if either driver was going to survive.  If you haven't seen this movie yet, make sure you rent it.  It's a great movie even if you aren't into car racing.  I will give Rush a 10 out of 10.

GurleeGirrl - 

Three words for you - SEE THIS MOVIE.  No joke, it's definately one of my favorites of this past year.  Although I've never been a huge fan of racing, the movie didn't bore me.  Racing is a small part of the movie, it's mainly about the rivalry of the two drivers, and the development of their "friendship".  Both Chris Hemsworth (aka Thor) and Daniel Bruhl were spot on in their likenesses to John Hunt and Niki Lauder.  The racing scenes were pretty incredible and of course, not knowing the outcome, I was always nervous anticipating a crash. The movie starts fast and never slows down.  I recommend you see this movie ASAP if you haven't already.  It's one I'll for sure watch over and over.  I just regret not seeing this movie in the theater.  I give Rush a 9 out of 10.

Friday, March 14, 2014

Game Review - Ryse: Son of Rome



Ryse:  Son of Rome was an Xbox One launch title.  I didn't pick up an Xbox One at launch, just got one recently for the Titanfall Beta.  Of course I bought it right at the wrong time, since I could have gotten Titanfall for free if I had waited, but that's not what this review is about, it's about me getting to play Ryse and I really liked this game.  It's a lot of fun and I was surprised since a lot of the reviews are kind of luke warm for the game.  It's not incredibly long, my Xbox tells me it took me 5 hours.  I don't know if that includes the cut scenes, it seemed longer than that.  I would guess around 6 to 6 and a half hours.  So, it's kind of short, but it's very fun.  Any longer and you would get bored of the button mashing.

I like all the Roman history/mythology stuff.  I don't know how accurate any of it is, but I enjoyed the story of Ryse.  I wanted to watch the cut scenes and see it all play out and I was happy with the ending.  I hope there is a sequel and they make it a little longer and vary the game play a little bit more.  I would buy it.

I played one multi-player match last night.  It's not for me, it's co-op and it's just more beating people up.  Maybe after a break and playing with someone I know it would be a lot more fun.  I'm sending the game back to Gamefly today, so I will most likely never play it again.

I really liked Ryse:  Son of Rome.  It's graphics are great, it's extremely violent and looks like a Next Generation game to me.  I will give Ryse:  Son of Rome an 8 out of 10.

Thursday, March 13, 2014

Non-Stop


GTuck -

I don't know what I was expecting, I guess I was in a way expecting an entertaining movie.  What I got was a mess that was actually pretty boring.  I guess Liam Neeson can do some wrong, which I would have thought was impossible.  I really didn't like this movie, if you're thinking about seeing it in the theater I would advise to just skipping it.  The action is fine I guess, but even that is lacking.  The acting is serviceable I suppose Liam Neeson and Juliane Moore are good, some of the other actors kind of suck though; I'm not going to go through the effort to find their names.  The story doesn't even make sense and when they finally do reveal what is going on and why you don't really care.  Even the movie poster is stupid.  I give Non-Stop a 3 out of 10.

GurleeGirrl -

I was pretty excited to see this movie, as I love me some Liam Neeson (doesn't everyone???), but I am sad to say, that excitement was extinguished pretty early on in this movie.  I agree with GTuck, this story wasn't all that exciting, and to make it worse, there wasn't a whole lot of action.  There were a few moments where I was like "really, OMG that did not just use that cheesy as hell line", but they did.  In a movie like this, which is supposed to be a action thriller, there is no reason to use cheesy one liners that do not even fit.  Just wrong.  Overall, was it the worst movie I've seen? No.  Do I recommend you run out and see it? No.  This is for sure one you can catch on cable, when you've run out of anything else to watch.  I give Non-Stop a 3 out of 10.

Thursday, March 6, 2014

Game Review - Forza 5


Since picking up my Xbox One almost two weeks ago, I have only purchased one game.  Forza 5 is the one I decided on, I've owned every other Forza so I figured why not.  I normally play for a while and then get frustrated and quit.  I've probably played this one the most of all of them in a much shorter period of time.  I'm hooked on it, it's really a lot of fun and the graphics are amazing.  It's the first time I've actually used the view from the driver's seat and stuck to it, this makes it a lot more fun.  I normally go out to the third "person" type view so you can see the whole car, maybe that's why I always sucked.  I'm a lot better from the inside the cockpit view.  I just wish it was easier/cheaper to get new cars.  I just want to try them all and that will take a very long time, unless you want to buy them with real money, which I refuse to do.  After watching the movie Rush, I really wanted James Hunt's car from the movie, but in real world money it would cost $20 to get it.  Or I save up in game currency for a real long time, either way I don't have the car.  I just want to try it.

I really love the BBC Top Gear integration as well.  It's fun to hear Jeremy Clarkson getting excited about the cars while explaining why it's in which class.  It got me excited enough to track down some BBC Top Gear episodes to watch, luckily there are like 17 seasons to choose from on Netflix.




The sound in the game is amazing, I hauled up my huge speakers from the basement.  GurleeGirrl isn't super happy with this, but it's really fun to crank it up and listen to all the different cars while you are racing.  It really adds to the experience.

I haven't played any races online yet, I want to get pretty good before I get my butt kicked in some multi-player, but I am looking forward to it.

I have many more hours to put into Forza 5 and I'm looking forward to them.  The cars control great, the tracks are fun, the driveatars put a different twist on it and challenging your friends is also fun.  I like to see that I'm beating my friends' times on my Friendslist.  If you are playing Forza 5, add me so we can compare times.  I'm G Tuck on Xbox Live.

I will give Forza 5 a 9 out of 10.

Monday, March 3, 2014

Gaming And Movies Podcast: Episode 3

Join GTuck and GurleeGirrl as they discuss Gaming And Movies.  This week we talk about cribbage, Forza, Ryse, Rush, The Lego Movie, Nebraska, About Last Night and more.

I apologize for the poor audio quality, I screwed up the mic settings, I will get it fixed for next week.



Thursday, February 27, 2014

Movie Review - About Last Night


GTuck - 

In order to see The Lego Movie, I also had to go see About Last Night with GurleeGirrl.  It was a deal that was worth it, I loved The Lego Movie.  I didn't love About Last Night as much.  It was fine, it was a romantic comedy.  Kevin Hart isn't really funny, the acting by the leading man is terrible and that pretty much wraps it up.  Kevin Hart is vulgar in a way that's not funny, it's not even shocking.  It's not funny, that's all there is to it.  However lots of people seem to think he's very funny, he's in every movie. The two main characters seem to be getting into their first serious relationships at 40.  Now these people would have a lot more baggage at this point.  Maybe they were supposed to be in their mid 30's?  I don't know, the whole movie is dumb. I just hope I don't ever have to see another Kevin Hart movie, even as far as romantic comedies go it's not really romantic or much of a comedy.  I would skip this one.  I give About Last Night a 3 out of 10.

GurleeGirrl - 

I had some high expectations coming into this movie.  The original was definitely a favorite of mine when I was younger.  I'm sure I've watched it at least 20 times.  It isn't a life altering movie, but it pulled at my heartstrings for some dumb reason.  Maybe it was the fact that Rob Lowe was in it (naked).  Or maybe it was that I loved James Belushi, maybe it was because I could listen to the horrible soundtrack over and over and never get sick of it, especially the Bob Seger song - Living Inside My Heart.  So this movie had to REALLY deliver in hopes of me liking it.

I will go so far as to say I liked it.  I found it surprisingly humorous, although GTuck didn't.  I think Kevin Hart and Regina Hall did a great job as loving/bickering couple Bernie and Joan.  They had me laughing quite a bit.  As far as Michael Ealy and Joy Bryant, I wasn't in love with them as the main character Danny and Debbie.  I think Michael Ealy was pretty emotionless in his role.  In other words, he's no Rob Lowe.

If you've seen the first, there are some minor differences between the two, which somehow was okay with me.  I wasn't thrilled that Chicago was recast to Los Angeles.  I liked the Midwest feel of the first film better - maybe because that's where I'm from.

Should you see it?  I'd say yes.  It's not one I think you should run right out to the theater and see, but if you are looking for a hour and a half of funny based on language/sex/lewd behavior, this movie is for you.  I give About Last Night a 7 out of 10.

Wednesday, February 26, 2014

Movie Review - The Lego Movie


GTuck -

Everything is awesome.  Got that out of the way, the song is stuck in my head and I don't hate it.  As a child of the 80's I played with plenty of Legos and mostly followed the instructions while assembling them.  I wasn't very creative, and I'm still not today.  This movie really spoke to me in many ways and I loved all the twists and turns and cameos along the way.  I don't want to spoil the big reveals for those of you that haven't seen it yet, but there were a few surprises that definitely put a smile on my face.  

I knew I was going to love The Lego Movie.  I love animation and it's almost as if I had assembled the cast for this movie myself.  Chris Pratt, Will Arnett, Elizabeth Banks and Will Ferrell are the main characters.  The others in the cast I didn't know about, but I was happy to find them voicing characters.  Mainly Charlie Day, that's not a big spoiler, but I was happy that he showed up and I didn't know it was coming.  So, this cast is really made for me.  I would have Chris Pratt, Will Arnett and Charlie Day in pretty much every movie though and it would be awesome.  There are some really great one liners in this movie that you will want to hear again, a lot are in the trailer, but most of them aren't.  The trailer doesn't spoil everything, which is very nice.  I really loved the story and am very happy with the ending and how it all plays out.  

If you have kids or were a kid of the 80's, I highly recommend seeing this movie.  It really is done very well, has a great theme and is a great feel good movie.  The voice acting is top notch and very well cast.  I will be buying the Blu-ray the day it comes out.  I can't wait to see The Lego Movie again.  I will give The Lego Movie a 9 out of 10.

GurleeGirrl - 

I was not as excited to see this movie as GTuck was.  It's not that I hate Legos, or kid movies (I normally LOVE them), I just wasn't sure what to expect.  Let's start by saying the voice cast is incredible.  From Chris Pratt, Will Arnett, Will Ferrell and on each of them had the ability to make these characters really come to life.  There were so many one liners that whether you are an adult or child, you couldn't help but laugh out loud.  I found myself laughing a lot during this movie (mostly due to the awesome lines delivered by Will Arnett as Batman). 

Every great movie has a lesson to be learned, and this one doesn't fail you there.  As a parent, we sometimes forget that kids should be able to express their creativity and we should encourage them to be unique.  I'm very guilty of saying "this is how you do it" or "shouldn't you have done this?".  It's crazy that I basically learned a life lesson from The Lego Movie, and that I definitely need to chill out some.

This movie (like many other animated movies), is written with the adult viewer in mind, more so than children, although where the dialogue is lost on them, it makes up for it in action packed Lego building sequences.  

I'm not sure if seeing the movie in 3D added anything to my overall experience, so I would say you can save the extra money.  If you are looking for a fun, family-friendly activity - this is the movie to fill a Saturday or Sunday afternoon.  I think the length is good, and that kids over 3 will have no problem following along.

I give The Lego Movie a 8 out of 10.


Tuesday, February 25, 2014

Movie Review - Enemy


GTuck - 

When I first saw the trailer for Enemy I was very intrigued, thought it would be a great thriller.  It's directed by the same guy that did Prisoners and also stars Jake Gyllenhaal, seems pretty can't lose to me.  The movie is very artsy, maybe just for the sake of being artsy with an annoying sepia filter on the camera at all times.  Shot with certain lighting and at certain times of day to get that "look".  Meh, it doesn't impress me and the story overall is very weird and creepy.  I didn't enjoy it a lot, but I have it for 7 more days on my DVR, so I have that going for me.  This is available to watch as an early release on DirecTV for $12.99.  I suggest that you save your money, it's really not worth it.  Unless you are really into that artsy movie that doesn't make a ton of sense.  Jake Gyllenhaal does a fine job acting in the movie, I don't have any problems with the acting by anybody in the flick.  It's just the story that doesn't do it for me, and the sake of being artsy for the sake of being artsy.  I will give Enemy a 5 out of 10.

GurleeGirrl - 

I really don't even know what to say about this movie, except I wasn't happy about this movie at any time, beginning to end.  It started super weird and ended even weirder.  I agree with GTuck that the acting was fine, it was the storyline that had me wondering WTF.  I was never able to sit back, relax and enjoy the movie.  It was just plain weird.  Too weird for me.  I'm still trying to figure out how the heck it has a 90% Critics Rating on Rotten Tomatoes.  My advice, save your money.  Not even sure if this is worthy of a Redbox rental.  If you are flipping channels on HBO one day and it's on, it's safe to pass it up!  I give Enemy a 3 out of 10.

Monday, February 24, 2014

Gaming And Movies Podcast: Episode 2

Episode 2 of our podcast, we discuss some games:  Titanfall, Ryse, Forza.  We also talk about the movie Enemy and The Guardians of the Galaxy trailer.  We also discuss bowling and GurleeGirrl's fear/love of beef jerky.

iTunes

PodOmatic


Friday, February 21, 2014

Game Review - Papa Pear Saga


GTuck-

Papa Pear Saga is just a Peggle clone. If you've played Peggle by Popcap Games, then you've already played Papa Pear Saga. I like Peggle enough, but not enough to really get into a game with a bunch of micro-transactions in the free to play format of Papa Pear Saga, I didn't play it that long before giving up on it.  I will give Papa Pear Saga a 3 out of 10.



GurleeGirrl -

It's really hard for me to write a review for this game.  It's not that I hate this game, it's that I just don't have much of an opinion on it.  It's a time killer, but not one that sucks me in and keeps me coming back.  I've probably played maybe 12 games this week, and 9 of them were the day I downloaded it.  I've never played Peggle, so it's not that I'm feeling I've played it before.  It's just not the type of game that sucks me in.  I really like games where you play against others, and this isn't that type of game.  I guess I'm not big on having to "purchase" add ons either.  Not gonna happen in my world.  I also hate "asking Friends" for lives.  So, will I keep this game on my phone?  Probably, I might need a game to play on a car ride, or while sitting in a doctor's office, etc.  But will I play it daily/weekly. No.  I give Papa Pear Saga a 4 out of 10.

Game Review: Titanfall Beta


Unless you've been living under a rock, you've heard about Titanfall and most likely the Titanfall beta that was available for Xbox One and PC.

I'm not sure if it's proper etiquette to review a beta, but I'm going to do it anyway.  I'm pretty sure I love Titanfall, it's the perfect combination of Call of Duty and Halo and something new.  There are AI characters to kill, giant Mech's.  I can't think of what else you could possibly need, you want a jet pack?  You got it, you want to run along the walls, you can do that too.  The graphics are great, but it doesn't blow me away or anything.  I would say Killzone on the PS4 still looks better than this one, but the graphics aren't going to hold it back.  It's all about the game play and the game play is fantastic.  I love running along walls, jet packing to the tops of buildings and controlling my Titan.  This game has it all, and I feel that I would have no need to play Call of Duty or Battlefield once this game comes out.  I'm not going to go crazy and say I will pre-order it, but I will probably buy it digitally the day it comes out.  I see myself playing this for the next year and when I'm done playing it, it will be worthless anyway.  Might as well buy it digitally for the convenience. These are just my impressions on playing the couple of maps in the beta and the few game modes that were available.  I really did have fun playing it and I think Titanfall will sell some Xbox One's for sure.  I will give the Titanfall beta a 9 out of 10.

Wednesday, February 19, 2014

World Premiere of First Guardians of the Galaxy Trailer

GTuck -

We haven't posted a movie trailer yet, but this one has me all sorts of excited.  So much so that I already ordered a Guardians of the Galaxy trade paperback for my iPad to read as I know nothing about this comic.  Maybe it's Chris Pratt that sells this, as I do really like him on Parks and Rec.  If you haven't watched the Guardians of the Galaxy trailer, check it out below.

GurleeGirrl - All I can say is WOW!  CAN. NOT. WAIT!!!!!

Movie Review - RoboCop


GTuck - 

We saw the new RoboCop movie over the weekend in IMAX and it's a pretty good movie.  I was never bored and the story goes along quite nicely.  I just wish there was more of him scanning crowds of people and finding bad guys, or out solving more crimes before it gets into the meat of the story.  All the acting is pretty good, and it's nice to have the Detroit setting even though they didn't actually shoot it here.  The Red Wings stuff and a Made in Detroit sticker were nice to see either way.  If you're a fan of the original RoboCop you will enjoy this one as well, the suit and CG in this movie are of course much improved.  There are some pretty great scenes of what was left of him without his suit on.  I will give RoboCop a 7 out of 10.

GurleeGirrl -

Of all the movies out this week, I was most looking forward to RoboCop.  I really enjoyed the original and was hopeful that the new would be just as good.  I was not disappointed.  The story was told well, the CG was pretty amazing and even the acting, for an action-type film, was top notch.  I am a Gary Oldman fan (since he was Dracula), and thought he did a standout job in this movie.  I can't really place if I've seen Joel Kinnaman in anything else, but I will say he pulled off "both" of his characters.  Although the interaction with his family is very small in the beginning, I felt the connection, which is weird.  There was a very touching scene between RoboCop and his son, and I thought it was well done.

I agree with GTuck that we could have seen a little more of him doing some "crime fighting", but they really concentrated on the development of RoboCop, from man to machine.

I really like seeing this type of movie in the theater, to get the most bang out of it.  So if it's on your radar, be sure to check it out soon.  I will give RoboCop an 8 out of 10.

Monday, February 17, 2014

Movie Review - Justice League: War

I'm going to be on my own for the review of Justice League: War, she doesn't take these awesome animated DC movies seriously.  I love them, and I can't get enough of them.  I hope they keep making them, and I look forward to whatever comes next.


I watched the Blu-ray and the quality is fantastic, great animation and sound.  The story is fine, Darkseid and a bunch of aliens are taking over the earth.  Typical, but great.  This movie is based off the New 52 versions of the Justice League.  I have not read any of these comics, but I like the way the characters are portrayed in this version.  Green Lantern is more of the smart ass of the group instead of Flash, which is fine; especially since the voice actor is Justin Kirk who I really like from when he was on Weeds.  There is even an origin story for Cyborg in this movie, which I've never seen before and I enjoyed a lot.  Superman and Wonder Woman are kind of immature, which is weird and Batman even smiles at one point, also weird.  If you are into the DC Animated Movies definitely check this one out.  It is rated PG-13 so if you have young kids I would probably skip it.  These movies really aren't for 10 and under kids, lots of violence and bad language.  I will give Justice League:  War an 8 out of 10.

Sunday, February 16, 2014

Gaming and Movies Podcast: Episode 1

Episode 1 of our podcast.  We discuss GurleeGirrl's son's birthday party, GTuck's Xbox One purchase, Titanfall, RoboCop and more.  Also, listen to the podcast to find out how to win a copy of The Last of Us.  Subscribe on iTunes or Podomatic, links are below.

iTunes

Podomatic


Friday, February 14, 2014

Game Review - Threes!

GTuck -

Threes! is a pretty simple indie game for the iPhone and iPad, well the concept is simple.  Doing well and getting a high score is not however simple, at least for me.  Basically you want to make threes and multiples of threes and get the highest score possible.  There is a nice tutorial at the beginning of the game that explains it all, and I'm pretty sure I got it right away.



I really have a love/hate relationship with this game.  I like to play it, I get frustrated quickly however.  My high score is only in the 3,000 point range and I was pretty happy with that.  I want to get better though, I haven't found any great tips anywhere yet.  If you have any, please let me know.  Don't let GurleeGirrl know though, I want to be better than her.

I always work myself into a jam, I have no discipline in this game.  I need to just keep working to a corner I think and not move out of it.  Keep working the high numbers to the corner and build it up, that's how I've gotten my higher scores.



What is your high score on Threes!  I'm sure it's higher than mine, that's not that difficult to do I'm sure.


After all that, and even though I'm terrible at it I'm going to give Threes! a 9 out of 10.

GurleeGirrl -

I, like GTuck, have a love/hate relationship with this game.  I mean come on, it's not a hard game, I can do simple addition, however, where this game is challenging, is paying attention to your next "card":


You can really jam yourself by letting all your ones or twos stack up against each other.  So paying attention to that card is important.

As far as is this game fun?  It is!!! I get sooooooooooooooooooooo frustrated, because in my head I know that I should be so good at it.  I'm not.  I mean it only took our friend Jenny Jenny 10 minutes to beat my high score.  I noticed that GTuck is even beating me now.  That just means I need to start playing some more, like right now!

Main thing I love about this game, is that you are not playing a game against anyone.  It's played at your own pace, and you can play as many games as you want.  There is no restrictions.

Funny thing is - I thought a 3,000 was a good score, until I seen the leader boards - people have scored 99,999,998 points in this game?!?!?!?! Seriously? I mean, I'm not a genius, but when 90% of my games are under 500 points, there must be something wrong with me.  I'm scatter brained for sure - we all know that, but this game shouldn't be that hard.  I will dominate both Jenny Jenny and GTuck soon.  Mark. My. Words.

I'm going to give Threes! a 9 out of 10 - because even after a week - it's still fun as hell.

The game is on sale right now on iTunes for $1.99 and seems to only be available on iOS so far.  Official Threes! website:  link  Threes! is definitely worth $2, check it out.



Wednesday, February 12, 2014

Nintendo News


In the tweet above Nintendo announced a new Nintendo Direct for tomorrow where the focus will be on Wii U and 3DS games launching by the end of spring.  Nintendo

I'm hoping there are other announcements as well.  We know Donkey Kong Country Returns:  Tropical Freeze and Mario Kart 8 are supposed to come out this spring.  I hope they also announce some games for later in the year, like make a Zelda or Metroid?  Highly unlikely, but it would sure be nice.

Hardware Review - PlayStation Gold Wireless Stereo Headset



I've never owned a gaming headset before, so I don't really have anything to compare to.  I haven't even
really ever owned a very good pair of headphones, but I think that has changed.  I really like these headphones, and the way they fit on my head.  Hooking it up to your PS4 couldn't be easier, all you have to do is plug in the included USB dongle and turn them on and you're good to go.  There is a Headset Companion App and I will get to that towards the end of the review.  I took some terrible pictures of my screen, apparently you can't use the share button on that app, I guess you wouldn't really need to ever.

I think the sound is very good and I'm hearing more details in the game that I never heard before.  I played some Assassins Creed IV and Need for Speed and both sound so much better with this headset, and I have a nice stereo and surround sound speakers.  There are less distracting sounds going on when I'm wearing these headphones.  I can't hear the furnace, refrigerator, car doors closing or any other random sounds going on;  just the game.  That feature alone is great to me and I think I will continue to use this headset while gaming.  I charged them for about an hour and then gave them a go for a couple of hours.  I played the above games and watched a little bit of Veronica Mars with them and they sounded great for that as well.  Yes, I'm watching Veronica Mars; I never watched it when it was on and now we are trying to catch up just in case we want to watch the movie when it comes out.  I'm about 7 episodes deep so far and enjoying it.

I only tested the mic by sending a voice message and listening back to it.  It sounded pretty darn good to me, and without there being a boom mic, there is less to end up breaking.  They also fold up nicely for travel in the included travel pouch.


Now, more about the headphones themselves.  I think the build quality is solid. They are comfortable and sound well.  What more can you ask for?  I guess more bass, and that's where they do lack a little, but overall I still think the sound is great.  I haven't tested it with my PS3 yet, but I assume it will work as well as on the PS4.  I did however test them via the included cable and hooking them up to my iPhone.  I listened to some Eminem and Lucky Boys Confusion, my two go to music choices, and both sounded a lot better on the PlayStation Gold headset than any headphones or ear buds I currently already own.


They headphones come with a micro USB cable for charging, but I never opened that one, just used my phone's charger, and I will probably stick with that plan.  There are rocker buttons for volume, chat, sound and mute.  There is also a slider button that turns the headphones on.  Setting 1 is just the default settings and Setting 2 has more bass by default and can be customized using the Headset Companion App below:


The Headset Companion App is available in the PlayStation Store right now and it has a bunch of different presets you can chose depending on what type of game you are playing, or for watching a movie, or even for different types of music that you are listening to.  You need to connect your headset via USB to get these presets to upload though, unless you can do it wirelessly and I couldn't figure it out?  I didn't look at any of the instructions that are included with the headset.

I picked my headset up at Best Buy and it looks like Amazon is shipping them now as well, however  Amazon currently requires an extra 1-2 days to process.

Overall I'm very impressed with this headset.  $99 isn't super cheap, but for a headset that sounds good, fits nicely, has a built in mic and is actually pretty comfortable, I think it's a pretty good deal.  I will give the PlayStation Gold Wireless Stereo Headset a 9 out of 10.


Tuesday, February 11, 2014

Most Anticipated Games of 2014

What games are you anticipating the most this year?

I know Titanfall is on a lot of gamer's minds, since I don't currently have an Xbox One, I haven't been following it too much.  Although when I saw an Xbox One over the weekend for $479 I thought about it, I mean that's $20 off, it's a steal.  It's almost stupid not to buy it, but I talked myself out of it.  I'm trying to simplify my gaming life and for me the exclusives on PlayStation are more appealing.  The only games I will be missing are Titanfall and whatever Halo games come out.  I honestly think I'm bored with the Halo franchise and Titanfall is online only and I'm not even sure I will love it, but heck it's giant mechs, I love giant mechs.

Titanfall



So even though Titanfall is on a lot of gamer's lists, it's really not on mine at the moment.  It comes out next month.

Metal Gear Solid V is kind of a mess at this point.  There is a preview game called Ground Zeroes coming out rather quickly on March 18, 2014 for Xbox 360, Xbox One, PS3, and PS4.  It however is just a prologue and reported to be only two hours long.  It's $30 for Xbox One and PS4 and only $20 for Xbox 360 and PS3.  I however will get it and be happy playing some next gen Metal Gear.  Phantom Pain is the full game that will come out after this, but an official release date has not been announced.

Metal Gear Solid V:  Ground Zeroes




The two games I'm looking forward to the next couple of months are both PlayStation 4 exclusive games.  inFAMOUS:  Second Son and MLB The Show 14.

MLB The Show 14



inFAMOUS:  Second Son




From what I've seen so far, both games look amazing.  inFAMOUS:  Second Son comes out March 21, 2014.  That's really not even that far away and I can't wait to play it.  There isn't a confirmed release date for MLB The Show 14 yet, but the rumor is April 1, 2014, so hopefully that's true even though it's April Fools Day.  I can't wait to start playing some next gen baseball, and with Cabrera on the cover, it makes it even sweeter for me.  Go Tigers!!!

As I mentioned, I don't have an Xbox One, but I do however have a Wii U and I've been enjoying plenty of games on that system.  I've had every console Nintendo has ever made so I'm not about to stop playing Nintendo games now.  I'm really looking forward to Mario Kart 8.  I'm anxiously waiting to play it online and to completing all the tracks.  Even though this is the 8th iteration of Mario Kart and I've played them all, I still look forward to it, and this will be the first we all get to play it in High Definition.

Mario Kart 8



GTuck's most anticipated games of 2014:

  • Mario Kart 8
  • inFAMOUS: Second Son
  • Metal Gear Solid V 
  • MLB The Show 14  
  • Destiny
  • Madden
  • NBA 2K
  • Drive Club 
  • Donkey Kong Country Returns:  Tropical Freeze.  
Let me know what you are looking forward to playing in 2014, maybe I'm missing something hot that's coming up.

Monday, February 10, 2014

Gaming and Movies Podcast: Episode 00

This is our first podcast.  We titled it 00 as it's just a practice one, we plan to be back next week with Episode 1 of the Gaming and Movies Podcast.  I apologize in advance for the poor mix, the intro and outro music is loud and the dialogue is quiet.  We will get that fixed for next week.

***Edit

I don't think that player shows up on phones.  If you want to listen to our podcast on your phone, please click on this link:  Gaming And Movies Podcast: Episode 00

iTunes


Friday, February 7, 2014

Game Review - QuizCross



GTuck -

I haven't played an iOS game in quite some time, kind of got bored with all of them.  I was talked into downloading QuizCross and it's actually a lot of fun.  I like trivia and this combines some trivia with tic tac toe, and I think that the format makes it somewhat difficult to cheat, at least on your phone, so I think it's fun to play.  It's ad supported for free or you can unlock it for $2.99 to get rid of the ads, I already did that.  I can't stand the ads and I'm ok with paying $3 for a game I enjoy.  The game is also available for Android with the same pricing structure.


The tic tac toe format allows you to steal a square if you don't lock it down by answering all 3 questions correctly.  Above I have the chance to steal from GurleeGirrl, by just answering two correctly.  I however failed.  Who knows why Daughtry wrote a particular song?  Nobody, that's who.


I like the format and the difficulty of the questions.  Good variety of History, Sports, Geography, Movies and Music and a category with them all mixed together.  I'm really enjoying the game for now, although I'm only playing my two real life friends, I haven't branched out to play any randoms or anybody else yet for that matter.  I haven't even run into a repeat question yet, which is nice.  I do however sing QuizCross will make you jump, jump in my head every time I open the game.  I will give QuizCross an 8 out of 10.

Have you tried QuizCross?  If so, what do you think of it?  Hit me up at TheGTuck if you want to play with me.

GurleeGirrl - 

I, unlike GTuck, play iOS games a lot.  Several times a day.  I do get bored with them, but there are a few that keep me interested.  When Jenny told me to download QuizCross and play with her, I didn't hesitate.  

Unfortunately, I was unaware, or was just plain being stupid, but I didn't realize there was a "timer" and while I started playing my first game, I received a phone call which drew my attention away, so I ended up losing my first try!  That really peeved me off.  So only attempt to play when you know you can give it your full attention, unless you don't mind losing.  I MIND.  

Being competitive by nature - I get really excited if I can "steal" a square away from my opponent.  Heck, most of the time I'm totally guessing, but I do get lucky.

I have to say, I absolutely love this game.  And hey, even if I absorb only 10% of the material, at least I'm learning something.  If you are looking for some competition, look me up at GurleeGirrl

I give QuizCross a 9 out of 10.





Thursday, February 6, 2014

Movie Review - Labor Day


GTuck -

I liked this movie a lot more than I thought it would.  Sure there is a lot that may be unbelievable, but if you allow yourself to get into it it's a pretty good movie.  Another well acted, artsy romantic comedy which we both always seem to enjoy.  Josh Brolin and Kate Winslet are very good in the movie, they both pull their characters off quite well.  Even the kid is good in the movie and child actors usually annoy me, he didn't do that.  James Van Der Beek and Clark Gregg also play minor roles and are quite good when they are on the screen.  It's definitely a great date movie, and you won't be bored having to sit through it if you allow yourself to get lost in the possibly not plausible story.  I give Labor Day an 8 out of 10.

GurleeGirrl - 

First off, this movie is right up my ally as I L-O-V-E a good love story.  The story is narrated from the son's perspective, and it was well laid out.  Kate Winslet played a depressed/mentally off divorcee.  They totally frumped her out for the role, and it was believable.  Josh Brolin, who seems to be aging quite nicely, is an escaped convict (murderer), and he can play that type of character.  The two together, meshed well and created a budding, intense relationship, all played out over the course of Labor Day Weekend.  You can't help but root for this broken couple.

The son is dealing with his own issues, as well as trying to figure out if he fits in to his mom's "new life".  I don't recall seeing Gattlin Griffith (Henry) in anything else, but he was great in this movie.

The movie is very dialogue driven but isn't confusing or hard to follow.  I was never bored, an actually there is a quite a build-up to a major movie scene, which caused me to actually get nervous.

I of course shed a tear or two, but that's one of the reasons I loved this movie so much, it really moved me.

I would certainly recommend this movie to any of my romantic-at-heart people out there.  I give Labor Day an 8 out of 10.

Wednesday, February 5, 2014

Movie Reviews - Thanks for Sharing and Captain Phillips


GTuck - 

I didn't like Thanks for Sharing, I remember when we first saw the trailer I thought it was a movie we might like.  Strange indie romantic comedies are usually right up our alley, this one however is just not good.  None of the characters are very likable, the acting however is fine, but nothing super exciting.  Just skip this movie, or wait for it on HBO and watch it in bits and pieces if you are really bored.  I will give Thank You for Sharing a 4 out of 10.

GurleeGirrl - 

Whomever said this was the "feel good film of the year" must be crazy.  I wasn't feeling good at all through the movie.  It was just plain weird and uncomfortable to me.  There were a few funny moments - thanks to Pink, but overall, the movie was on the dark side.  Left me feeling uncomfortable.  Not a winner in my book.  I give Thank You for Sharing a 3 out of 10.  Waste of time.


GTuck - 

I didn't love Captain Phillips either, I guess it was better than Thank You for Sharing, but that isn't saying a heck of a lot.  Tom Hanks is great as Captain Phillips, but I have no idea why this is up for Best Picture.  It's boring.  I would skip this one too, unless you are a huge Tom Hanks fan, I guess it's worth a rental.  I give Captain Phillips a 6 out of 10.

GurleeGirrl - 

Can you believe I survived watching this?  I did not have high expectations, but of course with all the accolades I've heard about this movie, I decided to give it a shot.  Maybe it was well acted, but hey it's Tom Hanks - I wasn't surprised by that.  About an hour or so into the movie, I thought, yay it's over, but it wasn't.  It wasn't even 1/2 over.  So in my opinion, it was entirely too long.  Didn't need to drag the story out.  But they did.  Is this one you need to see at the theater?  NO.  I give Captain Phillips a 5 out of 10.  

Tuesday, February 4, 2014

Game Review - Resogun


Today I am reviewing Resogun.  Resogun is currently free with PlayStation Plus.  If you have a PS4 and PlayStation Plus you need to download this game as soon as possible while it's still free.


It's really a good looking game for an arcade shooter and comes to life on the PS4.  The game is a mix between Geometry Wars and Defender, or something along those lines.  I'm not great at making comparisons, but those two games come to mind when I play Resogun.  I love arcade games and this brings back the memories of putting quarters into a machine to just get a little bit further.  It starts off pretty easy and gets very difficult towards the end.  There are different difficulty levels, so it's enjoyable for all skill levels and ages.


The main element in Resogun is to stay alive and to save all the humans.  The humans are trapped in square cages and to free them you must shoot all the keepers before they go off the screen.  The keepers are glowing green and you must get to them quickly.  There is an audible warning when the keepers are spotted and there is an arrow that shows up off of your ship so you know which direction to go.  They can however be far away, but you can boost to the location to get there quicker.  It's really a fun game that can be very challenging and frustrating at times.  I played a lot when the PS4 first came out back in November, and I just played it a little the other day to grab these screenshots and now I want to get into it again.  I would love to be able to play through on the most difficult setting and beat the game, but I doubt I will get that good at it.  


If you have PlayStation Plus and a PS4 you need to download this game and give it a try.  If you have a PS4 and don't have PlayStation Plus, you need to get it.  The free games have been pretty great so far for PS4, plus the games for PS3 and Vita are also top notch.  I will give Resogun an 8 out of 10.





Friday, January 31, 2014

Game Review - NBA 2K14


Today I am reviewing NBA 2K14 for the PS4, although I'm sure the Xbox One version of the game is very close to the same.

There is plenty of good and bad to go with NBA 2K14:

The Good:
  • The graphics and character models are amazing.
  • The game play is great and fluid.
  • The controls are awesome.
The Bad:
  • VC (virtual currency) is needed for almost every mode.
  • 2K Servers go down and when they are down you can't do a lot (No GM Mode, My Career, or My Team).
  • Where is the Slam Dunk contest?  I'm pretty sure you have to be selected to it in either My Career or My GM while you play through the season, which isn't as much fun as just choosing it as an option.

I'm hooked on the My Career mode, so most of the review will focus on that.  I've played a bunch of games online with my son and that's a blast too.  We've also played a lot of games in the same room, also fun.

My Career is where this game really shines though.  My Career is a mode where you create a player and then play in a showcase game, followed by a draft.  You go up against a fictitious player named Jackson Ellis, he's a real jerk and it would've be a lot more fun to get drafted ahead of him, but I was not.  I suppose if I would have bought VC then I would have been, but I was too cheap.  In an earlier post, I did admit that I spent $10 on VC to upgrade my player, the micro transactions are the only major bummer with the game.  You can earn a lot of VC with the NBA 2K14 app however and it's available on iOS and Android.  You can pick winners in the days NBA games to earn 50 VC for each correct pick.  There is also a random envelope you can click on and earn VC.  I normally get around 1500 VC a day from doing this.  You also earn VC from each game you play.  I'm at the All Star break, and I now earn 500 VC for every game I play and my character is almost maxed out.

In the My Career mode you only control your created player, and the game is only active if your player is one of the players in the game.  This makes the games quicker and easier to make it through a season of basketball.  My Career started on the Atlanta Hawks, the team wasn't doing well so I requested a trade and was traded to the Oklahoma City Thunder.  Now being on the Thunder is a lot more fun, but I'm still not a starter.  Being a point guard stuck behind Russel Westbrook isn't easy and I probably would be a starter if I stayed on the Hawks, but it was fun to request a trade and I got a trophy for it, so it was worth it.  I'm really having a lot of fun with this mode, and I can't wait to finish the season.  I wish I would have made the All Star game since there is a trophy for that as well, I guess I will have to play through another season.  There are some cheesey parts in My Career too, the way your character talks can be annoying and when you interact with other players they are mostly text.  Lebron has some recording so he talks, but most of the time it's just text that you have to read.  It doesn't take away from the mode much though, and I still play it all the time.

Playing online is a blast, my son and I play all the time and never have any lag.  This is of course when the NBA 2K servers are up, and they've been pretty good lately.  We usually choose random teams, either current or from the past.  We have nice competitive games that take about 40 minutes.

GM Mode is more of a regular season mode.  You have to work for the owner, make decisions on who you're going to sign, etc.  It's fun, but you also need VC for this mode, and I don't like that.

My Team is a mode where you buy packs of cards with you guessed it, VC.  It's fine, I bought a pack of cards to get a trophy, that's all I've done with that mode.

This game is the one I've played the most on the PS4.  I don't really know how many hours I've put in, but if I had to guess I would say at least 100 hours or so.  It's very fun, and I can live with the VC if there are easy ways to earn it, and there is, but you have to grind and remember to use the app to earn as much as possible for free.  I love playing a quick game in My Carreer, and I love playing online against my son.  I actually get excited when I earn a trophy.  If you have a PS4, it's a very good game to buy.  The game is rated E for Everyone, although there is a fair amount of reading to be done in My Career or the My GM modes.  I figure if you have young children, they wouldn't play those modes anyway.  I give NBA 2K14 a 9 out of 10.




Monday, January 27, 2014

Movie Review - 12 Years A Slave


GTuck -

12 Years A Slave is a very powerful movie and the visuals are amazing and disturbing.  This movie is very difficult to watch in spots, but it's so well acted it's worth struggling through.  Michael Fassbender, Benedict Cumberbatch, Lupita Nyong'0 and of course Chiwetel Ejiofor as Solomon Northrup are amazing in this movie.  Brad Pitt is smart by casting himself in the part that saves Solomon from slavery, I guess when you produce the movie you get to pick your part, but his pick is genius.  I've never read the book so I don't know how accurate it is, but if the book is as disturbing as the movie or worse, I would never be able to read it; although the Kindle version is only 99 cents right now.  Maybe it's worth a read, it's a very scary story and it really is difficult to watch on the big screen.

The direction and editing of the story is great.  Shows enough of him as a free man before being kidnapped and sold into slavery with flashbacks and jumping around in the story at the beginning.  Very easy to follow and you get quickly attached to all of the characters.  I highly recommend watching this film, but expect to feel strange for at least the rest of the day.  I give 12 Years A Slave a 9 out of 10.

GurleeGirrl -

Ok - normally GTuck and I agree on most films, but this one I think he enjoyed a little bit more than I.  Don't get me wrong, it's an excellent movie, but it just wasn't my cup of tea.  There were too many parts where I, as the viewer, felt uncomfortable.  I guess I knew what I was getting into by going.  It sure wasn't marketed as a feel-good movie.

Michael Fassbender sure played the role of an asshole to perfection.  Chiwetel Ejiofor was amazing.  The emotions he relayed with his expressions were crazy.  He didn't have to speak for you to feel his pain and despair.

I wasn't a fan of the way the story was told.  There was jumping around, which in the end made sense, but as it was unfolding I was like WTF?

I was waiting for Brad Pitt - and was wondering if he'd ever show up.  He does, but not for long.  His time on screen was most of the happy-feel-good part of the movie.

It's an emotional movie and you could feel an uncomfortable feeling in the the theater at times.  Of course there is somewhat of a happy ending, which caused me to be a crying mess.  Overall, the movie is totally a should-see, but I think I would have enjoyed it more at home, and probably would have watched it in more than one sitting, due to the anxiety I was feeling.  I give 12 Years a Slave a 7 out of 10.

Thursday, January 23, 2014

Movie Review - Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit



GTuck -

I've always enjoyed the Jack Ryan movies, whether it was Harrison Ford or Ben Affleck, it's all fun for me.  I love an espionage type thriller, as simple as they may be.  They are action thrillers and they are fun, they won't win any Oscar's, but who cares.  Maybe the story doesn't always make sense, and the action could be unbelievable, but it's a fun ride.  It's a movie that is certainly more fun to see in the theater as is any James Bond or Jason Bourne type movie, if you're into that sort of thing.  The IMAX screen and sound is perfect as well, I know we didn't see it in real IMAX, I don't really care about real IMAX anymore.  The IMAX at AMC is pretty darn good and good enough for me.  We saw this movie on Tuesday night in a theater that sits about 500 or so, and there may have been 15 people in there tops.  That's a shame as this movie is actually really good.  I give it an 8 out of 10.

GurleeGirrl -

I had seen the trailer for this a few weeks back.  I was pleasantly surprised to see Chris Pine and Kevin Costner, and the fact that it was a Tom Clancy movie - I figured it would be a worthwhile watch, and I wasn't wrong.  This movie starts off exciting and keeps going the whole time.  There is lots of action from fights to fast car chases, everything you want in a "espionage type thriller".  Chris Pine can pull off smart and badass.  Kevin Costner still has a crazy charm, and I am glad to see him back on the big screen.

We happened to see the movie in IMAX and that also adds to the excitement for me.  I totally recommend seeing this one in theaters.  I give it an 8 out of 10.

Wednesday, January 22, 2014

Movie Review - Enough Said



GTuck - 

We saw the trailer for Enough Said back over the summer and I knew it was a movie we were going to want to see, we like these artsy romantic comedies a lot.  It does not disappoint, it's a cute story and James Gandolfini and Julia Louis-Dreyfus are great in it as well.  Maybe the movies isn't as great as I think it is and it's the company that I have while watching movies like this that make it fun.  I certainly wouldn't ever watch a movie like this alone, but watching it with GurleeGirrl makes it a lot more fun and enjoyable.  I don't really know how to write a review about a romantic comedy, they are kind of throw away, but enjoyable.  I will give it an 8 out of 10.

GurleeGirrl - 

Well I can't believe that GTuck liked this one so much.  I have to agree that it was a great movie.  I wasn't disappointed at all.  I do tend to analyze movies like this, I always ask myself "is this story feasible?"  I like a story that you can relate too.  These characters are common people.  Nothing fancy or remarkable about them.  They were divorced, middle aged and average.  James Gandolfini and Julia Louis-Dreyfus really pulled it off.  It was believable that these two people could meet and test the waters with one another.  It worked for me.  There is a bit of humor, a touch of sadness and enough drama to keep you interested.

This movie is not the type that you have to see in a theater to appreciate it.  It's a great flick to watch from the comfort of your own cozy couch.  I give it an 7 out of 10.







Wednesday, January 15, 2014

Movie Review - American Hustle



GTuck -

I had high hopes for this movie.  Turns out I was becoming quite the David O'Russel fan and I didn't even know it.  I really liked Silver Lining Playbooks and Three Kings and enjoyed I Heart Huckabees and The Fighter a lot.  This movie just didn't do it for me, and I don't really get all the praise that's out there.  The acting is great, it's very well acted, but the story isn't that great and it's boring and predictable.  If it wasn't for the great acting and being set in the late 70's, the movie would get an even lower score from me.  The costumes and the setting were the best parts.  The first 30 minutes is definitely boring. I know I was bored.  Then the story picks up a little bit, and then it's boring again.  I'll certainly never watch it again, and I wouldn't be upset if Amy Adams wins an Oscar for it, but it's so boring.  I'm not quite sure why Jennifer Lawrence is getting so much praise for the movie either, she's fine in it, maybe it's just her character that's so annoying.  I think that Christian Bale, Bradley Cooper and Jeremy Renner are just as good in the movie as Jennifer Lawrence.  Even Louis CK is great in the movie, and I haven't heard anybody mention that.  The next person to tell me they loved this movie is really going to have to tell my why, because I'm really not sure why you would.  I'm interested to read GurleeGirrl's take, she liked the movie even less than I did.  I give American Hustle a 6 out of 10.

GurleeGirrl -

Well unlike GTuck, I really had no big desire to see this film.  The trailer didn't give me any indication that I would love it, but I had some interest since Silver Lining Playbooks was one of my favorite movies last year. I actually paid to see it twice at the theater!  That's RARE for me.  So I did go into it with an open mind.

First, I will say the movie was cast well and that the 5 major characters nailed their parts.  Everyone loves JLaw, including me, but this wasn't my favorite part for her, although she did carry it well.  Amy Adams was amazing.  She carried sexy off pretty well too, although I've never thought she did before.  I fell in love with her awesome 70's hair.  Her cut-down-to-her-navel dresses had me saying WTF?, but I guess I'm just lucky I never had to dress the 70's part, because it would be a big fail for me.  The fashion was my favorite part of the whole movie.

Bradley Cooper and Christian Bale both were deep into their characters as well.  Christian Bale just has an ability to make you forget that he is extremely attractive, because when you see him in this - he's far from it.

Now what didn't I like?  The story.  It wasn't amazing, it wasn't surprising, it was a little too predictable, although at some point I was questioning what was actually going on.  So maybe I'm just a moron.  Like why, out of nowhere, is there a shot of Bradley Cooper's character snorting cocaine?!?! Just one?!?! I don't know what I was supposed to get out of that.

I was pleasantly surprised with a DeNiro cameo - which he pulled off just fine.

I felt the movie was LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOONG and if it wasn't for the wardrobe and music to keep me entertained, I would have really been pissed.   I am sad to say the great acting just wasn't enough for me to love it, so I give American Hustle a 4 out of 10.


Tuesday, January 14, 2014

Movie Review - Lone Survivor



GTuck -

Went to see Lone Survivor on Friday night and I loved it.  Didn't love the crowd, everybody in the theater was sick. I don't know if I can go to the movies anymore during the winter; at least maybe not on a Friday night when the theater is packed.  It really grosses me out, but this isn't about how I hate everybody else at the movie theater, it's about the movie Lone Survivor.  I really loved the movie, all the visuals are fantastic and the acting is great as well.  All four of the main actors:  Mark Wahlberg, Taylor Kitsch, Ben Foster and Emile Hirsch are great and believable as Navy Seals and Eric Bana is great as well.  It's very graphic and cringe worthy in quite a few scenes, but I highly recommend it.  I give Lone Survivor a 9 out of 10.

GurleeGirrl -

Like GTuck, this movie was a total hit in my book.  This movie is intense.  It's not for the faint of heart.  There is plenty of visuals that are disturbing, and at times I found it very hard to watch.  The combat scenes are action packed, and really had me feeling anxious.  I obviously knew what was going to happen, but it sure didn't make it easier to watch.  Lots of tears were shed too.

I think what I like most about the movie is that it isn't necessarily about one person, it's about an entire Seal unit.  I have a brand new respect for our men and women in the military.  I just can't imagine that anyone can be prepared for what these soldiers were faced with.  It really is insane.

I give Lone Survivor a 9 out of 10 and HIGHLY recommend you see this one at the theater.

Friday, January 3, 2014

Killzone Shadow Fall Review




I finally beat Killzone Shadow Fall.  This game is pretty hard for a first person shooter.  I did a few levels multiple times, before surviving long enough to move on.  I’m very happy I beat it, and I liked it a lot.  The story isn’t that great, but then again the story isn't great in any of these types of games:  Call of Duty and Battlefield as examples.  I liked the story enough, and the different play styles you get to use during the single player are fun.  The free fall levels were challenging, but fun and the game has the best graphics that I've seen on the PlayStation 4 so far.  I also enjoyed the levels when you are floating around in space as well.





Killzone Shadow Fall gets an 8 out of 10 from me.