Darker than Black AMV

By: Robert Murphy

Hey guys, I’ve got another AMV for you all once again, this time the AMV goes to one of my favorite animes, “Darker than Black” and set to the song “All These Things I Hate” by Bullet for My Valentine. The AMV is solid and shows scenes depicting the complex relationship that two of the main characters from the show have. Hei, who is the shows main character, is a quiet and well-mannered guy but has a double life as a hired hand for a secret organization known as The Syndicate and the other character we see is Misaki Kirihara who is a high ranking member of Tokyo’s Metropolitan Police Force. These two run into each other throughout the show, both as friends who just so happen to run into each other “randomly” and enemies where Misaki chases after Hei time and time again. This makes for very complex feelings between the two, especially for Hei who knows who Misaki is but because Hei wears a mask when he’s working for The Syndicate, she doesn’t know who he is. Hope you all enjoy the AMV and hopefully you all get the chance to check out “Darker than Black” as well.  

Fast and the Furious 6

By: Robert Murphy

It has been a long time coming since we saw the end of “Fast and the Furious 5” and how it teased us with what we had coming our way in “Fast and the Furious 6” and now we finally get to see what has been going on behind the scenes and right under our noses, while Dom (Vin Diesel), Brian (Paul Walker) and their team were doing what they had to do and I just hope they are ready for what’s in store. This time around though Dom is faced with ghosts from his past as Hobbs (Dwayne Johnson) comes to him for help in taking down a bigger threat than Dom’s team ever was. Enter former British special forces solider Owen Shaw (Luke Evans) and his team who are pulling off high level robberies with the use of vehicular assaults and warfare but with an added twist, Letty. Yes, Letty is still alive and is working with Shaw and his team and in order to put a stop to it and get back what he’s lost Dom and his team are going to take down Shaw and get Letty back.

 Just what did happen to Letty?

As it ever was, the highlight to “Fast and Furious” movies is the cars, and oh God, is there some beautiful cars this time around. “Fast 6” pulled no punches and spared no expense when showing of some of the world’s top of the line precision vehicles.  While of course we don’t ever get to enjoy these beautiful pieces of machinery for very long in these movies they are incredibly nice to see, right up to the point where your heart sinks as they crash into a wall, go over a cliff or get smooshed by oh I don’t know, let’s say a tank. Yes, cars aren’t the only main attraction we all come to expect from a “Fast and the Furious” movie, we also expect to see over-the-top and crazy stunts with these cars and in that regard “Fast 6” laid out all it could, all be it some of the stunts were a little much even for me though. But as with every sequel to an over-the-top action film, the theme is to go bigger and more outrageous than the previous bigger and outrageous film that came before it and “Fast 6” succeeds in that department. While not revealing too much about the movie, scenes like the first appearance of Shaws custom car that can flip vehicles and launch them through the air shows just how much crazier things get this time around.

Shaw's flip car

The other appeal that “Fast 6” comes with is the group of actors and actresses that are involved with the movie and the underline theme of the movie itself and that theme is “family” and how you never turn your back on it. This family has a few big names in it with Tyrese Gibson (Roman), Ludacris (Tej) , Sung Kang (Han) and Gal Gadot (Gisele) are all returning to their roles and playing them perfectly and at the same time adding even more personality to their roles. Each of our cast gets their own bit of screen time added in, one scene in particular involving Hobbs and Tej being snub by a rich car dealer was particularly enjoyable for me as well as any moment where Roman had a chance to but in with his big mouth was just gold. But we also can’t forget about who brought this team together, Dom has a lot on his mind this time around with Letty being brought back into his life and the chemistry between them is even stronger than it was in the original “Fast and the Furious” movie. Where in the first movie Letty and Dom seemed to have a raw attraction towards each other, this time around you see just how much he cares about her and all they had and what he is prepared to do to save it.

 Gang's all here

Now this is a “Fast and the Furious” movie so crazy stunts and action are sure to follow, as I’ve mentioned earlier but there are moments where even I found myself rolling my eyes, mainly due to the cliché nature of certain moments. This wasn’t a huge issue for me since there was only one truly bad eye roll moment that I had while watching the movie and it would probably go ignored by a majority of those of you who see the movie. Also “Fast 6” suffers from a certain level of predictability as the story is coming full circle and tying up all the loose ends that wouldn’t match up with the story we’ve seen so far. But these are performed well and aren’t just plopped into the movie just because they needed to be there and as a fan of the “Fast and the Furious” movies right from the beginning, this was very pleasing.

 Drooling!

Overall, “Fast and the Furious 6” doesn’t disappoint a fan of the series like myself; it is still an adrenaline filled class of movie with fast and absolutely beautiful cars with a little more to it than it did way back when I first laid on the original “Fast and the Furious.” All of the actors shined as they did when they were first brought together in “Fast 5” and give a wonderful performance that really makes the on screen theme of “family” feel real. Of course there are those crazy action scenes throughout the film but hey it is a “Fast and the Furious” movie, would you expect anything different? And if you did then you clearly don’t know the series well at all.

Good:

-Amazing job by all the characters

-Oh God, those beautiful cars

-Over the top action that you wouldn’t believe till you see it

Bad:

-A few eye rolling moments, even for a seasoned action movie goer

-

Level of predictability that made moments in the movie not impact as they were meant to

Scully Rating: 7.5 out of 10

Deadman Wonderland 56: Last Dance

By Zach Goodier

Read Here:

http://www.mangapanda.com/deadman-wonderland/56/32

Time for the new issue of Deadman Wonderland, and boy, am I on the edge of my seat.  Not only do we have the final confrontation with the Wretched Egg and Ganta, but it seems that no matter what Ganta wants, whether it be revenge or to help Shiro, he is forced to face the possibility that he will have to kill the Wretched Egg.  This conflict has been in the making since episode one, and it looks like it's time to put the cards on the table and see how it turns out.  Ganta started this series as a naive, weak-hearted boy who didn't know how to stand up on his own two feet.  However, he now has not only the strength to stand, but to keep getting up when he falls.  I'm anxious to see how this all turns out, and will he grant Shiro's final wish?    Is there a way for the two of them to finally find peace, and find happiness?  It all seems to be coming up to the climax, so we'll just have to keep reading and waiting for the next chapter.  I'll let you know when the next chapter comes out, because I know I'll be waiting for it.

Naruto 632: Explosion

By: Robert Murphy

Read the manga here

Hello everybody, it’s Wednesday and you all know what that means, it time for this week’s new chapter of “Naruto,” this is chapter 632 and is entitled Explosion and with good reason as a few earth shattering moments are had in this week’s chapter. To recap, last week Sasuke had finally arrived at the battlefield and has made some pretty bold statements as to his intent in the future but for now Sasuke, Naruto and everyone must worry about the task at hand. Sasuke rejoins his former Team 7 companions and they set out to take down the Ten Tails and finally put an end to all this conflict. Things start rumbling even more in this week’s chapter as the previous Hokages show off their legendary skills and the new generation of ninjas start to do the same. So without further explanation, hop on in and enjoy another week of “Naruto” goodness. 

Bleach 539: Prob-less, Progress

Zach Goodier

Read Here:

http://www.mangapanda.com/bleach/539 

This week's manga continues the training and preparation that the Soul Society and Ichigo are going through in preparation for the next battle with the Quincy.  There really isn't a lot of plot development in this chapter, aside from the ending.  *SPOILERS*  Ichigo apparently has to say goodbye to Zangetsu, which really makes sense, since Tensa Zangetsu was broken, and a broken bankai can never be repaired.  Ichigo obviously has to start over from scratch, which means getting a new Zanpakuto forged.  What will this mean?  There really is nothing we can do aside from guess until next chapter where maybe we'll see a little more details on exactly what Ichigo will have to do.  I'm wondering if his new Zanpakuto may draw more on his Hollow abilities, or if possibly it could draw on his combined powers, similar to the entity Ichigo fought to learn the Final Getsugatenso.  *END SPOILERS*  I'm hoping to see Ichigo's training progress more next week, but we will have to juggle some of the captains and what they're planning to prepare for the coming battle, so odds are we will be forced to settle for brief glimpses at a time, or we may drop Ichigo's training entirely until we finish with the other characters.

Hitman Absolution

By: Robert Murphy

Over the years gamers have seen many secret agent type characters in games and today I’m going to dig into a game that stars one of my favorite highly trained agents in “Hitman Absolution,” that’s right, it has been a long time since we’ve seen a “Hitman” game and I cannot wait to take control of Agent 47 once  more. The last time we saw our bald and barcoded assassin was six and a half years ago, leaving a lot of time and anticipation for fans of the franchise to wait, hopefully our patience is rewarded in kind with our foray back into the franchise.

 "Not to be messed with" look

Trial and error is a big thing that I must say comes with this game, but it is not meant to be a frustrating aspect to the game, no its intent is for players to use their heads and learn the various different ways to play through “Absolution.” Now what I mean by all of this is that like the last “Hitman” game, “Hitman: Blood Money,” players have various different ways to put an end to their targets miserable lives, and boy, are they enjoyable. Not only this, but with each level there are times where you can search the entire area you are confined to, to find weapons or documents that will allow you a different way to complete your objective or make it easier for you to complete an objective. As ever, the “Hitman” games are for the patient, so if you’re not one of those trial and error types or a player who wants to play a mission over and over and see the many different ways your enemies can be taken out, then you will not find a game you want here. Some of the deaths for your enemies are quick and clean, while others are long, but oh so worth it, as you see some of your targets gasp at their last shreds of life before they go down…..by the way these kills are also gruesome at times, if you couldn’t tell by that description alone.

Using the new cover system

Now moving on to the task of getting to your targets, 47 has been given new upgrades from previous games from his shooting skills to stealth and more. This time around 47’s extensive combat skills come into play against all of your targets groupies that get in the way of taking them down, where before you had sedatives for taking down your opponents and keeping them down, now you can just sneak up on an unaware enemy and grapple them to the ground. From here you can either take your enemy down peacefully or just knock your enemy unconscious or you can choose to snap his neck for being a bad guy or you just didn’t like his face. Also, as you are supposed to be sneaky, there is a very smooth and enjoyable cover system for players to use as they move quietly through levels and it works great as you can silently maneuver and easily pop out to take down an enemy or grab them and pull them behind cover with you as well. But if you are above all the hand to hand combat and silent takedowns, 47 is always packing some sort of weapon and in “Absolution” we are introduced to an ability known as Point Shooting. This ability allows you to use your instinct meter to enter a slow motion state where you can lock onto your enemies, shooting them in their vital points or just unload rounds of bullets into their bodies but I went for the vital organs myself. Along with this there is Precision Shot where you lightly squeeze your trigger to steady your aim, making your kills cleaner and effective if you feel the need to shoot at all.

YOU OVER COOKED THE ROAST!!!!

Now I mentioned in the previous paragraph that there is a feature in “Absolution” called “Instinct,” this is a meter that is filled by preforming various tasks in the game like collecting evidence or silently taking down enemies. Players can use instinct for various different things in the game, the main aspect to using instinct is when you are using a disguise and an NPC that has the same disguise recognizes you, you can use instinct to sneak by them without your disguise being blown and you having to take down an innocent by standard. Instinct can also be used to identify enemies in relation to where 47 is and see what path they will take so you can ambush them, also instinct identifies various objects/collectables in the game that you can use and can help you complete your objective.

 Instinct Mode in action

“Absolution” however isn’t all about the single player story anymore, and the game breaks into multiplayer elements with Contracts mode which is a sandbox style element where you can create your own custom hits within the game’s levels, choosing whatever NPCs, weapons or disguises you want. You can challenge your friends to complete your contracts faster and more efficiently than you and vice versa with you being able to play contracts that your friends make as well. Pausing a level in story mode will also present you with an opportunity to play a user-created Contract instead if you aren’t feeling challenged enough.

Overall, I am very satisfied with the new addition of “Absolution” to the “Hitman” franchise, the game does start to pander to more of a less stealthy aspect for players that choose not to be stealthy but at the same time is still the same sneaky and stealth heavy game fans have played before. Games today have begun to start to let players choose their own paths and their own ways to play in a multiple different ways and while “Hitman” game have always done this “Hitman Absolution” stepped up its game to the new standard of multiple ways to play and I was truly pleased by it. Also 47’s upgrades from previous games in things like hand to hand combat and stealth were very enjoyable as well and makes being stealthy fun and easy. The only thing that I can really say I wasn’t impressed with in “Absolution” is the story which was lack luster and really didn’t pull me in but with all to do and see in the game, I found myself enjoying playing the game and not really thinking about it too much.

Good:

-Incredible replay factor

-Plenty of collectables and in game goodies

-Multiple ways to play a level and take down your targets

-47 receives new and enjoyable upgrades

Bad:

-Lack luster story

Scully Rating: 9.0 out of 10

Destiny Official Trailer

By: Robert Murphy

Link to video here

Hello everyone, as some of you gamers out there may know, Bungie who are known best for the “Halo” franchise, have been working on a new project that is something new entirely from what we have seen in their past work. “Destiny” is their latest title which they have been working on since they left work on “Halo” and I myself have been very excited from what details and images have been revealed about the game so far. Now though an official video for the game has been released and we here at Scully Nerd Reviews would hate for you all to miss out on seeing it. Now if you don’t want to know anything about the video before you watch it, stop reading now because I am going to be giving my two cents about the video right now.

The video is a mix between a live action narrative and sort of cut scene style moments from the game and the video itself also has its own unique title called “The Law of the Jungle.” The video progresses as a man whose narrating events from the game like a story from a book to his son or daughter, which I found to be pretty unique and from here on we are moved into the game itself. We take a look at some of the new character classes on both ends of the spectrum; we meet characters that you yourself will play as, as well as the enemy races that players are up against. Now right from the moment we meet the characters, it feels like there is a heavy emphasis on group gameplay and dynamics and how a strong group can take down the toughest enemies. This makes sense for “Destiny” as it is being marketed as a MMO that will link you and your friends or you and a group of people you just so happen to meet that love to game as hard as you do or as casually as you do. All the while the video progresses and the man continues to narrate what the law of the jungle is and how it is used to survive this world Bungie is having gamers be a part of. Now most of it didn’t stick with me till the very end when he states “The strength of the pack is the wolf and the strength of the wolf is the pack” and this furthers my thoughts on how team play will come in handy or play a role in this game.

Well hopefully you all enjoyed the video and my thoughts on the video itself and we here at Scully Nerd Reviews will keep our eyes open for more on what looks to be an awesome game. 

Assassin’s Creed 3: Tyranny of King Washington – The Redemption

By: Robert Murphy

It has finally come to pass; the conclusion to the “Tyranny of King Washington,” “The Redemption” is our final chapter to this three part DLC and this alternate universe we’ve experienced where some of the revolutions greatest heroes have become America’s biggest threat, leaving Connor to put an end to the madness. We finally dig into a heavier dose of action this time around and it all leads up to the confrontation that we’ve all been waiting for between Connor and King Washington and anything that just so happens to stand between you and him along the way. So without further introduction, let’s dig into the fast paced conclusion to the “Tyranny of King Washington” and tearing down his empire of built on blood and suffering.

 I think King Washington is overcompensating a bit

The story comes to us with an enjoyable addition by the way of the sea, yes once again we are back at the helm of the Aquila right at the beginning of “The Redemptions” story and it feels good to be back out on the high seas battling with your crew. Sea warfare was a fantastic part of “Assassin’s Creed 3’s” gameplay and continues to be as you blast your way through the ships outside of New York’s docks that Connor must penetrate to gain access to the city. Last time around in “The Betrayal,” we left the woods of Connors people and entered the hustle and bustle of Boston, which was pretty much the same as it was in “Assassin’s Creed 3” if not exactly the same. In “The Redemption” however Connor heads to New York City which is drastically different from the last time we laid eyes on it, thanks to King Washington and his personal changes, trying to make New York City a sort of capital to his empire and its definitely something to be seen. The city which was once compact with rows of homes and shops is now cleared out and stands testament to Washington’s giant stone pyramid covered with workers toiling away at its walls. These people become the key to your success in this DLC, all the down trotted people of New York City are starving, hurting and angry at the oppression that they are facing and with Connor aiding them this aggression soon turns to action. The missions Connor takes on this time now revolve around this, changing things up from past DLC missions where you go and fetch something for a character and instead lead you to doing tasks like protecting a food chart from being taken by Blue Coats so that it can feed the starving people of New York.

 The Aquila is back!

Speaking of Blue Coats, boy are these guys everywhere and I mean EVERYWHERE! It’s not surprising that the nerve center of King Washington’s empire would be heavily guarded but hot damn these guys make it hard to get around and enjoy this crazy new city’s surroundings. This massive amount of enemies can be a problem but thanks to the new power this time around, you will be able to make quick work of a crowd of those blue bastards. This time around Connor is endowed with the power of the bear which is a large physical stomp that comes in handy when you’re in a jam and surrounded by enemies and is crazy fun to use as it throws your enemies outwards with rag doll enjoyment following along with it. Sadly the power of the bear comes with a price as it zaps a good chunk of your health, so while it is enjoyable to use, it is used more or less used as a last resort in a losing fight against your enemies and makes the original problem of too many enemies still a problem but an easier to deal with problem. But if this still bums you out, you still have all the previous abilities that you’ve gained in “The Tyranny of King Washington” including the power of the eagle, so you can soar over all of the Blue Coats you want.

The power of the bear in action

Now with all this wrapped up we come to center of our story, a moment we all knew was coming as we come face to face with Washington and his tyrannical madness, brought on by the Apple of Eden but also we begin to see the effects and the costs of Connors animal gifts. Yes, Connor has a lot on going on inside of him as the powers that he controls take their toll on him and make it harder to reach your goal of putting an end to Washington’s corruption. This however isn’t very well explained and is rather quickly dismissed as you finally come to the final confrontation with King Washington, which was itself a disappointment. After you climb to the peak of Washington’s monument to over compensation, you’re placed into a sad boss fight, that ends quickly and leaves players with a philosophical and supposedly deep ending which is the exact opposite of what you wanted and for that matter deserved but what are you going to do, it is what it is.

 It all led to this

As a whole, “The Tyranny of King Washington” came to players with a lot of unique and exciting ideas from the alternate universe to the unique premise of having some of our nation’s greatest icons turn out to be the most vile enemies in United States history. “The Redemption” however proves to be somewhat of a lack luster finale to the story, regaining control of the Aquila was amazing, the power of the bear is crazy fun to use but it all came down to the climax of the battle between Connor and Washington, which was far from what it should have been.

Good:

-Being back aboard the Aquila feels great

-Power of the bear is a lot of fun to use as enemies soar through the air in true rag doll fashion

-Stunning visuals and a great new city to explore, if you can

Bad:

-Enemies….enemies everywhere!

-Disappointing ending

Scully Rating: 7.0 out of 10

In the News: Xbox One

Hey guys, Zach here.  Well, yesterday saw the reveal of the next generation console from Microsoft: the Xbox One.  And while I have yet to hear a lot of specifics on the event, since I was working and couldn't actually sit down and watch the event, I have tried getting back up to speed since then, and the news couldn't be more bleak.  This covers the basic "news," what follows here will be some facts and speculation, mixed with the opinions of a potential Sony convert.

New doesn't always mean better...

First off, let's start with something silly: the name.  I know that the Xbox 360 made people go, "wow, how did I miss Xbox 2 through 359," and while it did supply a good joke or two, we rolled with it.  However, I haven't thought up any good jokes yet, and I just get a little confused since the first Xbox is a decade old at this point.  I just wonder who they hired to name the thing, I'm not seeing any good marketing angle at work here.

I've seen too many creeper movies about corporations spying on people with products and such, and why should I need one of these to play Elder Scrolls?

Now, another detail I have read is that the console will require both internet and Kinect to function.  This, after being unable to update this very site for a week due to bad internet, is frightening.  While the internet requirement hasn't been confirmed, it has been the subject of conflicting responses from the Microsoft staff when asked.  The Kinect is upsetting because I have never been interested in Kinect.  After I bought my Wii, I played it for about a week, then I lost all interest in the motion gaming.  If I want to be active, I'll go outside and do something, I don't need a Wii to stay active.  The motion-gaming gimmick really needs to stop.  While the Wii may look impressive on paper, everyone I know who bought one let it rot after a month or so.    This also seems like another way of draining our wallets to put cameras in our living rooms so Microsoft can spy on us... o.O

However, the single biggest issue I had wasn't in the details that they announced, it was with they seemed to completely overlook: THE F%$#ING GAMES!!!!!!!!! The games are what the Xbox name has been built on, and while they claim to be holding out for E3, why hold this event in the first place?  All I have seen and heard is that this was trying to sell us an entertainment system, something to watch live TV and sports games, while using all the clever features and such that they were working on.  I'll gladly go back to playing 32-bit games if that means that I'll get to actually enjoy myself.  I don't care about showmanship. I don't want something that looks clever, just make it actually clever.  Make it load games faster, give it a solid state hard drive or something, just show me that this console has the hardware and features that actually support and enhance my gaming experience, not televised sporting events.  It almost seems like Microsoft has been bought and paid for by EA, because everything this console does has catered to what EA tries to sell. The few bits relating to gamers just show some fancy graphics that are done in CGI trailers, not in-game engines.

None of this relates to games... at all.  I mean, I get all this on my cable box already.

(Here's the "too long, gimmie short" version)

In short, I'm disappointed.  I hope the E3 conference will have better news, but from what I've seen I won't get my hopes up too high.  While I love my Xbox 360, it feels more like Microsoft has been bought by EA, who have consistently disappointed me with ruining game franchises (Mass Effect 3's story, SWTOR, Dragon Age 2).  Now it looks like the disease has spread to an entire console, with Xbox One looking more like a VCR that is supposed to play TV and allow me to post on Facebook that "i jus shot my bff rob in cod, best nyght everrrrrrr lol #yolo #supernerd."  .....You have no idea how sick I made myself typing that, by the way.  The point is that I don't think we need to see all of these pointless features, I want to see how this console will appeal to those of us that are just in it for the games, because I already have a TV to watch TV on, and a computer to do Facebook and what-not, and I don't like Madden or sports all that much, so why should I care about this?  Hopefully, I'm just overeacting, and soon we'll have all the details about what gaming angle is, but then this announcement was a waste of time to showcase a gaming system.  Oh well, we'll just see what happens...

Naruto 631: Team 7

By: Robert Murphy

Read the manga here

Hey everyone, we’re back once again with another chapter of “Naruto,” chapter 631 is called “Team 7” and if that doesn’t peak “Naruto” fans interests right there, I don’t know what will. As scully nerd review writer, Zach has told you all, we have been away due to internet problems and we apologize for people who have come regularly to our site but we are back and due to us being away for last week’s manga chapters and I hope you all were able to still check them out. I will offer a brief recap right here and now of last week’s “Naruto” which was chapter 630, “What can fill a hole” and it centered mainly around Kakashi and Obito talking about what they’ve both lost and Obito offers Kakashi the new world he is trying to create, a world free of suffering and lose. Kakashi in turn rejects this world and tries to show how these false hoods Obito is trying to make won’t fill the hole inside of him but tells him what can. Outside of this the battle between ten tails and Madara against the allied forces of the shinobi world seems bleak as 10 ten tails prepares a terrifying attack but it would appear that helps is on the way as Minato arrives just in time to divert the blast that ten tails was preparing to unleash and leaving father and son to reunite. Moving onto our new chapter though the theme of reuniting continues as Minato, the other hokages and yes Sasuke finally return and we find out just what he has decided to do from here on out with his life. Is this a joyous reunion for everyone? especially for the former members of Team 7, Sakura and Naruto are both brought face to face once again so jump on in to this week’s chapter of “Naruto” and see how it all unfolds.  

Bleach 538: Standing on the Edge

By Zach Goodier

Well, the past mini-arc is now over and done with, and we can finally move back into the main story.  So far, we're seeing the start of the preparations for the next big battle, with captains and squads training to prepare for the next bout with the Quincy.  Ichigo is  finally moving forward and it looks like he'll be getting his full power back soon; however, he's not the only one that seems to have to look back in order to move ahead.  Hitsuguya and Komamura both appear to be faced with similar problems, since their bankai were stolen in the last fight.  However, my focus still remains with Ichigo's training and it appears that he is finally making fast progress, much to the surprise of Nimaiya, the zanpakuto creator. 

Now that it appears we are in full swing again in the current timeline, we might finally see some buildup to the next big battle.  It looks like it's all hands on deck, and with Uryuu taking up the mantle of "Prinz von Licht" ( or "Prince of Light") among the Quincy in the previous chapter, we might see things come to a head with a confrontation between Ichigo and Uryuu, but I think Uryuu's loyalty might not truly lie with the Quincy King, Juha Bach.  Only time will tell, however, as we see the stage being set for the next, and possibly final, act.

Bleach: Memories of Nobody

By: Robert Murphy

Opening on your average day in Karakura town, we find Ichigo and Rukia chasing down a hollow trying to make a quick meal out of a defenseless soul but luckily the good guys come out on top and Ichigo makes quick work of saving the spirit of this girl. Congratulations all around as the day is saved once again but there’s no time for patting on the back as the town is quickly filled with faceless creatures in white cloaks. Who these things are and where they came from are a mystery and what’s more an even bigger mystery comes about when a girl, Senna, comes to the scene and takes down each one of these strange beings right before Ichigo and Rukia’s eyes. While Senna is dressed like a soul reaper and is sporting a shikai, she has no memory of who she is or for that matter any known affiliation to the Soul Society and the Thirteen Court Guard Squads. This is where our story begins and we watch as Ichigo tries to unravel the mystery behind this girl and just what new threat has come to Karakura town.

 Meet Senna as she kicks some butt

Now I hate to assume things when I’m writing a review but I’m going to go out on a ledge here and assume that you’ve all watched “Bleach” if you’re going to watch “Memories of Nobody,” so I won’t go into detail on Ichigo and Rukia. Let’s get into our new character, Senna, who is quite the spunky girl who becomes attached to Ichigo after the first meeting between the two and they proceed to get to know each other right of the bat. This girl proceeds to poke fun at Ichigo and be a general pain for him as she is obsessed with going on a Ferris wheel ride and dragging Ichigo along for the ride, but the fun's not to last as the true reason behind our white cloaked creatures comes to light. The Dark Ones appear as our resident evil-doers and they have taken an interest in Senna and they need her for their plans to move forward. Ichigo being the resident hero, naturally springs into action to save the day and not let anyone lay a hand on Senna, which is a good thing too because the very fate of the realm of the living and the Soul Society rest on her being protected.

Say hello to The Dark Ones

Outside of our new character though, there are very few surprises that come to the story as it unfolds in a very formulaic pattern that “Bleach” is known for which is the bad guy show up, Ichigo gets his but initially kicked and then he goes after them to take them down with his full strength, which he didn’t use before for the simple fact that the movie would be too short if he did. But I am not saying that the plot is at all bad, the story is solid and moves along at a nice/smooth pace without any points where you have to sit through a lengthy battle or unappealing dialogue. We also get to see a couple of my favorite captains come to the screen in “Memories of Nobody,” such as Byakuya and Toshiro, along with other popular soul reapers, like Renji, making an appearance as well. We also get to see the rest of the cast like Chad and Oriime but only for brief moments but this is good because it’s hard to jam pack every character into one movie and “Bleach” has a lot of them.

 Oh God, right in the feels

Overall, what we get from “Bleach: Memories of Nobody” is a solid movie that won’t disappoint fans of the show as it holds up to exactly what “Bleach” does best; and if you’re not a fan of the show….well honestly why are you watching the movie if you’re not a fan of the show it’s based on? Ichigo takes up a lot of screen time but why wouldn’t he? I mean he’s the main character after all, and alongside Senna, who is a spunky and enjoyable character to follow with a bit of mystery about it her that as you watching all the way to the end just to see what she is all about. Also the movie brings out some of the shows enjoyable characters like Rukia, who I’m not the biggest fan of but is still a good character and other soul reapers like Renji, Toshiro and Byakuya, all make for a great cast of characters to bring forth in the story making for a terrific first edition to the “Bleach” movies.

Good:

-Good pacing and an interesting story to match

-Ichigo and Senna make an enjoyable pair

-Great set of characters from the “Bleach” universe are involved in the story

Bad:

-Follows a very simple formula, that “Bleach” is known for

-The Dark Ones aren’t anything to write about as far as bad guys go and it’s not surprising with that kind of cheesy name

Scully Rating: 7.5 out of 10

****Buy Bleach: Memories of Nobody at Amazon****

Star Trek: Into Darkness

By Zach Goodier

This movie is J. J. Abrams' sequel to the successful 2009 remake.  With the new, altered timeline, the possibility now exists for the retelling of classic Star Trek stories, with a new spin that is allotted by the change in the classic Star Trek timeline.  This all makes sense, but it does come with risk.  While there is a lot here to please fans, especially if they enjoyed the previous installment, it is action-oriented, so it loses some of the classic "Star Trek" feeling.  But that is no excuse to not go out and give this movie a chance, because regardless of whether or not you are die hard Trek-fan, or just the casual sci-fi/action junkie, you will find a lot here to enjoy.

The antagonist, "John Harrison," though you'll know him by a more familiar name later on in the film.

Well, this is a tough one to get into, namely because of the spoilers.  Needless to say, Kirk and the crew are back, and they're on another adventure.  John Harrison is the villain this time around, although you may find that once he drops this alias you have the greatest nerdgasm of all time.  However, the follow-up may not be as in-depth and cerebral as you would like.  However, this isn't a fault of the actors, it's a writing decision.  The old Trek films were based directly on the show and its characters, allowing for more depth in the story.  This film feeds off of the established lore, and just focuses on the CGI/action sequences.  While the action is really good, I would be willing to bet that the vast majority of Trekies who have an issue with this film will definitely find fault with the lack of depth to the story.

Scotty is still hilarious in this movie, and his role is expanded in this film.

That being said, there are plenty of little moments that link back to the classic films that make your inner nerd jump for joy like it's Christmas.  While I won't get into spoilers about details, let's just say Abrams and his writers did a great job of working the whole "altered timeline" into the classic conflict, bringing scenes that mirror the classic film perfectly, yet change some of the key details.  This is one of the things that this film did well, and made me want to shed a tear or two when it got near the end.  The story definitely does a good job of paying homage to the classic, while still adding its own take on events through the timeline shift.

The characters are all fairly well portrayed.  Kirk has a lot more emotional depth, feeling a little more focused, but still very headstrong and reckless.  Spock fills his roll nicely as well, giving new life to the classic "emotion vs logic" conflict that the classic version conveyed so well.  However, like the story, you can't really help but feel that these characters are still not quite what you would hope they would be.... THEY'RE GOOD.... But you can never truly replace a classic.  The character that keeps you on your toes is Harrison, obviously.  As a villain, it is tough to pin him down throughout the first half of the movie, and the Federation is seemingly just as confused by his actions; however, once you get into the middle parts of the movie, his true nature will soon become apparent, and a brief appearance by Leonard Nimoy as the "Old Spock" will catch you up to speed if you aren't familiar with the classic lore, or simply need a quick refresher.

Surely now that he's in a cell we're all safe..... right?.... RIGHT!?!?!

Let me take a second to revisit Harrison.  He is revealed as the antagonist early on, and Benedict Cumberbatch does a phenomenal job of bringing the character to life, and creating a dark, yet charismatic and believable presence of the screen that gives an interesting reincarnation to an old Trek character.  His acting in this film was great, and my only criticism is that he was underutilized.  I wished there was more of him on the screen, but that is simply a testament to just how well he did in his role. 

Federation star-ships now come with submersible feature, like I needed any more reason to want one.

What about Sulu? and the other crew members you like?  Most of the Enterprise crew seems to take a backseat this time around, with Scotty being the only member of the crew aside from Kirk and Spock to get a solid chunk of screen time.  Everyone appears, but aside from a couple of brief scenes to show they still exist, you don't see a lot of them.  However, if you were to look at the movie as a whole, you quickly realize that what seems like at least 60% of all the footage is just CGI work.  This is where one of my biggest peeves in this movie lies

 

I know size isn't EVERYTHING, but I have to say... It does mean a lot.

In short, Into Darkness is a fun thrill ride that is loaded with all the humor and great visuals that we come to expect from Abrams; however, this movie starts to lose its strength when analyzed on a more cerebral and intricate fashion.  Star Trek was founded on low-budget, yet emotionally and intellectually gripping stories and characters.  While some of that is captured here in particular scenes, it is really a fragment of what made the franchise great.   However, this is still a very fun movie that was a great take on a classic conflict in the universe. While it won't replace the classics, it still has a great deal to offer you, and I enjoyed every step of the ride, although I would have liked to see more done with the characters, this is still a worthy addition to the franchise, even if it seems a little dumbed down overall.

Good:

-Outstanding visuals.

-Solid follow-up to the 2009 film.

-Villain is very well portrayed.

-Lot of little (and not so little) tributes to the classic film this takes after.

Bad:

-Overinvests in the visual component, sacrifices some of the story.

-As one might expect, the remake doesn't actually remake what made the original outstanding.

Scully Rating: 9.0 out of 10

Apologies for the Lack of New Posts

Hey viewers, Zach here.  For the past week or so, I have been without working internet.  While I won't bored you with the details of what technical issues I had, or how long I spent on the line with tech support with "Irwin" and "Eric," who both had a strong accents, I will inform you all that I am back online and I sincerely apologize for the absence.  I have a Pain and Gain that I plan on posting tomorrow, as well as a Star Trek: Into Darkness review since I just saw the movie this past Friday with the guys.  So, as a lame attempt to supply a small token of my sincere remorse.

Murder Princess

By: Robert Murphy

We open on a world mix and matched together with a setting based in a world of ancient knighthood, castles and all that other “Game of Thrones” style goodness except this world is inhabited by advanced technology and robotic creatures. “Murder Princess” opens in the midst of a coup d’etat and one of our protagonists, Princess Alita is lucky enough to escape castle Forland without being captured during the attack and stumbles upon Falis, our other protagonist and a bounty hunter who hunts down creatures for cash with her team. In the process, the two somehow switch bodies with one another and making the best of this situation Alita enlists the help of Falis to pose as her and find out who is behind the attacks on her home and who is behind it all.

  Princess Alita or rather Princess Falis

Now despite my initial impressions going into the show, I found myself sitting up and giving a surprised smirk at this spunky little action/fantasy that end up turning into a pretty enjoyable show on the whole. Falis, who is anything but what you would call a princess is now stuck in a body of a pampered girl and is expected to act as such and becomes very hard not to laugh as she complains about how pissed off and annoyed she is acting this way. But throughout the story we get to see her true personality come forth as she wields her katana and proceeds to kick ass to some enjoyable rock/metal tunes that quickly change the pleasant sounds of everyday life in the kingdom of Forland and this is where we get our title “Murder Princess.” Alongside of her we have her are her two friends Dominikov and Pete, Dominikov being a dangerous little character with skeletal patterns on his clothes and wielding a scythe, and Pete who is a huge, lumbering Frankenstein like giant that aid Falis in uncovering whose behind the attacks on Forland.

 The whole gang

Moving onto the setting of our tale, it becomes obvious to note that this everything is not quite right with the world that we are a part of when we have giant robotic creatures roaming around and this because these things are remnants of the “old world.” Much like in a post-apocalyptic world where a cataclysmic event occurred such as a nuclear war, everything is drastically changed but some of what civilization had and built are still there and this is what we are led to believe about these creatures and the left over technology. However as you can see we are not in a barren wasteland left after a bomb or a war but rather a peaceful or rather seemingly peaceful land and you are left to wonder what had happened and how did things come to be this way. As the story unfolds we find out just might behind this occurrence as the kingdom of Forland has a secret hidden away within its walls and those who seek it are inevitably revealed.

The show though isn’t without its faults of course, for instance the fact that somehow the princess and Falis randomly switch bodies with one another is never fully explained it just happened and you just have to deal with that fact This along with other little plot holes makes the show falter somewhat but then again there is only so much you can do with six episodes at twenty four minutes apiece. Outside of this the only other problem I may see people having who watch “Murder Princess” is that the plot isn’t to original. It’s fairly down to a formula that we’ve seen time and time again and that formula is, the princess escapes evil clutches, enlists the help of some less than reputable people to find out who’s behind it and eventually solve the great mystery the kingdom was hiding.

Falis in action

Overall the show provides a pleasant surprise, I went into the show on a whim and didn’t really expect too much when I looked at it but in the end the show was a good watch for a short show and it finds a good balance between its good and bad qualities. The violent and action angles to the show are what ultimately make the shows appeal, Falis is an enjoyable lead character and provides much of what makes the show watchable with her snarky attitude and awesome skills with her katana. The plot as I said before does falter a little bit with its gaps in story and logic which I always fail to overlook but that’s just me and some of you may be able to get over the questions and just enjoy. Whatever the case the show is fairly decent and if you have some time on your hands you can give it run through.

Good:

-Enjoyable action

-Falis is a strong main character and is an all-around badass

-Unique future/past storyline

Bad:

-Some plot holes that you may not be able to overlook

-Formulaic story telling that you’ve seen before

-A short show that probably could have been better if it kept going

Scully rating: 6.0 out of 10