Bleach 613: The Ordinary Peace

Zach Goodier

http://readms.com/r/bleach/613/2671/1

It appears the stage has finally been set, Ichigo and company stand before the seemingly unstoppable Juha Bach, who vows to kill Ichigo with his own hand. However, it appears that Ichigo won't be alone in this fight, as Kisuke prepares to send the remaining captains, including Zaraki, to the palace to aid in the fight. It is still likely that the royal guards will turn up, who will likely keep everyone else from interfering with Ichigo's fight with Juha Bach. However, Ichibei silently claims that no one is powerful enough to stop the Quincy King now, and that Ichigo and his friends have gone to their death. Is the monk's prediction true, or will Ichigo be able to overcome this seemingly unstoppable foe?

I'm hoping this is the final "buildup" chapter before we start getting to the climactic battle we've all been waiting for. I think there's still a ways to go, but all this anticipation has been building up for a while now, and I for one am eager to see some good old fashioned action, and to finally see the full result of Ichigo's training all those chapters ago. We saw a peek, but the full extent of his abilities is still unknown, and it is likely that Juha Bach still has a lot more to show, as well.

Tales from the Borderlands: Episode 1 - Zer0 Sum

By: Robert Murphy

My recent playthrough with the Games of Thrones and Telltale Game Series experience that it brought forth, peaked my interest in this genre of gaming in a way I never really expected. Enter Tales from the Borderlands, another recent game adaptation that Telltale Games took on and as a long time fan of the Borderlands game series, I was psyched to give it a whirl. The major formula that some of you may or may not know from Telltale is still present with it's large amounts of dialogue, quick puzzle solving and narrative decision making as you control your character or characters. What makes this even more enjoyable for me as a Borderlands fan is the fact that what makes those games so great are often the goofy and psychotic characters you meet in the inhabitants of Pandora. Things get a more personal with an open dialogue game like this and I looked forward to meeting the people in this first chapter entitled Zer0 Sum.

The story follows two different characters whose stories intertwine with one another, Rhys is a wanna be big shot up at Hyperion who after the death of Handsome Jack is about to get a big promotion that will set him up for a bright future. However, his arch rival is found sitting in his would be office and has just thrown the former boss out of an airlock, leaving you soundly defeated and demoted to a lowly janitor. This leads you to poach a deal that he was setting up, the deal by the way is for a Vault Key and for those of you who don't know, this means big money and rising up the corporate ladder at Hyperion. Enter our other main character, Fiona, shes's lived her whole life on Pandora and grew up pulling cons with her sister and doing whatever it takes to stay alive. That's quite a big list too when you think of the lawless chaos behind Pandora and adding in Hyperion who despite not having Handsome Jack around, they're still a force to be reckoned with and are bringing the people to their knees. You can perhaps see where the story is going though with a very valuable key in the mix, a con artist and a sarcastic power seeker in the mix. 

The players perspective changes from one character to another but is handled quite well, the overlapping story between the two creates dialogue and back story for their individual stories, leading up until they end up meeting. This, of course, leads to standard Pandora calamity, the case of money to by the Vault Key is stolen and no money for Fiona doesn't make her a happy girl. The pair team up and track down the thieves which leads to motor death rally and some quick time action events. Zer0 makes his appearance here, looking at him from the outside as he performs his amazing skills and takes out enemies one by one is both interesting and terrifying. The whole thing in fact is one big crazy joy ride filled with laughs and banter for the your characters and those around you. 

The pain staking decision making is still very much present with this game, I agonized over decisions for Game of Thrones because I know what can happen if you say the wrong thing in that series. Things in Tales from the Borderlands did not feel as dire but the weight of decision making is still important, if not more humor based. My first death though proved that things are real in this world and you have to make the smart choices, it is Pandora after all and people don't mess around. The humor was more than welcomed too, the text book Borderlands feel is captured to perfection with this game. Characters are all bat shit crazy and other famous faces return and more are just around the corner to be sure.

In the end, I do have a few issues with Tales from the Borderlands, characters often don't move their lips to the matching dialogue that takes place so it looks like they're not actually speaking. There are also some transitioning scene issues that keep the game from being 100% golden in my book but these are some of the same issues I experienced with Telltale Games before so it didn't come as a big surprise. Outside of this, Zer0 Sum was a great experience. Everything that I loved from Borderlands was present here and also what is great about the Telltale experience is that I got to know more of Pandora's character personally and not as just screaming Psychos trying to murder me or sell me something to murder them. This first episode was a great start to this five part series and I look forward to seeing what is in store next. 

Good:

- Rhys and Fiona are fantastic characters

- The classic Borderlands humor is present

- Deeply engaging story

Bad:

- Still some development issues, characters looked as though they weren't speaking and their mouths needed time to catch up

Scully Rating: 8.8 out of 10

The Boy Next Door

By: Robert Murphy

You know those tragic stories that you hear about all the time, a husband who lets it slip and starts seeing his young hot receptionist and his wife eventually finds out and they get a divorce. For whatever idiotic reason the husband in The Boy Next Door does this to his amazingly smokey wife, Claire Peterson (Jennifer Lopez), a local high school teacher and now single parent to her son, Kevin (Ian Nelson). Despite her outward appearance, she spends most of her nights alone in scantily revealing t-shirts and reading classic literature, hoping that things would turn around for her and her husband, Garret (John Corbett), who is trying to get back in on his former life with her and his son. But, a monkey wrench gets thrown into the equation when the new hunky neighbor boy comes into the picture, fixing her garage door *wink wink* and showing an interest in the suburban widow. 

The plot to The Boy Next Door plays out like your average Lifetime movie where the woman has suffered a tough divorce and then a swarthy hunk comes in to make it all better. The more unbelievable aspect to this story is that Jennifer Lopez is the woman who was cheated on in the first place. Even at the age of 45, former pop singer J-Lo is still an incredible beauty on and off the screen and the fact that she was cheated on seems unlikely. What is even more unlikely is the idea that this single parent has the time to look the way she does every single day, you wouldn't believe that Claire is such a damaged woman that she gets into a skin tight dress and has her make-up done to perfection each day when the only people who would enjoy it are her students. The character looks as though she has a professional stylist on hand each and everyday while her wheezing teenaged son goes about his life trying to hit on the hot girl in class and her husband lingers in the background. 

What does make sense is the boy, for the most part anyways. The 19 year old Noah (Ryan Guzman) is a kind and well mannered kid, coming to town to take care of his doddering uncle who is going through bone marrow surgery. His attraction for Claire seems like an innocent crush and in all honesty, it makes complete sense to be attracted to a mom like this. What isn't so believable is this boys interest in classical literature as well, he quotes famous poems by Homer in The Iliad that makes an awkward scene between himself and Claire while her son and Claire's best friend look on with dumbstruck eyes. Their response is perhaps the correct one especially from her son who is not too much younger than Noah, what kid this built is a scholar and quotes Greek tragedies? It's clear that the Greek angle was meant to be relevant to the situation to come after a moment of weakness and Noah's flattery gets the better of Claire and they hook up. 

This scene is exceedingly racy, it does not show any key details on Jennifer Lopez's body but it does reveal a good deal of skin and Noah reaching down into a lacy forbidden zone. It's clear where the R-rating comes from afterwards and despite the sneering it may get me, it is the only scene in the movie that is worth while. From here though things begin to spiral, Claire is ashamed and tries to let Noah down easy and that does not sit too well with him as he thought it was a stepping stone to more. Things mysteriously start going wrong and then Noah begins to get exceedingly vindictive and aggressive with his approach towards getting Claire back. This opens up the actually issues with Noah besides his scholarly life style, his anger and manipulative nature are far too unbelievable, Guzman's performance felt very forced and he never comes off as half as scary as he is meant to. His toying with Claire's son also seems far too out of Guzman's range to pull off with his boyish looks. 

In the end, Claire never does the one thing that she should have done as soon as Noah starts harshly behaving and that is going to the police. Not only Claire but everyone else should have done this too, especially after Noah bashes a kids skull completely into a school locker over and over again but only gets a suspension of all things. The only moment that warrants any reaction is the steamy scene half way through because it is the only part that feels real, the rest is frankly an exercise in futility. Jennifer Lopez never feels like the lonely housewife, weak and wanting her family back together and Noah is never the scary mastermind he is made out to be either. 

Good:

- The saucy scene between Lopez and Guzman

- The sexual innuendo hidden throughout

Bad:

- Lopez's and Guzman's unrealistic portrayal of their characters

- Riddled with cliches and moments you have seen hundreds of times before

- You can predict what will happen in this movie every step of the way

Scully Rating: 3.0 out of 10 

Saints Row: Gat Out of Hell

By: Robert Murphy

Saints Row IV took players in a different directions that the ones of previous generations have, instead of going from rags to riches, you go from riches to politicians. Long time leader of the Saints gets elected president and your rag tag team of lovable gangsters joins on as cabinet members. Then, an alien attack comes out of nowhere, the earth gets destroyed and the few remnants of humanity were dropped into a computer dream program like the one from the Matrix. Saints Row: Gat Out of Hell, picks up from the conclusion of all this as the team is all semi safe and flying around outer space in a stolen space ship. The day we pick off from in particular is a special one, it is red headed heart throb, Kinzie Kingston's birthday and all the surviving Saints members are celebrate and what better way to celebrate than with a good old fashion ouija board. However, unknown to all of them this board is possessed and it in turn opens a portal to Hell and sucks up the President of the United States (your former main character.) Now, you take on the role of big time muscle, Johnny Gat and optional go between Kinzie Kingston to go down to Hell and get back the President before he is married off to the devil's daughter, Jezebele. 

The name of the game for Gat Out of Hell is destruction and chaos, basically Johnny's plan for getting back the boss is to shoot the devil right in the face. An admirable plan to be sure, you will be going around the five districts of Hell during the game, the Barrens, Shantytown, Downtown, Forge and the Den to try and attract as much of Satan's attention as you can. You do this by completing Diversion mission strewn throughout the districts which are basically minigames and throwbacks to the classic Saints Row minigames we have seen before. A standard Survival mission is present where you kill off a varied wave of demons and other enemies. There is also a mission involving a capture the tower type scenario where you take over three spots in a soul extraction facility as well as a Pledge challenge where you whack frat boy demons with popped collars into a Stargate looking portal with a studded paddle. Admittedly fun for the first few times you do it but sadly this is the extent of the games range in terms of gameplay missions, there aren't any story style missions to go through that players have become familiar with and the game boils down to repeatedly doing these minigames over and over again. 

The new look and style for the game is a bit of an enjoyment though as you dawn the wings of the fallen angel and gain the ability to fly, run at super speeds, jump super high and etc. Gat and Kinzie get new demonic stylings to their old looks and new abilities from some of your unlikely allies. Former enemies of the Saints are now on your side as well as two new but well known names from history aide you in your quests, a disc spinning DJ Shakespeare and a still impaling people with pointy sticks Vlad are here to help. They all introduce you to new abilities, a force stomp, an aura area shield, summoning and a blast ability all become a part of your arsenal. Each of which has a cool down system to limit your use but this can be upgraded through collecting the soul clusters that can be plainly seen from any high place. There are also ritual spires throughout Hell that unlock different effects for all these abilities such as a vampire perk to your aura that drains life from those around you and a holy stomp ability that harms nearby enemies with a flash of divine energy. 

Along with these new abilities, Gat Out of Hell features new hellish weaponry for you to find and use. Weapons modeled off of the Seven Deadly Sins are present for your destructive pleasure, Sloth being my personal favorite which is an arm charm equipped with two mini guns and rockets below the foot rest. There's also a soul sucking Sloth gun that turns souls in rockets which burst on impact and shards target nearby foes, a Greed style SMG with enough bling to make Liberace faint. Outside these big named weapons though are other guns such as the Lil' Croaker that shoots plague referencing frogs everywhere which explode on impact along with other gems to add to your chaos across the land. While the Seven Sins guns are more unique, the other guns really are just remodels of things like grenade launchers so there isn't much diversity among them but it's still a kooky element of fun for the game that we know Saints Row is famous for. 

It is a bit of a let down to see features that work so well for previous games be gutted in this stand alone DLC though. There isn't anything in the way of weapon purchasing outside of finding and then upgrading the stock weapons you are given and vehicle purchasing and upgrading are gutted from Gat Out of Hell too. Also, character customization and custom penthouse cribs are left out of the picture which made me feel that the game wasn't as stand alone as it is made out to be.

All in all, I am a bit torn by Gat Out of Hell. The ridiculous gameplay and laughs are still there as it is with the previous Saints Row titles but something about it just doesn't feel well worked out. It is incredibly fun and easy to get yourself started on the road to hell but once you realize what little there is to do, you'll find yourself beating the game and ending it before you even really began. I had just started doing more of the main minigame missions after causing serious havoc when the game chimed in with it's musical halfway point and then the final battle with Satan was shortly followed without me doing much of anything. The weapons, abilities and demonic powers/look will all be fun for you but to quote Johnny Gat, "Is this really all Hell has got to offer?"

Good:

- Crazy weapons, abilities and characters

- Hell is interestingly designed and is frankly kinda cool, despite how awkward it is to say that out loud but it's true

Bad:

- No real missions to speak of, mainly just minigames that are carbon copies from past games

- Character customization and other favored features are left out

- You could almost do none of the "missions" for the game and still reach the end, making you ask "what was the point?"

Scully Rating: 4.5 out of 10 

  

American Sniper

By: Robert Murphy

Movies about American patriots and movies about the ethics behind the war in Iraq have been a dime a dozen, Matt Damon's Green Zone comes to mind. But, American Sniper doesn't get bogged down by the ethics or really the fact that real life Chris Kyle was a legendary hero of the entire conflict, even though he racked up an estimated 160 kills during all the fighting. No, the story has a different feel to it as you're watching and getting to know the Chris, played by Bradley Cooper. He is a man that believes in his country and wants to protect those around him from getting hurt, losing a soldier and in some cases a friend is just too much for him to bare. Add to all this being a father and husband to his wife and two kids, trying to come back and acclimate to all that you have seen, worrying about every second you're not over seas protecting your men, you have a powerful piece of cinema on your hands. 

Adapted from the book, Sniper, about the life of Chris Kyle, the story starts off with his first accounted kill while over seas. It is far from what you would expect or really want your first kill to be and it is a difficult decision for him to make to say the least. Taking out what looks to be innocent by standards in the conflict, Chris shoots a woman and a young boy who were carrying a grenade meant to kill the upcoming convoy. It is an intense moment, especially for the very first minutes of a movie to have but it gets the point across of how Chris sees the world. It isn't an easy choice to make but for someone like Chris who believes in protecting his brothers then it is one that he will make. Again, the story doesn't get bogged down by what really is right or wrong about the situation that he is in but he is in it and he will do whatever it takes to protect the people in it with him. 

This does create a problem in Chris's home life though, when you're focused on what's going on over there, it's hard to focus on anything else. Wife, Taya (Sienna Miller), stays home for the four tours of duty that Chris goes on, watching as he becomes a little less of his former self with each visit back. Taya does not play a simple army wife though and as Chris becomes frankly more like a robot with each passing visit, never switching off, she begs him to stop going over seas and just stay home. Not only does she see the change but the viewer does to as the first portion of the film shows a flashback to Chris's youth and his decision to join the military, the point where he meets Taya. The two get married sometime after the 9/11 attacks before he is shipped out to Iraq and you can tell that he was much more focused on her and his country as well. The focus shifts though after all that happens, the enemy sniper that kills his closest friends and team mates being one of the biggest. 

This is the part of American Sniper that loses me to be honest, putting not only a face but a background story to this nameless sniper was a bit odd. It feels like an enemy that you face in a video game who is exactly like you in every way but is somehow evil but the sniper really isn't. Knowing all these facts about who this other sniper was is a little too far-fetched and the final "showdown" between the two felt entirely too forced. It isn't the sort of experience you would expect to come from an actual conflict and while I have no idea what actual combat is like, it did not sit well with me. 

Bearing this in mind, I thought that American Sniper was still an incredibly powerful movie to watch. Bradley Cooper's adaptation of the real life Chris Kyle was very well done, his more buckled up look and gruff exterior brings an accurate picture to what meeting a man like this would have been like. Supporting actress Sienna Miller also gives an amazing performance as Chris's loving wife who just wants to have her husband and father to her children to return safely and return the way he left the first time. The presence of not only the powerful moments between Chris and Tara but also the action scene all serve their purpose in creating a truly great film. 

Good:

- Bradley Cooper as Chris Kyle was absolutely amazing

- Sienna Miller's supporting role as Chris's loyal and loving wife

- The tough and steadfast presentation throughout the entire movie is top notch

- The great sniper shot moments

Bad:

- The enemy sniper that Kyle faces seemed too hokey 

Scully Rating: 8.8 out of 10

Bleach 612: Dirty

Zach Goodier

http://readms.com/r/bleach/612/2664/1

Juha Bach stand before the Soul King, claiming that he suffered humiliation because of his father. Ichigo and his friends are on the way, determined to stop him.  However, Ichibei stands idle, silently claiming that Juha Bach is now completely unstoppable.  Does Ichigo have what it takes to end this threat once and for all?

Back in Soul Society, Kisuke Urahara is gathering the captains of the Soul Society in order to attempt to break into the the Soul King's palace.  However, with half of the captains wounded or missing, will his plan still be able to work? The other is that even with the collective power, they lack the means, at least until Urahara explains that the Heavenly Armor owned by the Shihoin clan can be used to get in.  Does that mean this is another key, or does the armor have some other means of getting them into the palace?

After the long wait, this felt like another filler chapter, which is disappointing.  It's not that Kubo wasted time, but aside from Kisuke's plan, which doesn't seem all that great, there really wasn't anything new or noteworthy that wasn't already covered in the last chapters.  I just thought that after such a long wait things might move forward a little more quickly, but it looks like we'll have to remain patient until everything is ready.  The Captains might be needed to help with Juha Bach's personal guard, but I'm not sure if any of them will be able to put up any sort of fight against the king himself, but since it's Urahara's plan then it will probably work out, somehow.

Super Smash Bros. Wii U

By: Robert Murphy

As it is with any Nintendo made game, it always holds a special memory for me whenever I get to play a new version of an old favorite and with Super Smash Bros. Wii U, there are more than a few memories to relive. Yes, the intense beat'em up game that pits classic characters against one another has returned to ruin all of your friendship all over again but this time you will be able to take on even more people and cause far more chaos. The introduction of 8 player fighting, brand new characters and fresh faces for players favorite choices to pummel their buddies have all been added to this latest addition to the games rich history. If you thought things were tough before then you're in for a real challenge this time around, who will be the ultimate Smash player in your group of friends? Well, let's dig into the details to help you find out.

Everybody who has ever played Smash Bros., undoubtedly has that one character that they're the best at using, that one character that can complete destroy everything when you use him (Captain Falcon for me). But, what is great about the game is that no matter what you play as you can always choose another character from the games roster and have just as much fun with it. Players will happily see the return of Mario, Fox, Link, Pikachu and plenty others and that's one of the reasons the entire experience with the game is so much fun, the nostalgia feel for all those years, bright eyed and controllers locked into our hands playing the old 8 bit classics. This time around, nostalgia will play an even larger role because of the way some of the characters special moves are handled and even down to the way the characters behave on screen too. Mega Man, one of our new additions for example calls upon all his iterations throughout the years when activating his special to blast away everything that stands in the way of his blast. And in the terms of aesthetically pleasing features, Link for example has fine definition presented, right down to the triforce on his shield, showing just how far he's come in all these years.

As for the combat itself, it's all incredibly pleasing to watch, players can move beautifully across the screen, delivering punches and signature attacks against one another. New items make their way into the action as well, the POW block and a flame wheel sword from Mario add into the destruction brought down on your opponents. Add alongside this a variety of old and new maps to bring back memories and incorporate the new look and features that Nintendo has made over the years. Classic Final Destination maps and Hyrule Temple all make a return and new maps such as the Mario Circuit which adds a trippy 3D effect to your brawling experience.  

For myself, a special treat arose once I learned that players won't be losing their ability to use GameCube style controllers with this new Wii U system. Many players can probably testify that using the GameCube controller for Smash Bros. Brawl was the way to go, myself included, but with the new console it seemed like something that would be lost. However, with the use of an adapter, GameCube style controllers can be used to beat the snot out of your opponents once again. The Wii U gamepad also brings with it it's own charms though to battling it out with your friends, I found the screen built into the gamepad a welcomed addition to my combat style alongside my love for the old school GameCube controllers. So whichever way you choose to go about it, there really is no bad way to go about playing Smash Bros. Wii U.

Alongside these many wonderful features, new game modes make for some devilish game types to try out with other players. Event mode for example will be the game type that takes you further through the roster list and play as character that you may not have known how powerful they can be. The mode usually lets you play as any number of characters to learn their moves as you fight through a short made up scenario. Classic, All Star and Special Orders modes are also present and allow for players to unlock hidden trophies for the game. Special Orders takes advantage of the new smash coin system where you earn coins during battles and then use them to play in a special event for a trophy or other items. 

Finally, perhaps the most unique of the games new features is the amiibo, you've scene those Pixar and Disney toy figure games well now Nintendo has their own figures to add to their games as well. Despite my slightly sarcastic tone, amiibo's are kind of an interesting aspect to the game. This independently purchased item for the game allows you to buy a figurine sized version of a game character who will fight against you like a normal A.I. bot but will learn and increase in level through a few hours of gameplay. The fun arrives when you unleash the demon creature on your friends and sitting back to watch your creation in action. The bot is of course out of your control for the most part and may not have your best intentions in mind while it plays but it is an interesting feature for Smash Bros. to have taken this time around.  

In the end, Super Smash Bros. Wii U does it's predecessors proud by not only adding new characters, maps, items and fresh new faces for our old favorites but also adding that oh so sweet nostalgia feel to it's gameplay. Classic characters return to the game as well as many new features to attract those of you who don't know all the ins and outs of the older generation. Eight player fighting also adds pure chaos to an already chaos fueled game and new game modes allow for some creative matches to be tried out with you and your friends. There is just an incredible amount of features to be played with that you will be hooked from the very moment you put the game in.  

Good:

- Eight player brawls

- New characters, items, maps and more

- Smooth new look for returning characters and other classic icons from the games past

- The variety of game modes and game alterations to fool around with

Bad:

- The amiibo will be a hit or miss item for players

Scully Rating: 9.5  out of 10 

Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood

Zach Goodier

Realizing we don’t have a review up for this anime classic, I figured it was time to re-watch this series and dive right into what makes it one of the best anime titles out there, so if you don’t want to deal with me having nearly endless praises for this show, just turn back now.  For those that don't know, this is the original story of Fullmetal Alchemist, created after the original series deviated from the intended plot.  This is how the story was meant to be told, no offense to the original.  

Al and Ed, our troubled heroes.

Edward Elric is the “Fullmetal Alchemist,” and with his younger brother, Alphonse, he adventures throughout the country of Emesteros on a quest to restore the bodies of himself and his brother, who is soul bonded in a suit of armor.  Alchemy is relatively commonplace, with alchemists doing anything from building and fixing structures, to fighting in the army as “living weapons.”  However, there is one rule that must never be broken: human transmutation is forbidden.  This is because no matter what one tries to create or return a life through alchemy, it has never succeeded, and at great cost to the one who attempts it.  This is the rule that Ed and Al broke to lose their bodies.

Alchemy is relatively common, with alchemists able to do all
sorts of things.

However, the story soon gets more complicated, as Ed and Al soon find themselves caught in a conspiracy that quickly becomes a struggle to save the nation as monsters called Homunculi reveal themselves and start to cause disorder within the country, working towards some sinister purpose.  As Ed and Al make friends and allies both within the country and outside of it, they discover that this conspiracy runs to the very heart of the nation itself, and they must fight the nation itself to save it.

Mustang is one of the major side characters, but he never feels
like a sideshow.

There are a lot of amazing themes that run throughout this show, like equivalent exchange (having to sacrifice to gain), facing the realities of death and hardship, and accepting responsibilities for our mistakes.  There are touches of romance here and there, but it never feels too intrusive to the main and side stories, and never wanders into many of the clichés that plague romances in general, making it somewhat refreshing to watch, as it all feels natural. 

The Philosopher's Stone, seen as myth, but Ed and Al believe
it can get their bodies back to normal.

There is amazing action scenes, and the animation is fantastic all around, with beautiful backgrounds and detailed close-ups.  Everything from guns, to vehicles, to buildings all look very well done, as good as anime generally gets.  When the alchemists transmute things, they always look amazing as you watch the ground seemingly come to life or a weapon materialize out of the ground or floor.  It all looks impressive, and incredibly realistic.

Homunculi are able to perform all sorts of superhuman abilities, like regenerate and grow an unbreakable shield on their skin, like Greed here.

Some favorite characters outside of the Elrics include Col. Mustang, a state alchemist who uses ignition gloves to create devastating flames seemingly out of thin air.  Major Armstrong is a strongman who loves to show off his muscles, but also puts them to use transmuting whatever he punches.  But perhaps even more interesting are some of the villains, such as the homunculi Greed, Envy, and Lust,  all of whom have some great dialogue, and their perspective on humanity makes for some interesting moments where they challenge our notions of right and wrong, and call into question if humans are even capable of being noble as a whole.

An enigma, Ed and Al's father has been absent for years,
even after his wife's death.

The only real fault here is that the climax might be a little difficult to follow, since it throws a lot at you fairly quickly.  The show does a fairly good job explaining most everything, but it does reveal a lot of new ideas and concepts fairly quickly near the end, and there isn't much explanation of how it is even possible (like being able to swallow “God”).  These details don’t ruin the story as a whole, not even close, but do stretch slightly further than I felt they could grasp without feeling slightly whimsical by arguably overstepping its own logic a bit.  However, this is still without a doubt one of the greatest shows out there, and if you’re an anime fan you owe it to yourself to watch this as one of the great wonders of the anime world.

It's a rare feat for a show to throw so many characters at you and have them all be memorable.

This is an excellent example of a series that shows off what makes anime so awesome as a genre, exploring themes that challenge our beliefs with well-imagined characters that nearly anyone can relate to, and placing them in a world that would never look so beautiful in live-action.  This series is a must-watch for any aspiring anime fan, and an overdue joy for anime fans that haven’t watched it yet.  While a few details push the envelope a little too far, that is a very slight fault in an otherwise brilliant series.

Oh, and all of the opening and closing themes are worthy of download.  That might not be the most important thing, but I do love great soundtracks.

Good:

-Great cast of memorable characters and themes.

-Brilliant visuals.

-Quality action that feels epic, but not over-the-top like some action shows.

-Opening and closing themes are great throughout.

Bad:

-Can start to push beyond its own logical boundaries near the end of the series.

Scully Rating: 9.8 out of 10

The Gambler

By: Robert Murphy 

Putting it all on the line and gambling away my hard earned cash has never been an idea that never really appealed to me, the odds never looked favorable to me so I've stayed clear of gambling. Jim Bennett (Mark Wahlberg) doesn't seem to share this fear though and after a touching goodbye from his grandfather in the opening scenes for The Gambler, he runs off to try his luck with a fresh ten grand in his pocket. It seems for him, the thrill of betting it all appeals to him more than the average gambler out there but with debts to every loan guy around, you would think he'd take the money and run. This isn't the case though as Jim will dig himself further and further into debt and his own grave if he doesn't turn things around. The cocky smile that is constantly strewn across Mr.Bennett's face for the entirety of the movie makes me think that there is much more going on then there actually is. 

It would turn out that Mark Wahlberg's cocky demeanor for the entire movie would prove to be the downfall of his character as a whole. You would expect a man who has powerful people threatening to kill him at every turn and even laying out some plastic sheets like a scene right out of Dexter to be the tiniest bit frightened for his life but Jim never really seems to care. You could say that he has a death wish but that's not really the case, even though he spots off to his would be killers, powerful and intimidating Frank (John Goodman), gangster turned loan sharking/entrepreneur Neville Baraka (Michael Kenneth Williams) and Mister Lee (Alvin Ing). This isn't the case though because about halfway through The Gambler you learn what Jim is all about and that is the fact that beating the odds and creating that magical black jack hit come real is as close to something real that he has ever felt. In fact, his powerful speech to his would be girlfriend, Amy (Brie Larson), was probably the one moment I enjoyed his character because it's the only part that actually felt real to me. The rest of the time his character, as I said, runs around pushing everyone's buttons like a little kid in a grocery store. He never seems to be in any real danger throughout the whole shabang and with a drama about being indebted to powerful people and fighting for your life, shouldn't you feel something close to an adrenaline rush while watching?  

Scenes that did get my blood pumping were the moments spent away from Bennett's lack of concern for his own well being and others around him. The trio of loan sharking big wigs I mentioned before were particularly some of the best. Michael Williams playing the guy who wants to get out of this life of beating people senseless and illegal activity does a great job and changing Bennett's attitude at every turn. He is responsible for the Dexter scene I mention earlier. Alvin Ing also plays the role of the elderly underground casino boss that has been around the block more than a dozen times and is someone you won't want to disappoint when a loan payment comes knocking, his icy stare and overtones making you think just that. John Goodman was particularly enjoyable, his first meeting with Jim would leave any man demoralized at the terms he sets out for his loan and pretty much says what we're all thinking about Jim as a character, he's scum. Later on, Goodman's go fuck yourself speech left me in stitches, it was like listening to the speech from Team America World Police as it turns the f-word into a work of art. All three do a great job and also put Wahlberg's character to shame as they pretty much upstage his performance whenever he is on screen with one of them. 

Near the end of The Gambler, you will see Bennett's plan finally start to take shape a little bit at a time. The whole thing revolves around him borrowing money from each of the bosses one more time and betting it all big time and start clean. This, of course, doesn't get your blood pumping any more than watching him widdle away whatever money comes his way. Even the 240,000 dollars he receives from his mother, Roberta (Jessica Lange), an event which frankly made me wanna tear my hair out and punch the guy in the face but Lange practically does that for me and you. Bennett though is able to get his big pay out and be set free from all of his debts, a momentous occasion that causes him to run out into the night and reenacting a scene from Rocky as he trained for the fight. Why he didn't just pay off his debts with the money from his mother I'll never know, maybe he wanted one last "fooled you all" moment but if that's the case it wasn't presented very well. 

In the end, The Gambler is a rather poor effort at a drama, there literally is NONE to begin with anyways. Bennett spends most of the film running around town not giving a damn about what's happening around him, the fact that he is a liberal arts teacher at a college making it all worse as he spots out philosophical gibberish to the viewers and his class. Supporting characters such as John Goodman, Jessica Lange and Michael Kenneth Williams steal the show with their performances but you need more than what you get from them to save a movie like this. 

Good:

- Goodman, Lange and the other supporting actors 

- Some funny dialogue, John Goodman's speech in particular

Bad:

- Mark Wahlberg's Bennett is cocky and does not make you feel any sense of danger or intrigue for his situation

- The lack of any sort of drama for the situations is very apparent 

- The played out literary teacher angle

Scully Rating: 3.0 out of 10  

Analogue: A Hate Story

Zach Goodier

Analogue is a story about you, a recovery agent out in the galaxy, finding a lost colony ship that was Earth’s very first vessel to leave our home in search of new homes for human kind.  However, the ship appears to be abandoned, except for a lone AI unit that has been the lone caretaker for the past several centuries.  Your job is to search through the ships records, and try to figure out what transpired that led to the disappearance of the crew and passengers.

*Hyun-ae can be insecure, but charming enough.

This game is very short, but for the low price tag, it’s still reasonable, even if it leaves you wishing there was more to the core story.  One other perk this game has is that there are multiple endings, making it’s hour or two of playtime worth at least 2 additional replays, so if you want to get all the endings, figure on about 8-10 hours of game time unlocking everything, and the story is interesting.  You work with the ship’s AI, *Hyun-ae (the “*” is silent, to mark her as an AI), to uncover all of the ships logs to piece together the mystery of what happened to the ship during its lengthy journey. 

Logs have all sorts of information to help you investigate the ship

There are only two main characters, aside from yourself,  the AI’s *Hyun-ae and *Mute.  *Hyun-ae appears as a willful schoolgirl, who seems eager to help after many long years in low-power as the ship powered down due to inactivity.  *Mute is a younger looking girl, but is very outspoken and disapproving of *Hyun-ae. There are reasons for this, but that would be spoiling it for you, and the twists in                                                                                                        this little mystery are what keep things                                                                                                  interesting.

You can get alternate outfits, which are good for... things.

If you don’t want to read, just stay away, since all communication with your AI ladies is through reading and binary responses.  And to progress in the story, you have to read logs and discuss them with the AI’s, so reading is required here.  However, to reward you for your efforts there are plenty of interesting characters from the logs, and their stories range from tedious to scandalous, as you find love affairs between noble women and call girls, and infighting between clans as they fight for favor in the royal court aboard the ship.  Perhaps the biggest mystery is the “Pale Bride” who is involved in most of these events. 

*Mute is more outspoken, and has a grudge against *Hyun-ae.

Overall, this is a light, fun game that offers a little mystery to draw you in, and rewards you with some replay value as you try to piece together the remaining logs and find the truth at the heart of this mystery, which makes you seek out the other endings you haven’t unlocked yet.  The only real downside is that the story itself feels so short once you really start working through it.  Still, the moral dilemmas, on top of the struggle to find every clue to the mystery makes this seemingly simple indie game become a very enjoyable journey as you delve deeper and deeper to discover the heart of the story. 

Good:

-Light game that lets you play for brief stints, making it easy to pick up and put back down at your leisure.

-Some good replay value, between multiple endings and filling in the remaining log files.

-A mystery that tempts you to keep digging deeper.

Bad:

-Story feels rather short.

Scully Rating: 8 out of 10