Expelled from Paradise

Zach Goodier

Expelled from Paradise is a feature-length anime film that follows the story of Angela Balzac, who serves as a security agent for DEVA: a virtual reality where most of the world’s population lives following a cataclysm that nearly killed off all of humanity. Angela is forced to leave her VR “paradise” to go down the ruins of earth, where one of the survivors on the surface has learned how to bypass DEVA’s security and gain access to the virtual world, and is believed to be an imminent threat to the Eden that they enjoy. On her mission, she is helped by one of DEVA’s contacts on the surface: Dingo. Dingo scratches out a life alongside many others on the surface in the ruins of the old world. He helps the pampered Angela cope with a life outside her paradise, where reality can be harsh and unyielding.

The story is very thematic, with most of the film’s central conflict centering around the hacker: Frontier Setter, who is hacking DEVA to ask the residents to join them on a journey to explore the cosmos. While there is that mystery, there is also a few scenes with mecha-style action to keep the excitement going, especially during the climax. However, this is mainly a character-driven story, and Angela and Dingo are squarely in the center. Their relationship never turns into a major love subplot, but they do challenge each other, especially when they discuss DEVA, and whether it is really the promised land that its inhabitants think it is.

I supposed you could say this has some dystopian themes, but it doesn’t play them off like most stories. DEVA is very rarely cast as a sinister empire, but merely as a personal story of Angela as she must adapt to the real world, and what changes that brings about for her, and how it changes her perception of what it means to be human at all. The world isn’t ending (again), there isn’t some evil scheme afoot to exterminate all humanity, it’s just a focused narrative that involves a journey of self-discovery and adventure, that touches on a lot of deeper themes without trying to force a particular perspective. As I said, some discussions challenge Angela’s belief that DEVA is a paradise for humanity, mostly by citing that even in the virtual world, reality has a way of following them, and influencing their lives.

The only major weak point to this movie are the clunky animation, that is computer generated, and the voice acting didn’t seem overly moving, despite all the important discussions that take place throughout. Action scenes are fast and exciting, but they don’t always look as smooth as you might expect after watching the big mecha series, like Gundam Wing or Code Geass.

Overall, this was an enjoyable movie that refreshes by not trying to make itself into some massive epic, but just taking an hour and 45 minutes to take the viewer on an enjoyable journey to try to discover what being human is all about, and just what it means to “evolve” to the next stage of humanity in a world that has already forsaken us.

Good:

-Interesting premise and conflict.

-Some interesting themes throughout.

-Doesn’t try to make itself too epic.

Bad:

-Animation is rather unimpressive, with some unimpressive models and movements.

Scully Rating: 8 out of 10 

J.U.L.I.A.: Among the Stars

Zach Goodier

J.U.L.I.A. is a point-and-click adventure game that follows the character of Rachel Manners, who awakes from cryosleep aboard a damaged spaceship on an expedition to explore the cosmos for new worlds to explore. However, she awakes to find nobody else on board. Her only companions are the ships on-board AI,  J.U.L.I.A. , and the automated exploration robot, Mobot. Rachel soon discovers that J.U.L.I.A. has damaged memory cores, but she remembers that the rest of the crew awoke 60 years prior. She struggles to cope with the situation, as she tries to uncover the fate of the crew, and explore this new solar system.

Over the last 60 years, the environment hasn't been kind to the outposts your crew set up.

Now, I’m a lover of great sci-fi stories, and this game doesn’t disappoint in that regard. Rachel’s journey spans a solar system with a grand mystery hidden under the waves, buried in the sands, and hidden beyond the imagination. There are several worlds to explore, and each has its own secrets to uncover, often tied in to the expedition of your crew. As you uncover the fate of your crewmates, you also uncover bits of the history of the solar system, which hosts several habitable, or once habitable worlds.

Some mysterious creatures are as beautiful as they are dangerous.

Your crew’s story started 60 years ago, and spanned for some time as they ventured into the system to explore. However, they uncovered more than they bargained for, and panic, confusion, and treachery tore the crew apart. You have to sort through the remnants to figure out what transpired, which will set you on the path to discovering the secrets at the heart of millennia of history, and every step compels you to dig deeper, look hardly, and uncover every last hint you can. The tone is very solitary, making you feel alone, with your only companions being computers, with not another human being around for hundreds of light-years. It makes the entire game feel lonely, but in a good way that drives you forward in trying to piece everything together just to keep moving forward.

Moments like this serve little purpose to the story, but help engage the player in an alien environment and explore.

The only characters you really follow are the 3 main ones, the rest of the crew you learn about via log entries found on holopads and computer terminals, all of which help piece together what happened. Rachel is fairly straight-forward, with her curiosity and desperation driving her along, and J.U.L.I.A. is an intelligent force that helps guide you forward. Mobot is the medium for interacting with the worlds, as he goes planet-side and gives you a visual feed to guide him in interacting with the environment.

Environments are full of clues and items that will help you along your journey, you just have to sort it all out from the junk.

This game really impressed me with its sharp story, interesting environments, and use of mystery and lore to drive the player forward, like Rachel, almost desperate to piece together the larger puzzle. I loved this game for its elegant simplicity. The problem is that it’s a one-shot. The game is very linear, and once you beat it, there’s really no reason to go back. Also, the adventure itself can be completed in an afternoon, so don’t buy this for the long haul. That being said, it’s a great ride while it lasts, and it explores the themes that make science fiction such a great genre. Without spoiling it, the final choice at the end is the only real narrative freedom the player gets, but it also offers a difficult choice that makes it seem impossible to truly get it right. This was the cherry on the sundae for this game, and despite its faults, it does what it sets out to do with finesse, a rare feat in the sea of mediocre games out there today. 

Good:

- Great story.

- Fun adventure across multiple planets.

- Rich lore to uncover about the system you explore.

- Great choice at the end

Bad:

- No real replay value

- Relatively short

Scully Rating: 8.0 out of 10

Interstellar Marines (Early Access)

Zach Goodier

(Note: This game was played a couple months ago, so some info might be dated)

Interstellar Marines is an early-access first-person shooter which has you play an aspiring soldier looking to sign on as a recruit for the first marines to serve in space. It all sounds super cool, but for the most part, it keeps things fairly domestic, at least at this point. You can play competitive multiplayer modes and co-op against robot programmed to patrol and kill players, but the weapons themselves are modern. There really isn't a story to speak of aside from that, which is disappointing, but it seems that the actual story is going to be included in the main game. 

Weapons are modern, not futuristic.

The mechanics and movement are a little clunky, but for early access, everything looks pretty solid all around. Models are all solid and the guns feel realistic and the environments, while still on the small side, are well made. 

Monsters like this are, as far as I know, part of recent updates, but I only did a free weekend a while back.

Overall, this game still feels early in the sense that isn't a whole lot to do, but it looks like the focus has been on getting the mechanics and modelling right, and offering some entertaining challenges through unique game modes. I find the levels to be fairly short, and the general feeling to be generic. If they could really work on making this game look and feel like something unique, there could be a real gem here. Perhaps in later updates, and with the inclusion of story mode, this game could be a fun title. Until then, I wouldn't recommend jumping in with high expectations. Like a lot of early access games, there is always potential, but it's too early to tell how the final product will look.

Good:

-Decent mechanics.

-Some interesting modes.

-Solid modelling.

Bad:

-Lack of story.

-Nothing unique or exciting to hook you at this point.

Scully Rating: 6.5 out of 10

Guardians of the Galaxy

Zach Goodier

Well, it’s the moment so many of us were eagerly waiting for… Guardians of the Galaxy has finally arrived, so does it live up to expectations?  The short answer is: HELL YES! It can be nerve-wracking to eagerly await a major title like this, knowing that there is every opportunity for it to go completely wrong, but Guardians delivers roughly as well as the Avengers, and that’s saying a lot.

Story:

Peter Quill is a young boy whose mother is dying in the hospital.  The year is 1988, and Peter struggles to cope with what’s going on.  When we first see him, he’s sitting in the hallway, trying to lose himself in a mix tape.  However, he soon has to face reality as his mother wants to see him to say goodbye, just before her tragic death.  Frantic, Peter runs outside, only to be blinded by a ray of light from the sky, as a spaceship grabs him and pulls him aboard, quickly taking back off and leaving Earth.

Peter's last moments on Earth.

Fast forward many years later, and Peter Quill has become a member of the Ravagers, a group of outlaws that are always looking for a quick buck.  However, Quill has ambitions of his own, and flies down to an abandoned planet to snatch a very valuable orb that his boss made a deal to sell for a hefty profit.  However, Quill soon finds himself faced with others who want the orb, like a green-skinned assassin named Gomora, as well as a talking raccoon named Rocket, and his personal “houseplant/muscle,” Groot.  The 4 get into a fight over the orb (and Quill’s bounty), and soon find themselves all arrested and hauled off to jail.  There, they meet Drax, “The Destroyer,” and soon find themselves on a quest to stop a zealot named Ronan, who wants the orb for much more sinister reasons.

Thanos doesn't really get any major screentime, but like in The Avengers, he's the nefarious mastermind behind most of the galaxy's carnage.

Along the way, this unlikely group of misfits starts to form a very believable bond of camaraderie, and eventually friendship.  It all feels incredibly natural, and progresses throughout the story.  This really sells this story, making all of the characters feel genuine for both being reluctant to trust each other, and for eventually opening up as their struggles force them to lean on each other to survive.

Characters:                               

                               

Our motley crew of heroes.

Peter Quill carries us through most of the story, sporting his old tape player and acting as the closest thing to a leader this group has.  But, don’t let that make it seem like Quill is really in control, as he works alongside some very strong-willed allies.  Gomora is a very interesting character, she starts out as a Daughter of Thanos (the guy from the post-credits scene of The Avengers), and eventually reveals her true goal of betraying the master who slaughtered her family and took her as a prisoner.  She brings some intelligence to the crew, but also brings a cold front that makes her difficult to approach, but hides a person who longs to do the right thing, but has never really learned how.

Love the ship designs, they look both pleasing and practical.

Rocket and Groot are a pair to beat a full house, with Rocket’s dry wit and sarcasm really adding a lot of humor to the crew (especially being voiced by Bradely Cooper), but Rocket has always had to fend for himself, and really has no experience working with anyone besides Groot, who is so simple-minded it is hard to call him a partner sometimes.  However, Groot does provide a positive influence over Rocket, urging him at times to be more of a team-player in his small but significant way. 

Drax is crazy.

Perhaps the biggest surprise for me was Drax.  He doesn’t come across as a character of any interest, beyond his muscular look and ability to fight like a madman.  However, Drax has a few very noteworthy moments in the movie, where his literal nature results in some very comical moments, and his need for vengeance against Ronan for slaughtering his family gives a drive that seems contagious as it inspires the other Guardians to follow suit.  Drax does have a dumb moments where he calls Ronan to come fight him, naively thinking that he could somehow take on a whole army single-handedly, but his predictable loss does help push Drax to become a part of                                                                               the team, rather than trying to remain a lone wolf.

                          Visuals:

Brilliant visuals make even the downtime feel relevant.

This movie has phenomenal special effects, up to par with The Avengers, but with more originality, since this takes place outside of Earth.  The ships are all neat looking, while looking like practical designs that you can envision being actually made.  The costumes for all the characters feel appropriate, and the set designs are also out of this world (pun intended).  Side characters all felt just human enough to be relatable, but just alien enough not to make it feel like Star Trek, where miraculously 95% of all alien life in the universe looks exactly like we do.

Conclusions:

Guardians of the Galaxy is a phenomenal film that really places itself alongside The Avengers in terms of overall quality, and the feeling of bringing together and unlikely group of brilliantly dysfunctional heroes.  While Ronan definitely lacks the same type of charisma and depth that Loki brought, you really don’t mind, since the story isn’t really about him.  Ronan could have used a little more depth, or at least an explanation as to why he is on this relentless pursuit of genocide, but he’s just there to give the Guardians something to rally against. 

Ronan is the only real flaw in the film, lacking any real complexity, and simply providing an inherently greater evil to force our group of unlikely heroes to discover their inner heroism to overcome him. 

In short, don’t go expecting a compelling villain.  Just go simply to enjoy the brilliant special effects, epic battles, and a well-cast group of protagonists that play a very believable and compelling group of criminals coming together to save the galaxy from another of Thanos’ minions.

Good:

-Compelling cast of heroes, all of which have their standout moments.

-Awesome special effects

-Mixture of comedy and action keeps the pacing really solid throughout, with little “downtime” for this movie to feel stale.

Bad:

-Lacking a Loki-quality antagonist, meaning the villain doesn’t have the same complexity and charisma as Loki had in The Avengers.

Scully Rating: 9.5 out of 10

The World's End

By: Robert Murphy

It’s finally happened everybody, the next Simon Pegg and Nick Frost joy ride has come to the big screen and as you might expect, it doesn’t disappoint. The story revolves around a group of five former friends who have all banded together to conquer their towns greatest challenge which is the Golden Mile, twelve pubs, one night of epic adventure. Sounds like fun already right? Well it gets even better when things in the fives home town don’t appear to be adding up and it is revealed that their home town has been replaced by robots, well not robots, robot means slaves and they’re not slaves, no not at all. This being part of The World’s End frankly brilliant wit and humor that you receive throughout the film but not only is funny it has a great deal of heart and action (obviously) incorporated into it as well. So without further ado, let’s dig right into it.

Our five friends are all well-known actors and are exactly the perfect people to fill the older, stuffy versions of their younger selves that are shown in the film. We have Oliver or O man (Martin Freeman) who is the fuddy duddy kill joy of the group who has now become a real estate agent since the old days. Then we have Steven (Paddy Considine) who use to be our lead characters “rival” during their younger days as they play guitar and chased down girls across the school yard, one in particular being Oliver’s sister, Sam (Rosamund Pike.) And then there’s Peter (Eddie Marsan) who was the nerdy member of the five that was always bullied and teased throughout school and ultimately protect by his friends and finding his own place in it. Finally, we have Andrew (Nick Frost) who was best mates with Simon Pegg’s character but had a falling out near the end of high school when they all went their separate ways. And that’s everyone…..OH wait how could I forget about The King which is Simon Pegg’s character, Gary King, who will often refer to himself as The King and act as though he is God among men. This might have been the case when he was younger but now things have changed, very drastically but Gary hasn’t and is that one guy who never left high school but takes it to a whole other level. He is the one who manages to get the group back together for this last blowout and to finish what they couldn’t all those years ago.

From here our story of a night to remember begins but this feeling is only shown by Gary who is, as I said, stuck in the past where he was The King, girls loved him, he could drink and smoke his days away with his mates and nothing could ever stop him. But life it seems has stopped him and the first scene that we see Gary in, he is in a drug rehabilitation center, describing the old days as if they were yesterday. This is where we get a sense of soul and heart to the film and even though Gary’s selfish reasons brought the band back together much more comes from it. This and other touching moments from the groups past somehow go along rather seamlessly with the out of this world sci-fi elements of the film. The premise behind the other worldly beings that have taken over our friends home town is rather inventive and ties into the concerns and whoas of our group as well as every human being. They also are a part of the movies brilliantly planned out and choreographed fight scenes, where every hit leads to ricochet of events in the scene and brings the whole environment into the action.  Then they all proceed to have a pint and share more of their history together….sounds ridiculous when I say it but it works, trust me.

Not much else to say about The World’s End except that it is bloody brilliant, I’ve been a big fan of Edgar Wright’s films such as Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz, where Simon Pegg and Nick Frost join forces for epic conquest against zombies or a town of homicidal murderers. The World’s End was one of the few movies that I did not feel robbed me of twelve dollars and gave me a never ending amount of laughs along with everybody else in the theatre. The film pulls no punches with its quick wit and intelligent humor (and not so intelligent), it’s not afraid to jab itself or its characters and struts its stuff with a joyous swagger. And it’s not just Simon Pegg and Nick Frost who are the stars of the show, no all the actors and actresses are on top of their game and makes me hope to God that the five actually do meet up for a pint every now and again.

Good:

-A great cast of characters who bring a spot on performance

-A movie with action, laughs and a soul to it as well

-Brilliantly choreographed fight scenes

-Excellently written and a good edition alongside Hot Fuzz and Shaun of the Dead

Bad:

-Hmm I uhh, yeah I’ve got nothing, I loved it all

Scully Rating: 9.5 out of 10 

In the News: Bungie's Latest Project

For those of you who don’t know, “Bungie” studious who have been responsible for giving gamers the “Halo” franchise but they have recently left the “Halo” universe in new pursuits and they have been really hard at work. “Bungie” has recently revealed new images as well as a video for their new foray into to video games, their new title is called “Destiny” is a sci-fi shooter MMO that is breaking new ground in video games and I for one am ready to see what “Bungie” is throwing our way this time. “Destiny” is set to offer a quasi-massively multiplayer sci-fi experience which in a press release they refer to it as a “shared world shooter” that is fully playable by yourself, but designed to seamlessly connect you with friends. The game is not expected to be out sometime next year and is due to be released for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and was not so subtly hinted that is destined for “future-generation technology” which entails the game is headed for  Xbox 720 and PlayStation 4. Although it won’t be out for quite some time, I for one am excited for more as a long time “Bungie” fan, in the meantime we’ll all have to wait and keep an eye out for more.