Here’s your Green Day: Rock Band opening cinematic. As I’m sure you remember, one of the best parts of The Beatles: Rock Band was the insane, I’m going to call it a short film, that started things off. I find it so depressing that that game didn’t sell better and that Green Day: Rock Band might actually do better because more gamers like Green Day than the Beatles. That makes me feel ill. Kids these days.
Sean Lemme
Da Podcasket Iron Man 2 Special
After what must have felt like a lifetime da morticians are finally ready to discuss Iron Man 2. What will the guys have to say? Is this the blockbuster we’ve all been waiting for or a real train wreck? Pretend you haven’t already read the review or seen it. It’s more fun that way.
Valve Bursts Pipe on Steam for Mac
Remember how Steam was coming out for Mac? It happened. Right now, as long as you have a computer and don’t use Linux, you can use Steam.
The Steam application runs well, although downloads are a little slow right now, probably because a lot of people are downloading games right now. Thanks to Steam Play, there are already 57 games available for Macintosh consumption. That includes hits like Torchlight and Civilization IV.
Also, Valve’s first game on Mac, Portal, is free right now until the 24th. As far as I know, that’s for Mac and Windows gamers. Portal, as you might remember, is pretty much the best game ever. You really should get it. I’m looking at you, Colin and John. It’s free. You’ve got no excuse. Give it a shot.
Heart of Iron
Iron Man 2
There is a definite pattern to super hero movies. First comes the origin film, the exciting and interesting tale of how an unlikely individual becomes someone greater than they ever thought they could be. Then comes the sequel, which ups the action and forces our hero to face a greater foe than they ever imagined. After that, usually the series spins out of control into less good franchise cash-ins. That’s how Superman did it, Spider-Man, X-Men, and Batman did it, and that seems to be the path the Iron Man franchise has committed itself to.
But Iron Man 2 is at a disadvantage. I’m no expert on the comics, but I’ve always gotten the impression that Tony Stark’s greatest foe was himself. He’s a narcissistic alcoholic first, super hero second. At the same time, the Stark we got in the first Iron Man was so likable, audiences don’t want to see him self-destruct.
So how do you make an Iron Man 2? You go with what worked in the first movie: lots of dialogue-heavy comedy, sleek special effects, and some neat action. And that’s exactly what director Jon Favreau did.
Just like the previous film, Robert Downey, Jr. is the main attraction here, as his Tony Stark is just as great as the last time. Stark is struggling with a lot this time around, it turns out having a super battery embedded in your chest is not healthy. The government wants him to hand over the Iron Man suit and at the same time his chief business rival, Justin Hammer (played by the terrific Sam Rockwell) is trying to steal Stark’s idea. And the evil Russian version of Tony wants revenge for his father. Also, Stark is alienating his friends Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow), Happy Hogan (Jon Favreau) and Lt. Col. James Rhodes (Don Cheadle, replacing Terrence Howard). And Scarlett Johansson and Samuel L. Jackson are bothering him too.
Yeah, there’s a lot going on in Iron Man 2. The movie really wants you to know that Captain America and Thor movies are coming out next summer, and The Avengers will be out in 2012. Loading so much into one movie probably did end up making it a little longer than it should have been, but I did not really have any problem with the length or trouble keeping track of what was going on.
Ultimately the story is not as satisfying or interesting as the original movie. I think that’s less the fault of this film and more the problem with super hero sequels not be as engaging as origin stories. Stark’s arc is justifiably frustrating, with a somewhat rushed conclusion. They really just tried their best to put everything together for a big action sequence at the end. I liked that action fine, certainly a lot more than the first movie, but I think in a post-Avatar world you have to do more than just CG action.
Speaking of Avatar, I’m so glad this movie is not in 3D. Just saying.
There probably will be a third Iron Man. Despite Stark possibly appearing in future Marvel movies as well as Avengers, I think they will want to get Favreau behind the camera again (Joss Whedon is said to be directing Avengers – awesome). So who goes head-to-head with the Iron Knight next time? It can’t be more robots / dudes in suits, I think that well is tapped. It’s got to be monsters or something. I’m not sure that can work in this movie’s universe. I guess we’ll find out in 2013.
Da Podcasket Episode 01
In this first episode of da Podcasket, da morticians discuss the Mariners, movies, TV shows, video games and more. A real smorgasbord.
This is our very first attempt at the whole podcasting thing. We’d really appreciate some feedback on what you guys want to hear discussed in future shows.
Download the episode here.
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Retrospecticus: Jon Favreau
OK. I’m not going to be the only one not to do a Retrospecticus. So we’re going to take a short look at the career of director Jon Favreau. Why? Iron Man 2 comes out on Friday. Good enough. Favreau’s not exactly a prolific director, but I certainly enjoy his work. Are you going to complain about this? No. You’re not.
Swingers (1996)
While he didn’t direct Swingers, Favreau did write and star in the movie, and for all intents and purposes, his career starts here. This is a manly movie about single men of the 1990s trying to make and name for themselves and survive on the Hollywood dating scene. The movie made Vince Vaughn a star as Trent, a smooth operator who knows all the moves and rules necessary to seduce a dame. But our hero is Favreau as the timid, lonely Mike. Mike is recovering from a tough break up and has a hard time making new connections, much to his friends’ chagrin. This is definitely a guy movie, and watching these characters talk about dating strategies, play video games, and ridicule each other is a lot of fun. With a ton of pop culture references and cinematic homages, this isn’t necessarily genius-level material, but it is very entertaining. Kind of a theme for Favreau’s career.
Made (2001)
In my experience, Made doesn’t have much of a rep, good or bad. Which is a shame, since it’s actually a really solid comedy. You could call it Swingers as gangsters, since this is another movie that depends entirely on the interplay between Favreau and Vaughn. Favreau is once again the straight man, a L.A. mobster tough guy named Bobby who has to redeem himself after he roughs up the wrong guy. His boss sends him to New York on a job, and he brings his lifelong friend Ricky (Vaughn) with him. They get into some wacky situations, but the movie is all about Bobby and Ricky arguing with each other. Ricky is the main comedic attraction, as when he’s not fighting with Bobby, he’s making an ass of himself with everyone else. The movie also features a number of recognizable faces, including Sam Rockwell and Sean Combs. Good stuff.
Elf (2003)
Already a Christmas classic, it’s hard to believe Elf is almost seven years old. It’s also surprising that this is only Favreau’s second stint behind the camera, as he is as capable as ever. That said, this movie totally belongs to Will Ferrell. His portrayal of Buddy, a human that was raised by Santa’s elves, is so endearing that I’ve yet to meet a person who could resist his charms. Whether he’s sitting on Bob Newhart’s lap or eating a disgusting breakfast, you just gotta like the guy. I have a hard time criticizing the film because I’m perfectly content with it as it is. Yes, the ending is pretty weak. And yes, you shouldn’t ever compromise or “take of your critic hat,” but let’s face it, you’re going to be stuck watching something on Christmas. I’m more than happy to welcome it into the pantheon of consistently enjoyable holiday movies.
Zathura: A Space Adventure (2005)
After the success of Elf, studio heads must have declared Favreau a family-friendly film savant, so they put him in charge of the Jumanji successor Zathura. Just like the 1990s hit, this film puts some bickering children in very real danger when the events described in an old board game start happening in real life. The movie starts out with a references to Milton Bradley (the ballplayer), which I appreciated. Tim Robbins is dad and Kristen Stewart is big sister, but the stars are two little boys played by Jonah Bobo and Josh Hutcherson. Also Dax Shepard is an astronaut. This certainly is not a masterpiece, but for a kid’s movie, it’s fine. I never really liked either of the child actor stars. Frankly the movie is too long as well, it didn’t really hold my attention for a meaty chunk in the middle. But it’s not that bad. I just wouldn’t be in a hurry to see it. I only saw it so I could do this post.
Iron Man (2008)
Much like Elf, Iron Man is a movie propelled by its star. This time, it’s Robert Downey, Jr. as the eponymous hero, but more importantly his alter ego Tony Stark. It’s rare for a modern comic book movie to rely so much on comedy, and even rarer for it to work so well. But beyond the amusing bits, Iron Man also manages to pack in some pretty sweet CG sequences. Remember when he goes back to Afghanistan and just wipes those dudes out. That was pretty neat. Also like Elf, the ending was a little disappointing. Except for the very end of the movie, when Stark proves why he’s a different kind of super hero. This was the beginning of the Marvel push for an Avengers movie, and frankly, as long as RDJ keeps playing Iron Man, I’ll be happy.
This brings us to today. Just a couple days away from Iron Man 2, and only a couple years from the amazingly-titled Cowboys and Aliens.
Tom Clancy’s Something Something
Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell: Conviction
Historically, I have not been the biggest fan of stealth games. Waiting, pattern memorization, precise timing, none of that ever was that entertaining. Sure, there were exceptions, Metal Gear Solid 2 comes to mind, but I never really got into the Splinter Cell games. I picked the first one up because it looked awesome, got bored and frustrated, and gave up on them. Later I played that one with the cool spies vs. mercenaries multiplayer mode, but staid away from the story mode. But recent games like Arkham Asylum and Assassin’s Creed 2 have me invested in the new direction the genre is going in, so I was quick to pick up the long-awaited Splinter Cell Conviction.
I don’t really know what’s been going on, but at the point Conviction picks up, Sam Fisher is basically the Jack Bauer of the Tom Clancy universe, retired after his daughter and best friend’s deaths. But some lady tracks him down and soon enough Fisher is back in the shit, trying to uncover the truth behind what happened in the previous game and save the United States while he’s at it. The story enables you to play through a number of neat landmarks, so while it’s not amazing I’m cool with it. Michael Ironside is back as Fisher, and he does fine, although he sounds a little drunk some times.
There’s also a multiplayer story made up of four missions. You and a partner play as two spies, rocking all the gear from the get-go that Fisher collects over the whole single player campaign. They unravel a conspiracy that leads into Fisher’s story. Co-op is the best part of the game, as finding your way through rooms full of evil dudes with a partner is a lot of fun. There are some more multiplayer modes too, and they’re fine, you know, whatever.
Conviction clearly learned a lot from Arkham Asylum, because this is another stealth game that is more about power and keeping your enemies afraid as you take them out. You can smoothly transfer from cover to cover with simple commands. Taking out an enemy with a melee attack is easy and usually pretty brutal. Once you’ve meleed an enemy, you unlock the ability to mark and execute your enemies. That means being able to take out 2-4 goons with the press of one button. It got to the point that I tried to avoid having to actually aim my gun.
Visually, the graphics in Conviction are fine, not astounding. But the game has a great sense of style that elevates its appearance. Instructions and flashbacks appear in-game, projected on buildings and cars, which is really neat. When you’re hidden, the game goes black and white, which has the effect of making you feel even more exposed when you’re in the open and in color. Animations are smooth and some of the violence is almost cringe-worthy.
I’m really happy to say this is a good game. Conviction was in development for so long, it seemed like it could never turn out this well. While I still prefer its generic predecessors, this game is certainly among the stealth game cream of the crop .