Sunday, December 19, 2010

Tron: Legacy - Film Review


So I went to see Tron: Legacy on opening night with a few friends. The first thing I have to say is that the visuals were amazing. The budget for Tron: Legacy definitely set new standards for visuals in a modern-age film. The CGI was seamless and the use of 3D wasn't tacky or half-assed. It felt immersive, which is how 3D should be done.

Now those of us who've seen the original Tron, you're in for a treat. The additions they'd made to this world many of us have become enamoured with are, to be put simply, drool-worthy. Everything is richer and more electronic feeling. Gone are the days of hand-drawn animations overtop of film cell. This is a new generation of Tron that still feels remarkably like the previous one.

If you're in to the visceral side of film making, this is a treat for your senses. The sound is beautifully balanced, the visuals crisp and clean and the overall design is a film designers dream.

The plot of Tron: Legacy is more of what you'd expect. Not to say that this is a bad thing at all. A program gone renegade, the resistance fighting against them, etc.

The film also does a great job of setting itself up for those people who didn't see the original Tron in the opening scenes. We see Kevin Flynn explaining the world of Tron and telling him all about the improvements and things he's done since the first film. He's turned CLU in to a mirror image of himself that has AI thought potential to help him run things while he's not around with Tron.

In the mean time, you can guess what's happened. CLU has become corrupt, believing that his assignment of creating the perfect world no longer includes Kevin Flynn. So when Kevin enters The Grid, CLU terminates Tron, Kevin's protector, and sends him on the run.

Unfortunately during this time, when a portal opens in to this world it only remains open for about eight hours and once the portal is closed, it cannot be opened from the inside. Kevin becomes stuck there. In the real world, Sam Flynn, Kevin's son, grows up without a father and becomes some-what of a recluse. Despite owning major shares in his father's company, he remains out of the company.

After one of his father's old colleague's, Tron's original User, receives a page from a line that's been dead for nearly thirty years Sam heads to his father's old Arcade and is sucked in to The Grid. The rest of the plot advances along with Sam, Kevin, and Quorra, a program part of the small resistance, attempting to get out of The Grid to shut down CLU from the outside.

Many revelations about the world of Tron are made during the film and I don't want to give away too much of the plot before you go out and see it, but while it's not the most amazing plot out there, it fits well in the film and puts forward the best experience you can expect from a movie like Tron: Legacy.

Over all I'd have to give the movie a great recommendation. If you're in to technology, saw the original or are just curious about what it might be like, go see it! I think it's something everyone can enjoy,

Rating
8.5/10

Wednesday, December 15, 2010

Up and Over It - We No Speak Americano



Maybe it's me, but I've watched this clip about 30,000 times since I found it a couple nights ago. Amazing! 

Tuesday, December 14, 2010

New Game Alert - Dissidia 012 [duodecim] Final Fantasy


Square Enix has recently announced a prequel game to 2009's popular fighter for the PSP. The original game presented a fully 3D Fighter that I have never seen before. The game felt like a combination of an A-RPG and a Fighter. 

The original Dissidia gave us a roster of 22 Characters to choose from. The roster consisted of the following character's from the corresponding Final Fantasy games.

  1. Warrior of Light / Garland
  2. Firion / The Emperor Mateus
  3. Onion Knight / Cloud of Darkness
  4. Cecil Harvey / Golbez
  5. Bartz Klauser / Exdeath
  6. Terra Bradford / Kefka Palazzo 
  7. Cloud Strife / Sephiroth
  8. Squall Leonheart / Ultimecia
  9. Zidane Tribal / Kuja
  10. Tidus / Jecht
  11. Shantotto 
  12. Gabranth
From Final Fantasy 1 - 10 a hero and a villain were chosen. Final Fantasy XI was only given a hero and XII was only given a villain. Each Hero fought for Cosmos, the goddess of Harmony and Light. Each Villain fought for Chaos, the god of Discord and Darkness. 

A little backstory...

Chaos and Cosmos have been fighting for as long as they have existed. Their fight continues on despite apparant victories on either side. Chaos and Cosmos must always fight. The natural order of the world will not allow one favour over the other for long. Rebirth and Death are main themes between Chaos and Cosmos. Eventually Chaos and Cosmos began calling heroes and villains from other worlds to fight for them in hopes of gaining the upper hand. 

Dissidia Final Fantasy told the story of the thirteenth cycle of battles between Chaos and Cosmos and their warriors. In the original Dissidia Chaos and Cosmos each had equal warriors. In Dissidia 012 [duodecim] the tables have turned. 

Dissidia 012 [doudecim] tells the story of the twelfth cycle of battles between Chaos, Cosmos and their warriors. This time around, the heroes seem to have an advantage, with several new characters having been announced already and more to come. 

Head past the break for a break down of the new game! 

Some YouTube Users Say Goodbye to Time Limits

That's right folks! Some YouTube users, myself and Drroxxette included, have found the time limits on their videos miraculously disappearing! 


So what exactly does this mean? My guess is that YouTube is beginning to roll out time limitless videos for all their users instead of just partners. That or they're simply dangling a carrot in front of some users while denying others the chance to jump for it. 


Could this be the start of new Partnership offers or could this simply be a slow-going roll out of time limitless videos for YouTube? We'll just have to wait and see to find out. 


Check out a screencap under the break to see what the upload screen tells you if you've been selected for this privilege too! 


Have you been given the option for longer uploads yet? Or if you don't post videos, would you like to watch longer videos from non-partners? Or do you like the fifteen minute limit?