Friday, May 30, 2014

Lego Batman 3 Trailer Released

Hey Everyone,

I know that I am not the only adult that loves Lego Batman. I was very excited to hear that they will be making a third one and I must admit I jumped up for joy when I saw the trailer. Check it out below.


It appears as though the famous Cape Crusader will be going into outer space. Considering the game is called Lego Batman: Beyond Gotham, I am assuming the beyond means pretty far out there. There is no official release date just that it will be released in the Fall 2014. I am assuming it will be like Batman 2 which was multiple platforms. Either way I will be playing who is with me?

Post by Vikki
Twitter: ProfessorWhite

Thursday, May 29, 2014

Gamer Corner: Kevin

Welcome to this week's installment of Gamer Corner, where Fangirl Review interviews a gamer and gets his thoughts on the gaming world and learning what he is enjoying at the moment.


Tell me a little bit about yourself? What rig do you currently game on? What kind of gamer do you classify yourself to be? ie. PC, Console, Tabletop, LARP as well as Hardcore, RPG, etc. 
I’m a soon to be 28 year old dietary manager currently working in rehab/long-term care. Received my education from the University of Florida. While I haven’t played computer games since 97, I do currently play the launch system of the PS4, PS3 slim, and the new PS Vita slim bundled w/ borderlands 2. I classify myself as a Trophy Hunter! I love to collecting trophies in games. It’s probably the first thing I look at after installing the data on the system. I’m mostly a console gamer, I don’t mind playing games on the laptop or now portable handheld.

What is your first memory of gaming? 
I would have to say when I was first introduced to the Sega Genesis system. My dad had come back from deployment right before Christmas; I received it as a gift and didn’t even know about the system. He had told me that some of his shipmates were playing on the ship and thought it would be something I’d like. It was the launch system with Sonic, the one that had not for resale on it. I also had gotten Street Fighter II: Champion Edition.


What game are you currently playing right now? Do you enjoy that game, why? How’s the overall game play and graphics
I’m currently playing Darksiders (got it from the flash sale for $5) and Crysis 3 on PS3, Gravity Rush, Unit 13, Velocity Ultra, and Borderland 2 on PS Vita, and nothing on my PS4 as I have traded in my games towards pre-orders this fall. So far I’m enjoying everything that I’m playing. I love games like Darksiders because its story driven, you solve puzzles, and you have to strategize. Crysis 3, well it’s just like any other fps but with a few different features, I like headshots. Can’t really comment on the PS vita games just yet since I just played it for the first time yesterday but the graphics are amazing. I personally think that KZ: Shadowfall is the best game graphically so far that I’ve seen on the PS4.

Would you recommend it, why? 
I would recommend everything that I’m currently playing.

Are there any games coming out that you are looking forward to? 
Destiny and Batman: Arkham Knight. Both have been pre-ordered. Also Tom Clancy’s The Division. I’ll take any Tom Clancy game over COD and BF any day.


If you could design your own game what would it be like? 
Probably a visual novel. I haven’t seen many in North America and I love anime. Probably something on the lines of The Boondocks.

Thoughts on this new generation of consoles – Wii U, PS4, and Xbox One? 
Personally I think the Xbox period is for children, even though they are advertising the Xbox 1 towards adults. The Wii U, I can’t say too much about being that I haven’t played it personally. The gameplay that I have watched of it does look amazing though. Now the PS4 is something I would and have been recommending to all gamers. I think it’s the best next gen console out. The numbers don’t lie, only is I wish it had the external hard drive capabilities like the PS3.

What are your thoughts on the gaming industry?
I think the game industry is saturated with copies and low quality games. I can’t think of one game that is a 10 rating. Yes the graphics are getting better but we’re buying the same titles over and over. I personally hate the fact that so many games come out at once. It’s like you are forced to choose which one. I know it’s about the all mighty dollar but I can’t even enjoy playing some games because I’m busy trying to stay current. That’s why I don’t play much multiplayer online because I rather get immersed in the campaign/story than battle strangers online for hours.

10 years from now, where do you see the industry? Are you happy with that direction? If you had the power, what direction would you have the gaming industry go?
Honestly I see the industry going VR. Sony is already working on it and it’s just a matter of time before we’re actually testing our true abilities like in the movie “Gamer”. I would love to see gaming like that. See if some of the other gamers actually have the skills they actually claim online. It’s a big difference when your attributes come in to play, instead of hacking the game to level up or unlock the best weapons in the game when it’s only been out for 2 days. Me, myself, if I had the power, I would definitely take the gaming industry there! No more being a part of a 9 year old’s kill streak because his parents allow him to play online all weekend while you actually have real responsibilities to take care of and may only get to play for a hour or two after your kids go to sleep.

Favorite Game (can include tabletop) of all time and why?
Hmmmm….I really don’t know. Maybe Super Mario 64. Mario is classic, but when the 64 introduced the world to a semi open map, and a 3d Mario, it was epic.


Would you like to share your gamer tag and the system so others may add you?
PS3, PS4, PS Vita – Killa_Kev757
Thank you to Kevin for a fantastic interview. If you would like to be interviewed for Gamer Corner please contact me at fangirlcontact@gmail.com.

Post by Vikki
Twitter: ProfessorWhite

Wednesday, May 28, 2014

Revolution S.2 Ep.22 “Declaration of Independence” SERIES FINALE


Recap: The nano gets weaker, as Aaron and Rachel try to wake Priscilla up from her dream world. Priscilla finally wakes up crying for her daughters, then she passes out. Miles and his crew enter the court house to find the mustard gas. They find that Marion has been killed. Everyone starts evacuating when they hear gunfire. Truman takes the president and General Carver to a safe room, then kills General Carver. The next day, the president tells the Willoughby townspeople that Miles, Monroe, and California killed General Carver and plotted to kill the townspeople. He declares war on California.

Miles, Monroe, and crew plot to kidnap the president to prevent the war. Connor and Neville plan to kill the president instead. Connor wants to include his father, but Neville is insistent on doing it without him or Miles. Miles and Monroe get to the president before Connor and Neville do. The president is gagged and tied up, but he seems to recognize Rachel. The Patriots attack Miles and his crew. Miles tells Monroe to take the president to the rendezvous point, while everyone else deals with the Patriots. 


Connor catches up with Monroe, with Neville and Scanlon watching from afar. Connor wants to know why Monroe is keeping the president alive. Monroe explains that he can’t kill the president because Miles trusted him to keep him alive. Monroe pleads with Connor to come with him, but Connor feels betrayed that Monroe would pick Miles over him. Connor walks away as Neville and Scanlon open fire on Monroe. Monroe traps Neville and Connor and gets away with the president.

Monroe and the president meet up with Miles and the crew at the rendezvous point. Rachel is surprised Monroe actually showed up. Rachel reveals that the president used to be her boss’s boss. She blames him and Randall Flynn for everything she has lost. The Patriots barge in and free the president, while holding Miles and his crew at gunpoint. The president reveals his war plan. He orders the Patriots to kill everyone. The Patriots that barged in are imposters and are actually on Miles’s side. Texas Rangers come take the president into custody.


Everyone goes to the Texas Ranger camp in Austin. Texas Rangers start shooting every Patriot in sight. The Texas Rangers declare war on the United States. Truman is nowhere to be found. Charlie gives Miles her blessing to be with her mom. Priscilla finally wakes up and tells Aaron that she saw what the nano was thinking. The nano wants to control the whole world and it will find people that will help it. The nano finds the president, Truman, Connor, and Neville and presents itself in the form of deceased loved ones. It tells them to go to Bradbury, Idaho because God has chosen them. The show ends with a crowd of people gathering in Bradbury, Idaho (The Wasteland), with electricity flickering on. 

 
The End

Review: Apparently, I’m slow and I just realized this was the series finale; not just the season finale. Silly me. In my opinion, moving this show to Wednesday nights at 8 PM EST killed the ratings.

Favorite quote of this episode: “Lady, I am America.”– The president

I was unhappy with this series finale. I assume that this was meant to be a season finale, but the show was cancelled at the last minute. Priscilla came back, only to unleash the nano into the world to find others to help in its plan for world mind control. The ending still leaves the series open to be picked up by another network. Maybe Netflix or Hulu will take a stab at it.

What do you think would have happened in a season 3? This was not the explosive ending I was hoping for.

Please let me know what your comments or thoughts are.

Post by Veronica Fitzpatrick
Twitter: RonnieLauren

Monday, May 26, 2014

X-Men Days of Future Past Movie Review


Through the first fifteen minutes of Bryan Singer´s X-Men: Days of Future Past, I was making mental notes on how this film had the best 3D graphics I had ever seen: not only weren´t my eyes hurting, but for once, the effect actually made me feel like I was inside the movie and not just waiting for a gimmicky grenade to be thrown in my direction. A quarter of the way through I started to think about how this was probably one of the best super hero movies I had seen in a long time: the story was tight and the action scenes big but not overwhelming. By the halfway mark, when Magneto was out and about, I stopped thinking so much and simply enjoyed every minute of the spectacle before me.

At the onset of X-Men Days of Future Past we are introduced to a future where humans and mutants are being killed in mass by Sentinels, machines designed to hunt and destroy anyone it finds that has any trace, or would be trace, of mutant DNA. Professor Xavier, played by the nearly flawless Patrick Stewart, believes that the only way to stop these Sentinels is by traveling back to 1973 to stop them before they were made. To do this they must intersect the shape-shifting mutant named Raven, better known as Mystique, from committing an act which will set of the chain of events that lead to their final present fate. 


Wolverine, one again played by Hugh Jackman, in probably his best outing as the character, takes on the task. It´s not an easy one, as Mystique holds no allegiance to the Professor Xavier of 1973. He must convince that Professor X, played passionately by James McVoy, to work together with a man he had held much contempt for since the events ending X-Men: First Class: Erik Lehnsherr, Magneto, played with vicious resoluteness by Michael Fassbender.

The movie doesn´t waste much time with needless prologues or long explanations of plot points – this is what has bored me in a lot of recent superhero movies, and some chunks of X-Men: First Class. Here, Professor X, gives us a short speech about why traveling to the past is the last hope for mutant and human kind and before we know it we are back in 70s. 

 
From here on we see very little of Patrick Stewart or Ian McKellen, who returns as Magneto. Being such a fan of these two actors and their interpretations of the characters, I didn´t like this move at first. But the more McVoy and Lehnsherr played off of one another, the more I bought into their younger and more ribald versions of the classic duo whose opposition to one another is only matched by their mutual respect for the other.

In fact, not only did the little screen time for Stewart and McKellen become an after thought, it actually worked to their characters´ benefits. Both actors underplayed their roles in quiet confidence. Magneto and Professor X were tired warriors – their aged faces expressed the hopelessness of staring down death while hoping for a miracle in the past. They were no longer the men they were: they appeared confused, worried, and perhaps not even sure of what they had been fighting for in all the years. Yet in their helplessness, Bryan Singer made sure to give each man a stand alone moment in the film where they could still use their mutant powers to affect an outcome – maybe not save the world, but at least ward of death and save a last bit of dignity for themselves. Singer was able,with that gesture, to create something very few superhero movies are able to: real desperation and sadness for characters we know may no longer be with us.


Hugh Jackman´s Wolverine quickly finds Professor Xavier in 1973. He is now living with Hank, the Beast, in a defunct version of his school for the gifted. This is not the same Professor we remember from the last film. Here he is shown to have been in a considerable emotional downspin since the devastating losses he suffered the last time we saw him. Thankfully, it doesn´t take ages for Wolverine to convince him of how important it is for him to snap back to reality.

It´s at these instances that Hugh Jackman shines. He has reluctantly become the elder statesmen of this young duo – Beast and the Professor. They are not even half the men they will become and require patience. Jackman no only shows us Wolverine´s focused resolution in battle, which we are already accustomed to seeing, but his compassionate side – especially as it relates to Professor Xavier, a man he will come to admire so much in the future but who is in a state of complete loss. These moments of frailty and submission add a depth to the character which hasn´t really been explored at length on screen. Wolverine can´t lash out in anger here (for otherwise his link to the past will be lost) and Jackman´s control of the beast within the man makes the character interesting again.


Once the Professor agrees to help, the three set off to find Magneto. They recruit a very young Pietro Maximoff, also known as Quicksilver, to help them. The scenes which unfold during this search and eventual reunion are as well put together as you´d ever want a set piece to be. Quicksilver´s antics while aiding his new companions make for one the joyous directorial and cinematographic highlights in the film, creating one of the most beautifully shot and memorable slow motion action scenes I have seen since Neo dodged some bullets back in 1999.

While all of this is going on, Jennifer Lawrence is busy stealing nearly every scene she is in as the mutant Mystique. She will stop at nothing to stop Peter Dinklage´s character, Dr. Bolivar Trask, who is bent on getting his Sentinel program off the ground while using mutants as guinea pigs. Mystique is resilient in her cause but at times it feels as if her hardened exterior is only a cover to help her cope with a past that still haunts her. She is alone, persecuted, lost, and the only two men who had ever helped guide her are gone.

 
Lawrence´s performance is at times sexy, other times fragile, mostly determined but ultimately tragic. This is because though Mystique may have as many personalities as she does possible bodies, what she doesn´t have yet is a direction: Dr Trask becomes this for her. He is not a proper, I want to rule the world, type villain. This is as it should be. X-Men stories work best when they deal with people´s own fears and insecurities and the lengths they will go to survive in a frightening world. The doctor creates a perfect fulcrum for her combined forces along with those of the other characters and their various motives, while also subjecting them to the damage that is caused to their own psyches once they do reach their destinations.

A lot of good can be said about this movie, but the true stand out is Fassbender. He brings out the venom, which is Magneto´s hatred for mankind, in ways not even McKellen did in his turn as the character. This is a Magneto that seems hypnotized and almost maddened by his own power. Once he acknowledges his own demons he unleashes them unrepentantly. Unlike the iconic nemeses from other super hero franchises, Magneto is not driven by Lutherish greed, or Arkham Asylum-style lunacy, not even by some sort of Green Goblinish personal investment or vendetta - not in the broader sense, at least. If there is any personal investment or vendetta, it is not for himself, but for his own people: he believes he is fighting for justice against the oppressor who wishes to crush them. There is a method to his madness, a clear vision to his destruction that makes us understand him perfectly and even root for him at moments. Fassbender´s becomes this perfect monster. He uses his clear, steady voice and piercing eyes to create this unstoppable threat in slow, measured strokes – a figure whose merciless path sees no end until the guilty fall at his feet. His performance is noteworthy, in that without much fanfare he dares us to relate to his cause, even if the methods aren´t exactly to our liking.


X-Men: Days of Future Past, is a sad movie. Though the main plot point was changing future Xavier´s present for the better, the past is left in ruin. Wolverine unwittingly unleashes the best and the worst in all the characters he meets in 1973: Beast, can no longer hide in the shadows of what he doesn´t want to be; Mystique continues to wander, struggling to find her purpose; and both Professor Xavier and Magneto stretch their powers to frightening points they may not have imagined and for reasons they may have never considered. These people are no longer ghosts: their goodness and their ugliness are out on display to be disseminated. 

More than X-Men: First Class, this film becomes the true origin story. For learning how to manifest one´s power is not the real beginning of one´s journey, but rather, it is understanding how to manipulate that power and comprehending the relationship that it has to those around us. These mutants have now grown up. They have seen the horror of what they can become. They have seen the terror they can impose. They have changed, for better or for worse. Now they must live not only with the consequences of their actions, but of their very existence.

Post by Phillihp Ray

Thursday, May 22, 2014

Gamer Corner: Denver

Welcome to this week's installment of Gamer Corner, where Fangirl Review interviews a gamer and gets his thoughts on the gaming world and learning what he is enjoying at the moment.


Tell me a little bit about yourself? What rig do you currently game on? What kind of gamer do you classify yourself to be? ie. PC, Console, Tabletop, LARP as well as Hardcore, RPG, etc.
My name is Denver and I live in Florida. I currently play on my AMD gaming PC. I am a PC gamer and unless there is a significant change in the consoles, I will stick with PC for a very long time. I do think of myself as a hardcore gamer, with my favorite genre of games being FPS and RPG.

What is your first memory of gaming?
My first memory of gaming was when I was about 6 and my brother and I saved up enough money to buy a Gamecube. We mostly played Super Mario Cart Racing.


What game are you currently playing right now? Do you enjoy that game, why? How’s the overall game play and graphics?

BattleField 4 is the game I am currently playing. The gameplay can be a little slow if you're coming from playing COD but if you spawn on one of your squad members, you can get right in the action. In my opinion, the graphics in Battlefield 4 are the second best ever, with Crysis 3 being the best. I enjoy this game a lot, but the game at its current state is very buggy and almost unplayable to some degree. I really hope that EA can get this problem taken care of soon. I would highly recommend this game to anyone, especially gamers who play COD.

Are there any games coming out that you are looking forward to?
There are a lot of games coming out this year but the game that I am most excited for would probably be Destiny and Tom Clancy's The Division. 

 
If you could design your own game what would it be like?
If I could make my own game, I would make a game similar to Skyrim: The Elder Scrolls but with a co-op with up to 16 players. I think games like that need to be experienced with friends.

Thoughts on this new generation of consoles – Wii U, PS4, and Xbox One?
I honestly think that the new generation of consoles has been a little disappointing. I think the first thing Microsoft needs to do is release a Kinect-less Xbox One so there is no longer such a price difference with the PS4. I think that if you are unsatisfied with the graphics, exclusives, and the power of the systems then just get a PC. Because when you think about it, almost every game that isn't on a certain console has usually been on PC. Let's take TItanfall. This game has been getting a lot of attention for its gameplay and its uniqueness, but no one who plays on a PS3 or PS4 can play it. Therefore some people who already spent $400 on their PS4 have to go out and buy a Xbox One. In total, that's $900 on two different consoles for games that were available for the PC.

What are your thoughts on the gaming industry?
I think the industry is good, but I really think that companies like EA and Activion need to stop milking money from gamers with shortcuts, DLC, and new map packs. I also think that the games need to be at least ten dollars cheaper.

10 years from now, where do you see the industry? Are you happy with that direction? If you had the power, what direction would you have the gaming industry go?
I predict that in the next ten years the gaming community will grow exponentially. I really hope that there are more original games like Bioshock Infinite and Skyrim, and not the "rinse and repeat" cycle that Call of Duty has been doing for a very long time.

Favorite Game (can include tabletop) of all time and why? 
My favorite games would have to be Battlefield 4 and Far Cry 3. I love Battlefield 4 for its vehicles and large maps and I appreciate Far Cry 3 for its great story and open world that you can roam.


Thank you to Denver for a fantastic interview. If you would like to be interviewed for Gamer Corner please contact me at fangirlcontact@gmail.com.

Post by Vikki
Twitter: ProfessorWhite

Wednesday, May 21, 2014

Revolution S2 Ep.21 “Memorial Day” Recap


Recap:  Neville and Monroe join forces to plot revenge against the Patriots. With Marion’s help, Charlie and Miles plot to steal the Patriots’ mustard gas. They think the Patriots are planning to gas the Texas capital to start a war between Texas and California. Hijacking the train carrying the gas may be the only option to stop them. Rachel sets out to look for Aaron and Priscilla. 


One of Monroe’s men is working as an informant. He tells Monroe Miles’s train hijacking plan. Rachel finds Aaron and Priscilla in a house where the electric is on and music is playing. The nano has programmed Patriot soldiers to sit as if watching television. It has also programmed an old woman to continuously brush her own her hair; so much so that she has a bloody, bald patch on her scalp. Aaron confesses that the nano has taken over Priscilla’s body. The nano shares her plan to reprogram the human species. Rachel slaps the nano in the face and tells it that the idea is crazy.
Miles and his crew put the hijacking plan into action. The Patriots realize something is wrong and they start firing at them while they are on the train. They manage to get the train moving and fight off the Patriots. 

 
Marion is afraid that Truman will find out that she has been helping Miles. Connor and Neville discuss the strange relationship Miles and Monroe have. Monroe, Connor, and Neville catch up with Miles when he stops the train to neutralize the gas. Monroe holds him at gunpoint to take the train. He plans to run the train into D.C. to burn the city down. Neville turns his gun on Charlie. As his gun goes off, Miles and Monroe knock him out. The bullet hits the mustard gas tank on the train, but no gas leaks out. There is no gas on the train. They realize the mustard gas is back in town and that the Patriots must be planning to gas everyone. Miles, Monroe, and his crew head back to town, while Connor stays behind.

Rachel and Aaron plot to save Priscilla from the nano. When the nano returns to the house with a girl she lured there, Rachel holds her at gunpoint. Rachel and Aaron electrocute the nano to knock her unconscious and talk to Priscilla. They get a glimpse of Priscilla, but the nano comes to and is very angry.


Truman gives a Memorial Day speech for the entire town. There are Texas Rangers in attendance. The president of the Texas Republic (General Carver) and the president of the United States are the surprise guests. The mustard gas has been there all along. Marion finds the gas in a back room of the courthouse. Truman finds her and kills her by stabbing her.

Review:  There is only one more episode to go this season. 
Favorite quote of this episode: “Why are the ones who made me so afraid of what I am?” – The nano
Truman is a sorry excuse for a human being. I can’t wait for him to get his at some point. He doesn’t care who has to die for him to accomplish his mission. The nano is out of control. What will it do to Rachel and Aaron now that she knows they are trying to get rid of it? Connor might be plotting to go out on his own soon. He doesn’t seem to like the relationship that Monroe and Miles have. He sees it as a weakness for his father. Neville is not in his right mind. I knew his alliance with Monroe would be short-lived.

Will Neville show up again? Will Aaron ever get Priscilla back? Will Truman succeed in gassing the entire town?

There will definitely be an explosive season finale. Please let me know what your comments or thoughts are.

Post by Veronica Fitzpatrick
Twitter: RonnieLauren

Tuesday, May 20, 2014

Game of Thrones S4 Ep.7 “Mockingbird”


Recap: Arye and the Hound learn of Joffrey’s death. Arye gets to kill one of the men on her list. The Hound tells Arye the story of how his brother the Mountain threw him into a fire when they were children and disfigured him because he thought he stole his toy.

Bronn will not be Tyrion’s champion because Cersei bribed him with a marriage to a wealthy woman. Prince Oberyn tells Tyrion the story of when he first saw him as a baby. He describes how much Cersei hated Tyrion even back then. Prince Oberyn decides to be Tyrion’s champion against the Mountain in his trial by combat. This will allow him to avenge his sister’s death. 

 
Dany sleeps with Daario, then orders him to kill some slave masters. She later changes her mind about her orders. Melisandre convinces Lord Stannis’s wife to bring her daughter on their journey.

Lady Brienne gets a tip that Arye is alive. She heads to the Eyrie since the Stark girls’ Aunt Lysa is there. She hopes Sansa or Arye is there. Sansa and Robin have a childish argument. Lord Baelish kisses Sansa and Lysa sees it. Lysa later confronts Sansa and tries to throw her though the Moon Door, but Lord Baelish stops her and throws Lysa through the Moon Door instead. 


Review:  Well, at least Tyrion has a champion to fight against the Mountain. Cersei really wants Tyrion to die. She even hated him when he was a baby because she blames him for their mother’s death. The Hound might be out to kill his brother the Mountain anyway. I knew Lord Baelish’s marriage to Lysa would be short. I could tell he was not into her. She was crazy anyway. All those people she had thrown through that Moon Door and then she ends up getting thrown down there herself.

Does Lord Baelish plan to marry Sansa? He was obsessed with her mother, so why not, I guess. What will become of Robin?

Please let me know what your comments or thoughts are.

Post by Veronica Fitzpatrick
Twitter: RonnieLauren 

Monday, May 19, 2014

Movie Review: Godzilla 2014




Anyone who is a Godzilla fan and was waiting in excitement in 1998 for a vision of their favorite man-in-a-rubber-suit monster in CGI glory probably left the theatre, like myself, cursing. The film was so bad that it is not even recognized by Toho, Godzilla´s original production company, as a genuine Godzilla film. They expressed their ultimate disdain by renaming the monster, Zilla, and letting Godzilla kill him in 2004´s Godzilla Final Wars.

Although Godzilla 2000 restored my faith in Godzilla´s almighty power, there was still this bad taste left in my mouth by the absolute lack of respect that the Americans showed for the great god lizard. So when we flash forward to when I first heard rumors of another mainly American made Godzilla film, I was in a state of excitement mixed with trepidation. Me being a fan, though, I let the trepidation wear off and was first in line to see if justice had been restored to the American version of the kaiju legend. I am happy to report that, without a doubt, director Gareth Edwards and company went beyond my exceptions and created a movie that hearkened back to the original classic in its greatness.


The movie begins, and spends a considerable amount of time, in Japan. This was a smart choice which not only worked to immediately separate itself from the 1998 trash by setting a completely different more serious mood and atmosphere, it also did a lot to appease this purist fans that is used to seeing Japanese faces in horror mode.

Bryan Cranston stars as Joe Brody, a man who is obsessed with finding out the real cause behind a disaster at a nuclear power plant where he worked; a disaster that also took a great toll on his personal life. He eventually makes his way back to the site of the old ruined plant to prove that the accident was not caused by any natural phenomenon. He was right, but of course, by the time everyone figures this out it´s much too late. A large creature that had been feeding off of the nuclear power and that looks like a mix between a mosquito, a pterodactyl, and whatever the creative department thought looked freaky, is born. After struggling to release itself it immediately sets out flying, destroying everything in its path.


Ken Watanebe plays Dr. Ichiro Serizawa and Sally Hawkins plays Vivienne Graham. They are a set of researches who have been looking for information about the elusive Godzilla. This had led them to the plant where they had been monitoring the creature for some time before they knew exactly what it was. After it hatches they believe that the only hope for stopping this monster threat is awaiting for nature to balance itself out – in this case, hoping that Godzilla will appear once more to protect his dominance as king of all monsters. Needless to say, he does. He chases the creature, which is being called a M.U.T.O. (Massive Unidentified Terrestrial Organism), straight into the Pacific as it heads to Hawaii and eventually States side. Along the way the MUTO feeds off of anything containing nuclear power and disables electric grids with its electromagnetic pulse shock waves. There are a few “monster” surprises that await before the final meeting between Godzilla and his new foe on the shores of San Francisco and they all deliver a punch but I don´t want to give anything away.

What caught me the most off guard about Godzilla 2014 is that it knew how to work it´s magic by having less Godzilla in it. I didn´t think that an American made version would be capable of it. This is the formula which makes the original film such a must see classic and what carries a lot of the earlier films before the full out campy phase of the series.


It´s clear that Godzilla is a massive character, but not very multidimensional. What makes any of his films work is the human story behind the conflict. It´s how much we care about the point of views of the people experiencing his rampage.

I admit that I have at times fooled myself into thinking I wanted more Godzilla on screen, but almost invariably, the films where he appears the most are usually the worst. The key is having just enough of him to keep the audience begging for more. Edwards works in this, the shadows are scarier than the actual creature, style. My only criticism is that he goes a bit overboard. Godzilla had already been triumphantly revealed in Japan but then goes on to spend a good deal of screen time, towards the middle of the film, half submersed, swimming after the MUTO.


I love movies that don´t show us the monster sometimes until the last quarter of the film. But once they appear, it can feel counter productive to keep them out of full view again – unless there is a good amount of suspense building up for the next appearance. In this case there isn´t. Godzilla movies have always been straight ahead action flicks that work when they are big and ballsy and not trying to be a suspense thriller like Jaws or Alien. In early films of the series, Godzilla would appear then disappear until the end while the humans prepared a plan of attack. That formula worked better because Godzilla is the type of creature we really don´t want to see half of. Either give us all or nothing at all.

This is a minor gripe though, which may only make one ask, “Hey, isn´t this a Godzilla movie? Why do I only keep seeing his backside in the water?” The consolation is that the humans are interesting enough to hold their own and the payoff to Godzilla´s full reveal is well worth the wait. He explodes on screen in full force and prepared for battle. The cinematography and effects are dazzling as they expose the sheer grandness of the creature.

The CGI Godzilla design is respectful to the original costumes. At first I thought his head was too small but I got over it as I paid attention to the other small touches which allow him to appear more nimble and ferocious. It´s pleasing to see a revision of an old classic by people who obviously love the source material. Edwards was keen on keeping small details about Godzilla´s fighting style in the movie. Things like biting the neck, kicking rubble, and tail smacks were included in the choreography – not to mention a very gratifying atomic breath scene made for a legend. These gestures will make almost any Godzilla fan smile.


As I mentioned, the humans in the film hold their own while the monsters are away, but it´s not to say that their interplay is anything amazing: it´s a good functional that is not as lame as some characters have been in the 29 movie canon but also not anything super spectacular. These are people which are just interesting enough to carry the film and keep the action moving forward.

The main protagonist is Ford Brody, played by Aaron Taylor-Johnson. He is an army Lieutenant and son of Joe Brody. He had been in Japan with his father when the MUTO set itself loose. While on his way back to San Francisco, via Hawaii, to be with his wife and son, he has a confrontation with both the MUTO and Godzilla. His only choice becomes to help the army fight the threat which is making its way to the continental American shores.

Ford is a straight forward character that I rooted for only because he was such a nice guy. He doesn´t have as many dimensions to him as his father but his desire to save the day at any costs doesn´t come off as unrealistically as John McClane in the last Die Hard movie, for he is army trained, nor as boringly predictable as Spider-Man in his last outing, who didn´t have much of a struggle to beat any of the two foes even if it did cost him something personal. He´s simply a guy in the right place at the right time, ready and willing to help his country.

Yet, as straight forward as Joe Bordy may be as a character, I thought that he allowed for glimpses of what could be great character development stories for future installations in the series. Even Dr. Ichiro Serizawa made a great turn as a researcher who clearly believed in the power of Godzilla to set things in place. I do hope they bring him back if there is a sequel. One of the nicest quieter moments of the film is when he shows his father´s watch that had stopped at 8:15, the moment that Hiroshima was bombed in WWII, to an Admiral that was ready to nuke the two creatures to death. My heart stopped. He didn´t want the army to use those deadly weapons to stop the creatures and his pain felt real. Edwards didn´t explore this further but he could have, as the original Godzilla´s real horror are the scars left after Japan was atomically bombed in WWII.


Edwards may not have dug into the layers of the characters but what he did manage to do is keep things moving for the most part. He also manages to keep things as realistic as possible. There were real tragedies. People died. Plans did not go as scripted. Edwards vision was crisp and clear. Godzilla and MUTO became the backdrop for horror and not a horrible backdrop for silly characters who always manage to escape the falling debris from some tumbling skyscraper.

This movies does run just over 2 hours, which may make the little ones squirm in their seats a bit. A good fifteen to twenty minutes of the movie could have easily been left on the cutting room floor to leave more room for monster destruction. Yet, throughout the film, I felt an investment by everyone in trying to create something wonderful – almost like a love letter to their own childhood and to the fans of the series – which made the Godzilla-less lull in the middle of the film a forgivable sin. As a whole, Godzilla 2014 is the vision of a CGI American version of the monster that I had been waiting 16 years to see. It looked forward while respecting its past and made me thirsty for more. I hope rubber suit Godzilla continues his reign of terror in Japan, but I am no longer worried about American special effects intervention when it comes to giving us a different vision of what the great god monster can do and be on the big screen.

Post by Phillihp Ray

Friday, May 16, 2014

EA Sports: We Hate Our Fans Part Deuce

A lot of people were upset about the last article which was called “drivel” and then getting their hopes up when they said “EA announced immersion upgrades coming to the NHL series on Xbox One and PS4”. I recall EA making that same statement when they announced Madden 25 on the next gen systems promising us this…


But instead we got this…


You have to understand something…I don’t receive any compensation from Fangirl Review. I write these articles because I enjoy it. I would never post “ill-informed tripe” for clicks and views, especially when all of my facts can be found online. If I wanted to stroke my ego I would simply look in the mirror (conceited). Now for the people who, so narrow mindedly, said, “Don’t buy the game” in response to my statement “As a fan what can we do to get it in EA’s head that we want change, and that you can’t keep screwing us each year with the same game with minor tweaks?”. Realistically do you think one person is going cause a ripple effect if I stop buying a game? Or do you think everyone across the world will stop buying a game in unison? Now having competition would be a realistic answer. In 2010 Natural Motion released a game called Backbreakers, now despite the mediocre reviews, it was praised for the animation system, and how realistic the physical gameplay was. EA saw this and created a New Infinity Engine that improved tackle animations. Though minor, Natural Motion created a spark that led EA to making changes. You don’t need NFL licensing to make a great football game, you simply just need a great football game. Having competition keeps people on their toes, it challenges them to step their game up and create something that will make them standout on the next series. It’s not just sports; you see that in Call of Duty/Battlefield, Forza/Gran Turismo, and even console wars.


Post by Rich
Twitter: HailKingRich

Thursday, May 15, 2014

The Vampire Diaries S5, Ep. 22 "Home" Season Finale


Important Moments: Show starts with Caroline crying over Stefan. Damon and Elena are upset. Stefan in ghost world almost is sucked into the nothing when he is helped by Lexi. Damon is upset and tearing things apart and yelling at Bonnie. Enzo says he has a plan. Caroline and Elena stop the witches. Caroline kills Luke to help Liv get some motivation to help them. Sheriff Forbes is talking to Markos. He shows her Julian who killed the doppleganger. They plan to take Julian across the town line where he will revert back to his original nature of being a werewolf with a broken neck. Bonnie sees Tyler and tells him he is dead. She lets him know they will bring him back. There is a long list of people they need to bring back to life. They plan to kill as many travelers as possible.

Gamer Corner: Jeff

Welcome to this week's installment of Gamer Corner, where Fangirl Review interviews a gamer and gets his thoughts on the gaming world and learning what he is enjoying at the moment.



Tell me a little bit about yourself? What rig do you currently game on? What kind of gamer do you classify yourself to be? ie. PC, Console, Tabletop, LARP as well as Hardcore, RPG, etc.
My name is Jeff Trocchio and I’ve been gaming since age 4-5 on an Apple IIe “green screen.” I’ve owned a Nintendo, Sega Genesis, PlayStation, Dreamcast, XBox, PS2, XBox360, PS3, and numerous self built computers. I run an AMD powered rig right now with an ASUS M97 R2.0 MB, 16GB of Patriot DDR3 RAM, and a Samsung EVO 256GB SSD. I run an onboard backup drive and a NAS.

I’m big into racing sims, and MMORPG’s. I dabble in FPS and turn based strategy games as well.

Wednesday, May 14, 2014

EA Sports: We Hate Our Fans


EA Sports has made thousands of sports games such as Madden, Fight Night, NBA Live, FIFA, PGA, NHL, and UFC. EA has dominated the competition with the exception of NBA Live, which we won’t be seeing again for a long time thanks to the NBA 2K series. So with that being said EA is threaten by competition if it doesn’t succeed they either pay for exclusive rights, or tuck their tails in and quit. There’s no competition for Madden, they have exclusive rights to the NFL so they can give us the same garbage each year. Its 2014, developers can make open world games with dynamic environments, millions of things are going on in a created city revolving around your character. With that being said why after all of these years of making Madden is there no dynamic environment in this game? Players are on the sideline just standing there rocking back and forward, and fans in the crowd stand up and sit down for no apparent reason.

Tuesday, May 13, 2014

Game of Thrones S4 Ep6 “The Laws of Gods and Men” Recap


Recap: Stannis and Davos reach the Iron Bank in hopes of obtaining gold. Davos pleads Stannis’s case, stating that he is rightful heir to the throne and that the Lannisters should not be in power. Once they secure the gold, Davos calls on an old friend for help. Theon’s sister Yara goes to rescue Theon. He is so brainwashed into thinking he is Reek, that he protests and goes back into his cage. A battle takes place and Yara and her men are forced to flee. “My brother is dead,” she says as they leave.

Dany will pay for the herd of goats that her dragons killed. A Meereen resident asks that his father and other crucified masters may be allowed to be buried. Dany allows him to take his father down to bury him. Two hundred and twelve other supplicants are waiting to ask Dany for something.

Movie Review: Forrest Gump



I have always been a Tom Hanks fan since the movie Big which came out in the 1980's. I am 51 years young and this movie I can relate to in many ways first-hand.

When the movie first came out (1994), Ellen (my Wife) and myself saw the movie with my brother Kevin and Ginnie (Kevin's wife at the time). I think we saw Forrest Gump at a movie theater in Clifton, New Jersey. Clifton is the city that I grew up in. Even though she is now a supporter of the Republican Party, I remember Ginnie liking the movie just as much as I liked it.

Monday, May 12, 2014

Movie Monday: Frozen

This week's Movie Monday is Frozen. I was with family for Easter and my little cousin wanted all of us to watch Frozen with her. Since I never saw the movie, I figured it would be something fun to watch since I know it has been a hit with kids. The movie was directed by Chris Buck and Jennifer Lee. The screenplay was inspired by the story of Hans Christian Andersen "The Snow Queen". It is an animated feature.


IMDB Storyline: Anna (Kristen Bell), a fearless optimist, sets off on an epic journey - teaming up with rugged mountain man Kristoff (Jonathan Groff) and his loyal reindeer Sven - to find her sister Elsa (Idina Menzel), whose icy powers have trapped the kingdom of Arendelle in eternal winter. Encountering Everest-like conditions, mystical trolls, and a hilarious snowman named Olaf (Josh Gad), Anna and Kristoff battle the elements in a race to save the kingdom. From the outside Anna's sister, Elsa looks poised, regal and reserved, but in reality, she lives in fear as she wrestles with a mighty secret-she was born with the power to create ice and snow. It's a beautiful ability, but also extremely dangerous. Haunted by the moment her magic nearly killed her younger sister Anna, Elsa has isolated herself, spending every waking minute trying to suppress her growing powers. Her mounting emotions trigger the magic, accidentally setting off an eternal winter that she can't stop. She fears she's becoming a monster and that no one, not even her sister, can help her.

Sunday, May 11, 2014

Once Upon a Time S3, ep 21, 22 Season Finale

Once Upon a Time S3, Ep21 "Snow Drift"
Once Upon a Time S3, Ep22 "There's No Place Like Home"


The episode starts with a young girl in Boston, 18 years ago being adopted. There is one girl left behind that is sad and it is Emma. Present Day - Emma is with David and Mary Margaret. They will be having a party to announce the name of the baby. Henry comes in with the paper saying he has found an apartment. Robin and Regina are having a nice romantic dinner. Regina tells Robin about the Tinker Bell's spell and how they are destined. Rumple is putting his knife away. Belle walks in with the fake knife and does not want to keep it but he convinces her to anyway. The party is in full swing at Grandmom's. Hook lets it slip that Emma will be going back to New York. Hook goes after her as she walks out. They all finally notice the time portal is open. They all agree not to go near the portal. Hook questions why Emma keeps running. She is just looking for a home.

Friday, May 9, 2014

The Vampire Diaries S5, Ep 21 "Promised Land" Recap


Episode starts with Damon having kidnapped a traveler. Unfortunately despite torture the traveler does not talk. Stefan and Elena are being drained of their blood. An unknown traveler helps Stefan escape who in turn frees Elena. Elena and Stefan are on the run. Damon is in charge of killing Markos. Bonnie's lie is about to bite her in the behind because now everyone believes that Liz is working on a spell to save Bonnie. Stefan surprisingly gives Elena a pep talk to be with Damon as they are miserable without each other. Luke and Liz meet to talk about failing the dopplegangers. Liz says they have to kill Stefan and Elena. Turns out the one that freed them is Julian's wife. She picks them up to help them.

Time Management: The Woes of an Adult Gamer


Ok I’m going to laugh at this title because looking back at my past topics apparently I like to rant. I’m also going to give you heads up that this rant WILL NOT have a solution at the end. If you’re still reading this then you’ll probably agree that being an adult is the absolute worst. Yes you don’t have a bed time, and you get to drink etc. but if your job is as demanding as mine, and you have obligations outside of work then by the time you get to finally sit down you’re pooped and it’s time for bed. My job title is Mortgage Funding Advisor (Mortgage Specialist), and I deal with bank loans all day. Yes I sit behind a desk, but dealing with banks is mentally draining. After work I coach a little league flag football team, and we practice every Tuesdays and Thursdays and our games are every Saturday morning. Typing that just drained me.

Thursday, May 8, 2014

Revolution S2 Ep.20 “Tomorrowland” Recap


Recap: The president is still hopeful for a war between California and Texas. Charlie finds Miles. The nano is insistent on maintaining control of Priscilla’s body. Truman orders mustard gas to be released on Miles’s camp. Everyone runs for shelter. Those who don’t get to the shelter are shot and killed by patriot troops. Monroe wants to attack Willoughby. He convinces Miles to go along with the plan. Rachel is clearly unhappy and tells Miles it’s over between them, while Monroe listens in.

Monroe plans to take over the entire east coast; not just reclaim the former Monroe Republic. Truman no longer needs Neville, so he sends Shaw to kill him. Shaw falls into Neville’s trap and his leg is badly injured. Neville suspects his wife is already dead. He kills Shaw. Charlie and Dr. Porter take Truman’s girlfriend, Marion, hostage at gunpoint.

Gamer Corner: Scott

Welcome to this week's installment of Gamer Corner, where Fangirl Review interviews a gamer and gets his thoughts on the gaming world and learning what he is enjoying at the moment.


Tell me a little bit about yourself? What rig do you currently game on? What kind of gamer do you classify yourself to be? ie. PC, Console, Tabletop, LARP as well as Hardcore, RPG, etc.

I am currently 22 years old and about to be a grad student at the University of Texas Health (for dental). I love RTS games; League of Legends being one of my favorites. I am also privileged to be the CEO of the great community “Have an Impact”! I tend to only play on my PC although I do have gaming consoles that I haven’t touched in about 2 years!

MY SYSTEM SPECIFICATIONS
OPERATING SYSTEM:
Windows 7 (Service Pack 1)
CPU TYPE:
Intel® Core™ i5-2500K CPU @ 3.30GHz
CPU SPEED:
3.32 GHz
SYSTEM MEMORY:
8.57 GB
VIDEO CARD MODEL:
AMD Radeon HD 6800 Series
PRIMARY DISPLAY RESOLUTION:
1440x900
SECONDARY DISPLAY RESOLUTION:
1280x1024
HARD DISK SIZE:
1 TB

What is your first memory of gaming?

I actually started gaming a bit later than your average gamer. My very first memory would have to be playing “StarCraft: Brood War” back in my 8th grade year.


What game are you currently playing right now? Do you enjoy that game, why? How’s the overall game play and graphics?

I am currently playing League of Legends these days. I absolutely enjoy the game although the only thing it needs is a less toxic environment! I enjoy the competitiveness of the game, the ability to outplay your opponents, the skill curve of the game and all the different types of ways that you are able to play. The graphics are suitable to the gameplay, I don’t expect godlike graphics for such a high speed game.

Would you recommend it, why?

I would definitely recommend it for any gamer! It pretty much has a champion for every type of unique gamer out there with newer ones coming out every month.

Are there any games coming out that you are looking forward to?

Not really. Since I will be starting my grad school fairly soon, I do not intend to get involved into another game in the near future.

If you could design your own game what would it be like?

I am not even nearly clever enough to even think about that! However, if I can just choose the genre, it would have to be something similar to Diablo 2!

Thoughts on this new generation of consoles – Wii U, PS4, and Xbox One?

I personally think the best console in the world is the PC. Everything else fails in comparison.


What are your thoughts on the gaming industry?

I believe that the gaming industry has been looked down upon by society; however I also believe that it is one of the better industries in the world. If we can just fix the stereotypes of your typical gamer, the industry would rocket into one of the best industries!

10 years from now, where do you see the industry? Are you happy with that direction? If you had the power, what direction would you have the gaming industry go?

To be completely honest, I think the industry will be on a constant line for a very long time. Games are simply just games. I think everyone has to be happy with that. Games are fun, they are entertaining and they can be time consuming; but once we all grow up, we won’t be having the luxury of spending hours on games like we do now. Don’t get me wrong, some people won’t move on. There is money in the industry, but we have to realize that it is highly competitive with a very high risk of no rewards.

Favorite Game (can include tabletop) of all time and why?

I would have to say Diablo 2. I’ve spent many hours playing that game and I would really have to say that it introduced me into the world of gaming.


Would you like to share your gamer tag and the system so others may add you?

On League of Legends my name would be Jellyfishes so you guys are free to add me in game! For more information you can simply go to our website: http://www.have-an-impact.com/

Thank you to Scott for a fantastic interview. If you would like to be interviewed for Gamer Corner please contact me at fangirlcontact@gmail.com.

Post by Vikki
Twitter: ProfessorWhite

Wednesday, May 7, 2014

Resurrection S1 Ep.8 “Torn Apart” Season Finale




Recap: Rachael, Pastor Tom, Sheriff Langston, and Agent Bellamy view Rachael’s dead body. They still don’t understand how she came back again. Many of the “Returned” are gathering at the church. Maggie’s mother Barbara tells her she has been back for a week. She explains that she didn’t want to see her husband Sheriff Langston. That is why she didn’t go to Maggie when she came back. She also tells Maggie that Sheriff Langston was a cruel man. Maggie tells her that she has to tell him that she is back.

The family the Langstons took in explains that they died by drowning, but their son Robert has not turned up. At the church, Pastor Tom and Rachael try to help the “Returned” find their families and offer them food. The church gossip queen, Helen, finds one of her loved ones has come back, so she seems to not be upset about the dead people coming back anymore. Barbara Langston finally goes to see her husband Sheriff Langston. She tells him that she is not coming back to him, but she is staying with Sam. She tells him that she has been with Sam for the last week and she only came back because Maggie found her. Sheriff Langston accepts her decision. Later, he has his wedding ring back on.


Over 75 people have returned. Some died as long ago as the early 1900s and don’t have any families in the area anymore. Military troops show up at the church, even though Agent Bellamy asked for them not to be called. Fortunately, they show up only to offer aid. Sheriff Langston privately shows the colonel Rachael’s dead body. He tells him that the “Returned” don’t die and they are dangerous. Sheriff Langston thinks that the “Returned” are not who they say they are and that the townspeople need to be protected. The “Returned” are directed to go the high school gym for disaster relief. Agent Bellamy and Maggie drive to the high school together. On the way, Maggie explains what happened with her mother.

The Langstons head over to the high school. Jacob is apprehensive, but Henry assures him that he will keep him safe. Agent Bellamy tells the Langstons not to go into the high school. He tells them they already have all of their information, so they don’t have to go in and he sends them home. It is apparent Agent Bellamy is concerned about what is going on in the high school. He tries to take the Thompsons (the family that was staying with the Langstons) outside, but the deputies don’t allow him to because of Sheriff Langston’s orders.

Agent Bellamy tells Maggie that her father has ordered all the “Returned” to be contained in the gym. They, along with Pastor Tom, realize that the cell phone signals are being blocked. The fire alarm is pulled and everyone runs out of the gym. Sheriff Langston and his deputies attempt to get them back inside. Many escape the building, but many others are able to be contained after the deputies shut the doors. The deputies realize that they are actually containing the “Returned,” not protecting them. Sheriff Langston gets Gary out of jail and gathers others to help contain the “Returned.” Maggie convinces Eric to destroy the list of the people that are still in the gym to protect them from her father, even though the decision could prove to be detrimental to Eric’s deteriorating health. 


Carl has been watching the Langston home and is instructed not to let anyone leave. Agent Bellamy disarms him, locks him in his own back seat, then warns the Langstons about what’s going on at the high school because of Sheriff Langston. They convince Agent Bellamy to take Jacob to protect him. When Sheriff Langston arrives, Jacob and Agent Bellamy are already gone. He explains to Henry and Lucille that the “Returned” are just going to be sent to a camp somewhere and that Jacob is not really Jacob. Lucille slaps him. The deputies search the Langston home.

When Sheriff Langston return to the high school, he finds that the military have the “Returned” contained at gunpoint and his deputies are tied up. The colonel changes the plan to keep the people quarantined instead of taking them to a camp. About 60 people escaped when the fire alarm was pulled. Maggie is taken away in cuffs because she won’t produce the list of names. Pastor Tom and Rachael take the Thompson wife and daughter to hide out with Tom’s wife and her sister. On their way out of town, Agent Bellamy and Jacob find a bunch of dead bugs on the ground. A helicopter shows up and Agent Bellamy holds Jacob in his arms.

Review: Wow. So, Sheriff Langston obviously didn’t accept his wife’s decision to leave him for Sam. Did he really think he was going to be able to maintain control over the situation with the “Returned” once the military got involved? He’s a bit crazy.
How uncomfortable was that when Pastor Tom and Rachael show up at his sister-in-law’s door??

I couldn’t really tell how old their clothes looked, but could Agent Bellamy be the Thompsons lost son Robert? Not sure how old Agent Bellamy is supposed to be, but maybe that’s why he feels tied to Arcadia.

I can’t believe we have to wait until next season to see what happens. I will definitely be waiting.

Please let me know what your comments or thoughts are.

Post by Veronica Fitzpatrick
Twitter: RonnieLauren