'90s Trash(y Fun): Street Fighter (1994)

 Is it the worst Video Game Film?  Is it the best?  Is it one of them?

1994's Street Fighter is an odd duck, as it is a real creation of the '90s.  This goes both ways.
 * On one hand, the Film is full of dumb explosions, cheesy dialog, lots of fighting and dated attire.
 * On the other hand, it is such a trainwreck that you can't help but look at it.

It comes to us from Steven E De Souza, a man with so many big credits to his name.  As a Writer, he was the man (partly) behind Die Hard, 48 Hours and Commando.  He also has lots of *infamous* Films to his name like Hudson Hawk, Judge Dredd, Jumping Jack Flash, The Spirit (TV Movie) and Knock-Off.  I guess this Film too.

There are lots of Behind the Scenes aspects to this Film to learn too, like how the Script was being rewritten every day, Van Damme's $10,000 a week cocaine use and Raul Julia working through Cancer that would kill him before the Film's release.

With all of that said, is it an enjoyable ride?  Let's see...

A madman named M. Bison (Golden Globe Winner Raul Julia) is in control of a Country, a small army and lots of crazy technology.

He also has the biggest of big screen TVs to watch News Reports about himself, only it shows up behind bars like a bad iMPACT Wrestling Match.

On the other side, Colonel Guile (totally-American Jean Claude Van Damme) is trying to take him down!

He has machismo, a small army and a lovely hat on his side.

At the same time, a pair of low-level criminals (Ken and Ryu) run afoul of an Arms Dealer named Sagat (who seems to be Thai in his backstory, but is played by Wes Studi).

They try to trick him, but end up caught with him (and his men) by Guile.

Random Trivia: they hired the real 'Good Morning, Vietnam' guy to do the PA Announcements (that most people miss amongst the fighting and explosions.

Crafty Guile sets up a long con involving the criminals working with Sagat to get to Bison.

In the long run, it causes more harm than good, since...

A Reporter (Ming-Na Wen) is actually a Spy trying to take out Bison due to a person vendetta (and the fact that he's a War Criminal).

This is so awkward that even Bison chides them for their foolishness.

When that guy is talking shit to you, you've messed up!

Guile is told to not attack Bison, who is getting his massive ransom for like 10 Aid Workers.  Mind you, he's probably spent billions on manpower and his tech in the meantime.

Of course, Guile still attacks, setting up our Third Act.

Oh and he briefly-pretended to be dead...not that it made much of an impact on the Plot.

During the battle inside of the compound, all of the Sub-Plots (like Chun-Li's revenge plan and the redemption arc of Ken and Ryu) come to a head.

Everyone gets an enemy to fight like a Comic Book as well.

Somewhere during all of that, Blanka is created.
It's really not that important until the Sequel...oh, right.

The big fight is Guile against Bison, which goes poorly for the latter at first.

Since this Film is not using magic or super powers, he can't do his usual stuff...until he uses the power of Bullet Train Technology (why not?) to let himself fly around and shoot lightning.

Bullet Trains- they shoot lightning.

Our Heroes beat their rivals and the day is saved, our Heroes getting in their Video Game poses in with a totally-logical demeanor.

Cheer like a Teenager, Chun-Li (the bad-ass Spy).  The End.

A strange, but enjoyable mess of a Film.  Given all of the chaos and the rushed time-table, it's kind of amazing that a Film even got made here, to be fair.  That's certainly not a full excuse for De Souza literally ripping pages out of the Script when they ran over schedule though.

As a Video Game Film, it is closer than you might think.  Like Mortal Kombat (which nearly starred Van Damme instead), they give you all of the Characters in a good-to-passable state without overdoing it (like Mortal Kombat: Annihilation).

That said, there was almost no point in using Dhalsim, Blanka, Cammy or T-Hawk here.  Just saying.

The Film is a bizarre mish-mash of bad humor, surprisingly-good humor (mostly from Zangief) and stuff that just feels really out of place.  It's enjoyable if you don't expect genuine quality and embrace the insanity.  Speaking of insane (for more than one reason), enjoy this out-of-place John Wayne Gacy reference...

Next time, I try to clear out my excess Film overflow some more.  I've got...lots of randomness to share.  Stay tuned...

Quick Review: Sonic the Hedgehog (2020)

 After a Trailer that inspired Internet outrage, could this Film be saved?  As one of the last major Films out before COVID shut everything down, let's see...

After a random In Media Res intro, we learn that Sonic has great power, was raised by an Owl and lives here on Earth in hiding now.

This Intro is oddly-serious and feels like world-building for a Sequel more than anything else.

A sad little Sonic accidentally brings attention to where he's been hiding and now he needs help to get away.

As you can see, he can't quite do it on his own.

He must join forces with James Marsden, a local Cop who dreams of a new life.  Wait- so he was the Disney Prince in Enchanted and now he acts like a Disney Princess here?!?

Continuing an odd trope, he must now drive Sonic to San Francisco and avoid danger.

A crazed Scientist named Robotnik- a scene-stealing Jim Carrey- follows them and uses his many drones to make the trip difficult.

So if his name was Mopednik, would he sic nothing but armored Mopeds on them?

Can the pair make the trip in one piece?  

Will the Heroes Fight Before the Third Act trope put an end to this?

Will Sonic find his way home or is this one of those Films where he will realize that he was 'home all along?'

Aw crap, it is, isn't it?  Oh well, it's on Prime now.  The End.

A pretty predictable, but still well-made Film.  Sonic the Hedgehog has the enviable task of being better than other Video Game Films.  It doesn't turn beloved Characters into weird dinosaurs or introduce another 'Alice,' so it wins!  It isn't immaculate.  It isn't terrible.  Somewhere between these two extremes, you have this Film.  The Plot is solid.  The only big critique for me here is that the Cold Open involving young Sonic feels like it comes from a different Film.  The early tone just feels out of place, but does at least set up why Sonic is on Earth.  It's a cute touch to make the name of the small Town he's hiding in after a Game Level.  The use of Robotnik as a name is a bit silly, given that this is the real world.  It would make more sense for his name to be something more normal that ends in 'nik' (like Dominik) and his nickname would be Robotnik.  Instead, he's just a guy with weird family name that makes no sense.  The Film is pretty by-the-numbers, even giving us the 'Quicksilver shows off' Scene.  Oh look- they did it again.  On that note, where is the drama for most of this if everything moves at 1/1,000th speed for him?  Sonic is a fine enough Film and nothing more.  It doesn't have any really new ideas, as shown by this compare-contrast picture that went around the Internet after the original Trailer dropped.  On top is from the Film Hop and on the bottom is Sonic (before the redesign)...

Considering the outrage the admittedly-freaky Sonic design got, it's a miracle that this works.  It isn't going to be more than a fun Kid's Film...but isn't that enough?

Animondo: Tales of Zestiria the X

Welcome back to Animondo. Today, we're going to take a look at the slightly oddly-named anime based off of the video game Tales of Zestiria (and to a limited extent, Tales of Berseria): Tales of Zestiria the X.

I've seen the whole "X" thing a few times in anime and video games - it's normally pronounced "Cross," and I'm not honestly aware what it stands for officially. My best guess from how I've seen it used is "alternate" or "side story," perhaps? Xenoblade Chronicles X is kind of a spinoff or alternate take on the series' mechanics and concepts with a different story, while this, Tales of Zestiria the X, generally follows the concept and story of the game it is based on, but does have some notable differences - some for the better, some for the worse.

But first: Tales of Zestiria the X is set in a fantasy world, themed largely off of medieval Europe but with some other cultural influences from time to time. Once, humans and seraphim lived together in harmony - humans prayed to the seraphim, and the seraphim gave the humans their blessings. Now, though, most humans no longer see or acknowledge the seraphim, and a malevolence is spreading throughout the world, corrupting it and the life upon it into beings called hellions. Disasters and disease are spreading, the threat of war is on the horizon, and the world is crumbling. There is a legend, written in the Celestial Record, of a figure called the Shepherd who was blessed by the seraphim and could bring an end to the chaos - and Princess Alisha of Hyland thinks she's found the Shepherd in Sorey, a young man who grew up among the seraphim and can see them. But with the world swiftly falling into ruin, can even the rise of a Shepherd save it?

Zestiria takes place across 2 seasons of 13 episodes each, covering the journey of Sorey and his human and seraphim friends to try to understand the roots of the malevolence plaguing the world and purify it - while also struggling with very human evils along the way. Though Sorey's primary focus is the supernatural evil he's trying to uncover, the story actually spends quite a lot of its time on the ways that quest can be derailed...which sounds like it could be bad or break the show's focus, but ends up actually being a good center for the story itself. Humanity is its own worst enemy in Zestiria, and as ever, a force of power like the Shepherd is something many see as something to be manipulated and controlled for their own ends.

The tale can be a bit uneven at times, though - it struggles a bit with exactly what to spend its time on. There are parts of the plot that feel like they get exactly the right amount of time, and other parts where it feels like we kind of breeze past things that should've been more complicated or gotten more exploration. There's a bit of this in Season 1, where it feels like the Marlind plot about a village affected by plague could've had more time before it was resolved, but the feeling is more notable in Season 2. The Rolance Empire plot takes up about half the season but actually still feels smaller than it really should be - problems are sometimes introduced and resolved within minutes, and there's a political power struggle going on that just kind of feels like it doesn't get explored at all - it gets set up, mentioned a couple times, and then just kind of overruled in such a way that I'm not quite sure why it was built up as a struggle. Overall, it feels like the story doesn't quite fulfill its potential at times.

Don't, however, take that to mean that Zestiria is a bad story at all. Despite my complaints above, it does a very good job of exploring its world and telling its tale. Though it falls short of its potential at times, it usually gets close, and even getting close is enough to make this one of the strongest fantasy anime out there. The Shepherd's quest is not an easy one, and it provides some real challenges to Sorey and his friends - both in terms of physical dangers and, at times, the struggle of how to hold true to an ideal in the face of a world that doesn't seem to permit it. There's a lot to explore, and though there are parts I feel get shorted, the most important parts of the tale are covered very well and get a lot of time.

The strongest part of the show, though, by far, is its cast. Zestiria's characters are excellent. They have very well-defined personalities and are very easy to like. Sorey is a particular strength of the show: a true hero with an unyielding determination to not only do what is right but to do what is right in the best way possible...even if it is an incredible struggle to do so. He's a hero who sticks by what he believes and works his hardest to save everyone, even those thought lost...a principle which is challenged over and over by the show, and which leads him into some dark, dangerous, and costly situations. Sorey is a true hero, but while Zestiria honors him for it, it also shows that it is very hard to be the pure good guy. Sacrifices are made, important things are lost, and there are times that we question whether Sorey's ideals are worth the pain...but all the same, he's easy to admire for those very ideals. He feels the pain of his quest and the weight of his choices, and there are points where we wonder if Sorey can remain Sorey - which is painful, because we like Sorey.

Alisha and Rose, the other two human leads, provide an interesting dynamic alongside Sorey. One, Alisha, uses the same principles as him - providing more examples of how hard it can be to be a hero, and what it can cost you. Meanwhile, Rose still fights for good, but has a method focused more on the immediate good than the ideal...what she knows can be achieved. But sometimes, that pursuit of immediate good can leave bigger problems to be resolved...and sometimes, it can lead one to try to solve the wrong problem, or the right problem in the wrong way. There are negatives to both approaches, and while I wouldn't call Zestiria evenhanded about it, it does a good job exploring the question of just how to be a hero the world needs and what it is going to cost you to do so. Personalities are broken down, principles are questioned, and everyone is forced to find out who they really are and what they really believe.

The seraphim, meanwhile, get a little less exploration than the three humans, but are still a great part of the show. Mikleo and Dezel probably get the most focus - the former Sorey's best friend, the latter a figure in Rose's life - but all the seraphim on the journey have some real personality and life to them (not to mention some great character designs). Mikleo's "archeology buds" brotherhood with Sorey is a particularly fun part of the show, and the two feel like lifelong friends - with in-jokes and habits that are theirs and theirs alone.

I think that's the biggest strength of the show, really...the characters and their interactions with each other. It would be easy for a show with such a big plot and so many moving parts to lose sight of its characters, but it never does. They remain front and center, and while they're explored to varying degrees, you always get a great feel for how they relate to each other and you get to see them grow as friends and allies. There's a very nice growth and change to relationships, and it's nice to see them go from strangers, to tentative allies, to true friends that can rely on each other to the end. At the points where the plot seems to slip a little bit or the show doesn't quite explore something as fully as you'd like, the characters carry it. Their developments as people and as friends feel earned.

There is one character - an Assassin who comes after Alisha early on and ends up hellionized - who feels like he has somewhat of an inconsistent plot, though. It's hard to follow his development. (Worth noting, I had the same problem with him in the game, and the show does actually feel a little better for me...just not all the way to the good.) One moment he's definitely evil, the next he's...protecting the good guys...and then he seems to be totally on their side...but still acting evil, and...I just didn't get his motivation much at all. Fortunately, he's not a huge part of the show.

The show's art is excellent - I've already mentioned the great character designs for the seraphim, but the world overall is beautiful, and the characters, outfits, and armor and weapons all have stunning designs. Sorey's Shepherd outfit in particular is great, a different sort of look for a fantasy hero that feels like an amalgamation of different cultures and traditions (fitting, since he's the hero for the whole world). And, of course, we get some wonderfully over-the-top anime weapons at times (particularly in the final battle, with one of the most epic anime swords I think I've seen - makes Cloud's famous "Buster Sword" look reasonable). That is not a complaint, by the way - it's a compliment.

The action varies a bit...or rather, the show is variable in how much action it includes. When there is a fight scene, it is exceptionally well done, with great smooth animation, hard-hitting blows, and a good fast pace. But considering the story's theme, fight scenes actually don't come as often as you'd think, and there are points where the show leans perhaps a bit too heavily on more of a contest of will than an outright battle. It would be nice to have more elaborately choreographed fights, since the show is very good at them.

Finally, I have to mention the exceptional use of color here. It's something I'm fond of in a variety of anime - Dusk Maiden of Amnesia being the strongest in that regard - but its very notable here too. Aside from just having a bright and colorful world to begin with, Zestiria makes great use of color to represent the supernatural sides of the story - a beautiful blue light for the purifying power of the Shepherd, a sickly orange for malevolence, with other colors thrown in the mix for the various Seraphim powers. When supernatural powers are being thrown around the screen becomes a wonderful mix of colors that makes everything immediately feel otherworldly, in a way beyond even other anime with big superpower effects - it just changes the tone of the show and makes it clear where we're dealing with things beyond humanity.

I'm reviewing the show here, but I do want to take a moment to highlight how it relates to the game it is based on in a few ways:

• It largely follows the same plot, but there are some points where there are differences. Some - Alisha's greater involvement in the anime compared to the game - are big positives. Others - the reduced exploration of Marlind and the Rolance political scene - are negatives. Overall I think the anime comes out with a very strong version of the tale, but don't expect it to be a direct comparison.
• It uses a great amount of music from the game itself, and the same voice acting cast (with one exception in the Japanese version, I understand, as the voice actress had passed away). Immediately makes it feel more legitimate if you're a fan of the game. Honestly, the music in particular is such an easy thing that I'm astonished more video game films don't do it - at least use the game soundtrack to inspire your film soundtrack and you'll honor the source material more! Sadly, the game's amazing title track, "White Light," isn't the song used in the anime - but the title tracks they made for the anime are all excellent.
• I adore how the anime does its "next episode preview" segments. The Tales games feature lots of little skits of the heroes just talking to each other and being friends, and include a lot of great and very funny moments. The anime has chosen to use those for its "next episode preview," and matches the look and style of them absolutely perfectly. If you don't know the games, it's just a funny little quirky way of doing the previews. If you do know the games, you're totally in love with the show when one of those comes on.
• Unfortunately, there's one big negative I have to mention that relates to the games...and that's that, oddly, Tales of Zestiria the X chooses to spend two entire episodes covering the introduction to the prequel game, Tales of Berseria. Heroine Velvet Crowe is even in the anime intro, even though those are the only two episodes she actually appears in. This is, by my understanding, because part of the reason this anime even exists is to help promote Berseria, but...even though Berseria is strongly related to Zestiria, these episodes don't really add anything to the show. They just serve as a weird kind of side jaunt that distracts from the main story. It feels like we could've just had a few short clips while the Zestiria heroes found a book or some such rather than spending two entire episodes on this, especially when there are parts of Zestiria that don't quite get explored enough...or, alternately, that we could've truly made this a mixed show and had more content from Berseria. The episodes are actually quite good, so it has made me want to play Berseria...but from this show's standpoint, they're pretty skippable.
• I could also have done without the Normin characters - they're cute, but they're not heavily involved in the plot and in the game they're really more there just as part of a system that the anime obviously doesn't use. They're a really minor part of the show, so this isn't a big deal, but it feels like they probably could've been left out.

Overall...Tales of Zestiria the X is a great show, and for all its flaws, it is one of the best fantasy anime and one of the best video game adaptations out there. It has a strong tale that really covers the challenges of being a hero for the entire world, rather than just a part of it, and the problems that one can face in trying to live true to one's principles. Its characters are its strongest point, and I always want to see more of them - getting to know them as people and see them become friends. There are points where the show could be stronger, points where it doesn't explore as much as you'd like, and a strange misstep with the decision to focus two episodes on a almost completely separate show, but...for all that, this is one that I absolutely adored.

Dubbed or Subbed? I watched the dubbed version, which as I mentioned above involves the same cast from Tales of Zestiria's video game form. It's a great dub with some exceptional character portrayals, and a cast that was really willing to go all out to make you feel the emotion of the moment and their friendship with the other heroes. From what I understand, the subtitled version is similarly faithful to the game's voice cast and similarly high quality. Either way, I think you'll get a great show.

More Anime to come!

Veteran Reviews: Ace Attorney (2012)

Hey, folks. Bob here, and Al asked me to weigh in on the Ace Attorney movie as well, as I'm a pretty big fan of the game series. Just a note that I will be using the English names for characters here, as those are the ones I'm more familiar with.

Al hit the basics, but to review: Phoenix Wright is a young defense attorney who is just getting started in his career. After defending a friend, Larry Butz, on a charge of murder, he finds himself getting pulled into other cases that strike close to home - involving both his old friends and the family of his mentor, Mia Fey. He's aided in his efforts by Maya Fey, spirit channeler and little sister of Mia. The film revolves around his desperate attempts to get his friends through the cases safely, repair his friendship with an old friend, Miles Edgeworth, and find the truth about not only present cases, but an old case from years long past.

And make no mistake, Phoenix is desperate. One of the best elements of the film here is the portrayal of Phoenix by Narimiya Hiroki. He does an exceptional job capturing Phoenix's general demeanor. Phoenix in the games is particularly lovable hero, with an admirable attitude towards truth and justice balanced by an ever-present palpable sense of panic. He seemingly exists in a near-constant state of tension, and if you go more than a few minutes in a game without seeing him break into a cold sweat or bury his head in his hands after something turns his case on its head, you...probably set the game down and went to get lunch or something. Narimiya's portrayal is perfect - I really got the sense of all of Phoenix's characteristics coming from him, and it always seemed to fit the tone of the film. He's determined when he needs to be, desperate when he needs to be, and manages some wonderful befuddled, confused, and outright panicking moments that could easily have been goofy but actually come off really well.

(Unfortunately - and maybe this is part of why there's not been another film - I understand Narimiya's since retired as an actor for reasons I won't get into here.)

Others are quite strong as well: Ishibashi Ryō's Von Karma, in particular, is portrayed very well and comes off as an intimidating presence on the screen. He seems to be in command of every last detail and just feels powerful. And Dan Rei doesn't get much screen time as Mia Fey, but for the time she's there, she feels like a capable attorney who has things quite a bit more together than Phoenix - you can tell why he looks up to her and why her brief hints throughout the film are enough to help him get back on his feet.

Others don't fare quite as well, through honestly no fault of the actors and actresses. I don't think the film gives Mia's younger sister Maya Fey enough room to work, really, owing to a factor I'll get to later, and Edgeworth suffers a bit for similar reasons. We just don't get to spend enough time with those characters outside of The Most Dramatic Moments of Their Lives to really understand who exactly they are, and for me, it hurt the film a little. I wanted to like Maya - she's probably my single favorite character from the games - but she felt really underutilized and just didn't seem to have her complete personality here. The Maya of the games is full of funny quips and little asides, and those are pretty much absent from this Maya. And Edgeworth...he just doesn't get an arc that's quite fully developed. He gets the start and the finish of it, but the middle felt lacking to me. Maybe, again, it's because I've seen the game's version, but I think Al actually got into the film's version more than I did...I felt like it didn't get enough time. More on that in a bit.

Otherwise...Gumshoe was nice enough but again isn't much in the film (and I really felt like they should've got a taller guy to play him - maybe it's just me, but I always got the feeling Gumshoe would be physically imposing except that he slouches a lot. I guess looking at wiki information he's not supposed to be that much taller than Phoenix, but still...just didn't give me the same "big" feeling he does in the games). I didn't get to see much of the lovable, somewhat oafish detective as I would've hoped. Larry Butz was as weird and generally hopeless as expected, and while his hair looks particularly ridiculous in real life even compared to the odd hairstyles of Phoenix and Edgeworth, I felt like his use in the film was pretty great - I really got a sense of "oh no, what now" any time he opened his mouth, and that's Larry in a nutshell. The Judge...the Judge just kind of made me sad. In the games, he's a huge part of the humor as a wonderfully befuddled old man who somehow still ends up coming to the right conclusions (eventually), and here it just felt like...well, he was a judge. He's not a character, really, just a prop they have to have there because it's a courtroom.

I know, I'm talking a lot about how the film was compared to the games, but I'm pretty sure that's why Al asked me to watch along, after all!

So, to continue on that...here's what I really missed as part of the film: the third case from the first Ace Attorney game.

I'll explain.

In the game, you've got five cases - four in the original release, and one more added on when it got remade for DS (and we first got it over here). The four original cases together make a good story - you get Phoenix's beginning and the establishment of his friendship with Larry, the murder of Mia and the establishment of Phoenix and Maya's partnership and their rivalry with Edgeworth, the development of that rivalry and the hints that perhaps Edgeworth isn't lost forever, and then the biggest threat to Edgeworth and Phoenix getting the chance to step up as a friend and try to save his old friend's life and soul.

That third act - the development of the rivalry and the hints that Edgeworth might not be fully gone - feels like it is either underdeveloped or in fact completely absent here. We go from game case 2 to game case 4, skipping game case 3 (except we use a clip of it, sans Phoenix's involvement, in the intro sequence establishing Edgeworth at all, and reference the Steel Samurai show involved in that case numerous times in the film). For me, this really cut out a valuable part of Edgeworth's arc - it's in case 3 that we really saw that he still cared about the truth and wasn't just out to judge criminals guilty at any cost like we thought. It doesn't fully remove our worries about him, but it gives us some hope.

In this film, on the other hand, we see Edgeworth solidly as Phoenix's nemesis...and then right away as Phoenix's next client. There's no transition, and it feels jarring. Maybe that's just because I've seen the slower-paced version, but I felt like there was a big chunk missing from the middle that made it a lot smoother.

So...how do you solve that in one movie? I honestly don't think you can. If they were intent on doing just one Ace Attorney film, then I think they went about it the right way. But ideally...I would've done two films. The first would do cases 1, 2, and 3, and the second would do case 4. Keep Cases 1 and 2 about how they're done here - they're simplified vs. the games, but it feels fine. Then do case 3, finish it up well, and give us a little spark of hope for Edgeworth. Then end the film on him being accused of murder - big old cliffhanger. Not as big as another movie I may have watched recently that ripped my heart out and refuses to let me put it in until sometime next year, perhaps, but still, a nice big cliffhanger. Then, the next film would be case 4, with plenty of room to breathe.

This would also give Maya time to transition - in case 2, she's understandably quiet, having just lost someone important to her and being accused of murder, to boot, and in case 4's movie version, things need to be reaching their most dramatic so there's not as much time for her to be her energetic self. Case 3 in the game gives her a valuable period of time to be established anew as her real, lively personality, and without that as a transition period for her, it doesn't feel like she ever makes the leap...she kind of remains more quiet and almost shy through a lot of the film, and while she gets some moments speaking out, there just aren't that many times we get to see Maya Fey rather than Phoenix's quiet assistant who dresses kinda funny.

I don't want it to sound like I disliked every difference from the games, though! For one thing, I thought the truth of the DL-6 case was far superior in the film's version - no need for extraneous earthquakes and elevators, the reason for the fight was better and more understandable, Yanni Yogi comes off much more sympathetic, and it makes perfect sense why everyone involved is in the same place. The game's version makes several elements of the crime more happenstance, and while it still comes off well, the film's version just makes some more sense. (It does also cut out the explanation for Miles Edgeworth having claustrophobia, but that only matters if they do some of the later cases and could probably be written around.)

Similarly, while cases have been streamlined, they've generally been streamlined pretty well. A lot of the added detail to the game cases is there because...well...they're from a game, and there have to be things there to challenge the players. Some details or misdirections aren't as necessary in film format and would just add to runtime or slow the story down. I do feel like things maybe move a little too quickly at times - thus why I'd rather this be two films, or, say, an anime series that I'll probably review in a bit - but it is easy to understand the choice and most of the time - "why is Phoenix interviewing a bird on the witness stand" aside - we don't lose the most important details.

I love that moment, by the way, and it comes off hilariously in the film (before leading into one of the more powerful emotional moments in the film, wonderfully enough) - I just feel like he has a clearer reason for doing it in the game.

I'm a little more torn on the change in how the Fey family's Kurain channeling technique operates, but again, that doesn't matter to this film. I just worry about it because it would quickly matter if they had decided to make a sequel, as the most important cases revolve around the technique. In the games, to make this clear, a Kurain channeler actually physically transforms into the appearance of the spirit they summon. In the film, it varies a bit, but it seems clear that's not happening - Maya's mother is shown in a much more standard sort of medium ritual early in the film, and though Phoenix sees Maya overlaid by the spirit she's summoning a couple times, it seems likely that's just him - and it is pretty obviously a spirit, glowing and all, which would preclude it being used like it is in other cases in the game series even if everyone saw her that way.

One more comment, and this is something I kind of wish they weren't as faithful to the game on: costumes and appearances. Ace Attorney is very faithful to the game's character designs...often, to a fault. While it's fun to see the costumes and weird hair replicated in live action, it makes it a bit harder to take the story seriously sometimes. What looks good in animated form often looks weird in real life. Larry's hair is nuts, Lotta Hart's hair is insane, and Edgeworth's looks like he got far too enthusiastic in a visit to Colonial Williamsburg or something. Phoenix's is weird too, but I got used to it pretty fast since he's pretty much always on camera. Particularly hilarious was the flashback scene to Phoenix's youth with Edgeworth and Larry, and those poor kids having to wear those bizarre haircuts...oh, man, I about died. In any case, it's hardly bad and it's an attempt to be nice and faithful, but I think the film might have been better off hitting the important points (Phoenix's blue suit, Gumshoe's shabby coat, Edgeworth's cravat) and not trying to get the appearances one-hundred percent perfect.

The over-the-top witness breakdowns were something I could do without in live action, too...they're great in animated form, but a guy suddenly whipping out a megaphone in a live action film takes me out of things a bit. I don't know - I guess I want my animation animated and my live action, uh...boring. Not really, but you get what I mean. Sometimes what works really well for a game or anime is just kind of weird in a movie.

I also appreciate a number of little nods they made to the game series, though they're moments you'll only get if you actually played the game - like brief appearances by the Blue Badger mascot (though one was a little out there), the confetti that falls down at the end of trials (particularly the underwhelming first representation of that), and several glimpses of characters from other cases not covered by the movie. Less thrilling was the brief nod to the investigation segments in the late film, with Phoenix just kind of holding up weird items and making faces rather than engaging in any witty banter like you'd get in the games. Again. Maya. Criminally underused.

Overall, though...Ace Attorney is pretty great. I was a little down on it after watching it initially, but that was because - as my review above makes it seem like I'm still doing - I was really heavily comparing it to the game. I know it doesn't sound like it above, but with a little time past it and after hearing Al's view on it, where he - despite not having played the game - was able to "get it" for the most part and enjoy the film...I'm pretty happy with it. There's things I would have had them do differently, and make no mistake, there will be moments where you will have to reaaaaaaally suspend disbelief about everything from basic court proceedings to where the heck someone just pulled a large object from in a court of law, but Ace Attorney ends up quite a respectable little courtroom story that tells a good, personal tale mixed in with a nice and surprisingly deep mystery with a lot of twists and turns. It was definitely fun to watch, and while I'll prefer the game's version of the story, the movie version is perfectly acceptable and makes for a good watch.

It may play fast and loose with the rules of a court of law, and I dearly hope no one ever actually designs a legal system that works the way the courts do in the film or game series (wait, you can just declare a verdict whenever the prosecutor says, "hey, judge, you wanna get on that verdict thing?" unless the defense attorney is all, "uh, no, wait, please"), but Ace Attorney is a fun ride that mixes some genuine mystery and drama with a quirky atmosphere and some good comedy. It's well worth your time.

Neophyte Reviews: Ace Attorney (2012)

I hope you have no Objection to me doing this.  So that was the easy one out of the way.  Today's Film is Ace Attorney, the 2012 Film Adaptation of Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney (just the first Game).  It is a long-running Series from Japan that has a cult status here in America.  It is the game where you yell 'Objection!' and that guy in the suit from Marvel vs. Capcom Games.  A few years back, it got a Film Adaptation in Japan, but there seems to be no rush to follow up on it.  I don't know if it underperformed, if Capcom wasn't happy or if there is a third reason for it.  Here's the important thing: I've never played a Phoenix Wright Game.  I know about it by reputation and by Bob talking about it.  I know that it is a quirky Court Room Game, but that's about it.  So does the Film make any sense for me?  You'll later see how Bob felt about it- as someone who has played all of the Games.  The basic Story- Phoenix is a young, up-and-coming Attorney.  A couple of interconnected Cases strike close to him for him and he has to solve them all!  This was Directed by Takashi Miike, a man who makes more Films than most of us make balanced Breakfasts.  When does he sleep?!?!?  So does this work as a simple, stand-alone Film or do I need to play at least one Game to get it?  To find out, read on...

Phoenix (often called Nick- which was distracting) is a young, rising Attorney in a Japan that is so overrun with crime that all cases are Bench Trials and usually only last a day or two.

Miles Edgeworth is a strong, reliable Prosecutor who will run into conflict with our Hero.

When a friend/co-worker is killed, Phoenix faces off with Edgeworth to defend the client- her Sister!

The Film is full of strange, quirky people and this guy is no exception.  Who dressed Werner Herzog up like Joey Ramone?!?

Things take a big turn later when Edgeworth is accused of murder and won't defend himself!

As we see, the pair- plus their friend Larry- have known each other for a long time.  Will this help or hurt the case?

Phoenix has to both try the case and also look for evidence in this expedited process of Law.  Can he find the clues he needs?

How does this all connect back to a Spirit Medium we see at the beginning pointing out an accused man 15 years earlier?

To save the day (and his client), Phoenix will do anything.  Will it be enough?

To find out, watch the Film.

A fun, but bizarre experience.  To be fair, that's my default response to *most* Takashi Miike Films.  Izo was an exception, of course, and Yakuza Apocalypse tended to skew more towards the bizarre than the fun.  For all of the silliness involved, I could follow Terra Formars.  It was a weird Film about Mutant Super Cockroaches on Mars- granted.  In this case (pun not intended), he keeps the balance just right.  The Story is *mostly* grounded, but features some supernatural elements that are never quite explored enough.  All of the Characters manage to both look ridiculous and still feel like Characters.  Everything tied together nicely and the whole thing mostly worked for me.  There is definitely some random stuff that I didn't get- like The Blue Badger-, but thankfully it was more of a minor distraction than anything else.  All of the Acting was good and the Film was engaging.  If they worked out the mix of straight-forward Film and fan service, I think that it could make for some other interesting Films.  I'm not sure if knowing the Series hurts or helps the experience here.  I guess that is for the combined opinion of an expert and a neophyte to decide.  Before you get the former, let me just point out how what this Film inexplicably reminded me of...

Next time, I resume my normal insanity.  As always, its a crapshoot what I'll do next.  Stay tuned...

Quick Reviews: Dead Rising- Endgame

Can a Video Game-based Film with a cliché Subtitle actually deliver?  Let's see...

After a Zombie Outbreak and Army betrayal, our Hero- Chase Carter- tries to find proof.  It has been a rough 2 years.

He sees that the Military- led by Dennis Haysbert- is up to some bad stuff with Zombies and innocent people.

His Boss won't run the story, so he has to go deeper- on his own...except for his new girlfriend (who gets backstory about 1/3 of the way through the Film) and another Lady.

When the pressures comes down on him, he unites his group with a buddy and an Insider to break into a Server Farm.

Most Zombie Films are about breaking into Server Farms, right?

Can our Heroes even survive the trip?  There will be Soldiers, explosions and, sometimes, Zombies!

While others deal with Zombies (and an inexplicable Mad Scientist Subplot), the main action involves installing Malware!  Can Hacking save the day?

To find out, watch the Film.

A better effort, but still not quite great.  This Sequel actually does improve upon the original.  Considering how rare that actually is, let us take a moment to applaud them.  Now let's remember that this is a Sequel to Dead Rising: Watchtower...and lower the interest level.  The previous Film had very little in the way of fun, zombie-killing action.  This one makes you wait a while, but eventually delivers.  It has two really solid sequences of this- one with the group and one with just Chase.  In addition, they don't troll you by putting Frank West in here and have him do nothing.  Instead, the guy from Dead Rising 2 shows up briefly, at least looks cool and ultimately adds little.  One day I'll get to see Rob Riggle kill Zombies- one day!  What the Film doesn't do as well is set up the new Characters and lay out the Plot.  As noted, one new Character has an exposition-dump about thirty minutes in, while a returning one shows up only to bump up the Third Act.  Speaking of new Characters, a returning Actor is back as a new guy- random!  The focus on Hacking is also a bit odd, as it is something that- to my knowledge- is part of no Dead Rising Game.  It would be like if a Bioshock Film (probably for Crackle too!) had a whole bit based on a Third Person Fighting Game.  After a decent (but not stylish) first half, the second half definitely delivers.  Will a third Film come to be?  Will Dennis Haysbert do more than make menacing monologues?  Here's another question for you- why is Dead Rising (the latest one) a Game in a World currently dealing with the aftermath of a real Zombie Outbreak?

A better Film than the Original as far as nailing the tone.  The good moments are more balanced, but the Film is still lacking a bit.

Quick Reviews: Dead Rising- Watchtower

Are all Video Games destined to be bad or at least underwhelming?  Well, I didn't even hear about this one until last Week, so let's see...

In a Cold Open, we see our Hero (Jesse Metcalfe) under siege by Zombies.  What happened?!?

A few days earlier, he was inside a City under siege due to a Zombie Outbreak.  Chaos will ensue...

During all of this, previous Hero Frank West- played by Rob Riggle- is at the News Desk.

While he was the lead in the first Game and brought back by popular demand in a spin-off of the Sequel, he does pretty much nothing here.  Yea?

Alongside a mysterious woman and a sad Mom (Virginia Madsen), he hopes to make it out alive!

In his way, Mr. Z, a Gang Leader who has stepped up in the last year that the City has been in lockdown.

Oh and about 53,954 Zombies!

On top of that, there is a secret to why the Zombie Outbreak got so bad over the last few days.  What is it?

Obviously, I ain't saying a thing.  No SPOILERS, n00b!  The End.

Some good Action and Story, but nothing great.  The good part: a surprisingly-deep Story and some good Zombie killing.  Considering that the Games are all about Zombie killing, they sure as hell better have plenty of the latter!  I will say that you don't get the big pay-off in the form of the unique combination weapons until quite a ways in.  I guess it is just for dramatic effect, but it is a tad disappointing.  The B-Plot of the Film is kind of interesting and balances out pretty well with the main one.  Honestly, if the main one didn't have all the Zombie action, this one would be better!  Metcalfe and company do a decent job, but don't impress all that much.  Speaking of which, this Film was Directed by the man behind Tasmanian Devils and Leprechaun: Origins, so it isn't exactly mind-blowing.  There's also my Pet Peeve- CGI Blood.  Yes, it is around alot, but I still don't like it.  Ultimately, the Film is good, but not great.  Considering how low my bar was, this is actually a big achievement!  If you like the Games, you may want to give it a look and decide for yourself...

Nothing all that great, but a decent enough Plot and some fun moments.  Could be better and worse.