Tomb Raider: Legend

Gaming

Holy carp, Batman! I haven’t been posting on this thing in quite some time.

For some reason I preordered Tomb Raider: Underworld last year, despite never getting around to playing it. The reason I got it was that it came with a free copy of Tomb Raider: Legend and was therefore too good to pass up.

I was actually quite surprised by the quality of the game; the graphics looked quite good with next-generation content turned on (despite a few glitches) and despite the controls being a bit clunky, I played through the entire thing using my Xbox 360 controller. The story was passable and even somewhat good at one point, which was way more than I was expecting.

From here I plan to get started on Tomb Raider: Anniversary, which I understand is not a direct sequel. Hopefully I can find time to do that before the new semester begins!

New Front Page Design

Announcements

In some kind of circular fashion, I am updating this blog to say that I updated the main page of my domain for the first time in over two years. Hooray! I went through three different looks and ended up using the most simple (the others were too stylized), and I wanted something simple with subtle colors.

Who knows, it may be up for the next two years as well.

Who Watches The Watchmen?

Literature, Movies

WatchmenUntil this past weekend, I had never so much as laid eyes upon a graphic novel or read a single comic book. It wasn’t until I saw the movie trailer for the upcoming film, Watchmen that I had any interest in reading the story. Coincidentally, I bought the novel on a whim when I saw it in the bestseller list. After all, I’ve found worse ways to waste $10.

It certainly was a unique experience reading my first graphic novel and having to get used to the style (I found it difficult at first to follow the tightly-packed dialog). The story is long and intricate and I appreciated the depth given to the main characters. It was also fun noticing scenes from the trailer and how well they match up. I’m sure it will be a visually stunning film. There are a few things I was not particularly impressed with involving the ending, but I will not elaborate on those and spare the spoiler warning.

I unfortunately have placed myself in something of a difficult position now, having “read the book.” Will Hollywood do the story and characters justice? With Zack Snyder (Dawn of the Dead, 300) as director, I do not remain optimistic. I’ll probably check it out anyway, though.

The Dark Knight

Movies

There isn’t a lot to say that hasn’t already been said about The Dark Knight. It is over two hours of pure cinematic bliss, and I don’t see any compelling reason why Heath Ledger won’t receive an Oscar nomination in the coming year, deceased or not. Like several films before it, I had the chance to experience Dark Knight in IMAX, and it was fantastic. Several shots were filmed with IMAX equipment, making for a simply gorgeous picture.

At any rate, it appears to be making enough money to cover production costs. Mr. Nolan, we’d like the whole movie filmed in IMAX next time, please.

A Word on Wall-E

Movies

I thought I might take a few moments to reflect on Wall-E, the new film from Pixar. The reviews pretty much speak for themselves, it is that good. I am not quick to flaunt it as “Pixar’s best work to date,” but it may be the truth. The film was breathtaking in so many parts that it excels beyond comparison. Wall-E is as close to a perfect movie as any I have ever seen.

I would also like to say that the director of the new animated short before the movie must have played Portal. It was fantastic.