Unnerving Violence & False Freedom (Transformers: AoE Review)

COME GET SOME FREEDOM!

As we all know, this past weekend brought the release of Transformers: Age of Extinction upon us. Despite all of the hype, I failed to find the motivation to venture out to see it myself. Upon discussing the film's interesting early reception, my pal GogDog, whom many of you should know from his impressive toy photography and former WTF@TFW Podcast hosting duties, offered to be Castle Geek-Skull's surrogate moviegoer. It would appear the experience left quite an impression, because he came back with quite a tale. Even if you've already had your fill of AoE reviews, trust me, this one is well worth checking out. (Please be warned: the review does contain spoilers)

Alright Gog, take it away:

"I was fairly apathetic in my desire to see Transformers: Age of Extinction. Having seen the previous three films in the series (all directed by Michael Bay) several times each, I knew what to expect. The Transformers film franchise is widely known for its over the top robot action with beautiful, state of the art computer-rendered effects and well-choreographed battle scenes, as well as two-dimensional, unbelievable characters, and confusing, jarring editing.

My interest piqued when the film began to screen. I saw such widely varying opinions from people I know quite well. Their general takes on the film ranged from calling it a noticeable, marked improvement over the previously well-known problems in the series' production, to declaring it “an utterly awful bewildering film” and giving it a score two points lower than the scale even bottomed out at. At this point, I wanted to absorb every bit of my friends' opinions that I could. I wanted to know, in every detail, without spoilers, how and why they felt the film was enjoyable or not, and in what ways it was successful or a failure. Then I would watch the film and experience just why it was pulling people in such widely different directions. I thought I knew what to expect. Let me tell you — I did not. This film managed to shock me in several different ways and for very, very different reasons.

Transformers Generation 1 Toyline: Autobot Highlights

Destined for pasty shoulders everywhere.

Hey you crazy kids, it's time to throw down with the Autobot side of my Transformers Generation 1 toyline highlights! My affections might lean towards the Decepticons, but there are still more than enough lovable 'Bots to go around. Now, journey with me through each year of the original TF toyline as I struggle to decide which releases are my favorites!

Disclaimer, Part II: There's no need to freak if I leave out one of your preferred 'Bots. Everyone has their own taste and I'm merely sharing mine. Blah blah, let's get to it!

1984: Optimus Prime

Picking a favorite from the 1984 Autobot assortment is actually quite difficult. Part of me would love to go with Prowl, Jazz, Mirage, Sideswipe, or even Hound. I don't want to immediately jump to the obvious choice, but I can't help it; I'll always have a soft spot for Optimus Prime. His original toy has an undeniable presence that really sets him apart. It's not hard to see why Hasbro assigned this guy the leadership role.

The Ever-Changing World of Maddening Relapse

The endless runner Maddening Relapse from NAL Games is a great title for anyone that loves simple yet addictive gaming. The visuals are comprised of a small handful of silhouettes, one for your character (known as "Mad Mann"), one for a wall of impending doom, and another which infinitely twists and turns to make up the platforms you run across. This streamlined approach puts the primary focus right on the gameplay, and it really manages to suck you in.

Silver Centurion Iron Man 2 Comic Series Toy Review

In space, no one can hear you boogie...unless you're Tony Stark, DISCO ASTRONAUT!

Protected by a suit of rare metals from the planet of Funk, he's ready to GET DOWN...to the bottom of interstellar crime!

Ahem. I'm sorry, but that's all I see when I look at the Silver Centurion Iron Man armor. Even so, I love it. This is one of those 1980's designs that tugs at my nostalgic heart strings in just the right way. Lucky for me, it made for a pretty nice addition to the Iron Man 2 Comic Series toyline:

Transformers Galaxy Force Flame Convoy Review - Japan No Toyzu

That damn Cobra Commander TFW is back once again to punch us in the face with another plastic-crack video review. As the title has already pointed out, his latest video covers Transformers: Galaxy Force Flame Convoy!

Transformers Generations Scourge Toy Review

It was recently announced that one of the upcoming exclusive toys for Botcon 2014 (the official Transformers Collector's Convention) will be none other than Devcon, the bounty-hunting Autobot from the Generation 1 episode "The Gambler." Devcon has a small but passionate fanbase, and their cries for a decent toy of him have been plenty loud over the years. While the means do not exist to make Botcon toys all-new from head to toe, we're getting the next best thing: a remold and redeco of Transformers: Generations Scourge:

The end result is a fair likeness and should make for a great toy. In light of the news, I figured it would be a good idea to revisit the toy in its original form. Let's get to it!

Arms Change AC08 Shin Zangetsu Review - Kamen Rider Gaim

Last time on Japan No Toyzu, Cobra Commander TFW gave us a great look at Kamen Rider Gaim Arms Change Zangetsu. That figure left him fairly impressed with the the AC series, so naturally, he decided to follow up with a review on AC08 Shin Zangetsu Melon Energy Arms. What a mouthful! Check out the full review via the video below:

Super Mario Bros 3 Luigi Happy Meal Toy Review

Here's a quirky little chunk of my childhood; the McDonald's "Happy Meal" Luigi toy, sold in 1989 to promote Super Mario Bros. 3 for the NES:

The Melancholy Disappointment of Tim Burton's Playing Cards

There are some really spectacular decks of cards available to collectors but the Tim Burton deck from Dark Horse isn't likely to make it onto that list for anyone but the most avid or forgiving fan.  It’s not expensive and it is an official product, so either Burton or someone who represents him must have given permission, but it really is a missed opportunity.

Transformers Energon Megatron Review - Cobra's Corner

Youtube Toy-Reviewer Cobra Commander TFW is back at it again with a look into the past. Check out his review of Transformers: Energon Megatron!

Kamen Rider Arms Change AC05 Zangetsu Review - Japan No Toyzu

Six years! Cobra Commander TFW has been kicking maximum ass in the toy-review game on Youtube for six years now and is finally venturing into the world of Kamen Rider coverage. Rather than jump head first into the likes of SH Figuarts, he's easing in with an entry from the Arms Change series, AC05 Zangetsu Melon Arms:

20th Anniversary of "The Black Album" by Metallica

As of today, Metallica fans (and heavy metal/hard rock fans...hell, just straight up music fans in general) have now enjoyed 20 years of the band's massively successful self-titled fifth album, also affectionately referred to as "The Black Album" given the dark cover art seen to the left. Released on August 12, 1991, it was an instant success both critically and monetarily, with rave reviews in countless publications and a debut as the number one highest selling album in over ten countries. It was no blink-and-you'll-miss-it affair either: The Black Album remained in Billboard's Top 200 (the top 200 albums sold in North America in a given week) for nearly 300 weeks straight, well into the late 90s. Its worldwide sales are currently somewhere around the 22 million mark. Damn!

As you can imagine, The Black Album has gone on to achieve legendary status as a quintessential rock album that pretty much everyone and their mother has heard, largely in part to its five hit singles (Enter Sandman, The Unforgiven, Nothing Else Matters, Wherever I May Roam, and Sad But True) that are played everywhere to this day, Metallica's live concerts included. Some older Metallica fans may have been alienated by its stripped down song arrangements and the daringly soft ballad-style "Nothing Else Matters", but by and large, the album has been an incredible achievement the likes of which most musicians can only dream of. It pushed Metallica into the stratosphere, and knowing their humble beginnings and the hard work and passion they (continue to) put into their career, I must say...those guys really deserved it.

On a personal note, The Black Album is far from my favorite by Metallica. Controversially, I actually prefer the follow up album Load. Yeah, try to wrap your brain around that. Still, I can respect all that it achieved for the band, and there's plenty about it that I'll always love. With some of the most personal lyrics and powerful vocals of his career, this may be the Metallica album where singer/rhythm guitarist James Hetfield shines most. I still love hearing him belt out "I'm your life - AND I NO LONGER CA-AAAARE" in the final verse of Sad But True. He has such a characterful vocal delivery, and here, it's in its peak. Also of note are the catchy solos of Kirk Hammett and a layered mix with incredible depth. Twenty years in, the album still sounds amazing.

There are plenty of metal fans out there that immediately frown at the very mention of Metallica, but even through controversial (for no reason) haircuts, experimentation in style, a lone drummer's anti-downloading campaign, and the drama-filled St. Anger era, I've stuck by. Metallica means a lot to me. They were the first band to really get me interested in music...in both listening and performing. I wouldn't be a musician today without their influence. Through Metallica, I was opened up to a whole new world of expression. To the uninitiated, it might sound silly, but it's been a priceless experience. I love those guys and I'm very happy that they made it through the more awkward years of their career and are still relevant. They're still out there giving it their all. I'm proud of all Metallica has accomplished, and I'm more than pleased to tip my hat to The Black Album, an album important not just to their career, but to millions of people the world over. Well done.

Watchmen Movie Review

It's finally here. The film adaptation of Watchmen, Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons' highly revered 1986-87 limited comic series, helmed by Zack Snyder, director of 2004's Dawn of the Dead remake, and more recently, the adaptation of Frank Miller's 300, both stylish and overall well received films. It's been advertised, debated, and anticipated like crazy. To say the source material has been lifted to absolute legendary status over the years is an understatement. Since it's debut, Watchmen's reputation has grown and grown, ultimately to be seen as one of the utmost essential comic book tales. Throw out the notion of simple hero-chases-villain fare, Watchmen is a book with brains, and balls. It's ripe with biting social commentary that really does make you think, and the characters created by Moore and Gibbons are nothing short of amazing. And now, the big budget Hollywood version is out, teething with buzz. So, does it live up to the hype?

Well, let's just go for the throat. I found the film immediately enjoyable. While flashy, the visuals looked great, the characters were being depicted well, and overall, it seemed to be following the comic books fairly closely. At some point however, perhaps when I noticed different meetings between characters being combined, some of the changes to the story became slightly jarring. I suspect anyone familiar with the source material may feel this about at least some of the changes made, but overall, they didn't really bother me much. Some alterations made certain instances feel slightly less significant than they should have, but you must understand, such things are simply inherent to what we know as the "film adaptation." To be cliche, unless you've been living under a rock, you should expect, and accept, a little variation from source to screen by now, and the changes in Watchmen are NOT that bad. If you've been watching movies from the past few years, you'll have seen your share of adaptations, and from those, you'll know that the Watchmen film is far closer to Moore's writings than it even had to be to receive a go from Hollywood.

And really, I was impressed. Numerous scenes gloriously reference the panels of Dave Gibbons artwork and are often framed exactly as originally drawn. Much of the original dialogue and pacing is in place, and even the updated costumes still retain their basic flavor. They're not all suddenly running around in black leather jackets, know what I mean?

Also, going in, I feared they would censor it too much. Tame the swearing and violence, neuter Rorschach's brutal critiques of modern man and the Comedian's salacious ways, but more or less, it was all there. Yes, even Dr. Manhattan's penis and Nite-Owl's ass. Such visions drew a few inappropriate giggles from the audience, something I've heard is fairly widespread. It's shaming to know people are that immature. Rorschach would probably agree.

Still, that nudity, displayed in nothing but an innocuous, casual and naturalistic way, much like it is in the comics, is there, in tow with so many other elements that could've easily been discarded to make the film more mainstream and palatable. Despite the blockbuster-aim and huge marketing campaigns, this film stems from a very adult story, and by retaining much of the grittier elements, Watchmen has made it to the screen with it's teeth in tact. It's an R rated film, and it needs to be. Dumbed down to a PG-13, the overall message might've easily lost a lot of it's weight merely in exchange for an easier route to those millions of box-office dollars. I'm really glad the film makers took a risk by going all in instead.

But despite my support of the film maintaining an adult-oriented feel, my biggest problem with the film does lie within that realm. The part that flat out bugged me the most was the sex scene. It did not offend me in any way, I'm not that guy, but whereas the comic depiction seemed a bit more, to use a slightly cutesy term, sweet, endearing the relationship of the characters, in the film it played much more in the realm of "Yeah! Look at this chick's ass, you like that? Ok then, here's some grinding for you, take that, yeah, uh huh, TAKE IT." Ahem. Only a minor issue though, it didn't take me out of the film too much.

So will the story of The Watchmen go on to be as respected a film as it is a graphic novel? Probably not, but face facts, that was probably inevitable. I'm sure Alan Moore would still hate it were he to view it in secret, perhaps over some of the changes and omissions alone, but for the rest of us, again we have to ask - is it worth seeing? Is it overall well executed? Will it appease the fans of the source material? I say - for the most part...yes. For the average movie goer, if you can get over it not being a typical comic book beat-em up, it might just engage you, and for the die-hard comic fan, if you can deal with it not being a word for word translation, there's a lot there to appeal to, and reward, your love of the original story. Go check it out!

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