Phil Villarreal's Blog, page 22

Hot on Home Video: 'Stand by Me' 4K Steelbook

The 1986 coming-of-age classic, which launched the careers of Wil Wheaton, Corey Feldman, Jerry O'Connell and River Phoenix, spins a stirring and nostalgic tale of tween friendships flowering in 1959 Oregon.
Adapted from the Stephen King story, the quotable, gloriously shot film stands the test of time and remains every bit as watchable as it did when it was originally released. Presented in a glorious 4K remaster, the film looks sharp and stunning.
Extras include picture-in-picture commentary with director Rob Reiner, Wheaton and Feldman, as well as Reiner's original commentary track. There's also the mini-doc "Walking the Tracks: The Summer of Stand by Me" and a music video.
Studio sent film for review.

 

Early Game Review: 'A Highland Song'

Set in the Scottish Highlands, "A Highland Song" is a whimsical puzzle-laden platformer that captures the mystery and majesty of its setting as it tells a delightful and stirring story.

You play as Moira, a teen who has longed to leave her small village to experience the sea. When her uncle Hamish sends her a letter asking her to visit his coastal, she ventures off on an 80-day journey that will lead her to the lighthouse near Hamish. 

Metroidvania aspects abound, with hidden paths and surprises beckoning around every corner. As you climb, slide and run through the environments -- all set to a captivating traditional Scottish-style soundtrack -- an overwhelming sense of discovery washes over you. The music plays a particularly important part during rhythmic sections, which challenge you to keep pace with the music to advance.

The dev team at Inkle, who are following up indie successes of "80 Days," "Heaven's Vault" and "Overboard!" continue to follow their distinct voice, unfettered by corporate mandates or the demands of deadline crunches. "A Highland Song" is a gorgeous and inspired effort that feels like a joyous treasure.

Replayability abounds. Because the game is so rich and dense, it's impossible to experience all of its inner secrets on a single playthrough. I'd advise shying away from walkthroughs unless you are hopelessly stuck, because they rob the game of its sense of exploration and reward.

"A Highland Song" is one of the most intriguing games I have played this year, and it continues to reward me the more I play. The story inspires chuckles and tears, and makes you fall in love with the Highlands just as the developers have.

Publisher sent review code.

Game Review: 'Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl 2'

 A sequel that manages to make up for nearly every shortcoming of its predecessor, 'Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl 2" revitalizes the franchise, making it a top contender for the throne held by "Super Smash Bros. Brawl" and challenged by the likes of "MultiVersus."

Loaded with characters, backgrounds, move sets and costumes that considerably ratchet up the intensity after the middling 2021 original, "Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl 2" manages to climb to the top tier of the party fighter genre. Crossplay includes all platforms, widening the player base and making sure there's always a game to be found. It also helps that a generous and engaging, single-player rogue-lite campaign is also included. 

Accessible, forgiving controls allow experienced gamers to play along with newer players with ease. The initial character roster provides a solid mix of fighters that appeal to kids and adults, including the likes of Squidward Tentacles, Jimmy Neutron, the Angry Beavers and Azula.

Developer Fair Play Labs, publishing under the banner of GameMill Entertainment, manages to check all the boxes and react to player feedback, ensuring the sequel is a wholesale improvement over the original. There are some cringey choices, such as free-to-play trappings including a $20 costume pack, a $25 season pass that includes four lackluster fighters and a $7 price set for future DLC fighters.

Luckily, there is more than enough in the base game to keep players who don't want to be nickel-and-dimed from enjoying themselves. There's a bright future in store for the genre as a whole, as well as this particular franchise.

Publisher provided review code.

Broadway in Tucson Review: 'Ain't Too Proud - The Life and Times of the Temptations'

Peeking behind the curtain to show how the Temptations were able to produce a cavalcade of hits in the 1960s and 70s, "Ain't Too Proud -- The Life and Times of the Temptations" brings the vivacious pop group to vivid life.

From the outset, a tone-setting performance of "The Way You Do the Things You Do," the show bowls the crowd over with an energetic and faithful interpretation of a Temptations concert. With shortened versions of most mega-hits the band produced acting as a Greek chorus to comment on the dramatic interludes, the show is a toe-tapping, clap-over-your-head force of nature that plasters smiles across faces.

Nominated for 12 2019 Tony Awards -- winning Best Choreography -- the show is taking victory laps on a national tour.

With many cast members having starred on stage and screen, competing in "American Idol," it doesn't seem like too much of a leap to declare that the bulk of the cast -- led by the likes of Michael Andreaus, E. Clayton Conelious, Jalen Jarris and Harrell Holmes Jr. -- are every bit as talented, if not more, than the performers they are playing.

The dramatic throughline is Otis Williams' efforts to maintain the band's image and integrity in a ruthless manner, throwing out established members who go astray and taking flyers on up-and-coming performers to fill the holes. As the Temptations pump out 42 top 10 hits and 14 number ones, they struggle to keep pace with the political climate, racial tensions and the trappings of business and fame.

Just as with the real Temptations, the performers show a remarkable commitment to synchronicity and teamwork, with clockwork choreography and harmony that meld together with jigsaw-style precision. The demands of rehearsal must be excruciating, but the incredibly hard work pays off in what appears to the audience as effortless bliss.

It's all too easy for the audience to let the Temptations run away with their imaginations.

"Ain't Too Proud - The Life and Times of the Temptations" plays through Dec. 3 at Centennial Hall. Buy tickets here.

Game Review: 'Wizard with a Gun'

Magic wand-wielding wizards are imposing enough, but if they're packing heat then they are truly forces to be reckoned with. Developer Galvanic Games' "Wizard with a Gun" brings the absurdly comical concept to life in co-op sandbox survival style.  

Set in a landscape in which a wizard empire has been taken apart by a force known as Chaos, you grab your firearm and set to battle magical enemies who are preventing the wasteland to returning to its former glory.

The gameplay is fluid and peppy, with an engaging rewards loop that has you seek out artifacts and items you use to bolster a headquarters that grows in stature as you play. You build up your capabilities and seek to take over more treacherous enemies and environs. There are hints of "Diablo" at play.

Combat is the main draw, with an inventive mix of spells and gunplay allowing you to shape your character to your vision.

While some more powerful storytelling would have bolstered the total package, the game is exciting enough -- particularly in co-op -- to keep you coming back for more. There is wizardry at work here.

Publisher provided review code.

Hot on Home Video: 'Resident Evil Limited Edition 4K Ultra Steelbook,' 'Columbo: The 1970s,' 'Mean Streets'

COLUMBO: THE 1970s BLU-RAY

Peter Falk chews up scenery in his iconic role as a tough-talking LAPD detective who rounds up murder suspects in the series, which ran from 1971 to 1978 on NBC. The series looks far better on Blu-ray than it did in earlier DVD iterations, and bursts with special features, including the 1968 Movie of the Week "Prescription: Murder," the 1971 pilot "Ransom for a Dead Man" and a shortened, 71-minute cut of the film "Etude in Black." There's also a new slipcase intro illustration by Tony Stella. 

MEAN STREETS (CRITERION)

The 1973 Martin Scorsese-directed masterpiece gets a 50th anniversary edition restoration on 4K. Harvey Keitel plays a small-time hoodlum who copes with debts owed by his wildcard best pal (Robert De Niro). The film marks Scorsese's entryway into the crime genre he would redefine again and again throughout his career.

The set includes a disc with the film on 4K, as well as a Blu-ray version of the movie that includes special features including a conversation with Scorsese and Richard Linklater from 2011, as well as audio commentary from Scorese and actress Amy Robinson. There's also a tribute essay by Imogen Sara Smith.

RESIDENT EVIL LIMITED EDITION 4K ULTRA STEELBOOK COLLECTION

All six films in the hit-or-miss series, looking better than ever in 4K, are packaged together in a gorgeous steelbook set. The films, which spanned from 2002 to 2016 and came to define the career of lead actress Milla Jovovich, include "Resident Evil," "Resident Evil: Apocalypse," "Resident Evil: Extinction," "Resident Evil: Afterlife," "Resident Evil: Retribution" and "Resident Evil: The Final Chapter."

Extra features include cast and filmmaker commentary, making-of featurettes, music videos, deleted scenes and documentaries.

Studio provided screener for review.

Game Review: 'DreamWorks All-Star Kart Racing'

Drawing from DreamWorks franchises including "Shrek," "Puss in Boots," "How to Train Your Dragon" and "Kung Fu Panda," "DreamWorks All-Star Kart Racing" tries its hand at the "Mario Kart" formula that so many others have ridden, and winds up on the same road to mediocrity on which most have wound up.

There is a charm and novelty in ramming Shrek or Donkey off the road as Hiccup or the Boss Baby, the sound-alike voices are distractingly poor, and the repeated dialogue snippets are dull and overused. There isn't much thought or imagination in the endeavor, which feels like a paint-by-numbers affair.

The AI doesn't offer much of a challenge, even with the rubber band effect constantly at play. Power-ups, jumps and speed-ups help you make your way through the themed tracks. There is a general sense of floatiness at play, and not much of a sense of speed.

Multiplayer is the best way to enjoy the game. Experienced players and noobs alike will be able to trade paint and smack each other off the track. There is little learning curve, making the game's accessibility its greatest asset.

More of a bizarre curiosity than something the fulfillment of DreamWorks fans' dreams, the oddball kart racer is innocent enough to put a smile on your face, yet cynical enough to make you at peace with waiting for it to hit the bargain bin.

Publisher provided review code.

Game Review: 'WWE 2K23 Bad Bunny Edition'

Capitalizing off of Bad Bunny's head-turning romp over Damien Priest in a WWE Backlash 2023 street fight, "WWE 2K23 Bad Bunny Edition" wraps itself up in the trappings of the King of Latin Trap in a Game of the Year-style special edition that far surpasses the successful original.
Fresh on the heels of the release of his latest album, "Nadie Sabe Lo Que Va a Pasar Mañana," the $140 package includes all the content from the "WWE 2K23 Icon Editon," as well as the "Bad Bunny Superstar Pack."
A new playable version of Bad Bunny donning the Adidas Men's Tech Fall 2.0 Wrestling Shoe and outfit he wore in the Backlash match. There's also the Bad Bunny Diamond-toer MyFACTION EVO card -- upgradeable to Pink Diamond -- the Bad Bunny MyFACTION logo, background and nameplate, the LWO Puerto Rico shirt part that's usable in Superstar Creator and 15,000 in VC.
If you own the base game and are looking to add just the Bad Bunny Superstar Pack, it costs $9.99. The moderately downgraded "Bad Bunny Bundle," which costs $90, substitutes the standard edition for icon edition while including 32,500 VC.
While the package amounts to a fan service cash grab -- how long will it be until EA drops a Taylor Swift version of "Madden NFL 24"? -- it's hard not to feel the flow of the intersection of pop culture forces of nature. 2K Sports has captured the pop culture moment, and fans of both the musician and game get to benefit from the indulgence.
Publisher provided review code.

Game Review: 'Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection Vol. 1'

A compilation of some of the greatest and most groundbreaking games ever made, "Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection Vol. 1" should be an indispensable bedrock in any gaming historian's library. Rounding up visionary Hideo Kojima's entire "Metal Gear" oeuvre from 1987 to 2004, starting with the creaky, adorably odd "Metal Gear" and "Snake's Revenge," which were released on the Nintendo Entertainment System.

The prime attractions are the "Metal Gear Solid" games, which made the transition from top-down to 3D, and included "Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater" (2004), which many still hold as not only the best in the series, but one of the greatest games ever made. 

For my money, "Metal Gear Solid 4: Sons of the Patriots" (2008) is the best, but we'll have to wait for Vol. 2 of the collection to re-experience that one.

While most of the compilation we get is a rehash of the stellar 2011 PS3 collection, which has become something of a collector's item, there is some new stuff here, including "Metal Gear Solid: Integral," which makes its North American debut after previously only being available in Japan. Other minor additions include oddball disclaimers that excuse some of the edgier, outdated political and sexual views expressed in some of the content.

While it would have been amazing to have gotten a comprehensive "Metal Gear" collection, what we get here is more than enough to keep you busy for months, and a welcome addition to a series that may never return with Kojima at the helm. A treasured relic from the past, its curated return is a shining highlight of the 2023 gaming year.

Publisher provided review code.

Game Review: 'Just Dance 2024 Edition'

An excellent daily workout that manages to burn the calories as you allow yourself to look ridiculous inside the comfort of your own home, "Just Dance 2024" manages to maintain the annual release series standard with a compelling suite of solo and multiplayer modes, a compelling tracklist that's filled with a mix of popular songs and enduring classics, and low barriers to entry that allow players of multiple generations and skill levels to enjoy the antics together.

While I will always long for the series' glory days, when they were connected to Xbox Kinect and PlayStation Move, allowing for video sharing, I've taken a shine to the Switch version, which allows you to either use the game's app to track your motion, or push the easy button and just use the Joy-Cons to match your moves to the TV screen.

The track lists spans from the likes of Olivia Rodrigo's "Vampire" to Bad Bunny's "Titi Me Pregunto" and calling back to a cover of "Rapper's Delight."

A quirky new addition to this year's game is "A Night in tthe Chateau de Versailles," which transports you to the 18th century in a backdrop resembling the world heritage site of the palace, including its gardens, the Latona Fountain and Hall of Mirrors as you groove to Lully's "Marche Turque" and Rameau's "Les Sauvages."

While the depth and breadth of content won't bowl you over, if you're a series superfan you'll find more than enough here to justify your annual purchase. It's a game that works just as well at parties as it does in privacy.

Publisher provided review code.