Eric Mrozek's Blog, page 23

Announcing Independence!

Crosspost from freeeaglestudios.com.

We are proud to present the completion of our next title:Independence. This is a short story that will serve as part one of a new series that expands the worldof Maereath that was introduced inDestruction. Set five hundred and fifty years before the events of that novel, this short is a political drama that chronicles the rise of the Fiean Republic and the ideals of that nation as it begins the struggle for freedom. Without further ado, here is a synopsis...

On George R.R. Martin And The Winds Of Winter Delays.

Please stick the landing. Please stick the landing. Please stick the landing.

This one is going to be a little bit more aimed at the writing crowd than readers, but I think I can voice the frustrations of each side all the same. Today, George R.R. Martin announced thatThe Winds of Winter, the sixth book in the series “A Song Of Ice And Fire” will not be released before the premiere of the sixth season of the show on HBO.If I am being honest, I have a small dog in this fight as a fantasy autho...

Star Wars: The Force Awakens – Part 8/8 – Watch It For The Plot.

Get Reeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeekt!

Part 8 – Watch It For The Plot.

So now that we have all of the ranting and raving of the movie out of the way, what could have possibly been done to make a movie that fits in with the lore while pushing the franchise forward? Putting aside the prequels, I have to state one undeniable fact: Star Wars is going to make billions no matter what happens because of the brand. Therefore, how do we get an audience emotionally involved?

1. Skip All That First Order Garbage.

I...

Star Wars: The Force Awakens – Part 7/8 – The Return Of The Jedi… Again.

I do have to say that this was very well shot.

Part 7 – The Return of the Jedi… Again.

As a preface to this part, I’m not going to comment about the ending of this movie from the perspective of Poe and the X-Wings. It is essentially an exact copy of A New Hope, except that they have to destroy the Starkiller before it drains the nearby sun instead of letting it orbit around Yavin. TIE Fighters engage, they do trench runs, and Poe wins. Yay?

A Father And A Son.

I know that Harrison Ford wanted...

Star Wars: The Force Awakens – Part 6/8 – I Did Nazi That Coming.

Why don’t you just force grab the lightsaber already? It makes about as much sense as everything else!

Part 6 – I Did Nazi That Coming

Now that we’ve got all the little things out of the way, it is time to dig into the finale. This is the point where the broad strokes of the movie go from something we are familiar with and love to a borderline rip-off of A New Hope with a bunch of silly twists thrown in that damage everything. Han, Finn, Chewie, and BB-8 head off to the Resistance base, which...

Star Wars: The Force Awakens – Part 5/8 – Rey And The Battle Of The Mary Sues (Max Landis Is Correct).

Such OP. Much Bother. Wow.

Part 5 – Rey And The Battle Of The Mary Sues (Max Landis Is Correct).

And now, we finally get to the main controversy that has been surrounding this movie: the character of Rey. People have been criticizing this character from here to eternity, but are they actually accurate? Is Rey a good character… or are people like Tasha Robinson completely off their rocker and eager to bellow about being bigoted against strong female characters?

I think you can tell whose side...

Star Wars: The Force Awakens – Part 4/8 – Humor Done Right.

Nice.

Part 4 – Humor Done Right

Allow me to back up a little bit. I want to comment on some of the nice little positives of the movie before we get to the finale. For all its’ flaws, this movie has a good understanding of comedy and how a well-timed joke can make all the difference in the world. As an example, let’s take a look at the one character that I feel has stolen almost every scene in the movie that he’s in.

BB-8 Is Genuinely Funny.

Personality + Timing = Comedy.

Above all else, I bel...

Star Wars: The Force Awakens – Part 2/8 – The Bromance And Battles Of Jakku.

Here’s the deal. I’ll kick ass and then people will wonder what happened to me! Deal?

Part 2 – The Bromance and Battles of Jakku

Our attention and focus on tight storytelling doesn’t waver a bit as we are introduced to a new class of Star Destroyer and the interrogation chambers that Poe will have to deal with. He is interrogated by Kylo in a well-acted sequence that made me squirm, and the First Order discover that the BB-8 has the map. Luckily, not everything is lost for our smarmy asshole...

Star Wars: The Force Awakens – Part 1/8 – Get Hype!

We’re not doing this for money! We’re doing it for a filthy shit-load of money!

WARNING: This review series will spoil the entire movie. You’ve been warned.

When I was a young boy, my aunt and uncle brought over a little movie called Star Wars: A New Hope that I could watch on my parents’ VCR. It was before the Special Editions came out, but needless to say, that movie captured a special place in my mind. It was a unique experience for me (and you) that merged the power of science fiction wit...

Starcraft II: Legacy Of The Void Is Great… But There’s Just One Glaring Problem.

Who knew that killing a god could be so uninspired?

I recently finished the Starcraft II trilogy, and I took a little time to reflect on the course of the series as a whole. I admire Blizzard for their efforts at creating something that can be described as a sci-fi epic with a great mix of unique gameplay and thoughtful design choices.Wings of Liberty put us into the shoes of Jim Raynor and the Terrans, retconning a few different aspects of the serious side of the story to create a better nar...