Of Legacies & Evolutions

At this time, I've watch the movie twice and played through the game twice so I thought now might be a good time to do some reviews of each of them, my first for the new year. I'll start with the film first, since that's the way it should be done.

Tron: Legacy

Tron: Legacy opens and introduces us to Sam Flynn (Garrett Hedlund), a young man with a taste for adrenaline and a dislike for responsibilities and authority. Having grown up without his father, and still having no idea what happened to him, has left a mark on the young man. His father's company of Encom is now run by a board of directors that would be more to Dillinger's liking than Flynn's and good friend Alan Bradley (Bruce Boxleitner) has been sidelined.

Right off the bat, I found Sam to be a likable character. He's got his own set of issues but they're tempered by an obvious sense of humor and a good heart. And it's clear that Alan has done his best to look out for his friend's son.

After getting a nostalgic look at Flynn's Arcade, we end up on the Grid with Sam, where he faces Recognizers, sentries, Clu and gets thrown into the Games. He escapes with the help of a friendly program named Quorra (Olivia Wilde) and soon finds his father and learns the truth of what happened so many years before, including the fate of the movie's namesake.

Kevin Flynn (Jeff Bridges) is a very interesting character in this, part visionary, part hacker, part zen philosopher. He's been trapped inside all these years and has done his best to come to terms with his new life and the things he's lost but you get the idea that everything he was is still simmering just under the peaceful seeming surface. Seeing his son again, all grown up, definitely shakes things up for him and solidifies his priorities, things his long captivity has made him realize were more important all along.

Throughout the film, as Flynn, Sam and Quorra race to stop Clu, you meet a whole host of interesting characters including Castor (Michael Sheen) & his crew at the End of Line Club, Siren Gem (Beau Garrett), the unstoppable Rinzler and Clu's somewhat oddball sidekick, Jarvis (James Frain). There is even a great cameo by Daft Punk as a pair of mp3 programs.

Some would say that the film's plot is too simple and sparse to be enjoyable but I can't agree. In an industry where everyone is trying to create the new Inception, the next A Beautiful Mind or is just resorting to blowing up as many things as they can, I found watching this sequel to the original Tron very refreshing. The story is classic, a young man's search for the truth, and his father, and his growth along the way. It sucks you in right from the very beginning and makes you care about the fate of the characters and it's all set against the beautiful backdrop that is the stunning visual effects of this film

Fans of the first film will immediately spot the familiar recognizers and tanks, though they have been updated, and the new Grid is pure eye candy. No hand done rotoscoping here and the new suits look fantastic. Each effect is done with an eye for detail and is flawless in its execution while Tron City looks like you could live there, and you want to by the end of the film. The only exception might be when you see young Kevin Flynn and his grid sidekick Clu 2. Yes, you can tell that the faces are entirely digital and under certain lights can look a little too false but when you consider they're attempting to create a young version of an actor who is now in his 60's, I can't entirely fault them.

Combine all of this with the amazing soundtrack created by Daft Punk and you really can't go wrong. The score is distinctive, bringing to mind certain scenes from the film long after you've finished watching it, and several of the songs, such as Derezzed, wouldn't be out of place on Daft Punk's latest album. Those planning to buy the OST do need to realize, though, that it IS a soundtrack and not a new studio album from the pair so it contains the entire score of the film and not just the dance hits. Personally, I enjoy driving to it.

I really can't recommend this enough. It's a beautiful film and I found I actually enjoyed it more, and got more out of it, when watching it the second time. The first time, you are so dazzled by the look and sound of the film that the plot actually takes second place. Just don't watch it expecting a high brow art-house film because that's not what Tron: Legacy is. This is a film for the imagination and the inner child, a film that makes you smile and catch your breath and that anyone, of any age, can sit and enjoy time and again.

SOME SPOILERS PAST THIS POINT!

Tron: Evolution

The first thing I need to say about the game is don't play it first. While Tron: Evolution IS intended as a prequel to the film, the storyline works better if you have already seen the film. Not only do you see the correlation with certain events and the tie ins they've worked into it but you won't be spoiled about certain information. There are several things that you learn in the game that are, more or less, meant to be surprises in the film such as Castor/Zuse, Quorra being an ISO and the last of her kind and few other bits a pieces.

The first thing you will notice about the game, though, is that it is just as visually breathtaking as the film. You really do feel like you're in that world, which is great because in playing the game you get to explore more of what you only glimpse in Tron: Legacy.

The year is 1989 and your character is Anon, a specially programed system monitor created by Kevin Flynn to sort out what's been going on with the Grid. In this role you meet Tron, Quorra, Clu, Zuse, many of the ISO's, a friendly program named Gibson and eventually come face to face with the creator himself. You witness Clu's attack on Tron and Flynn in a cut scene taken almost perfectly from the film, see the destruction and purge of the ISOs and go up against the game's real enemy, a terrible virus by the name of Abraxas. Towards the end, your main goal is to protect Quorra and get her to safety. Yes, that sympathetic program she mentions in the film...it's you!

Whether going up against Clu's variety of sentries or the virus infected programs Abraxas has created, you generally fight with your light disc. The game carefully teaches you the basics of fighting and moving through this digital realm and then gives you a list of combos to use. Different enemies have different weaknesses and you can upgrade your software, adding mods to your disc to make it easier to fight them or just increase your health and energy.

Controls for moving about take a little bit of getting used to and can be a tiny bit frustrating for a bit but, with practice, getting through the game becomes very interesting and enjoyable. Even after playing it twice I still often derezz when I hit the controls wrong but you get used to that quickly. The moves you use have been predominately taken from Parkour so you leap over objects, run along walls and spend a lot of time flying through the air over the bright lights of the Grid. When not competing hand-to-hand, you also go up against tanks...and then get to drive and fight with one! I have to say, using a tank to blast Recognizers out of the air is one of my favorite parts. Not to be left out, there are also fast paced lightcycle sections where you have to move quick while avoiding being derezzed by recognizers, tanks or an assortment of objects that get in your way.

Tron: Evolution is not a very long game and can go quite quickly once you get the hang of the moving and fighting but every minute is fun and very beautiful. Even once you finish the game, you can try again on higher levels or play online multiplayer battles with discs, tanks or lightcyles and you keep your level throughout. On the Xbox 360, there are of course a variety of achievements to be won and they aren't impossible to reach.

Remember that, like most of the Xbox games, you need an Gold membership to play the online multiplayer maps with friends or other random players but for anyone who has enjoyed either of the Tron films and wants another way to get immersed in the world, I highly recommend this game. It's eye catching and fun and challenging enough without discouraging less proficient gamers and adds a bit to the storyline of the film.

Let Me In? No, let me OUT!

There are probably going to be a number of people that won't agree with me on this one. I know this for a fact because the two people I watched this film with kind of think I'm nuts. The reason is because I really didn't enjoy this film.

I can't blame my dislike of Let Me In on being a fan of the original or anything like that. What did it for me is the sheer amount of BOREDOM I had to deal with for the first 2/3s of the film. The story was not enthralling, the pacing was slow and I don't think there was actually anything scary about it. For a film that was being advertised as 'the scariest ever!', it actually almost put me to sleep. The last part was decidedly more interesting but still not to the extent that I would choose to watch it again, let alone buy a copy.

Chloe Moretz plays Abby, a little girl with a secret. I'm sure I'm not spoiling anybody by saying that secret is that she is a bloody thirsty vampire. Chloe does a fantastic job in the role, especially given the general lackadaisical tone of the film, and she truly was the one bright spot. This didn't surprise me and I find myself looking forward to her future work. Kodi Smit-McPhee plays Owen, a young boy living with his recently separated mother in the early 1980's. Owen is a bit of an oddball and gets quite heavily picked on and beat-up at school. The film does manage to show a very clear and real look of what it is like for a kid like that in school but I was never able to feel a huge amount of sympathy for the kid like I should have. He's really quite creepy, somewhat antisocial and seems incredibly dense. I'm going to assume that was what the character was supposed to be like and not what the child actor himself is really like. It's hard to give him the benefit of the doubt, though, since the last film I saw him in, The Road with Viggo Mortensen, was another one where I really didn't like his character. Kind of wanted to shoot the kid myself by the end of THAT film.

There are a couple of somewhat bloody attacks in the film and they could be scary to someone...I'm just not sure who. The digitally animated movements of Abby's more feral vampire side looked more ridiculous than terrifying and the effects themselves were quite under par. It all boiled down to me being quite glad when the film was finally done so I could go on with my life and forget the time I had just wasted. Had I been alone, I would have left long before the movie finished...somewhere around the time I was trying not to doze off in my seat.

One truly good thing I can say about the film is that all the teens and tweenies that are currently going crazy over how romantic and amazing vampires are, they should watch this film. It would give them a somewhat more realistic look at vampires and make them realize they don't REALLY want some creepy pale dude stalking them and hanging around outside their bedroom windows.

Tron Legacy - A Preview Review

Not long ago, I came out of the Parramatta Greater Union cinema, having gone there to see the exclusive preview screening for the new Tron: Legacy film. This preview consisted of 23 minutes of footage, most of it from towards the beginning of the film to avoid spoilage.

In the preview, we got a glimpse of the story including a bit of an intro to young Sam Flynn (Garrett Hedlund), an up close and personal look at the newly revamped Recognizers, a bit of what we can expect from the fully 3D disc games and light cycles and a some time with the one and only Kevin Flynn (Jeff Bridges) himself. Having seen all of the released trailer footage so far, I had a bit of an idea of what to expect but none of it really came close to seeing it all up there on the big screen.

Now, I'm not a big fan of the over use of 3D filming right now but I fully admit that some films really do suit the new technology. This is going to be one of them. Tron Legacy will probably look just as breathtaking and beautiful in 2D but the designs, lighting and film effects all work incredibly well with the new tech.

The new visual effects are seamless and are the same step up the ladder that the original film was. All of the classic and recognizable vehicles are there, polished up and dusted off, along with a couple new designs that actually look original and not like a knock off of some other film. The classic Tron suits have also been given a slightly more modern look but are still completely recognizable, though they now come in more than just basic black! And the lights aren't rotoscoped!  In one scene, there are four women wearing suits fairly recognizable from the classic film but they are entirely white and silver, the women's movements synced with each other like a carefully choreographed dance. You also get to see Sam Flynn make his transformation from normal everyday clothes to a Tron suit, complete with ID Disc, and the way it happens looks great. A really amazing amount of detail was put into every moment of the film so far.

The preview didn't give much away story wise, certainly not much more that the trailers have, but what I did see just made me want more. I have to say that the de-rezzing effect was perfect and really gave a proper feel of why that term is used. And even though we didn't see the very start, I got right into the movie right away, I was sucked in. Of course, the soundtrack helped. Done by the ever amazing Daft Punk, every musical cue suits the visual aspects of the film and really make you feel what's going on. I look forward to the whole soundtrack being released, as I will be definitely be getting a copy.

I'm really glad I got the opportunity to see this small bit of footage because it's made me very excited for the December release. Like a lot of fans of the classic, I'm sure, I was at first a bit worried when the sequel was announced but my worries have really been put to rest. I very much look forward to enjoying the whole film, both in 3D and in 2D. The official release date is the 16th of December, the full soundtrack comes out on the 8th of December and the dvd & blu-ray versions should be out in April 2011. Also, until the release of the film, gamers can try their hand at Tron: Evolution which is to act as a bit of a prequel to the upcoming film and is said to be very action packed with moves inspired by parkour and a capoirea fighting style. The game comes out on the 25th of November and features the voices of Bruce Boxleitner and Olivia Wilde from the film and also the very popular Jensen Ackles from Supernatural. Word has it that the limited edition of the game comes with a Lightcycle, courtesy of Sideshow collectibles.

I look forward to the film, I look forward to the game, to the soundtrack...to everything. Even all the merchandising Disney is bound to be doing. Is that a replica ID Disc I see? Hmm.....

I will definitely be watching this come opening night. Until then, I have several friends I need to introduce to the original! :)



X-posted to LJ

Of Me, Vikings & Cowboys

So, I'm sitting here listening to some of my favorite music and got the idea that maybe I should write a bit of an explanation. About what? Well, about me, I guess.

You see, I've been living in Australia for over 8 years now. It's a long time to be away from friends, family and all the things familiar to you. Visits home are great because I spend a lot of the time stocking up on things I missed and people and places I remember from my childhood because, I'll be honest wit you, as similar as Australia and Canada are...they are still DIFFERENT.

In some ways, I think it would have been easier to adjust to some things here if they had been more different to what I was used to. When everything is so much the same, you forget and begin to expect things to be a certain way, which means it's kind of a bigger jolt when it isn't. I gave up a lot of things when I came here, changed habits and what not, and one of the things that fell by the wayside for a long time was the parts of me that were 'country'.

Sydney is a huge sprawling internationally recognized city. It has its lower ends and very up market areas, its cultural districts and its trends. It is very commercial and forward yet still a bit backward and stuck in the past...an odd combination that has taken me a long time to get used to and it still bugs me at times. But it's very urban. The closest thing to truly rural Australia that you get here in Sydney is probably the Royal Easter Show, otherwise you have to drive for about 3 hours before you start to see more of the country heart of the place. Which is why, when I moved here, the cowboy boots, the big belt buckles, the turquoise jewelry and so forth all got packed away. I wanted a change and I wanted to blend in.

I eventually came to realize some things, though. I missed it and it will always be a part of me, no matter how deep into the city feel I get. I wouldn't exactly call myself a redneck, but there's a big part of me that rolls my eyes at some of what I see in the city. Spending my summers out on the family farm, life was so easy! It was quiet and peaceful and you didn't have to worry about makeup or getting dirty or meeting expectations. You got frustrated with something, you hopped in the truck or on the back of a bike and just went off for a while.

So, the country stuff came back because, as much as love girly things and dressing up, I missed the simplicity of my boots and jeans and plaid shirts. *laugh* And then the looks started.

I'm a pretty eccentric person and I do costuming. I'm USED to people giving me odd looks when I'm doing that. But walking into a shopping center with my cowboy hat on, a plaid shirt and boots...I think I got more stares than I usually do.

Sydney doesn't see their 'cowboys' often...and they don't quite look the same as North American ones do. Rural Aussies seem to be more heavy work boots, singlets and low brimmed dusty hats that MIGHT have had a shape at one point. They're beer cans in stubbie coolers and lawn chairs with cattle dogs panting next to them. It's a different image, so I don't quite match.

I grew up in a city but I also grew up in the country, around horses and cattle, dirt bikes, rodeos and demolition derbies. When I think back to the first music I can remember hearing on the radio, it was country. Kenny Rogers, Dolly Parton, Johnny Cash, Patsy Cline...that was my childhood. Then came Reba McIntire, George Strait, Garth Brooks and then Shania. I had friends among the local First Nations kids...and enemies too. I grew up aware of the modern issues of the Native American/Canadian tribes and had run ins with some, which probably affected my thoughts about them for some time, but I was also fascinated with their history and their culture. I grew up hearing stories about Coyote and Grandfather Raven and How Bear Lost His Tail. I learned how to bake bannock bread and about pemmican because the explorers that founded my country used it to survive on. (Something, I just found out, that got picked up by Australia explorers like the ill fated Burke and Wills)  I remember being invited to learn how to make dreamcatchers with a class of native students...something I've made many of since and never forgotten how to do.

As I got older, I began researching and learning about my own genetic heritage, being Norwegian, and learned about the Norse mythologies and culture. What I found was that many of the things that fascinated me about the Native American culture were echoed, sometimes strongly, in my own heritage. The art styles, the crafts, the reverence given ravens and the stories of tricksters...all have such strong similarities that I am no longer surprised that there was a viking settlement so early in history up in what is now Newfoundland. I'm sure that the cultural similarities would have made communication easier between the two groups, despite the language barriers.

The western country elements I wear and love have many layers of significance to me, these days, many of which I could expand on for pages but I won't. The connections to my heritage and childhood, my country and family being the gist of it. The stares continue here in Australia but I've gotten used to that, too, and it makes me laugh sometimes. I like shaking things up, a little.



X-Posted to LJ

Bullet, Not Death...Yet

I just completed reading the most recent offering from Laurell K. Hamilton in her Anita Blake book series, the simply titled Bullet.  You would think we would be nearing a conclusion at some point soon, since this is book 18 of the series plus two side stories, but that doesn't seem to be the case just yet.

Certainly, events are unfolding and changing for Anita Blake and her troop of weres, vamps and other assorteds but not nearly as quickly as I kind of expected. The book deals mostly with the aftermath of the explosive death of Marmee Noir and, as usual, with the ever expanding and evolving powers of Anita herself. As usual, things don't go according to plan and there doesn't appear to be a nice sparkly happy ending looming any time soon for the tiny brunette and her many lovers but some good things do happen. For one thing, there is another emergence of the ever moody Richard Zeeman but this time some good seems to come of it. Of course, no Anita Blake novel would be complete without her jumping in the sack with a wide variety of people, both intended and not.

Having read these books from the very beginning, I remember when this girl was all about the Catholic upbringing and the 'not before marriage' declarations. While many of the books have de-evolved down to, essentially, slightly plotty smut, I am one of the readers that don't mind it too much. Ms. Hamilton does usually take time to give the story some plot and evolution and attempts to tie the sex in with what is actually happening. There are reasons for most of it, anyway. And had we spent the last dozen or so books still dealing with Anita's original moralistic hang ups, I probably would have stopped reading by now because there is only so much pent up sexual tension a person can read before going nuts. *coughtwilightcough* I know there were quite a few readers who were turned off the books over the years because of the sex but I find that easier to handle than the excessively puritan ideals would have been. If Anita had been surrounded by all these gorgeous and available men all this time and had NOT gotten laid, I wouldn't have found her very realistic and would have wanted to strangle her. Really. :)

Anyway, as far as books go, it was an enjoyable read for someone who has been a constant fan of the series. It doesn't give quite as much story as I might have liked and things are starting to seem a bit slow in coming to fruition, but if things pick up really well in the next book then everything should be fine. This could just be the small lull before the shit storm. I'm kind of hoping it is because, as much as I enjoy her writing, there is only so long Ms. Hamilton can milk this cash cow before even her most devoted readers jump ship.

Oh, and if you're someone completely new to the series, DO NOT start here! *laugh* Not only might you be turned off by the story but you'll probably be a bit confused. I do very much recommend going back to read the first books where Anita's life is all about raising zombies, helping out the police and ganking the occasional psychotic evil vampire. You just may want to stop reading by about book 8 or 9 because that's when things really start to go a little Harlequin fantasy romance...in full detail.

Updates & Thoughts

Just realized that it has been a while since I last updated this so I figured I should get off my lazy butt and do something about that.

I had sort of meant to do some movie reviews, one for Inception and one for The Expendables, but it seems silly to do it now. Plus, do I REALLY need to tell everyone to go watch Inception? I mean, really, I think word of mouth did a great job on its own in getting people out to see that flick. Talk about a bit of a mind bender but I did really enjoy it. Not something I think I would watch over and over again but definitely worth a couple watches. The second time you see it, you notice different things, pick up stuff you missed on the first go around. I do recommend going to YouTube, though, and looking up an interesting little video regarding the main musical cue in the film. You know that deep, booming sound they use for the ads? Yah, has a very interesting connection with a certain Edith Pief song...the same song they use as a 'wake up' cue in the film!! The film is chock full of connections like that. Oh, like the girl who plays the wife? Is well known for her role in another film as...wait for it...Edith Pief. The layers (ha ha, get it? Layers...) of this film are kind of insane. I love the girl named Ariadne, though. I mean...she's the maze maker, right? Well, the mythological lore is that Ariadne was the one who gave Theseus the ball of thread to help make his way through the Minotaur's MAZE. Like I said, layers.

Go watch it, if you haven't yet! Bloody hell. *laugh*

Okay, so mini review there. :P And go watch Expendables because it's fun and funny and just great to see so many major action stars in one flick. It's a huge, mindless, testosterone filled blow up fest but entertaining.

Meanwhile, still using the ipad...it goes everywhere with me and is again the instrument of my current blogging. So far, the only thing I think I wish I could change is to make it just that tiny bit more computer like. To be able to access files and folders a bit would be good and word processing situations seem to be a tiny bit of a let down but that hasn't been an issue for me yet. Oh yah, that and the whole no directional arrows on the internal keyboard. That's still a pain once in a while but they may change that with a firmware update. Otherwise, all is good. I think I've become surgically attached to the damn thing, though. Guess I can't make too many cracks about people and they're iphones now but at least this is, technically, an actual computer. *shrugs* Need to hunt down a different bag/backpack thingy, something that will carry all of my purse gear and the ipad at once if I need to. Much easier for traveling because atm I'm carrying my purse and this in a separate shoulder bag. Easy but still an extra bag.

Oooh, got a look at the new ipod Nano's! I'm drooling, I will admit it. I love my Nano but these new ones are TINY! Along with a full tiny touch screen, it clips on and is about half the size of the current Nano. Just another toy to add to my list of things to get as soon as I can.

M's been laughing lately. I'm not a major tech head but I guess I look a little like one now when at my desk in the office. I have the laptop open, the ipad docked with the external keyboard, my cellphone next to me...all I need is some sort of uber cool over-head display and my set up would look awesome. Maybe when M gets around to updating his Mac monitor, I'll snarf the older one and put it on an arm. Yes...plans I have. *does evil steepled fingers*

I have three books to read through right now so when those are done, I'll post reviews on them. One is the newest Anita Blake novel, Bullet, one is called Storm Glass by Maria V. Snyder and the third is the newest vamp diaries book from L.J. Smith. While not a huge fan of the show, I was a fan of Smith's books as a teen so it's funny to see them back in print and have her writing for them again. Makes me curious so I'll give it a go. Just too bad they haven't decided to reprint her Secret Circle books as well. Maybe soon.

That's all for now. Will attempt to not leave it so long again. I've had this blog just over a year now and still haven't done too much with it but I'm slowly feeling my way along.

PS...using the Kindle app on ipad? Lots of fun and SO convienient. I still like to buy certain books for the collection physically but others are great as digital Kindle books...and no shelf space required! I imagine the physical Kindle, which I almost bought prior to getting the ipad, is almost as cool. :)

IPad, Apps & Happiness

Since I've had my iPad for about a week now, I thought it might be time to write down a few thoughts about it.

I'm not someone who's going to be able to push its abilities, especially right off the bat, because most of what I do tech wise isn't very intense to begin with but I've been trying to use it for all the normal things I would do on my full sized laptop.  Generally, so far, so good.

I now understand the issues people have had with the fact that Apple has made it so that anything flash animated can't work on the iPad but it's only a small annoyance and not anything major.  Mostly, there are one or two silly internet based things that I would normally like to have access too but can't use so I have to wait till I can get to the laptop.  Otherwise, there really isn't anything I've asked it to do that it flat out hasn't done.

Internet access is quick and easy, for the most part, and I have been able to access all my usual websites and forums.  Typing on the inbuilt keyboard is quick and easy, though having to rely on the touch of my finger to move back or forward in paragraphs that have already been typed can be a bit of a nuisance.  That being said, the external keyboard (which I am using atm) is small, light weight and dead easy to use with EVERYTHING I've tried on here.  I do wish that I could use a Firefox based platform on here instead of a Safari one but Safari does work fine.  I'm used to the tab system and a few other small features that Firefox has and Safari doesn't but it hasn't actually caused any problems.  Opening links to a new page turned out to be quite intuitive and holding down a touch on most things within the internet scope seems to work great.  You get a relevant list of choices and need only pick what you want, whether it is to email, reply, save an image or open a new window, it all seems to come up easily.

Several of the sites I would normally visit on any given day actually don't need to be seen through Safari on the iPad because that is where the apps come in.  The main exceptions to that rule seem to be Facebook and Myspace.  I have looked at apps for both but there aren't any dedicated to those sites yet and only ones using Facebook's chat ability as a tie in to other chat apps.  As I don't use the FB chat option, this has not interested me so far.  Twitter is a different matter.  Twitterific is free and I have found it very convenient in using and quick to update, so I check it constantly.  I have yet to try the AIM chat app since I haven't used my AIM account in years but the MSN and Nimbuzz ones seem to work alright.  The only downside to those are that they were originally built as iPhone apps, not iPad.  The iPhone apps all still work just the same but they aren't created at the same resolution so you have to expand them to fill the iPad's screen.  This makes them a little pixelated and blocky.  I'm sure, with time, iPad dedicated apps will come up for most of the major chat programs and then those problems will disappear.  The apps are all free ones so downloading them for use until something better comes along is not that big a hardship.

Removal of unwanted and/or unneeded apps has proven to be very easy, as is moving and arranging them to your liking.  I currently have three separate app windows in use, personally.  You also don't have to worry about accidentally erasing the apps because it takes a very deliberate series of touches to delete them.

I have played a few games, some very simple and some slightly more graphically intensive, and enjoyed them all so far.  I highly recommend Soosiz for those looking for something fun and addicting but be warned, it can make you a little motion sick if you play it for long periods.  NOVA is a fun first person shooter with nice looking, though a little repetitive, graphics.  It makes me think it's the iPad lovechild of Halo and Doom.  All your easy computer standards are around for use, such as solitaire and sudoku, and the air hockey game is great whether you're playing with friends or against the computer.  Great way to pass the time.

I have only had one or two minor crashes, most of which were based around the NOVA game.  I think that because it is a rather large app (in comparison) and somewhat more graphics intensive, sometimes the iPad just doesn't like it and closes itself.  It only takes a moment to reopen and try again and it's only been on start up so far, not during gameplay, so you don't lose anything that you've done.  The only other app to cause the same issue was Tap Tap and only after I had just downloaded a whole bunch of new songs for the game so it could be that everything hadn't quite settled in yet.

Other than that, no major issues to report.  The Apple standard apps have worked great; photos was easy to figure out, as was iTunes, iPod, calendar and notes.  I'm using notes to originally type this up, actually.  The intuitive typing has worked very well for me, to the point where I wasn't actually sure if I was just typing well or not spelling things wrong or if it was the application fixing things for me.  And, again, anything it doesn't immediately recognize and brings up as an error is easy to check with a gentle touch as it is underlined in red.  I have noticed that it is more intuitive with the on board keyboard than the external but only slightly.

The sound for playing music is pretty good, considering how small the speakers are so I have no problem with putting on music or a movie and propping the iPad up in a corner while I do something else.  iPad is very good at multitasking and allowing you to do the same.  And, finally, the battery life is good, IMO, as I can use it most of the day for wifi and videos, games and so forth without having to worry about dieing.  Charging could probably be a tiny bit faster but I haven't really seen how fast it is on straight charge since I usually charge it WHILE I'm using it.

So, yah...no major complaints so far.  One week in and I'm as happy as a clam with my new toy.  It goes everywhere with me atm, which was made even easier by the recent purchase of a small fitted shoulder bag for it.  If any issues come up, I'll mention them but it has been good so far.  I DO hope that Apple makes an update for the built in keyboard though, so it has directional keys like a normal keyboard.  That is one place that the external is much better because the touch direction can be a small problem in some situations and with some sites.  But that's my only concern so far.

Now I have to go play Red Dead Redemption some more so I can give some honest thoughts on how that works out.  I wish Christmas wasn't so far away because now that I have this iPad, I'd love some iTunes cards!  Lots of tempting apps to try out but I'm trying not to spend too much money!

Extra note:

Something I haven't tried yet is using the 3G net connection for my iPad since I haven't gotten a micro sim and some credit for it yet.  That's next on the list.

Also, some other apps worth mentioning are:

iJournaler - A password protected, simple electronic journal.  Great for on the go and for privacy
IMDB - everything the website has in one app at your fingertips, so if you're watching a movie and can't remember who someone is or what they have done before, it's right there
Miso, eBay, & Photobucket - all great dedicated apps that make surfing from the iPad that much easier
Wikihood - This is a relatively new app and it takes info from the various wikis and Google and tells you things you may not know about places, like your home town, somewhere you intend to visit or just a random place you type in. 
Cat Piano - A must have cat lovers!!  Each key makes a cat meow and it's great for having fun with you kitty. XD
DC & Marvel comics - Can't say enough good about these!  For quick, cheap comics to read on the go and a great interactive paneling, they're one of my faves.
Weather HD - a beautifully designed multi city weather app with gorgeous graphics.  You can add as many cities as you like and get the time and weather for the location in C or F and it looks beautiful doing it. :)

Birthdays & Novas

Time for me to try and play catch up on here again. Told you I would go for months at a time without blogging! I'm horrible about stuff like that but I do try.

There has been a lot of things going on of late, so I don't know if I will be able to cover all of them. There have been movies watched at some point but atm I honestly can NOT remember what any of them were. Great reviewer I am! Note to self, make sure to do all blog posts as soon as I watch a movie or I'll forget I even watched it. *snicker* Duh!

Now, where to start? I'll start with the silly stuff and then get stuck into the meat of this little post. I cam across a fun site that gets you to enter some samples of your writing and then it will analyze you and tell you what kind of a writer you are and who you write like. I decide this sounded like fun so I entered a couple of the blog posts from here to see what it would say. Here is the result...which I really can't say I mind at all!! XD

I write like
Douglas Adams

I Write Like by Mémoires, Mac journal software. Analyze your writing!

Nope, I can not complain about being compared to Douglas Adams. Admittedly, I am nowhere near as funny as he is nor as good a writer but I like it and maybe one day I'll get off my butt and actual write something worth publishing.

Now, onto meatier subjects. In the last few weeks, two major events have occurred. The first being the annual Sydney Supanova convention and the second being my birthday. Sydnova was wonderful, as always, and because I was able to just enjoy it as a visitor for the first time in several years, I had a great time. Caught up with a lot of people, though I did manage to still miss quite a few, had a lot of pictures taken and generally had a good time. It was nice and I'm looking forward to being able to do the same thing next year at Brisnova.

Of course, my birthday was a MUCH more important event, wasn't it? XD It was generally a smallish affair but a fairly extravagant one at the same time. Saturday, M and I went into the city to the Blue hotel in Woolloomoolloo to check in because we were staying the night there. Then it was off to the lovely 360 restaurant in the Sydney Centerpoint Tower for dinner. I had venison carpaccio, Barramundi with semi-dried tomatoes and a tasting platter for dessert. All very lush and delicious!

Back at the hotel, fashion designer Alex Perry was holding a special show called Fashion 4Ward that helps to raise money and cancer awareness for 20-30 year olds with cancer. Seeing the show up close from our balcony and listening to the music live from the Rogue Traders was a fairly surreal moment and really amazing. Definitely not something I am going to forget soon.

The next day was spent having a quiet dinner at the Bavarian Bier Cafe in Parramatta with friends, including a young lady named Jodie who I had just met in the city on Canada Day. We got talking only to find out that, not only did we both live in the Parramatta area but, we also were from the same area back in Canada as well. I grew up in Kelowna and she grew up in Penticton. Very strange and very small world!

So that was my birthday...wait, what....I've forgotten something haven't I? that's right!! PRESENTS!!! Can't forget those. One would have thought that a deluxe dinner out and a night at our fave swanky hotel would have been enough but M decided to spoil me rotten as well. First, I got a bright pink Nixon watch that has both tidal and moon phase settings on it. Now, I would have been more than happy with that but he didn't stop there. Then I got a book called Bad Girls & Wicked Women. I really look forward to reading it; it's all about the most powerful, shocking, amazing, thrilling and dangerous women of all time. But it didn't stop there because I also got a video game in the form of Red Dead Redemption. I've been eyeing it off for a while because it looks really interesting and is entirely western based. Anyone who knows me will realize why but I happen to be fond of country and western stuff and also have a huge soft spot for cowboys so...it's really a perfect game for me. I haven't gotten too stuck into it yet but once I do, I'll be sure to post a review here. :)

Now, this is already enough to spoil me like crazy and I was very much thankful for everything, It was all so amazing! But M still had MORE up his sleeve, the main piece being what I am writing this entry on as we speak. Yes, he got me and IPad. *jaw drops open* I was floored but ecstatic. I've been drooling over theme since before the came out and it's now my new best friend. He also got me a cover for it, a neon pink neoprene case and a keyboard dock to make it even easier to type. I'm using that right now and I have to admit that it's great. Typing is pretty damn easy as it is on the IPad but this keyboard makes it even faster and easier. It's also small enough that I can carry it along with the IPad should I feel the need.

I haven't added too many in the way of apps to the IPad yet but that's partly because I'm not an IPhone user so I didn't have a backlog of things for it to grab onto. I'm also being selective on what I do put on here. It may have a lot of memory (M got me the largest one with both sim and wifi capability) but I don't want to fill it up with silly trash and I don't want to spend money on things I end up hating so I'll take my time and enjoy it as I go along. In the near future, I think I will write a proper review for the IPad as well. I know a crap load of people have already done that but I have one now and I might as well say my piece. If anyone reads it, than that's all good. :)

So, yah. Got spoiled for my bday. V got me a movie voucher and Jo got me a Borders card so I'm looking forward to using those too. In all, it was a great birthday. Unfortunately, spending so much time running around (the friday before my bday was spent at a bbq as well) means that I am now running low on energy and fighting off a possible cold. Ick! Fingers crossed that it doesn't get stuck into me cause I can't afford to deal with it right about now.

Once I get more stuck into things, I will post reviews on the IPad, Red Dead Redemption and on Bad Girls & Wicked Women, so keep an eye out for those. 'Til then, I'm going to put my feet up and watch The Losers.

Mass Movie Reviews – Legion

Last, but not least, on the list is the newly released film Legion, starring Paul Bettany, Adrianne Palicki, Lucas Black and Kevin Durand. (Getting a lot of work lately, isn't Kevin? Great to see a fellow Canuck doing well!)

Jeep (Black) is a young man who's grown up in the middle of nowhere at a dusty diner owned by his dad, played by Dennis Quaid. Charlie (Palicki) has grown up with Jeep and now works as a waitress at the diner while waiting to give birth to her baby. Their lives revolve around the few customers they get, though Jeep's centers even more on Charlie and his long held unspoken love for her. This is all they know...until one day, a very strange and creepy old woman walks into the diner, heralding much worse things to come.

Legion is pretty much your classic christian biblical apocalypse story where the lives of everyone in the world hang in the balance. Deeds and decisions made by a small group holed up in the diner, led and protected by a man known only as Michael who arrived with a small arsenal in his car, are what will decide the fate of all humanity. Simple, classical story, recognizable characters and an easy to follow plot create a fairly enjoyable film. The biggest weakness lies in much of the dialogue, which comes across cheesy and pointless at times. The fight scenes are fantastic, though, and coupled with nearly flawless, highly detailed, CGI. If the same eye for detail had gone over the dialogue before it was filmed, this would be not just a decent film but a really good one.

Most people could probably wait to see this when it comes out on DVD but if you're looking for something different to see at the cinema and, like me, REALLY have no interest in Sex in the City 2 then I would recommend this as an interesting alternative. It's one of those films to just sit back and enjoy with a big box of popcorn and some friends, no thinking required.

Mass Movie Reviews – Prince of Persia

Okay, the day after the comic book based film, I went and saw the video game based film. Yes, it was a busy week.

While I'm a long time fan of video games in general and can get quite addicted to them from time to time, there are some games that I have never played or that just slipped through the cracks. One of them is the Prince of Persia series of games, so going into the film I knew very little about the franchise and even less about the story. This didn't stop me from getting into the film from the very beginning and definitely didn't stop me from enjoying it. The visuals were amazing and flawless and the story interesting. They kept the story fairly simple because the concentration was obviously on the action and visuals but it was still an interesting story with enjoyable characters and an ending that was somewhat unexpected.

The film centers around Dastan (Jake Gyllenhal), a young man who was adopted into the Persian royal family when he was a poor orphan living on the streets. At the time, the King saw something special in the boy and chose to raise him with his other two sons. What happens because of that decision, the interaction of the brothers and their choices in life are much of the main idea that threads though the story. Along the way, Dastan meets Tamina (Gemma Arterton) who is princess of another country and guardian of a very special treasure.

The way Dastan moves and fights makes it really easy to see that this was based on a game and not reality but it's really fun to watch and pulls you in very quickly. It actually reminded me of the real life sport called Parkour (aka Freerunning). The shots are clean and the CGI quite good with only the occasional 'shaky cam' shot to annoy the hell out of me. Hollywood has become far too enamored of that technique in order to both convey action and movement and hide any flaws in the CGI or the stunts. I keep hoping that film makers will realize that we have steady cams for a reason but so far, no luck.

Again, in all, an over all enjoyable film and definitely worth seeing in the cinemas rather than waiting for it to be out on DVD. The action sequences alone are great on the big screen!