It’s the very bro-tastic Hour of Power on this week’s Jumping the Shark as Brandon and I take in the E3 perspective as, for the first time in five years, outsiders. Oh the humanity! Hear us wonder where all the games went? Wag fingers at us as we debate games ownership versus licensing. Snack along as we break bread over the sheer audacity that is the One’s 24-hour check-in times. Cry with us as we lament just how god awful Microsoft is at messaging their product. And nod knowingly as we agree that Sony played Microsoft like a drumb with their note-perfect PS4 unveiling. Also, more KOTOR2 and Brandon plays some Remember Me.
Enjoy!
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Sony really didn’t drop the mic. They just nudged it over towards the crowd. Steam was literally worse the Hitler when it came out, but it’s worked out pretty nicely. And Microsoft has been about the, “not owning the software you own a licence,” since like, the late 90s. If anything, it seems that they’re pushing more of their Windows policy onto their box.
Part of me would love to have Man of Steel be the subject of an upcoming Brakke Blockke. I haven’t seen the new Star Trek yet so I had to skip most of the preceding podcast, but I still think it has a solid chance to recalibrate the way Todd defines the word “hate.”
But don’t go see it. It’s so bland and unimaginative, you’d have to record the podcast as you walked out of the theater or risk forgetting you’d seen it at all.
You know, it has its faults, but I actually rather liked the movie. Liked it way better than the Trek film, to be honest. 🙂
Man of Steel dares to tell the story of the most powerful being in creation is so besieged with fear and self-pity that he is willing — and even *coached* — to allow innocent people to die to protect his anonymity. He’s like an anti-Peter Parker: a dashingly handsome sadsack who learns that great power comes with great inconvenience.
I could get behind the idea of reinventing Superman. Reinventing him into a woebegone drifter whose moral compass always points due Clark is not the way to do it, and the fact that none of the other characters in the movie call him out on his miserable selfishness could only be explained by the fact that he’s Superman, and everybody loves Superman.
In the pilot episode of ‘Smallville,’ Clark wanted to keep the new truck he was gifted by Lex Luthor. “Dad,” he said, “I saved a guy’s life!” And his father retorted, “So you think you deserve a prize?!” I haven’t seen that episode since it originally aired, but that cornerstone of the Kent upbringing has stayed with me ever since.
By contrast, can you remember a single line of dialogue from this movie? A clever turn of phrase? Even an observant remark? Can anyone name a single character from this movie who wasn’t better defined and more smartly portrayed in an earlier movie? Amy Adams seemed to have wandered in from the set of an adorable romantic comedy, playing the part of a wet-behind-the-ears intern who somehow masquerades as a hotshot reporter. If “The Secret of My Success 2: Zod Wears Prada” is ever greenlit, we know exactly who to call.
The plot has several more specific failures, especially of the “Characters Acting on Information They Should Have” variety, but obviously we don’t want to get too spoilery.
And now I’ve *got* to see Star Trek. For something to have made Man of Steel look good by comparison…does the entire plot of Into Darkness center on Kirk and Spock watching Transformers 3?
“does the entire plot of Into Darkness center on Kirk and Spock watching Transformers 3?”
Now, see, I *would* watch that! 😉
I do take your points on Man of Steel (and agree with a few of them), but I didn’t get the selfishness/pity me vibe from Clark in the film. His dad was more, “oh what to do, what to do?” yes (and I do think that’s troubling), but we see throughout his life that when Clark is faced with protecting people, he opts to do so even at the risk of exposing himself. He is selfless without thought of reward. (Except the final battle montage, which other than being spectacular effects, I didn’t like. Lots of holes there.)
Memorable line: “This man is not our enemy.” Great moment in the film, I thought.
I though Michael Shannon, too, was very good as Zod. So often we get bad guys with no motivation other than to be bad guys. He was a madman, yes, but at least there as a method to it.
What really fascinates me with this film is there seems to be little rhyme or reason to the types of people that will like or hate it. I know absolutely die-hard fans of the character who loved it and some who hated it. General movie goers who loved it and hated it. That’s pretty rare.
The perspective switching was always in KotOR 2, it’s not something added in the restoration patch. It’s heaviest in Nar Shaddaa, as I recall.
I like the droid speak a lot, actually. It’s quite impressive how much personality Obsidian manage to infuse T3-M4 with, without having enything except the other characters reactions at their disposal. Especially when you contrast it to what a complete non-entity Bioware’s version was.
Yeah, there will be at least one more spot where the party splits into a few groups that act on separate objectives. I do think the restoration mod made the section on Nar Shadda go a lot longer than it had to. I really hope you didn’t download the restored droid planet mod too, I love the game but that mod was the most drawn out mess of unnecessary combat and droid bleeping that I’ve ever encountered.
I’ve since played through Korriban and the first “half” of Onderron and the party split up thing has been almost non-existent, which has been a tremendous relief. Really didn’t care for the entire Nar Shadda section. Although at this point I seem to be ridiculously overpowered… which is like, fine by me. 🙂
(And, unless it’s part of the CRM, I haven’t installed the droid planet. Does not sound like my bag.)