Review: New Super Mario Bros. Wii

Nintendo is going back to its roots, while introducing some innovative play to the mix.

Well, sort of.

A new game will debut in mid-November as an upgrade to the classic NES (i.e. Super Mario Bros.) platforming action. Only this time, it's receiving the graphical upgrade akin to the DS game "New Super Mario Bros" and allowing four players to cooperate and compete on their latest system (hence the name "New Super Mario Bros. Wii" - wow, quite a mouthful).

I really hope this game will be good. Sure, the hands-on previews from Kotaku, IGN, and Joystiq seem to be fairly positive, but from the limited research (and limited details revealed) I can't help but think that this game is really holding back. In particular, my upfront gripes include:

• Only two plumbers and two toads? Even Doki Doki Panic Super Mario Bros. 2 had Peach. If they wanted to stick to the "brothers", they could have easily integrated Wario and even given Waluigi his platforming debut.
• No online multiplayer. Seriously? How else am I supposed to play across the US with Reilly?

Other mini-gripes:

• Need more power-ups. If the Wii really is a nostalgic console, they could have brought back more of the classics from SMB3. I hope they offer more than the new ice and propeller suits. 
• Need more retro levels. I do appreciate that the game was built from the ground up, but I sure hope there are some additional levels that pay homage to the NES/SNES days.

With such hits as Super Mario Galaxy, I understand that it's difficult to capture the same "wow" factor. But having had such flops as Wii Music, Nintendo really ought to try harder to hold onto its fanbase.

Sure, the last three years have seen record-breaking numbers, allowing Big N to emerge victorious in the console wars, but I wonder if returning to the big leagues has caused them to play it cheap, just so they can sustain their profits.

It's almost like they've decided they don't want to take any more chances, that it's easier to play it safe.  I understand the rationale, but I also feel they more than enough tools at their disposal to go innovate some more.

Review: Arrested Development

I remember watching the pilot for the first time two years ago.

It came across as silly, borderline stupid. Sure, there were some clever moments, but everything was so bizarre. After all, one "normal" person in the house full of wackos? It just seemed too ridiculous.

But after giving it some more time (and watching through some more episodes), I decided that it really is one of the best comedies on TV - particularly because this one can actually get me to make an audible sound (even something as small as a chuckle or a "ha") on a consistent basis.

After watching the pilot, my original fear was that the show's humor would be based on character flaws or forced situations so common in today's stale formula (think Family Guy, or any sitcom, really). Though the vanity does slip its way in (inevitable, really), it's more of supporting factor rather than an actual cause (it reminds me of Boy Meets World, except we have a cast of Eric Matthews). And the instead of uncomfortably forced situations, we get very sane initial suggestions that fall apart due to said character flaws. This makes the off-the-wall characters a little more believable and sympathetic, than, say, the cast of Glee. Sure the characters are caricatures, but they represent something in society and not just misfits doomed to be the butt of jokes.

With humor derived primarily from satire, wit, misunderstanding, awkwardness, and "full-circle" jokes, it makes this true situation comedy a pretty good riot. Too bad they had to end it in 2006, but at least we have a feature film to look forward to.

Review: Forgetting Sarah Marshall

This weekend I saw the movie Forgetting Sarah Marshall.

A surprisingly enjoyable romantic comedy, every bit deserving of its high rating on Rotten Tomatoes. I think what made it more entertaining was that it wasn't so much a "situational" comedy as it was a "realistic" comedy - that is, the humor and conflict seemed to feature reactions that people would have in real life.

Reading a bit on Wikipedia revealed that the movie was nominated for the following back in 2008 (in addition to winning "Funniest Film of 2008" on The Comedy Festival):

• Movie, Breakout Female: Kristen Bell
• Movie, Breakout Female: Mila Kunis
• Movie, Breakout Male: Jason Segel
• Movie, Actress Comedy: Kristen Bell
• Movie, Romantic Comedy: Kristen Bell

Some highlights from the movie experience include the following:

• Characters felt genuine, rather than your typical romantic comedy cardboard cutouts.
• Seeing Kristen Bell in a more significant role than Heroes ever since the cancellation of Veronica Mars.
• Learning what Meg Griffin looks like in real life. Yes, I hadn't yet seen Mila Kunis.
• Realizing how a flower in a girl's hair totally makes me swoon.
• Really classy dresses.
• Cleverness abound - dialogue, character development, and plot twists.

Lots of great elements thrown together with just the right balance. Go check it out!

Review: District 9

What a surprisingly refreshing science fiction. This is the kind of entertainment we've been missing in the theaters.

I went in without expectations (largely because I didn't even know the name of the movie we were seeing until hours before). Apparently I also missed all of the viral marketing. But that made the movie all the more enjoyable.

District 9 was a different kind of movie. I can't quite put my finger on it, but it possesses something I just haven't experienced lately from movies (which, sadly, if you think about it, have basically all become cookie-cutter formulaic, in an attempt to appease the masses).

Instead, this film seems to press into new territory (disclaimer: I probably haven't seen enough cinema to make that statement, but who cares - it's my blog) and manages to make a wholesome science fiction experience. Not only does it provide powerful social commentary, it does so cleverly with continual suspense and action.

If I were to describe it best, I'd say this type of film seems so complete with all of the right elements and balance, as if it were truly based on a full-fledged novel. And yet its origins simply lie in a six-minute short film. Now that's creativity.

Oh, so for those of you who haven't seen it, you're probably wondering what it's even about, right? Well, here are the opening points:

• Aliens have been residing on Earth in Johannesburg.
• Faced by public pressure, the government decides to relocate them.
• Wikus, your average guy, is designated to lead the operation

...And that's where all the fun begins. Soon you get all the little subtleties of apartheid and corruption, filled with thrills and plenty of surprises. Sure it also has its underlying messages, but it's easy to intake them while you're getting thoroughly entertained.

Some other selling points of the movie:

• It's filmed much like a documentary, providing an extra sense of realism.
• There are no blockbuster actors to carry the movie, so it carries itself.
• It portrays aliens much differently than your typical action/sci-fi film.
• It maintains a high rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
• This film was produced by Peter Jackson.

Even if it seems unappealing on the onset, I recommend you give it a chance (and in general, I recommend giving it a go - it's a rare kind of film worth seeing once). The opening is filmed like a documentary, forcing you to piece together several details before they throw you into the action. It's a lot to grasp at first, but it's well worth the experience.

Review: Quiz Show

This past Wednesday, I saw the 1994 film Quiz Show.

Set in the 1950s, this American drama tells a story based on the quiz show scandal of the era in which the show Twenty One purposely rigged their game so that the champion would continue to reign, in an effort to boost ratings. The main story follows the winning streak of Charles Van Doren, once he trimphs over then-champion Herb Strempel in a fixed match (in which Strempel unwillingly has to answer incorrectly). The circumstances surrounding the entire scandal attract the curious eyes of lawyer Richard Goodwin who faces lots of hurdles during his investigation.

Now, without providing a flowery description, I feel the need to express that this story "tells the true story" rather than simply being "based on a true story" (granted there were some liberties taken with perception, but it's understandable). Maybe I just don't watch enough historical dramas, but it didn't feel like your typically embellished story laced with some supernatural elements that help draw in the viewer. The suspense felt genuine, not forced. And the characters felt like people, not caricatures (though the accents were pretty amusing).

In an effort to avoid spoilers, I will simply say that the movie has a solid plot and is well worth watching. But what drew me in was not the setting (which was they portrayed very well, especially in high-definition), not the acting, but presentation of ethical and moral issues each character faces. The plot was pretty straight forward, and you half-expect what to happen next, but underlying messages are rather powerful.

Just to rattle off a few things the film realistically conveys:

• The power of the lie: what it takes and what it does
• Better ratings: the "truth" or a [fictional] "story"?
• Public preference: the American story or the handsome hero
• The corporate scandal and the stories they tell to hide it
• The lengths people are willing to go for what they crave

I wouldn't call this one of my "favorite" movies, but it's something worth watching at some point. The questions it raises, from the onset to the outcome, especially once you realize this was based on a true story, certainly make you question society's values. But the remarkable thing is you won't be leaving the film with that sort of post-sci-fi-pessimism or post-tragic-drama-depression. No, it'll just leave you wondering, with a quasi-feel-good sensation.

As a person who isn't much of a movie-goer, I appreciate these rare instances when I get to watch something engaging from a completely different genre than my "usual".