DVD Movie Review - John Wick

After years of unmemorable protagonists, Keanu Reeves finally unleashes a character that action junkies can get behind.

STORY:

John Wick is a simple man with one simple love: Helen, his beautiful wife.  And when tragedy strikes in his life, a cute little puppy turns up to help him overcome the pain.  But then fate intervenes again and poor John is struck with a second bout of misfortune: robbers break into his house, punch him in the face, steal his car, and hurt his cute little puppy.  These events become a big problem, but not for John Wick.  They become a problem for the people that interrupted his simple life.  Why?  Because John Wick is not really a simple man.  He's actually a gun-toting, death-dealing machine.  And everyone that was involved in the break-in (including their families) is about to have a bad day.  John Wick is back and he's pissed.  Gun kata, cute puppies, badass cars, Russian bathhouses, gorgeous contract killers, and sheer action awesomeness ensues.

"After we finish our cereal, I'll tell you a little story about a red and blue pill."

THOUGHTS:

About the first fifteen minutes of John Wick is filled with nothing but sorrow, somewhat stale dialogue, and close-ups of Keanu's unshaven face.  And some of the sorrow will cause even the toughest of guy to shed a single man-tear.  But relax.  The film isn't all despair and heartbreak.  There is a light at the end of the tunnel.  In fact, there's a light in the middle of the tunnel too.  See, right after all the sorrowful events happen, the movie switches gears and what follows is a series of fantastic popcorn action scenes that require little to absolutely no thought process.  And sometimes, when the timing is right, that can be the best type of movie.

If you're renting or buying John Wick then you already know what to expect.  (You've watched the trailer, right?)  There will be no sudden twist at the end.  There will be no fancy "boy meets girl, girl hates boy, boy reconciles with girl by lying" story lines.  There's no mushy father and son bonding.  There's not even dramatic dialogue after the first fifteen minutes.  It's just a bullet-killing train that doesn't stop until Mr. Wick gets his man.  And if you're okay with that, then you'll love this movie.  Now you're probably thinking, "Yes, but is the action any good?"  It's not good.  It's fantastic.  And that's not the best part of the film.  The best part is the feeling of seeking revenge and being totally content in how the film ends.  More often than not, Hollywood tries to be clever by making revenge films that end with the protagonist learning a hard lesson like "revenge won't bring back you're loved one or it'll only make you feel worse."  Well this film doesn't dilly dally.  It ends exactly how you want it to end and it feels great once the credits roll.

"Spiderman...Spiderman...Spiderman.  Why is it always about Spiderman?  All that time he spends 

alone, spanking it, I bet he can't even work a juicer.  Douche."

ACTING:

Keanu Reeves is easily the man as John Wick.  Finally a role came down the Hollywood pike that was perfect for him.  Sure a few early dialogue scenes with Willem Dafoe can feel a little stiff at first, but once all the blood splattering gets going, you'll forget all about that and just focus on the awesomeness.  Reeves' movements look like they haven't aged since the Matrix.  He can still pull off sliding, punching, breaking arms, throwing women through glass, and even the occasional bullet dodge.  He's the center of the movie and he's definitely what makes it tick.  Without Keanu looking proficient while pointing a gun, the movie would've went right down the tubes.

"How's my makeup?"

"Fine.  You might wanna get that gash above your eye looked at though."

Every single character besides John Wick is basically either a stepping stone for him to murder or just a plot piece to get to the next action sequence.  Mr. Wick will actually spend a little bit of time asking questions to find his target and that's when several actors and actresses show up.  First is Wick's longtime friend in the story, Marcus, played by Willem Dafoe.  As mentioned above, the initial dialogue between the two feels awkward, but Dafoe quickly slips into hitman mode and remains perfect for the role throughout the rest of the movie.  Adrianne Palicki brings her curves into the story as the sexy/dangerous, Ms. Perkins.  The scenes with her that unfold will make you think twice about turning your back on a beautiful woman.  Ian McShane pops up as a hotel owner/hitman-godfather.  He's not around enough to make that much of an impact, but his scenes are definitely memorable.  John Leguizamo sprouts up to have a drink with Wick and Bridget Moynahan spends her time in faded memories as Helen.  And finally, Michael Nyqvist (Viggo Tarasov) and Alfie Allen (Iosef Tarasov) are the cause of the whole plot line and spend most of their time trying to avoid John Wick…and sometimes even in humorous ways.

"I'm not gonna lie.  Ice Age was hell, man.  Absolute hell."

CONCLUSION:

John Wick may not tug at the heart strings throughout its running time.  Or tell a tale that requires much thought to enjoy.  But if you're in the mood to sit on the couch with a giant bucket of popcorn and just enjoy the fast-paced killing scenes unfolding in front of you, then don't even hesitate to rent John Wick.  The film is one long kick-ass scene after another and you wouldn't want it any other way.  Keanu Reeves delivers a fantastic performance as John Wick that'll leave you wondering just where in the hell he's been hiding the character.  Now, if you're looking to squeeze this into a date night, there is an "aw" moment in both the beginning and end.  So using the puppy is probably the best way to lore the better-half away the Notebook for the umpteenth time.

4 out of 5 Stars (minus a star for slightly awkward dialogue and a simplistic plot)

DVD Movie Review - Fury

Brad Pitt shows off his best war faces since Inglourious Basterds, except this time they're a tad more dramatic.

STORY:

Norman Ellison (Logan Lerman: sounds like a superhero's name, right?) has no idea how the hell he found himself in the middle of Germany during World War 2.  See, Norman is just an Army typist, but somehow is thrown into a Sherman tank as the assistant driver/gunner.  Norman has never seen a tank up close, let alone been inside one, but sooner rather than later he's going to have to learn about the ravages of war.  Can Norman survive the last push of the Allies into Nazi Germany and make his all-veteran tank crew respect him?  Mortars, German women, golden eggs, bloody scenes, dramatic life-lessons, face fragments, and the infamous Shia LaBeouf ensue.

"Are you even old enough to have seen Seven?"

"I--"

"Shut up.  Nobody cares."

THOUGHTS:

Sad war movie will make you sad.  If you're looking for an uplifting war film that will leave rainbows and lollipops in your heart, this is not it.  Just like Saving Private Ryan, you're thrown in the middle of the war with Germany and nothing—not even blown-off faces—are held back.  So if you have a weak stomach, you might want to rethink watching this film.  Now, that's not to say there aren't very good aspects of Fury.  Sure, the premise (a few straggly men have to hold off hundreds and will either live or die as heroes by the end) has been told before, but you're really watching this film for the extremely realistic war depictions, the superb acting from the entire cast, and because you probably think tanks are "cool". 

The film is shot in the same dreary monochromatic colors of all war films, but there's still beauty to be found throughout.  The cinematography is so incredible, almost every scene can be captured, printed, and hung on a wall…and in just that one frame you'd still understand the story.  However, there is one small problem with the plot—other than the fact that versions of this tale have already been told—and that's having Norman (Logan Lerman) just show up in the beginning and nobody really asks any questions or cares how he ended up as part of the tank crew.  It's almost as if the character exists for just one reason: to relay the story.  Some people will be able to look past this fact, while others might be slightly annoyed by this unanswered plot hole.  But if and when you finally do get past the fact of a typist operating a tank gun and that Norman isn't going anywhere, you'll be able to comfortably enjoy the rest of the sad movie.

"See this square and these circles here?"

"Yeah...what's it mean?"

"Don't know, but my artistic flair has really increased since the beginning of the war, don't you think?"

THE ACTING:

Brad Pitt as Don "Wardaddy" Collier is the best acting you'll see in Fury.  Pitt's Collier is a hardened war veteran that cannot stand the Nazi army.  There are moments when his emotions get the best of him and he explodes in the scene, but it's the quiet, teachable scenes with Norman that’ll bring Pitt's acting up a level.  Right behind Pitt is Logan Lerman.  He plays the wet-behind-the-ears recruit perfectly.  Throughout the story his character will have many conflicts about death, God, and war, and each internal struggle is exhibited flawlessly by Lerman.  And when the two (Lerman and Pitt) share scenes together, it lifts the film above the cliché premise.

"I faced zombies during the apocalypse, don't you think I can handle a few Nazis?"

"Isn't that a football helmet on your head?"

Shia LaBeouf ripped off the I'm-not-famous-anymore paper bag to become Boyd "Bible" Swan: Collier's go-to guy for bible verses during terrible war battles.  Shia brings a surprise performance that may even make you doubt it's even him in the movie.  But alas, trust P&P when we say that yes, in fact, that really is Shia LeBeouf inside a tank spouting dramatic bible verses to the rest of the crew.  Michael Pena dons a top hat and cane as Trini "Gordo" Garcia and becomes the first man to help Norman out with his gunner doubts and duties.  And last but not least is Jon Bernthal, who went from the Walking Dead to the Wolf of Wall Street and now landed the role of Grady "Coon-Ass" Travis in Fury.  His character is every bit likable and an A-hole all at the same time.  There will be scenes where you'll love him and other scenes where you'll want to beat him with a shovel.  And this just goes to show you that he's a fantastic character actor.  But the brilliant acting doesn't stop there.  Even the second and third string actors that only show up to die in the next scene are excellent in the film.  This proves that the writer/director, David Ayer, did his best to bring the story to life.  Ayer knew what he wanted out of each and every character and received it from everyone in the film.

"I'd show you my coin collection, but it turns out we're in Germany..."

CONCLUSION:

Fury may have a cliché premise of a small team having to hold off hundreds, but the acting, writing, and cinematography make the film feel fresh and dramatic all at the same time.  If you're looking for an uplifting film, that won't make you reflect on your current status in life, this is not your movie.  Fury will bring the heartache, the pain, and the tragedies of war into your living room.  Now if you're just looking for explosions, awe-inspiring tank battles, and realistic war action, Fury brings that too.  With an ending that's almost guessable from the start, the movie will still remain intriguing till the end and memorable afterwards.  If war films are your thing, then don't hesitate to rent Fury.  Just don't pick it up for date night, unless you want your better-half crying by the end.

3.5 out of 5 Stars (minus a star for somewhat cliché premise & ½ star for the Norman plot hole)

DVD Movie Review - The Boxtrolls

Studio Laika has stepped over the "that's cool" line in stop-motion animation and has entered the realm of "astonishing" in terms of quality, character/set design, voice acting, and cinematography.  But where does all that leave the Boxtrolls' story?

STORY:

Archibald Snatcher (voiced by Ben Kingsley) wants nothing more than to be part of the cheese-eating White Hat club, which includes the city's elite ruling class.  But poor Archie isn't the elite type.  He has too many villain qualities, disgusting habits, and a hilarious severe allergic reaction to any cheese.  So instead he strikes a deal with the White Hat leader: if he can exterminate every Boxtroll in the city, he'll then be let into the club.  Meanwhile, a boy named Eggs (voiced by Isaac Hempstead Wright) is being raised by Boxtrolls and doesn't know he's a boy.  When Eggs' fellow trolls start to disappear, he decides to find out why.  Dirty boxes, grotesque people, original character designs, dancing animated drag queens (yes, you read that right), dirty kids, giant cheese wheels, and naked troll ass ensues.

"Sometimes...I just get the feeling there's more out there than this cave--"

"There is.  It's called a house, car, iphone, internet--"

"...but then I realize what I have here, like this fantastic box-shirt, and I'm happy again."

THOUGHTS:

The Boxtrolls looks, acts, smells, animates, and dresses (sometimes, we'll get to that) like a children's film, but it seems to be shooting for an older audience in theme, jokes, political views, and moral.  The film accidentally pigeonholed itself into a weird universe where neither child nor adult might understand just what they watched.  Sure, on a basic level it's a story about two young kids from opposite sides of the tracks learning about their very different cultures, however there's so much more happening underneath the simple story with political views and classes, that it begs the question of whether or not this truly is a children’s film.  But let's start off with what the Boxtrolls does right.

As with all Laika films, the artistry on display is at a level now that exceeds any other stop-motion studio.  The town's design—even down to the dirt—is unbelievably well-crafted and original.  The sound effects bring every footstep, gadget, and scene to life.  Cinematography and lighting is astonishing.  And the crowds, which when dealing with stop-motion are an arduous task to animate, are above and beyond what has already been done in their previous movies.  When you look at the passion and love that is put in each and every piece of this film, there really isn't another studio out there that has the ability to match the awesome power of Laika.  So if you enjoy just staring at stop-motion mastery and original design, then the Boxtrolls will not let you down.  The art is at such a high level, one might say it balances out some of the negatives in the simplistic story.  Speaking of which…

"Can you do me a favor?"

"Sure, boss, we can help you up."

"No, no.  Hand me that bottle of whiskey over there.  I'll just continue drinking from down here."

After viewing the Boxtrolls you'll wonder what message is being sent.  Is it villains are bad no matter what?  Or that the rich are always imbeciles?  Or maybe the trolls/poor are slightly gullible but good?  Now, having those stereotypes in a film isn't a bad thing.  Every movie needs its hero and villain.  The problem comes when the characters aren't complicated.  This creates characters that are one-dimensional and—worst of all—very predictable.  Only a couple of key characters are slightly complex.  The rest of the cast act and stay exactly how you thought they would.  So if you're looking for a twist or magical ending, you might be slightly disappointed. 

The moral on the other hand is about standing up and fighting for what you think is right and also making your own choices.  And both morals are excellent mottos to live by, but are they too much for children?  Is the film too heavy handed in political themes for kids and would an adult enjoy the movie if they weren't watching it with their children?  It all depends on how deep you want to look into the film.  You could just sit there and pretend not notice the political statements being made—including the ending credits song—but that'd be quite hard considering they're shoved in your face the entire movie.  The last point about how this may or may not be a children's film is the dancing, singing, drag queen.  The problem isn't that a drag queen is in the movie, it's the fact that your youngster might turn around confused and ask what that is.  So every parent has a choice of whether or not to open that can of worms now, or maybe wait a few years.

"A young girl told me today that she thought my box-shirt was disgusting."

"Graahrrg."

"Yeah, I know.  It was the single most awesome thing anyone has ever said to me."

THE VOICE ACTING:

The cream of the crop here is Ben Kingsley as you can barely pick up his natural voice.  His Archibald Snatcher is devilish to no end and continuously creepy in every scene.  Snatcher's henchmen: Mr. Trout (Nick Frost), Mr. Pickles (Richard Ayoade), and Mr. Gristle (Tracy Morgan) are the slight comic relief, but truly don't stand out when placed next to Kingsley's Snatcher.  The main character, Eggs, is expertly voiced by Isaac Hempstead Wright and Elle Fanning's voice for Winnie is perfect for the role.  But the real stars of the film are of course the trolls.  Just don't count on them to say too much.  The trolls' emotions are mainly shown through body language (which is animated excellence), but they do occasionally mumble through their words.  They sound like gremlins when they open their mouth, but are mainly just uglier versions of Despicable Me's minions.  The trolls are goofy, disgusting, and some are even quite stupid, but they do know how to create gadgets and that comes in handy in the film's simplistic plot.

"Nah, no thanks, I already had quite a few beetles for lunch.  I'm going to wait until they 

stop crawling around in my stomach before I eat again."

CONCLUSION:

The Boxtrolls is another beautiful work of art by studio Laika.  If you're looking for exquisite stop-motion, original characters (even though most are ugly), fantastic sets, and wonderful sound design, then you're covered.  If you're looking for a children's story that is fun to watch over and over again at any age, then you might be slightly disappointed.  Too many adult themes and political undertones put the film in a category where neither child nor parent might find the movie entertaining or engaging.  This might leave the Boxtrolls as a story you'll watch once and then never come back to again…but that's okay, because you still have Frozen to watch for the thousandth time and that's absolutely heaven in any parent's world.

3 out of 5 Stars (add a star for cinematography, art direction, and for voice-acting)

DVD Movie Review - A Walk Among the Tombstones

A Walk Among the Tombstones releases Neeson from his shoehorned character of Taken and allows the story to become first priority, instead of whose face is getting punched next.

STORY:

Matt Scudder (Liam Neeson) is an unlicensed private eye that is currently having a tough time eating as no one will ever leave him alone while he's ingesting food.  During a nice quiet meal, Peter (Boyd Holbrook), a fellow Alcoholics Anonymous member, talks Scudder into meeting his brother, Kenny.  Kenny (Dan Stevens) needs Scudder to find out who kidnapped his wife.  After some debating, Scudder finally agrees and what seemed like a small case turns into a massive search for mystery killers.  Muted rape scenes, crime procedures, pigeons, phone threats (yes, just like Taken), numerous questions, and a Dexter-lookalike ensue.

"So I was wondering if--"

"Shhh...do you not see the plate of food sitting in front of me?"

"Yeah, I--"

"Shhh...one more word and I'll beat you to death with this salt shaker." 

THOUGHTS:

If you see A Walk Among the Tombstones and are renting it because you're looking forward to watching Neeson break arms, stab baddies in the face, deliver death threats over a phone, and rescue his wife or daughter, you're going to have a bad time.  Only one of those things actually happens in the film.  See Matt Scudder is just a regular Joe who knows a little bit about tracking down killers because he used to be a cop.  He knows a tiny bit about punching guys in the face and he knows a smidgen about shooting a gun.  Matt is definitely not a one man wrecking ball with revenge on his mind.  He's a broken man (ex-alcoholic) looking for a slice of redemption.  On the flip side, if you're tired of watching Neeson play the same role from Taken 1 through 15, plus Non-Stop, then you'll be pleasantly surprised by this film.

"Are you saying there's no action?"  Not at all.  It's there…but only as bookends to the two hour movie.  You'll get a little in the beginning and a little more at the climax.  So A Walk Among the Tombstones is exactly that: a walk among dead bodies.  There's no running away from angry bullets or speeding car chases to catch the bad guys.  Matt Scudder walks.  He walks to get food.  He walks to witnesses to ask questions.  He walks to AA meetings.  It's what he does.  And along the way is a fantastic story involving drugs, money, and psychotic killers.

"Shhh...you've seen Taken, right?"

"Yeah, everyone's seen--"

"Good, then you know I'm capable of picking up that tombstone, right there, and beating you to death with it?"

"I thought you just wanted the time?"

"So what's the film's true genre?"  The genre of the film lies more in suspense and mystery than in action.  If you've seen any of the numerous cop dramas on TV, where the protagonist walks into a crime scene and then attempts to solve the murder by outwitting the antagonist, then you almost know the plot layout of the film.  But don't let that dissuade you from watching the movie.  The storyline has some twists and turns along the way and some truly great acting by Liam.  You'll slowly walk through the film with Matt Scudder as he systematically finds more and more clues to a case that ultimately ends up becoming too much for him to handle.  If you're a fan of any old hard-boiled novels by Dashiell Hammet or Raymond Chandler (which are referenced in the movie), then you'll be right at home with A Walk Among the Tombstones.  Matt Scudder is a smug private eye that uses his wits more than his brawn to get what he needs.  But if circumstances call for it, he will punch out someone's lights.

"...and there will be a reward for--"

"Shhh...sometimes I enjoy a little air-piano before I break someone's nose."

"Have you been listening to a word--"

"Shhh...watch this solo."

THE ACTING:

Liam Neeson has had plenty of practice as the rough rogue type, looking to do things his way, instead of abiding by the laws.  So the role of Matt Scudder comes effortlessly for him.  Neeson comfortably switches between the intelligent, tough, or arrogant private eye throughout the entire movie.  In fact, Neeson is absolutely perfect for the role.  It's just too bad that can't be said about everyone.  Dan Stevens plays Kenny Kristo, the man that hires Scudder to find his wife's kidnappers.  Throughout the movie, his emotions should be all over the map: anger, sad, scared, nervous, and upset.  Instead, there must have been something exquisite on the floor, because Stevens spends most of his time holding the same confused squint, while avoiding eye contact with anyone.  Boyd Holbrook plays the drugged-out Peter Kristo accurately, and Brian Bradley fills the humorous support role of TJ when the story calls for it.  Now, all the women in the film, including Laura Birn and Razane Jammal (girlfriend and wife respectively) spend their time as victims, either getting tied up or thrown into vans.  And that leaves our kidnappers.  David Harbour creeps in every scene as the quiet but deadly, Ray, while Adam David Thompson plays Albert, the talkative Dexter lookalike…except he has no redeeming qualities like the famous Michael C. Hall character.  Unfortunately though, the kidnappers end up a little one dimensional and become nothing but a roadblock for Scudder, but that's alright because the film is more about one man's redemption, than about kidnappers.

"Please!  You need to help me!  I've run out of facial expressions and I 

need--hello...hello...Liam are you still there?"

CONCLUSION:

A Walk Among the Tombstones maintains an old hard-boiled feel while building suspense and mystery up until the end.  Liam Neeson delivers a fresh character, purposely brushing the Taken stereotype aside.  The antagonists are paper thin and seem more of a side note in the film's overall plot, but with fantastic acting from the leading man, an excellent mystery, and a story that touches on redemption and friendship, A Walk Among the Tombstones will still make any crime noir movie-lover happy.  If you're looking for more brutal killing and action-packed scenes with broken noses and twisted necks, this is not your movie.  But if you like Liam Neeson and need something fresh and removed from the action stereotype, then A Walk Among the Tombstones should definitely be on your watch list.

4 out of 5 Stars (minus a star for slightly weak antagonists)

P&P's 2014 Game of the Year

2014 brought an abundance of games for both generations of console, for the PC, and for some random machine called a Wii U.  We had games that sold millions and delivered nothing but disappointment.  And we had games that barely sold thousands that surprised everyone.  Quiet games like This War of Mine created a strong following, while humongous wastes of money like Destiny lost millions of players.  But one thing is for sure, every year game culture continues to grow.  Fathers that once came home and vegetated in front of the boob-tube now steal a controller from their kids to play a FPS.  And mothers that used to spend all day working and then taking care of the children now shun their families for another round of Mario Kart.  What does this all mean?  It means the gaming industry has grown so immense that releases of games are now bigger than movies and that other medium that no one pays attention to anymore called music.  Isn’t life grand?

"Look at what you did...now he's crying.  Do you other Uruks see what happens when you 

attempt steal each other's crayons."

This year’s candidates for game of the year were easy to pick through, because most games released to crappy frame rates and broken codes.  But P&P still attempted to be fair in the choosing.  We looked for a working title at release (this by far is the most important part, which some developers have forgotten about), outstanding gameplay, decent to above-par graphics, a fun experience, and a somewhat intelligent story (if need be, some games are just made to be fun).  With those simple traits most games quickly fell off the list, but one remained genuine in all those areas and even surpassed in most: Middle-Earth: Shadow of Mordor.  (Runners-up included: Dragon Age: Inquisition, Sunset Overdrive, Bayonetta 2, Far Cry 4, and South Park: The Stick of Truth)

"I'll rip off your head, Ranger!"

"That's fine, just promise to use a Tic Tac before you do.  Preferably, mint or something fruity."

DOES IT WORK?  AND HOW DOES IT PLAY?

Oh my goodness…Middle-Earth: Shadow of Mordor does work.  That’s just crazy.  But not only does it work, the gameplay mechanics are top notch.  Yes, most people scream it’s an Assassin’s Creed clone, and that they stole all the blah, blah, blah.  Answer this though: What game or any art created nowadays is absolutely, one hundred percent original?  Everything produced uses ideas from everything else.  Newsflash: That’s how improvement happens.  If humanity didn’t build on top of what already existed, we’d still be strapping leaves to our genitals and grunting at fire.  So yes, Shadow of Mordor is the Assassin’s Creed set in Middle Earth, but it’s also so much more.  It’s an open-ended sandbox of endless quests, head-chopping, stealth assassinations (that actually work), unbelievable swordplay, beautiful graphics, incredible voice-acting/dialogue, and cut-scenes that’ll make you laugh and cry.  Even in the first ten minutes you’ll be sucked up into the gameplay.  Your eyes will be popping out of your head as Talion (the main protagonist) sweeps legs, counters enemies, elbows Uruks in the nose, stabs them through the ears, slits throats, shoots arrows while riding beasts, hides in bushes, and slaps Smeagol around.  Oh and not to mention the great addition of something called the Nemesis System.  With all that pixelated goodness, there’s probably one thing holding you back…

"Are you telling me, you have the inside scoop on the number seven horse, fifth race?"

"Not at all...I was attempting to solve your riddle."

"Oh, well in that case...you're wrong."

BUT I HATE LORD OF THE RINGS:

So do a lot of people.  That mythology has too many weird names, too many races of crazy creatures, ugly animals, its own language, and walking trees.  Nobody has time for all that.  But that’s okay, because even if you don’t like the setting, Talion’s quest is one that every gamer can get behind.  You don’t have to know a caragor from a graug and you’ll probably never learn.  And that’s fine, because the game does a great job of slowly introducing you to Mordor and its inhabitants, but that’s only if you want to know more about what you’re killing.  If not, you could just run around and stab things in the head, which is just as satisfying if you do or don’t know its name.  What this means is you don’t have to sit through a marathon of Lord of the Rings or the Hobbit movies to enjoy Shadow of Mordor.  Feel free to go in fresh.  Who knows, you might just come out a fan of Middle Earth.

"Woah!  Easy, fella.  I'm just looking for the time.  Also, your head's on fire." 

THE NEMESIS SYSTEM:

In addition to all the similar AC moves you can pull off while running around in Mordor, there’s also a complex system constantly changing in the background.  It’s called the Nemesis.  The object of the game is to get to the final boss, but you’ll have to defeat his captains and war-chiefs to get near him.  And when you finally do run into a captain just roaming the plains, you have multiple choices: stand and fight, run, or die.  And depending on the outcome of the battle, the chessboard of captains will change.  If you kill the captain, another low ranking Uruk will be promoted to his spot.  If the captain kills you, he’ll increase in level and be harder to kill later on.  On top of all this, when and if the captain encounters you the second time, he’ll mention the last fight while taunting you.  But the real fun comes when you can “brand” enemies.  Branding a captain allows the player to control them throughout the game, and if they should move up the ranks…well you now have a high ranking Uruk under your command and the rewards can be very satisfying.  You could also die on purpose, allowing the captains to increase in level, making them more difficult to kill, but the prize for doing so that much more rewarding.  The Nemesis System is a fantastic addition to the gameplay that ensures no two games or play-throughs to be exactly the same, ever.

"Will you quit squirming.  How can I properly clean your ears if you're dancing around like a little sissy?"

GRAPHICS/VOICE-ACTING/ANIMATIONS:

Typically, when running around in an open world, your character constantly gets stuck on things: a wall, a tree stump, a car, a curb.  But not in SoM.  The game consistently feels smooth, whether you’re traversing a tower, running and jumping off a cliff, climbing a rock face, or stalking prey from high above.  You’ll come to realize the controls are always responsive.  As for the animations while in motion…just watch gameplay from somewhere online and you’ll understand the slickness of Talion’s moves.

Most of the time, video games have dialogue that just moves the plot along and allows the player to get to the next level, but when a game has such talent from the voice acting community, cut-scenes and gameplay step up to the exquisite.  You might be wondering, “Well, who plays Talion?”  The one and only Troy Baker (Joel from The Last of Us), that’s who.  But he’s not the only shining talent in the game.  Laura Bailey (Fetch from Infamous: First Light), Claudia Black (Farscape’s Aeryn Sun), the one and only John DiMaggio (Bender from Futurama or Marcus Fenix from Gears of War), the super talented and only man to be in almost every single video game: Nolan North (Nathan Drake from Uncharted), Jennifer Hale (the female Shepard from Mass Effect), and even Sean Connery’s son, Jason Connery adds his voice to the game.  With the above list of extraordinary people and the many that weren’t listed, you know that developer Monolith Productions (F.E.A.R. / Condemned) put everything they had into the game’s creation.

"I think I've been swindled.  This is by far the worst smelling camel I have ever ridden."

CONCLUSION:

If you haven’t played Shadow of Mordor, then the game should be popped on your list immediately.  If you have played SoM, then you already agree.  With unbelievable voice-acting, smooth animations, responsive gameplay, a sand-box style map (make your own way through the game), the Nemesis System, an engaging story, and beautiful graphics, there’s not much else needed to make game of the year.  So P&P would like to thank Monolith Productions for a wonderful experience in Mordor and endless hours of enjoyable Uruk killing.  This year’s Game of the Year title easily goes to Middle-Earth: Shadow of Mordor.  Do yourself a favor and pick up the game if you haven’t already.  You won’t be disappointed.