REVIEW -- Bayonetta: Bloody Fate (2013)

Bayonetta: Bloody Fate is an animated movie released in Japanese theaters on November 23rd, 2013 for a limited two-week run, later receiving a home video release for DVD and Blu-Ray on February 14th, 2014. North American audiences have not seen a DVD nor Blu-Ray release, but online media outlets such as Anime Center TV has the full movie up for viewing online for free with English subtitles. It is a film adaptation of the first game and was first announced at the Tokyo Game Show 2013. Bloody Fate was created by the anime studio Gonzo, a studio responsible for animes such as Hellsing, Rosario + Vampire, and Trinity Blood. This is the first time a Bayonetta product has had the characters be voiced in Japanese, as with the first game it had only ever been voiced in English.

The movie was directed and storyboarded by Fuminori Kizaki (Afro Samurai, Basilisk, Super Street Fighter IV, X-Men) to a story based off a screenplay written by Mitsutaka Hirota (The Prince Of Tennis II, Tetsujin 28-go Gao!, X-Men). Ai Yokoyama designed the characters based on Mari Shimizaki's original artwork, whilst Shimizaki also supervised the project. Hiroya Iijima was in charge of angel design and Mai from Avex Entertainment contributed the theme song.

Plot Summary:

Based on the 2009 game, Bayonetta: Bloody Fate follows the story of the witch Bayonetta, as she defeats the blood-thirsty Angels and tries to remember her past from before the time she awoke, 20 years ago. Along her side are a mysterious little girl who keeps calling her "Mummy", a journalist that holds a personal grudge against Bayonetta and a unknown white-haired woman who seems to know more than she is willing to reveal about Bayonetta's time before her sleep.

Changes in Bloody Fate

As the film is an adaptation of the first game rather than a direct translation, there are some slight visual differences in Bloody Fate. For example, Bayonetta's earrings now have a crescent moon shape and her overall outfit features some minor differences, Balder now wears gloves on both hands, instead of only wearing one on his left hand and also has red highlights on his clothing.

The story also has various plot points and locations changed/added as part of the adaptation:

- The movie contains an opening similar to the Records Of Time section from the game, explaining the events up until the present day in the form of narration and images in a stained glass window fashion. In one of the windows, demons resembling alternate versions of Affinity shows up next to Malphas. These demons did not make an appearance in the game.

- The Vestibule occurs inside a church instead of at a graveyard where Bayonetta actually leads a double life as a nun. Luka follows a clue and tries to obtain photographs of Bayonetta's fight and ensuing destruction. She later breaks his camera and destroys his car by landing on it, a reference to Enzo's car in the game.
Scarborough Fair are not Bayonetta's initial weapons. She first wields "Elfin Knight", a set of four guns which use the design of Scarborough Fair's fifth concept design. These weapons are later destroyed in a battle with Jeanne and Bayonetta receives Scarborough Fair later.

- In the first scene at the Gates of Hell, Rodin states her name is Bayonetta, but Enzo quickly reminds him, that is the name given to her by Rodin.

- Antonio's death is shown in gruesome detail compared to the game's portrayal of having the camera pan away. Antonio's face is also shown when Luka is searching through his recovered pictures from his broken camera. He bears a strong similarity to Luka's later redesign in Bayonetta 2.

- There are extra scenes where Balder talks about his plans with Jeanne on the Isla Del Sol. In these scenes, Jubileus is shown sleeping in a fetal position in the heavens instead of being formed from a statue.

- The angels are all shown capable of human language speaking instead of pure Enochian. They also have a certain amount of martyrdom, claiming that they intend to be the foundations for Jubileus' awakening, even if it results in their deaths.

- Iustitia and Sapientia never make an appearance and Fortitudo is not fought, appearing only as a 'leader' of the angels. Multiple Temperantias rather than just one are also shown (several appeared with Balder during the Witch Hunts).

- Bayonetta uses multiple weapons on her enemies rather than just Scarborough Fair (unlike the game's cutscenes). She ends up using Shuraba, an Onyx Rose and the Lt. Col. Kilgores.

- All of which can be seen in the Gates of Hell after Bayonetta loses 'Elfin Knight' along with others from the game such as Sai Fung and Kulshedra.

- Bayonetta and Jeanne's first battle happens during Bayonetta's train journey into Vigrid. Jeanne lures the witch out of the train into some old ruins where she is able to best Bayonetta in combat by destroying her weapons before leaving.

- Balder uses his powers frequently to send Bayonetta to new places, such as to the Valley of the Witch & Sage where he has left Cereza. Their meeting plays out in much the same way as the game.

- After saving the girl, Bayonetta shares a bath with Cereza where she is staying in Vigrid. Luka attempts to sneak in to plant a bug whilst Bayonetta bonds with the child, but is quickly caught. He later talks with Bayonetta about his reasons for pursuing her, but is quickly left with Cereza the next day after she heads off on her own to find answers.

- Luka ends up following Bayonetta with his own car rather than taking a vehicle from the guards on the bridge.

- He also seems to be following her on the Highway rather than the other way around.

- On Route 666, Bayonetta destroys an Irenic on her motorbike whilst in an underground tunnel and later arrives at the airport where she makes short work of Temperantia. Luka and Cereza catch up to her and Luka uses Cereza's glasses to see the angels for the first time. The three then reconvene on a helicopter and fly to Isla Del Sol.

- Instead of multiple enemies, Route 666 had only 1 Irenic. Braves never made an appearance.

- The transport plane never appeared, instead the helicopter was their sole method of transport.

- The final battle with Jeanne takes place in both the human world and in Paradiso. The witches are transported there midway through fighting and Rodin gives Bayonetta Scarborough Fair. Using her new weapons and reawakening the memories of her past, she is able to win. Jeanne reveals the truth about their past and implores her to stop Balder before his magic causes the explosion that presumably kills her.

- When Bayonetta, Luka and Cereza arrive at Balder's office, Balder sends Cereza home through the time rift in his window. Bayonetta, having deducted that it was her younger self, is able to save Luka from the angels after he learns the truth about his father's death, but is unable to save him from falling. He later saves himself with his grappling hook. Bayonetta threatens to shoot Balder, but the powers of the Left Eye awaken in her before she can pull the trigger. It is revealed that killing the angels and mastering her abilities was enough to reawaken the Left Eye within, as well as her memories. As Jubileus awakens, multiple angels and Fortitudo himself commit their life force to the deity and are absorbed to give her strength.

- Jeanne comes to Bayonetta's rescue in her Umbran suit like in the game, but does not save Bayonetta directly. She shoots Jubileus' eye open and urges Bayonetta to remember what her mother, Rosa, said to her before she died. It is revealed that Balder personally watched over the destruction of the Umbra Witches and Rosa pleaded with Bayonetta in her last moment to fulfill one request: to 'save' her father from the madness that had gripped his soul from being exiled from his clan. Using the lipstick as a reminder, Bayonetta uses her own power to break free from Jubileus' eye, scorching the left half of the goddess' body.

- Balder remains alive after being accepted as the Right Eye and directly controls Jubileus' actions through his power. He heals the deity back to full strength and clashes with both Bayonetta and Jeanne. The witches summon Queen Sheba together and control her in a similar manner, culminating in a godly clash that sends them fighting and flying across the solar system. Bayonetta uses her magic to perform a Torture Attack on Jubileus, providing Sheba with a whip to bind her to the wooden horse used on the Joys in game. As Jeanne uses her powers to give Sheba a gigantic infernal gun, Bayonetta loads her weapon and fires the lipstick towards her father. As the bullet kills him, Jeanne gives the command and Sheba fires a gigantic explosion that disintegrates Jubileus into dust.

- Due to Jubileus not being a former statue, the pair of witches never had to break apart the pieces as it fell to Earth.

- After the events of the film, a year passes after Bayonetta has disappeared. Rodin and Enzo ponder her whereabouts, Luka is able to publish a book on the Sages and Witches and laments on where she is by his father's graveside. Elsewhere, Bayonetta and Jeanne talk about going back to their other lives as a nun and a school teacher before a flock of angels appear on the horizon. The two witches team up to have one last fight before they go their separate ways.

- Luka and Bayonetta do not seem to meet up after their last encounter.

- Enzo's information came from a news report from the Gates of Hell's television regarding Balder directly instead of a report of a stone on the marketplace.

- In fact the Eyes of the World were never mentioned as possibly being a stone at all.
Balder was almost immediately pegged as a key player rather than discovering bits and pieces of information
Bayonetta outright learns of his influence.

- The Ithavoll Group also never seemed to be mentioned. In its place is Ragna.

- Enzo is officially recognized as an Undertaker (unlike the game hinting at his possibility of being one as well as an informant).

- Rosa (Cereza's mother) played a much more important role to further the plot.

- The only 'boss' that was truly fought, with the exception of Balder/Jubileus, was Beloved. Bayonetta never fought any of the Audito directly. Exception being Temperantia and he was almost instantly killed by a Demon rather than an all out fight..

- Most of the Angels never made an appearance. Fortitudo, Temperantia, Affinity, Ardor, Beloved, Irenic and Inspired are the only ones to have appeared.

The Verdict:

I have to agree with the other early critics of this anime and say that this is even MORE over-the-top than the actual Bayonetta video game. And there is absolutely nothing wrong with that.

This anime movie is only roughly 90 minutes long, so those who are expecting this to a lengthy affair are going to be disappointed off the bat. The narrative pretty much rushes through the events of the video game that this is apparently based off of with a lot of differences (mentioned above). I know more fans of Bayonetta are going to be upset, but I was happy that my personal favorite boss, Temperantia, made it into the action sequences. Fortitudo is shown but never engaged in combat, as he is reduced to the role of an impromptu field leader for the other angels under Balder's control. 

While we're on the topic of action sequences, I must admit these are simply gorgeous to behold. While I was disappointed the fight with Temperantia wasn't a lengthy affair, but to say that this film made the game's small fry/chicken fodder enemies into major threats was pretty damn cool. Every single one of these action sequences are amazing. No amount of words can articulate the visual insanity of these spectacular scenes. If you are a fan of the original Bayonetta title or just over-the-top action in general, then you will definitely fall in love with this film. 

For those looking for some guilty smut, this film has quite a bit of it, but NO nudity. Fans of the original game will be quite familiar with the fact that Bayonetta's dark magic renders her almost completely naked at times when she summons demons, but this anime movie finds some more uses of eye candy to keep horny fanboys interested. There is a steamy bathroom sequence that left even Luka speechless to Bayonetta and Jeanne's final summoning to bring forth Queen Sheba to assist them in taking down Jubileus during the film's finale (with a brief shot that nods towards those with torture fetishes...) that is presented in a manner that it's not uncharacteristic to Bayonetta, but at the same contributing to the story. 

There's enough fan service here to keep most interested from start to finish. Bayonetta wields almost all of her iconic weaponry from the original game, but doesn't acquire Scarborough Fair (her signature four pistols) until near the film's climax. Luka brings up his "friends" in a conversation - Claire, Trish, Silva, and Ammy. (Laughs) I wonder exactly who Luka is referring to... Bayonetta's theme plays during one fight sequence. Enzo and Rodin have a respectable amount of screen time in the Gates of Hell that I can't complain about in the least. Unfortunately, if you aren't fan of this game nor this character, you are going to be completely lost watching this. 

While it's short and doesn't last as long as I would have liked, the fight sequences in this film are worth any action anime fans' time of day. I give Bayonetta: Bloody Fate an 8 out of 10. 

REVIEW -- Mega Man Maverick Hunter X (PlayStation Portable)

Mega Man Maverick Hunter X, known as Irregular Hunter X in Japan, is an enhanced remake of the original Mega Man X (SNES) game released for the PlayStation Portable in 2005-2006. I know haven't done any PlayStation Portable (PSP) reviews at all in the past, but I hope to change that with this title.

Many of you should remember that I mentioned this title briefly as part of Mega Man Week on this blog's Facebook page back in December 2013.

New Content

- Updated 3D graphics.

- Character and item redesigns and updates (primarily the Mavericks). Note that many of these redesigned items in this game are also similar in design and function to another 3D Mega Man X game, Mega Man X8, which was released in the same year as this title. Similar items for both games include (but are not limited to) the Dr. Light Capsule designs, Life Energy and Weapon Energy Refills, and Ride Armor design and mechanisms.

- A new 4-chapter cinematic animation named The Day of ∑ that shows the world before Sigma openly turns Maverick.

- A Navigator appears in game speaking with X. She speaks directly with X in the opening level, but does not contact X during the levels, unlike the navigators of other games. Zero on the other hand, does not speak to X face-to-face after defeating the eight Mavericks but via radio transmission instead in this remake (Zero meets up with X and speaks to him in the classic version).

- The ability to play as Vile after completing the game. Vile acquires unique weapons as he defeats each Maverick that attaches to his Arm, Shoulder, and Leg that must be equipped before each stage. He can use these three weapons an unlimited number of times, but he cannot use any weapons beyond those three once in a stage. Each attack uses some of Vile's quick-charging Weapon Energy. However, there is a drawback of Vile being unable to dash as a player despite being able to do so as a boss in X Mode. This has been somewhat compensated by allowing him to get the Speed Devil and Frozen Castle parts to increase his defense and speed. According to Keiji Inafune's comments in Mega Man X Official Complete Works, he deliberately chose Vile to be the second playable character in order to give players the opportunity to see the same event from a villain's perspective, feeling that it would have been "too obvious and boring" if the new option was to play as Zero.

- Much dialogue has been added to the game, mainly between X with the Mavericks, Vile, Zero and Sigma.

- Vile has similar conversations through his own game. These dialogues are fully voiced, bringing over the full-voiced dialogue features of Mega Man X8 into this game as well.

- Ironically, Sigma's final lines from the original game, that appear after the ending credits, were cut.
Some of the upgrades and bonuses have been moved as well. For example, the "acceleration system", or Foot Parts is impossible to miss in the original, since X cannot proceed through Chill Penguin's stage without acquiring it. In Maverick Hunter X, the dash upgrade is located in Flame Mammoth's stage, in the secret area that houses the X-Buster upgrade. It is also significantly easier to reach this room, since the original game required the Helmet upgrade from Storm Eagle's stage to gain access.

- In both this version and the original, the upgraded version of the X buster can be received from Zero. While it was identical to the capsule upgrade in the original, the remake version made it a point for X to be able to fire exactly the same charged shot that Zero himself uses while he is in possession of that buster initially. Since the design of X's Arm Parts is identical to those used by Zero, the transfer of the part from Zero to X in the remake will also grant X the same powerful shot that Zero has previously used against Vile's Ride Armor in the opening stage, although when X uses it himself during Free Play Mode it still cannot deal any damage to Vile's Ride Armor.

- The stages in Sigma's fortress have completely different layouts.

- Vile's battle against X and Zero is moved from near the beginning of the first fortress stage to the penultimate stage, right before the boss D-Rex.

While in the original game you faced only six of the eight bosses on the final stages, in the remake you face all of them. Boss orders in the final stages have been completely changed in account of this:

- 1st Final Stage against Bosspider will involve re-matches against Launch Octopus and Boomerang Kuwanger.

- 2nd Final Stage against Rangda Bangda will involve re-matches against Armored Armadillo, Storm Eagle and Spark Mandrill.

- 3rd Final Stage against D-Rex will involve re-matches against Chill Penguin, Sting Chameleon and Flame Mammoth followed by Vile (without battling his Ride Armor) before facing D-Rex.

- The method of acquiring the secret Hadouken capsule is also different from the original. It only requires one trip, but needs a no-damage run to make it appear. However, a full life meter is still needed for the move to be performed successfully.

- Also different from the original Mega Man X, Sigma's final form is no longer immune to the Hadouken, allowing players to defeat him in one hit.

- The in-battle voice acting for the 8 Mavericks change significantly between the main and the rematches. The main Maverick voice acting will sound like their original selves, but will sound corrupted and half-dead in the rematches in the fortress stages. The most noticeable ones are Chill Penguin, Flame Mammoth, and Storm Eagle.

The Plot (FULL Spoilers)

Note: The plot is essentially the same as the original Mega Man X from the Super Nintendo Entertainment System, but with added dialogue and anime cutscenes to expand the narrative.

Mega Man Maverick Hunter X Script (X's story)
Mega Man Maverick Hunter X Script (Vile's story)

Mega Man X takes place in an unspecified time during the 22nd century (21XX) and approximately 100 years after the original Mega Man series. A human archaeologist named Dr. Cain discovers the ruins of a robotics research facility that had once been operated by the legendary robot designer Dr. Thomas Light. 

Among the ruins, Cain finds a large capsule which contains a highly advanced robot with human-level intelligence and emotions, and even free will, the likes of which the world has never seen before. Light had wished to instill within his creation reasonable sanity, good nature, and an understanding of the more controversial aspects of human morality. The robot was buried while running a 100-year diagnostic program to ensure these features. Cain spends the next several months studying the robot, who is named Mega Man X, or simply "X". Cain decides to duplicate X and, within several months, completes the first "replicate android" or "Reploid", a robot who can think, feel, learn, and grow exactly like a human. Within the year, the design is standardized and Reploids are mass-produced. However, with the free will given to a Reploid comes the possibility of criminal activity; such rogue Reploids are branded as "Mavericks" by law-abiding citizens.

As the public outcry against the few Maverick incidents becomes too great to deny, the government steps in, and under the advice of Dr. Cain, forms an elite military police organization called the "Maverick Hunters". The Hunters are to capture or disable any Reploids that pose a threat to humans, provide damage control at Maverick uprisings, help with disaster recovery, and perform other tasks as needed. To lead this group, Cain designs a very advanced Reploid, thought to be immune to whatever defect causes Mavericks. This robot, named Sigma, heads the Hunters some time before ultimately becoming a Maverick himself, alongside the vast majority of the other Hunters. Sigma seizes control of a small island, driving out all human occupants. Claiming that the humans are inferior and that they are limiting the growth and potential of Reploids, he calls for his followers to begin a massive extinction effort. X, guilt-ridden at having helped design such a dangerous race, joins forces with the only other remaining Hunter Zero in order to stop Sigma at any cost.

While on a mission involving a Maverick attack on a highway, X encounters Vile, a mercenary Maverick working for Sigma who pilots a mechanized tank called "Ride Armor". Unable to defeat Vile, X is saved at a critical moment by Zero, forcing Vile to retreat. Zero then offers encouragement to the less combat-savvy X after the battle. X proceeds to track down and exterminate eight of Sigma's most powerful Mavericks, then rendezvous with Zero outside Sigma's stronghold. Inside the compound, X finds that Zero has been captured by Vile. Another battle ensues, ending similar to their first meeting with X at Vile's mercy. Zero suddenly breaks free of his restraints, latches onto Vile, and self-detonates, destroying his own body and the Maverick's Ride Armor. Shocked over Zero's sacrifice, X regains his strength and finishes off Vile. Zero encourages his comrade once again, and then he dies. Now more determined than ever, X fights his way to Sigma, disables the Maverick leader, and escapes the island fortress as it explodes and sinks. As he returns to base, X reflects on the events that have unfolded, questioning Zero's sacrifice, his own decision to fight, and the ongoing war with the Mavericks.

Continuity

Unlike Mega Man Powered Up, this remake has several continuity problems with the rest of the series. This is due to the remake sacrificing ties with other games in favor of compromising them with more solid storytelling. It was also the intention of Keiji Inafune to completely redo the first six games of the X series, but this project was abruptly discontinued when he left Capcom. These are some examples of the continuity with the rest of the series being ignored:

- Dr. Cain discovered X many years ago (as opposed to months), and is artificially extending his life via mechanical support to oversee the Reploids. He also fears he does not have long to live. Towards the end of The Day of Sigma, a missile also destroys his home in Abel City - with him inside it (although it is left ambiguous as to whether Cain had actually died or not).

- Vile's story is merely considered a "what-if" scenario, as it conflicts with X's game. However, the line by Sigma to "retrieve Vile" seems to foreshadow his remodel in Mega Man X3.

- Dr. Light's reasons for sealing X are completely different from the version previously established. In the original storyline, Dr. Light sealed X in a special capsule that would basically test his moral integrity, because it would be necessary to determine whether X would ultimately make the right decisions when he entered the world. However, in Maverick Hunter X, Dr. Light is already confident with X's moral integrity, but seals him up because he believes mankind is not ready for him just yet.

- Sigma's personality is depicted quite differently than in other games. Here, he is obsessed with the evolution of Reploids (which somewhat reflects his attitude in Mega Man X8), and is fascinated with X's potential rather than truly wishing to overcome the humans. He even directly states to Vile he plans to go Maverick to test X's abilities and bring out his true power, and instructs Vile to help him incite rebellion to help achieve this.

- Due to the updated modern art style, other games in the series in which direct elements of the original game reappear (including flashback scenes such as the opening animation in Mega Man X5 and CD versions of Mega Man X3, as well as character designs in Mega Man Xtreme and Rockman ×over) are based on their original SNES counterparts.

The Verdict: 

Without a shadow of a doubt, this is the definitive Mega Man X experience, whether you can get it on PlayStation Portable, Vita, or the recently released download on the Wii U.

The original playthrough of the game is roughly the same but with some notable differences.

Improved 3D graphics in the style of Mega Man X8.

While I wasn't too crazy about Mega Man X8 as a whole, I did like the new art direction for the series that turned out better than the visuals in Mega Man X7. It was great to see the beloved anime-style cutscenes from Mega Man X4 make a return with stellar voice acting this time around.

For those wondering, X is voiced by Mark Gatha (widely known as Domon Kasshu in Mobile Fighter G Gundam, who also returns to play X in Mega Man X8 and Command Mission - hands down the best voice actor to play X in my honest opinion), Sigma is voiced by Gerald Matthews (Master Asia in Dynasty Warriors Gundam, as well as Wild Jango, Depth Dragoon, and various additional voices in Command Mission - not to be confused with Dave Pettitt who voiced Master Asia in Mobile Fighter G Gundam), while Zero is played by Lucas Gilbertson and Vile is played by Roger Rhodes.

This stellar voice acting cast remedies the laughable and often memed horrible voice acting in Mega Man 8 and Mega Man X4. The only time I get annoyed at the voices here is the fact that X has to shout the name of the weapon each time he fires it, but that's to expected since this is the same company that created Street Fighter. 

Improved and Remixed Soundtrack

Out of all of the remixes to Sigma's 1st Form theme, this blows them out of the water. That heavy metal mix that this game deserved back in the 90's. This is one of many great remixes to the original game's soundtrack.

Dr. Light Capsule upgrades are scattered in different locations.

This time around, players will be completely surprised that the vital "acceleration system" (Dash) upgrade is nowhere to be found in Chill Penguin's stage. If you need a hint, the Dash upgrade can be found in Flame Mammoth's stage instead and is much easier to obtain than the original.

Sigma's Fortress has the same bosses, but the castle layout is completely different.

It will throw off most players that X doesn't encounter Vile until Sigma Fortress Stage 3, right before D-Rex. Sadly, he sports the same weakness that he did in the original Mega Man X. That goes double for all of the bosses in this castle as well.

Playing as Vile is surprisingly fun

It brings a completely new experience to the table. Vile can only "equip" 3 different weapons to his his arms, legs, and shoulder and these weapons/items must be selected for the use prior to the beginning of each stage. Vile cannot Dash, unlike X, despite he does so as a boss in X Mode. Playing the game as Vile is a completely new experience that will force players to experiment with Vile's abilities differently than they did with X. This addition is worth the purchase of admission alone in my eyes.

Unfortunately, Vile's campaign ends once he faces X and Zero, so there's no "what-if" scenario to see how he would have fared against Sigma himself.

Closing Words

The original Mega Man X from the Super Nintendo is a game that I have proudly played through countless times and I still enjoy it. Mega Man Maverick Hunter X is a brilliant remake of that classic and I humbly recommend this portable title to any Mega Man fan. It's a damn shame that Keiji Inafune didn't get the opportunity to remake the rest of the X series in this manner, as this remake shows off the best of what the X series has to offer. Sadly, if you're looking for a lengthy experience this title is going to leave you a bit disappointed as it's just as short as the SNES original and even shorter in Vile Mode.

I give Mega Man Maverick Hunter X a 8.75 out of 10.

REVIEW -- Deadlight

Since Deadlight is the second of April's helpings of Microsoft's Games on Gold, I decided to check this game out, despite my growing distaste in the survival horror/zombie outbreak genre as of late. Set in Seattle in 1986, Deadlight tells the story of Randall Wayne, a former park ranger who sets out to find his family in the aftermath of a zombie apocalypse.

Deadlight is a 2012 sidescrolling survival horror/cinematic platforming video game for Xbox 360 and Microsoft Windows, developed by Tequila Works and published by Microsoft Studios. It was released for Xbox 360 via Xbox Live Arcade on August 1, and for Windows via Steam on October 25.

The Plot: (FULL Spoilers)

The game takes place in Seattle in 1986 after the near-total decimation of society following the outbreak of a virus that reanimates the dead. Randall Wayne, a park ranger from the town of Hope in Canada, is a survivor of the event, and has since been separated from his wife Shannon and daughter Lydia. Randall has come to Seattle because of reports that located within the city is the last remaining "Safe Point" in the Pacific Northwest, and he is convinced that this is where Shannon and Lydia have come. Accompanied by his friend and fellow park ranger, Ben Parker, Randall has since joined with a group of three other people; an elderly police officer named Sam and two twin sisters, Stella and Karla.

As the game begins, Randall has just shot Karla in the head, as she has been bitten and is about to turn into a Shadow. As Sam and Stella return to the warehouse in which they are sheltering, the building is attacked by Shadows who have been drawn to it by the gunshot. The trio flee through a skylight, but the ladder breaks before Randall can follow, and so he tells them to get to the safe point, and he will meet them there, reminding them to stay on the lookout for his family.

Goddamn, this game is gorgeous...

Randall escapes the warehouse and sets out across the dilapidated city. He soon learns of a violent militia group calling itself "The New Law," who kill anyone that won't join them. After finding Sam's van crashed on the side of the road, Randall comes across Sam in a nearby shop. He is seriously wounded, and bleeding to death. The van had been ambushed by The New Law, who took Ben and Stella with them and left Sam for dead. Sam tells Randall that the safe point isn't real, but is actually a trap set up by The New Law, hoping to lure in survivors, so they can kill them and take any supplies they may have. After Sam dies, Randall sets out, determined to rescue his family and friends from the The New Law.

As he heads towards the safe point, he is cornered by a herd of Shadows. However, before they can attack him, a hand reaches up from a manhole and drags him down into the sewers. Randall begins to have strange dreams and flashbacks of his life before the outbreak, mingled with vague memories of returning to his house upon the onset of the Shadows. Waking up in the sewers, Randall meets the "Rat"; a strange old man who has turned the sewer system into an elaborate series of booby traps to kill Shadows and The New Law, should they venture down. The Rat tells Randall that if he can make it through the traps, he will help him find his friends. When Randall does so, the Rat tells him that his teenage son is missing, and asks Randall to bring him home. The Rat promises Randall that he will search for his family and friends, and reveal what he knows upon the safe return of his son.

Randall agrees and sets out to the surface to search for the boy. After crashing a van, Randall is contacted via radio by an unknown person, who guides him to safety on a building rooftop. The person is the Rat's son, who was looking for food when he was attacked by The New Law. As Randall and the son speak, a New Law helicopter appears, opening fire on them. They flee, and eventually return to the sewers, whereupon the Rat tells Randall that Ben and Stella are at a nearby sports stadium, held by The New Law. The Rat has not been able to find out anything about Randall's family, however.

Randall heads to the stadium, finding Ben being tortured by The New Law, who leave a Shadow to kill him. Randall rescues Ben, who tells him that The New Law have taken Stella to the safe point. After acquiring medical supplies for Ben, they head to the safe point via a helicopter. However, en route, Ben loses consciousness and the helicopter crashes. Ben is killed, but Randall survives, eventually making it to the safe point. He is captured by The New Law, but manages to escape, and sets out to rescue Stella. He does so, and in order to cover their escape from the facility, Randall turns off the power generator, allowing the Shadows to penetrate the facility, killing off many New Law soldiers in the process. Randall and Stella make it to a dock but are cornered by a group of Shadows. Stella pleads with Randall to kill her, which causes him to recall a repressed memory; upon returning to his home in Canada after the outbreak, he found he had only two bullets in his gun. As the house was under siege from the Shadows, Shannon pleaded with him to kill her and Lydia. With great reluctance, Randall did so. Having remembered the incident, he refuses to repeat it by killing Stella, instead telling her that she must survive and never give up hope. Breaking the wood of the dock, Randall sends Stella into the water, where she makes it to a nearby sailboat and drifts away. Randall apologizes to his deceased daughter, who appears in front of him, as he laments that he should have died with her. However, he is happy that they will be together again soon. As the horde of Shadows race towards him, Randall accepts his fate, and the game ends.

In an alternate ending, unlockable by completing "Nightmare" mode, it is revealed that Randall is a murderer. He killed Karla even though she wasn't bitten, he smothered Sam upon finding him in the shop, and he choked Ben in the helicopter. The game ends with Randall struggling to come to terms with who he really is.

The Verdict: 

Gameplay:

Ever since the Xbox Live Arcade hit, Shadow Complex, I have been hoping for another 2.5D style Metroid/Castlevania hybrid to come along. While this game sports some beautiful environments that take complete advantage of either the Xbox 360 or PC's graphical power, sadly the gameplay itself falls a little short in that department. While I can't speak for this game's PC equivalent, but the Xbox 360 version has a few minor glitches that will either cause players to reload to their previous checkpoints (and lose their current progress) or cause the game to slow down to a snail-like pace.

Players are encouraged to avoid the "Shadows" (zombies) as much as possible while platforming and solving puzzles. Even when you are cornered and forced to fight, Randall can't defend himself for extended periods of time thanks to the stamina gauge located below your health bar. Players start off the game without any weapons, but Randall acquires a fireman's axe, a pistol, a shotgun, and a slingshot (which cannot be used in combat, but rather for assisting with solving puzzles) by the end of the journey. Each one of these weapons consume stamina with each use, while firearms require ammunition that is very scarce in this game. This stamina management creates a dynamic of high tension for players, causing them to carefully plan out every encounter as who knows what is around the next corner. The survival horror hasn't seen this level of actual fear and helplessness in a very long time... well, until 2013's acclaimed PlayStation 3 exclusive, The Last of Us, but that's entirely a different story altogether... This natural sense of urgency and fear is truly what makes this title fun. 

To add to the degree of realism in this game, Randall can actually trip up. Yes, you read that right. Trip up like almost every screaming female chased by a chainsaw wielding antagonist in any typical horror film. It's very realistic and adds to the horror element of the game significantly but at the same time, it's downright infuriating during gameplay at times. For example, you could be running from Shadows or trying to survive during another chase set piece in the narrative, and direct Randall to jump over a harmless stack of boxes. Mistime this jump any degree that causes Randall to land on it and he falls face-first into the floor and this old bastard takes forever getting back to his feet. Shadows take FULL advantage of this situation. Oftentimes they will hold you in place while pummeling your health bar into submission for you can see that Game Over screen more times than you would like. 

Speaking of Game Overs, Deadlight's respawn/checkpoint system isn't too forgiving at all. More times than not, I found myself restarting right in the middle of the mess I just died from, such as during Act III where Randall and Stella are running from The New Law's soldiers. I died and restarted, only for the soldiers to be ALREADY be shooting me in the back when the game gives me back control of Randall. If I weren't holding down the Run button during the loading screen I would be still stuck on that sequence. 

The game contains many hidden collectable items strewn throughout its levels. Some are entries from the Randall's diary, revealing more about his backstory. Others are personal memorabilia lost by people in the early days of the outbreak. A recurring collectible comes in the form of identification cards, all of which feature the name of serial killers (such as John Wayne Gacy, Albert DeSalvo, Aileen Wuornos and Jeffrey Dahmer), although the photo ID on the cards feature members of Tequila Works' staff. Sadly, if you don't find these collectibles during your initial playthrough, then you're going to be out of luck as the game doesn't allow you to backtrack off the set linear path of the plot's very brief narrative.

The game as a whole is extremely short. I cleared the game at exactly 4 hours, 37 minutes, and 12 seconds with about 87% completion. There's little replayability outside of higher difficulties or revisiting previous Acts of the narrative to obtain 100% completion on all collectibles. I'm positive most gamers can complete this in one session. 

It's a damn shame too. Given the popularity of the zombie outbreak/survival horror after TellTale Games' The Walking Dead and Naughty Dog's The Last of Us, this game manages to bring something new to the table for this genre. While the narrative here won't be talked about for years to come by gamers, but it's satisfying enough to make this tour de france worth the effort. Solving puzzles and navigating throughout the terrain in the style of Prince of Persia was a combination I thought that never could have worked so seamlessly in this genre. For Deadlight, it manages to work.

Closing Words:

Deadlight manages bring its own unique mark on the survival horror genre with platforming elements from the Prince of Persia series, while keeping players engaged with a compelling narrative and a sense of high tension/urgency from the always looming threat from the Shadows around every corner. Unfortunately, players will spend a brief time with Randall Wayne in this linear adventure before completing the game in less than 4-6 hours. While I enjoyed what Tequila Works brought to the table with Deadlight, I was left with the feeling of wanting more than what was presented here. For what it's worth, I can only give this game a 7 out of 10. Pick it up while it's free on Xbox Live before the end of April or dirt cheap on a Steam sale, but I cannot warrant paying more than $10 otherwise. It's a damn shame too as this game is visually stunning, but leaves a lot to be desired.

REVIEW -- The Amazing Spider-Man 2: Rise of Electro (2014)

The Amazing Spider-Man 2 is the first film in Sony Pictures' attempt to create their own Spider-Man-focused cinematic universe, following in the wake of Marvel's highly successful Marvel Cinematic Universe in light of 2012's Avengers. This film is to be followed-up by Sony's upcoming Venom and Sinister Six films still in production. Spider-Man will appear in both of those titles as well.

The United States' release isn't until May 2nd, but I managed to see film after the UK release went live last weekend.

Cast:

Andrew Garfield as Peter Parker / Spider-Man

Emma Stone as Gwen Stacy

Jamie Foxx as Max Dillon / Electro

Dane DeHaan as Harry Osborn / Green Goblin

Campbell Scott as Richard Parker
Embeth Davidtz as Mary Parker
Colm Feore as Donald Menken

Paul Giamatti as Aleksei Sytsevich / The Rhino
Sally Field as May Parker

Chris Cooper portrays Norman Osborn, the president of Oscorp and Harry Osborn's father, while Marton Csokas portrays Dr. Kafka, the head of Ravencroft Institute and B. J. Novak portrays Alistair Smythe, Denis Leary reprises his role as Captain George Stacy from the first film, and Felicity Jones portrays Felicia Hardy. Spider-Man co-creator Stan Lee has a cameo appearance.

Plot (FULL Spoilers)

In a flashback, Richard Parker records a video message to explain his disappearance. He and his wife Mary board a plane, but the flight is hijacked by a man sent to assassinate Richard, with the pilot dead, the plane crashes.

In the present day, Peter Parker continues to fight crime as Spider-Man. He pursues and apprehends Aleksei Sytsevich, who attempted to steal a truck containing plutonium vials. During the chase, Spider-Man rescues Oscorp Industries employee Max Dillon. While talking to Gwen Stacy on the phone, Peter sees a vision of her late father, Captain George Stacy, reminding him of the promise he made to stay away from Gwen. Afterwards, Peter makes it with Gwen at their high school graduation ceremony. However, he insists that he needs to keep his promise to her father and ends their relationship.

Peter's childhood friend Harry Osborn returns to New York to see his terminally ill father Norman, the CEO of Oscorp Industries. Norman explains his illness is hereditary, and Harry is at the age where it first develops. Before he dies, he gives Harry a small device which he claims contains his life's work. The next day, Norman dies and Harry is appointed the new Oscorp CEO, only to become corrupt among the Oscorp board, causing them to plan on firing him.

Assuming they are now friends, Max develops an obsession with Spider-Man. Whilst tending to some maintenance in an Oscorp laboratory, he loses his balance and falls into a tank of electric eels being used for experiments. The electricity mutates him into a living electric generator. Meanwhile, Peter tries to maintain a friendship with Gwen, but she tells him she is moving to England for school. Before they can discuss it, Max wanders into Times Square and accidentally causes a blackout. Spider-Man attempts to calm him down, but the police try to shoot Max, making him lose his temper and attack. Spider-Man eventually stops him, and he is taken to Ravencroft Institute.

The first symptoms of Harry's illness show, and he uses the device Norman gave him to deduce that Spider-Man's blood could help save him. He asks Peter, who has been sending photos of Spider-Man to The Daily Bugle, for help finding Spider-Man. Peter initially refuses, unsure of what effects the transfusion would have. The Oscorp board members frame Harry for covering up Max's accident, and remove him from his position as CEO. Harry's assistant Felicia Hardy informs him of equipment that could help him, so he makes a deal with Max (now calling himself "Electro") to get him back in to the Oscorp building. Inside, he finds a suit of armor and other equipment made by Norman, as well as venom from the now destroyed spiders, which instead causes him to transform into a hideous goblin-like creature.

Peter uses information left behind by his father to locate the video message he left. In it, Richard explains he had to leave New York because he was unwilling to go along with Norman Osborn's plans to use what they had created for biological weapons. Peter then receives a voicemail message from Gwen, telling him she was offered the job in England and is heading to the airport earlier than expected. He manages to catch her and professes his love for her, and they agree to go to England together. Electro causes another blackout, and Peter heads off to fight him. Gwen follows, and they are able to kill Electro causing an explosion by overloading his electricity supply. Afterward, the transformed Harry arrives equipped with Norman's armor and weaponry; upon seeing Gwen, Harry quickly deduces Spider-Man's true identity and, wanting revenge for being refused the blood transfusion, kidnaps Gwen. He fights Spider-Man at the top of a clock tower, and while Spider-Man manages to subdue Harry, Gwen falls to her death.

Months later, Peter has given up being Spider-Man and spends every day at Gwen's grave. Meanwhile, Harry, healing from his transformations, and his associate (the man in the shadows from the first film) breaks Alexsei Sytsevich out of prison, gives him the code name "Rhino" and equips him with a mechanical suit of armor. Rhino rampages through the streets, and a recording of Gwen's graduation speech inspires Peter to return as Spider-Man and confront him.

The Verdict: 

In a world after the awesomeness that was Captain America: The Winter Soldier earlier this month, this film feels very underwhelming in comparison.

First things first, if you're watching the international version of the film and notice that mid-credits teaser for X-Men: Days of Future Past, don't be fooled like I was. I was about to get excited that Fox and Sony Pictures were going to do a potential X-Men/Spider-Man-themed crossover, but Marc Webb agreed to free publicity for Fox at the end of this film with no strings attached to repay some crazy favor. 

Earlier this week, I revisited my review on the original Amazing Spider-Man and re-watched that film to see if my opinions have changed prior to watching this film. Sadly, they haven't and most of my opinions carry over into this film. 

In terms of narrative, The Amazing Spider-Man 2 is essentially is Peter Parker/Spider-Man (Andrew Garfield) and Gwen Stacy's (Emma Stone) continued romance, picking up immediately following the events of the original film. This is their love story, told in the way of Smallville or Dawson's Creek before it. Emma Stone and Andrew Garfield's natural chemistry is so genuine that you cannot help but be compelled and drawn into their romance. As a result, everything else in the film is insignificant in comparison. It's a damn shame too, as I felt that both Jamie Foxx's Electro/Max Dillon and Paul Giamatti's Aleksei Sytsevich/Rhino were wasted in this film. I thought Sony and director Marc Webb would have learned from Sam Raimi's Spider-Man 3, where dumping in multiple villains caused both the plot and character development to suffer to catastrophic results, which is almost recreated in this film to a similar result. Peter and Gwen's spectacular romance dominates the bulk of this film, but at the sacrifice of fleshing out any amount of character development from the two main antagonists, Harry Osborn/Green Goblin (Dane DeHaan) and Electro. I cannot fault those characters' shortcomings on their acting as both Jamie Foxx and Dane DeHaan brought great performances to the table from what they were given, but no amount of superb acting can save this film from it's abysmal writing for its plot.

If there is any issue I have with 2012's The Avengers, it's the first act, that does next to nothing for setting up the rest of the film if it wasn't for the events that were set up like dominos in Thor. For this soon-to-be Spider-Man cinematic universe, The Amazing Spider-Man 2 is this universe's Thor, whereas there is a lot of convenient name dropping (Dr. Ashley Kafka, Felica Hardy, Alistair Smythe, etc.) and themes, but none of it contributes to THIS film, but to the inevitable sequel, or rather sequels, down the road. For example, the first 45 minutes of this film are wasted thanks to the revelation that Spider-Man is nothing unique nor special at all. Richard Parker's bloodline, combined with his experiments for OsCorp, made it possible for his son, Peter Parker, to have these powers, so it wasn't so much of a blessing at all. Peter was predestined to have these powers from start, it was just a matter of time. Say what you will, but that moment killed a bit of the luck of the draw of getting these powers in the first place. So much for "With great power comes great responsibility" when your parents left you superpowers as part of the inheritance in the will. Sheesh.

C'mon... you might as well screamed in the
background that she was going to die by the end
of the film at this moment...

I don't know who to feel sorry for the most in terms of this film's plot. Jamie Foxx deserves better than the handful of scenes he was given in this film, especially to say that the film is titled "Rise of Electro", and even double goes for Dane DeHaan's Harry Osborn. For what it's worth, Jamie Foxx did a noteworthy job with Electro, but I wish they did more with him than just an overworked average Joe who sought out attention, only to snap when his one so-called "friend" forgot his name. I hate to be nit-picky but he sided with Osborn a bit too easily for my taste. Oh yeah, let's try to forget about some of his extra cheesy lines, such as "It's my birthday and I'm going to light my candles!" While we're on the topic of Harry Osborn, I will admit that Dane DeHaan portrayed him better than James Franco did in the original Spider-Man trilogy, but good grief, Dane DeHaan's face just screams super-villain though. From the second he's introduced in the film, you just KNEW he was going to be a supervillain or up to no good. You don't even need to be a comic book fan to see that. The only fault I saw in DeHaan's Osborn is that fathom nor believe that he is that stupid to take the spider venom without at least testing that it would work. Desperation is one thing, but sheer stupidity at the cost of creating another supervillain to move the narrative along is another. 

To say that this film is the so-called the start of a Spider-Man-themed cinematic universe for Sony Pictures, Webb has managed to metaphorically tangle themselves into a clusterfuck of a web already. Granted, they have already planted the seeds thoroughly for a potential Ultimate Spider-Man variation of Eddie Brock/Venom being introduced as soon as possible, especially with the mysteries behind Richard Parker's work coming to surface and the Osborn family curse. At the same time, Electro is "dead" already - so much for the Sinister Six, unless they are going for one of the lame duck variations instead of the original core group. And what is Webb going to do, introduce either Kraven the Hunter, Sandman, or Mysterio in a future film and give them a lackluster backstory like Electro and Rhino received in this film? The only alternative I could think of is that Webb is going for the 25th Anniversary variation of the Sinister Six, consisting of Green Goblin, Doctor Octopus, The Sandman, The Buzzard, Mysterio, and Electro, but I'm possibly even more wrong with that prediction. Given the bloody obvious clues at the end of the film, we know that Harry Osborn will lead this version of the Sinister Six with Rhino being the first recruit, while Doctor Octopus and The Vulture's gear are shown in the background at OsCorp.

Also note that in the film and even in the film's credits that Harry's assistant is NEVER referred to as Felicia Hardy officially, but merely as Felicia. I'm guessing that's some clever swerve for a potential Black Cat spin-off solo film or someone just doesn't want to admit that they fucked up a potentially goldmine of a storyline here already...

I have to say that after all of the hype from the promotional trailers and posters, you would think that Rhino was a major player for this film along with Electro and the Green Goblin, but nope. Instead, he's merely chicken fodder in both of his brief appearances in this film. Has anyone stopped and asked why was he stealing plutonium in the first place?

Let's talk about Gwen's death scene... (Hands you guys box of tissues) I'll give you all a moment.

Marc Webb portrayed this scene perfectly with the masterful talents of Emma Stone and Andrew Garfield. This is as good as you're going to get with a film adaptation of Gwen Stacy's demise on the silver screen. My only gripe was how conveniently the Green Goblin had the exact timing to show up after Spider-Man beat Electro. If he was there about ten minutes earlier, Electro and Goblin would have beaten the piss out of Spider-Man. Could they have made Gwen's death more obvious? When she showed up wearing the EXACT same outfit she died in the comics, I was going "well, now we know Gwen won't live through the end of this movie..." The aftermath was rather weak for my taste as well, where audiences were forced to skip directly to Gwen's funeral without Spider-Man venting his emotional torment on an already defeated Harry Osborn/Green Goblin. How does this clown wind up in jail with little to no signs of his Goblin powers or that disease flaring up? That random Peter Parker's forced exile was a nice touch and made up for those shortcomings with Gwen's last vote of confidence in the man - or rather, the hero - he is destined to become in her recorded speech from their graduation.

I have to say, I pity on the next actress who is going to attempt to replace Emma Stone in the sequels as the next potential love interest for Peter Parker/Spider-Man. Garfield and Stone's romantic chemistry is simply magical. I don't see anyone else being able to come close to capturing that natural magnetism between them.

If you don't feel something during this sequence or the one between Aunt May (Sally Field) and Peter about the truth of his parents - "You're MY boy. And I won't hurt you." - then you must have a heart made of stone. 

(Laughs) I swear this film had so much foreshadowing on Gwen's death that you could have seen it coming back in Sam Raimi's original Spider-Man film back in 2002.

I feel like that I have been bashing this film from the start, but I want to express that there is some good to be found here in Webb's work. Well, other than the revised costume that is much closer to Spidey's comic book iteration than any previous costume that he has worn in any Spider-Man film to date... The action sequences are appropriately described as amazing to the eyes and ears. For example, during Spider-Man's final encounter with Electro, many viewers will be too caught up in the action to notice that Electro's attacks have a dubstep-like musical effect to them. I am not kidding on that. Watch that sequence for yourself and listen. I thought I was going nuts when I noticed that. My favorite sequence was during Spider-Man's initial run-in with Electro, where he was reduced to one functioning web-shooter to utilize in saving a retreating crowd of civilians from Electro's assault while making sure they didn't touch the conductible metal on the steps and railing. That was simply beautiful to watch. Too bad Hollywood weren't doing action sequences this good in the original Spider-Man trilogy...

My biggest issue with the action sequences was that there weren't enough of them. If you have seen all of the trailers for this film, especially the infamous Super Bowl trailer, then you have already seen the bulk of what this film has to offer and that's just sad. Marc Webb spoiled almost everything in the trailers, leaving no real surprises - other than Gwen's death, but you can deduce that within the first 20 minutes of the film.

Back in 2012, I said that this series has potential to surpass the original Spider-Man trilogy if it managed to remedy its shortcomings that were discussed in that film. Unfortunately, The Amazing Spider-Man 2 manages to be more of the same - audiences are treated to a back seat ride along the emotional rollercoaster that is the continuing romance between Peter Parker/Spider-Man (Andrew Garfield) and Gwen Stacy (Emma Stone) but continues the trend of allowing this aspect of the narrative to dilute the character development of the antagonists, Max Dillon/Electro (Jamie Foxx), Alexsei Sytsevich/Rhino (Paul Giamatti), and Harry Osborn/Green Goblin (Dane DeHaan). In turn, these antagonists are reduced to minor inconveniences instead of the monumental roadblocks to Spider-Man's ongoing heroics as they are portrayed in their original comic book iterations. If you enjoyed the original Amazing Spider-Man, then you should go see this sequel. For everyone else, save your money. This will be on DVD/Blu-Ray in no time.

I'm giving this a slightly better score that I gave the original film - 7.25 out of 10 - mainly due to how perfectly executed Gwen Stacy's death (even though it was so obvious to see coming that even Stevie Wonder seen it coming...) - a monumental event in the decades worth of Spider-Man's history that affects the character even today - was done in this film. If Sony Pictures and Marc Webb want to impress me with the future sequels, I want to see them invest more time on character development for more than just two people and focus on selling the current film to their audience - not the one that is about 1-2 more sequels down the pipeline. Hollywood needs to comprehend that Marvel Studios' method to their madness is not going to lead to an instant blockbuster success for every comic book to film property. 

REVIEW -- The Amazing Spider-Man (2012)

With The Amazing Spider-Man 2 on the horizon, I felt the need to re-post my review from the original Method to Madness blog on the original Amazing Spider-Man film. Fear not, my fellow Web-heads, I plan on having a review on The Amazing Spider-Man 2 up later this week. For now, let's revisit 2012's Spider-Man re-imagining by director Marc Webb.

Cast: 

Andrew Garfield as Peter Parker / Spider-Man

Max Charles portrayed Peter Parker as a 4-year-old.

Emma Stone as Gwen Stacy

Rhys Ifans as Dr. Curt Connors / Lizard

Denis Leary as Captain George Stacy
Martin Sheen as Ben Parker
Sally Field as May Parker
Irrfan Khan as Dr. Rajit Ratha
Chris Zylka as Flash Thompson
Campbell Scott and Embeth Davidtz portray Peter's parents, Richard and Mary Parker 

Leif Gantvoort plays the burglar who robs the convenience store. Hannah Marks portrays Missy Kallenback, an unpopular girl who has a crush on Peter. Kelsey Chow's brief role is simply credited as "Hot Girl" during the end credits of the film, but the actress revealed to media outlets around the time of the film's release that her character is in fact Sally Avril. Similarly, C. Thomas Howell's character is credited as "Jack's Father" at the end of the film (Jack being a boy that Spider-Man rescues on the Williamsburg Bridge) but he is referred to as Troy by one of his fellow construction workers in the film itself. Unlike the previous films, J. Jonah Jameson does not appear. Spider-Man co-creator Stan Lee has a cameo appearance, as he did in the previous films.

At the 2011 Dallas Comic Con, Lee detailed that he plays a librarian listening to music on his headphones while stamping books, oblivious to the ongoing battle. Michael Massee plays the mysterious man in the shadows who talks with Connors in his prison cell in a teaser scene during the end credits. As to the man's identity, director Marc Webb said, "It's intentionally mysterious. And I invite speculation..." Michael Papajohn, who played Uncle Ben's killer in the 2002 film, has a cameo as Alfred, Dr. Ratha's limo driver.

The Plot (FULL Spoilers)

A young Peter Parker discovers his father Richard Parker's study has been burgled. Gathering up hidden documents, Peter's parents take him to the home of his Aunt May (Field) and Uncle Ben (Sheen), then mysteriously depart.

Years later, a teenaged Peter (Garfield) attends Midtown Science High School, where he is bullied by Flash Thompson (Zylka) and has caught the eye of the beautiful Gwen Stacy (Stone). At home, Peter finds his father's papers and learns he worked with fellow scientist Dr. Curt Connors (Ifans) at Oscorp. Sneaking into Oscorp, Peter enters a lab where a "biocable" is under development from genetically modified spiders, one of which bites him. On the subway ride home, he discovers that he has developed spider-like abilities.

After studying Richard's papers, Peter visits the one-armed Connors, reveals he is Richard Parker's son and gives Connors his father's "decay rate algorithm", the missing piece in Connors' experiments on regenerating limbs. Connors is being pressed by his superior, Dr. Ratha (Khan), to devise a cure for the dying (but unseen) head of Oscorp, Norman Osborn. In school, Peter gets into trouble after a basketball challenge with Flash in which Peter accidentally shatters the backboard glass. His uncle changes work shifts to meet with the principal and asks Peter to replace him walking home with Aunt May that night. Peter gets distracted and helps Connors regenerate the limb of a laboratory mouse. Peter's failure causes an argument with his uncle and he leaves. At a nearby deli, a cashier refuses to let Peter buy a chocolate milk since Peter is two cents short; when a thief suddenly raids the store, Peter indifferently observes. While searching for Peter, Uncle Ben attempts to stop the thief and is killed. The thief escapes as Peter finds Ben on the sidewalk.

Afterward, Peter uses his new abilities to hunt criminals matching the killer's description. After a fall lands him inside an abandoned gym, a luchador-wrestling poster inspires him to create a mask to hide his identity. He adds a spandex suit and builds mechanical devices to attach to his wrists to shoot a biocable "web". Peter accepts a dinner invitation from Gwen, where he meets and has a tense conversation with her father, police captain George Stacy (Leary), over Spider-Man's motives. After dinner, Peter reveals his identity to Gwen and they kiss.

After seeing success with the mouse using lizard DNA, Ratha demands Connors begin human trials immediately if Osborn is to survive. Connors refuses to rush the drug-testing procedure and put innocent people at risk. Ratha fires Connors and decides to test Connors' serum at a VA hospital under the guise of a flu shot. In an act of desperation, Connors tries the formula on himself. After passing out, he awakens to find his missing arm has regenerated. Discovering that Ratha is on his way to the VA hospital, Connors, whose skin is turning green and scaly, goes to intercept him. By the time he gets to the Williamsburg Bridge Connors has become a violent hybrid of lizard and man, tossing cars, including Ratha's, over the side of the bridge. Peter, now calling himself Spider-Man, snatches each falling car with his web-lines.

Spider-Man suspects Connors is Lizard and unsuccessfully confronts the creature in the sewers. Lizard learns Spider-Man's real identity via the name on an abandoned camera and follows Peter to school where they fight. In response, the police start a manhunt for both Spider-Man and Lizard. The police corner Spider-Man and Captain Stacy discovers that he is really Peter. Lizard plans to make all humans lizard-like by releasing a chemical cloud from Oscorp's tower, to eliminate the weaknesses he believes plague humanity. Spider-Man eventually disperses an antidote cloud instead, restoring Connors and earlier victims to normal, but not before Lizard mortally wounds Captain Stacy. Before his death, Captain Stacy makes Peter vow to keep Gwen safe by leaving her out of it. Peter initially does so, but later at school suggests to Gwen he may see her again.

In a closing-credits scene, Connors, in a prison cell, speaks with a man in the shadows who asks if Peter knows the truth about his father. Connors replies, "No", and demands Peter be left alone before the man disappears.

The Verdict:

Unlike Sam Raimi’s original Spider-Man films, this reboot is directed by Marc Webb and combines elements from the classic Spider-Man lore as well as the more recent Ultimate Spider-Man line of comic books.

By now, we already know the origin story…

The protagonist of Spider-Man is Peter Parker, a science prodigy teenager who lives in Queens, New York. He is bitten by a genetically altered spider and inherits its powers, including enhanced strength, agility and reflexes. When an armed thief, whom Peter had a chance to stop earlier but didn’t, kills his uncle Ben, he feels guilty and dedicates his life to fighting crime as the costumed vigilante Spider-Man. Peter tries to balance school, a job, a girlfriend, his family life with his widowed aunt May, and his activities as Spider-Man.

There’s a few notable differences in the story compared to Raimi’s:

Andrew Garfield replaces Tobey Maguire as Peter Parker/Spider-Man in this reboot, and wastes no time giving him a fresh feel to the film. His build suits Ultimate Spider-Man’s more accurately than Tobey did the classic Spidey model. Tobey came off TOO nerdy at times to the point that it didn’t feel like Spider-Man at all in the original films but someone in a bad cosplay. Andrew Garfield brings that perfect balance of charm and youth to the character that we’ve known and love for so many years in comics. The iconic witty banter from Spidey was a welcome addition to this reboot as well.

Much like the comic books, Spider-Man has his traditional web-shooters and artificial webbing instead of natural webbing as a result of the radioactive spider bite. As a result, the amount of webbing he can shoot and use is limited to the amount of web fluid he has with him. They didn’t address this as an issue until the film’s climax vs. The Lizard whereas he crushed both of the shooters on Spidey’s wrists.

Gwen Stacy is Peter Parker’s love interest in this film instead of Mary Jane Watson. In Amazing, she’s more to her classic comic book version rather her street wise version in the Ultimate line of comics. If you’re familiar with the Spectacular Spider-Man cartoon from a few years ago, her and Peter’s relationship is VERY much like that. I personally loved Emma Stone’s take on the character, as I honestly wanted her to be cast as MJ in the original trilogy.

Instead of being hounded by the Daily Bugle, Spidey has to earn the police’s trust as well as the people of the city. Other than the Lizard, Spidey spends most of the film convincing Captain George Stacy (Gwen’s dad) that he is a hero, striving for a better and safer city.

Norman Osborn (the man who becomes the Green Goblin) is mentioned heavily in the film, but he doesn’t make an appearance at all. Same goes for his son, Harry. This could be argued and debated after viewing the film’s mid-credit teaser though.

Peter doesn’t catch the thief who kills Uncle Ben — instead it serves as a driving force for Peter to continue doing good in the city other than just mindlessly hunting for revenge. Initially this decision bothered me at first, but it works for the narrative. Shows that Peter has character growth in his responsibilities with his powers and isn’t just driven by revenge and rage.

There is no pro wrestling fight sequence. As much as I loved the BoneSaw (“Macho Man” Randy Savage) bout in the original film, I can live without it here. The only thing that comes close to wrestling is that during a random escape from thugs, Peter falls through an unstable roof and into a closed-down luchador-style wrestling arena. This is where he is inspired to wear a mask to hide his identity. Yeah, I’ll admit that was downright cheesy on that placement in the plot.

Dr. Curt Connors (AKA The Lizard) is a former friend of Richard Parker (Peter’s father), instead of random miscellaneous instructor at Empire State University like in Spider-Man 2 and 3. He’s my biggest issue with the film - Connors’ actor does a fine job, but all of the fight scenes with The Lizard look fake as hell. I can understand they made him CG just to keep things simple but they could’ve at least called Marvel Studios and get a few pointers on making it look less obvious.

Peter’s parents, Richard and Mary Parker, are the heavy focus of the origin story. Apparently, Richard Parker has rather shadowy past and it ties into Peter becoming Spider-Man and Connors becoming the Lizard, since he hid his classified notes that Peter found and gave to Connors to use to complete their cross-species hybrid formulas. I can live with this being the driving point of the films as long as they don’t go as far-fetched as some of the lore went with his parents being accused of being Nazis and ending up being SHIELD agents. No, none of that just keep it simple…

Some of my gripes…

Aunt May has very few moments to keep you interested in her character. And the lack of time put into establishing her and Peter’s relationship after losing Uncle Ben was ignored entirely just to spend the duration of the film on Peter and Gwen’s relationship.

Speaking of Gwen and Peter’s relationship… While Stone and Garfield played the parts more to my satisfaction, it just seemed VERY rushed on the romantic aspect. The scene that comes to mind is Gwen just randomly hunting Peter down at school and writing down her address in his notebook and inviting him to dinner out of the blue. It just came off as VERY odd in my book. Girls aren’t that forward anymore — I know I’m getting old, but last time I checked it’s not that easy to get her to get you to come over and meet the folks, especially when they haven’t even had a real first date yet.

No lack of closure on what happens to Dr. Rajit Ratha… After that initial attack by the Lizard, he’s not seen again for the duration of the film. Did Lizard eat him? Did he haul ass out of town? What? He’s supposed to be one of Osborn’s right-hand goons yet he doesn’t have any further involvement in the plot. His absence seemed VERY odd. Same goes to all of the talk about Osborn and the use of his company, yet we don’t get to actually SEE him.

What the film does right…

The first-person oriented webswinging sequences were few and well placed. From the early reviews, I went into the film dreading that they would be heavily forced in the films like how the Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions video game tacked them on the end of EVERY boss encounter. It was cool the first two times, but after that, enough.

Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone’s onscreen chemistry is unmatched here, but still doesn’t top the combined star power of Marvel Studios’ Avengers. Regardless, the duo manages to squeeze a few laughs and smiles out of its audience. But don’t count out Denis Leary (Capt. Stacy) and Rhys Ifans (Connors/Lizard) either. Excellent performances all round from the cast here.

More hand-to-hand fight sequences than just pure CG-spotfests. It looked good in the original films where there was one real punch thrown for every 20 blows in CG, as if you’re going to do that in a film you might as well make a damn video game instead.

The costume — Initially, I was on the same boat as everyone else. I HATED the early designs and photos of it prior to seeing the film, but by the end of the film it won me over. It’s symbolic to the reboot — it’s a NEW Spider-Man with a new look. Same thing with classic Spidey to swap to the Unlimited costume people hated in that animation. Just takes time to get used to.

The final verdict

Out of the summer superhero blockbusters for this year, I give this one a 7.25 out of 10 stars. It’s a bit rough around the edges, but it has potential to become even better in its sequels down the road. It’s a great kick-start for the franchise and if Sony plays their cards right they could crank out another trilogy out of this bad boy as well.