Star Wars Rebels S1 E2 Fighter Flight

So Aladdin  Ezra saved Zeb in the last episode from Agent Kallus and he's hangin it over Zeb's head, going so far to mention the Wookie life debt. So there is some tension aboard the Ghost. So Hera decides to send the two out on a supply run which in actuality is a wild goose chase to locate some exotic fruit.

Ezra and Zeb's excellent adventure get's them tangled up with local imperial authorities as they try to make off with a crate of Meiloorun's, borrow a Tie Fighter and rescue friends of Ezra's father....all in a days work for these rebels.
Another enjoyable episode for this series that builds the camaraderie of the group...in this case mostly Zeb and Ezra in a lighthearted way.
And I'm just gonna throw this out there...Ezra could be Boba Fett, he lost his parent (s) and only mentions his dad.

Star Wars Episode VII: create your own movie poster

I really wasn't planning on posting any of those leaked Ep VII pics from SWU last week but of all the pics this one grabbed my attention....there's more to this pic than what you initially see. Based on the rumors I've read we'll be visiting a planet with snowy mountainous terrain (not Hoth) in the search for Luke (all rumors). I also see a lot of Tie Fighters. Does anyone else see anything in the pic?

The Walking Dead S5E2: Strangers

Reunited and it feels so good...
There was a lotta feels in Sunday's episode, Rick and Tara discuss her being inducted into the group then Tara confesses to Maggie and I honestly wasn't sure how Maggie was gonna react that moment just hung there till the edge of the uncomfortable zone.
Next Rick eats some humble pie when he basically apologizes to Combat Carol about banishing her.
The scene when they're walking on the tracks was pretty telling...Rick and Carl, Glenn and Maggie, Bobby and Sasha, Tyresse and Carol, Abraham, Rosita and Eugene, Daryl walking solo and Michonne walking solo.
With Hershel gone will Father Gabriel Stokes act as the groups new moral compass? I don't think so....guilt can be a heavy burden and Father Gabriel is extremely burdened and it's obvious why.
Rick asks the 3 questions and based on the answers given Rick places the father in his "persons of interest" file.
Ok lets cut to the chase! Why did Bobby leave the church after Rick agreed to join Abraham on his DC road trip and start crying outside?
1.) Bobby got bit/ scratched on  by the swamp thing walker on the supply run
2.) He's the groups Judas and sold them out to Gareth at some point
3.) He's just struggling with his alcoholism while everyone's drinking the wine

I think Boby got bit/scratched and hasn't told anyone....oh the irony when Gareth starts getting sever stomach cramps and diarrhea and is forced to join the road trip to DC! Gareth will never eat dark meat again......

Ghost in the Shell: Live Action Movie aka The Stand Alone Failure

If you read my blog you know my feeling about live action adaptations of anime and video games, if you don't I'll summarize....THEY'RE POINTLESS!!!! And nine out of ten times suck because unlike Street Fighter Assassins Fist, the writers/directors aren't fans of the work being adapted. They might only have the most general knowledge of the source material!

I enjoy anime, I've been watching it since the early 80's, and when I saw Ghost in the Shell back in 95 it was groundbreaking, not only was the visuals impressive the story and characters were  fascinating, in 2002 we got the 26 episode series  Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex that expanded the story of Major Kusanagi, Batau, Aramaki, and the rest of Section 9, the in 04/05 we got GitS2: Innocence and the second 26 episode series GitS: S.A.C 2nd Gig which revolved around the Individual 11 and the events that led section 9 being disbanded and Motoko leaving the group. 

In 2006 The 3rd GitS anime movie came out with GitS: S.A.C Solid State Society where the group formerly known as section 9 investigate a case involving a cyberbrain virus, children being abducted, and the noble rot Medicare system for the elderly and the puppeteer-a mysterious wizard class hacker.

Just this year almost 20years after the original movie we got the 4 episode OVA GitS: ARISE which introduces us to Motoko Kusanagi prior to the formation of Section 9.

So last month I read that Margo Robbie (Wolf of Wallstreet) was attached to the GitS live action movie...I instantly figured she'd be the shell that project 2501 dives into....

Then last night I read that Scarlett Johansen has been pinged to play Makoto Kusanagi.....

Both Scarjo and Margo Robbie are great actresses and Scarjo has more than proved she is ready and able to be the alpha female action actress...I think she could be the right choice for the role. I just don't see the necessity in making this movie, those that are fans will most likely be let down and those who don't know GitS will probly say this movie is a rip off of The Matix and the fans will all face palm...

Only time will tell, but I have little hope this movie will be as good as the source material of the same genre!

Gotham S1E4 Arkham

Mondays episode was great, Gordon is in WAAAY over his head! As I stated after the pilot episode Oswald Cobblepot (Robin Lord Taylor) is the heart of this show so far in my opinion. So Cobblepot warned Gordon about the upcoming war caused by the murder of the Wayne's. Little does ANYONE realize Cobblepot is the puppet master,

Gordon is looking at the Maroni and Falcone families and is highly suspicious of Fish Mooney and suspects she is pitting the two Don's against each other to come out on top. Fish Mooney doesn't realize Cobblepot is alive and is under the impression the two Don's are are taking out the other's political constituents to sway the vote for the Arkham City proposal.
Gordon is kinda stuck between a rock and a hard place because he knows if anyone finds out he didn't really kill Cobblepot, Falcone will have him killed, and Cobblepot realizes this also, so he knows his secret is safe with him. This secret is putting a huge strain on Gordon's relationship with Barbara.
I also enjoy the scenes Edward Nygma shows up in....that guy sure loves riddles!

So Fish is looking for a weapon, not a girl. I'm guessing since Don Falcone's girl had an "accident" he'll be looking for a new one and that's where Liza comes in...
I keep looking for easter eggs since the pilot episode....specifically hints about Harley Quinn and Ras Al Ghul. If any one spots something regarding these two let me know.

Star Wars Rebels S1E1: Droids in Distress

The crew of the Ghost are low on supplies so they decide to be scoundrels and steal a shipment of weapons to trade to Vizago. When they discover what types of weapons they are Zeb voices his opinion that these specific weapons should be destroyed rather than resold into circulation because the Empire used them to exterminate his race.
I enjoyed watching the crew working together on the shuttle to get the info on where the weapons were stored and the Chopper/R2D2 confrontations....Chopper's got spunk.
The show is doing a good job of showing the the members individuality as well as how well they work together to get the job done, kinda like the A-team in a galaxy far far away! I think SWR will appeal to the salty old school fans (like myself) as well as the younger viewers who may only know the PT, and new Padawans like my son who like's Star Wars: The New Yoda Chronicles and covers his eyes when he sees Darth Vader when I try to get him to watch the OT.

The Walking Dead S5E No Sanctuary

First off check this shit out!
yelp terminus atlanta
BAHAHAHAHAAA!

"Great ribs! The staff is a little moody and the boxcar dining room ambiance leaves little to be desired. All in all it's a great sanctuary with a community feel, makes it hard to leave."

Fantastic episode! Holy crap Glenn once again escapes death by mere seconds. That scene was brutal not only because of the violent nature of it but because of how nonchalantly the two guys were while doing it...just another day on the farm so to speak.
Stop and think about Carol from season 1...washing clothes down near the quarry. Well that feeble little lady is gone, Carol just saved the entire Ricktatorship! She was Lara Croft, Ellen Ripley, Starbuck and Salt, all wrapped up in one!
Carol would make a fantastic Sith, "do not hesitate, do what must be done, show no mercy".
Still suffering from the "good guy syndrome", as Martin puts it, Tyresse is left to watch him and Judith while Carol embarks on a solo search and rescue mission. I loved the tactic she used to infiltrate Terminus, we haven't seen that since season one.
The trough scene had me on the edge of my couch and once the propane tank blew and shit got real I caught myself actually cheering Rick, Daryl and the rest of the crew on as they fought their way outta Terminus. The scene where they pass through the "meat locker" reminded me a similar scene in The Last of Us which brings back to the Yelp review up top.
Another fantastic scene was Carol Vs Terminus Mary,
I was so glad to see Tyresse shed his teddy bear fur and beat the life outta Martin after he threatened baby ass kickers life!
Seeing the group reunited and unscathed was a relief. I have to admit I was surprised at the brevity we were at Terminus, but I suppose if we had spent most of the season there the show would begin to feel a little formulaic.
I do think the group should have gone back and finished off Gareth and any other Termites that may have survived...I think we'll be seeing him again.
Speaking of characters returning, OMG Morgan is back again! Was he really going to Terminus or was he tracking someone else?

Season 5 started off strong, I hope this pace continues but I have a feeling we're gonna get a new moral compas to fill the void left by hershell in the form of Father Gabriel.
I wonder how Shane would feel about the Rick we've seen in the last two episodes? How would Dale and Hershel feel about Rick's behavior??

Star Wars: Rebels S1E1 The Spark of Rebellion: Thoughts and Impressions

With Star Wars Episode VII a little over a year away, this new animated show arrives at a perfect time to bigin the hype train. As far as chronology goes I'd place Rebels around 10-15 BBY. I enjoyed the first episode, The Spark of Rebellion,  the crew of the Ghost feel right at home, Ezra the street smart thief totally reminded me of Aladdin....(Prince Abubu), Kanan the leader of this rag tag group of rebels who just happens to be a Jedi that survived order 66...but we'll keep that on the DL, he seems a bit like a certain scruffy looking nerf herder who's gonna attempt to show Ezra the ways of the force, then there's the owner/operator of the Ghost, Hera, a Twi'lek...I think her and Kanan have a relationship that goes beyond plutonic...tsk tsk that's certainly frowned upon by Kanan's former organisation.
Then there's Sabine the teenage Witch  Mandalor...she's a big fan of Jackson Pollack and Michael Bay...

Zeb is the muscle of the group kinda like Chewie was for Han, Zeb and Chewie actually have more in common than many may realize...

Next is Chopper the astromech, who is also designed around early McQuarrie designs for R2D2. He came across as indifferent to the drama going on around the Ghost.
Speaking of Chops, in SoR we are introduced to Agent Kallus a member of the Imperial Security Bureau....he's a dick, and if his actions couldn't clue you in, just look at this jerk's facial hair!

I really liked the design of the Ghost, not only does it resemble the Millenium Falcon, it also reminds me of the Narcissus...another favorite Sci Fi franchise of mine.

 I enjoyed the pilot episode, it felt much more like the OT than the PT, Rebels shall remain on my DVR! I wonder if any of these characters will transition into episode VII? I think there's a chance an older Kanan could be worked into the ST.
If you have young Padawans that haven't seen Star Wars yet (like my son) this appears to be a good introduction to that Galaxy far far away...
For more info check out the OS @ disneyxd star wars rebels

Gotham Pilot Episode My Thoughts and Feelings

Atomic batteries to power...turbines to speed....
As far as pilots go this one was pretty good, everyone knows the story of how Thomas and Martha Wayne were murdered, but we don't really know much of Bruce Wayne's life the years directly after the loss of his parents. What is the state of Gotham at this time? Where are the nefarious members of The United Underground??

Part of the fun watching the Gotham pilot for me was identifying all the villains from  Batman lore.
Lets see if I missed any...
Cat woman (Selina Kyle) played by Camren Bicondova
Riddler (Edward Nygma) played by  Cory Michael Smith
Poison Ivy (Ivy Pepper) played by Clare Foley
The Penguin (Oswald Copperpot) played by Robin Lord Taylor

Possibly The Joker at Fish Mooney's club...aspiring comedian
Possibly Bane in the GCPD precinct...pill dude
I didn't notice Dr. Johnathan Crane, Victor Fries or Ra's Al Ghul.
But that's fine, all in due time, Gotham has enough problems to begin with!
Jada Pinkette Smith was incredible as Fish Mooney, she seemed to revel in the role of a mob boss under Carmine Falcone, I was equally impressed by Robin Lord Taylor's Oswald Copperpot, Fish's aspiring underling.
Another strong performance came from Donal Logue as Harvey Bullock, a GCPD detective who gets partnered with James Gordon...he's aged a bit from the first Blade movie but he can still kick ass.
I thought the GCPD precinct set was well designed, and the look of Gotham was a good amalgamation of NYC and a medieval village. The little CG additions really help enhance your immersion in the city the show is named after.
There were a few Easter eggs I spotted, the first was very early on ( I wish I hadn't deleted the episode off the DVR) Selina Kyle slides off the awning and behind here there's an sign in fake Chinese characters that actually spells BATMAN, and then there's the crime scene....when I first saw this scene it didn't register, but after looking at the pic online I noticed it!

Do you see it?????

...flip the pic upside down

Gotham has potential, I hope the show explores the economic state of Gotham, show the hardships of the poor and the frustrations of the rich and the divide between them and explore the correlation between poverty and crime and and wealth and crime, the factors that drive people to commit crime and the truly evil people who feed on these petty criminals. 

I hope the show stay true to it's vision and doesn't degenerate into something campy like the Adam West Batman series.

Also don't use the go pro camera in close up chase scenes ever again!

If you enjoyed Gotham definately check out Batman Year One!

 

MGS V: The Phantom Pain Diamond Dog

I see a trend in games lately...dogs.
Call of Duty Ghosts had Riley the German Shepard,
Franklin from GTAV had Chop the Bull Mastiff,
Now Big Boss has a Husky!
What the hell kinda dog food do they have in Outer Heaven!?
4 days and you have a full grown dog!