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Tuesday 28 April 2020

Looking Glass by Christina Henry - Book Review

Originally published on Set The Tape

I’ve seen Christina Henry books numerous times before, books like The Mermaid and The Girl In Red, but never picked any up to read. I knew that she took existing stories like Peter Pan, or old fairy tales and put new and interesting twists on them, something that I’d seen her do with short stories in anthology collections like Hex Life or Cursed: An Anthology of Dark Fairytales, where I was impressed with her work. As such, when the chance to read her latest book came along I jumped at it, eager to see more.

Looking Glass isn’t quite what I was first expecting, however, as it’s not a novel in the traditional sense. Instead, the book has four connected short stories that act as both sequel and prequel to her books Alice and Red Queen, Henry’s version of Lewis Carroll’s classic Alice’s Adventures In Wonderland.

The first section of the book, titles ‘Lovely Creature’ follows Elizabeth Hargreaves, a young girl getting ready to celebrate Giving Day, a special occasion where the children of the richer inhabitants of The City meet the City Fathers and receive a small gift from them. What turns this normal day unusual for her is when her appearance seems to spark a secret that her parents are keeping from her when her mother looks as her and says she looks like Alice.

Over the course of the story we learn that Elizabeth is in fact the younger sister of Alice, who was sent away to the city asylum following her magical adventures. Elizabeth seems to be something of a replacement for the Hargreaves’ banished Alice, and we learn that the asylum burnt down and all inside believed dead. But all this is kept hidden from Elizabeth. Unfortunately, she has a lot of her sister in her and is determined to find out who this mysterious Alice is, even if it leads her down a dark and magical path of her own.

Following this, in ‘Girl In Amber’ we learn that Alice is in fact alive, having escaped the fire in the Asylum along with her companion Hatcher, and that the two of them have fled the city to find a new life for themselves. Despite Alice’s magic and Hatcher’s ability to turn into a wolf it’s not easy for them out in the wilds, and the two of them soon become separated in a vast snowstorm. On her own once again Alice manages to find her way into a strange and almost mystical house after following a young boy. However, she discovers horrors inside that will require her to not just use her magical abilities, but to push them to new limits.

‘When I First Came To Town’ is the part of the book that acts as a prequel to the entire series, jumping back through the years to explore Hatcher’s past. We get to see the gruff and grizzled man when he was still a teen, trying to earn his way out of poverty by fighting in back room boxing matches.

When the legendary fighter The Grinder is looking to compete against a new challenger Hatcher is given the opportunity to challenge him. A win against The Grinder will make him rich and famous, but a defeat could cripple him for life at the very least. Determined to win, Hatcher begins to train for the fight, a journey that will introduce him to a number of important figures, including Rabbit, and Cheshire.

The final section, ‘The Mercy Seat’, sees a more confident and powerful Alice and Hatcher as they continue their journey towards a new home, looking for a place to raise their coming child in peace. Along the way, however, the two of them must pass through the mysterious and deadly Village of the Pure, where anyone with magic meets a deadly fate.

The four stories presented in Looking Glass can all be read as stand alone pieces, and work well that way, but they do all connect, making one bigger story. Whilst I was at first unsure of how this would work I found that it actually read very well, and Henry was able to weave a story that was able to cover several narratives without feeling too bloated or boring. If anything it felt a lot snappier and easier to read thanks to this format.

Each section is also very different in tone, with one being quite trippy and psychedelic, which seems appropriate for an Alice story, whilst another felt more like a dark horror story. My favourite was definitely the section that delved into Hatcher though, as I loved seeing the progression of the character, and how other elements of the world were worked into it.

A very interesting and fun take on the Alice characters, one that proves to be a good followup to Henry’s other books, as well as an intriguing and engaging introduction to the world for readers like myself who have not read her other books.

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Monday 27 April 2020

Zu: Warriors From The Magic Mountain – Blu-ray Review

Originally published on Set The Tape

Zu: Warriors From The Magic Mountain was advertised as ‘the film that inspired John Carpenter’s Big Trouble In Little China‘ and on that sentence alone I was sold on watching it, knowing nothing else about it going in.

Luckily, the new Blu-ray release from Eureka Entertainment comes with a handy booklet that gives those who lack knowledge of the film some important background information on both the making of the movie, and the impact that it had on the Hong Kong film industry. Though not hugely in-depth, as there are are whole books written about the impact that Zu: Warriors From The Magic Mountain had, it does make you aware of just how groundbreaking the film was, and how what could otherwise be overlooked as a fun and over-the-top fantasy movie changed an entire industry.

Zu: Warriors From The Magic Mountain was released in 1983, and is a supernatural wuxia fantasy film. Wuxia roughly translates to martial heroes, and is a genre of Chinese fiction centred around martial artists, usually in ancient China. Whilst Hong Kong cinema was producing plenty of martial arts movies at the time, which were finding a lot of popularity in the west, the use of the supernatural was almost unheard of, something that helped Zu: Warriors From The Magic Mountain immediately stand out from the rest of the crowd. The film was something of a revival of a genre that hadn’t been used for decades, and it made other filmmakers take note and realise that they could embrace the ghosts, demons, and ancient gods that made up the world of Zu.

The film centres on a young soldier, Dik Ming Kei (Yuen Biao), who deserts his post amidst a war that’s immediately made clear to the viewers is pointless and somewhat stupid, where normal people are being turned against friends and neighbours. Dik Ming Kei seeks shelter in the mountain Zu, where he stumbles across a tomb inhabited by monstrous vampires. Luckily for him he is rescued from certain death by the mystical warrior Master Ding Yan (Adam Cheng).

Impressed by Ding Yan’s abilities, and wanting to stay away from the war, Dik Ming Kei follows after the mystical master, begging him to take him on as an apprentice. Deeper in the mountains the two of them stumble across a demon-hunting monk and his apprentice, Yat Jan (Mang Hoi). The four of them are soon set upon by a demon cult, who then summon an ancient blood devil to earth.

With their masters poisoned by the evil of the blood devil, and only a handful of days to find a pair of legendary swords that can banish it back to the underworld, Dik Ming Kei and Yat Jan set out in a journey that will take them to a Celestial Fort, the top of magical mountains, and into the very bowels of the underworld itself.

There’s not much more that I want to say about the plot of the film, or much about the journeys that the characters go on as it would spoil a lot of the surprises and fun that seems to often come out of nowhere. Plus, its a little hard to accurately describe everything that happens in the film as it feels a bit like a fever dream half the time. Characters suddenly appear, magic that you’ve never seen before happens, mystical beings help or hinder the heroes, and there’s almost never an explanation for any of it.

Admittedly, this is a big part of the charm of the film, and more than once I was struggling to know what was happening, but loving the experience. The special effects are very cheesy, the wire-work is super obvious as they don’t try to hide any of the equipment, and the action is so over-the-top it borders on comical; but this made the film so much fun.

The Blu-ray is also packed with special features, including an original trailer that will make you glad trailers aren’t made the same way anymore, and some interviews with some of the key cast members. The new release also comes with an in-depth interview with director Tsui Hark that was filmed in 2020 for this new release, which gives a lot of insight into the movie. One of the more interesting things included, however, is an alternate version of the film made for European cinemas, titled Zu: Time Warrior, which changes the character played by Yuen Biao into a modern-day college student who’s transported to ancient China.

Thanks to a dense and complex narrative, over-the-top action that you’ll want to watch again and show others, a host of special features including an alternate cut and full-length commentary, there’s a lot in the Zu: Warriors From The Magic Mountain release to keep you entertained for hours. Whether you’re an aficionado of the genre, or a relative newcomer, it’s something that you’re sure to be happy to have in your film collection.

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Friday 24 April 2020

Emberhawk by Jamie Foley - Book Review

'A starving trapper.

'Merciless drought withers Kira's ranch, leaving her family hungry—and desperate enough to cross the border into the forbidden forest to trap wild game. But the forest is infested with tree-scorpions and giant cats that wield elemental invisibility, and they're hungry, too. When Kira mistakes one elemental creature for another, she ends up with the last thing she wants in her trap: an enemy soldier.

'An invisible spy.

'Ryon can't afford to be a prisoner of war. If the Malaano Empire extracts his secrets, the rumours of war will be confirmed—and the tribes stand little chance against the Empire unless they can put aside generations of bad blood for the sake of a Tribal Alliance. When Ryon's escape leaves Kira injured and her livelihood in flames, Ryon must choose between aiding her… or returning to his chieftess with vital information. But can he survive the trek when an elemental pursues him for his rejected heritage?

'A sacrificial princess.

'Imperial Princess Vylia is given a powerful ancient stone as her wavesinger trials approach. But is the stone's whispering voice from the water goddess, or a masquerading elemental the creator god imprisoned millennia ago? When Vylia's diplomatic mission to the tribal lands erupts in fiery revenge, she, Kira, and Ryon must work together to survive—or become pawns in the battle of the gods.'

I have to be honest, I wasn't sure what to think of Emberhawk when I first started the book. The begin with, the book opens with a glossary of terms that explains the strange words in the book and a little about the history of the world it takes place in. This is something that is normally a big turn off for me, as I don't want to have to learn a load of phrases before I've even started to read anything. So, I skipped this and jumped straight into the story; and you know, I didn't feel like I was struggling with anything for having not read it.

The story is set in the world of Alani, a place where ancient elemental beings have passed into legend and have become worshipped as gods. Thanks to centuries of conflict, and mistrust, nations sit on the verge of conflict, with all sides setting secret plans into motion.

Kiralau, or Kira for short, lives on a farmstead on the border between the Malaano Empire and the lands of the Tribal Alliance, and her family is struggling to survive the harsh summer, in part because her older brothers and father have been drafted into the Imperial military. Kira begins to journey into the forests of the Tribal Alliance in order to trap animals just to keep the family surviving. Unfortunately, these traps seem to have caught the attention of a scout from the Tribal Alliance, Ryon. When Kira mistakes Ryon's elemental abilities for a Trace Cat, she shoots him with an arrow, injuring the young man and allowing him to be captured.

When Ryon escapes from Imperial forces and Kira is injured chasing after him the two of them begin a dangerous trek through the dangerous forests of the Tribal Alliance in order for them both to return home. But as they learn more about each other and become closer during their journey, they also learn that there are darker forces at work int he world, forces that wish to plunge their countries into war.

Because of the world of Emberhawk seemed to take inspiration from non-western culture and mythology, and because of the cast of characters made up of people of colour, I began the book thinking that it reminded me somewhat of Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi. I adored that book so much, and I think because of that I may have begun to think of Emberhawk somewhat negatively, expecting something similar that wouldn't be as good quality. I couldn't have been more wrong.

Before I knew it I'd been dragged into the story of Ryon and Kira, and begun to care about what happened to them on their journey. They weren't heroes setting out on a quest to change the world, or trying to do something that could save millions; they were just two people who didn't really like each other, trying to survive in a hostile place.

They became engaging, and it was sometimes a lot of fun to see two characters not completely different almost forcing themselves to not like each other. Kira hated Ryon because he was 'an enemy spy' who she assumed would turn on her at the drop of a hat, and Ryon didn't trust Kira because she'd shot him and kept accusing him of being a villain. Both characters weren't exactly in the wrong for thinking these things, as this is what circumstances led them to believe, but as they came to know each other more, began to see that they were actually both good people, people who didn't want war and conflict and just wanted to protect their families, they of course grow close.

This being a Young Adult fantasy book it was almost guaranteed that Kira and Ryon would develop feelings for each other. It's something that writers seem to feel needs to happen. In some cases this can feel forced, coming almost out of nowhere as two enemies fall madly in love almost overnight (again, I'm looking at you Children of Blood and Bone) but this wasn't the case here. Jamie Foley doesn't force the romance down the readers throat, and the evolution from begrudging respect, to friendship, and eventually romantic feelings between the leads feels very natural. It also helped that the romance was never given centre stage over their journey, and the bigger story that the two of them found themselves involved in.

I don't want to give too much away about the big confrontation that happens towards the end of the book, but it was what won me over completely and give the book an easy five stars on Goodreads. During the final act the book really embraces its fantasy setting, and gives readers a big, explosive fight in a visually stunning set piece, with big mythical monsters thrown into the mix too. It showed me that this wasn't just a small story about two people falling in love, but was also the start of a fantasy epic that would continue on into another book.

Emberhawk is a book that drew me in and made me fall in love with the characters without realising it. It made me concentrate on Kira and Ryon and their journey that I didn't expect anything bigger or grander to happen, and when it did I was so pleasantly surprised. I became invested in the world and the story that Jamie Foley was telling to the point where I'm eager to read the next book, even if Kira and Ryon don't end up returning. One of the better fantasy books that I've read in a while, and an instant favourite.

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Thursday 23 April 2020

Deck of Omens by Christine Lynn Herman - Book Review

'Though the Beast is seemingly subdued for now, a new threat looms in Four Paths: a corruption seeping from the Gray into the forest. And with the other Founders preoccupied by their tangled alliances and fraying relationships, only May Hawthorne seems to realise the danger. But saving the town she loves means seeking aid from the person her family despises most--her and Justin's father.

'May's father isn't the only newcomer in town--Isaac Sullivan's older brother has also returned, seeking forgiveness for the role he played in Isaac's troubled past. But Isaac isn't ready to let go of his family's history, especially when that history might hold the key that he and Violet Saunders need to destroy the Gray and the monster within it.

'Harper Carlisle isn't ready to forgive, either. Two devastating betrayals have left her isolated from her family and uncertain who to trust. As the corruption becomes impossible to ignore, Harper must learn to control her newfound powers in order to protect Four Paths. But the only people who can help her do that are the ones who have hurt her the most.

'With the veil between the Gray and the town growing ever thinner, all of the Founder descendants must put their grievances with one another aside to stop the corruption and kill the Beast once and for all. But maybe the monster they truly need to slay has never been the Beast... '

Deck of Omens returns readers to the town of Four Paths for the conclusion to Christine Lynn Herman's creepy Devouring Grey series. I was a little surprised when reading this book that it was to be the last one, as it seems that more and more often Young Adult books that get a sequel tend to go on for several books at least. Not only is that not the case here, but thanks to Deck of Omens picking up almost exactly where the first book left off, it feels like this is the second half to one singular story that was spread across two books.

This feeling is helped by the fact that there's a much bigger sense of pace in Deck of Omens. The first book felt like a slow burn story, one where Christine Lynn Herman not only slowly introduced readers to the principal characters, but teased out the nature of Four Paths, the Grey, and the Beast, in order to build tension. With all of this already being put into place for the sequel the author was able to hit the ground running, and things happen much quicker. When read in conjunction with the first book it does seem like The Devouring Grey was merely the introduction, whilst Deck of Omens is the real story that was being built up to.

Despite only taking place a few weeks after the events of the first book the characters have undergone some big changes for Deck of Omens. Violet has gone from someone on the back foot, not knowing what's going on and being forced to react, to a confident and outgoing young woman. She's come into her powers and actually seems to enjoy her new abilities and new role in the world, even if it came during a dark period in her life. She's fought through her grief and her loss and emerged as a very strong person. This is something that not only makes her a much more useful and competent fighter but someone with a level of emotional maturity that not all of the teens have.

Isaac also makes some big changes over the course of this book, becoming someone completely different to who he was in the first book. In The Devouring Grey he was presented as an angry young man, someone with a past that haunts them. Yes, he has a deeper, caring side that rarely comes out, but he's very much presented as something of a 'bad boy'. In Deck of Omens we get to learn so much more about him and his past, and especially the traumatic events that led to him being such a damaged person. Thanks to some help from Violet, however, and the return of his older brother, Isaac gets the chance to grow and evolve into one of the more interesting and complex characters in the whole book. He goes from being something of a 'side-kick' tagging along behind Justin to a more interesting and engaging character, one who outshines the 'golden boy' of Four Paths.

Violet and Isaac definitely stand out amongst the cast of characters as the most interesting, and the ones with the most growth, but the rest of the cast also improve over their introduction in the first book, perhaps with the exception of Justin. Despite some heroic moments towards the end of the book Justin doesn't really seem to do much or add anything to the story, and I don't think the book would have lost much without his inclusion.

The plot of Deck of Omens was greatly improved over the first book, and went in some interesting directions that I wasn't expecting. There are some things that happen right towards the end that I doubt anyone could have predicted. Shifting the narrative from an evil demon trying to break free from its prison into a story about a corruption, a disease like presence, makes it more interesting. It's not a stereotypical 'bad guy' who wants to do evil because they're bad, but a force of nature that can't be predicted or anticipated, something that can't be bargained with. It seems to elevate the stakes and makes the threat feel more real and impactful. The fact that they're having to battle some kind of infection whilst the world is struggling with a global pandemic might have added something to the book too, as suddenly a strange and deadly disease feels like a much more believable threat.

Deck of Omens proved to be a marked improvement over The Devouring Grey. Whilst there was nothing wrong with the first book, the sequel builds upon the world in new and interesting ways. The characters evolve and become more interesting. And Christine Lynn Herman explores the past of Four Paths in unpredicatable and interesting ways. The book will challenge the expectations you have from the first book, it'll make you think certain things but then pull the rug out from under you. An engaging and exciting conclusion to a great story.

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Wednesday 22 April 2020

Gears of War: Bloodlines by Jason M. Hough - Book Review

'In the aftermath of Settlement 2's destruction, Kait Diaz reels from the near loss of a close friend amid utter defeat at the hands of the Swarm. To move forward, she must choose either to walk the Outsider path of her mother, or rise to her beckoning duty as a Gear, as her father did. As Kait grapples with her circumstance, an unexpected ally illuminates secrets from the past that offer a new perspective. Over four decades before, the two superpowers of Sera - the Coalition of Ordered Governments, and the Union of Independent Republics - wage a bitter, worldwide conflict known as the Pendulum Wars. For nearly a century, the two have fought to wrest control over Sera's most precious energy resource: Imulsion.

'On the 79th year of the Pendulum Wars, Gabriel Diaz is a decorated Lieutenant Colonel serving the Coalition, assigned to Vectes Naval Base - a fortress that's seen little action despite its close proximity to UIR territory. The island's relative quiet is disturbed when a COG special forces team known as Ghost Squad arrive with a mysterious mission to the nearby island of Knifespire: an unforgiving rock of seemingly no strategic value. When the Ghosts send out a distress call, it's up to Gabe to evacuate them - and what he discovers on Knifespire could change the very course of the Pendulum Wars. There, the Battle of Gatka Ridge will define Gabe's legacy, and shape the future of his daughter, Kait Diaz. '

Last years Gears of War: Ascendance was a book that very firmly made it's place on my top ten for the year, thanks to not just going and filling in gaps in the Gears of War timeline, but thanks to author Jason M. Hough writing incredibly engaging characters and scenarios that kept me gripped throughout. And this year it looks like he's done it again with Gears of War: Bloodlines, a novel that not only slots into the events of Gears of War 5, but also sets up some of the characters that will be appearing in the upcoming Gears Tactics.

Picking up moments following the deployment of the Hammer of Dawn super weapon at the end of the first act of the game, readers get to actually see the rescue of the injured James Fenix and the heroes desperate escape from Settlement Two. Yes, we know the main characters survive these events because we see them in the game, but it's still exciting to see just how they managed to get to safety. It's a testament to how much energy that Hough manages to put into these scenes that they still feel tense and exciting despite knowing the outcome.

The main story takes place within this 'gap' in the game's narrative, during the few months following the Gears' defeat at Settlement Two and Kait's eventual trip to her uncle's Riftworm Outpost. This is a time where Kait is still battling with her role in the world now, where she agrees that people need to come together and join as one if they want to survive the Swarm, but still doesn't know if she can be a part of that. We see a Kait who is wrestling with the choice of whether or not to join the COG, especially after the revelation of JD's involvement in a government ordered shooting of civilians.

This was something that the game seemed to gloss over during their 'three months later' time jump. Kait had gone from learning an awful truth about not just one of her friends, but the government that wants her to join them, to being one of their soldiers. Obviously this was done in the game so that the main story and the action could continue, but it always felt like something was missing. This decision is the central focus of Gears of War: Bloodlines, and it's thanks to her father that Kait manages to decide on her course of action.

During an extensive flashback section, courtesy of a top secret file given to Kait by the older but still awesome Colonel Hoffman, we get to jump backwards in time to the Pendulum Wars, where Gabriel Diaz is stationed at Vectes Naval base in a quiet island chain far away from the front lines of the war. When this quiet posting is disrupted by a special forces unit and their secretive mission, Gabriel is forced into action against impossible circumstances.

The flashback to Gabriel and his mission is a pretty large section of the book, and it doesn't jump back and forward with the present, meaning that you can really get your teeth into it without breaks in the action. Unlike the rest of the book, where we know certain characters are going to live, this section has a less certain outcome, where any character other than Gabriel is a potential death. Because of this, the flashback drew me in a lot more, and managed to keep me guessing as to what might happen next.

Not only do we get to know Gabriel more, which is sure to be useful for the new Gears: Tactics game, but we get a great insight into who Kait is through him. The things she learns through this report change the way that she views her dad, a man she thought she knew well. It also makes her reconsider her own position on joining the COG or not, especially after seeing the Swarm destroy more outsider camps. Having Kait make her decision based even in part on her fathers legacy is a great choice. It gives her more depth, rather than it just being her making a tactical decision.

Gears of War: Bloodlines adds more to the Gears of War 5 story, it gives more depth to Kait's character, and it expands the world further, both during current events and with things that happened in the past. A brilliant addition to the Gears of War universe.

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Tuesday 21 April 2020

Pokémon: The First Movie – 20th Anniversary

Originally Published on Set The Tape

Pokémon: The First Movie had its original release in Japan on 18th July 1998. It opened in the UK on 14th April 2000.

When I saw that Pokémon: The First Movie was turning 20 I jumped at the chance to write a piece about it – then was immediately disturbed by the prospect that it was turning 20. There’s something about beloved franchises from your youth hitting big milestones that really hammer home how old you’re getting. The Pokémon franchise itself celebrated its 25th anniversary in 2017 and I had complicated feelings about it then too.

I can still remember Christmas morning in 1999, when I was still just 12 years old, and opening up a present that contained a brand new lime green Gameboy Colour and a copy of Pokémon Blue. The TV show had been airing in the UK for a few months and the trading card game was taking playgrounds by storm, so the anticipation for the game was huge. I’d even bought a walk-through guide months before and would page through it again and again learning everything I could about the game.

Fast forward a few months and the big event of 2000 happened: the first Pokémon movie hit UK cinemas. I vividly remember going to watch it more than once, getting different people to take me so that I could try and get as many of the free trading cards that came with the tickets as I could. Boy were those good days.

The film itself loosely fits into the animated series, something that the subsequent 18 or so films would do, and followed Ash (Veronica Taylor), Misty (Rachael Lillis), and Brock (Eric Stuart) as they receive a mysterious summons to attend a event on a mysterious island, where they can challenge the worlds greatest Pokémon trainer.

Arriving on the island along with several other strong trainers, and Team Rocket, they discover that this mysterious trainer is in fact Mewtwo, a powerful Pokémon created in a lab from the genetic material of the mythical Pokémon Mew. Mewtwo refuses to be a slave fighting for humans, however, and sets out to create a new world of powerful Pokémon cloned from the trainers’ originals. With the trainers’ Pokémon desperately battling their own, more powerful clones, Mew arrives on the island and the ultimate Pokémon battle begins.

The plot of the film is actually quite different from the original Japanese version, with Mewtwo’s motivations being changed quite drastically in the English dub. In the original he was trying to earn his place in the world, as he felt he did not have one due to his clone origins. In the western version Mewtwo is altered into a much more antagonistic figure, one that has almost villainous aims.

Whilst this change upset some, fans at the time found it to be very entertaining, and thanks to the first part of the film being dedicated to showing Mewtwo’s origins it felt like a believable motivation. You get to see him born in a lab, made by scientists who don’t care about his thoughts or feelings, even after learning that he’s a sentient being capable of complex thought and feelings. After this, he’s used by the leader of Team Rocket and made into a weapon used against their enemies, or to further their criminal goals. This part of the film even expanded upon some small scenes that featured in episodes of the animated series, where Mewtwo had be teased to build up excitement for the film.

Despite being a film about strange monsters and the people who use them to fight in competition with each other Pokémon: The First Movie is more a film that tells a story about destiny. Are you fated to a single path in life purely because of how you came into the world? A quote from the film that is often shared online, usually with people being shocked about where it came from thanks to the depth it shows, sums this up well: “The circumstances of one’s birth is irrelevant, it is what you do with the gift of life that determines who you are”.

The film even takes the bold move of sending the message that fighting is wrong (which seems to go against the entire core of the Pokémon franchise), and tries to foster a message of togetherness and peace:

“We do have a lot in common. The same Earth, the same air, the same sky. Maybe if we started looking at what’s the same instead of what’s different… well, who knows.” – Meowth

These deeper messages are something that stuck with the kids who watched the movie when it first came out, and the film’s attempt to be something more than just a bigger and longer episode of the show is why it’s the most successful Pokémon film. It briefly held the record for highest-grossing opening for an animated film in the US, and is still the most financially successful animé of all time outside of Japan.

Pokémon: The First Movie might not be a film that will set your world on fire, and if you’re not a fan of the franchise, or it’s not something from your childhood you might even get bored watching it. But if you grew up with Pokémon, if it was a part of your youth and meant something to you then it’ll mean something to you now too.

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Monday 20 April 2020

Resident Evil Voice Actor Paul Haddad Passes Away

Voice actor Paul Haddad, who played Leon Kennedy in the original Resident Evil 2 in 1998, has passed away aged 56.

Haddad voiced the original version of Leon Kennedy, and was for many the definitive version of the character. His voice acting career included many other credits, including Quicksilver in the 90's X-Men animated series, the Wolfman in Monster Force, and Willy in the Free Willy series. He has also provided voices for series such as The Adventures of Tintin, Rupert, and Barbar.

Haddad had recently worked on the video game Daymare: 1998 from Invader Studios, a third-person survival horror game that's influenced by Resident Evil, and hopes to recreate the mood of the original games. Invader Studios confirmed his passing in a recent Twitter post, where they shared a small tribute to him.

Nick Apostolides, who voiced Leon in the recent Resident Evil 2 Remake released an emotional video on his social media shortly after hearing the news of Paul's passing, where he talked about his friendship with the man who was his introduction to the world of Resident Evil.

The exact details surrounding Haddad's passing are still unclear, however, he had been sick for a while, battling throat cancer and a neurological disorder. He had a GoFundMe set up to help assist with his health bills, and was scheduled to receive neurosurgery, though this was delayed due to the current pandemic health crisis.

Despite having played the original Resident Evil first, Resident Evil 2 was the first game in the series I completed, and the first that I spent any real time on during the early years of the franchise. Leon Kennedy was a character that stood out, even amongst other great heroes in the Resident Evil series. Whilst Leon would go on to become even more popular over the coming years, espeically thanks to Resident Evil 4, I'm sure that many will agree with me that it was Resident Evil 2 and Paul's performance in that role that made the character iconic for us.

Thursday 16 April 2020

Resident Evil 3 Remake – Game Review

Originally posted on Set The Tape

I’ve already spoken a little about the Resident Evil 3 remake, giving my first impressions of the game from the great demo released a few weeks ago. However, now that I’ve had the game for a few days, and sunk more hours into it than I’m willing to admit, it’s time to give it a proper review.

In my previous article I said that the game seems to be quite different from the original it’s based on; however, I wasn’t expecting just how different it would end up being. Where the remake of Resident Evil 2 stuck fairly close to the original, this game sticks to the feel of the original, but changes things up quite a bit. For example, the original game had you work your way through the back alleys of Raccoon City from Jill’s apartment to the police station, where you meet Nemesis for the first time. In this game not only does Jill not go to the police station (a section that Carlos gets instead), but Nemesis is the very first monster you see in the game, breaking his way into Jill’s apartment.

Within minutes it’s clear that Capcom aren’t afraid to make big changes, and whilst there are certain things that I miss from the original game that haven’t made the cut, I loved the fact that the Resident Evil 3 remake kept me on my toes in ways that Resident Evil 2 didn’t. Some of the new locations made for some great set pieces, with the zombie-filled streets of the city feeling like the remnants of a real city in ways previous games never did, and some locations like the construction site being made purely to show how big and scary Nemesis is.

These parts also have a drawback though, as it shows how Resident Evil 3 is much more of an action game than it is a survival horror one. Now this isn’t something that’s new to the remake, as the original had much more guns, explosions, and bombastic moments than any Resident Evil game had had to that point. It’s not as action heavy as some of the other games in the series such as Resident Evil 4, or Resident Evil 5, and certainly not anything like 2012’s Resident Evil 6, which played more like a rejected Call of Duty game. However, in comparison to the remakes of the first and second game it does stand out. Whether this is something that puts you off or not will largely depend on how you like your action to horror balance, and if you were a fan of the original Resident Evil 3.

As a fan of the original these differences in tone weren’t too much of a sticking point for me, and I thoroughly enjoyed the experience. My biggest annoyances were the loss of the Clocktower location, this time relegated to a single boss fight, and that we didn’t have longer with the first stage Nemesis before he mutated into a new monster. These are just my personal opinions though, and the game still flows extremely well despite the loss of this old location.

Before the game came out people were already complaining about the length of it. Whilst it doesn’t take as long to fully finish compared to the first two games this is in part because there’s just the one story here, rather than two to choose from. Instead of this being a downside I found it to actually work to the game’s benefit. It’s much easier to go back and play through it again thanks to its length and fast pace.

This is especially true if you enjoy trying to earn achievements/trophies, as you’ll have to replay the game with some interesting caveats involved. Not only is there the standard achievements for beating the game on higher difficulties, but you can even attempt to earn rewards for beating the game without using any health items, or in under two hours. So far I’ve managed both of those and will be trying to beat the game without using the item chests later this week. I can easily see myself playing through the game several more times at least before taking a break from it.

The game is, like Resident Evil 2, absolutely gorgeous to look at, with amazing graphics and visuals that stand out as some of the best in the franchise. Along with the much improved voice-acting it helps to make Resident Evil 3 into a truly cinematic experience. Jill is by far at her best in this game, and cements why she’s one of the best characters in the series, and the improvements to Carlos elevate him from a somewhat forgettable character into a hero I’d love to see more of.

There are probably some people who’d say that this isn’t as good as Resident Evil 2, but it’s not really fair to compare the two as they’re very different types of Resident Evil games. One is slower and more claustrophobic, whilst the other is more fast paced and action oriented. These differences don’t make for anything of a lesser game, and anyone who’s a fan of the series is sure to enjoy this entry.

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Monday 13 April 2020

Resident Evil: The Umbrella Conspiracy by S. D. Perry - Book Review

'Raccoon City: a remote mountain community suddenly besieged by a rash of grisly murders encroaching upon it from the surrounding forest. Bizarre reports start to spread, describing attacks from vicious creatures, some human...some not. Victims are apparently eaten. At the epicenter of these deaths is a dark, secluded mansion belonging to the mysterious Umbrella Corporation. For years umbrella has labored within the mansion, unwatched, ostensibly conducting benign genetic research.

'Deployed to investigate the strange goings-on is the Special Tactics and Rescue Squad (S.T.A.R.S.), an unusual paramilitary response unit boasting an eclectic assortment of mission specialists: roguish Chris Redfield, former cat burglar Jill Valentine, dead-eye Barry Burton, and the enigmatic team leader, Albert Wesker. Together with the other S.T.A.R.S. operatives, they have a good reason to believe they're ready for anything. But what unfolds as the S.T.A.R.S. penetrate the mansion's long-locked doors is terror beyond their worst nightmares: creatures that defy the laws of life and death-the result of forbidden experiments gone disastrously wrong. Behind it all is a conspiracy so vast in its scope and so insidious in its agenda that the S.T.A.R.S. will be betrayed from within to ensure that the world never learns Umbrella's secret. And if any survive...they may well come to envy those who did not.'

Resident Evil: The Umbrella Conspiracy is the retelling of the story of the very first Resident Evil game, with veteran 'geek' writer Stephani Perry stepping in to try and make the game work as a novel.

The book was originally published in 1998, the same year as the second game in the series. It's quite clear early on in the book that despite being written as official novelisations of the games, the books that Perry would write can no longer be seen as accurate parts of the Resident Evil lore, as new elements introduced to the narrative, and decisions made regarding what characters do around the events of the game contradict things that would eventually happen in the rest of the Resident Evil franchise. Despite this, if taken as a separate entity, ones that create a new branch of the franchise universe the series of novels are incredibly entertaining and enjoyable.

This first book begins before the events of the game, giving readers a small insight into STARS member Jill Valentine, as she tries to rush from her home in the sleepy suburbs to the police station in the centre of the city to attend the latest briefing about the 'cannibal killers' that are causing woe for the people of Raccoon. We get to learn a little about her past, that she was trained as a cat burglar by her father, but chose to switch from a life of crime to law enforcement following her fathers arrest and him being sent to prison. This insight is something of a surprise as there's no indication in the games that Jill has a criminal past, but I guess it's how Perry chose to expand upon the 'master of unlocking' line in the original game.

We also learn that Jill has something of a personal connection to the case, as two of the missing children, Priscilla and Becky McGee, lived close to her, and that the two girls had befriended her in that way that children do when they discover a cool adult. Having known the girls, having let them play in her front yard more than once, we see that Jill has a determination and drive to find them and bring those responsible for the deaths to justice.

Despite the main narrative being split between Jill and Chris, the other playable character from the game, we don't really get to know Chris in the way that we do with Jill here. There's not a huge amount of background information given about him, and I can't help but wonder if their might have been more in the book that was cut at a late stage due to his sister being featured in the second game released the same year.

Once the STARS arrive at the mansion setting of the game things become much more interesting, and we begin to see how difficult a translation the story must have been for Perry. Unlike Resident Evil 2, which does offer players a narrative where both playable scenarios work together, the first game did not. It was either Jill's story or Chris' story. This just wouldn't work for the novelisation, however, and Perry has the difficult job of not only translating repetitive hallway walking into an engaging narrative, but also has to figure out how to two leads stories can play out without the two characters meeting, and with them both getting to be heroes.

For the most part, this actually works very well. Both characters get the chance to shine, and iconic moments from each of their scenarios play out on the page as they did in the game. The age of the books does show here a few times, as like in the original game there's no mention or hint that Rebecca went through her own separate adventure before those of this book. The end of the book also seemingly kills off Albert Wesker for good, although this also happened in the games and was later retconned away, but these are small quibbles that only the most die hard fan will care about, and even then most will just let it go and enjoy the story.

The biggest chance in the narrative is the introduction of the mysterious Trent, a man that appears before the team leaves for the Raccoon forest to give Jill information on the mansion. There's not much explanation given here as to who Trent is, or why he's helping Jill, but this is the beginning of a new plot element that Perry would work into the rest of the series as her story progressed, especially in those entries that don't rely on existing source material to tell their story.

There are times that Resident Evil: The Umbrella Conspiracy feels a little shaky, when it seems schlocky and a bit stupid, but it's a twenty year old adaptation of a cheesy horror game that wasn't made with the level of love and affection that the series has now. It's good for what it is, though, and if you want a fun little book to fill some time with and you're a fan of the franchise you're sure to get some enjoyment out of it, even if its just chuckling as you remember of cheesy and bad that first game actually was. Plus the series was reprinted with some gorgeous new covers by Titan Books, so the collection looks absolutely gorgeous on a shelf together.

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Tuesday 7 April 2020

Eden by Tim Lebbon - Book Review

'In a time of global warming and spiralling damage to the environment, the Virgin Zones were established to help combat the change. Abandoned by humanity and given back to nature, these vast areas in a dozen remote locations across the planet were intended to become the lungs of the world.

'But there are always those drawn to such places. Extreme sports enthusiasts and adventure racing teams target the dangerous, sometimes deadly zones for illicit races. Only the hardiest and most experienced dare undertake these expeditions. When one such team enters the oldest Zone, Eden, they aren't prepared for what confronts them. Nature has returned to Eden in an elemental, primeval way. And here, nature is no longer humanity's friend.'

Climate change is one of the deadliest things humanity has had to face, the changes that we have made to our planet will invariably go on to lead to the extinction of the human race if we don't take action. Eden is set in a world where action has been taken, bold action. Several large areas across the globe have been completely abandoned by humanity, having been handed back to nature in a desperate attempt to repair some of the damage we have done.

These Virgin Zones have become mythical places, shrouded in secrecy. People have tried to get inside in the past, and have lost their lives in the attempts as security forces that defend the do so with deadly force. Despite this, there are still people who try to get inside the zones; including extreme sports fanatics.

Eden follows one of these extreme racing groups, several people who infiltrate Eden, the oldest Virgin Zone, in order to become the first people to travel through the extreme wilderness. However, there are things deep inside Eden that don't want humanity there anymore, that will kill anyone who invades its borders.

Despite being a horror book, Eden spends a good portion of the book establishing its world, and gives a lot of time over to the central cast of characters that the reader follows. Readers are slowly eased into this future world where the planet is fighting back against the damage humanity has caused. The idea of the Virgin Zones are set up as the group travels to Eden, having to avoid security forces and advanced tech in order to get inside the borders. It's clear even without huge amounts of information about the Zones themselves that the feat the group are attempting is by no means an easy one, thanks to the way that Lebbon portrays their journey into Eden. The tension on this journey is palpable; unfortunately for readers, this is one of the least tense parts of the book as things get even worse when the group gets into Eden.

Lebbon manages to make the early parts of the journey, where there's nothing overtly wrong or threatening around the group, feel incredibly tense. Every step further into Eden builds tension as the reader begins to understand that these people aren't just breaking the law, but are entering a world where humans don't belong anymore.

The group gets built up well during these early stages of the book too, with each of them having very different and distinct characters and personalities. They feel unique, with each one bringing their own speciality to the group, as well as their own reasons for being there. There are the older extreme racers who want to tick Eden off their list as 'the big one', the scientist who wants to see what it's like inside, the ambitious youth who wants fame and fortune, and the young woman searching for something deeply personal and important. Despite these differences the group works well together, and Lebbon makes their friendships believable and realistic, and it's easy to see how some of these characters have known each other for years.

The sad part of having such well made characters, however, is that when danger finally reaches the group you don't want anything bad to happen to any of them. Unfortunately, Eden wants to destroy they all. Once the action starts, in a shocking, bloody way, it doesn't stop. The slow, tension building journey into Eden becomes a desperate, non-stop battle for survival. The groups fight to survive becomes the biggest hook of the book, and you'll find it hard to put down once the terror really begins; if you're like me you'll be desperate to see what happens next and if your favourite characters will survive.

Eden reads like a great horror film, a story that knows how to pace itself, how to draw you into the amazing environment and interesting characters before it all goes horribly wrong. Lebbon has had his work made into film before with The Silence, and Eden feels like another story that is ideal for an adaptation, and practically leaps off the page into epic, cinematic visuals as you read it.

Tim Lebbon is a great horror writer, and manages to make all of his stories scary, even those that you wouldn't at first think would be. But what I've found he's the best at is crafting characters that you come to care for a lot, even when you know that not everyone is going to make it out alive. There wasn't a chance that every character was going to survive Eden, but that would have been the only scenario that would have made me the happiest as I loved all of them. Alas, he broke my heart more than once reading this book; but then that's the sign of not just a good writer, but a great writer. If you've never experienced a Tim Lebbon book before Eden is a great place to start, one that will blow you away; and if you have read his work you'll know that you're guaranteed an amazing read.

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Thursday 2 April 2020

Are Snakes Necessary? by Brian De Palma and Susan Lehman - Book Review

'When the beautiful young videographer offered to join his campaign, Senator Lee Rogers should've known better. But saying no would have taken a stronger man than Rogers, with his ailing wife and his robust libido. Enter Barton Brock, the senator's fixer. He's already gotten rid of one troublesome young woman -- how hard could this new one turn out to be?

'Pursued from Washington D.C. to the streets of Paris, 18-year-old Fanny Cours knows her reputation and budding career are on the line. But what she doesn't realize is that her life might be as well...'

Are Snakes Necessary? is the latest novel in the Hard Case Crime series, a series of crime thrillers that try to recreate the pulpy thrill of the 1950's, complete with beautifully painted, sometimes schlocky, covers. This new novel sees the legendary film director Brian De Palma, famous for films such as Carrie, Scarface, and Mission Impossible, in his debut as an author.

You only need to look at De Palma's filmography to see that he's no stranger to telling stories about gangsters, criminals, murder, and corruption; so a book about such things seems to be completely in his wheelhouse. However, if you're expecting a story that's as in your face as something like Scarface you might be a little disappointing, as Are Snakes Necessary? takes a much slower approach to storytelling.

The story follows Lee Rogers, a Senator that's running for re-election and needs to keep his public image squeaky clean. This is easier said than done as it turns out the 'moral, upstanding' senator is well known within his inner circle as something of a womaniser. As such, it's down to his right hand man, Barton Brock, to keep things running smoothly.

At the start of the book we get to see how Brock comes to work for Rogers, that he grabbed the senators attention when he tried to ruin his career whilst working for one of his opponents. Very early on its made clear to the readers that Brock, and Rogers, are despicable people, who have no qualms about hurting others if it gets them what they want; they completely destroy the life of one young woman, Elizabeth, and don't even seem to care about it.

During the course of the book we keep checking in on Elizabeth, seeing how her life changed thanks to Brock and Rogers. Through her we also get introduced to a boyfriend of hers, a budding young photographer. Both of these characters keep skirting the fringes of the story, to the point that you begin to question why so much time is given over to them, before the authors manage to weave them both into the conclusion of Brock and Rogers' stories in ways that were honestly quite surprising.

The main story, however, sees Rogers slowly begin to form an intense relationship with a teenage intern on his campaign. What starts off as a young woman wanting to prove her skills and worth as a documentary maker, quickly turns into her obsessive love for a man she really, really shouldn't be involved with.

This relationship is incredibly creepy, and feels uncomfortable throughout. Here's a man who is more than twice her age, knowingly seducing and manipulating a young girl to get her into bed. He promises her the world, knowing full well that he's never going to deliver, and as soon as he gets tired having sex with her he'll move on to someone else; all while his faithful wife is suffering through illness and disability.

Now, the thing that makes this worse, and this is a spoiler so skip to the next paragraph if you don't want things ruined, is that it turns out that Rogers is actually her father. This became obvious moments before the revelation, but it didn't stop it feeling awful when it happened. I'm not sure why the choice to have this was made, as neither person finds out the truth, but it pushed things a little too far on the gross factor for me. It was already bad enough that he was sleeping with someone young enough to be his daughter, they didn't actually have to make her his daughter.

Are Snakes Necessary? seemed to be a story about how powerful men can do whatever they want, how women tend to be at the mercy of their whims and if what they want destroys your whole life then that's just what's going to happen. We see this at the start of the book, but get to see their victim put their life back together, though the events have clearly damaged her and left her with severe mental and emotional trauma; but we also see this slowly over the rest of the book, watching a slow and steady destruction of a kind and caring young woman, with deadly consequences.

The book is really depressing because of this. It's billed as a thriller, but the thrills are too few and far between for it to feel much more than a sad story, and possibly a warning not to trust the rich and powerful, especially politicians.

Whilst the book does move at a pace thanks to the short and punchy sentences and quick chapters a lot of time is given over to establishing characters early on that by the time things start to move forward with the plot they happen very quickly. Characters seem to make big, sudden leaps in motivation and logic because we don't get to see their decision making like we did early on, and it becomes hard to know where they are mentally or what they think is going to happen when they do some pretty stupid things. It felt like the book could have done with being a bit longer so that we could have had more time towards the latter stages of the story.

As it is, the book feels like it was perhaps envisioned as a film first, maybe a script that had been re-purposed into a novel. As such we get these long character introductions, but little of substance to them later in the story. I couldn't help but feel that the book might have worked better as a film, as it's an experience that was definitely stronger in the first half.

That being said, I did read the thing in a single sitting, and it was incredibly easy to read. There was a desire to find out what happened next at the end of every chapter to the point where thinking 'just one more chapter before bed' ends up with you reading the whole book into the early hours of the morning. It might not be the most thrilling thriller I've ever read, but it was a reading experience that stood out as very different to what I'm normally used to, and it was great to see Brian De Palma dip his toes into the world of prose novels.

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Wednesday 1 April 2020

Resident Evil 3 Remake – First Impressions

Originally published on Set The Tape

I’m a fan of the Resident Evil series, have been since the very first game on the original Playstation. I’ve got multiple copies of some of the games spread across various different platforms (thank you Nintendo Switch for making me rebuy all my games so I can play them on the go). Resident Evil 3 has always been something of a favourite of mine, and is probably the one I like the most on the Playstation, so when it was announced that a remake was coming I was more than excited.

Friday April 3rd sees the release of the Resident Evil 3 remake. Thanks to the Resident Evil 2 remake hitting homes a year ago, and some impressive trailers, fans had a pretty good idea of what to expect. However, those expectations have shifted somewhat with the release of the demo last week.

Dropping you some way into the game, the demo has lead hero Jill Valentine meeting up with some members of the UBCS (the Umbrella Biohazard Countermeasure Service) who are trying to restore power to the subway to get survivors to safety.

It’s already clear from the first few minutes that this is going to be a very different game to the original. The characters are already quite different, with Jill being much more assertive and sure of herself than in the original. She doesn’t take crap from the guys in the UBCS, and it’s great. Jill’s always been one of my favourite Resident Evil characters, and I love whenever you get the chance to play as her, but she never really had much of a personality during her early appearances. This looks to be the first time that she’s really given the spotlight and the chance to shine.

Outside of this brief look at the characters, players get to experience a small part of the apocalyptic Raccoon City. One of the best things about the Resident Evil 2 remake was how it updated the environments and made them new and dynamic, but other than the police station you really didn’t get a chance to see much of the city, with large sections of the game set in the sewers and underground labs. This seems to have changed with this game, with the streets and shops.

The demo really surprised me by how it expanded Raccoon City. It’s not just the fact that you can run around the streets, but that you can enter almost every building you come across. Raided shops, ruined pharmacies, and abandoned cafes litter the broken and ruined city. Some of these places have important items you need, like a fire hose that you’ll use to get past a burning alley, but some just hold a few supplies and zombies.

You’ll also find that there’s a lot more zombies littering the streets too. This means that action is more of a focus than last year’s remake. Whilst there are more enemies around, and more ammo to fight them, as well as Resident Evil 3‘s ammo creation system, it’s not a gun heavy game by any means. The enemies are tough, and can move and sway in a way that often makes hitting them harder than you think. Combat is definitely going to be something of a challenge in the game, one that will require you to think through your tactics.

The biggest thing in the demo, however, is Nemesis. Arguably the second biggest star in the game after Jill, he’s one of the most memorable boss monsters in the entire franchise. What always made him great was his ability to show up at unexpected times, and his near invulnerability made fighting him a hell of a challenge. Well, old Nemesis was a joy compared to this one.

This version is fast, really fast. He can run what looks like three times your speed. He can jump around the environment, landing in front of you and blocking your escape. He’s tough as hell and can knock you to the ground with one hit. He’s got tentacles that can grab you and trip you up. And it looks like he can change zombies into even worse enemies. Seeing Nemesis was both the best and worst part of the demo. It was great to see him in action, but made me seriously worried about having to fight him multiple times in the actual game.

The demo was short, basically getting you down one street and past one obstacle, but it gives you a good taste of what the game is about. It highlights how Capcom have taken what was in the last remake and really built on it. Just from first impressions Resident Evil 3‘s remake is set to be one of the biggest and best Resident Evil games in years.

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