Review - Professor Layton and the Curious Village

Professor Layton and the Curious Village
Nintendo DS
2008 by Level-5

Professor Layton and the Curious Village is a perfect example of what the Nintendo DS needs to see in order to show what the handheld has to offer. Professor Layton and the Curious Village would not be the same on one of the consoles or on the PlayStation Portable. This is a game that is designed for and exemplifies the strengths of the Nintendo DS.

The game mixes the usual adventure game conventions of puzzles and point-and-click, here touch-and-tap, with a European styled animated story reminiscent of Sherlock Holmes. The difference between Professor Layton and other classic adventure games such as the Monkey Island series and Grim Fandango is that these are the types of brain teasers that are usually seen in collections of logic puzzles and optical illusions rather than the inventory and environment puzzles seen in Lucasarts and Sierra classics. Puzzles in Professor Layton are the sort of word play, logic, and visual puzzles that many of have dealt with in our lives exemplified by the classic "bring 'x' wolves and sheep over the river puzzle" that everyone has worked on.

The difficulty in the puzzles can vary wildly though it is undoubtedly the sort of difficulty that depends greatly on the person playing the game. While logic puzzles may stump some the visual puzzles may stump others. One problem with the puzzles is that you'll often be angry when you find out the answer which seemed to be too obvious, and once you see how certain puzzles are done it becomes rather simple to answer similar puzzles. Also, since many of the puzzles are multiple choice it isn't difficult to find the correct answer simply through trail-and-error even if you were working on the problem one or two incorrect answers will lead to the answer.

The visual style is quite unique and is well executed. The music is adequate though there aren't very many tracks which is probably due to the limitations of the DS carts. The animation is well done, but sparse which is also probably due to the DS cart memory and the game certainly could have used a few more animated scenes between all the puzzle solving. Although the game is short, I finished it in about 10 hours, there are downloadable and hidden puzzles to extend the life of the game and unless the animation and story were extended more puzzles in the story section of the game would have probably been too many.

Since there are sequels in the pipeline, one already finished and one in the works, there is hope that the pacing issues and a more dynamic story will be found in the future, but for the time being Professor Layton and the Curious Village is a unique and great experience that is perfectly suited to the Nintendo DS.

Verdict: 4 stars out of 5.

Review - Intolerable Cruelty

Intolerable Cruelty
dir(s). Joel and Ethan Coen
2003

While this site has started by reviewing new-ish movies, comics, and more, Intolerable Cruelty will be the first of many reviews of older items because not everything I consume is brand new and I don't want to inundate the site with reviews of the same comics each month. Reviews will still be written after having recently experiencing, or re-experiencing as the case may be, a given title.

Intolerable Cruelty is often seen as a miss from the Coen brothers by many though there is disagreement whether their slump started with this film or with The Man Who Wasn't There in 2001 and continued with the release of The Ladykillers in 2004. I do tend to see this film as a departure for the Coen brothers, but I don't see it as the failure that it has been painted by so many. The Coens themselves admit in the bonus feature on the DVD that it is a departure for them both in tone and in the perceived commercial heights it was aiming for.

The film stars George Clooney as Miles Massey and Catherine Zeta-Jones as Marilyn Rexroth. Massey is an accomplished divorce attorney who feels an emptiness creeping into his life while Marilyn is well-to-do wife looking for a large divorce settlement from her buffoon husband Rex Rexroth. The film pays an obvious homage to the screwball comedies of the 30s and 40s such as His Girl Friday (1940) staring Cary Grant. The dialog is also of that era with fast talking, witty characters who always have a barb for one another. Clooney and Zeta-Jones have a strong chemistry throughout the film and their performances make the film memorable. The direction and styling of the film are also recognizably Coen brothers. Although the film is clearly a Coen brothers film which features strong performances and great dialog there is a certain airiness to the proceedings that keeps it from being as memorable and remarkable as their other features. Other Coen brother features, from the great to the not-so-great, have a depth to them that will keep the film playing in the audience's mind long after it is over. Those are films that stand up to multiple viewings whereas Intolerable Cruelty is an entertaining diversion but seemingly not much more than that.

Verdict: 3 stars out of 5.

Review - Justice Society of America #12

Justice Society of America #12
Writer: Geoff Johns and Alex Ross
Pencils: Dale Eaglesham and Ruy Jose
Cover: Alex Ross

While some reviews, noticeably those on IGN, have been harsh on the current trajectory of JSA with the addition of the Superman of Kingdom Come, I could not disagree more with the sentiments that the current plot is beyond Johns and Ross. While it has certainly taken some time for some of the pieces to come together in JSA, this arc has obviously been planned with quite a bit of foresight and I will keep any criticisms in the overall plotting to myself until the arc wraps up.

This issue sees several more legacy heroes joining the ranks of the Justice Society and the sense that the team is beginning to get to the point in which something will go terribly wrong with one of the new members is looming large over the narrative. JSA is one of the great DC books because it currently perfectly displays one of the key differences between DC and Marvel comic books. In DC, and shown perfectly in JSA, there is a sense of history and legacy in both the heroes and villains that Marvel rarely has. The Justice Society has some of the oldest and greatest heroes in the DC Universe including Jay Garrick, the Flash, and Alan Scott, the Green Lantern and also has some of the newest heroes such as Cyclone and Damage. The older heroes are attempting to teach the newer ones the lessons they have learned so that they don't have the same problems they had. JSA is a connection between the Golden Age of comics and the Modern Age.

In this issue we are treated to further information on who is the mystery behind the appearance of the Superman from Kingdom Come and that he may not be the only one to come from that world to the current DCU. We also see the team in ways that we rarely see other superhero teams, specifically we see them joking and sparring with one another. The balance between the many different characters and story threads in this issue and in the series as a whole is handled well. Eaglesham once again brings the Justice Society to life and it is apparent what a asset he has been on all these issues of JSA. If JSA were to come out on a regular schedule it would probably be one of my top reads, but the story definitely suffers for the lateness and it is difficult to keep the momentum in the series.

Verdict: 4 stars out of 5.

Review - Uzumaki Vol. 1

Uzumaki Vol. 1
by Junji Ito
2007 2nd English Edition

Uzumaki is a horror manga done by Junji ito who is perhaps best known for his work Tomie. Drawing his influences from Kazuo Umezu, known for his work The Drifting Classroom, and H.P. Lovecraft, Ito has crafted a great piece of horror fiction.

The story is centered in in the small Japanese town of Koruzo-Cho which is infected with the spiral, appropriately hinted at by the subtitle "Spiral into Horror" for the series. The spiral shape, on everything from a snail to the curls in a woman's hair, has taken on a sinister significance in the town. Characters become obsessed with the spiral or are otherwise "infected" with it when they are obsessed by a variety of things. This first volume and from what I understand the following two volumes are filled with tales from this town from the point of view of high school student Kirie. The first story chronicles the obsession that overtakes her boyfriend Shuichi's father and how he loses himself in the spiral. Kirie at first seems to be outside the psychological and physiological effects of the spiral, but soon we find that anyone in Koruzo-Cho is vulnerable to the horror.

Ito's work in Uzumaki can be solidly categorized by what many refer to as "body horror" as the characters are often twisted by the spiral into horrible shapes and monstrous beings. H.P. Lovecraft's influences are felt in the mysterious almost cosmic nature of the "spiral infection" and how people are not only warped physically but also mentally. This is a manga in which there isn't simply gore and body horror, but also the psychological horror of insanity, madness, and obsession. This recalls the way in which Lovecraft would often have his characters lose their minds in the face of his horrors rather than die since in many ways insanity can be seen to be worse than death.

The artwork is well done and Ito creates a unique feel to this mysterious and horrible world he has created. The manga is laid out quite beautifully and panels are broken down in a manner in which to build the tension and horror of the moments. The way in which the spirals are done is easily the highlight of the first volume and they are often drawn so as to draw you into them and keep you mesmerized just as the characters themselves are lost in the spirals.

Uzumaki is not for everyone both because of the gore and the resulting body horror and because of the psychological aspects of the story can be rather disturbing, but those who enjoy the works of Lovecraft and psychological horror in films such as Jacob's Ladder and video games such as Silent Hill should find much to enjoy in the town of Koruzo-Cho and in Uzumaki.

Verdict: 5 stars out of 5.

Review - Ring

Ring
Author: Koji Suzuki
1991 (trans. 2004)

Translated after the success of the American remake of the Japanese film based on his novel Koji Suzuki's Ring is the start of it all. Although the films, especially the Japanese film, share much with the novel there are several key differences and a difference in tone that in many ways radically alters the way in which the book is perceived.

The narrative, like the films, deals with a reporter attempting to unravel the puzzle of a VHS tape that pronounces that you will die in seven days after watching it. Unlike both film adaptations there is no spooky phone call and the film actually has a charm that explains how to live but the charm has been erased by the teenagers first killed by the video. Although several plot points remain the same between the films and the book there is significant differences in some places so fans of the films will still find much to interest them in the novel.

The writing is a bit odd in style and tone though it is difficult to say whether that is because of the different culture producing the novel or because of the translation. Point of view changes from one character to another quickly and does not follow breakdowns which readers may expect. The novel does build significant suspense, but only towards the final moments, since it spends much time delving into the characters currently embroiled in their final week and in the past of Sadako, called Samara in the American film remake, who they find created the video. The problem for many, and for this reviewer, is that the mysterious and supernatural tone of both the Japanese film and the American remake are quickly dropped for a quasi-scientific-fictional interpretation of the video. Here the evil of the tape is not necessarily unknown supernatural forces at work, but rather a strange mating of psychic abilities and an actual virus. Although there are hints at a darker supernatural mystery, the book deals mainly in scientific reasoning. For many, part of the uniqueness and attraction of the films is that the evil of Sadako/Samara is an unknown that consumes those who partake in it, but in the book the concept is treated wholly different in tone. Finally, it must be mentioned that the scene made most famous by the films, which is present in both the Japanese film and the American remake, in which Sadako/Samara comes out of the television to kill her victims is not present in the book and that the manner of death is quite different.

Overall the book will be enjoyable to fans of the films and can be appreciated on its own merits also. There are strong moments and interesting characters, but for many the missing style and tone of the films will detract from the novel.

Verdict: 3 1/2 stars out of 5.

Review - Action Comics #861

Action Comics #861
Writer: Geoff Johns
Pencils: Gary Frank

In "Superman and the Legion of Super-Heroes Part 4" we are once again treated to the combination of Geoff Johns and Gary Frank and once again see Johns revitalizing a title that had had weakness before his arrival. This arc centers around Superman being taken to the 31st century and trying to help the Legion fight the newly minted 31st century Justice League of Earth. The new Justice League has been perpetuating the idea that the ideal hero Superman was really a human and not an alien from Krypton. The Earth has become a xenophobic world, as shown brilliantly in this issue with school children visiting the Justice League headquarters, and the new Justice League is attempting to get rid of all the aliens on Earth, having already captured many familiar alien faces from the Legion of Super-Heroes.

While all this may sound complicated and only worthwhile for huge fans of these respective titles, Johns and Frank are able to create one of those rare marvels; a storyline that is as enjoyable to the newcomer as to the hardened fan. While the story touches on the past relationship between Superman and the Legion, the fact that Superman, and the ideal hero that he represents, are so important to the future is easily shown by Johns. Fear not though for the interested fans as there are many great tidbits and moments to remind them of the past and Johns attention to the history of the DCU including the still questionable differentiations between this Legion of Super-Heroes, the same from the earlier JLA/JSA Lightning Saga crossover arc, and the current Legion of Super-Heroes comic currently being rehabilitated by Jim Shooter.

This issue specifically is part 4 out of 6 and while in many other 6 issue arcs there is often a lull in issue 3 or 4, here we do not suffer from such a problem. Superman and a few Legionnaires are captured on Colu where Brainiac 5 has taken over as ruler. Johns writes a great exchange between Brainiac and Superman while Frank captures it all with the same great quality he has shown during this whole arc. The scenes on Earth with the new Justice League, which is made up of several Legion of Super-Heroes rejects, perfectly displays the dire situation and what has led to it. Earth-Man has definitely become a worthy adversary with his collection of Legionnaires to draw different superpowers from and his eventual confrontation with Superman and the Legion should prove to be quite exciting. While there are still two issues left this arc should be the beginning of great things for the Johns-led Man of Steel especially with the teasers of a Brainiac arc to follow.

Verdict: 4 1/2 stars out of 5.