Category video games

Dec 21 2024

Sonic The Hedgehog 3 Is The Perfect Sendoff To My Childhood!

About four years and two movies ago, as well as a spinoff show later, the Sonic Cinematic Universe looks to be at its absolute peak with the latest film Sonic the Hedgehog 3. I would consider myself as a lifelong Sonic fan, and despite his many failures and flops, I’ll always hold a special space in my heart for this franchise. That being said, when Sonic the Hedgehog was released on Valentine’s Day of 2020, I’ll admit that I was beyond ecstatic that the blue blur had finally made it to the big screen; it was far from a great movie, but it was good enough to call a success, and Paramount Pictures agreed to give the franchise a second movie. About a month before the release of Sonic the Hedgehog 2 Paramount Pictures officially announced that a third Sonic movie would begin production shortly after the second movie, along with a logo reveal which got fans speculating on what the post-credits scene for the second movie could be. The top two contenders came down to Metal Sonic or Shadow, and it ended up being Shadow, which got many fans like me excited for where Paramount would take the Sonic franchise. I’ll admit that upon the premature announcement of Sonic the Hedgehog 3, I was worried that Paramount would jump the shark and go too crazy, losing general audiences and causing the movie universe to end short, but after watching Sonic the Hedgehog 3, I can confidently say that I fully trust Paramount to handle the delicate nature of the Sonic franchise. By the way, Sonic 2 was amazing, so I thought it would be impossible to top that movie as THE Sonic movie.

I was wrong! Sonic the Hedgehog 3 is a pure love letter to the video game Sonic Adventure 2 and its many loyal fans. At the time of watching this movie, I had literally just turned 18, so technically the first thing I did as an adult was watch one of the best releases of the Sonic franchise, yes, games included. Rewinding a bit, 2024 has been an amazing year for Sonic the Hedgehog, or rather Shadow instead. 2024 saw SEGA dubbing it “The Fearless Year of Shadow” in which Shadow would get a lot of excellent spotlights, ranging from the incredible mini-animated series Shadow Generations: Dark Beginnings and the follow up video game Shadow Generations, which I would call my favorite Sonic game (as I’m writing this, I have this game’s soundtrack on loop, currently playing “What I’m Made Of…”). It is safe to say that this year was easily the best idea SEGA has had for the franchise in years, and how else could you end the year of Shadow than releasing the Shadow movie?  I will split this review into non-spoilers, and then spoilers, but I will indicate when the shift is.

Sonic the Hedgehog 3 begins with Shadow (voiced by Keanu Reeves) waking up from a 50-year-long stasis and fleeing from Prison Island, an iconic level from the video game, Sonic Adventure 2. We cut to Team Sonic, made up of Sonic (voiced by Ben Schwartz), Knuckles (voiced by Idris Elba) and Tails (voiced by Colleen O’ Shaughnessy) doing a friendly race which leads to a surprise party in honor of Sonic’s “B-earth-day”, the day Sonic came to Earth in the first film. This party is cut short as the Guardian Units of Nations (G.U.N.) sends a helicopter and requests Team Sonic’s immediate assistance with a rogue alien causing havoc in Tokyo, that alien being Shadow.

That’s enough plot exposure for now, let’s talk about the movie more in depth, starting with how it compares with the previous installments. The first movie was your generic road trip movie that was heightened by Sonic, and of course the brilliant Jim Carrey as Dr. Robotnik. With Tails appearing after the credits, the movie left much to be desired, so the second film stepped in and delivered. As Knuckles being the main antagonist working with Dr. Robotnik, Sonic and Tails go on a treasure hunt to locate the Master Emerald and protect it from Robotnik’s clutches. This movie felt more like what a Sonic movie should feel like compared to the first. Now back to Sonic 3; I feel Paramount has peaked with this one, so much so that I’m kind of skeptical if they could top it in the recently announced Sonic the Hedgehog 4. If you liked the second Sonic movie, you would adore this movie; it is epic, emotional, and unapologetically “Sonic”.

The characters of the Sonic movies are, for the most part, good. Jim Carrey keeps up the zany hilarious energy that he delivered in the previous films, and the introduction of his grandfather, Gerald Robotnik (also played by Carrey), elevates this film’s humor. This is where Carrey’s acting peaks in my opinion, having two of him on screen at once leads to some really funny scenes, some even made me laugh out loud. The humor in general is the best this trilogy has seen, with Sonic’s puns all landing this time around, rather than sometimes coming off as annoying or cringe-worthy. On the topic of Sonic, Ben Schwartz’s performance as Sonic the Hedgehog is the best that he has been portrayed in his own movies so far. In the previous movies, sure he was adorable and childish, but compared to how he acts in the games, this Sonic was a laughingstock that had a long ways to go before matching his original video game counterpart.

I can gladly say that Sonic feels more like his video game counterpart and has become less annoying and more serious and cooler while not completely losing his comical and emotional side. Idris Elba and Colleen O’Shaughnessy as Knuckles and Tails thankfully have more to do in this film and have grown as characters too. The second film wants you to believe that Sonic and Tails are immediate best friends, but the film barely portrays that; Sonic 3 makes it more believable that Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles are all best buddies this time around. Finally, Keanu Reeves absolutely crushes it as Shadow the Hedgehog. Upon hearing his voice in the first trailer, I was kind of worried about a lackluster portrayal of the delicate character, but after seeing the movie, I would say it matches the original soul of Shadow. Reeves put forth effort to research the character and delivers cool, emotional, and grim scenes that does the beloved hedgehog justice. Alyla Brown’s loving and caring portrayal of young Maria mixed with Shadow’s quiet and softness leads to adorable and heart clenching interactions that will really touch the audience and make them fall in love with the characters. Also, to those worried about the humans’ involvement with this movie, it centers mainly around Tom and Maddie (Tika Sumpter), and they serve more important roles this time.

Sonic the Hedgehog 3’s story is also significantly better than the other stories. The first film once again was a road trip, the second was basically a treasure hunt, and while those tropes don’t necessarily lead to bad movies, they can get kind of tired. This story is fast paced and emotional while taking itself more seriously. Having to adapt Sonic Adventure 2 was no easy task, but I would say they did an amazing job while keeping the universe grounded to make it as realistic as possible. One of my only complaints about this movie has to do with pacing of the story, however. The first act throws scenes at the audience at whiplash speed and does not really give them time to swallow what they just saw. This problem fixes itself as the movie goes on, or I just got used to the pacing, but when I say the last 30 minutes of this movie is perfect, I mean it. The climax is genuinely perfect, and I wouldn’t change a thing about it; the story is at the best and the action is unmatched in the third act. Speaking of action, this movie’s action sequences were genuinely top tier, rivaling many iconic fight scenes the franchise has seen. Every scene of conflict is handled to perfection and especially with Sonic fans in mind; let me tell you, my fan-event theater had reactions on the level of Avengers: Endgame to every fight scene in this movie. The action in this movie made me feel like I was watching an anime of the likes of Dragon Ball Z or My Hero Academia, which I felt is what the Sonic games needed the most, just more sick action sequences and fights. Every scene that involves high-speed fights is bound to get Sonic fans on the verge of tears.

Overall, Sonic the Hedgehog 3 is a near-perfect Sonic the Hedgehog movie that adapts Sonic Adventure 2 to the big screen in the right way, and I am positively anticipating what comes next for this expansive universe. My theater being a fan-event filled with diehard Sonic fans honestly elevated my viewing experience and hearing everyone’s reaction as they screamed with joy to this movie was amazing. I would rate this movie as a 10/10, and I believe everyone should give this film a try this holiday season. To those who are Sonic and Shadow lovers, buy yourself a ticket and strap in your seatbelts because this movie is wild! This is the part where I delve into spoilers, so if you haven’t watched this movie yet, why are you still here?

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Apr 16 2024

The Post-Superhero Film & TV Era

As we move further into this decade, it is apparent that the superhero era in films and TV shows has ended. We all know about the hurdles many recent superhero films and TV show have faced with diminished quality and profit. Guaranteed would-be hits like The Marvels or The Flash failed spectacularly last year and help cement that the superhero films and TV shows are no longer as popular at they were in the previous decade.

This does not mean that there won’t be anymore superhero films or TV shows or that they will never be popular again. There are several superhero films and TV shows in various stages of development and it is possible that a new era could arise. It has happened before. Back in the early 2000s, superhero films became dominant in films thanks to the success of Spider-Man and X-Men, but they then diminished in quality and several films did not perform well. However, as we all know the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) exploded on the scene and launched an even more successful and popular era of superhero films and TV shows. It is similar to what has happened with the comic books that inspired these live-action films and TV shows.

As comic book fans know, comic books have had their ups and downs throughout history with different ages. When they first came into prominence in the late 1930s they sold very well, but by the mid 1950s comic books declined in popularity and sales until the release of Showcase #4, which revamped the Flash and introduced a new age of comic books. Essentially, the eras come and go in cycles with comic books as they reinvented themselves and there is little reason to doubt this won’t happen with superhero films and TV shows. For all we know this year’s Deadpool & Wolverine will usher in a new age of superhero films and TV shows. Or it may be a while as other genres capture the attention of viewers as they offer a fresh new take on superheroes.

So, until then what genre can replace the superhero films and TV shows in terms of prominence and popularity?

It is too early to tell, but we have a couple of contenders: video game-based properties or monster-based properties.

The MonsterVerse based on giant kaijus like Godzilla and King Kong has proven to be unexpectedly popular, while Godzilla Minus Zero blew away audiences and critics with its high quality and success. There are plans for films based on classic movie monsters like the Wolfman and Frankenstein’s monster, which could fulfill the failed promise of the so-called Dark Universe from ten years ago. The only issue with these monster films is their limited scope in terms of story. It is difficult to make compelling stories that focus on giant monsters while ignoring poorly developed human characters. But it is possible, again look at Godzilla Minus Zero.

On the other hand, video games have provided ample material for filmmakers to mine from. The most popular video games are based on science fiction, horror and fantasy and everything in between. In the past, films based on video games fared poorly as filmmakers were unable to translate what made the games so popular into film.

However, there have been many recent films and TV shows based on video games that were wildly successful and were well received. These include Sonic the Hedgehog, The Super Mario Bros. Movie, Five Nights at Freddy’s, The Last of Us, The Witcher, Halo and most recently Fallout. Although the quality and success of these projects varied, it is clear that they are becoming more and more prominent in theaters and in streaming services. These properties are just the tip of the iceberg of available video games that are practically begging to be adapted to live-action. There are plans to produce films and TV shows based on The Legend of Zelda, Death Stranding, Borderlands, Minecraft: The Movie, Metal Gear Solid, Mass Effect and Bioshock. Of course, we will also be getting sequels and new seasons like Sonic the Hedgehog 3, The Last of Us, Knuckles, Five Nights at Freddy’s 2, and Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft. The subject matter of these projects range from alternate history, hard sci-fi, horror and animated cartoons.

Will these films duplicate the success of the MCU and other superhero films and TV shows? It’s hard to say at this point, but do not be surprised if some video-game based property explodes and captures the public zeitgeist. The Super Mario Bros. Movie was able to do this given that it earned over $1 billion when it was released last year. It’s possible that the sequel could earn more money and cement the Mario Brothers as the next big thing. Or maybe it will be some other video game property. The future is wide open for video game-based films and TV shows to dominate the public consciousness.

Nov 1 2023

The Five Nights at Freddy’s Movie Spoiler Talk!

The long-awaited live-action movie version of the classic online game Five Nights at Freddy’s or FNaF has excited fans. Unlike critics who do not understand the FNaF franchise, fans recognized how faithful the movie was to the franchise while developing its own identity. With that, it’s time for SPOILER TALK about the Five Nights at Freddy’s movie! For anyone who has not seen the FNaF film yet, you’ve been warned…

Touching upon an issue brought up earlier with my review of Five Nights at Freddy’s, some things should’ve had a little more explanation than they were given. The main reason I say this is because fans have a general idea of some characters and ideas, but to someone else, it’s a complete mystery that makes them think “Okay? So, what?” The prime culprit of this issue is none other than Golden Freddy. Sure, his spirit is very present in the movie, but the animatronic is only seen for three scenes and is never elaborated upon. That leaves me with many questions: how did he get to Abby’s house? Why is he so withered? Even if I have a general reason as to why, HOW is he still functional? Although he is only seen for two minutes, he still looks very good, and I’m very happy with the practical effects (no surprise there!).

To talk about cameos and Easter eggs, I am happy with the people they brought on! We all knew CoryxKenshin would be in the movie, playing as the taxi driver, but no one expected MatPat as a waiter, as he convinced us that the filmmakers treated him dirty. Both cameos were hilarious and I’m sure they’re both very happy that they were able to be included. The self-proclaimed “King of FNaF”, Markiplier, unfortunately had a planned cameo, but ultimately could not film a scene, as it conflicted with the filming of his own movie that is coincidentally also based on an indie horror game, Iron Lung. Talking about Easter eggs, I was genuinely shocked to see references to Five Nights at Freddy’s history in the movie. Sparky the Dog, the franchise’s first ever, fan-made hoax character had a diner named after him and possibly even an animatronic suit to himself. MatPat’s name tag also had “Ness” on it, which is a golden reference to one of his theories based off two whole different franchises where he argues that Sans from the indie game Undertale, was actually a Nintendo character named Ness from the Earthbound series. Only Scott Cawthon would be able to reference both another indie horror game AND Nintendo at the same time! I also really loved the opening credits for the music and the pixel art. They were both PERFECT for FNaF’s general vibe!

Let’s talk about secrete characters in this movie. Emma Tammi confirmed a couple of weeks ago in an interview that there was a character in the Five Nights at Freddy’s movie who was not seen in any promotional material. That begged the question, who was that character? I genuinely do not know which character it specifically was, as there were multiple featured characters. I have a list of possible characters she could’ve been talking about.

Shadow Freddy, who was seen in a hidden YouTube video made an appearance in the movie as the suit that babysitter Max gets stuffed inside after dying. I must admit I’m a little disappointed that he didn’t get any story relevance, but I probably should’ve expected that, as it probably would’ve been too early for him. Another character was Sparky the Dog (or possibly Fetch, the fan base is still working that part out). Yes, Sparky wasn’t seen in any advertising, but I think Emma would’ve been talking about a character that was important to the story, so this leaves me with two more culprits who I was able to predict in my last essay!

Balloon Boy was only seen on one of the children’s drawings, but we didn’t know if he actually would’ve made a physical appearance in the movie. Luckily, we now know the answer is yes, he appears as a troll character in the form of a mini figurine. Ironically, he was probably the character with the scariest jump scares in this entire movie, which only fuels my hate-fire for him. The last culprit, who still seems to be a mystery, is the Puppet, or sometimes referred to as the Marionette.

We have speculated that she would make an appearance in the movie, as she was the one to give the children the gift of resurrection after they were killed by William Afton, but it seems like she wasn’t included in the movie. That is until people noticed at the end of the amazing end credits that the same cryptic voice that would spell words in the FNaF 2 mini-games was included in the movie and spelled out something. I couldn’t make out what it said myself, but after close examination, (and Peacock’s subtitles), we know that it spelled “C-O-M-E F-I-N-D M-E”. As this was being spelled out, fans noticed the familiar theme of her music box playing in the background, implying the Puppet is directly speaking to Mike, prompting him to find her. This isn’t the end of this manhunt, however. After going through the movie, fans started noticing in certain scenes that you could barely make out shapes in the backgrounds that look very similar to the Puppet. The Puppet may be in the movie, but she is lurking in the background, usually on the ceilings.

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Oct 27 2023

The Five Nights at Freddy’s Movie, Critics Loathe it, Fans LOVE it

It’s no secret that Blumhouse Productions’ Five Nights at Freddy’s (FNaF) went through a rough development over the last eight years. Despite all the waiting, fans are as anxious as ever to see Freddy and the gang on the big screen, so the question becomes: is it a good movie? As a huge FNaF nerd, (I am literally listening to Blumhouse’s official Five Nights at Freddy’s song playlist on Spotify as I’m writing this), I would say absolutely; this is THE near-perfect Five Nights at Freddy’s movie. However, not even I can ignore the fact that it can be very off putting to any potential newcomers to the franchise. This review will begin spoiler-free and will move into the spoiler territory following a brief warning.

Let’s start on the story, shall we? The general story follows Mike (Josh Hutcherson) as he struggles to keep custody of his little sister Abby (Piper Rubio) in a losing custody battle against his aunt Jane (Mary Stuart Masterson). Following an incident at his last job, Mike visits a career counselor, hoping to land a solid job; this job, as you could guess, would be a nighttime security position at the now-abandoned Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza, a family pizza restaurant in the style of Chuck E. Cheese . We follow Mike through the five nights at his job as his life seems to keep going downhill.

The overall story is really good, but is very confusing and difficult to follow at times. I really wish that this movie wasn’t as short as it was because I think it really could’ve benefited from a longer runtime; at least an extra 25 minutes longer. To general audiences, the story, while being a little all over the place, is still enjoyable (and surprisingly heartwarming?). To critics, however, this movie’s story is absolutely unacceptable for their “marvel quality” of expectations when it comes to grand storytelling.

Moving onto what most people were anxious for, the level of scariness. Honestly, Five Nights at Freddy’s as a whole isn’t that scary, (maybe because I’ve been here since the beginning), as it heavily relies on cheap jump-scares as its main scare tactic. The movie, however, is scarier than the newer games, and maybe even more than the original games, in my opinion. It surprisingly lacks many jump-scares, but some of them get you GOOD. There were also some moments that caught me off guard, as I would never expect to see them in a PG-13 Five Nights at Freddy’s movie. I’ve seen critics complain that this movie lacked massive amounts of gore and blood, but newsflash, the games themselves already lack this. The games don’t have to resort to gore, as it nails atmospheric dread and horror. One of the movie’s strengths is that it is able to introduce a threatening aura to the cute and cuddly robot friends.

Speaking of cute and cuddly, the animatronics in this movie were both menacing and adorable. Blumhouse was able to make scary scenes involving Freddy, Bonnie, Chica, Foxy, and Cupcake while also adding scenes that emphasized the more child-like nature of the robots. The one thing that I am happy about is that no one is criticizing the animatronics, as they are absolutely spectacular in this movie. I really liked every prop used in this movie, moving past just the animatronics. Honestly, they were all so likable, that its genuinely a struggle to choose a personal favorite, but if I had to, it’d be Bonnie :]

The acting is really good but could’ve been improved upon. Mike, Abby, Vanessa (Elizabeth Lail), Max (Kate Conner Sterling), the animatronics, and the children were really well acted, and I wouldn’t want any of them replaced. The weakest performance, in my opinion, is sadly Matthew Lillard’s Scott Raglan. I know this is a more controversial opinion, but I just thought they could’ve touched upon some of his scenes; in no way was it bad, but it could’ve been a little better. Blumhouse also nailed down how the animatronics moved, striking a perfect balance between freakishly smooth movements and stiff, robotic movements.

The music is amazing and fits perfectly with the atmosphere of the movie. They also had a great selection of non-original tracks, using 80’s music like “Talking In Your Sleep” and “Celebration”. I admit, I was a little worried when it came to the music selection of this movie, but I think fans won’t be disappointed with the tracks they included. The humor of this movie is also on point, getting many laughs from me, my family, and the entire theater. FNaF creator Scott Cawthon’s humor is funny and I’m glad they allowed him to make jokes of the same caliber with the script he co-wrote.

I think it’s time to move on to the objective flaws this movie has. I felt that the pacing was way too fast in the beginning and ending of the movie. Scenes are practically whizzed past you at lightning speed with little to no time to digest them, as you have to swallow more story in the new scene in front of you. The middle of the movie seems to find its footing on pacing, but for the next movie, assuming we get one, Blumhouse and Scott Cawthon really should focus on getting the pacing right.

Another issue is the storytelling itself. As I said before, the film’s story is fundamentally confusing, and the film only double downs on this trait. This wouldn’t be much of a problem if there were enough scenes explaining seemingly major plot points. I will expand upon certain scenes in a spoiler post later on, but if you are stepping into FNaF for the first time, be prepared to feel like an idiot walking out of the theaters. Hell, as a nine-year fan myself, I’m still trying to process the plot fully in my head.

Overall, the Five Nights at Freddy’s movie was made with fans as a number one priority, and that’s a great thing! It does struggle to bring newcomers in however, and completely misses the mark in the critics’ expectations. I am really happy that this movie finally came out and am beyond satisfied with the finished product. The most saddening thing about this movie is that its being bashed on move-rating websites when it does not deserve score that low. I understand why people may not like the movie with the number of flaws it has, but I think people are being way too harsh towards Blumhouse and Scott Cawthon. If you are a fan, you need to watch this in theaters; if you’re a casual fan, its probably best to stream the movie on Peacock, but everyone should give it a shot!

Angelo Soto

Oct 20 2023

The Five Nights At Freddy’s Movie Is Coming!

After nine long years of waiting through countless script rewrites (12 to be exact), overall restarts, company changes, and even director switches, the Five Nights at Freddy’s movie is finally upon us. In just one week, we will see the beloved animals we’ve become acquainted with on the big screen. As a fan of the online game Five Nights at Freddy’s (FNAF) since 2014, to say I’m excited for this movie is the understatement of the century. Jason Blum, Emma Tammi, and of course, Scott Cawthon worked tirelessly through the many road bumps of production and were determined to deliver Freddy and the gang to the big screen.

Alright, you may be wondering, “How big of a FNAF nerd is this guy?” and to that I say, be prepared. My journey started where most people did, with famous YouTuber,  Markiplier’s Five Nights at Freddy’s gameplay. I remember being frightened and Bonnie’s uncanny appearance in the thumbnail when I was only a kid (I didn’t even know he was a bunny back then, since his ears are cropped out of the frame on that video).  Since then, I’ve kept up with every game entry, piece of media, and how could anyone forget the massive waves of merchandise, good or mediocre. My room ia practically walled with many of the franchise’s posters, I have over 60ish plushies, and I have almost every book ever produced in the franchise. To say this movie was a dream come true is underexaggerating my excitement! Alright, you may be wondering, “How big of a FNAF nerd is this guy?” and to that I say, be prepared. My journey started where most people did, with famous YouTuber,  Markiplier’s Five Nights at Freddy’s gameplay. I remember being frightened and Bonnie’s uncanny appearance in the thumbnail when I was only seven (I didn’t even know he was a bunny back then, since his ears are cropped out of the frame on that video).  Since then, I’ve kept up with every game entry, piece of media, and how could anyone forget the massive waves of merchandise, good or mediocre. My room is practically walled with many of the franchise’s posters, I have over 60ish plushies, and I have almost every book ever produced in the franchise. To say this movie was a dream come true is underexaggerating my excitement!

The four main animatronics, Freddy Fazbear, Bonnie, Chica, and Foxy have been treated with immense care when thinking about how to translate them into real-life functioning robots and suits. They are almost ripped straight from the video games, and I couldn’t be more grateful for that. I think despite it being a horror movie, it has a major chance to stand out among great video game adaptations, alongside The Super Mario Bros. Movie, Sonic the Hedgehog 2, and Arcane. It is projected to be the highest grossing opening for any horror film ever, which shows the power of our fan base. It’s safe to say I think we are all excited for this movie!

And of course, how could we wrap up our discussion of the FNAF movie without talking about Scott Cawthon’s upbringing. When Scott was starting off with computers, he first made direct-to-video short movies; in fact, they were Christian movies! He made a less than stellar paycheck doing this, so he eventually turned to game development. His first notable game was titled: The Desolate Hope. In this game, you play as a sentient coffee maker running through this dark and mechanical world filled with giant robots. Of course, this would be part of the inspiration for Five Nights at Freddy’s, but the true spark was with his last game before FNAF, Chipper and Sons Lumber Co.

This game was thought by most people as just okay. Some people thought it was bad however, and one person left a review that would change the course of Scott’s life. Scott was not a “great” modeler back then, so this person commented that the game was boring, and that Chipper looked like he was a scary animatronic bear and belonged in a horror game. SPARK! After this, Scott put together Five Nights at Freddy’s, which was about a security guard in a Chuck E. Cheese-type of restaurant at night who is stalked by deadly animatronic robots that came to life. Cawthon even looked to fund the game online. Unfortunately, he raised zero dollars, but of course, releasing it through self funding more than paid back for the development of the game.

Now that we’ve talked about the developer, I think it’s time to talk about what I think the story of the movie will be. Spoilers will indeed follow.

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