Jul 18 2014

Harry Potter’s Diagon Alley Opens At Universal Studios Orlando

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The big news regarding theme parks of course was the July 8 opening of Diagon Alley, the new expansion of The Wizarding World Of Harry Potter in Universal Studios Orlando. Based on the popular Harry Potter book and film series Diagon Alley is an immediate hit with parkgoers and Harry Potter fans. The newest land added to Universal Studios Orlando consists of the hidden wizarding alley found in London, England. Adorned with cobblestone streets and maze-like alleyways and streets, Diagon Alley boasts several shops and as the centerpieces Harry Potter And The Escape From Gringotts ride and the Hogswarts Express train that connects Universal Studios Orlando with Islands of Adventure.

After the runaway success of Islands of Adventure’s The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, an expansion was fastracked by Universal Resorts. But instead of just encroaching the faithfully recreated Hogsmeade village into other areas of Islands of Adventure, the innovative idea of putting the expansion into Universal Studios Orlando was utilized instead.

Expressway To Both Parks

100_2309The expansion can be found next to Disaster! at the area where the old Jaws ride was located. Visitors coming to the area will first see a replica of a section of modern-day London complete with a train station that leads to the Hogwarts Express and the magical Knight Bus featured in Harry Potter And The Prisoner Of Azkaban. To gain entry to the train ride, you need a two-park ticket otherwise you are forced to remain in Diagon Alley and vice versa. The train itself is a perfect rendition of the one seen in the Harry Potter films and can accommodate large amounts of passengers.

Once assigned to a roomy cabin, the first thing that strikes the eyes is the passenger-side window that is actually an HD screen showing a brick wall with steam rolling about. On the aisle-side of the cabin, the windows are frosted. After the train leaves, passengers can look out the window and see the London cityscape and surrounding suburbs, but with signs of the malicious Dementors afoot. Meanwhile on the aisle-side of the cabin, silhouettes of Harry Potter and other characters are seen walking back and forth. At one point the Dementors invade the train who are seen as silhouettes, but are quickly dispelled.

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After a few minutes the train reaches Hogsmeade (and shortly before, Hagrid himself appears outside the window striding a flying motorcycle) allowing passengers to disembark onto Islands of Adventure. If you want to go back to London and Diagon Alley, you have to leave the station (which is next to the twin rollercoaster ride Dragon Challenge) and get back on line with your two-park ticket handy. On the way back to London, passengers will witness magical creatures like the hippogriff and centaurs trouncing around the forest surrounding Hogsmeade. Either route provides a nice, comfortable ride between the parks. The character silhouettes and the passenger windows certainly add an interesting touch to the experience. Even though it isn’t an E-ticket ride, Hogswart Express is a novel way to transit the parks. Continue reading →

Jul 11 2014

Dawn Rises Above Other Planet Of The Apes Films

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The newest Planet Of The Apes film, Dawn Of The Planet Of The Apes is a direct sequel to the surprisingly great and captivating Rise Of The Planet Of The Apes. That film introduced audiences to the wonder of Caesar (mo-capped by the great Andy Serkis), the first speaking, super intelligent ape and his struggle against humanity. That strife continues with this new film that takes place ten years after the last one. Anyone who saw the last movie knew that in the wake of Caesar’s simian uprising, a genetically engineered virus accidently began to spread throughout humanity and this new movie shows us the aftermath of the pandemic.

Half the human population is gone, but remnants of society are struggling to rebuild. Dawn Of The Planet Of The Apes takes place in a ruined San Francisco, where a colony of humans plan to use a dormant hydroelectric dam to restore power to the broken city. What the humans didn’t realize is that a burgeoning civilization headed by super intelligent apes (consisting of chimps, gorillas and orangutans) occupies the land where the dam is located.

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During a scouting trip, a group of humans led by Malcolm (Jason Clarke) encounters the apes. A tense standoff ensues that is ended when Caesar commands the humans to leave the primeval forest. Back in San Francisco, the leader of the colony, Dreyfus (Gary Oldman) wants to take an army and decimate the apes, but Malcolm recognizes Caesar’s intelligence and reason. He manages to buy time from Dreyfus to return to the forest and negotiate for permission to work on the apes’ land and reactivate the dam. Malcolm and his group return and manages to convince Caesar that they are peaceful and so the ape leader allows them to work on the dam, though he is very distrustful towards the humans.

There is a thick tension that hangs throughout this film as audiences wait for the fragile peace to break. But there are moments of quiet contemplation and reverence as Malcolm and the humans connect with Caesar and many of his apes. Of course, while many humans, especially those in the city, strongly dislike the apes, so too, do many apes harbor hostility towards the humans. Leading this contingent is the brutally ugly Koba (Toby Kebbell), who was briefly seen in the last film as a victim of lab experimentation. Koba with his ghastly scars has an unquenchable hatred towards humans and as Caesar’s second-in-command, cannot fathom why the simian leader is so lenient towards the humans. Shockingly enough, this distrust also extends to Caesar’s own son Blue Eyes (Nick Thurston), who provides an intriguing sub plot where he grapples with his own feelings towards humans. This is part of a spiritual tug of war between Caesar and Koba, as the latter ape uses deceit to bring Blue Eyes to his point of view. Continue reading →

Jul 3 2014

Superman Unveiled From Batman v Superman: Dawn Of Justice

supermanToday, director Zack Snyder released a new photo of Henry Cavill as Superman in the upcoming Batman v Superman: Dawn Of Justice film.

For the most part, there isn’t anything groundbreaking or different about the suit itself. But what looks different is Superman’s demeanor, which was well conveyed in this photo. Superman looks both more confident and mature than in Man Of Steel. Also, even though Cavill was very buffed up in the last Superman film, in this photo he looks even more muscular. This gives a positive impression that Henry Cavill has filled into his role, so to speak. Strangely enough, looking at him calls to mind the certain look that George Reeves had way back in the ’50s: Solid, wise and established in his role as a superhero/savior.

This complements the way Batman (Ben Affleck) appeared in the photo that was released recently that gives the impression that the Caped Crusader is weary about his role as a superhero. With the two photos, it can be seen that the two iconic heroes are well matched against each other. Batman has the means to go head to head against the Man of Tomorrow, while Superman is quite capable of dealing with whatever weapon the Dark Knight will bring into the fight.

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Zack Snyder told USA Today that he hasn’t filmed any scenes of Gal Gadot as Wonder Woman since she is still working out. That should allay the fears that some fans had that the actress was too skinny to portray Wonder Woman. Aside from that, the other big reveal pending is Jesse Eisenberg as Lex Luthor, and that revelation is sure to fire off an Internet fan-fueled firestorm. To think, with all these small drips we still have to wait until 2016 to see Batman v Superman: Dawn Of Justice. Come on Warner Brothers, can’t this film be released earlier?

Lewis T. Grove

 

 

Jun 28 2014

Theme Park Wars: Spider-Man Vs. The Transformers

Usually, theme park wars are between two different theme park companies. In this case, however, the theme park war is within the same company: Universal Parks & Resorts. The contenders are two of its rides: The Amazing Adventures Of Spider-Man and Transformers: The Ride-3D.

The former ride debuted in Universal Studios’ Islands of Adventure theme park in Orlando back in 1999. It featured a revolutionary ride system that was part dark ride, part simulator that was developed by Universal Creative with vehicles developed by Oceaneering International. That system was so unique and kinetic that it wasn’t a surprise that the Spider-Man ride is still one of the most popular rides in any theme park.

The Scoop On Spider-Man

In The Amazing Adventures Of Spider-Man, riders donning 3D glasses board a vehicle called the Scoop that is used by the Daily Bugle newspaper company for newsgathering. Peter Parker’s (Spider-Man) boss J. Jonah Jameson assigns riders to board the Scoop to cover a breaking story concerning Doctor Octopus. The mad scientist is using an anti-gravity cannon to steal the Statue of Liberty with the help of other supervillains (Electro, Hobgoblin, Scream and Hydro-Man).

100_9890As these ride stories go, the Scoop and its passengers wind up getting caught in the melee between them and Spider-Man. Along the way, the riders are made to feel as if they’re actually in the pages of an animated comic book with huge screens that project 3D images as the vehicle constantly swerves wildly from scene to scene. Adding to the intensity of the experience are practical effects used that immerses riders into the adventure. The best example of that is where at one point Spider-Man is fighting with the Hobgoblin. First riders witness a large-screen 3D fight by a New York bridge between the two and the Hobgoblin tries to lob pumpkin bombs at the Scoop vehicle. Spider-Man catches one bomb and hurls it away before it can do any harm. But the Hobgoblin manages to throw one that explodes very close to the vehicle. Through the clever use of effects, actual flame erupts from part of a nearby wall which simulates the exploding bomb. The real heat from the blast makes elated riders feel like they’re part of the story.

It’s because of these immersions that the Spider-Man ride has remained so popular for so many years. Recently, the ride received an HD upgrade to make the 3D images sharper and more colorful. Part of that upgrade included slight changes to the characters, especially Spider-Man and Doctor Octopus who more resemble their cinematic counterparts. In addition, iconic comic book creator Stan Lee makes a few cameos in the ride itself as assorted civilians.

Ride The Transformers

The ride format from The Amazing Adventures Of Spider-Man was a unique hybrid that combined motion simulators, practical effects and 3D images into a wild dark ride. It’s so well thought of and successful, that it was only natural that Universal Studios would repeat the formula for another ride.

Transformers: The Ride-3D originally made its debut in Universal Studios Singapore in 2011 and later in Universal Studios Hollywood and most recently in Universal Studios Orlando. All three incarnations of the ride were instant hits with park goers.  Riders get to feel what it’s like to be in a high-octane Michael Bay special effects spectacular.

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The ride follows the storyline and characters of the film series, where the good Autobots are allied with the people of Earth against the evil Decepticons. As with the movies, both robotic groups are after their MacGuffin, the AllSpark, a cube-like object that can bring ordinary mechanical and electronic objects to life. One of the Autobots called Evac first has to retrieve the AllSpark from Decepticons who have stolen it. Then after recovering the AllSpark, it’s up to him to protect the object while Decepticons like Megatron and Starscream pursue him throughout a city. Being that riders are inside of Evac, who is the ride used in the attraction, they’re given front-row access to Evac’s efforts to safeguard the AllSpark from evil Decepticons. Good Autobots like Optimus Prime and Bumblebee aid Evac in his journey throughout the chaotic cityscape.

As the Evac vehicle zigzags throughout a city landscape to evade his enemies, the constant pitching, and jerking motions of the ride make the riders feel as if they’re actually being tossed about in the vehicle. Selling this illusion are the 3D effects from  large screens featuring gargantuan Transformers fights and the rough simulator motions from the vehicle. It can be said that being inside the Evac vehicle can be compared to being inside a vehicle that is undergoing a violent accident.

Continue reading →

Jun 22 2014

Top Ten Episodes Of Avatar: The Last Airbender

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Few animated series have been as rich and complex as Avatar: The Last Airbender. Showcasing emotionally deep characters and thrilling story arcs, the show was beloved by many and has spawned the popular sequel The Legend Of Korra (its new season airs June 27), plus an ill-received live-action film. The following are ten of the best episodes from Avatar: The Last Airbender.

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10. “The Spirit World (Winter Solstice, Part 1)” While the early episodes were entertaining it was this first season story that really began embellishing the show’s mythos with airbender Aang’s spiritual meeting with the previous Avatar.

9. “The Blue Spirit” Aang’s primary antagonist for the first season was exiled Prince Zuko who was wracked with anger and confusion. While previous episodes in the first season showed Zuko’s ambiguous nature, this one had him assume more of an anti-heroic role.

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8. “The Southern Raiders” By the time this third-season show aired, Zuko had reformed and joined Aang’s quest to defeat his own father and bring peace to the four elemental nations. While Aang had accepted Zuko, his companion and love interest Katarra had not. She hated the Fire Nation (Zuko’s tribe) for killing her mother and took it out on Zuko. In this episode she confronts her feelings and we learn about what happened to her mother.

7. “Appa’s Lost Days” Aang’s beloved flying bison Appa was stolen during the second season. This episode shows what happened to Appa after he was abducted by the sandbenders. Add extra points if you are an animal lover and hate seeing animal cruelty.

zuko and evil sister6. “The Crossroads Of Destiny” The final episode of Avatar: The Last Airbender’s second season brings Aang and his companions to their most imperiled state. Their mission to protect the Earth Kingdom city of Ba Sing Se from the Fire Nation fails, Aang is mortally wounded by Zuko’s evil sister and Zuko does a heartbreaking about face and strays from his redemptive path by throwing his lot with his father’s forces.

5. “Sozin’s Comet, Part 2: The Old Masters” The second episode in the show’s final four-part arc has several popular characters encountered by Aang and friends throughout the series meet up with our heroes to defeat the Fire Nation. What really drove this episode were Zuko’s reunion with his kind Uncle Iroh and Aang’s torment over the idea that he has to kill Fire Lord Ozai in order to bring peace and freedom to his world. His spiritual meetings with previous Avatars were very illuminating into his nature.

4 black sun part 24. “The Day Of Black Sun, Part 2: The Eclipse” In the show, there was a prophecy that the Fire Lord would be weakest during an eclipse (because firebenders derive their power from the sun). Aang, his companions and allies make an ill-fated attempt to attack the Fire Lord and his forces in this third-season episode. This one also marks the point where Zuko completely turns against his father and decides to aid Aang.

3. “Zuko Alone” Aang and his companions do not appear in this second-season episode which seems a lot like a western. By himself, Zuko arrives in an Earth Kingdom village as a mysterious stranger and assumes a heroic, lone gunfighter type of role against thuggish soldiers. Viewers also see flashbacks to his younger days and see his troubled family life. Though revered by villagers, the episode’s outcome is rather depressing for this anti-hero.

2 iroh2. “Tales Of Ba Sing Se” This second-season episode is really a series of vignettes about each major character. While the stories were amusing and presented interesting looks at the characters during quiet moments, the standout was Uncle Iroh’s tale. Throughout the series Iroh is shown to be a gentle, light-hearted, wise man who counsels Zuko and teaches his nephew right from wrong. In the story, Iroh travels solo around the city and humorously interacts with several citizens. At the end of the story, the mood changes dramatically as Iroh tearfully sings a song for his dead son during the anniversary of his son’s birthday.

1. “Sozin’s Comet, Part 4: Avatar Aang” This is the final episode of Avatar: The Last Airbender and it goes out in a blazing glory. Aang and his friends have a final battle with the avatar aangFire Nation and Fire Lord Ozai. The airbender embraces his destiny and mission and becomes a fully realized Avatar during his fateful, spectacular battle with Ozai. The animation was amazing, awe-inspiring and a bit frightening as viewers witnessed the true nature of an Avatar’s powers. Also many of the other characters confronted their enemies and most plot points were resolved except for one -what happened to Zuko’s mother; this seemed to tease viewers of another story (which was alluded to in the first episode of The Legend of Korra), which has yet to be told.

Waldermann Rivera