Posted by: xSicKxBot - 01-21-2019, 11:04 AM - Forum: Lounge
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How To Train Your Dragon 3 Review: A Satisfying Conclusion
It is said that the last entry in a film trilogy is usually the worst. For every The Dark Knight or Spider-Man 2, there's a Spider-Man 3 or a The Godfather Part III. Once in a while, though, we get a War for the Planet of the Apes or a Toy Story 3, which encapsulate everything that audiences loved about the first two movies in a satisfying conclusion. Now, DreamWorks has a new winner on their hands with How To Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World, a film that is not only as good as its predecessors but even surpasses them at certain points. It's an action-packed film of epic proportions that will also bring a tear or two to your eyes.
While the story of the trilogy takes place in the span of six years, for audiences it's been nine years since the first How To Train Your Dragon came out. Like with Harry Potter or Toy Story, audiences have grown up watching Hiccup (Jay Baruchel) and Toothless for almost a decade, and the characters have come of age with us. Just as the wizarding world and the talking-toy world, The Hidden World teaches us that all things must come to a bittersweet end.
We are first reunited with Hiccup and his gang of Scottish-accented Vikings Astrid (America Ferrera), Snotlout (Jonah Hill), Ruffnut (Kristen Wiig), and Tuffnut (Justin Rupple, replacing T.J. Miller) as they raid a hunting ship in an attempt to rescue trapped dragons. It's an action-packed scene that sets the stage for some epic set-pieces, but also the social commentary at the core of The Hidden World.
You see, Hiccup has now taken over the title of chieftain from his late father, Stoick (luckily, we still get to hear Gerard Butler's performance via flashback) in the year since the previous installment. He also achieved his dream of a having humans and dragon living together in a harmonious utopia. The problem? There are too many dragons on the island of Berk, which is disrupting the peace and quiet Vikings are notoriously known for. Their exploits have also attracted too much attention to the village, and heavily increased the number of threats that may end their peaceful existence. This includes Grimmel the Grisly (F. Murray Abraham), a ruthless dragon hunter that wants to see the entire species dead and has a particular interest in Nightfuries like Toothless. While it's understandable for the film to save time and focus on our heroes, one can't help but wish they had spent a little more time developing Grimmel beyond being evil, even if F. Murray Abraham excels as it.
What does Hiccup do? Well, he decides Berk is not a place, but a people--maybe not those exact words, but the Thor: Ragnarok comparisons are too clear to ignore--and thinks they all should leave their home of seven generations in search of a mythical dragon paradise that may or may not exist. Before he gets there, he will have to face his biggest challenge yet: raging dragon hormones. As it turns out, the gang discovers a female Nightfury who is more than a mere distraction for Hiccup's best friend, Toothless.
Toothless' comedic attempts at wooing his newfound love interest is the highlight of the film. The Hidden World, once again written and directed by Dean DeBlois, finally realized that Toothless is due his time in the spotlight, so a good part of the film is devoted to the sweet yet humorous dragon courtship. There is no dialogue, only the dance of dragon hormones and all the ridiculous things Toothless thinks are part of their mating ritual. This is well contrasted with Hiccup's disastrous obliviousness to everyone's advice to finally settle down and make his relationship with Astrid (America Ferrera) into something permanent, despite her being as equally suited to rule Berk, as well as tactical planning and fighting, as he is. Unfortunately, the focus on the duo's storylines means the rest of the ensemble gets somewhat pushed to the side, even if DeBlois tries to give each character a moment to shine -- one particular highlight is Kristen Wiig's performance as Ruffnut, who gets a rousing monologue about how annoying she is that will have entire theaters in stitches.
The Hidden World shows not only the changing physique of its characters and the maturity that comes with it (Hiccup grows a spectacular beard that will become the topic of many hot takes), but also how much its computer-generated visuals have evolved throughout the years. From the impressively detailed destruction by dragon fire, to the softness of the characters' hair to the fluidity of the dragon dances, and especially the photo-realism of the action choreography, it is all quite exquisite.
Given that each installment in the trilogy has introduced us to a new and better-looking dragon world, it isn't surprising that the titular hidden world is the most magnificent locale in the film. In an awe-inspiring scene that you'll want to see multiple times to fully appreciate, the film showcases a Pandora-esque world filled with stunning landscapes with photorealistic waterfalls, caves, and forest that would make James Cameron jealous. It is no surprise to know that Oscar-winning cinematographer Roger Deakins (Blade Runner 2049) serves as the franchise's visual consultant when the movie looks this good.
When it comes to the action, The Hidden World sits up there with Lord of the Rings and the third Pirates of the Caribbean (really) as being able to do epic-scale battles just as well as intimate, one-on-one fights. There is no giant dragon boss battle this time, and the film is all the better for it. The battle scenes are as thrilling as they look stunning, thanks to the film's brilliant use of light and shadow, and John Powell's powerful and spirited score.
The How to Train Your Dragon franchise has always found the right balance between action and emotion. The Hidden World strikes a bittersweet chord in exploring how adulthood inevitably leads to an exciting and uncertain future, but also how it means that some things, even dragons, must come to an end. Just as Hiccup, audiences will find it hard to say goodbye to one of the best and most consistent franchises in the last decade.
How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World is in theaters on February 22.
Rumour: Legendary Entertainment Has Plans For More Live-Action Pokémon Movies
The Detective Pikachu movie isn’t even out yet and already there are some wild rumours about Legendary Entertainment’s plans to expand the Pokémon cinematic universe. We Got You Covered has “trusted sources” claiming there are plans to release a separate live-action CGI movie based on the original Game Boy titles, Red & Blue.
According to the website, the idea is to “flesh things out” with a combination of live-action and CGI in order to recreate Red’s adventure across the Kanto region. The project will apparently be set in the same universe as Detective Pikachu, but will only have minor connections to this film. As noted by the website, there’s actually already been an anime adaptation based on the original games, known as Pokémon Origins.
In addition to this movie, Legendary is supposedly already working on a separate spin-off film to follow the release of Detective Pikachu. This live-action movie will reportedly focus on Mewtwo. It means in total, there could be another two Pokémon movies on the way.
Would you like to see more live-action Pokémon movies? Do you think Detective Pikachu will be a cinematic success? Tell us below.
Rumour: Legendary Entertainment Has Plans For More Live-Action Pokémon Movies
The Detective Pikachu movie isn’t even out yet and already there are some wild rumours about Legendary Entertainment’s plans to expand the Pokémon cinematic universe. We Got You Covered has “trusted sources” claiming there are plans to release a separate live-action CGI movie based on the original Game Boy titles, Red & Blue.
According to the website, the idea is to “flesh things out” with a combination of live-action and CGI in order to recreate Red’s adventure across the Kanto region. The project will apparently be set in the same universe as Detective Pikachu, but will only have minor connections to this film. As noted by the website, there’s actually already been an anime adaptation based on the original games, known as Pokémon Origins.
In addition to this movie, Legendary is supposedly already working on a separate spin-off film to follow the release of Detective Pikachu. This live-action movie will reportedly focus on Mewtwo. It means in total, there could be another two Pokémon movies on the way.
Would you like to see more live-action Pokémon movies? Do you think Detective Pikachu will be a cinematic success? Tell us below.
After being delayed last October, the next installment in the Yo-Kai Watch video game franchise – Yo-Kai Watch 4 – arrives this spring in Japan. To help build hype, Level-5 has released a new trailer for the upcoming Switch release at World Hobby Fair 2019, currently taking place in Nagoya, Japan.
The trailer stars Keita – the original protagonist and one of the many playable human characters in the latest game. It shows off the world you’ll be able to explore and the Yo-Kai you can expect to encounter in battle. Take a look below:
Unfortunately, there’s no word on when this game will be released in the west. The third entry – Yo-kai Watch 3 – was first released in Japan in 2016 and was recently made available in Europe at the end of 2018. The US release of this 3DS title is due out next month on 8th February.
Are you looking forward to the Switch Yo-Kai Watch game? Have you played the third one yet? Tell us below.
After being delayed last October, the next installment in the Yo-Kai Watch video game franchise – Yo-Kai Watch 4 – arrives this spring in Japan. To help build hype, Level-5 has released a new trailer for the upcoming Switch release at World Hobby Fair 2019, currently taking place in Nagoya, Japan.
The trailer stars Keita – the original protagonist and one of the many playable human characters in the latest game. It shows off the world you’ll be able to explore and the Yo-Kai you can expect to encounter in battle. Take a look below:
Unfortunately, there’s no word on when this game will be released in the west. The third entry – Yo-kai Watch 3 – was first released in Japan in 2016 and was recently made available in Europe at the end of 2018. The US release of this 3DS title is due out next month on 8th February.
Are you looking forward to the Switch Yo-Kai Watch game? Have you played the third one yet? Tell us below.
Posted by: xSicKxBot - 01-21-2019, 04:55 AM - Forum: Lounge
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Black Ops 4's Free Blackout Trial, New Limited-Time Mode Now Live
Players who have yet to pick up a copy of Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 can now try its Blackout mode for free. Treyarch's limited-time Blackout trial has begun on PS4, Xbox One, and PC, allowing you jump into the hectic battle royale mode at no charge.
The free trial runs until 10 AM PT / 1 PM ET / 6 PM GMT on January 24. To participate, you'll need to download the Blackout trial client from either Battle.net on PC or your console's respective digital store. PS4 players aren't required to have a PlayStation Plus subscription, but Xbox One owners will need an Xbox Live Gold membership, while those playing on PC will need a free Battle.net account.
The trial gives you full access to all the content in Blackout mode. You'll also earn Echelon progression while playing and unlock Black Market Tiers and loot. If you decide to purchase the title after the trial ends, any progress you've made during the free period will carry over to the full game. You can read more details about the free trial on Reddit.
If you're interested in Blackout but don't particularly care for Black Ops 4's other modes, Activision is selling a $40 version of the game on PC that strips out Zombies and only includes Blackout and multiplayer. Like the trial client, this is only available through Battle.net.
Coinciding with the free trial, Treyarch has kicked off a new limited-time mode in Blackout, dubbed Down But Not Out. In this quad mode, any downed players will be able to rejoin the battle with each Collapse as long as at least one member of the team remains in the game. The mode is live now on PS4 and will come to Xbox One and PC at a later date.
Mortal Kombat 11 Art Director Seemingly Reveals Reptile’s Return
It sounds as if a Mortal Kombat 11 fighter may have been confirmed ahead of schedule. Following the grand reveal earlier this week – showing off the new character Geras and confirming classic ones such as Sonya Blade, DualShockers has shared new information about another popular character who appears to be making a return.
During a chat with NetherRealm’s Steve Beran about a new tower mode in the game and how different modifiers impact each play session, the Art Director seemingly let slip Reptile would be returning, when using him as an example to describe a few of the finer details:
“Then there’s certain things like you can activate Reptile’s Acid Ball. It’s very nostalgic. You have these helpers, if you will. It’s a blast and we’re really happy about that.”
This reptilian fighter started out life as a hidden opponent and has since been a regular member of the cast, so it’s not all that surprising to hear he’ll be back in the latest outing. As for if he’ll actually be a playable character, we’ll just have to wait and find out, but it seems likely.
Earlier this week, NetherRealm Community Manager Tyler Lansdown appeared on stage during the big reveal to announce the first Kombat Kast for MK11. This event will take place on 30th January and is going to be “pretty big” apparently. Kabal was also teased during this announcement, so it’s expected this character and others will be revealed.
Are you glad to hear Reptile is likely returning to the latest Mortal Kombat? Tell us below.
Movie About Lord Of The Rings Author Gets A Release Date
The J.R.R. Tolkien biopic finally has a release date. Fox Searchlight has announced that the movie about the Lord of the Rings author will arrive in theatres on May 10, 2019, and a week earlier on May 3 in the UK and Ireland. The movie stars Nicholas Hoult as a young Tolkien, with the story following the man long before he came to write his epic fantasy tome.
According to Entertainment Weekly, the film will track Tolkien as a young man who came into his own at school before serving in World War I. In the trenches of France, with death and despair surrounding him, Tolkien was said to have come up with the ideas that would become The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. A number of Tolkien's longtime friends died in World War I; Tolkien survived, came home, and wrote his defining work.
The movie will also focus on Tolkien's wife, Edith Bratt, who is played by Lily Collins, the actress daughter of singer Phil Collins. The relationship between Tolkien and Bratt was supposedly the inspiration for Tolkien's Beren and Luthien story, which itself inspired the Aragorn-Arwen relationship in Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings series. Tolkien and Bratt share a gravestone, and on it they're referred to as Beren and Luthien.
The new movie, which is simply titled Tolkien, is directed by Dome Karukoski (Heart of Finland), based on script from David Gleeson and Stephen Beresford.
In addition to this film, another one is in the works that focuses on the relationship between Tolkien and Narnia writer C.S. Lewis, and how Tolkien helped convert Lewis to Christianity.
Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? (January 19th)
Congratulations everyone, we’ve made it to yet another weekend! As is tradition, members of Team Nintendo Life have gathered together to talk about our weekend plans. Featuring games ranging from Mario’s latest platforming adventure to digital versions of trading card games, you can find our entries below. Make sure to join in the fun with our poll and comment sections below. Enjoy!
Steve Bowling, US editor
This weekend is all about the Mushroom Kingdom for me. I’ll be playing my way through New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe and Mario & Luigi: Bowser’s Inside Story. I feel like the 3DS must be in its twilight by now, so I’m betting this is one of the last great first-party games the platform will enjoy. The series holds a special place in my heart and my recent interview with the team has left me wanting to play through it again!
Gonçalo Lopes, contributing writer
Being a Suda51 fan for decades, one would expect me to write about how much time I will spend this weekend with Travis Strikes Again… but I won’t; buying the game digitally is simply not punk enough so I will wait one more week for the physical retail version. Instead, I will be decimating poor souls in the ongoing ARMS Party Crash Bash bracket with my main man Ninjara, picking up a few more legendary spirits in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate and play a few more long sessions of the lovely Tales of Vesperia: Definitive Edition (I’m about to wrap up Arc I!).
My game of the week goes to Gunman Clive HD Collection. You simply can not argue with that price/contents ratio, even if you have done it all before on Wii U and 3DS.
Dom Reseigh-Lincoln, reviewer
This weekend’s gaming exploits will be, predictably for me, as eclectic as ever. I’ll be giving the Lightseekers TCG a go on Nintendo Switch to see if it stacks up on console, and I’ll also be jumping in to Legrand Legacy: Tale of the Fatebound to see if this love letter to classic JRPGs is worth reading.
I’ve been watching a lot of Gotham recently (don’t judge me) and it’s given me a hankering to replay some of the old Rocksteady Batman games, so expect me and the eldest to give Batman: Arkham City Armored Edition a decent airing on Wii U.
Ryan Craddock, staff writer
For the first time since it released at the start of December, this weekend I might actually ignore Smash Bros. Ultimate for a while. We’ve got into a trend in my house of watching the Pokémon anime with dinner, before jumping into some multiplayer gaming on Switch. This week, rather than going on Smash every night, we’ve actually been really enjoying going back to Mario Kart 8 Deluxe and Overcooked 2.
We’re now actually playing through Overcooked 2’s Surf ‘N’ Turf DLC which is incredibly challenging at times. Hopefully we (by which I mean “I“) will have the patience to get to the end.
Austin Voigt, contributing writer
This weekend, a good friend of about 10+ years is coming to stay – and her requested activity is that I “teach her how to videogame”. MWAHA! This, I feel, was a mistake on her part – but it will be exceptionally fun on mine. Pandora’s box has been opened! Some context: this friend is a law student, so her life outside of textbooks has been close to nonexistent the past few years. She has so much catching up to do… and I plan to completely overwhelm her with gaming greatness all in 24 hours.
I think I’ll start her off on some Mario Kart, and then throw her to the wolves with Breath of the Wild. Afterwards, Splatoon 2 to regain her trust. And then I’ll attack her – literally – with Smash Ultimate. Stay tuned for updates on whether or not she dies of exhaustion!
Which games are you playing this weekend? (272 votes)
New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe
9%
Mario & Luigi: Bowser’s Inside Story + Bowser Jr’s Journey
Apple again starts selling iPhone SE, this time on clearance for $249
By Andrew O’Hara Saturday, January 19, 2019, 07:26 pm PT (10:26 pm ET)
Apple returned the iPhone SE to its U.S. online store on Saturday, but only as part of a clearance effort to seemingly liquidate the remaining stock of the discontinued handset.
At a new special price, those who are interested can grab a brand new, unopened iPhone SE for only $249 with 32GB or 128GB for $299. They come fully unlocked sporting the same specs as when it was introduced in 2016. As a refresher, the iPhone SE includes the A9 Apple processor, Touch ID, and the four-inch form factor.
Those current prices are $100 and $150 off respectively compared to Apple’s prices before the phone was removed from sale.
Currently, Apple is only selling phones with displays above 4.7-inches, much to the chagrin of small-handed iPhone lovers. MacRumors was first to spot the discounted offering.
Grab one while you can because, with the discount, these likely won’t last too long. Gadget reseller Gazelle has some used models available as well, though they are also selling through.
It isn’t clear how long the iPhone SE will remain supported by iOS. The A9 processor first shipped with the iPhone 6S in September 2015.
