It's going to be very rare for me to come around here and do a movie review, but seeing as I mainly started That's Entertainment to focus on video games, and Resident Evil is probably the most well-known video game related movie franchise, I'm willing to give it a pass.
While there have been very few successful videogame film adaptations, there have been a few series that have managed to break the mold, and prove that these types of films are capable of bringing success.
Among them, Prince of Persia made the most so far, bringing in $335m while it was at the box office. It also had the loftiest budget for a videogame adaptation. The Bruckheimer project cost $200m to take to theaters.
Another one had the highest yield, despite a paltry budget. Mortal Kombat managed to make a whopping 679% of its budget back at the box office, earning almost seven times its $18m budget. That's almost 200% higher than any other videogame adaptation has made back in the box office, in proportion to how much producers and financiers put into them.
The first high profile release among them all was the Angelina Jolie fronted Tomb Raider, which, at the time, had an unheard of budget for the project, that was three times greater than the first game inspired movie, the massive failure, Super Mario Bros. It inspired a successful sequel as well, becoming one of only four franchises to develop a series that didn't get dropped immediately to the DVD rack.
On opposite sides of that spectrum, two fighting series bookend the franchises. Mortal Kombat had the most impressive single showing of any movie, while Street Fighter, with the more recent release of "The Legend of Chun-Li", became the first theater release that was part of a series not to make it's budget back (earning only a miserable 26% of its initial cost).
There's one other franchise, however, that isn't on it's last legs, and seen consistent releases over the years. It has dominated financially and critically (proportionate to other game franchises anyway). Resident Evil has been on the scene since 2002, and over the last 10 years, they've churned out another four films, the most recent releasing on September 14th, Resident Evil: Retribution.
Retribution has two huge stigmas that threaten to ruin it. First, it is a videogame based film. That is rapidly becoming a forgotten notion, but it still is worth worrying about, as certain directors are still trying to take the lazy route and make money off of these intellectual properties. It also suffers from being the fifth movie in a series. When was the last time you saw a movie in the theater that even made it to part five besides Harry Potter or Fast and the Furious?
Yet, in spite of all this, Retribution is still looking to set records and show that Resident Evil is still king at the box office. Not even two weeks out, the film has already made back its budget twofold. But it's been indicated before that even a dud can bring back the fans. So, does this fifth outing do enough for the series to keep it going strong?
In a word, yes. First and foremost, there is a tremendous amount of fan service in Retribution. While we saw Jill Valentine at the end of Afterlife, this marks her first full return to the series since Apocalypse. Also, rounding out the first four protagonists from the game series, Leon Kennedy makes his film debut. They didn't exactly manage to capture his personality from the videogames, but it's still nice to see all the characters finally represented. They even throw in an extra character that you wouldn't expect this late in the franchise.
Beyond that, they pull way back. If you've seen trailers, you know that characters that we haven't seen since the first Resident Evil movie are back. It fits very well in the persona that the franchise has established, although if it were any other series, it would be quite jarring indeed.
The action sequences are by far the best we've seen yet. While the first couple movies felt very campy (which has been welcome to fans of the series), this film feels like a summer blockbuster. Movements don't seem as though they are on wire. Instead, it looks as though Milla Jovovich is quite possibly performing all of the stunts on her own.
Music also lends itself wonderfully to the title. This is definitely a very ably composed score, and the integrity of the film was enhanced by it's inclusion.
All in all, this was my favorite movie in the Resident Evil series so far. It's very different from the others though, and it starts off with a huge, displacing bang, so fans should expect some of the threads from the previous movie to go unseen.
Friday, September 28, 2012
Monday, September 24, 2012
Holiday Hardware
I didn't really plan on writing up a blog post today, just because I'm trying to balance out my That's Entertainment write-ups and my Tellest related blogs. We have a busy holiday season coming up though, and there's a lot to talk about.
Over the next few weeks, we're getting into prime TV season. Shows like "Once Upon a Time", "Modern Family", "Don't Trust the B..." and more are beginning. On top of that, some of the new shows of the season are really great. Matthew Perry's "Go On", comes to mind first and foremost. While the first two episodes were good, but not great, the third episode was absolutely on point. I could not contain my laughter, and I'm anxiously awaiting the fourth episode.
On the gaming front, the big deal - at the moment - is Borderlands 2. It seems like it's just about everywhere you look, and it's been crushing it's nearly non-existant competition. Of course, I'm still on the outside looking in, as I haven't got it yet. I was nearly on a video game boycott until November, because I know the Wii U release is going to set me back a lot of money. If any game could drag me back in, it'd be Borderlands 2.
Speaking of gaming... though I'm not sure how I'd be able to squeeze in the time to go back to doing my reviews like I used to, I am interested in somehow doing reviews on this blog, and supplementing it with video clips. I found a really good HD recorder online, and I'm tempted to pick it up soon, after the holiday rush, and after I get my game funded.
And now another segue: on the topic of the holidays, we come to the titular point of this blog post. With November quickly rolling up on us, we're about to start the next generation of consoles. Nintendo's Wii U will bring it up to speed with the other consoles that are out now, though it remains to be seen just how much it bridges the gap (or exceeds it) pertaining to the future of its competitors.
That said, Sony has already come out swinging like a limp-wristed toddler to counter Nintendo's new console. With Nintendo's baseline Wii U console costing under $300, many people would expect Sony to undercut their Japanese foe with a strategic price cut.
Rather than exercise intelligence, Sony has decided, "ah, screw it, let's just launch more hardware." So two new models of PS3 are coming out, with the first one arriving in the States tomorrow, Tuesday the 25th of September. This package will cost $270, and will come with a copy of Uncharted 3. So, alright, we have a console that is marginally cheaper than the Wii U at its cheapest.
Another model, a 500gb monster, is going to come out later, costing $300. So consumers are asked to pick between the newest toy, and an aging beast of a machine with no new exclusives on the immediate horizon. The craziest thing is that this $300 machine is going to be competing with an already existing model of the PS3 (a 320gb model). Seriously. They both cost the same amount. Sony didn't even bother to discount the old, inferior model.
But here's the kicker. We've got a quote, from an article at Engadget. Sony Computer Entertainment America VP of marketing, handhelds and home consoles, John Koller, says: "...we've heard from our consumer, 'Enough with all these weird price moves. What we really want is content and games and value'."
That is not a joke. Sony America is legitimately looking right in our eyes and telling us that we've told them, "ah, who wants to deal with a price drop."
Of course, we shouldn't exactly be surprised. This isn't the first time a bigwig at Sony has said something stupid.
Over the next few weeks, we're getting into prime TV season. Shows like "Once Upon a Time", "Modern Family", "Don't Trust the B..." and more are beginning. On top of that, some of the new shows of the season are really great. Matthew Perry's "Go On", comes to mind first and foremost. While the first two episodes were good, but not great, the third episode was absolutely on point. I could not contain my laughter, and I'm anxiously awaiting the fourth episode.
On the gaming front, the big deal - at the moment - is Borderlands 2. It seems like it's just about everywhere you look, and it's been crushing it's nearly non-existant competition. Of course, I'm still on the outside looking in, as I haven't got it yet. I was nearly on a video game boycott until November, because I know the Wii U release is going to set me back a lot of money. If any game could drag me back in, it'd be Borderlands 2.
Speaking of gaming... though I'm not sure how I'd be able to squeeze in the time to go back to doing my reviews like I used to, I am interested in somehow doing reviews on this blog, and supplementing it with video clips. I found a really good HD recorder online, and I'm tempted to pick it up soon, after the holiday rush, and after I get my game funded.
And now another segue: on the topic of the holidays, we come to the titular point of this blog post. With November quickly rolling up on us, we're about to start the next generation of consoles. Nintendo's Wii U will bring it up to speed with the other consoles that are out now, though it remains to be seen just how much it bridges the gap (or exceeds it) pertaining to the future of its competitors.
That said, Sony has already come out swinging like a limp-wristed toddler to counter Nintendo's new console. With Nintendo's baseline Wii U console costing under $300, many people would expect Sony to undercut their Japanese foe with a strategic price cut.
Rather than exercise intelligence, Sony has decided, "ah, screw it, let's just launch more hardware." So two new models of PS3 are coming out, with the first one arriving in the States tomorrow, Tuesday the 25th of September. This package will cost $270, and will come with a copy of Uncharted 3. So, alright, we have a console that is marginally cheaper than the Wii U at its cheapest.
Another model, a 500gb monster, is going to come out later, costing $300. So consumers are asked to pick between the newest toy, and an aging beast of a machine with no new exclusives on the immediate horizon. The craziest thing is that this $300 machine is going to be competing with an already existing model of the PS3 (a 320gb model). Seriously. They both cost the same amount. Sony didn't even bother to discount the old, inferior model.
But here's the kicker. We've got a quote, from an article at Engadget. Sony Computer Entertainment America VP of marketing, handhelds and home consoles, John Koller, says: "...we've heard from our consumer, 'Enough with all these weird price moves. What we really want is content and games and value'."
That is not a joke. Sony America is legitimately looking right in our eyes and telling us that we've told them, "ah, who wants to deal with a price drop."
Of course, we shouldn't exactly be surprised. This isn't the first time a bigwig at Sony has said something stupid.
Friday, September 21, 2012
Hello Everyone!
Hello everyone. I'm Mike DeAngelo from That's Entertainment. This is going to be the place to be to find out all about my current thoughts on the video game industry. A few of you may remember me from my videos on YouTube, but it became too time consuming and it just wasn't rewarding enough - despite the fact that I really loved the community that I had at the time.
First, a little backstory. The reason that I dropped off of the face of the planet was to put some work into my other big passion. I have been writing a book series since I was seventeen, and it went into full tilt in May of last year. I needed to focus on that primarily, and give it the best shot it had. Fortunately, the book, available on Amazon in both eBook and paperback, has seen very good reception. I sold many more than I thought I was going to, and my support system has been great. I have another blog that I've been keeping up on, if you'd like to see what I've been up to: http://michaeldeangelo.blogspot.com/
However, I've missed doing the That's Entertainment reviews and news. When I dropped off the grid, I spent a lot of time getting back to embracing games the way I used to. When I was reviewing the games, it was difficult to enjoy them fully. I had to play games differently than I intended to, in order to get the best footage. I would speed through parts, or linger on others for too long, and eventually, the reviews started to feel like a job that I wasn't getting paid for.
The second big detriment to reviewing the video games was the financial burden to me. At the time, I wasn't making diddly squat at my job. I was getting worked to the bone, and while That's Entertainment solidified me, and kept me sane, it also sapped away the only chance I had to be an adult with my monetary means.
But here's the cool part. I can write up a review for a game without any problem. It won't hinder my enjoyment of the final product at all, because I can go at my own pace. If you're willing to be patient, and read one of my reviews a week or so after it comes out (and assuming I had the money to buy the game in the first place), I'll have a review up for the games on this blog.
I'll also be talking about the newsier side of things on this blog, which is something that I really didn't feel comfortable doing on the YouTube channel. In the upcoming weeks, you'll be able to read my opinions on the Wii U, the PS3 slim, and the upcoming holiday rush.
Finally, a little side note. By this point, even if you didn't know me before, you know that I'm really big on games. I can announce that I've been working on my own for a while now, and it should - fingers crossed - be ready to release around March 2013. It'd be a nice casual game that can open up to a more core crowd, but we'll see what happens. I'll be sure to announce more when I can. When the game comes out, I expect some of my old community to tell me what they think about my game.
That's it for now. I'm glad to be back, even if it is in a completely different capacity. I feel like this will be a nice segue back into the swing of things, but you never know what might happen in the future.
Until next time!
First, a little backstory. The reason that I dropped off of the face of the planet was to put some work into my other big passion. I have been writing a book series since I was seventeen, and it went into full tilt in May of last year. I needed to focus on that primarily, and give it the best shot it had. Fortunately, the book, available on Amazon in both eBook and paperback, has seen very good reception. I sold many more than I thought I was going to, and my support system has been great. I have another blog that I've been keeping up on, if you'd like to see what I've been up to: http://michaeldeangelo.blogspot.com/
However, I've missed doing the That's Entertainment reviews and news. When I dropped off the grid, I spent a lot of time getting back to embracing games the way I used to. When I was reviewing the games, it was difficult to enjoy them fully. I had to play games differently than I intended to, in order to get the best footage. I would speed through parts, or linger on others for too long, and eventually, the reviews started to feel like a job that I wasn't getting paid for.
The second big detriment to reviewing the video games was the financial burden to me. At the time, I wasn't making diddly squat at my job. I was getting worked to the bone, and while That's Entertainment solidified me, and kept me sane, it also sapped away the only chance I had to be an adult with my monetary means.
But here's the cool part. I can write up a review for a game without any problem. It won't hinder my enjoyment of the final product at all, because I can go at my own pace. If you're willing to be patient, and read one of my reviews a week or so after it comes out (and assuming I had the money to buy the game in the first place), I'll have a review up for the games on this blog.
I'll also be talking about the newsier side of things on this blog, which is something that I really didn't feel comfortable doing on the YouTube channel. In the upcoming weeks, you'll be able to read my opinions on the Wii U, the PS3 slim, and the upcoming holiday rush.
Finally, a little side note. By this point, even if you didn't know me before, you know that I'm really big on games. I can announce that I've been working on my own for a while now, and it should - fingers crossed - be ready to release around March 2013. It'd be a nice casual game that can open up to a more core crowd, but we'll see what happens. I'll be sure to announce more when I can. When the game comes out, I expect some of my old community to tell me what they think about my game.
That's it for now. I'm glad to be back, even if it is in a completely different capacity. I feel like this will be a nice segue back into the swing of things, but you never know what might happen in the future.
Until next time!
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