Before I ever experienced Motion Controls I already had mixed feelings about them. Now that I HAVE experienced them on the Wii on dozens of games these feelings are still the same.

My initial reaction to seeing gameplay vids of the Wii was concern whether they could really pull off the motion controls to a gamer’s satisfaction. Basically the MC (=motion controls) has to be as accurate and fast as pushing a button on a gamepad. I had my doubts as to whether this could be achieved and unfortunately I was right.

Pointing the Wiimote at the screen is in my opinion not really part of the MC, as the IR sensor reads where you point and that’s it. It’s nothing else than a pointer. But even that supposedly simple design comes with its flaws. The actual MC is where the real letdown or should I say reality-check comes in.

Powerful source material in the hands of a gifted director combined with a brilliant and daring cast make Precious THE standout film of 2009. This gutwrenching story will take you on an emotional journey of disgust, sadness, shock, anger, hopelessness, awe, wonder, happiness, hope and inspiration.

Precious lives in her head. Living out in the world, living her real life would be too painful. She has to deal with cruelty at school, constant abuse by her mother, who treats her like a slave and beats her, and expecting her second child at the age of sixteen by her own father. She has never known love, only abuse and violence.

Whenever we think the worst is over life throws Precious another curveball. If not for the help and support of a few special people in her life her story would have gone another way. But in the end it is Precious‘ unrelenting spirit and strength that help her to go on.

When you hear “war film” you expect a lot of action, explosions and mayhem. Basically a Michael Bay film. Fortunately Kathryn Bigelow is responsible for this one, otherwise we would have seen quite a different film (one that wouldn’t be shopped around as Best Film 2009).

While we do get action and explosions, The Hurt Locker focuses on suspense more than action. Following a bomb-squad during their rotation in Iraq the film opens with the main bomb defuse guy being blown to bits and the arrival of his substitute, Staff Sgt. William James. He personifies the tagline the film opened with, “war is a drug”. The constant adrenaline rush that is deffusing bombs under enemy fire is his addiction. Some people go basejumping, swim with sharks, climb the highest mountain or jump out of planes. Others get their kick from being shot at or possibly blowing up any second.

A film that could have easily succumbed to its potential melodrama instead manages to focus on its personal story and lets its actors breathe life into realistic characters, that will stick with you long after the screen has turned to black.

Tobey Maguire and Jake Gyllenhaal play brothers Sam and Tommy Cahill, the former being a Captain in the Armed Forces and the latter just being released from prison. They couldn’t be more different if they tried. As one comes home the other has to leave for Afghanistan, leaving a loving wife (Natalie Portman) and two daughters behind.

The film kicks into gear when Sam is presumed dead (we find out a few scenes later that he was taken captive). Tommy is trying to help out Sam’s wife Grace every way he can, trying to step in for his brother. As one would presume the two grow close. But whether that is going anywhere is not really the point of the film, rather what Sam thinks of this situation when he returns home after his ordeal with the Taliban.

As soon as the film opens we are greeted by one of the most famous songs in recent history. At first I didn’t remember its significance, but it made me immediately aware of the change and greatness to come. I know I get easily swept up in the emotional rollercoaster that a film can be, but I dare you not to be fully immersed in what is going on here.

Rugby to unite a torn nation is as genius an idea as it is stupendous and newly elected President Nelson Mandela, played by Morgan Freeman, is constantly surrounded by people thinking the latter rather than the former. Yet nothing can deter this man on his quest to heal his country. If only more world leaders were as enlightened a man as he is.

With the help of the South African rugby team’s captain Francois Pienaar, played by Matt Damon, Mandela manages to bridge the divide Apartheid had grated into South African consciousness deeper than the Grand Canyon.

Peter Jackson’s highly anticipated latest film, The Lovely Bones, is shopped around for awards with the accomplished director most possibly looking at yet another Academy Award nomination. After I have finally gotten around to watching it I am wondering why.

There is brilliant acting throughout the whole film with the exception of Mark Wahlberg. But then again, did anyone expect any different?

The premise of the bestselling book by Alice Sebold got everyone hyped about the film and its content in the more than capable hands of Peter Jackson. Given his trackrecord, I am thinking of the likes of Heavenly Creatures more so than the Lord of the Rings Trilogy that made him famous, I could not help but be disappointed with the endresult.

In case you haven’t already bought the first installment in the new adventure series Tales of Monkey Island starring notorious and gamer-fav pirate Guybrush Threepwood now is your chance to get your hands on it FOR FREE!

Yep, that’s right. Telltale Games are giving out digital copies (aka download rights) to the very first episode of the Tales of Monkey Island series “Launch of the Screaming Narwhal” starting midnight September 19.

Now why would they do that y’all ask? Very simple and yet totally cool reason. September 19 is Talk Like A Pirate Day and what better way to promote the later episodes of their new Tales of Monkey Island series than giving out the first episode for free?!

The new Tales of Monkey Island series comprises five episodes. “Launch” was followed by “The Siege of Spinner Cay” which will be continued shortly by “Lair of the Leviathan”, “The Trial and Execution of Guybrush Threepwood” and “Rise of the Pirate God”.

Check out the shiny new graphics and usual funny dialogue and situations in the video below and make sure to go to the Telltale Games website to get your copy of “Launch of the Screaming Narwhal“:

I knew what this film was about when I started watching, but nothing could have prepared me for what I was about to see.

Teeth can be so scary… and I’m not talking about someone’s ginormous or ugly teeth staring back at me. I watched a film by the same name, Teeth that is, and I think I will be scared for life. This is the ultimate sex-killer/horror-story for men fucking women, women fucking women, basically anyone fucking women… oh and gynecologists. Whoever thinks about entering a vagina BEWARE! You don’t know what’s really going on down there. Actually, thinking about it – this is the perfect date movie! Just be prepared to be scarred for life and scared of your sex-drive. Nightmares might occur!

Balance has been achieved… for now. While I had the worst movie day a few days ago (read older blog post for reference) I am in the process of achieving balance with a good movie day today. I’m not quite balanced yet since it wasn’t THE BEST! (as opposed to THE WORST!), but seems like I’m getting there.

So what did you watch today? Tell us. TELL US!
Okay I’ll tell you.

This time on InShort:
Chaos Theory, The Eye and Young People Fucking.

I can’t believe I actually watched not one, but two bad film today. The first (Deb & Sisi) was so bad it made the second one look almost decent. ALMOST. And that is saying a lot. Cos it was Vin Diesel’s Babylon A.D.!!!

Now I know what y’all are saying. What are you doing watching this shit film in the first place? Don’t you read reviews? Well guess what, I prefer seeing it for myself and not buying into what other people are saying. I like to make up my own mind. But just for once maybe I should have been swimming with the masses…

This has got to be one of the worst films ever. Acting-wise, directing-wise, script-wise. There is nothing good about this film. And it has Michelle Yeoh in it. But even she was crap in it. The best thing about it is, that it kept reminding me of Alfonso Cuaron’s Children of Men, which is a great film in my opinion.

Basically we have seen everything (and I do mean EVERYTHING!) in and about this film before. Just better. So instead of watching this (not even renting it for a drunken party with your friends to have something to laugh your asses off about!) get Children of Men and see what this film should have been like.

Deb & Sisi and now Babylon A.D.. I think I should chose my films better. Two duds in one day. That’s got to be a new record…

I knew I should have been studying. That’s what you get for procrastinating too much. Ah well, I only have myself to blame. To sum it up – STAY AWAY FROM BABYLON A. D.!

I just got back from watching Moon and am quite surprised with my reaction(s) to it. At first I was disappointed, but after letting it sink in while driving home I realized I was only let-down in one regard. A major one. But everything else was top notch and more than makes up for its shortcomings.

The hauntingly appealing premise of having one man on the moon to supply the rest of the world with energy opens this psychological experiment of a film. Sam Rockwell takes us through his standardized day while already laying the detailed groundwork for the breakdown later on. He is on a three-year contract all by himself with only a robot to keep him company. It doesn’t take long for things to go out of the ordinary and pit man against robot and man against himself.

This very first image of a CGI Smurf from Sony Pictures Animation‘s upcoming Smurfs Movie was leaked onto the internet last night. But is it legit? Turns out that the studio ran the promo image in a magazine recently.

The film will be directed by Raja Gosnell with December 17 2010 being the release date. The Smurfs were created in 1958 by Belgian cartoonist Pierre Culliford, known throughout the world as Peyo.

Now say hello to the very first CGI’d Smurf below the cut:

Sony has released three new posters for Roland Emmerich’s latest disaster film 2012, to be released November 13.

I am totally digging the over-the-top destruction bordering on the ridiculous. But then again what else are Emmerich’s films known for. Enjoy!