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video games

Boss Level: Groundhog Death

March 5, 2021 by Steve Norton Leave a Comment

Trapped in a never-ending time loop that always ends with his inevitable (and usually brutal) death, former special agent Roy Pulver (Frank Grillo) is beyond frustrated. Constantly hunted by contract killers, he has no idea why he seems to have a target on his back—or why he must keep reliving the experience. When he discovers that a secret government organization led by Colonel Ventor (Mel Gibson) seems to have the answers about his fate, he both must outrun the ruthless assassins who relentlessly pursue him and attempt to save his ex-wife (Naomi Watts) before the clock runs out… again…

Directed by Joe Carnahan, Boss Level is a ridiculous and free-wheeling cacophony of bullets, blood and bad guys that fires on all cylinders from start to finish. 

It’s also ridiculously fun.

Pumped up on 70s rock music, the film feels like the delicious result of throwing Groundhog Day, John Wick and Scott Pilgrim vs. the World into a blender and hitting the ‘puree’ button. Though the action is intense and graphic, this ‘ode-to-video games’ runs at full speed with a sardonic wink and never takes itself too seriously. Known for such actioners as Smokin’ Aces and The A-Team, Carnahan has made a career out of his ability to balance comedy and violence and that skill is on full display here. With every repetition, Carnahan understands that variations are needed to keep the audience interested and he make subtle tweaks in each encounter to show Roy’s growth and his increasing ability to defeat the endless parade of adversaries in his way. 

As the film’s central core, this is also a film that rests solely on the muscular shoulders of veteran actor Frank Grillo, who truly shines in the role of the loveable anti-hero. Though likely best well-known for his role as Crossbones in the Marvel films, Grillo has mostly languished away in B-movies and secondary characters for some time. While Boss Level may not necessarily be a high-profile film, it certainly provides him the opportunity to establish himself as a legitimate action star and he makes the most of his chance. Attacking the set-pieces with intensity, he exudes a mix of frustrated brokenness and rogue-ish charm here that shows the talent he truly possesses as a leading man. (If anything, the only disappointment in the cast is Gibson who, through no fault of his own, is given very little to do other than sit behind a desk and be ‘bad’.)

Revenge films can be somewhat ridiculous in nature—let’s not forget that John Wick is really about a man seeking vengeance for the death of his puppy—and Carnahan knows it. As a result, he leans into the playfulness of the gaming concept with a glee that we haven’t seen in his work for some time. Without an established IP or any particularly expectations of his audience, Carnahan manages to avoid the traps that so often hinder other ‘gaming’ films and simply lets the viewer enjoy the ride. With green pixelated graphic cards, increasing ‘leveling up’ for our hero and wild character physicality, Boss Level fully understands the digital world that it seeks to emulate and it does so with enthusiasm. Violent, irreverent and repetitive, each victory feels like an accomplishment, even if it usually results in Ray’s death with a more difficult adversary. (In fact, the film feels so much like a video game that one almost expects to hear a voice-over to demand that he ‘finish him’ as each boss is defeated.) 

Even so, underneath the gunshots and swordplay, it’s worth noting that Boss Level does have a soul. While his endless ‘respawns’ help him learn how to defeat his foes, his character begins to recognize that revenge feels incomplete. Having lost the woman he loved and their son due to his past mistakes some time ago, there’s a sadness that plagues Ray. Even though his bloody vengeance provides an outlet for his rage, it is unable to fill the void in his soul. As a result, without giving any spoilers, there comes a point where Ray recognizes that the best use of his repetitive life is to level up as a person, as opposed to his warrior skills. This shift in perspective also allows him the freedom to recognize that the nature of true victory in this world of never-ending bloodshed lies in the relationships that we have as opposed to the bosses we defeat.

With a refreshing sense of silliness and fun, Boss Level is an entertaining night for any action fan. Carnahan and Grillo have created a world that carries an old-school gaming mentality yet never loses its humanity. Underneath the violence and insanity, there’s a beating heart to the film that keeps it from losing its way. 

So, put my quarter on the bottom of the screen. I’m ready to play again.

Boss Level streams on Hulu on Friday, March 5th, 2021.

Filed Under: Film, Hulu, Reviews, VOD Tagged With: Boss Level, Frank Grillo, hulu, Joe Carnahan, Mel Gibson, video games

Max Cloud: The Importance of Teamwork

December 19, 2020 by J. Alan Sharrer Leave a Comment

“Max Cloud will shoot first and ask pointed questions later.”

One of the unique aspects of growing up in the 1980s (besides being able to roam free in the neighborhood after school) was the advent of video games.  Sure, you could go to the arcade in the mall or the local pizza parlor and pump quarters into Pole Position, Donkey Kong, or Ms. Pac Man (my personal nemesis), but we longed for something more.  

I have received a number of game systems over the years thanks to my father’s job (Pong; Bally; Odyssey2; Texas Instruments-even learning to code in BASIC), but it was the Nintendo Entertainment System in 1986 that jolted me into a world I never knew existed.  Suddenly there was a connection among friends, all of us attempting to accomplish the same task – defeat games without the use of the Internet, email, chat, or online play. Yes, we called each other on the phone.  Yes, we spent the night at each other’s houses and played until the sun rose. Yes, we drew highly sophisticated maps and conjectured ways of defeating Ganondorf or the Mother Brain. Yes, we did eat highly caloric snacks and played quintessential 1980’s tunes.  Yes, we celebrated the takedown of a game like we won the NBA Championship.

I think that’s why the new film Max Cloud brought back memories for me in a flood of music, icons, and 1980’s-era graphics.  I wanted it to be a film that would evoke the geekiness and excitement of Ernest Cline’s Ready Player One while adding a new layer to the world I grew up in.  Sadly, it does neither.   

The story itself is fairly straightforward in nature. Sarah (Isabelle Allen, Les Misérables) is a fan of the Max Cloud videogame series.  While playing one day, she finds an easter egg (code for a secret item) that sends her from playing in her bedroom to being an active part of the game as Jake (Elliot Langridge), Max Cloud’s cook. Her friend Cowboy (Franz Drameh, Hereafter) looks for her and suddenly realizes that in order for Sarah to return to the land of the early 1990’s, he’s going to have to beat the game—or bye bye Sarah/Jake. Sarah’s comrades in the game consist of Rexy (Sally Collett), a somewhat shy and gregarious commander, and Max Cloud himself (Scott Adkins, Zero Dark Thirty; Doctor Strange), a vainly pretentious fighter in the vein of Buzz Lightyear, complete with references to himself in third person.

Every teenager’s bedroom, circa 1990

This sounds awesome! Where does the film go wrong?, you might wonder.  I think it begins with the screenplay itself. There are a number of opportunities for fleshing out the characters and having the viewer connect with Sarah and Max.  However, these are all brushed aside, leaving a bare-bones structure that simply cannot overcome the lack of detail.  The characters simply aren’t given enough to do. I do appreciate the concept, but in this case, less is not necessarily more.

Another area of concern is the unevenness of the graphics and set quality.  The video game Sarah gets pulled into is 16-bit (a la Double Dragon) and would be pretty respectable if it existed in real life. That might explain why the actual video game sets look like something one might find on Mighty Morphin Power Rangers. Some of the props look wonky as well, such as Rexy’s backpack blaster (it looks better in the actual game than in real life) and the helmets the characters have in case of going out into space. At the end, the final battle is of significantly higher quality, but it’s a bit jarring to see such differing graphics on the screen (think early Nintendo versus a PS5).

Even though there are some definite issues with the film, I did notice that the concept of teamwork is on grand display for the viewer.  The Cowboy realizes that if he doesn’t beat the game (which he has never done), his friend dies. He can hear Sarah, so the two partner to make sure he does the best he can—even resorting to her calling out button presses so the characters will get out of a tight jam. Even her father jumps in to make a critical save of the game at the end.  I’m reminded of a passage in the Bible that says, “Two are better than one because they have a good return for their labor; for if either of them falls, the one will lift up his companion. But woe to the one who falls when there is not another to lift him up!” (Ecclesiastes 4:9-10). Life is challenging enough as it is right now (Covid or not), so to have people around to help when the going gets tough-or even to talk to about all types of things-is important. Let us take a lesson from the Bible and video game players—we need each other.

Max Cloud is available on VOD now.

Filed Under: Featured, Film, Reviews, VOD Tagged With: 1980s, Ecclesiastes, max storm, Ready Player One, Scott Adkins, Space, Teamwork, video games

Sonic the Hedgehog: Gotta Go Fast!

February 17, 2020 by ScreenFish Staff Leave a Comment

By Johnathan Stowe

When the first trailers came out for Sonic the Hedgehog, I was very sceptical to see it based on the animation of Sonic (like many Sega fans were) but, once they made the changes and got the design right, it looked more like a movie to see. But would the plot of the movie work and draw interest? And that question has been answered after seeing Sonic the Hedgehog. 

Told by his adoptive mother Longclaw (Donna Fulks) to avoid danger, Sonic moves between worlds with the rings in his collection. All this traveling comes with a heavy price, however, as Sonic has no friends and becomes lonely. Once he travels to earth, he resides in Green Hills where he runs into Sheriff Wachowski (James Marsden), an officer who is looking to leave his county in order to make a name for himself in San Francisco. 

The villainous Dr.Ivo ‘Eggman’ Robotnik (Jim Carrey) is introduced as a crazy doctor who loves technology and is hired by the government to track unusual power outages created by Sonic. This is where I give Jim Carrey a big high five! He nailed the character and personality of Dr.Eggman flawlessly, especially through the comedy that the character has shown throughout the video games. Ben Schwartz, who voices Sonic, is another actor who did an amazing job. The film really gets Sonic’s personality down, as he speeds by as a cool but cocky character who doesn’t listen but who also makes lots of funny joke references. 

Sheriff Wachowski is a character you warm up to as the movie goes on as well. Married and trying to do his best to make a name for himself, Wachowski becomes someone worth saving. Because of his actions, Sonic loses his rings and they’re forced to team up with together to get his them back and to stop Dr.Eggman. 

The message of the film was the importance of friendship and family. Throughout the movie, Sonic dealt with loneliness and did not want to leave earth to go to a new planet. In one of the scenes, he writes on his bucket list that he just wants a best friend. However, through his relationship with Sheriff Wachowski, Sonic finds the new wave of power that he needs to defeat the villain. Just like the video games, Sonic uses the power of friendship and teamwork to stop Dr. Eggman. 

Sonic the Hedgehog has excellent visuals and really great comedic moments that both kids and adults would enjoy. Because the plot and story-telling are good and don’t feel forced, you really buy into the characters. (Also, the film has a ton of Easter eggs from the video games and a post credit scene that hints at another character joining Sonic in a possible sequel.) 

Overall, this was a great movie and I believe that this is the movie Sega needed in order to push Sonic back into relevance in a society dominated by so many other video games. Hopefully, we will get to see Sonic Mania back once again for a whole new generation.

Sonic the Hedgehog zoomed into theatres on Friday, February 14th, 2020.

Filed Under: Featured, Film, Reviews Tagged With: Ben Schwartz, Dr. Eggman, James Marsden, Jim Carrey, Sega, Sonic the Hedgehog, video games

5.16 Discovering Identity in DETECTIVE PIKACHU

May 19, 2019 by Steve Norton Leave a Comment

With Pokemon: Detective Pikachu, Nintendo gets back into the movie game with their first live-action adaptation of the popular franchise. When Tim Goodman gets the news that his absentee father has passed away, he returns to his home to search for answers. However, after Tim discovers his father’s partner, a wise-cracking Pikachu, he quickly discovers that there may be more to the story than he first believed. As the two venture out to solve the puzzle of his father’s disappearance, Tim and Pikachu learn to work together while, at the same time, tackling their own inner battles as well. This week on the show, Steve welcomes a couple of Pokemon masters in Rob Jackson and Anthony Simone to get to the bottom of the mystery behind why video game movies often fail and the film’s understanding of identity and mental health issues.

You can also stream the episode above on podomatic, Alexa (via Stitcher), Spotify or Soundcloud! Or, you can download the ep on Apple Podcasts or Google Play!

5.16 Detective PikachuDownload

Want to continue to conversation at home?  Click the link below to download ‘Fishing for More’ — some small group questions for you to bring to those in your area.

Thanks Anthony and Rob for joining us!

Filed Under: Film, Podcast Tagged With: Ash Ketchum, Detective Pikachu, Nintendo, Pokemon, Ryan Reynolds, video games

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