If you were paying attention to anime back in 2009 then there is a real good chance you’ve seen or heard of K-ON! in some form as the series was incredibly popular and able to spawn a second season and a movie.
However while all three of these products were released in North America, the first season of K-ON! is hard to come by now mostly due to the fact that unlike the second season and the movie, it was licensed by Bandai Entertainment who folded back in 2012. As such Sentai Filmworks has announced that they have license rescued the first season and they are planning on releasing it on DVD with both an English and Japanese voice track in September.
Many of you are probably familiar with Koushun Takami’s classic novel Battle Royale and if not then you should probably read it. Anyways, today Viz Media has announced that they will be releasing Battle Royale: Angel’s Border digitally and in print on June 17th in North America.
Battle Royale: Angel’s Border is being printed under the Viz Signature label and the print version will cost $12.99 US while the digital version will cost $8.99. This is a one-shot manga, and the author’s first work in over a decade, that expands the Battle Royale story by focusing on Yukie Utsumi and the rest of the girls in the story as it reveals for the first time the full story and the terrible demise of the girls in the lighthouse that was a memorable moment in the original novel and live-action movie.
For those who are unfamiliar with the Battle Royale story, it involves a class of junior high students being taken to a deserted island where they must kill one another with weaponry they are provided until only one survivor is left standing and allowed to leave the island.
As usual, Dynasty Warriors: Gundam Reborn will have a number of pre-order bonuses and today Tecmo Koei revealed what gamers will get if they happen to pre-order the title from specific retailers. First gamers who pre-order the title through GAME will be given a variation of the MSM-04 Acguy mobile suit which is the GPB-04B Beargguy, shown above. This suit has extendable claws and despite looking cute it is a force to be reckoned with.
Pre-orders through other independent retailers, through Centresoft, will be given an extra battle scenario where players will fight against The Red Comet and the Crimson Lightning. Dynasty Warriors: Gundam Reborn is currently set to be released in Europe on June 27th while the North American release is scheduled for July 1st.
Are you one of those Smash Bros. players who finds it better to play with a Gamecube controller than anything Nintendo has to offer (I know I am)? Well you are in luck! Today Nintendo announced that they will be partnering with the third party gaming accessories manufacturer PDP to create a line of Gamecube-inspired Wii U controllers.
The controllers will be molded to have the shape and feel of the 2001 console’s ergonomic controller. They will also attach to the bottom of your Wii-Mote via a long cord so you can still get that nostalgic feeling. The controllers will retail at US$29.99 and should be available around the time that Super Smash Bros. Wii U hits store shelves.
You will be able to play this as it is meant to be played! With a Gamecube controller!
I personally think that the Gamecube’s controller is one of the most well-designed in gaming history and cannot wait to play through my Wii U library with it in my hands. What do you think, is the Gamecube controller’s comback a good thing or is the Wii U Pro Controller enough? Let us know in the comments below and remember to stay tuned to Capsule Computers for all the Nintendo News as it becomes available.
The dark and gritty world of Frank Miller and Robert Rodriguez’s Sin City is soon to be tearing through your neighborhood in Sin City: A Dame to Kill For. A Dame To Kill for will serve as a prequel to the original 2005 action film and is set to carve out its unique brand of justice on August 22nd.
Today, Dimension Films have given us a look at some of the character-centric posters for the movie. You can now get a close-up look at Johnny (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), Dwight (Josh Brolin), Marv (Mickey Rourke), Gail (Rosario Dawson) and Nancy (Jessica Alba, who is hot off her role in Machete Kills) in all their glory. Check out the posters below and let us know in the comments whether or not you are excited for Sin City: A Dame To Kill. Make sure you stay tuned to Capsule Computers for all the Sin City news as it becomes available.
News on the anime series “Mushibugyo” has been quite scarce for what seems like ages now. There tends to be a lull period for anime series once they finish their broadcast runs but it usually doesn’t last all that long, which brings me to the main point of this article: Shogakukan Productions today announced that an OVA for the high-octane series will come paired with the 15th volume of the”Joju Senjin!! Mushibugyo” manga.
Alongside the announcement of the OVA comes a promotional video trailer that teases the upcoming animation while also briefly describing the story to be told within it. It is set after the events of the “Mushibugyo” anime series and has the main characters return to Edo once again.
A new character is to be introduced in the OVA and he goes by the name Torakichi, a young boy who wishes to become a samurai in order to protect his family. Head down to our featured video section below to check out the “Mushibugyo” OVA promotional trailer and don’t forget to hit up our comments section to let us know what you think.
Disney’s upcoming animated feature Big Hero 6 is an interesting creature for sure. Originally a Marvel comic-book, Big Hero 6 centers around the fictional metropolis of San Fransokyo where a young robotics prodigy and his creation must team-up with a group of inexperienced heroes to save the world. Its wacky and often left-field story means that it is a perfect fit for Disney Animation Studios to turn into a live-action movie. Well the movie is set to rocket into theaters later this year, and today the guys over at the House of Mouse have given us a slight teaser for the film in the form of this poster:
Coming off the success of Wreck-it-Ralph and Frozen, it almost seems like Disney Animation can do no wrong at the moment. Combining their talent with the awesome and unique story of Big Hero 6 will hopefully lead to another home-run. Big Hero 6 should be hitting a theater near you around November, so make sure you stay tuned to Capsule Computers for all the Disney and Marvel news as it becomes available.
Since it was announced at last year’s Comic-Con, Batman vs Superman has been rife with hype and controversy. From the choice of cast members through to what the story will actually be, it has managed to be the talk of the comic book and movie communities without even having an official name! Well today we can announce that Warner Bros. have officially named their Man of Steel sequel as; Batman vs Superman – Dawn of Justice.
“Dawn of Justice” definitely makes it feel like it will be a 2 hour lead-in to the future Justice League movie, so a lot is riding on this film being a winner both at the box office and critically (and it is already fighting an uphill battle with an agitated and vocal section of the fan-base).
Batman vs Superman – Dawn of Justice will be fighting crime and saving the world in 2016 with Henry Cavil reprising his role of Superman alongside Ben Affleck as Batman, Jesse Eisenberg as Lex Luthor and Gal Gadot as Wonder Woman. There is still a long ways to go before we see this movie, so make sure you stay tuned to Capsule Computers for all the Batman vs Superman news as it becomes available.
How many kids spent their childhood reading about and loving dinosaurs? The giant beasts that roamed our planet millions of years ago have always had a place in the hearts and minds of kids (and lets face it, many adults). Be it Jurassic Park or The Land Before Time, the world is filled with awesome dinosaur movies for people to marvel at, and now Walking With Dinosaurs – The Movie looks to join that rich tradition. With its timeless (albeit cliché) story and outstanding visuals make this a movie that while may not be on the same level as others in the genre, is still an entertaining and fun outing.
Story
After taking a trip with his uncle (who happens to be played by Karl Urban) a teenage boy who has long since grown out of the “dinosaurs are awesome” phase in life is told an amazing story of the past by a talking crow.After the brief introduction, we are taken back to the late Cretaceous Period, to a herd of Pachyrhinosaurus (think Triceratops with no horns) and more specifically, the runt of a new born litter – Patchy (voiced by Justin Long).
Being the runt of the litter, Patchy isn’t quite as good at… well anything as his siblings. He is smaller, slower, weaker and a little on the clumsy side. Basically he is your stereotypical kid’s movie underdog character – someone for the kids to root for.
As is expected in a children’s movie. Patchy eventually falls head over heels for a girl from another tribe. The two are separated until a terrible tragedy pushes them together. In the midst of a migration, a fire causes Patchy and his older brother Scowler to be separated from their herd. Their father charges in to save his two sons, and in the process ends up embroiled in a fierce battle with a predator that doesn’t end too well for our herbivore friend.
Patchy’s life seems to be a series of unfortunate events, as after his father dies, Patchy, Scowler and the new love-interest Juniper are left on their own, forcing Patchy to mature and take up the mantle as a leader. On their way back to their herd, Patchy and Juniper encounter a wide variety of different dinoraurs, both Herbivore and Carnivore and their adventure causes the two to grow stronger.
Kids are going to absolutely love this movie. The dinosaurs are all awesomely presented on-screen and while the story is very tired and cliché for adults, the underdog protagonist and the love-interest sub plot will manage to enrapture and entertain.The film’s narrator, Alex splices in a whole bunch of character and humanity to the proceedings, and will throw in a couple of one-liners that kids will absolutely love. Lines like “combining the grace of ballet with… the stupidity of smashing into things.” While a bit campy for adults, are likely to be side-splitters for kids.
There is one thing that Walking with Dinosaurs does differently to other kid’s dino-films like “The Land Before Time” or “We’re Back!” and that is that it also serves as a semi-educational film. Whenever a new dinosaur is introduced, the screen will freeze and we will be given a some information about the beast like its name, its origin and what kind of food it likes to eat. It is a pretty cool addition that is implemented without breaking up the plot too much and will leave viewers having learned something by the time the credits roll (even I learned a thing or two about the Ankylosaur just by watching this movie)
Visuals
There is no doubt that Walking with Dinosaurs is an absolutely beautiful film. The entire film is computer generated, but it is almost impossible to tell when watching it. The dinosaurs and the backdrops all look absolutely amazing and at times it can really be difficult to tell that they aren’t in fact real.
We aren’t just talking about one or two dinosaurs here either, but whole herds of giant beasts on screen at once, all living and breathing on screen together. The film’s 10+ dinosaur species all look exactly like we imagine they would have looked back when they ruled over the lands. It is also important to note that many of your traditional dinosaurs have been left out in favour of some more obscure predators like the Gorgosaurus or the Alphadon. Kids will love seeing new dinosaurs and these help to distinguish Walking With Dinosaurs from other films in the genre.
Audio
The voice-work for this movie is really enjoyable, if not a little bare-bones. Of all the characters in the movie, only seven actually speak English… and three of these are the human characters that bookend the story. The cast is lead by John Leguizamo, who plays Alex the Alexornis bird/narrator of the film. He brings a lot of fun to the outing through not only his voice but the way his passion shines through the dialogue.
Justin Long (of Dodgeball fame) jumps into the recording booth as the film’s protagonist Patchy. Long’s boyish charm leads itself perfectly to the roll as Patchy. You can actually believe in the clumsy young runt and it is all due to Young’s performance.
One of the film’s major problems is the fact that when the characters speak to one another, their mouths don’t move which make it look like a cheap dubbed over foreign film. It is a little disappointing considering how pretty the visuals are to see them falter here.
Overall
Walking with Dinosaurs is a visual spectical and educational experience for kids but it is far from a perfect movie. It has a tired and clichéd plot that adults will find themselves struggling though in order to appease the kids (who admittedly will probably love this). The voice cast all do a phenomenal job, but the fact that there are only really four characters that talk makes this all feel bare-bones.
With its visual style and high attention to detail, viewers will want to pick this one up on Blu-Ray or Digital HD (the latter of which allows you to watch movies before they officially release in-stores and can also be watched on any of your smart-phone/PC/just about anything else) so that you retain the beauty and quality of this movie.
Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.
Heads up, One Piece fans! Bandai Namco Games today released a new trailer for the upcoming “One Piece” multi-platform action/adventure game “Unlimited World Red” and even though it is one we’ve seen before it is still nice to have it entirely subtitled in English. It has been titled the “Battle Coliseum Trailer” and takes watchers through the story of the game mode as well as the actual gameplay.
For those of you who have forgotten what this game mode is:
The PlayStation 3, PlayStation Vita and Wii U version of the game will all feature this new game mode titled “Battle Colosseum” which will allow players to choose from four different game types; “Battle Royale”, Duel, Boss Rush, and Chaos Battle. “Battle Royale” allows more than two players to jump into the ring for an all out brawl to see who is truly the strongest. “Duel” allows two players to go head to head on the battlefield for a grudge match to end all grudge matches.
“Boss Rush” plays in a very traditional way with the game throwing countless bosses at you to defeat until you are taken down. “Chaos Battle” works similar to how the Colosseum is portrayed in the “One Piece” series; there’s plenty of enemies to fight in a small space and you have to take them out. Fighting in this mode will earn you points which you can use to unlock new story missions.
The game is looking absolutely brilliant and us here at Capsule Computers cannot wait to get our hands on such an incredible title! Developed by Ganbarion and published by Bandai Namco Games, “One Piece: Unlimited World Red” is set for a release on the PlayStation 3, the PlayStation Vita and the Wii U on the 27th of June in Europe and Australasia with the North American release being on the 8th of July.
We will also be receiving the game on the Nintendo 3DS which Japan already got late last year. Now head down to the featured video section below to check out the English-Subtitled “Battle Coliseum” trailer and don’t forget to let us know what you think in the comments section just under that.
