In junction with the upcoming title Dead Island Riptide, Paddy Power had revealed yesterday the apparent odds of the world ending by a zombie apocalypse. December 21, 2012 has been depicted as the end of the Mayan calendar which end-of-the-world fanatics are crazing about. Paddy Power has the breakdown of potential end of the world scenarios:
Environmental Disaster: 1000/1
Nuclear Holocaust: 1500/1
Zombie Apocalypse: 2000/1
Giant Asteroid Collision: 3000/1
ET Take-Over: 5000/1
Until the clock strikes midnight around the world, I think we should be worrying more about a potential environmental disaster than anything. I would love to find out where they found their statistics because a zombie apocalypse sounds less likelier than an asteroid colliding with Earth. Then I would suppose we would have to constitute what declares a person turning into a zombie – an amplified rabies outbreak might be stretching it.
Here’s a quote from a Paddy Power spokesperson:
Punters fancying a cheery 2000/1 flutter that the world will end due to zombie apocalypse on December 21st are more than welcome. For those not totally convinced, Paddy Power is also offering 1/1000* that the sun will rise on the 22nd. Either way, someone’s going to win!
If we are not all dead be the end of today by some sort of disaster, make yourself free to pick up Dead Island Riptide on April 26, 2013 for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, or PC. In the meanwhile keep your tin foil hats on and shotguns at the ready.
Welcome to Capsule Computers’ weekly anime segment, Anime Say! This week, I discuss the best Christmas anime episodes of all time. What made the cut? Watch on to find out.
Give to the less fortunate this Christmas, donate to those with nothing under the Christmas Tree this year at www.salvationarmy.org.au
Got any questions for Anime Say? You can send me a tweet on my official twitter or alternatively drop me an email at [email protected]. I will do my best to respond to your tweets and emails as well as try read some out on the show.
What do you think of the latest episode of Anime Say? Let us know in the comments section below.
Are you ready to cause total DESTRUCTION! Sleigher’s aim is just that in this action-packed sleigh sim. Smash through mountain roads, ice lakes, ski resorts & towns as you guide your dogs and gain bonuses for high-speed runs, air time or generally causing chaos along the way! You will also take on rival skiers, will they give you a run for your money for your husky team!
You will also be able to upgrade your sleigh with upgrades such as a BBQ & bacon canon, a trained SQUIRREL, rocket boosters and even a wrecking ball! Honestly can this game possibly be as ridiculous as I’ve just described it? YES. Yes it can!
Why not find out for yourself? It’s free! Download it here from iTunes.
FEATURES:
– 16 wacky sleigh upgrades!
– 13 dogs to choose from!
– 5 Game modes including a super special Santa mode!
– Game Center integration with 30 achievements & high score!
– Unique hand-drawn illustrated graphics
– Randomly generated terrain makes the game completely different each time.
– An awesome high-energy rock soundtrack!
– Designed for all iOS devices- no black bars or stretching to fit screens!
The newly self appointed President of High Moon Studios and “Merc with a Mouth,” Deadpool!… has sent us a festive holiday video card along with a personal greeting. The baldest anti-hero in Marvel’s universe is eagerly making preparations for his new video game in 2013. What does he have to say? and what sort of plans does he have for all of us that don’t pre-order his Awesome video game that will be coming out in 2013? Well only way to find out check out the video below and see for yourselves.
Deadpool will be making its way to a console near your in 2013 and will be developed by High Moon Studios. If you want to pre-order the game you can do so by making your way to the official Deadpool website here. Happy Holidays!
Welcome back for this week’s iOS Game Suggestions. If you missed or are new to the suggestions, click on the link below and check what cool games you should be picking up for your iOS along with the introduction and disclaimer on how the suggestions work. (suggestions 1 has the disclaimer and how it all works)
A great week on iTunes, as always it started slow and but ended with a bang! As always there certainly is a few must buy games this week in all departments, FREE, 99c and over 99c. This week i’ve suggested a total of 24 great quality titles. Make sure you check them all especially Ravensword: Shadowlands, Final Fantasy IV, Pudding Monsters, Cooking Mama Seasons Pro, Green Jelly, Night Whisper Lane, Might & Magic: Duel Champions just to name a few.
Break down below :
10 – FREE Games
6 – $0.99c Games
8 – Over $0.99c Games
As always for this week’s suggestions are all new titles that you should take a look at and consider spending your hard earned iTunes cash / time on. Well the Free games just below certainly should all be given a shot as they won’t cost you anything!
For The Cheapskates – FREE GAMES
MASTERABBOTT’S FREE GAME PICK OF THE WEEK!
Might & Magic: Duel Of Champions– Price : FREE – Publisher – UBISOFT (Experience the time-tested factions of the Might & Magic universe in a completely new format. Discover a wealth of beautifully illustrated game cards, featuring all the well-known characters, spells and heroes from the Might & Magic series of games.) on iPad & iPhone. GET IT NOW FOR FREE
Green Jelly – Price : FREE – Publisher –G5 Entertainment (Do you like candy? So does Green Jelly! Join this cute creature in a challenging adventure to curb his sweet tooth. Collecting candies is not as easy as you might think. Dangerous traps and tricky obstacles make it hairy yet entertaining. So proceed carefully and you’ll be rewarded with tasty treats and Green Jelly’s happy smile. With 60 amazing levels in three yummy locations, you’ll test your quick reactions and wits at every step. Incredible graphics and animation plus realistic physics action will only make you crave for more. ) runs on iPad & iPhone. GET IT NOW FOR FREE
Where’s My Holiday – Price : FREE – Publisher –Disney Mobile (WHERE’S MY HOLIDAY FEATURES 12 EXCLUSIVE HOLIDAY THEMED LEVELS STARRING SWAMPY AND PERRY!Swampy and Perry need help – are you up to the challenge? SWAMPY’S STORY: Swampy is a little different than other alligators in the sewers and he loves to take showers! Cut through dirt and guide water to Swampy’s shower across six challenging levels but keep an eye out for algae, tricks and traps! PERRY’S STORY: In Perry’s levels, use water in all its different forms – ice, steam and liquid – to solve the puzzles and to help Agent P get to headquarters. Even super-sleuths need help!) runs on iPad & iPhone. GET IT NOW FOR FREE
Jetpack Jinx – Price : FREE – Publisher –Bubblegum Interactive (BLAST OFF FOR ADVENTURE! Help Jetpack Jinx fly to space. The mischievous Jinx has crash landed on a mysterious planet… He’s gotta get back to his Starship before his boss, the dastardly Lord Shadowbot finds out he’s gone! Strap on your jetpack, blast off and make your way through insanely addictive levels of pure fun in the awesome new game from Bubble Gum Interactive.) runs on iPad & iPhone. GET IT NOW FOR FREE
Lost Treasures Of Infocom – Price : FREE – Publisher –Activision (Enter the world of master storytellers. Before there were state-of-the-art consoles, tablets and PCs capable of amazing graphics, gamers had to use their imagination and wit, to solve intricate puzzles and progress through these text-only adventure gaming classics.) runs on iPad & iPhone. GET IT NOW FOR FREE
Runsanity – Price : FREE – Publisher –Heliceum (3, 2, 1… GO! RunSanity, the first social and competitive runner with a unique ghost system arrives on iOS and it will be crazy! Are you ready to challenge your friends and to show them who’s the best? It’s super easy. 1) Pick a character, a track and a Facebook friend. 2) Realize your best score: jump and nudge obstacles, make combos to earn boost and destroy all in your path!. 3) Your race ghost is automatically sent to your friend who is going to play against your character. 4) Reach the top of world leaderboard and share your best scores) runs on iPad & iPhone. GET IT NOW FOR FREE
Sleigher – Price : FREE – Publisher – Bulkypix(DESTRUCTION! Is the aim of the game in this action-packed sleigh sim. Smash through mountain roads, ice lakes, ski resorts & towns as you guide your dogs using super easy controls. Gain bonuses for high-speed runs, air time or generally causing chaos along the way! Your rival skiers will not approve, but they are no match for your husky team! Can you show ’em who’s boss before they get the better of you?) on iPad & iPhone. GET IT NOW FOR FREE
Nemo’s Reef – Price : FREE – Publisher – Disney Mobile (DIVE IN AND JOIN NEMO ON HIS LATEST ADVENTURE. BUILD A BEAUTIFUL REEF, AND MAKE A HOME FOR YOUR FAVORITE FINDING NEMO CHARACTERS! More languages coming soon! Play Nemo’s Reef in the following languages starting early 2013: French, German, Dutch, Italian and Spanish! Nemo and his dad, Marlin, set out to build the coolest reef in his class. Help Nemo create a best-in-class underwater retreat, and discover the secrets to building a permanent home for his friends!) on iPhone & iPad. GET IT NOW FOR FREE
RAD Soldiers – Price : FREE – Publisher – WARCHEST Limited (Assemble a squad of fearless soldiers and lead them into explosive, turn-based battles against your friends! Use the outrageous special abilities of your mighty mercs to turn the tide of battle and come up with hilarious new ways to leave your opponents eating your shrapnel/bullets/dust. Level up your squad as you play to master new abilities and use the spoils of war to unlock brand-new soldiers, weapons, and outfits.) on iPhone & iPad. GET IT NOW FOR FREE
Roaming Fortress – Price : FREE – Publisher – Brisk Mobile (CHOSEN NEW & NOTEWORTHY BY APPLE! Many years have passed since their mighty fortresses fell and the Manatalopian Knights were forced from their lands. Brutalized by the merciless Goblin Horde the Knights searched for hope in the borderlands of their fallen kingdom. Domesticating a herd of wild Burdenbeasts, the Knights realized they may have found the secret to reclaiming the lost Kingdom of Manatalopia. The time has come for you to command your own Roaming Fortress and bring the fight to the enemy!) on iPhone & iPad. GET IT NOW FOR FREE
For The Bargain Hunters – 99c Games
MasterAbbott’s over 99c Pick Of The Week!
Pudding Monsters – Price : $0.99 – Publisher – ZeptoLab (Sticky, curious… and DETERMINED TO GET BIGGER! From the makers of Cut the Rope, Pudding Monsters is a deliciously addicting puzzle adventure with wacky characters and innovative stick-‘em-together game-play. The Pudding Monsters are on a mission to save their friends from the cold-hearted fridge owner! Growing into an ULTIMATE MEGA MONSTER sounds like the most reliable plan. Off the table, out of the house, and into the city – swipe to stick the Pudding Monsters together and save their friends!) runs on iPad & iPhone. BUY NOW
Night Whisper Lane – Price : $0.99 – Publisher – EPX Games (Night Whisper Lane is a BRAND NEW survival horror game that many gamers refer to it as “Resident Evil Meets Final Fantasy” Can you escape the horrors of Night Whisper Lane and live to see another day. Night Whisper Lane is the 1st authentic Survival Horror gaming experience specifically designed for iOS that merges classic “Point and Click” gameplay with a “Turn-Based Battle System” to help you fend off whatever evil awaits you in this seemingly endless labyrinth.) runs on iPhone & iPad. BUY NOW
Super Mega Worm Vs Santa 2– Price : $0.99 – Publisher – Deceased Pixel (Guess whose back? This is the sequel to the cult hit Super Mega Worm Vs Santa. The follow up to the epic saga between the great Mega Worm, Wojira and the evil robotic Mecha Santa. This new adventure takes Wojira right into the heart of Santa’s toy factories and is filled with total chaos and destruction. Wojira has returned with 3 all new super powers and is ready to battle the forces of the North Pole once more.) runs on iPhone & iPad. BUY NOW
Badly Drawn Movies– Price : $0.99 – Publisher – Sporcle (Sharpy the narwhal is at it again. He has taken his love of drawing and his passion for movies to new heights in this new game from Sporcle. Badly Drawn Movies is the followup to the wildly popular game Badly Drawn Faces. Guess the movies drawn by Sharpy and earn points, fish, and the love and admiration of your friends.) runs on iPhone & iPad. BUY NOW
Cognitile– Price : $0.99 – Publisher – Express Media (Cognitile is a re-imagining of the puzzle/maze genre. On the tile-based game setting, you’re given a preview of the level’s various hazards at the start. The object of the game is to quickly memorize a safe route and draw a solution to the hidden treasure. Make a mistake and you could fall down a crumbling tile, find yourself poisoned or engulfed in flames, get crushed by a boulder or attacked by snakes (why’d it have to be snakes!) runs on iPhone & iPad. BUY NOW
Roller Rally – Price : $0.99 – Publisher – Milky Tea (Race your favourite Milky Tea character to become the legend of Snake Pass, one of the most feared and deadly skate trails in the world! Starting at the tops of the snow and ice peaked mountains and descending at lightning speed to the sea level, skate your way through 15 checkpoints across three mystical environments. Overcome obstacles, collect coins and master jumps and spins to beat your opponents.) runs on iPhone & iPad. BUY NOW
For The Millionaires – All games over $0.99
MasterAbbott’s over 99c Pick Of The Week!
Ravensword: Shadowlands – Price : $7.49 – Publisher – Crescent Moon Games (From the award winning studio that brought you Ravensword: The Fallen King and Aralon: Sword and Shadow, comes RAVENSWORD: SHADOWLANDS. Ravensword brings unprecedented visuals to the role playing and adventure genre. Explore a vast and richly detailed world, gather powerful weapons, collect hundreds of items, increase your skills,
and follow a deep storyline to solve the mysteries of the Kingdom of Tyreas.) runs on iPhone & iPad. BUY NOW
Final Fantasy IV – Price : $15.99 – Publisher – Square Enix (The title first debuted in 1991 as the fourth installment in the FINAL FANTASY series. Wildly popular thanks to its unique characters and dramatic storylines, it went on to be ported to many different platforms. FINAL FANTASY IV was the first title to introduce the Active Time Battle (ATB) system, which has become synonymous with the series. It also saw the introduction of the Augment system, which enabled the transfer of abilities from other characters and gave players an edge in battles.) runs on iPhone & iPad. BUY NOW
Cooking Mama Seasons Pro – Price : $6.99 – Publisher – TAITO Corp (Popular the world over, the hit cooking action game “Cooking Mama” is now back with a generous second helping of fun! In addition to all the familiar favorites, this edition also includes a variety of great new dishes, with plenty more recipes in the works!
This cooking action game has been specially optimized for the iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad. With easy controls, Cooking Mama is great fun for kids, too!) runs on iPhone & iPad. BUY NOW
Sky Gamblers: Storm Raiders – Price : $4.99 – Publisher – Atypical Games (THIS IS THE ULTIMATE WWII AIR COMBAT GAME! You’ll participate in visceral dogfights, protect cities and fleets, bomb enemy structures and even fly through tunnels. Everything is set up in accurately recreated real life locations like Pearl Harbor, Coast of Dover, Midway, Germany and France.) runs on iPhone & iPad. BUY NOW
Murder, She Wrote– Price : $3.99 – Publisher – Big Fish Games (Solve murder mysteries with Jessica Fletcher, everyone’s favorite author and super-sleuth! Piece together the clues and crack different cases in this exciting Hidden Object game! Based on the hit TV show, Murder, She Wrote™ will take you on a fun journey through multiple cases. Explore crime scenes and use Jessica’s curiosity and wits to discover the true culprit. Solve perplexing puzzles and search for cleverly hidden items to catch the criminals!) runs on iPad. BUY NOW
Anomaly Korea– Price : $2.99 – Publisher – Chillingo (The alien robots are back and this time they’ve got Korea in their sights. It’s your job to lead a squad into fierce fire-fights and fend off the alien invasion. Plan your routes carefully and use armoured units and attacking powers to turn the tide of war against a horde of new enemy threats.) runs iPad & iPhone. BUY NOW
Monument Builders: Notre Dame de Paris HD – Price : $5.49 – Publisher – Microids. (The Notre Dame Cathedral is now more fun than ever! Time management in the Middle Ages! Participate in the construction of the iconic Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris while learning tons of anecdotes. Become the construction site manager of one of the world’s most famous monuments: clear the site, build quarries, and destroy giant hams to feed your workers. Don’t forget to build the gargoyles and the bells, otherwise the project will be delayed! And be careful, an army of criminals is on the prowl…) runs on iPhone & iPad. BUY NOW
Karateka – Price : $2.99 – Publisher – Karateka. (From PRINCE OF PERSIA creator Jordan Mechner, the original side-scrolling karate classic comes to the iPad and iPhone with stunning graphics and innovative gameplay. *IMPORTANT* Karateka requires iPhone 4S or newer, iPad 2 or newer, or iPod Touch (5th generation).) runs on iPhone & iPad. BUY NOW
There you have it folks, these games should keep you busy for quite some time, well till next week at least. I’ll be back next week for another dose of iOS goodness, in the meantime if anyone would also like to suggest their own suggestions, please feel free to share them in the comments section below or in the iOS forum section on the site here.
Now as you all know, we have probably less than 24 hours to live. So, French publisher Anuman Interactive has offered to all iPhone/iPad owners out there, their last deal before the world ends! Starting from as of Friday 21st for only 24 hours (except if we survive, the deal will end on the 28 December included) you can pick up Hidden Object adventure, Jennifer Wolf and the Mayan Relics for only 99c. Check out the links and details below.
Retro games developer and publisher DotEmu have just announced an exclusive Christmas offer on all its Android games. To celebrate the end of the year, all the DotEmu games are discounted on Google Play from December 21st to December 27th.
Check out what’s on special below.
RAIDEN LEGACY(See on Google Play) 4.49€ / $4.99 → 2.69€ / $2.99
RAIDEN LEGACY is a four-title compilation of the mega-popular RAIDEN arcade series, includes RAIDEN, RAIDEN FIGHTERS, RAIDEN FIGHTERS 2 & RAIDEN FIGHTERS JET. Originally developed by Seibu Kaihatsu, each of these classic scrolling shooters has not only been authentically recreated for mobile, but also enhanced with brand-new features!
ANOTHER WORLD 20TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION(See on Google Play) 1.99€ / $2.49 → 0.89€ / $0.99
Also known as Out Of This World™ and released across more than a dozen platforms since its 1991 debut, Another World™ has attained cult status among critics and sophisticated gamers alike for its cinematic effects in the graphics, sound and cut scenes.
R-TYPE(See on Google Play) 1.90€ / $1.99 → 0.89€ / $0.99
Let’s go back in the 80’s with this classic old-school shoot’em up! One of the biggest arcade game will make you travel back in the day. Be ready to have fun with this old-school side-shooter game! It’s retro, it’s fun and it’s also hard to master. Be the best ever to finish this masterpiece!
Launching today courtesy of Disney Mobile, Nemo’s Reef allows you dive right into Nemo’s underwater world and help figuring out how to build the perfect home for Nemo and their friends. Can you help them do this? Sure you can!
On this journey to build the perfect reef you have all of Nemo’s friends from the movie to help you along such as Dory, Gill, Bubbles and more, as you continue their story beneath the sea. As with many other time management games, Nemo’s Reef will have you working out what the best rare seed and plant combinations to use to lure the most mysterious ocean creatures, and uncover which of your design creations delight Nemo’s friends. You can also visit your friends’ coral reefs, and compare each other’s unique fish collections.
Nemo’s Reef features include:
An underwater paradise to create and customise
The creation of a home for characters from “Finding Nemo” including Dory, Gill, Bloat, Bubbles, Crush, and more
Discover and plant rare seeds to attract exotic and mysterious fish
Collect over 50 kinds of unique fish for coral enhancement
Players can visit friends’ reefs, to compare fish collections
Nemo’s Reef is now available for free for the iPhone, iPod touch and iPad on the App Store, and for Android devices on Google Play. Check out the trailer below for more info on the game.
Fans of Where’s My Water? (review here) and Where’s My Perry? (review here) are being given a great treat for the holidays, a new free game featuring holiday-themed levels from our favourite shower obsessed alligator and semi-aquatic super sleuth, Swampy and Agent P! Bright lights and snowflakes will grace your mobile screens this festive season. Can you help Swampy take his next shower and get Perry to his next briefing?
As always you’ll have to cut through dirt and guide water to Swampy’s shower across six levels but make sure you keep an eye out for algae, tricks and traps. In Perry’s levels, use water in all its different forms ice, steam and liquid to solve the puzzles and help Agent P get to headquarters. Remember… Even super-sleuths need help!
Where’s My Holiday? is available for the iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad on the iTunes App Store and on Google Play. Make sure you check out the trailer for the game below! Happy Holidays!
Jack Reacher is a film adaptation of the 9th novel in a series of 17 written by author Lee Child. The novel went by the title of “One Shot” and was originally released in 2005. The character was written as 6’5″ and 220-odd pounds, so when Tom Cruise was cast, many people voiced their trepidation. I wasn’t familiar with the novels, so I didn’t come into the screening with any preconceived notions or expectations. So, with all that said, is Jack Reacher a ‘one shot’ kill? Read on to find out.
Story
James Barr, a former army sharpshooter, is in custody and is suspected of shooting and killing 5 people. Being pressured to sign papers pleading his guilt, Barr instead writes down three words: “Get Jack Reacher!”. Who is Jack Reacher… “Jack Reacher is a ghost.” A former military cop; a Major who was demoted to Captain, and then promoted to Major again. He’s been off the map for the last 2 years. He’s only found when he wants to be found…and so he appears.
James Barr falls into a coma after being brutally attacked by fellow convicts on the transport on the way to jail. The question on everyone’s mind is: ‘Why did Barr request Jack Reacher?’. And so the mystery begins, not only of the question, but of the murders Barr was accused of. Helen Rodin, the DA’s daughter, is representing Barr as his lawyer, and believes that he wanted Jack to find the truth; suggesting the possibility that he was innocent.
And so the set-up is established. From this point on, we see the development of the case investigation as Jack accepts, after much resistance, the informal job title of “lead investigator” from Ms. Rodin. He’s back in the game. After the exposition on Jack at the beginning of the film, and the notes on him being untraceable, his sudden introduction to the scene and film carried a lot of weight. It was a funny moment after establishing how hard he was to find, having him simply walk into the door of the hospital room.
You get the sense that this man means business, from the get-go. Having not read the novel series, seeing Jack Reacher’s introduction on-screen still carried a feeling of acquaintance with the character. As if this was in fact a sequel, and not the first film for the franchise. I don’t know if it’s because the script is based on the 9th book in the series, or because of the pure charisma of an actor the calibre of Tom Cruise. Had that exposition been excised, you would have believed this was a sequel.
Tom Cruise is the star of the show; his toned down, realistic take on the role further cemented Reacher’s bad-ass image. The cast includes some great legends – Werner Herzog as “The Zec” (The Prisoner) and Robert Duvall as Martin Cash, a gun-range owner. The Zec could have been a good buy, and I’d STILL be afraid of Herzog. His voice and accent is so creepy, so menacing, that he just can’t help but be typecast for it. And that’s not a bad thing. Also, Aussie newcomer Jai Courtney makes a good accounting of himself as Charlie, an amazing sharpshooter himself and associate of The Zec’s.
Rosamund Pike is a solid actress, but I felt she displayed this wide-eyed expression on her face far too often in the film. It was like she was constantly stuck in a state of fear and was exaggerative. I would have liked to see a lot more development on the side of the villains. I understand the fact that, because they are tied in with the mystery, they themselves are to be kept as somewhat mysterious figures. But after certain facts were established, it would have been nice to get a little more backstory on them. Probably the biggest fault of the film, which, quite frankly, there are few of.
The action in Jack Reacher is all encompassing – you’ve got your hand-to-hand combat, your epic car chase and a fantastic shootout. All your action-needs are covered. Jack Reacher himself is an amazing detective (unofficially) combining his knowledge from the army, keen observational skills and logic to make some great and accurate deductions that leave the viewer in a “oh yeah, of course! Wow, that’s genius!” moment. The script does a great job of providing these moments in an intelligent way. There are also some funny lines given by Reacher, which brings some welcome levity to the story.
I felt that the film was the perfect length, featuring very little fluff. The pace is very well balanced, leaving no restless moments for the viewer. The conclusion was satisfying, although I can’t help but to keep coming back to the lack of development for the antagonists of the story. Because of this, there was less impact with the ending. It’s unfortunate, because otherwise I would have classed Jack Reacher a near perfect thriller/mystery/action film, especially for this generation.
Visuals
Jack Reacher is very gritty, especially when it comes to the action-heavy sequences. Christopher McQuarrie does a great job of keeping the camera in tight, as close to Jack’s perspective as he can without compromising the shot. Now, I’m not talking about constant extreme-closeups, or 1st-person perspective shots. The best examples are the static camera placed on the hood of the cars in the car chase, and the low-angles and eye-line shots when Jack is getting attacked with a baseball bat in a bath tub.
Basically, McQuarrie uses shots that ensure the action is clear and reads perfectly to the viewer. While those angles were appropriate for those specific scenes, there’s also a fight sequence earlier in the film where Reacher fights 5 guys outside a bar. The camera closes in on the expression of the bad guy getting whooped and then back out to wide shots so that you can get a sense for the space and positioning of the enemies, as well as the scale of the fight.
Audio
I was obviously impressed with the direction, and the same can be said with the audio. Gunshots were loud and heavy. Car noises, such as the engine rumbling and gears shifting, were clear, and what was also nice is that during most of that car chase, there was no music or score behind it. All that could be heard were the cars; the sense of the thrill of driving at such high speeds really benefited from that focused sound design.
The score was created by Joe Kraemer (Way of the Gun), and uses strings and brass instrumentation heavily. It immediately sounded familiar to me as I was stunned by how certain tracks resembled Norman Corbeil’s Heavy Rain soundtrack, which I love. It seemed the same instrumentation was used, and the composition even reflected a similar pacing. The motif of deep brass notes continuously rising in single, two-note or three-note configurations was very evocative of Heavy Rain. Coincidentally, both stories have a large focus on investigation.
There was also, what I like to call, the “Lost” violin, which is played in tremolo, sul ponticello (near the bridge). In layman’s terms, it’s that quick, scratchy, eerie sound that is heard throughout the Lost OSTs. I loved these tones and techniques, because I am a fan of those two IPs. If they were true inspirations to Kraemer, no one knows. But they seem to create the perfect air of suspense and drama for the film.
Overall
I really enjoyed Jack Reacher. It’s been quite a while since I’ve seen a classic action/mystery/thriller style flick (the last was probably Shutter Island), and this was definitely a throwback I appreciated. The music is great, the directing/editing is not overdone, the action scenes are well choreographed and shot, the script is clever and the performances on a whole are very good.
Tom Cruise’s height and size difference to the original character of the novels is not even worth a thought; he absolutely kills (literally) as Jack Reacher. I recommend Jack Reacher, and with all the source material that’s available, I look forward to seeing future entries in what will hopefully become a successful film franchise.
Welcome to Capsule Computers’ weekly anime segment, Anime Say! This week, I discuss the best Christmas anime episodes of all time. What made the cut? Watch on to find out.
