Hercules (2014) Review

Hercules Review

Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson stars in this narcissistically named movie chronicling the adventures of the famous Greek hero.

Story

Rockules and his band of merry misfits act as mercenaries for hire in this clever spin on the classic myth. I suppose you could consider the following a spoiler even though it is revealed in the first fifteen minutes of the movie. Regardless: SPOILER ALERT! In this movie, Hercules is not portrayed as the actual son of Zeus. Instead, he is just an incredibly strong and powerful man whose story has spread throughout Greece like a monster killing Paul Bunyan. So everyone in the country thinks that Hercules is a demigod, but only the viewers (and a select number of side characters) know the truth. Hercules is accompanied by 5 other mercenaries who are infinitely more interesting the Hercules himself. The fellowship consists of The main man himself Herc, a female archer, a bloodthirsty mute, a comical soothsayer, a storyteller, and a man who throws knives well. Their quest: To live like Kings by working for whomever pays the most.

Using the tales of the all-powerful Rockules, the Fellowship of the Rock increase their fame and their wealth until they are hired by a King to train his troops and lead them into a mysterious civil war. From that point on the movie consists of great action packed fight scenes and secret motives of the King lead Hercules to make a moral choice become the real hero everyone thinks he is. And that he does! By the end of the movie, I was pondering whether or not he was actually the son of Zeus. He certainly performs like he is.

Since the story of Hercules (Referencing the myth and not the movie or the character) is one that has been told many, many times, a lot of his backstory is essentially summed up in a couple of minutes. The audience is almost expected to know who Hercules is so they can focus on all the head clobbering action. The side characters are really cool and have a lot of potential, but their back-stories are not explored as much as I hoped.

Hercules (referencing the movie itself and not main character or the myth) steals many ideas from other other movies, especially 300. However, it makes up for this fact by blatantly referencing 300 multiple times throughout the movie. These all made me laugh, so the unoriginal ideas have been mostly forgiven.

All in all, plot was way more interesting and complex than I expected, and while most people will only remember the fight scenes, I will remember this movie for its creative interpretation of the ancient legend.

Acting/Dialogue

Note: Because the movie uses actual Greek names that are impossible to remember, I will be describing the characters rather than naming them

Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson (who looks more like a tank than a rock) plays Hercules well, especially since Hercules is a character of brawn and therefore is not expected to be eloquent or well spoken. This, overall, leads to some poor dialogue that consists of mostly one liners.

Best performance in this movie goes to Ian McShane, who plays the soothsayer. His character is by far the most complex and interesting. Plus, he’s funny! With good supply of comical relief and a stellar performance, McShane’s character helps hold the movie together.

SFX/Action

The fight scenes (as previously mentioned) are very 300-esque. However, the battles in Hercules seemed to be the perfect scale. Even with a realistic amount of soldiers fighting at any given time, the action seems non-stop and is almost exhausting to watch. Everything looks real and (for the most part) remains within the realm of possibility.

Hercules obviously steals most of the glory when it comes to awesome fight scene moments. Nevertheless, the Followers of Rockules hold their own, and together as a team, they seem unstoppable.

Conclusion

While not Dwayne Johnson's best movie, I thought Hercules was great. I personally give it an 8/10. I know some may disagree, but one thing is for sure: Hercules is a hell of a lot better than Transformers: Age of Extinction.

Note: I will not be doing a separate review for Transformers: AOE. If you're curious, I'd give it a 4/10. It's garbage.

Like the review? Let me know in the comments.

Grand Theft Auto Online Review

Grand Theft Auto Online

GTA Online is an alternative game mode in GTA V that allows players to explore Los Santos with friends and compete in a variety of competitions. There is technically a “campaign” in Online, but it so hard to get into and understand that it becomes just another series of missions.

Gameplay

GTA Online controls the exact same way as GTA V (see my review of Grand Theft Auto V). However, pop-ins occur much more frequently in this mode. Plus, loading times are horrendous. Just getting into the online mode and connecting to a server can take upwards of five minutes. This doesn't even account for time spent in matchmaking lobbies while waiting for other player to join your game.

In GTA Online you are placed in Los Santos with other players roaming around with you. The name of the game: Competition. Competition is the basis of GTA Online. Every activity involves you trying to 1-up every other player to gain the most EXP and the most cash. This is fun at first, but can get old quickly.

GTA Online really comes together in the normal free roam mode. Play with some friends and goof around in the city and countryside. Play with people you don’t know and see how long you survive.

Customizing cars and buying property is more effective and enjoyable. Custom cars can be used in some races as well as in free roam. Properties include garages and apartments that allow the player to store cars, clothes, personal items, etc. You can also create and customize your own character and level them up to unlock the best weapons and armors.

GTA Online also allows Creator Content in the form of map design. Players can create races, deathmatch maps, and other challenges using the map creator tool. After a map has been made, other players can play it and rate it. XP is then awarded to the creator.

Most players will spend most of their time saving up enough cash for a particular item, purchasing that item, and then saving up for another one, leveling up his/her character in the process. Since there is no eventual goal, players are free to do practically whatever they want.

Story

As I said before, GTA Online does technically have a series of story missions, but they are loosely connected and, from what I can tell, don’t lead to any significant outcome. If you play this mode for the plot, then you’re playing it wrong.

Audio/Graphics

Graphics have pretty much the same quality of GTA V (see my other review). However, pop-ins occur all the time and can become a problem. Frame-rate occasionally drops and there is some desync that you will certainly notice. For a completely online game though, it is fairly consistent.

Appeal/Replayability

You can create multiple characters in GTA Online. You can therefore experiment with play-styles and pool the money between your characters for maximum profit. Lots of replay value and appeal to many audiences.

Conclusion

GTA Online is hard to really get into, but once your character is at a “recreational” level, gameplay picks up. Overall, not a bad game, and useful if you aren't ready to leave the GTA V world. I give GTA Online an 8/10. Stay tuned for more reviews.

Grand Theft Auto (GTA) V Review

Grand Theft Auto V Review

GTA V is Rockstar’s newest entry in their open world crime series.  You play as three different characters, each with their own skills and personalities. The setting: the city of Los Santos, and the countryside surrounding it. Playing through the story and exploring the world is a unique experience. Note: GTA V also has an online mode. I will do a separate review for this mode, so stay tuned.

Gameplay

GTA V handles like a normal cover-based shooter. The controls get clunky when navigating tight spaces and when trying to navigate cover. Auto-aim is a little too helpful, practically eliminating any challenge from shooting. But, when turned off, aiming is dreadfully difficult to control, and becomes frustrating.

Driving in the game is really good, but fast vehicles are incredibly (and realistically) hard to control. Cars become progressively more difficult to control depending on the condition of the car. This is a great incentive to drive both quickly and safely.

Customizing cars is more addictive than ever, even though in missions you will end up driving each character’s default car. Still, driving around the open world in a pimped-out vehicle is very satisfying. You can also purchase property for each character. Properties provide a steady source of income every week and allow the owner to participate in more side missions.

Speaking of side missions, Grand Theft Auto V has an unrealistic amount of side activities. Too many. Many of these activities are standard races and side quests, but many of the activities are gimmicky and pointless. These novelty activities include: golf, tennis, walking the dog, watching a movie, and more. You will maybe participate in these activities a few times each. They are generally unengaging, but don’t give or take anything from the game as a whole.

My favorite addition that Rockstar made to the newest iteration of GTA were heists. Throughout the story, you, the player will participate in 6 customizable heists. These elaborate robberies are your main source of cash throughout the game. Each heist is different in its own way, whether it’s picking your entry route, hiring a custom crew, or securing a getaway car. Each heist also requires a few “setup missions” before it takes place. These exciting thefts are by far the most interesting aspect of GTA V. Rockstar has found a feature in the form of heists. They are sure to make a comeback in future games.

Story

Few games have a plot that is as intricate as Grand Theft Auto V’s. With three protagonists, three possible endings, a multitude of bad guys, and internal and external conflicts, GTA V’s story is engaging, controversial, unpredictable, and fun. Yes, yes controversy. The general goal of the game is to make as much money as you can while also tying up any loose ends created along the way. Well, along the way, some pretty nasty things happen. Note: The game (like the ones that came before) received hate upon its release because of the foul language, violence, drugs etc. But the game is rate M for mature that exact reason. Any problems that people experience with the “inappropriateness” of the story is due to their own disregard of the ESRB rating. Rant complete. Anyway, I hate spoilers, but I will end by saying that the three possible endings all seem rushed and left me feeling unsatisfied.

Audio/Graphics

GTA V looks pretty good on console. The city looks, and therefore feels real. Be prepared for some pop-ins, however, especially if you are driving really fast. The great thing about the game’s visuals is that they are consistent on a 3-D level. When soaring through the sky in a plane, the white clouds give a sense of tranquility and look beautiful. Driving around the city looks great as well, particularly at night, and indoor spaces look good too. Even the underwater scenery is beautiful in its own way.

As usual in a GTA game, dialogue and voice acting is incredible. All the characters sound and act real, and this really helps define each protagonist and push the plot. Rockstar accomplishes their goal of providing a great plot, and they do most of it through cutscenes, which, unlike other games, are hard to skip.

Grand Theft Auto V has a brilliant soundtrack. Radio stations pour out real songs to listen to when driving, and the beginning and ending songs were applied so well that they gave me chills.

Appeal/Replay-ability

The ability to replay missions (including side missions) is a great mechanic, especially if you want to go back and see “what would have happened” if you made different decisions throughout the game. A maximum of 15 save slots are available in the game, so players can come back over and over again to experiment with play style.

Conclusion

Rockstar has once again made an instant classic. Like its predecessors, GTA V will go down in history as one of the best games of this generation. I give GTA V a 9.5/10 for its stellar gameplay, incredible story, and its overall appeal. I loved it; you will love it. Play it now (if you’re old enough. If you’re not, wait and get it later).