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page 10 | January 15th, 2010 A&E The Milton MeasureMOVIES, MUSIC AND VIDEO GAMES2009: the Best and theWorst MoviesSherlock Holmes: a Reviewby Jackson TseA&E Writer ‘11Have you ever walked out of themovie theater either thinking, “Wow, thatwas a huge waste of eleven dollars and twohours of my life.” Or, “Danggg, I have togo see that one again?” But now as yourtrying to remember what movies weregood or bad this past year, you can’t reallyrecall those movies. So, here’s my life ofthe best and worst movies of 2009.My personal favorite was theBlind Side. The Blind Side was a truestory based on the life of Michael Oher.This inspirational movie was filled withheartwarming scenes and also bits ofcomedy here and there, which lightenedthe atmosphere of the movie. SandraBullock did a great job playing the caringmother. In my own opinion, these movieswere also rated as the best movies of 2009:Hangover, Star Trek, Up, Harry Potter 6,Wolverine, Princess and the Frog, and TheUninvited.Now for the worst movies of2009: Year One was probably the worstmovie ever made. Year One was meantto be a comedy, however, the jokes wereamateur and the plot was nonexistent. Itwas quite a disappointment from notableactors Jack Black and Michael Cera. Thisflick seemed to last forever and continuecrude jokes and scenes; finally after anhour, I had to take out the DVD. Othermovies probably not worth your timewatching include Knowing, Angels andDemons with Nicholas Cage, HannahMontana: the Movie, Old Dogs, All Aboutby Kiyon HahmA&E Writer ‘12Steve with Sandra Bullock, Friday the13th, and Funny People. Before its release,it seemed that most of these movies hadpotential; however, unfortunately theywere flops and did not do well in the boxoffice.Now of course, we can’t failto mention Twilight: New Moon. I wasnot a fan of the first of the series, and,consequently the second, New Moon didnot hit it off for me either. Many RobertPattinson and Taylor Lautner crazed fanswent to go see this movie and it did verywell in the box office. In addition to thesepassionate fans, were also those who justneeded to see what all the hype was about;after all how can you not watch New Moonwhen it’s all people talk about.According to Watson Leffel (III),Invictus, just recently released, was also agreat film. I have yet to see the Avatar andSherlock Holmes, but I have heard greatreviews and phrases such as “greatestmovie ever,” or “Oh em gee, you have tosee that movie!”So if you haven’t check out thesegreat movies, I would strongly suggestthat you go see, and people who have seenit, I’m sure you would go again.Now, get ready for 2010 movies.Coming up we’re going to have LeapYear, another Michael Cera film, Youthin Revolt, and Dear John. Also, look outfor the movie directed by the director ofAdventureland, Greg Mottola, which wasfilmed right here at Milton.Rolling Stone: Top 25Albums of the Decade1 | Radiohead: Kid A2 | The Strokes: Is This It3 | Wilco: Yankee Hotel Foxtrot4 | Jay-Z: The Blueprint5 | The White Stripes: Elephant6 | Arcade Fire: Funeral7 | Eminem: The Marshal Mathers LP8 | Bob Dylan: Modern Times9 | M.I.A.: Kala10 | Kanye West: The College Dropout11 | Bob Dylan: Love and Theft12 | LCD Soundsystem: Sound of Silver13 | U2: All That You Can’t Leave Behind14 | Jay-Z: The Black Album15 | Bruce Springsteen: The Rising16 | OutKast: Stankonia17 | Beck: Sea Change18 | MGMT: Oracular Spectacular19 | Amy Winehouse: Back to Black20 | The White Stripes: White BloodCells21 | Coldplay: A Rush of Blood to theHead22 | Green Day: American Idiot23 | D’Angelo: Voodoo24 | Bruce Springsteen: Magic25 | Radiohead: AmnesiacWhen one mentions SherlockHolmes, one could be reminded of ArthurConan Doyle’s fifty something Londonbased “consulting detective” esteemedfor skills of observation, forensics, anddeduction. With the release of GuyRitchie’s greatly anticipated moviebased on the novel is also the realizationthat Sherlock, besides having the skilland intellect, possesses an uncannyknack for hand to hand combat. Playedby Robert Downey Junior, Ritchie’sSherlock Holmes possesses brawn alongwith brains and shows himself to be acharacter in a class of his own. The movie,with its brilliant technical screenplay, itscharacter casting, and its unconformityis, without a doubt, worth a watch.The movie begins with SherlockHolmes (Robert Downey Junior) andDr. Watson (Jude Law) on a stealthmission to rescue a victim from a humansacrifice. Ritchie’s characteristic actionis illustrated timely when Holmes, usinghis knowledge of physics and the humananatomy, calculates each and every blowhe determines to make on an oncomingtarget in distinctive slow motion – thenproceeds to successfully execute thebarrage in real time. The duo then arrivesto capture the main antagonist LordBlackwood, and manages to send him offto jail, only to find that after Blackwoodis supposedly executed and confirmeddead by Watson, that he has managedto escape his grave and enact a plan tocontrol the world. It is then up to thedynamic duo to stop Blackwood, andrestore order to Old Victorian England.The overall reception to theunconventional casted Sherlock Holmeshas been somewhat mixed. On one endof the spectrum are critics who commendthe film for its originality. Joe Neumaier,writer for the New York Daily News, praisesDowney’s acting stating that “thoughpurists may balk at Arthur Conan Doyle’sliterary word being manhandled into ablockbuster by never-subtle director GuyRitchie, he has a winning take on Holmes:he’s always on.” Critic Claudia Puig ofUSA Today commends the film for itsbrilliant portrayal of Old London, which,“achieved via superb visual effects, isbreathtaking in its grimy verisimilitude.”On the other end of the spectrum,however, are critics who scream failedunconventionality. Peter Travers of theRolling Stone contends that, “Downeyis irresistible.” Yet ultimately criticizedirector Guy Ritchie for being “all aboutthe whooshing and head banging, leavingno space between Holmes’ words to savortheir meaning.” Rajeev Masand of CNN-IBN furthermore criticizes the depictionof a Sherlock Holmes street fighter bystating that “Guy Ritchie’s SherlockHolmes is an irreverent, comic-book takeon the adventures of Sir Arthur ConanDoyle’s cerebral London detective,” andthat the English detective is made out tobe “something of an action hero.” Perhapsmost disparaging is Adam Graham of theDetroit News, who sarcastically assertsthat, “if Sherlock Holmes is truly is theworld’s most keen detective, he would havesniffed out this film was a stinker.” Whatthen, is the crucial point that will makea trip to the movie theatre worthwhile?The answer is, surprisingly,that the superb acting between DowneyJr. and Law, as well as the multitude oftechnical prowess that the film displays.The relationship portrayed by both actors,unlike that of Arthur Conan Doyle’stypical wise master and clumsy studentrelationship, is one more reminiscent ofacquaintances or brothers. Indeed, in themovie, Watson reveals to Holmes thathe is set to be engaged and will move outof their flat, the expression portrayed byDowney Jr. is of genuine jealousy, betrayaland of sadness. Instances in the moviewhere Holmes and Watson argue arealmost even akin to a married couple, yetstill full of brotherly love. Furthermore isthe depiction of Old Victorian London; thescreenplay of the movie gives instanceswhere the audience can clearly see thefamous London monuments, as well asbecome immersed in the multitude ofcarriages, canals and Victorian dresses;indeed, the climactic fight betweenBlackwood and Holmes occurs on theunfinished Tower Bridge. Such elements,coupled with Ritchie’s brilliant andunconventional directing style, makeSherlock Holmes a superb addition tothe legacy of the legendary detective.Photo: Sherlock Holmes (courtesy of static.reelmovienews.com)
The Milton Measure A&E January 15th, 2010 | page 11BEST OF 2009 AND THE DECADEAvatar: a ReviewIn 1996, James Cameron, directorof such movies as The Terminator, Aliens,and Titanic, told the world that he wouldbe creating a film called Avatar. At thetime, he had a clear idea of what would befeatured in the movie. Cameron wantedto transport his viewers onto the junglecoveredmoon called Pandora to experiencelife as a member of the native Na’vi tribe-aprimitive, blue race of aliens standing ataround 10 feet tall. With this vision inmind, he began to create his masterpiece.Unfortunately, the technology at the time“could not satisfy the creative desires ofthe director,” forcing him to postpone theproject.Thirteen years passed until Avatarwas finally completed and released onDecember 18, 2009. VFX supervisor DanLemmon said “The whole world is uniqueand because of the way James Cameronapproaches things, everything seemsfunctional and believable. Compared toother sci-fi fantasy genre films there’sa certain level of realism just in thedesign that makes it very believable.”Cameron’s attempts to make the Na’vibelievable, though, came at a great price,a price estimated to be over $300 million.According to Fox, Avatar is the mostexpensive movie ever made, which begsthe question: Was it worth it?Watching Avatar in IMAX 3D isan experience that the viewer will neverforget. The use of two high-definitioncameras in a single body has createdtruly amazing scenes with unbelievabledepth. The advanced filming generates theillusion that the viewer is actually running,hunting, and even flying with the Na’vion Pandora. As if the special effects werenot enough, Cameron decided to give theNa’vi their own language. Unlike in manymovies, the language in Avatar is not justa random collection of sounds. Instead, itis an actual language developed by USClinguistics professor Paul Frommer. Iteven has its own grammar and syntax.“The constraint, of course, is that theby Marshall TylerA&E Editor‘11language I created had to be spoken byhumans,” Frommer said. “I could have letmy imagination run wild and come up withall sorts of weird sounds, but I was limitedby what a human actor could actually do.”Even with these restrictions, though, thelanguage turned out beautifully.In accordance with the language,the flora and fauna in Avatar were alsovery difficult to create. Cameron, again,had very high expectations, and so,according to Associated Content, hemade sure that “[t]he staff and advisorsfor Avatar included several scientistswho were charged with ensuring thatthe animals, plants and Na’vi (people)of Avatar’s Pandora were plausible.” Heeven hired Jodie Holt, chairwoman of thedepartment of botany ant plant sciences atUC Riverside, to determine how a scientistwould take samples from and study suchplants. The results are astounding.With so many good aspects,Avatar appears to be a near-flawless movie.However, many argue the story is mediocreat best. According to Ball State DailyNews, Avatar provides “a pretty simple,and already done story, as in ‘Dances withWolves.’” New York Daily News states,“‘Avatar’ clears the hurdle in terms ofbeing optical candy. Its story, though, ispure cheese.” Indeed, the story does seemto resemble Dances with the Wolves andis quite cheesy, but for most people, thisdownside takes little, if anything at all,away from this visually stunning movie.With such eye-catching scenes,Avatar is arguably the best movie of theyear. The depth offered by the 3D versionof the film is captivating beyond belief.The unique Na’vi language is spokenbeautifully by all of the actors, and theentire array flora and fauna in the movieis constructed brilliantly. As with hisfilm Titanic, Cameron has yet againmanaged to impress millions of viewers,already bringing in over $1 billion in thebox office worldwide. Avatar exceeds allexpectations.CNN: 2009’s Best VideoGamesAssassin’s Creed 2: aReviewWhile blending into crowds,leaping across rooftops, and stabbingunsuspecting guards may sound excitingand adventurous, performing theseactions in the real world would probablyget you hurt or thrown into prison. Sowhy not try the next best thing? PlayAssassin’s Creed 2. Developed by thecompany Ubisoft Montreal, Assassin’sCreed 2 is a thrilling game full of infinitepossibilities and beautiful landscapes.For those of you unfamiliar withthe game, the Assassin’s Creed seriesfollows the life of Desmond Miles, abartender who is kidnapped by a companycalled Abstergo Industries. Using afuturistic machine called the Animus,Abstergo Industries wanted to access thememories of Desmond’s ancestors, whowere assassin’s known for killing tyrantsand corrupted individuals. Through theAnimus, Desmond is able to relive thelives of his ancestors and discover thelifelong struggle between the order ofAssassins and the order of Templars. InAssassin’s Creed 2, Desmond lives thelife of Ezio Auditore da Firenze. Eziois an Italian noble, whose father, anassassin working for Lorenzo Medici, ismurdered in a political conspiracy. In aquest for vengeance, Ezio takes over hisfather’s work and hunts down the peopleresponsible for his father’s death.The two main features of Assassin’sCreed 2 that truly set it aside from othergames are the freedom and mobility, andthe incorporation of historical figuresand landmarks. As an assassin you aregifted with unbelievable strength andagility, enabling your character to leapacross rooftops gracefully and climb toseemingly unattainable heights. Havingplayed the game myself, I was amazed bythe ease in which I maneuvered acrossvast cities on rooftops. I was filled with asense of adrenaline and exhilaration as Iclicked a few buttons and watched as mycharacter fluidly soared across rooftopsand swung from overhanging poles. Butthe fun doesn’t end there; paired withthe unique free-running system is anequally exciting combat system. As youprogress through Assassin’s Creed 2, youcome across an arsenal of innovating toolsby Chris ChuA&E Writer ‘12and weapons. Armed with these assets,the player is invited to devise complexand cunning methods of dispatching histargets. You could kill you target usingthe classy ‘hiding in plain sight’ approachand stab him quietly in a crowd. You couldcause chaos and anarchy in a crowd bytossing coins on the floor then killing yourtarget in the mayhem. The possibilities aresimply endless.The second feature which trulydistinguishes Assassin’s Creed 2 is theinclusion of famous historical figures andlandmarks. The story of Ezio Auditorebegins during the Italian Renaissance inthe late 15th century. Having come from anoble family, Ezio has several connectionswith famous and influential people, oneof these people being Leonardo da Vinci.In the game, Ubisoft presents a youngerand more flamboyant side to the famousinventor. Throughout the game, Leonardoserves as your personal inventor, craftingintricate tools and weapons such asLeonardo’s famous flying machine andhidden blades which are strapped to yourwrists. Ubisoft continues to deliver as theygive you the opportunity to visit some ofItaly’s most famous landmarks withoutever having to leave your living room. Beprepared to be amazed as you visit variouslandmarks such as the Coliseum, the GrandCanal, and the Sistine chapel, all of whichare accompanied by vast cities replicatingthose of Venice, Rome, and Florence.Assassin’s Creed 2 has been highlypraised by various game critics, one criticeven saying that it is, “A shining exampleof a sequel, fixing its predecessor’s flawswhile at the same time expanding upon itsstrengths in nearly every way.” Whether itbe the beautiful landscapes, the awesomefree-running, or the captivating storyline,there is bound to be something you’ll loveabout Assassin’s Creed 2. Ubisoft hastruly pushed the limits and showed theworld once again that they are capable ofmaking revolutionary games. Ubisoft hasraised the bar for games to come, and likethe assassin’s, have proven that, “Nothingis true, everything is permitted.”Sources: arstechnica.com/gaming/,assassinscreed.wikia.comShooter: Call of Duty--Modern Warfare 2Action/Adventure: Uncharted 2--AmongThievesPlatformer: New Super Mario BrosMusic: DJ HeroSports: Fifa Soccer 10Role-playing: Dragon Age--OriginsStrategy: Plants vs. ZombiesRacing: Forza Motorsport 3Photos: Assassin’s Creed 2 (courtesy of www.loot-ninja.com)
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