(Not a) Review of Superman/Batman: Apocalypse

Thanks to RPadholic Tokz_21, I finally got around to watching Superman/Batman: Apocalypse. Following up the excellent Superman/Batman: Public Enemies, the latest DC Comics animated movie dazzled me. As a fan of Jeph Loeb’s work on the Superman/Batman comics (not to mention a fan of hot blonde Kryptonian girls), I knew I’d enjoy this movie, but I was surprised that it exceeded my expectations. Superman/Batman: Apocalypse has it all — great story, beautiful art, and visceral action. Here are some random thoughts on the movie.

Here’s a spoiler-free summary before I really get into things. Superman/Batman: Apocalypse is about a naked hot female Kryptonian girl that crash lands in Gotham Bay. After injuring some civilians and damaging public property, Batman decides that he doesn’t trust the girl. After meeting Superman, the girl claims to be his cousin — Kara Zor-El. Things get wacky from there and all kinds of different locations are visited before epic fights with epic villains ensue. Now let’s get to the spoiler-riddled part of the review!

I was absolutely floored by the movie’s art, which surprised me because I’m more into plot and dialog when it comes to comics. DC has usually done a great job with its animated movies, but Superman/Batman: Apocalypse takes it to another level. The artists and animators did a masterful job contrasting the movie’s various locations. Dark areas like Gotham and Apokolips played off light locations such as Metropolis, Paradise Island, and The Fortress of Solitude. The artists also got to draw traditional superhero costumes (Supes, Bats, Wonder Woman, etc.) and funkier Jack Kirby Fourth World characters like Big Barda, Granny Goodness, and Mad Harriet. The variety and quality of the art is outstanding.

As for the story, it’s mostly good. It’s based off of the excellent “The Supergirl From Krypton” storyline by Jeph Loeb. While it’s not as good as the fantastic Batman: Under the Red Hood, I enjoyed it a great deal. Part of it is because I enjoy how DC’s “big three” — Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman — play off of each other. Part of it is because I love Kirby’s Fourth World stuff. I was psyched to watch a movie with Darkseid, Big Barda, Granny Goodness, and The Female Furies. I marked out when Barda opened a closet and Mister Miracle’s costume was there. I loved the plot in the comics and liked the movie adaptation. That said, the storytelling has its flaws.

One reason the Superman/Batman comics work so well is its use of inner monologue. In the books, the thought bubbles are often more important than the spoken words. Reading what Superman and Batman actually think of each other is a different and highly entertaining. All of this is lost in the movie, which is understandable. The pacing would be dreadful if one-third of the movie consisted of characters thinking. However, a vital element of the comics was lost in translation.

The voice acting has a weak spot that can be jarring. Kevin Conroy and Tim Daly are excellent as Batman and Superman, respectively, but they’re always awesome. Andre Braugher, Susan Eisenberg, and Julianne Grossman put in strong performance as Darkseid, Wonder Woman, and Big Barda. The weak link is Summer Glau, who plays Kara/Supergirl…rather poorly. She’s the movie’s central figure. Everything revolves around her. When you have a bunch of strong voice actors playing off of a weak one, it drags the whole performance down.

There was one scene that I absolutely loved in the comics and completely worked in animated form. I marked out when Batman played Darkseid into surrendering. It’s such a cool moment — the human outsmarting the god. Andre Braugher’s concession speech is delivered perfectly.

At the end of the day, I really enjoyed Superman/Batman Apocalypse, but I don’t think that most people would enjoy as much as I did. The Fourth World characters were a big reason this movie was so much fun for me. Most people probably don’t give a damn about Stompa or Lashina and couldn’t point you to Armagetto or Necropolis on a map of Apokolips. Casual fans would prefer Superman/Batman: Public Enemies or Batman: Under the Red Hood. I’m hoping that some of you will give this movie a shot. The art is so good, the action is fantastic, and the story is enjoyable. Plus, Big Barda and Supergirl are total hotties.

Google’s Self-Driving Cars Are Completely Awesome

I’m amazed and impressed that Google has been testing self-driving cars. As a resident of Los Angeles’ Koreatown, I see hundreds of old Korean women driving every day. It’s terrifying. A self-driving car would save thousands of lives each year. I kid, I kid. Seriously, the tech is pretty awesome and something that can possibly hit mass production within a decade. Here’s more info from a Google blog post by distinguished software engineer Sebastian Thrun:

We have developed technology for cars that can drive themselves. Our automated cars, manned by trained operators, just drove from our Mountain View campus to our Santa Monica office and on to Hollywood Boulevard. They’ve driven down Lombard Street, crossed the Golden Gate bridge, navigated the Pacific Coast Highway, and even made it all the way around Lake Tahoe. All in all, our self-driving cars have logged over 140,000 miles. We think this is a first in robotics research.

Our automated cars use video cameras, radar sensors and a laser range finder to “see” other traffic, as well as detailed maps (which we collect using manually driven vehicles) to navigate the road ahead. This is all made possible by Google’s data centers, which can process the enormous amounts of information gathered by our cars when mapping their terrain.

I really didn’t think this was something that would happen in my lifetime, but it’s almost here! That’s not to say Google’s endeavor is all about being geek chic and advancing humanity. I can easily see these cars having a new type of advertising (that is Google’s bread and butter, after all). Imagine hopping in your car, wondering where to eat, and doing a Google Maps voice search through the car’s dashboard. After you find a place via search, your self-drving cars brings you to the restaurant. Advertisers would pay big-time money for direct connections like that and I’m sure Google would be more than happy to sell the ad “space”.

What do you guys and dolls think of the self-driving car? I’m totally in love with the concept, but considering that I haven’t had a drivers license in 15 years, my opinion is probably atypical.

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Image via The New York Times

Happy Birthday RPad.tv!!!

Today is the site’s birthday! Thank you all so very much for being part of this crazy ride. It has been a fun, crazy, challenging, and funky year…but the best is yet to come. Any second now I’m going to flip a switch to give the site a new look. In the months to come, I plan to have some fun video content. I’m nervous and excited about doing video again. There will definitely be some growing pains, but I hope you dig it! Anyway, thank you thank you thank you for reading the site and hanging out with me here. Your company and readership mean so much to me.

Now let’s play a game! To celebrate the site, I’d like to hear about your favorite RPad.tv memory (or memories). Were there any conversations or articles that stood out to you? Or maybe something more abstract like the general vibe of the site? Kindly share your warm and fuzzy RPad.tv stories. Let’s make the site blush!

T-Mobile G2 Review: Call Quality, Screen, and Internet Speeds

My review of the T-Mobile G2 by HTC continues! If you haven’t read the first part then you might want to check that out. This time around I’m going cover the phone’s call quality, screen, and Internet speeds. Remember, this is T-Mo’s first HSPA+ phone and the company is claiming that it offers “4G speeds”. Now let’s get to it!

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Call Quality
Making phone calls on the G2 is mostly an excellent experience. I made around three hours of calls in the last week and was very impressed with the phone’s clarity. Voices sounded fantastic through the earpiece. Speakerphone was another issue; voices (and music) sounded a little tinny and shrilly through the speaker.

Voice transmission was very clear. Talking in a “normal” environment, the people I spoke with said that I sounded great; a few commented that it didn’t sound like I was on a mobile phone. That said, the G2 doesn’t deal as well with heavy background noise as the Motorola Droid X, which has three noise-canceling mics. I conducted a few calls at the intersection of Wilshire and Vermont in Los Angeles, which has loads of bus and car traffic. The people I called could definitely hear the background noise, unlike calls made with the Droid X.

Out of all the Android phones I’ve used this year, I would put the G2 behind the Droid X in terms of call quality. It’s definitely better than the Evo 4G and Samsung Fascinate. While the Droid 2 has better noise cancellation, the earpiece on the G2 is noticeably clearer.

As always, your mileage may very depending on the T-Mobile coverage in your area.

Screen
The G2 sports a 3.7-inch Super-LCD screen. To paraphrase the immortal words of South Park’s Big Gay Al, “It’s super! Thanks for asking.” *snicker* Seriously though, it’s a very nice screen that’s bright and that has accurate color reproduction. Images and text are clearer than standard LCD screens, but colors aren’t nearly as vibrant as AMOLED and Super AMOLED screens.

It’s really a matter of preference. I think that general consumers would prefer the outstanding brightness and super-saturated (but over-pronounced) colors of Super AMOLED. Tech nerds and those with a discerning eye would likely prefer Super-LCD’s more accurate color reproduction and better outdoor usability.

As for the size, I wasn’t a fan at first, but I’ve gotten used to it. Initially I had accuracy problems using Swype and the phone’s virtual keyboard, but those went away after a few days. Overall, I think the G2’s screen is very nice, but I’d still prefer something in the 4-inch range. With that in mind, I was surprised that I was so satisfied with this screen. It’s really tough going back to this size after using the Evo 4G, Droid X, and Fascinate. While there were certainly times I wished the screen were bigger, I was mostly fine with the 3.7-incher on the G2.

Internet Speeds and HSPA+
A lot of tech nerds have their panties in a twist over T-Mobile saying that its HSPA+ network offers 4G speeds. Well, it does. I happen to live in a city where HSPA+ is available and was thoroughly impressed with the speeds. When I was able to get HSPA+, I averaged around 5.5Mbps down and 1.6Mbps up. While this is far from the theoretical max of 14.4Mbps that T-Mobile has listed, it’s as good or better than what many people are getting on Sprint’s WiMax network. HSPA+ signal is also better than WiMax at penetrating buildings.

Although Los Angeles is an HSPA+ city, I was not able to get HSPA+ signal everywhere I went. In those cases, I was getting around 1.3Mbps down and 1.4Mbps up on regular 3G. For example, I was not able to get HSPA+ in my building, but it was available in areas less than two miles from my apartment.

T-Mobile has been very aggressive with its HSPA+ deployment. If it’s available in your area then it’s a big selling point for the G2. As I mentioned with call quality, your mileage may vary depending on T-Mobile’s coverage in your area.

Next Up
To wrap things up, I’m going to cover the G2’s photos and video quality before giving your my final thoughts on the phone. Again, I’m surprised by how much I like this phone — so much so that I’m thinking it’s a keeper. If you have any questions, shoot ‘em off in the comments section and I’ll try to answer them.

DC Universe Online Trailer Makes Me Go Fanboy

It’s a bummer that DC Universe Online has been delayed until 2011, but this trailer should make you feel a wee bit better about things. It’s fast, slick, and full of awesome DCU heroes. Check it out and let me know what you think (please). Super Buddies unite!!!

Coffee Talk #225: AT&T and Microsoft Make My Dream Come True

AT&T and Microsoft are making my console dream come true…almost. In an earlier Coffee Talk and at G4tv, I wrote about my dream of having TiVo functionality built into a console. Earlier in the year I told you about AT&T U-Verse functionality for Xbox 360 being announced at CES 2010. It looks like the team-up will kick off in November!

Welcome to Coffee Talk! Let’s start off the day by discussing whatever is on your (nerd chic) mind. Every morning I’ll kick off a discussion and I’m counting on you to participate in it. If you’re not feelin’ my topic, feel free to start a chat with your fellow readers and see where it takes you. Whether you’re talking about videogames, the Tampa Bay Rays being punished for being rich whiners, the Minnesota Twins inability to beat the NY Yankees, or Diggable Planets, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

AT&T and Microsoft are making my console dream come true…almost. In an earlier Coffee Talk and at G4tv, I wrote about my dream of having TiVo functionality built into a console. Earlier in the year I told you about AT&T U-Verse functionality for Xbox 360 being announced at CES 2010. It looks like the team-up will kick off in November!

The annoying part is that I really want AT&T U-Verse, but the morons that made my building only wired it for crap-ass Time Warner Cable. My friends that have U-Verse say that its DVR functionality is nearly as slick TiVo’s and some of the functions are actually more advance. That makes the whole thing all the more frustrating. Grrrrr.

The good news is that this team-up sets a precedent and console companies are totally competitive. Perhaps Sony will combine its powers with TiVo (or really, just buy the frickin’ thing) and have TiVo software on the PlayStation 4? What do you think the chances are of my dream really coming true?

What Are You Playing This Weekend?

After playing dozens of hours of Final Fantasy: The 4 Heroes of Light, I need to take a break from the game. My review is done, but there are still some odds and ends I want to take care of…but that can wait for later. A bunch of my friends that can read Japanese are playing Pokemon Black/White. I’m extremely jealous and I wish I took more than a semester of Japanese in college. Hmph. I suppose playing some Pokemon SoulSilver will make me feel better. Yes, that’s what I’ll do this weekend!

How about you? What’s on your weekend playlist?

Coffee Talk #224: Problems with Videogame Storytelling

Today’s article is brought to you by RPadholic Iceman. Yesterday he pointed me to this IGN article on Greg Kasavin’s GDC Online talk on game writing. Kasavin, a former GameSpot editor btw, brought up some interesting points on storytelling flaws gaming. Some games are paced poorly, others rely too heavily on cutscenes, some bombard you with too much information at the beginning, and others leave too much for the end.

Welcome to Coffee Talk! Let’s start off the day by discussing whatever is on your (nerd chic) mind. Every morning I’ll kick off a discussion and I’m counting on you to participate in it. If you’re not feelin’ my topic, feel free to start a chat with your fellow readers and see where it takes you. Whether you’re talking about videogames, the Yankees winning against the Twins (again), whether Derek Jeter is washed up, or A Tribe Called Quest, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

Today’s article is brought to you by RPadholic Iceman. Yesterday he pointed me to this IGN article on Greg Kasavin’s GDC Online talk on game writing. Kasavin, a former GameSpot editor btw, brought up some interesting points on storytelling flaws gaming. Some games are paced poorly, others rely too heavily on cutscenes, some bombard you with too much information at the beginning, and others leave too much for the end.

The flawless writing in SmackDown vs. Raw 2011 aside — it’s so unfair to compare that game to others — I’d love hear about your problems with and preferences on storytelling in games. Do you like the Kojima-style cutscene-heavy way? Or do you think that’s too “wannabe movie maker”? Do you want to know as much as you can up front in case something comes along and you don’t finish the game? Or does front loading ruin things for you? Let’s talk it up on behalf Iceman and all the fantastic game writers in the business.

Morrigan to Return in Dragon Age II?

BioWare appeared to set up Dragon Age: Origins’ Morrigan’s final fate in the (incredibly disappointing) “Witch Hunt” DLC, but it looks like the wicked witch will be back in Dragon Age II. Lead designer Mike Laidlaw told NowGamer:

Morrigan’s story’s not over even after the Witch Hunt DLC, and although I can’t go too far into it, I can say that she’s not done with this world by any stretch of the imagination.

I’m hoping for something meaningful for Morrigan in Dragon Age II. I had tremendous expectations for “Witch Hunt” and was so let down by the storytelling. Is that redemption I sense???

Anyway, let me know what you think Morrigan will be up to in Dragon Age II.

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