Tag Archives: Based on Videogame

Serving Detention with Spirits this Ghost Month!

25 Aug

By Ed Sum
(The Vintage Tempest)

Played at Fantasia Digital Film Festival 2020
Canadian Premiere

SPOILER ALERT

So here is Greenwood, an unassuming high school, where students get an education about why the Kuomintang (KMT, Chinese Nationalist Party) are great. However, anyone who is found to possess other teachings may get Detention (Fanxiao).

Viewers get an after hour’s lesson of a tumultuous time in Taiwanese history. There are other secrets this educational institute holds. The demons and ghosts of White Terror’s past wanting to tell their story. I’m sure all the atrocities that occurred is one many prefer to forget. Without it, the context of why Wei (Jing-Hua Tseng) is part of a dissonant group of kids learning from banned textbooks and the writings of Nobel-prize winning Rabindranath Tagore would be lost. Thankfully he is not alone, Fang Ray-Shin (Gingle Wang) sympathizes, but she wants nothing to do with the clandestine meetings. Two teachers–Miss Yin (Cecilia Choi) and Mr Zhang (Fu Meng-Po)–better be careful too. They won’t be facing jail time, but will be executed instead for their transgressions. A warning can be found with the grave in the schoolyard which students regularly cross.

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I Choose You, Detective Pikachu! A Movie Review

14 May

By Ed Sum
(The Vintage Tempest)

Loosely based on the video game of the same name, Detective Pikachu is a fun romp breathing new life to the Pokėmon franchise. The eagle eyed can try identifying every pocket monster featured and the enthusiast will giggle at the Easter eggs riddled throughout. When detective Harry Goodman is believed to be dead, his 21-year-old son Tim (Justice Smith) arrives in Ryme City to settle his father’s affairs–but learns that maybe pops is not gone. When he finds a Pikachu in his father’s abode and he can talk (voiced by Ryan Reynolds), they team up to see all is not harmonious with man and pokémon.

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Finding Carmen Sandiego & Not Letting Go

20 Jan

By Ed Sum
(The Vintage Tempest)

  • Available on Netflix

If anybody ever asks who (instead of where on Earth) is Carmen Sandiego, then all I can say is she isn’t the Pink Panther. She’s more like Robin Hood, stealing from thieves to return the riches to where it should belong, the museum or the original owners. The attempts to capture her make these two franchises similar. Key to this comparison is Chase Divineaux, a bumbling French Interpol Agent intent on catching her. Not only are they revitalizing a beloved franchise but also they have a live action version in the works, which too stars Gina Rodriguez. She voices this character and gives enough joviality to make her the perfect choice to play the lead.

Additionally, this massive property is about teaching the world to youths. As viewers catch up with this elusive figure, they discover aspects of the country she recently popped up in. Not only does the style of adventures she winds up in has the feel of Kim Possible (including the character designs) but also the adversaries the heroine faces are straight out of Kill Bill. Thankfully, the talents involved in creating the series are not out to glorify violence or bloodshed. Some of the criminals being trained by VILE specialize in either one type of thievery or have a trademark weapon to use. Duane Capizzi (Transformers Prime) is the showrunner, and I’m fairly sure he is drawing from the Lupin the 3rd franchise for inspiration too.

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When Ralph Breaks the Internet, Who Will Save the Day?

28 Nov

By Ed Sum
(The Vintage Tempest)

* Spoiler Alert

When Ralph Breaks the Internet, Fix-It-Felix cannot help. The trailers see this villain turned hero (voiced by John C. Reilly) take on the World Wide Web, and should everyone be afraid? As long as he does nothing dim-witted, no. When he fears to lose his best friend, Vanellope von Schweetz (Sarah Silverman), trouble ensues–but not without some action adventure dramedy.

This sequel has a lot to visually pack in. They are all Easter Egg material which requires an at home viewing with a pause button than to deal with at a movie theatre. I laughed at how self-aware it was when considering the visit to the digital version of Disneyland. At this tale’s core is a terrific examination of the relationship between these two main characters. Change is inevitable. The difficulties they face not only as close friends but also in who they are is key to this film. Can they function more beyond their programming? This theme was explored with Ralph in the first film, and now it’s Venellope’s turn.

Trying to stay true to what they are and holding on to self-doubts may be okay for some folks, but for others, it can do more harm than good. The young girl wants to spread her wings. She’s become tired of the routine in her game; nothing new exists for her to explore. Although her status as a glitch is not as important, it becomes a factor later.

To see how Ralph develops is key. When considering he is from another era, seen as a two-dimensional character from a video gamer’s perspective, and he grows as a real-life person, he becomes more relatable. In a modern game, he is three-dimensional. There’s more to him than that of a house smasher. He has feelings which need to be expressed. Spoilers follow:

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