Tag Archives: Based on Videogame

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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Dark Horse Comics is Ready for God of War! Side Stories

14 Nov

Ed Sum (The Vintage Tempest)

* Spoiler Alert

Kratos, The God of War, is synonymous to what made playing the games for the Sony’s PlayStation 2 great. Yes, there were other games which I enjoyed since this console’s introduction–including the Final Fantasy and Wild Arms franchise–but the storyline which Sony’s Santa Monica Studio developed had me glued from the start. It sated the folklorist in me and I enjoyed how the games depicted the dangers which lay ahead, especially when the Greco-Roman gods walked amongst men.

Sometimes playing the video games is not enough, and while there was a 2010 comic book series from years ago was a mixed blessing, I find myself enjoying this new work by Dark Horse Comics more. Kratos past is behind him. He’s at peace–or so we thought….

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Where’s the Archaeology in Tomb Raider?

22 Mar

By Ed Sum
(The Vintage Tempest)

  • Spoiler Alert

Tomb Raider is one of those franchise universes I loved playing and following because of the locations. From lost catacombs in Peru to Egypt, China to Greece, Cambodia and back to Egypt, the original games went to a whole ton of places where I happily followed along. The films took her to Cambodia, Italy, Greece and Africa. The reboot stuck to a jungle island in the Devil’s Sea (off Japan) and the followup went to remote parts of Russia. Both were very enjoyable plays, but I missed the crazy fantastique from the early games.

The original movies and games, to which longtime fans will recall, had Lara Croft globetrotting to picturesque ancient worlds to deal with ancient evils. If she was not the figure digging for the truth, either her allies or enemies were. However cheesy these films were, those movies belonged in the so bad it’s good category. When Angelina Jolie declined to reprise her role for a third film, the time was ripe to start the games anew. Of course, that meant the movie universe needs to follow suit.

This version of Lara (Alicia Vikander) has no archaeological training. She’s a young lady on the run not only from her past but also her future. She’s a spunky lass with no proper future in sight; she has daddy issues. This part of the plot defines the core of the film and narrative-wise, this re-imaging is off to a good start.

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