Mr March

You're thinking again! Are you saying all the flashy special effects and cool costumed heroes didn't distract you from that obvious gaping plot hole? STOP THAT! hehehe

Whaaaa? Ok, they just lost me right there. Worse yet, I can't even complain about this being a "dumbed down console port" since it's PC only. No, this is just "dumbed down" period. 363624[/snapback] Yeah, I just can't get past that. It's too backward. If I wanted to play a board game, I'd stick with my 2D games. This is supposed to be 3D gaming. What good is all the 3D graphics if they are only used as window dressing?

Actually, Star Wars space battles as they appear in the films are deceptive that way. The reason some people might mistake them for a 2D conflict is due to the horizontal orientation of the capital ships. However, the actual space battles in Star Wars have always featured fleets fighting in a sphere, with ships above and below. The Battle of Endor in The Empire Strikes Back had all the Star Destroyers formed in a sphere which stayed that way during the fight and the Battle of Coruscant in Revenge of the Sith was a brawl of capital ships all around each other. The Star Wars battles do fight in 3D, but Capital Ships are rarely seen travelling vertically unless they are hit by Ion Cannons (ESB), crash (ROTJ), or fall into the atmosphere (ROTS)

We have Deer Hunter to thank for that. Worst thing to ever happen to PC gaming. The downward spiral pretty much started there. I suppose it's not terribly tragic news. I'm not nearly the hardcore gamer I once was, so I guess I don't really have room to complain since I'm simply not the one buying all that many games. But I'll still purchase a few every year, like Half-Life 2 and what not. I'd just like to see some more innovation. This new Star Wars game doesn't even compare all that well to titles released 4-5 years ago.

Draw, redraw, and draw more. Keep at it until your satisfied, that's the best advice I can offer. Most of the science fiction spacecraft that many of us fans now call classics of the genre all went through one redesign after another until they finally reached completion. Desigining fictional craft is hard work, but well worth it once you complete a quality design. Keep in mind that some elements of you initial designs might "carry over" into several drafts, often making it into the final design. So don't throw away your old work. Sometimes the best creative elements from multiple drafts are combined to create a very inspiring final product. Oh, I personally think your work is getting better and better. When you first started I didn't post much about your designs, but you've continued to work at it and the quality shows. I'm very impressed with several of your fighters. The second picture you posted in this thread (the small black fighter) is really striking. I'd say it could use some tqeaking, but overall you're really onto something with that one.

Just finished playing the demo. I have to say I'm a little disappointed. The interface feels too simplified. It is a real time strategy game and I expected a lot of the conventional controls common to Command&Conquer and Warcraft. But, it's almost as if the game control is regressing rather than progressing, becoming more simplified without adding any innovation or enhanced control. Another point that's bothering me is the 2D plane for space combat. I mean, how many years has it been since true 3D space simulators and games like Homeworld have been released? Is this really the best that can be done...space warfare that's simply 3D rendered ships on a plane of 2D transparent terrain? I can't help feeling cheated. I'm not all that motivated to purchase the full game. It's undeniably Star Wars and the action sure is fun, but the game engine and the game world sure is a major let down for a 3D game.

This is just a movie review thread - my review. Don't take it personally, it's only an opinion and it's not as if you weren't adequately warned prior to reading the review. I obviously don't like Underworld or the sequel, but that doesn't mean the only films I like are award winners. I watch and adore my fair share of genre films that will never win any award. Sadly, films like Underworld and Underworld: Evolution fail to entertain even judging them as "just" an action flick or fantasy romp. When I watch my DVDs of Aliens, Terminator 2, The Matrix, and X-Men, I have no illusions about the acting, story, and style of entertainment. However, I also have no illusions that Underworld fails to offer entertainment in comparison to those contemporaries and as such deserves to be judged for the failure I deem it to be.

I sure did. The Ultraviolet tailer played right before Underworld: Evolution. I had to restrain my laughter while watching

White Wolf Inc. sued Sony over the release of Underworld back in 2003. White Wolf Inc. claimed that the work of writer Nancy A. Collins and their own intellectual Role-Playing Game properties Vampire: The Masquerade and Werewolf: The Apocalypse were used for the film. White Wolf Inc. actually presented a very impressive arguement. They listed dozens of similarites when they filled suit (although the derivations of their own properties is in question). I'm curious how that all went.

Enjoying a movie like Underworld: Evolution makes baby Jesus cry j/k

Rebellion's attempt at 3D combat was extremely inefficient and cumbersome, easily frustrating the player. Speaking of cumbersome, the sheer number of menus and submenus needed to access all the commands of the game was atrocious. Micromanagement was taken to a whole new level in Rebellion, slowing a game which was supposed to be a hybrid of real time and turn based. The time bar was a silly concept, since most players are apt to simply slow time whenever an event occurs and then turn the time back up after it's done. Might as well make the game turn based at this point. Another problem I had was the useless heroes (force users apparently lacking any significant advantage over non-force users) and the excrutiatingly long travel times between star systems. How could the Millenium Falcon be on the other side of the galaxy by now with the turtle-paced travel system used in Rebellion? I will say this for Rebellion, it had fantastic cut-scenes. Too bad they tried to sell a game along with the cool videos.

Hey. Rebellion wasn't *that* bad. Sure, it tried to take on more than it can chew, but that didn't make it a bad game. 362682[/snapback] IMO, Rebellion was THAT bad and worse. But if you like it, that's all that matters.

Both the large weapons booms and the small side "wings" on my Dropship were insanely tight upon removal from the packaging. They loosen with use, but they are still tight enough to maintain position after months of handling. Beyond that, I can't say, but I'm sure you'll be happy with the result.

I can't speak for the others in this thread JBO, but honoring an advertised/displayed price is not some law as I'm aware (discussing this within the context of disclaimers and honest vendor error). My point was simply the need for the decorum of good business when faced with a customer in a physical location as opposed to the advantages of impersonal correspondance enjoyed by online retailers.

ugh.. i come across this line of thinking in my work all the time. *snip* 362745[/snapback] Exposition is a part of any visual entertainment medium and I'm aware of such. Criticism of exposition alone does not preclude legitimate greivance for recap episodes in television, nor is it some slippery slope that leads to fandom elitism at my expense. On the topic of anime, most of the series I watch last no more than a season. With so few episodes, it is a waste of precious time to commit an entire episode of material simply to inform viewers just tuning in. If you produce a quality product, the story will intrigue the viewer by default, despite a lack of story background. I don't even need to ask how many of us have begun to follow a TV series we know nothing about simply because of a quality episode we happened to catch flipping channels. Constant brow beating for viewership and expositional pedantry to gain the lowest common denominator audience are the great offenders of quality entertainment in our society. Sadly, these factors are overlooked and the mentality to ever increase the simplicity of entertainment is only growing rather than abating. However, I digress. The recap episode is a terrible concept that weakens entertainment value and excessive, repetitive expostition of all kinds is secondary to a quality product that will intrigue and retain the television audience tuning in mid-season. I do beleive that viewers will seek out more of a quality show whose background they lack as opposed to a weaker show utilizing recaps and exposition. Particularly in the modern market with such easy access to information about any subject via the internet, there really is no excuse. Naturally, as a producer/marketer of such entertianment, it goes without saying that you would never insult the public by explaining this. But in a thread such as this, it helps to make my position clear.

Only if one has been avoiding pop culture for a lifetime up to until the point of viewing Underworld: Evolution

I was in the mood for a ranting

Oh, you me like this... To expand briefly, I prefer the Sci-Fi Channel Mini-Series of Dune. The overall flow of the story, the pacing of events, the characterizations, the dialogue, the technology, and the novelization details of Herbert's work are followed more closely and faithfully in the Mini-Series. The acting is a mixed bag, some performances are better in the Harrison Mini-Series, some performances are not as good as the Lynch film. Ultimately, I'd prefer a big budgeted and properly written major motion picture directed by someone with a greater understanding of the material to cover a great work of literature like Dune. In the absence of that, I prefer the Mini-Series.

I'm sorry to hear my prediction came true. A friend of mine was boxing day shopping this past season. While on Amazon.com, he came across the three Lord of the Rings Extended Edition Sets (the big ones, with the polystone figures) for $20 a set. He quickly purchased all three sets for $60, an astounding bargin considering that all three sets would have cost him $180 at regular prices. Two days later, Amazon e-mailed him with a price adjustment....back to $60 PER SET. Like others have said, if Amazon were a retailer with a physical store, they'd have to honor the price. One of the pitfalls of online shopping.

I don't want to ruin your excitment, but this happened around boxing day as well. Several items were priced for dirt cheap only to be price adjusted a day or two later. Amazon did not allow the cheap sales that had been made to stand, but they did allow cancellation without any problem. It's a good deal and I hope all goes well, but my guess is Amazon will not honor the sales.

I'm sure my friends will love to hear this news. Personally, the Blade movies did little for me.

Isn't it funny how stuff just works itself out. I haven't been following anything on any Star Wars game and haven't touched the franchise since Jedi Academy. Then out of nowhere, I visit Gamespot just the other day and decide to look up some SW games. I looked up this very game and watched all the trailers. I must say it looks rather interesting, but the implementation is what will make or break this title. I'm in the process of downloading the demo, so we'll see if it distinguishes itself or if it turns out to be an utter failure like Rebellion.

This is an old one. In fact, I beleive I read a variation of this page years ago, during my first few times on the internet

Recently, I came into possession of a bunch of free movie passes and have been enjoying them the last few weeks. I've been in the mood for some bad cinema lately, so this afternoon I decided to see the sequel flick Underworld: Evolution. Before I go into the film in detail, it would serve many of you to know that I disliked Underworld. Naturally, my expectations for Underworld: Evolution are going to be low and ordinarily, I wouldn't bother with a sequel to a movie that was very poor. But like I said, the movie was free and I was in the mood for some fantasy trash cinema. SPOILER WARNING!!! The Good For those fans of Underworld still reading, you'll be happy to know that Evolution is a better film. The special effects are much improved, the dark cinematography intact, the fighting is more interesting, and the pacing is mostly on track. For those that value a movie based on skin, it will be a welcome pleasure to note Evolution features a Kate Beckinsale nude scene as well as a few other nude scenes with some sultry undead seductresses. For action fans, Beckinsale actually sells her role as a Death Dealer in this film, showcasing a few f/x feats and punches, the absence of which hampered her waifish appearance in the original. The Bad Plot-wise, Evolution is a mess. The plot is mostly linear, beginning with a historical scene of the Vampire Lords when they imprisoned the first Lycan then stumbling along in the present assisted by several overused flashbacks. All the plot really does is just work to setup another big baddie battle (actually two) while trying to present an atmosphere of epic struggle with as much pretention as a used car salesman. So many elements lack enough screen time or mention to merit their significance that you would have to listen to a rabid Underworld fan to understand it all, but by then your ears would be bleeding red food coloring and corn syrup. This plot is helped in some respects by the hectic pace, since director Len Wiseman must know the audience really just wants to see more stylish special effects and monster mashing. However, even this formula fails when a lengthy exposition scene stuck in the middle of the second act tries desperately to solidify an already crumbling tale. Rather than put up with Steven Mackintosh's debaucherous Tanis, the character should have simply fought our heroes; it sorta worked for the rest of the film. The cinematography remains in the dark, the deeper dark, and then still more dark. While the original Underworld scored some visual points by stealing shots from DarkCity, The Matrix, and other such genre films, Evolution enjoys no such plagarism. Each set is just another variation of rocks made of polystyrene in shadows but with a different location, yet it all looks like the same location so who really cares? The final battle takes place in a set so similar to the final battle in the first film, I swear they reused the same set but added a bridge. Ooops, I don't think I was supposed to notice that! The Ugly Derek Jacobi's character is a joke. His motivations as Alexander Corvinus are so unbelievable given the circumstances one wonders how this man survived millenia as such a sap. His empathy for humanity is somehow overcome by affection for two monsterous sons he hasn't seen in hundreds of years. Somehow we're supposed to swallow that this protector of humanity has such love for his kin that he won't kill them, but prefers they be tortured by imprisonment within metal boxes for all eternity. Right. The backstory was a completely unecessary element of Evolution, its inclusion acting only as an immediate action dope for the fighting-phile fan audience. Ultimately it's wasted time that could have been handled with a small amount of exposition between characters and (gasp) a better plot. On the topic of plot, this one has more holes than all the ammunition spitting through the throwaway monsters. The origin story of the vampires/lycan is more incoherent than it was in Underworld, the sheer scope of the "underworld" is expanded to a scale so grand that it's anonymity to humankind is laughable, and the "love story" jumps so fast from complete strangers into soft-porn only if Selene was drunk would it explain her actions (and even that's a stretch). UV bullets, vampires with flashlights, and a host of ridiculousness overwhelms the audience with such tripe its like trying to avoid a rainstorm with a pizza pamphlet. Rating: One out of Five Stars. Underworld: Evolution gives bad cinema a bad name. It contains few of the entertaining elements of B-film and is virtually humorless. Movie monster enthusiasts may find a few things to enjoy, but everyone else would find more entertainment renting Dracula 2000 or a porn.

Seen this film many times and it's just not the kind of production that has stood up to the test of time. Reading the book a few years later, it became clear how inferior the David Lynch film was. Broadening my film experience over the years has also made it apparent how weak this production is as both as a film and an adaptation. I much prefer the mini-series simply due to the completeness of the story, but the mini-series is still seriously lacking in many respects. Given the high quality of the original writing by Frank Herbert and its status among the great pieces of genre literature, I want to see a big budget release of this story utilizing a well written script adaptation, and a director who understands the material more than film art. The budget given to Terminator 2, Lord of The Rings, and other like productions would be approriate for a classic of this nature.