Okay, so I know I've promoted the comic book-turned FOX action series Human Target before (see my 2/18/10 post "Better Off (Watching) Ted, and others"). But this show just fits too perfectly on this list to deny it a spot. And now that the complete first season is available on DVD for a very reasonable price, the original twelve action-packed exploits of bodyguard-for-hire Christopher Chance and his team make the perfect hibernation marathon. The premise is simple: Chance (Mark Valley--Boston Legal, Fringe), a highly trained security expert with a sordid past, takes on contracts from a wide variety of clients who need protection, and finds himself pushed to the limits to ensure the safety of those he's been hired to protect. But he isn't alone. Chance teams up with ex-cop Laverne Winston (Chi McBride--Boston Public, Pushing Daisies) and the seedy-yet-geeky Guerrero (Jackie Earle Haley--Watchmen, A Nightmare on Elm Street), two loyal and indispensable friends and partners. The scenarios may be a bit unrealistic if not at times completely cliche, with Chance always managing to overcome the unspeakably high odds stacked against him by the skin of his teeth. But the action is well choreographed and an absolute blast to watch, and the light and comical rapport between Chance and his teammates is just icing on the cake. It all adds up for some great popcorn-popping television that any fan of James Bond or Jack Bauer will most assuredly enjoy.
Yes, yes, I get it--not everyone is into video games. But I promise, this is one that even the most casual gamer can enjoy. Just Cause 2 is set on the fictional Southeast Asian island called Panau, where the old president was just assassinated and overtaken by the new president--his son, "Baby" Panay. You play as Rico Rodriguez, an "Agency" operative sent to help end Panay's dictatorship and reestablish the US-Panau trade relationship. But literally ZERO of that matters; the story is terrible, the voice acting sucks, and the plot development is nearly non-existent. Regardless, this game is immense amounts of fun. Essentially, Rico accomplishes his mission by causing "Chaos," a tracked statistic that increases with the more stuff you blow up. Chaos can be racked up by taking missions from one of the three criminal factions on the island or completely on your own whim as you see fit, and this results in lots of gunfire, hijackings, and stunning explosions. And, also, fun. You see, the more Chaos you cause, the more weapons, vehicles (of which there are over 100), missions and equipment you unlock. In other words, explosions beget more explosions. Don't you love it when things come full circle?
But what really sets Just Cause 2 apart from other open-world actioners are two key parts of Rico's arsenal that you will not find in any other video game. You see, attached to Rico's arm is a multi-functional grappling hook, and to his back, a parachute. And by combining these two devices, the fun gets ratcheted up about 500%. Want to grapple on to a passing helicopter, hijack it, fly it as high as you can, then jump out, releasing your parachute just early enough to avoid splattering on the mountainous terrain below? You can. Want to use your grappling hook to attach the pursuing police officer to the back of your car and drag him a few miles? You can. Want to grapple to a near by building, then release your parachute as you zoom towards it so you can float lazily around the towering metropolis? You can. You can combine the grappling hook and parachute in a near-endless number of ways, providing for some ridiculous stunts and creative combat sequences. This is sandbox gameplay at its most visceral. And thanks to Panau's varied and vast terrain (over 300 different locations to find and destroy), the fun and action is only limited by your own creativity.
(If you are intrigued but not sure you want to shell out the cash, I think you can still find the Just Cause 2 demo on Xbox Live and the PlayStation Network--it gives you 30 minutes to mess around in a limited section of Panau, and is a great taste of what the game offers)
Honestly, is there any actor out there that better embodies "mindless action" than Keanu Reeves? Sure, maybe The Matrix trilogy was pretty cerebral (if not unnecessarily convoluted), but most of his other vehicles (Constantine, Bill & Ted) require little-to-no heavy mental lifting. This fact is demonstrated in spades by this pair of flicks. On the one hand we have Point Break. Keanu plays an undercover FBI agent investigating bank robberies. His task is to get in good with a bunch of surfer dude-criminals (led by Patrick Swayze) and then jump out of airplanes with them. Well, maybe it's all not quite that simple, but between the bank robberies, massive waves, gun fights, chase sequences, and high altitudes, Point Break deserves a responding "Woah!" On the other hand, we have Speed. Keanu plays an LAPD SWAT explosive expert tasked with keeping the passengers of a bomb-rigged bus alive while traversing the busy streets of Los Angeles. He does this by driving really fast, be it on a bus, subway train, or elevator car. Oh, and of course, by answering a number of "pop quizzes" posed by the psychotic bomber, played effortlessly by Dennis Hopper. Double "Woah!" Both of these flicks are fantastic amounts of fun, even though the latter is much better than the former. When put together, they add up to a solid B/B+, and a back-to-back screening makes for some great action movie-escapism during a chilly winter's day. Plus, they are both set in warm climates!
How dare you give anything associated with Point Break a B/B+...Speed, is a solid B+, and Point Break is a solid A.
ReplyDeleteWhere did you learn to add?