Pads & Panels

Title: Warrior

Directed by: Gavin O’Connor

Written by: Gavin O’Connor, Anthony Tambakis, Cliff Dorfman

Starring: Tom Hardy, Nick Nolte, Joel Edgerton, Jennifer Morrison

Studio: Lionsgate

Rating:

Review by: Bill Jones

By the end of most fight films, there is a well-defined “good guy” and a well-defined “bad guy.” We know who to root for; we know who we want to see win. We’ve seen the good underdog work to overcome the odds, and we’ve seen dubious deeds by his opponent, cementing him as the oppressing evil that must be stopped in its tracks. In Warrior, this is not the case. By the end, we don’t know who we want to see win. We don’t know who to root for. We can’t fathom what will happen if either man loses. Warrior is, by far, the most distinctive fight film I’ve ever seen.

To even call Warrior a “fight film” doesn’t quite do it justice. It’s a drama, through and through – crafted by Miracle director Gavin O’Connor – though it truly earns the fight genre as well, with absolutely engaging mixed martial arts fights, choreographed and filmed exceptionally well. But at the center of it all we have three characters that we grow to care about – characters who are introduced by the tip of the iceberg. We see these characters first on the surface, and then as Warrior rolls along we learn more about them, about the plights that have landed them where we are today, and by the time it all comes to a head we are fully invested in them, which is as much as any film can ask. (more…)

Chris Park spent all of last week running around Los Angeles to cover the Electronic Entertainment Expo. He started Monday, June 14, with Electronic Arts’ E3 Press Conference. Though E3 didn’t properly open at the Los Angeles Convention Center until Tuesday, EA took an early opportunity to show off many of its upcoming games, in this case at The Orpheum Theatre. Park reports…

The first title shown was Need For Speed: Hot Pursuit, the Criterion Games-developed racing title. A proper mix of Burnout and Need For Speed, Hot Pursuit is scheduled for release Nov. 16, 2010, and returns to the high-speed and intense chase racing of the previous titles. While little more information on the title was revealed, a major function called Auto Log was introduced. It acts as an online hub connecting friends. Tracking stats and progress, Auto Log looks like an extension of what Need For Speed: World plans to do for free-to-play online games, only this time on console. (more…)

We have, sadly, been quite behind on the posting of trailers. They’ve still be going up over at our YouTube account, but with all of the happenings, they haven’t found their way over to the site. So today, playing catch-up, we have the proverbial shit-ton of them. Even with these, there are more to found on the YouTube account for videophiles. Enjoy! We start with the PAX East Demo of Twisted Pixel’s Comic Jumper. From there, we’ve got the Split Second gameplay trailer, followed by the Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands gameplay reveal. Then it’s an MMA showdown, with a two UFC Undisputed 2010 videos and one from its competition, EA MMA. And many, many more. Enjoy!

Comic Jumper PAX East Demo

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Title: UFC 2009 Undisputed

Platform: PS3 (Also on 360)

ESRB Rating: T

Publisher: THQ

Developer: Yuke’s Osaka

Rating:

Review by: John Gustafson

The world of mixed martial arts, brought to the masses courtesy of the Ultimate Fighting Championship, is undeniably a major fixture in sports, as well as entertainment. Yet, due to a string of underperforming and underwhelming forays in video games last generation, mixed martial arts has not cracked the medium like it has television and pay-per-view. UFC President Dana White knew the criticisms of the past and set forth, waiting for the right time to emerge with a new title that he felt would not only represent the sport accurately and favorably, but also emerge with a decisive and victorious win.

UFC 2009 Undisputed does not come out with a thunderous KO, but it does pull off a win more akin to a panel decision with its solid fundamentals and expert representation of the octagon warriors in battle. (more…)