Every Knight has it's Dawn...

So Dre and I were talking last night and he asked if there were any games I was looking forward to. With the announcement of Call of Duty's upcoming installment entitled Ghosts, Dre was pretty much off the wall excited about what's coming around the bend. (Side note: Keep and eye out for Dre's post about Call of Duty: Ghosts, coming at you soon).

Since I tend to be the resident "movie guy" on our team, people can often forget that I do also enjoy a good game. As many of you already know, I also enjoy pretty much anything Batman. So as you can imagine, when those two things come together, I must excuse myself from the room, breathe deeply into a paper bag, and change my pants.

Now that I have calmed down a bit, I figured I would share my glee with you, our loyal, and borderline obsessed with us fans. Much like the game itself, let us begin...from the beginning...

A New Dawn Rises: Origins

Here is the basic premise of Batman: Arkham Origins. This prequel to the brilliant Arkham series takes us back several years before the events of Arkham Asylum and Arkham City. We are introduced to a young, and inexperienced Batman, scanning the streets of Gotham on Christmas Eve. The Black Mask has put out a bounty on the Dark Knight's head, and all the low-lifes from the pages of the DC Universe are Gotham bound to collect. 

Batman must now fight to outsmart and defeat the endless stream of thugs and elite assassins who are out to collect on his head, as well as the corrupt cops in the GCPD who are eager to kill him and sell his body to the highest bidder. At the same time, the world's greatest detective must discover why the Black Mask is out for his head, and prove to those cops who remain on the side of good, that he fights for them, and for Gotham City. 

The reigns for this latest installment of the Arkham franchise have been turned over to Warner Bros. Games Montreal. The new WB team takes over the mantle from Rocksteady after 2 highly successful efforts. While Rocksteady was involved with helping WBGM learn the engine that powers the free flowing fighting, dark and gritty environments and overall bad-assery that defines the Arkham series, and that we all have grown to love. Rocksteady has said that they have full faith in WBGM and are glad to see the new team make this latest game their own.

Pros and Cons to a Prequel

Of course with any new installment to a franchise, you have inherent cons. The biggest of which has to be the question, "Will the game live up to it's predecessors?" This is especially true here, as we are dealing with a complete changing of the guard as well. However, as we all saw when 343 Industries picked up the flag that is Halo from Bungie, that's not always a bad thing.

Right off the bat, there are some really great things that we can think of that will come from having an Arkham prequel. First, it opens the gates to introducing new characters, and adding some meat to those we already know. Allow me to explain what I mean. When we begin with Arkham Asylum, we are thrown into a world in which Batman has existed for some time. Through his experiences as Batman he has forged friendships and enemies, and we come into the story several steps behind the curve, and spend the rest of the game playing catch up, learning how these ties were formed. We have also been limited with who we are introduced to. The casual fan may only be familiar with the starting line-up of the Rogues Gallery. Therefore, we are limited to enemies like Poison Ivy, Bane, Harley Quinn and of course, The Joker. This is no longer the case.

Lt. Branden

The Black Mask

Deathstroke

With the franchise now taking a look backwards, we can now be introduced to great new characters and villians that otherwise might be excluded from the game. We can see Batman face off against such greats as The Black Mask and Deathstroke, and we can watch as these rivalries are formed in "real time" as we see them through the eyes of the Dark Knight himself. 

On that same line of thought, we can also delve deeper into how other relationships are formed. How the corruption of Commissioner Loeb and his right hand man, Lt. Branden, will lead to their downfall, opening the way for the one-and-only Commissioner Gordon. How bonds were formed, and enemies made can be better explained, and frankly, I couldn't be more excited to see how they do this, and how casual fans will react to the new faces that I've loved for so long!

What's New? The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly

As with any new game or film in development, rumors run rampant. Batman: Arkham Origins is no exception. Here are some facts and rumors that have peaked our interest.

1. Fact: Prequel Brings Youth to Batman

                                                                                    

Fans will be introduced to a new, young, and vastly inexperienced Batman. While game developers ensure us this is not a "true origin" story, we are seeing Batman in his early years. With that comes some new struggles we'll have to face. In the other Arkham games, we play as a Batman who is a well oiled machine. Fighting abilities, detective skills, and strong moral code are all finely honed. In this new game...not so much. Developers tell us of a Batman who, "...is going to make mistakes, but never makes the same mistake twice". A scene from the demo shows Batman questioning a thug, and not knowing the limitations of mere mortals, takes things a bit too far. These are the "growing pains" that we will experience as we work through the game as this young Batman.

2. Rumored: What's in a Name...and for That Matter, a Voice?

Batman The Animated Series

Kevin Conroy

It is rumored that the great Kevin Conroy will not voice the Caped Crusader in WBGM's latest Arkham effort. Kevin Conroy gave voice to Batman in the amazing animated series of the early '90's, as well as in several animated films, and in the first two Arkham games, and the latest DC release Injustice: Gods Among Us. Rumors are flying that WBGM may not enlist the voice of Batman for this prequel, in an effort to depict a young, just starting out, Bruce Wayne. It is rumored that they will go with a new, no name, actor to voice the Knight in Origins.

3. Rumored: Why Fight AI, When You Can Fight Friends!

Game developers have hinted that there may be a multiplayer element to Batman: Arkham Origins. Not much is known about, a) whether or not this is true, or b) what a multiplay facet to the game will entail. However, leaks mention playing as some of Jokers thugs attempting to thwart the Dark Knight. Rumors about playable and customizable multiplayer characters such as Bane, Deathstroke, and others have also been heard from little birds. 

We'll see if any of this actually comes to fruition. However, even in rumor form, it's a bit exciting, and what a great way for Warner Bros. Games Montreal to step out of the shadow of Rocksteady.

Well, I hope you enjoyed reading this, and I hope it gets you as pumped as I am. Honestly, I can't wait to get on the Box and go to work in the actual streets of Gotham (this being the first game in the franchise that actually takes place in Gotham City) and own some new villians. Also, the idea of how incredible the game will look, with the grittiness and bleakness that is Batman/Gotham, set to a Christmas theme. Even in what we've seen in the screenshots, it looks amazing!

Definitely look out for this game, slated to hit shelves on October 25, 2013!

As always, send us your thoughts, let us know what you think, share your fears/concerns and or excitement with us! You can always comment here, or email us at pausedreviews@gmail.com, or message us on Facebook and Twitter. 

Thanks for reading!

- Franc

New Release Tuesday! 4/30/13

Well Ladies and Gents, it's that time again, New Release Tuesday!

Here is what releases today on DVD and Bluray and their IMDB ratings:

• Silver Linings Playbook (8.0)
• Broken City (6.1)
• The Details (6.1)
• The Guilt Trip (5.6)
• Not Fade Away (5.9)
• The Wicked (3.5)

Today seems to be a pretty strong day for new releases. There are a few in this class that I am actually pretty excited to see. 

Of course, we will be taking a look at Silver Linings Playbook. With all the buzz around this film, and all the oscar recognition, this is one you clearly need to check out. At the very least, to see if all the talk is legit, or simply just talk. I'm sure Pol wont fight me on this one, as he and J-Law have a long running, top secret love affair. It is so secret in fact, that not even Jennifer knows anything about it. I'll probably take some time later today to check this one out, so keep eyes out for my blog post about this one.

Broken City is another one that had peaked my interest. Classic plot line, of corrupt/dangerous/power crazed politician meets bad-ass/renegade cop/horrible actor Mark Wahlberg. This one at least seems to be Mark doing what he does best, very little talking, lots of threatening, and then, following up on those threats in a glorious and biblical fashion. Oh, and fun bit of trivia for you, Wahlberg (who I believe is the producer on this one) actually offered the role to Michael Fassbender (300, X-Men: First Class, Inglorious Basterds) but he turned it down, forcing Wahlberg to play the part himself. While I do love Fassbender in pretty much anything he does, I think this worked out for the best, as this is Wahlberg's bread and butter kind of role.

The rest are ones that seem interesting enough, and I may take a look at if I have time later in the week, with the exception of The Wicked, that just looks terrible. However, The Details, looks like a star-studded cast with potential. The Guilt Trip is another that could go either way. Seth Rogen seems to be just hit or miss, and when he misses, he misses huge. He's basically the Tony Romo of cinema, but unlike Romo or the cowboys, it makes be a little sad when he just takes a giant Green Hornet-esque dump in a movie, since I do actually like the guy. 

Anyways, as always, let us know what you think, if you've seen these films, give us your thoughts. You can reach us on Facebook and Twitter, you can comment here, or of course, email us at pausedreviews@gmail.com.

Thanks for reading, and enjoy this week's releases!

- Franc

New Release Tuesday 4/16/13...on Wednesday...oops

Hi everyone,

So sorry that I am a day late with this post, but here are this week's new DVD/Bluray releases!

Honestly, I can keep this one very, very short. Go out today, if you haven't already, and buy Django Unchained. It is incredible and another slam dunk for Quentin Tarantino. Waltz, Foxx and DiCaprio are amazing in this film. Go out, buy it, you won't regret it.

I haven't seen the others, and don't really have any desire to, so again, buy these at your own risk.

Happy new release Wednesday to all, and I promise I'll get this post out on time next week. lol


- Franc

New Release Tuesday is hours away! 4/9/13

Hey there all,

Tomorrow is usually the second greatest day of the week...New Release Tuesday! Not so much this week however. Here is a look at what's coming out tomorrow, I'll give you a hint...nothing...nothing is coming out tomorrow.

This week, like the rest of April, will be a doo-doo week for new releases. However, don't let that discourage you too much, because the second half has some gems to deliver yet, but I digress. Here is a list of what is coming out this week:

• Hyde Park on Hudson
• The Sorcerer and the White Snake
• Bad Kids go to Hell
• Late Bloomers
• The Kitchen
• Boss: Season 2
• Merlin: The Complete Fifth Season

The only one of these lumps of coal that I've seen is, Bad Kids go to Hell. My brother and I were up one night and looking for something to watch. As you all know, horror is our hands-down favorite genre. So as we were cycling through the offerings on XBox Video, we stumbled across this. We had never seen it, and it was obviously a "D" movie at best, but we were in the mood for something campy and fun. Had I known what I was about to bear witness to, I would have literally done anything else.

Please, I implore you, do not watch this film. Shaving yourself from head to toe, then covering your entire, newly shaved body in chunky peanut butter (which ever brand you prefer), then dressing yourself as pirate and jumping into a large aquarium while listening to Meatloaf's "I Would Do Anything" would be a far better use of your time.

I would not dare to insult Paul Bettany or Scott Stewart by even giving this movie a rating on their scale. If you were in this movie, or had anything to do with it's making, you should be ashamed of yourself, and I hope you live forever with this guilt.

As for the other releases this month, none really sound very interesting or appealing, so I won't be watching any of them. If you choose to however, just know that you do so at your own risk.

Stay tuned however, as I said before, next week we begin to see light at the end of the tunnel of the crapfest that has been April's movie releases.

Thanks for reading!

- Franc

New Release Tuesday! 3/12/13

New Release Tuesday is back on the blog!

We are so sorry that our posts have fallen by the wayside, however, we are here to assure you that they are back, and better than ever! Starting first, with new releases this week.

Tomorrow is actually a fairly big day for DVD/Blu-Ray, with big blockbuster heavy hitters like Life of Pi, Hitchcock, and Rise of the Guardians.

While I haven't seen any of these titles yet, I know my wife has been hounding me to watch Life of Pi with her, so we'll be sitting down to watch that one in the next day or two. It's being billed as the next Avatar and is apparently supposed to be pretty amazing, and visually stunning. I'll have to do a blog review of this one for you guys after I watch it this week. So look out for that.

Next is Hitchcock. Again, while I haven't seen it, it is my understanding that this movie focuses on the relationship between Alfred Hitchcock and his wife, during the making of Psycho. Apparently she had a pretty important role in how the film was written and visualized. I'll probably rent this one and check it out before committing to the purchase, as I've heard mixed reviews. However, anything with Helen Mirren and Anthony Hopkins, you know it's just got to be good.

Rounding out the top releases this week are Rise of the Guardians and Cirque du Soleil: Worlds Apart. The first, is the latest release from Dreamworks. A nice family film, just in time for Easter. Finally, the Cirque movie. I'm actually secretly excited for this one. I went to see Cirque live several years ago, and I was in total awe. I'm curious to see how it translates to the screen. While I am sure it can not even come close to comparing to the live events, amazing is amazing, so we'll see.

Finally, as always, I leave you with the complete list of all the other titles releasing this week. Thanks for reading, and be sure to email us, or shoot us a message on Facebook letting us know if you've seen any of these flicks and what your thoughts were, we'd love to share them on our podcasts!


- Franc


Other Releases for 3/12/13

• Smashed
• Sound City
• This Must be the Place
• Kumare
• You've Been Trumped
• The First Time
• Grave Encounters 2
• In Their Skin
• Storage 24
• Law & Order: Criminal Intent: The Final Year
• The Mob Doctor: The Complete Series

New Release Tuesday! January 29, 2013

Get excited folks, tomorrow is New Release Tuesday! There are some great titles coming out tomorrow, and here is a quick look at a few.

Seven Psychopaths and The Awakening are two movies that I missed in theaters, and was super bummed I had. I'm crazy excited to get my hands on these and check them out. The Awakening didn't do well on the review circuit, but the story line really interested me. Plus I think Rebecca Hall and Dominic West are two really great actors, and I hope they bring it in this one!

Seven Psychopaths basically speaks for itself. The trailer was amazing, it looked hilarious, and literally stars everyone you want to see in a movie. Can't wait to watch this one. While I'll probably check out The Awakening on XBox video or Redbox before comitting to the buy, I'll definitely be getting Seven Psychopaths tomorrow, so look out for my Blu-ray review this week.

Batman: The Dark Knight Returns part 2 is definitely a much anticipated release on my end. The first installment of this animated feature, based on Frank Miller's ground-breaking graphic novel, was brilliant. We've had to wait ages for part 2, and now that it's here I can't wait! By the way, if you haven't read the novel, do it, you won't regret it! This will definitely be owned by me in less than 24 hours!

Downton Abbey: Season 3 is one that I would like to say will be purchased for the Mrs. but as any of you who know me can attest, I'm super stoked for this release as well. A great show, with an amazing cast. While I'll admit, as the seasons progress, some of the plot lines become a little too convenient, overall, it's an amazing show. I recommend this to anyone who hasn't seen it. The best part is you can catch seasons 1 & 2 on Netflix instant, and I'm sure season 3 will be added shortly. Side note, if you're a fan, take a few hours to rewatch Notting Hill, and see Lord Grantham (Hugh Bonneville) as you've never seen him before!

Hotel Transylvania is one for the kiddies. I haven't seen it myself, or read much on it, but there it is and it comes out tomorrow. Along with Paranormal Activity 4. This is a franchise that like Scary Movie should've ended with the first one. I haven't seen this one yet, but 2 and 3 were so awful, I can only imagine the gem this one will be. Who knows, it may Rocky us all, where the first was brilliant, 2 and 3 made you want to drive to Sly's house and slap him right in the face, but then 4 came out of nowhere and made you ashamed you ever doubted it. I'll give it a quick watch and let you know, but don't hold your breath, I'm sure it will be terrible.

A few other random releases tomorrow are:

• Hello I Must Be Going
• Citadel
• Noobz
• Cold Light of Day
• Femme Fatales: Season 1
• Pan Am: Season 1

Thanks for reading, and remember you can subscribe to this blog by entering your email in the right-hand column. Doing this will send you an email notification whenever a new blog has been posted, so you never have to miss a word!

You can also follow us on Facebook and Twitter, or email us at pausedreviews@gmail.com!

Let us know what you are watching, playing or thinking, you may even be included in our next podcast!

Thanks all,

Franc