Pads & Panels

Title: The Rocketeer

Format: 20th Anniversary Edition Blu-ray

MPAA: PG

Directed by: Joe Johnston

Written by: Danny Bilson, Paul Dimeo, William Dear

Starring: Billy Campbell, Jennifer Connelly, Timothy Dalton, Alan Arkin, Paul Sorvino

Produced by: Charles Gordon, Lawrence Gordon, Lloyd Levin

Studio: Walt Disney Pictures, Silver Screen Partners IV

Film Rating:

Blu-ray Rating:

Review by: Matt Peters

The Film

Ace pilot Cliff Secord stumbles into a pre-World War II Nazi plot to steal a rocket pack created by Howard Hughes. Their purpose is nefarious of course, as they intend to make multiple versions of the rocket pack to create an army of airborne Nazi soldiers. Meanwhile, Cliff and his mechanic pal Peevy find a way to turn Cliff into The Rocketeer, a crime-fighting hero that tangles with the Nazis, the mob, and even a Hollywood leading man. Billy Campbell stars in this whimsical, action packed tale that should be in any Disney fan’s collection. (more…)

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Title: Thor & Loki: Blood Brothers

Format: DVD

Directed by: Mark Cowart, Joel Gibbs

Written by: Robert Rodi

Starring: David Blair, Elizabeth Diennet, Daniel Thorn

Studio: Marvel Knights Animation

Feature Content Rating:

DVD Rating:

Review by: Bill Jones

The Feature

Thor & Loki: Blood Brothers is sort of a neat “what if” flash-forward to the future, taken from the pages of writer Robert Rodi’s and artist Esad Ribic’s Loki miniseries, examining what would happen if Loki ultimately overcame his hero of a brother, Thor. In this tale, Loki is left ruling a kingdom that he seems to have little interest in anymore, with subjects that are becoming angered over his empty promises. So now he is faced with the decision of executing his own brother, Thor, to gain respect. (more…)

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Title: Fall of Cthulhu: Vol. 5: Apocalypse

Publisher: Boom Studios

Writer: Michael Alan Nelson

Artist: Mateus Santolouco

Rating:

Review by: Archie Easter

Based on the works of H.P. Lovecraft, the Fall of Cthulhu series has thus far chronicled the story of a small band of people (and beings) determined to stop the end of the world at the hands of the ancient cosmic entity, Cthulhu. The fifth volume of the series, Fall of Cthulhu: Apocalypse returns to the story of Cy, Luci, Sherriff Dirk and the mysterious keeper of secrets known as the Harlot, as they attempt to stave off the apocalypse at the hands of a now awoken Cthulhu and his many dark underlings. One of which, the “crawling chaos” known as Nyarlathotep, has put into effect a plan that will use Cy to put an end to humanity once and for all. The Harlot has amassed her own army however, and the ensuing battle will decide the fate of both the waking word and dreamland dimensions. Even though this comic wraps up the first major story arc in the series, seeds are planted for later events. Overall, this was a satisfying ending to the major story arc that began in Vol. 1. The comic uses a very heavily inked style that gives it a very dark feel, and Santolouco’s colors really seem to give life to the stark landscapes of the dreamlands. (more…)

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Title: Fable III

Platform: 360

ESRB: M

Publisher: Microsoft

Developer: Lionhead

Rating:

Review by: Archie Easter

The team at Lionhead has taken great strides in making sure Fable III sticks out from the rest of the series, and for better or worse, they succeeded in doing so. Rather than lead players though the entire life of a hero, Fable III is focused on a certain period of the main character’s life. As the son or daughter of the hero of Fable II, the player is tasked with unseating a tyrannical older brother as the king of Albion and taking on the crown—and the responsibility it entails—for themselves.

Fable III sports a completely revamped interface, practically stripping menus from the game entirely. While ordinarily I would applaud attempts like these to further immerse players in the world of the game, here it’s so drastic that it’s sometimes more inconvenient than a menu screen ever was.  For example, hitting the start button will not pause the game, rather it teleports the player to a hub world called the Sanctuary. Here, players can change weapons, magic, quests, etc. The trouble is, while considerably more engrossing, physically walking around in the Sanctuary can sometimes feel more tedious than selecting desired weapons or spells from an interface. (more…)

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Title: Blood Bowl

Platform: 360 (DS, PC, PSP)

ESRB Rating: T

Publisher: SouthPeak Games

Developer: Cyanide

Rating:

Review by: Dan Braun

Games Workshop’s brutal and darkly humorous world of Warhammer was an iconic setting for pen-and-paper gamers for many years. When Blood Bowl borrowed some fantasy elements from this universe and combined it with a satirical presentation of American football, a classic game was born. As the rules have changed over the years, so has the format of Blood Bowl, and it is just as fun in its new digs as it ever was at a kitchen table…that is, if one can get over its incredibly egregious shortcomings. (more…)

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