Mass Effect 3 is a forthcoming action role-playing game developed by BioWare & published by Electronic Arts for Microsoft Windows, Xbox 360 & PlayStation 3.
It is believed to be released by late 2011 or first quarter of 2012. This will mark the final chapter in the Mass Effect Trilogy.
If you have never played Mass Effect try your hands on its prior two releases. It’s one of my personal favorite. I have been eagerly waiting for its final part & I'm sure BioWare will not disappoint us.
It is believed to be the most anticipated game of 2011. Take a look at the stupendous trailer.
I am not sure about the popularity of hammer wielding god of thunder in the comics’ world; still THOR attempts to create an impression amid viewers before the intended release of The Avengers set for 2012. Based on Norse Mythology director Kenneth Branagh establishes the marvel hero with great vigor.
The story begins in 965 A.D. when southern city of Norway, Tonsberg gets attacked by the Frost Giants of Jotunheim led by Laufey (Colm Feore) whose intension was in conquering the Nine Realms a.k.a. Nine Worlds as per Norse Cosmology, starting with Earth. The attempt however gets thwarted by the Asgardian warriors & their king Odin (Anthony Hopkins) who overwhelms the Frost Giants & seizes their casket of power.
When Odin’s son Thor (Chris Hemsworth) gets ready to ascend the throne of Asgard the ritual gets interrupted by some Frost Giants who tries to salvage their power source from Asgard’s weapons’ vault. In spite of Odin’s order of restrain from retribution, Thor travels to Jotunheim to confront Laufey on his own home ground accompanied by his brother Loki (Tom Hiddlestone) & some trusted friends. A battle ensues until Odin’s intervenes to reinstate the century old delicate truce which however gets shaken by Thor’s arrogance. Enraged with aftermath Odin strips Thor from his godly power & exiles him to Earth along with his source of power, the hammer named Mjolnir confined by spell which would allow only the worthy person to flaunt its power.
As Thor begins to adjust life on Earth he falls in love with scientist Jane Foster (Natalie Portman) who finds him in the middle of the desert of New Mexico. With Thor out of the way Loki devises his own plan to annex Asgard’s throne & take control of the Nine Realms. The movie tries to exhibit the transition of Thor’s character before he confronted his nemesis.
In the midst of visual extravaganza, the story of Thor seems a bit rushed without giving adequate time for the characters to evolve. Super-hero based movies can thrive with strong archenemy which we have seen earlier in The Dark Knight. Tom Hiddlestone sadly lacked the magnetism to radiate the identity of true adversary during the climatic battle. Chris Hemsworth got enough time to exhibit his power with his hammer Mjolnir however his inner turmoil of humility over pride is left unfulfilled for us to really care for.
THOR might work for some trusted fans of the franchise however as a stand alone I cannot put it amongst other classic of this genre like The Dark Knight, Iron Man, Spider-Man 2. Thor was made in a grand scale with the intension of making it a valuable addition to the Marvel Studios still the enthralling special effects will not linger in the minds of those keen for rich plot.
My Rating : 6.5/10
What is it like to be trapped in someone else’s identity without your knowledge? That’s exactly what Source Code is all about; this entrapment is however for some definitive purpose. Based on intelligent premises, Source Code succeeds in delivering a perfect Science Fiction thriller. This proves to be the subsequent feat by Duncan Zowie Jones after his directional debut Moon in 2009. From story telling technique both of Jones’ movies are similar; we always find the protagonists in isolation, unaware about the immediate situation before the story ensues towards revelation.
When Captain Colter Stevens (Jake Gyllenhaal) wakes up in a commuter train headed towards Chicago he gets perplexed; the last thing he remembered was getting caught up in fire-fight while maneuvering his helicopter in Afghanistan. It seemed that he had no recollection of how he got into the train; the fact which bothered him even more was when one woman named Christina (Michelle Monaghan) sitting across him appeared to know him & addressed him as Sean Fentress. While trying to figure out what actually happened, Stevens gets into an argument with Christina but gets interrupted by a powerful explosion which kills them & everyone else onboard. He soon finds himself conscious in a pod-like structure retorting to a woman named Colleen Goodwin (Vera Farmiga) via a computer screen. Goodwin reveals to Stevens that he was involved in a special project where his mission was to find the bomber accountable for the explosion in the train so that the next attack of much larger scale can be prevented. By this time if you are confused with what really happened; the explanation on Source Code gives a clear picture. Source Code was a computer program engineered by Dr. Rutledge (Jeffrey Wright) which enabled someone to cross over into another person’s identity in the last eight minutes of his/her life. If you are not freaked out with the mind blending concept then I would share a little bit more. Source Code helped to send a person to the past in an alternate reality. Stevens’ mission was to establish the identity of the perpetrator behind the bombing, however time was here a limited luxury. As Stevens gets into the alternate reality he gets more involved with Christina urging him to resolve the situation by not only finding the bomber but also to save everyone else onboard. Is it plausible? See it yourself to unfold the mystery.
Though the development of the Source Code program has been kept off the narrative loop; Duncan Jones made sure that the characters in his movie were appealing to make us really care for. It’s not unusual to find Jake Gyllenhaal in such complex role since Donnie Darko still he fleshed out Colter Stevens’ character seamlessly. Source Code falls into different breed of techno thrillers & will work well with those who are not seeking linear plot.
My Rating : 8/10
