The first week with the LG G2

Yay! So I was able to upgrade my phone from the Samsung Stratosphere to the LG G2 (I still miss the physical keyboard of the Strat...) And unfortunately I also had to give up my grandfathered unlimited data plan... Ah well, I will be resourceful and take advantage of the free Wi-Fi areas (spending more time at McD. I better make use of that gym membership.) And although I'm sure there will be marketing reasons behind the "free", I'm sure that I can find a way to mess around with them in that regard LOL!
The following are from what I know and from what I have experienced. If you want a full spec run-down there are sites that do that so I really don't see the need for me to repeat that info. I will probably put links to various review sites at the bottom.

Screen:
5.2" IPS+ HD. Full 1080p 423 pixel-per-inch. Absolutely gorgeous! Can't wait to watch some porn music videos on this guy.

Processor:
2.26 GHz Qualcomm® Snapdragon™ 800 Quad-Core Processor. Quad Krait 400 CPU. Adreno 330 graphics. This is currently the top dog of mobile processors.

Memory:
2 Gigs of RAM. 32GB of on-board storage, 24 of which is available for user. No expandable memory (microSD) Bummer.

Camera:
13MP Camera with two-axis optical image stabilization (OIS) and multi-point auto-focus with scratch-resistant sapphire crystal glass to protect the lens.

Battery:
3,000mAh Silicon Oxide Plus (SiO+) battery.

Battery Life:
Battery life?!? Oh heck yeah!!!. Since this is also the Verizon battery chewing variant. I still have to remind myself that I don't need to plug this phone in every night. I admit that my use of my smartphones alternates between light to extremely heavy. So far this week, I've only needed to plug in three times. Initially, because I got into the habit of doing this each night (only to realize that I still had like 38% still). The second time in anticipation of a heavy night of use, to which I still had 19% available at the end of the night. The third time is for the same reason, but since I haven't completed that night yet I can't say how much will be left. But in this week alone, three rather than 7 is a tremendous change. Wow! In fact TY and I were having a batt comparison day. His Meg (with its larger battery) stayed head to head with my G2 so that's pretty damn awesome!

Notification light:
Sounds lame. But this is something I miss from my old flip phone. And the G2 has notification lights on both sides of the phone so it doesn't matter if its face up or face down.

Rear buttons:
Really?!? This is the configuration that most reviewers and some users are stuck on. I've had this phone for a little over 1 week at this point and I have just two things to say. The button placement works. If you are complaining about it, well, to each his own. The other thing I have to say is that I hardly have to touch the rear buttons anyway. With KnockOn and the rest of Android's touch-centric features there really isn't a need.

Further reading/info:
GSM Arena - http://www.gsmarena.com/lg_g2-5543.php
Phone Arena - http://www.phonearena.com/phones/LG-G2_id7969
C|Net - http://reviews.cnet.com/lg-g2/
Anandtech - http://www.anandtech.com/show/7205/hands-on-with-the-lg-g2-lgs-latest-flagship

Update: Actually this is a week late. My G2 has gotten the Kit Kat upgrade. Oh yeah. So worth it. So far it actually feels faster. Doing more research before tackling ART though...

OUT FROM LEFT FIELD: +1 (Plus One)

Hey people! I am starting a "random" segment called "Out From Left Field" that will showcase, well, stuff from out in left field. Stuff that's gonna fly under the radar that I think is cool. At least, that's my aim. Good thing I can edit or delete stuff! =)

The Happy Couple becomes...

...the Troubled Couple.

Wow. I just checked out a movie called +1 (Plus One) and while it took a bit of time to get going, it was one of those weird/funky/cool under-the-radar movies you'll probably overlook.

The Story: At a high school reunion kegger in an upscale house, a strange occurence having to do with power surges ends up in party-goers seeing double...and not just from the booze. But there is one guy who passes out before the doubles appear, so he missed all of it...and so did his double.
Most are oblivious except for those who stayed at the house while the majority of people moved to an outdoor stage area. Those in the house saw the exact same party and occupants (including their own doubles) that happened a mere 15 minutes ago.
The Quandry:So then here's the question: What do you do when you encounter YOURSELF?

 

Would you kill the other self?

Talk to...yourself?

That's a question only you, yourself, can answer. The first characters to see the doubles follow different ideas, whether it be selfish, scared or actually coming to understanding oneself. I know, it sounds so philosophical...and I don't get philosphical! The whole situation constantly puts you in a "What Would You Do?" multiple choice game where you end up sometimes thinking "I wouldn't have done THAT" or "Wow, now there are TWO hot chicks" (oops), "What a selfish b@$t@rd!". Either way it'll at least  make you think about the implications, consequences in this unlikely situation.
Speaking of "unlikely"..who plays tennis in the house with a flaming tennis ball?
The movie never hints on whether this was a global incident or not but if it were, it'd be one huge planet-wide conspiracy if no one talked about it. It also sets off the paranoid idea that you really don't know which version of you survived (and did your best friend? Your girlfriend? Are they doubles or real?), as with each power outage, the doubles begin to catch up with the real people.

Its almost like a different take on "Invasion of the Body Snatchers" except YOU'RE snatching your own body. Or something...

Anyway, if you have the patience to get through the first 20 minutes of set-up for our main character(s?), you'll be surprised at what unfolds. See if you can sit still and NOT react, point your finger or even throw your hands up in disgust. Even at that, it was a fun romp and not a bad way to spend a rainy day inside.

Taeng's Rant: Into Dumb Ass-ness, A Movie Buff's Nightmare

So, the latest JJ Abrams trek epic INTO DARKNESS was recently released on DVD and Blu-ray and for a movie fanatic, it is a LIVING NIGHTMARE.

When I say fanatic, I am talking about the people who love the special packaging like the Steelbooks (and there are several, globally), the figures & replica starships and the glorious behind-the-scenes material. I love this stuff but I admit I'm not a die-hard for it...unless its concerning DIE HARD.

Truth be told, I wasn't a fan of INTO DARKNESS as far as the Khan angle goes, but the rest of it was pretty cool. Loved the Dreadnaught U.S,S,  Vengeance. But I was just reading up on the release and what the various outlets like Target and Best Buy were going to offer. It wasn't until I read the reviews on the blu-ray release that I found out what a RETARDED thing Paramount did and it basically screwed the fans.

What happened was what I would call a blatant disregard for the Trek fandom as well as a ploy to make more money by making fans hunt for the material that should've been included in the first place. Now I'm sure the plan seemed sound to Paramount or whomever was in charge of marketing stuff, but in the end it only served to irritate those in-the-know.

Here's the deal:
The release of INTO DARKNESS had a set amount of featurettes available on all versions, no matter where you bought it. This material amounted to about 40+ minutes.
Both Amazon & Walmart had what I would call complimentary releases. Walmart has a steelbook edition that comes with a small scale replica of the U.S.S. Vengeance while Amazon has a 1:1 replica of a phaser plus a small scale U.S.S. Enterprise.No super-duper content, just toys.

Best Buy had a special all-black/large print slipcover and 30 minutes of exclusive bonus content via download (yeecch).

Target also had a custom slipcover but also a custom cover that was basically the same as the slipcover and 30 minutes of exclusive content on a bonus disc. The kicker is that you had to buy the 3D version. Ouch!

iTunes' version of the movie included an audio commentary that was not on any other format, blu-ray or otherwise.

So, if you just blindly bought the DVD or Blu or combo and thought you had the complete package (barring any differing cover/slipcovers or steelbook editions), you would be sorely mistaken. The ones that will hurt the most are the completist movie/Trek buffs...they'll end up buying multiple versions of the movie just to get all the features. Features that should've been included in, at the very least, a Deluxe Limited Edition w/Spock ears...or something.
Oh but wait, there's a little bit more: Apparently, the Best Buys in Canada not only get the custom slipcover but also that exclusive 30 minutes of material...COMES ON A BONUS 3RD DISC so you wouldn't have to download it via Cinema Now like us in the States.

I'm betting Canucks with eBay accounts are selling this baby for a premium right now.








Why, Paramount? Why mess with the fans of one of your biggest (if not THE biggest) franchises? Is this in any way fair at all to them?
I say NO.
If this is how Paramount is going to do business, then they shouldn't be surprised that their titles slow or stop selling. They'd better understand that the ones who shell out their hard-earned money for their product shouldn't be treated like this.
Its just so bad that they could turn out a decent Friday the 13th Collection for that franchise's fans, but skimp on another franchise. Where are your heads, people????

It's Friday the 13th...What Movie Would You Watch?

Vin Diesel's "The Pacifier"? Oops, that's not a horror movie. Or...is it?

Finally hitting blu ray and dvd, for the first time ever, the complete bloody history of one Jason Voorhees: Friday the 13th: The Complete Collection.
The set comes with all 12 movies, a 40-pg Crystal Lake Memories book, embroidered Crystal Lake Counselor patch and a bonus disk. Total of 10 discs in a hinged metal embossed tin. The discs are housed in page-sleeves bound into a booklet that is held closed by a red fabric band that reads "I told the others, they didn't believe me. You're all doomed".
It should be noted that the last 5 movies in the "original" series weren't available on blu until now.

I'll admit I'm not a huge Jason fan but I did grow up watching (or sorta watching while peeking from behind my hands) the iconic hockey-masked slasher. And as a guy, I begin to sorta wonder how Jason would kill the next crop of dopey teenagers who tried to have sex at Camp Crystal Lake.
Also, I'm not one to collect these movies one-by-one on blu, especially since the latter half belonged to another studio and who knew when those would get released? So it was very cool that both Paramount and Warner Bros were good enough to join forces to bring us the whole franchise, including the newer reboot (bleh).

Now alot of fans out there are complaining that these won't be the uncut versions, like the previous couple of DVD releases but for me that's OK. It would've cost more money to either dig up the uncut version (no pun intended, Jason) or reassemble footage into a new cut and this collection would cost MORE money than it already does. In fact, Random is probably rolling hie eyes right now because I caved and bought this. I'm just burning the Mastercard here. (See also my $139 Girls' Generation splurge)

And for the life of me, I do not know why the bonus disk is a DVD...in a blu ray set. no less.

Anyhow, there it is. The collection is supposed to be released on 9/13/13...but who's gonna tell?

Taeng's Take: ASHES OF ARES

Remember, I love Heavy Metal, too! Horns Up!

ASHES OF ARES

Matthew Barlow: Vocals
Freddie Vidale: Guitars
Van Williams: Drums

Former Iced Earth vocalist (and part time police officer!) is back with a project that is truly his: ASHES OF ARES.


Excerpted from blabbermouth.net:

DeadRhetoric.com: Correct me if I'm wrong, but this is the first band that is "your" band. ICED EARTH was Jon's [Schaffer] band, and you joined PYRAMAZE well into their existence. This has to be a different type of feeling for you, right? 

Barlow: That's the whole thing. I've said this before: it really is for the first time being in total creative control of lyrics and vocal melodies. That's a big deal for me. It's a big step, but without Freddie writing the music — he wrote 99.9 however much of the music — it would be different. I'm a music writer, but not writer per se. I did write the basis for "Move The Chains", but my guitar playing sucks [laughs], but Freddie made it sound like actual guitar playing, and I did "The Answer", which I wrote acoustically. It's really more… I'm going to take the hits — good or bad — as far as lyrics and melodies because it is all me. Freddie wrote 99.9 [percent], however much of the music, but it's really this collaborative effort. Van took the ideas we had and wrote these cool drum parts that we didn't even think of — it changed the dynamic of the songs. It's a really cool joint collaboration, and we're really proud.

Here's my first-impression down-and-dirty track by track assessment:

THE MESSENGER
This one starts out slow and actually fades out before the double kick drums come out to pretty much bludgeon you senseless. A so-so intro with the hope thar maybe they started with the weakest stuff first.

MOVE THE CHAINS
YES! Matthew Barlow's bellowing growling vocals against the driving midtempo rhythm section is just the thing. Let the headbanging begin! Very Iced Earth-like.

ON WARRIOR'S WINGS
Keeping the midtempo with a melancholy feel. Acoustic guitars and heavy drum beat frame Barlow's vocals well. I still cannot help but draw comparison to I.E.'s "Watching Over Me" (which is a better song) until the riffs increase in speed and I swear that Barlow's passionate growls get even lower. Somewhat dramatic but still a pretty good song.

PUNISHMENT
Warbling bass (?) line intro, tribal-like drums, muddled whisper-speak give way to yet another midtempo cruncher. Not as cool as the previous "Move the Chains" but, man, if this were performed live all would be headbanging to the plodding beat and thrashing to the eight-legged-drummer's bass drums. Growling still present, and here to stay, I presume.

THIS IS MY HELL
Barlow's vocals seem to punch you in the stomach with every track. Even though there's an acoustic verse in this one, Barlow's signature low tones just grab you and shake you like a sonic earthquake. And I mentioned "Passion" previously, right? That's also present in every vocal he does. As much as I'd like to comment on the band backing him up, I get caught up in his vocals ALL THE TIME, with every track. At least with Iced Earth I could acknowledge founder Jon Shaffer's awesome axe-wielding. Here, its ALL Matthew Barlow.

DEAD MAN'S PLIGHT
Growl, growl growl. I still like it. At least I was able to pay attention to the guitar solo this time. Did Barlow take a water break?

CHALICE OF MAN
Thrash lives! Drummer gets a workout (as he does on all the songs). More growl. Not tired of it yet. Hey, some demonic vocals! And yet it sounds like more growling.

THE ANSWER (including an acoustic version as a bonus last track)
The lower tone of Barlow's vocals come across as melancholy when he wants to be melodic and it works out well. Seems his forte (other than growls) are songs of the sad sort.
Acoustic version showcases Barlow's vocals nicely.

WHAT I AM
More demonic growls. Matt Barlow is the Baskin-Robbins of growls:31 different flavors!

ONE-EYED KING
The closing track keeps the tempo in the midrange, like before. And yes, growl, growl growl.

I didn't set out to be a Matthew Barlow fanboy, but it sure sounds like I am. His vocals tend to overpower the band playing with him and its a little sad. But when I heard the Matt was the vocalist for this project, it was the single reason for me to check this out. On that level, he does not disappoint. But the band suffers a little because of his sonic presence and Iced Earth history.
Funny thing is that guitarist Freddie Vidale is a civil engineer (read: day job) and octo-drummer Van Williams is a new papa so it would seem that these guys are weekend warriors. Nothing wrong with that! If you can mosh and still keep your day job and your family, more power to you!
Final Shot: I actually like this album as a whole. MOVE THE CHAINS is my favorite track as of this writing. As an Iced Earth fan I am both happy and sad....this is a good album but where does this leave Iced Earth?
And...is this what a police man thinks of when he's on duty?

CHRISTMAS COMES EARLY: SNSD JAPAN RELEASES IN SEPT!

Hey people (all 3 of you), my Kpop craziness will kick into gear towards the end of this month with 2 releases from my favorite Kpop group: Girls' Generation, a.k.a. So Nuyh Shi Dae, a.k.a. SNSD...whew.

With a Japan release date of Sept 18, we'll get a double-whammy (or in my case a triple whammy) of releases with Girls' Generation releasing a new 2-track single, "Galaxy Supernova", c/w "Do the Catwalk", both non-album tracks (as was the earlier release "Girls & Peace"/"Lingua Franca" single).

There will be 2 editions available, one with a DVD containing the music video for "Galaxy Supernova" and one without. Guess which one I ordered?

Limited Edition DVD-style case.

Also debuting that day will be both DVD and Blu-ray versions of their "Girls Generation II: Girls & Peace 2nd Japan Tour". This one is the money sucking monster, as both will come with photobooks but they will be DIFFERENT for each format. So, I bite the bullet as usual.

Blu-ray packaging.

These are considered the "Limited Editions", as only one of each can be ordered per format, per customer. The LE Blu ray is already sold out/out of print but there are a few LE DVDs still available. And, of course, ebay will probably have some stock...
It should be noted that this version of the concert is longer than the WOWOW broadcast with the addition of 4 or more songs.

DVD packaging.

I'll probably be giving a full review of these releases once my heart rate becomes normal after receiving these items.

Update: From Taeyeon's Instagram, pics of the actual items!!

I'm so excited !!!

So anyway, I touched on the subject of "You snooze, you lose" earlier and it was part of a situation that, until recently, I was kicking my own ass about. My life circa 2010, "Year One" as I call it, saw the release of SNSD's first Japanese single, "Genie".

 I wasn't really paying attention to the Japan information as I was really caught just trying to get CAUGHT UP in Kpop. By the time I got wind of the release, it was 2 weeks away and guess what? Everyone was "sold out"...all preorders were closed. There were 3 versions available but I wanted the "Limited Edition" and so of course that version sold out first.

Since then I'd been checking ebay for availability but in 2010 it was going $200 - $300...and if it was autographed...you might as well have signed over your paycheck for that month. In the last couple of months it seemed to stabilize but never dropping below the $150 mark. So I figured it was time to take the plunge.

Its been pretty slow on the new release front, which is a good thing because it gives us Kpop fans time to replenish the funds. So I caved in a bought the Limited Edition of SNSD's 1st Japanese single "Genie" and I can finally stop kicking myself for missing it the first time. Needless to say, I have immediately jumped on every preorder that's come up since and have been a very happy yet broke  fan.

Of course, with the release of "Galaxy Supernova" and the DVD & Blu ray of the 2nd Japan Tour, PLUS the anticipated Korean comeback later this year, the SNSD machine is gearing up once more...

Doom & Gloom: Taeng00ey's Rant On The Future Of ...Stuff

A classic? Not really. But would you miss being able to watch it? YES.

Have you ever thought about what's coming in future as far as movie-watching? Serously. Because I have...and I grieve.

With movies, music and news readily available on your PC or wireless devices, the future of entertainment and how you consume it begins heading for a turning point. Streaming movies and buying digital (mp3) music online has become a normal event in our lives but this will eventually lead to more restrictions on what you and cannot consume.

Cue Doomsday music of your choice.

Think about it: The more people start streaming movies, sales of DVDs & Blurays will drop to the point that its possible that:
1. Only new movies will come out on physical media and will only be available at that time, or
2. All PHYSICAL media will cease to exist and you will end up only being able to stream or pay to download your movies.

That scares me. It really does.

From the early HBO days. I am happy to own this

 one.

To not be able to watch a movie at your own leisure, and repeatedly watch it without having to pay a rental fee each time is a huge luxury...one that is available to everyone RIGHT NOW. But given that this generation is more into digital content, they don't see that the more they stream video, the more they (and we, in turn) dictate to the movie studios ideas like "DVD is dead" or "People would rather stream than buy a bluray", etc. Whether you know it or not, we are inching towards an all-digital entertainment future.

There will be NO physical media. CDs, DVDs, Blurays, will all cease to exist. You wanna watch a movie? Stream it. Want music? iTunes. News? Online subscriptions.
By this time, we could see the big movie studios setting up their own streaming services. And depending on the studio, the prices could vary.
Want to watch "Star Wars"?  Sign up at Disney's site and pay...how much? Studios could monopolize on their franchises. Paramount could charge a premium for their "Indiana Jones" material, 20th Century Fox could do the same for their "Die Hard" movies.

Low-budget awesome!

Heck this could breed a whole new idea that the most sought-after movies automatically bump up to premium-tier pricing. Imagine "Sharknado: 3peat" costing more than "Jaws"??? Just because the public made it popular? I just got the chills.

And what if your favorite movie or t.v. series of all-time suddenly becomes unavailable to stream because it wasn't being viewed enough and the studio would rather devote the server space to newer content? Or if its a cable series, it could get tied up in corporate red tape much like the Dish Network vs CBS fiasco going on right now and the episodes are held, essentially, for ransom. And who loses? Certainly not the corporate bigwigs.

Like I said: more restrictions.

..and you go in pieces!

Now I'm not saying that you should go out an buy every movie you've ever wanted RIGHT NOW (but its a start...) but me being a guy that loves to have a physical copy of my fave movies (and there are MANY) to watch at any time on a whim, I realize that this way of life is going to change. And most people are oblivious to this, or just don't care enough about movies and music to be concerned. I'd like to say that I want to be there when the "I told you so!" moment happens, but f-ed up thing about it is I'd be in the same damned situation...just with the ability to watch old movies in my collection.

It's a small consolation but at least I have one...

OH, THE HORROR! I just watched SHARKNADO..and I can't UNwatch it..!

Taeng's take:

SHARKNADO.

Shark + Tornado.

WTF!

[I would say that this 'view contains spoilers, but how do you spoil a movie like this? How?]

I signed on for THIS?!

For years Syfy has been building a library of awful b-grade movies in a effort to have something to show on Saturday night that isn't a rerun of another show that ran during the week. But believe it or not there was a time when they did some halfway decent flicks such as SNAKEHEAD TERROR, WYVERN and SEA BEAST. As of late, though, halfway decent has dwindled to wacky mutant combinations that could almost be mistaken as translated from another language. But they're NOT. The titles are EXACTLY as the network intended them to be. And for that, we are both thankful (because we know what it is and can avoid it) and scared (because someone actually came up with the idea and it became a movie).

4 reasons to watch this? Maybe...

MEGA PIRANHA. MEGA SHARK vs GIANT OCTOPUS. PIRANHACONDA. DINOCROC. SHARKTOPUS. DINOCROC vs SUPERGATOR. MEGAPYTHON vs GATOROID.
I avoided every one of these.

Now I'm one who would try to find something to like in most any movie, whether it be a nice premise (executed wrong), cool  effects (well, maybe just OK effects) or even at the barest requirement, a hot chick. Does Sharknado have any of these?

The answer is a resounding NO.

So that's why I don't get it. It's horrible and yet you watch it just to see how even MORE outrageous it could get.
Never mind that its raining one minute and bone-dry the next (in a matter of .5 seconds), that the ambulance to rescue the kids seems to be abandoned and just parked on the highway, that people on the road are just leisurely driving along while a sharknado of squiggly proportions is approaching, that the barmaid can spot a tiger shark as it swims by the car. And who DIDN'T see the fact the new boyfriend of the hero's ex-wife wasn't gonna be shark food? And the whole swallowed-by-a-shark-but-sawing-your-way-out-while-rescuing-your-barmaid-employee...I really, REALLY have no words.

Death from above...!

Mind you, I knew from the title alone that this was a no-budget deal so I avoided it completely. Wasn't even on my radar that night (SNSD was..but when are they not?).

The fact that the social media networks were all a-buzz with it caught my attention..and I'm ANTI-social media! Now the whole Twitter thing was probably a case of people saying its "so bad but it's a GOOD bad" with a heap of sarcasm. But the whole thing,whether a joke or not, has its CONSEQUENCES.

And the consequence is...there's gonna be a SEQUEL.

There you have it, folks. Democracy in action.

Death from above, Part 2...and probably the coolest scene.

From Randomness: Ok. So my two cents on the whole Sharknado phenomenon.  SyFy is sooo riding this one! They have since played this movie no less than three more times within almost as many days. This wasn't SyFy's worst movie but I have to liken it to an accident. You cannot NOT stop watching. This is definitely not a movie to watch late at night because you'll stay awake for the hour and 25 minutes (not including commercials). The fact that some of Hollywood jumped into the Twitter flood... well that is pretty funny. Then of course SyFy then started loading up the other "shark" movies. Two-headed Shark Attack... 'Nuff said on that one. Well, girls in bikinis. Ghost Shark?!? Oh please. Stop the pain already. The least they could do is license Deep Blue Sea.

A movie so bad that someone would actually watch it. Yup. This was it. In fact, they are already working on a SECOND movie! Really? Do we really need another one? From Taeng: "Sharknado: The Next One". No. Stop.

Don't get me started on the "mockumentary" that was "Megalodon: The Monster Shark Lives" (Animal Planet's "Mermaids: The Body Found", anyone?) And I admit the thought that this shark could still swim the oceans today is both exciting and terrifying! I mean, who wasn't ready to believe "Jurassic Park"? One mosquito and you were able to manufacture all those dinosaurs?!? That was one busy mosquito.

And as is my fashion I have gone all over the subject with additional tangents included. I think I better stop here...

From T808: Me & Random were discussing the Megalodon "mockumentary" and found quite a few holes in it to deem it, well, a mockumentary. I've read most of Steve Alten's MEG books, about the
Meg actually surfacing in modern-day waters via a very interesting theory. I loved the 1st book..it was fun, exciting and a little scary. But when I watched Discovery's tribute to SyFy, I was not impressed. Sure, as Random said, the thought of the Meg alive and cruising the open ocean is exciting & scary. But there were so many dramatic licenses taken that "The Monster Shark Lives" started to look like another "found footage" movie a la "Cloverfield" (Which I absolutely loved). Once that idea set in, we began seeing the show unravel. This just goes to show that Discovery Channel can make movies like the old Sci-Fi Channel could...but Discovery is trying to pass this off as reality TV.  As if.

From Randomness: Totally see that. I am disappointed that Discovery has sunk to this level of "reality". They were among the few stations I would watch. Learning channel has very little "learning". History channel. Uh yeah.

From T808: You forgot MTV, as well. None of these channels are who they say they are anymore.

Taeng's Down-N-Dirty Quick Reviews

RED 2
Frank Moses & Co. are back, with a little additional help of some new and old "teammates" in R.E.D. 2, the sequel to the original R.E.D. How does it live up to its predecessor? Not that well. While the crew is still the same, the feel isn't. Oh, its got explosions, humor and all that. But it doesn't beat or match the level of fun that R.E.D. was at. I guess its because that was the introduction to these characters and it all seemed new & cool at the time. And while R.E.D. 2 had its moments, it pretty much just kept the same formula from the first movie.
With the addition of Catherine Zeta-Jones as Katya (Frank Moses' former flame, kinda) it was interesting but not enough. Then there's Korean action actor Byung Hyun Lee (Storm Shadow in the G.I. Joe movies) who adds youth and martial arts coolness and humor ("Where's my plane?") but cannot save the movie.
Don't get me wrong, its a OK movie but I was expecting something cooler.
I did like the fact the Helen Mirren and Brian Cox are together in this one...they're better than Bruce Willis and Mary-Louise Parker, even with what little screentime they had together.
Final shot: The decision on if I like a movie is usually if I decide that I'm buying it on Blu-ray when it comes out. Barring any ridiculous sale prices ($11.99 or lower? I'm THERE!), R.E.D.2 is a no-buy. When it drops to the $9.99 level, then we'll see.

THE WOLVERINE
Having suffered through the first movie, X-MEN ORIGINS: WOLVERINE, with its twisty, somewhat inconsistent plot and just plain WTF sequences, I wasn't too hyped about this one. But after reading mostly favorable reviews, it started to pique my interest. And with the much anticipated X-MEN: DAYS OF FUTURE, PAST to be released next year, I decided to get into mutant hero mode and take the chance. Was it worth it?
YES.
I do not claim to be an X-Men fanboy but I read it when I was a kid and loved it. And you guessed it, Wolvie was my fave character becuz he didn't take sh!t from anyone. And I knew some of the storyline that was adapted for WOLVERINE but not all of it, so it was a nice surprise. I loved the female leads in Mariko (Tao Okamoto) and Yukio (Rila Fukushima), both were strong willed and a could fight (Yukio more than Mariko) and Logan himself shows some depth (What? In a comic book movie? Nooo) and you can actually relate to his pain and may even root for him (I did). Guest appearances by Jean Grey help convey his regret and loss.

All in all a well-balance action/drama with a couple of scenes that may make you roll your eyes but are still enjoyable.
Final Shot: I'd buy this on Blu...but I still want it to be a good price...
Oh and stay for the epilogue during the credits. It's become a staple for EVERY Marvel movie.