Will Krantz

In a clumsy attempt to recapture the atmosphere of Resident Evil 4, this iteration of the franchise confirms that Capcom has lost their edge. Too many ideas are juggled around far too loosely and elements that should have been at the forefront fall off to the wayside FAR too quickly. Design and story spoilers ahead for those who haven't tried this mediocre shooting gallery. The most interesting thing about Village is the setting, although within a few short hours you'll have seen every inch of the place and realized just how paper thin it really is. While some have lauded Village as being some of the best the series has to offer, this is a gross exaggeration. Every bit of the presentation feels hackneyed and soulless beyond what words can describe. The puzzles aren't really puzzles so much as fetch quests to get some very obvious item. The environment is so rigid and lifeless it might as well be one of those pre-rendered still images they used in the classics. That goes for the characters as well. The best moments are easily the boss encounters and these are as dull as dishwater with the exception of the boss designs. If you're easily impressed by sleekly modeled grotesqueries, you're in luck. These are the high point of the game and every single boss fight in the game can be completed in less than a few minutes and with little difficulty. Capcom can do better. Nothing about this product holds up. The village and the castle should have been enough for the entire experience, the doll and fish-man-swamp-thing could have been cut entirely, and the massive Transylvanian castle should have been the main locale of the late game. I love the way they showed you this very intriguing skyline with this castle looming over the game's namesake, then they just suck all the mystery out by letting you completely knock that part of the game out in less than an hour. Overall it's a weak take on the franchise that combines the action of the fourth installment with the new first person look from RE7. The most interesting locale in the game is little more than a half-baked appetizer. The bosses look good but are as boring to fight as the hundreds of identical enemies scripted to pop out in predictable locations. If you're a fan I'd say it might be worth your money, otherwise most should wait for it to go on sale.

In spite of the opinion that Underwater is just a cheap Alien knockoff, there are several redeeming qualities to this deep sea creature feature, even if you might have to squint through the grime to catch a glimpse of them. There is a level of authenticity to the movements of the actors due to the fact that the suits they're moving around in weigh a staggering amount, roughly a hundred and forty pounds. You can almost feel this in their motions and it bleeds through into acting that would seem otherwise subpar compared to most movies of this visual caliber. As far as the actual dialogue and acting I found myself wondering whether there was even a script. It really seemed as if the actors were given some amount of free rein to adapt their dialogue and delivery as they saw fit, sometimes to almost laughable effect. Also, none of these characters will really stick with you to any capacity as they obligatorily get booted out of the script from time to time. You have such gems as Goofy Guy, Strong Silent, Innocent Asian, Resilient Cynic, and lest we forget... Bearded Leader. We don't talk about Skittish British. But really, the star of the show is the threat, and by the end it feels fully realized, even if the characters don't. But then again, this is the template for the modern horror movie of this design. You can't fault it too much for following in the footsteps of its predecessors. The point is that none of this sticks but it's moderately fun, totally worth renting for a couple of bucks, and the CGI effects really make it feel authentic. Bonus features include watching Kristen Stewart run around half naked and watching T.J. Miller care for a stuffed rabbit like it's a living thing because he's really, really into Alice in Wonderland. It's flawed but I personally love it.

Birds of Prey isn't what I would call a great action movie but one thing it never fails to do is entertain. Harley Quinn fans are lauding this as a smash hit of a film but it swings and misses in several places, with feminist themes so rampant that it's a wonder there isn't an onscreen castration at some point. Also, in spite of the name, this movie is pretty much eighty percent Harley Quinn with some okay performances from other actresses who felt like they weren't trying to steal too much of the starlight. And that's totally okay because she's thoroughly entertaining. That being said, by the time the credits rolled I was genuinely won over by the film's bombastically colorful soul, Margot Robbie's absolutely spot-on performance of Harley Quinn is intoxicating at times, and while the plot is hard to swallow even for a place like Gotham, it serves its function to tie everything together and give the girls a reason to work together. Now the bad. Ewan McGregor does as well as can be expected as the film's villain but let's be honest: this is not Black Mask. Portrayed as little more than a ruthless murderer when he's not pitching frequent tantrums, this is the very definition of a two-dimensional antagonist. His second in command is also paper thin, being little more than a creepy sideline in all of the scenes featuring the former. All that being said, though, the villains fit the wacky tone of the movie, even if some of the stuff is a little over-the-top. A solid rental movie that you probably won't bother to think about for more than a few minutes after it goes off, Birds of Prey has its few shortcomings but all in all is exactly what it set out to be: a mindless, giggling slaughterhouse ride, but not one you'll feel any great need to go on again anytime soon. Rating: 3/5