Tag Archives: Review

Online Only, Patrick Prifogle

LittleBigPlanet Vita falls short

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By Patrick Prifogle

The LittleBigPlanet franchise has been evolving since the original came on back in 2008. The PSP release was nice but could have used a little more. LittleBigPlanet 2 was the real peak of the franchise and while LBP Vita does bring a lot of what LBP 2 brought to the table, this portable entry is a bit underwhelming.

The game itself looks great, in the 20 or so hours I played I didn’t see one bit of slow down or screen tearing. Sackboy looks as cute and fluffy on Vita as he does on the Playstation 3.

The gameplay is just the same as LBP 2 as well. That’s not all bad but it means that jumping is still floaty and worst of all the level editor is maddeningly complex. You need not fret though, because people adapt, I know that I don’t understand how to make a great LBP Vita level, but there is always someone who will crack the code and make amazing levels for us to enjoy.

The biggest hook LBP Vita has to offer is the fact that, through User-Generated content, LBP Vita has the potential to give Sony an answer to the App store. If people buy this game and make levels, in a month or two, this game could have over 200000 levels after all LBP 2 has over 8 million levels.

Even with the loads of levels though this game could be so much better. It’s a good game for sure but is falls short of being great, maybe next time they will finally perfect the formula.

+ Endless levels

+ Great Graphics

– Lackluster level design

– Floaty jumping

(7.5/10) 

A&E

Men in Black series continues to impress

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By Megan Hardin

Agent J and Agent K have put their black suits on once more and returned to save our world.
It has been ten years since the Men in Black have graced our movie screens but they have made
their triumphant come back in their latest movie, Men in Black 3 which is now playing at the Great
Escape Theatres’ and Corydon Cinemas.

In 1997, the world was captivated by a movie all about the possibility of other life forms
among us. That movie was Men in Black, where we were introduced to Agent J (Will Smith) and
Agent K (Tommy Lee Jones), and ever since then the world has been wanting more alien slaying
action from the men of the MIB agency. In 2002, Smith and Jones reprised their roles as the
infamous Agent J and Agent K and prevented another alien takeover of Earth. After a long time
coming the agents are back and willing to do whatever it takes to save each other as well as the
world.

In this third installment of the Men in Black series the plot is thicker than ever. The
friendship of Agent J (Smith) and Agent K (Jones) gets tested when Agent J wakes up one morning
to find that Agent K has been dead for over 40 years. Knowing that this cannot be true because
he just saw Agent K last night, Agent J tries to figure out what is going on with his partner of 15
years. When he arrives at the MIB headquarters Agent O (Emma Thompson) tells him that Boris the
Animal (Jemaine Clement) has gone back in time and killed Agent K so that he could not arrest him
again and now Agent J must go back in time and prevent it from happening.

As Agent J travels back in time to 1969 where he teams up with the young Agent K (Josh
Brolin) and is helped by the young Agent O (Alice Eve) and even Andy Warhol (Bill Hader) and an
alien with a special talent named Griffin (Michael Stuhlbarg) in efforts to stop Boris the Animal and
save the world from being taken over by the Bogladites. Along the way secrets of the world that
Agent J did not know about will be revealed. This movie has a combination of comedy and suspense
that will keep watchers guessing what will really happen all the way up to the very end.

It is very scarce that a sequel is better than the first movie but this sequel knocked the first
one out of the park. Out of all of the Men in Black movies, Men in Black 3 is the best one. The plot
is very original and there are little surprises along the way. The actors did a great job with hooking
the watcher in and making you believe that everything happening in the movie is real. The ending of
this movie ties everything together and helps to explain Agent J and Agent K behavior and beliefs.
It is rated PG-13 due to it having some brief adult language, but it is a great film to go out and see
with friends of family of the appropriate age.

Photo by Megan Hardin
A&E

Cynthia Hand makes the imagination run wild in ‘Unearthly’

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By Lauren Holstner

Unearthly by Cynthia Hand is an amazing story about angel bloods. Angel bloods are people who either have an angel or half angel for a parent.  Each angel blood is put on earth for a purpose, and they have wings that they can call from nowhere and powers beyond belief.

When Clara Gardner learns she was an angel blood, she gets a vision of her purpose, sending her whole family from California to Wyoming, where she is supposed to go to a raging forest fire and meet a mysterious boy, though things start turning upside down and spin out of control.

From the beginning to end, I could not set this book down. Its details are amazing and every page leaves readers wanting more.  This story is marvelous, one of the best books I have read in a long time.  The story line is filled with hilarious teenage problems, and being a new student at a new school comes into the mix and makes it even richer in detail.

This book will leave you craving more, and it helps that this is the first in the series.  Even the cover of the book is enticing; I would never have read this if the cover hadn’t drawn me to it. I loved this book and I think anyone who loves to read should read it, too.

A&E, Allison Werner

CC Spa provides relaxing experience

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By Allison Werner

“Relax and de-stress.” These are the words I hear as I am about to get a facial. From the soothing voice of the esthetician doing my facial to the calming music in the background, CC Spa is anything but stressful.

First up was my 30-minute facial. I have never had a facial before and the only time I have heard of someone getting them are on T.V., or if they are rich. I loved getting a facial and will definitely get one again.

Usually the massage is the most relaxing part, but I have to say I think I was more relaxed during the facial. The esthetician first took a water soaked towel and put it on my face. After that, she put GLO clear complexion pads on my face. These are especially good if you have acne-prone skin. Every time she put a different product on me, she would then take more water and cleanse it again. This really helped the products soak into my skin and not all combine together and make my skin have more acne. When she put the products on, she would rub them in by making big circular motions.

Along with the soothing music in the background, it made me forget all my worries for a minute. I was not even thinking about the homework I still had left to do. A facial was the most relaxing thing I have ever had and will definitely be getting more in the future.

After my facial, I had a massage. Now I have had a massage there before so I knew what to expect. Like the facial room, it too had relaxing music playing. Like most people, this helps me unwind and gets my mind off my worries. I had my back and neck massaged and I could tell my back was definitely knotted. The reason is from constantly carrying around a heavy backpack. Unfortunately last time I went there, I had the same problem. Because of this, it caused the same effect:  A sore and sensitive back. The massage therapist suggested that I get them more often to take out the knots. Most people love massages and when my back does not hurt, I see why. It can be a stress reliever. I would also like to add this was not the person’s fault who massaged me. She was using the lightest touch on me.

If one is not into getting a facial or massage, CC Spa has other services to offer. Relax and get a manicure or pedicure, or just stop in to buy GLO products. They offer GLO makeup products and skincare. The atmosphere of the place, as it should be, is also very relaxing. With calm music, comfy couches, and the right lighting, this spa hit all the right marks in my opinion.

All in all, I would most definitely come back again. From the services offered to a relaxing atmosphere, CC Spa is a must visit on my list. Do not waste time searching for a spa that charges hundreds of dollars for one service, come to a spa that will not break the bank.

 

A&E

Harry Potter star opts for a new character

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By Gwen P. Galeza

Soul-sucking marshes, haunted houses and blazing fires are some of the key ingredients to a scary movie. How could it possibly go wrong?

Daniel Radcliffe’s new thriller, “The Woman in Black,” failed to compose these key elements together.

Based on a gothic novel by Susan Hill of the same name, the film had a few misses. It is set during the Edwardian Era and revolves around a widowed young lawyer and father, Arthur Kipps (Radcliffe).

When his boss requires him to head down to an Alcatraz-esque Eel Marsh estate near an isolated town to look at finances of the deceased Alice Drablow, Kipps stumbles upon the town’s hidden mysteries. He must solve their secrets in order to save, not only the residents, but also his son’s life.

Radcliffe delivered an astounding performance that somewhat saved the so-so plot of the film.

The first 20 minutes (possibly an exaggeration) introduced Kipps’s backstory with his wife dying during childbirth and a couple of awkward glances as he first arrives at the town.

His character exudes bravery when he enters the possessed house. And the whole time one has to ask, “What made him want to enter that home filled with all the signs of evil like the black grows, demonic toys and of course, the ever-so-cliche glances of the woman in the black cape?”

Directed by James Watkins, the plot fell short at one hour and 30 minutes and the ever so suspenseful ending delivered a big, “What!” from the audience.

This Hammer Film Production gothic movie didn’t exceed expectations, but it definitely showed Radcliffe’s ability to morph into another character other than the wizarding world hero.