When we last heard about Young Justice, there was some question about the design and the make of the characters – primarily, the state of Aqualad. After a little show from WB at the Comic-Con, we learned a lot of how the show is going to go. For one, it’s staying on Earth-16, one of the many Earths in the several dimensions that DC goes jumping into all willy-nilly. The Justice League has been fairly new, yet so good at their job that evildoers have run aground. So, Batman recruits the kids to go in after them. Making Aqualad the leader (who is the offspring of Black Manta by-the-by), they overall kick the booty for justice. Artistically and creatively, it looks good, actually, and, judging from the video posted, it may actually turn some heads.

Meanwhile, over here at DC Universe Online… explosions of amazing have been happening. I’m not going to say much because, truthfully, if you want the rundown of the game or the storyline, you can both watch the video or head over to ZoKnows Gaming and check out my article over there. Right now, just immerse yourself in the awesomeness that is… and get a mop and bucket.

Though those can’t always show you something, but there are plenty of other things to keep your attention. So, for the next few posts, walk with me as I take you through some of the best items talked about.

The first one up for auction is The Goon, originally a Dark Horse comic created by Eric Powell and now being made into their own silly little film, set to release by the end of the year. Putting a new spin on a zombie outbreak, The Goon (voiced by Clancy Brown) and his partner Franky (the lovable Paul Giamatti) are some of the few remaining mobsters left in a town completely overrun with ghosts, gremlins, zombies, and… skunk-apes that crave pie. It’s borderline ridiculous and it’s shaping out to be a high-octane explosion fest, but one that is just worth watching, almost like Shaun of the Dead was.

While over here, we have Zack Snyder’s upcoming piece: Sucker Punch. Not a lot had been said about the piece in terms of direction, storyline or view until this weekend, but after seeing the trailer and getting the loadout – it’s going to be something. Coming from the director of 300 and The Watchmen, Snyder has something to prove and he’s trying – and why not? The story is going to take place inside the mind of a young girl where everything she imagines, she believes to be real. The issue however, is that she begins to blur the line of reality and fantasy. So far, the story is shaping up to be something of the Matrix meets Avatar and had a delicious baby with 300, but we’ll see. The amount of action included could be its downfall.

Finally, we have the Tron Legacy trailer number two. Nothing can really be said except that it blows the mind with its sheer awesome-ness. Explaining a little more of the backstory of where Flynn (Jeff Bridges) ran off, and now seeing that who is controlling the computer isn’t actually him is interesting. Plus, seeing that the set design, the lighting style and fight sequences are all on point just makes it perfect for me. Almost to the point that I need three towels, and not two.

Looks horribly illegal, doesn't it?

Well, it’s about damned time.  There’s been some controversy over jailbreaking/rooting (essentially the same thing – usually just applied to Apple & Android devices, respecitvely) smartphone devices in the past so it’s a breath of fresh air for me that, finally, someone in a position to do anything about it had a moment of clarity.  Apple, among others, has trumped up all sorts of excuses for trying to keep people out of their phone software, the nonsense ranging from disrupting cellular networks to encouraging criminal activity.

The moment of clarity: Jailbreaking/rooting your smartphone is officially NOT a crime.  It’s a little odd to hear something like this being done by the Library of Congress, but they’re the group that oversees the Copyright Office, so it makes sense since these new rules are part of the Digital Millenium Copyright Act.

Now, mind you, yes…there’ll always be people who use this for some nefarious purpose.  Just like VCR’s have been used since the freaking ’70′s (there were legal issues regarding the VCR then, too – and the government decided they’re fine for private use…which actually became a significant source of income for film companies).

Personally, I jailbreak my phone so I can put themes on it.  Apple seems to have something against multiple sounds, backgrounds, icons, etc. on their iDevices – which baffles me because Apple’s all about design flair.  And, on the rare occasion that I’ve downloaded a cracked app, it was to see if it was worth buying.  When I found that it was worth keeping, I bloody paid for it (yes, paying for even a .99¢ app sticks in my craw if I’m not going to want to keep it.)

In short, this is a good thing.  (I pick on Apple here because I don’t have any Android, etc. devices).  It doesn’t encourage criminal behavior – it simply allows owners of smartphones to run third-party applications and customize their devices beyond what the manufacturer says should be.  Considering the quagmired nature of the Apple App Store, this is a godsend.  If some sad soul with his/her finger over the DENIED button arbitrarily decides your app magically doesn’t meet some approval criteria and denies you, there’s at least a now legal alternative.

Odds are, this won’t change anything in the slightest as the people who want to jailbreak their phones likely already have and the people who don’t simply…won’t.  Still, it’s good to know someone in a Federal position is able to think straight and in a modern light.  And I can’t wait to see what Apple’s response to this will be.  They’re gonna get in a tizzy, no doubt.  Funny…shouldn’t they be working on allowing their phones to be held…however we want and instead of “the correct way?”

(via NPR)

That is not the case however.

What is the case is that I have been busy working for the people over at ZoKnows Gaming, prepping their articles, meeting new people and overall, having a big-boy job. Yes, sounds dull, but you should try it – it makes life entertaining.

In any case, things are looking up. I’m actively looking for new writers to help bring content to the page and right now, the website is starting to get a facelift behind the scenes. I can’t say that you will get as much content as normal, and the content may shift a little as of now… but I will promise you that I will br giving you more fancy things and working to make it worth your while.

In an official press release form 20th Century Fox, it’s been officially stated that James Cameron’s Avatar will be re-released in theaters with a whole eight minutes of “never before seen footage,” but only in the Digital 3D and IMAX 3D versions.

With the 3D boom in the industry, there is more of a market for 3D movies than there was back when the film first showed in theaters. The idea is that people will now have more availability to go see the movie in the way that it was “meant” to be seen, rather than its 2D counterpart. The additional footage is more or less a bonus for those that head out for the second or third time. No word yet as to whether the additional footage will be some of the fabled “Na’vi sex scene” but you can be assured fans will be crossing their fingers in anticipation.

And by that I mean little to nobody. Still getting scathing reviews and now with M. Night having troubles selling his scripts in Hollywood, this has become one of the biggest jokes in the business. But what do the fans think? Watch the video and see for yourself – it’s all very articulately explained – “just say the name right once!”

As confusing as it may sound, producer Ridley Scott and Director Kevin Macdonald (Last King of Scotland) have decided to team up and create something that has never been thought of or attempted before: a film created entirely by Youtube clips of the populace.

It will work like this: on July 24th the duo will take clips that will be uploaded at that time and picking-and-choosing what they want to use from the list. This will create a unique and expessive outlook on the world and make “the first user-generated documentary” ever. Not only that, the film wil also become something of a “global time capsule” of international events and feelings – as long as “Charlie the Unicorn” doesn’t show up.

Among the clips, there will be 20 selected co-directors included in the credits and they will be flown into the Park City for the unveiling of the film at Sundance Film Fest next year. You know, as much as the idea of a film like this really is interesting, the thought that it’s almost impossible to get a coherent storyline with a bunch of random clips occurs. Yes, there may be some little nuggets of happiness in there, but otherwise it will be hard. Granted, with the San Diego Comi-con that day…

Today marks the birthday of Bungie, the people that brought you the most in the Halo-verse and, well… they are the reason that Microsoft can stand toe-to-toe with Sony and Nintendo. In their infinite glory and humor, Bungie teamed up with the boys over at Rooster Teeth (you know, Red Vs. Blue and their shenanigans?) to bring you a little five-minute diddy of a film to give you both a little show of what to expect in the upcoming multiplayer and to just bring a smile to your cute little faces.

Also, if you don’t remember, today is the day that you can earn that fabled 7on7 achievement on multiplayer for Halo 3. So take the time, join up with some of your old friends and shoot someone in the face.

This review was late. I undertsand it was late and for that I’m sorry. But do you understand how hard it was to write this thing up, and NOT make it sound like I was a fanboy, or going all out and ripping it to shreds? With a movie like “The Last Airbender,” you have to be careful and not overdo it, otherwise all of your points are going to be wasted and thrown into obscurity. Unfortunately, I feel as if I did just that… or maybe because of Shyamalan, it’s the final TWIST.

Fire, Air, Water, and Earth. These are the elements that should have created a compelling story, instead of a bombastic failure. It was comprised of dilapidated scripting, misused post-production 3D, and a ill-gotten special effects. Based off a children’s series on Nickelodeon, writer, director, and producer M. Night Shyamalan turns “The Last Airbender” into something of a twisted creation that he devised in a night, rather than using what had already been established.

Standing story from the cartoon aside, the film follows Aang (Noah Ringer), a young boy who has been frozen for an undetermined amount of time in the South near the Southern Water Tribe. During his ‘deep freeze,’ the societies of people, (Air Nomads, Water Nation, and Earth Nation) have been all but destroyed or enslaved by the Fire Nation, so named for the elements that they control. How this relates to Aang is slightly important, since he is the last remaining Airbender.

Being found by Waterbender Katara (Nicola Peltz) and her protective brother Sokka (Jackson Rathbone), they immediately get roped into a game of cat-and-mouse with Prince Zuko (Dev Patel), of the Fire Nation, who just happened to be off the coast of the frozen wasteland. Searching for the lost and missing Avatar – the single person who could master all the elements – so that he could return to the Fire Nation. Zuko tries to capture Aang, causing a domino effect that leads the trio to help Aang master all of the remaining elements.

If at any point you feel lost: don’t panic. The story is placed in a way that you begin to question what you already understand, even if you know the actual origins of the plot. Understanding that Aang is an Airbender doesn’t help explain the needless flips or spins he does to make a ridiculous twister. It doesn’t help you understand why some people can manipulate water or fire with just a thought while others have to make large and obscene gestures. All of the motions and movements are disconnected and out of context, leaving you wondering why, if you are one of the few that come into the film not knowing anything about the franchise.

This persistent problem of not following the already laid-out gridwork will be the film’s downfall. With dry and underdeveloped acting, you can’t feel anything for the characters, especially considering Shyamalan’s superimposition of an idea of playful humor is few and far between. Aang’s necessity to understand his departure, though understandable, is wasted when you bring in a random and arbitrary battle scene with flashy CGI.

While the world has been fully immersed in 3D-itis,  the film being done in post-production does nothing but cause headaches and watery eyes. Even watching it in a 2D playing field, the frame rate of the normal reel causes you to miss what little action is in the film and take away from what semblance of plot that has been conceived. While, if it was shot in 3D from the beginning, it could have been a good idea, the lack thereof in the beginning does nothing to soothe the ache in your temples.

Yet truly what the film lacks in itself is just simple execution. Where Shyamalan has done well in putting together the appropriate ingredients with a pre-built story, characters, and actors, he lacks the know-how to properly introduce them to a mainstream audience. Using rack shots when nothing is moving or close-ups to create a sense of suspense where nothing can be considered “suspenseful,” all of it separates the viewer from the film, and instead places you in the world of incredulity.

This is a film that is set up for creation, for story development, and above all – for a straightforward story. It could be that his creative ideals simply just didn’t jive with such a story that had its own personal start and end.  However, putting this right beside films like “Unbreakable” or “Lady and the Lake” where the story was his intention, his creativity and his suspense was his belief, he had the element.

Regardless, “The Last Airbender” will hopefully be the last that he does and will be the last that will be seen. It’s always a shame to say that, with a film with such potential, you end up having to put the air-bison out to pasture.

Nerds and LARPers alike can close those text documents that involve the fanfic of Chun-Li doing the whirlybird in that seductive way for Tassadar. Blizzard has opened up their international writing contest up till August 23rd, so you have plenty of time to get your pronouns on.

The contest is simple: you write a 2,500 to 7,500 word short story in the Warcraft, Starcraft, or Diablo canon and one lucky winner will get an all-expenses paid tour of Blizzard HQ and a talk-up with their writing staff. On top of that, they also get a great collectible package, not just writing up a fanfic that you would let your mother actually read. Just be warned: though it doesn’t actually state it in the rules, the use of Kerrigan-on-hyrdalisk action may void the storyarc. (Via Blizzard)