6 small changes that would make Mass Effect 3 ending better…

(Without indoctrination theory and without changing it too much)

Well to say, I am becoming quite fed up with all those give us whole new DLC with better ending! or I want blue babies! Not that I don’t want that, but I am quite happy with tragic bitter sweet ending. But only if it’s better clarified. Or rather explained. However, I understand what Bioware wanted to say. Nothing comes without a cost. It’s not like Shepard didn’t know it all along.

1. First, make secret ending available for those who don’t play multiplayer. It pains me to know, that Shepard only survives if you play multiplayer. Some gamers are fine playing alone, enjoying their single player. It just feels awful to complete every single side quest in the game and still not have enough war assets to get the Secret ending.  Or it’s rather impossible to get: even if I solve every quest in a best way possible (counting all three games) I still don’t have enough. And only because I don’t play multiplayer or I don’t not own iPhone. This is actually only thing I really dislike.  

2. Let us know what happened to humans/aliens we care about. Ignoring the magical teleportation of your final squad to Normandy, one last glance or one second cutscene made about them is enough for me. Give them a chance to survive Harbinger blast. They are strong enough. Few seconds of your LI (players care a lot about them, considering how angry they are if something happens to them) – Kaidan, Ashley, Liara, Garrus, Tali looking at sky, the other squad mate placing hand on their shoulder trying to reassure them. So Shepard may have sacrificed his life, but those who she/he fought for survived.

But I get it. They may have survived, signalled Joker to take them to the Citatel (the beam stopped working) to help you and then they got caught in the mass relay force. I admit it, Normandy crash is not working for me either. So Normandy got caught in Destroy Reapers beam – because the ship is equipped with reaper tech and that beam transported her beyond this galaxy. Too complicated. Let it crash on Earth. I still don’t get it, but at least I was happy that my companions made it alive. Sometimes that’s enough. (Actually every time I see it crash on tropical planet, it makes me think of Jacob’ s father.)

3. Relays – most fans consider this the biggest problem. Because we can’t understand what happened to them. Just deactivate them for a while and make all those clever scientinst figure out how to activate them again. At least this would silence mass relay destruction equals big chain reaction explosion and fleet isolation complaints.

I don’t really care if Shepard dies or not. Thought I will do everything in my power to make Shepard live if there is a chance. Actually, I can even justify Star kid explanation. But still, it could be much more. (And we all know it was quarians fault. Why wipe whole galaxy because of their mistake?)  

4. Kid choices. Ok whole reapers presence is test, we can leave it there. So reapers were created to preserve life. But what if they gone rogue and forgotten their original purpose, and after some time something inside them went malfunctioning. That some time ago they started harvesting innocent civilisation and became slaves of their own cycle. They tested Shepard as they did in every cycle and she/he finally managed to prove them wrong – by uniting geth and quarians. This is where dialogues wheel was clearly missing. Shepard can be pretty persuasive, but why it can’t be used now, when it matters the most? Typical paragon persuasion – Star kid is wrong, peace can be achieved, and organics and synthetics don’t have to fight. Reapers, we proved you wrong in this cycle. Shepard proved you wrong. The chosen one. Bla bla. Kwisach Haderach. Ultimate goddie ending. And if you played really well, maybe your Shepard survived.  

5. Middle option is just typical backdoor/neutral wheel option. This choice can work as ultimate final sacrifice closure. Those who want it can take it. It’ s for those who are fine with belief that one big wave made of Shepard changed DNA in whole galaxy. Personal complain – But as an add in can you please release a patch that will erase Edi presence? I just can’t stand her. Maybe if she looked more normal and less sexy? I found it too forced that Edi had to be sexy, and only purpose of that was to justify symbiosis ending. So it only works when robot is equipped with big boobs? And does Edi really need high heels?

6.  Control the reapers – should be about actual controlling. Admit the cycle was mistake that Reapers went rouge and their original purpose was forgotten. It fits with typical renegade choices: Geth or quarians are decimated; genophage is not cured and so on. Take over Reapers power so that one day, if someone repeats the chaos mistake it will Shepard your turn to stop them. Give them a chance to stay as it is, but make possible return of Reapers a threat – something that people will remember. That reapers still may be there in dark space, watching their progress. If next generation fails, you bring Reapers back. Humanity rules and one particular human – the only one who actually deserves it, has the power now.

So I am fine with Red, Blue, Green pill choices. I only want them to be logical. That’s what I was trying to do in my head.

And I love the game and definitely don’t want to get my money back.

And then in Mass Effect 4 : Return – Some time ago in a Galaxy far far away…

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Why I am lost…

It´s been a long time since I played Mass Effect. And now its coming back, I can’t think of anything else than playing it again. There is a lot that needs to be done. Like finishing all my playthroughts, creating new Shepards and preparing myself for another week of a social ignoration.

But the thing is,  I am really looking forward to play Mass Effect 3. Too much, that I can’t do anything else.

What fascinated me about latest trailer Take Earth back is the Kid element. Nice to know that Mass Effect universe has kids (I hope it will be as much fun as seeing those rumored female species). That´s the second kid we saw in a one week. And they were all playing with Alliance ships. For a moments and plying with my FemShep I thought its going to be saving in a Ripley style. The truth is, I don´t really care about the kid, that kind of  -oh no you can´t kill children in action films stereotype never worked on me. But, I so want her toy. It can fly!

Well Bioware do tends to be sentimental. Shame to say, in other games or films it makes me cold, it works when they do it. Because that’s what they were always good at – emotionally attaching players to the characters they created. We love Shepard. It’s as if Shepard was real.

The epicness of a trailer. That just had to be. Shepard kicks asses. We always knew it and that’s why everyone love him (and that’s why Reapers hate him/her).

Shepard. To bad I will never see it in this version. I just can’t play as man, because I have been completely smitten by Jennifer Hale. But I swear I´ll finish my broShep playthrought soon. Very soon.

And Ashley. Good to know there are only hot woman in this universe. But don’t you mind the hair? I am sure it gets in way, if you try to shoot husks. In my world she always take a loooong holiday on Virmire. It just seemed pointless and illogical to save someone, who is lower rank and only a soldier – in a comparison to biotic and lieutenant and has a long record service in Alliance. Prove me wrong as much as you want, but no. If Ashley was a Biotic, I may consider ending her long-term holiday.

As much as I am looking to my loss of social life a may still say. Please Bioware don’t make it only invasion and collecting forces for the last battle story. I know that’s Bioware speciality. And that the reason why I still can’t get around to play DA2.

And please don’t hook Joker with robot. I already can’t stand her, because of my jealousy.

Why current cinema doesn´t need dialogue…

And not only because it has faces.

Unknown faces, if we consider wider audience and those who are not familiar with Michel Hazanavicius work.

Michel Hazanavicius take on the silent cinema really proved to be most entertaining cinema experience I had in a long time. Not because its witty and appealing cinematography or amazing lead actors, also because it shows deep love for the cinema.

Those are the famous Norma Desmond words from Billy Wilder cinematic masterpiece Sunset Boulevard. Few words that perfectly summarized the arrival of the sound era and desperation of those who couldn´t make it through.

Humans talks a lot, that can’t be denied. The artist look at this in a funny style. First words we can read are “Speak”. And the main hero, famous silent era actor George Valentin promptly refuses to talk. And he continues to do so during the whole movie. He is a perfect silent protagonist – adventure type of actor, something between Douglas Fairbanks and Rudolph Valentino, and he certainly knows how to look good on the camera.  These subtle nods to the Golden age of the cinema are only few of the many amazing moments in The Artist.

Nowadays you just can’t find film without dialogue. Of course there are some exceptions, for example Kim Ki-Duk film 3-Iron is practically without a dialogue. This film is perfect example of – when something that was considered outdated (and died in a 1927) was able to rise again. Myself, I love silent cinema (especially comedy and Buster Keaton), its visual humour, films where directors knew how to work with the setting around them and how to create original film universe.

And that’s why this film is for all of us. For those who loves films in general, for audience interested in art cinema, or even for the more mainstream fans looking for straightforward story. Plot itself consist from many well-known films (as the main inspiration for the film was John Gilbert and Greta Garbo relationship) as – 7^th Heaven, Murnau´s Sunrise, Douglas Fairbanks Mark of  Zorro, Citizen Kane or most notably Singing in the rain (even if The Artist is much more braver, for refusing to use any kind of dialogue). Story structure reminded me of all those old flicks, although the narration conventions here, were used in a very original and creative way.

And I don’t care if this movie is advertised as a possible Academy Awards Best Picture candidate. I would definitely suggest it to everyone. Simply, because it’s amazing and entertaining movie. Without unnecessary talk, famous faces in the main roles, full of pure cinema joy.

And also because it meets all the expectation I have for watching films.

It´s time to leave and meet one’s end

Why short films can often tell more than a feature films…

A short documentary film by a young Polish director Marcin Koszalka Declaration of immortality is an unusual look at the life and work of the famous Polish climber Piotr ‘Mad’ Korczak. Declaration of immortality can be defined as a Mountain documentary genre. In the first minute it may even seem as a fiction film. The scene where we see the rock climber falling into the lake, definitely suggests it. However, the film contemplating the question of immortality couldn’t start with a different image than a death one.  What initially looks like a feature film or the mountain documentary is an original portrait of the famous Polish climber Piotr ‘Mad’ Korczak. The document maps his long career – as the director tries to uncover all the paths that Polish mountaineer left on High Tatras sidewalks.

Declaration of immortality shows an aesthetic images of the High Tatras. The camera literally tracks Piotr´s footsteps, follows “fingerprints”. Shots where the camera captures the snowy peaks of the Tatra massifs, or when it silently follows the movements of the Piotr hands – these shots are not only beautiful, but also full of meanings.  That’s Piotr whole life – the passion of his life. Director doesn’t need to say more, it is enough if he just points the camera at the mountains and the viewer immediately realizes the depth of Piotr´s love and motivation. It is clear why he can’t leave it behind.  His “love” is mostly presented in the details, in which director almost analytically clings onto Piotr modeling climbing grips – his hands are like the hands of the sculptor, perfecting his life’s work. The viewer doesn’t need to be an experienced mountaineer to understand what is happening.

Declaration of immortality is not a film made of words. This films speaks in the images. Although, it´s not like that this documentary doesn’t use traditional narration discourse – the “talking heads”.  However, a discussion between the director and the main hero is presented as a game.  Question is answered by another question, and sometimes it even seems like that their roles are reversed – and the one who is interviewed is not a Piotr, but the director.  This kind of ambiguous approach to the theme, lifts this documentary from the mere mountain film genre  (although it environment plays an important role) and makes it mesmerizing and intimate statement about the one man and the end of his journey.

Director approach can be considered essayistic – quite a lot of interest is given to the legend surrounding its main character. Or maybe I should tell, that it rather  focuses on his inability to come to the terms with the end of his legend. There behind the Tatras, an important question rises – isn´t already time to go, and leave this place for the others? And Koszalka again answer with the image. In one shot Piotr falls of ground (the same path he has build years ago), while his younger pupil can handle it without problems.

However, this question is never directly answered. Director leaves it open. After all he already hinted at the possible ending (and as a former climber I assure you, that the metaphor of a falling into silence is certainly a nightmare).  The only one who can answer the question is the main hero. He became immortal years ago, but despite the advanced age, he can´t stop.

And the time when he will have to meet one’s end is silently approaching.

Happy Birthday Stan Lee!

I was always more of a Marvel fan. If DC hadn’t got Batman I wouldn’t even bother. My dislike for chaps dressed in a red and blue, or with woman wearing weird pants decorated with stars never changes. Too bad it also applies to that weird family of superheroes, or to the comic hero with the most egocentric name ever (yes I am talking about you Captain).

I can see it now. I do have some serious issues with the stars and tight red and blue dresses.

Stan Lee was with Marvel since beginning. No matter what will others say, I will always consider him to be one of the greatest comic personas. No one has done more for the mainstream comic than him. Space of this post doesn’t allow me to list all the amazing characters he created. However it doesn’t matter, his fans knows them all.

I don’t normally post celebrations of a famous people. It´s not like people would miss it. But Stan Lee created X-Men – my most favourite comic universe (mainstream comic of course).

So in the celebration of a Stan Lee turning 88 here are his famous cameos.

Last Goodbye from Václav Havel

About leaving

If you happen not know who Václav Havel was or what he has done this article from The Guardian tells quite a lot.

He died some days ago. I kept hearing about him all my life and yet there are still things I didn’t know about him. For example that he acted as a Joan Baez guitar boy – of course he was hiding from police.

Or that he was a chemical laboratory technician.

Some time ago I met him. It was extremely hot day on a he juts sat there surrounded by journalist, photographers and ordinary people.  And they all listened – it didn’t matter how old you were. Old people who only came because of him, young students with the same motivation, teenagers who were barely one or two years old during the revolution in the 1989, or kids asking their parents who the funny man was.

For the young generation he was someone others always spoke about in a good terms. However, younger generation, they barely knew who he really was. I sometimes think that they even forget what has happened in year 1989.

And just to remind you he was not known not only as a politician, but also as an artist and performer. Before he has become the face of the revolution, he was acclaimed writer and the chairman of the Circle of Independent Writers. I saw his play The Garden Ceremony in the theatre. It was amusing satire, highly intellectual and surreal in its own way.

One can say just another intellectual that had become the president. This one was different. He was someone who has pointed his finger at the Czechoslovakia and said look here – so that the big countries would finally know what was going on in the Eastern Europe.

Only few people outside Czech Republic or Slovakia knew that he also tried his luck as the director. His first and last movie was called Leaving – and he only made it few moths ago. How symbolical. I can’t say that movie is amazing, but it’s definitely interesting.

There is also a documentary Citizen Havel made by deceased Czech filmmaker Pavel Koutecký

Sure there is hardly anything bad about him in this movie – fact that many critics can’t get over. But as many of his revolutionary ancestors before him he deserves it too– and we can proudly call him the symbol he was meant to be.

I didn’t go out to light a candle for him. I should do it.  It´s too late now, but let me say my goodbye this way.