Green Phoenix - Dr. No Review

 

Last week, I discussed several times how the character of Jack Ryan, from Tom Clancy's most popular works, is a bit of a parody and critique of the 1960s spy archetype best exemplified by the likes of James Bond. 

Following that review, I figured that it might be rather interesting to take a closer look at the titular spy's movie franchise to see whether or not this groundbreaking franchise still holds up.

Now I want to be fully transparent and admit that I grew up watching the James Bond series with my mother, so this has always been a franchise that has possessed something of a soft spot with me. I absolutely recognize that, especially among the older movies, the series has some very questionable and dated narrative and character decisions. And I will not hesitate to judge the film with that in mind.

All this being said, I feel like we obviously should begin our look into the James Bond franchise with the first film in the series. Released in 1962 and based of the 1958 Ian Fleming novel of the same name, Dr. No created nearly every precedent that the series would become infamous for. But even if it began the formula, does it do that formula as well as the rest of the series?

Let's find out.

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Chojin Sentai Jetman Episode 1: Seek The Warriors - Summary/Review

Behond, the original choice for the first Power Ranger season that was denied due to rights issues. Chojin Sentai Jetman which roughly translates to Birdman Squadron Jetman. Released in 1991 and inspired by another japanese show, Kagaku Ninjatai Gatchaman, this season promises flying. Click "read more" for my full coverage.

Miko Mole (Playstation 4) Review.

When you think about games that were released for the Playstation 4, you're normally thinking of stuff with incredibly good graphics.  However there'll be a game that comes out every now and then that'll leave you thinking, "How the hell did this get released on this console?".  Miko Mole is one of those games.  Looks can be deceiving and maybe this game will end up being a diamond in the rough... Maybe.  (Click on "Read More" to read the full review.)

Green Phoenix - The Hunt for Red October (1990) Review

 

The works of Tom Clancy have long been held as the pinnacle of Cold War and post-Cold War era political thrillers. While the works of Tom Clancy are known these days primarily for the Rainbow Six series of video games; during the 1990s, audiences were gifted with a trilogy of very high quality films. Filled with A-cast celebrities and featuring the highlights of late Cold War era politics and intrigue, the Jack Ryan trilogy, as it might sometimes be known, all started with 1984's The Hunt for Red October.

NOTE: I consider Sum of All Fears and Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit to be reboots and not sequels.

Based on Tom Clancy's debut novel of the same name, the book and film achieved phenomenal success and catapulted Clancy to international notoriety. Clancy's masterful integration of hardcore science fiction and political thrillers created a tense exploration of the minds of two men. One, an infamous Soviet submarine Captain, and the other a former US marine turned CIA analyst. The struggle to understand each other's motives outside of direct communication and in direct contrast of the interest of their respective home nations create a true sense of thrill and anxiety.

But does the film hold up after nearly 30 years? Are the performances as good as I remember them from when I was growing up? And is the story just as exhilarating with the Cold War now only a fleeting memory in the mind of most moviegoers?

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Samurai Sentai Shinkenger Act 1: The Gallant Appearance of the Five Samurai - Summary/Review

Here is a team that made a big impression with their Power Rangers counterpart, Power Rangers Samurai. But, we are here to talk about the original japanese version from 2009. This season is considered one of the best by some critics and I have a lot of fond memories of it. So, click "read more" and let's see if it stood the test of time.

Green Phoenix - The Man with the Iron Heart Review

I have mentioned it several times before in my previous reviews of alternate history novels, but the genre as a whole has a fundamental issue at its heart. An author of alternate history must be able to balance an interesting and unique premise and point of divergence while at the same time not selecting a subject so esoteric that the general reading audience (which in America is woefully historically illiterate) won't be turned off or too bored.

For most alternate history authors, the solution is to pick a point of divergence and timeline that alters some event that is universally understood or known to American audiences, those two tending to be either the American Civil War or the Second World War. This results in these two time periods being the most discussed in the field of alternate history, almost to the point of parody. Even Harry Turtledove, the man widely considered the master of alternate history, has created dozens of stories based on these two time periods, immediately to great effect.

But today's review will cover one of Turtledove's more comparatively recent explorations into a WW2 point of divergence. In 2008's The Man with the Iron Heart, Turtledove explores not a Nazi victory in WW2,  but an altogether different, yet even more intriguing question. What if the survival of a single SS officer had enabled the creation of a more unified German resistance to the allied-occupation of Germany after World War 2? What would the impact be on Allied post-war sentiments at home?

These questions and their correlation to more modern wars like the Second Persian Gulf War form the thematic heart of The Man with the Iron Heart and it leaves this stand alone novel as easily one of Turtledove's most intriguing and underappreciated, in my opinion.

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Tokumei Sentai Go-Busters Mission 1: Tokumei Sentai, Assemble! - Summary/Review

Hey, fans of Power Rangers Beast Morphers, fun fact, those suits and footage are from 2012. Yup, time to cover the secret agent/eco friendly energy themed season, Tokumei Sentai G-Busters which roughly translates to Special Operations Squadron Go-Busters. This is the famous season to have major references to Power Rangers and the first to have leather suits instead of spandex. (And only season to do that I think.) I have a lot of memories with this season so, let's take a trip back to it, click "read more" and find out how this season did.

Ultraman Club - Tatakae! Ultraman Kyoudai!! (Arcade) Review.

It's about bloody time that we've covered something Ultraman related on this site.  Nope, it's not an episode from one of the television series.  (That job is reserved for UltraSam AKA Candy Cane Diamond.)  Instead I dive back into the amazing world of Tokusatsu arcade games.  This is Ultraman Club - Tatakae! Ultraman Kyoudai!!  It sounds exciting.  (Click on "Read More" to read the full review.)

Green Phoenix - 8 Amazing Anime Openings

I've always been fairly picky when it comes to the anime that I choose to watch. I have just had too many situations where I was uncomfortably surprised with an anime that I really didn't want to watch. This is particularly the case with anime that deals in horror elements, as I am a chickenshit coward when it comes to anything remotely scary, and Japanese anime can be very scary to me.

To avoid getting caught unaware, I often have to rely on the openings of the show in order to give me a good sense of the show's general nature and outlook. This has resulted in me oftentimes finding the openings of anime almost as entertaining as the show itself. Thus the reason for this particular countdown.

This will not be some exhaustive list of the greatest anime openings, but rather an opportunity for me to talk about some amazing anime openings and hopefully inspire you to check out some amazing anime if you haven't already.

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I Want Cookies (Steam) - PC Game Review

I Want Cookies

This is a game that was gifted to me as a joke on Steam and has since disappeared from the store. A game so simple it does not even have a title card. Click "read more" and prepare for one of the simplest reviews ever.

Masked Riders Club Battle Race (Arcade). Review.

It's time for another Kamen Rider video game review.  All of the previous installments of my Kamen Rider game reviews were for Playstation One games.  This time however, I get to dive into the ultra hyper crazy exciting world of arcade games that never got a home port.  This is Masked Riders Club Battle Race.  Yes, this is one of the rare times where I get to used the Masked Rider name instead of Kamen Rider.  (Click on "Read More" to read the full review.)

Green Phoenix - Beauty and the Beast (1991) Review

I want to apologize to everyone for the two-week delay in releasing this review. Two weeks ago was TrotCon, a convention that I regularly participate in as a guest, and due to the fallout of COVID-19, I needed to dedicate a great deal of my time and focus to the convention and couldn't finish this article with the level of quality that I expect of myself. As to why I had to delay last week, well...

...Accidentally deleting an entire article the night before you have to publish it fucking sucks.

But all that aside, I am happy to finally present a review of one of the most well-regarded Disney films in cinematic history.

In 1991, Disney found themselves at a crossroads in terms of their Renaissance. 1989's The Little Mermaid had been a massive success that seemed to revitalize public interest in Disney animation, while 1990's The Rescuers Down Under was largely ignored in terms of public interest, due to lack of interest from Disney marketing (though the film would maintain a strong public interest and fanbase on VHS). It was in this environment that Disney released Beauty and the Beast.

To say that this film has a prodigious legacy and reputation is the greatest of understatements. The New York Film Festival gave an unfinished rough-cut of the film a standing ovation. And the film would go on to be the first animated film to ever be nominated for Best Picture at the Academy Awards.

But does the film still deserve that indelible reputation? Let's take a look at Walt Disney Pictures' Beauty and the Beast and find out.

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Super Sentai Saikyo Battle Final Battle: Heading Towards Tomorrow! - Summary/Review

This is it! The final part of this short but impressive special. While there has been a lot one can nit-pick about continuity and clear favoritism for the boy rangers, overall this has been a great experience and a lot of fun. Let's see how they will wrap everything up. Click "read more" for my full coverage.

A review of the game: BIOSHOCK (Infinite) ps4

 

Super Sentai Saikyo Battle - Battle 3: The Big Secret Revealed - Summary/Review

Back again with the 3rd part of this 4 week special. Last time, it ended with an unmasked Gaisorg which created a lot of questions as it did not make sense. Better go ahead and click "read more" so we can get some answers.

Also, shout out to TV Nihon for the free fansub.

Kamen Rider Decade Episode 1 - Rider War. Summary/Review.

Ahh.  The good old anniversary seasons of Kamen Rider.  Full of crazy action and crazy crossovers.  This is what we expect from these special Kamen Rider seasons.  Yes, we do get all that in this episode.  Will it be any good though?  Find out as I, Kaiser Sensei takes a trip back to 2009 with episode one of Kamen Rider Decade.  (Click on "Read More" to read the full article.)

Super Sentai Saikyo Battle - Battle 2: The Secretive Armor of Mystery - Summary/Review

We now face part 2 of this 4 episode mini series. Last episode ended with Captain Marvelous rushed out to the ring to face Gaisorg. Will he avenge his team? Click "read more" for my full coverage. Also, shoutout to TV Nihon for the free fansub.

Green Phoenix - When Dinosaurs Roamed America Review

I've been wanting to cover more documentaries in my articles and the month-long break gave me the perfect opportunity to think long and hard about what documentary I would absolutely love to discuss. As I mentioned in my Walking With Dinosaurs review, dinosaur documentaries just absolutely consumed my childhood and teenage years. I always tried to catch some new show on Discovery or Science channel when they were on, maybe National Geographic or Animal Planet, and for the most part, they were fun but kind of samey. Few ever reached the same standard of quality that Walking With Dinosaurs achieved.

But there was one documentary that I remember growing up that hit all the right emotional and educational beats while maintaining a level of CG quality that I actually think surpassed Walking With Dinosaurs. So it is with immense joy that I take a serious look at a seriously underrated dinosaur documentary.

Released on Discovery Channel on July 15, 2001, When Dinosaurs Roamed America brings us back to the Mesozoic Era, focusing exclusively on dinosaurs that lived in the area that would eventually become the United States.

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Super Sentai Saikyo Battle - Battle 1: Who is the Strongest in History!? - Summary/Review

Super Sentai Saikyou (Strongest) Battle is a 4 episode mini series that aired in between Lupin vs Pat and Ryusoulger. (But is a continuity mess.) An interesting concept, a big tournament with 32 Sentai Ranger teams each consisting of 5 members from various teams, 160 total returning rangers. Sounds like pure fan-service. I'm gonna cover all 4 episodes so click "read more" if you're interested.

Green Phoenix - Why I Enjoy Alternate History?

Hello everybody!

I hope that your June was as relaxing as mine. Actually, given everything that happened in June, I hope your month was even more relaxing than mine. I kept myself quite busy, between participating in protests, attending city government meetings, and a lot of fiction writing and reading, I've also been working quite hard on building a stockpile of articles for all of you to enjoy.

In the hopes of easing all of us back into the habit of reading my incredibly entertaining articles, I thought it would be quite fun for me to begin with a short editorial going over one of my favorite topics of all time and one that I wish got a lot more respect in this day and age.

And who knows, maybe my discussion on it may inspire you to look more into it and create even greater works in the field.

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