My Evo 2015 Story

Anyone who is a member of the competitive fighting game community knows that the Evolution Championship Series, or Evo for short, is the Super Bowl for gamers. It brings together people from all over the world to compete in their favorite games for a chance at money and glory. 

I've been competing in Super Smash Bros. Melee tournaments for the past two years. After participating in tournaments in the North West and hearing the different stories about Evo, I decided to attend Evo 2015. The tournament was one of the best weekends of my life and the overall experience was one that I'll be telling my grandchildren about.  

The thing about Evo is that it's in Las Vegas, and I live in Oregon. So my friends and I had to decide how we were going to get there. Most people chose to fly, which in hindsight was probably the better decision. Me and six of my friends decided to make the 15 hour drive down to Vegas in my van. the trip was all right, except for when we got a flat tire at 3 a.m. That wasn't very fun. Driving was a great experience, but I think I'll fly next year.

The actual tournament was Friday, July 17 through Sunday, July 19. The tournament was held at the Bally's Las Vegas Hotel and Casino, and our room was also at the Bally's. We got there a day before the tournament and had fun playing Melee with friends and exploring the Vegas Strip. 

A tournament the size of Evo is double elimination. The first day is pools up to top 32, the second day is top 32 up to top eight, and the third and final day of the tournament is when top eight is played out and a winner is crowned.

My goal was to make it out of my pool, which was going to be difficult because there were some very good players in it. I got a bye round one, meaning that the person I was supposed to play didn't show up and I advanced automatically. 

I won my next match, and after that I lost to this guy named Darrell. He is an extremely good player, having been ranked in the top 100 in the world two years in a row. He demolished me, but i wasn't out of the tournament yet. 

I went into loser bracket and lost immediately. I was out of the tournament going 2-2, or 1-2 if you don't count the bye. I was upset because I felt that I could perform better than I did, but there's always next year.  

I spent the rest of the weekend hanging out with friends and watching the rest of the tournament. 

Having been a sports fan my entire life, I can say without a doubt that watching top 32 and top eight of Evo was one of the most intense and exhilarating experiences of my life. And I was just watching. I can't imagine what it must have been like for the players actually competing.

On the last night before we drove back, my fiends and I went to a party in the pent house of the hotel that the Arizona players were hosting. It was amazing. Everyone was there, including Evo 2015 champ Adam "Armada" Lindgren. Getting to meet some of my favorite players at that party was the icing on the cake.       

Evo 2015 was amazing. There was great people, great competition, and great games. I may not have told the whole story here, but that's because what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas. 

  

Fantastic Four Review

"Fantastic Four" is officially the worst reviewed superhero movie of all time on rotten tomatoes, with a score of eight percent. Even the atrocity that is the Halle Berry "Catwoman" film has a higher score. Poor reviews harmed the film's release, as it flopped in its opening weekend at the box office. The reboot of the Fantastic Four certainly isn't a good movie, but it isn't quite deserving of the title of worst superhero movie of all time.

The film was directed by Josh Trank and stars Miles Teller, Michael B. Jordan, Kate Mara, Jamie Bell, and Toby Kebbell. Based on the Marvel comics characters, the film follows a group of young scientists who gain super powers after a terrible accident. Basically, it's the same origin story told again for the trillionth time. 

An interesting fact about "Fantastic Four" that most movie goers are unaware of is the influence the "Ultimate Fantastic Four" comic series had on the reboot. "Ultimate Fantastic Four" focuses on younger versions of the main characters and they get their powers from a malfunctioning teleporter. The new movie contains similar story elements. 

"Fantastic Four" trailer

Trank is a newer director in Hollywood, with "Fantastic Four" only his second directorial outing. His first movie, "Chronicle," was an excellent found footage film that presented a fresh take on the superhero genre. Many people were excited to see what Trank could do with the Fantastic Four after the success of "Chronicle." After seeing the final product, however, it's clear that "Fantastic Four" pales in comparison to Trank's first film.    

The cast is by far the strongest aspect of "Fantastic Four." People took issue with how young the cast is because the characters are typically older in the comic books. Age aside, Teller, Jordan, Mara, Bell, and Kebbell give good performances when juxtaposed with the cast from the 2005 film. The new cast demonstrates a better understanding of the characters and give much less over the top and silly performances than previous actors did. 

The science fiction approach that the filmmakers took with the story was one of the more enjoyably qualities of the movie. The first half of the film follows the characters as they attempt to build a machine that will take them to another dimension. One of the most memorable scenes is when young Reed Richards and Ben Grimm build a prototype in Reed's garage.

Despite a good cast and some interesting science fiction elements, "Fantastic Four" has more going wrong for itself than it does right. 

The most notable flaw of the movie is the way Doctor Doom is presented. Early on in the film, Doom isn't such a bad character. Both the script and Kebbell's performance illustrate the brilliance of Victor von Doom and the potential he has. But the final act of the movie ruins Doom. He looks terrible. Bad special effects make him stick out like a sore thumb. The worst part is that his powers make no sense. It's not even clear what his powers are. Watching this movie, it seems like Doctor Doom can do whatever he wants. It's such a shame to see one of the great pop culture villains squandered for the second time on the silver screen.  

Doctor Doom in "Fantastic Four"

The final act of the movie is a noticeable blemish in "Fantastic Four." Considering the end is supposed to be the climax of the film, the ending to "Fantastic Four" is strangely anticlimactic. The final battle takes place in a bland, colorless wasteland that's boring to look at. There's very little action. The last fight only lasts a couple of minutes, which isn't long compared to other superhero movies. Ultimately, the ending is bland and uneventful.   

The special effects in "Fantastic Four" were much to be desired. Mr. Fantastic's stretching ability looks particularly cringe worthy. And as stated earlier, Doctor Doom looks ridiculous. Better special effects would have improved the final act of the movie immensely. 

"Fantastic Four" is not a good superhero movie, but it's also not the worst one ever made. What sets "Fantastic Four" apart from other bad superhero movies, like "Catwoman" or "Electra," is that it is watchable. It's a mediocre film at best, but the good cast and interesting science fiction elements make it watchable. However, the climax and the way Doctor Doom is presented brings "Fantastic Four" down considerably.       

         

     

   

The Biggest Fighting Game Tournament in the World

Hugo “Hugs” Gonzalez and Jeffrey “Axe” Williamson competing in Super Smash Bros. Melee at Evo 2015 with avid fans looking on.

The Evolution Championship Series is an annual fighting game tournament held in Las Vegas, Nev. Evo, as it is commonly called, started in 2002 and has grown significantly each year. It brings together players from all over the world and has become the crown jewel of fighting game tournaments.

Evo 2015 was held on July 17 through July 19 at the Bally’s / Paris Las Vegas Casino. The lineup of games consisted of “Ultra Street Fighter IV,” “Super Smash Bros. for Wii U,” Super Smash Bros. Melee,” “Mortal Kombat X,” “Guilty Gear Xrd -SIGN-,” “Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3,” “Tekken 7,” “Persona 4 Arena Ultimax,” and “Killer Instinct.” Thousands of players competed for a shot at money, glory, and most importantly, bragging rights until next years Evo.

The number of entrants at this years Evo were the biggest the series had ever seen. “Ultra Street Fighter IV” had the most entrants with 2,227. That many entrants is a huge  accomplishment for the fighting game community. However, Street Fighter wasn’t the only game to have a strong showing.

Making a large splash at Evo once again was the Super Smash Bros series. Super Smash Bros. for Wii U had a staggering 1,926 entrants. Perhaps more impressive was the fan favorite Super Smash Bros. Melee tallying 1,869 entrants, making Evo 2015 the largest Melee tournament of all time. Not bad for a fifteen year old game.

Smash Bros. has been the source of much controversy over the years. Many of the traditional fighting game players didn’t view Smash Bros. as a game deserving of a spot at Evo. However, impressive numbers of entrants, insane live stream viewing numbers, and fast, exciting play has changed several minds of players.

One of Evo’s founders, Joey “Mr. Wizard” Cuellar, spoke about the future of Super Smash Bros. at Evo in an interview with The Daily Dot.

“I think Smash is here to stay,” said Mr. Wizzard.

Much of the controversy surrounding Smash Bros. at Evo 2015 happened on the main stage. Florida player Juan “Hungrybox” Debiedma was booed for his campy, or what many players call lame, style of play. He lost the crowd, but Hungrybox went on to take second place in Melee, which is a huge accomplishment.  

The winner of Super Smash Bros. Melee and $11,214 at Evo 2015 was Adam “Armada” Lindgren from Sweden. Armada’s grand finals set with Hungrybox was viewed live by 205,000 people on twitch.tv.  

The game lineup for Evo 2016 won’t be revealed until early next year. If history has proven anything, Evo 2016 will be the biggest tournament yet.

Ant-Man Review

Five years ago, no one would have thought that a live action film about Ant-Man would have worked. But after the success of other Marvel movies, especially 2014’s “Guardians of the Galaxy,” an Ant-Man movie didn’t seem so farfetched after all.

“Ant-Man” was released on July 17, and is the twelfth film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. It was directed by Peyton Reed and stars Paul Rudd as Scott Lang / Ant-Man, Michael Douglas as Hank Pym, Evangeline Lilly as Hope van Dyne, and Corey Stoll as Darren Cross / Yellowjacket. The success of the film stems from it’s strong script and talented cast, despite a few hiccups along the way.

One of the most interesting aspects of “Ant-Man” is the way it embodies both the successes and failures of the MCU all in one movie.

For example, every MCU film up until now have all had strong scripts, and “Ant-Man” is no exception. The story credits for “Ant-Man” go to Edgar Wright and Joe Cornish, and they did a spectacular job. The dialogue oozes with emotion and humor, and manages to find a healthy balance of both. It doesn’t get too bogged down in exposition, which is a good thing.

"Ant-Man" trailer

Like other movies in the MCU, “Ant-Man” has a stellar cast. Rudd seemed like an odd choice for a superhero movie back when he was announced as the titular Ant-Man, but after watching the film it’s clear he’s perfect for the role. Douglas and Lilly also deliver strong performances. They give believability to the fractured relationship between their two characters. Also worth noting is Michael Pena as Luis. Every word out of his mouth is comedic dynamite.

But just as “Ant-Man” shares many positive traits with the other MCU films, it also shares some flaws. The main issue with the movie is the villain. Stoll is okay in the roll, but the character just isn’t very memorable. Not having a strong villain has been prevalent in other MCU films, such as “Thor: The Dark World” and “Guardians of the Galaxy.”

Perhaps one of the more subtle flaws with “Ant-Man” and the MCU as whole is the tendency to shy away from mature subjects and themes.

Pym is a complex character in the comics. He often struggles with feelings of insecurity and at times has been known to physically harm his wife and friends. These themes are absent from “Ant-Man,” and maybe for the best. But hopefully as these characters progress, they will be able to develop and become as complex and fully realized as they are in the source material.

“Ant-Man” marks the end of Marvel's phase two of films, and it does so with a bang. It’s well written, exciting, emotional, and funny. The actors are great, especially Rudd and Douglas. Even though the villain wasn’t great and the film failed to present some of the more mature themes from the comics, those are flaws that will hopefully be fixed with future films. Overall, “Ant-Man” packs a small yet powerful punch.