Taking the Journey Again

I played Journey when it was originally released on PlayStation 3 back in 2012 and found it to be mesmerizing. I only played it once, though, as I didn't want that experience to be tarnished by going back through it again. I had the perfect idea of what it meant to me and I never wanted that to change, even though I was tempted to play it again on multiple occasions. Journey was recently released on PS4 (complete with a higher resolution and a better frame rate) and I decided it was as good a time as ever to go back and experience it once again.

Like my first play-through, I completed the PS4 version of Journey in one sitting. I think that's it appeals to me so much; it's a game that doesn't require too much effort or take up too much of your time, but still manages to feel complete. Journey can be completed in about 90 minutes, but not a single second is wasted. Every vista, puzzle, and set piece is different from the last. It's just so complete.

You'll be hard-pressed to find a more relaxing game on any console. Just watching your character glide over the endless desert dunes is so strangely therapeutic, as is discovering all of the hidden secrets Thatgamecompany has scattered throughout the world. If there was ever a game that could be prescribed as a treatment for stress, this is it.

Even if you haven't played Journey, chances are you've heard of its soundtrack. It's one of the best in video games, and was even nominated for a Grammy, the first video game soundtrack to do so. It just meshes so well with the visual style of the game. It's one of the few game soundtracks I own and listen to all of the time. But don't take my word for it; you can listen to the game's best track here.

Playing through Journey again didn't diminish the feeling of discovery or wonder I had when I first played it. In fact, it made me appreciate it more and I plan on playing through it again a few more times. It's one of those rare games that gets better each time you play it, as you discover more and more about its world and story. So if you haven't played through it before, I implore that you do so as soon as possible. And, even if you've taken this journey once or multiple times, do so again (it's free on PS4 to those who have purchased in before). It's the perfect way to spend a few hours and unwind, and just get lost in its wonder.

Marvel's Miracle: My Thoughts on Ant-Man

Photo courtesy of MovieFreak

After a long and arduous road, Marvel has finally managed to get one of its most bizarre and lesser known heroes onto the big screen. The fact that an Ant-Man movie got made at all is quite an accomplishment; the fact that it ended up being genuinely funny, entertaining, and solid all-around is a miracle. It doesn't have the heft of an Avengers movie, nor does it have brawn or brainpower of The Winter Soldier, but Ant-Man is a great origin story that balances humor, thrills, and genuine emotion very well.

After the trouble Ant-Man experienced during nearly every phase of production, I was almost certain that it would end up being Marvel's first big misstep. Thankfully, those feelings were unwarranted, as director Peyton Reed, along with the principal cast and a great script by Adam McKay, Edgar Wright, Joe Cornish, and Paul Rudd, managed to make a superhero with the ability to shrink and communicate with ants not just work, but become one of Marvel's absolute best films to date.

Each Marvel film adapts a different narrative style: The Winter Soldier is an espionage film, Thor is fantasy, and GotG is an action/comedy. Ant-Man is structured like a classic heist film, as Ant-Man himself (who in this film and the current run of comics is Scott Lang) is tasked with making sure that the incredible technology that allows him to shrink (the "Pym Particle", created by the original Ant-Man Hank Pym) doesn't fall into the wrong hands. Those "wrong hands" belong to Darren Cross, who has taken over Pym's old company and is determined to duplicate the Pym Particle and create a breed of (super tiny) soldiers. While it's definitely not the most original plot, it works. Think of it as Marvel's Ocean's 11, but with a flying ant named Antony instead of Brad Pitt.

The cast is solid all around, featuring great turns by Paul Rudd as Scott Lang/Ant-Man, Michael Douglas as Hank Pym, and Evangeline Lilly as Pym's estranged daughter Hope van Dyne. They take their roles seriously, but never forget to have fun. Most of the plot, which was originally thought up by Edgar Wright and Joe Cornish, remains intact, and you can definitely feel their influence throughout the film. While it may be void of the charm of Wright's other films, Peyton Reed does a fine job of holding everything together.

In addition to its solid writing and plot, Ant-Man features some of the most creative and entertaining action sequences I've ever seen in a Marvel film; the third act is incredible paced and well shot, and features a thrilling fight between Ant-Man and villain Yellowjacket that takes place inside a briefcase, all set to The Cure's Disintegration. I won't give anything away, but if the structure of the last few Marvel films has gotten you down (small fights and character moments that culminate with a giant battle in the sky), I'm certain you will be pleased with how well Ant-Man moves along smoothly, letting you get to know the characters along the way before ending with a satisfying (and somewhat unexpected) climax.

It may not be Marvel's best (that honor, in my opinion, still belongs to Cap 2), but Ant-Man is definitely one of the most creative and fun films I've seen from them. After the heavy-handed torrent of characters and brooding that was Age of Ultron, I was on the verge of superhero movie fatigue. I can't tell you how refreshing it was to see a superhero movie that scaled it back tremendously (literally) and just had fun with itself.

Ant-Man is light, goofy, funny, touching, and tremendously entertaining. Not bad for the world's second-most famous insect-themed superhero!

(By now, you all know to stay after the credits during a Marvel movie. Be know this: there are actually 2 this time around! One midway through the credits and one after. Be sure to watch them both, as they tease some really, really big things to come in the Marvel universe!)