martial arts – Page 2 – Author Carlo Carrasco

Retro Gaming Ads Blast – Part 10

June 3, 2024May 16, 2024carlocarrasco

Welcome back readers, fellow geeks and electronic gaming fans!

In this edition of the Retro Gaming Ads Blast (RGAB) series, we will take a look at another batch of retro gaming print ads from the 1980s and 1990s.

For the newcomers reading this, Retro Gaming Ads Blast (RGAB) looks back at the many print ads of games (console, arcade, computer and handheld) that were published in comic books, magazines, flyers and newspapers long before smartphones, social media, the worldwide web and streaming became popular. To put things in perspective, people back in the 1980s and 1990s were more trusting of print media for information and images about electronic games and related products.

With those details laid down, here is the newest batch of retro gaming print ads for you to see and enjoy…

1. Double Dragon II: The Revenge print ad

*Nice looking art used to promote the game.*

The beat-them-up sub-genre of gaming was already popular in the 1980s and one of the most defining game franchises of this type of game was the Double Dragon series which proved to be popular with Nintendo Entertainment System (NES in America) and Family Computer (Famicom in Japan) gamers. As the first game was a very big hit on Nintendo’s consoles, the sequel Double Dragon II: The Revenge was promoted in America with strong confidence on the part of publisher Acclaim that it would become another massive hit. This print ad had a very nice looking comic books-style art that not only captured the concept of the game but also visualized the heroes Billy and Jimmy with enough details to focus on. I can say this was an eye-catching ad.

2. X-Men: Children of the Atom print ad

*Great looking ad but the line “100% direct conversion” is not true at all.*

Developed by Capcom in cooperation with Marvel, X-Men: Children of the Atom was a huge hit in the video arcades and it was not surprising that it got released on the Sega Saturn by Acclaim. Acclaim organized an aggressive promotional campaign by pouncing on the fans’ love and knowledge of the X-Men and the high fun factor of Capcom’s game. What this print ad got wrong, however, was the line “100% direct conversion of the #1 arcade smash!” which was wrong and misleading. In reality, the Sega Saturn version of the game had about one-third of the animation frames cut due to the console’s smaller RAM capacity.

As the years passed by, the Sega Saturn became the more suitable console for home ports of Capcom’s further 2D fighting games as Sony’s PlayStation had even more severe limitations and a graphics processor that was not suitable for 2D graphics. By the end of 2000, Capcom’s 2D fighting games on PlayStation all were inferior to the Sega Saturn versions.

3. Sky Shark NES print ad

Released in Japan as Flying Shark, Sky Shark was released on multiple platforms in 1988 and there was an NES version of it which this particular print ad promoted. The American branch of Taito wisely used positive quotes from media outlets to promote the game while coming up with an engaging text description and displayed NES screenshots. And then there was that very engaging painted cover art that gave this print ad a lot of punch. An effective ad overall.

4. Conflict print ad

*This is a very captivating artwork for advertising.*

There is no denying the fact that the Cold War was a strong influence on arcade games and video games. Titles like Contra, Jackal, Metal Gear, Operation Wolf, Cabal and Rush’n Attack were militaristic games that entertained millions of gamers from the young adults to the little children. In 1990, Vic Tokai released the game Conflict on the NES which had a military theme but an unusual game design composed of digital maps with hexagons in which gamers will play with strategy to win battles. That being said, this print ad’s visual concept was very captivating yet also misleading. If you see how the game is played, you will know what I mean.

5. College Slam print ad

*Were you ever interested in college basketball video games?*

This is one of the more eye-catching print ads I’ve seen due to the artist’s illustration of a basketball with a mouth biting the basketball rim which dominates the space. For the newcomers reading this, College Slam was a basketball video game that was actually a repacked version of the popular NBA Jam with focus on NCAA basketball players. With the biting basketball at the center, it was easily an attraction and the screenshots implemented were larger than usual which easily gave gamers a clear look at what the game looked like. While this print ad is eye-catching, it did not help sell College Slam and there never was a follow-up.

6. Tecmo Super Baseball print ad

*From the time when Tecmo was prolific with video games about sports.*

Long before it started the Dead or Alive game franchise, Tecmo was once heavily invested in making sports video games. Tecmo Super Baseball was their first American pro baseball video game released for Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES) and Sega Genesis, and it was notable that the publisher secured only the Major League Baseball Players Association (MLBPA) which resulted in the game featuring real-life players but the teams had no names and no logos. Regardless, this print ad showed how aggressive Tecmo was in trying to attract consumers’ attention by showing ten screenshots with short text descriptions each. The ad’s write-up boasted realism as well as the promise of gaming quality.

7. The Punisher print ad

In the early 1990s, Capcom and Marvel Comics started their partnership resulting in the releasing of the arcade game The Punisher. Developed by Capcom, the said arcade game became a big hit with gamers as it featured fun gameplay, multiple enemies appearing on screen simultaneously and other fun elements. Unsurprisingly, the game was ported (note: Sculptured Software was the lead developer) to the Sega Genesis with significant downgrades in terms of graphics, sound, enemy variety and other related elements due to technical limitations. That being said, this print ad used detailed art of the Punisher (with Col. Fury in the background) in a clever way to promote the Sega Genesis version while keeping their attention away from the obvious visual downgrades of the two screenshots displayed. The Punisher on Genesis was poorly received.

8. Stargate print ad

*If you did not enjoy the movie, were you able to play the video game adaptation on Sega Genesis or Super NES?*

Remember the sci-fi movie Stargate (1994)? The film was a surprise box office hit and eventually video game adaptations of it were made for the SNES, Sega Genesis, Game Gear and the GameBoy. This particular print ad, however, showed screenshots of the SNES and Genesis versions which is made obvious with the side-scrolling adventure plus 3D flying sequence (one screenshot showed it). Combined with images sourced from the movie poster plus an insert of the movie in home video format (lower-right corner), this print ad was obviously an aggressive way to promote the film with the post-theatrical business in mind. In case you are wondering, the cinematic Stargate is not related at all with the early 1980s video game (a follow-up to the classic game Defender) of the same name.

9. Aerobiz Supersonic print ad

*For a simulation game released on consoles, Aerobiz Supersonic is pretty deep and a lot of fun to play.*

The airline simulation game Aerobiz Supersonic is a highly addictive and surprisingly fun game that I enjoyed playing on the SNES (read my retro review by clicking here) and strangely enough I first learned about not through its print ad but by reading a preview published by Electronic Gaming Monthly (EGM) magazine. As for this print ad made by Koei’s American team, this is really odd to look at due to the ad makers’ choice of showing a not-so-attractive flight meal. In contrast to that, the ad makers did a good job describing the game creatively and showed three screenshots that were strategically selected in my view. Having played the game many times, I can say that this print ad is very truthful.

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Thank you for reading. If you find this article engaging, please click the like button below, share this article to others and also please consider making a donation to support my publishing. If you are looking for a copywriter to create content for your special project or business, check out my services and my portfolio. Feel free to contact me with a private message. Also please feel free to visit my Facebook page Author Carlo Carrasco and follow me on Twitter at @HavenorFantasy as well as on Tumblr at https://carlocarrasco.tumblr.com/ and on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/authorcarlocarrasco

Young Jiu-jitsu gold medalist welcomed by Las Piñas City Mayor Aguilar

May 30, 2024May 20, 2024carlocarrasco

Recently in the City of Las Piñas, Mayor Imelda Aguilar welcomed the very young jiu-jitsu champion Jeon Bradley Cruz at City Hall, which the City Government confirmed via social media. For the newcomers reading this, the 6-year-old Cruz won the gold medal of the Kindergarten Rooster division of the ASEAN International Jiu Jitsu Open Championship 2024.

To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the City Government’s social media post. Some parts in boldface…

City Mayor Imelda Aguilar warmly welcomed six-year-old Jeon Bradley Dela Cruz during a courtesy visit at the City Hall on Thursday, May 16th. Jeon recently competed in the ASEAN International Jiu Jitsu Open Championship 2024, where he won the gold medal in the Kindergarten Rooster division.

*Las Piñas City Mayor Imelda Aguilar with the young champion and family at City Hall. (photo source – Las Piñas PIO)*

In addition to his recent victory, Jeon also participated in the Marianas Pro Manila Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Championship 2024, where he secured another gold medal in the same division. His achievements in these prestigious competitions highlight his talent and dedication to the sport.

Mayor Aguilar congratulated Jeon on his accomplishments, expressing pride in his representation of Las Piñas on an international level. She noted that Jeon’s success at such a young age is commendable and brings great honor to the city and emphasized the importance of hard work and dedication, which Jeon has clearly demonstrated through his achievements.

Let me end this piece by asking you readers: If you are a resident of Las Piñas City, what is your reaction to this development? Are you very delighted to learn about what Jeon Bradley Dela Cruz achieved for both the city and the nation?

You may answer in the comments below. If you prefer to answer privately, you may do so by sending me a direct message online.

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For more South Metro Manila community news and developments, come back here soon. Also say NO to fake news, NO to irresponsible journalism, NO to misinformation, NO to plagiarists, NO to reckless publishers and NO to sinister propaganda when it comes to news and developments. For South Metro Manila community developments, member engagements, commerce and other relevant updates, join the growing South Metro Manila Facebook group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/342183059992673

Muntinlupa City Government congratulates local resident Napolis for winning 2023 World Combat Games women’s jiu-jitsu gold medal

November 1, 2023October 29, 2023carlocarrasco

Recently, the City Government of Muntinlupa congratulated local resident Kaila Napolis for winning the 52Kg women’s jiu-jitsu gold medal in the 2023 World Combat Games that took place in Saudi Arabia.

The congratulatory message was done through the City Government’s official Facebook page on October 28 with a picture post. For the newcomers reading this, this is not the first time Napolis made big achievements in international sports events and has been congratulated by the City Government before (read my past blog posts by clicking here, here, here and here).

*From the official Facebook page of Muntinlupa City.*

Napolis is a resident of Barangay Poblacion. The full details of her latest achievement can be read in the Philippine News Agency’s (PNA) sports news article.

To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the PNA sports news article. Some parts in boldface…

The Philippines claimed its first gold medal in the 2023 World Combat Games following the triumph of ju-jitsu fighter Kaila Jenna Napolis at the King Saud University Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on Wednesday (Thursday in Manila).

“It’s my first time to qualify in such an event. It feels surreal to be able to get a gold medal especially here in the World Combat Games,” the 25-year-old Napolis told the Philippine News Agency on Thursday.

She scored a 2-0 victory over Anael Pannetier of France in the final of the women’s -52kg Ne-Waza.

“She looks intimidating by her stance and she’s a bit bigger than me so I’m very nervous going into the match. I feel like throwing up but I had to focus and give it my all because it is finals already,” shared Napolis, who defeated Adriana Cruz of Colombia, 6-0, in the quarterfinal and Mongljin Ganbaatar of Mongolia via submission in the semifinal.

“When I stepped on the mat, my mind was cleared already. I just wanna execute my techniques first and have a very good control on her,” added the 2023 Cambodia SEA Games gold medalist and Hangzhou Asian Games silver medalist.

Napolis was grateful to national coach John Baylon for accompanying her in the tournament.

“It’s my first time to travel alone without a teammate so I’m super thankful to coach John for helping me with the training here, assisting me with the schedules, being my corner man and masseur,” said Napolis, a member of the Paranaque-based Checkmat Manila Club headed by coach Manny Jimenez.

“Kaila deserved the gold medal, she trained hard and came here prepared,” said Baylon, a nine-time judo gold medalist in the SEA Games. He also competed in the 1988 (Seoul) and 1992 (Barcelona) Olympics.

Let me end this piece by asking you readers: What is your reaction to this recent development? If you are a resident of Muntinlupa City, are you very delighted to learn about the latest gold medal victory of Napolis? Does Napolis inspire people in your local community to engage in sports competitions?

You may answer in the comments below. If you prefer to answer privately, you may do so by sending me a direct message online.

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Better than Streaming: Police Story 3: Supercop 4K Blu-ray set for December 13, 2022 release

August 26, 2022August 26, 2022carlocarrasco

Welcome back fellow geeks, Blu-ray collectors and movie buffs! When it comes to cinematic martial arts and stunt works that are thrilling to watch, I can say Hong Kong action filmmakers and performers really stand out. More notably, Jackie Chan and Michelle Yeoh are the cinematic icons of Asia whose decades-old works remain memorable to this day.

That being said, if you are fond of Jackie Chan and Michelle Yeoh, and if you want something really fun to add to your collection of 4K Blu-ray movies, then you should get ready for the release of the 4K Blu-ray of the 1992 Hong Kong action film Police Story 3: Supercop (also referred to as Police Story III: Supercop) which has been set for December 13, 2022. The good news here is that advanced orders of Police Story 3: Supercop 4K Blu-ray are being accepted already. You can order it right now by clicking here.

For the details of Police Story 3: Supercop 4K Blu-ray, posted below are technical stuff sourced from its Blu-ray.com page.

Video

Codec: HEVC / H.265

Resolution: 4K (2160p)

HDR: Dolby Vision, HDR10

Original aspect ratio: 2.39:1

Audio – TBA

Subtitles – English, English SDH

Discs – 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray Disc, Single disc (1 BD)

Packaging – Reversible cover

Playback – 4K Blu-ray: Region free, 2K Blu-ray: Region A

Police Story 3: Supercop 4K Blu-ray will come with extra stuff and key features. Check out the official product trailer below…

I personally am interested in this upcoming 4K Blu-ray of the movie that had Jackie Chan and Michelle Yeoh as the stars. For one thing, I only saw the Dimension Films version released in 1996 simply titled Supercop and that version had some content of the original Hong Kong version cut out. I am also interested in the extra stuff related to the dangerous stunts Chan and Yeoh pulled off while making the film. Other aspects of the film’s production, which includes filming in Malaysia, are something I would like to see.

As for the movie itself, it has a lot of thrills and to watch them – as well as Jackie Chan and Michelle Yeoh themselves – again in 4K is something to look out for. On the aspects of story and continuity, this 1992 movie was the 2^nd sequel to the original Police Story (1985) movie that I saw long time ago on home video. Filled with lots of action, very dangerous stunts (note: Chan doing the dangerous pole stunt with exploding electric lights inside a shopping mall was the definitive stunt to see) and car chases, Police Story became successful and spawned sequels. Police Story 3: Supercop had Chan working with Michelle Yeoh (note: this was her comeback) and in my view, they had fine chemistry together and proved how great they are with fighting and stunt work. No computer-generated images here as the action and stunts were really done by the stars with high risk and danger. Chan and Yeoh are movie legends now and their team-up in 1992 is alone a solid reason to anticipate the 4K Blu-ray release.

*Asian region movie poster of Police Story 3: Supercop.*

Watch out for Police Story 3: Supercop 4K Blu-ray on December 13, 2022.

In closing this Better than Streaming piece, posted below are Police Story 3: Supercop-related videos and some videos related to Jackie Chan and Michelle Yeoh.

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It would be nice for Square Enix to remaster Xenogears and release it on Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S and Windows PC plus Xbox Game Pass (XGP)

August 12, 2022August 11, 2022carlocarrasco

Are you an Xbox gamer who likes Square Enix’s Japanese-developed role-playing games or JRPGs? Chrono Cross has been available since April. Square Enix’s new JRPGs The DioField Chronicle and Star Ocean: The Divine Force will be released on September 22, 2022 and October 27, 2022 respectively.

To be clear, I find Square Enix’s business relationship with Team Xbox lacking. The HD remastered version of Legend of Mana was very noticeably released on multiple platforms but not on Xbox. Tactics Ogre: Reborn was announced for future release for multiple platforms except Xbox. Still on Square Enix, the Final Fantasy VII remake as well as the announced sequel are exclusive to Sony’s platforms. The exclusions are clear and disturbing. Why Square Enix excluded the Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S and the Xbox One (which still has many millions of console users until now) as platforms to sell the above mentioned games remains a mystery although there is speculation that Sony Corporation and its PlayStation executives made a secret deal with the JRPG giant to specifically hurt Xbox without affecting Nintendo and Steam. Realistically, Microsoft pointed out that Sony pays game companies for blocking rights to keep games off Xbox Game Pass. Read all about it here, here and here.

While these developments are disturbing and also annoying, I still wish that Square Enix would remaster one of its classic JRPGs and release it on Xbox platforms similar to what they did with the remastered Chrono Cross. That classic RPG I’m referring to is none other than Xenogears.

*Xenogears’ battle system allowed individual persons and giant robots (called gears) to engage in battle simultaneously. Observe how the approach on in-game scale was done here.*

I played Xenogears on the original PlayStation console way back in 1998 but I never got to finish it due to my academics and other external matters. It also did not help that the CD-ROM of the PlayStation deteriorated.

Regardless, I had a lot of enjoyment during my limited time with the said JRPG, the design of which was led by Tetsuya Takahashi. The fictional concept of Xenogears took a lot of inspiration from real-life forms of religion as well as concepts from certain intellectuals to establish the story themes, the fictional cultures and historical backgrounds within the game. At the same time, the game had this in-depth universe composed of different settings for gamers to explore. In my experience, I felt immersed into the game’s universe and I still remember the moments I got astonished discovering not only the many locations and landmarks but also the many non-playable characters (NPCs presented as 2D sprites) in the form of local communities and the in-game cultures.

*Xenogears had 3D polygonal environments and 2D sprites for the characters and creatures who move around.*

*In this classic JRPG, you play as Fei and you will explore a lot, fight a lot and interact with lots of characters as you go along.*

While Xenogears had a science fiction concept, it still had lots of settings and gameplay features that made it feel like a fantasy. I love the way how the creative team’s artists implemented their art styles on the environments, the characters, the machines, the interiors of places and more. Visually, this game saw the use of 2D sprites for the characters who move along a 3D polygonal environment which can be explored creatively by a camera that can be adjusted by the players. As such, this approach done in Xenogears made the game look and feel a lot like Grandia.

While Xenogears’ battle system had key elements that were common with other JRPGs, there was a clear emphasis on hand-to-hand combat that took a lot of inspiration from martial arts as well as 2D fighting games of the decade. There were these martial arts-inspired combos which required button combinations and timing which were fun to watch happen. There were also these death blows which were really rewarding when pulled off correctly. Of course, there were still some magic attacks that were nicely presented.

What made Xenogears stand out is the use of giant robots or gears in the game. Not only did the game allow me to travel with the gears, it also allowed me to engage with enemies (both the large and the small ones standing on the floor/ground) with a fully functional battle system that emphasized size, scale and impact altogether. Similar to the other battle system, the gears battle system fun and engaging in my experience. I can never forget the moment I first saw my gear crush a huge enemy with a lot of impact to seal the victory. Travel using gears, however, was hampered somewhat by the creative team who implemented platform gaming elements (note: this includes jumping from one platform to another without falling down to your death) and the controls were not really responsive enough. This is something Square Enix should consider improving if they ever remaster Xenogears.

*The battle system with the individual characters is a lot of fun and also unique as the combat emphasizes combos and martial arts.*

*The artistic approach used in Xenogears remains captivating.*

Right now, I would love to replay Xenogears and complete it but I prefer the game should be remastered and be released for Xbox consoles. I have no intention of buying a new console from Sony and Nintendo to play Square Enix JRPGs that are missing on Xbox consoles. JRPGs on Xbox are not exactly lacking (note: Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes will be released via Xbox Game Pass in 2023 while Persona RPGs are coming to Xbox soon) but it would be great not only for Xbox gamers but also Square Enix itself to remaster Xenogears and release it on the Xbox ecosystem. That being said, I believe Xenogears itself would make a great addition into Xbox Game Pass (XGP) which already has many millions of subscribers worldwide!

Think about it carefully. Having a remastered Xenogears for sale on Xbox and also listed on Xbox Game Pass will not only be good for the Xbox ecosystem but also for Square Enix to not only sell games but also reach out to the XGP subscribers who could enjoy the said JRPG and add a lot of new players that the JRPG giant could not reach before. Not only are more Square Enix role-playing games are needed on XGP right now (note: adding Chrono Cross into it will be delightful), they can also benefit nicely as the Xbox ecosystem is gradually becoming the premier ecosystem for RPG enthusiasts in this console generation. Xbox-exclusive RPGs like Starfield, The Outer Worlds 2, Fable as well as future sequels of The Elder Scrolls and Fallout will collectively generate big game sales as well as increase the number of gamers in the Xbox ecosystem and Xbox Game Pass subscribers will grow big as well. The growth will be even bigger once Team Xbox’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard gets approved. For Square Enix to miss out on fast growing Xbox ecosystem in favor of Sony’s blocking rights will be a regrettable move.

Going back to Xenogears, I want to make it clear to Square Enix that now is the time to remaster it and release it on Xbox as well as other platforms. That being said, I also urge Team Xbox’s chief Phil Spencer, executive Aaron Greenberg and the Xbox Game Pass team to reinvigorate the business relationship with Square Enix and try to convince them to release Xenogears and other classic JRPGs into XGP and the Xbox game store. To the Xbox gamers and RPG enthusiasts reading this, I encourage you to contact Square Enix and Team Xbox to have Xenogears and other JRPGs (both classic and modern) released on the Xbox consoles and Windows PC.

In closing this piece, posted below are Xbox-related videos plus a few Xenogears-related videos for your enjoyment.

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Better than Streaming: The Karate Kid Collection 4K Blu-ray coming out on December 7, 2021

October 1, 2021September 30, 2021carlocarrasco

Welcome back, fellow geeks, movie buffs and fellow Blu-ray/4K Blu-ray collectors!

For those of you who love The Karate Kid trilogy of movies (1984-1989) as well as the acclaimed sequel Cobra Kai, mark your calendars for December 7, 2021 as The Karate Kid Collection 4K Blu-rayset will be released on that very day! You can order it online right now!

[Blu-ray cover]

The Karate Kid Collection 4K Blu-ray set comes with six discs as each movie has a 4K Blu-ray disc and a Blu-ray disc (for 1080p viewing). As seen above, the box really has nicely made artwork showing the trilogy characters and the 1980s vibe. Unsurprisingly, Ralph Macchio and the late Pat Morita are featured on the front as the iconic duo of Daniel and Mr. Miyagi.

Posted below are key details of The Karate Kid Collection 4K Blu-ray from its Blu-ray.com page.

Video

Codec: HEVC / H.265

Resolution: 4K (2160p)

HDR: HDR10

Aspect ratio: 1.85:1

Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1

Audio

English: Dolby Atmos

French: Dolby Digital 5.1

Spanish: Dolby Digital 5.1

Subtitles

English, English SDH, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Portuguese, Spanish, Arabic, Croatian, Czech, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, Greek, Hindi, Korean, Mandarin (Simplified), Mandarin (Traditional), Norwegian, Polish, Slovak, Slovenian, Swedish, Thai, Turkish

Discs

4K Ultra HD

Blu-ray Disc

Six-disc set (6 BD)

Digital

Digital copy included

Playback

4K Blu-ray: Region free

2K Blu-ray: Region A

As stated in the Blu-ray.com announcement, the first two Karate Kid movies were previously restored in 4K from the original camera negative while the third movie comes with a new 4K restoration from the original camera negative. As of this writing, however, there is no clear indication if each movie will have native 4K visuals.

The first movie is a true classic in my honest view. As it was directed by the same man responsible for the first Rocky movie, The Karate Kid shares certain elements with it but still it went on to establish its own legacy adding variety to the teen culture movies released by Hollywood in the 1980s and helped made martial arts become a cultural phenomenon again in that same decade. As the 1984 movie proved to be successfully critically, commercially and culturally, it went on to spawn sequels in 1986 (story set mostly in Japan) and 1989 (set again in California and an attempt to make the trilogy go full circle creatiely). Beyond the film format, an animated series was made as well as a computer game and a video game. Come December 7, The Karate Kid Collection 4K Blu-ray will resonate with Blu-ray collectors who grew up with The Karate Kid movies.

In ending this piece, posted below are Karate Kid-related videos for your enjoyment.

For more entries of my Better than Streaming series of articles, check out my pieces on The Beastmaster 4K Blu-ray, The Transformers: The Movie 4K Blu-ray, Mortal Kombat 2021 4K Blu-ray, Space Jam 4K Blu-ray, V: The Original Miniseries Blu-ray (read my retro review), V: The Final Battle Blu-ray, Highlander 4K Blu-ray, The Suicide Squad, Super Dimension Century Orguss Blu-ray, Unbreakable 4K Blu-ray, Injustice 4K Blu-ray, The Suicide Squad 4K Blu-ray, Terminator 2: Judgment Day 30^th Anniversary 4K Blu-ray, Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within 4K Blu-ray, Mad Max Anthology 4K Blu-ray and Night Shift Blu-ray.

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Thank you for reading. If you find this article engaging, please click the like button below and also please consider sharing this article to others. If you are looking for a copywriter to create content for your special project or business, check out my services and my portfolio. Feel free to contact me as well. Also please feel free to visit my Facebook page Author Carlo Carrasco and follow me at HavenorFantasy@twitter.com

If you wish to join a group of movie enthusiasts and talk about cinema, visit the Movie Fans Worldwide Facebook group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/322857711779576

Better than Streaming: Mortal Kombat 4K Blu-ray combo coming out July 13, 2021

June 3, 2021June 2, 2021carlocarrasco

If you are a Mortal Kombat fan or if you are simply looking for something action-packed and fantastic to add to your growing 4K Blu-ray collection, then pay attention to this…Mortal Kombat (2021) is coming out on 4K Blu-ray on July 13, 2021 and you can order it ahead of time at Amazon (note: subject to supply). Check out the image below.

Mortal Kombat (2021) 4K Blu-ray is a combo package that comes with the 4K Blu-ray disc, the Blu-ray disc (for 1080p viewing) and in digital form (via a provided code). The good news for 4K Blu-ray collectors is that the movie’s visuals are rendered in native 4K! To put things in perspective, here are the technical specs and details from Blu-ray.com

Video
Codec: HEVC / H.265
Resolution: Native 4K (2160p)
HDR: Dolby Vision, HDR10+
Aspect ratio: 2.39:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.39:1

Audio

English: Dolby Atmos
English: Dolby TrueHD 7.1 (48kHz, 24-bit)

Subtitles

English SDH, French, Spanish

Discs
4K Ultra HD
Blu-ray Disc
Two-disc set (1 BD-66, 1 BD-50)

Digital
Digital 4K
Movies Anywhere

Based on the rear of the box, Mortal Kombat (2021) 4K Blu-ray will come with deleted scenes, a feature about how Mortal Kombat went from video games to movies, featurettes of eleven MK characters, the Fight Koreography feature and more. The feature film itself is 110 minutes long.

For the newcomers reading this, this year’s Mortal Kombat movie is actually a reboot and the 3^rd entry in the Mortal Kombat live-action movie franchise. To be clear, the first-ever Mortal Kombat movie came out in 1995 directed by Paul W.S. Anderson. A sequel came out in 1997 titled Mortal Kombat: Annihilation directed by John R. Leonetti. While I saw the two 1990s MK movies, I have not seen the 2021 Mortal Kombat movie yet.

Let me end this piece by asking you readers: Are you a 4K Blu-ray collector looking forward to Mortal Kombat (2021)? Are you a very avid Mortal Kombat fan? If you have seen Mortal Kombat in the cinema this year, did you find it enjoyable and engaging? Among all the characters of Mortal Kombat that appeared in the video games, which one character is your favorite and why?

You may answer in the comments below. If you prefer to answer privately, you may do so by sending me a direct message online.

In ending this piece, here is a video of Mortal Kombat (2021).

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A Look Back at On Deadly Ground

November 3, 2019December 21, 2022carlocarrasco

Way back in 1994, Warner Bros. released the action movie On Deadly Ground which marked the directorial debut of its star Steven Seagal. The movie had a poster that easily attracted the attention of avid Steven Seagal fans and eventually the film lured quite a lot of moviegoers to the cinemas.

ODG1 — *Even though it had a boring design, this image at cinemas excited Steven Seagal fans and moviegoers craving for action.*

I never saw it in the cinemas due to a lack of time and money. Instead I saw On Deadly Ground on VHS format (and later on cable TV) in the comfort of home. That comfort however turned into disappointment after watching it.

For starters it’s a Steven Seagal movie which guarantees lots of hard-hitting action with lots of swearing. What makes it feel unique was its focus of the environment and its very forced concept about a very greedy top executive of an oil company is creating danger towards the environment as his team rushes to complete an oil rig called Aegis One in Alaska.

The execution of the movie, to say the least, is rather poor. Just about every character in the movie is one-dimensional. When it comes to action, it is typical (and very predictable) Seagal as the star gets to fight lots of bad guys without ever being hurt by them! Ironically Seagal in the film expresses pain over the treatment of his wounds.

ODG6 — *Star-director Steven Seagal and the film crew working on an action sequence.*

And then there is the emphasis on the environment. The movie narrowly portrays the fictional oil company as the force of danger to nature and threat to indigenous people of Alaska because it is led by Michael Jennings (played by Michael Caine) who is too greedy and desperate to beat a deadline and prevent the oil rights from reverting back to native Alaskans.

That’s right! Jenning’s Aegis had the oil rights for twenty years and all they could do is try to launch an oil refinery so near the end of the time period. Does it really take that long to construct an oil rig? What exactly did Jennings do during those twenty years? I mean, he acquired the oil rights from the natives and I could speculate he did not prioritize the construction of any oil-related business project using those same rights. Perhaps Jennings spent years touring the world, suddenly was advised that his corporation has financial trouble and only then did he go to work to make oil rig.

More on the environment, Steven Seagal plays Forrest Taft who initially serves Jennings. He eventually checks the computers of the company to find out that faulty equipment has been used and the delivery of better and more reliable equipment is coming in way too late. Taft even asked Jennings (who eventually learned about Taft’s unauthorized computer access) how much money is enough and this predictably leads to a scene in which Taft gets set up to die in an explosion.

ODG2 — *Michael Caine and Steven Seagal.*

Unfortunately for Jennings and the other bad guys, Taft survived and got assistance from native Alaskans. Very predictably, he makes a comeback, collects weapons, performed a few destructive operations before proceeding to Aegis Oil’s rig to cause further destruction and kill bad guys!

Then the film ends with Taft giving a speech at the Alaska State Capitol focused on uncontrolled pollution, environmental destruction and big businesses’ contribution to environmental decline.

ODG4 — *Chinese actress Joan Chen pretending to be a native tribe member.*

It’s funny how Taft got to deliver his speech. He was not arrested for causing the oil rig’s devastation nor was held accountable for killing other people. Where were the local authorities who could have initiated an investigation? Even without Michael Jennings, the oil company could have gone to the local authorities or the federal government to accuse Forrest Taft for murder and even acts of terrorism! Also where in the world are those staunch, loudmouth environmental activists, SJWs and climate change activists? The damage caused by Taft on the oil rig clearly caused damage to the natural environment with those toxic fumes from the explosions! Logic was clearly thrown out for the sake of senseless violence.

When it comes to performances, this movie is a showcase of shallow acting and cinematic expressions. Not only are the characters one-dimensional and the script really had no character development, the actors really had no where to go as far as acting is concerned. Chinese actress Joan Chen plays Masu who only serves as the English-speaking expository dialogue delivery person to help the audience understand the norms and concerns of a native tribe. Shari Shattuck (who is an author and has her own Facebook page) played the pretty, bland and straight-forward special assistant to Michael Jennings. R. Lee Ermey, who is best known for playing military officers, plays the leader of a group of mercenaries who got defeated too easily by Seagal.

In terms of directing and overall presentation, this movie is clearly nothing more than a vanity project of Steven Seagal. There were many moments in the film that looked like it suggested viewers to worship and idolize Seagal. The pacing of the film is very lackluster overall.

Poorly directed scenes? One of them is the excessively violent torture scene of Hugh Palmer (played by a then 73-year-old Richard Hamilton) which showed no restraint on the part of filmmakers. The scene, which was clearly designed to make moviegoers see the evil of Michael Jennings through the acts of his henchmen, would have worked better had the on-screen torture been reduced and shortened.

More on the movie’s violence, the scene showing Forrest Taft easily beating up multiple oil workers in response to the mistreatment towards a native man was unnecessary and overly long. Taft looked more like a senseless superhero who does not care about humanity and laws. And then there was that hand-slap game between him and “the man’s man” Big Mike (Mike Starr). The presentation of violence and bloodily injuring a man as means of enlightenment is senseless.

Ultimately On Deadly Ground is a worthless action to film to watch and I believe only die-hard Steven Seagal fans will love it. It was a very bad movie back in 1994, it’s even worse by today’s standards. On Deadly Ground is filled with bad ideas turned into film. A pro-environment concept presented as a senseless action film is a big waste. And then there is the old stereotype that a giant corporation’s head is unabashedly evil, inhuman and greedy (note: not all corporate heads of billion-dollar corporations are like that).

As such, I should say that you should never waste your time nor your money on this piece of crap.

+++

Note: This retro movie review was originally published at my old blog Geeks and Villagers. What you just read was the updated and expanded version. As such, this retro movie review is the most definitive version.

Thank you for reading. If you find this article engaging, please click the like button below and also please consider sharing this article to others. Also my fantasy book The World of Havenor is still available in paperback and e-book format. If you are looking for a copywriter to create content for your special project or business, check out my services and my portfolio. Feel free to contact me as well. Also please feel free to visit my Facebook page Author Carlo Carrasco and follow me at HavenorFantasy@twitter.com

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