The Penguin and Honey Bunny

TV Series that additional content to their respective franchises.

The Penguin

This crime drama is as dark as "The Batman" movie which it continues from. Here we follow Ozwald Cobb (wonderfully played by Colin Farrell) as he weasels his way from being a lowly underling to the crime boss better known as the titular Penguin. While there aren't so many action scenes the plot, acting and effects are very well done making this so far single season show really easy to recommend. You don't really have to know anything about Batman, Penguin or the movie preceding it to enjoy it either. Big thumbs up!

Honey Bunny

This is actually the second spin off for Citadel, but unlike the first one this is a prequel series set in India and they won't let you forget it with all the synth music tracks and silly Indian humor peppered through out. In it we follow a struggling actress who gets into the spy game and while there are some good action sequences in here the story itself is weaker than its peers. Combined with the fact that its all happened in the past makes it a bit of a non starter. Feel free to skip this one.

The Chess Campaign - Rapid 21 to 30 (418)

[Part of the Chess Campaign]

I'm now in the Bronze league having finished in the top 15 of Stone but to advance again I'll need to be in the top 10 of the week.

I was also lucky to get a lesson game with Josh where he was impressed with my Caro-Kann opening and that I knew he was building a queen/bishop cannon but still needed to guide me on how to actually win towards the end because I simply didn't see the moves. A rook or queen on the 7th row is really strong!

He also recommended I learn more about the Caro-Kann and have at least two openings for both Black and White, suggesting that I learn the London from Gothamchess. I guess I'll go do that next...

Notation is I either played (W)hite or (B)lack.

21. okadarainmaker (W):  d4 e4 open into slow and steady development and then when I attacked their knight it really put them on the backfoot trying to save it and resulting in them losing all their pieces. Ladder checkmate win (418) up to (431).

22. plutofv (B): d4 c6 open into standard central development where we traded 1 bishop and 1 knight. Then I'm guessing he misclicked his queen into a stupid position letting my king slay her and resigned right after that. (431) up to (448).

23. Jagitry13 (B): Caro-Kann vs variation of Queen's early attack which led to an early exchange of queens. However, since my army was developed at that stage and his wasn't, he got murdered pretty badly afterwards. (448) up to (461).

24. Djeyyk (W): My first attempt using the London system and it smashed his king side castle. (461) up to (473).

25. nitrotastic123 (B): Caro-Kann standard, enemy resigned in mid-game losing position. (473) up to (487).

26. RaviRaj11_R (B): Caro-Kann against early queen attack again, but this time he retreated into long development but too late, I had control of most of the board by then. Eventually got all his pieces and promoted a few pawns to ladder mate. (487) up to (501).

27. El_Don_Devil (W): London open led into very long game where both sides were almost wiped out. I still had a rook and more pawns though, and with queen promotion got ladder mate with 30ish seconds to go. (501) up to (516).

28. onlygoodmove (B): Caro-Kann led to an early 10 move win after sacrificing my white bishop for his knight. Queen/Bishop cannoned into his king side castle for checkmate. (516) up to (527)

29. hamza_therifai (B): Caro-Kann long game and LOST as he played a different counter variation I wasn't prepared for. He was thrashing my forces and got my queen in a king fork, so I congratulated him on chat with a "well played" and he graciously offered a draw which I accepted. We both know he won that one. (527) down to (526).

30. Vreymont (B): Caro-Kann and he used the fantasy counter. I felt I was doing well but took too long to think, then I just started making blunders all over the place. Resigned in a losing position. (526) down to (514).

The Chess Campaign - Rapid 11 to 20 (364)

[Part of the Chess Campaign]

I think my lesson this time is not to play consecutive games (like these first six are) as it just makes me more and more impatient! Apparently this is called "Tilt"? Gothamchess suggests a things to fix this. One: cap the game count. Play 5 a day then win or lose, just stop. Two: Draw arrows from enemy pieces to help visualize what they can see. Apparently right clicking on chess.com allows that! This also helps stop gut reaction/emotion moves. Third: If you're playing for fun, your chess rating doesn't matter. That's last one is a good one to remember for me... but I'm still going to keep track of it. :P

Notation is I either played (W)hite or (B)lack.

11. Heni0622 (B): e4 e5 open but then I got slaughtered on one side of the board and couldn't stop the rampaging queen that followed. Resigned as I ran out of pieces and was badly outnumbered by pawns (504) down to (468).

12. omar1969omar (W): d4 e5 opening and both sides played stupidly according to the review, but I still managed to play worse and was defeated (468) down to (432)!

13. 17or99 (W): e4 e5 open, and was winning until I foolishly gave my queen away to a pawn! It just went downhill from there. Defeat (432) down to (401).

14. artsinasanat (B): he used an early queen attack and got me quick (in 10 moves)! Yikes (401) down to (374). While that's not a good result it is a learning opportunity for me so off I go to study how to counter that. :P

15. chuckygaywagon (W): I managed to control the center early and goofed with my queen AGAIN. He definitely had me on the back foot at the end game but didn't see a bishop/queen pin with my rook to capture his queen. Then all his other pieces. He offered a draw when he realized he couldn't stop my pawn promotion which I declined, then probably rage quit as he just let his clock run out from 3 minutes instead of resigning. Naturally I flagged him as a bad sport and blocked him. Finally a win (374) up to (397)!

16. gracielle19 (W): I think this was her first game on the site, and while I got control of the center she played really well (like, no mistakes or blunders according to the review) which earned her win. Loss (397) down to (381).

17. horse_battle (W): had me on defense the whole time which was nuts since I was white! That's because I goofed on my second move and didn't take the free pawn which would eventually paralyze my back line. The blinders I have when I get an idea are ridiculous. Comfortable win for him, finishing with a bishop backed queen for checkmate. (381) down to (364).

18. newyorkrangers94 (B): both sides built defenses (he used KID) and then I attacked the center where I'm pretty sure my foe just had a counting error (a big battle took place and he thought he'd come out with more material, but he missed an extra attack frome me). With his forces exhausted I just got him with a rook checkmate on the back row. (364) up to (382).

19. jillwoops (B): used the same early queen attack as artsinasanat (#14 above) but this time I stopped it using the Caro-Kann (both tactics can only be used with that white king's pawn opening). Nice sounding defense and the only one I know basic principles of other than the Albin counter. Feels like this person just uses the trick for fast wins (based on their play history anyway), and resigned on turn 4 seeing they had a fight on their hands. Win (382) up to (401).

20. chicukak (B): from the same country as jillwoops and did the exact same early queen attack opening, which again I stopped using the Caro-Kann. It kinda felt like a continuation of the previous game actually, but once she started losing pieces and saw her worsening position she resigned. Win (401) up to (418).

The Chess Campaign - Starting Rapid 1 to 10 (400)

[Part of the Chess Campaign]

Ok, so I'm trying Rapid (10 minutes per side) games for the first time and once again I'm starting with a "gifted" (400) rating as it turns out the ratings aren't shared between the chess modes. So no, I didn't suddenly get better - my Blitz rating remains at (347) while I'm doing these. Interesting how big these rating jumps are too, but I guess it's just narrowing down where I actually am. The 10 minute clock also means I doubt I'll win using it via my blitz "pushing wood" tactic now. Lastly to save some typing (and reading), games with (W) mean I played white and games with (B) mean I played black.

After watching Gothamchess lessons on Youtube I've decided to stop trying to use fancy openings (after the first game here) and go back to the basics of control the center of the board. This backpedal is mainly to help force my brain to think a bit more rather than, "I'm going to try use Queen's Gambit (in every situation) because that's what I know."

1. Kruseher (W): QGA and standard development then started slowly but surely losing the battle. Not sure why he resigned midway, because it didn't look great for me (well, it didn't look great for him either). Still counts as a win! (400) up to (560).

2. fena2804 (B): d4 e5 / dxe5 start, followed by standard development until she foolishly sent her queen to die? Had her on the ropes afterwards until checkmate (my second checkmate win LOL). (560) up to (692). Look at me, using chess notation haha.

3. hritikmehta (B): d4 e5 / dxe5 start, followed by standard development until silly error put me into a losing position. With very few pieces left it was a race to promote a pawn and he won. (692) down to (602).

4. Filip2304 (B): attempted the Scandinavian defense but clearly failed (should have developed more first I think) as he managed to infiltrate his queen into my back ranks and eventually win via checkmate. (602) down to (528)

5. engnidal67 (B): while a misclick really undid me, he managed to get TWO rampaging knights into my ranks. I really liked his first rampager though, as it had bishop cover and started from a standard development position. I've done this before accidentally in Blitz, but I'm going to study it better now to see if I can use it intentionally. This defeat brings me from (528) down to (458).

6. Msm9909 (B): I just did basic central development while they opened with each rook's pawn and also push forward weak undefended pawns. Once they ran out of pawns and got their queen sniped, they offered a draw which I refused so they resigned instead. Victory (458) up to (492).

7. MrGhsty (W): after basic central he was winning in attacking my King side castle, but then made silly errors that let me take his queen and the rest of his pieces. Then I goofed because even though I had two queens on the board and he only had a king, I managed to put it into stalemate. LOL. (492) down to (488).

8. proofjj (B): I think this was his first game on the site, and after a e4 e5 open he offered an early queen trade which I accepted as I had more material at that point. Castled on opposite ends and eventually got to promote two more queens to ladder checkmate him with 42 seconds to go. Win (488) up to (514).

9. Chayo1255 (B): e4 e5 and he had me on the backfoot early but charged my line with a bishop instead of a knight with an awesome fork (same one as game 5 here vs engnidal67) . This let me recover and get my queen into his own lines but then on chat he was :scared face: "juega rapido" (I take my time thinking if I have 10 minutes lol) so I traded queens and we cleared most of the board. I offered a draw (which would have lost ranking for me) in case he was in a hurry IRL which he refused so I advanced my pawns to promotion which he desparately tried to stop, but was caught by a rook / pawn promotion queen in his face. Win (514) up to (548).

10. nabilyy (B): he used an odd opening advancing all pawns down one side which I'd not seen before. Felt I was doing ok defense wise until I castled that way and fell into a Queen / Rook checkmate. Well played, I need to remember that one! Loss (548) down to (504).

The Batman (2022) and The Invisible Guest (2016)

Two crime solving movies!

The Batman (2022)

When a smart (and ultra sneaky) villain starts murdering people and leaving riddles addressed to the Batman, the police quickly involve the in/famous masked vigilante (played by Robert Pattinson) to help solve the case. This dark and gritty Gotham is nice as are the peppering of action sequences throughout but the movie is far too long for its ultimately average plot. There are so many scenes that linger too long for no purpose and regardless of the setting or time of day, everyone aggressively whispers to each other instead of talking like normal. I also felt the music composition was a bit weak. Only recommended for Bat or R-Pat fans who might be able to endure the long running time.

The Invisible Guest (2016)

In this Spanish mystery thriller film, a man (Mario Casas) accused of murder talks to his lawyer to try establish a defense for his upcoming criminal case. There is almost zero action here and the plot makes heavy use of flashbacks yet it is leagues better than the Batman, as you get invested quickly as the plot moves at a good pace and the "puzzle" of the crime does get your mind thinking throughout. Highly recommended.

Joker

Everything in Gotham is dark, even its comedy.

Arthur Fleck (Joaquin Phoenix) just wants to bring laughter into the world. Unfortunately being poor in Gotham and afflicted by mental illness leads him to be victimized by so many scum bags, until one day... he breaks and becomes more than a little murderous. Joaquin does a great rendition of this soon-to-be Batman villain, and old, dirty Gotham is done well cinematography wise.

Being retarded doesn't make you cool or exclude you from the LAW!

There's also enough difference from the usual Joker origin story to be interesting without being different enough to become alien. Obviously the tone of the whole thing is very dark, especially as so many Gothamites are such scum. Definitely one Batman fans or Joaquin Phoenix fans will enjoy, but for everyone else your mileage may vary. I give it 3.5 knock knock jokes out of 5, but would probably not watch it again.

LEGO Batman 3: Beyond Gotham

Somehow, less Batman is more awesome? What!?

A major improvement from the last game, this one sees you control the entire Justice League as they do their hero thing. It also fixes the problems of having the Batman theme on loop (he's not around as much) and being able to carry only one suit at a time. In this game, if you have a suit unlocked it and its abilities are always available to you.

This does make the game slightly harder as you have more options for puzzle solving which don't always make sense: such as Batman's ice gun being able to put out fires EXCEPT these fires which look exactly the same which can only be crossed by someone holding a shield. Uh, sure.

Suicide Squad go!

The game also comes with nice extra levels (the Arrow one is great, thanks Stephen Amell!) and the side missions are more enticing to participate in. Definitely a step up from the last outing, I give it 3 shrunken cities out of 5.

Insight: Not sure where to go? Follow the trail of ghost lego!

LEGO Batman 2: DC Super Heroes

Batman is more violent and destructive than ever!

Unlike the first game which just kept crashing for me, this one has the fantastic improvement of being playable, and more than that - is quite enjoyable given the low difficulty and decent story. In it you play (mostly) as the dynamic duo, puzzle solving their way through levels.

Yes, Superman is in it too...

Make no mistake, this is a puzzle solving game more than anything. Obviously this is tuned for kids though, and possibly selling many lego toys and mini figures. It's quite interesting that Batman and Robin get a number of different suits with various puzzle solving abilities, but you can only carry one at a time (which is irritating).

Also as cool as the cartoon Batman theme is, you might get sick of it as it plays almost non-stop throughout the levels. Lastly the story only gets you 20% completion of the game, with the remainder being the exploration of Lego Gotham if you so choose, but there's no real motivation to do so.

This results in an OK game, but not one I would actively recommend. I give it 2 bat suits out of 5.

Insight: When in doubt, hold the button down.

Gotham (TV Series)

It was crazy long before Batman.

Set years before Bruce Wayne (David Mazouz) takes up the cowl, this series stars Jim Gordon (Ben McKenzie) as a rookie detective. Passable effects, crazy plots and plot armor are a mainstay  in this interesting pre-batman tale.

Most of the cast are villains!

It flounders quite a bit in season one but picks up afterwards when the writers realized that showcasing the villains and how they become who they are makes for entertaining viewing. This is the best part of the show.

Everything else it does an OK job at, but not fantastic like some of the other superhero series out at the moment. Still, I think Batman fans should give this 5 season series a try. If you make it past the balloon man episode then you probably like it. :P

Batman: Arkham Knight

I hope you like driving games.

With Gotham evacuated thanks to a terrorist threat from Scarecrow, the streets are now filled mostly with goons of the regular rogues gallery and an invading army of soldiers who are mostly there to hunt Batman. Fortunately, Bats has a new toy in this game - the Batmobile - a powerhouse which will either make of break the game for you.

Why? Because as cool as the car is, it's like 70% of the games' focus suddenly shifted to it. There are multitudes of races, chases, combats, and puzzles (yes, damn you Nigma) that can only be solved with it. If you like driving games, then this should be good news for you. If you hate driving games like I do, then it becomes a tedious chore.

Punching the Riddler is one of my fave moments.

It's a pity because the rest of it (other than the ending which I disliked) is great, especially the bits where you can play as other characters... if only you didn't need the damned car most of the time. I give it 2.5 "non-lethal" exploding bat-rockets out of 5.

Mr. Popper's Penguins

Much like all of his other movies, your enjoyment of this will be highly determined by the simple question of "do you like Jim Carey"? 

In this film, Carey is a talented real estate broker who happens to come into the possession of a waddle(?) of CGI enhanced penguins which he somehow takes care of in a city high rise apartment that doesn't allow pets. His attempts to get rid of them are quickly stopped when his estranged kids and wife take a renewed liking to him... because he has penguins. The plot then revolves around him going slightly crazy and getting the penguins "fix" his life. Did I mention his dad abandoned him because he preferred penguins?

Not that type of Penguin.

There is a place for fantasy but this really just gets more ludicrous as the show goes on. As someone who likes Jim Carey, I found it to be an enjoyable enough kid's movie but not something worth going out of your way to watch. Indeed, your time might be better spent watching a few episodes of the Gotham series instead. I give Mr. Popper's Penguins two penguins out of five. Today's review is brought to you by the word: Penguin! :P

Invasion of the Everything

Part of my Explorer of Tyria journal - you can find the rest here!

Guildwars 2 zones have come under attack by the forces of the seemingly too smart for her own good jester sylvari, Scarlet - who made her grand(er?) entrance during the closing ceremony of the Queen's Jubilee. She's far too interesting to be Trahearne's evil twin, so I'm now guessing she is the "Harley Quinn" to the Mad King's "Joker"... and I'm Batman! Well, no I guess I'm just one of the Gotham PD in that analogy because everyone is a hero and because I'm not rich. :P

Harley is way hotter than Scarlet though.

She's been a busy little plant though as not only does she have the tech and forces of the steam creatures, the sheeply stupid molten alliance and a small country of aetherblade pirates at her disposal - she also has twisted the watchwork knights in Divinity's Reach to her will turning them into... uh... Decepticons? From her barricaded position within the Crown Pavillion she sends them out in huge numbers via steam portals, and joins the forays herself just to remind everyone who is behind the attacks.

Really have to keep an eye on the clock if you want to participate in stopping these though (and to continue the story, you NEED to participate in at least SIX or have a buddy who already did that for you). A window of 10 minutes at the start of every hour is all you have to waypoint to the hot zone and once there expect to be way pointing around more to stop the gazillion foes warping in. Thank the gods Kiel won with her cheaper WP costs!

If you miss the entry window you will be sitting on your hands for 50 minutes, being left out and simply "waiting to have fun". GW2 likes introducing mechanics where you wait to have fun. They really are carefully going through that first manifesto and breaking every point they had. One of the achievements needs you to participate in 13 at the minimum (13 hours on the hour) but likely it will be more since you need to luck out and get 13 unique zones.

Fortunately the rewards are pretty good, better I think than the Crown Pavillion circuit but that may look more appealing after Kiel's WP reduction runs out after the next few weeks. I know I'll be participating as much as I can, that's for sure. Never had as much gold as now, yet I still don't have enough for a commander tag. I'm poor. :(

Batman is Cthulhu

At least in Gotham anyway. You may argue that Scarecrow or the Joker or any number of the other psychos in the rogues gallery there would hold that title, but then you remember that Bats often beats them down - and really, who wouldn't be afraid of someone that can defeat so many super powered freaks on their own? However underneath all the gadgetry is just a normal guy who is just as susceptible to the usual human failings (like bullets) as everyone else. This whole aspect of the Batman is done so well in the Arkham City game (the successor of Arkham Asylum) which I am just about finished with, just a few more side quests to go, most of which are really cool. The Riddler scavenger hunt is a bit excessive though.

Other than that the art, free roaming, fluid combat system, story, and music are all superb and the number of named criminals that you face is again pretty high though always you can't help but wish you also got to fight or encounter just a few more of them, or teamed up with so and so. Boss fights are also fun, though my favourite one is about half-way through where you have to use all you gadgets and tactics to bring down one guy. I know some people complain that they can't play the way -they- want since Batman doesn't kill, but once you carefully watch those finishing animations you will realize there are fates worse than death.

I'm gonna go right ahead and say that in the next game, if there is one, I would like to face off against Superman and other good guys for whatever plot twist. That would be epic. For now though, regardless of your Batman fanaticism or lack there-of, Arkham City is a great game and if you have a system that can run it and haven't played it yet you should go get it! :)