Ultramarines Movie Review

The following will be a review of the Ultramarines movie as I perceived it. I'm going to break it down in to the Good, the Bad, and the Confusing. However this review WILL contain spoilers.

The Good: First off the collectors set is beautifully done.  It is sturdy and doesn't feel cheap at all.  I got the feeling that I got my moneys worth.  The movie itself was about what I expected.  The plot was above average and the animation was good.  There were a few moments of cinematography that were really well done and pleasing to the eye.  A couple examples would be when the heavy bolter marine is firing on the chaos infested tower and they do a slow-mo close up of the heavy bolter casing with "Kill the Heretic" engraved on it.  The animation on the chaos marines was also really well done.  The animation and sound of the landspeeder was very cool...almost like a bad ass turbo deisel engine.  The atmosphere of the story was also suitable creepy.  Overall I feel like it was worth the price of admission and I am glad that I own the collectors edition.  For a first effort, it exceeded my personal expecations.  I hope that it is successful enough for Codex pictures to do more.

The Bad:  Alright here we go.  I expected for there to be groan inducing moments and there were.  In case you ever wondered whether or not space marines know any fear....there will be no doubt by the time you are done with this move.  They ritualistically recite "And we shall know no fear!" way more times than is necessary and by the end it seems pretty lame.  I realize that the budget was limited and they had to choose where to put their attention.  It shows in certain parts of the animation.  It seemed like to me that the same character would sometimes not look the same from scene to scene.  Now this next part I'm not sure about.  I don't know if the word "taint" has a different slang interpretation in England but there is a scene regarding sniffing out the taint of Chaos which is snicker inducing and pretty much sucks the credibility out of the scene.

The Confusing:  Again, I think most of these points are because of budget constraints.  When you have an entire Ultramarines battle barge sent to investigate a distress signal, why do you send 1 whole tactical squad and 1 whole land speeder to the planets surface. Seems a little stingy to me.  Not only that, but you load them onto a Thunderhawk.  Doesn't a Thunderhawk hold 30 marines??  Hmm.  And where the heck are the rest of the marines?  In the final battle with the demon on the ship, where are the rest of the space marines?  This entire battle barge only has 10 or 12 marines on it?  Not one single guy with a powerfist?  Maybe it's just me but I couldn't shake the feeling that Samuel L. Jackson was going to jump out from behind a column and yell "I'm tired of theses mother****ing demons on this mother****ing plane!!"

Summary:  At any rate,  I would give this movie 3 out of 5 stars.  If you are a fan of 40k, I think it is a must buy. It is not without flaws but for a first effort it is definitely above average and deserves a once over.  The best thing I can hope for is that this movie does well enough for there to be another 40k movie and then Codex Pictures can hopefully iron out the rough patches.

Ulramarines the Movie Delivered!

I finally got my copy of the Ultramarines movies in the mail today.  And just a shade under 3 weeks late (sarcasm intended).  I'm happy but a little annoyed.  I really hope it's worth the wait, otherwise this could leave a really bad taste in my mouth.  A review will follow...

Xmas Project: Astorath the Grim Progress

I've started to pick out some of the details and paint the face.  This is a really fun model to paint and the more I look at it the more I appreciate the sculpt.  I'm really new to photographing models and I'm having a little trouble capturing it in the correct light.  I need to do some research online for some tips I guess.

WIP: Merry Christmas From the man in red and I don't mean Santa...

These are just some really early pics of a work in progress of Astorath the Grim.  I'm actually painting this up for a good friend for Christmas.  He doesn't live very close and I don't get to see him very often.  From the very beginning from the old Rogue Trader days he has been a die hard Blood Angels fan.  I'm just getting the base coat down now and frankly I'm just keep record of this project to keep myself motivated.  Hope to work on stage 2 tonight.  I hope you like it buddy and I can't wait for you to see it completed!

Ultramarines Movie Update + Exclusive Clip

Praise the Lord and pass the ammunition!  Got an email today from Codex Pictures and apparently everything has been straightened out and they plan to begin shipping next week.  Personally I am stoked.  It is a crappy situation and it sucks but I have to say I am really happy about how Codex Pictures handled the whole thing.  There were daily updates on their website and I got several emails updating me on the anticipated ship date.  And by the way, Bols put up an exclusive clip from the movie on their Youtube channel today.  If you haven't seen it check it out here.

Ultramarines Movie Update...

"We regret to tell you that we have nothing to tell you."  That's basically what Codex Pictures has to say about the situation.  Very depressing.  The only detail they would say is that the problem is not with the movie itself but with one of the other components in the collectors set.  I really really want to see this movie succeed so we can get more, but this is not a good start.  Read for yourself here.

Ultramarines Movie Release Delayed

Somehow I had a feeling this would happen.  I'll just keep my fingers crossed that it's not a huge delay.  They gave no specifics in the message on Codex Pictures website, which makes me a little nervous and there was no projected delivery date.  So much for pre-ordering.  I guess we'll just hold our collective breath...

Blue Table Painting Mountain Fortress

Just wanted to do a quick post about something Blue Table Painting has in the works.  If you haven't seen it, I encourage you to take a look.  I happen to think it's a really cool idea.  If you agree send em over a couple bucks and some goodwill.  It's codenamed: Mountain Fortress....

There are a few videos explaining the project, but the first one is here

The Gaming Crew

We all roll with different types of gaming groups.  Some big, some solitary.  I personally have been blessed with a small but hardcore group of friends for about 10 years.  Basically myself and 3 other people.  But as the years have rolled on we have gained wives, children, and $2000 a week cocaine habits.  It's great that we have each other to game with, but the drawback is we don't get out to play at the local store very often.  That tends to have a negative affect on the WAF (wife acceptance factor).  As a side affect we can get in to a bit of a rut when it comes to army variation.  We have been trying something lately to shake things up.  Three of us make an army at a given points cost and then 2 of us randomly select an army to play.  It makes you think in broader terms and forces you to make an army that is much more balanced than normal.  It also helps that each of us have at least 2 armies to choose from.  It's not a super competitive way to play and it lends itself to more thematic games.  All this makes me wonder what everybody else's groups are like.  What's the average size?  What kind of house rules do they use?  And do they do most of their gaming at home or at a store?

Incoming!!!!!!!!!!!

 I like 5th edition.  A lot.  I've been playing since Rogue Trader so I understand how far the game has come.  I was thinking during my last game about the cover system.  Cover is HUGE.  In fact, I think the game was originally designed to be played with substantially more cover than most people currently use.  There is basically one situation in which I think the cover system breaks down a little bit.  Say there is a squad of space marines in a forest.  They get shot by a crack missile.  The cover system works fine.  You get a cover save because you wouldn't normally get an armor save.  Now pretend that the same squad gets shot at by a unit of guardsmen with lasguns.  They get their armor save which is fine.....my question is, "Why only their armor save?".  Using the logic in the main rulebook, it would imply that a space marine in the open is just as likely to get killed by a lasgun or a bolter than a space marine in a forest.  At the end of the day I realize that I am playing with little plastic men, but it just doesn't seem that "realistic".

Hmmm, that's a mystery.

As a follow up to my last post regarding the Stormraven, I found this picture online.  I wouldn't stoop as low as to accuse GW of stealing an idea, but the similarities are striking.  I'm still trying to figure out what I really think about the "real" Stromraven.  Sometimes I look at it and think "That's not too bad.".  And then after about 60 seconds I think "WTF!".  Either way, I have decided to reserve final judgement until I can see one in person.

It's a bird, it's a plane, it's a..........goldfish?!?

Why GW? Why? You can kick so much ass. The drop pod. The Valkyrie. The new skaven characters. The entire dark eldar range. And then this.  What the hell happened?  Was Jes Goodwin on vacation?  Is this part of your outreach program for the aerodynamically challenged?  I've read tons of stuff from other people and I had to put in my 2 cents.  There are individual parts of this model that look good on their own, but when you put it all together it just doesn't work.  It looks like it would drop like a rock, the wings are all wrong, the las-cannon turret looks like an after thought, and you'd shoot your own guys in the back with mutli-meltas.  I think there is great potential for some good conversions based on this kit however and I can't wait to see what people come up with.

In space, no one can hear you scream....

Just got my first Firestorm Armada ship from Spartan Games in the mail a few days ago. And frankly, I'm pleasantly surprised. The size of the model is bigger than I thought and molding is really good quality (resin, btw). The ship pictured is a Manta Class Battle Carrier. I bought this as a test model to see what I thought and after this I am seriously considering getting in to this game full time. I need a side game for the times that you're just not in the mood for a full blown 40k or Fantasy game.

This is a space combat game similar to Uncharted Seas, also a Spartan Product. If you want to know more, The D6 Generation did a really good review in Episode 46.

D6 Generation Review

Here's a quick look at 2 projects I have been working on recently. The first is a stone formation that was made out of foam insulation. I've really been trying lately to make more large scale scenery that can really block LOS and make games more interesting. The second is the GW Temple of Skulls, it's about 90% finished. I just have a little bit more high lighting to do. I gotta say this is probably one of the best pieces that GW makes. It's technically in the Fantasy line of scenery but honestly it's better suited for 40k....lots of nooks and crannies for individual models to hide in. Awesome piece and reasonably priced at $29.75. Hopefully I'll be able to post some battle report pics with these in them soon...

Something Wicked This Way Comes....

These are one of the last crucial bits for my Shrike brood. AKA: Farseer hit squad. Next game, I don't care what else happens, a Farseer is going to die...hard. Motherhumper. 6 Shrikes, lashwhip & boneswords, poison, and a bad case of the munchies. By the way, these resin swords are great. Got them from Paulson Games

Podcast Newsflash

++++Podcast Newsflash++++

If anybody out there has not checked out the Life After the Cover Save podcast...do yourself a favor and check it out. Every episode so far I have absolutely laughed out loud. Moosejaw Jackson!!!

Click Here For Awesomeness

Rik's Rant Rant

So I finished listening to Episode 1 of the new 40k Radio. Overall an OK start. Sound quality was slightly below average. Topics were ok. I like Romeo and the guys, but they definitely have some work to do. Now for the meat...Rik's Rant. I understand kind of what he is saying. I think it's his delivery that bugs me. Last time I checked, this is America. If I want to complain about something GW does, I can. You don't have to listen to it, but don't try and step on my right to vent. Don't like people who complain?? Then don't play them or hang around them. Don't get me wrong, I love a lot of what GW does and NOBODY makes better models. I like mama GW's milk as much as the next guy, but when the milk tastes bad, I'm not gonna swallow. And let's be honest...GW does some really dumb things and makes some decisions that make no sense whatsoever. It is our duty as customers to speak up when we don't like something. I am a customer. Without me and people like me, GW doesn't exist. Maybe it wouldn't kill them to listen to just a fraction of the complaints put forth by the people who sign their paychecks. And maybe they'd be a better company for it.

Doom of Malan'tai WIP

This is my first attempt at a Doom of Malan'tai. I'm ok with how it's coming along, still needs a little work though. I need to thicken up the tail some, because as it stands now I have to transport it in it's own case all on it's own. Kind of like an assassin pulling a machine gun out of a violin case....

Souls always taste better when they get sucked out of power armor...om nom nom.