Beneath the thin veil of rational behavior, all civilized people have a more primal side. You could call it the ID, or you could call it the lizard brain, but whatever it is draws you to crave the wild side. And from that common calling, the kingdom of metal was born...an ancient land of rock, hot rods, and scantily clad ladies where towering statues of guitars and neolithic architecture dominate the landscape. An ancient land ruled by evil demons, enslaving mankind to mines where they aren't given tools, but bang the rock with their bare heads. But even the kingdom of metal would have a hero rise up and lead his people to freedom. And in Tim Shafer's newest game, Brütal Legend, you will free humanity with the power of rock.

Jack Black plays roadie Eddie Riggs, who is transported back to this ancient land of metal, and rallies mankind by putting his roadie skills to use. You see, in the world of brütal legend, rock is power. Electric guitars are used to summon great power from the rock gods. Sometimes for attack, but also for command. Contrary to the perception that the game is a hack & slash, like God of War, Brütal Legend is surprisingly a very basic Real Time Strategy game at heart. One where you can take part in the battles yourself, or command your troops using the power of rock. Your base is literally a stage, and the currency are fans, which you much harvest to power your forces.

In truth, the gameplay is much harder to describe than simply calling it an RTS. It's also an open-world action-adventure game with vehicles. This hodge-podge of gameplay styles works pretty well together, even if it sounds a bit gawky. None of these styles is done particularly great, but the whole feels pretty good, as it is fun to play. You could say that the power of rock is the glue that holds it all together, because what Brütal Legend does have going for it is a very consistent and very cool aesthetic that recalls heavy metal album covers from the 70s. Huge ancient landmarks are scattered about the world, giving the game a great sense of scale, and creating some pretty stunning, albeit heavily stylized, vistas to boot.

But by far the best part of Brütal Legend is story. Tim Shafer, who has built a reputation as one of the greatest comedic storytellers in the industry, delivers again in a big way. The story, as mentioned before, is a messianic tale of rebellion and freedom. But viewed through the lens of Shafer, it sparkles with wit and energy, never feeling as trite as it would through any other storyteller. Jack Black puts on a perfect performance as Riggs, but is supported by the otherworldly Tim Curry, and a who's who of rock legends like Ozzy Osbourne, Rob Halford, Lita Ford, and Lemmy Kilmister. The humor does diminish a bit as you get deeper into the game and the story gets a little more serious, but as a whole, the story is a blast from start to finish. Hard to recommend if you absolutely detest Real Time Strategy games, but there is enough other stuff going on that this is a game that would appeal to just about anyone with a love of rock and an itchy funnybone. The metal lives on.

I'm a sucker for a good western. No doubt about it. No matter if you're talking Sergio Leone's classics such as Once Upon a Time in The West, or Larry McMurtry's classic Lonesome Dove, I've always been drawn to the raw, rugged beauty of the utterly untamed frontier. It is a rich world to play, with tales of heroes, outcasts, lawmen, hostile natives, prostitutes (with hearts of gold, no less), and the ever-popular outlaw. Yet, until the last five years or so, it has been a tragically neglected genre for videogames.

But in 2005-2006, a trio of western-themed games hit and brought hell with them: GUN, Red Dead Revolver, and Call of Juarez. All three were critical and commercial successes in their own rights, and now the sequels are coming to cash in like Doc Holiday with a gun under the table. The first of these sequels is actually a prequel, Call of Juarez:Bound in Blood. And if this game is any indication, the second round of Western-themed games should be all the sweeter.

CoJ:BiB tells the story of the McCall brothers, Civil War defectors-turned-outlaws on a quest for Cortez's Gold. And the story is as rich and layered as any FPS story this year. Actually, it's one of my favorite storylines in FPS history. You'll find yourself in the company of Preachers, Apache warlords, Mexican pistoleros, Rogue Militiamen, and one very beautiful senorita...all in search of the treasure of Cortez that is buried somewhere in Juarez, Mexico. There are many twists and turns, and you'll find yourself having a hard time being sympathetic with any of this surly lot. But that's the anti-hero vibe of the Spaghetti Western at play, which tickles my fancy every time. That isn't to say that the story is all gold. It definitely takes a turn here and there for the trite, and worse, silly. But all things considered, it's a step forward for the sub-genre.

Bringing the story to life is the Ubisoft's Chrome Engine, which pumps out fantastic lighting effects that really amplify the game's atmosphere. The characters are richly detailed, and while not the best in genre, are better than average in bringing this Western tale to life. On the whole, animations are pretty stiff...but the facial expressions during the game's many cutscenes are quite nice at emoting what the characters are going through. Vast, colorful vistas stretch for miles in the distance, and the detailed landscapes of the foregrounds are defined by crisp textures and foliage. And it's this color and texture that really set it apart from all of its all-grey competition. The result is a game that can stand with some of the best in the FPS genre. The audio is a bit cringe-inducing at times, settling for hard-rocking guitars during action sequences, instead of relying on the more orchestral elements from the rest of the game. And it's in the sound design that the game misses its biggest opportunity to nail the Western thriller...it simply does too much. A good Western is sparse in it's sound design...letting the desolate landscape's ambience speak to the loneliness of its characters. Subtlety is the key, and at times, CoJ:BiB simply misses the mark entirely. But don't let that ruin what is otherwise a finely told story, because the gameplay is also remarkably solid across the board.

The gameplay is at its heart a first-person shooter, but there are a few additional layers that make it a little unexpected, and more fun as a result. You'll have an assortment of period-appropriate weapons (I'm pretty sure some are fictional) that pack the power that you would expect from an 1865 firearm, not that I have any idea what that would feel like. But they feel right. In addition, you'll have access to a Bow, throwing knives, dynamite, and other goodies that let you mix things up a bit with some stealth and grenadier action. And what fun would all those toys be if you couldn't bring them to bear in cool ways, and Call of Juarez gives each of the game's characters a unique slow-motion multiple-shot mechanic, where you can take down several enemies in mere seconds. But the coolest gameplay addition is the showdown. You'll face down enemies, one-on-one, in a quick-draw contest to the death. You have to circle around the enemy, while keeping your hand near your weapon, lest it take too long to draw. And if you're quick enough, you can pull off some incredibly accurate shots in a split second. These sequences let you live out your gunslinger fantasies in a way that captures so much of what makes Westerns fun.

As good as it plays, and as great as it looks, ultimately it's CoJ:BiB's ability to capture all the little moments of Western cliche that make it a game worth playing. If you enjoy Westerns at all, the story will have you smiling as the brothers McCall take on all manner of opposition in a dusty, atmospheric world that let's your imagination soar. And as good as it is, it makes you wonder how great the next generation of Western games will be, when technology takes a back seat to pure storytelling. Where the soundtrack is sparce, save for a lone flute playing a haunting melody against the backdrop of the painted deserts of the American West. Where sharp-eyed heroes and villians, and every shade in between, fight for a piece of the bloody frontier. If only Sergio Leone were alive and a game developer.

Good PS3 exclusives don't come around that often. Killzone 2 may have, in fact, been the last one. But InFAMOUS can certainly be added to that elite company. It was released within the same month as it's dopleganger Prototype (another openworld superhuman on a rampage game) and the fantasticly awesome Red Faction: Guerilla. But even with all the openworld genre competition, InFAMOUS does a lot right to stand out.

The story is about a bike messenger who inadvertantly destroys the city with a parcel, and as a result, becomes Emperor Palpatine. That means you have control of lightning...able to manipulate electrical currents and power sources to your will. In terms of gameplay, this means you will have the lightning equivalent of pistols, shotguns, and rockets. But these also feature lightning's unique property of spreading though the objects and characters surrounding the impact. This creates for a visually powerful effect, even if the lightning's splash damage is a bit weak. In addition to these basic powers, you'll aquire the ability to "grind" powerlines, glide through the air, and even resurrect the games multitudes of innocent bystanders. Depending on what choices you make throughout the game, slanting you "good" or "evil", you will gain access to unique powers. The end result is you are a Raiden-like thunder god who can use your powers for good or ill. You will also get the ability to quickly scale pretty much anything in the gameworld like a parkour legend, and in this gameplay mechanic the game will feel almost like a platformer at times. And it is in this depth and variety of gameplay that InFAMOUS becomes an addictive experience.

Tech-wise, the game is rock-solid. Unlike most openworld games, InFAMOUS is dense with detail at every corner. The architecture is varied and well thought out, each building giving you unique gameplay opportunities as you figure out how to scale it. The character models are also well detailed (for the genre), and quite varied as you will encounter tons of NPCs on the streets. Other little details that were impressive included lighting effects in both atmosphere and destruction, detailed textures, and the draw distance which feels pretty much limitless.

What you end up with is a sandbox to essentially be a superhero or supervillian in. The given choices and missions never allow you to be too evil, but you can kill civilians by the hundreds if you choose to do so, draining their lifeforce to power yourself. And not to spoil anything, but you aren't the only super-dude in town, and your showdown with these powerful opponents create for some fantastic encouters and twists. The combination of solid platforming, lightning-based "gunplay", and fabulous graphics make this one a blast to play from beginning to end. Highly recommended.

Is Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen the right movie for you to see this weekend? This simple quiz could help you divine an answer to that most serious of questions.

1) Do you like to see stuff get blown up?

2) Do you have Dramamine on hand?

3) Do you like your giant robots to say things like "punk-ass Decepticon."

4) Do you enjoy seeing dogs hump? Potty humor?

5) Do you have a high tolerance for demeaning racial stereotypes?

6) Do you have 2.5 hrs?

If you answered yes to three or more of these questions, then Transformers: RotF is the feel-good hit of the summer. If not, then a little more thought may need to go into this decision.

To put it simply, this movie is neither as ungodly horrible or as awesome as you might have heard. There are moments of pure fun mixed with moments of pure agony. But none of it renders this big, dumb action flick unwatchable. Nor can the incredible effects and explosions save it from pure mediocrity. It does a decent job of entertaining, but nothing here is going to make you want to watch it again....the pain point of the bad stuff is just too high.

Yes, Ironhide, the humor is that bad.The lions' share of the pain in this movie comes from the face-palm inducing attempts at humor. In fact I think they meant to call it Transformers: ROTFL, but they lost the "L". If you hated the original movie because of the stupid robot piss jokes, or John Turturo's laughable character, then stay way the hell away from this one. Michael Bay has never been one to respect his audience, but he dips to all new lows here, and seems to revel in it like a dog rolling around in a dead carcass. Apparently, the focus groups just LOVED the humor in the original, so he amped it all up to 11. It's a regular old robot clown rodeo. And if you cringed at the ghetto fabulous Jazz from the original, you'll absolutely loathe the new "Dirty South" style twins which represent some of the meanest stereotyping I've seen in years. I mean, it's Breakfast at Tiffany's bad. And the twins combine to form an ice cream truck. I shit you negative. Much has already been said about how offensive these characters are, and it is all well deserved. The scary part is that the audience I saw it with, which was diverse in age and race, absolutely wailed at the off-color stuff. I guess that they didn't know they were being made fun of. Or maybe I'm just reading too much into it through the white guilt lens. I don't know, but I know what I saw on screen embarrassed me. Well, enough about that.

The plot...well...I hope you aren't there for a good story. This is no Terminator 2. Hell, this is no Transformers 1. With what was no doubt the most expensive production in film history, TF:RotF manages to put a ton on screen, but I'll be damned if it says anything worthwhile. In this case, it's much less than meets the eye.

So what's good? Some of the action is pretty sweet, even if keeping track of what all is going on has actually gotten harder. But as giant robot fighting with cameras that rotate around in dizzying ways go...it's pretty good. Particularly, Optimus Prime and his merciless badassery. He basically got his can handed to him in the last film, but here, he's a one-robot wrecking machine. I guess he learned some robot-fu between films. Shia and Megan are still watchable as the human leads, but there isn't exactly much believable chemistry on screen. But they look good, and that's what matters in a Michael Bay flick. The Parents are back, and provide some of the only humor that actually works in the film, even if they are in it too much.

In the end, you'll probably come out of the theatre much the same way I did...with a glazed over look on your face. Openly acknowledging how crappy the bad parts, and a bit embarrassed that actually enjoyed it as much as you did. There are worse movies that you could see this year, but not many. Unless you just want to see the spectacle of hundreds of millions of dollars flying by on a big screen, I can't really recommend you spend your money on this one. Go see Star Trek, a big and expensive action flick that can actually tell a good story and a good joke at the same time.

Regina Spektor comes off as one odd bird. She's a little like those A.D.D. kids that like to put on little shows for their parents. There's an innocent and disarmingly transparent plea for attention. And somewhere in there, a tightrope walk of honesty and self-aware showmanship. Thankfully, every drop of that comes across on her latest release, Far. Less straightforward than 2006's excellent Begin to Hope, Regina wears all her idiosyncrasies on her ruffled sleeves, and to great effect.

While not as immediately gratifying as the former album, it rewards deeper inspection. Lyrically, she's sharp and delivers lines laced with references both literate and obscure. And they never cease to surprise in their delivery, which could best be described as curious, with just a hint of self-indulgence. But it always ceases the attention, as her voice is such a stunningly beautiful instrument. And when she purposefully goes off in unexpected directions, you sit up and take notice. She has always been self-aware in this, seemingly amping it up on demand, but somehow continues to come across as geniune due to the content of the lyrics. Melodically, she still recalls the best of the White Album era Beatles, with a dash of Tori Amos and the theatricality of Neil Diamond.

That recipe really pays off on cuts like entirely hummable "The Calculation", the dark theatrics of "Machine", and the irony of "Laughing With". The latter track, in particular, calls upon all of Spektor's more notable ingredients, painting a picture of desperation masked in absurdity. But all of the tracks seem to come from a more acute angle than on previous albums, and nothing is quite as cut and dry as they appear to be on the surface. It is this depth in lyrics that sets Far apart from her previous work, and keeps you hooked long after the catchy melodies have faded.

And divine it is. I could bang it all day.

I can remember fairly clearly when I first got the demo for Red Faction for the PS2. It was a shooter, set on mars, where you lead an uprising against a tyrannous corporation and you could blow shit up. Real good. My brain instantly conjured up images of Total Recall (still the best movie about Mars ever made), and the rebellion storyline made my inner Che' smile with with glee. Unfortunately, the game itself didn't quite live up to the promise.

Fast forward too many years, and Volition has released the third in the series, GUERRILLA. I'm happy to report that this game does indeed live up to the dream of what could have been, but is only now technologically possible. And man, is the tech ever grande. The star of this show is, without question, the GEOMOD 2.0 engine, which allows you to take down structures in a very realistic manner. Every structure is build with both a steel skeleton, and layers of structure on top of that, as a real building would have. By taking out the walls and the steel skeleton, you can literally bring down the house in a totally believable way. Knock down a load-bearing beam, and the structure will sway, whine, crack, and pout as it strains to maintain it's form under the unequally distributed stress. Knock down another one, and the whole thing crumbles down. And you can even do this with your gigantic hammer when you don't have access to rockets, tanks, anti-matter, singularity bombs, or mech walkers you will often be equipped with. It is a delight.

The gameplay itself is fairly straighforward open-world stuff, and the formula still works pretty well: A) Get Mission B) Drive Somewhere C) Blow Something Up D) Get Paid. As the previous paragraph implies, step C is what makes this one awesome, seperating it from the rash of similar games which have recently been released.

The graphics are adequate, but not spectacular, but don't let that keep you from appreciating the glory that is the GEOMOD 2.0 engine. It not only renders a gigantic world, but the damage that you inflict to it's many structures remains persistently when you return to it. This gives your actions consequence. Blow up a civilian apartment complex (or better yet, drive a mech through it) and it isn't coming back.

The story is your typical revenge story against the oppressive and seemingly invincible overlord, but rest assured, your hammer of justice will fall hard on "the man". Did I mention that my inner Che' was smiling? That being said, the story isn't why you're here, is it? You're here for the action, and in Red Faction: GUERRILLA, you will be more than satisfied. Highly recommended.

An insanely deep game that plays as good as it looks. Almost every major fighter is represented, and look amazingly close to their real counterparts. And the realistic damage modeling accurately serves as a "life gauge" of sorts. The presentation is straight out of a UFC TV event, and the music is just as annoying. Luckily the Voice Over work of the announcers is top notch and enthusiastic.

Exhibition bouts are fun, Online rocks, and historic fights are good additions, but the real game is in career mode. My custom fighter, Sir Noleo Fantastico, is currently running roughshod over the 205lb division. You have tons of ways to modify your fighter's skills, actually improving your abilities as you progress. W/L records are pretty realistic, because no matter how good you get, you can always get caught with a stray punch that is an instant KO. It's that unpredictable nature of the bouts that most authentically captures the excitement and constant danger of UFC fighting. Even the champ can go down with one well placed punch.

Sugar Rashad, Sir Noleo is coming for you.

As a child of the 80’s, videogames hit their peak early with me. I was a Nintendo geek, through and through, and I loved nothing more than playing countless hours on that thing. It was 1988 when I discovered Bionic Commando… a bizarre mix of WWII iconography, dwarves, flying machines, and heroes that flung themselves around on tensile steel. And it was everything I ever dared dream a game to be. Addictive. Challenging. Fun. It quickly became my favorite game of all time, and it has yet to be surpassed, in my opinion (well, except for the remake…). 

Far too many years later, Capcom (God bless ‘em), have made me one happy gamer by delivering two Bionic Commando games in relatively quick succession. The first, Bionic Commando Re-Armed, was an absolutely fabulous and faithful recreation of the side-scrolling NES classic. Re-Armed improved on the original in pretty much every way possible, and is now the default version of that game I pick up to play when I get the urge. Fast forward a year, and now we have its direct sequel, a fully next-gen 3D title called, simply, Bionic Commando. The results are far more mixed.

First off, let me say that swinging around the world in 3D is awesome. It’s as fun as ever, and very much skill-based. It draws instant comparisons with Activision’s Spiderman games, but where swinging is fairly automatic in those games (attaching webs to thin air), here you have to sort of aim and time your physics-based swings very carefully to take advantage of momentum. You will fall to your death, and often. But the fun will bring you back. The combat, however, is less impressive. Any fighting that involves the arm is a win, but the guns are pretty uninspired and quite weak. This, I think, was to make you use your arm more. Well, it worked because I rarely ever used the guns.

The Graphics are mostly great, but the art direction is weak sauce….In particular, the main hero’s design. His dreadlocks are just terrible aesthetically…I think they were going for gritty, but ended up silly. The design just doesn’t feel like it belongs in the BC universe, which isn’t exactly “street”. Luckily, Capcom anticipated this as I played through the entire game with the classic BC outfit (available if you own Re-Armed.) And let me tell you…that is the ONLY way to play the game. The spiky hair, shades, and popped collar are pure old-school, and make the universe feel much more cohesive with what you remember from the original.

The level designs, particularly the ruined cityscapes, are very linear. Which is a real shame, as Bionic Commando is most fun when you’re finding ways to navigate the environments. An open world where you can go anywhere you want would have been MUCH more fun. Instead, you’ll hit invisible walls when you stray from the path. The stages are fairly varied, and include forests, caves, cityscapes, and industrial sections…but where it really gets cool is when the game gets a little more inventive. On one stage, you’ll jump from jet to jet, or in another, you’ll fight on a giant machine in motion. But there just aren’t enough of those levels to go around though, and you’ll find yourself revisiting similar-looking locations with some frequency over the game’s 6-8 hours.

Ultimately, these mixed design choices bog down an otherwise very fun gameplay experience. It is a game of near greatness, and huge missed opportunities. I found myself not so much appreciating what I was playing, but thinking how much cooler it would have been if they had done ____ .  Luckily, it appears that sequels will be in order, as the game ends in a huge WTF moment that certainly leaves the possibility open. Hopefully, we won’t have to wait another twenty years for that to happen. It's a flawed, but fun ride that is well worth taking.

Wilco is a band at constant battle with its own reputation. In their earlier years, they carried the Uncle Tupelo mantle forward with a new form of American rock that not only harkens back to the dust-bowl, but also pushed forward into the new millennium with not only incredible musicianship, but increasingly daring production. With the release of Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, Wilco began to push their craft even more, turning as much to their production skills as their instrumentation. The deconstructed melodies and groundbreaking production drew instant comparisons with Radiohead, winning YHF numerous album of the year awards. They had successfully shed the baggage of being defined as just a rootsy American band. They had defied expectations, and along the way, they've been called the greatest active American band today.

Yet after the dust settled on their reconstruction, they’ve eased into a more predictably mellow phase. With each subsequent album, they’ve inched closer to a straightforward, almost easy listening style, drawing on more 70’s a.m. radio grooves than the Radiohead-esque noise of the past. This mellowing has earned them their “Dad Rock” reputation of late. The band’s soon to be released album, the eponymous Wilco, does little-to-nothing to dispel these perceptions. In fact, it goes even further in that direction than their last LP, the Volkswagon appropriated Sky Blue Sky, which helped sell a ton of Jettas to yuppies. Is this an improvement, or a step of their decline into irrelevance? A bit of both, actually.

On Wilco, the melodies and harmonies are right up front…never for a moment are they crushed beneath a wall of noise as on Yankee Hotel Foxtrot. That isn’t to say it’s a stripped down effort either, as it is meticulously layered with more instruments going on at any particular time than your ear can identify. It’s a particular pleasure to hear some of the warbled organs and slide guitar from Summerteeth make a comeback here. And the band reaches even further back into its bag of tricks, as the album’s opening number, “Wilco (The Song)”, sounds straight out of their Being There / Mermaid Avenue era. Tracks such as “One Wing”, “I’ll Fight” (which would have been right at home on Sky Blue Sky ,) “ “Bull Black Nova”(which sounds almost like a sequel to A Ghost Is Born’s “Spiders”) and “You Never Know” give the album a far more upbeat presence than in previous efforts. “Sonny Feeling” is a lazy little rock number, with upbeat pianos and guitar, feels like it will go on a great many “Summer Trax” mix tapes, is perhaps the album’s finest moment. Even the meandering “Country Disappeared” and “You and I” (a nice little duet about marriage) are solid, if a bit dull. And it’s these latter tracks that give the album its “Easy Like Sunday Morning” vibe. In fact, for good or bad, it’s the easiest going Wilco album to date. This makes Wilco seem a bit lazier of an album than any of their previous work, with less urgency in their message. On the other hand, a good chilled vibe may be exactly what we need. As a friend of mine told me “I don’t think I could have handled another A Ghost is Born.” True enough.

The end result is an album that is feels right for the times. Like the 70’s a.m. radio sound, which was a reaction to those bleak times, we’re seeing a mellowing of pop music. The world is a messed up place these days, and we need to chill out from time to time. And Tweedy and company seems to be comfortable with providing thoughtful, mellow, and soothing rock to all of us 30-somethings in need of a good vibe thrown our way. Call it “Dad Rock” or whatever, but call it good, because that’s what it is. And hey, they’re still a LONG way away from aping James Taylor.

Editor's note > Listen to the entire album here, and let me know what YOU think.

Who would have thought that Trekkies would owe their finest moment to Batman? But it's true. Batman Begins set a fantastic precedent for movie studios that you can a) hit the reset button, b) set it in a more realistic world with more human characters, and c) make a shit-ton of money by doing so. Studios are now much more adventurous in their reinterpretations, and willing to give directors with actual talent a shot at their most cherished franchises. Bond certainly has benefited from this, and is now arguably better than it has ever been. Likewise, Star Trek now has a chance to wipe away decades of blah, and restart in a way that is so successful, I'd dare say it's the best interpretation that has ever graced the screen.

Let me start by saying that I can't really call myself a huge fan of the Star Trek franchise. The Next Generation stuff, while smart and sometimes entertaining, was about as sterile and boring as a Star Wars Prequel. Like the tarnished Lucas legacy, the Star Trek franchise had forgotten what made it awesome in the first place...adventure, optimism, and most of all, fun. And a little sexy thrown in there as well. And even the original cast's films suffered from an inconsistency in quality that rendered some of their later escapades as almost cringe-worthy. But at least the original series was fun. Human characters, moments of indiscretion, and a captain that was not only brave and charming, but nailed every alien hottie he came within 25 meters of. Happily, this is the version of the Star Trek universe that new series champion J.J. Abrams, of LOST and Alias fame, chose to celebrate. And by Grumpthar's Hammer, did he ever nail it.

It would be criminal to give too much away that hasn't already been given away, but suffice to say that this reboot is simultaneously a prequel, a sequel, and a total reboot that frees further adventures with this cast from having to deal with canon and continuity, which always tends to cripple prequels. What fun is a story if you already know how it ends? But by getting rid of all that baggage, there is a genuine sense of danger, as you really have no idea what is going to happen. Which is genius, because you will be left hungry for more adventures with this crew as soon as the credits roll. And the new cast is nigh perfect.

The original series cast of beloved characters seemed irreplaceable. How could anyone but Shatner do Kirk...he was synonymous with the role. Likewise, Nimoy's Spock was as iconic a sci-fi character as there has ever been. But somehow, Abrams has not only done the original cast justice, in some ways, he has surpassed them. Let's start with Kirk, who is played by relative unknown Chris Pine. Pine doesn't even attempt to ape Shatner's performance, but he captures all of his swagger and charm. He's a rebel, a genius, and an almost recklessly heroic leader capable of crafting brilliantly unconventional strategies. His nemesis for much of the film, Spock, is played by Sylar from Heroes, who brings both the cold logic and the underlying humanity to the icon. Dr. McCoy is played by Lord of the Ring's Karl Urban, who absolutely nails the grumpy, paranoid, and hilariously blunt qualities of the character. And it's easy to see why Kirk would have gravitated toward him as a best friend. As the core group, they play very well off of each other. They fiercely challenge and support one another with no weak acting in the bunch. Countering them is the menacing Nero, played by Eric Bana. The Romulan, who captains a ship that absolutely dwarfs the Federation vessels, is amazingly human in his performance, if a bit one note.

The rest of the cast are also deftly chosen, and each have at least one or two moments of bad-assery that elevates them beyond what their classic counterparts ever did. But most importantly, they are allowed emotions. The script allows the fun and excitement to come through, as there are many moments where the cast seems just as jubilant over what they just pulled off as the audience is. And there is far more humor than in any previous Trek outing. Its humor succeeds because it allows the each character's personality to shine, in an uninhibited way, without ever being campy.

The combination of the excellent cast, an inventive story, humor, and bold direction make Star Trek a near flawless movie experience...as close to perfect as I've seen in years. That's not saying that it is the best film I've seen in years, but for the price of admission, you will be entertained in ways that leave you smiling well after the credits roll. All the things that made Trek fun are back. And better than ever. And that combination is what makes it popcorn perfection. It's a must-see for fans, and non-fans alike.

Fallout 3 is gigantic game. Ginormous, is probably more accurate, both in potential playtime and square-pixel-miles. I've personally put well over 100 hours of playtime exploring the ruins of post-apocalyptic D.C. and I've had a blast doing it. But then it ended. And in a not so happy, no way to continue playing kinda way. Let me assure you, there was much wailing in post-apocalyptia as gamers, who thirsted for more of Fallout's unique gameplay and strong storytelling, were forced to restart or find something else to play. Bethesda, developer of the original Fallout 3 and The Elder Scroll series, listened. And they've responded with moxie.

Broken steel is a package of both new content and, more importantly, an extension of the game beyond the original ending. In fact, you don't even get to the new campaign until you've beaten the original game. Along with rewriting the ending, your level cap is extended beyond the previous limit of 20. This is a very welcome change as you hit that max level pretty quickly. And because of the addictive nature of the game, you'll want to keep playing after you max-out and beat the game.

The new content is pretty great as well, allowing you to join the knightly ranks of The Brotherhood of Steel where you'll be escorted by a squad of ill-tempered fascists armed with the freakin' gatlin-lasers and flame throwers. And there is the matter the 50-foot, commie-hating robot that throws nukes like fastballs. There is always that. Along the way you'll get to explore a huge new Airforce Base and encounter new, stronger variations of just about all the standard enemy types. And blow the crap out of all of them with your shiny new super-weapon. And you'll need it because these guys are tough and they are legion. Particularly the new "Hellfire" variants of soldiers, which are just plain disagreeable.

The new content lasts, by my playtime, around 5 hours or so, but there are also new side quests that can keep you playing well beyond that. The entire package is about $10, so it's quite a value considering it breathes considerable new life into an already fantastic game. Unfortunately, if you're a PS3 owner, you're S.O.L. as the download-only expansion is available on 360 exclusively. But if you have the 360 version, and have some spacebucks burning a hole in your account, I can't recommend it highly enough. It gets three mutated thumbs up.

On his second “solo” album with his backing band, The Mystic Valley Band, Conor Oberst continues down the indie-country path that Bright Eyes departed on in Cassadaga, and continued in his eponymous solo debut to great success. On Outer South the backing band takes much larger role, with people not named Conor writing and singing their own material. It’s more of an ensemble effort, as opposed to a strictly solo affair, and the tracks the others bring to bear aren’t a disaster, but they don’t exactly enhance the overall album experience.

Being a compilation of songs by different people, it has an unevenness in presentation that is partially negated many of the songs being so close stylistically. As mentioned, this album is very consistent with Conor’s last two albums, so it’s a lot of mid-tempo numbers with a peppering of twang.  The songwriting is solid, as with any Conor effort, blending a well-read intelligence with a poets sense of irony. In fact, Conor’s strengths as both a writer and performer out paces the contributions from his band mates so easily that it makes you wonder why Conor chose to share so much of the spotlight this go around. Tracks such as “Air Mattress” and “Difference is Time” are entirely forgettable at best, just plain bad at worst.

That’s not to say that there aren’t some moments of goodness. Standout tracks include “To All the Lights in the Window”, “Slowly”, and “Nikorette” which really highlight the storytelling abilities of Oberst. The later track, in particular, is vintage Bright Eyes preachiness, but told in a more disarmingly subtle way than he’s been guilty of in the past. The performances are tight and energetic, the melodies, quite hummable. But even the highlights just don’t reach the heights of their previous effort, and they are too far between. The result is that Outer South is just too watered down and uneven to go down as anything other than a solid, but forgettable, lowpoint for Conor.

It’s not something I’m terribly proud of, but I’m a ravenous music fan. I consume tons of the stuff, and in this age of mass-consumption, I can literally digest a new album every day of the week. It’s quite numbing.  I mean, how often do we hear anything that truly cuts through the banality? For every OK Computer, there are 1,000 Pablo Honey. So when you sink your teeth into something truly unique, the taste is all the sweeter. And it doesn’t get much more so than St. Vincent’s new album, Actor.

St. Vincent is the pseudonym for Annie Clark, who has been a member of the bombastic Polyphonic Spree, and the equally docile Sufjan Steven’s band. But the common thread between them was an almost madrigal quality to the harmonies, and soaring melodies that are at once very adult but have a wide-eyed innocence. And St. Vincent incorporates these elements as well as either, while deftly adding layer upon layer of texture without it ever sounding muddied. The production enhances the multi-instrumentalists’ strong playing with pitch perfect orchestration. On the title track, The Strangers, organs, accordions, and swirling harmonies create a sound that is like a French film on a video cassette that has been left in the sun too long…through a “Mushaboom” filter. And I mean that in the most beautiful way possible.  

On the following tracks, the sound gets a little more percussion heavy while adding some buzz-saw guitars, bringing a little more head bobbing to the proceedings, but they never stray too far out from the unifying  production style. The melodies are strong throughout, but especially on the first single, “Actor Out Of Work”, a wonderful piece of distorted pop about a lying lover.  Laughing With A Mouth of Blood channels a little bit of Bowie’s “China Girl”, as if run through a Wurlitzer. The album closes in strong fashion, starting with one of the more straightforward tracks, “The Party”, which is as close as you’ll find to something off of her debut album Marry Me, with its stripped down pianos, downbeat drums, and a soaring choral. After that the album drifts into Sgt. Pepper levels of whirling instrumentation on “Just the Same But Brand New”, which may be the most impressive track on the album. Finally ending with brief and cinematic piece, “The Sequel” which bookends wonderfully with the opening track when played on repeat.

And you’ll want to listen to it again, because the album only gets richer with additional listens…it’s a rare treat that satisfies immediately and rewards closer inspection. And in this iPod age where it’s always tempting to hit the skip button, listening to an album in its entirety more than once is a miracle of sorts. But then again, miracles are the domain of the saints.

Doves, for some reason or another, have always lurked a bit under the radar compared to their UK contemporaries such as Coldplay or Muse. Their sound, at once spacious and Eno-ish and quietly introspective, is far more subtle. This restraint on albums such as The Last Broadcast, has produced listening experiences that outpace their contemporaries artistically, but haven’t exactly packed arenas for them. As their name might indicate, maybe they just sounded a bit too passive…too sleepy for a world that needs awakening. Perhaps it’s a sign of the darker times that on their fourth album, Doves has quietly crafted its most urgent sounding album to date.

Where as the magnificent Some Cities was built on an almost cinematic Noir sense of drama, the richly textured Kingdom of Rust is composed of a more Space Odyssey ambience, mixed with a tinge of electronica and bright guitars. And it comes at you with a greater determination to be heard than on any Doves album before. That will isn’t displayed just in ramping up distortion on guitars and volume in the mix, although there is that. It’s in the passion in delivery of the vocals. The Williams brothers sing with conviction and purpose. They don’t scream, but they refuse to be ignored.

Stand out tracks include the driving “The Outsiders”, the hauntingly spacious “10:03”,  the nostalgic “Winter Hill”, and the title track which evokes an almost folksy Americana edge. The lowpoint of the album may be its opening number, “Jetstream” which makes you check the disk to make sure you’re not listening to the opening track to Coldplay’s X&Y. It’s an inoffensive track, but feels a little amateurish next to the refinement that follows. Quite listenable from start to finish, Kingdom of Rust never quite reaches the heights of “Snowden” from Some Cities, but it contains few skippable tracks. That is a claim that, for all their brilliance, their previous albums couldn’t always make.