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Game Review: Bleach: Blades of Fate for Nintendo DS

Bleach: The Blade of Fate for Nintendo DS

In Bleach: The Blade of Fate you have to first go though the basic Story Mode, which is set during the first time in the Soul Society. Playing as Ichigo you go through levels, fight the people in your way, and then save Rukia, which can be relatively hard if you don�t read the cut scenes . When you�ve completed that, things get fun, and easier. New characters are unlocked for Arcade mode Versus mode. You also unlock some of the Extras and the rest of the story modes. There are a total of 23 story modes, each based on a different character and the last one is the really long conclusion of Episode 1. I quite enjoy the multiple Story modes you unlock and the character available.

Of course, like any battle based game there is Arcade mode. Once you�ve unlocked 22 main characters and the 6 random people, Arcade mode is the best I�ve played. I love the variety of characters to select from and their unique 8 color choices. Unlike most Arcade modes, when playing against the computer you have to complete 5 stages, or battle 5 times.

Training mode has a nice little feature that you can pick the character you train against as well as the one you want to train with.

Survival mode and Challenge mode are a defense challenge. In Survival mode you try to get through as many battles as you can, but you don�t regain HP at all. It is very important to know your character if you want to go far in this mode.

Challenge mode is confusing and can be a bore, but it�s unnecessary to complete it, you won�t further the game in any way really. All you have to do is try to do tricky control combinations. There are 10 combinations for the first 21 characters in the story.

Time Attack mode is the last mode you unlock once you�ve beaten all 23 Episodes. All you have to do is see how long it takes you to loose a battle. You do get a full HP gauge at the start of each battle, so it�s not too hard. It can be tedious though after about 8 battles.

You can buy spirit cards at the Urahara Shop with the kan (in-game money) you get from battles and Episodes completed. These cards go in your battle deck but your deck can only hold 12 cards at a time. Each card can either Reinforce you, debuff the enemy stats or movement, or swap stats. Each card is available from level 1 to 4. The higher the level the better the effect and the more kan it costs. Pretty simple. You can also buy bonus graphics (which are just artwork) and sound clips from the show.

At the Gallery you can either go to the Visual or the Sound Gallery. The Visual Gallery has the artwork you unlock through gameplay and that you buy at the Urahara Shop. The sound gallery lets you listen to the music, sound effects, and character voices bought at the Urahara shop. There are 34 character voices, all of which you can use as the system voice, which is really cool.

Game Play:
The game is mostly battles and cut scenes that you just read. It�s easy to understand and play. There is a lack of variety in the controls, but the story makes up for it. There is a lot of detail in the cut scenes, but there is the option to skip it. Same goes for the minimal training in the Story mode, you can skip it and the cut scenes. I do have to say the graphics are better then the 2D stuff that is in most GameBoy advanced games.

Why you should get this game:
The extras and unlockables are amazing. From the different colors for the characters to the system voices, they are all really exciting. I mostly find that DS extras are not really worth getting, but in this game they are more then worth getting!

I really liked this game, and I still do. Having previous familiarity with the storyline and whole concept of Bleach really helped my complete enjoyment, but anyone can still easily enjoy this game without it.

ComicsOnline gives Bleach: The Blade of Fate 4.5 out of 5 Zanpaku-To.

Blu-Ray Review: Planet of the Apes 40th Ann. Collection

"Ape Shall Never Kill Ape"

It's a commandment broken by characters in the films and with the release of the new deluxe 40th Anniversary Planet of the Apes set on Blu-ray, it's been broken again. Planet of the Apes 40th Anniversary Collection kills all previous versions. For Apes fans, this is the set you've been waiting for.

Set Special Features:
-Slipcase Package
-200 page Hardcover Book with tons of photos.

Planet of the Apes

Astronauts Taylor, Landon, and Dodge awaken in the year 3978 after crashing on a mysterious planet. After making it to shore they set out in search of any life on what appears to be a barren waste land. They eventually discover there are humans on this planet, and that they are not the ones incharge. There are apes on this planet...and they are the dominant life form...oh and they can talk. Dodge is killed. Taylor (Charlton Heston) makes contact with the Apes and learns more about their society. On this world, Humans can't talk and are considered pests. With the help of two of the Apes, Zira and Cornelius, Taylor and another human female named Nova are able to escape from the bad Apes.

I don't want to ruin the ending....actually I do. They are on Earth. Its actually Earth. Charlton Heston finds the Statue of Liberty on a beach. I cant believe you didnt know that. Sucker.

Special Features:
-Commentary by Actors Roddy McDowell, Kim Hunter, and Natalie Trundy and makeup artist john chambers
-Commentary by Composer Jerry Goldsmith
-Text commentary by Eric Greene, author of Planet of the Apes as American Myth.
-The Science of the Apes
-Beyond the Forbidden Zone Adventure Game
-A Public Service Announcement from ANSA
-The Evolution of the Apes Featurette
-The Impact of the Apes Featurette
-Behind the Planet of the Apes documentary with interactive mode
-The Archives of the Apes: Vintage Featurettes
-The Galleries of the Apes: Many Vintage Apes Stills

Beneath the Planet of the Apes

Taking place shortly after the first movie, Beneath begins with another spacecraft crashing onto the planet. An Astronaut named Brent survives the crash and encounters Nova in the Forbidden Zone. The two discover that the Apes are planning to invade the Forbidden Zone and kill all the humans. Brent is injured on their way to find Taylor and Nova takes him to see Zira and Cornelius in the hopes that they will help him. After recovering they escape from the Apes and head towards a cave, which turns out to be the remains of Queensboro Plaza station. Brent realizes that there are humans alive, but they aren't quite human anymore, they are telepathic mutants...and they have a nuke. Yeah a nuclear bomb...on the Planet of the Apes. BOOM! The End. Actually there's a lot more to it than that but you should go watch the movie.

Special Features:
-Isolated score track
-From Alpha to Omega: Building a Sequel Featurette
-Original theatrical trailer
-The Ape News Gallery
-Interactive Pressbook
-Advertising Gallery
-Lobby card gallery
-Behind the scenes gallery

Escape from the Planet of the Apes

Right before the planet went BOOM in the last movie Zira, Cornelius, and Dr. Milo escape in Taylor's crashed spacecraft back to the 20th Century! Oh and they cause the very events that lead to the Planet of the Apes! Time travel makes everything fun! It turns out that Zira is pregnant and that her child will lead the apes and destroy the human race. DUN DUN DUN.

Special Features
-Isolated score track
-The secret behind escape featurette
-Don Taylor Directs Escape from the Planet of the Apes featurette
-Original theatrical trailer
-Advertising gallery
-Behind the scenes gallery

Conquest of the Planet of the Apes

The Conquest begins here and now! The baby of the Apes rises to lead his fellow primates in rebellion against their human bosses. Caesar, son of Zira and Cornelius, declares war on mankind in the best bit of dialogue from the movie: "Where there is fire, there is smoke. And in that smoke, from this day forward, my people will crouch, and conspire, and plot, and plan for the inevitable day of Man's downfall - the day when he finally and self-destructively turns his weapons against his own kind. The day of the writing in the sky, when your cities lie buried under radioactive rubble! When the sea is a dead sea, and the land is a wasteland out of which I will lead my people from their captivity! And we will build our own cities, in which there will be no place for humans except to serve our ends! And we shall found our own armies, our own religion, our own dynasty! And that day is upon you NOW!"

News flash: The Apes win. TO BE CONCLUDED!!!

Special Features:
-Unrated and theatrical versions
-Isolated score track
-Riots and revolutions: confronting the times featurette
-A look behind Planet of the Apes featurette (1972)
-J Lee Thomson directs Conquest of the Planet of the Apes featurette
-Original theatrical trailer
-Future news gallery
-Interactive pressbook
-Advertising gallery
-Lobby card gallery
-Behind the scenes gallery

Battle for the Planet of the Apes

After revolting against the humans, Caesar wants to try and bring peace between man and ape. The surviving humans aren't thrilled about that. Oh and those mutants from Beneath the Planet of the Apes? They're back....Now Man, Ape, and Mutant must battle for their survival. Only one can win. When the movie is called "Battle for the Planet of the Apes" and it is really a prequel to the first movie...I bet you can guess who wins...

Special Features:
-Extended and theatrical versions
-Isolated score track
-End of an epic: the final battle featurette
-Original theatrical trailer
-San Simian Sentinel gallery
-Interactive pressbook
-Advertising gallery
-Behind the scenes gallery

Overall
This really is the definitive Planet of the Apes Collection. If you were waiting to buy these movies, the time is now. The films have stood the test of time and now are captured in the highest definition possible.

ComicsOnline gives Planet of the Apes: The 40th Anniversary Collection 5 out of 5 Damned Dirty Apes.

DVD Review: Primeval Volume 1

When Zoologist Nick Cutter lost his wife eight years ago he thought it was the end of the world. Since then he has put his work first and his life second. When bizarre creatures begin appearing in London he begins to realize that the past might be catching up to him...in more ways than one. BBC's new hit series Primeval: Volume 1 is now available on DVD. This set contains all 13 episodes from Series 1 and 2 on 4 discs. Nick puts together a team to investigate the anomalies as they appear in London and work to contain whatever...or whoever...comes through them!

CAST

Professor Nick Cutter (Douglas Henshall) - Evolutionary Zoologist and Team Leader.

Abby Maitland (Hannah Spearritt) - Zoologist and Reptile Specialist

Stephen Hart (James Murray) - Cutter's Assistant

Connor Temple (Andrew-Lee Potts) - Student of Professor Cutter

Claudia Brown/Jennifer Lewis (Lucy Brown) - Claudia was the team's liaison from the Home Office in Series 1, but when time shifted she returned as Jennifer Lewis...now working as a PR Rep at the ARC Center.

James Lester (Ben Miller) - Senior Member of the Home Office/ ARC Center

Helen Cutter (Juliet Aubrey) - Palaeontologist and Cutter's missing wife.

Oliver Leek (Karl Theobald) - Lester's new assistant who appeared after a shift in time.

Highlights

-"Episode 1" - Nick Cutter and his team investigate the first anomaly in an area called The Forrest of Dean. There they learn that Dinosaurs are traveling through rips in time and space from millions of years ago. We learn about Nick's missing wife and that she may have disappeared into the very Forrest where the anomalies are appearing now...coincidence? I think not.

-"Episode 3" - People start disappearing near bodies of water and it is determined that marine creatures are getting through the rifts. Nick also makes a daring move and travels through a rift to try and find his wife!

-"Episode 6" - Oh hey, you know those rifts that go to the past? Yeah well did you ever stop to wonder if they go to the future too? Yay for time travel. Oh and keep in mind, time is fluid. Things can change.

-"Episode 7" - Nick begins to realize the scope of the changes that have taken place while trying to hunt a pack of Raptors that are loose in a mall. Nick meets a new addition to the timeline, Mr. Leak, who has taken Claudia's position with the team.

-"Episode 12" - A Mammoth is loose on a freeway and the team must act fast to stop it before people get killed. A traitor is revealed within the team...

DVD Extras
-Audio Commentary

-The Making of Primeval

-"Through the Anomaly" by Andrew-Lee Potts

Overall
I had heard a few things (mostly good) about this show prior to learning of its coming DVD release. I have to say after watching the 13 episodes I was pleasantly surprised. The first episode was a bit slow but then I began to realize the potential that it had so I kept going. By episode 3 I was hooked. This show is a nice blend of BBC's Torchwood with Jurassic Park thrown in. The Time Anomalies and rifts in time and space have been handled with great care and the writers have shown that they aren't afraid to make drastic changes at any moment. This is easily one of my new favorite shows and I am eagerly awaiting the beginning of Series 3 in January of 2009.

ComicsOnline gives Primeval: Volume 1 a very high recommendation and 5 out of 5 dinosaurs!

DVD Review: Shrek the Halls

On November 28, 2007, ABC released Shrek the Halls as a 30 minute Christmas TV Special, and now it is available for you own on DVD!

Shrek the Halls is an ages old tale of bah-humbug Christmas. Shrek, being an ogre, doesn't care or understand about Christmas spirit, no matter how much Donkey tries. That is, until Fiona expresses her excitement for a family Christmas. The chaos that ensues can only be performed by Shrek and friends, in the name of Christmas spirit, of course.

Shrek the Halls is an instant Christmas classic. Voiced by the movie cast and animated by DreamWorks, this is not a cheap knock-off of the original, but instead fits nicely into the Shrek continuity.

The Special Features are chock full of Christmas fun. First up are two sing-a-long songs, "The 12 Days of Christmas" and "Deck the Halls", with changes to the classic lyrics. Next up is Gingy�s Dunking Game which is a matching game that is played with your TV�s remote control. Now take the disc out of the DVD player and insert it in your computer for a demo of Shrek�s Carnival Craze. To finish the whole thing off, put the disc back into the DVD player and go to the DreamWorks Animation Video Jukebox and music videos from all three Shrek movies as well as The Bee Movie, Madagascar, Over the Hedge and more.

Shrek the Halls is a classic mainly due to the fact this is not a cheap sell out, but the real thing, with all the laughs and emotion rivaling the likes of Charlie Brown, Rudolph, Frosty and the Grinch. My only complaint is that I would have liked the show to be an hour instead of 30 minutes. But, a quality Christmas Special, with some great special features make this DVD a must have for kids of all ages.

ComicsOnline gives Shrek the Halls 5 stockings hung by the chimney with care out of 5 sugar plums dancing in your head.

Press Release: Wonder Woman Animated Coming March 09!

COURAGEOUS PRINCESS. FIERCE WARRIOR. LEGENDARY DC SUPER HERO.WONDER WOMAN ON DVD AND BLU-RAY MARCH 3, 2009!

The Epic Tale of Wonder Woman is the Fourth DC Universe Animated Original PG-13 Movie From Warner Premiere

BURBANK, CA, (November 17, 2008) � Embark on a journey of untold beauty, grace and strength as Princess Diana uses her remarkable gifts and evolves into Wonder Woman, the world's most renowned female superhero. Warner Premiere, DC Comics and Warner Bros. Animation are set to release the all-new animated original movie Wonder Woman on March 3, 2009, distributed by Warner Home Video. Wonder Woman will be available as a Single Disc DVD for $19.98 (SRP), 2 Disc Special Edition DVD for $29.98 (SRP) and Blu-ray Disc for $34.99 (SRP). Order due date for all versions is January 20, 2009. The animated original movie will also be available OnDemand and Pay-Per-View as well as available for download day and date, March 3, 2009.

Produced by the multiple Emmy(R) Award winning animation legend Bruce Timm, Wonder Woman is an origin-- story and features a stellar celebrity voice cast including Keri Russell (Waitress, Felicity), Nathan Fillion (Desperate Housewives), Alfred Molina (Spider-Man 2), Virginia Madsen (Sideways), Rosario Dawson (Sin City), Oliver Platt (The West Wing) and David McCallum (NCIS).

Stay tuned to ComicsOnline for more coverage and interviews with the team from Wonder Woman!

DVD Review: I Dream of Jeannie: The Complete Series

America was nearing the peak of its love affair with the Space Program, Sitcoms were in their heyday, and a Jeannie loved her astronaut. It was 1965, but now you don't need magic to travel back in time, because I Dream of Jeannie: The Complete Series is now on DVD as a complete series! It�s a wonderful set with 20 discs, a set of collectors cards and packaging in the shape of the famous bottle from the series.

For those of you who don�t know the series, I Dream of Jeannie is about an astronaut who finds a bottle with a Jeannie inside, and releases her. And a Jeannie who falls in love with this astronaut follows him home, and ends up causing loads of trouble. For those of you who do know this series it is about one of the funniest things that has ever been on television.

I Dream of Jeannie: The Complete Series is the entire series collected over 20 discs. The picture and sound quality is great, but the only complaint is that the first season has been colorized when it was broadcast in black and white originally. Every episode is there, and boy are they a joy to watch.

Episode Highlights:

�The Lady in the Bottle�: Pilot � This is where it all began. Astronaut Tony Nelson finds a bottle with a surprise on the beach of an island he lands on after a failed mission.

�The Greatest Lover in the World�: Season 2, Episode 14 � Roger is completely dismayed about his love life. To help Roger, Jeannie makes him irresistible to every woman in the world� but forgot about the husbands of married women!

�Jeannie or the Tiger�: Season 3, Episode 2 � Jeannie�s twin sister is introduced in this episode, where she traps Jeannie in her bottle and tries to steal Major Nelson for herself.

�The Biggest Star in Hollywood�: Season 4, Episode 19 � Jeannie�s magic is witnessed by the producers of Rowan and Martin�s Laugh-In in a mirror, and they want her on the show. The cast of Laugh-In appear in this episode.

�The Wedding�: Season 5, Episode 11 � This is it! Jeannie and Major Nelson finally get married in this episode. The only hitch is that every photographer in town is going to photograph the wedding, but Jeannie can�t be photographed!

The series comes with relatively few special features. It has commentaries on a select few episodes, including the pilot, and one documentary on the series. The commentaries are fun, but usually the cast is mostly watching the episode, instead of rehashing specific memories related to the episodes. The commentaries are Larry Hagman, Bill Daly, and Barbara Eden. The series also comes with a set of collector�s cards that double as the episode guide. Now I thought that that was a great and unique way to put the episode guide into the set.

I have always loved I Dream of Jeannie since I was a child, and it has been watched in my household all the way back to the first run of the series by my grandfather. It is one of those wonderful shows that make you laugh no matter what mood you�re in. It is not vulgar like many of today�s comedies, and I think that enhances the series. I�d recommend this set to anyone who loves comedy or just wants a good laugh. This is one classic that everyone should have.

I give I Dream of Jeannie: The Complete Series 5 out of 5 Jeannie bottles.

DVD Review: WALL-E

After finally leaving Earth and exploring the galaxy in June of 2008, WALL·E is finally rolling onto DVD. Pixar's latest hit is the story of the last remaining member of an army of clean-up robots left to dispose of humanity's waste while they luxuriate on space cruise-liners. When a survey probe, EVE, is left in Wall-e's area, he falls madly in love, eventually following her into space, where he becomes involved in a struggle to return humanity to their home planet.

WALL·E's plot is driven by the powerful love story between remarkably sympathetic characters. Wall-e (a Waste Allocation Load Lifter - Earth-class) is a pretty sad sight throughout, a lonely geek of a robot who has found meaning in his existence in his childlike fascination with everyday objects, has learned about love from watching Hello, Dolly, and finds the ultimate joy of love in the act of holding hands. His sad situation is paralleled by his worn, pathetic appearance, squeaky voice and somehow droopy eyes.

Which isn't to say that WALL·E is all sap and sympathy. There is plenty of physical comedy, and more than a little action. The humor delivers with an excellent sense of timing, and even injects some social commentary into the mix in the form of the Buy n Large corporation, a monolithic entity that controls everything from food supplies to space travel to world governments, an obvious parody of the Walmarts and Costcos of our world. WALL·E has some strong themes about environmentalism and mass consumption, which lends a little bit of edge to an otherwise innocent post-apocalyptic story.

Pixar takes some bold choices in WALL·E, specifically by de-emphasizing dialogue, especially in the first forty minutes of the film. The story telling is shifted onto the excellent animation, the extraordinary sound design by Ben Burtt, and the superb score by Thomas Newman, all of which work together to give the movie a very compelling emotional core. WALL·E's characters are more than expressive enough to make up for their limited vocabulary, and the audial elements of the film help establish the mood of scenes and tell the story as well or better than dialogue could. The film does shift gears and gets a little more traditional in the second half of the film, but stays strong throughout, and ends with a brilliant credit sequence that provides an epilogue told through a sequence of animation styles spanning all of human art history, from cave drawings to impressionism to 8-bit-style pixelated art.

WALL·E on DVD does lose some magic in the transition to the small screen, especially in some of the majestic space scenes, so viewers might want to opt for the Blu-ray version if they have the equipment, but most of the movie holds up fine, especially if you're watching it on a bigger screen.

Aside from the excellent movie, Pixar has packed the 3 DVD set with some excellent special features. The best of these are the two animated shorts included on the main disk. "Presto," the theatrical short that ran alongside WALL·E in theatres, is a smart, fun cartoon with excellent physical comedy and timing. Also included is a new short, "BURN·E," which shows the events of WALL·E's later scenes from the abbreviated perspective of a minor character, a welding robot who finds himself trapped outside of an airlock.

Also present are several "Behind the Scenes" videos that provide a fascinating insight into the thought and effort that went into creating the movie, including videos that explain the score, character design, and sound design of the film. There is also an "anatomy of a scene" video that shows how many people it takes to animate a single scene of a movie. Hint: It is a lot. Finally, there is a full 90 minute documentary, "The Pixar Story," about the origins of Pixar studios, tracing the lives of John Lasseter and Ed Catmull from their backgrounds in animation and computers, all the way to the premiere of Pixar's 2006 hit, Cars. There is also a small selection of deleted scenes, though instead of presenting additional scenes that were not included in the final release, they show existing scenes in various stages of development that had to be changed to help the flow of the movie. These deleted scenes are helpful in showing how the film evolved, and how the director, Andrew Stanton, made decisions that helped solidify the pace and structure of the film, or altered positions on events in the film in order to shape audience perception of certain characters. The special features provide a great, in depth look into the filmmaking that led to WALL·E.

For more casual fans of the films, there are several short videos detailing the world of the fictional Buy N Large Corporation, a compilation of short promotional videos of Wall-E interacting with various real world objects, and a library of profiles for the various robots in the film, including their names, directives and other miscellaneous information.

The third disc of this 3 Disk Special Edition is a Disney File Digital Copy of the film, which lets the owner of the DVD download a copy of WALL·E to play on their Ipod, or other portable video device. This disk is a sensible addition to a typical DVD package, in that it provides easy means for taking the movie on the go. The Digital Copy apparently doesn't work until the DVD actually launches on the 18th, so look for coverage from ComicsOnline then.

Overall, the WALL·E 3 Disk Special Edition DVD provides an excellent movie and a ton of special features that will please a wide range of fans, whether they are looking for insight into the making of the film, or just looking for a little bit of information about their favorite robot. WALL·E continues Pixar's tradition of excellence in animation, imbuing robots with touches of humanity that bring them to life and provide an emotional core to a smart and funny post-apocalyptic romantic comedy adventure. WALL·E is a excellent film for viewers of all ages.

ComicsOnline.com gives the WALL·E 3-Disc Special Edition 5 out of 5 starships.

Is This The End of Heroclix?

Announcement:

The Topps Company announced on Monday November 10th that WizKids will immediately cease operations and discontinue its product lines.

Scott Silverstein, CEO of Topps, said �This was an extremely difficult decision. While the company will still actively pursue gaming initiatives, we feel it is necessary to align our efforts more closely with Topps current sports and entertainment offerings which are being developed within our New York office.�

Upon notifying our partners, Topps will immediately pursue strategic alternatives so that viable brands and properties, including HeroClix, can continue without noticeable disruption. To that end, WizKids will continue supporting Buy it By the Brick redemptions for Arkham Asylum, and the December Organized Play events for HeroClix.

For consumer announcements, please refer to www.wizkidsgames.com over the coming days for further information.

DVD Review: Star Trek: The Original Series � Season 3 Remastered

I have grown up a Trekkie. I have watched Star Trek for as long as I can remember. I have faithfully watched every series and movie, but my favorite will always be Star Trek: The Original Series. I have seen every episode many times over, and when the announcement about every episode being remastered went out I was skeptical. I have seen things get updated before, and it never really seemed to work out. This is Star Trek, I thought. This is TOS, nothing should be done to the effects, they�re great as they are. Boy was I wrong. The remastered episodes showed on for about a year first, and then season one was released onto HD DVD shortly before that format folded. Now we are on the DVD release of the third and final season of the show.

Star Trek: The Original Series � Season 3 Remastered is coming out, and it has changed my opinion on �remastering� a series such as Star Trek. If it can be done respectfully, then it is worth the time, effort, and money that can be spent on it. Star Trek was done respectfully. The new effects and rerecorded score brings a new vitality to the series that hasn�t been seen in around 40 years. Each planet looks like a unique planet. Each race has its own type of ship. The Klingons, Romulans, and Federation ships look beautiful. Stratos looks like a photo of a city in the clouds. The impact of messages in some episodes has even been increased.

The picture has been restored to a point past what was seen on television during the original run. The sound is amazing, and even in 5.1 surround. And what is there to say about the new effects, other than they look almost real throughout.

Episode Highlights:

The Enterprise Incident: The Enterprise crosses into the Romulan Neutral Zone to retrieve a Romulan cloaking device for Starfleet to study.

Day of the Dove: Klingons and Starfleet officers are trapped on the speeding Enterprise forced to fight each other to the death� for eternity!

Let That Be Your Last Battlefield: The classic episode where two beings who are colored half black and half white on opposite sides bring their race war aboard the Enterprise. The disastrous consequences are made all the more real by the updating of the visual effects to modern standards.

The Cage: The first pilot of Star Trek in which Captain Pike, played by Jeffrey Hunter, is captured by a race of telepathic beings that make thoughts come to life.

Star Trek: The Original Series � Season 3 Remastered comes with quite a few special features. Each episode, not including either episode of the cage, comes with its unaltered episode preview from the first run of the series. On disc seven, along with two versions of the pilot, are the special features. Most of the features are reused from the last release of the series, but they are still quite interesting to watch. The best feature is one called �Bully Blackburn�s Treasure Chest: Rare Home Movies and Special Memories Part 3�. This is a bunch of footage that was shot on the set of Star Trek, and the recollections of the cast member who shot all of it. With this you get a glimpse into the special place that was the set of Star Trek. The other new feature was �Captain�s Log: Bob Justman�. It was about Robert Justman and his time on Star Trek. The feature was made with a few interviews of cast and crew about Robert Justman. It is sad to say that he passed away in May of this year. They also have �A Star Trek Collector�s Dream Come True�, an interview with a fan who has gone from collecting to recreating props. �Life Beyond trek: Walter Koenig� is about his career and life after the original series ended. Also, �Memoir From Mr. Sulu� which was his recollection of his Star Trekdays . �Star Trek�s Impact� is about the impact that Star Trek has had on our lives. �Chief Engineer�s Log� is James Doohan talking about Scotty and how the character has impacted his life. �Collectible Trek� is about all of the merchandise that has been released over the years. And ��To Boldly Go�� Season Three� is a featurette about season three as a whole.

I have loved Star Trek all my life, watching it every chance that I can get, but Star Trek: The Original Series � Season 3 Remastered , along with the rest of the remastered series has added something new in the modern special effects and given it a new lease on life that will sustain it for years to come (until they do it again to all of the series when we have holodecks). I�d say that if you are a Trekkie, Trekker, or even just a casual viewer, and if not, just buy it for a loved one who is.

I give Star Trek: The Original Series � Season 3 Remastered 5 out of 5 Constitution class starships.

Blu-ray and DVD Review: Journey to the Center of the Earth 3-D

What if the story told in by Jules Verne in the Journey to the Center of the Earth was based on fact? Well, Trevor Anderson (Brendan Fraiser - Blast from the Past, The Mummy) found out for himself in the new 3-D Feature Journey to the Center of the Earth. Trevor Anderson is a down on his luck professor who sets out to show that his late brother's theories are true. With the help of his young nephew Sean (Josh Hutcherson - The Polar Express, Zathura) and Hannah Ásgeirsson (Anita Briem - Doctor Who), the daughter of a Volcanic scientist, the three set out to find some answers but find more than they had bargained for. One thing leads to another and after a literal roller-coaster ride of an adventure they find themselves in a world that time has forgotten. Soon they begin to realize that Trevor's brother had stumbled onto a massive discovery, that Verne's story was indeed based on a true story! But now they must escape from this lost world before they die from rising geothermal temperatures. If that weren't enough, the must also avoid all the dangers that the center of the Earth has to offer.

Journey to the Center of the Earth is not an adaptation of the original Jules Verne novel like previous films you may have watched with the same name. This is an all new story where the characters reference the book as something of a guide to the amazing world they've fallen into. Hey, if you're going to go spelunking hundreds of miles under the Earth's crust, you're going to want some sort of a guide on how to navigate giant fungii, floating rocks, underground oceans, prehistoric creatures, and carnivorous plants, right?

Keep in mind that this is very much an action adventure for the whole family. To enjoy it fully, suspend your disbelief to the degree you would while watching a traditional animated feature and you and the kids who suckered you into watching will all love this. It's true that like any 3-D movie you've seen before, there will be plenty of startling moments where things seem to fly right at your face and maybe even a scary dinosaur or two. But if you're good, and don't cry or spill on the couch while watching this, maybe your kids will take you out for ice cream afterward.

Blu-ray and DVD Special Features
-Choice Between 2-D or 3-D versions of the feature film (each disc set contains 4 pairs of 3-D glasses for your viewing pleasure).

-Commentary by Brendan Frasier and Director Eric Brevig

-A World Within Our World: Various Historical "Hollow Earth Theories" about What Lies Beneath Our Planet's Crust - A very entertaining featurette about various what-if scenarios.

-Being Josh - Profiling 12-Year-Old Costar Josh Hutcherson

-How to Make Dinosaur Drool - 3 different recipes for gross!

-Adventure at the Center of the Earth Challenge (DVD only)

These special features are each in HD on the Blu-ray release.

An additional special feature is the bonus digital copy disc that comes with the Blu-ray version. It will take up slightly over 1GB on your iPod. I just tried it out, and while it's only 2-D and nothing compares with the video and audio definition you get with Blu-ray, it still looks awesome on my iPhone.

ComicsOnline gives Journey to the Center of the Earth on DVD 4 out of 5 scary dinosaurs in 3-D

ComicsOnline gives Journey to the Center of the Earth on Blu-ray 5 out of 5 bioluminescent cyanis rosopterii in 3-D HD. (it's HD and has a digital copy!)