Film Review: Zack Snyder's Justice League (2021)

A grave injustice was done four years ago. Perhaps it was desperation, greed, or just plain incompetence, but in delivering an epic superhero mash-up to rival the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Warner Brothers whipped together Justice League with haphazard results. Zack Snyder finished the work already, having filmed hours of content that merely needed editing and polish. Unfortunately, he had to step away from post-production when his daughter passed away. Warner Bros reeled in Joss Wheadon, and for reasons that I will probably never fathom, he reshot a number of scenes, swapping out Snyder’s gravitas for quippy banter nobody asked for. Epic scenes were replaced with bland, talky scenes that felt more at home in soap operas or sitcoms. And all of this was mashed together between the bloated action scenes, leaving hardly any room for story beats, emotional payoffs, or any kind of nuance. Unsurprisingly, the film flopped. But the reasons were so transparent that fans petitioned for a real director’s cut to be assembled. Despite the cost involved, Warner Bros surprisingly obliged and let Snyder return to finish what he started.

Zack Snyder’s Justice League follows the events of Man of Steel and Batman vs Superman: Dawn of Justice, and naturally the three together comprise a face-melting trilogy. With Kal-El’s demise in the previous film, mysterious artifacts suddenly awaken around the world, and a menacing tyrant from another world seeks them out. When the forces of Themyscira and Atlantis fail to stop Steppenwolf, Batman (Ben Affleck) and Wonder Woman (Gal Gadot) team up with Aquaman (Jason Mamoa), Cyborg (Ray Fisher) and the Flash (Ezra Miller) to analyze the threat they face and find a way to save the world.

Sure, this is the same plot as the 2017 cut, but this sucker is almost four hours long, split up into six bite-sized parts as a miniseries format. Even though all the big-scale setpieces remain, they are spaced out with substantial breathing room to permit longer, better scenes. We’re finally given a proper understanding of Cyborg’s character—where he came from, why he despises his father, and we’re ultimately given a stronger avenue to care and root for him. Aquaman is treated with greater earnestness, and I appreciate the scenes that foreshadow his own stand-alone movie from 2018. Steppenwolf is given a make-over, visually for one, and with just enough dialogue to give him a better motivation, which elevates him a grade more. However, it’s the appearance of Darkseid—a bigger, more menacing antagonist who wasn’t even in the original cut--who will elicit more chills. The mythology behind the Mother Boxes seems so much more interesting--maybe because it feels less rushed, and they feel like threats more than McGuffins (and this is probably because their use is actually entwined with the plot and characters better). There are probably hundreds of other smaller details that unifies the movie and aligns it with the other DCEU properties (including a reappearance of Jared Leto as the Joker, Eisenberg’s return as Lex Luthor, a brief glimpse of Deadshot, a better representation of a Green Lantern dude).

What impresses me the most, however, is that the film is structured in a way that makes more sense. It’s clear that the 2017 cut shuffled many of the same scenes in a nonsensical way and tried to smoothen it out with extra dialogue. In Snyder’s cut, every character is given their own spotlight, and they are developed sufficiently before moving onto the major turning points and big-scale action scenes. Despite some exposition, most of the story is delivered with visually striking scenes that show more and tell less--the exact opposite of the older cut, and hot dang it works. Nothing feels rushed, and somehow very little feels extraneous.

All that being said, if you hated Zack Snyder’s work before, this film will not change your mind at all. His excesses are still highly evident--the film is loaded with slow-motion, disaster porn, CGI, and brooding. The entire film is given a dark veneer that paints every scene in black, brown, gray, and bronze--the exact opposite of Wheadon’s candy-colored treatment. It’s also head-scratching that this was all finished in a square 1.33:1 aspect ratio. Compared to other Snyder films, however, I believe this one is much more palatable, with a steady camera. Composition and angles are often quite striking, and it captures the locations, props, and costumes with remarkable detail. Special effects paint most scenes with fantastic results--it’s not the best CGI ever, but it’s a vast improvement from before and it looks awesome to my eyes. One of the greatest improvements is with the music score--Tom Holkenborg (aka JXL) brings back the themes that Hans Zimmer originally spearheaded, and they add a lot of awesome-sounding guitars. However, it adds a lot more emotion and changes the dynamic of all scenes (especially the action scenes), and it goes a long way in delivering a punchier experience.

Performances remain the same as before, but with far less jokiness and hokeyness. Ben Affleck is still quite the intimidating presence as Batman. I’m a little more awed by Ray Fisher’s role. A little less impressed by Gadot—she still looks great in action, but her line delivery leaves something to be desired. Jason Momoa exudes machoism and gravitas--his role seems stiff here, but at least he’s not saying stuff like “ah-right!” again. I never had a problem with Miller’s Flash, but I know many viewers find his humorous take annoying—little has changed between the two cuts. I’m still impressed by Henry Cavill’s take on Superman. A plethora of other stars—Jeremy Irons, JK Simmons, Amy Adams, Diane Lane, Willem Dafoe, Leto and Eisenberg—round off this huge cast with admirable talent.

Despite the sheer length of the film, its strengths became apparent to me when I considered the epic setpieces that were coming (such as the bank robbery scenes, the big fight under Gotham Harbor, the resurrection of Superman, the climactic fight) and knew that this film would not whiz through each of them the same way the 2017 cut did. Space between the action matters, and Snyder’s completed cut represents the story as it should be told—with attention given to setting up the characters, the stakes, the mythology, and the reasons behind the spectacle. Few years ago, it seemed like Warner Bros and Wheadon were solely interested in the spectacle—it’s meaningless without the right setup. It ticks me off the more I think about it because, in a hundred years of cinema, you’d think studios would understand how films fail when they’re sliced and diced too much. This kind of nonsense ruined Suicide Squad (not to mention non-DC films like X-Men Origins: Wolverine, Spider-Man 3, 2015’s Fantastic Four). This somewhat mirrors the situation decades ago with Superman II, in which Richard Lester finished Richard Donner’s film with way too much comedy and cheese. Some time later, the Donner cut showed us the vision that could have been (imperfect of course, but still fascinating and arguably improved). In the modern age, we have the good fortune to see Zack Snyder’s vision for Justice League in good quality--a far better experience than the unjustly butchered version previously released to theaters. Some things can never be changed or fixed about it, but it at least feels coherent, complete, satisfying...and immensely epic.

It feels like justice has been served.

8/10

Al's Review of 2020 In Music

You'd think that during a global pandemic, with order to stay at home, I'd have found enough time to listen to all the albums. I made a good effort at times, but I wish I could have made time for more newer releases. As it is right now, I'm barely familiar with the many albums I've collected--but it doesn't help that most of them are soundtracks and scores, and I'm not always in the mood for them.

Surprisingly, I have found myself slightly more enamored by modern pop music--specifically, select singles I've heard on the radio from Dua Lipa, Lady Gaga, Ariana Grande, Doja Cat, Harry Styles, and a few others. I found this line-up rather appealing, although most of these songs are going on one or two years old now--Dua Lipa's Future Nostalgia is the newest one I've heard that I enjoyed the most. I have no qualms about Gaga's Chromatica either though, and I was quite pleased to see some new material coming from Groove Armada.

I've seen some hype around Fiona Apple's Fetch the Bolt Cutters. I gave it a spin, and...I was not a fan. It came off as inharmonic and messy to my ears. It could be that I'm missing something with this one, seeing as it's garnered much praise from music fans--chances are I could listen to it again and something might click. For now though, I can only chalk it up as the one I find most elusive this year.

As usual, I have gravitated towards some new rock and metal. They've been fair efforts--little that outright blew me away, but some of it is quite enjoyable and invigorating. Can't say the new stuff from older acts (like AC/DC, Ozzy Osbourne, and Pearl Jam) have enticed me that much, but Static-X is back, loud and powerful as ever. New pirate metal from Alestorm is good for a brief laugh (and it helps that their work has fun melodies). Apocalyptica's latest brand of cello-infused metal is an easy recommendation.

On top of that, I've dabbled a bit with chap-hop (hip-hop with British accents and very polite lyrics? How quaint). Did listen to Eminem's album, just because, and although I found it catchy, it was oddly unmemorable. There are some other random things I've heard, but in the end, it's mostly movie and game soundtracks that have impressed me the most. Scores for things like Tenet, Guns Akimbo, Cyberpunk 2077, The Last of Us Part II, Cloudpunk, The Witcher, are all pretty decent. In fact, one of my biggest disappointments is that Doom Eternal's score never got an official release (and probably never will because id messed something up with the mix, to the point where Mick Gordon quit--wtf people?).

I'm pretty sure I have 2020 music lying around that's begging for a chance to be evaluated deeper. There are a few I just haven't gotten around to (like the latest Richard Cheese album, Metallica's S&M2, Seether's Si Vis Pacem, Para Bellum, and the film scores for Antebellum, Onward, Birds of Prey, Mank--I'll get to them all someday). I fear I might not have given them a big enough chance to let their hooks sink in. I have done some last-minute catching up, and I feel confident in these rankings.

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39: Pearl Jam - Gigaton

This is one of those albums where I didn't see much wrong with it in the moment I was listening to it. Taking a step back though, and I found virtually nothing memorable about it. The overall sound had a tiresome quality that made me miss the energy and spirit of their 90s works. There is a chance something will click more on a repeat listen, but for now it only elicits a "meh" from me.

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38: Poliça - When We Stay Alive

First of many mixed bags here. Some of these tracks I find uncanny, thanks to the slow (but strong) beats, haunting vocals, and atmospheric synths. Where the album loses me is with the more upbeat songs, which come off as soft and saccharine to my ears.

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37: Surfaces - Where The Light Is

This album is harmless. Pleasant. In fact...I find it too pleasant. Can't fault the music itself, it's a rather competent and uplifting blend of genres, which will elicit feel-good vibes. The thing is, I find the overall sound a little too light, bubbly, and saccharine for my tastes.

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36: Eminem - Music To Be Murdered By

Like any rap act, I find myself enamored mostly by the beats. They are quite strong with Eminem's latest work, but I struggle to find much else to latch onto here. Can't fault the dude's vocal acumen, but when it comes to melodies, hooks, and variance, I feel it comes up short and most of this music flows through my head with little impact. It's a shame, because the Hitchcock references are cute.

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35: Nine Inch Nails - Ghosts V: Together

Pretty happy that Trent Reznor managed to pump out some more chapters to his instrumental series of albums (and for a time, they were FREE at NIN's website). Still though...I find these latest efforts a little underwhelming. At first, I was a little let down that these new Ghosts albums were strictly ambient and have little-to-no metal aspects to them. Still, listening to them even with the mindset for ambience, I found part V a little too weird for my liking. I suspect because it's just too dang happy. I'm sure it's meant to counterbalance the darker tone of album VI, but what kills this for me is the sheer lack of variance. It's airy, fluffy piano and droning sounds for a solid 40 minutes--you know, stuff that makes for good filler on any other NIN album, but it gets droll fast listening to this much of it all at once. 

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34: Various Artists - Cyberpunk 2077: Radio

There are four volumes of this noise. I own three of them and have listened to them. Of these, I value the first the most, and the others sounded like more of the same. I prefer to group them together all in one go here since the quality is consistent (or at least consistent in being inconsistent).

These soundtracks are a mixed bag, even though it might sound cool when you're playing the game. Between the rap, punk, and metal, the sheer amount of noise is aggravating, obnoxious, vulgar, and often times exhausting. Thankfully, there are a few cool gems to be found (couple of my favorites being "Kill Kill" and "Night City Aliens"). Different fans will probably find different gems of their own, but you may have to wade through some serious scum to find it.

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33: Nine Inch Nails - Ghosts VI: Locusts

Still a slow and moody listen, but I like Locusts a grade more for the subtle tension the tracks bring to the table. The tone is notably darker, and some tracks elicit a certain anxiety through simple composition (seriously, "The Cursed Clock" makes me feel like I have to do something, but I don't know what). There is a better pace to many tracks. I'd even say this is much more in-line with NIN's brand. A solid effort, but it's far from being a favorite.

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32: David Buckley - Unhinged Film Score

Pretty generic action-movie music. By nature of the film's exciting parts, the score more often throbs and blasts its orchestration at you, and it's not the best thing to listen to on its own. However, some of the tracks are fairly cool with the gritty atmosphere they project, and the music of the finale has a surprisingly emotional note to it. The best thing to the album, however, is the cover of "(Don't Fear) The Reaper" by Keep Shelly In Athens. A slow and even take on a classic song, but I appreciate the haunting vocals--it's going down as one of my new favorite versions of the song.

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31: Ozzy Osbourne - Ordinary Man

How is this guy still rocking?

Ordinary Man is extraordinarily eclectic, and as a result there's a half-good half-bad quality to this. Cherry-picking the good, I find that a few songs stood out to me that I don't mind playing on repeat and rocking out to (namely "All My Life," "Straight To Hell," "Goodbye," and "Scary Little Green Men"--the latter of which is easily the best). In these few, I can make out a certain power and uplifting quality to the vocals and the guitars. Everything else, however, comes off as noisy and odd--especially that track with Post Malone, which is noisy to the point of abominable.

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30: Fiona Apple - Fetch the Bolt Cutters

No doubt the artistic intention behind this album is strong. Even its title hints at a certain theme, which feels all the more relevant in a year where we've been encouraged to stay indoors and avoid social contact. As such, it seems as though the album bursts with energy, like somebody must have fetched some bolt cutters and opened up a door of sound.

The problem is, I hear a lot of mis-matching noise, partly in the bizarre way it marries instruments, partly in the way the notes fly from high to low so rapidly, and the way it bumps different vibes from one bar to the next. And...are those dogs barking? I'd call it pure noise if it wasn't for the occasionally catchy chorus or refrain, or the quieter moments that invoke a deeper sense of jazzy coolness. It's ultimately a kind of avant-garde quality that many music lovers will find adorable, but I find it largely head-scratching. My opinion could change in time, but for now I find it garish.

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29: Sonya Belousova and Giona Ostinelli - The Witcher Score

To be perfectly honest, I love the "Toss A Coin To Your Witcher" song and it's been stuck in my head all year. The score deserves a listen for that alone.

The actual orchestral score is rather mixed. There are tracks I adore, invoking the perfect dark fantasy atmosphere through traditional instruments. But the tone does go all over the place--brooding, noisy, and mean one track, folky and overly-happy the next. A better balance is found in the best tracks, but with 55 of them on this release, it's quite a fair value.

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28: Moby - All Visible Objects

Much more beat and energy to this than last year's album. With it, there's a little more noise--some of which is irritating (especially in a song like "Power Is Taken," it sounds like an alarm is going off and I hate it). Fortunately, there are some good bursts of cool-sounding beats, synths, and air pads. It's a fair collection of tracks that will both relax and energize you, but I'm not as enamored by these sounds as I am with Moby's earlier albums (especially last year's, which was pretty smooth).

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27: Various Artists - Bill & Ted Face the Music Soundtrack

Like most other soundtracks, this will be a mixed grab-bag of songs--some will be good, some won't be. There are some tracks here I can take or leave, but I am very enamored by the two tracks from Big Black Delta--the sheer power of those guitars are impressive. Other songs seem to stretch across the vast breadth of the rock genre, offering some hard and fast aggressiveness as well as more saccharine bops. What I love the most, however, is that they've included the actual Wyld Stallyns song from the movie, "That Which Binds Us Through Time: The Chemical, Physical And Biological Nature Of Love; An Exploration Of The Meaning Of Meaning, Part 1." It is just as indulgent as the title is, and that's the point of the joke. Listening to this track on its own...it's surprisingly solid, even when it clearly stretches itself too far and becomes overly-noisy. Way too much thought was put into that joke, but I appreciate it.

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26: Groove Armada - Edge of the Horizon

Continuing the new wave vibe GA previously invested in with the White Light and Black Light releases (wait, those are ten years old already?), Edge of the Horizon sounds like the kind of thing you'd hear at an 80s dancehall. The beats are strong as ever, and the compositions bear a consistently upbeat vibe that project positive vibes. Can't say I'm a huge fan of the lyric quality, of the sound overall, but in the right mood I'll find it agreeable. "Get Out On The Dancefloor" is a solid dance track I've replayed quite often, and something about it makes me nostalgic for the dance songs I loved as a kid--so there's that.

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25: Professor Elemental and Mr. Frisbee - Let's Get Messy

So, this is chap-hop. Wasn't prepared for all the jazzy and soulful samples in the background, but there is an upbeat groove to this I can appreciate. Lyrics are quite clever and surprisingly pleasant. Some of these songs are pretty catchy and I found them amusing for a short while. Not sure if this will have a lasting impact, but I am curious to hear more from these chaps.

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24: Trent Reznor and Jon Batiste - Soul Film Soundtrack

I'm still surprised they wrangled in Trent Reznor to do a Pixar movie's soundtrack--or at least half of it. The movie itself demanded more jazz, and Jon Batiste delivers some quality grooves that fit the movie well, and aren't too shabby to hear on their own. Reznor's contributions add fascinating atmosphere to the movie's astral segments, which is also fitting. The soundtrack altogether is a fine and calming experience, even if it is a little short.

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23: Lady Gaga - Chromatica

The sci-fi image projected from the album cover had me sold to start with. The actual songs aren't too shabby either though--I love the steady beats, the catchiness of the melodies, and the overall quality of the production. Not sure if I'll remember these songs as strongly as her other hits, but it's a solid listen all the way through with little filler and a lot of energy.

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22: Harry Chrichtley - Cloudpunk Score

This was exactly what I expected (and wanted)--a futuristic score heavy on the synths and atmosphere, perfectly matching the high-tech cityscapes of the game. It's a smooth combination of beat, orchestral swells, and melody. It's just good, plain and simple--a perfect score for passive listening, or for an active appreciation of the mood it aims for.

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21: Colin Stetson - Color Out Of Space Score

It takes a lot for me to appreciate a horror movie score, and I'm quite pleased to find that Colin Stetson injected the right tone, atmosphere, and style of sound for the Color Out Of Space film. It's uncanny and wild when it needs to be, but the softer moments are beautiful. The combined experience of the music offers a small wealth of wonder and terror, and I'm moderately impressed by it.

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20: Ist Ist - Architecture

A friend from a forum had posted some songs from this album, and I took a liking to them. The instruments bear a kind of new wave vibe, but with a heaviness and brooding quality that invokes a greater sense of power and mood. My favorite songs in particular boast some riffs I find quite catchy and admirable. It reminds me quite a bit of She Wants Revenge, right down to the deep, echo-y vocals. Few tracks I'm still not sure about, but there is a good chance this band has a new fan.

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19: AC/DC - Power Up

It's...good rock music, plain and simple. Even after all these years (and after tragically losing one of their own), AC/DC's sound remains consistent and strong as ever. It just brims with energy, and it's unified aptly through the guitars and vocal power. Can't say this is as good or any better than the classics, but it's, simply, good.

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18: Alestorm - Curse of the Crystal Coconut

I'll take another round of Alestorm pirate metal about as easily as I'd take another swig of rum. Their latest album presents the same old shenanigans, but the melodies are catchy and the music rocks hard as ever. Goofy lyrics, raw punkish lyrics, and a touch of old-timey instruments makes it consistently fun and irreverent, and thus an enjoyable listen.

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17: Powerman 5000 - The Noble Rot

I've become quite fond of Spider One's brand of sci-fi-themed metal. His latest album has a darker vibe to it--it seems a little restrained and slow compared to his best works, but I still find most of these songs catchy and cool. I'm quite enamored with the beat, guitars, and vocals--I find it punchy and cool.

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16: Marcin Przybylowicz, P.T. Adamczyk and Paul Leonard-Morgan - Cyberpunk 2077 Score

As novel as it is to own the radio songs from the video game, it's Cyberpunk 2077's score that impresses the most musically. The three composers weave an eerie electronic atmosphere for the game, offering beat and high tempo when the action-heavy segments demand, but also ambience for the slower parts. Hearing the music on its own is bleak and haunting--a perfect score for an otherwise bleak and haunting future.

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15: Green Carnation - Leaves of Yesteryear

I took a chance on this five-track album, having never heard of this band before, and was pleasantly surprised by the sheer scope and depth of it. It's every bit as sophisticated and complex as bands like Tool, but with a mood and style that feels somewhat closer to Anathema. The guitars rumble impressively, but the lyrics and vocals remain clear and compelling. This might be a new favorite, and I'm curious to dig up more of this group's work.

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14: Delain - Apocalypse & Chill

As usual with these symphonic metal albums, there's equal parts power to the vocals and the guitars, and it's fairly impressive in Delain's latest album. It sways from aggression to more delicate tones with a sweeping sense of grandeur and awe--and with hooks I find catchy and pleasant. With hardly any filler, this is a solid album with some serious power--it might be one of the best the band's done yet.

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13: Nightwish - Human. :||: Nature.

I wasn't that impressed on the first listen, but giving it another chance, I now see that this album is a worthy follow-up to Nighwish's ongoing run of post-Tarja albums (and I believe it's an impressive run). The sound is as epic as ever with the sublime combination of guitars and choirs, but there is a rustic quality to the songs that invoke Earthly themes, and it's quite a punchy sound. There are only a couple of tracks I don't care for, but the bulk of the album is rock-solid.

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12: Static-X: Project Regeneration Volume 1

Wayne Static may have tragically passed away several years ago, but his voice still growls strongly through this album--pieced together with Wayne's last recordings. The result is just as strong as the albums from the band's glory days--it's dark and loud, but the repetition and catchiness of the melodies leave a haunting impression. I find it invigorating, but it's especially gut-wrenching to know that this is an actual regeneration of music from a talent that's no longer with us.

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11: Stephen Barton - Watch Dogs: Legion Score

This soundtrack is simply cool. The way it marries beat, guitars, and electronic sounds together with a sense of mystique and futurism is pretty sublime. It helps that the tracks have catchy elements. Most of this can be listened to for a soothing ambience, but even the action-heavy sections achieve a balance that isn't too unbearable to hear. I simply love the style of sound this album exudes.

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10: Darren Korb - Hades Score

Like it is with the 300 film score or the score for Assassin's Creed: Odyssey, this one is an attempt to balance the old-world ambience of ancient Greece with a more modern flair. I'm not sure I like this any better than the afore-mentioned soundtracks, but it is a pleasant listen even with the occasional burst of modern guitars. I find the traditional instruments pleasing, but the beat and anachronistic elements give it energy, mood, grit, and perhaps a little emotion too. Who'd have thought that music from Hades could sound pretty cool?

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09: Enis Rotthoff - Guns Akimbo Film Score

It's actually pretty interesting that they pulled a trendy German composer to score this insane action film. It's a good fit given the focus on the electronic. The beats are good, the sounds are hip, and it exudes an even-keeled level of energy and playfulness. Married with the film, it's pretty slick--on its own, it's like a modern EDM anthem. I think it's cool.

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08: Gustavo Santaolalla and Mac Quayle - The Last Of Us Part II Score

If it's one thing that can be most admired about this video game, it's the music. Gustavo Santaolalla reliably delivers the most invoking and emotional touch to his guitar pieces, and they remain the highlights of the music score. Mac Quayle's contributions are more conventional--his tracks are throbbing pulses of intense noise or droning sounds that accompany the game's tensest setpieces. Can't say the tenser tracks are that pleasant to hear on their own, but the score is a decent piece of art on its own accord thanks to the atmosphere and emotions both artists contribute.

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07: Ludwig Göransson - Tenet Film Score

Well, at least you won't hear much of Hans Zimmer going BWAAAMMP.

The tone and style is similar to a typical Zimmer score, but Ludwig weaves his own unique mood as he playfully commands awesome-sounding guitars against dramatic orchestras. It's especially clever how so many sounds play backwards, mirroring the way the movie runs things backwards in its time-travelling concept. For all that goes, I've actually listened to this score backwards--I might be crazy, but much of it actually works when playing it in reverse. That alone leaves me awed, but even listening to it conventionally, I am very smitten by the themes, the atmosphere, and the style.

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06: Mick Gordon - Doom Eternal Score

Even though this was never officially released to the public, I'm still counting it...dammit. You can hear the whole thing on Youtube...or in the game itself.

The opening theme--the one that plays over the game's menu--is what really pushes this over the top for me. From that eerie, winding electronic whistle, the slow build up of the bass guitar, and the gentle roar of the electric, is enough to get the blood pumping. Then, after an unsettling pause, the guitar riffs explode furiously, and it floors me every time.

That's just the one track. Just like with the 2016 game, this whole soundtrack bleeds awesomeness through its incredible guitars, chopped-up beats, and hellish tones. Not only does it make the game's combat feel incredible, but as many Youtube memes show, it fits any badass thing. On its own, the soundtrack is quite a badass journey. I only wish I could own it officially.

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05: Klayton - The Dunes Film Score

It usually is the bad movies that have the most interesting film scores for some reason. The Dunes--not to be confused with the upcoming Villeneuve film--is a pretty bad psychological drama, but somehow they hired the Celldweller dude to score it, and the music is easily the film's best thing. Hearing it on its own, it serves as a rather decent ambient album, with maybe a few heavy bursts. It's a dark and brooding atmosphere, with subtle tension--maybe even more tension (and certainly more nuance) than the movie itself has. I find it compelling on its own, especially since it matches up perfectly with Klayton's other ambient works.

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04: Apocalyptica - Cell-0

Those four dudes from Finland are back with their cellos and electric guitars (and hey, as a guy of Finnish descent I have nothing but respect for this. Sure, Nightwish is good, but Apocalyptica has serious class). Cell-0 is probably one of the darkest albums I've heard from them--their opening track, "Ashes of the Modern World," is an especially explosive and mournful orchestration of noise that elicits chills. It might as well be the theme song for 2020. The rest of the album sways from super-heavy to brooding and ambient--both sides are often compelling, and I still find the fusion of cello (orchestra in general) and metal to be pretty sublime. 

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03: Various Artists - Anjunadeep 11

This fine double album from Jody Wisternoff and James Grant offers a rather elegant selection of electronic dance, trance, and techno--the kind that sounds classy, pleasant, and uplifting, rather than the kind you just get high or drunk to and dance around like an idiot while watching pretty colors at a club. It's the tone, atmosphere, and vibes of this compilation I admire the most--it has a certain vibrancy that I find soothing, even with a higher tempo.

And this is the eleventh of a series? How have I never seen or heard of any of the others before. Well holy crap, I have some catching up to do!

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02: Dua Lipa - Future Nostalgia

It's been a long time since I've been impressed by a pop album. I feel fortunate to have discovered Dua Lipa while innocuously listening to the car radio--her hit single "Breaking My Heart" is strikingly catchy, and it's perfectly accentuated with a groovy disco beat. Most other tracks are just as cool, with most bearing equally catchy hooks and choruses, strong beats, and electronic flourishes that bear a slight retro charm. Despite one or two tracks I could take or leave, this is one of those albums consistent enough to hear beginning to end without the urge to skip a track. At its best though, I find most of these tunes soothing and cool. As the album title suggests, I might become nostalgic for this in the future, we'll see.

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01: Thievery Corporation - Symphonik

This is one of those bands that has done me no wrong by far. Even though this release offers no new material, I feel it wins 2020 by default of the band's reputation--hardly anything of theirs is bad. In fact, Symphonik thrills me with the prospect of revisiting old favorites in a new way.

As more orchestral versions, their songs are given the chance to show their lyrical and melodic charms stronger. It's especially heart-warming to hear the voices of LouLou Ghelichkhani, Shana Halligan, Natalia Clavier, and Elin Melgarejo, all of whom offer beauty and harmony to their respective songs--and they seem even more elegant when stripped down to bare beats, strings, and just a few taps of the keyboard. The hip-hop contributions by Mr. Lif and Puma are admirable and fit the multi-faceted brand of the group well. I wasn't quite sold on Frank Orrall's version of "Marching the Hate Machines," but on a second spin I realize there's a certain groove he achieves in his own right.

"Sweet Tides" is probably the song that wins me over the most, representing the most sublime fusion of beautiful orchestration and vocal quality (and it's such a damn nice song that oozes emotion, I can't help but to shed a tear and a smile). "Depth of My Soul" was always a moody favorite of mine, and it's wonderful to hear it anew. "Lebanese Blonde" and "Until the Morning" are downtempo classics at this point. But you really can't go wrong with any track on this album--like the rest of the band's work, it's all consistently soothing, cool, and vibrant. They've always had a knack for timbre--it's practically in their name, so branded because they literally "steal" styles from many genres and cultures. The sound is as groovy and wonderful as ever--Symphonik harmonizes the sound sublimely with lovely vocals and a classy presentation. It's easily the best album I've heard from 2020, and it'll likely be the one I'll listen to the most, in conjunction with the rest of their discography.

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AL'S FAVORITE 2020 SONGS

Al's Review of 2020 In Video Games

With a global pandemic dominating much of 2020, most of us have had to stay indoors for a long time. Time enough to sit back and binge on some video games. 

Naturally, as I've found ample amounts of time to watch films and such, I also took the chance to dig through my library and play games new and old. In the drollest parts of the year, new games offered a refreshing and much-needed avenue of escapism. It was especially timely that the epic new chapter of Doom came out the very same week I had to quarantine at home--as you can guess, I spent much of that week enthralled in its eye-popping, fast-paced combat. Not sure if it'll be remembered in another year, but this was also the week Animal Crossing dropped, so there were quite a few amusing memes suggesting a crossover. 

Hype peaked again when The Last Of Us Part II released. I never would have predicted the crud-storm that would follow, with half the fans praising the game and the other half decrying it as an abomination. It's probably the most vicious schism of opinion since Star Wars: The Last Jedi. It's a shame though--the game looks beautiful, it has a heck of a story to tell with pointed themes, but I won't deny that the character arcs are unbecoming. Who knows what kind of fallout will come out of this.

Of all the most-hyped games, Cyberpunk 2077 seemed to disappoint fans the most--at least for console players. The thing looks perfect on a PC, but given the countless issues on the PS4 and Xbox, its launch seemed tainted. Which is a shame, since this was in the works for nine years. I gotta say though, even with long load times and glitches, I love the game all the same.

Few other highlights were pleasant surprises--Ghost of Tsushima being one of the biggest, with its beautiful open world and empowering combat. Snowrunner turned out to be engrossing in its own way. I have no complaints over Dreams, Civlization VI, or Assassin's Creed: Valhalla. Most other games haven't been great necessarily, but I must admit that I enjoyed the heck out of Watch Dogs: Legion, Terminator: Resistance, Maneater, and Stranded Deep.

Within the last quarter of the year, a new generation of consoles launched. With higher resolution and frame rates, and more speed, I've been tempted to make the jump to a PlayStation 5. Given that there are only a few new PS5 games on the market, I decided to wait a while--it's not like you can find any of these in stock anywhere anyway. In another year, when more games are out and the bugs are worked out, maybe I'll reconsider. It's hard to get excited over the next generation at the moment when the PS4 and my PC gives me all the gaming power I need (although faster load times are certainly welcome). I definitely have no shortage of PS4 games to go through, so what's the hurry?

Gamers everywhere have plenty to gripe about (buggy launches, video game prices, everything involving The Last Of Us Part II). Regarding the games themselves though, I've been quite satisfied with the titles I've played this year. There have been some phenomenal experiences I treasure, and may continue to treasure in the coming years. Video games might actually be one good thing to come out of 2020.

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AL'S TOP 2020 GAMES

15: Stranded Deep

Clunky, glitchy, and unwieldy, Stranded Deep lacks the sophistication to deliver its promise on an open-world desert-island survival experience. That being said, I still liked the stupid thing. Time generally flies by when I mind-numbingly (but relaxingly) harvest resources and craft things. I'm sure it's more because of the endorphins in my brain, so the game does a fair job of making me feel rewarded. Could chalk this up as a guilty pleasure, but the requirement to slay sea monsters kills this experience for me.

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14: Demon's Tilt

A straightforward pinball game with a lot of pretty neon colors and explosions of sprites. With only one big board, it's short and simple. I do enjoy it for a quick session--I am ultimately enamored by the game's graphic style and music. Can't say I found the modes easy, but it can feel rather empowering when the ball plows through monsters and everything lights up vividly.

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13: Maneater

This is a game where you play a shark. A little messed-up considering that you have to eat people to progress, but I found the game addicting thanks to its open-world design filled generously with challenges and collectables. Even though the levelling system is empowering, the combat is limited and can lead to a few frustrations.

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12: Terminator: Resistance

Good Terminator games are few and far between, unfortunately. Thankfully, Resistance is one of the better ones, with a good amount of polish and plenty of love put into the design and story. It matches up with the original two movies well and tells its own original story, making this a good experience for fans. It's not particularly long or innovative. The potential is there for an open-world RPG game, but the game falls short. It does make me wish they could make a Terminator game in the scope of Fallout, but for a few bucks, this isn't too shabby.

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11: Watch Dogs: Legion

Despite my enjoyment of the Watch Dogs franchise, I didn't expect much out of the third entry. It offers a unique mechanism that allows you to pick anybody off the street as a playable character, but this is both a blessing and a curse. As endless as the possibilities seem, there are only so-many skills you can harness from the populace (and they didn't have that many voice-actors for them all). Worst of all, the game loses its subjectivity since there's no main character to leverage a story on. The story remains interesting only through the detailed worldbuidling, and holy cow, the map of near-future London is pretty awesome. I love the way it's designed, and there was always something to do. Shame the map doesn't allow you to filter much. I had fun playing this game, but despite a plethora of interesting ideas and premises, it comes off as a little forgettable. Glitches ultimately killed my enjoyment too often to push this further up my list (yes, even moreso than Cyberpunk 2077).

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10: Post Void

I stumbled across this watching gameplay footage on Youtube and figured why not? It's a hyper shooter you can play in short bursts, with the levels lasting for only moments. It's a bizarre mechanism that demands constant attention and sharp skill. Garish color schemes, rough sprites, and creepy creature designs makes this a visual standout. If you have a few minutes to spare, this is a compelling challenge for shooter fans.

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9: Snowrunner

Sometimes it's rewarding to complete something as simple as making a delivery, especially after trudging through the elements. I haven't played any other games of this type, but I found Snowrunner pleasant in its quality and format. The open world begs for exploration, but the challenges it offers are compelling and much more difficult than they appear. One could spend hours getting lost in the snow and mud across the sizable, detailed maps.

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8: Cloudpunk

Oh cool, I get to fly a little car through a Blade Runner style city. That, and the simple focus on making deliveries, is rewarding enough for me. Can't say I like the Minecraft-style method of making everything blocky and cubic, but the game's ambience (to include its synth-heavy score) is nice. I kinda like the main character and how depth is revealed as the game goes on. It's a little early for me to tell how this game plays all the way through, but I like what I see so far.

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7: Assassin's Creed: Valhalla

The latest Assassin's Creed game is on-par with the last few. It's still quite an enjoyable romp to scour a map of ancient historic settings, on foot or by ship, with a pet bird in one hand and an axe in the other. There's no shortage of quests, raids, and side activities. I had worried that the Norse setting would be trite for this series, but it turned out to be beautifully-rendered and quite badass. I haven't played enough of the game to judge its story or much more of its experience, but from what I see so far, it's one of the better entries of the series.

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6: Cyberpunk 2077

This comes so close to being my personal Game Of The Year. However, it is notorious for its launch issues on the consoles, and playing this on the PS4 I have to admit that the crashes and slow rendering are annoying. I haven't had nearly as many problems as others have, but even I can't ignore how crummy it runs sometimes.

That being said, I am completely enamored by the game's experience. Night City captures every cyberpunk trope imaginable--including Keanu Reeves himself. The story and character build mechanism echoes everything I've read out of William Gibson. In fact, the sheer number of references blows my mind pretty often. Despite all the tropes and stereotypes, it never comes off as trite thanks to how deep and detailed the world is, which is always a thrill to explore through the numerous side gigs. I can't deny that the experience suffers from some missed potential--choices you make amount to little (even with dialogue options), vendors in the city don't offer much of anything useful, and some skills seem outright useless (like the throwing knives--why the actual hell can't you pick them back up when using them?). Still, the first act had me at the edge of my seat, with reveals and twists I found jaw-dropping. There was some serious thought and passion put into the script, and it shines in its best moments--that, and the empowering experience of being a street samurai--is enough for me to love this game and forgive its flaws (many of which may become non-issues with patches, or on the PC).

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5: Civilization VI

Seems like more of the same as #5, but a little more pared-down. The experience is generally the same, and I find it immensely addicting to play turn-after-turn to build up an empire and explore the world. I experienced nothing that annoyed or disrupted the experience for me--I think it's a solid strategy game, plain and simple.

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4: Dreams

Yes, I made this nightmare.

Dreams bears all the charm and quality of LittleBigPlanet, but with greater scope and greater ambition. As a creation tool, Dreams extends its capabilities beyond mere platforming and can allow for just about any 3D game you can think of (or an arty presentation if you wish). The creative tools are intuitive once learned, and surprisingly robust.

As far as the central gaming narrative, the campaign offers a heartfelt tale that flip-flops between fantasy and reality. The platforming sections offer fair challenges for gamers of all ages, while scenes in-between change up the gameplay style to satisfy those who desire something different. It comes off as a family-friendly experience that's maturely told, similar perhaps to a Pixar story (why does it remind me of Soul so much anyway?). 

Ultimately, I value this the most for the game-creating tools, and the chance to explore a whole universe populated by other gamers' imaginations.

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3: Ghost Of Tsushima

I once fancied that Assassin's Creed should have a game set in feudal Japan--this original title, however, captures everything I'd want out of such a title, and goes even further than I'd expect. Inspired by the classic samurai pictures of Akira Kurosawa, the game offers a simple, efficient (and maybe too easy) combat system that feels empowering. The Japanese landscapes are beautifully rendered, and playing the part of a chivalrous samurai fighting oppression and saving the common people is an experience I find satisfying. I won't deny that the base story doesn't offer particularly deep characterization or plotting, but I admired the way this simple story is told and how it's cleanly embedded in the gameplay. Whether working to save the land of Tsushima or wandering aimlessly, I found it easy and fun to lose myself into the role of a lone samurai.

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2: Doom Eternal

Bigger. Bolder. Bloodier. The latest Doom title escalates the gameplay of the 2016 reboot in a way that invokes awe and terror--and if you can get a handle on the flow of combat, it will empower you as a formidable slayer and make you feel like a total badass.

In an effort to upset the balance of gameplay and keep gamers on their toes, developers made the unique decision to make you search for ammo constantly (easily obtained by chain-sawing lesser enemies, but easy to miss if you've already crushed them all) and by adding platforming to the levels. The interruption of shooting, especially with the platforming sections, has thrown off many frustrated gamers. Not me though--even though it took some getting used to, I found it rather easy after a few runs. With the epic-scale monsters and level design, this started to feel less like a Doom game and more like God of War--and I was cool with that.

The story's simple and there's not much to the characters, but hell, this is Doom. Depth was never a requisite. The experience of slaying monsters and saving the world is an empowering journey, beautifully-rendered and quickly-paced. There are compelling challenges, but the game remains laid-back thanks to its campy, over-the-top tone. I daresay I enjoy and remember this more fondly than its predecessor, and it comes very close to being my favorite game of the year. 

Only one other game knocked my socks off even harder though, but you might not like it...

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1: The Last Of Us Part II

Let's get this out of the way first: I know this story is upsetting and fans are furious. One particular death scene is perhaps the ugliest scene I've seen in a game. The experience is even more unbecoming since you are forced to play the villain for a while, putting you in the odd position to fight one of the main characters you originally loved and rooted for. Some things in this script probably don't work as well as they should (that ending fight especially elicits more exasperation than catharsis).

However...

I know why the game does what it does. Instead of delivering us a straightforward zombie-killing game with Joel and Ellie again, it challenges the characters and underscores the flaws that make them less heroic than we want to believe. At the same time, it also rounds off characters we'd think as villainous, asking us to sympathize and understand them (except the Rattlers...seriously, eff those guys).

I'm personally floored by all of this--the moral ambiguity and focus on gritty, realistic characters, versus the cliched black-and-white us-vs-them mentality that all games (and society at large) subscribe to. This game has the guts to shift our perspective to understand all sides and illustrate how destructive rage and revenge is. I find the game's treatment of the story structure and timeline fascinating, as it relies on flashbacks and dialogue to drizzle information on us that we must piece together (including some fascinating details embedded in the levels themselves).

The actual meat of the game remains the same as before--the exploration and stealth combat is often rewarding as you crawl through the ruins of Seattle and stalk infected and human enemies (maybe a little odd that you have to kill so much in a story that preaches against killing). I am quite enamored by the level designs and the cold ambience they capture. It's all beautifully rendered, with a superb soundtrack and fantastic sound design.

I know why gamers are upset over this game, but the artistic intention is clear to me and I accept it for what it is. In another universe, this could have been written much worse, as a bland and generic rehash with nothing new to say. Part II of this story does have significant themes to explore and it finds ways to progress its characters. You won't like the game, but you're not supposed to. It's a bold and sobering storytelling experience that I find far more valuable than any other game I've experienced this year.

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AL'S NOTABLE ACHIEVEMENTS

• Won the platinum trophies for The Last Of Us Part II, Subnautica, Death Stranding, Watch Dogs: Legion, Saints Row: The Third, Terminator: Resistance, Ancestors: The Humankind Odyssey, Maneater, Goat Simulator, and Everything. 
• Completed the DLCs for Control, achieved 100% of the trophies.
• Completed the main campaigns for Doom Eternal, Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus, Star Wars: Racer Revenge, Entwined, and Rage.
• Achieved 100% of all trophies for Bad North, Doom 64, and Aero Fighters 2.
• After spending so much time on the PS console, I successfully made time for more PC games. Most especially Civilization VI, Disco Elysium, and older games like Phantasmagoria. 
• Even made time for a couple of the old pre-90s adventure games you have to input with a keyboard (namely Leisure Suit Larry and Space Quest). I never got into these because I've been spoiled by VGA graphics and sound cards, and anything older always came off as garish and clunky to me. Toying around with these games though, I actually found them charming and felt rewarded for making progress. I really need to load these up again and finish them.
• I started on quite a few older titles, mostly because of remasters (Jedi Outcast, Prototype 1 and 2, Doom 1 and 2, Battlezone Commander, Black Mesa). 

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GAMES AL IS LOOKING FORWARD TO IN 2021

• Far Cry 6. It'll probably be more of the same, but hot dang, the thrill of stalking enemies and overthrowing a savage totalitarian power in an exotic location will never grow old. The premise of the next one sounds just fine to me, and I expect it to be as enjoyable as the last one.
• Horizon Forbidden West. The first game was so good, I can't wait to re-enter this imaginative, beautiful world of robot animals and primitive tribes. If any game entices me to dive into the next generation of consoles, it'll be this one.
• Mass Effect: Legendary Edition. So, it's an old game presented that's been polished and re-sold to us, again. I'll take it though. Mass Effect is one game I believe deserves the "Legendary" moniker. I'll be looking forward to revisiting this superb sci-fi story, with its all its fantastic worlds and characters. I hope it'll be as breathtaking as the developers make it out to be.
• Scorn. I'm not even sure I want this one. Existing gameplay footage emphasizes grotesqueness and an oppressive atmosphere, and it might induce too much anxiety for me. With the HR Giger inspired designs, I am curious to see the final gameplay footage. This might be one rare case where I'd rather see a stream of it rather than to take direct control.