Movie Review: | Tuesday, November 19, 2013 ‘Captain Phillips' a story about survival, escape Kyle Stanevich STAFF WRITER Back in April 2009, Somali pirates hijacked the Maersk Alabama, a cargo boat carrying supplies for the people of Kenya, Somalia, and Uganda. Fast forward to today and this interesting story can be seen on the big screen. The film “Captain Phillips,” rep- licating actual events, presents a well—crafted thriller, not what could have been a boring documentary. Captain Richard Phillips, played by veteran actor Tom Hanks, is a no non- sense man, sternly leading his crew through preventative drills, fully aware of the piracy threat. He pays close attention to detail mak- ing sure his crew is not slacking off. Despite outrunning the pirates’ first attempts at boarding his vessel, Phillips knows that his ship's safety is not assured. Disbursed in this drama, the film cuts to scenes of the pirates’ lives, explaining how they could be driven to such drastic measures. When the pirates’ bosses charge the main pirate Muse, played by Barkhad Abdi, to capture a ship, it turns out to be the Alabama. Upon boarding the ship after the first failed attempt, the pirates hold the captain and his first mate hostage, while the rest of the crew sabotages with the ship's functions from there hiding spot in the engine room. After some tense encoun- ters, the now injured band of pirates evacu- ates the ship with Phillips as hostage. The pirates and Phillips live for three days in a small life boat. Upon hearing of the situation, the 0.8. Navy sends three boats out to intervene. Muse has a lot on his plate now. He has to keep his band of pirates at rest, con- trol Phillips, and negotiate with the Navy, still aware of the punishment his bosses will dole out should he not return with the riches held on the Maersk. Negotiations with the Navy deteriorate, leaving no good way out for Muse or his crew. Phillips is finally res- cued but not without the intervention of Navy SEALS. For the most part this movie fol- lows the actual events. Hanks does a great job as the savvy captain, starting the movie with a thick Boston accent that diminishes somewhat as the film unfolds. Actually born in Somalia and not a big time actor, Abdi is phenomenal. Although the pirates are clear- ly the bad guys, he does a great job appealing to the audience, and we feel sad for him and his crew at the end. That said, I would argue that this is really a story about a few good persons forced into an inescapable situation. If you are looking for an escape from studying or final projects, I would rec- ommend going to see this movie. While this not Hanks’ best film ever, the cinematogra- phy is great and overall enjoyable. Are YOU a Student Life Leader? APPLY TODAY! mama Ltfittte fleet adieu, mm a mt \ It, . le as” a student at Illinois Tech whoa peers look to for gurdance and advice and staff and faculty on campus see them as role models to than: peers t“ 0 Men generally have lower levels of awareness of mental illnesses than women 0 Over 6 million men (7% of the population) are diagnosed with depression each year 0 Depression affects more than I9 million Ameri- _. cans every year, regardless of age, race, or gender mental-health Source: my . '33.":1' .. . Apply at http: //tInyurl.com/sll20l3 NI 4 to Union Board for winning Best late Night/Alternative Program In the MidAmerica Region at NACA for late Niite! Video Game Reviews: ‘Battlefield' vs Austin Gonzalez STAFF WRITER “Battlefield” and “Call of Duty”(“CoD”) are the leading modern mili— tary shooters (MMS) available for sale today. They clash every season to present the best in first person shooter action. They are different games in their own right and cater to different experiences players want to see. “Battlefield” is known for its expan— sive maps and large player interaction. Pla- toons of 64 soldiers face off in largely objective based gameplay with destructible environ— ments and the need for adaptability. Tanks and warplanes are available to players; adding to the carnage and to provide support for troops on the ground. Its first incarnation was “Battle- field 1942” and has since spanned nearly every time period. “Battlefield” has always centered on team work and the intelligent use of in game assets. “Call of Duty” debuted shortly af- terwards, in 2003. Featuring smaller maps and faster paced action, “C0D” caters to those with quick reaction speed and finesse. With the latest release of "Battle- field 4,” not much has changed for the series. The graphics are as gorgeous as ever and the action is just what you should expect. Featur- ing a wide range of weapons from modern combat, there is something for everyone's play style. The environments create a great feeling of agency for the player. While the track is ul— timately linear, the reason you choose to ap- proach a given engagement means everything. There is always more than one way to take care of business. The PS4 community experienced many graphics issues on day one, but this may have been due to the added strain of running the game natively at 1600x900 resolution (ap- proximately 50% more pixels than the Xbox One which is upscale from 720p.) “Battlefield” has always been known to strain hardware and with more updates this problem shouldn't ‘CoD: Ghosts' hamper gameplay for long. “Battlefield” offers a great experience as it always has and contin- ues to push the limits of available hardware. “Call of Duty: Ghosts” isn't doing as well as its predecessors. Well known for its dedicated fan base, “COD” isn't going any— where, but “Ghosts" is generally considered one of the worst “COD” games to date. Graphics are lacking, seen especially in shadows and shading. The single player campaign is a tacked on sham, with the emo- tional struggle of a canine companion being an unnecessary addition. However, few players buy “C0D” for the single player; multiplayer action is the gem of “Call of Duty.” Multiplayer is more or less un— changed for the franchise. Activision has car— ried over its three kill streaks packages and its fantastically customizable player classes. With the beginning releases some maps may feel awkwardly large for “COD,” this is due to maps being designed for 9V9 matches instead of the usual 6V6. Unfortunately on the older consoles the larger team battles are simply too taxing. PC releases won't be affected nor will the next-gen consoles. It is interesting to see “C0D” move towards larger maps and en— gagements. One map is a huge castle complex, including a gate town and field approaching the main gate. Knifing is a strategy centered on rushing your opponent with speed and quick reflex movements. This has always been a main stay of “COD” but with larger areas and longer lines of sight this may die out to the chagrin of those who enjoy the twitch reaction style. Lackluster sales have been seen for both franchises, as they released a bit ahead of the next generation consoles. Furthermore, gamers are waiting to pick up a copy for the new systems (neither of which are backwards compatible.) Furthermore with the recent (and phenomenal) release of Rockstar's “Grand Theft Auto V,” many of the over 15,000,000 gamers who are enjoying the game’s near in- finite content, aren't itching to drop another $60.