The Last Templar

Greetings, the Last Templar was written by Raymond Khoury who also developed a sequel named The Templar Salvation. It has two stories which are interlinked with each other, one being set in the times of the Templar and the other in modern day New York. The Templar’s are in the novel for only a short time in comparison with the current adventure.

The plot begins in the New York Metropolitaon Museum which is holding a special exhibition of artefacts that have never been seen by the public. Archaeologist Tess Chaykin visits on the opening night when the museum is attacked by four horsemen dressed as Knights Templar, an organisation that had fallen several thousand years beforehand.

The leader of the thieves steels a rather unordinary device that appears to lack the high quality of the other items. After the raid an FBI agent called Sean Reilly investigates the crime.  Once the archaeologist, Tess is able to help reach an expert in the Knights Templar named Bill Vance, she herself becomes personally involved in the case. During the following days, three of the horsemen are killed by an assassin who goes by the name of Plunkett and is also seeking out the organiser as well as the device he stole.

Overall it is a solid book but towards the end it does become rather dull before it picks up slightly at the climax. Also, several theories were suggested as to what the device did and the one that the writer had chosen became less appealing after the massive build up throughout the novel. It is a decent adventure but it isn’t a classic. The eighth chapter of Team X Paranormal Division is up at Warehouse 17.

Plot=7/10

Characters=7/10

Wording=8/10

Overall=7/10

Quote of the day

Do you really think you have a chance against us, Mister Cowboy?

Hans Gruber

Die Hard

Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare 2

Greetings, Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare 2 is the second game in the Modern Warfare trilogy. Players take up new character roles as the S.A.S soldier Roach, Ranger Ramirez and CIA agent Allen. Some members of the original cast are in the sequel, for instance Soap has a prominent role in the plot. I found as with the first game, that the British individuals such as Ghost or Roach are more charismatic, have more distinct personalities and therefore more likeable than their American allies.

The story begins with a CIA operative known as Joseph Allen going under cover as a Russian terrorist with one of the main antagonists, Makarov to expose him. This leads to a mission, which can be skipped, where the terrorists and the infiltrator kill innocent passengers at a Russian airport. However Makarov knows of the agent’s identity and kills him at the scene of the crime. This incident forces Russia and America to be at war with each other.

It is quite a short game in terms of campaign but it relies heavily on its online gaming, which contains various activities to play through, such as free for all and capture the flag. There is also another element of game play, called Special Ops and requires the player to play through various maps not related to the plot. The third game promises to be a brilliant one or so the conclusion of Modern Warfare 2 implies. The seventh chapter of Team X Paranormal Division is up at Warehouse 17.

Plot=8/10

Characters=8/10

Graphics=9/10

Overall=8/10

Quote of the day

See ya in another life brotha.

Desmond

Lost

The adventures of Tintin: The Secret of the Unicorn

Greetings and welcome to the first blog update of 2012. The Tintin film is based on three books of the original Belgian comic book. I knew relatively little about it except its Belgian origins and two of the main characters, Tintin and his canine companion, Snowy. I didn’t even realise that the people behind it were directors, musicians and actors that I liked due to their earlier performances, such as John Williams and his work in Star Wars. The movie is beautifully animated down to the last detail, and uses motion capture to portray the actor’s expression. This is one of the reasons I really enjoyed it.

The story follows a young reporter Tintin and his dog, who buy a model of a ship named the Unicorn. Shortly after the purchase a man by the name of Ivan Sakharine attempts to buy the ship off the journalist but the main character refuses and brings it home. At his residence Snowy chases a neighbouring cat around and accidentally destroys the mast of the ship which reveals a scroll of paper which hold the secrets of the Unicorn. The plot itself is very well thought out as well as intricate but is amusing and it links the characters together nicely.

Tintin is a great movie and was definitely one of the best of 2011 as all parts of it were carried out excellently. It is an imaginative and also whimsical film. I would encourage anyone to watch it even if they don’t know anything about Tintin. The sixth chapter of Team X Paranormal Division is up at Warehouse 17.

Plot=9/10

Characters=10/10

Special effects=10/10

Overall=9/10

Quote of the day

Good news first. The world's in great shape. We've got a civil war in Russia, government loyalists against Ultranationalist rebels, and 15,000 nukes at stake.

Gaz

Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare