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Comment on Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets [Blu-ray] by Susan Emert

Susan Emert — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 22:27:50 +0000

45 of 52 people found the following review helpful:

Mesmerizing, February 26, 2003

Susan Emert (Tamarac, Fl United States) -

I'm a senior citizen who loves Harry Potter. I have read the first 3 books and will purchase "The Goblet of Fire" on books on tape.
I won't go into the plot. Suffice it to say it follows the book. The acting was wonderful by our 3 main stars. There is not enough of Alan Rickman, a truly wonderful actor. Kenneth Branagh was so-so and I don't know the man who played Lucious Malfoy but he was perfect. I hated him in "The Patriot" and hated him even more here. Richard Harris will be sorely missed. What a fine performance for his last film.
I never realized that the film was 2 3/4 hours. The time flew. The special effects are outstanding.
I liked the further character development. You see what a wonderful and loving family Ron Weesley comes from. You find out why Hagrid is the way he is. You also get to realzie why Draco Malfoy is the way he is when you get to see the father.
There was so much to see. So much to enjoy.
For the first movie, I saw the movie first and then read the book. For this story, I read the book first and then saw the movie. Either way, I was thrilled with both movies.
I can't tell you how much I'm looking forward the the third movie.
If you haven't had the opportunity to see "The Chamber of Secrets", please go and see it. It's a treat for the eyes, mind and soul.
Enjoy, enjoy, enjoy

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Comment on Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets [Blu-ray] by R. M. Fisher "Raye"

R. M. Fisher "Raye" — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 21:39:54 +0000

104 of 125 people found the following review helpful:

An Instant Classic Fantasy Movie, January 25, 2003

R. M. Fisher "Raye" (New Zealand = Middle Earth!) -

"The Chamber of Secrets" novel in the Harry Potter series is generally considered the weakest of J. K. Rowling's books - it does not have the joyful discovery of "Philosopher's Stone", the dark twists of "Prisioner of Azkaban" or the epic nature of "Goblet of Fire", but is simply a very good story. However, I predict its relative simplicity will make "Chamber of Secrets" the most successful book-to-movie translation in the series, as it is undoubtably better than the first movie, and it will be a daunting task for film-makers to tackle the intricate plot lines of book three and the collosal book four.

Like all the books, "Chamber" begins midway through the summer as Harry's twelfth birthday is nearing, and again he faces a rather dismal one in the company of his horrible uncle, aunt and cousin. Excitement is already on the move however, as when Harry enters his bedroom the house elf Dobby is waiting for him, who warns him that under no circumstances is he to return to Hogwarts, where a great danger is waiting for him.

But return he does, after being rescued from his family by the Weasley family and the now-famous flying blue Ford Angelia, and indeed finds what Dobby promised - something is stalking the halls of Hogwarts, putting all the students in great danger. Taking it upon himself to save his beloved home Harry and his friends Ron and Hermione seek out the clues, and find themselves facing a terrible evil. In a story filled with giant spiders, savage willow trees, magical swords, disembodied voices, mysterious diaries, glorious phoenixes, flying cars and Quidditch matches, the action and excitement doesn't let up until the ending credits.

Once again Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint and Emma Watson return as the three main protagonists, and I'm glad to say that while their acting was a little awkward in the first movie (understandable for newcomers) they've mellowed out and are much more natural with their characters and each other. Under-rated actor Tom Felton is again wickedly good, and Maggie Smith (McGonagall), Robbie Coltrane (Hagrid) and Alan Rickman (Snape) roll out brilliant performances. Unfortunatly I can't say the same for Richard Harris - Dumbledore in my mind is an elderly yet lively and energetic man, yet here I was petrified he was going to kneel over any second.

The best part of any sequel in a series is the myraid of new characters to see, including the afore mentioned Dobby, the mysterious and sinister Tom Riddle, the narcissic Gilderoy Lockhart (played with great pizzazz by Kenneth Branaugh), and pompous Cornelius Fudge, and more of the Weasley family - more from Julie Walters as Molly Weasley, an introduction to Arthur Weasley, and from George, Fred and (especially) Ginny.

Three performances stick out though: Lucius Malfoy was great - cold, calm and elegant, this guy just *oozed* sinister charm, Moaning Myrtle, with her high-pitched sobs and shrieks was an unexpected surprise and Colin Creevy, the forerunner to Book Four's reporter Rita Skeeter and J. K. Rowling's dig at the media was a small, but essential gem, and I love that split-second scene of horror on his face as the runaway Buldger hurtles towards him!

Finally the sets, costumes and props are lovely, but the special effects are only so-so. The Quidditch game (again more visually exciting than any written account) is very good, as is the 'monster in the chamber', but the phoenix, spiders and Dobby could have used some tweaking.
All in all, a fun, interesting, colourful, sometimes-scary, and faithful adaptation to a beloved book, that (along with the Two Towers) brought 2002 to a fantasy-filled climax in the movie industry.

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Comment on I Am Number Four (Lorien Legacies) by Pam Tee "Busy Mom"

Pam Tee "Busy Mom" — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 09:53:11 +0000

160 of 198 people found the following review helpful:

2 Stars - Neat Concept, Bad Delivery, August 4, 2010

Pam Tee "Busy Mom" -

This review is from: I Am Number Four (Lorien Legacies) (Hardcover)

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Wow, this book has a great concept. Nine children come to earth from a war ravaged planet, the last of their people, and they are seeking to hide amongst us until they come of age so they can come into their 'legacies' and kick some bad-guy fanny. The driving essence of the plot is that the kids are being hunted one-by-one by the bad guys who can only kill them in numeric order. And our hero, John, is #4 and #3 just got snuffed.

The fact that there's already a movie shooting didn't hurt my expectations either. I was smiling cheerfully until I got four chapters into the book. Then it occurred to me that The Movie probably came first and that the book was just something thrown together by people who aren't all that familiar with how good YA (young adult) literature is these days.

Good idea or not, "I am Number Four" has flat characters and utter predictability. There's also almost no descriptive writing -- like you'd find in a movie script. Not that you need much help to envision 'Mark' the smalltown, football star/bully who is jealous that John is now dating his beautiful ex-cheerleader girlfriend. (And yes, she's very blonde, smart, and has a beautiful eyes.)

"I notice a girl taking pictures, moving easily from one group to the next. She's shockingly beautiful with straight blond hair past her shoulders, ivory skin, high cheekbones, and soft blue eyes. Everyone seems to know her and says hello to her, and no one objects to her taking their pictures.

"She sees me, smiles and waves. I wonder why and turn to see if someone is behind me....

"'Don't be shy.'
"'I'm not. Just trying to protect you lens. My face might break it."

THE SKINNY:::
I read a lot of YA, MG (Middle-grade) and kidlit, and this book doesn't compare well to "Hunger Games", Percy Jackson, or Mo Willems.

Except for the plentiful scenes with kissing and the one (two?) moments when something interesting might have happened had-they-not-been-interrupted, this book would be perfect for Older Elementary aged kids[AR 4.0] and Middle-schoolers looking for a fun read.

Personally, I think YA'ers would be better off reading "Split" or "Mockingjay" or re-reading something they loved.

Middle-graders would better be directed to Gary Paulsen, "The Red Pyramid", or "Smells Like Dog". Something with adventure or humor or both if they are looking for a lighter read.

Reading level - 4th Grade

Pam T~
mom and blogger

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Comment on I Am Number Four (Lorien Legacies) by Noelle Posadas "WannaBeLibrarian"

Noelle Posadas "WannaBeLibrarian" — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 09:31:14 +0000

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

A sci-fi adventure that guys and girls can get on board with, February 13, 2011

Noelle Posadas "WannaBeLibrarian" (New York, NY USA) -

This review is from: I Am Number Four Movie Tie-in (Lorien Legacies) (Kindle Edition with Audio/Video)

In the not so distant past I worked at a few book stores. A problem I ran into frequently was finding books for teen boys. The YA market is flooded with books meant solely for girls. Boys have always been a harder sell when it comes to reading and publishers haven't made it an easier job, especially when they have flooded the teen market with paranormal romance.

So recommendations for teen boys often meant I would recommend The Hunger Games. Unfortunately many guys aren't too keen on reading a book in which the main character is a girl, no matter how good the story is. So after going through the other 5 or 6 good teen guy books I could think of I would often recommend a book in the general fiction and literature section, but parents often fear that their children will encounter questionable subject matter. Which they may, but they should also remember many of the books their children read in school are found in the fiction and literature not the teen section.

I found "I am Number Four" to be a great action adventure, that followed the traditional hero archetype. The main character, number Four or John Smith, is as relatable as a alien teenager on the run can be. The surrounding cast of characters rounds out this alien boys average existence, Henri, his alien guardian/father figure, Sam, his nerdy best friend, Sarah, his crush, and Mark, a bully and Sarah's ex. The story is a super power driven action packed adventure, filled with all the tender feelings and angst that a every teenager has.

It was a quick read. I got through it in about a day and a half. I would recommend this book for anyone over the age of 13. I hope that the quick success of this book will bring about a revamp of the YA publishing field and allow for more guy teen fiction or fiction that can cross gender lines. Anyone that truly enjoyed this book should read The Hunger Games. I can't wait to see the film and read the rest of the series. Happy reading to you all.

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Comment on I Am Number Four (Lorien Legacies) by H. Bala "Me Too Can Read"

H. Bala "Me Too Can Read" — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 09:24:51 +0000

258 of 284 people found the following review helpful:

This Pittacus Lore fella sure can spin a yarn..., July 8, 2010

H. Bala "Me Too Can Read" (Just moved to posh Marina Del Rey, CA - where if you drop a quarter, why, you just keep on walking) -

This review is from: I Am Number Four (Lorien Legacies) (Hardcover)

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Man, this book is seriously garnering heaps of exposure, what with its already having been optioned for a movie, this movie scheduled for a 2011 release. I AM NUMBER FOUR, which admittedly is an awesome title, is penned by someone named Pittacus Lore, who claims to be a ten thousand year old space alien seeking to warn us of hostile other aliens currently lurking in our midst. This is cute. Except that two folks named Jobie Hughes and James Frey are the actual authors.

The high stakes premise goes like this: Nine alien children have fled their annihilated homeworld of Lorien and have sought refuge on Earth. Having scattered to the winds, they are being hunted down, one by one, by a separate and malevolent extraterrestrial race from a dying planet. Thanks to a quasi-mystical protective charm placed on the Nine, they can only be killed in order (although, my bet is that Number One doesn't regard this charm as all that "protective"). As the book opens, three of the Nine have already been tracked down and murdered. So we come to Number Four.

His name used to be Daniel Jones. It used to be something else before that, and then something else before that, and so on. Ten years on Earth, ten years of hiding and staying always on the move and staying safe and alive... this is the life of Number Four and his guardian and mentor whose name is Henri (oddly, Henri's alien accent sounds very much like a French accent). Number Four has just collected a new scar circling his right ankle, this an indicator that another of the Nine has been recently slain. Three scarred rings around his ankle, and so Number Four knows he's next. And it's time to pack up the bags again, time again to get the eff out of Dodge.

Henri and Number Four - or "John Smith," his new assumed name - have always gravitated to tiny towns, conjecturing that their hunters would stick out more like sore thumbs in tiny towns. They end up in Paradise, Ohio. For John it's another try at blending in in school but without making friends, because no one can be trusted. Except that it's a little different this time. John Smith befriends a geeky kid who is a science-fiction enthusiast. He adopts a stray mutt named Bernie Kosar (and Bernie Kosar, by the way, is easily the book's breakout character). And John Smith also meets a girl. So much for staying on one's guard.

My first impression, while reading the first few pages of this book, was that this whole thing is very reminiscent of two short-lived television sci-fi shows: THE POWERS OF MATTHEW STAR from the early '80s and, more recently, ROSWELL. But then, pressing on, I guess it's inevitable that comparisons to the X-Men would surface. The Nine teens are holing up while waiting for their superhuman powers (called Legacies) to develop. These Legacies vary, and there's no guessing as to which abilities a Nine would latch up to. Number Four is at that age when his Legacies would shortly begin to crop up. And they do start cropping up, one by one, and there is a really fun factor in watching our sympathetic alien boy try to cope with each incoming talent.

Gratifyingly, the alien hunters from Mogadore aren't only downright intimidating, they seem even more powerful than the Nine and their guardians (and the guardians aren't at all equipped with superpowers). This drives up the suspense. What I AM NUMBER FOUR has going for it is its irresistible sci-fi/superhero premise and a pace that really moves. Number Four is a likable protagonist, although someone needs to explain to him the exact definition of keeping a low profile. After all, dude is supposed to be in hiding and fitting in. He really doesn't do much of either. None of the supporting cast break out of their stereotypical mold, and only the scene-stealing dog Bernie Kosar seems to be an original character. I will say that John's geeky pal Sam does come up with a touching reason for why he's such a sci-fi freak and why he wears those fugly prescription glasses. And as much as I dig Sarah, her and John Smith's teen romance feels like any other teen romance in YA lit. It comes in a nice, predictable package. Sarah is gorgeous and nice... and, well, bland. Another issue I have concerns a high school bully whose turnaround comes too abruptly. Perhaps the most intriguing element in the book concerns the mystery surrounding the very peculiar Bernie Kosar (see how I keep coming back to the dog?).

I AM NUMBER FOUR is the first book in a planned six-book series, and it reads very visual, especially in the explosive action sequences, and no wonder this is being made into a movie. Number Four performs bits of astounding derring-do throughout the book, but things get really amped up during the final 90 pages. It all culminates in one of those blistering "Release the Kraken!" Jim Butcher-type paranormal (except it's sci-fi) shoot-'em-outs. I can see why Bay and Spielberg are salivating so... Read more

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Comment on Terminator Salvation (Two-Disc Director’s Cut) [Blu-ray] by Brendan A. MacWade

Brendan A. MacWade — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 00:17:56 +0000

23 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

An Imperfect, But Still Above-Average Summer Actioner, December 1, 2009

Brendan A. MacWade (New York, NY, USA) -

This review is from: Terminator Salvation (Two-Disc Director's Cut) [Blu-ray] (Blu-ray)

The Terminator franchise is an odd beast. Since the original 1984 feature, it has been sold to three (soon to be four) different production companies and two different studios. The only times the plot and dialogue have blended well together were in the first two movies, thanks to the care and writing skill of the younger James Cameron. Since then, the timeline, plot, and characters of Terminator have gone through mutations and minor changes, either to the delight or disappointment of fans (usually the latter). For a franchise that doesn't have millions of fans like Star Trek or even Battlestar Galactica, Terminator still has legs. And Terminator Salvation was a great opportunity to tie some loose ends left over from the last movie and TV series, and reboot the franchise in the hopes of producing a John Connor trilogy.

This film is either the first film of a second trilogy, or an intermediate movie while the future of the franchise goes up for bid in a Hollywood auction in 2010. So how is this movie?

First the bad news. Some of the dialogue, as is the case in too many action films, is poor. I've always believed movie producers should hire more than script doctors. They should hire an experienced screenwriter or playwright to give the dialogue a go-over. The plots are usually okay. But the words coming out of character's mouths can always use an upgrade. Again, I look at Aliens as a model in how smart action movie dialog should be written. At least the dialogue in Terminator Salvation holds together for the first 20 minutes of the 117 minute director's cut.

Slightly less bad news - if the director prefers to be known as 'MCG' (Joseph McGinty Nichol), and whose previous works were the two Charlie's Angels films, you know he's going to spin his wheels and show-off a little bit. And MCG does. But he also proves for the first time that he is capable of assembling top-grade action sequences that are both thrilling and comprehensible (unlike Christopher Nolan, who seemed incapable of directing a good action sequence in The Dark Knight, IMO). MCG seems to have done his homework. His attention to detail setting-up and executing action sequences is similar to the directors he grew-up with (George Lucas, Brian DePalma, John Woo, James Cameron). If I were the executive producer, I would have wanted Alfonso Cuaron (Children of Men) to direct, or at least a director who didn't give himself a nickname.

And finally, the movie does go off the rails a bit towards the end. The second half of the movie is poor and cliched. Christian Bale gets more screen time in the second half, but the final acts test the boundaries of medical and physical plausibility. Also the second half is weighed-down by b-movie explosions, obvious homages to the first two Terminator movies, and brief tips of the cap to The Matrix, Lord of the Rings, and Aliens (not so brief with the last movie, as the entire climax seems to replicate Ripley's Rescue). The first half of the film is clearly better than the second half. At least the two halves are bridged by a most impressive (and original) chase and battle sequence in which all the great elements of the film come together beautifully. That sequence is simply crackerjack.

But everything else in the movie I see as good news, in varying amounts. Masio Kassar remained as executive producer (from T2 and T3) and hired as much Terminator talent as he could - namely the editor and an apprentice of Stan Winston's. The casting is fine. The photography, despite being handled by a disliked, unorthodox DP, is excellent, and matches the film's bleak theme and outlook. The sound design is close to brilliant, with the machines sounding radically different from the previous three movies to awesome effect. Danny Elfman's restrained score stays off the soundtrack during most action sequences, allowing the jet engines and explosions to speak for themselves. Art direction and costumes are all first-rate. Special effects are almost all top-notch, with the exception of a few cheap explosions and some of the aircraft shots.

Some plot weaknesses and poor dialogue aside, this is a wonderfully bleak movie. Mankind is almost doomed. The machines are smarter and sometimes more brutal than the previous films. The machines are not always consistent in their speed (hey they have to take their time to aim at our heroes), but they are always quick to destroy human vehicles before humans, and that is a very welcome bit of smart military strategy on their part. And some humans are fairly brutal as well.

It's tough for a studio to have a bleak movie as its summer tent pole, but that's what Terminator Salvation was to Warner, which struck box office gold a year earlier with The Dark Knight. Terminator Salvation failed to crack the # 1 spot in its opening weekend. But it will be remembered for being the best... Read more

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Comment on Terminator Salvation (Two-Disc Director’s Cut) [Blu-ray] by J. C.E.

J. C.E. — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 00:16:15 +0000

86 of 108 people found the following review helpful:

Terminator Salvation Extended cut, September 29, 2009

J. C.E. (Dallas, TX) -

This review is from: Terminator Salvation (Two-Disc Director's Cut) [Blu-ray] (Blu-ray)

The movie was good, a few bad lines, but mostly the editing was really off, they shouldn't have cut the time down to under 2 hours and made it a PG-13 flick. That was a big mistake, that's like making Rambo a G-rated film, it's just not right. Christian Bale is good as John Connor, he gives an alright performance, but he could have done a little better. Anton Yelchin (Young Kyle Reese) did a superb job portraying the young hardened soldier who will eventually go back to protect young Sarah Connor, but not in this film. The movie is good, but due to editing and script changes here and there, caused the movie's poor performance at the box office. It's still a good film to watch, it gives us a fresh new look at the world post Judgment Day. It's NO James Cameron film by a long shot, but still decent with good action. Just don't expect to follow the plot as it has it's ups and downs by the different writers that wrote the screenplay. Expect a future blu-ray/dvd Terminator Salvation: Extended Cut (I don't know what they will call it) to contain most of the deleted scenes 30-40 mins worth with the original ending and an alternate storyline to debut sometime in late 2010. It's an alternate version of the film, much like Donner's Superman II cut. This only has 3 mins added, with Moon Bloodgood's breasts and a couple of F-Bombs in this sad director's cut.

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Comment on Terminator Salvation (Two-Disc Director’s Cut) [Blu-ray] by Senor Zoidbergo

Senor Zoidbergo — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 23:44:30 +0000

185 of 198 people found the following review helpful:

Director's Cut Differences, November 24, 2009

Senor Zoidbergo (Washington D.C.) -

This review is from: Terminator Salvation (Two-Disc Director's Cut) [Blu-ray] (Blu-ray)

The director's cut runs approximately 3 minutes longer, and inserts a few new scenes, but no major plot points. This is NOT the major unrated cut that McG has referred to in past interviews, where he suggested that 30-40 minutes of additional footage would be added. We'll probably see that in a future edition.

Here are the major differences between the theatrical version and the director's cut (spoilers follow).

1) In the opening action scene, when John Connor is leading his unit into the flooded underground Skynet base, a T-1 terminator (nice touch from T3) suddenly appears behind them. His men destroy it before it can do any damage. I'm glad this scene was cut; it inadvertently breaks the tension too quickly.

2) When John pulls his little "frogman stunt", he is seated before the Resistance Command generals, and General Ashdown (Michael Ironside) berates John. Ashdown says, "I don't believe in prophecy, not when one can re-write the future", pulls out his gun and points it at John's head. I liked this scene, because it illustrates John's present and minor role in the Resistance, especially with Command being skeptical of his "predictions".

3) Blair Williams/Moon Bloodgood's topless scene; really just a side shot as she washes herself in the rain in a non-sexual manner, and Marcus glances at her briefly.

4) Marcus/Blair Williams/redneck fight; the action is a little longer, and a little more brutal. Marcus stabs one of the attackers with a screwdriver, and we see the impact, as well as the victim painfully removing the screwdriver. Also, Marcus uses another one of the attackers as a human shield against another's shotgun blast.

5) Marcus/Blair Williams campfire scene is slightly longer with additional dialogue between the two.

6) Captured humans at Skynet; when one of the prisoners attempts an escape and is shot, we see the bullet impacts.

7) John Connor's speech to fellow Resistance members to not obey Ashdown's orders to attack is extended with a few sentences about his mother. I liked this scene, not sure why they cut it. It ties T2 in, and shows the impact of Sarah Connor. (Is this where Christian Bale had his stage lights tantrum?)

8) Marcus/T-800 fight scene is slightly longer, shows Marcus getting pummeled a bit more by the T-800. Also, John tries to revive Marcus an additional time, before collapsing in exhaustion.

I would like to add that I enjoyed Terminator 4; much better than the campy T3, and just a shade under T2. The action was definitely there, and McG included a lot of thoughtful touches from the past movies, e.g. photograph of Sarah Connor, the origin of John's scars, John's like for Guns N'Roses, Sarah Connor's taped voice recordings (actually Linda Hamilton's voice), use of and of course the Arnold cameo. Who can say no to Michael Ironside? What I didn't like was Blair Williams' geisha makeup which she wore during air combat. It made no sense, and was probably one of the deleted portions. Bryce Dallas Howard was believable as Kate Connor, but her screen time was too short. Hopefully, a future cut will show more of her relationship with John.

Some have said that Christian Bale's performance was wooden, or that John Connor's role was overshadowed by Sam Worthington's role as Marcus Wright. I disagree with both counts; Bale played Connor as he should have been; grizzled, scarred, gruff. Given that we know so much already about the future and John's role from prior Terminator movies, it makes sense to have another character portray the center protagonist role. I also liked the idea of the audience first seeing John as a minor Tech-Com officer, steadily rising through the ranks and gaining influence.

Additionally, the movie's opening and closing scenes had a poetic touch to it, which I appreciated. Marcus begins the film about to be executed, giving his body to a cybernetic program. The film ends with the same shots of needle plungers being depressed, albeit for a different reason. Marcus leaves the world as a cyborg, but giving his body to a human cause.

I did have one concern about the movies; how come the Arnold T-800 didn't die when John Connor shot the molten steel onto its head? Turns out there's a perfectly scientific explanation (McG consulted a metallurgist).

Here's McG's answer: "There are different characteristics of molten steels, and that was an earlier steel process after it had been separated from the coke. We went over this with a metallurgist, discussing which metals burn at which degrees. And also, if it had stayed on [the T-800], perhaps it would've melted him, but it was frozen quickly enough by the [liquid nitrogen]. Plus, we make the transition from the molten metal to the cooling property so quickly -- as a function of the T-800 being on [John] Connor -- that... Read more

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Comment on Player’s Handbook 2: A 4th Edition D&D Core Rulebook (Bk.2) by Thought

Thought — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 06:23:44 +0000

52 of 65 people found the following review helpful:

A Savage Review of a Savage Book, April 16, 2009

Thought -

This review is from: Player's Handbook 2: A 4th Edition D&D Core Rulebook (Bk.2) (Hardcover)

At the heart of the matter, if you liked the first PHB, there is a very good chance you'll like this one. Similarly, if you disliked the first book, you'll dislike this one.

That being said, it should be noted that any player who likes Martial Classes first and foremost will not be impressed with the content of this book. This book's biggest flaw is that it is really a Primal Power supplement, not a general player's handbook. The Martial power source is entirely ignored; at best there are a few things that such a character might find interesting, but nothing was included for them. The Arcane and Divine power sources both get 2 more classes (the Arcane source still not filling all party roles drawing from core alone).

Additionally, the book might also be considered to be largely a way to finish converting 3rd edition players; base classes and races from 3rd edition are here available (Gnome and Half-Orc for races, Bard, Barbarian, Druid, and Sorcerer for classes). Indeed, the majority of the book is little more than updating materials established in previous editions.

Finally, the book has a central theme that won't fit in with all campaigns or play-preferences. That theme is, for lack of a better word, "savagery." Of the 5 races (well, 6 if you count both types of Shifters), not a single one has its own complex civilization. The closest one comes is in the Half-Orc, which might be a hanger-on to other civilizations. Gnomes are largely nomadic escaped slaves, Shifters might have a pack, Devas may never see another of their kind in this lifetime, and Goliaths are tribal individuals. Nearly every race is an outsider as well; the primal classes aren't going to be stalwarts of civilization, but both new divine classes are cast as outsiders to the regular religious orders (potentially even heretics). Sorcerers are outside standard magical orders as a matter of course. Bards are the only ones that might fit in well with an established society, and even then they are nomadic by nature. The book adds a lot to the dark places of the world, but it pays very little attention to the Points of Light.

The greatest innovation the book has is Racial Paragon Paths. Instead of taking a paragon path from a class, you can become an exemplary specimen of a species. It is an interesting concept, to be sure.

Above considerations aside, I personally would have liked a great many more Epic Destinies. That is a fun concept that still feels undeveloped in 4e.

Would I say it is worth the $30+ to buy? Unless you are really interested in the Primal Power source or want to finish converting from 3e, probably not. But if it is on sale...

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Comment on Player’s Handbook 2: A 4th Edition D&D Core Rulebook (Bk.2) by TheScientistDM

TheScientistDM — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 05:49:08 +0000

26 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

Great new player content, April 13, 2009

TheScientistDM -

Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)

This review is from: Player's Handbook 2: A 4th Edition D&D Core Rulebook (Bk.2) (Hardcover)

The Player's Handbook 2 by Wizards of the Coast is a well-written, interesting tome of player options to be used in 4th Edition D&D. It includes a new power source, Primal, that opens up new, differently-flavored classes, new options for the old power sources, and several new races and general character options for the 4e player.

The first chapter includes 5 new player races and new racial paragon paths for every race included in the first Player's Handbook and this one. The new races include the Deva (a reflavored Aasimar race that seems directly counter in nature to the Tiefling), the Gnome (now a race of fey), the Goliath, the Half-Orc, and the Shifter. These five grant players new flavor options and races that are effective with different classes, including those in this book. I've always found increased player options to be good, and these appear very well balanced to boot. The racial paragon paths are great in that they give players a non-class option for character flavor and development, and grant interesting abilities as well. Some may be slightly weak, but they remain interesting and playable despite this.

The next chapter details 8 new classes: 4 primal, 2 divine, and 2 arcane. Included are classic options like the Barbarian, Bard, and Druid, and new options like the Avenger (a unique divine striker), the Shaman (a primal leader), and the Warden (a primal defender). All of the classes include mechanics unique to them, including transformations, rages, and spirit companions. I am personally very satisfied with the power granted to these classes, which appears on par with those included in the original handbook (though some shenanigans for the munchkins are always found eventually), and the flavor is fairly well-done. New multiclass feats are included for each new class, of course, and epic destinies appear as well, further adding to the options available to both the new and the old classes.

The Magic Items section under Character Options is probably the weakest in the book. It includes only a few new general options, and not enough options specific to the new classes to make up for it (very few Songblades appear for the Bard, for example). Feats, rituals, and the new character backgrounds are good for both flavor and mechanics, and while a few feats pop out as unnecessary or overpowered (Weapon and Implement Expertise struck me immediately), nothing seems to require direct DM intervention.

Finally, a few rule updates appear in the back of the book. These are not hugely important, but it is nice to have them in print form, and clarifications are appreciated.

Overall, I strongly recommend the Player's Handbook 2 for both players and DMs. Players will find the character options excellent and interesting, and DMs will appreciate direct access to possibilities for new NPCs and help for their players. While the various Power Source books only enhance existing classes, the Player's Handbook 2 introduces more than a sufficient amount of new material to justify a buy, even if it is the only book you buy beyond the original core set.

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