Crime 101: Prime Video Movie Review

Crime 101: Movie Review

Cast: Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo, Halle Berry, Barry Keoghan, Monica Barbaro, Nick Nolte
Director: Bart Layton

Crime 101’s desire to take seemingly disparate storylines and blend them into one proves to be a frustrating attempt in a film that’s slick and stylish, but somewhat disappointingly really has little under the hood.

Hemsworth is Mike, a driver for hire and solo criminal whose push for perfection helps him initiate a series of jewellery heists without consequence in Los Angeles. Ruffalo is dishevelled and disheartened detective Lou, whose theory that a lone wolf is acting is scoffed at by his colleagues and sees him roundly mocked. And on the outskirts of this is Halle Berry’s Sharon Coombs, an insurer whose role in an insurance company is fading due to the men in charge dismissing her as ageing out.

When one of Mike’s jobs goes awry and he narrowly escapes with his life, the sense of self-doubt puts him on a path to apparent destruction – especially as his handler (a grizzled Nolte) believes he’s no longer needed.

Director Bart Layton knows how to layer the tension on in large swathes of Crime 101 and despite a stellar cast, the intersecting story spends an inordinate amount of time wallowing in set-up before delivering a payoff that’s not entirely worthy of the journey itself.

While a wiry Keoghan adds a spruce of energy to the somewhat muted proceedings, the film never quite reaches full throttle, despite looking entirely polished and impressive. (Even a car chase sequence feels adequate and perfunctory, rather than brimming with edge-of-your-seat stakes.)

It may look slick and may deliver in patches, but Hemsworth’s more muted and oddly twitchy performance, along with an arc that feels like it stumbles when it needs to soar, means Crime 101’s overall feeling is one of frustration and style over substance.

Small character moments, such as the final section of the film offers, add much to what’s gone on – but while it’s solid enough, the fact it’s taken nigh on two hours to get to this stage does little to expel any niggling edges of growing annoyance. Ultimately Crime 101 promises much, but unfortunately delivers not nearly enough to justify its polished occasionally tense movie.

Win tickets to see Billie Eilish - Hit Me Hard and Soft: The Tour Live in 3D in cinemas

To celebrate the release of Billie Eilish - Hit Me Hard and Soft: The Tour Live in 3D in cinemas on May 7, thanks to Paramount Pictures NZ, you can win tickets!

About Billie Eilish - Hit Me Hard and Soft: The Tour Live in 3D

Directed by: James Cameron and Billie Eilish

Captured during her sold-out world tour, BILLIE EILISH - HIT ME HARD AND SOFT: THE TOUR (LIVE IN 3D) brings an innovative new concert experience to the big screen from one of the most celebrated and successful artists of her generation. Presented in immersive 3D.

Billie Eilish - Hit Me Hard and Soft: The Tour Live in 3D is in cinemas May 7!

Is This Thing On? Disney+ Movie Review

Cast: Will Arnett, Laura Dern, Bradley Cooper, Andra Day
Director: Bradley Cooper

Based on UK comedian John Bishop's life, Is This Thing On?'s commitment to a grounded story (for the most part) proves to be its success.

Will Arnett and Laura Dern play Alex and Tess Novak, who we first meet as they're in the throes of deciding to split. Having the debate on the landing of their house, trying to not wake their children, it all seems amicable, a banal chat before they head to a friends' do and pretend like nothing is happening.

But on the way home, having taken a hash cookie between them, Alex decides to go to a bar - and rather than pay the $15 cover charge, he signs up to take the stage at a bar at an open mic comedy night.

With no material at hand, he simply begins to recount his split - and the audience reaction and laughter spurs something deep within him, compelling him to embrace the possibilities of doing stand-up.

Meanwhile, Tess, a former volleyball champion, rediscovers her desire to become a coach of the sport once again, as the pair of them try to negotiate life after marriage but before any kind of divorce.

There's a compelling veracity to Is This Thing On?'s story.

While director and actor Bradley Cooper over-deploys shaky cam tactics and an in-your-face approach to filming with some extreme close-ups, it's largely helped by how amiable the leads are.

From Arnett's gravelly countenance through to Dern's grounded performance, the film seizes on both the minutiae and the realities of separation and life as a middle-aged couple when it all falls apart. Perhaps the film sails a little too close to the midlife crisis angle in parts and feels in others like it's verging on Marriage Story, but it never once loses sight of what makes it seem all too familiar to anyone in relationships.

Ironically, the weakest part of the film is Cooper's own character, a shambling, jobbing actor and long-term friend of Alex's, who's played for comic relief and doesn't quite feel like he fits in. His relationship with Andra Day's Christine though is the antithesis of what Alex and Tess appear to feel - their's is a marriage that appears to teeter on seething bitterness, rather than goign their separare ways. It's an interesting antithesis, and one that doesn't quite work in a key moment where it needs to.

But above all, this dissection of two people who are unhappy in a marriage rather than unhappy with their marriage thrives on its subtle truths. It's no wonder it's inspired by a true story, because large moments feel lived-in and universally recognisable.

Working better by concentrating on the plight faced by both, rather than pointless exposition of how they got to that point, Is This Thing On?'s three-dimensional approach serves the film exceptionally well and both Dern and Arnett make it more than worth your while to go along for the ride.

Is This Thing On? begins streaming on Disney+ from April 5.

NBA 2K26 Season 6: Unleash Your Final Form for the NBA Playoffs

Karl-Anthony Towns takes the spotlight featuring anime-themed rewards and the return of Old Town Park in MyCAREER and MyTEAM

Today, 2K announced that NBA ® 2K26 Season 6 launches this Friday, April 3, with anime-themed content across MyCAREER, MyTEAM, and The W. As the battleground for the NBA Playoffs awaits, New York Knicks star Karl-Anthony Towns headlines an anime season dedicated to high-stakes competition and heroic transformations.

The latest updates and rewards include:

• MyCAREER: Players can write their own storybook ending on the road to a championship. Season 6 features a heroic and futuristic rewards path, including a Level 19 ‘The Raptor’ - Toronto Raptors Mascot, Level 29 Orange Anime Hair, Level 39 Cyborg Mods, and more.
• The Park*: The iconic Old Town Park from NBA 2K16 makes its return. Players can compete under the glow of neon rollercoasters and an urban backdrop to establish their turf and take down the Park MVP.
• MyTEAM: Season 6 introduces a stunning, hand-drawn anime art style for its featured cards. Rewards start with a Level 1 Pink Diamond Ja Morant (Evo to 99 OVR) and culminate to a Level 40 100 OVR Shaquille O’Neal. Other highlights include a Level 28 Dark Matter Mike D’Antoni Coach Card, Level 30 Dark Matter Dennis Rodman, and a Level 35 100 OVR Lisa Leslie.
• The W*: Players can chase all-new weekly and seasonal rewards in The W as the WNBA preps for their upcoming season. Weekly rewards include a Sheryl Swoopes Jersey Dress, Astronaut Helmet, Animated Arm Sleeve, and more.
• Season 6 Pro Pass & Hall of Fame Pass**: The Season 6 Pro Pass unlocks 40 additional levels of premium content. Automatic rewards include a Cyber Jacket + Sweats, Dark Matter Rui Hachimura, and a Court Commander Operator. Premium highlights include the Animated Turtle Backpack at Level 6, Animated Hockey Jersey at Level 9, and a 100 OVR Shaquille O’Neal card at Level 40.
• 2K Beats: Special to this season, NBA 2K26 is the exclusive home for the world premiere of “Impossible feat. Hope Tala” by Austin Millz & Jake the Snake. This season’s playlist is also specially curated by Beach Noise, a production trio recognised within the industry for their work in hip-hop. Players can check out the new additions on Spotify and Apple Music, with songs from artists like Fred again…, Baby Keem, Eem Triplin, Dominic Fike, Daddex, Louis The Child, Jake the Snake, and more.

For full details on NBA 2K26 Season 6, check out the latest Courtside Report. NBA 2K26 is available on PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch™, Nintendo Switch 2 and PC via Steam.

NBA 2K26 is rated M. For more information on NBA 2K26, please visit https://nba.2k.com/2k26/.

Follow NBA 2K on TikTok, Instagram, X, YouTube, and Facebook for the latest NBA 2K26 news.

Visual Concepts is a 2K studio. 2K is a publishing label of Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. (NASDAQ: TTWO).

Online Account (varies 13+) required to access online features. See www.take2games.com/legal and www.take2games.com/privacy for additional details.

*The W Online mode, The Park, and related content are available on New Gen only.

**NBA 2K26 Season 6 Season Pass FREE rewards require unlocking with gameplay. NBA 2K26 Pro Season Passes and Hall of Fame Passes are available for separate purchase and require base game, internet connection and NBA 2K Account. Paid premium Passes unlock additional rewards for the Season that are earnable through gameplay. Pro Pass and Hall of Fame Pass not available in South Korea.

Undertone: Movie Review

Cast: Nina Kiri, Adam DiMarco, Michele Duquet
Director: Ian Tuason

The horror movie has done the idea of possessed and cursed media before.

From the likes of The Ring through to Pipes in the infamous live, spoof BBC TV drama Ghostwatch, the idea's not a new one.

But the upcoming Paranormal Activity 8 director Ian Tuason's deeply rich sound-immersive undertone hits a different note, taking on the idea of a podcast where something's not right.

Nina Kiri plays Evy, one half of a self-confessed "creepy stuff" podcast. Lodged in with her dying mother, and recording at the hour of 3am daily with her compadre Justin (DiMarco, in voice only), the pair investigate paranormal activity and tales of the weird.

Distinctly sceptical, Evy finds herself pushed to the limit when Justin offers up a series of ten recordings sent anonymously to their undertone podcast, which seem to be unexplainable. As Evy begins to investigate further, strange things begin to happen in the house, in her life and in her mind - but terrified or otherwise, she decides to push on...

When it comes to the ending of undertone, it's likely to be as polarising as that first ending of The Blair Witch Project - but what's clearer in the gradual build-up of this one-location movie are the tropes of the genre, the incredible soundscapes that Tuason develops and the committed performance of Kiri as the girl on the edge, stuck between grief and fear.

undertone isn't exactly subtle in some of its sign-posting - recording a creepy podcast at 3am, using Google searches to expose the mythology and lore of what the messages reveal and a last-minute twist is a little too obvious to anyone really paying even the most cursory attention to what's unfolding.

But what is exceptional about it is the way it immerses you in the world. From the rattle of the breathing of Evy's mother to the ticking of the clock, to the way noise-cancelling headphones remove Evy from the world around her. It's an incredible sonic atmosphere which keeps on loading the dice and building the suspense (even if a few cursory jump scares creep in to stave off the monotony of little visually happening).

Perhaps that's the key here though - while undertone itself doesn't redefine the genre and there's a lot of exposition in the dialogue in imagery, it's incredibly effective at building a sense of foreboding and a tension that initially seems unwarranted.  

The Elder Scrolls Online Reveals 2026 Content, including Season Zero: Dawn & Dusk and Teases a Return to Skyrim

During the 2026 Seasons Direct, ZeniMax Online Studios revealed the new content coming to The Elder Scrolls Online this year, starting with Season Zero: Dawn and Dusk launching on April 3. Full details can be found below. 

Key Details: 

• ZeniMax Online Studios has revealed the new content coming to The Elder Scrolls Online this year, starting with Season Zero: Dawn and Dusk, which introduces a brand-new Event Zone, The Night Market, as well as player experience, combat, and PvP improvements alongside the long-requested Challenge Difficulty system
• Season Zero: Dawn and Dusk will launch simultaneously for PC and console players on April 2
• 2026 will also see experimental content come to ESO with the High Seas of Tamriel event, featuring naval combat and underwater exploration, and in early 2027 players will return to Tamriel’s frozen north in an iconic region of Skyrim not previously seen in ESO.

ESO Seasons will average 90-days in length, each with its own distinct theme and deliver a wide variety of content and rewards for players. Seasons gameplay content is free for everyone who owns ESO. Season Zero introduces a brand-new Event Zone, The Night Market, as well as player experience, combat, and PvP improvements alongside the long-requested Challenge Difficulty system. New Thieves Guild and Sheogorath story content, experimental naval combat, underwater exploration and a return to Skyrim will come to ESO through future Seasons in 2026 and beyond.

Season Zero: Dawn and Dusk Launching simultaneously for PC and console players on April 2, a new age begins for ESO with Season Zero: Dawn and Dusk. Season Zero introduces a limited-time Event Zone experience with The Night Market, a new area in the Oblivion realm of Fargrave that will be available for a seven-week period. Players can choose one of three unique factions, pledging their service in a gauntlet of challenging PvE encounters and earning a free player home, Night’s Den, in the process. Also coming in Season Zero is the long-awaited Challenge Difficulty, an optional overland difficulty system. Players looking for an additional challenge will have four difficulty tiers to choose from, each with increased rewards, when it launches on June 8. Significant updates to PvP and combat also arrive during Season Zero, such as the new Veterancy PvP progression system and the first class-refresh for the Dragonknight, with the latter available in-game right now. Also live now are over 20 Player Experience Improvements designed to reduce grind and friction such as faster mount training, UI-based skill respecs and bag upgrades, and increased furnishing limits.

Season One and Beyond Arriving with Season One this summer, the Thieves Guild returns with a new story set in a visually refreshed Glenumbra zone, continuing the original narrative that debuted a decade ago and introducing The Sage’s Vault, a puzzle-focused gameplay area. The Daedric Prince of Madness Sheogorath will also return to take players on a mind-bending new questline across Tamriel.  Further ahead, 2026 will see experimental content come to ESO with the High Seas of Tamriel event, featuring naval combat and underwater exploration. Solo Dungeons will introduce reimagined versions of existing dungeons for solo play, and the Crimson Veldt adds the first new base game Trial since ESO launched in 2014. ESO Returns to Skyrim As teased during the 2026 Seasons Direct, in early 2027 players will return to Tamriel’s frozen north in an iconic region of Skyrim not previously seen in ESO. This will introduce ESO’s first-ever Excursion Zone, as well as dynamic blizzards that affect the gameplay of the zone itself. PlayStation Plus and PC Game Pass PlayStation Plus members can acquire the Gold Road Collection right now for free as part of the PlayStation Plus Monthly Games for March. The Gold Road Collection features the ESO base game, 2024’s Gold Road Chapter, and all previous Chapters, including access to the Warden, Necromancer, and Arcanist classes. This offer is available until April 6. Also announced today, ESO will be launching on PC Game Pass and Xbox Play Anywhere on June 2.

The Super Mario Galaxy Movie: Movie Review

Cast: Chris Pratt, Anya Taylor-Joy, Charlie Day, Jack Black, Keegan-Michael Key, Benny Safdie, Donald Glover, Brie Larson
Director: Aaron Horvath, Michael Jelenic

The sequel to The Super Mario Bros Movie from 2023 is finally here.

One of the biggest animated films of all times in terms of box office gross, the latest has a lot riding on it. Once again, Guardians of the Galaxy star Chris Pratt appears as Mario and Charlie Day is the mustachioed brother Luigi.

When Princess Rosalina (Brie Larson) is kidnapped by Bowser Jr (Safdie) and whisked away to the Space Junk Galaxy, Princess Peach (Joy), Mario and Luigi - along with newcomer Yoshi (Glover) and the shrunken original Bowser (Black) head off to rescue her - and for Bowser to reunite with his son.

There's very little that really happens in The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, a film that seems to exist to expand the Mario universe and to pay homage to some of the Mario nostalgia.

In fairness, a few of those "remember this?" heavy moments land pretty well, and there's a nice robot riff on Zootopia's sloth DMV workers, but much of this feels like soulless frenetic box-ticking for Nintendo fans.

Despite some incredible animation here, there's certainly not the emotional edge you'd be expecting and despite the two Princesses looking like Elsa and Anna from Frozen, there's no real feeling of history here at all. It's a disappointment to say the least and it all ends up feeling distinctly "meh" rather than "Mario".