The Bluff: Movie Review

Cast: Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Karl Urban, Temuera Morrison, Ismael Cruz Cordova

Director: Frank E Flowers

To say The Bluff has had a long time at sea is an understatement.

With a director signed on back in 2021 and a lead change in 2024, the two month shoot has yielded mixed results with a movie that feels like a mix of Pirates Of The Caribbean and a straightforward chase movie.

Jonas is Ercell Bodden, a former pirate who's given up her life on the ocean wave for a quieter one with her husband and their children, setting on an island away from the treachery of pirate life.

But when Captain Connor (an Irish-accented Urban) shows up in her paradise looking for her, Ercell's forced to confront her past and a part of her she'd hoped was long-buried.

It's churlish to suggest there's no sea-legs in this would-be swashbuckler, because for the first 50 minutes of the 1hour 40minute movie, there's scant else. 

However, when the film shifts away from the action, its plot and dialogue begin to show the strain of what lies ahead. From scenes of characters talking that's little more than heavy exposition to very little screen time for anyone other than Chopra Jonas and Urban, the film somehow manages to underwhelm at most points of its execution.

Flowers delivers one decent action sequence amid a mire of formulaic fare. A cave-set hunt crackles as the light of the gunpowder-filled guns crackle through the dark, each bang flashing the fights to life and showing there's some directorial flair to be had.

But alas, it's too little too late.

Jonas delivers the same kind of performance she gave as a gritty fighter in Prime Video's action series Citadel, but there's relatively no depth here for her to mine to excel. Urban teeters on the right side of hamminess for his devilishly dogged captain, but he also has little treasure to offer in the role, thanks to very shallow writing.

A final showdown feels flat and the closing moments hint there could be more to come - but at the end of the day, this pirate-led movie delivers nothing but a boat-load of trouble and sea-riously should have thought more about what it was wanting to do with such a solid premise with such great talent.

The Bluff is streaming on Prime Video from Wednesday, February 25.

Scrubs: Review

Back in 2001, a sweetly brilliant little comedy erupted in the US.

Running for nine seasons, the story of JD (Zach Braff) slowly becoming a doctor from being an intern at Sacred Heart hospital proved to be a comedic tonic to the likes of medical drama ER.

So it's with a heavy nostalgia blanket that the 2026 revival of the series follows JD in the next stages of his life. Beginning with his dream of being a doctor and the reality of what mid-life has brought him, the revival pits JD on a return course to Sacred Heart, having left it years behind.

When he returns to the halls of the teaching school, he finds the usual faces - Dr Cox (John McGinley), Elliot (Sarah Chalke), Carla (Judy Reyes) and of course, his longterm bromance, Turk (Donald Faison). However, in a twist that's being deemed a spoiler, JD ends up taking a position at Sacred Heart and essentially returning to where it all began.

It's not entirely off the mark to say that Scrubs is welcome back for 2026. 

JD, Turk and Elliott were a great group to hang out with and quick writing full of quips and smart one-liners set up the show well.

But the 2026 revival of Scrubs taps into that feeling with a sense of nostalgia, deja-vu and perhaps a little flatness in some of the gags and set-ups. You'd have to be blind to see the lack of where the student returning to when it all began could go, and in fairness, there really was no other way to ensure a revival in many ways.

It's like the show never clocked out from its demise, and even some of the writing feels ripped from that era too. IT's solid and heartfelt without ever really cracking the ribs in extreme humour. It also feels like an extension of the final season which introduced new interns and tried to carry on the legacy.

 

Yet this time, there are some moments that feel a little better. An underlying storyline about Turk's general aura dropping as he continues years in the school and sees so many repeat patients is effective in its ennui.

The heartfelt nature and the push for innocence in healthcare is a worthy one - but it remains to be seen if the 2026 Scrubs revival can keep up the highs of the original series. On this evidence, it could go either way - but it's to be hoped JD and Turk can keep it from flatlining.

Episodes 1-4 of the 2026 series of Scrubs were viewed for the purposes of this review.
Scrubs airs on Disney+ on February 25.

Pulp: Live Review

He tossed teabags into the crowd.

He hurled a grape into the air and caught it. He climbed a speaker stack and seemed unsure how to get down.

He even told his band off a couple of times, exhorting them to stop like a petulant child.

And of course, he wiggled and gyrated in ways any quirky art student could who seemed to be ironically trying to rip off Madonna's Vogue.(Though thankfully, he didn't urge us to buy the curiously odd 3 set of women's briefs on sale at merchandise stand for $60.)

Yet, during the course of a 2 hour show, with an 15-minute intermission, Jarvis Cocker and Pulp, despite not having performed live for 5 months, showed why they're still just a blistering presence on stage and in the music world.

With no support, Auckland was thrown back into the heady Britpop era some 30 years ago when Different Class saw the group propelled into the stratosphere, thanks to the likes of Sorted for Es and Wizz, Disco 2000 and of course, Common People.

They opened with Sorted for Es and Wizz, and tossed out Disco 2000 along with Spike Island as if they were nothing and almost beneath them. But while the More track is a newer anthem, the originals still sound as fresh as they did back then, their irresistible mix of bass and synth combining with Jarvis' sexual preoccupations and ironic takes on the scene of the time still proving to be a heady concoction.

In between it all, Jarvis proved to be the drawcard, his slightly baffled, scruffy-looking English professor still cutting a commanding figure on stage and delivering sardonic wry humour and genuine curiosity about whether there's animosity between the North and South Island of New Zealand, before shelving that to launch into a song. Despite promising to return to explore that, he never did.

And while much of Pulp's appeal lies with its frontman, the entire band (totalling nine on stage at one point) showed they've lost none of their lustre for live performance in the intervening years - and the five months they've had since their last gig.

But in truth, while Common People sent Auckland into an absolute frenzy (and was seemingly close to coming victim to overrunning and someone letting off a blue flare in the middle of the general admission), it was the first song of the second half that really proved to be the coup de grace of the entire night.

Stripping back to just the four members, Cocker promised to deliver an insight into why the band reformed and decided to tour, delivering an absolutely beautiful version of Something Changed that was enough to send the stadium into hushed reverence and singalong mode.

It took a lot to top that - but the band did, performing their new song gifted to the latest War Child album, a single that had only been released two days prior and which received its live debut, despite Jarvis warning us it was noisy. Begging For Change was simply excellent, a raucous, rambunctious and rowdy number that will easily become a live favourite, with its heavy riffs and singalong elements.

Pretty much most of More got an airing, their first in 24 years - but there's showmanship here that excels in a stage show that's about the band's greatest hits, as well as theatrics. From lounging in a throne during a red-soaked This Is Hardcore to a huddled group seeing the audience off with A Sunset like a last-gasp at a late night pub hangout, the More tour is the band at their absolute strongest and most unmissable.

There's still a confidence about Pulp and an innate need to feel appreciated by the masses - underneath it all, though, there's no need for them to worry - tributes to those who helped write the songs, people he met in Auckland during the day that he "promised he'd tried and remember" and a shout-out to NZ film director Florian Habicht, as well as changing one of the lyrics within Sorted for Es and Wizz to mention Auckland, it's all a welcome home-run for Pulp.

They made us feel alive again - and without fear or exultation, let's all meet up in the years to come. We promise we'll be there by the fountain down the road, Jarvis.

Pulp Auckland 2026 setlist:

Sorted for E's & Wizz

Disco 2000

Spike Island

Razzmatazz

Slow Jam

F.E.E.L.I.N.G.C.A.L.L.E.D.L.O.V.E.

My Sex

Underwear

Farmers Market

This Is Hardcore

Sunrise

Intermission (15 mins)

Something Changed

The Fear

The Hymn of the North

Begging for Change

(Live debut)

Acrylic Afternoons

Do You Remember the First Time?

Mis-Shapes

Got to Have Love

Babies

Common People

A Sunset

Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade: Xbox Series X Review

Developed by Square Enix
Released by Bandai Namco
Platform: XBox Series X

Expanding on the 2020 Intermission remake, Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade continues the trend of updating the original game with a sheen and polish that makes it compelling to play and pleasing on the eyes.

With a version that offers Graphics and Performance levels of visual flair, Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade makes playing the game once again an enjoyable outing for those wanting to dive back into the world.

For those unfamiliar with the story, players follow Cloud Strife as he becomes a mercenary with the eco-terrorist group Avalanche, which is abusing the planet's life essence. The story begins with him on a mission to blowing up a reactor before segueing into a wider yarn about the consequences of the chain effects of his action. 

The story's less of a thing here, because it's all about the hack and slash elements of the game, which sees blocking, dodging and attacking combining in one continuously enjoyable melee of action. Given how polished the new version looks, this is enjoyable to dive back into once again - even if there has been a six-year wait for this exclusive to head onto other devices.

The game's fluid and immersive and with animation that's worth watching, this latest version of Final Fantasy, finally making its XBox debut, is a game that really if you're a fan of the genre, you can't afford to be without.

EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert: Movie Review

Cast: Elvis Presley

Director: Baz Luhrmann

There's no denying the electricity of Elvis Presley in director Baz Luhrmann's latest attempt to continue the King's legacy.

It's clear he's not left the building as Luhrmann mines some 50 hours worth of footage of Presley playing a series of concerts in Las Vegas in what feels like the perfect companion piece to the 2022 biopic which starred Austin Butler.

Cross-cutting performances, throwing together backstage rehearsals and just generally mining the 1970s popularity of Elvis works wonders - up to a point.

Beginning with a quick run-through of where the King came from, the energetic doco format seems to be the traditional winner at the start of this. Elvis is decried by those who believe he's Satan in a jumpsuit because of his dance moves, he narrates his own boredom at the tedium of his Hollywood career that became a cookie-cutter version of his first-ever success and he promises to shake up his career with his Vegas residency in the 1970s.

It's all very familiar fare - and yet, when Luhrmann simply lets the camera capture the sheer charisma and presence of Presley, it becomes something that's a singular concert experience - even if it does appear to want to be spliced together by modern technology, close-ups and cross-cutting between some 10 concerts that were recorded for posterity - and then lost.

Granted, there's a technical adeptness in the way Luhrmann switches effortlessly between appearances, and he even gives the backing band time to shine, but he can't help himself from some editorialising, which detracts from the overall feeling.

The first mention of Colonel Parker, Presley's handler, is a voiceover that stands atop footage of someone holding a gun to Elvis' head in a film; and footage of his wife Priscilla is set to a live rendition of Always On My Mind. There's a clear bias here, which isn't really needed.

And yet, cynicism aside, this is a very real, very impressive and just a joyous musical experience that seems in keeping with what the King would have wanted. Along with comedic asides and genuine banter backstage and on stage itself, Presley proves here why he still has the power and sway.

From the white-jumpsuit version of Suspicious Minds that's become infamous to the speeded-up Hound Dog and plenty of other hits like Burning Love, you'd have to be dead to not tap your toes to this.

EPiC is an enjoyable enough experience; and if you're a King fan, it's essential viewing. But Luhrmann's desire to be a little too clever occasionally takes you away from the spotlight of the King - and that's a crying shame.

Introducing Blink Outdoor 2K+: Next-Generation Home Security with 2K Resolution

The local launch sees the introduction of Blink Outdoor 2K+ to New Zealand 

Powered by Blink’s custom silicon chip technology, outdoor 2K+ offers a host of leading features and efficiency, while maintaining up to two-years battery life 

With impressive visual clarity and strong low-light performance, homeowners can expect round the clock piece of mind without breaking the bank 

Home security just got sharper. Today, Blink is expanding its 2K camera line-up with the all-new Blink Outdoor 2K+, a wireless camera with 2K video resolution, 4x zoom capability, enhanced low-light performance, audio with noise-cancelling two-way talk, and smart detection like person and vehicle notifications (with a Blink Subscription Plan). It’s also equipped with Blink’s signature long-lasting battery life thanks to the company’s custom silicon chip technology, plus Blink’s weather-resistant design, giving customers the freedom to install their cameras anywhere. 

 

See More of What Matters

The Blink Outdoor 2K+ captures video in stunning 2K resolution (2560 x 1440), revealing rich detail and enhanced colour. The video quality ensures you can verify package delivery details, see visitors clearly or identify vehicles in your driveway. With 4x zoom capability, you can get a closer look when you need it, without losing crucial visual information. 

 

Colour Vision in Low Light 

One standout feature is the camera’s enhanced low-light performance with colour vision. With just ambient lighting, the Outdoor 2K+ delivers colour video at low light levels before switching to infrared black and white, providing around-the-clock peace of mind. This means you can see important details like the colour of a vehicle or clothing, even when natural light is limited. 

 

Smarter Detection and Enhanced Audio

With an optional Blink Subscription Plan (sold separately), the Outdoor 2K+ offers smart notifications for person and vehicle detection, using edge processing to distinguish between people, vehicles, and motion. This helps filter out false alarms from things like moving branches or small animals, ensuring you’re only getting notified about what matters most. 

 

Built to Last

Powered by Blink’s custom silicon chip technology, the Outdoor 2K+ unlocks advanced features and efficient performance, while maintaining Blink’s up to two-year battery life based on battery efficiency settings with 1080p resolution and typical use. Blink’s weather-resistant IP65-rated design also stands up to rain, dust, and severe weather, keeping your security running strong all year round. Its sleek, compact design also makes it suitable for indoor use, offering whole-home versatility. 

 

Availability

The Blink Outdoor 2K+ is now available in black and white for $129.00 NZD for a one camera system, including a Sync Module Core (see below for multi-pack pricing). For local storage, use the Sync Module 2 with a USB drive (sold separately). With a Blink Subscription Plan, access unlimited cloud storage for motion events and live view recordings for up to 60 days.  

 

Multi-pack pricing: 

1 pack: NZ$129

2 pack: NZ$229

3 pack: NZ$309

5 pack: NZ$419

What's on Prime Video in March

Here's everything that's streaming on Prime Video in March.

This March Prime Video delivers gripping crime dramas, buzzy new originals,and highly anticipated returning favourites.

Global hit Australian series Deadloch returns for Season Two and is entering its Tropical Gothic era, heading to the sweltering Top End for a sticky new case; Guy Ritchie delivers an irreverent, action-packed origin story of the world’s greatest detective, Sherlock Holmes in Young Sherlock.

Nicole Kidman and Jamie Lee Curtis lead an all-star ensemble in the eagerly awaited Patricia Cornwell adaptation, Scarpetta; critically acclaimed animated series Invincible is back with Season Four; and Riz Ahmed stars in new chaotic comedy series Bait.

All this and more, streaming in March on Prime Video.

Deadloch Season 2 (March 20)

Deadloch, the global hit series created by Kate McCartney and Kate McLennan, returns for Season Two. Forget Tassie Noir - Deadloch is entering its Tropical Gothic era with the new season set in Australia’s sweltering Top End, aka the Northern Territory. 

Detectives Dulcie Collins (Kate Box) and Eddie Redcliffe (Madeleine Sami) are in Darwin to investigate the death of Eddie’s former policing partner Bushy. However, their plans are soon diverted when a body part is discovered in a remote town called Barra Creek. With the Northern Territory police force focused on a large-scale search for two missing backpackers, Dulcie and a very reluctant Eddie are tasked with identifying the John Doe.  

Sticky, sweaty and juggling comprehensive thrush infections, the detectives find themselves embroiled in a world of crocodile-fuelled tourism, overstretched Indigenous rangers, cagey locals, and seven-metre prehistoric predators – all of whom call Barra Creek’s stretch of land, and water, their home. As the humidity builds, and Eddie and Dulcie dig deeper, more questions arise for our duo – not only about the case, but the many secrets that lie beneath the surface of this small town.

The first two episodes premiere March 20, with new episodes released weekly, culminating in the season finale on April 17. 

Young Sherlock (March 4)

From visionary director Guy Ritchie, Young Sherlock is an irreverent, action-packed mystery that charts the legendary origin story of the world’s greatest detective. When a charismatic, youthfully defiant Sherlock Holmes meets none other than James Moriarty he finds himself dragged into a murder investigation that threatens his liberty. Sherlock's first ever case unravels a globe-trotting conspiracy, leading to an explosive showdown that alters the course of his life forever. Unfolding in a vibrant Victorian England and adventuring abroad, the series will expose the early antics of the anarchic adolescent who is yet to evolve into Baker Street’s most renowned resident.

Young Sherlock stars ​​​​​​​Hero Fiennes Tiffin, Dónal Finn, Joseph Fiennes, Max Irons, Natascha McElhone, Zine Tseng, and Colin Firth.

Scarpetta (March 11)

Scarpetta brings Patricia Cornwell's iconic literary character to life in a gripping series starring Nicole Kidman as “Dr. Kay Scarpetta.” With skilled hands and an unnerving eye, this unrelenting medical examiner is determined to serve as the voice of the victims, unmask a serial killer, and prove that her career-making case from 28 years prior isn't also her undoing. Set against the backdrop of modern forensic investigation, the series delves beyond the crime scene to explore the psychological complexities of both perpetrators and investigators, creating a multi-layered thriller that examines the toll of pursuing justice at all costs.

Scarpetta stars Nicole Kidman, Jamie Lee Curtis, Bobby Cannavale, Simon Baker, Ariana DeBose, Rosy McEwen, Amanda Righetti, Jake Cannavale, Hunter Parrish.

Invincible Season 4 (March 18)

While the world recovers from catastrophe, a changed Mark fights to protect his home and the people he loves, setting him on a collision course with a threat that could alter the fate of humanity forever.

Invincible Season Four stars Robert Kirkman, Seth Rogen, David Alpert, Catherine Winder, Simon Racioppa, Margaret M. Dean, and Evan Goldberg.

Bait (March 25)

From Oscar and Emmy winner Riz Ahmed comes Bait, a comedy about Shah Latif, a struggling actor. His last chance to hit it big comes in the form of an audition of a lifetime. We follow him over the course of four wild days as his life spirals out of control and his family, ex-lover and the entire world weigh in on whether he is the right man for the job.

Bait stars Riz Ahmed, Guz Khan, Sheeba Chaddha, Sajid Hasan, Aasiya Shah, Weruche Opia, and Ritu Arya.

Pretty Lethal (March 25)

An action-packed thriller where five ballerinas, on their way to a prestigious dance competition, are barely on speaking terms when their bus breaks down in a remote forest. With no other options, they reluctantly seek shelter at an unsettling roadside inn run by Devora Kasimer (Uma Thurman), a reclusive former ballet prodigy. From the moment they arrive, something feels wrong—and their worst instincts prove right. As the situation turns deadly, the fractured team must set aside rivalries and weaponize years of brutal training, turning grace, discipline, and even pointe shoes into tools for survival.

Pretty Lethal stars Iris Apatow, Lana Condor, Millicent Simmonds, Avantika, Maddie Ziegler, Michael Culkin, Lydia Leonard and Uma Thurman.

From the world of John Wick: Ballerina (March 5)

Taking place during the events of John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum, the film follows Eve Macarro (Ana de Armas) who is beginning her training in the assassin traditions of the Ruska Roma.

From the World of John Wick: Ballerina stars Ana de Armas, Anjelica Huston, Gabriel Byrne, Keanu Reeves, Lance Reddick, Catalina Sandino Moreno, Ian McShane.

Fight or Flight (March 12)

A mercenary takes on the job of tracking down a target on a plane but must protect that target when they're surrounded by people trying to kill both of them. 

Fight or Flight stars Josh Hartnett, Charithra Chandran, Marko Zaror, Katee Sackhoff.

Siren's Kiss (March 3)

Cha Woo-seok (Wi Ha-joon) receives a mysterious call from an informant who claims to have evidence of a fraud-related murder. Before revealing the truth, the informant falls to her death. Woo-seok’s investigation leads him to Royal Auction and its chief auctioneer, Han Seol-ah (Park Min-young), whose three fiancés have all died under suspicious circumstances. To expose the truth, or perhaps to test her, Woo-seok proposes they fake a relationship. As he uncovers her secrets, he realizes he may have stepped into a web he can’t escape—and that getting out could cost him everything.

Siren’s Kiss stars Park Min-young, Wi Ha-joon.

Good Luck, Have Fun, Don't Die (March 13)

A "man from the future" arrives at a diner in Los Angeles where he must recruit the precise combination of disgruntled patrons to join him on a one-night quest to save the world from the terminal threat of a rogue artificial intelligence

Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die stars Sam Rockwell, Juno Temple and Haley Lu Richardson.

A Big Bold Beautiful Journey (March 29)

Some doors bring you to your past. Some doors lead you to your future. And some doors change everything. Sarah (Margot Robbie) and David (Colin Farrell) are single strangers who meet at a mutual friend’s wedding and soon find themselves on A Big Bold Beautiful Journey – a funny, fantastical adventure where they get to re-live important moments from their pasts and possibly alter their futures.

A Big Bold Beautiful Journey stars Margot Robbie, Colin Farrell, Lily Rabe, Jodie Turner-Smith, Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Hamish Linklater, Kevin Kline.

Caught Stealing (March 29)

When his punk-rock neighbour asks him to take care of his cat for a few days, New York City bartender Hank Thompson suddenly finds himself caught in the middle of a motley crew of threatening gangsters who all want a piece of him.

Caught Stealing stars Austin Butler, Zoë Kravitz, Regina King, Matt Smith, Liev Schreiber, Vincent D'Onofrio, Griffin Dunne, Nikita Kukushkin, Yuri Kolokolnikov, Bad Bunny.

STREAMING ON PRIME VIDEO

 

SIREN’S KISS (SERIES) 3/03/2026

YOUNG SHERLOCK (SERIES) 4/03/2026

FROM THE WORLD OF JOHN WICK: BALLERINA (MOVIE) 5/03/2026

SCARPETTA  (SERIES) 11/03/2026

FIGHT OR FLIGHT (MOVIE) 12/03/2026

GOOD LUCK, HAVE FUN, DON'T DIE (MOVIE) 13/03/2026

INVINCIBLE SEASON FOUR (SERIES) 18/03/2026

DEADLOCH SEASON TWO (SERIES) 20/03/2026

ZETA (MOVIE) 20/03/2026

I KNOW WHAT YOU DID LAST SUMMER (2025) (MOVIE) 21/3/2026

BAIT  (SERIES) 25/03/2026

PRETTY LETHAL (MOVIE) 25/03/2026

A BIG BOLD BEAUTIFUL JOURNEY (MOVIE) 29/3/2026

CAUGHT STEALING (MOVIE) 29/3/2026

KARATE KID: LEGENDS (MOVIE) 29/3/2026

LAST SEEN ALIVE (MOVIE) 30/3/2026

HOUSE OF GUCCI (MOVIE) 31/3/2026

TOMB RAIDER (2018) (MOVIE) 31/3/2026