Transformers One: Movie Review

Vocal cast: Chris Hemsworth, Brian Tyree Henry, Scarlett Johansson, Keegan-Michael Key, Jon Hamm, Steve Buscemi, Laurence Fishburne
Director: Josh Cooley

The latest Transformers film wants to be a Shakespearean tale of tragedy, with two best friends becoming the most bitter of enemies. But unfortunately, as is the way with the Transformers franchise, it ends up a blur of explosions and robots fighting - only this time it's not CGI, it's animation.

In fairness, a lot of what plays out prior to this is amiable fare that does much to remove the rot of the Michael Bay-helmed Transformers films that just feel like endless pompous exposition and clashing of the machines.

Initially Transformers: One leans into a great origin story for Optimus Prime, known as Orion Pax and voiced by Chris Hemsworth, and Megatron, known as D-16 and played by Tyree Henry. With the city of Iacon's de-facto leader Sentinel Prime (Hamm) out looking for the Matrix of Leadership (a MacGuffin), it falls to the rest of the inhabitants to keep civilisation going.

For Pax and D-16, given they don't have a cog of transformation (a MacGuffin that helps them transform), that means a life down the mines, digging for the energy source to keep Cybertron going. 

But Pax longs for more and when he compels D-16 to get involved in a race, the pair find themselves on an accidental mission above Iacon's surface to find the missing Matrix of Leadership - and their own destiny.

Much of the first half of Transformers One is an enjoyable outing for the robots - thanks largely to the Japanese Blade Runner-esque scenery and animation. While there are elements of the 80s Saturday morning Transformers cartoons, there's also a feeling that it's been updated for modern audiences and sensibilities. The world-building is second to none, with above the city elements feeling reminiscent of Horizon: Zero Dawn with the machines living in greenery.

And the narrative deals with social commentary, as well as matters of class, revenge and betrayal. Yet, it somehow ends up with Pax doling out the usual pompous language and speeches that have been a usual tentpole of the franchise; and Fishburne's character shows up halfway through to dish out screeds of exposition and lore, further muddying proceedings and bogging them down in the worst excesses of the series.

Hemsworth and Henry make for good bedfellows though - and Key manages to imbue his B-127 (Bumblebee in all but name) with the same level of annoying that you'd expect - the gang, along with Johansson's Elita-1, makes for a solid group out on a quest.

But far too many of the lines feel like jokes that have been thrown into the dialogue and there's a distinct feeling of set-up being dished out across the film in among the origin story of Prime and Megatron.

It's a solid reinvention of the franchise in many ways and passable enough fare, but there's not quite as much that meets the eye when its finale rolls around and it falls into familiar patterns - and the inevitable sequel beckons.

Win a double pass to see Transformers One in cinemas

Win a double pass to see Transformers One in cinemas

To celebrate the release of Transformers One in cinemas September 26, thanks to Paramount Pictures NZ, you can win a double pass!

About Transformers One

TRANSFORMERS ONE is the untold origin story of Optimus Prime and Megatron, better known as sworn enemies, but once were friends bonded like brothers who changed the fate of Cybertron forever. 

In the first-ever fully CG-animated Transformers movie, TRANSFORMERS ONE features a star-studded voice cast, including Chris Hemsworth, Brian Tyree Henry, Scarlett Johansson, Keegan-Michael Key, Steve Buscemi, with Laurence Fishburne, and Jon Hamm.

Transformers One in cinemas September 26

Win a double pass to see Smile 2 in cinemas

Win a double pass to see Smile 2 in cinemas

To celebrate the release of Smile 2 in cinemas October 17, thanks to Paramount Pictures NZ, you can win a double pass!

About Smile 2

About to embark on a new world tour, global pop sensation Skye Riley (Naomi Scott) begins experiencing increasingly terrifying and inexplicable events.

Overwhelmed by the escalating horrors and the pressures of fame, Skye is forced to face her dark past to regain control of her life before it spirals out of control.

Smile 2 is in cinemas October 17

Disney Epic Mickey Rebrushed Demo: PS5 Review

Developed by Purple Lamp
Published by THQ Nordic
Platform: PS5

A remake of the original 2010 platformer, Disney Epic Mickey Rebrushed sees Mickey caught up in an adventure after accidentally getting himself transported to the Wasteland.

Having inadvertently summoned Blot an evil spirit from spilling paint and thinner all over a wizard's drawing, Mickey finds himself in a fight for survival against the creatures of the Wasteland. Using a paintbrush to interact with surroundings, this platformer is a love letter to Disney's creations.

From basic platform moves such as jumping around and smashing items to get health and power-ups, the game's fairly simple and easy enough to play.

But once the brush comes into effect, it hits another level.

Using a similar mechanic to The Unfinished Swan, Mickey can hurl blobs of paint at incomplete objects to fill them in - from statues to even parts of the surroundings, there's plenty to access in clever and differing ways. 

Yet the use of this - and the thinner element of the painting world - also shows that Disney Epic Mickey Rebrushed is ambitious in its ideas (especially for a game remade from 2010). It's also surprisingly easy in parts, and as a result, frustrating when you fail to reach the heights you aspire.

While the remake may offer extra collectibles over extra content, the demo shows that it's still a massively playable game and a great way in 2024 to experience Mickey's world.

Disney Epic Mickey Rebrushed Demo is available now across all platforms. The full game releases on September 24.

Back to Black: Blu Ray Review

Cast: Marisa Abela, Jack O'Connor, Eddie Marsan, Lesley Manville

Director: Sam Taylor-Johnson

The legacy of Amy Winehouse once again comes under the spotlight in director Sam Taylor-Johnson's biopic which only soars in parts thanks to an utterly compelling lead in relative unknown Marisa Abela.

Taking a very much once-over-lightly approach to Winehouse's life, the film details the flaky start she faced as she pursued her jazz singer/ pop star dreams, the love affair she had with Blake Fielder-Civil (O'Connor in full Pete Doherty wideboy mode) and her ascent while battling addictions.

You'd be wise to have some idea of times in Winehouse's life because the film is less interested in connecting the dots and timelines together, and is more concerned with providing a vibe to proceedings, rather than making something that's critical. (For that, it's possibly best to spend time with director Asif Kapadia's excellent doco, Amy).

As a result, Back to Black feels more like a jukebox musical with key songs being rolled out not by backing tracks but by a stellar performance from Abela, who in some scenes seems on the verge of dislocating her own jaw due to the emphasis required.

She, in fact, is the sole reason to stick with the two hour film.

Despite being saddled with an extremely formulaic and weak script that's filled with holes (and was okayed by Winehouse's estate), Industry star Abela makes her Winehouse a little more than a mannequin wearing some of the singer's iconic outfits.

There's a fragility to her Winehouse as she battles against herself - and conversely, there's an utter joy when she chases her own personal highs throughout. A pub-set initial meeting with O'Connor's Blake lays all the seeds for a soulmate meeting (albeit one that would turn toxic) and both O'Connor and Abela fizzle with natural chemistry here.

But it's in the quieter moments with her beloved Nan (played with great dignity by the ever-brilliant Manville) that Winehouse's tenderness comes to the fore, thanks to Abela's performance. It is here the humanity shines through and the singer gains more grounding than a million shots of singing and crowd montages could ever make or fake.

As a superficial take on the Amy Winehouse story, director Sam Taylor-Johnson's film is beautifully shot, with a richness emanating from the screen.

But as a celluloid representation of her legacy, it is perhaps left found wanting - even with its superb lead, when it comes to the pantheon of great musical drama biopics, this seems destined to sadly fade Back to Black.

Speak No Evil: Movie Review

Cast: James McAvoy, Mackenzie Davis, Scoot McNairy, Aisling Franciosi
Director: James Watkins

About as insidious and uncomfortable as they come, the 2024 remake of the 2022 Danish psychological horror is a squirm-inducing tale of faltering-on-the-edge couple Ben and Louise (McNairy and Davis) who are trying to piece things together after a threat of infidelity.

On a trip to Italy, they meet McAvoy and Franciosi's Paddy and Ciara - whereas Ben and Louise are more uptight and highly strung, Paddy and Ciara appear to be the polar opposite, free and easy and a bit rougher round the edges.

While Ben's attracted to the other couple's freedoms, Louise is more cautious and uncertain - a feeling furthered when they're invited to stay at Paddy and Ciara's remote Cornish farmhouse for a weekend.

But things begin to go awry, when a series of situations arise pushing Louise and Ben to the edge of what they would consider acceptable.

To say more about Speak No Evil is to rob it of the uncomfortable and lingering edges that play out. From moments that are held just too long by Watkins to a deeply disturbing use of a Bangles classic, there's much in Speak No Evil that just feels wrong - yet so right.

From McAvoy's malevolent charisma to Davis' borderline neurosis, there's much that leaves you questioning what you would do - it's an exploration of those moments, those social mores that will pull in much of the horror from this, even if the unrelenting bleakness of the original's finale has been changed.

Yet this unnerving rollercoaster ride is one worth taking, as it grips you in its proceedings and propels you on a journey you weren't sure you wanted to take.

Sinister in its outlook and more a commentary on couples and their fractures and simmering unhappiness, there's much about Speak No Evil that may give pause for thought.

It may lack some of the misery and subtlety of the original, but this Blumhouse production's more than capable of ousting you to the edge of your seat and leaving you dangling there for longer than is remotely comfortable.

The saying "hell is other people" has never rang so true.

Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown: Nintendo Switch Review

Developed by Bandai Namco Studios
Published by Bandai Namco Studios
Platform: Nintendo Switch

 the Ace Combat series (the clue is in the 7 of the title), Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown gives a very good case for being a great fun simulator for even the most useless of pilots.

Set at a time of fragile peace between two continents, Osea and Erusea, it's the story of Avril Mead a mechanic who lands in hot water after a surprise attack. You take up the mantle of Trigger, a pilot who finds themself in the middle of the scrap, and forced to take to the skies to try and save the day.

It's fair to say that Ace Combat 7 is as much for the casual player of flight combat games as it is for the hardcore fighter; but how much mileage you get out of it will depend on which category you fall into.

That said, while a lack of tutorials is occasionally galling, it's fairly simple to pick up the basics of the game, but it may be harder to grasp the intricacies of hurtling around the skies in your combat jets.

Each mission leads you further into the story, and gets you along unlocking elements of the development tree for your craft. But it's when the game slips into histrionics and somewhat cliched territory that some of the more glaring elements stand out - notably some lunk-headed dialogue and some overly scripted cut scenes.

But once you get into the skies, Ace Combat 7 does come into its own.

Whether it's flying through a storm cloud and finding droplets on your windshield or watching portions of debris fall from the sky after you've blasted your enemy to pieces, Ace Combat 7 really does look the part when it absolutely needs to.

To all intents and purposes, Ace Combat 7 Skies Unknown is a game that manages to appeal to a broader audience than just air combat enthusiasts.

With a bit of patience, it's rewarding and challenging enough to overcome its basic level scripting problems. In fact, you could almost say it takes to the skies with ease when it needs to.

Particularly with the new Nintendo Switch version more or less matching frame rates and never once losing anything of the gameplay or the speed and ferocity of the air combat world, this port makes a case for being one of the best handheld air fighter games that is out there. With long missions to sink your teeth into and plenty of the DLC added in, this is a compact and thrilling package that even non-airfighter fans will enjoy.