The Garfield Movie: Blu Ray Review

Voice cast: Chris Pratt, Samuel L Jackson, Hannah Waddingham, Nicholas Hoult, Brett Goldstein, Harvey Guillen
Director: Mark Dindal

There have been plenty of attempts to bring Jim Davis' perennially popular lasagne-loving kitty Garfield to various media.

From the 1980s TV show voiced by Lorenzo Music to a blocky computer game with an irritating soundtrack, the appeal of the cynical cat and his fourth wall-breaking antics have always been obvious.

So Mark Dindal's 2024 animated version enters the fold, trying to create a film that pastiches everything you love about the cat with a heist-movie that blatantly riffs on Tom Cruise's antics in Mission: Impossible.

But it's a bit of an ask to do it all justice and while there are moments of madcap mayhem, the film's desire to please family audiences more than overcompensates and somewhat overwhelms the original intentions of the cat, who's delighted audiences for decades in various formats.

When Garfield and Odie are kidnapped, they find themselves thrust into a plot set in motion by Hannah Waddingham's maligned Jinx. Forced to reunite with his seemingly errant father Vic (Jackson in more chilled, relaxed mode), Garfield must find a way to break into milk manufacturer Lactose Farms and save the day.

There's much of the plot's premise here that feels ripped from Sony stablemate Peter Rabbit's second cinematic excursion at times - yet while the parallels stop early on and the film moves to mock Mission: Impossible - complete with Ving Rhames riffing on his MI role as Luther.

Unfortunately, Pratt is no dead ringer for the laconic tones of the cat, and most of the moments that would have soared with a more laidback, cynical, rich honey-toned delivery, just don't - his Garfield sadly doesn't feel like one for the ages.

But while the film is weak in some parts, its action-filled relatively generic heist elements at the end come together nicely, leaving family audiences with something that will keep young ones amused, but will fill older fans of Garfield and his antics with a slight feeling of disappointment.

The Wild Robot: Movie Review

Vocal cast: Lupita Nyong'o, Pedro Pascal, Catherine O'Hara, Kit Connor, Bill Nighy, Matt Berry, Ving Rhames, Mark Hamill
Director: Chris Sanders

Large swathes of the animated movie The Wild Robot will land differently with different sections of the audience.

While kids will love the antics of the animals in the forest and their interactions, parents will find themselves subtly wiping away tears as messages over parenting and protection are subtly espoused throughout.

Based on the book by Peter Brown, it's the story of lost robot Rozzum unit 7134 who washes up on an island inhabited only by animals. Built to serve and searching for a task to carry out, Roz inadvertently crushes and kills a family of birds, leaving only one egg left to survive.

Coerced into raising the bird by a lonely outcast fox named Fink (The Mandalorian's Pedro Pascal), Roz bonds - and raises - the baby gosling, naming it Brightbill. But winter is coming, and their very survival hinges on what happens next.

At its heart, The Wild Robot packs messages of parenting, non-traditional parenting and looking for a purpose into a big poignant package that's beautifully presented in a painterly animated style. 

Dreamworks Animation have created another vivid character to add to their pantheon of favourites, and while Roz initially presents a front akin to an aggressive Wall-E, when the language barriers drop, the film comes alive in a survival-cum-coming-of-age tale the impact of which is hard to deny.

Nyong'o adds compassion to her robot, and a great deal of longing and loss when the task she has of raising Brightbill nears its conclusion. Equally, Pascal provides heartbreak for the moments in which Fink bemoans never knowing love; and Berry provides comedy as a beaver mocked for his endeavours.

Add into the mix a painterly style that leaves the animals slightly undefined, and lush verdant backgrounds that soar - the world building is simply done, yet masterfully executed. 

However, it's not entirely flawless.

Brightbill's rejection of his adopted mother's love comes from out of nowhere and the film's conclusion feels messy and rushed, a hint of nothing more than a potential sequel grab that feels deflating rather than triumphant. Equally, the animated style at the end goes by the wayside and poignancies over death and loss as well as environmental destruction, are jettisoned for a noisy, bluster-filled denouement that betrays much of what plays out earlier because of its rote nature.

Yet, these are minor flaws. Most of The Wild Robot is close to animated perfection, a reminder in a wayward droid once again of what makes us human - and what basic ties bind us together when all sense of purpose seems lost.

The Penguin: Review

Colin Farrell's Oswald Cobblepot comes to the small screen in this spinoff series from the 2022 Matt Reeves movie The Batman.

Picking up directly after the end of the movie after Paul Dano's Riddler had unleashed a series of bombs which destroyed the seawalls and flooded Gotham, the eight-part run sees Oz try to scrabble to the top of the criminal underworld during a power vacuum.

But standing in his way is the Falcone family, who've been running the drugs operation in Gotham for years without contender. However, a new challenger to the throne arrives in the form of Cristin Milioti's Sofia, who's fresh out of Arkham hospital and on the push for revenge.

It's very easy to categorize The Penguin as a Sopranos-wannabe. (Even down to the opening titles graphics card of the show name).

From Cobblepot's Tony Soprano-esque gait through to his browbeaten relationship with his own mother, who's grappling dementia, there are plenty of parallels to the David Chase James Gandolfini-led show.

It's not a bad comparison to rub up against in many ways, and those expecting a more superhero-led show full of the quirks of the Burton Batman world may deservedly be disappointed. But what it does mean for The Penguin is solid drama or not, it never really ascends the similarities to any other mob drama you've seen and emerge as something solidly different.

Which is a shame, because it's watchable enough fare.

Farrell is all New York-swagger and threatening vibes, with flashes of insecurity bubbling over into violence. It makes for an intriguing protagonist, because even with the machinations and political manoeuvrings that Cobblepot's dabbling in, you're never quite sure what's going through his mind.

Thankfully, his relationship with young stammering street kid Victor Aguilar (Rhenzy Feliz) is stunning to watch. Whether it's mentoring him or remonstrating his failures, the frisson of uncertainty and would-be father vibes makes for solid viewing.

Equally impressive is Milioti's Sofia Falcone. Clearly traumatised by her time in Arkham and resentful at being held at arm's length by her own family, Milioti channels a kind of dead-eyed stare that is borderline psychotic and cold when the menace is needed.

Ultimately, The Penguin is a mix of politics and violence. Its more dialogue-led episodes very occasionally feel lumpen and leaden, but as a portrait of a character often ridiculed for his gait and props, thanks to Farrell's depth of work, this Penguin emerges as more of a duality character than a one-dimensional freak to Gotham.

The Penguin plays every Friday from 4pm on Neon

Logi Play 2024 details unveiled

Logitech G, leading innovator of gaming technologies and gear, will kick off Logi PLAY 2024, on September 18, 2024. 

The main event will feature new product reveals, partnership announcements, and exciting community activations. With a planned live stream, Logitech G’s community and fans are invited to watch the event simply by providing their email address on the Logi PLAY webpage.

The event underscores Logitech G's commitment to pushing the boundaries of gaming technology and fostering a community that thrives on creativity and innovation. Logi PLAY 2024 promises something for everyone, from esports athletes to casual gamers, highlighting the brand's dedication to enhancing the gaming experience.

The event kicks off on September 18, 2024 at 06:00 AM NZT

WHERE: Join the live stream from wherever you are, on Logitech G’s official streaming channels, including Twitch, YouTube, and Facebook. To ensure you receive all the important notifications, including when the event is live, you can register through the Logitech site.

There will be exclusive announcements of new products and technology so the event promises to be something to look forward to.

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.

PS5 Pro specs and details

Sony Interactive Entertainment Reveals PlayStation 5 Pro, the Most Visually Compelling Way to Play Games on PlayStation

PS5 Pro is Packed with GPU Performance Boost, Advanced Ray Tracing and AI-Driven Upscaling to Deliver an Enhanced PS5 experience

The PlayStation®5 Pro (PS5®Pro) console is the latest hardware innovation to enter the PlayStation®5 (PS5®) family of products from Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE). Revealed today, the PS5 Pro console aims to provide players with richer gameplay experiences through super sharp image clarity, high frame rate gameplay, and advanced ray tracing*. The PS5 Pro console launches on November 7, 2024, at a recommended retail price (RRP) $1,379.95 NZD (GST incl.) It features a 2TB solid state drive and includes a DualSense wireless controller. PS5 Pro will also launch with the latest wireless technology, Wi-Fi 7, in territories supporting this standard.

PS5 Pro enables the world’s greatest game creators to create enhanced gaming experiences by taking advantage of the console’s more powerful hardware and system architecture. PS5 Pro delivers the most impressive visuals and performance to date on a PlayStation console, with new features that include:

• Upgraded GPU with 67 percent more Compute Units than the current PS5 console and 28 percent faster memory. This enables up to 45 percent faster rendering for gameplay, making games run even faster.

• Advanced Ray Tracing that provides more dynamic reflection and refraction of light at more than double the speed of the current PS5 console.

• AI-Driven Upscaling with PlayStation Spectral Super Resolution, a machine learning-based technology that provides super sharp image clarity by adding an extraordinary amount of detail.

“We are proud of the impact that PS5 has made on the gaming industry, providing an opportunity for game creators to realize their vision and reach millions of players around the world,” said Hideaki Nishino, CEO, Platform Business Group, Sony Interactive Entertainment. “But we’re always pushing ourselves to innovate so we can meet, and hopefully exceed, the evolving needs of our players. We’re pleased to offer PS5 Pro alongside the current PS5 console this holiday, and we look forward to seeing continued gameplay innovation from our talented game creators that unleash the possibilities of the PS5 hardware for years to come.”

The PS5 Pro console comes in a familiar look that blends perfectly with the PlayStation 5 family of products. It also provides an option for players to add an Ultra HD Blu-ray Disc Drive (sold separately).

Games that take advantage of the PS5 Pro features will include a “PS5 Pro Enhanced” designation within their title. Sample games that will be PS5 Pro Enhanced include blockbuster titles from PlayStation Studios and SIE’s partners, such as Alan Wake 2, Assassin’s Creed: Shadows, Demon’s Souls, Dragon’s Dogma 2, Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, Gran Turismo 7, Hogwarts Legacy, Horizon Forbidden West, Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart, The Crew Motorfest, The First Descendant, The Last of Us Part II Remastered, and more. 

Games that are playable on the PS5 console will be playable on PS5 Pro, utilizing the same user interface and online community for multiplayer gaming and network services. Other features include PS5 Pro Game Boost, which can apply to more than 8,500 backward compatible PlayStation®4 (PS4®) games playable on PS5 Pro. This feature may stabilize or improve the performance of supported PS4 and PS5 games. Enhanced Image Quality for PS4 games is also available to improve the resolution on select PS4 games.  

Current accessories available for PS5 will also be compatible with PS5 Pro, including PlayStation®VR2, PlayStation Portal™ remote player, DualSense Edge™ wireless controller, Access™ controller, Pulse Elite™ wireless headset and Pulse Explore™ wireless earbuds.

Launching in time for the holiday shopping season, PS5 Pro will be available at participating retailers. Pre-orders will begin on September 26, 2024.

*Features only available on select PS5 games that have been enhanced for PS5 Pro when compared with the PS5. PS5 Pro enhanced features will vary by game.

About Sony Interactive Entertainment

Sony Interactive Entertainment pushes the boundaries of entertainment and innovation, starting from the launch of the original PlayStation in Japan in 1994. Today, we continue to deliver innovative and thrilling experiences to a global audience through our PlayStation line of products and services that include generation-defining hardware, pioneering network services, and award-winning games. Headquartered in San Mateo, California, with global functions in California, London, and Tokyo, and game development studios around the world as part of PlayStation Studios, we believe that the power of play is borderless. Sony Interactive Entertainment is a wholly owned subsidiary of Sony Group Corporation. 

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.

Abigail: Blu Ray Review

Cast: Melissa Barrera, Dan Stevens, Alisha Weir, Kevin Durand, Kathryn Newton, Angus Cloud, Giancarlo Esposito, William Catlett

Director: Matt Bettinelli-Olpin

Meshing comedy and horror is not an easy proposition.

Push it too far and the horror stakes feel slight; push it too far the other way, and the comedy seems trite.

So for the large part of Abigail, a film about a group of would-be criminals kidnapping a 12 year-old ballet dancer and holding her to ransom, the premise proves to be the biggest hook - and also the high-wire act the Radio Silence Production team seems set on balancing on.

But a final act that descends too far into silliness and relies too much on the comedy robs the film of some of the more delicious tension that's been drawn out by a minimal script and some genuine scares.

The group - which comprises such loosely drawn stereotypes as the spaced out druggie (Euphoria's Cloud in his last ever role), the dumb muscle for hire (Durand, most of the comic relief), the anti-heroine (Barrera, eminently watchable) and the tough-talking guy (Stevens, easily one of the best things of the film) - make for solid enough companions, but the film's script spends too long drawing out thin details from exposition and talky-filled dumps of screentime to make you really care about any of them or their mysterious pasts. (And a potential love interest is drawn out early on, only to become a narrative thread thrown away, withered and untended to.)

Abigail is far more successful when it simply concentrates on the basics of the story - a group of dimwits being outclassed and outmanoeuvred by an initially unknown enemy.

Weir hisses, dances and menaces as much as she can - but an over-reliance on visual tics a la M3GAN and Swan Lake perversely shows the film's weaknesses as well as its singular strength - it has flashes of brilliance, but much of it seems to be snatched from other films as it can't quite build on its central idea.

Ultimately, Abigail is a movie where sometimes the differing tones violently clash and crash against each other as the B-movie constraints play out - but if you're willing to forego the plot's fallibilities, the thin character edges and a truly unnecessary finale where it's not just the scenery that's chewed on, Abigail may just be the fun time you're looking for at the movies.

Kinds of Kindness: Disney+ Movie Review

Cast: Jesse Plemons, Emma Stone, Willem Dafoe, Hong Chau, Margaret Qualley, Joe Alwyn, Mamoudou Athie, Yorgos Stefanakos
Director: Yorgos Lanthimos

A triptych of fables that are supposedly rooted in black humour but just feel mean-spirited in parts, Poor Things director Yorgos Lanthimos' latest sees him reteaming with Emma Stone.

However, this trio of tales doesn't carry a narrative thread through, and has the distinction of retaining one character throughout yet all the same actors. It's an important distinction for a film that lasts nearly three hours and can occasionally seem like a rambling shaggy dog story.

And yet, at its core, all three of Lanthimos' tales have to do with power in some form or other.

From its opening tale which sees Jesse Plemons' Robert who does everything his boss Raymond (Defoe) tells him, to its concluding tale about a cult trying to find a woman who can reanimate the dead, there's the very loosest of threads to help you traverse proceedings.

But the tales aren't strong enough to fight off feelings of ennui throughout.

No matter how well constructed they are, the tapestry feels like it has been pulled together too tightly, and as a result, elements feel strained.

Fortunately, Plemons' performance throughout each singular tale (though to a lesser extent in the final one) gives it the dramatic in-point that's needed. Whether it's just losing a moustache from story to story, the chameleonic actor manages to make every single second count and every character beat hit when it needs to.

There are some dour moments in among the oddness, but much of Kinds of Kindness feels like a joke at the audience's expense and one perhaps that they're not all entirely comfortable with.

Perhaps that's some of the issue with Kinds of Kindness - at times, it feels muted and the warped humour not quite warped or dark enough for narrative purposes. Perhaps if some of the absurdities had been revelled in more, it would have progressed proceedings, but Lanthimos seems obsessed with his vision, almost to the detriment of the final product.

It may require Kinds of Kindness from audiences to persevere, and perhaps the arthouse crowd may be willing to forego the weaker vision here, but the utterly vicious Lanthimos who eviscerated the screen in The Killing of a Sacred Deer is sadly nowhere to be found in enough quantity within this release.

Kinds of Kindness is streaming now on Disney+

Astro Bot: PS5 Review

Developed by Team Asobi
Published by Sony Interactive Entertainment
Platform: PS5

Team Asobi has no compunction in wanting to make the cutest game possible.

Its latest outing for Astro Bot, the undeniably adorable unofficial mascot of the PlayStation 5, sees the little white robot forced to recover some 300 missing chums that have been scattered around five galaxies by a big bad blob of green goo in a spaceship.

(Honestly, it's less about the plot and more about the platforming in this.)

Hidden across 90 levels in 50 planets, there are a variety of tricky traversals for Astro to make - but while the core game mechanics haven't changed from previous outings for Astro, the addition of some helpers and some new abilities keep things fresh.

From a bulldog booster who helps you hurtle through breakable walls and through enemies to gloves that help pummel the opposition into submission, Astro has more than enough at his disposal to save the day.

What's clear about Astro Bot is how in many ways, it feels like a nostalgic title that would have been put out on the PlayStation 1 - and that's not to dismiss it all.

Core gameplay involves platforming precision basics as well as paying homage to some of the more frustrating levels whose difficulty is belied by their seeming ease.

It's here that Astro Bot comes into its own.

From having certain bots that are ripped from PlayStation's most iconic IPs to levels that see you playing as that character bot (something that caused great unexpected delight when it was revealed), Team Asobi's done much to respect the console's past and its characters.

But it's also addictively playable too.

Whether it's due to the fact its levels can be relatively brief but punishingly hard in their execution, or the fact that many levels are just so colourfully cute, there's much in Astro Bot that demands you to play through more than once.

Possibly this is due to needing certain numbers of Bots to be rescued before you can progress, but nothing ever really feels like a barrier to progression.

As with previous Astro outings, there's plenty of use of the adaptive triggers and haptic feedback. From feeling every ripple of the tension of a flexing glove before you pummel an opponent to the use of the in-controller speaker, the developers have done much to ensure the game feels more than immersive.

Perhaps you could argue that Astro Bot doesn't quite bring any ground-shattering mechanics along with it. But as a celebration of what PlayStation's done over the decades and an extension of one of their newest icons, Astro Bot is a game that more than earns its place in the PlayStation pantheon. You'd have to be an absolute curmudgeon to hate it, and a complete fool to resist its many charms.

A Minecraft Movie Trailer

A Minecraft Movie Trailer

A MINECRAFT MOVIE

ONLY IN CINEMAS APRIL 2025

 

The first trailer for A Minecraft Movie has arrived!

 

Be There and Be Square. #MinecraftMovie – only in cinemas 2025..

 

 

A Minecraft Movie

Director: Jared Hess
Cast: Jason Momoa, Jack Black, Emma Myers, Danielle Brooks, Sebastian Eugene Hansen, with Jennifer Coolidge

 

 

Synopsis:

From Warner Bros. Pictures and Legendary Pictures and starring Jason Momoa and Jack Black, “A Minecraft Movie,” directed by Jared Hess, is the first-ever big screen, live-action adaptation of Minecraft, the best-selling video game of all time.

 

The film also stars Emma Myers (“Wednesday”), Oscar nominee Danielle Brooks (“The Color Purple”), Sebastian Eugene Hansen (“Just Mercy, “Lisey’s Story”), with Jennifer Coolidge.

 

Welcome to the world of Minecraft, where creativity doesn’t just help you craft, it’s essential to one’s survival! Four misfits—Garrett “The Garbage Man” Garrison (Momoa), Henry (Hansen), Natalie (Myers) and Dawn (Brooks)—find themselves struggling with ordinary problems when they are suddenly pulled through a mysterious portal into the Overworld: a bizarre, cubic wonderland that thrives on imagination. To get back home, they’ll have to master this world (and protect it from evil things like Piglins and Zombies, too) while embarking on a magical quest with an unexpected, expert crafter, Steve (Black). Together, their adventure will challenge all five to be bold and to reconnect with the qualities that make each of them uniquely creative…the very skills they need to thrive back in the real world.

 

Oscar nominee Hess (“Ninety-Five Senses,” “Nacho Libre”) directed, with Roy Lee, Jon Berg, Mary Parent, Cale Boyter, Jason Momoa, Jill Messick, Torfi Frans Olafsson and Vu Bui producing, and Todd Hallowell, Kayleen Walters, Brian Mendoza, Jonathan Spaihts, Pete Chiappetta, Andrew Lary and Anthony Tittanegro executive producing.

 

The director’s creative team behind the camera includes BAFTA-nominated director of photography Enrique Chediak (“127 Hours,” “Transformers: Rise of the Beasts”), Oscar-winning production designer Grant Major (“The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King,” “The Meg”), editor James Thomas (“Pokémon: Detective Pikachu”, the “Borat” films), Oscar-winning VFX supervisor Dan Lemmon (“The Jungle Book,” “The Batman”), and costume designer Amanda Neale (“The Meg,” “What We Do in the Shadows”). Casting is by Rachel Tenner. The music supervisors are Gabe Hilfer and Karyn Rachtman, and the music is by Mark Mothersbaugh (“Thor: Ragnarok,” the “LEGO®” movies).

 

Warner Bros. Pictures and Legendary Pictures Present A Vertigo Entertainment/On The Roam/Mojäng Aktiebolag Production, A Jared Hess Film, “A Minecraft Movie.” The film will be distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures worldwide and by Legendary East in China, and released only in theaters and IMAX in North America on April 4, 2025, and internationally beginning 2 April 2025.

 

Wise Guy: David Chase and The Sopranos: Review

Wise Guy David Chase and The Sopranos is a fascinating deep dive into one of HBO's earliest hits and one of the shows that defined television of the early 2000s.

Going Clear director Alex Gibney sits down for a fascinating chat with the show's creator David Chase about its legacy, his own past and the resultant success of the show - as well as the pressure he felt.

Cleverly mirroring Lorraine Bracco's Dr Melfi's surgery that she used to chat with James Gandolfini's mobster boss Tony Soprano, Gibney sets up an amiable chat with Chase, that will enlighten casual or non-viewers of the series, but may frustrate those who feel they already know the series inside and out.

As if to remedy the potential naysayers, Gibney peppers his two-part doco with some treasured insights - from auditions from various actors trying out for the main roles to footage of those who would ultimately get the roles giving it their best, the doco is a comforting nostalgia-heavy outing that makes for at times easy and occasionally enlightening viewing.

Yet the focal point remains Chase himself - whether it's seeing him struggle to speak at Gandolfini's funeral or confessing he really wanted to make films other than TV, he's a laconic presence that's worth sitting with as the show's curated history guide.

Perhaps a little more troubling though is how much of the darker side of the show is glossed over.

From conflict within a seemingly toxic writers' room to a lack of further discussion of Gandolfini's walkouts from the filming, there are flashes of darkness which don't appear to want to have the lights shone on them.

It's disappointing and while the doco never devolves to hagiography, its desire to fall short at the more intriguing elements is perhaps somewhat of a disappointment.

Equally, while most of the main cast get to chip in - either via archive on set footage or from interviews - it's intriguing to note the show's young stars Robert Iler and Jamie Lynn Sigler don't appear once in modern day interviews.

Filled with insight and plenty of great choices of moments from the show, this doco is one to savour - even if it's not the full Messiah in parts.

And when Wise Guy David Chase and The Sopranos ends, it does so exactly in the cheeky fashion you'd expect  - but when it does, you'll be hard pressed to resist the urge to fire up The Sopranos from the very beginning all over again.

Wise Guy: David Chase and The Sopranos will be available as a binge on Neon and SkyGo from September 9

Slow Horses Season 4: TV Review

In many ways, the fourth season of Apple TV's always-phenomenal Slow Horses doesn't deviate too far from the formula that's made its previous seasons so beloved.

In the latest to be adapted from Mick Herron's Slough House series, it all starts with a bang before events get personal for Gary Oldman's slovenly Jackson Lamb and his motley crew of misfits.

To say more about season four is to rob it of some of its tension - but this run of six episodes sees the canvas being widened with new players joining the ranks and some of the older ones swept aside after the explosive end of the third.

But while the writing invests heavily in the more personal elements facing the spies including Jack Lowden's River Cartwright, none of the scripts have lost sight of what makes the show work so well - from wry moments to head-scratching incompetency from the inhabitants of Slough House.

Based on Spook Street, the run spends a lot of time focusing on River's grandfather and former spymaster David Cartwright, who's afflicted with dementia - and the central question of what he may spill in his confusion that could threaten everything. Pryce plays it beautifully pivoting from clarity to tragedy with aplomb - and his scenes with Lowden early on are touching, poignant and heartfelt, with both actors beautifully underplaying their hand.

Hugo Weaving makes a formidable addition to proceedings (again for reasons too spoiler-heavy to expand on) and as ever Oldman is a delight as Lamb. But this time it feels like some of what is playing out in front of him seems to be weighing heavily on him, despite his cynical dismissals and comments.

While the best shows grow over time, Slow Horses is perhaps an exception to that rule. Sure there's some character development here, but most of what transpires is of a personal nature, deepening audience connection with them rather than simply just being spooled out for narrative's sake.

Perhaps though the one note of caution with this latest is seeing the cast's grown substantially with the likes of Battlestar Galactica's James Callis, Joanna Scanlan, Ruth Bradley and others in new roles, some of the original inhabitants of Slough House feel a little sidelined at times due to narrative requirements.

It's still superlative stuff and with a fifth season filming, the investment's worth it. Quite how the next one will topple some of the fallout remains to be seen, but Slow Horses Season 4 is a reminder that when this show is firing on all cylinders, it's unmissable.

Slow Horses Season 4 streams Wednesdays on Apple TV+

Beetlejuice Beetlejuice: Movie Review

Cast: Winona Ryder, Michael Keaton, Catherine O'Hara, Jenna Ortega, Monica Bellucci, Willem Dafoe, Justin Theroux

Director: Tim Burton

Tim Burton's return to his beloved Beetlejuice offers a visual allegory to proceedings early on.

As Monica Bellucci's dismembered body parts fall from various boxes, they begin to be stapled back together to visually resemble a Corpse Bride with the help of a detached hand.

There's much of a feeling of pieces being pulled together through the film - and sadly seeing them stapled together in the hope of resembling something cohesive too.

Much of Beetlejuice Beetlejuice feels ramshackle and messy, a story that's more thrown together throughout. But in parts that manic scattershot approach works well - it's just that there's not enough of it of Burton's mania to keep it going.

Years after the demonic sprite Beetlejuice tormented the Deetz family, they've moved on in different ways. Winona Ryder's uptight Lydia is now a spirtualist ghost hunter with a shoddy TV show that trades in cheap jumps and bumps in the night. As if that's not bad enough, she's still seeing glimpses of Michael Keaton's Beetlejuice and dealing with a fracturing relationship with teen daughter Astrid (Ortega).

When news of her father's death comes through, the clan is forced back together to the old house to say goodbye - however, when Astrid makes a fatal mistake, Lydia is forced to call on Betelgeuse for his help.

There's an awfully long time spent setting up at the start of Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, with plenty of characters being brought in and left wanting towards the end, spinning in their own confused narrative web. (Chiefly Bellucci's bride is introduced as a major threat at the start, only to disappear for the majority of the film.) And with one plotline feeling very familiar to this year's Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire, there's a real feeling of deja vu throughout.

But when Burton cuts loose with his more manic visual edges, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice is an absolute surreal delight, a concoction of the macabre with some brilliant visual gags. From a swipe at a former US president to some sight gags that are throwaway but genius via some pastiches of Spanish horror, much of Beetlejuice Beetlejuice feels like it's a manic finger to what a sequel should be. 

When Keaton fully makes his appearance as the sprite nearly 1 hour in to the 1hour 45 minute run time, it's a sign that everything's on edge and you're not quite sure where the zaniness will go next. It's an electric frisson that sets Beetlejuice Beetlejuice alight when it's desperately needed.

Equally Willem Dafoe's former actor turned afterlife cop feels like a series of gags that shouldn't work, but given how much ham is thrown at the screen, he manages to make the role enjoyable throughout.

There's a lot of nostalgia in Beetlejuice Beetlejuice - from the opening shot swirling over a model village to Danny Elfman's wonderfully evocative score. There's no doubting Beetlejuice Beetlejuice is a Tim Burton joint with animation, puppetry and practical sets - but when it all ends, there's a distinct feeling that you wish there was just more of him in it.

Cygni: All Guns Blazing: PS5 Review

Developed by KeelWorks
Published by Konami
Platform: PS5

Cygni: All Guns Blazing is the latest release attempting to carve out a niche for itself in a genre that's already fairly full.

And it has to be said, that it does it pretty well.

The game looks colourful with clear-cut chaos on the screen presenting itself in a manner that's concise and compact, something that's important within the game.

Missiles fly toward your craft from below as well as in front - and as each swirls in in a deadly fashion aiming at downing you, there's no confusion where it's coming from.

Shooting opponents gives you tokens to collect, the importance of which is not immediately obvious - and while it's easy to collect most of them, their instant value is non-existent.

That's one of the problems of Cygni: All Guns Blazing, a game that doesn't make it easy for players to dive in and know exactly what's going on.

Certainly in arcade mode, there are the most basic of cutscenes to provide some context, but they're a little too thin to provide an intense narrative to hang the game.

Fortunately, the on-screen arcade action itself proves to be more satisfying and while the game gradually reveals its aspirations slowly, the peeling of the onion proves to be worth it.