John Day on Disney Infinity 2.0 Marvel Super Heroes

John Day on Disney Infinity 2.0 Marvel Super Heroes

John Day is a producer at Disney Interactive Studios and was in Australia to talk about the production of Disney Infinity 2.0 Marvel Super Heroes (set to release September 2014).

How do you feel Disney Infinity is going?
Fantastic, really.  I’m really pleased with the new figures, playsets, and toybox in Disney Infinity 2.0: Marvel Super Heroes, and the reception from everyone I’ve talked to has been really outstanding

It’s the free play which seems to keep getting people coming back as well as the endless characters, isn’t it?
The Toy Box does give players a chance to really do…whatever they want, and with our vibrant community constantly creating new and interesting ways to play, there really are unlimited things to do within Disney infinity.  And yes, everyone has their favourite character, and we’re trying to bring them out just as fast as we can.  I’ve been a life-long marvel fan, so working on a game full of some of my favourite characters has been spectacular.

How do you set yourselves limits on what you can do with them – or is the sky really the limit?
I think the goal is to set as few limits as possible.  We’re very connected to our community and try to give them whatever they need to do whatever they’re trying to do.

I’ve read that essentially Disney Infinity was inspired by the way children play with toys – is that always your modus operandi going in to developments?
That’s right – the Disney Infinity Toy Box is, in essence, a digital recreation of a kid’s bedroom floor.  A space with total creative freedom, where all sorts of different toys can coexist and play together.  We continue to try to get closer to that ideal all the time.

The 2.0 Marvel Super Heroes seems like such a natural progression given the success of the Avengers, Agents of Shield and the ongoing Marvel franchises – was it really a no brainer in terms of creative direction?
In choosing where to take Disney Infinity, it comes down to a combination of not only what is popular, but what also makes for great and varied gameplay.  Fortunately, Super Heroes are great for all of the above.  Nevertheless, it wasn’t a simple problem to figure out how to have so many, and ensure that each one was a deep, rewarding gameplay experience.

What do you want the super Heroes to bring to the Disney Infinity table?
Above all I want the super heroes to be themselves.  When you play with Iron Man, I want to have all of his different powers, and for the character to feel authentic.  I also want the promise of many different ways to play – The Hulk and Spider-Man are totally different characters, and so I want those different experiences.

Tell us a little more about the highlights of this pack
Well, in the starter pack, we have the new Avengers playset, which is a fantastic game experience, and we give players 3 of the avengers (Iron Man, Thor, Black Widow) so you can play multiplayer right out of the box.  Outside of the starter pack, we have over 20 super heroes, so hopefully your favourite is in there somewhere.  Either way, that’s a whole lot of different ways to play this game.

What’s the one feature you’re proudest of on this?
We’ve made some new additions to the Toy Box that make building and creating easier than it ever has been before.  With our new builder and creator toys, players can quickly and easily create massive, unique Toy Boxes.

What’s the one character you’ve enjoyed seeing brought to life the most and why?
I have been a Spider-Man fan for as long as I can remember, and of that series my favourite character was Venom.  Our venom character is amazing, he looks and feels great, and his power set in the game is a lot of fun.

It’s pretty cool you’re getting the Guardians of the Galaxy too…and iconic baddies as well. How closely did you work with Marvel on this and how much free reign did they give you?

Marvel was with us every step of the way on everything.  While they always left us to do the work, they were great about providing plenty of feedback to ensure that we were keeping these iconic characters true to themselves.

Where do you see the sets going in the future? You’re constantly adding characters and imagination seems to be the only limit here, is that fair to say?
Absolutely fair to say.  For now we’re focused on delivering a high quality Marvel experience. Moving forward, I’m excited to continue to delve in to the wealth of great characters that Disney has in its pantheon.

What does the future hold for the Disney Infinity set now the technology of PS4 and Xbox One are here ?
These new platforms give us much more power to throw at the game – our Play Sets and characters look better, and our Toy Boxes can be much larger and more complex.

Housebound: Movie Review

Housebound: Movie Review

Cast: Morgana O'Reilly, Rima Te Wiata, Glen Paul-Waru, Mick Innes
Director: Gerard Johnstone

Writer / director Gerard Johnstone's inventively witty Housebound is already picking up accolades - both here and abroad.

With SXSW success and NZIFF Festival director Bill Gosden's praise ringing in its ears, the mash up of horror and comedy stars Morgana O'Reilly as Kylie, a sullen woman placed on home detention after a particularly Kiwi robbery goes somewhat awry.

Confined to the house with her mother Miriam (a sensational Rima Te Wiata), rebel without a cause Kylie discovers there are more horrors than just dial up broadband and regular dollops of Coro to contend with after she hears her mum talking about how she believes the house is haunted.

With a security guard Amos in tow, Kylie begins to investigate the spooky goings on...

Housebound serves up a riotous mix of shock moments, suspenseful scenes and bang on gags.

With a delicious premise and an awe-inspiring treatment of the genres, director Johnstone's infused his script by way of The Innkeepers, The Frighteners, a hint of Beetlejuice and a gory dollop of Kiwi blood and guts' homage to Sir Peter Jackson's earlier works.

But as well as infusing these all together, he's done something uniquely kiwi as well as making a film which universally accessible, thanks to O'Reilly's sullen Kylie, Glen Paul-Waru's brilliant Amos and Te Wiata's perfectly shrill and cuckolding mother.

With an eye for great one-liners ("You can't punch ectoplasm" to name but one) and a burgeoning trademark in suspenseful set ups and masterfully subtle execution, Housebound is an absolute riot, an unashamed blockbuster treat and a triumph of film-making (let's leave the New Zealand out of this one, eh?)

The pay-off is cleverly constructed and the final sequences deliver and wrap up everything that was promised so deliciously throughout the comic beats.

As infectious as Ghostbusters was all those years ago, Johnstone's flair for the comic paranormal and grip on the various genres he's paying homage to treads the right balance between out and out scares and good time humour.

Housebound's spookily and truly unmissable - it's assured massive success and shows that Kiwi film-makers don't always have to examine their own navel to create some great cinema.

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Before I Go To Sleep: Movie Review

Before I Go To Sleep: Movie Review

Cast: Nicole Kidman, Colin Firth, Mark Strong, Anne-Marie Duff
Director: Rowan Joffe

Based on the SJ Watson novel and from the writer / director of the underrated The American and Brighton Rock, comes this mind games/ head trip high concept thriller.

Kidman is Christine, a severe amnesiac, who wakes every day having had the last 24 hours of her life wiped out after a traumatic car accident, which left her battered and beaten. She wakes up each day with her husband Ben (Colin Firth), who patiently explains what's going on.

But each day, unbeknownst to Ben, Christine gets a call from a Dr Nash (soft spoken Mark Strong) who tells her to find a camera in her closet which has videos on explaining what's been happening. Along with these video diaries, Christine begins to get memories come flooding back - as the truth starts to slowly unfurl.

Recalling Memento to begin with thanks to its wall of photographs and written post-it notes around the house, you'd be forgiven for thinking that it was a case of similar territory.

Essentially a three-hander, Joffe opts for a psychological build up where the pendulum of truth and mistrust swings back and forth on Ben as Christine delves deeper into her own past and makes discoveries she's not prepared for.

Kidman delivers a variety of wide-eyed and horrified and shocked looks as the various situations demand of her but just manages to convince of the emotional rollercoaster she's boarded daily. Equally, Firth goes from fully supportive to fully shifty and back again in as many turns as the movie spins on its axis. And Strong is his usual solid self as the doctor who offers help to Christine, unasked for and therefore inviting questions over his motive. But none of the actors really ever shine through; they're solid enough, but don't dazzle.

The problem comes with the denouement of this movie (don't worry, no spoiler ahead) which is somewhat inevitable given how nobody really shows their hand until late in the piece. As it's a three-hander, and based on a book, whereas the twist may be slightly more plausible on the page, it's difficult to execute on screen given that a late in the day addition would throw implausibility into the mix.

In among the maudlin and melancholic tone, Before I Go To Sleep works on the mind games front and does keep you guessing throughout, before its totally OTT ending throws any sensibility out of the window. It's a shame because the suspense built up and the back-and-forth questions are quite effective during the thriller; sadly though, the moment it ends, you're suffering from the same affliction as Christine, because it's relatively unmemorable.

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inFamous First Light: PS4 Review

inFamous First Light: PS4 Review

Released by Sucker Punch
Platform: PS4

The inFamous series has always been a blast.

And with its PS4 iteration aka Second Son, it became a neon soaked mix of colours and fluid gameplay that really set the bar high for the next gen console.

So, it was inevitable that developer Sucker Punch would return to the franchise with this latest spin-off, the standalone DLC Infamous First Light, which concentrates on Abigail “Fetch” Walker, who featured in Infamous Second Son with Delsin.

“Fetch” is a young punkish Conduit, whose ability to absorb neon, gives her a superspeed and ability to blur around Seattle like some kind of female version of The Flash. Giving you complete control of the female character – and setting her up with the antagonist Augustine (who appears in the first game) – gives the franchise a firm female footing.

But First Light is all about exploring Fetch’s memories from inside the evil DUP prison, with you exploring a pivotal time in her youth that set her on the path that she’s destined for (there’s no good or bad karma here, which is a refreshing touch, but also one that sees the franchise lose a little of its reason for a second playthrough). With her older brother Brent in the possession of a gangland criminal called Shane, Fetch finds her position compromised and forced on missions to try and get ever closer to the rescue of Brent.

InFamous First Light takes about four or five hours of play through to complete – and it’s a shame that it’s over so briefly because it really is tremendous fun. The story element is as you’d expect; race round the city, collect a few things, blast a few things, deal with the gangsters running amok in the city and stay alive. But in among this, you get to collect floating blobs of neon called Lumens which lurk in the skies or on the side of buildings to help you build up your powers. Dust clouds of neon litter the streets too, and when you start racing about, these serve as speed portals to help you reach your targets. It’s a great way to rush from point to point, but is also an indication of how fluid Sucker Punch has made the game, with no glitches on show. In fact, the speed of the game is one of the real bonuses of this DLC, which feels like it’s upped the ante for graphics work. In fact the neon trails, neon graffiti and blasts of neon which eminate from your hands are an utter joy to behold – the visuals really soar on this.

Occasionally, the story stumbles, you lose powers for no real reason other than to progress the story; flashbacks occasionally interrupt the flow of the game and from time to time, elements of repetition creep into play.

But, the introduction of Curdon Cay, a battle arena where Fetch builds on her powers is a real boost to proceedings; essentially, it’s here that you can turn on the game after completing the main story and simply shoot away to your heart’s content, tackle challenges and try and boost yourself onto world leader boards. If you’ve got Second Son, you can also play as Delsin, a touch which is welcome (no sign of Cole though) – this gives the game a bit of welcome after life when the campaign’s done, though it’s only single player at this stage (maybe a multiplayer would really open the world up)

All in all, InFamous First Light is a great addition to the franchise; its speed, fluidity and visceral visuals really give you a lot to enjoy. It’s just a shame it’s not a full game.

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Into The Storm: Movie Review

Into The Storm: Movie Review

Cast: Richard Armitage, Sarah Wayne Callies
Director: Steven Quale

The law of averages says a disaster film has to contain the following elements:

Nature in its full FX fury, people exclaiming they've never seen anything like it, people making extremely stupid decisions which are life-threatening in the face of danger - and a journey of redemption in the face of self-sacrifice.

Thankfully, Into The Storm contains all of those - and very little else.

Set in America (where else), in the city of Silverton, there are more than actual tornadoes going off over one day - there are emotional tornadoes lurking at every turn.

The action focuses on a group of storm chasers, headed up by Matt Walsh's Pete, whose number also includes The Walking Dead star Sarah Wayne Callies' Allison. With the threat of funding being ripped from them after a miserable season, Pete's determined to get the money shot, putting the desire to succeed ahead of the feelings of his crew.

Elsewhere, Richard Armitage's school teacher Gary is trying to pull together the class for an outside graduation, while negotiating problems with his sons, Donny and Trey. And finally into that mix, there are a couple of Jackass loving, Youtube video creating daredevil idiots who are wandering around Silverton, filming.

All of this is the calm before the storm hits...

Into The Storm is exactly what you'd expect - as outlined above, it hits all the tropes and expectations of the genre but falls apart massively when it comes to the one-dimensional characters and their problems. Everyone's practically toting a hand-held camera in this as well, as the powers that be try and use the found footage genre to their advantage, but which slows the pace down as everybody stops to record every few minutes.

Visually, when the storms hit 30 minutes in, the FX work is stunningly well-realised and the destruction is calm and measured, rather than relying on overtly OTT shots (even if potentially some of the science may be a bit shonky). There's a relief when the storms finally hit, because the build up is slow, plodding and distinctly uninteresting. However, Quale (Final Destination 5) chooses to keep cutting away from the destruction (or it just peters out inexplicably) which frustrates, but keeps within the found footage genre. Additionally, the sound was incredibly under-utilized with the effects sounding like they were in a wind-tunnel rather than the fury of nature.

There are hints that sequels are planned (one scientist intones that these storms happen once every few years, rather than once every lifetime - and what could happen if it hits a city like LA or Chicago?) but it's possibly tele-event material ahead for this franchise, rather than long term accolades like with Twister. If the series could find some danger and an edge (it refuses steadfastly to kill off one character when the emotional weight of doing so would lift this much higher up) it could deliver more. (Kudos to the writer who penned the line delivered to Sarah Wayne Callies' character that it's like a zombie apocalypse out there...)

Ultimately, Into The Storm blows a lot of hot air, but delivers a washed-out fizzer rather than a weather-bomb.

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The Past: DVD Review

The Past: DVD Review

Rating: M
Released by Madman Home Entertainment

From the Iranian director Asghar Farhadi comes this award winning drama, starring The Artist's Berenice Bejo (who collected an award for this role).

It's the story of Marie (Bejo) who asks her husband Ahmad (Ali Mosaffa) to return from Tehran to Paris to finalise their divorce. But when he returns the web of relationships spun over the years dangle precariously and dangerously thanks to problems between Marie, her new man and their daughter.

The Past is a subtle film that benefits from the performance of Bejo, who traverses fragility and strength cleverly and with ease as the movie plays out. It's the nuances of the tale which hook you in and Farhadi's grip on naturalistic direction which impresses.

It's a psychological drama in many ways that may not hit all the bases for a general populus but for lovers of Farhadi's art and craft, it's unmissable.

Extras: Interviews and trailer