Punch: Movie Review

Cast: Tim Roth, Jordan Oosterhof, Conan Hayes
Director: Welby Ings

As sensitive a coming out story as ever you will find, director Welby Ings' Punch is a story that benefits greatly from its restraint.

It's the tale of 17-year-old Jim (Oosterhof) who's after boxing glory thanks to the relentless pushing from his alcoholic father (Roth). However, Jim's journey is permanently altered after he begins to fall for outcast schoolmate Whetu (Hayes).

With his father literally gambling everything on Jim' s success, the pressure's on - but will Jim follow his heart or his blood?

Punch is beautifully helmed by Ings and whilst it takes its time and occasionally meanders, it more than makes up for it with its prodigiously-talented cast. 

"People pretend it's all rainbow flags and it's not" one character intones at one point, and as this subtle tale unfolds, nothing could be closer to the truth.

Roth's always a joy to behold, but there's a rugged ruinous approach to his father character with a late reveal pushing the sentiment as far as it can go.

However, it's not Roth's star that shines brightest here - both Oosterhof and Hayes make for compelling viewing as the coming out experience is given a blisteringly restrained approach. Set against its rural backdrop and inevitable prejudices, Punch may tread some familiar routes and story beats, but it's in the telling of the tropes that Ings and his cast excel.

What's on Disney+ Day on September 8

Disney+ Day will deliver even more excitement to subscribers with additional content premiering globally on September 8 as well as celebrations across Disney Parks, Experiences, and Products. New titles include Marvel Studios’ “Thor: Love and Thunder” and “Assembled: The Making of Thor: Love and Thunder,” “Obi-Wan Kenobi: A Jedi’s Return,” “Tierra Incógnita,” the “Frozen” and “Frozen 2” Sing-Alongs, and “Welcome to the Club,” a new short from The Simpsons. 

Disney+ Day Content Premieres:

The Disney+ Day lineup will feature anticipated global premieres from Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, National Geographic, The Simpsons, and more. In addition to the previously announced “Pinocchio,” a new episode of “She-Hulk: Attorney at Law,” “Cars on the Road,” “Growing Up,” and ““Epic Adventures with Bertie Gregory,” the new content coming to Disney+ will include: 

“Thor: Love and Thunder” (7pm NZST*)

Marvel Studios’ “Thor: Love and Thunder” finds the God of Thunder (Chris Hemsworth) on a journey unlike anything he’s ever faced – one of self-discovery. But his efforts are interrupted by a galactic killer known as Gorr the God Butcher (Christian Bale), who seeks the extinction of the gods. To combat the threat, Thor enlists the help of King Valkyrie (Tessa Thompson), Korg (Taika Waititi) and ex-girlfriend Jane Foster (Natalie Portman), who – to Thor’s surprise – inexplicably wields his magical hammer, Mjolnir, as the Mighty Thor. Together, they embark upon a harrowing cosmic adventure to uncover the mystery of the God Butcher’s vengeance and stop him before it’s too late.

“Thor: Love and Thunder” joins 15 other Marvel Cinematic Universe movies now streaming in IMAX Enhanced on Disney+. With IMAX Enhanced, subscribers can enjoy IMAX’s expanded aspect ratio at home, which provides up to 26 percent more picture for an immersive viewing experience. (No additional cost or device required. Content availability varies by region.)  More information about IMAX Enhanced on Disney+ is available here.

“Marvel Studios Assembled: The Making of Thor: Love and Thunder” (7pm NZST*)

Settle in with Taika Waititi, Chris Hemsworth, Natalie Portman, Christian Bale, and Tessa Thompson, as they divulge the secrets behind the creation of Thor: Love and Thunder. Through in-depth interviews with cast and crew, along with raw, unseen footage from the set and beyond, ASSEMBLED pulls back the curtain on the God of Thunder’s fourth feature film.

“Obi-Wan Kenobi: A Jedi’s Return” (12am NZST*)

With never-before-seen, behind-the-scenes footage, colourful personal stories and meaningful moments, “Obi-Wan Kenobi: A Jedi’s Return”  showcases the making of Lucasfilm’s original limited series for Disney+, “Obi-Wan Kenobi,” an epic story that begins 10 years after the dramatic events of “Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith.” This insightful documentary from Lucasfilm and Supper Club explores the return of Obi-Wan Kenobi and  Anakin Skywalker to the screen — and  Ewan McGregor and Hayden Christensen to their respective classic roles. Director Deborah Chow, cast and crew reflect on their journey to tell a new story with iconic Star Wars characters Obi-Wan Kenobi, Darth Vader and Princess Leia, while introducing new heroes and villains into the saga along the way. Complete with visits to the creature shop, props department and more, “Obi-Wan Kenobi: A Jedi’s Return” features the side of filmmaking that makes Star Wars so unique — the respect and passion for the generation-spanning legacy and the beloved characters.

“Frozen” and “Frozen 2” Sing-Alongs (7pm NZST*)

Disney+ will release new Sing-Along versions of Walt Disney Animation Studios’ “Frozen” and “Frozen 2.” As subscribers watch the Sing-Along version of these films, they will be able to fully immerse themselves in the music with on-screen lyrics. 

“Welcome to the Club” (a new short from The Simpsons) (12am NZST*)

Heart set on becoming a princess, Lisa Simpson is surprised to learn being bad might be more fun.

“Tierra Incógnita” (Original Series Produced in Latin America) (12am NZST*)

“Tierra Incógnita” follows Eric Dalaras (Pedro Maurizi), a teenager who discovers a hair-raising world while searching for the truth behind the mysterious disappearance of his parents eight years before. Raised by his maternal grandparents along with his sister Uma (Mora Fisz), Eric decides to run away from home and go back to his childhood town, Cabo Qwert, to find answers where his parents were last seen: the Tierra Incógnita horror theme park. Together with his friends, his sister and his aunt, Eric must overcome his fears in order to find answers and solve the mystery in a dark and unfamiliar world. 

Previously announced titles include: 

“Pinocchio” (7pm NZST*)

Academy Award® winner Robert Zemeckis directs this live-action retelling of the beloved tale of a wooden puppet who embarks on a thrilling adventure to become a real boy. Tom Hanks stars as Geppetto, the wood-carver who builds and treats Pinocchio (Benjamin Evan Ainsworth) as if he were his own son. Joseph Gordon-Levitt is Jiminy Cricket, who serves as Pinocchio’s guide as well as his "conscience"; Academy Award® nominee Cynthia Erivo is the Blue Fairy; Keegan-Michael Key is "Honest" John; Academy Award® nominee Lorraine Bracco is Sofia the Seagull, a new character, and Luke Evans is The Coachman.

“She-Hulk: Attorney at Law” (7pm NZST*)

New episodes streaming Thursdays

In Marvel Studios’ “She-Hulk: Attorney at Law,” Jennifer Walters (Tatiana Maslany)—an attorney specialising in superhuman-oriented legal cases—must navigate the complicated life of a single, 30-something who also happens to be a green 6-foot-7-inch superpowered hulk. The nine-episode comedy series welcomes a host of MCU vets, including Mark Ruffalo as Bruce Banner, Tim Roth as Emil Blonsky/Abomination, and Benedict Wong as Wong, as well as Ginger Gonzaga, Josh Segarra, Jameela Jamil, Jon Bass, and Renée Elise Goldsberry. Directed by Kat Coiro (Episodes 1, 2, 3, 4, 8, 9) and Anu Valia (Episodes 5, 6, 7) with Jessica Gao as head writer. Executive producers are Kevin Feige, Louis D’Esposito, Victoria Alonso, Brad Winderbaum, Kar Coiro and Jessica Gao. 

 “Cars on the Road” (12am NZST*)

The series follows Lightning McQueen (voice of Owen Wilson) and his best friend Mater (voice of Larry the Cable Guy) as they head east from Radiator Springs on a cross-country road trip to meet up with Mater’s sister. Along the way, every stop is its own adventure, with outrageous roadside attractions and colourful new characters. "Cars on the Road" is produced by Marc Sondheimer. The series' episodes are directed by Steve Purcell (Eps 1, 2, 8), Bobby Podesta (Eps 5, 6, 9) and Brian Fee (Eps 3, 4, 7). Composer Jake Monaco created the score for all nine episodes.

 “Growing Up” (12am NZST*)

Created by Brie Larson and Culture.House, “Growing Up” is an innovative hybrid docu-series that explores the challenges, triumphs, and complexities of adolescence through ten compelling coming of age stories. From Disney Branded Television, the series uses narrative, experimental, and documentary filmmaking to follow one casted individual, ages 18-22, as they tell their story. They represent a wide range of lived experiences, giving audiences emotionally powerful narratives that offer an engaging look at teenage-hood and the diverse social, familial, and internal obstacles young people face on their path to self-discovery and acceptance. Each 30-minute episode features one young person, or “hero,” and their experience growing up. Each episode is anchored by a deeply personal interview that allows our heroes to walk us through their childhood and teenage years. Alongside these interviews, creative cinematic reenactments help bring their major inflection points to life.

 “Epic Adventures with Bertie Gregory” (12am NZST*)

The face of a new generation of aspirational adventurers and natural history filmmakers, 29-year-old National Geographic Explorer Bertie Gregory takes viewers on epic and nail-biting journeys that push into the most spectacular and secretive corners of our wild world. Armed with leading-edge film technology, the Disney+ original series “Epic Adventures with Bertie Gregory,” from National Geographic, breaks the mould of the traditional natural history program by telling extraordinary, real-life animal stories and taking viewers with him for every beat of the action. For weeks at a time, the charismatic BAFTA Award-winning cinematographer immerses himself into the animals’ lives to capture the untold stories of iconic creatures living in some of the harshest environments on our planet. This season, we will see Bertie braving the icy worlds of Antarctica in search of the biggest gathering of whales ever filmed and coming face-to-face with specialist buffalo-hunting lions in Zambia. In this multipart adventure series, he will take audiences on an ambitious odyssey across the globe, showcasing the natural world at a time when it faces its greatest challenges.

 

“THE ZONE: Survival Mission” (12am NZST*)

“THE ZONE: Survival Mission” establishes its three hosts as representatives of the human race before throwing them into eight episodes of unexpected situations where they will be challenged to survive for four hours and not give up, in order to complete each mission. Pitting the hosts against zombies, a puddle of sticky glue, puzzles and other situations, viewers will find themselves laughing-out-loud as top K-variety hosts Yu Jaeseok, Lee Kwangsoo, and Kwon Yuri struggle to work together and find solutions to the implausible situations they are faced with. The director and mastermind behind the series, Cho Hyojin, was one of the original creators for the internationally popular K-variety show Running Man. 

“Wedding Season, Season 1” (12am NZST*)

Hopeless romantic Stefan meets the charismatic Katie, and despite her engagement to the son of a wealthy property magnate, a whirlwind affair begins over a summer of weddings. Before long, they're on the run from the law, with Katie the prime suspect in a shocking crime. Can they fend off police, organised criminals and their complicated feelings for one another as they try to clear their names?

Around the world, Consumer Products, Games and Publishing will also be celebrating Disney+ Day, with perks for subscribers including an offer from shopDisney Australia & New Zealand. 

Welcome to Wrexham: Review

The question with Welcome to Wrexham is a simple one.

Were it not for Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney purchasing a lower league football club, would a series have been commissioned?

It's easy to be cynical here - sure, the elevator pitch wouldn't have worked as well, but you'd hope the story, which at its heart is a classic sports underdog tale, would have still been commissioned for audiences abroad and in the UK.

And yet the doco series, which barely clips a 30 minute run time, may feel like a true life Ted Lasso in many ways, but it manages to just stay away from its schmaltzy edges.

It follows the Hollywood pair as they acquire the lower league football side, taking on not only the team, but also the hopes and dreams of a depressed Welsh town that really has little going for it.

It has all the hallmarks of a traditional Hollywood story, but by setting up the show as a pacey doco that follows all levels of the club's aspirations, it manages to work surprisingly well. Slickly edited, with football games condensed to slow mo footage and also short, the speed of the show counts greatly in its favour.

From the cynicism of the supporters to the utter disbelief of the players after an executive is unveiled whose qualifications are that he writes for a US comedy show, the series is honest in its intent - even if sometimes the execution doesn't permit total transparency.

In a sweep out of the club to improve fortunes, none of the players and management team who are chucked out are given any airtime after their dismissal, and none of those awkward conversations are aired.

It's perhaps unsurprising, but for a show that seems to be a warts and all approach to the task ahead, the desire to hide behind the darker moments of the reality of Wrexham is a minor disappointment.

Elsewhere, you get the Reynolds-patented quips and charm you'd expect - but the series works better when it concentrates on the day-to-day people - from the council painter who's sick of painting the same colour every day of his 12 years of employment to the pub owner whose community has been ripped apart by Covid-19 and misfortunes of the team, the series soars when it settles for the grounded humanity at the heart of a team supporter.

Welcome to Wrexham may be obvious in many ways in terms of heartwarming fare, and following lives after lockdowns and robbed of hope, but it's a constantly uplifting series which will appeal to not just sports fans too - one that is about a community's heart and spirit - and not just the Hollywood bigwigs that come into their lives.

Welcome to Wrexham is now streaming on Disney+ with new episodes releasing every Thursday.

 LEGO® Themes Collide as LEGO Brawls Smashes Onto Consoles

LEGO^® Themes Collide as LEGO Brawls Smashes Onto Consoles

Releasing on game consoles today, the multiplayer brawler full of brick-bashing fun takes the platform fighter genre to the next level with unique build-and-brawl customization mechanics

 

 

September 2, 2022: The new brick-based, team action brawler, LEGO^® Brawls, releases today on Nintendo Switch™, PlayStation^® 5, PlayStation^®4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Steam, and GeForce NOW. The multiplayer platformer is a first for the genre, combining near-infinite brawler customization, unlockable content, and action-packed, competitive gameplay set in the LEGO universe.

 

With cross-platform play (cross-play) and multiple game modes, LEGO Brawls is a family-friendly video game for players of all ages, skill levels, and play preferences. LEGO Brawls is developed and published by the LEGO Group in partnership with Red Games Co., and is being distributed in physical format for consoles by Bandai Namco Europe.

 

“LEGO Brawls showcases LEGO play in a brand new way with its awesome family friendly fun.   Customize your minifigure and team up with your friends for some supercharged action, across all your most loved LEGO themes,” said Murray Andrews, Head of Publishing at LEGO Games.

 

The game’s build-and-brawl mechanics are an unprecedented evolution of the traditional platform fighter genre. Players build and compete with custom, one-of-a-kind LEGO minifigure brawlers tailored to their personality, strategy, and play style. With more than 77 trillion customization possibilities, players can choose any combination of minifigure parts, accessories, melee weapons, power-ups, emotes, and names to build their winning brawler. Seasonal events and content create even more possibilities.

 

“In a uniquely LEGO approach to the genre, imagination, self-expression, and zany humor set the stage for the game’s true-to-form, light-hearted competition style,” said Brian Lovell, CEO of Red Games Co. “LEGO Brawls breaks into new territory that encourages individuality, team collaboration, and pure competitive fun.”

 

The game features iconic LEGO themed levels, from beloved classic themes like Space and Castle, to fan-favorites such as LEGO Jurassic World™, LEGO NINJAGO^®, and LEGO Monkie Kid™. Each level offers different game modes, unique challenges, and win conditions. During multiplayer online play, players can compete 4v4 to control the point, gather collectibles in Collect Mode levels, play a battle royale-style game where it’s “every-player-for-themself,” or have a free-for-brawl where the last player standing wins. In Party Mode, players can play private games with friends locally or online. With cross-platform support, players everywhere can team up and compete, regardless of their game system.

 

LEGO Brawls is now available via retailers, Nintendo eShop, PlayStation Store, Microsoft Store for Xbox, Steam, Apple Arcade, and GeForce NOW.

For more information, please visit www.legobrawlsgame.com.

The Last of Us Part I: PS5 Review

Developed by Naughty Dog

Published by Sony Interactive

Platform: PS5

It can't have escaped your attention how ubiquitous Naughty Dog's Last of Us series is.

That may be because the game was released on PS3, got a remaster for PS4, is now an upcoming HBO Series with Pedro "The Mandalorian" Pascal and is now once again re-released for the PS5.

The developers have been at pains to put out videos saying this is not a remaster, but a rebuild of the original title, with the game updated for the next generation and given the sheen perhaps they would have wanted when it launched in 2013.

For those who've escaped the various returns of the game, it still maintains the brutality you may have shielded your memory from. 

Starting with a man and his daughter escaping from the onslaught of a pandemic, and the emotionally devastating fall-out of one key moment, The Last of Us still carries the emotional heft you'd remember, even if some of the combat elements feel a little last generation.

As you play Joel, heading through the world ruined by plague, damaged by creatures and torn asunder by the greed of survivors, the game you remember is the same - it just now looks utterly, utterly stunning.

The post-apocalypse has never looked better, as civilisation crumbles around Joel and Ellie's ears, you'll marvel at how damn good it looks and how every bristle on Joel's beard is evident.

And yet, it's not just the technical levels which soar here. The story has held the test of time too.

 A developing relationship between Ellie and Joel is the real hook to this - and the real reason you will invest hours of your life in front of the console yet again. Naughty Dog have put a lot of effort into the emotion and it really does pay off in great swathes as you power on through the wastelands of America.

Of course it helps that haptic feedback and trigger sensitivity on the controller powers a lot of the combat mechanisms, but in truth, at times, fighting feels very old school and not quite in line with what's expected these days. Equally a swift turn around using the left stick and X is still as jarring as it once was.

AI feels a bit stronger than it was back in 2013 for the game's launch. There feels like there's more menace from those opposed to Joel and Ellie's quest - and certainly the confrontations have an edge this time around.

But yet when it comes down to it, perhaps all that Naughty Dog wanted to do was polish a great title - you can't create greatness if greatness wasn't already there.

And certainly with The Last of Us Part I, it still feels like the game it always was - just a little bit shinier and more impressive than it originally was.

A review code for The Last of Us Part I was provided for the purposes of this review.

The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power: TV Review

There's no denying there is the weight of expectation on The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, Amazon's biggest streaming gamble.

After the near US$1 billion investment in the series and its rights, and the success of its predecessors, the show's got more weight on its shoulders than perhaps the launch of a series should really have.

"Nothing is evil in the beginning" a voiceover tells us as the lights rise once again on the world of Tolkien and the epic story begins again. As scenes of children playing turn darker due to the kids' competitiveness and jealousies, it becomes obvious what The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power is doing - it's about corruption and how that gets under peoples' skin when least expected.

And yet, despite the tendrils of evil extending out, the series flirts with a kind of danger for some of its established characters which proves narratively perilous. 

The lead of the series - at least as far as episode 1 is concerned - is Morfydd Clark's Galadriel, whose desire to seek out every Orc and follow the mysterious mark of Sauron after it's wreaked havoc in the world seems foolhardy. Not just because despite the insistence of her fellow Elves to abandon the quest proves to be fruitless, but also because the Lord of the Rings' trilogy makes it very clear both Galadriel and Sauron are very much in tact in the later films. 

What this means is it robs the series of some of its narrative urgency, and certainly based on the first two episodes, the constant placing of her in peril can take you out of the action because of what you know. You may get to see Valinor, vengeance desired against Morgoth and elements of the Silmarillion, but if you don't know your lore, is it worth it?

That's not to say Clark doesn't seize her moment. Her Galadriel burns with a fire, a desire for the truth to be heard and with a voice against disinformation that seems massively contemporary with current 21st century themes. And Clark makes for a compelling lead early on, even if the story doesn't quite keep pace with her.

But the scale of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power is evident from the start.

Before the titles have even run, there's been a snow troll attack, a sighting of Sauron, and plenty of scenery to make you gasp at the scope of the show. It's epic for sure, but it's also saddled with mountains of exposition and po-faced portentous dialogue that feels unnatural and yet weirdly familiar for the lore.

Things lighten after the credits, with the introduction of the more human elements of the show - the Harfoots, chiefly Markella Kavenagh's Nori and her friends. Nori is the dreamer, the one who believes there's more outside of her world - the Frodo for the series perhaps. 

And then even more characters are introduced, as the show begins to set out its stall and arrange the pieces - but the issue here is there are a few too many of them as the writers seem to be desperate to make you care for the side players, given what you know about the others who will be safe. 

Episode 2 widens the scale even further, introducing more - and it's around halfway through the second episode that The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power starts to feel a little like it's faltering to anyone outside of its fandom.

There may be mixes of horror and comedy throughout, but an uneven tone begins to unfurl which curiously enough leaves you wanting more and yet has you worrying about what could come next. The pieces are set in place, but the thrust and emotional heft for such pieces to feel essential isn't quite there yet. 

The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power has potential, but despite some impressive scenery, there's a feeling that it's in no real rush to get where it's going. 

Whether that will be enough of a drawcard for non-fantasy fans is debatable; however, fans of the original franchise and those looking for endless backstory amid high production values they've come to expect from Middle Earth will find more than enough to keep them from being bored of the Rings.

The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power is streaming on Prime Video from September 2.