Knock At the Cabin: Blu Ray Review

Cast: Dave Bautista, Rupert Grint, Jonathan Groff, Ben Aldridge, Kristen Cui, Nikki Amuka-Bird, Abby Quinn

Director: M. Night Shyamalan

It may be to Knock At The Cabin's detriment that you spend a lot of the time awaiting a twist (as is usual of Shyamalan's oeuvre), but what's actually delivered over a 100 minute thriller is something that may surprise.

Adapted from Paul Tremblay's book, Knock At The Cabin is a simple story, one of a seemingly simple choice that has diabolical consequences. But while it purports to tackle themes of faith and trust, as well as belief, its expected horror edges will be where audiences are drawn.

Essentially a chamber piece set within a cabin in the woods, Bautista's softly-spoken Hulk-like Leonard sets proceedings in motion when he approaches little girl Wen (Cui) who's holidaying with her dads Eric and Andrew (Groff and Aldridge respectively).

Warning Wen that he's heartbroken at what he must do, Wen runs off back home - but soon Leonard and three others (Grint, Amuka-Bird and Quinn) are at the door, telling the trio they have an apocalyptic - and almost unthinkable - choice to make.

To say more is to rob Knock At The Cabin of its suspense, and its taut filmmaking.

Shyamalan has a wild streak of hits and misses in his catalogue, but it's usually due to audience expectations. Here, he puts all of that aside and concentrates more on delivering a film that is self-contained and tension-filled despite the somewhat ludicrous edges of the source material.

You could argue there's not enough time devoted to the trio having to discuss their choices, and too much weight is put on them being a same-sex couple (thanks largely to one long discourse and flashbacks), but the tightly-constructed edges of Knock At The Cabin prove to be seat-clenchingly intriguing and at times, quite upsetting.

This is a film more about relationships and interactions rather than out-and-out horror and while the edges may be more psychological and occasionally hit and miss on that front, Knock At The Cabin is a propulsive thriller that stays the course rather than becoming tied up in its mystery.

Knock At The Cabin may feel like stripped-back Shyamalan and may benefit from coming from other source material rather than original fare, but Bautista's interesting approach to his character helps to keep you feeling uneasy and unsure about where it's all going.

It may be polarising to some, but for a ride that's compelling, this is one cabin in the woods you may well enjoy checking into more than you'd have expected to do so. And given his own back catalogue, that's perhaps the M Night Shyamalan twist none of us were expecting in 2023.

The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom: Nintendo Switch review

Developed by Nintendo
Published by Nintendo
Platform: Nintendo Switch

The Zelda gaming world if a phenomenon, beloved by those who've fallen under its spell.

Breath of the Wild became one of Nintendo's biggest and brightest hopes when it released back in 2017, showing what the console was capable of - and retaining accolades as one of the best open world games ever.

So its sequel, The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom had a lot to live up to - both in terms of narrative and gameplay. But it delivers and proves accessible enough to those who've not even put any time into Breath of the Wild.

In this latest, you get to once again explore Hyrule but this time you can also head to two new areas, the Sky Islands and the Depths, to find weapons, resources, and complete quests as the adventure unfurls.

With new powers and a revamped Hyrule to discover, there's plenty in The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom that creates a gaming experience that's both rich and rewarding as you head deeper into the Zelda world.

From its opening magical moments and its sense of mystery, it all goes wrong for Link and Zelda when exploration brings them into danger. But while the opening hints at disaster, the unfolding world makes a brilliant sandbox exploration and story for gamers of all ages.

It may be that the game works better if you've indulged in Breath of the Wild's world, but much of The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is about discovering the characters and the story yourself. There occasionally is an over-reliance on exposition, but most of what plays out is easy enough to pick up and get into, or leave to play in bitesize pieces as the handheld console dictates.

With plenty to explore around Hyrule, and many a chance of diversion, there's so much in The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom that it can at times feel overwhelming. But creativity is the key here and Nintendo's more than poured its heart and hope into this title to ensure that players don't feel like they have to do everything - more that they want to do it.

It's an important distinction for The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom and a key one to understanding why this open-world title more than delivers multiple hours of fascinating fantasy gaming.

It may be one of the Nintendo Switch's most iconic titles, but it shows that whatever the hardware, if the game is done properly and well enough, it'll satiate all those serious about gaming.

Lego 2K Drive: PS5 Review

Developed by Visual Concepts
Published by 2K Games
Platform: PS5

The Lego franchise gets a new next generation contender in the shape of Visual Concepts' 2K outing, Lego 2K Drive.

And while the game may be beset by the horror of microtransactions and have a few bugs (such as floating podium visuals), the core game and its multiplayer racing is a heck of a lot of family-related fun that Super Mario Bros may feel has stolen its thunder. 

Set in the world of Bricklandia, this third person open world racing game has a lot going for it - even if it does lack the humour that's been part of the various Lego franchises that Traveller Tales did such a good job of advancing.

The kart racing game is at its heart a simple one when it's executed properly. Lego 2K Drive does manage to do so well and makes it playable enough fun for all those mini races that exist. 

While single player races form part of the narrative as you try to win enough chequered flags to take on the Sky Cup final, the game really does come alive when it's played locally or with others. It's here the karting mechanics, smooth graphics and simple execution of the premise plays well - of course, it's been done before with Super Mario Bros but Lego 2K Drive's racing has some of the familiarity of the Crash Bandicoot racing games.

It's also heavily infused with the DNA of arcade racer Forza Horizon hurtling through its veins, as you chug through signs, smash down fences to refill your speed metre and generally hoon round an open world map unlocking further races and challenges.

Yet despite its familiarity, it's all such heady fun that proves worthy of spending either 20 minutes of gaming time or 20 hours of intense racing. The game's mechanics are familiar too - unlock various elements while building your XP; Visual Concepts hasn't radically redeveloped the genre, but it also knows that doing it badly would make a world of difference.

There's a feeling of repetition during the main storyline and side missions, but while Lego 2K Drive's main story only lasts a few hours, its main joy will come from people building their own cars in the game's garage or sharing creations with friends. While purchases can be made with earned in-game currency or victories, a large proportion of bricks are needed, meaning the dreaded microtransactions come into play (something that's a disappointment for a family-themed game).

All in all, despite that stumbling (Lego) block mentioned above, it's hard not to recommend Lego 2K Drive as a title that's definitely worth owning. Its mix of kart racing, inspired colourful edges and solid racing mechanics make it a family-fuelled blast that's worthy of all ages.

Redfall: XBox Series X Review

Developed by Arkane Austin
Published by Bethesda
Platform: XBox Series X

In theory, Redfall should work.

Its mix of Borderlands-style looting and shooting mixed with the ever-cool idea fo vampires sounds like a no-brainer, an eclectic mix of gaming genres that should mash together and produce something thrilling.

But what Redfall is is utterly anaemic and at times, uninspiringly dull.

Arkane Studios has been behind some of the best titles in gaming. Their last game Deathloop mixed excellent FPS playing with trippy time-travel visuals and a sardonic wit that was inescapable.

How it's gone so badly wrong with Redfall is nothing short of a head-scratching mystery that will leave you bald.

The open-world first-person looter shooter leans into an unusual story before falling back on the usual tropes of an open-world shooter. In the town of Redfall, a series of botched experiments has led to a rise in vampirism, and the sun being blocked out so the bloodsuckers can roam.

As you begin the game, having selected a character, you're on a boat trying to flee what Redfall is threatening you with, but a wave overcomes the boat and leaves you stranded in the ferry looking for a way out.

It's quite an atmospheric idea for an opening - made all the more dull by the fact the game's story is set out in a series of storyboards rather than any kind of animated cut scenes. It leads to a feeling of "we'll put that in later" rather than building a vibe that's worth any kind of deep dive or emotional attachment.

However, once you find your way out of the ferry, it's into Redfall's meat and potatoes - its shooting and looting as a series of Cultists who are in the thrall of the town's vampires try to take you down.

Shooting is fairly solid in its mechanics - but has no logic whatsoever. Handguns can be used to take down those shooting at you - but for reasons that are inexplicable and too insane to contemplate, Redfall requires the guns of those trying to kill you to disappear into the ether, leaving you only their bullets and questions as to why you can't get their guns and level up.

The game's first mission sees you try to secure a fire station that's overrun by Cultists, has a vampire trapped in the basement and a series of allies locked behind a door waiting for you to free them. Once you've overcome those challenges, the game opens up a base, various areas of Redfall unlock as you explore and the mission ethos of the game settles into place.

Unfortunately, it feels somewhat hollow.

Redfall itself is wonderfully realised, but the Far Cry mentality of go here, do that, shoot those people, come back to base and repeat doesn't seem to have translated as well as it could have done for Redfall - and it's disappointing to report this. It's even worse to report that most of Redfall as a town itself is dead.

The world-building is confined to a series of notes from people that have left behind when they fled, or points on the map where some kind of landmark resides. It's easy to see why a world would be deserted if there are killers on the loose, but given the size of Redfall's map, and the limited interactions with your monotone characters at your base, it just feels empty rather than narratively so.

Even more frustrating is the game's intention of multiplayer.

More a squad up mentality that relies on friends being invited to online lobbies than random partnership online, the game is marketed as a co-op shooter but then shoots itself in the foot as you try to use that part of it. It's disappointing because the single player experience is enough in parts, but as you require more hands to help dispatch hordes of vampires, you need partners to help save the day - however, unless they're your mates, even that side of the game is left flailing.

All in all, what's most frustrating about Redfall is its potential. Arkane Studios has been extremely adept at bringing games to life and making various genres engaging and enticing. 

How Redfall fell so short of many of those standards is a real surprise - and ultimately, a real disappointment.

Redfall is out now on on XBox Series X and can be bought separately, or downloaded as part of the XBox Game Pass.

Bank of Dave: Movie Review

Cast: Rory Kinnear, Joel Fry, Phoebe Dynevor, Hugh Bonneville
Director: Chris Foggin

About as genial as they come, and with a us v them mentality, Chris Foggin's underdog story Bank of Dave tells the mostly true story of Dave Fishwick (Kinnear) and his fight to create a bank for his local community in the north of England.

A salt of the earth type, Fishwick is the rock of his local community, someone who has lent money to those within his town in the wake of the 2008 GFC and continuing mistrust in the banking sector. But when he decides he wants to start his own bank to shake up the system, a London lawyer Hugh (Fry) is sent up north to help with the cause.

Part culture clash comedy, part feelgood crowdpleaser and part rant against the inequality of the banking sector, Bank of Dave is the kind of broad film that the Brits do often and do reasonably well with. From laughs over not understanding what the Londoners say to a gentle romance, it's fairly predictable what Bank of Dave is going to do and how it's going to achieve it.

In truth, Kinnear's Fishwick is sidelined for a lot of the film, with most of the "action" centring around Fry's lawyer as he deals with his own cynicism and discovers a life outside of London. Kinnear and Fry make for a charming pair when on screen together, and Fry and Dynevor feel like a solid, but undeveloped romantic prospect for viewers to hang their hat on.

Occasionally didactic in its approach (several rants over the banks' behaviour through the years feel shoehorned in) and always formulaic in its filmmaking, Bank of Dave knows exactly what it wants to do with its David and Goliath film and does it with the kind of wide-ranging appeal that doesn't trouble audiences but doesn't last long in the memory after it's finished.

Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse: Movie Review

Cast: Shameik Moore, Hailee Steinfeld, Oscar Isaac, Issa Rae, Daniel Kaluuya, Jake Johnson, Jason Schwartzman
Director: Joaquim Dos Santos, Kemp Powers and Justin K. Thompson

Five years have now passed since the animation world was torn asunder by the release of Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, a fantastic pop art film that sizzled with style and added substance to the story of Miles Morales on screen.

In that time, animated movies have undergone a sea change, with many releasing films that contain mixes of 2D and 3D art, to varying diminishing creative returns. So it's no surprise that Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse continues the trend of shaking up animation, but at nearly 2hours and 20 minutes, it comes at the cost of a thin story and a frustrating cliffhanger.

In this latest Miles Morales finds his world opens up when Gwen Stacy (Steinfeld, easily the heart of the film) shows up offering him a peek at a multiverse and other opportunities. But despite Morales' desire to be part of another world as he tries to find his place in his own both as Spider-Man and as dutiful son, he soon discovers he can't outrun destiny.

It's fair to say Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse is a visual treat, albeit one that sometimes feels overstuffed and thwarted by its own intentions and executions. Most sequences look like they'd sit happily within a gallery and feel in parts like they're reinventing the genre once again.

But that sits with the cost of a paper-thin plot being covered by layers upon layers of sight gags, cameos, representation and bombast that threatens to become overwhelming and which causes the film to sag during its 140 minute run time.

When Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse works best, it's usually due to the scenes between Morales and his family, or between Stacy and her father, or between both Stacy and Morales. The quieter moments are where the Spider-Verse soars and where the emotional grip really bites. Equally these are the moments the art is vibrant too, rather than scenes bursting with moments that force your eyes to dart around looking for every available frame's details.

Ultimately, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse is a story that's been told a million times before within the genre, one that revels in its cliched tropes a little too heavily at times, and one which doesn't live up to the standards set by its predecessor.

That's not to say its hold isn't compelling throughout, merely to observe that Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse's web isn't quite as tangled as you'd hope - or as much fun trying to unpick the strands. Since it's the first part, it deserves to be judged as a whole, and perhaps the jury's out on that one - for now though, thanks to the more human moments, it soars - just maybe the creators need to draw a little deeper on that than throwing absolutely everything on the canvas.