Evil Dead Rise: Movie Review

Cast: Lily Sullivan, Alyssa Sutherland, Gabrielle Echols, Morgan Davies, Nell Fisher
Director: Lee Cronin

Grubby and grimy, the latest Evil Dead entrant is more interested in abusing its claustrophobic setting than painting a wider canvas for the Deadite series - and that's no bad thing in parts, but it does lead to a third act where the film's clearly running out of space for ideas and execution.

After a cold credits open that's possibly one of the most impressive of the genre (complete with a blasting soundtrack that promotes dread), Evil Dead Rise shifts to a decaying apartment complex where Alyssa Sutherland's under pressure single mum Ellie is forced to reunite with her estranged sister Beth (Lily Sullivan).

But when a major earthquake strikes the soon-to-be-condemned building, Ellie's oldest son discovers a creepy book beneath the basement along with some creepy sounding records. Despite being urged to leave them there, he plays the records and the book comes disturbingly to life...

There's plenty to admire in Evil Dead Rise, and it's fair to say, there's plenty to leave you cold if you're not a fan of the horror genre.

The whole project is so underlit that at times, it becomes increasingly difficult to see what is happening - but perhaps this is a perverse choice of Cronin, who uses the apartment to create a sense of claustrophobia, and the resultant atmosphere of an earthquake something that gives the blackness and bleakness its MO.

Equally, the side supporting characters outside of the core family members who live in other apartments seemingly solely exist to be taken out during an impressive peephole led slaughter sequence that's cleverly executed.

Central to Evil Dead Rise's success though are Sutherland and Sullivan, who prove to be more than capable of taking the mantle handed to them by the franchise. While Sutherland's role is more demonic and unhinged, Sullivan manages to battle demons of a more human nature as well with a tried and tested plot about being a mother to a family she doesn't really know while grappling with the possibility of becoming one too.

But it's the unsettling sequences of Evil Dead Rise which linger long in the memory after the film's released its grip. Many of them are psychologically upsetting and play to family fears of children, and the young actors make great fist of what's handed to them - which in some parts are as bloody as can be.

While Evil Dead Rise may have an oppressive grimy feel that's uncomfortable, it does feel like it's lacking some of the franchise's trademark horror and a decent third act finale. That's not to dismiss Cronin's handling of the material, more a comment on how the script paints itself into a corner that's narratively tricky to escape.

However, for fans of the Raimi series, the re-setting of the movie to other confines opens up new possibilities - but there are enough eye-winking moments to know it's not moved on too far from what it always was.

Minecraft Legends: XBox Series X Review

Developed by Mojang
Released by XBox Games Studio
Platform: XBox Series X

Minecraft Dungeons was a fantastic spinoff of the Minecraft series.

Guaranteed to appeal to both Minecraft fans and fans of sprawling dungeon games like Gauntlet, its clever mixing of the two meant the game's crossover audience was massive.

So it was perhaps inevitable that Mojang would turn its attention to other popular gaming ideas to see if it could be fitted into their blocky world.

Unfortunately, in adapting Real Time strategy games into Minecraft has proved to be somewhat of a developer trying to force a block into a circle - it doesn't quite work as well as it could or should.

The game itself is simplicity - as a fighter, you are selected by celestial beings Knowledge, Action, and Foresight to repel a porcine invasion force called Piglins which are threatening Villagers and the world.

Given the chance to bring Golems life, you can create an army to repel the marauding forces as they head to take down the Villagers and their homes. Gradual unlocks reveal more forces for you to use to fight the opposition - but the quest appears to be never-ending.

Spawning pals, and utilising the resources around seems to get some of the Minecraft MO over to an audience; but the RTS elements incorporated in a beautifully crisply-rendered world doesn't really allow Minecraft Legends to soar.

Certainly, in its single player mode, the game feels grossly repetitive as you spawn, fight, free and then move onto the next challenge which requires you to spawn, fight and free and so on - it's an endless loop of repetition that doesn't really appeal to the non-Minecraft fan in the way Dungeons did.

But for fans of Mojang's world, it's like catnip - with little easter eggs here and there and resources which are familiar to the original game, this Minecraft expansion seems less interested in expanding its reach, and more interested in expanding its fans' insatiable love of the genre.

The frustration comes in trying to work out how to expand mechanics, how to improve your tools and how to generally up your game as your opposition levels up when you're less able. It's not to the game's credit that this isn't easy (though one suspects true Minecraft heads will know exactly what to do) but it definitely makes what should be a doozy a lot harder to master.

Minecraft Legends has multiplayer, but in its pre-launch phase, it's harder to judge that with the game having less people around other than reviewers - so that'll be something to look to when it launches.

In some ways, Minecraft Legends feels a little underdeveloped, with plenty of potential there for exploration and upgrades. But with a map that feels empty and a premise that feels repetitive, it's to be hoped Mojang has a roadmap for this game, because otherwise, it'll feel like a Minecraft expansion that never quite hit the mark.

Mojang and XBox provided a pre-release code for the purposes of this review.

Smile: Neon NZ Review

Cast: Sosie Bacon, Caitlin Stasey, Jessie T Usher, Judy Reyes, Kal Penn, Kyle Gallner
Director: Parker Finn

Smile may not be a new take on the horror genre, and its so-called examination of trauma is more surface level than anything deeper, but its mix of unsettling imagery and jump scares prove to be powerful enough.

Retooled from his short film Laura Hasn't Slept, Parker Finn's debut centres around Sosie Bacon's Dr Rose Cotter, an overworked doctor whose world is irrevocably changed when she witnesses the suicide of walk-in patient Laura (Tomorrow, When The War Began's Caitlin Stasey).

Laura claims she's being haunted by something smiling at her, and that she only had a certain amount of time left to live - but Rose dismisses this as being nothing more than the rantings of an on-edge patient. But as Rose begins to see similar apparitions to Laura's claims, she begins to realise she too has been cursed - can she convince those around her before it's too late?

Smile doesn't do anything fresh if you're familiar with the likes of It Follows, The Ring or any other curse-based horror film. But what Finn constructs is a deeply troubling and haunting film that has a twisted psychological bent to it.

While the final act's need for explanation and the desire for the curse creature to have a backstory would hint at a franchise, the film's agency isn't quite robbed by its pointless need for exposition. Largely forgetting that a killer that's relentless and can't be stopped is one of the stronger tenets of horror, Finn slightly torpedoes what he does so well early on.

Equally, the so-called exploration of trauma and grief may be triggering for some, but Smile's need to hint at more proves to be a frustratingly hollow experience outside of some truly well-orchestrated scares.

With slow deliberate camera movements, inverted angles, a truly exemplary soundscape and a quiet sense of pace, Smile manages to unnerve in many ways throughout. With its 70s-style horror aesthetics hinting at this feeling like an old film, and Bacon's slowly coming unravelling Rose continually being gaslit, there's much to enjoy and feed on in Smile.

It's thanks to Finn's sense of timing and some extremely common horror themes and imagery that Smile emerges as one of the better psychologically disturbing entrants into the genre - whether those simple flaws are to be exploited through numerous prequels and sequels remains to be seen, but for now, Smile is a film that is an abrupt and efficiently unsettling ride.

FINAL FANTASY XVI | State of Play reveals new gameplay & RPG elements

Today, SQUARE ENIX® unveiled exciting new FINAL FANTASY® XVI gameplay for the latest standalone title in the FINAL FANTASY franchise, through a dedicated PlayStation® State of Play broadcast, revealing further details on role-playing game (“RPG”) elements and impressive Eikon battles players can look forward to when the game releases exclusively for PlayStation®5 on June 22, 2023. Developed as the first full action RPG in the series, FINAL FANTASY XVI is set in an epic dark fantasy world, where the fate of the land is decided by the mighty Eikons and the Dominants who wield them, FINAL FANTASY XVI follows the journey of warrior Clive Rosfield, who has been sworn to protect his younger brother Joshua, the Dominant of the Phoenix.

 

The footage reveals a host of details about the upcoming game, including:

 

• New Hideaway advisors – The Hideaway, which serves as protagonist Clive’s base, will give players the opportunity to discover more about the world of Valisthea, from past to present, by speaking to historian Harpocrates, as well as view the relationship chart of the characters by speaking to military scholar Vivian.
• New training function – Players can battle in training mode by accessing the ‘Arete Stone’ in the Hideaway. This feature will be useful when wanting to practice a combination of abilities, particularly after learning a new skill.
• New hunts – More adventures can be accessed from the Hideaway as players can check the Wanted Posters to discover powerful monsters roaming around the world. Defeating these enemies will yield powerful rewards.
• New battle footage – View newly released footage showcasing a variety of Clive's combat actions, Eikon battles and more.

SQUARE ENIX also announced that popular singer-songwriter Kenshi Yonezu, whose fame spans generations, and whose single ‘Lemon’ set a record in Japanese music history, has been confirmed to perform the theme song ‘Tsuki Wo Miteita – Moongazing.’

 

The theme song teaser video can be viewed here: https://youtu.be/nwmMOnVfveM

 

 

Yonezu said, “Words cannot express the impact FINAL FANTASY has had on my life. I never thought or imagined that I would ever receive an opportunity like this. I wrote this song especially for this game. Thank you.”

 

Naoki Yoshida, Producer of FINAL FANTASY XVI said, “When I found out that we’d be able to work with Mr. Yonezu, I was not only surprised, but overjoyed. I’m a big fan of Yonezu’s work, and I know that he has a passion for creating music that resonates across the generations, so I was sure that he’d be able to capture the world, the story, and the themes of FINAL FANTASY XVI. He’s not only an amazing artist, but also an avid gamer and a FINAL FANTASY fan, so please look forward to hearing his theme song!”

 
For more information on FINAL FANTASY XVI including where to pre-order, please visit the official FINAL FANTASY XVI website: http://www.finalfantasyxvi.com

Empire of Light: Disney+ Review

Cast: Olivia Colman, Micheal Ward, Toby Jones, Colin Firth
Director: Sam Mendes

A slow film that is beautifully shot by Roger Deakins, Empire of Light's mix of elements don't quite come together perhaps as potently as they should - despite a powerhouse performance of emotion from Olivia Colman.

Colman stars as Hilary, the duty manager of a seaside cinema in 1980s England - living a listless life and struggling to deal with medication drugs. When newcomer to the cinema Stephen (Ward, mainly a cypher but with enough charisma to carry that off) arrives, Hilary strikes up a bond with him, eventually leading to a relationship.

However, as time goes on, Hilary's grip on life begins to falter.

Empire Of Light has moments of beauty and poignancy but at times, they're lost in the muddying mix of disparate social commentary elements that don't gel as they should. Is it a film about mental illness, is it a film about loving the cinema or is it a social picture of racism in south England in the 1980s? It seems Mendes who scripted this can't quite decide, and it shows on screen.

With a slow cinema feel and a disjointed start, the movie ends up settling on more of a character piece between the two leads and ultimately feels like another element of The Fabelmans story but transposed to another time and place.

However, throughout it all, Colman is incredible, her Hilary going from deep joy to soul-crushing lows without a hint of Colman seeming like she's having to flex any major acting muscles. With ease she makes Hilary a sad, pitiable character in one scene, and then in the other an utterly joyous vessel of delight, looking to capitalise on the chance to live in the briefest of moments.

It helps that Ward manages to work through some of the clumsy story metaphors thrust upon him (healing a wounded bird being the worst) and rise above some of the stereotypical writing of the times - he makes an excellent foil to Colman, and as a pairing there's none better in this tale.

Ultimately, Empire of Light is a mixed film, one that waxes and wanes in its own beauty and its own rhythms. Deakins' cinematography is exquisite - from the opening shots of the dark cinema coming to warm life with the yellow lighting glow through to the framing of the characters, every single scene is lovingly transposed and bountifully created.

If anything, Mendes' film feels like a fumble - but with the utter brilliance of both Colman on screen and Deakins behind it, it remains a watchable drama with hints of both what could - and what should - have been.

Empire of Light begins streaming on Disney+ on April 19.

Star Wars Jedi: Survivor Launch Trailer shows off final gameplay

The final Star Wars Jedi: Survivor trailer has been launched and has showed off what fans can expect in this sequel to Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order.

Star Wars Jedi: Survivor is the sequel to 2019’s blockbuster hit Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order and follows the continuing epic adventures of Jedi Knight Cal Kestis as he enlists the help of old friends and new companions in his fight against the growing threat of the Empire across the galaxy.

Also included in the trailer is a range of enemies that protagonist Cal Kestis will have to face off and try defeating. 

These include shielded Separatists Droidekas, as well as the terrifying Rancor that first made an impression so many years ago in Star Wars: Episode VI.

Star Wars Jedi: Survivor is slated to launch on April 28, 2023.