Misfits S2 - DVD Review

Misfits S2 - DVD Review

Misfits Season 2

Rating: R18
Released by Roadshow and BBC

A second season of the brilliant series about five outcasts given superpowers when a storm strikes them as they work to fulfill community service obligations.

This time around, a masked superhero is stalking the gang and it appears many others have gained powers in the storm - and are making life difficult for them.

As ever, a mix of crudity, humour, great oneliners and some smart stories give Misfits the chance to rise out of the mire that sometimes can be superhero shows.

In this seven episode series, there's a bit more heart on display as well as some gross out moments; the writers have gone further to give the gang a bit more depth and the Superhoodie storyline surprises on many levels.

Throw into that mix, a bold final episode which gives the gang the chance to change their powers and you've pretty much got a blank canvas for the upcoming series - Misfits continues to excite and amuse in equal levels and it's well worth investing seven hours of your life in.

Rating: 7/10

Battle Los Angeles: Blu Ray review

Battle Los Angeles: Blu Ray review

Battle Los Angeles
Rating: M
Released by Sony Home Entertainment

Do you like alien invasion films?

Do you like plenty of shooting?

Do you like a minimal plot which sees a leader looking for redemption after the loss of troops in former combat?

Do you like stuff blowing up?

If you've answered yes, then move along, this review won't matter to you. Because right after you've read the title, you'll be firing up the DVD.

It's about a platoon of marines recently returned from combat, who've suffered the loss of their own thanks to the decisions of Aaron Eckhart's staff sergeant.

24 hours later this crew of gung-ho grunts (including one who's about to marry, one who's got post-traumatic stress, one who's a marine on the brink of retirement - just the regular collection of cliches) is heading into battle when a series of meteors land at strategic points around the world.

Pretty soon, it's clear this is an invasion force - and the marines are one of the last lines of defence in the war against this unnamed extra terrestrial army.
It's got the tenets of a B movie, a war film and an FX spectacular thrown in - as well as the predictable Iraq allegory (the aliens are after our resources; they use water for fuel ... subtle it may not be).

But visually, its style is impressive - it looks like a war film with its handheld cameras, verite style following the marines as they try to save civilians from behind enemy lines (which resemble war-torn streets of Iraq). It really gets you into the heart, paranoia and uncomfortable nature of battle.

If you're after an adrenalin-filled spectacle for two hours, full of bullets, bangs and boys (and slightly dodgy alien FX), then it's for you - ultimately, it's not adding anything new to the genre but is distracting enough.

Extras: Behind the battle, Aliens in LA, Creating LA - reasonable pieces

Rating: 6/10

The Change Up: Movie Review

The Change Up: Movie Review

The Change Up
Rating: 5/10
Cast: Jason Bateman, Ryan Reynolds, Olivia Wilde, Leslie Mann
Director: David Dobkin
Mitch (Reynolds) and Dave (Bateman) have been buddies since they were in third grade in school together.
Whereas Mitch became a failed actor and womaniser, Dave worked hard all his life, married, had kids and is working for a law firm.
However, Dave's not happy with his life, believing Mitch has the perfect carefree existence; ironically, Mitch believes Dave has the perfect life, with adorable kids and a loving wife (Leslie Mann). So when the pair go out drinking one night and end up peeing in a fountain, they wish they could swap places.
And in a flash, that's exactly what happens - but, surprise, surprise, both of the guys learn the lives they're so jealous of, aren't exactly as rosy as they imagined.
The Change Up is a body swap comedy from those behind Wedding Crashers and The Hangover. So, pretty much, right there, you should know what to expect - moments of guilty, gross out humour and nothing too sophisticated. The tone is set in the beginning sequence when Bateman's Dave is woken at 3am by babies needing a nappy change - and it goes horribly wrong...Throw in formulaic comedy and you've pretty much got this film down to a tee - except for a few redeeming factors.
Jason Bateman finally plays against his usual laid back roles and has a whale of a time as Mitch; it's great to see him really doing some laugh out loud acting and there are moments of genuine mirth as he becomes a bit more loose and screwball. The scenes where he has to try and feed his pair of twins and carries them like sacks will resonate with many and amuses greatly.
Likewise Ryan Reynolds impresses in his performance as Mitch/Dave; both the leads bring smart assured performances to what is a very traditional, and formulaic body swap film. Olivia Wilde continues to carve her way towards a prosperous screen career with her role as Dave's sexy colleague and Leslie Mann does well as a quietly desperate housewife.
Sure, the inevitable moment comes when the duo have to grow up/ face their deep epiphanies, but thanks to a fairly mediocre script which uses their plights as a construct to hear some home truths, you can see what's coming a mile off.

At the end of the day, if you're prepared to leave your brain at the door and fancy an uneven comedy which relies on gross rather than smarts for guilty laughs, then the Change Up is the perfect solution for a night out.

Dr Who: Earth Story: DVD Review

Dr Who: Earth Story: DVD Review

Dr Who - Earth Story

Rating: PG
Released by BBC and Roadshow

An odd two disc collection, this brings together a tale from the 60s and the 80s.

A William Hartnell black and whiter, The Gunfighters sees the Doc, Steven and Dodo in the Wild West in the days upto the OK Corral and is notorious for featuring a song in the serial which scored notoriety among the fans. It's an average kind of piece and clearly William Hartnell's relishing the time in a western.

The other tale is the two part Peter Davision tale The Awakening which sees the Doctor stuck in 1984 fighting a war game. And the game's turning vicious thanks to an evil entity feeding off the hatred. A relatively short jaunt, it still holds up ok to 21st Century eyes.

Extras: The centerpiece is a new doco on the pressures facing Hartnell's third year in the role (a year which would eventually see him leave). It's a fascinating glimpse into the production worries facing
the series and is a welcome addition to the meaty range of extras. Others include commentaries, production notes and a couple of other behind the scenes pieces.

Rating: 6/10

Dr Who: Series 6 Part One: Blu Ray review

Dr Who: Series 6 Part One: Blu Ray review

Dr Who Series 6 Part One - Blu Ray

Rating: PG
Released by Roadshow and BBC

Matt Smith returns as the 11th Doctor in this latest (truncated) series of seven episodes.

Continuing the formula which has proven so popular, show producer Steven Moffat's crafted a clever way to hook viewers in this year with this split season - starting with the Doctor's apparent death, the story arc over these seven episodes is strong and culminates in the apparent solving of who Alex Kingston's River Song is.

While the opening two parter isn't one for non fans as it weaves show mythology with pacy American adventure, it's certainly a gripping start - all of the main quartet acquit themselves well. New villains The Silence are incredibly spooky and scary and while later villains aren't as terrifying, the story telling is solid but the seventh episode creaks under the weight of expectation

Still it's not a bad run of adventures - you just can't help feeling the best's being kept for the final batch of six.

Extras: Disappointingly only two minor featurettes - again, best being saved for the full season set.

Rating: 7/10

Final Destination 5: Movie Review

Final Destination 5: Movie Review

Final Destination 5
Rating: 5/10
Cast: Nicholas D'Agosto, Emma Bell, Miles Fisher, Ellen Wroe, Jacqueline MacInnes Wood, Tony Todd

Director: Steven Quale
Fifth time's the charm for the franchise?
When a group of workers head out on a coach on a business retreat, Sam (D'Agosto) has a premonition the vehicle he's on is going to be pulled off a suspension bridge which will collapse. The vision's so powerful, Sam persuades seven of his coworkers to get off and run for their lives.
While the bridge does indeed collapse, the eight of them reckon they've had a lucky escape...however, when one by one, they're picked off and die in mysterious ways, it's clear Death's marked their card and is determined to collect.
Final Destination 5 has some good points and some bad points - while the bridge collapse scene is spectacularly well done, the rest of the deaths seem a little forced and it feels like the writers are starting to feel the strain of inventing new ways to off a largely unknown cast.
That said, some of the scenes, including one where one poor girl gets a fatal laser eye treatment, are likely to have you squirming in your seat and the addition of 3D means a variety of objects spike out at you on the screen. But the gore is mainly more amusing than frightening and Quale does a good job of stretching out the tension so that by the time the final death scene comes round, you've been waiting for it for a while.
A clever addition to the series, as explained by Death's emissary Tony Todd, is that if you're marked for death and you kill someone else, you're given back your life is unexplored for the potential dramatic tension that it has and is wasted as a great new twist which would have had some scripting legs. Equally, the ending is impressive and to discuss that any further would venture into spoilers territory - but it shows there is some thought gone into the latest film.
Sadly though, with a relatively bland cast of at times wooden actors and some frankly average dialogue, any real tension between the group feels forced and unrealistic, leading you to struggle to care if they are offed or not by the Grim Reaper.

Ultimately, if you're after a few comic moments, a bit of suspense and blood splashing onto you courtesy of 3D, then Final Destination 5 will tick your boxes. Everyone else will just hope the franchise is now finally laid to rest.

Senna: Movie Review

Senna: Movie Review

Senna

Rating: 8/10

Cast: Ayrton Senna, Alain Prost

Director: Asif Kapadia
You wouldn't expect a film about Ayrton Senna to be so moving unless you were a Formula One fan.

You would be wrong.

This doco, simply made using archive footage of races, interviews and home movie footage is one of the most rewarding films of the year.

It tells the story of his life -mainly on the track to be honest - and his rivalry with fellow driver Alain Prost, the Frenchman with whom discord became all out war.

But what emerges from Kapadia is an intimate portrait of a focussed and driven man who's knocked around by the system because all he wants is success and isn't willing to play the game.

Scenes of racing, some of which come from cockpit cameras are scintillating; there's footage of drivers' meetings which have been hitherto unseen and hint at some of the conflict felt by Senna as he butted heads with the powers that be; and of course, there's a wealth of footage from races thanks to videoing done at the time. By not using the traditional talking heads in a studio format, Kapadai's interlaced dialogue over footage of Senna - and it's a nice touch which immerses you more in Senna's life rather than taking you out and transporting you back to the studio every five minutes.

Throw into that some family footage, scenes of holidays and truly, Senna is a wonderfully multidimensional picture of the man who was a star on the tracks and a role model to so many Brazilians who were living through some truly horrific times back home.

The whole film is a truly emotional journey as it becomes a fascinating battle of wills, tactics and rivalry as the feud between Senna and Prost heats up.

Add in the final section of the film which deals with Senna's death in Imola in 94 and it's just heartbreaking, leaving you a wreck after the preceding joyous celebration of the legend.

Ultimately this doco is one of the best of the year; at the end, I left having been through the gamut of emotions and brimming with interest at a subject I didn't remotely care about when I initially sat down to watch this.

Senna is well worth your time and you can expect to see it next year on pole position come award season.