The Inbetweeners Season 3: DVD Review
The Inbetweeners Season 3
Rating: M
Released by Hopscotch Ent and Roadshow
All good things have to come to an end.
So it is with the series The Inbetweeners. Well, as you'd expect when a
show's based on high school kids.
In the final batch of six episodes, Will, Jay, Neil and Simon all return for
more humiliation and innuendo as they enter their last year at school. This
time, fashion shows, visits to uni and a camping trip form the basis of their
outings - and once again, the writing feels fresh, funny and as rude as ever
before.
The chemistry between the main quartet is startlingly good and the writing's
as sharp as ever in this final run. Thankfully those involved saw the sense in
finishing this now while the going's good.
Extras: A good solid bunch and a nice wrap up to these three releases.
Rating: 7/10
Friday, 18 November 2011
Thursday, 17 November 2011
Project Nim: Movie Review
Project Nim: Movie Review
Project Nim
Rating: 7/10
Cast: Nim The Chimp, Bob Angelini, Bern Cohen and Renne Falitz
Director: James Marsh
In 1970s Manhattan, a newborn chimp was taken from its mother and deposited in a family home as part of an experiment to see if said chimp can pick up sign language and construct sentences.
Nim was the chimp - and the effects of what happened forms the basis of this engrossing and horrifying documentary from the team who made Man On Wire.
Don't worry, it's not a precursor to Planet of the Apes, more of a look at how far we can go sometimes as humans and it's terrifying in many ways.The doco uses home movie footage and pictures and modern day interviews to construct a well told tale and a journey which will occasionally leave you agog as to what was achieved,what was abandoned and what the cost was to our humanity and those whose lives Nim was part of.
This doco is utterly mesmerizing, heartbreaking and also wondrous in its narrative style - disappointingly,some questions are left unanswered but what emerges is a tale of betrayal, mistrust, anger and a chimp who changed lives. A remarkably good doco Project Nim is a stylish and engaging piece looking at the human condition.
Project Nim
Rating: 7/10
Cast: Nim The Chimp, Bob Angelini, Bern Cohen and Renne Falitz
Director: James Marsh
In 1970s Manhattan, a newborn chimp was taken from its mother and deposited in a family home as part of an experiment to see if said chimp can pick up sign language and construct sentences.
Nim was the chimp - and the effects of what happened forms the basis of this engrossing and horrifying documentary from the team who made Man On Wire.
Don't worry, it's not a precursor to Planet of the Apes, more of a look at how far we can go sometimes as humans and it's terrifying in many ways.The doco uses home movie footage and pictures and modern day interviews to construct a well told tale and a journey which will occasionally leave you agog as to what was achieved,what was abandoned and what the cost was to our humanity and those whose lives Nim was part of.
This doco is utterly mesmerizing, heartbreaking and also wondrous in its narrative style - disappointingly,some questions are left unanswered but what emerges is a tale of betrayal, mistrust, anger and a chimp who changed lives. A remarkably good doco Project Nim is a stylish and engaging piece looking at the human condition.
The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part One: Movie Review
The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part One: Movie Review
The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part One
Rating: See below
Cast: Robert Pattinson, Kristen Stewart, Taylor Lautner,
Director: Bill Condon
So it's finally here.
The final film of the Twilight Saga franchise - well, the first part of it anyway - heads onto Kiwi cinema screens amid mass expectation from the fans, and to be frank, a little indifference from anyone who's not a Twihard.
This time around after years of anticipation, it's all about the wedding of human Bella (Stewart) and sparkly vamp boy Edward Cullen (RPatz). Well, that and the monstrous after effects...
Despite protestations from occasionally shirtless wolf shapeshifting boy and former partial love, Jacob (sulky Lautner), Bella marries Edward and the pair head away for Rio de Janeiro to celebrate their honeymoon and consummate their long drawn out courtship.
But when Bella becomes pregnant, the ramifications for the fractured relationships between wolves and vamps bubble up to the surface again and with the uncertainty of what the unborn child will do to an already strained truce between the two races, these two have more than post wedding blues to deal with.
It's really quite difficult to review this latest installment of the Twilight Saga as a critic because quite frankly, like the final Harry Potter film earlier this year, it's simply reviewer proof and will do the box office business whatever the naysayers say.
Over nearly two hours, to be honest, very little actually happens; there's a wedding and a lot of skulking/ brooding and worrying/foreshadowing about the future, complete with scenes on their honeymoon which are lashed with copious emo style music and with swirling camera motions and long draping shots of the duo. The dialogue is once again, as you've come to expect in the Twi-saga wooden, stilted and sounds terrible when voiced. Comments like "I won't kill you; that's too easy - you deserve to live with this" and "You only killed monsters - you saved more lives than you took" simply come across as laughable and do nothing to give any real depth to the film itself. Along with the moment when the baby's name is revealed as Renesmee, to hear characters spouting "It's beautiful, it's unique" and trying their best to be earnest is just laughable.
But I'm guessing any Twihard fan will consider these moments romantic and dramatic; and will swoon over Edward telling his new wife "Last night was the best night of my existence", because you're meant to remember what it's like to be romantic and in love. Granted, Kristen Stewart gives a good performance as her awkward doubts and fears over devoting her life to one man for eternity give way to the horrors of the unborn child destroying her from within. And the effects which accompany her descent into ill health are well presented and shocking. As for Taylor Lautner's sulking Jacob and RPatz's brooding Edward, they're both not offering anything at all and are quite stilted in places. The wedding scene at the start is actually well done and beautiful but a swirling soundtrack and Condon's propensity to lash every scene with music makes you feel a little like you're being beaten into submission.
While the scenes of fighting vamps and wolves were quite strong and well done in previous films, this time around, they're gloomy and hard to watch as they all take place in the dark. Plus one scene where a pack of wolves carry out a mental confrontation which is pivotal to Jacob is quite frankly likely to give you the giggles. Equally the love scene which is supposed to be intense and violent as is befitting their nature is now just a series of moments, soft focus cutaways and primarily the punchline to a joke.
I think where some of this film's failing comes from is its accessibility (or lack thereof).
Whereas the final Harry Potter film was entirely watchable if you'd not seen what had gone already, Breaking Dawn - Part One feels in places, quite impenetrable. The whole thing is clearly aimed at those who've been with the franchise all the way; and those who don't know their vamps from their wolves, their Cullens from their Quileute may feel a little lost.
Ultimately, The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part One is going to be loved by the fans of the franchise for what it actually delivers; this is, after all, what they've been waiting for as it all finally ends. They'll love what transpires on the screens from their heroes and heroine as they're invested in it; and it's likely the end of the first part will have them frothing in a frenzy about what the second half will bring next year. Anyone else who watches this film may feel that this series has been going on for too long, is running a little short on creative ideas and that it's time it was staked and turned to dust.
Rating: Twihards: 8/10; Non-Twihards 4/10
The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part One
Rating: See below
Cast: Robert Pattinson, Kristen Stewart, Taylor Lautner,
Director: Bill Condon
So it's finally here.
The final film of the Twilight Saga franchise - well, the first part of it anyway - heads onto Kiwi cinema screens amid mass expectation from the fans, and to be frank, a little indifference from anyone who's not a Twihard.
This time around after years of anticipation, it's all about the wedding of human Bella (Stewart) and sparkly vamp boy Edward Cullen (RPatz). Well, that and the monstrous after effects...
Despite protestations from occasionally shirtless wolf shapeshifting boy and former partial love, Jacob (sulky Lautner), Bella marries Edward and the pair head away for Rio de Janeiro to celebrate their honeymoon and consummate their long drawn out courtship.
But when Bella becomes pregnant, the ramifications for the fractured relationships between wolves and vamps bubble up to the surface again and with the uncertainty of what the unborn child will do to an already strained truce between the two races, these two have more than post wedding blues to deal with.
It's really quite difficult to review this latest installment of the Twilight Saga as a critic because quite frankly, like the final Harry Potter film earlier this year, it's simply reviewer proof and will do the box office business whatever the naysayers say.
Over nearly two hours, to be honest, very little actually happens; there's a wedding and a lot of skulking/ brooding and worrying/foreshadowing about the future, complete with scenes on their honeymoon which are lashed with copious emo style music and with swirling camera motions and long draping shots of the duo. The dialogue is once again, as you've come to expect in the Twi-saga wooden, stilted and sounds terrible when voiced. Comments like "I won't kill you; that's too easy - you deserve to live with this" and "You only killed monsters - you saved more lives than you took" simply come across as laughable and do nothing to give any real depth to the film itself. Along with the moment when the baby's name is revealed as Renesmee, to hear characters spouting "It's beautiful, it's unique" and trying their best to be earnest is just laughable.
But I'm guessing any Twihard fan will consider these moments romantic and dramatic; and will swoon over Edward telling his new wife "Last night was the best night of my existence", because you're meant to remember what it's like to be romantic and in love. Granted, Kristen Stewart gives a good performance as her awkward doubts and fears over devoting her life to one man for eternity give way to the horrors of the unborn child destroying her from within. And the effects which accompany her descent into ill health are well presented and shocking. As for Taylor Lautner's sulking Jacob and RPatz's brooding Edward, they're both not offering anything at all and are quite stilted in places. The wedding scene at the start is actually well done and beautiful but a swirling soundtrack and Condon's propensity to lash every scene with music makes you feel a little like you're being beaten into submission.
While the scenes of fighting vamps and wolves were quite strong and well done in previous films, this time around, they're gloomy and hard to watch as they all take place in the dark. Plus one scene where a pack of wolves carry out a mental confrontation which is pivotal to Jacob is quite frankly likely to give you the giggles. Equally the love scene which is supposed to be intense and violent as is befitting their nature is now just a series of moments, soft focus cutaways and primarily the punchline to a joke.
I think where some of this film's failing comes from is its accessibility (or lack thereof).
Whereas the final Harry Potter film was entirely watchable if you'd not seen what had gone already, Breaking Dawn - Part One feels in places, quite impenetrable. The whole thing is clearly aimed at those who've been with the franchise all the way; and those who don't know their vamps from their wolves, their Cullens from their Quileute may feel a little lost.
Ultimately, The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part One is going to be loved by the fans of the franchise for what it actually delivers; this is, after all, what they've been waiting for as it all finally ends. They'll love what transpires on the screens from their heroes and heroine as they're invested in it; and it's likely the end of the first part will have them frothing in a frenzy about what the second half will bring next year. Anyone else who watches this film may feel that this series has been going on for too long, is running a little short on creative ideas and that it's time it was staked and turned to dust.
Rating: Twihards: 8/10; Non-Twihards 4/10
Tucker and Dale vs Evil: Blu Ray Review
Tucker and Dale vs Evil: Blu Ray Review
Tucker and Dale vs Evil
Rating: M
Released by Warner Home video
Tucker and Dale Vs Evil is likely to be the new cult hit.
A comedy horror with aspirations to do for hillbillies what Shaun of the Dead did for zombies, it's got a neat premise.
Tyler Labine (of Reaper) and Alan Tudyk (of Firefly and anything cool) are the Tucker and Dale of the title; a pair of hillbillies who're just heading into the woods to do up their vacation home. But when they get nearly run off the road by a group of college kids, enemies are made.
The hapless duo find things get worse when they save one of the girls from drowning and take her back to their cabin - soon, her friends are, in their words, "in a suicide pact" and "killing themselves on my property."
Simple misunderstandings lead to hilarity and horror in equal measures - and you'll never look at a hillbilly again in an unsympathetic light.
Rating: 7/10
Tucker and Dale vs Evil
Rating: M
Released by Warner Home video
Tucker and Dale Vs Evil is likely to be the new cult hit.
A comedy horror with aspirations to do for hillbillies what Shaun of the Dead did for zombies, it's got a neat premise.
Tyler Labine (of Reaper) and Alan Tudyk (of Firefly and anything cool) are the Tucker and Dale of the title; a pair of hillbillies who're just heading into the woods to do up their vacation home. But when they get nearly run off the road by a group of college kids, enemies are made.
The hapless duo find things get worse when they save one of the girls from drowning and take her back to their cabin - soon, her friends are, in their words, "in a suicide pact" and "killing themselves on my property."
Simple misunderstandings lead to hilarity and horror in equal measures - and you'll never look at a hillbilly again in an unsympathetic light.
Rating: 7/10
Wednesday, 16 November 2011
Transformers 3: Blu Ray Review
Transformers 3: Blu Ray Review
Transformers Dark of the Moon
Rating: M
Released by Universal Home Ent
Back for a third time, the Autobots and the Decepticons continue their life long robotic battle.
Thrown into the middle of this eternal scrap between good and evil is Shia LaBeouf's Sam Witwicky who's struggling to get a job and is becoming resentful he saved the world (twice) for little lasting reward.
This time when it appears a deciding component in the struggle's been found in a spaceship which crashed into the moon around the time of Apollo 11's landing in the 60s, both sides scramble to try and seize it.
But it soon transpires the whole thing could signal the end for them - as well as us...
Transformers Dark of the Moon is a typical Michael Bay gig; there are explosions aplenty, set pieces and plenty of swooping shots of planes and choppers as they head into war.
Happily though Bay has dialled down the frenetic pace of the last film which saw scenes of utter mayhem and robots transforming at such a pace, you could barely keep up with it.
This time it's less of a blur and means the couple of major set pieces are absolutely stunning - including a chase scene on the freeway and an attack piece inside a building. It gives the effects a little more space to breathe and visually sends your eyes on one hell of a journey.
As for the humans, Shia makes good fist of whining Sam and shows he can carry an action film- however, that's not the case with the rest of the supporting cast - particularly Rosie Huntington-Whiteley.
Sadly with her, it's a case of bringing in some eye candy to titillate (as the camera lingers lovingly over her form at every chance) because the moment she starts speaking, it's starchly wooden and
robotic. She manages an improvement towards the end though which is a relief - even if it's a minor improvement.
Of the heavily crowded ensemble, John Malkovich and Ken Jeong have cameos which are blown away by Alan Tudyk's supporting turn.
In many ways on screen, this third film is way too bloated - with an overly long running time which starts to sag, the older end of the audience may feel their attention span drift - though the kids will love it.
Rating: 6/10
Transformers Dark of the Moon
Rating: M
Released by Universal Home Ent
Back for a third time, the Autobots and the Decepticons continue their life long robotic battle.
Thrown into the middle of this eternal scrap between good and evil is Shia LaBeouf's Sam Witwicky who's struggling to get a job and is becoming resentful he saved the world (twice) for little lasting reward.
This time when it appears a deciding component in the struggle's been found in a spaceship which crashed into the moon around the time of Apollo 11's landing in the 60s, both sides scramble to try and seize it.
But it soon transpires the whole thing could signal the end for them - as well as us...
Transformers Dark of the Moon is a typical Michael Bay gig; there are explosions aplenty, set pieces and plenty of swooping shots of planes and choppers as they head into war.
Happily though Bay has dialled down the frenetic pace of the last film which saw scenes of utter mayhem and robots transforming at such a pace, you could barely keep up with it.
This time it's less of a blur and means the couple of major set pieces are absolutely stunning - including a chase scene on the freeway and an attack piece inside a building. It gives the effects a little more space to breathe and visually sends your eyes on one hell of a journey.
As for the humans, Shia makes good fist of whining Sam and shows he can carry an action film- however, that's not the case with the rest of the supporting cast - particularly Rosie Huntington-Whiteley.
Sadly with her, it's a case of bringing in some eye candy to titillate (as the camera lingers lovingly over her form at every chance) because the moment she starts speaking, it's starchly wooden and
robotic. She manages an improvement towards the end though which is a relief - even if it's a minor improvement.
Of the heavily crowded ensemble, John Malkovich and Ken Jeong have cameos which are blown away by Alan Tudyk's supporting turn.
In many ways on screen, this third film is way too bloated - with an overly long running time which starts to sag, the older end of the audience may feel their attention span drift - though the kids will love it.
Rating: 6/10
Waiting for Superman: DVD Review
Waiting for Superman: DVD Review
Waiting for Superman
Rating: PG
Released by Universal Home entertainment
Waiting for Superman is a doco about the American education system and its failings.
From Davis Guggenheim (who brought us An Inconvenient Truth) its USP is that this doco blames weak teachers for the failing students rather than the system itself.
Choosing to follow a clutch of kids from all sides of America and their families who want the best for them educationally, it manages to humanize the issue. Throw into the mix some inspirational teachers who're trying to make the difference after realizing what's wrong and some damning evidence (and some anecdotal) about where it's going wrong and you've got a fairly potent mix.
Mix in animations and clips from the School of Rock and The Simpsons and Waiting for Superman aims to get its message out to all - many will appreciate what it's saying; some will feel, once again, that the doco maker is following his own agenda.
Rating: 6/10
Waiting for Superman
Rating: PG
Released by Universal Home entertainment
Waiting for Superman is a doco about the American education system and its failings.
From Davis Guggenheim (who brought us An Inconvenient Truth) its USP is that this doco blames weak teachers for the failing students rather than the system itself.
Choosing to follow a clutch of kids from all sides of America and their families who want the best for them educationally, it manages to humanize the issue. Throw into the mix some inspirational teachers who're trying to make the difference after realizing what's wrong and some damning evidence (and some anecdotal) about where it's going wrong and you've got a fairly potent mix.
Mix in animations and clips from the School of Rock and The Simpsons and Waiting for Superman aims to get its message out to all - many will appreciate what it's saying; some will feel, once again, that the doco maker is following his own agenda.
Rating: 6/10
Tuesday, 15 November 2011
Game Review - Sonic Generations
Game Review - Sonic Generations
Sonic Generations
Released by Sega
Platform PS3
Has it really been 20 years since the little blue hedgehog first appeared on the scene?
I vividly remember the first time I played the original Sonic The Hedgehog and being blown away by the speed of the game and the fun of it all.
So, 20 years on, there's another game out and this one embraces the last two decades of Blue Hedgehoggy goodness.
In Sonic Generations, Sonic himself is celebrating his birthday when out of nowhere, a creature known as The Time Eater appears and sucks Sonic and his friends into a series of portals and scattering them across history. As Sonic begins hunting for his pals, he encounters the younger version of himself and the two of them have to team up to ensure their mates can be saved and the bad guys beaten.
Melding levels from all of the Sonic releases from the past 2 decades is quite a novel approach to this game; throw into that mix, the chance to play as Modern and Classic Sonic and all of the spin skills, bouncing, grinding and jumping they've had throughout their career and you're pretty much looking at the ultimate Sonic Game.
As well as various game levels to complete, there are side challenges as well and the whole gameplay experience for Sonic Generations really does feel like a compendium of gaming. There's the nostalgia factor at play here too - as you burn around different levels, you really do remember why it was that you fell in love with Sonic in the first place; even if occasionally, you remember the frustrations of the latter era of the games.
With tremendous graphics, bright colours, a somewhat irritating series of tunes, Sonic Generations is a timely reminder of why and how the Hedgehog changed the gaming landscape. It's a fun, frivolous and affectionate tribute to a legend and a timely reminder that sometimes the simplest of games are the most playable and enduring.
Rating: 8/10
Sonic Generations
Released by Sega
Platform PS3
Has it really been 20 years since the little blue hedgehog first appeared on the scene?
I vividly remember the first time I played the original Sonic The Hedgehog and being blown away by the speed of the game and the fun of it all.
So, 20 years on, there's another game out and this one embraces the last two decades of Blue Hedgehoggy goodness.
In Sonic Generations, Sonic himself is celebrating his birthday when out of nowhere, a creature known as The Time Eater appears and sucks Sonic and his friends into a series of portals and scattering them across history. As Sonic begins hunting for his pals, he encounters the younger version of himself and the two of them have to team up to ensure their mates can be saved and the bad guys beaten.
Melding levels from all of the Sonic releases from the past 2 decades is quite a novel approach to this game; throw into that mix, the chance to play as Modern and Classic Sonic and all of the spin skills, bouncing, grinding and jumping they've had throughout their career and you're pretty much looking at the ultimate Sonic Game.
As well as various game levels to complete, there are side challenges as well and the whole gameplay experience for Sonic Generations really does feel like a compendium of gaming. There's the nostalgia factor at play here too - as you burn around different levels, you really do remember why it was that you fell in love with Sonic in the first place; even if occasionally, you remember the frustrations of the latter era of the games.
With tremendous graphics, bright colours, a somewhat irritating series of tunes, Sonic Generations is a timely reminder of why and how the Hedgehog changed the gaming landscape. It's a fun, frivolous and affectionate tribute to a legend and a timely reminder that sometimes the simplest of games are the most playable and enduring.
Rating: 8/10
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