Magic Mike: Blu Ray Review

Magic Mike: Blu Ray Review

Rating: R16
Released by Roadshow Home Entertainment

Magic Mike is based on Channing Tatum's experiences as a stripper - and follows his character, a guy called Mike, who's a self-professed businessman, entrepreneur and of course, dude throwing his robes off on stage and gyrating around for the cold, hard cash in the wilds of Tampa.

When he meets up with the Kid (Alex Pettyfer, looking a bit mopey, chiselled and scruffy) on a construction job, the two end up becoming friends and Mike introduces him to the world of stripping - a world which The Kid embraces whole heartedly being 19 and out for a good time.

But Mike does a little more than simply introducing him to the world - he takes him under his wing, and cares for him.
Inevitably though, the Kid's entry into this occasionally sleazy pasttime causes real problems for Mike...

Let's be clear about this, Magic Mike has scenes of Channing Tatum stripping (and others) and full routines that highlight the extreme pecs appeal of the rock hard abs of the cast which have been hired as the "Cock Rocking Kings of Tampa." And said scenes, and indeed routines, will cause many of the female audience to wilt, blush and generally whoop and holler at the screen. I will concede they're very well done, pandering to what an audience wants and are liberally used throughout. (Although I will confess I am deeply grateful that it's not in 3D even though there are hot new fully extended dance sequences)

And yet, this film is about more than the pelvic hip thrusts of the beefed-up man candy which are strutted during some mightily impressively choreographed dance scenes.

Soderbergh's pulled together a kind of cross between The Full Monty meets Boogie Nights which is more dramedy than drunken hens' night out antics.

Usually, these kind of hedonistic pieces would be filmed from the viewpoint of the newbie - but Soderbergh's flipped that, choosing to follow Mike, a genuinely nice guy who wants more to his life than his stripping (even though, based on his chiselled talents, that's clearly where the cash is) with businesses being run on the side and a desire to set up a custom-made furniture company. It's wise to have concentrated on Mike too, as the Kid's generally unlikeable and offers little to give you any real lasting connection throughout.

It's here that Tatum excels again, putting in an underplayed performance which channels sensitivity, charm and a bit of angst as Mike hits a very early mid-life crisis and begins to lose his way. Tatum's really impressed recently in a string of roles (21 Jump Street, The Vow) which have shown he's a little more than just a good lookin' guy. His Mike is occasionally mopey, lacking any real connections with anyone outside of his fake stripping world and give him a universal appeal to both women (who're lusting over him) and men, who've no doubt been dragged to the cinema with a nagging idea of what's ahead. Plus his fledging relationship with the admittedly rather bland sister of The Kid works thanks to his sparkiness and playfulness.

But I have to confess, in amongst the undeniable energy, the star of the piece is Matthew McConaughey's club owner Dallas, whose self parodying, lounge lizard is a blast to watch whenever he's on the screen (fully clothed or otherwise). McConaughey has a ball playing this and there are hints of rifts between Dallas and Mike, who's wanting a bigger stake in the club, which add an undercurrent of uncertainty to their relationship and a frisson to the dramedy that's unfolding.

All in all, Magic Mike is the perfect blend of angst and cheesy stripper moves (I never thought I'd be writing that) and is actually more of a downbeat low-key drama with heart (with a thoroughly predictable denouement) than you'd ever have expected from the posters and promos.

Extras: Mainly dance sequences stuff, so, let's leave it at that...

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The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey: Movie Review

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey: Movie Review

Cast: Martin Freeman, Ian McKellen, Elijah Wood, Ian Holm, Richard Armitage, Andy Serkis, Ken Stott, James Nesbitt, Stephen Hunter, Adam Brown, Aidan Turner, Cate Blanchett, Hugo Weaving, Dean O'Gorman, Barry Humphries, Graham McTavish, Sylvester McCoy, Peter Hambleton, William Kircher, Jed Brophy,John Callen, Mark Hadlow

Director: Peter Jackson

Finally, it's here - the prequel to the massive success (and NZ institution) that was The Lord of The Rings.
Based of course on the JRR Tolkein book, The Hobbit, and now split into 3 films, there's a whole stack of expectation on The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey itself and also, the new technology 48 FPS being pioneered and delivered by Sir Peter Jackson.

(Get pictures from the world premiere of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey in Wellington)

Martin Freeman stars as Bilbo Baggins in The Hobbit movie and Sir Ian McKellen is back reprising his role as Gandalf the Grey in this. Baggins, a Hobbit, lives in Bag-End, and enjoys the quiet life - so when Gandalf shows up on his doorstep, offering him a chance to be involved in an adventure, Bilbo politely, but firmly refuses.

Later that evening, a company of 13 dwarves gradually show up at his homestead, ransacking his pantry and determined that Bilbo will join them on their quest - to reclaim treasure stolen by the dragon Smaug and to help Thorin Oakenshield (a broody Richard Armitage) take back his lost kingdom of Erebor.

Against his every fibre of being, Bilbo finds himself going on this adventure - a trip which will change them all forever....

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey is an astonishing and ground-breaking piece of film-making.

It's hard not to get past how it's presented first and foremost.

The 48 frames per second resolution means that it looks incredibly clear, hyper-real and ultra-defined. It's the way of the future clearly and while it takes a little to adjust to the very high resolution, once you have you're in for a visual treat. It's almost as if you've stepped through the screen and are in the thick of the action itself - it's like having a conversation with someone in front of you and finding they've been touched up with Photoshop tools, their colours heightened and the very essence of being increased. It's an astonishing visual touch and is no wonder WETA's already in with a chance of getting an Oscar special effects nod - and it really does raise the bar for FX-driven films. Whether director James Cameron will embrace it for the Avatar sequels remains to be seen - but this is the way of the future and it's hard to see how future genre films such as this will be able to keep up if they don't adapt. (Peter Jackson's hinted at the possibility of dimensionalising the Lord of The Rings trilogy - it'll be interesting to see if he does go back and give them a similar sheen and gloss.)

That said, though, it's not all perfect on the FX front - while the Goblin Kingdom looks impressive, some of the shots when Gandalf and the gang ride a walkway down to try and escape don't quite fit together as well as they could, lacking the cohesive FX touches - and likewise, when the first reveal of Rivendell comes, it looks a little too much like a painting in the background, with action superimposed on the front. To be honest, though, these are minor niggles of the process rather than glaring FX distractions.

As for the human side of the film, Martin Freeman easily stands (a little) head and shoulders above the rest of the cast. His Bilbo is a perfect combination of deadpan well-timed comedy, Englishness and a hint of a Hobbit about to grow up. Plus, having seen Martin Freeman as Bilbo, it's hard to imagine anyone else in the role. The sequence where he riddles with Gollum is just astounding as a two-hander and is a real stand out of the film; particularly for Andy Serkis' work as Gollum, as he runs the gamut from childish glee to murderous malice in his game.

The cast of dwarves are a little too numerous to get much time in the spotlight in this first outing, but I suspect that will come in the following films - and all of them have real potential. There's also plenty of the feel of setting events up - with showdowns and story threads likely to be fulfilled later on, rather than a speedy resolution in this first flick. I also get the feeling that the film follows exactly the story of the book - in terms of very little being jettisoned for narrative's sake.

Of the dwarves, Ken Stott's venerable turn as Balin impresses, whereas the others tend to go more for comedy - with the exception of brooding totty dwarf Thorin Oakenshield (played by the dashing Richard Armitage). He has the potential to spin off as a sex symbol in the way that Legolas did in the following trilogy and he certainly gets moments to look moody and intense as the wronged Dwarven heir to Erebor.

There are plenty of comedic touches within The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey - and perhaps a few more than you'd have expected. From the behaviour of the dwarves to Sylvester McCoy's almost vaudevillian turn as Radagast the Brown, it's the polar opposite to the heavy brooding of Frodo and his mission to destroy the one ring. Sure, there's the feel of a quest as the story begins but there's plenty of humour peppered throughout which gradually peters out as it gets a little darker. Barry Humphries brings some goitred humour to the grossness of the Goblin King; and the landscapes once again stand out as the scenery swoops from the serenity of Bag End to the wondrous mountains. Likewise, the soundtrack soars when it needs to and complements the quieter scenes, such as Gandalf and Galadriel's discussion over why Bilbo was chosen.

All in all, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey has set forth a revolution in film.

It's a film which you really do have to see at the cinema and in the way Peter Jackson intended; there's no real technology currently which will offer the same experience on the small screen. And it's sure as hell raised the bar for the upcoming Avatar sequels, having redefined what audiences should expect from a virtual world.

Magical, majestic, mystical and utterly masterful, The Hobbit movie is an enthralling, engrossing and unmissable return to Middle-Earth (especially if you're a committed LOTR fan); it's a fantasy film which reinvents the genre and is in someways game-changing for all that will follow it. (As a side-note, I'd love to see it again outside of its 48fps resolution to see how it looks - I have no doubt the story will hold up, but I have a feeling some of the visual spectacle may be lost.)

Personally, though I can't wait to go There and Back Again with The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug next year because, based on The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, the fire in my belly for Middle-Earth has once again been lit.

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Get details from the Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey photocall here

Get pictures from the Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey press conference here.

Wonderbook Book of Spells: PS3 Review

Wonderbook Book of Spells: PS3 Review

Released by Sony Computer Entertainment
Platform: PS3 and Move

For those who believe that a book can't offer as much fun as a computer game, stand by - as your minds are about to be blown apart.

Using the MOVE technology, Wonderbook gives you the chance to combine the two in a magical experience. You're basically the star in control of a wand and stand to join the world of Harry Potter and other wizards by learning how to cast spells - that is if you can master it all.

It's an interesting touch and one which its target audience will love.

As the game starts up, you have to choose a wand, a house to join and then must follow some instructions from the book which has been signed out to you from the restricted section of the library. As you go through the Book of Spells, there are incantations to learn and spells to test - all of which you see yourself do on screen thanks to the wonders of the MOVE technology. From the likes of Wingardium Leviosa to turning your wand into a hose and spraying everything with water, this is quite a neat touch and one which will enchant its core audience.

Occasionally, there are glitches - certain movements of the wand result in the MOVE Stick shining through and if you don't have the book on the right angle with its codes (which are similar to the Augmented reality codes for the VITA) then the book loses its story touch and ends up as a blobby mass of blue, destroying some of the magic.

But when it works, it works perfectly - from spells jumping off the page to giving you the chance to wave the wand and cast spells at the screen, this is an interactive experience like none I've fully seen before. You use the wand to pull spells off the page and stories come to life too - it's a sweet little touch which the younger end of the gaming audience will be spell-bound by (yep, am running out of magic puns). From levitating mandrakes around your room to unlocking doors, it'll be something which keeps the kids amused at Christmas - and parents can happily leave them to play, while pursuing other outdoorsy Muggles type activities.

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New Man of Steel image unveiled

New Superman Man of Steel image unveiled

Crikey, it's all go today.

A new image of Superman: Man of Steel has been unleashed on Facebook...

Take a look below..

Star Trek: Into Darkness teaser poster

Star Trek: Into Darkness teaser poster

Just released is the Star Trek: Into Darkness teaser poster...

It's due to hit cinemas next year - Karl Urban, Chris Pine, Zoe Saldana, Zachary Quinto, Simon Pegg and Benedict Cumberbatch are all in Star Trek Into Darkness.

In 2013, pioneering director J.J. Abrams will deliver an explosive action thriller that takes Star Trek Into Darkness.

When the crew of the Enterprise is called back home, they find an unstoppable force of terror from within their own organization has detonated the fleet and everything it stands for, leaving our world in a state of crisis.

With a personal score to settle, Captain Kirk leads a manhunt to a war-zone world to capture a one man weapon of mass destruction.

As our heroes are propelled into an epic chess game of life and death, love will be challenged, friendships will be torn apart, and sacrifices must be made for the only family Kirk has left: his crew.

You've Been Trumped: Movie Review

You've Been Trumped: Movie Review

Director: Anthony Baxter

In this doco, it's David vs Goliath in Scotland.

Well, to be more accurate - it's Michael Forbes and some of the residents of Aberdeenshire vs the Mega Weave and he of the "You're fired" catchphrase and pursed lips, Donald Trump.

Originally a BBC documentary, this piece follows the plans of the Don to build a massive golf course and hotel complex on the sites of scientific interest in Aberdeenshire, and on a piece of coastline which has been untouched by man for years.

Essentially, it's a tale of one man's mega-corporation's push and PR to discredit and destroy the local objectors, of whom there are only a handful - but what emerges is that ever trusty piece of film that benefits from only one side being involved.

Unfortunately, Baxter was unable to get any co-operation from anyone in Trump's teams, or the local police and council to comment or be interviewed for the documentary. So, what emerges is a piece, albeit well told, that is horrendously one sided.

Baxter interviews the locals threatened by Trump's plans and who, in fairness, emerge as espousing more than just the usual NIMBY arguments by looking at the greater good.
But he manages to slightly wrongfoot and over-sentimentalise his argument and case by giving the locals a sympathetic backstory, letting them present footage of their past and links to the land while cutting to shots of the Don and his fleet of black SUVs.

It's not that You've Been Trumped isn't competently and flashily put together; it's a well oiled, slick and sleek piece of film-making. It's just one that means you're never anything but opposed to the plans from Donald Trump and his evil empire. (Cue moustache twirling).

I empathise with Baxter as a film-maker here - there are no options for them to get the other viewpoint from the property tycoon as he tries to bulldoze what's described as the crown jewels of Scotland's coast; and to be fair, they've tried every which way to get that; from turning up on a site, to putting in calls and emails to the Trump's office; all of which are rebutted, refused and end up in Baxter being arrested by the police. To be frank though, Trump doesn't help himself with arrogance, pomp and pursed lips like a badger sucking a lemon, the Don manages to shoot himself in his foot and then shove the other one squarely into his own mouth. Baxter manages to get some top golfers to get their opinions on any course - and so, the case against the Don piles up higher than a sandbank being created by the construction site.

What emerges from You've Been Trumped is a piece which shows the bullying tactics, petty nature and general bluster of anyone involved in the Trump organisation. But what also shows up is a piece which is, unfortunately, never anything but in favour of the residents.

Consequently, Baxter is to be praised for trying to balance a doco as much as he can and pulling together a watchable film which tries to tell the facts but is thwarted by the shut downs of his opposing subject and the refusal of anyone to actually talk about it.

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American Horror Story: S1: Blu Ray Review

American Horror Story: Season 1: Blu Ray Review

Rating: R16
Released by Universal Home Entertainment

It's the horror series which really redefined the anthology TV series.

Friday Night Lights star Connie Britton, Taissa Farmiga, Jessica Lange and Dylan McDermott star in the show, which centres on the Harmon family, rocked by adultery. They move into a new home in the heart of Hollywood, but one which no-one will touch because the last owners were murdered within.

Gradually, the Harmons come to realise something is amiss in this house - but are they strong enough as a unit to see off the various perils and problems?

American Horror Story Season 1 is a game changing piece of TV. Each episode, from Glee creator Ryan Murphy is a masterclass in suspense, horror and intrigue. Throw in a top notch cast, and this is a show which gets it right from get go, with spot on acting, impressive tension and a season long mystery which is gripping and horrifying in equal measures. Part American social commentary, it also dares to go further than some shows have done for a very long time - and for that alone, it deserves to be lauded and seen by all.

Extras: 2 and a half hours of excellent stuff; making of, about the murder house, creating the titles, Paleyfest convention

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