Brand new Great Gatsby trailer

Brand new Great Gatsby trailer

A brand new trailer for The Great Gatsby has arrived...

Parental Guidance: Movie Review

Parental Guidance: Movie Review

Cast: Billy Crystal, Bette Midler, Marisa Tomei, Tom Everett Scott
Director: Andy Fickman

It's been a decade since Billy Crystal graced the screen with Analyze That and now he's back in this family comedy for the holiday season.

Crystal plays Artie Decker, an ageing baseball announcer, whose time on the side of the field is called out by his bosses. When his estranged daughter Alice (Tomei) calls asking Artie and wife Diane (Midler) to babysit the kids for a week while she heads out of town, chaos ensues.

The reason? Alice is a strict parent who has rules and boundaries for her three children and whose political correctness version of parenting clashes directly with Artie and Diane's somewhat more liberal and relaxed approach to letting them do what they want....

Parental Guidance is predictable family fare which will amuse the younger end of the audience more than the older.

Certainly, with its fart gags and obvious humour and situations, it's going for low hanging fruit - and yet, its target will definitely love parts of it despite the fact we've seen it all before. And while it's great to see Crystal back on the screen, he's constrained by a film script which aims low and then manages to dig deeper everytime.

The scenes where Crystal flies are the scenes bookending the film where he's commentating because he brings some of that trademark quick fire patter that works so well for him and genuinely engages the funny bone. Elsewhere, a sequence where he ends up at a symphony with fluorescent highlighter on his face is visually amusing but stark on follow through laughs.

Somewhere in among all the misfires is a social commentary, waiting to rise to the surface; a look at how parenting values have changed over the years and how in some ways, the old methods of a sharp slap and rebuke are the best rather than having your child "use their words" to express their anger.

But these oft-unspoken truths are lost among the deeply uninspiring and highly unoriginal story we've all seen before. Don't get me wrong, as a piece of holiday entertainment, families with young kids will be amused by the antics and the occasional slapstick.

However, on a personal level, Parental Guidance remains a disappointment for the return of Billy Crystal - how he could waste himself in such a cliched movie and deliver a performance which offers up more than the material given to him is a real headscratcher.

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PlayStation Plus reveals its January hand

PlayStation Plus reveals its January hand

It's coming to that time of year - Christmas and also time for the sales.

PlayStation's getting in on the act too, with the reveal of the PSPlus line up for January and news of discounts...

Official release says:

Kick off the New Year with Action Packed Line-up Coming to PlayStation^®Plus 

PlayStation^®Plus celebrates the start of 2013 with an outstanding collection of new games including the highly anticipated sequel Bioshock 2

Auckland, December 20 2012: Sony Computer Entertainment Europe (SCEE) has today announced the hot January line-up for PlayStation^®Plus (PS Plus) including the critically acclaimed sequel to Bioshock, Bioshock 2. The new titles will be available starting from 2^nd January and from today fans can enjoy a 25% discount off the 1 year Plus membership from the 19th December 2012 to the 9^th January 2013!  Fans who are already PS Plus subscribers can also take advantage of the discount by extending their current membership.

Step back into the unforgettable world of Rapture in the next installment of the game that has won more than 50 Game of the year awards and sold more than 2.5 million units worldwide. BioShock 2 provides players with the perfect blend of explosive first person shooter combat, compelling storytelling and intense multiplayer.

On top of BioShock 2, PS Plus subscribers can also look forward to the arrival of the gritty fighter Mortal Kombat *and from the creators of the greatest fantasy epics of all time Lord of the Rings comes, Guardians of Middle Earth.  If that wasn’t enough, PS Plus members can dive into the colorful follow-up to the platformer-slash-game design engine Knytt Stories, Knytt Underground, which will be available to subscribers from the 21^st December to the 23^rd January 2013. Alternatively from the 16^th January, PlayStation®Vita (PS Vita) owners can express their artistic skills by tagging their way around Tokyo in the hit game Jet Set Radio. And,  lastly, Pinball Arcade will be available for PS Vita users to try out from the 23^rd January as part of their PS Plus membership. PS Plus users will be able to download these blockbuster titles along with other great releases, directly from their PlayStation^®3 (PS3) and PS Vita system. 

PS Plus guarantees members access to a constant library of 14 games and at least five new games a month, which means over 65 games a year for PS3 and PS Vita. Gamers also have access to great PlayStation®Store discounts as part of their subscription package.

PS Plus subscribers receive an array of exclusive features and access, including 2GB cloud storage (1GB for PS3 & 1GB for PS Vita) for game saves which will be welcomed by members keen to take advantage of the Instant Game Collection. Automatic update and beta access, as well as a huge collection of exclusive dynamic themes and PlayStation®Network avatars, makes PS Plus the place to be in 2013.

PS Plus is now available on PS Vita, extending the service to two platforms for a single price of £39.99/€49.99 for a one-year subscription or £11.99/€14.99 for a 90 day subscription will give users the same fantastic features including exclusive access, special features and huge discounts.

Oz: Great and Powerful Wicked Witch Revealed

Oz: Great and Powerful Wicked Witch Revealed

Much speculation over the arrival of a new poster for Oz: Great and Powerful today, which has the  Wicked Witch revealed.

The speculation is over, who is playing the witch?

Disney won’t confirm which witch it is, whether Theodora (Mila Kunis), Evanora (Rachel Weisz), or Glinda (Michelle Williams)....

Guess we'll have to wait and see next year...

Wreck It Ralph: Movie Review

Wreck It Ralph: Movie Review

Voice cast: John C Reilly, Sarah Silverman, Jack McBrayer, Jane Lynch
Director: Rich Moore

Ever wondered what happens to the arcade games you play at night?

Well, in a well timed piece of nostalgia, computer animated film Wreck It Ralph provides an answer to a question nobody's ever really asked before.

Wreck It Ralph (Reilly) is the bad guy in an arcade game called Fix It Felix (30 Rock's McBrayer) - it's been 30 years since he first terrorised Felix in the tower block which he inhabits and smashes on a regular basis. But Ralph's had enough of being the bad guy in the game; tired of the lack of recognition for his service to the cause and generally neglected as well as a little jealous of Felix.

So,one day, determined to win himself a medal and redeem himself in the eyes of his colleagues within the games, Ralph decides to follow his dream to be a hero, and promptly absconds into a first person shooter called Heroes' Duty. It's here he meets up with tough as nails CGI sergeant Calhoun (Glee's Jane Lynch) and manages to get the medal he craves. But, even though he does, he accidentally sets in motion a chain of events which could wreck everything when he inadvertently brings a virus from the Heroes Duty game into another....

Wreck It Ralph is a colourful blast of video game nostalgia, which is smart, funny and bright and breezy.

Reilly is great as Ralph, the big outsider doofus who simply wants to no longer be the bad guy. And Sarah Silverman isn't annoyingly perky and endearingly cute as Vanellope, the rogue star of karting racing game, Sugar Rush. The two pair up as outsiders in a world which has rejected them because of their differences and inevitably form a loveable bond. Likewise, McBrayer and Lynch make a good mismatched duo as Fix it Felix and the Marine sergeant.

The idea (and major pull) is that it Wreck It Ralph looks at the psychological impact of being a baddie and explores the world of computer gaming which has never been done before. Wreck It Ralph never loses sight of its emotional core even as the gorgeously spot on animation swirls around the screen. Thanks to great vocal talent, a smart and respectful script which acknowledges the debt of the 80s video gaming world (and its myriad of characters), it's a virtual joy to behold.

Also, worth you heading to this on time is the gorgeous black and white animation, Paperman about a pair of office workers who meet one day on a train station. Magical and memorable, this is animation at its absolute best and a salute to simpler times.

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Sonic: All Stars Racing Transformed: PS3 Review

Sonic: All Stars Racing Transformed: PS3 Review

Released by SEGA
Platform: PS3
Rating: G

Sonic's back - and this time, he's bringing a lot more speed with him.

There's racing games aplenty currently on the PS3 - so games need to have a bit of a hook to help them stand out from the rest of the crowd. Developers SEGA know this for Sonic; that he's not quite the name pull that he used to be - so they've come up with an idea solution for a bit more attention to the old racing game.

This time around, the karts transform randomly during the race.

One minute you're drifting as either Sonic, Tails, or, erm Wreck It Ralph (think he has a movie out) and the next you're suddenly in the air or on the water, looking to boost your place in the race and to take the gold star at the end of the level.

Various weapons litter the tracks all over the place - and plenty of other racers serve as target practice - but it's up to you how you fly - or don't - in this. You can select difficulty, characters and karts as you go along, you can choose to sticker your kart as well; from battle arena, grand prix to world tour, there are plenty of options for longevity of game as well as multiplayer split screening. Along with the chance to unlock new characters, there's certainly enough to do if you're so disposed.

Here's the thing with Sonic: All Stars Racing Transformed: it's about nothing more than fun.

It's not going to change the universe and it certainly won't niggle at you for hours on end as you puzzle over how to crack a code. It's simply about kicking back, disengaging the brain, staring at the multitude of colours and just enjoying the damn thing. Granted, it's not perfect with moments where you go off track unexpectedly and struggle to get back in the game - and occasionally, when zipping about in the air, the controls aren't as responsive as you'd hope for a quick racing game - but Sonic: All Stars Racing Transformed is exceptionally cute gaming which is bright, breezy and a bit of fun.

Sonic: All Stars Racing Transformed will work very well with the younger spectrum of gamers - its combination of colourful on track gaming and random condition changing means the young won't get lost and confused in the game. While older people may give this a cursory glance, it's playable bubble gum entertainment - nothing serious and something a bit light and fluffy for the Christmas break.

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Disney Epic Mickey 2 - The Power of Two: PS 3 Review

Disney Epic Mickey 2 - The Power of Two: PS 3 Review

Platform: PS3
Released by THQ

Mickey Mouse's back in the sequel to erm, Epic Mickey...

Mickey and Oswald the Lucky Rabbit are returned to the Wasteland, and have to join forces to try and save the day. Mickey has his paint brush, paint and thinner and Oswald has his lucky electricity to help make a difference to the wasteland where stacks of forgotten characters live.

I have to admit I've not played the first game, so can't really compare, but I did quite love the mechanics of using Mickey's paint brush to create and give life to parts of the world around him, and to build and remove other parts - it's a neat touch.

One other relatively impressive touch is the co-op element needed to get through this title. Both Oswald and Mickey need to work together to achieve their goals. It means you can either play as one person or as a two player game together, which will be a nice touch for the kids to keep them occupied on the inevitably rainy days during the summer.

Graphically, the house of Mouse looks pretty impressive with the characters brought to life in a way which is both cartoonish and cute; and backgrounds and worlds are vividly portrayed. Story wise, it's not quite as great as it could be but it still has a certain amount of charm as you play through the platformer - even if some of the voiceover starts to grate as you try to work out exactly what you're supposed to do.

Overall, Disney Epic Mickey 2 - The Power of Two is certainly playable enough if you're of the younger persuasion. It has a charm and cuteness which is in keeping with the feel of all Disney titles and it's platformer which while not spectacular will find a certain audience during the holiday period.

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