21 And Over: Movie Review

21 And Over: Movie Review

Cast: Miles Teller, Skylar Astin, Justin Chon, Sarah Wright, Francois Chau
Director: Jon Lucas, Scott Moore

Following on from last year's Project X, and the slightly more adult Hangover series, it's clear that there's still plenty to be mined in the "One night out, deal with the regrets later" genre.

This latest focuses on two mates, Miller and Casey (Project X's Teller and Pitch Perfect's Skylar Astin) who head to their med-student friend Jeff Chang (Chon) for an impromptu celebration of his 21st. But Jeff Chang doesn't want to party as he's got an important interview the next day.

Still with friends like Miller, who says he will mess up his friend with alcohol (severely paraphrasing here), Jeff has no choice.

But, the night's antics spiral out of control - and soon, Miller and Casey are stuck on a college campus, with no idea of how to get their friend home - and with the threat of violence from Jeff's father facing them, are in a race against time.

21 And Over will clearly appeal to its target demographic - the kind of teen boys who like to party (or believe there's still a world out there made for partying and filled with beautiful college women who are there for the taking) and who are looking for nothing more than a dumb time at the movies.

Heavily slanted towards the American college scene (with fraternities, hazing and debauchery aplenty), it may be a world which is slightly alien to others. But it's exactly what you'd expect from a film such as this - montages of slow mo drinking, dancing and puking, embarrassments and nudity, character stereotyping and casual racism - it's all in the chaotic mix of a night out. (And there's palpable relief it's not in 3D either, I can tell you).

The main trio are nothing spectacular - the situations they get into are fairly outrageous in a tame sort of way. But here's the thing with 21 And Over. It feels so old hat; there's no real stand out new entry into the genre; no defining moment which gives it the chance to stand out about the rest. It's not just a lot of loutish bad drunken behaviour though - there's a kernel of a nice story hidden within (which is rare in these types of films) as Miller and Casey realise they don't know much these days about their friend Jeff Chang (they call him that all the way through) after he went to college. Plus, Casey discovers there's more to life than a steady job and being reckless with a girl (Sarah Wright who looks uncannily like Alice Eve)

And it's a nice touch to demonstrate how friendships can wax and wane - before you see the guys naked in nothing but gym socks. So, to be honest, it's stuff we've all seen done time and time again - without the faintest whiff of originality or excess.

All in all, 21 And Over will fulfill a need in some - and I predict moderate success for it - it'll appeal to those who pine to be college drinking gods; everyone else will just be glad they grew up.

Rating:

Assassin's Creed IV Revealed

Assassin's Creed IV Black Flag Revealed

Ubisoft has announced Assassin’s Creed^® IV Black Flag, the next installment in the company’s best-selling franchise. Assassin’s Creed IV Black Flag introduces an all new hero and setting, and will feature the most diverse and seamless Assassin’s Creed world ever created.

In development for nearly two years, the game is being spearheaded by one of the veteran Assassin’s Creed teams in Ubisoft Montreal with support from Ubisoft studios in Annecy, Bucharest, Kiev, Quebec, Singapore and Sofia.  Assassin’s Creed^® IV Black Flag will be released on the Xbox 360^® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, PlayStation^®3 computer entertainment system, PlayStation^®4 from Sony Computer Entertainment Inc., Nintendo’s Wii U™ system, Windows PC and other next generation consoles. The game will be available on the Xbox 360^® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, PlayStation^®3 computer entertainment system, and Nintendo’s Wii U™ system on October 31, 2013.

“With the new hero and new setting we are creating the boldest and most unique Assassin’s Creed game yet, while still respecting the pillars of the franchise that have made it such a fan favourite,” said Yves Guillemot, chief executive officer at Ubisoft. “Assassin’s Creed IV Black Flag is based on a true, harsh and exciting part of a legendary era and will thrill longtime fans and newcomers alike.”

Assassin’s Creed IV Black Flag tells the story of Edward Kenway, a young British man with a thirst for danger and adventure, who falls from privateering for the Royal Navy into piracy as the war between the major Empires comes to an end. Edward is a fierce pirate and seasoned fighter who soon finds himself embroiled in the ancient war between Assassins and Templars. Set at the dawn of the 18th Century, the game features some of the most infamous pirates in history, such as Blackbeard and Charles Vane, and takes players on a journey throughout the West Indies during a turbulent and violent period of time later to become known as the Golden Age of Pirates.

Gameplay in Assassin’s Creed IV Black Flag is based upon the franchise’s proven tenets. Assassin’s Creed IV Black Flag features a vast open world with more than 50 navigable locations. Combat combines the weaponry of the Assassin’s Order with armaments of the era, and rewards both daring and stealth. And the series’ acclaimed multiplayer experience is more varied and ruthless than ever in Assassin’s Creed IV Black Flag.

Customers who purchase Assassin’s Creed IV Black Flag on PlayStation 3 or PlayStation 4 can download 60 minutes of additional gameplay via the PlayStation Network after the game’s launch.

Collector’s Editions of Assassin’s Creed IV Black Flag will be available in the EMEA region. More details will be unveiled by the end of March.

Beyond Two Souls latest

Beyond Two Souls latest

Good news for fans of Beyond Two Souls, the upcoming game on PlayStation.

Those involved have revealed a little more of the artwork and details of the voice talent in this upcoming release - and it's hellishly exciting.

Willem Dafoe to star alongside Ellen Page in psychological action 

thriller BEYOND: Two Souls

The power of Hollywood enters the world of gaming as Sony Computer Entertainment Europe today announces that Willem Dafoe (Platoon, Spider-Man) is to star alongside Ellen Page (Juno,Inception) in BEYOND: TwoSouls™; the latest title from critically acclaimed development studio Quantic Dream, makers of the award-winning Heavy Rain™.  

A Stellar Cast for a Genre Defining Game:

BEYOND: Two Souls will feature Oscar nominee Ellen Page in the lead role of Jodie Holmes, a young woman who possesses supernatural powers through her link to an invisible entity. Ellen is supported by Willem Dafoe who plays Nathan Dawkins, an enigmatic scientist working for a government division studying paranormal activities. Dawkins’ professional curiosity in Jodie, driven by personal tragedy, is a central theme in BEYOND: Two Souls, and provides a rich and evocative narrative that only Dafoe’s subtleties of performance could fully realise. 

Writer and Director David Cage of BEYOND: Two Souls, comments “Ellen and Willem were casted for their immense talent and they bring with them the same passion and dedication you would see in the movies they star in. Never before have I seen this caliber of acting performance in a video game.”

Play Through A Lifetime:

In BEYOND: Two Souls, gamers will play through fifteen years of Jodie’s story, experiencing the most striking moments of her life. As she traverses the globe, Jodie will face incredible challenges set against a backdrop of emotionally charged events, the likes of which have never before been seen in a video game.

Like its predecessor Heavy Rain, BEYOND: Two Souls will allow players to shape the course of the story through their decisions and actions taken in the game.

Actor Willem Dafoe comments, “It’s a beautiful story and because the player participates in the scenario and chooses the character’s actions, the possibility of where the story goes is fantastic.” 

Cage adds, “We are really proud of what we have created and I hope that fans will appreciate BEYOND: Two Souls for the intensely original, rich and affecting experience it will offer.”

Oz: The Great and Powerful: Movie Review

Oz: The Great and Powerful: Movie Review

Cast: James Franco, Mila Kunis, Rachel Weisz, Michelle Williams, Zach Braff, Joey King, Bruce Campbell
Director: Sam Raimi

A prequel to The Wizard of Oz, you say?

What a bizarre idea - and one that I have to admit, I didn't see coming. Yet, Disney has released this latest in the hope of attracting the same share of box office that Alice in Wonderland did a few years back.

James Franco stars as Oscar Diggs (aka Oz), a shallow womaniser, conman and magical shyster working at a travelling circus in Kansas in 1905. When Oz is forced to escape from the circus rather than being torn apart by an angry mob after he seduced yet another woman, he makes off in a hot air balloon.

Which flies straight into the path of a tornado....transporting him directly to the world of Oz 2013.

There, he meets naive witch Theodora The Good (Mila Kunis) who believes he's the prophesied wizard who will rid the kingdom of the evil of the Wicked Witch.  However, Oz is anything but a good man (despite aspirations to be a great man) and initially only takes the job on because of the promise of mountains of gold from the royal protector, Evanora (Rachel Weisz).

He soon discovers that in order to take the throne of Oz and the gold, he must kill the witch - and so sets out into the Dark Forest to carry out his mission. However, there he meets Glinda the Good (Michelle Williams) and discovers that all is not as it seems - and is recruited into freeing Oz from the Wicked Witch.

Oz: The Great and Powerful is an odd film, working in some parts, failing in others and presenting a conundrum as to whether a prequel was needed in the first place.

Visually, it's nothing short of stunning - from its opening puppet show titles to the black and white old style prologue, it's a wonderful homage to Hollywood past. And once Oz lands in the world somewhere over the rainbow, the colours which unfold on the screen are stunning, vibrant and beautiful (even if the 3D glasses do a little to dull their brightness).

But that's where Sam Raimi's film starts to come apart at the narrative seams with little in the mix.

Essentially, it becomes a hollow FX-fest, James Franco doesn't quite have the charisma to bring it as a powerful wizard, with his smirk and also pantomime-esque acting initially unconvincing. While he grows during the fantastical adventure, his speech to rouse the troops at the end is no more than the wet whinings of someone who's out of their depth. Equally, Michelle Williams is way too wishy-washy as Glinda, and is so insipid in her goodness, it's too gooey to be effective. Weisz and Mila Kunis are a good pair of witches, whose morality is somewhat compromised. Zach Braff provides the laughs as a bell-hopped bedecked flying monkey, brought in to puncture some of the darker scenes later on and keep the kids on side. (And they need that, thanks to the Flying Monkeys, which are now baboons to avoid the legal eagles and which hurtle off the 3D screen)

It's not that Oz: The Great and Powerful is a complete disaster; it's visually spectacular and beautifully costumed, but it's overlong and its pacing occasionally feels off, but the script doesn't quite give us the insights we need into the characters. The Wicked Witch was essentially a woman scorned? Oz, despite his initial shyster behaviour and protestations that he can be a great man, doesn't quite convince in the final stages.

Essentially, Oz: The Great And Powerful is like a cheap magician's trick - it promises much, but peek behind the curtain and beyond the smoke and mirrors, and you'll see a hollow, emptiness which is disappointing to older viewers, but may prove enchanting to younger audiences.

Rating:

Mental: DVD Review

Mental: DVD Review

Rating: M
Released by Universal Home Entertainment

The latest Aussie outing sees Packed to the Rafters star Rebecca Gibney looking almost unrecognisable as a matriarch of a family falling apart.

Gibney plays Shirley Moochmore, who dreams of a life as the head of the Von Trapp family and who we first see singing the Sound of Music much to the horror of her five daughters. Shirley's hubbie Barry, the wannabe re-elected mayor, is a bit of a rascal, cheating on her, never home for family meals and forgetting all of the kids' names. So it's no wonder that our Shirl has a breakdown and is carted off to the local looney bin - or "on holiday in Woollongong" to avoid embarrassment.

However, Barry's forced home when he realises how troubled his daughters are; one's already tried to commit suicide, the others are unpopular and one's borderline schizophrenic...things don't look good for the Moochmores. In fact, Coral, who tried to kill herself, is the main reason Barry stays away, unable to face what they call "The Disgrace."

That's when a hard smoking, straight talking Shaz (Toni Collette) shows up in their lives (well, after Barry picks her up from the side of the road) - and turns them all upside down, making them believe in themselves and that being different is nothing to be frightened or ashamed of.

But Shaz isn't exactly being completely honest with the Moochmores - in fact, she's got as much baggage as the rest of them....

Mental is an intriguing film - and certainly one which is aiming to upend the usual attitudes to mental health.

Crazy opening scenes set the tone - the mum's in the yard, singing that The Hills are Alive with the Sound of music, while the daughters are inside, cringing at her embarrassing behaviour. However, when Shirley's carted off to a mental institution for a breakdown, it's down to a bit more of a drama as drifter Shaz shows up.

Which is a real shame - because while it cocks a snook at suburban uptight attitudes and opinions, it's that spark of total bizarreness which is much needed throughout. After all, any film which ends with someone lighting a fart and setting fire to a room full of dolls is clearly hoping to achieve some kind of randomness.

Throw in a good cast of calibre - LaPaglia as a cheating husband, Schreiber as a croc hunter with a grizzly edge, and the Sapphires Deborah Mailman as a lusty lesbian and you've got quite the ensemble.

In amongst all that, while Collette is all energy and kook with heart as the nanny who shows up, the story is determined to give her a tragic past, which torpedoes any of the levity that Hogan's brought to the screen.

Mental isn't a bad film - it's just one that's a mismatch of various tones and ideas and consequently doesn't really achieve any overall final feeling. If you're after another Muriel's Wedding, you'll be highly disappointed.

Rating:

Your Sister's Sister: DVD Review

Your Sister's Sister: DVD Review

Rating:
Released by Madman Home Entertainment

Emily Blunt, Mark Duplass and Rosemarie DeWitt star in this threesome which is probably one of the most charming films of 2012. 

From Humpday director Lynn Shelton, comes this tale of the trio and whose lives are changed by a trip. 

Duplass stars as Jack, whose brother Tom died 1 year ago; Jack's struggling to cope so his best friend Iris (the ever luminous Blunt) sends him off to a family cabin to get some headspace time and to hopefully, change his outlook on life. But when he arrives there, he finds Iris's gay sister Hannah (DeWitt) there nursing a break up. 

One bottle of tequila and a drunken fumble later finds the duo in all manner of problems. Particularly when Iris shows up unannounced... Jack's plan? 

To keep the truth from Iris and just get through the next few days. However, both Iris and Hannah have designs on Jack which he could never have expected. 

Deftly funny, smartly written and with a cast that underplays each line and scene so beautifully, Your Sister's Sister is a gently amusing, utterly engaging and totally enjoyable visit to the small screen.

Clever writing which feels real is Shelton's trade in this - and when matched up with the rising brilliance of a deadpan and yet farcical Duplass (who you really should see in Safety Not Guaranteed when it shows up), it's a winning combination. 

Even when things take a turn for the apparently more serious, Your Sister's Sister never loses the plot - or the audience. This goofily charming movie is an acutely observed three hander which is poignant when it needs to be and totally winning from beginning to end.

Extras: Audio commentary, trailer

Rating:

Movie Review - Newstalk ZB with Jack Tame

Movie Review - Newstalk ZB with Jack Tame

The latest review with Newstalk ZB's host Jack Tame is now in.

This week, I looked back on my Oscar predictions (only one wrong!) and new films Beautiful Creatures and rom com I Give It A Year - as well as the DVD, The Sapphires.

Take a listen here - and check back in with Jack Tame on Saturday mornings from 9am on Newstalk ZB.

http://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/auckland/player/ondemand/399233467-at-the-movies--march-2