The Wolverine Trailer is here

The Wolverine Trailer is here

Here's your first look at the brand new Wolverine Trailer.

It comes after director James Mangold released a 7 second tease of the full Wolverine trailer

And there's also a brand new The Wolverine poster out as well.

So get excited for the brand new full length The Wolverine trailer.

The Host: Movie Review

The Host: Movie Review

Cast: Saoirse Ronan, Diane Kruger, William Hurt, Jake Abel, Emily Browning
Director: Andrew Niccol

Fresh from Twilight Saga writer Stephenie Meyer comes the film version of her novel The Host, her first foray into the world of sci-fi.

An unseen but benign alien invasion force has taken over the Earth - by forming parasitic relationships with humanity and inhabiting bodies while erasing their memories. But a small batch of humans is standing firm in the face of this invasion  by stealth and is determined to fight back.

Among their number is Melanie Stryder (Saoirse Ronan), a tough-willed fighter and sister to a younger brother after their father killed himself in the early stages of their coming. However, when she's cornered by the Seekers, she kills herself - only to awake to find a soul is now in her body.

But Melanie is a fighter - and soon there is a conflict within the body for control. And that conflict has implications for what's left of humanity....

So, is The Host movie any good?

Well, if you can get past some of the soapy teen / slightly horrific love story contained inevitably within Host author Stephenie Meyer's writing, then there lies an interesting sci-fi movie cum meditation / philosophical piece on the soul and how we see our place in the world.

Kiwi Director Andrew Niccol's brought us a sterile world which is all starched whites, sheens, silvers and where the bad guys drive pristine silver Lotus while pursuing the bad guys. He's also managed to make some incredible use of the landscape scenery on offer - with the wilds of the countryside and the stark harshness of the buildings occupied by the invaders providing a nice contrast to each other.

But he's also managed to stick to some clunky dialogue, so redolent of Meyer's writing. Lines like "When you touch me, I don't want you to stop" litter parts of the movie and drag it down a little as it plays out. Why those couldn't be jettisoned I'm not too sure - even though it's young adult, and aimed at an audience, they still stand out a mile off.


Saoirse Ronan manages an evocative turn, eliciting an ethereal otherworldly feel at times as this dissertation on the soul and faith goes on. She even succeeds in scenes of interacting with herself as Melanie within comes to the fore (achieved by an echoing voice-over) which teeters just on the right side of not managing to be annoying / awkward. However, her male counterparts / love interests don't fare quite as well, seeming relatively anodyne and bland as the love story plays out. Diane Kruger brings an almost Terminator-like doggedness in her pursuit of the Melanie / Host hybrid, while William Hurt has a quiet reverence as the man in charge of the freedom fighters.

There's a haunting and elegaic feel to The Host movie, and it's certainly one which evokes feelings within as it ends - but there's also a bit of confusion over some of the characters' motives (even the final explanations still provide a touch of "Huh?") which nag during the film's quieter moments. This is not an alien invasion film with heaps of action and chases; in fact, it's the very opposite - a grown up meditation of the spiritual, which has moments of serenity within - despite a quite ludicrous love story being wrapped around an occasionally logic-lacking tale.

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God of War: Ascension: PS3 Review

God of War: Ascension: PS3 Review

Platform: PS3
Released by Sony Computer Entertainment

Kratos is back.

And he's as angry as ever.

This latest release in the God of War series is a prequel to all that has gone before for the whitened Spartan but is also an evolution with the addition of the multiplayer option. But, let's not get ahead of ourselves just yet, in case we get smacked down by the Blades of Fury.

I have to confess - as I did when I took some to time to preview God Of War: Ascension - that the God Of War series was not one which I'd played a lot prior to this latest release. But based on the single player campaign (which some critics have claimed is not as good as previous releases) I'd be willing to dabble my skull smashing sword into others.

Giving Kratos more of a back story and torturing him with three Furies, the stage is set high within the realms of an alternative Greek mythology. It starts with Kratos bound and chained by all his limbs in part of a coliseum in some kind of prison area. Taunted by a tentacled Fury (like a spider thing with stacks of legs slashing at Kratos), you're thrown straight into the game as the Furies make their presence known to Kratos. Swirling cameras and panoramic shots give you the feel of the arena - and it's huge. Immediately, it's upto you to sway and avoid the slash attacks, and by gradually mastering these moves, Kratos becomes freed. From there on, it's up to you as Kratos to hack and slash away at hordes of baddies as you try to escape from the Prison of the Damned and get back at the creature which imprisoned you in the first place and reclaim your sanity, which has been sorely shaken by Ares.

Visually, God of War: Ascension is nothing short of epic and gory as hell.

From twisting turning corridors, to walls being torn asunder as you try to negotiate them, it's got it all. In terms of the combat moves and the visuals, there's seamless integration of the various slashing moves as well as the additions of a few new tricks up Kratos' sleeves. As you attack the creatures heading your way, you build up what is in your Rage meter by combo attacks (with grading going on similar to what was recently seen in Devil May Cry). This fuelling up leads to unleashing of new attacks from Kratos himself and is a cool touch as opposed to having to wait to find a power up point in a level or purchase new powers as the game level concludes. It's also a great incentive to beat the stuffing out of anything which comes your way. Powering up via red orbs, collecting health power ups and magic, there's plenty of incentive to build up the beefcake's arsenal and a good reason to generally increase the fighting skills on offer.

Kratos' fighting prowess is also seamless - from grappling, grabbing and generally getting hands on with his enemies, there are some bloody pay-offs with heads being ripped off and kills showing off the gore quotient. It's the first half which is more of a hack and slash game, as you muscle your way through, take on rafts of enemies and kill everything in your way. After a showdown with an Oracle, you end up receiving an amulet of  Uroborus, which changes the dynamic of the game somewhat.

This magical talisman gives you the chance to decay or repair objects, which leads to a series of puzzles being thrown up in your way as you negotiate the final levels of the game. It's a welcome breather from the frenzied fighting but it is one which you will need your thinking cap for. Solutions, once they present themselves are obvious but they take a little time to get there - and it can lead to a bit of a frustrating ride.

While the single player campaign is good, it's the multiplayer option which really adds a new welcome element to the God Of War franchise. Heading online you get to take part in a series of online challenges, teaming up with buddies or unknowns - and it's a lot of fun as you race around trying to complete your quests, curry favour with the gods and generally killing for points. Modes are Team Favour of the Gods, Capture the Flag, Trial of the Gods and a every man for himself Match of Champions. There's certainly a lot of fun to be had taking part in the multiplayer online co-op and it really does mean that if you're stuck scratching your head trying to solve a problem, you've got a chance to vent some of that frustration by cracking some skulls.

Overall, God of War: Ascension  is hellishly enjoyable - it mashes together the best of the mythology that so captivated my uni years and pulls together a range of gameplay which is engaging, enthralling, gory and a bloody good time.

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G.I. Joe Retaliation: Movie Review

G.I. Joe Retaliation: Movie Review

Cast: Dwayne Johnson, Bruce Willis, Channing Tatum, Jonathan Pryce, Adrianne Palicki, Ray Park, Arnold Vosloo
Director: Jon M Chu

The GI Joes are back in this film, which has been slightly delayed by 9 months in arriving on our screens.

When the GI Joes are tasked with getting back a nuclear weapon by the US President, they find themselves thrown into a conspiracy when they're framed for crimes against the country.

As their mortal enemies Cobra try to take advantage of the power hole, it's up to Roadblock (Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson) and his team of two surviving Joes to expose the conspiracy, save the day and the world...

GI Joe 2: Retaliation is all guns, gadgets and gung-ho. As you'd perhaps expect from a film based on a toy franchise....

And yet, the first half of GI Joe 2 is a great mix of seriousness and excellently put together action sequences. One such set piece, atop mountains and scaling Himalyan cliff faces, is simply one of the best bits of choreographed kick-ass fight scenes committed to celluloid in a long time. Director Chu uses the 3D so cleverly during it that you get a real scale and sense of depth as it plays out its thrilling premise and set piece.

But, that's the thing with this film - for the most part, with good solid characters, bad guys a-plenty and blockbuster thrills, it really does up its game and give you a damn entertaining popcorn treat.

Which is why it's a real shame to note that in the last 30 minutes, the goofiness and cheesy one liners which have been so absent from the start, are thrown willy-nilly into the mix amid a hail of bullets and explosions as a new Hasbro line of GI Joe action vehicles are launched into the collective cinema conscience. Well, what would you expect from a film where the characters are lumbered with such monikers as Roadblock, Lady Jaye, Snake Eyes and Zartan?

Dwayne Johnson does ok as Roadblock - he desperately needs a foil as his early scenes with Channing Tatum show - and even when Bruce Willis as General Joe is introduced into the piece later on, the pair is not given enough scenes together to build on the initial banter and humour in amongst all the quasi-seriousness on display. Jonathan Pryce has a whale of a time playing a bad president, letting loose quips and comments like :"You know what the best thing about being President is? I get to blow things up." His best line though is a stinging put down of Fox News, telling a dolled up Friday Night Lights' star Adrianne Palicki, who's claiming to be a reporter from there, that is "why you look so fair and balanced."

Characterisation is secondary to the action in G.I. Joe Retaliation - and once you're willing to sacrifice that and go with the action, then this piece of high class hokum with its first rate action sequences will keep the big kid in you entertained for a couple of hours.

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Capcom Arcade Cabinet: Pack 2 PS3 Game Review

Capcom Arcade Cabinet: Pack 2 PS3 Game Review

Released by Capcom
Platform: PS3

There's a school of thought which says that the old ways are still the best ways.

This could be the case with Capcom, who celebrate their 30th anniversary this year. Rather than resting on their laurels, the company is moving forward and giving us a nostalgic look back at how so many of us so tragically lost so much of our money in our younger days - on their arcade machines...

The Capcom Arcade Cabinet is out now to download from the PlayStation network store and every couple of months, we get a retro blast from the past with a batch of some of the old school games.

One of the latest to be unveiled for a relative pittance is Pack 2, which includes a game which decimated my savings and destroyed my gaming prowess - Ghosts'n'Goblins. (Also released in the pack are Gunsmoke and Section Z)

The thing with these releases is that basically they transport you back to that fevered time when an arcade hall was a heady mix of fizzy drinks, bags of lollies and freshly minted body odour. While these games (thankfully) do not offer that experience, they are extremely faithful ports of the originals - right down to their game play.

From the moment G'n'G began, I was taken back and could remember the places I'd died as I tried to kill zombies and rescue the princess. Graphically they accurately recreate the games and don't stray from the original format. Initially that'd be a frustration given that you are still prone to dying in the exact same spots, but given they come with a casual mode (ie easier) and don't require any cash, endless play is a joy.

It's perhaps frustrating there is no midway save in the middle and each time you turn off you have to start all over again, but this is to be expected, given how faithful they are. And when could you ever save anything on the arcades when you were out there?

If you're after a nostalgic blast from the past and some side scrolling action, then the Capcom Arcade Cabinet is a fun way to relive your past. Essentially bubblegum gaming and one that's more fun for now than fun for a long, long time, the one real saving grace is that you pay once only for the game, rather than pumping aeons of loose change into a machine as you did back in the 1980s.

With the likes of 1942 and Commando due in further DLC releases, you've pretty much got the whole Capcom back catalogue wrapped up - and that's no bad thing at all.

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The Wolverine Trailer is here

The Wolverine Trailer is here

Here's your first look at the brand new Wolverine Trailer.

Well, sort of.

Director James Mangold's released a 7 second tease of the full Wolverine trailer which is due to debut tomorrow.

And there's also a brand new The Wolverine poster out as well.

Come back tomorrow for the brand new full length The Wolverine trailer.

Brand new World War Z trailer

Brand new World War Z trailer

Fans of zombies - that's you The Walking Dead fans - and fans of Brad Pitt will rejoice at the news there's a new trailer for World War Z which has just dropped.

Watch the brand new World War Z trailer here.