Metro Last Light: PS3 Review

Metro Last Light: PS3 Review

Released by Deep Silver
Platform: PS3

First person shooter Metro Last Light is proving already to be very popular. It's outselling a whole heap of other titles worldwide and it's easy to see why.

The sequel to Metro 2033, which is based on a book by Dmitry Glukhovsky, it's based in a post-apocalyptic world, where a band of survivors is trying to get by in the ruins of Moscow and from the tunnels of the Metro. You take on the character of Artyom, who's determined to kill off the Dark One which survived the missile attack at the end of Metro 2033. Sent to the surface by the rebels' leader, Artyom must negotiate the perils of the outside world and a conspiracy and power struggle.

Graphically impressive, there's a degree of claustrophobia and a fair few jumps in this latest game, which mixes post war terrors with effective chills. Exploring outside as Artyom, you have to be on your toes all the time as creatures and perils present themselves without any hint of warning - and it all takes time to ensure the weaponry is ready for firing. Every few minutes, Artyom gets to wipe his gas mask and re-assess where he's at. It's a realistic touch which brings you fully immersed into the world within. But it's not all blundering about trying to make your way which gives you the rewards you need.

Stealth, scavenging and creeping about yield the most reward and provide a deepening gameplay environment for you to enjoy - which is a bonus given that the whole thing is broken up by chapters which stutter and destroy the flow of the game. It's frustrating to say the least and even when you have to replay the moments, having to sit through that irritates more than anything else.

But it's just as well that the game itself is going to be nothing short of kryptonite for those who adore the first person shooter genre; you really get into the atmospherics thanks to the sounds and music and while the story's impressive, it's as an immersive experience where it scores the most.

All in all, Metro Last Light is a great title for the cold dark winter months - its post-apocalyptic feel adds much to the genre and make it more of an experience than a simple shoot everything in sight.

Rating:

First trailer for 300: Rise of An Empire is here

First trailer for 300: Rise of An Empire is here

This is Sparta.......

Well, more accurately, this is the first trailer for 300: Rise of an Empire which has just dropped.

The Greek general Themistocles battles an invading army of Persians under the mortal-turned-god, Xerxes.

NZ International Film Festival - 5 guests announced

NZ International Film Festival - 5 guests announced

NZIFF ANNOUNCES FIVE INTERNATIONAL GUESTS

The New Zealand International Film Festival today announced five further international guests to attend the Festival, along with a returning New Zealand filmmaker.

Denmark-based New Zealand director Daniel Borgman will attend the NZIFF screenings of his feature film The Weight of Elephants. The film premiered at the Berlinale in February and opened on general release in Denmark last week. The film tells the story of 11 year-old Adrian whose world is thrown into turmoil when three children in his small town disappear.

“Daniel Borgman’s evocation of a lonely boy’s misapprehensions about the world is extraordinarily vivid. His sensitive direction of the children provides exceptional insight into their world,” says NZIFF Director Bill Gosden.

NZIFF also announced that the following international filmmakers who will attend the festival:

Australian filmmakers Director Kim Mordaunt, Producer Sylvia Wilczynski and Executive Producer Bridget Ikin will be in New Zealand with their award-winning The Rocket. Mordaunt and Wilczynski will introduce Auckland and Wellington screenings.

Director Sean Baker, from the USA, will visit both Auckland and Wellington with his film Starlet about the unlikely friendship between an old and a young woman.

Maureen Gosling, co-Director of This Ain’t No Mouse Music!, will attend the Auckland and Wellington screenings of her film. The documentary tells the story of Chris Strachwitz, the guiding force behind legendary roots label Arhoolie Records.

The Festival has already announced American pro-snowboarder Kevin Pearce will attend the Auckland screenings of The Crash Reel, from director Lucy Walker. Italian prog-rock band Goblin will perform their iconic score to Dario Argento’s horror masterpiece, Suspiria, on Friday July 19 at The Civic in Auckland.

NZIFF will begin in Auckland (18 July – 4 August), open in Wellington one week later (26 July – 11 August), then Christchurch (1 – 18 August) and Dunedin (8 – 25 August) before continuing to travel around New Zealand screening in Gore, Palmerston North, Hamilton, Nelson, Tauranga, Masterton, Hawke’s Bay and New Plymouth.

NZIFF programmes will be available online and around town from June 25 in Auckland, and June 28 in Wellington. For Festival updates visit www.nziff.co.nz and register to receive e-newsletters

More films announced for NZ International Film Festival

More films announced for NZ International Film Festival

More good news for film fans this morning as further films are revealed from the upcoming New Zealand International Film Festival.

Further Film Announcements

The Weight of Elephants

New Zealand/Denmark 2013/87 mins/Censors rating tbc

Kiwi-born Daniel Joseph Borgman returns to NZ, after a string of successful Danish shorts, with this piercing insight into the world of children, centred on a lonely, imaginative 11-year-old boy’s search for friendship. 

Read more about The Weight of Elephants on our website.

The Source Family

USA 2012/98 mins/Censors rating tbc

A sobering and fascinating time capsule of 70s psychedelia and communal hippiedom, with those who lived through the psychedelia, the songs and the madness – all wrapped up with eye-popping home movies and insightful interviews.

Read more about The Source Family on our website.

William Yang: My Generation

Australia 2013/58 min/Censors rating tbc

William Yang presents his entertaining, affecting photographs of Sydney bohemia in the riotous 70s and 80s. “Fashion parades, art events, and wild, bohemian parties… a fascinating journey into a vibrant era.” — Time Out Sydney

Read more about William Yang: My Generation on our website.

Brand new The Wolverine trailer

Brand new The Wolverine trailer

Another brand new The Wolverine trailer's dropped with a nice intro from Hugh Jackman.

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 Hunt: Movie Review

The Hunt: Movie Review

Cast: Mads Mikkelsen, Annika Wedderkopp
Director: Thomas Vinterberg

Fresh from success at the New Zealand International Film Festival last year, Danish film The Hunt finally gets a release here.

It's the story of Lucas (Mikklesen in another award winning turn), a teacher, who leads a solitary life and is wrestling with the fall-out from a break up as he tries to get time with his son.

Living in a small knit Danish community, Lucas ends up working at a kindergarten to make ends meet - but that's where the trouble starts as he is accused by Klara (Wedderkopp) of exposing himself to her. With investigations into his conduct and alleged behaviour, the small community begins to slowly turn on him, with devastating emotional effects.

I'd heard dark things about The Hunt - about how it got unrelentingly bleak and so to be honest, I had been expecting the worst from this tale of kindergarten teacher Lucas whose life is irrevocably changed after one of the children in his charge lies and falsely tells his boss he's been sexually abusing them.

What I couldn't have been expecting is just how utterly compelling and totally claustrophobic, this latest film from the director of Festen, Thomas Vinterberg was going to be. It's no wonder Mikkelsen won the Best actor at Cannes this year for his portrayal of Lucas, the innocent man who's damned before his peers without any shred of evidence.

But what's winning about this film is how utterly plausible it is in places as it taps into the small minded community mentality and how non-hysterically it plays out. 

Mikkelsen and youngster Annika Wedderkopp (who plays Klara who makes the claim) are completely the stars of the piece thanks to underplayed, subtly sly and riveting performances. Sure, it's an old story and one which we've all seen shades of before, but it's these two actors who imbue their time on screen with such utter devotion that you can't help but be swept up by it - despite accusations of how it really could happen in this day and age.

Vinterberg also needs commendation for his directing and crafting of the tale - Lucas goes from being part of a gang of friends whose bond stretches years back to a haunted and vilified ghost of a man, whose (admittedly frustrating) refusal to totally refute the claims seems like madness. No doubt his self belief is what carries him through but as they say, it's darkest before the dawn, and Mikkelsen's subtle performance is a cinematic tour de force.

Similarly, Wedderkopp, a cute blond moppet (a direct contrast to Mikkelsen's frog like facials) plays a girl who doesn't understand the truth of her lie and who's caught up in a world she can't possibly understand. The scenes where she tells her mother that it didn't happen and her mother comes back telling her it did are gobsmackingly heart breaking and cut an emotional quick as well as hint at a reality of what could play out. Vinterberg's hit a fine form here and a few nerves as well (judging by the horrified yelp of one woman at the screening's ending during the Film Festival) and makes The Hunt as dark as anything you're likely to experience.

The Hunt is horrifyingly good, heart in the mouth drama that challenges but showcases acting genius and really does need to be seen up on the big screen while you have the chance.

Rating:

New The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug trailer is here

New The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug trailer is here

Good news this morning - the launch of the new Hobbit: Desolation of Smaug trailer....



  It comes after the reveal of a The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug poster.

Peter Jackson's unveiled a first look at The Desolation of Smaug - well, a first look at theposter for The Hobbit sequel anyway.

And it's been revealed The new teaser trailer for The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug will be unveiled this Tuesday, June 11th, at 10am PT

Benedict Cumberbatch is the voice of Smaug and it hits cinemas in December 2013.

So, wanting to fuel that fire even further, here's your first look at Bilbo in The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug...

The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug is due in cinemas in December 2013...

Here's a First look at the elf Tauriel.

The elf Tauriel played by Evangeline Lilly will appear in The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug.