The Last of Us: PS3 Review

The Last of Us: PS3 Review

Released by Sony Computer Entertainment
Platform: PS3

To say Naughty Dog's latest title, The Last Of Us is the most anticipated title of the year is a massive understatement.

I've had preview time with the game, played beta levels and generally done everything I can with what's been around on this third person horror survival game. So it's fair to say that I thought I was prepared for everything with this game.

I was wrong.

In The Last Of Us, you take the role of Joel, a survivor fighting to get through day by day on an Earth which has been ravaged by the arrival of a parasitic fungus which has wiped out most human life. Any survivors who have been touched by the plant's spores have been turned into mindless killers and zombies whose one desire is to tear you apart. Or in the worst case of infection, they've become clickers, creatures whose heightened sense of sound means they use some kind of sonar to track you down - and then tear you apart.

As we start the game, the introduction sets things up nicely - in a way which is truly unforgettable. To say this game is harrowing is to sell it short. What it also manages to do is to grip you right from the very beginning of the title screens.

Cue 20 years later, and Joel's still trying to eek out an existence within the wastelands - slightly bitter, slightly mercenary but completely vulnerable bad ass, he's a gun for hire in some ways. Joel's approached to help get a fourteen year old girl, Ellie to safety across the quarantine zones and out of harm's way. So begins a major trek, which is not without danger, across parts of America. Infected humans, clickers (who use sound to track you) and fearsome human fighters all present dangers to your journey - and each choice comes with a consequence.

The Last Of Us is utterly compelling gaming - Naughty Dog's thrown together a story which is gripping, emotional and horrific as well as adding in gameplay which builds on those layers.  As you head through the various landscapes, there's plenty to keep you occupied; whether it's collecting bits and bobs to arm yourself or sneaking around trying to avoid runners and clickers, or taking in the stupendously apocalyptic scenery that Naughty Dog's created, there's a lot to do within the world.

Time needs to be spent collecting as well - whether it's to craft weapons to shiv the Clickers or improve on your rucksack space, you have to take some time to understand the skill levels of the game if you're to survive. Likewise, deciding whether fight or flight are the best motives are a key part to surviving after the apocalypse; and it's a smart person who knows when to run. Similarly if you're being pursued, spending time scavenging and looking for equipment and weapons is probably not the best strategy

Occasionally though, you can't wander as far as perhaps you would like with trees and bushes which would suggest depth actually proffering you a wall; and it's a frustration. There are a few of these moments through the game - sometimes, the Ellie AI means she gets in your way, enemies can be right on top of you without seeing you when you're in stealth mode (which is just unrealistic) and on a couple of occasions, runners I've been fighting have simply disappeared from the screen.

All in all though, these are very minor niggles in a game which truly raises the bar for what to expect from a deeply immersive and truly emotional experience. Playing The Last Of Us has left me drained - be it from the suspense of what's going on or emotionally because of the story. A developing relationship between Ellie and Joel is the real hook to this - and the real reason you will invest hours of your life in front of the console. Naughty Dog have put a lot of effort into the emotion and it really does pay off in great swathes as you power on through the wastelands of America.

I'm loathe to give away any spoilers on this game - as with any great film, the twists and turns are the narrative drawstrings which anchor this as something unique and original. But the elements of surprise in this game mean you shouldn't know anything more than the basics before you go in - strategies and hints will be discussed as will the places for collectibles, but the thrill of The Last Of Us is watching the cinematic feel unfurl before you.

The Last Of Us is an incredible experience on PS3. Grim, gritty, graphic, gruesome but never anything less than gripping throughout, it's delivered everything and more that it initially promised in its demos and within its concept art. It's one of the last great titles on the PlayStation 3 and if you're serious about gaming as an experience, it's one you simply cannot afford to be without.

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The Guilt Trip: Blu Ray Review

The Guilt Trip: Blu Ray Review

Rating: M
Released by Universal Home Entertainment

From the director of Step Up, The Proposal and 27 Dresses comes this road trip film featuring Barbara Streisand and Seth Rogen, who executive produced. Rogen is Andy Brewster, an inventor, who's created an environmentally friendly cleaning product and is about to embark on a series of pitches across America. When he calls in on his over protective mother Joyce (Streisand who was nominated for a Razzie for this) prior to the sales campaign, a moment of family revelation and a degree of guilt compel him to ask her along for the 8,000 km drive.

That's despite the irritant nagging and excessive worrying about his love-life.

So, in true road trip style, the pair set off on a voyage of (predictable) discovery with (inevitable) life changing repercussions.

The Guilt Trip is a road movie that's supposed to be comedy and drama. And unfortunately, it ends up being neither really. Low on comedy, the vehicle manages more middle of the road, pleasantly predictable bickering and squabbling telemovie of the week which is likely to see you (potentially) diving for the phone after and calling your own mum and realising that in amongst all the nagging over the years, she really does love you.

Rogen is downbeat to Streisand's pitched nagging (and unfortunately, she grates so much within the first 10 minutes, she becomes irritating) and whilst there are moments when the pair come to life (notably nearer the end, there just aren't enough of them throughout the 95 minutes of film.

Very minor interactions with a supporting cast don't add much to the mix or improve the dynamic between the main duo and whilst it's all perfectly watchable, it's simply nothing more than that. Which is a real shame, because as the credits roll, there are a series of improvised riffs within the car that are funnier than anything in the rest of what's gone prior.

A disappointing script leaves a real sense of what could have been for The Guilt Trip movie - and while Rogen and Streisand gel well together and have a reasonably realistic dynamic, the tank runs empty way too early, leaving you wishing this road trip had been canned.

Extras: Deleted scenes, a few minor bits and pieces

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Before Midnight: Movie Review

Before Midnight: Movie Review

Cast: Ethan Hawke, Julie Delpy, Seamus Davey-Fitzpatrick, Ariane Labed
Director: Richard Linklater

18 years ago, a film made romantics everywhere swoon.

The nearly a decade after Before Sunrise, came the sequel - and once again, hearts were a-flutter with the film Before Sunset when the duo of Jesse and Celine finally made it.

Now, we rejoin them some 9 years later for the conclusion of the trilogy and finding that happily ever after never quite works as well as it should. It starts with Ethan Hawke's slightly older Jesse bidding farewell to his son at an airport, before joining the love of his life Celine (Julie Delpy) for the final days of their summer writing vacation in Greece.

With two young daughters, both are happy but are approaching a crossroads in their cosy life. Jesse's finding the departure from his son a lot more emotionally draining than before and it leaves him contemplating packing their lives up in France and relocating to America.

However, that nagging thought soon becomes a widening chasm between the pair...

Before Midnight is an effortless conclusion to the trilogy which has now spanned some two decades.

Linklater, Hawke and Delpy know we are all invested on these characters so we don't have to reassociare ourselves with them; nor do they have to bother with back story, choosing to fill in the gap from the last film with throaway lines, glances and dialogue as opposed to exposition.

But it's the film-making which also shines brilliantly here; long, swooping uninterrupted tracking shots follow Delpy and Hawke as they take a walk / drive and they build an intimicacy and comfort with the pair which is hard to deny.

The dialogue and situations which arise and escalate from their sojourn on the Greek isle are all simply handled for maximum effect: a talk about the future which begins amorously soon builds to an horrific row which feels all too realistic and relatable. Some times they are on the same page, other times poles apart.

Theoretical discussions sit alongside juxtapositions of beautiful sunsets and it's all so easy to get lost in as these rambling raconteurs and romantics lose themselves on bouts of verbal jousting or heart to heart moments. Sure, Hawke and Delpy may be a little older and greyer but they've lost none of the cinematic charm which has found this couple so ingrained on our psyche and make them feel so real.

Before Midnight is a superb closing chapter; a wonderfully poignant and truthful rumination on life, death and most importantly, love. It's cinema to rhapsodize to, art to fall in love with and an experience to be treasured.

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Safe Haven: DVD Review

Safe Haven: DVD Review

Rating: M
Released by Roadshow Home Ent

In the latest weepie to hit the cinema and to prove the chagrin to all self respecting partners worldwide, Josh Duhamel stars as Alex, a widower with two kids who lost his wife to cancer. Alex runs a store in the quiet sleepy coastal town of Southport, which is in the middle of nowhere.

Into his life comes the blond Katie, (Julianne Hough) a mysterious young woman who wants to start life anew. But Katie has a secret and is unwilling to open up to anyone, preferring to keep to herself and stow her past away. Gradually though, she forms a bond with Alex and his two kids which blossoms into love. Until Katie's dark sercret from her murky past threatens their future happiness...

The movie Safe Haven is formulaic Nicholas Sparks drama. It ticks all of the boxes that you'd expect from the 8th adaptation from his batch of books. Scene in the rain? Check. Gooey romantic mush set to middle of the road music? Also, check. Cute kids, one who's for the new prospective love interest and the other who's against? Also, check again. Snatched looks between two people clearly meant for each other, despite adversity and who let down their guard to fall hopelessly in love? Again, check and you've got a full house from the Sparks' world of cliche and formulaic.

Vulnerable Duhamel and blonde quivery-lipped Hough have an easy affability to their characters, but there's little sizzle between the pair of them on screen. David Lyons plays the cop looking for Katie, and makes a reasonable fist of his baddie despite the OTT blaring of nasty soundtrack and attack of the sweats every time he's on screen.How I Met Your Mother's Cobie Smulderscomes away relatively unscathed as Katie's best friend in Southport.

If you lower your expectations going into this on a date night, then perhaps you won't be surprised by what plays out. But, to everyone else, this predictable mix of the relatively bland and inoffensive drama will set their teeth on end as it plays out in true romantic drama fashion - and it's a relative carbon copy of Sleeping With The Enemy in many ways too.

Until the final few minutes, which throws in a twist which is worthy of a certain Bruce Willis movie, and which is totally out of left-field and makes no sense whatsoever, no matter how good looking the main cast are.

Ultimately Safe Haven is by the numbers, pleasantly inoffensive and gentle enough to hook in some. It's not as mushy as some previous fare, but it doesn't offer any real surprises.

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Hitchcock: Blu Ray Review

Hitchcock: Blu Ray Review

Rating: M
Released by 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment

The list of Hitchcock's influence is as long and wide as his jowls. From Psycho, North by Northwest to The Birds, Vertigo, Rear Window, the list goes on and on.

This latest release details his struggles to get Psycho made, following the success of North by Northwest and is a light and frothy affair, which is based on Stephen Rebello's non-fiction book, Alfred Hitchcock and the Making of Psycho.

Anthony Hopkins dons the prosthetics and curls out his bottom lip to play the portly master of suspense in this film, set in 1959, which finds Hitch mulling over which project to take on, following the major success of "North by Northwest" and stung by a reporter asking him when he plans to retire.

Various proposals come his way - including Casino Royale - but taken by a novel Psycho by Robert Bloch (and about killer Ed Gein), Hitchcock becomes obsessed with getting this project off the ground - despite the protestations of both the studio and his wife Alma Reville (wonderfully portrayed with richness by Helen Mirren). But Hitch's a man on a mission - and he starts to risk it all by taking on this project. From mortgaging his house to self finance the flick and dealing with the censors, it begins to push their relationship to the absolute breaking point.

Coupled with starting to see Gein and suspecting Alma of an affair, the making of Psycho could be the unravelling of Hitchcock's hitherto charmed life.

Hitchcock is a knockabout film in parts which is potentially more suited to a telemovie. Thankfully, some wonderful character performances elevate it from the level of the small screen; firstly, Helen Mirren, whose portrayal and portrait of a woman behind the man is nothing short of compelling, rich and watchable from the get go. How she never received some form of recognition beyond a BAFTA nomination for this is incredulous.

Anthony Hopkins is, in all honesty, a mixed bag in terms of his portrayal of Hitchcock. There are moments when he's spot on with the role, working under a prosthetic face and an enhanced girth. And certainly, there are times when he has the trademark pout spot on.

But then there are others when Hitchcock sounds like a curious mix of cockney Michael Caine put through a Welsh burr and mixed in with a fat suit. It's an extraordinarily odd sense of the man and at times, the make up and vocals become distracting. However, in encapsulating Hitch's more lecherous side, his obsessive compulsions and his propensity towards his leading ladies, Hopkins gives a never less than rounded portrait and insight into what propelled the man. All in all, Hitchcock is an entertaining, if occasionally forgettable, piece which will have you turning off the movie at the end and seeking out Psycho to rewatch - as well as some of Hitch's other fare. Which is no bad thing at all.

Extras: A solid bunch including behind the scenes on the make up, commentary and a public service announcement

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Paranorman: DVD Review

Paranorman: DVD Review

Rating: PG
Released by Universal Home Entertainment

He sees dead people - everywhere.

We've been here before, haven't we?

In  this stop motion animated film, Norman (Kodi Smit-McPhee) is an outsider in his home town of Blithe Hollow; a zombie lover, bullied by his classmates and mocked by his family for claims he can see the dead, he's an odd solitary figure in the world.

But one day, Norman finds a friend in fellow bully victim and fat kid, Neil (Tucker Albrizzi). Which is a good thing because shortly after that, Norman's eccentric uncle tells him that he holds the key to saving the day and must perform an annual ritual to stop the dead from rising due to a curse laid down by a witch centuries ago. However, when the ritual doesn't go to plan, Norman has to convince everyone that his zombie obsession is real and that if they don't help him, it could be game over for Blithe Hollow...

Paranorman is a macabre animated treat which makes the best of a slightly lacking story by throwing in some truly undead animation. Purples and vibrant yellows pack out the screen towards the end and give a suitably spooky glow to the proceedings which get a little dark and frightening towards the end.

With hints of The Crucible and a tragic story of sadness, it's certainly enough to stand out from the usual animated fare but also wise enough to throw in a few great sight gags here and there. From the mocking of Norman's zombie obsession to the mafiosa ghost haunting the streets with his feet encased in concrete, this is a film which is reverential and respectful of the genres which have inspired it. Even the heroes of the piece, the jock, the cheerleader, the nerd, the fat kid and the bully are stock stereotypes from the splatter films of yore, but by putting a fresh spin on them,Paranorman doesn't rely on cheap gags and simplistic shocks as the dialled down story plays out. A great sight gag involving a certain hockey mask is cleverly executed as this skewed Grimm fairy tale rolls on.

Paranorman is a little something different for the animated holiday fare - it should have been released nearer Hallowe'en as it has that creepy feel - but at its heart, it's a sad story which just may touch you in ways you hadn't quite been expecting.

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Flight: DVD Review

Flight: DVD Review

Rating: M
Released by Universal Home Entertainment

Director Robert Zemeckis returns to his first live action film since Castaway back in 2000.In this, which saw Denzel Washington nominated for an Oscar, Denzel plays alcoholic and addicted pilot, Captain Whip Whitaker. When we first meet him, he's waking up from a heavy night of booze, drugs and sex with cabin crew member Katerina Marquez (Nadia Velazquez). Due to fly a little later that morning, Whip does a line of cocaine to remain centred before boarding his flight to Atlanta.

However, after some quite rough turbulence on take off, things seem to be going okay. That is until some time into the flight when the plane suddenly begins to nose dive. With equipment failing and his co-pilot beginning to panic, Whip has no choice but to flip the plane upside down and try and land it. But he can't completely save the day and the plane crashes in a field, killing six of the 102 onboard.

When Whip comes around in hospital, he finds an investigation into what went wrong is underway - and he realises, that despite the plane potentially being at fault, his addiction could squarely come into the spotlight and the blame could land on his shoulders....

Flight is an utterly compelling and non-showy portrait of addiction. It's also Denzel's film from beginning to end - with a side of chilling plane crash to put you off flying forever. Washington has everything down pat, from a captain reassuring his passengers that everything will be ok while lacing an orange juice with 2 mini bottles of vodka to a scene in a hotel where a mini bar offers temptation and salvation in equal measures, and defies your expectations, it's a performance which is airborne from the minute it begins and stays at a stellar height all the way through, while carefully negotiating the line of agony for his character and anger at his actions. But it's also the slow burn of the story which grips as it begins to play towards its horrifying and perhaps inevitable conclusion as Whip's web of denial begins to wind around him, choking him with the truth of what will have to happen. Zemeckis uses the time to build up scenes thanks to precision direction and a great leading man and the effect is mesmerisingly good. (The aforementioned mini-bar sequence shows how he's great at taking a scene, extending it out a little and never losing you in the final outcome - although the final sequence reeks of Hollywood cliche and while watchable, feels a little forced given the way the story's gone)

All in all, Flight stands on a towering performance from Washington's portrait of addiction - he's rightly been nominated for an Oscar (after all, Academy loves issues) but it's also a compelling story which avoids outright pity and simply dumps its hero in a situation where he has to take control of his life as it tells a fairly common Hollywood story of detox and life turn-around, but one which is definitely worth boarding.

Extras: Anatomy of a crash scene
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