New Anchorman 2 trailers arrive

New Anchorman 2 trailers arrive

Two new Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues trailers have dropped today.

Will Ferrell returns as Ron Burgundy in this latest, which is due to drop on December the 19th.

Watch the brand new Anchorman 2 trailers below

Byzantium: Blu Ray Review

Byzantium: Blu Ray Review

Rating: R16
Released by Vendetta Films

This latest, from Interview with the Vampire director Neil Jordan, relocates to Britain's coastal towns and follows a mother / daughter duo of Clara (a rather buxom Gemma Arterton) and Eleanor (Saoirse Ronan) as they negotiate life. The nomadic duo is constantly on the run or never close to settling down thanks to something jeopardising their new lives; and when the pair end up being forced to leave another town and on the run, they fall into a disused hotel, Byzantium, run by grieving son Noel (Daniel Mays).

Before too long, Clara's turned the hotel into a brothel (a mother's got to provide, right?) and Eleanor's fallen for ailing teenager Frank (Caleb Landry-Jones) and has revealed a little more of their past to him than perhaps Clara would have liked.
However, with forces catching up with them, the duo face the possibility of facing fate once and for all - or moving on once again and facing damnation throughout their eternal life.

Byzantium is a different vampire film than what we've come to expect on a diet of True Blood and Twilight.  Jordan's crafted a piece which is sombre, moody and atmospheric as it weaves back and forth into Clara's past. Arterton and Ronan are great as their characters and present a real contrast to each other; Arterton delights in company as opposed to Ronan's ethereal loner. (She seems to be delighting in these character roles). It's their relationship which is central to the story and which proves to be affecting and engaging as this tale of the damnation of an eternal existence plays out.

Visually, there are some arresting images as well - such as waterfalls turning red with blood after a vampire is created and Jordan gives these killers an extended fingernail to kill rather than the traditional fangs but these moments are somewhat lost in the second half of the film. All in all though, Byzantium is a commendable and occasionally fresh take on a genre which has been drained of originality over the years.

Rating:

Fast and Furious 6: Blu Ray Review

Fast and Furious 6: Blu Ray Review

Rating: M
Released by Universal Home Entertainment

Last time, if you remember in Fast Five, the gang had carried off one last heist and were taking it easy, despite being scattered around the world and living on the run. But, despite the so-called quiet life, Vin Diesel's Toretto is visited by Agent Hobbs (walking musclemanDwayne Johnson) who enlists his help to bring down a criminal mastermind, Shaw (played with relative lack of screen presence by Luke Evans).

The hook this time, though, is that Dom Toretto (gravelly-voiced muscle-head Vin Diesel) finds out that his one time girlfriend Letty (Michelle Rodriguez) is still alive - despite being killed off earlier on in the series.....

Furious 6 (to give it its onscreen title name) is exactly what you'd expect from the car-racing series - pumping OST, fast cars and lots of racing scenes. This time though, it's less car-mageddon than you may be expecting. And unfortunately, despite the quality increase of Fast Five, which had some cool stunts and a not too insufferable storyline, this one's hardly off the starting blocks. Posturing machismo, po-faced and for the most part straight-laced, Furious 6 is a bit of a formulaic racing romp with a story that's predictable and almost laughable in places. Granted, you're not expecting Shakespearean tragedy and quality acting from this series, you're after breakneck speed racing and stunts that make you gasp and gravitate to the edge of your seat. The actors give their all despite never really facing any definite peril and the series is to be praised for continually using strong action women (aside from Jordana Brewster, who's literally left holding the baby)

This time round, despite setting the predominance of the film in London (which begs the question how can these cars speed around the capital's central roads? Every time I've ever been there's a degree of congestion) and utilising the environment to the best of its ability, the whole thing's a bit of a damp squib. One final twist in the tale delivers the ultimate punch and sets up yet more of these films - but unless the producers of this series come up with something exciting next time rather than running on half-empty plot ideas, it's to be hoped thatFast and the Furious franchise is going to be taken to the junkyard and scrapped.

Extras: 50 minutes of behind the scenes footage

Rating:

17 Minutes of Batman Arkham Origins revealed

17 Minutes of Batman Arkham Origins revealed

Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment today has unveiled a comprehensive 17 minute gameplay walkthrough video for Batman™: Arkham Origins.

The Batman: Arkham Origins Official 17 Minute Gameplay walkthrough video features Senior Producer Ben Mattes and Gameplay Director Michael McIntyre at WB Games Montréal as they guide viewers through the mechanics of the new title, highlighting the game’s deep combat system and engrossing narrative. Over the span of 17 minutes, you’ll see the Dark Knight explore the Batcave, beat down on thugs and infiltrate a corrupt Gotham City Police Department

Developed by WB Games Montréal, Batman: Arkham Origins is based on DC Comics’ core Batman license and features an expanded Gotham City and introduces an original prequel storyline set several years before the events of Batman: Arkham Asylum and Batman: Arkham City.  Taking place before the rise of Gotham City’s most dangerous criminals, the game showcases a young and unrefined Batman as he faces a defining moment in his early career as a crime fighter that sets his path to becoming the Dark Knight. As the story unfolds, players will meet many important characters for the first time and forge key relationships. 

Batman: Arkham Origins is the next installment in the blockbuster Batman: Arkham videogame franchise and will be available for the PS3™, Xbox 360®, the Wii U™ system, and Windows PC.  Batman: Arkham Origins Blackgate™, the handheld version developed by Armature Studio, will be available for PlayStation®Vita handheld entertainment system and the Nintendo 3DS™ handheld system.  The games will release on all platforms worldwide beginning Oct. 25, 2013.  Batman: Arkham Origins free-to-play mobile game is available now in the Apple App Store for iPad, iPhone and iPod. 

http://newstalkzb.co.nz/auckland/player/ondemand/1270342631-darren-bevan-at-the-movies--prisoners

FIFA 14 - PS3 Review

FIFA 14 - PS3 Review

Released by EA Games
Platform: PS3

The beautiful game has been a relatively hit and miss affair on the PlayStation over the years.

Every time it's come close to winning, some features have helped it score an own goal. So it's good to report that the latest FIFA 14 is not a game of two halves. Well, it is literally, but not metaphorically.

It's a FIFA title so you know what to expect from the sports sim- it's a game of football, of teams and giants and one of players, stamina and skill. Whether it's one on one or with friends, the game of soccer's always been a fun affair on the PlayStation even if there have been some frustrations.

From the start up of the game, there is the feeling this latest is more of a polished affair, with player experience being the main thrust of it. Firstly, the game is a lot easier to play, with animation of the players feeling a lot smoother and more liquid. From kick-off to trying to attempt to score, there's a realism which sucks you into the action.

Granted, the commentary for the most part works well - though there is the odd repetition and slightly generic feel when not much is going on. But for the majority of the game, those corny smooth talkers will keep you entertained as you try and match your wits on the pitch.

There doesn't feel like there's been too much messing around with the game's engine; it's still about passing the ball, creating the opportunities and taking the moment to belt one past the keeper. But it's the flow of the on the pitch action which keeps this title hurtling along. Shooting squarely on still takes a level of skill, but equally as much can go wrong as can go right. Career, seasons and online modes are on offer, as well as the chance to train on the pitch to improve your game and a single match if you fancy a game against the AI or a mate; there's a refined feel to the end result which captures something in the sports sim which has been lacking for a while - class and sophistication.

All in all, FIFA14 doesn't exactly redefine the sports simulator - but for an annual release, it certainly brings a level of fun and addiction to the game - with the chances to relive those golden and disastrous moments with replays, there's certainly more than enough to keep the die hard footy fan involved. And even newbies will garner a taste for the on the pitch action.

Rating:

The Call: Blu Ray Review

The Call: Blu Ray Review

Rating: R16
Released by Roadshow Home Ent

Halle Berry stars as an American 911 call centre operator Jordan in this thriller.

When she receives a call from kidnapped teenage girl Casey (Little Miss Sunshine's Abigail Breslin), she finds herself in a race against time to try and do what she can to save the day. But she gradually realises this kidnapping has some chilling parallels to another call she took in the past.

The Call is a relatively thrilling idea, well-executed to start off with, even if it does lapse into predictable moments of tension. Berry plays Jordan with steely eyed conviction, despite the story throwing in the usual twists and turns.

That's the thing with The Call - it's ultimately doing exactly what you'd expect it to do and offering up no real surprises to anyone who's seen these type of movies before. Plus when Jordan's sent home from the call centre and begins to investigate herself, the film loses what credibility it actually had and becomes a routine horror thriller which is a real shame as it destroys what tension it had originally set up.

Extras: Deleted and extended scenes

Rating: