Batman: Arkham Origins: PS3 Review

Batman: Arkham Origins: PS3 Review

Released by Warner Bros Montreal

Platform: PS3

The Bat is back.

One of the best games a couple of years ago was Batman: Arkham City. The combination of a good solid Batman story and some incredible combat action and graphics meant it was one of the most playable games for a while.

This time around though, the game’s been built by a different studio, so any perceived differences are ones wrought by studio creativity – this is a Warner Bros Montreal, prior games by Rocksteady Games.

Set five years before those two titles, Arkham Origins finds a younger Batman facing off against the Black Mask, a baddie who’s assigned eight assassins to take out Bats on a snowy night in Gotham City. It’s a heavy snowstorm which only really the bad guys and Batman seem to be able to glide through but it’s a nice different setting for the game and adds a bit more atmosphere to the whole shebang.

On the surface though, it’s pretty much the same game – there’s plenty of the old combat moves, the stealth skulking about and the villains. Even if these villains predate their actual mythological counterparts – so instead of Riddler, there’s E Nigma causing disruption for the Bat as he disrupts towers stopping Batman from flying around the night skies.  The Bat Cave is a little more impressive this time around as you get to fast travel to locations here and there once the towers have been released from their evil control.

Various assassins such as Deathstroke are to be taken down and these rely on you learning in your combat training rather than just simply mashing buttons and hoping for the best. While that’s a good thing, it can also lead to a level of frustration – a couple of hours was lost taking on Deathstroke at an underground lair and certainly left me feeling riled up with pent-up anger as I was beaten time and time again.

Outside of the missions, the side quests are good fun – tracking down data packs, tagging Anarky’s appearances around the city and generally taking on the thugs loitering on the streets. Combat works as before, with gradual moves building up to a cacophony of ballet-like smackdowns if you play it properly.

There’s a grittiness to this game which is impressive; and a level of playability which may initially appear reminiscent of what’s gone already but fondly reminded me why I utterly adored those two games. 

Complete with gadgets, such as a crime scene replicator, there’s plenty for Batman to do as he scoots around the skies and tackles the baddies. There’s certainly plenty of joy to be had hurtling around the air, looking at the horrors of the world below and exploring the world of Gotham City.

All in all, while Batman Arkham Origins may lack a degree of freshness, it’s a welcome return to the wonderful world of the Bat. Completely solid and challenging, it’s an impressive turn from Warner Bros Montreal and a good start – here’s hoping they develop more of the Batman series and add some of their own unique touches to the gameplay over the years to come.

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The Place Beyond The Pines: Blu Ray Review

The Place Beyond The Pines: Blu Ray Review

Rating: M
Released by Roadshow Home Ent

The Place Beyond the Pines sees Ryan Gosling once again with the director of Blue Valentine, Derek Cianfrance, who helped put him on the map. Gosling is Luke, a bleach blonde drifter and high-wire motorcycle performer who moves from town to town with a travelling carnival. He shares a connection with former lover Romina (an unglamorous Eva Mendes) but his world is turned upside down when he realises that she's had his son while he's been gone.

With a new family thrust upon him, Luke throws in the adoration of the crowds and the uncertain lifestyle of the carny to try and provide for them. But Romina believes he's unstable and despite Luke's efforts, rejects his push to provide. Working as a car mechanic, Luke's thrust into the world of crime by his boss (played by Animal Kingdom's Ben Mendelsohn) and takes part in a string of bank robberies. But that puts him on a direct collision course with cop Avery Cross (Bradley Cooper) and sees their lives intertwined in ways they could never imagine as the tale unfolds.

The Place Beyond The Pines is a film whose three rich narrative strands don't get pulled together until the final third - and when the realization comes, it's devastating. Beautifully shot, compellingly acted by all those within, it defies expectations as this generational tale of fathers and sons slowly reveals its hand.

Gosling, with his bleach blonde dyed locks and tortured silences impresses in a turn which hints at the pain but never fully shows it; likewise, Cooper once again builds on the stellar acting work done in The Silver Linings Playbook and an unglamorous Mendes gives an unmissably restrained turn as the mother.

But it's Chronicle star Dane DeHaan who emerges as the real talent of this piece with his fractured and damaged character shouldering way more emotional intensity than his years would suggest as the final act plays out. Granted, it's a little overlong with its 140 minute running time, but The Place Beyond The Pines has a power and intensity that impresses. It has a haunting quality which endures and is a drama which is weighty, compelling, intriguing and an insightful reminder of the bonds which tie us together long into our years.



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A Monster in Paris: DVD Review

A Monster in Paris: DVD Review

Rating: G
Released by Madman Home Entertainment

A Monster in Paris feels like it could have come straight out of the multiplexes - a feeling not much helped by the fact all of the voice over work is done by Americanised actors, a decision which to be honest, had me scratching my head and wishing really that it had been left in its native language. 

Set in 1910 Paris, the film follows a projectionist's friendship with rogueish delivery man Raoul after the pair inadvertently create a giant flea monster when a delivery goes a bit awry. 

Throw in a friendship between that giant flea and a French Parisienne singer Lucille and a potential showdown with a police commissioner hell-bent on capturing the Monster of Paris and securing his mayoral campaign and it's all on. 

Gorgeous French computer animation with vivid purples, blues and green hues add beautifully to this tale which is anything but generic and packs more charm than certain other major studio releases this year. Musical numbers add to the flavour of the film and retro throwbacks to horror films, the Phantom of the Opera and the cinema of yesteryear certainly give this piece a much enjoyable and family feel.

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First The Raid 2 Berandal trailer is here

First The Raid 2 Berandal trailer is here

The first The Raid 2 Berandal trailer is here... and it looks awesome


The first teaser art for Gareth Huw Evans' upcoming The Raid 2: Berandal is now here. 

With the film now in post production with an eye on a 2014 release and a teaser due in coming weeks, Evans has offered up a look at the first Indonesian teaser art for the film.

Take a look at the first The Raid 2: Berandal images here.

One Chance: Movie Review

One Chance: Movie Review

Cast: James Corden, Mackenzie Crook, Julie Walters, Colm Meaney, Alexandra Roach, Jemima Rooper
Director: David Frankel

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

A boy from a UK mining town who has a talent that's disapproved of by one of his parents and mocked by most of those he knows; but inevitably he overcomes the many odds to triumph....? (Hint - Billy Elliot - and vaguely The Full Monty)

In this latest heart-warming, based on a true story, feel good audience film, tap shoes are swapped for choirboy singing and opera as the story of Paul Potts unfolds. Yep, you know Paul Potts, the winner of Britain's Got Talent who wowed the crowds with his Nessun Dorma. (Sorry, spoiler alert)

Set in Wales, in the UK, chubby comedian James Corden (of Gavin and Stacey) is the underdog Paul Potts, a likeable but bullied bloke with crooked teeth who lacks confidence. He's a mobile phone salesman whose bedroom is decorated with opera posters and who, by his own admission, "always wanted to sing". On his side is his boss (played with oddball charm by The Office's Mackenzie Crook), his met-her-on-an-internet-chatroom-potential-girlfriend Julie-Ann and his mum (Julie Walters). Opposed to his dream is the gruff been-down-the-coalface-in-the-steel-works-all-my-life dad (Colm Meaney) and most of the people he knows who believe opera is the green card to bully and abuse him.

The biopic follows the rags to riches story in true formulaic fashion as Potts faces (apparently) insurmountable odds to achieve his dream, get to an opera school in Venice and sing for Pavarotti. But Pavarotti crushes Potts' dream and a trip back to small town Wales and the depression of ordinary everyday life ends up being his destiny. However, in a move which will surprise no-one, Paul's passion for singing rises up from its apparent grave to face yet more setbacks....

It's very easy to dismiss the likes of One Chance; it's the kind of formulaic, cloying tosh that annoys the critics and proves to be a massive hit with audiences. Yet, thanks to Corden's warmth and empathy which radiates from the screen as much as the various arias he sings throughout, it's fairly innocuous if unsurprising and unoriginal stuff. (Even if some of the miming is a little overdone - Potts provided the actual vocals)

Every dramatic turn is signposted from a mile off - Will his father change his anti- stance? Will Paul's innumerable setbacks beat down the boy and destroy him? Will the bullies triumph after years of harassment? Will the shots of Venice, bathed in beauty and opera be a boon to the Venice Tourism Board?

And yet, thanks to a nicely rounded heart-warming romance between Corden and Roach and believe in yourself style journey, One Chance isn't as bad as you'd expect from the sentimental trailers around.

There's a naive charm to Corden's portrayal and a light comedic touch (as evidenced by his work on Gavin and Stacey) which helps you through the inevitable twists, plot contrivances, Pol Pot gags, fat jokes, (sample - "Couldn't you just eat him up?" opines his mother at one point; to which the father replies "You'd need a few sittings") and rags to riches cliches and tropes.

You've seen it all before in One Chance and The Devil Wears Prada director David Frankel brings no new touches to the style of syrupy biopic storytelling; it's crowd-pleasing in the extreme and box-ticking to the max, but mark my words, it'll be more popular than the last boy-faces-extreme-adversity-only-to-triumph-against-all-the-odds film and you'll find it pointless to resist such generic familiar fare.

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The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug Worldwide Fan Event

The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug Worldwide Fan Event

The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug Worldwide Fan Event is here.

With just weeks to go until the launch of The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug, Sir Peter Jackson's pulled together a massive fan global event.

Talent at today's event include  Orlando Bloom, Evangeline Lilly, Richard Armitage, Andy Serkis, Lee Pace, Luke Evans and Peter Jackson hosted by Anderson Cooper.  


  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.

Thanks for Sharing: Movie Review

Thanks for Sharing: Movie Review

Cast: Mark Ruffalo, Gwyneth Paltrow, Josh Gad, Tim Robbins, Joely Richardson, Alecia Moore
Director: Stuart Blumberg

Sex addiction - it's not a real thing, is it?

Tiger Woods, Russell Brand, David Duchovny and Charlie Sheen - they all claim to suffer from this disease.

In this comedy drama, three friends negotiate their way through the realities and temptations of being a sex addict; there's Ruffalo's Adam, who's five years sober, Gad's ER doctor who's attending meetings due to a court order and there's aphorism spouting Mike (Tim Robbins) who's been in rehab for a while and is a sponsee to Adam.

When Mike urges Adam to get back out there and start meeting people, he comes across Gwyneth Paltrow's perky but damaged Phoebe, who's had breast cancer and been in a relationship with an addict. Cautiously, the pair grow closer, acting on their initial attraction. But for Adam, the reality of his condition starts to intrude on his relationship.

Likewise, the arrival of Mike's addicted son causes friction between himself and his wife (Joely Richardson); and when Gad loses his job for inappropriate behaviour, he soon finds himself facing a harsh truth and needing the help of Alecia Moore AKA Pink's Dede, a fellow member of the group...

Thanks For Sharing is a rich piece, riddled with humour (mainly at Jonah Hill-esque Josh Gad) and fuelled by a powerful performance of addiction, which is grounded in reality by Ruffalo.

When he confesses to Phoebe, his thoughts are that "Cancer gets you sympathy, this gets you judgement" and it's probably the harsh reality of an addiction that's been thought of as simply a cover up for men cheating on their wives. But it's Ruffalo's honesty and earnesty as an actor while he's on this journey and its lucid insights which just manage to keep this on the right side of drama; while the comedy's amusing in places, it comes dangerously close to trivialising the addictions they face. Ruffalo excellently conveys the sympathy needed to root for this central character and his relationship with Phoebe as he battles with the addictions he's had. In fact, one scene where Paltrow delivers him a strip-tease is more completely inappropriate than tantalising given how it comes shortly after he confesses his condition.

But that scene alone is symptomatic of a few of the problems of Thanks for Sharing - some of the narrative feels rushed and dare I say it, predictable; Paltrow's act would have had more resonance had it happened later on in the film. Likewise, Mike's journey from sanctimonious bon motif spouting holier than thou to inevitably wrong father is one that can be seen coming from a mile off. He's a guy who's wrecked his family and would rather be there for others than for those around him and his lesson learning is entirely unsurprising.

It's perhaps Josh Gad and Alecia Moore (in her first role) who really rise from this film; Moore's tearful confession in her first scene at the addiction class is wonderfully moving and heartfelt - it shows she is an actor on the rise; and Gad, while endowing his out of control ER doc with some humour, rises to the occasion as well.

But a terribly Hollywood, neat resolution ending almost leaves the audience feeling cheated as it powers towards a sunnier day where all our protagonists are in a good place. It's a crass ending to a film that's worked so hard to show that sometimes being out of control isn't very easy to control.

All in all, Thanks for Sharing has moments of inevitability but due to the character work done - especially by a wonderful Ruffalo - while exploring this maligned of addictions, it does just about what it sets out to do.

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