The GTA Online Beach Bum Update is Now Available

The GTA Online Beach Bum Update is Now Available

The world of Grand Theft Auto Online gets even deeper with the Beach Bum update, now available on both PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. In order to keep GTA Online flexible and constantly evolving, the game is built to receive new content in a variety of ways including major paid expansions at specific points across the year, dropping additional content via regular title updates, and even the instant and seamless addition of jobs via the Rockstar Social Club. The Beach Bum content comes via a free update to GTA Online and Grand Theft Auto V's Story Mode as part of the latest automatic Title Update (1.06), so just fire up your console to download it. Alongside additional game tuning (see details below), the Beach Bum update includes:

NEW VEHICLES, WEAPONS & MORE

Take on new Beach Bum Races with the BF Bifta dune buggy, the rugged Canis Kalahari off-road truck or the Bravado Paradise beach camper van. For aquatic-based endeavors, the classic Speeder speedboat is also now available. All four vehicles can also be accessed in Story Mode and are available at no in-game cost. To access them in GTA Online, just visit thesouthernsanandreassuperautos.com in-game website (or docktease.com for the Speeder).

Also available in both Story Mode and Online (and at no additional in-game cost) are the new SNS Pistol & Broken Bottle - a pair of close range weapons perfect for any beach blanket brouhaha.

This update also features a wide array of new apparel - everything from casual canvas hats to tank tops, t-shirts, board shorts and bikinis in a wide range of styles and colors... plus new hairstyle and tattoo customization options. 

30 NEW JOBS COMING TO THE WORLD OF LOS SANTOS & BLAINE COUNTY

In conjunction with today's Beach Bum update, we're also adding 30 new Jobs to GTA Online today. This includes new beach-themed Races, Deathmatches, Parachutes, Last Team Standings and Gang Attacks, plus the beachfront "Survival on Del Perro Pier" and more.

TITLE UPDATE 1.06

Along with the new Beach Bum update content, automatic Title Update 1.06 also includes a host of fixes and adjustments for Grand Theft Auto Online, which are listed here:

• Fixed an issue where the game would delete your personal Vehicle if you have another player in it when you add a Tracker and Insurance.
• Fixed an issue where players could become stuck on the aerial view when entering GTA Online with cloud servers down and having just launched a mini-game.
• Fixed an issue where the mission 'Damaged Goods' would start even though it had previously been completed.
• Fixed an issue where under rare circumstances players couldn't claim back their personal vehicle in GTA Online. 
• Fixed an issue where under rare circumstances players were able to get the Declasse Sheriff SUV into Los Santos Customs and respray it causing the menus to malfunction.
• Fixed an issue where in rare circumstances players would lose all personal vehicles after being idle kicked and unable to rejoin an online session.
• Fixed an issue where players could occasionally get stuck after killing a pedestrian with a golf ball.
• Corrected an exploit where players would retain their personal vehicle after selling it at Los Santos Customs mod shop by transitioning back and forth between Story Mode and Online.
• Corrected an exploit where players could keep repeatedly selling a Bati 801 to Los Santos Customs.
• Corrected an exploit where players were able to duplicate vehicles by accepting a Mission while leaving a high-end garage.
• Corrected an exploit where a player could start a Team Deathmatch with all players on the same team.
• Players are no longer able to delete their GTA Online character while the Rockstar cloud servers are unavailable.

Players experiencing any remaining technical issues (or specific issues relating to this new Title Update) are encouraged to visit our support website and get in touch with a member of our support team for proper assistance. You can also hit them up at @RockstarSupport on Twitter.

DYNAMIC TUNING TO GTA ONLINE

In tandem with today's Title Update, we've also completed a new round of dynamic tuning on the game. This includes changes to the Bad Sport system and continued balancing of rewards for all different types Jobs. Notable adjustments are listed below:

• The Bad Sport penalty for destroying personal vehicles has been reduced significantly.
• Players will no longer receive a Bad Sport penalty when they are in a non-moving tank and other players crash a vehicle into them.
• The GTA$ and RP rewards for Races, Deathmatches and Parachuting are now based on the average time they take to complete.
• Players now receive GTA$ and RP rewards when failing a cooperative Job or being a member of the losing team during a Versus Mission, depending on how long the Job / Mission lasts.
• Players now receive a bonus GTA$ multiplier for Missions when played at the higher difficulty levels (Normal = 1.25, Hard = 1.5).
• In Team Deathmatch, all players on a team now receive the same GTA$ and RP rewards, with the winning team getting roughly 4-5x what the losing team receives.
• Removed some instances of debris in specific Races, including the cardboard from the 'Down the Drain' Race.
• Deliveries from Pegasus have been reduced from $1,000 to $200.
• The cost of removing a wanted level by calling Lester has now been scaled based on the amount of stars you have - at a cost of $200 per star.
• Restricted cars and vehicles that have been added to player garages through exploits have been removed. This includes tanks, helicopters and police vehicles.
• The following vehicles have been added to the southernsanandreassuperautos.com website in-game: BF Dune Buggy, Canis Bodhi, Karin Rebel, Maibatsu Sanchez 2, Vapid Sadler, Vapid Sandking SWB.
• To eliminate any remaining vehicle loss issues, an additional automatic cloud save will occur when purchasing a vehicle or vehicle modification.

As we continue to tune and adjust the evolving Grand Theft Auto Online player experience in the weeks and months ahead, we ask that you keep sending us your feedback - just fire over an email to gtaonline@rockstargames.com and tell us what you'd like to see implemented in future updates.

Everybody Has A Plan: DVD Review

Everybody Has A Plan: DVD Review

Rating: M
Released by Vendetta Films

Viggo Mortensen stars in a dual role in this Argentinian thriller which ought to be enough to satiate some of his fans.

He stars as a frustrated paediatrician Augustin who's determined (for reasons not fully explored or explained) to escape a life; his chance comes with the sudden death of his twin brother Pedro. Taking his place, Augustin finds the grass is not always greener on the other side, as his brother was involved in the criminal underworld.

The problem with Everybody Has A Plan is how cool and aloof it begins, without ever really dragging you into its world and characters. A lack of explanation over why Augustin wants to move on is fatal, and underpins the lack of real engagement with the piece.

Broody visuals do much to set the tone of the world, but do little to bring you into it. Mortensen is quietly impressive in the dual roles (and his Spanish is spot on) but with little dramatic tension the piece slows to a lull and gradually doesn't quite hit all of its marks.

Everybody may indeed have a plan - but seeing them play out in this painfully slow thriller is difficult to endure; thankfully, Mortensen's turn relieves some of the dullness but it can't fully save the day.

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Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag: PS3 Review

Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag: PS3 Review

Released by UBISOFT
Platform: PS3

There's just something about Assassin's Creed that sucks you into the world within and strips you of your life.

In this latest though, the developers have managed to take things to the next level in Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag as you take on the role of Edward Kenway, a pirate on the seven seas. An accidental meeting with one of the Brotherhood forces him into the shadowy world of the Templars. But there's slightly more to the story this time around than simply stealth and killing - however, to say more would ruin the experience of it unfolding before your eyes.

Once again, UBISOFT has created a world that sings with visual flair and erupts with options. You can simply follow the quest path and the story, or your character of Kenway can be distracted by the minutiae of the side missions and lives within. Weaponry is confined to that of the era and it seriously needs your investment within - but of course that costs money and as ever, just simply pilfering from those around you won't quite cut it, and will bring the attention of the various guards around.

It has to be said that this time, the guards seem to be a lot harder to run away from as they pursue you relentlessly with their numbers growing ever quicker as the alarms are sounded. It means stealth and smarts are needed this time around rather than simply taking to the rooves and hurtling through the skies to try and escape them. Plus as they manage to hit their target as you're trying to climb, it really does raise the ante.

The other way Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag has raised the ante is visually. It's a beautiful game with some truly awe inspiring graphics, from the skies as Kenway takes in his vantage points, there are details which seriously impress and colours which are beautiful to behold. Particularly looking out to sea, an array of blues and azures are gorgeously rendered and hint at a world that's teeming with life.

And talking of the sea, you can't have pirates without water based boating action. And boy, oh boy, does Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag deliver on that front. You get the chance to sail the seas, plundering ships, taking down bad guys and boarding boats to secure treasure. It's a nice new element to the game which adds a clever touch and some variety within.

There's also another layer to the game - that of an involvement in a future company and one who's looking at Edward's memories for a reason - but again, that's into spoiler territory and the joy shouldn't be taken away from it. Needless to say this other level doesn't interrupt the flow of the main game too much, but does add a lot to it.

All in all, Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag is a worthy addition to the AC canon; it is a deeply involving experience, a free world where you can spend hours exploring and trying to find things and a simulation that's as engrossing as it is deep.

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The Hunger Games: Catching Fire: Movie Review

The Hunger Games: Catching Fire: Movie Review

Cast: Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth, Donald Sutherland, Woody Harrelson, Elizabeth Banks, Lenny Kravitz, Stanley Tucci
Director: Francis Lawrence

Following the massive critical and public success of the first part of The Hunger Games trilogy was never going to be an easy ask.

Suzanne Collins' dystopian take on a world where youngsters from Districts are forced to kill each other while the richer watch on was a stunningly good first film, that wrapped up social discord with an impressive heroine.

In the second film of The Hunger Games trilogy, Jennifer Lawrence returns as Katniss Everdeen, the winner of the 74th Hunger Games and champion of District 12. But it's not easy being the apple of the eye of the oppressed masses, and Everdeen's victory in the games, coupled with the way she's united the downtrodden, marks her out as a target as society teeters dangerously on the verge of collapse. Especially when the Districts of Panem begin to rebel against years of being beaten down.

Things take an even worse turn for Katniss when thanks to President Snow's interpretation of the rules of the Hunger Games, a new and more deadly version of events requires them to re-enter the arena with other previous winners and once again, fight to the death....

Greyer, grimmer, darker and even more dystopian than before, The Hunger Games: Catching Fire is an almost unrelentingly bleak second chapter of the series. Jennifer Lawrence is a more damaged Katniss, traumatised by her role as a killer in the arena, and troubled by ghosts from the past of both kills and colleagues. (A sly commentary on how Post Traumatic Stress Disorder affects those whom we send into war - no matter what their age.) So, it's bad enough that she has to live the games' victory over and over in the Victory Tour, and Lawrence brings a troubled touch to her performance; her very first shot sees her crouching ready to strike, with what could be sweat or a tear dripping down her face. Lawrence once again rises to the rich emotional beats of the story and the grit at the centre of this tale of the cost of independence and fanning the flame of revolution.

Having not read the source material, I did have some concerns this latest would be a rehash of the first in terms of dumping the tributes back into the arena and getting them to duke it out again. While to a degree, that would seem a fair criticism, there's much more build up and seething bubbling unrest to get through into the pre-amble before we're dropped gladiatorially into the arena. There's a slightly more expanded role (and pre-requisite shirtless scene) for Liam Hemsworth this time around in the Catching Fire movie, but once again Katniss and Gale's supposedly epic romance doesn't quite hit the mark, faltering in the face of the challenge from Josh Hutcherson's Peeta, who brings into play the pair's inter-dependence as well as the  growing existence of his own feelings toward Katniss.

Coupled with the fact that some of the other tributes are unfortunately so weakly sketched out that you care not when they fall, some of the emotional beats of the story don't hit the target with the strength of one of Everdeen's arrows. The film prefers to concentrate on the dynamics within Peeta, Katniss and their uneasy alliances - it's a move which just works but doesn't quite give you the massive emotional pull you need and were given in the first Hunger Games movie. Newcomers to the group - Jeffery Wright, Sam Clafin, Jena Malone and Phillip Seymour Hoffman - are given indication they will play greater roles in the finale, but provide solid starting appearances. It's more nature which is the danger this time around - both metaphorically and literally.

The Hunger Games: Catching Fire is more about the enemy within and the politics of life; be it President Snow's implied threats (masterfully seethed by Donald Sutherland), Effie's continued orchestrating of the pair's public appearances, Katniss' own demons (exemplified by Lawrence's restrained yet emotionally rich turn) or the politics of beating down the masses, and dealing with traumatic scars, all of which are bled out into an ominously brooding and at times, distinctly dark, teen blockbuster.

The look and feel of the second Hunger Games movie is one of desperation - even the lush jungle where the Tributes are forced to re-fight for their lives is a place scarred by combat and doesn't breathe new life into the broodingly oppressive and bleak tone of the film. Even the garish OTT costumes have been dialled down in tone and gone are the bright colours, swapped for duller colours, symbolising the troubled world around.

A few shots of the rather Messianic Everdeen are laid on heavily during the action (she's the saviour of the masses dontcha know), and the symbolism is so overt, it's hard to ignore. But the ending of The Hunger Games: Catching Fire leaves you feeling you've seen something special; while it doesn't expand the Panem mythology much further than the first and ends on a downbeat note heading into the final sprint, it's certainly exhilarating to watch it unfold. That's mainly thanks to Lawrence's complex portrayal of a heroine, morally troubled by her place in the world and fighting the pull between teen idealism and a growing awareness of the horrors of the real world around her.

It's another year to wait for the first part of the Hunger Games finale Mockingjay, but given Jennifer Lawrence has breathed so much life and vulnerability into Katniss Everdeen, it looks like the odds are forever in the favour of this franchise continuing to be so successful.

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Filth: Movie Review

Filth: Movie Review

Cast: James McAvoy, Eddie Marsan, Imogen Poots, John Sessions, Jamie Bell, Shirley Henderson
Director: Jon S Baird

Trainspotting tore up the cinema scene back in 1996, with its infusion of darkness, mixed with an ultra cool British OST and a rabid mix of Irvine Welsh's writing.

Now we have the latest outing for Welsh's depraved mind (albeit published back in 1998), a kind of Bad Lieutenant set in Scotland and replete with Welsh's repellant uncompromising outlook on life.

James McAvoy is corrupt policeman Bruce Robertson - he's in line for a promotion and has decided nothing will get in the way of his need to win this - as his wife is expecting him to bring home the bacon. Not even the aspirations of his useless colleagues and a brutal murder of a foreign student will stand in the way of his quest.

But Robertson has a plan to ensure that he gets the promotion - the systematic undermining of his colleagues, by stealing their wives, exposing their secrets and generally f***ing up everything that comes in his way. However, as Robertson starts to get deeper into his own skewed take on life, he starts to lose his way - his drug habit and own depravities begin to knock at the door of his subconsciousness, threatening to topple him from within....

Filth is utterly uncompromising and totally confrontational cinema.

It's also blessed by a ferociously sensational turn from McAvoy as the shockingly repugnant and corrupt asshole Robertson, who's teetering on the edge as the film goes on. In among the bleary eyes, wittily scathing and sarcastic comments and the scungy, grimy, dirty outlook on life, McAvoy manages to bring a degree of warmth and humanity to this latest anti-hero, who to be frank, deserves hardly any of our sympathy. It's a hard task to make you invest in his plight as he destroys everything and everyone around him; yet Baird manages to do this by throwing McAvoy a few scenes here and there which see this cocksure weasel of a man start to lose his grip on everything. McAvoy skates a thin line between self-loathing and self-destructive with considerable cinematic aplomb as the darker elements and tragic side of the story begin to emerge - and a human side emerges to great narrative effect.

As for the rest of the film, it'll depend on how you like your gallows humour - pitch black or utterly unforgiving. When it comes to a Welsh story, there are certainly lashings of all of those contained within and darkness and depravity abound. Some of the black-hearted feel of this tale set over Christmas may mean that viewers will be put off, but really you shouldn't be fearful of the black humour and darkness within. For the Welsh purists out there, a motif from the book where a tapeworm growing inside Bruce is supposed to provide some insight into his mindset - that's been ditched in favour of Jim Broadbent's Aussie psychiatrist giving us a peek into what's going on.

Eddie Marsan provides some great support and some hysterical moments come courtesy of his Bladesey character on drugs stealthily given to him by his so-called friend Bruce.

Completely uncompromising and unapologetic right to the very end, Filth rises on it's MacAvoy's searing and blisteringly unlikeably delirious anti-hero which stands head and shoulders above anything he's done in a while (including the brilliant Trance). 

Filth is confrontational cinema as it proffers up the view from a man on the edge and it's also a belter of a black British comedy.

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Despicable Me 2: DVD Review

Despicable Me 2: DVD Review

Rating: PG
Released by Universal Home Ent

In Despicable Me 2, Steve Carell's Gru is back - this time round, he's now a doting single father to his adopted daughters, Agnes, Margo and Edith. Pursued by some of the single women in the neighbourhood, Gru's content with life. But when Dr Nefario (Brand) quits Gru's world, saying he yearns to be bad, Gru begins to question his life. And when he's recruited into the Anti-Villains League by Agent Lucy Wilde (Wiig) to help track down an evil villain living in the mall, he thinks he's found his calling.

However, Gru's about to discover several things which will rock the foundations of his world to their very core.

Despicable Me 2 is a little bit of a disappointment, when compared to the greatness which was the first film.

It's a perfectly acceptable choice for the school holidays and the youngsters will adore its madcap antics and colourful animation, but it feels a little like it's lost some of the shine which made it so special before.

Principally, it's to do with the story, which in itself, isn't quite strong enough to sustain the interest level of the adults. While the cast are perfectly adequate, the humour and strong touch points of the first film are missing and the whole thing feels a little flat. Sequences with Gru and his mission are presented nicely, but lack the punch that's needed of such a character - Gru has more fun being bad - and in its place, there's a lot of lunacy from the minions who are rolled out to accentuate scene changes and provide comic relief (which they do in spades and are very funny for it). There's no real emotional pull from Gru - he's more fun as a villain rather than a doting dad, who's losing the plot because his eldest adopted daughter has discovered boys. He also needs a stronger nemesis to square off against to give him some bite - and unfortunately in this one, there's nothing as strong as Jason Segel's Vector. And there's certainly no feeling that there's a real and plausible relationship between Gru and Agent Wilde - there's no moment of epiphany other than something which feels forced.

The minions though provide the lion's share of the laughter - and it's clear their spin off film is likely to be a massive success given their popularity with the younger end of the audience.

Despicable Me 2 is a perfectly fine school holiday film - its animation is lush and exciting. It's just a shame that the story doesn't follow that lead. If anything, it's more Despicable Meh.Though, I'm sure it won't stopDespicable Me 3 from happening (or should that be Despicable M3?)

Extras: Gru's Girls, Gadgets and commentary

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Jackass Presents: Bad Grandpa: Movie Review

Jackass Presents: Bad Grandpa: Movie Review

Cast: Johnny Knoxville, Jackson Nicoll, Greg Harris
Director: Jeff Tremaine

"You can have anything in this world as long as you just try."

So goes a line from Jackass Presents: Bad Grandpa, the fourth Jackass outing with Johnny Knoxville to hit the big screen, but the first to simply concentrate on one "character" as the show hits the road. And I really wish that those involved had actually tried.

The oddest thing with this latest one, is its insistence on adhering to a plot; Knoxville latexs up as Irving Zisman, an 86-year-old man, who finds himself a guardian of a young kid Billy (Nicoll) after his daughter / Billy's mum has to go to prison for doing drugs.

Determined to dump the kid off to his deadbeat father, the pair set out on a roadtrip (along with Irving's dead wife who's dumped in the boot of their car) - and pranks ahead.

Jackass Presents: Bad Grandpa is a real hybrid of a film, and one which really doesn't seem to have an identity of its own. Its curious mix of a story and real-life pranks makes it feel like it doesn't quite know what it really wants to be; on the one hand, you've got Zisman and Billy interlinking the "pranks" with their interaction, a growing bond and some odd moments and then on the other, you've got the 86 year old farting in a cafe and spraying all over the walls, much to the horror of the other patrons.

And it's this which will provoke some belly laughs (much to your horror and guilt) but other moments that make you feel it's all a little tired and been done before. It's partially due to the rigid road trip structure that's in play throughout, with some of the best laughs coming from unscripted short burst moments (presumably the key to Jackass' continued success is the random, rapid fire mentality which is so absent in this), which only serve to highlight how different an outing this is.

The final show-piece is a supposedly shocking entering of Billy into a beauty pageant and his consequent strip tease act. Which was essentially done in Little Miss Sunshine, nearly 7 years ago.

Sure, some of the "thrill" of this comes from seeing the real reactions of those being pranked, but the reason why Jackass so inspired a generation was that there was an element of danger to the stupidity, a frisson of excitement and schadenfreude. That is sorely lacking in Jackass Presents: Bad Grandpa; not once does Knoxville put himself in danger and not once does he really do anything totally original, anarchic or utterly outrageous.

All in all, I've got to be honest and say based on this, I'd question whether you actually want a serving of Irving - if you like the puerile humour of the Jackass series, you'll be left wanting - and if you expect a riotous guilty pleasure, you'll equally be disappointed.

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