Doctor Who - The Doctors Revisited: Volumes 1 -3 DVD Review

Doctor Who - The Doctors Revisited: Volumes 1 -3 DVD Review

Rating: PG - M
Released by BBC And Roadshow Home Ent

In the 50th anniversary of the show, there's plenty to celebrate.

And these sets which take in all of the Doctors since the show's inception in 1963 are no exception. The format's simple - over 3 volumes (Doctors 1-4 in set one, 5-8 in set two and 9-11 in set three) actors and stars of the shows recall why it struck a chord with the public and them.

Each doco runs to about half an hour and comes with an adventure from each of the Doctors - they've all been available before but are presented by Steven Moffat, current showrunner, in either a film version or their original version - it's a great wee set of collections and recollections from all involved.

William Hartnell gets the historical epic The Aztecs, which has moments of slowness within; Patrick Troughton's iconic Tomb of the Cybermen is back - Jon Pertwee's Spearhead from Space gets another release following its Blu ray outing this year - and Tom Baker's The Pyramids of Mars is a Gothic classic no matter what.

On set 2, Peter Davison's Cybermen adventure Earthshock continues to impress; Colin Baker's grim Vengeance on Varos shows the cruellest of the show and Sylvester McCoy gets a Daleks outing with Remembrance of the Daleks. Paul McGann's 8th Doctor movie is thrown in - but the less said about that one the better.

In the final set, Christopher Eccleston's contribution are his last ever 2 episodes; David Tennant gets the Stolen Earth and Journey's End; and Matt Smith's The Impossible Astronaut and the Day of The Moon introduce the Silence, who may have a hand in his demise.

Each of the sets is essential viewing to long term fans of the shows and also, to those who are dipping their toes into the Whoniverse for the first time.

It's a wonderfully nostalgic look at the show and a brilliant testament to its 50 years.

Recommended - with the Doctor's approval.

Rating:

Doctor Who: The Tenth Planet: DVD Review

Doctor Who: The Tenth Planet: DVD Review

Rating: PG
Released by BBC And Roadshow Home Entertainment

William Hartnell's swansong as the First Doctor gets a release - and an animated last episode to see it off.

This four part serial saw the first ever introduction of the Cybermen; in this serial, the Doctor and his companions Ben and Polly materialise at the south pole in 1986; their arrival coincides with the appearance of Earth's twin planet and the creatures that dwell within. Soon, the Doctor and his companions and those living at the pole are fighting for their lives.

Not exactly the best of the Hartnell era, The Tenth Planet gets by on the fact that fans know it's the first ever regeneration of the Doctor, brought in after Hartnell got seriously ill; the animation of the final episode fills in the gaps, but it's never going to be a match for the actual episode, which remains missing.

The story lacks full answers as to what's going on, but it's a nicely put together piece which has tension and scares but doesn't quite hit its full potential.

Extras include a making of, a few pieces on the companions and an interview with Hartnell after he left the role which seems to show he wasn't happy about going. A not unspectacular bunch, and giving a degree of respectability to the set that's much needed.

More iconic for the regeneration reasons, Doctor Who: The Tenth Planet remains an essential addition to the library of any true Who fan.

Rating:

The Time Of The Doctor trailer is here

The Time Of The Doctor trailer is here

Just released is a new longer trailer for Matt Smith's final outing in Doctor Who.

The Time of The Doctor's due to play in the UK on Christmas Day. And in New Zealand, Prime TV's revealed it will air The Time Of The Doctor on Boxing Day at 8.30pm.

On Christmas Day and Boxing Day the channel will also air all the episodes from Matt Smith's last season as the Doctor. They start from 945am on Christmas Day

Here's the trailer for The Time of The Doctor:

Following on from the 50th Anniversary celebrations of Doctor Who, the first details have been revealed of Matt Smith's final outing as the Doctor, coming this Christmas.

The BBC's revealed the adventure will be called:  The Time of The Doctor.

An official synopsis has been given as well:

"Orbiting a quiet backwater planet, the massed forces of the universe's deadliest species gather,drawn to a mysterious message that echoes out to the stars. And amongst them – the Doctor.  

"Rescuing Clara from a family Christmas dinner, the Time Lord and his best friend must learn what this enigmatic signal means for his own fate and that of the universe."

NBA2K 14: PS3 Review

NBA2K 14: PS3 Review

Released by 2K Games
Platform: PS3

I've never been much of a basketballer. Too much actual physical effort and too lacking in physique, the only way I'd get courtside is with a beer and nachos.

Thankfully though, this basketball sim does much to channel my inner 'baller with some slick playing and some impressive controls, as well as some damn engrossing gameplay. There's nothing tricky about this - all you do is get on the court and start the one-on-one action.

Sprinting, trying 3 pointers and generally looking to dunk some hoops is all the order of the day; but it takes a little while to work out the best tactics and skillset needed to ensure the team can make it through four quarters of pretty impressive action. There's a chance to create your own player and progress up the leagues, as well as season games to see you settle in for the long haul. It all depends how much time you want to spend on the court and what your overall aim is - personally, I love the quick smash and grab of a game rather than a season - and the chance to play against someone else, which is really where the game starts to come to life.

Core basketball fans will love it; the ability to play as your favourite players and to set the court alight with signature moves will certainly appeal to the masses; but there's much playability to be had here for the casual fan too. It's quite difficult to block shots and steal, but once practice kicks in, this becomes a little easier to read and a lot more realistic to actually engage.

Visually, the game's got flair too, with each person on the court given character in close up - while the crowd is fairly generic and relatively hit and miss, the players are well executed and really, at the end of the day that's all that matters.

LeBron: Path To Greatness allows you to tread in the boots of the iconic player and build a career; Crew mode makes a return and MyTeam element of the game adds much to your personal involvement within. Throw in some impressive commentary as well and this is a basketball game that really does hit all the right notes.

No fan of a sports simulator can afford to be without this one - it's easily a slam dunk.

Rating:

The Bling Ring: Blu Ray Review

The Bling Ring: Blu Ray Review

Rating: M
Released by Roadshow Home Ent

The latest movie from Sofia Coppola takes a look at the vapid way our lives have become so obsessed and warped with celebrity and all within it.

And it's a shocking look at how far some will go to be a part of that lifestyle. When Marc (Israel Broussard) moves to a new school, he falls in with Katie Chang's Rebecca on the first day. Rebecca seduces him with her lifestyle - of breaking into homes, taking what she wants and helping herself due to a self imposed sense of self-entitlement.

Soon, Marc's aiding and abetting in these crimes, fuelling Rebecca's need to be part of the celeb lifestyle. He finds her the homes of the rich and famous that she wants to be part of, and they simply head there, break in and wallow in the opulence and take mementoes home of their crimes. It's the ultimate in the Steal Their Style mentality - and it's utterly addictive for this duo.

They're joined in their escapades by Emma Watson's Nicky, her friend Sam (Taissa Farmiga) and Chloe (Claire Julian) who all become addicted to this way of life after Marc and Rebecca take them to Paris Hilton's home repeatedly.

But eventually, the greed of the young and the seduction of the crime become too much for the group and their spree starts to become noticed by the Hollywooderati and the Bling Ring is feeling the pressure.

The Bling Ring movie is apparently based on real events and on a Vanity Fair article - and is in some ways, a shocking expose of how obsessed we've become with the celebrity lifestyle, fuelled by weekly magazines of what they're wearing, daily news items on who's dating who and who's wearing what and an indictment of the want it now attitude of some who'd rather take it than earn it. It's a hollow, shallow and superficial piece which is stylishly put together - from shots of the group taking endless selfies in the clubs, surrounded by bling, booze and money and transposed to Facebook,The Bling Ring is a horrifying look at how some have no identity except through the lives of others.

When Rebecca's finally caught and she's told that some of their victims have been spoken to by the police, her one overburning desire is to know what Lindsay said because her obsession is so deep. The attitude of these youngsters is appalling and Coppola does little to validate them or make them empathetic as the film plays out and their coked up sprees continue a plenty. So it's hard to care for them as the police close in and their lifestyles are brought to an end.

Watson and Leslie Mann are perhaps the stand outs of the film; Mann, whose mother and home schooling is based on the concept of The Secret is a blast - a blank canvas of motherhood whose daily prayer and mantra is as superficial as her smile - and whose teachings make her charges wonder what characteristics Angelina Jolie embodies; Watson is an empty and vapid teen whose statements as bland as anything and yet they show a canny sense of using buzzwords and phrases without actually saying anything profound - for example - "I'm a firm believer in karma; I wanna lead a country one day. For all I know." There's no conviction in these teens except to live vicariously through the theft of their victims. From yellow lurid neon opening titles to a blasting punk soundtrack, Coppola's put together something which is as impressive as it is empty; an indictment of the Facebook generation who revel in empty lives to fulfill their own and who have everything going for them but don't recognise it.

The Bling Ring is visually impressive, shatteringly hollow and of the now. It's worrying that it's based on real events and it's to be hoped that Coppola's indifference to her subjects and occasional glorification of their opulence desiring lifestyle will be taken lightly - because based on the audience I was with, the majority of them were on their smartphones the moment the film was ending, perhaps perpetuating a cycle of celebrity cult worship that it's really time to break. 

Extra: Making of

Rating:

First Godzilla trailer is here...

First Godzilla trailer is here...

Here it is - your first look at the Godzilla film from Gareth Edwards.

Godzilla stars Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Bryan Cranston, Elizabeth Olsen, Juliette Binoche and Ken Watanabe.

The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug: Radio Review

The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug: Radio Review

The day after the Wellington charity gala of The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug, I spoke to Newstalk ZB's Mike Hosking on Breakfast about the film.

Click on the pic below to get my thoughts and Hobbit review

http://newstalkzb.co.nz/auckland/player/ondemand/1718425112-mhb-darren-bevan--the-hobbit-2