Don Jon: Blu Ray Review

Don Jon: Blu Ray Review

Rating: M
Released by Roadshow Home Entertainment

Joseph Gordon-Levitt writes and directs this piece about New Jersey guy Jon, a modern day Don Juan, who has an addiction to internet porn.He's a serial objectifier, always talking about women in clubs with ratings - from a 1 to the perfect dime (a 10); he loves his car, his boys and his home. But the addiction to porn has left him unable to form a relationship with anyone other than one night stands, because the sex is not as good as he believes the porn to be.

However, this cocksure attitude takes a bit of a knock when he meets the "dime" Barbara Sugarman (a voluptuous Scarlett Johansson) in a club. When she fails to fall for his schtick and one night stand hopes, he ends up pursuing her, believing her to be the one. Their relationship blossoms - but not without pitfalls.

Sugarman's addicted to romantic comedies (as portrayed with good humour by Channing Tatum, Anne Hathaway, Cuba Gooding Jr and Meagan Good) and the ideal of the perfect man, which means she tries to start to change him. And things get worse when Sugarman finds Jon using internet porn after their first night together...

Don Jon is a gratifyingly assured directorial debut from  Joseph Gordon-Levitt; its frenetic opening and statements on the objectification of women in life and the media today (fromPhoebe Cates' iconic red bikini to the jiggling women of the Benny Benassi video, through to the antics of porn stars on screen) sets out the stall right away. With his dead eyes, slicked back hair and stoic dedication to serial masturbation, Joseph Gordon-Levitt fully commits to the role of the man addicted to the sound of the computer being turned on (in more ways than one).

The start of the film is extremely confident, as Jon and Barbara begin their relationship in amid the frustrated lust and humour of taking a girl to meet the parents (Who's The Boss' Tony Danza is the perfect dolt of a New Jersey father) and Gordon-Levitt's got a wry take on the Catholic church randomly dishing out Hail Marys at confessions, but mid way through the piece, it starts to falter a little, leaving it with the feeling of being two movies spliced quickly together as one.

The second half concentrates on Jon's relationship with Esther (played by Julianne Moore) that he meets at night classes and it's full of moments which feel forced and unnatural because there's been no time to build up and invest in the characters. Esther finds Jon watching porn on his mobile after Sugarman's ban - and the next time she sees him, she gives him a porn DVD; it just feels rushed and unreal in the world that  Joseph Gordon-Levitt has already created. It's a shame because the tonal shift is quite jarring and doesn't quite gel.

Sure, Don Jon is a stylish and impressive piece, but it falters in its overall mission. But as a mission statement for writer/ director Joseph Gordon-Levitt, it's a great start - and shows this guy is clearly on the up.

Extras: Short film, making of, Joe's hats

Rating:

Guardians of the Galaxy trailer is here

Guardians of the Galaxy trailer is here

Good news for Marvel fans - it's your first look at the Guardians of the Galaxy trailer!

The movie trailer for #GOTG Guardians of The Galaxy is the first full look from Marvel following the Collector's appearance at the end of Thor: The Dark World.


An action-packed, epic space adventure, Marvel's "Guardians of the Galaxy" expands the Marvel Cinematic Universe into the cosmos, where brash adventurer Peter Quill finds himself the object of an unrelenting bounty hunt after stealing a mysterious orb coveted by Ronan, a powerful villain with ambitions that threaten the entire universe.

To evade the ever-persistent Ronan, Quill is forced into an uneasy truce with a quartet of disparate misfits - Rocket, a gun-toting raccoon, Groot, a tree-like humanoid, the deadly and enigmatic Gamora and the revenge-driven Drax the Destroyer. But when Peter discovers the true power of the orb and the menace it poses to the cosmos, he must do his best to rally his ragtag rivals for a last, desperate stand - with the galaxy's fate in the balance.

Guardians of the Galaxy is due in August this year.

Rayman Legends gets Next Gen release

Rayman Legends gets Next Gen release

Award-Winning Platformer from 2013 Launches on

Next-Gen Consoles in the US, Available February 20^th in Australia and New Zealand

February 19, 2013 —Ubisoft has announced that Rayman Legends, the acclaimed platformer developed by Ubisoft Montpellier under the direction of Michel Ancel, is now available in the United States for PlayStation®4 computer entertainment system and Xbox One, the all-in-one games and entertainment system from Microsoft, and will hit Australian and New Zealand shelves on February 20, 2014.

To view the launch trailer click the image below

To download click HERE

Rayman Legends, launched in 2013 for Wii U, Xbox 360, PS3,  PS VITA and PC, was already one of the best rated games of 2013*, praised for its originality, its stunning graphics and its fresh tone. It’s now even better on next-gen with exclusive content and new features. With the upgraded capabilities of next-gen consoles, the award-winning visuals of Rayman Legends have been enhanced to show the gorgeous hand-drawn artwork and fluid animations in even sharper detail, while loading time between maps has been suppressed.

Each platform will have a set of exclusive playable characters to unlock in the Heroes Gallery. On Xbox One, there are two characters designed after the infamous villain from Far Cry 3, Ray Vaas and Far Glob, as well as Splinter Ray, inspired by Sam Fisher. PlayStation®4 players will have access to Assassin Ray, inspired by the hero Edward Kenway from Assassin’s Creed IV Black Flag. Both platforms will also include a new VIP status and hero, Champion Ray, which will be granted to the most active and highest-ranked players in the Online Challenges, as well as to players who are actively involved in the Rayman Legends community.

Each console will also have a set of exclusive gameplay features. The Xbox One version will include 10 exclusive challenges to unlock new achievements. These challenges require you to perform specific actions during a limited amount of time and are associated with various aspects of the game, such as player skills, co-op play, Kung Foot, and more. The PlayStation®4 will allow use of the controller’s touchpad for actions such as scratching Lucky Tickets, as well as a new Camera Mode. In this mode, players use the touchpad to freeze the screen and zoom in and out of the picture. Focusing on the hand-drawn visuals and animated-nuisances created during development, camera mode allows you to share these treasured moments with the rest of the community. Rayman Legends on PlayStation®4 will also support Remote Play so you can continue playing from your PS Vita while the TV is turned off.

For more information on Rayman Legends, please visit: http://rayman.ubi.com/legends/en-gb/home/

Need for Speed Rivals DLC revealed

Need for Speed Rivals DLC revealed

FILL YOUR GARAGE WITH A LINEUP OF AMAZING NEW CARS IN NEED FOR SPEED RIVALS  

Some of the World’s Finest Automobiles from Ferrari, Jaguar, Lamborghini and the Upcoming Need for Speed Movie are Coming Soon to a Race Near You 

Today, Electronic Arts and Ghost Games unveiled a fresh new lineup of cars forNeed for Speed Rivals. Starting today and throughout the next four weeks, fans will be able to add some incredible new cars to their hideouts or command posts. There’s never been a better time to revisit the intense rivalries, thrilling races and chases in Redview County.

Starting today there are new cars from Ferrari and Jaguar. The Ferrari Pack features the anniversary editions of the F40 1987 and F50 1995 models – at the time when both were released, they were each the fastest, most powerful, and most expensive car that Ferrari sold to the public. The Jaguar Pack includes the XJ220 and the Jaguar C-X75 Prototype – the hybrid-electric two-seater was named in honor of Jaguar’s 75th Anniversary.

But these aren’t the only new cars that will be hitting the streets of Redview County in the coming weeks. Fans will soon learn more about the upcoming Lamborghini Pack, featuring the limited edition of the Lamborghini Gallardo LP 570-4 Super Trofeo, and the Need for Speed Movie Pack, which will feature cars from the upcoming blockbuster movie, including the Lamborghini Sesto Elemento, the GTA Spano, and the Mercedes-Benz McLaren SLR 722.

All of these cars will be available for digital purchase for the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 home entertainment consoles, and available for download on Origin for PC. Packs are sold separately for both Racers and Cops, or together in Complete Packs*.

Need for Speed Rivals glorifies the street’s ultimate rivalry, daring gamers to cross the line as either a cop or racer with two distinct career experiences, each coming with their set of high-stakes challenges, rewards, pursuit tech and cars. Winner of the Game Critics Award for "Best Racing Game" at E3 2013 and named "Best Racing Game of 2013" by Game Informer, Hardcore Gamer and PlayStation Universe, Need for Speed Rivals won over fans with its innovative new take in online gameplay for the racing genre – AllDrive. AllDrive destroys the line between single player, co-op and multiplayer, creating one racing world where your races and chases can collide at any time.

Forza Motorsport races off the tracks

Forza Motorsport races off the tracks

Xbox Fans Make Forza Motorsport 5¹ the Fastest-Selling Racing Game in Xbox History; Free Road America Track Add-On Now Available

Forza Becomes Fastest-Selling Racing Game in Xbox History

Today, Turn 10 Studios announced "Forza Motorsport 5"¹ is the fastest selling Forza Motorsport game ever. “Forza Motorsport 5” has been embraced by Xbox One fans worldwide, with more than one-third of console owners purchasing the game since its November 22 launch, making it the best-selling racing game by console attach over the past decade².

Since launch, the Forza Motorsport community has been busy and their lifelike Drivatars have worked tirelessly to populate friend’s races and challenges. In total, Drivatars have competed in more than 1 billion races since launch, showcasing that Forza Motorsport and Xbox are home to the most passionate fans of racing video games. In tandem, players have amassed 653 million road miles; which is equivalent to circling the Earth 49,223 times. Players have also participated in more than 94 million races, putting in a combined 8 million hours of total gameplay.

The robust livery editor tools have been embraced by the Forza Motorsport community, from both content creators to fans that simply want to customize the cars in their garage. Community members have created hundreds of thousands of liveried cars, comprised of more than 66 million individual design layers.

Road America Available Today For Free

Turn 10 Studios also announced Road America, one of the world’s premier tracks will arrive as the first track add-on update for “Forza Motorsport 5” ³. Available for free, Forza Motorsport fans can take a spin on the legendary high-speed straights and challenging turns on one of the oldest and most distinguished of all the tracks in North America, brought to life in spectacular detail and functionality on Xbox One. 

Road America is being offered as a fully-integrated addition into the “Forza Motorsport 5” experience and will be automatically added into the Career events for the racing career. Players will be able to take part in races on the circuit in both the main Career events as well as Career bonus events which are available after a Mini-Career series is complete. 

In addition, for the first time in Forza Motorsport, Road America will also feature four alternate ribbons that will test the limits of each player’s skill. Players will also now find new Road America-themed events in Rivals Mode and in the multiplayer lobbies.

Also releasing today is the Road America Booster Pack, featuring five cars to collect, drive and customize in “Forza Motorsport 5.” This five-car pack is a free bonus to “Forza Motorsport 5” Car Pass owners, and is in addition to the six monthly DLC packs that Car Pass owners will receive through May 2014. The five cars include the 2006 #2 Audi Sport North America R8, 1995 Chevrolet Corvette ZR-1, 1968 Ferrari 365 GTB/4, 1971 Ford Mustang Mach 1, and the 2009 Mercedes-Benz SL 65 AMG Black Series.

Planes: Blu Ray Review

Planes: Blu Ray Review

Rating: G
Released by Disney DVD

The latest 3D Animated fare from Pixar feels a little off the mark.

It's the story of Dusty, a crop duster with sky high dreams and the ambition to take on the fastest racers ever in the skies. But a fear of heights and some other issues could cripple his chances of making the big time as he embarks on a global race...

Planes is not the best when it comes to stories - from the world of Cars, it just lacks a little of the necessary kick and amusement to keep you uplifted. Originally scheduled to be released straight to DVD, it lacks the polish and finesse of a big screen release, but I suspect it will be somewhat big with the big kids out there. Visually, it's impressive with the bar set early on with a flying sequence, but once you get past that, there's little else to revel in.

Extras: A packed bunch of deleted scenes, meet the characters etc

Rating:

Ten Days of Ryse Son of Rome discounts arrive

Ten Days of Ryse Son of Rome discounts arrive

Ten Days of “Ryse: Son of Rome” ¹ Discounts Pave the Way to “Mars’ Chosen Pack” Launch on Feb. 28

Second add-on pack for “Ryse: Son of Rome” includes new maps, character skins and a thrilling new gameplay type – Survival Mode

On Feb. 28, Microsoft Studios and Crytek invite you to return to the Colosseum of ancient Rome to take up arms in “Ryse: Son of Rome’s” ¹ most ambitious and robust add-on to date: “Mars’ Chosen Pack.” Available for $12.95 through the Xbox Games Store², or as part of the “Ryse: Son of Rome” Season Pass, “Mars’ Chosen Pack” adds new maps, a character skin and a brand-new cooperative gameplay type called Survival Mode. 

To prepare gladiators for the arena, 10 days of sales on “Ryse: Son of Rome” content will be available in the Xbox Games Store. To kick things off, from Feb. 18 through Feb. 24, the Games on Demand version of “Ryse: Son of Rome” will go on sale for $49.95. Afterwards, more “Ryse: Son of Rome” discounts will be announced each day between Feb. 25 and Feb. 27 via Major Nelson and Xbox Twitter and Facebook.

Survival Mode Challenges Gladiators to a Heroic Fight to the Death

Some gladiators fight for riches. Others for honour. And then there are those whose only pursuit is a valiant end upon the sands of the arena. In the brand-new Survival mode, such a glorious fate will be within your grasp. There is only one objective in Survival mode:  battle alongside a fellow gladiator against endless waves of barbarians as your health gradually drains, leading to your inevitable fall. The only way to regain health and keep death at bay is with quick kills and brutal executions, but the longer you survive, earning more gold and experience with each wave successfully cleared, the faster your health depletes.  

In addition to Survival mode, “Mars’ Chosen” Pack also features five maps. Two of the maps – Firestorm and Dockyard – are specifically created for Survival Mode, and the most popular map, Courtyard, has been optimized for Survival Mode. The other two – Pyramid and Obelisk – will transport you to the distant and exotic shores of ancient Egypt in Arena Mode. Lastly, Mars’ Chosen Pack includes a new character skin: the Legionary.   

Learn How the “Ryse: Son of Rome” Experience Has Evolved

Since “Ryse: Son of Rome” launched on Nov. 22, Crytek and Microsoft Studios have been hard at work improving fans’ experience with the game. Just a few months ago, they released a free game update that added multiplayer leaderboards and two new level events to Gladiator mode.  They have also been collecting community feedback and studying gameplay data to implement changes that make the action in the arena even more engaging and exciting for players.

Xbox Wire sat down with Ryse: Son of Rome” Senior Producer Justin Robey and discussed how the game experience has evolved since launch and why fans should be excited about the upcoming “Mars’ Chosen Pack” on Feb. 28. To read the interview, visit Xbox Wire.

About Crytek

Crytek GmbH (“Crytek”) is an independent company at the forefront of the interactive entertainment industry, and is dedicated to pushing the boundaries of gaming by creating standout experiences for consoles, PC, mobile devices and games-as-service using their cutting-edge 3D-Game-Technology, CRYENGINE^®.

The company’s headquarters are in Frankfurt am Main (Germany). Crytek also has studios in Kiev (Ukraine), Budapest (Hungary), Sofia (Bulgaria), Seoul (South Korea), Nottingham (UK), Shanghai (China), Istanbul (Turkey) and Austin (USA).

Since its foundation in 1999, Crytek has consistently been recognized for excellence in its field, earning accolades such as the 2011 Develop Award for Best Independent Studio, and two Red Dot Design Awards (in 2010 and 2013). Its multi-award winning games include Far Cry^®, Crysis^® (awarded best PC Game of E3 2007 and Best Technology at the 2008 Game Developers Choice Awards), Crysis Warhead^® (awarded Best Graphics Technology at IGN Best of 2008 Awards), Crysis^® 2 (awarded Best Shooter of E3 2010 and Gamescom 2010), Crysis® 3, Warface (awarded Best Social/Casual/Online Game of Gamescom 2012) and Ryse: Son of Rome. For more information, please visit www.crytek.com.