South Park: The Stick of Truth: PS3 Review

South Park: The Stick of Truth: PS3 Review

Released by Ubisoft
Platform: PS3

Wow.

When the South Park game was delayed, there were rumblings that it wasn't going to be as good as we'd secretly been hoping.

To coin a phrase from the show itself, that makes us all "douche bags" because this is quite possibly one of the best ever adaptations of a TV show to video game that I've ever seen. In fact, it's like controlling an actual episode of South Park itself - which will make more sense as we go on.

In the Stick of Truth, you play The New Kid, who comes to live in South Park after a mysterious event. Sent out into the streets of South Park by his parents and tasked with making friends, the first person he meets is Butters, who quickly becomes his pal. However, it's not long before you meet the foul mouthed Cartman, in his back garden fantasy land. Things go a little awry when the Stick of Truth is stolen from Cartman's domain, and your quest becomes to return it. And it's here that you get to explore South Park, while trying to save the day.

South Park: The Stick of Truth is a stunning recreation of the game - from its animation right down to its trademark potty mouthed humour and puerile warped world view. Creators Matt Stone and Trey Parker have overseen the majority of the development of this title, from the story to the voice work and it feels like an extension and an integral part of that world without a shadow of a doubt.

Unleashed and uncensored (apart from a few scenes that have been cut for the NZ release) this is South Park at its most confrontational, with foetuses, abortion, anal probes, the KKK all thrown into the mix for shocking effect - and yet all are perfectly integrated into the landscape, that it makes the South Park film look tame in parts. Which is saying something, given how much that pushed the envelope.

I'm loathe to give away too much more of the plot, given that half the vicarious thrill of this game is seeing how it plays out and where it goes, but if you're a fan of the show, you really won't be disappointed with what's been committed to the gaming world. In fact, it makes you think of the halcyon days of the show where nothing was off limits and everything was a target....

In terms of gameplay, it's a lot of moving around the South Park world and fighting other kids who are part of the Cartman fantasy world (and dressed as elves). Fighting itself is relatively easy - and takes the form of a roleplay game, where you have a turn, then your opponents have on and so on until one of you is felled. Using weapons and special powers, it's a case of being a little patient when in this environment as it can take a little time to get through a scrap. But there's humour within those too, with the New Kid's special power being a baseball hit that sees him swing the bat and simply deck his opposing number. Subtle it ain't, but childishly funny, it is.

Graphically, the game is spot on, with every character looking like they've basically been lifted from the TV show and thrown into the world - right down to the wonky screen movement of the characters within the game.

Occasionally though, there are some frustrations with load times appearing without warning to cripple the gameplay - which is annoying given how short the distance is that you've travelled on screen. Equally, after defeating some of the kids in the game in a fight, you can go into a building and then come out and have to face them again. It's minor moments like this which slightly jar the gameplay and prevent it from fully flowing.

South Park: The Stick of Truth is an incredibly good adaptation of the TV series. From its puerile humour to its perfect recreation of the world it's based on, it's perfectly captured the best of a video game adaptation. And it's certainly raised the bar for future games of its ilk. Which is no mean feat.

Rating:

Mr Peabody and Sherman: Movie Review

Mr Peabody and Sherman: Movie Review

Voice cast: Ty Burrell, Max Charles, Ariel Winter, Stanley Tucci
Director: Rob Minkoff

They say every dog has its day - and now this latest kids animated piece sets out to prove it.

The tales of a time-travelling dog and his human companion were a big hit in the 1960s TV landscape. Years later, this spin-off from The Rocky and Bullwinkle Show has now got its own full-length movie outing.

Mr Peabody (voiced by Modern Family's Phil Dunphy aka Ty Burrell) is a talking dog, whose superior intellect meant he was ostracised when he was younger for being too intellectual. Years later, Peabody adopted Sherman (Charles) and the two have been close ever since, with Sherman sharing in Peabody's time travelling ways as he visits history rather than just learning about it.

However, when Sherman starts school for the first time, he finds himself bullied by mean girl Penny (Modern Family's Ariel Winter). Things get worse when Mr Peabody sets up a meeting for the families to try and resolve the issue - and Penny discovers the time-travelling escapades, becoming lost in the past.

So begins a rush through history to find her and restore harmony at home....

Zany, and with some terribly corny puns that kids will love, Mr Peabody and Sherman is a bit of an animated blast (from the past). Thanks to the episodic feel and a rush through history (ancient Egypt, Greece and the Renaissance), kids will love the animated antics of this duo and adults will find some of the more lunatic moments a welcome addition to a fun plot.

All of the necessities are there for this family outing - a tender storyline involving a father and son (even if it is an adopted relationship), dealing with school bullies and a chance to bring history vividly and rollickingly to life. Throw in some silly word-play and all the ingredients combine to make Mr Peabody and Sherman an animated fest that works despite the oddness and wacky non-sequitur moments being thrown in for nonsensical effect.

And yet, the conclusion of this film completely loses any semblance of reality, becomes confused as it gets wrapped up in its own time travel shenanigans and is just a little confusing. The 3D is used in some parts to generically lazy effect (things flying out of the screen for no reason other than they can) but the voice cast is excellent - with Burrell channeling enough nerdiness and warmth into his Peabody that it feels welcoming.

At the end of the day, Mr Peabody and Sherman is a goofy zany movie which will keep the kids amused in the holidays - but this time travelling tail (sic) may also do a little more than that, stoking the fires of interest in history - which is a true bona fido (sic) treat for all.

Rating:

Tales of Symphonia / Dawn of New World: PS3 Review

Tales of Symphonia / Dawn of the New World: PS3 Review

Platform: PS3
Released by Bandai Namco

I have to admit this series passed me by when it was out previously on the PlayStation 2.

The Japanese role playing game has been remastered and is out now in a bundle with the two games thrown together - and if you're a fan of the genre, you'll love this.

The games go for epic and centre on two different protagonists who have to find their honour and courage as they face demons and try to bring mana back to the world of Sylvarant. In the first game, you play Lloyd and you negotiate an overland map and world as you travel; in the second (Dawn of the New World) you are tasked with being Emil who has to deal with the consequences of what Lloyd and his friends set in motion.

Luscious anime style opening titles really set the tone well and give a feel of the epic JRPG nature of the game, as well as recalling the visual style of the likes of TV Show Battle of the Planets from my younger years. In wandering around the worlds, you can go everywhere, exploring every nook and cranny and interact with every person within the realms. It's a nice touch and one that really gives you the feeling that the game makers have left it all open for you to explore.

The worlds are beautifully created as well - and the remaster actually makes them look animated and cartoon-like rather than a computer game. Even the HD port doesn't make you feel like you've lost a high amount of quality with the look not being sacrificed for a more high def feel.

There's plenty of fighting to do in both as well - either as individuals or in groups. It's a simple case of mashing buttons and taking on the enemies, be they one or more. However, in Dawn of the New World, you get to train some creatures too, giving the game a bit more scope than simply mash and bash.

You'll have to pay attention to the cut-scenes too, as they often drop clues as to what you need to do - which can be frustrating, given that they do tend to go on a lot longer than normal and pop up with frequency. Patience is rewarded, but I did lose my way because of my hurry to get through another staged scene.

Dawn of the New World is perhaps a tonally darker game, with Emil, the hero of the piece, being an orphaned and bullied boy, who's told by everyone he meets that he's a loser and a curse on the village. It takes a little time to warm to that - and makes the early stages of the game feel a trifle harder as no-one's willing to give you help, but once he begins to find his feet, the world starts to change. It's a narrative that's an arc and it shows a lot more depth than some games of a similar ilk. But the time it takes, may not be to everyone's liking - so you'll have to be a fan of the genre to fully embrace it.

All in all, this double pack proffers up a tantalising peek into the world of JRPG - it's one that I'd not been exposed to previously and while the game takes a while to settle into if you're unfamiliar with the genre, it soon shows a lot of storytelling depth to rival some of anime's finest.

Rating:

The Monuments Men: Movie Review

The Monuments Men: Movie Review

Cast: George Clooney, Matt Damon, Bill Murray, John Goodman, Jean Dujardin, Cate Blanchett, Hugh Bonneville, Bob Balaban
Director: George Clooney

Packing a powerhouse cast, The Monuments Men is based on a true story in World War II.

George Clooney is Professor Frank Stokes, who's tasked by FDR with going into Germany with a group of ragtag recruits and rescuing artistic masterpieces from the clutches of Hitler and his proposed museum of art.

But this team of seven men - from museum directors, curators to art historians - seem a highly unlikely bunch to go to the front line and face the Nazis, let alone swoop in and save art. Along with resistance from their own side, Stokes and the team have more than got their work cut out for them as the personal toll rises.

The Monuments Men may be based on a true story, but the film is an odd patch quilt of mismatched tones and ideas. In some parts, it tries to be a true war film, exposing some of the horrors of the Nazi regime; at other times, it's clearly a humour based caper as the art quest steps up and in other places, it's a typical derring do war drama that aims to tug at the heartstrings and exploits your feelings.

But tonally, the final mix doesn't quite work, leaving the feeling that the film is overall slightly flat.

It could, in part, be something to do with the structure, which splits the men up into Odd Couple groups before dropping them behind enemy lines and trying to string together a series of episodes with the slightest of connecting narratives. When the cast is reunited on screen towards the end of the film, it's clear there's a chemistry between them all which is missing when they're split; while the couples work well, the odd mismatched atmosphere doesn't quite gel together and the film ever so slightly jars.

Clooney's done a great job in recreating the atmosphere and actualities of the era and the story he's chosen to tell is one that taps into something inherent in the annals of war movies - a tale of ragtag misfits who defy the odds to beat the bad guys and sock it to ole Mr Hitler. But the execution of the story doesn't quite deliver the euphoric thrill you'd expect from a stellar cast.

Of the cast, Jean Dujardin and John Goodman work well as opposites - his French charm is counterbalanced by Goodman's almost dour delivery; Bill Murray's deadpan gels with Bob Balaban's simmering resentment. However, Matt Damon fares worst with Cate Blanchett's character, who appears to have sucked a truck load of lemons and is as tart and sour as she can muster for a French resistance fighter who's forced to work with the Nazis. Bonneville does a version of his Downton Abbey character, and it feels slight, a once over of a character whose years of regrets are hinted at but not fully explored.

That's some of the problem of the film - the characters work well as an ensemble but when split feel sketchy at best - and it's a pity as the dialogue and banter between them is actually unexpectedly hilarious as you'd want for a fish-out-of-water scenario.

Overall, The Monuments Men is a good story with an odd execution more than anything - the mismatch of tone is distracting and almost fatal at times, rendering the whole exercise a little flat. It's a shame because it's one of the great untold stories of the war time era - it's just a pity that Clooney couldn't quite bring the fire and passion of the onscreen story to life.

Rating:

About Time: Blu Ray Review

About Time: Blu Ray Review

Rating: M
Released by Universal Home Ent

About Time is the latest rom-com sap-fest from the Working Title fold.

So, it’s back once more to Curtis’ idealistic Britain, where London is never gloomy and the English folk eat alfresco on the Cornish coast whatever the weather. So far, so quaint and so Hollywood stereotyped….

Domnhall Gleeson (one of the Weasley brothers from the Harry Potter series) plays Tim, who discovers from his father on his 21^st birthday that all the men in the family possess the ability to travel in time. All they have to do is enter a darkened room, clasp their hands together and think of the moment they wish to return to – et voila, a second chance from within their own lifetime beckons.

How does Tim use this great gift?

Well, as Tim decries initially, “For me - it was always going to be about love” and he turns his power towards ensuring that Mary (a rather bland and wishy-washy Rachel McAdams) becomes his beau.

But Tim gradually learns that this power isn’t to be abused – and despite having every chance in the world to change things, not everything can be changed for the better and some life lessons need to be learned.

About Time is exactly what you’d expect from the Richard Curtis romcom stable. If you’re an old cynic, you’ll gradually feel the roof of your gums as you angrily gnash your teeth away as the celluloid sugar overload pours out in waves at you; otherwise, you’ll lap up every moment and laugh at every English eccentricity, ignoring the fact that Curtis is plundering from his own stockpile and trademarks to bring you a very polished, yet mawkish and sentimental film. (In fact, you can play Curtis bingo as well – as characters appear to have wondered in from other films he’s penned)

Gleeson really impresses in his first lead – even if he does have overtones of Hugh Grant’s patented stutter, awkwardness and vulnerability down to a tee; there’s something endearing about his gradual coming of age and realising that despite living each day again, it’s the extraordinary ordinariness which makes us all so special. (In case you didn’t already know and needed film to tell you otherwise)

Likewise, Nighy turns in another great character role, bringing a subtlety and nuanced heart to the father figure. It’s a performance which may have many (even the hard hearted) wanting to call their parents for a quick catch up afterwards but it’s never one that descends too far into sentimental mush, despite the plot going darker at the end.

Did it win me over? Not in the slightest, due to the fact it borrows heavily and indulges Curtis’ own back catalogue; every moment I could see coming from a mile off and there was not one single moment where there was a surprise waiting for me.  It’s a meditation on regret and the reality of growing up not a complex look at the mores and dilemmas faced by someone with great power – it’s crowd-pleasing in the extreme and hits every note that Curtis would have wanted to this time around.

All in all, About Time is entirely predictable and utter feel good fluff as the overload of cute builds to its climax; Curtis’ schmaltzy swansong is exactly what you’d expect from the man (even down to the mood setting generic piano music) and thanks to a more coherent, if overlong, script, it comes together well as the consequences of change and the relationships we share are put under scrutiny. 

About Time is perfectly pleasant cinematic stuff, not life-changing, but not too soul-destroying in its saccharine assault on the senses. 

Extras: Deleted scenes, blooper reel, commentary

Rating:

Captain Phillips: Blu Ray Review

Captain Phillips: Blu Ray Review

Rating: M
Released by Sony Home Ent

Tom Hanks is Captain Richard Phillips, a cargo ship captain, whose latest job sees him guiding the Maersk Alabama around the Horn of Africa. But as those in the waters know, that stretch of sea is famous for attacks from Somali pirates.

When a group of four pirates board the Alabama, the line between the Captain and the lead pirate Muse (Barkhad Abdi) is drawn - and so begins a psychological game which could have fatal consequences. Things get worse when the pirates kidnap Phillips and put him into a lifeboat trying to escape.

145 miles off the Somali coast and with the clock ticking, the stakes are raised even higher when the US military's called in to the first hijacking of one of their ships in over 200 years....will Phillips live to sail another day?

Captain Phillips is trademark Greengrass. The director of two of the Bourne trilogy films brings his usual eye for tension and detail to the fore of this tale that ramps up the suspense in some parts and simply tells the story as it is. But with an unnecessary shaky cam feel from the start - why this couldn't have been left until the water scenes I'll never know - it takes a while to get into the feel of the film and the drama. It's more a tale of two captains, who have desperation fuelling their decisions than a straight psychological piece. For Muse, it's fear from failing his superiors at home which spur him into the situation he finds himself in; and Abdi delivers a bony, edgy, nervily compelling performance which threatens to boil over at any point into horrifying consequences.

With Phillips, it's about the protection of his crew first off and Hanks does an excellent job of an average man trying to do an above average job in trying circumstances. It's a role Hanks has excelled at before and one that he shines at again, though in all honesty, it's not until the end of the movie that we actually see Hanks acting during a delayed emotive reaction to what's happened and it's spine-tinglingly good. Which is why it's a shame to report that there's no real emotional pull during the rest of the film. While the khat-chewing pirates are fairly well drawn out (there's the young newbie, the unpredictably volatile one, the one with heart) and stand out as characters of their own, it's only really when there's the head to head with Muse and Phillips that the film gains an edge. That tension seems to dissipate a little when the action moves off the boat and onto the submersible, which to be honest is somewhat of a surprise given that is where the claustrophobic atmosphere should have been ramped up. With shaky cam prevalent throughout, and no explanation as to why the military suddenly become so heavily involved in this altercation, there's a feeling that this flick leans quite heavily on Hanks' performance.

And that's a good thing given the level of underplayed intensity that he brings - certainly, by the end, I was a little more invested than I'd initially felt. While parts of Captain Phillips are all at sea, the underlying tension throughout niggles and inveigles its way under your skin - but it's all due, once again, to a powerhouse slow burning performance from Tom Hanks.

Rating:

Gravity: Blu Ray Review

Gravity: Blu Ray Review

Rating: M
Released by Warner Home Video

In space, no-one can hear you scream.

Which is kind of sad because this latest from the director of Children of Men makes you want to scream from the rooftops about how incredibly good and technically impressive it is. Even on the small screen

George Clooney and Sandra Bullock star as two astronauts in space. Clooney is Matt Kowalski, a retiring astronaut; Bullock is Ryan Stone, a medical engineer working in space for the first time. When debris from a Russian satellite heads their way, the pair is thrust into a life and death battle to survive above Earth....


Gravity the movie is an incredible, utterly thrilling experience from the moment it begins.

It opens with a jaw-dropping shot of life above the Earth, which fills the screen and seriously impresses with the detail of the world below and captures the utter majesty of space. The opening shot tracks around the space station that Kowalski and Stone are working on and the world around it are completely awesome in the true sense of the word. It's a bravura start to an emotionally intense film which is more experience than traditional movie in many ways.

But as the relative peace of the skies and Ed Harris' mission controller voiceover begin to lull you into a false sense of security, Cuaron rips the rug from under you and ramps up the tension with a series of set pieces which assault the senses, both visually and aurally.As the empty skies fill with debris from the satellite and the OST builds perilously loud, the fear factor rises higher than you'd imagine possible and thanks to a rising crescendo of sound and visual FX, the tension forces you to the edge of your seat.

Clooney impresses as Kowalski, the old timer whose knowledge of how to survive kicks in but it's arguably Bullock's film.

In among her flailing and falling into the dark expanses of space, Stone undergoes a metaphorical and spiritual journey as the reality of what she's facing kicks in. Coming to terms with the loss of a child, the loss of the space pilots around her and her impending death, she undergoes the gamut of emotions and takes you along for the ride too.

However, it's the film which is the real hero of the piece - a visual feast and terrifying symphony with plenty of head-scratching as to how exactly they achieved the final effect, Gravity is as close to being in space as many of us will ever achieve - it left me with goosebumps as I gorged on the wonderful FX.

Make no mistake - even on the smallest of screens, Gravity will leave you breathless.

Extras: Over 3 hours of special features - see how the film was made

Rating: