Machete Kills: Blu Ray Review

Machete Kills: Blu Ray Review

Rating: R18
Released by Icon and Roadshow

After breathing life into a character which appeared as part of the Planet Terror / Death Proof  faux trailers, and scoring box office gold with a spin off, Machete (Danny Trejo) returns once again.

This time around, after the death of his partner (Jessica Alba) at the hands of a masked killer, Machete is recruited by the US Government (aka POTUS Charlie Sheen) to take on an arms dealer in Mexico.

The rub? This arms dealer wants to fire a rocket on Washington and wipe out the government for doing little to wipe the scourge of the Mexican drug cartels from the planet. So, it's up to Machete, a big knife and some cojones to save the day....

Where the first Machete  had a degree of panache and self-awareness in terms of its exploitation, this latest Grindhouse / cult effort from director Robert Rodriguez  brings little to the table.

Amid a slew of killings, beheadings and general limb dismemberment, Danny Trejo, complete with his ruggedly lined face stumbles about as a dull Machete, looking tired, dazed and confused as to what exactly is going on. In amid his monosyllabic gruntings and one liners ("Machete don't tweet", "Machete don't smoke" to name but two of them), he seems lost at sea and confused as to what exactly is expected of him this time around.

Only Modern Family's buxom Sofia Vergara  seems to have a ball with her part, playing a whorehouse mistress whose main thrust is to avenge her dead daughter, killed when under Machete's charge. She fires the role with such aplomb that she's sorely missed when her brief time is over. And she brings new meaning to showing off her guns as well.

But that's half the problem with this latest Machete film - it feels sorely unfinished and under-cooked.

The first was a complete story whereas this latest seems to find Rodriguez suffused with the desire to build everything up to a climax that doesn't deliver and only teases a future installment, which appears to be set in space and is likely to be a grindhouse take on Star Wars, judging by the faux trailers which preface and bookend the piece. And the hints of a third film are terrifying, given the whole thing could have been epically wrapped up in this one alone.

Carlos Estevez (aka The winning Charlie Sheen) is wooden as the US President and Mel Gibson is utterly banal and unconvincing as the bad guy (with Rodriguez slyly hinting at Scientology but not bothering to go the full hog); even Demian Bichir hams it up as the OTT baddie initially, before he falls prey to the gory slaughter rained down upon the cast. A couple of gory kills will satisfy the adolescents in the audience, but there's little else here given how tame it all feels and how self-indulgent it becomes.

In short, the creatively limp Machete Kills does nothing except fire blanks.

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Doctor Who: The Web of Fear: DVD Review

Doctor Who: The Web of Fear: DVD Review

Rating: PG
Released by BBC and Roadshow Home Ent

Feared missing for years and only recently re-discovered, The Web of Fear represents a minor miracle in the Doctor Who world.

It's an iconic story which sees Patrick Troughton's Second Doctor pitted against the Yeti in the London Underground. With the Great Intelligence determined to defeat the Earth and its combined forces, the Doctor soon finds he's confronted by seemingly insurmountable odds.

The Web of Fear is simply good solid Doctor Who fun, with a few scares here and there. Five parts of the six are now here, with one still missing, but with none of the atmosphere lost. Troughton really brings his A game to this - and you're transported along on the journey with him; the Yeti lumber about and the Underground's very well used.

If there's a nostalgic tint to this story, it's one of joy that it's been found. Though, that joy may quickly go when you realise no love has been given to this disc, with no special features of any sort whatsoever. It's a cynical cash in and a crushing blow after the recent sterling work on the range.

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Thor: The Dark World: Blu Ray Review

Thor: the Dark World: Blu Ray Review

Rating: M
Released by Sony Home Ent

It's pleasing to report that the shadow and after effects of The Avengers are still hanging over this, giving the feel that there's some kind of ongoing plan for the Marvel franchise. Whereas New York's mopping up after the antics of the Chitauri, Loki's behaviour's caused ructions in the nine realms and in Asgard, with Chris Hemsworth's Thor thrown into the mix to try and re-unite the warring factions at his father Odin's behest.

However, the mallet man's heart isn't fully in it, with thoughts turning to Natalie Portman's Jane Foster who's back on Earth and struggling with the same affliction. But when Jane accidentally finds herself infected with a mysterious substance known as the Aether, she inadvertently awakens a long-buried threat, believed vanquished from within Asgard itself - the Dark Elves, headed up by the revenge-seeking Malekith (Christopher Eccleston)..... is it time for Asgard to fall?

Thor: The Dark World is a darker, grittier film than the first, but it becomes a little weighed down by some of its own intentions and a myriad of ideas.

There's such a mix of themes and motifs here that the whole thing feels tonally choppy in places as it shifts from one to the next, juggling way too many narrative balls in the air, and trying desperately to drop none of them.

It starts with a grand almost Game of Thrones / Lord of the Rings-esque prologue that details the ancient war between the Dark Elves (with their impassive white mask faces) and the Gods before shifting focus onto Tom Hiddleston's reptilian Loki, then onto Thor's attempts to quell theNine Realms' discord before settling into some comedy scientist hijinks, led by Kat Dennings' Darcy, whose role is severely comically expanded this time around. Add into that mix, some gut-wrenchingly emotional moments in the second act of the film which are almost derailed by the sudden tonal shift,  a sub-plot hinting at romantic tensions between Thor, Jaimie Alexander's Sif and Jane Foster which is dropped mid-way through, a 9/11 style attack on Asgard, some sci-fi MacGuffins as well as a rather neatly and abrupt conclusion and the piece, while blockbuster in every sense of the word, feels a little like a mixed narrative journey. (Albeit, an enjoyable one if you're prepared to overlook all of these things.) For example - A great sequence involving a truly moving Viking burial barely has time to settle before director Taylor's back to the comedy elements - it may work for the end of a comic book and the start of a next chapter, but on screen, it jars.

In terms of character, Hemsworth's adopted the rather stilted and stuffy tone for Thor, playing his fish out of water ways for laughs (a great scene sees him hanging up Mjolnir at a house the same way one does a coat); but his interaction / love interest with Portman's Jane is a little lacking this time around, with their onscreen time cut dramatically and their relationship suffering because of it. Equally, Eccleston's Malekith suffers in the shadow of the snakelike Loki, brilliantly portrayed by Hiddleston once again. While Eccleston brings the grim determination and vengeful might, there's little dimension or depth to his baddie, with the final showdown lacking the weight you'd expect. Meanwhile, Hiddleston provides much more nuance and layers to Loki this time around, turning a villain of the piece into something more Machiavellian than you'd have expected as the brotherly bonds of love and grief are played out. That said, the epic feel and sense and scale of Thor 2: The Dark World,coupled with some measured and impressive action sequences and some top notch FX work, make it a film for the masses and a flick which ensures Marvel's still on the top of its genre game.

Ultimately though, if the Thor franchise wants to grow and continue, maybe some of the myriad of elements need to be taken out of the mix to help the story and characters breathe - before they risk becoming too one note and tired.

Extras: Marvel One-shot, peek at the Winter Soldier

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The Raid 2: Berandal: Movie Review

The Raid 2: Berandal: Movie Review

Cast: Iko Uwais, Julie Estelle, Tio Pakusodewo, Alex Abbad
Director: Gareth Evans

"It's a question of ambition"

The first words spoken in The Raid 2: Berandal - and all throughout, Evans' ambition shines on like a beacon of directorial delight.

Not long after the first Raid movie finished, shortly after rookie cop Rama (Uwais) chop-sockied his way out of a building piled high with gangsters and bad guys, the sequel takes up. Suddenly, Rama finds himself asked to help weedle out the corruption within the system and enter the world of gangsters, gang warfare and an uneasy truce that's existed for more than a decade.

Despite his initial refusal to do so, the quest to do good is irresistible to Rama - and he finds himself in a world where he's not the biggest fish and there are some pretty dangerous predators around.

The Raid 2: Berandal is an exceptionally impressive sequel that ups the ante of the first and shows no sign of resting on its laurels.

Evans has settled for the epic, and has certainly achieved that goal more often than not throughout its slightly overlong 2 and a half hours run time. If The Raid proved one thing, it's that a single man, with his fists and a knack for taking on the system could prove to be an incredibly visceral thrill. Certainly, the second reaches the dizzying highs of the first - and then amply exceeds them.

A series of set pieces prove almost balletic in their execution - from a major fight in a prison that becomes a muddy swamp scrap for survival to a final showdown that's likely to have you punching the air, this is an adrenaline packed ride that brings much originality and freshness to the action movie. Evans has directorial flair as well - using his camera to showcase a toilet fight from above and in a bravura extended car chase sequence, a fight within the back seat of the car. He's got vision and scope for the sequel that's jawdropping and fulfilled in every frame.

It's these moments that help lift the film from the predictability that annoyingly lurks in the background. The gang warfare story feels a little cliched and has been done many times before; a slightly bloated saggy middle section creaks with pointless re-exposition and almost flatlines as it sidelines our hero for turf war and attempts to channel Shakespearean type levels of betrayal (that don't quite meet the highs). But it's to Uwais' credit that he makes every moment count, perfectly encapsulating the conflict of trying to do what he believes is right but fighting his inner demons that perhaps he's out of his depth. A nuanced and restrained turn from our hero gives the emotional edge to the terrifically engaging and adrenaline-pumped action moments.

And there are so many of those - along with Hammer Girl (a half-blind deaf mute whose MO involves, erm, hammers), this is a film whose sequel surpasses the original and delivers more than a kick to the head - it fires a shot in the arm of action movies and audience expectations for them. Beautifully choreographed frenetic fights flow like liquid, and leave the mind boggling over how many takes were needed; but serve to show how much of a talent Uwais is.

As the body count builds in the final act, you forgive the occasional creaks, the odd moment of weird characterisation (chiefly, a hobo looking aide to one family, who kicks serious ass but also has serious daddy issues); they all fade into the distance - because The Raid 2: Berandal packs a powerfully brutal punch, delivers a clear-cut KO to the genre and makes these kinds of movies all kinds of cool once again.

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Tomb Raider / Bioshock Infinite: PS Plus Subscription Reviews

Tomb Raider / Bioshock Infinite: PS Plus Subscription Reviews

Free through the PS Plus Subscription
Tomb Raider - just gone on in March
Bioshock Infinite - was added in Feb

It's very easy to overlook the benefits sometimes.

And nowhere are they more apparent than as part of a PlayStation Plus subscription. Every month, there's a wealth of new content and for those of us like me, who sometimes miss out on the games due to the fact there's so much on, there's a welcome relief to be had from getting the chance to catch up as and when.

So it is with Tomb Raider, which has just been added to the latest round of PS Plus Sub benefits. At 12.5GB, this is a download that will chew through any data cap you have, but my goodness, if this Lara Croft reboot isn't worth it, I will head over and kick your behind, because quite simply if you're a fan of gaming, then you really need to play this.

Setting out on her first expedition, Lara is bound for Japan, but nature intervenes and soon, she and a few other survivors find their way to a deserted island. As Lara investigates further, she finds herself drawn into an ancient civilisation and a prophecy. Cinematic and epic where it needs to be, this overlooked reboot is simply great gaming. It's got a depth of storytelling that works as well and successfully relaunches the Lara Croft franchise. Giving her a bow to use is a master-stroke and in just seconds, Square Enix has made her iconic again.

The game's been re-released and re-mastered for the PS4 too, with a definitive edition adding a pristine sheen to the overall feel of the product. On either format, it's worth seeking out - and if you're a PS Plus member, I'd recommend you download it right now and get into it. You won't regret it.

Elsewhere, I'd heard great things about Bioshock Infinite and it had always been on my list to pick up. So, I was glad to see that part of the PS Plus Sub too.

The first person shooter is one of the strangest, most oddly compelling mixes of a game that I've ever played, but it's wonderful in its own (at times non-linear)way.

Set in 1912, a world where cities are floating, you play Booker De Witt, a man tasked with finding a girl called Elizabeth. After rescuing her, you're involved in an ongoing war between two factions, a bit of dimension hopping and a lot of Civil America Union issues as well. Mixing in roleplay as well as FPS, it's a clever, canny, smart and sinister game that appeals on many levels. The intrigue from the get-go is gripping and playing on to see how it pans out makes for a rewarding journey after a 6GB download.

But again, it's the characterisation that stands out here, with Elizabeth so beautifully drawn that when the end comes, you're left emotionally bereft. There's only a few more weeks left to catch Bioshock Infinite so I suggest you hurry.

With the free games getting bigger on the PS Plus Sub, it's worth considering investing. In some ways, the sub saves you money on gaming if you're patient and with even more on the way (PS4 games and VITA titles are thrown in monthly) it really does pay off.

You can find all the details for subscribing to PlayStation Plus here.

Fable Anniversary: XBox 360 Review

Fable Anniversary: XBox 360 Review

Released by Microsoft Studios
Platform: XBox 360

I'm not aware of the original Fable which was one of the biggest RPGs on the Xbox, so a reissue came as something of news to me.

The original was back in 2004, so a decade on, you could be forgiven for thinking this was due an HD remaster - and here it is, revamped for the 360's HD ways. In Fable, you star as a young boy, who's lost his family after an attack and who has to make his way through the Heroes Guild, with vengeance on his mind.

With attributes for magic and dexterity, as well as strength, there's time to build up your skills as the game progresses - combat gives you XP which must be collected and it's fairly self explanatory on that front. Moral choices are also in play here, and it's clear to see that back in 2004 this game would have been at the forefront of the wave of RPGs, given that it's all about choices as well (which inform so many of today's games of a similar ilk).

Nostalgia will play a large part in this game for those who loved it the first time around - with missions, wagers and the ability to boast proving to be a big part of the game, there's certainly enough to keep gamers interested. Though it has to be said, given what we get nowadays, the quality of Fable Anniversary may come up a little wanting.

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Noah: The Ark featurette

Noah: The Ark featurette

NOAH's Russell Crowe, Emma Watson and Director Darren Aronofsky talk about the process of creating the Ark in this incredible new featurette.

NOAH - in cinemas March 27th.