The Secret Life of Walter Mitty: Blu Ray Review

The Secret Life of Walter Mitty: Blu Ray Review

Rating: M
Released by 20th Century Fox Home Ent

Ben Stiller flexes his directorial muscles in this quirkily whimsical piece about a white collar worker who works for Life magazine. That worker is Walter Mitty (played by Ben Stiller) - and his job is to process photos for inclusion in the magazine. Prone to daydreaming, Mitty's an unmitigated hopeless case; a man for whom fantasy is more reality than an escape from the anonymity of a boring daily routine.

But when the magazine is bought out by a conglomerate and the final issue's announced by management-speak spouting bearded boss (Adam Scott), Mitty's forced to take action - not just because the image they need from top photographer Sean O'Connell is missing.

So, bounding out of the door and finally coming to life, spurred on by LIFE Magazine colleague (and crush) Cheryl, Mitty embarks on the first and biggest adventure of his lifetime as he comes wildly to life.

The Secret Life of Walter Mitty is a real curio of a film and a doozy served up by Ben Stiller. Based on James Thurber's 1939 short story and not a remake of the 1947 film, Stiller's committed something to celluloid which looks distinctly different to anything else witnessed this year. Mitty's flights of fancy are visually incredible as they weave seamlessly into the ongoing narrative - from an opening sequence where he imagines himself leaping perilously through a building to save Cheryl's three-legged dog before the whole thing blows up to an imaginary fight with his boss which wrecks as much of Manhattan as theAvengers did and an adorably funny sequence where Mitty imagines his life with Cheryl in an homage to The Curious Case of Benjamin Button,they capture the fantastical nature of a daydreamer. But, with so many of them coming so quickly, the technique threatens to jar and irritate rather than to help the film soar.

Thankfully, when Mitty springs into life to track down O'Connell, the film calms down a little as the real adventure doesn't need sprucing up with fantastical edges. Taking in Greenland and Iceland's wondrous scenery, Stiller's done an excellent job of letting the visuals set the tone for this incredulous journey of a quiet and reserved man finding his voice.

Sure, there are coincidences of quirk layered upon this travelogue and a nice side story involving an internet dating site continually calling Mitty to expand his profile and hobbies as he's out adventuring, but there's an earnestness and a zest for life that's fully exploited on the big screen.

Stiller doesn't entirely manage to fully convince as Mitty; while he's dialled down his propensity for slapstick (which comes to the fore in a couple of sequences), his default setting appears to be Blue Steel which can be occasionally off-putting. He has a good solid rapport with Wiig and their burgeoning relationship works well; likewise, the enigmatic Sean O'Connell is excellently portrayed by an earnest Penn.

Thoughtful, occasionally profound and always visually inventive, it's as a director that Ben Stiller excels in The Secret Life of Walter Mitty - I've seen nothing else like this on the big screen this year. There are strong visuals which really resonate as they bounce onto your eyeballs - and Stiller's found a crafty way to write various parts of the script into the world around Mitty thanks to VFX.

All in all, there's a cinematic eccentricity and whimsy to The Secret Life of Walter Mitty which is hard to ignore; it's a flight of fancy and reflective piece to let wash over you

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2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil: PS3 Review

2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil : PS3 Review

Released by EA
Platform: PS3

Footy fever is about to strike with the launch of the 2014 World Cup next month.

But in the gaming world, it's already game over thanks to the release of 2014 FIFA World Cup, for the older generation consoles only.

There's something simple about football games and the 2014 FIFA World Cup does not really dally away from the formula as the brightly coloured menus and titles fire up. If anything, the opening screens give the game more of a feel of a festival, a bright and colourful explosion of footy and fun.

And the game has encompassed all that is Brazil's footballing destination with the majority of the stadium being incorporated into the various matches and with chances for you to play in all of them. It's almost as if the developers have decided that interest will be piqued in this title, thanks to global interests in it all - and so because of that, it's a more mass marketed appeal.

That said, it feels like the first football title that I've enjoyed in quite a while, thanks to the ease of play, and simplicity of which to control the players on the field. It ranges from a simple two button technique to a more complex on field, but it all makes for smoother gameplay, ease of passing and crucially, an ease of goal-scoring.

Career mode lets you play through the qualifiers and into the world cup itself, and it's this which is the most fun. The All Whites may not have actually qualified, but you can still play as the team. Elsewhere, you get to play mini games as you try to score penalties from the spot and improve your ball skills.

There's also a speediness to the games themselves which makes the whole thing feel more fluid than before and means you don't have to hunker down for endurance of the game or carefully count the moments on the clock until the whistle blows and you can celebrate a narrow victory.

All in all, 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil will give some life to those casually dropping into the football world and dipping their toes in because of the beautiful game's global presence - just be grateful that EA have spent some time ensuring this product matches the standards and isn't a rushed job and is one which feels like the beautiful game will continue to live on.

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New Transformers: Age of Extinction trailer drops

New Transformers: Age of Extinction trailer drops

There's a brand new trailer for Transformers: Age Of Extinction out now.

It looks like the latest Transformers movie is going to be bringing all of the bang for your buck.

Watch the Transformers: Age of Extinction trailer here.

Doctor Who: The Ultimate Guide: DVD Review

Doctor Who: The Ultimate Guide: DVD Review

Rating: PG
Released by BBC and Roadshow Home Ent

As we patiently wait the new Doctor Who series with Peter Capaldi, this nostalgic look back at 50 years of the Doctor Who phenomenon will quietly do.

Released for last year's half century celebrations, the doco revisits why the series is so enduringly popular and interviews 5 of the stars who played the Doctor as well as a plethora of companions. Taking in the series' appeal and encapsulating why those who took part are still so universally adored, the Ultimate Guide is a nice easy watch, a reminder of why Who is what it is and why it's got a wide appeal.

David Tennant, Peter Davison, Colin Baker, Sylvester McCoy et al provide knowing commentary and for fans of the show, many will be nodding along as the reasons why it's loved are explored.

The Ultimate Guide represents an easy watch and is worth owning if you're a Who fan in any form - new or old.

Extras: None

First look at Ben Affleck as Batman

First look at Ben Affleck as Batman

Holy geek treats!

Director Zack Snyder's just tweeted out a picture of Ben Affleck as Batman and a first look at the Batmobile.

The first look at Ben Affleck as Batman is sure to get some of the naysayers potentially eating their words.

The new suit seems very in line with what we've come to expect.

Here's your first look at Ben Affleck as Batman!

Child of Light: PS4 Review

Child of Light: PS4 Review

Platform: PS4
Released by Ubisoft

I first set eyes on Child of Light when offered a chance of a preview of Ubisoft's new game earlier in the month.

Now, the full version's been released as a complete game, and it's time to dive back into the magical fairy tale world all over again.

The side scrolling game sees you taking control of Aurora. She's a child stolen from her home and is desperate to get home to her father. Initially lost in the woodlands of a nightmarish world and thinking she needs to wake up, Aurora meets Igniculus, the firefly, who becomes her ally in this quest (and is controlled in a similar manner to Murfy from the Rayman game) - between the two of them they have to face all manner of nasty creatures in the woods, solve a few puzzles (using Igniculus' light powers) and try and face their darkest fears.

As the pair venture through the world together, they face demons, beasties and creepers as they try to tackle the perils and get Aurora back to her world. But the battles aren't exactly the easiest thing to initially get your head around - using the whole it's your turn first combat mentality, it's down to you to cast the first stone or choose to defend. Using a timeline method you see who's about to strike and can even use Igniculus to slow them down during combat by shining brightly upon them.

You can also avoid combat completely by using the dazzling Igniculus method - but I'd caution against doing that too often as each victory grants you XP and a chance to power up. If you choose to ignore that, then you end up facing enemies against insurmountable odds and who beat you simply because you don't have enough in the reserve to take them on. It's a smart move and while occasionally it makes combat a little tedious, the fact it's a necessity pays off further down the track. Companions that you meet can be added into the gameplay and it makes the fighting a little bit more fun in terms of numbers and fairer if you're taking on three enemies. (It's very similar to the back and forth method employed by South Park: The Stick of Truth earlier this year).

Visually, the game is absolutely sumptuous. Once again, Ubisoft has used the paintings style backgrounding technique so deftly employed in Rayman and it works to bring an ethereal and childlike feel to this story. With her Merida style red hair, Aurora is a simply charming heroine that'll be fun to help on her quest. The animation is smoothly done and the action (such as it is) is occasionally interrupted by a kind of cartoon-like story being told, as well as with rhyming couplets being seen on screen. All of this (crudely described by me) adds to a feeling of a poem and tale being sketched out on the PS4 by the UBISOFT team.

There are many familiar traits shared with Rayman - parts of the landscape are hidden and will only be revealed when you wonder near to their locale and the wishes that appear for you to collect operate in a similar manner to the Lums of the games. You get extra powers throughout and can end up flying around to help you traverse the land. There are collectibles as well, including potions and the ability to port up your powers.

There's something magical about Child of Light - something which taps into the dreams you'd have as a child and the fairytales you'd read.Aurora's a charming character, an encapsulation of innocence in a world of darkness. The game itself is also something different; an indication that perhaps the simplest of premises can be turned into the most enchanting of experiences.

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Godzilla: Movie Review

Godzilla: Movie Review

Cast: Bryan Cranston, Ken Watanbe, Aaron Taylor Johnson, Elizabeth Olsen, Sally Hawkins
Director: Gareth Edwards

It's time to do the Monster Smash again.

Set across three time periods, the 2014 Godzilla film starts with Breaking Bad's Bryan Cranston's apparently crazy Joe Brody warning that a disaster is about to hit the nuclear plant he works in with his wife. Sustained seismic activity has lead to this potential problem - and soon, Brody loses his wife in the subsequent meltdown.

15 years later and Brody's son, Ford (Kick Ass's Aaron Taylor-Johnson) has now grown up and works as a bomb disposal expert. When his father's arrested in Japan for going back into the quarantine zone, Ford leaves his wife (a woefully underused The Avengers' Age of Ultron star Elizabeth Olsen) and son to go to pick him up - but soon finds himself caught up in an event which could signal the end of the world - and the return of Godzilla...

Unashamedly B-movie in its feel and story, but bang upto date in its execution, the creature feature Godzilla is a curious beast in many ways.

The director of low budget indie Monsters, Gareth Edwards, has brought the creature back to life in a film which embraces the history of Godzilla films and simultaneously updates the monster. In fact, the creatures in the 2014 Godzilla movie are perhaps rendered perfectly, with Godzilla himself almost bear-like in his reptilian appearance and true to his earlier celluloid incarnations.

Sadly, though the actual monster star of the movie appears to be sidelined in many ways - rejected in favour of a series of cliched and stereotyped characters, ripped directly from a pulpy trashy movie, with some cheese served up that's almost as large as Godzilla himself.

There's a crazed conspiracy crackpot scientist, whose warnings no-one pays heed to (a great Cranston), another scientist who spends a lot of the time aghast but who seems to mysteriously know how Godzilla works (Ken Watanbe), a stoic yet impassive soldier who finds himself in every appearance of the monster (Taylor-Johnson, relatively emotionless and unable to really centre the movie as it progresses after Cranston's searing turn) and a procession of kids and animals who are in danger.

It's these beats which pepper the relatively serious movie and which make it feel tonally a bit uneven, and crucially, add little to the overall narrative. A lack of emotional connection in among the impressive set pieces does little to connect you to the unfolding disaster. (Though the subtext is there - Ford deals with bombs in his life and yet is negligent of the human one ticking under his nose.)

That said, while the dialogue borders on the cliched and preposterous ("Nature has an order, a power to restore balance"), the restrained action more than delivers throughout as cities get smashed once again. It's the smaller moments which shine in this, the touches which embrace the creature's past heritage and the genuine chills that Edwards throws down your spine. Flourishes that recall Jurassic Park and small Godzilla easter eggs add to the feeling of a film that's occasionally derivative but respectfully willing to tread its own path.

Edwards has found a way to bring some new and intimately haunting visuals to the screen - from troops jumping out of a drop-ship skydiving into hell to jets plummeting out of the skies, the darkness haunts Godzilla the movie, with 24 hour news showing footage of creatures fighting (both an homage to old movies and a commentary on today's global eyes and ears) to great effect. The opening titles are impressive too, a mix of conspiracy theories, Hiroshima atomic bombs and censorship which set the murky tone right away.

But it's that dour feeling which ripples through Godzilla  - Edwards has negotiated a cautious way through silly and sensible, but, in among the scale of it all and with the odd intimate (and occasionally over-used moments), he somehow manages to leave you with a feeling of wanting more carnage - after all, isn't that what Godzilla does?

All in all, Godzilla deserves to be commended for embracing the creature feature of olden days, and the legend of yore - certainly, monster fans will be impressed by what Edwards has committed to the screen - it's almost a love letter to the Godzilla movies you'd have watched growing up. It's just a shame that the human elements of the movie let the side down and leave this monster lurching a little when it really should be roaring.

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