Spin City S1 / S2: DVD Review

Spin City S1 / S2: DVD Review

Rating: PG
Released by Madman Home Ent

Michael J Fox's return to comedy after Family Ties remains one of the best and most underrated ensemble comedies of all time.

He plays the deputy mayor of New York, Mike Flaherty in this behind the scenes series looking at the world within the walls of power. But as ever, it's the people within which cause the problems - and the scrapes that this Spin doctor has to get them out of.

Collecting together a great ensemble of oddballs with personal issues was a masterstroke of Scrubs creator Bill Lawrence; but also giving them all room to breathe shows the ensemble comedy, when done properly can be an absolute blast.

These two seasons showcase physical and screwball comedy at its best, but also demonstrate a great heart within. And Spin City was a great show until Fox had to leave for health - Charlie Sheen's joining of the show never really kept the ball rolling and lacked the likeability of the lead.

A doco looking at the making of the series reveals how much love there was within and it's just a shame these are individual interviews rather than a collected cast reminiscence.

Frozen: Blu Ray Review

Frozen: Blu Ray Review

Rating: PG
Released by Disney Home Ent

Loosely based on Hans Christian Andersen's fairy tale, The Snow Queen, Frozen's the latest animated film to be fired out of the Disney cannon for the Christmas market.

Idina Menzel and Veronica Mars' star Kristen Bell are sisters Elsa and Anna (respectively) who live in the kingdom of Arendelle. Elsa's distanced herself from Anna over the years after discovering she has the power to create ice and snow; and fearing she'll hurt those she loves the most, she reckons ice-olation (sorry) is best.

However, Anna's more of an outgoing type; desperate to love, be among people and be loved. When trade negotiations begin with the neighbouring town of Wesselton, an accident means Elsa sends the whole kingdom deep into winter. Believing her to be a witch and enchanted, the inhabitants drive her out - but it's upto Anna to try and save the day, restore summer and ensure the future of Arendelle...

Frozen is a Disney film from the creators of Tangled; so, like Tangled, it follows a simple formula, which proved to be effective before - a strong female lead, animals that are anthropomorphic, and big showtunes which can be belted out from a stage. Throw into that mix, this time around, a comedy snowman called Olaf (admirably voiced by Josh Gad, who will definitely appeal to the youngsters within) and you've got a winning mix, which will delight the crowd and will do the job it's supposed to do.

And yet, there are moments in Frozen where it doesn't quite feel like there's enough to propel it through. A perversion of the usual denouement of these films is distinctly welcomed as it's love but not in the traditional Disney way which saves the day, but the rest of it feels like it's ripped from a book of formula, mixed up and spat out onto the big screen.

It's admirable to see that the sisters are so central to the story - particularly Bell's headstrong and independent Anna, and the men who swirl around their orbit aren't as well realised, there for comic effect and little else. Even Sven, the reindeer is sidelined as Olaf's dumb good nature is mined for the comedy.

The tunes within are powerful enough fodder and have you tapping your toes throughout; though they are instantly forgettable the moment you walk out of the cinema. 

Overall though, Frozen sparkles in places and has a charm which is undeniable.

Personally, I'm frosty to its appeal - it does exactly what I'd expect, and does it admirably. It just has to be said though - it didn't thaw this critic's heart and leave me melting as I would have liked it to.

(But make sure you watch the extras, to enjoy a new Mickey Mouse cartoon that confidently blows the cobwebs out of 3D and is as inventive as it is charming)

Rating:


Extras: Mickey Mouse short, Making of, Deleted scenes, music video

Banned Sin City Eva Green poster

Banned Sin City Eva Green poster

Here's a look at the banned poster from Sin City: A Dame To Kill featuring Eva Green which has been banned by the MPAA.

The poster with Eva Green was barred from use during the Sin City: A Dame To Kill promotional campaign.

Good news - finally, a first look at Sin City: A Dame To Kill For with the new trailer

Starring Jessica Alba, Bruce Willis, Rosario Dawson, Jaime King, Josh Brolin, Mickey Rourke, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Eva Green, Dennis Haysbert, Christopher Meloni, Jeremy Piven, Jamie Chung, Ray Liotta, Juno Temple, Julia Garner and Stacy Keach.

Watch the Sin City A Dame to Kill For trailer here

Max: The Curse of Brotherhood: X Box One Review

Max: The Curse of Brotherhood: X Box One Review

Platform: XBox One

We've all done it - had a sibling we wished was somewhere else or not part of our lives.

Well, in this latest 2D side scrolling platformer, that becomes a reality for Max, in the follow up to Max and The Magic Marker.

Finding his brother Felix in his stuff when he gets home from school, Max uses the internet to find a way to get his brother wished away. However, Max actually gets his desire and his brother's torn from in front of him, screaming into another dimension. Immediately regretting it, Max leaps in after to try and save him.

But the world Max's jumped into contains all manner of monsters and problems, most of which can be solved by leaping and jumping, as well as using the Magic Marker to help defy the laws of gravity.

Max: The Curse of Brotherhood is an endearingly cute platformer which will tax your grey matter as much as it taxes your fingers. Bounding from one challenge to the next is enormously simple, yet occasionally, thanks to bad timing, frustratingly irritating.

As Max negotiates his way through a world which is best described as being like a wild west desert with critters and creatures, the visuals are truly gorgeous to behold. Holding the RT portion of the controller brings out the Magic Marker and your chance to build earthen heaps, vines and even shape water to help Max on his path.

But, it may take you more than a few moments to conquer the challenges within. Several times I had to walk away from the puzzler before I went mad trying to solve a puzzle and get Max on to his next challenge. Thinking laterally and with a calm head is what's needed for this game and it may take a little longer than you'd expect to come to the solution.

Graphically, this game soars - its simplicity is its biggest drawcard as it propels headlong in its story. Max is wonderfully animated and the monsters as they appear would seem to be plucked from a child's nightmares. They're not exactly challenging but are perfectly suited to the mood of the game and give this charming game an extra edge.

Overall, Max: The Curse of Brotherhood is a perfectly charming platformer which will appear to the kids within and keep you entertained for a good few hours during winter.

Rating:

New Pulp clip released

New Pulp clip released

Coming to the NZ International Film Festival is Florian Habicht's doco looking at the pop sensation that is Pulp.

A new clip from Florian's doco has been released - and here it is in all its glory for you to watch:



Details of when and where the Pulp documentary will play will be unleashed when the NZIFF programme is released on June 23rd.

Pulp

Kiwi director Florian Habicht (Love Story) collaborates with Jarvis Cocker as UK pop rockers Pulp head in to their triumphant 2012 concert, giving a career best performance documented exclusively by the film. Weaving together the band’s personal offerings, Habicht accosts down-to-earth Sheffielders with questions about fame, love, mortality and the meaning of Jarvis. Pulp is a music-film like no other – by turns funny, moving and life-affirming.

A Million Ways to Die in the West: Movie Review

A Million Ways to Die in the West: Movie Review

Cast: Seth MacFarlane, Charlize Theron, Liam Neeson, Amanda Seyfried, Sarah Silverman, Neil Patrick Harris
Director: Seth MacFarlane

Love him or loathe him, Family Guy creator Seth MacFarlane returns to the big screen after the mammoth success of Ted.

In this latest, set in the wild west of Arizona back in 1882, MacFarlane plays Albert, a sheep shearer in a small township. When he's dumped by his girlfriend Louise (Amanda Seyfried), Albert's planning on leaving town. However, as he's about to do so, he meets Anna (Charlize Theron) and falls for her.

Discovering his courage, Albert faces the ultimate test as he tries to win Louise back from the moustachioed Foy (Neil Patrick Harris) as well as dealing with Anna's evil gunslinger husband Clinch Leatherwood (Liam Neeson), the notorious outlaw who rides into town looking for vengeance.

A Million Ways To Die In the West is a massive comedy misfire for MacFarlane.

Over its bloated two hour run time, there aren't enough jokes to sustain it and the ones which are proffered forth are simply obscene and not remotely funny. Granted, MacFarlane's not known for high-brow humour but his reliance here on poop gags appeals only to the lowest common denominator and betrays some of the sophisticated smarts on display at times in some of his other work.

While the premise is a novel one - life in the Wild West really did suck, folks - the execution of this movie relies simply on a torrent of crudity to try and hit the mark. Attempts at Family Guy style random moments fall flatter than ever - apart from one inspired Back To The Future gag - with toilet gags being the over-used punchline to so many moments.

It's a real shame because Theron is eminently watchable in this as Anna, the maligned gunslinger's wife who just wants a nice guy; and there are moments when MacFarlane's almost everyman Albert has a solid appeal. But everyone else is a simply written parody - from Neil Patrick Harris' slightly OTT bad guy, who actually has a moustache to twirl, Seyfried's underused ex who hints at bitchiness toward Anna to Silverman's increasingly irritating prostitute who's saving herself for her boyfriend but is happy to earn a crust screwing around, there's just not enough to stop this tumbleweed from blowing on through.

While the opening appears to channel Bonanza as the camera swoops through Monument Valley and MacFarlane and his writing team have some differing insights into the horror of living in the Wild West that's been so romanticised through the years on the big screen, there's nothing original and new on offer for most of this flat western.

Low brow and hitting low hanging fruit may be MacFarlane's usual MO, but Ted showed the guy could deliver a story with some heart; all of that is laid to rest by A Million Ways To Die In The West's deliciously wasted comic promise.

Quite simply, A Million Ways To Die In The West wouldn't stand a chance if it came to a shoot-out.

Rating:

Maleficent: Movie Review

Maleficent: Movie Review

Cast: Angelina Jolie, Sam Riley, Sharlto Copley, Elle Fanning, Imelda Staunton, Juno Temple, Lesley Manville
Director: Robert Stromberg

"Let us tell an old story anew - and see how well you know it"

These are the opening words of Disney's latest Maleficent, a much anticipated dark fairytale, starring Angelina Jolie as the lead and the iconic faerie Maleficent, from the 1959 movie, Sleeping Beauty.

Maleficent lives in a world divided by two kingdoms; on one side, the magical creatures and on the other, the humans. Pure of heart and a protector of the land, Maleficent flies through the skies, ensuring harmony. One day, as a young girl, she meets the prince Stefan and falls for him. He promises to return as the budding romance grows; but as Stefan grows older, he faces another destiny; that of king and protector of his land.

Unfortunately though, that means bringing the humans into conflict with an older Maleficent (the gloriously cheek-boned Angelina Jolie) and a terrible betrayal. Slighted, Maleficent curses Stefan's first born Aurora (Fanning), signalling a darkness to rule the kingdom forever....

However, Maleficent begins to realise that she's made a dreadful mistake.....

Maleficent is an odd mix of things, a gruesome fairy tale that's extremely dark in some of its castration imagery and yet dabbles in the extremely slight and light with a plethora of CGI creatures, as well as a comedy trio of pixies.

While at times, feeling rushed, when the film stops to concentrate on its "villain", it gets pretty much most of it right. With her high angular cheekbones, piercing eyes and bright vibrant red lipstick in among the black, Jolie's whispered performance delivers the fine line between malevolent, misunderstood and mistreated. (Once it settles down from the simply shouting and wailing at the start) As she becomes more of a fairy Godmother figure to Aurora,there's bit more humour that's injected into proceedings that have been deliciously cynical so far and which feels detached from the rest of what's around. Certainly, it looks as if Jolie's been framed in every shot for a spread in a glossy magazine, with the posing and primping just right. While her arc is not exactly unpredictable, the Hollywood need to flesh out the character and their reasons is more symptomatic of the times we live in than a desire to simply leave a character black or white.

If anything, Jolie is the stand out of these proceedings, which fail to give sufficient character to those around her. Copley simply dials in a performance as Stefan, the king who becomes consumed with anger, Fanning is likeable but wishy-washy as Aurora, and the three pixies (Temple, Staunton and Manville are nothing short of comic relief brought in to keep the kids amused but which will rankle all others.)

In among this fantasy world, there's an over-reliance on the FX front with scenes of Maleficent swooping through the skies and shots of creatures feeling as if they're simply being used to show off what the designers can do, rather than adding to the world within or for the narrative. It's a shame because once again, the elements are there (even if there is yet another version of the Treebeard / Ents fight from Lord Of The Rings) - but it feels like the money was spent on the effects not on the character or story.

Maleficent is a deliberate perversion of what you may expect; an extension of Frozen's changing of the guard, a hint at the darkness behind the fairy tales and does appear to try to follow the path of the Wicked stage show and attempt to redeem one of the canon's most iconic villains (why do they always need redemption?), but, in among the sound and fury of the hollow and lacking FX-fest, it delivers a career best from Angelina Jolie. It may give us a Maleficent for the 21st century, but little else is delivered in an uneven cinematic outing.

Rating:

Watch the Maleficent trailer below: