Planes: Fire and Rescue: Movie Review

Planes: Fire and Rescue: Movie Review

Vocal cast: Dane Cook, Ed Harris, Julie Bowen
Director: Roberts Gannaway

It's back to the skies for the second outing for the franchise Planes.

In this latest, which is dedicated to the work done by firefighters all around the world, Dane Cook returns as Dusty Crophopper.

After winning the round the world race from the first film, life's looking good for ole Dusty. But on learning that his gearbox is on the way out if he continues to race, he's forced into an early retirement and his rise to fame is grounded before it's really begun.

However, rather than accept retirement, Dusty heads into the world of aerial firefighting after starting a major blaze and causing the airfield to close down. But Dusty faces a rough ride as he tries to persuade the leader of the unit Blade Ranger (Ed Harris) that he's good enough for the job...

Planes: Fire And Rescue is a depressingly dull piece of formulaic computer animation that seems to have been put together by committee rather than with passion, vim and vigour.

The whole thing feels flat, lacks any real oomph and fails to remotely get off the ground, even though the creators are obsessed with using as many shots of the characters hurtling through the air to a piece of middle of the road music.

Despite throwing in a few corny puns here and there (quick gags about a boat superstar called Boat Reynolds being one of the more memorable), there's not enough to really grab hold of; and there are certainly not enough memorable characters to resonate with the kids long after the movie's done.

DisneyToons has certainly fired enough different kinds of creations to populate this world - from fire trucks, to daredevil young firefighters to a loving old RV couple - but it's stopped short of breathing any real life into them and injecting any kind of character, which proves to be the piece's fatal flaw.

Outside of some truly beautiful firefighting sequences within the National Park as Dusty's training, there's very little to satiate the eyes or the brain which is a real shame. Once again, the message of self-belief and pushing yourself get a look in, but the 3D in the piece feels largely wasted and redundant - both in the visuals and also in the characters themselves. It's hard to believe that this is executive produced by John Lassetter of Pixar because there's hardly any real heart within or anything to lift into life high above the skies.

The very younger end of the spectrum may enjoy parts of Planes: Fire and Rescue, and it's certainly good intentioned (although the dedication to the firefighters would have been better served up at the end), but it's just that this movie isn't cleared for lift off on the runway before it's even begun to taxi.

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Destiny: PS4 Review

Destiny: PS4 Review

Released by Bungie / Activision
Platform: PS4

I've been playing Destiny for over a week now, and I still don't think I'm yet in a position to fully review it, given how much it keeps changing.

Because of the sheer fact that a large percentage of the game isn't the same each time I throw on the PS4 and fire up my weapons. But let's not get ahead of ourselves just yet.

In case you've been living under a rock, Destiny is the sci-fi first person shooter cum multiplayer that's already shifted a half billion worldwide and has got many raving.  In it, you are a mythical Guardian in a post apocalyptic world that's seen the human race spread out across the stars. But the good times have ended, a Traveller orb is now protecting you and the planet you inhabit. And despite promises of the light, the Darkness is coming and it's up to you to try and stop it. With the help of a floating cuboid robot called a Ghost (voiced by Game of Thrones' Peter Dinklage), you set out on various missions to try and fend off the forces of evil and set nature back in balance.

Blending the mythic with the multiplayer, I have to admit Destiny is the first game of its ilk that I've actually found sat well within my gaming prowess (I've never played Halo, though I'm aware of some of its similarities with this title).

Through various missions, various power ups and a lot of ammo and baddies, this FPS is the first game that actually felt like it improved the further through the rankings you go. Beginning with the early missions and lower end weapons, your Guardian is pretty much muddling about trying to survive, but with careful progressions and accuracy, more weapons and gadgets open up for use as you begin to level up. The Destiny I started playing is not the same Destiny I'm playing now - which is a fascinating concept in many ways as the game adapts and changes.

Choosing either Warlock, Hunter or Titans, once you've customised your player, it's into the foray of the worlds you go. And make no mistake, Destiny is beautifully recreated; landscapes and vistas feel so beautifully put together, a mix of the epic and the painted, there's no denying the look of this game in any shape or form. That beauty translates to the action as well, with foes seeming well-defined, crystal clear and free from blockiness when they're part of a mass hoard charging toward you with the intention of ripping you apart. Equally the cut scenes (complete with their sci-fi pompous language and po-faced mythology) are truly impressive, with some great voice work and a feeling of epic

But not all of Destiny is smooth sailing. There have been moments when the servers at Bungie's end have just dropped out (which is extremely frustrating during a mission to drop all that XP and found goodies); and occasionally, the repetitive nature of the missions starts to drag a little - go to this planet, find something, defend it from the bad guys, head to end of level for more shooting - and there's an inability to fully interact at the Tower level (the so-called social hub) which bustles with life, but curiously very little sound - short of dancing and waving to others, there's no way that I've yet found to engage with the other players.

But it's in the multi-player that Destiny starts to come alive in a real social sense.

As well as public events which crop up in the middle of the game and give you a chance to compete for XP or weaponry, there's the destination of the Crucible which is where your opportunity to flex your muscles against others becomes reality.

It's here that the game gives you a degree of fun and frustration - 3 on 3 events, 6 on 6 events see you pitted against others; usually, they have a higher rating than you which makes it occasionally difficult when you're shot to pieces before you've even started, but it's in the team element that Destiny starts to rise above its frustrations as working together to steal a flag or simply shoot each other proves utterly addictive.

With other challenges opening up after you hit a certain level and with Bungie creating new missions to those who rise to the challenge (a new batch of hostiles has just dropped this week), it's clear that Destiny is set to continue growing and will prove to be an enduring title. Having already scooped a half-billion worldwide in sales, there's no denying its power. And while parts of the game feel familiar, the accessibility of this FPS title and the rewards it offers now and in the future go a long way to making this Destiny feel inevitable.

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Minecraft: XBox One Review

Minecraft: XBox One Review

Platform: XBox One

Minecraft is phenomenally popular and its arrival on the next gen on XBox One should come as no surprise to anyone.

It's the formula you're used to as world building, exploration and blocky graphics all come to the fore. But it's all about your imagination and your desire to explore and wile away the hours that will prove your major interest in the game. Random worlds present all manner of tasks and trials - from creatures wanting to get you during the night time after the sun's gone down on all you've created, to crafting tools, homes and watching over animals, every opportunity is here for you to explore.

Factoring in split screening for others to join the creativity gives it all a boost that it socially needs and given that the Minecraft world is a fun one to share, it's a logical assumption to improve that side of it all.

Crafting, creating, burrowing and building all have their fun sides, and if you've played this before, you won't find yourself too troubled by it. The blockiness looks impressive on the XBox One (if that's not a misnomer) but it's the fact they are next gen machines which allows them to live on larger environments that will be the pull for so many fans of the game.

Deeply immersive and thoroughly enjoyable, Minecraft is a boon for so many. Dive in now and enjoy it at its highest quality.

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Singstar Ultimate Party Tracklist revealed - what's the Royal connection?

Singstar Ultimate Party Tracklist revealed - what's the Royal connection?

Sony Computer Entertainment Europe (SCEE) today revealed the brand new and improved SingStar and further announced that the SingStar: Ultimate Party disc edition will be arriving for the first time on PlayStation®4 (PS4) on October 29^th in New Zealand.

And New Zealand's very own Lorde will be featured...

The SingStar: Ultimate Party disc edition for PS4* brings 30 of the hottest new tracks together with classic hits from the past ten years of SingStar. Leading the charge are global superstars including Lorde, Demi Lovato, Avicii, Ed Sheeran, Lady Gaga, Pharrell Williams and Disclosure. The impressive 30-track disc allows players to jump straight into the SingStar party and get the fun started through an instant selection of hits.

The impressive social features of PS4 are firmly part of the innovation behind the new SingStar, with a whole new range of features closely integrating with social networks. The free companion app can quickly turn any Android/iOS device into a microphone, meaning the SingStar experience is now even more spontaneous than ever before. Players are able to sing with friends, share their performances to social networks at the press of a button, challenges friends to beat their high score and use the PS4 Camera to capture snapshots and video performances of their favourite moments. Plus, the free SingStar app also allows players to create and edit their own playlists so the party never ends!

SingStar: Ultimate Party is available on PS4 and PlayStation®3 (PS3) from October 29^th 2014.

For more information visit: SingStar.com, facebook.com/SingStar or Twitter: @SingStarHQ.

Full International tracklist:

·       5 Seconds of Summer – She Looks So Perfect

·       Avicii – Hey Brother

·       Bridgit Mendler – Ready or Not

·       Carly Rae Jepsen – Call Me Maybe

·       Clean Bandit Feat. Jess Glynne – Rather Be

·       Coldplay – Magic

·       Demi Lovato – Let it Go

·       Disclosure Feat. Aluna George – White Noise

·       Ed Sheeran – Lego House

·       Ellie Goulding – Burn

·       Icona Pop Feat. Charli XCX – I Love It

·       John Newman – Love Me Again

·       Kylie Minogue – Can’t Get You Out of My Head

·       Lady Gaga – Born This Way

·       Lionel Richie – Hello

·       Lorde – Royals

·       Naught Boy Feat. Sam Smith – La La La

·       Olly Murs – Dear Darlin’

·       One Direction – Best Song Ever

·       OneRepublic – Counting Stars

·       P!nk Feat. Nate Ruess – Just Give Me a Reason

·       Paramore – Still Into You

·       Pet Shop Boys & Dusty Springfield – What Have I Done To Deserve This?

·       Pharrell Williams – Happy

·       Plan B – She Said

·       Selena Gomez – Come and Get It

·       Swedish House Mafia Feat. John Martin – Don’t You Worry Chlid

·       The Lumineers – Ho Hey

·       TLC – No Scrubs

·       Train – Drive By

It Boy: DVD Review

It Boy: DVD Review

Rating: M
Released by Madman Ent

French comedy It Boy (20ans d'ecart to give it its proper title) deals with ageism and ambition in the workplace.

The luminous Virgine Efira stars as Alice Lantins, a 36 year old who believes she could be the next editor of a fashion magazine. But her uptight view on life means she doesn't quite fit in to the perception of the magazine.

When she comes across 20 year old Balthazar, there's an immediate attraction on his part but she's resistant. However, she realises it could help her get the top job...

Light and fluffy, as well as fast-paced, It Boy is a frothy French cappuccino treat. With the leads gelling nicely and the comedy served up light, the film flies along in a purely pleasant way. But it's Efira's film to own and she gives the farcically predictable elements an edge that help the levity of the script along.

Extras: None

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The Lunchbox: Movie Review

The Lunchbox: Movie Review

Cast: Irrfan Khan, Nimrat Kaur, Nawazuddin Siddiqui
Director: Ritesh Batra

It's to the crowded streets of Mumbai we go for this latest, which charmed audiences at the New Zealand International Film Festival.

Kaur stars as Ila, an isolated wife who dutifully believes the way to her distant husband's heart is through his stomach. So, every day, she prepares a lunchbox which is duly shipped to his work for him to savour and enjoy.

But, the lunchbox ends up going to the wrong place and lands on the desk of soon-to-be-retired and widowed claims worker Saajan (Life of Pi star Khan) who's entranced by the flavours within. (He believes it's from a lunch delivery firm he's signed up to).

The pair begin sending notes to each other as each collectively reach the end of the road of their current life incarnation.

Melancholy and sad, The Lunchbox is a reserved romantic drama that pierces the pungent food preparation with occasional laughs and maudlin moments.

Never has so much been said by leads who deliver so little vocally; Khan himself is a masterclass in restrained body language, with his precise routine and concise movements conveying all the sadness you need. Kaur is initially a little more lively, cooking with the help of an unseen but vocal auntie who lives above them - but gradually, the sadness imbues her nuanced performance with a heart that's hard to deny in places.

As the story unfolds slowly, the layers peel back and the characters gradually come to life as the counselling letters fire back and forth within the chapatis and cooked offerings. The sad and reflective tone thrives on the subtlety of the actors and Batra's concentrated direction; the juxtaposition of Mumbai's bustling streets a stark contrast to the alienation of this duo.

There's a heart to this which will easily find an audience, ready to drown in the romance and the optimism that a few simple moments can make a lifetime's difference to anyone.

Quite simply, this Lunchbox is to be devoured and savoured.

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New Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1 trailer is here

New Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1 trailer is here

Katniss Everdeen is leading a revolution.

The first full trailer for The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1 has arrived.

The film hits in November.

Watch the Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1 trailer below: