Borderlands - The Pre-Sequel: PS3 Review

Borderlands - The Pre-Sequel: PS3 Review

Platform: PS3
Released by 2K Games

It's more first person shooter lunacy from the 2K Games team and the third outing for the popular Borderlands series in this latest.

You've got the chance to take on one of four quirky characters in the latest outing which takes place between Borderlands and its sequel, and gives rise to Handsome Jack before he became the bad guy we all know and love.

You start off as part of a group of Vault Hunters who are off to the moon of Elpis and given a stack of various quests to carry out. All with the usual Borderlands degree of lunacy, psychopathy and general nuttiness. It's exactly what you'd expect from the game which appears to be a bizarre mix of FPS and a Gorillaz video with some Jamie Hewlett style sensibilities.

Using various weapons and O2 kits (knowingly titled Oz kits in a nod out to the Aussie brethren who've pulled this small piece of anarchy together) you could crash around the atmosphere and use your backside to bring down the bad guys (seriously, this is the kind of lunacy that prevails here) as well as co-oping with a group of mates to take on the remaining characters, and utilising plenty of weaponry to achieve your aims.

There's certainly enough to keep you amused and immersed in the Borderlands world - even if the shooting side of it all feels a little uninspired and unoriginal, it's certainly well presented and playable enough shenanigans. More solid than spectacular, (particularly given how Destiny's changed things up this year for the FPS), Borderlands The Pre-Sequel is worth your time if you're a dyed-in-the-wool Borderlands fan. Insanity and stupidity are the orders of the day here - and while there's nothing wrong with that, don't be surprised if the rise of Handsome Jack doesn't quite grab you in the way you'd hope it would.

Rating:

Two Days, One Night: Movie Review

Two Days, One Night: Movie Review

Cast: Marion Cottilard
Director: The Dardenne Brothers

The little mouse begins to roar in this take on redundancy in the Dardenne brothers' latest socially aware outing.

Marion Cotillard is Sandra, a worker due back after a prolonged illness, but who finds herself facing the life on the dole after the mainly faceless bosses force her co-workers to vote on her future.

The choice? A 1000 Euro bonus or Sandra to keep her job. The first ballot has gone against our downtrodden heroine, but thanks to a friend, a second ballot has been forced on a Monday morning. So, Sandra has two days to convince her co-workers to vote for her future by visiting them one by one and trying to persuade them.

So, the clock is ticking...

Two Days, One Night has a quiet power, largely thanks to the restrained and moving performance of Cotillard. With an ethos that "I don't exist", Sandra is the human face of a corporate by-product, a soldier of a social situation. But, as she gets knocked down, she gets up again with a frailty that makes you wonder how much more she can take in this take on the old quest movie.

While some of the encounters could feel a little forced as she pleads her case, everyone has their reasons for voting for the bonus - from just scraping by and staving off the demons to indulging in luxuries like a patio installation. There's no judgement placed on any of these reasons and that gives some of the power to the performance and the aching to the desperation that Sandra feels as she claws at the possibility of self-respect and self worth.

With a supportive yet insistent hubbie, Sandra's journey is more than about saving her job. It's also about regaining her own self and sense of worth in a world that's cruel and sees those struggling forced to make decisions that seem cruel and unusual punishment.

So it's sad to report that a final dramatic twist when all hope appears lost and the self-medicating Sandra is at rock bottom is a jump too far thanks to how quickly it's resolved. It's the one dramatic bum note that's sounded in this tale of a broken and beaten woman.

Final questions about how nefarious the boss has been are left unresolved and the largely faceless enemy appears too late in the piece and could provoke further debate, but Sandra's arc is the main raison d'être here.

Quietly moving, Two Days, One Night is a testament to Cotillard's screen presence and The Dardennes' prowess in tackling social reality in an unassuming and disarming way. 

Rating:

A Million Ways To Die In The West: Blu Ray Review

A Million Ways To Die In The West: Blu Ray Review

Rating: R16
Released by Universal Home Entertainment

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:

New Fifty Shades of Grey trailer drops

New Fifty Shades of Grey trailer drops

Ahead of its launch on Valentines Day 2015, a brand new trailer for FIFTY SHADES OF GREY has dropped.

It comes on the same day tickets for the film have gone on sale

Fifty Shades of Grey is the hotly anticipated film adaptation of the bestselling book that has become a global phenomenon.  

Since its release, the “Fifty Shades” trilogy has been translated into 51 languages worldwide and sold more than 100 million copies in e-book and print—making it one of the biggest and fastest-selling book series ever.  

Stepping into the roles of Christian Grey and Anastasia Steele, who have become iconic to millions of readers, are Jamie Dornan and Dakota Johnson.  

FIFTY SHADES OF GREY, releases on Valentine’s Day, 2015.

Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare: PS4 Review

Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare: PS4 Review

Platform: PS4
Released by Activision Games

It may be the eleventh outing for the Call of Duty series, but it’s this reviewer’s first time into the franchise – and what an epic introduction it’s proven to be.

This time though, there’s a futuristic element introduced into the franchise – but we’ll come to that in a moment. In the first person shooter set in the 2050s, you play Private Jack Mitchell, a marine corp veteran who’s heading into Seoul in a battle against the North Koreans. Along with his long-time buddy, Will Irons, your first job is to fend off the marauding troops and their attempts to break into Seoul.

Which all goes relatively well until your mate gets his arm jammed in a massive machine, and you lose your arm as you attempt to free him.

It’s here that the futuristic element of the game really starts to kick in – having powered through the streets of Seoul with futuristic gun drones floating in the air, you’re suddenly co-opted into a privately run company Atlas, headed up by a freakily realistic CEO played by Kevin Spacey – and given a prosthetic arm to boot.

From here on in, it’s into the (from what I can discern) usual Call of Duty business – missions, fights and plenty of shooting. But, Call of Duty Advanced Warfare also packs in one heck of a cinematic look and feel as well this time around  with cut scenes really resembling a kind of movie and graphic book element that lends a hyper-reality to the visualisation of both the characters and their surroundings.

There’s also a hyper-kinetic feel to the fighting as well – from frantic bursts of blasting gunfire around to taking down bad guys with floating stun mines, the weaponry is the big drawcard of the Call of Duty franchise. Never more so than with the inclusion of the Exo-skeleton which has been incorporated into the game play this time around and gives you the chance to leap into the sky and become a more mobile killer (as well as a more difficult to catch target). Short bursts lift you skyward and gradual power ups help you increase the capabilities of your gear which will prove vital as the campaign progresses and the story gets cloudier and murkier.

But it’s the multi-player element of Call of Duty that keep many engaged throughout the annual drops of the game – and there’s plenty of life left in that side of the franchise too. Deathmatches and capture the flag games will see you die a fair few times as well but once you get into the swing of it all, It's actually here that the fun side (as well as the occasionally frustrating side) kicks in - and you really get sucked into the COD world. Customisation has also helped - and the high tech equipment certainly gives you plenty to play with in all various modes of the game. Jumping and dashing thanks to the exo-suit also makes the pacing of the multiplayer more of a thrill too, helping you to avoid being a sitting duck and adding into the mix an element of unpredictability.

I think what's helped with this game - along with Destiny earlier this year - is that it's adaptive for you whether you're a seasoned Call of Duty pro or a first-timer/ casual player. The world submerges you and immerses you completely within - and that's largely due to the voice work done by the laconic Kevin Spacey and the protagonist, Troy Baker.

All in all, thanks to some top-quality acting, a cinematic yet epic feel and a game that's easy to dive into, Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare has finally brought me into the annual franchise in the best possible way.

Rating:

Sleeping Dogs: Definitive Edition: PS4 Review

Sleeping Dogs: Definitive Edition: PS4 Review

Platform: PS4
Released by Square Enix

The open-world action gaming gets a high adrenaline shot of far Eastern sensibilities in Sleeping Dogs: Definitive Edition.

I have to admit to never playing the original back in 2012, but this latest looked incredible on the next gen consoles and promised an immersive experience that would be second to none.

Set in contemporary Hong Kong, you play Wei Shen, who's undercover in the Triad organisation and who's got a series of missions to carry out in order to progress through the game and into the underworld. The game starts with a high stakes action sequence and doesn't really let up from there, with gorgeous visuals helping the game to shine in the next gen world as the game delves deeper into the gangster world and the life of a Triad.

Power struggles, extremely solid story-telling and betrayal mix in with the action and non-stop visual thrills and spills - from hand to hand combat to speeding around the city a la Grand Theft Auto, there's more than enough deja vu here to make you feel that you've seen it all before.

And yet, there's also the fact that all of these elements have been collected together in a game that really rises to what's needed of it - along with all new weather effects, more pedestrians, there's plenty to bring the seedy world of Hong Kong to life. All the extra downloadable content's been bundled into this set, so there's enough to keep you gaming for a very long time.

Top notch vocal talent - from the likes of Tom Wilkinson to Emma Stone really help the game play to stand out and the narrative to grow and envelop you in its bosom as time goes on.

With more than enough DLC, a spit and polish worthy of the next gen console world, Sleeping Dogs is definitely worth owning if you love the genre - expect to lose as much time in this game as you've lost over the years patrolling the streets of any of the Grand Theft Auto games.

Rating:

Blended: Blu Ray Review

Blended: Blu Ray Review

Rating: PG
Released by Warner Home Video

Re-teaming after the success of The Wedding Singer and 50 First Dates, you'd think Adam Sandler and Drew Barrymore could knock it out of the park as the third time rolls around.

Barrymore is uptight organiser and single mom of two boys Lauren and Sandler is sports shop worker and single dad of three girls Jim, a pair who meet on a blind date at reputable establishment Hooter's at his behest. Needless to say the date doesn't go well and the pair vow never to meet again.

However, in true romcom style, that's not what transpires and through a series of massive coincidences, the pair - and their respective siblings - end up on a holiday together in Africa.

Stuck together at a blended relationships hotel (a place where mixed families go to strengthen their bond), the pair's mutual dissatisfaction and initial frostiness begins to thaw....

Blended has a kernel of a good solid story idea within, but thanks to all involved, that nugget of an idea is wasted in the kind of unfunny sugar-coated slop that betrays all the talent. At its heart, the story of two single parents with mismatched siblings (she yearns for a girl to do girly things, he pushes his eldest into playing sport cos he wants a boy) and the innate sadness could have mined for a neat cross of tragedy and pathos, as both parents learn to let go.

Instead, what's served up in this mix, is a tonally mismatched piece that throws in broad "comedy" (a term used extremely lightly in this case) and a sentimental story; elements that could have worked in tandem a lot better had the effort been put in at a script level. With not enough laughs and not enough heart, it just doesn't gel.

Barrymore and Sandler have chemistry and sell the relationship well (even if Sandler goes from relatively downbeat sad-sack to usual shouting schtick) but it's not enough to pull Blended out of the mire. Scenes with the kids have a tenderness and heart (particularly on Sandler's part, whose Jim has a valid reason for the innate sadness) but it's not enough to spread the love during the 2 hour run time, thanks to a lack of jokes that are anything but predictable, strong set ups or pay-offs.

Terry Crews brings an OTT manic touch to the leader of an African style Greek chorus that interject for no reason whatsoever throughout the proceedings - and produce an earbleeding set of puns from "Love is a many Blended thing" to "My Blended love" as the whole thing creaks to a close.

The fact that even long time Sandler cameoist/ collaborator Rob Schneider doesn't even deign to appear should give you all you need to know about Blended - quite frankly, this bomb skimps on way too many of the elements to even guarantee you a modicum of a good time at the cinema. It's clear that the third time of teaming up just isn't the charm.

Rating: