ZB movie reviews - NightCrawler, The Drop and The Babadook

ZB movie reviews - NightCrawler, The Drop and The Babadook

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The Wellington International Ukulele Orchestra: Be Mine Tonight Tour Review

The Wellington International Ukulele Orchestra: Be Mine Tonight Tour Review

It was Auckland's turn to host New Zealand's premiere touring troubadors of the ukulele variety.

In the relatively intimate surroundings of the Winter Garden at Auckland's Civic Theatre, bathed in a stage of red light to match the red carpet, there was an inter-generational buzz awaiting their arrival.

From the young to the very old, everyone was here to have a good time as the band continued its Be Mine Tonight tour in support of their first ever full album release.

READ THE WIUO'S TRACK BY TRACK ANALYSIS OF BE MINE TONIGHT

With expectancy at a poised fever pitch, the band doled out 7 rules over the speakers before filing out in front of everyone and launching into their cover of Brooke Fraser's Something in the Water. You know what to expect most of the time with the WIUO (no bad thing) - lush harmonies, beefed up choruses and a damn good time. The child in the front row whose feet couldn't touch the ground was having a damn good time - because I saw her little spindly legs rocking back and forth the moment the band struck up.

But as the group took in a smattering of some of their old faves and select tracks from the new LP with their usual charisma-filled performance, there seemed to be something slightly different about them this time.

Sure, there was electricity in the air - but it was also there on stage with some howling feedback affecting the end of a couple of their songs (Team by Lorde and Jezebel were slightly hit by it) - and more surprisingly, there were a few electrical instruments - an electric uke here, a guitar there. For the couple of purists next to me in the audience who'd come to lap up the stripped back harmonies and rousing simplicity of the singalongs, it was a bit of a shock.

However, it represents the growth of the band and to be honest, howls aside, it didn't dampen any of their enthusiasm for their onstage antics, their boundless energy and their ability to awaken the joy in your belly and send it on its way to your face.

After Raylene, Jezebel, some Afternoon Delight, Wake Up, an almost gospel like Happy by Pharrell, a tour to Tahiti and Hawai'i, the first half concluded with their frankly anthemic version of David Kilgour's Today's Gonna Be Mine ( a song which gives me goosebumps every single time I hear it) that left the crowd reeling and hoping the interval was nothing more than a brief interlude.

A second half saw a couple of surprises and ensured the Civic's builders were going to be needed to deployed after the roof was raised.

Shorty Street star Amanda Billings and long time secret band member is touring with the WIUO this time and stepped up to the plate for E Ipo; as did Th'Dudes' star Peter Urlich to shake his money maker on their cover of Be Mine Tonight, which concluded with a stunning solo from band member Steven to rapturous applause.

It was here really that the band completely found their groove, won over the crowd and ensured the second half would send us all into the stratosphere. Following up with heart-felt and singalong fave Heartache, the always theatrical and expressive Andy led the audience to a fervour before Gemma and Age gave us a Second Chance to remember.

Clothed in cricket whites, Age's lead on Howzat (whose chorus always reminds me of the UK Pearl and Dean cinema intro) had an energy and vitality which was contagious; a kid invasion accompanied Megan's next turn on stage and showed why the band has such a universal appeal before Sam, replete in self-made onesie, gave us a 50 Ways to Leave Your Lover that led to cheers from within the growing rabble on the floor.

Choosing to end with Counting The Beat (and getting Peter Urlich back on stage was a master-stroke for the second half (like David Kilgour was in the first) because it summed up the essence of what the WIUO does when it's on fire. They get you up on your feet, singing along, and dancing like crazy thanks to their contagious and infectious energy, sending you out into the world with a joy in your heart.

The WIUO are a clever bunch; they always leave you wanting more and this time was no exception (even if the second half felt a little stronger than the first); as a group of friends and musicians, they've got the mix completely right and the new album shows they're heading on a slightly different path without forgetting their roots.

When it comes to their live shows, you'd have to be a real grouch to leave with a frown on your face - and I don't believe there's such a thing as a bad WIUO show (certainly from what I've experienced before); the band's growing in musical depth and performance as tonight's show demonstrated.

That's no bad thing at all - jump on the WIUO bus; their destination is Good Times, via stop-offs for Singalong, Grin Central and Charisma city. It's a musical journey you won't forget.

Star Wars: The Force Awakens trailer is here

Star Wars: The Force Awakens trailer is here

It's finally here - the one thing that fans have been waiting for.

It's the first trailer for Star Wars: The Force Awakens!

Far Cry 4: PS4 Review

Far Cry 4: PS4 Review

Platform: PS4
Released by Ubisoft

Far Cry 3 was epic.

It was a mix of a good solid story set in an open world environment that challenged you every step of the way, thanks to a despot determined to take you down.

So Far Cry 4 had a battle on its hands to try and up the ante on the next gen console.

Thankfully, while Far Cry 4 doesn't truly deviate from the last outing, it does make a compelling argument for the next gen release.

While there are similarities in plot ideals to Far Cry 3, Far Cry 4 is set in Kyrat, a fictional area of the Himalayas (which look truly outstanding on the console front). You play Ajay, a Kyrati who's heading back to the region to dispose of the ashes of your mother. But on arrival at a border and about to head into the region, the bus Ajay's on is ambushed by local tyrant Pagan Min (a sort of Patrick Stewart-esque looking character with a sweep of blonde hair) who has a connection to Ajay.

Within moments, you're flung into the depths of a civil war, where you discover you have the capability to tip the balance of power....or die trying.

Far Cry 4 is exceptional open world gaming.

From firing it up initially after the story had kicked in, I found myself engrossed and immersed in the world within; so much so, that I actually spent a day deviating from the main story to explore the island, get involved in side quests and unlocking parts of the maps by taking out radio towers spouting Min propaganda. Which should give you an indication of how much can actually be done in the game - and how far the scope is.

If you want to spend time checking out the animals or hunting them for their skins, you can. (Though watch out for the vicious little tykes the honey badgers which aren't exactly welcoming) Danger lurks at every angle - from the mercenaries waiting to take you out at outposts to the hidden creatures within the waters, there's something gunning for you whenever and wherever.

It's fair to say that for the most part, Far Cry 4 expands on its predecessor without significantly deviating far from the path of what was laid out before. Sure, the menus have been given a spit and polish, the crafting screens and loot bags all look a lot swankier than before, but the nuts and bolts of the game haven't changed too much. Thrown into the mix are Karma missions (such as freeing the hostages) which help you level up and give you a chance to work on your stealth. The PS4 version's got the chance to invite players who don't own the game along to the co-op mode, a nice touch which shows Ubisoft's not content to simply rest on their laurels and leave you to it.

The story's relatively predictable and there are rumours that there are multiple endings and alternate endings to Far Cry 4 which change everything before, but to say more is to spoil them - Pagan Min makes a psychotic adversary and is a welcome addition to the lunatics running these asylums.

Beautiful vistas, a sense of scope, a smattering of intelligence and endless amounts of time to be spent playing mean Far Cry 4 is well worth owning. While in parts it feels like a Far Cry 3 retread, the revisions and spit and polish for the PS4's grunt make it a vital addition to your collection - and a chance to escape the summer rays inside over the coming months.

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Locke: Blu Ray Review

Locke: Blu Ray Review

Rating: R13
Released by Madman Home Ent

One man, a car, (relatively) endless road, a bluetooth and a pile full of problems.

That's what's facing Tom Hardy in this one man movie now on home viewing after the success of the NZIFF earlier this year.

Tom Hardy plays Ivan Locke, a foreman for a construction company, whose life is carefully built on very solid and precisely maintained foundations. Which are about to crumble around him in emotionally catastrophic terms.

As the movie starts, Locke is leaving the site at the end of the day ahead of a major piece of work for the company he's with. Waiting at a traffic light at the start, he literally faces a fork in the road with either turning left or right determining his path through the oncoming storm.

And to say any more than that would be to betray some of the emotional beats and bombs which go off during the piece, which reeks of claustrophobia and a degree of unexpectedly mundane tension.
A soft spoken Welsh accented Hardy is eminently watchable in this piece and commands the screen for the 100 minutes of its run time - writer Steven Knight's crafted together something which may polarise some in terms of reaction and expectation over tension, but he's brought together a series of events that have long reaching consequences for all involved as Locke deals with many on the phone as the real time "thriller" plays out. Kudos also have to go to the voice acting talent - from the likes of Broadchurch star Olivia Colman, Luther star Ruth Wilson and Sherlock's Moriarty Andrew Scott, but it's Hardy who's the star of this piece. Occasionally the veneer and carefully constructed exterior starts to slip - notably with conversations to a passenger that only Locke sees in the back of his car but Hardy manages to sell all of these moments with an undying commitment to the one man show.

Like any piece of theatre that's confined to just one person, Locke rises or falls on the central performance and it's one which Hardy delivers with an unswerving devotion to the character; the only threats faced on this journey are occasional traffic and rain, but the personally devastating roadblocks which Locke faces are eminently relatable, occasionally amusing and utterly watchable.

This is one journey that you need to be a passenger on.

Extras: Audio commentary, behind the scenes

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Singstar: Ultimate Party: PS4 Review

Singstar: Ultimate Party: PS4 Review

Platform: PS4
Released by Sony Computer Ent

Christmas is coming - and as well as not being able to escape that behemoth of end of year parties, there is also the threat of drunken singing in the background.

Thankfully, Sony's decided to try and help you hide that shame with the release of the latest iteration of Singstar aimed at keeping the party at home - and the neighbours in ear plugs.

Except this time around, they've not really messed with the formula - it's exactly what you'd expect when it comes to a Singstar game. There's scoring, singing and of course, a range of the current musical tracks. (Well, 30 of them anyway)

The one big push that's been moved into this latest version of Singstar is to take the microphone away from the console by bringing in a downloadable app to help you get the party started whereever you want.

Except it's not quite as perfect as the old microphones were. While the app's easily downloadable, it's not quite as responsive as having a microphone in your hand. You have to hold it in the right place and ensure your vocals (or screeches) are going in the right direction. Fine in practice but when you're singing your heart out, the last thing you want to bother with is ensuring the mic is right. It's best to use the old microphones from the previous releases to get to what you need.

Visually, it's sleek and as potent as ever and no doubt a lot of New Zealand will be happy that Lorde's included in among the likes of Pharrell and Coldplay. In fact, whoever curated the soundtrack's done a great job, ensuring there's variety and depth; a little something for everyone. Plus with DLC, there's going to be endless debate over which tracks to go with.

I suppose in summary, really, if it ain't broke, don't fix it. But for the PS4 next gen version of Singstar, I'd have potentially expected something a little more enticing. An update's been released to deal with buggy playing, voice playback and wired microphones with another update planned in December to quell the unhappiness at launch.

All in all, Singstar: Ultimate Party may get the party started, but a lack of real freshness in its execution and a few issues may cause it to teeter off rather than kick off all night long.

Elsa and Fred: Movie Review

Elsa and Fred: Movie Review

Cast: Shirley MacLaine, Christopher Plummer, Marcia Gay Harden, Chris Noth, Scott Bakula, George Segal
Director: Michael Radford

Relying heavily on imagery from La Dolce Vita, Elsa and Fred's a remake of an Argentinian film of the same name.

An irascible and easily irritated Plummer plays Fred, a recent widower who's been moved into an apartment block in New Orleans amid concerns from his daughter (Oscar winner Marcia Gay Harden). Unhappy at this turn of events and wanting to keep himself to himself with daily vigils with depression in his bed, Fred's life is interrupted by widower-from-across-the-hall Elsa (MacLaine in twinkly eyed OAP mode).

Insisting he try gently heading back on the steps to some kind of life, Fred's gradually coaxed out of his early grave and finds himself dipping his toes back into love as well...

Elsa and Fred negotiates the mediocrity of its genre and the predictability of its late-in-life-love plot thanks to the chemistry between Plummer and MacLaine; theirs is a relationship which glows with the familiarity of time and proves pleasantly sweet as the broader comedy elements blossom around them.

With Elsa's mantra that she will "show Fred the path to life", Plummer's forced to dial down some of his earlier cantankerousness and barbed comments to his daughter and her (one-dimensional) husband who are pillorying him for his cash for an investment. Which is a welcome respite because Radford's film offers little in the way of originality and fails to veer away from cliche as the frailties of old age bubble away in the background.

Tonally, there are a few shifts which come out of nowhere (including a brutally abrupt ending that jars while avoiding the inevitability of what's coming) as the film relocates to Rome in its final sprint to pay full homage to the promise it's made to Anita Ekberg's waterside seduction.

It's not that Elsa and Fred is a terrible movie - it gets by on the charm of the leads on the slightest of scripts as time goes by and it will fly with certain older sectors of the audience who are perhaps somewhat sidelined by the lack of films such as this. But some terrible acting (step forward the over-mugging Chris Noth as the son-in-law desperate to secure the investment) and some verging on racial stereotyping of ethnic home helps, and parts of this pleasant souffle leave a sour taste in your mouth.

Elsa and Fred may be romantic fantasy for the silver-haired generation, and while the Hollywood machine's to be commended for bringing an OAP love story to life, it ends up being forgettable and flouncy the moment the lights have gone back up.

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