Lucy: Blu Ray Review

Lucy: Blu Ray Review

Rating: M
Released by Universal Home Ent

Part lecture on human evolution and part chase thriller, Luc Besson's Lucy is a curious hybrid, a mesh of didacticism and destruction.

Johansson plays the titular Lucy, an American who finds herself thrust into the criminal underworld of Taipei when her new beau insists she deliver a case stuffed with goodness knows what to Mr Jang (Choi). The contents of the case are a synthetic drug, CPH4 - and along with three others, Lucy is turned into an unwitting drug mule,with the contents sown into her stomach for delivery.

However, when the contents of the drug split in Lucy's stomach after a beating from Jang's goons (one of the logical missteps in the piece), she finds her brain opens up for use to more than the usual 10% - and her consciousness begins to expand, giving her powers she'd never had before.

So, using those powers, she decides to get revenge on those who wronged her before her brain reaches the previous uncharted domain of 100% capacity.

Eschewing philosophy into the narrative as well as defying an kind of logic, Besson's Lucy is determined to get to his audacious goal without stopping for breath to explain how or why. Intercutting with scenes of evolution, gazelles being stalked by hunters as Lucy heads into the gang-world, and using CGI molecules (some of ILM's finest work to show Lucy's cortexes opening up), Besson's created something trippy throughout.

Johansson's eminently watchable and her transcendence from American good time girl to badass to something else entirely at the end works because you're gunning for her the moment you see her, despite any form of character development being thrown out of the window (which to be frank, would have slowed the pace of this slick mash up of Transcendence / Limitless / The Matrix). Ironically, she appears to go the other way from what she's portrayed in Under The Skin; there, her alien started off aloof before gradually becoming more human. Here, Lucy takes the opposite journey, gradually becoming more machine-like the further her brain edges toward the 100%.

Morgan Freeman cements his status as the go-to actor for any kind of voice of reason / scientist trying to explain things (more or less exactly mirroring his recent outing in Transcendence) as the sci-fi action thriller heads towards its hyper-visual logic-confounding conclusion.

With its Euro-stylings, visual brilliance (even if it defies any kind of reasoning) constant cutting philosophical interludes (to Freeman's lecturing or evolution, apes and dinosaurs), Besson's given us something that's the complete opposite of what you'd expect; leaps of logic bound a little too far and at some point, you have to decide if you're on board with it all or out.

The central premise is an intriguing one and perhaps, in some perverse ways, benefits from not being explained and dulled down with long scenes of exposition, but nevertheless Lucy remains one of the most intriguing pieces committed to celluloid this year, destined to polarise but also destined to provoke debate.

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The Order 1886: Hands on PS4 Preview

The Order 1886: Hands on PS4 Preview

Platform: PS4
Released by Santa Monica Studios

It's a risky move showcasing out of context just one portion of a game that's hotly anticipated.

But The Order 1886 is one of the big titles for the first quarter of 2014 (due out in February) and it's fair to say there's a degree of expectation on the game.

Set in an alternate Victorian London where knights keep a watchful eye over the world, this preview runs for about an hour and sees the knights storming an airship, as well as showcasing some of the other gameplay elements.

Firstly, when the preview starts, the thing you notice most is how incredibly cinematic it looks. Running at 30FPS, the game looks like a HD movie and feels dramatic and more like a film than anything else you've seen recently. It's a trait that runs through the preview with cut scenes looking more incredible than anything else recently on the PS4 - proof if needed that visually this game will strike more than a chord when it's played.

The airship takeover and setting makes The Order 1886 feel like it's from Sky Captain and The World of Tomorrow, with steampunk ethos sloshed deeply into the mix. Certainly as you rappel down the side of the airship, it becomes clear that the game's out to impress with the visuals. Definition of the Knights is more than clear; with the whole thing looking like a performance capture piece of acting rather than a game design element.

Which is perhaps a good thing, as the rest of the game so far, doesn't exactly look to offer anything more than we've seen before.

Once you're in the airship, it's about stealth as you negotiate your way to the cockpit. Smartly the game didn't offer a map to help on this task - and while that's fun to negotiate your way through the labyrinthine corridors below (there's not too many, so don't panic) I did like the idea that this was new territory so wouldn't be mapped. Less successful though is the stealth side, with taking cover (done by pressing the X button) being a bit hit and miss, leading to occasionally being spotted and having to restart. It's a frustration, and perhaps in the full game, there will be some tweaking or some indication of when cover is available and when not.

When into the cockpit, it's a series of Quick Time Events to deal with combat; again with the cutscenes and animation taking precedence over the gaming itself (Beyond Two Souls suffered quite heavily from this last year, with the over-reliance crippling the gameplay to a degree). Having dispatched those guys, it's back to a ballroom for a shoot-out.

On the way over to this location, I was struck by how constrained you are to head into other areas; leaving the cockpit, I wanted to negotiate the empty seats of the passengers and look out of the windows, but couldn't stray from the marked path. It's not exactly open world here.

In the final section, you had access to some of the more normal guns you'd associate with a shooter, which is perhaps a shame given that half of the hook of The Order 1886 is a steampunk alt- London where tech is more prevalent. The section concentrates on you needing to identify rebels on the airship through the cross hairs of a sniper gun and to liaise with your colleagues before taking them out and erupting into all guns blazing. The idea of liaising is a clever one, a touch that gives it more of a feel of a world within and that you're part of a team, although when push comes to shove, you're still on your own taking them down.

As an overall experience, The Order 1886 preview level has left me relatively muted; there are elements that I really loved (the look being the major one) and others which didn't (the constraints); but as I say, taking one section from the game, out of context, with no rapport or relationship built with your character is always a major risk. I'm still intrigued to see what The Order 1886 will do in February to allay my fears - it's more a case of piqued curiosity but I'm confident that Santa Monica Studio will be able to present something that proves to be one of 2015's major first quarter highlights for the PS4.

The IT Crowd: Version 4.0 DVD Review

The IT Crowd: Version 4.0 DVD Review

Rating: M
Released by Roadshow Home Ent

The last full series of the comedy The IT Crowd shows once again that absurdist silliness can pay off.

6 episodes of comedy mayhem with Chris O'Dowd's Roy, Richard Ayoade's Moss and Katherine Parkinson's Jen are all glorious in their own way. Concentrating on the group's IT world and then thrusting them into the real world and watching them flounder in various ways proves to be a tonic.

From Moss getting involved in Street Countdown (a parody of the long-running word and number based UK gameshow for intellectuals) to Roy being caught in a bomb scare, there's so much to enjoy about this series which showcases Father Ted writer Graham Linehan at his very best.

These episodes were made back in 2010 but have shown no sign of ageing in the slightest and while the show is purely at its peak, it's sad to say this (aside from the finale) is the last season shout. But it's well worth your time and is sitcom fun at its best.

Extras: On location, outtakes, hidden extras

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Taken 3: Film Review

Taken 3: Film Review

Cast: Liam Neeson, Forest Whitaker, Maggie Grace, Dougray Scott
Director: Olivier Megaton

It all ends here.

Well, so the marketing for Taken 3 promises anyway.

Liam Neeson returns as Bryan Mills, who finds his life is once again thrown into disarray by violence and mobsters in this latest outing.

Mills is forced on the run and becomes the hunted (The Fugitive anyone?) after he finds his ex-wife murdered in his own house. The police, led by Forest Whitaker's Inspector Franck Dotzler, are closing in, but Mills is determined to clear his name and protect his daughter Kim (Maggie Grace).

The geriaction franchise promised this time around that nobody would be Taken again - and that it would be a different story.

But this time around with the hook of the series removed, Taken manages to feel flat, soulless and completely formulaic.

Neeson manages some warmth as the gruff but softly spoken and exhausted Mills; and in a nice touch, he appears to show his weary age during some of the fight scenes giving this latest slice of preposterousness a touch of much needed grounded reality. In fact, his is the sole reason to watch.

The problem with Taken 3 comes in those who orbit around Mills; every single cop - aside from Dotzler - is a complete dunce who lack the basic skills to even remotely do their job competently. Even Whitaker's Dotzler is majorly underwritten - a genius detective who spends his time looking left and right, while twirling either an elastic band or handling a white knight chess piece; he's less an enigma, more a barely fleshed-out cliche.

Equally Megaton has hardly made things enticing to watch - choppy brisk editing during action sequences using a bevvy of cameras and an abundance of over-shaky cam means that you can't actually focus on what's happening without the director's ADD kicking in and showing you 17 different angles simultaneously rather than showing us something impressive.

Formulaic and lacking any real tension, the flat Taken 3 even finally resorts to having someone taken (again) - but in between you'll have to endure Neeson's talking to a stuffed panda (the SNL sketch Mark Wahlberg talks to animals springs to mind), Neeson's dispatching of relationship advice or talking puppies.

Believe it or not, the seeds for a fourth Taken (T4ken anyone?) are sown, with a potential new generation of Mills' family siblings possibly facing threat, but when all is said and done, the uninspired, unexciting and over-long Taken 3 is quite simply Taken The Mickey.

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Ant - Man Trailer is here

Ant - Man Trailer is here

You don't need a magnifying glass, because here's your first look at the Ant-Man trailer, starring Paul Rudd!

The next evolution of the Marvel Cinematic Universe brings a founding member of The Avengers to the big screen for the first time with Marvel Studios’ “Ant-Man.” Armed with the astonishing ability to shrink in scale but increase in strength, master thief Scott Lang must embrace his inner-hero and help his mentor, Dr. Hank Pym, protect the secret behind his spectacular Ant-Man suit from a new generation of towering threats. Against seemingly insurmountable obstacles, Pym and Lang must plan and pull off a heist that will save the world.

Marvel’s “Ant-Man” stars Paul Rudd as Scott Lang aka Ant-Man, Evangeline Lilly as Hope Van Dyne, Corey Stoll as Darren Cross aka Yellowjacket, Bobby Cannavale as Paxton, Michael Peña as Luis, Judy Greer as Maggie, Tip “Ti” Harris as Dave, David Dastmalchian as Kurt, Wood Harris as Gale, Jordi Mollà as Castillo and Michael Douglas as Hank Pym.

Peyton Reed directs Marvel’s “Ant-Man” with Kevin Feige producing and Louis D’Esposito, Alan Fine, Victoria Alonso, Michael Grillo, Edgar Wright and Stan Lee serving as executive producers. The story is by Edgar Wright & Joe Cornish and the screenplay is by Adam McKay & Paul Rudd. Marvel’s “Ant-Man” delivers a high-stakes, tension-filled adventure on July 16, 2015.

Rating: TBC

Dumb and Dumber To: Movie Review

Dumb and Dumber To: Movie Review

Cast: Jim Carrey, Jeff Daniels, Rob Riggle, Laurie Holden, Kathleen Turner, Rachel Melvin
Director: Bobby and Peter Farrelly

"Comedy's all about timing"

These words uttered by Jim Carrey's Lloyd in this sequel couldn't be more prescient or pertinent when it comes to Dumb and Dumber To.

Over 20 years ago, Dumb and Dumber stole my heart; a sweet, unabashed film about two idiots whose stupidly sweet innocence seemed a throwback to the prat-falling silent schtick of a Hollywood from yesteryear.

Needless to say, 20 years on and the sequel rides roughshod over any nostalgic glow I may have had for the first.

In this latest, Jeff Daniels' Harry discovers he has a daughter and sets out with Jim Carrey's gurning Lloyd to find her - because he's in dire need of a new kidney. So begins another road trip....

In some ways, it's pointless to rail about how unfunny and crassly crude Dumb and Dumber To is - not to mention casually racist, because it's all done by these two leads who are supposed to be nothing more than a pair of loveable knuckleheads blundering from one encounter to the next.

But in updating the adventures of Harry and Lloyd and re-teaming with the Farrelly Brothers, those involved have actually lost sight of what made the original pair so successful and so amusing - their naivete and sheer chutzpah for any given situation propelled it along its sweet and endearingly dumb journey. This time around, by making the pair so stupid and occasionally offensive (perhaps a sign of the times we now live in), they've lost that audience empathy from the start, preferring to concentrate on a series of silly pranks over everything else. (Even those were present in the first, but dialled down)

Equally, there are plenty of scenes within the film that seem aimless with nary a punchline or moment to punctuate them; it's almost as if the writers lost sight of the actual gags they were trying to aim for. I'm not suggesting there's a sophistication with the Dumb and Dumber series at all - or even needs to be - in fact, it works better because of a lack of it. But an excessive number of flat jokes really stand out as this road trip "comedy" saunters onto its destination.

Carrey, Daniels and even Turner have their moments (possibly more Carrey as he does manic moments such as scoffing down a hotdog and greeting a dog at a gas station) - but they're too few and far in between a scattered plot that's lacking in real gags with warmth and heart; Melvin appears to be playing a brunette bimbo as the daughter and even Rob Riggle looks a little lost as the film tries to match some of the comic highs and even plot points of the first. (A fact made even more pertinent when the closing credits replay scenes from the first movie, making you realise all the more what you've missed)

All in all, Dumb and Dumber To is a massive comic disappointment - I hadn't expected the world but to see the legacy of Harry and Lloyd dumbed down a step too far after too many years too late makes this a contender for one of the worst films of 2015 already.

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The Inbetweeners 2: Blu Ray Review

The Inbetweeners 2: Blu Ray Review

Rating: M
Released by Roadshow Home Ent

The boys are back for one last blast.

Having torn up the UK box office with their first cinematic outing (widely condemned for encouraging laddish behaviour and drunken escapades in Magaluf), a second was perhaps inevitable.

This time, when Jay (James Buckley) sends the remaining trio of Will (Bird), Neil (Harrison) and Simon (Thomas) an email bragging of his escapades during his gap year in Australia, the over-sexed trio of losers decide to go and join him.

So, putting life on hold, the mates plunge into the world of backpacking, dealing with those on a gap year and generally head for humiliation all over again.

Sad to say, The Inbetweeners 2 is not a patch on the first movie, which, while mining vulgarity also showcased the bond between the boys to excellent effect.

This latest has ramped up the gross out gags as far as they can go, so that you end up cringing in your seats. An impressively directed sequence which sees Will the victim of Neil's irritable bowel syndrome at a water park sets a new record for being both laugh out loud funny and uncomfortably excessive. Equally, an act of desperation when the boys become lost in the outback is the same mix of cringe and crude. There's plenty of swearing, objectification of women and general offensiveness on show - which you'd expect to a degree, but the writers have really gone for it this time, meaning non-fans of the show may feel somewhat alienated.

And yet, under all the low brow moments, there's a level of heart and warmth that writers and directors Beesley and Morris have brought to this that helps you through what feels like quite an episodic film. It lessens the offensive and really makes you appreciate the boys' bond and the way the writers have so excellently managed to transpose the awkward relationships of groups of boys to the big screen. Also, this time around, there's a degree of life actually figuring into their best laid plans - with not everything going to plan.

Will's flirtation with a fellow traveller, Katie (Berrington) is sweetly handled (even if she's relatively underwritten as a one-note female character) and leads to some absurdly amusing consequences; likewise, his relationship with another pompous traveller who's determined to mine his spirituality and pretentiousness of so many on a gap year trying to discover themselves is brilliantly satirical. Simon's psychotic girlfriend back in the UK gives Thomas another chance to mine his embarrassed beyond belief routine and frustration which was so perfectly honed during the TV series and Harrison's gormless one-liner Neil gets a fair share of the laughs thanks to the unpredictability of what's coming out of his mouth. But it's Buckley's character who gets the biggest journey here as his over-sexed, over-desperate and under-achieving Jay discovers more of his sensitive side and gives a sweetness to dull the offensive and non-stop lavatorial humour.

Thankfully, directors Morris and Beesley haven't completely forgotten the bromance and banter between the quartet that helped the series become such a success; scenes with just them in it sparkle and crackle with the hidden emotions that lads hide and the jibes that they throw at each other through their formative lives. They're a welcome addition because, in parts, the movie feels a little flat - especially given how the boys are split up.

If this is the end of the road for The Inbetweeners (and the creators and stars say it is), this second film is perhaps a summation of everything that made them great and also repelled others - scatalogical decadence and puerile smutty grossness with some potty mouthed laugh out loud moments.

To be honest, it won't win any new fans and even the fans of the show may find it a bit of a slog in places, but a nostalgic glow of the characters and the actors will leave you either amused or appalled.

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