Annie: DVD Review

Annie: DVD Review

Rating: PG
Released by Roadshow Home Ent

It's a hard knock life indeed.

Not just for the foster kids of Annie, but for anyone heading to see this relatively bland musical movie this coming festive season.

Gone is the renowned ginger kid (aside from an opening scene quirk of writing, aimed at cocking a snook at what used to be) and in is Beasts of the Southern Wild star Quvenzhane Wallis as the foster kid, who's full of pluck, smart-aleck charm and a propensity to burst out into song.

When Annie's rescued from being run down by mobile entrepreneur and mayoral hopeful, Will Stacks (Foxx) she's thrust into the limelight thanks to Stacks' approval ratings being boosted by his selfless act. But as Annie starts to become a part of  the germophobic Stacks' life, he starts to realise there is more to life than what he'd thought - but will he lose Annie forever?

Yes, the sun will indeed come out tomorrow.
If only to show those involved in this goofily energetic piece so imbued with a rap music /street vibe musicality that there is fresh hope of any semblance of life after Annie.

Granted, if you're on a sugar high or on some kind of medication, this unshakably perky take on the musical (complete with final act car chase and auto-tuning thrown in!) may well appeal thanks largely in part to Wallis' sincere take on the lil orphan Annie. Playing it remarkably seriously all the way through (with the odd exception of overt irritation), Wallis manages to convince you of the orphan's quest to find her parents when all around her seem to have stumbled in from some kind of pantomime.

Worst offender is Cameron Diaz's Hannigan, who "looks after" the foster kids for cash. Kicked out of C&C Music Factory (yes, really) just before they made it big, she's a booze-swilling panto dame whose bitterness at losing her big break is as evident as her flat singing during her big number "Little Girls".

Equally, Rose Byrne and Bobby Cannavalle seem to have issues reaching the right notes as the show goes on, with both their big scenes being let down by their vocal talents. As the Daddy Warbucks figure, Foxx is earnest enough to try and pull the sentimental Annie out of the mire, but it's the mix of tones that doesn't quite fit to the big screen. Granted, the comedy of Annie is part of the appeal of the stage show, but the emotion here doesn't translate as well in this formulaic attempt at family feel-good for the holidays.

Dished up with a big side of cheese, Annie is only worth seeing for Wallis, who manages to rise above with her reputation relatively intact.
Rating:

Ascendance has descended

Ascendance has descended

Ascendance, the second epic DLC pack for Call of Duty®: Advanced Warfare is live on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 3, and PC. Ascendance features four new action-packed maps, the formidable OHM weapon (a 2-in-1 directed energy light machine gun/shotgun), the OHM Werewolf custom variant, and Infection, the highly-anticipated next entry in Exo Zombies. In addition, the DLC pack also includes the all-new Exo Grapple ability playlist, which delivers a faster way to reach strategic vantage points, and also doubles as a brutal secondary weapon to take down the competition.

• Perplex: Get vertical in Sydney as you fight to dominate this five-story modular apartment complex. Take the high ground or blast through the close-quarters interior in this small to medium sized map. Adapt your strategy mid-match when construction drones shift apartment modules, creating new routes and cover positions.
• Site 244: A spacecraft has crash landed, spilling its mysterious cargo under the shadow of Mt. Rushmore, USA. This medium to large three-lane map allows for any style of gameplay, focusing combat through the space ship's fuselage and around the debris-littered landscape. Use the map-based scorestreak to crack open an alien spore and instantly enhance your perks and exo abilities.
• Climate: Fight your way through a futuristic man-made utopia in this lush, climate-controlled enclosure. In this small to medium sized circular map, land and water routes channel frenetic combat around the central island structure. Watch your step when the river water changes from an asset into a deadly bubbling obstacle.
• Chop Shop: Think fast as you make your way through the black market exoskeleton industrial complex and engage in fast-paced shootouts in this medium sized, symmetrical map. Activate the map-based scorestreak to take control of an Advanced Repulsion Turret that radiates a deadly microwave EMP to help lock down key areas.

The Exo Zombies saga continues in the all-new episode, Infection, as the four Atlas employees, portrayed by the returning celebrity cast of John Malkovich (In the Line of Fire, RED, Burn After Reading), Bill Paxton (Aliens, Titanic, Edge of Tomorrow), Rose McGowan (Planet Terror, Scream), and Jon Bernthal (Fury, The Wolf of Wall Street) fight tooth and nail through undead zombie hordes. Located on the outskirts of an Atlas facility, the new Exo Zombies episode introduces a slew of never-before-seen undead masses, a robust arsenal of new traps and armaments and everyone's favorite fast food joint, Burgertown.

Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare Ascendance is also included in the Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare Season Pass*, where fans can get all four epic DLC Packs planned for the year, as part of the discounted bundle**. The Ascendance DLC Pack also includes the OHM 2-in-1 directed energy light machine gun/shotgun and the OHM Werewolf custom variant.

Project CARS - Final list unveiled

Project CARS - Final list unveiled

Featuring a wide variety of vehicles from the world of Open Wheel, GT, Le Mans Prototypes, Supercars, Track Day cars, Karts, Road cars, Historic Touring, and US Trans-Am and Stock, Project CARS truly represents global car culture and motorsport with something for everyone and a dedication to expanding and going deeper with this community-focused list after launch.

Head over to projectcarsgame.com/cars for more info!

See below for the full list of cars available:

PROJECT CARS STANDARD EDITION

Alpine A450
Ariel Atom 300 Supercharged
Ariel Atom 500 V8
Aston Martin Rapide S Hydrogen Hybrid
Aston Martin Vantage GT3
Aston Martin Vantage GT4
Audi R18 TDI LMP1
Audi R8 LMS Ultra
Audi R8 V10 Plus
BAC Mono
BMW 1 M CoupÈ (E82)
BMW 320 Turbo Gr.5 (E21)
BMW M3 Gr.A (E30)
BMW M3 GT (E92)
BMW M3 GT4 (E92)
BMW Z4 GT3
Caper Monterey Stockcar
Caterham Seven Classic
Caterham Superlight R500
Caterham SP/300R
Ford Capri Zakspeed Gr.5
Ford Escort RS1600
Ford Focus RS
Ford Mustang Boss 302R1
Ford Mustang Cobra SCCA TransAm
Ford Sierra RS500 Cosworth Gr.A

Formula Gulf 1000
Ginetta G40 Junior
Ginetta G55 GT3
Ginetta G55 GT4
Gumpert Apollo S
Lotus 49 Cosworth
Lotus 72D Cosworth
Lotus 78 Cosworth
Lotus 98T Renault

Marek RP219D LMP2
Marek RP339h (PM 06a) LMP1
McLaren 12C
McLaren 12C GT3
McLaren P1
Mercedes-Benz 190E 2.5-16 Evo2 DTM
Mercedes-Benz 300SEL 6.8 AMG
Mercedes-Benz A45 AMG
Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG
Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG GT
Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X FQ400
Oreca 03 Nissan
Pagani Huayra
Pagani Zonda R
Palmer Jaguar JP-LM
Radical SR3 RS
Radical SR8 RX
Renault Clio Cup
Renault MÈgane R.S. 265
Ruf CTR3
Ruf RGT-8
Ruf RGT-8 GT3
RWD P20 LMP2
RWD P30 LMP1
SMS Formula A
SMS Formula B
SMS Formula C
SMS Formula Rookie
SMS Kart 125cc (Kart01)
SMS Superkart 250cc (Kart02)

ANZ LIMITED EDITION CAR PACK

Sauber C9 Mercedes

Mercedes-Benz C-Class Coupe DTM

McLaren F1

Ford Mk. IV

BMW M1 Procar (E26/1)

Ariel Atom Mugen

Ruf CTR3 SMS-R

Pagani Zonda Cinque Roadster

FREE CAR

W Motors Lykan HyperSport – Free Car #1

Lucky Them: Film Review

Lucky Them: Film Review

Cast: Toni Collette, Thomas Haden Church, Oliver Platt, Ryan Eggold
Director: Megan Griffiths

Musos will get a kick out of this flick which set the 2013 Toronto International Film Festival abuzz.

Toni Collette plays Ellie, a music critic in her 40s who has a penchant for reviewing and sleeping with the talent as she works the Seattle scene for dying magazine Stax.

Ellie's never really gotten over the apparent suicide of her then musician boyfriend Matthew Smith - but that wound's opened by her editor (a quietly seething Oliver Platt, whose top dog is railing against the dying world of the music mag) who requests a 10 year on piece on the mysterious death.

Following rumours that Smith isn't dead and looking into sources, Ellie's befriended by wise-cracking Thomas Haden Church's Charlie, a rich but bored man, who decides his documentary classes mean he could film the whole thing.

So, against her will, the duo begin to look into Smith's apparent AWOL search with unpredictable results.

Lucky Them suffers from a kind of funk that settles on the piece early on.

It's not Collette's fault that Lucky Them has little going for it in terms of script, with many moments feeling too random and distracting from the ongoing story. Equally, Haden Church's continual quips tend to irritate after a while, and Collette's slightly distracted acting touch convinces us of her malaise to life around her.

Unfortunately though, the end result is that we subsequently don't feel attached or remotely care to anything going on as it transpires. Granted, you could argue it's part of the film's charm, but Griffiths doesn't seem to know what she wants to settle on - is it romantic drama with Ellie and her musician boyfriend, is it mystery that has a personal touch or is it road movie comedy with Haden Church's continual deadpan moments?

The final blend of Lucky Them means that a last act denouement and surprise appearance feels all too low key - perhaps, it's a delicious irony that the apathy and malaise affecting Ellie means that when the end comes, the moment that's supposed to uplift us feels like a deflated balloon.

Lucky Them is by no means a disaster, it's just it's not a sentiment felt by the audience who endure the escapades, rather than revel in them.

Rating:

Shadow of Mordor: Game of the year edition unveiled

Shadow of Mordor: Game of the year edition unveiled

Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment today announced Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor Game of the Year Edition.  The expanded version of the award-winning third-person open world action game, developed by Monolith Productions will launch in New Zealand on May 14 for $99.95 on the PlayStation®4 computer entertainment system, Xbox One, the all-in-one games and entertainment system from Microsoft.

Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor earned enthusiastic reviews when it launched this past spring, winning more than 25 awards including Game of the Year at the 2015 Game Developers Choice Awards and eight awards from the 2015 D.I.C.E. Awards amongst many others. Featuring the innovative Nemesis System, Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor Game of the Year Edition expands on the critically-acclaimed original title, which includes the main game and all currently available downloadable content (DLC) packs, allowing fans to experience hours of added gameplay and content including:

●        Story Packs: The Lord of The Hunt and The Bright Lord

●        Skins: The Dark Ranger, Captain of the Watch, Lord of the Hunt, The Bright Lord, Power of Shadow and Lithariel Skins

●        Runes: Hidden Blade, Deadly Archer, Flame of Anor, Rising Storm, Orc Slayer, Defiant to the End, Elven Grace, Ascendant, One with Nature

●        Missions: Guardians of the Flaming Eye, The Berserks and The Skull Crushers Warband Missions

●        Challenge Modes: Test of Power, Test of Speed, Test of Wisdom, Endless Challenge, Test of the Wild, Test of the Ring, Test of Defiance Challenge Modes

●        Additional Features: Photo Mode

Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor delivers a dynamic game environment where the player orchestrates their personal plan of vengeance as they bend Mordor to their will. The game begins on the night of Sauron’s return to Mordor, as his Black Captains brutally execute the Rangers of the Black Gate. Players become Talion, a ranger who loses his family and everything he holds dear, only to be returned from death by a mysterious spirit of vengeance. Based on the player’s actions with the in-game Nemesis System, every enemy encountered is distinct and can evolve to become a personal archenemy through the course of the game.  As Talion’s personal vendetta unfolds, players uncover the mystery of the spirit that compels him, discover the origin of the Rings of Power and confront the ultimate nemesis.

Destiny: Livestream for Trials of Osiris

Destiny: Livestream for Trials of Osiris

Bungie is about to unveil the latest addition to Destiny - Trials of Osiris.

Watch the Destiny Trials of Osiris Livestream here:

Watch live video from Bungie on www.twitch.tv

Boychoir: Film Review

Boychoir: Film Review

Cast: Dustin Hoffman, Kathy Bates, Josh Lucas, Debra Winger, Kevin McHale, Garett Wareing, Joe West
Director: Francois Girard

Heavenly voices, predictable story and made for TV movie moments.

That pretty much sums up Boychoir, from the French director Girard (The Red Violin). It's the story of Stet, a troubled kid (played sympathetically by Wareing) whose life is chaos at school and turbulent at home with an alcoholic mother.

When the unthinkable happens, Stet finds his life at a cross-roads and despite failing an audition to enter a prestigious musical academy, Stet's estranged father (Josh Lucas) ends up making the school a financial offer it can't afford to ignore to secure him a place, rather than face the indignity of telling his current wife and family that Stet exists.

Thrust into the Harry Potter style school, complete with blonde-haired nemesis and prodigy Devon (West), Stet becomes the underdog in his campaign to get a place on the touring American Boychoir. But under the tutelage of the brisk Carvelle (a genial Hoffman) and a puffy English teacher (Eddie Izzard), will Stet find his voice?

Boychoir hits the right notes in many places, doing exactly what you'd expect of a crowd-pleasing feel good movie that's probably more at home on the small screen than the big.

While there are certainly goosebumps to be had with the singing scenes, the relative one-note characters and drama outside of the Harry Potter and the Chamber Choir antics (Izzard is Snape, Hoffman is Dumbledore, Devon is Draco etc etc) is under-cooked and poorly serviced in terms of development.

Girard steers clear of too much sentimentality though, with several scenes which could have wallowed in the moment brusquely dealt with to help the film's flow. Though, along with Stet's father's dilemma being largely confined to looking troubled through a window, more could have been made of that situation and the crux of the Boychoir dilemma - namely, that their heavenly voices have only a short window to shine through before nature cruelly drops them down a level. Missed opportunities scatter this aria throughout and conspire to drag the film down.

It's a restrained Hoffman who generates some empathy and warmth from Carvelle, whose relationship with Stet could have easily fallen into some kind of musical Full Metal Jacket scenario, but wisely shows the power a proficient and caring teacher can make to a child's life. Wareing manages well too in his first lead, with the wide-eyed and naturalistic turn helping the more predictable and by-the-numbers elements of the plot along.

Ultimately, Boychoir offers a feeling of deja-vu; in the likes of Mr Holland's Opus, we've seen it all before, but, thanks to a lack of over-egging the pudding, the one note nature of the story just about manages to leave you with a warm glow.

Rating: