MacBeth: DVD Review

MacBeth: DVD Review

The infamous Scottish play gets a bloody 2015 revamp at the hands of Snowtown's director, Justin Kurzel, with Michael Fassbender taking the lead and Marion Cottilard as his bride.

Setting the play and its prosaic text to the battlefields of Scotland, where mist readily rolls in and envelops all in its path, Kurzel's drenched this adaptation in doom and gloom. The film begins with an extension of a line uttered within the movie that's been expanded out (perhaps which will annoy purists) depicting both MacBeths laying a child to rest. It's a brave move to add to the text, but one which grounds the film's protagonists in a degree of motivation as this tale of ambition and its consequences plays out.

From its slow-mo battlefield scenes to its final orange-hued showdown between Sean Harris' wounded MacDuff and Fassbender's on the edge MacBeth, this version of the film tends to favour style and grit over everything else. And for the large part, its grit and doom-laden moodiness is incredibly evocative in terms of scene-setting. But Shakespeare's play has always been about the central protagonists and their ascent to the heights of ambition and the descent of their insanity.

And perhaps in some of the key moments, it doesn't quite nail the beats of the play (though one could argue that an understanding of the text from the study I had to do as a child may mean I have a deeper insight into its execution). Particularly Fassbender who unfortunately doesn't hit the requisite beats of the Bard's verse in the well known parts. While his dagger before me speech is nicely executed with a ghostly apparition, his king's transformation and descent into insanity as he spies the barely recognisable ghost of the slaughtered Banquo (Considine in a blink and miss it performance) doesn't ring true. And while Fassbender's softer delivery of these speeches is spiked with a series of exclamations, it feels like an odd mix, mainly due in parts to Kurzel's handheld camera style and shakiness.

Thankfully, Cotillard's tortured siloloquy as she wrestles with that damned spot is more intimate and devastating, her ghostly white visage draped in the dawning horror of what she and her husband have executed. If anything, Lady MacBeth appears more as a well-rounded character than the text, a less black and white nag who picks at her husband to vault her dizzying ambitions of power.

But while there are psychological moments that don't quite hit the required heights, there are stylish touches that demonstrate Kurzel is willing to update the text into something that can chime with youth studying it and with those whose thirst for blood is today satiated with George R R Martin's prose and its subsequent televisual execution. (Right down to a stake-burning that seems all so familiar)

Nowhere is this more evident in his thrilling reinvention of how the Birnam woods make their way to Dunsinane as part of the prophecy, a final battle that has equal moments of desperation and despair and a clever execution of hordes warning Macbeth to beware MacDuff.

It's for these moments and Cotillard's performance that Macbeth almost succeeds in vaulting its own lofty ambitions - but it doesn't quite reach the peaks of its own desire, falling at the last summit.

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Hitman BETA: PS4 Review

Hitman BETA: PS4 Review

Released by Square Enix
Developed by Io Interactions

Over the weekend, Square Enix took us back into the world of Agent 47.

Following the quite frankly stylish but utterly atrocious Hitman: Agent 47 movie, there was some debate as to whether a return to this world would be a welcome one. And that was further compounded by the fact the game is going to be episodic.

However, after the launch of the BETA and some time with the almost robotic Hitman, it's fair to confess that this looks like a return to form for the series and offers up a chance to maybe take the game further into other previously unexplored areas.

Labelled “The Prologue”, the Beta takes place twenty years before the Paris Showstopper mission. Set in a secret ICA training facility, the Prologue features a pivotal moment in Agent 47’s life - his introduction to the ICA and very first meeting with his future handler Diana Burnwood. The Prologue features two free-form training hits, which will introduce players to the features and mechanics of the upcoming HITMAN game.

Starting off on a boat in Aussie, the first job is to eliminate Kalvin Ritter - but first you have to infiltrate that boat, in the least possible suspicious manner. Which means taking a disguise off a mechanic, heading into the bowels of the boat and ensuring that you can track Ritter down. Tracking of the target is easy enough (simply press R1 to bring out the baddie in a red hue) but whereas walking around before was easier due to NPCs not paying any attention, this time things have taken a turn for the more realistic.

Hang around the guests on the boat - either as a mechanic or as a member of the yacht crew - and they start to get suspicious,a white bar in the style of Far Cry growing with their mistrust. Stick around too long, and they alert the authorities, something you really don't want. 

Stealth is as always the key to the game. For fun, trying to execute people in broad daylight - be it your target or the police guards around - does little to help you achieve your aim and much to end your game in a hail of bullets. 

On the very first mission, there are frustrations - a lack of consistency on when you can vault means if you commit a sneaky execution and want to get to the car on the docks, you can't simply jump off the boat which seems ludicrous when you realise you can vault over crates. Equally, there's no way to run at the start either - meaning if you've done your hit and want to clear the area, you are confined to slow canter, hoping you are not discovered. This is only in the first challenge but it's a bit of an odd concept.

It would be great to have some kind of health bar too; when being fired upon, I had no way of knowing whether it was possible to survive a bit longer or this was it. Granted, these attitudes are against the ethos of Hitman, but a level of reality may have been a smart move. Equally replay points are somewhat haphazardly dotted around, meaning they only crop up at certain points of the mission - simply put, there had to be a lot of replaying the early parts which was frustrating in the extreme.

Mission Opportunities are a good touch though. Once the Ritter hit had gone down, I was given other chances to redo it in different ways; it's a smart way to encourage the replay factor, but it'll be interesting to see if doing so rewards you or is only for the extreme completist who would rather use rat poison to kill off a target than your infamous garotting techniques. A second hit involving a chess master, a jet plane and a trickier set up makes the game more interesting and strategy more essential, so it's good to see there's a mix of ideas in place. With opportunities revealing when other characters talk, there's definitely more of a proposition of an in-depth game in place.

I applaud the MO for doing things differently and achieving the same end. It's going to help those frustrated by the episodic release, but it's going to make Agent 47's return worthwhile. 

The sandbox capabilities of this BETA show there's real potential for deviation and deviant behaviour. Graphically, the game looks polished but it's still too early to tell what more can come of it. The NPCs' unreliability adds a lot to the Hitman world and gives it a sheen of realism.

All in all, it looks like Hitman is on target - let's see where Agent 47's journey goes.

Hitman delivers its payload in March

The Walking Dead: Michonne - A Telltale Miniseries - Extended Preview

The Walking Dead: Michonne - A Telltale Miniseries - Extended Preview

Fellow Survivors,

Today we can share an extended preview of the first six minutes of The Walking Dead: Michonne - A Telltale Miniseries.

The Walking Dead: Michonne - A Telltale Miniseries stars the iconic, blade-wielding character from Robert Kirkman's best-selling comic books, portrayed in-game by award-winning actress Samira Wiley (Orange is the New Black).  

Haunted by her past and coping with unimaginable loss and regret, the story explores Michonne across a three episode miniseries event. Players will dive into the mind of Michonne to discover what took her away from Rick, Carl, and the rest of her trusted group... and what brought her back.

In this premiere episode, 'In Too Deep,' Michonne joins Pete and his crew on the sailing ship The Companion as they cruise the coast for survivors and supplies. When a desperate signal for help draws them to a scene of horrific massacre, Michonne and the crew are lead further to the floating survivors' colony of Monroe, which may just be harboring the person responsible for the carnage. 

The Walking Dead: Michonne - A Telltale Miniseries will premiere its first of three episodes, 'In Too Deep,' this February 23rd on PC/Mac from the Telltale Online Store, Steam, and other digital distribution services, the PlayStation®Network for PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 3, the Xbox Games Store for Xbox One® and Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, followed by a release on compatible iOS devices via the App Store, and Android-based devices via Google Play and the Amazon App Store starting February 25th. The second episode in the miniseries, 'Give No Shelter,' will follow in the month of March, and conclude with the third episode, 'What We Deserve,' in April. All three episodes in the miniseries will be available for purchase at the cost of $14.99 USD or equivalent when the first episode debuts, including access to the second and third episodes as they become available.

To date, The Walking Dead: A Telltale Games Series has sold more than 50 million episodes worldwide, earning more than 100 Game of the Year awards from outlets including Metacritic, USA Today, Wired, Spike TV VGAs, Yahoo!, The Telegraph, Mashable, Polygon, Destructoid andGamesRadar, and was also the recipient of two BAFTA Video Games Awards for Best Story and Best Mobile Game.

 

The Walking Dead is set in the world of Robert Kirkman's award-winning comic book series and offers an emotionally-charged, tailored game experience where a player's actions and choices affect how their story plays out across the entire series.

 

The Walking Dead: Michonne - A Telltale Miniseries Episode 1 - 'In Too Deep'is rated 'M' (Mature) for Intense Violence, Blood & Gore, Sexual Themes, and Strong Language by the ESRB.  

 

Gravity Rush Remastered: PS4 Review

Gravity Rush Remastered: PS4 Review

Platform: PS4
Released by Sony Computer Entertainment

The remasters of 2016 continue....

Thankfully, this latest is a PS Vita classic (seems weird to say that - almost as if the VITA's been abandoned) - the PS4 version of Gravity Rush.

From the director of Silent Hill Keiichiro Toyama, comes Gravity Rush as exciting an experience as you'll ever get on the handheld device.

Set on a floating world, you play Kat, a girl who wakes up with no memory of who she is. As she awakes, she finds herself accosted by a black cat who mysteriously gives her powers to control gravity. Kat suddenly discovers that she has the power to save the world around her from attacking forces known as the Nevi and hopefully ensure they survive the oncoming Gravity storm threatening their world...

Melding comic book sensibilities into the hero and some radically impressive controls, Gravity Rush is a joyous game which is Manga-esque in its execution. It's also beautifully presented with the PS4 representing the unique look of the VITA original down to a tee and producing a crisp, tight and sharp set of graphics.

You explore the open world around you, get set missions which range from the important such as protecting the world from the Nevi to the more obscure levitating furniture around to deck out your new pad. All the time, you get to flip gravity, fly through the sky and fall as you try and work out how best to control your new powers, as well as standing on walls, negotiating floating objects and generally using your skills to your advantage.

You also get rewarded with boosted powers as your game play and skills evolve; it's a cunning move and one which is perfectly in line with the ongoing storyline; anyone with intelligence grows in skillset and in Gravity Rush, patience and endurance are rightfully rewarded.

Cut scenes on the game play out in comic book panel form and it's a brilliant touch with gives this game a wondrous feel and a perfect setting. Fighting can be rough and ready as you hurtle through the air to fight Nevi, if you're not in control, you smash into buildings and walls rather than your intended target. 

It's a nice raw touch which gives the getting a grip on the game something to aim for. Add into that mix, a series of timed minigames and pretty much, there's something for every game player here.

Gravity Rush is indeed a rush - it was a scintillating PS Vita experience which deserved to be cherished, experienced and raved about. While the PS4 doesn't quite have the vicarious thrill of the VITA's revolutionary approach to its controls, it does offer a few unique touches with the use of the controller that go some way to satiating that desire.

Including all the game's original DLC is also a wise move and will keep you engaged despite some of the more repetitive elements of the game. 

All in all, Gravity Rush Remastered stands on its own two feet because of how little it was seen on its original outing. While it's potentially time to put away all of the remastering of games and offer up something new, Gravity Rush remains a thrill from beginning to end.

Rating:

The Witness: PS4 Review

The Witness: PS4 Review

Platform: PS4
Developed by Thekla Ltd

There's just something about The Witness that has an amazing propensity to melt your brain.

Developed by Thekla Ltd and from the brain behind Braid, Jonathan Blow, the game's simplicity is also your downfall.

Set on an island where you have no idea of its location or indeed who you are, this indie's MO is very simple. Sort of.

It's all about exploring the island and solving puzzles, which in turn unlock other areas for you to then engage in further puzzles. If that all sounds like simplicity itself, well then let me assure you, it is anything but. In very similar vein to Flow on the iPad, the puzzles are all initially about literally joining the dots via a predetermined path (though in reality, the execution is a little trickier than that).

In the isometric world, there's very little to see but the colours are all bright and exciting and offer a sense of hope as the desperation to solve these puzzles set in.

But you gradually learn as you progress that these puzzles are training you and helping you adapt to what's going on. It may be an open world but occasionally as the gates stay closed until you've managed to solve some of the mind-benders on offer. And they don't always get any easier. One such puzzle that was set at the end of a maze was a very clever comment on the environment and literally saw me re-tracing my steps to solve it.

There are some frustrations though which may put people off from fully immersing themselves within The Witness.

This is not a game that panders to easy understanding or offers up clues to what to do next, how to do it, and why it must be done a certain way. However, it also lacks a map which if you come back to the game after a bit of time away can be confusing and disorienting ; this is a game that challenges in many ways and encourages you to exert the brain muscles with a reward of making you feel like you've achieved something.

The Witness is the antithesis to your dumbed down gaming experience; it may prove a little too difficult for some and a little too wilfully obtuse, but it is rewarding as you negotiate the 600 strong puzzles (some of which only apparently a small percentage of the populace will be able to solve). As an experience, The Witness is second to none, but as an indie title, it's close to the top.

Rating:

Life Off Grid: Film Review

Life Off Grid: Film Review

Director: Jonathan Taggart

It's everyone's dream essentially - to live off the land and avoid any reliance on anyone else other than your friends or your spouse.

And in an ever-increasing technology led world, Life Off Grid's directing team spent 2 years meeting people in Canada who've done just that. From the man who views his house as an architectural monstrosity to the simplicities of going wire fishing in the ice, this genial doco does little except spend time with the vast array of talking heads who have chosen sustainability as a way of life.

With some quoting fears from Y2K as the reason they set off on this original path, it's fair to say that occasionally, it feels like a slightly bizarre version of Doomsday Preppers as you spend time with the predominantly white old male populace who extol the virtues of why they chose to live how they do.

Taggart manages admirably with the assembly of these talking heads into a degree of coherence, but it's fair to say that a real lack of in-depth background into this medley of characters is slightly damaging. It's a celebration of why they live like they do, but a lack of background proves difficult to help you engage with them all. Perhaps, Taggart would have been better to have spent time with just a few of the people through the harsh weather conditions of their climes and chart their lives through a year to provide more of a narrative thrust to the piece.

There are plenty of shots of a picturesque nature and gentle pastoral pics of living off the land, but Life Off Grid never fully capitalises on its premise. It's hard to believe that these are anything other than normal people (which is no bad thing and perhaps is the director's intention to show that we can all do it)  who are socially conscientious and who chose to live life like this because of their own desires; it's just that Life Off Grid feels like a missed opportunity to show how in a crowded technological 24-7 world we are all connected and that's not a great thing - while the celebration of life off the land is present in Life Off Grid, it's unfortunately too muted to fully inspire others to do the same.

Me and Earl and The Dying Girl: DVD Review

Me and Earl and The Dying Girl: DVD Review

Rating: M
Released by 20th Century Fox Home Ent

The sick lit genre got a boost in the arm with The Fault In Our Stars, a sweet romance that got you in the feels as well as working to the tropes and conventions.

So, it's inevitable that Me And Earl And The Dying Girl with its button-pushing title and poster of three friends will be held up in comparison.

But, that does this quirky Sundance audience award winner a disservice - to a degree.

It's the story of high schooler Greg (Mann), who bounces between the school sets without attaching to any of them. His sole friend is a kid who comes from a different neighbourhood Earl (Cyler), with whom he makes spoof movies a la Be Kind Rewind and who he hangs out with at lunch to avoid the cafeteria dilemma.

Greg's world changes when his mother forces him to spend time with Rachel (Olivia Cooke) who's diagnosed with leukaemia. Initially reticent, Greg finds an escape from his world in Rachel's but gradually begins to realise that he's more invested in Rachel's fight than his own crumbling life.

Me and Earl And The Dying Girl, in parts, feels like a slightly too smug and offbeat take on the genre, destined to be beloved by some and loathed by others.

Based on Jesse Andrews' book, occasionally it feels like it's trying too hard as it negotiates the tropes, mocks them with self-deprecating touches and cocks a snook at where it's come from. It's easy to see why it's been an audience hit at the Sundance festival and in other festivals - though I suspect it's only within certain parts of the audience.

Slathered in amusing movie in-jokes thanks to the affectionate films that Earl and Greg make (Sample title - Senior Citizen Kane), there's certainly just enough here to give it a broader brush to those who may be put off by the awkward moping of others within the genre.But yet, while it's heart-warming, it's never emotionally devastating and never really developed a personal connection.

Greg is too self-centred, too aloof from all around him to feel too much or to gain an attachment too. Granted, it's possibly the embodiment of being a teenager, but it's a film which doesn't offer him a journey or redemptive arc.

Equally, there's too much of a sidelining of Rachel here - ironically though, in doing so, this helps the film avoid mawkish moments where you'd expect romance to blossom - a touch that the film's so self-aware to mock with Greg intoning that "This would be where we kiss." However, it's a shame as Olivia Cooke brings a stellar performance to the screen as the girl going through the various stages of the illness, without one moment feeling false at all.

If anything, Me and Earl And The Dying Girl is more about friendship and sadly, in its final stretches, falls headlong into some of the cliches it's been trying hard to avoid throughout. It's not without its charms, but I have to admit, the majority of them were lost on me.

There's no denying Me and Earl And The Dying Girl's freshness and potential appeal to its demo as it negotiates what it means to be a teenager, but there's equally no denying the occasional quirkiness becomes overbearing (such as its stop-motion animations that appear from time to time), tearing it away from its more genuine moments and depriving it of the wider status it deserves early on.

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