LEGO Star Wars: The Force Awakes BB-8 Character video

LEGO Star Wars: The Force Awakes BB-8 Character video

LEGO® Star Wars™: The Force Awakens Character Spotlight Series Continues with NEW BB-8 Video

Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment yesterday released the next video in a series of LEGO® Star Wars™: The Force Awakens character vignettes spotlighting BB-8, the lovable astromech droid and loyal companion of Resistance pilot Poe Dameron. The video showcases BB-8’s LEGO® character in full form through key gameplay moments, cinematic cut scenes and authentic audio, all with signature LEGO® humor.

LEGO® Star Wars™: The Force Awakens will be released on June 28, 2016 and marks the triumphant return of the No. 1 LEGO® videogame franchise, immersing fans in the new Star Wars™ adventure like never before. Players can relive the epic action from the blockbuster film in a way that only LEGO® can offer, featuring all of the storylines from Star Wars™: The Force Awakens, retold through the clever and witty LEGO® lens. The game will also include exclusive playable content exploring New Adventures set in the time leading up to Star Wars™: The Force Awakens, providing further insight about the new movie and its characters.

Additionally, LEGO® Star Wars™: The Force Awakens will showcase original dialogue from key members of the theatrical cast, providing the most authentic Star Wars™ for experience for players, including: John Boyega (Finn), Adam Driver (Kylo Ren), Harrison Ford (Han Solo), Daisy Ridley (Rey), Oscar Isaac (Poe Dameron) and other top stars from the film. The game will be available for PlayStation®4, PlayStation®3, PlayStation®Vita, Xbox One, Xbox 360, Wii U™, Nintendo 3DS™ and Steam (Windows PC).

Win a double pass to see Central Intelligence

Win a double pass to see Central Intelligence

Dwayne Johnson and Kevin Hart star in the action comedy Central Intelligence, for New Line Cinema and Universal Pictures. 

The story follows a one-time bullied geek who grew up to be a lethal CIA agent (Johnson), coming home for his high-school reunion.  Claiming to be on a top-secret case, he enlists the help of the former "big man on campus" (Hart), now an accountant who misses his glory days.

But before the staid numbers-cruncher realizes what he's getting into, it's too late to get out, as his increasingly unpredictable new friend drags him through a world of shoot-outs, double-crosses and espionage that could get them both killed in more ways than he can count.

Central Intelligence also stars Oscar® nominee Amy Ryan (Gone Baby Gone), Aaron Paul (TV's Breaking Bad) and Danielle Nicolet (TV's The Game).  The film is directed by Rawson Marshall Thurber (We're the Millers, Dodgeball).  The screenplay is by Ike Barinholtz & David Stassen and Rawson Marshall Thurber, from a story by Ike Barinholtz & David Stassen.

 It is produced by Scott Stuber (Ted), Peter Principato (TV's Black-ish), Paul Young (Black-ish) and Michael Fottrell (Furious Seven).  Serving as executive producers are Ed Helms, who worked with Thurber on We're the Millers, Samuel J. Brown and Michael Disco.

CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE IS IN CINEMAS JUNE 30TH

To enter to win a double pass to CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE all you have to do is drop me an email, with your name, address and the words CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE in the subject title!

Email is darrensworldofentertainment@gmail.com

NB Competition closes 30 JUNE - editor's decision final!

 

Goosebumps: Blu Ray Review

Goosebumps: Blu Ray Review

Rating: PG
Released by Roadshow Home Ent

Given the popularity of the 62 odd children's horror novellas by American writer R L Stine, the film of Goosebumps has a lot of readers to satisfy.

But by cleverly using the scares that make the series so popular and not dumbing them down, theGoosebumps movie is a smart, occasionally nightmarish trip and scary take on the typical story of the new boy moving to a new town and trying to fit in.

That boy is Dylan Minette, whose Zach has moved to the small backwater of Madison where his mum (Amy Ryan) is taking up the deputy principal-ship of the high school. But Zach finds his attention focussed on the girl next door (Odeya Rush) whose father (Jack Black) keeps her home schooled and locked up a night a la Rapunzel.

However, when Zach breaks in to investigate what he believes to be a domestic, he discovers the father is actually the famed horror writer R L Stine. And things get more complicated when Zach inadvertently lets loose a monster from the pages of Stine's books...

Using a mix of CGI, comedy horror and old school scares, Goosebumps works cleverly to keep its audience entertained without ever stooping to the lazy cliches and writing.

While the kids are most likely to be taken in by the suspense and the chase set pieces, adults will find some joys too in this Rear Window / The Blob / Zathura / The Shining / IT pastiche, which revels in meta-commentary about book sales, Stephen King and writing - it even throws in aGulliver's Travels sight gag too as gnomes tether Black down.

Black channels madcap as Stine, but keeps it on the right side of not going OTT and also does a great job as the menacingly homicidal mannequin, Slappy, the main villain of the piece (and fave of the book series). Minnette continues his road to fame as the likeable Zach (who has a great bond with his mother) and Rush manages the part well, but the pair lack some of the chemistry which feels forced upon them; there's the obligatory comedy sidekick in Ryan Lee's champ to get you through the mix of jump scares and tension.The FX are reasonable; certainly when the words spring to life off the page and bring the creatures into the world, it's a great effect, though later on there are moments when the film starts to creak. Equally, there's a lot of simply chasing around which does grow a little repetitive towards the end as if the story itself is running ever so slightly out of steam.

But all in all,Goosebumps succeeds in a self-aware wave of nostalgia for the books' source material and a reverence to what makes them so popular - they simply set out to scare their readers and offer entertainment; it's something which the film manages in great spades of both parody and B-movie moments.

As we head to the end of the year and movie fatigue is on the verge of setting in, it may actually give you Goosebumps because of how good it actually is.

Rating:

Details For Mafia III Collector's Edition

Details For Mafia III Collector's Edition

2K and Hangar 13 today announced details for the collector’s edition of Mafia III, which includes the licensed soundtrack and game score on vinyl, Playboy and Alberto Vargas art prints, and more exciting physical and digital items.

Additionally, players looking for a Mafia experience prior to the launch of Mafia III can play Mafia II on PC, as the title has now been re-released on Steam. Pick up Mafia II and all of the game’s downloadable content at an 80% discount today through to 8^th June in celebration of the re-release on Steam!

Mafia III will be at E3

The Mafia III Collector’s Edition includes:

·        Mafia III: Official Soundtrack of New Bordeaux – 180 gram vinyl pressing featuring some of the 60’s greatest hit makers, including Otis Redding & Carla Thomas, Sam Cooke, The Animals, and more. The vinyl is a sampling of the larger in-game soundtrack, that includes an eclectic mix of Rock, Rhythm and Blues, and Pop, all colliding against a backdrop of war, civil unrest, and sweeping social changes that defined the 1960s.

·        Mafia III: Original Game Score – 180 gram vinyl pressing of the original game score for Mafia III. Composed by Jesse Harlin and Jim Bonney, two of the industry’s great composers, theMafia III original game score is a Rhythm and Blues inspired tour through a city ruled by organized crime and corrupt officials, and the setting for Lincoln Clay’s emotional story of loss and revenge.

·        Exclusive Collectible Art Prints – Two lithographs from Playboy and the Alberto Vargas Estate representing a vast collection of art for players to discover in-game.

·        The Art of Mafia III Collectable Art Book – A 56-page visual look at the creation of New Bordeaux, a new game world fashioned after New Orleans in the summer of 1968.

·        Lincoln Clay Replica Dog Tags – 1960s US military issue replicas. These are the tags of a combat-hardened Vietnam vet fueled by the need for military-grade revenge against the Italian Mafia.

·        Faux Leather Establishment Drink Coasters – Representing the Paradiso Casino and Sammy’s in-game criminal establishments, these aren’t just souvenirs, but symbols of Lincoln Clay’s motivations for revenge.

·        Season Pass – Future post-release downloadable content bundled at a discount.

·        For the track listings of the Official Soundtrack of New Bordeaux and Original Game Score, plus complete Mafia III: Collector’s Edition details, visit: https://blog.2k.com/news/en-whats-inside-mafia-iii-collectors-edition.

In addition to the inclusion of Playboy and Alberto Vargas Estate art prints in the collector’s edition, players can discover and collect Playboy and Alberto Vargas content in-game in all versions ofMafia III. Collectible in-game Playboy content will immerse players into 1968 America with authentic magazine covers and additional magazine content.

Players looking for a Mafia experience prior to the launch of Mafia III can play Mafia II on PC when the title is re-released on Steam today. To celebrate the re-release, players can pick up Mafia IIand all of the game’s downloadable content at an 80% discount today through to June 8, 2016. In Mafia II, players are immersed in the Golden Era of the Italian Mafia as Vito Scaletta, who also appears in Mafia III as one of Lincoln Clay’s lieutenants.

About Mafia III

Mafia III is set in the open world of 1968 New Bordeaux, a reimagined version of New Orleans bustling with activity and complete with era-inspired cars, fashion and music. After years of combat in Vietnam, Lincoln Clay knows this truth: family isn’t who you’re born with, it’s who you die for. Now, back home in New Bordeaux, Lincoln is set on escaping his criminal past. When his surrogate family, the black mob, is betrayed and wiped out by the Italian Mafia, Lincoln builds a new family from the ashes of the old and blazes a path of military-grade revenge through those responsible. Intense gun fights, visceral hand-to-hand combat, white-knuckle driving, hard choices and street smarts will all be required to survive the mean streets of New Bordeaux. But with the right crew, it’s possible to make it to the top of the city's underworld.

Standard, limited deluxe and limited collector’s editions of Mafia III will be available October 7, 2016 for PS4™ system, Xbox One and Windows PC. Mafia III is not yet rated in Australia and New Zealand. For more information on Mafia III, subscribe on YouTube, follow us on Twitter, become a fan on Facebook and visit http://MafiaGame.com.

Money Monster: Film Review

Money Monster: Film Review

Cast: George Clooney, Julia Roberts, Jack O'Connell, Dominic West, Giancarlo Esposito
Director: Jodie Foster

Proving to be an at times populist retort to the high brained chicanery of The Big Short, Money Monster is an eminently watchable, yet entirely ludicrous real-time thriller that centres around George Clooney's gauche TV financial pundit, Lee Gates.

Dumbing down the financials and offering stock tips to the masses from inside his bubble and TV studio, Gates' world, so studiously run by the voice in his ear Patty (Julia Roberts), comes crashing down when a disgruntled punter Kyle (71's Jack O'Connell) shows on set with a gun.

Taking Masters hostage and captivating both those in the studio and those watching, O'Connell's Noo York inhabitant and everyday schmoe wants answers of the big financial company who lost them millions.

With the clock ticking, it's up to the back room team (who wryly and sadly note early on that they don't do journalism) to track down some answers and keep the SWAT teams at bay...

Rattling along a pace it's clear that director Jodie Foster's cleverly positioned all the pieces together to paper over some of the more obvious cracks of the story. Mixing elements of satire and the apathetic reality of the masses (which is woefully underutilised except for one final scene) in with a thriller and moments of comedy are a potent mix for this clock-ticking flick.

There's no denying though that the provocative elements that may have been more on the nose are overwhelmed by the desire to create a relatively formulaic popcorn flick (and not that there's anything wrong with that). 

Both Clooney and the nervy O'Connell keep the audience fairly invested in the drama when it flies back from comic interludes into the hostage situation. That said, there's a lack of suspense here and there that proves to be part of the film's undoing as it plays out and as the slightly sillier threads are pulled together, it lacks the tension to fully invest in - even if it does throw some unexpected twists and left turns into the mix, choosing not to go down the familiar tried and tested route.

Roberts is completely in control as Patty, both behind the scenes and on the screen. There's an inner strength that radiates from her performance and makes her more plausible as it plays out; Outlander star Catriona Balfe as a PR head of a finance company is solid as well, making the best of her arc that as it unravels proves hard to actually suspend disbelief.

While the divide between the working man and the rich fatcats would have proven fertile dramatic territory, it's clear a combination of the workmanlike execution of Foster's direction and a script that fails to fully damn the Wall Street mob proves to be the tonal undoing of Money Monster.

Ultimately, the preposterousness of Money Monster becomes its overriding characteristic, and while it's not fully fatal, its superficial take on the whole thing renders it more of a serviceably watchable and disposable piece rather than a scathing indictment of an ongoing problem.

Hitman Episode 3 launches

Hitman Episode 3 launches

HITMAN Episode 3: Marrakesh Now Available

SYDNEY, 1^ST June 2016 - Io-Interactive is happy to announce the launch of HITMAN Episode 3: Marrakesh.

The featured mission, ‘A Gilded Cage’, sees Agent 47 travel to the busy market city of Marrakesh to target corrupt private banker Claus Strandberg and his accomplice Army General Reza Zaydan before the city of contrasts collapses into a riot.

“Marrakesh marries the concepts of the first two offerings of HITMAN – Paris and Sapienza,” said Hannes Seifert, Studio Head at Io-Interactive. “We have the fortressed, at times claustrophobic, nature of the Showstopper event in Paris combined with the expansiveness and lived-in feeling of Sapienza all in one. I think Marrakesh is really going to give players a lot to explore and experiment with.”

Marrakesh offers a richly detailed, dense creative stealth sandbox featuring two targets, a host of opportunities and challenges to explore and a living environment that transports you from crowded markets to magical souks, from the cool elegance of the Swedish consulate to the military-occupied remains of an abandoned school. Infiltrate a consulate under siege to kill a man everyone hates and take out the army general that freed him from his prison shackles in Episode 3 of HITMAN.

To watch the launch trailer click HERE.

HITMAN started with a Prologue and the Paris location in March. Episode 2: Sapienza released in April and now Episode 3: Marrakesh has arrived in May. HITMAN will continue to deliver regular content updates, including three additional locations; Thailand, the United States and the season finale in Japan later in 2016. The game also recently launched the new “Elusive Targets” feature, with two targets encountered by players so far...Marrakesh is sure to hide more.

Marrakesh is FREE as part of the Full Experience Pack. Owners of the Intro Pack can choose either the Upgrade Pack, which will then include all of this year’s content as it’s released including live and bonus content – or choose to purchase the location individually.

HITMAN is available on the PlayStation®4 computer entertainment system, Xbox One, the all-in-one games and entertainment system from Microsoft, and Windows PC.

Just Cause 3 next expansion pack unveiled

Just Cause 3 next expansion pack unveiled

JUST CAUSE 3 MECH LAND ASSAULT DUE JUNE 3^rd

INCLUDES 2 PILOTABLE MECHS, NEW MISSIONS, CHALLENGES & MORE

SYDNEY, 1^ST June 2016 - JUST CAUSE 3: MECH LAND ASSAULT, the second content pack from the Air, Land and Sea Expansion Pass will be on sale June 3^rd for Expansion Pass Holders, with a wider release to follow on June 10^th.

MECH LAND ASSAULT takes Rico Rodriguez to the new island of Lacrima, home to an abandoned eDen research base and a prison camp run by the mysterious Black Hand. Defended by huge powerful Mechs, Rico will need the new Bavarium Power Core rifle to disable their shields and hijack them. Once inside, Rico can use their powerful cannons and the GRIP Gravity Guns to hurl and smash the enemy into pieces.

Features- Pilot two types of powerful Mech and drive them anywhere in Medici.
- Unleash the Mech’s Gravitational Remote Influence Projector or “GRIP” to attract and hurl objects at your enemies.
- Jump and smash helicopters from the sky or ground pound tanks with the GRIPS’s “Force Pulse” attack.
- Prove your skills and earn upgrades in Mech arena challenges.
- Call in a Rebel Mech buddy for extra firepower when the going gets tough.
- Includes a powerful new energy weapon, the Bavarium Power Core rifle.

The Bavarium Wingsuit from the Sky Fortress DLC fundamentally changed how Rico could traverse Medici. This time, we wanted to shake up how Rico interacts with his environment in a similar way,” explained Tobias Andersson, Senior Producer at Avalanche Studios. “The new Mechs allow Rico to throw enemies, vehicles and chaos objects around like tennis balls – increasing the scope for physics-based fun. Whether you’re juggling a small car or punching helicopters out of the sky, the Mechs give you the opportunity to mess with your surroundings in creative, explosive ways.”

The MECH LAND ASSAULT pack is priced at AUD$17.95 whilst the AIR, LAND & SEA Expansion Pass is available for AUD$37.95. The final content pack – BAVARIUM SEA HEIST – will be released by the end of winter 2016, released one week early to Expansion Pass holders.

The Invitation: DVD Review

The Invitation: DVD Review

Rating: R16
Released by Roadshow Home Ent

Creepy and unsettling, The Invitation's psychological thriller stars Logan Marshall-Green as Will, who's invited to a dinner party by his ex-wife Eden and her new husband after 2 years disappearing from their lives.

With a group of other friends and house guests, Will begins to grow suspicious of what's going on and finds cause for concern at every angle. But with a shared past and a common tragedy, Will's unsure of what's unfolding...

Trading on paranoia and unnerving, The Invitation's simplicity lies in its MO and its layers of dealing with depression and grief. Marshall-Green may look like Tom Hardy's Revenant character but the underplaying and the haunted tragedy within him is cleverly manifested and made real.

While it's a dinner party from hell scenario, and being killed by kindness, director Karyn Kusama delivers a taut piece that is really quite troubling. While Marshall-Green delivers as Will, it's American Horror Story's John Carroll Lynch who ups the ante as a mysterious entrant into the proceedings. The end may feel like it's got Purge elements to it, and suggest other similar avenues given the reveal, but it's to be hoped The Invitation's subtle study of grief and of friends and family coping is a one-off, a slow burning descent into misery and a reminder of how a chamber piece can shock when effectively deployed.

Minecraft Story Mode Continues - ep 6 details unveiled

'Minecraft: Story Mode - A Telltale Games Series' Continues the Adventure with Special Community Guest Stars in Episode 6: 'A Portal to Mystery' First of Three All-New Adventures Premieres June 7th

SAN RAFAEL, Calif., and STOCKHOLM, Sweden, May 31st, 2016 -- Leading and award-winning developer and publisher of digital entertainment Telltale Games, and world-renowned game developer Mojang, today announced the release date and special community guest stars for the sixth episode in Minecraft: Story Mode - A Telltale Games Series.   The first episode in an add-on series of three new adventures, Episode 6: 'A Portal to Mystery' will be available digitally worldwide starting Tuesday June 7th on PC and Mac from the Telltale Online Store, Steam, and other digital distribution services, on the PlayStation®Network for PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 3, on the Xbox Games Store for Xbox One® and Xbox 360®, for compatible iOS devices via the App Store, and for compatible Android-based devices via Google Play and the Amazon Appstore. The episode will also be coming to the Windows Store.   This episode may be purchased digitally as part of the new Adventure Pass for $14.99 USD or equivalent, which includes access to Episodes 6, 7, and 8 as they release. The episode will also be available individually for $4.99 USD or equivalent. Players will need to own at least Episode 1 in the series, or the season pass disc, in order to purchase Episodes 6, 7, and 8.   Several special guest stars from the Minecraft community join the cast in this new episode, all playing characters from their own YouTube videos. Players will get to interact with Joseph Garrett as Stampy Cat, Stacy Hinojosa as Stacy Plays, Dan Middleton as DanTDM (The Diamond Minecart), Lizzie Dwyer as LDShadowLady,and Jordan Maron as CaptainSparklez. Episode 6 Behind the Scenes Interview Featuring Community Guest Cast   In Episode 6: 'A Portal to Mystery', continuing their journey through the portal hallway, Jesse and crew land themselves in another strange new world - one completely overrun by zombies. With a timely invitation to take refuge in a spooky mansion, they find themselves thrown into a thrilling mystery alongside famous members of the Minecraft community.   Minecraft: Story Mode - A Telltale Games Series - Episode 6: 'A Portal to Mystery' is rated 'E10+' (Everyone 10+) for Fantasy Violence by the ESRB. Future content in the season is yet to be rated by the ESRB. The series is published by Telltale Games in partnership with Mojang. For more information on Telltale Games, visit the official website, Facebook, and follow @TelltaleGames on Twitter. For more information on Mojang, visit the official website, follow @Mojang and@Minecraft on Twitter, and like Minecraft on Facebook.

Overwatch: PS4 Review

Overwatch: PS4 Review

Developed by Blizzard
Released by Activision
Platform: PS4

With 21 characters to choose from, a handful of scenarios to explore and a family friendly approach to the online shooter, it's fair to say that Overwatch, from the Warcraft developers, is a game that's more than worth playing.

As its recent BETA demonstrated, the game's tremendous strengths lie in the ability to see you working as a team to carry out a common goal and celebrate that victory or defeat.

Set in a technologically advanced future Earth, an international task force of soldiers, scientists, adventurers and oddballs have formed the Overwatch movement. But that lies ruined now - however, there's still a call for heroes.

Let's get this out of the way now - Overwatch's weakness is a lack of a campaign mode. Much like the maligned Battlefront, it's a shame that the Blizzard team didn't look further into this for the first person shooter and expanded the world without question.

And the reason for that disappointment is that the game is so much fun in its positivity soaked multiplayer that it's a shame it's not more widely explorable. As the developers have announced, they wanted this Overwatch game to be a plus experience for many, and based on the short bursts of multiplayer, it's easy to see why.

Assembling a group of players for a 6 versus 6 play-off in modes such as Assault (does what it says on the tin), Escort (where you guard a moving payload), Assault/  Escort (a mixture of the two) and Control (your typical seize and defend), the online FPS is fun to be part of - thanks to its wide variety of heroes and ease of play.

Powering up the heroes' special defence / attack capabilities relies on time more than anything and patience but unleashing their super-powers can be deadly if used well. However, the ethos is definitively on team-based co-operation - even at the menu stage, when selecting teams, you're advised against having too many of one type of character and unbalancing everything within.

The scope is purely on emphasising team goals, and potentially, that's where a traditional single player may feel a little disadvantaged. You may feel alienated without the technology to communicate and if one person decides to be part of a team that blocks the opposition from leaving their safe house without unleashing weapons upon them, your game is pretty much screwed before it's even begun. (This choking point is perhaps the single biggest bug-bear of Overwatch - it's easy to win when you don't play by the rules).

That said, and the lack of campaign grumble aside (bringing with it the threat of the game becoming obsolete without new content other than a weekly challenge), it's actually easily accessible, colourful and fun.

Bright, breezy graphics combined with immense playability and the desire to start all over again with a whole new cast of characters make Overwatch quite the game to dive into. Including doling out medals at the end and selecting a play of the game give you something to strive for other than victory and its general warmth and fuzziness makes levelling up and the inevitable grind something less than a chore.

All in all, Overwatch is on the cusp of brilliance.

Its online mode is fast, colourful fun that rewards immersion and there's no denying the pick up and playability of the title - it's to be hoped that outside of the weekly challenge, more will be added in - it'd be a shame if this was consigned to obsolete a few months down the track - especially when it's a welcome breath of positivity in FPS.

(Also you should check out the wealth of content including hero profiles, comics and more at the official Overwatch site)

The Hateful Eight: Blu Ray Review

The Hateful Eight: Blu Ray Review

Rating: M
Released by Roadshow Home Ent

Cinema's enfant terrible returns with his eighth outing, a sprawling epic yet intimate film about justice, simmering tensions and life after the Civil War.

It's the story of bounty hunter John Ruth (Kurt Russell) and his prisoner Daisy Domergue (Jennifer Jason Leigh) who are powering through the wintry Wyoming landscape in a stagecoach on their way to Daisy's appointment with the ultimate hangman.

But as the storm sets in deeper, Ruth finds two others on the road seeking shelter; one is former union soldier turned bounty hunter Major Marquis Warren (Samuel L Jackson in usual commanding form) and Chris Mannix (Walton Goggins) the soon-to-be new sheriff of Red Rock where both Ruth and Domergue are bound.

Holing up in a stopover cabin until the storm passes, the quartet find a bunch of new unexpected faces. Forced to seek shelter, Ruth begins to feel uneasy as the pot starts to boil over with mistrust...

Age has not diminished Tarantino's cinematic fire and The Hateful Eight is further proof that he intends to rattle the cage and polarise the audience for as long as he can.

This potboiler chamber piece, so beautifully shot with its evocative use of the Wyoming landscapes in the opening moments, rattles with as much Tarantino DNA as you'd expect - and indeed hope for.

With his trademark dialogue in full effect, this film feels like his most mature take on character and does much to build a world that's pretty much set in one place (in fact, great swathes of The Hateful Eight feel like a stage play painted on a bigger canvas).

But here's the kicker with The Hateful Eight - it appears that everybody lies and everybody is particularly nasty.

Whereas previous films have had edges that help you latch onto those you're watching in some way or other, The Hateful Eight has a delightful penchant for ripping your sympathies from asunder.

With the very briefest of back stories for some of the characters, Tarantino delights in presenting you with eight people who are only there to be hated and whose ultimate fates are all tangled up in the post-Civil War resentments that will linger for years to come.

Ultimately, as with most Tarantino flicks, the film becomes swathed in as much blood as there is raging bile below the surface of all of these men. They are antagonists more than anti-heroes in the truest sense, with each layer of nastiness revealing yet more below the surface of every single one of them. And as the story evolves over its six wryly dark chapters, it's clear Tarantino's desire is to subvert audience expectations and draw on various TV western genres to paint this tapestry with more than just blood, and instead infuse it with gallows humour.

As ever with Mr Tarantino, depending on your tolerance for violence and colourful language, The Hateful Eight will be as much a personal film for everyone watching it. It's quintessential Tarantino though as it pours all the ingredients into a pot, stirs them around and stands well back ready for the powderkeg to ignite.

Of the cast, Jackson provides his usual commanding presence as the Major and steals the scene with one story which may or may not be true, but is certainly likely to never be forgotten; Goggins and Dern gel in a generational way and give the Confederate conflict a face that's never likely to be forgotten, thanks to Goggins' hillbilly stylings. Tim Roth channels Terry Thomas with his turn as Red Rock's hangman. As the sole woman (for most of the film) Jennifer Jason Leigh impresses with a turn that is more about what's unsaid than actually said - and her final scenes give rise to the meshing of the western with traces of horror as she stands like a Carrie figure in your traditional cabin-in-the-snowy-woods.

Mixing mystery, Cluedo,  post Civil War politics, elements of The Thing (thanks to evocatively shot and lit exteriors in the wintry surrounds), a terrific Ennio Morricone score, some stunning cinematography courtesy of long time Tarantino aide Robert Richardson, a deeply verbose script which borders on shaggy dog story and teeters dangerously close to needing an edit at times, historical elements of justice on the frontier and post the War, and an ensemble which work incredibly well together, The Hateful Eight is nothing short of a seething experience that makes you work for its rich rewards.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2: Out Of the Shadows: Film Review

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2: Out Of the Shadows: Film Review

Cast: Megan Fox, Will Arnett, Stephen Amell, Tyler Perry, Laura Linney
Director: Dave Green

If the first Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie was more of a surprise than expected, then the second, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2: Out Of the Shadows is perhaps a depressing sign that this series has already lost its way.

This time around, as Leo, Donatello, Raphael and Michaelango live underground unable to take the credit for their takedown of arch enemy Shredder last time, sinister plans are underway to break Shredder out.

However, things get more complicated for the quartet when it turns out top scientist Baxter Stockman (Perry) is behind the break and a scientific purple goo that activates primordial DNA within humans. So with Manhattan facing a greater danger than ever before, the team is on the case - but with fractures growing between the four, is the danger more threatening to their own future than just the city?

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2: Out Of the Shadows is a film that skews incredibly young and that stays true to its comic book roots / kids TV cartoon.

The problem is that the resultant on-screen hotpotch feels like a film that shows its 2 hour run time.

While the Michael Bay produced first film was a definite popcorn brain at the door type flick, this latest is more of an action film that simply shifts from one set piece to the next, with brain whirring going through the motions to stop you thinking too deeply about anything going on.

Whether it's sidelining the bad guy Shredder (already an empty cypher) or turning too goons into CGI warthog and rhinoceros, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2: Out Of the Shadows lacks a coherence of execution that's galling to sit through.

Action sequences are shown from multiple takes, with explosions given precedence for the multi camera approach as if to dull your brain into submission. Equally, the turtles free-wheeling through the Manhattan skies at the start seems to exist solely to ensure that you can see what the CGI does, rather than emphasise their growing unhappiness at being confined to the shadows.

This is a film that sacrifices the main characters and moments for spectacle - and the great majority of those sequences are jettisoned to show off the Orc-like Rocksteady and Bebop's CGI creations. It's a shame as the turtles' existential dilemma is quite a meaty one, with them finding themselves torn between a life in the shadows as unknown heroes or stepping out into a world of judgement.

But this thread is squandered in favour of more dunder-headed CGI antics of a pair of farting animals. It's understandable that the makers have gone younger for this film, but they still stop short of going the whole hog and embracing the younger market it's clearly aimed at. It's a tonal mish-mash that feels like it's struggling for an identity and a relevance in today's market-place where action blockbusters offer more smarts than simply eye-candy.

With mentions of other franchises with Raph intoning "What would Vin Diesel do?" and Michaelangelo coming across a Bumblebee Transformer in a Hallowe'en parade, this film isn't interested in feathering anything other than its own nest and universes, and consequently feels like it's yet another franchise that's lacking in soul.

Fox and Arnett are forgettable and without any kind of spark at best, Arrow star Stephen Amell is simply boisterously shouty as Casey Jones and Laura Linney looks detached at best as a police chief. Equally, Perry comes dangerously close to mugging as a Nutty Professor type boffin. These are humans who are second fiddle to the turtle teenagers, and it shows throughout.

While fans of the TV series and comics may be happier with this Turtle outing as well as younger members of the audience, but quite frankly, the turtles have come out of the sewers and so has the overall soulless execution and story of this film.

NZFF Reveal a May Title

NZFF Reveal a May Title

The First Monday in May confirmed for NZIFF 2016

Good afternoon, on Monday, the last Monday in May, we reveal the exciting news that the latest documentary from Andrew Rossi (director of Page One: Inside the New York Times) will screen as part of NZIFF in Auckland and Wellington.

Announced online Monday 30 May

The First Monday in May

Needing a good fix of Anna Wintour ever since The September Issue? This behind-the-scenes documentary covers her oversight of the 2015 Met Gala, a celebrity extravaganza that raised $12,000,000 for (and at) New York’s Metropolitan Museum and launched the Met Costume Institute’s blockbuster exhibition, ‘China: Through the Looking Glass’. Wintour shares the film with Andrew Bolton, the engaging, confessedly starstruck Brit who curated the exhibition with filmmaker Wong Kar-wai as guest creative director.

With Costume admitted to the Museum’s pantheon, some ask how much space can there be at the Met for the commercialism and celebrity culture that accompany it? The more the better, we discover, at least on the first Monday of May each year. Produced in part by Condé Nast, First Monday touches lightly on the cultural and political quandaries negotiated by the curators of a show that celebrates Orientalism in Western fashion. What filmmaker Andrew Rossi does best is observe the meticulous organisation behind so much sheer opulence, revel in the flamboyance of one percenters at play – and harken closely as the imperious Ms Wintour gets it all so very right. 

“Catnip for fashionistas… Andrew Rossi’s dishy documentary goes behind the scenes of the lavish and star-filled annual Met Ball (otherwise known as the ‘Super Bowl of fashion events’).” — Frank Sheck, Hollywood Reporter

http://www.nziff.co.nz/2016/film/the-first-monday-in-may/

http://www.nziff.co.nz/2016/auckland/the-first-monday-in-may/

http://www.nziff.co.nz/2016/wellington/the-first-monday-in-may/

The full NZIFF programme will be available online from Monday 20 June 7pm, and on the streets from Tuesday 21 June for Auckland and Friday 24 June for Wellington. NZIFF starts in Auckland on 14 July and in Wellington from 22 July in 2016.