Zoolander 2: DVD Review

Zoolander 2: DVD Review

Released by Universal Home Ent

You're either in or out when it comes to fashion.

And unfortunately, in this sequel to the 2001 Zoolander, Ben Stiller's Derek Zoolander is woefully and painfully out.

Forced into reclusive ways ("I've become a hermit crab" Zoolander says) after a centre he built collapsed killing his wife, injuring his mate Hansel and ultimately leading to his son being taken by child services, the intellectually challenged Derek Zoolander is coaxed back out of retirement when offered a runway job.

However, at the same time, pop stars around the world are being assassinated and all die pouting one last look that appears to be connected to Zoolander's repertoire.

Contacted by Interpol (led with chutzpah by Penelope Cruz's Valentina), Zoolander's reunited with Owen Wilson's Phantom of the Opera-esque Hansel as a conspiracy unfurls and the pair are thrust into proceedings.

There are no two ways about this sequel.

To quote Zoolanderhimself, it's La-me.

It's an endless attempt at a joke without a punchline and a repetition of gags from the first film as well as an attempt to try and capture something that worked the first time around.

Even with four writers on board, this is nothing more than a flimsy excuse to gather a whole heap of celebrities for cameos and mixing a spy-esque caper (The Man From D.U.M.B.C.L.E anyone?) into a final product that is as lacklustre from the beginning as it is from the end. Scenes appear to have little coherence, little fluidity and little reason to exist. An ongoing gag about how the duo who were so hot in 2001 and are now so out of the loop with fashion and technology is handled with as much aplomb as a rock being tossed into an ocean.

Stiller just embarrasses himself in front of the camera as much as he does behind it with very little hitting the mark. It's almost as if the cameos are wheeled out to distract from the fact the jokes don't land and to surprise you with who they've managed to cajole into appearing (though to be fair, one of the highlights is Kiefer Sutherland's perfectly-timed comedic appearance as one of Hansel's lovers from his orgy - a sort of scowling sad Jack Bauer).

The problem with Zoolander 2 is just that it's not remotely funny enough.

Whereas the original passed into cult infamy with its skewering of modelling and conventions as well as blessing the vernacular with the "Blue Steel" look was down to the fact that it was actually funny. Zoolander No 2 is nothing in comparison to that - while Penelope Cruz seems to have a ball of a time as the Interpol agent and injects proceedings with some life, the rest of the film is as indulgent as it is try-hard. It seems in part content to try and coast on the nostalgia you'll feel for the leads - and it's not enough.

Zoolander 2 is as vacuous and as dumb as its male model leads; but whereas the first gave you leeway to laugh along and enjoy the journey, this cinematic catwalk, so devoid of atmosphere and humour, is easily one of the worst inflicted upon audiences this year.

Bound: PS4 Review

Bound: PS4 Review

Platform: PS4
Developed by Plastic
Released by Sony Santa Monica

Over the past few months, there have been teases of a game that showed off a dancer moving to the gameplay of a platformer.

As the silhouette pirouetted around the screen and in and out of structures, there seemed to be a liquid beauty on show and a sense of something different emerging.

Thus it is with Bound, the new platformer. It opens with a pregnant woman being dropped off and walking to a beach where she stares into the waves - and then it dissolves into another world where the initial creature we've seen on the teases is told her kingdom is under threat and she must fight the monster.

And that is all that should be said for story for Bound.

Wrapping visuals with a platformer work well for Bound, and the Journey comparisons seem fair given how the two games are pushing for an enigmatic vibe. But more specifically, and visually, imagine if Sound Shapes visual ethos had been melded with Journey and parts of Batman's fight against Scarecrow in his visions in Arkham Asylum had all been intertwined.

That in a nutshell is Bound, a game that's more about experience than about anything truly solid. There are themes explored in the game but to go into those too deeply is to spoil the game and how it plays out; but needless to say it's a tale of darkness in among it all.

However, there are occasional frustrations with Bound. And it's primarily to do with its camera views and its boundaries.

Occasionally, the camera can distort and even though walls disappear so you can see what's happening, the camera angles make the directions hard to follow and even harder to instigate.And from time to time, even though the game refuses to let you go off the edge no matter how hard you try, there are other occasions when you plummet to your death without any sense of rhyme or reason; it's a niggling inconsistency that makes the game unpredictable in its execution.

Ultimately though, there are some truly strong themes resonating in Bound and Santa Monica's execution of them deserves applause. It doesn't always all truly work but its geometric distortions and its colour palette actually come together in a hauntingly original way to give an emotional reaction to what's playing out on screen.

If that sounds like an obtuse recommendation, it kind of is in many ways. Bound is best experienced for yourself and its resolution as the pieces come together may hit you more than perhaps you had expected.

The Witch: Blu Ray Review

The Witch: Blu Ray Review

More a lesson in psychological horror than abject terror first time director Robert Eggers' The Witch is a spiralling descent into madness in the 17th century.

Subtitled a New England Folk Tale, it's the story of a family excommunicated from a Christian Puritan plantation in 1630, because of an unexplained sin of their father. Despite being given the chance to repent, he leads the family out into the wilderness and near to a woods, choosing to reflect on their sins and seek internal and eternal forgiveness first.

But when Thomasin (Taylor Joy) is playing peek-a-boo with the family's baby Sam one day, she closes her eyes to find the baby snatched before her and with no clue over where he's gone. As the family's crops begin to fail and there's no return from Sam, the internal conflicts grow with the rumour that Thomasin is a witch being seeded and growing viciously, threatening the very fabric of their family unit.

The Witch is in some ways, the horrifying coming-of-age story of Thomasin (Anya Taylor-Joy). Taylor-Joy is wonderful from the start as she looks down the barrel of the camera and begs for forgiveness while her expressive brown eyes poke out from wafts of blonde hair. Her conflict and struggle is inherent from the beginning and Taylor Joy's commitment to underplaying the role helps sell her own demons and those around her. There's a wonderful ambiguity to her performance that's as gripping as it is sickening.

Elsewhere, creepy is the order of the day, with psychological terror being the serving of Eggers' film rather than lazy jump scares and terrifying set pieces.

While this film is bathed in the language of the time and with time taken in prayer, and elements of religious fervour displayed, it's essentially the tried and tested story of the destructive power of rumour. Thanks to debut director Eggers' incredible set design and unswerving dedication to evocation, the long sweeping camera shots, an ominous soundscape and brooding soundtrack, The Witch is a classic case of unnerving.

All of the cast acquit themselves excellently; from Ineson's determined father to Dickie's gradually dismantling mother this is a family unit on the edge, a family one moment away from cracking and whose ultimate fate is partially of their own doing. Equally, the twins of the film are unsettling and creepiness personified.

While it could be argued the ambiguity which serves the majority of the film well is wrongfully discarded in the final moments of the end (leading to a feeling of a desire to satiate audiences who wanted more due to their own expectations), The Witch is a masterclass in brooding atmosphere and growing sinister dread.

But it's also a masterclass in humanity and human reaction, thanks to Taylor-Joy's relatably innocent performance; her Thomasin is a deer stuck in the headlights of superstition and spiralling doubts, and she delivers on every level in this cautionary tale whose universal themes will ring true long after the lights have gone up.

Newstalk ZB Review - Talking War Dogs, The Shallows and Kubo and The Two Strings

Newstalk ZB Review - Talking War Dogs, The Shallows and Kubo and The Two Strings

This week, with Jack Tame, talking War Dogs, The Shallows and Kubo and The Two Strings

http://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/on-air/saturday-morning-with-jack-tame/audio/darren-bevan-war-dogs-the-shallows/

Win The Boy and The Beast

Win The Boy and The Beast

When Kyuta, a young orphan living on the streets of Shibuya, stumbles into a fantastic world of beasts, he’s taken in by Kumatetsu, a gruff, rough-around-the-edges warrior beast who’s been searching for the perfect apprentice. 

Despite their constant bickering, Kyuta and Kumatetsu begin training together and slowly form a bond as surrogate father and son.

But when a deep darkness threatens to throw the human and beast worlds into chaos, the strong bond between this unlikely pair will be put to the ultimate test — a final showdown that will only be won if the two can finally work together using all of their combined strength and courage.

Special Features

• Making Of Documentary
• Cast Interviews
• Japanese Promotional Videos
• TV Spots
• Trailers

To enter simply email to this address: darrensworldofentertainment@gmail.com  OR simply CLICK HERE darrensworldofentertainment@gmail.com

In the subject line put BEAST

Please include your name and address and good luck!

New addition to the METAL GEAR SOLID V experience, METAL GEAR SURVIVE.

New addition to the METAL GEAR SOLID V experience, METAL GEAR SURVIVE.

KONAMI ANNOUNCES NEW ADDITION TO THE METAL GEAR SOLID V UNIVERSE: METAL GEAR SURVIVE 

Konami Digital Entertainment B.V. today announced a new addition to the METAL GEAR SOLID V experience, METAL GEAR SURVIVE.  

Sydney, August 18 2016 - Available on PlayStation®4 computer entertainment system, Xbox One, the all-in-one games and entertainment system from Microsoft and PC via Steam in 2017, METAL GEAR SURVIVE is a brand new co-op, stealth game that takes a divergent look at familiar METAL GEAR themes and pursues a fresh spirit of exploration in unique gameplay mechanics.

  

"We are delighted to announce another exciting addition to the METAL GEAR franchise,” said Tomotada Tashiro, European President for Konami Digital Entertainment B.V.  "METAL GEAR SURVIVE will offer a fresh take on the series’ famed stealth elements but within a unique co-op setting that is designed for a truly engrossing multi-player experience.”

METAL GEAR SURVIVE picks up from the ending of METAL GEAR SOLID V: GROUND ZEROES, to an alternate timeline caused by unexplained wormholes forming in the sky. Players find themselves on distorted desert landscapes full of massive half-formed structures, living biological threats, and the remains of a once strong military force now litter the landscape. 

In a struggle to stay alive on this harsh terrain filled with deadly creatures, soldiers who were previously on Motherbase now must work cooperatively in order to survive. METAL GEAR SURVIVE continues the pedigree of METAL GEAR SOLID V's highly praised gameplay design, with a unique blend of stealth and co-op play mechanics. Players can strategically manage massive threats with the help of four-player online cooperative play. New weaponry will also be introduced to combat charging creatures and lethal environments as well.

Unveiling the Bounty Hunter mode for Watch Dogs® 2

Unveiling the Bounty Hunter mode for Watch Dogs® 2

UBISOFT^® UNVEILS NEW PvP BOUNTY HUNTER MODE IN WATCH DOGS 2

Today at Gamescom, Ubisoft^® unveiled the Bounty Hunter mode for Watch Dogs® 2, the upcoming installment in the blockbuster Watch Dogs franchise. Bounty Hunter enriches the online component of Watch Dogs 2 which is seamlessly integrated with the single player experience.

In Watch Dogs 2, the player will meet other friendly Dedsec hackers while exploring the city and participate in optional Dedsec Events without loading screens or matchmaking requests. If the player chooses to team up with others players thanks any of the three seamless online modes, he will have access to Cooperative missions located across the San Francisco Bay Area.

Click image below to watch the Online Trailer

A new approach to online play in Watch Dogs 2, the Bounty Hunter mode is tied to the police heat system and playable by two to four players. When a player creates too much chaos in the single player open world experience and is pursued by the police, the conflict may trigger a Bounty Hunter PVP event pitting the target against up to three rival hunter players who seamlessly join the pursuit and try to neutralise the target. Additionally, players can manually trigger a bounty on themselves using the Contacts app on Marcus’ in-game phone.

Another online mode players can experience is Hacking Invasion, a fan-favourite from the original Watch Dogs, the objective of this PVP mode is to download data from a target player while remaining undetected. Finally, Online Co-op, allows two players to team up seamlessly and lets players explore the San Francisco Bay Area and free roam in the city, or participate in almost limitless cooperative missions.

Also in co-op, players can participate in Online Hacking Invasion and Bounty Hunter activities, adding even more depth and excitement to their seamless online experience.

In Watch Dogs 2, hacking is the ultimate weapon, and players can not only hack into the city’s infrastructure, but also every person and any connected device they possess, to trigger unpredictable chains of events. With the ability to take control of drones, cars, cranes, security robots and much more at their disposal, players can choose whether to use stealth hacking to complete missions without killing a single enemy or go guns blazing for a more ferocious approach.

On the occasion of Gamescom, Ubisoft unveiled a brand new Ubicollectibles figurine representing The Wrench, Marcus’ closest friend in the game. The Wrench’s pose shows the madness of the character who doesn’t mind getting hurt as long as he reaches his objectives.

The Wrench figurine features a highly detailed figurine in an original pose (scribble tattoos, custom punk vest with studs, ripped jean…) and two additional removable masks. The Wrench figurine can be assembled to the Marcus one in an exclusive diorama.

The Wrench figurines can be pre-ordered now from the Uplay Shop on http://ubi.li/4svkq

The Ubicollectibles items are meticulously crafted in close collaboration with the studios to appeal to the fans of Ubisoft’s popular brands, including Assassin’s Creed, Tom Clancy’s The Division™, Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon^® Wildlands, Watch Dogs^®, Rabbids^®, South Park™:The Fractured But Whole™ and more!

Watch Dogs 2 will release on November 15, 2016 on the PlayStation^®4 computer entertainment system, Xbox One and Windows PC. All PlayStation®4 players will be granted a 30-day exclusive access to all the post launch downloadable content.

For more information on WATCH DOGS 2, please visit watchdogs.com.