Sing: Film Review

Sing: Film Review

Cast: Matthew McConaughey, Scarlett Johansson, Taron Egerton, Reese Witherspoon, Seth MacFarlane, John C Reilly
Director: Garth Jennings

With a note saying Sing contains 85 songs during its 110 minute duration, you could be forgiven for feigning apathy after doing the maths of how often they'd appear.

(Maths purists - it's about 1 every 1 minute or so)

But Illumination's latest animated foray manages to pack in some zaniness around the music and the relatively 2 dimensional characters in this thinly veiled tribute to vaudeville and music audition shows.

Matthew McConaughey plays Buster Moon, a koala theatre impresario whose love of the boards has seen him put on several less than successful shows. With the bank about to foreclose on his theatre and with ideas running out, Moon decides to put on a singing audition competition to attract some interest. But things go further than planned when his lizard secretary accidentally puts onto the fliers that there's a $100K at stake...

It's easy to see why Sing's crammed its run time with classic songs - it's simply because there's nothing more than a terribly basic plot to flesh proceedings out. But that's not to take away from the fun moments that permeate the screen - from auditions with endlessly familiar pop songs blasting out to wacky sight gags, there's enough to keep the younger end happy and enough to ensure the adults recognise the music.

However, it's not quite enough.

Given Zootopia made real its anthropomorphic world with depth and insight, this tale feels lacking in anything other than a simple bubblegum formulaic animation that ticks the boxes and does little else as it zips between what feels like episodic moments stuck loosely together.

It's a shame as the vocal talent is more than sensational - McConaughey's laid back drawl makes Moon an affable and perky presence, MacFarlane's parlance is perfectly suited to a jazz playing mouse, whose rat-pack pretensions and sass are on display from the beginning and John C Reilly's perfectly cast as the slacker mate of Moon.

But it all feels so by the numbers, a medley of melodies being its only real saving grace. And to be frank, the idea of putting one last show on with a menagerie of oddballs has repeatedly been done to death by The Muppet Show.

There are no messages here other than a little self-belief and a hastily bolting on bonding between a father and son gorilla - but Sing is perfectly happy to carry on regardless.

Where it wins is once again indulging the wackiness of the Illumination brand, pioneered by Despicable Me and expanded by Minions. Simple wacky moments add a levity to the film but also serve to highlight the weaknesses in the overall story and lack of real personality.

When Moon announces his intention to put on a singing audition, there's a meta moment where one character intones "Who wants to see another one of those?"

It's a prescient moment, and if the world-weary and slightly cynical among us nod our heads in agreement, there's an almost tacit acknowledgement that younger audiences will lap up the unabashed feel-good simplicity of it all and its formulaic edges, because it all comes wrapped in a perfectly dayglo blast of music and well-visualised fluffy characters.

Sing may aspire to hit the high notes, but in truth, it actually manages to solidly hit a mid-range, never quite veering into essential territory but never quite making itself feel unwanted.


Sing previews from the 9-11th of December, before opening on general release on Boxing Day.

Fifty Shades Darker - New Trailer drops

Fifty Shades Darker - New Trailer drops

Fifty Shades Darker releases on February 9^th 2017.

When a wounded Christian Grey tries to entice a cautious Ana Steele back into his life, she demands a new arrangement before she will give him another chance.  

As the two begin to build trust and find stability, shadowy figures from Christian’s past start to circle the couple, determined to destroy their hopes for a future together.

Dead Rising 4: XBox One Review

Dead Rising 4: XBox One Review

Platform: XBox One
Released by Capcom

Guess who's back, back again?

Frank West is back - tell a friend.

This time, in the fourth outing for the franchise, he's putting the Slay into Sleigh Bells as Dead Rising 4 has a Christmas tinge all the way throughout.

(And a light jazzy series of interludes when you place it on pause... just in case you're anti the festive season).

The cocky, blase photographer from the first game is finally back where he belongs in this zombie fuelled blast of festive silliness that's as gory as it is goofy.

Once again, it's back to Willamette, Colorado the place of the undead (all touches of subtlety and mocking of small town life are once again to the fore) and the scene of Frank's previous encounters.

This time, he's tricked into heading back to the mall after one of his proteges alerts him to a conspiracy at the heart of Willamette - and it's once again back into the Mall for another bloody rampage.

With a mysterious outbreak fuelling the fire this time around, there's a little feeling of deja vu, but thankfully the developers have realised that Frank's fractious and frivolously unPC take on things is the way to breathe some life into the undead.

A lot of the game just feels fun - it's not an in-depth precis and expose or satire of small town life - and while there's a bit more to the just zombie outbreak story line, the bare bones of this hack and slash beat-em-up is in the way it embraces its gory MO and runs with it.

Smacking down a stack of zombies builds up a bloody combo for Frank to unleash on his prey - usually in the form of a gory cut-scene that's as tongue in cheek in its splattery execution as it is bloody. But there's also variety here - whichever weapon you choose to rack the combo up will ultimately dish out the death. Early on, Frank can be transformed into a whirling dervish of an executioner when the tank's full - so there's plenty of variety on show here.

Night vision and spectrum analyser vision have turned Frank's camera into more than just a machine of snapping shots - this pap's got powers now in a weird way that help dig deeper into the mystery of Willamette and give you a new way to play the game.

It's worth taking a hat off to Capcom and acknowledging they've found a way to keep this latest fresh, while simultaneously engaging with what made it so popular in the first place. Along with an EXO suit to power up Frank, Fresh zombies (newly reanimated undead who race at you and rip you apart) and Evo zombies (cunning killers), there's plenty to keep it weird.

The Xbox also coped with an extraordinary amount of the undead on screen for Frank to unleash his combo weapons on - one section alone saw around 200 plus of them hacked and smashed by Frank's blood lust - it's almost as if Sam Raimi's gone beserk in the gaming world and we're all benefiting from the final result.

(FYI Multiplayer will be more solidly tested once the game's been launched worldwide, to see how the servers cope.)

At the end of the day, Dead Rising 4 deserves major kudos for its execution, for giving us Frank back after the disappearance in the 2 previous games and for really throwing some life back into the undead apocalypse.

Finding Dory: Blu Ray Review

Finding Dory: Blu Ray Review

That Finding Dory doesn’t quite repeat the magic of Finding Nemo will really not be a surprise to many.

This parable about living with disability and those around the person with the disability trying to cope and fearing for their future is obvious from the start.

Flashing back to when Ellen DeGeneres’ little blue fish Dory was more or less just a set of big eyes, the story concerns itself this time with her quest to find her parents – when she remembers she has them.

With shards of memory dropping giving her an idea of where they now reside, Dory sets out on a desperate quest to rejoin her brood. Dragging along Nemo and Marlin (Rolence and Brooks respectively) for the ride / swim, Dory finds herself in another world of adventure when she lands up at a marine life institute.

Separated from Nemo and Marlin, Dory befriends Hank an octopus (played by Modern Family’s Ed O’Neill) who’s desperate to stay in the centre, rather than being returned to the sea, as per the marine world’s MO.

There’s no disputing the colour on show on Pixar’s latest is evocative and reminiscent of the greatness that was life under the sea in Nemo. And there’s no disputing the fact that this time around, the critters at the Marine Life Institute are a marvel to behold; once again, the animation is top notch.

But there’s a slight nagging feeling that this sequel doesn’t quite embrace enough of the darkness that is inherent in the story to ensure the heart strings are duly tugged. Perhaps it’s evident of the fact we have a lead character who always forgets, except when she doesn’t, and that the story’s stop-start potential ending feels too rushed and keen to ensure a crowd-pleasing finale and a rote chase sequence.

DeGeneres is a delight though as Dory; her infectious goofiness keeps proceedings brisk and pacy. Equally her interaction with the increasingly grumpy Hank is fun as well – in fact, a lot of the laughs of the film come from Hank’s racing around the institute and blending into the surroundings.

Finding Dory follows a lot of the similar trajectory of Finding Nemo in terms of peril for our protagonists and there’s certainly enough to keep the youngsters amused (though the last 20 minutes saw the little one I was with losing some focus and shifting around in his seat as the darker edges came to the fore).

Pixar’s proven with the likes of Inside / Out and Toy Story 3 that it can do darkness well, so it’s a shame that Finding Dory’s story strays away from where its inherent strengths could have lain. It’s still a good solid family film that entertains as much as it can – and its pre-short film Piper about a seabird finding his sea legs and filling his belly is photo-realism with a side of adorable thrown in as well.

16th Nov

Suburra: DVD Review

Suburra: DVD Review

One of the year's most blistering and searing films has arrived in the form of a dramatic look at corruption in Italy that's soaked in style and oozes character.

Based on the novel by Carlo Bonini and Giancarlo De Cataldo of the same name, it's an intricately lurid crime story that seizes you by the throat midway through and never lets go.

A politician, prostitutes, drugs, land grabs, power-plays, bribery, blackmail, turf wars, a government in crisis and the priesthood.

These are all familiar tenets of the Italian drama world and the fact Suburra embraces them to create an initially disparate web of threads shouldn't be the reason to dismiss it outright. As the story plays out against a backdrop of 7 days before the "apocalypse" arrives, the film's intricacies are brought together by a commanding cinematographer and a sense of sickening dread.

From the politician whose Icarus like hubris demands punishment to the son saddled with his father's uncontrollable debts, every frame reeks with someone fighting against the tide and the fact they could lose their soul at any moment.

There are real consequences for all in this film, and while the women ultimately feel like objects more than people, the film's all the better for embracing the tropes under the helmship of Gomorrah TV series director Stefano Sollima.

While the spiritual crisis alluded to is a thread that falls flat despite its portentous introduction and book-ending scene, what plays out in between with the Mafia and the interlaced narrative is nothing short of stunning.

Sprawling corruption, bathed in a synthesiser OST and filmed against an unending backdrop of rain are a potent concoction that deliver on flair after initially looking like it'd flounder under its own self-imposed epic feeling.

Ultimately though, the compelling Suburra grips intensely and delivers cinema that shows everyone involved fighting for their very existence, both literally and morally.

The Sopranos it ain't, and in 2 and a quarter hours it delivers bravura cinema that is as tense and exciting as it is delivered with flair. It's a desperate scrabble for all, whether they're jostling to get to the table and be an equal player or plotting their next step up the ladder.

Suburra is relentless in its execution, and as the web pulls tighter and the story becomes more taut it's difficult not to get sucked into this world that never once loses focus on the singular players, their motivations and the increasingly sickening feeling that misdeeds will deliver disastrous consequences on them but results that prove emotionally rewarding for the audience. 

First look - Transformers The Last Knight Trailer

First look - Transformers The Last Knight Trailer

Two species at war - one flesh, one metal. 

Watch the first trailer for Transformers: The Last Knight now!

 Transformers: The Last Knight  releases 22^nd of June 2017.

 

Take home The Last Guardian Prize Pack

Take home The Last Guardian Prize Pack

To celebrate the highly anticipated release of The Last Guardian, which gamers have been waiting for for years, PlayStation NZ is hooking you up with the chance to win a The Last Guardian prize pack!

You can win a copy of the game, a beanie, pin and T Shirt and a copy of the game to celebrate The Last Guardian's entry into the world!

About The Last Guardian

The Last Guardian is the latest work of the game designer, Fumito Ueda, who has created the beloved and award-winning titles ICO and Shadow of the Colossus for the PlayStation 2 system.　

It is an action-adventure game where the player will take on the role of a young boy who goes on a journey along with a mysterious and gigantic creature, Trico, feared as a man-eating beast. 

The two will adventure through treacherous ancient ruins and gradually deepen the bond between each other, facing many difficulties on the way.

Features:

• In a strange and mystical land, a young boy discovers a mysterious creature with which he forms a deep, unbreakable bond. The unlikely pair must rely on each other to journey through towering, treacherous ruins filled with unknown dangers. Experience the journey of a lifetime in this touching, emotional story of friendship and trust.
• An Unlikely Companion: Discover a fantastical beast named Trico who will act as companion and protector, forging a bond that drives an emotional and harrowing journey.
• Truly Unique Gameplay: Take control of an ordinary young boy who must communicate with his gigantic companion in order to overcome obstacles and survive mysterious dangers.
• A Beautiful Fantasy World: Through advanced lighting and particle effects, detailed environments, and lifelike character animation, The Last Guardian transports players to a breathtaking world filled with crumbling ruins and mysterious secrets to discover.

To stand a chance of winning this incredible prize pack as this momentous title gets released, all you have to do is drop me a line and tell me the name of the beast in THE LAST GUARDIAN!

To enter simply email your answer to this address: darrensworldofentertainment@gmail.com or CLICK HERE NOW!

Please ensure you include your name and address - competition closes December 18th