xXx - Return of Xander Cage: Film Review

xXx - Return of Xander Cage: Film Review

Cast: Vin Diesel, Samuel L Jackson, Donnie Yen, Deepika Padukone, Kris Wu, Ruby Rose, Nina Dobrev, Rory McCann, Toni Collette
Director: DJ Caruso

"Save the world, kill the bad guys, get the girl and look dope doing it."

This is the mantra espoused to muscle man Xander Cage (Vin Diesel) at the end of the latest spy-jinks chapter of the xXx series after numerous sequences of action, shooting, and explosions.

And perhaps it's appropriate too, but really in this latest adrenaline-filled rote outing, do they all have to look quite so bored doing it?

Given the cartoony nature of the xXx film franchise (it's honestly closer in tone to ACME meets James Bond than anything serious), perhaps the film shouldn't be taken too seriously, but given the fact it aims for ludicrous and tries to be as serious as possible, it has to be judged on those terms.

After going off the grid, Xander Cage is brought back into the fold by pouty ice-queen, the bleached blonde NSA big-wig Jane Marke (a wasted Toni Collette, who frankly looks bored at times) after a terrorist group reveals it has the power to bring down any of the 30,000 satellites currently in orbit onto any target with fatal consequences - via a piece of kit called "Pandora's Box."

And when a group steals the McGuffin to do so, Cage recruits his own trusted team (including Game Of Thrones' The Hound aka Rory McCann) to try and save the day.

It seems pointless to rail against the terribly by the numbers xXx: Return of Xander Cage because its knowing tone and continual plot holes all form to make an experience that will leave any rational brain dribbling at the door. You could also rail at the laughably offensive stereotype of a computer genius (embodied by a nattering glasses-wearing Nina Dobrev from The Vampire Diaries) within as this aimed-at-15-year-old boys flick plays out.

But given it's assembled a cross cultural cast (potentially a cynical cash grab to include Indian and Chinese stars to attack multiple markets at the quieter time of the release year)  it genuinely does deserve applause for such diversity - and giving Donnie Yen as much screen time as Diesel is a commendable touch from this otherwise lunatic and frankly absurd and occasionally dumb as a bag of spanners actioner.

xXx: Return of Xander Cage delivers only formulaic action sequences for the most part - though a freeway underpass fight and Donnie Yen's fists of fury on a plane sequence more than deliver enough to make up for it. It's a shame because the movie starts out with its tongue so far in its cheek thanks to onscreen subtitles and nods and winks (one potential xXx recruits profile proclaims he thought he was being recruited for the Avengers) that it almost seems worthwhile.

But it's then stymied by the fact the writers don't seem to care for their characters or the predicament, so consequently why should you? As a result, the mid-section feels bloated and saddled with two fresher and edgier book-ends, the tone of which would have been better to follow.

At the end of the day, xXx: Return of Xander Cage is a piece of mindless popcorn entertainment, that somehow manages to miss much of the low-hanging fruit it could aim for. If it had embraced more of the lunatic element into its own DNA, rather than plenty of Vin Diesel posturing and mumbling in between action scraps, it could have been a breath of fresh cinematic air.

HITMAN 101 Gameplay trailer

HITMAN 101 Gameplay trailer

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            

HITMAN 101 TRAILER NOW AVAILABLE

SYDNEY, 18^TH January 2017 - With two weeks until ‘HITMAN – The Complete First Season’ arrives on disc, IO Interactive have released the 101 Gameplay Trailer for gamers who may be new to HITMAN.

From an exhilarating spy-thriller story to time limited Elusive Targets, HITMAN truly delivers the fantasy of becoming a master assassin.

If you’re new to HITMAN, it might just take you a few attempts to get to the top of your game. This 101 Gameplay Trailer is a whistle-stop tour of what to expect and the skills you will need to craft an assassination in HITMAN.

HITMAN – The Complete First Season will release on disc on Jan 31^st on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.

About HITMAN™
HITMAN is the sixth game in the blockbuster series and is the culmination of a journey started by IO-Interactive more than 17 years ago. It builds on the critically acclaimed and commercially successful foundation of games like Silent Assassin, Blood Money and the recent Hitman: Absolution.

New Injustice 2 Story Trailer - "The Lines are Redrawn"

New Injustice 2 Story Trailer - "The Lines are Redrawn"

Witness the story set in motion in Injustice™: Gods Among Us as new DC characters join the fight and shape the actions that unfold in the upcoming sequel. Injustice™ 2 will release for the PlayStation®4 computer entertainment system and Xbox One beginning May 17, 2017

Injustice™ 2 is NetherRealm Studios' super-powered sequel to the hit game Injustice™: Gods Among Us that allows players to build and power up the ultimate version of their favorite DC characters. Featuring a massive selection of DC Super Heroes and Super-Villains,  Injustice™ 2 continues the epic cinematic story introduced in Injustice™: Gods Among Us as Batman and his allies work towards putting the pieces of society back together while struggling against those who want to restore Superman’s™ regime. In the midst of the chaos, a new threat appears that will put Earth’s existence at risk. 

For more information and to pre-order the game, visit www.injustice.com, and join the Injustice™ 2 conversation on Facebook (www.facebook.com/injusticegame) and Twitter (https://twitter.com/injusticegame).

LITTLE NIGHTMARES™ final release date, SIX edition and a new trailer revealed

LITTLE NIGHTMARES™ final release date, SIX edition and a new trailer revealed

Digital pre-purchases are now open for LITTLE NIGHTMARES coming out on April 28^th on PlayStation®4, Xbox One as well as STEAM® and GOG.com for PC. The Six Edition is also available for pre-orders at participating retailers.

BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment Europe and Tarsier Studios are pleased to announce today that LITTLE NIGHTMARES will release on April, 28^th in digital and physical format on PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC.

LITTLE NIGHTMARES can now be pre-purchased digitally on PlayStation 4, Xbox One as well as GOG.com and STEAM for PC. The Six Edition is also available for pre-orders as a collector’s edition at participating retailers while supplies last. The Six Edition includes a 10 cm high figurine trapped into a themed cage box as well as the original soundtrack composed by Tobias Lilja from Tarsier Studios, an exclusive A3 poster and a sticker board.

Trapped in The Maw with nothing but her wits and a lighter, Six must find light in the darkness and strength in her weakness to survive the attentions of its monstrous residents and escape to the world outside. Be careful as each room is a cell, each resident a threat, and both puzzles to untangle. Hide and sneak from danger, climb your way out and escape the chasing monsters as The Janitor, the new character revealed in The Nine Deaths of Six trailer.

Watch_Dogs 2 free trial is here

Watch_Dogs 2 free trial is here

WATCH_DOGS^® 2 FREE TRIAL

NOW AVAILABLE FOR SONY PLAYSTATION^®4

New players will have three free hours of game time to join the DedSec hackers in the San Francisco Bay Area

Sydney, Australia - January 18, 2017 - Today, Ubisoft announced that a Free Trial for WATCH_DOGS 2 is now available for download on Sony PlayStation®4, and will be released on Microsoft Xbox One on January 25, 2017. On that same date, the first add-on content pack, the T-Bone Content Bundle, will also be available on Microsoft Xbox One and PC.

To watch the trailer click the image below

After racking up praise from press, critics and fans, the WATCH_DOGS 2 Free Trial will give both game enthusiasts and newcomers access to 3 hours of free content including seamless multiplayer with three online modes*, “Hacking Invasion”, “Bounty Hunter” and 2 players co-op, as well as story missions and side activities. Purchase is possible at any time without any additional download as all game progress is saved and carried over to the full game.

In WATCH_DOGS 2 Free Trial, players have the chance to freely explore the entirety of the San Francisco Bay Area open-world, using all gadgets, weapons and advanced hacking options available to shape the fate of the city. They can freely choose their path between stealthy infiltrations in restricted areas or wacky action-packed antics with friends. Picking from a wide variety of tools, drones, RC cars and weapons, players can take advantage from a fully hackable city and watch as the game environment reacts to their every move.

For more information about WATCH_DOGS 2, please visit watchdogs.ubisoft.com.

*Multiplayer access requires a Sony PlayStation Plus or Microsoft Xbox Live Gold membership.

About Watch_Dogs 2

In Watch_Dogs 2, players explore the birthplace of the tech revolution as Marcus Holloway, a brilliant young hacker who has fallen victim to ctOS 2.0’s predictive algorithms and accused of a crime he did not commit. In Marcus’s quest to shut down ctOS 2.0 for good, hacking is the ultimate weapon. Players can not only hack into the San Francisco Bay Area’s infrastructure but also every person and any connected device they possess to trigger unpredictable chains of events in this vast open world. 

Win a double pass to see Manchester By The Sea

Win a double pass to see Manchester By The Sea

Manchester by the Sea tells the story of the Chandler family, a working class family from Massachusetts.


After Lee’s (Casey Affleck) older brother Joe (Kyle Chandler) suddenly passes away, he is made the legal guardian of his nephew (Lucas Hedges).

Lee is forced to deal with a tragic past that separated him from his wife Randi (Michelle Williams) and the community where he was born and raised.

Set in the North Shore of Massachusetts, Manchester by the Sea is the new film written and directed by Kenneth Lonergan (You Can Count on Me, Margaret).

Manchester By The Sea hits cinemas January 26th!

To stand a chance of winning a double pass, all you have to do is drop me a line with your name and address!

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

Please ensure you include your name and address - competition closes January 26th 

Moonlight: Film Review

Moonlight: Film Review

Cast: Mahershala Ali, Alex R Hibbert, Janelle Monae, Ashton Sanders, Trevante Rhodes
Director: Barry Jenkins

More is unsaid in Moonlight's triptych than is actually revealed and in parts, it's as intoxicating as it is tantalising.

Drawn unequivocally from its roots as a play and transposed on screen as such under a three act structure, Jenkins' film of the coming of age story of a black man growing up in Miami delivers subtly and with swathes of nuance as it plays out, relying heavily on the viewer to listen for minor details and to bring the tapestry threads together.

But not once does Moonlight ever shift the intimate scale or focus from its leads as we take in three stages of Chiron's life.

From badgered kid to bullied teen to ultimate manhood, Chiron's tale is finely balanced and precariously executed as the world swirls around.

A minimalist score and pared back soundtrack give Moonlight a resonance and a power that compel, but it's the personal moments which leap head and shoulders above anything else here.

This is never anything more than Chiron's journey pilgrimage through life from start to finish, and if that sounds like a trite dismissal of the film and its protagonist, it's not. Over 3 phases of Chiron's life, the struggle for his identity and his place in the world is carefully, quietly and powerfully positioned.

Whether it's bathed in the titular moonlight at the edge of the sea at the beach or swathed in the red glow of the room of his combusting addicted mother (Naomie Harris) as she rails against him, Jenkins' eye for visual detail predicates the story's journey.

But it's the raw and humane delivery of the story by the different age leads that build a dramatic powder-keg of a personal portrait in a (less successful and more obvious) wider tableaux of social commentary that's dripping with sub-text.

And while there's an argument that Jenkins' script shines a light on the continuing problems faced by black Americans, the truths espoused within are universal and yet intimately dispatched.

It's hard to resist Chiron's story or not empathise with his heartbreaking situations - from bullying at school, to violence from a mother, to seeking acceptance from and continually being rejected by his peers. There are universal truths within Moonlight that work as powerfully as they can because of the simplicity of the story's execution and the pared-back nature of the film's execution.

Ultimately, it's the stripped back almost play-like feel of Moonlight that helps it shine - even though there are abrupt cuts at times that are symptomatic of a dramatic curtain call, the emotion is never lost as the story unfurls. With a sparse OST and large periods of silence, Jenkins' builds a veritable atmosphere that ironically, helps it to speak volumes.

From Mahershala Ali's dealer surrogate father figure to the three iterations of Chiron, the vulnerable veracity and tale of acceptance seep through, be it in the dialogue or within the relatability of the story.

As a contemporary portrait of African-Americans, it's vital;  and it's also easy to see why awards are being showered on this occasionally Oscar-bait piece; but as a piece of film alone, it's a strong cinematic experience that never once loses its focus and nuances to help it connect to global audiences.

MOONLIGHT is releasing January 19, exclusively at Rialto Cinema Newmarket and Lighthouse Cuba Street