Win a copy of Rogue One: A Star Wars Story!

Win a copy of Rogue One: A Star Wars Story!

​“The best Star Wars yet” – Pete Hammond, Deadline

THE MISSION COMES HOME

GET “ROGUE ONE: A STAR WARS STORY” ON BLU-RAY & DVD APRIL 5TH

Fans go behind the scenes with filmmakers and cast for a revealing look

at the stories behind the first Star Wars standalone film

BURBANK, Calif. (Feb. 22, 2017) — Lucasfilm’s “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story,” the first of the Star Wars standalone films, has established its place within the Star Wars universe and the hearts of moviegoers, becoming the seventh highest-grossing film of all time in the U.S. Fans can own the epic action-adventure thriller -- nominated for two Academy Awards® -- on Blu-ray™ & DVD on April 5.

Never-before-seen “Rogue One” bonus material will take fans behind the scenes with the movie’s diverse, dynamic cast and inspired team of filmmakers. An intimate collection of stories reveals how the film came to life, as well as hidden Easter Eggs and film facts that audiences may have missed in the theater.

Bonus features include*:

• A Rogue Idea – Hear how ILM’s John Knoll came up with the movie’s concept – and why it’s the right film to launch the Star Wars stand-alone films.
• Jyn: The Rebel – Get to know Rogue One’s defiant, resourceful survivor, and hear what it was like for Felicity Jones to bring her to life onscreen. 
• Cassian: The Spy – Diego Luna shares insights into his complex, driven character, who becomes a hero through selflessness, perseverance and passion.
• K-2SO: The Droid – Explore the development of this reprogrammed Imperial droid, from initial pitch and character design through Alan Tudyk’s performance.
• Baze & Chirrut: Guardians of the Whills – Go deeper into the relationship between these two very different characters, with Chinese superstars Jiang Wen and Donnie Yen.
• Bodhi & Saw: The Pilot & The Revolutionary – Forest Whitaker and Riz Ahmed reflect on Saw Gerrera, the broken Rebel leader, and Bodhi Rook, the Imperial pilot who defects.
• The Empire – Meet a dangerous new Imperial adversary…and cross paths once more with the most iconic villain of all time.
• Visions of Hope: The Look of “Rogue One” – The filmmakers describe the challenges and thrills of developing a bold new look for the movie that can fit within the world of the original trilogy.
• The Princess & The Governor – See what it took to bring the vibrant young princess of “Star Wars: A New Hope” – as well as one of her most memorable foes­ – back to the screen.
• Epilogue: The Story Continues – Filmmakers and cast celebrate Rogue One’s premiere and look forward into the future, to the Star Wars stories yet to be told.
• Rogue Connections – Uncover Easter eggs and film facts hidden throughout the movie that connect “Rogue One” to the Star Wars universe.

“Rogue One: A Star Wars Story” is directed by Gareth Edwards (“Godzilla,” “Monsters”) and produced by Kathleen Kennedy, p.g.a., Allison Shearmur, p.g.a. (“The Hunger Games: Catching Fire,” “Cinderella”) and Simon Emanuel, p.g.a. (“The Dark Knight Rises”). Veteran ILM visual effects supervisor John Knoll, (“Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest) whom shares a long history with the Star Wars films, is executive producer alongside Jason McGatlin (“Star Wars: The Force Awakens,” “War of the Worlds”). The story is by John Knoll and Gary Whitta (“The Book of Eli,” “After Earth”), and the screenplay was written by Chris Weitz (“The Golden Compass,” “About a Boy”) and Tony Gilroy (“The Bourne Legacy,” “Michael Clayton”).    

To celebrate the release of Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, you can win a copy on DVD!

To win  Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, all you have to do is enter simply email your details to this  address: darrensworldofentertainment@gmail.com or CLICK HERE NOW!

Include your name and address and title your email ROGUE ONE!!

Good luck!

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story: Blu Ray Review

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story: Blu Ray Review

It was always going to be a hard ask.

Tell a self-contained story where everyone knows the conclusion and where it leads.

For the uninitiated, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story is essentially Star Wars 3.5, offering an entry point into A New Hope and leading into the Rebels getting their hands on the plans to destroy the Death Star.

So, in many ways, the conclusion is assured - the journey there perhaps a little less so.

Brit Jones stars as Jyn Erso, whose Oppenheimer father Galen (Hannibal star Mads Mikkelsen) works for the Empire and who's been helping to build a planet killer (aka Death star). However, Galen has put in place a weak point to ensure the Empire's evil plans don't come to fruition.

Angry and disillusioned from seeing her mother murdered in front of her, Jyn is determined to get the plans - and with the Rebel Alliance growing weaker as the might of the Empire rises, it's a race against time...

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story is as dark an entry into the Star Wars universe as Empire Strikes Back, even though it lacks the rich emotion of that film.

The rag tag band of fighters come together with a level of grit, betrayal and mistrust and there are scrappier elements in place as they do so. A fiery and determined, though unshowy, Jones leads the pack fairly well, but is occasionally constrained and saddled with some Rebellion based bon mots to trot out ("Rebellions are based on hope!" being just one) and as a result, the rest of the cohorts fade really in comparison.

It's a shame, because characters have traditionally been what defined the Star Wars universe - from the swagger of Han Solo to the garrulous charm of Lando Calrissian, the more rogueish elements have always fired on a greater scale.

Ahmed threatens to make a presence early on, but is wasted in the wash; a blind Bulletproof Force Monk (played by Donnie Yen) becomes the mystical waffler who gets to kick ass by using the Force (and appears to be part of a gay inter-racial relationship with Wen Jiang's Baze Malbus in a bit of a welcome Star Wars first); Mikkelsen's usual terrific presence is consigned to scrappier moments; Whitaker is a version of Blue Velvet's Frank Booth with gas mask and Luna is slightly bent out of shape as the rebel tasked with doing the unthinkable.

Yet in amongst it all, Mendelsohn shines as a Nazi-esque Empire commander whose ambitions are being thwarted and who exudes menace.

But Edwards' Star Wars is a grittier film - this is a flick where terrorism is de rigeur, where market places are scenes of discord, car bombs and street fights. Planet-hopping, politics and a rebellion worn down are all dangled teasingly in front of fans and sit alongside a sarcastically dry droid (played by Alan Tudyk) and a CGI character (reminiscent of PlayStation cut scenes) that may polarise as many as Jar Jar Binks did but for different (and spoilery) reasons.

Fan service inevitably comes into play. Whether it's the slight tweaks to the classic John Williams' score or the cameos as well as the line call-backs, the pay-off proves to be too disappointingly juicy to resist once again, and shows the film-makers are mainly those who need to be reined in. And humour becomes an increasing crutch as the back half of the film plays out.

All that said, there's a grubbiness to Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.

Hope is crumbling and it infects large frames of the film. And while you can't deny the power of the characters' ultimate fates is weakened by a lack of time with them and overall chemistry and flatter roundings of them all, this was perhaps one hurdle the film-makers (and consequent reshoots) were never going to be able to overcome in this pre-ordained film that had to tread a certain path.

Ultimately though, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story brings the fans what they want - a controlled final battle sequence that swaps chaos for calmness of execution on the beaches and is reminiscent of Churchill's assertion that they will fight them on the beaches. It is perhaps testament to Edwards' strength in previous entrants (the soldiers falling from the sky in Godzilla,the appearance of the Monsters in Monsters) as the battle reaches fever pitch that these sequences don't feel cluttered or overdone.

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story is a Star Wars film aimed at the adult fans who grew up with the first saga and were so let down by the prequels. It's not perfect by any stretch of the imagination, and with a first portion that muddles a little and meanders, it lacks the immediate grabbing of the throat that those originals had.

But as an entrant into the Star Wars universe and as a film that refuses to follow the over-indulgent fan service and pathetic nostalgia that The Force Awakens was so bathed in, it revels in its darkness and occasionally borders on stuttering uncertainty.

Definitely lacking a little bit of character of its own and wallowing in its own exposition that stifles some of the potential, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story is undoubtedly a solid Star Wars experience and a sign that given a bit more freedom to go their own way and maybe take some chances - go rogue even - this galaxy far, far away still could have a lot of excitement to offer. 

NZIFF Autumn Events full programme is here

NZIFF Autumn Events full programme is here

Autumn Arrives at the Mighty Civic Our Autumn Events programme concentrates on films that truly fill the giant screen. And we can now reveal that four more films will screen on the grandest screens in the country as part of Autumn Events 2017. The full schedule is now live, and tickets will go on sale from 9 am tomorrow. The latest four films to be announced are the 1954 landmark musical A Star is Born with Judy Garland and James Mason; Greta Garbo’s exquisite Camille; the English-voiced version of 1980 French animation The King and the Mockingbird, recommended for ages 5+; and Les Blank and Maureen Gosling’s Burden of Dreams which immortalises Werner Herzog’s making of Fitzcarraldo (earlier announced to also screen in the programme). Screenings of Camille and Burden of Dreams at the Academy Cinema have extended the dates of the Autumn Events programme in Auckland: 10 to 21 May. Tickets are on sale from 9 am tomorrow from Ticketmaster. The Five-Trip Pass ($75) is the best deal if you're purchasing multiple tickets. The pass can be used for individuals or shared with friends.

A Star is Born  Judy Garland (as a singer on the rise) and James Mason (as a fading matinée idol) personify Hollywood’s archetypal view of showbiz coupledom in this landmark musical drama from 1954. (Hello, La La Land.) “Fresh, exciting, touching and alive… by far the best of all the films about life behind the cameras, the lights, the wind-machines, and the cocktail bars of Hollywood.” — Dilys Powell A Star is Born screens on Friday 12 May at 1.00 pm and Saturday 13 May at 3.15 pm at The Civic

The King and the Mockingbird Based on a Hans Christian Andersen story, this classic of hand-drawn animation follows a chimney sweep and shepherdess on the run from a tyrannical king. Recommended for ages 5+. "It's beautiful, it's twisted, it's funny... It is the perfect film for children, and a challenging one for adults." — Charles Mudede, The Stranger The King and the Mockingbird screens on Sunday 14 May at 11.00 am at The Civic

Autumn Events at the Academy Our programme expands to the Academy Cinema to accommodate two classics that we just couldn't live without. We've extended the dates to fit them in too.

Camille There’s rarely been a more sumptuous production than this 1936 MGM classic, and there’s never been a more exquisitely heart-breaking Camille than Greta Garbo. “Through the perfect artistry of Garbo’s portrayal, a hackneyed theme is made new again, poignantly sad, hauntingly lovely.” — Frank Nugent, NY Times Camille screens on Friday 19, Saturday 20 and Sunday 21 May 2.00 pm at the Academy

Burden of Dreams The classic ‘making of’ documentary, Les Blank’s Burden of Dreams continues to enthral audiences who may never have seen Werner Herzog’s Fitzcarraldo itself. Burden of Dreams screens on Wednesday 10 May and Friday 19 May at 6.30 pm at the Academy

Previously announced Autumn Events titles

Woodstock: Three Days of Peace and Music “Describing Woodstock as a concert movie is a little like calling Notre Dame a house of worship.” — Owen Gleiberman, Entertainment Weekly Woodstock screens Sunday 14 May at 1.15 pm at The Civic

Fitzcarraldo “Werner Herzog’s Fitzcarraldo is one of the great visions of the cinema, and one of the great follies.” — Roger Ebert Fitzcarraldo screens on Saturday 13 May at 7.15 pm at The Civic

Manhattan “Manhattan is a great film about love in and love for New York.” — Peter Bradshaw, The Guardian Manhattan screens on Friday 12 May at 4.45 pm and Sunday 14 May at 6.15 pm at The Civic

Voyage of Time: Life's Journey “It’s an experience that I haven’t been able to shake, like a waking dream.” — Richard Brody, New Yorker Voyage of Time: Life's Journey screens on Friday 12 May at 7.15 pm and Saturday 13 May at 1.00 pm at The Civic

Life, Animated: DVD Review

Life, Animated: DVD Review

Released by Madman Home Ent

If Disney Pixar's latest Finding Dory is a parable about living with disability, Life, Animated is a tale of how Disney helped one family and their son rise above their debilitating problem.

Director Roger Ross Williams has already snagged a Sundance directing prize for the doco about Owen Suskind and it's not hard to see why.

Meshing animation, Disney favourites and fly-on-the-wall aesthetics, it's the tale of 23 year old Owen Suskind who at 3 years old stopping talking and being able to form sentences, muttering only gibberish to his family and leaving them in heartbreak.

Diagnosed with regressive autism, Owen's parents Ron and Cornelia despaired as they lived in a world which didn't have the insights we do today and struggled to find a way to connect back to the son who early footage shows was just a normal kid.

But Owen's way back to the world and his parents' way to meet him was through a chance discovery of what Disney's animated films had given him... and it's here that a Life, Animated review veers too closely into spoilers to deprive you of some of the uplifting moments and lows that ensue.

What Ross Williams has done has helped shed light on a moving story of both those living with autism and those around them - but without sugar coating any of it. Based on father Ron's book, we see the pain of the parents (the line where his father decries the fact that his son simply disappeared is heartbreaking of itself), the anguish of the brother who will have to assume the mantle of protector and we witness the joie de vivre of Owen as he negotiates his life and touches of TV series The Undateables.

Meshing family footage and candid honesty as well as some beautiful animation from Mathieu Betard and Olivier Lescot, Life Animated is nothing short of heartwarming but never manipulative.

Providing a glimpse into the world of autism from Owen the subject itself, this is a coming of age story that revels for the most part in restraint. There can be no denial the final scenes leave you empowered (as a moment from the Lion King rams home the point), but it's the wonder of Owen and the simplicity of Ross Williams' construction of the piece that make you marvel.

If Ron Suskind's book Life Animated is the number 1 special needs biography, it's fair to say that this feel-good piece will bring the subject to a wider audience and will succeed in sending crowds off into the cold nights with a warm undeniable glow. 

The Lego Batman Movie: Film Review

The LEGO Batman Movie: Film Review

Vocal cast: Will Arnett, Zach Galifianakis, Michael Cera, Rosario Dawson
Director: Chris McKay

Quite literally a Block-buster, the computer generated actioner The Lego Batman Movie is perhaps the antithesis to what you'd expect from DC's brooding Dark Knight, so masterfully re-envisaged for the Christopher Nolan series.

And yet, the family-size fun of the film simultaneously encompasses and actively embraces everything that makes Batman tick (his neuroses and soaring loneliness) and throws it through a LEGO prism, giving it an occasionally meta-sheen and splashing it all with a degree of contagious lunacy.

Given a cameo in the Lego Movie, where everything was indeed awesome, Will Arnett's gravelly take on Bats was a great tonic to the film and it's obvious to see why he's been brought back for a full-length adventure.

Riffing on the Adam West era of Bat-movies and cocking a snook at the overly clogged 1997 Joel Schumacher Batman film that threw all the villains together in a fight against the Caped Crusader, The Lego Batman Movie feels almost Pixels-ish in its narrative.

When all of Batman's greatest villains team up to take him down and take over Gotham City, Batman finds he's got more than he expected on his plate. The situation's further compounded when he discovers he's accidentally adopted an orphan in the form of Dick Grayson (Arrested Development and Scott Pilgrim's Michael Cera) who's trying to become his sidekick.

The joy of the Lego Batman Movie is in the insanity of its execution and the depth that lies beneath its surface.

From the opening credits where Batman's voiceover actively mocks the logos (intoning that "DC is the House That Batman Built") right through to the mayhem which transpires on screen, the film's MO seems squarely to be in the fun stakes. And while it teeters dangerously close to feeling overlong in the final strait, the glee and relish that Arnett brings to the role helps compensate for the film's feeling of overload.

The tone is squarely pitched at amusing the kids, ticking geek boxes and still managing to stay staunchly reverent to the Bat-history. (Affectionate nods to Adam West's time and the silliness of the KAPOW era of the 60s just being one such part of what transpires, and further proof that to mock the present, you have to embrace all aspects of the past).

But as with the Lego Movie, scratch beneath the shine of the bricks and you'll find there's a lot going on under the surface.

Arnett's arrogant Batman is so narcissistic, so selfish and so prone to delusion that even his butler Alfred's taken to reading a book about setting "limits for your out of control child", just one of many nods to problem parenting that pepper the film. There's another thread about Batman's complete ignorance to his loner perception from others; it's a film that widely acknowledges the real-life implications of the loner life style that Bruce Wayne's endured for years and the effect it'll have inexorably had on his psyche, something which the live action films have always flirted with.

Equally, Galifianakis' Joker is more damaged than ever, simply because of a throwaway line from Batman that he's not the Bat's greatest nemesis, and that he's "currently fighting other people". As Batman's pushed to embrace the truth of his fears of being part of a family, the Joker's equally pushed to embrace the yin and yang of their relationship.

These are oddly compelling and deeply interesting messages to be found in among the frenetic and constant humour of a children's movie, but it's not to say that those minds behind the film aren't afraid to pack a powerhouse of gags and vocal talents to the film.

From Jemaine Clement voicing Sauron to roundly mocking Tom Cruise's Jerry Maguire's declaration to Dorothy via a great throwaway nod to The Twilight Zone episode where William Shatner's troubled by gremlins on his plane, it's clear there's plenty that's gone into both the writing and execution of The Lego Batman Movie.

Pop culture references crackle, but never at the expense of the pace of the film and the plot itself; it's a heady mix that entertains as well as pierces the myth of Batman and the evident contradictions and absurdities of having a Caped Crusader protecting the city.

Perhaps it helps that McKay's had a hand in the satire and stupidity of Robot Chicken, but along with that, the confidence those behind The Lego Movie had is clearly an influence on this film.

While this Bat-outing could stand to lose a little of the narrative fat, those seeking a bit of fun and a little mocking of the occasional pomposity of the DC and Marvel Comics Universe will revel in its trappings, and delight in its occasionally scurrilous and frivolous take on the Batman mythos.

LEGO Worlds: PS4 Review

LEGO Worlds: PS4 Review

Released by TT Games
Platform: PS4

Brick by brick, day by day.

Everything was indeed awesome in the LEGO Movie, and there's potential for awesomeness in this latest game to hit the console world.

Based on the premise that anyone can be a Master Builder, LEGO Worlds throws you onto a world with the chance to go crazy-ish and do what you want to do.

Relatively similar to Minecraft in the build anything stakes (to a degree), there's plenty to explore and catalogue in the game. As you start to look around and begin your quests around the worlds (gradual little games open up other parts of the game), things start to open up.
However, it's more akin to having a limited LEGO toy set at home, and not all the pieces.

With a concept that sees you destroying and collecting studs, unlocking creatures and vehicles and gradually building the world around, there's enough to do, but it's not quite as refined as previous LEGO games have been - it's more an experience than anything.

It's nice the different areas are themed, and give you reasons to play and explore,but the camera sometimes thwarts your enjoyment of what's around, as it juggles between you seeing what you need to and what it wants to. It's glitchy at times, and equally as frustrating.

You also have to get gold bricks to get rewards too - and ultimately, the game unlocks the more you do and aim for perfection

To be fair though, it's more obvious that LEGO Worlds is aimed at the younger end of the spectrum, and there's no denying they'll get the fun out of the game and its mechanics of running about, creating and smashing - and that's probably enough for the LEGO Fanatic in the family.

But it's also a game that can be played in groups, in ways that Disney Infinity strived for, which is commendable.

All in all, LEGO Worlds isn't a bad title. It's certainly playably disposable enough - much like the normal LEGO.

Nier Automata: PS4 Review

Nier Automata: PS4 Review

Platform: PS4
Released by Square Enix

Finally, after a blistering 30 minute demo, the full release of Nier Automata is upon us.

And it's quite something.

Part of the Nier series, but yet also standalone, this latest is quite the epic, and in many ways, slightly undefinable.

Loosely, the game's set in the distant future…

Invaders from another world attack without warning, unleashing a new type of threat: weapons known as “machine lifeforms.” In the face of this insurmountable threat, mankind is driven from Earth and takes refuge on the Moon.

The Council of Humanity organizes a resistance of android soldiers in an effort to take back their planet. To break the deadlock, the Resistance deploys a new unit of android infantry: YoRHa .
In the forsaken wasteland below, the war between the machines and the androids rages on.

A war that is soon to unveil the long-forgotten truth of this world...

Playing as an automaton 2B in the demo is a thrill, and as you initially fight your way through an industrial complex, taking on hordes of robots left behind in a war that have been powered up, the game finds new ways to engage you in the button-mashing process.

However, after the end of the prologue (which doubled as the quite shocking demo earlier this year), the game becomes something else - a sort of philosophical post button-smasher that carves its way into your soul.

Open world gaming is the key here and while you go through areas that wouldn't be out of place in The Last Of Us, battling robots and watching the story progress, it's quite the story. Consciousness, emotion, humanity et al all figure into the game as you go through various side missions as 2B.

With an android sidekick and a robot shooter on your shoulder (more or less), you can take on the bad guys in whatever manner you want. Your Pod takes chips and can be developed into a fighting machine or you can play an equal part - it's a real boon to those games which simply have AI hang back and never get their virtual mitts dirty.

It's the way the game changes what it is while you're playing it that makes it such a pleasant and surprising game. From the actual visuals changing from 3D to 2D to Manga-style cut scenes and to actual sequences changing tact, there's a lot going on here - if you're willing to be patient.

After the initial factory take-down, the game slows a little and the pace needs to be adhered to as it becomes a quest-style shooter and one that ponders a bit of existentialism as well. Chaining combos comes at the same time as the duo ask whether there is more to life than they thought (for goodness sake, the lead is 2B!!). But there's plenty to shoot to as well here, with 2B able to instruct 9S on how to play the combat of each level.
The bond the duo have is great to behold and gains a resonance after the ending - and to say more, is to spoil.

All in all, Nier Automata is more a game of fluidity and combat, as well as rich exploration. It's a great journey to take and one that's definitely worth diving into.