Red Dog: True Blue: DVD Review

Red Dog: True Blue: DVD Review

Cast: Jason Isaacs, Levi Miller
Director: Kriv Stenders

Five years ago, a truly Aussie shaggy dog story took the family box office by storm.

Red Dog, complete with its canine star and capturing of the ocker Aussie sensibility, managed to reel in audiences of animal lovers and family film lovers apiece with its tale of a dog uniting a township and getting to the heart of what it means to be an Aussie.

So, some five years later, it's no surprise that a sequel, nay a prequel that meshes the story within a story ethos is being dispatched on the family summertime box office as an antidote for the end of the year cynicism that hits.Wrapped up in nostalgia, this is the story of Blue, the Kelpie, and Mick (Miller in flashbacks and Isaacs in current day, a father who's become work-obsessed and forgotten how to have fun). Sent to his grandfather's station in the Outback due to his mother being locked in a hospital, Mick struggles to find his place. But when a puppy literally falls from the sky after a cyclone hits, Mick's friendship with his dog grows.

However, when a girl called Betty (Hanna Mangan Lawrence) ends up at the station, upending all the boys' lives, Mick finds his own coming of age arriving quicker than expected.Swathed in nostalgia and Aussie characters, Red Dog True Blue may lack the heart and emotional connection of the first film as it pursues its one boy and his dog's adventures ethos into Saturday matinee territory.

Complete with some truly stunning countryside shots from the Pilbara deserts, Red Dog True Blue is in many ways an old school film that's blessed by solid performances. Brown, as the grandfather, is the gruff heart of proceedings and generates more warmth and empathy than you'd expect - and Miller's solid, if unspectacular, as the young Mick struggling to avoid being upstaged by the dog.

With an episodic feel, some spiritual leanings thrown in and some bush fires for drama, this tale of love and coming of age down on the farm may lack some of the first's immediate charm, but there's no doubting it'll find a younger family audience to embrace, thanks to the antics of Blue.

It may not be a memorable family film in the way the first set hearts and box office alight, but Red Dog True Blue's warmth and fuzziness may prove to be the ideal antidote for those seeking a feelgood flick. 

Tekken 7: PS4 Review

Tekken 7: PS4 Review

Platform: PS4
Developed by Bandai Namco Entertainment

Kick punch, move, kick, punch.

The fighting genre is one that rarely falters from its usual execution, and as each new iteration of the games come out, it's all about how much flair they are executed with.

Case in point is Tekken 7, which doesn't stray from its usual MO in its latest release, but ensures the reason why you love the series is continued.

Its story mode focuses upon a reporter whose desire to investigate a corporate cover-up is fuelled by the death of his wife and daughter during the ascent of Jin Kazama. For fans, this story is coherent, relevant and deepening; but to those outside of the series, it has to be said that it leaves you non-plussed with its deeper meaning.

Cinematic cutaways are gorgeously enacted, but again work on different levels given how much affinity you have for the series. However, the over-the-top nature of the story may have you pressing buttons to simply get to the fights, which remain as complex and conversely, as simple as they ever have.

All that has to be done is to beat hordes of oncoming baddies. From its core cast of some 38 characters, all of whom are playable, it's clear depth is a real pro for Tekken 7 as it powers through its po-faced storyline.

But the fights themselves  are well executed and really do feel fresh, exhilirating and graphically impressive. With the AI learning quickly how you are playing, it is upto you to ensure that variety is employed in great measures, and there's certainly a learning scale that needs to be utilised very quickly. Customisation's present and pliable too, meaning characters feel like they're your own as you head through the levels.

All in all, while Tekken 7 may appeal more to fans of the genre and series, its cinematic edges and melodrama means there's a chance that non-fans can jump in. It takes time to garner rewards, but it's certainly worth ploughing some time into this beat-em-up; it's not strictly a KO, but it does win on technical points.

That's You! PS4 Review

That's You! PS4 Review

Platform: PS4

PlayStation has always been about the social gaming.

What with Buzz and SingStar, there's always been a degree of the Sony brand being about bringing people together and having an experience.

So it is with That's You!, the first of the PlayLink games launched with the idea of once again returning to a group ethos rather than a WiFi headset connection providing the fun and games.

That's You! manages to work in the way that it's immersive, simple to use and follows the quiz mechanics that worked so well for Buzz. After downloading the app via the usual places, six of you can chime in on the game and start answering questions about you, your mates and a few other things.

Cycling through ten locations, the game's MO is simply about seeing who knows the most about you and also who of the group knows you the best. It's a sort of Mr and Mrs quiz for the PlayStation generation. Made of tasks within the round, from selfies to simple drawing, the game's fun in a sort of disposable way - it's very much the kind of game you'd play with a family at Christmas when the board games have you rolling your eyes in tedium.

From selfies to silliness, the game works in that if you're willing to go in boots and all and with over 1000 questions to get through, the brevity of the rounds seems a bit at odds with how much there is to mine from. It's good that it's free with PlayStation Plus in July, as with all of these kind of social games, the more you're willing to put into it and the faddish nature of it mean that it does feel a little bit of a flighty title.

The integration between the app and the PS works fine, and there's little delay in it all being shown on the screen.

Ultimately, That's You! marginally updates the social gaming elements and is fun for a Friday night with the family;it's a casual appetiser for what could lie ahead with PlayLink - and it's to be hoped that PlayStation pushes the boundaries with this a little in future releases.

Dirt 4: PS4 Review

Dirt 4: PS4 Review

Developed by Codemasters
Platform: PS4

The rallying genre does pretty well on the console.

But it rarely strays from the format that's so obvious from beginning to end. Be it racing though dirt or building up skills on a practice track, it's a formula that's become solid and dependable yet never exceptional or unmissable.

Thankfully, Dirt 4, from spiritual home of racing Codemasters, manages to traverse a line between both, gifting both the usual dynamics with a degree of flair of execution.

Spanning five locations from Australia to the glamour of Wales, the game's simple MO is to deliver immersive driving which pays off with practice and a learning of general skills. Largely due to the Your Stage tool, which gives you control over the weather, time of day to name but two and which allows you to drive how you want to, thanks to custom tracks. And if you don't like it, you can change it - to infinity. It's a rally drivers' wet dream made real.

Along with multiplayer and online challenges which update daily, there's plenty to ensure that fans of the genre are satiated. And with personalisation that hits very extreme basics, there's more than enough to get you tinkering under the hood of the game.

But it's the execution of all of this which makes Dirt 4 so playable. With slick polished graphics and a control system that rewards daring, the game's desire to keep you engrossed is what helps the simulator rise above. Sure, it can be tough if you don't know the dynamics of within, but by taking the practice and actually learning, Dirt 4's mechanics pay off.

Ultimately, the thrill of the off-road race is there to explore - but it's in its smaller details that Dirt 4 rises above your usual rally simulators and becomes something to sink your teeth into.

Win a double pass to see BABY DRIVER

Win a double pass to see BABY DRIVER

A talented, young getaway driver (Ansel Elgort) relies on the beat of his personal soundtrack to be the best in the game. 

When he meets the girl of his dreams (Lily James), Baby sees a chance to ditch his criminal life and make a clean getaway. 

But after being coerced into working for a crime boss (Kevin Spacey), he must face the music when a doomed heist threatens his life, love and freedom.

From director Edgar Wright, and starring Ansel Elgort, Lily James, Kevin Spacey, Jon Hamm, Eiza Gonzalez and Jamie Foxx, Baby Driver hits cinemas July 20th

To win a double pass to BABY DRIVER  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 BABY DRIVER!

Competition closes July 20th

Good luck!

Minecraft season 2 trailer first look

Minecraft season 2 trailer first look

See the official trailer for episode one 'Hero in Residence' and catch a glimpse of what's in store in season two as a whole before the release of episode 1 on July 11th!

SAN RAFAEL, Calif., and STOCKHOLM, Sweden, July 6th, 2017 -- Award-winning developer and publisher of digital entertainment Telltale Games and world-renowned game developer Mojang today shared the first official trailer for Minecraft: Story Mode - Season Two. This trailer focuses on the upcoming first episode, Hero in Residence, which will be available for download starting July 11, 2017 on Xbox One, PlayStation 4, PC, Mac, iOS, and Android-based devices. Players will be able to purchase the episode for PC from Telltale's online store starting at 12:01 a.m. Pacific Time on July 11. It will also become available through Steam and other digital storefronts later that same day. Minecraft: Story Mode - Season Two continues Jesse's saga in a five-part, narrative-driven, episodic game series developed by Telltale in collaboration with Mojang and members of the Minecraft community. Though players' choices from the first season will carry over into season two, this new season will be accessible to both returning fans and newcomers alike. This second season will also include Telltale's unique multiplayer 'Crowd Play' feature, which allows friends and family to engage with the adventure together by helping to decide the direction of the story from any mobile device with an online connection. Now that Jesse and the gang have vanquished the Wither Storm, saved the world, and become totally super famous heroes, life has gotten a bit more...complicated. With more responsibilities and less time for adventure, old friendships have started to fade -- at least until Jesse's hand gets stuck in a creepy gauntlet that belongs to an ancient underwater temple. Together with old pals and new comrades alike, Jesse embarks on a brand new journey filled with tough choices, good times, and at least one temperamental llama. Minecraft: Story Mode - Season Two will be a standalone product separate from both the core Minecraft game and season one of Minecraft: Story Mode. Season two will be available for download on Xbox One, PlayStation 4, PC, Mac, iOS, and Android-based devices. A retail version on disc will become available this fall. Episode one has been rated 'Everyone 10+' by the ESRB.

Patriots Day: DVD Review

Patriots Day: DVD Review

Teaming up for the third time proves to be a great deal of charm for director Peter Berg and star Mark Wahlberg.

After the gung-ho jingoism of Lone Survivor and the major  OSH incident at Deepwater Horizon, this duo's tapped into a rich vein of blue collar Middle America that's worth continuing to mine.

Patriots Day, starring Mark Wahlberg

This time around, it's back to April 15 2013 and the Boston Marathon that they head for a largely successful drama that recreates events both pre and post the bombing that shocked the world.

Proving once again adept at pulling together the minutiae of life and the everyday characters (a newly married young couple, a cop who's been injured and wants fully back on the job, the Chinese immigrant making good on life in the USA et al) to build momentum going into the event, Berg brilliantly sets the scene for what's about to unfurl with a controlled eye and a sense of impending terror.

As he spins a wide web of people caught up in what's about to happen, he refines the thread to a single line to follow Mark Wahlberg's lumpy Boston cop Tommy Saunders, a composite of many different characters of the day. Confined to the finish line and desperate to get back properly to the job, Saunders finds his world thrown into disarray when the bombs planted by the Tsarnaev brothers explode.

When the FBI moves in, battle lines are drawn between the local PD, the powers that be wanting to capture the criminals and the confusion and chaos that unfolds.

As previously mentioned, Patriots Day's strength comes from Berg's connection of the disparate strands and the docudrama style in which it plays out. Focussing more on the manhunt after the explosion (which comes 30 minutes into the film and shocks with its ordinariness), this restrained film spools with a suspense that's at times claustrophobic in its ordinariness. Shaky-cam footage of the scene, ground level cameras and real-life footage blend perfectly together to capture the horrific aftermath of the event and the bravura of the spirit of camaraderie that went on display.

Wahlberg excellently pulls together the everyman role once again, even if Tommy's clashes with the FBI seem a little orchestrated as the paean to policing and community plays out. But it's an unshowy performance from Wahlberg, although his composite character does somehow have the knack of showing up at all the key moments in the 100 plus hours after the event (something which possibly should have been jettisoned to inject a degree of more realism into the already volatile and gripping proceedings).

It's perhaps fair to say that some of the other characters within don't feel fully fleshed out and despite Berg's perhaps best intentions the Tsarnaev brothers never feel anything less than one dimensional from their watching bomb-making videos to their behaviour post bombing.

However, Patriots Day comes unstuck from its earnest intentions and solid presentation of timelines with a horrendously over-milked post-event sequence that interviews the victims of the event. It's almost as if the propaganda machine needs to pump to really galvanise the anger and showcase the courage on show.

With no disrespect to those caught up in the horrific events of April 2013, it's a wild directorial misstep for both Berg and the film (and other films are adopting this approach more readily, a kind of Hollywood coda to ladle on the true story syrup) that up until the end had been extraordinary in its showing of ordinariness in the face of overwhelming odds. This is fast becoming Hollywood's go-to denouement and it's not welcome or needed in the true story stakes - the film should be enough to satiate the story-telling and this should be confined to a DVD extra at best.

All things being even, Patriots Day remains a strongly and unexpectedly compelling watch despite this ending; from aerial shots showing the chaos and pandemonium post-event to the eerie calm of a city in lock-down, Berg's crafted an intriguing tale that borders on some jingoism and self-aggrandisement in the face of adversity.

But then, for a film titled Patriots Day and focussing on ordinary Americans, civic healing and the manhunt as the worst terrorist event played out post 9/11, what would you expect?