Win a double pass to see A Quiet Place

Win a double pass to see A Quiet Place

You can win a double pass to see A Quiet Place in cinemas

Produced by Michael Bay, Andrew Form, Brad Fuller

Story by Bryan Woods & Scott Beck

Screenplay by Bryan Woods & Scott Beck and John Krasinski

Directed by John Krasinski

Emily Blunt, John Krasinski, Noah Jupe & Millicent Simmonds

If they can’t hear you, they can’t hunt you.

A Quiet Place hits cinemas April 4.
  To win a double pass, all you have to do is email  your details to this  address: darrensworldofentertainment@gmail.com or CLICK HERE NOW!

Include your name and address and title your email SHHHHHHHHHHH!
Competition closes April 4th

Win a Sherlock Gnomes prize pack

Win a Sherlock Gnomes prize pack

Starring James McAvoy, Emily Blunt, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Maggie Smith, Michael Caine, Ashley Jensen, Matt Lucas, Stephen Merchant, Mary J. Blige and Johnny Depp

The beloved garden gnomes from GNOMEO AND JULIET are back for a whole new adventure in London.

When Gnomeo and Juliet first arrive in the city with their friends and family, their biggest concern is getting their new garden ready for spring.

However, they soon discover that someone is kidnapping garden gnomes all over London.

When Gnomeo and Juliet return home to find that everyone in their garden is missing – there’s onlyone gnome to call… SHERLOCK GNOMES.

The famous detective and sworn protector of London’s garden gnomes arrives with his sidekick Watson to investigate the case.

The mystery will lead our gnomes on a rollicking adventure where they will meet all new ornaments and explore an undiscovered side of the city.

Sherlock Gnomes hits cinemas April 12th

  To win a prize pack, all you have to do is email  your details to this  address: darrensworldofentertainment@gmail.com or CLICK HERE NOW!

Include your name and address and title your email SHERLOCK!
Competition closes APRIL 12TH

Thor Ragnarok: DVD Review

Thor Ragnarok: DVD Review

Director: Taika Waititi

Increasingly, Marvel's cinematic universe appears to largely be abandoning its dramatic edges and opting for humour to wow the crowds.

In a trend majorly signalled and kick-started by Guardians of the Galaxy's first outing, humour has become a crutch for the last batch of films, and is threatening to overthrow any dramatic investment you may have in the ongoing series.

It's a leaning followed - perhaps to the very extremes of the spectrum - by Kiwi director Taika Waititi's Thor: Ragnarok, the latest Marvel film to hit and the third stand-alone for Chris Hemsworth's golden-haired god.

Troubled by visions of Asgard falling and Ragnarok destroying all, Thor returns home to find Loki's Odin imposter ruling the roost (and allowing Anthony Hopkins to play fast and loose with the king of the gods).

But when the real Odin passes on, the true threat to Asgard rises, in the form of the missing Hela (Cate Blanchett, all emo and Maleficent style-costuming). Angry at being written out of the planet's history, Hela decides to re-ignite her appetite for destruction.

However, when Thor rises up to face the challenge, he finds himself stranded on the planet Sakaar, as a prisoner and forced to fight against The Hulk, gladiator-style at the whim of the Grandmaster (an obtusely eccentric Goldblum).

The day-glo blast of colour and 80s matinee style vibe of Waititi's Thor: Ragnarok is a colourful distraction.

Waititi continues to bring clarity and a distinctive edge to the dealing out of action scenes, handling CGI and clear-cut action as masterfully as he did Hunt For the Wilderpeople's final chase sequence.

And he's infused the trappings of the Marvel with a lighter touch, that, in all honesty, at times threatens to over-power the final mix. There's so much Kiwi humour in this that it feels, at times, more hokey-pokey than Marvel hokum.

Unfortunately, the dramatic edges are frayed under the strain of too much humour; stakes never feel woefully threatened enough and the eccentricities and lighter feel veer dangerously close to overwhelming.

Once again, the villain of the piece (in this case, Blanchett's Hela) never feels like too much of a threat, with the familial feeling all too familiar.

While Waititi's film manages to keep things intimate in some sense of scale and action, the price of the comedy for Thor: Ragnarok's dramatic raison d'etre is threatening.

It's easy to understand why Hemsworth found the latest Thor iteration appealing - essentially, it gives him a chance to showcase his comedic side (and also helps him to stray away from the po-faced Thor we've experienced before). Coupled with Ruffalo's Hulk, the pair form a buddy movie in the middle part of the film as they try to escape.

It's not that the 80s drenched, synth-scored and candy blast of colours Thor: Ragnarok isn't fun by any stretch of the imagination. And it certainly isn't that Waititi's not to be commended for his eye behind the camera.
As a scavenger, Tessa Thompson is perhaps the film's MVP - a booze-swilling swagger disguising a secret. Her turn gives the film a frisson of cool that's needed and grounds it in a slightly stronger edge.

Ultimately, it's the story-telling which lets Thor: Ragnarok down a little. With the drama not as strong as it could be, the fun elements are Waititi's trademark unlikely characters in mundane settings.
And while it's a comedic tour-de-force for Hemsworth, it's certainly a Marvel film that doesn't potentially quite stand up to repeated viewings.

Waititi deserves saluting for the crowd-pleasing elements of Thor: Ragnarok overall, and there will be many who feel the fun edges make it a cinematic night out worth taking, but in this mind, it feels like Marvel's reaching a crisis point as it's gone as far as it can on both fronts, and is in danger of humour being the constant crutch and hook.

With a plethora of more releases planned and scripts to be written, it almost feels like we're bordering on breaking point for the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

A new direction needs to be found quickly if the continued cinematic saturation isn't going to be too much for repeat viewers and audiences to bear, and those searching for dramatic nourishment don't go wanting.

Oscars 2018 winners

Oscars 2018 winners

Here is the full list of the 2018 Oscar Awards aka the 90th Academy Awards:

The full list of 2018 Oscar winners is:
Best Picture:
The Shape of Water

Lead Actor:
Gary Oldman, Darkest Hour

Lead Actress:
Frances McDormand, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

Supporting Actor:
Sam Rockwell, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

Supporting Actress:
Allison Janney, I, Tonya

Director:
Guillermo del Toro, The Shape of Water

Animated Feature:
Coco

Live Action Short:
The Silent Child

Adapted Screenplay:
James Ivory, Call Me by Your Name

Original Screenplay:
Jordan Peele, Get Out

Cinematography:
Roger Deakins, Blade Runner 2049

Documentary Feature:
Icarus

Documentary Short Subject:
Heaven is a Traffic Jam on the 405

Animated Short Film:
Dear Basketball

Foreign Language Film:
A Fantastic Woman (Chile)

Film Editing:
Lee Smith, Dunkirk

Sound Editing:
Alex Gibson & Richard King, Dunkirk

Sound Mixing:
Mark Weingarten, Gregg Landaker, and Gary A. Rizzo, Dunkirk

Production Design:
The Shape of Water

Original Score:
Alexandre Desplat, The Shape of Water

Original Song:
Remember Me from Coco by Kristen Anderson-Lopez & Robert Lopez

Makeup and Hair:
Darkest Hour

Costume Design:
Phantom Thread

Visual Effects:
Blade Runner 2049

Need for Speed: Payback: Xbox One Review

Need for Speed Payback: XBox One Review

Released by EA

Platform: XBox One

The Need for Speed series is one that's clearly always aimed for stupidity over anything else.

Essentially about the wipeouts and the totalling of your opposition on the road, this is the 23rd entrant into the series (there are as many of these as there are Fast and Furious series entrants clearly) and to be honest, it feels a little like the wheels are falling off.

Set in the fictional world of Fortune Valley, the game plonks you right in the middle of the action as one of three playable characters who get caught up in a heist that doesn't go according to plan.

Being set up by a shady boss and being betrayed, it's up to you to clear their name and get revenge (the payback of the title obviously).

With around 18 hours of story to get through, there's enough to dive into with Need for Speed: Payback, but what happens with the game is the more time you spend with it, the more you realise how it pales compared to the previous entrants.

It's barely helped by the cliched dialogue and lunkheaded way the story unfolds - yes, I know you're not expecting Oscar worthy material for games sometimes, but the reality is, the more engaging it is, the better the immersion - and I found myself rolling my eyes too much too often.

A lot of the game's pulled back from what the series used to offer - be it the police chases or the wipeouts, it just seems a hell of a lot tamer than it was in the past with checkpoints and targets to hit rather than seat-of-your-pants-moments which make you question if you'll escape in time.

The thrill wanes in many ways - and while graphically the game's good, solid just doesn't seem to be enough for this latest Payback.

Slow mo crashes happen here and there and the opening sequence where you segue from racer to racer clearly has been ripped from the Grand Theft Auto and Forza series, but that's also part of the problem.

Little in Need for Speed: Payback feels original or clever - in fact, it feels rushed, lazy and more homage to the series than anything.

Plenty of side quests may offer enough to do, but given involvement and immersion in the game are lighter than ever, it's almost a waste of time.

Ultimately, Need for Speed: Payback is an exercise in playable formula - but it's a disappointment in terms of what the Need For Speed series signifies - and what it could be.

Fe: PS4 Review

Fe: PS4 Review

Developed by Zoink Games
Published by EA Games
Platform: PS4

The idea of a game as exploration is not a new one.

Since thatgamecompany's 2012 release Journey re-defined the emotions and the raison d'etre for the genre with its combination of haunting music and genuine feels during a sparse narrative that won multi Game of The Year awards, there's been an ongoing hunt for games that really recapture that vibe.

The latest is Fe, from indie developers Zoink Games who were responsible for Stick It To The Man.

Taking on the role of a fox-like creature, called Fe, you find yourself in a forest environment that's riddled with entities known as the Silent Ones.

These creatures, which scrabble like spiders and stand tall like an elongated Mike from Monsters Inc., are currently tearing up the forest, imprisoning critters and generally appear to at war with the environment.

As Fe, you venture though the forest, learning new animal languages, interacting with your surroundings and avoiding the glare of the Silent Ones. During the journey, different parts of the world open up as the fox gains various new levels of intellect.

From the EA Originals stable, which caters for indie developers, Fe is a game that's hard to review.

Much like Journey did when it first emerged, part of the engagement of the game is finding out what needs to be done and simply getting on with it.

Fe doesn't rely on hand-holding, offers no instructions and can occasionally be frustrating if you're stuck without a clue how to overcome an obstacle.

It means the traditional elements of gameplay rely on you being intuitive and connecting with nature, rather than hurtling through the forest ignoring everything around you. (To some, that may be the hidden message of life, but again, you take out what you put in in this game.)

Bathed in hues of purples, blues, and blurred colours means that Fe's look is unique.

However, it also means that occasionally, it's hard to know which parts of the environment can be used to your advantage. Fe is able to scamper up trees and leap from one peak to the next; but from time to time, the uncertainty over whether a tree can actually be climbed (due to odd mechanics) means you're stuck trying to do the simplest of things.

And the lack of direct idea what to do won't be for everyone.

Even though you can corral birds into helping by singing to them (by depressing the R2 button) and other animals can help (you bond with them by chanting in a similar way to how Abe did with fellow Mudokons in Abe's Oddysee), it will take patience to get through the game and its mechanics. Once you're au fait with it, you'll find yourself rushing around trying to solve the mysteries, which become less tangible as time goes on.

In fact, the reward for so doing in Fe is solid, but not as in-depth as Journey.

However, Fe offers up a tantalising look at what indie gaming could be on the big stage; a game where the smaller moments matter and the destination isn't as important apparently as the journey itself - no matter how occasionally flawed the trip appears to be.

Shadow of the Colossus: PS4 Review

Shadow of the Colossus: PS4 Review

Platform: PS4
Developer: Team Ico, SIE Japan Studio

Cited as one of the most important games to be released on the PlayStation, the revamped and re-visualised version of the 2002 PS2 classic will appeal if you're in a mood for nostalgia - but may frustrate if you remember some of the issues of The Last Guardian's release last year.

Essentially a spiritual quest with some fight sequences thrown in, Shadow of the Colossus puts you in the position of playing Wander, a boy who, as the game starts, appears to be carrying the body of a girl on the back of his horse.

As he lays her body down in a shrine in a temple, Wander's given the chance to bring her back to life
- if he slays the various Colossi wandering the land. Each of their deaths returns a piece of his beloved's soul to life.

However, it's not that easy to achieve.

With a sword that shines a light to the location of the nearest Colossus and a trusty steed to transport you to where you have to go, it should, in theory, be simple.

But the game's edges may leave you extremely frustrated if you're not fully engaged with the arc of the journey.

While the remaster for the PS4 has made the vast lands that Wander travels through sparkle and come to life, with the grasses swaying in the breeze and horizons seeming more defined than earlier iterations of the game, there are still some previous console tics that make the game a rip-your-face-off frustration.

Principally, an appalling camera that spins around really grates - it barely centres on what you fully want it to when it's most crucially needed.

Much like The Last Guardian's camera issues which left jumping a gamble, Shadow Of The Colossus's camera can take you out of a fight at a crucial moment, meaning you're stomped on and dead before you can take stock of where you are.

Equally, Wander's horse Agro is nigh on uncontrollable at the most basic of times - unless you're doing anything other than flying forward in a straight line. It'll hurtle into walls, graphic glitches cause the critter to mesh with rock formations and bizarrely, it'll climb some rocks and not others.

The lack of consistency is puzzling at best, and irritating as hell at worst.

It's a shame because these two central niggles actually do more to remove you from the gameplay than you'd ever like.

At the moments when it soars, Shadow of The Colossus is incredible.

Taking on a titan and clambering up and around it to bring it down is a task in itself. Whether the beast tries to shake you loose or you spend time hanging on for dear life, the fight scenes, along with their stunning orchestrations and OST, are riveting to play - and warrant the time investment.

There are spiritual moments within the game as well, but while the original Shadow of the Colossus may have garnered a PS2 and PS3 redo, the PS4's lush-looking remaster looks great, even if it plays like a last gen game.

It's obvious that Shadow of the Colossus is trading on the nostalgia of users at a quieter time, and while this is definitely a game that's more about the journey than the stopovers, it may be puzzling to the current generation who trade other specifics over emotional investment and time.