Storm Boy: Film Review

Storm Boy: Film Review

Cast: Geoffrey Rush, Jai Courtney, Finn Little, Erik Thomson, Trevor Jamieson
Director: Shawn Seet

Based on a famous Australian school text by Colin Thiele, Shawn Seet's reimagining of the 1976 film Storm Boy digs deep from the well of earnest reaction to environmental concerns, while never straying too far from the central story of a boy and his friendship with a pelican.

Rush is a mournful Mike Kingley, called into a family conference over whether to allow a sell off of land for mining. Unsettled by his granddaughter's complaints over whether it's morally right, Mike decides to reflect on his past relationship with his own father and with a trio of orphaned pelicans he rescued from hunters.

Storm Boy is a curio of a film.

Clearly, in some ways, out of time from what kids and teens may come to expect from films in these superhero-filled days, Storm Boy charts a path towards a decent relationship movie, that's somewhat stymied by unsubtle touches of environmentalism.

The central story set in the past between Mike and his relatively aloof father (Courtney, doing a lot with very little) is your typical tale of man and animal bond, given a refreshing honesty and earnestness that proves hard to deny.

But the flashes back and forth prevent the narrative from fully feeling fleshed out and create a disruptive flow that's hard to shake, in among Seet's overuse of slow-mo shots and blurred images of hunters, guns and waters sullied by cans.

Rush is nicely mournful, and delivers a character who clearly rues a lot of what life has dealt to him, as he faces one last real chance of making a difference for eternity. There's a soulful edge to his performance, and while some may be too caught up in the troubles facing him in real life to focus on what's on screen, he more than delivers a melancholy turn.

In the flashbacks, the contrast with wide-eyed newcomer Little and slightly underplayed Courtney works well. And certainly the animal interactions add much heart to keep the younger end of the audience engaged.

While the film's less successful with its environmental edges, preferring to be blurred rather than outright and honest, Storm Boy is a film that feels refreshingly old school and yet bizarrely, may fail to find an audience who will be anything but inured to its charms.

Night School: DVD Review

Night School: DVD Review

From no less than six writers, "comedy" Night School aims low and continues to mine low, before delivering an unearned sentimentally sappy ending.

Hart plays Teddy Walker, a high school dropout who's living beyond his means as a BBQ salesman, and with a girlfriend Lisa clearly above his league. When a proposal goes awry, and Walker blows up the BBQ store, he realises it's time to go back to school and secure the GED diploma he never got so that he can progress in life.

But with a headmaster nemesis from his past (Killam) and a sassy teacher (Haddish) who won't stand for any of his smooth talking and desire to sail past, Teddy has his Night School work cut out.

Night School fails on many levels, but is happy to embrace as much dumb as it can to deliver what little laughs it has

The bar's set low early on when Hart's Walker pulls out his own pubic hair at a restaurant and plants it on his food to avoid paying a hefty bill, and then it keeps just going lower.

But the broad missives aren't particularly of the highest calibre, and don't always hit the target.

While Hart and Haddish have a nice caustic rapport that inevitably softens, their banter and childish rows feel improvised enough at times to hit some of the sweeter spots needed. But there's little to build on, and scant nothing to fully develop.

There could be an outsiders' Breakfast Club to be had here, with the misfits gang in place. To be frank though, Night School's characters are less than memorable and idiotically annoying.

However, a script that piles dumb on cliched and unoriginal doesn't help much - from the usual steal the exam heist to Rob Riggle's attempt at Tom Cruise's high rise misfire, Night School's lack of anything overtly or consistently funny really makes the film drag.

There will be audiences (possibly boozed up) who will adore this, but their adoration is misplaced.

Granted, there are some laughs to be had from Walker's one-liners, but once again Hart's comedy schtick just doesn't cut it thanks to a script that's woefully weak (even with six writers). Depressingly over-long, woefully not funny enough and as painful as nails on a school chalk board, this Night School sadly flunks out, without any chance to redeem itself.

Watch it be big at the box office. 

The Kid Who Would Be King: Film Review

The Kid Who Would Be King: Film Review

Cast: Louis Ashbourne Serkis, Tom Taylor, Patrick Stewart, Rebecca Ferguson, Dean Chaumoo
Director: Joe Cornish

There's no hiding from British films as the stench of Brexit starts to creep in.

And in Attack The Block director Joe Cornish's latest, which he wrote as well, The Kid Who Would Be King reeks of both the problems of the current United Kingdom's plight (albeit at a surface level), but also global uncertainty. Along with the aimlessness of contemporary society, Cornish has his sights squarely set on making sure the kids don't feel lost in a present of our own making.

Throw in a message of empowering the kids against the problems of today for the future, amid the contemporary transposition of the Arthurian legends, and it's clear what The Kid Who Would Be King is trying to do.

Serkis is 12-year-old Alex, a non-consequential kid in a school in England. Mates with bullied Bedders (Chaumoo, who may leave you feeling like he's channelling Julian Dennison), Alex stands up for what's right - despite the right thing being to his detriment.

One day, while escaping the bullies, Alex discovers a sword in a stone slab at a construction site, and quicker than you can say Lady of the Lake, Excalibur or any of the Arthur lore, pulls it out.

But under the ground, Arthur's long-lost half sister Morgana (Ferguson, underused) is stirring, ready to take the world as her own, now it's in a fragile state.

Much like Attack The Block did, The Kid Who Would Be King bandies together an 80s style gang of kids (once again, multi-cultural) to save the world. This time though, they lack the killer charisma of the first, but in some ways, that's perhaps the point, as these are everyday kids, given a bit of the once-over-lightly treatment.

That flaw does slightly show in the quest portion of the film as Cornish reinvents the Arthurian legends to fit his own ends. And it does feel padded in parts as it heads toward its inexorable CGI denouement. But it helps that what transpires riffs nicely on the likes of Lord Of The Rings and Percy Jackson and even has its own baddies in the form of flaming sword carrying CGI creatures.

The Kid Who Would Be King: Film Review

Serkis makes a reasonable lead, doing the best with what he has to work with, and even getting some laughs out of lines like "I'm 12, I'm not even old enough to do a paper round" when Alex's told he is the future king. He also brings some heft to the fatherless storyline - though in truth Patrick Stewart (complete with Led Zeppelin T-Shirt) does a lot of that with his Merlin. There's a lot riding on the tales he learned as a child, and the tales he's told now by friends or by family - but Serkis translates that through the prism of an ordinary kid, trying to do the best he can.

Gently earnest, with an exhortation to listen to the kids of the present, because they are the leaders of our future, The Kid Who Would Be King wears its empowerment message with pride - but it never loses sight of the fact it's there to serve as escapist family entertainment - and does so admirably.

Join Mario And Luigi On A Fun-Filled Platforming Adventure In New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe, Out Now On Nintendo Switch

Join Mario And Luigi On A Fun-Filled Platforming Adventure In New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe, Out Now On Nintendo Switch

JOIN MARIO AND LUIGI ON A FUN-FILLED PLATFORMING ADVENTURE IN NEW SUPER MARIO BROS. U DELUXE, OUT NOW ON NINTENDO SWITCH

Includes 164 courses which can be enjoyed by up to four players of all skill levels, while newcomer-friendly character Toadette makes her first appearance

Run, leap and stomp through 164 2D side-scrolling courses in traditional Super Mario style in New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe, out now for Nintendo Switch. Using a single Joy-Con each, up to four players* can work together to grab coins and topple enemies on their way to the Goal Pole, while in challenge mode, players must compete to see who can nab the most gold in frantic, friendly – and above all, fun – competition.

New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe contains both New Super Mario Bros. U and the more challenging New Super Luigi U. While seasoned players can play as iconic characters Mario, Luigi and Toad, two new characters also join the mix – Toadette and Nabbit. Younger or less-experienced players can choose to play with these new characters, as they offer extra assistance during play. When Toadette picks up a Super Crown, she turns into Peachette and can double jump, float slowly during freefall and boost back up when she falls in a pit. When playing as Nabbit, players won’t be hurt by enemies and can earn extra 1UPs at the end of stages.

On top of both adventures, New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe features a variety of game modes to entertain players of all skill levels, either alone or together. Players can test their skills in dozens of varied and crafty trials designed for players of any ability. Race to the goal as fast as you can in Time Attack, grab all the coins in Coin Collection, or do your best to stay airborne by jumping on multiple enemies in 1-Up Rally. In Special, players will need to complete very particular conditions to advance, such as taking on a course without touching any enemies, coins, or cannonballs. Players can watch a series of over 200 online videos** from the game’s development team, showcasing some nifty tricks you can use to topple those tricky tests – useful for when players are stuck on a level or challenge.

New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe is the latest title joining the wide range of software anyone can enjoy on Nintendo Switch, the unique home console from Nintendo that can be taken on the go. Nintendo Switch includes two Joy-Con controllers for multiplayer fun right out of the box, making it perfect for playing games anytime, anywhere, with anyone. The Nintendo Switch  software library includes more than a thousand titles for all tastes and experience levels, including Pokémon: Let’s Go, Pikachu! and Pokémon: Let’s Go, Eevee!, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, and the unique make, play and discover experience of Nintendo Labo.

Join Mario and Luigi and take on 164 courses in New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe, available now on Nintendo Switch. Using a single Joy-Con each, up to four players can enjoy a variety of game modes, anytime, anywhere.

DEAD OR ALIVE 6’s RELEASE DATE MOVED TO 1ST MARCH 2019

DEAD OR ALIVE 6’s RELEASE DATE MOVED TO 1ST MARCH 2019

DEAD OR ALIVE 6’s RELEASE DATE MOVED TO 1^ST MARCH 2019

Team NINJA Changes Worldwide Release Date In Order To Further Polish Upcoming Fighter

KOEI TECMO Europe and Team NINJA announced today that DEAD OR ALIVE 6 will now be released worldwide on the 1^st March 2019. The change in date, originally scheduled for a 15^th February 2019 release, is due to the developer’s desire to further enhance and balance the hotly-anticipated fighting game.

“The title's development is already near complete; however, we would like to take more time to further polish its balance, gameplay, and expressivity. In return for your patience, we commit to bringing you the best DEAD OR ALIVE gaming experience,” said Yohei Shimbori, the game’s Producer and Director. “I am truly sorry for the inconvenience caused by the release delay of DEAD OR ALIVE 6.”

DEAD OR ALIVE 6 is currently in development for the PlayStation®4 Computer Entertainment System, the Xbox One family of devices including the Xbox One X, the all-in-one games and entertainment system from Microsoft, and digitally on Windows PC via Steam®. For the latest information on the game, please visit our official website at https://www.teamninja-studio.com/doa6/. Also, be sure to Like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/DeadorAliveGame; and Follow us on Twitter @DOATEC_OFFICIAL.

A Limited Time “1-Shot Demo” Event for Resident Evil 2 is out now on PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC!

A Limited Time “1-Shot Demo” Event for Resident Evil 2 is out now on PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC!

A Limited Time “1-Shot Demo” Event for Resident Evil 2 is Coming to PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC!

Horror fans around the world will get an intense sneak peek at Capcom’s hotly anticipated title Resident Evil 2 before its launch with a special demo event starting this week for PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC players via Steam. Available to download for a limited time from Jan. 11 to Jan. 31, this will be the first opportunity for fans to experience the completely reimagined horror classic from home.

Aptly named the “1-Shot Demo,” players must take on the challenge of surviving the horrors of Raccoon City in just 30 minutes. If players complete the mission objective under 30 minutes, they can restart the mission until they use up their full time. If players succumb to the zombies during their 30 minutes, they can continue any number of times until the full 30 minutes have been reached.

The end of the demo reveals a brand new cinematic trailer exclusive to demo participants. While players cannot restart the playable demo after their time is up, there are no limitations on how many times the trailer can be viewed.

In the “1-Shot demo,” players step into the boots of rookie police officer Leon S. Kennedy as he arrives at Raccoon City Police Station in the ultimate worst first day on the job. Leon must survive vicious zombies and solve puzzles to find safe passage out of the station. With an entire building of flesh-eating nightmares lurking between Leon and his escape while the clock ticks down, players need to be sure they’re killing more than just time.

About Resident Evil 2

Using Capcom’s proprietary RE ENGINE, Resident Evil 2 offers a fresh take on the classic survival horror saga with breathtakingly realistic visuals, heart-poundingly immersive audio, a new over-the-shoulder camera, and modernized controls on top of gameplay modes from the original game. The classic action, tense exploration, and puzzle solving gameplay that defined the Resident Evil series returns. Players join rookie police officer Leon S. Kennedy and college student Claire Redfield, who are thrust together by a disastrous outbreak in Raccoon City that transformed its population into deadly zombies. Both Leon and Claire have their own separate playable campaigns, allowing players to see the story from both characters’ perspectives.

The full Resident Evil 2 game will be available for PlayStation 4, Xbox One and Windows PC on January 25, 2019.

Robin Hood: Film Review

Robin Hood: Film Review

Cast: Taron Egerton, Jamie Foxx, Jamie Dornan, Ben Mendelsohn, Eve Hewson, Tim Minchin
Director: Otto Bathurst

This is not the story you know.

So intones the voiceover that bookends the 2018 version of Robin Hood, a quite frankly baffling piece of film that seems intent on making a Call Of Duty version of the myth, and setting it against a backdrop of 80s rock video pyrotechnics.

Egerton is Robin of Loxley, a Lord of the manor of Nottingham, whose life is changed when he's drafted up to the crusades and torn from the love of his life Marian (Hewson, at times channelling a younger Emily Blunt). On returning injured from the Crusades, Robin (Rob to his mates, bizarrely) finds he's been declared dead - and teaming up with Foxx's John, he begins to rob from the Sheriff of Nottingham's war taxes to help.

But John advises him the best way to upset the apple cart, is to cosy up to the sheriff...

The 2018 version of Robin Hood is a film that's more about the fast cuts, and action than the subtlety and nuance of other versions.

Mixing comedy as well, Robin Hood feels like a hybrid of so many different elements from its Iraq war style Crusades opening through to its death-metal pyrotechnics; nothing quite gels as it should.

And while Egerton delivers a variant of his Kingsman character, and gives The Hood some vigilante justice elements that wouldn't feel out of place in a CW series, there's very much a feeling of Foxx playing Alfred to Egerton's Bruce Wayne in the start of Batman Begins.

There's a hint of Bathurst playing fast and loose with style here and trying to set up a sort of Robin Hood cinematic universe (implied by its end), but what transpires is a film that flounders for any identity of its own, other than a downpat action wannabe.

It's set up well as an idea, but Robin Hood fails to hit the mark as much as it should, making it feel like a splendid misfire more than anything else.