Bohemian Rhapsody: DVD Review

Bohemian Rhapsody: DVD Review

To be honest, Bohemian Rhapsody does not, and will not, care for what critics think.

This broad, crowd-pleasing attempt to turn Queen's life story - and ultimately, that of Freddie Mercury - into a cinematic experience, is more akin to putting an inordinate amount of money into a jukebox and blasting out Queen's Greatest Hits on repeat, with Brian May's guitar riffs ultimately numbing you into submission..

That is to say, the Antony McCarten-penned biopic is electric and offers a kind of magic only when its lead Rami Malek prances around on stage, overbite and all, effecting the mannerisms of Mercury himself and the flamboyancy of performance. It's here that Malek just about manages to transcend his "Stars In Their Eyes" moment to remind you of why these songs endure.

Unfortunately, it's all the rest of what sits in between the culmination of the Live Aid performance and Queen experimenting with their sound that feels like a bum B-side, depressingly put out solely because the label demands it.

Racing formulaically between narrative beats, and hitting every familiar moment of a rags-to-riches story - including family tensions and subsequent resolutions, Bohemian Rhapsody suffers from plodding plotting, a defiant coyness over the star's bisexuality and rampant hedonistic lifestyle and also offers an insulting nod'n'wink at hidden gay sexuality throughout. (It's no wonder Frankie Howerd's Up Pompeii is playing on a TV early on).

In many ways, it feels like a three act West End musical in its execution (though some drone shots at the Live Aid performance at the end are thrilling, a sense of spectacle and scale evident in every swoop from the skies through the crowd and to Freddie himself on stage) and is pigheadedly determined to ensure that it provides more dancing to the crowd as it dances around its subject, and subsequently provides rarely any insight into Mercury other than what the downpat story beats demand of it.

While Malek is transcendant at times, and occasionally sells the internal conflict of Mercury well, he's let down massively by a script that's as formulaic as it is predictable.

Ultimately, Bohemian Rhapsody is more interested in serving a crowd a slice of rock'n'roll pie than providing a full meal - heaven alone knows what Freddie would have made of it. 

Just Cause 4: PS4 Review

Just Cause 4: PS4 Review

Released by Square Enix
Developed by Avalanche Studios
Platform: PS4

Just Cause 3 was a blast; a game where logic defied the odds, and where physics was a concept rather than a reality.

But it was also a game that took its action movie roots seriously and progressed the story of revolution via Rico Rodriguez. Above all that it was also fun.

Just Cause 4, somewhat disappointingly, is a case of more of the same. But with a few technical issues marring the actual gameplay as well as new gadgets to tweak

This time, Rodriguez is taking on the Black Hand, a group of mercenaries last seen in the previous episodes as they sweep over Solis, a fictional South American country. But factored in this time to issues within Solis, Rodriguez has to deal with weather problems as well...and a father figure hides in the background

Just Cause 4 has a kernel of a good game within, but developers have over-complicated some of the gadgets in the hope of tweaking the system and improving on what was already done. It's a tough line to negotiate, embrace and enhance the past, but also try something new - and Avalanche don't quite get there.

Rico's trusty grappling hook has the ability to be updated with the chance to launch tethers with balloons on them to hoist people up and cars as well; or thrusters to do much the same. They're nice additions to have but difficult to execute in combat in reality. There's little time to quickly equip them and fire them off unless you plan ahead.

The reality is that Just Cause 4 feels like a progression of the third instalment; the flight abilities with wingsuits and parachutes still work incredibly well, shifting you around the world with speed and panache.

And the open world has potential but the place feels a little empty in places, with large swathes of fields having nothing but combatants within. Bolstering the army of rebels is one of the sole causes of the game, causing regions to be gradually liberated, and squads to push back the Black Hand factions.

It takes a little time to master the map skills, and the upgrade system as well; it's not intuitive and does feel a little over-complicated in parts. Extreme weather is nicely executed, but it's seldom the game-changer you'd be expecting, given the fanfare that comes with it.

Once Just Cause 4 has some of your time, you begin to realise the game's core mechanics are the same they have ever been - destruction is the name of the game still, and Just Cause 4's commitment to OTT set explosive pieces brings the fun that you'd expect.

There's a lot of repetition in the side missions and the main story as well, so you'd be forgiven for simply tooling up Rico and heading out into the world to see what happens - it's never as exciting as you'd expect and the feeling of deja vu is disappointing in some ways.

Ultimately Just Cause 4 does what it says on the tin - nothing more, nothing less.

Border: Film Review

Border: Film Review

Riffing on the actual borders of a country and also the borders of what lengths humanity will go to, Swedish drama Border is a curio of a film, anchored by a tenacious lead.

Based on a short story by Let The Right One In's John Ajvide Lindqvist, it's the story of Tina, a misfit integrated into society, who literally has a nose for trouble, but who sits on the fringes of the outside world.

Working as a border agent, and with an ability to sniff out guilt on people, Tina's a loner, separated by her looks from others, and with a father whose spiralling illness and dementia is further heightening her feeling of separation.

However, one day when Tina sniffs out another like her at the border, she finds her world changed.

Border is an intriguing mix of supernatural edges and drama as well as an interesting look at identity.
Eva Melander imbues Tina and her overbite neanderthal look with a great deal of heart and hesitancy.

Sniffing the air, second guessing herself and also using a sixth sense to connect to animals around her, Tina is a character out of place, but Melander's portrayal of her is never anything less than a lost soul trapped in a world she appears at odds with.

Themes of identity and embracing your own imperfections sit alongside Border's darker grittier edges (the likes of which are sadly spoilers to discuss) but director Ali Abbasi keeps the mystery rattling along - but never at the cost of the "human" element.

While the back third of the film suffers a little from some of its reveals, the tenacious performance of Melander helps overcome some of the narrative foibles, added in by a series of writers (including Holiday's director Isabella Eklof) and expanding from the original story.

At its heart, Border is about the borders between light and dark; but equally, it's actually more about the borders of the self and identity.

It's one of the more genre audacious films in the festival and proffers an intriguing insight into another world - and our own humanity. 

Alita: Battle Angel: Film Review

Alita: Battle Angel: Film Review

Cast: Rosa Salazar, Christoph Waltz, Jennifer Connelly, Ed Skrein, Mahersha Ali
Director: Robert Rodriguez

Little more than the sum of its hollow parts, Alita: Battle Angel is a spectacle bar none.

Sat with James Cameron for the best part of two decades, the CGI movie, which meshes cyberpunk with Young Adult sensibilities (not always successfully, one may add) is an interesting start to the beginning of a hopeful franchise.

Taken from the Manga source material Battle Angel Alita, Waltz is Dr Dyson Ido, a cyber-surgeon in a city several centuries in the future. Finding a cyborg with a functioning heart in the scrapyard, Ido rebuilds her in the hope that she will live again.

But when Alita (Salazar, recently seen in Bird Box) comes around, she has no memory of who or what she is. Hunted for what she represents, Alita finds her world turned upside down as she regains flashes of who she is.

It's fair to say that Alita: Battle Angel looks incredible.

The mix of the CGI realisation and the integration of technology with human edges is nothing short of flawless, and Salazar brings life to the CGI character lead, lending a heart that's needed.

Alita's wide eyes may suggest innocence and be in keeping with anime's trademarks, but it also helps the character stand out from the crowd, as she's forced to deliver some truly groan-worthy dialogue, ripped from the pages of a pulpy Young Adult novel, via some Nicholas Sparks style imagery.

Waltz adds humanity to his doctor, ensuring that the paternal relationship hits the right notes, even if it follows down the well-worn paths of any father-daughter movie.

It's Alita's mix of familiar that stops the film from feeling truly original; from elements of Rollerball crossed with Transformers, portions of the City that Never Sleeps Spider-Man DLC, via Detroit:
Becoming Human, Ghost In the Shell elements, to a love story in among separated societies that was part of Mortal Engines, there's an incredible sense of deja vu on show here, coupled with a feeling that the story's as low stakes as it could be, with frustrating hints proffered of what could come in a future instalment.

Whether that does eventuate will be another matter entirely, and certainly in the film's back 20 minutes, the feeling of resolution is frustrated by out-of-character character behaviours that don't gel and jar the flow.

Ultimately, Alita: Battle Angel is a worthy attempt at something new and is visionary in its visual execution once again (as you'd expect from Cameron et al) - but once again, a sci-fi epic is frustratingly hamstrung by its human edges, and its lack of commitment to tone that leaves Alita floundering for a USP in an ever-crowded pantheon of franchise wannabes.

This Week in GTA Online: The Schyster Deviant Muscle Car, Schyster T-Shirt Unlock, Double GTA$ & RP Opportunities, Weekend Bonuses and More

This Week in GTA Online: The Schyster Deviant Muscle Car, Schyster T-Shirt Unlock, Double GTA$ & RP Opportunities, Weekend Bonuses and More

Southern San Andreas’ roads get a little beefier with the arrival of the Schyster Deviant muscle car, now available at Legendary Motorsport. Players can also log in anytime this week to receive a free Schyster T-shirt, along with opportunities to receive GTA$50,000 and rare vehicle manufacturer and DJ T-Shirts for each delivered Business Battle Crate.

Double GTA$ & RP opportunities abound this week in the new RC Bandito Races and likewise for those looking to settle scores in Trading Places (Remix). Nightclub owners will also receive a 2X Boost on Nightclub Popularity from Nightclub Management missions during the same period, along with a doubling of Nightclub Income.

Players can continue earning a GTA$250K reward for logging in each weekend this February, with the possibility of being awarded up to GTA$1M in total.

Please see below for further details, including discounts on select Properties and Vehicles and more.

Once upon a time the Deviant was considered an underdog in the muscle car field. But in the land of opportunity, an underdog is only a genetically-engineered monstrosity in waiting, and that’s something Team Schyster know all too well. Revamped, remodeled, re-engineered and released on the unsuspecting streets of Los Santos, the Schyster Deviant is back with a point to prove - available now at Legendary Motorsport. 

Challenge miniscule racers at major stakes with Double GTA$ & RP on the recently released RC Bandito Races all week long, then settle the age-old conflict between Beast and Juggernaut to earn double rewards on Trading Places (Remix) for the same period.

Pack the house at twice the speed this week with a 2X Boost on Nightclub Popularity gained from Nightclub Management missions. You'll also rake in Nightclub Income at twice the usual rate - just be sure to empty your safe when it reaches capacity.

To celebrate the release of the Deviant, Team Schyster is awarding all players who log in this week with a freeSchyster T-shirt. 

And for a limited time, successfully delivered Business Battle Crates have a chance of awarding a cool GTA$50,000, along with a hand-picked mix of rare T-Shirts from your favorite vehicle manufacturers and After Hours DJs.

Play GTA Online any weekend this February to earn a GTA$250K reward the following week, up to GTA$1M for the month. So if you played at any point between February 1^st and 3rd, be sure to jump in this weekend to claim your first GTA$250K cash drop.

Make the most of this week's Nightclub bonuses with a suite of After Hours discounts to get you up and running: 

• Nightclubs & Renovations – 30% off
• Nightclub Garages – 30% off
• Nightclub Warehouses – 30% off
• Nightclub DJs – 30% off
• Maibatsu Mule Custom – 30% off
• MTL Pounder Custom – 30% off

And save big on a host of bleeding-edge machinery through February 13th - stage your hacking operations from the safety of the Benefactor Terrorbyte or reign supreme in the Arena with the MTL Cerberus:

• Pegassi Oppressor Mk II – 25% off
• Benefactor Terrorbyte – 35% off
• Benefactor Terrorbyte Add-Ons & Renovations – 30% off
• Annis ZR380 – 25% off
• MTL Cerberus – 25% off
• HVY Menacer – 35% off
• B-11 Strikeforce – 35% off

For more information on all the latest GTA Online bonuses and coming events, head to the Social Club Events page.

The Front Runner: Film Review

The Front Runner: Film Review

Cast: Hugh Jackman, Vera Farmiga, Sara Paxton, JK Simmons
Director: Jason Reitman

It's perhaps pertinent that Reitman's film about Senator Gary Hart (Jackman, dialling down his usual dazzling charisma) deals a lot with the so-called intrusion of the press rather than the actual scandal which subsumed the man.

Jackman is Hart, who after a failed campaign in 1984, comes back to try again. Entering the Democratic Presidential Nomination race as the clear front runner, Hart looks like he could be the change that's needed.

But backstage, in the journalism world, accusations begin to swirl ever more strongly of the possibility he's having an affair - and emboldened by a tip off to a local paper, the desire to hold him to account begins to grow stronger as the debate over to whether to ask him divides newsrooms.

It's an interesting discussion about where scrutiny ends and where intrusion begins, and certainly drawing from the source material that covers such a debate, Reitman's film feels more weighted to ethics than the actual drama of what's transpired.

But in some ways, it's also emboldened by a dawdling journey that takes it away from the norm.

Questions over Hart are never clearly answered, even though they're defined, and Jackman's downplaying of the senator certainly helps to create a murkiness and uncertainty over who's right or what actually happened. Reitman's smart enough to only hint at what transpired - and certainly with Paxton's turn as the mistress thrown to the lions, there's always a feeling that the scales are tipped against Hart. But it doesn't quite lend the film to the concept of must-see drama; more overly long set up piece.

However, Jackman plays it well; snapping with intensity as the degrees of arrogance within unfurl - and thanks to an unfussy direction from Reitman, the film's strength lies in its relationships, not its extra-marital ones.

Ethics certainly provoke interest, and while the film's less dramatic than you'd expect, it's still a slow-burning engager at times. JK Simmons delivers strength in a part that becomes less and less as the film plays out - the weariness of his face tells more than a blustering soliloquy could.

There are moments when characters and events feel side-lined but the aforementioned unfussy approach to the story lend it a thoughtful credence and quality of debate over intrusion that plays on the mind after it's finished.

Win a double pass to see WHAT MEN WANT

Win a double pass to see WHAT MEN WANT

To celebrate the release of WHAT MEN WANT, in cinemas February 14, you can win a double pass.

About What Men Want

Ali Davis (Taraji P. Henson) is a successful sports agent who’s constantly boxed out by her male colleagues.

When Ali is passed up for a well-deserved promotion, she questions what else she needs to do to succeed in a man’s world... until she gains the ability to hear men’s thoughts!

With her newfound power, Ali looks to outsmart her colleagues as she races to sign the next basketball superstar, but the lengths she has to go to will put her relationship with her best friends and a potential new love interest (Aldis Hodge) to the test.

WHAT MEN WANT is the latest comedy from director Adam Shankman (HAIRSPRAY) and producers Will Packer and James Lopez (GIRLS TRIP), co-starring Tracy Morgan, Richard Roundtree, Wendi McLendon-Covey, Josh Brener, Tamala Jones, Phoebe Robinson, Max Greenfield, Jason Jones, Brian Bosworth, Chris Witaske and Erykah Badu.