What Men Want: Film Review

What Men Want: Film Review

Cast: Taraji P Henson, Tracy Morgan, Aldis Hodge, Josh Brener
Director: Adam Shankman

An uneven script, doused in a smattering of MeToo gags and some current pop culture references, does not help Taraji P Henson in the latest take of the Nancy Meyers Mel Gibson  flick, What Women Want.

Henson is Ali, a ball-busting sports agent, who's stuck in a firm that's clearly a boys' club and bouncing from one one night stand to another. Rejected again to take partnership in the firm, Ali finds her world further complicated when at a bridal shower she meets a psychic (an unhinged Erykah Badu) who gives her the ability to read men's minds.

Faced with the possibility of using this to get ahead at work, Ali becomes re-energised and desperate to get a star client before her other compadres.

Clever references to Get Out and crowd-pleasing Black Panther moment aside, What Men Want seems to be lost in its own execution, an uncertain mess of where it wants to go and how it wants to get there.

Henson is uniformly excellent though, giving Ali a ball-busting bluster that's needed early on, and a life that shows that she's as good as the boys in the Boys Club sports agent company to get ahead. But saddled with material that's rote and formulaic does little to help Henson rise out of the mire, no matter how hard she tries - and no matter how hard the script tries to mix Jerry Maguire with Entourage.

It helps little that it aims for every low-hanging fruit it can, barely hitting some of them with the crass bat swinging in every direction.

There are obvious learnings here, and perhaps that's what hinders What Men Want - unless you're a gaggle of women, boozed up and after a girls' night out, the film's less than content to satiate many in the audience. It's shallow as you'd expect, giving the men thoughts about body image, promotion, social climbing and work insecurities, as well as the usual sex issues.

Ultimately, while a love story with Aldis Hodge is reasonably well handled, Tracy Morgan's involvement feels like a muted amount of bluster to be fired in the direction of the audience. Supposed to be a foil for Henson's Ali, Morgan's Joe Dollar feels weak and badly-timed for the necessary gags.

All in all, What Men Want is a weak attempt at a feminist bout of humour. Were it not for Henson's all-in approach, the film would be torture for nearly two hours.

As it stands now, it's still torture, but a little more endurable in parts.

Win American Animals on Blu Ray

Win American Animals on Blu Ray

To celebrate the release of American Animals, thanks to Madman Home Entertainment, you can win a Blu Ray copy!

About American Animals

Nobody wants to be ordinary

From Bart Layton (The Imposter) and starring Evan Peters (The X-Men Series), Barry Keoghan (Dunkirk & The Killing of the Sacred Deer), and Ann Dowd (The Handmaid's Tale) comes the extraordinary and thrilling true story of four friends living an ordinary existence who brazenly attempt to execute one of the most audacious art heists in US history. 

But not everything is as it seems, and as the daring theft unfolds through each of their perspectives, they start to question whether their attempts to inject excitement and purpose into their lives is simply a misguided attempt at achieving the American Dream.

To win all you have to do is email your details and the word ANIMALS to this address: darrensworldofentertainment@gmail.com or CLICK HERE NOW!

Competition closes March 5th

Win Mega Time Squad

Win Mega Time Squad

To celebrate the release of Mega Time Squad, you can win a copy, thanks to Madman Home Entertainment

About Mega Time Squad

Out of time without a clue

A small-town crim finds an ancient Chinese time-travel device that can help him pull off a heist and start a new life-but he may not survive the consequences of tampering with time. 

The Castle meets Looper, Mega Time Squad is a study in high-meets-low, combining elements of the sci-fi, the crime thriller and the comedy to make a comedy heist film with a time-traveling twist.

To win all you have to do is email your details and the word MEGA to this address: darrensworldofentertainment@gmail.com or CLICK HERE NOW!

Competition closes March 5th

Win The Girl in the Spider's Web

Win The Girl in the Spider's Web

To celebrate the release of The Girl in the Spider's Web, thanks to Sony Home Entertainment, you can win a Blu Ray Copy!

About The Girl in the Spider's Web

Golden Globe ® and Emmy ® winner Claire Foy (Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series – Drama, “The Crown,” 2017; Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series, “The Crown,” 2018) brings to life the iconic role of Lisbeth Salander in the next exciting chapter of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo franchise, THE GIRL IN THE SPIDER’S  WEB, debuting on digital February 6, 2019 and on 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray™, DVD February 20, 2019 from Sony Pictures
Home Entertainment.

Director Fede Álvarez (Evil Dead; Don’t Breathe) brings insurmountable suspense and tension to
the film adaptation of the fourth book of the acclaimed Millennium series to create a thrilling cinematic experience.

THE GIRL IN THE SPIDER’S WEB also stars Sverrir Gudnason (Borg vs. McEnroe), Lakeith Stanfield (Get Out; Sorry to Bother You, TV’s “Atlanta”), Sylvia Hoeks (Blade Runner 2049) and Stephen Merchant (Logan; Hot Fuzz).

To win all you have to do is email your details and the word SPIDER WEB to this address: darrensworldofentertainment@gmail.com or CLICK HERE NOW!

Competition closes February 28th

American Animals: Blu Ray Review

American Animals: Blu Ray Review

A sizzling and hyper-stylised drama that blends heist aesthetics and thrills with contemporary interviews, Bart Layton's American Animals is a slick film that grips and pulses from the outset.

Assembling a clutch of young actors (including American Horror Story alum Evan Peters and The Killing of a Sacred Deer's Barry Keoghan), it's the story of Spencer Reinhard (Keoghan) and his part in a library heist which took place at Transylvania University in Kentucky in 2004.

Despite the fact he has everything he needs in life, but bemoaning the fact that he's after some kind of life-altering experience to change him as an artist, Spencer forms a friendship with a hyper Warren Lipka (Peters).

Hitting on the idea to rob the library's rare book collection and its multi-million dollar haul, Warren and Spencer recruit two others to their plan - and start pulling together a heist.

Jumping between interviews of the real people involved and the drama, with moments of fourth wall breaking and unreliable narrators, American Animals' aesthetic and vibe seizes from the outset.

Layton assembles the pieces with the same kind of compelling bravura we witnessed in his doco The Imposter, but never loses sight of the two main leads in all the action.

Bringing the kind of tension that was missing from the recent Ocean's 8 film, the heist preparations excel - a swirling interplay of ideas executed in the head benefitting from taut editing and a pulsing soundtrack of music. It's a perfect insight into the minds of those involved over how it should play out, and for an audience, it's never less than gripping.

To say more about American Animals is to betray the sense of what plays out, a bastardisation of the American dream and a warning that nothing comes for free - even with talent. But Layton's less focussed on the themes of the piece, laying them out for subtle watchers to pick up on.

He's more interested in providing a film that thrills, in a format that makes the very best of docu-drama, with the emphasis on the drama. It helps the general idea of the heist is so audacious and the premise so compelling, but what American Animals also does is deliver two impressive turns in Keoghan and Peters.

Peters displays the intensity we've come to know from AHS but gives his Warren a kind of gleeful Joker style mania, the kind of guy you'd want to hang out with at a party. Keoghan, meanwhile, gives Spencer a feeling of being lost, an artist struggling to find their voice, and a would-be criminal struggling with his moral compass.

Throughout American Animals, the queasily compelling mix works incredibly well; the slick stylish piecing together of the elements of the drama and the documentary add much to what transpires - a portrait of the dispossessed and the bored - but it also gives the audience a thrill ride that has as much substance as it does style.  

Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown: PS4 Review

Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown: PS4 Review

Released by Bandai Namco
Platform: PS4

Part of the Ace Combat series (the clue is in the 7 of the title), Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown gives a very good case for being a great fun simulator for even the most useless of pilots.

Set at a time of fragile peace between two continents, Osea and Erusea, it's the story of Avril Mead a mechanic who lands in hot water after a surprise attack. You take up the mantle of Trigger, a pilot who finds themself in the middle of the scrap, and forced to take to the skies to try and save the day.

It's fair to say that Ace Combat 7 is as much for the casual player of flight combat games as it is for the hardcore fighter; but how much mileage you get out of it will depend on which category you fall into.

That said, while a lack of tutorials is occasionally galling, it's fairly simple to pick up the basics of the game, but it may be harder to grasp the intricacies of hurtling around the skies in your combat jets.

Each mission leads you further into the story, and gets you along unlocking elements of the development tree for your craft. But it's when the game slips into histrionics and somewhat cliched territory that some of the more glaring elements stand out - notably some lunk-headed dialogue and some overly scripted cut scenes.

But once you get into the skies, Ace Combat 7 does come into its own.

Whether it's flying through a storm cloud and finding droplets on your windshield or watching portions of debris fall from the sky after you've blasted your enemy to pieces, Ace Combat 7 really does look the part when it absolutely needs to.

The VR side of the game impresses as well, though it does little to combat any motion sickness issues you may have with headsets. But turning around and seeing other fighters like you're in your own Top Gun is not to be scoffed at.

To all intents and purposes, Ace Combat 7 Skies Unknown is a game that manages to appeal to a broader audience than just air combat enthusiasts.

With a bit of patience, it's rewarding and challenging enough to overcome its basic level scripting problems. In fact, you could almost say it takes to the skies with ease when it needs to.

Super Mario Maker 2 And The Legend Of Zelda: Link's Awakening Coming In 2019

Super Mario Maker 2 And The Legend Of Zelda: Link's Awakening Coming In 2019

SUPER MARIO MAKER 2 AND THE LEGEND OF ZELDA: LINK’S AWAKENING COMING IN 2019

New games join a non-stop line-up of Nintendo Switch releases this year

14^th February, 2019 – In a new Nintendo Direct video presentation, Nintendo announced that Super Mario Maker 2, a sequel to the groundbreaking original game, and a stylish re-imagining of The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening are both launching this year for Nintendo Switch. The video also revealed ASTRAL CHAIN, a new action game from PlatinumGames exclusive to Nintendo Switch.

In addition to introducing other acclaimed titles coming to Nintendo Switch, like Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice and Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night, the video also provided more details about upcoming Nintendo games like Fire Emblem: Three Houses, Yoshi’s Crafted World, DAEMON X MACHINA and MARVEL ULTIMATE ALLIANCE 3: The Black Order, among many others. Nintendo Switch will also be home to BOXBOY! + BOXGIRL!, the next iteration in the charming puzzle-platformer series coming to Nintendo eShop.

Plus, starting today, Nintendo Switch owners will have access to surprise launches like the online 99-player puzzle-fest TETRIS^® 99 and classic SQUARE ENIX role-playing game FINAL FANTASY IX, as well as new co-op DLC for Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker and free demos for upcoming anticipated games.

To view the Nintendo Direct video in its entirety, visit http://www.nintendo.com.au/nintendo-direct. Some of the highlights revealed in the video include:

• Super Mario Maker 2: In this new game players can create the Super Mario courses of their dreams, with access to even more tools, items and features. Super Mario Maker 2 launches exclusively for Nintendo Switch this June.
• The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening: Originally released for the Game Boy more than 25 years ago, one of the most beloved games in the Legend of Zelda series returns. In this modern re-imagining, players travel to the mysterious island of Koholint to guide Link on a perilous adventure. The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening arrives exclusively on Nintendo Switch in 2019.
• ASTRAL CHAIN: ASTRAL CHAIN is a new action game from PlatinumGames, directed by Takahisa Taura, known for his work as the game designer on NieR:Automata, and supervised by Hideki Kamiya, creator of the Bayonetta series. As part of a police special forces unit in a multi-cultural futuristic city, players work together with a special living weapon, the Legion, in a synergetic action system of battle and exploration. More details about this Nintendo Switch exclusive will be revealed in the future. ASTRAL CHAIN launches exclusively for Nintendo Switch on 30^th August.
• Fire Emblem: Three Houses: The Black Eagles. The Blue Lions. The Golden Deer. Three noble houses that are part of the Officer’s Academy, an elite facility that trains students in the ways of weapons, magic and special skills. As a professor, the player must choose one of these houses to lead its students in grid-based battles with life-or-death stakes. Each house comprises many different students to meet and train, each with her or his own personality and skills. These students can interact with each other at the academy, strengthening their bonds and supporting each other on the battlefield. Fire Emblem: Three Houses and the Fire Emblem: Three Houses - Seasons of Warfare Edition both launch exclusively for Nintendo Switch on 26^th July.
• BOXBOY! + BOXGIRL!: Welcome back, BOXBOY! The fan-favourite puzzle series is back with a brand new game for Nintendo Switch. In addition to 270 new levels, two players can work as a team to solve puzzles in a new co-op mode. As a bonus, players who complete the game can access a new adventure starring Qudy. BOXBOY! + BOXGIRL! unboxes itself on Nintendo eShop on 26^th April.
• TETRIS 99: The iconic puzzle game TETRIS arrives, but with an online experience like no other. In this next entry in the storied puzzle franchise, 99 players compete together until only one is left standing. Nintendo Switch Online members can battle for dominance in this free to download game*. The Nintendo Switch exclusive will be available to download starting today, and players can look forward to battling it out in upcoming online events.
• Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night: The side-scrolling action of yore rises once again in Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night. Play as Miriam, host of the Alchemist’s Curse, as she steals the abilities of enemies, bends gravity to her will and darts around the game’s elaborate castle at lightning speed. Here, the laws of reality – and 2D side-scrollers – don’t apply. Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night emerges from the shadows in 2019 for Nintendo Switch.
• Mortal Kombat 11: New and classic characters return for more over-the-top fighting action in Mortal Kombat 11, launching for Nintendo Switch on 23^rd April.
• Yoshi’s Crafted World: Before Yoshi’s Crafted World launches on 29^th March, Nintendo Switch owners can head to Nintendo eShop to download a free demo for the artfully handcrafted game, starting today. In Yoshi’s Crafted World, players can explore the Front and Flip-Side of stages while rafting, racing solar cars, tearing through the sky on a plane and experiencing many other wild and surprising gameplay sequences. Using coins collected through the varied and secret-filled levels, players can unlock 180 different crafted costumes that Yoshi can wear.
• Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker Update and Special Episode DLC: Guess who is still ready for adventure? After downloading a free Nintendo Switch version update for Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker that is available starting today, all courses in the game will support a new two-player co-op mode featuring a second Toad for exploring simultaneously with a friend. And on 14^th March, new paid DLC arrives that adds 18 new challenges, including five new courses, to the game, as well as new Shiny Crowns, which can be obtained in each course. Players who pre-purchase the Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker – Special Episode DLC, available from today in the Nintendo eShop, will get early access to one of the courses. Remaining courses will be available on 14^th March.
• Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Update: The fastest-selling home console game in Nintendo history is about to spring forward with a free Ver. 3.0 update coming to the game this autumn. Before the end of April, Joker from Persona 5 will be available as a playable fighter. Announced in December, Joker is the first Fighters Pass DLC fighter to join the game’s expansive cast. Players who want to get access to five upcoming DLC fighters, plus additional stages and music, can purchase the Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Fighters Pass by visitinghttps://www.smashbros.com. Additional details about the Ver. 3.0 update and upcoming Fighters Pass content will be revealed in the future. Also, be on the lookout for new amiibo in 2019 like Snake, Simon, Squirtle, Pokémon Trainer and Ivysaur.
• Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice: Winner of multiple awards, Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice is coming to Nintendo Switch. Created in collaboration with neuroscientists and those with lived experience of psychosis, Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice pulls players deep into the mind of a Celtic warrior on a haunting vision quest to fight for the soul of her dead lover. Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice launches for Nintendo Switch in 2019.
• DAEMON X MACHINA: Starting today, mech pilots in the making can head to Nintendo eShop on Nintendo Switch to download a free demo for DAEMON X MACHINA called “Prototype Missions” available for a limited time. In the demo, players can battle through four different missions while testing out the game’s controls and mech customization. After playing, select players will receive an email containing a link to an online survey where they can provide feedback about the game to Producer Kenichiro Tsukuda and the development team. Currently in development, DAEMON X MACHINA is scheduled to launch for Nintendo Switch this winter.
• MARVEL ULTIMATE ALLIANCE 3: The Black Order: For the first time in 10 years, the MARVEL ULTIMATE ALLIANCE series returns with four-player action and an original story … all exclusive to Nintendo Switch! Assemble your dream team from a huge cast of Super Heroes, including Marvel’s ultimate cosmic protector, Captain Marvel. Players can save the world together with up to four players** in TV mode, with four separate systems locally or online. A dynamic zoomed-in Heroic Camera will give players the option to get closer to the action. As characters level up, they’ll learn new skills they can use on the fly, and also perform powerful Alliance Extreme attacks. MARVEL ULTIMATE ALLIANCE 3: The Black Order launches for Nintendo Switch this winter.
• Dragon Quest XI S: Echoes of an Elusive Age – Definitive Edition: Ready for a grand adventure filled with memorable characters, an enchanting story and classic RPG gameplay that can be taken on the go? This enhanced version of the critically acclaimed game features the same sprawling content of the original, but with newly added character-specific stories, the option for increased battle speed, fully orchestrated field and battle music, and the ability to switch between HD and retro-inspired 16-bit visuals. Dragon Quest XI S: Echoes of an Elusive Age – Definitive Edition launches for Nintendo Switch this spring.
• DRAGON QUEST BUILDERS 2: Combining both RPG and crafting gameplay together, players gather materials to create things like weapons, buildings, and even entire towns. With the help of the mysterious Malroth and other villagers, players will explore large islands, find quests, and battle monsters and bosses scattered around the world. Those who own the original DRAGON QUEST BUILDERS on their Nintendo Switch console can craft the Legendary Builder’s outfit and the Dragonlord’s Throne. DRAGON QUEST BUILDERS 2 launches for Nintendo Switch on 12^th July.
• ONINAKI: To uphold the tenets of reincarnation, players must travel between the Living World and the Beyond to rescue lost souls from the terrible fate of becoming monsters. In battle, the souls you rescue manifest within you, granting you strength and new abilities. ONINAKIlaunches for Nintendo Switch this winter.
• New Star Fox Missions in Starlink: Battle for Atlas: The Starlink: Battle for Atlas digital update coming in April will add new Star Fox missions to the Nintendo Switch version of the game. Play as Peppy, Falco, and Slippy to help aid the fight to down Star Wolf’s lieutenants, Andrew, Pigma and Leon, in a series of challenging missions. Additional content released as part of the update includes new starship races, faction missions and more! The autumn update of Starlink: Battle for Atlas launches this April on Nintendo Switch.
• Disney TSUM TSUM FESTIVAL: Disney’s adorable Tsum Tsum are coming to Nintendo Switch in a new game! In Disney TSUM TSUM FESTIVAL, players connect matching Tsum Tsum to clear them and set a high score. Up to four players** can compete against each other or play cooperatively together in local or online* modes. Disney TSUM TSUM FESTIVAL launches for Nintendo Switch in 2019.
• Rune Factory 4 Special and Rune Factory 5: Classic RPG Rune Factory 4 is being remastered for Nintendo Switch. Interact with townsfolk, grow vegetables and fruit on the farm, catch fish, raise monsters and wield weapons and spells in this new version of the game.Rune Factory 4 Special will be ripe for playing on Nintendo Switch later this year, with the newly-announced Rune Factory 5 coming at a later date.
• DELTARUNE: The next game from the creator of Undertale, is coming to Nintendo Switch. Players can download DELTARUNE Chapter 1for free on Nintendo eShop beginning 28^th February.
• FINAL FANTASY VII: Return to Midgar in one of the most iconic RPGs of all time, when FINAL FANTASY VII finds a new home on Nintendo Switch on 26^th March.
• FINAL FANTASY IX: First time players have the chance to fall in love with Vivi like the rest of the world when the beloved RPG FINAL FANTASY IX comes to Nintendo eShop on Nintendo Switch today.
• Chocobo’s Mystery Dungeon EVERY BUDDY!: KWEH! On 20^th March, the latest game in the Chocobo’s Mystery Dungeon series arrives on Nintendo Switch.
• Dead by Daylight: Dead by Daylight is an asymmetrical multiplayer horror game where one player takes on the role of the savage Killer, and the other four players play as Survivors, trying to escape and avoid being caught and killed. The Nintendo Switch version features loads of maps, characters and cosmetics, and a deep progression system to try out. Dead by Daylight creeps onto Nintendo Switch in 2019.
• Assassin’s Creed III Remastered: For the first time on Nintendo Switch, experience Assassin’s Creed III with revamped gameplay and features tailored to the system like motion aiming and touch input. In addition to all the original game’s DLC, the standalone gameAssassin’s Creed Liberation Remastered will also be included when Assassin’s Creed III Remastered launches for Nintendo Switch on 21^st May.
• Unravel Two: Take control of two adorable characters made out of yarn and solve challenges in Unravel Two. Play as both characters in single-player or team up with a friend in local co-op. Unravel Two launches for Nintendo Switch on 22^nd March.
• GRID Autosport: GRID Autosport comes to Nintendo Switch fully loaded with a mix of high-speed thrills, realistic handling and a difficulty level that scales to players’ skills. Players will feel like pro racers as they master the world’s fastest cars to win motorsport’s most exhilarating races, from the prestigious Circuit of Spa-Francorchamps to the narrow city streets of Barcelona. All DLC is included in this version of the game, with 100 cars, 100 circuits and some welcome additions like tilt controls and custom controls. GRID Autosport launches for Nintendo Switch this winter.