At Darren's World of Entertainment - a movie, DVD and game review blog.
The latest movie and DVD reviews - plus game reviews as well. And cool stuff thrown in when I see it.
Call of Duty: Mobile is the definitive first-person action experience that delivers fan-favourite maps, modes, weapons and characters from across Call of Duty for the first time on mobile.
We’re bringing together the most beloved maps, competitive modes, familiar characters and signature weapons from across this storied franchise, including Black Ops and Modern Warfare, into one epic game.
The game:
• Call of Duty: Mobile is free-to-play, on both Android and iOS coming soon
• Developed by Tencent’s award-winning Timi studio, who has an incredible track record
of creating triple-A titles on mobile
• Fan-favourite maps, modes, characters and more from iconic Call of Duty series like
Black Ops and Modern Warfare series, all together in one mobile game
o Fluid, visceral combat fans of the franchise know and love
o The ability to test your skills against players all around the world
Launch date:
• Call of Duty: Mobile will be soft launching in Beta form in select territories now
• Official worldwide launch date to be announced soon
Cast: Jessie Buckley, Julie Walters, Sophie Okonedo
Director: Tom Harper
You've seen Wild Rose before.
Its underdog tale of someone hoping to fulfill a dream against all the odds is not a new one. In fact, it's a cinematic staple, one as inherent in the multiplex as popcorn, phone users and people talking.
And yet, in Jessie Buckley and Julie Walters' hands, this film emerges from the distinct shadow of familiarity to be an emotional piece, that pivots midway through into something that's more about what it takes to get to where you should be.
Buckley is Rose-Lynn, a Glasgow fire-cracker, a love of country music burrowed deep under her ginger bangs and in the white cowboy boots she's never out of. Just released from a 12 month stint in jail, Rose is determined to get to Nashville to realise her dream of becoming a singer.
But there are two things standing in her way - the first is an electronic tag, and the second is her kids, which she feels are holding her back, and who've been thrust upon their grandma (Walters, in fine honest form) during her incarceration.
So, forced into taking a cleaning job with local stay-at-home businesswoman Susanna (Okonedo, benevolent, but underwritten and under-used), Rose-Lynn tries to cope with the reality of life, and the pursuit of a dream...
Wild Rose is a conventional film that veers nicely into non-conventional territory when you're about to write it off.
Anchored by a performance from Buckley that's as honest as it is earnest, Wild Rose overcomes some of its narrative flaws because of its lead. It helps that the well-written rounded take on the cliche is given more of a life thanks to Buckley's mix of vulnerability and hard-as-nails approach, which, to be frank, borders on the selfish, making her a hard case to cheer for.
And yet, in moments between Buckley and Walters, Wild Rose's true raison d'etre comes to the fore - a reconnecting of family, of hopes and dreams, of life and reality, and of generations wanting the best for their next. There are moments of rare honesty in Rose, a mother who doesn't yet want to be, but who is, and in Walters, a mother who hasn't got what's she wanted in her daughter.
It's here that Wild Rose soars, in among its country soundtrack, in its examination of two women orbiting each other and clashing. While Rose's interactions with Susanna seem oddly undercooked and character intentions lost in a fog of under-writing, her interactions with her mother are deep, intense and honest.
The rebel at Wild Rose's heart may hold dear a country adage of "three chords and the truth", but the honest truth is this tried-and-tested formula film is really about the relationships between women, rather than a simple second shot at glory film - and for that, it deserves to be shouted with as much gusto as Rose-Lynn musters behind the microphone on stage.
Cast: Bill Nighy, Sam Riley, Alice Lowe
Director: Carl Hunter
Irritatingly quirky to start off before quickly cementing itself as something like a cross between Waiting for Godot and a rumination on fathers and sons, Sometimes Always Never is a low key delight.
Nighy plays tailor Alan, who starts the film by meeting up with his son Peter (a downbeat Riley) and clearly trying to repair their relationship. (The reasons why are too spoilery to discuss here, and while it's not a massive plot point, part of the vicarious thrill of Sometimes Always Never is seeing the tiny details teased out.)
When Alan moves in with Peter, the strained bond is pushed further, but as events transpire, the truth behind it all becomes apparent...
As mentioned, the initial quirk of Sometimes Always Never greatly irritates, as if director Hunter has nothing else to lean on, but what happens is that the combination of Nighy and Riley begins to tease something out that's utterly poignant, charmingly unexpected and utterly and unequivocally moving.
Dry in extremis, the delight comes in the wordplay (in more ways than one) and the subtle nuances of the relationship between father and son, entrenched as it is in the English ways of relationships, where less is said than should be.
Nighy and Riley excel in this piece which is effectively about communication, the lack thereof and what goes unsaid in relationships. It's surprisingly affecting in its little moments as Hunter assembles the pieces on the chess board of this bond, using drained colour palettes and terrible interior decor to illustrate various moments in their lives.
There's an intrinsically sad whimsical feeling to Sometimes Always Never, but it manages to leave you feeling uplifted as it skirts around David Lynch levels of obtuseness.
Sometimes Always Never is, without a doubt, one of the low-key highlights of the cinematic year.
Vocal cast: Patton Oswalt, Tiffany Hadish, Kevin Hart, Eric Stonestreet, Harrison Ford, Jenny Slate
Director: Bryan Lynch
Pleasantly enjoyable whilst it's on, but forgettable the moment it's ended, The Secret Life of Pets 2 is an animation which does its zany job well and will entertain - as is to be expected of the Illumination stable.
The sequel to the peek-behind-the-curtain-to-see-what-our-pets-do-all-day takes its cue from a treatise more about parenting.
Faithful terrier Max (Oswalt, in laconic form) finds his life changed when his owner Katie meets and falls for someone before having a child. When the youngster shows, Max is initially reticent and hostile, but soon bonds with him before worrying about the day-to-day life he's now part of.
Meanwhile, Snowball the rabbit (Hart, in usual frenetic form) is now convinced he's a superhero, and is recruited by Haddish's pooch Daisy to help rescue a tiger, imprisoned in a circus.
The Secret Life of Pets 2 feels like a series of moments and mini-sequences strung together throughout, rather than a fully cohesive whole. It gels at the last minute, but it's a long journey to get to some semblance of a narrative.
That said, the journey to get there is pleasantly amusing, with sight gags and silliness the order of the day.
There's an emotional core for Max, and some learnings for youngsters in the audience about trusting yourself (Ford's gruff farm dog Rooster is nicely positioned, a mix of tough exterior and necessary emotional coldness) and for parents to trust their judgements as well.
Disparate threads resolve in a way that feels light, rather than subtle and nuanced, but frankly, kids in the audience won't care as there's enough to amuse, and adults won't mind as the film zips along at a pace that's both episodic and frantic.
Animation purists will find nothing new here, both in terms of visuals or also in terms of deeper meanings, but there's a passing joy to be had with The Secret Life of Pets 2 that renders this trip to the cinema something worthwhile while it passes, but fleeting the moment it's over.
Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment, TT Games, The LEGOÒ Group, and Lucasfilm have announced LEGO® Star Wars™: The Skywalker Saga,a brand-new console gamewhere players will experience memorable moments and nonstop action as told through the unique lens of LEGOÒ. LEGOÒStar Wars™: The Skywalker Saga is the biggest LEGOÒStar Wars™ game, featuring all nine Skywalker saga films, including the highly anticipated conclusion to the series, Star Wars™: The Rise of Skywalker. Launching in 2020, the game will immerse players into the expansive saga with the freedom to control hundreds of characters and vehicles to create their own unique journey through the galaxy.
Developed by TT Games in collaboration with the Lucasfilm Games team and published by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment,LEGOÒ Star Wars™: The Skywalker Sagawill be available for the Xbox One family of devices, including Xbox One X, Nintendo Switch™ system, PlayStation®4 computer entertainment system, and PC.
Friends and family can dive right into their favorite saga film and play through memorable Star Wars™ moments, reimagined with LEGOÒ fun and humour. Players can start at the beginning with Star Wars™: The Phantom Menace, begin the original trilogy with Star Wars™: A New Hope, or launch right into Star Wars™: The Last Jedi or Star Wars™: The Rise of Skywalker, both of which are making their LEGOÒStar Wars™ game debut. From the desert of Geonosis, to the swamps of Dagobah, to the snowfields of Starkiller Base – players will have the power to revisit any planet, at any time, in any order they wish. The entire galaxy is available to discover and play in.
“LEGO Star Wars:The Skywalker Saga marks our return to the franchise that kicked off the LEGO video game series. The game will give fans an all-new LEGO Star Wars experience with complete freedom to explore the LEGO Star Wars galaxy,” said Tom Stone, Managing Director, TT Games. “It was an absolute pleasure to be part of the launch of the original LEGOStar Wars game and it’s equally exciting to now move the series forward and help create a new era of LEGO Star Wars games.”
LEGOÒStar Wars™:The Skywalker Saga features the biggest roster of playable characters in the LEGOÒStar Wars™ series including the greatest legends from every era of the Skywalker saga. Players can fight against the forces of evil as favorite characters such as Luke Skywalker, Rey, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Finn, BB-8 and a legion of other heroes, or turn to the dark side as Darth Vader, Emperor Palpatine, Kylo Ren, and more. The greatest vehicles from across the galaxy are also available to command. Players can jump to lightspeed in the Millennium Falcon to outrun Imperial starships, battle First Order TIE fighters in Resistance X-Wings, or podrace on Tatooine.
“With the Skywalker saga coming to an end, we wanted to give fans the ultimate Star Wars video game experience with all the humor and charm that is uniquely LEGO,” said Douglas Reilly, Vice President, Lucasfilm Games. “LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Sagawill bring to life all those Star Wars adventures remembered and undiscovered in an epic culmination of all nine saga films as fans celebrate the closing of this chapter in Star Wars.”
“We are thrilled to continue LEGO Star Wars’ 20 years legacy with this impressive new game where kids and families can join forces to explore the galaxy together,” said Sean McEvoy, Vice President, Digital Games, The LEGO Group. “LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Sagacontains a massive amount of content and is an accessible entry point to the Star Wars galaxy, featuring all of the fun and unforgettable gameplay that makes LEGO games appealing to audiences of all ages.”
LEGOÒStar Wars™ video games are enjoyed by multiple generations of gamers around the world with more than 50 million copies sold.
Ubisoft Announces New Action-Adventure Game GODS & MONSTERS
UBISOFT ANNOUNCES NEW ACTION-ADVENTURE GAME GODS & MONSTERSTM
Become a Hero to Save the Greek Gods
Today, Ubisoft announced Gods & MonstersTM, an all-new action-adventure game developed by Ubisoft Quebec, the team behind Assassin’s Creed® Odyssey, willlaunch worldwide on February 25, 2020. This open world fantasy adventure features a beautiful painterly art style, engaging players in a fantastical world as they use godlike abilities to defeat famed mythological beasts and save the Greek gods in a heroic journey for the ages.
In Gods & Monsters players embody Fenyx, a forgotten hero on a quest to restore power to the Greek gods after it was stolen by Typhon, the deadliest creature in Greek mythology. Players will explore the Isle of the Blessed and prove their heroism as they face dangerous mythological creatures, including fearsome Gorgons and Harpies and mighty Cyclopes. Gifted with special powers from the gods of Olympus, players must overcome treacherous dungeons, challenging trials and perform heroic feats on their journey to save the gods.
A storybook adventure at heart, Gods & Monsters features a lively and colorful open world to discover. Players will roam freely on the ground and glide in the air, taking advantage of their extraordinary abilities to explore this vibrant world full of surprises, epic battles, quests and fantastical creatures. The journey will be as challenging and rewarding as the destination, and players will emerge as the heroes they were meant to become.
“Over the last10 years,I have had the chance to be part of an incredible teamthat haspushed the limits of Assassin’s Creedto explore historical periods from a unique angle.But our imagination has always been boundtothe reality of the history books. Through our work on Assassin’s Creed Odyssey these past four years, our minds havelingered onanother aspect of our history – mythology. Today, with Gods & Monsters, the tales we all love and know so well become a reality to be explored like never before,” said Marc-AlexisCôté, senior producer at Ubisoft Quebec.
Gods & Monsters will be available from February 25, 2020 for PlayStation®4 computer entertainment system, the Xbox One family of devices including the Xbox One X, Windows PC, the Nintendo Switch™ system and new generation gaming platform, Stadia.
Gods & Monsters will also be available on Uplay+, Ubisoft’s subscription service for Windows PC.
For more information about Gods & Monsters, please visit godsandmonstersgame.com and join the conversation by using #GodsandMonsters.
For the latest about Gods & Monsters and other Ubisoft games, please visit news.ubisoft.com.
Ubisoft® Unveils RAINBOW SIX® QUARANTINE The Next Installment Of Tom Clancy’S Best-Selling Franchise
UBISOFT® UNVEILS RAINBOW SIX® QUARANTINE
THE NEXT INSTALLMENT OF TOM CLANCY’S BEST-SELLING FRANCHISE
A brand new 3-player, tactical co-op shooterbuilt from Rainbow Six DNA
Today, during the E3 press conference, Ubisoft® revealed Tom Clancy Rainbow Six®Quarantine, the latest installment in the best-selling Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six franchise. This brand-new three-player, tactical co-op shooter will be available early 2020 on Xbox One, PlayStation®4 computer entertainment system and Windows PC. The game will also be available on Uplay+, Ubisoft’s subscription service for Windows PC. More details on Uplay+ can be found at Uplay.com
Developed by a new dedicated team at Ubisoft Montreal, Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six® Quarantine is set several years in the future of the Rainbow Six Universe. The Rainbow Operators will face off against a highly lethal new breed of mutated alien parasite infecting human hosts and their surroundings.
“We set out to create a radically re-designed co-op experience built on the foundations of one of the best shooters of this generation. What Siege is to the PVP shooter genre, we want Quarantine to be to co-op.” said Bio Jade Adam-Granger, Lead Game Designer.
Players can prepare to launch into tense, chaotic and totally unpredictable missions as they will risk everything with their squad, every time they step into Quarantine.
For the latest about Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Quarantine and other Ubisoft games, please visit news.ubisoft.com.
About Ubisoft: Ubisoft is a leading creator, publisher and distributor of interactive entertainment and services, with a rich portfolio of world-renowned brands, including Assassin’s Creed, Just Dance, Tom Clancy’s video game series, Rayman, Far Cry and Watch Dogs. The teams throughout Ubisoft’s worldwide network of studios and business offices are committed to delivering original and memorable gaming experiences across all popular platforms, including consoles, mobile phones, tablets and PCs. For the 2018-19 fiscal year Ubisoft generated Net Bookings of €2,029 million. To learn more, please visit www.ubisoft.com.
