Wednesday, 12 February 2020

This Week in Red Dead Online: Frontier Pursuits Bonuses, Madam Nazar’s Lovers Collection, New Clothing, Discounts and More

FRONTIER PURSUITS XP BOOSTS INCLUDING LEGENDARY BOUNTIES AND WHEELER, RAWSON & CO. CLOTHING UPDATES

PLUS MADAM NAZAR’S LOVERS COLLECTION AND MORE

SPECIALIST ROLE XP BONUSES

INCLUDES LEGENDARY BOUNTIES, BOOTLEGGER MISSIONS AND MUCH MORE

Whether you’re new to Frontier Pursuits or you’ve journeyed through each path you can pick up a 40% XP boost from Role activities for both your character progression and your Role progression this week.

Moonshiner: 40% XP & Role XP boost on all Sales, Moonshine Story and Bootlegger Missions
Bounty Hunter: 40% XP & Role XP boost on Bounty Hunter Missions, including Legendary Bounties
Trader: 40% XP & Role XP boost on Sales and Resupply Missions, as well as making Stew in your camp
Collector: 40% XP & Role XP boost on sales of complete Collection sets

NEW TO THE CATALOGUE THIS WEEK

CHARLESTON TOP HAT, REAVES TOP HAT AND CAUGHERTY SHIRT

The Wheeler, Rawson & Co. catalogue has a selection of new wares available for purchase this week. Permanent additions include the Charleston and Reaves Top Hats and the men's Caugherty Shirt.

Meanwhile, the Morning Tail, Irwin and Eberhart Coats, plus the Furred and Woodland Gloves are available for on a limited time only basis, so make sure to get them while you can.

These items and so many more can be purchased either at your local Tailor or via the Catalogue's mail order.

THE LOVERS COLLECTION

MADAM NAZAR IS GETTING INTO THE VALENTINE’S DAY SPIRIT

Send her the Chocolate Daisy, Yellow Gold Diamond Ring and the Two of Cups Tarot Card to complete the Lovers Collection and receive a handsome reward in return.

If your purse strings are tight, there are plenty of ways to save coin in Red Dead Online. Moonshiners can take 25% off the price of all Moonshiner Properties (including property relocation fees). Upgrade your property with a Bar Expansion to entertain friends and serve Marcel’s masterfully crafted Moonshine in, then decorate with customizable Bar Themes.

Elsewhere, you can take 5 Gold Bars off the Bounty Hunter License, Butcher Table and Collector's Bag. If you're looking to establish your camp, take 30% off the Stew Pot and Weapons Locker -- both should help you fend for yourself out in the wilderness.

PlayStation Plus members receive 3 Free Mash Refills and Trader Resupplies this week, and those Red Dead Online players who connected their Social Club account with Twitch Prime will receive the Collector's Bag and Polished Copper Moonshine Still, both free of charge (visit Twitch Prime to sign up).

Check Rockstar Support for details and limitations.

SONIC THE HEDGEHOG | New Becoming Robotnik Featurette

Go behind the scenes of #SonicMovie

as Jim Carrey discusses his role

as the iconic evil genius Dr. Robotnik!

SONIC THE HEDGEHOG OPENS IN NZ THEATRES

FEBRUARY 13, 2020

SYNOPSIS:

Based on the global blockbuster videogame franchise from Sega, SONIC THE HEDGEHOG tells the story of the world’s speediest hedgehog as he embraces his new home on Earth. In this live-action adventure comedy, Sonic and his new best friend Tom (James Marsden) team up to defend the planet from the evil genius Dr. Robotnik (Jim Carrey) and his plans for world domination. The family-friendly film also stars Tika Sumpter and Ben Schwartz as the voice of Sonic.

PARAMOUNT PICTURES Presents

In Association with SEGA SAMMY GROUP

An ORIGINAL FILM / MARZA ANIMATION PLANET / BLUR STUDIO Production

Directed by Jeff Fowler

Written by Pat Casey & Josh Miller

Based on the Sega Video Game

Produced by Neal H. Moritz, p.g.a, Toby Ascher, Toru Nakahara, Takeshi Ito

Executive Producers Hajime Satomi, Haruki Satomi, Masanao Maeda,

Nan Morales, Tim Miller

Starring: James Marsden, Ben Schwartz, Tika Sumpter and Jim Carrey

Follow SONIC THE HEDGEHOG for more updates!

DRAGON BALL FighterZ - FighterZ Pass 3 announced!

In this 3^rd season, players will be able to choose Goku (Ultra Instinct), which will be available to play in Spring 2020, though the big surprise of the evening was the announcement of Kefla, the strongest female Saiyan.

Kefla will be playable from February 28^th and owners of the FighterZ Pass 3 will be granted two days of early access and get a chance to unleash her power from February 26^th.

Both Kefla and Goku (Ultra Instinct) will be available as part of the FighterZ Pass 3 or purchasable individually.

This weekend also saw the culmination of a year of battles with the grand finale of the DRAGON BALL FighterZ - World Tour 2019/2020 crowning GO1 as the world strongest warrior.

Lastly, we are happy to announce that the DRAGON BALL FighterZ - World Tour will be coming back for a third season, stay tuned for more information!

For more info about DRAGON BALL FighterZ or other BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment Europe products, visit our website or follow us on Facebook or Twitter, or subscribe to our YouTube channel.

Tuesday, 11 February 2020

Win a copy of Oscar best picture Parasite on Blu Ray

To celebrate the Oscars declaring Parasite the best picture of the year, and to celebrate the fact Parasite has been released on Home Entertainment, thanks to Madman New Zealand, you can win a copy on Blu Ray.

About Parasite

Ki-taek's family of four is close, but all are unemployed and the future looks bleak. However, when the son, Ki-woo is recommended by a fellow university student friend for a well-paid tutoring job, hope spawns for a regular income.

Carrying the expectations of the family, Ki-woo arrives at the house of Mr. Park, the owner of a global IT firm, where he meets Yeon-kyo, the young lady of the house. The job interview is a success and soon Ki-woo begins work.

But very soon, following this first meeting between the two families, an unstoppable string of mishaps lies in wait…

Winner of the Palme d’Or (Best Film award) at the Cannes Film Festival and the Sydney Film festival Official Competition – the first ever for a Korean film – this family tragicomedy is the latest masterpiece from Bong Joon-Ho, the director of The Host and Snowpiercer. PARASITE confirms his position as one of the world’s most inventive and captivating filmmakers.

All you have to do is email your details and the word PARASITE!

Email now to darrensworldofentertainment@gmail.com
Or CLICK HERE NOW

Parasite: Blu Ray Review

A searing cross-genre look at the chasms between the classes, Bong Joon-Ho's latest, which took top honours at Cannes this year, is, for the great majority of its run time, an edge-of-your-seat piece, that slightly loses it in the last 15 minutes.

Centring on a family of four who live under the line (in this case, literally, the family lives below the street and often look up to people urinating near their one solitary window), Parasite follows Ki-woo, who's offered a well-paid tutoring job, proffering the family hope of escape from their hand-to-mouth routine.

Inveigling his way into the Park household, Ki-woo manages to seize an opportunity for his sister to become a fellow tutor to the youngest of the household...

To say more about Parasite is to go against director Bong Joon-Ho's wishes in terms of spoilers, but suffice it to say that Parasite dances an extremely fine line between edge-of-your-seat suspense, utter revulsion and horror, and excoriating commentary on the classes that has become the norm for his other films.

There's much to unpack in Parasite - and much of it can't be debated without spoilers.
Whether it's the way the rich refer to and interact with the poor, or the subtleties of microcosms of society which are laid bare, there's a tapestry here to explore that's brilliantly writ large on the big screen.

In all honesty, at times, it's depressing stuff if you're clued into the social mores laid bare, and laid thick with the blackest humour one could find for such an outing.

But it deserves commendation for the way the director and scriptwriters pivot the film roughly half-way through. What seems obvious is given a gut-punch and turned into something that becomes not what you expected.

All of that said, and a coda ending aside which seems like a tonal mismatch from what's transpired, Parasite is a thrilling ride at the cinema, and easily one of the best films of the year.

It's a subversive, subtle and subliminal ride that's as rewarding as it is compelling.

With its subtle genre changes, and its dancing neatly on the taut tightrope of thrills and suspense, it's a game-changer in terms of subverting expectations, and yet delivering a wide broad film that's begging for a Hollywood remake, but which will be all the better if they don't.

Simply put, a must-see.

Monday, 10 February 2020

Oscars 2020: The full list of winners

The 92nd Academy Awards have taken place in Los Angeles.

Parasite took the best picture award, and stunned the audience.

Here is the full list of winners from the 2020 Oscars:

Best picture
1917
The Irishman
Jojo Rabbit

Joker
Little Women
Marriage Story
Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood
Parasite
Ford v Ferrari

Best actress
Cynthia Erivo, Harriet
Renée Zellweger, Judy
Scarlett Johansson, Marriage Story
Charlize Theron, Bombshell
Saoirse Ronan, Little Women

Best actor
Joaquin Phoenix, Joker
Leonardo DiCaprio, Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood
Antonio Banderas, Pain and Glory
Adam Driver, Marriage Story
Jonathan Pryce, The Two Popes

Best director
Bong Joon-ho, Parasite
Sam Mendes, 1917
Todd Phillips, Joker
Martin Scorsese, The Irishman
Quentin Tarantino, Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood

Music (original song)
"I'm Standing With You" from Breakthrough
"Into The Unknown" from Frozen II
"Stand Up" from Harriet
"(I'm Gonna) Love Me Again" from Rocketman
"I Can't Let You Throw Yourself Away" from Toy Story 4
"Glasgow" from Wild Rose

Music (original score)
Joker
Little Women
Marriage Story
1917
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker

International feature film
France, Les Misérables
North Macedonia, Honeyland
Poland, Corpus Christi
South Korea, Parasite
Spain, Pain and Glory

Makeup and hairstyling
Bombshell
Joker
Judy
Maleficent: Mistress of Evil
1917

Visual effects
Avengers: Endgame
The Irishman
The Lion King
1917
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker

Best film editing
The Irishman
Jojo Rabbit
Joker
Ford v Ferrari
Parasite

Best cinematography
Roger Deakins, 1917
Rodrigo Prieto, The Irishman
Lawrence Sher, Joker
Jarin Blaschke, The Lighthouse
Robert Richardson, Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood

Best sound mixing
Ad Astra
Joker
1917
Ford v Ferrari
Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood

Best sound editing
1917
Ford v Ferrari
Joker
Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker

Best supporting actress
Laura Dern, Marriage Story
Florence Pugh, Little Women
Margot Robbie, Bombshell
Kathy Bates, Richard Jewell
Scarlett Johansson, Jojo Rabbit

Documentary short feature
In the Absence
Learning to Skateboard in a Warzone (If You're a Girl)
Life Overtakes Me
St. Louis Superman
Walk Run Cha-Cha

Documentary feature
American Factory
The Cave
The Edge of Democracy
For Sama
Honeyland

Best costume design
Sandy Powell & Christopher Peterson, The Irishman
Mark Bridges, Joker
Arianne Phillips, Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood
Jacqueline Durran, Little Women
Mayes C. Rubeo, Jojo Rabbit

What does Taika Waititi do after he wins at the #Oscars? Stashes his statue under his chair, duh. pic.twitter.com/9Re4z41On9
— E! News (@enews) February 10, 2020

Best production design
Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood
The Irishman
1917
Jojo Rabbit
Parasite

Live-action short film
Brotherhood
Nefta Football Club
The Neighbors' Window
Saria
A Sister

Best adapted screenplay
Steven Zaillian, The Irishman
Greta Gerwig, Little Women
Taika Waititi, Jojo Rabbit
Anthony McCarten, The Two Popes
Todd Phillips & Scott Silver, Joker

Best original screenplay
Rian Johnson, Knives Out
Noah Baumbach, Marriage Story
Sam Mendes & Krysty Wilson-Cairns, 1917
Quentin Tarantino, Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood
Bong Joon-ho, Parasite

Animated short film
Dcera (Daughter)
Hair Love
Kitbull
Memorable
Sister

Animated feature film
How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World
I Lost My Body
Klaus
Missing Link
Toy Story 4

Best supporting actor
Brad Pitt, Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood
Al Pacino, The Irishman
Joe Pesci, The Irishman
Anthony Hopkins, The Two Popes
Tom Hanks, A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood

Patapon 2: Remastered: PS4 Review

Platform: PS4
Released by Sony Interactive

The rhythm is back in Patapon 2: Remastered, which follows the 2017 release of the first Patapon.

It's a simple concept the second time around - and much a repeat of the first. Use your keypad to provide drumming rhythms which inspire your little troopers to progress, attack and defend.

Ported over from the PSP's early days, Patapon 2: Remastered sees you returning as the god of the eyeball heavy race, propelling them on to victory after they were shipwrecked trying to get to Earthend.

Using the various buttons on the PS Controller, you can move them on, defeat various enemies, amass bounty and return to the Patapons' city of Patapolis. The levels themselves are short, and simple to do with basically a series of challenges and fights with creatures lying ahead - it's not exactly long-form gaming, and while it's engaging enough to start off with, the repetitive nature of the gameplay soon begins to grate.

There's a need to ensure you keep the rhythm obviously, but a misstep can set all the Patapons back, so there's a gradual learning curve, and the harder you hit, the better the chances the fight will be curtailed and the quicker you will get new items to your inventory. There's definitely the feeling of a portable game being moved across to a console, and while that's not a negative ultimately, it may leave you feeling there's a brevity to what transpires and making the repetition more of a challenge.

The game looks nice, with the HD qualities making the crisp eyeball characters stand out and presents the surroundings with a clarity that's watchable enough. IF you liked games like Parappa and the first Patapon where the challenge is maintaining the beat, then Patapon 2: Remastered will help scratch that rhythm itch.

All in all, Patapon 2: Remastered is pleasant in short bursts - anything longer and you may find yourself marching to the beat of your own drum, rather than that of the Patapons.

Oscars 2020 predictions

It's today - the day the Oscars are announced.

Here are my predictions for the main categories - but not my dream wins.

Best film - 1917

Best director - Quentin Tarantino

Best actor: Joaquin Phoenix

Best actress - Renee Zellweger

Best Supporting Actor: Brad Pitt

Best Supporting Actress: Laura Dern

Best Original Screenplay: Parasite

Sunday, 9 February 2020

LIMITED NINTENDO SWITCH ANIMAL CROSSING: NEW HORIZONS EDITION CONSOLE COMING TO STORES 20TH MARCH

Themed carrying case and screen protector sets for Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch Lite will be available on the same day

A new life on a deserted island awaits. To celebrate the launch of Animal Crossing: New Horizons on 20^th March, a limited Nintendo Switch console will be available in stores on the same day. With this console, players can take their island life with them in style.

The Nintendo Switch Animal Crossing: New Horizons Edition console sports a unique design inspired by the new game. This includes a pattern on the back of the console, pastel green and blue Joy-Con controllers that are white on the back, coloured wrist straps, and a white Nintendo Switch Dock, adorned with images of recognisable characters Tom Nook and Nooklings Timmy and Tommy.

Players eager to dive into life on the island can pre-order the console at select retailers shortly.

Also available on 20^th March are the Nintendo Switch Animal Crossing: New Horizons Carrying Case & Screen Protector and the Nintendo Switch Lite Animal Crossing: New Horizons Carrying Case & Screen Protector. These cases will protect the console when taking Animal Crossing: New Horizons on the go anytime, anywhere.

In Animal Crossing: New Horizons, players embark on the special Nook Inc. Deserted Island Getaway Package. Here, players can roll up their sleeves and start a life from scratch on a deserted island, eventually making their new life whatever they want it to be – whether decorating their home, crafting, customising their look or sharing their experiences with friends.

Animal Crossing: New Horizons marks the debut of the Animal Crossing series on Nintendo Switch and introduces new features like crafting, new ways of decorating both indoors and outdoors, the NookPhone, and much more. As with previous games in the series, players can engage in a plethora of activities and meet returning and new animal friends while enjoying the seasons on the island at their own pace.

Animal Crossing: New Horizons for Nintendo Switch, the Nintendo Switch Animal Crossing: New Horizons Edition console as well as Carrying Case & Screen Protector sets for Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch Lite, are all coming to stores across Australia and New Zealand on 20^th March.

Note to Editors:

*Up to 8 players registered as users on a Nintendo Switch console can live on one shared island, and up to four residents of one island can play simultaneously on one console. Please note: only one island can exist per Nintendo Switch console, irrespective of the number of users registered to or copies of the game used on one console. One Nintendo Switch and one copy of the game is required for each unique island.

Alternatively, up to eight people can play together on one island via local wireless or online play. Local wireless play requires one console and one copy of the software per player. Internet connection required during online play. To use online services, you must create a Nintendo Account and accept the related agreement. The Nintendo Account Privacy Policy applies. Some online services may not be available in all countries. Online play requires paid online membership.

Saturday, 8 February 2020

Final Fantasy VII Remake Theme Song Trailer

SQUARE ENIX INTRODUCES THE WORLD OF

FINAL FANTASY VII REMAKE THROUGH MUSIC

Experience the Awe-Inspiring Music from the Game with Orchestra World Tour Also Announced for This Year

Square Enix Ltd., today introduced the spectacular music for FINAL FANTASY® VII REMAKE, unveiling the theme song for the highly anticipated game with a brand new trailer, alongside behind-the-scenes interviews with the track’s creators. The theme song, entitled “Hollow”, is written by revered FINAL FANTASY series composer Nobuo Uematsu and features vocals from Singer-Songwriter, Yosh – from Japanese Rock band, Survive Said The Prophet.

Alongside the theme song, the brand-new trailer gives a further glimpse at FINAL FANTASY VII REMAKE’s epic boss battles and characters, taking viewers even deeper into the eclectic city of Midgar. For returning fans, the trailer also showcases some memorable moments reminiscent of the original game reimagined for the Remake.

To view the behind the scenes video featuring interviews with Yosh and Nobuo Uematsu, visit: https://youtu.be/2ZKR9slSECg

Additionally, fans will get to experience the breath-taking music from FINAL FANTASY VII REMAKE live, including the game’s theme song, during the Orchestra World Tour in over 10 cities, in cooperation with AWR Music Productions. Starting in Los Angeles this June, the concerts will feature music from the game’s soundtrack performed by a majestic orchestra and full chorus, all conducted by GRAMMY®-Award winner Arnie Roth known for his work on Distant Worlds: music from FINAL FANTASY. For more concert and ticketing information, visit: http://ffvii-remakeconcerts.com/.

For those unable to attend, the full FINAL FANTASY VII REMAKE Original Soundtrack will also be available from early Summer 2020.

FINAL FANTASY VII REMAKE is a reimagining of the iconic original game that re-defined the RPG genre, diving deeper into the world and its characters than ever before. The first game in the project will be set in the eclectic city of Midgar and presents a fully standalone gaming experience that provides a great starting point to the series. Along with unforgettable characters and a powerful story, FINAL FANTASY VII REMAKE features a hybrid battle system that merges real-time action with strategic, command-based combat.

FINAL FANTASY VII REMAKE will be available for the PlayStation®4 computer entertainment system on 10^th April 2020. For more information, visit: www.ffvii-remake.com

Friday, 7 February 2020

Borderlands 3 - Rare Chest Riches Mini Event

Score Rare Loot More Often During Borderlands 3’s ‘Rare Chest Riches’ Two-Week Mini-Event

Now underway, Rare Chests get more generous, while Takedown difficulty scaling and increased spawn and drop rates for rare enemies become permanent features.

Good news, Vault Hunters! Another mini-event is now under way, along with two much requested changes to Takedown difficulty scaling and rare enemy spawn and drop rates.

Coinciding with the end of our current Farming Frenzy event, the new Rare Chest Riches mini-event is now live and runs through to February 13. During this mini-event, all Rare Chests will drop rare loot at an increased rate, giving you a better chance to receive Legendary items any time you open one.

This increased drop rate will also apply when you watch a Twitch streamer open a Rare Chest, assuming both of you have the ECHOcast Twitch Extension enabled. Any rewards you score while watching streamers will be waiting for you in your in-game mailbox the next time you play Borderlands 3. In case you haven't done so already, click right here for a step-by-step guide to linking your SHiFT and Twitch accounts so you can receive ECHOcast rewards.

The Rare Chest Riches event is live now on PlayStation®4, Xbox One, Stadia, and PC and is scheduled to run until Thursday, February 13.

Fans will be excited to learn that today’s hotfix will also permanently increase the spawn and drop rates of Rare Spawns, Hammerlock Hunts, and Targets of Opportunity, buffing their Legendary drop rates and Anointed chances to be on par with bosses. In addition, the current Takedown at the Maliwan Blacksite scaling event – which automatically scales the mission’s difficulty level to match the size of the player party – will continue indefinitely, rather than end today as previously planned.

Going forward, the difficulty of Takedown at the Maliwan Blacksite and all future Takedowns will scale by default, though the upcoming February Update will add a new machine that allows you to re-enable “True Takedown Mode.” True Takedown Mode restores the Takedown to the original difficulty level – which was designed with four-player co-op in mind – for an extra challenge. Once implemented, this new machine will be located on the right side of the door leading out of the airlock at the beginning of the map.

Thursday, 6 February 2020

Birds Of Prey: And the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn: Film Review

Cast: Margot Robbie, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Ewan McGregor, Jurnee Smollett-Bell, Rosie Perez
Director: Cathy Yan

DC continues its potential reinvention after the success of Shazam!, Joker, Wonder Woman and Aquaman, by taking the very best part of Suicide Squad, Margot Robbie's twisted Harley Quinn and giving her her own adventure in Gotham.

In Birds Of Prey: And the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn, Robbie's Quinn finds herself trying to help a girl in need when Ewan McGregor's Roman Sionis (aka Black Mask) puts out a hit on a young girl named Cass.

As Quinn's path collides with others in the city, a new team up emerges - the Birds of Prey.

Trashy, hollow, yet distinctly pleasing and anchored by a power performance from Margot Robbie, Birds of Prey And the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn is one heck of a blast from the DC Universe, a film that makes it hard to match up a universe where Joaquin Phoenix's Joker lives.

Some impressively choreographed action scenes really add a bite to the pop art aesthetic of Birds of Prey, and give the supporting characters a chance to shine throughout.

Which is a good thing, because with a slight plot (kid finds themselves on the wrong side of crime, and forced on the run), Birds of Prey doesn't exactly go more than surface deep throughout. And outside of Robbie's phenomenal turn as the spinning-out-of-control-after-splitting-from-Mr-J, there's not much room for the supporting characters to get anything more than a once over lightly approach, and a slight mickey-taking for Winstead's Huntress.

But given the whole affair is narrated by Quinn, the wise-cracking, spiralling story works best with its unpredictability, the crackle largely given by Robbie's performance. McGregor goes from hammy to menace with ease, though his Black Mask feels like a spoilt brat with psychosis for temper tantrums - he's still watchable, but only thanks to the frisson of uncertainty of where it's all going.

There is a feeling of flagging within Birds of Prey And the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn as the movie searches for an ending after delivering a killer action sequence inside a fairground funhouse; but the irreverence that's been lurking underneath comes flying out to finish the proceedings.

It's these touches which prove to be Birds of Prey And the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn's saving grace - the film looks like nothing else that's been witnessed in this world since DC began. A blast of colour, inventive fight scenes and a sensational leading lady gives the flick the emancipation from the gritty grim DC Extended Universe that it's been searching for.

Sure, Birds of Prey And the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn is style over substance, but when it looks this good and enjoyable, who cares?

Wednesday, 5 February 2020

Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot: PS4 Review

Platform: PS4
Released by Bandai Namco
Developed by Cyber Connect 2

There are already a plethora of Dragonball Z games - so whether you're a fan or not, it's more than likely that you will have heard of them, but if you're a non-fan, you may have ignored through fear of not knowing what you were letting yourself in for.

With that in mind, Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot has shown up on the scene as a mix of RPG and fighting game to take the uninitiated through the Dragon Ball lore and to provide the fan with a game of nostalgia and challenges.

There are free-roaming moments as well as cutscenes, and while the length of some of the cutscenes may prove a trial, it certainly gives you the background you'd be needing for the game's rich anime history.

What's good about this though, is the chance for you to play at your own pace, to do whatever you want, rather than to feel the need to rush through to achieve a story goal, or an aim to do before moving on. For fans, that will be a bonus to discover Easter eggs, or the joy of moments from within the series; for others, it's just about accessible enough to seem worthwhile.

Granted, there's an element of button mashing in the combat, but with adaptive enemies, you do have to vary your game to get through, as well as nurturing some of your skill tree elements before applying them - it's a game that slowly rewards those willing to put time into learning.

Ultimately, Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot offers a nice portal in for non-fans, and a nostalgia-fuelled ride for fans of the anime. Whether that's enough to convince you to take on the story of Goku, his saga and his friendships remains to be seen.

Tuesday, 4 February 2020

Midway: Film Review

Cast: Ed Skrein, Woody Harrelson, Patrick Wilson, Aaron Eckhart, Dennis Quaid, Mandy Moore, Nick Jonas, Luke Evans
Director: Roland Emmerich

One-note, thin characters and some dialogue that's purely about gung-ho jingoism rather than deep insight, B-movie Midway is exactly the kind of film you'd expect from disaster movie director Roland Emmerich.

Based on a true story and a sequel of sorts to Pearl Harbour, Midway is the story of what happened next as the Americans scrambled to prevent another attack from the Japanese after December 7, 1941.

In the wake of the attack, a group of fly-boys, led by Ed Skrein's Dick Best scramble to take to the skies, while Patrick Wilson's intelligence team tries to work out where the next attack could come from.

Midway has potential - Emmerich certainly knows how to effectively present disaster on screen, with his Pearl Harbour attack channeling some of his Independence Day roots with ease.

But the script sends the Japanese to one-note villains, dressed in black and huddling to contemplate their next move (it's alarming the Chinese have backed this film so heavily) and it elevates the Americans to do gooders with whiter-than-white intentions. It could be hagiography, if it were deeper and more insightful in its character realisation.

However, as it stands, what Midway becomes after an interesting opening, is simply a series of attack scenes, which jump around the different viewpoints from within the American world. Much like levels of a video game, Midway doesn't have time to go deeper than the surface to get to its action.

CGI and jeopardy mix hand in hand, and granted Midway never aspires to be more than a computer-generated spectacle. Yet, with Wilson's stoic work, a practically wasted Eckhart, and Harrelson in a wig, the film wastes its best assets on the exploits of the gum-chewing, chiselled jaw jutting, rule-floutin' Dick Best, who's embodied by Ed Skrein with all the delicacy of a paper cut out; there's no nuance in this real life flyboy, merely a hollow shell filled with the script cliches, and brimming with nothing else.

All in all, while Midway delivers on its spectacle early on, it soon becomes clear that the bombast and bombing raids are all it has - narratives are dropped and ignored, only to be resolved right at the end, robbing the film of an emotional edge, and a human element to cheer for in one of America's darkest days.

Monday, 3 February 2020

Under The Silver Lake: DVD Review

That this piece of film-making, so sauntering and sleazy in its outlook should come from the director of the wonderful It Follows is a genuine shock.

Andrew Garfield stars as a slacker in David Robert Mitchell's attempt at a Hollywood noir that doesn't quite know what it wants to be, or how to execute its desires.

Garfield is Sam, who spends his days doing whatever he wants and perving over the neighbours in a Hollywood suburb where a dog murderer is loose. One day he comes across new girl Riley Keough and is instantly attracted (much like the camera's leering lens) - but when she disappears he finds himself ensconced in a mystery for the ages.

It's a loopy LaLa Land story in many ways, but Under The Silver Lake is an ultimately trying and confusing viewing experience.

The script affords Garfield a Spider-Man gag, but little else as his deeply unlovable hero wanders around trying to find out what's happened.

Meandering is polite for Mitchell, but the film's penchant for popping down narrative alleyways and rendering little results yields more frustration than anything definitive. Ultimately, Under The Silver Lake is a film that tries your patience and rewards you with very, very little.

Sunday, 2 February 2020

La Belle Epoque: Film Review

Mixing The Truman Show along with a sweeter more heartfelt idea that could be part of Black Mirror, director Nicolas Bedos' romantic drama and comedy La Belle Époque makes great fist of its older lead's charisma.

Daniel Auteuil's Victor is jaded; his son works for a company making digital programming, and his wife is obsessed with the VR world, but he, as a former cartoonist, is stuck in the medium he has lived his life in and in the rut he's always been in.

However, his wife (Fanny Ardant) is not happy and kicks him out. Victor is offered a chance to relive some of his youth, thanks to an agency that builds sets from people's pasts and relocates them there for a night or whatever they want.

For Victor, the chance to live back in the past is too much to resist...

La Belle Époque is a light, frothy, romantic love story masquerading in parts as a drama and buried under a conceit that some may feel is just merely a construct to fuel a crowd-pleasing romance.

And that's fine, largely due to Auteuil who provides an earnest heart to the proceedings. The story may have some political allegories, and be a tale generally of how it's currently better to be living in the past (surely, French will get more from the political allegories and subtleties of Bedos' digs), but it's amiable fare that does what it needs to.

If there's to be a criticism, it's that La Belle Époque could have used some more of the randomness and levity it has in its opening moments, which surprise, delight and amuse, but that's not to denigrate the late-in-life romance story that fuels the fire of what makes it such an elegant success.

Saturday, 1 February 2020

First look: Fast and Furious 9 trailer

Here it is - your first look at the Fast and Furious 9 trailer.

Starring Vin Diesel, Michelle Rodriguez, Tyrese Gibson, Chris “Ludacris” Bridges, John Cena, Jordana Brewster, Nathalie Emmanuel, with Helen Mirren and Charlize Theron

Director: Justin Lin

XBox Game Pass - five best titles...for now.

There's nothing like a library.

In the times we now exist in, the roaring 20s will never see the return of the video shop. Housed within was a small section dedicated to letting you try-before-you-buy games.

It was a killer thing to do, to pay a tenth of what the studio was charging for their latest, let you take it away for 3 days and see if you wanted to buy it. Most of the time you clocked the titles, and then didn't go back for more, but the seeds of an idea were there.

So it is with XBox's Game Pass.

Having been wary of a library online with over 200 titles around, the Christmas break provided the opportunity to look at some of the games within, and to fire the XBox up.

And it has to be said, the content's compelling enough to keep you heading back for more.

Here are five of the best titles currently on offer on XBox Game Pass

Untitled Goose Game

Sure, everyone raved about the Switch version of this, but the console version, which showed just before Christmas, is equally worth it. A smart and small indie that brings the family together, Untitled Goose Game is one to revel in for silliness and honking rewards.

My Friend Pedro

You're a killer hitman, who sees a banana who gives you inspiration. Yep, it's that bonkers.
But this Guy Ritchie style shooter is as gangster as it comes. Bouncing around bullet time and hurtling from wall to wall with extreme violence, this stick and gun game is well worth the investment of time. Sure, the levels get repetitive, but when it's this fun, who cares?

Batman Arkham Knight

The Batman franchise has rarely been better than this bone-crunching return to the world of Gotham. Great voice work, stunning action and melee combat, this is a Batman to delve into and spend plenty of time in.

The Outer Wilds

Game Pass isn't just about the archive titles, with new games launched simultaneously. This sci-fi exploration title is one of the better launches, giving a deep dive into the heady worlds of beyond. It's compelling enough to stay in for long after you should have left.

LEGO Star Wars III

Sure, The Rise of Skywalker is in cinemas now, but you can't go past Travellers Tales' series of blocky silliness and fun. Playing on the Clone Wars and riffing on the comedy elements, Star Wars has been the perfect bedfellow for the LEGO series for a while now - and it's solid family entertainment that's as wholesome as it is fun.

A pass was provided for use of the XBox Game Pass.