Neon NZ kids movie of the week - Abominable

Neon NZ kids movie of the week - Abominable

Dreamworks' latest dials up the cute, channels a bit of Kubo and the Two Strings, and showcases Chinese leads - so in theory, it should be a home run.

But the tale of Yi (SHIELD's Chloe Bennet) and her quest to return a furry Yeti back to Everest at times suffers from an over-familiarity of themes and ideas, rendering parts of it too much like deja vu.

However, it's in the subtleties and the beautiful evocation of some of the sum of its parts that Abominable justifies itself on the big screen.

It's the visuals which soar in Abominable, not the characters. Sure, there's comedy Peng, the basketball-yearning youngster who bonds with Everest in a kind of dude-bro relationship that brings some of the funnies the kids will love; and there's a silly snake that pops up from time to time to amuse, but much of Abominable's characters are sadly forgotten when the film's over.

The aforementioned evocations of landscapes, of giant Buddha or of the lunacy of a blueberry attack from the sky soar, lifting the King Kong chase scenes early on from a kind of mental checking out that may attack parts of the audience during the film.

But when the group surf a field of yellow daffodils towards the end, Abominable finds its visual groove, a symphony of magical mixing with the mystical proving to be the bright vibrant compelling colour touch the script desperately needed.

Izzard is serviceable as an English villain named Burnish (a sly nod to a mix of Carl from UP and Mr Burns from the Simpsons - hence Burnish perhaps?), and Bennet has earnestness aplenty as Yi the strong and yet vulnerable heroine throughout. Animation on the Yeti is stunning, mixing Toothless visuals with white furry edges and blurring the line between pet pooch and cutesy Yeti with aplomb.

(Though little with the Yeti is better than the opening POV escape which hints at the menace within.)

Ultimately, heading into safe territory does much to harm Abominable's chances of standing the test of time, but it's perfectly enjoyable-in-the-moment animated fare that's more interested in evocative visuals than deep meaningful storylines.

Disclaimer: Neon provided a promo code for access to this movie.

PlayStation launches free demo of Iron Man VR

PlayStation launches free demo of Iron Man VR

PlayStation announces free demo of Iron Man VR. Available for download today!

We’ve all been there: running around with outstretched palms, firing imaginary repulsor blasts at unseen adversaries as we soar across make-believe skies. Why settle for imaginary when PlayStation VR lets you live it? PlayStation is excited to announce that you can download a free demo of Marvel’s Iron Man VR later right now on PlayStation Store! In this extended playable demo, you’ll get a taste of the full game.

The demo includes:

• “Malibu” tutorial mission
• Interactive Stark Jet cinematic starring Tony, Friday & Pepper Potts
• “Out of the Blue” Stark Jet gameplay mission
• Flight Challenge optional mission
• Advanced Combat Challenge optional mission
• The above is just a small slice of the main game, but by the end of the “Out of the Blue” mission, you’ll start to feel like Iron Man as you fly, shoot, and Rocket Punch through some of Tony’s Ghost-hacked, Stark Tech drone problems.

What’s more, download this free demo to unlock the exclusive Molten Lava Armor Deco when you purchase the full game!

There are hundreds of PS VR games and experiences currently available worldwide, with many new games on the horizon, so keep an eye out. For now, grab your PS VR headset to suit up as the Armored Avenger in an original Iron Man adventure that’s full of humor, heart, and suspense.

Neon NZ movie of the week: Midsommar

Neon NZ movie of the week: Midsommar

Director Ari Aster's next project after Hereditary is a descent into a psychological freefall, rather than an out-and-out freakout fest.

The ever wonderful Florence Pugh stars as Dani and Jack Reynor stars as Christian, her feckless boyfriend. When something happens to Dani (an event best left unspoiled, thanks to the pre-titles play out of dread), the pair try to get back on track.

Invited by Christian to tag along to a trip to a commune in Sweden where he and a handful of mates are heading for research, Dani finds her uncertainty in their relationship escalating.

It's exacerbated by the pagan rituals and lifestyle of those at the Swedish midsummer festival in Hälsingland .... but there's more going on than any of them realise.

If Hereditary was psychological terror, then Midsommar is the break-up album.

A sprawling, slow-moving descent that's in no rush to unveil its hand, the film's commitment to unsettling can be interpreted in many ways.

Whether it's a take on Americans crashing European ways of life and disrupting cultural matters, or simply a feeling of off-kilter unusual behaviours, Midsommar's desire to unnerve is there from the start - and carefully telegraphed.

Artfully executed by Aster, and beautifully choreographed by DP Pawel Pogorzelski, and blessed with a turn of frailty and subtlety by Pugh as she negotiates extreme trauma, Midsommar is more about the horrors of human behaviours than the appearance of the supernatural and what it can entail.

There are lashings of humour throughout, but as the crescendo of the creepy builds, there's more a sense of uncertainty rippling through this Wicker Man / League of Gentlemen hybrid folk horror and bucolic beastliness.

The horror comes in the consequences, and the reality of what's next - and while the conclusion may infuriate some and feel derivative to others, what Aster's done is essentially cycle back to the beginning's themes.

Midsommar is less a dream, but even less a nightmare - it's a waking breathing feeling of insomnia, and it's stiflingly good because of it.

Disclaimer: Neon provided a promo code for access to this movie.

2K Announces Mafia Trilogy

2K Announces Mafia Trilogy

An Offer You Can’t Refuse: 2K Announces Mafia: Trilogy

Live the life of a gangster across three distinct eras of organized crime in America with Definitive Editions of all three Mafia games from 2K and Hangar 13

Mafia II remaster and re-introduction to Mafia III now available,

built-from-the-ground-up remake of the original Mafia to launch on August 28

Sydney, Australia – May 20, 2020 – 2K and its Hangar 13 development studio have announced Mafia: Trilogy, a new collection featuring the only interactive entertainment series that lets players live the life of a gangster across three distinct eras of organized crime in America.

Combined, the critically acclaimed Mafia crime dramas have sold-in more than 18 million units worldwide. Now, for the first time on modern consoles, experience all three entries of the revered action-adventure series together in one definitive organized crime saga. Mafia: Trilogy includes:

• Mafia: Definitive Edition – The built-from-the-ground-up remake of the beloved classic;
• Mafia II: Definitive Edition – The ultra HD remaster of the fan favourite;
• Mafia III: Definitive Edition – The re-introduction of the award-winning narrative masterpiece.

To view the Mafia: Definitive Edition Trailer click the image below

Players who purchase Mafia: Trilogy digitally prior to August 28 will be able to access Mafia II: Definitive Edition and Mafia III: Definitive Edition immediately on PlayStation^® 4, Xbox One, and Steam, and will be able to download Mafia: Definitive Edition as soon as it becomes available on August 28. The Mafia: Trilogy physical edition will release in full in Australia and New Zealand on August 28.

To view the Mafia II: Definitive Edition Trailer click the image below

Mafia: Definitive Edition, Mafia II: Definitive Edition, and Mafia III: Definition Edition are also available for purchase individually. The Definitive Editions for Mafia II and Mafia III are available today within the Mafia: Trilogy and as standalone purchases on Xbox One, PlayStation^® 4, and PC via Steam, and will be coming to the Epic Games Store and Stadia at a later date. Both Mafia II: Definitive Edition and Mafia III: Definitive Edition feature all original bonus add-on content, plus completely remastered 4K compatible visuals for Mafia II.

Mafia: Definitive Edition – the centrepiece of the collection – launches August 28 as a comprehensive, rebuilt-from-the-ground-up remake of the original Mafia, complete with an updated script filled with rich new dialogue, expanded backstories, and additional cutscenes; all-new gameplay sequences and features; the same stellar game engine that powered Mafia III’s best-in-class cinematics; and other enhancements. It’s the Mafia players remember, only much more.

“The original Mafia made such a lasting impact on how video games can tell serious stories, and we know how much the series' fans still revere it,” said Haden Blackman, President and CCO at Hangar 13, who led the development of Mafia: Definitive Edition across the studio’s offices in Brno and Prague, Czech Republic; Brighton, United Kingdom; and Novato, Calif. “Nearly 20 years after the Mafia series started, we now have an amazing opportunity to introduce this beloved game to a new generation of players and give long-time fans a chance to relive Tommy's story with a stellar modern presentation, as well as new story elements and gameplay features.”

To view the Mafia III: Definitive Edition Trailer click the image below

Players who pre-order Mafia: Definitive Edition – as well as players who purchase the digital version or pre-order the physical version of Mafia: Trilogy – prior to August 28 will receive “The Chicago Outfit” bonus add-on content for Mafia: Definitive Edition. This content pack includes:

• Exclusive Player Outfit: The Don;
• Exclusive Vehicle: Smith V12 Limousine;
• Exclusive Weapon Skin: Gold Semi-Automatic.

Furthermore, players can sign up for a 2K Account to unlock these bonus items for each game:

• Mafia: Definitive Edition: Black Cats Motorcycle Pack;
• Mafia II: Definitive Edition: Made Man Pack;
• Mafia III: Definitive Edition: Classico Three-piece Suit & IL Duca Revolver.

Mafia II: Definitive Edition will be automatically granted to all existing owners of Mafia II on Steam today at no additional cost. Additionally, all existing Mafia III owners on PlayStation^® 4, Xbox One, and Steam will be upgraded to Mafia III: Definitive Edition today at no additional cost. Customers who own a combination of titles will receive special reduced-price upgrade offers to complete their trilogy via in-game menus within each of the Mafia titles.

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To learn more, please visit MafiaGame.com, and stay tuned to @MafiaGame on Twitter for additional information on Mafia: Definitive Edition starting in early June.

Bradley Walsh & Son: Breaking Dad: TV Review

Bradley Walsh & Son: Breaking Dad: TV Review

You'd be hard pressed to find another more genial TV show in these coronavirus times.

Essentially a travelogue cum father son bonding experience, Bradley Walsh & Son: Breaking Dad sees the Chase presenter Bradley Walsh head on a road trip with his son, Barney.

Just turned 21, Barney is a youthful puppy of a lad, a floppy haired, wide-grinning bundle of enthusiasm who's never short of a smile and a desire to get his dad out of his comfort zone.

His dad is older, wiser, but still has an irascible streak that clearly needs to be amused. Walsh Sr is the cheeky dad you've always wanted, a presence that brings out the best of everyone, and never really stops entertaining - he is the consummate professional, but he's still also the guy you'd happily have a beer with once filming's stopped.

Roughly four decades separate the duo, but to be frank, they are father and son goals; their relationship is warmth and geniality - it's hard to imagine them falling out over illegal drinking or not doing homework while sneaking out.

Season 1 saw the boys head from LA to New Orleans, resulting in moments such as seeing Walsh Sr put in an attempt to follow in the footsteps of John Glenn and pushed into centrifuge training, or enjoying an impromptu motorbike ride on the infamous Route 66. It's beyond genial, and difficult to deny.

Season 2 puts them back in the RV and into the Florida states before heading north,taking in Ernest Hemingway's birth place, diving with sharks and some hoverboarding.

And it's easy viewing, nothing challenging, but immensely entertaining.

It's a bite-size travelogue that doesn't challenge the viewer, offers some mini guides to some of the US' more memorable areas, and given we're all unable to travel currently, it offers hope and areas to bookmark in future. But it proves the Walsh charm lives on, and that being game for anything proves to be out-and-out entertaining.

Quintessential family viewing, it shows the Bradley Walsh charm juggernaut shows no sign of slowing down. Perfect family fare, with as many laughs as it has heart, Bradley Walsh & Son: Breaking Dad is the quintessential viewing experience during lockdown times. And to be honest, outside of them as well.

Bradley Walsh & Son: Breaking Dad airs TVNZ 1 on Mondays at 7.30pm and on TVNZ OnDemand.

The Last of Us Part II - Inside the story

The Last of Us Part II - Inside the story

The Last Of Us Part II is being released in June, which is but a few weeks away.

To that end, Naughty Dog has released some more information about what's coming up.

Take a look at the story video below.

Win a copy of Bad Boys For Life

Win a copy of Bad Boys For Life

To celebrate the release of  Bad Boys For Life, thanks to Sony Home Entertainment, you can win a copy.

About Bad Boys For Life

The Bad Boys Mike Lowrey and Marcus Burnett are back together for one last ride in the highly anticipated Bad Boys for Life. 

Marcus and Mike are forced to confront new threats, career changes, and midlife crises as they join the newly created elite team AMMO of the Miami police department to take down the ruthless Armando Armas, the vicious leader of a Miami drug cartel.

To win, all you have to do is email your details and the word BAD BOYS!

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