Tenet is in Auckland's IMAX cinema now

It's been a long wait for new movies since the Covid-19 pandemic hit.

Some have been postponed from the schedules and moved to next year, or released straight to streaming sites, so 2020 has been a difficult year for movie-lovers.

However, one of the biggest films of the year has released in New Zealand, ahead of the rest of the world.

Earlier this year, there was speculation director Christopher Nolan's Tenet would lead the most unusual blockbuster season yet.

But when the US decided to postpone their release of the film, it was questionable New Zealand would get to see it.

A decision to screen Tenet first overseas meant New Zealand is one of the first countries in the world to view the new movie from Christopher Nolan.

And now Auckland has dropped down its Covid-19 Alert Level, there's a chance to see the film in its best possible presentation - the IMAX Theatre at Event Cinemas in Auckland's CBD.

 

Acclaimed director Christopher Nolan's latest has an all star cast including John David Washington, Robert Pattinson, Elizabeth Debicki and Michael Caine.

About Tenet

Armed with only one word, Tenet, and fighting for the survival of the entire world, a Protagonist journeys through a twilight world of international espionage on a mission that will unfold in something beyond real time.

With special footage shot for IMAX cinemas, Tenet cries out to be seen on Auckland's biggest screen - the IMAX theatre.

Those running the IMAX and Event Cinemas around the country have ensured cinemas are adhering to Government guidelines concerning the Covid-19 pandemic.

"To maintain a high standard of cleanliness across our locations, all cinemas are regularly cleaned and maintained during operating hours, with professional cleaning teams conducting detailed cleans every single night, in every single Cinema.

"Cleaning and sanitising processes have also been increased as well as a higher frequency of surface cleaning and sterilisation in public areas.

"Seating maps have been reconfigured to ensure adequate distance between guests in every session. Our cinemas now have a capacity limit of 100 guests. We encourage you to use your own device to book digital tickets and choose your own seats via the EVENT Cinemas App or on the EVENT Cinemas website.

Book now to see Tenet in IMAX at Event Cinemas - click here to find out more.

The above article is part of a collaboration with Darren's World of Entertainment and Event Cinemas.

 Neon Movie Review - Jojo Rabbit

Marketed as an anti-hate satire, and facing unprecedented levels of hype out of wins at the Toronto International Film Festival and talk of Oscar buzz, director Taika Waititi's latest, Jojo Rabbit, is more a damp quietly burning squib than sensational fizzer.

Taika Waititi's Jojo Rabbit

It's the story of Jojo "Rabbit" Betzler (a superb turn from Roman Griffin Davis, who exudes confidence in every scene), a wannabe Hitler Youth whose days are haunted by imaginary best friend, a dimwitted Hitler (Waititi) and whose world is turned upside down when he finds his single mum Rosie (Johansson, soft and nurturing) is harbouring a Jew Elsa (a quiet McKenzie, aching with loss, fear, uncertainty and touches of bitterness) in the attic.

Confused and conflicted over what to do thanks to his core inner beliefs, Jojo finds his inner turmoil tough to deal with in the final days of the Third Reich.

While Jojo Rabbit opens with Waititi's trademark fantasy edges and comic touches, the film soon settles into something that resembles a form of disappointment as the satire fails to hit anything resembling scathing.

Perhaps more a soothing bittersweet love story, Waititi's Jojo Rabbit fails to touch on anything that verges on satire's sharpness, making the Nazis buffoons, or buffoons with heart, in something that seems to resemble great British sitcom 'Allo 'Allo (certainly in the case of Stephen Merchant's appallingly Bristolian Gestapo officer).

It's a film that revels in the quirks to start off with, before settling for this more cutesy and softer approach rather than revealing the horror of what transpired.

Whether it's enough to do this because it's through the eyes of a child is debatable, but it's perhaps somewhat morally reprehensible to try and pierce current climates and leanings with its weaker message, as perhaps those involved with the film want to do.

At its heart, Jojo Rabbit lacks the courage of some of its convictions, favouring whimsy over showing Jojo struggling more with his core Nazi beliefs, and making his inevitable epiphany feel unearned.

That's not to say it's without some successes though.

Davis is an incredible lead, a wide-eyed innocent who's able to carry the lighter comedic edges with ease, and who has the requisite softness for the more dramatic interactions with an equally strong McKenzie. Their relationship is obviously key to the film, and the love message that Waititi clearly wants to convey. Equally scenes with McKenzie and Johansson conversing, reflecting and hoping, are quietly enticing.

Rockwell's laissez-faire Nazi, complete with regret over an injury, is endearing, a resentment bubbling under for reasons that are again too spoilery to discuss; and McKenzie's quiet sadness as Elsa is genuinely heartbreaking, a fragility laid bare by an actress unafraid to let the silence speak for her.

There's one moment in the film that's truly devastatingly breathtaking - to say more is to ruin Waititi's directorial flair for the dramatic, but it is easily one of 2019's best on screen sequences.

Elements of Moone Boy and Moonrise Kingdom permeate Jojo Rabbit, but its reluctance to tackle fanaticism, and dogma with anything more than surface level whimsy is disappointing. Conversely, the film truly misses Waititi when he's not on screen, a sign perhaps of the confusion the tones mix.(His final appearances go someway to espousing some of the bilious hate of Hitler, and are terrifying to watch).

Make no mistake, there is a darker version of this film to be made, a film that fulfills more of the promise of Johansson's lamentations that she has lost her son to blind fanaticism as she opines at one point; a film that tackles the horror of the Nazis and overcomes it with the heart of a child and their burgeoning take on reality.

Jojo Rabbit is not it though - while Waititi may have been played into a corner with the best way to develop this passion project, there's much that leaves Jojo Rabbit wanting, a film that promises so much, and buckles, sadly, under the weight of expectation and ultimate execution.

PGA Tour 2K21: PS4 Review

Developed by HB Studios

Published by 2K Games

Platform: PS4

Stepping up to the hole to get a desperately needed par on a hole that should have easily been a birdie, it only needs a gentle tap to push the ball into its natural home.

A simple task, granted, and one that shouldn't elude the most basic of players.

But an over-egging of the PlayStation 4's right joystick and the ball sails past the hole, a par is missed and there's a nagging feeling there should be the option to see a player swear and toss his club way into the air.

Spurned on by commentary wondering how this happened, and with Adam Sandler's Happy Gilmore's breakdown in the background, PGA Tour 2K21 has a way of really getting under your skin.

It's probably due in large part to the fact this polished game is one of the most accessible golfing simulators there is out there. A lushly produced, slick-looking game that keeps the controls basic and gives you as much control of what you do with the golf club as being out on a course yourself.

It's what one should expect - given HB Games developed The Golf Club series and put the playing back at the front and centre of the experience. Whereas the more cartoony, but infinitely playable Everybody's Golf, made the silly sensible, PGA Tour 2K21 opens up the game to everyone and benefits greatly from doing so.

Granted, the more proficient players and the seasoned pros may be at a loss why some of the bigger names and some of the more well-known courses aren't part of this release, but to the everyman player, PGA Tour 2K21 represents a real chance to immerse yourself in the golfing experience.

From customising clothes (earned through tournaments and XP finishes) to progression, via way of some easy to follow tutorials, PGA Tour 2K21's strength lies in the solid nature of its gameplay.

In all honesty, graphically, the gameplay is nothing new. But it's golf - the sport itself has never been revolutionary; it's not about cheerleaders, exploding fireworks in the crowd or whooping crowds. This is a demure game, a game of skill and patience and PGA Tour 2K21 reflects that.

Complete with course designers and an option to retool your player, the customisable elements of PGA Tour 2K21 prove to be worthy. The further you progress, the more sponsors will become interested in you and the fairway does become your oyster.

Yet at the end of the day, it's about whether the swing makes you sing.

And PGA Tour 2K21 delivers on this with relative ease. While commentary occasionally may suffer from repetition and annoyance, the gameplay itself is totally relaxing, weirdly compelling and downright addictive.

All in all, PGA Tour 2K21 is as close to a hole-in-one as you can get. It rewards patience, it uplifts skill and it proves that virtual golf is still as much fun as the real thing.

PGA Tour 2K21 was reviewed on PlayStation 4 and a code was provided by the publisher for the purposes of this review

Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart debuts PlayStation 5 footage and will be a launch title

One of the PlayStation's most iconic duos is back.

Ratchet & Clank will be a launch title for the PlayStation 5 in a few months' time.

Gamescom has debuted 7 minutes of gameplay from Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart.

Ratchet and Clank find themselves at odds with their archnemesis, Dr. Nefarious. 

Only this time, he’s equipped with the dangerous Dimensionator, a device with the power to travel to other dimensions. 

The duo fights their way through an army of hired Goons in Megalopolis until something happens and they are ripped apart. 

Where are they now? 

From acclaimed studio Insomniac Games, enjoy a visually dazzling, interdimensional adventure, complete with familiar faces and some new allies and enemies in Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart – exclusively on the PlayStation®5 console.

Win a double pass to see BILL & TED FACE THE MUSIC

To celebrate the release of Bill & Ted Face The Music in cinemas from September 3, thanks to Madman NZ, you can win one of three double passes!

About Bill & Ted Face The Music

Once told they'd save the universe during a time-traveling adventure, 2 would-be rockers from San Dimas, California find themselves as middle-aged dads still trying to crank out a hit song and fulfill their destiny.

Starring Keanu Reeves and Alex Winter

BILL AND TED FACE THE MUSIC is in cinemas September 3

Thanks to Madman NZ, you can win 1 of 3 double passes!

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

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

Competition closes September 3.

Mortal Shell: PS4 Review

Developed by Cold Symmetry

Released by PlayStack

Platform: PS4

There's no denying many are saying Mortal Shell has the hallmarks of a From Software release.

From the punishing brutality to the gore on display, the game certainly comes swinging from the get go.

And while it requires patience for its combat, it also needs time for its story to unfold.

When the game begins, you're essentially a wraith-like skeleton with skin on, a wafting soul with no real clue where you are, what you must do. But you're thrust straight into a series of combat pieces, aimed at getting you au fait with the basics. 

And to be fair, the basics are simple enough - the usual thrust and parry. It's familiar stuff to those who've been through a Bloodborne, a Dark Souls or, to be frank, any kind of combat game.

But Mortal Shell has one difference in combat - the chance to harden your wraith form to shield from a series of attacks. Pressing the L2 button sees you solidify, a chance to break your enemy's combat and gain an advantage.

Another difference is the title allows you to possess dead bodies - the Mortal Shells of the title. Possessing those will allow you to be involved in combat and to get a second chance. If you're killed in the shell, you're kicked out and can repossess but you have to be quick. The developers have tinkered with expectations for the game and delivered something a bit different and with an edge to what's gone before.

The atmosphere and gothic edges work very well, and complete with a minimal soundscape, which works best through headphones and alone in the dark, the game hits some visual and sonic heights.

However, negotiating your way around is a bit less enlightening, and with small fonts, long loading screens, a confused feeling map and many landscapes feeling very similar, Mortal Shell loses some of the initial advantage it has.

Mortal Shell may feel like a homage to what's been done before in this arena, but Cold Symmetry does revel in the fact it does it so well. 

Maybe it's a case of wraith-and-see (sorry) as to what they will do next , but for now Mortal Shell, with its short run time and familiar feel, is a solid and entertaining enough outing from a new talent emerging on the scene - and a sign that even if it is a shell of another style of game, it's still a top-notch one.

Ford vs Ferrari: Neon Movie Review

Logan director James Mangold's biographical picture Ford v Ferrari draws deep from the well of great racing sequences, but fares less well off the track.

In fact, were it not for Bale's somewhat quirky character efforts, a lot of Ford v Ferrari would feel like a token underdog sports pic that doesn't quite hit some of the early promise.

For those uninitiated with the times, Ford v Ferrari is the story of US visionary designer Carroll Shelby (Damon, in broad US accent and all American apple pie approach) and his quest to get the flailing Ford motor company to be part of the legendary Le Mans race in the mid 1960s.

Fuelled by constant mockery from Enzo Ferrari, Shelby enlists unconventional UK racing car driver Ken Miles (Bale, possessing a Northern English accent and some "hey-up" mannerisms with ease) to design a new vehicle. However, Miles is not the kind of driver the Ford higher ups want - but he is the one they need to secure victory.

Ford v Ferrari is a technically adept film, but an emotionally rote and hollow one.

Its last hour is where the film excels, shifting into high gear and engaging the ethos of sticking it to Le Mans pushing you right to the edge of your seat. Mangold makes the racing come alive, delivers moments that genuinely thrill and still push you out of your comfort zone even if you know the result, thanks to pacing, humour and Bale.

But the journey to the final strait is a long one, laced with unevenness as the script veers all over the place.

The film initially begins with Jon Bernthal's marketing executive Lee Iacocca, before he disappears into the rear view mirror and becomes nothing more than a speechless supporting player.

The film's subterfuge of politics and marketing shenanigans are front and centre early on, before once again trailing off.

Equally, Outlander's Caitriona Balfe's Mollie Miles, Miles' wife, circles proceedings before settling for a more thankless supporting wife position, way back on the grid.

The film's never more content than when it's dealing with its two leading men, and in fairness, it's never more than dazzling when it's centred on Bale's Miles and his elements of unpredictability.

Hurtling around tracks, mocking the man and proving once again that those on the ground know better than those in the boardroom, Miles is an electrifying character that's brought vividly to life by Bale. Without him, parts of this 150 minute film would flounder in their wake.

Ultimately, Ford v Ferrari is a solid examination of two men's motoring obsession.

It may fail the women of the period massively, but it does present a film of faith, an examination of passion and a penchant for horse power when it needs to. Its ending should be commended (though it may be vilified on NZ soil for some reasons involving McLaren)for its downbeat nature, but its underdog tale gives it a solid placing on the track, but not quite in the pole position it should be.