Dune: First look trailer arrives

Oscar nominee Denis Villeneuve directs Warner Bros. Pictures and Legendary Pictures’ “Dune,” the big-screen adaptation of Frank Herbert’s seminal bestseller of the same name.   A mythic and emotionally charged hero’s journey, “Dune” tells the story of Paul Atreides, a brilliant and gifted young man born into a great destiny beyond his understanding, who must travel to the most dangerous planet in the universe to ensure the future of his family and his people.  As malevolent forces explode into conflict over the planet’s exclusive supply of the most precious resource in existence—a commodity capable of unlocking humanity’s greatest potential—only those who can conquer their fear will survive.
DUNE stars Timothée Chalamet, Rebecca Ferguson, Oscar Isaac, Josh Brolin, Stellan Skarsgård, Dave Bautista, Stephen McKinley Henderson, Zendaya, Chang Chen, David Dastmalchian, Sharon Duncan-Brewster, Charlotte Rampling with Jason Momoa and Javier Bardem.
DUNE releases in Australia and New Zealand in cinemas on December 26, 2020.

The Prince of Persia is back in the Sands of Time remake

Rediscover the Prince’s Journey with the Classic Tale that Redefined Action-Adventure Gaming

 

 

Sydney, Australia — September 11, 2020 — Today at Ubisoft’s digital press conference, Ubisoft Forward, Ubisoft announced the return of the Prince in Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time Remake, the company’s first full-scale remake. Originally released in 2003, Prince of Persia^®: The Sands of Time redefined action-adventure gaming with its innovative gameplay, compelling story and lovable characters. Rewinding time once again, Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time Remake has been developed from the ground up with the Anvil game engine.

 

Starting January 21, 2021, the game will be available for $69.95 AUD on PlayStation^®4, Xbox One, Epic Games Store, Ubisoft Store on Windows PC and UPLAY+, Ubisoft’s subscription service*.

 

To watch the trailer click the image below

 

Developed by Ubisoft Pune and Ubisoft Mumbai, Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time Remake is Ubisoft’s first ever full-scale remake, with a fresh approach to combat, puzzle solving and rewinding time. The new design, made with updated technology for today’s gaming systems, include new camera angles and fully remade sequences. Additionally, players will get to see a beautiful and fully reimagined 9^th century Persia through the eyes of the developers in Pune and Mumbai.

 

Relive the Prince’s journey for redemption after unwittingly releasing the Sands of Time on the Sultan’s Kingdom. As with the original, players will embody the heroic Prince alongside the daughter of the Maharaja, Princess Farah as they navigate the palace, battle sword-wielding enemies, maneuver trap-filled rooms and ultimately confront the evil Vizier, who controls the Sands of Time. Players continue to progress as they combat enemies and master the art of parkour. Yuri Lowenthal returns, reprising his role as the Prince’s original voice and motion capture actor and players will be introduced to actress Supinder Wraich, who now plays the role of Farah.

 

Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time Remake includes the original Prince of Persia^® game originally released in 1989, which can be unlocked during the Prince’s journey.

 

Players who pre-order the game will have access to the Back To The Origins set which includes:

• The Original Prince outfit from the Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time
• The Prince’s Original Weapons set
• A Classic Filter that changes the look & feel of the game on the screen, just like if players were playing the game back in time

 

For the latest news on Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time Remake and all of Ubisoft’s games, please visit: https://news.ubisoft.com/

Stormzy and Aiden Pearce join the resistance in Watch Dogs®: Legion

• British Award-Winning Artist Stormzy Will Ask Players For Their Help In A Dedicated In-game Mission
• Aiden Pearce Will Make His Comeback in Watch Dogs: Legion As Part Of The Season Pass Post Launch Content
  

 

[SYDNEY,AUSTRALIA] – SEPTEMBER 11, 2020 – Today at Ubisoft’s digital press conference, Ubisoft Forward, the company unveiled exciting new content for Watch Dogs^®: Legion: an exclusive collaboration with award-winning British musician Stormzy, the return of an old friend, Aiden Pearce, who is  playable as part of post-launch plans, and a new gameplay trailer diving into the Play-As-Anyone  experience. Led by Ubisoft Toronto*, Watch Dogs: Legion will release on October 29, 2020 on Xbox One, PlayStation^®4, Stadia and for Windows PC on Epic Games and Uplay. The game will also be available on UPLAY+**, Ubisoft’s subscription service. Watch Dogs^®: Legion will also release on Xbox Series X | S on November 10, and on PlayStation^®5 upon the launch of the console.

 

Players will get to play a unique mission to help inspiring British musician, Stormzy. In the mission Fall on My Enemies, Stormzy will task players to help him secure the broadcast for his ‘Heavy Is The Head’ album track, ‘Rainfall’ (feat. Tiana Major9) in Central London. Premiered today on Ubisoft Forward and set to release on October 1st, the official music video for Rainfall has been fully created using the Watch Dogs: Legion engine.

 

"We are thrilled for Stormzy to be a part of Watch Dogs: Legion. His music and what he speaks to as an artist is extremely relevant for our London setting, and for the larger themes of our game," commented Clint Hocking, Creative Director at Ubisoft Toronto. He added, "It's been almost a year since we had Stormzy in the studio to film his performance. He lit up the room, and captivated us all. He's a great collaborator, and it was a career highlight for us to get to work with him."

 

Click image below to view Stormzy reveal

 

As part of the Watch Dogs: Legion post-launch content, Aiden Pearce will be back as a fully playable character, along with a dedicated story arc. The Season Pass of Watch Dogs: Legion is available for purchase as part of the Gold, Ultimate and Collector editions, and will offer one new story expansion delivered in two narrative arcs, extra DedSec missions, four unique heroes including Aiden Pearce, the Complete Edition of the original Watch Dogs game from 2014, and more. The full lineup of the Watch Dogs: Legion post-launch content will be detailed in the coming weeks. It will include some exciting free content and will bring playable characters, online content, new modes, missions and updates.

 

Click image below to view Aiden Pearce teaser

 

In Watch Dogs: Legion, London is facing its downfall. Amidst the growing unrest of a restless London, an unknown entity named Zero-Day has framed secret underground resistance DedSec for coordinated bombings across London. In the aftermath, criminal opportunists from every corner of London took hold and filled the void left by a defeated government. As a member of DedSec, players will be going up against those criminal opportunists in Watch Dogs: Legion; sadists, mercenaries, cybercriminals, and more; they’ll have to be prepared for a variety of situations. Players must recruit members into their DedSec Resistance to take on these criminal opportunists, liberate London and uncover the identity of Zero-Day.

 

Click image below to view ‘Recruitment Explained’ video

 

For the latest news on Watch Dogs: Legion and all of Ubisoft’s games, please visit news.ubisoft.com.

 

For more information about Watch Dogs: Legion, please visit watchdogs.com, and join the conversation by using #watchdogslegion.

 

*Associate studios are Ubisoft Montreal, Paris, Bucharest, Kiev, Newcastle and Massive Entertainment, a Ubisoft Studio.

AU$19.95 per month. Cancel anytime. The Ultimate Edition (Excluding VIP status) will be available as part of a UPLAY+ subscription at game launch. More information at uplayplus.com.

 

ABOUT WATCH DOGS

Watch Dogs launched in 2014 as the video game industry’s best-selling new IP at launch. To-date, the award-winning franchise has sold more than 40 million games worldwide. The hacker series extends to other entertainment media, including books and comics. The next opus in the franchise, Watch Dogs: Legion, will release on October 29, 2020.

Ubisoft announces Riders Republic

UBISOFT ANNOUNCES RIDERS REPUBLIC^™
Go All Out on the Craziest Outdoor Sports in This Brand-New Social Experience

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA – SEPTEMBER 11, 2020 – Today at Ubisoft’s digital press conference, Ubisoft Forward, the company announced Riders Republic^™, a new IP and massive multiplayer outdoor sports playground. Riders Republic will release worldwide on February 25, 2021 on PlayStation^®5, PlayStation^®4, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Xbox One, Stadia and Windows PC, exclusively on both the Epic Games Store and the Ubisoft Store. The game will also be available on UPLAY+, Ubisoft’s subscription service.* Players who purchase Riders Republic on Xbox One or PlayStation^®4 can upgrade their game to the next-gen version at no additional cost.**

 

Developed by Ubisoft Annecy, Riders Republic invites players to an exhilarating social playground, where they can experience the thrill of extreme sports in an open and densely populated world. Players will connect, compete and slay tricks through an exciting range of sports such as biking, skiing, snowboarding, wing suiting and rocket wing suiting. Whenever players explore or gather in the vibrant social hub, they will always find themselves surrounded by fellow riders.

 

From arid canyons to snowy mountains, Riders Republic allows players to ride through some of the most magnificent destinations on earth. The American National Parks, Bryce Canyon, Yosemite Valley, Sequoia Park, Zion, Canyonlands, Mammoth Mountain and Grand Teton have been faithfully recreated and imaginatively mashed together to create the liveliest sports park.

 

Click image below to view  cinematic trailer.

Players can squad up with or against friends in these insane multiplayer modes:

• Competitive Races and Trick Challenges: Playable in PvP and solo, players will feel the rush during these races and challenges.
• Mass Starts: Nothing is off-limits in these frantic races with more than 50 players***. Players will need to watch their blind spots and protect their position as they collide, grind and fight their way to the finish line.
• Multiplayer Arenas: Dominate maps in 6v6 PvP matchups.
• Online Cups: Made for the very best riders to show off and show out, ultimately making it to the top of the leaderboard.

 

“We wanted to combine our love for extreme sports with an adrenaline-filled multiplayer experience, letting players share those unique riding moments with more than 50 other players at all times,” said Igor Manceau, Creative Director of Riders Republic at Ubisoft Annecy.**** “Riders Republic offers fun and light-hearted competition and allows us to push the boundaries with this genre. We can’t wait for riders to dive into this dynamic world and share their own epic stories.”

 

With career mode, riders can make a name for themselves in a variety of sports, rise to the top of the leaderboard and sign with legendary sponsors from a wide range of outdoor action sports.  Players can customize their rider through evolutive, progression-based gear and define every aspect of the avatar. Whether a rider wants to master snowboarding or be the fastest thing on two wheels, everything is possible.

 

Riders Republic will make the most of next-gen gameplay, running at 60 FPS and displaying more than 50 players simultaneously live onscreen on next-gen consoles. With the game’s very intuitive character and camera control combined with an innovative trick system, all players, casual and hardcore, will have the chance to experience untapped joy from the very beginning.

 

Click image below to view game preview trailer

 

In addition, the Gold Edition and Ultimate Edition are available for pre-order.

• Gold Edition includes the base game and the Year 1 Pass*****, including exotic kits that allow players to modify gameplay in the form of gear upgrades throughout the year, the BMX Sport add-on, plus, exclusive content added after launch.
• Ultimate Edition Ultimate Edition includes the Year 1 Pass and four exclusive cosmetic packs: Cosmic, Rainbow, Neon and Skull’n Style. Players will also enjoy 20 Helicopter tickets to reach their favorite summits faster than ever.

 

Players who pre-order Riders Republic will receive the Bunny Pack*****, including a custom cute bunny outfit, an additional blue bunny head, and rainbow snowboard paint.

 

For more information on Riders Republic, please visit ridersrepublic.com.

TOM CLANCY’S RAINBOW SIX® SIEGE Coming To Xbox Series X | S And Playstation®5, Operation Shadow Legacy Now Available

TOM CLANCY’S RAINBOW SIX^® SIEGE COMING TO XBOX SERIES X | S AND PLAYSTATION^®5, OPERATION SHADOW LEGACY NOW AVAILABLE

 

120 FPS and 4K on New Platforms, Current Game Owners Will Get the Next-gen Version of the Game on the Same Family of Devices at no Additional Cost

 

 

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA — September 11, 2020 — Today, during Ubisoft Forward, Ubisoft announced that Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six^® Siege is coming to PlayStation^®5 and Xbox Series X | S in 4K and 120 FPS with render scaling. It will be available later this year at the same price as the current-gen version. All current game owners will get the next-gen version of the game on the same family of devices at no additional cost*, and players will keep their progression and in-game content. The game will be a cross-generation game, meaning next-gen players will be able to play with current-gen players on the same family of devices.

 

To watch the trailer click the image below

 

In addition, Operation Shadow Legacy, the third season of Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege Year 5, is now available on PlayStation^®4, the Xbox One family of consoles and Windows PC, including UPLAY+, the Ubisoft subscription service.** This new season brings innovation with the addition of Sam Fisher from the Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell saga as a new operator, a rework of the Chalet map, an improvement of the ping system and many other key updates.

 

Owners of the Year 5 Pass can play with Zero aka Sam Fisher immediately, while other players can unlock him with Renown or R6 Credits starting September 17. New seasonal content, including the Chalet map rework, are available for free to all players. Year 5 Season 3 also welcomes the Battle Pass, available now through October 19.

 

Sam Fisher is equipped with a new gadget called the Argus Launcher, a two-way drill camera. The cameras are launched to pierce soft or reinforced walls, windows and hatches, and can stick to any surface. The attacker can rotate the camera to see the other side of the wall and each camera is equipped with one laser charge, used to deal damage to defenders or destroy gadgets. Sam Fisher also comes with his unique weapons, the SC3000K and Karambit.

 

In addition to this new operator, players can explore a reimagined Chalet map, which is newly reworked. The first and the second floors are improved, and the roof is now traversable, among other features. Objectives have been the focus of this rework, with a hallway added to improve rotation in the Basement, and the Trophy site has been switched for a new one in Dining.

 

Additional game updates include:

• Ping 2.0
• Map Ban
• New Secondary Gadget: The Hard Breach Charge
• New Optics and Sights Colours
• New Reinforcement Pool

 

For more information about Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege, please visit: https://www.ubisoft.com/en-au/game/rainbow-six/siege

 

*Upgrade to the digital PS5 version of the game at no additional cost when and where available. To upgrade eligible PS4 disc copies, players need a PS5 console with a disc drive. https://www.playstation.com/en-au/get-help/

Rainbow Six Siege leverages the Smart Delivery technology - buy the game once and play it on either Xbox One or Xbox Series X | S when both the console and that version of Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege are available.

 

Project Cars 3: PS4 Review

Developed by Slightly Mad Studios
Released by Bandai Namco

Platform: PS4

In a weird way, the third version of Project Cars feels very much like a take on the Forza Horizon series.

Ditching the simulation elements for a more arcade racer feel, the game's MO is more about fun than massively serious career progression, and engaging the mechanics among us to ensure the driving works.

That's not to say it's a bad thing for Project Cars 3 in any shape or form.

In fact, the reliance more on a laissez-faire approach works great wonders for the casual racer, who knows to brake into the corners and accelerate out of them, and who's willing to sacrifice immediate wins for a more continual feel of a grinding game.

There are needs to win various events and a desire to score pole position to unlock further events - it's not exactly the simulator that previous Project Cars games have been - and to be honest, given how that degree of simulator was going, that's no bad thing by a country mile.

It does however mean that Project Cars 3 lends itself more to a shallow pick up and play racer than a deep growing experience, but if you're willing to accept that, that's a bonus.

Because when it works, Project Cars 3 really does soar.

Beautifully transposed to the screen, with weather giving the driving game the feel it needs, Project Cars 3 more than looks the part. Tracks are simply laid out, and other competitors' cars glisten on the racing track, even if they're leaving you for dust and you're pinballing off the walls.

The extreme details of the past may be gone, and Slightly Mad Studios' desire to make this seem like any other kind of racer could in theory be criticised. But given how accessible this simulator is and how it's geared more to the player than the petrolhead, that's no bad thing.

Project Cars 3 is more than worth a spin, thanks to some precision points in the driving and handling and also the fact that it's almost as entertaining as going out for a Sunday afternoon drive on an empty road.

The Quarry: Film Review

Cast: Michael Shannon, Shea Whigham, Catalina Sandino Moreno, Bobby Soto
Director: Scott Teems

Based on Damon Galgut's story, The Quarry is in no hurry to go anywhere fast.

A grizzled Shea Whigham stars as an unnamed man whose desperate actions set off a chain of events in a small town with devastating consequences.

Picked up by alcoholic priest David Martin in an act of kindness, it seems the man has been saved. 

But in a moment of desperation at a quarry, the priest is killed, and seeing a chance to start a new life, the man takes it and drives to his new parish town of Bevel in west Texas. 

Hot on the heels of his arrival, everything "David Martin" owns is stolen, and the faux priest is forced to seek help from the local police, headed up by Michael Shannon's gravel-voiced Chief Moore. As the net tightens around the thieves, so too does it tighten around "David Martin"'s neck...

There's a muted feel to The Quarry, a film that's so sparse, it almost feels like it goes nowhere at all. Its glacial pace may be a little too much of nothing for some, and while there are elements of New Zealand International Film Festival's Corpus Christi in terms of storyline, The Quarry is a more pensive affair.

Central to proceedings is Whigham and Shannon's relationship, which burns with an intensity that's hard to shake and a feeling of more going on under the surface than is immediately obvious.

Shannon delivers another of his variations of a hard-ass man shaken by life but getting on with it, and it's clear he and Whigham have a chemistry outside of the screen that shakes some of the dust out of the dour and at times, bleak proceedings.

But it's Whigham to whom the film belongs.

There's a subtlety to his performance that benefits the slow-burning plot, even if there's a distinct feeling that some elements of the film aren't quite there.

Moreno is wasted as Celia, the "priest"'s lodger, and there's a nagging impression that more could have been made of her character and her impact on proceedings, rather than being as sidelined as she is.

Ultimately, The Quarry may refer to a physical place or those caught in the cat and mouse game; however, there's a little too much left unsaid throughout the film to fully draw people in. But surrender to the rhythms of The Quarry and its claustrophobic sparseness may yield unexpected rewards.

Street Power Football: PS4 Review

Developed by SFL Interactive

Platform: PS4

Released by 

A weird hybrid of soccer and  B Boy dancing, Street Power Football is the strangest, shallowest take on football you'll ever find on a console.

Short matches, bizarre quick time events that help you look "street" and a jumping soundtrack may make Street Power Football the kind of disposable game that seems perfect for a group night in and a growing chance of banter and bravado.

The game's not really traditional football, even if it has elements of it - in truth, the five minute bursts are more interested in how you perform on the field, rather than how or if you win.

If you remember the kind of trick shot videos that are popular with the YouTube generation, then maybe there is something to consider here and to get your teeth into. Largely though, the trick shots take a lot of time to do properly, and mashing buttons during a game won't really cut it remotely.

There are moments when Street Power Football works. 

There's genuine joy to achieving an unexpected trick shot during the game, but that's few and far in between, as a lot of Street Power Football is repetitive, short-lived and a bit lost for its own identity.

Each time you score, there's a weird dancing that takes place that you have little control of, and parts of the characters' anatomies don't quite look right (one female character looks like a the legs of a horse in the calves area).

If you want disposable football that feels like a NBA 2K Playgrounds style game, then maybe Street Power Football is for you.

But to be honest, the lack of replayability and depth is enough to give this one a yellow card.

Savage: Film Review

Cast: Jake Ryan, John Tui, Chelsea Preston Crayford, James Matamua
Director: Sam Kelly

Sam Kelly's confrontational gangs-led story packs a powerful punch in places.

Opening with an unflinching act of brutality, Savage wears its gang patch on its sleeve.

Porirua-based director Sam Kelly's made no secret of the fact that Savage is supposed to be an honest and open look at the grim reality of life within a gang.

Zig-zagging across 30 years of Ryan's Danny, the film chooses three key timelines to dwell on, formative periods of Danny's life that ultimately lead him to a crossroads and a crisis.

But without wishing to sound trite, and perhaps it's more a reflection on society itself, the three key periods all cover very familiar ground to anyone who has an inkling of what violence begets further violence in life. That's not to doubt the film's authenticity though, more that its journey is not perhaps its strongest one.

It begins in 1965, where the child Danny is being brought up in a violent household. It moves to 1972 where the older Danny finds himself part of a new gang, The Savages, and on a collision course with family who are part of rival gangs. And it ends with Danny as the head enforcer of the Savages and who's questioning his role in the cycle of violence.

Central to Savage is the brooding presence of former Home and Away star Jake Ryan. With tattoos covering his face and with a brooding, glowering approach to life, Ryan imbues Danny with some of the inner turmoil he needs to try and sell the idea that enough is enough.

Key to that narrative arc is John Tui's Moses, and his loyalty to the one person who's stood with him all throughout his life - despite the fact that person may be the bad apple Danny needs to step away from.

With a grim dour palette and a sense of foreboding in the atmosphere, Savage is successfull in capturing the mood and tone of calustrophobia in gang life, and the feeling that Danny's close to heading too far down a path that will claim him forever.

But where Kelly falters with parts of Savage is in the zipping between timelines. Even though some of the storyline is handled with restraint and subtlety, the lack of time in each period and the briefest of characterisations means the story fails to reach the emotional resonance and power that it's pushing for.

Equally, while Kelly hints at the fascinating power dynamics between men and women in the gang world (especially with two parallel relationships stretched out across ages), he never quite follows it up, preferring to leave it dangling and frustrating the audience immensely.

All in all, Savage has brooding intensity and shocking violence when it's needed, but it lacks the emotional heft it needs to fully sell its denouement. Kelly's to be commended for trying something different with a story, but the all-too-familiar edges of the narrative journey and jumping around timelines are what hinders Savage from being the powerful film it aspires to.

The New Mutants: Film Review

Cast: Maisie Williams, Alice Braga, Anya Taylor-Joy, Charlie Heaton, Blu Hunt

Director: Josh Boone

The idea of the X-Men franchise getting a dose of horror is, in theory, a great one.

But what director Josh "The Fault In Our Stars" Boone delivers is something that fails to build on the potential, frustratingly drawing a veil over 20th Century Fox's involvement in the X-Men franchise.

The story, such as it is, centres around Blu Hunt's Danielle Moonstar, a native American who is the sole survivor of a tornado which destroys her reservation. Awaking having seen her father killed, Dani finds herself chained to a gurney inside a hospital with the soothing voice of Dr Reyes (Braga) telling her everything will be alright, as long as she just accepts the treatment.

Introduced to four other teenagers within the hospital, Dani soon believes they are being trained to be part of the X-Men. But when the group starts to be attacked, they find their loyalties questioned, and their grip on what is the truth crumbling....

The New Mutants never really gets going.

Despite a cast that has charisma in other roles, flat dialogue and limp direction hinders them from being truly memorable.

Add in to that mix, some truly ropey CGI and this X-Men spinoff never finds any of the feet it needed to launch a trilogy. Rough editing, and some uninspired visual choices stop The New Mutants from soaring when it should.

The asylum setting is a nice antithesis to the pristine brilliance of Professor Charles Xavier's school of mutants - and the oppressive claustrophobic nature of what's within should provide the film with the atmosphere it needs, but in truth, the film's script doesn't capitalise on years of prior X-Men films, nor does it show any of its own strengths.

Scenes from Buffy The Vampire Slayer play in the background right before the film practically rips off the moments on the big screen, hints of child abuse and same-sex relationships are danced around to hold off any darkness and the movie never really gains the wisdom of its own merits to soar.

Williams delivers a performance that seems to be another version of her character from (the more superior) schoolgirl murder mystery The Falling; Taylor-Joy appears to be channeling Jennifer Lawrence's Russian Red Sparrow via way of Villanelle and Heaton is playing a kind of Johnny Knoxville-mutant-hick hybrid.

Instead of revelling in the creepy, The New Mutants rolls in the familiar and by being left rotting on a release shelf for 3 years, it really shows that it's out of step and time for what it should be.

Massively frustrating, given the chance to reinvigorate the tired and stale X-Men universe, The New Mutants will fall easily into a category of what should and could have been, rather than what is. 

Terminator: Dark Fate: Neon NZ movie Review

Dwelling in the past while simultaneously dismissing everything which happened post 1991's Terminator 2: Judgment Day, Terminator: Dark Fate wastes no time in steeling itself as homage to the films, and twisting and repurposing some of the best bits of Judgment Day.

In this latest, which sees the return of James Cameron, Reyes' Dani is the latest target of robots from the future, this time in the form of Gabriel Luna's Rev-9. Singled out for assassination, Dani finds her humdrum life in the hands of agile new saviour Grace (a strong Davis, easily the best addition to the series in a long time, androgynous, sympathetic and wearing similar gear to Sarah Connor's original white tank top) and Sarah Connor, whose life has been turned back to tragedy in the years after she and John averted Skynet's future.

Forced on the run, and with promise of help coming from a mysterious cabin in the woods, it's a fight for survival for the trio.

Terminator: Dark Fate isn't really content to go its own way.

It proffers up plenty of tantalising ideas, and gets into the action straight away with a factory-based fight and freeway chase with trucks.

If that sounds familiar it is - later on the film chooses to use a chase sequence involving a helicopter and a Terminator pouring its liquid form through its window. It's essentially Terminator 2: Judgment Day writ large for the 2019 audience. Much of it feels familiar, in the same way that any sci-fi robot-chasing-you-to-death film is going to - there's little room for nuance character work in between fits and bursts of popcorn baiting action.

Hamilton hovers between spitting, snarling and chewing the scenery with her damaged Connor; a few quieter moments allow her some depth, hinting at the ongoing effects of being caught in this eternal hunting game and are all the better for it. Schwarzenegger dabbles in some usual humour and nostalgia moments, but is largely there for set-dressing; and Reyes' Dani oscillates wildly between being terrified to becoming her destiny. Luna has little to do other than appear relentless, and be the subject of some occasionally iffy CGI.

Thankfully, Davis as the augmented super soldier, makes a valuable case of a vital new addition to the franchise, meshing both robotic like steeliness to the cause, and moments of humanity as reality sets in. It's no shock she radiates a younger Sarah Connor's determination, and even echoes her wardrobe.

Some of the action set pieces creak from obvious CGI, and Deadpool's Miller is competent enough at rolling them out, even if occasionally they feel perfunctory and all too familiar. (No one needs to ever see a Dunkirk style Terminators rising sequence ever again) That said, some of the live action ones are never less than thrilling, and offer a strong case for the Terminator's continuing popcorn appeal.

But the urgency of the dread fear of an unstoppable hunter on your tail has gone in this latest - and even echoes of contemporary themes such as detainee centres, electronic surveillance and immigrants try to add some urgency, they're not enough to detract from a film that pursues its core objective with dread precision, yet proffers no real reason to keep going back to a universe that seems destined to repeat itself ad infinitum.

The Farewell: Neon Movie Review

The Farewell: Neon NZ Movie Review

Director Lulu Wang puts family drama and reunion squarely on the table in this piece which is based on an actual lie, as the opening title board points out.

Chinese born Billi (Awkwafina, in a muted and conflicted turn) lives in New York, with her mother and father, and is a struggling writer. When she learns that her beloved Nai Nai is dying, her immediate desire is to get back to China and help her cope.

But the family decides to withhold the fatal cancer diagnosis from Nai Nai, telling her she only has benign shadows on her X-Rays and that she's fine. However, they all decide to fly back to China under the pretence of a wedding for one final family reunion.

The clash of familial duty and the affairs of the heart comes delicately together in The Farewell, and is all anchored by Crazy Rich Asians' Awkwafina's rueful turn that brings together both the inner turmoil and deep emotions needed in something that projects her from the screen into the stratosphere.

But as the subtleties of familial relationships are poured through the prism of escalating tensions and imminent sadness of the loss of the matriarch, the film pivots on its ideas and never milks the emotion for easy drama.

East vs West is explored (obviously) and the family arguments and discussions are all set against some gorgeously shot scenes of dining and food.

It all means that Wang brings together the film in ways that are warm, earnest and also amusing. From Nai Nai's nagging to Billi about how she shouldn't wear earrings in New York as they'll be ripped from her ears to the reunion of the two brothers after twenty-plus years, this is a film that's rich in nuance and deep in feeling.

The Farewell is a nuanced take on family, one that balances perfectly on resonance.

It may be based on an actual lie, but its truths are universal and its performance by Awkwafina is delicate and complex, and well worth absorbing. 

Tenet: Film Review

Cast: John David Washington, Robert Pattinson, Elizabeth Debicki, Kenneth Branagh, Aaron Taylor-Johnson

Director: Christopher Nolan

Christopher Nolan's high-concept action-filled Tenet is a blockbuster to see on the big screen.

That's not an exhortation given worries over Covid-19, social distancing and movie releases - more that the film's been primarily made for the big screen experience, and certainly for the IMAX screen with extended action sequences filling every inch of what is on offer.

Nolan's been sparse with details of the plot, but Washington plays an unnamed CIA agent who is called upon to stop a Russian oligarch Andrei Sator (played with devilishly dead eyes by Kenneth Branagh) from ending the world. 

So far, so run-of-the-mill spy thriller.

But Nolan then peppers the script with talk of entropy, backwards-moving bullets and time-shifting scenes and further muddies the water with a never-ending series of set pieces that each try to outdo each other with visuals and action.

The thing is with Tenet is that it's muddled in exposition serving as a bridge in between each action sequence.

Early on, one character says to John David Washington's The Protagonist "Don't try and understand it."

To be frank, it's a missive from Nolan that could also apply to the audience as the movie spools out.

On an emotional level, Tenet is less interested in providing something to grab onto. Whereas Elizabeth Debicki's gangster moll Kat appears to exist purely to service an abused wife storyline, there are hints of attraction between The Protagonist and her, but they exist only in passing.

More effective is the relationship between the Protagonist and Robert Pattinson's initially mysterious Neil. Pattinson delights in delivering one of the strongest performances he's mustered in a while, slipping into the intrigue and action with ease. Washington and he gel well, whereas solo, Washington's Protagonist is left to spout reams of exposition and supposition of what lies ahead. It's in the verbiage that Tenet gains its pomposity.

But at the end of the day, Tenet is all about the action.

Nolan delivers overly choreographed sequences of utter jaw-dropping consequence that are heavily scored by a bombastic and edge-of-the-seat score. An opening sequence inside a concert hall sets the tense atmosphere in motion, and the film very rarely lets up from then on.

It's here that Tenet more than delivers, shifting its pieces around the cinematic table with masterful ease - it's easy to understand why Nolan refused to compromise on his delivery of Tenet into the multiplex and it's easy to let the action wash over you.

There are hints at the end of a potential sequel, but it's hard to see how Nolan could top himself in terms of visual thrills and action sequences.

There's no doubt Tenet is a spectacle, and an at times extremely entertaining one. Just don't scratch below the surface, because emotionally Tenet is lacking. And while that may not be a key factor for those seeking out blockbuster entertainment, for all of its top notch bells and whistles, it does have you leaving the cinema feeling a touch confused and wondering if that was it.

Bill & Ted: Face The Music: Film Review

Cast: Keanu Reeves, Alex Winter, Samara Weaving, Bridget Lundy-Paine, William Sadler

Director: Dean Parisot

More uneven than a fully formed coherent journey, Bill & Ted: Face The Music sees Alex Winter and Keanu Reeves reprise their William S Preston and Theodore Logan roles, nearly 30 years since we last saw them.

It's 2020, and Bill and Ted are still living in the shadow and fear of their legacy. But the airheads are just about still married to their wives and have two daughters (Weaving and Lundy-Paine, a great source of vacant-headed energy throughout and the breakout stars of this, potentially setting up a new franchise) as the world starts to fall apart.

Unable to write the prophesied song that will unite the world, and with reality collapsing in on themselves, Bill and Ted are visited by Kelly, Rufus' daughter and told they have a deadline to sort the music or it's all over.

So, the boys decide to go into the future to steal the song from themselves...

It may start off a little ropy, thanks to the feeling that Reeves is struggling a bit to recapture some of the lunk-headed nature of his younger self, but once Bill & Ted: Face The Music settles in, there's a great deal of charisma to be had from seeing this duo back together and interacting with various future versions of themselves.

There's a lack of comedy throughout, and it misses the knockabout charm of Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey (a reunion with William Sadler's never-not-funny Death happens too late in the piece); a sub-plot sees Bill and Ted's daughters Billie and Thea essentially doing a musical journey a la Excellent Adventure's history quest, and there is a general feeling that it could have used a more knockabout approach to a fan service script.

Whereas Reeves seems to be struggling to get the tone and intonation of the wholesomely goofy and enthusiastic Ted (he even says at one point to Bill that he's "tired, dude"), Winter effortlessly slips back into Bill and even offers a few subtle spins on the character as the story pans out. It's here Bill & Ted Face The Music finds its emotional core, and even dances lightly around the nostalgia of its franchise - there's a sweetness (and sadness) to these two friends never quite growing up and reaching their potential, and the script rightly recognises that fact.

Generally, Bill & Ted: Face The Music is more adequate than excellent, but when it comes together in the last 20 minutes, it really does leave an undeniably goofy grin on your face. But it also does demonstrate that given a tighter script polish, and a bit more of a humorous edge, Bill & Ted: Face The Music could have been another time-travel cult classic.

As it is, it's perhaps the film 2020 needs right now - but thanks to the unevenness not quite the one we were expecting from the dudes.