The Baker boy is back to Stone cold stunner another review. This time he is getting to the Rock bottom of the new WWE 2K18 game. Join him in the ring for a night of champions!
Come see us at this weekend's October MCM London Comic Con 2017 and check out our awesome pop-up store!
You can drop by to say “Hi!”, check out our treasure trove of goodies, and of course, buy, sell & exchange to your heart's content. Check out our photo competition of fans and cosplay aficionados who've visited our store and vote for your favourites from Monday onwards. The top 3 will win a £250, £150 or £50 voucher (voting ends 12th November)!
If you're feeling adventurous, you can track down our Recycler (AKA The CeX Man), snap a superhero selfie using our CeXy filter at webuy.com/findthecexman and tag it with #findthecexman on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram to be in with a chance to win some sweet CeX vouchers.
What are you waiting for? Come down and party!
Can't make the event? No worries, you can also see what's happening via our Instagram feed and Twitter (@CeX)
Held at ExCel centre, MCM London Comic Con is the UK's biggest festival of popular culture and all things delightfully nerdy. It's the perfect place to indulge your inner geek!
The title of Devil's Candy sets this film starring Ethan Embry and Kiara Glasco up to be a much shittier film than I got. The story of a tortured artist and his family in a seemingly haunted house, is a more than adequate B-movie, even with its thinly veiled christian overtones.
The film begins with a slightly deranged globe of a man murdering his mother causing a christian cross in the background to spin on its axis to become an inverted cross, just like Slayer are fond of doing at their gigs. I bring up Slayer as the heavy metal references in this are a plenty, I never realised just how infrequently 'my people' are represented in horror movies, especially since they are quite symbiotic, Black Sabbath essentially invented heavy metal after seeing a poster for the eponymous movie, and bands like Lordi, Iron maiden, Blind guardian to mention a few, have written many songs about the things that we love to scare us.
Jesse decides to move his family into a house that has gone on sale for a pound, after the mysterious death of the previous owners, at the hands of their son, hamburglars biggest rival played fabulously by Pruitt Taylor Vince. The character is a truly disgusting man, acted brilliantly and giving off a creepy vibe, he is an unusual antagonist, a victim of his own role. All the girls I have ever met have had an instinctive repulsion to people like this but not Zooey (Gasco), she looks like she'd marry the grotesque man in exchange for a flying V. Which is a guitar and not a sexual metaphor, as I’m sure you know, but the letter V has so many solid connotations with female genitalia that I thought I'd mention it. However, in saying that her favourite guitarist is Kirk Hammet so she obviously has issues with judgement, taste and staring facts in the goddamn face. She must not have heard of Megadeth.
Not long after they move in Jesse starts painting really awesome paintings that look like a tame Cannibal Corpse album cover, because of a voice speaking backwards in Latin. As backwards is the scariest direction and Latin the scariest language. For a horror movie it's very well shot, though in a 'top of the class at A level coursework kinda way, a bit too arty in some areas than was necessary, but most of the time looked great.
On the downside the last act was just predictable, but didn't hang around too long, some of the conflicts seem forced, and the dialogue wasn't inspired. Overall a much better film than I expected, and the outro credits under for whom the bell tolls was pretty fun.
Another year, another chance to play as a large, sweaty man (or woman) in WWE 2K18. For the past few years, the franchise has been languishing with some less than stellar titles, all littered with ropey graphics and so many glitches, you’d think you were watching a Kalisto promo. But press for this year’s iteration suggested a complete overhaul to the game’s graphics and mechanics, prompting ‘YES’ chants around the world, and now it’s time to see if it lives up to this early promise.
Will WWE 2K18 be the cream of the crop, or get booed harder than Roman Reigns? Pull up your tights and let’s find out:
The Good
It’s hard to argue that WWE 2K18’s biggest asset is its almost obnoxiously large roster, boasting roughly 200 player models, each with their own unique moveset, costumes and entrances. From NXT to legends of the past, you’ll be hard-pressed to find any favourites not included (except Hulk Hogan, and CM Punk… and Chris Benoit). I can confirm that the ultimate match up of Ric Flair and Bobby Roode is nothing short of glorious.
If somehow the existing roster isn’t enough for you, then I’m happy to report that the Create-A-Wrestler feature is better than ever, allowing you to create your own twisted monstrosities, or download those made by others. Want to play as Shrek? You’ve got it. Wondering what John Cena would look like as part of Bullet Club? It’s there. Do you desire to see Brock Lesnar make his way to the ring, dancing like the New Day? Well, we all have our dreams.
All these characters, both real and fake, look incredible in WWE 2K18 thanks to massively upgraded graphics. Unlike previous years which looked like HD remasters of something you’d play on PS2, this year’s game finally looks at home on current gen consoles (yes, I include the Switch in that), with realistic skin textures and bodily damage more visceral than ever. Indeed, it’s a little disturbing how accurately some of the deceased wrestlers are portrayed, and that’s a testament to how well they’ve been recreated.
The Bad
Unfortunately, unlike Tye Dillinger, WWE 2K18 isn’t the perfect 10. Although the graphics feel vastly improved, aside from a few additions to the mechanics and the inclusion of 8 man tag matches, there really hasn’t been much in the way of change when it comes to gameplay. This alone wouldn’t be an issue, but it does mean that like previous years, 2K18 is as glitchy as all hell. You’ll still clip through the ring, you’ll get stuck in the ropes, and you might even get floored by one Superman Punch. Oh wait, that’s just how they’re booking Roman Reigns? Never mind.
What’s more, the MyCareer mode has succumbed to the dreaded loot box system. Now before you grab your pitchforks, you purchase these with in-game currency, so technically the game isn’t ‘pay to win’, but it adds an element of luck that detracts from the sense of accomplishment you get from progressing through the mode. Truly a heel move from My Career mode.
The Verdict
Like many games in the series that preceded it, WWE 2K18 feels quite allegorical of the WWE as a whole - they give us as much frustration as pleasure and are just as entertaining when things go wrong as when they go as planned. It may be broken, but we love it for that very reason.
WWE 2K18 isn’t a good game, it’s not a bad game, it’s THE game.
If you are a football fan, chances are you will have played a Fifa game at least one or twice (or a million) times in your life. But are they just the same game year on year with slightly improved graphics??? Join Sir Baker to find out the truth!
The last NHL game I played the "H. E. Double hockey sticks" out of was NHL 2002. After that EA took them all too seriously. Which is fine if you were after a simulation game, but 2002 was just fun to play. My none Ice Hockey friends enjoyed it. Even the commentators weren't taking it too seriously. Not that I stopped playing NHL games, I just enjoyed them a little less. I'd still rather dig out my xbox and play 2002 or '94 on the Mega Drive, for that matter. Another year, another NHL game with no rival. With no competitors to oppose them, EA have the monopoly and have little reason to improve much year on year. A good example of why a bit of competition can be a good thing.
NHL 18 plays mostly the same as NHL 17. EA are reluctant to give up last generations Ignite Engine, which still plays and looks good enough but, as all of EA's other titles (Fifa, Madden) have moved on to the Frostbite Engine, I'd like to see NHL make a full step into current gen and do the same. Goal tenders are still using the same animations as last year. There have been a few tweaks to offensive and defensive play with more allowance over stick control, for dekes, advance single handed moves and blocks. Playing against someone who's mastered these can be a nightmare.
The Pinned Menu is handy. Basically a customisable menu system, as there's about a million modes in the Main Menu, making it look really cluttered and daunting at first glance. This allows you to pin the game modes you're likely to play most to the front menu for easy access.
Speaking of the million modes to play from, you get your standards. Online versus, so you can lose to a twelve year old Canadian kid and feel good about yourself. Season Mode and Playoff Mode, so you can be antisocial and not have to play with other people. For the first time, the NHL's 31st team, The Vegas Golden Knights are playable or you can make the 32nd team in Franchise Mode and create your own team drafts, design your own arena and your own mascot. You could make Emilio Estevez in Be A Pro (Mode) and make his dream of winning the Stanley Cup happen, as the Anaheim “Mighty” Ducks.
Hockey Ultimate Team makes a return, so you can grind matches online, to earn points to use on booster packs, in hopes of get someone decent to add to your team... and then lose to that Canadian kid again because they've used their mums credit card to buy booster packs with real world money.
There are a bunch of other modes, too, but NHL Threes is the best new addition to NHL 18. An arcade inspired interpretation of the new over time, three on three, rules. It’s the first to seven goals but each goal can be worth a different amount, set by the coin displayed. Being able to play as team mascots adds to the hilarity. If you want an up-to-date NHL game, you literally can't get a better one.... because you have no other options.
Yo, ho, ho it’s a mediocre sequel of a pirates film for me.
Blimey, who ever thought we’d get to 5 Pirates of the Caribbean films? It’s been a rocky road for the franchise, with the original still up there with the best blockbusters of the century, and its sequels suffering from the law of diminishing returns in terms of quality, if not bankability.
But regardless of whether we really need a new installment, here we are with 2017’s Pirates of the Caribbean: Salazar’s Revenge (or Dead Men Tell No Tale for our American readers) and it’s time to find out what pickle Captain Jack Sparrow has gotten himself into this time. Will Pirates of the Caribbean float with the grace of the Black Pearl, or sink to the briny depths of Davy Jones’ Locker? Grab your rum and let’s find out:
The Good
While you can argue that the series is feeling its age, you can also make a strong case that Johnny Depp has developed one of the most iconic characters in modern cinema history in Captain Jack Sparrow. It’s obvious that this is a role he relishes, and it’s hard not to be swept up by his enthusiasm. Purely through improvement by repetition, I would argue that this is Depp’s best outing as the lovable rogue.
While on the subject of the cast, we’re also treated to Javier Bardem’s sinister Captain Salazar as the main foil to Jack Sparrow. Although not on the level of his turn as the psychopathic Anton Chigurgh in No Country For Old Men (a performance which belongs on the Mount Rushmore of creepy villains), still manages to match the charisma of the protagonist. A special mention must also be made for the casting of Brenton Thwaites as Will Turner’s son Henry, who looks eerily like a young Orlando Bloom - top-notch casting right there.
Aside from the characters, the action set pieces are just as impressive as ever. Indeed the opening scene alone is worth the price of admission, balancing stunning special effects with great character work as Henry Turner throws himself into the ocean to reunite with his father, now at the helm of the Flying Dutchman. I guess it goes to show that if you pump enough money into a project, it’ll be visually spectacular if nothing else.
The Bad
With that being said, Pirates of the Caribbean: Salazar’s Revenge is far from the perfect movie, and a lot of the criticism pointed at it is well justified. Although enjoyable, this entry really doesn’t take any risks and doesn’t offer anything new for longtime fans of the series, and if you’re new to the world of pirates then there are far better films earlier in the chronology. There’s only so many ‘yarghs’ and ‘ahoys’ you can get away with before you start repeating yourself.
What’s more, while I found Johnny Depp’s Captain Jack entertaining, I can understand why some weren’t so keen on him this time around. He does ham it up more than ever before, almost crossing the precipice from charming to gratingly annoying as becomes more of a drunken buffoon than a witty rogue. Ultimately, if you don’t like Jack, you won’t like this film.
The Verdict
I was as cynical as anyone going into watching Pirates of the Caribbean: Salazar’s Revenge, but I’m happy to report that I was thoroughly entertained; who would’ve thought you could tell such compelling stories about a theme park ride for so long?
For those that take umbrage with the film, I challenge you to not watch it as a stand-alone movie, but to treat the film series as if it were a tv show with self-contained stories. Sure, not all of them will knock it out of the park, but it’s something to enjoy where you’re familiar with the characters, don’t have to pay that much attention and can just switch off and enjoy it for what it is. I think there’s unappreciated merit in that.
★★★☆☆
Sir Thomas Baker
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales at CeX
Metroid 2, for the original (house brick, of a) GameBoy, was impressive for its day. Even with the hardware's limitations, it managed to have nice big sprite work and animation. It wouldn't have been my first choice for a Remaster, but I'm glad they did. Metroid: Return of Samus is more of a reimagining than a remaster, as it doesn't stick close to the original's design, outside of the story's concept.
Coming straight off of the events of the classic, original NES game. Humans send in the bounty hunter, Samus Aran, to commit planet-wide genocide, wiping out all remaining Metroid and the Metroid Queen, on their homeworld - SR-388. Probably not too far from LV-426 and wherever Headcrabs come from. -Come to think of it, maybe, the Squidling kids were once human and now have a squid-like facehugging, social media obsessed, parasites controlling them… waaaait…
Once you get past the opening cinematic, with some dialogue and (Basil) exposition, then, unlike more recent entries in the Metroid series, you're left alone to explore and play the game without interruption. This is back to the 2D side-scrolling goodness, of the older Metroid's. The ones that inspired the exploration, find new power-ups and then start backtracking to find new, previously inaccessible, areas genre. (Batman: Arkham Asylum, still my favorite in the series, did an extremely good job of converting this concept into a 3D environment but the 2D Castlevania’s will always be at the top of the list, for me).
Metroid: Return of Samus uses a pseudo 2.5D, with 3D polygonal models and backgrounds, which works incredibly well. Personally, I'm a fan of 2D sprites but Metroid, graphically, is very impressive. Aside from the jaggy edges from the lack of anti-aliasing, due to hardware limitations. It looks and plays a lot like some of the newer games in the genre, like Shadow Complex and 2014's Strider (which were basically love letters to Metroid, anyway, and amazing games). The game's subtle ambient soundtrack helps Immerse you into the tense, claustrophobic and desolate planet. The map's layout has been massively expanded upon, compared to its Gameboy counterpart, and barely resembles the original map.
-Side note: My 3DS XL died, during my playthrough. (This turned out to be an issue with the WiFi chip). I continued on with my old original 3DS. I would highly recommend playing using an XL; so you can take in the atmospheric scenery and enemy design. On the upside, the smaller screen did help make character edges look smoother but I'm not sure that was worth the hand cramp.-
There are a lot of Loot Box, Pay to Win and just lazy, money grabbing DLC issues going around, in games, recently. One I've not heard much about is Metroid's Harder Difficulty being behind a paywall. To unlock Hard Mode you need to buy (or borrow) an Amiibo. That's some dodgy Nintendo tactics, even by Nintendo standards. At this rate, Next Pokemon game, you'll need to buy all the Pokemon Amiibos to acquire Pokemon. Stick to DLC just being cosmetic items that having no effect on gameplay and then I don't have to care.
Samus has a few new additions to her move set. Holding the -L- button allows you to stand still and aim 360°. Handy for some precision aiming and shooting down airborne enemies.
With a well-timed -Y-, Samus will perform a parry and counter, almost all, enemies; including bosses. This is a good way to deal some big damage. The wall grab lets you grab ledges, which you can also aim off of. The Sonar is a bit of a controversial one. You unlock this really early on and using it will show you any areas with weak walls and secrets hidden around. As you go through, gathering new abilities, you soon feel more than a match for enemies.
Your main objective is to hunt down 40 Metroid. Each new area you get to has a shrine-like statue with a certain amount of holes in it, to represent the amount of Metroid within that area. Each time you find and kill a Metroid, you acquire its DNA strand and then take them back to the shrine, to open the next area to explore. This isn't as boring as I've just made it sound. Boss battles start out simple. A parry with a few shots or unloading a bunch of missiles into them will take out the first few you encounter. They soon begin to get more complex and expand upon their behaviour, with lots of bigger and more varied Metroid hybrids. Learning the Boss patterns becomes key to finishing them off.
With the success and praise Metroid: Return of Samus has received, hopefully, Nintendo won't leave it so long to do another 2D Metroid and not let it gather dust, again. Mercurysteam have done an outstanding job. I'd like to see them return to Castlevania, (they made both Castlevania: Lords of Shadow’s), and do a new game in the vein of Sympathy of the Night. Wishful thinking.
As team-ups go, like The Ninja Turtles and Usagi Yojimbo, Marvel and Capcom just makes sense. Both have a large mixed catalogue of weird and outlandish characters, to bring to the table. Who's not had the playground conversation of “who would win out of X or X”. The Marvel vs Capcom series has always let you fight these fanboy/girl scenarios out, for yourselves. In total, Marvel vs Capcom: Infinite (MvC:I) has 30 characters, in its roster lineup, which is a fair number (until you compare it with MvC2, which had 56) with some more coming as DLC later down the line. (Because that's how games work now and we all love to buy extras, that should have been in the game to start with...).
It's a shame then that MvC:I feels more like Marvel are selling you an advert for their current movie universe, rather than the Marvel Universe. Having cut their nose off, to look like Ghost Rider, and spite their own face; a large chunk of fan favorites are missing from the game, due to studio rivalry and Marvel not wanting to promote characters they don't own the movie rights to. The most obvious of these is Wolverine, who's about as iconic as Marvel get. Fox owns his movie rights, as well as, to all the other X-Men, so Cyclops, Storm and Magneto are all missing. This also goes for Sony properties like The Fantastic Four and Deadpool, all of whom are nowhere to be seen. Instead, you get a few characters shoveled in to help promote the upcoming Movie Universe. The Capcom lineup doesn't fare much better, with some particularly odd choices, such as only Ryu and Chun Li, from Street Fighter. Hagar, from Final Fight shows up, so I guess Guy and Cody are on holiday... and I guess Capcom are trying to remind people that Bionic Commando was a thing.
The story mode is pretty cheesy, as you'd expect when a comic and a game universe combine. It's definitely not as well thought out as Injustice 2's story, that's for sure. Ultron teams up with Sigma, from Megaman X, and then they combine to form Ultron Sigma… because reasons… and then, to ramp up the ridiculous, they turn into Ultron Omega. Through the story you're given two fighters, per scenario, in whatever seemed like the dumbest team-up at the time (Ryu and the Hulk as an early team-up example), to fight waves of generic robots until you get to the next story team-up fight. Repeat this for about two hours until your cake is ready.
Graphically the game is disheartening. I'm not sure what style they were aiming for but I'm quite sure they missed it. I'd take the comic style of the third game over this or some really nice 2D sprite art. (Dragonball Fighter Z looks amazing). Human characters look particularly bad and face animation isn't great either. Human expressions always look like they're ones of constipation or pain… I guess, half the time they would be, getting beaten up and laser beams to the face every few seconds. While still on design aesthetics, I'm convinced the work experience kid designed the Main Menu. It's just lazy and basic, like a bland mid-'90's website that's still waiting to be updated.
Luckily, for MvC:I, a game should always be judged on its gameplay and not its looks because this still remains its strong point. Sadly the chaotic 3 vs 3 of the older games has been done away with and returned to just the 2 vs 2 of the original. Not swapping between three characters, and calling in team assists loses some of the more frantic elements of the previous games but some of the new additions to gameplay make this work. You can now call in your partner, mid-combo, to continue a string of attacks and keep a juggle going. For example, have your enemy stuck in Iron man's cannon blast and while the animation is still going you can swap in your second character for a continued beat down.
The inclusion of the Infinity Stones also add a bit of strategy to the fighting. Although, another missed opportunity, to tie in and add a Power Stone character (or two), from Capcom. Sadface. You pick your stone after choosing your fighters, to match with your play style. Each Stone representing its own individual affects - Power, Space, Time, Reality, Mind and Soul. Each stone has two stages, “Infinity Surge”, which can be activated at any moment of the fight and “Infinity Storm“, which requires at least half of the Infinity Bar to be built up, via taking and dealing damage. For example, the Purple (Space) Stone’s “Infinity Surge” will pull an opponent towards you, allowing for combo traps. At the second stage “Infinity Storm“ it lets you trap an opponent within a small area and limit their movement.
Thankfully the game's controls have been fixed since its Story Mode Demo (fiasco). They no longer feel as disconnected, laggy and unresponsive. It ditches the three button layout of the third game and swings back to the more familiar four button layout of games old. As default the game has an “Auto-Combo”, set to a single button, to help newcomers string together a decent damaging combo. Someone who knows what they're doing will (and should) still win every time.
Loading times suuuuuck! I wouldn't normally mention this but waiting well over a minute to load the next fight is crazy talk. I can’t think of another game running on the unreal 4 engine that’s been this bad. I don't think the majority of people will be playing this as their main "go to" fighting game. More, something you'll dig out from time to time, for drunken nights with friends... at least until we can play MvC2, on current gen.
It’s that time of year again, when the latest FIFA and Pro Evo entries are both on the shelves, and the most die-hard fans of each fight one another like drunk toddlers. Right here and now though, I’m here to talk about Pro Evolution Soccer 2018. Yes, it’s still an odd mish-mash of real and fake team names due to a lack of full licensing but, indeed, you can still easily find and download a player-made file to fix that.
Did you see all that pre-release guff about how players will now act just like their real-life counterparts? Inevitably, that’s not quite how things turned out - it’s still possible to pass effectively and score with Wayne Rooney, for example - but there’s still a noticeable difference in player movement and AI. Speed, inertia, and AI decisions are all more realistic than ever. As a result, cheap scoring tactics are much less likely to work, and the flow of each game feels exactly as it should; even if the commentary is as poor as ever.
Dribbling has been tweaked, and definitely for the better. The ball doesn’t stick to your feet like bubblegum, but nor does it run away from you at the slightest nudge. You’ll need to time and angle your runs well to get past defenders, and knocking the ball on (double tap sprint) is often essential. Shooting, meanwhile, is harsh but fair. If you panic in the heat of the moment, it’s all too easy to send the ball sailing over the crossbar and into the car park. That makes each time you hit the back of the net all the sweeter; and, needless to say, chipping the ball over a helpless keeper is as immensely satisfying as it’s ever been.
As for when you’re on the defensive, things remain largely unchanged. But then, if it ain’t broke, don’t match-fix it. A careful mix of anticipation, timing, and calling in AI help will see you win the ball if you do it correctly. However, the importance of tactics appears to have been increased dramatically. This doesn’t mean that you’ll need to fiddle about in the menus before each match (though some people are happy to do this regardless). However, if you’re constantly struggling against a certain team or when playing online, it’s worth taking a close look at your setup and on-the-fly tactics. Would your play style benefit from a different formation? Do you call in teammates to apply pressure too much, or not enough? Do you need to start making regular use of the offensive and defensive plays available with a quick tap of the D pad? A single bad decision can throw the game against you, while a good one can give you a sudden advantage.
The same game modes return. Play an exhibition match, roleplay as a manager, play through your career as a single player (still with no The-Journey-style story), that mode that’s totally not copying Ultimate Team, try to win the UEFA championship… chances are, you know the drill. That said, the option to play with a team of randomly selected players makes an unexpected and welcome return after a long absence.
What of online? Well, initially, things were pretty dodgy. Matches had a tendency to suddenly end without warning due to a sudden lack of connection, and the dreaded lag made an appearance now and again. After the first week or so however, these problems seemed to have been ironed out. Online games now run smoothly, and you can even play them to the end! Presuming your opponent doesn’t rage quit, of course. There’s still a ridiculously long wait for the game to find and connect you to another player, unfortunately, but at least it works once it finally happens.
Online or offline, the latest Pro Evo is a fantastic football game that will keep you coming back again and again. And, indeed, again. It’s a dream to play; everything just feels right. If you want to pretend that England still has a chance of producing a decent national team, this is the game to live out your fantasy. Many more pros than cons.
Edgar Wright is known for his quirky yet humorous, well-edited films, and his newest creation, ‘Baby Driver’, is no exception. Baby (Ansel Elgort) is a young getaway driver with a hearing impairment and a quiet personality, yet his skills behind the wheels make him one of the best in his field. It’s not something he’d planned to do of course, and he can’t wait until he’s done his last job for crime boss Doc (Kevin Spacey) so he can get back to a (semi) normal life caring for his also hearing impaired Pops (CJ Jones, who is actually deaf himself) and making music. After meeting diner waitress Debora (Lily James), getaways look like a thing of the past… That is, of course, until Doc mysteriously turns up again, offering him one last job that promises riches. Baby is given no choice but to take him up on the offer, turning his already unique life even more perilous.
The film itself is partly inspired by Edgar Wright’s music video for Mint Royale made in 2003, which featured Noel Fielding. It’s easy to tell from the first few minutes that this isn’t just a film with a soundtrack – the film is original and feels more like an art piece than a movie, with striking similarities to a modern musical despite no one bursting into song. Music is used not just to fuel emotion but also to change the pacing, add depth to the characters, and also to highlight certain actions in scenes. It’s got to be soundtrack of the year, combining some well-known classics with other more obscure songs – this is the first time I’ve heard ‘Hocus Pocus’ by Focus in a film, yet it worked surprisingly well.
The editing team will have had their work cut out for them too, with Wright’s signature editing style central to the film. Even the first few minutes are edited so precisely that it must have taken hours, and it gives an added slickness to an already smooth film. Yes, some of it is overly cheesy (bullets being shot in time to the music, and so on), but you can’t help but love it. Talking of slickness, the filming style reminded me a lot of ‘The Man From U.N.C.L.E.’ – both films manage to feel vintage and modern at the same time, with great one-liners (“He puts the Asian in invasion” was one of my favourites) and fast-paced action that you can’t help but become absorbed in.
You might recognise lead Elgort from ‘The Fault In Our Stars’ – I’d never seen him in anything before, but I was really impressed with his role as Baby. The chemistry between him and Debora feels so real, so it was a shame that it lacked overall depth, and we never really learnt much about her as a character. That was my only complaint with the story really – it just felt that there was so much to fit in that the relationship got side-lined, when really it should have been more of a focus.
Alongside Elgort, John Hamm played a relentless Buddy, who really stepped into his role during the final half as it all got out of control. I was most impressed by Jamie Foxx, who’s interpretation of the psychopathic murderer Bats was scarily on point. All of the acting is good (if a tad dramatic at times), and we even get to see Flea from Red Hot Chilli Peppers cameo as a minor part criminal who’s not really all that with it.
Some questions aren’t answered, and some scenes feel too tailored to be 100% realistic, but I loved ‘Baby Driver’ anyway - it’s intoxicating in its delivery and infects you with energy from the beginning. I even had to re-listen to the soundtrack as soon as it was over so, even if it’s just for the music, make sure you don’t miss out.
Transformers: The Last Knight, is difficult to watch. I have watched it through twice, and I would have been more engrossed staring at a random bit of bark, that had somehow found itself stuck to the side of a shed with poo. Starring Academy award-winning Anthony Hopkins and Academy nominated Mark Wahlberg this is a film that will not define the career of anyone, except perhaps Michael Bay’s ability to jump the shark without ever having a non shark jumpy franchise in the first place.
The film begins back in the olden Game of Thronesy days where King Arthur is in the midst of a generic battle. At this point, I thought I’d put in the wrong Blu-ray since King Arthur was also a recent release until the dialogue started which is so cringey with its attempts at humour and otherwise tediously bad dialogue. Iconic of the Bay. The visuals, while fun to watch (to an extent), make up such a small amount of the movie which, though entitled Transformers, could easily be called bland extras feat. some Transformers... sometimes.
It is very important to Megatron and all the other appliances that they get a stick, given to Merlin in the past which was why he was considered magic since he summoned a dragon. (Game of Thrones is doing well because there’s a dragon in it right? Maybe we should have a dragon too). Presumably, the same one Arthur supposedly killed, despite it being on his team. It’s really hard to follow what’s going on even though the plot is straightforward. The amount of exposition in the movie is unbearable, especially since the plot boils down to “go and get the (aforementioned) staff from the guy”.
The film is full of things that screams of Michael Bay wishing he was good enough to direct or write Game of Thrones and Star Wars. They have a character that definitely isn’t as charming as BB-8. They even have a character that definitely isn’t C3P0 that they go as far as to draw attention to in lieu of the ability to actually write dialogue anyone would care about. The aspect ratio changes countless times in the middle of a scene which the second you see it is so jarring it detracts from the film, which is fine because the film is terrible.
Multiple characters are brought in to add depth and emotion, fall out of the sky and completely cease to fulfill a role of any kind. The humour, the ‘comic relief’ is just disgustingly cringeworthy. I can’t say enough about how awful this film is, and I went in with an open mind as I have not been hugely against the movies in any way in the past. Transformers: The Last Knight is all the worst things about the franchise and shows an increasing laziness when it comes to almost definite plagiarism thinly disguised as homages. Normally this is where I would say “On the positive side…” but you aren’t getting that. It sucks, don’t let your friends see it.
All Eyez on Me is a Touching movie. From rapper to rapper to corpse, Tupac Shakur has touched many people, his occasionally touching songs have resulted in incredible album sales. His “Unwanted Touching” moments resulted in accusations for which he was imprisoned, and then severe moments of touchiness on his part, led to him being fundamentally..spoiler alert…killed to death in real life.
Starring Demetrius Shipp Jr. as the titular star, All Eyez On Me is a weak and obvious attempt at throwing together a movie in the dust of the successful Straight Outta Compton. The film depicts many legends of the Hip Hop world in the nineties such as Dr. Dre, The Notorious B.I.G, and Snoop but is primarily a biopic depicting Tupac’s life from fetus to genius to carrion pieces.
Full disclosure: I was always one to spell rap with a capital C in front of it. Never really had the urge to listen to it on purpose aside from the occasional dance with an Eminem album in the nineties and still to this day find it, though less annoying than before, nothing more exciting than listening to a factory machine chugging along day to day. Though a rather angry and often sexist machine.
Due to this, I was surprised to find that I did not hate this movie, though I was very prepared to, and put off watching it for quite a long time. Though due to logistics and moments of passionate whimsy I watched the first forty minutes three times. This is not to say that I enjoyed the movie, his life was interesting and I feel the filmmakers relied too heavily on paying fan service to people who already knew most of the story. I, however, knew nothing. I knew he possibly liked weed, lived the Thug Life and had a terrible addiction to being shot, an addiction, like so many before and since, that eventually resulted in his untimely death.
The film sits at the relatively long run time of two hours and forty minutes and begins with a tremendously staccato impatience. It started spitting the background facts of Tupac’s life at me like an excited child trying to explain to his parents that “Santa has been”, “The Tooth Fairy has died”, “I just saw a frog in the street” and “I tidied my room can I now have a puppy pleeeease.”
Tupac's mother or moms for short, was originally a Black Panther, one of the Revolutionaries as she did not hail from Wakanda. She is very adamant about making sure Tupac stays ‘woke’, and makes him read the news and Shakespeare so that he can talk women into bed even after his rape conviction and become a great poet, actor, and rappist. Sorry, Raper. Rapper. Forgive me.
From here we follow him through his impressively prolific twenty-five years, no matter what you think of him, it is clear he is an actual genius at what he does. This doesn’t mean think it’s great, but he is very good at it. I’m sure there’s someone out there who is an actual genius at shitting in the shape of a celebrity's faces, doesn’t mean I have to enjoy it, but there’s probably a documentary on Netflix...
The film is sometimes well shot, (but not as well shot as Tupac himself amirite?) with great nostalgic footage of a now twenty years ago version of the USA, interspersed with music videos and micro behind the scenes facts that almost completely fail to interest me at all. I can’t see who this movie is for, anyone who cares probably knows all this and it’s thrown together so lazily as to avoid holding my attention for less time than the work I’m supposed to be doing while I’m writing this.
The family of Tupac were planning on making their own version of this but did not have the rights, and are not allowed to speak about how shit they think it is for legal reasons. The film plays is structured with an interview but plays like a visualisation of the ramblings of a narcissist trying to convince himself he’s a nice guy with lots of friends. I don’t think anyone is going to enjoy this movie very much, but you should buy it anyway and prove me inevitably incorrect.
Dav Pilkey’s Captain Underpants books have been a staple of school libraries and the scourge of uppity parents for nearly two decades, chronicling the misadventures of two 4th graders and their hypnotized principal, who fights crime in nothing but his undies as the titular hero. With the massive popularity of the series, it’s strange that it’s taken this long for the characters to cross over into cinema with this year’s Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie.
Could this live up to it’s *ahem* prestigious source material? Grab your Hypno Ring and best tighty-whities and let’s find out.
The Good
Being a fan of the books since I was but a wee ankle biter, it’s a relief that the puerile gags that made the books so hilarious to kids (and cool parents) translate fantastically to the big screen. They don’t feel like cheap attempts at cheap laughs, but rather the sort of jokes thought up in the back of a classroom, during a particularly boring lesson. In this regard, the film has an oddly wholesome quality.
This wholesomeness is accentuated by the entirely genuine, often heartwarming friendship between our two heroes, George Beard and Harold Hutchins (portrayed by Kevin Hart and Thomas Middleditch). While their hyperactivity could’ve proved grating, it really adds to the believability that the two have been friends for years, and makes the pair relatable to children and nostalgic adults alike.
A special mention must also be made about the animation style of Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie, which was uniquely refreshing. Most Dreamworks Animation films such as Shrek and Shark Tale have traditionally had an angular style that adds a layer of realism that arguably overshadows the beloved works of Pixar (just look at Lord Farquad’s impressive chin). However, this would’ve been jarring had it been used to bring Dav Pilkey’s iconic characters to life on the silver screen, so instead, we’re treated to a more stylised presentation that closely resembles Pilkey’s original doodles. Although this may’ve been a cost-cutting technique, it’s hard to argue that it compliments both the source material and tone of the film adeptly.
The Bad
While there’s plenty to enjoy with this flick, there are a few skid marks that held it back from being a straight flush. For example, the film’s main antagonist, the delightfully evil Professor Poopypants, revels in evil for evil’s sake, whereas in the original books he’s driven to criminal insanity by people making fun of his name. Consequently, we’re given a much more one-dimensional villain that is unfortunately largely forgettable. As with most films written for kids, I’d often give this a pass, but when the portrayal of George, Harold, and the hilarious Mr. Krupp/Captain Underpants is so successful, this just feels like a wasted opportunity.
Finally, if I were to begrudgingly play devil’s advocate for a moment, adults who haven’t read the original Captain Underpants books might find the film adaptation just a smidge crass and for lack of a better word, dumb. But honestly, what were you realistically expecting from a film called Captain Underpants? The next Citizen Kane? Sometimes it’s ok to get off the porcelain pedestal and enjoy a film for what it is - pure, insolent fun.
The Verdict
Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie was a delight, and had me securely fastened into the nostalgia trip. It straddles the line between infantile humour and emotive storytelling brilliantly, with larger than life characters that remain grounded and relatable to all generations. It may lack subtlety for the unindoctrinated (*boring) adult, but for the rest of us, Captain Underpants is number one, and definitely not a number two.
The original Uncharted came out at a time when Sony was struggling to sell consoles and desperately needed to keep the PS3 relevant, to show that Sony had first party games that could stand up and compete against Halo and Gears of War. The first game was clearly inspired by, and played like, a mash-up of four games that were popular at the time. Tomb Raider, Gears of War, Resident Evil 4 and Ico. A massive chunk of Indiana Jones was clearly wedged in there, too. It wasn't until Nathan "Nate" Drake's second outing that the series really found its stride and went into its own, with dynamic story beats and astonishing set pieces that the games it was inspired by would go on to replicate into their own games, going full circle.
Chloe Frazer, voiced by the awesome Claudia Black (Farscape, StarGate) made her first appearance in Uncharted 2: Among Thieves and was instantly more interesting than Elena "last year's model" Fisher. She appeared again in Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception but was oddly absent from the fourth game... probably so she wouldn't overshadow Nate and Elena's romance story.
Originally planned as story DLC, Naughty Dog got carried away and made Uncharted: The Lost Legacy a full-blown spinoff. Set a little after the events of Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End, Chloe chases after the Tusk of Ganesh, a mythical Hindu artifact her father had been searching for; with the help of Nadine Ross, the former leader of the paramilitary organisation Shoreline and protagonist of Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End, they wander off to the Western Ghats of India, for their unlikely and fantastical adventure.
For the most part, the game is still quite linear, fundamentally, you're only ever really heading from point A to point B. This time though, The game builds upon gameplay elements established in previous titles. Level traversal has been opened up for you to wander around, find alternative paths to take or walls to climb to get to your destination in a number of ways. Chapter 5 on the other hand, is the single largest, open area, map in any of the Uncharted games. This Chapter plays more like the Madagascar Chapter from Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End, with the return of the 4x4 and its magic winch. You'll find an optional mini side adventure during this chapter that’s worth doing if you're trying to find all the collectibles... which could also just be taken as filler to pad out the game's play time.
Overall it feels like Uncharted: The Lost Legacy has fewer combat encounters than the previous games, with exploration taking the forefront. The stealth sections have had an overhaul, with the added addition of a silenced pistol, (Not quite sure why it was missing from Uncharted 4), or you can just charge in guns blazing and hope for the best. Enemy supply creates are littered about for Chloe to lockpick, being the thief that she is. These hide weapons, ammo and the occasional hidden treasure. Chloe and Nadine both seem a bit more scrappy, than Nathan and his many sidekicks, and have some really cool double team take-downs. Nadine maintains her ‘not messing around’ persona and won't hesitate to fight or take out a guard in your way, without you.
Uncharted 4's Multiplayer also makes a return with a few added modes. Survival Arena Mode plays like most Horde modes, hold down an area and take out each wave of incoming enemies for as many rounds as possible. By far, best played with a friend... or at least someone willing to communicate online.
Naughty Dog has got very good at telling story driven games and then implementing aspects of gameplay around them. The shorter length of Uncharted: The Lost Legacy helps the game feel a bit more focused, with the intention to tell its story. As great as the fourth game was, it did feel a little too long. (Seems strange complaining about too much of a good thing).
