Home Blog Page 14

Scorpion: A pandemic-fueled binge review

Laura Benson
-
0
Scorpion: A pandemic-fueled binge review

It is fair to say I like most have spent a lot of time consuming media during the lockdown. Of course, I started with the new, then the old faves, followed by older tv shows I’d vaguely heard of over the years.  I’ve watched some bad TV as a result; boredom lowers your standards considerably.

So why did 2014’s Scorpion stand out to me? It’s certainly not quality of writing, acting, or even entertainment value.  This show was deeply weird, even to me.

For those that don’t know, the premise of the show is a fairly common trope. One genius man with other kinda geniuses works with the government to solve crime.

Elyes Gabel is Walter O’Brien; hero of the show, and a genius smarter than Einstein! This man can do it all: hack, math, drive race cars, parachuting, spying, fighting, gambling. He is dropped into active warzones, despite being s just the nerd! His only flaw is that he has no emotions and is an asshole. No one ever calls him on being an asshole.

Katharine McPhee is Paige Dineen, the main love interest and the normal character that the audience are meant to relate to. Paige was hired on the team because she understands how to handle genius, despite having a genius son that she doesn’t understand. Like the rest of the team, Paige goes on missions that her waitress background in no way gives her background or experience. Her role is to be the love interest and to say to Walter “let’s calm down” now and then. Characters often ask what the point of her is. After one season I also wonder.

Eddie Kaye Thomas is Tobias “Toby” Merriweather Curtis, M.D.  The show doesn’t seem to know if this guy is a behaviorist specailist or an actual medical doctor. Whenever there is an injury my dude is in there ready to use his doctorate in psychiatry to perform surgery. He’s also incredibly inappropriate, makes smart remarks, has a fedora, a gambling problem and a problematic obsession for the hard-ass woman of the team. Sexual harassment is fine because he’s FUN. (except he’s not). Somehow Tobia is meant to be brilliant at people yet unable to handle people.

I hate these people why am I watching this.

Jadyn Wong as Happy Quinn; the machine smart one that also hacks.  Also, punches people, climb’s walls.  Happy is the action hero because daddy abandoned her and made her angry. Apparently, Happy has got a good ass. How do we know? It’s mentioned by Toby every episode. Happy actually doesn’t seem to have problems communicating with people – she is s just a token badass woman that is so angry and too busy punching things to bother. Excuse me while I go punch a motorcycle into working…

Ari Stidham is Sylvester Dodd; the maths one. Sylvester is the “typical” nerd who loves comics, is overweight, has anxiety, is a germaphobe and is awkward with women. He wears glasses and a sweater vest, so it’s very subtle. He hacks, is a grandmaster of chess and  has a photographic memory that means they use him as a human scanner. Again, he goes on ACTION MISSIONS and screams the whole time. Have I mentioned he’s anxious? Don’t worry he will.

Robert Patrick is Agent Cabe Gallo’ the government agent man and stand in “father figure”. Cabe has a past and works for Homeland Security, which means he has endless funds, access, and resources. Despite being the only one with any training whatsoever, Cabe is sidelined because he “looks too much like a fed”. Cabe’s child has died and his wife has left him. He also likes to says things like “hang on to your lunch”. Somehow he has less personality than when Robert Patrick played a literal terminator….

Riley B. Smith is Ralph Dineen; Paige’s child genius, who reads more on the spectrum than anything else. Ralph Does stuff that would cause any reasonable mother to declare “This environment is bad for my kid I’m out”. Also does action-hero things and is 10.

Nerd or Action Hero? So why did 2014’s Scorpion stand out to me? What frustrates me about this show is why Walter so Mary Sue. Any time people place reasonable boundaries with him, the story takes pains to show him as being in the right. His asshole tendencies are never addressed or have consequences.

Walter has this stunning woman interested in him, even though he insults her every episode. He treats his team like shit and they are “Walter is the best thing in my life. He’s the greatest. Sempai, notice me uwu.”

Even some of his so-called brilliant moves are stupid? For example, a boy about to be drowned, he sets up an oxygen blood device and tells the kids to just drown and not try and breath with giants needles in his arms. Have you not heard of scuba diving? The weird focus on his IQ, which anyone with a basic knowledge of IQ would know is not accurate, and how Genius people are like, inhuman?

This is combined with the opening words of Scorpion, where it declares “Inspired by the life of Walter O’Brien”, which made me hit the internet.

This is where it gets really weird…

Real Life Walter O'Brien at Comic Con So why did 2014’s Scorpion stand out to me?

Walter O’Brien is a real person. He’s claimed to have an IQ of 197, although there’s no proof and won’t take tests to prove it. Walter claims to have hacked the NSA, but can’t give proof due to an NDA, but no one else can find any proof of this. Also claims to have helped catch the Boston Marathon Bombers, but that pesky NDA stops him from giving details.  Do we see a trend developing here?

This show is a literal advertisement for his company Scorpion Computer Services, Inc. and its service Concierge Up. O’Brien produces, helps write it and comes up with the “technical aspects”.

However, O’Brien’s contributions to the technical aspects of the plot led to the National Science Teachers Association advising teachers to use this show as an example of incorrect or exaggerated science.

Scorpion is essentially a 4-season advertisement for a private company and moonlights as one man’s fantasy about himself, which is seemingly funded by CBS.

So, why have I sat through an entire season, researched the show and then spent two hours writing this?  ADHD…

In my mind, this series is part of a genre of shows that teaches geeks, nerds, or anyone who ever felt a bit different that they are too different. Rather than attempting to integrate with society, Scorpion advocates surround themselves with those who do not challenge them. It presents that being smart is a get out of jail free card for being a jerk.  That pursuing the girl, even when she says no, is fine.  That not making the effort to be a good person is fine.  Ultimately; none of these characters would be bearable in real life.

So, in order to save my sanity, I’m going to rewatch Elementary. This is a show that took the “smart genius man solves crimes” trope and made it human.

Fort Triumph

Daniel Delargy
-
0
Fort Triumph

We are huge fans of the tactical turn-based games, from Fire Emblem and Advance Wars to X-COM and Valkyria Chronicles. This love doesn’t reliably translate into skill, but nonetheless we love the opportunity to scout out maps and attempt to methodically work our way to victory. Fort Triumph, on the Switch, is a phenomenal addition to the genre.  With the added ability to take it on the go, this is a solid time-killer when travelling on the train.

Fort Triumph is clearly a love letter to these games, as well as a love letter to another favourite of ours: Dungeons and Dragons. The campaign shows this in full force, as you have a fresh-faced party of different classed adventurers banding together to earn some coin, whilst evil plots and schemes in the background. The writing is particularly excellent, as it is rife with some great humour that doesn’t feel forced.  In the first cutscene alone, you have an evil a Suspicious Hooded Character entering a reputable establishment from the back, and is reprimanded for breaking the “No evil cackling past midnight” rule.

As the game progresses, players will become well accustomed to the gameplay and can draw comparisons to well-known tactic games, such as implementing an overwatch system for ranged characters (much like the X-COM series) as well as your standard turn-by-turn system.  The game even even implements a Dungeons and Dragons inspired opportunity attacks mechanic, allowing characters to feel like they are truly in the middle of a brawl. There are four classes to work from;  Paladins, savages, rangers, and mages.  Each of them comes with their pros and cons when facing the hoard of goblins, skeletons and spiders in their way.

Alongside the procedurally generated maps, units have the opportunity to exploit destructible environments and physics-based attacks to gain an advantage over their opponents.  It is this physics-based system that allows for a wealth of innovative strategery, as players will take note of everything that could be a potential weapon across the battlefield.

As an example, an enemy goblin archer is in cover behind a solid oak tree, depriving the player of their ability to have a clear shot at them, whilst it readies an overwatch shot to damage any melee fighters the player might send in.  The tank might be ready to take a hit or two, but we can’t send them straight into the den (especially with the threat of permadeath looming overhead).

One solution could be to used the spellcaster to send a mighty force to knock over the tree, breaking the goblin out of overwatch and stunning them, thereby preventing the enemy from attacking next turn. However, players need to be careful as stunned units can’t be hindered by the same trick twice, therefore players need to make sure they exploit an advantage when they find a way to best implement it.

Additionally, players need to be aware that enemy units can return the favour, positioning of units becomes key. Furthermore, much like its influences, the play mechanics are directed by the chance-to-hit mechanic, much like in D&D. It did feel a little harsh, ala X-COM, at times, where the chance would seem fairly high but your arrow would go sailing past the target’s head, but as players become more strategic, this will improve their chances.

As the game progresses, each team member gains experience as they encounter enemies and can level up mid.  This can be an interesting twist, as a character can power-up or select new abilities mid-battle. These abilities are produced at random, so players will never know how they will ultimately build a character.  This works out well, as players can build multiple teams and gain a variety of coverage.  Players can also build up their fort with money earned through completing missions, providing them with ability boosts and perks. Money is also scattered across an expansive world map, with side missions in little nooks and crannies to help fill the coffers and XP gauge.

As the game progresses, players can unlock different factions with their own campaigns, as well as develop their skills in Skirmish mode, adding to the replayability. However, I do feel that the classes can be restrictive, with only four classes across each faction. Despite this, we kept returning to Fort Triumph to build up our heroes and conquer the campaign, picking up new items and abilities along the way, to emerge triumphant.

Fort Triumph is available to purchase and download right now on Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PS4, PS5, and Nintendo Switch.

The Green Knight

Daniel Delargy
-
0
The Green Knight

The Green Knight (or, as the film sets out, Sir Gawain and the Green Knight) is based on the 14th Century poem of the same name and was announced back in 2018 to much anticipation. The COVID-19 pandemic has not been kind to the release of many films, and Lowery’s adaptation was no exception. Following the cancelled premier at the 2020 festival ‘South by Southwest’, Lowerie used the time to re-edit and rework the film before its new release date in 2021. What we have received is a visually stunning epic that leads us down a familiar narrative for those versed in Arthurian legends, with some new twists and turns along the way.

The characters are undeniably identifiable, but Lowery makes the unique decision to anonymise some of the primary characters by referring to King Artur as ‘King’, and Guinevere as ‘Queen’ – even Gawain’s ‘Mother’ is left nameless, despite clearly responsible for  summoning The Green Knight, which indicates her characterisation as Morgan Le Fay. This is just one example of the changes made to the main text, as Lowery clearly plays with the source material to provide a rich tapestry for viewers to observe.

What’s notable about Gawain from legends is that his characterisation has been inconsistent.  In early texts, Gawain was a quintessential knight, courteous, devoutly religious and loyal to the crown and family. As later compilations of legends emerged, such as Thomas Malory’ 1485 compilation of ‘Le Morte d’Arthur’, his character became more associated with secular knighthood and is ultimately characterised as an antagonist to Lancelot (who had been the focus of much French Prose additions to the Arthurian mythos).

Immediately, the adaptation opts for a portrayal much closer to his character in 15th Century French prose.  We open up to a hungover Dev Patel sprawled out on a bed that belongs to Essel, a commoner from a nearby brothel, who proceeds to get some overtime in before he sets out to head back to Camelot for a Christmas Day feast.  This feast takes place around the iconic round table, at which are seated knights who are seen by Gawain as “legends”. This is central to the story of Gawain in this movie – he is welcomed up to join his uncle, who is adorned in an ornate armour that is decorated with metalwork forged into tiles detailing epic tales and adventures of his own. It is in stark contrast to Gawain’s own admission, when asked to recall the King with a story that he has no story to share, and it is something you can almost feel the shame sweep over you – with no children of their own, once the strength finally leaves the King, he will have to leave his responsibilities and legacy to rest on the shoulders of his nephew. A nephew inexprienced in war, in politics, in the principles of a knight – a boy with no story of his own.

No story ‘yet’, as he is reminded by Guinevere.

Outside of the festivities, Gawain’s mother (who welcomed her son home, and mentioned she had to stay away), is seen participating in witchcraft. Through her workings, the titular Green Knight is summoned. He is a monument to the supernatural, and bears it well as he towers over the festivities clad in naught but wizened bark that clings to him like armour. He has come to play a game with worthy men. A game in which a worthy knight may lay a blow upon him, but must venture forth in a year to the Green Chapel to receive an equal blow. Taking his chance to test his worthiness for glory, Gawain takes up the challenge with bravado, and so begins his legend.

You cannot discuss this film without discussing the casting – each actor brings a phenomenal amount of work to the screen, and Dev Patel makes for a fantastic Gawain. It completely subverts the notion that a quintessentially British mythology should be performed by a white Western European actor.  This is not the first time Dev Patel has subverted an expectation of a role, having taken on the role of David Copperfield in Armando Ianucci’s film ‘The Personal History of David Copperfield’ early last year. As Gawain, he leads us through a series of odd encounters that help to characterise and set this representation of the character apart from what audiences might expect from a chivalric knight. Lowery’s Gawain is a flawed individual, who battles with himself in these encounters that personify aspects of Knightly Virtues; friendship, generosity, chastity, courtesy and piety.

As you’re swept gently along by the haunting soundtrack through these almost alien encounters, you might realise just how slow moving the plot actually is – there is a restraint on the pacing, allowing Patel’s Gawain to move gracefully from one chapter to the next (which Lowery punctuates with title cards) without feeling too ushered or impatient. However there are some who might be unaccustomed to such slow paced movement, given the fast and action-packed nature of most modern movies. I find that the movie comes across like a leisurely read, as you slowly work your way through some fantastic imagery like a wind working through an ancient forest – the film is littered with ethereal imagery that captivates the audience, from Arthur’s court all the way to the dilapidated Green Chapel itself.

There is clearly a lot of love for the source material coming through, as Lowery has a history with it dating back to his freshman year of college. He knows that there are aspects of the film which he could enrich with thematic subtexts, allusions which were unintentional, and many different accounts of the tale which twist the narrative in subtle but definitive ways. In a foreward to The Green Knight, he writes that “I arrive now at the end of this journey with a finished film that I’ll happily admit cannot do justice to the well from which it’s drawn. This may be a poem that resists adaptation” – but I can honestly say that ultimately what Lowery achieves is mesmerizing, and an absolutely enthralling adaptation which had me questioning how exactly to find the right words.

It should be noted that whilst The Green Knight was released in the US on the 20th of July.  The UK release has been cancelled and, as of the time of writing, has not yet received a new release date.

David Lower’s Foreward for The Green Knight can be found in the novel adaptation, or through the link – https://lithub.com/david-lowery-on-the-strange-arduous-journey-of-adapting-the-green-knight-for-film/

Free Guy – Review

Matt Geary
-
0
Free Guy – Review
A spoiler-free review
Free Guy is a wonderful film, straight up heartwarming, laugh out loud funny, intense in part, and adorably cute.
Now, at first glance, you may think it looks familiar and yes you would be right that it does have a similar vibe to Ready Player One. In that you have an underdog, pitted against an evil company, trying to get the girl and in the process helping to bring down said evil company; all accentuated with lots of little gaming Easter eggs.
Where Free Guy stands on its own though is its heart, as cliche as that may sound; It’s so damn warm and fuzzy! The entire film just exudes feels and despite the hilarious moments strewn throughout you fully get invested in the characters their relationships with each other and their struggles; also Taika Waititi what a great bad guy! In fact, all the characters are great and the friendship between Guy and Buddy… beautiful.
It’s a film about breaking out of a cycle, finally finding what you want and going for it. It’s also a film about friendship, love and self realisation and I couldn’t have loved it more…..Pretty much if you don’t like this film then you’re dead inside.

The Suicide Squad – Don’t get too attached

joshkingofgeeks
-
0
The Suicide Squad – Don’t get too attached

 

It has always amazed me how one director can change a tone, feel and score, just by bringing his brand of fun to a feature film. James Gunn has once again delivered a comic book based cinema experience that left me wanting more, enjoying his taste in music that I’ve missed since his last trip out with Guardians of the Galaxy.

Gunn gives us The Suicide Squad, and with it his brand of crazy storytelling. We have new characters, new villains, new deaths and a kick ass soundtrack to boot. As morbid as new deaths may seem, once you’ve seen someone’s face being blown off, you have to come up with new ways to cause mayhem and murder, Gunn delivers this in spades.

David Ayer was set to return as director for a Suicide Squad sequel, but he chose to pursue Gotham City Sirens. Gunn was hired to write and direct, drawing inspiration from war films and John Ostrander’s classic Suicide Squad comics from 1980s.  He decided to explore new characters in a story separate from the first film’s narrative, but with some of the cast return from Suicide Squad.

In case you missed the first film, Task Force X, is a squad of inmates from Belle Reve penitentiary.  Under orders from harsh intelligence officer Amanda Waller (Viola Davis), the inmates receive 10 years off their sentence in exchange for their co-operation . Each inmate has a small explosive device in their necks to ensure compliance.  If they deviate from the mission, then “boom”.

Spoilers ahead

Our team is sent to the South American island nation of Corto Maltese after the government is overthrown by an anti-American regime.  The squad is tasked with destroying Jötunheim, a Nazi-era laboratory that holds a hefty amount of foreshadowing called “Project Starfish”.  The “A” team,  led by Waller’s subordinate Colonel Rick Flag (Joel Kinnaman) and accompanied by everyone’s favourite crazy chick Harley Quinn (Margot Robbie), is almost entirely wiped out by the Corto Maltese military upon landing.  However, this allows a second team comprising of Bloodsport (Idris Elba), Peacemaker (John Cena), King Shark (voiced by Sylvester Stallone), Polka-Dot Man (David Dastmalchian), and Ratcatcher 2 (Daniela Melchior) to enter the country undetected.

The squad accomplishes their next objective of capturing The Thinker (Peter Capaldi), a metahuman scientist in charge of Project Starfish. Accompanied by the Thinker, they discover Project Starfish to be Starro the Conqueror, a powerful extra-terrestrial capable of controlling its victims’ minds with little versions of itself.  James Gunn has the biggest set of brass “ahem” for using Starro in a feature film!  The Thinker then reveals that Starro was brought to Earth by the American government.Peacemaker, under secret orders to cover up America’s involvement, kills Flag after he refuses to surrender a hard drive containing evidence of this revelation, but Ratcatcher 2 manages to obtain the drive. Meanwhile, a skirmish between the squad and the military leads to Polka-Dot Man accidentally setting off the explosives prematurely. During the ensuing chaos, Bloodsport saves Ratcatcher 2 by shooting Peacemaker, while Starro escapes the laboratory, killing The Thinker and everyone else around.

As Starro begins to enslave the island’s population, Waller informs the squad that their mission is over. However, Bloodsport leads his teammates in battling Starro, while Waller’s subordinates subdue her to prevent her from executing the squad. Polka-Dot Man is killed, but the squad weakens Starro enough for Ratcatcher 2 to summon the city’s rats against the extra-terrestrial, which chew Starro to death from its insides, along with Harley doing some pretty effective damage too.This was a great popcorn flick! James Gunn has done a stellar job.  King Shark was my favourite scene stealer, as he was lovable and fierce, with Sylvester Stallone delivering a great vocal performance. Sebastian (Ratcatcher 2’s number 1 rat) is also a scene stealer, with him constantly trying to make friends with Bloodsport who has a phobia!

There are some genuine laugh out loud moments, which I will not spoil. James Gunn makes you care about characters that you know will in all liklihood not survive.  The name gives it away.  When members of the team bite the bullet, you care.  This demonstrates the skillful character building and storytelling at work here. The accompanying soundtrack, which includes Johnny Cash and The Fratellis, is fantastic.

The Suicide Squad is a welcome return to our recently re- opened cinemas.

 

 

 

Chernobylite

Peter Ray Allison
-
0
Chernobylite

The Chernobyl Exclusion Zone has become a prime setting for modern video games.  It is a massive 1,000-mile² area of prime Soviet Union real estate, which was abandoned following the Chernobyl disaster.  With the zone incorporating the uninhabited city of Pripyat and the disused Duga radar array, it is little wonder why developers are constantly drawn to this location.

Chernobylite is the latest video game to be set in the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone.  The game was developed by The Farm 51, following their Chernobyl documentary VR project, which utilised 3D-scanning technologies to create photorealistic environments.  Due to the amount of material, it soon became apparent that it could become used for something more than just a documentary.

In Chernobylite, players take on the role of a physicist, previously employed at the Chernobyl Nuclear Plant.  Mourning the loss of their loved one in the Chernobyl Disaster, they return to the exclusion zone in search of their partner.

The game is essentially split into two parts; exploration and base management, both of which involve crafting items to progress the story.  Most of the game is focused on exploration, with the player exploring different areas within the zone for supplies and recruiting stalkers.  Meanwhile, the base management allows players to manage the team they have recruited, improve their base and choose missions.

The first thing that stands out is how immersive Chernobylite is.  The environments are incredibly detailed and embed the player in the setting.  These are not bland grey walls and decaying wallpaper, instead the floors are scattered with detritus and the walls are adorned with the remnants of another life.  Here, each room tells a story and is a mastercraft in environmental storytelling.

The game utilises first person view incredibly well to play visual tricks on the player.  Objects can appear, when the player’s back is turned, making for a disturbing experience.  This is especially unsettling when an area was believed to be safe.

However, each area is self-contained, with players automatically transported to each location at the start of each mission.  This limits player freedom and somewhat loses the emerging narratives from procedurally generated encounters whilst exploring the zone.

Comparisons with the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. games would be fair; both are set within the Chernobyl exclusion zone, incorporate supernatural elements and are in the first-person.  However, their execution is quite different.  S.T.A.L.K.E.R. is much more heavily combat focused and lacks the in-depth crafting mechanics of Chernobylite.

Players also need to consider the psychological impact of their actions.  Killing someone takes an emotional toll, losing willpower and the mental strength to continue.  Kill too many and it will soon be game over.  Instead, players need to take a more considered approach, relying on stealth and nonlethal attacks to progress.

The story in Chernobylite is also much more personal and relatable, with the players able to become emotionally invested in the search for the physicist’s former partner.  However, there are the occasional narrative leaps that feel incongruous.  For example, the physicist invents a portal gun, but little explanation is given as to how they developed it or why.

The opening tutorial, which clearly explains many of the mechanics within the game, is seamlessly incorporated within the overall game.  Unlike some games, where their tutorial feels like something added to the start of the game, Chernobylite blends it into the opening moments of the game.  This allows the player to become introduced to the world and the mechanics of Chernobylite without it feeling forced or contrived.

UK Games Expo 2021

Peter Ray Allison
-
0
UK Games Expo 2021

Last weekend witnessed the return of the UK Games Expo, following its cancellation last year due to the Covid-19 pandemic.  As the UK’s largest tabletop gaming convention, the UK Games Expo had been sorely missed.

Although much has changed since this time last year, Covid-19 has not gone away.  The organisers of UK Games Expo, and the NEC, arranged a variety of safeguards to minimise the risk.  These varied from wider aisles and limiting ticket numbers to hospital grade filters in the ventilation systems.

In addition to the ticket hall, the UK Games Expo was split between two further halls.  One hall was dedicated to open gaming tables and the other was for the exhibitors and stall holders.  All of this combined to ensure that there were never the crowds that were common to previous iterations of the UK Games Expo.

One thing that stood out was that there were distinctly fewer stands than previous expos, due in part to the current challenges of international travel.  That said, it did not feel empty, as the wider aisles filled the hall.  Instead, it would be best described as necessarily spacious.

Special guests including Fighting Fantasy co-creator and Games Workshop co-founder Ian Watson, who signed books and chatted to fans.  It was also great to see the fantastic John Robertson hosting the Dark Room, including a (mostly) child-friendly version earlier in the afternoon.  To be fair, the child-friendly version is pretty much the same as the original, but with the swearing removed.

Despite the restrictions, the UK Games Expo remained a friendly-family event, with dedicated children’s games on offer and the Galactic Knights lending a carnivalesque tone to the event.

One of the reasons that the UK Games Expo is so successful is that it is far more than a glorified trade fair.  Instead, the UK Games Expo is dedicated to creators from across the entire spectrum of the hobby – from money winning games to card games to roleplaying games.  These were not only games developers, but those creating associated items, such as physical tokens for Dungeons & Dragons, gaming tables by Geeknson and leatherwork.by Cognitive Merchant.

The standout of this year’s event has to be Free League’s stunning Alien roleplaying game (reviewed here), including their latest release for it – the Colonial Marines Operations Manual (review coming soon here).  Meanwhile, Nightfall Games were promoting their Terminator and Stokerverse games, which they are currently developing (expect an podcast interview with Nightfall Games team in the near future).

Although there were some truly stunning games on offer, the greatest part of the UK Games Expo was being able to chat in person with some of the developers.  After sixteen months of only being able to play online with friends, it was great to finally meet people.

Next year’s event has already been announced for the first weekend of June.  Hopefully, by then, the event should be a lot more “normal” (as soon as we are sure what is normal anyway, to quote Douglas Adams…).

Photos by Peter Gatehouse and are used with permission.

Jungle Cruise – Review

Matt Geary
-
0
Jungle Cruise – Review

A film based on a Disney land ride….that has to be a first!

And it very much plays up to the “theme ride” feel, at least initially, with a point at the start of the movie where the Rock’s character, Frank, captaining a battered, run-down, riverboat, takes tourists on a cruise through his very own theme park esq part of the Amazon, replete with dodgy effects, menacing tribes and crummy waterfalls.. all, I’m assuming, to give a nod to the 6-decade old ride itself.

Aside from this the film is an Indiana Jones, meets Pirates of the Caribbean, meets Jumanji type affair, filled with swashbuckling, over the top effects / CGI, nail-biting moments, lashings of actual belly-laughing humour and puns galore; all interspersed with heart.

It’s bombastic, humorous, touching, over the top, and definitely a film for all the family, Emily Blunt is great, the Rock is great and Jack Whitehall’s portrayal of what can only be described as a parody of his father was amazingly fun.

Couldn’t fault it at all and.. a ye olde version of Nothing Else Matters by Metallica… um yes, please

The Forever Purge

Peter Ray Allison
-
0
The Forever Purge

The Forever Purge is the fifth film in the Purge series, one of the few franchises that could be described as political horror.  The core premise is that a seemingly utopian near-future America has one night every year where all crime, including murder, is legal.  Despite all the violence and elaborate traps, the true horror of The Purge is the setting itself.

Each film, as well as the television series, has continually expanded the scale and scope of the setting.  The first film is set in a house, whilst the second film (The Purge: Anarchy) shows the purge on a city-wide scale.  The third and fourth films, The Purge: Election Year and The First Purge respectively, explore the politics behind the purge and the New Founding Fathers of America (NFFA) – the political party who created it.  Meanwhile, The Purge TV series, explores the impact of the purge on the setting’s society, including the legal and cultural ramifications of the event itself.

The Forever Purge, the fifth and latest film in the series, takes place following the events of The Purge: Election Year.  The NFFA have returned, and so has the purge, but this time the Purge Forever After group of white supremacists want to continue the purge and rid the country of so-called ‘non-Americans’.

The Purge films have always tapped into the current fears and The Forever Purge is no different, highlight growing tensions around immigration.  In The Forever Purge there is now a concrete wall along the Mexican border, but rather than keeping people out, it becomes a wall trapping people inside America.

Ensnared within the chaos are the Mexican couple Adela (Ana de la Reguera) and Juan (Tenoch Huerta), who band together with the Tucker family; ranch owners whom Juan works for.  They are forced to set aside their cultural differences to traverse this new America to the Mexican border, before the time runs out and the border is closed forever.

All of the roles are excellently acted, but there are no big names to draw in their fans.  Of course, this does mean that any of the characters could die any second.  There is no star power immunity protecting the characters here.

The cinematography is likewise excellent, with a directing style that is heavily focused on the close-up views of the characters.  This embeds the viewer in the world of The Forever Purge, creating a far more visceral and suspenseful experience.  The only downside is that are several action scenes in the dark, which occasionally obfuscated what was happening on screen.

The Purge films have always applied a carnivalesque aesthetic to their horror, with the purge treated as if it were a national holiday.  However, The Forever Purge has a distinctly post-apocalyptic grind core feel with powerful visions of cities degenerating into chaos as the purge continues.

There is a plethora of American iconography used throughout the film, with cowboys and trucks, contrasting the immigration themes and what it means to be American.  The Forever Purge also highlights the rampant gun culture, with a fantastic monologue extolling how guns are the sound of America.

“Listen to that rhythm…  Homegrown music from the American heartland right there.  That’s American music right there.”

The Purge films have always been inherently political, if lacking in subtlety, and The Forever Purge is no different.  Those hoping for a nuanced examination of the cultural politics in America will be disappointed.  The Forever Purge is brash and bold.  This is a film that raises questions but leaves the viewer to find their own answers.

The Forever Purge was initially intended to be the final Purge film, but rumours suggest there could be another film in the series.  If this were to be the final film in the series, it would be a satisfying conclusion to the franchise.  Assuming any future film(s) continues the political horror of The Purge, then more is always better.

Space Jam: A New Legacy

Peter Ray Allison
-
0
Space Jam: A New Legacy

Space Jam: A New Legacy is the sequel to the classic nineties film Space Jam.  There have been a multitude of platitudes lauded upon this film.  “Abomination” (The Daily Beast) is one.  “Soulless” (The Guardian) is another.

This time LeBron James is filling the shoes of the inestimable Michael Jordan, where he takes on an evil algorithm.  This feels somewhat hypocritical, given how this film has been seemingly written by an algorithm built on incorporating all of the lowest common denominators.

Tapping into the nostalgia money tree is the name of the game here.  Rather being than sucked into cartoon world, James is sucked into the internet.  Sorry, the ‘serververse’, as it is called here.  If this sounds familiar, then you are not wrong.  Ralph Breaks the Internet, for example.  Hell, Tron is all about people entering the internet – and that was nearly thirty years ago.

We naturally have an estranged son that James needs to reconcile with (too many films to mention) and rely on his son’s coding skills to save the day.  I am struggling to find anything even vaguely original in this film.

Also, let us not forget the number of times we are bombarded with the Warner Brothers logo.  Yes, they have a fantastic catalogue of films, but when a film is just showcasing a studio’s back catalogue, it might be time to for a rewrite.

There is a scene where James is pitched the idea of being digitised and having an algorithm create content about him.  It was certainly audacious incorporating the meeting when this film was first pitched to James.

It is the actors that I feel most sorry for, having to portray this drivel.  How they got Don Cheadle (you know, the guy who is busy playing James Rhodes/Warmachine in the MCU) involved, we will never know.

Yes, Space Jam: A New Legacy is a family film, and is therefore designed to appeal to children, but even then it insults their intelligence.  There are dozens of family films that everyone can enjoy.  Just look at Shaun the Sheep or Onward.  Space Jam: A New Legacy is just shallow and turgid.

1...131415...362Page 14 of 362