So a few weeks ago I managed to watch an exclusive showing of a new British drama, Borrowed Time. The film is set in London and explores the lives of two complete opposite individuals; one an old miser whom has a fondness for taxidermy, and the other an adolescent male that tried to burgle him - which is how the two meet. The purpose for the burglary was to steal enough loot to pay off an unwanted debt which has resulted on a proposed bounty on his head.
The film is heart warming and offers many laughs along the way, but you soon realize that both characters have many demons that need to be resolved.
Perhaps not the most compelling of film dramas you will watch this year, and it is not without its bizarre moments, but none the less the feeling of both animosity and friendship between the two protagonists is what makes the film an interesting watch.
Tuesday 24 September 2013
Monday 19 August 2013
The World's End
The third in the 'Cornetto' trilogy, The World's End is definitely worth a watch. Simon Pegg, Nick Frost and Edgar Wright all return to write, direct and star in this apocalyptic comedy. Joined with some other big British names such as Miranda Pike, Martin Freeman, Paddy Considine, Eddie Marsan and Pierce Bronson. The film is about a group reunited back in their home town to complete a pub crawl known as the golden mile; a feat they failed at when they were in their teens. The films starts of very light-hearted with a melancholy feeling that may help one to reflect upon their own life and achievements, but it does go off course and all seriousness is lost half-way through once the introduction of 'robots' are introduced.
A solid effort and plenty of laugh-out loud moments, but it falls short of previous efforts of Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz; films I would love to watch over again and still get a laugh. TWE however is an unfortunate end to the trilogy, though it does score a respectable 7/10.
Wednesday 26 June 2013
Man Of Steel
It's here, the biggest blockbuster of the summer, MAN OF STEEL; the reboot of Superman.
Henry Cavill stars as Kal-El/ Clark Kent and superb as the super-extraterrestrial from Kyrpton. The film is directed by Zack Zynder whom is famous for previous comic-book adaptations such 300 and Watchmen, but the big name behind The Dark Knight trilogy Christopher Nolan was involved as a producer, and is evident as his fingerprints are all over this in terms of story (co-written by Nolan and David Goyer) and overall appearance and nature of the film. Though comic book films have evolved dramatically from the days of Schumacher's box office flop Batman & Robin, blockbusters today have seen to become filled with over the top CGI action, and MOS is no different.
The story is about the a young man hiding from the world as his human father Jonathan Kent (Kevin Costner) warns him that the world is not ready to see his abilities and powers, and the scenes involving Kevin Costner and Clark Kent (young and older) are perhaps the best parts of the film, adding to any emotion and character development that the film severally lacks.
One major flaw with the film is that character development should be longer and the action sequences are too long to the point of which I found myself yawning.
The opening scenes of the film set on the planet Krypton was very bizarre with flying dragon-like creatures and overblown effects, and planet reminding me of another DC movie, The Green Lantern.
The acting was good all round, with Louis Lane the love interest played by Amy Adams (The Fighter), Russel Crowe as Jor-El (Superman's father), Michael Shannon as General Zod and Lawrence Fishburne as Perry White, head of the Daily Planet. The character development for Lane seems very shallow and extremely rushed and even though it is obvious at some point in the film their would be romance between her and Superman, the romantic chemistry seemed to spark very spontaneously. The real reason perhaps the sluggish character development might be because of much more will be explored in a sequel, which has been perfectly set-up from the end of the movie.
Any one going to see this film, watch out for the following Easter-eggs:
- a truck that is destroyed contains the logo 'Lex-Corp', a possible hint to the next villian
- The satelite destroyed by Zod contains the Wayne Enterprise logo.
7.5/10
Henry Cavill stars as Kal-El/ Clark Kent and superb as the super-extraterrestrial from Kyrpton. The film is directed by Zack Zynder whom is famous for previous comic-book adaptations such 300 and Watchmen, but the big name behind The Dark Knight trilogy Christopher Nolan was involved as a producer, and is evident as his fingerprints are all over this in terms of story (co-written by Nolan and David Goyer) and overall appearance and nature of the film. Though comic book films have evolved dramatically from the days of Schumacher's box office flop Batman & Robin, blockbusters today have seen to become filled with over the top CGI action, and MOS is no different.
The story is about the a young man hiding from the world as his human father Jonathan Kent (Kevin Costner) warns him that the world is not ready to see his abilities and powers, and the scenes involving Kevin Costner and Clark Kent (young and older) are perhaps the best parts of the film, adding to any emotion and character development that the film severally lacks.
One major flaw with the film is that character development should be longer and the action sequences are too long to the point of which I found myself yawning.
The opening scenes of the film set on the planet Krypton was very bizarre with flying dragon-like creatures and overblown effects, and planet reminding me of another DC movie, The Green Lantern.
The acting was good all round, with Louis Lane the love interest played by Amy Adams (The Fighter), Russel Crowe as Jor-El (Superman's father), Michael Shannon as General Zod and Lawrence Fishburne as Perry White, head of the Daily Planet. The character development for Lane seems very shallow and extremely rushed and even though it is obvious at some point in the film their would be romance between her and Superman, the romantic chemistry seemed to spark very spontaneously. The real reason perhaps the sluggish character development might be because of much more will be explored in a sequel, which has been perfectly set-up from the end of the movie.
Any one going to see this film, watch out for the following Easter-eggs:
- a truck that is destroyed contains the logo 'Lex-Corp', a possible hint to the next villian
- The satelite destroyed by Zod contains the Wayne Enterprise logo.
7.5/10
Friday 24 May 2013
IRON (FE) MAN part 3
The first big blockbuster of 2013 IRON MAN 3 is officially out and is an epic conclusion to the trilogy.
Starring Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark aka. Iron Man along with Gwyneth Paltrow and Don Cheadler also reprising their roles with the addition of Guy Pearce, Ben Kingsley and Rebecca Hall as new additions.
The film is very unlikely to win best picture at next years Oscars, though best SFX is a more probable with nearly every scene having some sort of visual effect to 'wow' the audience; so necessary, others just gimmicky. My main problem with this film is that it has lost its appeal as believable. Ok, so a man in a custom-made flying suit is not exactly real, but the first film made you actually believe such a thing could be possible as you saw Stark building and testing the first Iron Man suits, with some funny and epic results. In Iron Man 3 how ever there are several suits, all of which are remote controlled (so need for any one to actually be in them) but also the parts are remotely connected and can literally 'fly' onto Stark at his command even if he is half-way across America.
Iron Man 3 is defiantly worth a watch though as it has many twists and turns that some times leaves the audience confused as to how the film will end; though it is always obvious that the good guy will prevail and the bad guy will fall. The choice of villains are very well cast, though the inclusion of exploding enemies is not something I am big fan of.
7/10
Starring Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark aka. Iron Man along with Gwyneth Paltrow and Don Cheadler also reprising their roles with the addition of Guy Pearce, Ben Kingsley and Rebecca Hall as new additions.
The film is very unlikely to win best picture at next years Oscars, though best SFX is a more probable with nearly every scene having some sort of visual effect to 'wow' the audience; so necessary, others just gimmicky. My main problem with this film is that it has lost its appeal as believable. Ok, so a man in a custom-made flying suit is not exactly real, but the first film made you actually believe such a thing could be possible as you saw Stark building and testing the first Iron Man suits, with some funny and epic results. In Iron Man 3 how ever there are several suits, all of which are remote controlled (so need for any one to actually be in them) but also the parts are remotely connected and can literally 'fly' onto Stark at his command even if he is half-way across America.
Iron Man 3 is defiantly worth a watch though as it has many twists and turns that some times leaves the audience confused as to how the film will end; though it is always obvious that the good guy will prevail and the bad guy will fall. The choice of villains are very well cast, though the inclusion of exploding enemies is not something I am big fan of.
7/10
Friday 19 April 2013
Tomb Raider
A SURVIVOR IS BORN
What ever you have thought about the Tomb Raider series, this game will completely blow you away. If you have not played any of the previous games, then not to worry as this reboot is a completely new story line and gives the player the opportunity to discover a side of Lara we may have not seen before, young, naive and very emotional; much different from the trigger-happy adventurer we all know and love. The game takes a new setting too on a remote island close to Japan.
It has taken me less than a week to complete the story mode with 85% completion and I have to admit it is one of the most addictive titles you will play this year. The game uses an open sandbox environment for players to explore, unlike previous titles which had a level system in place. The open environment is important as it allows the player to explore the scenery and complete achievements by hunting wildlife, raiding tombs, collecting treasures and much more, though like a lot of sandbox games glitches to have a habit of appearing and this title is no exception, though they are few and far between.
The game begins after the ship you are on sinks, and from then on you must try and meetup with the rest of the crew as well learning to adapt and to survive within the wild by finding weapons, hunting wildlife and of course kicking ass.
The game has been in development for a long time, and thank goodness as this is a game that has clearly meant a lot to every in involved and is a most welcome addition to the Tomb Raider franchise. The graphics are beautifully polished with facial expressions that clearly express how Lara is feeling-as well as her spontaneous monologues voiced by Camilla Luddington. The narrative is clear and flows well with the game play. Though I may have admitted to completed the game within less than a week it did feel as though as it would never end as new catastrophes occur resulting into further investigation into the strange island.
Fun, exciting and action packed, all you want from a TR titles yes?Minus a flatulent and very cold butler (for those cruel people that locked him in a fridge) The game includes a multi-player option that also includes various add-ons and is developed by Edios. The main game is developed Crystal Dynamics and is published by Square Enix.
Tomb Raider is out now and worth a play. 10/10
What ever you have thought about the Tomb Raider series, this game will completely blow you away. If you have not played any of the previous games, then not to worry as this reboot is a completely new story line and gives the player the opportunity to discover a side of Lara we may have not seen before, young, naive and very emotional; much different from the trigger-happy adventurer we all know and love. The game takes a new setting too on a remote island close to Japan.
It has taken me less than a week to complete the story mode with 85% completion and I have to admit it is one of the most addictive titles you will play this year. The game uses an open sandbox environment for players to explore, unlike previous titles which had a level system in place. The open environment is important as it allows the player to explore the scenery and complete achievements by hunting wildlife, raiding tombs, collecting treasures and much more, though like a lot of sandbox games glitches to have a habit of appearing and this title is no exception, though they are few and far between.
The game begins after the ship you are on sinks, and from then on you must try and meetup with the rest of the crew as well learning to adapt and to survive within the wild by finding weapons, hunting wildlife and of course kicking ass.
The game has been in development for a long time, and thank goodness as this is a game that has clearly meant a lot to every in involved and is a most welcome addition to the Tomb Raider franchise. The graphics are beautifully polished with facial expressions that clearly express how Lara is feeling-as well as her spontaneous monologues voiced by Camilla Luddington. The narrative is clear and flows well with the game play. Though I may have admitted to completed the game within less than a week it did feel as though as it would never end as new catastrophes occur resulting into further investigation into the strange island.
Fun, exciting and action packed, all you want from a TR titles yes?Minus a flatulent and very cold butler (for those cruel people that locked him in a fridge) The game includes a multi-player option that also includes various add-ons and is developed by Edios. The main game is developed Crystal Dynamics and is published by Square Enix.
Tomb Raider is out now and worth a play. 10/10
Thursday 28 March 2013
Metal Gear Rising
Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance, the latest game in the Metal Gear franchise, this time taking a totally new spin by replacing Solid Snake and Big Boss (Naked Snake) with Raiden as the main protagonist. Instead of tactical espionage action its lightning bolt action. This time around Kojima productions stepped aside to let Platinum Games take the developing helm by creating a truly original game that is both exciting and challenging to play.
As mentioned, the game centres around Raiden, the cyborg ninja whom was known as Jack. The character Raiden has been appearances in the franchise as a playable character in Metal Gear Solid 2 and as a supporting character in Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots. MGS4 has definaltey got to be one of the best games I have ever played and with the introduction of Raiden into the story-line, easily doing what Snake could not-destroying giant cyborgs with ease. Rising gives players the opportunity to do what they could not go in MGS4, who needs camouflage when you have a sword and ninja skills.
Raiden, the sword wielding cyborg ninja is on a mission to stop a corporation from harvesting child brains and from, well destroying the world.
The game starts of in a virtual reality training level to help you get to grips with the swords skills and then once that is complete it is time to slice some bad guys (cyborgs). The game starts of like most games as easy, with you the gamer just mindlessly slicing off your enemies limbs in ultra-slow matrix style motion, but the real problem lies when you face gekkos (walking war machines) and other humongous mechanical monsters, but of course you didn't think it would be easy, did you?
The game has plenty of boss battles for the players to savour or throw their controller around the room at, some bosses are more difficult than others and learning how to deflect really comes in handy.
The graphics in comparison to MGS4 are perhaps not as smooth and realistic in Platinum Games engine, and the game has a more 'cartoon-ish' view to it, though changes did have to be made in order for this game to work as Rising would have not worked on the FOX engine used previously and had to have a frame rate increase of 60 fps.
There is much to do within this game, it is challenging (playing on medium difficulty), the side characters are helpful, but Doktor is no real replacement for Octagon.
The game is ideal for Metal Gear fans and for those that love fast action packed games, with some element of stealth. The game makes very good use of speed and the 360 degree sword motion, but at times the game can get a bit repetitive but the most most annoying thing has to be the camera angles and the fact that camera can automatically face the wrong direction, very frustrating whilst facing a boss.
I would definitely suggest purchasing this, even if you have yet to get into Hideo Kojima's Metal Gear world, this is well worth a play, though this game will have no, or little attachment to the newly released announcement of Metal Gear Solid 5.
Available now on PS3, XBOX 360 and PC
As mentioned, the game centres around Raiden, the cyborg ninja whom was known as Jack. The character Raiden has been appearances in the franchise as a playable character in Metal Gear Solid 2 and as a supporting character in Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots. MGS4 has definaltey got to be one of the best games I have ever played and with the introduction of Raiden into the story-line, easily doing what Snake could not-destroying giant cyborgs with ease. Rising gives players the opportunity to do what they could not go in MGS4, who needs camouflage when you have a sword and ninja skills.
Raiden, the sword wielding cyborg ninja is on a mission to stop a corporation from harvesting child brains and from, well destroying the world.
The game starts of in a virtual reality training level to help you get to grips with the swords skills and then once that is complete it is time to slice some bad guys (cyborgs). The game starts of like most games as easy, with you the gamer just mindlessly slicing off your enemies limbs in ultra-slow matrix style motion, but the real problem lies when you face gekkos (walking war machines) and other humongous mechanical monsters, but of course you didn't think it would be easy, did you?
The game has plenty of boss battles for the players to savour or throw their controller around the room at, some bosses are more difficult than others and learning how to deflect really comes in handy.
The graphics in comparison to MGS4 are perhaps not as smooth and realistic in Platinum Games engine, and the game has a more 'cartoon-ish' view to it, though changes did have to be made in order for this game to work as Rising would have not worked on the FOX engine used previously and had to have a frame rate increase of 60 fps.
There is much to do within this game, it is challenging (playing on medium difficulty), the side characters are helpful, but Doktor is no real replacement for Octagon.
The game is ideal for Metal Gear fans and for those that love fast action packed games, with some element of stealth. The game makes very good use of speed and the 360 degree sword motion, but at times the game can get a bit repetitive but the most most annoying thing has to be the camera angles and the fact that camera can automatically face the wrong direction, very frustrating whilst facing a boss.
I would definitely suggest purchasing this, even if you have yet to get into Hideo Kojima's Metal Gear world, this is well worth a play, though this game will have no, or little attachment to the newly released announcement of Metal Gear Solid 5.
Available now on PS3, XBOX 360 and PC
Saturday 16 March 2013
DIE HARD 5
My first review on JistMedia Blogger is A Good Day to Die Hard. It involves Bruce Willis repricing his role as the all-action New York cop, John McClane. First seeing the trailer I was not overly excited to see this film which to me just looked like another attempt from Hollywood to tarnish another successful film saga, but it's DIE HARD - the films that have set the standard for most action films, so how would this film match in comparison?
The film is set in Moscow and it mostly revolves around Jack McClane, the son of John McClane (if you haven't already seen the trailer). He runs into a spot of bother after assassinating a gangster/terrorist in a night club and is then put in jail. Meanwhile in the capitalist America, McClane senior hears the news and flies to Russia to try and attend his court-case. This is where the film gets going; he is only in the country for less than an hour when suddenly the courthouse is attacked and Jack and Komarov (some activist guy Jack has been working with) escape before being caught by some rather unpleasant men wearing gas masks. After they escape son meets father, father causes chaos attracts attention of the terrorists and so forth a mega-long snooze-fest of action begins.
The film is definitely the worse of the Die Hards, the narrative and plot is confusing as you the audience are left wondering what on earth John McClane is really doing in Russia. What was great about the first film was that it was set primarily in one location and involved one man surviving against the odds. This film takes the audience through the streets of Moscow and even to Chernobyl, Ukraine.
The film tries to be clever with multiple twists, but is overall lacking any real decent story line as the main focus is on the action (substance over style).
The film is 98 minutes long, was shot in in super 35mm format and is directed by John Moore who has bought you other blockbusters such as Max Payne and Behind Enemy Lines. The film was released on 14 February 2013.
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