Darkmatters Review: Jane Eyre

Jane Eyre (PG)

Dir. Cary Fukunaga

Reviewed by Matt Adcock

 “A wanderer's repose or a sinner's reformation should never depend on a fellow-creature. Men and women die; philosophers falter in their wisdom, and Christians in goodness: if any one you know has suffered and erred, let him look higher than his equals for strength to amend, and solace to heal.”

 Jane Eyre, Chapter 20 

It seems that Hollywood just can’t stop remaking classics – with variable success – but this new rendition of Charlotte Brontë’s gothic tale of love and heartbreak is a cut above any of the 20+ versions that have gone before.

For those not blessed enough to have read the book, Jane Eyre is the story of 19-year-old Jane (Mia ‘Alice in Wonderland’ Wasikowska). Her ‘tale of woe’ is that of having been brought up an unloved orphan (young Jane is played by the excellent Amelia Clarkson) in a seriously severe boarding school where no child is spared the rod and not all survive. Upon release Jane finds what she thinks is happiness working as a Governess for a handsome and imposing aristocrat Edward Rochester (Michael ‘Fish Tank’ Fassbender), but he hides a terrible secret that could wreck both their lives.

"beware the woods at night..."

Is there any way in which the poor Miss Eyre can find love and acceptance in the arms of her employer or are they doomed to unrequited affection? The course of true love certainly doesn’t run smooth and along the way Jane must grapple with the unwanted amorous attentions of sappy young clergyman St John (Jamie Bell) who means to take her to India as his missionary bride. There are also mysterious noises in the night, sinister tales of a woman who walks the house after dark who passes through walls and many a windswept moor to be negotiated.

The cinematography of director Cary ‘Sin Nombre’ is excellent throughout – the film builds up delicious undercurrents of menace and makes effective use of the staples of the gothic novel: dark storms, large daunting houses, suspected peril and deep, smouldering looks passed between characters. In a cinema year that has been low on high-brow quality romances Jane Eyre is a welcome visual and emotional cinematic ravishing of the soul.

For those seeking altogether superior film viewing (and/ or a cracking thinking person’s date flick) then this should be witnessed on the big screen if at all possible.

Out of a potential 5 you have to go with a Darkmatters:

öööö1/2

 (4.5 - Out gothics Twilight for quality dark love story)...

Awesomeness ööö – smoulders nicely

Laughs öö – some wry wit in evidence

Horror öö – some jumps and menace

Babes ööö – Wasikowska plays plain Jane well

 Spiritual Enlightenment ööö - true love can cost you everything

"Wasikowska - not such a plain Jane perhaps"

Darkmatters Review: RESISTANCE 3

Resistance 3 (18) PS3 Exclusive

Developed by Insomniac Games

Reviewed by Matt Adcock


Ah August, 1957… I still remember that fateful time…. It was yesterday…

America was lost to the Chimeran scum, we humans had been toasted on the battlefield, enslaved and even converted into freakish monsters – monsters who existed to hunt and kill the last humans left alive.

Sentinel Joseph Capelli had given up fighting the alien fiends after his dishonorable discharge from the army but now when his wife and son are threatened he must draw together the remnants of humanity left in the aftermath of the brutal Chimeran invasion. And try to form a new Resistance…

Insomniac Games’ are pretty darn tasty when it comes to working on the PS3 – Resistance 3 is their fifth-generation engine and it really shows. The graphics sparkle, the controls are immediately second nature and the levels to fight through are living, breathing masterpieces of cunning design. Resistance 3 is so full of win that it beats the living daylights out of the first two games. Everything has been refined, improved and machine tooled to give you a hair-raising, spine tingling blast-em-up par excellence!?

You get to ‘be’ Capelli as he fights for survival, packing new (and returning but now upgradeable) weapons, each is a joy to wield from the meaty human staples of magnums, shotguns, machine guns, rifles and snipers through to the energy bolt firing, see and shoot through walls alien weaponry. And if you think it’s fun using the lovely spread of weaponry in single player campaign (which can be co-oped) – just wait till you go up against your mates in multiplayer deathmatch with them!!

So yes, Resistance 3 is undoubtedly the best in the series to date, and it redeems the slightly less fun Resistance 2 which failed to cement the games as classics – if you only ever play one Resistance game, 3 is the magic number! I’m not kidding when I say that Resistance 3 is up there with Killzone 3 and Gears of War 3… This is a good year for ‘3’ games with Uncharted 3 and Mass Effect 3 still to come!

It’s not like there is a shortage of first-person shooters out there either (and with Battlefield 3 and Modern Warfare 3 arriving soon – more quality ‘3’ games) it looks like this is a golden era for making virtual warfare.

"Wow - what big teeth you have..."

I was lucky enough to face the Chrimera in person at the ‘And Darkness Descends’ live action prequel event in London – which was a great way to set up the plot of Resistance 3. But even if you’ve never played a Resistance game before and didn’t get to the ‘darkness’ event – R3 is so welcoming that you’ll feel like you’ve jumped straight into a brand franchise – and it will be one of your very favourites!!

And for those who like their shoot-em-up in 3D, Resistance 3 is an absolute beast in that it really gives Killzone 3 a run for it’s money in terms of how slick and immersive it feels. Yes it also packs the option to use the nifty PS3 Move Gun attachment too – so for those who like to pull a real trigger rather than a controller button – step right up!


Resistance 3 is an awesome game, anyone who likes to shoot stuff (especially sci-fi fans) will find hours of pleasure here. Don’t deny yourself a slice of superb fun – everything about Resistance 3 is pure class, the PS3 is kicking all sort of ass this year!!

"essential kit!"

Out of a potential 5 you have to go with a Darkmatters:

ööööö

(5 - PS3 keeps the good times coming!!)...

Check out the official site

Darkmatters Review: Kill List

KILL LIST (18)

Dir. Ben Wheatley

Reviewed by Matt Adcock

“They are bad people – They should suffer.”

What if there are malign, crazed occult forces at work behinds the scenes of our society?
Wouldn’t it be unnerving if they employed hit-men to take out people they deemed worthy of death – on a ‘Kill List’?

Step into the world of ex-squaddie Jay (Neil Maskell) he’s suffering from some sort of post traumatic stress disorder and although he and his pal Gal (Michael Smiley) are assassins for hire, he hasn’t been able to kill anyone for at least 8 months.

The film start as Gal and his odd girlfriend Fiona (Emma ‘PhoneShop’ Fryer) have dinner with Jay and Swedish his ex-military Mrs Shel (MyAnna ‘The Descent’ Burning). Things are not good with Jay and Shel – the meal is so naturalistic and charged with ill feeling that is one of the most painful domestic scenes ever committed to film.

Anyway, Gal gets Jay to agree to take on a lucrative hit – to wipe out 3 people on a kill list for some sinister old geezer who writes his contracts in blood. The film works through escalating ‘hits’ buoyed by the believable and likeable buddy banter of the two leads. There is a classic scene where the two have an alteration with a group of guitar happy Christians in a hotel restaurant – which alludes to a spiritual battle taking place behind the scenes - and certainly adds an extra element to the film which many will probably gloss straight over.

As a Christian I'm always interested in depictions of spiritual powers and their effect on us - be that the delusion of cults, the supernatural power of evil or (and never normally very well captured) the majestic all powerful nature of God (see TREE OF LIFE for best recent reflection on this). Kill List might not be your first choice for a spiritual film but it definitely packs a loaded element of supernatural disturbance...

"goodbye..."

Before you write Kill List off as a oddball quirky Brit gangster flick, you should know that if you let it, it will get under your skin and eat its way out from the inside! There is the growing palpable sense of unease that I haven’t experienced as deeply since the excellent voodoo dread feel of the original Texas Chainsaw Massacre. And yes horror fans Kill List morphs into a full-blooded horror film at the end, which left the audience I saw this with - in shocked, stunned silence with a super grim sucker punch ending.

The occult elements of the film aren’t worked as satisfyingly as might have been – indeed one of the mates I saw this with was left cold by the whole low budget, exposition less natural feel. But for those willing to embrace shocking violence, forgive slightly lumpy plot transitions and seek enjoyment in a weird and darkly funny British horror – Kill List marks itself out as a heavyweight viewing experience.

Think The Wicker Man (original), mixed with House of the Devil and Dead Man’s Shoes, set in a recession era modern day Britain and you have something altogether more interesting than most sugar coated supposed horror recent efforts.

Out of a potential 5 you have to go with a Darkmatters:

öööö

(4 - Turbo charged and spewing black fumes)...

Awesomeness öööö – some very heavy duty scenes

Laughs öö – a few dark chuckles to be had

Horror ööööö – some of this is beyond grim

Babes ööö – MyAnna Burning gives good blonde

Spiritual Enlightenment ööö - brutal and stark warped spirituality

"Oi son, your misses is a nutter..."

Resistance 3 comes to life - And Darkness Descends

"Dare you enter?"

And Darkness Descended... 

- A live action adventure experience based on the new PS3 game Resistance 3!? 

Experienced by Matt Adcock

"that's the smile of a survivor!"

Sony are pretty cool when it comes to game launches and so for the third in the Resistance Franchise, PlayStation 3 have commissioned immersive theatre specialists, Punchdrunk to create a unique survival experiment fusing theatre and gaming.

So you get to 'be' one of the last humans alive, stumbling through a mutant creature infested film set that is designed to freak even the hardiest gamer out... It's one thing when facing alien creatures and mutated humans on a screen (with a virtual gun to keep them at bay) - it's another thing entirely when you have to try and sneak through a hellish medical lab filled with wailing wounded, in the dark, stalked by alien creatures, with no weaponry of any sort.

I had to quote Frost from Aliens: "What the hell are we supposed to use man? Harsh language?" but even harsh language (or screaming very loudly which seemed to be the tactic employed by the females in our group) didn't work on our flesh hungry foes...

We weren't allowed to take pictures 'in' the adventure either but I did manage to do a quick sketch (below):

"imagine this but darker..."

The Waterloo Station Arches, are where the 'And Darkness Descended..." experience is hosted and  Playstation / Punchdrunk have done a great job in putting you actually into the prequel to the Resistance 3 game. 

Our plucky group's mission was to get a code to some US survivors - the rules were simple, if you get touched by an enemy - you're out of the game (which sounds fine until you see a friendly marine being dragged off into the darkness by one of the enemy creatures)... 

"Playing the game with a nice glass of red wine was for those who made it out..."

Things went a little nuts after we somehow managed to unlock an abandoned computer terminal and send our code message. We'd already 'lost' some of our group and so when a nearby door was broken open silhouetted in the red light was a freak-show alien - we few survivors ran for out lives - see below (where a helpful Sony PR guy took our photo):

"the men made it out - led by the fastest / most cowardly green cardigan man, the women... 

ah well, they're probably tastier for the aliens to snack on anyway!?"

If you're brave enough to want to try this experience, you can - find out if there are any placed left for Saturday 3rd and Sunday 4th September by emailing accesslive@scee.net stating your preferred date...

Times: 19.00-23.00 3rd and from 14.00-19.00 on Sunday 4th September 2011

Venue: Waterloo Station Arches, Leake Street, SE1 7NN 

18 years, ID may be required. Trainers or running shoes are highly recommended.

MORE INFO: 

www.facebook.com/playstationaccess

"They're everywhere - this pic taken on the Northern Line"

FULL DARKMATTERS REVIEW OF RESISTANCE 3 COMING SOON!

Darkmatters Review: Final Destination 5

Final Destination 5 (15)

Dir. Steven Quale

Reviewed by Matt Adcock

“Y'all just be careful now.”

Death it seems is a sure fire crowd pleaser (as long as the crowd are horror fans) and so after ‘The Final Destination 3D’ hinted at an end to this accident-em-up franchise – the grim reaper is back for more.

You must know the drill by now. Take an assorted group of young people – including at least one babe, one good looking guy, one geek, one ethnic dude and one who’s such a dick that you really want them to die. It’s important that all of the characters be instantly forgettable too. Have the group escape death due to one of them having a premonition about the impending disaster, in this case an impressively rendered bridge collapse. Then spend the rest of the film killing off the group one by one in really gruesome ways – preferably that involve bits of their body flying out towards the audience to make the most of the 3D!

And that’s exactly what Final Destination 5 delivers…

Nicholas D'Agosto takes the lead role of Sam Lawton – a average chap who on the day that he cheats death by foreseeing the coming bridge collapse gets dumped by his hot girlfriend Molly (Emma ‘The Walking Dead’ Bell). Sam’s pal Peter (Miles Fisher) tries to console him but before you can say “you’re all doomed” the group are getting sliced diced and impaled in various nasty ways.

The Final Destination films are masters of taking things that people are often a bit scared of – flying, roller coasters, freeway accidents etc to which part 5 adds laser eye surgery and acupuncture and shows you exactly why you might be freaked our by them… The good news is that the scenes are filmed with a slickness and delight in wrong footing the audience that allows the gallows humour kick in to full effect.

If you’re at all squeamish then this really isn’t the film for you – the makers really push the boat out on some of the deaths, which include the most painful gymnastic dismount in cinematic history…

"stabbing is one of the less inventive exit scenarios"

The audience is actively encouraged to be voyeuristic gore hounds who applaud while being appalled at the crisp HD 3D squishing of eyeballs, bursting of entrails and splattering of bodies.

Of course death will come to us but in Final Destination 5 it comes with a vengeance! Whether you want to witness potential death at the cinema is up to you…

Out of a potential 5 you have to go with a Darkmatters:

öö1/2

(2.5 - been there, died that)...

Awesomeness ööö – sickos might find some here

Laughs öö – less fun than part 4

Horror ööö – some very grim scenes

Babes ööö – Emma Bell is hot

Spiritual Enlightenment öö - you can't cheat death...

"Emma Bell is lovely"

And Darkness Descended on PS3 - sign up for access!!

PlayStation 3 presents:

...and darkness descended

A Punchdrunk adventure inspired by Resistance® 3

Matt Adcock invites you to face your fears...

To celebrate the launch of the third in the Resistance franchise, PlayStation®3 has commissioned immersive theatre specialists, Punchdrunk, to create a unique survival experiment fusing theatre and gaming. The experience will be a UK first, combining inspiration from the US and Japanese traditions of Dark Rides/Walks of Terror. The activity will launch on the 31st August and this ticketed event opens to the public from 1st September to 4th September 2011 at Waterloo Station Arches in London.

Tickets are extremely limited.

The central theme of ‘...and darkness descended’ is that the longer you survive, the more you see. Set in an alternate London location that provides a prequel to the beginning of Resistance 3, participants will form part of the ‘resistance’ whose role it is to send a message to US survivors, who we subsequently meet in the beginning sequences of Resistance 3. Echoing the game's multi-player elements, participant groups will not be able to survive without working together to achieve goals.

Punchdrunk will use ideas and learnings from its previous work - It Felt Like a Kiss (2009) and The Crash of the Elysium (2011) – to create this unique, innovative project. The activity is a marriage of immersive game play with theatrical experience to explore the similarities and differences between the two entertainment genres - both brought together through the medium of fear and survival - a key creative theme within the game.

For a chance to take part in ‘...and darkness descended’ please register for Saturday 3rd and Sunday 4th September up until midday on 30th August by emailing accesslive@scee.net stating your preferred date...

Times: 19.00-23.00 3rd and from 14.00-19.00 on Sunday 4th September 2011

Venue: Waterloo Station Arches, Leake Street, SE1 7NN

Further Info: Participants and their guest must be 18 years or older – ID will be requested.
Trainers or running shoes are highly recommended.

Darkmatters Review: The Inbetweeners Movie

The Inbetweeners Movie (15)

Dir. Ben Palmer

Reviewed by Matt Adcock

Right ‘bumders’ prepare yourself for the big screen exploits of some UK youths known as The Inbetweeners…

These aren’t rioting / looting chav scumbags either, these are just average young middle England chaps trying to make it through their teen years. Four friends obsessed with girls, trying to be cool, the hope of sex, having a laugh, dealing with embarrassing parents and exploring the finer points of self-pleasuring themselves.

For those who haven’t had the pleasure of meeting the Inbetweeners they are posh nerd Will Mackenzie (Simon Bird), nice but dim Neil Sutherland (Blake Harrison), sex mad wide boy Jay Cartwright (James Buckley) and your average lovelorn teen Simon Cooper (Joe Thomas). So the pals have survived school – the end of which is marked by a superb ‘leavers speech’ by Head of Sixthform Mr Gilbert (Greg Davies) where he tells the kids in no uncertain terms how little he hopes he’ll ever see them again. Be sure to look out for Gilbert again just as the end credits hit as he has a truly unforgettable final cameo!

"The boys soak up the rays - shame Will has a cock burnt onto his back!"

When Simon gets dumped by his girlfriend / love of his life Carli D'Amato (Emily Head) , the boys decide that only a sun and booze filled holiday in Greece will be only way to take his mind off it.

So the scene is set for a cringe-em-up horror story of cheap package holiday fun which sees the boys drinking copious amounts, getting ripped off, dancing very very badly and trying with various amounts of success to hit on females.

The writers (Damon Beesley and Iain Morris) bring some fantastic situations to the table, which put the characters through humiliation beyond the call of duty. Think The Office played entirely with work experience kids or maybe a British version of American Pie directed by Francis Ford Coppola and you’ll have some idea what to expect.

The Inbetweeners Movie works better than expected – delivering plenty of ‘wrong’ laugh out loud material, some of which will have you wincing at the screen. If you’re one of the Daily Mail reading reactionaries who knock The Inbetweeners for being overly crass, crude and juvenile then you really need to get over yourselves and realise that stupid and over the top as this might be – it’s probably the best insight into young male minds ever.

And as Jay says: “You better bring your wellies, because you'll be knee-deep in clunge.”

"The females on the town"

Out of a potential 5 you have to go with a Darkmatters:

öööö

(4 - every loser wins!?)...

Awesomeness öööö – you may never forget some scenes

Laughs öööö – yes you'll laugh (unless you're dead)

Horror ööö – snorting poo anyone?

Babes öööö – crumpet alert for the 'Pussay Patrol'

Spiritual Enlightenment öö - what happens on holiday, stays on holiday!?

"Laura Haddock - can Will really pull this?"

Battlefield 3 - Superbness in motion

Battlefield 3

Matt Adcock

Looks amazing... see for yourself below:

Darkmatters Review: Rise of the Planet of the Apes

Rise of the Planet of the Apes (12)

Dir Rupert Wyatt

Reviewed by Matt Adcock

Imagine a new gene therapy that enabled the brain to repair itself – it could be the cure for Alzheimer's, it could change everything…
Of course there will be some who’ll say that we shouldn’t test new drugs like this on animals but with the potential for such great medical progress – surely monitoring the effect it has on a few apes is a risk worth taking? What’s the worst that could happen?

Bio engineer Will Rodman (James ‘new Spiderman’ Franco) is the scientist who created the potential wonder drug ALZ-112. His first ape trial goes wrong but he takes Caesar the child of his brain boosted lab monkey home and raises him in his home. Caesar (played by an amazingly effective motion-captured Andy Serkis) is the most empathetic character in the film – so when he is put in a nasty ape sanctuary and abused it pulls at the heartstrings. In fact I was still rooting for him when he’d managed to assemble of like-minded apes and was battling the authorities.

Rise of the Planet of the Apes as the name suggests is the prequel to Planet of the Apes, not necessarily the Tim Burton effort either. Taking Franklin J. Schaffner's 1968 sci-fi classic as the starting point – director Rupert Wyatt ditches the original’s blatant racism metaphor and goes for a more action thriller build up. The cast which includes John Lithgow as Will’s Alzheimer's afflicted father do all they can but it is the monkey business that you’ll go home talking about.

It’s very well done too – the special effects are eye poppingly impressive and the action scenes rousing. The apes are going down well in the States where this has just become the fourth biggest August film opening ever.

"They may take our bananas - but they'll never take our FREEDOM!"

Rise of the Planet of the Apes is a great fun film – it delivers big time on entertainment and stands out amongst the glut of action flicks hitting this screen this summer by being the only one I really can’t wait to see follow made for.

Here we are then, human, top of the food chain (at least until the sequel) and what have we achieved? Well, on the strength of this - it looks like it might not be too long before the apes get their act together enough to make an exciting film about their own destruction and then pay money to watch it. But hey, until then let’s revel in the fact that we beat them to it!

Out of a potential 5 you have to go with a Darkmatters:

öööö

(4 - quality monkey business that needs to be seen)...

Awesomeness öööö – very cool human / ape interaction

Laughs öö – not a laugh riot but a few funnies

Horror ööö – things get a bit hairy

Babes öö – average female mate possibilities

Spiritual Enlightenment ööö - maybe we should keep the intelligence to ourselves?

"Freida Pinto - scientifically approved great legs!"

Darkmatters Review: SUPER 8

Super 8 (12)

Dir. J.J. Abrams

Reviewed by Matt Adcock

How about a major homage to blockbuster science fiction films of Steven Spielberg which, proves that when imitating greatness, a little of the magic can rub off on a new generation.

With Super 8, J.J. ‘Star Trek’ Abrams takes us back to the idyllic summer of 1979 where a group of friends in a small Ohio town witness a catastrophic train crash while making a fun amateur super 8 movie.

The thing is – the crash was not an accident and something very nasty has escaped from the wreckage. Cue unusual disappearances and inexplicable events beginning to take place across the town, as the local populace get involved in some serious close encounters…

The cool cast of kids taking the lead - featuring the star crossed crush of average teen Joe (newcomer Joel Courtney) son of the local deputy sheriff and Alice (the beguilingly talented Elle ‘Somewhere’ Fanning) daughter of the local bad boy, the stage is set for some heart warming sci-fi thrills. Joe and Alice's chaste romance feels natural and evokes the feel captured by last year’s Let Me In. These are kids who it is fun just to be around.

"teen romance from different sides of the tracks"

Think Goonies mixed with Close Encounters of the Third Kind and, throw in some great references to films from across the genres and you’ve got the winning recipe for a new breed of classic.

With Spielberg producing it is no surprise to have the heart strings tugged. The set up of young Joe, struggling to come to terms with being left in the custody of his busy dad Jack (Kyle Chandler) after his mother dies, provides the emotional backdrop to the alien monster-em-up action.

The tension is expertly built up at first when the creature is kept mostly unseen – one particular scene of a gas station being attacked shot from behind a big rotating advertisement is a work of cinematic genius.

The alien is revealed before the end and whilst it is nicely realised with good CGi work, it doesn’t quite stand out as a creature that will be remembered as a cinematic icon.

Super 8 is great, not too nasty so that it can be enjoyed by a wide audience and packing plenty of fun alongside the tension and action scenes.

Oh and don’t leave before the credits either as you get to witness the whole of the kids’ super 8 zombie movie which will send you home with a big smile on your face.

Out of a potential 5 you have to go with a Darkmatters:

öööö1/2

(4.5 - Strong future classic vibe here)...

Awesomeness öööö – plenty of very cool stuff on offer

Laughs ööö – some real joy inspiring moments

Horror öö – a few grim bits but nothing too bad

Babes ööö – Fanning is likely to turn out ok

Spiritual Enlightenment ööö - don't presume evil (even in aliens who eat you)

"Elle Fanning is in fashion - in Marie Claire last month"

Darkmatters Review: Captain America: The First Avenger

Captain America: The First Avenger (12a)

Dir. Joe Johnston

Reviewed by Matt Adcock

“General Patton has said that wars are fought with weapons but are won by men. Our goal is to create the greatest army in history. But every army begins with one man. He will be the first in a new breed of super-soldier. We are going to win this war because we have the best men. And they, personally, will escort Adolf Hitler to the gates of Hell.“

We’re in 1942, America has entered World War II, and weedy but determined Steve Rogers (Chris ‘Scott Pilgrim vs The World’ Evans) is frustrated at being rejected again and again when he tries to sign up for military service.

Then one day he is picked by slightly nutty Dr. Erksine (Stanley Tucci) to be the first ‘super soldier’ – enhanced to the max of his human potential. From that moment on he becomes Captain America – the all singing, all dancing propaganda face of the U.S. war effort. Then when his friend is abducted by nefarious Nazi secret HYDRA baddies – he steps into the front line to try and save the day.

Of course every super hero needs a nemesis and Captain America’s is Johann Schmidt aka the Red Skull (played with camp relish by Hugo ‘The Matrix’ Weaving). And as Schmidt just happens to be the boss of HYDRA it’s game on for some boys own style, slick super smack-down.

"Red Skull... quite an accurate name..."

Captain America: The First Avenger – important not to forget that subtitle as next year see the Capt join Hulk, Thor and Iron Man in potentially the greatest ever superhero team movie of all time ‘The Avengers’. Be sure to wait until after the closing credits if you want to see a sneak peak of that!

In the meantime we get plenty of good fun action which plays like a more family friendly super-powered take on Inglorious Bastards. Yes the Capt gets the girl (Hayley ‘The Duchess’ Atwell), kills the baddies and saves the entire planet – before getting handily getting frozen so he can wake up and fight evil in the present too.

I was bit worried that Director Joe ‘The Wolfman’ Johnson might not do this justice but the first Avenger delivers the crowd pleasing goods and avoids being Captain A-‘meh’-rica… Not quite as good as Iron Man but better than Hulk and more action packed than Thor, there would be merit in seeing Captain America 2 as well as The Avengers. Good times for superhero fans.

Out of a potential 5 you have to go with a Darkmatters:

ööö1/2

(3.5 - The First Avenger kicks just enough ass)...

Awesomeness ööö – some great battle action scenes

Laughs öö – couple of laughs

Horror öö – some death and violence

Babes ööö – Atwell smoulders

Spiritual Enlightenment ööö - heroic actions required (even if you're  wimp)

"Hayley has a lot of front"

Darkmatters Review: Cars 2

Cars 2 (U)

Dir. John Lasseter, Brad Lewis

Reviewed by Matt Adcock

“This is agent Leeland Turbo. I have a flash transmission for agent Finn McMissile, my cover's been compromised. Everything's gone pear-shaped. You won't believe what I've found out here. This is bigger than anything we've ever seen…”

Bbrrrrmmmm, yes the cars are back on the big screen and this time the stakes have been raised. It’s not just speed that counts now, but in the face of a dangerous international plot – the heroes will need gadgets and weapons if they are to survive.

Disney / PIXAR studios have a fantastic track record when it comes to creating brilliant animated films. So the pressure to create a worthy follow up to their excellent Cars (which is the film that has made them the most cash to date thanks to the millions of toys it has sold) has yielded a sequel but is it any good?

In a word ‘yes’ the creative team have managed to effectively inject some decent action thrills to the racing formula. This time Mater (Larry the Cable Guy) and his best mate Lightning McQueen (Owen Wilson) get drawn into a deadly conspiracy involving a new bio-fuel. Luckily top British secret agent Finn McMissile (Michael Caine) and his sexy sidekick Holly Shiftwell (Emily Mortimer) are on hand to help.

There is plenty of slapstick danger thanks to an evil genius who has assembled an army of ‘Lemons’ – clunker cars that are fed up with always breaking down… When Mater inadvertently gets tagged with holding some secret photos he becomes the world’s least likely spy car – equipped with rotary cannons and nitro boosters.

I was a bit worried that the gunplay and secret agent high-jinks wouldn’t work with the Cars characters but the look of sheer joy on my youngest son’s face as he witnessed them won me over. Sir Michael Caine is excellent as the lead British super agent and bags lots of the best lines.

Lightening McQueen’s relationship with Mater forms the emotional heart of the film, which again triumphs friendship over everything else.
The automobile animations are unbelievably shiny and there are lots of nice film references and in jokes to keep the adults amused as the family friendly action rocks along to a satisfying climax.

Cars 2 might not be an original vintage model but it is an exciting new addition to the range and one that you should certainly consider taking for a spin this Summer!

Out of a potential 5 you have to go with a Darkmatters:

ööö1/2

(3.5 - shiny Summer speedster fun)...

Awesomeness ööö – when Mater breaks out his guns the audience cheered!

Laughs ööö – enough to raise some chuckles

Horror ö – mild peril anyone?

Babes öö – nice bodywork on some models!?

Spiritual Enlightenment ööö - bio fuel can save your soul?

"Holly Shiftwell by name..."

Amazing Spiderman vs Dark Knight Rises - trailer fight!!

Amazing Spiderman vs Dark Knight Rises


Matt Adcock can't decide which looks better from the trailers...

Darkmatters Review: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows part 2

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 (12a)

Dir. David Yates

Reviewed by Matt Adcock


“Hermione, when have any of our plans actually ever worked? We plan, we get there, all hell breaks loose!”

Listen up muggles – we Potter fans have waited, we’ve read the books, we’ve watched so many of these films that have generally been ok but all has been leading up to this final chapter…

Yes, the big magical smack down finally happens as Harry (Dan Radcliffe), Ron (Rupert Grint), and Hermione (Emma Watson) speed through their deathly dullness quest to find and destroy Dark Lord Voldermort's remaining plot filler devices, sorry, ‘Horcruxes’ which hold the fragments of his soul. That done Harry must also grapple with other set of magical plot filler devices known as the mystical ‘Deathly Hallows’ – you know that wand, cape and stone which can somehow help take big baldly baddie Voldemort down.

"The dragon is a moment of joy"

So now we’re ready for the biggest, baddest, most kick ass battle to ever grace the Harry Potter world… And then, before you can say “is that it?” the whole thing is over – over with only fleeting moments of awesomeness. Yes, I’m a Potter fan but I also love a good battle scene in a movie – especially the climax to a great series like say ‘Lord of the Rings’… So I left Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 feeling a bit let down.

Sure the plot had been tied up and we even got to see the surviving characters in their ‘normal’ lives 19 years after the battle but I wanted epic-ness and what we got was decent but in no way epic.

Yes Deathly Hallows part 2 has fantastic special effects and all the cast go about their business well enough but where were the moments of sheer desperate heroics? Why did the writer / director think it was a good idea to mess with the locations of key events from the book and most of all – why were we viewers cheated out of seeing just how major characters fell?

Loyal Potter fans deserved better than this – which every time it threatens to be awesome, wimps out instead to general dissatisfaction.

So Harry goes out with a smile and a wave rather than all wands blazing - I leave you with Lord Voldermort’s words which could sum up Steve Kloves the screenwriter of Deathly Hallows: Part 2:

“Do not despair at his betrayal. You, none of you, were ever in his heart. Not for one single, solitary beat.”


Out of a potential 5 you have to go with a Darkmatters:

öööö

(4 - still a good watch even if it could have been so much more!)...

Awesomeness ööö – nearly awesome at several points

Laughs öö – only sporadic funnies

Horror öö – not disturbing enough!

Babes öööö – Emma Watson is still very sexy, especially in Bellatrix's outfit!

Spiritual Enlightenment ööö - probably something in here somewhere...

"It's a DM tradition to post random pics of Emma in each HP review!"

"one more for luck"

Darkmatters review of Deathly Hallows Part One

Darkmatters Review: SUPER

SUPER (18)

Dir. James Gunn

Reviewed by Matt Adcock

“Shut Up Crime!!”

There comes a time when society pushes people too far. When someone snaps and decides to stand up to the rampant crime and sheer injustice…

That man is KICK ASS, no wait, that was last year…

That man is The Crimson Bolt (Rainn Wilson) also known as big time loser Frank D’Arbo. Franks a religious guy whose had a rubbish life – he has just two moments that he’s been proud of ‘his golden moments’ one was when he tipped off a policeman as which way a robber ran, and the other was his wedding day to his unfeasibly hot wife, Sarah (Liv Tyler).

One day Sarah leaves Frank for a slick pimp / drug dealer called Jacques (a nicely slimy Kevin Bacon). It triggers a breakdown / psychosis in Frank who sees a vision of the ‘finger of God’ touch his brain and answers what he believes to be calls of a ultra fundamentalist religious TV show starring a saintly superhero The Holy Avenger (Nathan ‘Serenity / Firefly’ Fillion) to take the fight to evil… So “The Crimson Bolt” is born with a mission to take the fight to evil with his battle cry of “SHUT UP CRIME!”

"Ellen page = hot sidekick Boltie"

Director James Gunn cameos as ‘Demonswill’ – Holy Avenger’s nemesis and has a blast in trying to lead teens into sexual promiscuity and general debauchery. But the film is totally stolen by the Crimson Bolt’s sexy sidekick ‘Boltie’ otherwise known as Libby (Ellen ‘Inception’ Page channelling the spirit of a sexed up older ‘Hit Girl’)… She throws all inhibitions aside and delivers a performance that has ‘iconic’ written all over it.

Super is an edgy and supremely ‘wrong’ film – not for anyone who can’t deal with darkest possible humour and grim violence. Several critics seem to have seriously missed the point – moaning about how Super isn’t a Kick Ass 2. I’d just say that Super works as more twisted comic sidepiece to Kick Ass, same genre, very different films.

Challenging, heartfelt and scattershot – Super is a film that doesn’t know any boundaries and is all the better for it. Do the words ‘cult classic’ mean anything to you?

Out of a potential 5 you have to go with a Darkmatters:

öööö

(4 - over the edge and spewing black fumes)...

Awesomeness öööö – seriously awesome in places

Laughs öööö – very funny but worryingly wrong

Horror öööö – disturbing stuff ahoy

Babes öööö – hot sidekick action

Spiritual Enlightenment öööö - touched by the hand of God

"everyone needs a sidekick"

Darkmatters Review: The TREE of LIFE

The TREE of LIFE (12a)

Dir. Terrence Malick

Reviewed by Matt Adcock

“Where were you when I laid the earth's foundation? ...while the morning stars sang together and all the angels shouted for joy?” (Job 38)

GRACE: "Grace doesn't try to please itself. Accepts being slighted, forgotten, disliked. Accepts insults and injuries."

NATURE: "Nature only wants to please itself. Get others to please it too. Likes to lord it over them. To have its own way. It finds reasons to be unhappy when all the world is shining around it. And love is smiling through all things."

Terrence Malick’s Palme d’Or winner, starring Brad Pitt, Sean Penn and Jessica Chastain, is his first film in six years, The TREE of LIFE is a hymn to life, excavating answers to the most haunting and personal human questions through a kaleidoscope of the intimate and the cosmic, from the raw emotions of a family in a small Texas town to the wildest, infinite edges of space and time, from a boy’s loss of innocence to a man’s transforming encounters with awe, wonder and transcendence.

I took at group of students from the London School of Theology (LST) to see a screening and they recorded their reactions to the film here: http://www.lst.ac.uk/hot-topics/the-tree-of-life 

Exploring the struggle between brute nature and spiritual grace and how they shape not only our lives as individuals and families but all life is a big topic for a film and The TREE of LIFE employs an epic tapestry to probe the incredible deep spirituality that flows through and all around our lives.

The film is certainly a unique experience and won't be everybody's cup of tea but it is incredibly rich - and some of the cosmic imagery I don't think I'll ever forget.

The plot (what little there is if it) follows a young boy and tracks how his life is affected by his mother's "grace" and his father's brute "nature". The searching philosophical issues that swirl throughout the film are wrought with intense emotion and played out through a staggering mixture of biological, chemical and geographical imagery. An unstable timeline that leaps back and forth from the moment of the 'Big Bang' through one family's lives and onwards into the afterlife.

Be prepared for something unlike any other film - the closest is probably 2001: A Space Odyssey, or Enter The Void - but The TREE of LIFE is a brave and deeply personal piece that cuts to the very core of our own creation.

As Mr. O'Brien, Brad Pitt gives a steely, measured and altogether wonderful performance - minutes go by with no dialogue but he shows emotions the resonate with us with just a look or an expression... He's man broken inside, where behind his pious exterior lurks a shamed and irreconcilable yearning for the 'grace' that his wife exudes. Yet he cannot allow himself to move to the closer relationship with God that might let him experience the world through wider lens.

Malick shows us the whole family relationship from the POV the boys as they try to make sense of their father (who wants them to "man up"), their mother who is always there for them and God... As the titular  tree grows - we see it in prehistoric times as dinosaurs frolic past, ,and again Jack's childhood garden - there is a memorable line when his mother tells him that he will be grown before the tree is - and then again in the corporate world where Sean Penn sees it from his slick office...

Challenge yourself - see The TREE of LIFE and reflect on life, the universe and everything!

Out of a potential 5 you have to go with a Darkmatters:

ööööö

(5 - I didn't know how to name You then. But I see it was You. Always You were calling me)...

Awesomeness ööööö – God is the essence of awesome

Laughs öö – a few heartfelt moment of joy

Horror öö – human 'brute' nature isn't nice

Babes öö – she's a lovely mum

Spiritual Enlightenment ööööö - Help each other. Love everyone. Every leaf. Every ray of light. Forgive.

"The way of Grace... looks good"

UNCHARTED 3: BETA IMPRESSIONS

Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception BETA (PS3)

Developed by Naughty Dog

Reviewed by Matt Adcock


Once in awhile a game comes along that redefines expectations – something so new, so spine tinglingly delightful, executed to perfection and megaton in levels of invention, gameplay and sheer awesomeness…

The Uncharted games on PS3 have so far both been key examples of the above – so the pressure is on developers Naughty Dog to come up trumps with their third game in the series.

Now having been playing the Uncharted 3 BETA for 2 weeks solidly (it knocked every other game off our PS3) I’m delighted to report that Uncharted 3's multiplayer is a serious beast of shootin, climbing, treasure collecting and beating the crap out of your enemies… And it rocks!!

"character customisation allows for some good variation"

In a Call of Duty style there are plenty of perks and badman weapons to unlock – plus outfits for your character and taunts etc. It’s a god system and it really adds to the gamplay experience as you’ll find yourself risking life and limb dashing into fierce crossfires in suicidal dashes to grab a key piece of treasure.

The BETA brings three levels – an airstrip, chateau and Yemen – all are rich environments packed with really inventive features, e.g. the airstrip level begins with a mad chase of a fleet of lorries all after a cargo plane which is racing down a runway trying to take off. You start either on the plane or one of the trucks and have to leap between the moving vehicles shooting and scrapping as you go. The moving vehicles is a feature rarely scene in multiplayer maps (one notable exception is the Killzone 3 train set level) and it shows just how ambitious Naughty Dog are in bringing something new to this run and gun genre.

The Uncharted games have always had a brilliantly cinematic single player experience – definitely the nearest thing yet to actually starring in your own action flick but it looks like this time the multiplayer experience will be every bit as amazing. Shooting game fans are in for a massive treat when Uncharted 3 hits this November – this really is potentially the game of 2011 and that’s not a claim to make lightly as we have Battlefield 3, MW3 and Gears of War 3 all clamoring for shooting supremacy.

"take a trip to Yemen - love the scenery - try not to get shot..."

Graphically Uncharted 3 is head and shoulders above the excellent standard of even Uncharted 2 – the rich colourful settings and absolutely brilliant character models who move convincingly whether climbing, rolling or fighting… it is breath-taking stuff.

Of the two levels the chateau is a broken down mansion flanked by two serious turrets and has a zipline down which you can fly whilst unleashing hot lead death from above. The airfield (after the plane has taken off) is dominated by a large warehouse with metal walkways and multiple lines of sight, plus cargo containers – any of which could hold a hiding enemy… Both environments are tense, paranoia inducing and seriously good fun!

The weapons of Uncharted 3 are nicely balanced with the AK47 being the standard rifle, plus old favs from Uncharted 2 such as the Dragon Sniper and Sass shotgun – plus RPG (which can be accessed via in game medal collection) and grenades, handguns (got to love the machine pistol) etc. There is a good variety and most games seem to have a decent amount of give and take as the teams are balanced by player ranks.

The kickback bonuses such as RPG are nicely diverse too to suit various play styles with a smoke bomb e.g. that allows you to escape from battles, or a boost of never ending ammo for a certain time… These can really help swing the tide of a fight and gives you real incentive to keep collecting medals which you get for pulling off various kills, stunts and feats.

So as the BETA hits open PSN access this week – get ready to Team Deathmatch your heart out, rip it up in 2 vs. 2 vs. 2 co-op death match or just lose yourself in hours of gunslinging action multiplayer action…

"you don't get to do this in Call of Duty multiplayer"

Nothing comes close to delivering the pure adrenalin thrills of Uncharted 3 – if you’ve yet to download the BETA, stop whatever you’re doing and go get it now. This is the future of multiplayer, if you don’t currently own a PS3 this is the game you’re going to need to buy one to play!!

Out of a potential 5 you have to go with a Darkmatters:

ööööö

(5 - PS3 + Uncharted 3 = most awesome gameplay available)...

Impressive Dark Knight Rises Poster

"tasty"

Darkmatters can't wait for this one...

inFAMOUS 2: Review

inFamous 2 (PS3)

Developed by Sucker Punch

Reviewed by Matt Adcock

Hands up if you’ve ever fancied being a super powered being with the freedom to go where you want and unleash your unnatural powers on any unsuspecting citizen you happen upon… Yeah, me too!

inFamous was a kick ass PS3 exclusive that literally shocked people with its winning blend of electric powered heroics and real choice / implications of how things panned our depending on your moral choices of good or evil. Developer Sucker Punch realized they were onto a winner as the first game sold well and got a lot of love from gamers, So inevitably they’re back with inFamous 2 and they have changed things up just enough to make super hero fans tingle all over again.

Once again you get to play as the inFamous Cole MacGrath – who fresh from battling a freaky evil world destroyer known as ‘The Beast’ is given a serious beating and left to try and level up his powers in order to be ready for another crack at this powerful enemy. So it’s off to a new town (New Marais) which bears an uncanny similarity to New Orleans – in the kind of way that Empire City was a lot like NYC in inFamous.

Veterans of the first game are immediately rewarded with a Mass Effect chance to import their existing character – complete with good or evil preference. Don’t worry of you didn’t get chance to play the first inFamous though as the sequel stands alone very well too. The controls are intuitive and work well in the detailed sprawling open world (choc full of optional side missions – both from the game developers and even better – from players who have used the LittleBigPlanet style creation tools to make challenges for you to try that are impressive and creative in ways that only user generate content ever is!?

As you work your way through the main missions along with the side distractions the karma metre will kick in. This monitors your actions, tracking how good or evil you are being e.g. disabling and sucking the life force from people = bad, saving civilians from mugging or healing them who’ve been hurt = good.

Fill your karma metre with good and before long you’ll be able to access new ‘heroic ice’ powers and enjoy the adoration of the NPC people. But go psycho on the populace or openly attack cops and you’ll soon be feared and hated – but wielding some alternative ‘nasty fire’ powers.

The open city game area is a joy to move through as you can grind on electric cables, use your electro powers for small bursts of flight etc – all the while leaping and scrambling up buildings in an Assassin’s Creed style.

Everything about inFamous 2 is slick and well designed – it takes all the things that made the inFamous so great and makes them even better… The storyline feels well thought through and not just a cheap add on to make more cash, the graphics are lovely and the gameplay very satisfying.

I can’t inFamous 2 as it delivers on every count you could ask for (except maybe online multiplayer?). If you love open world games, super powers or just a great gaming experience, inFamous 2 is a tour-de-force of excellence that you owe it to yourself to invest in!

Out of a potential 5 you have to go with a Darkmatters:

ööööö

(5 - super nova super hero fun)...

"you could be"