Darkmatters Review: IN TIME

In Time (12a)

Dir. Andrew Niccol

Reviewed by Matt Adcock

Wake up… Time to die!?

Actually good news…

Humans have developed the technology to bio engineer ourselves so that we stop aging at 25. From that moment a timer kicks in and every second counts - any extra time for your life has to be ‘earned’. 

So time is now the ultimate currency, pay your rent in months, your food in hours or minutes - working for your minutes and hours is the only way to stay alive – unless you happen to live in a rich zone where people have centuries of time on their clocks and only ever die if they are in a freak accident. 

Meet Will Salas (Justin Timberlake) he’s a good looking blue collar guy from a poor zone who one day crosses paths with Henry Hamilton (Matt Bomer) – a wealthy chap who has lived so long that he now seeks death. Will wakes up to find that Henry has given him over a hundred years – and timed himself out – this Will a target for criminals and the ‘Time Keeping’ authorities led by Raymond Leon (Cillian Murphy),

After a high stakes poker game against big shot Philippe Weis (Vincent Kartheiser) Will meets Weis’s feisty daughter Sylvia (a sizzling turn from Amanda Seyfried). From then on it all goes a bit high tech Bonnie and Clyde with robberies and chases galore. In Time delivers a fun slice of sci-fi – the concept of having virtually a whole cast who look 25 years old is certainly easy on the eye and there is plenty of action to keep the plot cooking along nicely.

Director Niccol has form for sci-fi with both Gattaca and S1m0ne on his CV – and his next near future project called ‘The Host’ looks likely to be the pick of the bunch. Niccol obviously has a lot of fun here with really nice moments such as when Weis introduces his mother-in-law, wife, and daughter and Will really can’t tell which is which.

Timberland is good value as the everyman hero and he’s backed up well by the bug-eyed but equipped with a killer pair of legs Seyfried. The film rocks a believable not-too-distant future vibe and certainly adds food for thought about the issue of potential overpopulation etc. It also isn’t too nasty so those with young teens might find In Time a pleasing family bonding viewing experience.

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

ööö1/2

3.5 – you're just IN TIME for a decent sci-fi flick!

Awesomeness ööö – there are some nice action moments
Laughs öö – not a comedy
Horror öö – not too grim
Babes öööö – Seyfried is a hottie
Spiritual Enlightenment öö – spend your time wisely

"why miss Seyfried - what big, erm, eyes you have!"

Darkmatters Review: Uncharted 3 Drake's Deception

Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception (PS3 Exclusive)

Produced / Developed by Naughty Dog / SCEE

Reviewed by Matt Adcock

“All men dream: but not equally. Those who dream by night in the dusty recesses of their minds wake in the day to find that it was vanity: but the dreamers of the day are dangerous men, for they may act their dreams with open eyes, to make it possible. This I did.”

Sullivan: "Uh-huh. That's all real pretty but, what the hell's it mean in English?"

Nathan Drake: "It means, be careful what you wish for. It might just get you…"

Being careful isn’t something that comes naturally to Drake… As his previous two excellent adventures have shown – he’s a lovable chancer, a soldier of fortune, a wise cracking hero who lives for the thrill of treasure hunting.

Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception sees developer Naughty Dog on utterly stunning form. These guys know how to rock the PS3 and they sure do make a mean PlayStation-exclusive game.

Kicking off with an ace barroom brawl set in an authentic London boozer (think Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels 2) – it demonstrates a brilliant knack for putting you straight into the heat of the action, whilst wrong footing those who expected a dusty desert setting from the off.

Nolan North who voices Drake is on top form spitting the quality dialogue with movie star style. Everything about Uncharted 3 actually feels like a massive blockbuster film – as Drake searches for the fabled ‘Atlantis of the Sands’ aided once again by the journal of Sir Francis Drake.

All that’s missing is Spielberg and Lucas directing the proceedings as the action goes massive as you try and escape from a sinking cruise liner – kind of Titanic with automatic weaponry thrown in for fun. Or when you take on hundreds of baddies in a frantic gunfight whilst the plane you’re on explodes for good measure, it’s adrenalin pumping, unforgettable action that has no equal on any game to date.

The graphics in Uncharted 3 are just unbelievable, at points it is hard to tell where the cut scenes end and the game play kicks in. I can’t put into words the grin inducing effect that battling through temples, deserts and ruins – sneaking around in stealthy metal gear style utilising a lovely selection of weaponry. The guns have a meaty feel to them which is very satisfying and I defy you not to smirk as you prime an enemy’s grenade whilst it’s still attached to his belt – kick him away and wait for the kabloom!!

The multiplayer options have been beefed up from Uncharted 2 and the added focus of perks / treasure collecting in the heat of battle is very cool. Deathmatch, capture the flag, co-op with a tasty split-screen option where you can log in on two different PSN accounts to play and bag their own XP.

Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception is the very definition of AAA gameplay – it’s one that will make you want to play and replay missions just because their so much damn fun. Be warned though that the multiplayer is fiendishly addictive and the hours fly by in a blur of wonderfully violent combat situations.

Players who enjoy Call of Duty / Battlefield / Halo / Killzone / Gears / Resistance etc should seriously give Uncharted a go – if you buy into the spirit of sheer adventure on offer here - it whips the ass of all those other shooters without breaking a sweat – and that is truly epic achievement…

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

ööööö 

5 - A King amongst action games  - PS3 has no equal in this genre)... 

 Check out the official site

"Uncharted - on VITA!"

And it won’t be long before Sony’s flagship hero Drake is back on the PS VITA – do the word’s ‘can’t wait’ mean anything to you?

"Katrina Bowden - the obvious choice for Uncharted's Elena in the big screen version!"

Preview: Machine Gun Preacher

Machine Gun Preacher 

Previewed by Matt Adcock

After renouncing his outlaw ways, Sam Childers (Gerard Butler) embarks on a spiritual path, becoming a warrior for the desperate and helpless children in a war-torn country in Africa.

As an ex-biker-gang member Sam makes the life-changing decision to go to East Africa to help repair homes destroyed by civil war, he is outraged by the unspeakable horrors faced by the region’s vulnerable populace, especially the children. Ignoring the warnings of more experienced aid workers, Sam breaks ground for an orphanage where it’s most needed—in the middle of territory controlled by the brutal Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA), a renegade militia that forces youngsters to become soldiers before they even reach their teens. Lots of issues worth exploring here... Check the trailer below and see what you think!?

Elderscrolls Skyrim Trailer...

Watch in awe as the fifth installment in the Elder Scrolls series comes to life in this live action commercial for Skyrim.

Matt Adcock is looking forward to killing dragons on his PS3...

Chloe Moretz - reported to be a big fan of Skyrim... 

Her new film 'HICK' looks like it could be winner - preview shots:

Darkmatters Review: Paranormal Activity 3

Paranormal Activity 3 (15) 

Dir. Henry Joost and Ariel Schulman

Reviewed by Matt Adcock (@Cleric20)

It Runs In The Family…

First came Paranormal Activity back in 2009 (although made in 2007) – which told the unhappy tale of a young, middle class couple who move into a suburbia only to be disturbed by a presence that may or may not be somehow demonic but is certainly most active in the middle of the night. Especially when they sleep. Or try to. It was big hit making nearly $200,000,000 from its $15,000 budget.

So it was not much of a surprise when Paranormal Activity 2 came along in 2010 and made things go ‘bump’ in the night all over again. This time more inexplicable and strange incidents occur due to the house possibly being possessed by a demonic entity, like duh... haven’t we already been to this party? Still it does what it sets out to do in a decent enough fashion.

Now you’re invited back to 1988, to find out how the spooky paranormal activity all started… Meet the two young sisters Katie and Kristi as children (who we’ve met as grown ups in Paranormal Activity 1 & 2). Here in part 3 we find that the girls befriended a sinister invisible entity who resides in a cupboard their home – and that their granny might just be a bit more sinister than the average!?

Yes prequels can be a minefield for film franchises – especially when they have dedicated fan bases (Phantom Menace anyone!?) so it is quite a brave move to go back and detail spooky origin of the big bucks making Paranormal Activity series. Fortunately the job has been given to Henry Joost and Ariel Schulman, whose made the excellent ‘Catfish’, these are directors who know how to manipulate their audience and have proven themselves adept at using hand held camera footage to tell a good story.

We join young Katie (Chloe Csengery) and Kristi (Jessica Tyler Brown) as their interaction with a malignant force called um 'Toby' starts freaking out their mum Julie (Lauren Bittner) and stepdad Dennis (Christopher Nicholas Smith). He does what any loving step-father would and immediately sets up multiple cameras in his daughters bedrooms / and through their house - which I'm sure many mothers might not be very keen on their other half doing. But we let it go here because it's kind of essential to the plot etc.

"stranger danger?"

As before the ‘activity’ builds up slowly and the directors throw in some good cheap jump moments just to keep the audience on side – but where the first two films are all about the build up and then 5 minutes of loopiness at the climax, PA3 works up a bit more ‘bump’ for your buck and goes utterly nuts for a disturbing ending that is certainly the most satisfying of the series so far!

There are some really nice touches throughout though which tie the films together such as towards the beginning of the film, Julie takes a picture of young Kristi standing in the driveway. That same photo being taken appears in both Paranormal Activity and Paranormal Activity 2 as an indication that the demon has started haunting them. The video camera / night vision gimmick might be a bit old hat now but PA3 at least mixes it up a bit with a back-and-forth camera affixed to a motorised fan mechanism which lets you see things / half glimpse stuff and then pan back to do a full reveal... 

If you felt a bit peeved at the endings of Kill List or The Last Exorcism then you might have a beef with PA3 too – but I personally liked the way that the demonic activity was attributed back to its human meddling roots and the screening I saw this at were screaming when the very nasty finale hit home!

"Hmmm another plot joiner across the 3 movies"

I'm always interested to see how filmmakers depict the spiritual powers (both good and evil) and Paranormal Activity 3 drops in some interesting demonic elements. It could serve as a bit of a warning not to dabble in the occult too...

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

öööö

4 – don’t mess with the occult (but if you do at least make sure you have a video camera to hand!)

Awesomeness öööö – you’ll jump in places, scream in others
Laughs ö – not very funny
Horror öööö – a demon is for life, not just for a single movie
Babes ööö – the home sex tape effort is different
Spiritual Enlightenment öö – the powers of darkness are NOT your friends

"Katie Featherstone..."

Darkmatters Review: The Adventures of Tin Tin

The Adventures of Tin Tin - The Secret of the Unicorn (PG) 

Dir. Steven Spielberg

Reviewed by Matt Adcock

Hold on to your hats, here’s the big CGI visual ‘leap’ which brings some seriously awesome graphics to the big screen and the result is absolutely jaw dropping.

In the capable hands of Spielberg – his follow up to Indiana Jones 4 – sees high adventure in amazing animated style. The Adventures of Tintin literally jumps from the pages of Hergé’s comic book series. The Secret of the Unicorn is a fun packed, family friendly romp, which has taken a long time to be realised in the manner that only the latest computer power can bring about.

It is a loving homage that I’m sure the original Belgian cartoonist would have been pleased with (alas he died before see this). Spielberg’s Tin Tin project benefits from having a cracking team of writers that include Steven Moffat, Edgar Wright and Joe Cornish. Tin Tin fans who have read ‘The Crab with the Golden Claws’, ‘The Secret of the Unicorn’ and ‘Red Rackham’s Treasure’, will recognise the highlight packed plot. The mixture of old school adventure and cutting edge visuals makes for a very enjoyable film – it even managed to amuse my teenage son which isn’t easy for anything other than Youtube or Facebook these days.

"shoot me first! save the boyish hero"

So young Tin Tin stumbles onto a secret which could lead to a lost treasure – there are nefarious forces also after the riches, so danger and death defying daring-do are the order of the day. Along for the ride is Tin Tin’s sidekick dog Snowy - who has a handy knack of saving the day, plus whiskey loving Captain Haddock (Andy Serkis) and the twin Interpol agents Thomson and Thompson (Simon Pegg and Nick Frost).

Bad guy of the piece is the Ivanovich Sakharine (Daniel Craig) who brings good dastardly counterbalance to the innocent faced Tin Tin and co. The action cracks along at a good pace and there are some lovely references to the original comics. So there really isn’t any good reason not to go and enjoy this rip-roaring adventure – even if it probably won’t be remembered as the classic that the makers were hoping it would be.

It does look like Tin Tin will be back soon though with Lord of the Rings director Peter Jackson already slated tackle the sequel.

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

ööö1/2 

3.5 - tally ho, what japes! 

Awesomeness öööö – some adventure chases on a par with Uncharted 3!?
Laughs ööö – some good laughs to be had
Horror ö – very mild darkness
Babes ö – this isn't that sort of eye-candy
Spiritual Enlightenment öö - comic adventures FTW

Darkmatters Review: We Need To Talk About Kevin

We Need to Talk About Kevin (15)

Dir. Lynne Ramsay

Reviewed by Matt Adcock

“I used to think I knew why I did it. Now I'm not so sure.”

Is anyone born evil or are those who commit evil driven to it by their upbringing and surroundings? We Need to Talk About Kevin is a powerful, heart-breaking film adaptation of Lionel Shriver’s devastating novel detailing the impossibly grim fallout for the mother of a teenage mass murderer. 

Kevin is portrayed as the ultimate soulless disenfranchised youth, clever and calculating – and bad to the bone. So how did modern, self sufficient and career minded Eva (Tilda Swinton – on absolutely stunning form) ever give birth to a son so utterly the embodiment of angry male arrogance who stands against all that she holds dear? Eva feels impossibly trapped in her marriage to easy going Franklin (John C Reilly) – she is a free spirit, portrayed as seeing parenthood as an unhappy chore that limits her existence.

Does the infant Kevin pick up on his mother finding him a burden and something to be endured? He certainly exhibits a hard to fathom malevolence, a cutting resentful mute hatred of his parents, his younger sister Celia (Ashley Gerasimovich) and anyone who crosses his path. The deep emotional angst and utterly dysfunctional reaction that triggers Kevin’s horrific homicidal actions drip from every frame. A clever use of the colour red, coupled with agonizing flashbacks combine to unsettle viewers and make watching We Need to Talk About Kevin a gut wrenching experience. Seeing Eva struggling to cope with the animosity and angry retributions of those whose worlds were torn apart by her son’s actions is like the worst nightmare of any parent. This might be a fictional account but the emotions generated are painfully real.

"happy families - this is not"

Kevin is brought to the screen by Ezra Miller – as the older Kevin and Jasper Newell as the younger, both deliver highly unsettling performances which are sure to stay with you for some time after the film. The struggle between nature and nurture (or ‘grace’) is one that continues to engage writers and filmmakers – We Need to Talk About Kevin is a dark apocalyptic vision of casual evil amongst us. Lynne Ramsay’s film works as a female viewpoint companion to Gus van Sant's much more macho-esq ‘Elephant’.

We Need to Talk About Kevin is an excellent but incredibly harsh viewing experience which brings issues worth exploring and debating for those who can stand the strong subject matter.

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

öööö 

4 - fear the Kev...

Awesomeness öööö – drips menace from the start

Laughs öö – mass murder isn't a laughing matter

Horror ööö – horrible but not extreme

Babes öö – Swinton looks destroyed

Spiritual Enlightenment öö - nature or nurture?

"Erin Maya Darke's potential next project"

Darkmatters Review: Henry Portrait of a Serial Killer

Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer Blu-ray (18) 

Dir. John McNaughton

Reviewed by Matt Adcock

“There is a disease in the heart of man. Its symptom is hate. Its symptom is anger. Its symptom is rage…” Equilibrium 

Hi, the name’s Henry and I’m your worst nightmare. See I like to kill people for kicks, you know - just for fun, or maybe just because they cross my path… women mostly and I don’t very much care for anything in this world. Hey but if you think I’m bad (and I am) you should meet my pal Otis (Tom Towles), I met that sick puppy in prison but you know something, perhaps his sister Becky (Tray Arnold) – she ain’t so bad…

Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer is a low budget ($110,000) tale of the life and crimes / random horrific actions of Henry (Michael Rooker). This is a film that cuts through the layers of Hollywood gloss and high production values that help a viewer maintain a ‘safe’ distance from the action of most horror flicks. Presented in grubby16mm – even on Blu-ray it feels nasty and cheaply put together – which is part of the power packed by Director John McNaughton’s up close and personal account of a prolific serial killer.

Rooker is amazing in the lead role making Henry exude a weird negative charisma and total and utter disregard for the human life. A drifter who purposefully moves around and changes his methods of killing to avoid detection – he seemingly operates with impunity. The actions of Henry in the film are loosely based on real life serial killer Henry Lee Lucas but also bubble up from the black tar pit of McNaughton’s mind (he co-wrote it).

"mirror mirror on the wall - whos' the sickest of them all?"

You know you’re in for some of the most unpleasant but oddly compelling viewing ever committed to film when the opening scene is that of a naked woman, lying dead in a field. We are then introduced to Henry, who is going about his business. Interspersed with this are shots of other murder victims. None of the actual murders are shown, but accompanying the shots of the bodies are the sounds of screaming and struggle. Henry is also shown following a woman home and watching her as she enters her house.

It’s this matter of fact, impassive observational style that lends the film such a hard-hitting, disturbing edge. One scene where Henry and Otis kill a Fence for a larger TV than he was willing to sell them for their budget is a frightening ‘what if’ in light of the riots and looting this year. Are we in danger of sliding into a state where life is worth less than a bigger TV?

Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer is an extreme film that will absolutely not be to many people’s tastes due to the sheer grimness of the subject matter. But for those who like their horror cold, hard and emotionally raw – the Blu-ray version delivers some serious chills and a warning that you just never know who that guy staring at you from across the car park really is thinking…

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

öööö 

4 - this is one ‘Horrid Henry’ that really isn’t for kids.

Awesomeness öööö – if brutal random killings are your thing…
Laughs öö – very dark laughs in places
Horror ööööö – gruesome and unrelenting nastiness
Babes öö – girl next door looks (while she lives)
Spiritual Enlightenment öö – where does our respect for life come from?

Darkmatters Review: DanceStar Party

DanceStar Party (PS3 Exclusive)

Developed by London Studios

Reviewed by Matt Adcock

There are lots of dancing games on the market – every gaming platform has something designed to make you prance about in front of them.

But only once in a while one comes along that gets just about everything ‘right’ – the good news is that DanceStar Party for the PS3 is the new undisputed king of dance games…

I have to admit that my hopes were not high when the review copy landed at Darkmatters HQ. Rather than just play it solo we decided to stress test DanceStar Party with various age groups – from a load of kids (aged 8 -10) on a Sunday morning, with teens (who got creative when challenged to make up their own routines) and with old timers (30/40 yr olds).

So how did it fare?

DanceStar Party was LOVED by all ages.

The feedback was universally positive ranging from “Best dance game I’ve ever played” through to “I’ve never had so much fun playing a console game”… basically the kind of quotes you wouldn’t normally find outside of a Sony Fanboy convention led by Kevin Butler.

So it looks like with Christmas Season about to hit, DanceStar, a PS3 (plus Move controllers) are going to be the essential kit to get any party started.

What’s so good about DanceStar? OK well for once the choice of tracks that come on the disc is way better than most ‘party’ games e.g. I Like The Way by Bodyrockers, Pass Out by Tinie Tempah, Barbra Streisand by Duck Sauce and Ellie Goulding's Starry Eyed.

"Look - real video, real dancers!"

Each track has an energetic dance routine that's easily learned by mirroring the moves of the dancers on-screen – and has a handy ‘energy’ level rating as to how much of a sweat you’re likely to work up. Speaking of on screen displays – DanceStar packs the original videos for all the tracks and a ‘real’ dancer rather than some rubbish animated dancer. It is impressive stuff as the required moves scroll on from the right and snapshots / video of your own effort pop up. It looks and feels slick and the dancers are really attractive specimens which helps too!? So while you're giving the performance of your life and watching the original artists' videos, hitting the Triangle button on your motion controller switches to the camera feed and see what you look like in action.

There is also a great workout section, which could well mean that you don’t need to invest in any bespoke fitness games… No excuses now lard ass - dance yourself fit! Once you've finished your dancing, it’s fun to upload your videos and pictures to your gallery and share them with your friends - they'll be able to rate them, and give you feedback. If you’re into social media you can share your vids with other users via Facebook and Twitter – uploading is a fun part of the DanceStar Party experience.

"hotpants not included"

Downloading your pals efforts is fun too, as they can post not just them dancing but routines that they have created for you to test yourself against. If you think you’ve got moves then now the bragging rights are there to be taken online! New content is available to download from the Playstation Store – so it will take you a lifetime to master every track in DanceStar Party…

Sony’s London Studio has excelled with DanceStar Party – this is the dance game that could well convert those who don’t like dance games, get your gameface on and hit the floor!!

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

ööööö

(5 - The PS3 is now king of the dance genre!)...

 Check out the official site

UNCHARTED 3 presents ‘The Hero's Journey’

UNCHARTED 3 presents ‘The Hero's Journey’ A documentary short directed by Ed Zwick inspired by Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception, exploring the Action Adventure genre

 To celebrate the launch of the action adventure blockbuster UNCHARTED 3: Drakes Deception, PlayStation®3 has commissioned celebrated filmmaker Ed Zwick to explore one of entertainment’s biggest genres: Action Adventure and pose the question ‘What does it mean to be a hero?’

UNCHARTED 3: Drakes Deception released on November 2nd is the latest in the UNCHARTED multi-million selling adventure. The franchise is known for blurring the entertainment boundaries, and delivering on a cinematic scale. The new instalment follows hero Nathan Drake’s search for the fabled ‘Atlantis of the Sands.’ Announcing the new content, Sony PlayStation Marketing Director, Alan Duncan, commented ‘The Hero's Journey’, continues PlayStation 3’s documentary exploration of the convergence of entertainment genres, which we started with last years short themed around emotion in entertainment.

PlayStation is about rich entertainment experiences and we are excited that a filmmaker of Ed Zwick’s calibre has joined us to explore such an important genre as Action Adventure. UNCHARTED 3 is the perfect title with which to explore the subject of heroism’. Commenting on the creation of ‘The Hero's Journey’, Ed Zwick states ‘I’d been unaware of the extraordinary advancement of games such as UNCHARTED 3.

The notion that one can have a more complex hero while still providing the obligatory action, opens a whole new range of possibilities.’ Uncharted Creative Director Amy Hennig comments ‘The Uncharted Franchise is an exploration of what heroism means in the Action Adventure genre and it was interesting for us to explore these themes that we share across entertainment genres - as entertainers we are all posed with similar questions as to how to bring heroism to the fore in such a blockbuster category.’ The documentary short was filmed in LA and features responses from a range of film and gaming respondents who were posed the following questions to explore ‘What does the idea of the Hero in Action Adventure evoke?’:

Questions posed:

 · What defines a true hero?
 · Do you think heroes are born and not made? If so, what makes them?
· As an actor is it easier to play a hero/heroine than a villain?
OR- As a director, is it important to make your hero sympathetic?
· Heroism consists of 'hanging on one minute longer'. Do you agree?
· Action movies used to mean adventure in the face of physical danger. Has that changed in today's CGI reliant Hollywood?
· What's changed in Hollywood's portrayal of what it means to be a hero?
· How do you feel about the evolution of the female action hero?
· Is the multi-layered, flawed anti-hero a more modern hero?
· Are the darker, more fallible heroes of today more realistic and psychologically rounded?
· How do you draw on strength, when the odds are against you?
· Does fantasy inform your reality
· Who are some of your personal heroes?

Respondents:
 · Ed Zwick – Director/Producer & Writer (Glory, Legends of the Fall, The Last Samurai, Traffic & Blood Diamond)
· Diane Kruger – Actress (Troy, Inglorious Basterds, National Treasure & Unknown)
· Amy Hennig – Video Game Director & Writer (Uncharted 3, Jak & Daxter & Legacy of Kain) · Djimon Hounsou – Actor (Gladiator, Lara Croft Tomb Raider, Eragon & Blood Diamond)
· Sam Rockwell – Actor (Cowboys & Aliens, Iron Man 2, Moon & Matchstick Men)
· Nolan North – Video Game Actor& Voice (Uncharted 3: Drakes Deception, Batman: Arkham City, Transformers: Dark of the Moon & SOCOM 4: YUS Navy Seals)
· Michelle Rodriguez – Actress (Avatar, The Fast and the Furious, Resident Evil & Lost)

 The documentary is available to download free from http://www.youtube.com/playstation3 

Darkmatters Review: The Three Musketeers

The Three Musketeers (12a) 

Dir. Paul WS Anderson

Reviewed by Matt Adcock

Born to be heroes, trained to be warriors, destined to fight evil…

Yes the swash-buckling Musketeers are back after more than 20 film versions of Alexandre Dumas’ novel – and as my wife pointed out - a ‘great’ cartoon version in Dogtanian and the Three Muskehounds.

Les Trois Mousquetaires, is a well-worn tale but it’s never been imagined in quite the way that Director Paul WS ‘Resident Evil’ Anderson does here. Gone is any sort of historical accuracy and in its place come dazzling 3D battles, sci-fi steampunk airborne warships, heaving bodice-straining bosoms and a new 12 year old looking D’Artagnan (Logan ‘Percy Jackson’ Lerman).

Anderson doesn’t do subtle in his movies but he does inject decent amounts of kick ass fighting against evil in the forms of nasty Rochefort (Mads Mikkelson), evil Cardinal Richelieu (Christoph Waltz) and dastardly Duke of Buckingham (Orlando Bloom). It seems that the Cadinal seeks to engineer a war between England and France to discredit France’s young King Louis XIII (Freddie Fox), so all of France looks to the Musketeers to save the day.

"this wasn't in the book"

The female component are chiefly made up of the beautiful Milady de Winter (Milla Jovovich), the cute French Queen (Juno Temple) and her hot handmaiden Constance (Gabriella ‘Dr Who’ Wilde). 

Nothing feels very original but anyone who likes their swordplay action fast, furious and without having to think about how silly it is too much should be very happy here. Anderson throws in various bits from Assassin’s Creed videogames, Indiana Jones movies, references to some of his other films and pretty much anything else he can think of – including a blatant ‘please let me make a sequel’ ending.

It does however look very stylish, especially the action sequences, which benefit from some high end special effects. There is some comic relief from the OTT slapstick pratfalls of incompetent servant Planchet (James Corden) who at least is memorable.

Alas the Three Musketeers themselves are fairly interchangeable – Matthew Macfadyen is Athos, Luke Evans is Aramis and Ray Stevenson is Porthos. Everything builds up to a plot involving the Musketeers having to steal back a priceless necklace and maintain the Queen’s honour. D’Artagnan has to give the King some relationship advice along the way and manages to woo Constance while the other Musketeers look on a bit awkwardly with nothing to do but fight lots of guards.

The Three Musketeers is a loud, stupid blast, that is lots of fun while it lasts but also instantly forgettable.

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

ööö 

3 - handsome if lowbrow adaptation...

Awesomeness öööö – does rock in places

Laughs ööö – Corden makes funny

Horror öö – slightly grim in places

Babes öööö – lots of regal eye candy

Spiritual Enlightenment öö - viva la français

"Handmaiden Gabriella Wilde"

Darkmatters Review: Johnny English Reborn

Johnny English Reborn (PG)

Dir. Oliver Parker

Reviewed by Matt Adcock

When the world is in danger, and a ruthless group of unstoppable assassins threaten to take out the leader of China – MI7 answer the call by sending in their most ‘special’ agent…

Yes Johnny English (Rowan Atkinson) is back – and he’s not lost any of his killer touch (although to be fair he didn’t have that much to start with). In the absence of a new Bond film this year, here is definitely the next best thing.

After a disastrously cocked-up mission in Mozambique, English has sought refuge in a remote Tibetan monastery where he is taught to find himself via being kicked in the balls. It seems the true peace and acceptance of your mistakes can only be found by dragging rocks with your testicles!?

"smooth and subtle..."

But he’s soon drafted back into MI7 and sets about being crap over and above the call of duty. If you liked the first Johnny English film then you’ll be immediately at home with ‘Reborn’ as it follows the tried and tested formula of pratfalls, cringe-worthy social crimes and general utter ridiculousness. The slapstick stupidity on display takes in lots of people getting hurt by mistake as English bumbles his way through the fairly predictable plot.

There are a couple of really funny moments which will be what stay with you should you choose to accept the mission to see this good-natured sequel. Look out for the ‘mind control’ dancing scene in particular which had the entire audience screaming with laughter. Also laughing in the face of danger are quality supporting turns from Gillian Anderson as new boss of MI7 (now operating from Toshiba sponsored HQ) and Dominic West who plays pantomime baddie / double agent Simon Ambrose. 

Obligatory but unlikely love interest for the Brit super spy comes in the shapely form of Kate Sumner (ex Bond girl Rosamund Pike) who sizzles and straight faces admirably as Atkinson spazzes in fine style. Pick of the spy gadgets has to be the gorgeous voice activated Rolls Royce which is pretty much a character in its own right.

"love at first sight"

Johnny English Reborn is immature, lowbrow and still very amusing. I took my 10-year-old son and his mate to see this and they laughed loud and long throughout. So if looking for an all age crowd pleaser, the man for the job just might be agent English – as they say ‘a little intelligence goes a long way!’

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

ööö

(3 - secret agent stupidity is rife again)...

Awesomeness ööö – funny yeah

Laughs öööö – you. will. laugh!?

Horror ö – mild peril

Babes ööö – Pike... you so would

Spiritual Enlightenment öö - idiots can save the world

"Pike vs dress"

LONG LIVE PLAY

This is just the most awesome gaming advert in the history of the world!!

Matt Adcock gets excited...

You know - this makes me want to dress up like this (to play my PS3!):

Darkmatters Review: Red State

Red State (18) 

Dir. Kevin Smith

Reviewed by Matt Adcock

‘It’s going to get Biblical!’

What happens when you take the foul-mouthed comedy indie film director of Clerks and let him lose on his own wildly excessive religion gone nuts material? Red State is the result – a quasi horror blast that tells the unhappy tale of three horny U.S. teens who are tempted to meet an older woman they have met online for sex.

Before you can say ‘meh – I’ve seen too many of these stupid raunchy road trips’, viewers are thrown head first into the very heart of darkness as the teens are drugged and prepared to be executed by a hyper-fundamental Christian religious sect.

What happens to Travis (Michael Angarano), Jarod (Kyle Gallner) and Billy-Ray (Nicholas Braun) is the stuff of torture-em-up films like Hostel – and then just when you think you have the film pegged the tables are turned again when the authorities led by Joe Keenan (John Goodman) arrive and a full scale gun siege kicks off.

Red State turns out to be a really though provoking ‘what if’ that riffs on the dangerously crazed far right end of the Christian religious spectrum. This sinister fundamentalist group called the Five Points Trinity Church are led by charismatic but deluded pastor Abin Cooper (Michael Parks). The groups vitriolic hatred of homosexuals and anyone sexually promiscuous – plus Evangelical Christians for being too soft is just utterly disturbing!? Cooper preaches a malicious fire and brimstone damnation philosophy so extreme that even the neo-Nazi organisations have distanced themselves from them. 

"we come in peace"

Without wanting to give too much away, Smith manages to do a decent job with the inflammatory material and gives it a heavy duty twist once the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) agents try to storm the Church compound.

As a Christian myself I was fascinated by the moral stand off interplayed in the film and the depiction of the warped way in which Cooper and clan twist the Bible to suit their own hateable prejudices. I’d be gutted however if anyone watching dismissed Christianly purely on the strength of Red State.

For those who enjoy being challenged and have a high tolerance for violence and cussing the closing credits promise that “Almost this entire cast will return in HIT SOMEBODY coming over the boards in 2012.” Red State is a gut wrenching morality minefield - worth checking as there is absolutely nothing like it out there.

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

ööö1/2

(3.5 - the fear of God can lead to madness)...

Awesomeness öööö – packs some seriously cool moments

Laughs ööö – dark laughter to be had throughout

Horror öööö – gruesome in places

Babes ööö – Kaylee DeFer is cute

Spiritual Enlightenment öö - Just because a man carries a bible - doesn't make him a good guy alas

"Kaylee DeFer - innocent bystander?"

Darkmatters Review: Drive

Drive (18) 

Dir. Nicolas Winding Refn

Reviewed by Matt Adcock (@Cleric20)

“If I drive for you, you give me a time and a place. I give you a five-minute window, anything happens in that five minutes and I'm yours no matter what. I don't sit in while you're running it down; I don't carry a gun... I drive.”

From the stunning opening scene of a crackling overhead neon LA cityscape, where a robbery is taking place – set to the compulsive dirty synth sounds of 'Nightcall' (Kavinsky Feat. Lovefoxxx)
– you just know that Drive is going to be a very cool film.

And you’d be right!

"Brrrrmmmm!"

Star of the piece is ‘Driver’ (Ryan ‘Half Nelson’ Gosling) a man with no name but an uncanny way with cars. Drive is a powerful, heartbreaking romance shot through with heavy-duty violence and awesome crime-drama-action.

Based on the novel by Jim Sallis, Drive has been adapted for the screen by Danish director Nicolas Winding Refn (who made the excellent brutal Viking-em-up ‘Valhalla Rising’). It is the tale what happens when the ice cool Driver falls for cute girl next door Irene (Carey ‘Never Let Me Go’ Mulligan). Could he find happiness with her and her young son, outside of his links to the criminals who he drives for?

In a word ‘no’ because Irene’s husband, Standard (Oscar Isaac) is released from prison and before you can say “it’ll end in tears” there are beatings, robberies, deaths and double-crosses following thick and fast. Key to the dangerous underbelly of Drive are low rent movie producer Bernie (Albert Brooks), and his unhinged partner Nino (Ron Perlman). Brooks gets one of the best lines in recent times about his hands being ‘a little dirty’.

"What could go wrong?"

Everything works really well, the cast are all on good form – especially Mulligan and Gosling who share looks that will melt the heart of anyone watching. The soundtrack to the movie is amazing too – adding a haunting vibe to the four-wheeled carnage and slow burning romance.

Be warned though that the violence cranks up to an eye-watering level as things go very pear shaped – akin to other cool crime thrillers such as True Romance or Pulp Fiction. But it is an intrinsic part of the plot as Driver ironically might never get to be with Irene because of the violent measures he takes to protect her.

There is action and violence but still at the core a wonderful love story - showcased by the awesome scene where Driver takes Irene and her son on an impromptu excursion to the sounds of ‘A Real Hero’ by College Featuring Electric Youth. The scene is unbelievable...

"Happy times but how long can they last?"

Drive is an immediate cult classic and definitely my film of 2011 – actually it has crashed straight into my top 5 films of all time!

Highly recommended!!

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

ööööö

 (5 - film of 2011 for sure!)...

Awesomeness ööööö – many jaw dropping moments

Laughs öö – not a laugh riot

Horror öööö – gets very gory in places

Spiritual Enlightenment ööö - everyone must make their own moral choices

WATCH the trailer and HEAR the main soundtrack song HERE

"Miss Mulligan is awesome"

Darkmatters Review: Drive

Drive (18) 

Dir. Nicolas Winding Refn

Reviewed by Matt Adcock (@Cleric20)

“If I drive for you, you give me a time and a place. I give you a five-minute window, anything happens in that five minutes and I'm yours no matter what. I don't sit in while you're running it down; I don't carry a gun... I drive.”

From the stunning opening scene of a crackling overhead neon LA cityscape, where a robbery is taking place – set to the compulsive dirty synth sounds of 'Nightcall' (Kavinsky Feat. Lovefoxxx)
– you just know that Drive is going to be a very cool film.

And you’d be right!

"Brrrrmmmm!"

Star of the piece is ‘Driver’ (Ryan ‘Half Nelson’ Gosling) a man with no name but an uncanny way with cars. Drive is a powerful, heartbreaking romance shot through with heavy-duty violence and awesome crime-drama-action.

Based on the novel by Jim Sallis, Drive has been adapted for the screen by Danish director Nicolas Winding Refn (who made the excellent brutal Viking-em-up ‘Valhalla Rising’). It is the tale what happens when the ice cool Driver falls for cute girl next door Irene (Carey ‘Never Let Me Go’ Mulligan). Could he find happiness with her and her young son, outside of his links to the criminals who he drives for?

In a word ‘no’ because Irene’s husband, Standard (Oscar Isaac) is released from prison and before you can say “it’ll end in tears” there are beatings, robberies, deaths and double-crosses following thick and fast. Key to the dangerous underbelly of Drive are low rent movie producer Bernie (Albert Brooks), and his unhinged partner Nino (Ron Perlman). Brooks gets one of the best lines in recent times about his hands being ‘a little dirty’.

"What could go wrong?"

Everything works really well, the cast are all on good form – especially Mulligan and Gosling who share looks that will melt the heart of anyone watching. The soundtrack to the movie is amazing too – adding a haunting vibe to the four-wheeled carnage and slow burning romance.

Be warned though that the violence cranks up to an eye-watering level as things go very pear shaped – akin to other cool crime thrillers such as True Romance or Pulp Fiction. But it is an intrinsic part of the plot as Driver ironically might never get to be with Irene because of the violent measures he takes to protect her.

There is action and violence but still at the core a wonderful love story - showcased by the awesome scene where Driver takes Irene and her son on an impromptu excursion to the sounds of ‘A Real Hero’ by College Featuring Electric Youth. The scene is unbelievable...

"Happy times but how long can they last?"

Drive is an immediate cult classic and definitely my film of 2011 – actually it has crashed straight into my top 5 films of all time!

Highly recommended!!

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

ööööö

 (5 - film of 2011 for sure!)...

Awesomeness ööööö – many jaw dropping moments

Laughs öö – not a laugh riot

Horror öööö – gets very gory in places

Babes ööö – Carey Mulligan is gorgeous

Spiritual Enlightenment ööö - everyone must make their own moral choices

WATCH the trailer and HEAR the main soundtrack song HERE

"Miss Mulligan is highly desirable"

God of War Collection 2

God of War Collection: Volume 2 (PS3) 

Developed / Published by: Sony Computer Entertainment Europe

Reviewed by Matt Adcock

“I am Kratos - a former Captain of Sparta's Army, and once a servant to the God of War, Ares… 


Now I serve the other Olympian Gods and hope to be free of the nightmares that haunt me. 


All I know is death, combat and glory – in High Definition!”

 If you’re a gamer of any sort – you should already know and love the God of War games. Now you lucky people can play the awesome PSP games - God of War: Ghost of Sparta and God of War: Chains of Olympus on your big screen HD TVs via the lovely PS3. Both the games rocked high scores of 9+ out of 10 in their hand held guises – the good news is that the The God of War Collection: Vol 2 brings more than just gorgeous graphics and Dualshock controls to the party.

Kratos is one man slaughter-em-up machine whose anti-hero antics see him taking down the denizens of Olympus, The Underworld and pretty much anything with a heartbeat in between. God of War III was a gaming high point many but the God of War Collection: Volume 2 is a perfect companion that brings two entire games of god bothering carnage. Chains of Olympus is a kind of prequel to the Original GOW and Ghost of Sparta its inbetween God of War and God of War II.

"I'm so hard I laugh at my hand catching fire..."

Both of the games look fantastic in HD but you can certainly see the evolution from Chains to Sparta in just about every area. Graphics and gameplay have been polished so it’s really worth working through Chains before tackling Sparta – as you’ll appreciate the refinements made.

Controlling Kratos is like taking an adrenalin overdose – macho battling, goddess seducing, monster slaughtering… all in eye popping HD. The quality of the conversions from PSP to PS3 is amazing and bodes incredibly well for the new PS Vita which legend tells will be able to transfer your game from the HD home console to the HD handheld…

Some of the boss battles redefine the word ‘epic’ in ways that have no equal in any game out there – if you want a dead cert rush – choose God of War Collection: Volume 2 and feed your inner warrior. It’s a non stop thrill ride which demands to be played.

Action gaming really doesn’t get much better than this and I’m delighted that Sony are keep the quality control dialled up to max for their iconic God of War series. Here’s to whatever may come next!!

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

ööööö

(5 - Kratos deserves his upgrade to PS3)...

 Check out the official site