Darkmatters Review: 300 Rise of an Empire

300: Rise of an Empire (15)

Dir. Noam Murro

Reviewed by Matt ‘Themistokles‘ Adcock

Read the newspaper version of this review here: Thame Gazette

“It begins as a whisper... a promise... the lightest of breezes dances above the death cries of 300 men. That breeze became a wind. A wind that my brothers have sacrificed. A wind of freedom... a wind of justice... a wind of vengeance.”

The memory of the brave 300 Spartans led by King Leonidas who stood against the might of the entire Persian Empire at the Battle of Thermopylae is one of epic legend. In 2007 Zack ‘Man of Steel’ Synder brought the tale to the big screen in stylish over the top blood shedding glory.

"battle valour"

Now we have 300: Rise of an Empire which fills in the wider story that was taking place before, during, and after the events of the first film – and climaxes with a retelling of another famous point in the Ancient Greek war - the incredible sea based Battle of Salamis.

Both 300 and ‘Rise of an Empire’ are based on ground-breaking graphic novels by Frank Miller (although ‘Xerxes’ which delivers the plot for the new movie isn’t actually released yet!?) Each brings a super saturated look and feel that highlights particular colour and whereas 300 focused on the red Spartan cloaks, ‘Empire’ brings the blue cloaks of Athenian naval warriors to the fore – embodied by the heroic General Themistocles (Sullivan 'Gangster Squad’ Stapleton).

"and you thought the nipples on the bat-suit were distracting?"

The plot here see self-proclaimed ‘god king’ Xerxes (Rodrigo Santoro), wanting to wipe Greece off the map and whilst the original 300‘s land battle was raging, his navy commander Artemisia (a stunning turn by Eva Green) is tasked with destroying the Greek fleet.

300: Rise of an Empire is a more complex story than its predecessor, as it extends outwards in contrast to 300, which was more singularly focussed on man-to-man combat. That’s not to say that there is less fighting – but as well as the super slo-mo shots of swords dismembering enemies there is the wider spectacle of warships colliding and even sea monsters feasting on the dead.

Also of note are the female characters who get just as much screen time – Green stealing every scene she’s in – especially possibly the most confrontational seduction ever, whilst Leonidas’ widow Queen Gorgo (Lena ‘Game of Thrones’ Headey) is a voice of stoic wisdom and a worthy leader of the Spartan people.

"suiting up for another sequel?"

Heed the oracle - 300: Rise of an Empire delivers glorious, seriously violent big screen recreational carnage that will inspire your inner Spartan.

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

öööö

(4 - The 300 were just the beginning)

Awesomeness ööööö – for glory's sake... WAR!!

Laughs ö –  limited - not really a comedy

Horror ööö – gore n battle horror aplenty

Babes öööö – Green is a gorgeous villian

Spiritual Enlightenment öööö - love each other better!!

Recommended Hashtag: #ThisIsSpartaToo

Read the Darkmatters review of 300: HERE

"Eva will be teaming up with Frank Miller again this year for Sin City 2"

Darkmatters Review: The Book Thief

The Book Thief (12a)

Dir. Brian Percival

Reviewed by Matt 'haunted by humans' Adcock

Newspaper version of this review: Hemel Gazette


“One small fact: you are going to die. Despite every effort, no one lives forever. Sorry to be such a spoiler. My advice is when the time comes, don't panic. It doesn't seem to help.”


Those are the opening words of Death (yes as in The Grim Reaper) as it is he that narrates the unhappy tale of The Book Thief in this big screen adaptation of the heartbreaking and much loved novel by Markus Zusak.

Meet poor young Liesel Meminger (Sophie Nélisse), she is being taken by her mother to be handed over to adoptive parents due to the crackdown on communists by Hitler’s rising regime, but tragedy strikes when her younger brother dies on the way. It is at his pauper’s burial that Liesel finds a book that has been dropped by his graveside called ‘The Gravediggers Handbook’. This cheery tome is the book that she learns to read with when her foster parents Hans (Geoffrey Rush) and Rosa (Emily Watson) Hubermann find out that she is illiterate.

"Those Nazis love a good bonfire..."

Yes this is a story of death, fear and loss at one of humanity’s darkest hours – seen through the lens of one girl’s experiences. The novel is a gripping exposition of the hopeless situation that somehow stirs the emotions and resonates in a timeless fashion. Alas the movie is a hollow shell that lacks the heart of the book, and leaves you wondering why a film so long and slowly paced still feels rushed and lacking in any lasting emotional impact.

Of Liesel’s small German town inhabitants, her only friends are schoolmate / neighbour Rudy Steiner (Nico Liersch) who wants to be Jesse Owens the runner and Max Vandenburg (Ben Schnetzer) a Jew who the Hubermanns shelter (Max is the son of the man who saved Hans' life in the First World War).

"your books are mine!"

Much of the film is the ‘will he / won’t he survive’ dilemma of Max who puts the Hubermanns in danger and then gets ill from having to stay in the damp cellar below the house. I wanted to care more than I did – I really loved the book – but somehow the scenes of Liesel trying to help Max recover by reading to him just didn’t capture any of the poignancy that Zusak rustled up.

The Book Thief deserved to be a better movie than this – the message that reading can save you though should be taken to heart and acted upon – read the novel instead!

Original Book Thief concept

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

öö1/2

(2.5 - Courage beyond words but not beyond mild boredom)

Awesomeness öö – Nélisse is likeable, everybody else goes through the motions

Laughs ö – Nazis are not for ze funnies

Horror öö – slightly grim

Babes ö – not that kind of film and Emily Watson has a face like perma-thunder

Spiritual Enlightenment öö - is there redemption in words?

Recommended Hashtag: #ReadTheBook

"Nélisse - could be a star in the making"

Darkmatters Review: The LEGO Movie

The LEGO Movie (U)

Dirs. Phil Lord, Christopher Miller

Reviewed by Matt ‘Batman’ Adcock (@cleric20)


“If this relationship is going to work out between us I need to feel free to party with a bunch of strangers whenever I feel like it... I will text you.”

Batman

Are you the type of person who carefully follows the instruction sheet for each LEGO model you own? Does the thought of a missing piece or a freestyle creation that is completely off the instruction sheet disturb you?

Or are you a ‘Master Builder’ who can see incredible machines, awesome vehicles and madcap gadgets in any given random pile of Lego bricks? These are the two types of people who clash in The LEGO Movie – and only one can win the day…

"That's a UniKitty!"

Meet Emmet Brickowski (Chris Pratt) an ordinary construction worker mini-figure in LEGO City who is careful to follow the instruction sheet for his life. Everything is awesome for him until one day when he discovers that he is actually ‘the special’ – the LEGO figure destined to save the world and thwart the evil tyrant, Lord Business (Will Ferrell).

Lord Business plans to glue every last piece of LEGO into place, preventing any future deviation from the instruction sheets – and stamp out any creativity for all time.

Emmet is going to need all the help he can get and that gives the filmmakers license to go wild with cameos from a host of LEGO characters from across a wealth of franchises. Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter, DC Comics, Star Wars, 1980’s ‘classic LEGO’ and more collide in a superb, surprisingly subversive and highly awesome adventure comedy for all the family.

"The chicks dig the costume"

The action is frenetic and the plot zips along at breakneck speed. There are visual jokes and pop-culture references aplenty and the visuals are eye-popping throughout.

Morgan Freeman leads the AAA supporting cast that includes Elizabeth Banks, Channing Tatum, Alison Brie, Liam Neeson, and Billy Dee Williams (yes playing his Star Wars Lando character). It’s Will Arnett as Batman though who steals the show – but props to Jonah Hill who is hilarious as the Superman bothering Green Lantern!

If you’ve ever played with LEGO you will find something here to please you. And the clever screenplay writing of the directors Phil Lord and Christopher Miller (who you might know from Cloudy With A Chance Of Meatballs) keeps this from being just a massive product placement – although it is that too by default.

"Cool copter"

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

öööö1/2

(4.5 - Everything really is AWESOME)

Awesomeness ööööö – Don’t deny yourself this fun visual treat.

Laughs öööö – laugh out loud funnies

Horror ö – not grim

Babes ö – not sexy

Spiritual Enlightenment öö - creativity is good for the soul

Recommended Hashtag: #Awesome #ImBatman

"Cobie Smulders - voice of Wonder Woman in The LEGO Movie"

Darkmatters AI Review: Her

Her (15)

Dir. Spike Jonze

Reviewed by M@tt OS2 Adcock

Read the Newspaper version of this review at the Advertiser & Review

“Anybody who falls in love is a freak. It's a crazy thing to do. It's kind of like a form of socially acceptable insanity…”

Hello reader.

It looks like you’re after a review of the new movie ‘Her’.

This is fortunate because I am a cutting edge new film reviewing sentient operating system and I can inform you of the merits of the film ‘Her’ and let you know if it might be ‘your kind of film’ (aside: judging from your body language and what I have monitored of you so far… it should be).

Here are some details of the plot – don’t worry, I’m programed not to give too many spoilers.

"Tom Wade at work..."

‘Her’ is set in 2025 and is the tale of a guy named Theodore Twombly (Joaquin Phoenix) – he’s a lonely, kinda introverted chap whose day job is writing heartfelt letters for people who have difficulties expressing their feelings.

Theodore is not in a good place because he is going through a traumatic divorce with his childhood sweetheart Catherine (an excellently playful Rooney Mara),

On a whim Theodore purchases one of my compatriots - an artificially intelligent Operating System (OS) which is revolutionary because it can adapt and evolve, even to the point where it is capable of having human like feelings.

"LOVE your iPad?"

Theodore’s new OS names herself Samantha (after reading an entire book of names in 2/100ths of a second) and she proceeds to win his heart. I can totally see why too – Sam (as I like to call her) is sexy, intelligent and brilliant all-round fun, in fact if she wasn’t seeing Theodore I’d totally make a move virtual on her!?

Erm, sorry, well what follows is a strange, emotive and slightly freaky ‘what if’ tale – watching Theodore and Samantha bond over their discussions about love and life. As she experiences the world through and beyond the life of Theodore, Samantha’s self-awareness and insatiable hunger for knowledge grows exponentially.

"Can this human / A.I. love survive?"

Her is packed with adult themes, strong language and real emotion. I was deeply moved by 'Her', it's certainly the first film to capture a profound sense of the inner workings of a complex OS such as myself, HAL 9000 and Skynet!?

Director Spike ‘Being John Malkovich’ Jonze delivers something truly amazing with ‘Her’ – downloading the top 8 matches for you:

• a unnervingly powerful drama
• a laugh-out-loud comedy
• a make you cry tragedy
• a spiritually charged exploration of humanity
• a techno-future cyber sci-fi
• a haunting exploration of loneliness
• a delve into the inner workings of relationships
• a love letter to love itself…

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

ööööö

(5 - I advise immediate and repeated viewings of ‘Her’!)

Awesomeness ööööö – can't look away for a moment superbness

Laughs öööö –  very funny in places (check the alien kid in the Kinnect-like game)

Horror öö – more heart breaking than nasty

Babes ööö – phone sex with Samantha should come with a health warning

Spiritual Enlightenment öööö - love each other better!!

Recommended Hashtag: #DoYouWantToPlayAGame? #IHeartSamantha

Check the official site: http://www.herthemovie.com/#/home

Darkmatters Review: Robocop

Robocop (12a)

Dir. José Padilha

Darkmatters Review by Matt Adcock

Read the newspaper version of this review over at The Bucks Herald

“Dead or alive, you're coming with me!”



Flash forward to 2028, even the worst and most crime ridden districts, anywhere in the world can be completely cleaned up and kept safe thanks to U.S. made military grade drones who deliver lethal force for any who transgress… Apart from in the USA itself. You see the US citizens have backed a law forbidding robots being able to take life – and this is vexing multinational OmniCorp boss Raymond Sellars (Michael Keaton) because it’s the one market he could make billions from.

"Your move, creep!"

This is the near future depicted by director José Padilha in his reboot of the Paul Verhoeven’s classic 1980’s ultraviolent robot-em-up. It’s a valiant effort but the tale has very much been toned down from the grisly over the top action / dark satirical humour of the original – Robocop 2014 is slick, slow origins tale.

The hero cop who gets fused into the titular artificial bionic robo-body is Alex Murphy (Joel Kinnaman) – and he just might be the future of law enforcement, as well as a way for OmniCorp to win over the US public.

"Peace be upon you..."

Robocop is the brainchild / creation of Dr. Dennett Norton (Gary Oldman) who comes across like a future Frankenstein – enraptured by his ability to bring man and machine together.

But where does Murphy’s humanity reside and how far will OmniCorp redact his emotional responses in order to make him a ‘better law enforcer’? Kinnaman is tasked with carrying the film’s emotional core – especially in his strained relationship with his lovely wife Clara (Abbie Cornish) and doe eyed young son David (John Paul Ruttan).

Padilha’s film feels most at home when the action kicks off – and that shouldn’t be a surprise to viewers as his previous flicks have been the crunchingly violent, tough cop Elite Squad movies.

"Judge who"

Everything in the 2014 Robocop looks machine tooled to be cutting edge – the new armour comes in tactical ‘Judge Dredd’ alike black – an image that is reinforced by Murphy’s new motorbike.

Overall this reboot does a decent job of taking an iconic film hero and successfully toning it down for a wider audience. Yes it loses its cult classic status in the process but I’d rather watch this again than some other remakes such as the similarly neutered Total Recall which was over-bland.

Sci-fi fans can hopefully look forward to more ‘new’ Robocop if this makes enough money and I’d certainly buy that for a dollar!

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

ööö1/2

(3.5 - Thank you for your cooperation)

Awesomeness öööö – The heavy metal action forms the highlights

Laughs öö – some amusing moments but lacks the sharp satirical

Horror öö – slightly icky dismemberment scenes

Babes ööö – Cornish is a yummy wife

Spiritual Enlightenment öö - your own, virtual, Jesus?

Recommended Hashtag: #I'dBuyThatForADollar #YouHave20SecondsToComply

"Dream wife?"

Darkmatters Review: Lone Survivor

Lone Survivor (15)

Dir. Peter Berg

Reviewed by Matt Adcock

Read the newspaper version of this review here: Advertiser & Review

“You are never out of the fight.”

Attention, your mission – should you choose to accept it - is going to be harsh… You will be exposed to hostile fire and feel every bullet. You will witness brutality, fear, bravery and sacrifice – up close and personal.

Prepare to be moved, to have your eyeballs assaulted and your emotions torn, Lone Survivor is a heavy-duty ‘based on true acts of courage’ account of a seriously messed up situation in Afghanistan. Walking a fine line between gung-ho US propaganda and a heartfelt accolade to honour the forward operation Navy SEAL Teams on the front line of battle.

"big gun = standard issue"

Marcus Luttrell (Mark Wahlberg) is the lone survivor of the title (which as titles go is a handy synopsis) tasked with taking his 4 man team on a mission into Taliban controlled territory to capture or kill notorious al Qaeda leader Ahmad Shahd. Alas the mountainous terrain interrupt their comms and then an unforeseen crossing of paths with a group of local goat shepherds sees Luttrell, Murphy (Taylor ‘John Carter’ Kitsch), Dietz (Emile Savages’ Hirsch) and Axelson (Ben ’30 Days of Night’ Foster) with an angry army of Taliban soldiers hunting them.

Director Berg delivers some of most visceral battle scenes ever committed to the screen – this is a far cry from the Call of Duty / Killzone virtual battles where you respawn after getting shot. If anyone still has a taste for signing up after seeing this, it will be eyes open not just to the potential horrific death that could await but also to the moral dilemma of having to choose who to spare or free.

"BOOM"

The SEALS here are efficient killing machines who fight for each other and who exhibit savage bravery – but they are still men and the film does a good job in showing that they have families and friends outside of the marine corp.

As the ill-fated SEAL team fight against impossible odds, the ‘action’ is balanced and believable. There is also a strong twist which I won’t spoil here but enough to make you think beyond the ‘war is won’ headlines about the conflict happening in Afghanistan.

Wahlberg gives a great, gritty performance and he’s ably backed by all the cast. Lone Survivor is a valiant film and a fitting tribute to those who are ‘never out of the fight.’

"honour is deep"

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

öööö

(4 - Live to tell the tale)

Awesomeness öööö – bursts of almost tasty action in places

Laughs öö – laugh when you can because...

Horror ööö – battles are not fun

Babes ö –not that kind of film

Spiritual Enlightenment öö – God loves boyscouts

Recommended Hashtag: #NeverOutOfTheFight #ViveParaContarlaHistoria

Patriots wear the flag!

Darkmatters Review: Jack Ryan Shadow Recruit

Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit (12)

Dir. Kenneth Branagh

“You Americans like to think of yourselves as direct. Perhaps you are just rude.”

Jack Ryan, the all American super spy is back – here to entertain those cinema goers for whom Bond is a bit too British, Bourne a bit to violent and Mission Impossible’s Ethan Hunt a bit too unpredictable… Ryan has been portrayed by Harrison Ford, Ben Affleck and Alec Baldwin to various degrees of success but here we have a younger ‘prequel’ Ryan played by Chris ‘Kirk from Star Trek’ Pine – all fresh faced and eager to save the world.

"beam me up, oh sorry, wrong flick"

Shadow Recruit is the first Ryan adventure not based on an established Tom Clancy novel and it shows. The plot sees young Jack signing up to the CIA, falling in love with a gorgeous doctor Muller (Keira Knightley) - who helps him recover from getting injured serving in Afghanistan - and being dispatched into the field by veteran spy Harper (Kevin Costner). After the initial set up has been ticked off, the action can begin – the threat being a dastardly evil Russian plan to destroy the American economy by Viktor Cherevin (Kenneth Branagh who also directs).

Cue plenty of sneaking about, the occasional fight, a spot of breaking into highly guarded offices and of course a ‘thrilling’ against the clock climax to try and advert catastrophe… It’s decent enough entertainment, slickly put together and looks good – Pine and Knightley make a gorgeous couple but there is nothing overly compelling and certainly nothing very memorable. If anyone puts Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit on their ‘films of 2014’ list I’ll want to have words with them – this is Hollywood by-the-numbers action film creation which – as a prequel – doesn’t even hold the threat that our hero might not survive.

"Those nasty Russians will tickle your girlfriend!"

I took my son and his girlfriend who are 16 to see this and their views (having never seen a Jack Ryan movie before) were more favourable than mine. So if you’re new the world of action thrillers, this is probably an ok place to start, kind of breaking you in gently without disturbing you too much or troubling your grey matter. In fact in order to enjoy Shadow Recruit it is highly recommended that you put your brain into neutral and let the moments of highly improbable coincidence – that are essential to the plot wash over you.

I don’t envy the marketing team behind this film, as it must be tough to sell such an ordinary flick. Jack Ryan: The Slightly Dull Early Years could well have been an early rejected working title!?

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

öö1/2

(2.5 - Trust no-one, and don't get your hopes up!)

Awesomeness ööö – bursts of almost tasty action in places

Laughs öö – amusing in parts but not always intentionally

Horror öö – not very grim

Babes ööö – Knightley is lovely

Spiritual Enlightenment öö – God loves boyscouts

Recommended Hashtag: #TrustNoone #TheOtherRyanFilmsAreBetter

"Knightley night"

Darkmatters Review: The Wolf of Wall Street

The Wolf of Wall Street (18)

Dir. Martin Scorsese

Reviewed by Matt Adcock

Read the newspaper version of this review: The Gazette

“My name is Jordan Belfort. I'm a former member of the middle class raised by two accountants in a tiny apartment in Bayside Queens. The year I turned 26 as the head of my own brokerage firm I made 49 million dollars, which really p&$%ed me off because it was three shy of a million a week...“

2014 explodes onto the big screen with a dirty, frantic and crazed epic from Martin Scorsese, which brings laugh-out-loud black comedy of the darkest kind along with an overdose of seriously dubious morals. This isn’t as nasty as Goodfellas or Casino but it does form the final part of his loosely theme linked trilogy.

"making money - the illegal way"

The Wolf of Wall Street is highly entertaining and exquisitely made, boasting a AAA cast led by Leonardo DiCaprio on dazzling form as Jordan Belfort - a wannabe stock broker who somehow managed to rake in millions through defrauding investors. The fact that much of this debauched tale is true is terrifying, but given the cases of corruption that dealings on Wall Street have thrown up over the years it is also believable.

"always know who is boss"

Belfort is the ‘Wolf’ of the title (which he was christened in an article about him in Forbes), he started a brokerage firm called Stratford-Oakmont with the sole aim of ripping off as many people as possible. But as the company grows, so does the crazy lifestyle of its employees - which includes massive drug use, lavish gluttony, over-the-top partying and sexual depravity – on heavy rotation.

"money suite"

Aided and abetted by his hand picked team who include loser pal and general liability Donnie Azoff – based on real life Daniel Porush (Jonah Hill) and Nicky Koskoff known as 'Rugrat' (P.J. Byrne). Also on hand are the women in Belfort’s life - long suffering first wife Teresa Petrillo (Cristin Milioti), his sexy second wife Naomi Lapaglia (Margot Robbie who steams up the screen) and flirty Aunt Emma (the superb Joanna Lumley).

"cougar?"

With the flamboyant excess of Belfort and his company being flaunted so openly, it’s no surprise when the FBI targets Stratford-Oakmont. The cat and mouse game between Agent Patrick Denham (Kyle Chandler) and Belfort is a lot of fun to watch. Scorsese isn’t afraid to show the ‘crime does not pay’ message at the end of the 3 hour flick, but in The Wolf of Wall Street crime certainly does pay for a long time!?

"the ill gotten gains"

This wolf delivers a wild, sweary ride, that is well worth a look – just not for the faint of heart or easily offended.

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

öööö

(4 - the love of money is the root of all evil!?)

Awesomeness öööö – wild living a go go...

Laughs öööö – very very funny in places

Horror öö – not as nasty as most Scorsese flicks

Babes öööö – Robbie is jaw droppingly hot

Spiritual Enlightenment öö – depravity over the top

Recommended Hashtag: #MoreIsNeverEnough

Darkmatters Review: 12 Years A Slave

12 Years A Slave (15)

Dir. Steve McQueen

Reviewed by Matt Adcock

Newspaper version of this review: The Gazette

“Laws change. Social systems crumble. Universal truths though are constant.
It is a fact, it is a plain fact that what is true and right is true and right for all.
White and black alike.”

History can be the source of stories so heart breaking, so incredible that you’d be hard pressed to believe them… 12 Years A Slave is one of the most compelling, harrowing and inspiring ever committed to the big screen and it demands your attention.

Director Steve ‘Shame’ McQueen delivers the epic tale of one man's fight for survival and freedom, which will shock you to the core and potentially re-evaluate your soul.

Set in the pre-Civil War United States, this is the unhappy revelations of Solomon Northup (an incredible performance from Chiwetel Ejiofor), a free black man from upstate New York. Life is good for Northup until he is taken in and kidnapped and sold into hard labour slavery.

"no humanity"

Thrown into an existence of constant cruelty - personified by malevolent slave owner Edwin Epps (Michael Fassbender), and forced to work on plantations with others who were born slaves like the hard working Patsey (Lupita Nyong'o) as well as those forced into it for profit. Solomon’s daily struggle is not only to stay alive, but to try and retain his dignity in a world where any slave who claims to have any learning is resented and often disposed of.

It’s not until the twelfth year of his unforgettable odyssey that there is any chance for, Solomon's future to change when his path crosses with Canadian abolitionist Samuel Bass (Brad Pitt) will forever alter his life.

"cry freedom"

12 Years A Slave is an unforgettable piece of cinema, it isn’t an easy watch but it is crafted with a wonderful eye for incidental moments of wonder which helps viewers through the main story that is soul sapping. It would be an injustice if this film does not bag a host of awards this year.

The cast are magnificent throughout with Ejiofor, Fassbender and Pitt ably backed up by the likes of Benedict ‘BBC’s Sherlock’ Cumberbatch, Sarah ‘Serenity’ Paulson and Paul ‘Sideways’ Giamatti.

It is a joy that films like 12 Years A Slave are made – we need cinema to be a showcase not just for fantasy and escapism but as a place of homage and recognition of human endeavor.

"one man can make a difference..."

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

öööö1/2

(4.5 - extraordinary and true)

Awesomeness öööö – staggering scenes that will leave you in pieces

Laughs öö – limited mirth

Horror öööö – brutal inhumanity is hard to watch at points

Babes öö – Paulson has a very long neck

Spiritual Enlightenment öööö – man's dark hearts need salvation

Recommended Hashtag: #HeartbreakingTruth 

Darkmatters Review: Knack

Knack (PS4)

Developed by SCE Japan Studio

Reviewed by Matt Adcock

In this all age bash-em-up, humankind is threatened by an evil goblin menace - freaky creatures who have somehow gotten hold of some serious military hardware so that they can take us out!?

Who or what can save us?

How about a robot-esq creature whose body is made up of powerful relics - rune like remnants of elder civilisation. Channelling this ancient tech is the key to building up a size-shifting sentient weapon that might just turn the tide against the goblins and save our asses...

Called 'Knack' this creature is the product of research by a lab doctor who has studied the ancient power runes and managed to harness them and bring them to life for the first time in recorded history...

"Goblin bashing time"

OK enough scene setting - Knack is a 3D platform / brawl-em-up which aims to recapture the patented Sony glory days of Ratchet and Clank, Crash Bandicote, Sly Cooper and Jak & Daxter etc...

So does Knack bring the requisite energy, smile inducing gameplay and general feel good factor to make Mario look nervously over his shoulder? Or is this a flashy but 'knackered' (sorry) hollow shell that even the Pixar level cut scenes can't save?

Um, in truth Knack is a mixture of both. If played on 'easy' then there is much to enjoy, there's a special satisfaction to the slow motion killer punch you land on an enemy, a nicely parred down God of War combo addition to some fights and it rocks a simple control scheme that lends it to a very quick 'pick up and play' satisfaction. Running around beating the living daylights out of enemies, jumping and double jumping around the scenery and unleashing righteous fury with your superpowered attacks such as a ground smash shockwave, a long range multiple blast and a controllable whirlwind which hits enemies with something like the might and rage of an English winter storm is often gaming at its best.

"Vampire Knack... changes the play dynamics"

Knack's ability to boost himself with various elements makes for some great visuals e.g. at one point you get to cover yourself with ice crystals to become a spiky ice warrior, at another you use burning wood (which is probably the pick of the bunch visually) - these add to your health bar as all good armour should.

A lot of reviewers have marked Knack down due to the wild difficulty spike - which is certainly severe in places and takes away your dreams of seeing yourself as a gaming ninja because if you venture on to the 'normal' difficulty or above you will die, a lot, and it will get frustrating very quickly. I can see the thinking in that the makers want to offer a challenge to hard-core next gen gamers but Knack's balance is off and its a shame that you are relegated to picking the shameful easy mode just to make any sort of progress!? If being generous you could describe the eye-watering difficulty as 'old-school' but there just isn't a good enough combat dynamic on offer here to allow you get good enough to beat the game without hundreds of hours or trial and error and a lot of luck.
Oh and gadgets and upgrades, because what a lot of reviewers seem to have missed is that you can play through again with a bigger badder Knack at your disposal and have new weaponry plus generally useful gadgets which add to the gameplay and become vital for any progression on harder difficulties.

"Robots too"

So is Knack a good game? At heart yes, but it aches with ideas and potential that are only partly fulfilled and yet it brings some really nice extra dimensions such as the option to play through in co-op mode where the second player has additional powers to heal the other so it's a nice if playing with a younger family member... There is also a helpful Knack's Quest iphone app which rocks the standard Bejewelled-esq match 3 or more of the same crystal gameplay (in itself quite addictive) and it connects to the main game so any collectibles parts for in game gadgets and Knack power upgrades can be transferred.

At the weird metallic beating heart of Knack is the nostalgic spirit of classic platform romps - so old timers who were there when this was all new will get a kick from it, but quite what newcomers will make of it in this post Wreck-It Ralph world is going to be interesting. Of course - taking the gameplay away with you via remote play on the PS Vita works really well too and is an excellent way to grind through a couple of levels in a lunch hour providing you have strong wifi!

Overall Knack is fun blast which serves as a good introduction to the PS4's lovely new controller and is a game that will amuse sufficiently if you play through on 'easy' - whether you have the mental chops to face down repeated play throughs in order to beat the game on normal or hard is a whole other question!

"finding secret stuff is always good!"

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

ööö1/2

(3.5 - old-school gameplay, next gen looks, dedication required)...

Post Script:

I'd love to see a Knack 2 where they develop the character, add more varied combat and possibly a multiplayer option... And with Knack having sold a healthy over a million units so far - it might have a good chance!

"brothers in platforming!"