Little Big Planet – VITA Review

Little Big Planet – VITA

Developed by Media Molecule

Reviewed by Matt Adcock

Best. Game. Ever…

This Christmas, there is a place you need visit – it’s called ‘Carnivalia’!? The only way to get there is through the PSVITA – a portal to the circus-inspired world of Monty Python style humour, Tim Burton-esq oddity themed mystical dreamscapes and massively fun adventure…

Little Big Planet VITA sees you battle against an evil overlord called The Puppeteer - a bitter tyrant who needs to taking down through a series of Mario-ish platforming levels which make use of the many control inputs the Sony have blessed the VITA with.

You control Sackboy (fast becoming an icon for everything creative about the games industry) – a customisable hero made of sack… The gameplay is refined and delicious, challenging in places but also immensely satisfying.

From the moment you hear the Stephen Fry voice over intro – you just know that you’re in for treat. And the best news of all is that Little Big Planet VITA is a game that comes ready to access the 7 million+ levels created by users of the PS3’s Little Big Planet 2.

The side levels and user created mini games are nothing short of staggering in their diversity and sheer grin inducing fun. Just about every popular film and other game has been emulated in some fashion and the levels are creative to the point of disbelief – as well as the platform ones there are vehicle races, battles and challenges, complete recreations of other game platforms such as Tetris like puzzlers and even first person shooters…

Little Big Planet VITA is potentially the only game you’ll need for many months as it keeps on giving as users create more and more new (free) content!

If you’ve played any of the other Little Big Planet games – you’ll have a good idea of what to expect, but be prepared for this hand-held version to immediately become your favourite.

This is the dawn of a new wave of AAA games on the PSVITA (check Assassins Creed Liberation, Need For Speed Most Wanted and Fifa 13) and a must buy for game fans everywhere!! Oh and thanks to the new downloadable control pack the VITA can now be used to control levels on the PS3 which brings additional options like using the back-touch panel and dual screens (exactly like the WiiU).

Don’t deny yourself the pleasure – choose LittleBigPlanet VITA today!!

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

ööööö – Superb gaming goodness on the go!

5 – A fantastic and highly creative experience all round...

LBP VITA - as cute as Vanessa Paradis

Darkmatters Review - The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (12a)

Dir. Peter Jackson

Reviewed by Matt Adcock

“My dear Frodo, you asked me once if I had told you everything there was to know about my adventures. Well, I can honestly say I've told you the truth, I may not have told you all of it..."

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, kicks off the prequel trilogy to The Lord Of The Rings – some might say that turning a slight book like The Hobbit into three whole films is gratuitous and money-grabbing but after witnessing the wealth of quality additional lore and fascinating backstories of Middle Earth that Jackson has imbibed it with, some might realise that this is rather a reason to rejoice in all things fantasy!?

"guessssss whooosssss backsssssss"

So get your hairy feet ready for some seriously engrossing questing as everyone’s fav wizard Gandalf The Grey (Ian McKellen) manages to entice young hobbit Bilbo Baggins (Martin Freeman) to join a company of dwarves on a mission to reclaim their mountain city and horde of gold which has been taken by an evil dragon named Smaug. Sounds like a suicide mission but the ‘plan’ is for Bilbo to be their burglar and sneak into the mountain.

The dwarfish crew are made up of Fili, Kili; Oin, Gloin; Dwalin, Balin; Bifur, Bofur, Bombur; Dori, Nori, Ori; and the leader of the company, Thorin Oakenshield (Richard ‘Spooks’ Armitage). Each brings a certain trait to the party but mostly this is the Bilbo, Gandalf and Thorin show – oh and a sneaky little scene-stealing guy named Gollum (Andy Serkis).

"The White Council!?"

Jackson is obviously delighted to be back in Middle Earth and he unleashes some ravishing shots of the sweeping landscapes for the party to trek through and cranks up some exciting battles. In short (although it feels odd saying that as The Hobbit is almost 3 hours long) this is business as usual for Tolkien fans – replete with the added benefits of phantom menace ‘we know where this is leading’ in jokes and fantastic plot developing hints at the rise of evil which we won’t see pay off until the Lord of The Rings proper…

Baddies take the form of dim-but-dangerous trolls, slimy goblins (led by the hideously deformed Goblin King – Barry Humphries), and some very nasty orcs. The plot takes a while to get going but if you’re a Tolkien lover this won’t be a problem, deeply cynical cinema goers might quibble at the amount of exposition but even my youngest son James (12) was wrapt throughout and so I think Hobbit will be an acid test of where you are a true Lord of The Rings fan or not…

"adventure minus shoes"

Epic fantasy doesn’t come any better – Harry Potter and Twilight are mere by-products – The Hobbit is the welcome return of the king!

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

öööö1/2 - Get your Hobbit on!

4.5 – Genius Middle Earthing Tolkien fun

Awesomeness öööö – stunning in places

Laughs ööö – funnier than LOTR

Horror ööö – a bit grim in places

Babes öö – Hobbits and Dwarves aren't my type!?

Spiritual Enlightenment ööö - fantasy heart warming excitement

"Galadriel lets her hair down - off set"

Darkmatters Review: Life of Pi

Life of Pi (PG)

Dir. Ang Lee

Reviewed by Matt Adcock

“An astounding story, courage and endurance unparalleled in the history of ship-wrecks. Very few castaways can claim to have survived so long alone at sea and none in the company of an adult Bengal tiger.”

Meet Piscine Molitor "Pi" Patel (Irrfan Khan) – an Indian boy raised as a Hindu, who as a teenager finds Christianity and then Islam too, he is so keen to know God he follows all three religions in order to find a deeper understand God through the unique lens of each theological interpretation.

"Calvin and Hobbes on a boat"

Life of Pi is an incredibly deep and spiritual film but it is also very watchable and accessible thanks to some breath-taking visuals rendered in some of the best 3D ever committed to screen. This interpretation of the novel by Yann Martel’s is empowered by Ang ‘Brokeback Mountain’ Lee’s creative direction to create a fascinating survival tale not just of the body but also of the soul.

Young Pi (played for the ‘flashback’ sections of his shipwreck by newcomer Suraj Sharma), is a man cast adrift and tested to his wits end when he finds himself abandoned in a lifeboat with a Bengal tiger (named Richard Parker). Think Calvin and Hobbes writ large in a boat – only here the tiger companion isn’t a friendly feline – Richard Parker is a ferocious untamed beast… Watching the human / tiger interaction is spellbinding – helped enormously by the CGI effects which really are cutting edge. Parker is by far the best CGI creation ever to grace the screen, a living, breathing beastie with a real personality and soul, which should be far in excess of any non-speaking entity. There is a change to the original text where Pi has an imagined conversation with Parker…

"what's for dinner?"

Life of Pi is steeped in meditation and metaphor, it is a story that exclaims that it will make you believe in God as one of the characters says: “It’s a lot to take in, to figure out what it all means.” So there is plenty of musing to engage the spirit but there is also a decent amount of adrenalin inducing adventure to be had.

This is a soul surfing explosion of emotions – if there were to be a cash in sequel I’d vote they call it ‘Pi Hard – with a vengeance’!? But Life of Pi stands uniquely as a joyous tale that deserves to be witnessed on the biggest screen you can find – and don’t shirk the 3D option – I tell you this film is the testament that 3D doubters should witness not just to ‘see the light’ but to have the light reach right into your mind and monkey with your soul too…

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

öööö - deep flim, deeper sea...

4 – A piece of Pi worth taking!

Awesomeness öööö – stunning scenes

Laughs ööö – amusing in places

Horror öö – not too grim

Babes öö – limited babe-ness

Spiritual Enlightenment öööö - finding God in the cinema

Read another review of LIFE OF PI from Tom Wade at Cultureslap

Man of Steel will deliver in 2013

Man of Steel...

Matt Adcock from Darkmatters is very very excited about this - watch the new trailer below.

Fully 2013 films to look out for list will be up soon!

Here's hoping that Man of Steel will be awesome enough to green-light a Superman / Batman team up a la Dark Knight Returns (which I'd actually rather see than a Justice League flick)!?

"Genius!!"

Also if Man of Steel 2 wants to add a Supergirl - this model is rocking a good possible look:

Darkmatters Review: Seven Psychopaths

Seven Psychopaths (15)

Dir. Martin McDonagh

Reviewed by Matt Adcock

Q: How many psychopaths does it take to make a superb, clever, laugh-out-loud action comedy dog-nap-em-up?

A: Seven – yeah, the answer was in the title of the movie…

Here we have the righteous follow-up to the excellently quirky ‘In Bruges’ and it plays like no other film this year has even come to close to. Seven Psychopaths re-tells that well-worn movie plotline of a struggling writer trying to bring his screenplay to life but rather than being a ‘me too’ Adaptation, Barton Fink, The Player or even Synecdoche, New York - Seven Psychopaths blows the doors off the genre with an ultraviolent, feel-good romp.

Meet Marty (Colin Farrell) the alcohol hazed writer of a screenplay called Seven Psychopaths, the trouble is that he hasn’t actually thought up quite who the seven psychopaths are or what happens to them. As life would have it though - he becomes caught up in a dangerous dognapping escapade thanks to his pal, Billy (Sam Rockwell) and his partner in crime, Hans (Christopher Walken – who absolutely steals the whole movie).

"which one is your favourite"

And before long he’s up to his neck in Shih Tzu thanks to Billy (Sam Rockwell) having abducted the little doggie of evil crime lord Charlie (Woody Harrelson), who is prepared to murder everyone in his path to get his canine pal back.

Seven Psychopaths packs some fantastic dialogue which covers rambling topics from Christianity, the nature of man and a ton of movie reference fun. The plot might be slight but the pace is frantic and the knockabout dark humour is spot on. Even at pushing two hours, there isn’t a single dull moment as the bumbling heroes stumble from one near death situation to another – all the while taking in colourful back stories of the titular Seven Psychopaths who include a vengeful Viet Cong soldier dressed as a priest (played by Long Nguyen), a serial killing couple – who stalk and kill other serial killers such as the legendary Zodiac and a Quaker (Harry Dean Stanton) on a murderous mission to avenge his daughter's death.

"the sign says 'no shooting'..."

The women characters are especially hard done by though and include Marty’s bitchy girlfriend Kaya (Abbie Cornish), Billy’s untrustworthy girlfriend Angela (the gorgeous Olga Kurylenko) who is also sleeping with Charlie and an unnamed hooker (Christine Marzano). All of whom tend to get badly treated – a fact that is commented upon by other characters to Marty who they berate for not writing better female parts.

Seven Psychopaths is an excellent full frontal blast of Tarantino-esq pop culture and in-movie jokes that subverts every action kidnap thriller ever made and yet still manages to forge it’s own place in the ‘cult classic’ hall of fame. Highly recommended.

Read another version of this review which ran in the LUTON NEWS

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

öööö1/2 - psychologically mood enhancing crime thrills

4.5 – Excellent work by all involved, recommended!

Awesomeness öööö – a future classic

Laughs öööö – really funny!!

Horror öööö – bloody violence in parts

Babes öööö – the women are mostly hot!

Spiritual Enlightenment öööö - Deep spiritual pacifism at heart


The babes of Seven Psychos...

Darkmatters Review: Silver Linings Playbook

Silver Linings Playbook (15)

Dir. David O. Russell

Reviewed Matt Adcock

“The only way to beat my crazy was by doing something even crazier. Thank you. I love you. I knew it from the moment I saw you. I'm sorry it took me so long to catch up.”

You don’t have to be really good looking to be mentally challenged but it obviously doesn’t hurt if looking for a happy ever after ending if Silver Linings Playbook is anything to go by!? Yes, step this way for writer/director David O. ‘The Fighter’ Russell’s feisty, feel-good drama / romance, which sees hottie man’s man Bradley ‘Limitless’ Cooper wooing the Hunger Game’s Jennifer Lawrence – both of whom are struggling with mental health problems…

It might sound like a nightmare cheese-em-up with plastic props to the those who lives have been blighted by their own emotional instability, but (to quote my gorgeous wife) Silver Linings Playbook is ‘One of the best, if not the best, film I have ever seen. Funny, crazy, achingly brilliant and moving and freaky and beautiful!’

"I wanna see you sweat"

High praise indeed and whilst I wouldn’t go quite that far – Silver Linings Playbook was certainly a lot better than I was expecting and actually delivered a great date night experience.

So we have Cooper playing Pat Solitano, a bipolar sufferer (I hate being bipolar, it’s brilliant!! – sorry) who gets out from a spell in an institution where he was locked up for beating one of his fellow teachers into a pulp because he was having an affair with his wife Nikki (Brea Bee).

He’s still convinced that he’s going to get back together with Nikki – this despite her having taken out a restraining order on him, cue therapy sessions with Indian psychiatrist (Anupam Kher), much brow-beating and the occasional freak out… Pat is discharged into the care of his rather dysfunctional family with his OCD dad Pat Sr. (Robert De Niro) and fretful mum Dolores (Jacki Weaver). But getting back on your feet when you’re still in denial about reality isn’t easy – especially when you have anger management issues. Fortunately there is comic relief on tap from ‘also mental’ buddy Danny (a bulked up Chris Tucker) – even if it doesn’t always sit comfortably with the serious issues Pat is trying to deal with…

"does OCD run in the family?"

Lawrence’s sexy, messed up widow Tiffany is having a bad time after going a bit nuts and having sex with every single one of her work colleagues (yes the women too), so what are the chances that she and Pat will fall in love and overcome their mentalismness through the medium of ballroom dance?

Hey this is where the feel-good heart of the film kicks in, with Pat’s mantra borrowed from Monty Python of ‘always looking on the bright side of life’ leading up to a make or break will they / won’t they end up together ending… Cooper and Lawrence generate tons of steamy chemistry and the dancing mechanic allows for lots of almost kiss moments – plus lingering camera shots of Lawrence’s impressive bust in various skimpy outfits.

Silver Linings Playbook does everything by the numbers, but does it all with lots of conviction so you can’t help but be caught up in the moment. Perfect date material – and possibly the best mental health comedies since One Flew Over The Cuckoos Nest.

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

ööö1/2 - definitely worth a watch for romantics and mental health sufferers

3.5 – Strong chemistry from the leads makes this sizzle

Awesomeness ööö – the drugs don't work!?

Laughs ööö – some nicely funny stuff, quite dark too

Horror öö – not very grim but Pat's angry wig outs can be scary

Babes öööö – Lawrence is getting fitter by the movie

Spiritual Enlightenment ööö - look for the silver linings!

"Lawrence slips into something more comfortable"

Darkmatters Review: Sightseers

Sightseers (15)

Dir. Ben Wheatley

Reviewed by Matt Adcock

“I don’t think I could live without Pot Pourri…”

Step this way for a pitch black comedy caravan road trip into the very heart of darkness that beats behind a sensible woollen jumper and ginger beard…

Although they formed part of my childhood, I’ve always had my doubts about folk who do their holidaying in little metal boxes pulled (frustratingly slowly) around the country, but Sightseers blows the Formica lined doors off the homicidal potential of these people.

Ben ‘Kill List’ Wheatley delivers a fantastically nasty but also extremely funny caravan-em-up, which sees oddball British couple Tina (Alice Lowe) and Chris (Steve Oram) cutting a murderous swathe through the lesser-known tourist attractions of the Midlands.

"Death in the air..."

Coming on like a modern day Badlands crossed with Natural Born Killers and The League of Gentlemen, this is an immediate cult comedy-horror classic, which delivers quality shocks and laughs in equal measures. Much like the excellent God Bless America did for the U.S., Sightseers is a very British rant about what lengths a disturbed mind might go to in order to enforce what socially acceptable behaviour is – as long as it’s on their terms. So littering, acting like a Chav or just being a Daily Mail reader is basically to forfeit your life if you cross paths with Chris. It doesn’t take long before Tina proves that she too has a murderous potential and a trail of small-scale murder and mayhem is the result.

Both the leads are superb in their deadpan depiction of two lifelong losers who find unlikely romance – it’s just a shame for most of the people that they meet that this couple is so deeply sociopathic. Sightseers – written by Oram and Lowe and produced by Edgar ‘Shaun of the Dead’ Wright - builds up a excellently low-fi almost inane reality, one that can be readily related to even as the OTT violence escalates. And however unpleasant Sightseers gets, the filmmakers cleverly manage to keep a good balance between the emotional characterisation and disturbing black humour.

"Walkies..."

Horror fans will be satisfied by the gruesome elements that do not pull any punches, whilst comedy fans will be tickled by the genuine laugh-out-loud moments. Overall it adds up to freakishly fun night out.

Sightseers is certainly not for the faint of heart but it does offer those willing to take a strange, dark and wonderful caravan odyssey, a holiday experience you’ll never forget.

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

ööööö – Dark gruesome fun in a classic Brit style

5 – Never trust a caravaner with a beard!?

Awesomeness ööööö – Daily Mail readers beware!

Laughs öööö – Very funny but you need to 'get' it...

Horror öööö – Serious nasty in parts

Babes öö – Lowe in her home knitted crotchless undies is a sight

Spiritual Enlightenment ö - Casual murder is wrong!?

"Alice Lowe - get's down..."

"Leelee Sobieski - looks the type to be a Sightseer!?"

Darkmatters Review: End of Watch

End of Watch (15)

Dir. David Ayer

Reviewed by Matt Adcock (@cleric20)

“I am the police, and I'm here to arrest you. You've broken the law. I did not write the law. I may disagree with the law but I will enforce it. By law I am unable to walk away. I am a consequence. I am the unpaid bill. I am fate with a badge and a gun.“

Lock and load for David ‘Street Kings and Harsh Times’ Ayer's powerful found-footage cop-drama-em-up. End of Watch is an awesomely kinetic free flowing tale of two likeable cops who get marked for death when they inadvertently tick off a powerful / evil drug cartel who have started operating on their L.A. beat.

"You have the right to remain dead..."

The filmmakers use a variety of handheld, shaky lapel attached and cc tv style cameras to bring an uncompromising fictional insight into the day-to-day life of hot-shot cops Brian Taylor (Jake Gyllenhaal) and Mike Zavala (Michael Peña).

End of Watch brings some superb gritty action but balances it with a ton of good-natured banter and joking around between the two leads which makes you care about them – especially when the plot puts them right in harm's way. The sweary dialogue may be crude and not to everyone’s taste but it feels refreshingly ‘real’.

The hand-held footage genre has already been used really effectively in the excellent ‘Chronicle’ but was annoyingly rubbish in ‘Paranormal Activity 4’ this year. End of Watch comes in on the positive side – taking you right ‘into’ the dangerous street level action.

"Christmas bonus from the LAPD"

The performances of Gyllenhal and Peña are absolutely fantastic, creating a believable and likeable police buddy partnership – it feels all the more authentic due to the two having spent time with actual LAPD officers. Love interests are on hand in the form of Anna Kendrick and Natalie Martinez, who give the film an even stronger emotional core. Viewing End of Watch is like hanging out with two best pals whose friendship is forged in the heat of battle and constant threat of danger into a strong genuine bond.

The obligatory bad guys are a small army of tattooed scumbag foot soldiers led by Big Evil (Maurice Compte) – playing against type as he was a Police Officer in the TV Cop drama Southland. The fact that the baddies have cameras as well allows for an awesome ambush scene shot from both viewpoints.

Grim, funny and altogether exciting, be careful out there and be sure to check End of Watch!

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

ööööö – Best cop thriller for a long time!

5 – A cult classic in the making 

Awesomeness ööööö – everything works really well

Laughs öööö – very funny in places

Horror ööö – some nasty moments

Babes ööö – Anna Kendrick and Natalie Martinez

Spiritual Enlightenment öö - brothers to the end

Darkmatters Review: The Twilight Saga Breaking Dawn - Part 2

The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 2 (12a)

Dir. Bill Condon

Reviewed by Matt Adcock

“I thought we would be safe forever. But "forever" isn't as long as I'd hoped.”

Here it is then – the ‘epic’ end to the Twilight Saga. The supernatural film series that has limped along in highly unconvincing fashion, pleasing many girls and alienating many guys along the way.

Fans of Team Jacob and / or Team Edward finally get to see how it ends for pouty and now red-eyed Bella Swan (Kristen Stewart), her sparkly skin oddball vampire hubby Edward Cullen (Robert Pattinson), and bad boy, often-shirtless wolfy Jacob Black (Taylor Lautner),

"just your average vampire family"

Is it any good? Well despite an unpromisingly miserable and criminally dull Part 1, Breaking Dawn – Part 2 actually manages to be the ‘least bad’ of the whole franchise. I asked my son’s girlfriend Aimee – who is a self confessed fan of Twilight for a female reaction to the film… She said: “It was fantastic, just brilliant!” - a friend's daughter Rebekah Middleditch was also keen to make sure a female voice got heard in this review - so she says:  "I thought that the film is great because it is so full of surprises. I love the bit where Bella and Edward move into their new house because it’s so romantic and it’s such a sweet moment. I love Twilight it’s such a fun young movie and they are all great actors, it’s a shame that it is now over."

Hhhmmm - so I guess it doesn’t really matter what I say!?

Anyway, the plot revolves around Bella’s new half human / half vampire baby Renesmee whose existence is apparently a crime to the vampire overseeing council The Voluturi. The only hope for a happy ending seems to be for the lead trio to assemble a team of witnesses from around the world who can vouch that the young offspring won’t herald the end of vampire-kind.

Cue a weird bunch of blood suckers (each with handy X-Men like powers) getting together to try and convince the Volturi not to massacre the baby and our teen heroes.

The heroic X-Factor finalists lined up...

Along the way we also get to witness Bella learning to use her new super strength, speed and erm, sense of smell… Now married she and Edward are morally free to spend most of the time in bed together too making super powered love to each other.

All this is bit hard on her poor human dad (Billy Burke) for whom she has to ‘pretend’ to still be human too. Wolf boy Jacob adds to the tension by ‘imprinting’ on the baby girl “Nessie" – whose accelerated growth rate means that she can become a viable love interest for him by the end of the film… Doesn’t make it feel right though.

Fans of the books might also be in for a shock as a wholesale plot diversion sees the Cullens, their friendly werewolves and witness pals having a mass brawl with the baddie Volturi who themselves have special powered vamps such as Jane (Dakota Fanning) who can hurt people with her mind. It’s a bold move and by far the most exciting ten minutes of all five films!

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

ööö – a quality historical thrill ride worth taking

3 – better than Breaking Dawn Part 1 (DM Review) 

Awesomeness ööö – the fight is at least worth a look

Laughs öö – couple of smirks to be had

Horror ööö – weedy for a 'horror film'

Babes ööö – Kristen looks better undead!

Spiritual Enlightenment öö - true love waits (forever)

"a rare non angst-ridden Stewart"

Darkmatters Review: ARGO

Argo (15)

Dir. Ben Affleck

Reviewed by Matt Adcock

‘The movie was fake. The mission was real.’

Welcome back to 1979, things are a tad tense in Iran where the American embassy is being stormed by enraged supporters of the Ayatollah Khomeini. Most of the unlucky American staff are taken hostage, but six plucky souls manage to escape and find shelter in the official residence of the Canadian ambassador.

But with the hostile crowd hunting for them and diplomatic relations strained beyond breaking point, a daring rescue mission must be devised by the CIA. With odds described as being ‘worse than many suicide missions we ran in the war’, exfiltration expert Tony Mendez (Ben Affleck, who also directs) comes up with a crazy plan – to create a phony Canadian sci-fi film which would require some locations shots in Iran.

"the game of 'bag on head surprise' wasn't fun..." 

The plan would see Mendez fly into Iran, meet up with the target exiled Americans and then fly out with them pretending to be his Canadian film crew. To help the plan have any chance of looking ‘real’, some Hollywood bigwigs are drafted in. And so one of the world’s most exciting escapes is attempted – and it’s all true!

I’m sure that Argo plays a little fast and loose with the facts of the situation but there is no denying that the tale is well staged and brilliantly acted and directed by Affleck. It’s probably not going to win many friends in the Muslim world as it clearly depicts the CIA and Yanks as the good guys and the Iranian people as a whole as mostly fanatical Muslims, baying for Yankee blood. The cast are superb throughout, Alan Arkin and John Goodman are great comedy value as the Hollywood fake film team and the period detail feels spot on – the moustaches are especially impressive.

"A brilliant thriller? I'll drink to that!"

Where Argo really shines though, is in the sheer edge-of-the-seat tension that it ramps up, this is a high quality white-knuckle thrill ride. You don’t need to have been around during the 1970s and 1980s to appreciate Argo but for those who were too young to fully understand what was going on, this is an eye-opening glimpse of a powder keg international situation. As anti-Iranian sentiment in the United States is worryingly high at the moment – there is potentially the possibility that another ‘Argo’ style plan is happening even as we speak.

Are those Disney/Star Wars announcements actually the start of a massive CIA cover operation?

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

öööö1/2 – a quality historical thrill ride worth taking

4.5 – Affleck does it again! 

Awesomeness öööö – very high levels of tension

Laughs ööö – Ar go F.... = comedy classic line

Horror ööö – nasty in places but not too grim

Babes öö – Nerdy analyst look a go go

Spiritual Enlightenment ööö true human spirit (and maybe God on your side?)

Alternate review? Try Cultureslap!!

Kerry Bishé

Darkmatters Review: Silent Hill: Revelation 3D

Silent Hill: Revelation 3D (15)

Dir. Michael J. Bassett

Reviewed by Matt Adcock

Welcome to back to Silent Hill, a place formed by the twisted psyche of those who have suffered unimaginable horrors, an alternate dimension ruled by demonic forces…

If that sounds like the sort of place you fancy spending some time then Silent Hills Revelation 3D, the second movie based on the classic PlayStation game series, delivers an eye-popping 90 mins of frightful fun. Just don’t expect any sense of a coherent plot, set your cheesy dialogue filter to ‘on’ and sit back and let the lavishly grim visuals sweep over you.

"this is where you normally press 'x' to duck'

The Silent Hill series won gamers over by its use of disturbing symbolism and psychological dream-state horror visual flair. The problem when it comes to bringing this to the big screen is that it a very different medium – and a very different experience to watch characters being chased by freaky monsters rather then have them actually (virtually) chasing you!?

For those who have never experienced Silent Hill either in game or film form up until now – this is a story where metaphors of the madness and fragileness of sanity abound, pretty deep stuff. Alas Silent Hill: Revelation 3D – which tries to shoehorn most of the third game into the sequel plot to the first film – ends up as an exercise of ‘flash visuals, shame about the film’.

"what's it all about?"

Basically Sharon (who has now renamed herself Heather and is played by Adelaide Clemens) was saved from Silent Hill by her mother (who didn’t make it out)… Her dad (Sean Bean) is doing all he can to hide her from the monsters in Silent Hill but before you can say ‘cash in’ she’s back in the netherworld with Red Pyramid (a giant sword wielding muscled executioner with a pyramid shaped helmet) and demonic pals.

Silent Hill once again brings some seriously grisly shocks and mind bendingly grim creatures to the screen – even making decent use of the 3D for some visual flourishes - which is all well and good for horror fans and those who loved the games. But unfortunately, this follow up just doesn’t match the first one or the games in any respect other than giving more screen time to the fan favourite Pyramid Head (he even pops up after the end credits).

So this second cinematic trip to Silent Hill yields diminishing returns, this is a film that would feel more at home on DVD.

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

öö – scary visuals but little more

2 – weak but Red Pyramid is a character than deserves his own film

Awesomeness ööö – There is one awesome climactic fight  

Laughs ö – Not funny

Horror öööö – Gruesome in places

Babes öö – Clemens looks just like the videogame character

Spiritual Enlightenment ö Limited darkness

Darkmatters Review of SILENT HILL

"Adelaide Clemens - nice smile"

Darkmatters Review: Skyfall

Skyfall (12a)

Dir. Sam Mendes

Reviewed by Matt Adcock

“THINK ON YOUR SINS…”

This is the cyber threat at the heart of Skyfall – a doomsday scenario for the undercover spies the world over… Yes 007 is back (played once again by the excellent Daniel Craig) to save the day, it’s hard to believe that the world’s favourite secret agent has now been fighting for Queen and Country for 50 years.

Also back is M (Judi Dench – better than ever) but times are tough – and a new threat has the whole MI6 / British secret service looking like it has lost its relevance in the 21st century…

"sharp dressed agent"

Sam ‘American Beauty’ Mendes directs Skyfall – which has already taken the UK box office by storm with the second biggest opening weekend of all time. It’s easy to see why – this is Bond at his best and Skyfall kicks the doors in with a truly epic entry in the franchise.

M and MI6 are under attack, a global list of all undercover anti-terrorist agents has been stolen – it seems someone has a very personal grudge and it is down to Bond to fight back.

Bad guy this time is mad computer hacker and ex-MI6 Agent Raoul Silva (Javier Bardem), and he’s potentially one of the best Bond villains ever – think The Joker from The Dark Knight and you’ll have some idea what to expect. Silva is out for revenge against M and Bond will be tested to the limit as he strives to protect his boss, even whilst she is being investigated by MPs for her recent actions.

"Defender of the city..."

Skyfall does pretty much everything right, bringing high quality action, stunning locations, gorgeous Bond girls – in the shapely form of Naomie Harris's Eve, and Bérénice Marlohe's Sévérine – and some ‘cheer out loud’ crowd pleasing Bond-isms such as a new ‘Q’ (Ben Whishaw) and another spin for the classic DB5.

Best of all Skyfall make Bond fun again – judging the balance of action and danger just right to make this the family film of the year (we took our sons aged 15 and 11 – who both loved it). The ‘12’ certificate is used well, the fights are brutal enough to prevent the film feeling too ‘tamed’.

This is Craig's moment as Bond, the good work he did in Casino Royale is cemented to icon status here, even making up for the weaker Quantum of Solace. The whole package delivers on all fronts – Skyfall comprehensively trounces Taken 2 and The Bourne Legacy – it is by far the best spy action film of the year and should sure up the Bond franchise for some future adventures. Welcome back Mr Bond!

"nice dress"

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

ööööö – An immediate classic!!

5 – Ah Mr Bond, we've been expecting you

Awesomeness ööööö – This is vintage Bond!

Laughs ööö – Genuinely funny in places

Horror öö – Tense but not grim

Babes ööö – Harris & Marlohe are fine eye candy!

Spiritual Enlightenment ööö – for Queen and Country!

Much better than Quantum of Solace

"That Bond girl look!"