Monsters University - Review - SPOILERS - UK RELEASE

Sorry that I didn't get this out on release day, but seeing as it only came out Friday, I say its fair that I saw it today!

Here we have a triumphant return from Pixar with the worlds favourite monsters. In a story that prequels Monsters Inc, it looks like an origin story of the great duo. It opens up with a collection of child monsters on a school trip too Monsters Inc., upon enters a tiny Mike, a adorably big eye, a stature that puts him in the light weight boxing division of Barbie & Action Man dolls, alongside vibrant green skin and a cute little smile. At the scare factory, we find out Mike's inspiration and reason behind his decision to join the Monsters University. From this point on, he focuses on getting there and achieving his dream of becoming a screamer. Not till later do we see a skinnier, leaner version of Sully who is a powerhouse of strength and creature of fear, yet lacks theoretical perspective and uses his fathers fame to further his popularity, therefore, making him the common day rich douche-bag. At the start of good year, both tend to avoid each other and don't interact much, but as we progress, we see a rivalry and distinguished hatred for each other which lays them in trouble with the university dean and leads to a series of events detailing the pairs friendship growth, alongside a group of shunned students who are pushed to strive for bigger things.

As a member of the 90's generation, I was about when Monsters Inc. came out and could truly appreciate it at that age due to its colour, comedy and its ingenious plot that makes it so memorable. Now as an adult, this movie feels like it was made for the generation who lived to see it in the cinema
and value it. Now I can appreciate the extensive amounts of work that goes into making Sully's hair move or every single blade of grass under Mike's feet. The lines and shapes that make up the campus and so much more. Visually the movie is pristine. Everything is vibrant and punchy that sends your eyes blitzing around the screen soaking in every last orange and pink in the vast scenery. Everything was in focus allowing you time to look.

As with any Pixar movie, once they develop onto it and create a foundation, the stories can become a little predictable at points with a lot of moral dilemmas throughout whenever a plot twist occurs. As
predictable as it was, the story was still fun, witty and utilizes it's potential to make it far bigger. Character stories were heartfelt, pulling on the heart strings at points and the whole film would keep a smile permanently wedged onto your face, hairs raised on the back of your neck and an attachment that only Pixar could create. The witty creations and variations that they went through to develop each character is phenomenal and the variation shows the dedication to create a real world for the monsters and not some copy and paste fillers.


As an overview, I don't have much to write about. The movie was a stunning piece of art, a graceful origins story, a heart warming adventure with silly humour fit for all the family. However, before the movie even starts, The Blue Umbrella is a Pixar short to open Monsters University and is impeccable and a stunning short film to open with. I never felt that I could develop an emotional attachment to an object as simple as an umbrella. If this hasn't shown at your cinema, Google is a thing that can help!
So, as an overall rating, I'm going to go with an 8/10 due to its predictability, but also the skipping of some sub-characters. A must-see movie for the summer!

Pacific Rim - Review -SPOILERS-

If you have been following me on Twitter, you are sure to have noticed my excitement over this film. If you haven't been following my Twitter, go ahead and follow, Its free!
Here is a collection of reasons why I fan girled over this movie:
1) Giant monsters
2) Idris Elba
3) Carnage
4) Massive fights

A general overview of the story is an alien invasion via the Pacific ocean by an alien race using giant monsters. We spend most of the time in Hong Kong, which isn't a surprise after the whole Godzilla incident.  To defend against the incoming assaults, the human race bands together to fight the ugly bastards. So looking at the basics of the story, we can find it to be a little simplistic or basic yet it follows a few little sub stories throughout. One is the research team, which takes you onto the streets of Hong Kong and into its dark underworld ruled by Hannibal Chau (Ron Perlman). Another is the story behind the damaged Mako Mori (Rinko Kikuchi) which explains her connection to Idris' Stacker Pentecost. The little stories inevitably collide and aid the final event, but it is nice that it jumps between them and doesn't overplay the action scenes.

Speaking of actors and the action, both were brilliantly executed. The crazy researchers were both irritable but comedic in their own style which makes their performances stick out vividly in my mind, but the main man for me was Idris Elba, whose ability to switch between anger to a calm silence

which makes you shiver in anticipation for his next move. As you see in the trailer, Idris has a prominent speech to raise morale. A well written speech, well performed with a vigour that makes his character even more believable. I do have a couple of bones to pick with acting though. A scene which entails a young Mako Mori is disturbing and wrong on so many levels. Good child actors are hard to come across, but when she moans like she's in an Asian porn movie on repeat, it turns a few heads and should have been toned down to avoid such incidents.

As one of the only giant monster movies in recent years, its safe to say that it has enough to compensate for the years the genre has been non existent. In true Hellboy fashion, monsters are big, stunning to look at and violence is plentiful, splashed with wisps of humour. The action and fight scenes were incredible and great fun to watch. Shots are erratic and hard to track but immerses you into the settings while disorientating you like our heroes. If you are anything like me, you would have been giggling and laughing like a little kid at the sheer carnage and the severe beatings that were being rained down by both sides.

Just looking at the scenes, it is obvious that the film had a huge budget and FX specialists worked day and night to create some of the best visual effects that I have ever seen.  Everything looked real; the scales on the beasts, water rippling at every move, glass twinkling in the Hong Kong's neon and the general scenery which was flawless all the way though. Even set pieces were gorgeous. The blending of so many colours, lights and debris was stunning and is the perfect example of what the area would look like. We also have the costumes which were a mix of many different style. From a Sci-fi white to a badass carbon fibre armour, the suits are simplistic, yet elegant. It's also nice to see that the women aren't sexualised throughout with skimpy armour and little clothing. You will also notice Hannibal's distinctive golden armour plated shoes which are just crazy and would fit well in my collect, so if you know where I can find them, be sure to comment below!

I'm still pumped from seeing it and want to get my hands on anything and everything in relation to the movie (Already got the soundtrack!), which will most likely be a badass poster and maybe my first collectable statue. But anyway, the movie is a must see blockbuster hit. Certainly one of my favourite films of this year and is a good summer smasher, so this movie shall be getting a 8/10 simply for its generic story and a few little niggly bits throughout.

Jay-Z - Magna Carta Holy Grail

So yeah, Jay Z has a new album out. Just looking at the cover would make you think it is a sophisticated collection of well written and brilliantly performed album. Unfortunately not.

I'm currently on my 3rd run through of the album and I find it really difficult to deal with the excessive amounts of "UH"& "Yeah". For a rapper at the top of the rapping tables, he doesn't really show it in this album.

So lyrically, the album is really poor. The album talks about tweeting, sex and how much money he has. "FuckWithMeYouKnowIGotIt" features Rick Ross and it encompasses exactly what I said prior. Except, Instead of Ross shouting out that he is the "Teflon Don", it was Jay-Z linking to Lucky Luciano. I won't go on a rant about how pathetic this is but both of these guys have done nothing to compare themselves to some of the biggest criminals in history.

The execution of the tracks are alright. Vocals are ranged and have a variety of featuring artists. Yet you never feel the songs, they just blend into the background and don't really excite you and the actual music doesn't make you want to dance or give you any sort of boost to your day. Personally, I feel the album suggests that Jay-Z has lost his classic 99 Problems and Blueprint ability. I'm giving this album a 5/10.

Now You See Me - Quicky Review UK Release -SPOILERS-

Now You See Me is the story of 4 street magicians who are brought together by an unknown source of power to rob banks like Robin Hood. With a large cast of well known actors, it was safe to say that a lot of money had been spent on the project. Yet it is safe to say that I was disappointed. The US received this movie just over a month before us here in the UK. A movie which I had to avoid all sort of news about it for a month and its safe to say that I was a little peeved on the exit.

The actual story is incredibly simple, with a few plot twists which aim too catch you out but are very easy to see through. I have to admit that there was one incident which I felt too be a good twist, but it doesn't wow you. This is what I felt for the majority of the story, nothing got my blood pumping, nothing engaged me with the plot and the predictability of it made it tedious to watch.

As you may already know from my "This Is The End Review", I do not like James Franco and I harbour much of the same dislikes for him as Dave making his character a spare wheel. As the story rolls on, he disappears for a portion of it and can be easily ignored with his predictable exit. I do have to give him credit for his fight scene between him and Mark Ruffalo (Bruce Banner/The Hulk). His acting was fluid and fight scenes were done with precision and an element of style involved.
Speaking of The Hulk, it turns out that he is our main character. We follow the action from his point and the process he goes through to investigate the bank robberies and the workings of the 4 Horseman's magic. When looking back at Mark's performance, its obvious that it isn't his best work. For someone who played the Hulk, you would assume that he could show true anger or despair, yet his face can appear somewhat still throughout.

The actors I did get along with were, Woody Harrelson, Jesse Eisenberg and of course Mr Freeman! Harrelson was the most interesting of the characters. A man with the ability to hypnotise the public and get them to do as he chooses. His talent is quite interesting but its his humour that sets him apart from the rest, while Eisenberg is the brains of the group, he is the focal point in the group and seems like the leader of the four. So, with a huge cast, a few good scenes and general entertainment, I feel the movie deserves a 7/10. It's lack of grip and the generic story can bore some and the way the story was wrapped up was very cheesy. I would have liked a lot more darkness to it with a bit more aggression to build the excitement.

Luther - Season 3 - BBC UK - Episode 1 - SPOILERS-

An explosive opening to an explosive series. Luther has to be one of my favourite shows and characters that I have seen on the my television for many, many years. Idris Elba portrays the deeply troubled an dark detective with such ease and grace that it feels real.

I won't ruin this for anyone, but BBC Iplayer is easily accessible and I only have a few key points to pick out!

So, we open at what appears to be the end of the series. The blues are blazing and a fire rages behind a steel garage door, it beings to creep up as fire licks at the back wall and we see Luther, his partner and what I can only assume to be the killer. Suddenly a bang, and fire roars out of the building as
Idris walks out without a care in the world.

From now, it appears that detective Ripley (Luther's partner) has now joined forces with a few rogue

officers who have it out for the way Luther takes justice into his own hands and his rational choice which is legally wrong by morally right. We also have the introduction of a new love interest and a killer who looks to be our main protagonist for the whole series.

Whether this series will turn out like season two's miniseries or a full length series. However, this episode has shown that they have retained the gritty lighting, the rough landscapes and the heart pumping tension which is raised in an amazing style. No music, just the breathing, creeks of the floor, a flick of a switch and it suddenly ruptures into violence. The techniques here will be great for the big screen, and as some of you may know, there is talk about a movie after this series.

The sudden return of a British great, which seals the UK's reputation for gritty street dramas and brilliant television. If you missed it, be sure too jump onto BBC Iplayer and get watching!

Call of Duty - Vengeance DLC 3 - Review

Today, we had the long awaited release of the new Call of Duty DLC pack, including 4 new maps and an addition to the world of the zombies. So below, we have COD's description of each of these maps and I shall add my opinions after.

Cove
"The stage is set for all-out conflict on this small, forgotten island in the middle of the Indian Ocean, where players battle it out amongst the wreckage of a jet that crash-landed during a smuggling operation gone wrong."
Cove appears to be a small map, everything leads to the same spot. No dead ends, no sniper sight lines and plenty of shrubs to catch out the unsuspecting. With a circular shape, it fits a high-speed SMG or a mid-range assault Rifle. You will have little time to react, and the likelihood of surviving continually would be very unlikely.


Detour
"Players fight amongst the scattered vehicles, exposed iron and collapsed pavement of a destroyed suspension bridge, high above this East Coast waterway where the action can play out on multiple levels."
This bridge in NYC is a 2 platform small map. Another small map which you will need an SMG or assault rifle. You have to be wary on the top level about holes in the road. These holes can lead too the lower or off the map, so keep visual.






Rush
"Fast, close-quarter engagements are assured in this paintball course turned full- combat arena, giving players new opportunities and challenges to use the cover to their advantage." 
Probably my favourite map. It's a bit bigger and is reminiscent of the skate park. It would have been nice to see a little more thought going into the map. The inflatable barriers should have punctured when you shoot them, or the whole thing could have been a paintball match. You have some sight lines for snipers, but I imagine seeing more "quick-scoping" than the real use of such a weapon.



Uplink

"In this re-imagined adaptation of the fan-favorite Call of Duty®: Black Ops multiplayer map Summit, players clash deep in the rain-soaked jungles of Myanmar, high atop a hi-tech mountain facility." 
Essentially, a map re painted with the removal of a few ladders to stop a notorious camping spot. Re-imagined maps should be given for free rather than running out of ideas and copying & pasting an old map. Plenty of sight lines for snipers and still corners and rooms for people to hide in. The collection of rooms were always notorious for camping and will be trouble for online play. Keep moving, SMG's will be good in the tight rooms but an assault rifle will be best for survival tactics.


Buried - Zombie Cowboys!
"Players will be challenged to face their deepest fears, trapped inside a long-forgotten subterranean Old West mining town infested with swarms of the undead."
Processing is the main map for the zombies maps. It is chaotic and disorganised, rooms lead to dead ends and can cause huge trouble when you are running about on your own. A few new additions have been added, one being the upgrade of the Ray Gun and a few more guns mixed in with some environmental additions which add some new and interesting aspects to the game.

Minecraft 1.6 - Horse Update

Today we had the release for the new update to Minecraft, coined as the Horse Update. Now, only having 30 minutes to play about, I had a look at a few of the things that were done.

Firstly, to get the 1.6 update, you will need to download a new launcher, which looks like a CMD (command) window. This will install the game and is also your launch button. This main screen has to stay up continuously for you too play the game, otherwise it will all disappear. From this point on, you will have two versions of Minecraft - 1.5.2 & 1.6 which you can alternate between when ever you wish.

So, in game there are a few new bits. Obviously we have the introduction of horses, but we do have a few more additions. Too start, we have the changing of clay blocks. These can now be dyed, much like wool, but to help give you a flatter colour without the rough texture of the wool. Secondly, the
introduction of carpet! You can finally create patterns on the floor which have a bit of height gain on basic floor blocks, rather than using the full sized wool blocks.

The practical blocks that have come out are the Coal blocks and the Hay blocks. Coal will make it easier to stack when you are out mining; helping to maximise your inventory, this can also be connected to the Hay blocks. Coal blocks can also be used as a source of fuel for furnaces and steam driven carts. Now, the introduction of hay blocks can be decorative but also is directly fed to horses to heal and mature the animals.

We also have the introduction of name tags and leads. Name tags allow the user to name certain animals/mobs. For instance, I called my dog Bill. It will hover over their head like names do in multiplayer lobbies. Leads are fairly obvious but also allow you to tie your trusty stead to a fence post. Finally, onto the horses. To tame them, you must right click on them (without a saddle) and keep clicking whenever you are knocked off. Soon you will be able to stay on him for a while and jump off using the shift key. Quickly pop a saddle on the bad boy and run free. Wheat and various other food
can help to restore health and finding armour will aid in keeping your stead alive during the night and you can also attach chests to some to help when you move house or have way to much rubbish in your bag!

Armour can be Iron, Diamond and Gold

All of these are very good additions, but a new starter is a little annoying and quite unsightly compared to its traditional predecessor. Hopefully some patches will come out and either remove the need for it or will spruce it up a little!