Saturday, 31 August 2019

Spider-Man: Far From Home ★★★★☆


As I get closer to the wrong side of 30, I’ve come to understand that Spider-Man is likely to be a constant in my life, regenerating like a young Doctor Who. It started with Tobey Maguire in Sam Raimi’s original trilogy, which had its moments. After an ill-fated third firm, Andrew Garfield had a crack with a reboot that spawned two more movies in 2012 and 2014. The latest to don the suit is Tom Holland, who originally signed for a trilogy in 2017.


Far From Home was placed in a difficult position, being the first major release after a film which took Avatar’s spot as the *highest grossing movie of all time. (*With the help of a rerelease to give it a final push over the line.) Holland’s Spiderman has been reverse-snapped back out of the hoover bag following the events of Endgame, but everyone else that returned is five years older. Phase Three of Marvel’s saga has finished with the majority of the original Avengers out of commission in some shape or form, and the world is slowly beginning to move on without their old heroes.

It’s time for a new generation to step to the plate, and Tony Stark chose Spiderman to fill his cold, iron boots. For now, his former protege looks to Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) for guidance, as his school trip to Europe is spent begrudgingly helping the debuting Mysterio (Jake Gyllenhaal). The new hero appears from the multiverse with grave news for the Avenger. 

Once again, Jacob Batalon is there to provide moral support as Ned, and a significant portion of the film is spent on Parker’s relationship with MJ (Zendaya). It’s a love story at heart, punctuated by lots of action and endless jokes. Spiderman is understandably wary following his revival, and he’s desperate to cling to his past dealing with smaller stakes, but Fury is determined to make him step up, and he has a farewell present from Stark to consider.

The lighter tone is noticeable compared to the bitterness of Endgame, although it references the former constantly. The two-hour runtime causes it to drag in places, as we’re taken around some of the biggest cities that Europe has to offer. From Paris to London, Peter’s class and their teachers (Martin Starr and J.B. Smoove) get dragged around the world, and the story often plays second fiddle to the backdrop. It’s not hard to keep up with a few obvious twists, and while it was never going to match the universe-ending stakes of its predecessor, Far From Home still falters around the hour mark. It picks up towards the end, and it has a great stinger, but it does feel a bit bloated overall.


Despite my soft spot for Maquire’s dorky interpretation, it’s clear that Holland was a great pick to push the franchise forward. He’s awkward, and he offers a different dynamic to the self-assured heroes we’re used to. Given how things are going, I’ll probably get to see at least a few more Peter Parker’s in my lifetime. This trilogy could be the best of the three so far, as long as Spiderman finally gets out of the shadow of the man he can’t stop mentioning. It’s not unmissable, but there’s enough of that patented Marvel charm to make it all worthwhile.


★★★★☆
James Millin-Ashmore



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Wednesday, 28 August 2019

Once Upon A Time...In Hollywood ★★★★☆


I can't recall a single filmmaker ever dividing critics like Quentin Tarantino. Every movie in his illustrious career has split the critics and attracted controversy wherever they're shown. Whether that's from his particular brand of violence, the time someone passed out during the adrenalin scene of a showing of Pulp or the number of times a certain derogatory term is used. But here we are nine films in, almost thirty years later and the dude just doesn't care, carving out a filmography like no other, without a thought for his critics, making the films both he, and I, want to see.

I was lucky enough to have heard about a pop up at 'Sounds Of The Universe', an old record store in Soho, where if you were one of the first sixty people through the door, you won a ticket to go and see 'Once Upon A Time...' at Sony Pictures headquarters a week before general release. So I pulled myself out of bed at around 5.30am and basically ran to Soho. I snagged that golden ticket (rather, a pink wristband) and grabbed all the free Tarantino swag they were handing out.


I've been waiting for this film ever since the disappointment of his last film, The Hateful 8. But unlike the Hateful 8, a project I followed all the way from the script leak, with 'Once Upon A Time...' I avoided everything, including the trailer. I find now that trailers give away far too much so best to avoid them where possible.

'Once Upon A Time...' takes us back to the late 60s, when flower power and peace & love were what people preached. Our main character, Rick Dalton (Di Caprio), is a TV actor past his prime trying to make the transition to movies. Along with his best friend and stunt double Cliff Booth (Pitt), they navigate through the cut-throat business that is Hollywood and a movie industry that is clearly in a period of transition. But like Tarantino's films of past, he takes a pinnacle point in our history (in this instance the story of Sharon Tate and the Manson Family) and does what only Tarantino does best. 

This is possibly the most, and hardest, I've ever laughed at any of his films. In every review I've read they are calling this '...a love letter to Hollywood' to which I would be inclined to agree. Having himself grown up in Los Angeles during this defining era, we are showered with obscure TV & film references that really only Tarantino would know about. His encyclopedic knowledge of cinema and its history is truly laid bare in this 2-hour 45-minute epic. As well as this, it has all the hallmarks you come to expect from one of his pictures. Over the top violence, tension in the right places, hilarious set-pieces, bare feet galore and the perfect soundtrack to tie it all together. If you do decide to go and see this film, as you should, you are basically talking a near 3-hour walk inside Tarantino's head. What could be better than that?

If I had to pick at it the only issue with any Tarantino film really is they all get compared to Pulp Fiction and Reservoir Dogs. These films made such an impact on the industry and the audience that he became a victim of his own success and genius. Luckily he doesn't give a damn what anyone thinks and makes the films he wants to make anyway. There are also a couple of scenes that don't really need to be there, in my opinion. It does drag it out a little, but he's Tarantino. He can do whatever the hell he wants!


Whilst the likes of Scorsese, Spielberg and Cameron have always pushed the envelope in new technologies within their own work, Tarantino remains one of the industries purists. Always insisting on shooting film instead of digital with a heavy hand on dialogue and unique, instantly recognizable characters. To see this film the way he wants you to see it, you have to find a cinema with the capability of projecting 35mm. His film making style throws back to another period in cinema that this really does lend itself to and whilst he's still around and making movies like this, we should savour these moments. 

But will this be the penultimate Tarantino film? It feels like it could be. He's threatened to retire at 60 after only making 10 films. He's now 56 and on his ninth film. The timeline looks about right so this could actually have some weight to it. But whether or not we get a Kill Bill 3 (I sure do hope so), or another western, I eagerly await whatever comes next. 

★★★★☆
Jake Bexx



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Monday, 26 August 2019

July Tech Video Round UP


Have you watched our July Tech review yet?


July continues the AMD saga with our Risen 3900X review. Join Lewis as he covers the must-haves of the month! In this issue we have:

AMD Ryzen 3900X CPU \ Samsung Galaxy Tab S5e \ ASUS VivoBook 14

Enjoy!

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Sunday, 25 August 2019

July Nintendo Switch Video Round UP


Have you watched our July Switch review yet?


Well isn't Wolfenstein just the talk on everyone's lips! This and a bunch more in Tom's latest Nintendo Switch July review! Last month brought us:

Wolfenstein: Youngblood / Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3: The Black Order / Fire Emblem: Three Houses / Dragon Quest Builders 2

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Saturday, 24 August 2019

July Phones Video Round UP!


Have you watched our July Phone review yet?


More pop up cameras, notches and bezzle-less screens to come this month! Join Lewis, as he looks and the latest and greatest July had to offer when it comes to phones! On this instalment, we have:

Xiaomi Mi 9T / Motorola Moto Z4  / Samsung Galaxy A30

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Friday, 23 August 2019

July TV / Movie Video Round UP


Have you watched our July  TV / Movie review yet?


Captain Marvel is here to save the day! Join Sam as he takes a look at what else July had to offer:

Captain Marvel / Alita: Battle Angel / Dumbo / Chernobyl HBO Series

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Thursday, 22 August 2019

July Xbox Video Round UP


Have you watched our July Xbox review yet?


Our July round-ups continue with Lewis, and his review of the latest and greatest the Xbox has to offer for last month:

Attack on Titan 2: Final Battle / Wolfenstein: Youngblood / FIA European Truck Racing Championship

Which was your favourite game this month?

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Wednesday, 21 August 2019

July PlayStation Video Round UP


Have you watched our July PlayStation review yet?



Summer holidays are here and so are our July round-ups! Jake is here once again with the latest & greatest that PS4 has to offer! Last month, we saw the release of:

Wolfenstein: Youngblood / Dragon Quest Builders 2 / Kill la Kill the Game: IF


Which was your favourite game this June?

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Tuesday, 20 August 2019

Manifest: S01 ★★★☆☆


With a massive ensemble cast, a vaguely religious theme, and a story surrounding a mysterious commercial plane, NBC’s Manifest can’t help but draw comparisons to Lost. The story follows the passengers and crew of Montego Air Flight 828, reappearing five years after the flight first set off with no warning. 

They were suspected to have perished in a crash, which leads to the question; what the hell happened? Were they snapped by Thanos, or have they been co-opted into some madcap government experiment? Are they stuck in another universe, or could it be purgatory? Anything but the last one is fine by me, but it looks like we’ll have to wait a while to get anything remotely close to a satisfactory answer.


Many of those who were left behind have moved on with their lives, leading to problems for the passengers who were flying from Jamaica to New York. Can they reconnect with family after mysteriously disappearing for five-and-a-half-years, and what can you do if your spouse leaves you for your best friend in the meantime? The narrative flips between various members of the 200 strong cast, but the overarching mystery is likely to be the aspect that will keep you hooked. Melissa Roxburgh and Josh Dallas receive top billing, although the first episodes skip to different passengers and interested parties regularly. Saanvi Bahl (Parveen Kaur) was working on a pediatric cancer treatment that has been since been released, while Daryl Edwards is NSA director Robert Vance, trying to figure out just what is really going on. 

It’s a bit schlocky in places, with thick dialogue that isn’t exactly subtle. Given the scale of the story, these are teething problems that could be necessary as pieces are set into place. Creator Jeff Rake has planned for six seasons, and he’s opted for a slow-burning approach to storytelling. With 16 episodes to get through, it can be a slog considering the incremental gains, and there’s always a chance that it could be cancelled before the mystery is explained entirely. NBC has confirmed a second season is in the works along with two others, so you’ll get some answers if you’re willing to stick it out. In an unexpected turn, the passengers begin to hear voices, and it feels like dialogue issues could be due to heavy foreshadowing and necessary character placement to get it all to work. It’s still early days, and they now have the security of over 30 additional episodes to push the story forward.


Manifest is slowly picking up steam, and it’s a ratings hit in the US. While all of the questions raised will inevitably need to be answered at some point, that’s a problem that can be pushed off until sometime in the future. It’s nowhere near as gripping as the beginning of Lost, although it could potentially have a better ending. If I could time skip five years I could tell you if it’s worth watching, but I’d be more interested in finding out how and why I was suddenly in 2024.


★★★☆☆
James Millin-Ashmore



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