You’d think, by now, we’d all be desensitised to trailers and promo shots and posters, yet we still build ourselves up for disappointment. Looking at concept art and trailers for Automata is enough to let your imagination run wild. And yet somehow, it turned out to be as uninspiring as an Adam Sandler film.
Directed by Gabe Ibáñez and out now on Blu-Ray and DVD comes Automata. Set in the year 2044, an environmental catastrophe caused by the Sun has wiped out 99.7% of humanity, leaving 21 million people left on Earth. To survive, robots, or automata, are created to halt the spread of desertification by building a giant wall, and to serve humans. The robots only have two protocols – 1) do not harm any form of life, and 2) do not alter yourself or others. So when a thuggish cop finds an automata repairing itself, and promptly shoots it in the head, Jacq Vaucan (Antonio Banderas) and insurance company representative, begins investigating how the robots are suddenly enhancing themselves.
As pretty straight-forward as that sounds, and as interesting as the world sounds, it quickly becomes distracted by its own insane whimsy. Gabe Ibáñez has little experience behind the camera, usually working on special effects instead, which is clear in this film. The desolate worlds, the mechanical rain, the giant hologram strippers towering next to tied down metal blimps – it’s as cool as it is unsettling, which is exactly what the genre should be. But visuals don’t make a film.
Throughout the film, I asked myself, “how did we get here?” about five times. And I always had a literal answer – that happened then this happened – but I never had a logical answer. Things just seemed to…happen. The film itself was robotic, lacking in fluidity. And the dialogue was the same. Lines like “hey you get away from that crane right now” said with literally no inflection when talking to a robot seemed ironically humorous to me, but I don’t think it was meant to be. In fact, the robots seemed to evoke the most emotion in the entire film.
Antonio Banderas has always been one of those actors I have never really understood. I don’t think I’ve ever liked a performance of his, not a live-action one anyway (his voice acting of Puss-In-Boots was pretty good). And there are no other real stand-out performances, which is understandable as most of the characters are robots. Dylan McDermott was pretty cool as the aforementioned cop, but he was so obviously there to just move the story forward that emotionally investing in him was redundant. And I think that’s the main flaw of this film. There is nothing to invest in. There is no real villain, and everyone seems to be a good person motivated to do bad things by the desperate situation that the world is in. So we sympathise with everyone, giving us no characters to actively get behind or dislike. Characters themselves pop up and disappear as fast as the Java update on your computer. There is nothing in the film that surprises us or actively engages us.
We all know how it’s going to end. It’s how every single film depicting a humans vs AI ethical dispute ends. In fact, the entire film is so generic that it’s difficult not to keep checking how long’s left until you can go and make a cup of tea or switch over to something else. And when we eventually reach the end, which could have been a pretty cool fight-scene, it all just fizzles out like a dying candle.
While it may be an imaginative concept that throws us into a world familiar and alien to us at the same time, it quickly devolves itself into generic archetypes that try and ride the wave of Antonio Banderas’ performance, which is as average as they come. He does his job. He goes home. If only the film followed the same path – at least then we wouldn’t have been disappointed.
Automata is just that, robotic and mechanical, and gets a 2/5.
One of my biggest regrets through all my gaming years is the fact that I've never played both The Witcher or The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings. I've always wanted to play them, I certainly always appreciated them from all the gameplay footage I've seen, but I held off until I bought a PC that could not only max them out, but one that maxed out the inevitable third game. Sadly that didn't happen for awhile, and though I did finally get that PC back in March, I haven't had a chance to play both games yet. As the release of this third Witcher game approached, I knew I wouldn't have enough time to properly play the first two, despite them already installed and ready on my Steam account. So, for better or for worse, I played this final entry in The Witcher series without playing any of the previous ones. Trust me, I wish this wasn't the case, but here we are. So in case you care, this will be a review by someone who hasn't played any previous Witcher games before. Anyway, with that out of the way, read on.
Developed by CD Projekt RED and out now on Playstation 4, Xbox One and PC comes The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, the best game of 2015 (so far). Being the one reviewer ever to admit he never played the first two games (there's bound to be more, right?), many of the characters and references to previous games were lost on me. However, I don't think it necessarily killed the experience for me, as it seems CD Projeckt RED did their best to make Wild Hunt an entry point for newbies. Wild Hunt is set in the Northern Realms, a world filled with magic, violence and sex. You take on the role of Geralt of Rivia. Geralt is a Witcher, which is essentially a physically, mentally and magically trained person for the sole purpose on them becoming a monster slayer. Witchers are incredibly powerful individuals, and Geralt is one of many Witchers across the world. Though at this point in his life Geralt had assumed his greatest adventures are behind him, he's pulled back into the fold when a dark army known as the Wild Hunt and begin to lay waste to the Northern Realms. Geralt takes up his sword one final time to bring peace to the land.
Wild Hunt is a third-person action RPG, and after the first small area you -as the famed Witcher Geralt- are sent off into the world. Whether you go directly for the main quest or one of the many, many side-quests on offer, it's up to you. Wild Hunt is all about choice, whether that ends up with you defeating the Wild Hunt, slaying the many monsters of the Northern Realms or simply rambling and exploring to your hearts content; it's all up to you. However, if you do manage to pull yourself away from simply taking in the world, the combat mechanics of Wild Hunt are really something. Combat here is arguably more about parrying and counter-attacking than is about attacking and using magic. Keeping on your toes, dodging an enemies every move and thinking about a battle while it's happening is the key, as this is certainly not a game in which you'll get by button bashing. Attacks are dished out simple enough, with each one landing a delicious crunching and hard hitting blow, but they need to be timed perfectly. Disregarding this or not treating each enemy like its own separate challenge will often lead to death.
Magic comes in the form of Signs, and there are 5 different types of Signs, which cover a fire attack, telekinesis, laying traps, a shield for Geralt and also magic that screws with an enemies mind. Each one of these Signs can be upgraded too, which will ultimately lead to your Geralt being quite the unstoppable force. Beyond Signs, over the course of the game you can upgrade 4 other skills trees- combat, alchemy, mutagens and general skills. Each skill tree is packed full of excellent abilities that will make your Geralt seem unique, and these can range from allowing him to wield a crossbow, giving him the ability to make his own bombs, to making Geralt a little more hardy to both magical and physical attacks. This, coupled with the truly outstanding stigmatization ability in terms of weapons and armour, leads to Wild Hunt's combat feeling utterly thrilling. In the space of one simple battle you'll blaze your way through slicing with your sword, rolling out of the way, counter-attacking, followed by a quick shot of a fireball, with the battle ending with a single crossbow shot directly into your attackers face. It's epic.
In Wild Hunt the world CD Projeckt RED presents to us is an open-world. However, it's not one large landmass like, say, Skyrim. Instead the Northern Realms are made of various landmasses, contain a wide array of different types of locations and feature an incredible sense of geography. You'll venture through lush forests that sway, rustle and dance in the wind, chat with various farmers and regular people in the many towns and cities littered across the land, and do battle against monstrous creatures upon the high snowy peaks of dangerous mountains. Needless to say, visually this game is beyond stunning. Though it looks especially great on PC, the console versions are pretty much just as good.
It's a beautiful game to behold but it's also dark, bleak and unforgiving. From the Botchlings; zombie-like miscarried fetuses that prey on pregnant women to the many, many folk of the Northern Realms that literally live in misery and need Geralts help, Wild Hunt is a game that nicely juggles both the breathtaking and the disturbing. Though it may get dark and depressing at times, it's a world you'll not only want to inhabit, but it's one you'll want to make a better place. Then again, in a game founded upon letting the player carve out their own moral path, maybe you'll want to make it worse. CD Projekt RED have just created one of the best RPGs ever.
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt slays the competition with a 5/5.
Sometimes when I write a review of a film, I’ll listen to the soundtrack as I write. It helps remind you of the film, the feel and the imagery. But for A Most Violent Year, there’s only one song from the soundtrack I’m listening to. That song is Inner City Blues by Marvin Gaye, which plays over the opening credits of the film. For me, this song’s sound sums up this film perfectly. Like the song, A Most Violent Year is extremely elegant and sophisticated, but with a strong message about what the economy can do to you. In Marvin Gaye’s case, it made him want to throw his hands up and holler. Abel Morales in A Most Violent Year takes a different approach.
Directed by J. C. Chandor and out now on DVD & Blu-Ray, A Most Violent Year is an extremely interesting film. Following on from his success with Margin Call and All Is Lost, Chandor writes and directs this classy film with great skill. The plot sounds simple – the year is 1981, and Abel Morales (Oscar Isaac) is fighting to protect his business and family during one of the most violent years in the city’s history, as the economy worsens. And in a way, it is a simple plot. But Chandor’s phenomenal, intelligent script and subtle direction make A Most Violent Year a very compelling piece. Upon researching audience response to the film, I was not surprised to learn that many people found it too slow and ‘dull’. This problem could lie with the marketing – like British drama Locke, some trailers made this film out to be an edge-of-your-seat thriller. But it isn’t. I would argue that it isn’t even the ‘gangster film’ that people believe it to be.
A Most Violent Year is a film about businessmen. It’s not a film about gun-toting gangsters like the title and marketing might suggest. This is an extremely quiet and understated film. Oscar Isaac is absolutely incredible in the role, channelling a young Godfather-era Al Pacino. After fantastic performances in Inside Llewyn Davis, Ex_Machina and Drive; it’s no wonder Isaac was cast in one of the lead roles in the upcoming Star Wars: The Force Awakens. He’s truly one of the ones to watch at the moment and I hate to sound hipster, but…I liked him before it was cool! I jest, but I’ve been following him for many years and it’s nice to see him finally receive the recognition and the roles he deserves. Jessica Chastain continues her recent run of success with another great performance as Abel’s wife Anna, and the superb Albert Brooks (reuniting with his Drive co-star Isaac) delivers a brilliantly subtle performance as Abel’s attorney Andrew.
Despite the fine performances throughout, A Most Violent Year’s most key players are the crew. The cinematography is beautiful, perfectly conveying the cold and bleak time in which the film is set with muted, washed out colours. Every single frame in this film is art. Just stunning visuals throughout. But it is J.C. Chandor’s slow-burning and intelligent screenplay that truly makes this film a work of art. It is old-school storytelling – the critic who stated the film has ‘echoes of The Godfather’ is not wrong. If you’re expecting Scarface-esque shootouts, you’re in the wrong place. This is a story of businessmen who happen to be in a criminal world, not criminals who happen to be in the world of business! The film isn’t perfect, primarily due to a somewhat anti-climactic ending and some sub-plots that were dropped without conclusion creating a couple of plot holes. But these problems seem insignificant in the grand scheme of things – the film does far more right than wrong, and on the whole it’s a near-perfect film.
So, to conclude, is A Most Violent Year worth two hours of your time? If you like your films slow, sophisticated and bleak then yes. Absolutely. It’s a rich, lavishly produced drama. The cast are brilliant, especially Isaac who delivers one of the finest performances of his career so far. The film looks, feels and sounds elegant and dirty in equal measure. 1981 in NYC must’ve been a tough year. But if the film’s marketing has fooled you into thinking this is an action-packed gangster epic, then let me tell you it isn’t. Maybe you should stick to Scarface.
A Most Violent Year is a most compelling film, and earns a solid 4/5.
I don’t think I’m alone in my dislike of Shia LaBeouf. From his mediocre performances in mediocre mainstream films to his downright bizarre and laughably pretentious off-screen behaviour, he’s one of my least favourite people in cinema today. As such, I went into The Necessary Death of Charlie Countryman with little hope. Torn apart by the majority of critics and starring Shia in the title role, all the signs were there that this was article was already writing itself as 1-star review. But you know what? I had a damn good time with Charlie Countryman.
Directed by Fredrik Bond and out now on DVD & Blu-Ray comes The Necessary Death of Charlie Countryman tells the story of, you guessed it, Charlie Countryman! After his mother passes away, Charlie has a spiritual epiphany in which he is told to go to Bucharest. He isn’t told why, but he’s told that it’s what he should do. It’s an adventure, he’s told. In a vulnerable place, he listens and he goes. One thing leads to another and he meets Gabi (Evan Rachel Wood) there. It’s love at first sight. But Charlie doesn’t know Gabi’s psychopathic and unstable husband Nigel (Mads Mikkelsen) still loves her, and won’t let anyone else have her. It might sound like something you’ve seen before, but it isn’t.
Charlie Countryman has some unexpected twists and turns and is shot in a fantastically well-paced and unique style. It held my attention throughout and took me on a wild ride that I was not expecting. Speaking of unexpected occurrences, Shia LaBeouf delivers a superb performance here. He’s very confident in the role and is clearly giving it his all – while it’s not a performance that will win any awards, it’s more than adequate and far more than we’ve come to expect from Shia. The film belonged to Mikkelsen though, who delivers a downright terrifying performance and manages the impossible - to evoke fear from the name Nigel. Once you’ve met his character for the first time, his presence is felt throughout the rest of the film as you never know when he might show up again. This is effectively reflected in Charlie’s hallucinations of being followed by him. Charlie almost becomes a spectator within the film; the increasingly bad things that happen to him feel like they’re happening to you too. Like James Stewart in Vertigo, we’re almost always with Charlie and experiencing the story unfold with him.
The supporting cast includes some other familiar faces; including Til Schweiger, Melissa Leo, Aubrey Plaza and, briefly, the great Vincent D’Onofrio. But there’s two faces that are particularly familiar with the UK audience – James Buckley, who we all know as Jay from The Inbetweeners and basically just reprising his role here, and Rupert Grint. Playing a pair of British backpackers staying in the Bucharest youth hostel in which Charlie is staying, they bring some ‘lad banter’ to proceedings that feels plucked straight out of one of The Inbetweeners movies. While it was good for a few chuckles, it did feel slightly out of place at times and somewhat unnecessary. On top of this, there are some other little niggling issues in Charlie Countryman. But they are too minor to note. The good outweighs the bad here.
While it’s probably not a film you’ll watch again and certainly not a film to shower with awards, it’s a strong and effective little indie. Charlie Countryman isn’t a perfect film. But for what it is, it’s a damn entertaining couple of hours. Like I said at the beginning of this review, I wasn’t expecting much at all from this film. Hell, I was almost sure I was going to hate it. But it just goes to show you can’t judge a book by its cover. I realise I’m in the minority in my enjoyment of this film, but for me it succeeds as a solid indie film with some great performances, a brilliant electronic soundtrack and a hell of a lot of style. Ignore the hate and put your dislike of LaBeouf to one side. There’s a lot to like here.
The Necessary Death of Charlie Countryman doesn’t die a cinematic death after all, and earns 4/5.
I really loved the The Man with the Iron Fists. I went to see it with my girlfriend back in late 2012, and that early into the relationship it proved to be a good test for what kind of films we both liked. Martial arts? Check! Action? Check! Mystical shit? Check! A man with iron fists as weapons? Check! Needless to say we had common ground, so when I sat down to watch this sequel with her by my side over two years later, it kind of felt special. However, as much as I thought The Man with the Iron Fists was a lot of fun, it didn't do especially well in the cinema. It just about broke even but with high Blu-Ray/DVD sales comes the enviable Direct-to-video sequel, so here we are. However, the question is, is it any good?
Directed by Roel Reiné and out now on Blu-Ray and DVD comes The Man with the Iron Fists 2, a film that while not as good as the first film, is a fun flick full of martial arts, ass kicking and a f*cking awesome soundtrack. Since hearing his work in both Kill Bill 1 & 2, I've been a bit of a fan of RZA, founder of the hip-hop group Wu-Tang Clan. He's a massive fan of martial arts films, and aside from learning various fighting styles himself, he's shaped his life through cherry picking certain aspects of Taoism, Buddhism, Confucianism, Islam, and Christianity. This amalgamation of beliefs, ideals and styles runs deep throughout his music as well as his directorial debut, The Man with the Iron Fists. RZA, like the first film, wrote and stars in this sequel, but this time he didn't direct it. A shame too, as though his love for martial arts is very much visible here, it doesn't have the same spark as the first film did.
The story is pretty simple, but it does a really good job of reintroducing the main character, and setting up the last explosive third act of the film. RZA once again takes on the role of Thaddeus aka The Blacksmith aka The Man with the Iron Fists. While he started the first film under the thumb of two deadly clans, The Man with the Iron Fists 2 begins with his quest for inner peace. Journey to the Wu Chi Temple in order to chill out with a few monks, Thaddeus is attacked by brother of Silver Lion, a character he killed in the first film. Though he defeats them he tumbles into a river, and on deaths door he is pulled downstream. This eventually leads to him being revived by some villagers of a small town that's been harassed by some local bad guys. Using his blacksmith skills (as well as his iron fists, of course), Thaddeus decides to help them fend off the slavers who are taking them into the nearby mines to work. It's basic stuff, but at the end of the day a martial arts film doesn't need to have a convoluted story.
With a pretty serviceable plot set in place The Man with the Iron Fists 2 does a pretty decent job with everything else. Performances are pretty solid but nothing truly stands out as memorable. In the first film Russell Crowe played Jack Knife, a British Soldier that is addicted to opium and prostitutes. The character was incredibly over the top, funny and pretty badass, and though there are a nice new selection of characters in this sequel, no one gets close to what Crowe did with Jack Knife. His absence is missed here, but with RZA, Dustin Nguyen (who essentially is the films second leading character), the always entertaining Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa and Grace Huang (reprising her role from the first film) headlining the cast, it's not completely devoid of talent. I especially liked Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa's villain character, Lord Pi. He's a completely shithead, as in one scene after a miner complains about his blunt weapon, Tagawa's character proves its sharp by beheading the poor mine slave.
Naturally, the most entertaining aspects of the film for me were the fight scenes. Though The Man with the Iron Fists had far more fantastical characters, this sequel doesn't cut back on the bone breaking fights. Though they're drip fed to the viewer throughout, the last third act of the film just goes insane, and does a great job of crafting some great, large fight scenes with what was no doubt a very small budget. Again, they're not as good as they were in the first film, but compared to most of the other Direct-to-video shit out there, The Man with the Iron Fists 2 is genuinely a cut above the rest. The editing during certain fight scenes is a little janky in some places too, and this often takes the impact and momentum out of them at times.
Basically, a smaller budget has essentially created a slightly inferior The Man with the Iron Fists, and this is true in terms of visual design, fight scenes, performances and editing. But considering the budget for this sequel would have been way smaller than what the first film had, I can easily see past most of these issues. The fight scenes are still pretty fun, there are some genuinely stunning exterior filming locations, the RZA/Howard Drossin soundtrack is incredible and, at the end of the day, I'd rather see a low-budget The Man with the Iron Fists 2 than no The Man with the Iron Fists 2 at all.
The Man with the Iron Fists 2 is low on budget but high of ass kicking with a 4/5.
Oh Kirby, you try and you try and you try but you've never even gotten close to being as big as Mario. Since his debut on the Gameboy in Kirby's Dream Land back in 1992, he has always played second fiddle to the mushroom eating, star grabbing, coin collecting plumber that Nintendo is famous for. Well, not exactly second fiddle either, as he's far less popular than even Link, Zelda, Samus Aran, Luigi, Princess Peach and Bowser. So what's that, ninth fiddle? Anyway, though I've never been a major fan of the character of Kirby myself in the past, I have enjoyed some of his games in recent years. A new one is out now, and it's exclusive to the Wii U, the console that just can't get a break.
Developed by HAL Laboratory and out now on the Wii U comes Kirby and the Rainbow Curse, yet another title that proves the console has plenty of life left in it yet. The plot is pretty basic and like any good platformer, it's merely a simple narrative structure that holds a bunch of cool levels together. The story revolves around Kirby and Waddle Dee witnessing a magical portal open directly over Dream Land. The portal is the evil doing of Claycia, a character that looks like a cross between a cute anime character and a gorilla. By opening the portal over Dream Land, Claycia has sucked all of the colour out of the once colourful and happy place. Now it's up to both Kirby and Waddle Dee to restore colour to Dream Land and bring it back to its former glory. Like I said, it's super basic stuff. But yeah, it works in terms of setting up some pretty nice game mechanics and great looking locations.
The first thing to realise about Kirby and the Rainbow Curse is that it's one of those games that embraces the unique features of the Wii U, namely the touch sensitive Gamepad bundled along with the console. Throughout the entirety of the game Kirby is in ball form, but rather than directly controlling him as you would like any other platforming game, you instead drawn lines on the Gamepad's screen that he'll then roll along. It's a concept that's hard to get used to, but soon you'll find yourself drawing ramps for Kirby to zip up, sketching platforms for him use in order to avoid certain death, and creating barriers between him and various harmful objects. This game mechanic works incredibly well with the Gamepad, and though some of the levels are pretty easy at the start, as the game progresses your skill and dexterity with the Gamepad and stylus becomes crucial. What's more is that these drawn lines for Kirby fade away over time, and you can only drawn only so much at once. Later in the game this keeps you on your toes, because as the levels get harder and more traps are in Kirby's way, you'll need to avoid wasting useless lines.
However, the only downside is that due to how important the Gamepad's screen is here, you'll often find yourself gawking at that during the game, rather than the action on your main TV screen. Though this leads to the game feeling as if it would have been better suited on the Nintendo 3DS, this drawing game mechanic is wonderfully utilised in creative and fun ways. The game also tries to shake it up a bit by allowing Kirby a chance to change his form. At certain set points during the game Kirby can change into a submarine, tank and rocket. Each form has its own abilities, and though each one uses the game mechanic of drawing lines on the Gamepad, when in these new forms it's for different uses. For instance, when using the submarine version of Kirby you're allowed to move where you wish, but your bullets will directly follow the path of your drawn lines, as opposed to the lines controlling Kirby himself.
Like almost every game that's given the Nintendo seal of approval, Kirby and the Rainbow Curse looks beautiful. Whereas Paper Mario was based around a paper-craft visual style, this game looks like Wallace and Gromit at times. Characters move in a classic claymation way, almost every clay object has finger prints impressed on them, while dropping Kirby from a height will flatten him into a pancake. The visual design is really stunning throughout, and it really does make for one of the most original and memorable looking games I've played it quite awhile, and that quality stays strong for all 28 levels.
Packed alongside Kirby and the Rainbow Curse are various trials and puzzles to undertake in Challenge Mode. These trials are timed and are gradually unlocked as you play through the main game. They're a nice distraction from the main game, but possibly the best aspect of the game is the fact that up to 4-players can play the main game at once. Though this does lead to the main game becoming laughably easy, with one character controlling Kirby and the other 3 taking command of Waddle Dee's, it adds an extra dimension to the gameplay that's really quite refreshing. You'll breeze through it pretty quickly, but if you're looking for a fun, charming and addictive game for all the family, look no further than Kirby and the Rainbow Curse.
In 2011, Nicolas Winding Refn gave us one of the finest films of the 21st century – the neo-noir crime drama Drive. After years of girls swooning over Ryan Gosling in The Notebook, now men were starting to fall in love with his quiet, violent and effortlessly cool character in Drive. I am one of them. Nothing wrong with a man-crush, right? Drive has gone on to become a modern classic cult film with its electro score, superb supporting cast and that scorpion jacket. But how would Nicolas Winding Refn follow such a perfect film? I’ll tell you how! He took what people loved about Drive – specifically, a near-silent Gosling and extreme violence – and put it in Asia! What could possibly go wrong? The result was Only God Forgives, a very unusual film that continues to divide opinions – upon its first screening at the Cannes Film Festival, it received a standing ovation AND boos & walk-outs.
Directed by Refn's wife Liv Corfixen and out now on Blu-Ray and DVD comes My Life Directed: Nicolas Winding Refn, a documentary, and a portrait of Refn, during the filming and release of Only God Forgives. This is a difficult film to review. Why? Because it doesn’t feel like a film. Clocking in at just 56 minutes and presenting a fly-on-the-wall look at the production of a film, this just feels like something that should be on the special features of the Only God Forgives DVD. At least, that makes up half of it. For the bits of this documentary covering the filmmaking process, there’s nothing here that makes it feel like anything more than a glorified ‘making of’ featurette. Take Hearts of Darkness: A Filmmaker’s Apocalypse, the iconic documentary about the production of Apocalypse Now. THAT is a stand-alone work – it is feature length and covers all aspects of the creative process with ‘talking heads’ interviews with all the major players. It is deep, engrossing and involving. My Life Directed just didn’t bring any of that. It feels like a bit of a cash in, to tell you the truth. It’s almost as if Nicolas Winding Refn said to his wife “Hey Liv, follow me around for a bit with a camera and we’ll flog it as an individual DVD to some suckers!”. Sure, it showed some interesting things about the filmmaking. But it was nothing you haven’t seen before on any behind the scenes featurette on any DVD.
However, like I said, the filmmaking side of the documentary only makes up part of it. The other bulk of the documentary focuses on Winding Refn’s family life and marital strife (I’m a poet and I don’t know it, etc.) and just feels like cheap reality TV. It’s not something I want to see, and I’m sure it’s not something many of you want to see either. Winding Refn is an arthouse director for the most part, and so viewers of this documentary will be here to learn about him and his process. NOT HIS FAMILY LIFE. It isn’t necessary and feels like padding.
My Life Directed: Nicolas Winding Refn is an empty and unnecessary piece that just left me feeling underwhelmed. Now don’t get me wrong; I love Winding Refn’s work, especially Drive and Bronson, and will continue to watch his films as and when they’re made. And I love documentaries about cinema. But Liv…next time you film your husband at work, just stick it on the special features on the DVD of the film you’re covering, yeah? And maaaaybe switch the camera off when he’s not working. We don’t need to see your home life. Only God Forgives is a deep, dark, interesting film. If you’re going to make a documentary about it, do it right.
Even God wouldn’t forgive My Life Directed: Nicolas Winding Refn. 1/5.
Directed by Will Gluck and out now on Blu-Ray and DVD comes Annie, an updated version of the classic stage and screen musical of the same title. Originally set in the 1930’s under the presidency of Franklin D. Roosevelt, the setting of this remake is updated to present day New York City. The film opens with a young, red haired girl, the traditional image of the character ‘Annie’ standing at the front of a classroom. As the camera scans across the room, we are soon introduced to our actual lead, played by African American actress, Quvenzhane Wallis. Annie is, in this representation, fostered by Colleen Hannigan (Cameron Diaz), an unkind, non-maternal figure, made bitter by her failed career as an R&B singer. Left with a note from her birth parents promising to come back for her as soon as they are able, Annie waits outside a restaurant she knows they once visited, every Friday night in the vain hope of seeing her mother and father there.
We are soon introduced to the character of Will Stacks (Jamie Foxx), a billionaire mobile phone entrepreneur, turned mayoral candidate. Stacks, becoming increasingly unpopular with voters after a series of unfortunate public appearances, runs into Annie, narrowly saving her from being run over by an oncoming vehicle. The rescue, which goes viral after being recorded and uploaded to the internet by an onlooker, helps increase Stacks’ popularity in his run for mayor. On the advice of his campaign manager, Guy (Bobby Cannavale), Stacks invites Annie to come and stay with him at his luxury penthouse apartment. Annie is an instant hit with the public and Stacks popularity continues to increase. While Annie loves life living with Stacks, who grows increasingly fond of her, she still longs to meet her real parents, which leads to complications along the way.
As a lifelong fan of both the stage and screen versions of the musical Annie, and after hearing scathing reviews of this version, it has to be said I approached it with some caution. I was however, pleasantly surprised. The songs, while updated with an R&B twist, were still familiar enough for me to find myself singing along. Wallis’ interpretation of Annie is much smarter and more streetwise than the original character, bringing an edge to her performance of the song ‘Tomorrow’, which I, as a fan of this musical, have never before experienced. The film has a comedic element to it, which can feel slightly unnecessary and at some points even, cringe worthy. This I especially felt towards the character Mrs. Kovacevic (Stephanie Kurtzuba), particularly her ‘comedy’ moments during the inspection of Will Stacks apartment and the performance of ‘I think I’m gonna like it here’. Cameron Diaz’s portrayal of Miss Hannigan, the inept foster mother of Annie and several other young girls, who drinks too much and shamelessly flirts with any man who may knock on her door, provides the best comedy character in my opinion. I enjoyed, in particular, the scene where she converses with Will Stacks through the window of his limousine, while he mistakes her for a prostitute.
If what you are hoping to get from a film is a meaty storyline, something to get involved in or to get you thinking then this is probably not the right movie for you. I found this version of Annie an easy watch, while still being entertained. While the events that unwind during the course of the film have been changed and some principal roles from the original story have been eliminated, with new characters introduced in their place, the storyline still remains, in the large part, the same happy ending tale that it always was. While watching this film, although different to the traditional ‘Annie’, represented by its predecessors, I found myself smiling with the familiar, sunny feeling inside that I have experienced with this story since childhood.
Although I cannot say that this movie is not without its faults, all in all, I enjoyed this movie for what it was, a light hearted, easy to watch, musical film, which is suitable for the whole family to enjoy.
I’m not a big fan of sports films. Hell, I’m not a big fan of sports. And I’m especially not a fan of wrestling. So, when I first heard about an ‘untitled Channing Tatum wrestling film’ in production, I put my head in my hands and expected Magic Mike 2: The Wrestling Years. I thought it was just a vehicle for Tatum to parade around topless for a couple of hours and flex his guns for the ladies. I then noticed Steve Carell was to play a part. Oh great, I thought. Tatum parading around topless in a wrestling comedy – this just gets worse and worse. But as the marketing for the film began, I realised how wrong I was. Foxcatcher is as far from comedy as you can get. And you know what? It’s not really a wrestling film, either.
Directed by Bennett Miller of Capote and Moneyball fame, Foxcatcher is out now on DVD & Blu-Ray. So, is it worth your time? First of all, Foxcatcher tells an almost unbelievable tale, based on a shocking true story. In the 1980s, eccentric multimillionaire and wrestling enthusiast John du Pont (Carell) built a private training facility on his large estate in Philadelphia. Mark Schultz (Tatum) was an Olympic wrestler but was always overshadowed by his brother Dave (Mark Ruffalo); also a wrestler. These three people came together in a union that led to an unexpectedly violent end. I don’t want to spoil the plot – try not to read anything, about the film or the history, before you watch it. This truly harrowing story of ambition and control is best experienced with no knowledge of where it’s going.
The main thing to note about Foxcatcher is the central performances. Channing Tatum is decent enough as Mark; displaying a good amount of emotion during his quiet and understated performance. But there’s nothing about him that stands out or deserves any great praise. This is evident in this year’s Academy Awards nominations – he’s the only actor from the central three that didn’t receive a nomination. Mark Ruffalo is exceptionally good as Mark’s brother Dave, and further cements his position as one of my favourite actors working today. But Foxcatcher truly belongs to Carell, who will make your skin crawl with his phenomenal performance as John du Pont. Everything about the performance is perfect, and Carell deserves all the praise under the sun. He’s shown us his dramatic side before in Little Miss Sunshine, but never quite like this. He is terrifyingly good in this film and owned every scene. One of the finest performances in recent years.
This is a performance and dialogue driven piece. It is a dark, slow drama about people. It is not a ‘wrestling film’. Don’t expect to see many fights, and when you do, don’t expect a big deal to be made around them. There is very little music in this quiet film and very little tension to the sporting side of things. It’s a film about troubled people, who just happen to be involved in wrestling. The cinematography reflects this, with very little colour to be found anywhere – and when you do find a splash of colour, it’s rather muted. A lot of people have been put off by the slow pacing and overly bleak feel to the film. But they forget, this is a true story, and a horrible one. It needs to be told accordingly, out of respect to those involved. To make it an action-packed sporting film would be very wrong. It is a deeply affecting story and not for the faint-hearted. Similar to The Wrestler starring Mickey Rourke, the wrestling is but background to the deep character study in the foreground.
The only problem, albeit a minor one, is that while it is an exceptionally well made film that will stay with you for a short while after the credits have rolled, it does have a bit of a ‘forgettable’ feel to it as time goes on. I saw it in the cinema back in January and, by this point when the DVD/Blu-Ray was released, I had mostly forgotten its existence! I watched it again prior to reviewing it and while it hasn’t lost the majority of its power, I wasn’t left with quite the same emotional impact as I was the first time round. And, I can’t imagine watching it again now. But, that’s no major gripe. If you haven’t seen it yet, definitely give it a look. Just don’t expect to be revisiting it often – you might find that one viewing is enough. Must resist urge to plug CeX’s trade-in service...
Foxcatcher is a fantastic piece of work, from the expert directing of Bennett Miller to the phenomenal acting of Ruffalo and Carell. And maybe Tatum is just as good as them, but like the character of Mark in the film, is overshadowed by more ‘showy’ performances. There is very little to fault with the hauntingly beautiful Foxcatcher. If it is indeed a ‘sports movie’; then it is the deepest, darkest, most compelling and most chilling one the genre has to offer.
Foxcatcher takes you into the ring and brings forth an almighty emotional beat down. 5/5.
When referencing the Final Fantasy series in previous reviews I've never held back on what my initial opinion of Final Fantasy X was. I didn't like it. After really digging into the series with Final Fantasy VII, VIII, IX and then the Playstation release of VI, I expected a lot from X. My favourite part of the series has always been its open-world, getting lost it in and finding secret areas. Final Fantasy X didn't have an open-world. In fact, I found its world to be incredibly small and disappointing. It was essentially a glorified corridor-like world, and that, coupled along with the cheesy love story, kind of put me off. I finished it though but moved on to bigger and better things. So upon playing this remaster of both Final Fantasy X and X-2, it marked my second play-through of Final Fantasy X since its release back in 2002. The question is, has my opinion of the game changed over those 13 years, and if so, is this remaster worth your money? Read on.
Developed by Square Enix and out now on Playstation 4 (it was released last year for Playstation Vita and Playstation 3) comes Final Fantasy X/X-2 HD Remaster, possibly the best gaming remaster collection since Metal Gear Solid: HD Collection. It's going to be a bit tricky to review this release, as included on the disc is both a HD remaster of Final Fantasy X and its direct sequel Final Fantasy X-2. They both have a lot of similarities in terms of setting and characters, but each stand apart in other ways such as gameplay and tone.
The story of Final Fantasy X HD begins with a game of blitzball; a futuristic game of footy that's played inside of a giant water ball, cos why not? Leading the charge in the game is Tidus, our spunky spikey haired protagonist, voiced wonderfully by James Arnold Taylor. The city in which Tidus lives is the sprawling utopia known as Zanarkand, but it's soon attacked by the gigantic creature Sin. During the destruction of Zanarkand Tidus is sucked into a mysterious portal. He wakes up in a world completely unlike- yet strangely similar- to his own. After meeting Wakka, a cool dude voiced by the chap that plays Bender in Futurama, Tidus eventually finds himself partnering up with the summoner Yuna. This is also a world that is being ravaged by Sin, and Yuna intends on putting a stop to the creature using her powers. Only happy to come along in order to find answers, Tidus aids Yuna in her journey in bringing peace to Spira. It's a pretty decent set-up for a Final Fantasy game, and Final Fantasy X-2 HD takes place shortly after the events of it. I won't give any spoilers away here as some of you may be playing this for the first time, but Final Fantasy X-2's story isn't as strong as Final Fantasy X's, but it's still a treat if you enjoy your first game in the world of Spira.
The first time I played Final Fantasy X I hated how there wasn't an open-world to run about in. I still dislike it, but during this second play-through it didn't kill the experience for me. Perhaps the new High-Definition visuals helped, but I found the world to be far more interesting, detailed and atmospheric than I initially thought in 2002. There's a great sense of geography and culture here throughout the world of Spira, as I found myself really getting lost in towns, chatting with all the residents and really enjoying the diverse locations, races and designs of the world. Whether I found myself back at Besaid Island simply kicking back and watching the shimmering endless ocean, or dodging lightning bolts on the treacherous Thunder Plains, it was a joy to jump back into this world. Needless to say, the game looks bloody great, and even looks far better than the HD remasters previously released on PS Vita and PS3. As expected for any JRPG out there, gameplay for both games revolves around two major areas- exploration and combat. Exploration is pretty straightforward, and though an open-world would have really made this game special, the linear worlds on offer here are enjoyable and fun to roam around in. On your main quest during both games, you'll constantly be sidetracked by random ruins to explore, ultimate weapons to unlock, various side and fetch quests, optional bosses that can be defeated and unique items to be found. Both games are near identical in this regard, but when it comes to combat there's a world of difference between the two. In Final Fantasy X combat is the usual turn-based type, and with three party members able to be on your team at any one time, it ultimately falls in line with basics of Final Fantasy combat 101. However, you advance and level up your team members by using the Sphere Grid; a system that essentially presents the player with a map-like chart of connected spheres. Each sphere is an unlockable power, magic or ability, and through advancing in the game you'll make your way through a desired sphere pattern, ultimately taking on some abilities while passing others by. This system works incredibly well in Final Fantasy X, as by the end you'll have a very uniquely crafted array of abilities for each of your party members. Personally my team consisted of Auron as the muscle, Lulu as the black magic back-up and Tidus as my healer/attacker. It worked out pretty well, and is a vastly different team than what I had back in 2002.
Final Fantasy X-2 on the other hand changes up gameplay a bit. At its heart it's somewhat similar, but whereas Final Fantasy X lets you assemble a team of 3 characters and even lets your change that line-up in mid-battle on the fly, in X-2 you're locked to the same 3 characters for its entirety. This sounds pretty restricting, but with the introduction of “Dresspheres” that's not an issue. Though your trio of characters remain the same in, by finding, unlocking or buying Dresspheres you can essentially let characters take on a new persona, look and fighting style. It's really quite impressive how different these play-styles are too, as one minute you can have Yuna clad in white robes with healing magic at her disposal, then you can instantly switch to the Dark Knight Dressphere, which basically turns her into a tank-like fighter. Dresspheres breath choice and variety into the game, and dare I say, even ends up bettering Final Fantasy X's combat.
Also worth noting is that apart from the obvious visual upgrade, both versions of the games in this remaster are the "International" versions of the respective games. Basically that means they're the most complete versions of those games, with extra missions and extended endings included. Also on this disc is Final Fantasy X -Will-, a new audio drama that takes place after the events of Final Fantasy X-2. Finally, both games have completely remixed soundtracks, though your are able to freely switch between the original soundtracks and these new ones. Personally I prefer the originals, but it's nice to have the option.
Overall this is a fantastic HD remaster. Both games look absolutely stunning and I can honestly hold my hands up I admit I was wrong about Final Fantasy X. I loved it. My criticisms still hold to a certain point, but I loved getting back into the world of Spira. Though Final Fantasy X-2's story is incredibly lacking at times, the overall journey here over both games is very much worth taking. Yes, both games are a little bumpy at times, but they still play incredibly well, and give many modern JRPGs a run for their money. Whether you're already a die hard fan of Final Fantasy X, a newbie to the series or someone who didn't enjoy it back in the day, give this remaster a shot. It's a lovely little package of action, adventure, humour and drama.
Final Fantasy X/X-2 HD Remaster proves I'm a gobshite with a 5/5.
I would like to start this review by pointing out that I am in no way the target audience for this film. I'm a 26 year-old bearded guy with a penchant for early 2000's pop-punk music and the Tomb Raider videogame series. I like microwavable pizzas and denying all knowledge of what I said to your mate at that hipster bar last Friday night. You may well ask yourself what business I have watching a film aimed at 4 to 11 year olds, let alone reviewing it, and as I sat down to the opening credits, I was asking myself the same question.
Tinker Bell and the Legend of the Neverbeast, out now on DVD and Blu-Ray, is part of the Disney Fairies franchise, a set of computer animated movies produced by DisneyToon studios, which specialise in direct-to-video feature films. Now, most of the time when I hear “direct-to-video” I think of budget horror movies, starring bug-eyed actresses with no talent, who just happened to be very friendly with the director. More than friendly. Biblically friendly. So, I was quite apprehensive, not only as to how much effort was put into the story of The Legend of the Neverbeast, but also as to the quality of the animation.
However, within the first minute of the film starting I was in awe of how beautifully Neverland had been rendered. You can see rays of sunlight reflected in the splash of the stream, the wind rustling in each animal's fur, and you can see reflections in the eyes of each character. Everything was so lovingly crafted that my apprehensions melted away and I was tentatively engaged in the adorable animated universe of Tinker Bell and her posse. Although called Tinker Bell and the Legend of the Neverbeast, this story centres around Fawn, one of Tinker Bell's sisters from another mister, and her, sometimes misplaced, affection for anything with fur. Or talons. Or fangs. Actually, it seems that the more a creature wants to devour Fawn, the more she wants to take it home, set it in a wicker basket under the stairs and call it 'Little Lord Fluffykins,' which, as the film progresses, we come to realise is one of her most admirable traits.
Everything is peachy in Pixie Hollow until a Nostradamus-esque comet streaks across the sky and sets in motion an ancient prophesy that a winged demon will surround the hollow with stone towers and call down green lightning from the sky, destroying anything that isn't evil, or at the very least, morally questionable. And then it plays out as your regular rom-com. Fairy meets beast. Beast ignores fairy to build towers made of stone and spit. Fairy stalks beast until beast stops accidentally-on-purpose destroying her bedroom. Fairy aristocracy discovers existence of beast. Fairy and her friends shelter beast from the fairy military and ultimately cause collapse of fairy society. Positively Shakespearean.
Okay, all jokes aside, that is a very glib description of the basic storyline, except for the ending (this is Disney, darling!), which, although positive, is surprisingly emotional, especially for a story about fairies and fluffballs. But it's not the story that makes this a true Disney feature, it's the way it's told. From the very first interaction between Fawn and Tinker Bell, we are exposed to that classic Disney humour, the true spirit of any film, that keeps our minds and hearts engaged. Everything about Tinker Bell's world is whimsical and innocent, but presented with so much wit that it's impossible not to fall in love with every creature. There isn't any of the nudgewink innuendo humour from other Disney films that you don't pick up on until you've grown up, it's entirely sincere, with all the humour that's aimed at parents or guardians being in the expressions and voice of the characters.
The animation style is very similar to that of Disney's 2010 film Tangled, where the subtlest of eye movements or fraction of a pause for comic effect can instantly instil laughter in anyone watching, and there was more than one occasion where I surprised myself by bursting out laughing, just from how perfectly one fairy glanced sideways at the absurdity of her friend. But the aspect of the film that truly makes it magical is the voice acting, which is absolutely on point. By the end I was living for the throw away one liners that came from Tinker Bell or her friends, which added a depth to the film that took it from bog-standard animated tale to a piece of Disney magic.
Is this an instant Disney classic? I'm afraid to say it's not. The short running time and somewhat predictable storyline mean that it simply can't compete with the Disney legends of Beauty and the Beast and Toy Story. With that being said, however, there is a charming, if slightly cliché, lesson to be learned from this adventure, 'don't judge a book by it's cover.' Fawn is the only character that listens to her heart when first confronted by the Neverbeast, and in the end, it is her acceptance of everyone for who they are, not what they look like, that saves the day. Combining this with an adorable heroine, gorgeous scenery and an innocent but delightfully playful sense of humour make the Legend of the Neverbeast a hidden gem that will entrance younger audiences, and might even make fans of some big kids too. All you need is a little faith, trust and pixie dust.
Tinker Bell and the Legend of the Neverbeast gets a magical 4/5.
★★★★☆
Dale Smith
Tinker Bell and the Legend of the Neverbeast at CeX
Directed by David Dobkin and out now on DVD & Blu-Ray comes drama The Judge. Robert Downey Jr plays big city lawyer Hank Palmer, who must return to his small hometown when his father (Robert Duvall), respected member of the community and town judge of 42 years, is suspected of murder. He fights in court as his father’s lawyer and, along the way, reconnects with his estranged family and old friends. I presided over the case of The Judge and am ready to cast my verdict. Do I find it guilty of being another mediocre, cliché-ridden courtroom drama? I solemnly swear to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. And I promise, there won’t be many more courtroom jokes. Objection! Yes, there will!
Let’s kick things off by looking at the highlight of the film – a certain Mr. Duvall. At one point during The Judge, a reference is made to the iconic courtroom story To Kill A Mockingbird – surely not a coincidence this would be mentioned, as the 1962 film adaptation starring Gregory Peck was Robert Duvall’s screen debut. Since then, Duvall has appeared in some of the greatest films of the silver screen; including The Godfather, Apocalypse Now and Network to name but a few. Duvall is one of the finest actors in cinema history. I’ve always believed that to be true, and his performance in The Judge just furthers that belief. Without a shadow of a doubt, this film belongs to Duvall. Delivering an extremely moving, layered and downright exceptional Oscar-nominated performance as Judge Joseph Palmer; Duvall shows that after 50 years in the business he can still act better than most. Robert Downey Jr however…He wasn’t bad, he was just playing himself. Or he was playing Tony Stark. Same thing. You know, the cocky sarcastic wise-cracking hotshot who swaggers about with confidence and charisma. Yes, it’s a good act and is great for the Marvel Universe. But it’s time someone gave him something different to do. Either he isn’t getting the options of different characters, or he’s the least versatile actor since John Wayne. The supporting cast worked well with what they were given, but were largely ignored and given very little character development. It’s a shame; the great Vincent D'Onofrio was completely wasted. That being said, any development for the supporting characters would’ve just added more time onto the film – and at 2 hours and 15 minutes, it was already beginning to outstay its welcome.
The Judge is a few films rolled into one. Firstly, and most obviously, it’s a courtroom drama through and through. This is the main genre it falls into. But, it’s also heavy on family drama and the effect of illness and age. Let’s look at each part in more detail. So firstly, we’ve all seen a courtroom drama – be it as a film, or during an episode of Law & Order. We all know the clichés. The Judge doesn’t shy away from them. Whilst the courtroom side of the story is beautifully shot with a gorgeously bleak colour palette, it’s all rather predictable and there’s nothing here to make it stand out. Despite the plot of the film, the courtroom scenes are not this film’s strongest element. So we move onto the family drama side of things. Although narratively it is unoriginal, the two Robert’s have fantastic chemistry together and the film shines during the scenes of them arguing (in one instance whilst a storm conveniently rages outside) or discovering newfound respect for one another.
One sequence dips its toe a little too deeply into cheesy sentimentality, with the brothers bonding over grainy old childhood home video footage. But it’s the relationship between Downey Jr and Duvall that drives the film. This leads us nicely into the concept of illness and age. There is one sequence in particular which I will focus on to discuss this. Whilst it is not a spoiler as such, I’d skip to the next paragraph if you don’t want to know ANYTHING about The Judge’s story. One scene features Hank looking after his father and assisting him as he a) vomits and b) shits himself. It’s an extremely powerful and hard-to-watch scene, and taken as part of a film about failing health and illness; it would’ve been Oscar bait. But I felt like it was out of place and in the wrong film here – as discussed, The Judge is mostly courtroom drama. This scene, although very well acted, surprised me with its inclusion in the film.
So, have I reached a verdict? The Judge is, as predicted, a rather underwhelming mediocre piece, so rammed with cliché that it’s bursting at the sides. It was also overly long and narratively a little muddled at times; perhaps including things that were unnecessary and omitting things that would’ve helped it. However, it features a phenomenal performance from Robert Duvall that would’ve surely had a chance at winning the Oscar if it wasn’t for JK Simmons showing us all how it’s done in Whiplash, and is beautifully shot. This isn’t enough to save it from its shortcomings though, and the film will be forgotten before you can say ‘case dismissed’.
No further comment, your honour! On the whole, The Judge is found guilty of mediocrity and is sentenced to a score of 3/5.
During my time with CeX I've really enjoyed being forced to play a few racing games. Don't get me wrong, the lads and ladies at CeX don't tie me to a chair, put a gun to my head and make me play these games (*wink* wink* they do, send help please), but there have been a few times in which I've decided to review racings games, a genre I previously never enjoyed that much. So here I am again with another high profile racing game on my desk, fresh after pumping a good few hours into it. So, with the racing game market already being flooded and dominated by various other franchises, where does Project CARS fit it with it all?
Developed by Slightly Mad Studios and out now on Playstation 4, Xbox One and PC comes Project CARS, the most accessible hardcore racing game ever, and that's either a compliment or criticism depending on how you like your racing games. Project CARS is the 6th game by the UK based Slightly Mad Studios, a developer that, so far at least, only focuses on the world of motor-sport. I can't really speak for any of their previous efforts, but if Project CARS is anything to judge by, Polyphony Digital might just have a contender for best racing sim developer.
What everyone wants to know before they buy a racing game is “how do the cars handle?” and “does it have good features?”. Thankfully Slightly Mad Studios have nailed both of those aspects of this racing sim. From the outset it's clear that incredible detail has gone to replicating a whole slew of real world cars, including major brands such as Aston Martin, BMW, Ford, McLaren and Lotus. From the absolutely blistering speed of the Aston Martin Vantage GT3, the sheer unadulterated force and power behind the Ford Mustang Cobra SCCA TransAm, to the lumbering controls of a Renault Clio Cup, Project CARS' realistic cars are truly a thing of beauty. Each one feels incredibly different from each other, and this opens up a vast array of different play-styles, player preferences and gameplay experiences. To achieve the authentic feeling the cars have here, Slightly Mad Studios heavily consulted with former “Stig” Ben Collins of Top Gear fame, Nicolas Hamilton and Oli Webb, and this attention to detail genuinely comes across.
There's a great level of custimozation in Project CARS too, especially in terms of tailoring it to the experience and difficulty right for you. Almost everything can be altered or changed, and these alterations have a huge impact on gameplay. From assigning buttons to your steering wheel/controller/keyboard, actively rearranging and moving the entire on-screen HUD, to dicking around with the A.I of fellow drivers with the help of a very useful slider, it's all here. Whether you're looking to race against other drivers that will fight you tooth and nail till the last stretch, or easier opponents who will allow you to easily lap them twice over for a well needed confidence boost, Project CARS gives you the opportunity for all of that. Hardcore racing sim lovers may hate how changeable the games difficulty is, but I found it to be refreshing not having to jump into the deep end on my first few hours.
Project CARS also looks breathtaking too. The entire selection of real world cars here have been painstakingly recreated. For instance, while I've never seen a Palmer Jaguar JP-LM in person (like dude, I didn't even know that shit existed until now), in Project CARS it, along with every other car on offer, looks astounding. The same goes for the tracks as well, both the real-world and fictional ones. With over 30 tracks to race about in, there's plenty to see and do in Project CARS. In fact, with the excellent and varied weather conditions that you can cycle through in the options, each track will look and play quite differently, depending on what kind of weather you go for.
Overall Project CARS is for everyone. It's for the hardcore racing sim fan who wants authenticity and challenge, but it's also for the newbie who wants cool fast cars and fun. I'm a bit of the latter to be perfectly honest, and I came away from Project CARS looking forward to what Slightly Mad Studios do next.
