sharkattack1978 Reviews

Mad Max (2015 Video Game)

The road warrior beckons

[9/10 · 15 September 2015]

Now if like me, you love the Mad Max movie franchise, this will obviously peak your interest. So many years, the franchise of movie based games has been very poor and fallen on hard times. RAMBO the video game could have been SO much better, so you can be forgiven for thinking that this Mad Max game will be lacklustre. However you would be VERY wrong. Avalanche Studios and Warner Bros have crafted a great game and i say this after playing this game NON-STOP for a whole week. My family lost me for a long while because this game is involving. I became addicted to it for that whole week. Literally the whole week. I myself LOVE Mad Max (both the franchise and the game) The game brings everything we love about the Mad Max films and ramps it up like they did with Fury Road. This game is set after Fury Road where Max is brought in by the warring factions to rid themselves of a tyrant called Lord Scrotus (no seriously that is his name) after Max's beloved car the Interceptor is stolen and Max is left for dead. From here he meets Chumbucket (again, that is his name) who is a real whizz with mechanics and cars (and he helps you supe up your new car, the Magnum Opus.

For here on, YOU do what you want. Want to supe up the car first, find and smash up any convoys or rampaging Warboys so steal their scrap and use it for your own personal use to make you machine almost unstoppable. Everything is available to upgrade from tires, to exhausts, to spikes. As well as some particularly fun vehicular manslaughter, there is a chance to get out of your car and busts some heads, jaws, arms etc in the marked camps where something or someone nasty is always lurking and waiting to bust your head open if you aren't fast enough. Once you get the hang of the block system (the combat system is pretty much like Batman Arkham Knight and that's not a bad thing) you can really go to town on these rabbles and their top dog which awards you with their colour of your car. Although some colours look absolutely hideous, Also you can upgrade yourself to become the bad-ass of the game. The Wastelands open world is VAST, there is so much to do. From Death Races (yes it is what you think) to defuse minefields with your trusty dog Dinky Di which help lower the threat level of the territory ( and lower theses and you got the best rewards) The game itself is comprised of wasteland missions (which are side missions) and the main story that is unfortunately not that long. My advice would be to do the wasteland missions first, smash a few convoys and then finish the story, that way you get some great upgrades before the finale (which you will need) The whole experience was fun, intense and sometimes heart-wrenching. There was only one level that seriously infuriated me and that was the race with Stank Gum who cheats at every opportunity by sending his cronies to stop you at every available opportunity (bu ramming you, throwing thundersticks and even boiling oil as well as handing bombs.

This game has everything: Brutal hand to hand combat that is satisfying. Vehicular manslaughter which again is satisfying when you get rammed off the road the first couple of times. Ah, revenge is sweet. An involving story and some heartache and a game you'll want to play again just to finish all the camps, enhance the strongholds (which give great rewards), get the convoys and defuse the minefields, then the world is yours to do as you please, for scenic drives around the wasteland or lie in wait of a rampaging Warboy/war-boys to smash to smithereens.

All in all, i recommend this 100% to anyone who loves the Mad max movies because this is a blast and fun to play. The only reason i never gave this a five star is because the story itself was short.

I for one, would LOVE to see a sequel to this game.

Chain Letter (2010)

A throwaway horror (contains minor spoilers)

[4/10 · 10 February 2014]

This is a throwaway horror. You know the kind that you watch once and then forget about it? This is one of them. It's entertaining and a little shocking at the start but then it just becomes a formulaic by numbers horror/thriller where you just have to leave your brain by the door. The story is NOT well told. You never find out who the burnt man is who is doing these killings. Who is putting him up to the murders or why can't the police find him before he kills again. You just watch a teen fodder is killed over and over again and the fact this movie is called Chain Letter gives you an idea how they are killed. Plus also this film doesn't show that much of the gore. It gives you a little but it's so fast, blink and you miss it. Let me say this, this is not SAW, this is not a teenage version of SAW and as others have stated it will never be like SAW. If they had told more of the story towards the origin of these killings, this film might have been good and yes even THAT ending would have be explained better and therefore more shocking when it plays out as the final act. However it's just a forgettable horror that leaves you confused and underwhelmed.

Army of Two: The Devil's Cartel (2013 Video Game)

Army of two reaches a frontier

[8/10 · 5 April 2013]

I have just finished playing Army of Two the Devil's Cartel and was it any good? HELL YEAH IT WAS! I had immense fun playing this game. So much so, I'm playing it again. This is a bang for your bucks type of game, it has the action and even some laughs. Now before you ask, this one is about two new elites called Alpha and Bravo, but don't let that fool you, Salem and Rios are in this too at major intervals. They are still very much integral to this game. This new chapter brings some very new revelations to light which will shock you before you reach the climax to this great game. This roller-coaster of fun leads you from one intense fight to another intense fight relentlessly with hardly any breaks via the cut scenes but you will love the ride. The bits that everyone most loves are still here from gun customization, mask customization and even outfit customization as well as a better havok engine and even better accuracy with the guns. included as well is a much better Melee system that allows you to do unspeakable damage to your enemy which I found immensely satisfying to do.

AOT: TDC is an immensely fun game for those who love their shoot 'em ups and yes it even has plenty of playback value, i'm playing it for a second time, just to try new guns and new ways of vengeance. Army of Two is still one of the top shoot 'em ups out there, gear up, strap on and kick ass!

V/H/S (2012)

VHS is no video drome but it will mess with your head!

[5/10 · 21 February 2013]

O.K. before I start, this film should contain a warning label saying that anyone who suffers from motion sickness, should either take travel pills before watching this or should just avoid it completely. The camera is literally all over the place and before even the end (say about 30 minutes through) I did have to reach for the sick bucket. Not for the content which i must admit for an 18 was lacking but because the camera made me dizzy and nauseous. VHS is supposed to be one of those found footage homages to great anthologies like Creepshow, tales from the Crypt, trick 'r' treat and those other great movies that had three to five stories in one film. VHS has a good concept, it's simple and sometimes effective, but the rest of the movie is annoying and doesn't make any sense whatsoever. The film is compiled by some great independent directors like TI West who brought us the chilling House of the Devil but he also brought us the awful Cabin Fever 2. His story in this is perplexing but I'll get to that later.

The films opens with some guys wrecking things, playing pranks and molesting some poor woman in a car park by lifting her top and showing her breasts. Tehn the action switches to a car and the story that is explained on the cover takes flight. Their mission is to retrieve a VHS videotape from some old guys home. Seems straightforward right? WRONG! when they get there they find a dead body in front of some TV sets and a load of VHS tapes. One poor unfortunate member of the group must subject himself to the horror on the tapes.

Warning!!! the following does contain spoilers....and there's a reason that I put these as it warns you what you are letting yourself in for. This movie has stories that have no end, only two end satisfactory and that's Amateur Night and 10/31/98. The rest will leave you scratching your head and saying "is that it?" If i had known that this was what the movie was about, I might have liked it more. Hence that said I will be watching VHS2, but at least I will go into it knowing what to expect.

The first story of the bunch is Amateur Night. This one was actually fairly scary. It's a simple story of Lads going out of a night and pulling women to come back and have sex with them. The whole story is told from the perspective of a nerd like character who has a camera in his glasses but they get much more than they bargained for when the woman turns out to be a blood thirsty monster who has a crush on guy with glasses. Needless to say a bloodbath ensues and he runs for his life. The monster thinking that he doesn't like her and terrorises him until she picks him up and drops him from a very high height. this film contains what feels like skipping so if you are watching this on DVD or Bluray and thinks something is wrong with the DVD/bluray, DON'T, it is part of the film. It was made this way.

The second story SECOND HONEYMOON is a perplexing tale about a newlywed couple checking into a hotel and when they go to sleep, some mysterious girl is filming them with their video camera. The first night, they are just watched and filmed, the second night, the woman use a switchblade knife on the woman's buttocks. Then the third the man is brutally stabbed in the throat. The Wife of the poor guy asked the woman if she deleted the murder and the film ends. Not a very satisfying end, it's the "is that it" end I was talking about.

The third is definitely the ridiculous of them all. TUESDAY THE 17TH. Just a rip off of Friday the 13th with a pixelated man who is murdering some really stupid people. enough said! The fourth one STRANGE THING HAPPENED TO EMILY, is actually a good story but a perplexing end. It starts with a girl showing herself topless on a webcam to some guy who says he is some kind of doctor. The girl becomes friends with the guy and then she gets plagued by ghostly going ons (paranormal Activity 4 anyone?) She sees these things and falls unconscious, in which he comes round and pulls something out of her back. (WTF!?) It ends with the guy finding another girl/woman who shows him herself topless. Plot holes is how the hell he got there in the first place when he was talking to her via his home?????? The fifth story begins after the poor guy watching these tapes finds out that the man ain't dead and of course he meets a grisly end. The fifth story 10/31/98 is a halloween party gone majorly wrong. a bunch of guys go round to a house expecting a party and they get much more than they bargained for when it turns out that a cult are trying to sacrifice a girl and rid themselves of a demon. Like other modern horror clichés the girl turns out to be possessed and while trying to save her, she imprisons them in a car which is then hit by a speeding train.

That in a nutshell is what you can expect to see in this movie. If my explanation has helped and you still want to watch this knowing what to expect and be prepared for it, then all i say it just don't expect too much and you may enjoy it. This movie definitely has the WTF? ratio to it and hopefully my explanation has helped with the abrupt endings that you experience in this movie. VHS is a good idea but not fully used to it's potential.

Buried (2010)

Being BURIED alive will become your greatest nightmare

[9/10 · 6 February 2011]

Now I know what you are thinking, is this film worth my time and money. YES it is. This is a well acted, fairly well thought out thriller that will make you hold your breath from the intensity of the subject matter. It is terrifyingly real and everything the principal character feels, you will be made to feel right up to the last second where the last twist will shock you and stay with you long after the credits have rolled. Ryan Reynolds has always been one of my fave actors since he was in Van Wilder and the Amityville horror. Reynolds has proved that he can do both comedy and drama and here he does keep you on the edge of your seat for 90 mins. The films running time actually mirrors the time that Reynolds character is subjected to during his ordeal under the ground. Reynolds is the core of this film as the whole film is of him and no-one else. The film is a well crafted piece of suspense and even if you think you already know the ending, how it is executed stays with you even after the film ends. Reynolds plays Paul Conroy, a track driver of a company called CRT. After an ambush in the Iraqi wastelands, his whole convoy is killed and he is held alive but under the Iraqi desert in a wooden box that could easily become his tomb. With only a lighter, a mobile phone which is rapidly losing battery and a flask of brandy, Paul realises he must keep his wits about him to escape this nightmare where time is rapidly running out.

WARNING THIS NEXT PART CONTAINS SOME SPOILERS!!! Now if you were put in a wooden box and buried several feet under the Iraqi desert and you were running out of not only air but battery, what would you do? Well for a start, you try not to panic as the franticness of the situation would make you lose more air than if you were calm. However how can you stay calm stuck halfway under the ground. Paul only has a handful of numbers to call while in the coffin but this is supposed to be emergency services, yet none of them really give a crap that he is placed in a Stupid coffin miles from nowhere. The voice acting on the other end of Paul's are superb and helps pull you further into Paul's nightmare and succeeds to force you into the same frustration that Paul finds himself on the receiving end of. Now a lot of people (especially on IMDb.com) that criticise Paul manner while he speaks to these people while to the coffin. His anguish and abuse is understandable in this situation. If you were stuck in the ground, wouldn't you be cheesed off? Paul does have this trait but it doesn't spoil the sympathy that you feel for his character throughout the movie. Top that with the fact that his company couldn't give a crap about him which is revealed in a phone call with the chief of personnel at Paul's place of work and also to find out that the person who is supposed to be helping him is bloody lying to him the whole time, adds to the anguish that Paul and the audience feels as the movie comes to its climax. and just having someone saying "I'm sorry" as you feel like your life is slipping away just fuels it more. By the end of the movie I was thinking that if I had been Paul and I had of got out of there, that jerk at CRT would have been my first port of call and had the crap kicked out of him for what he done. By the end I was annoyed by the way it ended, it seemed like Paul finally accepted his fate. just when you think he is being rescued, a nasty curve-ball comes along to deliver that last shocking blow to your and Paul's senses. However now looking back, the ending does work as it leaves an emotional scar in your mind and even at some point haunts you as you know that in Iraq, things like this ACTUALLY happen and people disappear and we have no idea where they are. Buried is a terrifying thriller that I'm sure you will be talking about for days afterwards. This is a captivating movie and it is EVIL in its execution but Buried is a film that cannot be ignored.

Dead Rising 2 (2010 Video Game)

Dead rising 2 is a phoenix rising from the ashes

[1 October 2010]

After the success of the original Dead rising. I really wanted to see a sequel to it. Finally in 2010, our wishes have been answered. Enter Dead Rising 2. Is it as good as the original? Well....Yes it is, easily surpasses the original by miles. Frank has not returned for the sequel, instead this new edition to the zombie survival horror is focused on a new hero. Exit Frank West, enter Chuck Greene. Chuck is a motocross legend and a devoted father, but when the zombie outbreak threatens his family, Chuck must man up and take on the zombie threat anyway he knows how. Everything we enjoyed and loved about the original is back and i mean back with a vengeance. Firstly not only can you pick up anything and use it as a weapon but you can also combine them and make an even vicious weapon to help dismember and dessicate any zombie can come into your path. Slaying zombies is even more fun to do in DR2, I spent hours dispatching the horrifying horde. Once again the psychopaths are back in force and there seemed to be more in DR2 than there was in DR. DR2 is more fun to play than the first game and it is certainly much more gory and gruesome. The only gripe I have about this game is that the damn breakable weapons return as well. Things like MMA groves, Boxing gloves and Swords would not break, so why after using them for three minutes do they disappear/break? The game is more challenging than the first one but this time you can have a friend help you in your hour of need as DR2 has got a co-op mode where you can both take on the campaign and the zombies. Playing on your own is fun yet sometimes a little frustrating but playing together is an absolute blast.

DR2 is the game that you wished for, if they do another DR3 then they have to get rid of the breakable weapons.

Growth (2010)

prepare to squirm in your skin

[6/10 · 22 January 2010]

If you love Squirm and Slither, then you will love this. It will give you the chills and even the most hardened horror fan will shudder when he sees the "things" burrow through into the flesh of an unsuspecting victim. Growth is a new body horror from the company that produced SAW, MY BLOODY VALENTINE 3D which was Lionsgate. I have to say I have been impressed by the horror movies that Lionsgate are releasing as most of them are good. I love nature gone bad movies and body horror movies, so I gave this a whirl. Well let's just say I was scratching my skin about 45 into the film. It really does make your skin crawl. Most of the time the parasites are CGI but they are CGI that you can believe in and be repulsed by and believe me they are repulsive. Through some scenes I actually even felt sick. It is a movie that plays with your mind and your body at the same time. believe me it will GROW on you.

Grave Mistake (2008 Video)

this film isn't a grave mistake to watch.

[5/10 · 27 November 2009]

considering that this was a low budget grade z movie, it was fairly good. The acting in this may not be of great quality but it is an amusing story with some great special FX for a low quality production. The zombies unlike other low budget low grade zombie flicks do actually look really good and the special of the "kills" are actually fairly gruesome. it's nothing new to the zombie genre but you could do a lot worse with your 90mins than watch this. It is a comedy as well if you look at the characters in this. half of them had me laughing excessively because they were so larger than life over the top characters and even some of the things that they say are fairly cringe worthy but also make a giggle. don't expect too much from this movie and you'll have a good time. After all, this isn't a George A romero film.

Brütal Legend (2009 Video Game)

Brutal legend is brutally brilliant

[9/10 · 25 October 2009]

A game forged out of the rock of ages has come, giving the hard rocking metal fans what they want. Awesome tunes, rocking action/violence, big stars and a few well placed curse words. That game is Brutal legend. Jack Black is hilarious as Eddie Riggs, a poor roadie who meets an untimely end after trying to save some pratt on a rock n roll stage. His soul is taken to Hell where rock is a weapon of choice. Eddie dispatches evil with a huge battle axe and his trusty guitar and lays waste to anything in his path. Take a good look at the name of this game. It's called BRUTAL LEGEND and it means what it says. This is a very gory game but that's what I love about it. There's decapitations, limbs being hacked off, people being run over, you name it, this will probably have it. Also it has the best rock/metal tunes of yesteryear pumping out and rocking your console as you progress through the game. I found this game a lot of fun. It quenched my blood-lust and also appealed to the rocker within me. Jack Black does an excellent job as the hero of the game. He makes you totally believe in the character and you wonder where the quests will take you next. Cameos come a plenty in this from the prince of darkness himself Ozzy makes an appearance, Rob Halford from Judas Priest as well as Lemmy from Motorhead is involved in the storyline, leaving the best part of the villain to the great Tim Curry. BRUTAL LEGEND is the game that Metal/Rock fans have been waiting for and it has been a long wait. Finally it's here and it ROCKS!!!!

The Guys (2002)

your heart will feel for 9/11

[9/10 · 20 September 2009]

9/11 was a disaster that still devastates us to this day. We can't forget the horrific visions that we saw on that day and probably never will. I myself have been to ground zero and seen for myself the terrifying and upsetting wreck that was the mighty standing tall monument that was the great World trade center. When I heard that Hollywood was taking notices of this tragedy, I knew I wanted to see them all. The Guys was one that I really wanted to see. I have seen Flight 93, United 93 and World Trade Center, so I was happy to see that the film was finally playing on UK's TV station ITV. The film is mainly based around two strong principal characters. These characters are the journalist and the fire captain who are still trying to come to terms with the hundreds of deaths of all the fire-crew who lost their lives during the towers collapse. Sigourney Weaver who has always been one of my fave actresses give a star turn, even Oscar worthy performance as Joan and Anthony LaPaglia who I have liked ever since I saw him in Innocent Blood, gives a heart wrenching performance as Nick, the fire captain whose grief for his men has not yet subsided and who had to say heartfelt eulogies for every man he lost on that tragic day. The conversations that they share was extremely well scripted and the emotion is so well put across that you could easily mistake it for genuine. maybe even it was, maybe both Weaver and LaPaglia did experience their own emotions during the real attack and used it to the max and it shows in their performances. The film never gets boring and I found it extremely poignant. The friendship the two share throughout the film is not a romance kind of friendship, even though during the movie they seem to be hitting it off. The friendship they share is a connection in some way, it can't be described but there is definitely some closeness between the characters. The conversation does just stem on the eulogies but dancing, fantasies, but also visions of the real life aftermath and memorials. Children's pictures of lost parents, newspaper clippings, lit candles, all well placed in the movie and you are drawn into it as if it's not a film you are watching. It's more like you are watching something thats real. It's amazing how two strangers could form a friendship on something so tragic and yet they do and it's interesting to see and somewhat engaging too. I even wish that we could turn back time and stop 9/11 from happening just as much as the characters desire to do so also. 9/11 is never forgotten.

The Outer Limits: The Sentence (1996) Season 2, Episode 22

Go 'outer' your mind

[9/10 · 19 June 2009]

This is easily the best episode of the new Outer Limits. David Hyde Pierce (Niles from Frazier) expertly plays a scientist who believes that he can change the jail/prison over population. His idea is the fact that you trick the prisoners that they are serving their 'time' when in fact it's by.... Well i won't spoil it and if you want to know the full synopsis which include spoilers then check the full synopsis at the top of the page. The reason why I say this is the best episode is because this is the most chilling that I have ever seen the Outer Limits envision. It's also an episode that makes you think 'what if it could really happen'. The thing that is most chilling about this episode is the fact that the situation the character is experiencing seems so real that even you see it as real too. If you love The Outer LImits, then you really must check out this episode, you'll never see reality the same way again.

Piranha II: The Spawning (1982)

Pirahna 2 the yawning

[2/10 · 16 June 2009]

This movie could not have been made to be a serious "sequel" to the original Pirahna. The film was originally called Flying Killers and now for some reason it's been renamed as The Spawning or vice versa. It did actually see a poster that had The spawning on it so made it was called spawning before flying killers. Well the concept is just so ridiculous, I have enjoyed some other no brainer Sci-fi movies (Sci-fi channel has them all the time) but this is both an insult to the greatness that Cameron later created and got him noticed in Hollywood and to me the fan of sci-fi horror and Cameron's work. Who the hell thought of Flying Piranhas? It totally ruined a great classic film to me with this horrid mess. Whether the deleted director's cut version was better like The Crow City of Angels then i guess i'll never know. According to sources, it was on the set of this film that Cameron came up with the idea for The Terminator, the film that made him a star and matured him as a director, so much so that this was forgotten for years until now. That aside it is one of those so bad it's watchable films. Definitely one for a beer and pizza night with friends for a laugh. Just don't expect something awe-inspiring as you will be disappointed with it. Lance Henriksen is totally wasted in this. Although he does play a amicable heroic lead, you can tell he was a better actor destined for better things and later he was (Pumpkinhead aka Vengeance the demon, The Terminator, Aliens...... list goes on.) If you have an hour and half to kill then you could do worse. At least you have do see it once.

Almost an Angel (1990)

The heaven has opened and a new angel is among us

[9/10 · 21 May 2009]

This is definitely my favourite of all of Paul Hogan's films. I remember watching this back when i was younger and i loved it. The whole story about a bank robber who finds his calling in a much different sector of the spectrum made it an entertaining film. The acting is superb by the three main characters which really helps flesh out this story to the point that you really care for the characters. Paul Hogan plays a likable con turned good guy, his real life wife Linda Kozlowski plays a church/charity worker for disadvantaged kids who has a heart of gold and lastly kudos to Elias Koteas whose portrayal of a disabled guy gives the movie the heart and emotion that I must say I didn't expect. All in all almost an angel is a great little movie with some surprises

Paul Blart: Mall Cop (2009)

Die Hard for kids yippee-Ki-yay mothershopper

[8/10 · 9 May 2009]

If Die Hard had made a version for kids, this would probably be the way it would have been done, except without the laughs. Paul Blart is a great funny family movie with plenty of fun to be had from all the family. The laughs for the kids, and the tongue in cheek gags to former action movies for the adults. The plot was in most parts fairly predictable but the laughs did do their best to help veer away from the obvious plot twist. Kevin James from King of Queens fame does a great job playing the bumbling no-body that ever one takes for granted but soon shows them that he is more clever and cunning than anyone gives him credit for. I'm sure that once in our life we ourselves have felt the same way so you can sympathise with the character and thats's where Kevin James and producer Adam Sandler hit the nail right on the head. They could have made this character into a know it all mall cop who always gets his man but they chose (and it was a wise move) to make him as bumbling and clumsy as Inspector Clouseau but with a hint of John Rambo and John McClane thrown into the mix. All in all Paul Blart: mall Cop is a fun filled laugh fest from beginning to end and yes it will even make you cheer by the end. "Scuba-dooby doo"

X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009 Video Game)

Cut to the chase Bub

[9/10 · 5 May 2009]

This is the definitely the definitive Wolverine game out on the market. This one puts X Men 3's video game to shame and pretty much any other X men game ever. Why you ask? Well it's because we the gamers finally see Wolverine's full Berserker rage and the awesome damage that Wolverine can actually do. Be warned this game is definitely not for the kids. Wolverine's attacks are vicious, unpredictable and brutally violent, so much so I loved it. The violence is bloody and quite gruesome. Wolverine has many moves that include the dismemberment of any enemy stupid enough to get in his way and trust that happens a lot. From cutting arms off, decapitations, impaling on spikes and even vivisection with plenty of claret (blood) almost spraying on the screen, Wolverine is a guilty pleasure as you do love killing anything that decides to shoot at you, come at you with machetes and inhuman monsters out to snuff you out. The wounds on Wolverine every time he is hit are graphic and jaw dropping as you can actually see inside his body for a limited time and see all his guts and bones underneath his shredded flesh and chargrilled entrails. No other game has done this ever and no-one else has had the balls to make a superhero game that as violent as Xmen Origins Wolverine. There were quite a few times when my jaw dropped to the floor after seeing Wolverine pull off certain moves like taking a pilot of a gunship and shoving his head into the blades spraying blood everywhere. This game will easily keep you happy after you have had a stressful day at work and you want to let off a lot of steam. If you love Marvel and you want a great game with plenty of gore then Wolverine is one you shouldn't miss. be warned though sometime it can get quite frustrating.

Watchmen: The End Is Nigh (2009 Video Game)

Watchmen: The end is nigh is the one to watch out for

[8/10 · 26 March 2009]

The game of Watchmen: the end is nigh is a great download from xbox live for the xbox360. The game is worth the money for the download let's just say that. Almost as violent as the film, the games centres around two of the watchmen Rorschach and Nite Owl II fighting all comers who dare to try to stop them or destroy them. The violence is satisfying for fans of the film as Blood and bone are spreaded throughout the game and like Mortal Kombat, the two characters have their own unique finishing moves which while not quite graphic are actually fairly gruesome and awe-inspiring for a small half of the game then they become "just another move". Although a little repetitive, Watchmen is a fun and action packed game with some nice graphic comic touches to the storyline. The storyline reads just like the graphic comic that it comes from and the games plays like an updated Streets of Rage (which I love) with some gore thrown in for good measure. The game has plenty of replay value as you will love to deal out your own brand of justice to the villains and yobbos who are trying to seriously kick your butt and they also have a nasty habit of surrounding you and surprising you when you least expect it. But that just adds to the freshness of the gameplay which doesn't stay fresh for long but then become annoying but you can choose to rise above it and not let it get you down. I did and I persevered with it. All in all Watchmen: the end is nigh is a good beat'em up for the more mature gamers that will keep you button bashing for a least a year maybe more.

Spider-Man: Web of Shadows (2008 Video Game)

web of shadows is a near dark sided masterpiece

[9/10 · 12 March 2009]

Spider-man web of shadows is a great game with only a few flaws. The first of those flaws is the voice acting of Spider-man. He seemed too whiny in this game than he is in any of the other games. It even takes a while before his sarcastic side that we know and love to make an appearance. That aside however this game is pretty good. The combat physiques are much much better than that of the previous games and even the movies. In this one you can fight on the sides of buildings and even fight via the air and buildings and zip from one baddie to another just with a single button. However you have to land the button just in time before the baddies have a chance to dodge your attack. New moves, new villains and a brand new storyline where you determine what path Spider-man takes. Every action has a reaction and those reactions could cost you dearly, this become really annoying when you are trying to lead the path of a hero. Also things in the city if missed add to the outcome as well, so watch out for that. Second is how tedious the damn symbiotes are. You fighting one, then six others turn up and it gets really irritating and every time you hit one the others join in and beat you to death. Also when you try to rescue and protect civilians that its Spider-man's duty during a mission get either killed or overtaken way too easily. This was really infuriating for me as I had to get doing over and over again just to save them. Everything you do in this game adds to the path you will end the game on, so if you want to be a hero, you really have to work hard on it. That aside it is fun still to swing around buildings and jump and run from one place to another. You even need to know your knowledge of Spider-man during some of the fight scenes as you will be asked questions to prove if you are a hero to some of your allies. Depending on what path you take determines the allies you have. Take the red path and the heroes becomes your friends and will help you when the going gets tough but if you takes the black path, you will have the villains on your side. This can be tempting but doesn't come without its doom as you will have every hero after you as well as Police which comes in vast numbers. This game certainly gets the adrenaline pumping and keeps you busy for possibly days. I feel that the next Spider-man have a lot to live up to if they are going to beat the physiques of this game but as every Spider-man fan I welcome the next one. Another thing about this game is that it goes back to the original comic book suit rather than the new suit (that was in Spider-man friend or foe and Spider-man the movie video games). The suit looks really impressive but I'm not sure why they made the suit so shiny that it looks like rubber. I can under stand with the black symbiote suit but the original cotton based super suit? Some of the banter between the heroes and Villains can be a bit boring at times but luckily Spider-man's quick witted sarcasm rings through (thank god). The music is brilliant as they make it sound like a big screen score of the movie so that is impressive when you are fighting as you really feel that you are Spider-man. Another thing I hate about this game is the fact that the spider sense has changed. In this one you can't slow down time but hitting the spider sense button instead it becomes a lock on for your foes. Shame I miss them slow motion fights where you get one up on your foes. Oh well. Also another thing is that there is the old nasty slow down that hampers the game play. Say you are swinging through New York and below you there is a fight between the symbiotes and other parties. Well the point I'm getting at is that if you get low enough while swinging, the game will slow down as there is too much information for the game to handle.

However Spider-man web of shadows is the best spidey game by far and Spider-man 4 the game will have some serious competition when it is released next year. If you love Spidey then check out web of shadows and enjoy the aerial combat you don't get in any other spider-man game.

Grand Theft Auto IV: The Lost and Damned (2009 Video Game)

Grand Theft Auto is Lost and Damned? Hell NO!!

[9/10 · 3 March 2009]

Forget GTA4 as Lost and Damned is the game that GTA4 should have been. Better Missions, better characters and even better music tracks too. I had more fun and excitement playing as the member of the biker gang than I had playing Niko in the proper game of GTA4. The story is good and the action is actually quite realistic, more realistic than GTA4. The music is to die for as it has grand bands providing the tunes like Deep Purple and Motley Crue for starters. It really helps you get into "the Zone" and then the concentration on the game becomes more clear and then the fun really begins. Also it incorporates some of the original characters of GTA4 into the new storyline which is a great touch, I think they did that just so the original characters are forgotten. If you wanna ride, I guarantee it will bring out the biker in you.

Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives (1986)

Jason is back! He's the man behind the mask.

[8/10 · 20 February 2009]

This is my fave Friday the 13th film of all the chapters. Jason lives allows people to forget the cheating Friday the 13th part 5 new beginning which did not have the REAL Jason Voorhies in it (see the film to see what I mean). The resurrection of Jason was good and Jason's methods of killing were impressive. Even the character of Jason was made to be more liked than his human victims. This was possibly the first film that you will on Jason to murder his victims in many different ways. It is more fun than the others too. To see what I mean check out the paint ball party scene, i have never laughed so much at a Friday the 13th movie as much as I laughed at this. The laughs are intentionally put in and they work well. Coupled with the music of Alice Cooper and starring Thom Matthews from Return of the living dead fame and a brief cameo by Tony "GHOST" Goldwyn and an pleasing amiable female lead played by Jennifer Cooke and Jason lives becomes a great 1hr 34 mins of a great night in.

Dead Set (2008)

Dead set is dead good, even the zombies like it

[9/10 · 5 November 2008]

I thought that there would never be a zombie epic to beat or even overshadow George A. Romero's Dawn of the Dead (apart from Shaun of the Dead) and now FINALLY I think we in Britain have finally got a film/TV movie/ mini series that does rival that. Dead set is a horror set around the Big Brother phenomenon and a terrifying real zombie apocalypse. The general public and the house-mates even the crew of Big Brother become unknowingly involved in a vicious fight for survival as the dead start eating the entire British population one chunk at a time. I truly loved this, I love zombie movies (yes even the crap and extremely cheesy ones too) and this was the best millennium zombie based survival horror I have ever seen. As far as I was concerned the remake of Dawn of the Dead, remake of Day of the Dead, the new 3D version of Night of the living dead and every other 'poser' zombie movie out there nowadays that doesn't fulfil the code of the zombie horror movie i.e. intense scenes and graphic gore, Dead set fulfils on all levels. Firstly the acting is great from Andy Nyman (severance) as the totally obnoxious producer of Big Brother Patrick to Jamie Winstone as the poor floor runner Kelly forced to become the heroine in charge of the survival of the house-mates of the Big Brother house. There's even past BB housemates who star in cameos at the start of the series and some even become zombies later but you'll have to watch it to find out who becomes one and who becomes zombie brunch. Next I'll move to the gore. Don't think that just cause this was a made for TV movie that they skimp on the gore because they don't. I was very surprised by the gore and bloody carnage that they were allowed to put on the small screen. E4 have definitely pulled out their balls and had the guts (no pun intended) to show this movie he way we'd expect it to be seen in all its gutsy glory (again no pun intended.) Some of the effects rival that of Tom Savini's groundbreaking and very gruesome special FX on the original George A. Romero's Day of the Dead. I was in awe by what they were allowed to show on the screen and thank god they did. Next the social commentary that George included in Dawn is re-invented and used in Dead Set. How the characters talk about the zombies and how the zombies watch the revealing show via TV sets that they walk around finding their next meal and what society is reduced to. Lastly the zombies in this are genuinely chilling, they look menacing and vicious even at times somewhat evil and very ravenous… and I mean ravenous for human flesh (take note Resident Evil Trilogy) Yes even for the first time I can even pass the fact that these zombies can run and pretty damn fast. Just like the zombies from Dawn of the Dead remake, Day of the dead remake and 28 days/weeks later these will tear after you if you are seen and that is scary but although they can do that the slow style of zombie i.e. Romero's zombies are much more frightening than the fast future style zombies of today. The dark overtone of the story adds an air of dread to the atmospheric tension and terror that Dead Set has deep in the underbelly of Charlie Brooker's well thought out script. Britain proves that what Hollywood can do, with a bit of careful structure and preparation the UK can do it better. We did it with Shaun of the Dead which was a global hit and I believe that we can easily do it again with Dead Set when it finally reaches USA shores soon. The climax genuinely had made both thrilled, chilled and scared and not many horrors can do that with me.

Dead Set is a thrilling gory"shoot me again I ain't dead yet" exciting piece of UK style horror and should be seen to be believed.

Shoot 'Em Up (2007)

shoot em up shoots from the hip

[8/10 · 14 September 2008]

This was exactly what it is called, a shoot 'em up. This is the film I have been waiting for since The matrix ended. It's simply a no holds barred shoot em up action movie from beginning to end. A really fun filled bullet-fest. The kills are well done and very bloody even gruesome as some points and there were quite a few WTF? factors in it which I love to see in this type of movie and also plenty of whoa cool! factors as well. Clive Owen is good as the mysterious gunman whose skills put that of Neo's to shame. he shows that he can do a action film and that he could easily take over playing James Bond when Daniel Craig gives up the PPK. Paul Giamatti is a surprise in this movie. He is usually good at playing villains but here he is both menacing and cruel with his little quips at Owen's character. Sometimes it's better to have films like this, one that don't require you to have a brain. Where you can just sit back and go along of the ride and wow what a ride it is. Nothing about this film was boring, it was straight in your face action with some quick fire one liner laughs mixed in for good measure. The soundtrack is also perfect for this film including songs from Motley Crue and AC/DC that keeps the interest going during the gun fire. I'm hoping that this will give Clive Owen who is a underrated actor his much needed attention and dues.

The Jacksons: An American Dream (1992)

Can you feel the magic that the Jackson's give?

[9/10 · 14 September 2008]

This was one of those biopics that has you in awe by how good it is. The Jacksons were one of my fave bands when I was younger and I caught this TV movie on true movies the other night. Wow I had no idea it was going to be so good. After watching this I can understand why Michael is the way he is now. He had absolutely no childhood mind you he did ask his dad if he could be part of the Jackson when he was a kid so he kind of cause what happened with all the fame and the fans. This follows The Jacksons right from when they were born up to when they became superstars and even Michael's solo career with Thriller. The acting is superb with star performances by Angela Bassett as Katherine Jackson the mother of the Jackson 5. Just like Tina, Angela Bassett shines as Katherine, her emotions and her strong character comes through on the screen. Lawrence Hilton Jacobs does a great job as Joseph Jackson the father who did push his kids too far for the sake of fame, fortune and glory but eventually you get to like him towards the end of the film. Terrence Howard also makes a very early debut as an older Jackie Jackson but kudos should go to Wylie Draper who gives an amazing portrayal as Michael. I mean he had him down to a tee. He spoke like Michael, he danced like Michael and yes even sung like him. Michael Jackson only gave his voice to only nine of the songs in this film. The song list that is in this that Michael actually sings in this are: I want you back, ABC, I'll be there, Rockin' Robin, Dancing machine, I want to be where you are, Human Nature, Billie Jean, and Beat it. All the rest were done by the cast who played the Jacksons in the movie. I was totally blown away as they did such a good job with the numbers that they genuinely only performed. The choreography was spot on, mind you they did have Michael's own personal choreographer Michael Peters helping with the steps in this and thank god he did cause made a simple teenage actor into the best portrayal of Michael that i have ever seen. I'm so sorry that I find out that Wylie died the year after this was made, my sympathy goes out his family.

The only thing I didn't like about this film was that they totally missed a massive chunk in the film. The chunk I'm talking about was that the period between when Michael becomes a solo artist. You don't see him do Don't stop until you get enough, Ben, one day in your life and even the Off the Wall album. The off the wall album was only spoke about briefly in this film and that was it. It also missed out the other great hits that Michael performed with his brothers like Blame it on the Boogie and Can you feel it. it completely missed out all those and went straight to Michael recording the THRILLER album. Although they did manage to include the horrific Pepsi incident where Michael got severely burnt but I'm glad to see the ending was electric with Michael singing a number that I have never heard before with his brothers. I really loved how it finished with a personal message from the Jacksons to all us fans. It was done by the actors but you could tell that the message was really from the real Jacksons which thanks us for the years that we were loyal fans throughout the years that they were recording. I'm so glad that this finally came out on DVD as I intend to buy it. If you love the Jacksons music or just Michael's you have got to see this film. It's so great it's dangerous. :)

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008)

hello again Dr Jones, Boy have we missed you!

[8/10 · 30 May 2008]

Finally after 20 years since the last Crusade, Indy is back for a brand new adventure, but has it been worth the wait? Answer: Of course it bloody has, this is Indy we are talking about. This time Indy is on a brand new adventure that is literally out of this world. Like Rambo, Indy returns with gusto. The fun from all the other movies is here. I really enjoyed Indy 4 and I hope that Spielberg does make another one because in this one Harrison still proves that he is Indy. All the expected stunts, chases and fist fights that we have known to love are all included in Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. That aside the plot gets a little hard to get used to. Well let's just say you have to keep an open mind about it. It's nothing like anything Indiana has searched for before, this time it isn't a religious artifact but more power of knowledge to things that we can't believe or don't understand. I went to Indy 4 with no expectations and I got what I wanted, an action packed fun thrill-ride which was what I did expect. The ending is left open and gave a nod to someone else taking over Indy's reigns but I think while he has breath in him that Harrison will do another Indy movie. The welcome return of Karen Allen as Marion was fun to see as she proved that she hadn't lost her edge since Raiders of the Lost Ark. Although in this film she was kind of reckless in her methods. Shia La Beouf does a good job as Mutt, a reckless teenage greaser who has echoes of what Indy was like when he was younger. He proves that he can hold his own in fights, however he is a wimp when I comes to bugs and there are a lot in this movie. Hey what would an Indy film be without bugs, snakes, or spiders? That's half the thrill of Indiana movies the creepy skin crawling factor that Raiders and Temple of Doom had and Indy 4 is no exception. Ray Winstone is great as Mac, Indy's long suffering friend that we haven't seen in any of the other movies but after a brief history from Indy you soon realise why he is there. Also Cate Blanchett is perfect for the Russian Villain Irina Spalko. She is beautiful but very deadly and she is willing to sacrifice any comrades that get in her way to her goal which of course being a villain leads to her downfall. Indy 4 has plenty of Oh whoa factors and plenty of jaw dropping moments to satisfy fans but it does leave you puzzled. Still hopefully it will still have you appetites wet for Indy 5 which I'm looking forward to and I hope it does get made. Quite simply put into words Indy 4 is an exciting action packed fun filled adventure thrill ride and worth seeing more than once. Some people have said they didn't like it but if you watch it more than once, you will grow to love it as one of the Indiana Jones series.

Diary of the Dead (2007)

Diary of the dead isn't as good as the others

[2/10 · 29 March 2008]

I really wanted to see this film and i watched it last night at a midnight showing as it was the last day it was on. It was good but a little disappointing for a Romero zombie movie. It had some good scares that made you jump but Romero's trademark gore wasn't there and i felt a little cheated. Don't get me wrong it good to see how the zombie outbreak began but how can you do a film about a time before Night of the Living Dead when the characters had digital cameras, digital phones and digital TV's when the era it was supposed to be based didn't have any of that technology. WTF??!! Yes like other Romero Dead movies this has a lot of social commentary by both George behind the camera and the telling of the story from the two lead characters. There were a few funny moments and even some scary jump out of your seat moments but if you didn't see this at the cinema they won't impact in the same way. Diary does need to be seen at the flicks in order to get the scare factor out of it. Some people say the Day of the Dead (1985) was the weakest one of the saga, i disagree this is the weakest one of the films. I was deeply disappointed by what I viewed on screen. Romero's trademark feast scenes were gone apart from a small scene behind a hospital curtain but the person was already dead. Come on George what happened to your human slaughter scenes where someone is pinned to the ground and torn to shreds, none of that was in this and these are the moments that scare me the most. the acting was OK, the gore was good from what there was of it and it was fairly suspenseful but all the good parts were missing. I hope that there is a uncut directors cut coming out on DVD because if this was the uncut one, I'm very disappointed.

Rambo (2008)

Rambo's return draws more than just first blood, it draws box office power

[9/10 · 28 March 2008]

Anyone who thinks that Stallone is showing signs of ageing, you couldn't be more wrong. Just watch this Rambo film for example. Finally I got to watch it and I loved it. The story was thought provoking and has Rambo now retired from his tours of duty and living the life of a simple boatman on the rivers of Thailand. He also does a bit of side work providing snakes for daredevil in a Thailand betting house. He's living a relatively quiet life until he is asked to provide transport to dangerous Burma. Of course nothing goes to plan and a few are brutally murdered and Rambo knows what he must do to get back the ones still surviving and the one way he can do that is release his now dormant retribution side. Good to see that even though Stallone and Rambo have gotten older, the power they both have still burns deep. Stallone does a great job as both Rambo and Director, he capture the action sequences beautifully and keeps them fresh and exciting. Possibly after starring in the first three RAMBO movies he has obviously picked up tips from his fellow directors on how to make action scenes and war moments memorable and shocking. The action scenes are tightly done, Stallone captures exactly what he wants to put up there on the screen and displays it with plenty of firepower. There's explosions, plenty of gunfights, brutal violence and human drama which actually does shines through the violence. Stallone does exceptionally well in depicting the pure horror of Burma. These people are just pure evil. There were several times in this that I winced at some of the things that they did. They were truly vile and barbaric and I couldn't wait until Rambo got hold of them. Rambo shows no emotion during the fight scenes and that sums up the person who Rambo really is; a one man killing machine that executes with no mercy, just like how the Burma soldiers were with their pray. Well you know the old saying *What comes around, goes around* and that what Rambo gives them, a taste of their own medicine. There is also a nod in this towards the people idea that Rambo is old and worn-out when the Mercs who have been organised to rescue the workers see Rambo wanting to join in the fight and tell him to stay with this boat as they think he is a simple minded boatman, boy they couldn't be more wrong. Rambo shows them exactly what he is capable of in spades. Stallone's Rambo is backed up by some great performances from his carefully chosen cast. Julie Benz does a great job in her role as Sarah, a Christian aid worker who befriends Rambo to help them achieve their mission. Matthew Marsden is great as Schoolboy, a merc with a powerful sniper rifle (and I mean powerful) Graham McTavish as the lairy cockney SAS SGT who i felt give Londoners a bad name by the way that he treats Rambo. The extras were exceptional as the nasty Burmese soldiers. They depict the right amount of malice that the real soldiers still have in Burma and make you really hate them so much so we love it when they die for their horrible crimes. Everyone is going on about the violence in this movie. Yes it's is shocking because it's suppose to be, unlike other Hollywood films, the violence is depicted in it's rawest form to show you the viewer what horrors happen in that country. It's not sugar coated popcorn violence, it's real and thats how it is portrayed. During some scenes with the innocent townsfolk being tortured, raped and murdered by these Burmese soldiers did get me so enraged that i had my fists clenched so tight in anguish that my knuckles went bone white. They were just pure evil and i relished even ended up cheering when Rambo appeared and eliminated them in the only way he knows how....with extreme force. I didn't find the violence excessive like everyone says it is. Maybe I'm becoming desensitised to violence in movies as i have seen it many times. The violence in this film is necessary, Stallone wants the people of the world to see just what is going on over there right now as they sit in the cinema eating their popcorn. The violence and horrific acts are vile, vicious and vindictive so the violence that Rambo reciprocates back to them is entirely justified. Them soldiers deserved everything they got (and they got plenty). RAMBO also has some scenes reminiscent to the first two Rambo movies, the infiltration of the camp and the siege in the forest for example. Stallone takes every aspect of what of the fans love about the Rambo films and gives it fresh blood. RAMBO is a pure adrenaline thrill ride from beginning to end. It doesn't lag or get boring and the action is in your face and comes thick and fast. The only thing i didn't like about this film was it didn't seem very long and i felt sad when it ended. I think that Stallone still has a few more Rambos in him, although I'm not sure that he will be able to beat this one but i welcome another sequel. "Shoot me again, I ain't dead yet"