Who told me that Valentine's Day was a good film that I should watch? I know someone did. Will anyone own up?
OK. It's not actually dreadful. It's just tediously formulaic in a "Modern" kinda way. On the plus side, the relentless twists and overly calculated lack of sentimentality mean that the film just about avoids getting too... sentimental. Even then it's a close-run thing though.
To say the film is an Americanised version of Love Actually is so obvious I can't imagine anyone not saying it. Nevertheless, it's also a statement of fact. One that says everything you need to know about what's wrong with it. As well as everything that's not quite wrong.
In fact, it's the not-quite-wrongness that makes the film so frustrating to watch. The film vacillates between moments when I smile wryly, to moments when i want to pull my hair out. With plenty of dull "meh" periods in between.
It's confused. It tries to be both a romance and a smartass comedy. Equally and at the same time. It's a combination that just doesn't work. It is, however, very Modern.
Showing posts with label review. Show all posts
Showing posts with label review. Show all posts
Thursday, 7 April 2011
Sunday, 22 August 2010
Starcraft 2 : Wings of Liberty [Mac/PC]
Play it for:
* RPG elements make this the best and least linear single-player campaign from Blizzard.
* Best plot and characters of a Blizzard game too, and a couple of goosebump moments.
* Revamped Battle.net mode is kinda awesome.
Avoid it for:
* Long load times, and greedy for RAM/processing power.
* RPG elements make this the best and least linear single-player campaign from Blizzard.
* Best plot and characters of a Blizzard game too, and a couple of goosebump moments.
* Revamped Battle.net mode is kinda awesome.
Avoid it for:
* Long load times, and greedy for RAM/processing power.
Monday, 2 August 2010
Sam & Max - Season 2 [Mac/PC]
Play it for:
* bigger & better episodes than season 1.
* puzzles are much more innovative (time paradoxes!) and less frustrating too.
* all ties up into a fantastic finale with tons of great moments!
Avoid it for:
* still buggy as heck.
* bigger & better episodes than season 1.
* puzzles are much more innovative (time paradoxes!) and less frustrating too.
* all ties up into a fantastic finale with tons of great moments!
Avoid it for:
* still buggy as heck.
Tuesday, 27 July 2010
Ratchet & Clank: A Crack in Time [PS3]
Play it for:
* satisfying conclusion to the trilogy.
* best weapon system of the three.
* best puzzles of the three.
Avoid it for:
* nothing radically new.
* satisfying conclusion to the trilogy.
* best weapon system of the three.
* best puzzles of the three.
Avoid it for:
* nothing radically new.
Secret of Monkey Island HD [PC]
Play it for:
* very witty and silly characters, dialogue, puzzles, and plot.
* some of the best gaming moments ever.
* new graphics, voice acting, and hint options make it better than ever.
* piratey goodness, yarrrr!
Avoid it for:
* if you have an underdeveloped/dull sense of humour.
* very witty and silly characters, dialogue, puzzles, and plot.
* some of the best gaming moments ever.
* new graphics, voice acting, and hint options make it better than ever.
* piratey goodness, yarrrr!
Avoid it for:
* if you have an underdeveloped/dull sense of humour.
Saturday, 17 July 2010
Toki Tori [Mac/PC]
Play it for:
* remorselessly cheerful graphics and music.
* ingenious level design and game mechanics.
* the wonderfully bad Toki Tori rap at the end.
Avoid it for:
* if you are hateful, a moron, or a hateful moron.
* remorselessly cheerful graphics and music.
* ingenious level design and game mechanics.
* the wonderfully bad Toki Tori rap at the end.
Avoid it for:
* if you are hateful, a moron, or a hateful moron.
Tuesday, 13 July 2010
Spycatcher [book]
Right. I finished this book about a month ago, but it's taken me a while to get round to the write-up.
This is the book that got banned in the 80's. I picked it up at a charity book stall.
It's actually very interesting. Very detail-heavy though. But if you have a mind that's fascinated by such detail, you'll learn lots and be quite shocked at quite how much gets revealed.
The tone of the book is intriguing too. What starts off like a history lesson, actually builds up in tension as one particular theme gathers overriding importance - namely, the possible presence of a high-up mole in MI5.
This is where the book gets personal. For while Peter Wright is very detached and descriptive in the most part, it's very difficult not to see things through his eyes. It's also where it gets a bit personal for me, because the Director General of MI5 at the time was Roger Hollis, the father of Adrian Hollis, who was my tutor at Oxford Uni. And not only that, Roger Hollis is also the person That Peter Wright clearly is convinced was a spy for the communists.
Reading something so controversial is enthralling enough. But knowing someone who must have been affected by the book's publication makes the speculation, that all the book's readers must go through, much more intimate...
This is the book that got banned in the 80's. I picked it up at a charity book stall.
It's actually very interesting. Very detail-heavy though. But if you have a mind that's fascinated by such detail, you'll learn lots and be quite shocked at quite how much gets revealed.
The tone of the book is intriguing too. What starts off like a history lesson, actually builds up in tension as one particular theme gathers overriding importance - namely, the possible presence of a high-up mole in MI5.
This is where the book gets personal. For while Peter Wright is very detached and descriptive in the most part, it's very difficult not to see things through his eyes. It's also where it gets a bit personal for me, because the Director General of MI5 at the time was Roger Hollis, the father of Adrian Hollis, who was my tutor at Oxford Uni. And not only that, Roger Hollis is also the person That Peter Wright clearly is convinced was a spy for the communists.
Reading something so controversial is enthralling enough. But knowing someone who must have been affected by the book's publication makes the speculation, that all the book's readers must go through, much more intimate...
Age of Zombies [PSN]
Play it for:
* it's actually quite fun.
* post-modern zombie slaughtering.
Avoid it for:
* short and mindless (though that's also a positive!)
* it's actually quite fun.
* post-modern zombie slaughtering.
Avoid it for:
* short and mindless (though that's also a positive!)
Sunday, 20 June 2010
God of War 2 [PS3]
Play it for:
* God of War but better.
* God of War but more awesome.
* God of War but superior.
Avoid it for:
* The occasional sight of bare breasts.
* God of War but better.
* God of War but more awesome.
* God of War but superior.
Avoid it for:
* The occasional sight of bare breasts.
Sunday, 13 June 2010
Indiana Jones & The Fate of Atlantis
Play it for:
* Indy atmosphere & humour.
* Surprisingly decent scholarship on the Atlantis myth.
Avoid it for:
* Somewhat dated gameplay.
* Indy atmosphere & humour.
* Surprisingly decent scholarship on the Atlantis myth.
Avoid it for:
* Somewhat dated gameplay.
Sunday, 30 May 2010
Loom [Mac/PC]
Play it for:
* unique and smart control system.
* has a certain enigmatic charm.
Avoid it for:
* unresolved, underdeveloped, and incomplete.
* short (see above).
* unique and smart control system.
* has a certain enigmatic charm.
Avoid it for:
* unresolved, underdeveloped, and incomplete.
* short (see above).
Wednesday, 26 May 2010
Machinarium [Mac/PC]
Play it for:
* beautiful art style.
* you can't help but love the rustily cute world and characters.
* great combination of "point n click" puzzling and more Layton-esque brainteasers.
Avoit it for:
* despite the great experience, it's a bit on the short side for its full price (£15).
* beautiful art style.
* you can't help but love the rustily cute world and characters.
* great combination of "point n click" puzzling and more Layton-esque brainteasers.
Avoit it for:
* despite the great experience, it's a bit on the short side for its full price (£15).
Saturday, 22 May 2010
Portal [Mac][PC]
Play it for:
* Old school science fiction atmosphere.
* Unique and memorable gameplay experience.
* The song at the end.
Avoid it for:
* The game only reveals its full majesty in the last couple of chapters - though the ones leading up to that point are thankfully short and sweet.
* Old school science fiction atmosphere.
* Unique and memorable gameplay experience.
* The song at the end.
Avoid it for:
* The game only reveals its full majesty in the last couple of chapters - though the ones leading up to that point are thankfully short and sweet.
Robin Hood 2010 [film]
Watch it for:
* Cate Blanchett.
* To see the French get whooped.
* A film that defies expectations.
Avoid it for:
* Slow.
* Tries to be too clever and takes itself too seriously.
* Cate Blanchett.
* To see the French get whooped.
* A film that defies expectations.
Avoid it for:
* Slow.
* Tries to be too clever and takes itself too seriously.
Monday, 10 May 2010
Super Mario Galaxy [wii]
Play it for:
* pure AWESOME, pure FUN.
* amazingly creative level design.
* wonderful controls.
Avoid it for:
* voice acting, though thankfully sparse, is awful.
* pure AWESOME, pure FUN.
* amazingly creative level design.
* wonderful controls.
Avoid it for:
* voice acting, though thankfully sparse, is awful.
Tuesday, 30 March 2010
Mirror's Edge [PS3]
Play it for:
* pretty unique 1st-person parkour experience.
* real adrenaline rush when you're being hunted down and have to run for your life.
* genuine feeling of accomplishment.
* the heroine is uber-cool.
Avoid it for:
* some bits are very frustrating.
* pretty unique 1st-person parkour experience.
* real adrenaline rush when you're being hunted down and have to run for your life.
* genuine feeling of accomplishment.
* the heroine is uber-cool.
Avoid it for:
* some bits are very frustrating.
The Ruby Knight [Book]
Book two of the Elenium trilogy completed. More of the same, which is no bad thing. Same brilliant dialogue. It's also very playful, even having a slight poke at fantasy conventions; the characters actually question how improbable certain coincidences seem, and to his credit, Eddings does his best to make it all believable. Additionally, while I like Pratchett for writing the most serious Comic Fantasy, I like Eddings for writing the most witty Serious Fantasy.
Tuesday, 23 March 2010
God of War [PS3]
Play it for:
* EPIC visuals and story
* seriously cool combat and battles
* devious puzzles
Avoid it for:
* pretty brutal if you don't like that kinda thing
* EPIC visuals and story
* seriously cool combat and battles
* devious puzzles
Avoid it for:
* pretty brutal if you don't like that kinda thing
Tuesday, 16 March 2010
Batman: Arkham Asylum [PS3]
Play it for:
* brilliantly fluid combat system
* the awesomeness of the Batman universe
* suitable for the thinking gamer
Avoid it for:
* no catwoman
* brilliantly fluid combat system
* the awesomeness of the Batman universe
* suitable for the thinking gamer
Avoid it for:
* no catwoman
The Diamond Throne [Book]
Now my room's nice n tidy, I've seen my bookshelf. So last week I started reading a novel for the first time in a while. Catch up on the backlog of books I've bought but haven't got round to reading. Started on The Diamond Throne by David Eddings.
Haven't read any of his stuff since the epic Belgariad series, probably about 15 years ago. Felt really comfortable settling back into the thing I remembered and liked the best; the witty banter between the characters.
Characters are great too. All very vivid. The plot is very well-paced though. And has a great balance between things working out well for the heroes, and setbacks. All in all great fun, without being cheap or cheesy. Hopefully I'll get the other two books of the trilogy finished within the next three weeks. Then I might officially count myself as a reader again after a long, long lull.
Haven't read any of his stuff since the epic Belgariad series, probably about 15 years ago. Felt really comfortable settling back into the thing I remembered and liked the best; the witty banter between the characters.
Characters are great too. All very vivid. The plot is very well-paced though. And has a great balance between things working out well for the heroes, and setbacks. All in all great fun, without being cheap or cheesy. Hopefully I'll get the other two books of the trilogy finished within the next three weeks. Then I might officially count myself as a reader again after a long, long lull.
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