The Revenant Movie Review

Released: 25 December 2015 (Limited release in the United States)

Length: 156 Minutes

Certificate: 15

Director: Alejandro G. Inarritu

Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Tom Hardy, Domnhall Gleeson, Will Poulter, Forest Goodluck, and Grace Dove

The 1800s were a tough time for those living in the then unsettled region of the Louisiana Purchase; dangerous animals, hostile relations with native tribes, limited methods of defence and above all else, a battle with the freezing cold. These are just some of the many obstacles that Leonardo DiCaprio must face in The Revenant, an immensely harrowing and visceral struggle for survival.

Based on the book by Michael Punke and beginning on the banks of a frosty river and nearby forest, The Revenant follows a band of pelt hunters forced to flee following a devastating attack by the native Arikara tribe, cutting their numbers down by two thirds. After a frightful and deadly encounter with a grizzly bear, scout and hunter Hugh Glass (Leonardo DiCaprio) slows the expedition down in their efforts to reach safety. A disgruntled member of the company, John Fitzgerald (Tom Hardy) manipulates the other members into leaving him for dead and after fleeing the scene, Hugh is left with nothing but his own wit and survival skills to find his way back and have his vengeance upon the man who wronged him. From the offset, The Revenant is very clear on what it wants to be; this is a rough, gritty and brutal foray through a relentlessly unforgiving setting. As Hugh Glass traverses it, the audience is subjected to an array of intensely realised moments; viscous fight scenes and death-defying escapes that populate the film’s plot. Alongside this, the pacing swaps between day and night with quick efficiency, putting across the extended time Glass spent out in the wilds. As the central protagonist wills himself to both survive and recover, The Revenant keeps a compelling narrative that you won’t be able to tear yourself away from.

The fairly compact cast of The Revenant keeps the narrative simple and easy to follow, with each member doing their part to make the characters believable. Leonardo DiCaprio is fantastic as Hugh Glass; he isn’t given too much to say throughout the film, so instead he relies on facial expression and body language. Every pain-staking injury and movement is vividly captured, which gets across the extreme predicament the character finds himself in. On the opposite side of the coin is Tom Hardy, who brings a suitably unlikeable opponent; Fitzgerald is especially devious, despite his rugged exterior. The other actors including Domnhall Gleeson and Will Poulter bring very clear and recognisable traits to their characters; with a dutiful Captain Andrew Henry and the young, inexperienced Jim Bridger being engaging in their own ways. One thing which I thought worked to the film’s benefit was its sense of ambiguity; Glass may be aiming to chase down Fitzgerald throughout the film, but all the characters have their own motivations and ways of life that often conflict. It is the frozen wasteland that really hampers the humans at every turn, and thanks to an innumerable amount of shots and angles that show off the sheer scale of the environment, it practically becomes a character itself. Even the Arikara tribe that attacks at the opening of the movie have their motivations and reasons for what they do.

What The Revenant accomplishes in terms of filmmaking technique is nothing short of astonishing; this really is one of the most absorbing films ever to be put on display. Every single element works to pull the audience in, making them feel as if they are in the frigid wastes with the characters. Following on from the director’s single-take technique in Birdman, every single shot in the film has been accomplished using natural lighting, with CGI being reserved to the creatures in the film. Whether it’s deer, bison or everything in between, the wildlife has been carefully composited into the film without disrupting the immersion on display. The film is also very creative with other shots as well; tracking shots for actions between characters pan around the environment, as well as several far and wide angles that show how nature towers over man. The make-up effects, particularly the often nasty and grievous injuries the characters receive are shown in excruciating detail, highlighting the disadvantages man once had in this untamed wilderness. Musically, the film is very sweeping, with simplistic tones that match the long ranged shots of the environments overhead. The level of quality from a production standpoint achieved here is unbelievable, one of the best looking and sounding cinematic visions I’ve ever seen.

By every definition of filmmaking, The Revenant succeeds marvellously; rarely do we receive a historical epic to this degree of excellence. Go see it, and get sucked into one of the most nail-biting movie experiences you’ll have this year.

Rating: 5/5 Stars

The Hateful Eight Movie Review

Released: January 8th 2016 (UK)

Length: 167 Minutes

Certificate: 18

Director: Quentin Tarantino 

Starring: Samuel L. Jackson, Kurt Russel, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Walton Goggins, Demian Bichir, Tim Roth, Michael Madsen, Bruce Dern, James Parks, and Channing Tatum

Quentin Tarantino’s eighth film is an engrossing flick filled with mystery and an ever rising tension made more palpable by the enclosed environment the characters find themselves stuck in.

The Hateful Eight takes place in the frozen wilderness near Wyoming where bounty hunter Major Marquis Warren (Samuel L. Jackson) hitches a ride with the wary John Ruth (Kurt Russel) who is transporting a most valuable prisoner (Played by Jennifer Jason Leigh). After stumbling across another stranger in need named Chris (Walton Goggins) who is apparently the new sheriff of Ruth’s destination, the three soon arrive at an out-of-the-way lodge and are introduced to five other faces. Finding themselves snowed in for at least a day or two, these eight unsavoury characters all dislike each other in some way or another and at first they try to keep their distances; but as the hours roll on, the Wild West’s version of Cluedo ensues. Suspicion and apprehension runs rampant with new twists and revelations coming and going at a brisk pace. This is what makes the film so engaging and you’ll be keeping an eye on all the characters wondering what their next move will be. By making use of a non-linear and chapter driven narrative to tell its story, the way past and present are placed encourages the audience to even grow more intrigued; the burning question is, what if anything, happened at this lodge before Warren, Ruth and Chris arrived? The Hateful Eight posts this question to us and always keeps us absorbed as a result.

With a premise that lives and dies based on characterisation, The Hateful Eight carries on the director’s tradition of characters with magnetic personalities. The ensemble cast in a western film is nothing new; in fact, the idea of a group of individuals who find they crossing paths is very much in the vein of spaghetti westerns such as The Magnificent Seven and The Wild Bunch. Like previous classics of the genre, each one of them is very memorable; Warren is the de-facto leader, Ruth’s no-nonsense attitude isn’t going to put up with anyone’s rubbish and Chris is awkwardly humorous. The other characters are also a real treat to watch; there’s a suave hangman, a bitter veteran and a quiet rogue who tends to keep to himself. Having all these characters play off one another leads to some great humour and more cracking dialogue that the director always works into his films. There is but one weak link in the cast; Channing Tatum’s character reminded me quite a bit of Chrisoph Waltz in Spectre in that his character doesn’t live up to the way the film builds things up. Once again, we have another character that is simply too basic and ho-hum; not really taking advantage of the actor’s untapped potential. All the other characters have so much depth and variation to them that Tatum ends up sticking out.

The aesthetical style in The Hateful Eight is very reminiscent of films from the seventies from its opening titles to the chapter based presentation. It’s a niche that Tarantino previously filled with Grindhouse double feature Planet Terror and Deathproof and it really works to set the film apart. The soundtrack is just as good as any of the director’s films with legendary composer Ennio Morricone once again returning to write some tracks which brilliantly compliment the film’s more deliberate pacing. In terms of bloodshed, The Hateful Eight could be the most graphic Quentin has ever made; it holds nothing back, heightening the impact of the action once it finally heats up. The one area which didn’t work too well for me was the slow motion; in Django Unchained it raised the tension of the action scenes, but here it felt really jarring and unneeded considering how it is used with such irregular abandon. Despite this misplaced technique, the camerawork still makes the most of the film’s environment, with some plot components wisely left off screen to build the suspense further. Despite having less direct action than Tarantino’s other flicks, Hateful Eight still has its fair share of visual flair, something which isn’t usually present in a typical “Who-done-it?” storyline.

The Hateful Eight is ultimately a very successful outing with just a few stumbles, a film which sets itself apart from Tarantino’s previous western while keeping the patented style that we’ve all come to recognise from the director on top form.

Rating: 4/5 Stars

Alan Rickman: A Reflection

On January 14^th 2016, Alan Rickman passed away from cancer, surrounded by his family and friends. Despite getting into acting fairly late at age 41, the roles he played would go down as some of the most deeply developed I have ever seen in film. In addition, he also contributed enormously to the theatre scene including the Royal Shakespeare Company and the Royal Court Theatre. The actor was once quoted as saying: "If people want to know who I am, it is all in the work." That most definitely applies to the roles I saw him play over the years. Be warned as there are some spoilers abound!

1. Harry Potter (As Severus Snape)

From the moment we first saw him in 2001’s Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, Professor Severus Snape oozed mystery; he stood out as the one who picked on his students at Hogwarts the most and yet beneath his cynical exterior, he had arguably the most detailed backstory of any character in JK Rowling’s popular series, something which Rickman kept a secret for a whole decade. Little did cinema-goers, and readers of the books known back then just how deep his character arc would go.

I can say without a doubt that Severus Snape is my favourite character of the entire series; quite unexpected considering we had so many great and memorable characters to latch onto. Alan Rickman’s performance was superb all the way through, but it was Deathly Hallows Part 2 where the final revelations surrounding his character were revealed and one of my favourite film scenes of all time came to life in an immensely poignant and heart-wrenching way.

2. Die Hard (As Hans Gruber)

The original Die Hard and indeed the series as a whole (At least up until 5) was a tremendously entertaining action series, and one of the things that set it apart was a series of solid and well thought out antagonists. Each one had their strengths, but none could top Alan Rickman’s unforgettable performance as Hans Gruber from the first film. The man was a professional and devious kind of criminal, and at the start of the film this is always on display.

Later on in the film, Gruber meets our protagonist John Mclaine and while he poses as an escaped hostage, we get a scene filled with dramatic tension. It’s here that the cracks in Gruber’s professionalism start to show. This is what made Hans such a multi-dimensional villain and Rickman’s performance made it all the more intriguing.

What I’ll remember him for

If you asked me to choose something specific which made Alan Rickman so memorable, I would go for the manner in which he spoke. His simple, monotone voice told us everything we needed to know about the authority and often ruthless nature his characters possessed. The interesting thing about this is that as Rickman’s films went on, this layer of gruffness eventually peeled back and we saw the more emotive aspects that rested underneath. Whether it was Gruber’s descent into petty thief territory or Snape’s broken past finally coming to the forefront, I always enjoyed how beautifully the actor captured this change.

Assassin's Creed Revelations Game Review

Released: November 15th 2011

Developer: Ubisoft Montreal

Publisher: Ubisoft

Certificate: 18

Formats: PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and PC

Played on: PS3

Ezio Auditore remains the most popular protagonist in the entire Assassin’s Creed series; since his introduction in 2009 he drew such a strong reception from the gaming community that Ubisoft saw fit to make not one, but three games based on his exploits before moving on to the next main numbered entry in the franchise. The Ezio trilogy comes to an end in Assassin’s Creed: Revelations and although it’s one of the weaker entries in the series, the journey is still worth concluding, especially if you’re a big fan of the series.

Following the ending of Assassin’s Creed Brotherhood, modern day assassin Desmond Miles has entered a coma and in order to revive himself, he must relive the remaining memories of his ancestors. From here we once again enter the Animus which picks up four years after the death of Cesare Borgia. Assassin’s Creed Revelations features an old and weary Ezio Auditore as he ventures to Constantinople to unravel the long lost mysteries of the assassins, most notably Altair from the original game. During this last quest to discover the truth of centuries past, Ezio tangles with the rise of the Ottoman Empire, aiding historical figures such as Prince Suleiman who is in line for the throne. Flashing between Ezio, Altair and Desmond if the player wishes, the game proceeds much like any other Assassin’s Creed game in chapters. But this time, far more emotional moments have been worked into the narrative. The story in Assassin’s Creed Revelations is ultimately one of two halves depending how you look at it. On the one hand, the end of Ezio and Altair’s story is a really sombre and absorbing ride that continuously strikes home throughout the game, but the conflict contained within Constantinople pales in comparison to other games in the series as the characters contained within just aren’t as developed or interesting as they were in 2 and Brotherhood.

The overall design of Revelations is very familiar to anyone who has gotten into the series. Once again you’re given a map dotted with objectives, treasures and other points of interest and must explore and complete these to advance the fairly long story. Revelations mostly stays the course with the typical stealth, eavesdropping and assassination missions, but it also sees fit to refine and polish some elements that were introduced in previous games. The assassin recruitment system has been given a worthwhile context in that you go on specific missions with them to teach them the lessons of an assassin, which links with Ezio’s reputation as “The Mentor”. The city economy system is back again, along with the need to seize territory from the Templars and convert them into assassin dens. But this time the enemy faction will attempt to retake these dens with legions of soldiers, battering rams and other military might, which brings up a tower defence mini-game. Rounding off the map is a series of animus data fragments which unlock “Desmond’s journey” which takes place outside of Ezio’s viewpoint. Desmond’s journey involves first person platforming through strangely serene silver corridors by creating platforms. It’s an interesting diversion and can lead to some additional titbits about the character’s life before he was originally captured by Abstergo.

Revelations plays and controls much like its predecessors did, only with a few minor changes and as a result, the gameplay in general does seem just as tired as the design. Despite his age, Ezio can still race across rooftops and traverse like nobody’s business, but this time he can also extend his jumps and slide down rails with the hook-blade. The new tower defence gameplay facet is quite unexpected and at first it will intrigue you; the issue with it is that it’s too limited to make a good impression. Forcing the viewpoint onto Ezio at all times and relying on ranged and melee units, which have been a common fixture of the genre for years, makes the gameplay come off as very one note and uninteresting. Thankfully once you train up your assassins to guard the dens, the defending becomes much less prevalent and doesn’t get in the way nearly as much. The other main innovation fares a bit better; bomb crafting. Using ingredients scattered around the environments, Ezio can make and use bombs from standard explosives to poison gas. It adds an interesting layer to stealth in that you can eliminate a group of targets at once. Unfortunately the game doesn’t really make good use of them; it gives you a tutorial in the game’s opening act then relegates them to 100% synchronisation targets rather than working them into the game’s main missions. Despite it being fairly similar to the other games in the trilogy, Revelations still plays well but the new ideas it attempts to add aren’t all that successful.

Assassin’s Creed Revelations doesn’t make too many strides forward from presentation, looking mostly the same as II and Brotherhood but with new environments. The animations, attention to detail in the world and voice are all just as well done as ever. Ironically it’s the smaller details that add to the sombre tone which hangs over the game. What I found interesting was that the environments, such as the Masyaf stronghold and overall tone they project feel dimmer and less inviting than before; this highlights that the embers of the two assassins are slowly fading away. The soundtrack is hauntingly beautiful, perfectly tying in with the conclusion of Ezio and Altair’s individual journeys and creating a genuine sense of pathos; you will end up caring for both of these characters and the game does a brilliant job of drawing the player into their heartfelt moments. The game has very few glitches and technical issues, which keeps the player’s investment in the setting on point. Revelations ultimately possesses a well put together presentation that doesn’t take any risks or chances with the established formula and for most, that won’t be too much of an issue.

Revelations offers an emotional sense of finality that, despite its missteps and overly-familiar nature, remains enjoyable and absorbing, not to mention being a worthy stepping stone to Assassin’s Creed 3. Some aspects of the gameplay don’t work out too well, but the story (at least one half of it) is most definitely worth sticking around for.

Rating: 7.5/10

Controversy Clocking Episode 5: The finger of suspicion and outrage over game reviews

The subject of reviewing in gaming is a fairly tricky one to decipher and has become a more widely discussed topic in modern gaming. Video game reviewers themselves have had all kinds of abuse and attacks hurled at them over the past few years, and it seems that as the internet age has enveloped more aspects of our discussions, these incidents have only grown more toxic and accusing.

It's probable that the review that really kicked off the cycle of suspicious review commenting and discussion was Kane and Lynch: Dead Men by Gamespot in 2008. The then senior editor of the site, Jeff Gerstmann, gave the game a six out a ten while the website was dedicating a substantial amount of its advertising space to promote the game. Apparently several confrontations between Gamespot and the game’s publisher Eidos Interactive occurred, resulting in Jeff being dismissed from the site soon afterwards. It was eventually hinted by Gerstman in an interview four years later that Eidos had threatened to pull their advertising revenue over the bad score and Gamespot let Jeff go to appease them, as it were. The Giant Bomb journalist was most recently called out for his criticism of Fallout 4, with people getting up in arms over him being too critical of the game.

Kane and Lynch was only the first of many reviews which sparked controversy on Gamespot; in the years that followed, people became more and more fixated on the review number itself. Tom Mcshea was a big target for this; his 8 out of 10 for Fable: The Journey and 7.5 score for Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword in 2011, as well as the 8 out of 10 for The Last of Us in 2013 were all met with pointless anger by commenters. But what really enraged the masses on the site was Carolyn Petit and her review of Grand Theft Auto V; I checked in early on the review when it came out, saw how she was disappointed over the game’s use of women and thought to myself: “Fair enough, it’s her opinion, but that 9/10… people will be mad”. Mad didn’t even begin to describe the amount of hatred and borderline persecution that was about to erupt. I’d never seen anything like it; it was probably the most disgusting thing I had ever seen in all of my time with gaming. Over 20,000 comments the majority of which harassing, belittling, bullying and calling for Petit to be fired from Gamespot. The site did hit back at these heartless comments but it did little to ease the fires; when things finally did calm down, a new discussion existed in the gaming community. Should political discussion and societal viewpoints be injected into game reviews? It could be argued that the whole debacle on Gamespot may have been a strong contributor to the launch of the GamerGate scandal a year later.

Other websites have also been subjected to scrutiny as well; IGN has received a pretty negative reputation from the gaming community for constantly giving Call of Duty games at least at 8 or 9 every year despite their lack of innovation as well as their overrating of other modern games. Their review of Mass Effect 3 was also called out for being biased because one of their own staff members (Jessica Chobot) was a character in the game. On other occasions, many of the big reviewers are also criticised for ignoring glitches and issues, thus misleading the consumer into paying for a broken product; for example GameTrailers gave 9.5 out of ten to EA’s Battlefield 4 in 2013 and did not mention anything about the game being unplayable at launch. In some cases this may be down to the game developer purposefully giving out an unrepresentative review copy to the mainstream press to avoid any kind of point docking for an unfinished game. Story isn’t really a big factor in mainstream review scores either for fear of spoilers; truth be told, there really isn’t any way to satisfy everyone and that’s what the common gamer has been raising concerns about, that reviews are supposed to be objective. The problem comes when the mainstream gaming press can’t afford to keep this focus consistently anymore.

Between not wanting to upset fans of a series or console, not wanting to repel potential benefits with publishers, and not wanting to direct traffic away from their website, video game reviews now have more influencing factors than any other piece of entertainment. It could be argued that they have become something which could potentially make or break the success of a website and the wages and livelihood of bona-fide game journalists. Anger a fan base over a low score of their favourite game for example and they won’t come to the website again and because of this, the revenue taken in by click and visit numbers goes down. Bash a game from a particular company who invited you to an event or break the review embargo and you risk being placed onto the blacklist, meaning you won’t have access to the resources and releases that your journalistic competitors have. Developers and publishers want their game to sell well and game reviews can play a much stronger role in informing consumer purchases than films and music; if a game gets bad reviews that is sure to impact sales and so with games becoming so expensive to make, the makers may take more decisive measures to ensure this impact does not occur when the game is ready for general consumption.

Based on what I’ve seen through reading and watching several reviews on Gamespot, IGN and other websites over the years, the common accusations cried out at reviews from both internet commenters and other press members usually go as follows…

• ·     “They were paid/bribed/endorsed to give a good score!”

This usually springs up whenever advertisements for a particular game pop up on a website, a reviewer attends a developer or publisher sponsored event or if they were given earlier access to a review copy than other outlets. Commenters believe that undisclosed deals were made between the game makers and the reviewer; they score the game highly and in return the publisher places advertisements, both of which work to sell the game upon release.

• ·      “Their agenda got in the way and shouldn’t have been part of the review!”

Political correctness is a pretty sore subject in game reviews with many crying foul whenever someone utters a word about games relating to current political climates, gender roles and other external debates. Those who argue against the mention of these usually state that games are simple entertainment and shouldn’t be judged on the same level as films or other artistic entertainment.

• ·      “The score is too high/low for this game! You should have praised it/criticised it some more!”

This criticism is almost always borne from comments that look at the score first and mostly comes from fanboyism. There’s a nasty habit where people demand that their favourite game or franchise gets at least a nine or higher and if it doesn’t, then they automatically call out the reviewer for being biased towards a one system or company over another. The word "sell-out" is especially popular when this accusation is mentioned.

• ·      “They only gave it that score to be different from everyone else and direct traffic to themselves and their website!”

There’s a rather pointless element of conformity that exists in review comments nowadays, one that may have sprung up as a result of aggregate websites such as Metacritic. It’s a fairly simple system; green is good, yellow is mixed and red is bad, but it’s possible that some take this too far and uses it to fuel a demand that all mainstream reviews conform to the overall Metacritic score.

With all the endless accusations going around in the mainstream gaming press, it’s easy to see why popular YouTubers are now the preferred place to go when it comes to criticism of video games. By that I mean the hardcore reviewers; AngryJoe, TotalBiscuit, Super Bunnyhop, Tarmack, MatthewMatosis, SomeCallMeJohnny and Jim Sterling (All of which I highly recommend). They have all made their presence felt on the site in varying ways, but they all have something which the big websites don’t really possess anymore. A dedicated following and fan bases that always return to their channels time and time again because they have created a brand and identity which feels more genuine and credible. They don’t deal with game publishers nearly as often and aren’t restrained by those pressures, meaning they can give a more whole-hearted, long-winded and deeper critique.

Are mainstream reviewers corrupt? There is no easy answer to that question and it greatly varies depending on which website or outlet of games journalism you read into. The companies won’t tell a soul about these kinds of review practices and for internet commenters, simply disagreeing with a score is never enough nowadays. The two sides (along with publisher influence in the middle) are constantly clashing and this I believe is why reviews on long-running websites carry so much scepticism.

Post Viewing: Five little things I appreciated in Episode VII (And a few bits that could have been better)

Star Wars Episode VII is a fantastic film, but if you read my review of it last Christmas, you already know that. It’s the only film of 2015 that I went to see a second time and having taken in the plot and characters, I decided to home in on the smaller things. Some that make the film so memorable and ways the film could have been even better.

This post does contain fairly heavy spoilers; keep that in mind before reading on.

Five things I appreciated

1. The new Stormtroopers have proper discipline

In the original trilogy, the Imperial Empire was a force to be reckoned with, especially in the later films; but that mostly came down to Darth Vader’s ruthless and often brutal methods. The Stormtroopers really couldn’t hit anything when the chips were down, despite Obi-Wan pointing out that “only imperial blasters are so precise” in the original film. Things didn’t get much better for the armoured soldiers when they found themselves humiliated by the Ewoks in Return of the Jedi. It did put a dampener on some of the tension, leading some to dream up the idea of “plot armour” which all the main characters had on at all times.

Episode VII set out to change this and it was evident from the beginning that the First Order had a much more effective ground force; led by Captain Phasma, they rounded up the lowly Jakku village efficiently and also took down Poe’s X-Wing with little resistance. Other small touches such as the new melee focused TR-8R and how the new troops quickly set up the turret in the ship hangar to cut off Finn and Poe from escaping are clear signs that they have been training overtime since the events of the original trilogy. In the future films, this should really up the stakes in the battles to come, creating more dramatic tension in the characters.

2. The final duel between Rey and Kylo Ren gets everything spot-on

Ever since we all saw the first trailer featuring Kylo Ren brandishing his red cross-guard lightsaber in the middle of a dimly lit forest, we were all anxious to see just how the sequel trilogy would handle the saga’s well known sword duels. What we got in Episode VII was a brilliant fight with many different components working together. First of all, we’re rooting for Rey and Finn to win, thanks to their strong introductions and brilliant acting from Daisy Ridley and John Boyega. Secondly, the fight has real tension; Kylo Ren is a lethal opponent and we see how he uses the cross guard saber to his advantage, severely injuring Finn before turning to Rey. Finally the battle is just as psychological as it is physical; Ren feels challenged by Rey and attempts to sway her into joining his side, but our heroine resists his influence and subdues him. Overall the fight is a near perfect blend of physical and mental combat, and an affirmation of Rey as the central protagonist in the sequel trilogy. Even the little touches, such as Ren drawing his weapon first and Rey refusing to kill him outright all fall in line with the lore from the original trilogy.

3. The humour and charm is back

There was a huge expectation for Episode VII to improve on cast performances and characterisation and it most definitely succeeded at accomplishing this. But what made me enjoy the film even more was the humour mixed into the plot. This mostly came from the new characters, a great choice to make for their initial introductions. Finn is regretful of what he was once part of, but he’s not a completely blank slate. His character has been lovingly laced with charisma and once he returns to the First Order as a resistance fighter, he ends up having a bit of fun with the whole thing and it’s this trait that makes him so likeable, making the audience care for him that much more when the battle with Kylo Ren comes to fruition. It doesn’t stop at Finn though; BB-8 had some great moments, whilst Han Solo and Chewbacca are again really funny in the way they banter back and forth, particularly in the later act of the film. After a long and cumbersome series of wooden performances in the prequel trilogy (Mainly in episodes I and II), it was a breath of fresh air to see the more light-hearted aspects of the saga make a much needed resurgence.

4. The camera work is a roller-coaster ride of variety

The Star Wars saga has utilised numerous shooting techniques over the decades and while the cinematography in the prequels gave a clear and coherent view of the action taking place, it wasn’t all that dynamic; this lessened the film’s more engaging moments as a result. But for The Force Awakens, Cinematographer Dan Mindel takes the audience on a wild ride, using a strong variety of tracking shots, angles and frames to give the action much more weight and impact. When the Millennium Falcon is flying through the ruins on Jakku, the audience receives a sense of exhilaration; the wings of Tie Fighters fly into the camera, the film pans over the Falcon as Rey pulls off a daring U-turn and ship parts fly all over the place as they break apart. The same holds true for the battle on Takodana where tracking shots shift organically to show off the scale of the sequence and the special effects of weapons cracking and hitting the terrain. If all three episodes are filmed and edited this well, then we’re in for a treat over the next five years.

5. The film lays down tantalising mysterious for the future of the trilogy

Above all else though, the film is as I put it “a roaring start to the sequel trilogy”; it not only marks itself as one of the most entertaining and well put together blockbusters in recent years, but it also makes creates a brave and bold expansion to the Star Wars universe ripe for fans to sink their teeth into. We’ve been introduced to Rey, Finn and Poe but there’s still plenty to discover; what happened to Rey’s family? How was Finn conscripted into the First Order? These are just some of the questions brought up by The Force Awakens, making audiences salivate even more for the upcoming Episode VIII. According to Abrams himself, the script for the next episode is “so good that he regrets not directing it” and with a bit of luck, it should go even deeper into the mysteries brought up by this opening chapter.

Things that could have been better or added

1. The New Republic (or lack thereof)

Thirty years have passed since the Rebel Alliance bested the Imperial Empire and with a new Republic having risen, we’re all interested to see how they go about things now that Darth Vader and the Emperor are long gone. It’s just too bad that we only hear about this new Republic rather than seeing it. Much like Alderaan in A New Hope, it’s tough to have sympathy for the destruction of a planet (or in this case a whole set of unnamed settlements) and all its inhabitants when we know little about it. This narrative element may do a good job of showing the First Order’s power, but from a development standpoint it comes up short again. I’m hoping the New Republic will make more of an appearance and impact in the next two episodes.

2. No Lando Calrissian or Wedge Antilles

The Force Awakens had all three main characters (alongside Chewbacca!) from the original trilogy returning and we find out how far they’ve come over thirty years. But one main character that didn’t make a comeback was Lando Calrissian. He came relatively late in The Empire Strikes Back, but his smooth moves mixed with the way he worked to redeem himself made him another memorable and beloved character. Apparently Billy Dee Williams was never approached by JJ Abrams to star in Episode VII. What makes Lando’s absence even more conspicuous is that Williams continues to play the character outside the main films; he returned to voice the character in games such as Jedi Knight II: Jedi Outcast and Star Wars Battlefront. Most recently he appeared in the The Lego Movie in 2014 and Star Wars Rebels, proving that the actor is still interested in playing arguably his most recognisable and popular role. It would have been an interesting dynamic to see how his camaraderie with Han Solo has grown and changed since the Empire’s defeat. Perhaps they may save him for episodes eight and nine.

As for Wedge Antilles, Denis Lawson said in a 2014 interview that he would not reprise the role for The Force Awakens because it would have bored him. In my book, he’s one of the more unsung heroes of the original trilogy, falling somewhere in between the main leads and the other nameless rebel soldiers that fought for the alliance. It’s a shame not to see him back; he played a fairly pivotal part in both death star assaults and survived to tell the tale. If the role is recast, it would make for some great banter between him and new flight ace Poe Dameron in the future events of the sequel trilogy.

3. The bounty hunters and their relatively basic role

Towards the halfway point of Episode VII there’s a scene where several groups of bounty hunters converge on Han Solo and Chewbacca’s stolen freighter, resulting in a pretty intense game of cat and mouse between them and some seriously ugly tentacle creatures. Among the bounty hunters is newcomer Brian Vernel, as well as Iko Uwais and Yayan Ruhian from The Raid films. They look imposing enough when we first see them, but they aren’t given much to do. It would have switched things up a bit more if they ended up following the Millennium Falcon into the action sequence on Takodana. It’s likely that the gangs still have a role to play in future episodes, judging by Vernel reporting Han to the First Order, but they still have yet to live up to the wildly popular Boba Fett from the original trilogy.

Bioshock Infinite Game Review

Released: March 26th 2013

Developer: Irrational Games

Publisher: 2K Games

Certificate: 18

Formats: Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PC

Played on: PS3

From its introduction in 2007, the Bioshock series has proven itself to be more than just a versatile first person shooter; the fascinating stories and lovingly crafted worlds in each game elevate them to a level of prominence reached by the most artistic and imaginative works in the industry. The trilogy comes to an end with Bioshock Infinite, another fantastic and thought-provoking title from Irrational Games.

Infinite takes place in 1912, where former Pinkerton agent Booker Dewitt (Voiced by Troy Baker) is tasked to “bring us the girl and wipe away the debt”. This cryptic note engages the player immediately, wrapping them up in game’s mysteries; what is this debt? What does he owe? We want to find out more about Booker and this intrigue explodes upon reaching the game’s primary setting. He’s transported to the floating city of Colombia where he begins his search for a woman named Elizabeth (Courtnee Draper), who has been imprisoned for many years. The city itself was constructed by the enigmatic Father Comstock who has crowned himself The Prophet after seceding from the United States. A sinister plan involving Elizabeth exists on the horizon and Comstock tussles with the rebels of the Vox Populi who aim to fight back against persecution. The game then launches headlong into an incredibly deep story in which Booker and Elizabeth must escape the city while unravelling the mysteries of their pasts. Religious fanaticism, divide through inequality and the lines of morality and just some of the critical themes that Infinite delves into and some of the more sensitive subject matter examines the darker side of religion and the impact it has on humanity. Even the two main factions; Comstock’s Minutemen and the Vox Populi are not always clearly defined as fully good or evil, adding an ambiguity to the narrative. The extensive themes are matched only by the characters, who are all highly engaging; Elizabeth is an elusive, yet curious and fascinating character who possesses a crucial power to open up tears in time and space and it is this trait that gives the story much more unpredictability. Booker on the over hand is an immensely violent and unsympathetic man, his background laced with sins and immoral deeds and yet you’re still invested in what will happen to him. Bioshock Infinite’s story is immaculately produced and presented; it engrosses the player in a way that few games can.

Bioshock Infinite maintains a fairly familiar structure of combat and interaction; and while it feels much more linear and direct when compared with the previous games in the series, there are still avenues for exploration and other things to do in the world. You may go down one corridor or into a certain building and come across a safe or room which Elizabeth can unlock for a batch of supplies and loot, or you might find one of several voxophones (audio diaries) or encoded messages which give further detail about Colombia and its people. Upgrades to weaponry, vigours and Booker’s own stats (Which include health, shields and vigour capacity) are dished out over the course of the campaign through vending machines and the levels themselves. In addition, there are also clothing items which can be equipped to grant Booker four additional effects which range from increased critical damage to setting enemies ablaze when launching into an enemy with a skyline strike. You’ll want to explore each environment fully because once you choose to leave an area, you can’t return later like you could before; this kind of design both limits backtracking and maintains the game’s brisk pacing, which also features some set-piece moments that provide a brilliant spectacle and tension. At around ten hours, the game’s campaign isn’t the longest on the market, but because the story is so detailed and enriched with deep themes, you’ll want to play it through again. There’s also the perma-death “1999 Mode”, a brutally difficult challenge that requires much more planning and consideration.

With continued improvements and refinements to combat, Infinite’s gameplay marks itself as the fastest and most frenetic in the series. It all controls very well, with both imaginative firearms and devastating vigour powers such as hordes of vicious crows at Booker’s disposal at all times. The combat felt a little basic to me at first with its two weapon limit, something which Bioshock 1 and 2 didn’t restrict you on; but as the game rumbles onward, both the environments and the options you have at your disposal open up. You might choose to have Elizabeth create a piece of cover and pick off enemies from a distance with a sniper rifle, or combine the charge vigour with skyline rides and a shotgun to get up close for massive damage. You are afforded further flexibility with the upgrades obtained from vending machines which can improve things from weapon damage to adding new effects on each vigour power; by combining traditional gunplay, different vigour combinations and Elizabeth’s capable resources, combat in Bioshock Infinite becomes something very tactical and choice-driven. Enemies are smart, varied and ruthless in the way they pursue Booker with some rocking their own vigours and increased armour.

The only real issues I have with the gameplay are the skyline controls and encounters which end up feeling more like bullet sponges than trials of skill and strategic choices. When riding a skyline, the reticule to disembark onto solid ground or to send an enemy flying with a skyline strike can be a bit fiddly to manage, especially in the middle of combat. On other occasions, the combat can devolve into basic, almost restrictive instances where you fire off a few shots and vigours, take cover and popping out again while waiting for Elizabeth to toss you another item; this can make fights drag on late in the game when enemies have much larger health pools. The combat does have a few problems, but ultimately they don’t interfere too much with its overall feel and fun factor.

Bioshock Infinite’s world is absolutely beautiful to look at in that it forms a polar opposite to its predecessors in both tone and style. While Rapture’s dreary and depressing backdrops gave a gloomy and foreboding atmosphere, Columbia is a bright and beautiful backdrop where colossal monuments to American exceptionalism blend with steampunk architecture and dramatic religious undertones. A sense of vertigo envelopes the player as they traverse between the massive blimps and airships, and the cell shaded art style results in a far more colourful game than the previous two. Yet this seemingly inviting city rings hollow when you dig under the surface and realise just how flawed and contradictory it is; propaganda is everywhere, an intense nationalism firmly grips the inhabitants and white dominance is a commonly accepted norm. As the darkest secrets of Colombia came to light, I started to question the game’s themes and narrative even more, creating an even more compelling reason to press onwards. The violence in the game is often gruesome with enemies exploding and popping in all kinds of nasty ways to provide a brilliant impact to the tools at Booker’s disposal. The sound behind every weapon and location is incredible; there’s a heavy use of stringed instruments which forms suppressed vigils and heart-pounding combat pieces. Brutal sound effects and sound cues give combat a harrowing edge that ups the intensity and gets the adrenaline pumping. Despite the insane amount of enemies, moving objects and environmental effects on screen, the game’s frame rate never fluctuates, ensuring a smooth experience throughout. Infinite’s presentation is as solid as they come; there are few technical hiccups to distract the player from the immersive nature of the game world.

Bioshock Infinite is a gargantuan and phenomenal close to a truly profound series of games; the story the game has to tell and the world it places you in are some of the finest and most imaginative ever seen in the medium, but this comes at no cost to the gameplay and design. Truly it is one of the best shooters you’ll play on the seventh generation of consoles.

Rating: 9/10