Eclipse

Finally getting some blood...

While Bella (Kristin Stewart), Edward (Robert Pattinson) and Jacob (Taylor Lautner) continue their heated love triangle as to what is best for Bella's future, the nearby city of Seattle is caught within a mysterious string of killings and disappearances. The Cullen family fears the worse, as they are not sure whether the problem in Seattle is related to Victoria (Bryce Dallas-Howard) or the Volturi but nevertheless, they decide that it is best to take precautions in case they get caught up into a situation they may not be able to control.

Eclipse continues the Twilight Saga in a far tighter manner than both its predecessors and this allows for a far more effective use of the Twilight mythology. New revelations are made about the cultures of the vampires and werewolves and this aids the film with a more cemented supernatural feel. Additionally, certain minor characters are allowed to voice their respective pasts: this aids the film's narrative with added character depth as well as giving these characters a vital role in the events to come. The overall narrative is structured reasonably well with two poignant story arcs taking place and ultimately fuse by the end. However, the events in Seattle only provides a simple distraction to the poorly conceived love story which is clearly holding back the series. Thankfully, the love triangle in the film escalates into a stronger conclusion than expected, but that does not stop it being rough around the edges and filled with character development that seems out of place. The romance is also portrayed far too positively with the apparent negative consequences of such oppressive love going unacknowledged. Speaking of which, an apparent theme of selfishness can be ascertained from the primary characters yet it is never utilised strongly enough to help connect the characters. The narrative is commendable, in light of the previous attempts, and definitely a step in the right direction for the final two movies.

With added improvement to the story, it seems rather disappointing that the acting of the central three figures continues to just fall short. Stewart continues to proceed in a dull manner and by this stage it may just be what her character is truly like: but scenes of romance are never able to excite as you would expect of the vampire genre. Sure, the intent behind the love which surrounds the characters is understandable but it continues to lack feeling from Stewart though she does build life in the final arc of the plot. Pattinson is not much better but his acts of jealously do admirably convey the sort of sinister nature which belies his character's love: pity the film never plays on this. Lautner continues his surprising performance from New Moon but the script never really allows him to further his contribution. Minor characters continue to strengthen the acting ensemble but it is a pity that those who represent the Volturi, are either limited to a few minutes or are completely absent.

Another slight improvement is in regards to the computer animation, which flows slightly better this time around with the live-action; a soundtrack that does not always feel tacked on for commercial profitably as orchestra highlights some of the high moments in the film; and directorial control that makes for a more well-rounded experience in which some decent action sequences are allowed to come to life.

Language is in running with previous films with its minimal and tame use. There is no nudity but sexual overtones are slightly stronger in Eclipse than seen in the previous films. The violence factor has been increased rather noticeably, either via implication or actual on-screen events. There is a greater emphasis on action but the lack of blood in death scenes stops it ever being overly violent.

The Volturi may not grant second chances, and for the Twilight franchise that is a good thing. Third time lucky it definitely is as Eclipse is a marked improvement over both the original Twilight and New Moon, mostly because the overall quality is better. The narrative has more depth; the actors appear to be getting a grasp of their characters, and all while the balancing of melodrama with action takes place. The story offers interesting depth and developments which ultimately become underused and so it is unfortunate that no facet of the film is really as strong as it should be given this is the third film in the series.

6/10

Screen date: 30 June 2010

Release date: 30 June 2010

E3 2010: Sony Conference Overview

Playstation3

Software
Assassin's Creed; Brotherhood
-Multiplayer beta exclusive to PS3.
-Exclusive content.

Dead Space 2:
-Limited edition includes DS: Extraction with Move support.

Echochrome 2:
-Move title

Final Fantasy 14

Gran Turismo 5:
-Top Gear test track
-November 2 2010 launch.

Heroes on the Move:
-Move title
- Ratchet, Jak and Sly combined.

Infamous 2:
-Ice powers added.

Killzone 3:
-live demo in 3D
-February 2011 worldwide release
-Compatible with PS Move at launch

LittleBigPlanet 2:
-Competitive scoring system
-Make your own games with elaborate tools.
-Create HUD's.
-Trailer shows off user creations in 24 hours with no tutorials from the developers, including a working RTS title.

Mafia 2:
-Exclusive DLC at 1 on PS3 version.

Medal of Honor:
-Exclusive content for PS3 version: limited edition includes a remastered version of MOH Frontline.
-Title is modern day and work was done with actual soldiers, military and weapon personnel.
-New character: Deuce.
-Multiplayer designed by Dice.
-October 12 2010 release.

Portal 2:
-Best version on any console according to Gabe
-Coming 2011

Singstar Dance:
- Uses Move

Sorcery:
-Move title.
-Play as a magicians apprentice.
-Flick at screen to attack.
-Spells include frost which freezes enemies
-Spells can be combined: fire and wind create a fire storm.
-Fix environments with magic.
-Change into different animals.
-Release: Spring 2011.

Tiger Woods PGA Tour 11:
-Move enabled through upcoming patch.
-1:1 movement.
-Power is important.

Twisted Metal:
-By Eat. Sleep. Play - David Jaffe.
-Flight added.
-Emphasis on team play.
-2011 release.

Hardware
Playstation Move
-Launch fall 2010.
-Bundle with PS Eye, Move and Sports Champion for $99; PS3 bundle $399.
-Level of precisio
-Level of precision like realism.
-Camera and controller creates 1:1 tracking.
-Developer praise montage.


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Playstation Portable

Software
Eyepet

God of War: Ghost of Sparta

Invizimals

Patapon 3

The 3rd Birthday

Valkyria Chronicles 2


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PSN

Home:
-Sony E3 booth recreated in Home.

Playstation Plus
-Subscription based PSN.
-Exclusive digital content, priority to betas, PSN store savings and free content like select PSN games.
- $49.99 for a year; $17.99 for 3 months.
First 3 months free.

Tester 2



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Miscellaneous

3D:
- Motorstorm, Killzone 3, Gran Turismo 5, Sly Cooper Collection, Crysis 2, Mortal Kombat, Tron, The Fight, Eyepet.

Coca Cola:
-Cross over advertising with Playstation products.

EA:
-Exclusive content for Medal of Honor and Dead Space 2

Kevin Butler:
-Surprise attendance.
-Advertises PS Move.
-'Every gamer is a true gamer'

PS2:
- 2nd most played console of 2009.

PSP ad campaign:
-Like PS3 ads, with Marcus.
-'Step your game up'

Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time

Dampened sand...

When it discovered that a nearby holy city may be manufacturing weapons for enemy states of Persia, Dastan (Jake Gyllenhaal) and his brothers decide to attack the city in order to stop the treachery. When King Sharaman of Persia (Ronald Pickup) arrives Dastan offers his father a gift that ends up poisoning him. Dastan is suspected of murder and so he flees along with the captured Tamina (Gemma Arterton). Dastan soon discovers that he is possession of a powerful dagger that gives its bearer the ability to rewind time.

The Sands of Time is based upon the 2003 video game of the same name but there are few similarities shared between the two. For starters, the narrative is completely different but that does not stop certain story elements from the game sneaking into the odd scene of the film. Fans will definitely appreciate this aspect but their disappointment in the lack of faithfulness to the original game can be understood to some degree. While adaptations always bring about fun possibilities by never been entirely accurate, Prince of Persia forgoes a tale of the Prince finding redemption in place of a tried-and-tested tale of the protagonist attempting to clear their name of some terrible act not of their doing. This inevitably leads to a variety of locales in place of the single castle which contextualised the game and ultimately feels less unique then the premise of the film allows it to be. That said the story works just fine even though it loses direction on the odd occasion. It falls victim to being predictable at times but a decent mix of humour and some workable action sequences keep the experience from never being dull. On a side note, the film does get some depth from its political allusions to the US invasion of Iraq.

The cast can appear unorthodox considering it is a group of Westerners playing Persians and without any changes to speech. Though considering the original game contained a British speaking Caucasian protagonist, the casting come across more like a stylised option rather than a lack of desire to authenticity. The actors do a reasonable job but consistency is somewhat of a problem. At times the actors come across as flat but thankfully there is a charm to Gyllenhaal, intrigue with Arterton, and workable humour from Alfred Molina which prevents the acting from being poor. The chemistry between Gyllenhaal and Arterton only ever finds ground with their constant quips so their romance never feels involved enough by the films end.

The film is littered with computer animation and many acrobatic manoeuvres. The animation is an on and off affair but thankfully does more right than wrong. The scale of some of the imagery is wonderful such as the establishing scenes of the holy city and especially the Hourglass of Time itself. Though, the scenes involving the reverse of time appear underdeveloped. The acrobatic sequences are fairly enjoyable affairs but they are more akin to the Prince of Persia spiritual successor Assassin's Creed rather than the original game itself.

As a Disney film you can expect that nudity and sexual content play no role in the film. The same goes for language while the violence, frequent and somewhat lengthy at times, is relatively bloodless and involves a variety of weaponry slashes and stabbings.

Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time is an intriguing take on its source material, albeit an obviously commercial one. Perhaps, the creators felt that the original plot was not marketable enough and for all intents and purposes they are most likely correct. The problem for the film is its lack of individuality in a stream of Hollywood blockbuster titles: it is just a pity that with a workable plot and metaphorical imagery that the film never reaches the height of its proposed fantastical nature. Granted, the narrative, acting, and base level sense of wonder gets the job done and makes for a fun time. Though, you would think that if the creators themselves had access to the mythical Dagger of Time, they could have gone back and given the film the needed sharpening it deserves.

6/10

Screen date: 21 May 2010

Release date: 21 May 2010

Iron Man 2

Less sparks reveal the metal...

Six months after Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) unveiled to the world that he was Iron Man, Stark has created an era of peace between the super powers of the world but he is faced with increasing pressure from the government to allow the military use of the Iron Man suit for military application. This does not come at a good time for Stark as competition from a rival, Justin Hammer (Sam Rockwell), is continued by the strange appearance of Ivan Vanko (Mickey Rourke). Vanko poses a threat to Stark as he shares the same knowledge on how to build the arc rector on which the Iron Man suit works.

Iron Man 2's story shares a little too much similarity to that of the original. Like the first, Iron Man 2 is not aggressive as it bathes itself in some quick humour and a rather silly middle-arc. This keeps the comic book feel of the source material unlike The Dark Knight, for instance, which attempted to rework Batman into a more real world setting. That said, Iron Man 2 does a great job of seeming real with some potentially viable politics occurring: the US government wanting the Iron Man suit for military application makes sense. In addition to this, Iron Man 2 does a decent job of setting in motion the upcoming Avengers film. Nevertheless, the film's narrative falters in two distinct ways: familiarity and lack of focus. The problem this time around is that the villains, and their motivations, are too familiar to that of the villain in the first film. Both Hammer and Danko appear as two parts of Obadiah Stane from the first film, and like Stane before they want the technology behind the Iron Man suit. Granted, Danko is able to make the arc reactor himself due to an interesting sub-plot, which plays less into the story than expected, but the villains ultimately come down to just wanting what Tony Stark has. Consequently, the arrival of two villains also brings along a few more heroes including Black Widow (Scarlet Johansson) and the arrival of War Machine. While it is great to see the Avengers plot moving ahead, it results in less glory time for Iron Man himself. By the film's closure, it feels as if Iron Man had not done enough with so many different characters getting perhaps a little more screen-time then they ought to. There was talk of re-shoots having to take place for the film and it shows at times: with so many characters and villains, the films pacing can feel offish on the odd occasion because there is just a little too much for what the story is trying to convey. Perhaps if structured a little more like The Dark Knight, in terms of villains and heroes, Iron Man 2 would have been a bit more coherent, but I suppose it just was not 'part of the plan'. Nevertheless, it is a workable story that keeps things going but it could be a lot tighter.

On the acting front there is a lot more to be desired, but there are still some slight issues. Downey Jr. and Paltrow slide back into their respective Iron Man characters with relative ease. It is also great to see how both build upon their characters as the character development allows them to: Downey Jr. is able to emphasise the despair and narcissist feeling he has about his own individual mortality, whereas Paltrow's gives Pepper Potts the more assertive nature she needs to keep Tony Stark in check. While their romantic relationship is not as strong as it could be, it is noticeable from their scenes together. Don Cheadle replaces Terence Howard from the first film and does a respectable enough job. The rest of the cast are adequate to a point with Rockwell overacting his role with decent results, Johansson being a little dull with hers, and Rourke not having nearly enough screen time to be a menacing villain.

The computer graphics are nice to look at but are never overly convincing. While they work there are odd occasions where the texturing on the Iron Man suits appears too cartoon-like. That said they look great in action scenes, of which there should have been more, while the special effects only prove to enhance the overall graphics.

Much like the first film, there is little in terms of swearing and no nudity beyond revealing outfits. Sex is merely referred to in passing while the violence, with some mild blood in the odd scene, is pretty similar to the first film with explosions, gunfire and hand-to-hand combat taking place.

Iron man 2 is a fun film but it is just not as good as its predecessor. While the basic plot resembles that of the original, Iron Man 2 is far too ambitious for its own good. The new heroes do not develop strongly enough and take away vital screen time from Iron Man. Likewise, the new villains feel underused and ultimately never pose any real threat, especially when they are easily outnumbered and outmatched by the heroes. The narrative is not focused enough and the action sequences are never as spectacular as they should be. Nevertheless, the narrative introduces some interesting developments and gets the basic ideas across to the audience, while the actors do a good job. Like Quantum of Solace, Iron Man 2 feels like a weak middle ground for a possible satisfying conclusion: the potential is there.

6/10

Screen date: 1 May 2010

Release date: 1 May 2010

gknova6.com not Resistance 3?

A recent article over at System Link made an interesting theory that the viral site gknova6 may in fact be related to an upcoming Resistance title instead of the heavily believed Call of Duty 7: this may not be the case.

It is a nice guess until further digging into the registrar information reveals that the original assumption of Call of Duty 7 may indeed be the correct one.

The registrar information for gknova6 reveals the registrar to be Markmonitor.com. It comes as no surprise that the exact same registrar belongs to Treyarch's official home page.

The registrar for Insomniac's official home page is Godaddy.com, which happens to be the same registrar for all four viral websites related to Resistance 2.

While we will only officially know until the viral website reveals the game ultimately being marketed, it is a strong assumption that Resistance 3 is by no means related to gknova6: but I suppose you never know.

Shutter Island

Undeniably captivating ...

Taking on the case of a mysterious disappearance of a patient in a hospital for those who are criminally insane, US Marshall Teddy Daniels (Leonardo DiCaprio) and his new partner Chuck Aule (Mark Ruffalo) attempt to investigate a rather absurd escape. With the help of the head psychiatrist Dr. Cawley (Ben Kingsley), Teddy and Chuck attempt to unravel how a patient, named Rachael Solando (Emily Mortimer), was able to completely vanish from the confines of her locked room.

Shutter Island begins with a brooding image of a ferry making its way through some heavy fog, and it is the very enigmatic nature of the scene which claws its way throughout the narrative till the thought provoking conclusion. This becomes far more evident when many scenes and symbolic gestures in the film are soaked in a hint of polysemy. Of course this would not work without a very engaging storyline and Shutter Island makes for an exciting, and never dull, thriller. This is mostly achieved through the narratives pacing being quite consistent throughout for the film never felt like it was dragging. That said, it can be a little disorientating when the narrative decides its time to bombard information upon Teddy, and the viewer, in an attempt to guide the film to the mystery of Rachael Solando's escape. The film is by no means overly complicated but if you lose track of the information which these certain scenes attempt to convey, the films real twist can appear somewhat disjointed even if it is to an extent predictable.

The narrative is only heightened by a group of actors who do a convincing job of representing their respective characters. The character of Teddy is easily the most important and DiCaprio does a great job of conveying the character's need to find the truth while battling the guilt over the horrors of his own past life. Kingsley provides a wonderful performance as the head psychiatrist on the island who wishes to rehabilitate the mentally ill instead of resorting to measures such as lobotomy. He has a restrained and calm manner which exudes his character's intellectual capability. Ruffalo provides good support to DiCaprio, as he assumes the role of the concerned and eager to help partner. The entire supporting cast, involving the likes of Ted Levine and Elias Koteas, to name a few, all perform at their best to assure that Shutter Island feels highly believable, though it is just a pity that some of them only appear for a few minutes. This does result in Teddy being the only character with any real emotional appeal outside the intellectual nature of the film.

The filming style by Martin Scorsese is an absolute wonder, especially the final scene, as he utilises varying techniques in order to construct the web of events into something meaningful but abstract. Some techniques could appear unusable in modern films but they nevertheless work to enhance the film. Another good addition to the cinematography is how a few stylised camera sequences are used on single occasions allowing the film to constantly remain fresh. The computer imagery which accompanies the work is of a generally high standard with some beautifully rendered scenes enhanced by the Gothic atmosphere. Still, the computer imagery is not entirely top tier material with some scenes lacking the polish of others.

There is no sex in the film though nudity does make an appearance in one scene of a couple of seconds showing some male genitalia. Violence is largely in the form of Teddy's memories which involve soldiers being gunned down and blood appearing in large pools, both for realistic deaths and for artistic reasons. Dead bodies are shown throughout, some with bloody results, and involve adults and children. Language is contained mostly to F-words and blasphemy. Neither overpower the film and are sporadically placed through the plus 2 hour run time, yet the blasphemy can come across as slightly more excessive then required.

Shutter Island culminates into a fascinating outlook on how truth can be both liberating and destructive. This is achieved through a combination of a tight and absorbing narrative; superb acting performances; and a film style that enhances the Gothic atmosphere required for the thematic depth to be appreciated. The film does lose some footing with the odd narrative hiccup; some slight graphical issues; and a lack of emotional pull from the general characters for some part of the film. Nevertheless, Shutter Island is an intelligently taut thriller which allows its viewers to ultimately invest in its characters and story while providing ample entertainment.

9/10

Screen date: 12 March 2010

Release date: 12 March 2010

GDC 2010: Sony Conference Overview

Playstation 3

Hardware
Playstation Move
- motion controller.
- bundles include standalone controller, with the playstation eye and a whole PS3 bundle.

Playstation Move sub controller
- 2nd controller to assist the Move for use in traditional games.

Software

Eyepet:

- trailer shows off the PS Move adding new motion control actions to the game beyond the existing PS Eye movements.

LittleBigPlanet:

- demo showcasing the PS Move.

- one person controls the Sackboy while the other player uses the Move to manipulate the environment.

Gran Turismo 5:
- will ship in 2010.

Motion Fighters:

- black and white 3rd person fighting game where 2 PS Move controllers are used for each arm of the character.

Move Party:
- family title which uses the Move, PS Eye and mic.

- similar in design to the original Eyetoy games by including a bunch of mini games like hitting objects, painting and cutting hair.

Socom 4:
- includes support for the motion controls with use of the Move and sub controller.

Sports Champion:
- includes a variety of games including Gladiator Fight, table tennis.