The Joy of Lego Star Wars

There were many possible headings I could have used for this article, some nice force-based pun perhaps, or a more cryptic and enticing title but at the end of the day joy seemed the most appropriate word when describing Lego Star Wars. I had managed to miss the individual games when they were released a couple of years ago but since the Complete Saga was released last year I have been intrigued, and buying it has been a great decision. Now to get off to a start let me just say that the game has its share of flaws, the vehicle sections are clumsy and often frustrating, the camera often has a mind of its own, the levels can get a bit repetitive and the whole game is not that challenging to complete, or that deep in terms of design. Yet it simultaneously manages to be one of the most fun, addictive and enjoyable gaming experiences I’ve had in years. Part of this is down to the genius design of the game, in terms of structure and implementation, the advocacy of a two player throughout practically necessitates co-operative play and the ease with which characters can drop in and out and which the game has been designed around this mechanic is great, it makes the game a much more social and enjoyable experience all round and never feels tacked on or forced like many other co-op game modes.

Secondly the marring of Lego and Star Wars is inspired, a lot of care and attention has gone not only into recreating the films faithfully and cleverly, but to the Lego as well, the universal appeal of that helps the game appeal to more than just the Star Wars fanboy userbase and it somehow makes the whole game more fun to see it created out of Lego blocks. There is a good implementation of the key features of both things as well, there are plenty of opportunities to build things and manipulate the Lego, as well as lots of in-jokes and referenced to Star Wars with a great inclusion of powers and abilities and a wide range of characters you can play as. One of the best things though about the game is its hidden depths. If you want to simply play through the game and be done then you can, and that is perfectly enjoyable but the inclusion of hidden canisters and other challenges on every single level encourage exploration and increase the replay value of the title exponentially. The ability to go back and replay levels in Free Play mode where you can choose and switch between a range of characters is fantastic and so much of the clever design is revealed through these extended play-throughs, often revealing secrets and extras that are missed or not accessible during the initial run through of the level. Add in the extra characters to unlock, the collection of Lego studs which allow you to buy things, extra challenge modes for each film and a bonus room of extra levels not to mention the blue canister challenges for each level and you get a game more packed with content that many you come across. It’s a wonder as well that this rarely feels like a chore to collect, it is not necessary but for those, like me, who are compelled to see and do everything in a game and it really feeds the completionist inside.

Overall this game is great fun, yes it has its flaws but the sheer joy of the gameplay and the world that has been created and the flair with which it has been realised more than make up for it. Maybe one day the Lego-isation of film franchises will become stale and repetitive, but for now this stands as a well crafted and jam packed game that will keep you going for hours on end, if you have missed out on the phenomenon so far then I strongly encourage you to check this out, if you are in any way a Lego or Star Wars fan then you won’t be disappointed.

Disturbia

Shia LeBeouf rise to popularity has been something I am very happy to have witnessed. I first saw him in The Battle of Shaker Heights, a film lent to me by a good friend a couple of years ago and ever since have felt he had a special quality as an actor. Now with Disturbia and Transformers, and the upcoming Indiana Jones film I think it’s fair to say he has arrived as a name to look out for in the future. Disturbia is a modern day play on Rear Window, LeBeouf plays Kale, a fairly typical teenager who has started to go off the rails since his dads sudden death. Eventually he pays the price for his behaviour and is sentenced to three months house arrest during the summer. Tagged with an ankle bracelet he is left to occupy himself during the long hot summer. Of course things don’t stay this way and soon he is hitting on the cute new next door neighbour and starts suspecting his other neighbour is a serial killer. Slick, tense and enjoyable Disturbia is a joy to watch, it uses its set up well and the more human elements to the script, LeBeouf’s distancing from people and even the sometimes uncomfortable nature of his voyeurism are touched upon making this much more than a modern day re-make. As I have said LeBeouf has impressed me before and he does it once again here, his natural confidence and likeability immediately set the tone, as much of film is spent following him around it prevents this from ever becoming dull or repetitive. The film itself has its fair share of scares and tension filled scenes and the maker manage to wring all they can from the premise. If I had a criticism it would be that the end deteriorates slightly into more traditional horror fare, but even then the emotions we have caught up with the characters help it pull through. Overall this is a fun and exciting film that works both as an entertaining thriller and a more personal look at teenage alienation. It may not be the smartest or the most original film of the year, but its one of the ones I’ve had the best time with and one that is well worth you tracking down. A tense and exciting thriller that makes the most of its Hitchcock-like premise to provide a fun and surprisingly tense experience that doesn’t wear out its welcome, aided greatly by another fantastic performance by Shia LeBeouf.

A Rare Treat

One of the things I love about the internet is that it is so big that it must contain an almost inexhaustible supply of interesting reading and information. Of course the tricky part is locating it amongst the 99% of other rubbish that floods the net. Every now and again though you stumble across a new gem and treasure it, in my case this recently happened with Waiter Rant. Now I'll be honest, this is hardly a unknown site I am privileged to have discovered, in fact the site was listed in 50 of the most powerful blogs recently in the Guardian, but still for each individual there is a small joy in the discovery of something new and interesting, be it websites, films or music, something we find created by someone we have never met, and yet which manages to strike a nerve and create a bond of understanding. The site follows an anonymous New York waiter who recounts tales of his daily life, irate and sometimes incredibly rude customers as well as providing a fascinating glimpse into a career that goes largely unappreciated and considered. The site is equal parts funny, poignant thoughtful and entertaining and is well worth checking out. The advantage as well of discovering a site like this now is that there are over 3 years of archived posts to dig into, something I am greatly enjoying at the moment. Like the fine wines the waiter himself finds himself serving on a regular basis this is one site to be savoured. Waiter Rant.

Captivity

The Saw films have a lot to answer for in their expansion of the so-called ‘torture-porn’ style of filmmaking, where brutality and sadism are mixed with traditional serial killer plots. The horror in these horror films comes from stomaching the gore, and pushing the boundaries of torture, rather than any genuine tension or character work. To be fair the Saw films themselves are fairly decent in themselves with a clever knack for plotting. Captivity however is not. Riffing on the theme Captivity focuses on Jennifer Tree (Elisha Cuthbert) a model who is targeted and captured by an unknown assailant. Trapped in a room she is forced through mind games and torture until one day she discovers a fellow victim trapped in the room next to hers. The two form a bond and seek to escape. It’s hard to say what it is about this film especially that makes is so bad, it just feels undercooked throughout. The opening is rushed and gives us no glimpse or insight into Cuthbert’s character; with its painfully short running time anyway the least the film could have done is try and inject some character into the story. In fact the whole opening seems so oddly staged, so badly set up that it just feels confusing. There is no reason for the events that take place, little is done to establish anything about the settings or mood and it all seems co0bbled together, as if half way through someone decided that adding some pointless torture to the film would make it sell better. As the film progresses it’s stupidity only rises, Cuthbert’s character not only winds up falling for her cellmate but they end up getting together, whilst trapped in a dingy basement, whilst the killer stands behind them! Not only are the situations laughable but the whole package is filmed in such a way that you start to wonder if someone is just having a laugh. Aside from the bland / nonexistent characters and pretty hammy acting the 3rd act of the film, once the killer’s identity is revealed, switches to the more traditional horror fare, only with extra craziness. Cue the world’s worst policemen, a plot twist so obvious it must have come from chapter one of ‘horror writing for dummies’, characters turning on others for no discernable reason in the middle of scenes, oh and of course victims who refuse to actually finish the job when they can and actually escape. Coming from Oscar winning director Roland Joffè this is a fairly shocking film for all the wrong reasons. To be fair the style seems to have been forced on the film, and maybe that’s the problem, it seems like a committee discussion on current horror films with all the appropriate tick boxes crossed off except those that are meant to include believable characters or actual scares. Avoid watching if at all possible and here’s to hoping that the trend for these sorts of films dies off quickly. A mess pure and simple, confusing, nonsensical and downright stupid in parts this is a soulless affair that does nothing to boost the reputations of all involved.

Cloverfield

From the online buzz alone Cloverfield has found itself one of the most talked about movies of the year, that it is a relatively high budget monster movie being released in January makes it fairly unique from the off. Masquerading as found footage from a real; life event the film takes place solely from the point of view of a video camera, placed smack bang in the middle of an epic disaster movie, through much the of films uninterrupted takes and continued filming we follow a rag tag bunch of New Yorkers as the city comes under attack from an unknown creature, then as they venture back into the city to rescue one of their friends who lies trapped. It’s a simple premise and yet the way in which Cloverfield is presented and crafted makes it unique, the natural result of societies obsession with reality TV the film managed to perfectly capture the atmosphere of terror and confusion, all the while delivering big screen spectacle and characters you actually care about. The opening sections of the film are cleverly constructed, we follow the camera around a party for Rob (Michael Stahl-David), who is about to leave for a new job in Japan. Whilst at the party the camera is shifted to his best friend Hud (a sly nod to the Heads Up Display found in most computer game first person screens). Hud becomes the narrator and the audiences eyes and ears for the remainder of the film, so it’s a relief to find that he is a good host, funny, sarcastic and loyal and perfectly suited to the job of cameraman. Within the party setting we get a good build up of the characters in the film and their relationships, it is a perfectly crafted section that manages to be realistic and believable and also very engaging, so much so that you get caught up in the drama, the nature of the film becomes forgotten, so that when the proverbial starts to hit the fan, it is all the more jarring and unnatural. Of course once things go wrong they just don’t stop, from the moment an explosion is seen in the downtown area to the end the film rarely lets up, creating one great set piece after another, keeping it all feeling fresh though the use of the video camera POV. Unlike typical monster movies we don’t know exactly what is going on, snippets of news reports and conversations hint at a wider problem but largely our knowledge is limited to that of the characters, something that makes it all the more terrifying and tense. Visually the film is stunning, the rough and ready filming approach can jar a little, those with motion sickness may not want to sit too close to the screen, but there is always just enough shown in order to get your barings, and first time director Matt Reeves shows he has a great eye for the little details, just showing you glimpses and eventually more and more of the creature as the film progresses. The way these digital effects are blended into the handheld footage is nothing short of astonishing and is so successful at creating a believable and plausible story. Nothing in the film takes you out of the world that has been created and largely works so well because of the immersive nature of the visual effects. The acting too is impressive, often such films are let down by unbelievable performances but here all the relatively unknown actors inhabit their characters perfectly creating a genuine bond. They seem real and human, and also like they are good friends, which makes sitting through the events of the film with them enjoyable but also nerve wracking. Overall Cloverfield is a massive success, its desire to re-imagine the monster movie for the you tube generation works, the execution is grand and unique and more than any other film experience of recent times it leaves you breathless and on edge. Its short runtime is evidence that you can craft a well honed and effective story in under 2 hours and its faithfulness to its characters help it resonate long after your senses have recovered. Masterfully crafted and knowing Cloverfield revives the monster movie for the 21st century creating an immersive and powerful story with well crafted characters. The first blockbuster of the year and rightfully so.

The Bedlam Awaits

One of my favourite bands, The Mars Volta just released their new album, The Bedlam in Goliath. Following on from their previous records the groups unusual mix of rock, punk, jazz, prog along with their penchant for bizarre lyrics and 10 minute songs means that the new album in unlikely to bring them any new converts. However for those who love the group it is a fantastic album, heavier and more intense than before there is less filler here and new drummer Thomas Pridgen infuses the group with new found energy. Overall this is a complex, dense and coherent album that stands up there with the groups best and is well worth checking out for fans of alternative music and those who fancy something new. I am going to see them in London in a couple of weeks which should be excellent. For more on the group check out the official site and video for the latest single below.

The Mars Volta

Vacancy

Ever Since Norman Bates’ family issues were worked out onscreen in Psycho back in the 1960s the humble motel room has become a staple of the horror/thriller genre. The notion of being stranded in the middle of nowhere and having to stay in a strange and lets face it, usually rather grotty room surrounded by strangers is a familiar one and it’s a formula that Vacancy takes full advantage of. Kate Beckinsale and Luke Wilson play a bickering couple whose relationship has fallen apart since the death of their son. Driving home one night their car breaks down, forcing them to stay in aforementioned creepy hotel. The film then quickly ticks off the appropriate genre boxes of dodgy gas station attendant, creepy receptionist guy and unsettling room which makes you feel that the couple would be better suited sleeping in their car. Or in the middle of the forest surrounded by poisonous snakes for that matter. Still making the best of a bad situation they decide to see the night out, through this we find out more about the couples past which is quite effectively done, both actors play it well and Wilson in particularly impresses, managing to shake most of his typical comedy stylings for the role. Things turn bad though when they, for no particular reason, decide to check out the rooms supply of video tapes, all of which show couple being tortured and killed in the very room they are watching the videos from. From the here the tensions ranks up the film enters its most effective section. There are some genuinely tense and scary moments as the room comes under attack and they have to find ways of escaping. However it soon becomes apparent that the filmmakers’ bag of tricks is quickly exhumed, simple nagging logic questions start to raise in the mind, and the believability slips. Unfortunately this is a state that continues to the end as the situation gets more fantastical, the lynchpin moment when you sense it all fall apart comes about an hour in where, separated and alone Kate Beckinsale’s character decided to lie down and have a nap in the ventilation duct while her husband is missing and there are people out to kill her. Seriously. It’s a shame though that what could have been a taught little thriller so frequently gives in to these dramatic devices that pull you out of the moment, and with underdeveloped bad guys with no clear motivation it is merely the attachment to the main couple that pulls you through. Still even this is not enough to save the film at the end of the day, and whilst is not a terrible film by any means, it is one that fails to live up to its effective, if derivative, opening half hour. A mish mash of horror cliché’s that never quite gel, the tension filled opening impresses but even with the short runtime this feels stretched out beyond credibility leaving it a bit of a mess. A shame.