REVIEW: The Devil Conspiracy (2023) - Starring Alice Orr-Ewing, Joe Doyle, Eveline Hall, Peter Mensah, Joe Anderson, Spencer Wilding, Brian Caspe and James Faulkner

It feels like ages since I have seen a good biblical-based supernatural film, so when The Devil Conspiracy came across my desk, I was optimistic. It really does seem to tick all the boxes of a good supernatural type film. We have priests, we have angels, we have possessions, we even have the devil! What more could you ask for?

At the dawn of creation, Lucifer (Joe Anderson) leads a rebellion of angels against God. The war ends with God casting Lucifer and his followers down to the depths of Hell. Michael (Peter Mensah), the Archangel of Justice, is sent to Hell to imprison his brother forever. However, Lucifer pleads with Michael to join him, but Michael refuses and departs.

In the present day, the world is abuzz with the exhibition of the Shroud of Turin. Lauren Milton (Alice Orr-Ewing), a student working on a thesis about good and evil, gains access to the exhibition with the help of her friend, Father Marconi (Joe Doyle). Marconi tells Lauren about the battle of angels, depicting a statue of Michael defeating Lucifer. Although Lauren is skeptical, she stays to draw images of the artwork.

Meanwhile, Dr. Laurent (Brian Caspe) showcases his biotech firm's research in genetic cloning to investors, claiming that they can bring back geniuses like Michelangelo and DaVinci. However, the company is actually a cult that seeks to release Lucifer and his demons from Hell to avenge the rebellion. The cult's leader, Liz (Eveline Hall), sneaks into the exhibition and kills a guard to disable the security system. Marconi tries to stop her, but Liz stabs him in the chest. She takes the Shroud, and her men capture Lauren. Before Marconi dies, he asks Michael to use his body to stop Liz. Michael possesses Marconi's body and leaves the city.

Full Review at

http://www.beentothemovies.com/2023/03/review-devil-conspiracy-2023-starring.html

REVIEW: Knock at the Cabin (2023) Starring Dave Bautista, Jonathan Groff, Ben Aldridge, Kristen Cui and Rupert Grint

Of all the wrestlers turned actors, Dave Bautista has firmly cemented himself as the most versatile. So whenever I see his name attached to a film, I am interested in checking it out.

"Knock at the Cabin" is the latest film from M. Night Shyamalan, and as you would expect, it is a bit strange. Based on the 2018 novel "The Cabin at the End of the World" by Paul G. Tremblay, the film takes place in a remote cabin in the rural Pennsylvania woods, where Eric (Jonathan Groff) and Andrew (Ben Aldridge) are vacationing with their seven-year-old daughter, Wen (Kristen Cui). While playing outside, Wen encounters a stranger named Leonard (Dave Bautista), who claims to need the family's help to save the world. However, Wen soon becomes suspicious when three other people arrive, armed with makeshift weapons. She runs back to her fathers to warn them, but it's too late. The group breaks into the cabin and ties up the family, injuring Eric in the process.

Leonard and his companions, Sabrina (Nikki Amuka-Bird), Adriane (Abby Quinn), and Redmond (Rupert Grint), explain that they've been driven by visions and an unknown force to find the family. They believe that an apocalypse is imminent, and that the only way to prevent it is for the family to sacrifice one of their own. Eric and Andrew are skeptical and suspect that the group is motivated by delusion and hate.

Full Review at

http://www.beentothemovies.com/2023/03/review-knock-at-cabin-2023-starring.html

REVIEW: A Man Called Otto (2023) - Starring Tom Hanks, Mariana Treviño and Rachel Keller

Everyone's favourite actor Tom Hanks is back starring in another heart-warming comedy drama, although you might find that you need the tissues to get through this one as it is designed to really pull on those heart strings.

In a quiet suburb of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, resides Otto Anderson (Tom Hanks), a 63-year-old man who has recently lost his wife, Sonya (Rachel Keller), a schoolteacher. Having retired from a steel company, Otto finds himself struggling to cope with the loss of his beloved wife and decides to end his own life through suicide. Yes folks, suicide is a recurring theme throughout the film.

During his first attempt to hang himself, Otto is interrupted by his new neighbours - Marisol (Mariana Treviño), Tommy (Manuel Garcia-Rulfo), and their two young daughters, Abby and Luna. As he struggles to come to terms with his decision, Otto is overwhelmed with flashbacks of his past, including his failed attempt to join the army due to his hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and the fateful train ride where he first met Sonya.

Full Review at

http://www.beentothemovies.com/2023/03/review-man-called-otto-2023-starring.html

REVIEW: WBSC eBASEBALL™: POWER PROS on Nintendo Switch

We are back again with our latest review, this time a Baseball/Softball game for Nintendo Switch called WBSC eBASEBALL™: POWER PROS.

Originally a Japan only release, eBaseball has now had a worldwide release.

This is the official baseball game of the World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC), no I had never heard of that organisation either, but since Baseball is huge in Japan, I will assume this is their version of the MLB.

Here is the official blurb.

"Create your own team from over 300 original characters!

With over 300 characters to choose from, players can assemble their team of batters, catchers, and pitchers to compete in online matches against rivals from all over the world. Mix and match different players with different stats to find the winning formula!

Once you've got your team, test your skills against the world!

Once you've assembled your team of sluggers compete online in matches with friends or online competitions like Championship Mode with rivals from all over the world."

Full Review at

http://www.gamingcouchpotato.co.uk/2023/02/review-wbsc-ebaseball-power-pros-on.html

REVIEW: Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania - Starring Paul Rudd & Evangeline Lilly

In my opinion the Ant-Man franchise is the least interesting out of the whole Marvel Universe, and although the first film was entertaining due to it's light hearted nature, the second film, which I rewatched recently was a bit of a fart in church, and with the next big Marvel bad guy being featured for the first time in Quantumania, I had high hopes.

During her time imprisoned in the Quantum Realm, Janet van Dyne (Michelle Pfeiffer) meets Kang (Jonathan Majors), an exiled traveler who promises that if she can assist him in reassembling his Multiversal Power Core, they can both escape the realm. When they finally succeed in fixing it, Janet has a vision of Kang destroying and capturing entire timelines. After Kang explains that he was banished by his own variants out of fear, Janet becomes hostile with him. Outmatched, Janet enlarges the Power Core with her Pym Particles to make it useless.

Full Review at

http://www.beentothemovies.com/2023/02/review-ant-man-and-wasp-quantumania.html

REVIEW: Rooftop Renegade on Nintendo Switch

Rooftop Renegade is an awesome new action platform game that concentrates more on speed and flow than deliberate precision moves. You can run and use your hover blades, and your main objective is to reach the end of the level as fast as you can, as well as collecting as many diamonds as you can. The better performance you do the higher score you will get.

Run and glide your way through various futuristic areas, on skyscrapers and gliding on bars. You also have a few special moves you can do, boost and slide, which will help you make epic jumps, as well as slide under the various hazards and traps set by Globacorp, who are constantly trying to stop you.

With this game being about speed, split second thinking is needed here, one mistake and you will lose your flow, or get caught by Globacorp.

There are a few modes to play, Arcade mode, which has you working your way through various levels and stages, which as you would expect gradually get harder and more challenging. Then there is a generator mode, which remixes levels in new ways depending on what you enter in the seed box. Just type a random number for example and see what kind of level it creates.

Full Review at

http://www.gamingcouchpotato.co.uk/2023/02/review-rooftop-renegade-on-nintendo.html

REVIEW: The Legend of Gwen - Nintendo Switch

Back again with our latest review, this time for The Legend of Gwen on Nintendo Switch, no this is not a game about the wife of the late Derek Acorah, but instead a game about a young Witch who is a newcomer to a wizardry school. She wants to become the best witch in the world.

"To her bad luck, her arrival came at a bad time because just when she arrived she couldn't have a welcome party because there was a surprise guest... "The Evil One!"

"Evil" didn't hesitate twice and began to absorb everything she could from the school! Now who will teach Gwen about sorcery! Will she be able to learn on her own? Will she be able to overcome the obstacles of "The Evil One" and get the school back? Help Gwen with this challenge and defeat "The Evil One" (if you can ....)."

At its base this is a hardcore platform game, and when I say hardcore, i mean it, as this game is tough, really tough, from the very first level it is tough, this is a precision platformer, with something of a fixed camera for a 3D environment.

Ful Review at

http://www.gamingcouchpotato.co.uk/2023/02/review-legend-of-gwen-nintendo-switch.html

REVIEW: Plane (2023) - Starring Gerard Butler and Mike Colter

I like a good action thriller, and i like Gerard Butler, so what better way to spend my evening than watching the new film Plane. Although I think they should have come up with a better name for the film, imagine searching for Plane on a search engine hoping to find the film first time out!

Former RAF pilot and commercial airline pilot, Brodie Torrance (Gerard Butler), is navigating Trailblazer Airlines Flight 119 from Singapore to Honolulu with a layover in Tokyo. However, a severe storm in the South China Sea causes substantial damage to the aircraft, forcing Brodie to make an emergency landing on the rebel-controlled Jolo Island in the Philippines. Tragically, a stewardess and an RCMP (Royal Canadian Mounted Police) officer who was escorting a wanted homicide suspect, Louis Gaspare (Mike Colter), were killed during the landing.

Full Review at

http://www.beentothemovies.com/2023/02/review-plane-2023-starring-gerard.html

REVIEW: Black Panther: Wakanda Forever - Starring Letitia Wright, Lupita Nyong'o and Danai Gurira

I wasn't much of a fan of the first Black Panther film, as it was pushed purely on identity politics as opposed to substance. In other words, "watch this film, or you are a racist", which is a terrible way to promote a film. So I was in no rush to watch Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, especially since the original star of the film, Chadwick Boseman had tragically died. Some have suggested that the franchise should have just been left alone after his death, but Hollywood rarely cares about sentiment when there is money to be made.

With all that said, I think it is worth seeing Wakanda Forever as a stand-alone film, forget about the fascist overtones of the original film, (race superiority, nationalistic tendencies, building a giant wall around your country to keep people out, refusing to share your technology, healthcare and so on with poorer nations around you), and instead really try to see this as a film in its own right. The general story has the leaders of Wakanda fighting to protect their nation in the wake of King T'Challa's death, from a bunch of blue Aquaman type people from the sea.

The film starts with Shuri (Letitia Wright), the sister of the king of Wakanda, T'Challa (Chadwick Boseman who we obviously do not see outside of flashbacks from the first film), believing that a "heart-shaped plant" might heal the disease that is killing the monarch. After Erik Killmonger destroyed the herb, Shuri makes an unsuccessful attempt to synthetically recreate it before T'Challa passes away.

Full Review at

http://www.beentothemovies.com/2023/02/review-black-panther-wakanda-forever.html

REVIEW: Whisker Squadron: Survivor on PC (Steam)

Another day and another review, this time we are looking at Whisker Squadron: Survivor.

This is the first game set in the Whisker Squadron universe, and a roguelite shooter from the makers of RACE THE SUN. In Whisker Squadron: Survivor, the action takes place in a continuous corridor setting over the course of 30 minute runs, with a strong emphasis on roguelite survival.

With a variety of feline pilots, ships, and weaponry at your disposal, you may customize your loadout before setting out on a run that only gets tougher with each wave. You can upgrade through a dizzying array of randomly selected upgrades by collecting scrap from your defeated enemies, giving each run a distinctive build.

Whisker Squadron: Survivor, which serves as a prequel to the 2023 space-faring adventure Whisker Squadron.

Full Review at

http://www.gamingcouchpotato.co.uk/2023/02/review-whisker-squadron-survivor-on-pc.html

REVIEW: Shotgun Wedding (2023) - Starring Jennifer Lopez and Josh Duhamel

Usually I am not a fan of romantic action comedy films, as they are more often than not terrible, but I liked the trailer for this, and i think highly of Josh Duhamel as an actor so I thought I would check it out.

Tom Fowler (Josh Duhamel) and Darcy Rivera (Jennifer Lopez), along with their families, travel to a private island in the Philippines for their big destination wedding. But just as the couple began to have second thoughts and start arguing, their guests are taken hostage by pirates. The kidnappers demand a ransom of $45 million dollars from Darcy's wealthy father Robert Rivera (Cheech Marin), who refuses to pay until he knew his daughter was safe.

Separated from the wedding party, Tom and Darcy are briefly captured by the pirates but manage to escape, killing several of their captors in the process in some fun and inventive ways. As they try to evade recapture, they also grapple with their doubts about getting married. Eventually they find themselves trapped in a vault beneath the manager's office, Tom ultimately surrendered himself to the pirates so that Darcy could remain hidden.

If I said much more, I would give away too much, so I will leave the general plot at that.

This is one of those films that relies on its cast to do the heavy lifting. Jennifer Coolidge appears in the film as Tom's mother Carol, and along with Cheech, they are the more familiar of the extended cast.

J-Lo is as gorgeous as ever, and they make sure to use her sex appeal plenty in the film, including a funny scene of her in her underpants! That scene is definitely for the men watching!

Full Review at

http://www.beentothemovies.com/2023/01/review-shotgun-wedding-2023-starring.html

REVIEW: M3GAN (2022) - Starring Allison Williams, Violet McGraw and Amie Donald

By now the old trope of robot/doll gone bad is about as old as anything in Hollywood, so when I hear of a new science fiction horror film, with a robot doll that goes bad, let's just say I was less than interested to watch. However M3GAN has gone on to be a massive hit, so I thought I better check it out and see if it has anything new to bring to the genre.

After a devastating car accident that leaves Cady (Violet McGraw) an orphan, she is sent to live with her aunt, Gemma (Allison Williams), a roboticist at the high-tech Seattle toy company Funki. Gemma is working on a revolutionary project, a life-sized humanoid robot doll named M3GAN (Model 3 Generative Android) that is powered by artificial intelligence, designed to assist in caretaking duties and act as a loyal companion to the child to whom it is assigned. However, after a test with M3GAN's functions in their lab goes wrong, Gemma's boss David (Ronny Chieng) orders her to abandon the project.

Cady and Gemma find it difficult to adjust to their new living situation, as Gemma is a workaholic and has little time to bond with Cady. However, when Cady discovers Bruce, a motion capture robot that Gemma created, she expresses a desire for a similarly complex toy. This motivates Gemma to complete the M3GAN project.

Full Review At

http://www.beentothemovies.com/2023/01/review-m3gan-2022-starring-allison.html

REVIEW: WHALIEN - Unexpected Guests on PC (Steam)

We are back once again, and this time we are looking at a bright and colourful action adventure game.

"Players take on the role of Ernest Hemingwhale, the sole remaining inhabitant of Fin, the mechanical whale. Fin is not only Ernest's home but also his close friend. When mysterious and dangerous Squiddies begin taking over Fin's body, he doesn't hesitate to take down the slimy threats. The origin of the mischievous little beings is not the only secret to discover. The mechanical whale is filled with little details and even more unexpected guests, the Springpeople. Whatever they are up to remains to be seen.

Ernest must use both his wits and special gloves and pearls - appropriately named Mr. Push and Mrs. Pull - to manipulate objects in the environment, solve puzzles, and send the Squiddies packing. Through unique, vibrant, and colorful environments, players delve deep into the inner workings of Fin, meet loveable characters, and help protect not only Ernest's home but also his friend.

WHALIEN- Unexpected Guests is a short but sweet adventure game about friendship."

Full Review at

http://www.gamingcouchpotato.co.uk/2023/01/review-whalien-unexpected-guests-on-pc.html

REVIEW: JUNG_E (정이) - Starring Kang Soo-yeon, Kim Hyun-joo and Ryu Kyung-soo

It is not often I review films that I actually wanted to see and was looking forward to seeing for a while, but Jung_E is one of those rare exceptions. I enjoy Korean cinema, and I love a good sci-fi film, so right here we have something that includes both.

Worth noting that Jung_E features the final film appearance of Kang Soo-yeon who passed away before release. Also, I refer to the "Ardian Republic" below, but on the subtitles, it showed as Adrian Republic, but online it says Ardian, so I am a little confused.

In the 22nd century, Earth has become uninhabitable due to climate change, forcing humans to live in man-made shelters built in space. As they settle in around 80 of these shelters, three, No. 8, 12, and 13, form the Ardian Republic and begin attacking other shelters, leading to a civil war between the Allied Forces and the Ardian Republic.

Full Review at

http://www.beentothemovies.com/2023/01/review-junge-starring-kang-soo-yeon-kim.html

REVIEW: Breakers Collection on Nintendo Switch

Back in the 1990s we were very lucky that we had an almost endless stream, of beat-em-up arcade games, from the Fatal Fury series, to Streetfighter and of course Breakers. And today we get a re-release of not only Breakers but also the sequel in Breakers Revenge on the mighty Nintendo Switch. Called the Breakers Collection, it is your classic 2D beat-em-up style game with a few important improvements.

Here is the plot of the game.

"Somewhere in Hong Kong, two martial artists face each other in a vast courtyard. The challenger is a stout man in brown skin. The ground has been tainted with blood. However, his crescent blade has not touched his opponent yet. It was a one-sided battle. He was already exhausted and it will not be long before he would fall. "Fool, you will become one of my family" resounded the opponent's voice, as the challenger crumbled to the floor and was turned into sand.

The Fighting Instinct Tournament, or FIST, is a tournament as fierce as its name suggests. There was no shortage of martial artists who entered the tournament seeking fame, and yet there were many who left the tournament as corpses. The last challenger who remains in this lawless tournament gets to challenge the organizer of the tournament, the Head of the Huang Financial Clique, for the chance to win the massive prize money. The martial artist who can manage to defeat him will obtain the honour of truly calling him or herself the strongest. However, none of the martial artists who were chosen to challenge the champion in a private final match have ever come back alive. The sponsor is actually an evil spirit who possessed the body of a modern man from Hong Kong who has established a selection system to amplify his dark powers. The FIST tournament has gathered numerous participants from around the globe and another sacrifice will be chosen this year."

So, it your classic tournament system, to win money, yes, I know it is not really very original, but does anyone really care about the plot line in beat-em-ups?

Full Review at

http://www.gamingcouchpotato.co.uk/2023/01/review-breakers-collection-on-nintendo.html

REVIEW: The Old Way (2023) - Starring Nicolas Cage

I don't get to review many Westerns, in fact the last one I recall seeing was Terror on the Prairie with the excellent Gina Carano, before that I genuinely can't remember reviewing any on the site! So, to hear that there was a new Western out at first didn't really attract me, but then I see that the legendary Nicolas Cage is in it, and I am intrigued, for as far as I know Nic Cage has never ever starred in a Western!

In the beginning, in the Montanan Old West we are introduced to Colton Briggs, a bounty hunter played by Cage, who demonstrates his exceptional shooting skills by causing a massacre in a town square after interrupting a town hanging. With his Mustache and intense gaze, Cage portrays a ruthless killer.

Fast forward 20 years and now, we see Colton has retired from hunting and no longer has that epic Mustache which to be fair is a massive shame. He is now living a peaceful life, as a shopkeeper and family man with his wife, Ruth (Kerry Knuppe), and his 12-year-old daughter, Brooke (Ryan Kiera Armstrong). However, the arrival of James McAllister (Noah Le Gros) and his group of thugs seeking revenge for Colton's past actions leads to a turn of events that will change the lives of all involved, the outlaw son of a man he killed returns to exact revenge, resulting in the death of his wife.

Full Review at

http://www.beentothemovies.com/2023/01/review-old-way-2023-starring-nicolas.html

REVIEW: Voyager on PC (Steam)

I have to admit, I am a fan of simple gameplay and minimalist games, but only if they are actually any good. I was contacted by the developer of Voyager, a game which describes itself as a little relaxing minimalist game. So, does it tick the right boxes? Let's take a look.

The game is pretty simple; each level starts with the sun in the middle, and you control a simple rocket (Voyager). With just one button, you control the thrust of the engine. Your job is to discover the planets that orbit around the sun.

The game itself contains barely any in-game instructions, and what I told you just now is probably more knowledge than what you will start playing with. But once you do start, there is a rather clever little game here. Now, I have to admit that at first, I assumed that you just press launch on the rocket once and then just watch it fly around the little galaxy, with gravity being the main propulsion. Once you have launched, I later figured out that you can actually keep the power going and even direct the thrust using your cursor, which in turn makes the whole experience much more fun and a little easier. As you fly around, battling the gravitational pull of the sun, you will eventually land on a planet. Once you do, it becomes visible in the galaxy, and you can then use that as a new launchpad. In the top right of the screen is a little map which indicates how many planets there are to discover and roughly how far away they are from the sun.

Full Review at

http://www.gamingcouchpotato.co.uk/2023/01/review-voyager-on-pc-steam.html

The Menu (2023) - Stars Ralph Fiennes, Anya Taylor-Joy and Nicholas Hoult

I first head about The Menu when it first aired at the Toronto International Film Festival, all the right people seemed to love it, your snotty film critics, Guardian readers etc, so it was always going to get attention when the final release came along.

Well, it has finally been released in the UK at selected cinemas and on Disney +, so I thought I would check it out. The general synopsis talks about the film "focusing on a young couple who visits an exclusive destination restaurant on a remote island where the acclaimed chef has prepared a lavish tasting menu, along with some shocking surprises."

Advertised as a horror/thriller, if like me, you are instantly thinking this will be an all our horror film full of twists, which will undoubtably end up with someone rich people eating brains, well you will be disappointed. Unfortunately, there is no eating of the brains, and for fans of Silence of the Lambs, there is also no "Fava Beans and a Nice Chianti". So, before you watch, get those expectations right down, or you will be disappointed. This is not a gross out horror film, and although there are some horror moments, at best it is just a weird, creepy thriller, that is almost the tale of a cult, than it is anything else.

Full Review at

http://www.beentothemovies.com/2023/01/the-menu-2022-stars-ralph-fiennes-anya.html

REVIEW: Puss in Boots: The Last Wish (2022) Stars Antonio Banderas and Salma Hayek Pinault

Everyone's favourite character from Shrek is back, in the sequel to Puss in Boots (2011) and the sixth instalment in the Shrek film franchise. Puss in Boots: The Last Wish sees Puss in Boots (Antonio Banderas) as he goes on a journey to find the mystical Last Wish for the Wishing Star by teaming up with his friends Kitty Softpaws (Salma Hayek Pinault) and Perrito (Harvey Guillén) and restore the eight of his nine lives that he lost, while also trying to escape from new enemies, Goldilocks (Florence Pugh), "Big" Jack Horner (John Mulaney), and Death (Wagner Moura), who plan to hunt him down.

I will be honest here in saying that I do not recall if I ever saw Puss in Boots (2011), I expect I did, but it is not in my memory. However, I am familiar with the Shrek films, although not a big fan. Puss was always the stand out character in the Shrek films for me, so it is good to see the character get its own run of films.

Puss in Boots is enjoying a party at the mansion of the governor of Del Mar when he gets into a fight with the governor's men and awakens an earthen giant. He manages to defeat the giant, but is later crushed by a bell. When he wakes up, a doctor tells him that he only has one life left and suggests that he retire to preserve what time he has left. Puss initially ignores the advice, but after a black-hooded wolf draws blood from him in a local pub, he seeks refuge with Mama Luna (Da'Vine Joy Randolph), an elderly cat lady, to live as a domesticated pet. Puss ceremoniously buries his iconic attire outside the house, seemingly retiring from his outlaw career.

Full Review at

http://www.beentothemovies.com/2023/01/review-puss-in-boots-last-wish-2022.html

REVIEW: Detective Knight: Redemption (2022) - Starring Paul Johansson and Bruce Willis

Detective Knight: Redemption is the sequel to Detective Knight: Rogue and it stars Bruce Willis as Detective James Knight. As with most of Bruce Willis' recent films, his part is limited, and most of the scenes were filmed separate to the rest of the cast and then spliced in later. If you haven't seen the first film, you can read my review here.

It is Christmas and after the events of Detective Knight: Rogue, Detective James Knight (Willis) is in a New York prison for the murders of Winna and Brigga. While in custody Knight finds himself slap bang in the middle of a jailbreak, being run by a violent fanatic named Ricky Conlan (aka The Christmas Bomber played by Paul Johansson) and his Santa Claus disciples, who have been terrorising the city. While all the felons escape, Knight stays put in his cell, refusing the leave.

After getting nowhere, Detectives approach Knight and offer him the deal of a lifetime, help them catch Conlan and Knight's conviction will be squashed, he will be a free man, and he may even get his badge back. Of course with an offer like that who could refuse.

Full Review at

http://www.beentothemovies.com/2023/01/review-detective-knight-redemption-2022.html

REVIEW: Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery - Starring Daniel Craig, Edward Norton and Dave Bautista

I am going to keep this review relatively short, as it seems apparent that I am the only person around who did not like this film.

Let's first look at the official synopsis

"Benoit Blanc returns to peel back the layers in a new Rian Johnson whodunit. This fresh adventure finds the intrepid detective at a lavish private estate on a Greek island, but how and why he comes to be there is only the first of many puzzles. Blanc soon meets a distinctly disparate group of friends gathering at the invitation of billionaire Miles Bron for their yearly reunion. Among those on the guest list are Miles' former business partner Andi Brand, current Connecticut governor Claire Debella, cutting-edge scientist Lionel Toussaint, fashion designer and former model Birdie Jay and her conscientious assistant Peg, and influencer Duke Cody and his sidekick girlfriend Whiskey. As in all the best murder mysteries, each character harbours their own secrets, lies and motivations. When someone turns up dead, everyone is a suspect."

This has to be one of the most unnecessarily overcomplicated films ever made. It also has a ridiculously long run time of 2 hours and 12 minutes not including the credits. What should be a simple who dunnit, is so discombobulated, I honestly don't know where to start.

Full Review at

http://www.beentothemovies.com/2022/12/review-glass-onion-knives-out-mystery.html

REVIEW: Prey for the Devil (2022) - Starring Jacqueline Byers, Colin Salmon and Christian Navarro

I know what I need to distract me from the bad weather, it's a good horror film, and luckily, director Daniel Stamm has just such a film in Prey for the Devil.

The Roman Catholic Church is combatting a rise in demonic possessions across the world, and one way they are doing that is by reopening schools to train priests to exorcise the demons, specifically the Rite of Exorcism.

Despite being forbidden from performing exorcisms, Sister Ann (Jacqueline Byers) believes she has a calling to be the first female exorcist. She seeks out one of these schools, and Professor and Priest, Father Quinn (Colin Salmon), sees great potential in Sister Ann and recognises her natural gifts and agrees to train her.

A young girl has been possessed and Sister Ann believes that the child is possessed by the same demon that possessed her own mother when she was a child. Through flashbacks we see how her mother would be normal one minute, before turning on the young Ann and hurting her.

Full Review at

http://www.beentothemovies.com/2022/12/review-prey-for-devil-2022-starring.html

REVIEW: The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt - Next Gen Update - Xbox Series X

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt was originally released in 2015, and is widely recognised as one of the greatest games ever made, so it is pointless me just reviewing the game as it is, instead I will specifically concentrate on whether or not it is worth replaying since it now has a next gen update. For the record if you have never played it before, then yes, 100% you need to play this game. But what if like me, you had it when it was first released, and now have either a Xbox Series X or a PS5, should you restart the game from the start? Is there enough there to warrant it? Read on to find out.

My impressions come from the Xbox Series X version.

So, what are the main updates, well obviously the visuals have improved, the game already looked great, but now the game has added some bells and whistles to fully take advantage of the power of Xbox Series X and PS5. We have the addition of ray tracing, which can be chosen from the graphics menu, this mode offers better graphics (mainly the light effects), but the FPS drops to 30. The other new mode is a performance mode, that gives you a greater frame rate (60FPS), but less graphical improvements.

Full Review at

http://www.gamingcouchpotato.co.uk/2022/12/review-witcher-3-wild-hunt-next-gen.html

REVIEW: Petite Adventure on PC (Steam)

Developed by Petite Games and published by Ratalaika Games comes another great little game, and I use the word "little" deliberately for once.

 

Petite Adventure is a simple 3D driving game, each level represents a different challenge and an objective you need to complete. The faster the time to complete, the better the reward. Rewards are gold, silver and bronze trophies.

There are 32 levels, set across 3 different difficulties. Challenges include doing drifts within certain areas, popping balloons with a giant spiked ball attached to the back of your car, collecting coins on difficult tracks, basic courses you need to complete, you can even play a type of golf, where you have to hit a relatively large golf ball towards the flag. Of course, on the face of it these all sound easy, but when you realise that you have very tight courses, and one mistake means the end of the game for you, the challenge of it all really makes its mark.

Full Review at

http://www.gamingcouchpotato.co.uk/2022/12/review-petite-adventure-on-pc-steam.html

REVIEW: Jitsu Squad on Nintendo Switch

Do you like chaotic 4 player side scrolling beat 'em ups? Do you like cartoon graphics? Do you enjoy games that are just plain fun to play? If you answered yes, to any of those, then perhaps I may have just found the game for you.

From Tanuki Creative Studio comes Jitsu Squad, this is such a fun game, instantly reminds me of classic side scroller beat 'em ups like Streets of rage, but with the crazy, chaotic feel of a Super Smash Bros.

Synopsis

"This is the story of the legendary, hidden Kusanagi Stone and the warriors seeking it. Containing the soul of a powerful demon, The Kusanagi stone can grant godly powers to those who awaken it. Now, the wicked sorcerer Origami, destroyer of worlds and lord of darkness, has summoned ancient warriors to find the stone for him, cursing their souls and turning them into animals in the process. Luckily, a mysterious monk called Ramen manages to save four warrior souls from Origami's call: Hero, Baby, Jazz, and Aros, together are the Jitsu Squad! "

Although advertised as a 4-player game, you can also play solo, and switch between the various characters as you play.

Full Review at

http://www.gamingcouchpotato.co.uk/2022/12/review-jitsu-squad-on-nintendo-switch.html

REVIEW: Togges on Nintendo Switch

Togges is advertised as "a game unlike anything you've ever seen!", and to be fair, it is pretty unique, whether that is a good thing or a bad thing you will have to read on to find out.

This is a 3D platformer, but you control what I can only describe as a robot vacuum of sorts. You can suck up and spread cubes, (Togges) which in turn will help you solve environmental puzzles. You are tasked with helping the King President to save the Universe from the threat of The Void.

Even though your vacuum (yes, I am calling it that) can move around freely and even jump, to stack Togges you need to have a start point, this start point then allows you to spread cubes either horizontal or vertically. You have a set amount of Togges. Now why would you need to spread Togges? Well early on you are tasked with collecting fruit, but to collect fruit you need to place some Togges on the top of the fruit, so you need to spread a line of Togges to reach the fruit before you can collect it. And of course, the fruit aren't going to be in an easy to find location, this is where the environmental puzzle element comes in.

Now after the first tutorial, you will start your first world of sorts. Now this game is rather heavy on the text dialog, too heavy, and because of that, you will find yourself skipping through things just so you can start to play the game, this is a problem, as you will inevitably miss an important instruction, as I did.

Full Review at

http://www.gamingcouchpotato.co.uk/2022/12/review-togges-on-nintendo-switch.html