REVIEW: Righteous Thieves (2023) - Starring Cam Gigandet, Jaina Lee Ortiz and Lisa Vidal

I love me a good heist film, but recently ones that have been released have been rather lacking, so upon notice of a new heist film being released, I found myself being cautiously optimistic.

Annabel (played by Lisa Vidal) leads a covert group dedicated to retrieving priceless artworks, she gathers a team of unconventional art thieves to recover stolen Monet, Picasso, Degas, and Van Gogh pieces that were taken by Nazis during World War II and are now owned by neo-Nazi billionaire oligarch Otto Huizen (played by Brian Cousins). As the heist draws near, the team's loyalties are put to the test when they discover the true motivation behind Annabel's quest to find these lost treasures.

Full Review

http://www.beentothemovies.com/2023/03/review-righteous-thieves-2023-starring.html

REVIEW: The Shore on PC (Steam) From Dragonis Games

I was asked to take a look at The Shore, a One-Man-Project Horror Game Inspired by H.P Lovecraft.

Let us first take a look at the official blurb.

"THE SHORE is a game about the mystery of the unknown, set on a forbidden island filled with horrors. Based on the works of H. P. Lovecraft, the story features many of his best-known creations and more. Players will see the world through the eyes of Andrew, a father in search of his lost daughter. Players will experience The Shore through immersive, atmospheric gameplay and encounter the most nightmarish Lovecraftian entities, all while solving mind-bending puzzles. Try to survive as Andrew as he endeavours to save his daughter's life and, perhaps, uncover the secrets lurking within his own sanity.

Presented with a Lovecraftian style, As players dive deeper and deeper into the mystery, they'll face overwhelming odds, Andrew's moments that will make you question his sanity, and a series of slow-burn scenes. It's only by mastering the artifacts of the old gods combat mechanic that they can stay one step ahead of the darkness that tries to swallow the world of his, but will that be enough?

Full Review at

http://www.gamingcouchpotato.co.uk/2023/03/review-shore-on-pc-steam-from-dragonis.html

REVIEW: Supercell (2023) - Starring Skeet Ulrich, Anne Heche, Daniel Diemer, Jordan Kristine Seamón and Alec Baldwin.

I wanted to check out Supercell mainly because it was one of the last films that Anne Heche starred in before her untimely death. And despite the fact the god-awful Alec Baldwin also stars, I thought I would check it out regardless.

West Texas and we start by watching a young boy's father during a dangerous storm chase in West Texas, of course for this film to mean anything, the father has to die. He does indeed die when he gets caught up in a tornado.

We then jump 10 years into the future and Anne Heche's plays Dr. Quinn Brody, the widow of the aforementioned killed father. Her son William Brody (Daniel Diemer) is now grown up and wants to be like his dad. And his ultimate dream is to chase and witness a great storm, as well as to better understand the motivations of his father.

Full Review at

http://www.beentothemovies.com/2023/03/review-supercell-2023-starring-skeet.html

REVIEW: Cocaine Bear (2023) - Starring Keri Russell, O'Shea Jackson Jr., Christian Convery, Alden Ehrenreich, Brooklynn Prince, Isiah Whitlock Jr., Margo Martindale, and Ray Liotta

The story of Cocaine Bear is a true and unusual one. In 1985, a black bear in Georgia accidentally consumed over 70 pounds of cocaine that had been dropped from a drug smuggler's plane. The bear was found dead a few days later, and an autopsy revealed that it had high levels of cocaine in its system.

The bear's story began when a drug smuggler named Andrew Thornton died in a plane crash while transporting large quantities of cocaine. During the flight, some of the drug bags fell out of the plane and landed in the forest.

The incident inspired a number of pop culture references, including a song by country singer Sturgill Simpson and a movie, this movie!

Full Review at

http://www.beentothemovies.com/2023/03/review-cocaine-bear-2023-starring-keri.html

REVIEW: Left Behind: Rise of the Antichrist (2023) - Starring Kevin Sorbo, Neal McDonough, Bailey Chase,Corbin Bernsen, Greg Perrow, Sarah FIsher, Sam Sorbo, Charles Sndrew Payn and Stafford Perry

Every time I review a film, I always keep a few things in mind, the main ones being the budget and who the film is made for, and I will judge a film using these two parameters. For example, I am not going to directly compare a low-budget film with a Hollywood blockbuster from Marvel and their infinite budget. Instead, I will judge the film badly based on the limitations it has and if it overcomes them. I also won't judge a film badly if I am not the target audience, because that would be unfair.

Now, I come to Left Behind: Rise of the Antichrist, a sequel to the 2014 Nick Cage film Left Behind. I will admit to not remembering the first film, but since this film has been made nearly 10 years later, I believe it is a film that can be seen without having seen the previous one. This film has a relatively low budget, and it is also a Christian film. Something that we rarely see in cinemas, mainly due to Hollywood's stranglehold on the industry and their hatred of anything and anyone that is openly Christian. I watch this film as an Atheist, but someone who not only can enjoy religious-based films but also seeks them out, as I want to experience all genres, especially ones where I am not the target audience.

It's worth mentioning that this film has quite the cast, with plenty of recognizable faces, which instantly will attract you to the characters.

Millions of people have vanished off the face of the Earth, think Thanos clicking his fingers, and you get the idea. But this isn't a Marvel film, and there is not a group of superheroes to figure things out.

Greg Parrow stars as Cameron "Buck" Williams, a late-night news host and journalist who is desperate to get to the bottom of what happened, but he is getting blocked by his own boss. Think Tucker Carlson trying to reveal things that will hurt the political establishment, and Rupert Murdoch trying to put the brakes on him.

Full Review at

http://www.beentothemovies.com/2023/03/review-left-behind-rise-of-antichrist.html

REVIEW: Operation Fortune: Ruse de Guerre - Starring Jason Statham, Aubrey Plaza, Josh Hartnett, Cary Elwes, Bugzy Malone and Hugh Grant

Did you know that Operation Fortune was supposed to be released over a year ago but was pulled as the bad guys in the film are Ukrainian mobsters, and Russia had just started their "special military operation" after Ukrainian armed forces bombed the Donbass region and broke a ceasefire? So, yes, the film was delayed so as not to upset the most corrupt country on the planet. Well, a year later, the film is out in cinemas and about to be released on Amazon Prime. Luckily, they haven't reshot anything, and the film is unchanged. With a star-studded cast and everyone's favourite Cockney director, Guy Ritchie, we have a comedy action thriller to enjoy.

"The Handle," a device estimated to be worth billions of dollars, has been stolen by a gang of Ukrainian mobsters. The British government has hired Nathan Jasmine (legendary actor Cary Elwes) to recover the device before billionaire arms dealer Greg Simmonds (Hugh Grant sounding a little bit like Michael Caine) can sell it to the highest bidder. To accomplish this task, Nathan enlists the help of super-spy Orson Fortune (Jason Statham) and a team of experts, including Sarah Fidel (Aubrey Plaza) and JJ Davies (Bugzy Malone). The team travels to Madrid to locate the courier responsible for transporting the hard drive containing the Handle's data.

Full Review at

http://www.beentothemovies.com/2023/03/review-operation-fortune-ruse-de-guerre.html

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