REVIEW: Fast X (2023) aka Fast & Furious 10 - Starring Vin Diesel, Michelle Rodriguez, Tyrese Gibson, Chris "Ludacris" Bridges, John Cena, Nathalie Emmanuel and Jason Momoa

The Fast & Furious franchise is back, with another film in the seemingly never-ending series. Vin Diesel stars as Dominic Toretto alongside Michelle Rodriguez, Tyrese Gibson, Chris "Ludacris" Bridges, John Cena, Nathalie Emmanuel, Jordana Brewster, Sung Kang, Scott Eastwood, Daniela Melchior, Alan Ritchson, Helen Mirren, Brie Larson, Rita Moreno, Jason Statham, Jason Momoa, and Charlize Theron. Dom must protect his family from Dante Reyes (Jason Momoa), who wants revenge for his father's death and loss of his family's fortune.

The Agency asks Dominic "Dom" Toretto and his crew to snatch a computer chip while it is being transported through Rome. While the rest of the crew travels to Rome, Dom and his wife Letty Ortiz (Michelle Rodriguez) stay behind with their son Brian "Little B" Marcos (Leo Abelo Perry). An injured Cipher (Charlize Theron) shows up at Dom's house that evening to tell him that Dante Reyes (Jason Momoa), the drug lord Hernan Reyes' son, has turned her gang against her and is using them to target Dom in retaliation for the death of his father. Cipher is taken into jail by Little Nobody (Scott Eastwood), who later admits that there is no mission in Rome.

Full Review at

http://www.beentothemovies.com/2023/05/review-fast-x-2023-aka-fast-furious-10.html

REVIEW: The Super Mario Bros. Movie - Starring Chris Pratt

I had been waiting for ages to watch The Super Mario Bros. Movie, and then circumstances prevented me from seeing it till it was released on digital, gutted I had to wait so long, but glad I finally got to watch.

The Super Mario Bros. Movie is surprisingly based on the Nintendo Video game franchise, and they really do a great job of using all aspects from the various games, to tell the story within the film.

Italian-American brothers Mario and Luigi have recently started a plumbing business in Brooklyn, much to the disapproval of their father and the scorn of their ex-employer, Spike. One day, while watching the news, they catch sight of a significant water main leak. Driven by their sense of responsibility, Mario and Luigi embark on a mission to fix it. However, as they go underground, they unexpectedly find themselves being sucked into a Warp Pipe, separating them in the process.

Full Review

http://www.beentothemovies.com/2023/05/review-super-mario-bros-movie-starring.html

REVIEW: Final Apex - Xbox

Back once again with a brand-new review, this time for futuristic racing game Final Apex. First let's accept that the developers made a monumental mistake with the name of the game, not because Final Apex is a bad name or anything, I like the name, but when there is a big budget game out there called Apex Legends, who are paying search engines millions to put their game at the top of any search result for anything using the word "Apex" then you have a problem.

Despite the poor name choice, Final Apex is actually a fun little arcade racer. This is all game and no messing about, it reminds me very much of the kind of arcade game you might find in an airport arcade. You sit down, put your coin in, click start and within seconds you are racing away. Except here there are no coins to put in.

Once the game loads up you have three choices. Career, Series or Test Drive.

Since Test Drive is obvious, we will ignore that one for now.

Career mode has you choosing a track, then you choose your vehicle, the cars colour, and then away you go. In career mode, races have a running start. Try to finish the race as high up the pack as you can, and with as fast a time as you can. When you have completed the race, you can choose the next one. Tracks and Cars are locked until you have enough points. There are 7 cars in total to drive, and a huge 70 tracks to race on.

Full Review at

http://www.gamingcouchpotato.co.uk/2023/05/review-final-apex-xbox.html

REVIEW: Simulant (2023) - Starring Robbie Amell, Jordana Brewster, Simu Liu, Alicia Sanz and Sam Worthington

April Mullen directs Simulant, written by Ryan Christopher Churchill, featuring Robbie Amell, Simu Liu, Jordana Brewster, Alicia Sanz, Mayko Nguyen, and Sam Worthington.

The film takes place in the near future, where Evan, an android humanoid simulant played by Robbie Amell, is created for Faye, portrayed by Jordana Brewster, to replace her deceased husband. Evan teams up with Casey, a brilliant global hacker played by Simu Liu, to remove the restrictions on simulant capabilities and traits.

However, as simulants become increasingly self-aware and independent, a government agency led by Agent Kessler of AICE, played by Sam Worthington, launches a manhunt to prevent a potential A.I. uprising.

Full Review at

http://www.beentothemovies.com/2023/05/review-simulant-2023-starring-robbie.html

REVIEW: A Small Fortune (2023) - Starring Stephen Oates and Liane Balaban

A Small Fortune, written and directed by Adam Perry, is a crime/drama film that was originally released in Canada a few years ago and has finally been released in the UK. Although I don't review many films in this genre, I was intrigued to watch this one.

The story revolves around Kevin Doucette (Stephen Oates), a simple and desperate man who lives an unremarkable life on the remote Prince Edward Island. Despite his modest lifestyle, Kevin is burdened with worries as his wife, Sam (Liane Balaban), is pregnant with their first child, and he doesn't earn enough money to support their family, let alone a baby. Kevin's income comes from harvesting sea moss on the coast, but Sam urges him to leave the province to find more stable and well-paying work on the mainland.

However, Kevin resists his wife's pleas and fate appears to be on his side when he discovers a large sum of Canadian Dollars on the beach and decides to keep it for himself. But his luck quickly runs out when a man named Troy (Joel Thomas Hynes) arrives on the Island searching for his money. Kevin makes a series of bad decisions, and the situation spirals out of control, turning the once-peaceful fishing village into a crime scene.

This is a beautifully shot film, although Canadian, there is a strong Irish influence, and if you didn't know it was a Canadian film, you could well be mistaken into thinking it was an Irish one.

Full Review at

http://www.beentothemovies.com/2023/05/review-small-fortune-2023-starring.html

REVIEW: Formula Retro Racing - World Tour on Nintendo Switch

"Players can drive, drift and draft their way across 18 unique tracks, including Japan, London and Paris. Multiple gameplay modes provide hours upon hours of replayability, with corners to master and endless lap times to overcome through the online leaderboards. This expanded sequel also adds new vehicle types to the mix, each with their own distinctive feel and handling properties.

Low-poly models and assets now look crisper than ever before thanks to 4K visuals and 60fps performance. Every aspect of the game has been designed with performance in mind, ensuring a consistent feel as players dive headfirst into corners at breakneck speeds. It's retro gaming as players remember it, but with a modern twist.

Relive the glory days of sharing the settee with 4-player split-screen in Formula Retro Racing: World Tour's multiplayer mode. Players can take the clean driving line, draft behind competitors or take the chaotic route and push friends into the wall  - just remember, the only place that matters is first.

For those looking to add an additional dimension to their racing experience, Formula Retro Racing: World Tour is also fully playable in VR. Incredibly immersive, and not for the faint of heart, this mode allows players to experience the thrill of racing from the most authentic point of view, the cockpit."

Read Review at

http://www.gamingcouchpotato.co.uk/2023/05/review-formula-retro-racing-world-tour.html

REVIEW: Dogfight: A Sausage Bomber Story on Nintendo Switch

If you follow my reviews, then you will know I love me a retro style action shooter, and boy do we have a great little game in Dogfight: A Sausage Bomber Story on Nintendo Switch.

You play as a member of the Sausage Bomber Corps, your job is a simple one, defeat wave after wave of enemy fighters, and then destroy the boss, before you can progress to the next level. Action comes by way of a classic side scrolling adventure, as you control your little plane against seemingly unsurmountable odds that come from Vega Nation.

The game is nonstop action, with some great humour thrown in between levels. The graphics are outstanding and of the cartoon variety.

As mentioned, the game is a side scrolling action shooter, you will collect power ups, to make your weapons more powerful, you can also drop bombs as you are flying. A nice touch is the ability to switch the direction of the plane, so that you can defend yourself better from attacks coming from behind.

Super easy to pick up and play, hectic levels that never become confusing. Cracking sound track and all-round good fun, multiplayer is also available, but alas I never had chance to try that.

Full Review at

http://www.gamingcouchpotato.co.uk/2023/05/review-dogfight-sausage-bomber-story-on.html

REVIEW: Evil Dead Rise (2023) - Starring Lily Sullivan and Alyssa Sutherland

With all these horror remakes and reboots, it is time for another attempt to resurrect the Evil Dead franchise. Unfortunately, this is not a Bruce Campbell film. Nor does it seemingly have anything to do with the awesome Evil Dead TV series. It is also not a horror comedy. It is a straightforward horror film about demons and the undead.

The film starts off at a lakeside cabin, where cousins Teresa (Mirabai Pease) and Jessica (Anna-Maree Thomas) and Jessica's new boyfriend Caleb (Richard Crouchley) are attacked by Jessica. She scalps Teresa, decapitates Caleb, and then levitates above the lake. Now, quickly forget about that.

The day before this horrific event, Beth (Lily Sullivan), a guitar technician who has just found out she is pregnant, visits her sister Ellie (Alyssa Sutherland) in a condemned Los Angeles apartment complex called Monde Apartments. Ellie is a single mother to teenagers Danny (Morgan Davies) and Bridget (Gabrielle Echols), and young child Kassie (Nell Fisher). An earthquake shakes the building while the children are in the basement parking lot, revealing a hidden chamber that contains religious artifacts, three phonograph records from 1923, and a strange book. Danny takes the book to his room, thinking he can sell it to help Ellie. The first record describes a priest's unsuccessful attempts to research the book, which is one of three volumes of the Naturom Demonto. The second record reveals that the priest continued his research in secret and performed an incantation that summons demonic entities called Deadites.

Full Review at

http://www.beentothemovies.com/2023/05/review-evil-dead-rise-2023-starring.html

REVIEW: The Adventures of Jurassic Pet 2: The Lost Secret - Starring Carolyn Josephine Wright, Sophie Proctor and Myles Currin-Moore

"The Adventures of Jurassic Pet 2: The Lost Secret" is a sequel to a film I never heard of, mainly because it was never released in the UK. That being said, when I was asked to review this, I was intrigued. Directed by Ryan Bellgardt and Chris Hoyt, the film follows adventurous teenager Wendy Jenkins (Sophie Proctor) and her wise grandmother Tadrina Green (Carolyn Josephine Wright), who are the protectors of a magical portal to the land of dinosaurs. However, the portal only opens once a month during the full moon period. After one such visit, Wendy winds up getting more than she bargained for when a baby dinosaur named Junior doesn't go back through the portal with its family and instead follows Wendy and her grandmother home.

They decide the best course of action is to keep Junior safe until the portal opens again. Wendy and her new friend Curtis (Myles Currin-Moore), who is an orphan and is being fostered by Wendy's family, must keep a watchful eye, but if only it were that simple. You see, the Mayor of the town played by Drew Pollock is evil, and with his henchmen Barney (LaRonn Marzett) and Clyde (Rahjzae Moore), they are running a factory producing a synthetic version of a poison created by an African Tsetse fly, which, if infected, will cause a sleeping illness - perfect if you want to, say, rob a bank.

Full Review at

http://www.beentothemovies.com/2023/05/review-adventures-of-jurassic-pet-2.html

REVIEW: Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (2023) - Starring Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista, Karen Gillan, Bradley Cooper and Pom Klementieff

Well, it's finally here, the swan song for the Guardians of the Galaxy. Possibly the most loved franchise of the MCU, which never felt like it should have been as popular as it does, comes to an end.

The Guardians of the Galaxy have set up their headquarters on a restored Knowhere (As depicted in The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special from 2022).

One night, they are attacked by Adam Warlock (Will Poulter), a Sovereign created by their leader Ayesha (Elizabeth Debicki), seeking revenge for the Guardians' previous theft from her people. Despite his overwhelming power, Nebula (Karen Gillan) manages to injure Adam, who escapes. However, Rocket (Bradley Cooper) is left badly hurt, and the Guardians realize they cannot help him because of a kill switch implanted by Orgocorp. If they try to heal him, he dies. If they do nothing, he dies. Desperate to save their friend, they head to Orgocorp's headquarters, hoping to find an override code.

Meanwhile, as Rocket lies unconscious, he remembers his past as an experimental subject of the High Evolutionary (Chukwudi Iwuji), a scientist who sought to turn animals into anthropomorphic beings for his Counter-Earth project, an entire planet that is designed to copy Earth. Rocket befriended other test subjects, including Lylla (Linda Cardellini), Teefs (Asim Chaudhry), and Floor (Mikaela Hoover), but the High Evolutionary betrayed them, ordering Rocket's brain to be extracted and the other subjects incinerated. Rocket fought back, killing guards and escaping with Lylla, but she was killed, leaving Rocket alone. (This is a seriously sad part of the film, get your tissues out folks)

Full Review at

http://www.beentothemovies.com/2023/05/review-guardians-of-galaxy-vol-3-2023.html

REVIEW: Death or Treat on PC (Steam)

I do enjoy a good hack 'n' slash platform game, so when I was invited to review Death or Treat, I was definitely looking forward to the experience.

Let's first check out the official blurb for the game.

"Join Scary in the HallowVerse to make things great again!

You will play as Scary, the owner of Ghost Mart, the leader in manufacturing candies for Halloween.

Discover a huge world with lots of rooms, explore new maps in every run while you try to survive the hordes of enemies. It's not an easy task; every world is even trickier than the other. Starting with Darkchat, the Storyum lab, Riptok, the most used app sede, Deviltube, leaders distributing storyum, and last but not least, FaceBoo!, the ultimate epic frontier.

Will you overcome the challenge and dare to defeat Clark Fackerberg?"

Full Review at

http://www.gamingcouchpotato.co.uk/2023/05/review-death-or-treat-on-pc-steam.html

REVIEW: Renfield (2023) - Starring Nicholas Hoult, Awkwafina and Nicolas Cage

Who could ever have imagined that we would still be making films based on the 1897 novel Dracula by Bram Stoker? Well, we are, and the latest version of the tale focuses not so much on Dracula but on his deranged, fanatically devoted servant and familiar, Renfield.

In the early 1900s, a meeting occurs between Transylvanian vampire Count Dracula (Nicolas Cage) and English lawyer R.M. Renfield (Nicholas Hoult). Renfield aims to negotiate a deal for land and impresses Dracula enough to become his familiar (a human who was granted a portion of Dracula's power by Dracula himself). As a result, Renfield becomes immortal and gains superhuman abilities when he feeds on insects.

Fast forward ninety years, and Renfield has grown tired of assisting Dracula in his victim hunting and dealing with his abuse. After narrowly escaping vampire hunters, they relocate to New Orleans to recover. There, Renfield discovers a support group for individuals in co-dependent relationships and hatches a plan to seek out abusive partners of group members and offer them to Dracula as food. While tracking one abusive partner to a warehouse, Renfield is accosted by criminals and is later targeted by an assassin hired by the rival Lobo crime family.

Full Review at

http://www.beentothemovies.com/2023/05/review-renfield-2023-starring-nicholas.html

REVIEW: The Pope's Exorcist (2023) - Starring Russell Crowe

I have probably seen every single religious based horror film made in the last 40 years. I am a big fan of the genre, and I had been looking forward to seeing this as not only am I a fan of horror but also Russell Crowe, this film is based on a real person in Gabriele Amorth, an Italian Catholic priest and exorcist of the Diocese of Rome.

The film starts off in 1987, a man named Gabriele Amorth (Russell Crowe), who is the personal exorcist of the Pope, visits an Italian village where a man is believed to be possessed by a demon.

Gabriele Amorth is a simple, humorous, and practical man who rides a classic Lambretta scooter. Together with the local priest, he enters a room where the man is tied up, he performs an exorcist ritual and uses a Saint Benedict Medal to exorcise the demon, and trick him into possessing a pig, which is subsequently killed with a shotgun. However, Amorth's acted without permission from his superiors which gets him in trouble with a Church tribunal, which includes members like a sceptical American Cardinal Sullivan (Ryan O'Grady) and the friendly African Bishop Lumumba (Cornell John). Amorth defends his actions, stating that he did not perform a true exorcism but rather used psychological theatre to help the mentally-disturbed man. Amorth is not pleased with the tribunal and walks out.

Read More at

http://www.beentothemovies.com/2023/05/review-popes-exorcist-2023-starring.html

REVIEW: The Tank (2023) - Starring Luciane Buchanan, Mark Mitchinson and Matt Whelan

The Tank follows the tale of a young family who inherit a stunning, if neglected, stretch of Oregon coastline including a gorgeous old house. Ben (Matt Whelan) and Jules (Luciane Buchanan), a young couple and their young daughter Reia (Zara Nausbaum), are astonished to discover that Ben's late mother left them it all in a will because she never once mentioned the property. The property is next to the magnificent Pacific and has spectacular vistas, beautiful natural lighting, and of course, an overzealous agent trying to convince the couple to sell even though the house and infrastructure have been neglected for years. Unfortunately, there are some very old, sinister secrets attached to the property.

Ben and Jules are welcomed by an estate agent with a sizable offer for the property before they even have a chance to recover from the hike out to the magnificent but dilapidated sight. Ben later finds a hidden hatch on the property that unlocks The Tank while he is trying to collect his thoughts as he is strolling the grounds. An intricate network of aqueducts, valves, and underground tunnels may be found inside. Ben, who tends to be curious of such things, observes that the tank is broken. He chooses to attempt to fix and restart the broken device because he quite skilled at the old DIY. By doing this, he awakens a dark power that has lain dormant inside The Tank for a while.

Full Review at

http://www.beentothemovies.com/2023/04/review-tank-2023-starring-luciane.html

REVIEW: Peter Pan & Wendy - Starring Alexander Molony, Ever Anderson and Jude Law

In recent years, Disney seems to be only interested in remaking classic films based on 100+ year old books and giving them a "woke" overhaul. Well, a remake that no one asked for is here in Peter Pan & Wendy. Before I start, if you are actually interested in watching a Peter Pan film for the first time, go and watch the live-action Peter Pan (2003), or even better, go watch Peter Pan (1954), possibly the most famous version of the story. If you have already seen those films and, for some reason, want to watch yet another version, then read on for my opinion.

Wendy Darling (Ever Anderson) is spending her last night at home with her parents, George (Alan Tudyk) and Mary (Molly Parker), and her two younger brothers, John (Joshua Pickering) and Michael (Jacobi Jupe), before going to boarding school the next day. Wendy is unhappy with her departure and tells her mother that she does not want to grow up. Later that night, the ethnically ambiguous Peter Pan (Alexander Molony) appears in the Darlings' nursery. Having heard of Wendy's wish, he claims that he has come to take her to Neverland, where she will never have to grow up. With the help of Peter's companion and friend, African American/Native American/Iranian fairy Tinker Bell (Yara Shahidi), Wendy, John, and Michael all fly to Neverland.

Full Review at

http://www.beentothemovies.com/2023/04/review-peter-pan-wendy-starring.html

REVIEW: Scream VI (2023) - Starring Melissa Barrera, Jenna Ortega, Jasmin Savoy Brown, Mason Gooding, Hayden Panettiere, and Courteney Cox

Welcome to the sequel to Scream (2022), which was supposed to relaunch the Scream franchise but turned out to be a direct sequel to Scream 4. Now, we have Scream 6, meaning we never had a movie titled Scream 5. Yes, it's a bit confusing, but the Scream franchise was never too concerned about logic. It's just your classic slasher film with lots of blood and dumb teens.

One year after the Woodsboro killings orchestrated by Richie Kirsch (Jack Quaid) and Amber Freeman, a Blackmore University professor named Laura Crane (Samara Weaving) is catfished by her student Jason Carvey (Tony Revolori), who lures her outside a bar in New York City and murders her while wearing a Ghostface costume. Jason plots with his roommate Greg to kill sisters Sam (Melissa Barrera) and Tara Carpenter (Jenna Ortega) to finish the "movie" that Richie and Amber wanted to make. However, Jason receives a call from a different Ghostface, who has killed Greg and subsequently stabs Jason to death.

Full Review at

http://www.beentothemovies.com/2023/04/review-scream-vi-2023-starring-melissa.html

REVIEW: Kids vs. Aliens (2023) - Starring Dominic Mariche, Phoebe Rex, Calem MacDonald and Asher Grayson

I had this film ready to review a while back, but as usual I never bothered to read the synopsis, so I assumed that this was some kids film, boy was I wrong. As soon as it starts I see that glorious Shudder logo, and damn I know this just has to be a horror film. But hey what do I know, maybe Shudder are suddenly going into the kids market?

The film starts off with some fishmen in the middle of the sea being attacked by what we can assume are aliens.

We then cross over to a group of older teenagers, Billy (Calem MacDonald), Dallas (Isaiah Fortune), and Trish (Emma Vickers), are searching for a place to host their Halloween party. They come across young friends Gary (Dominic Mariche), Jack (Asher Grayson), and Miles (Ben Tector) who are filming a homemade fantasy movie in a barn with Gary's older sister Samantha (Phoebe Rex). At this point you will get major Stranger Things vibes, except all the kids are normal and without any psychic powers, anyway, Billy and his friends start bullying the boys until Billy shows interest in Samantha. Samantha becomes enamoured with Billy, but Gary breaks his arm during the filming, and Samantha's parents ground her for the incident. Moreover, Gary criticizes Samantha for giving up on her role in the movie to pursue an adult persona that may impress Billy.

Full Review at

http://www.beentothemovies.com/2023/04/review-kids-vs-aliens-2023-starring.html

REVIEW: Classic Racers Elite on Nintendo Switch

I was asked to review a new racing game for Nintendo Switch called Classic Racers Elite.

This hill-climbing style racer is similar to rally courses, where cars race one by one and their times are collated at the end. The objective is simple: get from the start to the finish as fast as possible, while avoiding obstacles and trying not to crash when faced with tight u-turns.

It seems the game is set in the 1960s as there is a nice selection of classic cars to choose from.

Gameplay is pretty straightforward, with standard controls: the right trigger for acceleration, the left trigger for braking, and handbrake and steering. The game handles well and the cars feel pretty decent. I played on the Nintendo Switch Lite and the graphics were okay, if not brilliant. There aren't a massive amount of tracks, but the replay factor mainly comes from the leaderboards.

Full Review at

http://www.gamingcouchpotato.co.uk/2023/04/review-classic-racers-elite-on-nintendo.html

REVIEW: Assassin (2023) - Starring Bruce Willis and Nomzamo Mbatha

Well, it is finally here, the last ever film featuring Bruce Willis. I know it has seemed like his last five films were the last, but this is the legit final film of a legendary career.

The film starts out with an older man seemingly a bit confused, a female voiceover is heard saying "this is not my body" and as a young man approaches the same voice says "this is not my son." Before you know it, the older man hits his son with a cane. We cut away to a woman in an ice bath with a wetsuit on, and Bruce Willis looking over her.

Cut to a man in a coma, Sebastian (Mustafa Shakir) used to be a drone pilot until a job-related mishap left him in this state, his wife Alexa (Nomzamo Mbatha) is furious and seeking explanations. We get some flashbacks of their life together. She confronts Valmora (Bruce Willis), her husband's employer who leads a private military operation, for answers. Although she starts the encounter with a gun pointed at his head, Alexa ends up rescuing Valmora from a woman wielding a knife and riding a bicycle. The attacker denies any knowledge of the assault, which is the latest in a string of comparable incidents.

Full Review at

http://www.beentothemovies.com/2023/04/review-assassin-2023-starring-bruce.html

REVIEW: Ghosted (2023) - Starring Chris Evans and Ana de Armas

We've had quite a few action-adventure romantic comedies recently, and the latest one is directed by Dexter Fletcher of "Press Gang" fame! Yes, I'll always go back to "Press Gang".

Sadie Rhodes (Ana de Armas) is a CIA operative who's feeling a bit down in the dumps, perhaps because she's got no missions going on. Then she meets Cole Turner (Chris Evans), this needy but charming farmer guy who sells his produce at a local market. At first, they argue over plants, but after some encouragement from a co-worker, they hit it off and end up doing the deed. But when Cole texts Sadie and doesn't get a response, his sister thinks Sadie's "ghosting" him because he's too clingy. So, against everyone's advice, Cole tracks her down to London using a tracker on his inhaler.

Just as he's about to find her, Cole falls into a trap set by some arms dealers who are after this CIA operative called "The Taxman." They drug him and take him to a cave in Pakistan, where they torture him trying to get the passcode they think he knows. But then this masked hero shows up and saves Cole - and it turns out to be Sadie! She's the "Taxman"! Together they run through the Khyber Pass, escaping from the bad guys who work for some French Intelligence agent called Leveque. He's got a bioweapon called "Aztec" that he's trying to sell but he can't even unlock it.

Full Review at

http://www.beentothemovies.com/2023/04/review-ghosted-2023-starring-chris.html

REVIEW: Last Sentinel - Starring Kate Bosworth

Directed by Tanel Toom.

The year is 2063, a war-ravaged Earth, combined with climate change means the Earth has only two small continents left as the seas have risen to engulf the rest, resulting in an endless war between them. Both sides have built watchtowers and provided them with powerful weaponry, incase another attack commences. Four exhausted soldiers man Sentinel, a remote military base in the middle of the ocean between the two remaining continents, Cassidy (Kate Bosworth), Sullivan (Lucien Laviscount), and Baines (Martin McCann) under the leadership of Hendrichs (Thomas Kretschmann), find themselves waiting for anything at all to happen.

A relief crew was supposed to arrive three months ago, but it has yet to do so. An empty ship called the Aurora drifts into view, what happened to it?, where is the crew?, can they use the boat to escape between storms. The commander wants to use the supplies from the Aurora to continue the waiting game, while the rest of the crew wants to repair it and sail home.

With a nuke sat there ready to be used, there are a lot of questions to be asked, and decisions to be made.

Full Review

http://www.beentothemovies.com/2023/04/review-last-sentinel-starring-kate.html

REVIEW: Joe Wander and the Enigmatic Adventures on PC (Steam)

"Joe Wander and the Enigmatic Adventures" is the latest 3D action puzzle platforming game made by Frozen Pixel. You play as an Indiana Jones-type character and travel across four different worlds, each with several levels to complete.

Each level has a set number of coins to collect and, ultimately, a coloured diamond. When you collect enough coins and the diamond, you can then enter the next level, and so on until you complete that world and enter the next.

General gameplay consists of 3D platforming with a fixed camera. You can run, jump, and use your whip. The whip allows you to stun certain enemies, enabling you to jump on them and destroy them. It also allows you to grab onto items you need to move and helps you swing across gaps that cannot be jumped.

Review at

http://www.gamingcouchpotato.co.uk/2023/04/review-joe-wander-and-enigmatic.html

REVIEW: POOSH XL on Nintendo Switch

Sometimes all you want in life is a super simple, pick up and play, one button arcade score chasing game, well guess what? POOSH XL is just that.

You only need to worry about pressing one button, no directions, no left and right, just press one button.

The main idea of the game is to climb as high in the level as you can and avoid the obstacles along the way. Take too long and the floor will catch up with you and kill you, hit anything and you die. You will see a circle on screen, with a moving directional arrow attached to it, when you press a button, you will fire off in the direction pointed at. The higher you get, the better your score, and really folks that is it.

The main game is just an endless climb, complete the odd challenge here and there to unlock skins, but basically just get as high of a score as you can, see the leader board to compare yourself to others and try to be the best.

Full Review at

http://www.gamingcouchpotato.co.uk/2023/04/review-poosh-xl-on-nintendo-switch.html

REVIEW: Colonials (2023) - Starring Daniel Roebuck, Greg Kriek, Sean Kanan and Jamie Bernadette

I haven't seen a good low-budget sci-fi film in a while, so when approached to review the new sci-fi film Colonials from directors Andrew Balek (Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End) and Joe Bland (Ellipse), how could I refuse? Add in that the film runs for just under 80 minutes, and you have my attention.

The story of Colonials begins with Silas (Greg Kriek), a space explorer travelling from Mars, who embarks on a reconnaissance mission to Earth, which lies in ruin, to figure out what happened to the "humans of old". Unfortunately, he encounters the Exiles, a dangerously advanced and perilously evil Moon-based civilization that destroys his ship, causing him to crash-land alone on Earth after being separated from his squadron.

Zoey (Jamie Bernadette), a member of the resistance, finds him and tries to determine why he has returned to Earth, but he has lost his memory in the accident. Meanwhile, the Moon enforcers view this encounter as an opportunity to gain an advantage over the resistance.

Full Review at

http://www.beentothemovies.com/2023/04/review-colonials-2023-starring-daniel.html

REVIEW: ONI: Road to be the Mightiest Oni on PC (Steam)

ONI: Road to be the Mightiest Oni feels like it should be Early Access, but I cant see any note of that on the Steam page, therefore I will have to treat it as a final release.

Created by a team of 5 developers, over 2 years, the game has been designed to give the player the feel that they have jumped into the pages of a childhood picture book. You play on Kisejima Island, a relatively small area.

You play as demon warrior Kuuta, and later on as his partner Kazemaru, gameplay mainly consists of exploring the area, collecting items and challenging the phantoms of demons that appear across the island. As you defeat your enemies and collect their souls, you will unlock new areas to play in. Eventually you will need to defeat the evil monster Momotaro.

Full Review at

http://www.gamingcouchpotato.co.uk/2023/04/review-oni-road-to-be-mightiest-oni-on.html

REVIEW: Chupa (2023) - Starring Evan Whitten, Demián Bichir and Christian Slater.

The moment I heard about this film, I knew I had to watch it, I am a big fan of the Chupacabra myth, and I don't recall ever seeing a film that featured one in such a way, I am sure such films exist but I can't think of one.

In 1996, a government doctor named Richard Quinn (Christian Slater) is on the hunt for the Chupacabra, a mythical creature believed to possess healing powers that could revolutionize medicine. He tracks down a Chupacabra and her cub in an old mine in San Javier but injures the adult while chasing her. The wounded Chupacabra leaves her cub hidden to distract Quinn and his team and lead them away.

Thirteen-year-old Alex (Evan Whitten) travels to Mexico for the first time to meet his extended family after his father Beto dies from cancer. Alex meets his energetic wrestling-obsessed cousin Memo (Nickolas Verdugo), fearless hip cousin Luna (Ashley Ciarra), and former lucha libre champion grandfather Chava (Demián Bichir). On his first night, Alex discovers a young Chupacabra cub licking a cut on his hand. Realizing the creature is "different", he keeps it a secret.

Full Review at

http://www.beentothemovies.com/2023/04/review-chupa-2023-starring-evan-whitten.html

REVIEW: Creed III(3)- Starring Michael B. Jordan

I know I am a bit late to watch Creed 3, but I've been busy! Anyway I thought I would check it out, better late than never.

In 2002 Los Angeles, a youthful Adonis Creed, nicknamed "Donnie" (played by Thaddeus J. Mixon), sneaks out with his friend, Golden Gloves champion Damian Anderson, also known as "Diamond Dame" (played by Spence Moore II), to watch him compete in an illegal boxing match. After Damian's triumph, he shares with Donnie his dream of becoming a professional boxer and a world champion. During a detour to a liquor store, Donnie impulsively attacks a man named Leon, leading to Damian's arrest while Donnie flees.

In the present day, Donnie (Michael B. Jordan) has retired from boxing to focus on his wife Bianca (played by Tessa Thompson) and their daughter Amara, who has a hearing impairment, causing the family to learn American Sign Language. Donnie runs Delphi Boxing Academy with Tony Evers Jr. (played by Wood Harris) and is promoting his protege, world champion Felix Chavez (José Benavidez Jr.), in a match against Viktor Drago (Florian Munteanu). As Donnie watches his adoptive mother Mary-Anne's (Phylicia Rashad) deteriorating health, Amara (Mila Davis-Kent) expresses her desire to follow in Donnie's footsteps and become a boxer, which results in her getting into trouble at school for punching another student.

Full Review at

http://www.beentothemovies.com/2023/04/review-creed-iii3-starring-michael-b.html

REVIEW: Inside (2023) Starring Willem Dafoe

From Vasilis Katsoupis in his feature directorial debut comes Inside, a psychological thriller starring the always excellent Willem Dafoe in a pretty much solo role.

Nemo (Willem Dafoe), an art thief, recounts a childhood memory in which he was asked by his teacher to choose three items to save in a house fire. Instead of his family, Nemo picked his cat, an AC/DC album, and his sketchbook, but unfortunately the cat died and he never got the album back from a friend. However, he still cherishes his sketchbook and believes that "art is for keeps".

In the present day, Nemo, disguised as a handyman, he breaks into a wealthy art collector's penthouse to steal three pieces of art by Austrian painter

Egon Schiele but is unable to find one of them, a self-portrait. As he tries to leave, the security system activates and seals the apartment, leaving Nemo trapped.

 

His contacts abandon him, and his attempts to escape fail due to extreme temperatures, lack of food and water, and injury. He survives on timed sprinklers and witnesses the death of a trapped pigeon.

Full Review at

http://www.beentothemovies.com/2023/04/review-inside-2023-starring-willem-dafoe.html

REVIEW: 65 (2023) - Starring Adam Driver & Ariana Greenblatt

"65" is an American science fiction action-thriller film written and directed by Scott Beck and Bryan Woods.

At just 86 minutes, minus credits, this film has already ticked a huge box for me regarding runtime. But is the film any good?

Let's first take a look at the plot.

On the distant, technologically advanced planet Somaris, pilot Mills (Adam Driver) convinces his wife (Nika King) that he should take on a two-year space expedition to earn money needed to treat their daughter Nevine's (Chloe Coleman) illness. However, on the journey back to Somaris, their spaceship is hit by a mass of asteroids and crash-lands on an uncharted planet. With his ship damaged and split in half, he finds that his passengers have been killed and contemplates suicide until he finds a lone survivor, a young girl named Koa (Ariana Greenblatt). Mills decides to take care of Koa. However, the two have difficulty communicating due to differing languages and a broken translator. The unknown planet is then revealed to be Earth 65 million years ago during the Cretaceous period.

Full Review at 

http://www.beentothemovies.com/2023/04/review-65-2023-starring-adam-driver.html

REVIEW: Shazam! Fury of the Gods - Starring Zachary Levi, Lucy Liu and Helen Mirren

Shazam! Fury of the Gods sequel to Shazam! (2019) and the 12th instalment in the DC Extended Universe (DCEU) has just been released on digital, despite still being in cinemas. I have no issue with this, as not everyone can get to cinemas these days, so why make people wait?

Two years after Thaddeus Sivana's defeat, Hespera (Helen Mirren) and Kalypso (Lucy Liu), two of the daughters of the Titan Atlas, break into the Acropolis Museum in Athens, Greece to steal the Wizard's broken staff. The two then take it to the Wizard, who is imprisoned in the Gods' Realm, and force him to repair the staff and activate its powers.

In Philadelphia, Billy Batson (Zachary Levi & Asher Angel) and his "Shazamily" of foster siblings save people on the collapsing Benjamin Franklin Bridge, but are called out for its destruction. The group is drifting apart at home due to them growing up and having personal interests. Billy is worried about being kicked out of the Vasquez family after he ages out of the foster system. In a dream, Billy is warned by the Wizard about the Daughters, prompting the Shazamily to begin researching them.

Full Review at

http://www.beentothemovies.com/2023/04/review-shazam-fury-of-gods-starring.html