Monthly Archives: March 2019

Disney+ and Britbox – Even more streaming services!

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Disney+ and Britbox – Even more streaming services!

Amazon Prime and Netflix are currently the big players in the UK streaming market, with both offering thousands of hours of content – both original and external – but with some households only wanting to have one service rather than both and people still having to pay for their TV Licenses and services such as Sky and BT, will people accept more additions to this market?

 

Britbox:

Britbox is currently available in the US but will be available in the UK later this year.

Britbox is the latest streaming service to be announced, but this one is a little different. Currently only available in the USA, Britbox brings together BBC and ITV with all their original programming. These two companies coming together to make a streaming service would be something unprecedented in the UK but does offer some unique content.

According to reports, not only will Britbox feature new content from both production companies, but it will also have a lot of their archived shows, my own personal hope is that Britbox allows for me to watch shows such as Primeval and Waterloo Road.

Whilst this does sound like a good streaming opportunity, it may make some people question why they still pay for a TV License when a service like this is available, that being said, Britbox will not be a replacement for BBC iPlayer or ITV Hub and you will not be able to stream live TV or watch catch-up on these services.

 

Disney+:

Disney+ will be available in ‘late 2019’.

Perhaps the biggest streaming service to be announced, Disney + is Disney’s own attempt at their own streaming service, exclusively featuring their own content.

If you hadn’t noticed, some Disney content has been leaving other services – a high profile example would be the Marvel Netflix shows being cancelled – and this is all because Disney is preparing to launch their own streaming service where you can get all your Disney needs fulfilled.

Currently Disney has confirmed that their whole collection of movies will be included on this service (including films such as The Goofy Movie, Atlantis and Treasure Planet) as well as creating new content that will be exclusively shown on the platform. At the moment, Disney has quite a few projects in the works for this platform, including The Mandalorian (a show about Bounty Hunters in the Star Wars Universe) and also a series of different shows set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe such as a Loki TV Show and an animated ‘What if’ series.

The fact that Disney is developing a log of new shows, and investing a lot into this market shows how seriously they’re taking it, the other good news? According to reports, the price will be kept ‘competitive’ with other services – so the price shouldn’t be too bad.

 

Do you think you’ll be able to pick up another streaming service? Will you ditch Netflix for Disney? Or do you just stick with Live TV? Let me know in the comments!

Toy Story 4 trailer released!

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Toy Story 4 trailer released!

Pixars next animated feature, Toy Story 4, has released its first official full-length trailer today.

The fourth film in the Toy Story franchise is set to hit cinemas this June, but before this trailer was released, fans weren’t so sure a fourth film was necessary, especially considering how nicely the third film was wrapped up. But with this new trailer, it’s safe to say Pixar has turned a lot of people around.

The trailer showcases some new characters, some fan favourite characters and even some characters we haven’t seen since the second film and also showcases the setting for the film as well as hinting at what the emotional climax of this entry might be.

This trailer also makes us question what actually makes a toy, as we get properly introduced to Forky, a spork who has been turned into a toy by the child owner of the toys. So what actually makes a toy? Do all toys come alive? ARE LEGO BRICKS ALIVE???

What do you think of the trailer? Have a watch in the video below then let me know in the comments!

 

Toy Story 4 stars Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, Joan Cusack, Jordan Peele and Keanu Reeves and is released on June 21st 2019. 

 

Fallout 76 – Four Months On

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Fallout 76 – Four Months On

Fallout 76 is an online multiplayer game published by Bethesda Studios.

It’s safe to say that Fallout 76 launched with a rather loud thud, compared to the fanfare and confetti that Bethesda wanted it to have. And its also safe to say that since its release Fallout 76 has improved dramatically and is even adding new content. But, is it enough? Have Bethesda fixed the game in the few months since its release?

One of the key criticisms of Fallout 76 when it first launched was the carry/storage capacity and this has largely been addressed. Whilst your carry capacity is still linked to your level and what perk cards you have, the storage capacity has been upgraded from 400kg to 800kg. This is a big step due to the fact that a lot of Fallout 76 relies on storing resources and equipment to build new things as well as leveling up your weapons and gear. So, whilst this storage capacity may seem like a trivial issue, it is something that was causing a lot of players hassle, and turned a few off from the game entirely.

Fallout 76’s storage capacity was limited to 400kg for a long time after launch.

Another criticism for the game was the server issues, whether it be lag, failing to load in items or just kicking you out of one entirely and this has, largely, been fixed. I played for quite a while yesterday and didn’t experience any server issues bar a few laggy areas, but I believe that was more down to my wi-fi than to the game servers themselves. However, it should be noted that because this is a consistently online game, there will always be some minor server issues due to the amount of people that might want to be online at one time, but this is something Bethesda will be constantly working on.

Fallout 76 players would often receive this message during the early days of the game.

The third biggest issue that has since been resolved, since launch for Fallout 76, was AI responses. In the early days of the game, enemies would often not notice you, run away from you or you wouldn’t be able to hit them despite being up-close to them. Thankfully, this has been mostly fixed with enemies now running towards you when you’re noticed by them and your hits are registered on them dealing the damage that it should. But, as with the other criticisms, these issues can still crop up every now and then, especially the hit registers, during my previous gameplay I did experience a few occasions when my hits weren’t registered on the enemy which led to me being damaged more than I should.

Players would experience a variety of AI bugs.

But what about new additions? Well, since the original release, Bethesda have now released their first set of DLC. This, and all up-coming DLC, will be free to players of the game and will include a lot of content. For example, the first load of content will run between March and April and will feature new drinks and methods of creating drinks, centring on a brewing system to make alcoholic beverages that will have additional bonuses. During this DLC release window, there will also be a new ‘Survival’ game mode launched and some new Vaults being opened and ready to be explored.

Fallout 76’s current DLC roadmap for 2019

It’s safe to say that Fallout 76 has made some big strides towards the game it should have been when it was first released, but it might still have a long way to go before the game, and the publishing company, can regain the trust of a lot of fans who were considered hurt by the games launch. That being said, if you do have a copy of Fallout 76, be sure to drop big in soon and experience all that has changed, and if you don’t have a copy – but would like to get one – then a lot of game shops and Amazon are currently selling the game at an extremely reduced cost, so it might be worth picking up.

The Lego Movie 2: The Video Game – Review

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The Lego Movie 2: The Video Game – Review

 

The Lego Movie 2 Videogame is available on PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch and PC

 

Now, I didn’t intend on reviewing this game, it’s a Lego game and it’s not one of the big mainstream titles to have been released over the past 6 months, but after playing the first couple of ‘levels’ I felt I needed to say something.

The Lego Movie 2: The Video Game was developed by TT Fusion and published by Warner Bros Interactive Entertainment and is a tie-in game to the recently released The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part.

I’ve enjoyed almost every Lego game I’ve played, from Lego Star Wars to Lego Pirates of the Caribbean, but the first The Lego Movie game was the first I wasn’t too keen on. Whilst it had decent levels and a good hub world, i didn’t enjoy the movement of the characters or the fact that its cut-scenes were just clips from the movie inserted in, changing the game style completely, however, The Lego Movie 2 videogame is an all new level of bad.

The one good thing I’ll admit is the fact that it doesn’t just insert scenes from the film into the game, it does try to create its own narrative, but that is also its downfall. It seems this game can’t decide whether it wants to be a movie tie-in game of its own unique individual game and, unfortunately, it doesn’t do either.

The movement system in this game is the same as the system from the first Lego Movie game, which i expected, but it seems to have not been improved upon at all. It also takes the common ‘running’ mechanic from previous Lego games, where you slowly move until you’ve been moving long enough for the game to realise you want to be running. There’s no sprint button, and no way to move faster unless using a vehicle.

I also have an issue with the cast for this game and the decisions the developers made concerning voice acting. Whilst some cut-scenes use voices from the movie, others will only featuring grunts and sighs (much like the first Lego games – i.e. Star Wars) but then there will be moments when the characters talk to each other and some of the voice actors don’t even sound like the original movie actors. An example of this is Unikitty, the voice in the game sounds so different to Alison Brie in the movies, that it completely took me out of the experience.

One of the other mechanics in this game which has frustrated me is the fact that you now collect bricks from the items you break. This was first introduced in the Lego City Undercover game, and you would use these bricks to build certain objects that would help you progress through the levels. This is incredibly different to recent Lego games (Lego Marvel Superheroes 2 and Lego DC Super-villains) where you’d break an object and be able to rebuild it to the certain item the game has been built around you needing, therefore removing the issue of having to break almost everything in order to make sure you have the bricks you need. Whilst I recognise that having this mechanic in place is more suitable for the ‘master builder’ theme of the Movies, it feels a bit shoe-horned in and an unnecessary complication.

My final point is the fact that there seems to be no ‘official’ levels. At the moment, all I have played has been one continual level, moving through event to event with no aim of collecting all the studs or mini-kits, something that Lego games are known for, and for me, this takes away a lot of the fun. I don’t know when a level has finished and I have nothing to aim for during that level. Whilst this can be seen as a way to make the game more free-flowing and linear, i really think it detracts from what Lego games have been, collectathons.

I’ll try and push through with the game, and maybe it’ll pay off. But the differences between previous games and the movie itself may be too much. This game is a long-shot away from TT‘s previous Lego entries, Lego Incredibles and Lego DC Super-Villains, and I can only hope that their next project returns to the brilliantly crafted worlds they’re known for creating.

The Lego Movie 2: The Video Game – 2/5

Marvelous Captain Marvel? – Captain Marvel Review

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Marvelous Captain Marvel? – Captain Marvel Review

Left to Right: Brie Larson as Captain Marvel, Cat as Goose the Cat, Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury.

Well would you look at that, another white male reviewing this film, a film that – according to some members of the Marvel fan-base – isn’t for me, it isn’t for a white 22 year-old male living in the UK. However, to the people who truly, truly believe that, well…you can go f*ck yourself.

If you stopped yourself from going to see this movie because you think that the Studio and/or the lead actress (Brie Larson) didn’t want you to see it, then you really have missed out on another home run for the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Before going to see Captain Marvel, I had heard (from critics I trust) that this film was a little bit bland, not as entertaining and that the lead wasn’t very charismatic, so I had quite low expectations, but coming out of the cinema on a wet Friday night, I thought that me and those critics must have watched a completely different movie.

So, I’ll start with what a common complaint has been. The ‘un-charismatic’ lead. Brie Larson plays Carol Danvers/Captain Marvel, a role that has been cast for a few years now (since 2016) and something that was actually praised for pretty decent casting from most of the fan-base. For me, she delivered a performance that was on-par with the level that Robert Downey Jr. gave in his first outing in Iron Man 1 back in 2008. Danvers quips and makes jokes just as much as any other hero, she can fight brilliantly and has some powers that can rival that of the God of Thunder himself. So to say she couldn’t hold the film or that she is un-charismatic is doing her a real injustice. After this film, I could see no one else holding the role of Captain Marvel, and I can’t wait to see where her character goes next.

Another common criticism I saw of the film was that of it’s ‘basic’ and ‘bland’ execution, and whilst i’ll admit that the film wasn’t as extravagant as Doctor Strange or Guardians of the Galaxy, for me, it didn’t need to be. There were some stunning shots in this movie, especially towards the end, and even some parallels to other popular franchises (keep an eye out for some cinematic similarities to Independence Day). I haven’t seen any of the other films the directors (Anna Boden, Ryan Fleck) had produced before this, so I can’t speak to how this one compares, but moving forward in the MCU, if these directors are kept on, I can’t wait to see if they’re allowed any more free reign on how they create their movies.

Now for onto the things that stood out to me the most. And these are two things in particular. Firstly, Goose. If you don’t know, Goose is the cat that lives on the air force base that Danvers is from. He is a ginger cat. A very cute ginger cat and, oh boy, he absolutely steals every single scene he is in, even from great actors such as Samuel L. Jackson and Ben Mendelsohn. This, brings me on to my second thing…

The cast. The whole cast in this movie is brilliant, not just Brie Larson. Samuel L. Jackson does a brilliant job showing a more energetic Nick Fury (featuring some very impressive de-aging technology throughout), Clark Gregg returns in a small role as Phil Coulson – a character who hasn’t been present on the big screen since The Avengers back in 2012 – and he just brings a small amount of joy to every line he has. Finally, Ben Mendelsohn is a stand-out. I first noticed him in Rogue One in 2016 and since then I’ve loved him in everything I’ve seen him in (Ready Player One and Robin Hood) but in Captain Marvel his performance is the perfect mix of menacing, emotional and humorous, honestly one of the best aspects of this movie.

So, if you didn’t already guess, I really enjoyed this movie. I loved it’s nods to the other MCU films, I loved the twists it took during its plot and this was another MCU Score that i really enjoyed listening to but most of all, I enjoyed Brie Larson’s performance more than I thought I would. If you haven’t seen this film yet because you’re not sure if it’s your type of film, I would highly recommend seeing it.

Whilst it’s not the feminist revolution most people wanted, it sure as hell is a damn fine movie.

Captain Marvel: 4/5

Star Wars Land: Galaxy’s Edge – The Chance to be in the Star Wars World is Almost Here.

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Star Wars Land: Galaxy’s Edge – The Chance to be in the Star Wars World is Almost Here.

The current entrance to Star Wars Land at Hollywood Studios.

Recently there was a massive info dump from Disney and Lucasfilm regarding the opening of their new Star Wars Land at both Walt Disney World in Florida and Disneyland in California. So here I am, sifting through that information in order to give you the juiciest details possible.

Firstly, if you didn’t already know, Galaxy’s Edge (one of the official names for Star Wars Land) will be opening in the Summer of 2019 at Disneyland California and in Fall 2019 at Hollywood Studios at Walt Disney World in Florida. So those dates are coming up pretty quickly, and will both be open before the upcoming Episode IX releases at Christmas.

Galaxy’s Edge/Black Spire Outpost will open in Summer at Disneyland and Fall at Hollywood Studios.

Speaking of Episode IX, Black Spire Outpost (the other official name for Star Wars Land) will be canonically set between the events of The Last Jedi and the upcoming ninth installment. This means that you’ll come face-to-face with First Order Stormtroopers, Kylo Ren and some resistance members trying to them off. However, despite being set in this time, Disney has said that the land can be moved to a different time period if Disney chooses. This means that one day we could find ourselves being transported back to The Clone Wars, with clone troopers and Jedi Knights wandering the Outpost.

The land will be set between The Last Jedi and the as-yet untitled Episode IX.

In terms of the rides, the big draw for any new Disney land, Galaxy’s Edge will have two of them. The first being Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run and the second (and possibly biggest) being Rise of the Resistance.

Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run will feature a fully sized Falcon, said to be the largest and most intricate version of the ship to have ever been built. This Falcon will serve as the ride queue for Smugglers Run and will let guests explore the ship and even play some Holo-Chess. As for the ride itself, Smugglers Run will let you and five other guests pilot the Falcon. The ride will have spaces for two gunners, two pilots and two flight engineers, similar to how Mission: Space operates at Epcot at Walt Disney World.

In the ride queue for Smugglers Run you’ll be able to explore the little details of the famous ship.

The second ride, Rise of the Resistance, is the ride being pushed as Star Wars Land’s big E-Ticket attraction, and it’s easy to see why. Rise of the Resistance will be Disney’s longest attraction involving a ride vehicle, with rumours putting the total length around 15 minutes, which will put the ride at almost double the length of the current longest ride – Flight of Passage – at Animal Kingdom. However, although we know the ride will feature a mixture of practical and digital effects, not much else is known about the plot or what the full ride will actually entail.

All that is known of Rise of the Resistance is that you’ll be tasked with taking the fight to the First Order.

Coming on to food and drink now, and Disney is very well known for how good its theme park food is and Galaxy’s Edge will be no different. The land will offer five different vendors – Oga’s Canteen, Milk Stand, Docking Bay 7 Food and Cargo, Kat Saka’s Kettle and Ronto Roasters. Each location will offer a variety of different and unique food and drink with Milk Stand offering Blue and Green Milk, and Docking Bay 7 offering a Tip-Yip which is apparently the Endor version of Chicken. Prices are yet to be released but the Blue Milk will be sure to prove a popular choice.

The Blue Milk was originally seen in A New Hope and the Green Milk was recently seen in The Last Jedi.

Another big draw for the Black Spire Outpost is the merchandise and shops available. One such shop is Savi’s Workshop. Here you will be able to build your very own lightsaber. According to Disney, at the workshop you will be able to choose from four different paths – Peace and Justice, Power and Control, Elemental Nature and Protection and Defence – from these paths you will be given the pieces to make your own hilt and then chose your own Kyber Crystal (what powers a lightsaber) and this will decide the colour your blade will be.

Fans will finally be able to get a true experience at building their own personal lightsabers.

Finally, Disney has promised that you will be able to create your own legacy at Galaxy’s Edge. What this means isn’t exactly clear, but an example given by Disney is that if you were to do very well on the rides such as Smugglers Run, then your infamy will follow you around the park. This could mean that if you destroyed a lot of the TIE Fighters you would be getting hassled by the First Order Stormtroopers around the land but also congratulated by the resistance sympathisers as well. It’s expected that this legacy will follow you thanks to your Magic Band which Disney is constantly pushing for people to use instead of the plastic tickets you would normally receive during your trip.

The land will be populated not only with guests but also First Order Stormtroopers and Resistance fighters.

So that’s some of the juicy information we just received from Disney about Galaxy’s Edge. Is there anything you’re most interested in? Are you interested at all? And how bad do you think the crowds will be when this land finally opens? Let me know down in the comments or on social media.