Sunday, 23 April 2017

Special: Resident Evil: The Final Chapter, Logan, CHiPs Mini-Reviews

Resident Evil: The Final Chapter

Synopsis: The human race's last hope against apocalyptic obliteration is super soldier Alice (Milla Jovovich), but she's been stripped of her psychic powers. She must form alliances and rally survivors in Raccoon City for the climactic battle against the Umbrella Corporation and its ravenous hordes of the undead. This sixth installment of the video game-inspired franchise is directed by Paul W.S. Anderson

My thoughts: A fitting end to the series(?) it brings back all the favourites but in the end, this is a Resident Evil movie, it doesn't do anything special to separate it from the others but in the end if you are a fan of the franchise this movie will be more than good enough as a swan song(?). The action sequences were tight but the budget obviously took a hit.

Final verdict: 4 out of place BMW Motorcycles out of 5.

Logan:

Synopsis: t's 2029. Mutants are gone--or very nearly so. An isolated, despondent Logan is drinking his days away in a hideout on a remote stretch of the Mexican border, picking up petty cash as a driver for hire. His companions in exile are the outcast Caliban and an ailing Professor X, whose singular mind is plagued by worsening seizures. But Logan's attempts to hide from the world and his legacy abruptly end when a mysterious woman appears with an urgent request--that Logan shepherd an extraordinary young girl to safety. Soon, the claws come out as Logan must face off against dark forces and a villain from his own past on a live-or-die mission, one that will set the time-worn warrior on a path toward fulfilling his destiny.

My thoughts: Speaking of swan songs, they couldn't have given Hugh Jackman's Wolverine much more than this. It was damn near perfect even if they obviously were stealing some of Deadpool's thunder.

Final verdict: 5 albino mutants out of 5.

CHiPs:

Synopsis: Dax Shepard (Hit & Run, TV's Parenthood) and Michael Peña (Ant-Man) star in the action comedy CHIPS, directed by Shepard from his own script. Jon Baker (Shepard) and Frank Ponch Poncherello (Peña) have just joined the California Highway Patrol (CHP) in Los Angeles, but for very different reasons. Baker is a beaten-up former pro motorbiker trying to put his life and marriage back together. Poncherello is a cocky undercover Federal agent investigating a multi-million dollar heist that may be an inside job--inside the CHP. The inexperienced rookie and the hardened pro are teamed together, but clash more than click, so kick-starting a real partnership is easier said than done. But with Baker's unique bike skills and Ponch's street savvy it might just work...if they don't drive each other crazy first.

My thoughts: Better than I expected... But that's not saying much. Typical dumb comedy fare but I at least laughed a handful of times to offset the cringe-worthy moments.

Final verdict: 3 accidents out of 5.

Saturday, 22 April 2017

Top 10 Countdown: April 22, 2017

10. With Confidence - Long Night
Last week: 10.


9. Like Pacific - 22A
Last week: NEW!


8. Mayday Parade - Black Cat
Last week: 4.


7. The Summer Set - Jean Jacket
Last week: 8.


6. Taking Back Sunday - Call Come Running
Last week: 7.


5. The Maine - Bad Behaviour
Last week: 6.


4. Pierce The Veil - Floral And Fading
Last week: 5.


3. Less Than Jake - Bomb Drop
Last week: 3.


2. New Found Glory - Happy Being Miserable
Last week: 2.


1. As It Is - Hey Rachel
Last week: 1.

Monday, 17 April 2017

Special: Best of March 2017

Best Theatrical Film:

Logan

My fiance's choices largely dominated what I got to see in March, and sorry people going crazy over Beauty And The Beast... It just wasn't that great. The other choice for this spot was CHiPs which was better than expected but nowhere near as good as Logan was, which was the perfect swan song for Hugh Jackman's Wolverine.

Best Rental Film:

Moana

Fear not Disneyphiles, I won't shut out the company completely since Moana is by far the best film to hit movie rental shelves last month. Sing was another great Family option, if you're looking for something more adult I'd suggest the horror Incarnate or one of the many Oscar films to hit the shelves (Fences, Jackie, Passengers) along with a slew of big budget films that came out around Christmas that I mostly missed (Why Him?, Fantastic Beasts, Assasin's Creed).

Best album:

Raekwon - The Wild

Raekwon’s stamp on rap comes from his one-of-a-kind writing style, and his pen is still sharp on The Wild, more than 20 years into his career. His novelist-like attention to detail and his linguistic mastery are still one of a kind.

Best Graphic Novel:

Batgirl, Vol. 1: Beyond Burnside (Rebirth), by Hope Larson and Rafael Albuquerque

Batgirl’s reinvention as a younger, hipper hero began prior to DC’s latest reboot, and writer Hope Larson continues that here in a volume that’s simultaneously a good starting point for new readers and a continuation of the things that have been working so well for the character over the last few years. As the title implies, she’s stepping out of Gotham’s trendy Burnside neighborhood to train with some of the world’s greatest fighters in the far east. Of course, she finds enemies all along the way.

Best Video Game:

MLB: The Show 2017 (PS4)


Top 10 Countdown: April 15, 2017

10. With Confidence - Long Night
Last week: NEW!


9. The Menzingers - Lookers
Last week: 5.


8. The Summer Set - Jean Jacket
Last week: 9.


7. Taking Back Sunday - Call Come Running
Last week: 8.


6. The Maine - Bad Behavior
Last week: 7.


5. Pierce The Veil - Floral And Fading
Last week: 6.


4. Mayday Parade - Black Cat
Last week: 2.


3. Less Than Jake - Bomb Drop
Last week: 4.


2. New Found Glory - Happy Being Miserable
Last week: 3.


1. As It Is - Hey Rachel
Last week: 1.

Saturday, 8 April 2017

Top 10 Countdown: April 8, 2017

10. All Time Low - Dirty Laundry
Last week: 10.


9. The Summer Set - Jean Jacket
Last week: NEW!


8. Taking Back Sunday - Call Come Running
Last week: 9.


7. The Maine - Bad Behavior
Last week: 8.


6. Pierce The Veil - Floral & Fading
Last week: 7.


5. The Menzingers - Lookers
Last week: 3.


4. Less Than Jake - Bomb Drop
Last week: 5.


3. New Found Glory - Happy Being Miserable
Last week: 4.


2. Mayday Parade - Black Cat
Last week: 1.


1. As It Is - Hey Rachel
Last week: 2.

Sunday, 2 April 2017

Special: Best of February 2017

I know we're late with this but that's what happens when the March Madness Bracket takes up all the Sunday specials. Speaking of which in the final showdown everyone's favourite superhero archer took down a bunch of lawyers by only 2 votes leading to Arrow being the winner of this years bracket. On with the list!

Best Theatrical Film:

The Lego Batman Movie

February was a surprisingly strong month which featured surprise hit Get Out and surprise sequel to a hit John Wick: Chapter 2 but Lego Batman stole the spotlight from both those releases in my eyes. It's funny, it's beautifully animated and a mess of family friendly fun. It's the Batman spoof we didn't know we wanted for the hero we deserve.

Best Rental Film:

Justice League Dark

Sure there were lots of films released on DVD/Blu-Ray in February but I decided to give the nod to JLD in sticking with the DC Comics film theme. You really can't go wrong picking up one of the many Oscar nominated films to hit the shelves in February (Arrival, Manchester By The Sea, Moonlight, Hacksaw Ridge, Loving, Nocturnal Animals) or one of the big budget blockbusters (Trolls, Dr. Strange) but in the end the JLD was just a bit more likable.

Best Album:

The Menzingers - After The Party

Man this was the toughest category. Anyone who follows my Top 10 Countdown (posted on Saturday's - shameless plug) knows the kind of music I enjoy and knows that a lot of those bands released new music in February, including Carousel Kings, Less Than Jake and my favourite song writer Andrew McMahon (now "In The Wilderness"). But I have to give it to The Menzingers at this writing, maybe it's just because I spent more time with it being released the first week in February but this may be The Menzingers growing up and all that, After The Party puts an exclamation point on the band’s remarkable run of poignant and genre-defining punk rock and boldly catapults the band into the next chapter of their careers.

Best Graphic Novel:

Deadpool & the Mercs for Money, Vol. 1: Mo’ Mercs, Mo’ Monkeys, by Cullen Bunn and Iban Coello

Wade Wilson’s taken on a new job, this time as leader of a super-team. Which is a terrible idea. The team’s first paying job is an assignment to take out some radioactive villains, including Negasonic Teenage Warhead. Unfortunately, only Deadpool himself is immune to radiation. Details, details. I love Cullen Bunn, I love his Deadpool stuff even more. This is a must have for me and many other Deadpoolites.

Best Video Game:

Halo Wars 2 (PC & X-Box One)

Saturday, 1 April 2017

Top 10 Countdown: April 1, 2017

10. All Time Low - Dirty Laundry
Last week: NEW!


9. Taking Back Sunday - Call Come Running
Last week: 10.


8. The Maine - Bad Behavior
Last week: NEW!


7. Pierce The Veil - Floral & Fading
Last week: 9.


6. The Summer Set - The Night Is Young
Last week: 3.


5. Less Than Jake - Bomb Drop
Last week: 7.


4. New Found Glory - Happy Being Miserable
Last week: 5.


3. The Menzingers - Lookers
Last week: 1.


2. As It Is - Hey Rachel
Last week: 4.


1. Mayday Parade - Black Cat
Last week: 2.