Movie Review - Pompeii

Paul W.S Anderson isn't the sort of director you would have expected to be helming a disaster movie, but then again, Pompeii isn't your typical disaster movie. It's not an epic tearjerker like Pearl Harbor or Armageddon, nor is it a special effect laden epic like The Day After Tomorrow. There is romance, and specials effects, but Pompeii actually works best as an action movie. Not a great one mind you, but decent enough.

Everyone's favourite new heartthrob, Kit Harrington a.k.a John Snow from Game of Thrones, is a child when the Romans, led by Keifer Sutherland,  slaughter his entire people during a Celt uprising. Years later, he becomes a gladiator slugging it out in the squalor or Londinium's arenas, before being noticed for his devastating skills and transferred to the coliseum of Pompeii. On his journey to Pompeii, he has a brush with the daughter of Pompeii's ruler, Cassia, setting the scene for a burgeoning romance. Keifer Sutherland also returns to Pompeii, now as a Senator, looking to invest money in Pompeii, but more interested in Cassia.

All of these events of course lead up to the fateful night when the mountain of Vesuvius would erupt and destroy everything before it's path. The problem is that all of this is rather cliche, predictable, and presented in an entirely unremarkable fashion. The romance is rather rushed and seems a little forced, the scenes of Roman life are rather amateur and the destruction that takes place at the end is also a little disappointing considering the level of special effects we have come to expect from movies like this. 

This movie really would have worked much better without the requirement for having Pompeii as the backdrop. As a B grade Roman set action movie, this is actually alright, and certainly Pompeii's best asset. The story of the Roman's slaughtering the Celt tribe, the child survivor growing up and becoming a gladiator and seeking revenge on the Romans is definitely cliche, but works well enough. And Paul W.S Anderson definitely seems to show his best work during the gladiatorial scenes. The battle re-enacting the defeat of the Celts is suitably impressive and leaves you wanting more. Still, some of the acting, dialogue and general lack of care for any sort of authenticity or depth of characters leaves a lot to be desired. 

If you're a fan of disaster flicks, you'll probably want to give this one a miss. There's just not enough disaster there and the lead up will struggle to keep your attention. If you're a fan of ancient Rome, you'll probably want to avoid this as well. You'll be disappointed by the lack of interesting characterisation, depiction of Roman life and general level of authenticity. Everything here you will have seen done better elsewhere. If you're a Paul W.S Anderson fan, or an action movie fan, you might want to see this. There's just enough violence, battles, and cheesy dialogue to keep you going. Probably not what the makers of Pompeii were going for, but at least it is slightly redeeming.

6.5/10

Comic of the Week - Monster & Madman #1

Writer: Steve Niles

Artist: Damien Worm
Publisher: IDW
Release Date: March 13, 2014
Cover Price: $3.99

Steve Niles delivers another masterful tale of horror in his new 3 part series, Monster & Madman. An alternate take on two of two most famous horror characters from the past, Frankenstein's Monster and Jack the Ripper. 

The first issue tells the alternate version of events of Frankenstein's Monster. How he escapes the clutches of his master, and tries to escape his fate by starting his life anew. 

Rather than a standard story of horror or suspense, what we get here is a story of pain, suffering and misery, but ultimately hope for change. The Monster is torn with anguish, the pain of life, the pain of the past, and the pain of realising what he is, a monster. However, through the course of the journey which takes the Monster from the icy waters of Norway and onto the high seas, we come to find that monsters come in all forms, and looks can be deceiving.

The artwork by Damien Worm is absolutely masterful. Sketchy and bleak but beautiful and haunting, he sets the tone perfectly for a story told through the eyes of a monster. The ugliness of the world, of those that inhabit it, and of the monster himself is conveyed perfectly. 

The last page of this issue sets the story for the second character in the title, the Madman, Jack the Ripper. I'm curious to see how this will play out, but in a way I'm actually a bit sad we aren't getting an entire series dedicated to Frankenstein's Monster. I really like this take on the character and would definitely like to see more. Nevertheless, this is a great issue and very highly recommended.

Comic of the Week - Starlight #1

Writer: Mark Millar

Artist: Goran Parlov
Publisher: Image Comics
Release Date: March 6, 2014
Cover Price: $2.99

Mark Millar launches the all new Millarworld Universe with the debut of a new original series, Starlight. And just like that, he knocks it out of the park. This is an amazing first issue, and such a brilliant way to start off a new series.

Starlight introduces us to Captain Duke McQueen, All American square jawed fighter pilot, who made a little sojourn to another universe, saved the fate of an entire planet, and came home. Now those days are over, and with the passing of his wife, we see an empty man, struggling to lead a normal life while reflecting on the glory of the past, both from his intergalactic adventures, and of the memories of his wife.

The artwork from Goran Parlov is nothing short of breathtaking. Millar wasn't kidding when he said it almost hurt him to look at it. The panels are large, bright, and so simple yet so filled with emotion and gravitas. Much like Millar's writing. He doesn't fall into the trap of so many comic book writers, throwing in unnecessary plot lines, confusing dialogue, or a million ideas at once. He keeps it simple, but still manages to evoke such strength and weight in the storytelling. The constant juxtaposition between the space scenes that hark back to the Golden Age of comics, where chisel jawed men in bright spandex fought for the fate of the universe, the modern day scenes showing a shell of a man, going through life's motions, struggling to carry on, and the flashback's showing times spent with his wife really make this issue special.

This is such a great comic, I cannot recommend it highly enough. It's going to be interesting to see where things will go, and hopefully with this being a Millar title there will be a lot more interesting scenarios. Nevertheless, this issue is so good it can almost stand alone. Brilliant, brilliant stuff.

New Watch_Dogs trailer and release date

Finally we get to see just what this game is all about. Now that we know more, and we're getting closer to release, I have to say I'm a little less excited. Some of those early gameplay reveals were amazing, now the game looks decidedly more, average, shall we say. Thoughts?

Review - Soundwave 2014 Festival

And so it came to pass, the last ever Soundwave festival to be held in Perth. At least that's what's been said. I still hold out hope that we will see Soundwave back again in Perth next year, but the rather unimpressive headline acts for this year aren't a great sign for the festival's longevity in general. Green Day and Avenged Sevenfold are hardly in the same esteem as some of the amazing headliners that have graced previous Soundwaves (Metallica, Iron Maiden, Faith no More) to name but a few. Nevertheless, there were still plenty of quality acts on offer across the seven stages.

The Black Dahlia Murder

One of the overriding themes of this year's festival was fun. So many of the bands looked like they were having a great time, and none epitomized this more than The Black Dahlia Murder. Though they were on early in the day, their enthusiasm was overwhelming, especially from their front man. They drew a healthy crowd and turned out a quality set, albeit with a slightly murky sound.

Testament

The thrash metal legends finally made it to Perth shores, and though they played a short set, they were amazing. Greeted to a rousing reception, I was more than a little taken aback at how much the crowd enjoyed their set and how much respect they got, considering just how long they've been around. Chuck Billy was in fine form, their sound was super heavy and loud, and they belted out quite a few classics. I wish they would have played for much, much longer, these guys deserve so much more.

GWAR

I must admit, this was the absolute highlight of my day. Every year Soundwave has managed to make a dream come true for me, and this year it was seeing the absolute madness that is GWAR. They are more than a band, they are a cult, and they were amazing!.They beheaded the Prime Minister, cut the tits off the Queen, and sprayed enough fake blood to absolutely drench the first 10 rows. This is metal mayhem at it's best! Their sound was a little on the murky side, but their stage show was everything you could hope for. Totally subversive, over the top and 110% amazing.

Satyricon

A close second to GWAR in terms of dreams come true, who would have thought you would see a legendary band such as this grace the shores of Perth? Well it happened, and they were great. Their sound was superb, Satyr was in fine form and giving it his all, as were the rest of the band. Their short set definitely leaned toward newer material, but this being a festival and all, it made sense. Finally hearing the cult Mother North live and in person will be a treasured memory. Apart from a small hiccup at the start of Black Crow on a Tombstone, this was a near flawless set and easily one of the best of the day.

Down

As we headed into the evening, some of the bigger bands, at least in terms of current fan base, began to take the stage, and the crowd really piled in under the covers for Down, or at least for Phil Anselmo. 

Whatever you may think of the man, you can't fault his enthusiasm or performance. He certainly gave it his all. Maybe he did carry on a little too much, and gave off a little too much attitude, but  the set was epic. The band were on fire, fucking heavy and delivering bludgeoning riff after riff. I was surprised at just how well their sound came across live and just how heavy they could get. Phil's vocals were a bit all over the place but good enough and his energy more than made up for it. The epic closing rendition of Bury Me in Smoke with Satyricon and Living Color on stage was a perfect way to end what was an epic, energetic and slightly chaotic set.

Gojira

The final band of the day for me, and you couldn't end things better. This is the second time I've seen Gojira at a Soundwave, and they've exactly the same both times. That is, so fucking heavy, with a perfect sound that just drives you to bang your head. They had a relatively small but very devoted crowd, with a lot of people probably struggling to keep it together after Down, but those that were there were treated to another brilliant Gojira performance. The fact they can be so heavy and tight, and yet have a stuido quality sound is amazing. 

Notable exceptions

As with every festival, there's some tough decisions to be made, and this year was no exception. Some of the bands I would have loved to have seen but didn't due to scheduling included: Clutch, Baroness, Graveyard, Mastodon, Dillinger Escape Plan and Thy Art is Murder.

Conclusion

And so another Soundwave comes and goes, leaving a trail of rubbish, sore heads and deaf ears. I sincerely hope this isn't the last year in Perth for this great festival, but if it is, at least we can all agree that it's been an amazing ride.

First look at the new Batman game from Rocksteady

Here's your first look at the all new, next-gen only Batman title from Rocksteady. Featuring the Batmobile!

I have to say I'm actually pretty excited. This is looking pretty awesome.

Your thoughts?