Grimm is reviewed by Chris Kneipp

When it comes to TV, I like my shows to have great characters and lots of intrigue and the series, Grimm, fits the bill well. Jim Kouf and David Greenwalt, who wrote a lot of both Buffy and Angel episodes, set the scene for a great series right from the pilot.

So what’s it about? Detective Nick Burkhardt from Portland Homicide begins to see some weird stuff, like people’s faces changing into the monsters of childhood fairy-tales. He thinks he’s going crazy, but when the Aunt who raised him, returns from a long absence, he discovers he’s descended from a long line of “Grimms” (protectors of the people) who are charged with keeping balance between humanity and the creatures hidden amongst us all. He is given a trailer which contains a treasure trove of weapons, books and potions, and told to hunt and destroy the creatures, called Wesen. (Pronounced Vesen).

(You quickly get used to the German names sprinkled throughout the show.)

 When Nick meets a Blutbad, (think the big bad wolf,) named Monroe, played brilliantly by Silas Weir Mitchell, he soon discovers that the Wesen are not all they’re made out to be.

Monroe is a vegetarian clock repairer, who helps Nick to sort out the real baddies from the Wesen who are just trying to live their lives in peace. Of course, helping a Grimm to fight his own kind does not endear him to some of his brethren. His character is such an important part of what works about this show.

David Giuntol does a good job as Nick, the young detective trying to work out his destiny while facing the problems of keeping his secret. He has to deal with his destiny to protect people from dangerous Wesen, while trying to live a normal life, solving murders and falling for the local Vet.

There’s a lot of fun to be had had as he keeps his secret from his love interest Juliet, played well by Bitsie Tulloch, and his partner Hank Griffin, played by Russell Hornsby. The series gets better and better as it progresses and I really found myself carried along by Nick’s changing perspective on the nature of what’s good and evil.

Each episode is loosely based around a Brothers Grimm story, and I mean loosely. This show is no fairytale! The whole series has a dark and gritty feel to it, which starts with a quote from Grimm story, and the myth of the Grimm is revealed a little more with every episode. Mashing police drama and fantasy works really well, and the writers keep it fresh by not taking it too seriously. While the creature effects are good enough, it’s the dialogue that really gives the show some teeth. The banter between Nick and Monroe is light and realistic and often reminds me of Buffy and Angel dialogue.

In America they’ve just finished the third season and they are shooting the fourth season now. The first series is available in Australia on DVD and Bluray through Universal Studios and Season Two should hit the shelves soon.

If you’ve seen it, I hope you agree that this is a great series, without a lot like it out there at the moment. If you’ve never seen it, then get a copy and catch up before the new season comes to a tv near you.

Jorge Duran from The Spotlight Report gets a quick word with Sandra Bullock at the red carpet premiere of The Heat in Sydney

Christopher Kneipp reviews both movies.

In the last two weeks I have seen two movies, Star Trek Into Darkness and Man Of Steel, and was surprised to realise how much they had in common (warning, spoiler alerts ahead). Both were entertaining reboots of older franchises. Both were well acted and built up towards action filled climaxes. But, (and you knew there’d be a “But”,) where they both failed to grab me, they managed to do in exactly the same way.

Both movies used the bad guys from the second instalments in their original series. In Star Trek Into Darkness, the antagonist was Kahn. This genetically engineered super-baddie was first seen in the TV series and then again in the second Star Trek movie, The Wrath Of Kahn. Then you have Man Of Steel’s villain, General Zod, the same bad guy from the 1980 film Superman 2.

I’m not a big fan of the “this’ll make money,” motivation for resurrecting an old idea. Both movies contained scenes that were reflections of scenes from the originals, and in Star Trek some of the dialogue could have been cut and pasted from the original. Instead of giving a subtle nod to its predecessor, the film-makers seem to be trying to cash in on whatever made the original a success.

With a reboot, the film-makers must tread a very fine line between the expectations of those that hold a special place in their hearts for the original, and entertaining a brand new audience. They have to give enough back story to clue in the newbie, without losing the old school devotee by making them sit through a retelling, like one of Grandpa’s tales about the war. Unfortunately, I felt that both movies did not succeed in reaching either goal.

The plot line of Man of Steel borrowed heavily from the 1979 and 1980 Superman films, trying to squeeze as much Superman history into the one movie as they could. It kind of made me want to yell at the screen, “It’s Superman, dammit! Get on with the story!”

What the makers of both of these movies appear to have forgotten is, most people who choose to spend the money on a ticket to see a Star Trek or Superman film, probably have a pretty good grasp on the history of the characters. 

I’m all for recycling, making something brand new made from the old. This can work well, (see “The Dark Knight”) but reboots are tricky beasts and I came away from both movies feeling a little let down.

Don’t get me wrong, I was entertained by both films. I just have the feeling that the writers, directors and producers of both films forgot the first rule of fiction. Know your audience.

Joelene Pynnonen reviews Lara Croft – Tomb Raider 2013.

The origins of Lara Croft are finally revealed in the latest game in the franchise. Starting out on her first archaeological expedition, she and her team are trying to locate the lost island of Yamatai off the coast of Japan. A storm strikes the ship they are on, and Lara finds herself on an island, separated from her friends and surrounded by danger.

Storyline: The story here is simple but solid. Stuck on an unwelcoming island and forced to fend for herself, a young Lara Croft must find the means to survive.

The lack of strong female characters in gaming has been much lamented and greatly documented. As such, I went into the game with some scepticism that the female action hero would be handled well. It quickly became apparent that my doubts were misplaced. Tomb Raider has undergone a much needed transformation in the latest instalment. Lara has always been strong, resourceful, and independent, but previously she has lacked humanity. In Tomb Raider 2013, her character gains nuances that rely more on her personality than her appearance. Though the game is violent in nature, Croft’s first kill is handled with the respect and sensitivity it needs.

Although she is young, Lara has a strongly developed sense of duty, choosing to risk her life for others even against the advice of her friends. She’s stubborn and likable, giving gamers someone that they can identify with.

Gameplay: As always, Tomb Raider is a great adventure. The island of Yamatai is full of dangers that make for some pretty intense action scenes. Murderous cultists, wild animals, harsh weather, and evil spirits are all obstacles Lara must overcome to get away from the island safely. With predatory animals roaming the forests while enemies scout the buildings, there is more than enough danger to keep the game interesting.

The survival and exploration aspects, too, lend their own flavours to the game. Hunting and salvage earn Lara skills points while there are tombs to be explored and puzzles to be solved for weapons parts.

The settings are varied and often gorgeous. Lara goes from tumultuous oceans and panoramic mountaintops to dingy cave systems and spine-tingling tombs. Atmosphere resonates here, supported marvellously by the musical score.

Gameplay is smooth and the mix-up of survival, exploration, shooting and fighting keeps Tomb Raider fresh and exciting.

Qualms: Quite a few of the movie scenes would have been more entertaining as gameplay scenes. In the initial scene, for instance, there is a great deal of action but none of it is playable.

Overall: I’m partial to action-adventure stories, so Tomb Raider is right up my alley. Lara Croft is self-sufficient and likable, as are the supporting characters. While I think that the gameplay could have been taken further, this was an exhilarating adventure that is definitely worth playing again.

Publisher: Square Enix

Developer: Crystal Dynamics, Eidos Montreal, Nixxes Software (PC)

Release Date: March 1, 2013

Platforms: PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, PC

Game review by Joelene Pynnonen

A bio-terrorist attack has left the President infected and Leon trapped in a zombie infested campus with a Secret Service agent called Helena. Meanwhile DSO agent Sherry Birkin may have found hope for a C-virus cure in ornery mercenary, Jake Muller. In Edonia Chris Redfield and his partner, Piers, discover that Ada Wong may be behind the latest spate of biological warfare and they set out to stop her.

Storyline: More complicated than the Resident Evil 5 plot; Resident Evil 6 follows three sets of characters before finally unlocking Ada Wong’s campaign. As always, the characters drive the narrative, each one having their own attributes, motivations and goals. The plot is carefully crafted so that by the end of the game, all of the chapters slot together like pieces of a puzzle. While RE5 was enjoyable and the characters were likeable, RE6 hits a whole new level for plot and character development.

 The storyline on a whole is incredibly enjoyable. An eerie atmosphere permeates through the campaigns, which can still creep me out in a rather delicious way. There’s a certain amount of tension between the characters that makes for good story-telling, and with so many characters everyone is bound to like at least one of the campaigns. Ada is, unsurprisingly, her usual amazing self and could carry the game on her own, but graciously allows the others to do little bits here and there. Yes, I’m partial to Ada. From the people I’ve talked to, every fan really connects with one RE character through the games. Not sure why anyone would choose someone who was not Ada, but each to his or her own.

Gameplay: Each character has their own strengths and each team has its own campaign. Based on the team strengths or weaknesses, there are several places where characters have to split up, so that in order to appreciate the entire game it must be played through at least twice. Even without taking this into account, RE6 is a much longer game than I was expecting. Each campaign has a different feel and is set over a variety of locations, making the gameplay consistently interesting.

 As an action-shooter, RE6 spices up its fight sequences by setting certain missions against time with others requiring stealth. The enemies also vary, and their weak spots will often direct the course of the action.

There are new additional options to the main game as well. Agent Hunt gives players the chance to randomly spawn as enemies into other people’s games while Mercenaries pits players against masses of enemies.

Qualms: RE6 has an entirely different type of inventory to RE5, making unlimited stockpiling of ammo and supplies impossible. It’s not necessary as ammo is abundant, but stockpiling was always more fun.

 The chapters are long, which makes it more difficult if you’re playing the campaign with a friend.

Overall: Great characters, storyline and voice-acting. This is the kind of game that you can play several times and still enjoy. The Agent Hunt and Mercenaries modes are a great addition for when there isn’t time for a chapter or you’re in the mood for something different.

Publisher: Capcom

Developer: Capcom

Release Date: October 2, 2012

Platforms: PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, PC