I am afraid to say that I am disappointed in myself. As a massive fan of Aardman films I have only just got round to seeing their latest and fourth appearance in the cinema “Arthur Christmas”, their second CGI offering and the first of their new deal with Sony Pictures.
Today I finally righted the wrong of me not seeing it and I’m so glad I did.
But first there was the meal and a little side to this review. Today was the first time I tried a meal at Chiquito, a Mexican version of Nandos with less of an obsession with chicken. Having picked up the tickets early from Vue - £8 a ticket???? and they tell you where to sit??? – I wandered over to the restaurant and grabbed a drink whilst I waited for my parents. After the barman decided to spill the first attempt at the Mexican Milky Way - Amaretto, Baileys, chocolate liqueur, Eristoff Vodka, milk & cream, topped with whipped cream and a dusting of chocolate as their website says – knocking the blender over and covering himself in milky goodness (steady!) I managed to enjoy the £4.99 drink which was as nice as any of the Baileys-based cocktails you get at the chains and reasonably priced and sized.
With my parents having now arrived we could sit down to enjoy the meal. We were treated to some complimentary tortillas with tomato salsa that were like over-sized Doritos but obviously more home-made, but perhaps not enough salsa to really make it fair on the whole party, with every spooning up of salsa seriously depleting the pot.
For starters I remained as boring as ever and went with loaded potato skins but for £4.99 there was just a disappointing two skins, though they were tasty and the topping of bacon and sour cream was delicious, with a pot of barbecue sauce on the size. They were, ultimately, not as generous as the equally tasty skins you get at, say, Frankie and Bennys. The similarly priced chilli poppers and slightly cheaper duck taquito that my parents had were equally as tasty but equally as titchy.
Onto the main course and I’d definitely hit lucky with my choice of my favourite Mexican dishes, fajitas. I plumped for the sirloin steak version which was delivered on a sizzling plate at my chosen medium-rare with onion, tomato and pepper salad-thing, and was matched up with three pots of sour cream, tomato salsa, half-a-dozen fajita wraps, a plate of lettuce and cheese and some coleslaw I’d ordered as a side as I was a pig. Though a hefty £15.99 the amount of food there did justify its price and the amount of food was just right for a hefty appetite. Perhaps I would have liked a little bit more cheese and lettuce but it wasn’t a deal breaker. The food was served sizzling hot and at the end I was more than satisfied with the amount. The burger that my mum enjoyed seemed a fair size but my dad’s southern fried chicken perhaps not so much, but they were all very tasty.
Overall the bill came to just over £65 which for three people including drinks isn’t bad. The atmosphere of the restaurant was pleasant with enough Mexican pictures to convince you the brand has been anywhere near the land of Tequila – as much as Frankie and Bennys tries to make itself look like an Italian-American diner, but thankfully Chiquito doesn’t try to teach you Mexican in the loos – with some Christmas songs slotted into the more Mexican offerings, plus the service was friendly and relatively prompt considering it was reasonably quiet, plus for those who want to delve further, the toilets were immaculate.
I think if they could plump up the size of the starters and learn not to pour cocktails over themselves then it would be almost a flawless meal.
Now onto the main reason I’m writing this review: ‘Arthur Christmas’. So it’s over to Vue, where they charge a lot for the showings (though, to be fair, not much more than Cineworld, my hang out in Bradford) and assign you seats (unlike Cineworld). However, with the screening being relatively quiet, we moved seats to a better sitting position mid-film so as not to damage our necks staring up at the screen. And for once the kids in front of us were well behaved and quiet, which made for a refreshing change in a kids screening.
Before we could get through to the actual theme there were obviously the adverts to endure. Vue, it seems, may be wanting you not to record the film. At least 1/3rd of the slides of the opening slide show were about not recording and then some disc jockey from Minster FM came onto repeat the message. Fine, got the message. Not that I’d be recording a film that’s been out for six weeks anyway; it will have already been torrented to hell.
Also before the feature presentation there was some more Aardman goodness with a new trailer for Pirates!, their next feature film, this time stop-motion, coming out next year. I’d only seen the first trailer and this one certainly expanded the premise of the movie and it looks hilarious, so can’t wait for that. They also did an extra advert to promote – yes, you guessed it – not pirating films, which was a great addition especially with the extra work it would have been of stop-motion.
So, ‘Arthur Christmas’. It tells the story of the latest in the line of the Christmas family with Malcolm Christmas approaching his seventieth festive delivery but it’s his son Steve who is the main contributor to the delivery of presents to children all around the world, a military-minded man voiced by Hugh Laurie, masterminding a hi-tech team of elves launched from an ‘Independence Day’-style spaceship sleigh who deliver the presents. Malcolm’s other son, Steve’s brother, Arthur – voiced by James McAvoy - is a clumsy, but well-meaning person who deals with the letter writing. When an elf drops a present after the completion of Christmas it’s up to Arthur, Malcolm’s father - the oldest living Father Christmas - and an old sleigh to get this one present to the only child not to receive a gift on Christmas Day before sunrise when she wakes up.
What follows the early exposition is a top-form pastiche of military, spy and alien films. Scenes are captioned by locations, times and witty statistics, with an over-arching focus on gadgets, military spoofs and tongue-in-cheek action pieces. And, as with any Aardman film, the attention to detail is immense with some many on-screen and background visual jokes it’s a shoe-in for DVD purchase to catch them all, with everything from funny notes, to background signs, to even a Shaun The Sheep on the floor.
The 97 minutes of the film shoots by. The script is as inventive as anything we’ve had so far from Aardman with the opening Christmas delivery montage fast-paced and incredibly tight and choreographed as the elves deliver the presents, with many tongue-in-cheek nods to mobile phones and modern living in the pursuit of delivering the presents. The use of gadgets as seen in the Wallace and Gromit serious is prevalent here and the sheer Britishness of the movie shines through, but without it seeming as forced as in, say, ‘Chicken Run’. And, as far as realism goes with a team of hundreds of elves, it does offer a plausible and well-thought-out explanation of how so many toys get delivered in such a short space of time.
Much of the film is taken up with Arthur and his grandfather attempting to deliver this one last present on the original sled, with some great pastiches to alien films, rolling news and the same modern-but-retro technology employed in the Wallace and Gromit films.
There are a few jokes here and there that fall flat and it does seem about thirty minutes in that the film has lost its direction (but it soon regains it) and is coming to a premature conclusion but in the most it’s a laugh-out-loud film with some great unexpected twists in the plot. The voice acting is superb and the animation very high quality, especially with the massive scenes of elves at times. The CGI also captures Aardman’s style of characters, but perhaps not as much as in ‘Flushed Away’. Hugh Laurie, Bill Nighy and Ashley Jensen in particular all do some great voice acting but the whos-who of famous names all contribute to an excellent film. The film does wander close to sugary-sweet sentiment at its conclusion but it is genuinely touching and I’m not afraid to say that a tear did nearly come to my eyes at the end.
Filled with the Aardman magic we’ve come to expect, it’s a funny, touching, clever family film that is suitable for all ages with some very inventive set pieces and more visual jokes than you can shake an elf at. Sure, the plot line isn’t the most inventive in that Christmas has to be saved when something goes wrong, but it’s so well delivered you can forget this and enjoy the film and the scenes within it.
I’m not sure if it will become a Christmas classic but it’s a film that all the family can enjoy and there’s so much detail to enjoy in the CGI and visual jokes. I think at times it might be a little too uninteresting for very young kids but it’s a film not to be missed. A top festive film from Aardman and Sony and it bodes well for Pirates! next year.
Sunday, 18 December 2011
Saturday, 10 December 2011
A Small Piece on Cats and Christmas
Just a quick blog post to catch up on events over the weekend. It's been a mish-mash couple of days.
Friday was a laugh with the UBU staff / sabb Christmas part in the Midland Hotel with a meal that was very nice and just the right amount of food, though the dance that followed was unintentionally hilarious with the, lets say, older people elsewhere in the room preferring waltzes to Weezer. But, with games in the City Vaults after, it was a cracking night though I was in bed for ten thirty as I'm a lightweight!
Today was not so good. It's been coming for a couple of months but finally we had to make the decision to put one of our cats - Katie - down. Two months ago she was diagnosed with liver cancer and, though medication has helped her, she was in pain and struggling so the difficult decision had to be made. It was emotional to say goodbye and we buried her in the back garden. Only time will tell what impact it will have on our other cat, her sister, as she adapts to not having another cat with her.
I think the most eye opening part of the day was that the medication to put her down - an injection that took less than twenty seconds - cost £80. That's a lot of money for a short space of time. Not that I wouldn't have paid it but it's a lot for what it is.
So after ten years it was sad to say goodbye to Katie. It's true what they say about pets becoming part of the family.
Friday was a laugh with the UBU staff / sabb Christmas part in the Midland Hotel with a meal that was very nice and just the right amount of food, though the dance that followed was unintentionally hilarious with the, lets say, older people elsewhere in the room preferring waltzes to Weezer. But, with games in the City Vaults after, it was a cracking night though I was in bed for ten thirty as I'm a lightweight!
Today was not so good. It's been coming for a couple of months but finally we had to make the decision to put one of our cats - Katie - down. Two months ago she was diagnosed with liver cancer and, though medication has helped her, she was in pain and struggling so the difficult decision had to be made. It was emotional to say goodbye and we buried her in the back garden. Only time will tell what impact it will have on our other cat, her sister, as she adapts to not having another cat with her.
I think the most eye opening part of the day was that the medication to put her down - an injection that took less than twenty seconds - cost £80. That's a lot of money for a short space of time. Not that I wouldn't have paid it but it's a lot for what it is.
So after ten years it was sad to say goodbye to Katie. It's true what they say about pets becoming part of the family.
BUSOM – Around The World (And Beyond) in 80 Minutes (Or More*) *Probably Less
BUSOM – Around The World (And Beyond) in 80 Minutes (Or More*) *Probably Less
Escape, Student Central
Thursday 8th December 2011
As the snow began to fall in Bradford – well, sort of sleeted – it was time to grab a drink and head to Escape for the latest BUSOM – Bradford University Society for Operettas and Musicals - production, which was good as it meant I didn’t have to leave the same building that I work in and risk getting wet as I would have done if I’d had to dash across to the theatre.
Now, I’m going to get a reputation for giving BUSOM positive reviews but, once more, the ensemble put on a cracking show that entertained on the Thursday evening, with Escape being a good, intimate venue for the performance. A delayed start to the production benefitted the atmosphere with the venue, which was quite empty at the due start time, filling up completely within the following ten minutes, with a good fifty people down to enjoy the concert.
The concert, loosely themed around places of the world, opened with ‘Portabello Road’ from ‘Bedknobs and Broomsticks’, a strong effort from all the singers who sang perfectly in time, with some great solos from Judith Mbanisi and Cartina Lodge. The segway into the next song, ‘Barcelona’ from ‘Company’ (not, sadly the Freddie Mercury version, as we’re no longer in Movember!), featured singer Dave Jennings pretending to sleep, which I assume must be something from the musical else I’m confused, so was a little unusual but was punctuated by a wild-eyed Bill Harding (or Studley McFingerman as he is credited in the programme) pointing out locations to songs as the show progressed on an inflatable globe, even if his Geography was a bit off as Spain appeared to be relocated to North Africa. His little inserts, bouncing well off Emelie Ollila, were great throughout the performance, especially as he appeared strangely demonic under a strong lilac light.
Back to the music and Dave’s duet was beautifully sung. They brought the song to life and punctuated the funny lines with some great acting.
‘Merano’ from ‘Chess’ was next and showcased some more great choral work with some great sections from Jon, Joel and Colin and a really nice soprano line from the female side. The more I hear from this musical the more I think I need to watch it. Certainly a well-performed song.
Next was ‘I Am Africa’ from the ‘Book of Mormon’ and the first big highlight from the conference even if it did suffer from a little mis-timing. Emelie and Lyndsey were great but the star was Stuart, whose voice shone and his acting made the song.
Suiting the nature of ‘The Producers’, ‘In Old Bavaria’ was introduced with a dodgy stereotypical German accent from the excellent Anna Garlick, who once more lit up the stage with her eccentric and comedic acting, and great singing of the track, aided by an enthusiastic backing.
Lyndsey’s solo of ‘What’s New Buenos Aires’ from ‘Evita’ was well done but the song itself wasn’t a particularly exciting choice, especially after the one that was before it.
The arrival of Joel and Jon on stage is always something to look forward to because of their comedic potential in the material. And though their rendition of ‘Santa Fe’ from ‘Rent’ wasn’t the strongest performance of the night their vocals complimented each other but there wasn’t so much opportunity for their personalities to come through. Stuart’s appearance in the song, though, was fantastic once more, leading well into ‘You Won’t Succeed On Broadway’ from ‘Spamalot’ which, with his plumy English accent and facial expressions, truly brought the madness of Monty Python to life, with Jon and Joel also coming alive in the performance of this really funny song.
‘America’ from ‘West Side Story’ was up next and saw a great singing battle between the male and female sides of the chorus and was a very tight performance.
It was the final two songs of the first half, though, that would be the ones that would define the performance. For the first – ‘Girlfriend in Canada’ from ‘Avenue Q’ – Bill jumped from the piano to take centre stage, channelling a version of his character from ‘Fame’ earlier in the year, tackling the hilarious and, at times, rude lyrics with relish and some great acting and delivery, with support from the ever reliable Anna Garlick. With the audience in stitches, Bill successfully captured the attitude of the puppets from the musical it is taken from.
This was followed by ‘Blame Canada’ from the ‘South Park’ movie which is possibly the only way you could follow such a song that ends on the line it did (YouTube it!) and was played with relish by the whole chorus, with Dave, Stuart and Zoe Howe all bringing their own bits to it for maximum humour, and even adapting the song to throw in a reference to Justin Bieber.
This track brought the first thirty-minute set to a close, allowing for a twenty minute interval where I could chat to some people and fail to get served at the busy, but slow, bar, meaning I had to return to my seat without refreshment ready for part two, which is where the show went further into fantasy with ‘Welcome To Duloc’ from the film ‘Shrek’ being the opener, nicely labelled on the globe with a post-it note, with another great piece of interlude from Bill and Emelie. The song was well delivered by the chorus with a marvellous key change, and good delivery of the intentionally missed out swearing, if you remember that from the film.
With some more ad-libbing from Bill (“Stop kicking my world”) it was onto a Disney double, with ‘Under The Sea’ from ‘The Little Mermaid’, performed by new-comer Catrina Lodge with backing from Emily, Zoe and Catia. Catrina suffered from a few nerves, missing out a few lines, but after a shaky start grew in confidence and performed the song well, aided by the good backing singers, capturing the feel of the song even without tackling the challenging distinctive Caribbean accent.
Speaking of challenging, the next song of ‘A Whole New World’ from ‘Aladdin’ is a song often performed and often performed badly, due to its challenging notes. Just ask Jordan and Peter Andre, though in fairness she does find even writing a book herself difficult. Mike Alborough took the male lead and was superb and with Naomi excelling on female vocals, but not quite up to Mike’s level. It was song that could easily sound horrible but was performed really well, and there was a lot of character in their voices, particularly from Naomi, and their chemistry on-stage worked during the number.
‘One Short Day’ from ‘Wicked’ continued the fantasy theme with Poppy and Sarah-Jane dressed up for the parts. It was a great, strong rendition from them both and their voices suited each other very well.
The ‘Wizard of Oz’ theme continued to the next song with ‘Merry Old Land of Oz’, with the four singers doing a very good version of the song but it was Anna Garlick again who stood out with some more great character acting.
A festive-ish feel was brought to the performance after with ‘This Is Hallowe’en’ from ‘A Nightmare Before Christmas’ and was as good as ever, with Colin and Dave adding in some fine sections and a massive evil cackle from everyone.
It was great to see the return of Colin Fine next to the stage for a performance of ‘Stranger In Paradise’ from ‘Kismet’. A member that hasn’t been in any productions for a while, it was a restrained but well done performance that nailed the feeling of the track.
It was also great to see Zoe Howe step up for the penultimate track of ‘A Million Miles Away Behind The Door’ from ‘Paint Your Wagon’. Often recently being in the background, it was great to see her tackling a solo, and one she performed magnificently, and we even got treated to a member of street dance doing an impromptu ballet piece to her work.
Finally the show came to an end with the appropriately titled ‘No Cure Like Travel / Bon Voyage’ from ‘Anything Goes’, which once more showed off the male / female sides in competition, both sides performing well, bringing the second thirty-minutes of music to an end.
Once more BUSOM proved to be good value of money once more with a score of great songs performed really well, with a good cross section of musical classics and more modern, comedic ditties. Stuart Sellens and Anna Garlick proved to be the stars of the show from an acting point of view, and many proved to be on top form with their singing, with a nice mix of returning faces and new members. Another enjoyable evening from the boys and girls of BUSOM.
7.5/10
Escape, Student Central
Thursday 8th December 2011
As the snow began to fall in Bradford – well, sort of sleeted – it was time to grab a drink and head to Escape for the latest BUSOM – Bradford University Society for Operettas and Musicals - production, which was good as it meant I didn’t have to leave the same building that I work in and risk getting wet as I would have done if I’d had to dash across to the theatre.
Now, I’m going to get a reputation for giving BUSOM positive reviews but, once more, the ensemble put on a cracking show that entertained on the Thursday evening, with Escape being a good, intimate venue for the performance. A delayed start to the production benefitted the atmosphere with the venue, which was quite empty at the due start time, filling up completely within the following ten minutes, with a good fifty people down to enjoy the concert.
The concert, loosely themed around places of the world, opened with ‘Portabello Road’ from ‘Bedknobs and Broomsticks’, a strong effort from all the singers who sang perfectly in time, with some great solos from Judith Mbanisi and Cartina Lodge. The segway into the next song, ‘Barcelona’ from ‘Company’ (not, sadly the Freddie Mercury version, as we’re no longer in Movember!), featured singer Dave Jennings pretending to sleep, which I assume must be something from the musical else I’m confused, so was a little unusual but was punctuated by a wild-eyed Bill Harding (or Studley McFingerman as he is credited in the programme) pointing out locations to songs as the show progressed on an inflatable globe, even if his Geography was a bit off as Spain appeared to be relocated to North Africa. His little inserts, bouncing well off Emelie Ollila, were great throughout the performance, especially as he appeared strangely demonic under a strong lilac light.
Back to the music and Dave’s duet was beautifully sung. They brought the song to life and punctuated the funny lines with some great acting.
‘Merano’ from ‘Chess’ was next and showcased some more great choral work with some great sections from Jon, Joel and Colin and a really nice soprano line from the female side. The more I hear from this musical the more I think I need to watch it. Certainly a well-performed song.
Next was ‘I Am Africa’ from the ‘Book of Mormon’ and the first big highlight from the conference even if it did suffer from a little mis-timing. Emelie and Lyndsey were great but the star was Stuart, whose voice shone and his acting made the song.
Suiting the nature of ‘The Producers’, ‘In Old Bavaria’ was introduced with a dodgy stereotypical German accent from the excellent Anna Garlick, who once more lit up the stage with her eccentric and comedic acting, and great singing of the track, aided by an enthusiastic backing.
Lyndsey’s solo of ‘What’s New Buenos Aires’ from ‘Evita’ was well done but the song itself wasn’t a particularly exciting choice, especially after the one that was before it.
The arrival of Joel and Jon on stage is always something to look forward to because of their comedic potential in the material. And though their rendition of ‘Santa Fe’ from ‘Rent’ wasn’t the strongest performance of the night their vocals complimented each other but there wasn’t so much opportunity for their personalities to come through. Stuart’s appearance in the song, though, was fantastic once more, leading well into ‘You Won’t Succeed On Broadway’ from ‘Spamalot’ which, with his plumy English accent and facial expressions, truly brought the madness of Monty Python to life, with Jon and Joel also coming alive in the performance of this really funny song.
‘America’ from ‘West Side Story’ was up next and saw a great singing battle between the male and female sides of the chorus and was a very tight performance.
It was the final two songs of the first half, though, that would be the ones that would define the performance. For the first – ‘Girlfriend in Canada’ from ‘Avenue Q’ – Bill jumped from the piano to take centre stage, channelling a version of his character from ‘Fame’ earlier in the year, tackling the hilarious and, at times, rude lyrics with relish and some great acting and delivery, with support from the ever reliable Anna Garlick. With the audience in stitches, Bill successfully captured the attitude of the puppets from the musical it is taken from.
This was followed by ‘Blame Canada’ from the ‘South Park’ movie which is possibly the only way you could follow such a song that ends on the line it did (YouTube it!) and was played with relish by the whole chorus, with Dave, Stuart and Zoe Howe all bringing their own bits to it for maximum humour, and even adapting the song to throw in a reference to Justin Bieber.
This track brought the first thirty-minute set to a close, allowing for a twenty minute interval where I could chat to some people and fail to get served at the busy, but slow, bar, meaning I had to return to my seat without refreshment ready for part two, which is where the show went further into fantasy with ‘Welcome To Duloc’ from the film ‘Shrek’ being the opener, nicely labelled on the globe with a post-it note, with another great piece of interlude from Bill and Emelie. The song was well delivered by the chorus with a marvellous key change, and good delivery of the intentionally missed out swearing, if you remember that from the film.
With some more ad-libbing from Bill (“Stop kicking my world”) it was onto a Disney double, with ‘Under The Sea’ from ‘The Little Mermaid’, performed by new-comer Catrina Lodge with backing from Emily, Zoe and Catia. Catrina suffered from a few nerves, missing out a few lines, but after a shaky start grew in confidence and performed the song well, aided by the good backing singers, capturing the feel of the song even without tackling the challenging distinctive Caribbean accent.
Speaking of challenging, the next song of ‘A Whole New World’ from ‘Aladdin’ is a song often performed and often performed badly, due to its challenging notes. Just ask Jordan and Peter Andre, though in fairness she does find even writing a book herself difficult. Mike Alborough took the male lead and was superb and with Naomi excelling on female vocals, but not quite up to Mike’s level. It was song that could easily sound horrible but was performed really well, and there was a lot of character in their voices, particularly from Naomi, and their chemistry on-stage worked during the number.
‘One Short Day’ from ‘Wicked’ continued the fantasy theme with Poppy and Sarah-Jane dressed up for the parts. It was a great, strong rendition from them both and their voices suited each other very well.
The ‘Wizard of Oz’ theme continued to the next song with ‘Merry Old Land of Oz’, with the four singers doing a very good version of the song but it was Anna Garlick again who stood out with some more great character acting.
A festive-ish feel was brought to the performance after with ‘This Is Hallowe’en’ from ‘A Nightmare Before Christmas’ and was as good as ever, with Colin and Dave adding in some fine sections and a massive evil cackle from everyone.
It was great to see the return of Colin Fine next to the stage for a performance of ‘Stranger In Paradise’ from ‘Kismet’. A member that hasn’t been in any productions for a while, it was a restrained but well done performance that nailed the feeling of the track.
It was also great to see Zoe Howe step up for the penultimate track of ‘A Million Miles Away Behind The Door’ from ‘Paint Your Wagon’. Often recently being in the background, it was great to see her tackling a solo, and one she performed magnificently, and we even got treated to a member of street dance doing an impromptu ballet piece to her work.
Finally the show came to an end with the appropriately titled ‘No Cure Like Travel / Bon Voyage’ from ‘Anything Goes’, which once more showed off the male / female sides in competition, both sides performing well, bringing the second thirty-minutes of music to an end.
Once more BUSOM proved to be good value of money once more with a score of great songs performed really well, with a good cross section of musical classics and more modern, comedic ditties. Stuart Sellens and Anna Garlick proved to be the stars of the show from an acting point of view, and many proved to be on top form with their singing, with a nice mix of returning faces and new members. Another enjoyable evening from the boys and girls of BUSOM.
7.5/10
Sunday, 4 December 2011
Have A Very Educated Christmas or What Has Happened to the Schott's Almanac Series?
Today's blog post is a little bit of a whinge, a moan and a complaint about this year's absense of one of my favourite Christmas gifts.
No, it's not novelty socks or the Beano annual, but an annual publishing occasion we've enjoyed for the past few years in the form of Ben Schott's Almanac, featuring a year of facts, news, figures and general trivia that really satisfies the fact hunter inside of me, following on from his excellent miscellany series.
Not only that but the almanacs make a great Christmas present for other people and, most importantly, are collectible. I imagined when they began coming out that they would be an annual occurrence until I was old and grey when I would have the space and the money to be able to afford some old antique bookshelves for all my books with fifty years of them all appearing in chronological order.
Sadly it looks like now it'll be copies of the Private Eye annual instead, though that's equally good to appear, but not as intellectual looking as, say, the nicely put together and serious looking almanacs.
Why they have stopped is unknown at the moment: Has Ben Schott tired of doing them? Are they not selling well and Bloomsbury have pulled the plug? Are they seen as too dry for people to read?
I've tweeted the author to ask and await the response, but I think it's a real missed opportunity why ever they have stopped. Maybe compared to the Top Gear annual (containing a handy public-service-worker-shoot-guide) or something written by a random author but branded as by Katie Price are what more people want in their stockings?
But they are not the only collection that have stopped. I'm a big fan of the series QI - surely the televisual form of Schott's book - and they stopped releasing DVDs after series three when we're now on series nine. It's a really popular series; the shows can be watched again and again (yes, I know you can on Dave but, like, not when you want!) and they're both funny and useful. Why have they stopped releasing those? You don't find a magazine company stopping their 100-part 'build the Titanic' magazine collection part-way so you're missing the funnels, lifeboats and iceberg!
Though the absense of the almanac won't keep me up or night or get me into a flood of tears over the brussel sprouts come Christmas Day I will miss it this year and miss having a record of the time for when I'm older, like a more interesting and accurate Wikipedia that you can dip in and out of.
Instead I'll have to go and by my grandad Frankie Boyle's new book. I'm sure he would love that.
RIP Ben Schott's almanac
No, it's not novelty socks or the Beano annual, but an annual publishing occasion we've enjoyed for the past few years in the form of Ben Schott's Almanac, featuring a year of facts, news, figures and general trivia that really satisfies the fact hunter inside of me, following on from his excellent miscellany series.
Not only that but the almanacs make a great Christmas present for other people and, most importantly, are collectible. I imagined when they began coming out that they would be an annual occurrence until I was old and grey when I would have the space and the money to be able to afford some old antique bookshelves for all my books with fifty years of them all appearing in chronological order.
Sadly it looks like now it'll be copies of the Private Eye annual instead, though that's equally good to appear, but not as intellectual looking as, say, the nicely put together and serious looking almanacs.
Why they have stopped is unknown at the moment: Has Ben Schott tired of doing them? Are they not selling well and Bloomsbury have pulled the plug? Are they seen as too dry for people to read?
I've tweeted the author to ask and await the response, but I think it's a real missed opportunity why ever they have stopped. Maybe compared to the Top Gear annual (containing a handy public-service-worker-shoot-guide) or something written by a random author but branded as by Katie Price are what more people want in their stockings?
But they are not the only collection that have stopped. I'm a big fan of the series QI - surely the televisual form of Schott's book - and they stopped releasing DVDs after series three when we're now on series nine. It's a really popular series; the shows can be watched again and again (yes, I know you can on Dave but, like, not when you want!) and they're both funny and useful. Why have they stopped releasing those? You don't find a magazine company stopping their 100-part 'build the Titanic' magazine collection part-way so you're missing the funnels, lifeboats and iceberg!
Though the absense of the almanac won't keep me up or night or get me into a flood of tears over the brussel sprouts come Christmas Day I will miss it this year and miss having a record of the time for when I'm older, like a more interesting and accurate Wikipedia that you can dip in and out of.
Instead I'll have to go and by my grandad Frankie Boyle's new book. I'm sure he would love that.
RIP Ben Schott's almanac
Saturday, 26 November 2011
REVIEW: Milton Jones: Lion Whisperer (Saturday 26th November)
St. George’s Hall, Bradford. Support: James Acaster
Going to see Milton Jones live would be a little bit of a punt for me. Most of the comedians I’ve seen on stage live and been happy to shell out twenty quid for have been comedians I’ve seen a lot on the telly or have got a DVD of, such as the excellent Tim Vine. Though I’d only seen a few appearances of Londoner Milton Jones on shows such as ‘Mock The Week’ I was pretty confident he had my sort of humour, specialising in the one-liners that the aforementioned Tim Vine has specialised in with the sort of pun-trading, surreal-scenario setting, loud-out-loud humour that I most enjoy. And I wasn’t to be disappointed.
It also didn’t do any harm that the gig was happening with a ten minute walk from my front door so off on Saturday night to St. George’s Hall I went, for a pleasant view of the stage from up on the grand tier, even if the seats weren’t exactly built for the build of a 21st Century male who hasn’t been to the gym in a few months, with immovable arm rests hemming you into the seats and so little leg room I would have preferred to wrap my calves around the gentleman in front of me and forgo the norms of society, than to be squeezed into the seat.
But, the minor issues of the seats wasn’t enough to put me off what was an enjoyable, and good value, night of comedy.
It was also one of the most unusual openings of a comedy show yet with two support acts.
The first opener was billed as Milton Jones’ granddad, walking onto the sparse stage with just a few par can lights and a projector screen, with a shopping trolley and a limp. It would be stating the obvious for me to mention who the act really was but it was a great twist on the opening of a gig, with twenty minutes of quick-fire puns and a great bit of schtick about starting the act again everytime a late-comer walked in that, maybe went on one-time too many, but had a great pay-off at the end and the joke used, with a reference to Bradford thrown in, was a classic.
With some use of props thrown in for good measure it was a great start to the show and, though only really a taster of what was to come, was a quality bit of comedy to whet the audience’s appetite, an audience that throughout the night flip-flopped between members of the audience who would happily shout out but not interact with Milton when he replied, or others that were just shouting off random bits at random moments, but to the comedians credit he dealt with them to great comic effect.
The real support was comedian James Acaster, a down-beat, self-effacing comedian whose considerable forty minute set-time seemed to start with jokes mostly about food but his subject matter was all great and his jokes very funny. Although his delivery was meant to be sombre it was well executed none-the-less, following on from Milton’s granddad routine, it didn’t have the energy needed to keep the night buzzing, so at about twenty-five minutes into the set it began to lose momentum and some interactions with the front row seemed to ignore the majority of the room and it lost its flow. However, James made up for it with a corking concluding visual demonstration on stage, using a willing participant who seemed to be more than happy to play along, filled with cracking visual jokes and witty lines. As the act took us up to the fifteen minute interval it wasn’t the most exciting of supports to get us in the mood, being quite laid back and slow in the delivery, but James Acaster was definitely one of the best support acts I’ve seen for his material and fitted Milton’s style well.
After the interval it was onto the main act and Milton’s set was as funny as I could hope for. Seventy minutes of perfectly delivered one-liners, his jokes were both surreal but very, very funny. He echoed back at times to both the support acts to milk jokes that you thought had run out of steam but were made funny once again, and his ten-minute skit on photo slides, with its surprise interlude, was the highlight of the night. As mentioned before Milton jostled well with the crowd who, though enjoying the night, weren’t that responsive to his banter and he also used trios of jokes, scattered throughout the show, to great effect, with the shampoo / shamrock / champagne triplet absolutely amazing.
With some nicely added in local place names scattered throughout his set, and a series of hilarious OHP slides and connected jokes delivered perfectly, the crowd was in hysterics for much of his set and, even though the punchline of the joke was obvious, others were much more surreal and others falsely leading you in the wrong direction.
Not many comedians could pull off a gig where the title just refers to a one-off joke near the start of his set, but although there was little narrative pulling the whole show together it stayed firmly on track and the huge range of jokes from everything from jokes on the United Nations to Dr Who to Wales, there was much to enjoy.
Milton threw in two quick encores with more fast-paced one-liners, bringing to the end of quality show of really funny jokes that mostly hit their marks, plus it was totally family friendly as well. It was just a shame the audience members that were so keen to shout up to be involved didn’t follow up their initial confidence.
Definitely one for a DVD purchase or a live gig if you can still get tickets for any!
9/10
Going to see Milton Jones live would be a little bit of a punt for me. Most of the comedians I’ve seen on stage live and been happy to shell out twenty quid for have been comedians I’ve seen a lot on the telly or have got a DVD of, such as the excellent Tim Vine. Though I’d only seen a few appearances of Londoner Milton Jones on shows such as ‘Mock The Week’ I was pretty confident he had my sort of humour, specialising in the one-liners that the aforementioned Tim Vine has specialised in with the sort of pun-trading, surreal-scenario setting, loud-out-loud humour that I most enjoy. And I wasn’t to be disappointed.
It also didn’t do any harm that the gig was happening with a ten minute walk from my front door so off on Saturday night to St. George’s Hall I went, for a pleasant view of the stage from up on the grand tier, even if the seats weren’t exactly built for the build of a 21st Century male who hasn’t been to the gym in a few months, with immovable arm rests hemming you into the seats and so little leg room I would have preferred to wrap my calves around the gentleman in front of me and forgo the norms of society, than to be squeezed into the seat.
But, the minor issues of the seats wasn’t enough to put me off what was an enjoyable, and good value, night of comedy.
It was also one of the most unusual openings of a comedy show yet with two support acts.
The first opener was billed as Milton Jones’ granddad, walking onto the sparse stage with just a few par can lights and a projector screen, with a shopping trolley and a limp. It would be stating the obvious for me to mention who the act really was but it was a great twist on the opening of a gig, with twenty minutes of quick-fire puns and a great bit of schtick about starting the act again everytime a late-comer walked in that, maybe went on one-time too many, but had a great pay-off at the end and the joke used, with a reference to Bradford thrown in, was a classic.
With some use of props thrown in for good measure it was a great start to the show and, though only really a taster of what was to come, was a quality bit of comedy to whet the audience’s appetite, an audience that throughout the night flip-flopped between members of the audience who would happily shout out but not interact with Milton when he replied, or others that were just shouting off random bits at random moments, but to the comedians credit he dealt with them to great comic effect.
The real support was comedian James Acaster, a down-beat, self-effacing comedian whose considerable forty minute set-time seemed to start with jokes mostly about food but his subject matter was all great and his jokes very funny. Although his delivery was meant to be sombre it was well executed none-the-less, following on from Milton’s granddad routine, it didn’t have the energy needed to keep the night buzzing, so at about twenty-five minutes into the set it began to lose momentum and some interactions with the front row seemed to ignore the majority of the room and it lost its flow. However, James made up for it with a corking concluding visual demonstration on stage, using a willing participant who seemed to be more than happy to play along, filled with cracking visual jokes and witty lines. As the act took us up to the fifteen minute interval it wasn’t the most exciting of supports to get us in the mood, being quite laid back and slow in the delivery, but James Acaster was definitely one of the best support acts I’ve seen for his material and fitted Milton’s style well.
After the interval it was onto the main act and Milton’s set was as funny as I could hope for. Seventy minutes of perfectly delivered one-liners, his jokes were both surreal but very, very funny. He echoed back at times to both the support acts to milk jokes that you thought had run out of steam but were made funny once again, and his ten-minute skit on photo slides, with its surprise interlude, was the highlight of the night. As mentioned before Milton jostled well with the crowd who, though enjoying the night, weren’t that responsive to his banter and he also used trios of jokes, scattered throughout the show, to great effect, with the shampoo / shamrock / champagne triplet absolutely amazing.
With some nicely added in local place names scattered throughout his set, and a series of hilarious OHP slides and connected jokes delivered perfectly, the crowd was in hysterics for much of his set and, even though the punchline of the joke was obvious, others were much more surreal and others falsely leading you in the wrong direction.
Not many comedians could pull off a gig where the title just refers to a one-off joke near the start of his set, but although there was little narrative pulling the whole show together it stayed firmly on track and the huge range of jokes from everything from jokes on the United Nations to Dr Who to Wales, there was much to enjoy.
Milton threw in two quick encores with more fast-paced one-liners, bringing to the end of quality show of really funny jokes that mostly hit their marks, plus it was totally family friendly as well. It was just a shame the audience members that were so keen to shout up to be involved didn’t follow up their initial confidence.
Definitely one for a DVD purchase or a live gig if you can still get tickets for any!
9/10
Sunday, 20 November 2011
Super Mario 3D Land (3DS) Review #supermario3dland
It’s always been a truth that, as long as there has been cinema, there have been film executives with a love of a good pun. Not that I can blame them; I’m not completely shy about doing some punnage myself. Hence why there have been films such as ‘Cradle 2 The Grave’, emphasising it’s the second film. Connected to this it has always been difficult for film makers to steer away from the obvious marketing ploy of making the third film in a series in 3D so they can slap a ‘D’ on the end of the title and hope that the audience chuckle a little whilst consuming their expensive tub of popcorn and losing patience with the idiots three rows back texting their mates.
Clue: they don’t.
It’s obvious in films such as the classic (I use it in the sense of old, of course) Jaws 3D and the upcoming Men In Black 3D, plus countless examples that I can’t name because my brain appears to have blocked them out. Therefore it follows that the new Super Mario game for the 3DS, Super Mario 3D Land, is a 3D version of Super Mario Bros 3. from the end of the eighties.
The first Mario platformer for Nintendo’s new-ish and struggling glasses-free 3D bag of tricks handheld console should be the shot in the arm that the 3DS needs, coming two weeks before the second cup of revitalising coffee that will be Mario Kart 7. You cannot deny that the 3DS is a powerful piece of kit with impressive 3D, augmented reality, StreetPass, 3D photographs and loads of other bells and whistles, but it’s hardly been well endowed in the games department and has annoyed fans with price drops, sticking two fingers up to early adopters, even if they have been offered a sticking plaster of a solution in the name of twenty free retro games.
So it seems the fat plumber has arrived in time to cheer up Nintendo’s ailing spreadsheets in the run up to the Christmas period.
Super Mario 3D Land, the title of preference by dyslexics it would seem (surely Super Mario Land 3D, or does that bring back too many memories of the Game Boy?), is an unusual beast in that it plays like a 2D platformer in the spirit of the classic NES and SNES games but with a three-dimensional twist. Not, like in the case of Super Mario 64, Sunshine, Galaxy and Galaxy 2 in that you can roam wherever you want, but on a linear path like the original expanded into a 3D environment, like if the horsepower of the N64 was mated with the stallion that was Super Mario Bros. 3. Though you are restricted to one path, there is some freedom to move around so it doesn’t often feel like you are ‘on rails’.
It’s a full retro trip for longstanding Mario fans like myself. All the hallmarks of Mario 3 are there – arguably the highlight of the Mario platformers – along with other nods to other episodes, from the classic level end flagpole from the first platformer, to the countdown clock, to the retro powers including the Tanooki suit (here, for the most part, as a cut down raccoon power up but with the full suit), plus loads of classic baddies.
There’s a great video on YouTube I saw that matched up scenes from old Mario games to almost note-perfect replicas in 3D in this game, showing the attention to detail for older fans given by the development team.
But it’s not all old, as we sees two brand new power ups in the forms of Boomerang Mario and the Propeller Block, plus new enemies, and the general feeling that it’s ‘Super Mario Galaxy’ in platform form, with some challenges mirrored from that game.
At this point I’d normally discuss the plot of the game but that would be just a waste of ASCII as, as always, the scriptwriters have not been original. But, that just means more time to get on with the game. Here you are presented with eight worlds of five levels each, a mixture of grass levels, underground ones, a few water levels, castles, airships, ghost houses and other staples of the Mario level canon. Taking its cue from the Galaxy games most levels are presented as floating in the sky, leading this to be one of the most palm-sweating-inducing Mario games in a long time as you know that one mis-timed jump means death.
But thankfully the controls of the game are as tight as ever, with jumps and movement so fluid you cannot fault the system, helped by the impressive glasses-free 3D that really gives the game a sense of death. The 3D has always been impressive on the Nintendo system and though, for the most part, it’s unobtrusive, there are times when things come at the screen or you are falling down vertical levels, that it’s really quite awe-inspiring and actually adds an extra level of fear to falling down those heights. The levels that utilise slides are particularly note worthy and, with some bonuses only possible by using the 3D, you’d be a fool to play it without it even though, as I’d forgotten, it drains the juice out of the power-hungry and under-capacitated 3DS battery faster than a hungry man at a poorly-stocked fridge.
Though the basic premise of each level is the same – get from the start to the final flagpole whilst collecting coins, avoiding enemies and picking up power-ups along the way, and ensuring you hit the half-way marker to save your progress – each episode is unique with a different enemy, or obstacle, or theme that keeps it fresh, be it a rollercoaster through Bowser’s castle, blocks that appear and disappear with the beat of the music, or running across a bridge avoiding Cheep-Cheeps. There are also three star coins on each level to collect which allow you to unlock secret levels as you progress.
So is the game any good? Well it’s a resounding yes. Graphically the game is amazing, being as good as anything the Wii has pulled off. The 3D works marvellously – and is changeable from pop-out to depth depending on your preference – and adds peril to otherwise calm levels. There are graphical tweaks such as footprints in snow and sand, birds that shed feathers and much more. The controls couldn’t be more perfect. The music – a mixture of old and new songs – are just as catchy as they’ve always been, and the levels are inventive and the enemies intriguing, even if the humble Koopa Troopa gets very little screen time.
There is even a great throwback to Mario 3 with the screwed on scenery plus wooden cut-outs of baddies, which though random has a reason behind it which I won’t spoil here.
The most exciting about the game, though, is that the final boss is the first decent battle with Bowser in ages. Though the ending of ‘New Super Mario Bros Wii’ was a great battle and dramatic, it was one of many that were short, unimaginative and simple. This one beats that with more tension, false-ends and peril. Sure, it’s not massively difficult, but I consider myself a good player and it was exciting to play.
Difficulty wise the game is more of a challenge than other reviewers have said. It’s certainly not Super Mario Bros 3 or Super Mario Galaxy 2 difficult but it’s not a walk in the park. It’s just a shame that Nintendo keep liberally splashing coins and 1 Ups around so a ‘Game Over’ is never a likely outcome. They have thrown in two helps for less-able players with five deaths in a level allowing you to complete the level invincible; ten deaths sees the return of the P-Wing, now an immediate transport to the final flag.
There are a few bug-bears in the game, more down to personal preference. I still want the return of the Super Mario World-style overmap as that was great to explore, and the secret exits to levels were amazing; the star coins are, in the most, not that difficult to find; and the end world bosses are all very similar without the imagination of the Koopalings.
But these are just minor criticisms when you consider how much fun the game is to play. There are so many smile moments they’re difficult to count, from the ending of world 1-3, I think it was? – with its extreme retro throwback; the funny cut-scenes between worlds with images you can save to your SD card; and the impressive mix of graphics, challenge, 3D and music.
Plus there are very few games that would just have a random power-up, appearing in one of the last levels of the main game, in one third of one level. Most would milk it to its worth; here Nintendo allow you to enjoy it while it lasts, like it’s the 2011 Kuribo’s shoe.
And you’ll notice there that I said main game. Without spoiling too much, once you complete the first eight worlds – which took me eight hours to complete with all the star coins – you do get some extra, more challenging levels, a power-up wrong is righted, time attack challenges are made available, and some more surprises that I won’t spoil here – so although I’ve not done them all it’s not unreasonable that you’ll get fifteen hours out of this game with all the levels and star coins, and that’s not before you get to challenging your mates to beat your times. Which isn’t bad for what is a platformer and not an open-ended sandbox game.
With this game you can also throw in StreetPass assist, with friends you bump into on the street with the game giving you power-ups, even though it’s not an amazing feature.
Overall, Super Mario 3D Land is pretty much everything you’d want from a new Mario game. There’s plenty of challenge; a lot of retro love for the longstanding fan; a game that not only looks beautiful but plays beautiful, sounds beautiful and makes excellent use of the 3DS’ main selling point; and lots of content for a game you’ll be dipping in and out of for a while.
Until Mario Kart 7 comes out anyway.
But, most importantly, the game is just plain fun and it makes you smile, which is something a lot of games in 2011 just lack.
9.5/10
Clue: they don’t.
It’s obvious in films such as the classic (I use it in the sense of old, of course) Jaws 3D and the upcoming Men In Black 3D, plus countless examples that I can’t name because my brain appears to have blocked them out. Therefore it follows that the new Super Mario game for the 3DS, Super Mario 3D Land, is a 3D version of Super Mario Bros 3. from the end of the eighties.
The first Mario platformer for Nintendo’s new-ish and struggling glasses-free 3D bag of tricks handheld console should be the shot in the arm that the 3DS needs, coming two weeks before the second cup of revitalising coffee that will be Mario Kart 7. You cannot deny that the 3DS is a powerful piece of kit with impressive 3D, augmented reality, StreetPass, 3D photographs and loads of other bells and whistles, but it’s hardly been well endowed in the games department and has annoyed fans with price drops, sticking two fingers up to early adopters, even if they have been offered a sticking plaster of a solution in the name of twenty free retro games.
So it seems the fat plumber has arrived in time to cheer up Nintendo’s ailing spreadsheets in the run up to the Christmas period.
Super Mario 3D Land, the title of preference by dyslexics it would seem (surely Super Mario Land 3D, or does that bring back too many memories of the Game Boy?), is an unusual beast in that it plays like a 2D platformer in the spirit of the classic NES and SNES games but with a three-dimensional twist. Not, like in the case of Super Mario 64, Sunshine, Galaxy and Galaxy 2 in that you can roam wherever you want, but on a linear path like the original expanded into a 3D environment, like if the horsepower of the N64 was mated with the stallion that was Super Mario Bros. 3. Though you are restricted to one path, there is some freedom to move around so it doesn’t often feel like you are ‘on rails’.
It’s a full retro trip for longstanding Mario fans like myself. All the hallmarks of Mario 3 are there – arguably the highlight of the Mario platformers – along with other nods to other episodes, from the classic level end flagpole from the first platformer, to the countdown clock, to the retro powers including the Tanooki suit (here, for the most part, as a cut down raccoon power up but with the full suit), plus loads of classic baddies.
There’s a great video on YouTube I saw that matched up scenes from old Mario games to almost note-perfect replicas in 3D in this game, showing the attention to detail for older fans given by the development team.
But it’s not all old, as we sees two brand new power ups in the forms of Boomerang Mario and the Propeller Block, plus new enemies, and the general feeling that it’s ‘Super Mario Galaxy’ in platform form, with some challenges mirrored from that game.
At this point I’d normally discuss the plot of the game but that would be just a waste of ASCII as, as always, the scriptwriters have not been original. But, that just means more time to get on with the game. Here you are presented with eight worlds of five levels each, a mixture of grass levels, underground ones, a few water levels, castles, airships, ghost houses and other staples of the Mario level canon. Taking its cue from the Galaxy games most levels are presented as floating in the sky, leading this to be one of the most palm-sweating-inducing Mario games in a long time as you know that one mis-timed jump means death.
But thankfully the controls of the game are as tight as ever, with jumps and movement so fluid you cannot fault the system, helped by the impressive glasses-free 3D that really gives the game a sense of death. The 3D has always been impressive on the Nintendo system and though, for the most part, it’s unobtrusive, there are times when things come at the screen or you are falling down vertical levels, that it’s really quite awe-inspiring and actually adds an extra level of fear to falling down those heights. The levels that utilise slides are particularly note worthy and, with some bonuses only possible by using the 3D, you’d be a fool to play it without it even though, as I’d forgotten, it drains the juice out of the power-hungry and under-capacitated 3DS battery faster than a hungry man at a poorly-stocked fridge.
Though the basic premise of each level is the same – get from the start to the final flagpole whilst collecting coins, avoiding enemies and picking up power-ups along the way, and ensuring you hit the half-way marker to save your progress – each episode is unique with a different enemy, or obstacle, or theme that keeps it fresh, be it a rollercoaster through Bowser’s castle, blocks that appear and disappear with the beat of the music, or running across a bridge avoiding Cheep-Cheeps. There are also three star coins on each level to collect which allow you to unlock secret levels as you progress.
So is the game any good? Well it’s a resounding yes. Graphically the game is amazing, being as good as anything the Wii has pulled off. The 3D works marvellously – and is changeable from pop-out to depth depending on your preference – and adds peril to otherwise calm levels. There are graphical tweaks such as footprints in snow and sand, birds that shed feathers and much more. The controls couldn’t be more perfect. The music – a mixture of old and new songs – are just as catchy as they’ve always been, and the levels are inventive and the enemies intriguing, even if the humble Koopa Troopa gets very little screen time.
There is even a great throwback to Mario 3 with the screwed on scenery plus wooden cut-outs of baddies, which though random has a reason behind it which I won’t spoil here.
The most exciting about the game, though, is that the final boss is the first decent battle with Bowser in ages. Though the ending of ‘New Super Mario Bros Wii’ was a great battle and dramatic, it was one of many that were short, unimaginative and simple. This one beats that with more tension, false-ends and peril. Sure, it’s not massively difficult, but I consider myself a good player and it was exciting to play.
Difficulty wise the game is more of a challenge than other reviewers have said. It’s certainly not Super Mario Bros 3 or Super Mario Galaxy 2 difficult but it’s not a walk in the park. It’s just a shame that Nintendo keep liberally splashing coins and 1 Ups around so a ‘Game Over’ is never a likely outcome. They have thrown in two helps for less-able players with five deaths in a level allowing you to complete the level invincible; ten deaths sees the return of the P-Wing, now an immediate transport to the final flag.
There are a few bug-bears in the game, more down to personal preference. I still want the return of the Super Mario World-style overmap as that was great to explore, and the secret exits to levels were amazing; the star coins are, in the most, not that difficult to find; and the end world bosses are all very similar without the imagination of the Koopalings.
But these are just minor criticisms when you consider how much fun the game is to play. There are so many smile moments they’re difficult to count, from the ending of world 1-3, I think it was? – with its extreme retro throwback; the funny cut-scenes between worlds with images you can save to your SD card; and the impressive mix of graphics, challenge, 3D and music.
Plus there are very few games that would just have a random power-up, appearing in one of the last levels of the main game, in one third of one level. Most would milk it to its worth; here Nintendo allow you to enjoy it while it lasts, like it’s the 2011 Kuribo’s shoe.
And you’ll notice there that I said main game. Without spoiling too much, once you complete the first eight worlds – which took me eight hours to complete with all the star coins – you do get some extra, more challenging levels, a power-up wrong is righted, time attack challenges are made available, and some more surprises that I won’t spoil here – so although I’ve not done them all it’s not unreasonable that you’ll get fifteen hours out of this game with all the levels and star coins, and that’s not before you get to challenging your mates to beat your times. Which isn’t bad for what is a platformer and not an open-ended sandbox game.
With this game you can also throw in StreetPass assist, with friends you bump into on the street with the game giving you power-ups, even though it’s not an amazing feature.
Overall, Super Mario 3D Land is pretty much everything you’d want from a new Mario game. There’s plenty of challenge; a lot of retro love for the longstanding fan; a game that not only looks beautiful but plays beautiful, sounds beautiful and makes excellent use of the 3DS’ main selling point; and lots of content for a game you’ll be dipping in and out of for a while.
Until Mario Kart 7 comes out anyway.
But, most importantly, the game is just plain fun and it makes you smile, which is something a lot of games in 2011 just lack.
9.5/10
Sunday, 13 November 2011
Ho Ho Ho…w early? This year’s Christmas adverts – the verdict! Part One
Yes, I’m fully aware it is still only November but, if you watch commercial television, you can’t have failed to have noticed the glut of shops thrusting their 2011 Christmas adverts in your face. So which are cracking and which are turkeys? Let’s find out.
Marks and Spencer aka “It Hasn’t Got The X-Factor”
Now, I need some clarification with this. Is it advertising Britain’s premium food and clothing shop or is it a sixty-second love letter and free publicity to the X-Factor? Yes, the good old Marks and Sparks adverts have often featured celebrities but no one quite this, erm, current. I can’t deny their version of the Disney classic ‘When You Wish Upon A Star’ is good, if not a little bit scatter gun because of the range of the voices.
Already staying current has bitten them in the behind as Frankie, who has now left the X Factor because of snow of a different kind, it’s had to be edited from the version above.
With footage of the X Factor finalists mixed in with the necessary cross section of demographics unwrapping presents, I would say it doesn’t necessarily feel that Christmassy to me. Or maybe it’s because it’s still mid-November.
Not a bad advert but it doesn’t really have the X-Factor. [4 / 10]
Ann Summers, aka “Phwoar-ing but Boring”
Taking the form of another sort of talent competition, this advert will not surprise you. Consisting of everything you’d think would appear in an Ann Summers advert: slow motion cameras showing various aspects of their bodies, sexy underwear, provocative dancemoves, a rabbit (no, a real one, not *that* one) I wouldn’t say it’s particularly Christmassy. There’s no tinsel or trees to be seen, no snow sensually rubbed off flesh and no sign of any kissing under the mistletoe.
I’m not going to complain about two minutes and ten seconds of scantily clad amateur models appearing on my TV screen and, you know, if this was what Christmas is about I’m not going to moan either, but it’s not particular festive beyond the heavy use of the colour red. And the least said about the dance / techno backing music the better, unless Santa has invested in a pair of decks and Tracktor. [4/10]
John Lewis, aka “Nice Twist, Shame about the Morrissey”
To be honest, I could stop writing about this record after revealing its first achievement in that the cover of a Smiths song actually makes it sound good, even if it’s as depressing a song as you expect from a Morrissey penned ditty. Frankly, Santa would find himself on valium listening to this tune.
The advert sets up a simple story of a boy waiting around, not for something to actually happen in the video as I initially expected, but for Christmas so he can give a present to his parents, a neat twist on the expectation that he’s waiting for Christmas. The story is told well and the little twist is great and it’s the most Christmas-y of the adverts so far, capturing that excitement of Christmas Day you have as a kid.
Just pick a more cheerful song next time, John Lewis. Ellie Goulding’s murdering of the Elton John classic last year should have been enough for you! [6/10]
Littlewoods, aka “Anti-men, Illusion shattering Urban pantomime”
Santa is dead. That is according to this Littlewood’s advert. No longer is it a jolly fat man dressed in red who comes down your chimney, leaves you gifts and then sods off with his magical flying reindeer. No, it’s your mum. In her old slippers, with a mug of coffee in her hand and a sense of worry over the credit card bill rattling around in her head.
Laying thanks to Christmas at the door of mums everywhere instead of Santa – and, of course, fuelling the anti-feminists with the sentiment that, of course, no dads do the present shopping – it takes the form of a school pantomime where instead of celebrating the birth of Christ in a gorgeous nativity scene or perhaps recreating the three bears, the kids all grasp hold of the commercial side of Christmas with talk of X-Box consoles and watches. Oh, and let’s not forget to street it up with the token black child and the obligatory street hand gesture. Bo.
So within forty seconds we get sexism, casual racial stereotyping, and the shattering of the fantasy of Santa’s exciting. Great work Littlewoods. At least the song is catchy though, but mostly thanks to the amount of people in the audience whose names luckily rhyme. [3/10]
Boots, aka “Mission Charlie’s Angels Impossible”
With a cracking adaptation of the established Boots / Sugababes “Girls” theme to make it sound like it has come straight out of a James Bond film, this is possible the wittiest and most interesting advert so far this year, with lots of shots of the aforementioned girls planting presents around without being spotted before achieving a white Christmas through the use of a snow cannon and enough lights to cripple your electricity budget for the next ten millennia.
With enough movie pastiches to keep even the most ardent movie fan happy, it’s not very traditionally Christmas but at least it has snow and fairy lights. And a happy, up-tempo, tune. About fifty percent there on the festive stakes. [6.5/10]
I’ll be reviewing more adverts soon but at the moment none of the above come anywhere close to the ultimate festive classic…
Marks and Spencer aka “It Hasn’t Got The X-Factor”
Now, I need some clarification with this. Is it advertising Britain’s premium food and clothing shop or is it a sixty-second love letter and free publicity to the X-Factor? Yes, the good old Marks and Sparks adverts have often featured celebrities but no one quite this, erm, current. I can’t deny their version of the Disney classic ‘When You Wish Upon A Star’ is good, if not a little bit scatter gun because of the range of the voices.
Already staying current has bitten them in the behind as Frankie, who has now left the X Factor because of snow of a different kind, it’s had to be edited from the version above.
With footage of the X Factor finalists mixed in with the necessary cross section of demographics unwrapping presents, I would say it doesn’t necessarily feel that Christmassy to me. Or maybe it’s because it’s still mid-November.
Not a bad advert but it doesn’t really have the X-Factor. [4 / 10]
Ann Summers, aka “Phwoar-ing but Boring”
Taking the form of another sort of talent competition, this advert will not surprise you. Consisting of everything you’d think would appear in an Ann Summers advert: slow motion cameras showing various aspects of their bodies, sexy underwear, provocative dancemoves, a rabbit (no, a real one, not *that* one) I wouldn’t say it’s particularly Christmassy. There’s no tinsel or trees to be seen, no snow sensually rubbed off flesh and no sign of any kissing under the mistletoe.
I’m not going to complain about two minutes and ten seconds of scantily clad amateur models appearing on my TV screen and, you know, if this was what Christmas is about I’m not going to moan either, but it’s not particular festive beyond the heavy use of the colour red. And the least said about the dance / techno backing music the better, unless Santa has invested in a pair of decks and Tracktor. [4/10]
John Lewis, aka “Nice Twist, Shame about the Morrissey”
To be honest, I could stop writing about this record after revealing its first achievement in that the cover of a Smiths song actually makes it sound good, even if it’s as depressing a song as you expect from a Morrissey penned ditty. Frankly, Santa would find himself on valium listening to this tune.
The advert sets up a simple story of a boy waiting around, not for something to actually happen in the video as I initially expected, but for Christmas so he can give a present to his parents, a neat twist on the expectation that he’s waiting for Christmas. The story is told well and the little twist is great and it’s the most Christmas-y of the adverts so far, capturing that excitement of Christmas Day you have as a kid.
Just pick a more cheerful song next time, John Lewis. Ellie Goulding’s murdering of the Elton John classic last year should have been enough for you! [6/10]
Littlewoods, aka “Anti-men, Illusion shattering Urban pantomime”
Santa is dead. That is according to this Littlewood’s advert. No longer is it a jolly fat man dressed in red who comes down your chimney, leaves you gifts and then sods off with his magical flying reindeer. No, it’s your mum. In her old slippers, with a mug of coffee in her hand and a sense of worry over the credit card bill rattling around in her head.
Laying thanks to Christmas at the door of mums everywhere instead of Santa – and, of course, fuelling the anti-feminists with the sentiment that, of course, no dads do the present shopping – it takes the form of a school pantomime where instead of celebrating the birth of Christ in a gorgeous nativity scene or perhaps recreating the three bears, the kids all grasp hold of the commercial side of Christmas with talk of X-Box consoles and watches. Oh, and let’s not forget to street it up with the token black child and the obligatory street hand gesture. Bo.
So within forty seconds we get sexism, casual racial stereotyping, and the shattering of the fantasy of Santa’s exciting. Great work Littlewoods. At least the song is catchy though, but mostly thanks to the amount of people in the audience whose names luckily rhyme. [3/10]
Boots, aka “Mission Charlie’s Angels Impossible”
With a cracking adaptation of the established Boots / Sugababes “Girls” theme to make it sound like it has come straight out of a James Bond film, this is possible the wittiest and most interesting advert so far this year, with lots of shots of the aforementioned girls planting presents around without being spotted before achieving a white Christmas through the use of a snow cannon and enough lights to cripple your electricity budget for the next ten millennia.
With enough movie pastiches to keep even the most ardent movie fan happy, it’s not very traditionally Christmas but at least it has snow and fairy lights. And a happy, up-tempo, tune. About fifty percent there on the festive stakes. [6.5/10]
I’ll be reviewing more adverts soon but at the moment none of the above come anywhere close to the ultimate festive classic…
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