Dr. Seuss’ Horton Hears a Who (2008, CG Animated Fantasy Adventure) – 8/10 movie review

Cast / crew Jim Carrey: Horton Steve Carell: Mayor Carol Burnett: Kangaroo Executive Producer: Chris Wedge Producer: Bob Gordon Producer: Bruce Anderson Writer (Original Book): Dr. Seuss Writer (Screenplay): Cinco Paul Writer (Screenplay): Ken Daurio Director: Jimmy Hayward Director: Steve Martino Jimmy Hayward: Obnoxious Who

Dr. Seuss’ Horton Hears a Who! (2008) Horton, an elephant, hears a voice coming from a speck floating on the wind. Presuming that there must be something living on the speck, he attempts to make contact and while his jungle friends think him a bit odd at first, it quickly becomes a stern test of character. 8/10 An unexpected treat, this terrifically fun adventure also manages to cram in valuable morality lessons alongside well-animated, funny, energetic gags. Jim Carrey’s vocal performance is superb and, along with the character design and animation, helps makes Horton an immediately endearing, honest-hearted hero. I loved the gag with the numb arm for the Who Mayor but just about every gag hit the sweet spot. It’s also nice to report that there were no adult or sexual jokes in the body of the movie (there’s one in the end credits song, bafflingly) and there’s no interspecies sex. (Yes, this was not produced by Dreamworks.) This movie contains violence, scary scenes. Classified U by BBFC. Universal: Suitable for All.

Doctor Who – A Christmas Carol (2010) – 6/10 science fiction adventure TV review

Cast / crew Matt Smith: The Doctor Karen Gillan: Amy Pond Arthur Darvill: Rory Williams Writer: Steven Moffat Producer: Sanne Wohlenberg Director: Toby Haynes Michael Gambon: Kazran / Elliot Sardick Katherine Jenkins: Abigail

Doctor Who xmas 2010 Christmas Carol, A (2010) Amy and Rory are on their honeymoon but their spaceship gets into serious trouble and needs to land. However, the controller of the planet below, Kazran Sardick, doesn’t care and won’t let them land just because he can. The Doctor attempts to change his heart before the 4003 people on the spaceship crash to their death. 6/10 Adaptations of Dicken’s A Christmas Carol always have the same gigantic problem: why does Scrooge change? Invariably, it’s just not convincing that he has a change of heart and it always happens too quickly. Christmas Past and Present don’t get it done but Christmas Future does just like that. It a problem that Moffat’s adaptation here suffers from. Michael Gambon’s character is all over the place emotionally, he doesn’t appear to grow or change over the course of the story but simply blub or not depending on whether the writer told him to. Still, there are compensations. Matt Smith’s Doctor is still a hoot, an effervescent whirlwind of hair and fashion advice, the flying fish are cool and the climax works emotionally. Classified PG by BBFC. Parental Guidance. Links Previous episode: The Pandorica Opens / The Big Bang Doctor Who Screened by Slimm Next episode: The Impossible Astronaut / Day of the Moon

Auto Modellista (2002, Cel-Shaded Racer, PS2) – 6/10 game review

Cast / crew

Auto Modellista (2002) 6/10 When it’s not being super-easy, this arcade-style racer offers eye-catching graphics, skilful presentation, extensive and gratifying customization. Though the racing is quite thrilling due to the smooth speed of the game, this is also the area it falls down in. The AI is simplistic and the handling characteristics uninvolving. Best thing about the game is being able to put trophies you win exactly where you like in your garage. Classified 3+ by PEGI. The game is only suitable for persons who have reached the age of 3 or over. Links www.capcom.com/am/

Halo: Reach (2010, Science Fiction Shooter) – 8/10 game review

Cast / crew Creative Director: Marcus Lehto

Halo: Reach (2010) Mankind’s worst enemy, the Covenant, have set their sights on planet Reach. As part of Noble team, you meet them head-on but it quickly becomes clear that this will become a race to a valuable piece of tech that may hold the key to avoiding humanity’s extinction. 8/10 Halo: Reach is unquestionably the best Halo game since the first one, Halo: Combat Evolved. The core shooting experience is very good and there’s an agreeably somber tone (culminating in an unusual final level where you SPOILER play to your unavoidable death as humanity’s final resistance on planet Reach). There’s a big jump in graphical finery this time with no technical shortcomings to point out and a space combat mission proves a nice change of pace. Halo’s most impressive feature remains opponent AI who are quirky, fun and devious with harder difficulty levels utilising clearly more advanced tactics. Though it’s frequently unclear where you supposed to be going and what you’re supposed to be doing, the levels are interesting and fun to play in with all the toys and vehicles and weapons that Bungie give you. This game contains mild swear words and violence. Classified 16+ by PEGI. The game is only suitable for persons who have reached the age of 16 or over.. Classified Violence by PEGI. Game contains depictions of violence.

Halo 3: ODST (2009, Science Fiction Shooter) – 6/10 game review

Halo 3 Halo 3: ODST (2009) 6/10 A catalogue of poor design decisions including a baffling colour scheme that makes the night-time levels impossible to play in without the special vision mode and disguises doors as walls and has finicky, or buggy if you’re being less charitable, co-op achievements including one (Audiophile) which you’ll probably have spent an hour or two on before you discover you can’t get it in co-op Replay Mission mode. The graphics are also pretty poor technically with a tiny draw distance that makes the vehicle levels an exercise in frustration (you keep smashing into objects that materialise right in front of you). The shooting action itself is, as before, superb, but the game is continually sucking the joy and fun out of the experience, even, perhaps especially, in co-op. Hugely disappointing. Links Unskippable

T.J. Hooker 3.22 Deadlock (1984, Police Action Drama) – 8/10 TV review

Cast / crew William Shatner: T.J. Hooker Adrian Zmed: Officer Vince Romano Heather Locklear: Officer Stacy Sheridan James Darren: Jim Corrigan Writer (Series’ Creator): Rick Husky Dennis Lipscomb: Rawlins Mike Gomez: Gomez Clarence Williams III: Martin Richard Herd: Captain Dennis Sheridan Supervising Producer: Rick Husky Producer: Jeffrey Hayes Writer: Bruce Shelly Writer: David Ketchum Director: Sigmund Neufeld, Jr. Executive Producer: Aaron Spelling Executive Producer: Leonard Goldberg

T.J. Hooker 3.22 Deadlock (1984) Hooker and Romano get trapped in a department store by a gang of ruthless robbers and their situation goes from bad to worse when Romano is badly injured and Hooker gets trapped in an elevator with the ringleader. 8/10 No car chases and just a single location but this is one of the best episodes as Hooker and Romano get trapped by three ruthless robbers in a department store. Hooker gets through another squad car which is, hilariously, SPOILER pinched by a couple of young vandals. The episode generates an impressive level of peril as Romano looks to be in serious trouble though Hooker does reassure the audience by calling the lead robber maggot. Hooker also gets trapped in an elevator with him and an empty gun and there’s no cheating to resolve things. Hooker hilariously (deliberately so) SPOILER fakes a nerve gas attack while SPOILER Richard Herd randomly turns up and blows one of the other robbers away. A classic. This T.J. Hooker episode contains violence, gory and unpleasant scenes. Links Previous episode: Gang War

The Town (2010, One Last Job Heist Romance) – 7/10 movie review

Cast / crew Director: Ben Affleck Writer (Screenplay): Peter Craig Writer (Screenplay): Ben Affleck Writer (Screenplay): Aaron Stockard Producer: Graham King Producer: Basil Iwanyk Writer (Original Novel) “Prince of Thieves”: Chuck Hogan Ben Affleck: Doug MacRay Rebecca Hall: Claire Keesey Jon Hamm: FBI S.A. Adam Frawley Jeremy Renner: James Coughlin Blake Lively: Krista Coughlin Titus Welliver: Dino Clampa Slaine: Albert “Gloansy” Magloan Pete Postlethwaite: Fergus “Fergie” Colm Chris Cooper: Stephen MacKay

Town, The (2010) Charlestown, Boston, is an area where armed robbery is the local trade. Doug MacRay and his crew briefly take a hostage during their latest bank robbery. After they release her, they discover she lives in Charlestown and they take steps to work out whether she can identify them or not. 7/10 Another quality movie from Ben Affleck but, though he’s paced it beautifully, the lengthy running time for such a simple story and familiar characters (this is a one-last-job heist movie) feels, in retrospect, indulgent. Lots of good work here, though. There’s a particularly great moment where our heavily armed crims spill out of their getaway vehicle right in front of an astonished cop who SPOILER turns away and ignores them in hope of not getting shot. Surprisingly, Affleck is positioning himself as a successor to Clint Eastwood as an actor-director with an eye for character, a delicate sense of pacing, a traditional (i.e., comprehensible) editing style and the ability to bring out the best in actors. Though with lots of extra swearing. This movie contains sexual swear words, strong adult dialogue and substance abuse and strong violence, graphic violence and nudity, sex scenes. Classified 15 by BBFC. Suitable only for persons of 15 years and over.

Xbox 360 vs PS3 Head-to-Head Face Off: Round 28

Every so often, Eurogamer run a series of technical comparison reviews for games released on both Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3.

This is the latest update to the full list.

• James Bond 007: Blood Stone
• Nail’d
• Splatterhouse
• Star Wars: The Force Unleashed II
• Tron: Evolution

T.J. Hooker 1.01 The Protectors (1982, Police Action Drama) – 5/10 TV review

Cast / crew William Shatner: T.J. Hooker Richard Lawson: McNeil Adrian Zmed: Vince Romano Brian Patrick Clarke: Canfield John Gladstein: Granger Kelly Harmon: Jo McDonnell: Deborah Shelton: Lacy Canfield Supervising Producer: Rick Husky Producer: Jeffrey Hayes Writer: Rick Husky Director: Cliff Bole Executive Producer: Aaron Spelling Executive Producer: Leonard Goldberg

T.J. Hooker 1.01 Protectors, The (1982) Demoted to sergeant after his partner was killed, policeman T.J. Hooker is assigned to run a scheme training new recruits as quickly as possible and getting them into on the job training. 5/10 Surprisingly subdued pilot movie (it’s clearly aiming to be more gritty than the show turned out) but one wishes that there was more of The Shat being a hero in it. His Dirty Harry stuff at the burger stand and a hilarious finger-wagging in his opening speech is all we get but at least we would have several series of a classic cop show to make up for it. This T.J. Hooker episode contains violence, unpleasant scenes. Classified 12 by BBFC. Suitable only for persons of 12 years and over. Links Next episode: The Streets

Galleon (2004, Broken Action Adventure, Xbox) – 6/10 game review

Cast / crew Game Designer: Toby Gard

Galleon (2004) Awesome, dashing, charming, heroic sea captain Rhama Sabrier is hired to find a mystical ship but, when he does, a traitorous servant usurps and murders his Master and threatens to, um, well his eyes turn red and he gets incredible powers and that can’t be good. And he’s got an evil beard. So Rhama’s gonna stop him. Hurrah! 6/10 This is a review of a game I have not completed but it’s not really my fault, it’s down to a bug. Literally, there’s a fire-bug late on in the game I need to pick up and hero Rhama simply won’t do it. It is the epitome of the problem with the game: the camera and controls designers hated each other and never ever spoke to the level designers. This is a great game broken by controls that are fiddly, confounding (hehe) and disorienting at best and a camera that insists on looking at everywhere except where you want. It’s such a huge shame as everything else is great. The puzzles and characters are fun and satisfying; the game is spectacular and unusual; Rhama’s splendidly cool and can do loads of stuff. There’s nice sense of humour and nonchalant awesomeness. Rerelease it with God of War controls and it would be an easy eight or nine out of ten. This game contains violence and sensuality.

Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell (2002, Stealth Espionage Action, Windows) – 9/10 game review

Cast / crew Senior Producer: Mathieu Ferland Senior Producer: Reid Schneider Original Creator: François Coulon Writer: J.T. Petty Lead Game Designer: Nathan Wolff Creative Director: François Coulon Michael Ironside: Sam Fisher

Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell (2002) 9/10 Occasionally obscure level design never undermines the total super-awesomeness that is Sam Fisher, the player. Splinter Cell consistently makes you feel like an amazing super-covert super-operative while still allowing you to be very vulnerable to bullets (unlike most games). Bullets hurt. On Normal, getting into a firefight is a to-be-avoided, near-death adrenalin bath. When you survive, it is always genuinely amazing and intoxicating. Usually, the action is far more considered and, remarkably, a similar level of satisfaction is obtained by successfully achieving your objectives without exposing yourself to the frequently game-ending danger of a gunfight. This is a complete classic. This game contains none in game, sexual swear words in closing song (!) and melee and gun violence. Classified 12+ by PEGI. The game is only suitable for persons who have reached the age of 12 or over. Classified Bad Language by PEGI. Game contains bad language. Classified Violence by PEGI. Game contains depictions of violence.

The Agony and the Ecstasy (1965, Michelangelo Biopic) – 9 /10 movie review

Cast / crew Charlton Heston: Michelangelo Rex Harrison: Pope Julius II Producer: Carol Reed Director: Carol Reed Writer (Original Novel): Irving Stone Diane Cilento: Contessina de’Medici Tomas Milian: Raphael Writer (Screen Story and Screenplay: Philip Dunne

Agony and the Ecstasy, Irving Stone’s The (1965) Pope Julius II commissions Michelangelo to paint frescos of the twelve apostles along the roof line of the Sistine Chapel but the artist has trouble combating the ordinariness of it all. Seeking inspiration he destroys his already-started work and leaves. When he returns, he embarks on one of the greatest works of art of all time, no matter the cost. 9/10 This is a terrific movie which offers what feels like a real insight into the remarkable work of Michelangelo and specifically the creation of his masterpiece The Ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. It contains an all-time classic cinematic scene (the inspiration in the clouds) and a great dialogue scene (discussing the Creation of Adam on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel) but is consistently interesting, entertaining and illuminating. Heston’s Michelangelo is good but Rex Harrison’s Pope Julius II is awesome. Harrison has a strange ability to make whatever character he played seemed completely spontaneous as if he were just speaking naturally. This is despite his crisp, unwavering English accent, seemingly unemotional performances, and frequently challenging period or statesman dialogue. This movie contains mild adult dialogue and mild unpleasant war scenes and nudity in paintings and sculptures. Classified U by BBFC. Universal: Suitable for All.

The Last King of Scotland (2006, Semi-Fictional Biopic) – 8/10 movie review

Cast / crew Forest Whitaker: Idi Amin James McAvoy: Nicholas Garrigan Kerry Washington: Kay Amin Simon McBurney: Stone David Oyelowo: Dr. Junju Gillian Anderson: Sarah Merrit Director: Kevin MacDonald Writer: Peter Morgan Writer: Jeremy Brock Writer (Original Book): Giles Foden Producer: Andrea Calderwood Producer: Lisa Bryer Producer: Charles Steel

Last King of Scotland, The (2006) 1970: ambitious newly graduated doctor Nicholas Garrigan travels to Uganda for some excitement and fun and gets more than he bargained for when he becomes private physician to Ugandan President Idi Amin. 8/10 This is almost as good as this kind of movie gets but it doesn’t offer any illumination. However, seeing as James McAvoy’s character behaves in a typically human manner by acting selfishly and gladly going along with whatever is happening and turning a blind eye to salve his conscience, I suppose not much illumination is needed. Director Kevin MacDonald’s grip on the film is exemplary. We are interested and invested from the beginning and once Forest Whitaker’s mammoth Idi Amin supernovas onto the screen about twenty minutes in, there’s no going back. The depth of audience investment becomes clear during the climax where SPOILER two extremely grisly scenes (just the right side of gratuitous) become so much more powerful and cannot be blithely ignored. This movie contains sexual swear words, adult dialogue and extremely grisly scenes and sex scenes, nudity. Classified 15 by BBFC. Suitable only for persons of 15 years and over.

T.J. Hooker 3.20 Psychic Terror (1984, Police Action Drama) – 5/10 TV review

Cast / crew William Shatner: T.J. Hooker Adrian Zmed: Officer Vince Romano Heather Locklear: Officer Stacy Sheridan James Darren: Jim Corrigan Writer (Series’ Creator): Rick Husky Marcy Lafferty: Julia Hudson Paul Kent: Lt. Barton Bruce Glover: Tony Aresco Buck Taylor: Sam Rand Supervising Producer: Rick Husky Producer: Jeffrey Hayes Writer: William Kelley Director: Kenneth R. Koch Executive Producer: Aaron Spelling Executive Producer: Leonard Goldberg

T.J. Hooker 3.20 Psychic Terror (1984) When a psychic is brought in to help with a child kidnapping, Hooker is rather more than sceptical despite her previous successes. She requests his assistance but doesn’t tell him why: she has foreseen his death… 5/10 Hooker spectacularly gets through another squad car which is always fun and, despite a psychic consultant storyline which is unconvincing at best, this is a solid episode which zips through the running time. Shatner’s wife Marcy Lafferty is the psychic in her second of four guest starring appearances on the show (as different characters). The climax borrows the telephone-to-telephone sequence from Dirty Harry. This T.J. Hooker episode contains gun violence. Links Previous episode: Death Strip Next episode: Gang War

Public Enemies (2009, Period Crime Drama) – 5/10 movie review

Cast / crew Director: Michael Mann Writer (Screenplay): Ronan Bennett Writer (Screenplay): Michael Mann Writer (Screenplay): Ann Biderman Producer: Kevin Misner Producer: Michael Mann Writer (Original Book): Bryan Burrough Johnny Depp: John Dillinger Christian Bale: Melvin Purvis Marion Cotillard: Billie Frechette Jason Clarke: "Red" Hamilton Rory Cochrane: Agent Carter Baum Billy Crudup: J. Edgar Hoover Stephen Dorff: Homer Van Meter Stephen Lang: Agent Charles Winstead John Ortiz: Phil D’Andrea Giovanni Ribisi: Alvin Karpis David Wenham: Walter Dietrich

Public Enemies (2009) Shortly after getting released from prison for armed robbery, John Dillinger busts a crew of inmates out and goes on a bank robbing spree. He earns himself the position of Public Enemy No. 1 and J. Edgar Hoover, attempting to get a cross-jurisdictional law enforcement agency off the ground, assigns his best man, Melvin Purvis, to the job. 5/10 While not exactly a bad film, this is not an interesting film. The reason we’re clearly supposed to follow the exploits of John Dillinger is because of his charm which causes his girl to fall in love with him. That charm is not contained in Dillinger’s word or actions. And, sadly, Marion Cotillard’s Billie Flechette looks completely disinterested in Johnny Depp’s John Dillinger. Without that chemistry, that core that is supposed to resonate with the audience, the film relies on well executed but straight-forward action sequences that can’t really support it. Instead of following an against-all-odds love story we follow a ten little robbers-shoot-all-the-lawmen-sent-to-catch-them story with Dillinger the final little robber to get knocked off. There are some distracting technical decisions as well; the over-wobbly hand-held close-up camera work feels out of place and, well, over wobbly while some of the film looks jarringly like it was shot on a camcorder. In no way is this a 1930′s Heat. Disappointing. This movie contains a couple of sexual swear words and graphic and gory gun violence, unpleasant and very gory scenes and sexuality. Classified 15 by BBFC. Suitable only for persons of 15 years and over.

Armored (2009, Heist Thriller) – 7/10 movie review

Cast / crew Director: Nimrod Antal Writer: James V. Simpson Producer: Joshua Donen Producer: Dan Farah Matt Dillon: Mike Cochrane Jean Reno: Quinn Laurence Fishburne: Baines Amaury Nolasco: Palmer Fred Ward: Duncan Ashcroft Milo Ventimiglia: Eckehart Skeet Ulrich: Dobbs Columbus Short: Ty Hackett

Armored (2009) Under financial and familial pressure armoured truck guard Ty Hackett joins in with his friends to steal $42 million they are transporting but something goes wrong. 7/10 Sometimes the simplest plan is the best. This heist thriller might disappoint some by not having the typical convoluted wheels-within-wheels ‘unexpected’ double-cross-at-the-end heist plan but it’s tight focus and tidy direction means that it is exactly the kind of guy movie Hollywood should be producing outside of the massive budget blockbusters. This movie contains a single sexual swear word, mild swear words and gory and unpleasant scenes, violence. Classified 15 by BBFC. Suitable only for persons of 15 years and over.

How to Train Your Dragon (2010, Fantasy Buddy-Buddy Adventure) – 7/10 movie review

Cast / crew Director: Chris Sanders Director: Dean DeBlois Producer: Bonnie Arnold Executive Producer: Tim Johnson Writer (Screenplay): Dean DeBlois Writer (Screenplay): Chris Sanders Writer (Original Book): Cressida Cowell Jay Baruchel: Hiccup Gerard Butler: Stoick Craig Ferguson: Gobber America Ferrera: Astrid Jonah Hill: Snotlout Christopher Mintz-Plasse: Fishlegs Head Of Character Animation: Simon Otto Head of Story: Alessandro Carloni Head Of Layout: Gil Zimmerman Supervising Animator Hiccup: Jakob Hjort Jensen Supervising Animator Hiccup: David Torres Supervising Animator Toothless: Gabe Hordos Supervising Animator Toothless: Cassidy Curtis Supervising Animator Astrid: Steven "Shaggy" Hornby Supervising Animator Stoick: Kristof Serrand Supervising Animator Gobber: Fabio Lignini

How to Train Your Dragon (2010) Hiccup is a scrawny but brainy viking who doesn’t fit in (stop me if you’ve heard this befor 7/10 This is a movie starring a dragon and it’s not only not awful, it’s rather good. Additionally, this is a movie starring (Scottish!) Vikings and it’s not only not awful, it’s rather good. While the story is probably broken there is enough charm, fun and entertainment to cover it. Lilo & Stitch directors Chris Sanders and Dean DeBlois successfully use similar character designs for their unusual-looking dragons (and they also look like Monsters Inc.’s Randall Boggs) while the animators take sterling voice work from Jay Baruschel and Gerard Butler and embody them in the best character animation Dreamworks has ever done. Not certain why Hiccup needed to SPOILER lose his leg at the end but it’s genuinely refreshing to see a Dreamworks animation not stuffed with sexual jokes and cross-species breeding (or bestiality as it’s known in the human world) and this is their best film since Shrek 2 in 2004. This movie contains violence. Classified PG by BBFC. Parental Guidance.

Chuck Season 3 (2010, Espionage Action Comedy) – 2/10 TV review

Cast / crew Zachary Levi: Chuck Bartowski Yvonne Strahovski: Sarah Walker Joshua Gomez: Morgan Grimes Ryan McPartlin: Captain Awesome Mark Christopher Lawrence: Big Mike Scott Krinsky: Jeff Vik Sahay: Lester Sarah Lancaster: Ellie Bartowski Adam Baldwin: Major John Casey Creator: Josh Schwartz Creator: Chris Fedak Producer: Paul Marks Executive Producer: Chris Fedak Executive Producer: Josh Schwartz

Chuck Season 3 With the Intersect 2.0 inside him Chuck is all set to become a super secret agent. Or is that secret super agent? If he can stop whining, that is. 2/10 Firstly, this is a season review based on the first four episodes but that is because they are so broken that they have put me off watching any more. Now Chuck has always featured a broken premise, broken plots and a lot of unconvincing peril but, until now, it’s always had an endearing goofy romantic charm. That’s gone. Chuck whines endlessly for the first four episodes and fluctuates between considered professional (he has been doing this for three years now) and reckless amateur. The writers have attempted to reset everything in the undercover plot and the Buy More plots (by shooting Tony Hale’s Emmett Milbarge in the eye; I didn’t like him but I certainly didn’t want to see that) and they failed to convince the audience to go with them. I’ll take a look at Season 4 to see if the endearing nature of the first two seasons has returned. (It does. Yay!) Chuck contains mild swear words, adult dialogue and strong melee violence, very unpleasant and gory scenes, graphic gun violence and sexuality. Classified 15 by BBFC. Suitable only for persons of 15 years and over. Links Previous: Chuck Season 2

Chuck Season 2 (2008, Espionage Action Comedy) – 6/10 TV review

Cast / crew Zachary Levi: Chuck Bartowski Yvonne Strahovski: Sarah Walker Joshua Gomez: Morgan Grimes Ryan McPartlin: Captain Awesome Mark Christopher Lawrence: Big Mike Scott Krinsky: Jeff Vik Sahay: Lester Julia Ling: Anna Sarah Lancaster: Ellie Bartowski Adam Baldwin: Major John Casey Creator: Josh Schwartz Creator: Chris Fedak Scott Bakula: Steve Bartowski Morgan Fairchild: Honey Bonita Friedericy: General Beckman Tony Hale: Emmett Milbarge Bruce Boxleitner: Woody Chevy Chase: Ted Roark Matthew Bomer: Bryce Larkin Producer: Lisa Cochran-Neilan Producer: Corey Nickerson Producer: Paul Marks Executive Producer: Chris Fedak Executive Producer: Josh Schwartz

Chuck Season 2 The CIA are finalising a new Intersect after which Chuck won’t be needed anymore. Won’t be needed alive, that is. 6/10 Chuck is a show that is getting by on charm. The dialogue is fine, the actors are terrific, but the plotting is endlessly awful. That said, the writers have done really well this season in maintaining interest in all the ancillary characters with every episode containing some kind of fun distraction at the Buy More. The full twenty-two episode length has made the already transparent formula verge on irritating as family, old girlfriends and old school rivals are unconvincingly dragged into the plots and Chuck whines and endangers almost every mission before saving the day that probably didn’t need to be saved before he blundered in. But, as I said before, the charm and fun is there and we are always suckers for a forbidden / doomed romance, especially when it’s portrayed so wonderfully by Zachary Levi and, particularly (because she has less dialogue and screen-time to work with), Yvonne Strahovski. Chuck contains mild swear words, adult dialogue and strong melee violence, very unpleasant and gory scenes, graphic gun violence and sexuality. Classified 15 by BBFC. Suitable only for persons of 15 years and over. Links Previous: Chuck Season 1 Next: Chuck Season 3

T.J. Hooker 3.19 Death Strip (1984, Police Action Drama) – 4/10 TV review

Cast / crew William Shatner: T.J. Hooker Adrian Zmed: Officer Vince Romano Heather Locklear: Officer Stacy Sheridan James Darren: Jim Corrigan Writer (Series’ Creator): Rick Husky Thom Christopher: Paul Gavin Nicholas Campbell: Toby Clark Thalmus Rasulala: Lt. Craig Arkin Joey Aresco: Sid Beamer Sam Anderson: Leo Santee Supervising Producer: Rick Husky Producer: Jeffrey Hayes Writer: Patrick Mathews Director: Sigmund Neufeld, Jr. Executive Producer: Aaron Spelling Executive Producer: Leonard Goldberg

T.J. Hooker 3.19 Death Strip (1984) As yet another narcotics bust goes wrong, this time with an informant getting killed, Hooker and his "brass band" go after the murderer, a man who wants to become a major player in drug trafficking and will stop at nothing. 4/10 Below par Hooker which reaches its lowest point when a stuntperson’s brown wig falls off during a stunt to expose long, flowing blond locks! Romano also gets in on the random skill reveal when, aside from being a stripper (which he does great until his trousers come off), he starts talking in sign language. Not be outdone, of course, Hooker starts talking in sign language later as well. Links Previous episode: Death on the Line Next episode: Psychic Terror

T.J. Hooker 3.18 Death on the Line (1984, Police Action Drama) – 6/10 TV review

Cast / crew William Shatner: T.J. Hooker Adrian Zmed: Officer Vince Romano Heather Locklear: Officer Stacy Sheridan James Darren: Jim Corrigan Writer (Series’ Creator): Rick Husky Kimberly Beck: Linda Stevens Lynne Moody: Dr. Pamela Carter John Dennis Johnston: Cliff Tanner Jonathan Perpich: Dan Stevens James Whitmore, Jr.: Frank Bryce Richard Herd: Captain Dennis Sheridan Supervising Producer: Rick Husky Producer: Jeffrey Hayes Writer: Jack V. Fogarty Director: Cliff Bole Executive Producer: Aaron Spelling Executive Producer: Leonard Goldberg

T.J. Hooker 3.18 Death on the Line (1984) When a robber and a rapist team up, it confuses the trail left for Hooker and co. but he soon sniffs the truth. 6/10 Solid episode which handles the serious topic of rape with due seriousness and balance but it’s all a little bit flat. This is probably due to the almost complete lack of pumping music during the action sequences. It also comes as something of a surprise when they don’t get Stacy into her underwear to pose as bait for the rapist. The final chase is well done, though, with the rapist running out of bullets correctly, then punching Hooker after being tackled (the traditional end of the chase). Hooker doesn’t seem too perturbed by this uncommon event, however, and throws him over the side of a pier into the sea and nearly bursts out laughing. Links Previous episode: Hot Property Next episode: Death Strip

Ratchet & Clank: A Crack in Time (2009, Temporal Puzzle Action Adventure Platformer) – 10/10 game review

Cast / crew

Ratchet & Clank: Crack in Time, A (2009) 10/10 This is Insomniac’s masterpiece. It’s very funny, paced brilliantly and boasts intrigue and action aplenty. The real stars are Clank’s temporal puzzles which are all brilliant and whose real genius lies in how well the concept is communicated. Each one is superb, fun and challenging but boasting a perfect balance between logic and platforming. They never feel impossible and are tremendously satisfying to solve. Ratchet’s sections are also terrific. Naturally, he has a pile of wonderful, wonderful toys to play with but thanks to fun enemies with different abilities, all the action, even arena and space battles, are surprisingly thrilling, challenging and tremendous fun. It’s never just beating endless baddies the same way. The (optional) disappearing platforms puzzles are a bit irritating and there is a slightly baffling climax to the story but it doesn’t matter a jot to one of the most fun, satsifying and greatest games ever released. This game contains mild fantasy bad language and extended mild fantasy violence. Classified U by BBFC. Universal: Suitable for All.

T.J. Hooker 3.17 Hot Property (1984, Police Action Drama) – 6/10 TV review

Cast / crew William Shatner: T.J. Hooker Adrian Zmed: Officer Vince Romano Heather Locklear: Officer Stacy Sheridan James Darren: Jim Corrigan Writer (Series’ Creator): Rick Husky Ray Wise: Harrison MacKenzie Jason Evers: Anne Lockhart: Ed Bernard: Lieutenant Tom Reed Supervising Producer: Rick Husky Producer: Jeffrey Hayes Writer: Chester Krumholz Director: Ric Rondell

T.J. Hooker 3.17 Hot Property (1984) When a policeman is discovered dead at a drug bust, it seems that he may have been on the take but the supplier is successfully deflecting the efforts of honest cops to nail him (including getting Stacy suspended). Meanwhile, an ex-fiancee of Stacy’s returns to her life and this is not a coincidence. 6/10 Fun, though Hooker hilariously breaks the case by identifying a spent match! There’s a generous amount of good well-filmed stunt work and there are probably more bullets fired in this episode than the rest of the season put together. There’s even a bullet fired by Stacy. Just the one, mind you, despite her using an assault rifle. She also gets an expanded role without having to take her clothes off! Best stunt is probably two dudes jumping out of the way of a speeding car (it looks really close and the double personnel makes it extra dangerous) and most fun stunts are the climax when Hooker throws the baddie through what seems to be every wall in a warehouse ending up in a elevator shaft (Hooker: "Alright maggot, let’s go. We’re on the wrong floor."). This T.J. Hooker episode contains violence. Links Previous episode: Hooker’s Run Next Episode: Death on the Line

Alice in Wonderland (2010, Dull Tim Burton Fantasy Adventure) – 3/10 movie review

Cast / crew Director: Tim Burton Writer (Screenplay): Linda Woolverton Writer (Original Novels) “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland” and “Through the Looking Glass”: Lewis Carroll Producer: Richard D. Zanuck Producer: Suzanne Todd Producer: Jennifer Todd Producer: Joe Roth Johnny Depp: Mad Hatter Anne Hathaway: White Queen Helena Bonham Carter: Red Queen Crispin Glover: Stayne – Knave of Hearts Mia Wasikowskia: Alice Alan Rickman: Blue Caterpillar Stephen Fry: Cheshire Cat Michael Sheen: White Rabbit Timothy Spall: Bayard Barbara Windsor: Dormouse

Alice in Wonderland (2010) Fleeing from a surprise and not exactly wanted wedding proposal, Alice falls down a hole into Underland, a fantastical place she presumes is one of her strange dreams. 3/10 Unengaging fantasy adventure with largely unappealing design (Anne Hathaway’s White Queen and Johnny Depp’s Mad Hatter especially). The dragon at the end is cool and Helena Bonham Carter’s Red Queen is a genuine highlight and an all-time great movie character. Everything and everyone else is dull and unconvincing. Mia Wasikowskia is bland and is saddled with a depressingly unconvincing modern-woman-before-her-time character. The decision to make the Mad Hatter some kind of swashbuckling hero is especially ridiculous and presumably only done to capitalise on Depp’s Pirates of the Caribbean image. Half of Depp’s dialogue disappears into a impenetrable surprise Scottish accent, the other half makes little sense anyway, then he becomes a swordmaster. This is a disappointing dull disaster. This movie contains violence, some graphic violence. Classified PG by BBFC. Parental Guidance.