Our review of the third 50th Anniversary eBook is here.
BBC Books have certainly made a strong decision in bringing these Doctor Who 50th Anniversary eBooks to our digital devices each month- Eoin Colfer gave us a whimsical First Doctor in A Big Hand For The Doctor (4/5) and Michael Scott's rendition of the Second Doctor was great too in The Nameless City (3/5). Nevertheless, this reviewer reckons the range's finest outing yet is its March Third Doctor release, The Spear Of Destiny from the mind of Marcus Sedgewick.
Sedgwick's passion for Jon Pertwee's incarnation of the Time Lord becomes apparent from the moment the reader 'opens' the book, with the Third Doctor's dialogue and witty raporrt with Jo Grant instantly matching that of the 1970s era of the show. Moreso than that, though, whereas past instalments in the range have sacrificed strong narratives for accurate character depictions, there's a brilliant storyline here that well represents elements of that time for show including UNIT, the Doctor's exile on Earth, the Master and more.
It's safe to say that there seems to be no ongoing 'arc' in the vein of AudioGo's Destiny Of The Doctor audio dramas for fans to follow, yet that really doesn't seem to matter. Although the simplistic historical sections involving the Vikings are rather stereotypical, they don't intrude on the quality of the piece at all. Doctor Who: The Spear Of Destiny is a lighthearted little read for fans of the classic era of the show that earns its place as a brilliant 50th Anniversary novelised instalment. 4.5/5
His Master's Voice is back thanks to a positive turn of events!
HMV Plc have today announced that the company has been bought by the Hilco corporation and that all remaining open stores from after the chain entered administration will now stay on the high street. This is great news for entertainment fans indeed, what with most chains that enter administration nowadays usually facing a company-wide shutdown. Better yet, analysts have revealed that this saves over 2,500 jobs that would otherwise have been thrown into jeaporady. We'll keep you posted on all the latest developments for high street entertainment stores- but most of all, welcome back HMV!
The BBC seems to confirm whether Chris will be back as the Ninth Doctor in the 50th Anniversary Special.
The BBC have today seemingly revealed that Christopher Eccleston will not return as the Ninth Doctor in the Doctor Who 50th Anniversary Special. This news comes via Digital Spy, whose alleged official source from BBC PR had this to say on the matter: "Chris met with Steven Moffat a couple of times to talk about his plans for the Doctor Who 50th Anniversary episode. After careful thought, Chris decided not to be in the episode. He wishes the team all the best."
The decision on Chris' part seems fairly definitive, and likely comes as a mixed result of both his arguments with the 2005 production team that prompted him to leave the show after just a year and indeed his commitments to upcoming projects such as Thor: The Dark World in 2013. It will no doubt be considered a shame by many fans, as Chris was the man who brought the role of the Doctor back to our screens, but with Billie Piper (the first companion of the revived run) and David Tennant on board, and plenty of footage cameos from past Doctors possible (perhaps that's what Matt's teasing of 'paintings' referred to?), it will nevertheless be a night to remember.
Doctor Who continues every Saturday on BBC1 and the 50th Anniversary Special will air as part of a whole host of anniversary celebrations on November 23rd.
Chloe Grace Moretz returns in one of the hottest horrors of 2013...
If it hadn't become immediately apparent these past few years, teen star Chloe Grace Moretz is one of the hottest female film 'properties' out there these days. Between Kick-Ass, Let Me In, Hugo, Movie 43 and Kick-Ass 2 in 2010-2013, there's been virtually no limit to the extent of Moretz's influence on the industry. Now, she'll appear in the horror remake of Stephen King's classic Carrie, and we've got the first full trailer for the movie below. Carrie tears its way into cinemas worldwide on October 18th.
Our verdict on the visually stunning science-fiction trilogy finale...
In 2011, CryTek proved that there was still plenty of life in their favourite franchise with the release of the solid Crysis 2 (8/10), although there was room for improvement in pace and difficulty. Two years on, then, what have the developers learned to show? It turns out, not all that much- while Crysis 3 is another decent outing in the series, it feels more like Crysis 2.5 than anything else.
Firstly, a positive attribute that seems inextricably tied to the Crysis franchise as a whole. The visual fidelity of the game engine at the end of current generation of consoles is undoubtedly very impressive, hinting at the kind of beautiful and realistic location and character models that the next-generation can provide us with. If this is but a taste of what's to come, then we're in for something very special later this year!
The equal shortcoming caused by this strength? There's an awkward sense that CryTek once again put so much effort into pushing the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 to their limits that in doing so they forgot about creating intelligent AI or a consistent difficulty level. Rather than providing regular challenges for the player, the developer simply has created a range of Point A-to-Point B quests for the protagonist Prophet with the odd difficulty spike in a boss battle or QTE sequence. It means that all in all, Crysis 3's main campaign mode amounts to just 3-4 hours for the fast player, which is simply atrocious for a fully priced retail product.
On another level, though, it just feels as if barely anything has actually changed from the past instalment. The FPS gameplay confrontations against Cell soldiers and the alien Seph forces play out much the same as you'd expect if you've played any other Crysis game, lacking any real innovation, and when a brave new setpiece does come along, it's normally ridden with an unusual difficulty spike that's virtually guaranteed to ruin any potential enjoyment. Again, it's a shame, as CryTek really had a chance here to push every element of their engine to next-generation standards ahead of the game.
Instead, in this third entry what we've been left with is a stunning visual engine that hides well its invisible walls and limitations, and takes precedence over any real gameplay or narrative innovations. Crysis 3 has its moments, but neither its campaign nor online modes exceed expectations (or to some extent even match them) enough to warrant a full £40 purchase. In this day and age, gamers have a right to expect more bang for their buck when it comes to a genre where the likes of BioShock Infinite can still innovate magnificently, and on that basis alone Crysis 3 probably only merits a rental from fans of the franchise. 6/10
Our recommended watches for the months ahead...
Make no mistake, the Summer Of Film 2013 is as always a season for the box office that's jam-packed with hot releases that will cater for all audiences. That being said, it's always reassuring to be able to know exactly which movies are most worth your time when there's money required for entry into each and every one of these motion picture presentations, and that's why I'm here. We've sorted the cream from the crop, the creme de la creme of the box office offerings coming our way between April and August. It's a busy period for sure, but at least you'll have a foundation point of where to start with your hard-earned cash. Without further ado, then, here's our guide to the Top 5 Most Anticipated Summer Of Film Entries (of 2013)... 5. THE WORLD'S END- Haven't heard of this one? Well, be prepared, because the final movie in Simon Pegg and Nick Frost's esteemed 'Cornetto' trilogy, The World's End, is already set to take the UK by storm in four months' time. Featuring Martin Freeman, Ralph Spall and plenty of other cult Brit actors in a romp across England to stop the apocalypse, there's bound to be laughs by the dozen here! We'll post the first trailer as soon as we get it! (August 14th) 4. IRON MAN 3- You'd have to have been living under a rock to miss Iron Man 3, yet there's real potential here for something very special to emerge later this month. Tony Stark will be taken back to the metaphorical cave where all of his adventures began, forced to use his wits and intelligence in order to repent for his darkest mistake and save the ones he loves- before it's too late...(April 25th)
3. STAR TREK INTO DARKNESS- Another virtually unmissable outing in the film industry these days, with posters and trailers flagged up left, right and centre across the world. Nevertheless, Star Trek Into Darkness could well be one of the surprise hits of 2013 come next month, focusing on the crew of the Enterprise as they return to Earth and find its greatest threat (played by Benedict Cumberbatch himself) awaiting them, and sacrifices must be made to stop him. (May 9th)
2. THE GREAT GATSBY- If you've been reading today's blog posts, then you'll know that Warner Bros have just provided us with an incredible new trailer for this Jazz Era adaptation. Bazz Luhrman's stunning direction, the wealth of strong actorial performances and of course Fitzgerald's classic 1920s storyline all make The Great Gatsby a must-see for any self-respecting film fan next month! (May 16th)
1. KICK-ASS 2- The film that's topped the list, though, must be your Number 1 priority for the Summer Of Film 2013. We allotted Kick-Ass the title of one of the best films of 2010 (it oh-so-narrowly lost out to Toy Story 3 in the end), but there's a strong chance that its sequel Kick-Ass 2 could scoop up the honours of Film Of The Year 2013 without question. Check out the trailer below to remind yourselves just how thrilling it will be...(July 19th)
SPECIAL MENTIONS: You'll also want to keep your eye out for Fast & Furious 6, The Hangover Part III, Much Ado About Nothing, Man Of Steel, This Is The End, Monsters University, Despicable Me 2, Grown Ups 2, The Wolverine and Percy Jackson: Sea Of Monsters too, all of which are looking mightily hot and only just missed out on a spot on this shortlist.
One of the best film trailers of 2013 is right here!
If there's one true contender for Film Of The Year 2013 that looks different to just about every other rival in the competition, it's undoubtedly The Great Gatsby, something showcased by today's reveal of an incredible new trailer. Set in the Jazz Age of 1920s America, this visionary adaptation of F. Scott Fitzgerald's classic novel focuses on a wealthy bachelor whose past and lofty ambitions of happiness catch up with him in a fateful Summer season. It's difficult to explain the storyline of this one without giving the game away, but Gatsby should most certainly be on your Must Watch list for the Summer Of Film, and we'll have a full review of the motion picture for you right here after the Summer Hiatus (April 29th-June 19th). See the trailer below...The Great Gatsby drives its way into US cinemas on May 12th and UK cinemas shortly after on May 16th.
Our review of the third 50th Anniversary eBook is here.
