Sniper: Ghost Warrior Review (5/10)

In a year packed to the brim with shooters (and excellent ones at that: see Halo Reach; COD Black Ops; Metroid and Medal of Honor later this year for proof), many will think it refreshing that a new third-party title strives to differentiate from the current crop. I'm glad to say Sniper: Ghost Warrior definitely does this in many ways: it takes place in the jungles instead of mere battlefields, that there is diversity in and between missions, and that the sniper rifle mechanic works superbly in giving the game a realistic edge. What's not so great is that it uses the same engine, believe it or not, as 2009's dismal Call Of Juarez: Bound In Blood (3/10), though you wouldn't know it unless specified. This means that while the environmental visuals are of a brilliant quality, the characters are rubbish and old-school to take in, with the dull voice cast not helping matters! Of course, sound and visuals don't make a whole game good, but Sniper has too challenging a difficulty even for regular shooter fans to take in, and the slow nature of sniper battles can make for a very tediously paced campaign. If you're looking for a good FPS before the wave of new ones hit this Autumn, you could do worse than Sniper: Ghost Warrior, but you could do A LOT better- see Halo 3 or Modern Warfare 2 for proof of that!

Batman: Arkham City Announced

The Dark Knight is on a high right about now: two blockbuster films, Batman Begins and The Dark Knight, recently established the broody tone our Caped Crusader was always famed for in his DC comic strip, his recent paper adventures have taken him to brand new places, even seeing cross-overs with Marvel heroes and villains, and he features in several great television animations still on Cartoon Network. But, perhaps best of all, after a long wait filled with mediocrity, an amazing game based around the character was released last Autumn- Batman: Arkham Asylum. Gaining itself massive acclaim from critics, not to mention a hefty 10/10 here ("the best comic-book reincarnation in the history of gaming", from this reviewer's words), Arkham Asylum took the Caped Crusader to his depths as the Joker (played by Mark "Luke Skywalker" Hamill disturbingly well) planned a night of hell inside the prison's walls, reviving Bane, Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy in an attempt to hold his arch-foe off long enough to inject his clown features with a serum of massive proportions. Given its success, it was only natural that developer Rocksteady was asked by DC Games to craft a truly great sequel, and that's on its way now in the form of Batman: Arkham City. The menacing Warden Sharp, who was revealed to be the founder of Arkham's heir, has created a larger complex for its inmates in the centre of Gotham, and from what we can tell either Bruce delves inside unwillingly, or the villians are let loose in his city (a worrying prospect for the Dark Knight, indeed...). Game Informer has revealed Catwoman will play a major part in Arkham City, possibly in a new co-op mode, while other sites have revealed appearances by Mr Freeze, the Riddler and even Ra's Al Ghul's daughter, pretty much confirming this sequel will top or at least equalise with the stunning original game. Thoughts?

StreetDance Review (4/5)

Street dance isn't everyone's thing, with parents and kids alike frequently confessing they can't pull off any of the moves you'll now see on your television screens, but this new 2010 musical British flick will at least allow both groups to marvel at the skills of the up-and-coming cast, not to mention X Factor and Britain's Got Talent hits Flawless and Diversity respectively making welcome cameos. As hefty a claim as this might sound, StreetDance is at heart a modern reinterpretation of 1980s classic Fame and in some ways the 2008 Disney Channel Original Movie Camp Rock (soon to be followed up with a sequel, The Final Jam) which works far better than the recent revamp of the former. We see two dance groups, Jay 2O and the Surge, destined to face off with one another come the film's dance-filled climax, learning their moves and backgrounds before a dance instructor allows Jay 2O to use her theatre for practice provided they include her ballet prancers in their act. I hear you saying that you've seen it all before, but wait and see, since the use of modern hits by such greats as Cheryl Cole and N-Dubz is spectacular and will keep all viewers constantly interested. Some of the admittedly impressive dance sequences do often drag on too long so that the running time seems a little streched, but StreetDance is easily going to be remembered as one of the better British and dance mixes ever.

The Wolfman Review (3.5/5)

As a remake of a 1971 classic horror-thriller, The Wolfman will no doubt be a pleasant reminder of the theatrical, jumpy nature of flicks of that time: with its premise of a man returning home to investigate his brother's death, only to be plagued by a curse which transforms him into a feral beast come full moon, this 2010 motion picture is quickly set up as a tense and bloody brawler not for the faint of heart (most of its type rated 15 never are!), and bar its dreary opening does not let up an exhilarating pace throughout. Simon Merrelis gives us a realistic protagonist in Lawrence Talbort for the period of the 1700s, believable to the last in his interest in a family murder, grief and angst over keeping his potential lover safe from the curse, and his inevitable transformation into a heartless, powerful creature destined to either be killed by a silver bullet or reign terror over the streets of its hometown, while Anthony Hopkins and Hugo Weaving step in for some memorable cameos, including the former in an epic CGI battle come the film's climax. Where Wolfman finds its trouble is, strangely, in its all-out action: though we do feel sorrow for Talbort's transformation and troubles with his love, often the more emotionally charged scenes on display, though excellently performed, will be overlooked by viewers who were left so fuelled by the last fight scene that they simply want more blood and less romance, meaning this will quickly become known only for its heavy violence. Look past that striking flaw, however, and you'll find a nerve-wracking and ultimately tragic thriller that stuns with its fiery CGI, special effects and battles.

Couples Retreat Review (2/5)

Try as it might, Couples Retreat just can't muster up the warm, tropical spirit a film in this genre should. Vince Vaughn, fresh off hits such as Dodgeball and The Break Up, shines in the lead for the most part here, but at times even he can't decide what type of flick this is- often the 2009 comedy will stray between moments oft found in rom-coms, chick flicks (not that I'd know what sort of film that is), emotion brewers and occasionally full-on comedic nudity at so fast a rate that viewers will undoubtedly be left wondering just what they've spent their hard-earned cash on; and in many cases why they did so. Co-stars Kristen Bel and Jason Bateman do help liven up the experience somewhat on the Hawaiian island for couple psychological therapy, and the later climax scenes do provide a lot more humour than the rest of Couples Retreat, but most will come out feeling shortchanged at the sheer lack of heart on display from the writers, the director and worst of all the cast themselves.

Green Zone Review (2/5)

Matt Damon's Jason Bourne has been brilliantly recieved by the press and fans in the recent motion picture trilogy which culminated in the excellent The Bourne Ultimatum (9/10), so the pressure was always going to be on to follow such hits with a new one-off. What a shame it is, then, that Damon is tasked with leading a cast of unknowns through war-torn Iraq in Green Zone, a movie which simply put fails to live up to any visible potential. Admittedly there is some good visceral shooting action for fans of the genre, and previous soldiers in the Iraqi conflict may find the realistic nature of this feature somewhat true to their experiences, but Green Zone's dreary visual landscapes (I know this place wouldn't have been particularly colourful, but brown and yellow everywhere? Really?) and atrocious storyline earn it a place as one of Matt's worst films in a good while. Give this one no attention: it's sadly a missed opportunity for StudioCanal to showcase the true horrors of war.

The Wizarding World Of Harry Potter Review: Part 4 (10/10)

So, the verdict: should you find time in your busy lives to visit The Wizarding World Of Harry Potter in Orlando? In my opinion, you should by all means try to get this mini-theme-park at some point in your lifetime, especially given in the years to come the crowded nature should die down and thus make your experience all the more magical (excuse the pun). Despite the fact it was crowded, however, I loved everything about the Wizarding World and felt it an unbelievably realistic recreation of J.K Rowling's fantastic world which deserves to be seen by every fan or theme park-goer in the world! As exasperated and exaggerated as that might seem, I really do mean it: this place is AMAZING, and will prove a great culmination/closure for fans once they've witnessed Deathly Hallows: Part Two next summer.