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World Cup Final

2010-07-14T12:25:00.002+01:00

Netherlands 0-1 Spain (AET)

The Dutch attempted to kick the Spanish off the pitch in yet another anti-climactic final. There was little created in a first half that saw Holland lucky to have 11 on the pitch (De Jong's chest high lunge was particularly deserving of a straight red)

It looked like the anti-football tactics might have paid off when twice Robben got one-on-one with Casillas only for the Spanish keeper to prevail. The Dutch defense looked the more likely to concede as the game went on but without any clear-cut chances the game looked destined for extra time and penalties.

Extra time saw the Dutch defense rocking and eventually the offside trap broke and Iniesta slipped through to guide the ball past Stekelenberg.

A deserved win.

Golden Ball Nominations

2010-07-11T12:03:00.003+01:00

The following are the ten nominations for the Golden Ball (Player of the tournament):

1. Diego Forlan, Uruguay

Has been the focal point in 6 of Uruguay's 7 matches and looked a true modern forward. In with a good shout I reckon

2. Asamoah Gyan, Ghana

Token nomination for an African player. Maginalised in some of the games with his midfield colleagues more worthy of praise (Ayew and the other Asamoah in particular)

3. Andres Iniesta, Spain

Has only looked his old self since the knockouts began. Spain haven't been scintillating so I think the trophy will go else where

4. Lionel Messi, Argentina

Was very sharp in the first two games but was nullified by Greece and did little in Argentina's one big game, the defeat to Germany.

5. Mesut Ozil, Germany

A shoe-in for young player of the tournament. Always involved, great all round ability and only 20!

6. Arjen Robben, Netherlands

Missed the first two games through injury but has looked lethal since then carrying over his form form the Champion's League. Don't think he's done enough to win though.

7. Bastian Schweinsteiger, Germany

A great box-to-box performance in every match. Able to read the game as a defender and an attacker, a managers dream. A very strong contender.

8. Wesley Sneijder, Netherlands

Creativity, vision and an end product too. 5 goals in 6 games from midfield! My favourite to receive the award (especially if the Dutch win the final)

9. David Villa, Spain

Spain can do all the tick tacka (or whatever its called) but without this man they'd be nowhere. Offers pace, touch and finishing to add the much needed cut and thrust to Spain's game. Will run Sneijder and Sweinschteiger close.

10. Xavi, Spain

See Iniesta.

So between Sneijder, Schweinsteiger and Villa for me. If the voting is after the final then it might be an easier call but i reckon Sneijder should get it

World Cup Semi-Final #2

2010-07-10T13:29:00.002+01:00

Germany 0-1 Spain

Were the German's attacking intentions curbed by a superior side or was their game plan to play deep and catch them on the break? A little of both, I think, but the former statement made itself more apparent as the game went on.

Spain completely dominated possession throughout a game which saw a deep-lying German defense and a packed midfield unwilling to surrender much space. The German counter sprung as quickly as in previous matches but they were let down by some poor decision making on the few chances they had numerical advantage.

It always pains me to see a game settled by a set-piece but Puyol's headed goal from a corner on 73mins gave them a deserved win. The European Champions are capable of flowing passing moves, beautiful exchanges between interchanging midfielders climaxing in great goals but not today.

Perhaps the early defeat to Switzerland has shaken them into a more pragmatic strategy. After their defense was so badly exposed by the Swiss counter-attack which may have heightened their wariness and cause them to be extra protective of their back four.

World Cup Semi-Final #1

2010-07-07T11:56:00.004+01:00

Uruguay 2-3 Netherlands

Not the classic the scoreline might suggest with the Dutch putting in another workman-like performance and neither side creating a hell of a lot.

The first goal was certainly worthy of praise. After some sharp interplay the ball came to Van Bronkhorst on the left, a good 30 yards from goal and his left-footed rocket found the opposite corner of the net. Holland then got sloppy, unwilling to gamble their lead and forfeited possession to Uruguay. A rash tackle lead to Forlan's equaliser from the resulting free-kick just before half-time.

The South Americans struggled to get to grips with their new 4-4-2 formation (having l.ost Suarez to suspension) and failed to impose themselves on the Dutch. Robben and Sneijder always looked the most likely to create something and 2 goals in 3 minutes from the pair was enough to sink the hopes of Uruguay.

There was the chance of a late twist as a rehearsed free kick lead to a second goal for Uruguay in the dying minutes but Holland saw out the aerial bombardment towards Abreu to seal a place in the final.

World Cup Day 23

2010-07-04T20:15:00.002+01:00

Argentina 0-4 Germany

The Germans are looking like the current baton-holders of "Total Football". They have a great combination of players to get the most out of the 4-2-3-1 formation with their front-line able to interchange at will, OK that's a bit of a stretch for Klose but he is certainly able to link the play as well as providing a clinical finish.

Poor marking from a free kick gave Germany the lead in the 3rd minute. The ensuing attacks form Argentina were easily absorbed by the Germans and they were looking as sharp on the break as they did against England and but for some wasteful finishing they would have been further ahead before half-time.

Argentina were stifled in midfield but that's not to say the Germans were negative, far from it.

Paraguay 0-1 Spain

A penalty miss at either end was the most exciting thing in this otherwise flat game.

World Cup Day 22

2010-07-04T20:13:00.001+01:00

Netherlands 2-1 Brazil

Uruguay 1-1 Ghana (4-2 pens)

World Cup Day 21

2010-07-02T11:39:00.002+01:00

My team of the tournament (so far)

QF a day early?

2010-07-01T16:27:00.003+01:00

Is it just my dodgy memory or were the Quarter Finals always on a weekend? ie on Saturday and Sunday.

This year the first set are on a Friday and the second on a Saturday with Sunday off. Isn't it odd that there no World Cup football on Sunday, the traditional day of rest?

I have a theory that it's to increase the gap between the Semis and the Final. Major finals are rarely the spectacle they ought to be and perhaps FIFA are hoping that better rested players equals a more entertaining final.

Playing the SFs so soon after the QFs may mean we have two lethargic games instead of one! We'll wait and see.

Wordle Tag Cloud

2010-07-01T14:16:00.002+01:00

World Cup Day 20

2010-06-30T20:25:00.004+01:00


Top Scorers	So Far
Player	Team	Goals
Higuain	Argentina	4
Villa	Spain	4
Vittek	Slovakia	4
Donovan	USA	3
Gyan	Ghana	3
Luis Fabiano	Brazil	3
Muller	Germany	3
Suarez	Uruguay	3
Elano	Brazil	2
Eto'o	Cameroon	2
Forlan	Uruguay	2
Hernandez	Mexico	2
Holman	Australia	2
Honda	Japan	2
Klose	Germany	2
Lee Jung-Soo	South Korea	2
Lee Chung-Yong	South Korea	2
Podolski	Germany	2
Sneijder	Netherlands	2
Tevez	Argentina	2
Tiago	Portugal	2
Uche	Nigeria	2

World Cup Day 19

2010-06-30T20:24:00.003+01:00

Paraguay 0-0 Japan (5-3 pens)

Paraguay were the better team in the first half with Japan sticking to their defensive, pressing game. The Japanese did start to come out and play in characteristic short, sharp attacks during the second half. As the game went on it looked like neither team was relishing the idea of Extra Time/Penalties as both side were positive but chances were at a premium.

The Blue Samurai looked the more likely team to score in Extra Time but ultimately went out after a strong display of penalties form their South American opponents. They can hold their heads high though as their fervourant woprk-rate and determination certainly added soemthing to the tournament.

Spain 1-0 Portugal

Portugal in recent years have always been disappointing at major tournaments, playing cagey, negative football and offering little cuting edge upfront. Today was no different.

They succeeded in suffocating the "ticky-tacky" of the Spaniards in the first half but when Spain's quality shone through with an incisive passing move early in the sec

World Cup Day 18

2010-06-30T20:15:00.003+01:00

Netherlands 2-1 Slovakia

The Dutch, true to their form thusfar, played within themselves for large periods of a game that was heirs for the taking. When they did click into gear they looked a slick outfit especially with the return of Robben to inject some pace and incision. And it was he who opened the scoring in typical fashion, cutting inside onto his left foot and letting fly from outside the box.

Slovakia did get at the Dutch defense but only created one serious chance before being awarded a soft penalty in the 94th minute.

Brazil 3-0 Chile

Another side looking to win at a canter and successfully doing so. Having not looked too convincing in the opening half hour the men in the famous yellow jerseys found themselves scoring form a corner. This then built their platform as Chile were forced to come out and the space was duly exploited during a sublimely swift team goal before half time. Robinho's third was merely a bonus.

World Cup Day 17

2010-06-27T22:07:00.002+01:00

Germany 4-1 England

England were outclassed and embarrassed by a skillful and organised German team. Having gone two down after some horrendous defending they did show some resurgence but it was bitty, scrambled play but a goal back before half-time from a corner gave them some hope (although the second wrongly disallowed goal would have helped).

The second half saw a masterful counter-attack game from the young Germans as England naively threw men forward only to be caught by two swift breaks. Three down with 30mins to go the English were demoralised and hopeless as the Germans ran out comfortable victors.

The English choice to field 4-4-2 against a mobile and energetic 4-2-3-1 was questionable, the choice to field Defoe - a goal poacher with little else to his game who was never going to track back and help out his out-manned midfield - was disastrous. It would have required a supreme effort and work-rate to make up for this shortfall in the middle of the park which was never going to come form the lethargic Gerrard and Lampard and the sluggish Barry.

Argentina 3-1 Mexico

Argentina had the game won in the first half thanks to two gifts: one from the linesman (who failed to spot a blatantly offside Tevez) and the other from Mexican defender Osorio (who passed straight to Higuain on the edge of the box).

Mexico put their grievances into their play and looked as good as they have all tournament but only threatened on occasion. Argentina's third, in the second half, was a rocket from all of 30 yards by Tevez but really it was against the run of play.

The Mexicans did get a consolation against their dug-in opponents with Hernandez showing the type of clinical finishing missing from his compatriots.

World Cup Day 16

2010-06-27T11:57:00.003+01:00

Uruguay 2-1 South Korea

Uruguay made the early running with their 3 classy forwards and hard working midfield they overpowered their Asian opponents and within 8mins were ahead thanks to some slack defending.

The Koreans fought back throwing numbers forward in exciting fashion with Park Chu Young looking particularly dangerous. The second half saw a defensive Uruguay look to hold the game at one-nil as the rain got heavier in Port Elizabeth.

Korea eventually took one of their chances which saw a complete change of attitude in the South Americans who began to attack with the class they showed early in the first half. It wasn't long until that class showed as Luis Suarez curled a shot into the Korean net and with the lead again theirs Uruguay sat back. This time the Koreans didn't have enough to get back on level terms.

One of the best games of the World Cup so far. Uruguay will be a good bet for a semi-final place.

Ghana 2-1 USA (AET)

Ghana dominated periods of the match with their superior technique and range of passing and crucially during those periods they scored. The US took along time to get into the game after Ghana's early goal but the second half saw them display their typical spirit and enthusiasm to get back into the game.

The American's created some good chances, getting in behind the Ghanaian defence on numerous occasions but finishing poorly (Kingston in the Ghana goal wasn't making it easy for them either). A penalty saw them equalise and it looked like the momentum was theirs as Ghana appeared to have taken the foot off the gas.

Extra time saw a resurgent Ghana and a well-taken goal from Gyan 3 minutes in was enough to give them entry to the next round as the Americans looked deflated.

World Cup Day 15

2010-06-27T11:36:00.002+01:00

Ivory Coast 3-0 North Korea

Brazil 0-0 Portugal

Neither side really pressed for a win in what was a dull game

Switzerland 0-0 Honduras

Spain 2-1 Chile

Spain (a well as some of the other more illustrious teams) seem determined to do just enough to beat their opponents. Chile showed their combative side but Spain's class won through in the first half exemplified by a great move finished off by Iniesta to make it 2-0 at the break.

Chile's misfortune in losing Estrada to a red card that never should have been made Spain's task all the easier. The South American's went at them in the second half and got a goal back thanks to a fortunate deflection. The Spanish went into game-killing mode from then on and passed and passed and passed without really threatening. It was a hard task for the ten men of Chile who rarely got a counter attack together.

World Cup Day 14

2010-06-25T16:39:00.002+01:00

Paraguay 0-0 New Zealand

Slovakia 3-2 Italy

The ruiners of many a knockout stage match are out! I'm happy about that!

Cameroon 1-2 Netherlands

An open game with chances at either end. I'd worry for the Dutch defence against some of the better strike-forces

Denmark 1-3 Japan

The Japanese work-rate was again evident and earned them their place in the second round. 2 excellent strikes form free kicks saw the game effectively over at half time.

Denmark lumped ball after ball into the Japanese box but they stood strong. In fairness if Tomasson hadn't have fluffed 2 good chances it might ahve been different and the late goals for either side were meaningless in the end

World Cup Day 13

2010-06-23T17:21:00.001+01:00

Slovenia 0-1 England

England huffed and puffed again but this time with a bit more conviction and actually got their passing going albeit infrequently. They really should have been 2 up at half time as they were clearly ther better side. Nerves crept in as the game drew on and only some last ditch defending gave them the victory they craved.

USA 1-0 Algeria

Unbelievable last minute goal from Landon Donavan sees the US top the group after a dour match

Ghana 0-1 Germany

A tight game saw the Germans trying to take the initiative whilst keeping Ghana's potent counter at bay. Germany missed Klose and didnt look as threatening without the veteran striker. Ozil's superb half-volleyed goal more than made up for his early miss and gave Germany the neccessary win to top the group.

Australia 2-1 Serbia

Serbia didn't look like they had any fight in them in any of the 3 games and are deservedly knocked out. The Ossies can consider themselves unlucky.

World Cup Day 12

2010-06-23T17:10:00.002+01:00

France 1-2 South Africa

Such a contrast between the 2 sides, one hugely talented but without any desire and the other hungry for success but lacking the players to deliver it. It was looking good for the hosts chances of making it into the next round at one stage as they lead 2-0 with France down to ten men but it wasn't to be.

Mexico 0-1 Uruguay

Greece 0-2 Argentina

The anti-football approach of the Greeks looked to be a successful one for a while in the first half. They reduced Argentina's B-team to half chances whilst Nigeria lead against South Korea in the other group match. Greece's negative approach never altered depite the Koreans equalising which had them on the flight home long before Argentian went ahead in the 80th minute.

World Cup Day 11

2010-06-23T17:03:00.003+01:00

Portugal 7-0 North Korea

North Korea lokked like they were goin got put in another respectable performance in the first half but they were badly exposed in the second. I can't see Portugal scoring this freely again.

Chile 1-0 Switzerland

Spain 2-0 Honduras

Spain bossed the first hour of the match and could have been 4 or 5 up but for Torres' lack of precision and Villa missing a penalty. They coasted the remaining half hour and may have added to their lead but for a drop in their energy levels and some robust defending from the Honduran centre-backs.

World Cup Day 10

2010-06-21T15:25:00.001+01:00

Slovakia 0-2 Paraguay

A very impressive forst-half display form Paraguay saw them pin their opponents in, aggressively closing down from the front and creating regular chances for their busy forwards.

They sould really have lead by more than a single goal at the break and their attitude in the second half reflected their dominance as they took the proverbial foot off the gas. Slovakia never really looked like making them sweat and the South American's late second sealed a confident win.

Italy 1-1 New Zealand

A labouringly slow Italian performance form a team that lacks pace, penetration and guile. New Zealand battled well in a typical underdog/backs against the wall performance and could probably consider themselves unlucky with the Italian's equaliser coming in the shape of a soft penalty. It was the All-Whites who came closest to a winner with Chris Wood's late effort just curling wide.

Brazil 3-1 Ivory Coast

Brazil hardly got out of 3rd gear yet eased passed the African side in a manner that sends out a message to the rest of the competition. They scored form their first real passing move of a lethargic first half. They regularly threated in the second half and were coasting a little too much when Drogba sneaked in behind for the Iveory Coast's consolation goal.

The vistory was marred by the unfair dismissal of Kaka after some incredibly cynical play-acting by Keita.

World Cup Day 9

2010-06-19T14:21:00.001+01:00

Netherlands 1-0 Japan

Both sides were much as they were in their first games, the Dutch plodding and the Japanese organised and defensive. It was all change in the second half though as Holland came out with more determination and within 8mins of the restart were ahead form Sneijder's long range effort (and some questionable goalkeeping).

The Japanese response was immensely positive and saw them committing men forward and troubling the Dutch defence. The Dutch finished the stronger with the introduction of the young Affellay and Elia but it was Japan who came closest in the dying minutes when Okazaki blazed over from close range.

Ghana 1-1 Australia

Cameroon 1-2 Denmark

A game full of attacking intent and fallible defensive which made for an exciting spectacle. Camroon made the early running and capitalised on a terrible pass in the Danish defence to allow Eto'O to slot home. The Danes responded well, trying to get their experience wingers into the match at every opportunity.

It was a run from Rommdahl in behind the Cameroon defence that set up a tap in for Bendtner on 33mins. The African side did plenty of attacking themselves and exposed more dodgy defending just before the break but the resulting shot ws just wide.

The second half was only slighlty less open and on the hour Rommedahl got in again, this time finishing himself. The final half-hour was end to end as Cameroon brought on strikers and chased the game. It was to no avail.

Probably the most entertaining game of the Word Cup so far.

World Cup Day 8

2010-06-18T14:35:00.003+01:00

Germany 0-1 Serbia

Another game in which an early sending off had a huge influence. Klose's harsh dismissal on 37mins and Serbia's goal a minute later left the Germans playing catch up. The Serbs made it easy for them though, inviting them on and playing deep.

Germany dominated the early second half and on the hour it looked like tey may get their rewards but Podolski's tame penalty was easily saved. The game became stretched allowing for some half-hearted Serbian counters as the Germans tired. Serbia held out as the Germans just ran out of steam.

Group D is now wide open but I've a feeling Serbia's poor attitude may undermine their efforts at some stage

Slovenia 2-2 USA

The first comeback of the tournament saw a a ragged looking USA ship two first-half goals a more technical Slovenian side. The Americans came flying out of the traps in the second half and within minutes Donovan found himself one-on-one with the keeper and finished well into the roof of the Slovenian net.

Slovenia looked to protect their lead against a determined and adventurous US side but it wasnt to be and with ten minutes to go the States were level. Having thrown on an extra forward for a defender they went seeking the winner and should have got it but for an unexplained decision to rule out a perfectly good goal.

England 0-0 Algeria

Oh dear, England are at it again. Woeful display from them, full of poor passing, terrible first touches and drained of belief. Perhaps it was nerves or tiredness (or insert excuse here) but they looked bereft of desire. Confidence is obviously low but where's the old "give it a go" mentality?

World Cup Day 7

2010-06-17T16:11:00.004+01:00

South Korea 1-4 Argentina

An excellent first half performance form Agrentina saw them pin the Koreans in their own half, playing more direct than the first game (perhaps due to the loss of Veron) and deservedly being 2up before calamity struck and a defensive error gifted Lee a goal.

South Korea had their opponents on the back foot for the first 20mins of the second half but missed the 2 good chances that came to them. They were punished as Argentina gradually got back into the game and eventually ran rampant towards the end bagging another 2 goals.

The Koreans showed that the Argentine back line can be got at but in doing so you leave yourself open to a marauding counter attack.

Greece 2-1 Nigeria

A game turned by a needless red card which will leave the Nigerians wondering what could have been. For the first 30mins the Africans were comfortable against a typically negative Greece but losing a man so early saw them relinquish the initiative. Something the Greeks hardly took with vigour and but for a fortuitous deflection they would have still trailed at the break.

Greece eventually began mounting some pressure after the hour but the Nigerians were still looking dangerous on the break. It was another slice of luck that gave Greece their second when Enyeama, having been superb all match, palmed a long shot to the onrushing Torosidis who tapped home.

South Korea will be favourites to join The Argentines in the second round.

France 0-2 Mexico

The French lack of commitment was again on show as Mexico's flowing attacks often saw their players ghost past their opponents. The Mexican need for a cutting edge to those attacks again reared its head but thanks to a dubious offside decision and a softish penalty they got the goals they deserved. France showed no fight or desire for a comeback.

Point of Note: This was the first game where I was able to hear the crowd! Perhaps the novelty of the plastic horns is wearing off?

Round 1 Reflections

2010-06-17T11:04:00.004+01:00

We've now seen all the teams at this year's World Cup, here are my views:

Defensive play

A lot of teams are playing 5 in midfield and choking the opposition. When both teams deploy such tactics it becomes like watching 2 snakes dueling, neither able to maneuver, locked in an embrace to avoid certain death.

Some have said this is down to first match nerves or teams not wanting a negative start to the tournament. I'm not so sure. Teams are coached to play in a certain way, they may slightly alter this from match to match but their general style is based on what the coach feels best utilises the players that they have. Unless up against far superior opponents (where defensive, cautious play is preferable - in the case of North Korea Vs Brazil) teams will generally play their "Plan A" approach, and unfortunately it looks for many teams like that is a negative one (see Japan Vs Cameroon, Slovenia Vs Algeria or even Portugal Vs Ivory Coast)

The Jabulani

Allegedly all the wayward shooting is down to the new ball! Anyone who regularly watches football will surely have seen more than their fair share of wayward long range shots, whether it be the Premier League, La Liga or Serie A most shots from distance sail far wide or are ballooned over the bar. The players who regularly execute these shots well are few and far between and at the World Cup it's no different. Ronaldo and Xabi Alonso seemed to have no trouble keeping the ball down.

Vuvuzuelas

Yes, they are annoying and Yes, you do get used to them but the absence of proper crown noise - chanting, singing and general oohs and ahs are sorely missing from this World Cup. What will it be like in latter stages during a penalty shoot-out? The crowd falls silent as the player approaches the penalty spot - not a chance! Whether he scores, misses or strips off it will be the same drone of the plastic horns!

World Cup Day 6

2010-06-16T14:22:00.002+01:00

Honduras 0-1 Chile

Chile dominated the game in exciting fashion, getting the ball quickly up the pitch to their 3 hyperactive forwards. It was a high tempo affair with Honduras battling well but clearly outclassed and but for some last ditch defending the scoreline would've been more flattering to the Chileans.

What I learned about Honduras: Very ordinary side, destined for bottom of the group
What I learned about Chile: The expected return of center forward Suazo should give them the extra firepower they missed

Spain 0-1 Switzerland

Spain though everything they had at the resolute Swiss, and by everything I mean pretty triangles of passing in front of the Swiss defence and crosses to no one. They did look vulnerable on the counter and Switzerland caught them short at the back on a few occasions most notably on 52mins when Fernandez bundled the ball over the line after Derdiok made a nuisance of himself. Teh Spanish can consider themselves unlucky as Xabi Alonso hit the bar and Navas also came close but ultimately the introduction of a rusty-looking Torres didn't have the desired effect.

What I learned about Switzerland: Nothing, they were predictably defensive
What I learned about Spain: They need Torres back fit asap

South Africa 0-3 Uruguay

Many of the teams at this tournament have shown they can be stubborn and organised in defence. In order to break these teams down you need a star player who, most importantly, is in form and Uruguay have just that in Diego Forlan. South Africa didn't play as well as they did in their resurgent second half against Mexico and Forlan was a class apart.

World Cup Day 5

2010-06-15T14:24:00.001+01:00

New Zealand 1-1 Slovakia

The first-half saw New Zealand's defensive 3-4-3 formation swamp the midfield with Slovakia unable to string many passes together.The Slovakians came out in the second half with more intent and began passing with alot more precision and with 5 mins they were ahead. NZ struggled to get to grips with the increase in tempo but somehow fashioned a late surge and found an unlikely equaliser in stoppage time

What I learned about New Zealand: They are like a Championship side, all set-pieces and crosses
What I learned about Slovakia: They seem to lack leadership/experience

Portugal 0-0 Ivory Coast

Brazil 2-1 North Korea

A Brazilian side full of out-of-form players struggled against the well organised Koreans. A higher tempo payed dividends for Brazil after the break scoring 2 excellent goals (although whether Maicon's was intentional is up for debate). North Korea struggled to get at Brazil but did manage a well taken consolation.

What I learned about Brazil: Kaka' appears to be still in the same lacklustre form he showed for Real Madrid
What I learned about North Korea: They're no pushovers

World Cup Day 4

2010-06-14T22:10:00.001+01:00

Netherlands 2-0 Denmark

The Dutch struggled against a solid Danish side and if it weren't for a very fortunate O.G. and the introduction of the young Elia this looked destined for a 0-0. The Danish lacked ambition even when behind which made it very comfortable for the men on orange

What I learned about Netherlands: Elia looks like a real prospect
What I learned about Denmark: Any team that is reliant on Niklas Bendtner up front is in trouble

Japan 1-0 Cameroon

A turgid, stodgy affair that saw a defensive Japan come up against a lethargic Cameroon. It took until the 80th minute for Cameroon to try and take the initiative against an ever hardworking opponent but the best they could muster was a long range shot that came off the bar.

What I learned about Japan: They seem to play 4-6-0 at times!
What I learned about Cameroon: Eto'o on the wing doesn't work for them

Italy 1-1 Paraguay

The dearth of creativity on show was depressing especially from the holders. Bar a goalkeeping error they would never have equalised.

What I learned about Italy: Their traditional slow start is as evident as ever
What I learned about Paraguay: Hopefully there's more to come from them

World Cup Day 3

2010-06-13T14:33:00.003+01:00

Algeria 0-1 Slovenia

A match characterised by workman-like approach play and wayward passing as two teams without much quality failed to make an impression on the tournament.

Algeria were beginning to shade it in the second half when they went down to ten men after 72mins but even with their new-found advantage Slovenia lacked any attacking intent and it took a goalkeeping blunder to gift them their goal on 79mins as Chaouchi misjudged Koren's tame effort from the edge of the box.

What I learned about Algeria: Belhadj is their best player (which says it all!)
What I learned about Slovenia: They are the least "silky skilled" team in their region

Serbia 0-1 Ghana

A tight game seeing two midfields packed with 5 men a piece. It was Ghana's more industrious approach that meant they edged most of the game as they pressed the Serbs well and limited them to long cross-field balls.

Both sides had their chances, albeit mostly from set-plays, and it was only a 84th minute penalty that separated them in the end. It took that goal to add some urgency to Serbia's play but at that stage it was too late.

What I learned about Serbia: They aren't too mobile in the centre of the park and struggle to supply their talented attacking players
What I learned about Ghana: They are well organised and will be no pushovers

Germany 4-0 Australia

Germany eased to victory in stylish manner as the Ossie's offside trap was caught out repeatedly by the talented young Germans. Australia did mount a revival after half time playing with a more typical intensity and keeping Germany on the back foot until the 55th minute when Cahill was, harshly, sent off.

What I learned about Germany: They have a dynamic midfield that gets forward with skill and pace and tracks back with equal exuberance
What I learned about Australia: They seem overly reliant on Cahill upfront

World Cup Day 2

2010-06-12T14:49:00.006+01:00

South Korea 2 - 0 Greece

An interesting clash of styles between the Korean’s high-tempo 4-4-1-1 and the Greek’s agricultural 4-3-3 (I’m looking forward to the tactical analysis on www.zonalmarking.net). Neither teams’ defence looked particularly solid and it was Greece’s deficiencies in that area that was their downfall at the beginning of both halves.

After just 7mins Lee found himself unmarked from an in-swinging free-kick and guided home from point blank range. The second half was just 7mins old when a careless pass in Greece’s defence was intercepted by Ji Sung Park and the Man Utd winger showed pace and composure to make space and slot passed Tzorvas.

Despite bossing it for the opening hour South Korea were content to soak up the resulting pressure form Greece. The only chance for the 2004 European Champions came after 80mins when Gekas turned and shot from the edge of the box drawing a fine save from Jung in the Korean goal.

What I learned about South Korea: They could well get out of the group
What I learned about Greece: They wont make it out of the group

Argentina 1 – 0 Nigeria

The Argentinians never really got out of 3^rd gear outside of an electric first 10mins. In that period they could have been 3 up if it weren’t for poor finishing from Higuain. Despite all their intricate play and thrusting runs the goal came form a corner when Heinze arrived late into the box and delivered a diving header into the top corner of the net.

Nigeria were limited to half-chances given up by a less-than convincing Argetinian defence as the South Americans dominated the midfield throughout the match. The Africans came closest to an equalizer after 70mins when Taiwo struck form out side the box only to see the all go inches wide.

Argentina should have finished off the tie but they came up against a goalie in Enyeama who was on great form. The game petered out in the last 10mins as perhaps the altitude was taking its toll.

What I learned about Argentina: Higuain is not a natural finisher and could find himself out of a starting place

What I learned about Nigeria: Their rigid 4-4-2 formation may need to be altered if they are to progress

England 1 – 1 USA

A match severely lacking in creativity as England once again failed to live up to the hype with a bafflingly sluggish performance. Having got the early goal it would have been expected of England to cruise to an opening game victory but a disjointed midfield and their persistence with long hoofs up the pitch they failed to hold on to the ball.

The US didn’t create much themselves and it’s questionable if they ever would have scored if it wasn’t for Robert Green fumbling the ball into his own net after 40mins. They matched England’s 4-4-2 throughout and battled admirably without ever looking on the rocks and probably just about earned the draw.

What I learned about England: They will have to find a shape to suit the available players

What I learned about USA: They might struggle when the onus is on them to break down the opposition

World Cup Day 1

2010-06-11T21:33:00.003+01:00

South Africa 1 – 1 Mexico

A decent opening match saw a first-half display from South Africa that looked to prove many pundit’s predictions right as they were sloppy in possession and ragged at the back. It took a well blocked shot by SA keeper Khuna and a goal ruled out for offside to keep the score level as Dos Santos pulled the strings for Mexico.

After the break the hosts began pressing much more vigorously and higher up the pitch and early in the half they got their reward as a quick exchange of passes and a superb through ball put Tshabalala away and his left-footed shot found the top-corner of Perez’s goal.

This gave the home nation plenty of encouragement and saw them tackling and passing with a lot more assurance. Mexico pressed and pressed for an equalizer but their was little room in Bafana Bafana’s crowded midfield and it was the home side who came close on occasion with some swift break-aways. But with 10mins to go South Africa were undone by more terrible defending from a set piece as Marquez found himself unmarked to prod home after the breakdown of a free kick. Probably a fair result in the end.

What I learned about South Africa: They have quite a good goalie

What I learned about Mexico: They need a striker as they lack a cutting edge

Uruguay 0-0 France

An edgy game that saw neither team display much in the way of attacking football. Uruguay began deep and invited the French on to them but, Govou’s miss aside, never really threatened. Forlan managed to get on the end of a couple of counter attacks as the Uruguayans grew in stature as the half drew on.

Second half started much the same as the South Americans again played deep with their opponents unable to create much. Both teams made some positive substitutions but to little avail. Even when Uruguay went down to ten men with over 10mins left, France failed to capitalize. A poor game between the unadventurous and the inspiration less.

What I learned about Uruguay: Forlan cant do it all on his own

What I learned about Mexico: They lack invention, inspiration and passion……but then I knew that already I suppose

Paranormal Acitivity

2010-04-07T10:24:00.002+01:00

A film which has terrified audiences and delighted Hollywood money-men with its "realistic", steady-cam approach and miniscule budget, initially had me as skeptical as Richard Dawkins flicking through the Book of Genesis. I wasn't a fan of the film's spiritual predecessor, The Blair Witch Project, with it's limp pace and lack of any true horror but it did introduce the new(ish) dimension of the home-movie-esque presentation which has been used to great effect in subsequent films such as Cloverfield, REC and to some extent Diary of the Dead.

It is this technique that is PA's greatest asset. Unlike the three students lost in the woods, PA puts the audience in a much more familiar environment for most of it's 92mins - that of a couple's bedroom. Such a setting toys with the very base of our hierarchy of needs and wants, that of sanctuary and evokes many an unsure moment from our childhood when things going bump in the night spun our imaginations out of control. This coupled with the now overly-familiar low-res shots witnessed in every reality tv show makes for an experience that is incredibly tangible, creating the suspension of disbelief that is required in all good horror films.

That is not to say it isn't without its flaws. The film lurches along for most of the first half. Proceedings do ramp-up significantly towards the end of the second act at which point the escalation of events either makes or breaks the suspense depending on your point of view. It certainly doesn't leave any questions unanswered! Which is all I'll say.

A rare example of a modern supernatural tale which doesn't ape a dozen others or resort to being a gore-filled nonsense, crafting the necessary tension and executing it's scares with a subtle touch.

Uncharted 2: Among Thieves (PS3)

2009-11-22T14:53:00.001Z

The first Uncharted was a bit of a watershed game for me. It’s cinematic presentation and astronomical production values heralded a new era and it felt like the next generation of gaming had arrived. That said, for all the lush graphics and “performance captured” cut-scenes it wasn’t without its flaws – mainly repetition and a disjointed combination of gameplay elements.

The sequel has certainly upped the ante. The graphics are preposterously good – slick animation, gorgeous lighting effects and jaw dropping vistas that seem to go on for as far as the eyes can see. The cut scenes are brimming with character and really help drive the sprawling narrative without interrupting the action too much.

The juxtaposition of gunplay, platforming and, the newly introduced, stealth elements has been crafted to achieve a healthy balance with only the odd puzzle-based scene going against the flow. The stealth-based gameplay has been introduced in as an optional approach and can be seen as more of a “how far can you go before you’re spotted” challenge with only the introduction chapter requiring you “ace” it.

However, despite the new variety of approaches to certain situations this is still a very linear experience. A few of the larger scale gunfights allow you some room to manoeuvre but that is about as far as it goes.

That’s not to say your blinkered ride through the several gorgeous environments isn’t an absolutely bar-storming one! The set-pieces are among the best the genre has to offer, from infiltrating enemy camps to the highlight of the game that sees you clamber and fight your way along a moving train chock-full of terrorists, they are all executed with aplomb.

The only problem is that Naughty Dog seem to have put all the most inventive and memorable scenes throughout the first 75% of the game with the last quarter mainly consisting of long shootouts against copious numbers of enemies. These scenes can become a bit of a trudge and certainly get repetitive as having just slugged your way though a small army of heavily-armoured foes you turn the corner only to find another entrenched force of balaclava-wearing goons! Still, the gunplay is very solid and holds up regardless of scale or situation.

Probably the biggest addition to the Uncharted franchise is that of multiplayer and certainly with the robust fire-fight mechanics of the single player its set on firm foundations. The maps are suitably small (as they are limited to ten players) but the multi-storied layouts coupled with the characters’ climbing abilities certainly brings something different to the experience. Co-op mode sees a team of players conduct one of several linear missions which is maxed out with bad-guys. This can be very intense but rarely does it require any kind of teamwork bar reviving your partner(s).

The slightly underwhelming multiplayer and the less than stellar ending to the single player game don’t take away from what is surely a must-have title for anyone who’s fond of the odd ripping yarn perforated with as many fireworks as the current gen consoles can throw at you.

Movie Round up

2009-06-10T19:38:00.002+01:00

Let the Right One In (2008 /Sweden)

It’s rare a film captures the imagination and lives in the memory but this haunting and moving horror does just that and with aplomb. Such a well crafted piece, from the deft camerawork to the performances from the two young leads. A subtle and poignant masterpiece and easily my film of the year so far.

Snakes on a Plane (2006 / USA)

A one joke romp that is quite amusing at times (the perverse snake attacks are a blast) but once it gets into disaster movie territory its all downhill - a very steep hill that ends at the bottom of the barrel.

Valkyrie (2008 / USA)

Spins a good yarn (shame we already know the ending though!) but skips along far too lightly considering the subject matter seemingly more intent on keeping up the pace than focussing on some scenes that should have reeked with tension. An opportunity lost maybe but not a total disappointment.

X-Men 2 (2003 / USA)

A welcome break from the Superheroes Vs Supervillians formula with a clever(ish) plot that’s more successful than the well intended third film. Easily the best of the three X-Men and up there with the Spiderman movies on the superhero pantheon.

More Movies!

2009-05-24T20:44:00.002+01:00

Crank 2: High Voltage (2009 / USA)

An even more inane film than its hi-octane predecessor with a similar mix of preposterous macho nonsense and dry humour. It’s all good fun though even if it does push the viewers’ tolerance on a few occasions.

Angels and Demons (2009 / USA)

An easy on the eye thriller with a good pace but a lack of believable characters. Enjoyable enough romp though.

Stranger than Fiction (2006 / USA)

Offbeat comedy that has its moments of bittersweet romance and surreal humour as well as some more interesting existential dilemmas. A relaxingly light watch despite the subject matter.

The Island (2005 / USA)

Overly long sci-fi conspiracy-thriller that never makes full use of some of its better ideas. Full of generic action scenes and uninspired dialogue - Logan’s Run it is not.

Hellraiser (1987 / UK)

Dark and sinister horror with an intriguing plot, utterly disturbing imagery and amazing special effects. Slightly dubious ending but an absolute classic none the less.

Resident Evil 5 – PS3

2009-05-22T20:52:00.002+01:00

Building upon such a genre-defining game as Resident Evil 4 was never going to be easy. It broke the mould in terms of third-person action games and veered the ailing survival horror franchise into new territory to the acclaim of both critics and fans. What could be added to this successful formula that wouldn’t pollute it? Co-operative play and a radically different setting says Capcom!

If the shooting mechanics of RE4 took franchise fans by surprise the partner dynamic is set to do the same. Not being alone in a survival horror is strange at first – not having to constantly check behind you and the regular conversations to break the silence feel odd to begin with. Partners and squadmates are usually an irritating burden when they try to join in on the action but Sheva, for the most part, does a fairly stand-up job of thinning out the zombie hordes. The AI is particularly robust and will even collect goodies and supply you with ammo when needed!

The sections designed specifically for teamwork (usually meaning splitting you up) aren’t exactly groundbreaking with only a couple of decent “cover me” moments and the rest just plain old lever pulling. The system comes into its own, however, when playing with a human partner (although preferably not in the eye-straining split-screen mode) as you can really improvise your own rules of engagement and tactically work yr way through the masses.

Having a partner bends the difficulty curve quite a bit too. I found with an AI partner the game seemed a tad easy to begin with as trusty old Sheva does quite a bit of the work for you if you let her but conversely she becomes less useful as the game gets harder. With a human by your side its obviously going to be an easier task with Normal mode being a breeze in 2-player.

Difficulty in general is quite lenient with little need to be resourceful with your ammo or health supplies even on Veteran. The ability of your partner to give you an instant health top-up (regardless of supplies) in your “hour of need” only exacerbates this leniency.

The other major change, the change of location to rural Africa, is also largely a success. The initial shanty town locale with its sun-soaked dirt paths and contrastingly dark and grimy alleys is a graphical tour de force and equal to anything on the PS3. The unnerving feeling of being an unwanted outsider is also played upon to great success in these early levels and adds immeasurably to the tension. The developers do their best to vary things with swamps, caves, industrial sections etc. and to their credit it certainly breaks things up.

But, and this is a big but, its not as spine-tinglingly chilling as a haunted mansion, a dilapidated city or an ancient castle as seen in previous games. It does try to echo some of the franchise’s classic imagery with the likes of abandoned laboratories but they only serve as a reminder of previous successes. I suppose there are only so many times you can re-visit such themes before they become tired and Capcom can only be praised for trying something different and maybe we should be careful what we wish for (I’ve no doubt that Capcom will have us revisit the Arklay Mansion or RPD Headquarters one day!)

Gameplay-wise very little has changed from the predecessor – crowd control, a few simple puzzles and some gigantic boss fights. The latter being slightly disappointing with some very samey bosses and reliance on using prescribed super-weapons. A minor departure in general gun-play is seen towards the end of the game with the use of cover becoming more prevalent and a more “military shooter” feel to proceedings as you regularly come up against AK-47 and RPG toting zombies. This is handled well though and feels as solid as the rest. The less said about the on-rails shooting level the better!

Overall this is an excellent shooter with a reasonably long campaign and plenty of replay value (an extended Mercenaries mode returns, as well as the usual plethora of hidden stuff). The co-operative play is a great feature and with upgradeable weapons its always asking to be played again on a higher difficulty setting. It mightn’t tick all the boxes as far as survival horror is concerned but there’s enough of the classic Resident Evil themes of evil corporations and maniacal enemies, silly plot twists (with some nice surprises and tie-ups of old stories) and the essential cheesy dialogue to keep fans happy.

Movie Round Up

2009-05-22T20:47:00.003+01:00

The Wrestler (2008 / USA)

Bleak and despairing drama with some of the most miserable backdrops in any film. The outstanding performances from the two leads make what otherwise may have become a sentimental slush-fest into some truly believable scenes. Worthy of its many plaudits.

Severance (2006 / UK)

Disastrous comic horror with utterly feeble jokes and no sense of originality. There are some slightly redeeming “anti-cliché” scenes towards the end but if you make it that far is another matter.

Cronos (1993 / Mexico)

Unconventional horror with strong characters and that dreamlike atmosphere Del Toro is so good at. The revelations are fairly predictable but the sound delivery and the quirky charm of it all makes for a little gem of a movie.

Bride of Re-Animator (1991 / USA)

Almost on a par with the original in terms of gore and humour. An even more tongue-in-cheek affair with some surprisingly good effects.

Movie Round Up

2009-04-25T13:13:00.005+01:00

The Unborn (2009/USA)

Below average supernatural horror. Maintains a decent sense of momentum but rethreads too much old ground and rarely provides a much needed fright.

Spiderman 2 (2004/USA)

A well measured and expertly crafted superhero romp. The love story can get a bit twee and it’s fairly slow paced but it has bags of character and delivers the action at the right times. It mightn’t be as spectacular as some of its genre contemporaries but it has what most of them don’t - a coherent plot! A worthy sequel to the genre defining original.

Spiderman 3 (2007/USA)

A faster, more action-packed film than #2. Like the predecessors it develops the existing characters well and introduces some interesting new ones. There are a couple of disappointing sub-plots that let the film down somewhat but it re-dresses the balance with a grand-slam finale.

Black Book (2006/Nederlands)

A thrilling WWII drama/adventure that is refreshingly different despite covering a lot of well-explored territory. The plot has a great balance of pace mixing suspense and action with twists and turns aplenty. The fantastic performance of Carice van Houten in the lead role only added to what is a thoroughly enjoyable film.

The Interpreter (2005/USA)

Below-par political thriller that takes an age to get into gear and when it does it only delivers one truly suspenseful scene and a laughable conclusion. The attempt to contrive a chemistry between Penn and Kidman was cringeworthy.

When a Stranger Calls (2006/USA)

Terrible horror/thriller that is stupendously sluggish and can’t even get it’s clichés right!

Movie Round Up

2009-04-01T19:24:00.002+01:00

W (2008/USA)

The glossing over of historical facts aside this is a deplorably shallow film with irritatingly hollow caricatures and scenes played for cheap laughs or even cheaper sentiment. Gratingly dull and rarely venturing beyond the press-release viewpoint, this is just awful.

100 Feet (2008/USA)

Average haunted house affair that despite it’s reasonable premise and a couple of nervy scenes never really cuts it. The special effects are of note though, especially those of the apparition.

The Day the Earth Stood Still (2008/USA)

This sci-fi remake is ill-deserving of its universal criticism. The plot progresses at a good pace and the acting is good on the whole (Reeves is born to play the slow-speaking, blank expression-wearing alien!). It lacks a certain creative touch to bring it beyond the average though.

Re-animator (1985/USA)

Classic madcap horror that’s as gorey as it is silly. The HP Lovecraft story, on which it is based, adds a certain solidity to the plot and characters. Added to this some surprisingly good special effects it makes for an unmissible cheese-fest.

Adrift (2006/USA)

Dull thriller with little imagination and even worse characters. A frustratingly stupid film that really sinks (excuse the pun) in the middle and never recovers.

Movie Round Up

2009-03-16T19:43:00.007Z

My Little Eye (UK/USA 2002)

The reality TV scenario provides a great backdrop for skilfully crafted tension percolated with some great jumps and surprises. The audience is kept guessing right up to the twists in the finale in what is a superior horror.

Sex Drive (USA/2008)

Above average teen comedy whose characters help redress the balance of the generic plot. The obnoxious older-brother steels the show but is unfortunately not featured a lot. The comedy element begins to run out of steam towards the end, when the inevitable romance takes over, but its amusing whilst it lasts.

Dead or Alive (Japan/2000)

Wacky characters and an even stranger sense of humour are what you expect from Takashi Miike, and this Yakuza tale is no different. After an incomprehensible opening, the plot takes a while to come together but what it lacks in pace it makes up for with atmosphere.

Suspiria (Italy/1977)

All the effort in this dull horror appears to have gone on set design and mood lighting. The best moments are saved for the final 20mins or so but the viewer will be quite weary of the pathetic attempts to create suspense they’ve had to endure for the previous hour or so.

The International (USA/Germany /2009)

This pseudo-intelligent thriller disappoints on all fronts. It drags the audience by the nose through an irksome plot at an unbearably pedestrian pace. It is riddled with pointless and ill-conceived scenes that can’t cover the cracks of this clueless mish-mash of a film.

The Ruins (USA /2008)

A grizzly horror with some great gorey moments and a couple of well thought-out scenes. A good pace coupled with the lingering tension makes for a movie that will appease horror fans.

Movie Reviews

2009-02-27T19:51:00.003Z

Slumber Party Massacre 2 (USA/1987)

Disastrous mish-mash of a music video and teen slasher. Having an extra from Grease as the killer is bad enough but when the 50’s rock n’roll pastiche kicks in before each slaying it becomes unbearable. Awful (and not in a good way!)

Death Race (USA/2008)

90% of this film consists of cars with guns, shooting each other and crashing. It manages to get away with it, although the action scenes are a bit of a mixed bag, as it’s just so unashamedly convoluted and silly. More could’ve been made of the media aspect of the reality tv show but I don’t think this was a project which was open to such things as satire and wit.

Taken (France/USA 2008)

Standard thriller that “does exactly what it says on the tin”. Not too many surprises in what is a solid movie (even if it does stretch your suspension of disbelief at times) with some good camerawork – particularly in the fight scenes.

Choke (USA/2008)

Laid back comedy-drama that casts a psychological insight into the life of the morally bankrupt protagonist. Some fine performances from the supporting cast (as equally disturbed individuals) adds much needed gravity to the fantastical plot. Thoroughly enjoyable.

They Live (USA/1988)

Satirical sci-fi that has a strong anti-consumerism message. The subliminal-message visuals, the impoverished 80’s setting and the doses of black comedy all aid the satire in what is a very entertaining film.

Resistance 2 (PS3)

2009-02-12T23:38:00.003Z

The original Resistance had an even share of fans and critics but most would have agreed that it laid a solid foundation for the franchise to expand and, with some polishing, a top class sequel to be built upon. Fall of Man’s major triumphs came from it’s intriguing scenario supported by it’s atmosphere, detailed environments and compelling plot. So one would imagine that these, at the very least, would be the backbone of the sequel….

The game begins badly, in a generic “facility” with the same old pipe and crate filled corridors seen in countless FPS games (largely ones from the previous console generation it has to be said). Unfortunately it takes a long time before you encounter anything close to the quality of the first game’s environments as you are dragged through a dull canyon, another facility and an uninspiring alien vessel, before finally getting to experience a bit of post-war Americana.

All of the early levels (well most of the game actually) begin and end the same – dropped off and collected by helicopter – as you are given your next target and move on with scant regard for plot progression. Being pushed from pillar to post in such a manner is a real momentum killer. In R:FOM, the gradual build-up of information on the Chimeran invasion coupled with the sombre narration between missions was a real boon in terms of atmosphere and this lacks such a device to drive the story. (One could probably argue that there isn’t much of a story to drive in the first place!)

Environments and plot aside, there is something rotten at the core of the game. The balance to the gunplay, the cornerstone of any FPS, is badly askew. The waves of bog-standard Chimeran fighters are easier to brush aside than they should be but the real deal-breaker are the bigger, less-frequent foes who rely on weaponry and endurance from an unfathomable rule-set. This leads to many choke-points and, worse still, a sense of unfairness.

The clever and varied weapon-set is intact from the first game. The new additions aren’t as inventive and are rarely incorporated. The choice to make most of the enemy not relinquish their guns upon death seems at first to be a bug but later you discover that the developers like to prescribe guns to each situation, denying the player the chance to utilise their favourite weapon-set in any situation which again seems like a bad move.

The online modes offer variety, with the co-op missions providing some genuine entertainment, but there’s nothing spectacular on offer and certainly nothing to rival the best in the genre.

So with the epic feel and intriguing narrative all but gone there really is nothing left to recommend this over, or even to supplement, the best PS3 shooters out there. And with Killzone 2 looming on the horizon this maybe pushed even further down the pecking order.

Movie Round-up

2009-02-02T20:21:00.005Z

Gremlins (1988/USA) The splicing of proper horror and black comedy into what is, for all intents and purposes, a children’s film can sometimes feel out of place but it comes off with great success. Some of the later scenes are more akin to a macabre take on the Muppets but it still stands up today. A true 80’s classic.

The Incredible Hulk (2008/USA) This begins with the promise of a more considered, humanistic look at the superhero genre (and the casting of Norton as the protagonist certainly aided that). Unfortunately, as it progresses it only becomes more bound by convention with the final scenes resembling a WWE travesty.

Iron Man (2008/USA) With strong, bold characters and a plot revolving around reformation this should have the perfect recipe for a solid superhero jaunt but alas it falls short of the mark. The lack of a real nemesis (cardboard cut-out Middle-Eastern terrorists anyone?!) and the dull action scenes let it down making it just another average Marvel vehicle.

Ultraviolet (2006/USA) Although visually interesting, theres little to recommend about this style-over-substance sci-fi. The fight scenes are a particular disappointment with overly-choreographed prancing the order of the day.

X-Men: The Last Stand (2006/USA) With an established franchise behind it, this 3rd X-Men film had the license to attempt a different approach. The moral dilemma (of a “cure” for the mutants) that pervades the film is certainly interesting but rarely explored in much depth but it does help to keep proceedings ticking over nicely….until we get to the travesty of a final battle(why cant they get these things right?). Overall another “almost”.

Movie Round Up

2009-01-10T13:56:00.004Z

The Bourne Identity (2002/USA)

A superior action-thriller that manages to stay grounded at all times despite the conspiracy-theory nature of the plot. The stunts, particularly the car-chases and the fisticuffs, are executed with aplomb and add to the gritty nature of the film. A must watch.

The Bourne Supremacy (2005/USA)

A rarity – a sequel that manages to equal the heights of the original. Marginally less gritty as some Bond-esque gadgets and shenanigans are introduced but they certainly don’t detract anything. The sentimental elements, also, only serve to bolster what is already a strong plot.

The Bourne Ultimatum (2007/USA)

A faster-paced affair than the two prequels. A couple of the characters aren’t quite as strong as in the previous films and the flashbacks/memory-recovery scenes can be a bit much but that is really just nit-picking. Continues the lineage with great success containing all of the elements that make the previous films great.

Transporter 3 (2008/France)

Another slickly put-together action film that does justice to the Transporter canon. Forgoing the OTT nature of the second film in a return to the basics it could easily underwhelm. However, the action scenes are as high-octane as ever (bar the disappointing finale) and Statham fans (myself included) will lap it up.

Wes Craven’s New Nightmare (1994/USA)

Self-referential and contrived sequel to the horror classic that revives some of the unnerving nature of the original. It struggles to remain coherent at times and ends poorly but it entertains for the most part.

Vacancy 2 (2009/USA)

The original Vacancy was filled with tension and frights but this prequel idea really doesn’t work as the focus is shifted to the perpetrators rather than the victims. This removes any horror as the audience witnesses the bumbling incompetence of those that are meant to be terrifying!

Movie Views

2008-12-13T13:08:00.004Z

REC (2007 / Spain) Another horror that uses the handycam/point-of-view style to great effect and manages to be gripping and claustrophobic due to it. Although not entirely original it still contains a few fresh ideas for a genre that has begun to stagnate

Logan’s Run (1976 / USA) Classic Sci-fi adventure that still stands up today. As thought provoking as it is obscure, its filled with abstract moments and existential dilemmas, presented with a beautifully pseudo-futuristic/psychedelic sheen. Epic stuff.

Fantastic Four 2: Rise of the Silver Surfer (2007 / USA) The structure of this film can be summarised thus: Act1 – Nothing happens, Act 2 – Something is going to happen (but not quite yet), Act 3 – Something happens. Even when the action gets going it is hardly noteworthy and certainly does little to redress the balance of the opening hour of dross.

Sweet House of Horrors (1989 / Italy) To say this is Lucio Fulci’s worst film is really saying something! It begins with the usual key elements of gore, unusual camerawork, poor dubbing and some 70’s synth soundtack. The majority from there on in is more akin to a dull children’s fairytale. Unequivocally awful.

The Deaths of Ian Stone (2007 / UK/USA) The confusion and pace for the first half of this sci-fi/horror serves to generate a decent amount of intrigue (akin to a typical J-Horror). Unfortunately the confusion turns to bewilderment and things get a bit “Buffy the Vampire Slayer”. Still, a novel premise and it has its moments.

Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn (Wii)

2008-11-04T19:40:00.004Z

This may be the eleventh title in the series but not an awful lot has changed since it’s beginnings on the NES in 1990. There are some minor tweaks over the Gamecube prequel, to which this continues the story, but really this isn’t going to attract any of the new audience the Wii has so successfully courted.

The most immediate and glaring lack of innovation is the decision not to use the Wii’s motion sensing capabilities. One might’ve thought that for a grid-based strategy title the use of a mouse-like cursor might be ideal but instead you are forced to use the Wiimote as an NES pad! In hindsight this mightn’t have been a bad choice as the switching between the small tiles could become quite fiddly and the fatigue factor during a 2 hour long level might be crippling.

The graphics have received a welcome update (if not as much as some might’ve expected) with some nice spot effects for the magical attacks being the highlight. The anime cut-scenes are superb its just a shame there’s so few of them.

The freshest part of Radiant Dawn comes in the alternating use of multiple armies - levelling up, recruiting and arming 3 entirely separate groups of characters. This greatly helps to maintain your interest over what is a very long game(60 hours+) as you are effectively playing 3 instances of the game. Strangely, however, you are given charge of the weakest army first and are asked to negotiate 10 gruelling levels at the beginning. This then serves to render the subsequent chapters as quite an anticlimax seeing you breeze past the enemy with a new, and much more powerful, army at your disposal. Overall the approach does work and throws up some interesting twists towards the end of the game.

Continuing on the plot of the 2005 Gamecube game is handled with the story-telling skill one would expect from Intelligent Systems with the bold issues of prejudice, racism and the horrors of war smoothly transferred into a new context with original topics of hero worship and religion also being broached admirably. This is aided by the superior dialogue and scripting that doesn’t have you skipping though the endless juvenile nonsense contained in most text heavy games. Regrettably the narrative is let down at times by some unsophisticated changes in direction that helps break the predictable flow of events but could surely be accomplished by some subtler means.

As strategy games go this is up there with the best of them, it requires solid planning and tactics whilst bound by a logical and consistent rule-set. Its difficulty, although being steep, never leaves the player feeling cheated and always leaves the opportunity for a new approach. If the genre isn’t your “cup-of-tea” then this will do little to persuade you otherwise – especially with its sink or swim initiation, functional graphics and general lack of Wii-ness.

Movie Round Up

2008-11-02T18:26:00.003Z

Evil Dead 2 (1987/USA)
Disappointing re-hash of the classic original leaning more towards comedy rather than horror. Still contains some hilarious moments and entertainingly gorey scenes

Doomsday (2008/UK)
Silly but largely fun sci-fi adventure that borrows heavily from the likes of Mad Max, Escape from New York, Aliens – to name but a few. Quite slick considering the low-budget but far too derivative to stand out.

Burn After Reading (2008/USA)
As entertaining as you would expect from the Coens in their take on mid-life crises and infidelity. A reliance on the base humour elements, however, overshadows the wittier moments which are few and far between. Some great characters and good performances make it worth a watch.

Dead Man’s Shoes (2004/UK)
Tense, dark and brutal at times, this solid drama delivers on a lot of fronts. The superbly crafted balance between the genuinely disturbing and the darkly comic makes for a poignant piece of filmmaking.

Toolbox Murders (2003/USA)
Dull remake that fails to make use of a decent premise. A chore to watch - Hang your head Tobe Hooper

Movie Views

2008-09-30T20:03:00.001+01:00

The Strangers (2008 / USA)
The simple premise of this tense horror allows for the well crafted jumps and taut scenes to keep coming. Some could argue it gets slightly repetitive but they couldn’t deny it delivers pure horror with aplomb.

Rambo (2008 / USA)
One could understandably baulk at the idea of wedging in some political commentary into a film of this ilk but strangely enough the ultra-graphic violence actually reinforces the depiction of the Burmese regime. Whether that works for you or not its still a cracking action movie.

Hancock (2008 / USA)
What begins as an entertaining black-comedy descends into sentimental Hollywood drivel by the hour mark. A missed opportunity to do something a bit different.

Eastern Promises (2007 / USA/UK/Canada)
A fairly unassuming plot as Mafioso movies go. Aided by some believable characters and tight casting with a reasonable twist towards the end makes this a pleasant surprise. Cronenberg fans will be satisfied by the typically visceral knife fight scene.

Movie Views

2008-09-09T19:48:00.003+01:00

The Happening (2008 /

USA

)

What begins with some promise (and Shylaman’s trademark atmosphere) ends up petering-out before long and results in a post-apocalyptic “lite”(as the yanks would say) experience

Cannibal Ferox (1981 / USA)
A bizarre mix of social commentary and gorey, shock-horror mirrored in the jarring scene switching between the locales of New York City and the Amazon jungle. Strangely effective though and worth a look (if you can stomach it!)

The Hamiltons (2006 / USA)
A low budget but skilfully directed horror with a genuinely creepy atmosphere. The disturbed characters and innovative finale make this a gem and well worth looking up for fans of the genre.

The Evil Dead (1981 / USA)
A schlock-horror classic due to the harrowing intensity it maintains during even the most ridiculously cheesy of scenes. Brilliant.

Movie Round Up

2008-08-10T14:46:00.006+01:00

Batman: The Dark Knight (2008 / USA)
A genre masterpiece which manages to maintain a relentless pace throughout it’s 150mins, not just through typically dynamic action sequences but via an engaging and enjoyably convoluted plot. Nit –pickers will have to bite their tongues as the level of entertainment is well worth the suspension of disbelief.

Prom Night (2007 / USA)
Generic teen slasher which despite being fairly slick in parts, never breaks from the tired clichés in almost every scene.

Wicked Little Things (2004 / USA)
Unfortunately this dull horror never makes the most of its excellent locations and superbly dilapidated sets. The decent premise is ruined by woeful plot exposition which leaves very little worth recommending.

Death Proof (2006 / USA)
An over-reliance on kitch B-movie references and dialogue which is well below Taratino’s normally excellent standard makes for a film which takes far too long to get going and then fails to live up to its potential.

Welcome to the NHK (Manga)

2008-07-12T16:55:00.002+01:00

A story revolving around a depressed recluse who hardly leaves the house and has little social contact is never going to be plot heavy but Tatsuhiko Takimoto manages to generate enough twists, turns and cliffhangers without ever really venturing out side the head of it’s main protagonist.
The dark humour is apparent from the very beginning where nothing is taboo as societies norms are, apparently, torn apart through the eyes of a crazed otaku. The majority of the laughs are to be had at Satou’s inability to cope with other people and his environment but there’s a more subtle level of tragic comedy, at the levels of denial he is willing to undertake to avoid such stressful situations, to be found throughout the manga.
The humorously over-the-top illustrations of Satou’s face as it contorts in anguish are a regular feature and are drawn in a very individual style with our hero often appearing to be decomposing with embarrassment.
As the story progresses Satou’s develops relationships with other deranged individuals and the bizarre reasons they have for being so demented are explored with a keen understanding of psychoanalysis and sociology allowing for a viewpoint that is fresh if a little hard-going at times. The insight into the minds of the young adults as they struggle to cope with the expectations and demands that come with maturity is handled skilfully and delicately, despite the often warped and sometimes crass situations.
The comedy all but disappears during the middle act of the story as Satou plunges deeper and deeper into despair. As things take a less surreal turn, the writer seems more concerned with exorcising his own demons through the analysis of Satous fragile condition which can leave some of the chapters feeling a little flat.
The underlying romance elements are superbly done and takes the usual “will they/wont they” dynamic to new levels, forcing the reader to question if the romance element indeed exists at all as the protagonists struggle to get to grips with their very existence let alone each other!
The “love story” becomes more prevalent in the latter half of the manga and eventually proves cause for the return of the humour towards the end as the writer attempts capture the magic of the opening acts. Unfortunately, despite delivering many excellent points of thought, it never really reaches the manic heights laid down in the opening chapters. Although, that said, it keeps the reader thoroughly gripped throughout as the intriguing and complex characters collide and self-destruct with only fleeting moments of hope or clarity.
You are sure to find an idiosyncrasy of your own reflected in one of the neurotics on display as it demonstrates how ultimately we’re all a bit messed up in our own way!

Movie Round-up

2008-07-09T19:42:00.008+01:00

Wanted (2008/USA)

It’s hard to know if you’re laughing at, or with this film. The hilariously preposterous stunts are quite entertaining but the droll pseudo-solemn moments are highly aggravating. Arguably the stupidest film of all time (and certainly holds the record for most slo-mo used)

The Italian Job (2003/USA)
Not really much to this fairly threadbare heist movie. It seems to bank everything on a grand-stand finish but the deficiency of wit or guile may have you turning off before hand

I, Robot (2004/USA)
Surprisingly solid sci-fi thriller which provides the action and drama but doesn’t quite make the leap to stirring your imagination the way the best examples of the genre do.

Superbad (2007/USA)
Exceeded my expectations of another “American Pie”, with its more grounded approach and the undeniable charm of the two leads. There’s still plenty of “frat-boy” humour but its handled with a little more nous which gives this the edge on most, recent teenage comedies.

Superhero Movie (2008/USA)
One of the better “…..Movie”, films but suffers from the same flaw as the others in that all the jokes are used up by the time it’s half way through. The want for a more creative story is evident as it sticks rigidly to the Spiderman plot when so much more spoofingly-good tomfoolery could’ve been had.

Call of Duty 4 (PS3)

2008-06-25T19:46:00.006+01:00

I was very wary of the hype surrounding this game as my previous experiences with the COD series have been less than favourable. I’m more of an old school FPS person and would lean more towards the pure gaming dynamics of Quake or HALO over realistic battlefield engagements. The difficulty in picking out targets, the whole long-ranged approach to gunfighting (as well as them dodgy WW2 guns!) and the heavily scripted nature of proceedings hamper my enjoyment. However, I was more than pleasantly surprised by this offering from Infinity Ward.

To begin with I got a feeling of “here we go again” whilst playing the first couple of missions. The level of freedom afforded the player is negligible as you follow your team-mates around with little impact on what is happening. But as you begin to progress through the levels you gradually get more responsibility and the maps begin to open up allowing for various angles of approach. Its during the scripted moments that you begin to appreciate the level of sophistication of the AI. Their use of the cover and group tactics aren’t the best you’ve ever seen but the overarching strategy of each situation tests your wits as well as you reflexes, they really do make you work hard!

The variety of the levels is fantastic, both in terms of location and operation. You could be sniping in a Russian backwater, running and gunning in a nuclear bunker, slowly infiltrating an Islamic TV station or making a night-vision guided bombing raid. Throughout the atmosphere is spot on. The graphics are always full of detail and lighting effects but it’s the sounds of the soldiers, both your teammates and the enemy, and the flying ordinance buzzing past your head that really makes you feel like you’re in the maelstrom of battle.

The single player campaign is only about 6-8 hours long (at the most) but it does offer plenty of replayibility with a high-score driven arcade mode and unlockables. Really though, it’s the multiplayer that offers the endless hours of gaming that will prevent you from trading this in. Everything about the online mode reeks of class. The sleek interface, easy set-up and countless options have set the bar for the PS3 online experience. The level of customization you can carry out is truly awe inspiring from the umpteen different game modes to the uber-tweakable character classes. The gradual way all of this unlocks gives great incentive to keep playing and improving as every few experience points earned brings you one step closer to a new gun or ability. Challenges are there for each weapon to upgrade them (eg get 25kills to add a red-laser sight) as well as more general challenges that earn bonus experience points (and unlock further challenges!). Such distractions are very welcome as you learn the unforgiving online game but once you get your skills up to scratch you can begin to appreciate all of the customizations and tweaks that are there for you. Coupled with the depth and variety of the maps available theres enough to keep you going for a very long time.

Overall it’s hard to fault the game. Yes, the single player is short but it’s a case of the wheat being cut from the chaff as theres little or no repetition or padding in the missions. If you want an online FPS for your PS3, this is the one.

Movie Round up

2008-06-25T19:42:00.006+01:00

The Orphanage (2008 / Spain)
An engrossing supernatural tale which uses traditional horror techniques without ever seeming cliched. The spine-tingling atmosphere conjured by Bayona / Del Toro is beyond that of their contemporaries making this a modern classic of the genre.

Blades of Glory (2007 / USA)
This starts off as predictable as any of the other plethora of films churned out of the Stiller/Ferrell/Wilson stable with their “one note” approach to comedy (this instance being that ice-skating is “gay”). The final 30mins or so, however, contain some genuinely hilarious scenes and some incredibly silly laughs.

Diary of the Dead (2008 / USA)
Not a continuation of Romero’s “Dead” lineage but more of a reflection upon them from a different angle. The handheld/amateur movie route doesn’t work as well as the similar Cloverfield and becomes a pointless gimmick before long. The scaled-down action strangely doesn’t generate the claustrophobic atmosphere you’d expect from Romero. Some excellent (and of course gory) special effects don’t rescue this from being a disappointment from the zombie-maestro.

Black Hawk Down (2001 / USA)
There’s a bearable limit to chaos and after an hour and a half of it, regardless of how realistic a portrayal it is, you begin to yearn for something to hold your imagination. Fortunately the final hour provides some more tangible scenes and action but if you’re looking for something more going on beyond the gunfights of the frontline you’ll be disappointed.

Grand Theft Auto IV (PS3)

2008-06-17T18:49:00.004+01:00

GTA4 is easily the most anticipated game of 2008, but is it worthy of the hype? The answer is that most people don’t really care, as long as it delivers what they expect from a GTA title – great characters, crass humour, clever incidental moments and, of course, plenty of violence. Personally I’m more concerned with whether it’s a decent game or not, but more of that later.

GTA fans will be more than happy as Rockstar once again delivers a host of foul-mouthed caricatures spouting machismo monosylabics through to quirky, albeit humourous, nonsense with a plot that’s an enjoyable mish-mash of clichéd themes and over-the-top dramatics. The real highlights of the script are delivered by the bit-part players - the satirical ramblings of the radio DJs, the lampooning advertisements for ridiculous products and the everyday back-chat from passers by, taxi drivers etc.

However, such entertainment is marred by the low-brow nature of the humour on display – every single piece of word-play is either a sexual double-entendre or a toilet-related innuendo. In small doses (for instance a bill board for a haulage company called “R S Haul – We’ll dump your load”) its quite amusing but when its so prevalent and often unnecessary (in the case of the internet café called T.W.@ - the hilarious joke being that it’s a “rude” word! That’s it!) it really begins to feel juvenile and grating.

I wouldn’t want to be accused of not seeing the wood for the trees, as no amount of cosmetic annoyances can take away from the achievement that is Liberty City itself. The busy streets, the traffic systems, the feel to the different boroughs – the sheer amount of things happening at once really makes it a compelling environment to explore and experience and a real technical accomplishment. The scale of it all and the seamless transition from area to area more than makes up for the aesthetically (but certainly not technically) underwhelming nature of the graphics.

So what does it play like then? Well they’ve refined the aiming and made the driving more fun but basically it’s the same old GTA – “Great!”, scream the converted but I for one am not so sure.

The number one fall-down of the previous games, the shooting/aiming, has been given an overhaul with the addition of a functional cover system and semi-manual aiming but whereas this improves the feel of gunplay it still isn’t as good as it should be. There’s never that real excitement to the gun battles with the poor AI simply meaning the enemies play pop-up target and present no challenge other than their increasing numbers as the game progresses. At that stage gunning them all down becomes an attritional chore.

Another chore, the long haul drives from A to B, have been improved with the addition of public transport. Just hail a cab or get on the subway and you can be at your goal is seconds! This is a genuine progression for the series and is much welcomed.

An aspect that is still sorely in need of such forward thinking is the save/checkpoint system. You may be able to get a cab to take the sting out of transport but if you hit one of the many difficulty spikes (another bugbear) you could be getting that same cab over and over again thanks to a checkpoint system that throws you back to the beginning of even the longest of missions. And by beginning I don’t mean when the action starts, I mean the drive over to the mission! Worst of all any cash/bullets/armour you expended on the last run aren’t refunded upon restart!

The nature of the missions is also a source of disappointment both in their variety and deficiency of innovation. Very few deviate from the pre-established and most are merely re-hashed from previous games. There’s also a distinct lack of freedom or choice within missions which (coupled with the dull shooting) can see the player slip into auto-pilot merely following the prompts at the bottom of the screen.

The whole choices/consequences dynamic was readily touted by Rockstar before release but bar a few contrived scenarios this is never really in evidence. Any hopes for a subtle and ubiquitous system of decisions and outcomes are long forgotten when after hearing a reasonable plea for mercy from a target only to be followed by the prompt to “Kill Him” at the bottom of the screen.

The proposed levels of interaction are also a lot less than expected. The reactions of most random objects are fine but there just isn’t enough of a variety to make things interesting. A few cardboard boxes and rubbish bins here and there but nothing to really spark the imagination. Its hard to believe the bar set by Deus Ex in 2000 has rarely been met. The amount of shops and buildings in general that can be entered is extremely limited and really takes away from the immersion or “sandbox” feel. The lacklustre mini-games (bowling, darts etc) are atrocious, playing worse than a homemade flash game.

Overall there isn’t a true next-gen feel to the game with some of the aforementioned flaws (gunplay, checkpoints, mission structure etc) beginning to seem antiquated. I can’t help thinking this isn’t much more than a PS2 game with better graphics and a few bells and whistles thrown in.

Having said all that its still a good game, containing a lot of the entertainment value and addictiveness you’d come to expect, it just hasn’t evolved to keep up with some modern standards and is thus a disappointment.

In my opinion Rockstar have come to the place Capcom were with Resident Evil before they evolved the game to something fresh and new but yet true to the originals. Its tempting to keep giving their hordes of fans more of the same but there’s only so long before clunky control systems and archaic game mechanics begin to feel their age. Next time around we can only hope for the gameplay that can match the experience.

Yet Another Movie Round Up!!

2008-05-19T22:30:00.009+01:00

Awake (2008 / USA)
A reasonable thriller that threatens to really engage without ever quite succeeding. It seems oddly structured with an overly lengthy introduction and abrupt ending (which could easily have been the middle act!) The central premise, that of “anaesthetic awareness”, is oddly redundant and could have been omitted without affecting the plot.

30 Days of Night (2007 / USA)
A fast-moving and extremely gory survival-horror that wastes few of its 113mins. The dialogue can be a bit ropey at times and there are a few gaping plot holes but bar that it comes highly recommended to fans of the genre.

I am Legend (2007 / USA)
A decent post-apocalyptic romp marred by unnecessarily sentimental “Hollywood moments” especially during the latter half. Overall a bit hit and miss

Lars and the Real Girl (2007 / USA)
Not the mindless comedy I was expecting but rather an enjoyable, albeit slightly sentimental, look at the approach to mental illness which is neither too light-hearted nor too preachy. Top performances all round, especially Gosling as Lars, enhances the experience further.

One Missed Call (2008 / USA)
Poor remake of the cult Japanese horror that lacks the intensity and sense of humour of the original. The attempt to tie up the loose ends (as opposed to the originals fairly loose explanations) works somewhat but fails to have any real impact.

Movie Round Up

2008-04-22T22:48:00.007+01:00

Transporter 2 (2005 / USA/France)
Its a bit more tongue in cheek than the first film and thrives because of it. Ridiculous stunts, OTT car chases and incredibly inventive fight sequences makes for the perfect action flick.

The Exorcism of Emily Rose (2005 / USA)
A strange marriage of horror and courtroom drama that really doesn’t work. The supernatural scenes aren’t half bad but it’s the sluggish, and sometimes unnecessary, other scenes that bring the film down.

Juno (2008 / USA)

This has the quirky characters and offbeat dialogue you’d expect from an indie movie but when it attempts to go much further than that it falls short. A great performance from Jennifer Garner helps add a bit of gravity that’s missing from the other characters.

April Fools Day (2008 / USA)
Theres a distinct B-movie feel to this but unfortunately not in a “so bad its good” way. The lack of any real horror (shocks, suspense, gore - anything!) makes you wonder what the directors wanted to accomplish. Very bland.

Abnormal Beauty (2004 / Hong Kong)
As great looking and well directed as this is, its fairly directionless for the most part. The final act, however, picks up the pace and is as brutal as it is gripping but you may have given up on it by then. Disappointing.

Assassin’s Creed (PS3)

2008-04-22T22:42:00.005+01:00

This is a game which constantly frustrates but not for the reasons most videogames might. There are so many well intended innovations and noble ideas which just don’t work out and jar with you, as with superior execution or just a bit more thought they could’ve been fantastic.

The control system is one such example. The 4 fascia buttons representing actions for your head, weapon hand, free hand and legs with the R button putting you in conspicuous mode and changing the actions of all four. Nice idea, but the controls don’t have the tightness of the genre frontrunners and interaction with the environment is often fiddly and inconsistent.
The brave narrative that tries so hard to explain away any purely videogame elements (the HUD, collectibles, visual cues etc) as part of the story is admirable but ultimately confusing, often feeling unwarranted.

The stealth dynamics are shoddy, lacking the sturdiness of the Metal Gear model and more resembling the Hitman games (but lacking their variety which often lead to humorous situations amidst the brokenness).
Stealth in games requires a rigid rule-set that’s both consistent and easily understood. This has neither, with enemy soldiers barely batting an eye as you stroll around brandishing a blood soaked sword one minute but other times easily alarmed for next to nothing! The escape dynamic is also horribly unbalanced with it often being far easier to simply dispatch your pursuers rather than being constantly spotted by new sentries (seemingly as if all connected by 1000AD walkie-talkies!) as you search for a hiding place.

Combat is kept simple, although enjoyably visceral, and quite easy (especially once you’re given the counter move) meaning it can be repetitive and soon becomes laborious.

With all of it’s faults though, Assassin’s Creed is still strangely compulsive. The much lauded graphics are brilliant with amazing lighting effects that really bring the dusty, sun drenched cities to life and immeasurably add to the feeling of immersion. It’s this feeling of walking (and climbing) around a living, breathing city that is the games main draw. Like GTA, if you take the game as more of an experience and ignore the nuts and bolts issues there’s plenty of fun to be had scaling to the steeple tops and just admiring the view.

Unfortunately this too becomes repetitive as the 3 cities don’t offer much in the way of variety and the immersion factor begins to creak when you here the same tired sound bites emitted on every second street. The missions contained within don’t change as the game progresses and can become a chore with the pace decidedly slow throughout.

Ultimately, it’s a flawed, repetitive game that that will probably have you losing the will to complete it long before the end. Here’s hoping for a much improved sequel.

Movie Round Up

2008-03-26T17:52:00.008Z

28 Days Later (2002 / UK)
Full of good ideas and intentions but let down by its pace that diminishes during the middle act. The film badly loses direction as it doesn’t seem to know what it wants to be. Lacks the focus and intensity of its superior sequel.

A Bittersweet Life (2005 / Korea)
A stylish and beautifully shot, mafia-revenge story that’s full of exciting action sequences. Whilst the plot is hardly original its deep enough to lend meaning to the violence but shallow enough not to get in the way.

War (2007 / USA)
Disappointingly lacking in action, considering the “pedigree” of the two leads, for the first hour or so. Thankfully things pick up from there but the inevitable, final showdown is a bit of an anti-climax. There are a few twists in the tale to keep it interesting but overall it’s quite average compared to Li and Statham at their best.

Spiderman (2002 / USA)
Bar going down a darker route (ala Batman Begins) it’s hard to imagine how a superhero movie could be done much better. Thoroughly entertaining.

Wedding Crashers (2005 / USA)
Definitely (and surprisingly) more rom than com. With laugh-out-loud moments so thin on the ground and the creeping, and extremely predictable, plot (is there actually a rom-com that isn’t predictable? Or is that part of the bargain?) it’s tough going to make it through the 2 hours. (Thankfully Will Ferrell cameos for a stint at the end) Overall: Dull.

Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune (PS3)

2008-03-05T19:29:00.003Z

This is truly a next-gen title, the jaw-dropping graphics coupled with its proper cinematic feel make for an experience which feels altogether different.
The gameplay, though, is a familiar mix of Prince of Persia-esque platform action and Resident Evil 4 style shooting which works well together, although the two elements are usually separated by well defined areas of the environments.
Speaking of the environments, they’re unbelievable – lush and dense and brimming with colour and light in the jungle settings and eerily dark and full of shadows and torchlight in other areas. The graphics throughout are of the highest standard, from the fluid animation of the facial features and exaggerated actions of Mr. Drake to the incidental spot effects of smoke and light, all produced through truly state of the art techniques.
The sound too deserves special mention. The orchestra of tribal beats that keeps the momentum up and the blood flowing truly adds to the movie-like quality of the game. It’s actually tough to find an area of the game that isn’t highly polished and credit must go to Naughty Dog for the love and attention that was so obviously poured into it.
The controls are tight and responsive and they need to be as the enemy AI is progressive and rarely spoils the suspension of disbelief. You will be often flanked and surrounded as the enemies constantly look for better cover and angles. The realism is let down by the enemies high damage thresholds and at times only a few well placed head shots will stop you from being swamped by the lead-absorbing hordes. This is counter-balanced by Drake’s equally resilient flesh which recharges health fairly quickly compared to most other titles. The lack of any onscreen indication of health is off-putting to begin with but the quick recovery rate makes it easy to adapt (the lack of any in-game life “top-ups” is also made welcomely redundant)
This generous approach to damage makes for easy progress through the game, especially once the more powerful weapons become available. The puzzle and platform elements aren’t the most taxing either meaning the whole game only takes about 10 hours to complete making this a typical next-gen title that is meant for everyone not just the hardcore.
There are some aspects to the game that aren’t so modern though. Its rigidly linear and is riddled with old-school inconsistencies relating to your interactions with the environment. For example Drake will easily leap 15 feet when required but some 3 foot high rocks can’t be scaled. There’s a disappointing lack of destroyable scenery (especially windows!?).
Minor niggles aside, this is a thoroughly absorbing game with brilliant characters and a decent storyline to keep you interested in between shoot-outs. A must buy for PS3 owners.

Movie Round Up

2008-03-03T21:59:00.010Z

The Assassination of Jesse James… (2007 / USA)
A long drawn-out film comprising of long drawn-out scenes, but that’s not to say it’s not good! Some of the scenes are brimful of tension, threatening to boil over at any moment whilst others are disappointingly ponderous. Pitt gives a great performance as the psychotic and paranoid titular character.

Shrooms (2007 /UK/IRL/DAN)
Ten minutes in this is all set up for your average teen slasher/horror but it fails to even make the grade of competent. The horror scenes lack key elements to make them work and it doesn’t even register on the scare-o-meter thanks to the clumsy exposition of the supernatural plot.

Planet Terror (2007 / USA)
A superbly, and deliberately, kitsch film that merges the genres of horror, comedy and action to great effect. It starts a tad slow but it gains momentum as it gets more and more ridiculous as it goes on (almost touching on spoof at the end). A must see for 70’s horror fans.

The Doll Master (2004 / Korea)
The first half of this failed to really catch the interest or progress the plot much. In contrast, the second half was clever, albeit confusing, and often terrifyingly creepy. It culminates with an exciting finale and an almost comprehensible explanation for it all. Another quality entry to the Asian Horror genre.

Bank Job (2008 /

)
A heist movie by numbers that neither puts much of a foot wrong nor does anything beyond the expected. Jason Statham fans may be disappointed at the lack of fisticuffs.

Resistance: Fall of Man (PS3)

2008-03-03T21:55:00.003Z

Some 16 months after R:FOM’s release and it’s demotion from an essential “early adopter” purchase to somewhat less than a killer ap, it’s a good time to assess how Sony’s HALO-contender stands up in the cold light of day.
Although it may have been surpassed in recent times by the likes of Call of Duty 4 and Half Life 2, I was surprised by how this first generation title has stood the test of time. The graphics are still of a very high calibre, albeit a bit drab at time, but the attention to detail and the robust physics engine still stand out.
The first level is probably the worst of the game. Its very linear, dull and uninspiring. Thankfully, what follows are a much better example of a modern FPS as it throws some large battlefields at you with both enemy and allied AI keeping a reasonable status quo for you to attempt to swing in the humans favour.
The mix of levels and the pacing are generally good. Having broken through the frontlines in a siege one minute you’ll be promptly treated to some more claustrophobic, corridor action the next. Whilst the AI is hardly revolutionary, it seems perfectly at home in either arena and gives as good as it gets.
As you feel your getting to grips with things, gradually the complications of an increasing arsenal of some very imaginative weaponry really adds an extra dimension to things. You’ll have to learn how to, both, utilise and avoid guns which can either fire around corners, through walls, bounce off things, stick to things etc etc.
Its with this great play-set of armaments that the most joy is to be had as some of the missions can fall a bit flat with decent set-pieces sometimes few and far between. The vehicle based levels (which there are thankfully only a handful) are mostly dull and of little challenge.
The Normal difficulty level is probably a bit forgiving for most seasoned FPS fans with only the last couple of levels proving any challenge. But there are two further difficulty levels (one unlockable) to test those who are so inclined and there are a host of mini-rewards for doing various actions on each level to enhance replay ability. The recharging energy bar only charges back up to the nearest quarter but the amount of health distributed in game (and the fact that you restart a checkpoint with full health) means that even the stickiest of sticking points is always passable.
The online mode is quite comprehensive with a good selection of game types and a ranking mode all easily and, more importantly, quickly accessible.
Overall R:FOM is an accomplished, if not spectacular, title that will keep FPS fans happy its beautiful (and often surreal) environments , messing about with some great guns with a respectable storyline holding it all together.

Man City 1 – 3 Arsenal

2008-02-27T19:54:00.001Z

Arsenal started well but almost found themselves behind after 5mins when Elano sent a dinked ball over the defence that was only inches from being put away by Ireland.
It wasn’t long before the visitors were in front. Sang made an incisive run into the box pulling back the ball to Adebayor who scrambled the ball home to make it 0-1 after 8mins.
City didn’t really respond and stuck to their counter-attacking gameplan as Arsenal continues to dominate. Petrov, on 24mins, with their most attacking move as he marauded down the left, past two Arsenal players but couldn’t find a finish.
A minute later Arsenal doubled there lead when Adebayor nodded down to Eduardo for the in-form striker to control on his chest and volley into the back of the net form 8 yards.
Still without much effort the home side responded when on 27mins Clichy failed to deal with a long ball and let Corluka in who set up Fernandes to pass the ball past Lehmann to make it 1-2.
Arsenal really looked in the mood for the remainder of the half and had several chances to extend their lead. Adebayor coming closest on 43mins when his headed effort was cleared off the line following a corner kick.
The home side continued to sit back in the second half with the visitors looking rampant. Twice City were lucky to stay in the game when, firstly on 57mins, Adebayor tee’d up Fabregas but the Spaniard’s normally reliable shooting let him down as he blazed over . And then on 63mins Adebayor was though and went down under pressure from Richards but rightly no penalty was awarded.
With three quarters of the game gone City finally began to step it up as the game got alot more physical. Both sides were looking to score and the game didn’t lack excitement but it was the visitors who were always the more likely to score. Adebayor and Fabregas both came close before, on 87mins, a clinical break put the match to bed. Several one-twos between Fabreas and Hleb opened up the space for Adebayor who slotted home from 12 yards out.
It’s hard to criticise City for their lack of ambition as they were up against a really flowing and in-form Arsenal side.

Movie Round Up

2008-02-12T20:13:00.000Z

Conspiracy Theory (1997 /

USA

)

A subtly tongue-in-cheek thriller aided by some well thought-out action sequences and a great comic performance by Mel Gibson. Hollywood at it’s best.

Blood Diamond (2006 / USA)

A more action packed film then the political thriller I was expecting but probably all the better for it as it helps maintain the pace and the 143mins don’t drag at all. The solemn tone is maintained with the minimum of preaching at the audience and the high level of acting throughout. A must see.

Cloverfield (2008 / USA)

An intense survival-horror cum disaster film that uses special effects and surround sound to great effect. The shaky hand-held video camera approach really helps promote feelings of anxiety and intrigue and increases the sense of immersion which adds something new to the canon of disaster films. Highly Recommended.

Death Train AKA Detonator (1993 / UK/USA)

The fact that this is Baywatch actress, Alexandra Paul’s, career low-point speaks volumes. Lacking any creativity, originality or wit it’s arguably one of the worst films of all time. How a sequel exists is beyond belief.

Resident Evil: Umbrella Chronicles (Wii)

2008-02-12T20:06:00.000Z

I love Resident Evil. The dilapidated locations, the cheesy dialogue, the huge plot holes and the whole B-Movie feeling to everything. All of these elements are present in this latest version but these alone do not a good game make.

It comes as a relief when first playing that it really does feel like a Resident Evil game as it so easily could’ve been a cobbled-together exploitation of a successful series with some new Wii controls tagged on.

Said controls are soundly calibrated and, as you would hope from a pseudo light-gun game, provide a sufficient degree of accuracy to make the game both accessible and also challenging. Although getting head shots (or “Critical Hits”) proves quite tricky to begin with it, it’s a skill that does come after practice. These critical hits become increasingly necessary as the game progresses in order to preserve ammo whilst dealing with the hordes of undead that are thrown at you. The aiming reticules are particularly large though and it can become confusing in 2-player which is who’s as they change colour but this is only a minor bugbear.

As a gun game it’s quite a long one with 12 levels pulled from the featured games of the series (RE0,1,2 and 3) and plenty of unlockable side-missions on top of that (detailing sub-plots and missing links from the games) which adds up to 20+ levels.

Adding to its longevity is a rating system which rewards skilful play with the ability to upgrade the familiar arsenal of guns ala RE4. There is also a full list of token unlockables for the die hard completists.

The graphics and sound mightn’t really push the Wii to its limits (they are of similar quality to the Gamecube remake) but they are of a familiar high-standard design and evoke the type of atmosphere needed.

Overall it’s a quality game, especially in 2-player, and an essential for fans of the series. Although with the dearth of good Wii games around it’s a worthwhile addition to anyone’s collection (especially if you have a Zapper!)

Everton 0 – 1 Chelsea

2008-02-01T18:27:00.000Z

After the cracking first leg this promised to be a real barn-stormer of a match.

The game began as intense as you’d expect with both sides looking set for a battle. The pace of the game led to some chances early on, Wright-Philip’s with a shot blocked by Jagielka followed by Belletti’s curling effort that wasn’t far away. Everton too had a good chance when Lescott was unmarked form a corner only for his header to be saved on the line by Cech on 9mins.

The early end-to-end action was followed by a solid period of pressure from the home side but Chelsea were about their business and limited the space to play brilliantly. Everton’s passing and movement was sharp and crisp as they really looked to get the upperhand but all they had to show for their efforts was Johnson’s shot form distance that never troubled Cech.

Having stifled their hosts sufficiently Chelsea began to come out more and were dominating possession themselves on the half hour with both Anelka and Malouda having chances.

The home side made another push again in an exciting end to the half. Johnson again with their only real chance whose shot was deflected wide. The Everton players left the field looking thoroughly frustrated.

It might have been expected for the Merseysiders to come out fired up for the second half but it was Chelsea who looked to have the bit between their teeth. With the half only seconds old Anelka saw his shot form the edge of the area hit the bar. Everton tried to get forward but Chelsea were holding on to the ball extremely well and wee very much on top.

It took two chances from set-pieces just before the hour to stir the Toffees back in to life. Neville fired the ball across the goal mouth, following a clever short corner, but none of the men in blue managed to connect. A minute later a free-kick came to Jagielka who’s flicked shot was blocked on the line.

Everton were on the front foot and were sure they had a goal, on 66mins, when Cech spilled a ball from a free kick but the whistle went for an inexplicable free out as Lescott was about to tap the ball home!

A goal did come but it was for the visitors and it was against the run of play. On 68mins, Malouda played a ball over the Everton defence which Joe Cole latched on and clinically dispatched.

This knocked the home side and crowd for six and despite throwing on extra attackers they never really got at a tight Chelsea defence.The high balls began raining in but they were easily dealt with.

It was Chelsea who looked the more likely to get a goal as they were continually breaking as Everton pushed everyone up late on with Lescott being used as an auxiliary centre forward! Pizarro had two good chances at the death but failed to convert either.

A brave performance by Everton but the gap between the top clubs and the rest was again highlighted in this match as Chelsea were thoroughly professional in defence and oozed class going forward.

Wigan 1 – 2 Everton

2008-01-23T18:56:00.000Z

This was a game in which the soggy pitch contributed to the pace of the game as much as the efforts of the teams.

The early stages saw a lot of tentative long balls as no one wanted to risk taking the ball down on a surface that was already beginning to cut up. Wigan had most of the early play and were winning the physical battles around the pitch with Everton pinned in their own half for most of the opening quarter hour.

Palacios was doing particularly well for the home side, making space and shooting in the opening minutes. He was again active down the Wigan right on 7mins only for Heskey to head his cross well wide.

Everton enjoyed a good spell following the early Wigan pressure, earning some free kicks in dangerous positions. On 16mins a good move saw Johnson pull back for Arteta only for the Spaniard to shoot straight at Kirkland. However this was a rare instance when Johnson saw some support up front as Wigan were back on top again.

Bents header form a corner, on 21mins, was the closest the home side came in the first half but that effort was clawed onto the bar by Howard. Minutes later Valencia had a dangerous looking shot from the edge of the area only for Cahill to get him body in the way.

Wigan were dominating possession but Johnson was as busy as ever for Everton and fashioned a chance on 33mins as he got on the end of a long punt only to flash a shot across the goal and wide.

5 minutes later a slip from Bramble let the Toffee’s striker in and he made no mistake as he went one-on-one and coolly slotted between Kirkland’s legs to give Everton the lead.

The visitors played even deeper following this as Wigan had all the play but on 41mins a breakout earned Everton a corner. Wigan failed to clear and the ball came to Lescott on the back post who directed it home to give the Merseysiders an unlikely tow goal advantage going into the break.

Steve Bruce brought on Koumas and Sibierski at half time and the changes had an impact. Despite soaking up much of the pressure, on 53mins a Koumas free-kick was put into his own net by Jaglielka to give the home side some hope.

What followed was sustained attacking by Wigan, with Valencia seeing a lot of the ball, and Everton almost losing their composure at times. The away side weathered the storm and indeed it was they who came closest to scoring, on 66mins, as Arteta’s cross found Osman who’s half-volley went just wide.

Johnson was still doing a great job up o his own as Everton began to look more and more comfortable as the game went on. On 75mins the visitors went 4-4-2 with the introduction of the teenager James Vaughan and with that they began looking dangerous on the break.

The home side tried to build a head of steam on the closing stages and brought on another forward in the shape of Aghahowa. They came the closest when Kilbane got on the end of a free kick but his shot was well wide.

In the end it was a professional away performance by Everton but Wigan can take heart form their application and the spirit they showed.

Movie Round-up

2008-01-22T19:20:00.000Z

Fantastic Four (2005 / USA)

Having seen this universally panned and derided I was expecting much worse than what is still no more than average superhero fare. Every aspect is quite competent and a whole lot more entertaining than Superman Returns or Transformers. Although like the latter it really is just one for the kids.

The Eye 2 (2004 / Hong Kong)

Well made and with decent production values as you would expect from the Pang Brothers. This pseudo horror starts well with some anxious scenes but loses something when later it tries to search for explanations and confrontations in a similar fashion to the prequel.

Last King of Scotland (2006 / UK)

A great film only let down by a lead character that never gains your affection as his naivety and innocence comes across as arrogance and ignorance. Magnificent performance by Forest Whittaker.

Elektra (2005 / USA)

Martial arts nonsense with decent special effects and enjoyable action scenes amidst all the eastern mysticism hokum. Still pales in comparison to its Asian counterparts.

Chelsea 2 - 1 Everton

2008-01-14T20:39:00.000Z

Definitely a semi-final to remember as both teams gave their all for a day out at Wembley.

Chelsea began like they meant business and almost caught the visitor’s unfamiliar side out early on but Wright-Philips shot sailed high and wide.

Everton were playing very deep and couldn’t get going as Chelsea were linking up brilliantly and looking dangerous with every attack. The Toffee’s were defending with their usual doggedness though and were keeping the home sides shots to a minimum.

Everton were just starting to come in to it when on 25mins Wright-Philips got the ball in an acre of space on the edge of the box(following Cahill’s abandonment of his defensive duties), was allowed to turn and bent a beautiful shot in by the far post to give Chelsea a deserved lead.

It looked like they were going to put the tie out of site as they continued to apply pressure. Ballack coming within inches from a free-kick on 28mins the best of the chances in another period of flowing passing and movement form Chelsea.

Everton gradually began battling their way in to it more and more. McFadden and Johnson getting more involved in the stead of their usual playmakers Arteta and Pienaar.

Their best move of the half released Lescott on the left only for the full-back to put his cross too close to Hilario with 3 Everton attackers lurking.

Chelsea were winning the key midfield battles particularly Wright-Philips in his free role escaping Carsley at will whilst Mikel wasn’t giving a deep-lying Johnson much room to manoeuvre at the other end.

Chelsea began the second half similar to the first as they again had Everton’s defence stretched. But on 54mins the game changed dramatically when Mikel was harshly given a straight red for showing his studs in a tackle with Neville.

Everton got an immediate lift from their sudden numerical advantage and kept themselves on the fornt foot as Chelsea struggled to re-organise.

Still though, Pizarro should’ve added to the home side’s lead minutes later when he was though on goal but failed to get his shot past Howard.

Everton’s pressure mounted and on 63mins they had something to show for it. McFadden’s fre-kick was knocked down by Yobo into the path of Yakubu and the in-form striker dispatched an excellent volley into the top left-hand corner.

This spurred the away side on even more as they really began taking the game to Chelsea. On 68mins Yakubu’s clever backheel played in McFadden, who rounded Carlvalho and Hilario only for his shot to clip the post.

The high tempo continued as Chelsea fought their way back into the game as the tackles were coming thick and fast. It was end-to-end, pulsating football with Chelsea beginning to find themselves with the initiative late on.

Everton looked resolute in defence with Lescott and Yobo beyond reproach. However, during a late push against a deep Everton defence, Ballack hooked the ball over his head and into the box. Lescott challenged Wrigth-Philips at the far post but ended up putting the ball into his own net making it 2-1 on 92mins.

But the game wasn’t finished as Everton feeling hard-done-by bombed forward. On 94mins Lescott could have made up for his error when McFadden put him one on one with Hilario but the defender failed to control his shot as Hilario rushed out to save.

Great drama and entertainment for the neutral but a sickener for Everton

Arsenal 2 – 1 Spurs

2008-01-11T19:28:00.000Z

It was unsurprisingly all Arsenal from the off with Flamini and Toure both having half chances that they didn’t take within the opening 5mins. It was an open game though and Spurs did gradually begin to have some attacking spells of their own.

It was at these times when Arsenal looked like they may create something on the break as Spurs were looking unusually sturdy and hard to breakdown otherwise.

A rare penetrative move, on 33mins, saw Eboue draw a save from Robinson at his near post but it was hardly vintage Arsenal.

Spurs enjoyed a good spell of possession before the break with Boateng’s dipping shot going just over the bar. Toure’s header form a corner, on 42mins, was the closest either team came to breaking the deadlock in what was a disappointing first half.

Arsenal began the second half with much greater intensity and after just two minutes they had the lead. Fabregas was at the helm of a move that tore the visitors apart and it was his back-heel that found Adebayor in the box for the Togolese striker to coolly slot home.

Arsenal didn’t really push on for a second but looked comfortable until the 64^th minute when Keane got in behind only to volley over. A minute later Spurs had an equaliser when Berbatov blasted into the roof of the net form a tight angle following some slack defending form the hosts.

Spurs were looking in confident mood following this and on 71mins they had a penalty after Toure dived in on Berbatov in the box. The resulting penalty was to change the game as Almunia denied Keane from the spot.

Just 3mins later Arsenal had a goal of their own. Bendtner, just on the pitch, rose to meet a corner kick and with his first touch powers a header past Robinson.

The home side, perhaps sensing they were riding their luck, began to play deeper following this but all Spurs could muster of note was a long range effort form Huddlestone on 84mins as they tried to go for one last push.

It wasn’t a classic but it does show that Arsenal can win whilst not at their best and that Spurs are definitely improving under Ramos

Liverpool 0 – 1 Man Utd

2007-12-20T19:29:00.000Z

There was an unbelievable pace to the opening period as Liverpool started the way they normally try to – at 100mph. The home side were pressing high up the pitch and really trying to impose themselves. This led to a few half chances, Kuyt with a flicked shot that went over and a long range effort from Hyppia, but nothing substantial.

The game had just settled down after the 25mins when Torres’ header was cleared off the line form a Liverpool corner. United were hardly on the ropes but were cagey in attack, leaving few holes for Liverpool to exploit.

Liverpool again saw the ball cleared off the line on 30mins when Van Der Saar came for a high ball but badly misjudged it and luckily for him Evra was quick to recover.

It wasn’t a game for the forwards as Rooney, Ronaldo and Torres were hardly involved as the congested, midfield battle carried on.

Liverpool were looking the better as the half drew to a close but United, being United!, managed to nick one on 42mins. A well-worked corner saw Rooney’s shot come across Tevez who poked it over a helpless Reina and give an undeserved lead to the visitors.

The home side looked to right this wrong immediately after the break as they started on the front foot with shots on goal from Gerrard and Torres within minutes of the re-start.

There was a lot more room in the second half as Liverpool really pressed for an equaliser but a conservative-looking United refused to commit men forward.

The closest Liverpool came was when Babel (on for Kewell) went just wide from 20 yards on 75mins. United followed that with the best move of the game as Ronaldo broke and picked out Rooney in the box only for the England striker to hit wide.

Untied’s organisation and defending was commendable as Liverpool threw bodies forward. But the visitors signalled their intent on 82mins when they brought Carrick on for Tevez and they stubbornly held on to their lead from there.

You could say United did “A Liverpool” to Liverpool. Sir Alex backed up his statement that this year’s league could be decided by such meetings of the top four by making sure his side definitely didn’t lose.

Man of the Match: Owen Hargreaves – a great defensive midfield performance with crucial interceptions, well timed tackles and an excellent work-rate.

Movie Round-up

2007-12-18T23:02:00.000Z

The Transporter (2002 / France/USA)

An action film that does everything right, it doesn’t take itself too seriously and it keeps things simple. The fight scenes are frenetic and often balletic (in the finest Hong Kong tradition) and the stunts steer clear of the Bond-style hyperbole in favour of the more traditional. Highly recommended.

Arlington Road (1999 / USA)

A decent thriller that uses a “is he? / isn’t he?” dynamic to good effect. Once this is resolved it does lose something but the high level of acting carries the film through to it’s exciting finale.

American Gangster (2007 / USA)

A visually appealing and well directed film which heavily focuses on the plot to the detriment of everything else. It spins a good yarn but the two leads could’ve done with a tense scene or some dramatic dialogue to really stretch them. It also feels about 20mins too long, especially the overly lengthy introduction, but its well worth a watch.

Candyman (1992 / USA)

A supernatural thriller which has an extra touch of class over most of its horror-genre contemporaries. The genuinely clever plot coupled with a well cultivated, and often disturbing, atmosphere keeps you gripped throughout. Thoroughly deserving of its cult status.

Aston Villa 1 – 3 Portsmouth

2007-12-14T18:31:00.000Z

Two teams with high ambitions this year following their very respectable starts to the season clashed in a game that could be considered a six pointer in terms of the race for European places.

Neither team had yet gotten a grip on the game when on 8mins Pompey got a fortuitous lead. The ball came out to Pamarot, following a corner, whose deflected shot landed at the feet of Benjani who then in turn was tackled by Gardener only to see the ball roll into the net.

Villa pressed for the equaliser only for Laursen to waste their two best chances with tame headers from set-pieces that saw the big Dane take advantage of slack defending by Portsmouth,

Pompey weren’t on their game at all and could barley hold on to the ball as they looked a shadow of their usually solid selves. Both Agbonlahor and Carew had shots saved and blocked respectively before Muntari got the visitors the most unlikely and undeserved of second goals on 39mins

The Ghanain made room for himself before unleashing a beautifully bent left-foot shot from 20 yards that made it 2-0. James further frustrated Villa by making two great saves before the break.

The home side were required to chase the game in the second half which left a lot of room for Pompy on the break. Villa showed great urgency but ironically the visitors began to play for the first time in the match.

Carew had a header just wide on 55 mins but really Villa didn’t threaten a Portsmouth side that were getting better as the game wound on.

On 61mins Muntari put the game out of sight with another great solo effort, this time dispossessing Reo-Coker, nutmegging Knight and cooly slotting home a low driven effort.

Villa were given some hope when Young was tripped in the box and Barry smashed home the resulting penalty on 10mins. But the energy they displayed in the final 20mins was to account for nothing against an increasingly stubborn Portsmouth.

Indeed it was the visitors who looked the more likely to score as they caught Villa on the break several times. The best of these chances falling to Diop, who having being played in by Mendes managed to miss from 5 yards!

Perhaps an undeserved victory but it only highlighted the gap between Villa and the UEFA cup-spot chasers.

Spurs 2 – 3 Birmingham

2007-12-12T19:29:00.000Z

This was a typical Spurs game and they started in typical Spurs manner with Muamba being found unmarked from a free-kick after 3mins but fortunately for them it was just inches over his head.

This didn’t dent their confidence though as they piled forward. Berbatov had just tested Taylor when moments later Keane’s one-two off Bent saw him through on goal but he scooped his shot over. Minutes later the Bulgarian was twice close with headed efforts in what was looking like only a matter of time before the visitor’s defence was breached.

Birmingham’s lone striker and long ball game didn’t look to be paying off but on 22mins they were gifted a penalty when McSheffrey went down following minimal contact with Kaboul. McSheffrey made no mistake with spot kick to give his side the most undeserved of leads.

Spurs pinned Birmingham in their own half following this, with Dawson coming closest on 28mins following a corner. Despite tearing their opponents apart in the early stages with their superior pace and movement Spurs began hurling high balls into the box in a desperate attempt to get an equaliser.

Bale’s free kick brought a good save from Taylor on 36mins but Birmingham weathered the storm and saw the home side look deflated coming up to half time.

The second half had just begun when Spurs were handed a lifeline as Djorou clashed with Berbatov in the box. Keane’s penalty was hard and high and acted as a much needed confidence boost for his team-mates.

It wasn’t long before they were ahead. Birmingham had just cleared their lines following a free-kick, on 52mins, when Huddlestone ( on as a second half substitute) played a lovely ball over the top to find Keane’s well timed run and the Irishman’s first time shot was scuffed but found the top corner.

Birmingham were rocked by this and almost conceded again a minute later but Berbatov’s shot came back off the upright. The visitors got their composure back as Spurs continued to apply pressure.

Spurs were their own worst enemy again as Jerome was allowed to run at their defence on 61mins. The awkward looking striker twice got some luck with ricochets as both Tottenham defenders failed to make a convincing tackle. The resulting shot from 20yards was a superbly accurate daisy-cutter that found its way past Robinson and into the corner of the goal.

Berbatov almost restored Spurs’ lead on 64mins but saw his header cleared off the line. Things went form bad to worse when Robbie Keane was given a straight red after a fairly innocuous looking tackle on Muamba.

This seemed to invigorate Spurs as they laid siege to the visitors’ goal. Birmingham couldn’t make their numerical advantage pay off as they continued to give the ball back to Spurs.

It was Birmingham though who made the final push in the closing stages. Kapo, having come on as a substitute, gave them a new outlet and it was his cross, on 87mins, that Forsell directed on to the bar from 6 yards.

It looked to be a draw following Robinson’s injury-time save form Kapo but on 91mins Sebastian Larsson hit a wonder shot from 30 yards that bent into the top corner to give Birmingham the points.

Portsmouth 0 – 0 Everton

2007-12-12T19:25:00.000Z

A dull, cautious match that barely deserves to be typed up, read the next match review it’s bound to be more interesting!

Everton began by playing particularly deep, inviting Portsmouth on in a manner that was indicative of both teams’ attitudes. Pompey’s forwards were only too willing to accept this invitation and shoot from long range (albeit inaccurately). Benjani did get in the once but Nuno Valente covered Yobo’s error well.

It took a quarter of the match for the visitors to get going but even when Everton were on top the likes of Arteta and Pienaar weren’t seeing enough of the ball to worry Pompey.

The closest it came to a goal was when Muntari whipped in a free kick just on the stroke of half time. The in-swinging ball missed everyone and forced Howard to tip it over.

The home side looked like they might be willing to take the initiative at the beginning of the second half with both Mendes and Kranjar having half chances just after the break.

Everton threw on another forward and switched to 4-4-2 just before the hour in an attempt to nick something. Osman had a chance almost immediately but he missed controlled with only the keeper to beat.

When either side did commit men to attack they found the opposition more than a match for them in what was a tight game between two very hardworking sides.

Benjani saw an effort flash wide on 61mins and Arteta had a couple of well delivered free kicks but bar that there was little action at either end.

Pompey gave their supporters something to cheer when they felt obliged to give it a go for the last few minutes but ultimately it was a game that typified the phrases “stalemate” and “deadlock.”

Chelsea 1 – 0 West Ham

2007-12-05T18:58:00.000Z

There wasn’t much to note in the first half of this game bar the unexpected resilience of West Ham as they denied a lethargic Chelsea time on the ball which made for a very tight first 45mins.

The best chance fell to Drogba after 8mins during a spell where the home side had their opponents pinned back. The Chelsea striker bent his shot just wide of the top corner though. From then Chelsea were reduced to long range efforts as West Hams game plan looked to be working nicely.

West Ham became more settled as the half wore on and on 31mins almost had a goal of their own with Solano’s cheeky lob almost catching Cudicini out.

It wasn’t a great spectacle but there was s sparkling piece of play just before the break. After a good move down the right, Drogba dummied a cross at the front post only for Belletti to arrive just too late to provide the finishing touch.

Chelsea stepped it up a gear for the second half and from the off they were causing the Hammers more problems.

The higher tempo saw more space open up with Lampard, Joe Cole and Kalou all finding room to shoot.

It turned into a completely different match to the first half but West Ham were equally as resolute. They never really threatened Chelsea despite the room created for the counter.

Chelsea were looking like they might be frustrated when on 72mins the goal came. A flick on form Drogba found Kalou who headed on for the overlapping Cole who rounded the keeper and found the top corner form a tight angle.

They almost doubled there tally minutes later when Drogba’s diving header went just wide following a great ball in form Wright-Philips.

Chelsea took command of the remaining time, retained possession and killed off the game like any top side showing that their certainly not out of the title race.

West Ham can take something from the game as their performance showed a great work ethic and new level of organisation.