3DS Review: Luigi's Mansion 2

Luigi's Mansion 2 Review

The original Luigi's Mansion, released in 2001 on the Nintendo Gamecube, was considered to be very much a sleeper hit. But as a Sony Playstation 2 owner I was unfortunately unable to play it even though it looked intriguingly scary (I was only 9 years old at the time). Moving forward to 2013 and Luigi's Mansion 2 was finally released. Even though it has been over a decade since the original, I had certainly not forgotten that I wished to play this particular franchise and thankfully, with my Nintendo 3DS in tow I was able to. 

Story: 8.7/10

Very true to Nintendo's form, the story is not incredibly deep. 

The story begins with Luigi being teleported to Professor E. Gadds bunker and set the task of searching through various mansions in order to find fragments of the Dark Moon which has been stolen by unknown evil. Of course it isn't that simple as the friendly ghosts of Evershade Valley have transformed to attack and torment Luigi whilst on his quest.

Although the story can be considered somewhat light, surprisingly it is definitely the most cinematic game to surface from the Mushroom Kingdom yet. There were a few twists and turns along the way, with a perfect balance being revealed throughout the stages about the deeper evil. Combine that with an adorable charm and charisma that continually seeps through the entire run through of the game and you have an extremely enjoyable premise that fits perfectly into the handheld marketplace as well.   

Gameplay: 8.5/10

How does the gameplay fare? Luigi is equipped with a flashlight (Stroboscope), a darklight and his trusty Poltergust 5000. 

The flashlight is used in order to stun ghosts. But rather than simply shining it onto the enemy like the original, instead it has to be charged up to provide a pulse of light to stun the ghosts. 

The darklight, a new addition, can be used to find invisible objects such as doors and chests. Some of these objects are needed to be found for the progression of the story, whilst some others are optional bonuses. The darklight can also be used to detect and stun Boo's. 

The Poltergust 5000 like before simply sucks the ghosts and coins into the machine. In order for the ghosts to be sucked in the player has to hold onto the R button whilst holding the circle pad in the opposite direction to which the ghost is moving and pressing the A button at the precise moment to get small bonuses. This  include coins, gold bars and health. The Poltergust can also suck in or blow out environmental objects such as fans and rotors to move a mechanism.

The darklight and Poltergust are automatically upgraded as the player levels up through the acquisition of gold coins. This is a nice little bonus as it provides the incentive to coin collect which ultimately helps balance out the game, particularly as the difficulty spikes a little bit towards the end.

For the most part the controls were very tight and responsive, but there were a few occasions whereby I would try to charge the flashlight and it would not respond instantly. Furthermore, the amount of maneuverability is tremendously diminished when using any of these items. Whether or not it is to simply add more difficulty and an attempt to be more tactical when attacking ghosts is unclear, but it was a bit peculiar changing from being pretty nimble to suddenly sluggish movements as if in mud.

There are a few instances of the 3DS's motion control capabilities being used. The gyroscope is used whilst  peering through windows and also to look around the rooms. The accelerometer on the other hand balances Luigi on precarious ledges. The two ultimately end up being novelties. Luckily the circle pad could be used to look around rather than mess up the 3D on screen whilst awkwardly moving your whole body around.         

Unlike the original, there are 5 mansions rather than the single one. This is great as it adds an extra amount of longevity with the game, but also allowed for the developers to create differing themes inside these spooky houses. These range from a chalet in a snowy environment, to one with tons of greenhouses, filled with  plants. 

Additionally, bucking the trend of the original, Luigi's Mansion 2 is split into a mission structure. Once the main objectives of the mission are completed, Luigi is transported back to E. Gadd's bunker which acts as a hub. Although this is great in the sense that you can play the game in short bursts, the problem which arises is that once the objectives are achieved there is no choice to continue in search for the numerous gems and  coins. As a result, the player ends up having to scour the open parts of the mansion to find all these extras before even beginning the proper objectives. There should have been an option to ignore E. Gadds call to return back once the level had ended

But the bonus aspect of this mission structure is that at the end of each level a set of statistics are brought up with a final medal of bronze, silver and gold, plus confirmation if you caught a Boo. It definitely provides incentive to return back to these levels in order to increase your score.   

Another issue is that the game can end up being somewhat brutal. If you die during a mission, unless you find a golden dog bone which revitalises Luigi health, you end up starting the mission right from the beginning. Bearing in mind the problem about collecting all the treasures before getting into the main objectives, it's rather harsh. There should be at least a checkpoint halfway through each mission or an autosave feature whenever you acquire a gem. 

During my run through of the game I only died 3-4 times as the game is generous for the most part, but it was a tremendous nuisance when I had to start all over again. Ultimately these short bursts of gameplay can end up lasting a lot longer. 

Graphics: 9.6/10

Luigi's Mansion 2 is possibly one of the best looking games on the 3DS system, alongside the likes of Kingdom Hearts 3D. 

Although the art style is rather simplistic and there are not a lot of insanely detailed high resolution textures, the graphics retained the charm of Nintendo's classic franchise and mascots. There is a tremendous amount of on screen objects and background detail as well. 

The frame rate was rock solid throughout which allowed the 3D effect to be a lot easier on the eyes. The camera remains in a fixed position but follows Luigi as he moves up and down floors with the occasional peculiar angle in order to highlight the 3D effect even more which also worked exceptionally well. 

The game is extremely vibrant and colourful and the cutscenes were really expressive making the game feel more like a Saturday morning cartoon which was fantastic.    

Sound: 9.0/10

Charles Martinet provides a delightfully cheerful voice of Luigi, with a lot more dialogue than I expected. Yes they are more one liners than anything, but it was great. The way he would say "oh dear" when something would go wrong or "I did it!" when he resolved the issue was really charming. So much attention to detail was played that even when the soundtrack played in the background Luigi would sometimes hum along to the music, his voice quivering a few times, emphasising his anxiety. It definitely puts a smile on your face. 

The sound effects of the ghosts are also brilliant as they all vary between different types. They all retain a cheeky sounding voice definitely forcing the notion that they are up to no good.

Even the general sound effects, from the wind blowing to the doors creaking slowly ajar were well implemented. It set the tone of each haunted mansion.

Although the soundtrack was incredibly catchy, I still sometimes randomly hum it aloud, it was a slight disappointment that it seemed to be one song throughout the game but with slightly remixed versions in each new location. It felt a little bit lazy.

A minor niggle also arose during the first mission. The sound completely disappeared a few minutes into the game. It was not at all game breaking as it eventually reappeared, but considering it was my first time playing this franchise it wasn't a great first impression on quality assurance.          

Longevity: 9.2/10

The single player was a lot lengthier than I had anticipated, clocking in at 17 and a half hours. With the addition of returning to previous levels to acquire everything from gems to Boo's to simply achieving a gold medal, it is definitely a beefy product. Add the online and local multiplayer component and you end up with a completely satisfying purchase.   

Conclusion: 

Despite some gameplay flaws, Luigi's Mansion 2 is a fantastic game to play. Its charisma won me over, and the gameplay aspects which were done right was extremely fun and a nice departure from the swarm of FPS and parkour games of the home consoles and horrendously weak games on Android/iPhone marketplace. 

Here's hoping that Nintendo continue to create games of this calibre and move in the right direction of making their mascots have a more cinematic experience.

Luigi's Mansion 3 on the WiiU anyone?  

9/10

New Girl Review: Episodes 1-4 (Season 2)

New Girl 

 Review Round Up

Part One: Episodes 1-4

 

After a tremendous first season, Jessica Day and her fun loving friends have returned in the United States for its second season. How has it fared so far. 

Episode One "Relaunch"

Season two's introductory episode was a great way to get back into the swing of things in this madcap, studio apartment universe. 

The format of the episode was somewhat reminiscent to the pilot of season one. This introduced Jess with an immediate major dilemma which would ultimately impact her character and lifestyle choices. Although some may say it was a bit rushed. it was delivered very well and got the ball rolling in shifting the dynamic of the life of Jessica Day swiftly.  

As for the boys: Nick and Winston, maintained comedic brilliance throughout, with no seriously major storyline set ups. whilst Schmidt had the best of both worlds with great lines throughout which elevates his brilliant ignorance, yet had a great follow up to the Schmidt/Cece situation that unfurled in last seasons finale.

What worked best in this episode was the chemistry between the whole cast. It was incredibly strong throughout season one and it has got even better. It feels incredibly believable for these characters to live together and go along with their kooky lifestyles. 

Nick and Jess are great as close friends with Nick constantly trying to help Jess face the realities of life but also provide humour to lighten the mood. 

Schmidt and Cece bounce of one another incredibly too, making it utterly believable that they are too similar in characteristics to actually attempt coexist with one another without the sexual tension, which is constantly there and is great. 

Winston somewhat felt like a lone wolf in this episode, somewhat detached from all the storylines, and he didn't really make much of a presence until the second half of the show. But in his small set pieces he was incredibly funny with his slapstick behaviour. His final moment was spectacularly hilarious. Some might agree he is similar to Eddie Murphy, but better with his delivery.  

Overall it was a solid episode which made me laugh out loud constantly. But the immensely strong character development and chemistry made it even better. It is a joy to watch and a welcome return.

9.0/10

Episode Two "Katie"

Originally I was not entirely taken to this episode. But after a few repeats I have grown to enjoy it, although there are still some elements which did not overly suit the show. 

This episode showed Jess going "off the grid" after the dilemma which she was faced with in the previous episode. Although the story was funny, it seemed very uncharacteristic of Jess to be in that situation, particularly as we have grown to know her character extremely well from the first season. But I suppose this was a reaction to her situation. Additionally this main arc was only funny when the other characters such as Cece and Nick got screen time along side her. 

The best storyline by far was Nicks standalone piece. It was very funny to see how gullible and naive he can become and even after he realised the truth he still continued to go along with it right until the very end.

As for Schmidt and Winston, their side story was simply satisfactory. There were a few laughs with Schmidt's typically crazy behaviour, but Winston was rather quiet for the majority. It was also a shame that Winston's part was not as built up as it could have been because the set up for him to have a larger presence in the show was there. 

I know I am one who does not like change. And perhaps it is because I have seen Jess to be the innocent, eccentric girl and wouldn't want it changed for the world. But her transformation was not met with satisfaction from me, which unfortunately dragged the episode down. Thankfully Nicks side story saved the day.      

7/10

Episode Three "Fluffer"

This was one seriously brilliant episode of New Girl and one of my favourites to date. Both the writers and the actors create a near enough faultless sitcom episode.

I have to start with the amazing chemistry between Jake (Nick) and Zooey (Jess). The two of them create such memorable moments with their almost bipolar interactions and confrontations between each other. There is an intense heat between the two of them, one which most fans will demand satisfaction from in the end (lets hope the writers deliver). The storyline itself between the two was simple, all about setting boundaries amongst friends, but was fantastic and created situations which led to the bipolar nature as stated previously. 

Schmidt's storyline was very funny but was a little bit questionable. It was directly in reference to the presidential campaign that (at the time of production) was reaching its climax in the United States. As a Brit I am not aware of FOX's political allegiance, if there is any. But it felt somewhat forced. Luckily Schmidt had some very funny puns and other wordplays to go alongside it. What salvaged this side story the most was the emotional story that managed to tie in towards the end. Something that definitely needs to be developed in later episodes. Cece plays a fairly minor role in this episode, following Schmidt's side story. But yet again, although great on her own, combining with Schmidt just made it better. Seeing her soft side towards him came across incredibly naturally and was rather sweet.

Poor Winston once again was overshadowed by the rest of the cast and simply provided some funny moments. But in these moments, his facial expressions (consisting of a creepy grin) was absolutely spectacular and laugh out loud hilarious. Although his role was minor, these little segments were balanced out perfectly or else the joke probably would have seemed overused otherwise.        

In conclusion, the main storyline was one of the best in New Girls lifespan so far. The side story equally as good (minus the political reference) and the humour was to an insane level of brilliance. Winston needs a larger presence though, which I'm sure he will get.

9.4/10

Episode Four "Neighbors"

 

This episode continued further the premise of Jess still being left in a sticky situation after her life changing dilemma. Luckily this episode results in a progression to get her back on track. 

It was great to see Jess and Schmidt in a joint storyline together this time as the majority seems to co-exist with Nick and Jess. Although the chemistry was not as strong as the previous episode, it was great to see the major differences between the two characters. The punch lines Jess had were not exactly funny as she used references from 1980's sitcoms and I found them to be more grating than actually funny impersonations.

As for Schmidt he was once again the typical douche bag we adore. His constant need for approval and attention was very funny considering how much power he actually holds. But on the more serious side of the story it was very well implemented. The use of the neighbours was a good technique for Jess's to realise that she needs to push herself. 

Nick's small part was also very good, although perhaps a little bit over the top. It was great to see how obsessive he becomes when he really gets involved in something he enjoys doing. His almost jittery behaviour from the adrenaline and excitement of his ploys was enjoyable to watch. 

Yet again we reach poor Winston. There was very little screen time from him. But fortunately what little screen time he did receive, it was pretty good. It was great to see Winston pushing himself forward in his career (which I hope will create a larger part for him in the future) and his small joint venture with Nicks obsession was funny, particularly his last scene.  

Although not one of the best, it was still a good episode. It was nice to see Jess seemingly attempt to get back on track and more funny to see all the guys behave like teenage boys with one another, even though they consider themselves old. Cece made no appearance in this episode, which was a shame but didn't detract the quality of the show.

  

7.4/10

So far the second season has wavered a little, but all have been great episodes to watch. Stay tuned for the upcoming part 2 which will review episodes 5-8  

Cougar Town Review: Episodes 3-6

Cougar Town: 

Review Roundup

This review roundup of episodes 3-6 uses a simple pros (+), cons (-) and in between (+/-) format . 

'Between Two Worlds'

+ A central theme of "what is in a name?" between Jules and Bobby. The story for Bobby was rather interesting as he called himself "Ron Mexico" and was ultimately treated more pleasantly whilst going about his day to day business. The story concluded well with Andy's intervention, tying up Bobby's whole scenario rather neatly, but it also showed  a profoundly emotional, insecure side of Bobby. This was great as we are more used to his positive demeanour.

+ As for Jules, the premise was a result of Graysons unhappiness of keeping the Cobb name rather than taking his own surname, Ellis. The development wasn't as strong as Bobby's plot, purely because Jules still remained rather stuck, but at least she came to a compromise with Grayson.

+ A nice little side story between Travis and Laurie as she subtly highlights the ways in which Travis helps distract people, which Laurie considers an act selflessness. It was an interesting story of love, although it is hard to know where it may lead and end up with these two characters.

+/- Within Jules's central storyline there was also a need from her to create confrontation with Grayson. It was interesting but yet was another instance of something we have already seen before. 

- Ellie was a bit on the sidelines in this episode, almost acting as a narrator of what was going to happen between Jules and Grayson.

In conclusion it was a nice touching story, particularly for Bobby being lost with himself and Andy coming to his rescue. But still there is an issue of a slight sense of deja vu within some of the other plot points. Luckily the overall focus still developed well.    

7.7/10

'I Should Have Known It'

 

+ Finally Tom had a slightly grander role in this episode! The whole situation with Jules and Laurie's nosiness as to why Tom had a girlfriend was a little silly and over the top with their stake out and such, but it was funny nonetheless, particularly with Laurie's attempt to break in towards the end. It was an unfortunate ending for Tom, regarding his love life, but at least he became more involved with the Cul de Sac Crew.

+ Side story for Travis, Ellie and Bobby was also a great bit of light hearted fun. Fans have known Bobby to be a bit sloppy when going out on dates with women, example Angie (Sarah Chalke) last season, and it was fun to see a hardened character like Ellie attempt to get Bobby to be more sensitive and traditional towards women. 

+ What was even greater with this side story was its sudden shift to a more serious situation resulting in a heated conversation between Ellie and Travis which proved Trav's intense protectiveness over his dad and his shortcomings. 

+/- Andy and Grayson got the short straw in this episode with them trying to amend the absurd rules that their wives have created in the household. It was a merely a bit of boyish silliness between the two but was still fun.

Overall this episode was really enjoyable. Each individual story was interesting, but what worked even better was how they weren't conceived as three separate plots but instead each character was woven into all the stories. e.g. Ellie played the role of the "cleanup lady" for Jules and Laurie in between her part with Bobby and Travis.It was very well done and flowed naturally.         

8/10

'Running Down A Dream'

 

+ Andy, Travis and Laurie's joint storyline was very funny with Andy mocking the snobbery nature of both these youngsters "creative vocations". A particular moment with Andy's query of what defines high quality photography was the highlight as it was easy to understand this case, as we live in an era of camera phones and Instagram. It was great to see an elder like Andy put Travis and Laurie in their place.

+ Ellie on the search to go back to work, resulting in a joint venture with Bobby with his fraudulent burger van provided some great banter between the two, but also created a great way for Ellie to vent her insulting personality to the townsfolk.    

+/- Although not as strong as the other characters plots, it was interesting to see Jules unsatisfied with her job as a real estate agent, primarily due to a very indecisive couple. Grayson was very funny, watching his displeasure and twitchy reaction of his wife working with him at his bar. 

Personally it was reminiscent behaviour of Dr Cox's reaction when Jordan began work at Sacred Heart in Scrubs, knowing that the writing team is the same, it somewhat brings across the idea that stories are simply being rehashed but in a different setting. But to be honest it wasn't a major problem. At least there was a nice conclusion with Jules getting back on her feet with her real estate job.  

Overall the episode had a good theme, questioning if each individual were in their dream jobs. For the most part it was a light hearted episode with no real life altering realisations, but there were a few nice instances of slight changes in character as a result of this.

7.8/10

'Restless'

+ Very heartfelt story for Bobby, learning how he understood the mistakes he made during his marriage to Jules and how he tried to fix it up through a journal of "do's and don't's". But it was also great to witness how he manages to keep his emotions together with his good friend Grayson, now married to Jules.

+ There was a brilliantly funny little green screen scene with Travis and his date for Valentines Day. But more importantly was Travis's input when needed, to almost protect his dads integrity. It was great to see this recurring theme remain prevalent in this episode.

+ Ellie and Andy's little Valentines tradition was also rather humourous, with Andy taking full advantage of Ellie, quite literally, even when she was not at all enthused.

+/- The setup for Jules story was pretty good with Grayson's injury. The major issue was an underlying problem which didn't detract attention away from all the other characters storylines. The ending was also very satisfying, as it was extremely simple, which made it all the more moving and emphasised how much Jules needs attention to keep herself going.    

- It was unfortunate that Laurie's role was rather small in this episode. It would have been nice to have had a least a small heartfelt video chat scene with her boyfriend in Afghanistan. But at least the input she did bring to the episode for Ellie was nice.         

As you would expect, it was an episode that ticked all the boxes for a cliched Valentines episode with nothing but a nicely tied up ending about the true meaning of love. But nonetheless it was still a great episode. Perhaps it is because Cougar Town is different in that it is a single camera setup sitcom, without the live studio audience or canned laughter, but it is a prime example of a sitcom that pushes itself a little bit further than others to create a more compelling, true to life tale.   

8.2/10

Cougar Town Review: I Need To Know

Cougar Town

"I Need To Know" Review 

The second episode of Cougar Town has made its way to us, an episode in which consolidates the notion that even though this sitcom has shifted TV studio's it has most certainly not altered in terms of its style of storytelling. Although for the most part it is great, sometimes it feels as if some new ground should be taken in order to spice up the show a little bit.

The main plot point was between Jules (Courtney Cox) and Travis (Dan Byrd) consisting of a storyline that is most definitely a tried and true formula. 

Once again the episode looks into the overbearing maternal instincts of Jules with her son as he tries to distance himself from the family group, now that he considers himself an adult. Although it was another heartwarming story between the two, with a few interesting turns in the middle, there was nothing new to the table. For those who have watched the previous three seasons of Cougar Town have already witnessed this scenario time and time again between these characters. The result always ends up the same as well, which is somewhat of a shame in my eyes.

Admittedly there were some funny moments within the plot such as the cringe worthy way in which Jules described her relationship with Travis, and an interesting narration of an episode of Game of Thrones. But it certainly didn't push any boundaries. 

As for the side stories they were the usual kooky fillers which were fairly enjoyable nonetheless. 

Grayson and Laurie were paired up together in the bar with Laurie constantly pressing Grayson's buttons with concerns about his sexuality. It was very lighthearted and funny, with a standout point from Grayson towards the end. 

More importantly though, it was nice to see Laurie back on form after her quiet portrayal in the previous episode. She came out with some brilliant wordplay's which totally encapsulated her crazy character. 

The remaining trio, Ellie, Andy and Bobby were put into a rather lacklustre scenario. Like the main plot, it followed similar territory between Ellie and Andy's relationship, with constant interjections from Bobby. The final tie up was also exactly the same as what we have encountered in previous episodes, which unfortunately gave a tremendous sense of deja vu. There were a few moments of literal humour with Travis the dog, but nothing ground breaking.

Cougar Town's renowned odd humour at work

Strangely enough the funniest moments in this episode was with next door neighbour Tom. His constant nervous persona combined with the physical humour used with his pet cat snowball towards the end of the show managed a few laughs.            

Overall it was a satisfactory episode, which was lighthearted and fun. But as you may have gathered from reading this review, the main gripe is that the show does not delve into any new territory. 

Considering the move to TBS, this could possibly be the perfect opportunity to shake it up. There is the saying "If it ain't broke, don't fix it" and Cougar Town fits into this. It's a perfectly good show. But I am weary that each episode will eventually become groundhog day, constantly repeating the same themes over and over again. Hopefully this won't be the case for the future episodes that follow.

6.9/10

Cougar Town Review: Blue Sunday

Cougar Town 

"Blue Sunday" Review

The Cul de Sac crew return

Cougar Town has officially began its fourth season. But with the shift from ABC Studios to TBS will the show take a different route with its already niche market? Here is what Otter thinks of the season première.

Over the last three seasons, Cougar Town has been known for its eccentric, wacky sense of humour combined with light hearted morals at the end of each episode to tie everything nicely together. This seasons première is no different. The foundations of the episode have remained largely the same.

The plot development continues on, a week after the events of last seasons finale. Jules and Grayson are now married and are adjusting to the extremely early phases of it, whilst Travis still somewhat suffers the consequences of admitting his love for Laurie.    

The situation between Jules and Grayson, although lacking in any form of seriousness at all, was nice as it emphasised the polar opposite nature of each character: Jules the extremely high maintenance, paranoid wife in contrast to Grayson's calm demeanour. What proved best about this situation was that it pointed out how Grayson could use his tranquil nature to positive effect on his wife, which was great to see. 

Travis's plot line was a lot stronger. The situation at hand was not faced head on but gently steered towards his dad, Bobby who offered him advice on how to survive in the real world. The relationship between Travis and Bobby has always been an interesting one, as Travis, the intellectual, more often than not in the past has offered help to his dad, effectively reversing the roles. But in the main, it has always seemed to be Bobby who offers the most life altering advice. This was the case for the final moments of this side story, and although it was not tied up cleanly, it is great to know a larger arc between Travis and Laurie will be played throughout the season.

I was always concerned that Christa Miller's Ellie would effectively be a Jordan 2.0 (Scrubs). Thankfully the writers have given Ellie more heart and sensitivity with a hint of vulnerability about herself which has made it far more interesting to watch her development. This was definitely the case in this episode as Ellie was seemingly evil and manipulative at the beginning, yet came out on top as the protective friend of Jules. 

Unfortunately for Andy and Laurie their roles were rather small in comparison to the rest of the cast. Andy remained the faithful sidekick to Bobby, also following the advice given to Travis. But nothing substantial really developed.

As for Laurie, her character was incredibly toned down in terms of her kookiness ( I did not hear a "What-What!" at all). She did deliver some funny lines, but for the most part she remained fairly quiet.

Here's hoping Laurie will cheer up really soon

Overall it was a good start to a new beginning at TBS. There was nothing incredibly outstanding to it, but enjoyable nonetheless. 

At the end of the day, I think Bill Lawrence and the writers are simply trying to achieve a very light hearted sitcom that people can relax and enjoy for 20 minutes without the need for all the background knowledge of previous seasons in order to get caught up in convoluted storylines like hit sitcom HIMYM, and it works very well for Cougar Town.     

7.8/10

Movie Review: Happythankyoumoreplease

Happythankyoumoreplease 

Review

So here we are with another indie-esque film written and directed by Josh Radnor (Yes you all must think of me as obsessed with Radnor with my weekly HIMYM reviews and Liberal Arts article last month, but I assure you that isn't the case). 

How did the movie fare? It was certainly an interesting story which branched off to different areas fairly well, and although it seemed to try and produce a moral at the end, one which I was fully aware of the message, it didn't profoundly reach out to me.   

The storyline revolves around Sam (Radnor), a simple freelance writer living in New York City who takes in a child, Rasheen (Michael Algieri) who is separated from his guardian on the subway. Quickly other characters are introduced such as Sams best friend Annie (Malin Akerman) and his cousin Mary Catherine (Zoe Kazan). From there on the plot branches out into three separate tales, although they all loosely intertwine with one. This technique worked well in providing a sense of cohesion with the three plots rather than if it were three completely unrelated stories.

The first plot continues with Sam and Rasheen, with Sams moral obligation as an adult to look after this child constantly coming into play, whilst at the same time his selfishness gets the better of him. Sam's character was quite hard to take in at first as he instantly comes off as an egotist. I wasn't sure whether or not we as the audience are supposed to like this character, but I think we are meant to have an initial distaste in him. But as he begins to learn the consequences of his Samaritan actions, Sam develops into a more sympathetic character as his insecurity is unleashed. 

Along the way he meets a girl named Mississippi (Kate Mara). His interactions with her were rather unusual for what he himself considers to be an average suburban person, and the majority of the situation seemed a bit unfeasible and outlandish with the deal they both make. But still, although peculiar, it was certainly an interesting way to bring two people together and there were some genuinely nice moments between Sam and Mississippi. 

 

The second tale revolves around Annie. She constantly seems in conflict with herself, trying to figure out why she cannot achieve proper happiness. As much as it could be shrouded in its clever wordplay and phrasing,  it honesty seemed to be a pretty simple premise of finding love, even if it's not along the path you imagined  to take. There's no doubt there were some brilliant lines in this particular part, especially in a few instances with Sam #2 (Tony Hale), but the plot didn't move me as much as I anticipated. 

       

Moving onto the third, between a young couple, Mary Catherine and Charlie (Pablo Schreiber) coping with their struggles in their relationship.

Personally this was the weakest of the three stories. Mary Catherine came off as rather neurotic, definitely unreasonable and as she says so herself, manipulative, whilst Charlie was rather distant. 

The development between the two was lacking as it constantly shifted to different disputes between each other in between the other plots. Perhaps Radnor was attempting to emulate a continuously functioning young couple without holding the hand of the audience to clearly explain the problematic situation. In that vein you could certainly sense the tension and possible decay of the couple, which was actually really good as there was clearly a mutual feeling of the undying love for one another. But that's what made it all the more peculiar why Charlie seemed distant. The slow trickle of information as to why Mary Catherine was behaving the way she was saved this plot point.   

On to the acting itself, It was delivered brilliantly by the whole cast. They all behaved incredibly naturally in their conversations and their physical interactions with one another. You could certainly believe them to be based on real life people. 

The directing was also done tastefully too, with some very interesting shots using reflections and natural light. There was also a frequent use of extreme close ups of the protagonists, clearly to show their expressions through their various emotions, but some may find it to be a little too frequent.

Finally the soundtrack of the film was brilliant in providing the overall tone of the film with lovely melodic acoustic songs for the most part, fully expressing what each character was going through during that moment in time.

I may sound rather disapproving of this film, but surprisingly, even though I wasn't fully enamored by it, I still found it enjoyable to watch and it kept me engrossed for its entirety. The film was stylishly directed and was interesting to watch as the various characters slowly develop in understanding themselves and what needs to be changed to make themselves happy. Overall this movie told a nice grounded tale with a satisfyingly cheerful ending, its best possible attribute.

7/10

Movie Review: Liberal Arts

Liberal Arts Review

Liberal Arts was yet another film that I wished to see when finding out about its release in the UK in October. Unfortunately it was only shown in select cinema's across the country, but luckily I finally managed to view it. Although it took me a little while to get over some minor gripes, this film was in fact extremely deep and the spectacle of the narrative was on a much larger scale than I had originally thought and was thoroughly enjoyable.

The story begins with Jesse (Josh Radnor), an admissions officer at a university in New York travelling back to his old Liberal Arts college in Ohio to see off one of his favourite lecturers who has begun his retirement. 

The first half of the film seemed to veer towards a simple love story between Jesse and Sophomore student  Ziggy (Elizabeth Olsen). Although wonderfully paced and humanely approached, with simplistic views of a connection between one another through a shared adoration, it was not something I was too keen on, hoping that the film would not become in essence a romantic comedy simply masked behind the world of academia. 

Thankfully this was not the case. As the film progressed, Jesse's interactions with other characters such as Nat (Zac Efron) and Peter (Richard Jenkins) posed an altogether different approach. One which looked at different interpretations of the meaning of life. Multiple layers of moral storytelling were put on the forefront  of the film but did not all feel forced upon. 

The acting was outstanding. All the cast behaved extremely naturally and even when there were instances of fairly serious drama it was not created in an unbelievably melodramatic manner. 

Being such an avid fan of How I Met Your Mother it was a little hard to distinguish Jesse's character apart from Ted Mosby, purely because both are portrayed as fairly pretentious intellectuals with a penchant for literature and the romantics. But with the morals and life lessons enveloping in Jesse, his character became more grounded and subtle and was still a great performance by Radnor.   

Elizabeth Olsen's portrayal of Ziggy was excellent too. She provided a interesting insight into the mind of a university student, always seeing the brighter side of things for the future. She was essentially a polar opposite to Jesse, who was far more cynical and nostalgic of the past. Their chemistry together worked really well because of this as it brought about tension through debate.

Although they did not have a lot of screen time, Richard Jenkins and Allison Janney (Prof. Fairfields) efforts were substantial in consolidating some of the more hardened life lessons. They were great as they  unconsciously, through their own nostalgia and growing cynicism, gave away these teachings to Jesse.

Even the really small players in this production such as John Magaro's Dean and Efron's Nat were great. It was surprising to see Efron playing a role vastly different from the usual typecast character he is known for. His portrayal of a zany hippie was rather funny when Jesse had these rare encounters with him. Whereas in contrast, the meetings with Dean were far more serious yet equally brilliant in building up the larger scope of the story.

What I found best about the use of three university students, was that even though Ziggy, Dean and Nat were physically in the same place, mentally and emotionally they were all in different phases, with contrasting outlooks on what the future held for them. 

Overall Liberal Arts was a fantastic film to watch. The pacing was consistently even throughout the film, and although it was simply shot, there were some great camera techniques and a variance of colour within it to emit the tone of individual scenes.

Some may find that the academic backdrop a bit of a turn off, and it did sometimes seem as if it was trying too hard to be smart. But once the layers are slowly unravelled, a fairly simple tale emerges questioning what do we do in order to move forward and do something great with our lives?              

As a senior university student, with that question becoming ever more prevalent in my mind, Liberal Arts spoke to me very clearly. If you are at the same stage in your life and you do decide to watch this, you have made a very good choice. 

8.8/10

Movie Review: Safety Not Guaranteed

Safety Not Guaranteed

Review

From Left: Jake Johnson, Aubrey Plaza and Karan Soni

I always take an interest in these peculiar, indie style films when they arise, and with Safety Not Guaranteed it was no exception. It was on the top of my priority list. 

This film has been swimming around on the other side of the pond, in the US of A for quite some time now  and has only reached the British shores within the last few weeks. So, what did I make of it?.. let's begin.

Firstly the storyline. When first reading the synopsis of the movie: three magazine employees go out to interview a man who is seeking a companion for time travel, I was expecting an unusual film like that of Wes Anderson with his quite odd but unique style of storytelling. This was not the case for this film, but the story was told fantastically nonetheless. I was grateful for the fact that it was not extremely strange because the premise of the tale wouldn't have been as powerful.

The title of the film Safety Not Guaranteed should not be taken in a literal sense. Personally the title and overall story itself represents the various emotional leaps and turmoil's all the characters have to face but more importantly that in life, there is no guarantee of safety when we push ourselves forward.   

Although there were a few eccentric moments here and there, for the most part it was an extremely grounded story in the main. One which I loved and was fully engrossed in. 

Regarding the acting it was stellar from the entire cast. they all behaved extremely naturally considering the eccentricity of the storyline. 

Aubrey Plaza was outstanding as Darius with her morose demeanour. she represented herself as someone constantly searching for something to make her feel alive and Plaza expressed it beautifully. 

Jake Johnson's Jeff was great too with his confident, cocky exterior but ultimately insecure personality. It was a little bit tough to not simply see him as Nick from hit sitcom New Girl on the odd occasion, but that's my problem and the softer side to his character completely removed that issue.   

Mark Duplass's Kenneth was also great as the chemistry between him and Plaza bounced off one another with ease and was entirely believable. He also offered quite a bit of humour with his "madness" but most of the time he provided quite a gripping insight into someone trying to make sense of life.

Karan Soni, who played the intern Arnau did not have as much screen time as the other characters, and it was a little bit unfortunate that he was portrayed in a slight stereotypical manner as the Asian biology geek. But still he played a great part in portraying a nervous, embarrassed young adult.  

As a result this film was fantastic. I have always felt that the best form of storytelling is to tug on the emotional heartstrings of the audience with a simple yet heart warming story, and this film fully achieves that. The pacing was a little bit slow but the small twist and turns along the way made it really interesting to watch. If you are looking for something a little bit different, this film fully deserves your attention

8.5/10