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Paul Kellett (118 KP) created a post
May 1, 2019
Paul Kellett (118 KP) rated Gloom of Kilforth: A Fantasy Quest Game in Tabletop Games
May 1, 2019
Over 250 unique pieces of high quality artwork (3 more)
Solo play using one character
Massive replayability
An evolving story that's different every time
Can take 4-5 hours with 4 players (1 more)
Can be brutally hard if the dice roll bad
An Epic Narrative Adventure Game for 1 to 4 heroes
Gloom of Kilforth is an epic narrative adventure where you try to complete your saga and defeat the ancient evil bringing the land into gloom.
You start by choosing a character, class and a saga to tell. Your character and class give you your starting stats (combat, knowledge, sneak and influence) while the sagas are 4 chapters long and each chapter requires 2 (or 3 if only playing 1-2 players) keywords to complete. Completing a chapter levels up your character giving you more health and a new skill.
Keywords are found on the cards you encounter as you search the map and are colour coded to give you a hint to where they are most likely to be found.
The map is a 5x5 grid of cards with Sprawl City in the centre and a mix of Forests, Mountains, Plains and Badlands arranged randomly around it.
Every time you enter an empty location, you draw a card from the relevant terrain deck and interact with it.
Encounters are won by rolling a number of d6 dice equal to your skill in the stat list d on the encounter. Success is on a 5 or 6 so playing to your character's strengths is paramount.
Each player starts with 4 health and at the start of each round, you gain action points equal to your current health which makes strategy and stealth the key to early success.
It also means that the game starts slowly but starts to snowball as you complete the chapters of your saga and level up.
At the end of each round, you make camp and draw a night card which causes a location to fall into gloom and possibly trigger an event. A character ending the day on a gloom location will suffer 1 health point loss.
This is the game timer, so you have 25 days to complete your saga, gain more skills and equipment and confront the big bad.
Despite the random encounter draws and the size of each terrain deck (30+ cards each), every card has been carefully designed to fit into the game and let you narrate a unique story as you play.
If you want a unique narrative adventure game with a solid depth of strategy, look no further.
You start by choosing a character, class and a saga to tell. Your character and class give you your starting stats (combat, knowledge, sneak and influence) while the sagas are 4 chapters long and each chapter requires 2 (or 3 if only playing 1-2 players) keywords to complete. Completing a chapter levels up your character giving you more health and a new skill.
Keywords are found on the cards you encounter as you search the map and are colour coded to give you a hint to where they are most likely to be found.
The map is a 5x5 grid of cards with Sprawl City in the centre and a mix of Forests, Mountains, Plains and Badlands arranged randomly around it.
Every time you enter an empty location, you draw a card from the relevant terrain deck and interact with it.
Encounters are won by rolling a number of d6 dice equal to your skill in the stat list d on the encounter. Success is on a 5 or 6 so playing to your character's strengths is paramount.
Each player starts with 4 health and at the start of each round, you gain action points equal to your current health which makes strategy and stealth the key to early success.
It also means that the game starts slowly but starts to snowball as you complete the chapters of your saga and level up.
At the end of each round, you make camp and draw a night card which causes a location to fall into gloom and possibly trigger an event. A character ending the day on a gloom location will suffer 1 health point loss.
This is the game timer, so you have 25 days to complete your saga, gain more skills and equipment and confront the big bad.
Despite the random encounter draws and the size of each terrain deck (30+ cards each), every card has been carefully designed to fit into the game and let you narrate a unique story as you play.
If you want a unique narrative adventure game with a solid depth of strategy, look no further.
Purple Phoenix Games (2266 KP) rated Friday in Tabletop Games
Jun 12, 2019
Game nights with the group are some of my favorite nights, but pesky schedules and “personal lives” often get in the way. Not being able to play with the group hasn’t slowed my gaming roll though, and I am always on the lookout for good, solo-able games! So when I saw ‘Friday – A Solo Adventure’ at my local used game sale, I knew I had to grab it.
Picture this – you live on a tropical island. One day as you’re walking down by the ocean, you see something on the shore. As you approach, you realize it is a grown man! Turns out this castaway is Robinson Crusoe. You decide to help Crusoe learn the ways of the jungle, combat hazards, build up his strength, and eventually escape your island via a nearby pirate ship. The island is a rough place, though, so you must be diligent in your guidance! Otherwise your newest comrade may not survive…
A cute little card drafting game of survival on a deserted island – how hard can it be, right? I seriously underestimated how tough this game actually is – I have never won a game to date. The premise of the game is simple enough (draw cards, overcome hazards, and build your deck), but successful execution is the tricky part.
It all really comes down to the luck of the draw. Some cards are excellent for fighting hazards, while others can seriously negatively impact a fight. Success or failure depends on how well you shuffle and where the cards end up in your draw pile. That is to be expected though – if all the cards were helpful, the game would be so easy! The balance (or should I say imbalance?) of positive and negative cards is what makes the game so difficult. There are almost as many negative cards as there are positive, which makes every fight feel completely random to me. It is hard to strategize because each turn is almost a 50/50 shot as to whether your next card is positive or negative. The game is supposed to last 3 phases, but I am lucky to survive into phase 2.
Friday will stay in my collection, for the time being, while I continue trying to formulate a working strategy. Overall, though, it is not my go-to solo game. Purple Phoenix Games gives it a 8 / 12. (Josh and Bryan haven’t played it yet!)
https://purplephoenixgames.wordpress.com/2018/12/12/friday-a-solo-adventure-review/
Picture this – you live on a tropical island. One day as you’re walking down by the ocean, you see something on the shore. As you approach, you realize it is a grown man! Turns out this castaway is Robinson Crusoe. You decide to help Crusoe learn the ways of the jungle, combat hazards, build up his strength, and eventually escape your island via a nearby pirate ship. The island is a rough place, though, so you must be diligent in your guidance! Otherwise your newest comrade may not survive…
A cute little card drafting game of survival on a deserted island – how hard can it be, right? I seriously underestimated how tough this game actually is – I have never won a game to date. The premise of the game is simple enough (draw cards, overcome hazards, and build your deck), but successful execution is the tricky part.
It all really comes down to the luck of the draw. Some cards are excellent for fighting hazards, while others can seriously negatively impact a fight. Success or failure depends on how well you shuffle and where the cards end up in your draw pile. That is to be expected though – if all the cards were helpful, the game would be so easy! The balance (or should I say imbalance?) of positive and negative cards is what makes the game so difficult. There are almost as many negative cards as there are positive, which makes every fight feel completely random to me. It is hard to strategize because each turn is almost a 50/50 shot as to whether your next card is positive or negative. The game is supposed to last 3 phases, but I am lucky to survive into phase 2.
Friday will stay in my collection, for the time being, while I continue trying to formulate a working strategy. Overall, though, it is not my go-to solo game. Purple Phoenix Games gives it a 8 / 12. (Josh and Bryan haven’t played it yet!)
https://purplephoenixgames.wordpress.com/2018/12/12/friday-a-solo-adventure-review/
Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated Borderlands 2: VR in Video Games
Jun 19, 2019
2K games has taken the popular Borderlands franchise into the Virtual-Reality realm with the release of Borderlands 2: VR. The game allows fans with a PSVR system to experience the game form an entirely new perspective. Playing out much as the standard game does this VR experience allows players to either teleport to various spots or allows players to move around using the directional controller of the Dualshock 4.
Players will have to adjust to the new visuals as one of the early game tutorials does suggest taking a break if you should feel any dizziness or strain from the VR experience. It can be a little more pronounced than usual in this game due to the intense action of dodging numerous enemies during combat and moving over large areas of the map.
Players will also need to get used to going solo as there is not an option to have a group experience. The maps and missions lay out exactly as you would expect although it will take some players a little bit of adjustment to get used to the movement system. I was able to do fairly well first time out but did find looking behind me to the a challenge which forced me to adopt this style of backing off and keeping most of my visuals limited to left, right, up, and down.
Graphically the game looks exactly as you remembered it save for the VR environment which gives gamers a new level of immersion. There were times when characters and enemies appeared almost translucent depending on my distance and angle from them, but it was in no way a distraction as I dispatch enemies, upgraded weapons, and raided boxes.
The game also plays out pretty much as you remember so players who have completed the original game will have a good idea of what to expect.
While many of us are eager for the announcement of the next chapter in the series; Borderlands 2 VR is a welcome addition that allows players to experience the vast gaming environments in a virtual-reality setting. It would be interesting to see if 2K plans to adapt any of their other games for VR as I certainly would not mind seeing Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel or even EVOLVE in this environment.
For now this is a very enjoyable; albeit nostalgic look back which is certainly a must own for fans of the game and PSVR owners.
http://sknr.net/2018/12/26/borderlands-2-vr/
Players will have to adjust to the new visuals as one of the early game tutorials does suggest taking a break if you should feel any dizziness or strain from the VR experience. It can be a little more pronounced than usual in this game due to the intense action of dodging numerous enemies during combat and moving over large areas of the map.
Players will also need to get used to going solo as there is not an option to have a group experience. The maps and missions lay out exactly as you would expect although it will take some players a little bit of adjustment to get used to the movement system. I was able to do fairly well first time out but did find looking behind me to the a challenge which forced me to adopt this style of backing off and keeping most of my visuals limited to left, right, up, and down.
Graphically the game looks exactly as you remembered it save for the VR environment which gives gamers a new level of immersion. There were times when characters and enemies appeared almost translucent depending on my distance and angle from them, but it was in no way a distraction as I dispatch enemies, upgraded weapons, and raided boxes.
The game also plays out pretty much as you remember so players who have completed the original game will have a good idea of what to expect.
While many of us are eager for the announcement of the next chapter in the series; Borderlands 2 VR is a welcome addition that allows players to experience the vast gaming environments in a virtual-reality setting. It would be interesting to see if 2K plans to adapt any of their other games for VR as I certainly would not mind seeing Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel or even EVOLVE in this environment.
For now this is a very enjoyable; albeit nostalgic look back which is certainly a must own for fans of the game and PSVR owners.
http://sknr.net/2018/12/26/borderlands-2-vr/
Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated Call of Duty: WWII - The Resistance in Video Games
Jun 19, 2019
The first of four planned DLC packs for Call of Duty: WW2 has arrived for PC and Xbox One owners after being available for PS4 owners for a month.
The Resistance keeps the usual theme of four new maps and a new episode for the Zombie series but this time does it with a bit of a twist.
Usually players see the name of the DLC in the Multiplayer menu and once selected; players can see the various modes available to play the new maps in.
Resistance does away with this and puts the content in the “Featured” area where players have to play either standard or Hardcore Mosh pits and experience the maps in a rotating selection of game modes vs picking a mode.
The three maps available are
Anthropoid
Based in Prague; this is a detailed map with a river, central bridge and lots of terrain to cover. Snipers will love the central area but those who want to run and gun can have some luck if they make sure to duck in and out of buildings.
Occupation
This is a remastered map set in Paris where multiple levels, side streets, shops, and vehicle littered streets allow for some great mid to close range combat. This is a fast-paced map where you can set an ambush, sneak up on enemies, or squad up to take the streets.
Valkyrie
If you like a nice run and gun mode based in bunkers; this is the mode for you. Inspired by the Eastern Front headquarters; this is a fast action map ideal for players of all styles.
The fourth map is only available in War mode and is Operation Intercept. Set in France, players need to set up communications, stop a train, and other team based missions.
The new Zombie mode is The Darkest Shore and pits the four heroes on a remote island where the Undead come fast and often. The map mixes bunkers, beaches, and emplacements with the usual weapon, armor, and power up stations and gameplay players got to expect in the original mission.
This time a think and concealing fog will roll in frequently which adds a new danger as you must fight the unending hordes with limited visibility.
Resistance provides more WW2 action for gamers and while it does not radically change the online portion of the game, it does offer some new wrinkles for fans to enjoy and should keep fans happy until the next DLC arrives.
http://sknr.net/2018/03/05/call-duty-ww2-resistance-dlc/
The Resistance keeps the usual theme of four new maps and a new episode for the Zombie series but this time does it with a bit of a twist.
Usually players see the name of the DLC in the Multiplayer menu and once selected; players can see the various modes available to play the new maps in.
Resistance does away with this and puts the content in the “Featured” area where players have to play either standard or Hardcore Mosh pits and experience the maps in a rotating selection of game modes vs picking a mode.
The three maps available are
Anthropoid
Based in Prague; this is a detailed map with a river, central bridge and lots of terrain to cover. Snipers will love the central area but those who want to run and gun can have some luck if they make sure to duck in and out of buildings.
Occupation
This is a remastered map set in Paris where multiple levels, side streets, shops, and vehicle littered streets allow for some great mid to close range combat. This is a fast-paced map where you can set an ambush, sneak up on enemies, or squad up to take the streets.
Valkyrie
If you like a nice run and gun mode based in bunkers; this is the mode for you. Inspired by the Eastern Front headquarters; this is a fast action map ideal for players of all styles.
The fourth map is only available in War mode and is Operation Intercept. Set in France, players need to set up communications, stop a train, and other team based missions.
The new Zombie mode is The Darkest Shore and pits the four heroes on a remote island where the Undead come fast and often. The map mixes bunkers, beaches, and emplacements with the usual weapon, armor, and power up stations and gameplay players got to expect in the original mission.
This time a think and concealing fog will roll in frequently which adds a new danger as you must fight the unending hordes with limited visibility.
Resistance provides more WW2 action for gamers and while it does not radically change the online portion of the game, it does offer some new wrinkles for fans to enjoy and should keep fans happy until the next DLC arrives.
http://sknr.net/2018/03/05/call-duty-ww2-resistance-dlc/
Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated the PlayStation 4 version of LEGO Star Wars: The Force Awakens in Video Games
Jun 19, 2019 (Updated Jun 19, 2019)
Lego and Star Wars have followed up their previous successful collaborations with Lego Star Wars: The Force Awakens and it is a delight to play.
The game combines, humor, action and creativity as it allows gamers to play as several characters from the hit film and also explore adventures set before the events of the film.
Of course being a Lego game this is not a strict rehash of the plot for the film as while many of the locales and events from the film are present, the trademark Lego humor is evident throughout and allows for a fun spin on the story.
With a new Multi-Builds system, players can decide if they want a more challenging build option in game or simply have fun and explore the game at their leisure. This is great for younger gamers as well as older ones looking for more of a challenge.
While locales such as Starkiller Base and Jakku are featured, there are other locales that arise and allow players to fill in some of the plot aspects in the years between “Return of the Jedi” and “The Force Awakens”. One such mission details how Han and Chewbacca were able to secure the deadly Rathtars as well as missions involving Poe Damron, Crimson Corsair, Lor San Tekka and more.
What really makes the game shine aside from the diversity and fun of playing it is hearing several of the stars from the film voicing their Lego characters. Adam Driver, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Daisy Ridley, John Boyega and several more all contribute to give the game a new level of realism and enjoy ability.
Boasting an impressive lineup of over 200 characters many of whom can be customized and over 80 vehicles would be impressive enough but for $9.99 a DLC program is available that will offer several new characters, vehicles, missions and more.
Graphically the game is very impressive as the detail level of the characters and sets is great fun to behold as is the great sound quality of the game.
This is key as combat modes ranging from Arena battles and space flight are one of the best parts of the game and really look and sound amazing as well as being great fun to play.
The game is ideal for Star Wars or Lego fans and has plenty of stuff to keep gamers of all ages hooked. I cannot wait to see what they developers come up with next as Lego Star Wars: The Force Awakens is not to be missed.
http://sknr.net/2016/07/11/lego-star-wars-force-awakens/
The game combines, humor, action and creativity as it allows gamers to play as several characters from the hit film and also explore adventures set before the events of the film.
Of course being a Lego game this is not a strict rehash of the plot for the film as while many of the locales and events from the film are present, the trademark Lego humor is evident throughout and allows for a fun spin on the story.
With a new Multi-Builds system, players can decide if they want a more challenging build option in game or simply have fun and explore the game at their leisure. This is great for younger gamers as well as older ones looking for more of a challenge.
While locales such as Starkiller Base and Jakku are featured, there are other locales that arise and allow players to fill in some of the plot aspects in the years between “Return of the Jedi” and “The Force Awakens”. One such mission details how Han and Chewbacca were able to secure the deadly Rathtars as well as missions involving Poe Damron, Crimson Corsair, Lor San Tekka and more.
What really makes the game shine aside from the diversity and fun of playing it is hearing several of the stars from the film voicing their Lego characters. Adam Driver, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Daisy Ridley, John Boyega and several more all contribute to give the game a new level of realism and enjoy ability.
Boasting an impressive lineup of over 200 characters many of whom can be customized and over 80 vehicles would be impressive enough but for $9.99 a DLC program is available that will offer several new characters, vehicles, missions and more.
Graphically the game is very impressive as the detail level of the characters and sets is great fun to behold as is the great sound quality of the game.
This is key as combat modes ranging from Arena battles and space flight are one of the best parts of the game and really look and sound amazing as well as being great fun to play.
The game is ideal for Star Wars or Lego fans and has plenty of stuff to keep gamers of all ages hooked. I cannot wait to see what they developers come up with next as Lego Star Wars: The Force Awakens is not to be missed.
http://sknr.net/2016/07/11/lego-star-wars-force-awakens/
Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated John Wick: Chapter 2 (2017) in Movies
Jun 19, 2019
When we last saw John Wick (Keanue Reeves), the former elite assassin had just completed a bloody and brutal mission of revenge after being pulled
back into a world he risked everything to leave behind. In “John Wick: Chapter 2”, the film picks up with Wick tying off some loose ends from the
first film and then returning to his home to finally find peace and leave his old life behind forever.
Sadly, a marker from his past is called in and John is not so subtly reminded of the consequences of failing to repay a marker, and is tasked with a no win situation.
John soon finds himself in Rome where he must eliminate a person of position despite having no real reason to do so other than to repay his debt. The fact that he knows his target is an even more of a challenge for him to contend with.
As if this was not bad enough, John upon completing his task is soon double crossed and finds that a bounty of 7 million dollars has been placed on him, and he know has every assassin in the greater New York area gunning for him.
The film maintains the frantic and breathlessly intense and sustained combat of the first film without ever being stale or repetitive. Guns, knives, and other implements all became part of a symphony of violence and destruction that is captivating to watch.
The film also goes deeper into the characters around John and the world in which he lives such as Winston (Ian McShane), who runs the Continental Hotel where rules for conduct are set, and those in John’s line of work find refuge and supplies for their “work”.
The film is one of the rare sequels that is as good if not better than the original and sets up a third outing very well. Reeves owns the character and you can sense his conflict as one who wants to leave his past behind but who cannot escape his past.
The very physical and demanding nature of the part shows the passion he has for the character and watching the fury and smoothness of how he dispatches his foes really underscores that this is pretty much everything you would want in an action film and more.
The very satisfying action sequences and performances combine well to make a compelling, exciting, and highly entertaining adrenaline rush, and I cannot wait to see what they come up with for the next outing.
http://sknr.net/2017/02/09/john-wick-chapter-2/
back into a world he risked everything to leave behind. In “John Wick: Chapter 2”, the film picks up with Wick tying off some loose ends from the
first film and then returning to his home to finally find peace and leave his old life behind forever.
Sadly, a marker from his past is called in and John is not so subtly reminded of the consequences of failing to repay a marker, and is tasked with a no win situation.
John soon finds himself in Rome where he must eliminate a person of position despite having no real reason to do so other than to repay his debt. The fact that he knows his target is an even more of a challenge for him to contend with.
As if this was not bad enough, John upon completing his task is soon double crossed and finds that a bounty of 7 million dollars has been placed on him, and he know has every assassin in the greater New York area gunning for him.
The film maintains the frantic and breathlessly intense and sustained combat of the first film without ever being stale or repetitive. Guns, knives, and other implements all became part of a symphony of violence and destruction that is captivating to watch.
The film also goes deeper into the characters around John and the world in which he lives such as Winston (Ian McShane), who runs the Continental Hotel where rules for conduct are set, and those in John’s line of work find refuge and supplies for their “work”.
The film is one of the rare sequels that is as good if not better than the original and sets up a third outing very well. Reeves owns the character and you can sense his conflict as one who wants to leave his past behind but who cannot escape his past.
The very physical and demanding nature of the part shows the passion he has for the character and watching the fury and smoothness of how he dispatches his foes really underscores that this is pretty much everything you would want in an action film and more.
The very satisfying action sequences and performances combine well to make a compelling, exciting, and highly entertaining adrenaline rush, and I cannot wait to see what they come up with for the next outing.
http://sknr.net/2017/02/09/john-wick-chapter-2/
KalJ95 (25 KP) rated the Nintendo Switch version of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild in Video Games
Dec 28, 2019
Exploration is epic (2 more)
Incredible open-world.
Mechanics and gameplay is Nintendo's greatest achievement.
Breath of fresh gaming.
On December 25th 2018, I finally got a Nintendo Switch, after years of hinting to my other half. There was only ever going to be one game to start with; Nintendo's The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. Within the space of a week, I accounted 85 hours of gameplay and exploration around Hyrule. And I was disappointed with what I had experienced. The experience felt hollow, empty even. The story was bare boned, set amongst cut scenes of Link's memories from 100 years ago. I immediately sold the game and bought Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.
I was a fool.
Zelda: BotW is a mesmerising behemoth of a game, full of so much to discover and encounter through the breathtaking world of Hyrule. My stubbornness through my first playthrough was largely down to wanting a more linear, story based experience, like past Zelda games. What Nintendo crafted is something else entirely. Rather than focus of Link defeating Ganon, and saving Princess Zelda, your focus is to explore this vast open world and traverse its landscapes through whatever means you desire. And that is why this game is so special. The serene music and light melodies that play as you circumnavigate from land to land could often be quite dull and boring with other open world games, but in BotW its absolutely the right move. It gives you time to breath absolutely everything in, and stare in awe of the beautiful world you've inhabited.
The emphasis on going your own way and exploring is simply remarkable. The world is quite literally in your hands. Then comes the 120 separate challenges called Shrines, put in place so you can gain extra Health and Stamina bars as you progress. The puzzle solving is another great addition to a game already jam packed with content. I could mention and write all day long about its weather system, various amounts of enemies which require different approaches to combat, the side missions and extra content in regards to weapons and clothing, the list could quite literally go on, but I will finish this here with a few final observations:
BotW is a stunning achievement, and I am sticking to my gripe that the game is lacking quite significantly with its narrative, but it's a game that was never built around a long linear story. The simplicity that you are Link, and the world is yours just happens to be everything Nintendo needed to create a damn near Masterpiece of gaming.
I was a fool.
Zelda: BotW is a mesmerising behemoth of a game, full of so much to discover and encounter through the breathtaking world of Hyrule. My stubbornness through my first playthrough was largely down to wanting a more linear, story based experience, like past Zelda games. What Nintendo crafted is something else entirely. Rather than focus of Link defeating Ganon, and saving Princess Zelda, your focus is to explore this vast open world and traverse its landscapes through whatever means you desire. And that is why this game is so special. The serene music and light melodies that play as you circumnavigate from land to land could often be quite dull and boring with other open world games, but in BotW its absolutely the right move. It gives you time to breath absolutely everything in, and stare in awe of the beautiful world you've inhabited.
The emphasis on going your own way and exploring is simply remarkable. The world is quite literally in your hands. Then comes the 120 separate challenges called Shrines, put in place so you can gain extra Health and Stamina bars as you progress. The puzzle solving is another great addition to a game already jam packed with content. I could mention and write all day long about its weather system, various amounts of enemies which require different approaches to combat, the side missions and extra content in regards to weapons and clothing, the list could quite literally go on, but I will finish this here with a few final observations:
BotW is a stunning achievement, and I am sticking to my gripe that the game is lacking quite significantly with its narrative, but it's a game that was never built around a long linear story. The simplicity that you are Link, and the world is yours just happens to be everything Nintendo needed to create a damn near Masterpiece of gaming.
Darren (1599 KP) rated Diamonds Are Forever (1971) in Movies
Nov 7, 2019
Characters – James Bond gets to finally take care of his arch nemesis Blofeld before going on his latest mission going undercover searching for diamonds, he shows us his usually swagger, getting the women along the way as he looks to solve this latest mystery. Tiffany Case is one of the connections in the chain of the diamond smuggling, the first one James makes contact with, she must learn the help along the way to get out alive. Blofeld is the old enemy that James gets to take care of early on, the man that has held James up from multiply other mission. We do get to meet plenty of people involved in the ring which only make James’s mission more difficult.
Performances – Sean Connery is back and back to his best in this outing as the iconic spy, it is great to have him back even if it is only for one last time. Jill St John is good as the Bond girl for the movie though offers nothing new for the series. Charles Gray keeps the role of Blofeld nicely giving us just what we need from the villain role.
Story – The story here shows James finally getting his hands on Blofeld before needing to head off on a new mission, one that gives him everything he wants, beautiful women, casinos and a villain he wants to stay ahead off. This story plays out just like one of the more famous ones in reverse which becomes very interesting to watch, it has everything you need for the latest adventure for Bond, a villain that is prepared for the intelligence of Bond and the world needing saving once again. This does feel like it has given the life back to the franchise which needed to be bought back from the weaker outings, the story is simple enough and continues to keep us watching along with Bond.
Action/Adventure – The action is good even if the fights are simple enough to show how Bond can beat most in combat. The adventure just takes Bond to new and old locations for his mission.
Settings – From Amsterdam to America, we get a much more knowledge set of locations with the bases being in locations which would make sense for a super villain to be hiding in.
Scene of the Movie – The base attack.
That Moment That Annoyed Me – They seem to be too friendly Bond and Blofeld.
Final Thoughts – For the Bond franchise this is a new feel to them, one that is more interesting and strong then the last few instalments.
Overall: Returning to what we want to see.
Performances – Sean Connery is back and back to his best in this outing as the iconic spy, it is great to have him back even if it is only for one last time. Jill St John is good as the Bond girl for the movie though offers nothing new for the series. Charles Gray keeps the role of Blofeld nicely giving us just what we need from the villain role.
Story – The story here shows James finally getting his hands on Blofeld before needing to head off on a new mission, one that gives him everything he wants, beautiful women, casinos and a villain he wants to stay ahead off. This story plays out just like one of the more famous ones in reverse which becomes very interesting to watch, it has everything you need for the latest adventure for Bond, a villain that is prepared for the intelligence of Bond and the world needing saving once again. This does feel like it has given the life back to the franchise which needed to be bought back from the weaker outings, the story is simple enough and continues to keep us watching along with Bond.
Action/Adventure – The action is good even if the fights are simple enough to show how Bond can beat most in combat. The adventure just takes Bond to new and old locations for his mission.
Settings – From Amsterdam to America, we get a much more knowledge set of locations with the bases being in locations which would make sense for a super villain to be hiding in.
Scene of the Movie – The base attack.
That Moment That Annoyed Me – They seem to be too friendly Bond and Blofeld.
Final Thoughts – For the Bond franchise this is a new feel to them, one that is more interesting and strong then the last few instalments.
Overall: Returning to what we want to see.
JT (287 KP) rated Killer Elite (2011) in Movies
Mar 10, 2020
Just another mindless Statham master-class of ass kicking? Think again people, this one is a whole different ball game, and one that sets this easily one of the Stath’s best to date. Paired alongside Robert De Niro would be an honour in itself for any actor and the rapport between the two was like they had been lifelong friends.
Despite De Niro’s relatively smallish part he still gets his moment in the limelight, and makes the most of the opportunity, with a few witty pieces of dialogue thrown in, we all know he can handle an automatic weapon.
It’s more than just an action film though, it’s part drama part spy thriller
This is all about Danny (Jason Statham) and his group of deadly assassins, Davies, played by Prison Break’s Dominic Purcell and Meier (Aden Young) who set out to take down three former SAS soldiers who are alleged to have killed a dying Sheik’s three sons. All this in return for the release of Hunter, simply put “You do this job, or Hunter’s a dead man.”
Set in the 80s it gives the film a real retro feel to it, and the action is balls and all, there is no CGI here. From an opening sequence centred on a assassination attempt to close hand to hand combat, director McKendry goes a little Bourne-esque with his sharp direction and tight camera shots.
Clive Owen sporting the film’s dodgiest tash is ultra slick and uber cool as the dogsbody of a secret society called The Feather Men which is actually a book by Ranulph Fiennes to which the film is based. Why The Feather Men? Because they have the lightest touch, apt really when Owen goes about his business heavy handed.
It’s more than just an action film though, its part drama part spy thriller. The script is extremely well written with intricate characters that you can care about, rather than go to watch kick the shit out of each other.
The film does jump from a variety of locations, from the Middle East to London to Paris to the outback bush of Australia, it can be hard to follow and keep up with just where they are. But a close eye will leave no confusion whatsoever.
It’s a great debut feature from McKendry and will do his stock no harm at all, and for Statham fans this one has got a bit more meat on it to chew through.
Despite De Niro’s relatively smallish part he still gets his moment in the limelight, and makes the most of the opportunity, with a few witty pieces of dialogue thrown in, we all know he can handle an automatic weapon.
It’s more than just an action film though, it’s part drama part spy thriller
This is all about Danny (Jason Statham) and his group of deadly assassins, Davies, played by Prison Break’s Dominic Purcell and Meier (Aden Young) who set out to take down three former SAS soldiers who are alleged to have killed a dying Sheik’s three sons. All this in return for the release of Hunter, simply put “You do this job, or Hunter’s a dead man.”
Set in the 80s it gives the film a real retro feel to it, and the action is balls and all, there is no CGI here. From an opening sequence centred on a assassination attempt to close hand to hand combat, director McKendry goes a little Bourne-esque with his sharp direction and tight camera shots.
Clive Owen sporting the film’s dodgiest tash is ultra slick and uber cool as the dogsbody of a secret society called The Feather Men which is actually a book by Ranulph Fiennes to which the film is based. Why The Feather Men? Because they have the lightest touch, apt really when Owen goes about his business heavy handed.
It’s more than just an action film though, its part drama part spy thriller. The script is extremely well written with intricate characters that you can care about, rather than go to watch kick the shit out of each other.
The film does jump from a variety of locations, from the Middle East to London to Paris to the outback bush of Australia, it can be hard to follow and keep up with just where they are. But a close eye will leave no confusion whatsoever.
It’s a great debut feature from McKendry and will do his stock no harm at all, and for Statham fans this one has got a bit more meat on it to chew through.