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Beat Fever: Music Rhythm Game
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Get your fingers ready for the ultimate music game! Beat Fever is an easy to learn, hard to master...
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*** OVER 200 CHARACTERS FROM THE SPIDER-VERSE TO PLAY! *** Collect and unite every Spider-Man and...
Daniel Boyd (1066 KP) rated The Amazing Spider-Man 2 in Video Games
Jul 21, 2017
Poor Graphics (3 more)
Awkward Animation
Glitches Galore
Rushed Ending
Can He Swing From A Web? Yeah, But That’s About All He Can Do…
You may be thinking Dan, why the hell are you reviewing a low rated movie tie in game that came out three years ago? Well, I would say, that is a very valid question. I am reviewing this game because I actually believe it is one of the most relevant games I’ve played so far this year in terms of the wider gaming landscape, so yeah you have me rumbled, this won’t be so much a review of The Amazing Spiderman 2 for PS4 as it will be a commentary on bad games in general and their place in the modern gaming landscape.
I had just come off of finally getting around to playing Until Dawn at the start of January. A well made, well written, well acted, well executed teen horror story that had atmosphere and intrigue in spades. I then went on to play a game that I thought was mediocre by comparison, DMC Definitive Edition. When playing through the story I was so underwhelmed and disappointed in what they had turned this once great franchise into, an angsty, melodramatic, arcade slash ‘em up with as much depth as the shallow end of the kiddies swimming pool. I thought what a waste of cash and time. What a piece of garbage. Oh how naive I was, I had no idea how much worse it could get. After beating DMC and the attached story DLC that came with the Definitive Edition, I popped out the game and slid in The Amazing Spiderman 2. The first thing that I noticed was that the game graphically is at the same level if not worse than the first Amazing Spiderman game on PS3, but I thought hey, games with under par graphics can still be fun, UI’s and poly counts aren’t everything so I began working my way through the main story. Let’s start with the only positive that this game has going for it, the web slinging. Traversal feels and looks great in the game, zipping around NYC is a treat and when everything works correctly, you can pull off some truly spectacular acrobatics while shooting around in mid air. The shoulder buttons on the controller are matched to Spidey’s arms, left trigger for left swing, right trigger for right swing, and unlike the last game, in this one the web shooters have to be aimed at a building in order to perform a successful swing. The important phrase here, is ‘when it works.’ There were several times when I would be right next to a building and press the trigger to swing, only to hear Spidey say, ‘Hey, this just in, web slingers need something to stick to.’ No shit Spidey, that’s why I’m pressing the trigger on the side where the huge fucking skyscraper is. Also, there would be times when I had a decent amount of momentum going, swing left, right, left, right consecutively and as I pressed the left trigger again to attach to the building on my left, for some odd reason, Spidey would fire his right hand web shooter, attaching to a distant building on the right, turning me away from the direction I was swinging and totally ruining my momentum, this was particularly frustrating during boss fights and chase sequences or when swinging against the clock. Overall though traversal is fun, okay now that the positive is out of the way, let’s rip this thing apart. Animations are stiff, glitches are common and every cutscene in the game ends abruptly with an awkward animation that resembles the look of a news anchor when they run out of words to read off the teleprompter, but the camera is still rolling. Why they decided to add a dialogue system, I have no idea, it is so unnecessary and out of place and has absolutely no effect on the outcome of the game’s narrative, it’s simply there for the sake of having a dialogue option. The plot is fairly standard, but is bearable for the first two thirds of the game, however the point that the publishers told the development team to get a move on and meet the deadline to coincide with the release of the movie becomes instantly clear. The last 5 or so chapters in the game are so rushed it’s like going through a checklist. The first bossfight in the last third of the game is pretty mundane, but at least there is an attempt at a build up to it. However after that fight you are teleported to the top of a skyscraper to battle Electro in a boss fight with the least build up ever. So you do that and then you are corrected, this next boss fight with the Green Goblin is the least build up to a boss fight ever. You don’t see the transformation of either Electro or the Goblin and honestly, if I hadn’t seen the movie that goes with this game, I would not have had a clue about what was going on. Then it’s as if the game remembers that they made a half arsed attempt at introducing Carnage away back at the beginning of the story and so they throw in another out of the blue boss fight to end the game. Wow, this lack of story build up and context wouldn’t have been acceptable in a PS1 game, it certainly isn’t acceptable here. Also the game again (just like the first one,) tries to copy the Arkham games in terms of the stealth and combat systems and miserably fails.
In my opinion, games like this; lazy, half arsed cash grabs, just aren’t acceptable in today’s modern landscape of video games. I thought DMC was a slog, but after playing this piece of dogshit, DMC is game of the year material. So please, please stop. Until you have a dedicated team who genuinely want to make a good game for fans of a franchise, don’t bother. Signed by everyone.
I had just come off of finally getting around to playing Until Dawn at the start of January. A well made, well written, well acted, well executed teen horror story that had atmosphere and intrigue in spades. I then went on to play a game that I thought was mediocre by comparison, DMC Definitive Edition. When playing through the story I was so underwhelmed and disappointed in what they had turned this once great franchise into, an angsty, melodramatic, arcade slash ‘em up with as much depth as the shallow end of the kiddies swimming pool. I thought what a waste of cash and time. What a piece of garbage. Oh how naive I was, I had no idea how much worse it could get. After beating DMC and the attached story DLC that came with the Definitive Edition, I popped out the game and slid in The Amazing Spiderman 2. The first thing that I noticed was that the game graphically is at the same level if not worse than the first Amazing Spiderman game on PS3, but I thought hey, games with under par graphics can still be fun, UI’s and poly counts aren’t everything so I began working my way through the main story. Let’s start with the only positive that this game has going for it, the web slinging. Traversal feels and looks great in the game, zipping around NYC is a treat and when everything works correctly, you can pull off some truly spectacular acrobatics while shooting around in mid air. The shoulder buttons on the controller are matched to Spidey’s arms, left trigger for left swing, right trigger for right swing, and unlike the last game, in this one the web shooters have to be aimed at a building in order to perform a successful swing. The important phrase here, is ‘when it works.’ There were several times when I would be right next to a building and press the trigger to swing, only to hear Spidey say, ‘Hey, this just in, web slingers need something to stick to.’ No shit Spidey, that’s why I’m pressing the trigger on the side where the huge fucking skyscraper is. Also, there would be times when I had a decent amount of momentum going, swing left, right, left, right consecutively and as I pressed the left trigger again to attach to the building on my left, for some odd reason, Spidey would fire his right hand web shooter, attaching to a distant building on the right, turning me away from the direction I was swinging and totally ruining my momentum, this was particularly frustrating during boss fights and chase sequences or when swinging against the clock. Overall though traversal is fun, okay now that the positive is out of the way, let’s rip this thing apart. Animations are stiff, glitches are common and every cutscene in the game ends abruptly with an awkward animation that resembles the look of a news anchor when they run out of words to read off the teleprompter, but the camera is still rolling. Why they decided to add a dialogue system, I have no idea, it is so unnecessary and out of place and has absolutely no effect on the outcome of the game’s narrative, it’s simply there for the sake of having a dialogue option. The plot is fairly standard, but is bearable for the first two thirds of the game, however the point that the publishers told the development team to get a move on and meet the deadline to coincide with the release of the movie becomes instantly clear. The last 5 or so chapters in the game are so rushed it’s like going through a checklist. The first bossfight in the last third of the game is pretty mundane, but at least there is an attempt at a build up to it. However after that fight you are teleported to the top of a skyscraper to battle Electro in a boss fight with the least build up ever. So you do that and then you are corrected, this next boss fight with the Green Goblin is the least build up to a boss fight ever. You don’t see the transformation of either Electro or the Goblin and honestly, if I hadn’t seen the movie that goes with this game, I would not have had a clue about what was going on. Then it’s as if the game remembers that they made a half arsed attempt at introducing Carnage away back at the beginning of the story and so they throw in another out of the blue boss fight to end the game. Wow, this lack of story build up and context wouldn’t have been acceptable in a PS1 game, it certainly isn’t acceptable here. Also the game again (just like the first one,) tries to copy the Arkham games in terms of the stealth and combat systems and miserably fails.
In my opinion, games like this; lazy, half arsed cash grabs, just aren’t acceptable in today’s modern landscape of video games. I thought DMC was a slog, but after playing this piece of dogshit, DMC is game of the year material. So please, please stop. Until you have a dedicated team who genuinely want to make a good game for fans of a franchise, don’t bother. Signed by everyone.
Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (2014) in Movies
Jun 19, 2019
Life for Peter Parker, (Andrew Garfield), has become interesting to say the least. He is juggling the delicate and complex balance of being Spider-man as well as a high school senior and boyfriend to Gwen Stacy (Emma Stone).
His enthusiasm for his wall crawling alter ego is evident from the start as he still is as fast with a quip as he is with his webs and fists when taking down the bad guys of New York.
A chance encounter with an ultra nerdy yet brilliant Oscorp employee named Max (Jaime Foxx), puts a series of events into motion that will put the city and Spider-man on a collision with a severe danger.
When a freak accident transforms Max into a being capable of becoming and discharging pure electricity, the passive aggressive Max has an outlet for his pent up anger and hero worship and sets to make all those who ignored him pay.
At the same time, internal politics have left Oscorp in the hands of young Harry who learns he has limited time to solidify his position and legacy.
All of this would be enough for anyone to deal with but Peter is conflicted by his love for Gwen and his promise to her late father to stay away from her for her own safety.
Peter also has to content with his Aunt May (Sally Field) and unlocking the mystery of his parents who left him with his Aunt and Uncle years earlier never to return.
If this sounds a bit heady for a comic book based movie then you will not be surprised with the first ¾ of the film. It does contain some great 3D moments of Spider-man slinging his way around the city and some good moments of action but mostly the audience gets character introductions and plot expositions.
When it does get to the action, it does so in a very sleek and stylish way but one that is so obviously CGI created that it plays more like a video game.
For me the liberties taking with the characters and the history of the series were a bit much at first as what they came up with for Electro is not even close to the way he is portrayed in the comics.
Thankfully the final act of the film delivers and sets up future films in grand style even though the trailers tease content that is barely in the film and would have made for a great addition to the film.
Garfield and Stone have great chemistry with one another, and Foxx does his best despite in my opinion being very miscast for the role.
Director Marc Webb is clearly a fan of the source material and I am eager to see what he comes up with for future installments.
As it stands, “The Amazing Spider-man 2”, is an enjoyable summer film but not as good as the film that preceded it and could have been so much more.
http://sknr.net/2014/05/02/amazing-spider-man-2/
His enthusiasm for his wall crawling alter ego is evident from the start as he still is as fast with a quip as he is with his webs and fists when taking down the bad guys of New York.
A chance encounter with an ultra nerdy yet brilliant Oscorp employee named Max (Jaime Foxx), puts a series of events into motion that will put the city and Spider-man on a collision with a severe danger.
When a freak accident transforms Max into a being capable of becoming and discharging pure electricity, the passive aggressive Max has an outlet for his pent up anger and hero worship and sets to make all those who ignored him pay.
At the same time, internal politics have left Oscorp in the hands of young Harry who learns he has limited time to solidify his position and legacy.
All of this would be enough for anyone to deal with but Peter is conflicted by his love for Gwen and his promise to her late father to stay away from her for her own safety.
Peter also has to content with his Aunt May (Sally Field) and unlocking the mystery of his parents who left him with his Aunt and Uncle years earlier never to return.
If this sounds a bit heady for a comic book based movie then you will not be surprised with the first ¾ of the film. It does contain some great 3D moments of Spider-man slinging his way around the city and some good moments of action but mostly the audience gets character introductions and plot expositions.
When it does get to the action, it does so in a very sleek and stylish way but one that is so obviously CGI created that it plays more like a video game.
For me the liberties taking with the characters and the history of the series were a bit much at first as what they came up with for Electro is not even close to the way he is portrayed in the comics.
Thankfully the final act of the film delivers and sets up future films in grand style even though the trailers tease content that is barely in the film and would have made for a great addition to the film.
Garfield and Stone have great chemistry with one another, and Foxx does his best despite in my opinion being very miscast for the role.
Director Marc Webb is clearly a fan of the source material and I am eager to see what he comes up with for future installments.
As it stands, “The Amazing Spider-man 2”, is an enjoyable summer film but not as good as the film that preceded it and could have been so much more.
http://sknr.net/2014/05/02/amazing-spider-man-2/
Bong Mines Entertainment (15 KP) rated Rose Coloured - Single by Celine Love in Music
Jul 10, 2019
Celine Love is a London-based singer-songwriter from Hamburg. Not too long ago, she released a music video for her debut single, entitled, “Rose Coloured”.
“The music video (directed by Sylvia Hong) explores how that darkness we are shielded from as children were always there. A lot of us may think back to our childhood as perfect when truly we have blocked out the negative we might have seen or experienced. If we do not confront these issues from the past, it can drive you insane.” – Celine Love
‘Rose Coloured’ tells an interesting tale of a happy young girl who wants to use love to erase darkness.
Apparently, her caramel skin differs from her friends’ vanilla skin tone. But she doesn’t see the difference between her and them.
Even though they trust each other, she still has to look at life through a rose-colored filter.
‘Rose Coloured’ contains a relatable storyline, pleasing vocals, and lush instrumentation flavored with contemporary R&B and neo-soul elements.
“The idea behind ‘Rose Coloured’ was to capture memories, moments and situations that describe the blissful ignorance of my childhood. The desire to put a rose-colored filter on everything that is bad in the world. Before racism, insecurities, heartbreak, or stress became part of life. The world is not only on your side but shields you from the negativity.” – Celine Love
“The imagery in ‘Rose Coloured’ is taken directly from my childhood. The song describes both joy and pain in wanting to relive these moments. Not having to confront the real world with all its social pressures and evils. Growing up in Germany there was a time when I saw my skin color as nothing but ‘caramel’, everyone else was simply ‘vanilla’. The chorus goes ‘I wanna live in a fool’s paradise, show me what love is and we can erase all the darkness.’ The music video reflects this inner conflict.” – Celine Love
A few milestones in Celine Love’s young career include a full scholarship to the music school BIMM Berlin & London.
Not too long ago, she performed at the 2000 Trees in Cheltenham, Kings Jam in Gloucester, Deichbrand and Reeperbahn Festival in Germany, and supported the electro-pop band Years & Years in Hamburg for NRJ Radio.
She composes music with expressionism and self-discovery at its core with a hint of socio-critical commentary.
“The imagery within the song is directly taken from my memories. Writing and recording it left me feeling very nostalgic. So I dug out old photos and songs and reached out to my childhood best friend. It reminded me of a pivotal time as a child, before I became aware of the differences in skin color and hair structure. Not only did I look different from most of the German kids surrounding my life but I would be treated differently too. It wasn’t always negative, but always in a way that made me feel excluded. There was a time before I became aware that my skin color was nothing but ‘caramel’ and everyone else was simply ‘vanilla’. Nothing more. ‘Rose Coloured’ is an almost desperate wish to have that mindset back. The wish to live in a ‘fool’s paradise’. – Celine Love
“The music video (directed by Sylvia Hong) explores how that darkness we are shielded from as children were always there. A lot of us may think back to our childhood as perfect when truly we have blocked out the negative we might have seen or experienced. If we do not confront these issues from the past, it can drive you insane.” – Celine Love
‘Rose Coloured’ tells an interesting tale of a happy young girl who wants to use love to erase darkness.
Apparently, her caramel skin differs from her friends’ vanilla skin tone. But she doesn’t see the difference between her and them.
Even though they trust each other, she still has to look at life through a rose-colored filter.
‘Rose Coloured’ contains a relatable storyline, pleasing vocals, and lush instrumentation flavored with contemporary R&B and neo-soul elements.
“The idea behind ‘Rose Coloured’ was to capture memories, moments and situations that describe the blissful ignorance of my childhood. The desire to put a rose-colored filter on everything that is bad in the world. Before racism, insecurities, heartbreak, or stress became part of life. The world is not only on your side but shields you from the negativity.” – Celine Love
“The imagery in ‘Rose Coloured’ is taken directly from my childhood. The song describes both joy and pain in wanting to relive these moments. Not having to confront the real world with all its social pressures and evils. Growing up in Germany there was a time when I saw my skin color as nothing but ‘caramel’, everyone else was simply ‘vanilla’. The chorus goes ‘I wanna live in a fool’s paradise, show me what love is and we can erase all the darkness.’ The music video reflects this inner conflict.” – Celine Love
A few milestones in Celine Love’s young career include a full scholarship to the music school BIMM Berlin & London.
Not too long ago, she performed at the 2000 Trees in Cheltenham, Kings Jam in Gloucester, Deichbrand and Reeperbahn Festival in Germany, and supported the electro-pop band Years & Years in Hamburg for NRJ Radio.
She composes music with expressionism and self-discovery at its core with a hint of socio-critical commentary.
“The imagery within the song is directly taken from my memories. Writing and recording it left me feeling very nostalgic. So I dug out old photos and songs and reached out to my childhood best friend. It reminded me of a pivotal time as a child, before I became aware of the differences in skin color and hair structure. Not only did I look different from most of the German kids surrounding my life but I would be treated differently too. It wasn’t always negative, but always in a way that made me feel excluded. There was a time before I became aware that my skin color was nothing but ‘caramel’ and everyone else was simply ‘vanilla’. Nothing more. ‘Rose Coloured’ is an almost desperate wish to have that mindset back. The wish to live in a ‘fool’s paradise’. – Celine Love
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Bong Mines Entertainment (15 KP) rated Wishful Thinking by Augustine in Music
Jun 17, 2019
Augustine is a 22-year-old singer-songwriter, producer, and multi-instrumentalist from Sweden. Not too long ago, he released a lovely debut EP, entitled, “Wishful Thinking”, which reveals his deepest fears.
“The first song I released as an artist that changed so much about my life. It’s a memory of the contrasts in a relationship, thinking that it’s a bit scary if the current moment is the highlight of your life. You are high on life but so afraid to lose the feeling that you somehow lose yourself instead.” – Augustine
‘Luzon’ is Augustine’s debut single. Shortly after its release, it skyrocketed to #1 on Hype Machine.
The likable tune contains a lighthearted storyline, beautiful falsetto vocals, and cinematic instrumentation flavored with an alternative-pop aroma.
Augustine – “Viola”
“I was a little angry with the world when I wrote ‘Viola’. Much of that anger was due to feelings of anxiety, guilt, and other boring things. The line ‘I’ll be your biggest disappointment if you sum up the years of adolescence’ is really about being scared of not being enough.” – Augustine
‘Viola’ contains a relatable narrative, likable vocals, and warm instrumentation pulsating with mellotron tones and distinctive drums.
Augustine – “Wishful Thinking”
“I’m weak for synth-pop songs that are so big that you just lose yourself in them. So I wanted to try one myself. ‘Wishful Thinking’ is a twisted love story about looking back at something with both regret and lack. But mostly with a fear of forgetting how a certain person is, looks and sounds.” – Augustine
The title track “Wishful Thinking” tells a twisted love story about looking back at something with both regret and lack. But mostly with a fear of forgetting how a certain person is, looks and sounds.
This reminiscence is juxtaposed with exhilarating energy which builds throughout the song, emulating a windows-down late night drive and overwhelming liberation.
‘Wishful Thinking’ contains a relatable storyline, pleasing vocals, and enjoyable instrumentation which takes listeners on a bombastic synth-pop thrill ride.
The likable tune reveals Augustine’s penchant for massive synth-based productions like Lana Del Rey‘s “Summertime Sadness” and Future Islands’ “Seasons”.
Augustine – “A Scent of Lily”
“This was initially an attempt to write a pop song, with inspiration from the chorus of Ariana Grande’s ‘Into You’. ‘Lily’ eventually became much more alternative. It’s about powerlessness in a relationship, when you buy into everything about the other person, to the point that you stop thinking your own sensible thoughts.” – Augustine
‘A Scent of Lily’ is another critically acclaimed tune which made Augustine one of 2019’s most talked about new artists.
Like “Luzon”, it peaked at #1 on Hype Machine. Also, it placed Augustine in a conversational comparison with iconic voices like Bon Iver, Mark Foster, James Blake, and Ezra Koenig.
‘A Scent of Lily’ contains a relatable storyline, ear-welcoming vocals, and lush instrumentation flavored with electro-pop and modern dance elements.
Augustine – “Slacks”
“The most personal song of the EP. It’s about how a lovely relationship didn’t last because of the distance. We moved to different cities, and I became so self-absorbed. I started suffering from agoraphobia that made it hard for me to even go outside. A little crazy in hindsight.” – Augustine
‘Slacks’ possesses a bittersweet storyline, heartfelt vocals, and stripped instrumentation perfumed with a nostalgic scent.
Get acquainted with Augustine’s “Wishful Thinking” EP by streaming it via Spotify.
“Hearing the EP from a distance, it became clear that this music grew out many years of me being afraid of being a disappointment to others. All the lyrics were inspired by being afraid of people, the world and leaving things behind.” – Augustine
All five songs featured on “Wishful Thinking” are collaborations between Augustine and producers Rassmus Björnson and Agrin Rahmani (LÉON, Skott).
https://www.bongminesentertainment.com/augustine-wishful-thinking/
“The first song I released as an artist that changed so much about my life. It’s a memory of the contrasts in a relationship, thinking that it’s a bit scary if the current moment is the highlight of your life. You are high on life but so afraid to lose the feeling that you somehow lose yourself instead.” – Augustine
‘Luzon’ is Augustine’s debut single. Shortly after its release, it skyrocketed to #1 on Hype Machine.
The likable tune contains a lighthearted storyline, beautiful falsetto vocals, and cinematic instrumentation flavored with an alternative-pop aroma.
Augustine – “Viola”
“I was a little angry with the world when I wrote ‘Viola’. Much of that anger was due to feelings of anxiety, guilt, and other boring things. The line ‘I’ll be your biggest disappointment if you sum up the years of adolescence’ is really about being scared of not being enough.” – Augustine
‘Viola’ contains a relatable narrative, likable vocals, and warm instrumentation pulsating with mellotron tones and distinctive drums.
Augustine – “Wishful Thinking”
“I’m weak for synth-pop songs that are so big that you just lose yourself in them. So I wanted to try one myself. ‘Wishful Thinking’ is a twisted love story about looking back at something with both regret and lack. But mostly with a fear of forgetting how a certain person is, looks and sounds.” – Augustine
The title track “Wishful Thinking” tells a twisted love story about looking back at something with both regret and lack. But mostly with a fear of forgetting how a certain person is, looks and sounds.
This reminiscence is juxtaposed with exhilarating energy which builds throughout the song, emulating a windows-down late night drive and overwhelming liberation.
‘Wishful Thinking’ contains a relatable storyline, pleasing vocals, and enjoyable instrumentation which takes listeners on a bombastic synth-pop thrill ride.
The likable tune reveals Augustine’s penchant for massive synth-based productions like Lana Del Rey‘s “Summertime Sadness” and Future Islands’ “Seasons”.
Augustine – “A Scent of Lily”
“This was initially an attempt to write a pop song, with inspiration from the chorus of Ariana Grande’s ‘Into You’. ‘Lily’ eventually became much more alternative. It’s about powerlessness in a relationship, when you buy into everything about the other person, to the point that you stop thinking your own sensible thoughts.” – Augustine
‘A Scent of Lily’ is another critically acclaimed tune which made Augustine one of 2019’s most talked about new artists.
Like “Luzon”, it peaked at #1 on Hype Machine. Also, it placed Augustine in a conversational comparison with iconic voices like Bon Iver, Mark Foster, James Blake, and Ezra Koenig.
‘A Scent of Lily’ contains a relatable storyline, ear-welcoming vocals, and lush instrumentation flavored with electro-pop and modern dance elements.
Augustine – “Slacks”
“The most personal song of the EP. It’s about how a lovely relationship didn’t last because of the distance. We moved to different cities, and I became so self-absorbed. I started suffering from agoraphobia that made it hard for me to even go outside. A little crazy in hindsight.” – Augustine
‘Slacks’ possesses a bittersweet storyline, heartfelt vocals, and stripped instrumentation perfumed with a nostalgic scent.
Get acquainted with Augustine’s “Wishful Thinking” EP by streaming it via Spotify.
“Hearing the EP from a distance, it became clear that this music grew out many years of me being afraid of being a disappointment to others. All the lyrics were inspired by being afraid of people, the world and leaving things behind.” – Augustine
All five songs featured on “Wishful Thinking” are collaborations between Augustine and producers Rassmus Björnson and Agrin Rahmani (LÉON, Skott).
https://www.bongminesentertainment.com/augustine-wishful-thinking/
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who is ricardo ferro? Ricardo is also known as DJ Ferro since his debuts in the world of djing,...
Sarah (7798 KP) rated Ava (2020) in Movies
Jan 5, 2021
Dull and unoriginal
Ava is a 2020 spy action thriller directed by Tate Taylor and starring Jessica Chastain. It follows Ava (Chastain), an assassin working for a shadowy organisation who soon becomes hunted by her own, led by the mysterious Simon (Colin Farrell). Between missions and death threats, Ava is aided by her handler Duke (John Malkovich) while she attempts to resolve some long held family issues with her mother (Geena Davis), sister (Jess Weixler) and ex (Common).
From the outset, Ava appears to be like your typical female assassin style film – a loud, stylish electro/techno soundtrack overlaying an assassination featuring wigs, stylish clothes and cars and every other spy cliché you’d come to expect from a film like this. The only truly original and enjoyable thing in this opening scene is Ioan Gruffudd’s shady businessman, who looks like he’s having a whale of a time relishing playing a bad guy for a change. However what you don’t see coming with Ava after this initial scene is that instead of being a full on action film, it turns into a family melodrama with a few fight scenes thrown in almost as an afterthought.
Ava is a characterless film full of clichés, and lacking in any personality whatsoever. The spy and action elements, when we eventually see them that is, are entirely unoriginal and have been done so much better in any other spy film you could think of. The fight scenes are surprisingly dull and the camera work only results in highlighting how staged and choreographed the scenes are, they just don’t look real. It isn’t helped by all of the family drama either, with a large number of conversational dialogue scenes taking over the majority of the short but feels so long run time. It wouldn’t be too bad if these were scripted well but I’m afraid like everything else in this film, the script is lacklustre and clichéd.
Character development is poor and banal too, with the majority of the spy related characters lacking in any form of personality or likability. Ava herself is the worst, she reminded me of a personality-less robot who has no depth or emotions, no matter how much the opening credits scene or family interactions try to tell us otherwise. This film has really done it’s stellar cast a huge injustice and gives them absolutely nothing to work with.
Even the plot suffers from a complete absence of originality and seems to have been kept as vague as possible, whether on purpose or because the writers just couldn’t be bothered I’m not sure. The shadowy organisation that Ava, Duke and Simon all work for is never identified or discussed in any real detail. All we learn about them is that they employ assassins to make hits on possibly shady people, with no further elaboration on why or what these people have done wrong, which Ava herself seems fascinated about as we see her questioning her victims as they’re about to die. I’m all for creating a mysterious atmosphere giving away just enough to keep us intrigued, but I’m afraid this doesn’t work for Ava as it just comes across as lazy and complacent with sloppy writing.
I couldn’t help but compare Ava to Atomic Blonde, another female led assassin film that is worlds apart from this. Ava is lacking in everything that made Atomic Blonde - a fun watch, with style, substance and some brutal (but well executed) fight scenes - and I really wish Ava had followed the same formula as at least this would have made it watchable. As it is, it’s a completely dull and clichéd spy film lacking in pretty much everything.
From the outset, Ava appears to be like your typical female assassin style film – a loud, stylish electro/techno soundtrack overlaying an assassination featuring wigs, stylish clothes and cars and every other spy cliché you’d come to expect from a film like this. The only truly original and enjoyable thing in this opening scene is Ioan Gruffudd’s shady businessman, who looks like he’s having a whale of a time relishing playing a bad guy for a change. However what you don’t see coming with Ava after this initial scene is that instead of being a full on action film, it turns into a family melodrama with a few fight scenes thrown in almost as an afterthought.
Ava is a characterless film full of clichés, and lacking in any personality whatsoever. The spy and action elements, when we eventually see them that is, are entirely unoriginal and have been done so much better in any other spy film you could think of. The fight scenes are surprisingly dull and the camera work only results in highlighting how staged and choreographed the scenes are, they just don’t look real. It isn’t helped by all of the family drama either, with a large number of conversational dialogue scenes taking over the majority of the short but feels so long run time. It wouldn’t be too bad if these were scripted well but I’m afraid like everything else in this film, the script is lacklustre and clichéd.
Character development is poor and banal too, with the majority of the spy related characters lacking in any form of personality or likability. Ava herself is the worst, she reminded me of a personality-less robot who has no depth or emotions, no matter how much the opening credits scene or family interactions try to tell us otherwise. This film has really done it’s stellar cast a huge injustice and gives them absolutely nothing to work with.
Even the plot suffers from a complete absence of originality and seems to have been kept as vague as possible, whether on purpose or because the writers just couldn’t be bothered I’m not sure. The shadowy organisation that Ava, Duke and Simon all work for is never identified or discussed in any real detail. All we learn about them is that they employ assassins to make hits on possibly shady people, with no further elaboration on why or what these people have done wrong, which Ava herself seems fascinated about as we see her questioning her victims as they’re about to die. I’m all for creating a mysterious atmosphere giving away just enough to keep us intrigued, but I’m afraid this doesn’t work for Ava as it just comes across as lazy and complacent with sloppy writing.
I couldn’t help but compare Ava to Atomic Blonde, another female led assassin film that is worlds apart from this. Ava is lacking in everything that made Atomic Blonde - a fun watch, with style, substance and some brutal (but well executed) fight scenes - and I really wish Ava had followed the same formula as at least this would have made it watchable. As it is, it’s a completely dull and clichéd spy film lacking in pretty much everything.