T he Oscar winning ‘Gladiator’, set during the pinnacle of the Roman Empire is a tale of freedom and revenge, taking place during one of the greatest civilizations ever to exist. Though this movie carries a standout score and Oscar winning performance from Russell Crowe, this is all tangled around a somewhat simple structured storyline. Does ‘Gladiator’ live up to the accolade many have given it as being one of the modern greats of our generation?

    Its 180 AD and General Maximus Decimus Meridius (Russell Crowe) is leading the Roman army to victory against the Germanic tribe, one that will prove to be Marcus Aurelius’ (Richard Harris) last. After finally concurring the barbaric tribe in Germania, emperor Aurelius names Maximus protector of Rome, a decision that doesn’t go down to kindly with the emperor’s son, Commodus (Joaquin Phoenix).  In order for Commodus to become emperor of Rome he takes matters into his own hands and squeezes the last remnants of life out of his elderly father. 

After Commodus orders for the execution of Maximus and his family (a decision conjured out of his bitter personality and jealously towards his father’s admiration of Maximus), the ex-Roman general escapes and winds up in North Africa where he is sold to the slave master Proximo (Oliver Reed, who sadly past away during the filming of this movie).

Commodus decides against plans to open work on the sewerage system, one that will put a stop to the plague infesting Rome, and instead decides to re-open the Colosseum games in celebration of his father’s death (though this is mealy a mask as these games are no more than a form of entertainment for  Commodus’s amusement). This lifting of the gladiator boycott in Rome paves the way for Maximus to fight his way to the top so he can seek revenge against the emperor that cast his family into the after-life.

Gladiator does a great job in re-creating an immersive atmosphere in Rome at the height of its power. Director Ridley Scott (Alien, Blade Runner) is renowned for his special effects, and the accolades Scott earned from constructing the beautiful dark, Sci-Fi atmospheres in Blade Runner and Alien are kept to good use in ‘Gladiator’ as Scott creates this immersive setting at the heart of the most powerful civilizations in human history.  

Russell Crowe delivers a superb performance in Gladiator that can’t be faulted, a performance that won him an Oscar for ‘Best Actor’ back in 2001. Joaquin Phoenix is sufficient in his sinister role while his on-screen sister, played by Connie Nielsen, adds that much needed emotional depth to the movie. 

It’s the musical score though that is the main driving factor that transforms ‘Gladiator’ from a good movie into a great movie. The Oscar nominated Score from Hans Zimmer and Lisa Gerrard is fantastic and one of the standout movie scores ever created. It’s co-ordinated perfectly to accompany the specific scenes that evoke the spine-chilling emotion. The slow paced, vocal ‘Now We Are Free’ song is put to good use in the more touching parts of the movie and the heated battle scenes fit nicely to the higher tempo of ‘The Battle’. It’s hard to imagine this movie without Zimmer’s score as this is the main highlight that springs to mind when you think of ‘Gladiator’. 

At times Gladiator does struggle from poor lighting, this being in the opening sequences that create this grainy texture to the back drop, (mainly present during the battle of Germania scene, due to the lighting being also concealed behind the German forest).  To accompany this we also get a poor first look at the Colosseum that visually looks far to animated (though the visuals are subsequently better the second time round when Maximus arrives in Rome).

This being said none of these aspects damage the backbone of this movie as this still stands out as a movie not to be missed. The musical score on its own is enough to entice you in this story. This emotive layer created by the score, accompanied by the immersive atmosphere all add to this heroic tale of Maximus defying all odds, to battle against the most powerful man on the planet. By the time the final confrontation comes to a conclusion you are left satisfied, and this exhilarating tale of vengeance is a spectacle not to be missed.

Buy Gladiator on Blu-Ray or DVD.

Buy Gladiator Soundtrack from Hans Zimmer and Lisa Gerrard.

Now in its 11^th year, Download Festival has long set the bar for insane headline sets, huge mosh pits and levels of rain that make Glastonbury seem like Rio De Janeiro. While decent weather conditions kept the mud slides at bay, a stellar line up, led by metal behemoths Slipknot, Iron Maiden and Rammstein, made sure that this year’s festival didn’t disappoint.

Friday

Despite patchy rain dampening the atmosphere slightly, energetic metallers Rise To Remain (***) and Architects (****) do a good job of opening the Main Stage with Architects’ well judged combination of heavy riffs and pop sensibilities going down particularly well with the crowd. Meanwhile, at the Pepsi Max Stage, new hardcore act Palm Reader (****) successfully tear their surprisingly large crowd a new one with their visceral and chaotic sound. This is clearly a band with their eyes on bigger things and with the reach to achieve them.

You’d be hard pressed to even attempt to describe Papa Roach (***) as a ‘Nu Metal’ band anymore, with frontman Jacoby Shaddix looking less like an angst-ridden teenager and more like someone auditioning to join Motley Crue. Indeed, their more recent material is given what can politely described as a ‘muted’ reaction. Nevertheless, when they get stuck into older hits, like ‘Last Resort’, the mood lifts greatly and the audience’s goodwill towards them is restored. While Europe (*) proceed to test the patience of the enormous crowd gathered at the Zippo Encore Stage, who are clearly just waiting for them to play ‘The Final Countdown’ with laughably poor rip-offs of The Doors and Stevie Wonder, Korn (****) remind everyone watching them just how enjoyable their deranged and dissonant metal can be. Even their Skrillex collaboration ‘Get Up’ is well received and by the time they drop ‘Freak On A Leash’, singer Jonathan Davies has Download Festival in the palm of his hand.

Though Bullet For My Valentine (***) do a functionally job with their poppier take on thrash metal, there’s an overwhelming sense that they are merely the appetizers for the main event. Singer Matt Tuck looks visibly frustrated at the crowd’s lack of energy and practically storms off the stage at the end. Based on the type of thunder that Slipknot (*****) bring, he needn’t be so down on himself, as barely a band on the planet can compete with the sheer firepower that Corey Taylor’s men display tonight. It’s almost overwhelming how much love this festival has for the band and a touching tribute to late bassist Paul Gray are proof that Download is Slipknot’s home from home. By the time they unleash ‘Duality’, there’s little doubt that they are now a world-class headline act worthy of any festival.

Saturday

For any people nursing a hangover from last night’s campsite antics, Mastodon (****)’s trippy hard rock style might be a little bit too much for their fragile senses to handle. For the rest of us, their unique sound manages to be boundary pushing without being self-indulgent. It’s an act that Alice In Chains (***) somewhat struggle to follow and, while the play hits like ‘The Rooster’ and ‘Them Bones’ well enough, they lack a certain energy needed to hold the audience’s attention.

Initially seeming out of place on a bill packed with heavier and more theatrical bands, it’s hard to believe quite how quickly Queens Of The Stone Age (*****) make these trappings seem pointless. More menacing than a thousand death metal bands and more danceable a thousand DJs, Josh Homme’s Stoner Rock mob easily blow all the competition away. With tracks from seminal new album ‘…Like Clockwork’ peppered throughout a set which showcases their harder edged material, they are impossible to tear yourself away from. Outstanding.

There’s rarely a festival recently that Enter Shikari (****) don’t seem to be playing, but, on the strength of their Zippo Encore Stage headline set, no one seems to be complaining. Their electronic-heavy metalcore sound combined with singer Rou Reynolds’ politically charged lyrics shouldn’t work at all, but the collision of genres works to deliriously enjoyable effect.

It’s hard to pinpoint what’s lacking from Iron Maiden (**)’s headline set on Saturday. Maybe it’s that, compared to the other two Main Stage headliners, their production feels a little bit too well rehearsed and oddly tame. Maybe it’s that Bruce Dickinson seems a little bit too keen on promoting the band’s beer and future tour dates than actually singing their classic songs. Whatever it is, their set feels strangely and disappointingly sterile.

‘Sterile’ is certainly not a word that could be used to describe The Hives (*****)’s performance on the Pepsi Max Stage. Armed to the teeth with sharp punk tunes and even sharper suits, they make good on their legendary live reputation. As they close their set with an extended version of ‘Tick Tick Boom’, their status as the most fun live band on Earth is confirmed.

Sunday

Stoner Rock godfathers Masters Of Reality (***) might not be playing to an enthusiastic crowd on the Zippo Encore State, but still put on a brave face and attempt to pack a 28 year career into a 30 minute set. At the opposite end of the scale, up and coming rap rockers Hackivist (***) are impressive but barely have enough material to fill their short early afternoon slot. Mark this one down as a ‘work in-progress’.

Short of actually moving into Castle Donington, there isn’t much more Corey Taylor can do at this point to show his love for the festival, as he plays his second Main Stage set of the weekend with Stone Sour (****). Though lacking the anarchy of Slipknot’s performance on Friday, Taylor’s ‘other’ band does a fantastic job of working the crowd into frenzy. It’s a performance that The Gaslight Anthem (***) simply can’t compete with. While their relaxed, Springsteen-eqse rock is a welcome change of pace from the relentless heaviness of the rest of the line up, it occasionally feels as if they’ve turned up at the wrong festival.

As the majority of the Main Stage crowd head back to their tents as 30 Seconds To Mars (**)’ Jared Leto reads the band’s upcoming UK tour dates from a piece of paper like they were The Ten Commandments (which tells you all you need to know about their hugely pretentious performance), the Zippo Encore Stage is gearing up for Nu Metal poster boys Limp Bizkit (****) to take the stage. When they emerge, the crowd reaction is unbelievable, with every song causing mass carnage. It also helps that Fred Durst’s group are much easier to enjoy fully when they aren’t taking themselves seriously and go out of their way to crowd-please. It’s not perfect (their whiney cover of The Who’s ‘Behind Blue Eyes’ hasn’t improved with age), but you’d struggle to find a better crowd atmosphere all out week.

Closing this year’s Main Stage, at times, it’s hard to comprehend just what is happening during Rammstein (****)’s set. Featuring camp costumes, enough pyrotechnics to take over the whole of Leicestershire and (we’re not making this up) singer Till Lindemann simulating sex with a gimp before spraying foam from a mechanical penis over the crowd, they make every other band look boring in comparison. Though the music might not be to everyone’s tastes, their stage show simply has to be seen to be believed.

It may not have the variety of festivals like Glastonbury or Reading, but there’s no denying that Download can easily match them in terms of sheer entertainment value. Long may they continue to rock on.

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Skyfall delivers a new take on Bond, with director Sam Mendes changing the formula of the continual, two-part movie story, (as seen in Casino Royal and Quantum of Solance) and instead opting for the exploration of the alien terrain that is Bond’s past. This deeper, darker experience moves away from the typical Bond that we have seen prior to Skyfall; but is this a risk too much for Bond’s 50^th anniversary. 

   After a near death experience James Bond (Daniel Craig) is left in a vulnerable, psychological state rendering his skilled attributes, such as shooting and his vigour at a rock bottom low. As all this is taking place M (Judi Dench) is fighting against both her superiors, who are asking for her resignation and a terrorist, Silva (Javier Bardem) who is trying to get inside her mind via a string of cyber-hacks leading to terrorist attacks including an explosion within M15. All of these factors are added to Bond’s main mission, to find and track down a stolen hard drive containing the names of British NATO undercover operatives.

Skyfall explores a very alien territory in the Bond universe by uncovering Bond’s past such as the death of his parents. We go deep into the history of 007 which keeps the majority of the story close to UK, though in typical Bond fashion his mission takes him traveling further afield such as Shanghai and Istanbul. Though this is a new and risky approach to tackling a 007 film its execution is well presented and the questions that Skyfall generates are answered before the films conclusion.  

The acting is fantastic with standout performances from Daniel Craig, Javier Bardem and Judi Dench. Dame Judi Dench delivers a superb acting performance in her supporting role and this ties in nicely with a story that involves M more so than any other Bond film.

The series that kick started the Bond story back up in Casino Royal introduces the new younger Q (Ben Whishaw) in Skyfall. His acting is good though it’s nothing that stands out compared to other actors performances.

One criticism though is the way Naomie Harris’ character Is presented as it takes a while to warm to her due to the hit and miss comedy she tries to inject into the film.

The overall great acting accompanies a superb soundtrack that was worthy of its Oscar nomination including Adele’s fabulous Oscar wining song‘Skyfall’.

Though Skyfall is executed very well certain areas are lacking that familiar touch that true 007 fans may miss. The traditional car chase scene is ditched in this film for bikes but only briefly used in the films prologue. The lack of car chase scenes, scenes that James Bond is famous for has been absent since the Brosnan era (apart from again a brief scene in the opening of Quantum of Solace), though this isn’t something that should act as a fault as it doesn’t feel needed.  

Though other areas could be criticised for being stripped down such as the lack of innovative gadgets, one of which being merely a radio transmitter, they aren’t really missed. You find yourself too enticed and tied up within the depth of storyline to really miss these aspects.

Bonds 50^th Anniversary feature uses a gripping story that works very well and is more different and unique than any other Bond film to date. It mainly does this by stripping away a lot of the traditional Bond glamour. Sam Mendes opted for a new exciting, different Bond that moved away from the safe formula that people came to love. This fresh take, which focuses on possibly the deepest story used in a Bond film, injects this new life into 007 that gives fans a new experience that doesn’t recycle old materials from previous Bond’s. Sam Mendes’ change-up in Skyfall has created one of the best Bond’s to date. His risk paid off.

Click here to buy Skyfall via Amazon.

Over the past week we have seen many titles announced at E3 as Sony's PS4 went head to head with the Xbox One. Yes Sony triumphed over Microsoft at the pressers, but that was mainly down to the hardware. Ultimately the games and exclusive titles are going to be a major impact on those people who haven't yet decided of which console to choose. 

Xbox One Exclusive Titles (Note: some are made available on the Xbox 360)

1.   Ryse: Son of Rome (Launch Title)
2.   Quantum Break (2014)
3.   D4 
4.   Below
5.   Fantasia: Music Evolved (Kinnect)
6.   Black Tusk Studios – Tech demo showed off- Untitled
7.   Titanfall (2014)
8.    Project Spark
9.    Sunset Over Drive
10.    Dead Rising 3 (Launch)
11.    Forza 5 (Launch)
12.    Next-Gen Halo (Halo 5, 2014)
13.    Kinect Sports Rivals (Kinect- Launch Title)
14.    Killer Instinct (Free to download- Launch Title)
15.    Crimson Dragon
16.    Minecraft
17.    Zoo Tycoon
18.    Max and the Curse of Brotherhood
19.    Plants vs Zombies Garden Warfare
20.    Powerstar Golf
21.    Rabbids Invasion
22.    Loco Cycle
23.    Zumba Fitness: World Party

PlayStation Exclusive Titles (Note: some titles may be available on PlayStation 3 and Vita)

1. Blacklight: Retribution
2. Contrast
3. Daylight
4. Knack
5.  DC Universe Online
6. Diablo III
7. Doki-Doki Universe
8. Don't Starve
9. Final Fantasy XIV
10. Hohokum
11. Deep Down
12. Driveclub
13. Galak-Z
14. Infamous: Second Son
15. Killzone: Shadow Fall
16. The Order 1886
17. Oddworld: Abe’s Oddysee New ‘n’ Tasty
18. Outlast
19. The Pinball Arcade
20. Planetside 2
21. Primal Carnage: Genesis
22. Basement Crawl
23. Secret Ponchos
24. Super Stardust (spiritual successor)
25. Mercenary Kings
26. Octodad: Dadliest Catch
27. Project Heart and Soul
28. Ray's the Dead
29. Rocketbirds 2: Evolution
30. Super Motherload
31. Tiny Brains
32. Transistor
33. War Thunder
34. Warframe
35. The Witness

      Out Fot Both PlayStation 4 and Xbox One (Note: some are available for current gen hardware)

1.  Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag
2.  Battlefield 4
3.  Call of Duty: Ghosts
4.  FIFA 14
5.  Mad Max
6.  Madden NFL 25
7.  Metal Gear Solid V: The PhantomPain
8.  Mirror's Edge
9.  NBA 2K14
10.  NBA Live 14
11.  Star Wars: Battlefront
12.  Thief
13.  Tom Clancy's The Division
14.  Final Fantasy XV
15.  Just Dance 2014
16.  Kingdom Hearts 3
17.  LEGO Marvel Superheroes
18.  The Crew
19.  Cyberpunk 2077
20.  Destiny
21.  Lords of the Fallen
22.  Need for Speed: Rivals
23.  Rainbow 6: Patriots
24.  Shadow Warrior
25.  UFC
26.  Warhammer 40,000: Eternal Crusade
27.  Watch Dogs
28.  The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
29.  Carmageddon: Reincarnation
30.  Dragon Age: Inquisition
31.  Dying Light
32.  The Elder Scrolls Online
33.  The Evil Within
34.  Skylanders: Swap Force
35.  Sniper Elite 3
36.  Trials Fusion
37.  Wolfenstein: The New Order

Finally the trailer to the hit 2006 sequel of 300 as arrived. 300: Rise of an Empire continues where 300 left off, still firmly under the reins of Zach Snyder (Man of Steel, 300 and Watchmen). Though the 2006 adaptation of the famous Battle of Thermoplae wasn’t a true account of goings on, 300 was still an excellent film, combining a gritty and more of a mythological take on the historical battle, and it went down well. Now eight years on (with 300: Rise of an Empire set for a 2014 release), the sequel sets add a bigger Greek army to the mix whilst still keeping these intense action scenes. 

Watch the action packed trailer below featuring Eva Green :-

Microsoft have been at the centre of attention over the past few weeks, and not for the right reasons. E3 was Microsoft’s chance to prove to millions of people watching worldwide why they should choose their console over the PS4.

How did they do? Let’s go through it.

The Start

The show started with a play through of the latest title in the Metal Gear franchise, The Phantom Pain (or Metal Gear Solid V: The PhantomPain). After the announcement last week that the new voice of Solid Snake will be 24’s Kiefer Sutherland, the hype factor for this game was definitely on. This is the first true Metal Gear title to feature on the Xbox platform (not including Metal Gear: Rising out last year that was more of a spin-off) and was a very interesting way for Microsoft to start its press conference. Gameplay looked good, fluid and the most immersive stealth looking experience on the platform, if that short piece of footage is anything to go by.

Xbox 360

To begin Microsoft saw fit to do the segment on the 360 first, fair enough. People was expecting a price drop on the current gen hardware but instead a new model was released that looks similar to the Xbox One. The price is expected to drop from its current £199 price tag before the holiday.

On top of this, an announcement was made to an update to Xbox Live. Starting from July 2013 Xbox Live Gold Members will receive two free game downloads a month, though details on this was thin with only two titles shown that will be available in the coming months (Halo 3 and Assassins Creed 2).

The free to play World of Tanks is also coming to Xbox 360 this year, though this wasn’t made clear whether it will be ported over to the Xbox One at a later date.

Xbox One

After all this information regarding the 360, we now move onto Xbox One. The first game we was shown was ‘Ryse: Son of Rome’. We first saw this game back at E3 2011 and was originally a Kinect only game. It’s fair to say that this game is looking a lot healthier than its predecessor of a trailer. If you want to compare the two, both are below. 

Ryse original trailer from 2011

Ryse new trailer from 2013

Graphically Ryse did look interesting and this is a genre that hasn’t really made it on the Xbox. But it appeared robotic at times and very unnatural movements made the AI seem unrealistic. For this to be dubbed Xbox’s answer to God of War, I doubt it is a fight it will be able to win.  Saying that it could still be great but more needs to be shown in order to win the masses over.

The Killer Instinct reboot to Rare’s 1995 fighting game was then introduced on stage, though without Rare’s presence. The new fighting game is being developed by Double Helix and after the press conference it was confirmed that it will be free to download on the Xbox One at launch. Though it’s free to download, you will only have access to one character, Jago, and then required to pay a fee to access the rest of the characters.

Insomniac then introduced the trailer to their new an exclusive Xbox One game Sunset Overdrive and following that we had another look at Forza 5. Forza looked beautiful and so far looks the best racing game, graphically at E3 this year. New features included a smart AI system that involved the computer learning from your in-game behaviour and playing whilst you not even at your console. Clever yes, but the benefit to this wasn’t really explained. Why buy a game that plays for you after a few days of game time?

With the current gen arcade titles not being compatible on the ‘One’, Microsoft saw to solve the problem of transferring the most downloaded XBLA title to the new Xbox, Minecraft. This is bound to allow more freedom and a bigger world for players to expand their creative side. It’s still highly unlikely to be as big as the PC version but it would be anything more of a disappointment if it wasn’t an improvement on the current updated version of the XBLA title. A release date wasn’t announced and neither was the price. I’m sure more details will follow very soon.

At the Xbox One unveiling a few weeks back we got a quick glimpse at the Xbox One exclusive title, Quantum Break. This took to the stage to show us some footage running in engine on the ‘One’, though no gameplay was shown. Quantum break is seeking to be like a TV show and hopefully it’s more of a success than the last Xbox game to attempt such a challenge, 2008’s Alone in the Dark reboot.

On top of this we got the announcement of a new exclusive title called D4 and then a demo of the impressive creative game Spark. Again and Xbox exclusive, Spark showcased a creative experience for players to build and create a game within a short few minutes. It will be interesting to see what can be done in a week of playing. The demo showed how landscapes can be moulded into whatever you like and turning rocks into warriors. Also to note the Kinect was used with this game via voice controls and a tablet so expect a Smart Glass integration for Project Spark.

Xbox Features Segment

Xbox Smart Glass then got a few moments of attention though the majority of this part was ignored and quickly forgotten due to the cringe worthy Killer Instinct fight involving the producer of the game. One new feature showcased was Smart Match that allowed you to jump straight into a match instantly after playing another.  Microsoft also used this segment to announce their new partnership with the streaming service Twitch, this will be available on the Xbox One come its release.

The long outdated and limited 100 friend rule was also quashed. The Xbox One will allow an unlimited number of friends on the new console along with the extinction of Microsoft Points. From soon onwards real currency will take the place of MS points.

Apart from this no other information regarding the system features was announced. We didn’t get clarification behind why used games may require a fee and this always online saga. A lot of people including myself was hoping Microsoft addressed these issues before Sony’s press conference at the end of the day.

Back to Games

Once we got back to the games we got a visual video of Crimson Dragon, I say visual video as the sound completely failed at this point and we was left with nothing but the visuals. This fault returned for Battlefield’s presence on stage when showing a level in the campaign, creating the most awkward moment of E3. Battlefield also announced that, like COD map packs will be available first on Xbox One. View the awkward moment below:

Dead Rising returned to give us a grittier instalment to the previously comedic take on a zombie game. Another exclusive to Xbox One and again no details if this is a launch title. The same can be said about Witcher 3 that was showcased imminently after Dead Rising. The Witcher looked good and like the majority of other games shown was graphically great.

Microsoft announced that they are also investing in five new studios and assembling an all-star team to produce these exclusive triple A games for the Xbox One to create games with these memorable characters like Master Chief.

Speaking of Master Chief, the next Halo was teased to us, though out in 2014. Trailer below 

Price and Release Date

Now came the pricing. Microsoft announced that the Xbox One will be out in November this year and will retail at $499 and £429. Then there was that awkward pause where people didn’t know what to do until you heard a short unconvincing applaud. Plus Microsoft currency calculator appears to be broken because if we in the UK wish to purchase the Xbox One we will be paying the equivalent of $666 and with no explanation why there is that much of an extra cost, hardily fair for Xbox’s UK fans. Microsoft had a stubborn few days especially when Don Mattrick’s interview with Gametrailers.com host Geoff Keighley, that was aired yesterday but conducted prior to E3. See the calamity below:- 

Yes Don did just say that if you don’t have an internet connection then buy a 360. A PR disaster of a statement to make especially as this was aired after the PlayStation conference where they undercut the Xbox price and said they won’t charge for used games nor will they require an always online connection. A dumb move Microsoft.

We ended on Titanfall, Respawn’s exclusive title for Xbox coming in 2014. It looked great but it felt overshadowed by the price news shown momentarily before. Titanfall looks an exciting game and currently looks a must have if you are going to own an Xbox One.

Overall I would give the Microsoft press conference a 7/10. When it comes to games yes it delivered and for once we didn’t see all these Kinect games, that only appeal to the minority, shown on stage in the middle of showcasing different TV features. People have been complying that Microsoft hasn't done enough for gamer's by showing little exclusive games. Xbox One has some great exclusives and the biggest line-up of exclusives as long as I can remember. Third party content is well supported but this wasn’t the year people wanting solely this. This approach to E3 would be perfect next or last year, but this year we needed answers to the questions that have been damaging Microsoft’s reputation over the past few weeks as they stood by as the ship sunk. We need some positivity instead of restrictions. We need to know the benefits of having consoles always online and having used game fees. A simple ‘we will require a fee for used games but when new games are released they will be half the price’ is what can win people over. By not showing their hand they have allowed people to pre-order the PS4. This is a disaster at a business point of view as they are losing out to their competitor. Microsoft need another press conference to go through everything about this console and why they think this is the right direction to head towards. And no a simple press release wont suffice, as we have seen over the past few weeks that Microsoft clearly has a problem of making things clear in writing where they create more confusion than detail information 

Microsoft have unveiled an exclusive commemorative controller available to people that pre-order the Xbox One console.

Microsoft said: “Reserve your Day One Edition today and in addition to the best console we've ever made, you'll also receive a commemorative controller and an exclusive achievement.”

The controller is labeled "Day One 2013", but it has been stated that these controlers are "available in limited quantities while supplies last, at select retailers."

No it’s not some fancy looking thing that is easily recognizable but on top of that, people who pre-order will receive an exclusive achievement towards their Gamerscore, which will cross over to the Xbox One.

The Xbox One is out in November this year in the US, retailing at $499 and in the UK at £429. 

The sequel to last years The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey  is set to follow on with the second installment in the Hobbit franchise with The Hobbit: The Desolation Of Smaug. 

The trailer, released by Warner Brothers Studios, entices you to believe that The Desolation Of Smaug will be a more action packed affair compared to the first installment of The Hobbit, that at times seemed a little hollow in places and felt like an extremely long beginning to a film rather than a stand alone film, that had its own story but still contributing to create a trilogy. 

Don't get me wrong, the Hobbit is a great film but just not as good as the original Lord of the Rings trilogy. Hopefully the second can improve on the last and aim higher than the Lord of the Rings, a tall order yes, but one I'm sure Peter Jackson will be aiming to accomplish. 

Sony released a video after their  E3 press conference on Monday via their official YouTube channel (Playstation). This video completely twists the knife that Sony firmly planted into Microsoft following their landslide victory after the two press conferences in LA at E3 2013.

 

The video follows the whole one minute applause from the crowd, attending their press conference, after Sony officially announced  that the Playstation 4 will not restrict or charge a fee for used games. 

Microsoft has suffered somewhat of a PR disaster since their unveiling three weeks ago and failed to address the problems that has been circulating the Xbox One's policy's around used games and always online. 

Microsoft need to hold another conference showcasing the Xbox One, showing their plan and explain what benefit it is to the consumer to have these features, other than just a press release that is likely to contradict its self, as it has in the past few weeks.

Les Miserables follows Jean Valjean (Hugh Jackman) after being released from prison for stealing a loaf of bread for his sister’s hungry child. Though he has been released he is given the label of being a danger to society and ordered to report to an officer after a certain period of time.  This results in Jean going on the run as he is unable to get any work due to being branded as a threat. After eight years pass he still has Javert (Russell Crowe) chasing him down.

Jean Valjean then picks up the duties of caring for the young child Cosette (Amanda Seyfried) and bringing her up as if she was his own. As all this is happening the heart of the French Revolution is taking place in the backdrop and the majority of the cast getting heavily involved in this fight for freedom.  

Yes this is a musical film, but Tom Hoppers musical adaptation of what is said to be one of the nineteenth century’s greatest novels is a breath of fresh air and also brings a tale of love, redemption and freedom to the table to create this very unique experience.

This musical is almost all in song apart from a few snippets that are inbetween songs. This is also a progressive tale spanning just under twenty years during the French revolution and you really do get attached to these characters as they are developing through time.

 Les Miserables has a fantastic cast made up of Hugh Jackman, Russell Crowe, Anne Hathaway and Helena Bonham Cohen, to name a few, and their performances are truly great. They are all able to deliver the emotion of this tale though their singing very well and I don’t think it would have felt the same had it not been a musical film.

Hugh Jackman and Anne Hathaway are the two stand-outs in Les Miserables. The raw power and emotion you can see they provide is fantastic especially as this is delivered through song. Some have criticised Russell Crowe’s singing but I didn’t find that a problem and thought he did very well in this film.

The world and atmosphere is very beautiful, emersing you in this very realistic looking 19^th century world. You get the sense of conditions they lived in very well and why they are rebelling against the King.

But there a few problems with this film though. Being a film entirely expressed through song it can be hard to understand certain aspects, as you find yourself constantly having to analyse the words in each song to understand what is going on in the story. This is extremely demanding in a 2hr 40min film and towards the end it can feel that certain scenes could have easily been cut out without taking away anything other than an extra song. Yes I don’t think this film would have been that emotional if it wasn’t a musical, but I thought more dialog in-between songs could have helped you through this movie a lot smoother.

I have never read Les Miserables and I don’t think this film clearly delivers the motive behind Javerts relentless hunting of Jean either. It seems a little excessive for my taste as he goes to all these extreme lengths to catch a bread thief.

One of my favourite characters in this film is killed off very early on in this film as well, which I won’t spoil. I felt that certain characters presence, especially due to the performance they delivered earlier on, could have given an extra edge to the film at its later stages.

Saying that, this film is a great passionate tale and a must watch, all this coming from a person who in the whole doesn’t watch musicals. I truly enjoyed this film but found myself having to watch it twice to fully understand every moment of the film.

Still though this is a great movie and I’d happily watch Les Miserables again. If you love musicals then this will be one of the best you have ever seen and for those who don’t watch musicals I’d recommend you give this a try.  

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