Another M.I. installment sees Tom Cruise once again refusing to be uncool. Whether it’s the run, the jawline, or the stunts, he’s got a James Bond-esque swagger that no other actor seems to be able to compete with on the screen, even the likes Henry Cavill dwarfs in comparison to his cool factor.

The Mission Impossible franchise has once again graced us with a 2 and a half hour compilation of car chases, gun fights and smouldering looks in Fallout. Even though Tom Cruise, who plays Ethan Hunt, does his own helicopter stunts, the cast won’t be picking up Oscars’ for their performances, but that isn’t what director Christopher McQuarrie set his sights on. Even the most predictable moments have entire audiences on the edge of their seats as Cruise takes on the seemingly impossible (pun intended).

I’m not one for action films, a perfect film for me being something along the lines of Notting Hill, but I couldn’t resist joining the excitement with the rest of the theatre. Even though every twist, turn and reveal is as foreseeable as the one before it, the audience experiences a somewhat childish fever every time the plot takes a 170° turn through the streets of Paris. I wouldn’t hesitate in putting it out there that this was the best hours I’ve spent in a seat for ShaneTheGamer (STG), and I’m looking forward to the inevitable sequel.

Join the thrill, save some pocket money, and go see this film. Make sure you go to IMAX if you can, Tom looks that much better when he’s 52 feet tall, compared to his regular 5 foot 7 inches.

The post Mission Impossible: Fallout (Paramount Pictures) Review appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

Disturbing, horrifying, terrifying, gripping, and phenomenal. These were all words used to describe the disruptive film that was the first Sicario released in 2015. Unfortunately, it’s successor failed to live up to that expectation, although that failure was in a thrilling fashion. Following suit on the idea that the only way to overcome the enemy is to execute them in a bloodbath, the action resumes on the Mexican border with our hero Matt Graver (Josh Brolin).

In unrelenting style, the constant blood and guts makes the experience not those for the faint-hearted. Fitting to the world however, it creates a realisation of the going ons in the darker side of life for those not fortunate enough to be sitting in Starbucks writing film reviews. All in all however, the sequel as mentioned very much failed to live up to the hype that preceded it. The key issue faced, is the Day of the Soldado felt too much like a franchise sequel, which without is the last thing the Sicario universe needed.

Day of the Soldado should have felt like what Split was to Unbreakable, but instead felt like Rogue One. A disjointed sequel, but a sequel nonetheless. In the words of both directors from the Sicario series, “Every movie in these series needs to be a standalone that stays in the same world.” a belief which I stand with wholeheartedly. Unfortunately Day of the Soldado doesn’t quite make the cut for this, especially with it’s ending. Overall the film is solid, but not the 5 star thunder I was hoping it to be.

Don’t worry though, I’ll save you the peril of spoiling the film, you should definitely go check it out yourself.

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The post Sicario 2: Day of the Soldado (LionsGate) Review appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

As TV’s get thinner and thinner, and manufacturers chase the dream of wallpaper displays for all, audio quality is left behind like a disowned child.

In a situation screaming compromise, more and more home users are having to turn to studio equipment to fully enjoy the TV experience. For those not wanting to commit four figures for an audio solution, the soundbar has been the saviour.

Sliding in front of the TV in it’s small 62cm frame, the JBL Bar Studio is a one-size-fits-all standalone solution for an enhanced audio experience. Providing connection via HDMI, 3.5mm, Optical or Bluetooth aptX, JBL has come out guns blazing to create a simple, elegant audio experience.

On the topic of audio, the soundbar delivers in waves, with it’s dual bass design an accompanying subwoofer is not necessary, packing all the heat necessary to put on a show with either James Bond or Drake. To control the storm, JBL includes a small controller that within it’s hand sized build holds the power of 16 buttons, which for my liking is a few too many. That being said, there aren’t any buttons included for the sake of including buttons, it’s just it could’ve been reduced a touch.

Comparing the size of the Bar Studio to other soundbars, the amount of punch packed in this small frame is monumental, and the audio experience is no less than what we’ve come to expect from JBL. If you’re looking for a standalone, solid solution for the average TV audio everyone is coming accustomed to, then the JBL Bar Studio is the pick for you.

The post JBL Bar Studio Review appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

These days it seems the ultimate task to find the product journey of taking something out of the box and using it. These last two weeks, my main external audio drivers have been lucky enough to be the Harmon Kardon Onyx Studio 4 and the JBL Boombox.

Starting off with the Onyx Studio, this work of art finds itself settling comfortably on any work desk or moulding itself into any modern living space. With a unique design that stands out from the get go, the Studio sits comfortably on it’s two feet and resembles the size of a large dinner plate. Although it holds itself in calm fashion, it’s strong, confident, and demanding sound is quite the opposite. With strong lows, any song with a prominent bass presence will give you your money’s worth.

To see exactly what the Studio could deliver, I paired it with John Entwistle’s unmistakeable bassline from The Who’s legendary hit “Won’t Get Fooled Again”. The studio not only coped with the track but put Entwistle’s Alembic Explorer on for show. If you’re looking for a speaker that delivers unrelenting sound whilst looking good, something anyone in the home-speaker market is on the lookout for.

On the other side of the spectrum, I found myself at the mercy of the intimidating JBL Boombox. A handle-enabled carry, unrelenting beast that dominates any setting in both presence and output. It’s big and heavy, and has all of the excitement you’d expect to get with it’s form factor, packing power and strength that you’ll find hard to get from any other portable speaker. Although the Boombox’s drivers seem dead set focused on delivering a strong bass-centric experience, they’ve thrown in enough bold mids and highs to create an experience for anyone.

Instead of taking the Boombox on a bass rollercoaster like I did the Studio, I took it down a heavier road but putting all of the pressure on it’s less prominent higher spectrum focus, while giving its drivers something to impress me with on the lower end. A strong fit I found with Kurt Cobain’s course voice, guitar riffs complimented by Dave Grohl and Krist Novoselic’s background antics from Nirvana’s debut album Bleach hit single “School”.

Without forgetting Dave Grohl’s infernal drums, the Boombox genuinely surprised me in how it was able to take Cobain’s vocals and showcase them for the masterpiece they were. It held up delivering the rough distortion fighting his guitar, without losing any of the important parts that mattered most.

To finish off my ramblings like I started them, my focus pulls back to the out of experience these speakers deliver. As soon as you pull them out of the box, you plug or connect, and you’re ready to go. The speed at which I was able to get on my feet reminded me of an out of the box experience comparable to something like an Apple iPhone. This is something that needs to be the focus of more non-enthusiast speaker producers, as we find ourselves in a pool of more and more cryptic devices.

The simplicity in the setup of the speakers, is that the buttons do what you expect them, instead of the Studio and Boombox alike trying to put their own twist on icons like the Bluetooth logo that we’ve come to so easily recognise.

You’re going to regret it if you miss out on picking up either of these speakers.

The post Harmon/Kardon Onyx Studio 4 & JBL Boombox Review appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

Tomb Raider delivers more punch than expected.

Although they can be seen to fit the same category, video game films have never come remotely close to packing the same punch as comic book adaptations. That being said, Angelina Jolie’s Lara Croft from the early 2000’s is often widely regarded as the most exhilarating video game film in all of history. To say that Alicia Vikander had big shoes to fill would be a gross trivialization of the task faced by the Oscar winning actress.

Not only was Vikander faced with huge expectation, the unstable, often inconvenient screenplay and pacing set her up for a total and fatal collapse.

However not to take the unfortunate situation as a be all end all, Vikander put on a great show in displaying a physically capable but emotionally vulnerable Lara Croft, and had you stuck to your seat for just over two hours. With a strong support featuring the all favourite Dominic West and distinctly crazed Walton Goggins, there is definitely an exciting show to be experienced.

Unluckily for the cast and crew of Tomb Raider, exciting does not make a great film, and the hit and miss production sticks out at times like a sore thumb.

If you’re an excitement buff, take the time to see this on the big screen, but if you’re looking for fantastic cinematography and script, call in sick for this appointment. That being said, we’ll definitely be on the lookout to see a strong sequel come in to swoop the gold.

The post Tomb Raider (Warner Bros. – 2018) Review appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

Game night delivers a lot more laughs than we’ve become used to.

With a star-studded cast loaded with a fantastic script brought together by the co-directors who wrote Horrible Bosses, Game Night came out with all guns firing.

In a landscape of average, unfunny comedies, it was refreshing to sit through just under two hours of laughter, tagged along with the necessary but not painfully long emotion tuggers and forced drama. Headlined by our focus couple Jason Bateman (Max) and Rachel Adams (Annie), the film opens strong and maintains the pace comfortably without forcing its comedy and action mix down your throat.

The plot begins with Max and Annie coming together at a pub quiz, followed by a direct montage of their addiction to ‘game night’. A mixture of board games, charades, and quizzes, the film quickly establishes them as the king and queen of their neighbourhood competition. With a combination of cartoon-like, over-the-top violence alongside perfectly sarcastic performances and gags, Game Night hits a fantastic level of comedy with great wit, and at least a couple strong unexpected plot twists.

The most important thing for me in Game Night however, was that it never slowed down.

Between the chase through a mansion as the camera swerves through all the beams and rooms, an estranged neighbour, and Max’s brother Brooks’ (Kyle Chandler) ever changing persona, the script, cast, and camera work keep you on your toes and excited to see what they throw at you yet.

Maybe it’s placement in a marketplace of average-ness has given me bias, or maybe it’s my soft spot for Jason Bateman, but Game Night delivers a night of laughs that you’ll want to hold onto.

The post Game Night (Warner Bros. – 2018) Review appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

Ever since LG graced all productivity enthusiasts with the first ever edition of an Ultrawide monitor in 2014, Samsung has opened it’s arms to the market and constantly come at full force.

Their 2017 launch of the CF791 WQHD is no exception, boasting strong performance, features, and design with any downsides hard to find in most cases.

34 inches is still quite a size that most gamers are trying to get used, and for the next year most likely won’t, but that hasn’t stopped South Korean firm Samsung from pulling out another banger in their fantastic range of curved monitors and televisions. With a whopping 30 degrees of curve, the 100Hz behemoth will dominate any desk with ease, and commands a presence with even the most colourful of setups.

The perfect purchase of productivity with the intention of either being a single extremely wide screen or the replacement for dual screens that can connect easily with most accepted video formats, although you are left wanting for a USB-C connection.

Although a bit pricey coming in at a retail of $799 NZD MSRRP, Samsung has once again delivered another flagship product in this monitor. Across my use in broadcasting, photo / video editing, office work, and an attempt at gaming, I was constantly blown away by the vivid colours and eternally surprising 100hz refresh rate. How Samsung managed to create such a behemoth of a monitor at that refresh rate will forever stun me.

However, the CF791 is not all butterflies and rainbows.

It has a limited IO and restricted stand will leave many looking for more. At this stage, it should be a guarantee that flagship technology features USB-C ability, and this monitor forced my laptop into a dongle setup that would be better off being avoided. As more and more lightweight top of the line tech becomes the norm, it’s a disappointment that Samsung isn’t spreading the love to us USB-C enthusiasts.

In saying that, it is without a doubt Samsung has created a great product. And although I am yet to buy one of these monitors as gaming devices, their place on a productive work desk has been all but solidified in my mind. I am excited at the prospect of seeing Samsung’s next move in this space, as their television and mobile device screens become a worldwide standard and continue to break barriers.

Do yourself a favour and get one of these CF791’s, unless of course you’re stuck like me on an HP Spectre with your USB-C ports.

*NOTE: In this review, I compared the experience of the CF791 to my personal use of my LG 34UC99-W. Both devices were used and directly compared in both a single and multi (4 monitor) display setup. Feel free to reach out to me on Twitter @SheepOCE if you would like to see my full setup details.

The post Samsung CF791 Curved Widescreen Monitor Review appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

Riding on the excitement of the stunning and thrilling Atomic Blonde that landed in theatres in 2017, Red Sparrow was posed as Jennifer Lawrence’s turn to take the stage as Hollywood’s latest dark and seductive heroine.

Seemingly the new years version of Theron’s tale, Red Sparrow cast away any chance of competition in 139 minutes of eye-catching, gorgeous but unfortunately dull and dreary action. The Russian spy thriller directed by Francis Lawrence struggles throughout the two hours to create any excitement or enthusiasm from the audience, only to be held up at times by its surprisingly star-studded cast, and presentation thanks to Lawrence’s partner in crime cinematographer Jo Willems.

Flashing back to memories of other brutally violent scenes, the film struggles to identify itself as either crummy or elegantly brutal and as a result ends up over doing everything it sets to achieve to helps it cause. The overly bloody violence, constantly predictable plot twists and seemingly needless and repetitive sexual cruelty numbs the mind as you desperately try to become interested in the film. The plot initially pulls you in with a typical box office hook of sympathy and compassion, and presents a tough and worrying dilemma for Dominika Egorova (Jennifer Lawrence) that any audience can sympathise with.

Unfortunately, from that point onward, you are presented with countless depictions of unnecessary sexual embarrassment and tolerated violence before Egorova is presented a guardian angel in the form of CIA agent Nate Nash (Joel Edgerton). The movie then begins the typical Hollywood spin of the USA ‘good guys’ pitted against the Russian ‘bad guys’ where Egorova is flung between sides in a confusing storyline of double agents.

All in all, it is hard to even begin recommending this film to anybody outside of the hardcore Joel Edgerton and Jennifer Lawrence. With Hollywood once again pumping out two hours of nothingness barely redeemed by two fantastic actors, I find myself again waiting for something that glues me to my seat.

The post Red Sparrow (20th Century Fox – 2018) Review appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

This past week I’ve been using the second tier Samsung A8+ plus as my daily driver in place of a One Plus 3T, and although it felt like an upgrade, it didn’t blow away any of my expectations.

For the fourth generation in a row now, Samsung has released the cheaper sibling to their flagship ‘S’ line of mobile devices to satisfy those wanting their yearly Samsung fix, but who are avoiding the $1000 price point at all costs.

To summarize in its simplest form, the A line is in all forms an obviously cheaper version of the South Korean firm’s premier line of devices.

Right out the gate, you are greeted with Samsung’s greatest 2017 leap with another rendition of their ever so popular infinity display. Although the A8+ doesn’t feature the curved edges and total edge-to-edge experience found on the S8+, the 6” AMOLED display features fantastic colour depth and sharpness.

The front of the phone features an exciting debut from Samsung with 24MP of camera seen across two sensors (one at 16MP, the other at 8MP). This enables a hardware / software combo for a live focus selfie camera, that I’m sure will become a staple in a lot of people’s usage of the phone. Unfortunately, I’m not the most selfie friendly, so the camera mostly spent it’s time with my dog and Snapchat trying to squeeze filters onto him.

Another progression we see in the A8+ is the removal of the globally despised Bixby button that has been the bane of many S8 owners’ existence. Bixby in all it’s glory is still included with the relatively stock skin for the A8+ but is instead accessed with a left swipe from the home screen (this annoyingly isn’t usable as far as I can see with other launchers, didn’t work for me with Nova Launcher).

As far as hardware is concerned, there is nothing here that’ll make you jump out of your seat, but this year’s rendition of the A line (especially the A8+) is packing a lot of heat for its price point, a trend in the mid-range smartphone space that has been welcomed with very open arms. Kitted out with Samsung’s very own Exynos CPU and 6GB of RAM, it comes loaded to tackle most issues with ease, but still sits behind most flagship devices that have that “instant” feel. With my A8+ model holding onto a solid 3500mAh battery, you’ll easily get through two full work days from a full charge, three works days if you like to live dangerously. The only disappointment for me was the fast charge, which didn’t feel nearly as clear cut or effective as One Plus’s dash charging technology.

In saying that, regular charging the A8+ was much more effective through a standard USB-3 port compared to other devices.

Overall, the A8+ is a super solid phone and will keep those on a budget within the realms of flagship performance for the rest of 2018. Unfortunately for Samsung, they aren’t the only manufacturer to put on a show at the $800 price point, and with Chinese workhorses One Plus and Xiaomi constantly questioning what should be expected from the price point, it’s hard to recommend the S8+ over devices like the 5T or Mi Mix 2.

In saying that, the A8+ comes with the reputation of a globally trusted and accessible brand in Samsung, with the support that many companies can’t provide to every customer (especially to all of us in Australasia) there is a lot of safety in this years A line.

The post Samsung A8+ Review appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

From the Director behind The Descendants and Sideways, Alexander Payne brings us his first dive into the sci-fi realm, with a core message about the danger humanity is currently facing on this planet.

Starting out of the near tip of the world in the shape of Norway, the film quickly presents itself as a potential award winner, then fails to execute on any interesting part of the story.

With a fantastic premise and concept that will get any viewer excited, the film somehow presents very little narrative and quickly discards some of the stars of the cast. Although some of the A-list names for the film are quickly cast away. Headliner Matt Damon and his MVP support Christoph Waltz clock strong performances for what they were, with Waltz carrying an exciting bachelor along for the ride that is a total joy to observe.

Whilst lacking in script and story, the movie itself looks fantastic, as Payne’s crew would’ve without a doubt thoroughly enjoyed playing with the concept of little people in a huge world. In saying that a pretty picture can only make up for so much in a film with a runtime stretching just past 2 hours.

All in all, the movie is the perfect example of how a seemingly perfect concept can fail, with the film struggling to find it’s pace and direction after 30 minutes.

Neither terrible or great, the film feels to be the ideal case for the rating ‘bang average’.

The post Downsizing (Paramount Pictures – 2018) Review appeared first on Shane the Gamer.