Latest news with #RiseofthePlanetoftheApes
Daily Mirror
07-08-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Mafia The Old Country review – a beautiful but trivial take on what a crime gangster epic should be
This story of greed, crime, and forbidden love is wonderfully stunning to look at, yet disappoints for how unabashedly old-fashioned it is in almost every other regard. The next entry in 2K's wildly immersive gangster franchise aims to wind the clock back to the start, but in the process forgets to evolve its gameplay formula in any meaningful way. When in doubt, go back to the very beginning. Batman did it, Rise of the Planet of the Apes did it, and now it's the turn of 2K 's solid (if somewhat uneven) gangster series to give it a try by winding the clock all the way back to 1900s Sicily. I honestly don't blame developer Hanger 13 for taking this approach. Because while its remake of the first entry, 2020's Mafia: Definitive Edition, successfully revived a classic, the studio's last attempt to push the franchise into all-new territory with Mafia 3 didn't quite work out so well. Unfortunately, despite looking incredible and weaving a well-written tale with characters I came to care about greatly, on the gameplay side it's a similar story here again. Turns out the setting, however beautiful, isn't the only thing old-fashioned about Mafia: The Old Country. Starting off with the good: the location of Valle Dorata must surely go down in history as one of the most stunning, awe-inspiring places to explore in a video game ever. Though not especially large or sprawling, it makes up for this lack of size with an incredible amount of detail and variety present in almost every region you visit both in and outside of the campaign. From historic castle ruins that hint at times gone by and abundance of pastoral towns full of life, to the seemingly endless rows of vineyards that surround, not once while playing through Mafia: The Old Country's 12-hour campaign did I ever fail to be immersed. This is an amazing rendition of early 20th century Sicily packed full of detail and reasons to want to stick around. If only the game gave you any real reason to… See, much like the first two games in the series, Mafia: The Old Country again finds itself caught between two worlds. On one hand it takes place within an amazing open-world location you'll spend plenty of trips driving through, but then outside of a few collectibles, there's not really any real reason to do so. In fairness, Hanger 13 has been totally open about The Old Country being a linear game through and through, but then why tease us with the promise of something greater – and dare I say braver – if you're not going to deliver on its full potential? The benefit of keeping this Mafia prequel mostly on rails is that it's easy to stay invested in the narrative with hardly any distractions. Placing you in the shoes of new protagonist Enzo Favara, you'll follow his journey from beleaguered orphan to criminal gangster, getting up to no good and into all kinds of crime-related scrapes a long the way. Cars and weapons being mostly limited in their technology during this era gives The Old Country a slightly different flavour to any other game in the series. And it's an element the game is extremely wise to lean into given just how similar Enzo's overall story ends up being to Tommy Angelo from the first Mafia game. Rather than break any new narrative ground, Mafia: The Old Country is instead all too happy to lean into several tropes and clichés the gangster film genre is known for. It's in this regard where, aside from the utterly excellent motion-capture and voice performances, that this prequel ended up disappointing me most on the storytelling side of things. Here you have a fairly unexplored environment and a completely new cast of characters to fill it with, yet time after time, The Old Country fall into the trappings of what cinema aficionados will undoubtedly expect. I won't dig into these story beats too deeply for fear of spoiling the unsullied, but I'll go as far as to say that the Don's daughter, Isabella, and the nature of her relationship with the dashingly heroic Enzo hardly ends up being a mystery. Unrequited love, anyone? An offer to refuse In this way, Mafia: The Old Country plays it far too safe at almost every turn, being all too happy to merely 'play the hits' as opposed to taking its unique setting and technology of the time, and doing something truly different with them. Four games in, you think there'd be a hunger for this on the developer side. But alas, it's not usually the case, and very rarely did any story 'twist' end up shocking me. Enzo's journey more often than not elicited a shrug as opposed to a gasp. Sadly, this same old-school mentality also bleeds into the game's approach to action. Mafia: The Old Country's gameplay formula can essentially be boiled down into three main strands – cover shooting, driving, and stealth – and none are particularly boundary-pushing. I wasn't expecting Gears of War levels of gunplay here, but I could never shake the feeling that aiming as Enzo felt particularly floaty – even after trying out different firearms and equipping certain unlockable charms and beads specifically designed to counteract this. Luckily, when the cinematic shootouts do hit, they hit hard, and most usually occur as part of a larger set piece that culminates in an explosive climax such as a car chase or burning building escape. Stealth, perhaps unsurprisingly, is also a mixed bag. There's nothing particularly wrong with it per se, since throwing objects to distract enemies and sneaking behind them to either choke them out slowly or instant-kill them with a knife, are well-worn mechanical staples. Just because something is functional, though, doesn't make it engrossing, especially when these scenarios crop up a lot. Driving, meanwhile, is very fun, particularly since the environments you move through are always a joy to be in. The Mafia series has always had a great reputation for letting you get behind the wheel of a variety of historical cars, and this aspect returns here in full force. Better yet, the dedicated 'carcyclopedia' returns in The Old Country, allowing true petrolheads to pore over the full details of these ornate automobiles and then take them out to enjoy them in the game's dedicated Explore mode. The final gameplay mechanic worth mentioning is a pretty irritating one. At various points in the story, in order to build up some degree of stakes through combat, The Old Country will pit you against a single foe in a one-on-one knife fight confrontation. Though not exactly a quick time event, the act of dodging, blocking, striking, and slashing eventually grows tiresome, particularly since no new mechanical elements are ever introduced at any point. This is a game that starts with a knife fight and ends pretty much with the exact same knife fight, which might work as a method to let characters talk at close range and build drama, but is super repetitive from a gameplay perspective. I wish Hanger 13 would have found a different way to transform what should be a tension-filled set piece into something less predictable. Mafia: The Old Country isn't a complete disaster of a game, but it is very much a game out of time. In several ways it achieves what it sets out to do, setting players off on an engrossing, wildly cinematic, crime-fuelled gangster story set within a beautiful location with you at the centre of it. Beauty, of course, is only skin deep, and when it comes to what you actually do in this world, Enzo's journey climbing up through the ranks of the Torrisi crime family ends up feeling underbaked, unsurprising, and disappointingly old-school in its approach. Ultimately, The Old Country fails to make the most of its world's uniqueness, as evidenced any time you must leave your vehicle to interact with it.
NDTV
18-07-2025
- Entertainment
- NDTV
Freida Pinto To Lead Netflix Series Based On Jhumpa Lahiri's Unaccustomed Earth
Los Angeles: Indian actor Freida Pinto is set to headline Unaccustomed Earth, a series adaptation of author Jhumpa Lahiri's short story collection of the same title. The project was announced by streaming service Netflix in April and will feature eight episodes, according to entertainment news outlet Variety. Pinto, known for starring in critically-acclaimed and award-winning movies such as Slumdog Millionaire, Rise of the Planet of the Apes, You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger and Love Sonia, will essay the role of Parul Chaudhury. Unaccustomed Earth is described as an "epic, soapy, and culturally vibrant drama about a tight-knit Indian American community navigating love, desire, and belonging". "Rich with nuance, passion, and unforgettable characters, 'Unaccustomed Earth' invites you into the elite and insular Indian-American community of Cambridge, MA. When a star-crossed romance between a devoted wife and her long lost love comes to light, a scandalous affair is born and new battle lines are drawn in this intensely interconnected immigrant community," the official logline read. The series will be written by John Wells, best known for developing hit American show "Shameless" and directing movies such as "August: Osage County" and "Burnt", in collaboration with Madhuri Shekar, who will serve as the showrunner. Ritesh Batra, the director of The Lunchbox and "Photograph, will helm and executive produce the first and second episodes. Filmmaker Nisha Ganatra, who had originally optioned the book and developed the series, will also executive produce. Lahiri will executive produce as well, along with Erica Saleh, Erin Jontow and Celia Costas. Her 2003 novel The Namesake was famously adapted into a 2006 film by Mira Nair, starring Kal Penn, Tabu, and Irrfan Khan. Unaccustomed Earth will be produced by Warner Bros Television, where Wells is under an overall deal.
New Indian Express
18-07-2025
- Entertainment
- New Indian Express
Freida Pinto to lead Netflix's series based on Jhumpa Lahiri's short stories 'Unaccustomed Earth'
LOS ANGELES: Indian actor Freida Pinto is set to headline Unaccustomed Earth, a series adaptation of author Jhumpa Lahiri's short story collection of the same title. The project was announced by streaming service Netflix in April and will feature eight episodes, according to entertainment news outlet Variety. Pinto, known for starring in critically-acclaimed and award-winning movies such as "Slumdog Millionaire", "Rise of the Planet of the Apes", "You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger" and "Love Sonia", will essay the role of Parul Chaudhury. Unaccustomed Earth is described as an "epic, soapy, and culturally vibrant drama about a tight-knit Indian American community navigating love, desire, and belonging". "Rich with nuance, passion, and unforgettable characters, Unaccustomed Earth invites you into the elite and insular Indian-American community of Cambridge, MA.
Yahoo
09-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Tom Felton Addresses J.K. Rowling Controversy Amid Harry Potter Return
Originally appeared on E! Online Tom Felton isn't tuned into the noise. Just days after the Harry Potter alum announced he'll be returning to the franchise as Draco Malfoy in Harry Potter And The Cursed Child on Broadway, Tom was asked whether some of the controversy around author J.K. Rowling's anti-trans statements affected his decision to return. "No, I can't say it does," Tom told Variety on the red carpet of the Tony Awards June 8. "I'm not really that attuned to it." The 37-year-old—who starred alongside Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint in the films— continued, "The only thing I always remind myself is that I've been lucky enough to travel the world. Here I am in New York. And I have not seen anything bring the world together more than Potter, and she's responsible for that. So, I'm incredibly grateful." In fact, Tom spoke to how the existence of the Broadway production—which follows the unlikely friendship between the sons of Harry and Draco after they both get sorted into Slytherin house—speaks to the longevity of Harry Potter. More from E! Online Ryan Lochte and Estranged Wife Kayla Reid's Debt Revealed Amid Divorce Justin Baldoni's $400 Million Countersuit Against Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds Dismissed by Judge Dakota Johnson Reveals Dating Non-Negotiable After Chris Martin Breakup As he explained E! News' Keltie Knight at the Tonys, 'I was waiting for someone to jump out and say this is a spoof or some sort of elaborate Punk'd joke. But it's happening. I did not take much convincing!' And for the Rise of the Planet of the Apes actor, his nerves about taking on the project are a good thing. 'Anything that's really, truly worth doing, you should be a little bit nervous about,' he continued. 'It's an old role, so it's familiar shoes, but also a brand new slice of Draco's life. Now, he's a parent, so I'm excited to explore that.' As he explained E! News' Keltie Knight at the Tonys, 'I was waiting for someone to jump out and say this is a spoof or some sort of elaborate Punk'd joke. But it's happening. I did not take much convincing!' And for the Rise of the Planet of the Apes actor, his nerves about taking on the project are a good thing. 'Anything that's really, truly worth doing, you should be a little bit nervous about,' he continued. 'It's an old role, so it's familiar shoes, but also a brand new slice of Draco's life. Now, he's a parent, so I'm excited to explore that.' This time around, Tom will be taking a page out of his costar Jason Isaacs' playbook, the actor who portrayed Draco's father Lucius in the film series. Thankfully, their offscreen relationship will continue to serve Tom well in this next chapter. 'I still call him dad and he still calls me son,' he revealed of the White Lotus star. 'He is superb. Everything he does, I've learned so much from him, just as much offscreen as I have onscreen.' For more from the Tonys, read on. Julianne HoughSarah SnookKatie HolmesAlex Winter and Keanu ReevesDaveed DiggsMegan HiltyAnna WintourRosie PerezJustina MachadoRachel SussmanAudra McDonaldDarren CrissJonathan GroffJean SmartNicole ScherzingerSarah PaulsonDanielle BrooksLaufeyPhillipa SooCynthia ErivoCole EscolaBryan CranstonKristin ChenowethGeorge Clooney and Amal Clooney For the latest breaking news updates, click here to download the E! News App
Yahoo
17-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
10 best sci-fi remakes ever, ranked
Science fiction is a genre with a history as long as movies themselves. That means that, while plenty of great original ideas are still being produced in the genre every year, there are also plenty of sci-fi remakes that take old stories and update them. While some sci-fi remakes are better left unmentioned (Total Recall, anyone?), plenty of sci-fi remakes justify their existence. We've pulled together a list of 10 of the best sci-fi remakes ever, some of which come from beloved franchises. These movies manage to take the core idea of the movie they're based on and do something genuinely innovative with it. Without further ado, here they are. The second Planet of the Apes trilogy proved that this is one of the most interesting sci-fi franchises in the history of Hollywood. Unfortunately, Rise of the Planet of the Apes is the worst movie of this new trilogy, but its retelling of the story of Caesar, the ape who led an ape uprising, is moving nonetheless. The movie's failures have much more to do with its human cast and the machinations that lead to the apes gaining intelligence. Andy Serkis is, as ever, incredible as Caesar, and the biggest miracle of the movie is that you wind up caring for Caesar more than any of the people he hangs around with. You can watch Rise of the Planet of the Apes on Max. A smart reinterpretation of a core sci-fi text, The Invisible Man tells the story of a woman who is stalked by her wealthy scientist ex, who uses technology to make himself invisible. The movie features a harrowing central performance from Elisabeth Moss, and it works in part because it spends much of its time showing us the way everyone in this woman's life starts to believe that she's losing it. The Invisible Man has a fairly off-the-wall premise, but you can't knock the movie's hugely impressive execution. You can watch The Invisible Man on Amazon Prime Video. Steven Spielberg's War of the Worlds remake has a mixed legacy, but there are things about it that only he could have pulled off. The movie, which follows a father and his two children as they discover that the Earth is being attacked by aliens, has one of the most riveting opening acts of any movie ever made. And, while there are pieces of the story that don't work, the movie's overall effect and the way it resonates with the 9/11 attacks make it the kind of movie you simply have to see once. You can watch War of the Worlds on Paramount+. Steven Soderbergh's ultimate blank check movie coming off of Ocean's Eleven and an Oscar win, Solaris is a remake of Andrei Tarkovsky's 1972 film of the same name. This movie tells the story of a psychologist sent to evaluate the strange behavior of a space crew orbiting a distant planet. Once he arrives on the ship, he begins to experience the same phenomena as the rest of the crew and slowly spirals into madness as he works through unresolved traumas from his own past. It might be George Clooney's finest performance. You can rent Solaris on Amazon Prime Video. Peter Jackson's decision to remake King Kong right after the success of Lord of the Rings might have seemed like a folly, but the final product speaks for itself. Jackson's Kong is epic in scale and scope and uses modern CGI to make one of the most famous apes in all of cinema feel more approachable than ever. While not every decision in this sweeping epic works, enough of them do to help the movie feel like the kind of old-fashioned blockbuster we weren't getting enough of even 20 years ago. You can watch King Kong on Netflix. 12 Monkeys Official Trailer #1 - Bruce Willis, Brad Pitt Movie (1995) HD Adapted from Chris Marker's La Jetee, one of the definitive works of science fiction, 12 Monkeys adds a little more meat to the bones of that short story. The film follows a man imprisoned in the 2030s who is tasked with traveling back in time to the 1990s to learn more about a plague about to devastate all of humanity. As he moves through the 1990s, he comes to appreciate his own role in the plague and how a defining memory from his own childhood may hold the key to everything. You can rent 12 Monkeys on Amazon Prime Video. David Lynch's Dune adaptation was a famous debacle, and Denis Villeneuve's is, by comparison, something of a miracle. Both parts of the adaptation are excellent, following Timothée Chalamet's Paul Atreides as he transforms from a young lord into the leader of an insurgent movement. Chalamet and Rebecca Ferguson are excellent throughout both parts, but what shines brightest here is Villeneuve's attention to detail and his patience. The world of Dune is complicated, but Villeneuve and his team find a way to make it intelligible and genuinely interesting. You can watch Dune on Tubi. Amazing both for its practical effects and for just how gross it's willing to get, The Fly tells the story of a scientist who inadvertently merges his DNA with that of a fly and slowly transforms into something unrecognizable. Combining sci-fi with a love story, the movie features a remarkable central performance from Jeff Goldblum and some of the most effective body horror of David Cronenberg's long career with the genre. The Fly is terrifying, but part of its brilliance is that all of the terror comes from inside its central character. You can rent The Fly on Amazon Prime Video. Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978) - Official Trailer (HD) Serving as an obvious metaphor for communism, Invasion of the Body Snatchers tells the story of a group of friends who discover that everyone is being replaced by pod people. As they race to escape their own replacement, they begin to realize that the alien race that's invaded them only wants dull conformity. The movie's ending, in which we learn the fate of one of its central characters in a chilling fashion, remains one of the best and scariest final scenes in the history of science fiction. You can watch Invasion of the Body Snatchers on Tubi. One of the greatest movies ever made, this remake of a 1951 Howard Hawks movie tells the story of a group of researchers at a secluded arctic base who encounter an alien life form that can kill and then take the shape of any of them. As their paranoia ramps up, they slowly begin to suspect one another and have to figure out a way to root out the alien in their midst. The movie's effects are legendary, but director John Carpenter's total mastery of the tension is even more impressive. You can rent The Thing on Amazon Prime Video.
