Spirited Away (2001)

Hayao Miyazaki’s Oscar-winning anime masterpiece proudly sits at no.10 on my Top Ten favourite films and deservedly so. The joint founder of Studio Ghibli came out of retirement to make Spirited Away and it helped to finally bring the great man recognition in the west. This near faultless animation has many memorable moments – Chihiro’s arrival at the bathhouse, her flight through the skies on the back of her friend Haku who can take on the form of a dragon or the face-off against Yubaba at the end. The ultimate moment is a Miyazaki gem and has few words but some beautiful music.

Chihiro starts the film as an annoying and spoilt brat, complaining about having to start at a new school and live in a new house. On the way to the new home, Chihiro’s parents take a detour and find a tunnel leading to an abandoned theme park. Drawn by a pleasant scent, Chihiro’s parents begin helping themselves to a selection of food in a deserted restaurant. Chihiro wanders the theme park and meets a young man, Haku, who tells her to leave immediately. Darkness suddenly descends and spirits begin to appear. Chihiro returns to her parents and finds they have turned into pigs while her path back to the family car is now blocked by a river! Haku rescues Chihiro and takes her to the bathhouse ruled by Yubaba who has imprisoned Chihiro’s parents. Yubaba has Chihiro work for her and gives her the name of Sen. Chihiro/Sen has to grow up fast to survive and free her parents. She slowly rises to prominence through hard work but makes the mistake of inviting a wandering spirit – No Face – into the bathhouse. When her friend, Haku, is left seriously wounded and presumably dying, Chihiro has to set out to see Yubaba’s sister, Zeniba, from whom Haku has stolen a gold seal. Chihiro takes the gold seal but then has to contend with No Face who has been receiving fine food in exchange for gold nuggets he can magic up at will.

No Face is fascinated by Chihiro due to the kindness she showed him and he offers a huge pile of gold but Chihiro refuses. No Face pursues her out of the bathhouse and follows her towards the film’s best scene. In order to reach Zeniba, Chihiro has to take a train. This being Miyazaki there is something magical about an activity many of us find mundane in our world. The train in Spirited Away is on a track surrounded by water and the stops on the way lead to little islands dotted around the ocean. Chihiro and No Face sit together quietly as the train continues its journey. As they approach their destination, Swamp Bottom, Chihiro looks out of the window, her eyes focussed on the task ahead and her maturity is now shining through. Gone is the spoilt brat from the opening reels and in her place is a strong and independent young girl. Miyazaki’s is one of the world’s greats when it comes to animation and his stories have touched the hearts and souls of millions. If only the great man could live forever.

The Lovely Bones (2002) – Alice Sebold

I remember hearing a lot about The Lovely Bones when it was first published and became a bestseller. It was always my intention to read it but the opportunity didn’t arise until now. It’s been on Mrs B’s bookshelves for some time along with hundreds of our other books, but despite knowing the difficult subject matter I decided it was time to dip in and see if the novel was worth all the praise.

The story focuses on 14 year old Susie Salmon who is taking a shortcut home from school across a cornfield when she is raped and murdered by George Harvey, one of her neighbours. When Susie is killed, her spirit journeys to her personal heaven where she watches over friends and family. Harvey disposes of her body and nervously waits for the heat to die down. Watching from afar, Susie witnesses her family fall apart in the aftermath of her murder, sees the impact it has on her school friends and she even gains insight into the movements of George Harvey as the police run out of clues.

I was pleased that Sebold dealt with Susie’s murder at the very beginning and that it was a brief scene. It’s still not pleasant what happens to this poor girl, but the focal point of this novel is her spirit giving us accounts of the impact on those she knew. Her parents, Jack and Abigail, refuse to accept their daughter is dead until a dog discovers her elbow! The impact on the Salmon family is understandably devastating. Jack and Abigail are driven apart, their daughter, Lindsey, tries to stay strong and shield her young brother, Buckley, from all of the grief. Len Fenerman, the detective investigating the murder, becomes personally involved with the Salmon family, determined to find Susie’s killer but the trail soon runs cold.

Jack Salmon later comes to suspect George Harvey of the murder and Lindsey echoes these suspicions. Between them they try to prove Harvey’s guilt but Fenerman has nothing to go on to arrest the neighbour. As the months then years tick by, Susie watches her broken family struggle to repair itself. Her sister grows up with the support of her boyfriend, Samuel, while two school friends – Ray Singh and Ruth Connors – become closer, united by their mutual pain over Susie’ death. Ray’s hurt is great indeed for he was in love with Susie and she with him, but their brief romance was cut tragically short. By the end of the novel, Susie has talked us through around a decade of events and there is much pain and emotion along the way but it remains enthralling throughout.

There were three moments in The Lovely Bones that I found very moving. Two concerned Susie’s father, Jack. Remembering his hobby of putting ships in glass bottles and how Susie was the only one who shared the interest, Jack immediately begins smashing his collection! In a later scene Buckley is planting seeds in the garden and has retrieved Susie’s clothes from a box, much to the horror of Jack who snatches them back before arguing with his son. The final moment is when the family dog eventually passes away and one day Susie hears him in heaven! Initially worried the dog won’t remember her, Susie is delighted when she is knocked off her feet by the joyful canine. I found little to fault with The Lovely Bones though there was a moment towards the end, which was supposed to be heart-warming, but I found it a little absurd given how excellent the book had been prior to this. For the novel’s length, Sebold covers a lot of emotion here and you will suffer with the Salmon family as they try to find reasons to continue with their lives. This is an extraordinary journey but it is a painful one.

The Lovely Bones is a very moving book with a handful of scenes in particular striking a chord with me. Some elements towards the end were a bit too silly for my liking, but overall I think the novel was well worth all its praise. It’s certainly convinced me to give the film adaptation a try next though I hear the critics were not as nice!

Verdict: 4/5

I’m sharing this because I believe that indie does rock.  All I ever wanted to be was a published author. Thanks to self-publishing, my dream came true – and people have enjoyed my work.  It’s changed my life and given me confidence I’d never dreamed of.

Indie is a choice, an alternative – not a condemnation.  Hooray to Terri for raising awarness.  Hooray to the people who are trying this new way, this hard way, this brave way. Hooray to the readers who are open-minded and embracing our work!

Excerpt: “Sticks and Stones: The Changing Politics of the Self-Publishing Stigma”

For better or worse, the days when they were the sole gatekeepers are behind us. Today, rejection by traditional houses says little about a book. “Some wonderful books [are rejected] for various reasons—nothing to do with quality,” says Jenny Bent. A publisher may reject a book because it doesn’t fit into a clear category. A traditional house may also turn down a book if it doesn’t have an obvious audience or if the author has too small a platform or a poor sales track with previous books.

In the old days, determined authors turned to self-publishing—or vanity presses, as they were called—as a last resort. Serious authors, concerned about being black- balled, dared not self-publish. As a result, talented authors like John Kennedy Toole, whose posthumously published masterpiece, A Confederacy of Dunces, won a Pulitzer Prize (1981), went to their grave believing their work did not measure up.

Today, many talented authors choose the self-publishing route and they do it for a variety of reasons. Jackie Collins recently shocked the literary world with her announcement that she planned to self-publish a new, rewritten version of her novel The Bitch. “Times are changing,” Collins said of her decision, “and technology is changing, so I wanted to experiment with this growing trend of self-publishing.”

Industry superstars like New York Times bestselling authors Barbara Freethy and C.J. Lyons use self-publishing platforms to market their out-of-print backlists. Other authors are drawn to self-publishing because of its flexibility, the ability to publish within their own timeframe, for instance—perhaps to leverage topical interest or mark an anniversary. Others authors self-publish out of a desire for artistic control.

Self-publishing can also be a practical way to build an audience. Today, publishers expect authors to have a solid platform. By self-publishing, emerging authors can build the fan base necessary to attract a traditional publisher for their next work. Other authors, long-timers as well as newbies, feel they can make more money on their own. At $2.99 a pop, authors earn nearly $2.00 on every eBook sale. Even at 99¢, with average royalties of 33¢ to 60¢, earnings on a hot-selling book can quickly out-pace the meager advance offered to all but the superstars by a traditional house.

These days—insult-hurling aside—traditional and indie authors are more alike than different. Mindful of their increased scrutiny, self-publishers take full advantage of the myriad professional services available to authors. Indies hire experienced editors to copyedit and proofread. For their cover and interior designs, some work with the same graphic artists who design for the traditional houses. Professionals are available and widely used to covert documents to digital and paperback formats, and POD printing has gotten so good that, to the typical untrained eye, print-on-demand books are virtually indistinguishable from books printed on an offset press.

Literary agent and publishing consultant Joelle Delbourgo, founder and president of Joelle Delbourgo Associates, Inc., formerly a senior publishing executive at Random House and HarperCollins, says some self-publishers go a step further and work with a professional publishing partner, a strategy she recommends. A publishing pro with a track record of success can bring an author to the next level, Delbourgo says.

For a few years, Bethanne Patrick, a publicist and media consultant also known as “The Book Maven,” creator of the global reading community Friday Reads, was skeptical of self-publishing. Through her work in social media, Patrick has read more indie titles and gotten to know writers who’ve chosen to self-publish. More and more indie authors, she’s noticed, seek the advice of freelance editors, publicists, and marketing consultants—and she’s intrigued.

As well-educated and experienced writers—emerging authors who’ve honed their craft as well as established and traditionally published authors—increasingly opt to go the indie route, the bar is rising.  As with indie musicians and filmmakers, indie authors bring new life to an evolving industry. Today, readers have access to a wealth of funny, poignant, brilliant voices of talented new authors from around the globe—voices that, just a few years ago, might have been silenced by the old guard.

The opportunity to self-publish—to publish their books their own way—has given both emerging and established authors more freedom than ever before. So, yes, now that readers choose which books to purchase and support, dollars may shift and some traditional authors may be forced to give up a slice of the pie. Change is never easy; inevitably, there are bumps and bruises along the way. But, like or not, indie publishing is here to stay. And the publishing world will be all the richer for it.

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Life on Air (2002) – David Attenborough

Sir David Attenborough is one of the true British greats. His voice is known worldwide and his vast array of work, including many memorable wildlife documentaries, have long since cemented his place as one of the finest presenters. An amusing but modest man, Attenborough kindly shared an autobiography of his life ten years ago. Although I knew a lot about him I was soon to find this book had a lot more to say about David’s story.

Attenborough’s autobiography covers more than 50 years of his time spent with the BBC. Having been rejected for a place on BBC radio, David’s CV was picked up and he was offered a chance to move into fledgling television, which was in a very primitive state in those days, especially with the cameras and the ability to film scenes. Most homes didn’t even have a television! Attenborough began his career in 1950 and by 1952 had a full-time position with the BBC, though he was not considered camera friendly due to his teeth! David began very much behind the scenes but as the autobiography progresses he begins a path towards documentaries that would see both his face and voice become known across the globe and propel him to his position today as one of Britain’s national treasures.

The first point about the autobiography is Attenborough’s excellent memory and sense of humour. He can recount so many moments, conversations in his long career, it is startling. It’s hard to believe Attenborough was pushed more towards production than presenting. He focussed on non-fiction programmes and worked on the likes of Animal, Vegetable, Mineral? His affiliation with natural history began with zoo animals that were brought into a studio. This led to Zoo Quest (1954-63), a programme heading out into the wild to collect specimens to be broadcast live in the studio. Ironically, Attenborough had to present the first programme when his colleague Jack Lester fell ill. By the sixties, Attenborough was a controller on BBC2 but negotiated a contract that allowed him to still make programmes throughout the world. It was clear the wild was in Attenborough’s blood and you will shudder when he describes the threat of an admin position at the BBC. After all, the BBC didn’t imagine he’d want to be travelling the world in his fifties or sixties! As we all know, Attenborough is still doing this work in his eighties!

The highlight of the book is undoubtedly Attenborough’s work on the epic Life series. This nine-part series is Attenborough’s masterpiece, beginning with Life on Earth (1979) and ending with Life in Cold Blood (2008). Not only did he present these programmes, Attenborough wrote and pitched the ideas to the BBC and sometimes had to tussle over the titles, especially Life in the Undergrowth (2005), which was initially rejected due to connotations of darkness! Attenborough won this exchange when no one could think of a better title! The autobiography never dwells for long on moments, giving us as much of Attenborough’s life as possible. His modesty is amazing. He is surprisingly humble about the iconic footage of the mountain gorillas that climbed all over him and casually describes the many parts of the world and conditions he has encountered such as volcanic mountains, dense jungle and torrential downpours. I couldn’t help but laugh at suggestions from some of the audience that the BBC were being evil for still sending a man around the world at his age!

If there are any issues with Life on Air, it’s that it’s too short. As I read of Attenborough’s early career I was glancing at the page numbers and thinking there isn’t much room to talk about the Life series and Wildlife on One here! That said, I think the brevity of the events works better and what Attenborough has managed to cram into this book is a fascinating career. The book is accompanied by a series of amazing images and the author’s passion for both his work and for the developing technology is wonderful to read.

Life on Air is a great read about a remarkable man whose work will remain timeless. Now in his eighties, it’s hard to imagine natural history documentaries without David Attenborough’s presence. Given the globetrotting he still does to this day, I’m convinced David Attenborough will live forever. This is a delightful read.

Verdict: 5/5

F1 2009 (Wii) (2009)

Sporting achievements for the British are occasions to be savoured and in Formula 1 we are currently the crème de la crème with Lewis Hamilton winning the world title in 2008 and this year Jenson Button claiming the crown. If you have the end of season blues and cannot wait for Button and co to take to the grid once more then look no further than F1 2009 on the Wii.

First and foremost, F1 2009 offers the ultimate F1 experience with a variety of options that will keep you busy for months. You begin by creating your own driver profile which covers details as small as the colour of your helmet. Once finished you can opt for single player mode or if you want to involve family and friends head for the multiplayer option, which splits the screen and allows you to compete in races or in private duels for personal honours such as time trials.

The three modes most akin to Formula 1 are Career, Championship and Grand Prix Weekend.  The latter allows you to experience a typical three days in the Formula 1 calendar with two 90-minute practice sessions on Friday, the intense three session qualifying on Saturday and finally the race on Sunday. This is probably the best place to start as mastering the circuits and the handling of the cars is not straightforward when you first play. Championship mode allows you to pick any driver from any team and compete in a gruelling 17 races for the title. Career mode is similar to Championship but takes place across three years and allows you to race under your own profile – Dave Marenghi in my case (don’t ask!!). You begin as a rookie driver with no team for the upcoming season. In order to compete in Formula 1 you will need to accept an invite from one of the teams to test their car and if you prove yourself they will offer you a contract. The test itself is straightforward for beginners so you should have no problem getting that lucrative contract. Once signed up it is time to compete against the best drivers in the world, earn honours, a better drive with the top teams and hopefully claim that title at the end of the three year period. The other racing option is Quick Start which allows you to pick a random driver and circuit and be thrown straight into a race. This is ideal for those who don’t have time for the longer Championship.

Aside from the racing there are a series of challenges available with successful completion unlocking numerous achievements for your personal records as well as bonuses such as more elaborately coloured helmets. You begin with a handful of challenges such as winning one off races, overtaking as many cars as possible in a single lap and racing against the clock in reaching a series of checkpoints. Successful completion of the challenges helps unlock further tests to constantly test your skills. As well as the challenges there is the time trial mode where the speed kings can test their mettle in posting the fastest laps and writing their names into the record books. The amount of options in F1 2009 is unbelievable.

F1 2009 has few issues. It can be difficult getting to grips with the racing to begin with but you can change many things in the options such as removing damage to the cars, weather, difficulty settings and assistance with your driving. The best policy is to use the practice sessions to get used to the circuits. A useful green line can be traced throughout the circuit indicating when you need to be accelerating. When the line turns red it is time to brake hard. The change in colour can be sudden but useful while arrows appear on the screen to indicate a turn up ahead with the sharpness of the bend emphasised in the image. The only other problem with F1 2009, as with any sports game, is that annual updates are inevitable, so this time next year there will likely be F1 2010. However, this is a minor concern and shouldn’t deviate from what is an engaging Formula 1 experience.

F1 2009 captures the high speed chases and action of the sport. The multitude of options on offer should make for a lasting experience with the single player mode providing numerous tests for the gamer while multiplayer mode helps friends and family share in the fun. Mastering the cars and circuits may seem tricky at first but with the extensive practice sessions available, you will soon find yourself competing at the front of the grid. If you’re wishing away the weeks until the new F1 season then look no further than F1 2009.

Final Score: 80%

* Previously published on www.femalegamers.co.uk

The Quiet American (1955) – Graham Greene

I broke my rule when it came to The Quiet American, having seen the film from 2002, before reading the book. This isn’t a rule I break often but having enjoyed the film when I saw it a few years back I was naturally delighted to read Greene’s novel from 1955, which was lambasted as anti-American on its release but is regarded more favourably today.

The story focuses on a complex love triangle amidst the First Indochina War. Thomas Fowler is a British journalist who has been stationed in Vietnam for two years to report on the struggle between the French army and the Vietnamese guerrillas. Fowler is married but, while in Vietnam, he has taken a young lover, Phuong, who he plans to marry but requires permission from his wife for a divorce, which she is unwilling to grant. One day Fowler meets Alden Pyle, the quiet American of the title, who is a young idealist with an unknown agenda in Vietnam. Complications arise when Pyle falls in love with Phuong and in the background the war continues to escalate with Fowler and Pyle having very different involvements in it.

Fowler is middle aged in the book with Phuong being at least thirty years younger, but he has no concerns of losing her until he meets Pyle. The young and quiet American falls for Phuong immediately and though he makes his feelings known to Fowler, he does it in a polite and friendly manner, the perfect gentlemen really. Phuong’s sister despises Fowler so when Pyle appears she does everything she can to facilitate a marriage between her sister and the American. Fowler is in danger of losing Phuong, especially when he hides the fact he is due for a transfer back to Britain and that his wife is refusing to grant a divorce. Pyle is initially gracious in defeat to Fowler when he gives Phuong the ultimatum of choosing between the two men, but when he learns the truth about Fowler’s lies he is quick to play his hand and steal Phuong for himself. Phuong has no powerful voice in the narrative. She is very much subject to Fowler and Pyle, comparable to Vietnam under colonial rule.

As the war continues, Fowler reports on the atrocities and meets with Pyle whose ideals are in stark contrast to French colonialism that is struggling to keep hold of Vietnam and the rising Communism that is threatening to oust the existing masters. Pyle tells Fowler of a Third Force, which he believes is the answer to Vietnam’s future. Fowler is sceptical. He is the teacher to Pyle’s young and opinionated student, the veteran of Indochina while Pyle is a virgin in the country. Though Pyle wins Phuong from Fowler he isn’t finished there. He has another reason for being in Vietnam and the Third Force he speaks of is ready to lash out.

I really enjoyed The Quiet American. Considering Greene wrote this before America’s known involvement in Vietnam, following the exit of the French in 1954, is impressive. It was controversial at the time, being heavily criticised for the depiction of the American, Pyle, but its themes would resonate for the next two decades with the Vietnam War, which would prove so costly and so controversial. Many readers have argued Fowler and Pyle are metaphors for Britain and America. Fowler represents the old and battered British Empire now on the wane, while Pyle’s naivety mirrors that of the US that committed years to Vietnam and got its fingers burnt. Greene’s novel can be read on the surface and be enjoyed, or you can delve much deeper and find equal pleasure in this book.

The Quiet American is a short but compelling read. A love triangle set amidst the French struggle for supremacy in the First Indochina War. That we learn the fate of Pyle from the opening pages doesn’t hinder the book, but makes it all the more intriguing. I’ve not read many novels by Graham Greene but I’d be surprised if many are better than this one.

Verdict: 4/5

Green Day – Wake Me Up When September Ends (2005)

I’ve been a fan of Green Day since the release of Dookie (1994) but never imagined they would still be thriving today. That the group are still a big success is largely, I believe, down to the emotional turn their music has taken. 21 Guns is racking up the hits on YouTube but the American Idiot album in 2005 was the indication to me that this group were here to stay. Though Boulevard of Broken Dreams became the group’s big hit from the album I turned my attention to Wake Me Up When September Ends which still stuns me today.

The meaning behind the song was debated for some time with links to the devastation of 9/11 seeming obvious but lead singer Billie Joe Armstrong has since clarified things. This song is homage to his father who died of cancer when Billie was just 10 years old. The song hits you hard on the American Idiot album, seeming a complete contrast to the other songs and when I listen to this compared to the songs on Dookie it makes me admire the group’s maturity over the years.

I found this song moving before, the narrator clearly sounds tortured by the past but now Billie Joe has revealed the meaning of Wake Me Up When September Ends it has become an even more emotional experience. Much as I love the earlier songs of Green Day it’s the more mature songs like this one that I’d now rather hear and what a privilege it is.

Ran

Ran is a Japanese/French production released in 1985. Directed by the legendary Akira Kurasawa, it was at the time the most expensive Japanese film of all time. Based on a Japanese legend, and having similarities to King Lear, the plot tells of a father and his betrayal by his three sons. Their lust for power leads to wars and conflicts which by the end dooms all the main characters. The centre-piece of the film is the storming of a castle in which the father, Hidetora, is besieged by the combined forces of two of his sons, Jiro and Taro. In a wonderfully shot sequence the entirety of Hidetora’s forces are killed, two of his concubines committing joint suicide by stabbing each other.  In the end the castle is burnt to the ground. This movie really is a classic and highly recommended.

Lord of the Rings

The Two Towers is the second film in the famous Lord of the Rings trilogy. It was released in 2002 and directed by Peter Jackson.  There are many memorable battle scenes in the trilogy; however our favorite is the battle for Helms Deep. In it the Rohinan and Elven defenders are hugely outnumbered by Saruman’s army of vicious Urok-Hai, who are intent on taking Helms Deep fortress.It seems our heroes are doomed, 300 brave defenders vs. 10,000 orcs! Somehow they make it through the long night, and it’s at sunrise when salvation arrives with Gandalf and his white riders. Peter Jackson really raised the bar for movie battle scenes here; the special effects are spectacular, even today.

300

300 is a Zack Snyder fantasy film released in 2007.  Based on Frank Miller’s comic series of the ‘80s, it tells the story of the Spartan king Leonidas and his army of 300 battling against the Persians and their army of more than one million. At the battle of Thermopylae, Leonidas and his 300 valiant Spartans are pinned down by a truly massive force. Somehow they hold off the initial onslaught, using their superior defensive ‘phalanx’ formation. Eventually they break out and the king goes on a rampage into the Persian forces. This part of the scene is our favourite, showing in glorious slow motion the truly barbaric, violent nature war. Limbs and heads go flying as he lays waste to the incoming hordes. Unfortunately the Spartans are ultimately defeated, but their deaths spurs on the rest of Sparta to unite against the invaders, and they eventually prove victorious.

Just a Few…

We could name countless other films with epic battle scenes, and indeed the scene is so visually impressive and popular that many new films contain them in some form or another.  The three listed above however are classic examples, and a great place to start.

The Biggest, Best and Most Awesome Epic Battles from the Big Screen was compiled and brought to you by Vue Cinemas

There are 28 levels in all, spread across seven islands, such as Combat Island and Dragon Island. Your main character Bubby (there’s also Bobby in two player mode) starts at the bottom of the level and must ascend to the top via platforms and also the rainbows he can fire. These provide makeshift platforms but are easily broken and soon fade so when climbing them you have to be quick. Enemies that are native to the island stand in your way so you have say caterpillars and flies to contend with on Insect Island, while robots and other mechanical terrors await you on Robot Island. You cannot afford to go slow in the game. If you dawdle an alarm will sound, the message “Hurry Up!” appears, and the pleasant music speeds up! What’s going on? The island is sinking, that’s what. The longer you delay, the sooner the ocean rises and if you don’t keep ahead of it you’re done for!

The seven islands are Insect, Combat, Monster, Toy, Doh’s, Robot and Dragon. After negotiating the four levels you face a boss battle, some easy, others really difficult. The giant spider and bomb dropping helicopter on the first two islands are straightforward but I used to pull my hair out on Monster Island when taking on Dracula. If you didn’t kill him at the first attempt it became much more difficult. Back on the Amiga I think the most progress I ever made was at least as far as Robot Island and maybe Dragon Island, but I never managed to finish Rainbow Islands. This will always upset me because my late grandfather, who also had an Amiga back then, promised me £1.00 if I finished Rainbow Islands but sadly I was never able to collect!

As you traverse the islands your enemies leave useful little items that enhance your character. A red shoe helps you to run faster, a red pot allows you to cast double rainbows (you can build up to triple), a yellow pot makes the rainbows go faster so you can fire them more frequently, and there are an array of foods such as vegetables and cakes to collect though they only add to your score and have no additional benefits.

Another feature of Rainbow Islands is the different endings. You can work your way through the seven islands as quickly as you can to complete the game, but you’ll only win loads of treasure and receive a note informing you that there are prisoners on each island that need to be freed. To do this is not straightforward. Sometimes your enemies leave behind diamonds whose colours are those found on a rainbow. If you collect the coloured diamonds in the right order, you not only liberate a prisoner, but a doorway appears when you go to take on a boss. Instead of fighting the boss you can pop into the doorway and collect a bonus item such as the shoes, wings or the red or yellow pots. The difference with the bonus items is that when you collect them their effects are permanent, whereas their smaller counterparts are lost if your character dies!

Rainbow Islands is a timeless game. Graphically it does show its age but in terms of gameplay it is still great fun. I think I prefer Bubble Bobble as the two player feature is much better than it is here. If you haven’t played the game before it is worth considering. It won’t last long but what’s there is great. I always found this to be a difficult game, especially Dracula, but one day I may go back and complete it in its entirety. I won’t win the money I was once offered but at least I’ll have defeated the game.

Verdict: 88%

Four Lions (2010)

When I first heard of Christopher Morris’ Four Lions and it being a comedy in relation to suicide bombers I was both curious and concerned. The War on Terror spearheaded by the U.S. and the UK has caused a lot of controversy on both sides of the Atlantic and there have been some devastating tragedies since both sides took up arms. This is a seemingly endless debate dealing with right and wrong, but it’s a subject that can’t be ignored and my hope was that Four Lions would give some credence to this.

The film traces a group of Muslim men in Sheffield who are eager to be trained up as suicide bombers. Amongst the group are the leading member Omar (Riz Ahmed), the slow-witted Waj (Kavvan Novak), Barry (Nigel Lindsay) who is a white convert to Islam and the naive Faisal (Adeel Akhtar). When Omar and Waj head for Pakistan to be trained by fellow jihadists, a disgruntled Barry takes matters into his own hands and recruits a fifth member, Hassan (Arsher Ali), to their cause. When Omar and Waj return, the group have to overcome the obstacle of conflicting personalities before planning and executing a devastating attack against the UK.

You might wonder where the comedy is after reading that. Well, it is to be found in a great cast of characters. Omar is the serious one of the group, very intelligent and organised, and frequently frustrated by his friends. Waj goes along with whatever Omar says, clearly struggling to think of complex things for himself. Barry is highly amusing, a force of nature frequently trying to exert authority on the group and sometimes displaying his complete lack of Islamic tradition, especially when he suggests the group bomb a mosque! Faisal is another amusing character, believing he is deceptive when frequently he is foolish; his account of frequent trips to the local shop to buy large quantities of items, such as bleach, is hilarious as he demonstrates different voices (all the same!) that he uses to avoid arousing suspicion! Hassan is young and passionate, clearly determined to fight for the jihadist cause but he demonstrates his inexperience, especially when the group return to their safe house and find him listening to music and dancing with a neighbour, despite explosives and other incriminating evidence strewn throughout the house!

The film keeps delivering the laughs but at the same time it does address the serious subject of what these men have to do and what they believe. As the attack looms the group have varying reactions to it. Omar is passionate but he knows he will leave behind his wife and young son. His brother represents another side to Islamic faith, a peaceful existence, yet beneath this exterior is the attitude that women should be subdued and obedient to men, something Omar doesn’t subscribe to. Barry is the most extreme of the group, determined to carry through the operation no matter what the cost. Eventually, the group’s efforts lead them to the London Marathon where they have to don some amusing outfits. Whether they go through with the attack or are foiled is not for me to say. Very aptly, the laughs recede during these final scenes.

Four Lions is a brave film and it would have been clear from the start that this isn’t for everyone. Personally, I thought this was well-made and very funny in places given the delicate subject matter. I believe the film will make audiences think about the global issue more but at no time does it preach that jihads are good or evil. This is about perspective and though we learn some of the motivations for the eventual attack in London there is no glorification or condemnation. I thought all the characters were great in the film, a varied group each with their own qualities. Just don’t mention that crow or the sheep to me!

Four Lions works as comedy but also a commentary on contemporary events that show no sign of being resolved any time soon. This can be watched just as comedy but it may also make you think and reflect for a time. While I don’t agree with violence in any form, I do appreciate that we all have our own beliefs and perspectives about what is right and wrong. Four Lions offers perspectives but it never says these are the right ones for us all.

Verdict: 8½/10