Outcast: 'A Darkness Surrounds Him' Review

Robert Kirkman's latest show gets off to a flawed start.

Confirmed: John Boyega to Star in 'Pacific Rim 2'

Boyega joins the sequel hot off the success of Star Wars: The Force Awakens.

Box Office: Ninja Turtles 2 Suffers in Anti-Sequel Summer

TMNT 2 is the latest sequel to bring in some disappointing numbers.

Review: Eye in the Sky

Gavin Hood's military drama is an impressive achievement.

Sunday 22 December 2013

The Hunger Games: Catching Fire Review

Last year, I was one of the many who enjoyed the first Hunger Games movie. As a fan of the book I accepted it had some shortcomings, however I gladly accepted them merely relieved that we didn't end up with another Twilight, or Alex Rider. With the sequel, I was cautious as I found the second book much harder to read and with a new director on board there was a lot of room for error. Thankfully, not only is The Hunger Games: Catching Fire better than the first movie, but it is also one of my favourite movies of the year so far.


Catching Fire picks up directly where the last film left us. Katniss and Peeta are now huge celebrities who have been forced into the public eye where they must live out there loveless relationship for the cameras. Meanwhile, President Snow is hot on their case after their actions in the finale of the first movie have sparked rebellions in the districts threatening the rule of the Capitol.
The great thing is - while I'm not fully decided - this may have been my favourite part of the movie. The first Hunger Games book had a lot of dark satire in it that was unfortunately lost in the translation to the big screen. This left some of the non-arena scenes feeling a little drab. In the sequel however, the scenes building up to the pair's entrance into the arena are some of the strongest parts of the movie. The satire of this dystopian future is delivered with much more impact, with some great character and world development. The film does a great job in making you as passionate as the suffering people of the districts in wanting to see the downfall of the Capitol, and I personally had strong sympathy for these characters - most of which don't even have names - throughout the movie.


However, that's not to take away from the arena scenes, which are also much better than those in the original. In Catching Fire, we are treated to a whole new arena which has a jungle theme, and a whole new cast of fellow contestants. In the first movie the only contestant we had a chance to feel attached to was Rue, however almost all of the contestants in the 75th Hunger Games are brilliant, each with a distinct personality of their own. Of course it may have helped that the age ranges were much more diverse this time round, with the contestants of this year's games being reaped from previous winners. This allowed us to see a whole new view of the games, which I really enjoyed. Plus, it was great to see some truly evolving characters in this movie. The characters of Katniss, Peeta, Haymitch, Effie, and Gale really have changed and it was very interesting to see the ways how.

Of course, the outstanding cast is what made this so compelling. Jennifer Lawrence was outstanding as always, with Josh Hutcherson also putting in a good performance. Meanwhile, Elizabeth Banks, Donald Sutherland and Jena Malone were also stand-outs in a cast where everyone was great.


Wednesday 11 December 2013

Godzilla 2014: Official Trailer Released


Exciting news for movie fans today, as the first trailer for the upcoming Godzilla reboot was released. We here at TEN were very impressed with the trailer, and with its much more mature tone than this year's Pacific Rim. Don't get me wrong, I loved Pacific Rim, but I don't think Godzilla would have worked with the same tone.


Additionally, this movie looks to blow the infamously bad Godzilla movie of 1999 out of the water. Not only are the effects far superior, but with the acting talent of Bryan Cranston (hot off the insanely popular Breaking Bad) and Aaron Taylor-Johnson - a somewhat underrated actor, who has put in some great performances in films such as Kick-Ass and Anna Karenina, and is sure to become a big name after 2015 with a key role in Avengers: Age of Ultron.

I was also impressed with how restrained the editors of this trailer were with how they showed off Godzilla, choosing to show subtle glimpses of him, with a big reveal at the end, rather than blow their load right at the start.

Could Godzilla be one of the best blockbusters of 2014? Let us know your thoughts in the comments, and be sure to like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.

Monday 9 December 2013

The Entertainment Network: Phase 2


Oh dear. This won't do at all. I would like to take this moment to apologise to the world for the lack of posts on this site for the last few months. Our last fully written post was written way back on the 4th August, meaning that for the last four months this site has been dormant.

Not anymore.

I'm happy to say that I am working on bringing TEN back in a big way both in December and all through 2014. Due to personal commitments this site just cannot be my main priority at all times, however I am currently aiming to post at least five articles a week (hopefully one every week day) each of a higher standard than this site has seen recently.

It is true that in the Summer I prioritised the video section of this blog over the written section - and I am immensely proud of the 230+ subscribers we have gained. However, what I really want is for the written and video sides of this site to co-exist.

You will still be seeing videos from us. However, it's time we brought articles back to the forefront as that is what TEN has always been about.

Thanks for sticking with us through this quiet time, and I hope you'll stay with us for an exciting new year of The Entertainment Network.

Saturday 2 November 2013

VIDEO: Thor: The Dark World After Credits Scene Explained

Caution! If you don't want the after-credits scene in Thor: The Dark World spoiled for you, don't read any further!

Monday 5 August 2013

US Box Office Top 10: 4th August 2013

This week, the action comedy 2 Guns, starring Denzel Washington and Mark Wahlberg was released to the masses and managed to take the top spot in the process pulling in over $27 million. This means that the adamatium-clad X-Man, Wolverine is knocked down a spot to No. 2 only managing to make $21 million. Not a bad haul, but not particularly good either. Luckily, The Wolverine is doing much better overseas, reassuring Fox that the X-Men franchise is one that can be relied upon.


The other big release of this week is The Smurfs 2, which makes a rather lacklustre debut at No. 3 making little over $18 million - less than the $35 million that the first movie made. However, The Smurfs are also performing better overseas with a worldwide total of $80 million already, coming close to that $105 million budget.
It also seems that all Sony needs to make up is the advertising costs for The Smurfs 2 as The Onion's A.V. Club have recently revealed the film made up its production costs on product placement alone. Does that seem really cheap and nasty to anyone else? Or is it just me?

Near the bottom end of the top 10, lies many films that are still struggling. First, we have Turbo which falls three places this week from No. 4 to No. 7. The film is currently up to a total of $69.5 million in the USA and $111 million worldwide meaning it is yet to breakeven on that $135 million budget - and that's not including advertising. Dreamworks and Fox had high hopes for the movie, having even planned a Netflix TV Series based on the success they assumed the film would get. However, at this rate I wouldn't be surprised if they hit the brakes on their Turbo plans.

Turbo gives an angry glance to the queue of kids waiting to see Despicable Me 2...
Meanwhile, Red 2 is also struggling. It is yet to open in some territories, but that doesn't stop its domestic gross from being anything other than a disappointment. The film has been in theatres for three weeks now, currently ranking No. 8 with $45.2 million made in the US since release. Compare this to the original Red which on its third week had pulled in a US total of $58.8, and was still ranking high at No. 3 and little resemblance can be seen. Releasing a movie in Summer instead of Autumn (or Fall for US readers), has proven to be an awful move for this movie - with the original Red seeing release in October, as opposed to Red 2's July release date.

Finally, Pacific Rim falls to No. 10 this week after four weeks of release. The film has still made less than $100 million in the US, and while it has been doing remarkably well in China, it may not see any of that money unless the Chinese film council decide to pay up. The film is yet to open in three territories, so there is still hope, but the dying light that is Pacific Rim 2 gets dimmer every week.

Here's the Top 10 in full:

1. (-) 2 Guns - $27.4 million
2. (1) The Wolverine - $21.7 million
3. (-) The Smurfs 2 - $18.2 million
4. (2) The Conjuring - $13.7 million
5. (3) Despicable Me 2 - $10.4 million
6. (5) Grown Ups 2 - $8.1 million
7. (4) Turbo - $6.4 million
8. (6) Red 2 - $5.65 million
9. (8) The Heat - $4.72 million
10. (7) Pacific Rim - $4.57 million

For more Box Office news, stay with us here at TEN.


Tuesday 23 July 2013

UK Top 10 Games: 22nd July 2013

Wow! Just when you thought The Last of Us couldn't get much more impressive, it goes and takes the top spot for a sixth week over in the UK! Only two other games have managed such a feat (FIFA 12, and Call of Duty: Black Ops 2), but prior to this week no platform-exclusive titles had done so. Congratulations The Last of Us, you are making history!


Outside of The Last of Us' domination, it's been a relatively quiet week in terms of games.The only new entry was Dynasty Warriors 8, which comes in surprisingly high at No. 5. Whoever says the series has no fans in the UK, need only look at this week's chart to be proven wrong.
Meanwhile, Max Payne 3 managed an impressive leap - from No. 26 last week, to No. 7 - due to price drops from many UK retailers.

Here's the Top 10 in full:

1. (1) The Last of Us
2. (5) Minecraft: XBOX 360 Edition
3. (3) Mario and Luigi: Dream Team Bros.
4. (2) Animal Crossing: New Leaf
5. (-) Dynasty Warriors 8
6. (6) Far Cry 3
7. (26) Max Payne 3
8. (11) The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim - Legendary Edition
9. (4) FIFA 13
10. (9) Tomb Raider

That's all the top 10 news for this week, but be sure to come back next week for more!



US Box Office Top 10: 22nd July 2013

It was a busy week at the box office, with four big films coming out in just one week, and with numbers like that, you know there's going to be a flop. And there was. But first, let's focus on the positives! James Wan's new horror movie, The Conjuring did very well over the weekend. It took the top spot making $41.9 million - more than making up its $20 million budget in its first week! Nice!


It knocks Despicable Me 2 down just one place to No. 2, meaning the film is still doing very well after its 2-week stay at the top spot. The film made another $25 million this week, bringing to a total of $276 million in the USA alone! Now that's impressive.

Now though, we start to move in to not so cheery territory. First, Turbo - one of two Ryan Reynolds' films to be released this week - has made a somewhat disappointing debut at No. 3, with just over $21 million made. Not amazing for a film with a budget of $135 million. However, 20th Century Fox has made a statement saying they have faith the film will perform, due to its release in the children's Summer Holidays. Only time will tell, but Dreamworks have recently adjusted their predictions of the movie - lowering them by as much as $50 million - which isn't a great sign.

Watch TEN's Box Office Report!

The next new entry was Red 2, which makes a debut at No. 5 pulling in around $18 million. This is $2 million less than the first Red film managed in its opening weekend, most likely due to the fact that the first movie was released in the slightly less busy October - as opposed to one of the most crowded Summer's we've seen in some time.

The final new entry, and by far the biggest flop of the week, is Ryan Reynolds' other new release, R.I.P.D. The film has received some very negative reviews, and was generating such bad buzz that Universal even stopped promoting the movie to save cash when it inevitably flopped. The movie made just $12.7 million, meaning it has a long way to go to earning back that $130 million budget.

Here's the Top 10 in full:

1. (-) The Conjuring - $41.9 million
2. (1) Despicable Me 2 - $24.9 million
3. (-) Turbo - $21.3 million
4. (2) Grown Ups 2 - $19.9 million
5. (-) Red 2 - $18 million
6. (3) Pacific Rim - $16 million
7. (-) R.I.P.D - $12.7 million
8. (4) The Heat - $9.3 million
9. (7) World War Z - $5.19 million
10. (6) Monsters University - $5.12 million

 

Monday 22 July 2013

Astonishing X-Men Cancelled

In their most recent batch of solicitations it was revealed that the long-running Astonishing X-Men - currently written by Marjorie Liu - will be ending in October at issue 68. The series was once the most high-profile of the X-Men books, but aside from the marriage of Northstar and Kyle, recently it has slipped under the radar. So much so, that it was one of the few titles not granted a Marvel NOW! reboot.


Marvel has already found a replacement for the title in Amazing X-Men, a new series written by Jason Aaron and brought to life by artist, Ed McGuiness. The first arc will see the long-awaited return of Nightcrawler - a character expected to come back after he was spotted on the teaser poster of Marvel's upcoming event, Inhumanity.

Cover Of New Comic Amazing X-Men
So what do you think of this news? Let us know either in the comments below, on our Facebook page, or by sending us a tweet.

For more comic-book news, keep reading The Entertainment Network.




Friday 19 July 2013

Pacific Rim Review

Pacific Rim has been without a doubt one of the most-hyped films of not only this year, but maybe even the last few. So much so, that I had been trying to limit my excitement to stop the hype from taking over. Plus, I had my doubts that a story about giant robots punching giant monsters would have enough substance to fill a two hour movie. Fortunately, having just seen Pacific Rim I can confirm that it has lived up to the hype and is some of the most fun I've had in a movie this year.


The plot of Pacific Rim focuses around the giant monsters known as Kaiju emerging from the bottom of the Pacific ocean and attempting to destroy humanity. Following this is the introduction of our Kaiju-fighting weapons - the huge piloted mechs known as Jaegers. 
I do feel like perhaps the plot is a little basic revolving basically around the idea of "we have to stop these monsters," but in the end I'd say the somewhat simple plot doesn't weaken the film at all. It's just too much fun to watch these events unfold. And plus, the story does have a few twists and turns hidden inside which will manage to keep things interesting for those who aren't satisfied with the incredible action set pieces littered throughout the movie.

Now some people may be against seeing this movie as they may not be big fans of action - if that's a statement you can relate to, then let me reassure you - I have great faith that the action in this movie would please someone of your mindset. Why? First of all, the action in this movie is completely unique. Those of you worried that it would devolve into the mindless explosions of Michael Bay's Transformers movies may put your fears to rest. The action in this movie has been carefully choreographed to fit the slow moving Yaeger's, as well as to not get too repetitive - both the mechs and the monsters are capable of a lot more than just punching each other until one of them dies (something I wish the characters in Man of Steel were capable of).
Not to mention that both the Yaeger's and the Kaiju's are both beautifully brought to life using a genius mix of both CGI and practical effects.


Another reason why all this action doesn't get too overwhelming is because you care about the people involved. Charlie Hunnam plays the main character of Raleigh Becket and is a very likeable lead, his co-star Rinko Kikuchi (who plays a character called Mako Mori) is also very good in her role. The characters have both been through heartbreaking struggles, and it doesn't take long for you to feel invested in them.
Idris Elba puts in another great performance here, this time as the intimidating commanding officer Stacker Pentecost. But two of my favourite performances here came from Charlie Day and Burn Gorman who play a pair of arguing scientists - they offer some comic relief, as well as playing a significant part in the story.
Of course, a good script does help to make these characters as great as they are - and with more and more scripts letting movies down recently it's great to see one that delivers.

The directing of Guillermo Del Toro is also to be applauded here, as it must of been a very difficult task to keep the action between the gigantic Yaegers and Kaiju from looking chaotic. He handles it brilliantly however, keeping the action controlled enough to be understood by the audience, yet still completely exhilarating and a blast to watch.

 
 

Tuesday 16 July 2013

UK Top 10 Games: 16th July 2013

This week, PS3-exclusive The Last of Us continues to amaze as it holds the top spot for the fifth week in a row! This would be an achievement for a multi-platform title but when you add in the fact that The Last of Us is available on just one console it's even more impressive. The title was released in the UK back in June, to rave reviews praising it as one of the PS3's best games.

There was only one new entry in the Top 10 this week, and that was Mario and Luigi: Dream Team Bros. for the Nintendo 3DS. The title managed a respectable debut at No. 3, and meant that Nintendo had two titles in the Top 3 (with Animal Crossing: New Leaf at No. 2). Now if they could only sort out their struggling Wii U, Nintendo would be at the top of their game right now!


While there were no new entries in the Top 10 this week, Aliens: Colonial Marines did manage to re-enter the top 10 and jump 12 places in the process. Thanks to a price cut, the game jumped from No. 22 to No. 10, meaning the UK is slowly filling up with disappointed gamers if those reviews are anything to go by!

Finally, outside the Top 10 the new add-on for Civilisation V - Civilisation V: Brave New World - came in at No. 39.

Here's the Top 10 in full:

1. (1) The Last of Us
2. (4) Animal Crossing: New Leaf
3. (-) Mario and Luigi: Dream Team Bros.
4. (3) FIFA 13
5. (2) Minecraft: XBOX 360 Edition
6. (10) Far Cry 3
7. (7) Call of Duty: Black Ops II
8. (5) Assassin's Creed III
9. (6) Tomb Raider
10. (22) Aliens: Colonial Marines

For more gaming news be sure to come back to TEN!



US Box Office Top 10: 16th July 2013

This week, Despicable Me 2 manages a very impressive task - holding the No. 1 spot for a second week! This is something that very few films have managed to do this Summer, due largely to the huge amount of blockbuster films that have been released this year. The film now has a total domestic gross of around $229 million meaning it could quite easily beat Monsters University's box office numbers - something I find surprising.


It's even more impressive when you take into account that two big films were released this week, with Grown Ups 2 and Pacific Rim both being released to the masses. Shockingly, it was Grown Ups 2 that debuted highest taking the No. 2 spot - something I wasn't too happy about (see the video below) - and taking in $41.5 million in the process. The film looks to be a much needed hit for Adam Sandler whose last couple of starring roles (Jack and Jill, That's My Boy) have both disappointed.

The TEN Box Office Report

Pacific Rim had to settle for No. 3 making a respectable $37.3 million, however I am worried that the film may end up under-performing if it continues to bring in somewhat disappointing numbers like this.

Here's the Top 10 in full:

1. (1) Despicable Me 2 - $43.9 million
2. (-) Grown Ups 2 - $41.5 million
3. (-) Pacific Rim - $37.3 million
4. (3) The Heat - $14 million
5. (2) The Lone Ranger - $11.5 million
6. (4) Monsters University - $10.6 million
7. (5) World War Z - $9.31 million
8. (6) White House Down - $6.16 million
9. (8) Kevin Hart: Let Me Explain - $4.75 million
10. (7) Man of Steel - $4.72 million

For more on the Box Office numbers watch the Box Office report above, and be sure to come back next week!


Saturday 13 July 2013

Comic Book Sales: June 2013


Normally, we post a written analysis of the month's comic sales figures. However, this month we decided to try something a little different and get them out in video form! In our new show, the Comic Sales Report, TEN editor David Craig talks the best-selling comics of last month as well as the worst! What Marvel NOW! titles may be cancelled soon? What New 52 titles may be cancelled soon? And most importantly what was the best-selling comic of last month: Superman Unchained or Batman/Superman?

Find out all that and more in the new show, and be sure to give us feedback! Did you prefer our written article or did you enjoy the new show? You can let us know in the comments, on our Facebook page or on Twitter.


Saturday 22 June 2013

Comic Book Sales: May 2013


May was a slightly smaller month in comics, but it still had its hits and one of them was Brian Wood's brand new Marvel NOW! X-Men series. The title - which has become known as the "adjective-less" X-Men - was the highest selling comic of May, and it seems that the many delays the title suffered may have helped it more than people expected! The comic sold a very impressive 177,000 copies. In TEN's monthly Comic Sales report, we're going to be talking the hits and misses of last month, but first, here's the Top 10.


Top Sellers

Marvel: As I mentioned above, Marvel's top-selling comic of last month was Brian Wood's X-Men with Age of Ultron #7 and #8 rounding out their Top 3. Just missing out on a spot in the Top 10 was Kieron Gillen's Iron Man #9 which settled for No. 11 selling just over 78,000 copies.

DC: As you can see from the grid, Scott Snyder's Batman title continues to be DC's best-selling book with nearly 130,000 copies sold last month - and that number will surely go up next month when Snyder's next big story Zero Year begins. Justice League remains just behind Batman, however this may change soon with DC's Summer event Trinity War just around the corner.
Outside the Top 10, DC's Justice League of America #4 has a place at No. 12 (77,856 copies sold), with DC's last Top 20 title being Green Lantern #20 which is at No. 19 with 67,414 copies sold.


Meanwhile, over at DC's Vertigo imprint Scott Snyder launched his new mini-series The Wake. The book came in at a respectable No. 40, however I was expecting a higher entry considering just how big the writer is at the moment.

Image: It was yet another great month for Image as the publisher's The Walking Dead continues to sell very strongly. The Walking Dead #110 ranks at No. 13 with 76,455 copies sold. However, that wasn't all as J. Michael Straczynski's new book Ten Grand also launched last month as part of the publisher's relaunched Joe's Comics imprint. It made a very good debut ranking No. 24 with over 57,000 copies sold. However, Image's new series Bounce left something to be desired, with a somewhat lacklustre launch leaving it at No. 95 with 24,259 copies sold. Still, Image remains the only independent publisher whose sales numbers stack up quite equally against the big two (Marvel and DC).

Other Publishers: While none have quite the chart presence as Image, many other independent publishers had books in the Top 100. Dark Horse's Star Wars series - written by chart-topper Brian Wood - continues to do well charting at No. 41 with 44,310 copies sold.
Meanwhile, Boom Studio's new series Regular Show got off to a good start ranking No. 56 with 38,466 copies sold.
IDW managed to get two titles in the Top 100 last month with My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic #7 at No. 68 (32,188 copies sold), and their TMNT ongoing series at No. 78 with 27,759 copies sold.

Cancellation Watch!

Marvel have started cutting away at their lower selling titles recently with Dark Avengers, The Winter Soldier, Red She-Hulk, Gambit and the long-running titles X-Factor and Journey Into Mystery all being cancelled. The news also came recently that the first cancellation of one of Marvel's all-new Marvel NOW! titles is Morbius: The Living Vampire - hardly surprising seeming as the title was selling worse than all Marvel's other recent cancellations (apart from Journey Into Mystery). Last month saw #5 of the series, and some of its lowest numbers yet with just over 15,000 copies sold leaving it at No. 149. The series is ending in September with its ninth issue.

So what could be next for Marvel's itchy cancelling finger? Venom, Scarlet Spider, and Fearless Defenders would all be safe bets, as all three seem to be dropping in numbers fast. This could mean that Cullen Bunn will have a little more time on his hands as he is the writer of two of those titles. We'll keep you updated on all the cancellation rumours.


However, while Marvel may have a few struggling titles it has to be said that it is DC who is worse off. Almost all of the new titles the publisher has been launching are quickly turning into utter failures! This includes The Phantom Stranger (No. 135), JLA's Vibe (No. 150), and JLA's Katana (No. 152). However, it is Batwing that is still DC's lowest selling, not yet cancelled book by a long shot. The book's May sales were a measly 13,302 leaving it at No. 161. It seems then that Jimmy Palmiotti and Justin Gray's creative shake-up did little to help this title and DC may soon have no option but to give up on it.

This month saw the launch of two new DC titles, The Movement and The Green Team, both of which struggle to leave a mark on the charts debuting at No. 74 and No. 77 respectively. I can't help but think that these two books share a similar future to the aforementioned Vibe, Katana, and Phantom Stranger...

If you liked this feature than be sure to like us on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter as we do it every month! Thanks for reading, and feel free to let us know in the comments below what you're reading at the moment!


Monday 17 June 2013

UK Top 10 Games: 17th June 2013

This week the much-hyped PS3 exclusive, The Last Of Us, goes straight to No. 1 with the third biggest launch of the year (behind Tomb Raider and Bioshock Infinite). It's also the first Sony exclusive to top the UK charts since the Vita's launch when Uncharted: Golden Abyss came in at No. 1. It pushes last week's No. 1 - GRID 2 - down two places to No. 3.


But, it wasn't the only new entry this week, with the 3DS's Animal Crossing: New Leaf also making a strong debut at No. 2 - making it the biggest 3DS launch yet for a non-Mario game.

The final new entry of the week is less of a big name, with Rugby Challenge 2: Lions Tour Edition making a respectable debut at No. 12.

Here's the Top 10 in full:

1. (-) The Last of Us
2. (-) Animal Crossing: New Leaf
3. (1) GRID 2
4. (7) Tomb Raider
5. (2) FIFA 13
6. (11) Injustice: Gods Among Us
7. (5) Far Cry 3
8. (4) The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim - Legendary Edition
9. (8) Luigi's Mansion 2
10. (10) Assassin's Creed III

 
 

Monday 10 June 2013

E3 2013: XBOX One Release Date Announced


Today at their E3 conference, Microsoft announced the release date for their upcoming XBOX One console, as well as perhaps the most dangerous part of a console launch: The price.

The console will launch November 2013 in over 20 countries, with a price set of $499 in the US, 499 Euros in European countries, and £429 in the UK. Quite a high price tag, but a judgement cannot be made until we have the PS4's price to compare it with.

So what do you think? Is this price in your budget, or too much to ask? Let us know in the comments below.
And for the latest gaming news, be sure to stay here at TEN: