STAYING IN
STAYING IN REVIEWS TV, DVDs and videogames to enjoy from the comfort of your sofa VIDEOGAME BATMAN: ARKHAM ORIGINS (PC/PS3/Xbox 360/Wii U) ●●●●●
Marvel might be winning the war at the box office with their onslaught of inter-related Avengers movies, but DC have been slowly winning the console war. Over the last few years Lego Batman and Injustice: Gods Among Us have proved superheroes and videogames can work in perfect synergy; however, probably the most impressive has been the Batman: Arkham series, an action adventure trilogy complete with a slick combat system and a fantastically agile protagonist. Arkham Origins is a prequel, taking us back to the Dark Knight’s early days and his first encounters
with many of his villainous rogue’s gallery of adversaries. Criminal mastermind the Black Mask has unleashed a series of assassins – including Killer Croc, Firefly, Deadshot and Deathstroke – all gunning for the Bat on Christmas Eve. It’s the first instalment to be developed by Warner Bros Games Montreal, who capitalise on
Rocksteady’s fine work but never really expand upon the last two instalments. It is admittedly a larger gameworld but when it comes to a sequel you expect more than a few tweaks. It’s also the first Batman: Arkham title not scripted by comics writer Paul Dini, and unfortunately it shows.
It feels impossibly harsh to complain about a game of as high a standard as Arkham Origins: it plays so smoothly, looks fantastic, has a fairly gripping storyline – plus the sheer thrill of donning the cape is hard to beat – but the previous two games set such a high benchmark it’s disappointing that this prequel seems content to tread water rather than take things to the next level. (Henry Northmore)
DVD LONDON IRISH (Channel 4 DVD) ●●●●● ONLINE FEMINIST FREQUENCY (feministfrequency.com) ●●●●●
London Irish, they said, was a ‘bold’ new comedy series. ‘Bold’, then, might be saying ‘cunt’ as many times as it’s possible to get away with in 25 minutes. Or it could be about having sequences hinting at paedophilia and barging straight down the barrel of necrophilia. Which is not to say that relentless cussing or borderline subject matter can’t be brilliantly funny (The Thick of It, Nighty Night and Curb Your Enthusiasm all prove the case for witty depravity), but London Irish is as witless as it’s gruesome. An Irish comedy featuring a drunk, a dimwit,
a scatterbrain and a seemingly sensible fella who is ultimately dafter than the rest put together might make you think of Father Ted. Except this lot swap a priests’ house for a pub, Craggy Island for London, lovably daft characters for crass stereotypes and creative silliness for tedious blarney. And as if we didn’t need any more reminding of what constitutes a joyfully good sitcom, up pops Ardal O’Hanlon with a beard and an Ulster accent. But even the ghost of Dougal McGuire can’t perk up this dire affair. (Brian Donaldson)
Are you one of the 29 million people who bought the new Grand Theft Auto V? If so, you’ve probably spent a significant amount of the past month thinking about it. But what do we really think about when we think about video games? Games are an intrinsic part of our pop culture, but we don’t often stop to think about what they’re teaching us about gender and power. And so began Anita Sarkeesian’s Feminist Frequency, a series of videos exploring female representation in pop culture. The first triptych of ‘Tropes vs Women’ videos discuss the theme of the damsel in distress, covering the spectrum from 90s classics Earthworm Jim and The Secret of Monkey Island to rebooted platformers Mario and Donkey Kong – and, of course, GTA. The videos lay out their points succinctly and
are thought-provoking. Sarkeesian has been subjected to a strong online response from other gamers, but as with all controversial statements, it’s often best to watch them yourself before choosing a side. Whether you agree or disagree with Sarkeesian’s views, there’s no doubt that these videos encourage a deeper engagement with the narratives we consume. (Kirsty Logan)
14 Nov–12 Dec 2013 THE LIST 31
The Master. The period’s high was actually on the printed page, with a series of Who novels continuing the story, with future series writers Gareth Roberts, Mark Gatiss and Russell T Davies all represented. Doctors: Sylvester McCoy, Paul McGann Best companion: With only the movie to choose from it has to be Grace (Daphne Ashbrook). Not as good an American companion as Peri. Best story: The Movie.
2004–2013 Russell T Davies’ excellent 2005 revival has become the blueprint for a new generation of British sci-i television, and Steven Moffat’s 2010 takeover hasn’t slowed things down. Tennant and Smith have more fans, but the underrated and prematurely departing Christopher Eccleston set the benchmark. Peter Capaldi joins at Christmas. Doctors: Christopher Eccleston, David Tennant, Matt Smith, Peter Capaldi. John Hurt, possibly? Best companion: Ending up on the street by way of Sylvia Young, Rose (Billie Piper) was the original and best of a new generation of companions. Best story: ‘The Doctor’s Wife’ (2011): Neil Gaiman’s debut on the show was boundlessly inventive and genuinely creepy.
The Day of the Doctor, BBC One, Sat 23 Nov.