Latest news with #JohnWick
Tom's Guide
7 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Tom's Guide
DirecTV just gave its live TV streaming service a serious upgrade
DirecTV makes our cut as one of the best live TV streaming services, but it's got a major flaw — it's expensive. To overcome this and bring in more cord-cutting customers, the cable alternative launched Genre Packs back in February. These packs offer a smaller, more affordable genre-focused channel selection, and often even include a streaming service subscription. Now, DirecTV is adding a new Genre Pack to its current offering, and including a decent amount of channels to two of its existing packs without raising prices (for now). As of yesterday (June 26), you can now sign up for MyKids, DirecTV's fifth Genre Pack. For $19.99 a month, you get 12 family-friendly channels, including Nickelodeon, Cartoon Network and Disney Channel. You also get a free Disney Plus Basic subscription, which is normally $9.99 just on its own. If you already have the MyEntertainment Genre Pack, there's good news for you, too. DirecTV has added BET, CMT, Comedy Central, MTV, MTV2, Paramount Network, POP, TV Land, and VH1, all at no extra cost. MySports subscribers are also getting a boost from Paramount, with existing and new customers now getting access to CBS Sports Network and your local CBS station (local station availability in select markets only). Get instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips. Here's a full breakdown of the five Genre Packs that DirecTV now offers: Additionally, all Genre Pack subscribers get access to the DirecTV app, unlimited DVR recording and MyFree DirecTV, the company's free streaming service. If you just want a narrow selection of channels, it's a reasonable deal, and we're even considering reviewing the Genre Pack experience separately from DirecTV (formerly DirecTV Stream) because of the increased value these provide. Definitely consider it as an option if you're looking to cut the cord. Malcolm has been with Tom's Guide since 2022, and has been covering the latest in streaming shows and movies since 2023. He's not one to shy away from a hot take, including that "John Wick" is one of the four greatest films ever made. Here's what he's been watching lately:
Telegraph
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Telegraph
Squid Game is back to being dark, bloody and brilliant
As it at last wriggles across the finish line, Squid Game (Netflix) finds itself in a sticky spot. The tricky task confronting the final series of Netflix's ultra-violent thriller about a group of desperate, destitute citizens competing in a series of bloody contests is to recapture the zany, almost comedic energy of its sensational first season from 2021 – a challenge it never quite accomplishes, though not for lack of effort. Action-heavy, packed with twists – and the occasional sprinkling of Hollywood stardust – it's a well-intentioned and on-the-whole successful conclusion to a brutal South Korean blockbuster that has captured the world's imagination. Fans will be generally satisfied, even allowing for several well-signposted 'shocks' yanked like a reluctant rabbit from a blood-drenched hat. Squid Game has also, of course, added a reported $900 million to Netflix's bottom line. Which is presumably why executives went to such lengths to coax the show's initially reluctant creator, Hwang Dong-hyuk, into turning what was supposed to be a one-off drama into a franchise. He said yes, but there was always a sense of an auteur shackled to a production line. These six concluding episodes are an improvement on last Christmas's dour second season, which replaced the satirical edge of the original with an onslaught of gunplay seemingly aimed at fans of Keanu Reeves's John Wick. Taking care not to waste viewers' time, Hwang sensibly gets straight into the fray. As we catch up with seemingly unkillable Contestant 456 (Lee Jung-jae), his short-lived uprising against the evil billionaires behind the show's brutal survival puzzles has been suppressed, his friends shot dead in front of him. Rather than send 456 to meet his maker, the game's masked 'Front Man' In-ho (Lee Byung-hun) has decided the upstart (real name, Seong Gi-hun) must continue to participate in the trials, alongside fellow competitors such as pregnant Kim Jun-hee and the mother-son duo of Geum-ja (Kang Ae-shim) and Yong-sik (Yang Dong-geun). Awaiting them is another sequence of brutally absurdist contests. These have the now-familiar sinister, childlike names, such as 'Jump Rope' – and a first prize of around £25 million. There is no second prize. Unless a gory death counts. With the games continuing, renegade guard 011/Kang No-eul (Park Gyu-young) pushes on with her plot against Front Man and his wealthy backers, motivated by her trauma over her separation from her daughter in the outside world. Back on the mainland, Front Man's brother Jun-ho (Wi Ha-joon) proceeds with his frantic search for the hidden island hosting the games. Amid the bloodshed and gunsmoke, it is often forgotten that the original Squid Game had a tongue-in-cheek energy that, at times, veered towards a sort of violent camp. Much of the fun stemmed from the borderline infantile quality of the specific games. Red light / green light (move on red, bullet to the head) and a Korean version of tag took on a surreal quality when juxtaposed with wanton death and mayhem. That magic was lost in year two as the games were elaborate and a bit too try-hard. Third time out, the challenges hark back to the cartoonish cruelty of series one. Hwang Dong-hyuk also fulfils his promise that the tone would be 'more dark and bleak'. Nothing will recapture the sheer 'what the hell am I watching?' quality of a first season that came out of nowhere. But this is a satisfying sign-off – tied up winningly with a blood-stained bow.
Tom's Guide
a day ago
- Tom's Guide
Prime Video just revealed several generative AI features — including one I don't like
Prime Video has never shied away from bringing AI features to its streaming service. Last year, it rolled out several AI-powered updates, including new AI-generated recommendations and summaries and X-Ray Recaps, which use artificial intelligence to provide a summary that catches you up to the point you last watched in a show or movie. But that's just the tip of the generative AI iceberg. At a Prime Engage event yesterday, Prime Video showed off several AI features that are already implemented in Prime Video or are in the process of rolling out (h/t Deadline). Some of these, such as search suggestions and language dubbing, are hopefully only going to improve the Prime Video experience. But there's one feature that Prime Video showed off that I don't necessarily want. In its reporting, Deadline revealed that Prime Video is already using AI to help improve content resolution and picture quality as well. "We're investing in AI to protect picture quality, even if details are lost at low bit rates, say, for example, over mobile networks,' said Tricia Lee, director of product and data at Prime Video. Get instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips. 'We also see opportunity in AI-based remastering to convert standard definition content into high definition, which we think not only creates a higher quality viewing experience, but preserves creative intent and enhances the value of [an] SD catalog.' Reportedly, the focus of this feature is to improve live events streaming on spotty bandwidth, which I don't inherently have a problem with. But I do have an issue with AI being used unchecked to improve the picture quality of standard definition material. Unchecked is the key term there. I don't have a problem with AI being used in the restoration and enhancement of existing content, provided the process is overseen by skilled human hands (and eyes). In those instances, a human is able to spot if the AI has gone overboard with its improvements. But Prime Video's AI-enhancement feature seems to just run in the background. If that's the case, I'm very much worried that the generative AI being used will make unnecessary enhancements, or in some instances, even hurt the viewing experience. As someone who swears by Filmmaker Mode, this feels like the opposite. Here's the full list of everything AI-powered that Prime Video reportedly showed off at the Prime Engage event: Malcolm has been with Tom's Guide since 2022, and has been covering the latest in streaming shows and movies since 2023. He's not one to shy away from a hot take, including that "John Wick" is one of the four greatest films ever made. Here's what he's been watching lately:
Metro
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Metro
Tron: Catalyst review - I'm sorry I haven't a CLU
As a new movie prepares for launch, the latest attempt to adapt Tron into video game form comes with a very interesting and purposeful glitch. Tron has always seemed like a franchise on the edge of greatness. The original 1982 movie was a hugely important milestone in the evolution of computer-generated imagery, but it wasn't really that great a film. Likewise, Tron: Legacy is most fondly remembered for its amazing soundtrack, rather than anything that actually happened in it. Naturally, there's been many video game adaptations over the year, with two separate waves around the time of the two movies and an unconnected 2003 first person shooter from the now sadly deceased Monolith Productions. The most recent tie-in was low-key visual novel Tron: Identity in 2023, from Thomas Was Alone developer Bithell Games. Despite being a small indie studio, the team was also responsible for the only John Wick game so far – which we loved but nobody else seemed to. Tron: Catalyst takes an equally daring approach to its subject matter, but this time the gamble hasn't paid off. The unavoidable problem for all the modern Tron games is that Legacy was a much less visually interesting movie than the original, with an almost monochrome colour scheme and less fantastical costumes and designs. New film Ares, to which this is only nominally connected, is set in the real world and yet still everything looks bleak and dark, which really doesn't seem appropriate for a concept as inherently silly as Tron. Nevertheless, designer Mike Bithell, who we had a good chat to about the game last year, does what he can, with an original story based on a different grid (aka server) than the one seen in the films. The idea is that the grid has been left alone for so long that most programs no longer really believe in humans and those that do have turned the concept into a kind of religion. You play as a courier named Exo, who becomes involved in a plot to reset the server, caught between a dystopian police force and a growing band of resistance fighters. It's a perfectly reasonable set-up and does involve some interesting sci-fi ideas – like the super-evolved programs that have lost all connection with humanity – but the wider plot could be transposed to any other fantasy setting with very few changes needed. Sign up to the GameCentral newsletter for a unique take on the week in gaming, alongside the latest reviews and more. Delivered to your inbox every Saturday morning. The game is played from a very distant top-down view, which doesn't help with the sense of immersion or your connection to the character, and only makes the drab art design look even more uninteresting. What makes Exo unique is that she has a bug, literally called a glitch, that lets her reset the server whenever she wants. This means starting the current chapter of the story again, while retaining any abilities you unlocked or information you didn't previously have. So, for example, if your need a code for a locked door you can go off and find it, even if that ends up altering all the guards, and then come back later and use it. It's a very neat idea and there's always a shortcut, literally or figuratively, involved that means you don't have to repeat everything a second time. However, it never really feels like the game is making full use of the ability, as there's generally no reason to use it except when the game tells you too and nothing that surprises you with its cleverness. The combat involves melee fighting and using the (relatively) iconic identity disc, which is basically a Frisbee. This works fine in theory but there's very little sense of feedback for your attacks and as you face down armies of respawning enemies it gets old worryingly quickly; especially as the skill tree and the ability to steal enemies' moves make little practical difference. The top-down view really doesn't help either, given how much it distances you from the action. Combat soon becomes a chore, with too many bullet sponge opponents, while minor enemies are easily confused by level furniture. Ironically, the AI is quite glitchy and often you end up taking advantage of its brokenness to get the action over with more quickly. More Trending The other main action element is driving a light cycle, which is fun because of how fast they are, even if there's often little room to manoeuvre. Given the original Tron included a version of what would today be recognised as the game Snake (but actually started out as a coin-op called Blockade in 1976) none of the modern Tron games have done the concept justice and while Catalyst is perhaps the best of the bunch it still feels fiddly and random. Catalyst is quite cheap but it's also very short, at around five hours, and with no real reason to ever play it again. Annoyingly, the ending is filled with hints at a third game (since this is technically a sequel to Identity) and yet there's been no announcement so far that one is happening. The end result is a disappointingly joyless gaming experience, whose story and characters are surprisingly uninteresting, given Bithell's talents. The gameplay doesn't take any particular advantage of the Tron setting and the whole thing is just so ugly and bland to look at. John Wick Hex was much the same, but we easily forgave that because of the fun and original gameplay, but unfortunately Tron: Catalyst doesn't have that same advantage. In Short: A disappointingly drab Tron tie-in that wastes some interesting ideas on dull and repetitive combat and an unequally unengaging story. Pros: The glitch concept has lots of potential, even if it's not fully realised here. For better or worse, it looks like Tron: Legacy. Cons: The storytelling is mostly uninteresting and there's barely any resolution. Combat is dull and repetitive. Glitch gimmick is never used in any particularly clever ways. Bleak and unengaging visuals. Score: 5/10 Formats: PlayStation 5 (reviewed), Nintendo Switch, Xbox Series X/S, and PCPrice: £19.99Publisher: Big FanDeveloper: Bithell GamesRelease Date: 17th June 2025 Age Rating: 7 Email gamecentral@ leave a comment below, follow us on Twitter. To submit Inbox letters and Reader's Features more easily, without the need to send an email, just use our Submit Stuff page here. For more stories like this, check our Gaming page. MORE: Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3+4 is 15% off if you pre-order now MORE: PS Plus games for July includes one of the best dungeon crawlers ever MORE: Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 climbs chart after 'unusual' sales boost
Forbes
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Forbes
‘From The World Of John Wick: Ballerina' Gets Streaming Date, Report Says
"From The World Of John Wick: Ballerina" partial poster. From the World Of John Wick: Ballerina, starring Ana de Armas and Keanu Reeves, is reportedly coming soon to digital streaming. Directed by Len Wiseman, Ballerina was released in theaters on June 6. The official logline for the film reads, 'Taking place during the events of John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum, the film follows Eve Macarro (Armas) who is beginning her training in the assassin traditions of the Ruska Roma.' Reeves appears in From the World Of John Wick: Ballerina, as does other John Wick franchise stars Anjelica Huston, Ian McShane and the late Lance Reddick. The film also stars Gabriel Byrne, Catalina Sandino Moreno and Norman Reedus. From the World Of John Wick: Ballerina is expected to be released on digital streaming via premium video on demand on Tuesday, July 1, according to When to Stream. While the streaming tracker is typically accurate with its PVOD reports, When to Stream noted that the film's studio, Lionsgate, has not announced or confirmed the release date and it is subject to change. Prime Video currently has From the World Of John Wick: Ballerina available for pre-order for $24.99, which will also be the film's purchase price. Since digital rentals are typically $5 less than purchase prices, viewers can expect to rent From the World Of John Wick: Ballerina for $19.99 for 48 hours. In addition to Prime Video, From the World Of John Wick: Ballerina will be available on such digital platforms as Apple TV, Fandango at Home and YouTube. How Did Audiences And Critics Receive 'From the World Of John Wick: Ballerina'? From the World Of John Wick: Ballerina has earned $51.6 million in North American theaters and $53.4 million internationally for a worldwide tally of $105 million to date against a $90 million budget, according to The Numbers. The film received a 76% 'fresh' rating from Rotten Tomatoes critics based on 276 reviews. The RT Critics Consensus for the film reads, 'Equipping a steely Ana de Armas with creatively brutal action choreography and a pleasingly kooky origin story, Ballerina pirouettes gracefully onto the Wickverse's centerstage.' Audiences gave From the World Of John Wick: Ballerina a 93% 'fresh' Popcornmeter score based on 5,000-plus verified user ratings. The RT audience summary reads, 'Ana de Armas is a lethal and graceful action hero in Ballerina, a stellar pivot from the John Wick franchise that stylishly delivers a new violent dance with death.' Rated R, From the World Of John Wick: Ballerina is expected to be released on PVOD on July 1.
