This Week In New Releases [Week Of 27th February 2012]
We all need a gentle reminder from time to time. This Week In New Releases from New Rising Media aims to do just that – remind you of the biggest, best and hottest new media releases to look out for this week. From the latest big screen blockbusters, to this week's most anticipated Blu-Ray discs, via details of the next big triple-A videogame to reach consoles. This isn't a total run-down of everything new this week, though, these are carefully hand-picked for your viewing/playing pleasure entirely by us, enjoy.
Pick Of The Week: SSX (Xbox 360, PS3) Developer: EA Canada
Out Friday
First announced under the name SSX: Deadly Descents and appearing to be a major reinvention for the snowboarding series toward a more story-orientated, dramatised and suitably gnarly portrayal of the extreme sport, the return to home consoles for SSX seemed to be shaping up badly. Had EA forgotten 
what SSX was all about? You need no greater endorsement than an immensely positive New Rising Media review to convince you that reverting back to formula (more or less) works in the game's favour, big time.
This is SSX like you used to remember all those years ago; full of the death-defying, velocity-propelling, blood-pumping mountain trails for which the series is so reknowned; visually spectacular snow-capped landscapes; pitch-perfect soundtrack (including the likes of Run-D.M.C., Skrillex and DJ Shadow); and a generous helping of eye candy in the form of gravity-defying tricks. After five years out of the limelight of consoles, you better believe SSX is back in a big way.
We Need To Talk About Kevin (18) Dir: Lynne Ramsay
Out Now (Blu-Ray, DVD)
Adapted and directed by Brit director Lynne Ramsay from Lionel Shriver’s million-selling 2003 novel of the same name, We Need To Talk About Kevin’s Blu-ray debut comes off the back of heaps of praise during last year’s festival circuit – nominated for Canne film festival’s Palme d’Or - and critical adoration during its too-short theatrical release. Representing six years of work by BBC Films to get the project off the
ground, the film explores the issue of nature versus nurture as a mother (Tilda Swinton) desperately tries to grasp what led her emotionally-detached teenage son (Ezra Miller) to commit an atrocious act of violence at his high school.
Was it the fractured and often-times difficult relationship between Swinton’s Eva and Kevin’s father (John C. Reilly)? Perhaps the way she lashed out at her son on occasion. Or was it something much deeper, a behavioural trait ingrained within Kevin’s deranged and twisted psyche that led him on his path of mental deterioration and ultimate destruction? Playing out between present day and the memories of her and Kevin’s own relationship as recalled by the strong-willed Eva in flashbacks; the film paints a vivid, haunting and deeply disturbing picture of parenthood where one’s own prodigy turns into a monster -– The Omen’s Damien Thorn all grown up, if you will.
This Means War (12) Dir: McG
In Cinemas Friday
While we question what it must have taken for the producers of This Means War to secure Tom Hardy as one of its leading roles (a sizeable pay packet, the promise of getting close and personal to the lovely Reese Witherspoon?), there’s no doubting it brings an extra air of credibility to this romantic spy/assassin comedy – a genre recently populated, lest we forget, by the likes of Killers, The Bounty
Hunter and Katherine Heigl vehicle (oh, joy of joys) One For The Money. Here, the Warrior, Bronson and The Dark Knight Rises actor is pitted against Star Trek’s Chris Pine (himself not averse to the odd romantic comedy, as proved in the Mcfly-starring Just My Luck) as two government agents who happen to discover they share the same other-half, the aforementioned Reese Witherspoon.
Cue a game of one-upmanship secret agent style, with plenty of crash, bangs, wallops and an added sprinkling of male bravado. It won't set the world alight by any stretch of the imagination, but if anything This Means War promises to be an all-round crowd pleaser – a smattering of romance, a whole load of explosive action and a generous helping of comedy. Phwoar.
Other Notable Releases:
In Time (12) [Out Now on DVD and Blu-Ray]
High-concept thriller brought to us by The Truman Show writer Andew Niccol in which humans stop ageing at 25 and where time left to live is used as currency.
Project X (18) [In Cinemas Friday]
Produced by Todd Phillips, director of The Hangover, Project X is another film entirely shot from the leads' perspective (much like Chronicle) following three teenagers (also like Chronicle) throwing a house party to impress the popular kids in school. Things don't go according to plan.
