Jumper - Film Review.

***WARNING - MAY CONTAIN INFORMATION WHICH COULD SPOIL SURPRISES IN THE FILM***

Hmmm...nice idea but sadly let down by a very linear story line. Set in America, a breed of people called "Jumpers" are relentlessly pursued by a breed of humans called "Paladins". I say humans but it's never really explained where any of these figures are from.

Jumpers have the ability to teleport at will around the globe and create a crewneck from whatever is lying about. I made that last bit up but they DO have the ability to leap around the world by the power of thought alone.

This makes them the perfect bank-vault thief and our main character, David Rice, a cocky teenager who clearly loves his newly discovered skill, takes advantage of this and amasses a huge store of wealth.

He's also in possession of a skill which may enable him to ensnare his childhood sweetheart. Millie longs to see Rome...Dave can now wisk her off without even having to cash any of his ill-gotten gains!

Needless to say he is pursued by government forces lead by Samuel L Jackson who sports a head of snow white hair here! We are led through fight scene after fight scene until the director gets bored and the film ends at 1 hour and 20 minutes.

I was left feeling that I had simply watched a short, but admittedly mildly amusing, pilot for an imminent TV series. We will see.

6/10.

Review by Mark Woods, LordBeanpod@GMail.com

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Film Review - Mongol.

What a brilliant film! If you like stunning locations, great photography and awesome fight sequences then this is a film for you! From the get-go you know you're in for a treat. The opening shot pans through a spectacular set to the lead character who you instantly know is going to be a tough nut to crack...well, the guy IS Ghengis Khan!

No previous knowledge of the life of Ghengis is required...you will be harshly educated. You'll learn about yurts! You'll see offal enjoyed as a breakfast! See Mongolian forms of punishment!

The film moves at great pace through his eventful and grim life and, frankly, I'd watch this sort of film just for the photography. It really is a stunning piece of cinema to look at. You may have to do this if you mistakenly buy the DVD in the original Mongolian dialogue! Make sure it has English subtitles!

If you like action and drama I recommend this film. 8/10.

Review by Mark Woods, 2008. LordBeanpod@GMail.com

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Fujifilm 256mb SD card review.

Erm.....what to say?! This 256 megabyte SD (Secure Digital) memory card does what you would expect! It has a fast write speed - a 40 minute podcast is transferred over a USB 2.0 connection in about 30 seconds. It has never let me down...all data is 100 percent accurate.

There is a TINY lock slider on the left hand side of the unit which prevents accidental overwriting.

One corner of the card is missing to allow easy identification of which way to place the card into your device. The well printed label with arrow will allow you to get this right also.

Size is approximately about the size of a stamp...perhaps slightly bigger.

The copper contacts on the underside of the card are still in pristine condition after 6 months of use on my own example.

Overall a well built and reliable item. I would recommend this card without hesitation.

Reviewed by Mark Woods, 2008. LordBeanpod@GMail.com

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Technics RP-F290 headphones review.

A great set of cans!

I've had mine for about 8 years now...I paid around GBP 20 for them in 2000. They still sound good although the fake leather around the earpieces has fallen to bits. This can end up on the tips of your ears so be careful you don't look foolish after you've had them for a while!

The style is a full enclosure of the ear so this helps keep other noises out. These are not noise cancelling headphones however. They are wired and the cord is a good 4 metres long which I have always found ample with a TV at the foot of the bed for example.

The bass is good as is the volume. There is no seperate volume control on the 'phones which would be nice but these are a budget model. Treble is clear and I have always found movie and music to be audible with no problems to report.

The headband is adjustable so comfort is not a problem. The earpieces swivel also so they really are not too noticable when on.

These are a standard black plastic headphone which is a good choice for an entry level purchase. I would not hesitate to recommend these to most casual listeners.

Reviewed by Mark Woods, 2008. LordBeanpod@GMail.com

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Toshiba 14N21B2 portable television review.

This was a cheap television which I purchased for GBP 70 in 2002 from Argos, Derby. I've had it for 6 years now and it is still going strong.

Build quality is good as you would expect from Toshiba. The screen is not flat and the glass cathode ray tube inside the set makes the whole unit very heavy for a 14 inch "portable" television.

Picture quality is good. The handset has a button which allows you to cyclethrough 4 presets to get a good image depending on ambient light conditions and your own preferance. Colours are bright and contrast is good.

Audio is average. The speakers are fine - no distortion at loud volume - but not very bassy. I was surprised to find that the audio headphone socket only allows you to listen in mono! In this day and age it is surely illegal not to have stereo output?

The unit has one scart input at the rear and video and single audio input at the front.

The handset is rather long but comfortably narrow with rubberised buttons. All the usual functions are available with nothing exceptional to mention.

Overall a decent budget TV but nowadays a few pounds more will get you a flatscreen LCD set.

Reviewed by Mark Woods, 2008. LordBeanpod@GMail.com

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