Retraining day The continued and increasing popularity of the ˜geriaction' subgenre arguably started when Liam Neeson tore up the Parisian women-trafficking underworld to find his daughter. He has a lot to answer for. The latest offering in this limping subgenre is The Equaliser, directed by Antonie Fuqua (who since Training Day, has produced a ˜mixed bag' to put it politely). … [Read more...]
Review: Obvious Child (2014)
The rom-com is one of those genres which seems to have been pretty much beaten to death, and it's increasingly difficult to find ones which aren't sentimental, simplistic stories we've already seen dozens of times before. Perhaps the word to best describe the genre as a whole at this point is "safe", since risk-taking isn't generally something that one finds in romantic … [Read more...]
Review: As Above, So Below (2014)
Lara Croft and the Philosopher's Stone [pullquote cite="" type="left, right"][amazon text=Amazon&template=carousel&chan=that film guy&asin=B00LSW70MU][/pullquote] There is an old saying with films that it's better to start weak and finish strong than start strong and finish weak. John Erick Dowdle, the director of the latest found footage horror As Above, So Below … [Read more...]
Review: Sin City: A Dame to Kill For (2014)
Monochrome chaos [pullquote cite="" type="left, right"][amazon text=Amazon&template=carousel&chan=that film guy&asin=B00M482XVU][/pullquote] Sin City: A Dame to Kill For is the long-awaited sequel to the adaptation of Frank Miller's graphic novel series. It's been 9 years since the original was released, and the film has suffered something of a rocky road to … [Read more...]
Review: Let’s Be Cops (2014)
Non-Lethal Weapon The buddy cop genre has been alive and well in recent years, thanks in no small part to 21 Jump Street and its sequel. That showed the potential for box office gold from a simple film premise, blown out of proportion and based on a grounding of chemistry between its leads. The latest spin on this is Let's Be Cops and it doesn't quite pass the test. … [Read more...]
Review: Lucy (2014)
[pullquote cite="" type="left, right"][amazon text=Amazon&template=carousel&chan=that film guy&asin=B00LDYOXHS][/pullquote] Luc Besson has had a difficult few years. His most recent film as director, The Family, was a critical and commercial dud, while the Taken franchise on which he's a producer saw considerable diminished returns with its second instalment. … [Read more...]
Review: The Inbetweeners 2 (2014)
Fwends with benefits [pullquote cite="" type="left, right"][amazon text=Amazon&template=carousel&chan=that film guy&asin=B003AYLBV0][/pullquote] Getting chased down a waterslide by a poo or fired from your job as a toilet attendant wouldn't be many people's idea of a perfect summer holiday. But when you're an Inbetweener the best you can hope for is a few laughs to … [Read more...]
Review: The Expendables 3 (2014)
[pullquote cite="" type="left, right"][amazon text=Amazon&template=carousel&chan=that film guy&asin=B00M482XYC][/pullquote] Watching previous instalments of Sylvester Stallone's Expendables films has been a bit like being shot in the stomach by Barney Ross. There's an initial surge in adrenaline at the prospect, but ultimately it's a slow and painful experience. Not … [Read more...]
Review: Guardians of the Galaxy (2014)
Supermassive black a-holes [pullquote cite="" type="left, right"][amazon text=Amazon&template=carousel&chan=that film guy&asin=B00IXGU7XI][/pullquote] When Guardians of the Galaxy was announced on the upcoming Marvel Cinematic Universe slate, everyone except the most hardcore of comic book fans had to jump on the internet to find out just who they were. Based on a … [Read more...]
Review: Hercules (2014)
First things first: The Rock IS Hercules. He's long been a great action lead in search of a role worthy of him, and here, he's found it. Hercules is no classic, but it's never boring, and when Johnson bellows "I AM HERCULES!" towards the end, it's very hard not to nod and agree. … [Read more...]