Predator 2 follows on from the 87 original, but fails to bring back the essential ingredients that made that an action-classic. Original director John McTiernan followed Predator by directing the genre-defining Die Hard, so Predator 2 got Stephen Hopkins, the director of A Nightmare on Elm Street 5. Arnold Schwarzenegger passed on this in favour of Terminator 2, so the … [Read more...]
The Mechanic (2011) review by That Art House Guy
There are times when it's been a long day and you just want to sit back and watch something mindless and entertaining. This is the reason Jason Statham has a successful career. You generally know what you are going to get with a movie in which Statham is playing the lead “ high adrenaline chases, stylish violence, a mean and moody protagonist with a good line in wisecracks, and … [Read more...]
Die Hard 2 (1990) review by The Documentalist
Following the monstrous success of the original Die Hard, the inevitable sequel, Die Hard 2 followed two years later with New York cop John McClane (Bruce Willis) once again finding himself at the centre of a terrorist attack. In this latest installment it is Christmas Eve and terrorists are about to take control of Washington Dulles airport in order to spring a captured Latin … [Read more...]
The Expendables 2 (2012) review by That Film Guy
[pullquote cite="" type="left, right"][amazon text=Amazon&template=carousel&chan=that film guy&asin=B00D48ZPPA][/pullquote] Beefcake Barney Ross (Sylvester Stallone) returns along with the rest of his ragtag band of mercenaries, The Expendables in the originally titled sequel The Expendables 2. Gone from the original are Mickey Rourke and after a brief cameo, Yin … [Read more...]
The Bourne Legacy (2012) review by That Film Guy
After a solid start the Bourne franchise has grown with each instalment, culminating in The Bourne Ultimatum, the epitome of sleek spy action film. The increasing success both commercially and critically can largely be placed at the feet of director Paul Greengrass, who stepped in for the last two films. His obvious chemistry with the character of Jason Bourne, played … [Read more...]
The Bourne Supremacy (2004) review by That Film Guy
Following on from the surprise success of The Bourne Identity, writer Tony Gilroy returns to pen The Bourne Supremacy. This time at the director's helm is Paul Greengrass, while Matt Damon returns as lead character Jason Bourne. The Bourne Supremacy roughly matched its predecessor at the box office taking $288m from a modest budget of $75m. … [Read more...]
The Bourne Identity (2002) review by That Film Guy
Released at a time when the James Bond franchise was faltering in quality and believability, The Bourne Identity become a commercial success that further solidified Matt Damon's place as Hollywood A-Lister and created a franchise to challenge the British secret agent. Based on a novel by Robert Ludlum, The Bourne Identity was adapted to screen by Tony Gilroy and William Blake … [Read more...]
13 Assassins (2010, Japanese) review by That Film Dude
Takashi Miike has a well-deserved reputation as a purveyor of cinematic gore, largely because of Ichi the Killer, and 13 Assassins certainly won't disappoint on that score. While Miike isn't really known for historical works, this film is a pretty clear indication that he knows how to make a great samurai epic. It could do with being a little longer, and the international … [Read more...]
Infernal Affairs III (2003, Hong Kong) review by That Art House Guy
Please note: Due to the connected nature of the movies, it's not possible to discuss Infernal Affairs III without giving away key plot points for Infernal Affairs I and II. Infernal Affairs II was a fine sequel (or rather, prequel) to the original movie, but the box office results showed that what really elevated the franchise was its two star names in the leading roles “ … [Read more...]
Review: The Transformers: The Movie (1986)
The first visit to the cinema for anyone can be a memorable and important experience. Growing up as a fan of all things film-related, being taken to the my local cinema as a young five-year-old whippersnapper, the thrill of seeing one of my favourite television shows turned into a feature-length film proved more influential than I could possibly have imagined. Accompanied by my … [Read more...]