The Fast & the Furious was a surprising hit in 2001. Teaming untested males leads Paul Walker and Vin Diesel, both riding high after the success of their respective breakout films (She's All That and Pitch Black respectively) the two men proved their ability to carry a Hollywood film on their shoulders. Since then there have been 3 sequels ranging from the abysmal The Fast … [Read more...]
Review: Hanna (2011)
[pullquote cite="" type="left, right"][amazon text=Amazon&template=carousel&chan=that film guy&asin=B005X5DWR0][/pullquote] Joe Wright is a British director known for his adaptations of Pride and Prejudice and Atonement. Both were slow, thoughtful pieces with a plenty of characterisation and some sweeping camerawork. In 2011, he directed Hanna, which did not set the … [Read more...]
Review: Fright Night (2011)
[pullquote cite="" type="left, right"][amazon text=Amazon&template=carousel&chan=that film guy&asin=B005ZTUZ74][/pullquote] Remakes are becoming more and more popular each year. The trend in late 2000s was to take a 1980s horror film and throw a big budget at it. The thinking being that fans of the original are now old enough to get a nostalgia kick, whilst the new … [Read more...]
Review: Conan the Barbarian (2011)
[pullquote cite="" type="left, right"][amazon text=Amazon&template=carousel&chan=that film guy&asin=B00505QA40][/pullquote] In 1932 Robert E. Howard created the most famous and long-lasting barbarian in literary history. Conan the Barbarian was originally made into a film in 1982 as a vehicle for up-and-coming movie star Arnold Schwarzenegger. This reboot of the … [Read more...]
Review: Cowboys and Aliens (2011)
[pullquote cite="" type="left, right"][amazon text=Amazon&template=carousel&chan=that film guy&asin=B007PZ2BEG][/pullquote] Jon Favreau burst onto the Hollywood scene initially as an actor in the cult hit Swingers. From there his career endured peaks and troughs, before he finally established himself as a blockbuster director with the Iron Man films. It's an odd … [Read more...]
Review: Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves (1991)
[pullquote cite="" type="left, right"][amazon text=Amazon&template=carousel&chan=that film guy&asin=B001QXZ7SA][/pullquote] In the late 1980s and early 1990s, there was no bigger film star than Kevin Costner. He has made his name with films like Field of Dreams and The Untouchables, before he started to produce massive commercial smash hits like Dances with Wolves … [Read more...]
Review: Priest (2011)
[pullquote cite="" type="left, right"][amazon text=Amazon&template=carousel&chan=that film guy&asin=B003NVM5GU][/pullquote] The success of films like Sin City and 300 have lead to a spate of graphic novel to film adaptations, some of which were commercially successful (Kick-Ass) and some not so (Scott Pilgrim vs. The World). Priest comes from similar graphic novel … [Read more...]
Review: Rise of the Planet of the Apes (2011)
[pullquote cite="" type="left, right"][amazon text=Amazon&template=carousel&chan=that film guy&asin=B006E0A5YG][/pullquote] Planet of the Apes, released in 1968 was a surprise commercial success that spawned four sequels, one woeful Tim Burton-directed reboot and a couple of TV shows. Its place in film history is already assured, with parodies of the famous final … [Read more...]
Review: Sucker Punch (2011)
[pullquote cite="" type="left, right"][amazon text=Amazon&template=carousel&chan=that film guy&asin=B006GAP79M][/pullquote] Zack Synder is a director carving a name for himself in Hollywood. He started with the a remake of Dawn of the Dead in 2004, which was surprisingly well handled considering the over-saturation of zombie films in recent years. His style has … [Read more...]
Review: Hot Fuzz (2007)
[pullquote cite="" type="left, right"][amazon text=Amazon&template=carousel&chan=that film guy&asin=B00ET6K40C][/pullquote] They say mockery is the sincerest form of flattery. So I wonder what Michael Bay thinks of Hot Fuzz, which so heavily draws upon his films for inspiration. A tongue-in-cheek homage to the director famous for Armageddon, Bad Boys … [Read more...]