When Joss Whedon was first announced as the director of the original The Avengers, the fans delighted at the appointment of someone with such a glittering geek-friendly background. But with no commercial success' in his filmography, it was a big gamble by Marvel Studios and one that reaped success to the tune of $1.5b at the box office. The second time around the man behind … [Read more...]
Review: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2014)
Cowa-Bungled [pullquote cite="" type="left, right"][amazon text=Amazon&template=carousel&chan=that film guy&asin=B00MI1X58S][/pullquote] It's like candy, people love candy, says Vernon Fenwick (Will Arnett) to April O'Neil (Megan Fox) when talking about her disgruntled attitude to reporting on less-than-serious news. But like many pseudo-meta comments in this limp … [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: Snowpiercer (2013)
[pullquote cite="" type="left, right"][amazon text=Amazon&template=carousel&chan=that film guy&asin=B00L3O0BCE][/pullquote] An English adaptation of a French graphic novel by a South Korean director, Snowpiercer is an apocalyptic future tale whose journey to release is almost is crazy and interesting as the film itself. Released in most countries in 2013, it never … [Read more...]
Review: Dawn of the Planet of the Apes (2014)
The Apes of Wrath [pullquote cite="" type="left, right"][amazon text=Amazon&template=carousel&chan=that film guy&asin=B00DHJTCPK][/pullquote] It took ten years worth of work to help Rupert Wyatt reboot the ailing Planet of the Apes franchise. In the clunkily-titled Rise of the Planet of the Apes audiences saw a blockbuster hit arrive almost unannounced in the summer … [Read more...]
Review: Transformers: Age of Extinction (2014)
Robot Bores [pullquote cite="" type="left, right"][amazon text=Amazon&template=carousel&chan=that film guy&asin=B00LA8H82E][/pullquote] Following in the footsteps of its commercial success juggernauts comes Michael Bay's latest blockbuster Transformers: Age of Extinction. Acting as a sort of reboot for the human cast, we lose Shia Labouef's Sam Whitwicky and gain … [Read more...]
The Lone Ranger (2013) review by That Film Doctor
The Lone Ranger started off as a radio play in America in 1933. Since then, he has become a cultural touchstone within contemporary Americana, epitomising the spirit of freedom, justice and courage that has become synonymous with the American Dream. It is perhaps equally fitting then this current incarnation represents the bilious trite, commercially driven vacuity that is … [Read more...]
The Wolverine (2013) review by That Film Doctor
The summer wouldn't be summer without an X-Men movie, and for 2013, we have The Wolverine. After the disappointing and rather languid X-Men Origins: Wolverine, James Mangold has been charged with bringing fresh impetus to a character that has some of the richest, most fascinating and indeed some of the most excitingly open (given the very handy fact that he is immortal) … [Read more...]
Pacific Rim (2013) review by That Film Guy
What child doesn't want to see giant robots fighting giant monsters? In Pacific Rim, director Guillermo Del Toro attempts to bring the wonderfully playfully world of Kaiju cinema to another generation of Western audiences. Kaiju is Japanese for 'strange beast' but was seen its translation turn into 'Giant Monster' and it is from this idea that films like Godzilla evolved. This … [Read more...]
Review: Man of Steel (2013)
Man of Steel is the bold, brash, blue-ish grey reboot of the Superman mythos by director Zack Snyder. Taking the more Christopher Nolan route than the recent Marvel route, he presents to his audience a dark and brooding take on the last son of Krypton that follows Kal-El's growth from wonderkid to Super-Man and has him lead the charge into the new DC Cinematic Universe. … [Read more...]