The fact that the phrase ˜the Taken franchise' is a truth in the film industry is possibly the most baffling thing in recent movie memory. The first Taken film was a standalone story; an ex-secret agent's daughter gets kidnapped by a ring of Albanian human traffickers, and so he goes on a crusade to shoot some bad guys, torture some bad guys, and pretty much murder half of … [Read more...]
Review: A Million Ways to Die in the West (2014)
Lazy Saddles [pullquote cite="" type="left, right"][amazon text=Amazon&template=carousel&chan=that film guy&asin=B00JKE4UGC][/pullquote] Stepping out from behind the camera, the creative force behind Family Guy and American Dad Seth MacFarlane takes his first leading role in A Million Ways to Die in the West. … [Read more...]
Review: Non-Stop (2014)
[pullquote cite="" type="left, right"][amazon text=Amazon&template=carousel&chan=that film guy&asin=B00IIK6CC4][/pullquote] Ever since Taken back in 2008, Liam Neeson has cemented himself as a seriously credible action leading man. Combine his voice, quiet intimidation, and his whole general demeanour, you get less of a screaming, muscle-bound John Rambo type and … [Read more...]
Review: Taken (2008)
Liam Neeson, a man known for his dramatic turns in films like Schindler's List and Rob Roy, has managed to create a fall-back position as a gruff, aging action hero. Ever since Star Wars: Episode I “ The Phantom Menace he has picked up roles as a take-charge action veteran and he has never been more impressive than in Taken. Inspired by an idea by Luc Besson, who also acts as … [Read more...]
Review: Battleship (2012)
From director Peter Berg and 'The toy company that bought you Transformers' comes the latest toy-to-film adaptation, Battleship. Like Transformers: Dark of the Moon, Battleship is a CG-heavy, $200m blockbuster. It casts John Carter lead Taylor Kitsch in his second blockbuster lead of 2012 and marks the film debut of pop sensation Rihanna. It is based on the extremely popular … [Read more...]
Review: Wrath of the Titans (2012)
In 2010 Hollywood once again mined Greek mythology to create a big summer special effects blockbuster. Clash of the Titans was a staggering box office success, which crushingly and predictably lead to talk of a sequel. In 2012, Wrath of the Titans was released recouping the money it cost in little over a week. Like its predecessor Wrath of the Titans follows Perseus (Sam … [Read more...]
Review: Clash of the Titans (2010)
Clash of the Titans is a remake of the fondly remembered 1981 film of the same name. Focusing on the Greek Gods and their home on Mount Olympus, the original was a commerical, if not critical success. The remake, which sees digital, computer-generated effects replace the stop-motion effects of the legendary Ray Harryheusen and was also post-production fit with 3D, hoping to … [Read more...]
Review: Unknown (2011)
Usually the stars of action movies make their names in the genre “ starting young they get their break as a tough guy, then spend the rest of their careers trying to diversify, like Arnold Schwarzennegger's move into broad family comedies, or Bruce Willis' attempts to get into more ˜serious' roles. Liam Neeson seems to have gone about his career in the opposite direction and … [Read more...]
Review: The Grey (2012)
The Grey is an American survival thriller starring Liam Neeson and directed by Joe Carnahan. Inspired by a short story called Ghost Walker, it follows a group of men who survive a plane crash in Alaska and find themselves on the run from a vicious pack of wolves. Shot in 40 days on location in Alaska, The Grey teams Carnahan up with producer Ridley Scott and star of one of his … [Read more...]
Review: Love Actually (2003)
Love Actually is a predominantly British cast, portmanteau Christmas film written and directed by Richard Curtis, a man most famous for his writing credits on Notting Hill and Four Weddings and a Funeral. He has an incredible knack for creating sweet, sentimental films without them being over-bearing or too saccharine. His previous body of work deftly combines uplifting, … [Read more...]