There are some films that do exactly what you expect them to. Contraband was always going to be a by-the-numbers thriller, The Lucky One was always going to be an emotionally manipulative 'love story' and The Raid was always going to be a bog-standard martial arts film. The thing is, it isn't. At all. … [Read more...]
Hard Boiled (1992) review by That Film Guy
In the late 1990s John Woo's name was synonomous with high-adrenaline action films. He's the man that gave us Hard Target, Broken Arrow and Mission: Impossible II, but before making the transition into Hollywood he had honed the art of action films in Hong Kong. Hard Boiled represents the best action film he developed during this period, and while it lacks the slick visuals of … [Read more...]
Review: Rush Hour (1998)
Brett Ratner is a director with a reputation. Sadly for him, it's not a particularly good reputation. He is thought of as someone who makes his living producing sub-standard films and seems to have no eye for detail, character or storyline. In regard to his filmography, this criticism seems a little misguided. Sure he nearly killed a franchise with the atrocious X-Men: Last … [Read more...]
Review: Yamada: The Samurai of Ayutthaya (2010, Thai)
Yamada: The Samurai of Ayutthaya is a historical martial arts movie, based (rather loosely perhaps) on the life real life figure of Yamada Nagamasa. Yamada was a Japanese Samurai who ended up in Siam (modern day Thailand) after his lord was defeated in battle and he was forced to leave his homeland. In the period in which the film is set, the early 17th century, there was a … [Read more...]