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Showing posts from June, 2021

Captive State | Average Guy Movie Review

Nine years after an alien invasion, the Earth is under occupation. The invaders have installed a subservient human government in order to keep the population in line, while they strip the planet of its resources. But when a long thought dead resistance group emerges from the ashes with a plan to ignite an uprising, it becomes a race against time for the security services to track them down and prevent the attack. Director Rupert Wyatt ( Rise of the Planet of the Apes / The Gambler ) delivers a different take on the alien invasion movie with Captive State , which couldn't be farther from the likes of Independence Day  and Battle Los Angeles . In fact it looks more like a gritty sci-fi/mystery/thriller, with elements of a police procedural story. At the heart of which is a young man named Gabriel (Ashton Sanders), whose family died at the hands of the invaders. He's simply trying to make enough money to escape the city, but when a job draws him in too deep he lands on William Mul

A Fast Moustache ReWatch | The Fast Saga

The cinemas are open again, which means the new films that we've been waiting a long time to see are finally starting to arrive. One of those is the latest Fast  movie, something I hadn't originally planned to see, but then I figured it's another movie to enjoy on the big screen. Which got me thinking, why not binge the entire franchise before I do. Some of those movies I haven't watched in years. I kinda stole this idea from a journalist with The Guardian; Tim Jonze . He watched all eight of the Fast & Furious movies in 24 hours, and was changed by it. You can find his article here , it makes for a hilarious read. I'm not quite as crazy he is, I did it in about three days.  This all begins - surprisingly enough - where it all started, with The Fast and the Furious . I was in high school when this came out, so obviously I thought it was great; cool cars and lots of fast driving. What's not for a teenager to like? Although, even back then I wasn't cool e

Fast & Furious 9 | Average Guy Movie Review

Old enemies emerge from the shadows forcing the team back into high-octane battle. This time, however, the family will be tested like never before, because the one threatening the world used to be part of that family. Justin Lin returns to the franchise that put him on the map, to helm yet another physics-defying action fest. This time the team face a challenge that hits all too close to home. All families have history, and Dom's is coming back to haunt him, giving us a glimpse at one of the major turning points in his life. One which explains why he holds his family so dear. But between all the new and returning characters, and the intertwining/rejigged plotlines that they bring with them, it's all starting to get a bit jumbled. The timeline is a mess. It doesn't help that the majority  of the new developments - most of which continue the pattern of trying to fix or alter what has gone before - go almost entirely unexplained. Simply put, they've tried to do too much, l

Nobody | Average Guy Movie Review

Hutch Mansell (Bob Odenkirk) is nobody. Just an average guy; he goes to work, comes home to his wife and two kids, and that's about it. That is, until a home invasion causes him to snap. You see, Hutch used to be a government agent, one who specialised in eliminating problems. But in the process of trying to reclaim what was taken from his family, he inadvertently angers the local Russian mob. Now they want blood, and Hutch is more than happy to make them work for it. Imagine if John Wick's wife hadn't died, that they'd had a couple of kids, and John got a job as an accountant. Then fast forward about 15-16 years and you've got yourself Nobody . Yes, with Derek Kolstad on writing duties it doesn't simply look like a John Wick  movie, it practically is one; a home invasion forces an assassin out of retirement, which gets him in trouble with some Russians. Now that you mention it, that does sound oddly familiar. But there are some differences in Nobody 's exec

The Outpost | Average Guy Movie Review

The story of the Battle of Kamdesh in 2009, in which a small group of American soldiers defended Combat Outpost Keating from roughly 400 enemy insurgents. The base was part of a network established to monitor Taliban traffic in the Hindu Kush mountains. However, given its position, the base was considered to be a death trap, described by one soldier who fought there as "like being in a fishbowl or fighting from the bottom of a paper cup". As war movies go, this is one that goes out of its way to show the harsh realities of not only war, but of life in the military as well. The movie begins by introducing us to the base, and the men occupying it. Which proves to be an eye-opening look at their perilous position, and the mundane side of soldiering. Everything from routine patrols, to the complexities of dealing with the locals, including the occasional attack by Taliban fighters, and of course the really fun stuff like burning the contents of the camp latrines, and the odd spec

Honest Thief | Average Guy Movie Review

After successfully robbing a series of banks, Tom Dolan (Liam Neeson) meets Annie Wilkins (Kate Walsh), and they soon fall in love. However Tom decides that if they are to have a chance at a happy life together, he must first pay for his sins. But when he tries to turn himself in, he is framed for murder by two corrupt FBI agents looking to keep the stolen money for themselves. Now Tom must utilise his "particular set of skills" to clear his name... so he can turn himself in and go to prison. The first thing that strikes you when watching Honest Thief  is; if you're a bank robber looking to give up your life of crime, and the authorities have no clue who you are, maybe just stop robbing banks. It seems like a lot less hassle. You can always find a way to anonymously return the money, that is, if you want to. The second thing that strikes you is that simply quitting being a bank robber would definitely be the easier choice, given all of the extra crimes you'll have to

What Did We Think Of The End Of These Two Great Shows?

Two fantastic shows have come to an end. The Kominsky Method 's third and final season is now on Netflix, and the final episode of Mare of Easttown  has been broadcast (on Sky/Now TV in the UK). But are those conclusions all that we hoped for? Well... Detective Mare Sheehan had a lot to clear up in the final episode of Mare of Easttown . At the end of episode six there were a lot of unanswered questions - not to mention a few unresolved issues - enough to leave audiences wondering if the last episode could answer every one of them. But that is exactly what they did, and as with the rest of the series, episode seven proved to be an edge of your seat affair. Right from the off, Mare of Easttown  proved to be a gripping detective drama, one that would keep us guessing throughout. It helped that the approach to the police work felt authentic, especially the fact that Mare can't switch off, and the case becomes almost an obsession for her. Not surprising really, given the fairly lon