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Showing posts with the label Chris Pine

The 'Jack Ryan' Movie Boxset

For Christmas I was given the Jack Ryan  movie boxset, and with the third season of the show starring John Krasinski now available on Amazon Prime, it seemed like the perfect time to revisit the franchise. Despite having been constantly rebooted and recast, the series has consistently produced tense and exciting action/thrillers...  mostly. Four out of five ain't bad! The Hunt for Red October The first of the Jack Ryan  movies has all the intrigue of a spy thriller, and all of the tension of a submarine movie, making it the perfect movie to kick off the franchise. Set at a time when Cold War hostilities were on the rise, we are drawn into this high-stakes battle of wills between the Soviet Union, the United States, and a lone submarine captain. Excellent performances and some clever cinematography give the movie a real sense of claustrophobia, allowing director John McTiernan to slowly ratchet up the tension, as Ryan struggles to make contact with the Red October and avoid an all o

A Chris Prime/Amazon Pine Double Bill

  With the recent appearance of two brand new Chris Pine movies on Amazon Prime Video , I figured there was no better time for a double feature - not to mention a half-decent excuse to hit two movies with one review. The only question was which one to watch first; the action movie or the spy thriller? I went with the action movie. The Contractor  follows James Harper (Pine), a soldier who is unceremoniously discharged from the military after being wounded. Facing money troubles and still wanting to serve, Harper enlists with a private military contractor. His first assignment sends him to Europe to surveil a scientist with possible terrorist ties. But when things go wrong he finds himself caught in a game of cat and mouse as he attempts to get home to his family. Tarik Saleh may be going for a Bourne -esque action thriller with The Contractor , but it starts out as something very different. Our introduction to James Harper feels more like a commentary on the plight of wounded military

Wonder Woman 1984 | Average Guy Movie Review

It has been sixty years since Diana Prince (Gal Gadot) left the island of Themyscira to join the world of man, and in that time she has become rather lonely. Now living in Washington DC, she divides her time between working at the Smithsonian and using her powers to help people. But when a strange artifact - one with the power to make our greatest desires a reality - finds its way into the hands of the power-hungry businessman, Max Lord (Pedro Pascal), Diana faces choosing between her own happiness and the fate of the world. After many delays thanks to Covid-19, the release of Wonder Woman 1984 is a welcome relief from our new norm. I considered making this review part of the Moustache Lockdown Streaming Survival Guide, but given that WW84 is still in cinemas - where cinemas are open, anyway - and only available to rent on digital, it didn't really fit with what I've tried to do with the streaming survival guide.  A movie like this really should be seen on the big screen, and a

Wonder Woman | Average Guy Movie Review

In her first solo outing, we get to see Gal Gadot's Wonder Woman save humanity for the first time. After growing up on the hidden island paradise of Themyscira, Diana, Princess of the Amazons witnesses a plane crash off the coast. From the wreckage she pulls Steve Trevor (Chris Pine), an American spy on the run from the Germans. When his pursuers arrive at Themyscira, the Amazons are exposed to a war that spans the globe. Convinced that Ares is responsible, Diana heads off in search of the God of War so she can kill him and restore peace. At this point you may be thinking: do I need to see another superhero origin story? Well probably not, but do we really "need" any movie? Wonder Woman is the fourth movie in the DCEU and according to many, the first to get the tone right. Despite being set during one of our darkest periods in history, Patty Jenkins still manages to bring humour to the proceedings. It really is a fish out of water story for both Diana and Steve. F

Hell or High Water: Average Guy Movie Review

In an era of comic book movies and remakes it's rare to watch a movie without some idea of how it will end. Now this doesn't affect the enjoyment - not for me anyway - life's about the journey not the destination. But it's refreshing to go to the cinema without a clue how the movie will end, British Director David Mackenzie delivers just that with Hell or High Water. Brothers Toby (Chris Pine) and Tanner Howard (Ben Foster) concoct a plan to rob banks in order to save the family ranch. Marcus Hamilton (Jeff Bridges) and Alberto Parker (Gil Birmingham) are the Texas Ranger's assigned to investigate the robberies, as per Hollywood cliche it's Marcus' last case before retirement. Family is definitely the major theme of this movie, that and what people will do for their families. In this case, as the title would suggest, come hell or high water, whatever it takes no matter what the cost.  Hell or High Water is written by Taylor Sheridan, the

The Finest Hours: Average Guy Movie Review

In 1952, the SS Pendleton split in half whilst caught in a storm off the Massachusetts coast. The Bow section capsized killing eight men, including the Captain. The Stern section staid afloat with thritythree men aboard. The Coast Guard sent a small boat with a crew of four to rescue the survivors. This story is known as the greatest rescue in the history of the United States Coast Guard. Directed by Craig Gillespie, this is a very impressive movie both in terms of the story and the production. Firstly, what those men faced and what they did for a group of strangers is incredible. The fact that they found the ship in that storm is amazing, even more so because they were able to rescue so many! A lot of work has been put in to making The Finest Hours look as real as possible. If you've seen the trailer, you've seen the part where the Sailor almost goes overboard because the bow of the ship is gone, that standard is maintained throughout. Obviously they've used a lo