Category Archives: action thriller

Transcendence

Posted on April 20, 2014 by filmstruck

Memento. Batman Begins. The Dark Knight. The Dark Knight Rises. The Prestige. Inception. What’s common? Hah, you scoff. Easy question. Christopher Nolan! Know what else is common? Wally Pfister! What, you say. Who is that? The director of photography! Remember … Continue reading →

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Gravity

Posted on January 31, 2014 by filmstruck

The real star of Gravity is not George Clooney as the veteran astronaut Matt Kowalski, or Sandra Bullock as space rookie Ryan Stone. Not even Ed Harris as the disembodied voice of Houston Control. The real star of Gravity is … Continue reading →

Posted in 2013, action thriller, awards, Drama, Oscar Nominee | Tagged , , , , , | 3 Comments

Captain Phillips

Posted on January 12, 2014 by filmstruck

In nearly a decade, Tom Hanks hasn’t given us too much to rave about. There was the disappointing Larry Crowne and the misguided Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close. But here, in Captain Phillips, he once again proves why he is … Continue reading →

Posted in 2013, action thriller, adaptation, Oscar contender | Tagged , , , , | 3 Comments

The Lone Ranger

Posted on July 7, 2013 by filmstruck

I imagine this is how it happened. Jerry Bruckheimer, Gore Verbinski and Johnny Depp met one evening to share drinks and reminisce about their spectacular collaborations, among which featured a nostalgic toast to the Pirates franchise and Rango. As the … Continue reading →

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Skyfall

Posted on February 14, 2013 by filmstruck

Daniel Craig has done to Bond what Christian Bale did to Batman – brought a nearly dead superhero (or superspy, in this case) and a languishing franchise to dark, brooding life. While Casino Royale was fabulous, Quantum of Solace was … Continue reading →

Posted in 2012, action thriller, Oscar Nominee, sequel | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Django Unchained

Posted on January 27, 2013 by filmstruck

For years, Quentin Tarantino has ruled the pop culture circuit, carving out a niche for himself as a genre junkie, paying homage to spaghetti westerns, Sergio Leone and Ennio Morricone with gleeful exaggerated violence and stylised abandon. With Inglourious Basterds, … Continue reading →

Posted in 2012, action thriller, Oscar Nominee | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Prometheus

Posted on December 25, 2012 by filmstruck

In all honesty, the fact that I watched Prometheus on a tiny airline screen probably put the movie at a disadvantage. Seriously, no director, least of all Ridley Scott, makes a movie for the in-flight entertainment audience, however discerning they … Continue reading →

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Argo

Posted on December 24, 2012 by filmstruck

In his third outing as director, Ben Affleck shows skill and technical expertise, as he brings a little known strange-but-true story to screen with accuracy and dramatic cohesion. Argo’s story is far-fetched, but its the stuff spy novels are made … Continue reading →

Posted in 2012, action thriller, Drama, Oscar contender, political | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Arbitrage

Posted on September 17, 2012 by filmstruck

From the trailer, it looked as if the movie was going to be a thriller set in the shady upper echelons of finance companies, with a murder mystery thrown in. But don’t worry if you don’t understand finance – the … Continue reading →

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The Dark Knight Rises

Posted on July 23, 2012 by filmstruck

The build-up to the most anticipated conclusion to the Dark Knight trilogy was of epic proportions. And the execution doesn’t disappoint. The Dark Knight goes out in style, in a story that celebrates heroism not just in the context of … Continue reading →

Posted in 2012, action thriller, commercial, Oscar contender, sequel | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments