CENTURION [2010]

Just because director Neil Marshall steered away from the horror genre, doesn't mean he left his Splat Pack roots behind with the excessively gory historical action film, Centurion.
The film tells the story of a small group of Roman soldiers in 117 A.D. fighting for survival behind enemy lines as the escape from a pack of Picts hunting them down.  As entertaining as the film is, it lacks any real characterization or believable dialogue and therefore becomes somewhat tiresome by the third act.  If not for the beautiful photography, talented cast and wonder how they're going wrap things up, it might not have been quite as enjoyable.

3 witches out of 5

SAFE HOUSE [2012]

Ryan Reynolds and Denzel Washington deliver some great performances in director Daniel Espinosa's crime thriller Safe House.

The two leads turn in some solid acting, however it's the rest of the fantastic cast that is put to waste as stock characters that have nothing to offer to the character conflicts.  The rest of the film is ruined by a predictable plot that has nothing new to offer to the genre and an irksome overuse of the shaky cam effect.   It's not offensively bad but leaves little to offer after all is said and done.

2½ guests out of 5

Pitch Black Heist (2012)

John Maclean’s second short, again starring Michael Fassbender and again shot in black and white, is even better than Man on a Motorcycle (2009).
It’s the story of two professional safe crackers who meet for the first time and are forced to work together. One is a chatty prick, the other a silent professional. They couldn't be more different.
Maclean lets the story unfold at its own pace, never pushing the narrative unnecessarily. The cinematography by Robbie Ryan helps raise the bar, making this stylish award winner a joy to watch.

3½ steps to the left out of 5

THE GUARD [2011]

Written & directed by John Michael McDonagh (brother of Martin), The Guard is a hilarious crime caper from Ireland.  Brendan Gleeson and Don Cheadle do a fine job with the buddy-cop formula without ever feeling too forced or unrealistic, while McDonagh feeds them some snappy, yet quiet dialogue and beautifully frames them in front of the gloomy Irish coast or a run down village pub.  What could have been a loud, over-the-top violent Tarantino rip-off, instead delights with a scaled down character-driven story and a fantastic spaghetti western-esque score courtesy of Calexico. 

A great tiny little film that tries to be nothing more than just that.

3½ crotch surprises out of 5

HARRY BROWN [2009]

Harry Brown is an intense, gritty British revenge film carried by Michael Caine in the title role.  Plot-wise, it's fairly predictable and offers no real surprises, however it's everything else in the film that captivates you from the very beginning.  The tension gets heavier and heavier, barely leaving the viewer any room to breathe, while Caine's subtly brilliant performance is complimented with an astonishing well-rounded out cast.  As dark and violent as the film gets, it packs an emotional punch that most revenge films seem to lack.  

4 Elephant & Castle's out of 5

DOG SOLDIERS [2002]

Splat-pack British director Neil Marshall has all sorts of fun with his low-budget feature-length debut. Tackling the werewolf lore with a violent, loud and quite often funny film that's more action than horror.
It's like a cross between Predator, The Evil Dead, Aliens and Night Of The Living Dead with several laughable references to The Matrix, The Wrath Of Khan and Zulu.
As much of a wild romp that this film is, it never really breaks any new barriers or gives the viewer much to think about. In fact it seems, the cast and crew were having more fun making the film than it is to watch it in a few spotty areas.
Still, it's a lot of fun and receives extra brownie points for being one of the few films that gets werewolves right.

3 Kick-ass boxing matches out of 5