Let's talk action movies!
By
alyssa_jones,
Posted on: 2011-01-10 14:40 in Comic and Hero-Villain Culture
Are we talking classics or something newer?
- CaptainFoamerang
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I like Die Hard.
*swoon*
Jason Statham is currently the undisputed king of action movies. No one else works the genre the way he does. There are actors who do an action film from time to time and it looked like Matt Damon might be heading in that direction, but that looks like it was just a fling for him.
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Yeah no kidding. I just watched Bourne Identity (It's on Netflix streaming currently, if you haven't seen it or wanna watch it again!) and between the gunplay, fighting scenes and chase scene I'd say it's equal to Terminator 2 in my book, and probably one of the best action movies ever made. The only thing I disliked about it is that it had more of a thriller ending than an action movie one. But I guess that's cause it was teasing the sequel.|
Originally Posted by Ironik
it looked like Matt Damon might be heading in that direction, but that looks like it was just a fling for him.
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Originally Posted by alyssa_jones
I like Die Hard.
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Originally Posted by CaptainFoamerang
Are we talking classics or something newer?
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Okay, here's my top ten action films in no particular order. Some of these could also count as drama, thrillers or even camp:
"Die Hard"
"Hard Boiled"
"The Killer"
"Expendables"
"Crank"
"Boondock Saints"
"RED"
"Machete"
"Sin City"
"Way of the Gun"
Can you give us a short description of RED and Way of the Gun? I haven't heard of either of those.
Any Bruce Lee film, though Game of Death is a hard watch since it was completed after his death and includes some really bad footage of his stunt double taking the lead role. Its great to watch the parts of the real Bruce Lee though.
Kiss of the Dragon
The Transporter (the first, personally couldn't stand 2 and 3 is ok)
Blade
Bourne trilogy
Kung Fu Hustle
Lethal Weapon 1-4 (though 3 is ok and 4 is alright except it has Jet Li)
Hero (Jet Li)
Fearless (Jet Li)
Yip Man
Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon
Excaliber
Expendables
Highlander
Predator 1 and 2 (haven't seen Predators yet but avoid Predator vs. movies horrible just horrible)
Rambo First Blood
Sin City
300
I'm sure there's more I could recommend, but those are movies I have and enjoy.
Sure!
RED stars Bruce Willis, Morgan Freeman, John Malkovich.
Bruce is a retired government agent, who is lonely and doesn't know what to do with his life, so he constantly calls this one girl at payroll just to chat. He is flagged as dangerous and so a hit squad is sent after him. He gets his old team together to help protect the girl in payroll and to find out why these "Retired, Extremely Dangerous" agents are suddenly being hunted by their former employers.
Malkovich steals every scene he is in. Lots of action and lots of humor.
The Way of the Gun stars Benecio Del Toro, Ryan Phillipe, James Caan and Juliette Lewis.
Two drifters overhear that the surrogate mother of a rich family is very close to her due-date and will be at her OB/Gyn. They decide to kidnap her and hold her for ransom.
It's a modern retelling of "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid" with a shootout at an old motel turned house of ill repute in Mexico.
Favorite scene: Benecio and James just having a beer together and discussing their respective careers while negotiating terms of the kidnapping.
Hm... some missing from these lists.
48 Hrs.
Another 48 Hrs.
The Hard Way
The Last Boy Scout
The Long Kiss Goodnight
The Replacement Killers
Rush Hour 1-2
Tango & Cash
Under Siege
Those, in addition to some mentioned by other posters and discounting films which may be "action-packed" but are more appropriately categorized in another genre (like Conan the Barbarian or The Chronicles of Riddick), are some of my favorite action films. I tend to lean toward buddy films, obviously, and have a penchant for those written by Shane Black.
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It's because it was a drama/mystery/thriller. There were no plans for a sequel when it was in production. Paul Greengrass directed the second and third films after Doug Liman decided not to return to the chair for sequels (he did remain on as a consultant and producer... thankfully). The action in Identity was an outgrowth of the story, a means of exploring the character and motivations of Jason Bourne, as opposed to a plot being glued on to a bunch of gunfights and explosions.|
Originally Posted by Gorndt
Yeah no kidding. I just watched Bourne Identity (It's on Netflix streaming currently, if you haven't seen it or wanna watch it again!) and between the gunplay, fighting scenes and chase scene I'd say it's equal to Terminator 2 in my book, and probably one of the best action movies ever made. The only thing I disliked about it is that it had more of a thriller ending than an action movie one. But I guess that's cause it was teasing the sequel.
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Supremacy and Ultimatum, those are action films. Greengrass didn't direct true sequels, he just mimicked what Liman did in Identity, created as formulaic a copy as he could and stuck to it. Especially for action sequences. I'm not saying that they're bad. I am saying that Greengrass missed something, perhaps a lot of somethings, when he tried to duplicate Liman's work as closely as possible.
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I'm not the only one who loves Drive? |
Originally Posted by Mandu
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I loved Brittany Murphy in this movie.Of course the other two movies are great ones too!
For new ones, I enjoyed 2010's Prince of Persia, A-Team, Expendables and The Losers.
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The whole Bourne series was fantastic, I think that Supremacy was the best though. Just a great flick through and through. And they were awesome because they could be fun action flicks that were still intelligent and inventive, good acting, intrigue, a few layers to them. Fantastic movies and Damon rocked that role.
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Originally Posted by Gorndt
Yeah no kidding. I just watched Bourne Identity (It's on Netflix streaming currently, if you haven't seen it or wanna watch it again!) and between the gunplay, fighting scenes and chase scene I'd say it's equal to Terminator 2 in my book, and probably one of the best action movies ever made. The only thing I disliked about it is that it had more of a thriller ending than an action movie one. But I guess that's cause it was teasing the sequel.
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"Where does he get those wonderful toys?" - The Joker
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A bit too much shaky-cam for my tastes. |
Originally Posted by Ice_Wall
The whole Bourne series was fantastic, I think that Supremacy was the best though. Just a great flick through and through. And they were awesome because they could be fun action flicks that were still intelligent and inventive, good acting, intrigue, a few layers to them. Fantastic movies and Damon rocked that role.
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I love the action scenes in Drive, I'm a big Mark Dacascos fan, but the rest of the movie was pretty bad.
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Originally Posted by BrandX
I'm not the only one who loves Drive?
I loved Brittany Murphy in this movie. |
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He is chasing and being chased through an entire building barefoot while cursing up a storm. Chase scenes don't get better than that!
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Originally Posted by Gorndt
Yeah that's up there too, but I didn't like the pacing too much and of course it lacks a chase scene, particularly one featuring motorcycles.
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I'll recommend Brotherhood of the Wolf for Mark Dascascos fans, then.|
Originally Posted by Wayfarer
I love the action scenes in Drive, I'm a big Mark Dacascos fan, but the rest of the movie was pretty bad.
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It's hard to categorize... it's like a horror/conspiracy/mystery/costume drama/kung fu movie. And it's awesome.
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It's one of those movies that *feels* like a fantasy/science fiction movie but actually isn't. It's more of a mystery with action elements and a horror undertone.
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Originally Posted by Smersh
I'll recommend Brotherhood of the Wolf for Mark Dascascos fans, then.
It's hard to categorize... it's like a horror/conspiracy/mystery/costume drama/kung fu movie. And it's awesome. |
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I wouldn't really call 48 Hrs. an action movie. It's more along the lines of Bullit where it's a police procedural which has action sequences in it.|
Originally Posted by Luminara
Hm... some missing from these lists.
48 Hrs. Another 48 Hrs. |
I wouldn't call Another 48 Hrs. anything but a money grab. Man, that's a stupid flick.
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District B13.
Arc #6015 - Coming Unglued
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The Professional
Taken
Ronin
Crank
Crank 2
Snatch
Too many alts to list.
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Uhm. WHAT?|
Originally Posted by Gorndt
Yeah that's up there too, but I didn't like the pacing too much and of course it lacks a chase scene, particularly one featuring motorcycles.
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Almost the entire movie is one gigantic chase scene. Just vertically, through the building.
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Die Hard in my mind, to this day remains the standard to which all other action movies should be judged. I've watched it a number of times bordering on the obscene, and I swear it never even shows signs of getting old.
Lethal Weapon 1 and 2 are in this category also..I liked 3 and 4 as well but they dont have the classic status of the first two
but, for something slightly more recent, Shoot 'Em Up. something just plain endearing about a movie that doesn't even pretend to take itself seriously like that..
They call me Hadoken 'cuz I'm Down-Right Fierce.
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Amen! Preach on!|
Originally Posted by Gunstar_Grey
Die Hard in my mind, to this day remains the standard to which all other action movies should be judged. I've watched it a number of times bordering on the obscene, and I swear it never even shows signs of getting old.
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Originally Posted by Gunstar_Grey
Lethal Weapon 1 and 2 are in this category also..I liked 3 and 4 as well but they dont have the classic status of the first two
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Wait, no, I love Beverly Hills Cop too XD
I figure if wrestling and anime can get threads in Comics Culture, those of us that like a good action movie can get our chat on too. Anyone have some action movie recommendations for me?