If you look at my vcd collection (my dvd collection is growing, but it's too expensive.. I don't buy pirated movies), you'll see that a lot of films there are action flicks.
I love mindless violence and physics defying stunts even if they totally don't follow proper logic. Those are the ingredients of big summer movies!!! And since Hollywood is officially starting the summer blockuster season, I'm going to pay tribute by listing my favorite action films!!!
And if you missed on my three previous lists, click on these links:
comics
animated/fantasy
horror
10. DIE HARD: WITH A VENGEANCE: John McClane (Bruce Willis) was at his best on his third outing. And this time he's joined by the equally astig Samuel Jackson. It follows John as he tries to uncover the man behind an explosion in New York, followed by a deadly game of Simon Says. I was a bit younger when this film came out so being able to watch all logic defying things that happened were just something you'd like to brag about when you go to school. Among all the four Die Hard films, this is the one that I truly enjoyed. A little less over-the-top, but still kept me at the edge of my seat.
9. HEAT: Al Pacino, Robert DeNiro, and Val Kilmer. This movie is so testosterone driven, my balls hurt just watching the film. This is your thinking man's action movie. There aren't alot of action scenes in this movie, but when it does happen it's long... painful... and gruesome!!! Michael Mann for me is the definitive action film director. I don't think everyone will like his movies because it's more talk, less action. But when the action comes, it's realistic, and it's loud and it's very believable. This is why I really like this film.
8. BAD BOYS: The first one... I thought the sequel was a bit dragging. I am a believer that the original is always the best. And it's true with this film. Will Smith and Martin Lawrence's tandem was fresh back then, and the film was really funny. I think this launched the movie career of Will Smith if I'm not mistaken.
7. SPEED: Our favorite movie to be played during field trips and excursions. Looking back, the films pretty stupid, but during it's time of release it was one of the most astonishing story ever made (for me, at least). "Pop quiz, hotshot!" Dennis Hopper was really great as the villain. And oh yeah, this film introduced us to both Keannu Reeves and Sandra Bullock. The ending was sort of anti-climactic, but you can't deny that this is flick got you holding on to the rails of the bus everytime the driver suddenly steps on the break.
6. MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE: I was a fan of the original series back when I was a kid. And the soundtrack of the film was the monotone message alert of my first phone for a very long time. So to say, that this is a favorite is an understatement. Who could ever forget Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) hanging by the ceiling, sweat almost dripping, and tension mounting. Frickin' cool!!! But it ranks low on this list because my enjoyment of the original was ruined by the sequels. I hated the second and was disappointed by the third, so that took away some pogi points from this movie.
5. PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: CURSE OF THE BLACK PEARL: Whew, that was hard to type!!! I know it should have been on the Fantasy film, but when I weighed the titles involved in that list, that was more geared towards the kids, while this was a solid action flick. Now similar to Mission Impossible, this film had two sort of sucky sequels, but this ranks higher because it has a more epic film than the latter. I remember after I saw the movie, for about a few hours, I talked like a pirate. Arrr!!! The film introduced the world to Captain Jack Sparrow, the funniest pirate evarrr!!! And that alone is enough to warrant this movie a position in my list.
4. TRANSFORMERS: My childhood favorite comes to life. And it was AWESOME!!! Bumblebee as a Camarro... cool!!! Megatron not just a gun... incredible!!! Megan Fox... sweet!!! Violence between robots... wicked!!! Shia Lebeouf... uh... hmm... I liked Disturbia. When I watched the movie, I almost wet my pants. This was so good, that I opted this movie over a job interview scheduled for me, the day it was first shown.
3. NATIONAL TREASURE: I know this isn't too much of an action flick, but what the heck. This is my list, if you don't like it go make your own. Nicholas Cage as Benjamin Thomas Gates is for me the best treasure hunter. Better than Lara Croft or even Indiana Jones. The movie is a little more grounded in reality, and isn't too over-the-top. The treasure may have been too much to be believable, but that's okay. I was more into solving the clues left by brotherhood.
2. THE ROCK: Honestly, I'm torn about my number two and my number one action flick of all time. This movie, again with Nic Cage (he's done some very good films in the past that it makes me wonder why alot of his latest films are such duds), is about a chemist and a former Alcatraz prisoner (Sean Connery) who needs to work together to stop a mad general (Ed Harris) from unleashing a deadly chemical weapon in San Francisco. I remember I was in first year high school when this film was first shown, and I was like so proud to have been able to watch it before classes started because it was like the ticket to coolness. All the cool kids watched it, and I fit in... yay!!! Just goes to show I wasn't a loser back then... Ha!
1. TRUE LIES: Honestly speaking, this is the ONLY Arnold Schwarzenegger film that I truly enjoyed. This one is funny... sexy... action packed... and it has a very young Eliza Dushku (my ultimate crush) in it's cast. What's not to love? Directed by James Cameron (of Titanic fame)... it's a spy story. It has one of the sexiest dance sequence I've ever seen (by Jamie Lee Curtis nonetheless... who would've thought). Oh yeah, and it has a Filipina actress in it as well (the sexy Tia Carrere). Arnie is a spy, but he can't tell his wife because that would put his family in danger, and that's where the story begins. This movie is crazy, I tell you... but a good kind of crazy.
My favorite action movie is Kill Bill. I have already watched vol. 1 and 2. If you haven't seen this one yet, I suggest panoorin mo. :)
ReplyDeleteQuentin Tarantino, the director and writer of the film is great.
"I love mindless violence and physics defying stunts even if they totally don't follow proper logic."
ReplyDeletei know what you mean, they're so unrealistic but at the same time they're the essence of every action movie ever made.
hmm, True Lies, i haven't seen that movie in a really long time. good choice though. that was when JLC still looked like a lady. hihi!
i agree with Leoj, Kill Bill rocked.
i should do one of these for my blog. just countdown of the best movies ever. rock on.
hmm.. quentin tarantino. one of the greatest filmakers of all effing tym. paborito ko din cya pero mas paborito ko si M. night shyamalan. :D his films are great too.
ReplyDeletepero panalo yang heat mo. Al Pacino is one hell of an amazing actor.
tu tambs aaap!*
leoj: kill bill... forgot about that one. let's see if it has a place somewhere else.
ReplyDeletetisay: jologs ko... i thought jlc=john lloyd cruz... hahaha
mahiwagang sibuyas: i agree about quentin, pero m night... not so much anymore... 2 lang magandang nagawa niya for me
@Gillboard..hehehe. You shouldn't have missed kill bill :)
ReplyDeleteAgree ako kay tisay, makapaglagay nga rin ng film review sa blog ko. :)
from among your top list, i also like Speed, National Treasure, MI, Pirates of the Caribbean, and Transformers.
ReplyDeleteOthers being Once upon a time in china, The Mummy series, and others...