My Top 10 Action/Adventure Films of All Time
Jun 02 '00
About a week back, I wrote a top 10 list of my top 10 favorite Hong Kong action films of all time. And while I tend to believe that Hong Kong’s action films are light years beyond anything Hollywood produces, I’m not opposed to watching an American action film—heck, there are even a few that I really dig. So, I figured it was time to return to the Top 10 Action Adventure Films of All Time category and churn out a list of my top 10 non-Hong Kong action films ever made.
Much like my slasher film list, Action/Adventure is a huge genre—and one that doesn’t have any hard and fast rules about how a film winds up being considered as part of the category—So, I’ve made a list of my own favorite films—ones that I consider action/adventure. I’m sure to leave off something fantastic, and I know that one of the films I’m listing is a fairly marginal selection—but hey, it’s my list and I stand by it.
Okay, one more thing before we get started—a few things you won’t see on this list. First off, you’re not gonna see any Hong Kong films. If you want Hong Kong films, check out my other list in this category—it’s nothing but Hong Kong films. And even though I think The Killer and Hard Boiled are the two greatest action films ever made, they’re not on this list—they’re on the Hong Kong list. Second, I’m not including any Bond flicks here—that’s a list unto itself, and I’m not nearly enough of a Bond expert to do them justice. Finally, there aren’t any martial arts movies on this list. I love martial arts flicks, but again, they’re an entity unto themselves. I hope to eventually get around to compiling a list of my top 10 martial arts flicks of all time—keep checking back if you’re interested.
And now, without further ado, Here are my top 10 action films of all time—in no particular order.
John Woo’s Hard Target—Hong Kong action auteur John Woo emigrated to the US in the early 90’s, and this Jean Claude Van Damme vehicle was his first Hollywood production. Working as a riff on that old short story—The Most Dangerous Game—Hard Target is a decent action flick that showcases many of the typical ‘Woo-isms’ that Hong Kong fans have recognized for years. Van Damme sucks, but Lance Henriksen absolutely shines as the lead villain. The film offers up a few scenes that bear more than a bit of a resemblance to sequences in Woo’s Hard Boiled (notably the motorcycle guys and the fashion in which they’re dispatched), and it’s painfully clear that Van Damme is no Chow Yun-Fat, but the movie’s still entertaining. If you can, find a bootleg of the workprint version of the film—it’s almost 30 minutes longer, and a much better cut. Tensions on the set led to Woo losing control of the film to Van Damme—and only in Hollywood would someone be dumb enough to approve something like that. Anyway, the film’s a good starting point for those new to the work of John Woo.
Russell Mulcahy’s Highlander—is Highlander an action film? I suppose so. Sure, it’s got some fantasy elements, but it’s got guys with swords fighting in New York City, lopping off each other’s heads. UCLA screenwriting student Gregory Widen wrote this film while still in the program. Lew Hunter (one of the professors in the program) told me that out of all the students who’ve written scripts while enrolled at UCLA over the years, only 5 have sold—and Gregory Widen sold two of them…Backdraft and Highlander. Highlander tells the tale of Conner Macleod (Christopher Lambert), a Scotsman who’s immortal. He cannot die unless you chop off his head. Modern day New York becomes the site of The Gathering—sort of an immortal battle royale where they’ll fight till only one remains. The winner gets the prize, which is the power to know everything and more. Some great swordfighting, fun performances from Christopher Lambert, Sean Connery, and Clancy Brown, as well as some fantastically stylish direction from Russell Mulcahy combine to make this film a cult classic.
Richard Donner’s Lethal Weapon—I remember seeing this on the big screen, even though I was too young to be allowed into an R rated movie at the time. Mel Gibson and Danny Glover team up in this buddy cop flick which really set the standard for all future buddy pictures. Glover and Gibson are polar opposites—one a family man, the other a loner, one black, the other white, one looking forward to retiring, the other contemplating suicide—and yet, by the end of the film, they’re pals who’ve united to stop a vicious drug cartel…only in Hollywood. Truthfully, this is a great movie. Gibson really nails the tortured cop role here, and it’s almost sad to see how much they’ve changed the character in the subsequent sequels. Fans of explosions, fighting, and gunplay will love Lethal Weapon. It delivers the goods, in spades.
Craig Baxley’s Stone Cold—Ok, this was the marginal title I was mentioning in my lengthy preamble. Yes, it’s a B action movie that you’re likely to find running on TNT’s For Guys Who Like Movies show…but it’s still a lot of fun, and never takes itself too seriously. Brian Bosworth (yeah, the ex-football player who got crushed by Bo Jackson) plays John Stone, an undercover cop sent to infiltrate Lance Henriksen’s biker gang. Predictable fare, but with a lot of action and a bit of a mean streak, this film benefits mostly from the performances. Bosworth is surprisingly watchable here…leading one to wonder why he hasn’t made a decent film since. Henriksen steals the show, as he always does, particularly when he dons some priest garb at the climax. And who could forget that perennial B movie favorite William Forsythe is here too—as Henriksen’s right hand. No one will mistake Stone Cold for an Academy Award winning film, but it is a great guilty pleasure action flick—and well worth including here.
James Cameron’s The Terminator—this 1984 flick seemingly came out of nowhere and knocked everyone for a loop. While it looks decidedly low budget (especially when compared to the sequel) it’s still a fantastic action film. Schwarzenegger plays a cyborg assassin sent from the future to kill the mother of an as yet unborn revolutionary leader. Meanwhile, said futuristic leader sends a man of his own back in time—to protect his mother. What ensues is a tense game of cat and mouse as the seemingly indestructible cyborg chases his prey throughout the city—killing anyone who gets in his way—including an entire police station. Solid performances from Michael Biehn, Ah-nuld, and Linda Hamilton make this one a winner—oh yeah, and Lance Henriksen turns up here as well.
Mel Gibson’s Braveheart—Despite being almost mind-numbingly historically inaccurate, this tale of Scottish freedom fighter William Wallace is an enthralling piece of cinema. Gibson directs and stars here, creating a film that transcends the action genre and becomes an epic. The battle scenes are brutal and fascinating, the acting is good, and the love story is tolerable too. Running 177 minutes, it a bit on the long side, but honestly, you’ll get so swept up in the story that you won’t notice. If you haven’t seen Braveheart, then you’re missing out on seeing a truly great film.
Takeshi ‘Beat’ Kitano’s Sonatine—This is the only non-American film to make the list. This offering, from Japanese director Takeshi Beat Kitano isn’t an action film in the traditional American sense. In fact, it’s a film that’s often meditative for long stretches of time before exploding into an unexpected action sequence—and even then, the action isn’t the kind of glamorized stuff we’re used to seeing in American and Hong Kong productions. Nope, this film is distinctly Japanese—but don’t let that put you off seeing it. Beat Takeshi stars (as well as directs)in this beautiful portrait of the life of a mid-level Japanese Yakuza (gangster). When sent out of Tokyo to mediate a minor dispute between factions of his crime family, Takeshi smells a rat. Soon after he arrives, it becomes clear that he and his men have been set up. So, they take refuge at an isolated beach house—where they live a simple life while Takeshi figures out their course of action. All of this leads to a beautiful, but bleak, ending that can only be described as ‘downbeat’. Still, it fits in with the rest Takeshi Kitano’s work. Sonatine is a mesmerizing film that gets my highest recommendation.
Robert Rodriguez’s Desperado—This big budget follow-up to Rodrguez’s critically acclaimed low-budget film El Mariachi is a fantastic action film. Antonio Banderas takes over the role of the Mariachi, wandering the blasted Mexican landscape looking for Bucho-— mysterious drug lord that Banderas plans to kill. He winds up in a small Mexican town, falls in love with Carolina (the incredibly captivating Salma Hayek) and finally makes a startling discovery about the identity of Bucho. Rodriguez’s direction is fantastic, as the film often resembles a live-action comic book. Guns, knives, and various other weapons are used to deal out quick, but often painful, death. One can clearly sense that Rodriguez has been influenced by many of the more famous Hong Kong directors—particularly John Woo—as he shoots his scenes with lots of stylish camera movements and angles, slow motion shots, and guys brandishing a pistol in each hand. Desperado stands as one of my top 3 non-Hong Kong action flicks of all time—and that’s pretty high praise from me.
Luc Besson’s The Professional aka Leon—In a word…wow. This film is truly something special—an action film with some complex interpersonal relationships as well. Jean Reno plays Leon, a professional assassin. Down the hall, his neighbor deals drugs for a rogue squadron in the local police force (led by Gary Oldman in one of my favorite Gary Oldman roles of all time). When said neighbor tries to screw Oldman over—Oldman and crew bust in and kill the entire family—except for Mathilda (Natalie Portman), the middle child, who happens to be out getting milk while the murder is happening. Mathilda turns to Leon to save her—which he does, reluctantly, mainly because the assassin’s code dictates that you never kill women or children—it’s just not professional. Mathilda begs Leon to teach her to be a cleaner, which he does, in a way. Eventually, he winds up going after the men who killed her family—which leads to a slam bang finale that’s absolutely breathtaking to watch. French director Luc Besson had already demonstrated that he could helm an action film based on his work in La Femme Nikita, but his work here outshines even that film. Simply put, The Professional is a great movie with both a lot of action and some interesting characters. Try and find a copy of the European cut, entitled Leon, if you can—it features more footage than the American release.
John McTiernan’s Die Hard—This is probably the quintessential American action film—and with good reason…it’s a lot of fun and full of action. Bruce Willis plays John McClane, an NYC cop headed to LA to see his estranged wife. When an international group of thieves (led by the always entertaining Alan Rickman) take McClane’s wife’s building hostage, he has to try and save everyone while thwarting the terrorists. Simply put, Die Hard is action packed. There’s never a dull moment in this film, and that’s a huge part of its charm. Watching the movie is almost like riding a roller coaster—there’s the occasional quiet part, but you know that it’s just because you’re building up to something really big just around the corner. This is probably the most influential American action film in the last 20 years—it’s inspired seas of imitations to go along with the two sequels it spawned…and for good reason. It’s an action packed classic. Feel free to check out my full review of Die Hard here at Epinions if you’re interested in a more in depth analysis.
And there you have it…my top 10 Action films of all time. I hope you enjoyed it.
Thanks for taking the time to read it.
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