Film Review: Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice

That's how it starts. The fever, the rage, the feeling of powerlessness that turns good men...cruel. — Jeremy Irons
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Batman. Superman. They are two of the most recognized superheroes of all time. Both have been in the pop culture psyche as far back as the late 1930s, and have remained at the top of the DC Comics food chain ever since. With regards to this film, two questions immediately come to mind: why are they fighting, and how can Batman possibly stand a chance against the Man of Steel?

The answer to the latter is painfully obvious, because it's been done before: make Superman weaker. The film's execution of this aspect is fair and makes sense in the film, trust me. It's the former question that begs the most attention, and the film spends most of its time answering it. Part of the answer is personal — during the events of the Man of Steel film, Bruce Wayne lost many employees while Superman and General Zod duked it out across Metropolis. Wayne was there to see the carnage first-hand, and like every other human being caught in the devastation he saw the potential for Superman to become a godlike tyrant with no moral regard for people. Superman, on the other hand, sees Batman's brand of justice and finds it appalling. Both heroes represent two sides of a coin — one comes from a dark world where pain and death has molded him into an uncompromising vigilante, and the other comes from outer space and is still struggling for acceptance. Matters become even more complex when a certain maniacal millionaire — Lex Luthor — purposefully sabotages events to pit the two heroes against each other. The combination of personal and social stakes escalate until an actual fight inevitably happens.

In spite of this, the film's first half is devoted to the storytelling, and the last act is entirely action. Both halves couldn't be more different. Even though there's only sporadic bursts of excitement in the first half, the film's visual style is potent and elegant, in the same way Watchmen was. Some of the most awe-inspiring scenes show dramatic heroics and surreal dreamscapes with a fantasy-painting quality, and it is often as invoking as it is gorgeous. If the film maintained this level of artistry, it could have become one of the best and boldest superhero films of them all.

Unfortunately, the last act becomes a brutal assault on the senses, where the action becomes relentless and hard on the eyes. As epic as it is, it's exhausting. Worse of all, any storytelling nuance is suddenly lost — reasons for the fight suddenly cease to matter, and the entire climax becomes a shallow spectacle. At least with Man of Steel, there was always a focus on characters — here, they merely go through the motions. The ending ultimately left me with mixed feelings — it's obvious that there will be more to come, but on its own the film felt rather bipolar in nature.

Perhaps in spite of this, the film's story feels rather convoluted. The actual sequence of events is quite loose, and the matter is further complicated by the way it shows its broad ideas rather than telling them outright. I personally value and admire the imagery at times, such as the Day of the Dead scene, or Batman's bizarre dream in the desert — images in these key moments say much more than all the words in the film combined. It also makes the film very surreal, and it demands that audiences make connections on their own. Plot issues are further compounded by various holes and stretches that might be too hard to stomach.

It is a dark, no-nonsense film. Batman is as brutal as ever, thanks not only to his merciless fight scenes, but also to Ben Affleck's convincing performance. Henry Cavill, Amy Adams, and Diane Lane reprise their roles quite aptly. I've also warmed up more to Laurence Fishburne's performance as Perry White. The real wild card in this cast is Jesse Eisenberg as Lex Luthor — he channels both Heath Ledger's Joker and his own portrayal of Mark Zuckerberg from The Social Network to provide a twitchy, rambling, maniacal performance. It's nothing like the classic megalomaniacs we're used to seeing out of Gene Hackman or Kevin Spacey, but I found myself enjoying Eisenberg's take on the character a lot. Jeremy Irons might be my new favorite Alfred — he inhabits the character with plenty of dry wit and class. Gal Gaddot definitely looks the part as Diana Prince. The film's writing has plenty of decent lines and ideas, but some of it comes off as blunt. This production utilizes some decent-looking sets, props, and costumes — there are plenty of cool things to behold, but very little that wowed me the same way Man of Steel did. Music score by Hans Zimmer and JXL is noisy, as expected, but the themes are quite distinctive and invigorating.

There's half of a great movie in this. If it was consistent in its style and narrative, it could have been a great film on par with Watchmen. While certain moments in BvS have captivated me, I felt lost and disconnected by the final fight. Regardless, it is a grand vision worth seeing for any superhero fans, which will elicit thought, controversy, and talking points. It might even be the start of a thrilling and bold new cinematic universe that could rival Marvel in the end.

3.5/5

Film Review: Man of Steel (Revisited)

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"You can save her, Kal. You can save all of them." - Russell Crowe
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Superman has always been one of the most quintessential superheroes of comic-book lore. It's hard to top a man who can fly, zap things with his eyeballs, see through walls, move faster than a speeding bullet, jump over buildings, survive just about everything, and live for centuries. On film, the Man of Steel has been treated with varying degrees of class and cheese — Richard Donner's films are iconic in themselves, and Bryan Singer's film has its moments. Given the success of The Dark Knight trilogy, it was only inevitable that filmmakers would try to put a more earnest, serious, heavy-weight spin on the saga of Superman.

Unfortunately, this is still not a perfect adaptation. Many critics and film-goers have written this film off as stylistically gaudy, crammed-full of gargantuan action scenes with one too many camera zooms and shakes and a wonky narrative. It has become the biggest love-it-or-hate-it film of 2013.

I, for one, love the film, despite all its excesses and problems. The action continuously blows me away — its sheer scope and velocity blows most other superhero films out of the water. It's relentless as superpowered characters slam into each other at rocketing speeds, blasting entire city blocks in their wake. In some of the most gut-wrenching scenes, alien machines pummel huge parts of Metropolis to a flattened ruin. It is rather exhausting, but this is the spectacle I always wanted out of Superman: an epic and highly-destructive clash of menacing, otherworldly forces.

A lot of the film's momentum can be attributed to its narrative, which is purposefully mixed-up so that it doesn't waste that much time covering old ground. The relevant parts of Superman's origins are covered in flashbacks inserted at key moments. This does create a jarring shift that may throw viewers off, but I feel the pacing is perfect — the drama never overstays its welcome. What really matters are the characters, which are at their strongest. The film intimately explores the title character, not only through the snippets of the origin story, but also in exploring him as an outcast full of emotional vulnerabilities. The film shows what he learns from living among humans, the importance of moral strength and moderation, and his struggle to find his place in the world. There are also some deviations that I think benefit the story (Lois Lane is no longer a total ditz, General Zod has phenomenal motivation that makes him a villain to sympathize with, and there are no more silly games being played with secret identities).

There are still a few nitpicks that even I can't shake off, however. I never did get used to the notion that Superman can be seen as a threat to humanity (perhaps because I've been spoiled by the older films, where Superman saves people and is cheered — here, he saves people and gets into trouble). The fate of Jonathan Kent is a rather manipulative scene that I feel is quite daft. The most critical viewers would also make the same complaints as with Zack Snyder's other films: too cold, not enough depth. Although I can understand the same complaints for Sucker Punch and Watchmen, I feel that Man of Steel is the warmest film Zack Snyder has made to date. It does succeed in achieving the right level of pathos to make the audience care for the main character (something that other Snyder films always struggled with).

As mentioned before, the photography can be rather gaudy, with frequent use of zooms, some camera shaking, and some scenes with bright flashing lights. Personally, I never found it all that problematic — most of the film still looks pretty solid, and I think the drama scenes boast some of the best shots, with intimate close-ups of specific characters and objects. Editing is pretty interesting, for better or for worse. Acting is a surprising treat: I think Henry Cavill is superb as the title character, and everybody else is pretty decent. Michael Shannon and Russell Crowe steal the show repeatedly — Shannon is especially menacing and intense, for perfect effect. I appreciate Amy Adams' and Diane Lane's performances. Didn't mind Kevin Costner — I can take or leave Laurence Fishburne playing Perry White. For some reason, I'm enamored by Antje Traue playing Faora — she's wicked and intense enough to put Ursa from Superman II to shame. Writing gets the job done — there are some good lines, but some of it feels rather blunt to me. This production has great-looking sets, props, costumes, and locales — it's especially cool how organic and unique all the Kryptonian technology looks. Special effects are plentiful, some looking phenomenal and others looking a little too glossy or cartoony. Hans Zimmer's score, much like the film itself, has been criticized for being too much shallow noise, but I personally love the music for its simple themes and powerful spirit.

In fact, that pretty much sums up my stance on Man of Steel: it's noisy, but I still find it moving. It may not be a perfect film, but it does pack a heck of a punch in many ways. It has power not only in the action scenes (of which there is plenty), but also in the characters and their struggles to find strength and a place in the world.

5/5

Film Review: It's Such A Beautiful Day

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This is the story of Bill, an unassuming and lonely stick figure. His mundane life takes a turn for the worst when Don Hertzfeldt's signature craziness takes over and Bill's world spirals out of control. If you know Hertzfeldt's work, you know this film will have some episodes of freaky comedy that comes from way out in left field, with occasional grotesque monstrosities and dark wit. Some of these scenes make the film humorous and intriguing. It does a lot more though -- the film gradually becomes nuttier and nuttier, until it becomes a sobering reflection on human frailty and mortality.

But that's not the end of it. The second chapter kicks in, digging up more of Bill's past and future. Then there's the third chapter, which gives a remarkable upswing and tells a story of Bill having a reawakening. At this stage, the film becomes an inspiring and artistic narrative, suggesting that the human spirit transcends space and time.

The entirety of It's Such a Beautiful Day is a complete narrative that chronicles one man's life and drags the audience through all the ups and downs of his suffering. It leads to a wonderful payoff that illustrates the beauty of life and gives hope in the face of death.

You might think a movie with stick figure people wouldn't be elegant, but this film is a complex piece of art that incorporates minimalist drawings with raw photography and other real-life elements to paint a composite picture. It is especially notable when the film draws certain lines between the reality Bill sees and the reality he discovers, made apparent when more real-life footage is used at the end. In short, a lot of work went into bringing these stick figures to life, but the world around them is truly vivid. Voice acting and sounds are wonderful and highly effective. The music is quite uplifting as well.

It's funny at times, bleak in others, and there are crazy parts. But it delivers a cathartic experience with emotional themes that can resonate with everybody. It's a movie that tells you no matter what you're going through, everything will be okay in the end. People are wonderful. It is such a beautiful universe.

5/5
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The first third of this film can be seen for free right here:

Writing Prompt: Wedding Crashers

This week's writing prompt from Writer's Digest:

You are standing at the altar waiting to marry the person of your dreams. The preacher says, “Should anyone here present know of any reason that this couple should not be joined in holy matrimony, speak now or forever hold your peace.” You smile at your soon-to-be spouse, ready to get on with the vows. Suddenly—just like the movies—the chapel doors burst open. “I object!” You turn to see who dared to interrupt your day. It’s your ex. Finish the scene.

I wound up whipping out this story in my usual fast and loose manner.
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Oh God, why now? Of all the people, why Jay? I tremble in rage as the arrogant little sh*t walks down the aisle, smiling smugly like he just won the lottery. What bothers me the most is his self-righteousness, which I know is just a mask for his true impulses. I know he just wants to cause a ruckus, like a child with a temper tantrum, because I chose Gary over him and he never really got over it. It takes all my willpower to stop myself from strangling him with my veil.

The entire chapel gawks at Jay as he strolls down the aisle. I see my mother face-palming and father muttering some expletive. Murmurs and gasps fill the entire chamber — everybody wakes up to a sudden and unexpected twist. Shame none of them know Jay like I do.

Gary looks Jay up and down, calmly and without any change in expression. I always admired him for his patience — maybe this could be the ultimate test after all. Maybe now I’ll see if I chose my groom wisely when faced with my ex.

Jay announces, “Gwen, you can’t marry this man. He’s not even a man!”

The murmurs intensify as everybody’s imaginations take this new information and runs with it. Annoyed, I cross my arms. I know this is just a tactic for Jay to shake everything up. Everything has to be so melodramatic with him, it still sickens me.

I respond to Jay, “Well, I’ll find out tonight, thank you very much.”

“That’s not what I mean. This man is not human — he’s an android!”

“Wow, really?” This is seriously the stupidest thing I ever heard Jay say. Then again, I wouldn’t say that if I didn’t know for a fact how shoddy his detective skills actually are. You’d think a private eye like Jay would have those skills, but Jay is living proof that standards in the field are shockingly low. I refrain from yelling out my frustration and let the man delivery his flimsy evidence.

Jay says, “Gary Stalls is a false identity, given to him by an underground advocate group for runaway droids. This unit has been on the run for years. He’s drifted from state-to-state as an unskilled worker. He’s been paid under the table so often, he’s remained off-the-grid. But now that he’s been in this community for so long, he’s started to draw attention. That’s how I found out about him.”

“So?” I ask. “None of that explains how he’s a machine.”

“True, but the thing that really tipped me off was his spending habits. I followed Gary for a week, never saw him eat a thing. But he did buy up a ton of car parts. Computer parts, like memory, cables, and thermal paste. Why would one man need all that, unless he needs it for his own body?”

“Gary loves working with hardware. I’ve seen him work.”

Gary calmly says, “I don’t mean to question your methods, but your investigation is inherently biased. I don’t think your findings are conclusive. You just want to find a way to separate us. I find it sad that you’d resort to slander to ruin our love.”

I feel warm and proud of Gary. The feeling is short-lived when I see Jay pull something out of his pocket — a glass vial filled with green liquid. Jay says, “I’ve never been more conclusive in my life, and I’m certain that this will melt the bio-silicon mask you wear and show everybody what you really are.”

I say, “Jay, stop this. You’re about to throw acid into a man’s face! Do you even realize what you’re doing?”

People in the pews hold up their phones — I hope somebody is calling the police. Knowing my family, they’re all probably posting on Instagram already.

“I know exactly what I’m doing,” Jay says, to my disgust.

He tosses the vial and lets the acid fly into Gary’s face. My hand snaps out on reflex, as if I could catch the liquid and stop it. I know it would burn my own skin, but I wanted to protect Gary. Unfortunately, it’s all out of my reach — the acid flies in front of my fingers and it lands on Gary’s head.

When it hits, Gary throws his arms up and covers his face. He doesn’t scream, but everybody else does. Hell, I scream, and I feel appalled. My husband might not have a face when he pulls his arms away. What if the acid burns through everything and kills him?

Just as Jay is yanked off his feet by my overzealous cousins, Gary lowers his arms. The room is instantly silent, as everybody stops to gawk at him. A pile of melted skin dribbles down his suit, revealing a shiny chrome skull underneath.

Holy sh*t, Gary was a robot this whole time and I never even suspected it. It takes me by surprise like it does everyone else. Deep down, I feel a sense of betrayal bubbling up. Why didn’t he tell me? Didn’t he trust me?

But when I see the angry scowls of everyone else in the chapel, I see the answer already. How could Gary trust me, when everybody’s first reaction to an android is to run him out of town? I’ve seen the severed android heads lined up on the edges of Peabody’s land. The news always shows clips of angry mobs beating down robots with clubs and rods, until their bodies break and leak oil. I never gave it any thought until now, because I never saw the machines for what they were — vessels of consciousness, no different than a human body. For the first time, I had to ask why do people hate the machines?

I can’t even imagine what Gary must have felt. Some would say he doesn’t feel a thing, but I know what can’t be true. He’s expressed his feelings to me repeatedly — beautiful thoughts on love and life. We wouldn’t be in the chapel if it wasn’t for our shared feelings. He must have felt fear his whole life, living like a rat being chased by hordes of cats. I know him better than any of these cats, and I know he’s not a heartless machine deserving of punishment. He deserves love. My love.

I look at the minister, who just shrugs sheepishly. It hits me — he can’t wed us anymore. The state won’t recognize a marriage between me and Gary, because of what he is. As to what the Church thinks, who the hell even knows? Nothing in the Bible condones the holy union of woman and robot. I can picture all my family and neighbors banding together and chanting the same old words we already know — marriage is between a man and a woman.

But I see Gary as a man. Even as Jay struts proudly in front of everyone else and starts riling them up, I make up my mind. I grab Gary’s hand, and we run out the chapel. I fell in love with his consciousness, not his body. I will fight for it if I have to.
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I wound up enjoying this prompt more than I thought I would — this is a story that could be expanded into a full-blown novel if I wanted to. If I did, I'd likely change up the last few paragraphs and put those details somewhere else (preferably shown instead of told). As it is, they were worldbuilding points I shoehorned into the prompt to make the themes stand out — there are better, more transparent ways to do that in a larger piece of work.

I also realize this story could also work if Gary was an alien in disguise. If I go that route, lots of things would have to change (my biggest fear then would be it might wind up too similar to Heinlein's Stranger in a Strange Land, or the movie Starman). As it is, I'll probably stick with the android angle and wind up incorporating this as a subplot into a larger manuscript I'm planning (which happens to be about robot civil rights).

Al's Top 100 Favorite Action / Adventure Films Part 5

Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
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20:  GoldenEye

The Conflict: The GoldenEye weapons satellite is hijacked by terrorists. James Bond hunts them down, and find himself facing a familiar enemy.

The Film: After a six-year gap, GoldenEye revitalized the Bond series for the 90s, and it did so with a bang. The film is loaded with impressive stuntwork, including an epic bungee jump off of a dam, and a crazy scene where Bond has to catch a falling airplane in midair. In the middle of the movie, he drives a tank through all of St. Petersburg and pretty much destroys everything. The shootouts are big and explosive. The fighting is intense. The special effects are really cool. On top of all that, the usual Bond tropes are there - fast cars, hot ladies, lush locations - and the story is great. This was the first Bond film I saw in full, and it's still an inspiring favorite of mine.

My Current Score: 4.5/5

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19: Dredd

The Conflict: Judge Dredd and a young recruit take on a drug lord and her gang in a locked-down block.

The Film: This re-imagining of Judge Dredd follows in the same structure as The Raid, but with more space in between the action to build up some character and to establish the fantastically-grungy world of Megacity One. When the action does hit though, it is pretty awesome stuff. The film is stylish, exciting, and still has a heck of a story worth telling, and it doesn't get much more awesome than this.

My current score: 5/5

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18: The Raid 2 (Berandal)

The Conflict: An undercover cop tries to eliminate a gang from the inside out.

The Film: The story isn't particularly new, but it serves as a decent frame for a handful of truly great setpieces. The muddy prison-yard riot is a sprawling onslaught. The car chase is as tough and relentless as they come. Bad guys wield hammers and baseball bats in such brutal ways. The choreography is continuously impressive, to the point where it makes every other martial arts film look puny.

My Current Score: 4.5/5

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17: Air Force One

The Conflict: Air Force One is taken over by Russian terrorists. The President himself has to stop them.

The Film: Harrison Ford makes for a tough, uncompromising President. In a manner not too dissimilar to Die Hard or Olympus Has Fallen, he has to take out the opposition one at a time, out-thinking and outgunning bad guys as each new complication arises. The escalation of events is thrilling, but with great shoot-outs, great aerial battles, and an enjoyable cast has always made this an enjoyable action-movie experience for me personally.

My Current Score: 4.5/5

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16: The Rock

The Conflict: Terrorists take over Alcatraz and use it as a staging ground to deploy a stolen bio-chemical missile, holding the country hostage. The FBI employs one man who knows Alcatraz like the back of his hand to infiltrate the island and stop them.

The Film: The film can get really erratic, with some choppy editing and camera work, but the film does boast plenty of grand action sequences that are explosive and immensely fun. The story is interesting, especially since the bad guys are not all that bad, and the good guys share some unique chemistry.

My Current Score: 4.5/5

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15: The Matrix

The Conflict: Thomas Anderson discovers that the world is really a virtual reality, and he has to fight for his people in the real world.

The Film: This was one seriously mind-bending sci-fi flick that had everybody talking back in the day, but on its own merits as an action movie, it's still as hip and fun as ever. It may always be immortalized for its groundbreaking "bullet time" effects, but the kung-fu fights are expertly-choreographed. The film is well-paced, thoughtful, and it packs in loads of action.

My current score: 5/5

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14: Die Hard

The Conflict: Terrorists raid Nakatomi Plaza, holding a whole Christmas party hostage while they rob the vault. John McClane is caught in the middle of it, so of course he has to do something about it.

The Film: Considered by most to be the epitome of an action film, Die Hard is a must-see if for no other reason than to see how explosive, over-the-top, and gripping the whole situation is. John McClane is a down-to-earth action hero we love to root for, and he does everything he can to worm his way through the whole building to do the right thing and stop bad guys. What makes the film so enthralling, however, is that everything is pretty much against him -- the bad guys are so slippery and determined that they throw more obstacles at him all the time. Even McClane's allies only serve to make things worse. Just about every wrong thing that can happen does happen, which not only gives the film a huge scope and scale, but also keeps it rolling at full speed.

My Current Score: 4.5/5

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13:  Chocolate

The Conflict: Zen is an autistic girl who needs to get money to save her mother. After watching and copying countless moves from martial arts films, she sets out to beat the crap out of a bunch of thugs who owe mom money.

The Film: Maybe not a smart plot, but there is a lot of heart to it, thanks to a lovable main character and a captivating struggle to save her loved ones. Above all though, this film has some of the best fight scenes ever filmed. Jeeja Yanin's fighting is a thing of beauty, and the various fight scenes are staged incredibly well. They fill up the movie's runtime with a satisfying amount of butt-kicking, and it hardly ever gets old. This is arguably the pinnacle of Thai martial arts films in the 00s, and it remains one of my personal favorites in the genre.

My Current Score: 4.5/5

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12: Speed

The Conflict: Pop quiz hot shot! There's a bomb on the bus. If the bus goes below 50 MPH, the bomb goes off. What do you do?!

The Film: This film is as over-the-top, cheesy, and ridiculous as they come, but that's all part of the charm of this suspenseful and explosive thrill ride. Even though there are shoot-outs, explosions, and gripping chase scenes throughout, the film's light-heartedness and simplicity makes it one of the most easily-digestible flicks on this list. It's perfectly fast and easy entertainment.

My Current Score: 4/5

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11: Taken

The Conflict: Human traffickers took Bryan Mills' daughter. It just so happens that Mills has a very particular set of skills; skills he has acquired over a very long career. Skills that make him a nightmare for people like that. He will look for them, he will find them, and he will kill them.

The Film: Like any good thing, this film is simple, but elegantly-executed. I can't say that the opening events are all that endearing - the guy's daughter and mother are total dips to begin with - but once the action starts rolling, it never lets up. It's all well-shot and well-staged, making this fast and breezy. I think it stands as one of the best among pure action entertainment.

My Current Score: 4.5/5

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10: Mad Max: Fury Road

The Conflict: In the post-nuclear-war wasteland, Max becomes a reluctant ally to Furiosa, both of whom struggle to free themselves and others from the bondage of an evil dictator.

The Film: Even though The Road Warrior is a formidable action film, it's this refreshed, revamped vision that stands as the most superior Mad Max film to date. As an action film, it's a sublime exercise in simplicity; the film very elegantly builds its entire plot around a single, ongoing chase, but it is a chase full of epic crashes, bubbling conflict, stress and tension, and even the occasional burst of character building. It all adds to to a film that's not only fast and furious, but also elegant in its execution, detailed in its design, and stylish.

My current score: 5/5

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9: Hard Boiled

The Conflict: An inspector teams up with an undercover cop to defeat a crime syndicate.

The Film: Even though most of this film has plenty of action to spare, it's the finale that really pushes this one over the top. The fight between cops and gangsters eventually leads to a massive climax at a hospital, where the good guys have to fight through dozens and dozens of bad guys, and save innocent lives in the process. The story kinda gets buried under the immense body count, but all of the action is well-staged and stylish, Chow Yun-Fat's character is a pretty decent action hero, and this is one of the most epic police-themed action films ever made.

My Current Score: 4.5/5

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8: King Kong (2005)

The Conflict: A bunch of filmmakers go to Skull Island, encounter all kinds of peril, including a huge gorilla named Kong.

The Film: It's huge, to the point of being bloated, but even at its most excessive, the film has never failed to enthrall and enchant me. The action setpieces are impressive, long, and epic. They're all extremely vivid and fantastic. In between the action, the film still moves at a great pace, thanks to a colorful cast of characters and a very solid filming style. I find this film far more entertaining and impressive than the original 1930s film, and adventure films don't get much bigger than this.

My current score: 5/5

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7: The Raid: Redemption (Serbaun Maut)

The Conflict: The police raid a building full of gangsters.

The Film: Nothing much to this story, but the film is crammed full of wall-to-wall action. The whole runtime is nothing but incredible scenes of bloody and relentless hitting, punching, kicking, knife-fighting, and more. It gets to the point where it's exhausting, but the style and choreography is so gritty and intense, it's a must-see for all action junkies.

My Current Score: 4.5/5

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6: Terminator 2: Judgment Day

The Conflict: One robot is sent back in time to terminate John Connor, who will lead humanity against the machines in the future. Another robot is sent back to protect him. Eventually, they all start fighting to try and stop the coming of Judgment Day.

The Film: Even though this series falls more in line with my Top 100 Sci-Fi List, it's a grand experience even by pure action movie standards. It really is pure action at its finest; from start to finish, the film is a breakneck rush, with hard-hitting fight scenes, explosive car chases, massive amounts of firepower, and some really cool special effects. The film tosses in plentiful amounts of comedy and heart as well, and the characters stand out phenomenally. The story is a bit of a retread of the first Terminator, but is does take things in unpredictable directions, and carries the inspiring theme that the future can be changed. Even after all this time, the film continues to captivate me, and it still stands as a benchmark for cool sci-fi adventure.

My Current Score: 5/5

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5: Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade

The Conflict: Indiana Jones vs Nazis trying to find the Holy Grail.

The Film: In the third film of the series, some of the tropes of Indiana Jones have manifested in familiar ways that continues to make his films enthralling. He still has to explore ancient ruins, find cool artifacts, find a hot love interest, fight bad guys, and more. This third film boasts some of the best action setpieces, including a long and fantastic sequence involving a tank. What really makes this one of the best, however, is the story. The quest for the Holy Grail is probably more thrilling here than it's ever been. Above all, Indy's character receives substantial depth, partly with the opening flashback scene, and largely because of his iconic team-up with his daddy (played impeccably by Sean Connery, whose mere presence thematically unites Indy's roots as a more literal "son of James Bond"). Were it not for the classic and iconic status of Raiders of the Lost Ark, I'd name this as my favorite Indy film. But really, they're both neck-and-neck.

My Current Score: 5/5

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4: True Lies

The Conflict: Unbeknownst to his family, Harry Tasker is a spy hunting terrorists. When his wife has an affair, he messes around with her by kidnapping her and using her as a spy. Then they all get captured by terrorists, and have to fight them as one big happy family.

The Film: The action scenes in this film still stand as some of the biggest and most epic, featuring incredible scenes with harrier jets, exploding bridges, motorcycles, and more. Even though terrorist butt-kicking is at its max here, it's the comedy that makes this film so fun, with a fun cast and a hilarious script. It all works for sublime action-packed entertainment.

My current score: 5/5

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3: Kill Bill Volume 1

The Conflict: Bill shot The Bride and massacred the entire wedding party. Bill has to pay.

The Film: This film wastes little time in the butt-kicking. After a brief intro that shows The Bride all shot to hell, it fast-forwards to show her confronting an old friend; they immediately go at it, hitting, punching, and slashing knives all over the place and destroying the house in the process. Then the film goes back to explain how The Bride got there, and there is no dull moment as the film retraces her steps from the hospital to brutal payback in the House of the Blue Leaves. The entire last half-hour or so is nothing but an epic, perfectly-staged fight between The Bride and a whole army of bad guys; the one-on-fifty fight has never ceased to inspire feelings of awe, as The Bride cuts through them all with her sword.

While the action is the big standout, the storytelling is no slouch either. Dialogue is surprisingly minimal for a Tarantino film, but there's just enough to explain what happened, and the film's images help with the storytelling burden tremendously. Most unanswered questions and character-building points are reserved for the second film (but it doesn't quite make it on this list, due to a distinct shortage of action). Even on its own though, there's enough of a story in Volume 1 to make the character somebody we can root for, and to make the plot easy to follow.

Uma Thurman is perfectly iconic as the Bride. Lucy Lui is perfectly wicked as the main villain, O-Ren Ishii. Most other side characters are really awesome too. The whole film is an action-packed visual experience that has never failed to entertain, and for me it remains the epitome of a revenge-driven thriller.

My current score: 5/5

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2: Raiders of the Lost Ark

The Conflict: Indiana Jones is sent on a mission to stop Nazis from finding and using the Lost Ark of the Covenant.

The Film: Just about every minute of this film is iconic, as it is exciting. Whether it's watching Indy outrunning a giant boulder, stepping through a room full of snakes, clinging to a moving truck, fighting a dude beneath a moving airplane, fighting swordsmen in the street...seriously, there is no dull moment in this film. It's a sublime combination of well-staged action, comic timing, and plotting that makes this a timeless pulp adventure flick.

The story is grand as it is, using a powerful artifact as a Macguffin that elicits thoughtful themes of the pursuit of power. However, it's the cast, writing, and quality filming that brings this story to life to vividly. Indiana Jones is a simple, scholarly, action-oriented down-to-earth hero we can immediately identify with. He pretty much stumbles from one major action setpiece to another, gradually working his way into enemy territory until the very end. And the ending remains a chilling, awe-inspiring experience that gives this entire adventure substantial weight.

Stephen Spielberg crafted this film well, using unique locations, top-notch special effects, and a unique sense of style. George Lucas' ideas permeate through the picture with a classic sense of adventure, the likes of which many other films strive for but rarely ever achieve.

My Current Score: 5/5

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1: Casino Royale (2006)

The Conflict: Upon earning his license to kill, Agent 007 must track down a terrorist threat and challenge him to a game of cards!

The Film: You may not think a two-and-a-half hour film centered around a high-stakes game of poker would be much of an action film, much less my number-one pick. But this is James Bond we're talking about here, and in 2006, this sexy new reboot had revitalized 007's ancient saga with a plethora of great action setpieces, a sleek new style, and a tough new actor.

The film begins with a gritty scene: Bond beating some guy up in a bathroom, and killing a mole, two significant milestones that earns him his 00 status. Then there's a crazy chase scene through an African construction yard (featuring phenomenal parkour moves by Sébastien Foucan), which ultimately ends in Bond storming an embassy like he just doesn't give a darn. Even though things slow down when he visits Montenegro, the tension never lets up, as Bond continues to confront bad guys at every turn. The airport scene in Miami and the finale in Venice stand out as really meaty and gripping action scenes.

All this action couldn't have worked, however, if it wasn't for the iconic character. Daniel Craig is the roughest and toughest Bond to date, and in this film he's got quite the attitude. It's his ego that takes the stage, and the film's focus is entirely on the battle between Bond's ego and his sense of duty. The twisty events of the film, and his relationship with all the characters, naturally mold him into the hardened superspy we all know and love. No other Bond movie has unearthed nearly as much pathos as this.

The film is as gorgeous as they come, with exotic and luxurious locales, cool-looking cars, and fine-looking ladies all captured with fantastic photography. The film is very sharply-edited, and the acting is great. It's an exciting film, but I believe that the qualities of the story and film makes this the best Bond film to date, and therefore one of the best action films ever made. Given my adoration of the James Bond franchise, I am compelled to regard this as my favorite of the lot. After all, who wouldn't want to be him, or be with him?

My current score: 5/5

Al's Top 100 Favorite Action / Adventure Films Part 4

Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
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40: Fast Five

The Conflict: Everybody from the series bands together to steal money from a corrupt businessman.

The Film: The Fast and the Furious series got pretty nutty as it went on, changing gears so much, but this is where the payoff becomes evident. Every character from the last movies makes their appearance (including the random ones from the second and third films) and contribute to the heist plot, which is loaded up with plenty of cool fights and car chases. The final car chase is a ridiculous and explosive affair that caps an otherwise exciting experience.

My current score: 4/5

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39: Underworld

The Conflict: Selene is a vampire fighting lycans, but one day she has to protect a human caught up in the secret underground war.

The Film: When you pit werewolves and vampires against each other, things will get bloody pretty fast. This film has its share of bloodshed, but it's also stylish and has some really cool fights and shootout scenes. The film explores a pretty nifty mythology, and sets up its own universe of fantastic creature action. Throw in some cool weapons and a few appealing characters, and the movie is pure gothic fun.

My current score: 4/5

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38: Skyfall

The Conflict: MI6 is bombed and somebody's trying to kill M. It's up to James Bond to find the culprit and stop the terrorist threat.

The Film: While the Casino Royale and Quantum of Solace duology reestablished James Bond as a classy and relevant hero again, Skyfall lays down a smooth and classy mix of style, action, and substance. Its story takes after the frenetic cat-and-mouse chase of The Dark Knight, but still incorporates all the Bond trademarks we know and love: ladies, exotic locales, fancy technology, and class. The film's style is exquisite, the characters receive top-notch treatment, and once the action gets going, it is great. This is the film that completes Bond's development in the new generation, and the pattern it lays down will likely persist in future films.

My current score: 4.5/5

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37: Ronin

The Conflict: A bunch of rogues take on a job to grab a briefcase.

The Film: This film is most famous for its car chases, which are pretty cool. It's also loaded with some very thrilling foot chases and explosive shootouts. Once the film gets going, it becomes quite thrilling, but it still has a moody tone and style, and decent focus on the characters. Above all, the film takes the archetypes of master-less samurai from Feudal Japan and transplants them effectively into a European setting; it's a winning combination.

My current score: 4/5

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36: Live Free Or Die Hard

The Conflict: John McClane is caught in the middle of an attack on the entire nation, and he has to stop it.

The Film: Despite the long gap between this film and its predecessor, it is still refreshing and thrilling to watch Bruce Willis get back into his familiar character and continue thwarting evil terrorists. With the stakes and scope broadened, John McClane endures a number of huge and awesome action setpieces, and it's hardly ever a dull moment.

My current score: 4/5

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35: Mission: Impossible: Ghost Protocol

The Conflict: Ethan Hunt and the team go off the grid to stop an evil plot to start a nuclear war.

The Film: Even though this film doesn't have quite as much emotional weight as #3, but I enjoyed this one the most. The plot is pretty thrilling, especially with a daring climb on the world's tallest building, plenty of cool chases and fights, and lots of really cool spying scenes throughout. It's fun, stylish, and just a good spy movie overall.

My current score: 4/5

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34: Invisible Target (Naam Yi Boon Sik)

The Conflict: Three cops join forces to take out gangsters.

The Film: From beginning to end, this film is loaded with explosive action and pretty cool fighting. The story's nothing new, but each new twist and turn is engaging and exciting, and the characters are pretty likable. Easily one of the most entertaining flicks I've seen from the Far East.

My current score: 4.5/5

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33: Face/Off

The Conflict: A federal agent trades his face with a terrorist to work undercover. The terrorist does the same, disguising himself as the agent. The chase continues...

The Film: The story's pretty interesting, and it is phenomenal how both lead actors are able to play two different personalities with the same face, bringing this bizarre scenario to life really well. The action is big, explosive, with all the elements that makes John Woo's movies so stylish and fun.

My current score: 4.5/5

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32: The Living Daylights

The Conflict: James Bond helps a Russian dude defect. Is shot at by a sniper. Russian guy is kidnapped, Bond teams up with sniper to unravel a huge twisty plot involving drugs, diamonds, and guns being traded in Afghanistan.

The Film: This plot is so dense, it can be hard to keep track of, but thankfully the characters are a whole lot of fun, the action is phenomenal, and Timothy Dalton plays it fairly tough as Bond. I think this is one of the most adventurous films of the series, and it remains a personal favorite of mine.

My current score: 4.5/5

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31: Sucker Punch

The Conflict: A girl is wrongfully committed to an insane asylum. Meanwhile, in her head, she imagines that it's all really a cabaret club. Meanwhile, in each cabaret act she does, she's really doing battle with samurai, zombies, robots, dragons, and more!

The Film: This is a film that has confounded many, even action-junkies who are undoubtedly drawn in by the promise of seeing a bunch of nice-looking ladies kicking butt in various fantasy environments. Therein lies the "sucker punch," because this is really a prison drama in disguise. The film very interestingly uses the image, tropes, and cliches of fantasy-action setpieces to tantalize the audience, both within the story and the audience watching the film. The triple-layered fantasy offers visually fantastic action sequences, naturally. But it's also a challenge to interpret what's real and what isn't. Through it all, fighting remains the film's biggest message, not only through characters battling monsters in their fantasies, but also in fighting against adversity and bondage. I think it's as interesting of a story as it is entertaining.

On home video, the extended cut is available, and the few new scenes it introduces make a substantial difference in the plot and how well its layers congeal. It is the version to see.

My current score: 5/5

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30: Blade II

The Conflict: Blade, the daywalker, teams up with some dudes to hunt down and slaughter a race of advanced vampires.

The Film: It's fast, it's bloody, and it's by far the awesomest Blade movie made. The action starts off fast and hardly lets up; there are a ton of great fight scenes all over the place, and they never wear out their welcome. The plot and characters aren't the greatest standouts, but Wesley Snipes suits his character perfectly, and the world of Blade is brought to vivid life memorably.

My current score: 4.5/5

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29: The Mummy (1999)

The Conflict: The mummy imhotep is resurrected, and he starts gathering strength to bring back his dead wife, at the expense of others.

The Film: Even though the special effects haven't aged that well, they were incredible at the time, and very imaginative. What matters the most is the adventurous spirit, which is very much the same as an Indiana Jones film, but with its own cast of lovable characters, thrilling action scenes, and a wonderful world of Egyptian mythology to draw upon.

My current score: 4.5/5

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28: Under Siege

The Conflict: A battleship is taken over by terrorists. It's up to the cook to stop them.

The Film: Despite being all 90s action movie cheese, this film still holds up as just a whole lot of fun. Steven Seagal plays his most lovable character, who kicks as much butt as he does chew the scenery. Tommy Lee Jones is a crazy villain. The story's pretty simple, but elegant, just like Die Hard. All together, the film features plenty of great shootouts and over-the-top action, and it is a lot of fun.

My current score: 4/5

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27: Rambo

The Conflict: John Rambo helps rescue some missionaries stuck in Burma.

The Film: Holy crap. John Rambo's struggles finally bring him to the very heart of darkness, where the film exposes the horrible atrocities of violent regimes that murder the innocent and exploit the weak. Rambo plows through a whole army of bad guys with equal viciousness, in a number of intense and hard-hitting scenes that stand as some of the bloodiest ever filmed. It's rough, brutal, and messy, but this film proves definitively that Rambo is a hero who is always relevant and always needed.

My current score: 4/5

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26: Big Trouble In Little China

The Conflict: A woman is abducted by Lo Pan. Son of a b*tch must pay...

The Film: This film can be rather silly and over-the-top, but it's nonetheless a great adventure that unites Chinese folklore with the urban underground. In the middle of it all, Jack Burton is a perfectly-lovable action hero, who kicks plenty of butt and delivers plenty of fun lines. The film has action, laughs, and a great sense of fun.

My current score: 4.5/5

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25: Jurassic Park

The Conflict In a theme park full of cloned dinosaurs, some dork screws everything up and the dinosaurs run wild and eat people.

The Film: The setpieces are thrilling and the special effects are grand, but the film is pure adventure. The characters exchange loads of fun banter, before they're plunged in relentless peril that takes them across jungles and bunkers, while confronting some of the most vicious animals to have walked the Earth.

My current score: 4.5/5

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24: John Wick

The Conflict: John Wick goes up against the Russian mafia and takes revenge over his dead puppy.

The Film: Sounds silly, I know, but the film is far more heartfelt and earnest than its premise makes it out to be. The film establishes a strong emotional hook on the main character -- a man who's lost everything and has nothing to lose. It gives his rampage weight and feeling, as he expertly shoots and fights his way to the top and leaves a body trail of gangsters behind him. The action is phenomenal, and John Wick is an action hero we love to root for.

My current score: 4.5/5

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23: Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom

The Conflict: Indiana Jones is stuck in India, and has to save enslaved children from a Thugee cult, who are trying to find the Sankara stones.

The Film: This was made as, in a sense, indiana Jones going to hell. And the film sure is hellish, with bloody sacrifice scenes, evil magic, and child slavery. It's also pretty goofy, with some slapstick antics and jokes. It's still a blast though, watching Indy and the gang escape peril, traverse through deadly traps, and fight through loads of bad guys. It's still quite the well-made adventure.

My current score: 4.5/5

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22: Kingsman: The Secret Service

The Conflict: British spies trying to stop an evil plot -- it'll be up to one new recruit to save the world.

The Film: It's rather rude and it pushes the envelope of taste and morality often. It is to spy movies what Kick-Ass is to superheroes; it takes all the tropes and cliches we all know and love and twist it all around in a silly, sardonic, and super-violent thrill ride. It's pretty hard-hitting, especially with the big church fight scene and the exploding head scene, but the combination of rude comedy and cruel violence is consistently smashing.

My current score: 4.5/5

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21: Wanted

The Conflict: Wesley Gibson is a loser who discovers he's really the son of a really great assassin. He trains up and becomes a skilled assassin himself.

The Film: It's crazy, over-the-top, the irreverent. Nothing is sacred in this movie -- not even the laws of physics. With a simple snap of their wrists, the characters send bullets curving in impossible ways. Cars go flying off in the air in impossible ways. They strap bombs to rats and set them loose. People take orders from a freaking loom, of all things. It's pretty weird and daft, but I always loved how tight the film is, how the story plays out, the sarcastic narration, the in-your-face attitude, and the imaginative setpieces. I admire the film most for presenting an unbridled ballet of chaos and destruction. I know it's nothing like the original comic, but who cares?

My Current Score: 5/5
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To be concluded...