Al's Top 100 Favorite Action / Adventure Films Part 2

Part 1
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80: Midnight Run

The Conflict: A bounty hunter has to drag his bounty across the country.

The Film: There are some pretty cool chases and shootout scenes, but it's the film's heart that makes it endearing. The characters are pretty well-developed and likable, and their struggle together drives the conflict moreso than the actual action. It's simultaneously funny, thrilling, and endearing.

My current score: 4/5

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79: The Fugitive

The Conflict: Richard Kimble is wrongfully accused of murder, and has to go on the run to prove his innocence.

The Film: While there aren't as many big or explosive setpieces involved with this film, it is a pretty decent action experience thanks to its brisk pacing and suspense. It is a good, well-made thriller with characters we can root for.

My current score: 4/5

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78: Resident Evil: Apocalypse

The Conflict: Zombies take over Raccoon City. It's up to Alice to help a bunch of survivors fight their way out.

The Film: When this movie came out, somebody from work described it to me as something awesome and crazy. RE fans may not appreciate the lack of horror, but as an action movie, RE: Apocalypse delivers a plethora of over-the-top and explosive action. It is a brisk zombie flick with loads of fun gunplay and stunts, and I think it remains the funnest movie of the series.

My current score: 4/5

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77: Ong Bak

The Conflict: Some dude fights a whole bunch of people so he can get his Buddha statue back.

The Film: The movie's a little cheap at times, but the fight and parkour moves are as impressive as they come. Tony Jaa exerts some serious skill as he runs, flips, and dives through narrow obstacles, before beating everybody up with his Muay Thai moves. The story's pretty thin, but it's a good excuse to have a bunch of fighting, and a bunch of Tuk-Tuks chasing each other.

My current score: 4/5

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76: The Lost World: Jurassic Park

The Conflict: John Hammond sends some people to "Site B" to check out how the free-range dinos are doing. At the same time, Ingen sends in hunters to kick-start a new Jurassic Park in San Diego. Something's bound to go wrong...

The Film: While not a perfect sequel by any means (with a few unlikable characters and a few silly scenes), it does have some thrilling action scenes. It is always cool to see the dinosaurs in action, as they toss jeeps around and eat people relentlessly. The finale has a lot of crazy mass destruction; it does go a little over-the-top, but it's all in good fun.

My current score: 3.5/5

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75: The Crow

The Conflict: Eric Draven and his family was murdered. From the power of the Crow, Eric returns to life to take revenge!

The Film: This may be the progenitor of most modern horror/action hybrids we know and love today (such as Underworld and Resident Evil). It's a dark and stylish film, with a kick-ass soundtrack, a unique mythology, and a story we can care about. The whole film oozes gothic style, but the action scenes are thrilling too; the big shootout towards the end is way cool, and to me, it feels like the precursor to the Matrix lobby scene.

My current score: 4/5

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74: Equilibrium

The Conflict: In the future, all human emotion is repressed. One man starts to feel for the first time, and fights for freedom.

The Film: This is a pretty cool sci-fi story that invokes the themes of classics like 1984 and Fahrenheit 451. As an action movie, the fight scenes are spectacular, following in the same trends and style as The Matrix. The film suffers little drag, but the focus on character and the tension of the plot gives it significant weight, all the way to its explosive climax.

My current score: 4.5/5

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73: Predator

The Conflict: A bunch of commandos are being hunted by an alien predator.

The Film: It's cheesy, over-the-top, macho entertainment, loaded with explosive shootouts, memorable one-liners, and some really bloody carnage. The predator is a formidable foe with all kinds of powerful gear, and he brings on a plethora of challenges that pushes the characters to unleash their inner savage. With so much peril being dished out one scene after another, the film is thrilling all the way through.

My current score: 4/5

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72: Jack Reacher

The Conflict: A drifter works outside of the law to bring justice to a sniper turned crazy.

The Film: Right from the start, everything about this film reminded me of other crime thrillers and action movies from the 90s (especially The Fugutive and US Marshalls for whatever reason). If nothing else, Jack Reacher is a pretty cool dude capable of kicking some serious butt. The fights are hard and fast, and the big car chase is one of the most realistic I've seen (take that Bullit!). The plot is intriguing, and it makes for a good action-packed fun.

My current score: 4/5

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71: Broken Arrow

The Conflict: An Air Force pilot takes off with some nukes.

The Film: I always felt this was a rather standard action-movie plot, but its' the characters that keep it fun. John Travolta is so playful with his role; his lines provide some of the biggest highlights. The action is quite ambitious, including an explosive showdown with a helicopter, an underground nuclear explosion, and a huge fight on a moving train. Action movie fans ought to love it best.

My current score: 3.5/5

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70: Total Recall (1990)

The Conflict: Douglas Quaid goes in for a virtual vacation, winds up getting the adventure of a lifetime.

The Film: Although this gets pretty heavy into the realms of far-out sci-fi, the film is loaded with loud, over-the-top gunfights and brawls. It is a fast-moving picture that's brimming with adventurous spirit, and as an action movie, it does kick a lot of butt.

My current score: 5/5

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69: Romancing the Stone

The Conflict: A writer's sister is kidnapped, so she goes to Colombia, meets the hero, and they set out to find a hidden treasure that a bunch of bad guys are looking for.

The Film: Maybe not quite as explosive or enthralling as an Indiana Jones picture, but there's still plenty of fun to be had. The characters' struggle through the Colombian jungles are often exciting, and their chemistry makes them an endearing bunch we can root for.

My current score: 4/5

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68: Rambo: First Blood Part II

The Conflict: John Rambo is hired to seek out POWs still captured in Vietnam.

The Film: Even though First Blood was thrilling in its own way, this follow-up presents Rambo as I prefer to see him: the all-American war hero who's not afraid to venture into foreign soil to kick butt! Through the then-relevant issue of rescuing POWs still stuck in Vietnam, Rambo takes out bad guys with lethal skill and tons of firepower, before challenging the establishment itself. It's easily one of the funnest and most heroic of the series.

My current score: 4/5

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67: The Man With the Golden Gun

The Conflict: James Bond is on the trail of Scaramanga, a debonair hitman with a signature golden gun.

The Film: Seems to be considered one of the weaker Bond movies - I can't deny that it's campy and silly. However, I believe it's the funnest of the Roger Moore era; it features plenty of neat fights and chases. I believe that Scaramanga is a great villain, and the showdown between him and Bond is pretty cool. The film doesn't follow the original novel at all, but I like the movie better for pitting these two characters together against some very exotic backdrops, and still maintaining a sense of fun and escapism.

My current score: 4/5

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66: Assault on Precinct 13 (1976)

The Conflict: A bunch of gangbangers assault a run-down police precinct.

The Film: Like all great things, this is a simple story told in an exciting way. It starts off with quite the brutal and shocking murder scene, before the action moves into the police precinct and the characters spend the rest of the time defending it against huge odds. In a way, the film resembles a western that's relocated to the urban LA setting, but with a cast of hip characters and plenty of shootouts, the film is pretty thrilling all the way through.

My current score: 4/5

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65: Shoot 'Em Up

The Conflict: Some guy saves a pregnant woman, delivers the baby, has to protect the baby from bad guys, and lots of shooting ensues...

The Film: I honestly didn't even like this movie much when I first saw it. It's crazy, cartoony, over-the-top, and kinda weird. And yet, there's plenty to admire in the visual style, the crudeness, the innuendos, and the action setpieces; it all somehow works together to create a memorable and enjoyable action movie parody. Besides, how can I knock a film that features a gunfight and sex with Monica Bellucci all in the same scene?

My current score: 4/5

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64: The Mummy Returns

The Conflict: Imhotep's back, and now he wants to resurrect the Scorpion King and conquer the world!

The Film: When this came out, I liked it better than the first movie at the time, if for no other reason than the action is substantially bigger, and the effects are more ambitious, What could be more epic than watching a movie so jam-packed with fights, zeppelin chases, weird monsters, and an army of Anubis warriors? I will admit that the story's not the best, but the characters are as lovable as ever, and it's still quite the fun adventure.

My current score: 4/5

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63: Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows

The Conflict: Sherlock Holmes and the gang travel to Europe to solve the mystery behind a brewing war.

The Film: A grade wilder than the previous film, this sequel elevates the action to pretty intense action-movie territory, with some surprisingly explosive gun battles and fight scenes. The story's not quite as gripping as the first movie, but the characters stand out well, and the film is great fun.

My current score: 4/5

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62: RoboCop (1987)

Conflict: Alex Murphy becomes a cyborg and kicks some criminal butt!

The Film: This is one brisk movie full of everything: loud shoot-outs, epic heroics, extreme bloodshed, and a plot thick with conspiracy and themes. It is a fast-moving movie with plenty of over-the-top action, and it's always a blast.

My current score: 5/5

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61: Bad Boys II

The Conflict Cops busting drug dealers.

The Film: Michael Bay may not be known for crafting logical storylines -- the plot of Bad Boys II is especially messy -- but the man created one of the most jaw-dropping highway chases in this film. The whole feature oozes with style, and it becomes a satisfying onslaught of wicked gunfights, slow-motion destruction, and fast-paced chases. Some of the jokes are stupid, but if it's action and style you want, it doesn't get much more glamorous than this.

My current score: 4/5

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To be continued...

Al's Top 100 Favorite Action / Adventure Films Part 1

Guns. Knives. Swords. Fists. Nun-chucks. Superpowers. There are countless ways a person can physically harm another, but there's only one way to actually witness such violence in a safe environment: in the world of films (and maybe the world of TV and video games too), where you, the viewer, can experience the relentless struggle without fear of death or injury. Really, the world of action and adventure films is another form of escapism -- the type where you can root for the heroes as they punch and shoot their way through countless bad guys, save the world, and get the girl in the end.

There must be thousands of action movies on the market, and it's gotten to the point where they can all feel derivative and bland. But for those few that stand out the most, a good action movie will be more than constant shooting -- it's got to be a sublime combination of well-staged setpieces, captivating storytelling and characters, and quality filming. This three-way combination is what I value most in films of any genre. More than just being a good story or good film, it's got to have motion and pacing for me to totally love a film. So why not have an occasional car chase, or an impressive kung-fu fight, or a huge shoot-out in the mix? What makes an action movie work, however, is that the whole plot is stitched together with the action, with one thing leading to another until the final showdown. It can't have too much or too little -- a good action movie strikes a balance and keeps the conflict rolling at full speed up to the end, and can do so without sacrificing the story or character development. Some of the absolute best can even build a strong story out of the action, or vice-versa.

For this list of personal favorite action movies, I've done my best to boil down the top 100 best experiences in action and adventure storytelling. A lot of these may be just big dumb fun, but just about all of these offer huge amounts of explosive and thrilling action scenes, and for action junkies like me they would all be worth a look.

It's easy to assume that most action movies will be about spies, cops, criminals, etc. There are certainly bunches of them on this list, but I felt it wouldn't be fair to exclude the occasional sci-fi, fantasy, or historic film -- some of these cross-genre films boast some of the coolest action scenes of the lot. What you won't see are very many superhero films -- even though they may have the biggest spectacles of the lot, there's just too many of them, and I decided that they deserve their own list with their own set of criteria rather than crowd out dozens of other eligible titles.

Get ready to be blown away, by Al's Top 100 Favorite Action/Adventure Movies!
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100: Cutthroat Island

The Conflict: Pirates battle over a treasure map.

The Film: Before the Pirates of the Caribbean movies came along and redefined pirate adventure for the generation, we had this movie. It's a bit on the generic side, but the battles and fights are decently-explosive, and it's not a bad little adventure film in the end.

My current score: 3.5/5
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99: Jewel of the Nile

The Conflict: Joan and Jack go to Africa and have to find "the jewel of the Nile."

The Film: Not quite as deep or endearing as the previous film, Romancing the Stone, but this movie does have plenty of great action and some fun comedy. A modestly satisfying adventure and a modestly satisfying sequel.

My current score: 3.5/5

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98:  The Executioner (Chokugeki! Jigoku-ken)

The Conflict: Three thugs vs a Tokyo drug lord.

The Film: This is about as cheesy and sleazy as a 70s crime film can get. It makes for a really fun show, thanks to its plethora of over-the-top fight scenes. There is a lot of silliness and a certain level of 70s grit to it, but it is a breezy and fun martial arts flick.

My current score: 4/5
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97: Cliffhanger

The Conflict: A mountain climber has to stop bad guys from making off with money form a crashed Dept. of Treasure plane.

The Film: Despite being rather bland in style, the film is exciting, with plenty of gunfights, stunts, and peril to satisfy action fans. The heroes are good guys we love to root for, and the bad guys are guys we love to hate. The dialogue is awesomely cheesy. It's far from my favorite action movie, but for action-movie fans, this film can be a lot of fun.

My current score: 3/5
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96: The Marine

The Conflict: An ex-marine has to rescue his wife from bad guys.

The Film: A pretty cheap and short film, but the action is pretty phenomenal. It is stylish, there are a ton of fights, chases, and big explosions. Pretty loud and dumb fun, but it is a satisfying action flick that I feel is a mile-a-minute fun.

My current score: 3/5
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95: Showtime

The Conflict: Two mismatched cops are paired together for a reality TV show, while they work to take out an arms dealer.

The Film: Even though this may be formulaic buddy-cop fare, I always found the two characters to be a fun bunch, and their antics are often amusing. As far as the action goes, it is pretty awesome stuff; there are super-duper guns that blow holes in cars like they're made of paper, and then all heck breaks lose. Scenes toward the end feature chases with dump trucks and some explosive gunfighting. I think it's a fun flick.

My current score: 3.5/5
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94: Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life

The Conflict: Lara Croft goes on a quest to find Pandora's Box.

The Film: Even though the first film felt like quite the hit back in the day, it's always been the sequel I admired the most. This film boasts good-looking stuntwork, some great gunfighting, and awesome locales. The plot and characters won't blow anybody away, but there's enough there to make it fun and hip. Unless a rebooted movie comes out (which it could at any time), this is currently the best it gets for seeing Tomb Raider on the big screen, and it does have some nice-looking action.

My current score: 4/5
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93: Die Another Day

The Conflict: James Bond is captured in North Korea. 18 months later, he's exchanged for a wanted terrorist. So, Bond goes off the grid, hunts the guy down, and eventually comes face-to-face with a rich adversary with the most outlandish plot yet!

The Film: Widely considered to be one of the worst Bond films ever, I have to classify this as one of my biggest action-movie guilty pleasures. It is definitely derivative, ridiculous, and all-style-no-substance. However, the film is far from dull; it is jam-packed with huge action, including a hovercraft chase, a car battle on a smooth glacier, a lot of fighting on a crashing airplane, and more. The film does its best to one-up everything in the Bond universe, and even if it is one big mess, it's at least a cool, stylish, and entertaining one.

My current score: 3.5/5
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92: GI Joe: Rise of the Cobra

The Conflict: COBRA vs GI Joes over nanoweapons.

The Film: My mother probably described this the best as "less yapping more zapping!" Seriously, this film is wall-to-wall action, complete with bullets, bombs, lasers, trucks, planes, submarines, underground drilling thingies, and more. The chase through Paris is one of my favorite chase scenes, with tons of mass destruction. It can be cartoony and silly, but the film is hardly ever dull, and I find it quick and easy entertainment.

My current score: 4/5
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91: Vanishing Point

The Conflict: Kowalski races against time, the authorities, and the elements to reach San Francisco.

The Film: Easily my favorite car-chase movie. The film is loaded with gripping chase scenes, featuring some nice-looking cars and nice-looking locales. Some of the random encounters in the middle get pretty weird, and the pacing sags a little for it, but it is still a cool and fun flick with a heck of an ending.

My current score: 4/5
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90: Swordfish

The Conflict: A hacker is hired to help a terrorist steal from a high-tech bank.

The Film: This film might be seen as dated and cheesy, but it is quite the stylish and interesting heist thriller. The opening scene pulls out some clever misdirection, before delivering a really incredible shot where the camera rotates 360 degrees around an explosion. There is a nice car-chase scene in the middle, and some really crazy stuff towards the end where a bus is hauled away by a helicopter. The plot is an interesting affair though, which delivers plenty of clever twists to keep you guessing. It's a neat thriller that deserves to be seen at least once.

My current score: 3.5/5
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89:  xXx

The Conflict: Xander Cage is a thrillseeking deviant who becomes a spy, and has to stop some Russian anarchists from launching a chemical warhead platform.

The Film: This is what James Bond looks like with more hard rock, more babes, more booze, and more extreme sports. It's a very silly movie, but it's a fun one with lots of crazy stuntwork, explosions, gunplay, and gadgets. Despite being rather juvenile and unbelievable, I find the film easily-digestible with a fun plot and fun characters.

My current score: 3.5/5
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88: The Tournament

The Conflict: The world's deadliest assassins gather in a town to engage in a contest of death and mayhem.

The Film: What this film lacks in depth, it makes up for in just being a bloody good time. The fight scenes and violence are extreme and hard-hitting. The gunfighting is fantastic, and the film still manages to find time to lay out some halfway decent story and characters.

My current score: 3.5/5
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87: Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull

The Conflict: Indiana Jones confronts Soviets, who are searching for the secret behind the mysterious crystal skulls.

The Film: This film is hated by many, and even I will admit that it's my least-favorite of the series. The characters aren't always endearing. As far as the action goes though, it is really fun stuff. The warehouse fight and the big jungle chase scene are expertly-choreographed. Things can get pretty goofy, but lots the classic clash of heroes and villains hardly ever gets old. Even if this is a guilty pleasure, it's a fine-looking one with a few exciting moments worth seeing.

My current score: 4/5
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86: The Rocketeer

The Conflict: A pilot discovers a jetpack, which he uses to fight off some Nazi conspirators.

The Film: The film is quite the slick-looking period piece, with a style and production that's highly reminiscent of 1940s Hollywood. As such, the film itself is pure pulp adventure, the likes of which mirrors the 40s, with all the danger and intrigue of the war-era driving the explosive action. It is a pretty fun adventure.

My current score: 4/5
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85: RED

The Conflict: People are trying to kill Frank Moses, and he has to find out why.

The Film: This colorful film very slickly combines loud, over-the-top action with zany characters and amusing dialogue to craft an enjoyable combination of thrills and laughs. It's not always the most engaging film, but the action is pretty cool, and the characters are lovable.

My current score: 3.5/5
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84: US Marshals

The Conflict: Mark Warren is wrongfully accused for murder, and goes on the run to prove his innocence (why does this sound familiar?).

The Film: Even though The Fugitive provided a good, original action-movie experience, I think the action of this spiritual sequel is a grade more impressive. From the opening plane crash to the foot-chase at the end, the film is well-paced, thoroughly exciting, and quite colorful throughout. Not everybody really cares for this flick, but I think it's great.

My current score: 4/5
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83: Lethal Weapon

The Conflict: Martin Riggs is an unstable cop with a death wish, and Roger Murtaugh is an experienced cop approaching retirement. Both join forces to investigate and take down a powerful drug smuggling ring.

The Film: There is action to be had and it is often pretty slick. What makes this film most memorable, however, are its characters. Both are very well-developed and they both elicit sympathy that makes the audience really care about the case at hand. It's even more endearing that the two characters are as opposite as can be, but wind up bonding in profound ways. With its grand combination of action, comedy, and heart, the film is still one of the best buddy-cop movies around.

My current score: 4.5/5
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82: The Killer (Dip Huet Seung Hung)

The Conflict: A hitman goes on one last job to help a woman he hurt from going blind.

The Film: This early John Woo film has all the right stuff: bloody gunfights, gratuitous slow-motion, and cool characters. Despite being a bit dated, it has a decent plot and decent action.

My current score: 4/5
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81: Crying Freeman

The Conflict: A woman witnesses a fight between an assassin and a bunch of Yakuza dudes, and she inevitably becomes caught in the middle of a huge gang war.

The Film: Dialogue and acting are pretty bad, but the rest of the film is great. It has a very solid style of editing and filming, which stitches the images together smoothly into a kind of live-action anime. With the backdrop of rich settings and locales, the action is quite frequently awesome to behold.

My current score: 4/5

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To be continued...

Film: Al's Top Action / Adventure Films Honorable Mentions

Coming up next will be my top 100 list of favorite action and adventure movies! Woohoo! It's crazy that I never made this awesome list before!

I've been an action movie junkie for most of my life -- I have fond memories of watching a lot of the greats for the first time while growing up. I've seen quite a lot now, and it has gotten to the point where not every awesome film can make a top 100 list. It gets even more convoluted trying to figure out which films can be considered a "pure" action film, or if they're really thrillers in disguise (and a top 100 thrillers list is inevitable now). Then there are action-packed sci-fi movies, action-packed superhero movies, disaster movies...action in itself could warrant a top 1,000 list.

For the purposes of this list, I've consciously omitted movies about superheroes (although some comic-book adaptations remain) and disaster movies (which I figure could go on the thrillers list). Of what's left, these are the ones that I deeply considered, but didn't make the final list. They're still pretty cool and worth seeing in their own ways. Check them out, and in the meantime I'll be posting the top 100 list shortly!
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Aliens: Is often cited as one of the best action films. Personally, I feel it's long, borderline exhausting, borderline a horror/creature film, and pure sci-fi. I do love the film, but it's already represented on my list of favorite sci-fi, and it will be on my creature features list. As an action film...nah.

Bad Boys: Is a pretty fun buddy-cop film, but I feel its follow-up has bigger, better action, better style, and is more enjoyable and memorable.

Beverly Hills Cop 1, 2, 3: Fairly enjoyable mixes of comedy and thrills. Even though these films have been with me most of my life, I find that the first one comes off a little dry, the second one has good action but is not that memorable, and the third one is far more comedic. I decided that I didn't like any of them quite that much for this list.

Blade: Was pretty hip for its time, and the final fight scenes are awesome (bad SFX and all). Unfortunately, pacing has always been wonky in the film. The second one is easily the best of the lot.

Born to Fight: One of the more decent Thai martial arts movies. I remember it has good-looking fight scenes, but as for everything else, I barely remember much.

The Bourne Identity / Supremacy / Ultimatum: Never was a fan of these. The first film is not too terrible, but it does come off as a little stuffy to me. I may consider it for my list of thrillers. The second film has horrid camera work. I probably enjoyed the third the best. None of them really make the cut for me personally, and I barely even remember the fourth film.

Bullet Train: Deserves a mention because it shares much in common with another great action-movie classic: Speed. I was never sure if this Japanese film inspired it or not, but it has its share of thrills. My only complaint is that it drags at times, and it feels better suited for my list of thrillers.

Bullit: The famous car chase scene is good, yes. Everything else is rather slow and dry.

Captain America: The Winter Soldier: To me, this would qualify as an excellent pure action movie. It is awesome to watch, the plot is great, and the whole film feels like a grand political struggle. Captain America's heroics, the Falcon, and the Avengers tie-ins keeps it firmly rooted in superhero lore, and I'm compelled to treat it as such.

Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle: Has its moments, but it does come off as a little much and a little too over-the-top.

Dante's Peak: Easily my favorite movie about volcanoes. The model work was great for its time, and the film is just plain fun. As a natural disaster film, I decided it doesn't quite qualify for the list.

The Dark Knight: Superhero movie, or epic crime drama? This film has a little bit of everything, including an awesome car chase scene that made me consider it for the action movie list. Unfortunately, the bulk of the film strikes me as a better fit for a crime thriller list, and then I made the conscious decision to cut out superheroes completely. For what it's worth, this film is still one of my newer all-time favorites.

The Day After Tomorrow: As mentioned before, disaster movies have been deliberately left off. This one has its share of neat scenes and special effects, but it's not always that exciting.

Daylight: Had some incredible disaster scenes for its time, but most of the characters are utterly unlikable, and the film has some stupid moments in spite of that.

Diamonds Are Forever: Has a few good chase scenes, but also a lot of silliness. There are various other Bond movies I felt are better and more deserving of being listed.

Dirty Harry: Thrilling stuff, but not something I'd call "action-packed." As a police/crime thriller, it will be considered for my list of thrillers.

Dr. No: Doesn't have that much action. Will be listed on a list of favorite thrillers.

Enter the Dragon: Considered to be one of the best martial arts film by most fans. I do think it's the best one Bruce Lee stared in -- the man had some great fight moves and plenty of charisma in the role. Personally, I find the film rather cheesy, and I never grew to love it the way others have.

The Expendables 1, 2, 3: Because bringing together every action-movie star in three movies is as epic as they come. Why then won't I be listing them on my list? Because the first movie always fell a little short for me (choppy editing and camera work, barely tangible plot), and the third one came off as bland. I would have listed the second film, because I remember enjoying it the best, but I barely remember what happened.

The Fast and the Furious 6 and 7: All have pretty extreme amounts of action, to the point where logic and physics seem to evaporate completely. As enjoyable as they are, there's only one F&F film that I feel balances action and storytelling enough to make the list.

La Femme Nikita: I really enjoy this film, but the action in it is rather subdued compared to its characterizations and dramatic weight (and when compared to other Luc Besson films). I will probably put this on my thrillers list.

First Blood: A pretty good adaptation of the original novel, with plenty of thrilling chases and stuff, but it never felt like the all-out action extravaganza that the sequels are. I will probably consider this first Rambo movie for the thrillers list.

For Your Eyes Only: As much as I admire and appreciate the film, it's not the action that really sells it to me.

48 Hours: Never was a fan. There is amusing banter and action to be had, but the characters and their chemistry were never big standouts to me personally.

The French Connection: It's been years since I saw this gritty film. I remember thinking it was good, and the car chase was fun, but I'd prefer to list this as a thriller rather than an action film.

From Paris With Love: Originally considered it for the bottom of the list. Upon rewatching it, I found that the film did nothing for me, and thus hasn't held up that well.

From Russia With Love: Despite having an action-packed final act, this film still doesn't quite captivate me as others in the series. Will be considered on a list of favorite thrillers.

Golgo 13:  The Kowloon Assignment: I remember loving this film and all its violence and grit. Unfortunately, I can't say I remember that much about it, other than it felt cool. I decided that if Sonny Chiba was to be on the list, I enjoyed The Executioner more.

Gone in 60 Seconds (2000): Yeah, the car chases are neat, but the editing hampers the enjoyment. Best seen for the characters and their banter.

The Goonies: This has got to be the essential adventure film for all 80s kids, like me. Truth be told, I probably should have put it on the list for that reason alone. For the most part, I forgot, sorry. 

Grand Theft Auto: It's a crazy, silly, fast-moving car chase movie. Even though I enjoy the film a lot, it always felt pretty lightweight and insubstantial to me.

Hellboy: Kinda straddles of the lines of superhero, fantasy, and horror genres. Even though this and the second movie have lots of cool action, there are other lists this can be represented on (most notably, the upcoming top 100 creature features list).

Highlander: Will be listed on my list of fantasy movies. Action is great, but not quite enough for me to call it a great action movie per se.

I, Robot: With the wild car chase scene and lots of robot rebellion, this movie is a pretty fun action flick. However, I consider it way more sci-fi than pure action.

Ip Man:  A great martial arts film with superb fight scenes. In between the fighting, however, I feel it's much less of an action movie and more of a biopic drama.

Jurassic Park III: Was almost on the list, but decided to bump it off after a rewatch. I was always disappointed in the formulaic plot, dumb characters, and the ridiculous things that happen.

Jurassic World: Has lots of rip-roaring rampages and carnage, but it feels much more like a disaster movie than adventure, as the last three are. Will definitely be on a list of creature thrillers.

Kick-Ass: As much as I love and enjoy the film, it is straight-up superhero fare, and it's sure to be listed on a top 100 superhero movie list.

King Kong (1933):  Certainly a classic film with groundbreaking effects and techniques, and plenty of thrills. Personally, I don't think it's quite enough to qualify for the list -- I think the film drags a little a times. I favor the 2005 version more.

Last Action Hero: Has some great action and lots of great comedy. In fact, I probably will regard this as more of a comedy and will consider it for the comedy list. Action-movie-wise, this never had as much of an impact for me as other Schwarzenegger films.

Leon: The Professional: Has some cool action, but it's mostly a character-driven film. I consider it a better fit on the thrillers list.

Lethal Weapon 2: Highly enjoyable, maybe even moreso than the first film. However, I decided to give the edge to the first movie for its storyline/characters.

License to Kill: Probably the most brutal Bond film to date. There is plenty to love and enjoy about it, but as an action film, I feel it drags a bit at times.

Live and Let Die: Truth be told, there's only one Roger Moore Bond film I picked for the list. Even though his first film has a few big chases and fights, I always felt it was an oddball film.

Magnum Force: I remember enjoying this more than the first Dirty Harry, but I don't remember many of the specifics. When the time comes, I will have to revisit it and consider it for my thrillers list.

Minority Report: Has plenty of really great chases and fight scenes, but I feel it's more sci-fi and mystery than action.

Mission Impossible: The first M:I movie has a lot of great scenes, but I never felt that the sum of its parts was all that impressive. I will consider this for my top thrillers list, but as an action movie, I think it's a little lacking.

Mission Impossible II: Was lingering at the bottom of my list for a long while, but after a rewatch, I decided to cut it out completely. The experience has always been a mixed bag for me personally -- the extreme stylistic excesses are nutty, the plot's pretty standard, but the characters have their moments.

Mission Impossible:  Rogue Nation: The latest M:I movie has plenty of action and peril to make it a good action-movie experience. Unfortunately, I still favor the third and fourth movies more -- there are one or two issues with RN that I felt made its story a little wonky and underwhelming.

The Mummy:  Tomb of the Dragon Emperor:  I was never as enamored by this film as I was with the previous ones. Some of the action, SFX, settings, and mythology are cool, some of it isn't. Above all though, I wasn't completely sold on what they did to the characters and story.

National Treasure 1 and 2: These are good, wholesome adventure flicks worthy of a mention. Upon revisiting them, I found myself a little less enamored -- the levels of tension and danger aren't quite as elevated as they are in other treasure-hunting films. In the end, it felt to me like they had too little action to qualify for the list.

Never Say Never Again: Has some neat fight and chase scenes, but this bizarre James Bond knockoff movie doesn't offer much originality.

North By Northwest:  Action movie? Political thriller? Personally, I'm classifying it as the latter -- even with all the exciting chase scenes, it is a film built more on mystery and intrigue than actual running.

Now You See Me: An enjoyable and unique heist film, not sure if I'd call it action though. I don't even know what I'd call it. It's like showmanship more than anything.

On Her Majesty's Secret Service: I originally hated this film for its wonky editing and action, but grew to love its story and how punchy it is. It's actually a good adaptation of the original novel. I still consider it a mixed bag, and it's not always that exciting of a movie.

Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides: Fairly enjoyable, but mostly forgettable. The original three will always be the best for me personally (unless the upcoming fifth one is miraculously better).

The Road Warrior: I've heard this film cited as an action movie masterpiece, but in this day and age, I think it's been supplanted by an even bigger and better Mad Max film. As for this original film, I'll continue to rank it pretty significantly on my list of favorite sci-fi.

Sahara: Might be the closest we'll ever get to a proper adaptation of a Clive Cussler novel. It's a pretty fun film -- maybe not a perfect adaptation of the novel, but it has its heart in the right place. Didn't make the list because I just didn't feel strongly enough about it to make room for it.

San Andreas: This silly film probably has some of the most hard-hitting disaster scenes of them all. It's pure and ridiculous disaster movie fare, which I decided not to represent on the list, but it deserves props for its playfulness and its epic mass destruction.

Shooter: I remember it's pretty good, but I don't remember much else about it.

Smokin' Aces: I barely remember it, sorry.

The Spy Who Loved Me: As big and enjoyable of a Bond movie as they come, but the experience was never totally even or great to me. It falls a little flat in my opinion.

Stealth: I never could love this film as much as I wanted too. Futuristic airplanes in combat are great, but the film comes off as pretty shallow, silly, and way too erratic.

Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines: Silly, but enjoyable, with an awesome car chase scene and lots of fights. I consider it more sci-fi than straight-up action though.

300: This historic fantasy is pretty much all fighting, and probably could have been listed as an action film. With its setting and aesthetics, I felt it's more fitting on a list of favorite fantasy films, or possibly favorite historic epics.

Thunderball: Has a pretty awesome underwater battle scene, lots of fights, but it does drag sometimes. Will be considered for my list of thrillers.

Tomb Raider: Always was a mixed bag for me. I wanted to like its adventurism, its settings, its action, but a lot of it comes off as excessive and shallow. You could seriously cut out all the action in the movie, and the story wouldn't be affected much. That doesn't really bode well for a good action movie -- I think the sequel is much better.

Twister: Like other disaster flicks mentioned, I had to bump this one off the list. I do think it's a great, fun flick, but I find it hard to quantify it as action when it's mostly a man-vs-nature battle. It does have a great sense of adventure though, making this worthy of a mention.

2012: Probably as overblown and ridiculous as a disaster movie can get. Can't say the characters or plot are all that endearing though.

Transformers 1, 2, 3: Action doesn't get much bigger or explosive than these films, and I probably should have listed them for their sheer amount of pyrotechnics, stunts, and special effects. I always considered them sci-fi movies, but the science if rather slight. In the end though, these are pretty brainless films, and I feel that the other movies I picked are much more dignified.

Under Siege 2: Dark Territory:  Stupidly enjoyable, but extremely shallow. Watch the first movie instead.

Van Helsing: I consider this quite the big adventure film. So big in fact, it comes off as cheesy, silly, and shallow. Also, with all the Universal monsters on show, it's better suited for the creature features list.

A View To a Kill: Fairly enjoyable, especially with the final blimp scenes, but the film has some drag to it.

The World Is Not Enough: Loved it when it came out, but in time I realized that it is a rather bland film. I admire some things about it, but there is better action in the other Bond films.

You Only Live Twice: Has some cool stuff in it, but the action always felt pedestrian to me, and the film overall is lightweight. Not even close to the original novel.

Writing Prompt: I Can Hear You

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

You were involved in a terrible car accident and have been in a coma for the past three months. What your family and the doctors don’t know is that you can hear everything that they say. Write the scene.

I found this more interesting than I first imagined. I whipped up the following spiel, but it's far from refined. I really don't have any idea if any of this is medically or legally accurate, I just followed the impulses of the drama. For a prompt, I'm not bothered to refine this any more. So here it is just for the fun of it.
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Through the dense veil of darkness, Caleb heard his mother’s voice. “So irresponsible. I thought I taught you better. You always were…irresponsible…” She sniffled and sobbed.

Caleb envisioned her face, contorted with grief and soaked in tears, but he couldn’t see. He couldn’t move. The darkness enveloped all his senses, except his hearing. It was his only conduit to the world. In all the endless hours he listened, he heard constant footsteps, beeping sounds, quiet discussions. He was certain he was in a hospital.

Where else would he be after driving his car straight into an 18-wheeler truck? In the quietest moments of his stay, Caleb still saw the metal grille coming at him like the maw of a metal monster. It felt as surreal then as it did now — the only difference was his state of mind. It was a slurred, hazy experience when he saw the truck and felt the impact rumbling through his body. It was more vivid in his memory.

He didn’t know how much time passed between voices. Minutes? Hours? Years? Time no longer mattered. Caleb remembered how Dr. Manhattan described it in the Watchmen — the past, present, and future all combined into one confusing mess. The only difference was that the big blue man could control space and time. Caleb couldn’t even move his pinky if he wanted to.

After an unknown span of time, Caleb heard other voices, so stiff, commanding, and judgmental. “Your son’s blood-alcohol level was three times over the legal limit. It’s a miracle he got into the car at all.”

His mother asked, “What does this mean?”

“Since he is at fault, he will have to pay the entire cost.”

“He has insurance.”

“Insurance doesn’t cover this and they refuse to pay. We don’t expect you to cover for him at all, ma’am. As the joint owner on Caleb’s account, we’ll just need you to sign this form, allowing all funds to be withdrawn from his account.”

“Does he even have that much?”

“Barely.”

Caleb heard the scribbling of a pen. Just like that, all his money was gone. He heard footsteps as the mysterious man left the room — he must have been an insurance investigator. Once again, he heard his mother’s condemning words, “So irresponsible!”

More empty time passed. Another voice — his best friend Jacob — said, “Hey, I don’t know if you can hear me or not. I heard this sort of thing is good for patients in this condition, I dunno. Uh, how’s it going?”

There was an uncertain pause, and Caleb knew that something else was going to happen. Jacob cleared his throat and said, “Listen…I’m sorry to say this, but you need to know…your boss heard about how wasted you were…he’s going to fire you. Sorry man. I don’t even know how this sort of things works, but if you do wake up, you’re going to have to find a new job.”

Caleb had no money and no means to make money. If he could scream, he would.

More time passed. He heard the occasional mutterings of doctors and nurses. “He looks stable, but who knows how long he’ll be in this state?”

In another instant, he heard his mother complaining, “It costs too much. Can’t we just…” Caleb understood at once, and he envisioned a plug yanked from the wall and ending his life.

“Just give it time, he might come to at any moment,” the doctor assured.

Caleb was scared. His own life was in other people’s hands and there wasn’t anything he could do. He wished he could say sorry to his mother. He wished he could beg to his boss and vow never to drink again. He wanted to repay everybody for all the harm he caused. Without being able to repent, he couldn’t argue his own case to live.

He expected it to end at any minute. A long period of silence followed, before he heard whispers. Strangers in the darkness were arguing. “Are you sure about this?”

“This kid is a deadbeat, nobody will catch on,” another voice said. “Get the scalpel.”

Caleb wanted to know what this was about. Was this surgery? If so, why were they whispering? Why did they talk about him this way?

These were no surgeons — they would have used anesthesia. He felt something in his side, sliding down the skin. It parted, and there was pressure. Somebody made an incision and stuck his hands inside of him. His skin stung, and his organs ached. He wanted to shout and jump up, but couldn’t. All he could do was listen to the sickening sounds of oozing blood and moving tissue.

“His liver looks terrible,” one voice muttered. “What a waste. Kidney’s not bad though.”

“Take it. Hurry.”

The pain lasted for an eternity, before he was left with an excruciating ache in his side. He felt dozens of stings as somebody stitched his skin and closed the incision.

Pain filled all of Caleb’s world, until the voices came back.

“This kid’s still here.” One of them said. Caleb panicked. What else did they want? What more will they take from him?

“Hearts are in high demand,” the other voice said.

“Won’t that kill him?”

“It’s either that, or lungs, or sperm. Hey, you can try to collect his sperm if you want, but I’m not touching that. Besides, the heart will fetch a good price. His mother won’t mind as long as she gets her cut.”

“Let’s take his heart.”

Book Review: Man in the High Castle (Philip K Dick)

What would the world look like if the Allies lost WWII? In this speculative novel, Philip K Dick offers his typical "slice of life" view of an alternate world where Germans and Japanese claim America, and their cultures become fused with ours. It's not as scary of a future as you'd see in other modern interpretations (the only ones of which I actually know of being the game Wolfenstein: The New Order, or the film The Philadelphia Experiment 2 - both are pretty extreme views that emphasize action more than storytelling). But there are subtleties that may get under your skin. The threat of fascism, and the inherent racism of the Nazis, gives the book the poignancy it needs.

Unfortunately, this is a book I didn't consistently enjoy. I found myself digging parts of it, but then I felt it dragged, and the sum of the parts never congealed into a story that fully captivated me. Part of the issue is the same problems I had with The Martian Time-Slip and Dr. Bloodmoney - I couldn't really relate to or care for the characters, and then I couldn't really follow them through the meandering plot. Much like the other PKD novels I mentioned, the plot itself eludes me - no central conflict stood out, so it felt like a random bunch of people doing whatever. There are parts where it felt like there was direction, and the ending is not bad. There are themes to be had and characters worth exploring. I just couldn't follow it as well as I wanted to.

The book itself is pretty well-written, as expected. PKD does have a style that's perfectly read-able and he does a great job of getting inside the characters' heads and immersing readers in the world he describes. This is a world that seems well-researched, incorporating a lot of different cultural references to make this future feel more real. The prose overall is great.

There's nothing much wrong with this book, and sci-fi fans ought to check it out. It just didn't grab me personally.

3/5

Book Review: Blackstar (Josh Viola)

"No price too great, no distance too far / If we could wish upon a Blackstar..." - Celldweller, "Wish Upon a Blackstar"
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How cool is this? A novel's been made to take all the mythology and ideas from Celldweller's music and tell a tangible story with it all. The songs are as imaginative as they are catchy and full of beat - somewhere in the lyrics, there was always some kind of story begging to be told.

Fortunately, the book is a cool product. The story is a pretty far-out adventure across space and time. The hero is a hacker dude (who happens to sport a red mohawk, just like Klayton...hmmm...). The villain is a tyrant we love to hate. There are aliens, robots, spaceships, and more! It's not all just a bunch of stuff thrown against the wall to see what sticks though - the premise of using memories as a commodity is an original and unique idea. The book does pull out some incredible character twists, and it all ties together into a pretty tight package.

Unfortunately, the book only had me hooked for the first third. Once everybody reaches Scardonia, things started to feel messy for me personally. I realize that part of the issue is the scope - there's a ton of stuff that happens, including an epic revolutionary battle at the end, but with only six or so characters to drive the whole story, it feels very short and limited. On top of that, the few characters the book has become interconnected in very complex ways across different times and areas - it will take some patience and thought to sort it all out. It wound up coming off as rather convoluted.

The story itself uses some pretty basic tropes - it's a standard good-vs-evil affair with familiar archetypes you can find in other cyberpunk and adventure books. What matters the most are the characters, which are fairly likable and fairly well-developed, and the settings, which will stagger the imagination.

The book is written with a very brisk style. It comes off as a little blunt at times. It succeeds in immersing the reader in the minds of the characters and the world they live in. It also uses some bizarre style choices that may appear messy at first, but aren't too terrible. The prose is good, plain and simple.

There is much to like about Blackstar, especially for Celldweller fans and sci-fi fans. However, I couldn't shake the feeling that it's a cash-in on the music. I appreciate the book for its imaginative worldbuilding and such, but the story didn't necessarily captivate me all the way through. Best recommended for fans.

3.5/5