The Kenblog: Five Great Action Movies!

Howdy Folks!  It’s The Kendog!

Just got back from watching “Mechanic: Ressurection” and found it to be a serviceable, if unexceptional, action movie.  Statham is good as always, but he can do this kind of stuff in his sleep, and the direction by Dennis Gansel is somewhat flat at times.  As I was watching I found myself thinking of the true classics of action cinema, movies that can transport you with awesome set pieces and incredible choreography.  So for you, my dear readers, I’ve come up with a list of five (for the time being) of the greatest action movies of all time.  Feel free to comment and add some of your own!  So Sayeth The Kendog!

5.  Predator –  This is one lean action machine, featuring the best Arnold Schwarzenegger had to offer and also featured one of the few characters that featured his ass getting kicked.  Although it’s almost 30 years old it still holds up today as a model of efficient storytelling.

4.  Die Hard – Director John McTiernan followed up “Predator” with another masterpiece, this one featuring Bruce Willis in the position of reluctant hero matching wits with the late, great Alan Rickman in a Los Angeles hi-rise.  John McClane was the first real everyman hero and Willis nailed the part despite being only previously cast in comedies.  Terrific action, character, and dialogue still make this a must watch today.

3. Heat –  Michael Mann’s 1995 Los Angeles crime masterpiece not only features a first rate cast including Pacino, DeNiro, and Val Kilmer, but also features a shootout so intense and realistic looking that two lunkhead robbers tried to do the exact same thing a couple of years later.  Mann makes you feel for the characters which makes the terrific action all the more absorbing and it also features the first onscreen scene between acting legends Pacino and DeNiro.

2.  Aliens – James Cameron’s follow-up to Ridley Scott’s masterpiece of horror manages to be just as good as the original while going in an entirely different thematic direction.  This 1986 actioner has great characters, a wonderful set up, emotional stakes (Ripley’s motherly instincts toward Newt make the action all the more harrowing.), and one of the greatest practical monsters ever created by the legendary Stan Winston.  Still watchable after all these years.

https://youtu.be/YN16ySNZecg

1. Raiders Of The Lost Ark  –  Indiana Jones at his finest.  The first adventure of the Whip Swinging Archaeologist is still the best.  Spielberg directs from Lucas’ inspired story and Harrison Ford becomes the hero of a lifetime.  Always getting his ass kicked but always bouncing up and coming back for more, Indy is a hero everyone can relate to.  The reliance on stunt work rather than special effects means that this movie has aged extremely well and can raise the pulse on even the most jaded thrill seeker!

https://youtu.be/F1ZyHNmb1yU