Action movies are some of the most underrated, misunderstood, and impressive movies out there, and in the past several years, there have been some incredible ones. This list is dedicated to everyone out there who is sick of hearing people mindlessly call great movies "mindless" just because they feature explosions. Prudes. Explosions are awesome...
10. Pacific Rim
Directed by Guillermo Del Toro
Fans of Godzilla should appreciate this one. A sci/fi action epic about giant monsters battling giant robots for the fate of the Earth. A basic concept, but thanks to the style and finesse of Guillermo Del Toro, this movie is able to escalate above standard popcorn fare and into the realm of totally awesome. Though I'm not usually a fan of distinctly CGI action, the animation and approach this movie takes to the battle scenes totally capture the massive scope and epic nature the film was going for, making it a visual treat, as well as a badass kaiju vs. rock'em sock'em robot smash-fest.
9. The World's End
Directed by Edgar Wright
No, this is not a very conventional action movie, but that's not what this list is, now is it? Though this movie definitely first and foremost fits into the sci/fi and comedy genres, this is also an exhilarating action movie with some cool fight choreography brought to us in unconventional and intriguing ways. Bringing humor and a surprising amount of emotional heft into the fray, this is both a science fiction masterpiece, as well as a brilliant acting showcase for Simon Pegg. Not the first action movie I would expect to spring to peoples' minds, but certainly not one to scoff at.
8. Skyfall
Directed by Sam Mendes
The latest, greatest entry to the James Bond film franchise. Directed by Sam Mendes and featuring Javier Bardem as one of the best Bond villains ever, this is one of the closest things to a real character study 007 has ever gotten. The action scenes are fairly standard fare, but shown through the lens of master cinematographer Roger Deakins, they suddenly become incredible. Quite possibly the most dynamic film in the 50-year-old series, there's a lot more here than what a usual Bond movie has to offer. This movie does not pander to audiences, nor does it feel the need to retain the formula of the series -- all the while still also paying proper homage to its origins and telling an excellent story with grit, style, and punch.
7. The Avengers
Directed by Joss Whedon
There had never been anything like this when this movie came out. A superhero movie that takes bits and pieces from several once-segregated films and ties them all together in the best way. On their own, Captain America, Hulk, and Thor's movies are lacking (I'm not bringing Iron Man in on this one, Robert Downey Jr's Tony Stark can rule a movie completely on his own), but when they're all tied in together, you get something magical. Pair the clash and novelty of the heroes with the greatness of Tom Hiddleston's villainous Loki, and you have something great. Funny, exciting, full of great action sequences and quippy one-liners, this is one of the best superhero movies ever made, and with the comedic flair of Joss Whedon's script and direction, this is one of those game-changing movies that will stand the test of time.
6. Mad Max: Fury Road
Directed by George Miller
There is an internal struggle I'm having with this movie. On the one hand, I am sick to damn death of people going on about how this is the greatest action movie ever, and blah blah blah something about Citizen Kane sucking, I don't even know, I've blocked it out at this point. But on the other hand, this really *is* one of the coolest action movies of the past few years. It was a lot of fun for me to watch this movie, and not just because I enjoy the Mad Max movies and it was neat for me to feel like I wasn't just watching a knock-off of one (made all the more real by the fact that George Miller is the man responsible for all of the Mad Max films), but the real thing. Difficult action sequences shot on a moving set, implementing all the dramatic flair of the original movies, characters that are nowhere near as one-dimensional as you might expect, and let's not forget the real reason to love this movie: all dem 'splosions. Oh yes, glorious 'splosions all over the place, in all their post-apocalyptic glory.
5. Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World
Directed by Edgar Wright
One of the most fast-paced, ADHD movies I have ever seen in my life, and one of the best possible video-game tribute films you could ever hope to have the pleasure of watching. There should be a disclaimer on this movie that it may give you seizures, because I have a feeling that even during the purely dialogue-driven scenes, this movie is so hyperactive, bouncy and lightning-quick that it could put someone in the hospital if they aren't prepared for it. With all the sharp editing and witty dialogue you might expect from an Edgar Wright movie, Scott Pilgrim is too relentless in its action and characterization for it not to be entertaining to anyone who can somehow keep up. Pay close attention to the editing in this movie and you will notice some very clever in-jokes and impressive uses of animation that could easily go by unnoticed due to the kinetic nature of this visual assault of a movie.
4. Inception
Directed by Christopher Nolan
And now to the movie that did one of the most difficult things an action movie can do: convince people that it was actually an intelligently-crafted film. Nominated for the Oscars for Best Screenplay as well as Best Picture (something few action movies can boast), this Nolan sci/fi action epic is by no means the deep, mind-bender that people will have you believe, but is in fact one of the most impressive action movies I have ever seen. There's a world-shaking nature to this film that sets it apart from most of its bomb-laden brethren. A good deal of competent action movies can turn large sets into action set-pieces, or use obviously-staged moments of unrealistic circumstances to give the action a distinctly fictional look and feel (e.g. space-battles), but can easily be distinguished from reality. But what Inception does is far more unique: it manages to create action in plausible settings, while then proceeding to put a twist the fabric of reality to create a new spin on the scene, while still keeping up the illusion of reality (e.g. the rotating hallway fight scene). This is the movie that pushed the envelope, and Nolan has been unable to match it since.
3. Guardians Of The Galaxy
Directed by James Gunn
And back again to the Marvel universe. I was incredibly skeptical when I first saw trailers for this movie (and by "skeptical" I mean "this movie looks dumb and I don't want to watch it"). I remained skeptical every time I sat through another trailer for it. The trailers wouldn't stop. They got really annoying. And then it came time to eventually sit down and watch it. I don't remember why I thought that would be a good idea, but Marvel had only let me down a relatively low number of times before this, so it didn't seem like a terrible idea to throw down a few bucks and give it a go. The result? I hated it. *record scratch sound* Of course I didn't hate it, what am I, stupid? This is #3 on my list of the best action movies of the decade. C'mon now, be serious. This is one of the most entertaining movies I've ever seen. The jokes land, the action sequences are awesome, the visuals are shockingly good, and as weird as it is to say, this movie really nailed it on an emotional level. A full-bodied sci/fi action-adventure comedy with a good dose of drama. In pretty much every way, this movie is a success. One of the best action movies of the decade, and one of my favorite movies of the decade as well.
2. 13 Assassins
Directed by Takashi Miike
And this is the part of the list where I throw a curveball. Takashi Miike, traditionally a horror director (with a splash of the ol' revenge-y exploitation) threw his own curveball here, giving the world one of the best possible visions of a post-Kurosawa re-imagining of Seven Samurai (a title most passionate movie buffs will recognize as one of the greatest films of all-time). 2 hours of late-Edo period bliss. The first half largely revolves around the establishing of the films leads (and villains), giving the titular heroes motivation and time to plan their attack. The second half is when all hell breaks loose. Barely slowing down for an entire hour, this movie pushes your expectations to their limits among the blood, blades, and chaos. Fans of samurai films should look no further than this, and fans of pure action insanity should by no means be turned away by the subtitles: this is truly an epic not to be missed. Though there are a few slight missteps (namely a certain moment featuring computer-generated bovines), the amount of sheer balls-to-the-wall awesomeness is nearly impossible to match. Nearly...
1. The Raid: Redemption
Directed by Gareth Evans
Anyone who has ever heard me talk about action movies has undoubtedly heard me praise this movie. Wasting no time on unnecessary character development (it develops its characters enough as it progresses), this Indonesian masterpiece cuts right to the point, starting out as a police team gear up to raid an apartment complex housing a drug kingpin. A strong opening scene this will be, I'm sure...but wait. This is the whole movie. Unlike most action movies, this one doesn't start with a catchy action sequence to get its hooks in you and then move onto something different. This movie starts by grabbing you, and hurdles you straight into the chaos. The first act features loads of gunfire and a heavy use of explosives. But what happens when they run out of firepower? No, this isn't a Schwarzenegger movie, they *do* run low on ammo. Well, you see, to put it quite simply, they begin to beat the living crap out of one another with anything they can find. Shifting gears from a shoot-em-up to a martial arts showdown isn't the kind of thing you generally see, but this movie takes that leap, and just as you might expect, totally nails it. The action choreography is some of the best I've ever seen, with fantastic cinematography, film editing, and bone-crunching sound design to fill it all out. Even with all the nonstop action, insanely awesome music (the original score as well as the version provided by Mike Shinoda), and proficient filmmaking technique on display, they still manage to cram in some characterization, as well as plotpoints surrounding two estranged brothers and police corruption. Obviously, these bits could be more fleshed out, but the moment that becomes your complaint about this movie is the moment I kindly ask you to shut the hell up and go watch some Chuck Norris. Chaotic, but streamlined, this is action filmmaking at its very best. Not only do I consider this the best action movie of the decade, I consider this the best action movie of all-time.
And that's all I have for you, lady and gentleman (yes, my readership does land somewhere in the single-digits at this point in time). I hope you enjoyed reading my list (or, more realistically, breezing through to get it over with), and maybe someday when you find yourself really bored and in the need of a shot of adrenaline, you can recall the words I've put before you and bask in the greatness of some fantastic action movies. Until then, I'll be waiting for you with a stick of dynamite and a syringe full of Demerol. Hasta la vista.
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