The Action Movie Thread (explosions, zip-lines, dirt bikes)

[louisg]

The remake of A Better Tomorrow was pretty good. No Ronin on this list?

Really? I'd been largely avoiding it because I've heard relatively bland reviews. Can you give a bit more detailed review? Since you Liked it, I'd really like to get your opinion.

And yeah, how has Ronin not been mentioned yet? One of De Niro's best films and the car chases are brilliant, especially the big one.

Hmm let me think. I saw it a while ago. I'd say that it's overall a lot better produced, grittier, with better acting. Unless you're a fan of totally over-the-top HK acting; in that case you may be disappointed. It hits most of the same plot points.

That doesn't mean there isn't good storytelling though. My specific reference for this comment was not Red Cliff, but The Killer and A Better Tomorrow. Both have great action, but also really good stories, good characters and some genuinely great acting. The apartment confrontation between Chow Yun-Fat and Danny Lee in The Killer is a particular favourite of scene of mine.

I don't know if I'd call a lot of it genuinely great acting. I think The Killer is great, as is Hard Boiled. There are a couple scenes that I think are convincing, but a lot of it is so melodramatic and crazy that there's just not a lot of subtlety left in it. Or, I guess I could say it's good acting along the lines of Face/Off (and whether that's good is open to interpretation ).

The apartment scene in The Killer is classic. I really dig it.

[Obiwanshinobi]

Showdown in Little Tokyo

Watched it while stoned. Seemed too good to be true.
Some time ago I watched Ruckus. Here's what I thought.
No idea if wuxia films belong in this thread, but recently I was mighty impressed by Duel to the Death. I find the tone of those Hong Kong films about violence most becoming. Another fave of mine is A Better Tomorrow (the first one).

[lilmanjs]

Seoul (Japan 2002) was a movie I struggled through to stay awake enough to watch the first time around. second time viewing made me realize what a good movie this is. car chases, bank heists and a foreign minster being kidnapped. good action when there's action in the movie.

[drauch]

Yeah, I was quite surprised with The Raid: Redemption. Quite a bit of fun, plus some nice brutality!

Some great HK stuff on Netflix right now that isn't readily available(!):

Tiger Cage (sequel also available)
Wheels on Meals
Dragons Forever
Magnificent Warriors (Also, the sequel The Executioners is available.)
Full Contact
Riki-Oh: The Story of Ricky
And more!
Plus tons of Jackie Chan (beware, most of it is the edited, dubbed American releases.)

Some more stuff I recommend:

The Last Hunter (Antonio Margheretti)
Deadly Prey
Everything by Cirio H. Santiago: Dune Warriors, The Sisterhood, Wheels of Fire, Outlander, Raiders of the Sun, etc!)
Invasion U.S.A.
Lone Wolf McQuade
Royal Warriors
Magnificent Warriors
Death Wish 3
Red Scorpion
Legacy of Rage
Inglorious Bastards (Not the trash Tarantino film)
Street Law
The Heroin Busters
Gunga Din
The Dirty Dozen (duh)
The Punisher (Dolph)
The Punisher: War Zone (Surprisingly very brutal!)
High Risk
Eastern Condors

So much stuff. Don't really need to get into the obvious American stuff: Seagal, Norris, Van Damme, Ahnold, Italian Stallion, Willis, etc.
I'm trying to stray away from straight up Martial Arts, as that could be an entire thread in itself.

[BIL]

Wheels on Meals

A must-see just for the last fight scene, specifically Jackie Chan vs Benny "The Jet" Urquidez. Just... just... ffffuck. Bionic lightning brutality.

[drauch]

Yeah dude, so goddamn good. Shame the fight wasn't as lengthy in Dragons Forever. Actually was just watching My Lucky Stars last night!

[emphatic]

No love for Armour Of God?

[1up]

Wheels on Meals

A must-see just for the last fight scene, specifically Jackie Chan vs Benny "The Jet" Urquidez. Just... just... ffffuck. Bionic lightning brutality.

Watched this a couple of weeks ago. It's awesome.

Also, Deadly Prey as mentioned above. This movie is a Rambo knock off and its so corny and bro-tastic that it's so bad it's good but still really bad. The dialogue is horrible, and it feels like the whole script was written by a couple of highschool teenagers. Must have been a really limited budget too as everything is recorded in the same place it seems.

[Skykid]

No love for Armour Of God?

My 2nd fave after Police Story, it's absolutely amazing. Good call!

Wheels on Meals has an amazing final fight sequence - one of the best ever - but the film itself is sadly quite boring.

[njiska]

Ok guys, your thoughts on a 1970s Kung-fu movie throwback flick written, directed and featuring The RZA. I know he loves these movies in and out, so maybe this is a good thing? Trailer looks ok.

The Man With The Iron Fists

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6FyGHAUpSIQ

[drauch]

No love for Armour Of God?

My 2nd fave after Police Story, it's absolutely amazing. Good call!

Wheels on Meals has an amazing final fight sequence - one of the best ever - but the film itself is sadly quite boring.

I've still yet to see Armour of God! I refuse to watch any dubbed, edited crap. I've actually been meaning to import the R2 DVD of it. Will do, soon!

[emphatic]

The dubbing is fucking ace! Especially the white folks!

[RGC]

Not as good as the dub of Legend of a Fighter, where bully kid calls victim kid a "f*cking c*nt-face." At least, that's what it always sounded like. By the way, I recommend that one highly. It's in my top 3 shaq-fu flicks, along with Prodigal Son and The Victim.

[Obiwanshinobi]

If you have a thing for kung fu movies from nineteen-seventies, check out the GBA game Bruce Lee: Return of the Legend. The name says it all.

[Skykid]

Enter The Dragon

Not that I give a shit, but could've sworn you said you hated this elsewhere.

What, never!

Got it RGC, I think you're thinking of Dragon Tiger Gate, not Enter the Dragon.

DTG is a pile of shiz.

[emphatic]

So... Have you guys seen New Dragon Gate Inn?

[lilmanjs]

No love for Armour Of God?

My 2nd fave after Police Story, it's absolutely amazing. Good call!

Wheels on Meals has an amazing final fight sequence - one of the best ever - but the film itself is sadly quite boring.

How is Wheels on Meals boring save for the final fight sequence? sure its not a typical Jackie Chan movie, but I think that's what makes it all the more better. at least the comedy bits aren't forced like some of the later movies he's done. Also as for another recommendation, a good modern kung fu movie I'd have to say is worth watching is the Korean movie The City of Violence. A story that makes sense, action that falls into the story quite well, and the final fight sequence is quite good even if pretty long. all fades happen without black, but that doesn't matter as some of them are quite nice. I have seen this movie many times and its worth seeing.

[Skykid]

Wheels on Meals has an amazing final fight sequence - one of the best ever - but the film itself is sadly quite boring.

How is Wheels on Meals boring save for the final fight sequence? sure its not a typical Jackie Chan movie, but I think that's what makes it all the more better. at least the comedy bits aren't forced like some of the later movies he's done.

The bit with the motorbikes in the market stall at the beginning and the raid on the castle at the end are the only fighting highlights in the movie, everything in the middle is only mildly amusing and mostly unfunny splapstick that goes on too long. The stuff in the club where they're pretending not to be able to hear Sammo Hung is a good example of improvised silliness that outstays its welcome, and most other scenes don't do anything to keep your interest. There's definitely no 'plot' to speak of.

I'm not blaming the movie, that's just the HK style of the day, but there's definitely a dearth of action. Armour of God is much better in that respect.

[Obiwanshinobi]

What was that Van Damme flick about nanobombs hidden in Chinese tat called? One of those "too bad to be watched while sober, too good to not be watched at all".

[emphatic]

I finally remembered the name of this move, so I had to bump this thread:

CHINA STRIKE FORCE!



* It has Coolio. As Coolio.
* It has Mark Dacascos.

Full movie on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BN3VfagzahE
Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OEqFoFT3DmY

[charlie chong]

how did i miss this thread
off the top of the head low budget b movie action

phantom soldiers (one of the best opening scenes ever)
american hunter,final score (same director,same actor,these films are basically the same)
the stabilizer
penitentary 3
killer's invincible
strike commando
atlantis interceptors
cannibal mercenary
deadly prey
bulletproof
night wars
rambu
for your height only
the impossible kid
wild wild weng weng
the satan killer
superfights
eye of the tiger

the labels aip and pm entertainment provide super cheesy low budget american crap with nearly all their titles

[drauch]

I always forget this exists as well. Some nice recommendations as usual, Charlie! Have you see the Cannibal Mercenary sequel? I know it's insane rare VCD only stuff, but wasn't sure if it was floating around out there some where.

[rancor]

Have to say that I'm a little disappointed that no one mentioned the greatest coldwar action film of the 80s. I'm of course talking about:



Filled to the brim with superstar actors (Patrick Swayze, Charlie Sheen, Harry Dean Stanton, Jennifer Grey, Lea Thompson) as well as some of the greatest action cheeze ever committed to celluloid.

From out of the sky, Soviet, Nicaraguan, and Cuban troops begin landing on the football field of a Colorado high school. In seconds, the paratroopers have attacked the school and sent a group of teenagers fleeing into the mountains. Armed only with hunting rifles, pistols, and bows and arrows, the teens struggle to survive the bitter winter and the Soviet patrols hunting for them. Eventually, trouble arises when they kill a group of Soviet soldiers in the snowy highlands. Eventually the band of teenagers will wage their own guerrilla warfare against the invading Soviet troops-under the banner of 'Wolverines!'

If the above doesnt sell you, keep in mind that the film made the Guinness Book of Records for having the most acts of violence of any film up to that time. According to their calculations, 134 acts of violence occur per hour, 2.23 per minute.


WOLVERINES!!!111

[charlie chong]

hmm i never heard of a cannibal mercenary sequel but it does appear to exist
http://trashy-filipino-war-movies.blogs ... ary-2.html

i hope it's not going to be as mythically rare as the sequel to gbh which still has not surfaced

[drauch]

Definitely a fan of Red Dawn! Actually watched it again for the first time in a few years quite recently. Interesting calculations, and I certainly believe it. I remember through my rewatch wondering how the hell this got made in Hollywood with such a cast! So much death, so many dead commies.

[drauch]

hmm i never heard of a cannibal mercenary sequel but it does appear to exist
http://trashy-filipino-war-movies.blogs ... ary-2.html

i hope it's not going to be as mythically rare as the sequel to gbh which still has not surfaced

Love that blog! Shame he stopped updating. Yeah, that VCD surfaces on eBay every once and awhile, but usually fetches at least $40 or more. I figured some diehard Namsploitation dude would rip it at this point, but still doesn't seem to be the case. Drawing a blank on the acronym. What's gbh?

[charlie chong]

g.b.h in uk is acronym for grievious bodily harm.the uk director david kent watson did a series of very amateur(and very funny even tho the actors are playing it serious) shot on video actions films starring cliff twemlow.very few have surfaced except for g.b.h and the eye of satan and some trailers on youtube.
here's the imdb for g.b.h
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0456960/
i'm surprised no one has ripped and subtitled that cannibal mercenary vcd if they turn up from time to time.
if i could get a rip i would deffo offer a good prize to anyone who could subtitle it as stuff like this will be lost if people just hoard it.

[Krooze L-Roy]

Dread. Seriously, everybody needs to watch the shit out of Dread. Awesome, awesome movie.

[drauch]

g.b.h in uk is acronym for grievious bodily harm.the uk director david kent watson did a series of very amateur(and very funny even tho the actors are playing it serious) shot on video actions films starring cliff twemlow.very few have surfaced except for g.b.h and the eye of satan and some trailers on youtube.
here's the imdb for g.b.h
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0456960/
i'm surprised no one has ripped and subtitled that cannibal mercenary vcd if they turn up from time to time.
if i could get a rip i would deffo offer a good prize to anyone who could subtitle it as stuff like this will be lost if people just hoard it.

Ahhh, okay. I've yet to see it. I know just the place to get it .

Yeah, if you read through the blog, that dude's got Cannibal Mercenary 2, as well as a buddy or so of his. He seems very oddly anti-digital media and collects VHS, VCDs, Betas, LDs, etc. of underground action films of the sort, so it's a damn shame he can't just rip it and throw it online for someone. I feel like I've seen it on eBay sold auctions twice, and that was only in the span of one month, so some seller probably had a few. I think before that that dude was probably searching every day, so it was probably a fluke that I even saw it. This is where I wish I had a real job, then I could do something with my life, like buy a copy of CM2 and share it with the world!

[drauch]

Dread. Seriously, everybody needs to watch the shit out of Dread. Awesome, awesome movie.

Dredd, buddy! Dredd!

And yeah, it rules. Still amazed this even exists. A pleasant surprise to see so much carnage on the big screen again!