Star Trek Into Darkness

I'm really struggling with a rating for this film. There was a lot that was good. The acting was good as always, the first two-thirds of the story was good, and I actually really enjoyed Cumberbatch's version of Khan. What I find utterly unforgivable, however, was the last third of the film. How can Abrams get "Star Wars" so right and this film so badly wrong? Without spoiling anything, the changes he made to the end of this story I felt betrayed the characters he is attempting to honor with these films. I so strongly disagree with these choices that I have to condemn this film. And, as a bonus, Abrams' lens flare penchant was worse than I've ever seen it before. It's not a bad movie, but it's a terrible Star Trek movie. I'm going to give it three stars and call it a day. 3/5

Star Trek Into Darkness on Netflix

Takers

Now, I love a good heist film, but this is only a barely adequate heist film. The plot is surface at best, there's not much character development, and the acting was surprisingly weak given the caliber of the cast. The heists themselves were pretty good, but overall I was disappointed by this. 3/5

Takers on Netflix

RoboCop

HORRIBLE remake that has none of the sense or message of the original. This was painful to watch, utter useless. 2/5

RoboCop on Netflix

Gamer

The natural evolution of Running Man, this action flick is smart, stylish & well acted. I don't get the negative reviews. 4/5

Gamer on Netflix

Daybreakers

Another interesting sci-fi idea, like "I, Frankenstein", that I never thought of. Well acted & executed. 3/5

Daybreakers on Netflix

Raze

WOW! What a tremendous action thriller that was! If I was remaking my Favorite Action Film list this'd be on it. 4.5/5

Raze on Netflix

Beyond Outrage

This bloody Japanese crime thriller sequel is far better than the original - I can't wait to see how it ends. 4/5

Beyond Outrage on Netflix

Five Favorites: "Five Favorite Action Films Since 2000"

Donna: Welcome to the newest addition of "Five Favorites" with Michael Siegel! This month we decided to take on our "Five Favorite Action Films released since 2000". For this list we wanted to focus as much as possible on pure action films. For that reason we decided to exclude the vast majority of superhero, sci-fi, or martial arts films, as we were really trying to focus on pure action. However, if we felt that the action in a excluded movie was just too good we agreed that we would allow its inclusion. We capped the release date for this at 2000 - anything released before that year was also excluded. We wanted to focus on what the genre looks like today and not be tempted to fill our lists with old favorites.

We pooled our thoughts and came up with a short list of 30 films. Narrowing that down to just five was tough for me and I found myself unable to not pick one sci-fi film for my final list. Honorable mentions for me go out to "Valhalla Rising", "Machete", "Unstoppable", and "Kick Ass".

Mike: This was tough for me, as most of the action movies I watch slide into science fiction or superhero categories. Maybe it’s my perception, but we don’t seem to be getting the kind of pure action movies we did twenty years ago when Schwarzeneggar and Stallone ruled the box office. Almost everything these days is part of genre franchise.

Nevertheless, here is my list, with only a little bit of rule-bending. I do want to make an honorable mention of “Kill Bill”.  Kill Bill is a great action movie.  Unfortunately, that great movie is wrapped up a bloated 2-volume package.  If you edited them down to one movie and cut the total run time by about 40 minutes, it would probably be near the top of this list. Its action scenes are excellent, the acting is great and the dialogue solid. But it is a prime example of what I’ve disparaged as action movie bloat.  I also decided, at the last moment, to drop “Master and Commander” from my list because it is as much drama as action and I’ll hold it back for a post on criminally-underrated films.

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Donna's #5: "Death Race" - Yes, this is a totally cheesy film with a flimsy plot and some questionable acting. But the action? It's non-stop and totally adrenaline filled. Jason Statham is quite good but it's Ian McShane that sells the film with his swarmy humor. The racing scenes are just incredible and the film is filled with wonderfully gruesome violence. If you're looking for a solid plot and well-drawn characters along with your action this isn't for you. But if you're just looking for a good hundred minutes of speed and death and slickly filmed action scenes then go no further - this is the film for you.

Mike’s #5: “300”  - My first pick is also cheesy and ridiculous but still an adrenaline-fueled ride. None of the actors tries to pretend he’s in anything other than a ridiculous action movie and that makes it work. The visual style is stunning, the dialogue suitably overblown, the action clear and the stakes high. I initially did not like this film a lot because I wanted something more serious about the Battle of Thermopylae.  But over time, I’ve come to like it for what it is.

Donna's #4 - "Act of Valor" - Filmed by actual Navy SEALS and based on actual events, this action thriller broke new ground in cinema. It was quite well received and with good reason - the action is wonderful and terribly realistic because it's performed by real, highly trained soldiers. However, the reason for its success is also the reason for its downfall. Because these are soldiers and not actors the acting is truly weak, enough so as to be distracting. When the action stops the movie falls apart quickly, but the quality of the action sequences is so damn good and well filmed that, in the end, it really doesn't matter. This is a must see for action fans as it will give you a new appreciation of what real combat looks like.

Mike’s #4 – “V for Vendetta” – Another comic book adaptation, one disparaged by some of the fans. But this is another movie that succeeds because of excellent visuals and great action sequences as well as Hugo Weaving’s excellent voice work. The sense of momentum in the final act is palpable.

Donna's #3 - "Battle: Los Angeles" - As "Battle: Los Angeles" is a sci-fi/action flick this is my one real conceit from the rules of this list. However, I was so taken with it that I couldn't imagine my list not including this really amazing film. Both the sci-fi elements and the action in this film are tremendously strong. The film is perfectly paced, not too long, and has a plot that is really quite believable and solid. The direction is just outstanding, particularly in the long, elaborate battle sequences that make this film truly outstanding. There really wasn't a weak spot in this film, and it is so adrenaline filled that I felt it had to take the #3 spot on my list.

Mike’s #3: “Hot Fuzz” – Really, you could put all three of the “Cornetto Trilogy” movies on this list. All three are good, but Hot Fuzz is my favorite. It is wickedly satirical, darkly hilarious and absolutely mind-bogglingly over-the-top bloody in its action. What elevates this movie to greatness and garnered a spot on this list is that while it’s mocking action movies, it’s also a fun action movie in its own right. The fight scenes are delivered with skill and energy, it never loses its sense of fun, it never loses track of what’s going on and it has a really slimy villain. Ironically, it’s a better action movie than the hordes of overlong joyless movies it is satirizing.

Donna's #2 - "White House Down" - The first thing I thought when I saw this film was that we finally had a true successor to the "Die Hard" legacy. That's tall praise but I stand by it as this is a truly solid film from top to bottom. Channing Tatum is the perfect action star, possessing the needed charisma to truly command a screen. The plot, while far-fetched at times, was actually believable and sold so well by the stars that I bought it hook, line and sinker. The direction was also very strong with well edited and perfectly paced action sequences throughout. I can easily see this becoming a franchise like "Die Hard" did - that's how strong I felt it was. A true standout.

Mike’s #2 – “Pacific Rim” – This would not make a list of my best science-fiction movies. But it does make a list of my best action movies because it is more of an action movie than a science fiction one.  As I said in my initial review, imagine Transformers, but, you know, good. Pacific Rim is silly and over-the-top and wonderful. It has a tremendous sense of fun. We see absolutely every beat of the script coming, but enjoy them because it does such a bang-up job with them. And the action scenes -- especially the long middle sequence through the streets of Hong Kong --deliver more adrenaline, more drama and more thrills than all three Transformer movies combined.

Donna's #1 - "Chronicle" - Maybe it's because I really love these through-the-eye-of-the-camera films when they're done right. Maybe it's because telekinesis is my own power of choice. Maybe it's because I understood, related to, and totally got every character's motivation throughout the film. Maybe it's because the action is so incredible I got totally sucked in. In the end, it's all these things and more. "Chronicle" captured me from the very beginning and never let me go. I spent the entire end of the film on the edge of my seat with my hands over my mouth is awe. This is a tremendous film with some of the coolest action I've ever seen, and it's one of my favorite films in recent history. For me, there was only one choice for the top of this list, and "Chronicle" owns it.

Mike’s #1 – “Kick-Ass” - While we excluded most superhero films, this really isn’t a super-hero film.  It’s a send-up of superheroes, action movies and original stories (and yes, that makes three comic book adaptations and two parodies in my list). As I said in my initial review, if I took the movie seriously, I would be horrified by the sight of a pre-teen girl hurling profanities and brutally slaughtering rooms full of bad guys. But the movie is so ridiculously over-the-top, so obviously satirical that I found myself grinning through the cursing and bloodshed. It helps that the script sands off the more cynical and darker corners of the graphic novel. Like “Hot Fuzz” this a better action movie than the movies it is mocking.

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Thanks for joining us for another addition of "Five "Favorites" and we'll see you again next month!

Captain Phillips

Compared to "A Hijacking" this was average slick Hollywood action. Only Hanks made this film special for me. Compared to "A Hijacking" this was average slick Hollywood action. Only Hanks made this film special for me. 3.5/5 3.5/5

Captain Phillips on Netflix

Outrage

This Japanese action thriller had a complex chess-like plot but so many characters it got confusing to follow. Still, I was interested enough to want to rent the newly released sequel. Brutally violent and yet cerebral - interesting. 3/5

Outrage on Netflix

Rush

It's so rare to find a movie that hits this close to perfection. Howard's stunning direction combined with outstanding acting from Hemsworth and Bruhl and a perfectly paced script left me breathless. Bravo! 5/5

Rush on Netflix

Ong Bak 3

This is really the second half of Ong Bak 2 & brings a satisfying storyline conclusion. Tony Jaa is amazing. 4/5

Ong Bak 3 on Netflix

The Last Stand

This action thriller is really weak with really bad acting & an atrocious script. I hoped for much better. 2/5

The Last Stand on Netflix

Ong Bak 2: The Beginning

This Tony Jaa project is a feast for the senses & featured some of the best martial arts I've seen in a while. BTW, Tony Jaa didn't just star in this - he wrote, produced, directed and choreographed all the action. WOW. This man is a god. 4/5

Ong Bak 2: The Beginning on Netflix

Elysium

Too long, sappy as hell & way too political, this long whine about white privilege got old fast & made no sense. 2/5

Elysium on Netflix

A Perfect Getaway

I did guess every plot twist in this but I really enjoyed it anyway - solid acting & good direction. 3.5/5

A Perfect Getaway on Netflix

Alex Cross

Who knew Matthew Fox could act like this? He was excellent in this rather gripping & exciting action thriller. 3.5/5

Alex Cross on Netflix

Dead Man Down

This thriller is really well plotted & wonderfully acted by Farrell, Rapace & Howard. Suspenseful & well done. 4/5

Dead Man Down on Netflix

Dredd

I thought the was a remake of the Stallone flick but it's not & it's quite good & exciting to boot. I'm surprised. This would be an excellent double feature with "The Raid: Redemption" - both are quite exciting with great action. 4/5

Dredd on Netflix

Olympus Has Fallen

Fuqua should be ashamed of himself for this messy thriller - he's far better than this. Disappointing. 2/5

Olympus Has Fallen on Netflix