It’s time we officially added Hardcore Henry(2015) to the list of Ultimate Action classics!
If you’re an action movie fan, you may have played a first-person shooter video game once or twice in your life. After all, what better way is there to experience the feeling of moving down enemies to the hundreds just like John Rambo or James Braddock did? The first-person perspective has not been utilized much in action movies, one example was a fun sequence from the otherwise lackluster Doom.
Enter movie-maker and musician Ilya Naishuller. He created a short action movie using the first-person perspective that was actually a music video for his band. His creation deservedly made an impression, and Naishuller was offered the opportunity to make a full-length feature. After three years of hard work Hardcore Henry was released.
Just like with many video games, the movie’s plot can be summarized in two lines: Henry awakes in a secret lab, and realizes he is a cyborg. A mysterious super-villain tries to capture him, and a relentless hunt ensues. The film’s starting point is a similar to movies like Universal Soldier or Robocop, but almost every question that the viewer may have about the background story remains unanswered. This is far from being a problem, though. The movie’s premise is only a justification to ransack the archives of action movie history, and to put as much violent excesses on the screen as possible.
If we would make a comparison to a video game again, Hardcore Henry looks like you’re watching a play-through of the most blood-soaked and difficult game ever created. Henry has superhuman strength and speed which gets him through many impossible situations. He is also a punching bag for his enemies that would likely earn him a nod from Evil Dead‘s Ash.
The density of high-octane action scenes is incredible, it’s showdown after showdown. Grenades and bullets are flying left and right, and hand-to-hand combat is ferocious. Every new confrontation is more violent and explosive, and the finale is an appropriate climax that cranks up the mayhem just when you thought it couldn’t get any more insane.
The camera is always on the move, as Henry is running, climbing and jumping with breakneck speed. The choreography of each action scene is superb, and the camera attached to Henry’s forehead creates some spectacular perspectives. The performance of the stunt team cannot be praised highly enough for pulling off some really crazy and dangerous scenes.
The movie is also incredibly violent and occasionally even gory. To its credit, it never gets truly disgusting, as the camera moves quickly from scene to scene. Despite all the mayhem, Hardcore Henry has a distinctly upbeat vibe which in large part is due to Sharlto Copley’s character. It’s always a delight to see him in any movie, but here he takes the cake with an incredibly funny performance.
Hardcore Henry has a bodycount that makes Stallone’s 2008 Rambo look like a PG-13 movie, and an energy that even leaves Jason Statham’s Crank in the dust. Ilya Naishuller created a movie that is a ton of fun to watch, and may leave you exhausted afterwards. It is one of the most spectacular films I’ve seen in my life, and is hereby added to the official list of ultimate action movie classics.
Looking back at one of the most under-appreciated films of Bruce Willis’ Die Hard franchise.
Die Hard with a Vengeance was released in 1995 and sees John McTiernan returning to the directors chair for the third installment of the Die Hard Franchise. Bruce Willis returns as the one man army John McClane, this time accompanied by pro black shopkeeper Zeus Carver brilliantly played by Samuel L Jackson. The two are tasked with taking on a mysterious bomber called Simon in a deadly game of “Simon Says.” Simon has a very big grudge against MacLaine which we see explained later on in the film.
Retrospective Review of ‘Die Hard with a Vengeance’
This film is the first Die Hard film not be based on a novel. Instead is based on a short story Simon Says written by one of the screenwriters of Die Hard with a Vengeance – Jonathan Hensleigh.
Die Hard with a Vengeance made some significant changes in this installment. The film does not take place at Christmas. McClane’s wife is not involved in the storyline. And, rather than a confined space, this film takes place in New York City and McClane has much more assistance than the previous installments.
We all know Die Hard is an entertaining watch and what makes Die Hard with a Vengeance work so well is the brilliant chemistry between Samuel L. Jackson and Bruce Willis, Samuel Jackson steals every scene that he is in as Zeus Carver the pro black shopkeeper who saves Mclane’s from a dangerous task in Harlem. The banter between the two makes for some comedic moments also and is reminiscent of The Defiant Ones starring Tony Curtis and Sidney Poitier.
Die Hard with a Vengeance polarised fans and critics, some thought it was the weakest, but I personally found this to be an enjoyable installment and reclaimed the tension and suspense that was missing from Die Hard 2. Which was a straight up thrill a minute action film.
DIE HARD: WITH A VENGEANCE, Jeremy Irons, 1995, TM and Copyright (c)20th Century Fox Film Corp. All rights reserved.
Jeremy Irons as Simon is the brother of Hans Gruber and had his work cut out for him, after Alan Rickman gave us one of the best and most iconic villains in movie history. But he made a very good villain and like the first Die Hard film there is little face to face contact between McClane and Simon until later on in the film.
Die Hard 1 like Die Hard with a Vengeance suffers from a rehash where terrorism is used to cover up an attempt to steal money. In Die Hard with a Vengeance Simon uses his terrorist plans to mask his real intention of robbing the federal reserve of $140billion.
Die Hard with a Vengeance makes the most out of its New York which gives us some superb car chases through central Park a brilliant abseil from a bridge to a boat, there are some brilliant shootouts including a brilliant shootout in an elevator.
Die Hard with a Vengeance also includes some of McCLane’s team in the adventure by having them look for a bomb in a school, which keeps the tension moving beautifully.
Whilst Die Hard with a Vengeance is enjoyable it lets itself down with a lacklustre finale between Simon and McCLane. There is an alternate ending that never made the final cut which you can see on youtube where we see McClane track Simon to Germany and they play a game of “McClane Says” with a bazooka with the directions filed off and asks Simon a series of riddles. I found that ending to be more satisfying than the one in the theatrical release and we see a different side to McClane and would have taken the character in a different direction.
Die Hard with a Vengeance is an enjoyable film thanks to the chemistry between Samuel L Jackson and Bruce Willis and a worthy installment in the franchise.
A look back at the best… and the worst… installments from the ‘Highlander’ film franchise and all its ultimate action glory!
The golden decade of 1980s action movies was all about muscles, shootouts and explosions. When Highlander was released in 1986, it was a real outlier with its fantasy theme and focus on sword-fighting action. It was successful enough to spawn five other films and three TV series. The whole movie series is entertaining enough to warrant a closer look. In this article, we’ll give you the ultimate ranking of the Highlander movies. So let’s sharpen our swords, and join the Gathering!
The fifth installment of the movie series was the last live-action version so far. Adrian Paul from the TV series took the helm from Christopher Lambert in the previous movie, and so Duncan MacLeod is the central protagonist this time. We are introduced to a dystopian future where the few remaining Immortals seek to find the legendary Source of Immortality. The only thing that stands between them and their quest is the evil and powerful Guardian of the Source.
The Source oscillates between decent B-movie entertainment and almost unwatchable parts. It’s especially shoddy in the acting and special effects department. It does have a few redeeming qualities, among them decent fight scenes, and a consistent dark vibe. If you’re a hardcore Highlander fan, and can find beauty in low-grade action movies, you may like it. For everyone else it may be an even worse experience than Highlander 2.
Inferior sequels to action classics have been made, but Highlander 2 arguably stands as the worst action movie sequel ever. The second part was supposed to be an origin story for the Immortals. In the theatrical version, they came from an alien planet named Zeist, and Connor MacLeod needs to fight his fellow alien Immortals on earth. The original version was met with so much ridicule that another cut was released a few years later, which eradicated all references to planet Zeist. I don’t think it helped, though, this movie just couldn’t be fixed.
The plot is chaotic and fragmented, and that’s putting it mildly. Overacting is the name of the game, and the movie has a really weird sense of humor. Sean Connery is back as Ramirez in a couple of scenes that don’t add anything to the story. And the bad guy team, led by Michael Ironside, looks like it would fit more into a Ninja Turtles than a Highlander movie. Not everything is bad, the movie has a very dense atmosphere with good production values and massive set pieces that evoke a neo-noir vibe á la Blade Runner. The sword fights and other action scenes are also staged pretty good for what it’s worth. Highlander 2 might pass as trashy fun if somehow it would be possible to forget that the first movie exists.
After the disaster of the second movie, things could only get better, and The Final Dimension (a.k.a. The Sorcerer) brought the franchise back in shape, at least by comparison. The third installment completely ignored the proceedings of Highlander 2, and connects to the end of the first part. It turns out that Connor was not the last Immortal, and actually retained his powers after defeating The Kurgan. This also means that he needs to stand his ground once again against a powerful adversary. The movie more or less follows a similar story than that of the first movie, as Connor is harassed by the sorcerer Kane that hold an ancient grudge towards him.
The Final Dimension even adapted complete sequences from the first movie. One example is a car ride where Kane goes completely nuts, just like The Kurgan in the first movie. This scene is actually made slightly more entertaining as Kane puts his magic skills to use to amplify the mayhem. Mario Van Peebles looks good as Connor’s counterpart, but tries a bit too hard to mimic The Kurgan, both in grunt and grimace frequency. The Final Dimension is reasonably entertaining, but a rather tame and generic affair. It’s the most mediocre entry to the series, but at least it straightens out the mistakes from Highlander 2.
Finally a sequel that worked, and it’s not only because Connor MacLeod’s gray trench-coat makes a comeback that the Highlander saga returned to form. This time Connor takes it up against Jacob Kell who has led a vendetta against him for centuries. Connor retreats from the world to a sanctuary, but Kell tracks him down. Only his younger cousin Duncan can help him now. With Endgame, Christopher Lambert handed over his duties to Adrian Paul, who was the lead actor of the fairly successful Highlander TV series. Putting both characters together in a movie turned out to be a good idea, and their on-screen chemistry was quite good.
The movie has a solid story that moves at a swift pace, the historic flashbacks are fun to watch, and it also delivers pretty well on the action front. This is in large part due to the involvement of Donnie Yen, who served as fight choreographer. He also has a role in the movie, and his fight scenes kick some serious ass. Highlander: Endgame is definitely the best of the live-action sequels, and you don’t need to be a hardcore fan of the franchise to enjoy it.
Highlander returned with a coup in 2007, an animated movie! And no one less than the creator of the cult anime Ninja Scroll, Yoshiaki Kawajiri, took creative control in this US-Japanese collaboration. We’re introduced to a new member of the Clan MacLeod, Colin. Of course he has some beef with another Immortal, the Roman general Marcus Octavius who invaded his village and killed his wife. Colin and Marcus chase each other through the centuries, until the final showdown in a devastated future world.
Kawajiri honored the franchise by delivering a movie that is on par with his previous works. The animation quality is top notch, but if you’re not a fan of animes, it may take you some time to get used to it. An animated movie also allowed the franchise to go completely over the top with crazy action sequences. The first fight already sets the proper stage, as Colin takes it up against a gang of cannibal mutants led by the monstrous Immortal Malick, who wields a chainsaw sword! We also get a killer soundtrack that gives the movie an epic vibe just like the 1986 original. I honestly think it would be a great idea if every great action movie series gets at least one anime treatment. What about taking on Robocop or Terminator next, Mr. Kawajiri?
“From the dawn of time we came”. This line marked the beginning of an action-adventure of epic proportions. Highlander’s slightly outlandish premise is the existence of immortal sword-fighters that grow stronger every time they chop off the head of another Immortal. Connor MacLeod is one of them, and has been fighting his nemesis, The Kurgan, for centuries. Their paths cross in present-day New York for a final duel. This simple, but ingenious setup gave us the crazy mix of frantic sword-fights in run-down warehouses and medieval battles in the Scottish highlands.
Christopher Lambert plays Scotsman Connor MacLeod with a thick French accent, and appreciation of his acting style may be an acquired taste. But no one wore a bland, gray trench-coat ever as cool as Lambert in this movie. Sean Connery and Clancy Brown are two other reasons why Highlander works so well. Connery’s Ramirez character adds a charming light-heartedness to every scene he’s in, whereas Brown’s Kurgan undoubtedly will be remembered as one of the greatest action movie villains of all time. Director Russell Mulcahy gave the movie a stylish look with an overkill of backlighting and fog effects, and the epic soundtrack by Queen pushed the movie further towards ultimate awesomeness. Highlander will be remembered as one the coolest movies of the 1980s.
If you are a big fan of the science fiction genre, you know how hard it is to find a good sci-fi action movie. Many directors spend too much time developing a good storyline and forget about the action scenes, which is what we want most from a movie like this.
Many sci-fi movies are now released, and for the most part, they are full of CGI, and overused special effects. Although this may be great for some diehard fans, it doesn’t capture the novice moviegoer’s imagination. The following list of best sci-fi action movies satisfies any movie lover.
Terminator 2: Judgment Day
It is an intense thriller which captivates you from the first second to the last. Arnold Schwarzenegger plays the role of a machine so convincingly that it’s still hard to believe he wasn’t a robot at all. With lots of action and explosive scenes, Terminator 2: Judgment Day is a great movie for everyone who likes science fiction and special effects. The plot is well thought out and interesting from beginning to end so that you will experience no moments of boredom.
Edge of Tomorrow
If you like sci-fi action movies, you’re going to love this movie. It’s fun, action-packed, will keep you on the edge of your seat, and will leave you wishing it was longer than 96 minutes. Tom Cruise is a soldier who relives the last day of his life. The twist? He relives every day until he gets it right. Emily Blunt is an officer who’s been through the same game as Cruise’s character and has all the tricks to make it out alive. Together, these two fight to survive against alien invaders.
It’s funny and interesting, and if you are into this genre, you should watch it.
Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior
Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior is a classic action film based on George Miller’s works. It was directed by George Miller and starred Mel Gibson as Max Rockatansky, an Australian motorcycle rider who gets involved in the war between the haves and have-nots while trying to find his way home.
The movie has many memorable scenes, including one where he rides on top of a passenger train; another where he fights with a giant mutant biker named Humungus; another where he battles against two men in suits who want to take over Australia; another when he gets attacked by marauders armed with spears at night time
Starship Troopers
Starship Troopers is one of the most loved science fiction action movies ever made. It’s also notable for being based on a novel by Robert A. Heinlein, who wrote about a future where Earth has been invaded by an alien race called the Arachnids (think spiders). The film stars Casper Van Dien, Colonel Johnny Rico and Jolene Blalock as soldiers fighting against these bugs to save humanity. It was directed by Paul Verhoeven and rated R for violence and language; if you’re looking for something more family-friendly than saying something like Elysium, this might not be your best bet!
Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back
This is the second Star Wars film, set three years after “A New Hope”. It is an awesome blend of science fiction and fantasy, with cool aliens, swordplay,unbelievable characters and lightsaber color meanings (these meanings explained here). The space fight scenes are extraordinary, with Darth Vader’s trademark TIE Fighter versus X-Wing scene being a standout. The story keeps you on your toes, and there’s an enormous measure of mystery around the Dark Side of the Force that is progressively being uncovered
Wrapping Up
We’re pretty sure you’ll agree that these are the best sci-fi action movies of all time. The movies on this list have captivated audiences for decades. They still do and will continue to be a mainstay of classic Hollywood cinema for years to come.
Looking back at the ultimate action legacy of one of the best franchises of its era…
Bad Boys was released in 1995, directed by Michael Bay in his directorial debut, produced by legendary production duo Don Simpson and Jerry Bruckheimer. This buddy-buddy vehicle stars Will Smith and Martin Lawrence as two mismatched detectives Mike Lowrey and Marcus Burnet who are tasked with retrieving $100 million in stolen heroin from their police lockup.
Bad Boys was one of the top films released in the summer of 1995 and made stars out of its two charismatic leads who were still television stars at the time, whilst we have seen the mismatched partner genre on numerous occasions, with Tango and Cash, 48 Hrs., Lethal Weapon, this one adds a twist in the narrative, Tea Leoni who plays Julie Mont witnesses a murder of Mike Lowrey’s friend and overhears the thieves plans for the heroin and will only agree to speak to Mike Lowrey but when he is not around Marcus burnet impersonates him and we get a hilarious role reversal added to the narrative.
This film works thanks to some great set pieces, some funny dialogue and two brilliant performances from it’s leads that make bad boys such an enjoyable watch, Will Smith demonstrated his leading man action star status and has gone on to be one of the biggest movie stars in the world.
Powerhouse production duo Don Simpson and Jerry Bruckheimer who were responsible for box office hits like, Flashdance, Beverly Hills Cop, Top Gun, Days of Thunder and Crimson Tide have put their trademark on this film, which is a lavish production design, soundtrack driven compositions and fast editing.
This is Michael Bay’s first directorial debut and it is very impressive and he would follow up with another brilliant blockbuster the rock released in 1996 and these two films are his most acclaimed films to date. Michael Bay started his career in music videos and delivers a slick, good-looking film, colorful and filled with adrenaline pumping action sequences, including a foot chase through Miami and the finale shootout in an air hanger and adrenaline rush packed car chase across an airport strip.
Out of the three Bad Boys films I would say that this one is the strongest thanks to a cohesive plot, great runtime, great script and great performances and some funny moments including the scene where Marcus thinks Mike is having an affair with his wife.
The sequel released in 2003 whilst certainly bigger in terms of set pieces and action it was nowhere near as good as the first film, the plot was incoherent and the chemistry between the two leads was not as sharp as the first film, but the producers took all that on board and brought the franchise back with a bang with Bad Boys for Life which was a return to form and to date is the highest grossing installment in the franchise.
Bad Boys is still an entertaining watch 25 years, and coupled with a brilliant soundtrack, makes it an excellent 90s action film.
Looking back at the horror/action lost classic starring Treat Williams and Joe Piscopo.
Well it’s that time of year again that I start digging deep into my collection to find a movie that gets me into the Halloween spirit. Boy did I find a gem of a classic that I had sadly forgotten about…Dead Heat… and I wasn’t disappointed (more so that I had gone 20+ years not watching this).
Dead Heat gave me everything I wanted in a Halloween movie, undead zombies, malevolent forces at work, and gore/sfx. It also gave me everything I love about an 80s action movie, buddy cop partners, gunplay, one-liners, kickass car, and fair amount of comedy. Let me take a moment and give those who may not be familiar a quick rundown of Dead Heat…
Dead Heat stars a fantastic and unlikely team up of actors Treat Williams (Everwood) as Det. Rodger Mortis the clean-cut strait-laced copand Joe Piscopo (Saturday Night Live) as Det. Doug Bigelow the buff comedic relief in a supernatural buddy cop action movie.It even offers an unexpected role by one of the legendary masters of horror Vincent Price as Arthur Lowdermilk and a welcomed appearance from one of my favorite movie henchmen Professor Toru Tanaka (Odd Job) as The Butcher. Directed by Mark Goldblatt (Punisher starring Dolph Lundgren) and written by Shane Black’s (Lethal Weapon/Predator) younger brother Terry Black (Tales from the Crypt).
The movie starts just like any other action movie does with the duo driving a bright red 1960 convertible Impala being called to a robbery in progress at a jewelry store, but takes a fairly quick turn from the norm during the shootout as the police riddle the bad guys with bullets yet they refuse to die or even fall down.
The only things that actually stop the thieves is one inadvertently blows himself up with a grenade and the other is pretty much cut in half when Mortis rams him with a car. Afterwards Det. Mortis (Treat Williams) and Det. Bigelow (Joe Piscopo) meet with the coroner examining the corpses of the robbers only to recognize the thieves because she had performed the autopsy on them both prior to that day’s events.
Fast-forward thru some generic 80s detective work where a drug was found in the bodies that linked them Dante Pharmaceuticals and they find themselves at ground zero for the creation of zombies by the Resurrection Machine (god I love the 80s). While snooping around they awaken a rather large grotesque biker laying on the machine and during the fight Det. Mortis (Treat Williams) finds himself trapped in a large vacuum chamber room that gets activated during the scuffle where he suffocates.
Afterwards the police arrive at the crime scene along with the coroner who with the help of Det. Bigelow (Joe Piscopo) place the body of his dead partner onto the Resurrection Machine and activate it apparently bringing him to life or he at least appears to be alive.
Now the real fun begins as we get to watch Det. Mortis (Treat Williams) slowly start to decompose throughout the movie with the help of special effects artist Steve Johnson which in my opinion continually get better and more gruesome at each passing scene in the movie. And brings us to one of the most hilarious and gory scenes in Dead Heat… the battle with The Butcher (Professor Toru Tanaka) and the resurrected carcasses of the animals in the Chinese restaurant that come to life with the help of a small version of the Resurrection Machine.
Seriously, they fight reanimated ducks, fish, and a bull…its gross, zany, and over the top with nonstop one-liners from both lead actors….and I loved every second of it. For a movie made in the late 80s (the movie released in 1988) I feel the effects in Dead Heat hold up well for stop motion and practical effects, I don’t always need modern CGI. Sometimes I like knowing the actors were actually covered in blood and had to respond to actual props not green screened stand-ins.
I want to take a minute now to mention how underrated Treat Williams and Joe Piscopo are, while Treat Williams has led a long career in Broadway and cinema, I still find people who have never heard of him or always respond “oh yeah, that guy”. He plays the straight shooter role perfectly in my opinion (go watch Deep Rising) and he really fits the action roles well.
Now I’ve got a bone to pick with Hollywood concerning Joe Piscopo, while he garnered popularity in Saturday Night Live and a handful of roles afterward, this man deserved to be more mainstream than they allowed him to be. He was a hilarious comedian in the 80s and had the physique to be put in any number of action movies (go watch Sidekicks with Chuck Norris if you don’t believe me) the world missed out on Joe Piscopo. Okay…. back to the review, had to get that off my chest….
I’ll start by saying I’m not going to spoil this movie if you haven’t seen it yet as I want everyone to go watch this movie (its on Amazon Prime as of me writing this). The climactic conclusion of Dead Heat delivers in every way possible from gross-out gore to car crashes to machine gun shoot outs. All culminating in the evil plot reveal which always had to be spoken aloud in 80s action movies by the bad guys.
In all Dead Heat gave me everything I was looking for in an action/horror/comedy, is it the best ever….no, but we don’t watch these movies to see the next Oscar worthy performance. Give me a movie that provides an escape from the real-world chaos, puts a smile on my face, doesn’t take itself too seriously and allows me to enjoy something that in my opinion is missing in cinema today. Go take a chance and pop some popcorn, crack open your favorite beverage and watch Dead Heat.
Article by Charlie Chase – author bio: Growing up in rural Virginia most of my favorite memories are usually tied around action/sci-fi movies, and I’m now able to share those movies with my oldest. I have a passion for action movies especially, so much so I created a Facebook group called Give Me Back My Action Movies where we can discuss what made early action movies far superior to what Hollywood makes now. And because I crave talking about them so much, I decided to jump into writing about them and so far, I’m loving it so I hope I do it justice.
It’s time to shine some light on Salma Hayek’s turn as a bad-ass action movie heroine in Everly (2014).
Salma Hayek is an accomplished actress, and had some ventures into the action movie genre with supporting roles in movies such as From Dusk Till Dawn and Desperado. In 2014, she gave her debut as lead actress in an action flick.
Hayek plays Everly, who has been forced to work as a prostitute for a Yakuza gang that operates in the US. One day, she gets the opportunity to take lethal revenge on some gang members. The sadistic Yakuza boss Taiko wants her dead for this, and sends his henchmen to attack the apartment where Everly is hiding with her daughter and mother.
The premise of Everly sounds a bit grim, but its overall tone is leaning more towards black comedy than anything else. Director Joe Lynch lets the movie take place in a single studio apartment and the hallway in front of it. This is a good choice for budget reasons, but it also creates a proper siege scenario.
Every couple of minutes a new attack is launched on Everly, and as a result the movie is a non-stop showdown right from the beginning. The action is intense and ultra-violent with a lot creative killings and demolitions that progressively turn the apartment into a ruin.
The movie also features the classic move of throwing a hand grenade into an elevator filled with bad guys, which never gets old for me. To add some variety, Lynch not only unleashes the Yakuza, but also assassin prostitutes, corrupt cops, killer dogs, and samurai.
There is one truly bizarre sequence when the Japanese mafia sends one of their elite interrogators to deal with Everly, and we are in for a weird and gross interlude.
It seems that director Lynch got a bit carried away there, and was very keen to include what looks like an homage to the movies of Japanese extreme cinema mastermind Takashi Miike. This is really the only moment that seems a bit out of place and interrupts the flow of an otherwise well-timed movie.
Salma Hayek is a great actress, and despite all the crazy stuff that is going on, gives a fairly balanced performance without much overacting. What is different from her usual roles is of course that she does a lot of shooting and stabbing, and also is thrashed multiple times in return. There are some really intense moments where Everly literally goes berserk and turns the apartment into a slaughterhouse littered with blood and bodies.
Everly is a slightly odd, but highly energetic festival of non-stop bloody action, with a crisp direction and a great performance from Hayek. With this movie, Salma Hayek showed that she has what it takes to be a bad-ass action movie heroine.
Ranking the best of the “Sword & Sandal” sub-genre from 300 to Gladiator…
The ancient history and mythology of the countries near the Mediterranean Sea have been a treasure trove for generations of moviemakers. Sword & Sandal movies became popular with classics such as Ben Hur in the 1950s, and were further expanded with the cheap but not less entertaining Italian copycat movies that followed swiftly.
While the genre is the nemesis of every historian, it has a lot to offer for action movie fans with its epic battles and heroes vs. monster stories. The release of Ridley Scott’s Gladiator triggered a new wave of Sword & Sandal flicks, this time with upgraded special effects.
While these movies lacked the nostalgic charm of the originals, they were able recreate the ancient times in an even more epic way, and deliver plenty of kick-ass action. In this article, I’ll discuss the ten best modern entries to this awesome genre. So let’s get on our chariot, and buckle up!
Hercules was Dwayne Johnson’s second foray into the genre after The Scorpion King, and the less successful one. He plays Hercules who has the reputation of a legendary hero, but has become a cynical mercenary. Hercules and his companions are hired by King Cotys to fight for him in what looks like an ordinary war, but things are not what they seem to be.
Hercules is Sword & Sandal 101 of sorts. The movie contains all the familiar genre tropes while bringing exactly zero novelty to the table. The dialogues are slightly awkward, and the plot is thinner than a sheet of papyrus. The action is senseless, but plentiful and competently filmed as Hercules and his companions are thrashing one horde of enemies after the other. I think you’ll only enjoy Hercules thoroughly if you’re a hardcore Dwayne Johnson fan. For everyone else, it should be a fairly average movie.
King Leonidas of Sparta is dead, and only the army of Athens and their champion Themistokles can save Greece from Persian god-king Xerxes and his fierce Naval Commander Artemisia. 300: Rise of an Empire continues the story from its predecessor, and this time it’s up to the Athenians to stop Xerxes. The movie dials the action back just a little bit, and makes more room for politics and world-building, even though that part of the movie ends up being a fairly generic war drama.
The somewhat monotonous visuals of the austere mountains and shores from the first part are exchanged for more monumental settings. The epic naval battles are the centerpiece of the movie, and there’s a lot of awesome and of course ultraviolet fights. The main reason to watch the movie, though, is Eva Green. Her role as psychopathic and blood-thirsty commander of the Persian Navy is so bad-ass, that every other character in the movie is dwarfed by her performance. 300: Rise of An Empire lacks the raw intensity of the original, but still has enough slick-looking mayhem to offer to make it worth a watch.
I admit it may be difficult to justify mentioning a movie on this website starring Brad Pitt, but Troy is too good to ignore. And Brad Pitt gives a performance that at least gets him close to being a true action hero for once. Paris, the Prince of Troy, abducts Helene, the wife of King Menelaus of Sparta.
Menelaus’ brother King Agamemnon assembles a massive army, led by legendary warrior Achilles and lays siege to Troy to free Helena. Wolfgang Petersen took on the challenge to retell one of the most famous Greek epic tales, and with a whopping 200 Million USD budget created a movie that does justice to it. With a monumental run-time of more than three hours in the director’s cut, you will need some patience to sit through it, though. It’s a fairly sober movie, and would be a high-profile costume drama if it would not feature some of the most massive and epic battle scenes ever created for this genre.
Combat is brutal when swords, shields and spears clash in the thousands, and as prince Hector of Troy (played by Eric Bana) and Achilles (played by Pitt) are plowing through their enemies on opposing sides of the battle. If you’re a fan of Greek drama mixed with spectacular battles, Troy is your movie.
Centurion exchanges the usual sunny Mediterranean setting of the genre with the forests and mountains of Britain during Roman occupation. The Roman Ninth legion is sent to defeat the tribe of the Picts in Britain, who have been attacking Roman outposts. Things don’t go as planned, though, the legion gets ambushed, and the remaining survivors are on the run for their life. Centurion is a straightforward action-adventure that follows a group of soldiers on their dangerous journey through enemy territory.
The movie has a fairly grim tone that is supported by the scenery of the muddy and snowy British wilderness. There are no epic battles in the movie, but mostly small skirmishes as the Romans and Picts clash with each other numerous times in raw and brutal fights. The movie is another great entry from genre expert Neil Marshall, and a much better effort than the rather bland King Arthur that came out a couple of years earlier with a similar setting. Centurion tells a simple story, but stands out because of its bleak atmosphere and the intense fight scenes.
Dwayne Johnson’s career took off like a rocket after his breakthrough role in The Scorpion King. A prequel of sorts to The Mummy movies, it tells the story of mercenary Mathayus’ rise from assassin to king of prehistoric Egypt. The movie does not elaborate on how he became the monster in the second oo movie, but rather deals with Mathayus’ effort to free Egypt from the grip of the evil warlord Memnon.
With a body hardened from his wrestling career and great natural charisma, Johnson owns the movie right from the start, and even his acting was already not too bad in his first lead role. Of course we want to see him beat up everyone who gets in his way, and he gets plenty of opportunity to do so. The Scorpion King is a colorful action-adventure, a fun romp through the desert with plenty of humor, and creative and funny action scenes.
Immortals is a visual extravaganza from director Tarsem Singh that presents it’s action-packed story in surreal, dreamy pictures. On top of that we get to see Mickey Rourke in one of his best roles in recent years, as relentless and sadistic King Hyperion who seeks to kill the Greek Gods.
To do this, he needs to get his hands on the legendary Bow of Epirus. The soldier Theseus is chosen by Zeus to stop him, and the young hero must not only face Hyperion’s army, but also the legendary Minotaur and the Titans themselves. The plot of the movie is not particularly complicated, but it takes a couple of interesting turns. Its edgy style makes Immortals occasionally look like an arthouse flick, but it never gets out of hand, and the movie fully delivers on the action front.
The choreography of the fights is perfect. Singh combines excellent camerawork with an overabundance of CGI blood and gore, as Perseus goes against the seemingly inhuman forces of Hyperion’s army. Mark Cavill makes for a great hero, but Mickey Rourke steals the show from him, with a bonkers costume and cruelty that knows no boundaries.
I can imagine that Gods of Egypt will fall into one of two categories for many viewers: a soulless CGI turkey, or a gleefully demented rollercoaster ride. My vote goes for the latter. Many years after creating the dark and brooding genre masterpiece The Crow, director Alex Proyas decided it was time to go into the opposite direction.
The god Horus is destined to become king of Egypt, but is betrayed by his brother Set before his coronation and robbed of his godly powers. It is up to the human thief Bek to help Horus restore his might and defeat Set. Gods of Egypt warps ancient Egyptian mythology and its characters into a superhero/monster flick hybrid. Don’t bother with the plot, this movie just throws one action-packed set piece after another at the audience.
Among its many attractions are cyborg-like gods, spaceships, fire-breathing giant snakes and a world-swallowing worm demon. Fortunately the movie never takes itself seriously, and there’s plenty of tongue-in-cheek humor. Even Gerard Butler as the master villain is relaxed and jovial most of the time as he conquers and destroys the world. Gods of Egypt is a cheerful acid trip, and spectacle cinema of the highest grade.
Clash Of The Titans is a remake of the 1981 movie with the same name. The new version tells a similar story, but replaces the charming stop-motion effects with state-of-the-art CGI. The Greek gods declare war on the humans that are losing faith in them, and only Zeus’ son Perseus can stop them.
On his quest he must traverse dangerous lands inhabited by monsters and even venture into the underworld. Clash of The Titans may strike the best balance between sticking to the roots of the Sword & Sandal genre, and giving it an update with present-day special effects to make the ancient world of myths and monsters come alive. It’s a fun and action-packed ride from beginning to the end, as Theseus and his companions fight their way past harpies, giant scorpions, the Medusa, and of course the Kraken!
Sam Worthington gives a likable performance as Theseus and is joined by a great cast of famous actors, among them Liam Neeson in a ridiculously shiny costume as Zeus. Clash of the Titans was followed by the decent, but less exciting sequel Wrath of the Titans that I can only recommend if you want another 100 minutes of the same.
300 is a movie that deservedly is often mentioned along with Gladiator as one of the best modern takes on the Sword & Sandal genre. It’s based on the comic book from Frank Miller, that in turn was very loosely based on the battle at the narrow coastal pass of Thermopylae. The pass was defended by a squad of Spartan warriors led by King Leonidas against the giant army of Persian King Xerxes during his conquest of Greece.
300 for the most part is a fantasy story with little historical accuracy, and focuses instead on ultra-violent action scenes. Zack Snyder created striking visuals by manipulating and every single image of the movie to the extreme with digital effects. The movie features one battle after another, and it never gets boring to see the masterfully staged fights, with fountains of blood and bodies piling up at an incredible rate.
300 has a pathos that would border on the ridiculous if it was not so intense and atmospheric that one cannot help but be drawn in. The movie was a breakthrough role for Gerard Butler, who would regularly return to the action genre, and also put Zack Snyder on the agenda as specialist for CGI-laden comic book adaptations.
Gladiator is not only the best modern Sword & Sandal movie, but also an action movie classic by now. It tells the epic story of Roman general Maximus who is wrongfully accused of murdering emperor Marcus Aurelius. Maximus is enslaved, and forced to join a group of gladiators. He becomes a famous fighter, and prepares to take his revenge on the treacherous new emperor Commodus. Gladiator was yet another stroke of genius from director Ridley Scott. It’s a historical drama, adventure and action movie in one epic package.
The movie is a stellar production with monumental sets and battle scenes that even today do not fail to impress. Almost every single one of the combat sequences has become famous, from the battle between the Romans and Germanic tribes to the many gladiator fights. Russell Crowe gives the performance of his life, and a young Joaquin Phoenix impresses as his cunning and hideous antagonist. Gladiator is the uncontested masterpiece among the modern takes on the Sword & Sandal genre, and takes the first place in our ranking.
Another great addition to a budding action director / star combo with Adkins & Florentine teaming up once again for Seized (2020).
When word got out that the Scorsese/De Niro of Action Cinema, Scott Adkins & Isaac Florentine, were teaming backup for a new film, action fans around the world rejoiced. The premier duo of action are back! So, as you might already know, me being the big Adkins fan I am (but not as big as my buddy Michael Scott, who started a podcast all about Adkins. Listen to all the awesomeness here!), I could barely contain my excitement at the news. I practically did an Adkins backflip myself!
Now, the moment is upon us: the release of their latest endeavor, Seized. So, does this one hold up to their past works? Let’s find out!
A former special forces agent’s son is kidnapped and must now wipe out three dangerous crime syndicates, if he wants to see his son alive again.
Ladies and gentlemen, we have a winner! This is definitely another extremely awesome entry in the Adkins/Florentine line up. Scott & Isaac give us a fast paced, all out, balls to the wall action flick like only they can.
Let’s get into the story first. Honestly, it’s really nothing to write home about. It is basically the same plot as his last movie Legacy of Lies, just with minor differences. That’s not necessarily a bad thing though, especially for a movie like this, where the action is the point. We get 15 mins of setup, and the rest is Scott shooting and kicking people. That’s what I really wanted, and that’s exactly what I got. NEXT!
The acting is a major plus here. Scott is a damn fine leading man, and he proves it once again with a solid performance. He’s just a guy who wants to raise his son Taylor in peace after the death of his wife, so when this dangerous cartel kidnaps Taylor in order to force him to execute a series of brutal assassinations, he’ll do what he has to do in order to get him back. And Scott conveys that perfectly. You’re still the best action star in the game, Mr. Adkins!
But the MVP in the acting department must go to Mario Van Peebles as Mzamo, the head of the Mexican Cartel that took Taylor. Peebles is nothing short of amazing as he chews the scenery left and right. He is obviously having a blast in the role, and I had a blast watching him. Kudos, Mr. Peebles!
And now, onto the juiciest bit of all: the action. See, Scott is a physical freak of nature, and such a phenomenal action performer that he can look great under even the most banal filmmaker’s direction. Fortunately, he’s directed by Florentine, who is the best at making Scott look his best. And Scott looks his absolute best in this. But it’s not just fighting. Oh no. Scott and Isaac get heavy with the gunplay in this one as well, and give us some badass shootouts as well as the usual expert level fights. John Wick, eat your heart out!
Were there any gripes? Just two. First, the first 15 minutes go by quickly, but are still frustrating because the character of Taylor, played by Matthew Garbacz, is thoroughly annoying. He’s one of those “I hate you, Dad” kind of kids, and kids like that suck in these movies. Garbacz’s performance is good, I’ll give him that, but I wanted Scott to do a Guyver kick on the little brat after 5 mines. He stops being annoying after he’s kidnapped though, so it doesn’t last long.
But the biggest gripe is in the ending. Scott has to infiltrate the compound where Taylor is being held, and he gets into a scuffle with one of the bad guys, played by UFC fighter Uriah Hall. Now, this has all the makings of a classic throwdown. Adkins, the reigning champ of action vs. Hall, a very talented martial artist and fighter. But… for some reason… Isaac decided to intercut the fight with two other fights going on at the same time.
Let me tell you guys something about myself: I. Haaaaatttteee. Intercutting between fights. When a fight is happening on screen, I want to see the full thing. Crystal clear, and unmolested. Intercutting between fight scenes annoys me to no end, and it does so here as well. I love you, Isaac. I really do. I believe you truly are the best action director working today. Nobody is better at this than you. But that… That hurt me. It really did.
But, other than that, I thought this was a highly entertaining action flick. Does it reach the greatness of Ninja 2 or Undisputed 3?? No, but it does sit next to top notch stuff from them like Close Range and the first Ninja. But that doesn’t really matter. All that matters is that the boys are back together, and as a certified Action Drunkie, that’s all I need.
Remakes of the ultimate classics are always tricky, but MJW does his best despite some issues!
Michael Jai White is a good actor and a great martial artist, and often was able to combine both of these talents in his movies. In the last years, he had supporting roles in a couple of high-profile genre productions such as Triple Threat, Dragged Across Concrete and Accident Man. He returns as a lead actor in a remake of the Jean-Claude Van Damme classic Sudden Death – with the aptly named Welcome to Sudden Death.
The plot of Welcome To Sudden Death replicates that of the first movie. White stars as security guard of a basketball stadium that is infiltrated by a gang of criminals. They threaten to blow it up unless getting paid a lot of money. The movie visibly is a low-budget affair, but alas not in a charming way.
The sets are very basic, the acting is stiff, the dialogues are rather dull, and there’s never any buildup of tension. None of that would be a problem if the action scenes would kick some ass, but unfortunately they don’t.
There’s a good deal of fights and other sorts of violence, but it is all staged fairly lackluster. Every set is left completely undamaged when an action sequence is concluded, you will not see a single scratch in the wall or a stain of blood on the carpet.
This may be a concession that had to be made for budget reasons, but results in the whole movie looking as sterile and artificial as a TV soap opera. Even Michael Eklund, who usually nails it as the bad guy, cannot escape the sluggishness of this production, and gives a rather disappointing performance.
White does not get much opportunity to shine as the action is fairly unspectacular, and consists mostly of generic hand-to-hand combat. The quality of the fights is also not of the highest level, they’re filmed fairly choppy and don’t feature any memorable moments. One positive thing I can say is that White gives a decent performance considering the material he had to work with, and thanks to his charisma saves the movie from being a complete disaster. Thankfully it is also rather brief with 80 minutes run-time.
Welcome To Sudden Death is an unexciting and tedious action-thriller. Let’s hope White gets a better opportunity to showcase his talent in future projects.
