The Top 50 Action Gems of the Decade – 10-1

By
Robb Antequera
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The Top 10 Best Action Movies of the Decade (2010 – 2019).

This is it. After months of coordinating, collaborating, deliberating, and at times hyperventilating, the Top 50 Action Gems of the Decade list has dropped.

50 entries. 17 contributors. 5 sites. 1 idea: to shine a light on the action movies that more or less go ignored by the general public. A novel idea, if I shall say so myself. And now, we’re at the end of it. The top 10. I can’t believe it all came together as well as it did. Sometimes, I was in doubt it would work at all.

But here we are. I hope you all enjoyed seeing some of your favorite action movies of the decade on this list, and I also wanted to thank everyone who contributed to, and at the very least participated in, this massive undertaking (well for me anyways lol): Jourdan Aldredge, Chris Kacvinsky, Lee B Golden, Eoin Friel, John M Jerva, David J. Moore, Chad Law, Len Kabasinski, Shane Cronican, Jonathan Mark, Andrew Babcock John Acquavita, Braden D White, Mike Fury, Ian Young, Todd Gaines, Tuomas Lius, Jade Lindley, and the MVP of it all, Cameron Sullivan.

None of this would’ve been possible without you guys. The sheer knowledge, wit, and enthusiasm that every single one of you have for this genre we all love and adore made all of this happen, and I truly, truly thank all of you so much from the very bottom of my heart. God bless. – The Cinema Drunkie

Check out The Action Elite for 50-41, Action-flix for 40-31, Bulletproof Action for 30- 21 and Film Combat Syndicate for 20-11!

10) BUYBUST (2018)

Eric Matti directs this brutally effective actioner inspired by a real-life campaign against illegal drugs in the Philippines. At times it feels more like a horror movie than an action flick and will have you on the edge of your seat as the tension builds to unbearable levels.

The first half hour actually doesn’t have much in the way of action as it sets everything up and establishes the characters but I urge you to stick with it as it’s worth the wait. Once the action kicks in it doesn’t let up with brutal fight scenes featuring knives, guns and whatever people can get their hands on.

Overall, BuyBust takes awhile to get going but it’s still one of the best action movies of the decade with brutally effective action scenes and a genuine sense of chaos and threat throughout. – Eoin Friel, The Action Elite editor & founder https://theactionelite.com/

9) TRIPLE THREAT (2019)

TRIPLE THREAT is really a treat for any martial arts film fan. Once you see the poster or look at the DVD/blu ray…..watch you would expect to get out of this film….you do and THEN SOME.

You get Iko Uwais from THE RAID and i really like where his career could be going in the US as he has shown versatility in playing both heroes and villains at this point. Heck even at this point you can easily say he is more polished in American releases than Tony Jaa is, who also shows up to do what you would expect of him in a movie called “triple threat”. You get a nice fight scene with UFC champion Michael Bisping as well and action-movie staple Michael Jai White comes in to play one of the heavies and i think he is another one who should be much more popular than he is.

The fight choreography is exciting and creative throughout and really the #1 reason to watch TRIPLE THREAT. – Len Kabasinski, Writer/Producer/Director https://www.patreon.com/killerwolffilms

Triple Threat: An Ultimate Martial Arts Movie for the Ages

8) BOYKA: UNDISPUTED IV (2017)

Any of the Scott Adkins / Isaac Florentine Undisputed sequels could rank with the top martial arts movies of the decade, pushing the envelope in what we’ve seen from tournament fight films. So why single out Undisputed IV? Let’s just say it brings together some of the best elements of the earlier movies and raises the stakes even higher for the iconic, anti-hero character of MMA fighter Yuri Boyka, played so well by Adkins.

In the fourth film, the action transitions from the confines of the prison ring to the outside world, with casinos and gun wielding gangsters, who’d just as easily put a bullet in Boyka before he costs them their betting money. Fight choreographer Tim Man raises the temperature with some incredibly physical and punishing fight scenes which gives Boyka a new purpose, and gives Adkins new moves and victories for his already packed highlight reel.

If you want to see how the modern fight film has continued evolving since its heyday in the 1970’s and 80’s, these guys are doing it. – Mike Fury, Author of Life of Action www.mikefury.net/shop

7) BKO: BANGKOK KNOCKOUT (2010)

BKO: Bangkok Knockout started the decade off with a collective bang. From Thai director  Panna Rittikrai who is best known for delivering Tony Jaa to the world in the Ong Bak trilogy, this film is a rare treat as the action is over the top insane and all the actors are fighters, professional stuntmen or both.

The plot is easily forgettable and the acting is too but here it is all about the action and what makes it stand out is the heart pumping stunts and fight sequences that are on stage here. The film also features various disciplines like Muay Thai, Tai Chi, Capoeira, and Kung Fu and they are all used to full effect and the fighting is blistering and fast paced. This is a film that is made for the action loving crowd and to that extent, it delivers with some of the most jaw dropping scenes of mayhem ever captured on film.

It’s a wonder that no one was killed during the making of the movie as some of the stunts are extreme and downright dangerous but at the end of the day, it serves its purpose and for the action alone, it deserves to be on a list for some of the best of the decade. – John M. Jerva, Action-flix editor & founder https://action-flix.com/

6) UNDISPUTED 3: REDEMPTION (2010)

Florentine’s visual finesse with the fight scenes and the almost-cinematic qualities of the rest of the film really elevate this picture above most of the mundane action and kickboxing films that have come and gone over the years.

Along with Part 2, these Undisputed pictures remind us of what made movies like Bloodsport and Lionheart so special in the first place. Adkins is quite easily slipping into the “star” mode, and his subtle acting and powerhouse techniques as a martial artist are really interesting to watch. This is every bit the “B” movie, but “B” movies don’t get much better or more compelling than this.

Also featuring Capoeirista Lateef Crowder, who would play a significant part in the Michael Jai White film Falcon Rising. – David J. Moore, Author of WORLD GONE WILD: A SURVIVOR’S GUIDE TO POST-APOCALYPTIC MOVIES and THE GOOD, THE TOUGH, AND THE DEADLY: ACTION MOVIES AND STARS.

5) DREDD (2012)

I am the law! This movie is as brutal and total as its protagonist’s catchphrase. A blindingly violent 95mins full of all the high octane action and satire of the British comic. Brilliantly visualised from top to bottom, with some crazy original visuals, always giving the audience something fresh to look at.

Dredd is a grimdark, ’day in the life’ movie you won’t forget. Worth watching for Karl Urban’s performance alone. Completely worthy of being one of the best action movies of the decade. Welcome to Mega-City one perp! – Ian Young, Writer http://ultimateactionmovies.com/author/ian-young/

4) AVENGEMENT (2019)

Avengement isn’t only one of the best action movies of 2019 or even the last decade (although it is both of those things too), it’s also one of the best movies of 2019 period. And that’s no small feat given that 2019 had a surprisingly great number of movies in its 365 days.

Star Scott Adkins and director Jesse V. Johnson have made a number of good movies together now but Avengement is on a whole other level for both, separately or together. It by far boasts Adkins best performance to date, proving him to be a truly great actor as well as the bad ass action star. This is ultimately a performance piece for Adkins and he gets to show us the dark descent of how his character is forced to change in order to survive prison (think Eric Bana in Chopper or even Tom Hardy in Bronson). He becomes a grotesque product of a gruesome environment yet we can’t help but sympathize with him and his mission.

And Johnson gives the movie a gritty yet surreal realism to match, creating some amazing action scenes despite keeping them grounded, making them all the more brutal, and even slightly disturbing, for it. Credit must be given to its screenwriter, Stu Small, too who seems to take the movie’s potential limitations (you won’t feel there’s any) and instead use them as strengths. Avengement is a movie that’s bound by nothing, a movie that doesn’t need to make excuses for its lack of budget or any shortcomings, it’s just a really great no-holds-barred piece of pulp fiction cinema. – Chad Law, Writer/Producer

Scott Adkins is the Modern Action Renaissance Man in ‘Avengement’ (2019)

3) THE NIGHT COMES FOR US (2018)

Director Timo Tjahjanto followed Headshot (2016), his amazing collaboration with Kimo Stamboel, with The Night Comes for Us (2018). This one does everything Headshot did right, but on a bigger scale.

This epic crime story gives The Raid supporting actor Joe Taslim his first lead role, and he doesn’t disappoint. The action is absolutely insane, with a number of elaborately choreographed fight scenes in which Taslim takes on hordes of enemies. An extended fight scene between Julie Estelle and Hannah Al Rashid, as well as the payoff fight between Taslim and Iko Uwais, must be seen to be believed.

If this movie is any indication, Taslim’s future looks bright as a leading action star, starting with his portrayal of Sub-Zero in the upcoming 2020 Mortal Kombat movie. – Shane Cronican, Writer https://theactionelite.com/author/shane-cronican/

2) SPL 2: A TIME FOR CONSEQUENCES (2015)

SPL 2: A Time for Consequences bares no real resemblance to the first film but it’s every bit as awesome; the fight scenes are breathtaking and a welcome shot of adrenaline with spectacular choreography, with the final fight scene being a true all timer that is everything an action fan could want and desire in a cinematic fight. Although the lack of closure regarding the villain was disappointing and the ending so sudden,

SPL 2 is another great action film from the past decade that deserves to be seen, with Tony Jaa and Wu Jing making for a spectacular on-screen duo. – Eoin Friel, editor & founder of The Action Elite https://theactionelite.com

1) NINJA: SHADOW OF A TEAR (2013)

Dazzling. Spectacular. Sensational. Awesome. Exceptional. Badass. Epic. Phenomenal. Classic. These are words that can all be used to describe the ultimate awesomeness that is Ninja: Shadow of a Tear, and that’s still not enough to do this movie justice.

A flawless action masterpiece in every way, shape and form. In my opinion, not only the best movie Scott Adkins & Isaac Florentine have made so far, not only one of the best action movies of this past decade, but simply one of the best action movies ever made in any decade, bar none. The action genre does not get much better than this. – The Cinema Drunkie https://thecinemadrunkie.wordpress.com/

Scott Adkins in Ninja 2: Shadow of a Tear (2013)

What did you think of the list? Comment below and give us your feedback!

Best of the Best 4: A Fitting End to a Legendary Franchise

By
Andrew Babcock
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Phillip Rhee ceremoniously wraps up the classic martial arts franchise with Best of the Best 4: Without Warning (1998).

I love the Best of the Best franchise to death. It gets crazier and takes on many different forms as it goes along. The first, featured an all star cast as a karate team competing in a tournament.

The 2nd turned into your underground ‘Bloodsport’ style film. The 3rd, which I reviewed for you UAMC readers previously, was Rhee’s first crack at putting the franchise on his back and taking on a group of white supremacists. And now, we get to the 4th and final installment: Without Warning.

Phillip Rhee is Ultimately the Best in ‘Best of the Best 3: No Turning Back’

Phillip Rhee in the last portrayal of Tommy Lee

Phillip Rhee returns as Tommy Lee. That’s about all the connection we have to any of the previous entries. In this one, he plays a widowed father with a young daughter. He is now spending his time teaching self defense techniques to the local police department.

The beginning of the film probably spends a little too much time on the bad guys, but rest assured, there is plenty of awesomeness to come. On bad guy duty, we have a very interesting leader, played by an underrated actor that is most known these days as an icon in the horror genre for his work in the Saw movies. I’m talkin’ about Tobin Bell.

Bell and his crew are a group of Russian mobsters who steal a large supply of paper for printing US currency. When one of the mobsters decides to bail and turn themselves in… they get shot and killed, but not before handing over a disc with data on it to an unsuspecting Lee.

What ensues is a web of corruption where Lee doesn’t know who to trust. One of his best cop buddies turns on him, Lee kills him in self defense but of course the cops don’t know the whole story, so he spends the movie on the run, trying to allude both the police and the Russians.

Above the Law: The Ultimate Action Introduction to Steven Seagal

Another Great Performance for Rhee and Co.

Hot on his trail is the legendary Ernie Hudson (Ghostbusters/The Crow). I love this guy in everything he’s in and as usual, he brings his star power as he chews it up every time we see him. We first see him as a hard nosed asshole, one that you don’t know if he is dirty or not till late in the game. We do get to see an alley fight between himself and Lee (Rhee). Their interactions and cat and mouse game makes me wish they did another movie together.

Rhee certainly brings it in the fight department. He is a 7th degree black belt in Tar Kwon Do and he just looks effortless as he executes his lightning quick moves. We get fight scenes in a grocery store, his apartment where he takes a page out of Jackie Chan’s playbook, using the environment to his advantage and it doesn’t let up one bit.

The standout fight would have to be this epic scene where he enters a gym and takes on a room full of baddies with kendo sticks. Fellow die-hards of these kind of flicks will find this reminiscent to ‘the ‘the gauntlet’ scene in Wincott’s Mission of Justice.

David Bradley and Mark Dacascos in ‘American Samurai’ (1992)

Flashes of Ultimate Action Past

There is also a really cool chase scene that ends with Rhee on a motorcycle, sliding under a big oil truck. The finale is a fun one at an airfield… just as they are about to get away, Rhee throws some explosives onto a plain as it’s in the air. Their last words…”what was he carrying?!” …BOOM!

Paul Gleason (Die Hard) as a preacher, Art LaFleur (Cobra) as the grocery store owner and as a henchman, Sven-Ole Thorssen (Hard Target/On Deadly Ground/The Bad Pack). As well as Chris Lemmon (Land of the Free), Jessica Collins (Leprechaun 4: In Space), joining in on the fun along the way.

This seemed to be a bit of a passion project for Rhee as he did the screenplay, was the director and one of the producers as well. While Without Warning might not be as good as the previous entries in the franchise, there is still a lot to like about it, with a lot of faces getting kicked in the process! Still a must own for 90s martial arts fans if you can track it down!

Shōgun Assassin: The Greatest Samurai Movie Ever Made!

By
Iron Fist
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Tracing the ultimate action roots back to the extreme Samurai classics.

I would like to introduce all of you to the Mother F****r of all Samurai movies- 1980s Shōgun Assassin!

The movie is based on a MARGA comic, which took their inspiration from a type of play called Jidaigeki, which told tales of the samurai of the Edo period, which lasted from 1603 to 1868. They in turn inspired a genre of movies known as Chambara films, which literally means sword fight. 

A series of six movies came out of this genre in the early 1970s that went by the name of Lone Wolf and Cub. The rights to these movies were purchased by American investors from TOHO Studios of Godzilla fame and they were recut into a single movie that was released straight to the grind house circuit in America with the title Shōgun Assassin.

An Introduction to the Samurai Way in ‘The Challenge’ (1982)

Ogami Itto, the New Shōgun

It tells the tale of our samurai Ogami Itto who refuses to pledge a blood oath to the new Shōgun. This lapse of etiquette sees the Shōgun to send his ninjas to murder him and his family in the middle of the night. Our samurai cuts down all of the would be assassins and escapes with his toddler son, but loses his wife in all the carnage and bloodshed. 

Our samurai then gives his son the choice of following him on his quest for vengeance, or joining his mother in heaven by crawling toward  either a sword or a ball. The son chooses the sword and joins his father and their quest for vengeance begins.

It sees the Shōgun challenge our samurai to a duel to earn his freedom with his greatest swordsman. When our man is victorious, The Shōgun tells him he has won his freedom, but the death warrant is still upon the head of his son. THAT SON OF A BITCH! What’s a samurai to do, but slaughter everybody in the Shoguns entourage and his lineage in order to keep his son safe.

Shoot to Fight in Shootfighter: Fight to the Death (1993)

Itto vs The Supreme Ninja

This means Itto will have to go through the likes of The Supreme Ninja, The Masters of Death and a number of fleet footed Geishas to extract his revenge. The film is narrated by the toddler, who learns to count by keeping track of the number of men his father has killed. By the films end, he can count to well over 300!

Truth be known, I’ve never been a fan of many of the Japanese samurai movies, especially Kurosawa no matter how good the sword play. The story just gets in the way of all the sword fights. But this. This is the greatest swordplay movie of all time. There are served limbs, geysers of blood, swords imbedded in heads. At one point, the child’s baby cart is pushed down a hill to waiting adversaries when the kid hits a lever and swords come out of the wheels and start loping off feet as the cart rolls on.

I think this movie was rated X for its violence and was banned in certain markets. You had to go into some pretty sketchy theaters to take this one in. Nobody even attempted to try and top this movie until QT paid it a homage with the whole first Kill Bill movie.

The True Heir to Bruce Lee is Sonny Chiba in ‘The Street Fighter’

True Ultimate Samurai Action

Watch this and tell me The Mandalorian doesn’t owe it a huge debt. You can also check out the original films of the Lone Wolf and Cub series in their entirety as they have been reissued by Criterion.

They go by such titles as Sword of Vengeance, Baby Cart to Hades and Peril in the Land of Demons. Or you can simply watch the cliff notes version in Shōgun Assassin – the greatest samurai movie ever made!

What is Jean-Claude Van Damme’s Net Worth?

By
Ultimate Action Movies
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JCVJ_051017-00262.RAF

Let’s look at the vast fortunes of the Bloodsport action star.

If there’s one movie that we love here at the Ultimate Action Movie Club more than anything, it’s probably Jean-Claude Van Damme in Bloodsport. We’ve written about why it’s awesome, what you might know know about it, and even interviewed its writer Sheldon Lettich and the lighting rod namesake Frank Dux.

Jean-Claude Van Damme is much more than just Bloodsport though. From action franchise roles like Kickboxer, Timecop and Double Team, to Universal Soldier, Hard Target to Sudden Death, the man has had a lot of big pay days and hits.

So, what is Van Damme’s net worth here and now?

How Old is Jean-Claude Van Damme?

Van Damme is Worth 30 Million Dollars

It’s a bit hard to get an exact figure for his Van Damme-ness, but we can report that multiple sources have the man’s net worth around the $30 million range. The Muscle from Brussels has had his ups and downs over the years, but is still very active and marketable. He has fans not just in the USA and English speaking countries too as his appeal is truly world wide.

Who is Jean-Claude Van Damme’s Wife?

A Van Damme Millionaire

Van Damme is still churning out the titles too. Along a notable role in the Expendables franchise, Van Damme has had some hits with JCVD (2008), the Amazon Prime program Jean-Claude Van Johnson and the recent international The Bouncer aka Lukas (2018).

And it doesn’t appear that Van Damme is slowing up too much either with rumors of him possibly being involved in reboots to some of his classics like Double Impact, Sudden Death and Bloodsport apparently in the cards.

The 10 Best Jean-Claude Van Damme Action Movies Of All Time

Thomas Ian Griffith’s Turn to Die Hard in ‘CrackerJack’ (1994)

By
Andrew Babcock
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Why send John McClain when Thomas Ian Griffith’s Jack Wild can do the job!

On my seemingly never ending quest to see every Die Hard inspired film known to man, It has led me to Thomas Ian Griffith’s mid 90s effort, CrackerJack.

You should know me by now UAMC readers, I am all about physical media forever and building my collection, but there are a large number of action films from the 80s and 90s that are neglected when it comes to making it past VHS.

Especially here in the states. CrackerJack is available on DVD in other countries, but no such luck here. So, needless to say, this one has been on my “must see” list for quite some time. Amazon Prime is definitely the best streaming service in terms of a deep well of obscure films from the past. So it was a late Christmas surprise when I seen that all 3 (yes there are three) CrackerJack movies are now available via Prime!

The Legendary Thomas Ian Griffith

Thomas Ian Griffith. What can I say? We all grew up with him from his role in Karate Kid III, but why he never reached super-stardom as a leading action hero of the 90s is one of the greatest mysteries of the universe. The looks, the martial arts skills and even the acting chops, he definitely had “it”.

In CrackerJack, Thomas Ian Griffith stars as Jack Wild, a cop who has been spiraling out of control ever since his wife and children were tragically taken from him in a mob hit. He became such a loose cannon that he developed the nickname “CrackerJack”, hence the movie title. His brother (Richard Sali) decides that a much needed vacation is in order. Much to Jack’s dismay.

The first bit of the movie, he is an asshole to everyone pretty much, but in flashbacks, the movie does a good job with showing what transpired and you can sympathize with him more. Thomas Ian Griffith/Jack does a good job at portraying a haunted man who lost everything.

Let’s Acknowledge the Insanely Ultimate Cast of ‘Hollow Point’ (1996)

One of Griffith’s Best Adventures

They arrive at this mountain top ski resort type place and it provides a pretty cool, unique backdrop for the action to come. He soon crosses paths with Nastassja Kinski (Terminal Velocity/Al Pacino’s Revolution) who works as an activity director/tour guide and their on screen chemistry is instant and pretty undeniable.

Just as Jack finally is enjoying this vacation, the place is taken over by a small army of ruthless criminals. Their leader, played by legendary actor Christopher Plummer (All The Money in the World/12 Monkeys). Plummer turns in a very good, almost chilling performance that elevates the movie. Turns out, he is the hit man that was ordered to take out Wild’s wife and kids. They are there for a diamond fortune that the owner of the resort has and they are even willing to trigger a natural disaster involving a nearby glacier to do it.

Thomas Ian Griffith Deserves our Ultimate Respect for ‘Excessive Force’

Now to the ultimate action!

While not quite as epic as I had hoped, it was still very enjoyable. My favorite fight of the movie came early on during the takeover where Wild (Thomas Ian Griffith) took on a baddie on a rooftop. The bad guy threw a knife at him that got stuck in this door…they battle into the doorway and just as he is about to kill our hero, the wind blows the door closed and what happens? The baddie gets stuck with his own knife! So awesome, I had to laugh.

Plenty of good lines and shootouts keep things interesting. Like I mentioned, the resort and location made for some pretty cool stunts. He calls on help from some nearby marines, led by Duncan Frasier (Timecop/Red Scorpion 2), but all they end up doing is getting shot out of the sky and blown up on some ski lifts.

While not Griffith’s best outing (see Excessive Force or my previously reviewed Hollow Point), he still turns on the charm and makes CrackerJack another worthy entry in a leading role career that is far too short.

Above the Law: The Ultimate Action Introduction to Steven Seagal

By
Andrew Babcock
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How Seagal rocked the action movie world with his acting debut in Above the Law (1988).

The rock n roll world was changed when Guns N’ Roses released Appetite For Destruction in 1987. A year later in 1988, the action movie game was shook when Steven Seagal made his on screen debut with Above the Law.

Above the Law combined the crime thriller that legends like Bronson, Eastwood and Norris made popular, but took it to a whole new level in terms of sheer brutality and violence. Giving us a new kind of martial arts hero in the process.

7 Times Seagal Proves He’s The Ultimate Action Tough Guy

Who is Steven Frederic Seagal?

For Seagal’s first time in the movie biz spotlight, he certainly took on a lot of duties. He not only starred, but was also one of the writers and producers as well.

Just like Van Damme popularized Shotokan karate, and Speakman did for Kenpo karate, Seagal brought his own brand and style of martial arts to the forefront…Aikido.

That’s what I really like about the early parts of Above the Law, it gives you a bit of background on his character and pays respect to the art. Then the story gets going… it wastes little time setting up the rivalry between Seagal’s Nico Tascani and Henry Silva’s Kurt Zagon.

Nico works in a special operations unit in Vietnam and butts heads with Zagon, when he sees the way he does things when interrogating a prisoner for intel… or torturing for that matter.

A Case for Under Siege Being Seagal’s Greatest Action Movie

Steven Seagal as Nico Tascani

Fast forward years later, Nico is now one of the top narcotics detectives in Chicago. He is married and with a young child. His wife played by the beautiful, but a relatively unknown at the time, Sharon Stone. She would of course later go on to have a huge career, starring in films like Total Recall, Basic Instinct and many more. She doesn’t have a huge role in this, the co-star honors here go to the legendary Pam Grier (Jackie Brown/Escape From LA). She holds her own in the tough as nails cop department alongside Seagal, as she plays his cop partner.

They investigate a drug trafficking operation and it spirals down a crazy web of corruption across the board. Long story short, Above the Law is basically a blueprint on how to do a gritty, crime actioner. It may be a tad too long, as in it lags in parts, but that is only a slight knock on it, as it makes up for it when the action hits.

Seagal’s Aikido and brand of punishment is on full display. As I mentioned earlier, he certainly put his unique martial arts style to popularity and in this movie, he is at his brutal best. The fights aren’t what you would call flashy, but bloody and awesome. The sword fight in the street is especially a standout.

Steven Seagal Opening His Own Winery in Russia

Action, Aikido and Great Bad Guys

The villain role played by Silva is done to perfection. Definitely an evil guy you love to hate. He is not in the movie a whole lot though. At the beginning and then in the later parts. The scene where Silva and crew have Seagal beaten and bloodied, while tied to a chair is one of the most iconic scenes in action movie history. They think they have him subdued, until he breaks out of the chair, blows em away with a shotgun and proceeds to unleash the arm break heard around the world!

If this movie didn’t have enough going for it, the stars aligned in the music department as well, as they got maestro David Michael Frank. He laid down the score for so many old school action movies; Showdown in Little Tokyo, Street Knight, multiple Seagal flicks and so many more. Whenever you see his name in the credits, you are guaranteed a memorable score.

Seagal would go on to be one of the top action movie stars of the 90s. While he had other great outings, I think we have to recognize Above the Law for the important mark it made and the influence that it still has today!

Exploring the Ultimate Action Roots in ‘Live Like A Cop, Die Like A Man’ (1976)

By
Melvin Cartagena
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A look at the Italian action crime drama cited by Quentin Tarantino as “one of the greatest films of all time.”

In the current reactionary/pronoun favored environment we’re immersed in, the opening scene of ​Live Like A Cop, Die Like A Man might be considered progressive. In the 90s it might have been perceived as ambiguously gay. In the 80s it would have been questionable. But in the mid-70s, the sight of this pair of men riding a motorbike together, hair feathered and glossed, dressed in denim and leather like they’re headed for a fashion shoot, they would’ve been taken for a pair of dandies.

And in a way they are. Fred (Marc Porel) and Tony (Ray Lovelock) are shallow, self centered, and unconcerned with anything besides getting results. But, they’re our heroes! They’re cops. Partners in a secret police division that seems to have no oversight, besides The Captain (Adolfo Celi). When they stumble onto a clumsy and violent attempt at purse snatching.

The Soldier: The Greatest Arthouse Action Movie Ever Made

Marc Porel and Ray Lovelock Star

They don’t identify themselves as police officers and attempt to control the situation. They start a chase in motorcycles (one stolen by Fred off a trailer), in an action sequence that looks both impressive and dangerous. Internet trivia speculates that it was improvised and shot without permits and first-person account from the excellent documentary ​Eurocrime​, confirms that very likely it was.

The chase ends with the criminals crashing, and with Fred snapping the neck of the one perpetrator still alive. This casual and brutal gesture, preceding a moment of care and tenderness on the part of Fred, sums up the attitude these two carry throughout the film.

But this is not a morality tale. We are not treated to an arc where they are faced with their flaws and become better people, or where their lone wolf antics bring them to justice or to a tragic downfall. The story is episodic. We follow a discreet (safe) distance as these two amble from nightclubs to illegal gambling dens, to the homes of petty criminals and call girls.

Quentin Tarantino Reportedly Considering a ‘Kill Bill 3’

Classic Italian Art-Action Cinema

A third member of their team has been murdered on the orders of criminal mastermind Bibi (Renato Salvatori), and the boys are out for blood, gleefully engaging in shakedowns and torture with the same casual detachment with which they take turns seducing the same women. Whichever way the trail takes them, and whatever they feel like doing once they get there.

The film is scripted by Fernando DiLeo, auteur of the Milieu Trilogy (of which I’ll write about later), and directed by Ruggero Deodato, of ​Cannibal Holocaust infamy. Deodato keeps the film fast, light, and neutral in regards to judging the actions of Fred and Tony as they engage in acts of detached violence and casual sex. It doesn’t glamorize the amorality of our “heroes,” but it doesn’t celebrate it either. The result is a sinister, and sometimes cartoonish take on the buddy action film before that particular genre exploded in scope and size in the 80s.

The Top 100 Ultimate Action Movies of All Time

Tracing the Ultimate Action Roots

Unlike the action stars of that decade, muscled up, rugged, and driven by right-wing righteousness, the protagonists of ​Live Like A Cop, Die Like A Man have more in common with Dorian Gray than with Kurt Russell, Stallone, and Schwarzenegger. Fred and Tony are exotic, vapid creatures, unaware of notions like responsibility and consequences.

But this film is also a very entertaining watch, featuring a daring type of action that is only seen in down and dirty independents, cool vintage fashions, and a pair of protagonists that are magnetic and repulsive by turns. The film also has Quentin Tarantino’s endorsement, so don’t wait. Watch it now!

Article by Melvin Cartagena – born and raised in Puerto Rico on a diet of mainstream, cult and action movies. Currently resides in Massachusetts where he writes fiction and nonfiction, and writes and draws comics. You can see his work on YouTube at RoboPulp Media.

Remembering Dolph Lundgren’s ‘Dark Angel’ aka ‘I Come in Peace’ (1990)

By
Andrew Babcock
-

Dolph Lundgren’s ultimate Christmas gift to the world – ‘I Come in Peace’!

To celebrate Christmas this year, I popped in the sci-fi action classic Dark Angel, aka I Come In Peace. It is a truly unique gem in the Dolph Lundgren catalog, all taking place around a Christmas time backdrop.

One of the taglines of the film sums it up well – “Jack Caine. Houston cop. Human. What he’s up against isn’t.”

Dolph Lundgren at His Absolute Best in ‘Army of One’ / ‘Joshua Tree’

The Dolphster goes Sci-fi Action Horror

What starts out to be your usual cop drama, turns into something out of this world, literally. Lundgren is a renegade cop who teams up with a by-the-book FBI agent (Brian Benben), to take down some drug dealers.

That is until these drug dealers start dropping like flies. Lundgren and Benben develop some pretty good buddy cop elements, even though Benben is annoying as hell for the most part. They come to find out that they are dealing with suspects not from this world. As Lundgren states; “I think we are dealing with aliens and not from Mexico.”

The one and only Matthias Hues (Fists of Iron/Kickboxer 2/No Retreat Surrender 2) in probably his most memorable role here as the lead alien. He brings his usual presence as he builds up the killcount, while stating “I Come In Peace”. The reason he is here? From what I gather he was there to suck the brains of his victims that were juiced up on heroin, to take back to his planet to sell?

Yeah, sounds about right. You know, your normal everyday stuff. Hues is also pursued by another alien from his own planet, who is trying to bring him back or take him down altogether. Sound familiar?

The Ultimate Action Movie Stars Align in ‘Skin Trade’ (2014)

A Movie Completely of its Time

Dark Angel definitely shares similarities with The Terminator, which I think they weren’t trying to hide. From the awesome 80s style guitar/synth score to what I just mentioned, to the overall tone and feel of the film. One of the songs included is from one of my favorite bands, XYZ, who provide “Maggy” from their 1989 debut record.

All the while this is going on, Dolph has a love interest in the film (Betsy Brantley/Deep Impact), who he keeps breaking promises to. I also would be ashamed if I forgot to mention the cameo by everyone’s favorite henchman, Al Leong (Die Hard/Rapid Fire/Death Warrant)! He is in one scene as a drug dealer.

Another interesting note, is that the good alien is played by Jay Bilas. I knew he looked familiar, I found out while doing research for this review that it is the same Jay Bilas that has been a big on air personality on various ESPN programming for many years! Wow. I guess he chose a very different career path after being an alien chaser.

Smell Like an Ultimate Action Hero with the Dolph Lundgren Aftershave

How Ultimate is it Today?

This film has a certain coolness and fun factor to it, when you see the type of futuristic weaponry Hues has.  There is also a pretty explosive and extensive car chase that you won’t soon forget either. While not that type of movie really, Lundgren still has moments to show off his martial arts prowess, with some nice roundhouse kicks.

The final showdown ends with Lundgren jump kicking Hues into an exposed pipe, where one more time Hues says “I come in peace” and Lundgren retaliates with “and you go in pieces asshole!”. You don’t get those kinda one liners anymore! I miss it.

I would be interested to have seen this world explored a bit more with a sequel or two, but we never got it. Dark Angel or I Come In Peace has become a bit of a cult favorite in the Lundgren catalog, one that should appeal to sci-fi/horror fanatics and action junkies alike!

Giving it up for Steven Seagal in ‘Under Siege 2’ (1995)

By
Andrew Babcock
-

It doesn’t get any better than ol’ Casey Ryback in ‘Under Siege 2: Dark Territory’.

You can’t talk about old school action heroes from the 80s and 90s without talking about Steven Seagal. Love him or hate him, he certainly left a big mark on the genre. Like many of you reading this right now, I grew up with Seagal films. I have been building my collection backup in recent years, and haven’t delved back into his catalog as much as some others, until now. Thanks to my brother and fellow Seagal connoisseur, ‘Bloodee Jacob’ Babcock.

Re-watching the Under Siege films has reminded me of why I was a fan of his in the first place.

The first Under Siege is easily my favorite of the two overall, largely in part due to the over the top, memorable performances of both Tommy Lee Jones and Gary Busey, but the second one is very solid as well and definitely doesn’t deserve the hate it has gotten over the years. Since UAMC has already brought you a review of the original, today, I am here to guide you into “Dark Territory”.

A Case for Under Siege Being Seagal’s Greatest Action Movie

Casey Ryback is Steven Seagal’s Best Role

First off, I just gotta throw this out there… Casey F’n Ryback just might be the coolest action movie name since Mr. John McClain himself! In Under Siege 2: Dark Territory, he is back, still on cook duties. This time, he has his own restaurant, but not much time is spent on that. These Under Siege movies waste little time getting right down to it.

Ryback’s brother was killed in an accident, so he ends up meeting with his niece, played by a young Katherine Heigl. They board a train from Colorado to California for vacation and it’s full steam ahead from there. Pun intended.

The train is soon taken over by terrorists. Their mission is to hijack a top secret satellite and they use the train as their own mobile headquarters. Maybe if they would have went over the passenger list, they would have seen Casey F’n Ryback is on board!

How Steven Seagal Nearly Landed the Role of Batman

Seagal Brings the Big Name Baddies

Sure, this time around, this cast of baddies can’t top the unhinged coolness of Tommy Lee Jones in the first, but the roster is still very solid. Among them, we have Eric Bogosian (Talk Radio/Blade Trinity), Everett McGill (Silver Bullet/License to Kill), Peter Greene (The Mask/Pulp Fiction), Patrick Kilpatrick (Death Warrant/Riot) and Jonathan Banks (Breaking Bad/48 Hours).

The action sequences are very entertaining… sure most of the baddies don’t put up a huge fight, like in most Seagal movies, but there is still something about seeing him blow through them all. Some cool, creative kills involving guns, knives and handmade explosives. Being the Aikido master he is, we of course get to see flurries of his quick hands, using various takedowns.

Many limbs broken in the process. Like I said, most of the films physical showdowns are short and sweet, but the end fight he has with McGill is pretty extended and ultimately satisfying. Maybe a favorite Seagal fight of mine, that ends with the great line, “Nobody beats me in my kitchen”.

7 Times Seagal Proves He’s The Ultimate Action Tough Guy

Great Characters, Great Actors, Great Action!

I also have to mention another familiar face that makes the film a whole lot of fun and that is none other than Morris Chesnut! He is very funny in it as a worker on the train, teaming up with Seagal in this one…years later he would be on the opposite side and take him on in Half Past Dead.

I already noted the main characters, but there are several other familiar faces along for this ride, including Brenda Bakke (Hot Shots! Part Deux), Nick Mancuso (Rapid Fire/Under Siege), and Red Forman himself, Kurtwood Smith (That 70s Show/Robocop).

Big action movie score still intact, but not the big budget they had for the first… Under Siege 2: Dark Territory still packs that one-two punch of fists and one liners that we all watch Seagal movies for!

An Introduction to Serbian MMA Action in ‘The Samurai in Autumn’

By
Melvin Cartagena
-

A review of a new Serbian ultimate action movie contender – The Samurai in Autumn!

Simonovic Vladica (Petar Strugar) is a highly skilled karate fighter who’s outclassed himself out of opponents in his local tournament circuit. While he lectures on the virtues of a warrior to the younger students on occasion, and talks about going to Japan, he doesn’t carry himself like a warrior.

He smokes, is arrogant, and unmotivated when it comes to practice. He’s highly motivated to chase women, and within the first 5 minutes of the film we are treated to a sex scene with a pick up from a local bar. Vladica is a primal creature following his cravings.

AKA ‘Samurai Im Herbst’

During foreplay a marijuana joint is produced, and the next day Vladica is disqualified from competition due to freshly implemented drug testing measures. A series of incidents lead Vladica to a job as a bouncer, and then to underground fighting, where Vladica’s base appetites collide with even baser gluttony.

And it’s at these depths that Vladica finds the warrior within, and he trains his way out of the dark to mentor the child of a single mother, reconcile his relation with his father, and embrace responsibility.

The Rise of Serbian Action Movies?

I believe this is Serbia’s first martial arts film, and they did a fine job. The Samurai In Autumn shows skill at every level. From the elegant camera work to the catchy soundtrack to the inspired sound design and on to the performances, this film shines with zest and confidence.

There are genuinely funny scenes, emotional moments that have honesty, and very convincing fight scenes. The lead actor has screen presence and charisma, and I’m looking forward to seeing him again, as well as whatever the director (Danilo Beckovic) will do next.

Ultimate Thoughts on the Film

Find this movie any way you can, watch it and get the word out about it through your preferred social media platform.

Article by Melvin Cartagena – born and raised in Puerto Rico on a diet of mainstream, cult and action movies. Currently resides in Massachusetts where he writes fiction and nonfiction, and writes and draws comics. You can see his work on YouTube at RoboPulp Media.

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