It’s often the case that when people aren’t watching the sport they love, it’s a good chance they will be consuming content related to it. And the great news for fans of Formula 1 is that there are some excellent movies based on the sport, and many of them are not to be missed.
Drive To Survive
Drive to Survive is arguably the greatest Formula 1-inspired movie of all time. Available to view on Netflix, it takes the viewer inside the action and behind the scenes in a way that hasn’t been done before. Of course, if you watch and support Formula 1, you’re very much on the outside looking in. But, Drive To Survive gives a behind-the-curtain look at all the antics, drivers and teams. Formula 1 betting markets have always focused on punters being on the outside. But now you could say they’re on the inside and armed with more knowledge because of this move.
Senna
You can’t write a list of the greatest movies about Formula 1 and not include Senna, which can be watched across multiple platforms, including Amazon and YouTube. Ayrton Senna caught and continues to capture the imagination, even after his passing in 1994. It’s fair to say that everyone knows what happened to Senna in Imola, but this move gives viewers real insight into his life up until that point. And it also cements his place as a sporting legend, ensuring he will never be forgotten.
McLaren
Everyone, even if they’re not fans of Formula 1, will recognise the McLaren name. Well, in McLaren, the movie, viewers will learn the story of Bruce McLaren. The original film and dramatised footage combine in this widely available film, including anecdotes from those who knew him best. What is also telling is how he made it to the top of the sport. And even though McLaren have had a challenging couple of years, it’s the ethos he set that will ultimately see them rise again. It’s a Formula 1 rags-to-riches story at its very best.
Jochen Rindt: Uncrowned Champion
The only posthumous champion in Formula 1 is Jochen Rindt, the focus of the Sky Sports feature Jochen Rindt: Uncrowned Champion. He won the Formula 1 championship in 1970, but his career was cut short in tragic fashion. The documentary film showcases some fantastic footage from the sport from the 60s and 70s, with interviews also giving a fascinating insight into Rindt as a person. Back then, Formula 1 was glamorous and dangerous in equal measures, and you see it all play out dramatically here.
If it isn’t a racing weekend, but you want your Formula 1 fix, the four movies mentioned above are some of the best the sport has to offer. And what’s great about them is the insight they provide, with a behind-the-curtains look at how careers have panned out and how tragic and memorable events have unfolded on the track.
American actor Sylvester Stallone plays Rambo on the set of First Blood based on the novel by Canadian David Morrell and directed by Ted Kotcheff. (Photo by Sunset Boulevard/Corbis via Getty Images)
Love action movies and looking for a classic to watch from yesteryear? Here are some of the best films from the 80s and 90s. Read on to learn about the best classic action movies. When you see our list, you could easily argue that the 80s and 90s were the golden age for movies in this particular genre.
What is an action movie?
An action movie is defined as such because the movie includes a high volume of scenes that include fast-paced clips, such as fight scenes, stunts, car chases, firearm usage and explosions. However, many of these things can be applied to war movies. Some war movies may be defined as action movies, but this is not the case most of the time. Whereas war movies typically include multiple heroes – some more than others – an action movie centres around a single hero.
Great Action Movies from the 80s and 90s
1. The Goonies
Steven Spielberg’s The Goonies may not be the first movie that springs to mind, but it’s still an action movie. Chunk, Mike, Mouth and the rest of the goonies discover a map and search for treasure through secret caves. The number of consecutive clues and traps make this movie full of nail biting drama. And it’s a unique action movie that is also PG so that you can watch it with the kids!
Sylvester Stallone is an iconic figure in Hollywood during this period, and in First Blood, he kicked off the formidable Rambo series. John Rambo is a drifter forced into the mountains by a crooked sheriff trying to arrest him even though he is innocent. The sheriff and his officer try to hunt Rambo into the mountain, and Rambo must fight back to survive. Guns and explosions are aplenty.
3. Die Hard
Another iconic actor during this period is Bruce Willis. His character John is an NYPD officer who gets caught up in a terrorist operation within an LA skyscraper. The film is considered one of the greatest action movies of all time; the cast also includes stellar names like Alan Rickman. If you already don’t know how it plays out, you’re missing out until you see it for yourself.
4. Speed
Speed is a renowned action film from 1994 where a young detective played must keep a bus travelling above 50 miles per hour to avoid it exploding. It’s got everything you want from a movie, from speed on the road, crashes, and the threat of bombs. It’s also got a young Sandra Bullock acting in one of the films that made her such a household name.
Because who doesn’t love ultimate action more than the French?
I would like to nominate a movie for the greatest foreign film in the Ultimate Action Category. Think of a cross between the world of New Jack City, with the martial arts of The Raid and the action of Judge Dread, set in the universe of Escape From New York produced by action legend Luc Besson. This may be the most hyperkinetic action movie ever put to celluloid for 2004’s District B13.
The year is the distant future of 2013. The French government has erected walls around the worst ghettos in Paris, effectively trapping the residents within and leaving them at the mercy of gangs and crime lords. Our hero Leïto played by David Bell is the protector of one of the high rise tenements and its residents. When he intercepts a shipment of heroin meant to hit the streets, the gangs come calling to get their drugs back. Queue the most exciting foot chase outside of Point Break or Narc, where David Bell employs the French martial art of Parkour to fantastic effect. You will believe a man can fly after seeing this movie.
The real star of this movie may be the French martial art of Parkour which was created by the films star David Bell. It is a military term that loosely translates into surmounting obstacles. Why is this considered a martial art? Because you need to get to and away from the fight, of course. Somebody on the internet once quipped that only the French could invent a martial art about running away from a fight. Sometimes known as Freerunning, American audiences may remember it from the pre credit scene of Casino Royale.
Now if watching a movie about a French guy running doesn’t sound particularly exciting, Cyril Raffaeli is on hand to bring the pain with his brand of hard hitting martial arts. His style has his opponents pinballing off every object in the room before being knocked into unconsciousness. A special shout should go out to the fight team who the DVD extras say were trained circus performers. You’ll recognize Raffaeli as one of the twins from Jet Li’sKiss of the Dragon or the henchmen from The Transporter and Live Free or Die Hard. Here, he plays a police officer that specializes in deep undercover work.
Which is fortunate because a nuclear warhead has been hijacked and Paris is now being held for ransom by the crime boss of District 13. So Bell and Raffaeli agree to team up to locate and defuse the bomb. Complicating our heroes mission is a rogue group of politicians who want to see the warhead prematurely detonated to wipe out the slums and its residents so they can gentrify.
An interesting side note on this movies similarities to John Carpenter’s Escape From New York. In 2015, Carpenter successfully sued Luc Besson for plagiarism for his 2012 movie Lockout, which was basically Escape but on a space station used as a prison even though this movie had many more similarities But in Besson’s defense, there are only so many original plots or characterizations in the action movie genre. I prefer to think of these copies as the sincerest form of flattery.
Now in case you don’t get enough of your action on, there was a sequel in 2010 called District B13: Ultimatum. This movie also had an American remake with 2014’s Brick Mansions. Belle reprised his role but sadly this was the late Paul Walker’s final film as he took over the role of the undercover cop. It was absolute crap and should serve as a cautionary tale to those involved in The Raid remake.
So now you have the perfect recipe for an action movie. A great story, interesting yet conflicted heroes, bone crushing fights and something that was never seen on film before this. Belle and Raffaeli need to reteam and reignite their corner of the action movie market as only they can.Until then, pay District B13a visit!
This author wishes to maintain his secret identity goes by the name of his favorite comic book hero Iron Fist. When he’s not collecting comics from his childhood, watching action movies or raising his three kids, he works a a police officer, trains Muay Thai, Jeet Kune Do, Kali and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. Needless to say, he takes poor martial arts or sloppy gun handling skills personally. And he lives and trains in Chicago.
What’s your pick for best foreign action movie of all time? Let us know your thoughts in the comments or on our Facebook page!
An American brewing company has come up with the perfect way to pay tribute to the Muscles from Brussels, Jean-Claude Van Damme.
In a beer-based show of respect, the Alementary Brewing Company in Hacken, New Jersey, has unveiled its new JCVD-inspired brew, called simply: Van Damme.
Taking to Instagram, the Brewery put together the perfect post announcing the new arrival and even managed to throw a few Van Damme movie references into the mix for good measure.
“New this week, our tribute to the Muscles from Brussels… The one… The only… Van Damme!!” it reads. “We’ve brewed this Belgian-style Golden Strong Ale, dry hopped with Hallertau Herkules hops as both a Street Fighter and a Kickboxer.
“With a Lionheart to hit any Hard Target, this Universal Soldier accepts No Retreat, No Surrender. We’ve taken Maximum Risk to brew this beer, forged in the Inferno and made sure it doesn’t get Derailed on it’s way from our brewhouse to your fridge. Ummm uhhhhh….Timecop.”
Now we counted nine different Van Damme movies in there for our money, but we could be wrong.
The Belgian has yet to comment on the new arrival but, while we don’t have much info in terms of the look and taste of the beer itself, you can guarantee it has got a good kick to it.
Would you give this beer an ultimate chug? Let us know in the comments or on our Facebook page!
Lethal Weapon was the film that put screenwriter Shane Black on the map. Released in 1987, the original film set out the blueprint for the perfect buddy cop action movie and made its stars, Mel Gibson and Danny Glover, household names as officers Riggs and Murtaugh. When it came time to write the sequel, producer Joel Silver could think of no one better to helm the project than Black.
Yet six months later, Black was gone. Exiting the project and embarking on a two-year sabbatical that would only end when he began work on the screenplay for 1991’s The Last Boy Scout. That particular effort would earn him a record $1.75 million but, as Black would later lament in interviews, he still considered his script for Lethal Weapon 2 as “the best thing I ever wrote”.
It was also a script that would never see the light of day.
Black was in dark place when Silver first approached him to write Lethal Weapon 2.
“I was very insecure at the time, a real wreck psychologically,” he told Creative Screenwriting. “Then my girlfriend took off, and I was devastated. I had this period where I didn’t think I was any good at anything and fought desperately just to stay afloat.
“They put me on the sequel, and it was one of the hardest scripts I’ve ever written. I was so terrified of it, at the end of the process I looked at the script and thought I’d really blown it.”
Working on the script alongside friend and novelist Warren Murphy, the two writers crafted a decidedly darker sequel, which was tentatively subtitled “Play Dirty”. Unfortunately, for Black and Murphy, their darker, more action-led vision for the follow-up wasn’t one shared by Silver or returning director Richard Donner.
While Black and Murphy’s script still saw Riggs and Murtagh going up against a gang of South African drug dealers hiding behind diplomatic immunity, it was a decidedly different affair, save for the scene where Rigg’s stilt house gets destroyed.
For example, Joe Pesci’s character, Leo Getz, was originally only intended to play a minor role in proceedings, featuring in one scene with a few lines of dialogue. When Black departed the project after refusing to rewrite his script the incoming Jeffrey Boam was tasked with adding a little more levity to proceedings. Getz’s expanded role was the result.
Then there was the violence. The original “Play Dirty” script was dripping in blood-letting, with the film’s central South African criminal gang posing a far more vicious threat. While one jettisoned scene saw Riggs get tortured for an extended period, the most infamous cutscene supposedly centred on fellow cop and female police officer Shapiro, who is tortured to death in the script, rather than simply blown up as she ended up being in the finished film.
Black and Murphy’s script also offered up some intriguing action set pieces with one pitch a sequence where a plane full of cocaine blows up, resulting in clouds of the drug descending over Los Angeles like snow. Yet perhaps the most contentious section of “Play Dirty” came with the final battle, which saw Riggs going toe-to-toe with the film’s main villain Benedict in the middle of a giant bushfire.
Black and Murphy always envisioned Benedict as a far more dangerous character than the one presented by Pieter Vorstedt in the finished film, which was an important point. Though Riggs would ultimately defeat Benedict in their version of the final showdown, it would come at a fatal cost with Riggs ultimately stabbed and killed by his arch-nemesis.
The “Play Dirty” script ended on a emotive scene of Murtaugh watched a videotaped message Riggs recorded before the final battle – a final battle he knew would end in his death.
Killing off Riggs seems almost unthinkable to most fans now but Black had his reasons. Speaking to the Los Angeles Times, he explained how, in the first film, Riggs was a “suicidal mess” who didn’t care whether he lived or died. Meeting Murtaugh and his family changed that and, by sacrificing himself to ensure Benedict died, he was ensuring they would be safe. Donner and Silver saw things different.
Asked to rewrite the script to include a little more comedy and a different ending, Black felt dejected. He recalled the experience to Creative Writing.
““They said they didn’t like that the character died at the end, and I thought, “Oh, I’ve failed everybody, I screwed up, I blew it. My writing sucks.” So, I offered to give the money back. My agent called and said, “Excuse me, are you fucking crazy? You don’t give the money back. People write shit and they get paid millions of dollars. This is fine.””
Roam came onboard, expanding Pesci’s character to inject more humour into proceedings – a move Black wasn’t all that impressed by. The rewriting process continued through much of the production with Donner keen to introduce new ideas as filming progressed.
“You do a lot of changes on the LETHAL WEAPON movies because Donner is very spontaneous and always wants something new the day he shoots the scene,” Boam recalled to Assignment X. “He’ll call me up around seven in the morning saying ‘We’re about to shoot this scene, I have this idea, what do you think? Can you fax it to me?’ So we were constantly altering the script as we went along.”
The film’s South African villains also underwent significant changes from the original script with screenwriter Robert Mark Kamen later revealing he was recruited to do a lot of uncredited work on the film, focused primarily around the villains.
Donner later revealed, on the Blu-ray commentary for the film, that they did toy with the idea of killing off Riggs – even if it would have meant killing off the franchise. Two different endings were presented to test screen audiences who were then asked to choose which they preferred. The version where Riggs survived proved more popular.
One death Donner did approve of was that of Rigg’s love interest, Rika played by Patsy Kensit. One version of the script had Rika survive, with the final scene featuring her and Riggs enjoying Thanksgiving dinner with the Murtaughs. Donner had a change of heart though, eventually deciding to have Rika killed off so her death would increase Riggs’ motivations for taking the South Africans down. It’s unclear whether Black’s script would have seen her survive or whether Rika even featured, for that matter.
Though Black still pocketed $250,000 for his work on the film, the experience left a bitter taste in his mouth. He went into exile, in part because of his personal issues, and only resurfaced a couple of years later, when his script for The Last Boy Scout sparked a bidding war. Though bitter at the time, he’s made peace with the Lethal Weapon 2experience since – even if there are things about the finished film that bother him.
“I recognized things when I watched “Lethal Weapon 2” that was in the script that we wrote, but the tone is totally different,” he told The Playlist a few years back. “For instance, there’s something that I’d never do in a movie. There’s a car that crashes and a surfboard that comes off the top, flies through the air, kills a guy, and Mel Gibson says, “Total wipeout.” I would never do that. That’s just a dumb joke.”
And even though it never saw the light of day, he still ranks “Play Dirty” among his best work. “I looked at the script again recently and it’s the best thing I ever wrote,” he told Creative Writing.
“There’s no question the draft of Lethal Weapon II that I wrote, death and all, is my best work. Head and shoulders, intensity wise, above a lot of the stuff I’ve done. So, the lesson is first, never give the money back. You’re not objective enough to know your work is really bad. Lesson two is trust yourself.”
The script for “Play Dirty” has never been published online and may never see the light of day. Given the way Black extolls its virtues, that could one day change.
How do you feel about the legacy of Lethal Weapon 2 and Shane Black’s darker original script? Let us know in the comments or on our Facebook page!
There are rare times in cinematic history where a movie’s sequel is just as good if not better than the original. The Wrath of Khan, The Dark Knight, and The Road Warrior come to mind but does the Mel Gibson and Danny Glover buddy cop classic Lethal Weapon 2 make the cut? I would argue that this follow-up to the original 1987 film may be the ultimate installment in the franchise.
As the 30th anniversary of its release approaches, these are the top five reasons you need to fire up your blu-ray player, charge a few bucks to your streaming service, or dust off your VCR to view a copy of Lethal Weapon 2.
LETHAL WEAPON 2 [US 1989] MEL GIBSON, JOE PESCI, DANNY GLOVER Date: 1989 (Mary Evans Picture Library)
An international conspiracy to commit fraud and launder drug money backed by a shadowy, evil organization: Check. A ruthless villain who occupies a brutalist office with a massive fish tank: Check.An even more vicious #2 acting as his enforcer: Check. A disposable love interest but an otherwise solid supporting cast: Double Check.
Let’s face it, Lethal Weapon 2 is the street-version of a Bond film that mirrors many of the same narrative beats and characterizations. The other Lethal Weapon movies feature some rather blasé criminals: the standard drug pushers, corrupt ex-cops, and human smugglers. Two features a corrupt South African consulate staff engaged in numerous criminal enterprises in order to prop up their repressively racist government back home. That’s some SPECTRE-level fiendishness right there. Joss Ackland’s portrayal of the main villain Arjen Rudd is a perfect stand-in for Ernst Stavro Blofeld or Karl Stromberg. Replace Riggs and Murtaugh with Bond and Leiter then trade-in the jeans and beer for a martini and a tux; voila, Bond 26 “Brought Together, Torn Apart-heid”.
The helicopter assault on Riggs’ trailer, the incredible exploding toilet, Leo Getz getting “f__ked at the drive-through” (the gag is repeated in 3 but with cell phones), Riggs’ Houdini-esque escape routine, and of course “Deeeplomehteeek Immuuuniteeeeh!”Yup, those scenes and more are all in 2 and they were all later parodied in Loaded Weapon I (1993).The series is chock-full of thrilling car chases, explosive shootouts, hilarious one-liners, and even flashes of high drama but 2’s moments resonate just a bit more after 30 years.
Two recurring gags are worth mentioning that make the sequel a more balanced action-comedy than the original but aren’t overdone like some of the material in 3 and 4: Mrs. Murtaugh’s ill-fated station wagon and that cringey condom ad. Murtaugh and Riggs are chasing the Aryan “Adam Henry’s” around in Trish Murtaugh’s brand new, wood-paneled station wagon. Every few scenes, it suffers some kind of irreparable harm. Repeated chases and crashes leads to a detached bumper, a missing windshield, a flying door or two, and naturally that exploded toilet lands on it. The gag may have been ripped off from Planes, Trains, and Automobiles (1987) but it’s still funny as hell.
The grand acting debut of Murtaugh’s oldest daughter provides a few more chuckles throughout the movie.She stars in a condom ad, which sets up the introduction to a rather festive “rubber” tree later on. Again, a similar running joke involving an embarrassed Murtaugh is repeated in 3.
The original Lethal Weapons introduced us to a down-and-out cop, who smoke, drank, and regularly contemplated suicide. Although the sequel traded many of these darker moments for light-hearted bickering between the leads, we get a little more background on a recovering Riggs. Old scars are ripped open with a shocking reveal in the second act and the fate of his love interest Rika cut fresh wounds. It all prompts an emotionally satisfying no-holds-barred showdown.
The emotional beats worked well in 2 but didn’t really carry through to 3 with Rika not even worth a line of dialogue as he pursues a relationship with Lorna Cole. Riggs is still hung up about his wife in 3 and 4, which seem to be the only barrier to his ultimate salvation. In more ways than one, Rika gets more of the shaft than the love in this franchise. Regardless, Riggs’ character is fleshed out a bit more in 2 as he mellows into a more stable role that turns goofier in subsequent sequels.
As briefly discussed earlier, 2 had a better balance of the various action, comedy, drama, and character elements that provided a more compelling narrative overall. The original explored some dark places with Riggs’ teetering mental health and various torture sequences that may have been too real for a portion of the summer blockbuster crowd. Going the other direction, 3 and 4 were almost family-friendly in both tone and material. Two was able to strike a delicate balance, weaving innovative action sequences and amusing back-and-forths without losing sight of character motivation while maintaining a tight story arc.
The setups and payoffs in this movie are commendable. That garish fish tank in Rudd’s office; oh that’s exploding. That nail gun that sounds like a cannon when it fires; you best believe that’s going to nail some rent-a-goons. Along with the running jokes, these writing devices are frequently used to call back to earlier material, which tends to keep the audience engaged. Basically, you’re never bored and there is something for everyone to enjoy in this late entry to 80’s blockbuster cinema.
The action is indeed ultimate and gets downright impressive at times. The very first scene drops you right in the middle of a high-octane chase involving multiple cars, fully auto weapons, helicopters, and a trunk full of gold. Other threads such as the creative use of pressure-activated bombs are certainly admirable. And there have been plenty of cars driving into houses, but not as many pick-ups destroying houses after they’ve been hitched up to them.
The helicopter attack on the beach has to be the most ultimate action scene in both the movie and the series in general. It’s the little brother to the famous helo-attack scene in Apocalypse Now (1979). Every conceivable camera angle captures the hail of machine gun fire and trailer destruction. If the aerial assault wasn’t enough, it becomes a shootout on the ground as Riggs provides cover fire for his and Rika’s escape to his truck. It all ends with Riggs firing his Baretta out of the driver-side window at the remaining helo and he somehow takes out the pilot.
Celebrate 30 years of wise-cracking and ass-kicking by watching Lethal Weapon 2this summer. It’s a crowd-pleasing, action movie archetype that maintained the buddy-cop sub-genre’s appeal well into the 90s and 00s. If nothing else, it will forever shape your reaction to seeing cars driving around with diplomatic plates. Just give them a little extra room and drive defensively.
Article by Mike Culton – An action aficionado who grew up on a steady stream of 80s and 90s action movies. He drunkenly tweets movie reviews on Fridays @BuzzedMovies on Twitter and produces a series of movie reviews on films that were shot in Idaho on YouTube.
What are your thoughts on the ultimate legacy of Lethal Weapon 2? Let us know in the comments or on our Facebook page!
Action movies for patriots of the most ultimate country ever – America!
USA! USA! USA! Three simple letters chanted from the depths of our collective American lungs. But what do those letters mean? They mean that America is hands down the most ultimate action movie centric country in the world. Period.
So whether it’s the Fourth of July or just a hot afternoon and you got cool beer in front of you, here are some of the most ultimate action movie classics to pop into your VCR to celebrate the ol’ Red, White and Blue.
Why not start off with an ultimate Cannon Films classic! American Ninja is the stuff of ultimate action lore. Starring the incredulous Michael Dudikoff in – what should be – his most patriotic role of all time as Pvt. Joe Armstrong – an ultimate ninjutsu expert.
As far as American ultimate action movie heroes go, Chuck Norris might be the most personified of Old Glory. And this is doubly true in Invasion USAwhere Norris portrays Matt Hunter, who is mad as hell once his friend and mentor John Eagle (is there a more American name?) is gunned down by invading communists.
Invasion USA is also noteworthy for being one of the most ultimate Christmas films of all time, as the invading communist hordes wage a full war on Christmas and America at the same time in Florida. Of course, Invasion USA is also a Cannon Films classic (and the first of a six feature deal Norris signed with Cannon following the success of his Missing in Action films).
As far as action movies go, it’s kind of a shame that it’s still not the 1980s and Americans aren’t still feeding off of the cold war and battling communism as a subject matter for every movie. But as relics of action movie past go, No Retreat No Surrender is about as patriotic as they come.
Ostensibly a Karate Kid meets Rocky IV film, we get to see Jean-Claude Van Damme in one of his first on-screen speaking roles as the evil Russian karate bad guy Ivan Kraschinsky up against regular American karate kid Jason Stillwell (Kurt McKinney).
There’s one catch, in true American style, Jason has been trained in Karate by the ghost of martial arts Bruce Lee. The ultimate showdown at the end might be the most American cinematic moment ever.
Similarly, Rocky IV is the most ultimate American triumph of the great Sylvester Stallone. In what started as an up-and-coming indie boxing film in 1976, Stallone’sRocky finally went from nobody to American savior in his Rocky IVbout against Dolph Lundgren’sIvan Drago – the Soviets’ prize Champion boxer and a Soviet Army captain.
From the American workout anthem montage, to the upset of the century – which we can all assume single handedly put the cold war to rest – Rocky IVis about as American a movie as they come.
Ah, Top Gun. While a little light on the classic “action” for the genre (it’s very much also a thriller and a romance film), Top Gun makes up for its genre flaws with its pure, unbridled patriotism at every turn.
Tom Cruise’sPete “Maverick” Mitchell embodies everything America is about. He’s young, he’s reckless, he blazes his own path and he looks damn good while doing it. Plus, with a soundtrack that’s an absolute banger, it’s a perfect movie to have one in the background for any 4th of July BBQ or party.
Without getting into the largely un-ultimate 2011 sequel Independence Day: Resurgence, the Will Smith and Jeff Goldblum buddy action thriller is of course one of the best choices for any 4th of July viewing.
While not released in the ‘80s action heydays, it still shares many similar ultimate action tropes and includes enough hard hits and classic one-liners to provide some solid entertainment. If anything, it should be watched by all Americans every morning just for President Bill Pullman’s Independence Day speech.
What’s your pick for the most American action movie of all time? Let us know in the comments!
There’s nothing more American, or more Ultimate, than a good ol’ fashioned WWII action movie!
Beyond The Line tells a tale of sacrifice and brotherhood among soldiers at the close of The War To End All Wars. And what better movie to review over the Fourth of July weekend to remind us why the United States of America is the greatest country in history.
So here is our official Ultimate Action Movie review of Beyond the Line and how it’s an ultimate tale of the greatest generation.
After the German surrender after D-Day, a plane full of English RAF soldiers are flying home over German occupied territory when their plane is shot down. The survivors who bailed out by parachute are slaughtered as they are entangled in the treetops. Only a single soldier survives.As he is about to be executed, a lone American soldier arrives to save his life. Turns out, he is also the sole survivor of his unit which was also massacred by those dastardly Nazis.
So a soldier who has never killed and a soldier who has known nothing but killing are forced to team up and navigate the occupied countryside with the last of the German war machine hunting them.
If you’re looking for a movie with a predator in it or big budget special effects, this isn’t it. But what director wouldn’t want to make a movie in his backyard while playing soldier. The director Jason Mills sure didn’t and pulled more duties then I’ve ever seen credited on a film. He tells a great tale about The Greatest Generation and what they all left behind to go and fight the Germans for the benefit of all and how combat often strips a soldier of their very humanity.
It ends with one of the soldiers at the end of his life making the pilgrimage overseas to visit the grave of his fallen comrade. He is there to give him thanks for giving him the strength to make it back. And he was brought his wife along, as well as his grown children and their children so he can show him what his sacrifice made possible across generations.
This is a movie to share with an older parent or grandparent especially as we celebrate the birth of our nation and all it has made possible for other nations. But we must never forget these sacrifices were made by men and woman as well as the families they left behind.
To all my UAMC peeps, Happy Fourth of July. Sorry we don’t have an action blockbuster to celebrate with, but I know we will all improvise, adapt and overcome. Because this is one of the holidays where we remember the sacrifices of those who came before us.
This author wishes to maintain his secret identity goes by the name of his favorite comic book hero Iron Fist. When he’s not collecting comics from his childhood, watching action movies or raising his three kids, he works a a police officer, trains Muay Thai, Jeet Kune Do, Kali and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. Needless to say, he takes poor martial arts or sloppy gun handling skills personally. And he lives and trains in Chicago.
What are your thoughts on Beyond the Line? Let us know in the comments or on our Facebook page!
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Let us know your thoughts below or on our Facebook page!
Sylvester Stallone has revealed the movie he regards as the worst he’s ever starred in – and it’s one that might surprise fans of the Italian Stallion.
While Sly is an undoubted ultimate action movie legend with a string of classic movies to his name, even he’s experienced the occasional mis-step down the years.
Judge Dredd, Daylight, D-Tox and Get Carter could all come under the category of fun but fatally flawed Stallone efforts – but they are not without their merit.
In fact, Sly’s biggest slip-ups have arguably come when he turned his hand to comedy with Oscar, Rhinestone and, of course, Stop Or My Mom Will Shoot surely ranking as the worst of the worst. Not according to Stallone.
Taking to Instagram this week, Stallone singled out another film as “the most horribly produced film” he’s “ever had the misfortune to be in” and it’s one that could surprise fans. Well, those fans who haven’t seen it.
Stallone instead singled out 2018’s Escape Plan 2: Hades as the worst of the worst and with good reason.
A follow-up to the enjoyably 2013 original, the first film saw Stallone star as a structural engineer Ray Breslin, who is tasked with escaping the world’s most secret and secure prison. Along the way he’s aided in his escape by a fellow inmate who just so happens to be played by Arnold Schwarzenegger.
While a little rough around the edges, the first Escape Plan was buoyed by the presence of these two action legends and a fun if slightly dumb plot. Unfortunately, the sequel has none of the same magic with Schwarzenegger’s character absent from proceedings and Stallone largely sidelined.
The result is a sequel that garnered an approval rating of 9% on Rotten Tomatoes based on 23 reviews, with an average rating of 2.5/10 and a critical consensus that simply states: “Do not enter.” It doesn’t sound like it was a lot of fun to make either.
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Writing on Instagram, Stallone went on to explain that, while Escape Plan 2 was a mess, he had high hopes for Escape Plan 3: Extractors and even shared a clip from the movie.
“Escape Plan 2 WAS TRULY THE MOST HORRIBLY PRODUCED FILM I have ever had the misfortune to be in , but this new film was made in an extraordinarily short amount of time , 17 nights , dusk till dawn , no breaks , we ate while we worked!!!!
“The Crew were under unbelievable pressure. . Proud of them! But I wanted this battle be as realistic as possible. I showed up on the site for the big final fight scene that takes place in a very very old cell that is 9‘ x 7 … they had spent all this time choreographing this Martial arts type of combat. I said forget it.
“Why don’t we go in there and just let it rip. Like a real fight!!!! . Nobody does this anymore … NO CUTS! ONE LONG TAKE – No choreography, so you don’t know what’s coming until it hits you. I asked the other actor who has a lot of guts,Devon Sawa , If he was game? I said it’s gonna hurt and he replayed “ bring it “.
“So what you see us a portion of the brawl that is completely non – choreographed , spontaneous , again, with no cuts , And no idea , and what punches were coming! The other actor Devon , plays the killer who has accused me of murdering his father which is not true !
“Without a doubt the only fight I’ve ever done in my entire career without choreography or without knowing what’s coming !! No one does this anymore – gotta a little adventurous !!! And nuts … This was tough but worth it!
“And what I believe makes the audience APPRECIATE the effort and authenticity.”
The proof will be in the watching – Escape Plan 3: Extractors is available to download and watch now.
What are your thoughts on Escape Plan 2 and Stallone’s “worst” ultimate action movie? Let us know in the comments!
