Tom Cruise doesn’t have anything on the great Brendan Fraser.
Without a doubt, the 1999 remake of The Mummy is the best-known version of the story to modern audiences, though I would say it’s more a riff on the story of the original 1932 horror classic than it is a remake. In fact, The Mummy isn’t really much of a horror movie at all, though I continue to see it categorized as such over the years. At heart, it’s every inch an action movie.
The Mummy takes place in 1926 and follows the adventures of Rick O’Connell (Brendan Fraser), an American adventurer, and Evelyn “Evie” Carnahan (Rachel Weisz), a British librarian and would-be Egyptologist. Evie wants to prove her mettle by finding the lost Egyptian city of Hamunaptura. O’Connell saw during a doomed stint with the French Foreign Legion three years previous, making him a precious source of information for Evie.
Accompanied by Evie’s bumbling brother Jonathan (John Hannah) and competing against a group of treasure-hungry American explorers, the two set out to find the city. However, they get more than they bargained for when they accidentally awaken the cursed high priest Imhotep (Arnold Vosloo) from his undead slumber.
Imhotep was buried alive thousands of years ago for high treason. Now, he seeks to resurrect his lover and co-conspirator Anck-Su-Namun (Patricia Velasquez) by ritually sacrificing Evie, as well as restoring his former power.
Critics have been calling this movie loud and dumb for twenty years now. Well, I can’t say it’s not dumb or loud, but it’s certainly more enjoyable than your standard Michael Bay explosion-fest. I will admit the plot is your standard “save the world from the Big Bad” we’ve seen in about a million blockbuster movies since Star Wars, but even this ultimately isn’t a problem.
Why? It’s all in the characters, whose personalities, humor, and charm make The Mummy as beloved a film as it is. Brendan Fraser and especially Rachel Weisz are extremely charismatic leads. Fraser’s O’Connell is both a clown and a competent fighter. Weisz is silk hiding steel as Evie the librarian, definitely as much a force to be reckoned with as any of the gun-toting men around her. The supporting characters all have their own comic flaws as well.
Arnold Vosloo also leaves a big impression as Imhotep. Among all the goofy characters, he’s the only one playing things straight and this is very much to the benefit of the movie. By not endowing the villain with as much camp as everyone else, Imhoetp is a credible threat, leaving the audience in suspense even though the movie is otherwise a light-hearted affair.
This is why I say the movie is not a proper horror film. It has way more in common with action movies like Raiders of the Lost Ark than it does, say, the Evil Dead trilogy, because even though those scarab beetles are terrifying and there is a healthy sense of gothic atmosphere when the characters are navigating the interior of an ancient tomb, The Mummy is way more interested in high adventure in an exotic location– swords and chases and explosions and chaotic crowd scenes, not so much terror and dread.
The excitement tends to come from the action, not the scares, which are often so over-the-top that they veer into comic territory anyway. For example, the ambush on the ship is shot like something out of an Indiana Jones movie, relying on stunt work and kinetic energy. Same with the final battle against Imhotep. It’s not really a horror movie climax when you look at it, focusing more on combat and adrenaline.
The Mummy came out in 1999, a big year in the history of special effects. Movies like The Phantom Menace and The Matrix were huge steps in the evolution of CG. The Mummy also uses a great deal of CG, though most of it hasn’t aged as well as the other two movies listed. However, some of it is still quite impressive, like the part where a scarab beetle crawls into a CG hole in Imhotep’s face and then he starts eating it.
The Mummy remains a well-loved movie with a healthy cult following. A recent reboot starring Tom Cruise tried to amp up the action and the horror, but crashed and burned, lacking the fun characters or light touch that made the 1999 movie such a hit. Despite the advancement of special effects in the last twenty years, The Mummy has so much more going for it than that, and remains an entertaining action-adventure.
How do you remember Brendan Fraser and The Mummy (1999)? Let us know in the comments!
From Vampires to Zombies, the Snipester slays them all.
Wesley Snipes has battled everything from a blood-sucking Stephen Dorff to a locked and loaded Sylvester Stallone, but the Passenger 57 star has got his work cut out for him in his latest movie.
The Blade actor has just signed on to star in Outbreak Z, a brand-new zombie-led action movie that will see Snipes thrown in at the bloody deep end.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Snipes will play one of two SWAT officers on a desperate hunt through a zombie-infested college campus for a man who holds the vaccine to the flesh-eating bugs.
Outbreak Zis shaping up nicely with fight choreographer and stunt performer Chris Brewster directing, based on a script by Hamid Torabpour, Clint Narramore and Andrew Kightlinger.
Brewster comes to the project with plenty of action movie credit in the bank, having overseen the fight and stunt work on Netflix’s excellent Daredevil series as well as Ant-Man and the Wasp and Black Panther.
He won widespread acclaim and several awards for his work on those Marvel movies including a Taurus Award for the Ant-Man sequel and a SAG Award for Black Panther in the category of best fight choreography.
Something of an expert in the world of stunt film work, his expertise will prove invaluable to work on Snipes’ film, which could serve as something as a comeback for the once-incarcerated star.
Snipes has a number of new films in the work, include Dolemite Is My Name! alongside Eddie Murphy and the RZA-directed thriller Cut Throat City.
What are your thoughts on this new Snipes / Brewster action zombie vehicle? Let us know in the comments or on our Facebook page!
The Dark Soul begins with a particularly gruesome murder. Then it cuts to the arrival of a mysterious stranger to China. He has come to seek out a man he only has a photograph of and a name that may or may not be an alias.
This mysterious stranger goes by the name of Chandler (Kevin Brewerton) and is retired military. We learn that he was diagnosed with a cognitional heart disorder that led him to purchase a heart on the black market of organ donors. Only now, he is haunted by visions of the heart’s previous owner, recognizes people from it’s past, can speak and read Chinese and knows Kung Fu. Can a heart really be haunted? We now follow Chandler’s quest through the criminal underworld and the organ harvesting industry to solve a murder.
With a title like The Dark Soul, I expected to get a movie dealing with the supernatural. What we the viewer get is a straight up mystery about solving the murder of the man whose heart now beats in your chest with some Kung Fu thrown in. If the plot sound familiar, the Pang Brothers did a movie out of Hong Kong in 2002 called The Eye, that dealt with a transplant of corneas that gave the recipient a window into the former owners world, which of course was remade in 2008 starring Jessica Alba.
Not only is this not a horror movie, but I wouldn’t necessarily describe it as an action movie. Normally you would not put the weight of such a drama on the shoulders of a professional athlete, but Kevin Brewerton does a first rate job of keeping us involved as the story evolves. Brewerton is a former kickboxing champion whose Kung fu is on equal footing with his acting when it comes time to go to blows. Brewerton has a number of acting and directing credits that I intend to check out including 1997’s The Fifth Element. I look forward to seeing him punch up any number of action movies in the future.
One of the downsides of comic book adaptations is that they have crowded out the action film market to the point that studios now turn to the horror genre to turn a quick profit on a low budget. This is why is is incumbent on us as action movie aficionados to keep an eye on emerging trends on our genre and support them. It’s looking like the future of streaming and direct to video action movies may be in films emerging from Korea, Indonesia and Chinese markets.
Gone are the days of the low budget, low production value Shaw Brothers pictures. We are starting to see sleek, state of the art action movies produced with government backing that allows these films to compete in international markets. It’s a trend we need to support so we can identify the next Tony Jaa or Iko Uwais or Tiger Chen. Who knows?Maybe the next star to emerge will be a Kung Fu doing thespian like Kevin Brewerton.
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 this first look at The Dark Soul? Let us know in the comments or on our Facebook page!
Speaking at Cannes Film Festival, Stallone revealed how he “hated” Lundgren when he first laid eyes on him during the audition process for casting Ivan Drago.
“Dolph Lundgren walked in, and I hated him immediately,” Stallone said (via Vulture). “I had to find a superhuman being as an opponent, someone who would be overwhelming.”
That was enough to see Lundgren cast in the role that would make his action movie career.
Yet things nearly took a turn for the worse during filming on Rocky IVwhen Lundgren came perilously close to actually killing Stallone – by accident, of course.
The incident came during filming on one of the movie’s legendary boxing bouts. Eager for the scene to look at authentic as possible, Stallone encouraged Lundgren to hit him as hard as he could – and it nearly cost him his life.
“He hit me so hard he almost stopped my heart,” Stallone explained.
“I told him, ‘Why don’t we just do it? Just try to knock me out. Really cut loose as hard as you can.’ That was a really stupid thing to say. Next thing I know, I’m on a low-altitude plane to the emergency room, and I’m in intensive care for four days. And there are all these nuns around.”
Stallone, thankfully, lived to see another day, ensuring Lundgren didn’t go on to be remembered as the man who slayed Sly. The rest is ultimate action movie club history.
What are your thoughts on Stallone and Lundgren’s epic showdown from Rocky IV? Let us know in the comments or on our Facebook page!
What if that poster from ‘Last Action Hero’ was real?
Man, computers can do anything these days. Not only can they apparently rise up and send cyborg androids back into time to kill our best and brightest. They also can be used to digitally superimpose the likeness of different actors into famous action movie scenes.
Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sylvester Stallone have long been tied together in terms of box office giants, friends and counterparts for many competing franchises. It’s hard not to dive deep into hypothetical discussions of how cool it would have been to see Arnold in First Blood, or Stallone in Total Recall.
Now, thanks to the #DeepFake programs from digital video hackers like Youtuber Ctrl Shift Face we can finally see some of this magical “what-if” wizardry come to life. Check out this Deep Fake video of Sylvester Stallone in the famous biker bar scene from Terminator 2.
And dear god is this video creepy. At times you can see the Deep Fake program struggling to do its masking, but for the most part many of the shots look absolutely perfect. Not only does it put Stallone’s face onto Arnold’s very recognizable Mr. Universe body, but it also matches skin tone, expression and appropriately de-ages Stallone. It’s quite odd to as Arnold’s square jawline also continues to come across, but oddly merges perfectly with Stallone’s gaunt cheekbones.
Here are a few screengrabs to look at some of the shots in more detail.
Fittingly, the video starts with a clip from Last Action Hero in which young Danny Madigan tries to prove Jack Slater (played by Arnold) that he’s in fact Arnold Schwarzenegger. Only to find out that Arnold does not exist in his timeline/universe/whatever. Ever since that made-up poster of Stallone on Arnold’s signature T2 motorcycle fans have been yearning to see a version of Terminator 2with Stallone as the T-800.
As to the discussion of what The Terminator and Terminator 2 would have been like with Sylvester Stallone instead of Arnold, it really creates a whirlwind of conflicting views and opinions. Firstly, a Stallone original Terminator probably never would have happened – or it would definitely not have been the same. Arnold was much more unknown at the time and the role was eventually tailored to fit his aesthetic and acting ability (as well as speaking ability).
An official UAMC petition to recognize Bruce Campbell as ultimate action movie worthy.
Is there any actor more charismatic than Bruce Campbell? His chin is a legend in its own right. If you wanted one man to narrate your life, it wouldn’t be Morgan Freeman, who usually comes to mind right away, you’d want Bruce Campbell. He’d add some flare, humor, and sex appeal to even the dullest of stories.
It’s surprising that most don’t recognize Bruce Campbell as an action hero. Everyone thinks of Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sly Stallone, Jean Claude Van-Damme, Chuck Norris, and Steven Seagal, but Bruce is rarely mentioned. What a shame. He belongs in that pantheon of action heroes and I’m officially recognizing his place there. Here’s why:
The Evil Dead Franchise
When the franchise started it was a groundbreaking horror film. The story was simple enough; Ash (played by Campbell) accidentally unleashes demon spirits upon the world by reading from the Necronimicon. Those spirits attack his friends and girlfriend while they are in a cabin in the middle of the woods. Only Ash survives the film.
As the franchise continued the films took on action-comedy qualities. Evil Dead 2was still firmly in the horror genre, though there were some action elements (like when Ash cuts off his hand and attaches a chainsaw to his arm). With the third film, Army of Darkness, the change was officially made. Although there were moments of terror, the film was an action-comedy cult classic. There were many memorable action-packed, comedic, and horrific moments, but the most memorable element of the film is perhaps when Ash refers to his shotgun as a boom-stick to a group of medieval knights and then uses it to blow off a demon’s head.
Fans of the franchise were pleased with franchise’s TV series, Ash vs. The Evil Dead, which aired over two decades after Army of Darkness was released. This series masterfully combined action, comedy, and horror in ways that no other series or film ever had or probably ever will. It’s a tricky combination masterfully executed in this series. Though it only lasted three seasons, it’s easily one of the most ultimate action series ever produced.
Other TV Shows and Films
In the mid-90s Campbell played the same character, Autolycus, across two shows; Hercules: The Legendary Journeys and Xena: Warrior Princess. Both series, set in ancient Greece, featured action-packed scenes of man vs mythical beast and man (or woman) vs warlord. Campbell brought a fair amount of action to an already action-packed series, but his chief contributions were charisma and comedy.
When both of those series ended, Campbell took the leading role in his own short-lived series, Jack of All Trades. They paired him with gorgeous women to provide some sexual tension, game him some run-of-the-mill plots, and let his personality steal the show. It was great action series that was fun while it lasted. If his TV action cred wasn’t enough with just that, he was also in 111 episodes of Burn Notice, stealing the show from the protagonist while playing his best friend.
Campbell has done many smaller roles in action films. He was in Congo, Escape from L.A., Spider-Man, Icebreaker, McHale’s Navy, Darkman, etc. Whenever a movie needs to add some style, make the film more entertaining, grab a laugh, or turn up the charm Campbell steps-in to fill the void.
While he may not have many action franchises attached to his name, he is enjoyed by anyone who sees him on the screen. And when people do see him, he’s usually blasting somethings head off, cracking a sly joke, or sweeping some sexy damsel off her feet. For those reasons he is officially recognized as an ultimate action movie hero.
Read more from Jared at Legends of Men (www.legendsofmen.com).
Are you down to sign the petition to officially make Bruce Campbell an UAMC action hero? Let us know your thoughts in the comments or on our Facebook page!
Some people want to ‘Netflix and Chill,’ but other people on a date want to watch something so thrilling they will be grabbing the edge of their seat. That’s why we have come up with a list of the best action movies for a date night. You’ll find all these films on the streaming service, so you can easily watch them when you spend the night with your date.
Action movies like a popular topic on dating sites that brings people closer
Examining dating sites and seeing what kind of movies people mention the most in their profiles reveals that single people love watching action films on a date. As we can see from the review of face flow, one of the advantages of the site is that by filling out a profile, you simplify the work search engine and site algorithms. With their help, the site will find someone who suits your specific needs, so if you love action movies, this is what you need to meet a person that shares your interests. Finding a person that loves action movies as much as you is as simple as hitting a few keys on the right service.
Find your action lover in the time of pandemic online
The biggest problem that is facing people right now is that it is hard to find a romantic partner since we are still in the midst of a pandemic. So, how are you supposed to find an action lover like yourself? As we have already stated, dating sites are a very good way to meet people looking for love and individuals who love action films as they do. Not only do you get to avoid the crowds and difficulty, but the screen-sharing elements of dating sites and streaming services lets you feel like you are both in the same room. In short, a dating site is the best way to go for finding an action-lover like yourself.
Top 5 Netflix action movies for the first date
What movies should you consider watching on Netflix after you pick up a date? We’ve come up with a couple of good ideas that you should check out. Some are new, and some are classics.
5) Army of the Dead
This new film is taking the world by storm. It’s a zombie-horror-action film that works hard to make the genre fun again. Dave Bautista has a surprisingly strong performance. Anyone that loves zombie movies will love this, and what can be better than watching a scary movie while cuddling with someone you like? Such a date is a classic!
4) Bright
Will Smith leads in this modern take on magical worlds featuring policemen that try to deal with racial issues between humans, orcs, and elves. If you like fantasy, this is a good film for you to check out. Bring sweet snacks your date likes, make some herbal tea, and watch a fantasy movie together. Super-cozy!
3) Under Siege
Perhaps Steven Segal’s finest work, Under Siege tells the story of a special ops soldier-turned-cook that has to help when his Navy vessel is captured by the enemy. Watch out for the cook! Such a movie is good to watch on a date because of its complex and gripping plot. You two will have a lot to talk about when the movie’s over.
2) Angel Has Fallen
The man who has saved the president on many former occasions, Mike Banning (Gerard Butler), is charged with an attempt on the president’s life in this high-stakes sequel. The movie is also tense and exciting to want on a date.
1) Peppermint
Riley North’s husband and daughter are killed in a reversal of the standard action trope. Riley (Jennifer Garner) takes bloody revenge upon those responsible. It’s standard fare, but the classic feel will give both of you something to talk about.
These five movies are perfect for a romantic evening for action-lovers!
Finding a partner for an action-packed movie night is not as hard as you might imagine. Better still, you have plenty of great movies to watch when you do meet someone. The next time you fire up Netflix, you’ll be prepared to show your romantic interest all sorts of great films!
Arnie is a man of many talents: bodybuilder, action movie star, politician and, now, rapper. The latest of these talents was ably demonstrated on Austrian singer Andreas Gabalier’s latest song “Pump It Up – The Motivation Song”.
A song that’s fundamentally about working hard and digging in to achieve your goals, there are few stories more inspirational than that of Schwarzenegger. Unfortunately, for Arnie, there are also few rappers worse than the Austrian Oak either.
While Gabalier does a half decent job of singing about Schwarzenegger’s incredible life journey, when it comes time for the 71-year-old to hit the mic, everything goes a little, well, flat.
“Hey, I’m Arnold Schwarzenegger and listen carefully,” Schwarzenegger begins. “Dig deep down and ask yourself, who do you want to be,” continues the fledgling rapper.
“Not what, but who — if you believe success will come to you, work like hell, trust yourself and all your dreams come true.” Later in the song, Arnie reappears to rap a little more, this time weaving a familiar Terminator catchphrase into the lyrics.
“Break some rules, knock the wall, don’t be afraid to fail,” he says. “You have to think outside the box, I say no pain no gain, I don’t want to hear it cannot be done, always give something back. My name is Arnold Schwarzenegger and I’ll be back.”
It’s not great, but then few rappers hit their stride the first time they began spitting lyrics.
Exploring the ultimately ambitious action of ‘Thunderball’ (1965)
At the time of its release, the British cinema poster for Thunderball had the tagline: “Here Comes The Biggest Bond of All!” This marked Sean Connery’s fourth adventure as James Bond after three previous installments that were both critical and box office successes. What made this outing different from the previous ones was the production credit of Kevin McClory and the use of widescreen Panavision for its over two hours of runtime. The film would become known not only for expanding how big a James Bond film could be but also for sheer amount and different types of action throughout the film. From the opening to the end, it has wall-to-wall action that never lets up except for some quite suspenseful moments.
With Connery back in the role of James Bond, this film was an adaptation of the Ian Fleming novel, which was based on an original Jack Whittingham screenplay. The screenplay for the film would be written by Richard Maibaum and John Hopkins. While the addition of McClory was new to the film, it came as a result of McClory and Whittingham, having been collaborators of Fleming’s, sued Fleming, saying it was based on a screenplay the three had written that did not translate into a cinematic Bond. Albert R. Broccoli and Harry Saltzman, who did not wish for a rival film by McClory, allowed his retaining of certain rights to the characters and story of the novel.
Having considered the background of the film’s production, it’s time to look at just why this film defined itself for the time as a new type of blockbuster but also gave direction to future Bond films and movies of the 1980s and 1990s.
While most Bond films have a great deal of action, nothing had been as action-packed as this opening for a Bond film. When Bond is attending the funeral for a SPECTRE operative, Colonel Jacques Bouvar, the latter is found to be alive and pretending to be his own widow. He is a SPECTRE operative that is connected to the deaths of two agents that work for MI6. Once Bond identifies him, a fight ensues between the two of them, culminating in Bond escaping using a jetpack. Leaving the mayhem behind, his Aston Martin DB5 is driven up by Madame La Porte, a French agent.
Up to this point, the Bond film openings either had some music and a montage, as seen in Dr. No, or more simple suspenseful action set pieces in From Russia with Love or Goldfinger. However, this was the first film that really put Bond in action that was different from what had come before. While there was some suspense to it, it was more straight-up action and something that would paint a picture for not only future Bond films to follow but also future action films of the two aforementioned decades as well.
After a SPECTRE meeting in Paris occurs, introducing SPECTRE Operative Number Two, Emilio Largo, the plot quickly moves to what starts off as a quiet encounter between Bond and Count Lippe at the Shrublands Sanatorium. After Bond notices his Tong tattoo and searches Lippe’s room, Lippe attempts to murder Bond with a spinal traction machine after he was seen leaving the room by a man who had his head covered in bandages.
Bond ends up being saved by Patricia Fearing, his physiotherapist. Bond eventually comes to discover the corpse of Francois Derval, a French Air Force pilot, who was also staying at Shrublands. He is unwittingly part of a giant SPECTRE plot. While this normally would have Bond snooping around without any others attacking him, it’s where things change: the enemy gets the upper hand on him and it culminates in him fighting for his life. The emphasis on grand action is what pushes this film forward as defining many action films to come.
To elaborate further on Derval, he is the subject of a SPECTRE plot. Angelo Palazzi, the aforementioned bandaged man, has had his face altered via surgery to match that of Derval’s, who is geared to fly on a training mission on an RAF Avro Vulcan strategic jet bomber. The bomber is loaded with two atomic bombs. Palazzi ends up killing Derval, getting $100,000 from Fiona Volpe, a SPECTRE agent that Derval was with.
Palazzi demands an additional $150,000 for the job he is doing, which Volpe agrees to. Palazzi takes Derval’s place and gasses the rest of the crew, landing the Vulcan after flying it to the Bahamas near the Disco Volante, Largo’s ship. SPECTRE SCUBA divers get the atomic bombs but leave Palazzi drowning to death since he reneged on his original SPECTRE deal. While Lippe goes to attack Bond, Volpe kills the former for hiring Palazzi, who caused so many issues in their plot.
This is another example, where the sequences could have been very quiet. However, they are filled with plenty of action and the plot never stops to take a breath. It’s something that will be seen in not only later Bond films but many of the action genre too.
The film goes back to traditional suspense, which finds Bond at the casino table against Largo. Bond had already met Domino, who is Derval’s brother and the mistress of Largo. Once Bond meets with his CIA contact and friend, Felix Leiter, this is where things ramp up. Q gives Bond gadgets, and Leiter and Bond scope things out, using a distress beacon, an underwater breathing apparatus, a flare gun, a Geiger counter, and an underwater infrared camera. Bond does not locate the atomic bombs while diving underneath the Disco Volante but finds an underwater hatch. He just narrowly escapes Largo’s henchmen. Bond visits Largo the next day at his estate, and Paula Caplan, Bond’s partner, is taken to Palmyra, where she commits suicide with a cyanide capsule.
This action is pretty unique here for this film because of the underwater events. It’s what sets this film apart from other past and future Bond installments. No Bond film or action film for that matter has this amount of underwater action. It’s quite suspenseful and exciting. It makes this Bond movie unique and different from what had been done and no action film has been able to replicate what Thunderball did in this area of the genre. Not one film.
Bond is kidnapped by Volpe while he is able to escape through a Junkanoo celebration to the Kiss Kiss club while the latter is killed by a bodyguard of hers. Bond and Leiter locate the Vulcan underwater inside a cargo net that is camouflaged. Bond gives his Geiger counter to Domino and asks for her help after he tells her that Largo murdered her brother.
She is eventually captured and tortured by Largo when she begins to look for the bomb onboard the ship. As Bond disguises himself as one of Largo’s henchmen, uncovering the latter’s plot to destroy Miami Beach, Bond is discovered by him but rescued quickly by Leiter. With Largo’s divers surrendering, Largo is able to escape the Disco Volante with one of the bombs aboard the ship. Bond goes underwater fin as it starts to leave.
This is particularly notable because of the tension created by the Junkanoo celebration and the action that occurs when Bond disguises himself, where is being hunted by Largo. It’s all what leads to a phenomenal conclusion for the Bond blockbuster.
Thunderball ends in an epic fashion. Largo goes to the rear of the ship, showing the front to be a hydrofoil, which escapes in a smoke cloud at high speed, while the Royal Navy and U.S. Coast Guard pursue Largo’s ship. Bond is able to battle Largo, as he climbs into the ship’s cockpit. The ship goes back and forth between the reefs and rocks. Kutze, Largo’s nuclear physicist, turns against Largo, freeing Domino. Domino shoots and kills Largo with a harpoon gun before Largo is able to kill Bond. Kutze, Bond, and Domino go overboard before the ship goes aground, exploding in spectacular fashion. The sky hook-equipped CIA B-17 aircraft is able to rescue Domino and Bond.
This is a spectacular finish that never stops. The action ramps up even more as the film moves to its epic conclusion. It becomes so fever-pitched that Bond almost is killed within a final sequence except for Domino’s intervention. She did not ever need an extension cord to fire the weapon but she was able to put an end to the man who killed her brother and almost shot her lover.
Thunderball is a film that challenged its predecessors for years to come. It not only showed how action can be used to benefit drama and suspense but it also introduced audiences to how underwater events should be and can be accomplished. It had a suspenseful story, an intriguing villain, and fantastic other characters. It was also the first to use the Panavision widescreen format. It’s particularly notable for being filled with action from start to finish and never stopping for a break much at all without suspense being right around the corner. The British cinema poster was not wrong when it said: “Here Comes The Biggest Bond of All!”
About the author: Tommy Zimmer is a writer whose work has appeared online and in print. His work covers a variety of topics, including politics, economics, health and wellness, the entertainment industry, and an extension cord.
Let us know your thoughts on Thunderball in the comments or on our Facebook page!
Breaking down three of John Woo’s ultimate action classics…
A broken man, clutching a Beretta at his side, stumbles into an abandoned church. A few strands of hazy light pierce through the remaining pains of shattered stained glass. The only sign of life is a startled flock of birds that flutter away as the approaching figure stumbles down the aisle. A shadow appears in the corner of the sanctuary. The silence explodes into a flurry of concussive gun shots, which forces the hapless wretch to dive for cover in between the splintering oaken pews.
John Woo, Hong Kong’s auteur of ultimate action, blends captivating imagery like this with intense violence and complex yet endearing characters. He was destined to make his way to Hollywood after the rise and commercial success of 80’s and 90’s mega-action blockbusters. If American directors wielded a sledgehammer to transform the genre, Woo used a planer to shape and refine it into a work of art. The first three movies he made stateside demonstrated elements of his unique style while preserving the kickass attitude and high-octane energy that we red-blooded Americans came to expect and demand.
John Woo’s directorial debut in America takes us down to the sultry underground of the Big Easy. Hard Targetfeatures Jean-Claude Van Damme sporting one of the most greasily glorious mullets in cinematic history. The plot, which seems like an episode of Walker, Texas Ranger but isn’t, involves a criminal network kidnapping homeless people to act as human prey for degenerate hunters seeking to up their game. Arnold Vosloo, in his pre-Mummy days, is the evil entrepreneur and Lance Henriksen, supporting actor legend, is his lieutenant and chief enforcer. Yancy Butler is the catalyst for the story and serves as an occasional damsel-in-distress/love interest.
The movie feels more like a standard Van Damme vehicle save a few filmmaking flourishes of Woo’s styling. The narrative is about as shallow as an inland bayou and the characters are rather one dimensional. Still, the performances themselves are pretty solid, especially Vosloo’s and Henriksen’s over-the-top viciousness. Wilford Brimley as the drunk, swamp-dwelling uncle is also entertaining to watch. Basically, you’re getting a whole lot of gunfights, high-kicks, and explosions with various Cajun-inspired set pieces.
Ultimate Action Greatness: a motorcycle-surfing Van Damme playing chicken with a truck-full of rent-a-thugs firing machine guns. I don’t think I need to tell you who comes out on top and who explodes into a fireball of twisted metal.
Most Woo-worthy Moment: the entire gunfight in the Mardi Gras factory qualifies but two sequences stand out as signature John Woo. Wielding two pistols, of course, Van Damme crosses paths with an airborne grenade as he leaps through a window, the grenade explodes, JC flips around on the ground propelling himself on his back while firing all of his rounds into Arnold Vosloo. Tied with that amazing bit of choreography is the final standoff with Lance Henricksen. As the factory is engulfed in flames, a pistol-less Van Damme makes his first move against an armed Henricksen by taking a huge, slo-mo flying kick to his chest as doves fly away in the background. Hunting season is over, indeed.
Woo’s sophomore entry in his American filmography introduces us to John Travolta as the scene-devouring villain, although it’s the weakest of the three films in general. Christian Slater is there too and occasionally shoots at and/or punches him. In the mid-90’s Travolta shed his charming, leading-man image and chose grittier roles such as VincentVega in Pulp Fiction. It seems like he had a ton more fun as the bad guy based on his performances in both Broken Arrow and Face/Off.
Woo seemed all too willing to let Travolta ham it up in between occasional gunfights, chase sequences, and train-hopping fist fights. Oh, and there is a ticking clock attached to a nuclear warhead to keep things moving along during the slower parts. Christian Slater as the good guy doesn’t give us much to work with and Travolta’s character as the villain is much more endearing. Southern Utah provides some stunning backdrops to the slow-burn action.
Ultimate Action Greatness: a freakin’ underground nuclear explosion followed by Travolta admitting that he is indeed “the man.” Either that or Samantha Mathis taking out an overly confident thug with a precisely thrown claw hammer.
Most Woo-worthy Moment: the final showdown in the train car with the nuclear bomb. It’s a tight space and starts with a gunfight and ends with a knock-down, dragged-out fistfight with an inert nuclear weapon dealing the fatal coup-de-gras.
This is the third and highest grossing film of this notional triple-feature boxset and it’s Woo’s second most successful feature of all time after Mission Impossible II(2000). Face/Off is also the John Woo-iest movie he made in the US. There are plenty choreographed chases followed by gun fights but he was able to slow it down a bit and spend more time with the characters. Complex human relationships and the development of individual characters sneak their way into a compelling narrative to give Face/Off more depth and resonance. In fact, I’m willing to bet Nicolas Cage’s remaining sanity that more people remember and re-watch Face/Off than any of Woo’s other US features due to the masterful balance of story and ‘splosions.
Fear not, the level of action is intense and it keeps building over two hours before erupting into the ultimate showdown. After an extreme boat chase and protracted struggle for the fateful harpoon, You’re left exhausted at the end or at least feel like you’ve eaten an entire birthday cake by yourself.
Ultimate Action Greatness: Arguably the most ultimate boat chase ever filmed is a five minute sequence of top-notch stunt work, glorious explosions, and impressive outboard maneuvering. Also, who knew a MP-5 on full auto could be so accurate firing from a boat throttled up to top speed?
Most Woo-worthy Moment: Yes, there is a Mexican standoff in an empty church with pigeons flying about, but an even more Woo-worthy moment happens during the Castor Troy penthouse raid. Castor’s son is caught in the middle and Castor’s baby-mama does her best to shield him from the hail of bullets and attempts to distract the boy by slapping a pair of headphones on him. At one point, we see the battle through the child’s perspective as “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” drowns out the chaos and death.
As previously mentioned, Woo would go on to direct Mission Impossible II, which marked the high point of his career. After that, he fell off the summit with Windtalkers (2002), rolled down the hill with Paycheck (2003), and then boarded a plane back to China. He may be re-making The Killer at some point; so, we’ll see. It would be refreshing to see the King of Asian Action climb back into his throne and grace Hollywood with his presence for a project or two before abdicating. Regardless of what the future holds, John Woo’s distinctive stamp on action movies, both in the US and abroad, is still seen today. Whenever someone busts out two pistols or a flock of birds is scattered by gunfire, you’re probably looking at an homage to an ultimate action legend.
Article by Mike Culton – An action aficiondo 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 these John Woo action classics? Let us know in the comments!
