Bruce Willis is Back for ‘Die Hard’ Prequel – ‘McClane’

Die Hard 6 Will Officially be a Prequel Starring a Young John and Holly McClane!

It looks like Christmas is coming early for Die Hard fans! Or, maybe it just pisses you off to see the ultimate franchise still chugging along. But regardless, the 6th Die Hard feature will officially be a prequel titled – McClane – and will somehow star Bruce Willis once again.

Here at the Ultimate Action Movie Club, we understandably absolutely love Die Hard and its ultimate action movie legacy. If you’re curious, here’s where we rank the Die Hard’s in terms of ultimateness!

Now let’s look at what we know about this next – and hopefully last – Bruce Willis Die Hard iteration.

Die Hard’s Reginald VelJohnson Isn’t Ruling Out a Return For Sergeant Al Powell

Bruce Willis in ‘McClane’

Rumors of a Die Hard 6 have been bouncing around the internet for quite some time. Originally a working title of Die Hard: Year One was attached, but apparently that awful title has been scrapped in favor of a more iconic attempt. 

The Best Action Movies to Watch During the Holidays

R-Rated or PG-13?

The big question for this next iteration is the highly controversial concern of the film’s ultimate rating. In an interview with /Film, attached producer Lorenzo Di Bonaventura says of a possible R-rating:

“I hope so … Look, I’m not in charge of that. Would I prefer it? Absolutely.”

However, it remains to be seen as attached director Len Wiseman is back on board after directing the 2007 Live Free or Die Hard which was PG-13 – the only of such in the franchise.

The issue with the rating, at least by UAMC standards, comes down to just how awesome the movie could potentially be. With so many re-imagining storylines recently coming out for major franchises though (like Transformer’s Bumblee and X-Men’s Logan), it appears studios like changing style and tone when possible.

Interview with Ultimate Action Movie Great – Dennis Hayden

A Young Holly McClane

This is perhaps the most odd part of the recent news regarding McClane. Bruce Willis is, well, Bruce Willis, and if he’s in the film he will most probably play an age appropriate role for himself to kick butt. According to the /Film interview, Holly McClane is slated to both appear as a her similar older aged self, as well as… a young Holly McClane.

If this is somehow more than just a simple flashback, then what is this movie really? And how would Bruce Willis find the screentime to make it a proper Die Hard?


What are your thoughts on Die Hard and the upcoming McClane? Let us know in the comments or on our Facebook page!

The Universal Appeal of the Sci-Fi Action Classic Robocop (1987)

Why we continue to love the ultimate sci-fi action western Robocop (1987)

The universal appeal of the original Robocop is astounding. It has enough heart-pounding action and snappy dialogue to hook mainstream moviegoers, and enough philosophical density to secure it a place in the Criterion Collection.

While no movie is perfect, Robocop is as close as it gets. Everything works. It’s as much of a penetrating dystopian satire as A Clockwork Orange, as thrilling an action movie as Aliens.

The story is tight, without a wasted moment or superfluous line of dialogue. Paul Verhoeven’s direction is inspired, ratcheting up the violence with a great flair for dark comedy while never neglecting Robocop’s quest to regain his humanity.

Robocop (2014): The PG-13 Robocop Remake No One Wanted

What is a Robocop?

Robocop takes place in a future Detroit where psychopathic criminals and corrupt corporations rule the streets. Joining law enforcement risks one’s coming home in a body-bag, but that doesn’t stop idealistic Alex Murphy (Peter Weller) from doing his duty. Unfortunately, during what should be a routine drug bust with partner Annie Lewis (Nancy Allen), Murphy is shot to pieces by drug dealer Clarence Bodicker (Kurtwood Smith) and his cronies. 

The Most Villainous Bad Guys in Ultimate Action Movie History

What Makes a Robocop Great?

Enter Omni Consumer Products, the corporation that essentially runs the Detroit police department. Senior Vice President Dick Jones (Ronny Cox) proposes ED-209, an enforcement droid, aid the officers in cutting down crime. After a demonstration shows ED has trouble discerning between criminals and innocents with gruesome results, ambitious executive Bob Morton (Miguel Ferrer) steps in to promote the Robocop program, which only needs a volunteer to get going.

Conveniently, Murphy is put into critical condition just as Morton gets the green-light. Organs and head salvaged, Murphy is reborn as Robocop, the ultimate crime-fighting machine, unencumbered by human frailty. At least, that’s the ideal.

Despite his programming, old memories resurface. Encouraged by Lewis, Robocop starts regaining some of his former personality. His quest to stop crime becomes very personal when he decides to avenge his own murder—a decision which puts him at odds with both the criminal underworld and OCP itself.

Robocop: a Hybrid Sci-Fi Action Western

Robocop is a genre hybrid if ever there was one: a satirical sci-fi action western. The satire of 1980s American culture, with its excess and Cold War anxieties, are mocked in commercials and news clips that sporadically break up the action. These inserts are not only hilarious, but they strongly establish the crass materialism and casual disregard for human life which permeate Robocop’s Detroit.

The western part is rarely discussed, but many of the same tropes are at play. Robocop’s Detroit is an urban Wild West, where innocents are oppressed by corruption in high and low places. Robocop is the law-abiding gun-slinger, Lewis his faithful partner. The final showdown between the resurrected Murphy and his killers evokes western classics like High Noon, where both a community’s welfare and a man’s soul are at stake.

Of course, as an action film, Robocop does not disappoint. The film is (in)famous for its grotesque, over-the-top violence, a perfect match for the excessive setting. Explosions dominate many of the action scenes, where buildings and cars erupt into flames. One wonders how much of the budget covered blood squibs and breakaway glass. Every other moment, it feels like someone is being thrown out a window or filled with lead—often both at once!

Robocop (2014): The PG-13 Robocop Remake No One Wanted

How Ultimate is Robocop?

Much of the time, the violence is used to comedic effect, such as the malfunction of ED-209, where an unlucky corporate lackey dies in a flurry of bullets, jerking around like a possessed marionette beneath torrents of blood. Other times, the violence is horrific, such as when Murphy is murdered. Though just as violent as the ED-209 scene, Murphy’s death is shot with all the visceral distress of a horror movie sequence.

Weller’s performance is masterful, the soul of the film. As Murphy, he is a warm family man and an ordinary guy. His transformation into Robocop not only makes his voice robotic and his movements stiff, but it mutes this warmth. When busting criminals, Robocop is collected, cool, and intimidating. However, genial interactions with others confound him, and resurfacing memories of his family awaken foreign emotions he struggles to comprehend.

The most telling example of this occurs early on when Robocop rescues a woman from two rapists. Tearful and relieved, the woman embraces her rescuer, only for Robocop to stiffen then awkwardly inform her he’s set up an appointment with the Rape Crisis Center.

Little moments like that, funny as they are, show what Murphy has lost. As the film progresses, his emotional vulnerability plays off against his physical strength well, making Murphy/Robocop one of the most complicated 80s action heroes.

All of the Robocop Movies Ranked From Best to Worst

Celebrating Robocop’s Action Heroes

Fellow cast members lend Weller fantastic support. Nancy Allen is likable and tough as Officer Lewis. Robert DuQoi is entertaining as the perpetually exasperated Sergeant Warren Reed, up to his neck with bureaucratic red tape and dissatisfied employees. As Bob Morton, Miguel Ferrer sells the yuppie executive’s lack of wisdom, love of cocaine, and abundant cockiness.

The villains are so vividly portrayed that they almost steal the spotlight from everyone else. Clarence Bodicker has got to be one of the best movie villains ever and it all comes down to Kurtwood Smith. This is a guy who revels in his own corruption with such glee that it’s hard to entirely despise him, despite his unrepentant sadism. He gets many of the movie’s most memorable lines, “Can you fly, Bobby?” and “Bitches leave” being particular fan favorites.

As Dick Jones, Ronny Cox is slimy, oozing contemptible power-lust. His abuse of his authority makes him easier to dislike than Bodicker in key ways, though he is no less enjoyable to watch. The two play off one another well in their scenes together, two sides of the same criminal coin.

Robocop is a true action classic, no matter how one looks at it. Action buffs will love the imaginative chases and fights. Sci-fi fans will dig the cyberpunk dystopian details. The art house crowd will enjoy the callbacks to classic genres and the themes about society and humankind. Truly, a film with something for everyone except the squeamish.


What do you think about the original UAMC-classic Robocop? Let us know in the comments or on our Facebook page!

Avengers Endgame: Are Modern Superhero Movies UAMC Worthy?

The new Avengers: Endgame trailer is here! But should ultimate action movie fans care?

I’ll be honest. I’m torn on this subject. Are modern superhero movies Ultimate Action Movie Club worthy? Personally, I’m not a big fan of The Avengers or really any of these modern superhero franchises. I did see and enjoy Black Panther, Thor: Ragnarok and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, but only because they seemed interesting for reasons outside of simply being the latest superhero movie.

Now we have a new trailer upon us and the debate is fresh once again. Let’s look at some reasons for and against Avengers: Endgame being considered ultimate action movie worthy.

Note: for those who aren’t up on what makes a movie ‘UAMC-worthyhere’s a great article explaining what makes 80s and 90s action movies ULTIMATE here! Also we have similar debates on whether action movie genre crossovers count and what’s the best way to watch ultimate action movies!

New Avengers: Endgame Trailer

First off, here is the first trailer for the upcoming Avengers: Endgame movie. Interested to know everyone else’s thoughts, but to me the trailer really doesn’t do much for me. Not only is there not much information about anything, there’s absolutely no action. It’s Robert Downey Jr. being sad. Then it’s some other Avengers being sad for a bit. That’s really about it!

An Argument for Superheroes being UAMC Worthy

Let’s ignore this latest trailer though. I’m sure the next trailer will begin to tease the plot points and action quite a bit more. And if there is ANY argument for the Avengers and modern superhero movies being UAMC worthy it’s squarely on the fact that they have ACTION – and usually lots of it!

Ultimate Action Movies from the 80s and 90s are notorious for having gratuitos action and violence that is used to solve all of life’s problems. Modern superhero movies are no different as every film has to come down to the same bad guy vs good guy showdowns.

Modern superhero movies are also hero driven much in the same way as classic action flicks. Instead of Chuck Norris doing his signature roundhouse you just have Captain America doing his signature – whatever the heck it is he does with that tiny shield – move. (And note: if there is one modern superhero that seems the most UAMC-worthy, it’s probably Captain America.)

It’s also worth mentioning that modern superhero, like their ultimate action movie counterparts, simply do a great job of giving audiences what they want. They make tons and tons of money because fans love seeing the same story arcs and big budget fights and CGI animations. Using Cannon Films as an example (who may be singularly responsible for action movies to begin with) is just proof that action movies were made for the masses.

Superhero Movies Are Not Ultimate Action Movies

However, let’s look at the counter. Modern superhero movies – especially this Avenger franchise – are different from classic action movies in several ways. As you can see in the Avengers: Endgame trailer they really make a meal out of their powerfully emotional characters. Unlike the singular destructive forces of Arnold, Bronson, Norris, Seagal and Van Damme who hardly bat an eye at loved ones being killed or kidnapped, these modern action heroes seem like soap opera characters – or at least similar to their WB spinoff siblings.

The biggest gripe with the modern superhero movies is the heavy reliance on CGI action. It’s basically like watching an animated movie (which is fine, but not UAMC). Every major fight scene becomes a video game cut scene where you don’t even really get a sense of what’s going on. Often the hand-to-hand fighting looks terribly choreographed and simple and certainly does not show off any significant martial arts skills or training.

As a fan of 80s and 90s action movies which themselves were very formulaic and cliched, I won’t hit modern superhero movies too hard for their sameness, but it does get a little tiring to see the same end-of-the-world stakes so quickly raised for every film and character. That’s just part of the superhero folklore, but it leaves little room for finding other unique stories and narratives.

These are just one man’s opinion though! And like I said, I’m not entirely convinced my sentiments are right. I’d be open to either giving many of these superhero movies more of a chance (I did really enjoy Black Panther), but I’m also interested in hearing from other who choose to stick to their ultimate action movie guns and stay focused on the classics.


How do you feel about modern action movies and their possibly UAMC-ness? Share your thoughts in the comments or on our Facebook page!

UAMC News: Is Sylvester Stallone Saying Goodbye to John Rambo?

Is Rambo 5 Going to be Sylvester Stallone’s Last John Rambo performance?

SYLVESTER STALLONE appears to have waved goodbye to another of his iconic action movie roles having wrapped on filming for Rambo V: Last Blood. (Bonus: here’s everything we currently know about Rambo 5!)

Stallone made headlines last month after seemingly announcing that Creed II would mark his final appearance as Rocky Balboa. Now the veteran actor has taken to Instagram to post a video seemingly bidding a farewell to another of his beloved cinematic creations, John Rambo.

Rambo V: Last Blood

“Well that was it, that was my final shot. And Rambo 5 Last Blood, at least that’s what they are calling it, thus far,” Stallone says in the video.

“And it’s been an amazing journey, it really has. This character was presented to me in 1980.”

“And no one wanted to do it. As a matter of fact, I was the eleventh choice. People looked at this as almost as a cursed project. I looked at it and said this was an amazing opportunity.”

The Last Rambo Rodeo

Stallone began work on Rambo V: Last Blood back in October, spending over two months filming on the project in Bulgaria.

The film sees Rambo, now working as ranch hand, enlisted to take on a Mexican cartel after they kidnap the sister of a close friend.

Given his age and the comments made in the video shared online, fans would be forgiven for thinking that Rambo V represents his last rodeo.

RIP Rambo & Rocky

Stallone has already passed the mantle of Rocky on to Michael B. Jordan’s Creed, but we wouldn’t rule out a cameo return in some capacity.

Any future Creed films will likely focus on Jordan’s character, Adonis, and his burgeoning family but there will always be room for a little bit of Rocky, right? Could the upcoming Rambo installment pave the way for a new, younger, replacement to the man himself?

It’s not an idea entirely out of the realm of possibility, particularly as there was a TV series in the works at one point that would have seen Rambo working alongside a son. Watch this space. Rambo V is set to arrive in cinemas in 2019.

SEE WHERE THE RAMBO MOVIES STACK UP IN THE ALL TIME RANKS OF SYLVESTER STALLONE’S MOST ULTIMATE ACTION MOVIES HERE!


Do you think this news will stick for Stallone, or will Rambo be back? Let us know in the comments or on our Facebook page!

How Jackie Chan Blew his Fortune on Women, Gambling, and Gifts

Jackie Chan reveals how he blew his fortune on women, gambling and “generous gifts”

Ultimate action movie legend Jackie Chan has opened up about the women, gambling habits and generous gifts that saw him blow much of his hard-earning film fortune.

The 64-year-old actor opened up about the “insecurity and immaturity” that dogged the early part of his career in his new autobiography “Never Grow Up”.

In quotes picked up by the Daily Mail[via Metro], Jackie Chan opened up about his drinking habits and the time he managed to crash two luxury sports cars in the space of just one day.

BONUS: read how Jackie Chan changed action movies for the better with his martial arts comedy classic Rumble in the Bronx (1995).

A Real Drunken Master

Chan first shot to fame as a stuntman but burned through much of those initial earnings on a diet of women and gambling.

“We all knew that if something went wrong, we wouldn’t live to see the sunrise the next day,” he explained in the extract from the book. “We had a short-term mentality which means recklessly spending our money.” Once his career began to take off with films like Drunken Master, Chan continued to splash the cash.

That Action Movie Star Lifestyle

He wrote: “I started to carry large amounts of cash at all times. After you live in poverty, cash gives you a sense of security.

“I like having lots of people around me and every meal was with a big gang. Around 10 years ago, I spent $2m paying for other people’s meals.

“I gave out extravagant gifts too; watches, cars, custom-made leather jackets, cases of expensive wine”.

The tell-all autobiography sees Chan open up about difficulties in his family life and the fact he’s struggled with reading and writing for much of his life.

Jackie Chan Unchained!

“I’ve not been a good father or a good husband, but I did my duty to my son and his mother,” he admits in the quotes published by the Daily Mail. “I behaved so badly because of my deep insecurities. Ever since I was a little boy I’d been looked down on by rich kids.”

If you’re interested in reading the full story, you can check out Chan’s autobiography here.


How does this news affect Jackie Chan’s ultimate action movie legacy? Let us know in the comments or on our Facebook page!

The 10 Best Sylvester Stallone Ultimate Action Movies!

UAMC ranks the best and greatest of Sylvester Stallone’s Ultimate Action Movie career!

Sylvester Stallone Cobra (1986)
Sylvester Stallone in Cobra (1986)

From Rocky to Rambo to Tango to… Barney Ross, the Ultimate Action Movie Club is proud to announce that our official rankings are in on the MOST ULTIMATE ACTION MOVIES of the great Sylvester Stallone.

Now, we also know that @TheSlyStallone has also been a busy man and is simply not letting up as far as his action career goes. Not only is Sylvester Stallone still turning out mentorship opportunities in his Rocky-spinoff Creed series, he’s also brought back Rambo for Last Blood – as well as reportedly working on reboots/sequels for Demolition Man, Cobra, Cliffhanger (and maybe even more Rocky).

But before all is said and done, we want to offer UAMC fans a chance to bask in Stallone’s ultimate action movie glory by looking back at his greatest action classics. While this list may be different from yours (and we do encourage you to share yours in the comments!) It’s based on a few ground-rules:

  1. Stallone must be the star (or at least clear co-star)
  2. It must be an ACTION movie (but can be split with other genres, like sports, etc…)
  3. It’s ranked on its ULTIMATE-NESS (i.e. the enjoyment from watching it with friends on a Saturday night). NOT on commercial or critical success.

So, for your action movie appreciating pleasure, here are our TOP 10 Sylvester Stallone Ultimate Action Movies! And if you’re looking for more Top 10 Lists to read up on (or argue about with your friends later), here are some more official Ultimate Action Movie Club rankings to check out:

The Top 100 Ultimate Action Movies of All Time

10) Cliffhanger (1993)

Ah, the Stallone action movie that just keeps hanging on! Cliffhanger (1993) comes in at number 10 but is definitely our number mountain climbing Stallone feature. But seriously, Cliffhanger is peak Stallone and showcases not just his hard hitting side, but also his serious acting chops.

It also puts Stallone in a great position against the criminally under-appreciated bad guy Qualen – played by John Lightgow. Overall the cast is superb, the plot well developed and fun and the action earned and unleashed on ice.

For our full UAMC review of Cliffhanger, you can check it out here! But before we go on, one small bit of UAMC trivia about Cliffhanger. Because the film was such a success, they named the “Rocky” Mountains in which Cliffhanger was filmed after Stallone’s famous character.

UAMC Reviews Sylvester Stallone’s Rock Solid Action Classic – Cliffhanger (1993)

9) The Expendables (2010)

To be fair, this is really a toss-up between The Expendables (2010) and The Expendables 2 (2012) as both movies deliver the ultimate action movie goods for a nostalgic fanbase just looking for some old fashioned action fun! (We won’t get into everything wrong with The Expendables 3 (2014) – we’ll leave that for this in-depth article about the entire franchise here!

We will say that The Expendables – however you feel about it – is worthy of appreciation based on Stallone’s bold vision of a modern dream-team action movie. It’s perhaps not exactly what we at the UAMC would envision for it, but the idea is pretty damn UAMC-worthy to begin with.

Hats off to Stallone (and of course screenwriter David Callaham for his initial script idea) to bringing an entirely new and fresh yet-nostalgic franchise to fruition in the non-ultimate action movie era of the 2010s, and for getting an all-star gang of action movie stars together!

What The Expendables Series Got Right (and What it Got Wrong)

8) Tango & Cash (1989)

In what will undoubtedly be its own article one day, we dare anyone to make an argument for a more ultimate buddy cop duo than Sylvester Stallone and Kurt Russell. Although it’s well noted that Tango & Cash (1989) may have its own problems (it was off to a rocky start from the beginning with Kurt Russell being a last minute replacement for Patrick Swayze – and man would THAT have been an ultimate action movie!)

However Tango & Cash has aged surprisingly well and is still a smash-em up action movie banger that gives Stallone in particular plenty of room to hit all the action movie marks which made him a multi-decade star.

From just the opening scene alone (which you can watch in its entirety here), Stallone just oozes action movie legacy in a way which – after 1989 and into the 90s – just wasn’t possible for the genre anymore. It’s just classic action greatness for 104 ultimate minutes!

7) First Blood (1982)

Now to the good stuff. First Blood (1982) might be the most important movie in the history of action movies. Period! While Rocky threw Stallone into the limelight and gave him his movie legacy, First Blood and Rambo gave Stallone his ACTION movie legacy. Who would have thought that the misunderstood Vietnam-vet drifter would go on to become a certified action movie icon – the likes of which simply doesn’t exist for any other action movie star. Not even close!

And while First Blood is certainly not the most action-packed installment of the eventual Rambo franchise (more on that below), it is certainly the most important. So much about who Stallone’s John Rambo is comes from this first introduction. His grimace-y face, is brooding inner rage, even his weapons of choice make their debuts.

Plus, there might not be a more despicable villain (or group of villains) than Brian Dennehy as Sheriff Will Teasle and his band of misfit local police who are pretty much solely responsible for now 5 movies worth of Rambo carnage.

Rambo: A Love Letter to Sylvester Stallone’s ‘First Blood’

6) Rocky (1976)

Similarly to First Blood above, it’s hard to imagine what went through a young Sylvester Stallone’s head when Rocky (1976) won the Academy Award for Best Picture in 1977. Did the young man from Hell’s Kitchen in New York picture an action movie career spanning forty plus years of starting franchise after franchise and boundless amounts of money, awards and esteem?

The story of Stallone is very much the story of Rocky Balbao, and as ultimate fans of his it’s hard not to see his Rocky franchise as a look into the growth, development and challenges of the great action movie star which he quickly became.

If for no other reason than what it means to Stallone’s introduction to the world, and the birth of his first (and perhaps greatest franchise), Rocky stands out as a very fine film – with just enough “action” elements – to be included on any list of Stallone’s greatest action movies.

How Sylvester Stallone Shaped the History of Action Movies with Rocky (1976)

5) Demolition Man (1993)

And from the original Rocky, we have a very odd segue to 1993’s Demolition Man. While certainly not the same class as movies as Rocky, from an ultimate action movie club enjoyableness perspective, Demolition Man is in a league of its own. This movie is 100% sci-fi action entertainment from start to finish!

Plus, unlike the much lampooned Judge Dredd, as wacky of an actioner as it is, it’s actually a pretty damn good movie that people still remember, talk about, and watch to this day. Stallone got a big paycheck and another box office hit, Sandra Bullock went on to become a huge star, and the world largely decided to forget that Rob Schneider ever existed (and much less was apparently a go-to Stallone funny man sidekick).

There are better movies on this list, but Demolition Man still stands out as a sure-fire hit to smash into a VCR or stream online at any time. Plus – after years of research and discussion – UAMC scientists have finally confirmed how the 3 Seashells actually work!

10 Things You Never Knew About Sylvester Stallone’s Demolition Man (1993)

4) Over the Top (1987)

Released in the golden age of action movies (read more about that here) Over the Top (1987) is perhaps the greatest living will and testament to the tragically gone-but-not-forgotten Cannon Films. Billed as the next great Stallone action movie franchise, Over the Top was the greatest action movie flame-out ever – and man do we love it for it!

Everything about Over the Top is, well, over the top! To its odd estranged father-son relationship plot, to Stallone’s “lotsa truckers do it” lovable character, to the random arm-wrestling tournament to win-it-all casually introduced in the film’s third act for no reason, it truly is the action movie which keeps on giving.

Cannon would even go on to promote the film with the crazies nation-wide arm wrestling tournament campaign ever (please, please watch the video here. You’ll thank us!) If you’re ever with a group of friends and the prospects of watching Over the Top come up, any card-carrying UAMC member contractually has to drop whatever he or she is doing and watch Over the Top from start to finish then arm-wrestle each other after. It’s the UAMC law!

Sylvester Stallone’s Top 5 Movies About Arm Wrestling Truck Drivers

3) Rambo II (1985)

Oh buddy, now this is where things get choppy for any greatest Stallone action movie debates. Trust us, it’s hard enough to rank Stallone’s Rambo movies by themselves, much less up against the rest of the man’s awesome action movie legacy.

That being said, we stand by our guns and (for the purposes of this list) have to say that Rambo: First Blood Part II (1985) is Stallone’s greatest Rambo movie, and his 3rd most ultimate action movie of all time! Why? Because we say so!

Just kidding, but we’ll let UAMC writer (and resident Rambo-expert) John Acquavita lay it out for you as to why Rambo II is the most ultimate action movie ever. Period! If you have concerns, be sure to @ him, not the UAMC directly.

Rambo First Blood Part II is the Ultimate Action Movie. Period!

2) Rocky IV (1985)

And for them ultimate fighting words, we present that the greatest Rocky movie of all time is the UAMC-legendary Rocky IV (to much dismay of Rocky III fans). It’s a tough call, and it’s hard not to include more Rocky’s on this Top 10 list (and more Rambo’s for that matter too). But to us at the UAMC, Rocky IV stands tall as the most ultimate.

Here’s why. It’s the most 80s, coming out squarely in 1985 and sandwiched between Rocky III (1982) and Rocky V (1990). It has the most ultimate training montage of all time. And it hands down has the most ultimate bad guy in Rocky movie history (and perhaps in just any movie history ever)!

We love Dolph Lundgren as Ivan Drago. Drago’s decisive (and eventually killing blow) on Carl Weather’s Apollo Creed was perhaps the most devastating blow to the United States in the 21st century. And we love that after a decades, Rocky Balboa, our hero Sylvester Stallone, was able to effectively end the Cold War. Rocky wins. Stallone wins. America wins!

10 Reasons Why ‘Rocky IV’ is the Most Underrated Christmas Movie of All-Time

1) Cobra (1986)

And with that, we have our number one to unveil. Better than Rocky. Better than Rambo. Better than Tango, Spartan or the awfully named… Barney Ross. We present that Sylvester Stallone’s greatest role is portraying Marion “Cobra” Cobretti and Cobra (1986) as Stallone’s most ultimate action movie of all time!

If Stallone did win the Cold War for America in 1985 with Rocky IV, well he followed it up with an chiseled vision of what an American action movie star’s world would look like for the rest of the golden age of action movie ultimate-ness.

Stallone not only taps into the vein of what makes an action movie star – tight leather jacket, dark aviators, ripped muscles, matchstick toothpick, 0-remorse bad guy wasting, scissor pizza cutting dinners – he becomes the literal representation of an idealized action movie star.

Cobra isn’t a perfect movie by most standards, but by UAMC standards, it’s damn near it. The bad guy (The Night Slasher) is one of our greatest bad guys of all time. Stallone’s demeanor never wavers from slightly pissed off and 100% on cleaning up the scum off the streets. It’d be hard to argue that after Cobra, Stallone’s hero archetype was copied in damn near every action movie after – heck Chuck Norris, Steven Seagal and even later era-Van Damme made whole careers off of it.

Doubt if you want. Offer you’re lists if you dare! But if you’re looking for an ultimate Sylvester Stallone action flick to watch, your first choice should always be Cobra. And if you still don’t believe, check out these 7 Reasons Stallone’s Cobra is his TRUE Cinematic Masterpiece here!

7 Reasons Stallone’s Cobra is his True Cinematic Masterpiece

Sylvester Stallone’s Honorable Mentions:

The Best Stallone Movies

As always, we have to toss in several more names into the fight. Sylvester Stallone’s career has ranged from the early 70s to today and is still going strong. Even his action movie career is much more than the 10 films mentioned above, and we have to shout-out some of his other strong contenders:

As well as the other installments from his notable Rambo, Rocky and Expendable franchises:

See how our lists ranks up with some others here:

If anything on this list rubs you the wrong way, PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE let us know your top 10 in the comments below. Sylvester Stallone very well could read this article and will want to know your feedback!


Also, if you’d like to see how the other action movie star’s action movie legacy’s stack up, here are some more Top 10 lists to check out!

The Understated Legacy of John Woo’s The Killer (1989)

How Chow Yun-fat and Danny Lee Keep John Woo’s ‘The Killer’ fresh, awesome and Ultimate!

Assassin “Ah Jong” (Chow Yun-fat) has a tender heart in the profession least suited to it. During an assignment at a bar, he accidentally injures the lounge singer Jennie (Sally Yeh) in the eyes. Remorseful, he vows to take one last hit to pay to have her damaged corneas replaced before she goes totally blind.

Unfortunately, the last hit does not go smoothly. Ah Jong kills the mark, but when a little girl is injured in the skirmish, he takes her to a hospital, jeopardizing the mission and giving the police a big clue to his identity. The mob bosses who have him on payroll are not pleased. They not only refuse to give Ah Jong the much-needed money, but also have a hit put on him to cover their tracks.

Enter Inspector Li Ying (Danny Lee). Idealistic and determined to get his man, he pursues Ah Jong, constantly frustrated by the hitman’s cleverness and the bad faith of his superiors. Like Ah Jong, he has a lot riding on the success of his mission.

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John Woo’s The Killer

Initially a cat-and-mouse game between criminal and cop, the story takes twists and turns which eventually forces the two men to team up against the mob bosses, who prove a greater evil than the principled Ah Jong could ever be.

The Killer was one of John Woo’s first international smashes. A mash-up of Martin Scorsese’s Mean Streets, Jean Pierre-Melville’s Le Samourai, and Spy vs. Spy comics, it is a movie as excessively stylish and thrilling as it is soulful and somber.

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Ultimate Shoot-outs

The film’s first shoot-out telegraphs Woo’s approach to onscreen violence. We get a stylish battle with guns blazing and bodies crumpling to the ground in dramatic arcs. The editing is fast, getting the viewer pumped. Then Jennie, in the wrong place at the worst possible time, ends up having her eyes damaged when her face is too close to Ah Jong’s gun when he fires.

Falling back, Jennie screeches and flails, face covered in blood. The effect is disturbing, putting a damper on any “this is AWESOME” feelings the viewer might be having. No spectacle here, only an innocent human being in horrible agony. Woo keeps this ambivalence to violent spectacle throughout the movie. As Ah Jong says, even though he takes jobs to kill “bad people,” somehow good people always end up getting hurt.

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A Classic Action Noir

In terms of feel, The Killer has much in common with classic film noir. All the old-school tropes are at play: the hitman with a heart of gold willing to do one last job, the good woman who brings out the best in him, the idealistic cop at odds with the rest of the force, hard-nosed criminals who scoff at the anti-hero’s moral code. The tone is as world-weary and troubled as its protagonist.

While his compassion and eventual love for Jennie motivates Ah Jong, his relationship with Inspector Li is the heart of the film. They start as enemies, only for Li to become moved by Ah Jong’s compassion and nobility. When circumstances force the two men to work together, they realize they might not be as different as they imagined.

As Ah Jong observes, both use guns in their work, both have drawn innocent people into the crossfire (early in the movie, Li fires a shot without warning on a crowded tram, accidentally startling a woman with a heart condition to death in the process). By the film’s conclusion, it is the bond between these men which leaves the greatest mark, more than the admittedly lightweight love story.

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The Killer’s Legacy Examined

Some find The Killer too melodramatic. When I first saw the film at a college screening, about half of the audience laughed during the more emotional moments. Some viewers are taken aback by how operatic the acting gets, moments where characters dramatically call out one another’s names or sob openly. Many seem to believe emotional vulnerability is antithetical to the action genre. Even fleeting moments like Bill Duke’s character mourning the death of a comrade in an action classic like Predator can take one aback with such expectations in mind.

However, the high emotionalism is a good match for the film’s excessive violence. It fits because this is a movie all about what makes a badass killer vulnerable, both physically and internally: love, friendship, compassion, nobility. By having him so vulnerable, Woo and star Chow Yun-fat amp up the suspense, making the viewer more intimately connect with Ah Jong’s desire for redemption against all odds.

The film also has odd comedic moments that nevertheless work perfectly. Ah Jong and Li refer to one another by silly nicknames, Shrimp Head and Small B respectively (in older English translations, they were dubbed Dumbo and Mickey Mouse). In one scene, they have a stand-off in Jenny’s apartment and the singer’s impaired vision prevents her from realizing the two are aiming guns right at each other’s faces. She offers them tea and initiates small talk, injecting light comedy into the suspenseful sequence.

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A Killer Climax!

The climax is legendary. Set in a church illuminated by candlelight, Ah Jong and Li face their inner and outer demons in one of the most brutal yet beautiful confrontations in all cinema. Emotions run high and the final moments are devastating, putting the viewer through full dramatic catharsis. This is one of few action-thrillers where I have to issue a “make sure you have Kleenex nearby” warning.

The Killer’s legacy cannot be overstated. Its long shadow can be seen in countless Quentin Tarantino, Robert Rodriguez, and Baz Luhrmann movies. An American remake has been in the talks since the early 1990s, but one has to wonder what the point would be, since the original remains a vital, exciting experience from one of action cinema’s modern masters.


What are your thoughts on The Killer? Let us know in the comments!

‘Dragged Across Concrete’ is Pure Grindhouse Action Done Right

DAC_D27_04417.jpg

Mel Gibson and Vince Vaughn Go Pure Grindhouse in S. Craig Zahler’s ‘Dragged Across Concrete’

I’m old. I’m done with the superhero movies. I don’t care about mythical dragons and rapey idiots with swords. I like my movies real, and about something.  I want the good guys to be men, and the bad guys to be repellent. 

At the moment, there’s only a handful of guys in Hollywood who are making films I want to see – and first and foremost, is auteur S. Craig Zahler. To call this guy a twisted genius isn’t enough. He’s almost singlehandedly holding the battle-line for hardcore, brutal cinema. And his newest film is his most accessible, and most fun.

I had the pleasure of seeing Dragged Across Concrete at a recent film festival. The movie, as of this writing, is undated in the US, and will be released in my native Australia in February 2019. I cannot wait to see this pulp masterpiece again, and buy the Bluray, and spread the word to others about what a great little film it is.

BONUS: read UAMC’s review of Zahler’s previous modern action classic BRAWL IN CELL BLOCK 99 here!

Dragged Across Concrete Goes Hard

DAC, like all Zahler epics, deals with flawed men, in a cold, hard world that seems to punish them for their codes and beliefs. The heroes of this film, two cops – Ridgeman and Anthony (well played by the always excellent Mel Gibson and the sturdy Vince Vaughn) – are put on suspension when their arrest of a drug dealer is deemed excessive. Off the job for six weeks, and without pay, the two soon find themselves looking to rip off criminals to make ends meet.

Seeing how this is a Zahler film, everything turns sideways for the pair, pretty much straight away, and the duo get embroiled in a rather nasty, blood-soaked bank robbery. Since they’re cops, albeit suspended cops, Ridgeman and Anthony realise they’re the only ones who can stop the trigger-happy gang before they kill again, and decide to take them down.

Why? Because it’s their job, and as Ridgeman points out, no one else is gonna do it. They’re it! What plays out is one of the most gut-wrenching, sadistic, nerve-shattering, edge-of-your-seat-thrillers in recent years. I can’t remember the last time I was this blown away by a film.

Of course, the premise of the film isn’t the only selling point. Zahler delivers another group of hard-boiled characters who may seem misguided, and even cold-blooded, but have codes and rules. They’re driven and won’t back down from their mission.

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Let’s start with Mel Gibson. I don’t care what anyone says. The guy is a living legend, and he’s sensational in the pic. His Ridgeman is tough man who has been beaten down by life and the absurd politics that go with his profession. It’s hard to imagine anyone else playing this role.

There’s a scene where Ridgeman goes to talk to one of his informers. He walks into the informer’s designer boutique and calmly tells the employees to let the boss know that Ridgeman is here to see him. The two workers he confronts immediately look him up and down with disdain, but he looks back at them the same, making the pair uneasy. No other screen legend other than someone with Gibson’s cinematic baggage could pull that off.

Vince Vaughn at His Best

With Zahler’s stunning Brawl in Cell Block 99, Vince Vaughn showed us all that he wasn’t just a funny man. He could be a scary bad ass if the situation called for it. Although his Anthony isn’t anything like Bradley from BICB99, he is another tough guy with a sensitive interior in a mucho world.

Vaughn also delivers some comedic howlers in the film that are pretty damn funny.

Again, Vaughn, like Mel, is playing his type, but thanks to Zahler’s clever writing, the characters have edges that make them real, and sympathetic. Vaughn and Gibson also share a beautifully underplayed, but touching, scene that shows Zahler isn’t just some blood-thirsty torture-porn hack. He cares about his characters, and in these two capable actors hands, they come alive.

The Rest of the Cast

Supporting players all do very fine with their scenes, particularly Don Johnson and Jennifer Carpenter , but two of the real surprises here are Tory Kittles and Michael Jai White as a pair of small time crooks caught up in the big time heist. Up ‘till now I was unfamiliar with Kittles work, but after DAC, I’ll be keeping an eye on him. His Henry is guy on the wrong side of the tracks, doing the wrong thing, for the right reason. Roles or performances don’t get any more compelling than this.

MJW, an action regular from Spawn and Exit Wounds, gives an understated performance as career criminal Biscuit – a man who just wants to do right by his friend Henry. Kittles and White are dynamite together. And there’s a great scene between them in the getaway van just after the robbery that is pure magic.

A Pure Grindhouse Action Masterpiece

Image via IMDB

Like all Zahler films, DAC has no problem dishing out the onscreen fatalities. Although more refined in its depiction of violence, there are two rather nasty scenes of explicit bloodshed that are shocking, and repugnant, but extremely watchable. Zahler is the master at making you watch something you don’t want to see, but can’t look away from.

Regular Zahler composers, The O-Jays, are back to give the film it’s beat, and they do a tremendous job. Top tech credits must go to DOP Benji Bakshi for his stylish night-time photography that perfectly captures the noir-material. Excellent work.

I wanna give a shout out to the producers of this film. Not many money people let the creative people do their job and this film is a fine example of a visionary being left alone to create his canvas. Well done Cinestate.

So, if you’re in the mood for an adult thriller that will take you to the edge and back, and is filled with great characters, acting, unique direction and a bleak real-world-view, Dragged Across Concrete is the film for you. Zahler has delivered another masterpiece. Well done, Sir!


From a small country town where not many films played, Kent Church grew up on a steady diet of Coca Cola, horror magazines and action movies on VHS. If the movie didn’t have Chuck Norris or Eastwood on the cover, he wasn’t interested. His one core belief: Arnold Schwarzenneger must be President!! And James Woods vice –President…

Let us know what you think in the comments or on the Facebook page!

  

How Jean-Claude Van Damme Kickstarted the Mortal Kombat Franchise

From Bloodsport to Mortal Kombat – Jean Claude Van Damme’s Video Game Legacy Explored!

Jean-Claude Van Damme may be more commonly associated with the Street Fighter gaming franchise but he actually had a surprising amount of influence on Mortal Kombat.

Star of the ill-fated Street Fighter movie, an oral history of Mortal Kombat published by Mel Magazine details how JCVD proved to be the jump-off point for the super-violent fighting game franchise fans know and love.

When video game developer John Tobias first pitched his idea for Mortal Kombat to Ed Boon, the head of Midway, he was hoping to hit upon an idea to rival the super-successful Street Fighter II arcade game.

Hitting upon the idea of a “mystical kung-fu game’, Tobias enlisted his childhood friends to put together a demo. Daniel Pesina, who would go on to play Johnny Cage, Sub Zero, Scorpion and Reptile tells Mel Magazine: “I’d been doing martial arts my whole life, so he called me up and he’s like, “Hey, I have an idea for a fighting game, and I wanted to know if you can help me out to pitch an idea to my boss Ed Boon.””

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A Van Damme Mortal Kombat

But when Tobias showed his demo to Boon, his boss had other ideas. Ideas that involved Van Damme. “Everyone at Midway rejected it,” Pesina recalled.

“Ed said our idea would never work but liked the idea of a fighting game, so they cancelled ours and pursued a mainstream game with Jean-Claude Van Damme because it would make more money. I was pissed, because I gave a bunch of great kung fu ideas, and they were now going to give them all to Jean-Claude Van Damme.”

However, luck was on their side as Rich Divizio, another martial artist enlisted by Tobias to star in the demo, told Mel Magazine: “Van Damme didn’t wanna do this game, probably because he was already doing, like, Universal Soldier, and he wasn’t going to come down to do a video game.”

With Van Damme out of the picture, Boon proved more receptive to Tobias’ original idea and work on the game began.

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Creating Mortal Kombat

One of the key selling points of Mortal Kombat was that it featured real actors, filmed and included in the game. These actors came from all walks of life with Pesina and Divizio both best known for playing extras in the film Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2. The filming process proved gruelling too.

“We experimented with every martial art move for about three days, eight hours a day, filming and trying to figure it out,” Pesina said.

“Any sort of sophisticated video game animation technology wasn’t around. What you see is videotaped footage of us doing the actual moves.” Van Damme’s indirect influence didn’t end with his rejection though.

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Van Damme’s Signature Moves

While Pesina is adamant that the character of Johnny Cage is based on Marvel’s Iron Fist Danny Rand, one move was borrowed from JCVD: the nut-punch fatality.

As Pesina explains: ”My original idea for his fatality was to punch the guy so hard that his head goes flying off. But then John [Tobias] was like, because Van Damme had said no, “You want to poke a little bit of fun at Van Damme?”

“And I was like, “Uh, what do you got in mind?” He was like, “You can do the splits, and we’ll have him punch people in the nuts.” So I did that.”

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Was the game’s familiar “Finish Him” fatalities inspired, in part, by the JCVD classic Bloodsport? Apparently not. That came while working out a way that allowed players to “wail” on an opponent just prior to victory.

As Divizio notes: “Ed [Boon] coined this, he’s like, “Somehow you gotta finish this guy off!” And right there in the room, it was like, Ding! “Oh! That’s a cool thing to say! FINISH HIM!” That’s how shit gets created.”

Van Damme never wanted to be part of Mortal Kombat but in turning it down, he became a bigger part of it than he ever could have imagined.


What are your fond memories of the Van Damme inspired Mortal Kombat? Let us know in the comments!

Kickboxer: Retaliation — The Ultimate Action Movie Reboot Sequel of All Time?

Van Damme’s Kickboxing Legacy Lives on with Kickboxer: Retaliation (2018)

Earlier this year, the action movie gods smiled upon us when Kickboxer: Retaliation was announced (here was our first look article back in January). Alain Moussi returns in the updated version and story of Kurt Sloane, a character Jean-Claude Van Damme (JCVD) and Cannon Films immortalized in the original Kickboxer (1989).

Now, JCVD returns as Master Durand, Sloane’s trainer. Was Kickboxer: Retaliation as good as the original Kickboxer? Was it as good as 2016’s Kickboxer: Vengeance, Moussi’s first attempt at revitalizing the franchise?

Bonus: Read 3 ULTIMATELY OUTRAGEOUS reason Kickboxer 2 is better than the original Kickboxer here!

How Kickboxer: Retaliation Stacks Up

The answer to both questions: UNEQUIVOCALLY YES.

Hollywood as a whole has suffered an increasing amount of criticism from fans all over the world in recent years for its reliance upon sequels, prequels and reboots. The industry feels half of their work is complete by opting to green-light these films, because the audience for them is already established. Who among us hasn’t heard of Kickboxer or seen it multiple times? Well, then surely you know who Kurt Sloane is and care about the character!

However, the audience’s counterargument to sequels, prequels and reboots is simple: Why should I watch them when I can rewatch the original — especially if it was done well? Therein lies the dilemma for Hollywood. But for direct to video (DTV) producers with smaller budgets than the typical Hollywood behemoth (aka Marvel), they need to rely somewhat on shortcuts when releasing their product because they lack both the marketing and advertising budgets to differentiate their film from the scores of DTV movies released every month on streaming services.

Having said that, if you exclude comic book movies, there are very, very few action movie reboots (and sequels) worthy of praise, especially compared to their predecessors. For me, the list used to begin and end with Creed and Creed II.

But after recently viewing it, make room for Kickboxer: Retaliation.

NOW.

Yes, it’s that good.

Kickboxer: Retaliating Vengeance

The 2016 Kickboxer: Vengeance reboot established a new canon for Kurt Sloane (albeit an updated version of the 1989 story), wherein he fights Tong Po, who had paralyzed his older brother Eric. By defeating Tong Po, Kurt hence got his vengeance for what happened to his brother. The original movie was followed by three sequels starring Sasha Mitchell as David Sloane (JCVD’s character Kurt was supposedly killed off-screen, thus making David the new Sloane protagonist, if you got all that). However, the reboot opted to keep Kurt alive, but increase the difficulty level (and decrease the viewer’s believability) of his new challenges.

I mentioned how Kickboxer: Vengeance was a reboot done very well. Part of the reason for that was not only did it manage to make Kurt Sloane’s story fresh, but it wisely used JCVD (the original actor who played Kurt Sloane) — this time in a role as Master Durand, Kurt’s trainer.

Jean Claude Van Damme Still Kickboxing

In Kickboxer: Retaliation, JCVD continues his career resurgence with a new wrinkle in Durand’s story, one which I — and I suspect many an audience member — did not see coming. In addition, the movie uses the legendary Christopher Lambert as the film’s primary villain who controls Sloane’s fate. (Oh, and by the way, he happens to have an affinity for sword fighting, an obvious homage to his role as Connor MacLeod in multiple Highlander films – read UAMC’s review of the ultimately awful Highlander 2 here!)

Casting Mike Tyson as an incarcerated former boxer was inspired; few would argue when I say he is not the world’s greatest thespian. But all in all, he moved well on-screen and didn’t hinder the movie at all; in fact, he more than helped it.

Now to quote many a late-night infomercial voice-over: “But wait! There’s more!”

I appreciated the fact the writers, director and producers involved in the creation of Kickboxer: Retaliation seemed to be fans of action movies. How do I know this? Upon one viewing, I spotted references and homages within the film to the following heavyweights of the genre:

  • Bloodsport
  • Kickboxer
  • Kickboxer 4: The Aggressor
  • American Samurai
  • Rocky II
  • Rocky IV
  • Highlander
  • Enter the Dragon

Talk about respecting the source material!

Where Retaliation Ranks in the Kickboxer Franchise

The three Sasha Mitchell-starring Kickboxer sequels were fine choices for rainy Saturday afternoon DTV movies, but don’t do much to add to the original JCVD movie, which I feel remains superb on its own. In my opinion, it’s an uphill battle for a reboot production to breathe new life into a well-respected franchise and succeed. But I feel Kickboxer: Retaliation not only meets the challenge, I may be so bold as to say in two movies it and 2016’s Kickboxer: Vengeance surpass the collective quality of the original four Kickboxer films.


Anyone else here see Kickboxer: Retaliation? What’d you think? Let us know in the comments or on our Facebook page!