LoC: Top 51 Action Movies Countdown! Part 83!

[Johnny Unusual]

#36. - Cowboy Bebop: Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door

28 Points, 2 Lists, #4 Stethacantus

Just a humble bounty hunter, ma'am!

   
   
On the planet Mars, a terrorist named Vincent is releasing a dangerous pathogen a few days before Halloween.  Soon, a huge reward is placed on Vincent’s head and the bounty hunting crew of the spaceship Bebop decide that they will be the ones to claim it.  But dealing with Vincent and rival bounty hunters are just a tip of the iceberg, when it turns out Vincent’s past and motives yield some dark secrets that the company that created the pathogen want silenced, sending in their own men to off anyone who gets too close to the truth.  Can the Bebop gang save Mars, stop Vincent, reveal the truth and walk away with a hefty payday?

Shit Just Got Real! – I haven’t seen this one yet, but based on basic storytelling rules, probably when the big secret of the pathogen is revealed.
   
Pure Adrenaline Percentage – 70-90%  Again, haven’t seen it.  I own it though, but I held off on watching it until I finally sat down and watched the TV series as a whole.  I know you on’t NEED to see the whole show, but still…  And I have seen most of the episodes.  Just missing a few.  Anyway, my estimation is based on the fact that the show is known for its intense action, but I also wouldn’t be surprised if they lightened off on it a bit for more character stuff (one of the show’s strengths is to take on different genres).

AAAAAAAAND ACTION!
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/v/utLWiscq8d4" target="_blank" class="new_win">https://www.youtube.com/v/utLWiscq8d4</a>

[Johnny Unusual]

#35 - Hero

29 Points, 2 Lists, #7 Charles Hussein Castle

Is the sword the only answer?

   
   
In ancient China, the king of Qin has survived assassination attempts by the warriors known as Broken Sword, Flying Snow and Long Sky.  Though the warriors are nearly unbeatable, for some reason none have succeeded in killing the king despite coming very close.  Because of this, the king of Qin has tried secluded himself in his palace with all but his most trusted advisors forced to leave and refuses to remove his battle armor.  Then, one day a man called Nameless arrives claiming to have killed the king’s assassins, bringing in their trademark weapons in as evidence.  The king hears the tale of how Nameless won the battle, but the king soon realizes there is suspect about the story.  Nameless then tells the story again, but this time the details begin to change…

Shit Just Got Real! – The second time that Nameless tells his story reveals that this is a different kind of wuxia film. Also, my spell check recognizes the word wuxia.  Neat.
   
Pure Adrenaline Percentage – 65%  There’s definitely some incredible fight scenes, but it also takes a lot of time talking about the nature of fighting, killing and revenge and is very much a pro-peace movie. With awesome swordplay.

AAAAAAAAND ACTION!
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/v/AeeoEpmyb2Y" target="_blank" class="new_win">https://www.youtube.com/v/AeeoEpmyb2Y</a>

[MightyJack]

Spider-Man 2 just missed making my list, I hated cutting it but I just couldn't figure out a way to get 35 movies into 25 slots. So I'm happy to see it made it anyway.

Yay Kick-Ass, one of mine finally made it. That was some crazy OTT action and that was where I was generally trying to steer my list.

[Johnny Unusual]

#34 – Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl

30 Points, 2 Lists, #3 Pak Man

Well, that's not much incentive for me to fight fair then, is it?

   
   
When the legendary pirate Captain Jack Sparrow arrives in Port Royal to steal a ship on the same day as the wedding of the governor’s daughter, Elizabeth Swann, he ends up getting chased by the authorities for his troubles.  After being captured by Will Turner, a blacksmith’s apprentice with surprising swordsmanship, it seems Jack will be put to death.  But later that evening, a seemingly unstoppable crew of pirates arrive and capture Elizabeth for unknown reasons.  Will sets out to save her but he may have no hope without the assistance of Jack Sparrow.  Setting him free the two set out to find the crew of the pirate ship Black Pearl… who are, in fact, Sparrow’s old treacherous crew.

Shit Just Got Real! – They aren’t just pirates… they’re GHOST AND/OR ZOMBIE PIRATES!
   
Pure Adrenaline Percentage – 80%  It’s a rollicking adventure with tremendously fun pirate action.  Unfortunately, it is followed by sequels a little too bogged down in its own mythology, but don’t let it ruin this tremendously fun movie for you.

AAAAAAAAND ACTION!
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/v/KLumu0DcycM" target="_blank" class="new_win">https://www.youtube.com/v/KLumu0DcycM</a>

[Soguru]

I couldn't help but notice a LOT of these entries were only on two lists! I was afraid this might happen. 

[Johnny Unusual]

#33 – The Good, The Bad and the Ugly

31 Points, 2 Lists, #6 Hebs

If you’re going to shoot, shoot.  Don’t talk.

   
   
Tuco and Blondie have an agreement: Tuco commits crimes, Blondie catches him, he gets the bounty, he frees Tuco from the noose at the last minute with a well-aimed shot, Tuco gets away, they split the reward and start all over again.  But Blondie’s noticed something: Tuco’s bounty isn’t going up anymore.  He’s decided to cut him loose… in the middle of the desert.  Understandably, Tuco’s upset by this.  He hunts down Blondie, gets the drop on him and takes him to the desert to suffer from dehydration before dying… but a few hours in, Tuco finds a shot up stage coach.  He talks to the dying driver who reveals he knows the location of a buttload of gold coins.  When Tuco tries to get the man water to keep him talking, he returns to find the man dead and Blondie hearing his last words.  Now, both men half half of the necessary information on how to find it and they’ll have to work together to get it… if they can survive each other and a clever, lethal criminal named Angel Eyes.

Shit Just Got Real! – Blondie and Tuco have gone from crazy situation to crazy situation but now in the home stretch, they look over a hill… to discover a massive North/South war zone.
   
Pure Adrenaline Percentage – 50%  The movie moves at a brisk pace and never stops being fun and energetic, but the fights are usually short, often focusing more on tension.  Still, the action is less traditional west shoot-outs and has more of a Looney Toons zaniness until the absolutely super-tense and masterful final fight, which, again, is more about tension being ratcheted to an unbelievable degree than a kinetic storm of bullets.

AAAAAAAAND ACTION!
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/v/B1EusucilTA" target="_blank" class="new_win">https://www.youtube.com/v/B1EusucilTA</a>

[ScottotD]

I couldn't help but notice a LOT of these entries were only on two lists! I was afraid this might happen. 

We're still in the 30s

[Relaxing Dragon]

Actually, early Jackie Chan would be from the 70's, including a great film that didn't make the list.

I'm a young punk, so everything before Rush Hour is early Jackie Chan to me.

#38 - Heat

26 Points, 2 Lists, #2 Relaxing Dragon

Yeah, this is the goods right here. Pretty much the greatest Cops and Robbers movie out there, and perhaps Robert De Niro's final Great-with-a-capital-G role. Like most Mann films it's filled to the brim with professionals excelling at their chosen trade (and the lives around that falling apart), and with tough men doing tough men things. Lots of hard talking, lots of mature (in the good way) sensibilities, and lots of well filmed shooting (and that sound! Mann's sound editing/mixing is something to behold).

All of that on its own would make this a great movie. But then the bank robbery comes into play, pushing this one to All-Timer status.

So far so good on the rest of this list. Interesting to see how some folks view Action. Some movies here are more focused on various fight scenes, while others incorporate a more action-y feel into the overall tone of the picture, even if there's very little traditional fight sequences actually present (Children of Men is a primary example here. Theo never even picks up a gun in that movie). To say nothing of the Thriller genre/sub-genre/whatever it is (looking at you, North By Northwest). For such a seemingly simple topic, this may end up being one of the more varied movie lists we've done.

[Johnny Unusual]

#32 – Goldfinger

33 Points, 4 Lists, #9 Charles Hussein Castle

Man has climbed Mount Everest. Gone to the bottom of the ocean. He has fired rockets at the Moon. Split the atom. Achieved miracles in every field of human endeavour...except crime!

   
   
Spy James Bond has been ordered to observe the bullion dealer Auric Goldfinger and find out how he smuggles his gold.  After humiliating Goldfinger, Bond is knocked unconscious and the young woman he was bedding is killed with gold paint.  Bond investigates further, only to discover his agents a pilot named Pussy Galore and a Korean strongman named Oddjob.  So Bond learns of Goldfinger’s insane, audacious plan involving breaking into Fort Knox… but not for the reason you might suspect.

Shit Just Got Real! – It’s real enough when Bond’s girl gets killed, but that girl’s sister then gets killed.  Oh, and Bond then learns Goldfinger’s plan is super insane and involved more bombs than most bullion dealers use.
   
Pure Adrenaline Percentage – 60%  Well, there is a lot of sneaking around and acting all smug, but there is some great action stuff in there, especially the chase with Jill’s sister.

AAAAAAAAND ACTION!
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/v/I5FhlzDYl-M" target="_blank" class="new_win">https://www.youtube.com/v/I5FhlzDYl-M</a>

[ScottotD]

#38 - Heat

26 Points, 2 Lists, #2 Relaxing Dragon

Yeah, this is the goods right here.  Pretty much the greatest Cops and Robbers movie out there, and perhaps Robert De Niro's final Great-with-a-capital-G role. Like most Mann films it's filled to the brim with professionals excelling at their chosen trade (and the lives around that falling apart), and with tough men doing tough men things. Lots of hard talking, lots of mature (in the good way) sensibilities, and lots of well filmed shooting (and that sound! Mann's sound editing/mixing is something to behold).
[/quote]

Plus it's got a GREAT ASS 

[Johnny Unusual]

#31 – Captain America: The Winter Soldier

34 Points, 3 Lists, #12 George Harrison

Before we get started, does anyone want to get out?

   
   
Steve Rogers, AKA the World War II hero Captain America, is adjusting to life in the 21st Century, but there are some things he has issue with in fighting for America, particularly the cloak and dagger antics of S.H.I.E.L.D.  When S.H.I.E.L.D. director Nick Fury is taken by mysterious assailants, Steve Rogers finds himself targeted by SHIELD itself and comes face to face with a strange assassin known only as the Winter Soldier.  With only the Black Widow and his new friend Sam Wilson by his side, the three must face S.H.I.E.L.D.’s nefarious on their own, before the unthinkable happens.

Shit Just Got Real! – Don’t want to give it away for the fans who haven’t seen it yet, but probably the best scene in the movie with when Toby Jones makes an appearance and turns the whole conspiracy story on its head in a really cool way.
   
Pure Adrenaline Percentage – 85%  Lot of fantastic action in this one, including a really awesome car chase with Nick Fury.  Also, just give Black Widow a movie already.  Do it!

AAAAAAAAND ACTION!
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/v/g96cgYtaDPg" target="_blank" class="new_win">https://www.youtube.com/v/g96cgYtaDPg</a>

[Soguru]

#32 – Goldfinger

When I was a kid, for some reason when I thought of the theme to Goldfinger there was this image stuck in my head of a person overacting while being choked to death and it being funny as hell to me mostly because the song was playing in the background and it was totally inappropriate to the circumstances. I don't know where the hell these weird-ass memories of mine come from but they have stuck with me even after all this time.

[Darth Geek]

#32 – Goldfinger

Am I the only one that was never really impressed with Goldfinger? I'm not a huge Bond fan, but I do enjoy some of them. But this one just didn't do it for me. I don't see why everyone thinks it's so great. And I absolutely HATE the theme song.

[Relaxing Dragon]

#32 – Goldfinger

Am I the only one that was never really impressed with Goldfinger? I'm not a huge Bond fan, but I do enjoy some of them. But this one just didn't do it for me. I don't see why everyone thinks it's so great. And I absolutely HATE the theme song.

I'd call this one more Iconic than Great, frankly, whether when compared to the overall Bond canon or for action movies in general. It's more a matter of many folks forgetting how incredible From Russia With Love is and the general sense that so much of what we really love about Bond (more or less) seems to come out of this movie, at least in a form recognizable to us now. The crazy henchman, the larger-than-life supervillain, the Bond car, the initial female sacrifice, etc. Plus it's still a good movie. Just not great, I think.

Personally it just barely cracks my Bond Top 10.

[Johnny Unusual]

#30 – Ronin

35 Points, 2 Lists, #6 Cole Stratton

No questions. No answers. That's the business we're in. You just accept it and move on. Maybe that's lesson number three.

   
   
A team of professional mercenaries are brought together to acquire a case for the IRA.  When the team finally gets the case, they are swiftly betrayed by one of their own, who is looking to sell it to the Russians.  The traitor himself is also nearly betrayed and finds himself forcing a better deal.  The remaining mercenaries take after him but soon find that loyalties are shifting and that a payday might not be enough to sate them.  It’s going to be payback.

Shit Just Got Real! – Well, the obvious part is when the characters are initially betrayed, but there are, like, 4 twists after that which would be fine.
   
Pure Adrenaline Percentage – 65%  A lot of this film is set ups for the heist and stuff like that, but when the action finally happens , it’s pretty awesome.  A highlight is a sensational car chase in the latter half of the film that’s worth the price of admission alone.

AAAAAAAAND ACTION!
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/v/MxxH0lZSYgU" target="_blank" class="new_win">https://www.youtube.com/v/MxxH0lZSYgU</a>