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[DragoonWalker]

Inspired by the current discussion about whether The Rock is a worthy successor to Arnold (regardless of their acting abilities, the former's body of work just doesn't measure up), I have decided to start a discussion about action movies from the 80s/90s, and how they compare with the ones from the last couple decades (00s/10s). Using Letterboxd, I have created two lists of what I think are the best, most iconic, and representative films of the eras (with some personal favorites and cult films thrown in for good measure). This is by no means definitive, and to keep the discussion simple I have mostly excluded superhero films, zombie films, and war films. Otherwise the list would be massive. I also have no experience with Indian action films despite being aware there is a boom, so I have excluded those (apologies to any fans). I have tried to keep this as a look at pure blooded action films, or genre films where the action component is crucial to the experience:

Obviously the classics of yesteryear can't be beat due to a variety of factors: A-list directors at the top of their game dabbling in the genre, practical effects at their peak of refinement, machismo and masculinity celebrated rather than under attack as it is today, nostalgia of our youth... all this and more factor into why we hold these films in such high regard today.

But even though CGI and subsequently superheroes have altered much of Hollywood's landscape, often the the detriment of action films, I must say great action films continue to be made. They may no longer be the tentpoles they once were or have the raw intensity that came with stars like Schwarzenegger and Stallone, but they are great in many other ways. Some of the best action films of the last 20 years have come from directors who have insisted on pushing practical effects and physical stuntwork to levels unseen. Lots of them have come from foreign countries outside Hollywood.

Anyway, what are your thoughts about how action films use to be, where they are now, and where they will be in the future? What are some of your favs from the golden age, and from recent years? Any overlooked gems you want to talk about? Do you feel that modern action is comparable at all to the oldies?

 

[SpiceRacz]

80s for me, personally. The holy trinity of Terminator, Die Hard, & First Blood put it ahead of everything else.

 

[bender]

While I loved a lot of those movies growing up, I don't think most of them hold up all that well. I do tend to nitpick.

From the 80s/90s that buck that personal trend for me:

Predator - One of my favorite movies and I watch it a few times a year.
Terminator - I'd still take Predator over it, but it's so damned iconic.
The Killer - A great one-two punch of engaging story and wonderful action. Might feature the worst suit known to man. I really need to go back and watch Hard Boiled and A Better Tomorrow.
Matrix - Cut the telephone/superman booth scene from the ending and erase the sequels from my mind please. Otherwise it is the perfect movie.
Fist of Legend - A great re-imagining of the Chinese Connection. Jet Li at his finest. Infinitely re-watchable because of the choreography
Legend of the Drunken Master - My favorite martial arts film ever. Jackie Chan at his finest and the movie is hilarious. Again, Infinitely re-watchable because of the choreography.

I don't really like modern action movies for the most part. Of your listings:

John Wick - I want to love you but digital blood effects are lame.
Kill Bill - I love you because you are a QT film full of clever dialog and fun homages, not because of your action.
Ong Bak and The Protector - Absolute must watches for martial arts film enthusiasts. Tony Jaa's career arc is sad but those fight sequences in those two movies are breath taking.
Raid 1/2 - I know people love these movies and it seems like something right up my alley, but I can't even finish watching them.

Random Asides: It's odd to include Old Boy and I Saw The Devil as action movies but maybe that's just how my brain categorizes them.

Super random but here are my "why the fuck aren't these on iTunes All-Stars": The Killer, Hard Boiled, Vengeance Trilogy, Legend of the Drunken Master, Fist of Legend, Ninja Scroll

 

[DeafTourette]

When I think of action, I think of the whole package: explosions, gun fights, hand to hand, car chases, etc.

What I HATED in 80s and 90s action movies was the constant jump editing to hide the fact that the lead actor both wasn't skilled enough to pull off the fights/stunts and to hide the fact that a stuntman was filling in. You'd see a punch (just the arm and fist), then a screwed up face, then maybe a kick (just the leg) and the reaction of the person being pummeled. It was so choppy that it almost always took me out. They'd do that even with skilled fighters like JCVD.

You also have to divide them up by national industry. Hong Kong movies like Fist of Legend and A-Force, you KNEW the actor was doing their fight scenes because you could SEE the whole fight scene! SAME with the stunts... You could see the WHOLE stunt... even if a stuntman was filling in for the actor. Not just all that choppiness and you couldn't tell what's happening. Like the Taken movies... They stole HEAVILY from the 80s.

 

[SegaShack]

Old action movies actually lets the audience see the stunts. New action movies are filled with shaky cam and jump cuts. Why choreograph fight scenes if no one can see what's going on.

 

[DeafTourette]

Old action movies actually lets the audience see the stunts. New action movies are filled with shaky cam and jump cuts. Why choreograph fight scenes if no one can see what's going on.

New action movies have actually done better at the shaky cam and jump cuts...like John Wick

 

[bender]

Old action movies actually lets the audience see the stunts. New action movies are filled with shaky cam and jump cuts. Why choreograph fight scenes if no one can see what's going on.

He did this 10 times and they used the 7th take.

 

[Explosive Zombie]

The '80s without question

 

[bitbydeath]

The very late 80’s had the Robocop, Predator, Die Hard and Aliens. All within a few years of one another.

 

[brap]

Fuck CGI and digital cameras. 80s and 90s.

 

[teezzy]

The Bourne movies, the Terminator movies, anything by John Woo or Takashi Miike, and anything with Jet Li

Wherever that puts me, I don't care.

 

[DragoonWalker]

While I loved a lot of those movies growing up, I don't think most of them hold up all that well. I do tend to nitpick.

From the 80s/90s that buck that personal trend for me:

Predator - One of my favorite movies and I watch it a few times a year.
Terminator - I'd still take Predator over it, but it's so damned iconic.
The Killer - A great one-two punch of engaging story and wonderful action. Might feature the worst suit known to man. I really need to go back and watch Hard Boiled and A Better Tomorrow.
Matrix - Cut the telephone/superman booth scene from the ending and erase the sequels from my mind please. Otherwise it is the perfect movie.
Fist of Legend - A great re-imagining of the Chinese Connection. Jet Li at his finest. Infinitely re-watchable because of the choreography
Legend of the Drunken Master - My favorite martial arts film ever. Jackie Chan at his finest and the movie is hilarious. Again, Infinitely re-watchable because of the choreography.

I don't really like modern action movies for the most part. Of your listings:

John Wick - I want to love you but digital blood effects are lame.
Kill Bill - I love you because you are a QT film full of clever dialog and fun homages, not because of your action.
Ong Bak and The Protector - Absolute must watches for martial arts film enthusiasts. Tony Jaa's career arc is sad but those fight sequences in those two movies are breath taking.
Raid 1/2 - I know people love these movies and it seems like something right up my alley, but I can't even finish watching them.

Random Asides: It's odd to include Old Boy and I Saw The Devil as action movies but maybe that's just how my brain categorizes them.

Super random but here are my "why the fuck aren't these on iTunes All-Stars": The Killer, Hard Boiled, Vengeance Trilogy, Legend of the Drunken Master, Fist of Legend, Ninja Scroll

Oh man thanks for the thorough response. What would you say no longer holds up for the old stuff? Is the the pacing? The dated filmmaking style? What is it? I'm sure you don't mean all of them since you seem to love quite a few of them, but just curious.

I too love Predator because it does what few macho action films have done before or since: create an antagonist so scary a team of elite dude bros get cut down like teen girls in a slasher movie. Arnold barely survives. Crazy. The whole concept is brilliant, the execution is perfect.

Personally I think there are different reasons why action films are great. Some only have passable action but the context, buildup, or character dynamics elevate a film to higher status (as you mentioned, Kill Bill, although I think its action is better than decent).

Old Boy and I Saw the Devil are more horror thrillers, I admit, but there's an abundance of action in them and it's as good if not better than what's in straight action films.

When I think of action, I think of the whole package: explosions, gun fights, hand to hand, car chases, etc.

What I HATED in 80s and 90s action movies was the constant jump editing to hide the fact that the lead actor both wasn't skilled enough to pull off the fights/stunts and to hide the fact that a stuntman was filling in. You'd see a punch (just the arm and fist), then a screwed up face, then maybe a kick (just the leg) and the reaction of the person being pummeled. It was so choppy that it almost always took me out. They'd do that even with skilled fighters like JCVD.

You also have to divide them up by national industry. Hong Kong movies like Fist of Legend and A-Force, you KNEW the actor was doing their fight scenes because you could SEE the whole fight scene! SAME with the stunts... You could see the WHOLE stunt... even if a stuntman was filling in for the actor. Not just all that choppiness and you couldn't tell what's happening. Like the Taken movies... They stole HEAVILY from the 80s.

When it came to fist fights, Hollywood rarely did it as well as Hong Kong movies up until recent years. Clumsy all around, so much of it. It's all changing though: stunt crews and former second unit directors have given us the likes of John Wick, Atomic Blonde, and recently Extraction. Down at the B-level the likes of Isaac Florentine and John Hyams do some great work. I don't like them as films but their action is A+ . I'm just glad we're over the Bourne era of shakey cam/slash editing every one copied. Only Greengrass ever understood how to do it right. However, this is all generalization. Exceptions have always existed, this is as good as anything Hong Kong put out back in the same era, sans kung fu:



Gunfights and car chases are another matter. Hollywood have always been standard bearers. Without Peckinpah and 70s car chases the Hong Kong new wave of 80s action wouldn't exist. Of course then it gets copied by Hollywood. Always a back and forth. As much as I love John Woo he loved this:



You're right though, the quality of action films vary drastically by country even in the same era. However, I'm a believer that action films can be great for different reasons, and that reason is not always just the action.

 

[Soodanim]

I'm not particularly impressed by CGI and stunt work unless I have information about the film purposely using no CGI etc, but even then it's more trivia that makes it more interesting but not necessarily better.

I think modern movies look too clean for the most part, and I prefer the way movies shot on film look. I can't really explain why, I just do. I'm sure it's a common preference, though.

 

[bender]

Oh man thanks for the thorough response. What would you say no longer holds up for the old stuff? Is the the pacing? The dated filmmaking style? What is it? I'm sure you don't mean all of them since you seem to love quite a few of them, but just curious.

I too love Predator because it does what few macho action films have done before or since: create an antagonist so scary a team of elite dude bros get cut down like teen girls in a slasher movie. Arnold barely survives. Crazy. The whole concept is brilliant, the execution is perfect.

Personally I think there are different reasons why action films are great. Some only have passable action but the context, buildup, or character dynamics elevate a film to higher status (as you mentioned, Kill Bill, although I think its action is better than decent).

Old Boy and I Saw the Devil are more horror thrillers, I admit, but there's an abundance of action in them and it's as good if not better than what's in straight action films.



When it came to fist fights, Hollywood rarely did it as well as Hong Kong movies up until recent years. Clumsy all around, so much of it. It's all changing though: stunt crews and former second unit directors have given us the likes of John Wick, Atomic Blonde, and recently Extraction. Down at the B-level the likes of Isaac Florentine and John Hyams do some great work. I don't like them as films but their action is A+ . I'm just glad we're over the Bourne era of shakey cam/slash editing every one copied. Only Greengrass ever understood how to do it right. However, this is all generalization. Exceptions have always existed, this is as good as anything Hong Kong put out back in the same era, sans kung fu:



Gunfights and car chases are another matter. Hollywood have always been standard bearers. Without Peckinpah and 70s car chases the Hong Kong new wave of 80s action wouldn't exist. Of course then it gets copied by Hollywood. Always a back and forth. As much as I love John Woo he loved this:



You're right though, the quality of action films vary drastically by country even in the same era. However, I'm a believer that action films can be great for different reasons, and that reason is not always just the action.

I'm super picky about movies and when something rubs me the wrong way, I tend to focus on it. It's like unraveling a sweater because of a lose string instead of ignoring it. I grew up with those action movies, spent four years in Korea in my late teens doing nothing but drinking, living in arcades and renting any movie that was in English. I got super into martial arts flicks in my 20s. In my late 30s and 40s, reviewing all the stuff I loved in my youth, you just tend to notice a lot of the flaws.

Take a lot of Arnold, Stalone, Willis, JCVD, Seagal (lol) portfolios and I just don't think the action is interesting enough for repeat viewings and those movies were rarely about an interesting narrative but more as a vehicle to deliver the next action sequence and catching one liners. I guess I'd just rather re-watch a movie I absolutely adore than slog through a lot of those movies waiting for that one special action sequence or waiting for Bruce to say "Yippee Ki Yay Mother Fucker". I do think I like the balance and pacing of foreign films more.

Speaking of pacing, I think that's my issue with the Raid movies. They just never give you a moment to breath and at the original feels really claustrophobic.

Then there are great movies that are let down by special effects or poor performances. I'd lump Terminator 2 in this camp.

I loved Red Letter Media's take on Predator being a Slasher Film disguised as an action movie. Some of the special effects are dated but boy does everything else hold up.

Random aside, some fun movies not mentioned: Last Man Standing (the guns in that movie have the brutality of Open Range but it's definitely more of an action movie than a realistic portrayal that Open Range was going for), Replacement Killers, Iron Monkey, Shaolin Soccer, Kung Fu Hustle.

 

[DragoonWalker]

Old action movies actually lets the audience see the stunts. New action movies are filled with shaky cam and jump cuts. Why choreograph fight scenes if no one can see what's going on.

He did this 10 times and they used the 7th take.

I think having a blend of both is the way to go. Shaky cam/jump cuts aren't inherently worse and long takes aren't inherently better. Shaky cam/fast cuts can add intensity by removing the sluggish bits of movement or bring focus to a specific action. However it has to have a passable degree of clarity. Vague blurs and random camera direction does nothing for anyone. Long and wide takes ensure clarity of action, but the performer has to be up to task, otherwise their lack of skill or mistakes become easily evident. A hard thing to balance.

Of course, not to everyone's taste but the difference between this and its imitators is that every shot and camera move has purpose. You can still see what's going on. The camera is always in the right place. This was a revelation back in the day when it came out; there was nothing else like it:


Long single takes are all the rage these days but yes, back then the Protector was something else, given the highly edited nature of Hong Kong movies prior. My favorite, despite all that's come since like 1917 and Daredevil, is still this take from Children of Men, even more so than Oldboy. The escalation of shit hitting fan is so well orchestrated:

 

[bender]

I think having a blend of both is the way to go. Shaky cam/jump cuts aren't inherently worse and long takes aren't inherently better. Shaky cam/fast cuts can add intensity by removing the sluggish bits of movement or bring focus to a specific action. However it has to have a passable degree of clarity. Vague blurs and random camera direction does nothing for anyone. Long and wide takes ensure clarity of action, but the performer has to be up to task, otherwise their lack of skill or mistakes become easily evident. A hard thing to balance.

Of course, not to everyone's taste but the difference between this and its imitators is that every shot and camera move has purpose. You can still see what's going on. The camera is always in the right place. This was a revelation back in the day when it came out; there was nothing else like it:


Long single takes are all the rage these days but yes, back then the Protector was something else, given the highly edited nature of Hong Kong movies prior. My favorite, despite all that's come since like 1917 and Daredevil, is still this take from Children of Men, even more so than Oldboy. The escalation of shit hitting fan is so well orchestrated:

I just think about the physical endurance required for that protector shot. It's just an amazing effort by everyone involved (Tony, stunt team, camerman, crew).



Agreed that blending styles is the way to go. 1917 wasn't that great of a movie (not bad either) but the long take format kind of feels like a gimmick even if it is expertly done.

 

[TGO]

80's, 90's and 00's
10's are kinda ok upto 2015/16
Last 4 years can go fuck off

 

[Explosive Zombie]

Favorite '80s Action Movies

A list of 55 films compiled on Letterboxd, including The Terminator (1984), Aliens (1986), RoboCop (1987), Die Hard (1988) and First Blood (1982).

letterboxd.com

Favorite '90s Action Movies

A list of 60 films compiled on Letterboxd, including Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991), Total Recall (1990), Hard Boiled (1992), Ghost in the Shell (1995) and Heat (1995).

letterboxd.com

Favorite '00s Action Movies

A list of 55 films compiled on Letterboxd, including The Dark Knight (2008), Inglourious Basterds (2009), Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust (2000), Dawn of the Dead (2004) and Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith (2005).

letterboxd.com

Favorite '10s Action Movies

A list of 50 films compiled on Letterboxd, including Mad Max: Fury Road (2015), Inception (2010), The Dark Knight Rises (2012), Man of Steel (2013) and Edge of Tomorrow (2014).

letterboxd.com

 

[DragoonWalker]

I just think about the physical endurance required for that protector shot. It's just an amazing effort by everyone involved (Tony, stunt team, camerman, crew).



Agreed that blending styles is the way to go. 1917 wasn't that great of a movie (not bad either) but the long take format kind of feels like a gimmick even if it is expertly done.

Yeah there's nothing else really like the Protector shot, and nobody will attempt that again I wager. Certainly not for 10 takes. On the flip side there are too many flaws and sacrifices had to be made to choreography to make it possible at all. Still, hard to nitpick such ambition. Great Adkins vid btw. Shame guy's alive in the wrong time.

Favorite '80s Action Movies

A list of 55 films compiled on Letterboxd, including The Terminator (1984), Aliens (1986), RoboCop (1987), Die Hard (1988) and First Blood (1982).

letterboxd.com

Favorite '90s Action Movies

A list of 60 films compiled on Letterboxd, including Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991), Total Recall (1990), Hard Boiled (1992), Ghost in the Shell (1995) and Heat (1995).

letterboxd.com

Favorite '00s Action Movies

A list of 55 films compiled on Letterboxd, including The Dark Knight (2008), Inglourious Basterds (2009), Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust (2000), Dawn of the Dead (2004) and Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith (2005).

letterboxd.com

Favorite '10s Action Movies

A list of 50 films compiled on Letterboxd, including Mad Max: Fury Road (2015), Inception (2010), The Dark Knight Rises (2012), Man of Steel (2013) and Edge of Tomorrow (2014).

letterboxd.com

Are these yours? Good stuff. Given your top picks of every era though, I would highly recommend you checking out the works of Milkyway Image and director Johnnie To. They are criminally unknown in the west and given your dark and gritty top picks I have a feeling at least a couple of these might displace at least a Seagal or JVCD... Here's a curated list:

The Big Heat (1988)
Beyond Hypothermia (1996)
A Hero Never Dies (1998)
The Longest Nite (1998)
Running Out of Time (1999)
The Mission (1999)
Fulltime Killer (2001)
Exiled (2006)

80's, 90's and 00's
10's are kinda ok upto 2015/16
Last 4 years can go fuck off

I'll agree in terms of world events, but 2017 and 2018 were damn good years for action.

 

[Ar¢tos]

80s definitely.
Robocop
Terminator
Aliens
Big Trouble in Little China
and many others.

I was really annoyed when I found out that they are "rebooting"/making a "inspired sequel" to Big Trouble in Little China with..... the Rock as main actor.
I'm almost sure it will be a woke shit show.

 

[SegaShack]

He did this 10 times and they used the 7th take.

That was awesome!

 

[Explosive Zombie]

Yeah there's nothing else really like the Protector shot, and nobody will attempt that again I wager. Certainly not for 10 takes. On the flip side there are too many flaws and sacrifices had to be made to choreography to make it possible at all. Still, hard to nitpick such ambition. Great Adkins vid btw. Shame guy's alive in the wrong time.



Are these yours? Good stuff. Given your top picks of every era though, I would highly recommend you checking out the works of Milkyway Image and director Johnnie To. They are criminally unknown in the west and given your dark and gritty top picks I have a feeling at least a couple of these might displace at least a Seagal or JVCD... Here's a curated list:

The Big Heat (1988)
Beyond Hypothermia (1996)
A Hero Never Dies (1998)
The Longest Nite (1998)
Running Out of Time (1999)
The Mission (1999)
Fulltime Killer (2001)
Exiled (2006)


I'll agree in terms of world events, but 2017 and 2018 were damn good years for action.

I saw Fulltime Killer pretty young, would need to re-watch, don't clearly remember it. I also saw Drug War by him, which had some great gun fights.

 

[T8SC]

It shows how good the 80s & 90s movies are when Bad Boys doesn't make the list yet its inferior sequel, Bad Boys 2, makes the list of 00's & 10's.

(I enjoyed Bad Boys 2, but Bad Boys is the better movie).

 

[DragoonWalker]

It shows how good the 80s & 90s movies are when Bad Boys doesn't make the list yet its inferior sequel, Bad Boys 2, makes the list of 00's & 10's.

(I enjoyed Bad Boys 2, but Bad Boys is the better movie).

Haha well I got The Rock on there which is superior to both, but I see your point.

 

[Airola]

80's and 90's for me.

Newer movies often have
1)Terrible editing
2)Terrible colors
3)Uncharismatic actors and characters

 

[Codswallop_]

Ideas and originality-wise there is no comparison, Hollywood is still mining the shit out of the 80s/90s decades later. Still had plenty of greats in the 00s/10s, nice seeing Elite Squad in that bottom pick. Underrated gem.

 

[EverydayBeast]

Bourne, John Wick how 'bout that 2000s don't care about your muscles it's all about the action.

 

[#Phonepunk#]

voted 80s-90s then saw the results. lol. we must have a lot of late Gen Xers here!

it is really no contest. modern stuff is a vapid shell xerox of the former glories.

digital filmmaking has been a blessing and a curse. in many ways it has standardized and flattened the look of many movies. it removes the work of tactile craftsmanship (matte painters, set designers, carpenters, metal workers, model makers, explosives experts, lighting techs, etc.) from the process, replacing all those individual talents with software.

had these same Avengers movies been made with the same scripts but in the 1980s with practical effects and analog post-production, and 80s style actors doing 80s style acting, they would just by that nature end up more interesting films. probably on the level of the old ones. there is something about the modern look that is not as fantastical. i think there was something about the difficulty of working with older tech that tested creators and pushed them towards making higher quality product.

 

[DragoonWalker]

80's and 90's for me.

Newer movies often have
1)Terrible editing
2)Terrible colors
3)Uncharismatic actors and characters

Hard to argue against any of this. Especially the editing. Unfortunate so many movies were afflicted with post-Bourne syndrome. But things are turning around.
As for uncharismatic actors and characters the culture has really shifted. We've become a society of introverts, soyboys, whatever you want to call it, so our media reflects that. Masculinity, extroverts, and bro culture is out. As the song goes, the 80s and to lesser extent the 90s use to be about pushing it to the limit, seeing how extreeeme things can get. Today people don't really want extreme. They don't their buttons pushed. They want their safe spaces, their comfort food, their never ending franchises.

Plus, you know, groundbreaking superstars like Arnold and Jackie Chan only really come once in a millennia...

voted 80s-90s then saw the results. lol. we must have a lot of late Gen Xers here!

it is really no contest. modern stuff is a vapid shell xerox of the former glories.

digital filmmaking has been a blessing and a curse. in many ways it has standardized and flattened the look of many movies. it removes the work of tactile craftsmanship (matte painters, set designers, carpenters, metal workers, model makers, explosives experts, lighting techs, etc.) from the process, replacing all those individual talents with software.

had these same Avengers movies been made with the same scripts but in the 1980s with practical effects and analog post-production, and 80s style actors doing 80s style acting, they would just by that nature end up more interesting films. probably on the level of the old ones. there is something about the modern look that is not as fantastical. i think there was something about the difficulty of working with older tech that tested creators and pushed them towards making higher quality product.

This is something I keep thinking about. You make a great point about all the different trades. Craftsmen could inject a whole lot more character into the film through their personal approach. Sometimes from scratch. Sometimes with no way of knowing if it'd work. Often you'd be left wondering what clever trickery they used to achieve a particular effect. As you said there are so many fields that were worlds apart so when they came together the finish result felt like a rich tapestry, highly personal. Nothing was designed to fit with each other. Nothing pushes creativity more than constraints. Every analog film that had great special effects is a goddamn miracle.

Today there are still individual talents, like animators, modelers, vfx artists... but their tools are a lot more standardized. Everyone uses the same software. Their methods are often shared. Lots of fields are integrated with each other. Unlike practical effects, CG is kind of a guarantee. Low risk, low reward. The result is a lot of films and their CGI feeling the same. Movies no longer have that distinct feel that sets them apart. Nobody wonders about what tricks were employed, because with CGI anything one wants is possible. The magic is gone.

The great irony is that practical effects people from decades ago probably dreamed of having tools of today, not knowing it would suck the soul right out of their work.

 

[Insane Metal]

80's and 90's for me.

Newer movies often have
1)Terrible editing
2)Terrible colors
3)Uncharismatic actors and characters

Dunno what you're talking about

 

[Old Retro]

I would pick 1985-95 over any other single 10 year span for the best action movies ever. Coincides with best era of hip hop also. Of course there have been masterpieces before and since.

 

[bender]

Dunno what you're talking about

What the f...

 

[TriSuit666]

I said I would kill you last.... I lied.
GET TO DA. CHOPPA!


is all you need to know.

 

[Melon Husk]

Greengrass imitators ruined everything.

 

[Grand Theft Scratchy]

I like all kinds of action movies but Hard Boiled is among my favorites.




The mission "Intensive Care" from Sleeping Dogs made me think back to it.

 

[DragoonWalker]

I like all kinds of action movies but Hard Boiled is among my favorites.




The mission "Intensive Care" from Sleeping Dogs made me think back to it.

Ah Sleeping Dogs, what a gem. To think Hong Kong movies were big enough a deal to inspire a AAA game once upon a time... Too bad we'll never get a sequel.

Speaking of video games, Hardcore Henry deserves mention. Not what I'd consider a great film but a fun, unique experiment made possible by tech advances of today:

 

[Insane Metal]

I said I would kill you last.... I lied.
GET TO DA. CHOPPA!


is all you need to know.

'He's dead tired!'

 

[Werewolf Jones]

The eighties obviously.

 

[StreetsofBeige]

I was gonna say if there was only a 1985-1995 choice.

Oh wait, multiple votes allowed. 80s and 90s!

 

[John Mullins]

The Running Man is close to the perfect action film. An actual story, pulsating soundtrack, atmosphere, ridiculously hot chick, bad ass enemies, awesome one liners, satire, and the right amount of camp. It's all there, not a boring moment imo.

 

[Explosive Zombie]

The Running Man is close to the perfect action film. An actual story, pulsating soundtrack, atmosphere, ridiculously hot chick, bad ass enemies, awesome one liners, satire, and the right amount of camp. It's all there, not a boring moment imo.

I can't get over it being so much worse than the book I guess. And the fact that the book will probably never get a proper adaptation because holy shit would it trigger the fuck out of people today.

 

[John Mullins]

I don't read, but I recommended you watch it and totally divorce it from the book in your mind. It would have been loose source material at best, one is not a reflection on the other. Isn't the book po-faced? This is the exact opposite.

 

[Explosive Zombie]

I don't read, but I recommended you watch it and totally divorce it from the book in your mind. It would have been loose source material at best, one is not a reflection on the other. Isn't the book po-faced? This is the exact opposite.

I like the movie I just can't get past the fact that I'll never get a real adaptation, that's all.

 

[John Mullins]

Wasn't there an HBO thing?

 

[Korranator]

Opps wrong thread.

Delete please.

 

[poppabk]

80s. That was the era of the big budget action movies, big action stars, and no CGI. Real explosions, practical effects - there just isn't a substitute.

 

[Putonahappyface]

As a child in the 80s say no more. To many favourites to share.

 

[INC]

Pre CGI vs CGI

Pre CGI wins

 

[Putonahappyface]

Pre CGI vs CGI

Pre CGI wins

I love all the puppetry and animatronics from the past.

 

[RoboFu]

Not even a contest.. 80s was the king with 90s close second.
put it this way .. after 20 years of failing to make more greet movies they started making remakes and sequels of those 80s and 90s movies.