atari2600

please no threadcrapping here eventhough some of you may be tempted...

are there any other action movie junkies around?

im talking about guys (or gals) who can just enjoy a great action flick that has absolutely no story...screw the acting...screw the plot...just kick ass action scenes. just sit back and enjoy.

it seems like less and less people like this are around and everyone needs depth, detailed stories and entriguing plot twists with academy award winning acting or else the movie is CRAP. dont get me wrong, i love some of those movies too but i am such a sucker for a fun, dont have to think about, crazy action movie...

stuff like the rock, con air, transporter, bad boys, blade, die hard (all of them), bourne identity, gone in 60 seconds, reign of fire, etc etc etc...there are tons.

whos with me? anyone?

TCG

of those films, i like the Rock, Blade, and Die Hard. But i think those DO have good acting, and interesting (if silly) plots.

inVectiVe

I'm with you!

Midway through reading your post, I thought to myself, "I'm gonna reply and use The Rock as Exhibit A." Then I saw you used that film as your first example as well.

Another action flick I might mention is Terminator 2. I haven't seen it in a while, but if I recall, it's exceedingly simplistic story-wise, 2 of the major characters are robots (so if their delivery is stiff, you know why), and it's a kickass movie despite (because of?) this.

From Dusk Till Dawn is one I added to my collection years ago. Not sure how to classify it: action, schlock, crime drama, vampire, or whatever. But I like it.

atari2600

t2 and fdtd are two more good ones!

Rocky_Stallone

Great thread, atari.

I am a HUGE HUGE HUGE action movie junkie. It is my most favorite genre.

I was going to make a similar thread about this since we got into a topic about this in the "Equilibrium" thread but I don't have to now.

Action movies are all about heroes kicking the bad guys assess. Most action movies do have bad plotting and bad acting, but who cares as long as it's a fun "action" movie with really intense fight scenes.

Take a look in my dvd collection in my afiocanado link, you can see that my dvd collection holds mostly action flicks.

If plotting and good action is all you care about, then you are not a true "action" movie fan as you say you are, and it's obvious that a lot of people don't understand them.

KingSmoth

Action movies rock
Aside from what has been mentioned, I also love Arnold flicks, especially Commando.

Mysteryfan

Add me to the list. I watch movies to have a good time and the best time is watching 'mindless' action.

Some of my favorites that haven't been mentioned: Lethal Weapon series, Romeo must Die, Replacement Killers and pretty much any action movie with Bruce Willis, Steven Segal, Arnold, Sylvester Stallone and Wesley Snipes.

Now if you combine espionage with action (like Bourne Identity, XXX, Art of War, etc), I'm in hog heaven.

F For Fake

I'm not much on action movies, but "The Transporter" was a ton of fun, one of the most purely enjoyable flicks I saw last year. Watching "Matrix:Reloaded" last night just depressed me, because the action was so dull and repetitive. It's not a good thing if I'm checking my watch in the middle of the Neo/Agt.Smith fight.

Anyway, my point is that 'Transporter' is action done right. There was an electricity and simplicity to it that most modern "action" movies seem to lack entirely.

hmurchison

Ahem the creator of the thread asked for no threadcrapping. What you find repetitive may be just what he's looking for. Try to think beyond your own needs in this instance.

Hiro11

Giles

or even the fact that most all of the action scenes in MR have CGI implemented into them. For me, it became a detraction, because some of the effects shot were painfully obvious (i.e, the Neo/Agt Smith fight scene).

ipkevin

I used to think this way, but you're fooling yourself if you think there's no art involved in making dumb action flicks beyond the action scenes.

Just compare The Mummy versus The Mummy Returns. Can you tell which one is better? They're both stupid films, both have awesome action sequences, both are made by the same people, but IMHO (and the opinions of most non-film-buffs that I know) the first is much better than the sequel. So if the action scenes are great in both, why does one kinda suck while the other rocks? It comes down to pacing, dialogue, and plot. When I say dialogue and plot I do NOT mean that they aren't deep or weighty enough. I just mean that they don't entertain and maintain interest as well as the other.

So essentially, my point is that it's reasonable to criticize any film - nothing's critic-proof - but you just have to change your criteria to do it.

Or maybe it's just because I'm not 15 anymore and love every single damn thing that comes out.

inVectiVe

I would also file all the new superhero / comic book movies in the "action" category. X2? Saw it twice, liked it both times; a better flick than the original. Spider-Man? Surprised how much I liked it the first time I saw it (had kinda low expectations), and I've seen it several times since on DVD and I don't get bored of it. Guess we'll find out pretty soon how The Hulk turns out.

UAIOE

I have always considered "The Mummy" an adventure film.

"The Mummy Returns" is an action movie....alot of the stuff that was in the first was cut out simply because we didnt need to see it again. Do we really need to see Imhotep hunt down people to regenerate his body AGAIN? "The Mummy Returns" had some great action scenes, i thought the fight at the end (between Rick & Imhotep) was pretty damn cool and the fight in the tall grass with Evie and Johnathn on the cliff with rifles was pretty cool as well.


Action movies are great

Geofferson

I think that the quintessential action movie is Speed.

Bare with me here, its story structure has one action segment after another - with each one topping the previous one in its magnitude and size.

When I first saw this back in '94, I remember thinking to myself that I have never experienced such a jolting 2 hours in a movie theater.

Rocky_Stallone

Let me put it this way,

Here are action movies with very good scripts and very well written plots:

-Die Hard
-The Terminator 1 and 2
-The Bourne Identity
-The Matrix
(the first one, I haven't seen "Reloaded" yet)
-Rambo: First Blood
(the other two Rambo films have silly as hell plotting but they are all good for mindless action fun)
-Big Trouble In Little China
-Escape From New York
(Escape from L.A. was a terrible movie and a piece of junk overall)
-Cliffhanger
(this is not only one of the best Stallone movies ever made, I think it's one of the best action movies ever made, this movie has fantastic plotting and storytelling for an action film, this movie has very good acting by the cast too)
-The Last of the Mohicans
(A beautiful film by Michael Mann, Last of the Mohicans is such an amazing film overall, great action scenes, wonderful script)
-The Walking Tall trilogy
(This has probably got to be one of the best "action" movie trilogies ever filmed, Bufford T. Pusser is a classic "action" movie hero, Joe Don Baker and Bo Svenson owns all of you)
-Bloodsport
(This is Jean Claude Van Damme's best movie, it has a great story to tell and very intense fight scenes)

Here are action movies with really bad plotting and bad acting but IT'S STILL FUN TO WATCH:

-The Transporter
-Lara Croft: Tomb Raider
-Judge Dredd (It's a very entertaining movie IMO even though I agree that the plotting and story is bad, it's just a good action flick with a lot of humor)
-Total Recall
-The Specialist
-Resident Evil


And so many others to name.

That's what people watch "action" movies for, they want to see their favorite action hero kicking the villians asses.

Pants

I don't understand this thread. The guy starts off with, "Does anyone enjoy action movies with absolutely no story...screw the acting...screw the plot...just kick ass action scenes. just sit back and enjoy?"

Then 95% of the posts consist of people making examples of action movies that have excellent scripts, fantastic stars, or some technical brilliance.

Die Hard, Speed, Terminator 1&2, The Abyss, Last of the Mohicans, Big Trouble In Little China, The Bourne Identity, Rambo, Hard Boiled, Total Recal, Robocop, Predetor, Rambo, and From Dusk till Dawn are are Excellent films. None of them are what the thread starter describes as "action movies with absolutely no story...screw the acting...screw the plot...just kick ass action scenes"

Rocky_Stallone

That's the thing we're talking about here, "action" movies are for all in good fun, nothing more.

It doesn't matter if it the movie has bad plotting or acting or not as long as it has good "non-stop" action.

Oh, and XXX with Vin Diesel is another one I forgot to name.

karnblack

Cliffhanger and Demolition Man are a couple of my favorites.

I also love most Jackie Chan movies especially Drunken Master 2 and Thunderbolt. He comes up with some of the most inventive ways to kick butt.

atari2600

matrix reloaded had the BEST action scenes i have ever seen!!!

atari2600

atari2600

well im basically saying who likes the movies for the action...i know some had great acting but that wasnt what i was referring to. some great action movies CAN have great acting...just bonus

squidget

action movie chick chimming in
I love a good action movie, sometimes you just want to see stuff blow up, someone get beat up and have fun
my favorites:
long kiss goodnight
transporter
equilibrium
Hard Boiled
The Killer
xXx
Drive


-B

Pants

Where's the love for some old school action flix?

I dig The Great Escape, Bridge on the River Kwai, and going waaaay back The General is AMAZING

And the Longest Day is cool.

Funny, those are all war movies. Do they count?

Kumar J

I still have the laser disk of The Fist of North Star
and Blood on the Moon