Open Forum Friday: What is the Best Action Movie?
Well I can’t think of anything better to debate this weekend than straight up action movies. Live Free or Die Hard has finally arrived, and Transformers is opening early next week. We’ve also got Rambo 4 on the horizon, which has a lot of people wondering if the old school action genre is coming back… with a vengeance, as it were. I know a lot of people seem to hold the original Die Hard as the best action movie of all time. Do you agree? If not, what would you pick as the best action movie of all-time? Do you notice a difference between those iconic action flicks from the 80’s, and the action flicks coming out today? Give us your thoughts here on Open Forum Friday.
Comments (17)
Total Recall is my all-time favorite action flick. I couldn’t believe you didn’t have that up there Sean.
But based on your list I’d go with Aliens.
Posted by Primal on June 29th, 2007Total Recall is definitely one of my personal faves. I just tried to pick 10 popular ones for the poll.
Posted by Sean on June 29th, 2007dont flame me.
T2 is the one I still hold every scifi-thriller up against and it is the most rovolutionary action movie in my lifetime.
Posted by Henrik fucker on June 29th, 2007Hello to everybody!
I hope I will not be censured as instead it happened in another one of the most famous cinema blogs on the web only because I wrote my opinion that was different from author’s “truth”.
I think that Terminator 2, Matrix and Aliens are SCI FI Movies, so it is difficult to compare them to other movies on the list, also Spider-Man 2 is a SH Movie, not a Pure Action Movie.
For me Terminator 2 and Raiders of the Lost Ark are the best movies in your list, and the Best Pure Action Movies in your list for me are Raiders of the Lost Ark, First Blood and Commando.
Die hard is a grat movie, but I don’t think it is the the best action movie of all time, even it is the best Bruce Willis’s movie.
Yeah, Total Recall is fantastic sci fi movie, The Austrian Oak rules.
Best Regards from Italy,
Posted by eMMe on June 29th, 2007eMMe
eMMe,
T2, Matrix, Aliens, Total Recall aren’t just classified as SCI-FI, but as Sci-Fi Action movies. By your definition, Predator is a SCI-FI too, but I would disagree with that 100%
Just because we have some people in spaceships instead of riding in limos or the threat isn’t human or the film is set in the future instead of the present doesn’t change “pure action” element of the movie.
btw, Raiders of the Lost Ark is an Action Adventure and First Blood is an Action Drama.
Posted by Primal on June 29th, 2007I do kind of agree with what eMMe is saying, but for this reason I think it’s hard to call action a genre unto itself… after all, couldn’t Raiders of the Lost Ark be considered action/adventure? And First Blood a war movie? Die Hard a cop movie? In the end, you need a context and a basis for the action. Here’s a question I’ve been pondering… what would be considered the first action movie? I bet it was a western.
Posted by Sean on June 29th, 2007Hello,
Primal, Sean, thank you for your answers and explanations!
I agree that Raiders of the Lost Ark is an Action / Adventure and First Blood is an Action Drama.
So you are talking about movies that have “action” elements in them. Ok.
In the past I have written an article about Modern Action Movies (in italian) that could represent for me Modern Action Movie Genre in which I talk about
Rocky, 1976
Mad Max, 1979
Indiana Jones and Raiders of the Lost Ark, 1981
Conan the Barbarian and Rambo, 1982
The Terminator, 1984
Commando, 1985
Top Gun, 1986
Predator and Letal Weapon, 1987
Die Hard, 1988
Terminator 2, 1991
Bad Boys, 1995
The Rock, 1996
Mission Impossible, 1996
The Gladiator, 2000
James Bond Saga
SH Movies
So I think I surely miss Alien and The Matrix from your List. I will update it.
Yes, I agree about Western as first action movies and so I vote for your forum Terminator 2 and Raiders of the Lost Ark (and Conan if it is possible to consider it as an Action Movie).
Thank you,
Posted by eMMe on June 29th, 2007See you soon,
Best Regards,
eMMe
I would choose Die Hard from sean’s list, because I think it pretty much stands for what I believe action flick would be like. And with what Primal and Sean explained, I think I might go with Fight Club.
Posted by davidchili on June 30th, 2007Though it’s not my favorite in a objective sense I think T2 takes the cake. Sean is correct the Action movie is not a genre but rather a collection of styles and themes. I’d hate to sound all PoMo but the best stuff I’ve encountered is that which through combination and reference creates a new genre itself.
Posted by Ian on June 30th, 2007Commando. With out a doubt. The original foundation for which all AGNULD and action flicks stand upon (or stood upon). None other can complete with this movies vulgar display of power. Preach on Arnold, LORD knows that belt will never end!!
Posted by Donka on July 1st, 2007I gotta go with Die Hard. I just watched the first three films of this series back to back the other day to prepare for the new one (because I’m a big loser with nothing better to do with my time), and after watching it again, the first Die Hard just stands out as the definition of “action movie”. Terminator 2 is my choice for runner up because that movie is jam-packed with excitement. Aliens is my all time favorite film, but I have trouble considering it an action movie. It does have action, but at the end of the day I still see it as a monster movie. I’d call Indiana an adventure, but that’s a tough road to walk. Really, it just doesn’t have as much balls out action as Die Hard or T2 in my opinion. I wouldn’t necessarily call Commando “good”, though it is entertaining. The Matrix has the most incredible visuals out of anything on the list with the possible exception of Spiderman 2, but watching Die Hard again was kind of an eye opener for me as far as this discussion is concerned. Die Hard, or more to the point, John McClane, simply oozes action star from every pore. That’s why I gotta go Die Hard.
Posted by Rian on July 1st, 2007I have to agree and go with Diehard. It set the tone for non-stop action flicks. After watching Live Free or Die Hard, I have to say that the latest was actually up to par as well. It wasn’t at the original Die Hard level…but it was quite close. No need for CGI, capes and super powers. Just a normal average Joe caught up in a bad situation…and of course he can’t die. So that helps.
Posted by Djsly92807 on July 1st, 2007I have to agree and go with Die Hard. It set the tone for non-stop action flicks. After watching Live Free or Die Hard, I have to say that the latest was actually up to par as well. It wasn’t at the original Die Hard level…but it was quite close. No need for CGI, capes and super powers. Just a normal average Joe caught up in a bad situation…and of course he can’t die. So that helps.
Posted by Djsly92807 on July 1st, 2007I have to agree and go with Die Hard. It set the tone for non-stop action flicks. After watching Live Free or Die Hard, I have to say that the latest was actually up to par as well. It wasn’t at the original Die Hard level…but it was quite close. No need for CGI, capes and super powers. Just a normal average Joe caught up in a bad situation…and of course he can’t die. So that helps.
http://www.backlottalk.com
Posted by Djsly92807 on July 1st, 2007The movie studio life.
Starship Troopers
Posted by darkbhudda on July 1st, 2007what about the MOTHER of all action movies: Seven Samurai
Posted by bertom on July 2nd, 2007Leave a Reply