The Avengers

The Avengers is a live-action movie based on Marvel Comics superhero team of the same name. Featuring the team-up of iconic Marvel Comics Superheroes - Iron Man (Robert Downey, Jr.), The Incredible Hulk (Mark Ruffalo), Thor (Chris Hemsworth), Captain America (Chris Evans), Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner) and Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson).

Year Released: 2012

Summary:
When the Earth's security is threatened by an unexpected enemy with an intent of taking over the universe, Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson), leader of a secret peace keeping agency known as Supreme Headquarters, International Espionage, Law-Enforcement Division or S.H.I.E.L.D., finds himself in need of a team to protect the Earth from the brink of destruction.He then later realizes that the part or assembling the team and making them work together is much complicated than he'd expected. Without much time left, they need to learn how to work things up as a team, despite their individual struggles and conflicts, to save the Earth.

Cast:
Robert Downey, Jr.
Chris Evans
Mark Ruffalo
Chris Hemsworth
Scarlett Johansson
Jeremy Renner
Tom Hiddleston
Chris Evans
Samuel L. Jackson

Director:
Joss Whedon

Reviews & Ratings:
"With a script that never forgets its heroes' humanity and no shortage of super powered set pieces, The Avengers lives up to its hype — and raises the bar for Marvel at the movies".
~ Rotten Tomatoes on The Avengers

"The Avengers is the best superhero film ever made."
~ Mark Hughes, Forbes.com

8.8/10- Ratings from IMDB
8/10 (93%) Tomatometer - Ratings from Rotten Tomatoes

Movie Trivia:

• "Group Hug" is the code name for the film in its early production.
• Edward Norton is originally set to reprise his role as The Incredible Hulk
• Jeremy Renner was trained by Olympic archers for his role as Hawkeye

Source: IMDb - The Avengers

Real Steel

 

"Courage is stronger than steel"

Real Steel is a live action - adventure movie based on a 1956 short story "Steel" by Richard Matheson. The film stars Hugh Jackman (Wolverine , X-Men movie series), Dakota Goyo, Evangeline Lilly, Anthony Mackie , and Kevin Durand.


Summary:
Set in the near-future, in time where humans have been replaced by robots in the sport of boxing, Charlie Kenton, a former boxer and a struggling promoter believes that he and his estranged son Max had built a "champion" robot out of scrap metals. Now that the stakes are raised, Charlie and Max, equipped with courage and determination, is about to face the no-holds-barred arena of underground robot boxing  to get the second chance of his life on a sport that he once loved.

Year Released: 2011

Cast:
Hugh Jackman
Dakota Goyo
Evangeline Lilly
Anthony Mackie
Kevin Durand

Director:
Shawn Levy

Reviews & Ratings:
"Silly premise notwithstanding, this is a well-made Hollywood movie: Thrilling and exciting action with just enough characterization."
~ Rotten Tomatoes on Real Steel

5.9/10 (60%) Tomatometer - Ratings from Rotten Tomatoes

7.1/10 - Ratings from IMDB

Movie Trivia:

• Real Steel movie is based on a short story by Richard Matheson named "Steel". It was also made into an episode of The Twilight Zone called Steel
• Sugar Ray Leonard, a retired professional boxer, supervised the robot boxing fight scenes, using motion-capture technology

Source: IMDB - Real Steel

Inception

"Your mind is the scene of the crime"

Inception is one of best mind-bending action movies from the best cinematic mind-bender in the industry, Christopher Nolan (The Dark Knight).

The film features an all-star cast starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Ken Watanabe, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Marion Cotillard, Ellen Page, Tom Hardy, Cillian Murphy, Dileep Rao, Tom Berenger, and Michael Caine.

Summary:
The film is set in future, in a time when technology and substance experts are able to create levels of deep sleep and invade the dreams of others.

Leonardo DiCaprio plays as Dom Cobb, a dream thief and a specialized corporate spy who goes into people's dreams and steals their secrets. However, stealing secrets isn't enough for Mr. Saito (Ken Watanabe) - a business magnate that wants to go one step further into this high-level espionage. This time, he wants a new process of planting a false memory into his competitions heads; which is called Inception. Everyone says that this "inception" can't be done and that it's impossible, however Cobb’s character knows that it can possibly be done – but no certainty that it will be successful.

TIP:
Watching this action movie requires the ability to concentrate and focus in order to follow the plot. :)

Year Released: 2010
 
Cast:
Leonardo DiCaprio
Ken Watanabe
Joseph Gordon-Levitt
Marion Cotillard
Ellen Page
Cillian Murphy
Tom Hardy
Tom Berenger
Michael Caine

Director:
Christopher Nolan

Reviews & Ratings:
"Smart, innovative, and thrilling, Inception is that rare summer blockbuster that succeeds viscerally as well as intellectually."
~ Rotten Tomatoes on Inception

8/10 (86%) Tomatometer - Ratings from Rotten Tomatoes

8.8/10 - Ratings from IMDB

Movie Trivia:

• James Franco was a choice by Christopher Nolan to play Arthur, but was unavailable due to scheduling conflicts.
• "Yusuf" is the Arabic form of "Joseph", the Biblical figure from Genesis 37-50, who had the gift of interpreting dreams.
• The first letter of each of the main character's first names - Dom, Robert, Eames, Arthur/Ariadne, Mal, and Sato - spell the word DREAMS.
• The "Penrose stairs" that Arthur shows to Ariadne is a reference to a lithograph print by the Dutch graphic artist M.C. Escher. The print is usually called "Ascending and Descending" or "The Infinite Staircase", and was first printed in March 1960; Escher is well-known for his drawings exploring optical illusions and real architectural, mathematical, and philosophical principles rendered in fantastical ways
• Mal's totem, a spinning top, is (probably) a reference to the Clifford D. Simak's story 'Ring Around the Sun' where the spinning top is used as a way to skip from one parallel Earth to another (by way of helping characters to concentrate).

Source: IMDB - Inception

Avatar

Avatar is a science fiction film written and directed by the top-caliber director, James Cameron (Aliens and Terminator). Avatar is a live action film with a new generation of special effects and revolutionary technology that made the film a cinematic masterpiece.

Summary:
Avatar is an epic adventure movie that will take us into a spectacular alien world beyond our imagination – that will surely take our breath away. “On the distant moon Pandora, a reluctant hero embarks on a journey of redemption, discovery and unexpected love -- as he leads a heroic battle to save a civilization.” - CinemaBlend

Set in the year 2154, a group of scientists and selected military personnel is on a mission to Pandora to find rare minerals, that is the key to solving Earth’s energy crisis.

To learn about Pandora’s biosphere and its inhabitants called Na’vi, scientists developed an Avatar Program. Avatars are genetically engineered hybrids of human DNA mixed with DNA of Na’vi that are operated via mental link of its avatar operator. Jake Sully, a paraplegic ex-Marine is recruited to be part of the mission and replaces his twin brother who was part of the program.

As Jake begins to appreciate the beauty and secrets of Pandora, he finds himself torn between the ruthless military-industrial forces of Earth, and the Na’vi - forcing him to choose sides and fight back in an epic battle for the fate of Pandora.

Year Released: 2009

Cast:
Sam Worthington
Zoe Saldana
Sigourney Weaver
Stephen Lang
Joel David Moore
Michelle Rodriguez

Director:
James Cameron

Reviews & Ratings:
"It might be more impressive on a technical level than as a piece of storytelling, but Avatar reaffirms James Cameron's singular gift for imaginative, absorbing filmmaking."
~ Rottentomatoes on Avatar

8.8/10 - Ratings from IMDB

8/10 (93%) Tomatometer - Ratings from Rotten Tomatoes

Movie Trivia:

• Avatar is one of the most expensive movies ever made (as of December 2009), with an estimated budget of US $280,000,000.
• It is also the first movie to reach more than US$ 2.5 billion mark worldwide, making it the highest grossing film in history.
• James Cameron was convinced that CGI effects had improved to make this film as what he had imagined when he saw Gollum in The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002).

Source: IMDB - Avatar

Wanted

 

Wanted is based on a comic book miniseries created by Mark Millar. This action movie is directed by a Russian director, Timur Bekmambetov. Starring Angelina Jolie, Morgan Freeman, James McAvoy, and Terence Stamp.

Summary:
The storyline follows Wesley Gibson (James McAvoy), a cube-dwelling, frustrated office worker with a dull and depressing life. Until he crossed path with a hot female assassin named Fox (Angelina Jolie) and introduces him to The Fraternity, a secret guild of the best assassins being led by the enigmatic Sloan (Morgan Freeman).

As a new member of The Fraternity, he must undergo a series of physical tests and discover his special skills - which is similar to his father. Thru this, he could take revenge on his father's death who's once a member of the secret guild. It's his destiny to be part of The Fraternity but there some secrets that he must uncover about the guild in order to find out his own destiny.

Year Released: 2008

Cast:
James McAvoy
Morgan Freeman
Angelina Jolie
Terence Stamp

Director:
Timur Bekmambetov

Reviews & Ratings:
"Wanted is a fast-paced, crackling thrill ride tailor-made for the Summer audience."
~ RottenTomatoes on Wanted

6.7/10 - Ratings from IMDB

6.6/10 (71%) Tomatometer - Ratings from Rotten Tomatoes

Movie Trivia:

• James McAvoy undergo trainings to improve his physique for preparation for his role as Wes.
• James McAvoy suffered an injured knee and a twisted ankle during shooting.
•  According to Angelina Jolie, she based her role in Wanted on Clint Eastwood.

Source: IMDB - Wanted

The Dark Knight

The Dark Knight, which is part of Christopher Nolan's Batman film series is a follow-up to the action-hit Batman Begins (2005). Christian Bale reprises the role of the caped crusader - Batman.

Summary:
The film focuses on Batman's fight against a new villain, a psychopathic criminal named Joker (Heath Ledger), who is the mastermind of numerous organized crimes in Gotham City.

With the help of Lt. Jim Gordon (Gary Oldman) and District Attorney Harvey Dent (Aaron Eckhart), Batman sets out to eliminate and dismantle the remaining criminal organizations that plague the city streets. Their partnership proves to be effective, but they soon find themselves prey to a reign of chaos unleashed by a rising criminal mastermind known to the terrified citizens of Gotham as the Joker.

Year Released: 2008

Cast:
Christian Bale
Michael Caine
Heath Ledger
Aaron Eckhart
Gary Oldman
Maggie Gyllenhaal
Morgan Freeman

Director:
Christopher Nolan

Reviews & Ratings:
"Nolan has shown a new way to tell a superhero story, and it may turn out to be the only way to tell a story about heroes in this troublingly amoral time. We may want our white knights, but it's the dark knight that we need."
~ Katey Rich of CinemaBlend
 9/10 - Ratings from IMDB

8.5/10 (94%) Tomatometer - Ratings from Rotten Tomatoes

Movie Trivia:

• The Dark Knight is the first Batman movie without "Batman" in the title.
• Matt Damon was the first choice of Christopher Nolan to play the role of Harvey Dent but he turned it down.
• Other actors that were considered to have a part in the film are Jake Gyllenhaal, Hugh Jackman, John Lucas and Ryan Phillippe.

Source: IMDB - The Dark Knight 

Iron Man

Iron Man is an action-adventure movie based on the Marvel Comics character of the same name. Robert Downey Jr. played the lead role as Tony Stark - a billionaire industrialist who designs and manufactures weapons and becomes the technologically advanced superhero, Iron Man.

Summary:
Tony Stark lived a good life having the everything man has dreamt of - money, fortune and gorgeous women. But during a business trip to Afghanistan to demonstrate Stark Industries' new weapon, his convoy was attacked and captured by a terrorist group. As he awakened, Stark discovers an electromagnet attached to his chest, powered by a car battery and designed to keep the shrapnel from piercing his heart and killing him. He was tortured by the group and forced to build a Jericho missile for them - which is his most powerful weapon. With the help of a captor named Yinsen (Shaun Toub), they created a special iron suit instead that can withstand almost anything shot at it and it is loaded with an arsenal of weapons to destroy the terrorist camp and its inhabitants. With this amazing weapon he had built, suddenly his destiny shifts into something he didn't expected it to be.

Year Released: 2008

Cast:
Robert Downey Jr.
Gwyneth Paltrow
Jeff Bridges
Terrence Howard

Director:
Jon Favreau

Reviews & Ratings:
"It’s also refreshing to see a superhero flick in which the hero isn’t some angsty teenager or a borderline underwear model. Tony Stark is a mature man, with deep rooted flaws."
~ Josh Tyler of CinemaBlend
7.9/10 - Ratings from IMDB

7.6/10 (93%) Tomatometer - Ratings from Rotten Tomatoes

Movie Trivia:

• Nicolas Cage and Tom Cruise were interested in playing Iron Man.
• Quentin Tarantino, Joss Whedon, and Nick Cassavetes were approached to direct the film.
• Robert Downey Jr. spent five days a week in weight and martial arts training to get into shape as a preparation for his role as Iron Man.
• It's the first film released in 2008 to pass the $300 million mark at the domestic box office.

Source: IMDB - Iron Man

Rambo

Rambo is the fourth installment of the popular franchise of the same title starring Sylvester Stallone as Vietnam War veteran John Rambo.

Summary:
After twenty years since the last film of the famous action movie series, Vietnam war veteran John Rambo has retreated to northern Thailand, and become a boatman at Salween River in Myanmar. He accompanied a group of mercenaries for a resue mission to help the people of a damaged village. The mission goes well until the Burmese army attacks the village, killing innocent villagers and some members of missionaries. When the missionaries fail to come back after ten days, their pastor comes to Rambo, tells him what has transpired, and asks for his assistance in guiding hired mercenaries to the village to rescue other survivors who had been kidnapped by the Burmese. Despite the fact that he already sworn off all forms of violence, he had no choice but to help the kidnapped mercenaries from the enemies...he knows what he must do and this is his most dangerous mission to date.

Year Released: 2008

Cast:
Sylvester Stallone
Julie Benz
Matthew Marsden

Director:
Sylvester Stallone

Reviews & Ratings:
"Rambo is the king of mindless action movies and its viciousness has set a new high point for action movies. All the action films that have come before it are an embarrassment in comparison to Rambo’s excess."

~ MovieCynics on Rambo

7.1/10 - Ratings from IMDB

Movie Trivia:

• This is the first Rambo film directed by Sylvester Stallone.
• In some countries like France & Germany, the film is called "John Rambo". While in Russia, it is called "Rambo 4"
• Julie Benz was cast to play Sarah because Sylvester Stallone was a big fan of her TV show Dexter.

Source: IMDB - Rambo

Gladiator

"A Hero Will Rise"
The Gladiator tells the story of a Roman general who comes to Rome as a gladiator to revenge for his family.

Gladiator is a historical epic masterpiece of Ridley Scott that received much praise and honors because of its scope, creative and intense battle scenes and convincing performances of the lead cast.

Year Released: 2000

Summary: 

Maximus Meridias (Russel Crowe), a Roman general that has been named as the keeper of Rome and its empire by Emperor Marcus Aurelius thus, giving him the privilege to be his successor. However, the emperor was killed by his power-hungry jealous son Commodus and later orders the death of Maximus. Fortunately, Maximus managed to escape but was captured by slave traders and was sent to North Africa. He ends up being a slave and was forced to be a gladiator. With the twist of fate happened to Maximus, he remained strong and hopeful that he might someday fulfill the wish of the late emperor. As a victorious gladiator, he was sent back to Rome to participate in the Gladiatorial Games (a battle to death of the most famous gladiators) in which he had plans of taking revenge and gain his freedom against the man who took away his family and the good things he once have.

Cast:
Russell Crowe
Joaquin Phoenix
Connie Nielsen
Oliver Reed
Richard Harris
Derek Jacobi
Djimon Hounsou

Director:
Ridley Scott

Reviews & Ratings:
"Ridley Scott and an excellent cast successfully convey the intensity of Roman gladitorial combat as well as the political intrigue brewing beneath."
~ Rottentomatoes on Gladiator

8.5/10 - Ratings from IMDB

7.1/10 (76%) Tomatometer - Ratings from Rotten Tomatoes

Movie Trivia:

• Gladiator is Russell Crowe's favorite film, and Maximus is his favorite character portrayal.
• The film is dedicated to Oliver Reed who suffered a fatal heart attack during principal photography.
• Mel Gibson was offered the lead role, but turned it down because at 43 he felt he was too old to play Maximus.
• Antonio Banderas was also considered for the role of Maximus.

Source: IMDB - Gladiator

Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope

Star Wars is an action sci-fi film created by George Lucas during the 1970's and was eventually expanded and became one of the most popular film franchises thru time. It features some elements that are related to the archetypes of the fantasy genre such as Jedi knights, princesses, robots, spaceships and other creatures, as well as the futuristic settings of the universe.

It was inspired and influenced by several known sci-fi films like Akira Kurosawa's The Hidden Fortress, Yojimbo, John Ford's The Searchers, and the original Flash Gordon series.

Year Released: 1977 (Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope)

Cast:
Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher
Director:
George Lucas

Reviews & Ratings:
"A legendarily expansive and ambitious start to the sci-fi saga, George Lucas opened our eyes to the possiblites of blockbuster filmmaking and things have never been the same."
~ RottenTomatoes on Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope

8.8/10 - Ratings from IMDB

8.3/10 (93%) Tomatometer - Ratings from Rotten Tomatoes

Movie Trivia:

• Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope is the only movie of the Star Wars franchise to be nominated for a Best Picture Academy Award
• According to George Lucas, originally Luke was a girl, Han Solo was an Alien, the wookiees were called Jawas, and R2-D2 and C-3PO were called A-2 and C-3
• Carrie Fisher and Mark Hamill performed the swing stunt themselves, shooting it in just one take.

Source: IMDB - Star Wars

Casino Royale (2006)

Casino Royale
Movie Information

Genre:
Action | Adventure

Main Cast:
Daniel Craig as James Bond
Director:
Martin Campbell
About the movie:

Casino Royale is the 21st movie of the Bond franchise which stars Daniel Craig as the popular secret agent James Bond. The film was based on a 1953 novel written by Ian Fleming with the same title and it's the third adaptation of the novel (first as a 1954 TV episode and a 1967 satirical film).
Casino Royale bring in James Bond before he holds his license to kill. As he is raised to '00' status, 'M'(Judi Dench), head of the British Secret Service, send him to Madagascar for his first mission as a newly-promoted secret agent where he is to spy on a terrorist. He decided to do the investigation independently out of the MI6 (Military Intelligence, Section 6) agency to trace the rest of the terrorist cell. He landed to Montenegro to face Le Chiffre, a ruthless financier under threat from his terrorist clients who attempts to restore his funds by playing a high-stake poker game at Casino Royale. Then 'M' assigned Vesper Lynd to watch out for Bond, his stake for the game and for the government's money. As they face and survive danger together, Bond's interest towards her deepens while Le Chiffre's cruelty has heightens in a way Bond could never imagine and thru this, he learns his most important lesson: Trust no one.
Though there are some negative comments about Daniel Craig's potential as an actor to portray the famous secret agent 007, his worthiness showed up and washes out all the controversies as the film was released- leaving the critics in awed by his acting which is explosive with emotions.


Movie Trivia:

• Casino Royale (released in 2006) is the highest grossing James Bond film to date

Fight Club

Fight ClubMovie Information
Genre:
Action | Drama
Main Cast:
Edward NortonBrad PittHelena Bonham Carter
Director:
David Fincher

About the movie:
Fight Club is an action movie adaptation of Chuck Palahniuk's award winning novel Fight Club in 1996. The story is based on the unnamed protagonist who hates his job and his life.
The film is narrated by a depressed and unfulfilled man played by Edward Norton. He is an average-guy living in a consumer culture generation, with no family and friends. During a flight for a business trip, he met Tyler Durden, a soap salesman and a rebel with intriguing personality. Eventually they became friends as they have a mutual hatred for corporate consumer-culture hypocrisy. Later on, the two started the Fight Club, a ferocious bare-knuckle bouts of angry men, which convenes in a bar basement. It attracted the crowd and soon becomes the place for men - mostly are victims of the dehumanizing power of the modern-day society.
The film is about becoming of a real man. That fighting is a way of standing out against several other members of the species called men. Its a fact the Fight Club is a violent film but there is a purpose for the brutal scenes. It was the most talked about aspect of the movie because of the graphic portrayal of violence, and it is somehow being linked to the controversies of A Clockwork Orange by Stanley Kubrick.The depth of the film is truly incredible. Edward Norton is outstanding in this film and Brad Pitt will always be remembered as Tyler Durden.

American Gangster (2007)

American Gangster
Movie Information

Genre:
Action | Crime

Main Cast:
Denzel Washington
Russell Crowe


Director:
Ridley Scott


About the movie:

American Gangster (2007) is based on the life story of Frank Lucas and Richie Roberts. Frank Lucas (Denzel Washington) is a former international drug lord and crime boss in a major African American business and cultural center in Manhattan, New York known as Harlem during the late 1960's up to early 1970's. While Richie Roberts (Russell Crowe), is a New Jersey police detective and Essex County Assistant Prosecutor.

The movie's plot revolves around the separate lives of a high class gangster and an ordinary police man and how their lives accidentally coincides. It features how Lucas engaged into a dark side of "rags to riches" story. He started as a driver of a mob boss that passed away, leaving the authority to him. He created his own empire to achieve his own American Dream. He ruled the inner city drug trades, dealing with the elite in politics, entertainment and the same field he's in.

Meanwhile, Richie Roberts is having a hard time dealing with his failing marriage, police career and law-school classes. His rampant womanizing resulted to a more complicated situation when his wife seeks a divorce and custody of their child. His colleagues hates him because of his rare honesty making him an outcast. He take the charge of the newly-built task force against the raging drug trafficking in the cities of New Jersey and New York.

As the drug-related crimes rises and as the police task force seeks the right timing to caught the man behind the rampant drug trafficking, Lucas and Roberts paths will become intertwined, as destined to be - where only one can come out on top.

American Gangster features the interesting personalities of the men of the opposite sides of the law and it tackles the issue of corruption and crime. Ridley Scott magnificently directed this gangster movie (this is the best movie so far of 2007) and the cast, Washington and Crowe give depth with their roles and acted brilliantly here.

Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark

Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark
Movie Information

Genre:
Action | AdventureMain Cast:
Harrison Ford
Karen Allen
Paul Freeman
Ronald Lacey
Wolf KahlerDirector:Steven Spielberg

About the movie:
Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981) is an action-adventure movie released in 1981 starring Harrison Ford. It is the first among the Indiana Jones movie series and its about a renowned archaeologist named Indiana Jones that oftens plunges into adventure to discover rare artifacts.
In this first chapter of the action-packed movie series, Indiana Jones go across the world to locate the ancient Ark of the Covenant - said to have remains of the sacred biblical item which is the Ten Commandments. However, the Nazis are also planning to hunt for the Ark of Covenant and to use it as a weapon because they believe that it carries an extremely powerful energy. Indiana Jones and his former girlfriend Marion set aboard to find the lost ark. But the mission is not that easy for them as they get involved in a series of chases and fights, and they must escape the bunch of the evil Nazis, to recover the precious artifact that could put the world in danger.
The Raiders of the Lost Ark is an adventure-filled movie with stunning special effects and a non-stop action stunts. A movie that is an epitome of real entertainment - one of the best action movies that you'll love to watch over and over again.

Aliens

Aliens
Movie Information

Genre:
Action | Sci-Fi

Main Cast:
Sigourney Weaver
Michael Biehn
Lance Henriksen
Carrie Henn
Paul Reiser
Bill Paxton

Director:
James Cameron


About the movie:

Aliens (1986) is a sequel of the action/sci-fi/horror movie Alien (1979 - directed by Ridley Scott). The film is set 57 years after Ellen Ripley's ordeal with the deadly extraterrestrial creature. With the combat-oriented structure of the movie, Aliens promoted the tagline: "This Time It's War."

After more than half-century after the events of 'Alien', Ellen Ripley, the sole survivor of a salvaged space freighter Nostromo, was found and rescued at LV-426, a planetoid where they encountered the alien eggs. Then a unit of space marines together with Ripley were set to a a mission to investigate LV-426's activities and to search for their contact. As they returned to the planetoid, they discovered a large Alien nest and they're unprepared as they encountered a mature alien, killing most members of the unit. The remaining survivors including Ellen were trapped in the alien infested territory, leaving them with no other choice but to fight the alien queen in order to survive.

Aliens offers a high-intensity thrill ride that set a new standard for action movies that is hard to match. Aliens is a sequel that surpass the success of the original movie Alien (1979) and it is even more powerful making it one of the best action movies ever made.

Mad Max 2 : The Road Warrior

Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior
Movie Information

Genre:
Action | Sci-Fi

Main Cast:
Mel Gibson
Michael Preston
Bruce Spence
Vernon Wells
Kjell Nilsson
Virginia Hey
Emil Minty

Director:
George Miller


About the movie:

Mad Max 2 (1981; also known as The Road Warrior), is a follow-up movie of Miller's sci-fi action movie Mad Max (1979). It's a post-apocalyptic action movie that eventually became a cult classic.

This is the continuation of Max's adventure and the summary of the events happened on the first movie that shed light on the political situation of the world - that a war has occurred. It features Max's life after the he loss his wife and son. This sequel is more intense than the predeccessor and the world's standing become worse. The highlight of this film is the pulse-pounding and breath-taking car chases, probably one of the greatest movies involving cars.

The movie has a stunning action sequences without a single ounce of computer graphics that is equally impressive by today's standards in action movies. It's a follow up movie that's even more exciting and intense than the first one and really a must-see for action buffs.

Kill Bill

Kill Bill

Movie Information

Genre:
Action | Crime

Main Cast:
Uma Thurman
David Carradine
Daryl Hannah
Michael Madsen
Lucy Liu
Vivica A. Fox
Michael Parks

Director:
Quentin Tarantino


About the movie:

Kill Bill is released in two separate volumes (Kill Bill Vol. 1 in 2003 and Kill Bill Vol. 2 in 2004). The plot is adapted from a Japanese action film Lady Snowblood (1973).

It is a revenge-themed action movie about the deadliest slayer of the Deadly Viper Assassination Squad (DVAS) known as "The Bride" (played by Uma Thurman). When The Bride decided to quit the group to get married because she's pregnant, Bill (their boss) and her former colleagues ruined the entire wedding ceremony and killed everyone in there including her. The Bride survived that tragic event and was in a coma for several years. As the Bride awakens from her long 'sleep', her mind is set-up to take revenge on those who betrayed her - to kill the members DVAS and Bill.

The film consist of breathtaking violent scenes with a touch of different action movie genres or elements - kung fu fighting, spaghetti westerns and samurai battle.

Quentin Tarantino just got out of the action movie standards by creating an unusual form of film that grabbed the attention of the action movie fanatics. It's a bloody and violent movie but the style, the stunts and the over-all package are truly remarkable.

Point Break

Point Break

Movie Information

Genre:
Action | Adventure

Main Cast:
Patrick Swayze
Keanu Reeves
Gary Busey
Lori Petty
John McGinley

Director:
Kathryn Bigelow


About the movie:
Pointbreak (1991) is an action adventure movie that focused on extreme sports like sky diving and surfing.

The movie is about Johnny Utah (Keanu Reeves), an undercover FBI agent assigned to investigate a group of bank robbers known as the "Ex-Presidents". The Ex-Presidents are hard to get caught because they only deal in cash and never leave clues about their activities. He suspects that there's a connection between the "Ex-Presidents" and the local surfers in the coastal area of Los Angeles after his partner, Pappas gave him some information about the suspicious group of surfers.


Point Break has its original action sequences, a tight plot and a bunch of Hollywood's well-known actors. Point Break is a very stylish action movie with amazing surfing and sky-diving stunts plus a great chase scene and a thrilling parachute-less jump as its highlight.

It is one great achievement for Kathryn Bigelow as a woman who handled the action and suspense scenes with expertise. The movie deserves to be recognized as one of the best action movies of the 90s along with Die Hard, Speed and others.

Hard Boiled

Hard Boiled Movie Information
Genre: Action | Crime

Main Cast:
Chow Yun-Fat
Tony Leung Chiu Wai
Director:
John Woo
About the movie:
Hard Boiled, also known as Lashou Shentan in Chinese version, is an action movie directed by internationally and critically acclaimed Chinese film director John Woo. The movie was released in 1992 which stars Chow Yun-Fat and Tony Leung Chiu Wai.


The film is about Inspector "Tequila", a tough police from Hong Kong who lost his partner after a deadly encounter with a ruthless group of gun smugglers. Tequila continues his investigation on gun smuggling. He soon gets himself into more trouble by trying to arrest the right hand man of Hoi, the leader of the notorious gang in Hong Kong. He didn't know that Tony is actually an undercover cop (Tony Leung) trying to have some information about the group's activities.


Hard Boiled excels in action because of its intensity. Director John Woo uses his slow-motion trademark in gun-battle scenes, impressive action stunts and choreography and a good character development as the movie progresses.