Get in on the action
I once read an interview with Quentin Tarantino, where he said
something along the lines that you know an action movie is good if
you leave the theater trying to impersonate the star.
I just saw
”
Live Free Or Die Hard
”
and as I exited the theater I prayed that there would be a group
of terrorists trying to take over the city, and I’d be the only one
who could stop them. There wasn’t, but as I was walking down the
street I started thinking about my favorite action movies.
Get in on the action
I once read an interview with Quentin Tarantino, where he said something along the lines that you know an action movie is good if you leave the theater trying to impersonate the star.
I just saw “Live Free Or Die Hard” and as I exited the theater I prayed that there would be a group of terrorists trying to take over the city, and I’d be the only one who could stop them. There wasn’t, but as I was walking down the street I started thinking about my favorite action movies.
“Die Hard” (1988) Starring Bruce Willis. Directed by John McTiernan.
Plot: New York cop John McClane battles terrorists who have taken over an office building in Los Angeles where his wife is one of the hostages.
This film is so good that it started its own genre and led to three sequels. At the time, Willis was just a TV actor who had made two unsuccessful films, so the studio executives didn’t put his face on any of the original posters. They thought the movie would bomb. Twenty years later Willis is still playing the part. My favorite scene is the fight between McClane and Karl, played by Alexander Godunov.
Trivia: Burt Reynolds and Richard Gere were both offered the role of John McClane before Willis.
“In the Line of Fire” (1993)Starring Clint Eastwood. Directed by Wolfgang Petersen.
Plot: Secret Service Agent Frank Horrigan tries to stop an assassin from killing the President of the United States.
I think this is Eastwood’s best performance. It was one of the first times he was vulnerable on film. His Horrigan is haunted by the Kennedy assassination (which he didn’t prevent), he drinks, and he lives alone. The film is a game of cat and mouse between Horrigan and the assassin, played by John Malkovich. Eastwood has some great scenes with Rene Russo, who plays a fellow agent and love interest. My favorite scene is the rooftop chase that ends with Horrigan hanging on the side of a building over a dirty alley. I saw this movie four times in the theater.
Trivia: Tom Cruise and Dustin Hoffman were once attached to the script to play Horrigan.
“Lethal Weapon” (1987) Starring Mel Gibson and Danny Glover. Directed by Richard Donner.
Plot: Suicidal cop Martin Riggs (Gibson) teams with veteran Roger Murtaugh (Glover) to stop a drug smuggling ring in Los Angeles.
The performances are just as great as the action, and that’s what makes the film work. It’s just a fun movie with great action and great villains, especially Gary Busey. My favorite scene is where Riggs is being tortured. Three inferior sequels, all directed by Donner, followed the film.
Trivia: The film is dedicated to stuntman Dar Robinson who died shortly after filming.
“Predator” (1987) Starring Arnold Schwarzenegger. Directed by John McTiernan.
Plot: A team of commandos on a rescue mission in Central America encounters an alien creature that wages war on them.
“I ain’t got time to bleed.” Forget the Terminator series. This is Arnie’s best movie. It features lots of macho actors doing and saying lots of macho things. There are plenty of gunfights and explosions for action fans. My favorite scene is where the alien takes off its mask and shows its face. The two sequels aren’t recommended.
Trivia: Jesse “The Body” Ventura became Governor of Minnesota in 1998 and Schwarzenegger became Governor of California in 2003.
“Speed” (1994) Starring Keanu Reeves. Directed by Jan DeBont.
Plot: A bomb on a city bus will explode if the bus goes under 50 mph. SWAT team member Jack Traven boards the bus to try to defuse it.
This is a great movie that moves along at the speed of a runaway bus. It’s like the writers took out any parts that would slow the movie down and threw them away. Reeves is excellent. His character is a real person who doesn’t have all the answers, but is dedicated to stopping the bus. My favorite scene is when Traven is hanging on underneath the bus trying to defuse the bomb. The film was followed by one of the worst sequels in movie history, “Speed 2: Cruise Control,” which was made without Reeves.
Trivia: Stephen Baldwin, William Baldwin and Johnny Depp were all offered the role of Jack Traven.
All of these movies are available on DVD.
