Genre: Action
Overall 8
Acting 8
Originality 5
Production Value 8
A true classic of its period and a film that set a standard for many Vietnam war films that followed. The film itself has an intimate feel, whereby you are close to the main character (played by Charlie Sheen before he went insane, if indeed he is insane and we’re all sane). There is even a very brief glimpse of a young Johnny Depp.
Full of strong characters, plenty of action and a feeling of actually being in Vietnam. Why do I say this? Because there are many Vietnam war films that are obviously shot on the back lot of Hollywood in California and almost no attempt is made to make it feel more “jungle”.
We see our hero’s take drugs, lose their minds, have fear, anger and lose all sense of humanity. And yet, there is a theme of compassion throughout, although very little for the Vietnamese. If the war truly was like this, and I have no reason to doubt much of it, then it is surprising anybody ever came back and no surprise that many of those who did returned scarred mentally for life. A cruel war on all I would suggest.
Platoon is not full of any great storyline, there’s no massive depth to it or clever twists and turns. Instead it is the story of a soldier, a man who made the mistake of enlisting and all that followed.
If you like war films then you’ll do well to watch this. If you like good acting, some clever cinematography and a little American propaganda then you’ll not go wrong. Overall, a classic film deserving of it’s place in cinema history.
Genre: Action
Overall 10
Acting 10
Originality 7
Production Value 10
There are war films and there are epic war films. The one that rises head and shoulders above them all is A Bridge Too Far. Quite possibly this is a film that will never be surpassed in its scope and realism. Why? Because to achieve the same cinematic feel today would require building an army of tanks, aeroplanes and numerous other things that have simply rotted away since the Second World War. No amount of fake CGI will ever replace the realism you get from watching thousands of real men parachute behind enemy lines or march headlong into occupied Europe.
The cast is like a list of who was who in the good old days of pre-CGI remake Hollywood. The slow build up creates a true sense of the tension and fear of the actual period and many of the cast were in fact themselves part of the real thing. A huge film, a huge budget, a huge cast, in fact huge from start to finish. There never will be a war film to match it in that respect. The closest is The Longest Day, shot in black and white on a much tighter budget but also packed full of the great and good of cinema from the period.
Whether you like war films or not, it’s a great film just from the perspective of realism, acting and sheer epic feel. Highly recommended.
Genre: Action
Overall 8
Acting 8
Originality 8
Production Value 8
Tarantino delivers a cult classic of the most bizarre kind. A hit woman gets hit and decides she doesn’t like it and takes revenge. That is the basics of this film. But the true genius is in the acting and the way the story is told. It moves between styles with no apology. It shocks the senses and has no fear with some very gruesome scenes. In fact there are a lot of gruesome scenes to beware if you have issues with blood.
Overall, a brilliant action film that has been copied ever since and Tarantino shows the world that he will not accept the norm and cares less about whether he ought to tell the story in a particular way or shoot a scene according to Hollywood tried and tested methods. If you like unusual and don’t mind watching limbs fly then Kill Bill is perfect.
Genre: Action/ superhero
Overall: 8/10
Acting: 8/10
Originality: 6/10
Production Value: 9/10
Cast: Robert Downey JR., Chris Evans, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Hemsworth, Scarlett Johansson, Jeremy Renner, Tom Hiddleston, Samuel L. Jackson
There’s no sense in pretending that Avengers Assemble isn’t a fantastically entertaining romp around the Marvel Universe. However let’s also not pretend that most movie goers over the age of 15 haven’t figured out the plot to every superhero film Hollywood throws at us. A pizza is a pizza, you change the toppings what have you got, a pizza! But damn does pizza taste good. Although it won’t be to everybody’s taste I found Avengers Assemble hard to not enjoy. A delicious mix of witty comedic one liners, brilliant characters played by great actors and crazy action sequences will leave every kid gripped and give their parents a much needed break from whatever boring grownups watch.
Genre: Action/ Adventure
Overall: 8/10
Acting: 8/10
Originality/810
Production value: 9/10
From the Director of Gladiator, it is clear to see Ridley Scott’s affinity for grand historical epics in Kingdom of Heaven. Set in the time after First Crusade, Balian (Orlando Bloom) follows his father’s (Liam Neeson) footsteps into the Holy Land in search of religious redemption. Although the choice of Orlando Bloom for the films main protagonist has been questioned by many, I feel Scott’s casting for Kingdom of Heaven has been near on perfect. Characters capture the whole range of beliefs and desires that men crusaded for, Edward Norton’s performance as the King of Jerusalem is a real testament to this. While the film has been criticised for its historical accuracy, and portrayal of religion, I would say that Kingdom of Heaven is, if anything, a fantastically entertaining watch. The battles are bloody, the sets are brilliant and the acting, for the most part, is excellent.
Genre: action
Overall: 9/10
Acting: 10/10
Originality: 9/10
Production Value9/10
Not your typical action film, Jean Reno plays professional assassin ‘Leon’ who finds an unlikely sidekick in a young girl (Natalie Portman) he rescues from crooked cops. One of Gary Oldman’s best performances and a great kickstarter for a then young Natalie Portman’s career; Leon the Professional is what happens when French make an action film in the USA. Luc Besson achieves a refreshingly creative movie that will keep you both entertained and intrigued throughout. Violent, strange and intelligent, following the journey of this gentleman killer is an excellent watch that I would fully recommend.
Overall: 7/10
Acting: 6/10
Originality: 8/10
Production Value: 8/10
One of the best and most famous 80’s action movies ever made. Predator is the story of a stranded company of US Special Forces and their battle with a seemingly invincible, invisible alien killing- machine. Arnold Schwarzenneger plays the typical macho tough nut as he faces possibly his most recognisable foe ever, the Predator. The costume design and special effects are pretty impressive for their time and the pacing of the film really works to build the fear and tension that make this flick stand out from the rest. Guaranteed to put hairs on your chest regardless of gender, Predator will leave you wanting to watch the terrible spinoffs.
Genre: Action
Overall: 3/10
Acting: 5/10
Originality: 2/10
Production Value: 5/10
The Die Hard series has produced some of the best action films ever made; gripping storylines, amazing stunts and simply worth watching for Bruce Willis’s one-liners alone. But I won’t sugar coat this one folks, this film should be killed with fire. An awful plotline thinly masked with over the top special effects and stunts. It’s barely recognisable as a Die Hard film, even old Bruce can’t save it. The final, violent, death blow to an otherwise brilliant film series, Hollywood went full retard with this one.
