I enjoy dramas and comedies as much as the next fan but there is nothing like a good action flick. I’m talking about huge stakes, big guns, massive explosions and one liners that made our favorite heroes legendary. I think this might be the first time I purposely did a list that you can find on virtually any movie site out there. Top 10 Action Movies has been done. I’m weighing in regardless because right now, I’m watching many of these films all over again as I write my own action film.
Obviously there are films I’m missing so feel free to comment below but for now, here are 10 of my favorites. Movies I turn to when I need to watch a good fight or two.
Plus who doesn’t love a page full of old school action trailers?
Honorable Mentions: The Rundown, Raiders of the Lost Ark
WHICH MOVIE CHARACTER WOULD YOU WANT TO MEET 20 YEARS LATER?
I pondered this question for a few weeks before finally settling on a single choice. When you can pick any character in the history of movies, it’s tough to pick only one.
I asked around for people’s opinions and the number names came up more than once. The Terminator or Marty McFly.
The very thought of those characters 20 years later makes my brain hurt. Did they just catch up? McFly wasn’t able to bet on sports so he probably didn’t do anything to alter the future so how is that interesting? The Terminator is a robot who would be horribly outdated after 20 years… Or he would be state of the art? See what I mean by the brain pain?
My thought early on was to go with a science fiction character. What would Dutch be up to 20 years after being hunted by a Predator? Is Sam just a gardener again in Hobbiton?
Think about all the villains who ended films in police custody. That’s actually how I came up with ’20 years later’. Parole!
Movies with young characters are decent picks too. What’s Elliot up to these days? Alien research? Is he trying to contact E.T again? Is he lonely? Thankfully, some movies like The Sandlot tell you what people are up to but it’s fun to speculate as well.
After carefully considering the different types of characters I could pick, I ended up selecting a character that’s been the same age for about 40 years. It’s definitely the character I’d most like to meet 20 years later.
James Bond
For the sake of this article, I’m going to assume that James Bond is around 30-33 years old on average. Now that Daniel Craig has taken over and Mr. Bond has dialed back the aging clock a bit, we have about 10-12 years worth of missions available on DVD. Pierce Brosnan’s ice adventure was probably the oldest we’ve seen him. What do you think? 42 ish?
James Bond Celebrates 62nd Birthday!
I don’t think James Bond would handle retirement well. He’s become anxious and bored but happy nonetheless. I picture him living on a secluded beach alone but taking every chance he can get to travel. I can’t see him quitting entirely so maybe he handles intelligence work now instead of high speed car chases and dodging explosions.
Inside his beach house is an office where he continually helps MI6 develop new weapons and gadgets. I can’t see him training people hands on but perhaps he works as a consultant of some type. He might even fly in to help plan big operations.
He isn’t married but I like to think he has a girl. Someone close by. Or maybe there was ONE girl he always wanted and finally decided to settle down. Maybe Moneypenny wins him over?
Besides Moneypenny, is there another Bond Girl you think he would return to?
After living a life without too many relationships, I wouldn’t think he has a ton of close friends he can trust so he mainly keeps to himself. In that way, perhaps he has a few friends in a nearby town that he shares stories with. One of them has a 9 year old son who loves hearing tales of Mr. Bond’s unbelievable adventures. Of course, he has to stay hidden so he doesn’t tell the child that it was him.
62 is not young in his eyes. He still feels like he can make a difference in the field but deep down, he was responsible enough to know that his physical limitations could cost young agents their lives.
Do you think James Bond would play Call of Duty now that he is retired?
Regardless of how much he misses working, he has found peace and enjoys good food, good drinks and good company when he can find it. He even enjoys gambling online…
Any thought on what his screen name might be? James007? superspy21?
Or…
James Bond Is Still A Badass
20 years later and still blowing up the secret bases and destroying the plots of evil global organizations. 62 years old means nothing to this legendary spy. He’s still out there everyday traveling the world, meeting women and stopping bad guys.
He may not be as fast as he used to be but new agents look up to the example he sets. He compensates for his slowing muscles by fighting smarter and quieter. He’s become more stealthy. Perhaps he leads a team now and together, the completely dominate every mission they take on.
If he did stay in the game would he even make it to the age of 62? Would he ever stop to consider that?
James Bond Is Still 35 Years Old
We may never get to see an elderly James Bond but it would definitely be interesting. After fighting for so long, would he return his gone and live by the beach or would he fight until his last breath?
I’d like to think that he would eventually tire of near death moments and constantly getting punched in the face and shot at. Everyone has a moment when they demand a little peace and quiet right?
Of course, James Bond isn’t like everyone else is he? He’s James Bond.
Last week, Marvel released an amazing still of Hugo Weaving as The Red Skull in the upcoming Captain America movie. It looks like The First Avenger will definitely have his hands full this summer.
“Every search for a hero must begin with something which every hero requires… A villain.”
There’s nothing like really cool makeup that brings your favorite deadly villains to life. So in honor of the incredible design of Cap’s big baddie, here are the Top 10 Bad Ass Looking Villains.
If you’re looking for a fun action movie then Predators is a breath of fresh alien air for the 2010 summer season.
It’s been an awful summer for blockbuster action movies for me.
Usually, there are 4 or 5 big budget adrenaline rides that I look forward to each summer but none have delivered so far.
Until now…
Finally, a summer movie comes along that gets it. A movie that knows people are there to have fun. An entertaining film on it’s own that also pays tribute to the incredible film that came before it.
Thank goodness for:
Predators
The sequel/re imagining didn’t completely blow me away but it was refreshing to see a movie that understands what it needs to be. Forget about AVP and it’s awful follow up.
THIS is the Predator we’ve been waiting for since Dutch flexed his muscles years ago.
So much of this movie is filled with references to the original and it’s awesome.
The movie doesn’t waste any time and launches you right into the fight on an alien world with some pretty vicious hunters waiting nearby. I was hooked from the beginning. One by one you meet the humans knowing full well that many won’t be alive much longer.
The anticipation of the first encounter is what makes nerds like me smile. I know the Predators are coming. I paid 12 bucks to see them! Bring on the hunt.
If I had any complaints about the film is that it takes WAY too long to get to the Predators but once they do, the movie picks up the pace and never slows down. That’s not to say that the opening is devoid of action.
The alien bone dog fight was pretty cool.
The Predators themselves look awesome. They are just as bad ass as I had hoped. You don’t need too much explaining to understand why they hunt you just buckle up and enjoy the ride. I think that’s a big problem with popcorn movies these days. So much effort goes into back stories and motivations of the main characters. (See any recent horror remake for examples of this.)
What happened to the days when a character came across something mean and then ran because it made sense? You didn’t need a lengthy explanation from a random stiff who is only there to explain that Predators are bad.
If you’re looking to gain insight into a Predators family life, you’re not going to like this movie.
My biggest complaint is that after all that exposition, films are left with minimal time for the action. It ends up feeling rushed and the build up is wasted. (I’m looking at you Iron Man 2!)
Let’s review:
Bad ass Predators? Check.
Tons of people to hunt? Check.
Okay… Go!
Once the Predators arrive the filmmakers make sure to give them the time they need to justify the price of admission. You want Predators? Here they are.
There was one point towards the end when I was sure the movie would end abruptly and I’d be disappointed. This has become a disturbing trend lately.
Thankfully, Predators avoids that trap. The final 30 minutes or so truly delivers with tons of explosions, deaths and money shots of Predators screaming wildly while waving human spines around.
Note: Nice…
It’s about time we got an action movie that doesn’t take itself too seriously.
I have 2 complaints about the film.
First, the kills aren’t really that imaginative. It feels too easy for the Predators. You get the feeling like they are bored knowing they could easily take out anyone they want. I would have liked to see more traps instead of firing energy guns from afar.
I was also slightly disappointed in how easily some Predators meet their match. It was a pain in the ass for Arnold to take out one of these dudes! The humans got a little too much credit this time around. Either that or these Predators were just idiots. Whoever Arnold fought must have been THE KING of his home world.
Second, Topher Grace needs to stop showing up in beloved film franchises. I’m a fan of his work but he seems out of place here. He does have a couple comic moments that you would expect but at the end of the day it’s a Predator movie and I’m not buying Eric Foreman’s performance here.
Predators isn’t the best action movie I’ve seen lately but it did everything it had to do to be entertaining. At the end of the day, that’s all I can ask from a summer blockbuster. They can’t all be The Dark Knight right?
Indeed, the summer has OFFICIALLY begun!
PS: Speaking of The Dark Knight… Inception… Thank you for existing!
It’s time for another feature to launch on The Athletic Nerd. Just about every blog about movies has lists. It’s inevitable. I’m about to join the team but I’ll be taking a different approach. By now, many of you are aware I earn a living editing professional sports. Sports is another area where lists are a must. On my network we countdown 5 highlights just about every day in categories like plays, misplays, fights, hits etc…
Now, I’m a sports fan in general so I do watch shows on ‘the other guys’ network. They create a top 10 list everyday that isn’t necessarily based on plays from that week. They base their list on current events using big news as a spring board to list similar stories.
This is the approach I plan to take with my lists and so in honour of yesterday’s ’44 Inch Chest’ post, here’s are 10 Bad Ass Movies.
I’m not afraid to go to the movies by myself and those Spartans got me twice for a total of 4 trips to the theater. From a visual stand point, this movie brought something new to the table that blew my mind. The fights are incredible and be honest, you’ve yelled it…
‘This is Sparta!’
Terminator 2
One of the best action movies of all time. Thinking about T2 has me even more excited for Cameron’s Avatar this month. Terminator 2 is one of the best sequels ever with better action, better effects and better gigantic explosions. It’s as bad ass as it gets.
“Come with me if you want to live.”
In Bruges
This movie made my list purely because of story. A simple concept told well and it all started with an original and hilarious script by Writer/Director Martin McDonagh. (I’m a big fan of original scripts. There’s only so many remakes and sequels I can take.) I bought this movie without seeing it thinking it could be good but I never thought it would become one of my all time favorites.
Predator
Oh Arnold, so many awesome movies. Predator is one of those movies that every bad ass movie fan has seen at least 457 times. Give or take. Don’t believe me? Stand in front of a group of people and yell:
“Get to the choppah!”
You’ll find out who the fans are. They’ll be the ones laughing. However, make sure you set it up. Don’t just randomly yell it because there is a chance you could look like an idiot. Attempt at your own risk.
“Soon the hunt will begin…” That old school voice over guy really doesn’t read with much enthusiasm does he?
Boondock Saints
I saw this movie years after it was released. The story of how it was produced is absolutely fascinating. I highly recommend you watch the documentary Overnight as well. Regardless of the trouble surrounding the production, Troy Duffy’s movie has so many memorable moments, it’s hard to ignore.
Not sure if I’m ready to see the new movie though…
Resevoir Dogs
Admit it, when you saw the title of this post, you knew Tarantino would show up eventually. What more needs to be said?
Snatch
I really didn’t know what to expect when I first saw this movie. A friend of mine showed it to me one day and I went out and bought it a few days later. It’s one of those movies that makes you ask a question I consider to be one of the highest compliments you can give a filmmaker.
“How did you come up with that?”
Such a good flick.
Goodfellas
Admit it, when you saw the title of this post, you knew Scorsese would show up eventually. What more needs to be said?
Seven
Story. I’m all about story. In my opinion, Seven has one of the best endings in the history of film. If you haven’t seen this movie and it hasn’t been ruined for you go out and buy it. I’m literally jealous of everyone who hasn’t experienced Seven yet. I would love to experience it for the first time again.
“What’s in the box!”
Pulp Fiction
Tarantino again. Is anybody else shocked two of his films made this list? Pulp Fiction is a true classic bad ass movie. It changed the way people looked at films and inspired young filmmakers everywhere. There have been countless emulators out there and while none have truly duplicated Tarantino, we still have him to thank some pretty great movies. It’s the bad ass flick that started it all, for me at least.
There it is. My top 10 Bad Ass flicks. I’m sure there are people out there who disagree. I recommend commenting below. I probably overlooked about a million movies. That’s the beauty of runnin my own site. I’ll just make another list.
but:
