The Top Five Best (And Worst) Action Films of 2015

2015, much like 2014, was a fairly disappointing year for action in terms of quantity. However, about two or three action films were near bonafide action masterpieces, with one immediately cementing itself as one of the greatest action films ever made. Therefore, this year was more about quality than it was quantity. 

I also missed out on several action films this year, so I may have simply been watching the wrong films altogether. I wanted to see Skin Trade, Ant-Man, The Man From UNCLE, Hitman: Agent 47, SPL II, Wild City, Wolf Warrior, and The Gunman, but simply never got around too them. And while I will get to those films eventually and probably review them sometime within 2016, I now present my five favorite and least favorite action films of 2015.

The Five Worst

5) Blackhat (Michael Mann, 2015) - Michael Mann used to be one of the premiere directors of dramatic crime cinema with such masterpieces as Heat and Collateral. However, the mighty have most certainly fallen, with Mann's previous three films being complete bores. His latest, Blackhat, is arguably his most boring film to date. Every character is written especially flat and performed so robotic, which is a surprise given the pedigree of A-list actors Chris Hemsworth and Viola Davis. Much like Mann's previous failures, Miami Vice and Public Enemies, Blackhat features some particularly astounding action sequences that unfortunately don't have a great film to go with. This is yet another example of a boring film with forgetful characters that slightly redeems itself due to some great action. However, that simply isn't enough, and Mann needs to learn better in order to deliver a greater product next time.

4) Taken 3 (Olivier Megaton, 2015) - Neeson's action dominance seems to have been on a steady decline as of recently. Ever since Neeson broke out onto the action scene with Taken, few of his action films have been particularly great. Taken 2 is a mediocre sequel, Non-Stop is an entertaining yet lukewarm action thriller, and A Walk Among the Tombstones is an immensely boring noir. Which brings us to Taken 3, easily the worst action film of Neeson's career and proof that the actor should stick to dramas. Megaton's latest entry in the series is an utter joke of a studio actioner, featuring nausea inducing editing and horrendous photography. While the poster clearly states that this is the end, I hope so for our and Neeson's sakes. Check out my review here. 

3) Pound of Flesh (Ernie Barbarash, 2015) - I am embarrassed to admit this, but I was extremely excited for Jean Claude Van Damme's latest direct to video actioner, Pound of Flesh, at the beginning of 2015. Imagine if Liam Neeson's kidney was taken from him instead of his daughter, and you have Pound of Flesh, more or less Van Damme's attempt at a Taken-esque thriller. Unfortunately, the film is exactly everything that is terrible about direct to video cinema. Not only does the film feature some hilariously bad editing, but it also utilizes some horrendous green screen in scenes that clearly weren't finished. One especially bad scene involves Van Damme fighting in front of a computer generated background that reduced me to tears of laughter. I admire Van Damme's attempt at an old fashioned actioner reliant upon fists and gun fights, but Pound of Flesh is a complete joke of an action film. It's worth checking out for a good laugh, but also for an honest watch as to see one of Darren Shahlavi's last performances, may he rest in peace.

2) Zero Tolerance (Wych Kaosayananda, 2015) - Zero Tolerance was a career first for me because it was the first advanced screener that I ever got to watch and review for cityonfire.com. And while I will always remember it as a career first, I will most likely never watch this atrocious film again as long as I live. Poor Kaosayananda was forced to reshoot and re-edit his dramatic film, Angels, into more of a streamlined actioner in order to market it better, especially with the inclusion of Scott Adkins. However, all that did was further confound an already immensely confounding action drama that sucked in the first place. Not only is the plot overly complicated, but all of the characters are practically emotionless. The few action scenes there are, while mildly entertaining and particularly brutal, are edited quite bizarrely too. The film is utterly fascinating to watch though for those who want to try and figure out which scenes were reshoots and which weren't. Far from being "so bad it's good," but worth recommending for those who are willing to do some research in order to fully understand the mess that is Zero Tolerance. Check out my review here.

1) Terminator: Genisys (Alan Taylor, 2015) - To be honest, Zero Tolerance and Pound of Flesh are honestly worse films. However, no other film that came out this year was as insulting as Terminator: Genisys, and for that, it takes the number one spot. This terrible reboot-quel is everything that is wrong with contemporary blockbuster cinema. It doesn't know whether or not it wants to be a reboot or a sequel, contains laughably bad computer graphics, features an overly complicated plot, and rips all of the tension out its video game-esque action sequences. Talk about how to waste a great cast and a once great franchise. This film is proof that studios and Arnold Schwarzenegger don't know good content from bad, and will simply participate in anything as long as it has the Terminator franchise name on it. Congratulations Alan Taylor, Arnold Schwarzenegger, and Paramount, you made the worst action film of 2015! There's a special realm in Hell for where you guys will be residing. Check out my review here.

The Five Best

5) Close Range (Isaac Florentine, 2015) - This was another career first for me, as I not only got to review an advance screener of the film but also star Scott Adkins himself. It was an awesome opportunity and the only way that I was able to check out the film far before its VOD release. While plagued with more DTV trappings than I'd like to admit, Close Range features some hard hitting action courtesy of Florentine's graceful eye for action. Both he and performer Adkins give their A-game in one of the better direct to video films in recent years. While far from a great action film, Close Range gives you exactly what you want, brutal and memorable showdowns coupled with shootouts to boot. Check out my review here.

4) No Tears for the Dead (Lee Jeong-beom, 2015) - Lee Jeong-beom came onto my radar when I discovered his 2010 masterpiece, The Man From Nowhere. It's easily one of the best action films in recent years thanks to both its tragic story and immensely bloody action. Therefore, I had to check out his latest, No Tears for the Dead, with the hope that the man would bring the goods once again. While far away from being nearly as masterful his previous effort, No Tears for the Dead continues Lee Jeong-beom's streak of exploring morally ambiguous assassins. The film is extremely reminiscent of other South Korean actioners such as A Company Man and, in my opinion, the all time greatest South Korean actioner, A Bittersweet Life, for its exploration of the assassin mindset and his diversion from his bosses and previously ingrained morals. Unlike The Man From Nowhere, No Tears for the Dead's resolution is more about emotion and theme than it is entertainment or audience satisfaction. Thankfully, Jeong delivers the action goods once again, with an unforgettable 10 minute long melee fight/shootout in an apartment complex that makes for one hell of a set piece.

3) Kingsman: The Secret Service (Matthew Vaughn, 2015) - Vaughn's hard R pastique of the spy genre was one of the year's best films purely for its high octane energy and mean spirited violence. Previous Vaughn joins like Kick-Ass left a sour taste in my mouth because it put a child front and center to the violence. However, Kingsman blends the over the top violence of comic book writer Mark Millar with Vaughn's stylistic tendencies for their best collaboration yet. The film also features an excellent cast, with Colin Firth giving one of the year's most bad ass performances. Newcomer Taron Egerton gives a star making performance as the spy in training, while the rest of the supporting cast does great work as well. It's wild, funny, and excessively violent, but fun from start to finish and one of the year's biggest surprises. Check out my review here.

2) Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation (Christopher McQuarrie, 2015) - The latest M:I entry was an absolute blast and one of the best big budget sequels to come along in awhile. Badass auteur Chris McQuarrie knocked it out of the park, delivering a sequel that both fans of the series and newcomers could enjoy alike. With the recent announcement that McQuarrie will be returning for the sixth installment, M:I fans should be happier than ever before, as the franchise seems tailor made for McQuarrie. 

1) Mad Max: Fury Road (George Miller) - It's rare that a film comes out and immediately registers on your radar as a bonafide masterpiece. Miller's reboot of his iconic Mad Max series was exactly that, a cinematic masterpiece in every sense of the word. It's a brutal, epic, violent, and extremely emotional film that both thrilled and choked me up during my first viewing. This will be one that action fans find themselves constantly returning to year after year. Regardless of whether a sequel is ever made, Fury Road will always stand as one of the greats. Check out my review here.

Honorable Mentions

And that's that! Here's to 2016, hopefully a much superior year for action!