It's painfully obvious, right off the bat, that 2016 had the worst selection of blockbuster films maybe ever. Almost every single major sequel, prequel, or reboot fell on its face. However, simpler more grounded action films were more of a mixed bag. While few of them were out right terrible, many of them fell towards the middle. Some were out right fantastic, but it's clear that without a film on the level of Mad Max: Fury Road, which felt like ten movies worth of greatness, 2016 seemed like a pretty weak year overall for action. It wasn't a horrendous year, or a great one, but very much so in the middle, more so than ever before I believe. I already wrote up my top ten most anticipated action films of next year, so here's hoping that 2017 delivers.
First off, I'd like to lay out the five unique/disappointing/oddities of action cinema in 2016. These weren't films that I hated, but they were definitely worse than they should have been, and could have been solid to great films if they were handled better given their talent in front and behind the screen. I wouldn't necessarily recommend these films, but if you're a genre fanatic like me, there is something to take away from all of them, even though they mostly made me pull my hair out. After that, you'll find my top ten of the year. Enjoy and comment!
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Top Five Disappointing/Unique/Oddities of the Year
4) London Has Fallen (dir. Babak Najafi) - This sequel to the cruel but entertaining Olympus Has Fallen is even crueler if you can believe so. Whereas the first was a contained Die Hard rip-off, the sequel more so spans an entire city, and believe it or not also operates as a rip-off, but to Die Hard With a Vengeance of all films. While the first is far from great, and incredibly disturbing and mean spirited in parts, it was at least gleefully violent and trashy, dangerously dancing on the line between hard edged studio actioner and nearly mainstream exploitation genre affair. The sequel however is even crueler, laying waste to innocents left and right, almost without a care for what is being depicted upon the screen. The action fanatic in me loves the ever repeating premise, wish fulfillment lead, and hard edged action, but the moralistic side of me also sees these movies as dangerous and damaging in terms of how they depict U.S. foreign policy and xenophobia. I don't expect the third to get any better, but the "Fallen" series is definitely a guilty pleasure if there ever was one. Check out my review here.
3) Criminal (dir. Ariel Vromen) - Out of all of Millenium Pictures' big theatrical releases this year, Criminal was the one that had the best shot at being something unique within its mostly redundant genre. Unfortunately, who would have guessed that it would be the most boring, offering up hardly any action scenes, and featuring an overly complicated premise that fails to make any logical sense. I admire and appreciate Vromen's goal to turn a cruel sadistic murderer into a kind and moralistic citizen, but he does so in all of the wrong ways. Much like London Has Fallen, Criminal is extremely disheartening, featuring scenes where Costner's lead beats and murders innocent people and those simply doing their jobs. Costner doesn't lay waste to legitimately bad people until the very final action sequence. On another note, Criminal is laugh out loud funny, and not in a good way. It's accidentally comedic left and right, with some of the most mind boggling scenes I saw all year. I giggle whenever I think about Costner driving a car while bobbing his head to techno music or Costner throwing an innocent old man out of his car in order to steal it. I cannot stress enough that Criminal needs to be seen to be believed. Check out my review here.
2) Jack Reacher: Never Go Back (dir. Edward Zwick) - 2012's Jack Reacher is an underrated masterpiece, a skillfully crafted and character driven action thriller that should be seen by all. Therefore, when word of a sequel came around, I got pumped, as I hoped for more old fashioned greatness. What I got instead was a bland and average representation of dull contemporary action lacking all of the grit and wit of the first film. Zwick is no Christopher McQuarrie, as he fails to understand the Reacher character, depict action in a visually comprehensive way, or direct a story that the audience cares about. I admire Never Go Back's simplicity, but I couldn't be paid to care about this story or the characters that inhabit it. If there was ever a movie made to go directly to TNT, it would be this one. Check out my review here.
1) Blood Father (dir. Jean Francois Richet) - The concept of a trashy Mel Gibson fronted B-movie with a strong focus on character sounded like a dream to me. Or at least that's what I thought when I read the synopsis and watched the first red band trailer. But alas, this one severely let me down. While there is some great action here and there, Blood Father is both a bore and a mean spirited downer. There's nary anything resembling a narrative through line, and Gibson's relationship with his daughter is both frustrating and unfairly resolved, simply out of the blue. I appreciate some of the Western imagery, Gibson's fierce performance, and the hard violence, but Blood Father is simply an average time waster and not the confident B-picture I thought it'd be. Other critics went ga-ga for this one, so you'll probably disagree with my opinion and review here.
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Top Ten Action Films of the Year
10) Hard Target 2 (dir. Roel Reine) - Reine's latest DTV sequel to a previously released theatrical venture was without a doubt the highest profiled DTV release of 2016. Hard Target 2 boasted not only the Hard Target name, but also an impressive cast. If there was ever anyone to headline a Hard Target 2, it would be Scott Adkins no doubt. And while the thematic sequel features inspired moments, a few memorable action beats here and there, and a excellent cast, it's razor thin plot and low budget hamper it from being the superior action fest it could have been. Reine and Adkins try their best with the limitations they were forced to work with, but the sequel simply can't amount to anything more than a middling martial arts fest. It's from a great action film, let alone a good one, but it features more pure action than you'll find in any other bigger budgeted theatrical release from this year. Check out my review here.
9) Kickboxer: Vengeance (dir. John Stockwell) - Speaking of lower budgeted martial arts films starring martial artists, the Kickboxer remake/reboot was one of the year's better action films. It's impressive cast and throw back to the simpler days of action star cinema sort of made it the Expendables venture of the year. Some glaring flaws hold it back from greatness, such as its bland color scheme, Van Damme's awful A.D.R., and some weak performances here and there. However, the film is otherwise an extremely well shot, choreographed, and edited action fest with numerous one on one fights between varying opponents of all shapes, sizes, and backgrounds. All in all, Vengeance is an affective nostalgia fueled tournament fighter. Don't expect greatness, but set your sights low, and you'll be surprised how sound the picture is. Check out my review here.
8) The Magnificent Seven (dir. Antoine Fuqua) - I originally planned on putting the latest Captain America on here, sort of as a pity nominee, but than I remembered that The Magnificent Seven remake was a pretty solid action/western with the kind of grounded action that made it more of a pure action film than Civil War. Fuqua doesn't reinvent the western in any way here, but he does a great job bringing old fashioned western entertainment back to the big screen and to fairly rousing success. While lacking the attention to theme and character that continues to make the original a classic, the remake is more of a pure shoot 'em fest, with a slightly lesser, but still impressive, ensemble cast. Here's to hoping that Fuqua directs a sequel, as I would love a modern string of Magnificent Seven sequels along the lines of the original series. I had originally written a review for this one, but never finished it, so maybe somewhere in the future I'll marathon the entire franchise and give my detailed opinion on this one.
7) Hardcore Henry (dir. Illya Naishuller) - A lot of people seemed to have forgotten this one even came out in 2016, but I didn't. This Russian/American co-production is probably the most inane, gruesome, and non-sensical action film ever made. If there was ever a film made to personify the "eff you" mentality of frustrated millenials, this is the one. Although plot and narrative through line are of no concern, Hardcore Henry is a technical powerhouse, featuring some of the most impressive stunts and camera work I have ever seen. It's ultimately a wannabe video game film with only the shameless video game elements, but sometimes that's exactly what you want to see in a video game esque film and not boring exposition and plot sans the attractive video game elements. Somehow this exploitation grind house film made its way into major theaters, and I for one recognize that achievement. Check out my review here.
6) Jason Bourne (dir. Paul Greengrass) - A majority of the films on the top ten list this year are ones with glaring flaws but mostly positive elements that struck an emotional cord with me. However, no one film left me feeling as conflicted as Jason Bourne did, the fifth entry in its series and the long awaited return of Matt Damon and Paul Greengrass. Rarely have I ever seen a film start off so poorly and yet improve so drastically by its conclusion. It's mind boggling to me how this dull retread on a once highly influential series could feature such a weak story and continually frustrating cinematography. That being said, the film has its pros, which ranges from its incredible cast (i.e. Matt Damon, Alicia Vikander, Tommy Lee Jones, Riz Ahmed, Vincent Cassell), to some stellar action in its dynamite final act that is excellent enough to convince me that this film is not a total train wreck. I plan on revisiting this film and writing up a piece on it, because I have a lot to say about it simply being titled Jason Bourne and not something more traditional along the lines of "The Bourne Retribution" or something like that. All in all, it's still a big budgeted espionage blockbuster with gun fights and car chases sans CGI, so it's already better than all of the superhero epics combined, but it's another case of Jack Reacher: Never Go Back where it fails to understand the potential of its character and franchise to a disappointing degree.
5) Mechanic: Resurrection (dir. Dennis Gansel) - You may think that I'm crazy for placing the second Mechanic film over something like Jason Bourne, but few genre films were as tonally aware and confidently ridiculous as this one. This tongue-in-cheek sequel feels like a body count heavy actioner lifted right out of the 80s or 90s, although unfortunately with bad cinematography and horrendous computer graphics. However, tonal awareness is the name of the game with this one, and few action films were as consistently absurd and thoroughly entertaining from start to finish as Jason Statham's latest. It's so bad, and yet so cheesy I couldn't help but purchase it on Blu-Ray. A definite get drunk with your friends film if there ever was one, Mechanic: Resurrection is the guilty pleasure of the year. Check out my review here.
4) Eliminators (dir. James Nunn) - Scott Adkins' final DTV vehicle of the year was surprisingly one of the sleekest and most affective action pictures of the entire year. Nunn's latest continues to meet the high water mark of superior DTV action with its simplistic plot, varied set pieces, and surprising amount of genuine tension. Whereas Hard Target 2 tries its hardest but ultimately crumbles underneath its weak script and impossible budgetary limitations, Eliminators excels in every category, appearing visually confident in every shot. This is another one where people might question me as to how it could rank so high on my list when films like Captain America: Civil War didn't even crack the list. But believe me, grounded and personal fights between physically able bodied martial artists from filmmakers who understand the genre will always excite and impress me more than any faux computer generated showdown. Check out my review here.
2) The Nice Guys (dir. Shane Black) - Shane Black's return to adult action/comedy was probably my most anticipated cinematic event of 2016. If you're an action fan, Black needs no introduction, as he essentially laid the ground work for bad ass cinema with his contributions to such definitive classics as Lethal Weapon, Predator, and even Die Hard. He's one of those screenwriters whose voice was so strong that it only made sense that he eventually became a filmmaker with directorial efforts such as Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang and Iron Man 3. The Nice Guys sees Black continue his penchant for humorous buddy comedy and grisly violence in one of his lesser, but still compelling and entertaining, efforts. It gets a tad plot-y at times, but The Nice Guys is always a fun time thanks to Ryan Gosling's hilarious performance and Russell Crowe's bad ass girth. The few action scenes that exist within the film are also solid displays of R-rated action done right by the guy who essentially established the formula in the first place. Here's hoping that Black's next few projects, such as the Dwayne Johnson fronted Doc Savage, continue his dominance of humorous and confident action cinema.
1) SPL II: A Time for Consequences [a.k.a. Kill Zone 2] (dir. Cheang Pou-soi) - The last few years have given us several fantastic action films per year, but each year typically has one singular masterpiece that stands above the rest and excels upon repeat viewings. 2012 gave us the crisp and confidently character driven Jack Reacher, 2013 gave us the visceral character fest that was Drug War, 2014 gave us the epic and immensely violent The Raid 2, and 2015 gave us the end all be all of post-apocalyptic films Mad Max: Fury Road, arguably the pinnacle upon which all modern action will be continue to be graded upon. Thankfully, 2016 gave us another of these modern classics in the form of SPL II: A Time for Consequences, the thematic sequel to one of 2005's greatest action films, SPL. I watch a good amount of Asian and Hong Kong action films, and I can confidently state that SPL II is so great, that it honestly matches the creative highs delivered by such H.K. classics as A Better Tomorrow, The Killer, and even Hard Boiled, the exact three films upon which all other Asian action films are essentially compared too. SPL II continues its series tradition of exploring three separate yet connected men whose morals and motivations are varied, despicable, and respectable. And while far less ambiguous than the original, SPL II builds to a far more dramatic and epic conclusion that could easily be considered one of the all time greatest fights in cinema history. Watching Tony Jaa, Max Zhang, and Wu Jing go head to head in a three way fight at the end of the film makes for one of the greatest physical finales I have ever seen in all of martial arts cinema. It is truly 2016's crowning achievement, and one of the greatest action films that I have ever seen.
6) Jason Bourne (dir. Paul Greengrass) - A majority of the films on the top ten list this year are ones with glaring flaws but mostly positive elements that struck an emotional cord with me. However, no one film left me feeling as conflicted as Jason Bourne did, the fifth entry in its series and the long awaited return of Matt Damon and Paul Greengrass. Rarely have I ever seen a film start off so poorly and yet improve so drastically by its conclusion. It's mind boggling to me how this dull retread on a once highly influential series could feature such a weak story and continually frustrating cinematography. That being said, the film has its pros, which ranges from its incredible cast (i.e. Matt Damon, Alicia Vikander, Tommy Lee Jones, Riz Ahmed, Vincent Cassell), to some stellar action in its dynamite final act that is excellent enough to convince me that this film is not a total train wreck. I plan on revisiting this film and writing up a piece on it, because I have a lot to say about it simply being titled Jason Bourne and not something more traditional along the lines of "The Bourne Retribution" or something like that. All in all, it's still a big budgeted espionage blockbuster with gun fights and car chases sans CGI, so it's already better than all of the superhero epics combined, but it's another case of Jack Reacher: Never Go Back where it fails to understand the potential of its character and franchise to a disappointing degree.
5) Mechanic: Resurrection (dir. Dennis Gansel) - You may think that I'm crazy for placing the second Mechanic film over something like Jason Bourne, but few genre films were as tonally aware and confidently ridiculous as this one. This tongue-in-cheek sequel feels like a body count heavy actioner lifted right out of the 80s or 90s, although unfortunately with bad cinematography and horrendous computer graphics. However, tonal awareness is the name of the game with this one, and few action films were as consistently absurd and thoroughly entertaining from start to finish as Jason Statham's latest. It's so bad, and yet so cheesy I couldn't help but purchase it on Blu-Ray. A definite get drunk with your friends film if there ever was one, Mechanic: Resurrection is the guilty pleasure of the year. Check out my review here.
4) Eliminators (dir. James Nunn) - Scott Adkins' final DTV vehicle of the year was surprisingly one of the sleekest and most affective action pictures of the entire year. Nunn's latest continues to meet the high water mark of superior DTV action with its simplistic plot, varied set pieces, and surprising amount of genuine tension. Whereas Hard Target 2 tries its hardest but ultimately crumbles underneath its weak script and impossible budgetary limitations, Eliminators excels in every category, appearing visually confident in every shot. This is another one where people might question me as to how it could rank so high on my list when films like Captain America: Civil War didn't even crack the list. But believe me, grounded and personal fights between physically able bodied martial artists from filmmakers who understand the genre will always excite and impress me more than any faux computer generated showdown. Check out my review here.
3) Ip Man 3 (dir. Wilson Yip) - As much as I am able to enjoy the previous seven films on this list, I wouldn't say any of them are immune to criticism. However, these next three are some truly stellar works of action entertainment whose pros far out weigh their cons and help to serve as some of the year's finest filmic production. The very first 2016 film that I saw in 2016 was none other than Ip Man 3, the highly anticipated third entry in one of the greatest martial art sagas of all time. The first Ip Man is a martial arts masterpiece, one of the all time greatest action films. The second entry, while not nearly as intimate and personal, is still a hugely satisfying and entertaining display of martial arts, friendship, and nationalism, even if it does continue China's attack against opposing countries like England. The third entry scales down the story from the epic heights of the second entry for a more personal and emotional tale. It also features a showdown between Donnie Yen and Mike Tyson, which some what clashes with the realistic and intimate angle of the story, so I guess you could say that the third is a combination between the sentiments of the first and second film. Although nowhere near as dramatically compelling as the first or as visually jaw dropping as the second, the third entry is still a solid and fantastic martial arts drama that asserts Yen's dominance at the top of the martial arts chain of actors. Check out my review here.
1) SPL II: A Time for Consequences [a.k.a. Kill Zone 2] (dir. Cheang Pou-soi) - The last few years have given us several fantastic action films per year, but each year typically has one singular masterpiece that stands above the rest and excels upon repeat viewings. 2012 gave us the crisp and confidently character driven Jack Reacher, 2013 gave us the visceral character fest that was Drug War, 2014 gave us the epic and immensely violent The Raid 2, and 2015 gave us the end all be all of post-apocalyptic films Mad Max: Fury Road, arguably the pinnacle upon which all modern action will be continue to be graded upon. Thankfully, 2016 gave us another of these modern classics in the form of SPL II: A Time for Consequences, the thematic sequel to one of 2005's greatest action films, SPL. I watch a good amount of Asian and Hong Kong action films, and I can confidently state that SPL II is so great, that it honestly matches the creative highs delivered by such H.K. classics as A Better Tomorrow, The Killer, and even Hard Boiled, the exact three films upon which all other Asian action films are essentially compared too. SPL II continues its series tradition of exploring three separate yet connected men whose morals and motivations are varied, despicable, and respectable. And while far less ambiguous than the original, SPL II builds to a far more dramatic and epic conclusion that could easily be considered one of the all time greatest fights in cinema history. Watching Tony Jaa, Max Zhang, and Wu Jing go head to head in a three way fight at the end of the film makes for one of the greatest physical finales I have ever seen in all of martial arts cinema. It is truly 2016's crowning achievement, and one of the greatest action films that I have ever seen.
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