Top 10 Most Anticipated Action Films of 2017

It's the end of another year! And that means that it's time for me to lay out my list for what are my most anticipated action films of next year. Now that I've done this more than once, the best part of making lists like these is looking back on the previous year's and seeing how right or wrong some of my predictions were.

As you can see from my previous list, my predictions were all over the place. In fact, two of the films that I thought would come out in 2016 were pushed to 2017 (which will definitely pop up on this list now). Several of the films on my list met my expectations exactly (Ip Man 3) while some were flat out horrendous (Jack Reacher: Never Go Back). Overall, 2016 was a very middling year for action. Just about everything was watchable and enjoyable, but few left a major impact. It goes to show how huge an effect Mad Max: Fury Road had on us cinephiles in 2015 because we didn't get much like that in 2016, unless you saw my favorite action film of 2016, SPL II, which was technically released in China in 2015 so it kind of counts for both years. Either way, here are the ten action films coming out in 2017 that I am most excited for!

10) Kickboxer: Retaliation (dir. Dimitri Logothetis) - I'm not going to say that it was an amazing movie, but 2016's Kickboxer: Vengeance was a really good reboot of Van Damme's 1989 martial arts classic. It introduced more sub-plots and supporting characters to spice up the boring simplicity and monotonous training montages of the original. It also featured a stellar supporting cast of martial artists and professional fighters, such as Gina Carano, Dave Bautista, Alain Moussi, George St. Pierre, Darren Slaavi, and Jean-Claude Van Damme himself. While Moussi was far from a compelling lead, he showcased a physical commitment to the film that impressed me and earned him a spot on my radar. He was also kind enough to give my review of his film a shout out on his Facebook, so I can thank him for that. Now that the producers have the original story out of the way, here's hoping that the sequel makes for a fresh round of stories that will allow for more mixed martial arts fights and kickboxing. Teased appearances by Mike Tyson and Christoph Lambert should definitely spice things up a bit. 

9) Kingsman: The Golden Circle (dir. Matthew Vaughn) - 2015's Kingsman: The Secret Service was a wonderful breath of fresh air when it came out. It was a fantastic pastique of spy cinema with a mean spirited but gleeful tone ripe with sociological satire. It also featured a scene where Collin Firth murders an entire church full of people. Yeah, it went there. The sequel is looking to deliver more of the same, but this time with new actors (Halle Berry, Channing Tatum, Elton John) all the while set within the United States. And with Vaughn back in the director's chair, here's hoping that the sequel offers up some more controversial action and daring storytelling. The sequel has also teased the return of Firth's character, which seems somewhat impossible, but sounds too silly to pass up, especially within the crazy world established.

8) Accident Man (dir. Jesse V Johnson) - One of two Johnson/Adkins collaborations in 2017, Accident Man is quickly shaping up to be the highest profiled low budget action film of the year. Adapted from the comic book series of the same name, Accident Man sees Adkins headlining a superhero property of his own, which is hugely exciting given the popular nature of the sub-genre and his previous turns in X-Men Origins: Wolverine and Doctor Strange. While it has yet to be confirmed whether this will be yet another DTV venture or a limited theatrical release, it has all of the qualities of a bigger release, especially with its impressive supporting cast (Ashley Green, Ray Park, Ray Stevenson, Michael Jai White, Ray Park) and comic book source material. Even if it is just a DTV release, it will be arguably the biggest one of the year, and thankfully unique and varied, as it won't be just another DTV film about an assassin in drab Europe, but instead a comic book anti-hero.

7) Kill 'Em All (dir. Peter Malota) - Van Damme has been doing very well for himself as of late, starring in his newest Amazon series, Jean-Claude Van Johnson, which was just picked up for a full season, and co-starring in the new Kickboxer series. However, the Van Damme vehicles that always get me the most excited are the ones where he is the lead within a gritty or grounded action plot. Even when they disappoint, like Pound of Flesh, they're still interesting throw backs to the old days. His latest, Kill 'Em All, re-teams him with Peter Malota whom worked with JCVD on some of his most classic films like Double Team and Universal Soldier. As a co-host of the Van Damme It! podcast, you'd bet I'm excited for this new JCVD actioner even if it might suck. Daniel Bernhardt also appears in a supporting role. Here's hoping that the two action stars fight it out! Van Damme's official website also teases that his long in development directorial effort, Full Love, will finally come out this year, but I'm not going to hold my breath for that one.

6) Savage Dog (dir. Jesse V Johnson) - Johnson has not one, but two low budget action films for us this upcoming year. What I find most fascinating about both of his films is that neither one is your standard or average DTV affair where the action comes first and the simple plot and flat characters come second. Instead, both of his newest films will feature stories and settings not typically touched upon within the sub-genre or with the actors headlining them. Savage Dog is a period piece that takes place in 1950s IndoChina and features a great ensemble cast of martial artists in a martial arts/shoot em up throw down that promises to add some complexity to the genre with its period setting. Besides Adkins, who is arguably the greatest action star alive right now based purely upon his numeric and quality out put, it also co-stars Cung Le and Marko Zaror. I may be excited for the grander Accident Man, but Savage Dog sounds just too darn interesting not to be that much more excited for.

5) XXX: Return of Xander Cage (dir. D.J. Caruso) - The third entry in the nearly forgotten and hugely dated XXX franchise is finally upon us, and we are all going to be that much more thankful in our lives for its existence. While Fast and Furious has provided viewers with ridiculous stunts within a character focused soap opera, the latest XXX seems to be going purely for ridiculous stunts with an international cast that includes martial arts icons Donnie Yen and Tony Jaa. When I interviewed Jaa this year about the film and asked him if he fights Yen, he was tight lipped and unfortunately gave me nothing to work with. Either way, the return of such a dated series with such an impressive cast and absurdist stunts makes this one of the year's most underrated blockbusters.

4) Boyka: Undisputed IV (dir. Todor Chapkanov) - I'm starting to sound like a broken record with all of these Adkins ventures, so I'll just focus on the film itself. The Undisputed films are responsible for catapulting Adkins to stardom and for also restoring faith in DTV cinema in general. However, it has been a whopping seven years since the previous installment for Adkins' most iconic character. While Isaac Florentine is not returning to direct unfortunately, we can be thankful that Yuri Boyka is no longer in prison! However, Boyka seems to be more of a rejiggering of the franchise, as it comes up with an excuse for Boyka to take part within a fighting tournament whilst remaining out of prison. It also promises some street fights and even a moment within the trailer where Boyka gets his hands on a gun. Undisputed is one of the greatest franchises within DTV cinema, besides the Universal Soldier films, so here's hoping that the latest continues to set that shining gold standard for low budget action cinema.

3) The Fate of the Furious (dir. F. Gary Gray) - There is no other franchise that exemplifies the absurd possibilities of summer blockbusters than the Fast and the Furious series. A whopping eight films in, and somehow this series has pulled off the impossible of getting bigger with each series, originally being on the verge of shutting down to becoming one of the biggest pop culture relics of the last two decades. This new entry looks to pair Statham up with the team, while taking away Dom and turning him into a villain. It's a soap opera like no other and I can't wait.

2) John Wick 2 (dir. Chad Stahelski) - John Wick, much like Gareth Evans' The Raid, was a martial arts infused shoot 'em up actioner that captured the attention of just about all movie fans. It's rare that a pure action fest achieves such mainstream success, especially one with a plot that would typically be at home within a DTV film starring Seagal or Van Damme. However, I'm not complaining, as John Wick catapulted Keanu Reeves' back to stardom and re-popularized the art of gun-fu in action cinema. John Wick 2 promises to be more like the first, but on more of an epic scale, with varied locations in Rome, and action sequences that traverse subway trains. February couldn't come fast enough.

1) Logan (dir. James Mangold) - I might as well leave that picture there and say, "Nuff said." How could it not be Logan, the first R rated entry in the Wolverine franchise and Jackman's final turn as the character? I loved the unrated cut of James Mangold's previous collaboration with Jackman, The Wolverine, but this promises to be a more gritty and grounded action film in contrast to the sci-fi infused yakuza tale that was the previous film. Jackman is going full on Eastwood's Unforgiven with this one, operating as an old man with regrets whom lives in a world of violence that he simply cannot escape. In all honesty, Logan is the culmination of my coming of age with Jackman and the X-Men series, as I was eight years old when the first X-Men film came out in 2000. Now that I'm engaged and all grown up, here comes the final film in the series to star Jackman and the first to feature an R rating. It's shaping up to be a swan song like no other. I'd be lying to you if I didn't say I was hugely anticipating this. Screw Star Wars, screw Guardians of the Galaxy, screw everything else. This is the blockbuster I am living for.

Furious 7 (2015) - Theatrical Review

Director: James Wan

Cast: Vin Diesel, Paul Walker, Jason Statham, Michelle Rodriguez, Dwayne Johnson, Kurt Russell

Country: United States

Rating: PG-13

Run Time: 137 minutes

Furious 7 had more hype surrounding it than any other Fast and Furious film before it. The previous entry, Fast and Furious 6, ended on a cliffhanger that finally caught the franchise up with The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift and set up a revenge filled seventh entry. If that wasn't enough to raise one's anticipation, tragedy struck when co-star Paul Walker died in the middle of production. Fans and the studio themselves were all left wondering what would happen to Furious 7 now that Paul Walker had died. After a year long delay and numerous reshoots, Furious 7 miraculously made it to theaters completed. 

Many people are singing the praises of Furious 7 as both one of the best of the series and the ultimate love letter to Paul Walker. While I agree that the film is the perfect tribute to Walker, I disagree that the film is one of the best of the series. In fact, I would say that this is a big step down from the highs of Fast Five and Fast and Furious 6. I personally believe that many people are letting their feelings for Walker's passing cloud their opinion of the film. I don't mean to come off as insensitive, but I couldn't help but think of the infamous Game of Death debacle while watching this film. The plot presented here is one of the most confounding and nonsensical plots in the franchise's history. Whether this is due to the original screenplay or the rewrites that resulted from Walker's passing, Furious 7 is a confounding mess of a sequel that is purely an excuse for various set pieces. That being said, Furious 7 is still a fun blockbuster that delivers numerous stunt-filled set pieces and bids farewell to the beloved Paul Walker.

Walker takes one last ride with his final on screen performance.

Oh boy, the plot. Furious 7 easily could have been a simple and straightforward revenge film with souped up cars and explosions. After all, this is why I thought James Wan (director of the straightforward revenge film, Death Sentence) directed the film in the first place. Unfortunately, the plot goes haywire within the first 30 minutes and never finds its footing again.

After the death of two significant team members in Fast and Furious 6, Dominic Torretto (Vin Diesel), Brian O'Conner (Paul Walker), and friends find themselves in the crosshairs of Deckard Shaw (Jason Statham). Shaw wants vengeance for his brother's injuries during the finale of Fast and Furious 6. Before Shaw and Dom can throw down, Frank Petty (Kurt Russell) shows up and enlists Dom to help him find the God's Eye, a form of technology that allows one to locate anyone on the planet using cell phones and cameras. If Dom can get Frank the God's Eye, than Frank can get Shaw for Dom. However, Shaw repeatedly shows up to complicate Dom's opportunity to get the God's Eye every step of the way...which he needs to find Shaw...who shows up every time Dom tries to get the God's Eye anyway. Why do we have to put up with this ridiculous God's Eye plot when Shaw shows up every step of the way anyways!? You don't need the God's Eye Dom! Shaw always finds you! Just stand still and he'll show up!

This is Furious 7's biggest downfall: it's insane plot. It literally makes no sense whatsoever and I picked up on this during my first viewing, not after a second viewing or even hearing about the issue from someone else, so this isn't a minor nit pick. The only reason that the God's Eye plot is incorporated into the film is so that there is an excuse to transport our character's around the globe for various set pieces. I don't understand how Wan and screenwriter Chris Morgan could not have whipped up a more simplistic plot when the God's Eye is literally of no use to them. If Shaw keeps showing up, than they don't need this device to locate him! What ever happened to the basic revenge plot? This is not basic or simplistic at all. It is nothing but confusing, confounding, and convoluted. 

Diesel and Statham stare one another down.

This leads into the other major fault of the film: James Wan. I am sad to say it but James Wan is completely mismatched for this franchise. Even though I was excited for Wan's leap from low budget horror to big budget blockbuster, I didn't think that Wan would fail to understand the franchise as he did. Watching Furious 7 made me realize how accomplished a filmmaker Justin Lin was and how great his Fast installments were (installments three through six to be exact). Lin understood the franchise better than anyone else and knew how to balance the ridiculous excess with grounded character emotion and compact storytelling. Wan's Fast installment is plot driven from straight to finish, offering little to no time for the characters to breathe or act themselves until it comes time to say goodbye to Paul Walker. 

And even though Wan's installment is fast, fun, and entertaining, his failure to pace his action sequences well kills the film. That's the other problem with Wan, he knows no restraint. Lin's action sequences were short, compact, and edited in between lengthy character driven moments of his films. Lin understood restraint and knew that the action sequences would be nothing without significant character moments in between them. Wan on the other hand simply goes straight for the action and barely, and I mean barely, gives his characters a chance to act human in between the set pieces even though they launch their cars in between buildings and off of mountains.

Furious 7 is essentially three insanely long action sequences that run for far too long. Not counting small bursts of violence, the three massive set pieces of the film are a car chase down a winding mountain road, a vehicular heist inside of a skyscraper, and an all out war on the streets of Los Angeles. The all out war that ends the film must run for over 15 minutes. I didn't count, but I'll be damned if that isn't one of the longest action finales in cinematic history. I'll be honest by saying that the best action set piece in the film is the mountain road chase scene heavily advertised in the film's trailer. It's jam packed with stunts and a fight scene between Walker and Thai superstar Tony Jaa (Ong Bak), making his Hollywood debut. It also opens with our characters skydiving inside of their cars on to the top of the mountain, so you have to love that. There is also an awesome stunt where a henchman's car flies through the air and impales upon a spiked tree branch. It got a definite "oh!" out of me.

The furious team wind up in Abu Dhabi.

And while the Abu Dhabi heist in which Dom launches a car in between two buildings is pretty cool, the finale in which Dom and friends wage war against Shaw and generic bad guy Mose (Djimon Hounsou) is exhausting to watch. The sequence is filled with individual fights, shootouts, and chases that range from boring to exciting. There is simply too much going on in this finale to make sense of. Even the long awaited fight between Diesel and Statham, arguably two of contemporary action cinema's biggest icons, pales in comparison to everything else. I forgot to mention that there is a great fist fight between Statham and Dwayne Johnson at the beginning of the film as well. It completely slipped my mind. 

Still, there is some great visual eye candy in this finale, once again in the form of a fist fight between Walker and Jaa. This finale contains my personal favorite stunt of the film in which Jaa knees Walker into a door which they proceed to slide down a staircase on top of. It's absolutely awesome. Hobbs (Dwayne Johnson) also shows up in the finale and steals the film from everyone else with some of the most hilarious and self aware dialog from the series yet. You'll be laughing along with Johnson once you see him snap his cast off like it's nothing. 

As far as the cast goes, all of the regulars do as fine a job as ever. Walker is unfortunately sidelined in favor of Dom's revenge plot against Shaw. I should probably mention that the digital effects and body doubles used for Paul Walker's incomplete scenes are pretty convincing. At least James Wan didn't resort to cardboard cut outs a-la Game of Death. Newcomer Jason Statham is great as the villain and adds a whole layer of epic bravado to the mix. Unfortunately, many of the supporting newcomers are completely devoid of character and barely even given names. Mosse is a generic villain, plain and simple, even though he is played by the great Hounsou. Jaa, an international action star in his own right, isn't even given a name or visual introduction. He simply appears on screen during the mountain chase. Rhonda Rousey also appears as a nameless bodyguard during the Abu Dhabi heist who has no purpose but to fight Michelle Rodriguez, a.k.a. one of the worst actors ever. Overall, I think the cast is very hit or miss despite their impressive international pedigree. Nobody tops The Rock though. He owns this movie for all of his limited screen time.

Nobody beats the Rock. I love this guy with all of my heart.

Despite all of Furious 7's pros and cons, the last ten minutes are the best farewell that anyone could have put together to honor Paul Walker's place in the franchise. It's rare, even unheard of, for a franchise featuring the same characters to last so long and to have one of their own die in real life. Therefore, Furious 7's farewell to Walker is one of the most meta farewells in cinematic history. Wiz Khalifa's "See You Again" is a beautiful farewell song for Walker that perfectly underscores the final scene in which Brian and Dom drive their separate ways. It's a fantastic visual to end on and arguably the best piece of filmmaking within the film.

I'm sad to say it, but Furious 7 is a mixed bag. Convoluted plotting, over long action sequences, and excessive computer graphics hamper the film from being as tight and grounded as the previous entries. However, few franchises do "fun" as well as Fast and Furious does. Therefore, you still get some blockbuster bang for your buck despite the film's flaws. Plus, Paul Walker's farewell tribute is a must see for fans of the series. A definite recommendation for fans of the series but a hesitant recommendation for the non-Fast fans. Even though I had major problems with the film, I could see it showing up as an honorable mention for the best action films of 2015 at the end of the year.

Rating: 6/10 - Furious 7 is a flawed sequel that properly pays tribute to Paul Walker.

Franchise:
The Fast and the Furious (dir. Rob Cohen, 2001)
2 Fast 2 Furious (dir. John Singleton, 2003)
The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift (dir. Justin Lin, 2006)
Fast and Furious (dir. Justin Lin, 2009)
Fast Five (dir. Justin Lin, 2011)
Fast and Furious 6 (dir. Justin Lin, 2013)
Furious 7 (dir. James Wan, 2015)

Action Icon Profile: Vin Diesel

Profession: Actor/Director

Born: July 18, 1967

Birth Name: Mark Sinclair

Career Summary: Vin Diesel is an American actor who made his first big splash in Steven Spielberg's Saving Private Ryan WWII epic. He soon followed up that film with what was his first true leading action film, Pitch Black. From there, Diesel has bounced around doing all types of films, even a terrible Disney action comedy called The Pacifier that I saw in the theater! I am ashamed. His most notable roles are that of Dominic Toretto and Richard B. Riddick in the Fast and Furious and Riddick films. He'll soon be joining the Marvel Universe in a motion captured role as Groot, the talking tree. Diesel's films range from gritty R-rated violence to cheesy but enjoyable PG-13 action fare.

Personal Favorite: The Chronicles of Riddick (Director's Cut) (2004)

Films:

Saving Private Ryan (1998)

Pitch Black (2000)

The Fast and the Furious (2001)

Knockaround Guys (2001)

xXx (2002)

A Man Apart (2003)

The Chronicles of Riddick (2004)

Dark Fury (2004)

The Pacifier (2005)

Fast and Furious: Tokyo Drift (2006)

Babylon A.D. (2008)

Los Bandeleros (2009)

Fast and Furious (2009)

Fast Five (2011)

Fast and Furious 6 (2013)

Riddick (2013)

Guardians of the Galaxy (2014)

Fast and Furious 7 (2015)

Guardians of the Galaxy 2 (2017)

BCOOB Awards 2013: A Year of Action In Review

2013 was a pretty good year for action. Well, at least for what I watched. Therefore, here are a whole bunch of awards that Better Clear On Out the Back is handing out to the best of the best in a year full of action! I've listed my top 10 action films as well as individual awards.

Top 10 Action Films of 2013:

10. Dead in Tombstone (dir. Roel Reine)

9. Riddick (dir. David Twohy)

8. Pacific Rim (dir. Guillermo Del Toro)

7. Snitch (dir. Ric Roman Waugh)

6. Iron Man 3 (dir. Shane Black)

5. Fast and Furious 6 (dir. Justin Lin)

4. The Man of Tai Chi (dir. Keanu Reeves)

3. A Company Man (dir. Sang yoon-Lim)

2. Drug War (dir. Johnnie To)

1. The Wolverine (dir. James Mangold)

Action Awards of 2013:

R.I.P. to Fast and Furious Lead Paul Walker

Action Scenes:

Best Shootout: Drug War - 20 Minute Finale

Best Melee/Fist Fight: The Wolverine - Bullet Train Fight

Best Race/Car Chase: Snitch - 18 Wheeler Freeway Chase

Best Epic Battle/War/Spectacle: Pacific Rim - Hong Kong Kaiju vs. Gypsy Danger

Best Action Scene Overall: Drug War - 20 Minute Finale

Dwayne Johnson proved his dramatic chops this year.

Actors:

Best Action Star: Dwayne Johnson - Highlights: Snitch, G.I. Joe: Retaliation, Fast and Furious 6

Best Leading Action Performance: Hugh Jackman as "Logan/Wolverine" - The Wolverine

Best Supporting Action Performance: Sung Honglei as "Captain Zhang Lei" - Drug War

Best Action Movie Hero: Hugh Jackman as "Logan/Wolverine" - The Wolverine

Best Action Movie Villain: Sharlto Copley as "Agent Kruger" - Elysium

Best Action Movie Right Hand Man: James Badge Dale as "Eric Savin" - Iron Man 3

Reeves directs a martial arts homage for the books.

Technical:

Best Action Editing/Photography: Allen Leung - Drug War

Best Action Choreography: Yuen Woo Ping - The Man of Tai Chi

Best Action Score: Ramin Djawadi - Pacific Rim

Wolverine - Extended Cut only baby.

Films:

Biggest Surprise Action Film: Dead in Tombstone

Biggest Disappointment Action Film: Man of Steel

Best Action Summer Blockbuster: The Wolverine

Best Action Film Overall: The Wolverine

R.I.P. - Paul Walker ('73-'13)

The action community has lost a significant figure today. Paul Walker, the star of action films such as Running Scared, Takers, and the Fast and Furious Franchise has died in a car accident today. I used to really dislike Paul Walker and considered him to be a terrible actor. Over the last few years, I have come to realize how overly critical and harsh I have been in my critique of all of cinema. In this time, I have come to appreciate Walker as an action actor and the franchise he is best known for, the Fast films. He does a fine job and plays his roles very seriously, whether or not the material is all that great or not.

While he is not even one of the most major players in action cinema, I think that Walker was crucial in something that I have noticed. Action fans love The Fast and the Furious movies. But more interestingly, the general movie going public loves it too. The series is both a good action franchise that die hard fans and casual film goers have all come to love and embrace. Walker, who is a really good looking guy, has attracted many of the casual film lovers as well. I believe that Walker and this series have been important in bringing more people to the cinema to see a "true" action blockbuster. While these are the same casual film goers who are helping out terrible action films like Battleship and Transformers, these people are fortunate enough to discover a franchise that embraces everything from the hits of the '80's. The Fast films are big, dumb, and lots of fun.

Therefore, I am going to miss Walker in future installments. I believe he has done a great job along side action icons Diesel and Johnson. I am really sad to see that whatever story was planned for Fast 7, 8, and 9 will probably be flushed down the toilet due to his death. I don't expect them to not use the footage that Walker shot so far, it would be disrespectful. However, this occurence will place Universal Studios in quite a pickle considering where to go next with the series.

As we await word on what will happen to the franchise, I'd like to say that Walker found a way to coax me into enjoying him despite all of my hating on him from years before. He wasn't a great actor, but he was a fine solid action guy who will be missed. I am also sad to see that he will not live to play Agent 47 in the newest Hitman film, a reboot I highly anticipated.