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.