Alternate Takes 12.06.08: Top 5 Action Movies of 2008

Posted by Shawn S. Lealos on 12.06.2008

Alternate Takes begins Part 1 of a 4-Week look at the best movies of 2008. With the release of Punisher: Ware Zone, this week we'll look at the Best Action Movies of 2008.



Welcome to Week 30 of Alternate Takes. You may have noticed there was a two-week absence of the column and I do apologize for that. But fear not, as the column returns this week with Part 1 of a four-part series counting down to the end of the year. Each week in December I will be giving you my Top 5 movies of 2008 in a specific category based on the movie coming out that week. This will culminate in my December 27 column where I will list my Top 5 movies of 2008.

A few basic rules about these lists. The first rule is that I had to have seen the movie in question to include it in the countdown. You shouldn't have to worry about the big movies, as I have seen pretty much all of them either at the theater or on DVD. However, if there is a smaller movie in question that I have not seen it won't be included on my list even if it turns out it was better than one I listed. These lists are my choices for the best movies of the year, and should be taken in that context. Movies from December are also not included because I obviously haven't seen them yet.

One last rule is there will be no repeating movies on separate lists. If a movie makes the Top 5 list in my Best Movies of the Year finale, it won't be listed on the smaller lists so I can showcase more movies that would otherwise be overlooked. What this means is don't expect The Dark Knight to be listed on my Top Action/Adventure movies list because it's showing up on the final Top 5.

Before I get started, here are a couple of places you can read me on 411 over the last couple of weeks:
Quantum of Solace Review
Fact or Fiction Movies/TV Week 154
411 Movies Roundtable: December 2008
Top 5 Week 142 - The Top 5 Revenge Movies

Enough with that, onto the column

And ... here ... we ... go......


PUNISHER: WAR ZONE



Directed by Lexi Alexander
Cast: Ray Stevenson, Dominic West

This movie was given no chance to succeed when it was announced. It is the third attempt at bringing a difficult comic book franchise to life. The first two left a bit to be desired and there was no reason to believe this one would succeed where the others failed. That's not to say the first two movies don't have their fair share of fans. There are a lot of fans of B-movies that loves Dolph Lundgren's tongue-in-cheek attempt at the character in the very 1980's styled Punisher. It took the character in the same direction as fellow 80s cohorts Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sylvester Stallone walked before. It was more Commando or Rambo than the militant vigilante from the comics. Hell, Charles Bronson's Death Wish was a closer replica of the comic character than Lundgren's portrayal. As for the 2004 version, I really liked that movie and feel Thomas Jane is the perfect Punisher. The story was kind of weak and the action was not up to par for the comic's style, but I felt Jane knocked it out of the park with his portrayal of Frank Castle. I don't think Ray Stevenson will match Jane's level as the title character but early word has this new version a more comic looking movie with loads of violence and crazy action. This movie is being compared to the Garth Ennis run of the comic and that bodes well for people who like violence in their movies. With positive word of mouth leading into the opening weekend



TOP 5 ALTERNATE TAKES SPECIAL EDITION:
2008's TOP 5 ACTION MOVIES

Runners Up: The Bank Job, Body of Lies, Doomsday, Eagle Eye, Death Race, Speed Racer, Street Kings, Transporter 3

#5 - Hellboy II: The Golden Army

Directed by Guillermo del Toro
Cast: Ron Perlman, Selma Blair, Doug Jones, Jeffrey Tambor, Luke Goss, Anna Walton, Seth MacFarlane, John Hurt
CLICK HERE TO READ MY ORIGINAL REVIEW

When I first reviewed Hellboy II, I stated that I was disappointed in the film. I am a huge fan of the first movie and was excited to see what direction Del Toro took the characters in the sequel. The movie has some balls-to-the-wall action but something about the movie felt off. Looking back, I think the humor of the film was what threw me and made me feel unsure about the film when I left the theater. However, five months later I look at the film and see the humor for what it is. The characters of both Hellboy and Abe Sapien are fleshed out a lot in this movie and romantic interests are used in both cases to tell their stories. The Hellboy/Liz love story still doesn't work for me because, to be completely honest, I hate the character of Liz Sherman in these movies. I feel Selma Blair is the one weak link in the cast and brings the scenes she is in down to a level, taking all the fun out of a movie that is supposed to be all about the fun. However, it was a brilliant choice to finally let Doug Jones completely (David Hyde Pierce voiced the character in this first film) portray the character of Abe Sapien and he delivers big time when given this opportunity. The scene where Hellboy and Abe get drunk and sing Barry Manilow is still one of the best moments of the film. The character design is spectacular and makes me even more excited for Del Toro's next outing, The Hobbit. Looking at The Angel of Death (also portrayed by Doug Jones), you see how spectacular and unreal a creature Del Toro can create. While Hellboy II never comes close to Del Toro's masterpiece Pan's Labyrinth, it is still a solid action flick, full of stunning creatures, great fights and quirky humor. It's a solid action flick and a better movie than I originally gave it credit for.

Demon! What are you waiting for? This is what you want, isn't it? Look at it. The last of its kind. Like you and I. If you destroy it, the world will never see its kind again... You have more in common with us than with them. You could be a king... If you cannot command, than you must obey.


#4 - Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull

Directed by Steven Spielberg
Cast: Harrison Ford, Shia LaBeouf, Cate Blanchett, Karen Allen, Ray Winstone, John Hurt, Jim Broadbent
CLICK HERE TO READ MY ORIGINAL REVIEW

This movie got shit on a lot when it was first released. People bitched about the alien MacGuffin. People bitched about the scenes where Shia LaBeouf swung through the trees with the monkeys like he was straight out of Tarzan. People bitched about the unrealistic CGI. I still question if these people are actual fans of the Indiana Jones franchise at all. For those people who bitched about the aliens I ask what you thought of the voodoo priests in Temple of Doom or the ancient, still living, Knight of the Templar in Last Crusade. For those who bitch about the unrealistic CGI, I ask about the melting faces in Raiders of the Lost Ark. Indiana Jones has always been about the adventurer chasing supernatural artifacts while being pursued by evil Nazi forces who want to harness the power for themselves. Crystal Skull moves the timeline ahead, so Ford is about the right age to still be playing the adventurer. This means out with the Nazis and in the Communists. However, the rest of the story remains the same. This is a solid addition to the franchise and almost everything people bitch about is present in all the Indiana Jones movies leading to this one. The movie is a fun ride that keeps the spirit of what made me fall in love with Indiana Jones to begin with almost thirty years ago. As for the jungle scene with the Tarzan styled action, I make no excuses for that. It's a bad slipup in an otherwise solid adventure movie.

Imagine... To peer across the world and know the enemy's secrets... To place OUR thoughts into the minds of YOUR leaders... Make your teachers teach the true version of history, your soldiers attack on our command. We will be everywhere at once, more powerful than a whisper, invading your dreams, thinking your thoughts for you while you sleep. We will change you, Dr. Jones, all of you, from the inside. We will turn YOU into US. And the best part? You won't even know it's happening.


#3 - Rambo

Directed by Sylvester Stallone
Cast: Sylvester Stallone, Julie Benz
CLICK HERE TO READ MY ORIGINAL REVIEW

I find it interesting in a year that ends with a movie promising to be as violent and bloody as The Punisher: War Zone, it started with a movie as brutal and gory as Rambo. Stallone bought himself a lot of good will when he returned to the Rocky franchise and ended it on a fantastic note, almost erasing the bad memories of Rocky V. When he announced he was returning to Rambo as well, it was seen with many eye rolls, but also a renewed interest to curious fans wondering if he could work his magic once again. He ended Rocky Balboa's journey with a great sendoff. Could he do the same for John Rambo? I hope this is the final entry in the Rambo franchise because he ended it in a perfect climax. If you ignore the second and third movies, which were primarily Reagan era propaganda films, Rambo could be seen as a perfect conclusion of First Blood. First Blood sees John Rambo trying to return home following his duty serving his country in Vietnam, only to find resistance and hatred. Rambo sees John living in a country far away, desolate and alone, not caring about his former country at all. It ends with him finally returning home, seemingly to find this journey ends in peace and resolution. It is a great end considering how it connects with the first film. However, for this list it is all about the action and this movie gives you action in spades. If you watch Rambo movies for the kills, this one gives you everything you can stomach, and sometimes so much more. Want to see someone get blown to pieces, in close range, by an automatic machine gun? You got it. Want to see someone's leg get blown in half at the knee? You got it. Want to see someone get their guts ripped out and thrown aside with a large knife? You got that too. This is the bloodiest, goriest, most disgustingly violent movie I have ever seen receive an R rating. It is a pure joy to watch on a visceral level. It is pure escapism and you won't find much better.

Any of you boys want to shoot, now's the time. There isn't one of us that doesn't want to be someplace else. But this is what we do, who we are. Live for nothing, or die for something. Your call.


#2 - Quantum of Solace

Directed by Marc Forster
Cast: Daniel Craig, Olga Kurylenko, Martin Amalric, Judi Dench
CLICK HERE TO READ MY ORIGINAL REVIEW

First, Quantum of Solace is not as good as Casino Royale. It would not be fair to judge it based on the prior movie, so I will talk here about what the movie does when judged solely on its own merits. I wasn't that impressed with the film during the first fifteen or so minutes. The complaints about the Bond franchise is that it ignores what made it so interesting to begin with and tries to become more like the Bourne franchise, which itself was influenced by the Bond franchise. It is a strange circle of life where the original franchise is being compared to what it spawned, instead of the other way around. Director Marc Forster, known more for character dramas than action pieces, starts the movie off on dangerous ground, using the Bourne styled hyper realistic handheld camera work with quick, rapid fire cuts. It is supposed to be used to make you feel you are in on the action, confused and disoriented in the same way as the heroes. What Forster has done is copy the work of better helmers instead of understanding the methods of using this style as a narrative device on its own. It makes the entire opening car chase confusing and uninteresting. The first foot chase and fight is also disoriented and badly shot. Thankfully, following these crazy scenes, the movie settles down and becomes a really good caper flick. It actually starts to feel more like a Bond movie as he travels around the world, chasing the tail of the elusive bad guy whose goal is just to get rich and powerful. I have heard complaints that his plans never seemed dangerous enough but going back to even Connery era Bonds, it was never about danger as much as it was about schemes to take over the world. It is another solid outing for Craig and the franchise has grown new legs and has me excited to see where they take the character next.

I think you're so blinded by inconsolable rage that you don't care who you hurt. When you can't tell your friends from your enemies, it's time to go.


#1 - The Incredible Hulk

Directed by Louis Leterrier
Cast: Ed Norton, Liv Tyler, Tim Roth, Tim Blake Nelson, William Hurt
CLICK HERE TO READ MY ORIGINAL REVIEW

Guess which two action movies made my Best of 2008 Top 5 list. I am one of the rare people who actually enjoyed Ang Lee's Hulk. I thought it was a great character study of a man (Banner) battling the demons within. I also completely loved the comic paneling styles he used throughout the movie. With the exception of the ridiculous end with Nick Nolte, I thought it was a great movie. However, people don't want a character study in a Hulk movie. They want HULK SMASH! Well, this year they got their wishes and I loved it just as much as the Ang Lee version. While Lee's Hulk was a look at the man, Leterrier's version looked at the monster. This was not about a man battling his demons. It is about him letting his monster out to battle everyone who stood in his way. There were tradeoffs as this balls out action flick gave up two great actors (Sam Elliott and Jennifer Connelly) for performers who simply didn't carry out their roles (William Hurt and Liv Tyler). Ed Norton was an upgrade as Banner and Tim Roth was awesome as the bad guy, completely blowing Nick Nolte away. I also love Hulk fighting the military instead of silly Hulk Dogs any day of the week. This movie was a thrill ride from beginning to end, bookended by great character acting from both Norton and Roth. It is exactly what you want from a popcorn summer action movie and Louis Leterrier might have solidified himself as the next big action director. It may not be The Dark Knight or Iron Man but it is exactly what I wanted from this Hulk movie.

Hulk smash!