Today is Oscar day. Cinapse will be celebrating by releasing our annual Cinapse Awards, and our team will also be sharing our personal Top 10 lists from the past year. I’ve contributed to both of those celebrations, but when it comes down to it, my passion is action films. And I decided it was time to use what platform I do have to shine a light on the great action cinema of this past year. In many cases I’ve reviewed the films listed here on Cinapse, so feel free to click the titles and read my in depth reviews. Regardless, if you love action cinema, these films all come highly recommended.
1: Boyka: Undisputed
I know I’m cheating here as this film hasn’t been released to wide audiences yet. But it was without a doubt the most fun I had watching an action movie in 2016 and I hope placing it here will set people’s expectations high for Scott Adkins and Isaac Florentine’s magnum opus.
2: Green Room
Such a masterful exercise in grueling tension and high stakes action, it made my top 5 overall films of the year. Jeremy Saulnier has earned a blind “I’ll watch it” pass for the rest of his career.
3: Never Back Down: No Surrender
Underseen at best, Michael Jai White directs himself in this earnest and exciting fight film. He’s easily among the top talents working in action cinema today and deserves a much higher profile than he has. Don’t miss this one.
4: Kill Zone 2
The great international action film of 2016, Kill Zone 2 is the greatest Tony Jaa film in a decade, and is just a slick piece of spectacle throughout. I love that Asia still makes pure action movies on A-list budgets.
5: 13 Hours
What can I say? I didn’t even want to see this movie because of all the potential overt nationalism and jingoism. But Michael Bay can direct action, and viewed purely as an action film, 13 Hours is top notch stuff.
6: Rogue One / Doctor Strange
What with Donnie Yen tagging Storm Troopers and Scott Adkins fighting with Doctor Strange on the astral plane, these mega-budget blockbusters couldn’t be ignored in this action film list.
7: Eliminators
Am I in the bag for Scott Adkins? Yes. Without question. Has he earned my loyalty and constantly proven himself to be one of the most thrilling talents in action cinema today? Also yes. Eliminators is a Terminator-esque cat and mouse clash with fantastic fight sequences.
8: Blood Father (and Hacksaw Ridge)
This is my list, and it’s an action movie list. So no matter how divisive of a public figure Mel Gibson is, you can’t deny he’s always been a raging filmmaking talent before and behind the camera. Blood Father is some new kind of 12 step recovery action film that’s a minor gem, and Hacksaw Ridge is flawed as hell and doesn’t deserve an Oscar nom for best picture, but IS a master class in the cinematic battle sequence.
9: The Accountant
Dumb as rocks? Most definitely. I also want to see the sequel immediately. If you go into this knowing it is spectacularly dumb, I hope you’ll have as good of a time as I did.
10: Don’t Kill It
More a horror comedy than an action film, this tiny little movie does star Dolph Lundgren in one of his most energetic roles in years. This pick is also kind of a cheat because Don’t Kill It doesn’t see wide release until 2017, but seek this one out if you’re a fan of clever indie horror/action/comedy with its own unique monster and a fantastic turn from Lundgren.
And I’m Out.