5. Desperado
The most accurate depiction of Mexico to ever be put on Film. Desperado is a sexy action flick featuring Antonio Banderas as a mariachi looking for revenge against a drug lord who killed his lover. On first glance, this might just look like a modern rendition of a spaghetti western with its sandy northern Mexico environment and cowboy-esque revenge plot. However, the action in this movie blows even the most bloody of cowboy shootouts. From acrobatic gun battles that seem straight out of an 80s Hong Kong action flick, to throwing blades and guitar case rocket launchers being the weapons of choice, this is definitely not your typical western affair. Special mention should also be given to Salma kayak, who’s enticing performance makes her and Banderas the sexiest leads on this list. Overall, the movie is a thrill ride from start to finish, and is a definite recommend. Although I would not advise traveling to Northern Mexico unless you want to live out as your own Desperado.
Link to buy on Blu-Ray (Import): https://amzn.to/40eCViI
4. The Matrix
Arguably the most relevant film on this list, as well as the most popular. The Matrix, at this point, has become a cultural touchstone, even though the film is over 25 years old. Everyone and their grandma know the story, have seen the memes, and have created their own political interpretation on what The Matrix might be. Yet in all this discourse, it can be easy to neglect the film itself over the ideas it brought forth, which is a shame since it is one of the best action movies of all time. It’s special effects and action was groundbreaking in its day and still holds up well even now. The mystery around the true nature of reality is invigorating, and the acting is great. Special props must go yo Laurence Fishburne, who’s Morpheus can tell you that the sky is blue and make it out to be some grand revelation that changes everything you know. Overall, it’s one of the best action movies of all time and a definite recommendation for those who want to see what the big fuss is about.
Link to buy on Blu-Ray (4K): https://amzn.to/48eFGCN
3. Blade
With the MCU dominating Hollywood with its awful jokes and bad CGI for so long, it’s hard to remember a time when Marvel was actually cool and countercultural. Blade is exactly that. He’s a badass half vampire who hunts down bloodsuckers trying to take over the world. No quips nor other Whedon-esque garbage to take you out of the action. Just pure vampire slaying action with a plot that’s pretty basic but gives me a lot of Vampire: The Masquerade vibes. The actors are all pretty decent with the exception of Blade and Demon Frost being phenomenal as the hero and villain of the story. Blade in general is such a cool character that it’s easy to forget that he comes from the same universe as Captain Marvel and She-Hulk. Back then, Marvel had basically no movie adaptations to any of their comics, but had to adapt quickly since they were in financial ruin following their bankruptcy in 1996. Blade was only a side character in a long forgotten Dracula comic from the 70s, but the film modernized him into a trench coat wearing badass that could take out armies of bloodsuckers with gun, sword, and fist. If Blade was released today it would be some lame, quippy, saturated kids movie. Back then, though, since Marvel was so poor, there was a lot more creative freedom, which ultimately made Blade badass. In conclusion, one of the best Marvel movies, and I hope that future Marvel properties take such risks as Blade did.
Link to buy on Blu-Ray (4K): https://amzn.to/40gPPwW
2. The Crow
Much like Blade, the Crow is a film that has disappeared in the popular consciousness despite how influential it was to the action genre at large. When it released in ’94, people were uncertain on where the action genre would go in this new decade. Films with stars like Arnold and Sly were bombing in the box office, and it seemed as though that marked the end of the genre. Then The Crow came in and changed everything. It incorporated the Gothic, comic-esque world of Tim Burton’s Batman with the kung fu/gun-fu action of John Woo films to make something that audiences had never seen before. With a bit of Gothic horror and alternative culture added in as well, The Crow went from simply being a comic adaptation to a cultural touchstone which included many films for years to come. This even includes some on this list.
The film is also great too, with a moody, Gothic atmosphere reminiscent of ’89 Batman, but with the high stakes explosive action of Hard Boiled, what’s not to love. However, what really pulls the film together is not just the action or setting, but the characters and heart. This is most emblematic by the main character of this tale, played by the late great Brandan Lee. The Crow is, to put it simply, a tragic figure who lost his and his lovers lives in a cruel criminal act, but disguises his pain with cold stoicism, charisma, and a playfulness that really makes him unique among many action movie protags. Lee’s performance is probably the best on this list, and had he not been tragically killed during The Crow’s production, he would have become a major star, like Keanu Reeves. Overall, if your only going to watch any movie on this list, watch The Crow. It is a remarkable film that changed action films, and should be talked up more alongside many other great films.
Link to Blu-Ray (4K): https://amzn.to/3YzlIzy
1. Hard Boiled
You can’t have 90s action movies without John Woo. The legendary director pioneered the gun fu style of action that would later become prevalent in many American movies to come. While he would first work with this style in his 80s work, it was not until 1992’s Hard Boiled that his version of gun-fu was at its peak. From the opening scene at the teahouse, the film kicks off with an action scene unimaginable to Hollywood films, and only accelerates from there. With flips, duel welding, explosions, and even a long extended shot of the heroes taking out thugs in a hallway, it’s a symphony of bullets and mayhem. Yet despite the intense action, buried deep in the film is a pretty simple but effective cop story about an officer trying to take out a gang with another cop who has been undercover in that gang for so long, he can’t recall which side he’s on. There’s even some effective emotional scenes and drama, but the action steals the show. For the pure action alone, it is one of the best films of the 90s. However, for the effective story and heart, it gets a recommendation here on this list.
Link to Blu-Ray (Import): https://amzn.to/4hgrblR