Polar
Look, as is often the case with genre films, whether they be action or horror, sometimes those genre elements delight and thrill even if the movie isn’t great. This graphic novel adaptation is a case in point as it’s a sloppy, clunkily crass affair whenever the action and absurdity settles down. When those elements crank up, though, the movie is a ball of messy fun. Mads Mikkelsen headlines and is clearly having a blast.
[My review; available on Netflix]
Revenger
An island prison with no hope of escape is the setting for this story about an ex-cop who orchestrates his own arrival there in search of vengeance, and while the story never gets more complicated than that the film delivers beautifully on the fight front. Lead Bruce Khan is built like a Korean brick outhouse, but those muscles don’t get in the way of him giving fast and brutal beatdowns. Sure it’s a one-note affair, but that note is played so damn efficiently.
[My review; available on Netflix]
Triple Frontier
This ensemble effort from director J.C. Chandor and writer Mark Boal is actually more of a character drama than action film, but when it does step towards the latter the results are fairly thrilling. There’s a fetishistic approach to the hardware at times, and that helps ensure a feeling of accuracy and reality when guns start blazing around the film’s midpoint with a terrific run and gun battle through a large jungle estate. The back half is peppered with smaller scraps, but they remain effective in their impact and style.
[My review; available on Netflix]
Triple Threat
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-WfCgcUlBwY
It would be an impossible (and damning) feat to gather the likes of Tony Jaa, Iko Uwais, Tiger Chen, Scott Adkins, Michael Jai White, and Jeeja Yanin in your movie only to have it not be among the year’s best action films. Those first three take the lead of the title here as they stand up to some villainous mercenaries, and while too much of the action is focused on gun play for my tastes — these people are phenomenal martial artists! put the guns down and fight! — the film delivers in the back half with some stellar face-offs between these ridiculously talented fighters.
[My review; currently available on streaming]
Related Topics: Action, Quarterly Report
