9. Deadpool 2
Ryan Reynolds’ attempts at locking down a comic book franchise saw him battle vampires, don a space ring, and portray a highly suspect take on Deadpool, but it was his more accurate stab at that last character in 2016 that finally clicked with audiences. The sequel offers up more of the same — meta humor, bloody demises, big laughs, and plenty of maniacally entertaining action including gun fights, blade action, and a pyrokinetic kiwi — with the action, in particular, showcasing a step up from the first.
8. Manhunt
An innocent man tries to clear his name in the latest feature from action maestro John Woo, but you can safely ignore the plot here as Woo does the same. It’s a whole mess of confusing gibberish and honestly the word convoluted doesn’t even do it justice. So just sit back and enjoy the lunacy of the action set pieces that Woo choreographs for your viewing pleasure including a ludicrous farmhouse-set action sequence that’s a bonkers all-timer.
7. On the Ropes
2016’s Plan B is one of the best action movies that no one’s seen, and while I hold my breath waiting for it to land a US release American audiences can at least check out the same team’s follow-up film. The story’s not as good and the characters aren’t nearly as much fun, but this is an action list dammit, and on that front the film delivers. Leads Can Aydin and Phong Giang have been keeping busy as stuntmen in some of the biggest movies out there, but here they get to show their faces alongside their fighting/acrobatic skills.
6. Upgrade
Leigh Whannell’s latest leaves the demons and ghosts behind in favor a near future tale about a man seeking vengeance for his wife’s murder. It’s a lower budgeted affair, but the action is crazy entertaining and addictive. It’s shot with energy and style, practical effects highlight the grisly nature of the violent acts, and Logan Marshall-Green delivers a fantastically flexible performance highlighting killer moves and physical comedy.
5. Kill Order
This might feel at times like a low budget riff on The Bourne Identity, but all is forgiven when lead Chris Mark begins showing off his incredible fighting skills. Like the guys from On the Ropes above, Marks’ main film career is as a stunt performer, but while his acting ability is a work in progress his fighting skills are stylish, brutal, and wickedly fast. Just go with the sci-fi gibberish and mildly dramatic story beats because the action is enough to make you forgive those other sins and ask for seconds.
4. Game Night
A comedy? On an action list?! Madness! This is not only the year’s best comedy and the best studio comedy in a decade, but it’s also one hell of an action movie thanks to some sharply crafted fights and set-pieces that maintain a humorous thread through the pain. It’s all done for laughs and doesn’t need to be this good, but it is. Choreography is king even during small skirmishes, and “serious” game of keep-away in a crowded mansion is an all-timer sequence. This movie is fun, from beginning to end, and it’s enough to give me hope for humankind.
3. The Witch: Part 1 – Subversion
I’m not shy about my love for South Korean cinema, particularly their genre efforts, and writer/director Park Hoon-jung’s latest is as ridiculously entertaining an example as you could hope for. The story is best experienced first-hand, so I’ll only say that it’s equal parts Nikita, Psychokinesis, X-Men, Hanna, and last year’s brilliant Thelma. There’s a lot happening here, but unlike the clunky title the film itself comes together and holds together leaving viewers satisfied but eager for a part 2.
2. Mission: Impossible – Fallout
There can really be no doubt that this Tom Cruise-led franchise is the best action series currently running, and while this latest entry suffers from some script issues (I know, I’m alone in that thought) there’s no arguing the beauty and stunning nature of the action sequences and set-pieces. From fist fights in a bathroom to a helicopter chase against the gorgeous New Zealand landscape, Cruise and director Christopher McQuarrie continually go the extra mile to deliver big, beautiful action beats.
1. The Night Comes for Us
As if there was any doubt that Timo Tjahjanto’s mesmerizing exercise in adrenaline and brutality would land at #1 on this list. The story touches on the familiar as a mob enforcer reaches his limit as a bad guy and decides to stand up for an innocent, but what follows is a steady stream of expertly choreographed and executed bodily mayhem. Bones are broken, flesh is torn, and blood is spilled as talented fighters on both side of the moral divide lay into each other with abandon. Fans of The Raid films take note, this flick is going to wet your whistle as Joe Taslim, Julie Estelle, Iko Uwais, and others kick your ass into next year. [My review, available on Netflix]
Honorable mentions: The Brink, The Domestics, The Equalizer 2, Maze Runner: The Death Cure, Peppermint, Skyscraper, Unstoppable
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