Dev Patel plays John Wick, Jake Gyllenhaal fights in a remake of a cult 80s action movie, and Jason Statham furrows his brows again — all this in our new selection of brisk action movies that prove the genre is not yet ready for retirement.
«Road House» (2024)
Former UFC fighter Elwood Dalton () arrives in Florida at the invitation of the owner of a roadside establishment called «Road House» (they'll joke about that, of course). Dalton's career hasn't been going well: a tragedy occurred during his octagon performance, and since then, the path to big-time sports has been closed. He couldn't always make good money in underground fights, so the offer to become a bouncer at a bar for decent money was a real salvation, especially since Dalton won't be sitting idle. One of the local mob bosses has had his eye on the establishment for a long time and is trying every way to force the owner to close it.
On March 21, the teeth-rattling action movie «Road House» was released digitally, starring Jake Gyllenhaal. In honor of this event, we recall the actor's main projects.
Open materialThe new «Road House» from director Doug Liman («Edge of Tomorrow», «Mr. & Mrs. Smith») may not fully match the original from the 80s with Patrick Swayze, but it admirably captures the spirit of a cult classic that can be summed up in one phrase: «Did someone order a fight?»
Given Liman's extensive experience in action films, he knows how to stage fights and once again demonstrates his talent as a skilled craftsman. Gyllenhaal has bulked up and delivers a full range of acting—from a melancholic beach vacationer to an obsessed fighter battling his own demons; Conor McGregor handles his debut well; and the choreography of fistfights keeps you on edge. Overall, a solid action movie to spend an evening with.
«Monkey Man» (2024)
A young resident of the fictional Indian city of Yatana, Kid (Dev Patel), suffers one defeat after another in the underground boxing ring, but not for nothing—for money. He needs cash to get a job elsewhere—a posh hotel called «Kings». It gathers all the wealthy people of the city, including the local police chief Rana (Sikandar Kher). Once, he burned Kid's village to the ground, killing his mother, and now the young fighter uses every opportunity to get closer to the police officer and avenge his mother's death.
The feature directorial debut of actor Dev Patel went through all circles of production hell, but it only hardened both the director and his film. — is a furious, toothy, masterfully staged action movie with unforgettable Indian flavor. Patel chose the path of hurricane editing, stomping the pedal of ultraviolence to the floor until the film's engine simply runs out of resources. Some moments in the plot still point to a novice director, but for all its roughness and minor flaws, «Monkey Man» does not lose its authorial identity and may well be at the forefront of B-movies.
In his directorial debut «Monkey Man», star of «The Green Knight» Dev Patel delivers mind-blowing action and introduces viewers to Indian culture. What came of it — in
Open material«Argylle» (2024)
Writer Elly Conway (Bryce Dallas Howard) delights readers again with another book in the adventure series about spy Aubrey Argylle (Henry Cavill). After the release of the fifth book, it turns out that Elly somehow managed to predict everything happening on the geopolitical stage in reality, and now she is being hunted. A real intelligence officer, Aidan Wilde (Sam Rockwell), comes to Elly's aid, claiming that the character Argylle from her novels is based on him.
The new film from the director of «Kick-Ass» and «Kingsman: The Secret Service», Matthew Vaughn, bombed spectacularly at the box office, grossing just over $45 million on a $200 million budget. It also took a beating from critics. Even the star-studded cast, which besides Dallas Howard, Cavill, and Rockwell includes Bryan Cranston, Catherine O'Hara, and even Dua Lipa in one episode, couldn't save the film.
On one hand, the film indeed looks like a bright but utterly tasteless farce, striving for hysterical laughter at every spy trope in action movies. But on the other hand, in Vaughn's work, you can find unexpected angles, such as an attempt to compete with Bollywood. There, by the way, there is no scene about deadly figure skating on oil spilled on the deck. But Vaughn has one.
«In the Land of Saints and Sinners» (2023)
Another action movie with the tireless Liam Neeson. «In the Land of Saints and Sinners» is an Irish western about a retired man who has grown old in the field of bad deeds, is tired, wants to plant a garden and start a new life with a lonely neighbor. But evil bandits disturb the sleepy town and force him to take up his old gun again. In short, «In the Land of Saints and Sinners» is something like Eastwood's «Unforgiven», but in the realities of 1970s Ireland (a troubled and restless time) and without tragic intensity. Neeson seems to want drama, but out of habit, it doesn't work out.
What's interesting about it? Turn on any recent Neeson film and it's the same. But «In the Land of Saints and Sinners» hooks mostly with its coherent, simple, and sometimes even captivating storytelling against the backdrop of beautiful, fairy-tale green landscapes of Ireland, which perfectly match Neeson and Ciaran Hinds appearing in a couple of episodes, and a quite compelling finale. In it, Neeson meets another dawn with a sad look, realizing that this is not yet the film on which he could end his career as the eternal savior of the oppressed. Still not that one.
«The Beekeeper» (2024)
Gloomy Adam Clay ( Jason Statham ) tends a small apiary far from civilization. The temporary dwelling was kindly provided by local resident Eloise Parker ( Felicia Rashad ), whom Clay helps with chores. One day, Eloise falls into the clutches of cyber scammers, who cynically steal not only her own funds but also the foundation's money she managed. Unable to bear the nervous strain, she commits suicide, after which Clay decides to take revenge, recalling all the combat skills he once acquired in a special unit called .
In online release, the old-school action movie «The Beekeeper», where Jason Statham collects honey and competes with Chuck Norris for the best meme about himself.
Open materialThe film's director David Ayer («Fury», «Suicide Squad») keeps up with trends, participating in a stunt race with other action movies under the conditional title «who has the cooler fight». «The Beekeeper» may not take the lead, but all the shootouts and hand-to-hand fights are presented with taste: broken limbs, shooting a minigun at a gas station, juicy punches and throws over oneself. Even an ordinary office stapler will be used. And Jason Statham is the ideal candidate for the role of a gloomy avenger who fearlessly brings iron order, leaving only a scorched field behind.
«The Stranger» (2023)
Samir Barda (Nassim Si Ahmed) decides to quit his criminal past. However, in another skirmish, he accidentally kills one of his former gang members. Fleeing from France to Thailand, Samir becomes a champion in no-holds-barred fights, starts a family, and lives a relatively peaceful life. But the criminal past does not let go, and his former accomplices catch up with him there.
A dark and gloomy action movie from the director of the series «Gangs of London» and «Lupin», Xavier Gens. The director decided not to waste the accumulated experience in staging fight scenes, but to distribute them precisely throughout the film's runtime. To bet not on quantity, but on quality, and with respectful nods to South Korean colleagues. Therefore, a couple of scenes from this film will periodically appear in various top lists on the theme of the best fights in cinema.
Comments
0No comments yet.
Sign in to join the discussion.