I try and catch everything of interest that comes out. Horror, drama, thriller, comedy and of course ACTION!2023 was an odd year for the genre. It seems people finally cottoned on to the fact superhero movies are boring and bland as hell. I know people love them but I watch them and often just shrug my shoulders and sigh. Maybe I’m too old to get it.
I like my action down to earth and real. And I like my action heroes the same. Statham, Sly, Arnold, Chuck, Bronson, Neeson, Adkins and Clint will always be the bench marks.
This list is in no particular order.
1. The Equalizer 3
Denzel shows he’s still the man. When I first heard another Equalizer was in production, I was worried the makers might screw up what had been a series of two very good films. My main concern was that McCall might be killed off and get the “peace” he’s after.
The thought of that upset me. McCall, like Kersey and Dirty Harry, is a beloved anti hero. We’ve been with him on his journey and grown close to him (thanks to Denzel’s excellent performances) so it would have been a crappy way to end the series.
Luckily the film makers delivered a powerful, dark, action movie that sees McCall basically become an almost serial killer-like entity that wipes out the mafia. The kills are brutal and nasty and the villains despicable. McCall finally gets his peace, surrounded by a town of lovable folk who adore him. Can’t ask for a better ending than that.
2. Silent Night
John Woo’s return to the US is his gritty, down and dirty, take on revenge. I was worried the Master of Action might have lost his touch, but after the assured opening, my fears were put to rest.
Joel Kinnaman does a great job as the father, out to exact bloody vengeance on the gang who murdered his son, but he also brings a tragic edge to his character that stays with the audience after the film is over and the carnage is done.
Silent Night has some exceedingly bloody action sequences handled with the usual aplomb by Woo. More akin in themes and style to his Hong along flicks, it’s nice to see the auteur back, doing what he does best.
3. Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning
Cruise is back to show everyone how it’s done. There’s no harder working star in Hollywood than him and this series shows no signs of sequel fatigue thanks to his dedication and showmanship.
Christopher McQuarrie should write and direct all the movies in this series. He shoots his movies old-school style and makes the action sequences epic and memorable.
While I usually hate films split into two, I can’t wait for part 2 to see what Cruise and McQuarrie have cooked up. These guys are stone cold pros and I’ll be there as long as they keep making these movies.
4. Marlowe
There’s something about seeing Liam Neeson wearing a Fedora and slapping the shit out of goombah gangsters that’s hugely entertaining. And Marlowe is one of his best films in years.
Neeson plays an aging, tired Marlowe with a cynical, world-weary edge (like he plays most of characters) that suits the detective perfectly. He gets to deliver some fairly funny lines too.
The action in Marlowe is straight-up brutal and bloody and it got nastier than I thought it would but director Neil Jordan rarely pulls a punch. Marlowe is a fun crime thriller that gives Neeson one of his better roles in recent times.
5. Plane
Gerard Butler had a great year, with this film and Kandahar. Plane is one of those fun thrillers that starts as one thing and escalates into another.
Butler doesn’t fly solo this time. Mike Coulter is fantastic as the convicted killer who helps Butler when guerrillas kidnap his flight’s passengers.
The action is swift and nasty and Coulter is great, but it’s Butler’s show and he’s more than up to the task of carrying this excellent movie. Plane was one of 2023’s nice surprises.