22 replies to this topic

[MarcAngeDraco]

Just got the June 22 issue of Entertainment Weekly. The cover story is "The 25 Greatest Action Movies of All Time".

Goldfinger gets a small pic on the cover and ranks #19 in their listing. I'll scan it in when I get a chance.

(I apologize if this has already been posted, I looked but didn't see a thread on it yet.)

EDIT:

Also a mention on the new batsuit for The Dark Knight. (Costume Designer: Lindy Hemming)

[dinovelvet]

According to this magazine, there are only six action movies ever made that are better than "Gladiator". Nuff said.

[Qwerty]

What was their number one choice?

[jaguar007]

What was their number one choice?

Die Hard

[james st.john smythe]

You can't whack Die Hard for action! Where was Commando?

[Gobi-1]

I got my issue today and I have to say the list is really hit and miss. EW doesn't know the difference in Sci-Fi and Action. Way too many sci-fi films in there. Speed is an action film. The Empire Strikes Back is not.

Here's the list:

1. Die Hard
2. Aliens
3. Raiders of the Lost Ark
4. The Road Warrior
5. The Matrix
6. Seven Samurai
7. Gladiator
8. Saving Private Ryan
9. Hard-Boiled
10. Terminator 2: Judgement Day
11. Speed
12. The Empire Strikes Back
13. The Wild Bunch
14. RoboCop
15. Enter The Dragon
16. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
17. The Bourne Supremacy
18. The Adventures of Robin Hood
19. Goldfinger
20. Kill Bill - Vol. 1
21. Spider-Man 2
22. Predator
23. Druken Master II
24. Lethal Weapon
25. The Incredibles

[Kilroy6644]

Seven Samurai!? It's a great movie, and it does have some action scenes in it, but it's hardly an action movie. Saving Private Ryan is pretty out there too, since war movies are usually considered a seperate genre from action movies.

[Tarl_Cabot]

I got my issue today and I have to say the list is really hit and miss. EW doesn't know the difference in Sci-Fi and Action. Way too many sci-fi films in there. Speed is an action film. The Empire Strikes Back is not.

Here's the list:

1. Die Hard
2. Aliens
3. Raiders of the Lost Ark
4. The Road Warrior
5. The Matrix
6. Seven Samurai
7. Gladiator
8. Saving Private Ryan
9. Hard-Boiled
10. Terminator 2: Judgement Day
11. Speed
12. The Empire Strikes Back
13. The Wild Bunch
14. RoboCop
15. Enter The Dragon
16. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
17. The Bourne Supremacy
18. The Adventures of Robin Hood
19. Goldfinger
20. Kill Bill - Vol. 1
21. Spider-Man 2
22. Predator
23. Druken Master II
24. Lethal Weapon
25. The Incredibles

Saving Private Ryan was an action movie?

I could see Black Hawk Down as an action flick maybe but not SPR.

I think Raiders should be # 1

[Gobi-1]

Exactly. Some of these films have great action scenes, but they're not what I would define as an "action film."

Here I'll label each film in the proper genre:

1. Die Hard - Action
2. Aliens - Sci-Fi
3. Raiders of the Lost Ark - Adventure
4. The Road Warrior - Action
5. The Matrix - Sci-Fi
6. Seven Samurai - Historical Epic
7. Gladiator - Historical Epic
8. Saving Private Ryan - War
9. Hard-Boiled - Action
10. Terminator 2: Judgement Day - Sci-Fi
11. Speed - Action
12. The Empire Strikes Back -Sci-Fi
13. The Wild Bunch - Western
14. RoboCop - Sci-Fi
15. Enter The Dragon - Martial Arts
16. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon - Martial Arts
17. The Bourne Supremacy - Spy
18. The Adventures of Robin Hood - Adventure
19. Goldfinger - Spy
20. Kill Bill - Vol. 1 - Action
21. Spider-Man 2 - Comic Book
22. Predator - Sci-Fi
23. Druken Master II - Martial Arts
24. Lethal Weapon - Action
25. The Incredibles - Comic Book

Only six films could I classify as pure action flicks.

[Tarl_Cabot]

I put action/adventure/spy together so Raiders and Bourne Supremacy would qualify.Incredibles is animated so it shouldn't be included, especially with Casino Royale,First Blood,Kill Bill 2,The Terminator,Total Recall,Big Trouble in little China on the board...

[Safari Suit]

This is a pretty poor list which seems catered for and written by people who consider a good action movie "a very guilty pleasure". There are some choices on there which really stretch the definition of "action", and some worthy films which fit the category like a glove missing.

Typical EW then

[Loomis]

This is a pretty poor list which seems catered for and written by people who consider a good action movie "a very guilty pleasure".

Indeed, although lists like this would be nothing without a few "controversial" choices.

Me, I'd put TITANIC up there. Sure, it's only partly an action flick, but then the same is true of SAVING PRIVATE RYAN, and the action in Cameron's masterpiece - yes, that's right, Cameron's masterpiece - is stunning. Still, I'll defend the choice of RYAN on the grounds that its jerky filming of action scenes with desaturated colour does seem to have been influential on the genre.

To show my film historian stripes, I'd also nominate the 1926 Douglas Fairbanks adventure THE BLACK PIRATE. To be mildly eccentric and hip, I'd add ROCKY III - what, boxing isn't action? The many fights in the third Rocky outing are like human versions of CLASH OF THE TITANS, with punches landing to sound effects that put one in mind of field artillery going off.

I'm very baffled by the inclusion of GOLDFINGER, though. Yes, it has two splendidly brutal one-on-one fights, but other than that.... the undisputed action classic of the Bond series is surely CASINO ROYALE, with ON HER MAJESTY'S SECRET SERVICE at two.

[doublenoughtspy]

Those lists are always bound to cause controversy, and EW seems to relish in making ones that are high on smarm, low on charm...or even common sense.

I'd want more quantification on what they consider "great."

As in most enjoyable? Artistic merit? Short term effect on the genre? Long term effect on the genre?

GF is the most influential Bond film of all time, but I concur with Loomis, others like OHMSS have a much higher "action" quotient.

[Loomis]

Actually, I'd probably rank OHMSS at number one in the Bond action stakes. CR's action is certainly amazing, but its reputation rests primarily on just one sequence: the parkour chase; whereas with OHMSS you have incredible fights (with choreography and editing that I imagine were fairly radical back in the day), and great skiing and driving stunts and shootouts that are still as exciting as they were in '69.

[The Richmond Spy]

Sounds like they included Bourne and felt the need to include Bond as well. So with fear of mentioning a more deserving Bond flick most [Americans] aren't extremely familiar with, they went with everyone's favorite overrated flick...Goldfinger.

Couldn't they at least have gone with GoldenEye or Tomorrow Never Dies?

[Qwerty]

What was their number one choice?

Die Hard

Thanks. I'm kind of surprised to see such a gap between Die Hard and Lethal Weapon. Thought both of those would be right next to eachother.

[triviachamp]

Those lists are always bound to cause controversy, and EW seems to relish in making ones that are high on smarm, low on charm...or even common sense.

They like to be hip and "in with it." For example it is now "hip" to like OHMSS so now they say Dalton was worse than Lazenby.

[dinovelvet]

To show my film historian stripes, I'd also nominate the 1926 Douglas Fairbanks adventure THE BLACK PIRATE. To be mildly eccentric and hip, I'd add ROCKY III - what, boxing isn't action? The many fights in the third Rocky outing are like human versions of CLASH OF THE TITANS, with punches landing to sound effects that put one in mind of field artillery going off.

Ha, yeah why not a Rocky movie. Hang on, there's no Rambo on this list either. How can ya ignore Sly on a list like this? The man launched two huge action franchises, but they don't consider a Rocky or a Rambo to be better "action" movies than The Incredibles or Spider-Man 2?! Spider-man 2 to me represents the typical modern garbage that passes for "action". Two blurry CGI blobs fighting does not thrill me in the least. Give me FIRST BLOOD any day, its a thrill ride all the way - Rambo going berzerk in a police station and taking out half a dozen cops, followed by a motorbike chase, then that breathtaking leap off a cliff while being chased by a helicopter, and that's just the first half hour. What's Spider-man 2 got? Depressing scenes of an old woman struggling to pay her mortgage. Now that's action!
Truly, Peter Griffin had the right idea, when upon discovering he was out of toilet paper, reached for a copy of Entertainment Weekly...

[00Twelve]

So apparently it's all about the 'most' or 'best' action, as it's obviously not about the best story. How do I know that? The Road Warrior is eight positions higher than Empire Strikes Back. Not one, eight.

Based on this, someone explain to me how Empire's action outranks The Bourne Supremacy's and Kill Bill's.

[jaguar007]

I doubt many people would argue that Raiders of The Lost Ark deserved the #1 spot. I can understand why Goldfinger was the Bond movie on the list. It is the most influential Bond film and Bond is really the father of the modern day action flick. I think it deserved to be much higher than #19. There are some great classic action movies that were left out such as Gunga Din and Captain Blood.

[HawkEye007]

I agree with Die Hard in the #1 slot. Just re-watched it over the weekend, still blown away! I would re-order the other flicks though IMO.

[Fiona Volpe lover]

Yeah it'a wierd list,some of it good,some of it just bizarre and a little ignorant {only one film before 1969}. And of course Goldinger is the obliogatory Bond film,even though it has less action than probably any other Bond film. What about,as some have said,OHMSS,or You Only Live Twice,Thunderball {I still think the underwater battle is one of the most awesome action scenes ever filmed} or even Live And Let Die?

Edited by Fiona Volpe lover, 22 June 2007 - 09:45 AM.

[Safari Suit]

Today's IMDB poll relates to this list, although they have erroneously listed the films as "EW's Top Ten" rather than "EW's Top Ten Action Films". I suspect this error will provoke an entirely different response from the response the question would provoke were it phrased correctly.

http://www.imdb.com/poll/

Edited by Safari Suit, 27 June 2007 - 08:28 AM.