A Kaleidoscope of English Movies

Every once in a while when you are watching an action movie you wonder, is this the best these guys can do, haven’t I seen this somewhere before, and then ever so rarely comes along a movie that leaves you absolutely flabbergasted, either by its sheer scale of carnage and mayhem or by its special effects or simply by the style and panache each of the characters exude throughout the film, add to this a unique and intriguing script and some reason to kick arse and you have the perfect recipe for a perfect action movie.  If we were to browse down the history of Hollywood action movies, there was an era gone by when action meant guys chasing each other on horses with guns ,add to that a lot of tough talking and a lot of drinking and you had your action movie, which doesn’t mean, that era didn’t have any classics. But frankly an action film isn’t complete without a bit of gunplay or explosions or a bit of unarmed combat or an intriguing plot line or for that matter a few aliens thrown in, agreed the era gone by did have the James Bond series and the Star wars series, but let’s face  its only in the past two decades that action movies have gone really  big, especially after a revolutionary advancement in the special effects department of studios, thanks to computers and the usage of the blue screen, and lots of other scientific advancements in the field of technology.

Well without further ado let me get straight to the point, the idea behind today’s blog is to list the top 5 favorite action films of mine, before I list them let me reiterate that these are my personal favorites and possibly a lot of you might not concur, though I am sure some of these might be on your list.

1.   The Matrix:

A beautiful amalgamation of path breaking special effects, unarmed combat, style, emotions and a kick-arse script. A movie whose stylized action sequences became a benchmark for a lot of action movies to come in the future.

2.   Terminator 2:judgement day:

It has the great Arnold Schwarzenegger(God of action) coming in from the future to kick some butt, also people for the first time saw a man made of mercury passing through keyholes and actually managing to kick Arnold’s butt.

3.   Rambo: First Blood:

Doesn’t have the huge canvas of a typical action film, but a spirited performance by Sylvester Stallone(another God of action) coupled with a great script and amazing direction, elevates this movie to a different level.   

4.   Die Hard:

 It has all the elements of an action movie, the sinister villain, the guns, the explosions, everything, it’s also got this balding, middle aged guy with marital problems who by his sheer presence of mind, his determination and a bit of luck manages to get the better of the bad guys and that too bare-feet. When you watch this movie you feel, if he can do it so can I. Bruce Willis nails the part.

5.   Gladiator:

Set in an era where swords, maces and clubs did the job of guns, this movie satiates the appetite of every action film aficionado, with enough blood and gore to qualify it as a hardcore action movie, add to this the fact that it has some amazing piece of direction and some of the best performances you might have ever seen by Russell Crowe and the rest of cast, and you have a lethal combination on your hands.

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