Anybody who knows me AT ALL knows that I absolutely love action movies. Car chases, fist fights, kung fu, gun battles, space battles, sword fights, explosions and anything of that nature I tend to gravitate towards. Anything that gets my adrenaline pumping I usually pay attention to, good or bad. While the action movies of the 80s and 90s have a very different feel in terms of how they look and how they were made, some of the action films today are really good, but they do owe a lot to the films of yesteryear. That being said, there have been a lot of great action films over the past couple of years that deserve recognition. The real surprise though, is the ones that didn’t make it to theaters. So, this year, I’m going to divide up action movies into two sub-categories: Theatrical and non-theatrical. Obviously, theatrical means that the films were released into theaters here in the States and the non-theatrical ones hit home video or VOD. So, without further delay, let’s get into the Best Action Movies of 2019.
Theatrical – Avengers: Endgame
“Part of the journey is the end.” 11 years and over 20 movies in the MCU, it all comes down to one final battle. Avengers: Endgame is the final film in the MCU’s Infinity Saga, and what a finale it was. As the longest film in the MCU, Endgame had the unenviable task of wrapping up nearly every loose end and nearly every character arc presented to us in the last 20+ films. Set immediately after the events of Infinity War, Endgame follows the survivors of Thanos’ destructive finger-snap. After trying to move on, they have an opportunity to reverse the damage that was done and bring back the people that were lost. When it comes finishing off an entire series of films, few have done it as well as The Return of the King, but Endgame comes really damn close. Not only does it have some serious action, but there are some incredibly emotional moments in the film that resonated with audiences and critics alike. Yeah, it’s a lot of fan-service, but it’s handled so well that you really don’t mind. This is how you end an 11-year journey with these characters.
Non-Theatrical – Triple Threat
I loved the Expendables films. Those films had massive ensemble casts that were legendary. When it comes to martial arts movies, we really didn’t have a lot of films that featured a large number of well-known martial arts actors. Until now. Triple Threat features some of the biggest and best martial arts actors of this generation: Iko Uwais, Tony Jaa, Tiger Chen, Scott Adkins, Michael Jai White, and Jeeja Yanin. That’s a recipe for success if there ever was one, and you know what? It delivered on all counts. It’s non-stop ride from beginning to end with some absolutely incredible fight sequences courtesy of choreographer Tim Man. Deftly directed by Jesse V. Johnson, Triple Threat may be light on story, but it’s one of the best straight-up action films that you will see all year. Give me a sequel! Now! Please?
Theatrical – John Wick Chapter 3: Parabellum
I don’t know how they managed to do it. The first John Wick was a surprise action film that was really good, John Wick 2 upped the ante a bit and explored a little more of the world of John Wick, but Chapter 3 takes the action to a whole new level. Parabellum is one of the most action-packed movies I’ve ever seen. It rarely lets up. From the opening library fight to the motorcycle chase, the film only gives you a few moments to catch your breath before slamming you with another action sequence. What makes it even more impressive is that Keanu Reeves does most of his own stunts and action, and for a guy that’s in his 50’s, that’s incredibly impressive. Throwing Halle Berry into the mix was another brilliant move as she matches Reeves move for move in the time that she has on screen. Not only that, I think this movie has the highest body count of any action movie I’ve ever seen. I know that’s pretty morbid, but it is an achievement. While the film doesn’t have the same emotional impact that the first one did, the inventiveness of the action scenes is more than enough to make up for it. Simply put: John Wick 3 is fucking awesome.
Non-Theatrical – Furie
I realize that I already have this movie in my Best Performances of 2019 list, but the performances weren’t the only reason why this movie is fantastic. I briefly mentioned the action sequences which are absolutely hard-hitting. From the moment the lead character’s daughter is kidnapped, she becomes a one-woman war machine determined to get her child back. One of my favorite fight scenes is when she’s in a garage looking for a guy who might know something about her daughter’s kidnapping and she lays the smack-down on him in front of HIS mother, which leads to a particularly interesting moment in which she decides not to kill him. The final battle on the train is something to see, as Veronica’s character takes on what remains of the gang leading to one of the best one-on-one fights in the genre. Furie is thrilling, intense and emotionally gripping. You don’t really see a lot of action movies that offer so much with a premise so simple.
Non-Theatrical – Avengement
Again, another entry from my Best Performances list. Here’s the thing though, while I would consider Avengement to be a crime thriller, it’s also an action movie at its core. Let me tell you, this movie is one of the most savage and brutal action movies I’ve seen this year. Scott Adkins turns up the intensity to 11 as he mercilessly beats his fellow prisoners to a pulp and eventually takes on an entire bar full of gangsters by himself. There are a lot of moments where you are wincing at how vicious Scott’s character is. If nothing else, Scott Adkins knows how to play an angry character out for revenge. I absolutely enjoyed the hell out of this one.
Theatrical – Rambo: Last Blood
I was honestly debating whether or not I should put this one on the list. I really enjoyed the hell out of it when I saw it, but I began to wonder over time, if it was really that good. It’s a grim and bleak film, but it’s still a Rambo film. It’s predictable and the characterizations are at a bare minimum, but I have to give the film credit where it’s due. It’s unapologetic about what it’s setting out to do. It’s definitely one of the bleakest action films I’ve seen all year, but it has a finale that is absolutely insane. The film has the balls to go in the direction that it did, and getting to see the character of Rambo doing what he does best is nothing short of satisfying. My only real issue here, is that the film seems rushed and unnecessary. As an action film, it’s awesome. As a Rambo film….it’s the weakest of the bunch, but if you’re a fan like I am, you should still see it.
While there were other action movies that came out this year, these ones definitely stood out for me, even though I was having an internal debate about Rambo. While I wouldn’t say that 2019 was the best year for action, the action films that it did have were very strong. Stay tuned as I cover some of the best horror movies of 2019. That one should be pretty interesting.