For those of you who prefer to be grabbed from your seat and thrown across the room (metaphorically, of course), it’s been a hell of a year as far as action films go. But, you’re either going for the raw action, period, because you’re a complete metalhead or you’re going for lore and the story that drives the action. As in, you take everything into account.
Action flicks are typically the most popular, and Andrew is right — if you don’t go see the latest and most talked about in the theatre, you’ll be left out of the Twitter convo. (Check out Andrew’s “Best Indie Films of 2017” article here!) And, you don’t want to be a square, do you?
If you haven’t seen them all because you’re like me and think, “How could this be better and different from the last?” I urge you to make time for the following that broke noses and blew minds. Three out of the four happen to be superhero movies, but they’re not what you think. Which is a good thing.
John Wick: Chapter 2
Our first kick-ass film of the year was a sequel, and surprisingly just as good as the first — if not, better — than the first installment, which is pretty unusual for most sequels these days. When people hear his name it evokes just as much excitement and fear in our hearts as his nickname in this universe — “Baba Yaga”. Directed by a stuntman and action aficionado, Chad Stahelski, John Wick returns to repay a debt, but he quickly finds out there’s been a bounty (or two) put on his head. The breathtaking fight scenes and the style and tone of the film will remind you of a mixed-martial arts movie. Much like its lead character, this film doesn’t rest and is easily one of the best must-see films of the year.
Logan
Director James Mangold will go down in history as the guy who made a mundane superhero movie look original and cool and still somehow brought its viewers to tears at the same time. I had the misfortune of missing this one at the theatre, but it still was just as powerful on the small screen. Set in 2029 somewhere on the Mexican border, a very aged and bitter Logan hides from the world with Professor X until a young mutant finds them and they are forced to help save her and battle the evil forces that follow. Without giving too much away, Mangold manages to transform and develop superheroes within a two-hour timeframe in a very real and beautiful way.
Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol. 2
Whoa! Another sequel? The Guardians return to fight evil again, but the movie centers around Peter Quill’s relationship with his father while the rest of the group is trying to adjust to being a part of a family. In typical Marvel fashion, GotG follows its own formula that other Marvel movies are now trying to recreate — with very little success. Whether you go for the story or not, GotG is worth the money just for characters, costumes, cinematic photography, and – as everyone knows – the soundtrack.
Wonder Woman
It’s rare to find one superhero film that comes close to being perfect (Logan), but to have two is straight-up unbelievable. Wonder Woman was one of the most anticipated releases of the year, and it held up and may have even saved the rest of the Justice League movies that are on the way to the big screen. WW is heartwarming and fun, and Gal Gadot carries the legacy well.
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Other honorable mentions I should point out include King Kong: Skull Island, Alien: Covenant, and The Mummy, as I am a big fan of the MosterVerse, the Alien franchise, and the Dark Universe, and, although these films were fun and jam-packed with heart-sputtering action, they were not without their faults. The aforementioned few are, however. So, rage on with some of the best and let us know what you think!
Hit us up on twitter @Official_FAN with your fav action films so far in 2017!
You can find Alyson on Twitter @alyjour when she’s not co-hosting the Squibardry podcast!