While being stuck inside right now may be getting you down, it’s a great chance to get caught up on any movies that you might have missed.
If you are a fan of action movies, you might get bored of watching the same mainstream action movies repeatedly. There are a lot of action movies out there that tend to fly under the radar. So here is my list of the top 10 underrated action movies. This list includes cult classic action movies as well.
10). “Death Sentence”:
After getting his start with the “Saw” movies, James Wan directed this vigilante action movie loosely based off the book of the same name. Kevin Bacon stars as a father who kills a member of a gang that murdered his son as a part of his gang initiation.
Unfortunately, the deceased gang member’s brother and his gang set their sights on making Bacon and his family pay, leading to Bacon having to take drastic steps to protect his family. This movie is chalk full of tense moments and some decent action scenes.
9). “Officer Downe”:
If you like comic book movies but are sick of Marvel and DC, then check out this gem. Kim Coates from “Sons of Anarchy” stars as Officer Downe, a secret weapon for a police department to help them fight crime. He is an officer who goes on suicide missions but is brought back to life whenever he dies.
The action in this movie is over the top, and the audience sees Officer Downe dealing with everything from gun running nuns to ninjas. The icing on the cake is this movie is directed by Slipknot member Shawn Crahan, so it’s full of heavy metal and extreme violence.
8). “Punisher Warzone”:
If you like the Marvel movies, but wish they had more violence, then here’s a movie for you. Frank Castle, portrayed by Ray Stevenson, continues his war on crime and leaves a high body count in his path. This movie has plenty of great shootouts and violence that shows off the brutal side of the Punisher.
7). “Hobo With A Shotgun”:
Yes, you read the title right. Yes, this movie exists. In this movie, a hobo (portrayed by Rutger Hauer) decides to clean up crime in a city after buying a shotgun from a pawn shop. The hobo deals with corrupt cops, organized crime and even demons. This movie pays homage to Grindhouse Cinema with B-movie quality effects, over the top violence and enough dark humor to keep you laughing.
6). “Machete”:
When you want a bad guy dead, you call Machete. Danny Trejo portrays a former Mexican Federale who’s been framed for an attempted assassination on a senator (portrayed by Robert DeNiro). Now on the run and out to clear his name, he’ll do anything, including murdering anyone who gets in his way. This movie is another homage to Grindhouse.
5). “Planet Terror”:
In this Robert Rodriguez directed movie, the undead have risen from the grave due to a military bioweapon being released. It’s up to Cherry (Rose McGowan), a one-legged dancer with an M16 and a grenade launcher attached to her leg, and her friends to save the survivors and kill the zombies. This movie is once again, over the top and has great B-movie effects.
4). “The Rundown”:
Dwyane “The Rock” Johnson and Sean William Scott unite in this action comedy. Johnson plays a bounty hunter sent down to Brazil to track down his employer’s son and ends up running afoul with a crooked miner operator portrayed by Christopher Walken. The chemistry between Johnson and Scott makes the movie worth watching.
3). “Shoot ‘Em Up”:
Imagine if John Wick decided to take a more Looney Tunes style approach, while maintaining the high body count. That’s what this movie is. Clive Owen plays a drifter who gets more than he bargained for when he saves a baby from a group of men. The title lives up to its name, with hordes of bad guys being wiped out left and right.
2). “Dredd”:
This movie is another comic book adaptation. In the future, the United States is a wasteland with people crammed into mega cities. To help combat crime, judges are deployed to act as judge, jury and executioner to maintain order. Karl Urban plays Judge Dredd, who takes a young rookie (portrayed by Cassandra Anderson) under his wing to take down a crime boss. This movie is very violent but full of amazing action and performances that make it worth watching.
1). “Upgrade”:
This combines cyberpunk with a “Death Wish” style revenge fantasy. After going to the bad part of a neighborhood, a man is crippled, and his wife is killed. In order to help him, an employer gives him a chip that helps him walk. The chip can speak to him and helps him track down the people responsible for murdering his wife. This movie is full of dark comedy and amazing action scenes that’ll leave you in awe. The story is also a thrill ride with many twists and turns.
Ryan Hill can be reached at [email protected]