Overheard: "Dude, man, what was that? That was so loud. Rocket Maaaaan. No way! That's way cool!"

And it was way cool. Here's a video of Kinnie speaking to a crowd in Asheville, inviting them to come out to the first year of ActionFest. Like everyone associated with the festival, he was incredibly nice and gracious. He died way too young. My heart goes out to his family. He will be missed and he was greatly appreciated and admired.

TERMINATOR GENISYS: Smile!
July 1, 2015

Contains SPOILERS . . . Don't read this unless you've seen it. And YES you should go see it! (I didn't watch the trailers because trailers ruin movies, so I enjoyed seeing it all for the first time.)

So I tweeted "@Schwarzenegger carries @Terminator Genisys with muscle and heart. True fans will enjoy it. Others will complain."  I'm a BIG FAN of all the Terminator movies. I happen to like 3 better than 2. Sacrilege, I know, what can I say? I think the action's some of the best ever and I really liked that the T-X was a girl and the scene with Arnold carrying a coffin on his shoulder. Nothing that other people complained about T3 bothered me much. I was just grateful for a great ride! But enough about Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines . . .. Now I'm going to contradict myself and seem like I'm full of it, but give me a chance. I did enjoy the movie, but it's not without its issues. Here goes:

This movie is fun. All the way through there's plenty of action. It's just a little weird seeing other actors as characters we loved so much. That said, it's really minor, because we're all about Arnold anyway, and we get at least 3 versions of him: Young, older, and old. The suspension of disbelief is easy because he's a robot underneath. And he's Arnold. This is the Arnold we want to see. Big, Bad Ass, Funny.

People have complained about the script, but there was a good deal of humor and enough continuity with repeated lines from the earlier movies to keep the illusion, cause this movie kinda pretended to be a Terminator movie, I mean, they have Arnold, right, and 3 kinds of terminators, so what was 'off'?

John Connor made a Big Dog Entrance, which was cool, but after that he was not in the movie much until later and he didn't come across as this legend/savior at all. I wondered if this was your first Terminator movie, would you think he was this big hero? Would you even be scared of the machines? Other than John Connor not being large and in charge, the thing that bothered me the most was, at times that were urgent, the characters took their time with exposition. (Excuse me but a Terminator was just sent through the portal. You should be following him ASAP. No time for sitting down and chit chat.)  Arnold makes several Big Dog Entrances as well, but since he's a good guy now, he's a father/grandfather figure and the Bad Assery is toned down with sweetness. It's this heart that his character has that carries the film (with Schwarzenegger's understated spot-on performance). How do you play emotion with an emotion-less machine? He does it, and does it well, as he has all along since the Terminator went from evil to good.

The movie is a love story and ends with a kiss (to be continued?). All For Love happens to be one of my Action Movie Subgenres, but either they have no chemistry and/or it just doesn't work here. Emilia Clarke handles the action well but her doe-y eyed baby face doesn't look the part. Neither does Jai Courtney.  Byung-hun Lee was great as the T1000 but they hardly used him, and kudos to J. K. Simmons who stole the scenes he was in.  I think a big thing that was lacking was that Jason Clarke wasn't scary as the converted John Connor. There wasn't that terrifying sense of betrayal and danger. I wondered if that was because of the casting. We weren't invested in him, nor attached. Although there is one intense scene where the skeleton of an old Terminator tries to kill Kyle, the thrill of the relentlessness of the machines has worn off. They were really creative in how many different ways they tried to put evil John Connor down but it was no longer scary. Terminators are supposed to be scary. The new version of The Terminator looked wicked in black but it was just a robot. There was nothing really malevolent about him. Plus, he talked too much!

Another thing is the music is supposed to be really intensely noisy, not orchestral. I was expecting Brostep. I mean, Terminator movies kind of invented Dubstep, right?

Arnold got the only above-the-line credit, which was cool and as it should be. I was afraid they were going to kill him off but he stayed as the central character in the movie throughout. Without him, this would not be a movie worth watching. Arnold as the "Guardian" spends years stockpiling weapons (in Iron Man's old bunker) but how many can they carry? They end up blowing it all up, and it still doesn't do the trick. Plus, Skynet is wide open and seemingly deserted—They just fly in, land, and walk in through the front doors. They take out the complex of buildings like a chain reaction of implosions with just 3 bombs in the basement of one building. How is that possible?!

Overall, they paid homage to all the critical elements of a Terminator movie, it's just a shame the casting was off. That is a minor thing though. If you're a true fan you will enjoy the movie all the way through despite these little nit picky things. It's always hard when they try to resume something like this series that was so popular, and try to keep the ball rolling. The way they leave the ending, they could do another. They probably will, and it will be a tear jerker when they kill off Arnold (we cried once before as it was). With the time travel thing, the sky's the limit on plot twists. With the advancements in movie magic, I was expecting another level. What I got was more of the same. Good thing that same was so good to begin with.  A good analogy would be unwrapping a present when you know what it is.  It's still a gift: Shut up and eat your awesome.

BIG GAME: little meat
June 29, 2015

The trailer for this movie gave EVERYTHING away. WHY do they do that?! It was a great trailer and a fun movie, but there didn't seem to be much left to watch since I SAW IT ALL ALREADY. That's what I get for watching another trailer.

This movie is enjoyable but it didn't seem like 110 minutes. Samuel L. Jackson's version of the President really didn't do much. I am sure we all paid just to hear him say "Motherfucker" again. If I hadn't seen the trailer, I might have been happier because I wouldn't have known about the freezer falling and the ejector seat. In the end it was like eating a great big burger with all the fixings but no meat. The hero of an Action Movie has to be beefier. I thought SLJ would make up for that in attitude and go Obama's Anger Translator on us but he kept it downright wimpy. Still, it's fun. I would probably watch it again.

BALLERS
starts tonight
on HBO
June 21, 2015

Set in Miami, "Ballers" is a :30 minute TV show from HBO @BallersHBO. "A series centered around a group of football players and their families, friends, and handlers" is the @IMDb synopis.

From the Miami New Times article in 2014: "What could be better than an Entourage-inspired HBO series created by Mark Wahlberg and Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson both filmed and set in Miami?  Here's what: A series that is all of those things, and also titled Ballers. (We'd have preferred Ballerz, but whatever.)"

More better: the Director is Peter Berg.

"Legends don't retire. They reinvent." is the tagline. So it's all about @TheRock. And "Get Rich, Get Laid, Have Fun." As big a star as Dwayne Johnson is, the city of MIAMI might outshine him. Damn, we look good on film! Can't wait to watch the Samoan Thor take charge. Know your role and shut mouth.

Jurassic World: Nightmares in Babysitting
June 11, 2015

Steven Spielberg says it best:  "To see Jurassic World come to life is like seeing Jurassic Park come true." I haven't been this happy after seeing a movie since T3.  Read more . . .

Jason Statham on LIVE with Kelly and Michael
June 3, 2015

If you're a big Jason Statham fan, you probably already know he was an amateur high-board diver, but did you also know he wanted to be a stuntman? In now unavailable video I had here, he told LIVE with Kelly and Michael that he really wanted to be a stuntman and he shared his insight into stuntwork. Jason Statham also knows what it means to be a total  Action Movie Bad Ass. He's always praising the stuntmen first, and even does his own stunts when he can. (Like the time we nearly lost him to drowning on the set of The Expendables 3.) I don't need to convince you what a true Action Figure he is. Here, IGN covers the accident.

Thanks to ";LIVE with Kelly and Michael" Production Associate Alexa Monahan for sharing this clip from the show (now 404).

The Athena Project to Star Ronda Rousey
June 2, 2015

Book Synopsis: From the #1 New York Times bestselling author Brad Thor, The Athena Project is the first in a thrilling series featuring Delta Force's newest members: four fearsome, deadly, and incredibly skilled female operatives. Part of a top-secret, all-female program codenamed The Athena Project, these four women are about to undertake one of the nation's deadliest assignments.

When a terrorist attack in Rome kills more than twenty Americans, Athena Team members Gretchen Casey, Julie Ericsson, Megan Rhodes, and Alex Cooper are tasked with hunting down the Venetian arms dealer responsible for providing the explosives. But there is more to the story than anyone knows.

In the jungles of South America, a young US intelligence officer has made a grisly discovery. Surrounded by monoliths covered with Runic symbols, one of America's greatest fears appears to have come true.

Simultaneously in Colorado, a foreign spy is close to penetrating the mysterious secret the US government has hidden beneath Denver International Airport.

As Casey, Ericsson, Rhodes, and Cooper close in on their target, they will soon learn that another attack—one of unimaginable proportions—has already been set in motion, and the greatest threat they face may be the secrets kept by their own government.

____

According to deadline.com, the script will be written by Ashleigh Powell. In an interview with Blue Cat, she says she's written 12 scripts, only 3 of which she would show anybody. This is quite a feather in her cap then and I wish her much success. I hope she knows what a responsibility it is to represent women well. I hope they get a female director and I look forward to hearing which stuntwomen will star (I say star because we all know it's the stunts that make the movie). Here's an introduction by the author. His heart seems to be in the right place, even if his perception of women is as sexy and beautiful first, and people second. With the exception of the stupid line about "stilettos" (by a woman!) as a teaser. When are we going to be able to strong without having to dilute it to nonthreatening status by being attractive? 

San Andreas is epic Movie Magic!
May 29, 2015

What are you looking here for? Go see it! Go see it again if you already have. Give @TheRock more money to make more Action Movies. San Andreas looks so real, it's beyond the suspension of disbelief. How do they do that?!

Max Takes a Backseat in Mad Max: Fury Road
May 16, 2015

One of my favorite details in movies is when they change the logos at the start to reflect the theme of the movie. Love the rusting logos in this one; the throaty sound of a thirsty engine, and then the narration begins:

"My name is Max."

Thomas Hardy as 'Mad' Max is captured by a pack of 'wild dogs' from a cult-like society under the control, and fueled by their worship of, their leader (the Immorten Joe). Driven by the need for gasoline and bullets, speed and violence, and with insane delusions/illusions of an afterlife/rebirth in Valhalla, they are the "Mad Boys"—the muscle that drives the 'machine'.

Near the top of the chain is Charlize Theron's character "Imperator Furiosa". Once she appears onscreen, the movie detours with her in her flight to freedom and Max takes a backseat to Furiosa. Because of that, you expect there to be a spark of romance that will play out in future movies, between the two of them, but there isn't (yet?). That may be the most 'feminist' thing of all in a movie being widely hailed as feminist. A female character who's not there merely to be a romantic interest! Who would have expected that in this macho, post-apocalyptic culture!? The other main female characters are "breeders/wives", which makes the fact that the Imperator is female even more unusual, but then we see that she comes from a tribe of strong women (capable of surviving alone).

It's encouraging that so many who are labeling this movie as feminist see it as a positive thing. That's progress. Charlize does a great job of fighting. She swings as hard as a man, and in true Action Movie style, goes all out to help further her cause and protect the weaker females. It's a clear distinction that seems to be increasing. Yes, there are still the damsels in distress who need rescuing, but it doesn't have to be by a man. More progress.

That may be because this is just an installment in a longer story—Tom Hardy told Esquire magazine he's attached to 3 more Mad Max films, which is great because he does a great job and that will give us a chance to see him as Max because this film kind of did not. While he had a big part, not much of it was vocal, and a lot of it played second fiddle to Furiosa. There's even one surprising scene where he misses 2 shots out of 3 total bullets left, and so hands the gun to Furiosa for the final shot. All it needed to be "Mad Furiosa: Fury Road" was her backstory in the beginning to get us invested in her success, but we don't find out until near the end what is 'driving' her.

Against the rich tapestry of Felliniesque freaks that Mad Max is, for a woman to not only survive, but hold her own and rise to the top of their screwed-up society to drive a war rig is really something. But really, who cares about all that They didn't invest us. We were just along for the ride. What a wild ride. You have to see it for the stunts. There's nothing like it! It's as edge of your seat as it gets for a Chase movie.

SuperGIRL preview
May 13, 2015

What do I love so much about it? Pretty much everything. The one thing that stood out was the too-short-skirt shot from behind before they added pantyhose to the outfit but the costume is not revealing overall and they kept her wholesome. Plus, but, most importantly, she's a SUPERHERO and she's a girl! Love the amount of pink, and Calista Flockhart doing a Devil Wears Prada/mean boss thing, the romantic interest(s), and the career jokes. Should be fun!

Life of Action: The must-have Action Movie book!
May 3, 2015

LIFE OF ACTION is a new paperback book by Mike Fury (a Martial Arts & Film Journalist, at right) that features interviews with many actors, filmmakers, and stunt people from the world of Martial Arts and Action Movies, like:

• Scott Adkins & Isaac Florentine

• Dolph Lundgren

• Donnie Yen

• J.J. Perry

• Cynthia Rothrock

• 87eleven's David Leitch & Chad Stahelski

• Johnny Strong

and many more. The book has just been released and you can buy it at mikefury.net/lifeofaction or on amazon.com. Any Action Movie Freak you know will have to own this book!

Scott Adkins shared the book on his official Facebook page and posted: “Brilliant new book on action film making out now.” A quote by Scott from the book gives us an idea of the exciting content: "I'll always stay immersed in Action as long as I can. For me, great fight scenes are the most dynamic form of cinema."

Amen to that! There are some sample pages below. Great reading . . . Dolph attended Clemson #whoknew.  
(Click here to Like the book on Facebook.)

Click on the photos below to read larger versions:

Avengers: Age of Ultron
May 1, 2015

There was plenty of Action and it was good, and there were only a couple of times the fight scenes were hard to follow (you know 'how they do' with too much shaky cam). The Camaraderie and Dominance was fun, but each of the characters seemed to get too little screen time (especially the black actors).

And what's with Black Widow calling herself a "monster" just because she can't have kids? After seeing the movie, they (the actors in real life) were way off base calling the Black Widow character a slut. That was so unfounded. It just makes me realize we women haven't come very far at all. We still get no respect even when we are playing superheroes. I heard somewhere that Black Widow had "taken over" this movie, and stupid me, my mind went to stuntwork (which was incredible in the last movie), but this time, all they cared about was having her be in love (rolling my eyes) . . . BORING. Is that what they think we want to see, or is that what they think of us, or both? Which would be  worse?

A flying city, lots of Ultrons (like Agent Smiths) . . . it all seemed like I'd seen it all before. Remember the first movie and how cool the flying battleship was when you first saw it? Plus how special the whole laboratory/Hulk-Iron Man/scientists bromance seemed? They flushed Pepper Potts, yay! This was NOT an Iron Man movie—but that was more of a minus than a plus.  The Mjolnir jokes were the best thing about the movie.  Iron Man was more than subdued. Hardly any "merry quips" as my Dad used to call them. Just some little jokes about cursing.

There were so many characters it was like a carousel of swirling people: heroes, villains, by the time we got to Ulysses Klaue I didn't care anymore about who the hell he was.  Seemed like too much detail and very little movement forward.

I'm kinda tired of Superhero movies in general, although I'm a huge Superman fan (over Batman) and an even bigger Aquaman fan. 1) Aquaman, 2) Superman, 3) Thor, 4) Wonder Woman. As Action Movies go, I prefer real characters, not fantasy creatures with strange powers like pointing your fingers to use a red light and mind control. The kind of mind control I like is true physical superiority. I thought I would hate the brother/sister act, but they (the actors) were both good and then [too bad] SPOILER they kill one of them off.  The whole time I was thinking they were going to kill Iron Man, because he's human, and because RDJ doesn't (supposedly) want to do any more Iron Man movies(?).

Unless you're really into the story line of the whole stones thing from the comics, I can't see much reason to go see another Avengers movie. I'm ready for the Justice League.

NEWSFLASH:

Just read that "Tom Hardy Wants to Play Frank Castle in the Next Punisher Movie". 
How soon can we see that!?

Indiana Jones spotted in Miami . . .
April 28, 2015

What does Indiana Jones drive? A Jeep, of course! A nice khaki green.  [Sorry it's blurry (phone shot taken hastily in the mist of the car wash). ] The Punisher lives here too. Drives a flat black pick-up.

I'm Ready for Avengers: Age of Ultron
April 28, 2015

I haven't watched the trailers. I saw a bit of the first teaser so I know what Ultron looks like and that tons of people are running from something in the city.  I am so excited that nothing has been spoiled for me. I have heard the rumors that someone is going to get killed and that it's Captain America but I was thinking Iron Man . . .

Thor is still my favorite (after Aquaman LOL #notfunny).  Watched this to get psyched:

Get Ready for Star Wars
April 25, 2015

Amazon.com's blowing it out with a "Get Ready for Star Wars Day" page. 

Loving this Darth Vader ring. That's cool!  And this Star Wars logo ring . . .
 

Whole Lotta Love for Jeremy Marinas
April 7, 2015

Check out Stuntman Jeremy Marinas' mad skillz (and follow him on twitter @jermskillz) . . .

Furious Seven says goodbye to Paul Walker
April 7, 2015

SPOILERS . . . It's so poignant, I couldn't help but wonder how much of the story was always there and if they added anything (other than that final goodbye with the computer-generated smiling face of Paul Walker). It really was a family, and Brian was the heart.

Those who truly love the franchise also loved 2 Fast 2 Furious, a movie a lot of people complained about. That's when they hooked me, although I loved the first movie too. 2 Fast 2 Furious was just too much fun (that's a good thing)—Brian and Roman were great together. For me the best movie was Fast Five. It was everything you hoped it would be (a Heist fairy tale). I hadn't seen such an intense opening since T3. This movie is almost non-stop action sequences. Some of them are nail biters. This seemed like an ending to the whole series but I would watch 8 just to see 'the family' again, and the cars. This movie (as usual) is FULL of great cars.

Ronda Rousey was wasted in this movie. What was with the weird eyeliner? If they want to make you up like that, you should just say no. She's so strong, she looked like she could snap Michelle Rodriguez like a twig!

The plot was really simple but the one thing that really stood out was why they had to steal the "God's Eye" (which would need a supercomputer to run and yet is portable) to find Jason Statham's character, when he just keeps finding them and showing up? Stick together and wait.

Kurt Russell was good and his role was probably more screen time that he would have gotten in an Expendables movie.

Jason Statham vs. The Rock was great to watch but the final fight scene of Jason Statham vs. Vin Diesel looked like a mismatch. I thought the copied Romeo Must Die a little (this image below). It was kind of crazy how they cut away from this fight scene and then came back to it. Even though Vin is bigger, I thought Jason seemed like such the better fighter that it showed. (The movie borrowed from a lot of other action movies: The Lost World: Jurassic Park (bus scene), The Expendables 3 (The Rock is out), Mission: Impossible 2 (backwards hanging hand hold), Live Free or Die Hard (took out a drone with an ambulance), maybe more . . . (haven't written about it yet).  They did their own take on it all though and it was still enjoyable.

I don't know how they make Paul Walker hold his own against Tony Jaa.  It looked like such a beating, but guess who wins?

I am sure Furious Seven (the credits spell out 7 but everywhere they use the number) will break box office records. I will buy the movie just to see the extras. It delivered on all the things we love the series for. You gotta see it. And try not to cry. Just try . . .

First-ever FEMALE Action Heroes Film Festival: Artemis WOMEN IN ACTION Film Festival
Feb 23 2015

Big News today! Just found out via a Google Alert that Artemis Motion Pictures will be holding the inaugural Artemis WOMEN IN ACTION Film Festival in Los Angeles from Friday thru Sunday (April 24- April 26, 2015). They have an IndieGoGo Project for funding. Contribute if you can, please.  Also, they are on Facebook and twitter @Artemis_FF.

“If we want to see women taking up a stronger place
in society on every level, we must create those images
in our filmed entertainment as this is the fastest path
to change that paradigm.”

- Melanie Wise,(via PRWeb) festival co-founder.

Amen! How women are presented on film now that movies with female "superheroes" like Wonder Woman are finally being made is quintessentially important for the future of all women.  Not to be Cosplay Bimbos but real women of strength. Not fantasy dick accessories but properly attired heroes. Not a pair of tits in a tight costume bouncing around for the amusement of men. Not a skinny girl that it's impossible to suspend disbelief for when she wields a sword.  Not a bloodied victim to feed misogynistic fantasies, or relegated to a sidekick, or a damsel in distress. I only hope their red carpet will have properly attired women as well [my thoughts on that are in issue 2 of PAYBACK action movie magazine celebrating the emergence of women in action movies <--shameless plug], and that their choices or awards will not be concerned with what is "hot".

Congratulations to @ActionChick Katrina Hill (author of the book Action Movie Freak") who was chosen as a judge. If only I could get her and all women to stop putting their desirability to the forefront . . . Yes,  you're pretty. You're so much more than pretty, be more than.

. . . and if only I could attend the festival.  Well, I will certainly be there at heart. #grrrlpower!

Spartacus doesn't 'cock' it up.
Feb 19 2015

In the Spartacus series on Starz, words spew forth, like buckets of blood, and none more forcefully uttered than "cock"—Could be a drinking game (no doubt is). They use that word so often and with such force that it becomes funny when you hear it, but it wasn't until John Hannah as "Batiatus" bemoaned for the second time how the universe "rammed cock in ass" that it hit me how often I'd heard it. With all the beefcake, boobs, 'Action', and penis there is in this series, it's a compliment to Hannah's acting that the character of Batiatus commands the most attention.

I wondered if the series would really be about gladiators or if they would be just a backdrop, but it's ALL about gladiators.

I've always groused about gratuitous female nudity, degradation, and debasing, saying that it might be a different matter if it wasn't always one-sided, but it never was. And then, there was Spartacus. A nearly equal offender (certainly more so by Season 3), the series is ripe with male and female nudity and festers with soft porn, delivered roughly. So much so, it's ridiculous at times, but viewers not easily offended could discount it, and enjoy the plot and the Action. The first season's fighting was top rate, and oh, the Drama. Passion, and even true love, drive multiple story lines, and it was a testament to the writing that all the various characters were equally engaging and the stories held our interest. (I've read some complain that it's poorly written. Are they crazy?! Game of Thrones has some of the worst dialogue I've ever heard. Spartacus is F. Scott Fitzgerald by comparison. And then we lost Spartacus himself when actor Andy Whitfield died. So Season 3 began with a back story, and when we caught up we had another actor in the lead. There was a resemblance but he's not nearly as built, so they covered him up a bit. It took a while to accept him in the role but the Drama is so compelling that even a radical feminist like me can roll her eyes at the ridiculous and ignore the blatantly misogynistic rape, disfigurement, and murder scenes (believe it or not) to be engrossed, enthralled even, in the story line.  Guess I'm just a bloodthirsty warrior at heart. Aren't all Action Movie Freaks?  In Season 3 they give women more of a fighting chance. Took me a while to get to watch this but the life/death stakes are such a hook, that I'm hooked!  Wouldn't want every series to be like this but it is entertaining. The characters make it great, and I love that there are so many of them, and yet it doesn't dilute the main plot as it so often does in movies because of the time constraint.

Kingsman: The Secret Service delivers
on Action Movie Essentials and Bond-iness
Feb 14 2015

The story was surprisingly engaging, and there was quite the spectacular A Clockwork Orange homage at the end. It's rare that situational violence is set so well to music for visual and comedic effect. If you'd never seen A Clockwork Orange (1971) it seems genius, yet even if not original, it holds its own and it's a mother of a payoff.  The new Bond-type character "Eggsy" was a refreshing change from the upper-class wankers that the Kingsmen seemed to be. When Eggsy puts on the suit and glasses at the end, it's kind of funny and endearing how it doesn't 'fit' who he is. He takes it all on though, fills the shoes, and more (saving the world), and that seems to be the movie message. Don't underrate people based on where they come from. He's not only good enough to be a Kingman, he's the better man (as his father was). I mistakenly thought it would be a bit more about where he came from in terms of juvenile-delinquent-type activities, like he was a bad boy and they were setting him to right, taking the skills he used to use for crime and making him use them for good . . . but, they surprised me. That's not really what his situation is about, which was a good thing. (There's a funny scene where Colin Firth rattles off the title of similar movies, including "La Femme Nikita" (Point of No Return), and the one Eggsy relates to is "My Fair Lady".)

Samuel Jackson's character makes a biting commentary on modern life with his villainous antics and ridiculous world-dominating plot à la classic Bond Movies. From Oscar Pistorius, to McDonald's, to Apple, to Westboro Baptist Church, modern life is askew and skewered. Samuel Jackson's performance was both convincing and highly entertaining, but the stand-out performance was easily dancer Sofia Boutella as the evil sidekick "Gazelle"—Frightening female villains being another Bond Movie classic. Yes, Sofia has feet in real life. A testament to movie magic that her special effects blades were flawless. In fact, she's so good in the role, you were just squirming for them to finish her in some awful way after all the damage she inflicts. I won't spoil that for you. After all, how much can we root for them to kill some with a 'disadvantage' even if they are evil?
 

Most of the movie's appeal is owing to Taron Egerton's performance as Eggsy, not to seeing Colin Firth in 'Action' as the movie was promoted. They more than deliver on that account though, as Mr. Darcy racks up an impressive Killcount and lots of Gnarly Kills. Also, if you missed the Bond gadgets after Skyfall announced "We don't really go in for that anymore", you'll be extra pleased at all the tricks up their sleeve here.  It really was laugh-out-loud enjoyable violence for violence's sake. How often can you say that? Action Movie Freaks know what I'm talking about.

How this movie holds up as a 'Bond' movie is arguable. Speaking of Skyfall, the double meaning in the conversation where 007 meets the new quartermaster "Q" at The National Gallery when they are gazing at Turner's masterpiece "The Fighting Temeraire" comes to mind (everything of Turner's is magnificent but they must be seen in person—photos don't do them justice).

Q

It always makes me feel a bit melancholy. A grand old warship being ignominiously hauled away for scrap. The inevitability of time, don't you think?

Whereas Skyfall revised the outdated version of James Bond into someone who could believably do the physical side of field work even if he was not that young, this movie takes a very young man (26 in real life), who is probably 20-21 in the movie, and completes the transformation. The "inevitability of time" transformed James Bond into someone athletic (an Action Figure not just an actor), something Skyfall addressed. And Kingsman: The Secret Service completes that transformation, however, they use the old version of Bond rather tongue-in-cheek, and there really is (in my opinion) no place or desire for a James Bond Academy series where just one person at a time gets picked.

Q

 What do you see?

007

A bloody big ship.

The bloody big ship in Skyfall was "M" but it could also be the MI6 or the James Bond movie franchise, and this movie proves there's room for more than one Bond (in the past there was as well with satires, which this movie treads the line on). I'd like to see a co-ed Bond Academy movie that focuses on the training (like the focus of G.I. Jane or The Right Stuff, as examples). Also, where this movie gives some due to women, they 'kill off' one of the two female prospects (out of 9), the women are the shortest, and the one remaining girl is fearful. And while all the 'kids' are physically fit, none are Super Soldier material. That brings to mind "Soldier" starring Kurt Russell, and I would really love to see a remake of that! Really, isn't James Bond supposed to be the cream of the crop? Having upper-class kids play at Bond is fun and a fantasy, but is noblesse oblige enough to carry one into a secret life of danger? After the "weak chins" joke, it's hard to imagine they would want to do this.  Having had everything handed to them, what's their motivation?

Casino Royale set it up, nicely:  "By the cut of your suit, you went to Oxford or wherever, and naturally think human beings dress like that. But you wear it with such disdain, my guess is you didn't come from money, and your school friends never let you forget it. Which means you were at that school by the grace of someone else's charity, hence the chip on your shoulder. And since your first thought ran to orphan, that's what I'd say you are . . . Oh, you are. I like this poker thing. And that makes perfect sense, since MI6 looks for maladjusted young men that give little though to sacrificing others in order to protect Queen and country. You know, former SAS types with easy smiles and expensive watches." 

[No, I didn't mention Mark Hamill, or the yoga pants/gun/whiskey poster (<-hate that).]

Jupiter Ascending soars!
Feb 6 2015

Teary-eyed Channing Tatum captivates as an unwilling suitor in this . . . chick flick with action—I'm calling it a chick flick because that's how good the romance is, which puts it solidly in the All For Love subgenre. Also captivating are all  special effects. The movie knocks it out of the park on the Sci-Fi. The detail in the other worlds is beyond stunning and there can be no complaints about the creativity (lots of wow moments). Yet, for all there is to see in Jupiter Ascending, the most enjoyable part was the simple message that we should appreciate whatever we have, because, no matter how lowly your position, it could all be taken away from you at any moment. In a sense, it was just like The Matrix, in reverse. Jupiter is 'the one'. Earth, where she is an ordinary girl, is real life, and being Queen is the Matrix. Jupiter just wants to get out of being Queen and get re-inserted back into her real life. And, like The Matrix she finds her true love. The best line in the movie has to be when she says "I love dogs. I've always loved dogs." And, at that moment, we couldn't agree more. Channing Tatum is so likeable, so everyman-yet-unattainable. He's that boy-next-door, all-American hunk, good guy we all had a crush on. Take that to the bank, because whatever else you think is going on, that's what's selling here. And rocket boots. Didn't you have to go just to see the rocket boots?!

Unlucky Stars trailer is up!
Feb 4 2015

Back in 2012 a group of talented young action stars began their journey to make an old-school Action Movie. Love this part about having a blog—being sent information on what is new!

The trailer more than delivers on the promise of epic beatdowns. Some of the hits are truly cringe-worthy. Can't wait to see the film. Action Movie Freaks should definitely check it out and support them so we can see more from them in the future.

Follow them on twitter @Unlucky_Stars
and Like them on Facebook Unlucky Stars The Movie
 

Love the sound effects and the energy and enthusiasm. They are having more fun than you! "This is going to be an Action Classic!"

Their synopsis:
"When Peru's Biggest Action Film Star and Jordan's newest rising talent find themselves pursued by a notorious Bookie, a couple of private investigators are forced to choose between their job and their conscience. With martial arts and comedy inspired by the golden era of 80s Hong Kong Action Cinema, Unlucky Stars is an exciting action packed ride that pays homage to the greats who paved the way."

American Sniper:
Portrait of Bravery
Jan 18 2015

When the movie was over, you could hear a pin drop. Nobody moved during the credits. As we poured out of the theater, you could hear many people sobbing. Movies like this ground us and make us appreciate all we have.  In paying tribute to a real-life Hero (Chris Kyle pictured at left and below right), it reminds me why I love Action Movies so much, and what true Action Movies (not just movies with Action in them) strive for.

Bradley Cooper does a great job as "Chris Kyle". I was thinking he might not fit the part but he does Chris' life justice and in the end, it seemed like a special honor that we used one of our best actors to honor one of our greatest Heroes.  I wanted someone who was already beefy but Bradley was more than an Action Figure, he was the total Bad Ass.  I'm going to have to add him to the Bad Ass Action Figure list just for this role alone.  I'm writing about the movie now, but I have to finish a website (real life interferes but makes this blog possible, so please check back if you want to read how much I enjoyed the movie).

You really should go see it. It has so many of my Action Movie Essentials. The boys and their toys (not to make light of war but the equipment, machinery, helicopters, guns, vehicles, etc. are impressive), the military speak "2 clicks out", and the Camaraderie and Dominance, give us much needed Comic Relief in this portrait of Bravery, and tragic ending to a life that honored and saved so many others. It feels and looks so real! A cinematic masterpiece that will undoubtedly not get the full recognition it deserves in the awards, so give it your recognition and respect by paying to see it.

Action Movies to Look Forward to . . .
Dec 28 2014

What stayed with me most from 2014 was Lone Survivor, Murph the Protector, and The Raid 2 Berandal, plus the stuntwork by Heidi Moneymaker for Scarlett Johansson and the fight between Cap (Chris Evans and/or his stunt doubles Chris Brewster/Daniel Hargrave/Sam Hargrave?) and George St-Pierre in Captain America: The Winter Soldier.

For 2015 and beyond, there is so much to look forward to—these are in order by release date, and then alphabetical by year where there is no release date other than the year—including my favorites in orange . . .   And these are just a fraction of the movies (check out the full list of Action Movies By Year from IMDb).  Some I'd heard of, some I picked just because the title or plot was intriguing. Most link to their IMDb page. And I skipped War movies and Westerns. They are their own thing. It bothers me when people count them as Action Movies. They are not. They are movies with action in them.  Disagree? Check out my Action Movie Essentials :)

2015

January

• The Night Crew
  action thriller January 13
  ("Centers on a group of hard up bounty hunters who must survive the night in a desert motel against a horde of savage border runners." Danny Trejo movie :D)

• American Sniper
  action biography drama (war) January 16
  (Starring Bradley Cooper . . . see above.)

• Alien Outpost
  action sci-fi thriller January 30
  ("A documentary crew follows an elite unit of soldiers in the wake of an alien invasion."  All-male cast! Filmed in South Africa.)

• Wild Card
  action crime drama January 30
  ("When a Las Vegas bodyguard with lethal skills and a gambling problem gets in trouble with the mob, he has one last play . . . and it's all or nothing." This is a remake—hopefully a faithful one—of one of my favorite Burt Reynolds movie Heat (1986). It stars Jason Statham (more perfect). The Director is Simon West (Con Air, The General's Daughter, Lara Croft: Tomb Raider, The Mechanic, The Expendables 2, Stolen), and the writer is author and two-time Academy Award winner William Goldman (and the writer of many greats: Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, All the President's Men, Marathon Man, The Princess Bride, Maverick, Misery, and 3 of his screenplays are on the Writers Guild of America, West  101 Best Screenplays list.)

February

• Jupiter Ascending
  action adventure fantasy February 6
  (Ah, another great movie by Writer/Directors Andy Wachowski and Lana Wachowski. It stars Channing Tatum and Sean Bean, and David Leitch of 87eleven is the Stunt Coordinator.)

• Seventh Son action adventure fantasy February 6
  ("Young Thomas is apprenticed to the local Spook to learn to fight evil spirits. His first great challenge comes when the powerful Mother Malkin escapes her confinement while the Spook is away." It looks cool even if the story is a little hokey. Djimon Hounsou is in it, and Julianne Moore and Jeff Bridges (whose accent is hilarious)

• Kingsman: The Secret Service
  action adventure comedy February 13
  ("A veteran secret agent takes a young upstart under his wing." I've been wanting a Secret Service school/academy movie, but when I watch it the kids are too young. I guess I was expecting more 20-somethings. They look like prep school kids. Effects and Gadgets should make it worthwhile. Colin Firth sure looks like he's having a good time. The stunt double making him look good is Rick English (Inception, The Dark Knight Rises, Batman Begins.  Director Matthew Vaughan told Firth "“One of the reasons I'm casting you is because you're probably the last person anyone could imagine kicking people and kicking off the villains.” Read this EW article about how much Firth enjoyed his first Action Movie.)

• Batalon (Battalion)
  action drama history February 20 (Russia)
  ("Russia, 1917, WWI. This is the story of the 1st Russian Women's Battalion of Death, formed as part of an ill-conceived propaganda ploy by the Russian Provisional Government in late May of 1917."  Intriguing. $10M budget. Seems like it will be shown only in Russia. Somebody get it for me, please?)

March

• Chappie
  action thriller March 6
  (Neill Blomkamp! Starring Hugh Jackman, Sigourney Weaver, Sharlto Copley . . . I had you at Neill Blomkamp, right? Plus it seems very Robocop to me.)

• Run All Night
  action crime drama March 13
  (Liam Neeson as "an aging hitman who is forced to take on his brutal former boss to protect his estranged son and his family." Sound familiar? Also stars Joel Kinnaman. He's a hell of an actor. I'll see it for him even though it seems like another Taken . . .)

• The Gunman
  action crime drama March 20
  Sean Penn ("A former Special Forces soldier and military contractor suffering from PTSD tries to reconnect with his long time love, but first must go on the run from London to Barcelona and across Europe in order to clear his name." The Director is Pierre Morel (Taken, The Transporter, Transporter 2)—that's awesome, and the movie stars Idris Elba, Sean Penn, Ray Winstone, and Javier Bardem. I confess I laughed at the first trailer and the idea of Sean Penn in this movie and at Javier Bardem as a Bad Ass but the international trailer was much better than the first. The action makes it look worthwhile although the subject matter seems a bit depressing. )  

• Tracers
  action  March 20
  (Taylor Lautner stars as "A New York City bike messenger wanted by the mafia who escapes into the world of parkour after meeting a beautiful stranger.")

April

• Furious 7 
  action crime thriller April 3
  [HOLY CAST! They've added Jason Statham. This is his character's revenge for the killing of his brother played by Luke Evans in Fast & Furious 6. Plus, Kurt Russell, and Djimon Hounsou, Tony Jaa, Johnny Strong (rumored), and Lucas Black is back. The movie will be bittersweet over the real-life tragedy of the death of Paul Walker. Paul Walker's brothers Cody Walker and Caleb Walker helped complete his role.  On a lighter note, Noel Gugliemi is in it. You know him, the guy who always has a monkey come out of his butt LOL]

• Wolf Warrior
  action war March 1 April 6 (China)
  (Jacky Wu's directing and he's starring with Scott Adkins!)

May

• Avengers: Age of Ultron
  action adventure fantasy May 1
  (Another much-anticipated Joss Whedon project, written with Stan Lee. The villain looks incredible! It's one of the top three Boys Clubs cooler than The Expendables (along with The Fast and Furious cast).

• Hot Pursuit
  action comedy May 8
  ("A police officer and a prisoner are on the run in Texas." What if the police officer and the prisoner were Reese Witherspoon and Sofia Vergara? I don't know that for sure but it's a comedy. It's probably a Buddy Movie where how they don't get along will be funny.)

• Mad Max: Fury Road
  action adventure thriller May 15
  "My world is fire and gasoline."
  (Self-proclaimed—it ain't bragging if it's true—"Visionary" and "Mastermind" Writer/Director George Miller revisits his epic triology after a 20-year break and takes us for a 4th wild ride. The trailer is the most exciting thing I've seen in years! The inspiration came from artwork and a script by artist/designer Scriptwriter Brendan McCarthy. The trailer is the most exciting thing I've seen in years.  From the flaming skull logo to the music in the trailer to the oh-so-vibrant colors: vivid blues and intense reds and yellows. So f-ing excited for this one!)

• Cowboys vs Dinosaurs 
  action sci-fi June 12 May 19
  ("After an accidental explosion at a local mine, dinosaurs emerge from the rubble to terrorize a small western town. Now, a group gunslingers must defend their home if anyone is going to survive in a battle of cowboys versus dinosaurs.") [laughing]

• Tomorrowland
  mystery sci-fi May 22
  (Brad Bird is directing and writing with Damon Lindelof.  It's not Action but it looks so cool, I included it. The trailer is intriguing!)

• San Andreas
  action drama thriller May 29
  (Starring The Rock! That's all I need to know.)

June

• Jurassic World  
  action adventure sci-fi June 12
  (This movie needs no introduction. We'll all be there to see if they use any of the new giant dinosaurs discovered since the last one and how they are going to kick it up a notch this time.  For me, Christ Pratt is very Jeff-Goldblum and should bring the same sense of fun. I'm so excited about this movie, I am not even watching the trailer. Don't want to spoil anything for myself.  It seems from the cast list like there's another "moveable feast".)

July

• Terminator Genisys  
  action adventure sci-fi July 1
  (The greatest news is that Byung-hun Lee is the T-1000! Okay, okay, Arnold is in it too. Young and old versions. Should be cool to see how they pull that off. We've been waiting for "the war" movie all these years, and I see glimpses of it in the trailer, but here's the synopsis:  "After finding himself in a new time-line, Kyle Reese teams up with John Connor's mother Sarah and an aging terminator to try and stop the one thing that the future fears, 'Judgement Day'.")

• Aurora
  romance sci-fi thriller  March 22 July 7
  ("In 2020, super-computer Kronos concludes that human beings are the biggest threat to the planet. 60 years later, Andrew finds himself lost in a world run by machines when he meets Calia, a girl on the way to a place called Aurora." No Action but the trailer says otherwise.)

• Ant-Man
  action sci-fi July 17 ("Armed with a super-suit with the astonishing ability to shrink in scale but increase in strength, con-man Scott Lang must embrace his inner hero and help his mentor, Dr. Hank Pym, plan and pull off a heist that will save the world." Starring Paul Rudd and Evangeline Lilly. Huh. Why don't they use strong men instead of actors?)

• Pixels
  action comedy sci-fi   July 24
  Giant, pixelated, killer Pac Man. Need I saw more? How about Qbert, Asteroids, Centipede, Donkey Kong? I bet they throw in some Tron, Frogger, and hopefully, my old favorite, Dig Dug.

August

• Attack on Titan  
  action adventure drama fantasy  August (Japan) ("Mankind is under the terror of titans, a beast in which feast on human flesh. Eren Yeager, a young boy determined to make change when he himself could transform into one. He is humanity's last hope." Don't know if this poster's legit.)

• Six Gun Savior  
  action adventure drama April 1 August 1
  (Eric Roberts and Martin Kove. Now you have to see it, right? "Supernatural Western" Looks "B"-ish but that makes it more appealing to me.)

• Fantastic Four  
  action fantasy sci-fi  August 7
  (New cast. Described as a re-imagining. I'm game. "Four young outsiders teleport to an alternate and dangerous universe, which alters their physical form in shocking ways. Their lives irrevocably upended, the team must learn to harness their daunting new abilities and work together to save Earth from a former friend turned enemy.")

•  Hail Mary: The Drew Pearson Roger Staubach Story 
  action drama sport August 9 ("Catch life. Don't let it pass you by.")

• The Man from U.N.C.L.E.  
  action adventure comedy August 14 ("In the early 1960s, CIA agent Napoleon Solo and KGB operative Illya Kuryakin participate in a joint mission against a mysterious criminal organization, which is working to proliferate nuclear weapons."

• Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon: The Green Legend  
  action adventure drama  August 28  ("A story of lost love, young love, a legendary sword and one last opportunity at redemption." Directed by Yuen Woo-ping, and starring Donnie Yen, Michelle Yeah, and Jason Scott Lee.)

September

• Zero Tolerance 
  action September 1 (UK)
  ("Two former para-military operatives, Johnny and his police detective friend Peter, search Bangkok to find the killers of Johnny's beautiful daughter Angel - Leaving carnage and retribution throughout city." Starring Scott Adkins and Dustin Nguyen)

• The Transporter Legacy now The Transporter Refueled
  action crime thriller June 19  September 4
  ("A reboot of the story of transporter Frank Martin." Directed by Camille Delamarre (Camille is not a woman :-( ). The movie stars Ed Skrein who is a really interesting person. He looks/fits the part. Should be interesting!)

  

   

• Dragon Blade (Tian jiang xiong shi)
  action adventure drama  September 4
  ("Lost Roman soldiers navigate their way through China." Starring Adrien Brody, John Cusack, and Jackie Chan.

• Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials  
  action thriller September 18 (Apparently the scuttlebutt was that people were upset that The Maze Runner just sets up this movie. You can't please some people. What else was it supposed to do? I enjoyed the changes between the book and the movie. I'm going to wait to read the next book until after I see The Scorch Trials so I have no expectations :D.)

November

• Spectre   
  action adventure thriller November 6
  [Sam Mendes, who is an amazing Director (American Beauty, Road to Perdition, Jarhead) is back. Since Skyfall was so visually stunning and so very Bond, I am thrilled! It was really cool seeing how much he gets it. The latest photos from Spectre were on location in the snow. Such a throwback and, again very cool. Some of the best stunts in the Bond movies were in snow.]  

• Blood Reef   
  action sci-fi November 11
  (subtitled Tropical Hell "A former black ops soldier is kidnapped by a corrupt intelligence agency looking to create the ultimate killing machine." Starring Ving Rhames and Luke Goss. Should be "great crap".)

• THE KICKBOXER: City of Blood 
  action May 15  November 14
  (Sounds hard core—but never heard of any of the stars . . .)

December

• Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens  
  action adventure fantasy December 18
  (Writer/Director J. J. Abrams with Lawrence Kasdan. The original cast is back:  Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, and Mark Hamill. They are joined by Oscar Isaac (he blazed his way through Sucker Punch, eclipsing everything but the stuntwork), Lupita Nyong'o, The Raid's Iko Uwais and Yayan Ruhian (holy shit!), and many other cool choices! It's sure to produce some superstars. John Williams will be doing the music again. Nothing could be better.)

• Point Break
  action  July 31  December 25 ("A young undercover FBI agent infiltrates a gang of thieves who share a common interest in extreme sports." A remake of the 1991 film. It stars Delroy Lindo, Luke Bracey, and Édgar Ramírez.)

• The Prototype
  action sci-fi thriller July 2  December 25
  ("A government agent stumbles upon an alien conspiracy to conquer Earth. Using a blue liquid created by the aliens to make soldiers stronger, he becomes The Prototype—the only hope for mankind." )
  

  
  

____________

• Andròn-The Black Labyrinth  action (Leo Howard makes it an Action Movie, Alec Baldwin and Danny Glover makes it weird.)

• Beyond Skyline action sci-fi ("A tough-as-nails detective embarks on a relentless pursuit to free his son from a nightmarish alien warship." Sounds like someone wished Ripley was a man. Stars Frank Grillo, Iko Uwais, and Yayan Ruhian

• Boyka: Undisputed IV  action (We have been waiting and hoping for this! Boyka! Boyka! Boyka!)

• Checkmate  action crime thriller ("Six people are thrown together during an elaborate bank heist where any move can alter the outcome. Is it coincidence, or are they merely pawns in a much bigger game." Starring Vinnie Jones, Johnny Messner, James Remar, Michael "Eddie and the Cruisers" Paré, as well as Danny Glover, Sean Astin . Three of these stars appear also in . . . )

• Close Range  action crime ("A rogue soldier turned outlaw is thrust into a relentless fight with a corrupt sheriff, his obedient deputies, and a dangerous drug cartel in order to protect his sister and her young daughter." Starring Scott Adkins, directed by Isaac Florentine)

• Cyborg X  action horror Half Man. Half Machine. No Mercy. ("After X-Corp, a radical weapons manufacturer, is taken over by a Cyber Virus, a group of survivors must fight to save humanity from the army of Machines the Virus now controls." Another Danny Trejo movie #hardestworkingmaninshowbusiness More "great crap"!)

• Daylight's End  action horror sci-fi (Zombie movie starring Johnny Strong! Watch the trailer. Directed by Sinners and Saints Writer/Director William Kaufman.)

• Decommissioned  action thriller ("A retired agent's life is turned upside down when he discovers he's the patsy for an impending CIA planned presidential assassination."  Retired being the key word. Was thinking anybody but Bruce Willis please, and preferably someone whose physique is impressive even if they are older. Someone tough, like a Fighter or Wrestler—Yay! They picked Vinnie Jones. Also stars Johnny Messner and Michael Paré.)

• Division 1900 action sci-fi thriller ("2039. Jails have been turned into online portals where the public gets to choose what prisoners eat." Wait, what?!  I smell sick AWESOMENESS . . .)

• Echo Effect action sci-fi thriller (Starring arring Michael Jai White and Steve Austin.)

• Gunned Downn ("Armed robber and career criminal Jack Cregan seeks to discover the truth behind his father's murder" . . . wait for it . . . starring James Woods!)

• Isolation  action thriller (A movie that's sure to be bad, but we'll watch it anyway. Stars Vinnie Jones, Dominic Purcell, and Tricia Helfer who says she "would change the push for women to look like Playmate Barbie dolls, that is just ridiculous" and yet her profile photo has cleavage in a tank top. Let's see if she walks the walk in this movie or if she's just eye candy.)

• Juarez 2045  action adventure sci-fi ("It's the year 2045. War on drugs in Mexico has escalated as a ruthless drug Cartel use robots to enforce their operations." Starring Danny Trejo! Sounds like "El Terminador".)

• Max Steel ("The adventures of teenager Max McGrath and alien companion Steel, who must harness and combine their tremendous new powers to evolve into the turbo-charged superhero Max Steel.")

• Mercury Plains ("Facing a bleak future, a young man runs away to Mexico where he is recruited by the mysterious captain." Scott Eastwood!)

• Noodle Man ("A cop-turned-noodle shop owner finds a new lease on life in New York's Chinatown when a Chinese drug lord—responsible for the death of the former's partner during a botched mission 15 years ago— walks into his life." Stars Donnie Yen and Michelle Yeoh.)

• SPL 2: Rise of Wong Po (With so much fighting talent, it can't fail. Hoping for another classic. Stars Sammo Kam-Bo Hung, Jacky Wu, Tony Jaa, Andy On. Action Coordinator is Dion Lam.)

• Stan Lee's Annihilator (Hmmm . . . "A Chinese expatriate and practicer of Qijong and martial arts receives additional training in a secret U.S. program. Now armed with remarkable powers, he looks to take down a villain bent on destroying everything he knows and loves.")

• Terror Island ("A fight-to-survive thriller about a couple and their teenage children who live reasonably well on a desolate island, until they are haunted by a serial killer." Reminds me of the game Dead Island.)

• The Rogue ("Recruited from an elite military unit, CIA officer Mike Cutler carries out a dangerous mission to track and trace Al Qaeda leaders, only to find himself at the center of a deadly political standoff." Starring Scott Patterson, Luke Goss, and Costas Mandylor.)

• Transformers: Robots in Disguise

• VANish (NO. "A kidnapped young woman is forced on a road trip full of murder and mayhem that takes place entirely in her captor's getaway van." Another Danny Trejo movie. Why do they keep making these movies?! We're—I'm speaking for all women—sick to death of movies where the only way for a woman to be a hero is to be a degraded victim first, or the only way for her to be powerful is half naked! Enough already!

2016

• 1421: The Year China Discovered the World action adventure
• 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea  action adventure sci-fi August 8 (Any underwater movie, I want to see it. Been too long since The Abyss.)
• A Ticket to Die
• Badass Muthers (Love the title . . .)
• Batman Infinite (?)
• Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (Sorry fanboys, I'm going with Superman!)
• Beverly Hills Cop 4 (The casting will be everything for this movie . . .)
• Blood Money
• Broad Daylight ("When an ex-US Army Ranger is brutally killed at the hands of a shadowy private military contractor his old military unit re-teams stateside to expose the contractor's corruption and avenge his death.")
• Captain America: Civil War (What an excellent series. This should be the best yet!)

• Chemical Cowboys
• Cloudveil (now there's an intriguing title!  why isn't it cloud veil?)
• Cranium Intel ("The President wants a military/scientist dead after he discovers the Gateway Arch in St. Louis is actually a portal to the real Planet >X<." Sounds like a so-bad-it's-good movie.)
• David & Wally: Buddy Cops  (I'm a sucker for a Buddy Movie but isn't this 21 Jump Street? "Two stupid cops from Boston, seeking action, go undercover as high school students to take down a drug operation that could destroy their lifelong friendship." Gotta get a better title!)
• Deadpool (Wondering if this is a remake?)
• Death Race 4 (Always worth it for the cars)
• Die Fightin' the Domination (is this a women's lib movie? #funnynotfunny)
• Dragon and Phoenix
• El Patron (John Leguizamo plays  Pablo Escobar—A must see!)
• Emerald
• Extinction
• Extreme Combat (yes, please!)
• Eye of War
• Girl Samurai
• Going Rogue
• Gun Play
• Guns, Hookers & a Pound of Coke (pass, unless the hookers are men)
• Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters 2
• Head Smash
• Hour of Vengeance
• IDF Girls
• Jason and the Argonauts: The Kingdom of Hades (BIG SHOES to fill!)
• Jump
• Koyakatsi ("A young scientist and a military doctor team-up to investigate a series of unidentifiable, non-biological attacks. What they discover is a threat far greater than they could have ever imagined.")
• L.A. Atlantis
• Legend of Black Lotus
• Lone Wolf
• Lowlifes ("Troubled teens in a 2nd chance 'bootcamp' program encounter a group of terrorists trying to take out a rural nuclear power plant.")
• Mechanic: Resurrection (I'll see anything with Jason Statham in it!)
• Mind-Bender 3
• Mission 9
• Moana (starring everyone's favorite demi-god Dwayne Johnson "A young woman uses her navigational talents to set sail for a fabled island. Joining her on the adventure is her hero, the legendary demi-god Maui.")
• Night of the Hell Hunters
• No Fear
• Own3d
• Overdrive (is this based on the Stephen King story?)
• Panzer Dragoon  (another game-based movie)
• Police Cops (and the winner for worst title goes to . . . )
• Power Rangers
• Red 3 (I'm game: Red 2 got the old-school action so right!)
• Resident Evil: The Final Chapter (Oh, I doubt that, but . . . WHY?!)
• Ride Along 2
• Rise of Spider (Now where have I heard this before . . . "A teenager is bitten by a spider and turns into a hero and facing new and old enemies.")
• Semi-Super Heroes (Gonna be bad. Just depends who's in it.)
• Six Hot Chicks in a Warehouse OH HELL NO. Action Horror. Why are they still making this crap?!
• Skin Traffik (It's got Eric Roberts, Mickey Rourke, Michael Madsen . . . )
• Space Racer (hope it's not for kids—want it to be for adults :D)
• Spectral ("A sci-fi/thriller story centered on a special-ops team that is dispatched to fight supernatural beings that have taken over New York City.")
• Star Trek 13
• Steel Man
• Steele Aces
• Suicide Squad (Much-anticipated DC event! Here is the cast from SuperHeroHype.com:)

• Tarzan  (Alexander Skarsgard is Tarzan?  Nooooo)
• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2
• The Brutes
• The Courier
• The Huntsman (sequel to Snow White and the Huntsman but what could it possible be about?!)
• The Junior Squad ("A group of superhero teenagers are hired by the president to take down and bring down an army of villains and bring them to justice."  Because putting children in harm's way is our only hope?)
• The Last Warlord
• The Mummy

• The Six Billion Dollar Man (starring Mark Wahlberg This is from FilmFad.com "The story is loosely based on Martin Caidin's 1972 bestseller, Cyborg. The book inspired the film's television-based predecessor, ABC's Lee Majors led The Six Million Dollar Man as well as spin-of series The Bionic Woman. The homage to classic tech centric sci-fi favorites . . . will likely draw in fans of the old series as well as target the younger generation of special effects craving sci-fi movie goers." )

• Thunder Lord
• Top Fuel
• Transformers 5 (not by Michael Bay. WHEN will they ever do BEAST WARS?!)
• Tremors 5: Bloodline
• Uncharted (always interested in any "El Dorado" story)
• Uncommon Honour
• Unearthed
• Untitled Jeremy Renner/Bourne Sequel
• Untitled Matt Damon/Bourne Sequel
• Untitled Planet of the Apes Sequel
• Untitled Star Wars Project
• Untitled Teenage Cop Project (Teenage Cops? What?!)
• Vengeance II
• Virtua Cop
• Warcraft (Have to see this at an off time so I don't have to hear the complaints on how it doesn't match the game)
• X-Force
• X-Men: Apocalypse
• Xombie

2017

• Avatar 2  action adventure fantasy December 25

• Black Panther action drama sci-fi November 3 ("The royal leader of an African nation's father is killed leaving him with the the kingdom and a costume called the black panther." Starring Chadwick Boseman. Before this movie comes out he'll be Black Panther in Captain America: Civil War)
  
  Writer: Mark Bailey (screenplay)

• Guardians of the Galaxy 2

• High Rise

• Kong: Skull Island (All this movie needs to be totally bad ass is MUSCLE. It could be Predator with an ape!)

• Necrosis: Colony 10

• Pacific Rim 2

• Star Wars: Episode VIII

• The Fantastic Four 2 (Loved the first one but the Silver Surfer didn't measure up)

• The Justice League Part One

• The Legion of Super-Heroes

• The Lego Batman Movie (If this is a little satirical like he was in The Lego Movie, it should be hilarious!)

• Thor: Ragnarok

• Untitled Female Superhero Spider-Man Movie

• Untitled Terminator 2

• Untitled Wolverine Sequel (always down for that!)

• WONDER WOMAN (at last!)
  
   

2018

• AQUAMAN

• Avatar 3 action fantasy drama December

• Avengers: Infinity War - Part II

• Captain Marvel (the female version)

• Godzilla 2

• The Amazing Spider-Man 3

• The Flash

• Untitled Terminator 3
   

2019

• Avatar 4 action adventure fantasy December

• Avengers: Infinity War - Part II

• Justice League Part Two

• Shazam

• Star Wars: Episode IX

2020

• Cyborg (not a remake . . .)

• Green Lantern