In 2016, after diminishing returns on their “X-Men” movies and failing to adapt “Fantastic Four” three times, FOX Studios did something new. They adapted a hit comic book loyal to its source material. What a concept! Shocking enough, you went to see it, making it one of the highest grossing R rated movies of all time, one of the highest grossing R Rated comic book movies of all time, and probably the only time the X-Men were entertaining in a live action movie.
Now that you’ve seen “Deadpool” and made it a rousing success, here are five other great action films for folks that appreciate the kind of humor and wonky action the Tim Miller film practiced. Did we miss any hidden action gems you might recommend? Let us know.
Payback (1999)
Much like “Deadpool,” there are no real heroes in “Payback.” It’s killers, thieves, and prostitutes going to war with killers thieves and prostitutes. Mel Gibson is great as the professional thief Porter, who is betrayed by his partner Val and girlfriend during a heist. Left for dead, Porter manages to survive and comes back for what’s rightfully his. Precisely, seventy thousand dollars. Though Porter is a scoundrel like everyone else he faces in his quest for vengeance, he at least has scruples and is bound by his agreement to get back his original cut. No more, and no less. It becomes a running gag when everyone he encounters gets the amount of money he’s due completely wrong. Gibson approaches the character of Porter with a low growl and stern gleam of anger as he shoots his way through crime bosses, gangsters, sadistic prostitutes, and folks like Kris Kristofferson and James Coburn. With a dark sense of humor, and some excellent shoot outs, “Payback” is an action gem.
Blade Trinity (2004)
Hey, you can hate me all you want for suggesting this often derided final entry to the “Blade” series, but it’s an interesting artifact chronicling one of Ryan Reynolds’ many efforts to attach himself to a movie series, as well as providing an insight in to his action chops and sense of humor. Reynolds, who plays Hannibal King (you have to admit, that’s bad ass name), was relatively unknown at the time, co-starring with Jessica Biel in the very infamously troubled production of “Trinity” where Blade played third banana to a new group of vampire slaying characters called the Wolfpack. With Wesley Snipes giving no end of difficulty, and the studio anxiously trying to extend this movie series, there was a planned “Wolfpack” spin off movie series that never panned out. I like “Trinity” as a serviceable guilty pleasure, when all is said and done, plus Reynolds is surprisingly at home as a wise cracking action hero. For some surreal fun, watch the outtakes of Reynolds improvising wisecracks to himself.
Shoot ‘Em Up (2007)
I like to think of “Shoot Em Up” is a living and breathing Looney Tunes short, if it were hyper violent, and featured large amounts of sex and nudity. It’s such an obvious ode to the Looney Tunes, when we meet our anti-hero Mr. Smith for the first time, he’s eating a raw carrot like Bugs Bunny. Like Bugs he accidentally walks in to a predicament, finds someone in need of his help, and uses his wits to save the day. Meanwhile he’s being antagonized by the evil hit man Herz, who is basically an amalgam of Elmer Fudd and Yosemite Sam. “Shoot Em Up” needs to be re-examined again and appreciated for its willingness to think outside the box and channel the Looney Tunes in a way we’ve never seen before. Clive Owen is fantastic as the scoundrel turned hero who has to fight to save the life of a newborn baby, while teaming up with gorgeous prostitute DQ, as played by Monica Bellucci. There are a ton of wild and hilarious action scenes including Mr. Smith engaging in a shoot out while having sex with DQ in the buff, and stopping an armed robber with two broken hands.
Punisher: Warzone (2008)
Another of the many action films of the late aughts that never got its due, “Warzone” is mainly noted for being the lowest grossing Marvel Film to Date. Not that it’s any of the film’s fault since Marvel and Lions Gate had little to no confidence in the film itself. After “Warzone” flopped, Marvel kept Punisher in limbo for many more years, and even tried turning the character in to an Agent of SHIELD in a limp effort to plug him in to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. “Warzone” stands on its own as one of the wonkiest and most insane action films ever made. It’s a very violent, gruesome, and fun reboot of “The Punisher” which was a reboot of “The Punisher” which adapted from the hit comics. Lexi Alexander does a bang up job creating an over the top action film that transforms Frank Castle in to an unstoppable killing machine who is basically Jason Voorhees while New York’s criminal underground at his horny teenage campers to slaughter. Ray Stevenson looks so much like latter day Punisher it’s creepy, but he takes the character in to new realms of insanity, making him merciless in his pursuit to murder all sorts of criminals.
The Losers (2010)
This criminally under appreciated action comedy was intended to be the first of a trilogy of action films but thanks to it under performing at the box office, we’re never seeing a sequel. Plus with Chris Evans currently playing Captain America, and most of its co-stars going on to other and bigger things, a sequel can only be foud in the original comics. That’s a damn shame because “The Losers” is a hilarious and exciting action film that adapts the original comic almost beat for beat and still works as a breezy action revenge picture. In 2010 this was released almost at the same time as the big screen adaptation of “A-Team.” Sadly, “A-Team” was given the most press and ended up sucking while “The Losers” was essentially what the aforementioned film should have been. Starring a myriad excellent character actors, “The Losers” is centered on a group of fugitive special ops soldiers that disband after being framed for war crimes. Reuniting again, they seek revenge against the man that framed them. Comprised of great action sequences, hilarious one-liners and a stern tongue in cheek, this deserves a bigger audience.