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Across the Wide Missouri
There are a dozen reasons not to watch this snoozefest of a western. It’s boring, cheesy, and impossible to get into. Okay, that’s only three reasons. But there are two good reasons to see it. One is the beautiful cinematography. It was filmed in color on location. The other is to see Clarke Gable in a rare western role. He’s not half bad as a fur trapper who falls in love with an Indian woman. But the whole time I was watching this movie, it seemed pointless to me. And the only way to redeem a pointless movie is to have action galore. And action galore, it has not. 1.5 action rating.
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Act of Valor
3.5 out of 5 action rating
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Adios Sabata
See it -I bet you didn’t know Yul Brynner was in a spaghetti western. Well this is one of my favorite spaghetti westerns, and it’s as “spaghetti-ish” as they come. You’ve got crazy-looking guns, plenty of camera close-ups, and even a cowboy who specializes in kicking musket balls at the enemy. An insanely fun western that will keep you entertained with its plethora of action-packed, over-the-top gunfights and battles. Brynner plays the stereotypical cowboy lead character, but the plot isn’t stereotypical at all. The story takes place in Mexico, where a revolution is brewing against the Austrians. You know you want to see a movie featuring cowboys vs. Austrian soldiers! An underrated western that shouldn’t be taken seriously, but should seriously be taken…home from the store…when you buy it. 5 action rating
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After Earth
2.5 out of 5 action rating
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The Alamo (1960)
2.5 action rating
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Along Came Jones
Gary Cooper is a great actor, but this is not one of his great westerns. Compare it to “The Westerner” because it lacks action and is closer to a comedy than a classic western. Cooper’s character is just a regular guy whom people mistake for a famous outlaw gunfighter. Interesting plot, but there is only one gunfight and its at the very end. 1 action rating
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Along the Great Divide
2 action rating
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Alvarez Kelly
See it - William Holden plays his trademark role as a smooth-talking womanizer caught in a war he doesn’t want to be a part of. He’s a rich cattle driver in the Civil War looking to sell his horses to the highest bidder. Richard Widmark plays the eyepatch-wearing Confederate villain. Usually these two actors can’t carry a movie by themselves, but together they are fantastic. The script in this movie is surprisingly sharp and smart. This is rare for a western. The dialogue is very witty and actually pretty funny at times. The movie has also aged very well, meaning that it is still relevant and doesn’t have that “old” feel to it. For example, the things that are supposed to be funny are funny, etc. The only problem with this movie is that there’s not much action until the end. This is easily forgivable because of the good story. After seeing the movie, I immediately compared it to Horse Soldiers, which Holden co-starred in with the Duke. Worth seeing once. 2 action rating
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A Man Called Horse
See it – It’s hard to put this masterpiece into words. It is a heart-warming, yet heart-wrenching drama. It is also a brutally violent, realistic western. Richard Harris stars as an Englishman who is captured by Indians. They have never seen a white man before, and they treat him like an animal. After proving himself in battle, he marries an Indian girl with the intent of escape. But his feelings eventually change after he is accepted into the tribe. I know this plot sounds familiar, but this is completely unique from similar movies such as “Dances with Wolves.” It is much grittier and certainly deserving of an R rating. Richard Harris produces a spectacular performance. And there’s no cowboys vs. Indians. This is a complete immersion into the Native American culture. Even the battles feature the Sioux vs. the Shoshones. And the final battle will not disappoint the action buffs. This is truly a western classic. 3 action rating.
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The Amazing Spiderman
3.5 action rating
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The Amazing Spider-Man 2
3.5 out of 5 action rating
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Ambush Bay
If you're only looking for an action movie, this is a waste of an hour and a half. It’s a bad WWII movie that is completely cliché’ and leaves a lot to be desired in the action department. Not even Mickey Rooney sarcastically telling the Japs that his grenades are potatoes can save this one. 2 action rating
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American Sniper
4 out of 5 action rating.
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The Angry Hills
1 action rating
Ant-Man
(Stay all the way after the credits for a 2nd secret scene)
2 out of 5 action rating
2 out of 5 action rating
Anzio
See it – If you think you’ve seen every good classic World War 2 movie but you haven’t seen this one, you’re missing out. It is about a band of GI’s who get stuck behind enemy lines during the Battle of Anzio in Italy. I would compare the overall movie to one of my favorite war movies of all time,
“Battle of the Bulge.” In fact, Robert Mitchum plays a very similar character to that of Henry Fonda's in "Battle of the Bulge.” Mitchum is a reporter who gets stuck behind the lines and is forced to use a gun. Peter Falk is an American in the Canadian army, but he is improperly cast as a tough guy rather than comedic relief. The movie is somewhat historically inaccurate and is silly at times, but I highly recommend it for WWII movie buffs. 3.5 action rating |
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Apache
“Dismal” and “dreary” are words that come to mind when trying to describe this turn-of-the-century western. This is especially odd when you consider that this film stars Burt Lancaster as an Apache warrior. Unfortunately, there are no quality combat scenes to speak of, and most of the movie focuses on why "it ain’t so bad to live on a reservation." 1.5 action rating.
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The Appaloosa
See it – “Next time you point a gun at me you better pull the trigger. Cuz’ I’m gonna blow you into so many pieces your friends will get tired of looking for you.” Can’t you just picture Marlon Brando saying that to a bad guy? Well he eventually gets his revenge in this south-of-border western. It is a very clever film, and actually has kind of a spaghetti western feel to it. My favorite scene is the arm wrestle that involves scorpions. If you’ve seen it you know what I’m talking about. Also, a bit of trivia…the milky beverage everyone drinks is called pulque. It’s a Mexican beer that’s made by fermenting agave juice. And I would know. I checked…online. 3 action rating
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Armored
A very thrilling movie considering its limitations. There’s only so many cool things you can do inside an armored car. But I would hesitate to call it an action movie. One chase scene and a few gunshots later, you expect much more than the “unclimactic” ending that awaits. This is a very average film but its worth one watch. 2.5 action rating
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Arrowhead
3.5 action rating
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The A-Team (2010)
See it - Lots of explosions, harrowing escapes, hijackings, kidnappings, and general mayhem. This non-stop action movie doesn’t let us catch our breath for more than a few minutes before we are hit by another thrilling action scene by way of land, air, or sea. If you like movies that are immensely entertaining from start to finish, or if you’ve ever wanted to see a parachuting tank engaged in a furious aerial battle, this is the movie for you. 4 action rating
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A Thunder of Drums
See it - The best cavalry movie you’ve never seen. Starring Richard Boone and Charles Bronson. “Bachelor’s make the best soldiers. All they have to lose is their loneliness.” 2.5 action rating.
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Attack (1956)
See it – A somber, yet action-packed war movie about a platoon with trouble from within due to an incompetent captain. When the captain leaves his men hangin, a lieutenant played by Jack Palance swears revenge. This psychological war film also co-stars Buddy Ebsen and to a lesser extent Lee Marvin. Some pretty gritty war scenes and a unique plot make this a must-see for war movie buffs. 4 action rating.
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Attack on the Iron Coast
Skip it – The only thing worth watching is the last 15 minutes. The movie is built around the closing sequence, which is a secret mission to blow up a German base by ramming a boat full of explosives into a German base. The ending is very good, but unlike a good war classic, the rest of the movie is rubbish. The film lacks star power, character development, and action. There are plenty of better war films that slowly build up to one final climactic ending. Watch those instead. 1.5 action rating
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Avatar
See it- 3.5 action rating
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The Avengers
5 action rating
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Avengers: Age of Ultron
4 out of 5 action rating
