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The Eagle (2011)
3.5 action rating
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Eagles Over London
See it – Like the many spaghetti westerns that were made during the 70’s, there were also a slew of Italian-made WWII movies. The only reason to see this film is that it is possibly the best spaghetti war movie ever made. That being said, this is far from a great movie. It has a fictitious plot (although it takes place during historic events), it is poorly dubbed, and there’s no Clint Eastwood. But the action scenes are pretty decent, including exciting opening and ending combat sequences. It’s the story of German spies who disguise themselves as British soldiers during the evacuation from Dunkirk in order to destroy radar installations during the Battle of Britain. The only actor you're likely to recognize is Van Johnson, who, although a great actor, is pretty badly miscast in a limited role as a British air marshal. 3 action rating
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Edge of Darkness (1943)
Only see this movie for its historical influence. This is actually a very good movie, but it’s more of a drama. This movie becomes legendary when you consider it was actually made during World War 2. The final battle is surprisingly good and worth the wait. I’ve never seen so many Nazis getting gunned down, and so much passion and emotion in a battle. It’s the story of Norwegian resistance fighters. It is a very old movie and pretty slow in parts, and that’s why most people haven’t heard of it. Compare it to the modern day “Defiance.” “Edge of Darkness” has been nearly lost over time, but it is one of Errol Flynn’s best considering its significance. Action movie, no. Classic war movie, yes. 2 action rating
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Edge of Darkness (2010)
Welcome back Mel Gibson, it’s been too long. 3 action rating
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Edge of Tomorrow
5 out of 5 action rating
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Eight Iron Men
More of a character study than a war movie. There’s a quick combat scene at the beginning and one at the very end. Most of the film takes place in a bunker where seven men are "holed up." The eighth man in their squad is pinned down behind enemy lines. With orders to pull back when it gets dark, the men debate about what they should do about their comrade. Starring Lee Marvin, this is a good WWII drama…but don’t fool yourself into thinking it will be a good action movie. It is, however, one of the few chances you will get to see Lee Marvin with dark hair. So take that for whatever it’s worth. 1.5 action rating.
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El Cid
Charlton Heston’s most underrated movie. This is not only a great medieval movie, but a great war movie as well. The story takes place during the tumultuous Reconquista (Reconquest) era in Spain. A civil war has broken out between the Christians and the Moores, and who better to save the day than another epic hero played by Charlton Heston. This time he plays the legendary warrior El Cid, and yes, this is a 3+ hour movie. My only complaint is its length, because the story is superb and action-packed battles abound. There’s also a really good one-on-one medieval combat scene that is awesomely choreographed. More people need to see this epic action movie, which is a pretty even mix of “Ben Hur” and “Kingdom of Heaven.” It’s a shame it has gone under the radar for so long. 3.5 action rating
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El Condor
See it – 4 action rating
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El Dorado
See it – This might be John Wayne’s most timeless western. Enjoyable for people of all ages, it’s entertaining, funny, and action-packed. It also co-stars Robert Mitchum as the drunk sheriff and James Caan as the sawed-off shotgun wielding greenhorn. Basically a condensed version of “Rio Bravo,” another John Wayne western made 7 years before. But if I could only own one John Wayne movie, it would be this one. 4.5 action rating
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Elysium
3 out of 5 action rating
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The Enemy Below
See it – An exciting and well done "surface vs. sub" movie. You’ll like it because it’s not the generic sub vs. sub. Robert Mitchum is the captain of an American destroyer hunting a German U-boat. The hunt literally lasts the entire movie. A bit talky in parts but the ending is great. The only thing that could have made it better is if Andy Samberg had co-starred and rapped “I’m on a boat!” But we can’t have everything. 2 action rating
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The Enemy General
2.5 action rating
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Escape from Fort Bravo
See it – This is a fairly average cavalry movie. What makes it unique, however, is that it takes place during the civil war. William Holden plays a union captain at Fort Bravo in injun’ country. The fort also acts as a prison for Confederate soldiers. But the Civil War itself becomes the least of their problems as Indians go on the warpath. The yanks and the rebs just might have to put their differences aside if they want to survive. The film is bookended by two thrilling desert battle sequences. A little slow in the middle. 3 action rating
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Exodus: Gods and Kings
3.5 out of 5 action rating
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The Expendables
This never pretends to be more than what it is – a mindless action movie. And it is unashamed, violent, and awesome. If the acting was great, or the story was unique and compelling, it just wouldn’t have been as much fun. With the actors in this movie (Sylvester Stallone, Jason Statham, Jet Li, Dolph Lundgren, etc.), you get exactly what you expect. Gunfights, explosions, hand-to-hand combat, car chases, tattoos, and AA12 shotguns. Grab some popcorn and enjoy. 4.5 action rating
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The Expendables 2
5 action rating
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The Expendables 3
4 out of 5 action rating
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