Best Action Movie Series?

[foodcourtdruide]

Which action movie series would you say is best?

I go for Terminator. Both 1 and 2 are phenominal and 3 is average.

The guys at work say the Die Hard series. I haven't seen the 4th one, but I thought 1 was great, 2 was bad and 3 was good.

Are there any that I'm missing?

[EliSnow]

Are there any that I'm missing?

Indiana Jones, Lethal Weapon, James Bond, and Bourne all have to be considered action movies.

[foodcourtdruide]

Indiana Jones, Lethal Weapon, James Bond, and Bourne all have to be considered action movies.

I never liked the James Bond movies. I wouldn't consider them quality films. Some of the Lethal Weapons movies were terrible. Maybe the Indiana Jones movies, but I don't think they hold up.

[BoondockSaint]

Rambo.

[TooLowBrow]

3 was good.

3 was good? 3 was batman and robin with a re-write

[Axem Red]

Gotta be the Die Hard series. The 4th one wasn't great, but the action is still fairly impressive and John McClaine is just a bad ass.

[EliSnow]

I never liked the James Bond movies. I wouldn't consider them quality films. Some of the Lethal Weapons movies were terrible. Maybe the Indiana Jones movies, but I don't think they hold up.

The first six James Bond movies are some of the best action movies ever. If they stopped after On Her Majesty's Secret Service, it would have the crown easily.

I say the Bourne series gets the nod. 3 films and all of them were great. ALL of the other series have bad movies in the series.

[Tallman388]

What about the Jack Ryan movies? I liked Red October, Patriot Games and Clear and Present Danger enough to stomach Sum of All Fears. Although they could be considered a combination of action and suspense.

Here's another question: Will the new Batman movies get lumped in with the old Keaton/Kilmer/Clooney crapfest or will they get to stand alone? I thought Batman Begins destroyed them and can't wait for Dark Knight.

[EliSnow]

What about the Jack Ryan movies? I liked Red October, Patriot Games and Clear and Present Danger enough to stomach Sum of All Fears. Although they could be considered a combination of action and suspense.

Here's my assessment. These movies were, at best, good flicks. None of them, including Red October, were great movies, like Die Hard, Lethal Weapon, Goldfinger, and Bourne Identity.

So I wouldn't say it's the best action series.

[Yerdaddy]

Die Hard - 1 was phenomenal, 3 was good, and 2 and 4 were pieces of shit.

Lethal Weapon - 1 was great, the rest were hit and miss - mostly good but predictable. It's strong overall, but I'd wince if they announced a new one being made.

Bond - Most of them are dumb fun and some, like View to a Kill, are just plain retarded. The appeal of Bond is mainly nostalgia. Not that that's a bad thing. But with over 20 Bond movies it's too much quantity and not enough quality. That said, I think if they had put some actual nudity in all the movies they'd probably rule the genre.

Indiana Jones - 1 was great, the rest - who cares?

Terminator 1 and 2 are strong, 3 sucked ass. I'd put it in the running.

Batman - I was talking movies with an independent filmmaker I met here yesterday and he's a big fan of the Batman series. Most of them are good-to-brilliant for what they are - fun for the whole family action films. Personally I haven't seen any of them in so long I can't say what I think of them.

Bourne - I don't think the first one even reaches great. The second was a lame rehash of the first one and I've heard good things about the third but haven't seen it.

Rambo - I just saw First Blood on HBO in Cambodia and it really was good in terms of puting the survivalist/special forces in a domestic setting. It holds up better than most of the rip-offs it started. The thing that seems retarded now is the idea that small town sheriffs hated Vietnam vets. How did that idea pass muster back then? I don' think I've seen another Rambo movie in over 15 years.

The Matrix trilogy holds up as action movies, I think, if you can ignore the retarded metaphysical bullshit that start in the second one and leads to the Gibson-esque Neo-as-Jesus ending. But if you're active with the FF button on the remote they're still strong action pics.

I think my vote would have to be Mad Max. First two were masterpieces - brilliantly choreographed insane car stunts that damn near killed half the crazy Australian stunt crews; good, simple human dramas giving a point to the action; and not afraid to show the sex and violence that human beings are all about. Third one was lighter and more mainstream but gave some great characters and quotes that still pop into my head today. Could have done without the Lord of the Flies sequences, but the movie still holds up today as good and almost great. I only hope they don't make another one and fuck up the trilogy.

[foodcourtdruide]

Die Hard - 1 was phenomenal, 3 was good, and 2 and 4 were pieces of shit.

Lethal Weapon - 1 was great, the rest were hit and miss - mostly good but predictable. It's strong overall, but I'd wince if they announced a new one being made.

Bond - Most of them are dumb fun and some, like View to a Kill, are just plain retarded. The appeal of Bond is mainly nostalgia. Not that that's a bad thing. But with over 20 Bond movies it's too much quantity and not enough quality. That said, I think if they had put some actual nudity in all the movies they'd probably rule the genre.

Indiana Jones - 1 was great, the rest - who cares?

Terminator 1 and 2 are strong, 3 sucked ass. I'd put it in the running.

Batman - I was talking movies with an independent filmmaker I met here yesterday and he's a big fan of the Batman series. Most of them are good-to-brilliant for what they are - fun for the whole family action films. Personally I haven't seen any of them in so long I can't say what I think of them.

Bourne - I don't think the first one even reaches great. The second was a lame rehash of the first one and I've heard good things about the third but haven't seen it.

Rambo - I just saw First Blood on HBO in Cambodia and it really was good in terms of puting the survivalist/special forces in a domestic setting. It holds up better than most of the rip-offs it started. The thing that seems retarded now is the idea that small town sheriffs hated Vietnam vets. How did that idea pass muster back then? I don' think I've seen another Rambo movie in over 15 years.

The Matrix trilogy holds up as action movies, I think, if you can ignore the retarded metaphysical bullshit that start in the second one and leads to the Gibson-esque Neo-as-Jesus ending. But if you're active with the FF button on the remote they're still strong action pics.

I think my vote would have to be Mad Max. First two were masterpieces - brilliantly choreographed insane car stunts that damn near killed half the crazy Australian stunt crews; good, simple human dramas giving a point to the action; and not afraid to show the sex and violence that human beings are all about. Third one was lighter and more mainstream but gave some great characters and quotes that still pop into my head today. Could have done without the Lord of the Flies sequences, but the movie still holds up today as good and almost great. I only hope they don't make another one and fuck up the trilogy.

Die Hard - Agree.

Lethal Weapon - I thought 3 and 4 were very bad, but 1 is great and 2 is above average.

Bond - Have seen two or three Bond films and HATED them. Totally boring and predictable. Kinda reminds me of the 60's Batman TV series.

Batman - Batman 1 was very strong with really good acting performances and excellent cinematography. Two had the cinematography sans the acting and the rest fall off. The new Batman series looks promising, but time will tell.

Bourne - I haven't seen any of these for some bizarre reason! They are on my blockbuster mail thingy que.

Rambo - First Blood is a really cool movie, but First Blood: Part II... "meh".

Matrix - The first Matrix was shockingly good and should be included in the "Great films released in the last 15 years conversation", however Matrix II was TERRIBLE and III was really bad, though I really liked the ending. I say Agent Smith is the best action movie villain ever... errr... well the T-1000 was pretty good too.

Mad Max - Saw these when I was a kid and didn't really appreciate them. Definiately have to revisit.

I still go with Terminator. I don't think III sucked ass, the ending really tied things together well. If I had to give them a number rating (1 being a paulie shore movie and 10 being the Godfather)
I'd go: Terminator I: 9.25 Terminator II: 9.25 Terminator III: 7.5

[EliSnow]

Bond - Have seen two or three Bond films and HATED them. Totally boring and predictable. Kinda reminds me of the 60's Batman TV series.



Which ones did you see? There are some tremendously bad ones in the bunch (the end of Roger Moore's tenure, the Timothy Dalton films, a couple of the Brosnan's), but all but one of Connery's (Diamonds Are Forever) are great, with some of them (From Russia With Love, Goldfinger, and Thunderball) are consistently mentioned in the top 10 of all time action movies. Not saying that these lists have all there in the top 10 but usually one of those three are in there.

I agree that the bad films should stop it from being the best action series ever, but let's not say the whole series is bad. There's a reason is the most profitable action series of all time.

[foodcourtdruide]

Which ones did you see? There are some tremendously bad ones in the bunch (the end of Roger Moore's tenure, the Timothy Dalton films, a couple of the Brosnan's), but all but one of Connery's (Diamonds Are Forever) are great, with some of them (From Russia With Love, Goldfinger, and Thunderball) are consistently mentioned in the top 10 of all time action movies. Not saying that these lists have all there in the top 10 but usually one of those three are in there.

I agree that the bad films should stop it from being the best action series ever, but let's not say the whole series is bad. There's a reason is the most profitable action series of all time.

I remember seeing Goldfinger, but don't remember what the others were. Profitability doesn't necessarily equal good. I'll go back and watch one though on your recommendation. Which do you suggest?

[EliSnow]

I remember seeing Goldfinger, but don't remember what the others were. Profitability doesn't necessarily equal good. I'll go back and watch one though on your recommendation. Which do you suggest?

I recognize that profitability doesn't mean quality, but with 20+, there is clear popularity for the films. And you don't get that kind of popularity, unless there's something there to begin with.

If you're giong to pick just one flick, I'd say either From Russia With Love, which is unlike most of the Bond flicks (it's a "smaller" pic but was the second, and great), or Thunderball, which most of the Bond flicks thereafter aped in one manner or another.

[foodcourtdruide]

I recognize that profitability doesn't mean quality, but with 20+, there is clear popularity for the films. And you don't get that kind of popularity, unless there's something there to begin with.

If you're giong to pick just one flick, I'd say either From Russia With Love, which is unlike most of the Bond flicks (it's a "smaller" pic but was the second, and great), or Thunderball, which most of the Bond flicks thereafter aped in one manner or another.

QUE'D!

And let me just say, the Godfinger game for the N64 was my favorite multiplayer game of all-time.

[EliSnow]

QUE'D!

And let me just say, the Godfinger game for the N64 was my favorite multiplayer game of all-time.

Actually, that was Goldeneye.

Pierce Brosnan's first film was Goldeneye.

Goldfinger was Sean Connery's third film as Bond.

[drusilla]

Gotta be the Die Hard series. The 4th one wasn't great, but the action is still fairly impressive and John McClaine is just a bad ass.

i'd say the die hard movies especially after seeing the 4th one. i thought the stunts in this one were really really entertaining.

[foodcourtdruide]

Actually, that was Goldeneye.

Pierce Brosnan's first film was Goldeneye.

Goldfinger was Sean Connery's third film as Bond.

Yes! That game was great. It'd always be me and 3 friends playing the multi-player. Lotsa fun, though I'm terrible at video games.

[bigredd]

The "Hot Shots" series has to be in this conversation somewhere.

[sailor]

QUE'D!

And let me just say, the Godfinger game for the N64 was my favorite multiplayer game of all-time.

finger of god?

http://vortex.accuweather.com/adc2004/pub/images/kids/twister_1024.jpg

[TeeBone]

What about the Jack Ryan movies?


Agreed......the Bronco seen in 'Clear and Present Danger' is one of the coolest sequences of all time.

[AnnoyedGrunt]

If you want to vote purely on body count I'd nominate the A BetterTomorrow series.