Action Films

500 Days Of Film Reviews Captain America: Civil War And Finds Action, Adventure And The Price Of Collateral Damage

Unable to live with his guilt after unleashing Ultron on the world, Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr) believes the time has come to regulate the Avengers. 

He wants to be put in check and, following more Avenger-related chaos and carnage, encourages his colleagues to sign the Sokovia Accord.

This internationally ratified, United Nations-backed agreement seeks to control when, where and how the Avengers can operate.   

However, Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) is wary of such governmental regulation. He doesn’t trust governments or politicians. He does not believe that a UN panel is capable of doing what only the Avengers understand needs to be done.

The split forces the heros to take sides in a battle that threatens to destroy the Avengers from within. 

500 Days Of Film Reviews Enders Game And Finds A Superior Science Fiction Story

The Earth is still reeling from an attack by a hostile alien race called the Formics. If it hadn’t been for the actions of International Fleet Commander, Mazer Rackham (Ben Kingsley), all would have been lost.

To prevent another attack, Colonel Hyrum Graff (Harrison Ford) and the International Military are training the best young minds in order to find a leader like the now legendary Rackham.

Graff believes that he has found a candidate in Ender Wiggin (Asa Butterfield), a withdrawn and yet strategically brilliant young boy who could be the world’s greatest hope of future survival.   

500 Days Of Film Reviews Eye In The Sky And Finds A Tension-Fueled Film About Drone Warfare

Colonel Katherine Powell (Helen Mirren) is a UK-based military officer in command of a top secret drone operation to capture ‘high value’ Al Shabaab terrorists in Kenya.

The operation escalates from “capture” to “kill” when Powell discovers, via remote surveillance and on the ground intelligence, that the terrorists are planning a suicide bombing.

However, as drone pilot, Steve Watts (Aaron Paul) is about to engage, a nine-year old girl enters the kill zone. This triggers an international debate (reaching the highest levels of British and American government) about what is an acceptable amount of collateral damage. 

Is the sacrifice of one, innocent child morally acceptable? 

500 Days Of Film Reviews Raiders Of The Lost Ark Live At London’s Royal Albert Hall

Raiders Of The Lost Ark turns 35 years old this year and what better way to celebrate than with a screening of this classic film at the Royal Albert Hall accompanied by a live orchestra? 

Raiders sees archaeology professor and action hero, Indiana Jones (Harrison Ford), racing against time to find the legendary Ark of the Covenant before a group of Nazis get their hands on this powerful ancient relic.

Teaming up with his feisty, hard drinking ex, Marion Ravenwood (Karen Allen), and good friend Sallah (John Rhys-Davies), this quest put Indy's expertise and endurance to the test.

Steven Spielberg's action adventure won five Oscars* in 1982 and is often found at the top of best loved and most critically acclaimed movie lists (Empire placed Raiders at number two in its list of the greatest movies ever made, second only to The Godfather). 

The one Oscar that Raiders Of The Lost Ark surely should have won was for John Williams’ Best Music (original score). Okay, Vangelis’ Chariots Of Fire is also rather iconic but, for me, it is Williams all the way.

Raiders Of The Lost Ark Live was accompanied by the wonderful 21st Century Orchestra and conducted by its founder, Ludwig Wicki. The event marks the first time a complete Williams score has been played at the Royal Albert Hall.

500 Days Of Film Reviews 21 Jump Street And Finds A Funny And Sweet Action Movie

Schmidt (Jonah Hill) and Jenko (Channing Tatum) are an unlikely and underachieving pair of rookie cops.  

When Deputy Chief Hardy (the brilliant Nick Offerman) decides to get rid… reassign them, the friends find themselves in 21 Jump Street. Here, they are tasked with bringing down a high school synthetic drug ring.

However, on their return to high school they find that the rules have changed - and both are in way over their heads.

500 Days Of Film Reviews Creed And Finds A Gripping Film That Breathes New Life Into The Rocky Series

Adonis ‘Donny’ Creed (Michael B Jordan) is the illegitimate son of boxing legend Apollo Creed. 

Struggling with the death of his mother and living in the shadow of his father, Donny finds himself in and out of juvenile detention before Apollo’s wife Mary Anne (Phylicia Rashad) asks him to live with her.

Despite his new found privileged lifestyle, fighting is in Donny’s blood. He rejects the safety of a corporate desk job for the danger and risk of the boxing ring.

This is not an easy choice and Donny is deeply conflicted. He is drawn to his father who died before he was born. At the same time, he doesn't want to use the Creed name - he wants to be a success in his own right.

Donny decides to move to Philadelphia in search of answers... and a trainer. And only one trainer (of course) will do  - his father’s friend and former rival, Rocky Balboa (Sylvester Stallone). 

500 Days Of Film Reviews Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation And Finds A Thrilling Action Flick That Doesn't Take Itself Too Seriously

"The IMF is uniquely trained and highly motivated. Specialists without equal, immune to any counter measures. But it is an agency of chaos.” 

So says Alan Hunley (Alec Baldwin). Hunley is responsible for the oversight of the IMF and he believes the organisation should be shut down.

No matter that Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) and his team are closing in on the sinister Syndicate - a rogue nation as highly trained as the IMF itself. No matter that this Syndicate appears to have extremely evil plans afoot.

With Ethan on the run and the IMF disbanded, our fractured team decide to risk it all for what might be their final mission - to take down the Syndicate.

500 Days Of Film Reviews Mad Max: Fury Road And Enjoys 120 Minutes Of Thrilling Action And Utter Carnage - Marvelous...

Mad Max: Fury Road takes place in a barren, post-apocalyptic world.

Max (Tom Hardy), escapes the clutches of evil warlord, Immortan Joe (Hugh Keays-Byrne), and joins Imperator Furiosa (Charlize Theron) on a dangerous road trip.

Furiosa is attempting to rescue a group of female prisoners and take them to a promised land - a place that she remembers from her childhood.

Let the carnage commence…

500 Days Of Film reviews Star Wars: The Force Awakens and finds a thrilling film that lives up to our high expectations.

Star Wars: The Force Awakens is the seventh episode in the Star Wars saga. This, of course, means that it takes place after episode six: The Return Of The Jedi.

However, despite the events in this last film, all is not well in the galaxy. The Empire has been replaced by another power hungry big bad - The First Order. 

It is up to the Resistance to fight back and try to stop the Dark Side from its horrific ascendancy. 

And So It Ends - 500 Days Of Film Reviews The Hunger Games Mockingjay Part 2 

The time for words has passed. It is now time for action.

Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) no is sick of being used as a propaganda tool for the rebellion.

Reeling from events following Peeta’s return from the Capitol, she wants to get involved in the war. She wants revenge.

Katniss knows who is responsible for all the years of death and destruction in Panaem. There is no chance for lasting peace so long as the tyrannical President Snow (a delicious Donald Sutherland) remains in power. 

For, even as his grip on the Districts weakens, Snow is still playing games - very dangerous games.

Snow must die - and Katniss wants to be the one to kill him.

As Guillermo del Toro’s New Film, Crimson Peak, Hits Cinemas 500 Days Of Film Reviews Reviews The Awesome Pacific Rim

The monsters came, not from space, but from deep within the Pacific Ocean. 

The first Kaigu attacked and destroyed much of San Francisco. The second hit Manilla and the world then realised that attacks were not going to end. 

The world needed to respond, to protect itself and to destroy the Kaigu. Humans needed monsters of their own. Cue the awesome machines of the Jaeger programme.

Ahead Of His Highly Anticipated Star Wars Film, 500 Days Of Film Reviews JJ Abrams’ Star Trek Into Darkness

After a series of terrorist attacks decimates Star Fleet, the crew of the Enterprise discover that the new evil on the block is homegrown.

Captain James T Kirk (Chris Pine) must reunite with Spock (Zachary Quinto) to embark upon a dangerous mission and capture the man responsible for these atrocities - John Harrison (a brilliant Benedict Cumberbatch). 

However, the crew of the Starship Enterprise soon discovers that nothing is what it seems. 

Ahead Of The Next Bond Installment, 500 Days Of Film Reviews Skyfall And Wonders Will Spectre Fall Victim To Skyfall’s Success?

After his assignment goes catastrophically wrong, James Bond (Daniel Craig) retreats into the shadows.

Everyone at M16 to believes him to be dead and significantly damaged - both physically and mentally - Bond is just fine with that.

However, when M16 comes under attack, Bond returns to help M (Judi Dench) track down Silva - a man from her past who has a terrible score to settle.

500 Days Of Film Reviews The Raid And Finds A Truly Breathtaking Action Film

Deep within the Indonesian city of Jakarta, lies a hellish place - a safe haven for violent criminals and drug dealers.

This 30 floor apartment block is a no-go area, even for the bravest of the city’s police force.

Determined to regain control, a team of police officers enter the building in an attempt to flush out the criminals - floor by floor.

However, it is only once in that they realise the enormity of their task and their battle becomes one of survival.  

500 Days Of Film Reviews San Andreas And Finds An Entertaining, If Really Quite Silly, Disaster Flick 

After a huge earthquake hits San Francisco, helicopter rescue pilot, Ray (Dwayne Johnson), has to embark upon a dangerous journey to rescue his estranged wife (Carla Gugino) and daughter (Alexandra Daddario).

His mission, involving the use of planes, boats and automobiles, will prove an enormous test of his pretty impressive skills and expertise. 

500 Days Of Film Reviews The Maze Runner And Finds A Reasonably Enjoyable Action Adventure

Thomas wakes up to find that he is in the centre of a mysterious maze.

He doesn't know how he got there and he doesn't remember anything about his past - even his own name.

Thomas is not alone.

Lots of boys have suffered a similar fate. Finding no way out of the maze, the boys have created a society within their limited environment - called The Glade. 

Each boy is assigned tasks to complete for the overall benefit of the group. 

The strongest, most athletic boys become maze runners. Their task is to map the maze and try to find a way out. The boys all desperately want answers as to why they have been abandoned.

The maze mapping must be done before the maze closes at night and its walls shift. 

No one must be left in the maze overnight - to do so risks them being attacked and infected by the monsters that lurk within.

500 Days Of Film Reviews Avengers Age Of Ultron And Finds A Spectacular Marvel Adventure 

It's not easy being a super hero. No rest from the wicked. This prompts Tony Stark (Iron Man / Robert Downey Jr) to consider the redeployment of a dormant peacekeeping program called Ultron.

The other Avengers disagree with his plan, concerned that Stark is experimenting with technology that he doesn't fully understand.

Stark moves forward with his plan and, with the help of Bruce Banner (Mark Rufalo), Ultron is born. 

However, the Avengers soon face significant parenting issues as Ultron (James Spader) starts to exhibit a monstrous mind of his own.

500 Days Of Film Reviews Star Wars: A New Hope And Finds A True Sci Fi Classic

A young man, Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill), finds a recorded message from Princess Leia (Carrie Fisher) asking for help to save the galaxy from the clutches of the evil Empire and its soon to be completed world destroying battle station.

He feels compelled to help and, together with a crew of unlikely allies, sets out to find Leia and join her in the fight against the dark side.

Little does Luke know that the quest will change his life forever - and that deep family secrets will be revealed.

500 Days Of Film Reviews The Hunger Games And Finds A Thrilling Drama With An Outstanding Female Lead

In the future, the world has been segmented into 12 Districts. 

All Districts work in different areas to serve a repressive Capital - led by President Snow (a brilliant Donald Sutherland). 

In the past, the Districts rose up against the Capital - a battle that they lost at great cost. 

To remind them of this loss and to ensure their future compliance, President Snow organises a yearly event - The Hunger Games. 

Two children from each District are selected and then forced to fight against each other in an arena until only one remains.

500 Days Of Film Reviews Jurassic World And Finds A Thrilling, Action Packed Adventure But Not A Patch On The Original 

A theme park called Jurassic World has been built on the original site of Jurassic Park. 

Despite featuring a host of amazing dinosaur rides, encounters and shows, the park is starting to suffer from visitor apathy. 

Seen one big dino, seen 'em all it seems. 

As a result, the theme park decides to experiment and develop an even bigger, toothier dinosaur.

All very well and good until, clever girl, the new hybrid escapes.

500 Days Of Film Reviews Ant-Man And Finds A Super Fun Addition To The Marvel Film Series

Scott Lang (Paul Rudd) doesn’t like to call himself a robber.

No, he doesn’t use force and only steals from those who probably deserve it - perhaps call him a cat burglar instead.

A modern day Robin Hood if you will.

Whatever the title, his life of crime is now all in the past. Lang, freshly released from prison, is desperate to move on and stay clean.

He wants to build a new life and be the man that his young daughter believes that he is - her hero.

However, life is certainly not easy for an ex-con. Lang finds that, despite his impressive qualifications, he is pretty unemployable. Fast losing hope, he agrees to do one more job. He breaks into a house that promises a healthy payoff. 

Unfortunately, this does not turn out to be the case and all he finds is a strange leather suit. Disappointed and yet also intrigued, Lang tries the suit on and shrinks to the size of an insect.

The owner of the suit, Dr Hank Pym (Michael Douglas) contacts Lang and offers him a choice. He can either go back to jail or become Ant-man and go on a mission to stop Pym’s sub-atomic tech from falling into the wrong hands. 

500 Days Of Film Reviews Haywire And Finds A Terrific Action Movie, A Great Cast And An Awesome Female Lead

Ex-marine, Mallory Kane (Gina Carano) is a highly skilled operative working for a government security contractor.

After rescuing a Chinese hostage, she realises that she has been double crossed.

Mallory is a dangerous woman to cross - let alone double cross.

Determined to find out why she has been betrayed, she embarks on a high stakes revenge mission in order to clear her name.  

Only one thing is certain - she does not want to run anymore. 

500 Days Of Film Reviews Rise Of The Planet Of The Apes And Finds A Thrilling Action Movie With Intelligence And Heart

Will Rodman (James Franco) is a scientist trying to find a cure for alzheimer's.

He creates a drug with the potential to stop the ravages of this cruel disease and believes that it can also enable the brain to repair itself.

He tests his new drug on apes and is excited by the results.

As he pushes forward with his 'cure', we realise that he is working against time as his own father (John Lithgow) is losing his battle against alzheimer’s disease.  

However, Rodman's experiment goes terribly wrong, His work is deemed a failure and is shut down. He is ordered to destroy all of the apes that have been taking his drug.

Rodman cannot bring himself to euthanize a new born ape who has been exposed to his drug whilst in utero. Instead, he smuggles this ape, named Caesar (portrayed by Andy Serkis), home to live with him and his father.  

500 Days Of Film Reviews Real Steel And Finds A Fun And Enjoyable Family Film. Plus Some Exciting Robot Fighting - Yes Really!

In the near future, robots have replaced humans in the boxing ring.

Ex-fighter, Charlie Kenton (Hugh Jackman) struggles to earn a living by promoting and controlling these robots.

However, he is down on his luck and in debt with all the wrong people.

During a custody hearing for his estranged son Max (Dakota Goyo), Charlie spies a way to get the money he needs to buy a new robot. He makes an arrangement with Max’s uncle Marvin to relinquish his parental rights - for a fee. 

However, Marvin has one condition. Max has to spend the summer with his father.   

500 Days Of Film Reviews Captain America - The First Avenger And Finds A Likeable Marvel Action Adventure

Steve Rogers is desperate to join the army and serve his country in World War 2.

However, his application keeps getting rejected - a result of his small stature and plethora of health issues.

Scientist Dr. Abraham Erskine (Stanley Tucci) sees a goodness in Rogers that others have missed and believes he will be a perfect fit for his new, untested, “Super Soldier Serum”.

Rogers readily agrees to Erskine’s proposition and, having taken the serum, finds himself physically transformed. He is now capable of heroic, physical action and is soon used by the US army as a powerful new propaganda tool. 

Rogers eventually realises that this is not the role he signed up for. Needing to prove himself once again, he goes on a dangerous mission to save his colleagues from the evil Johann Schmit (Hugo Weaving) - otherwise known as the Red Skull

500 Days Of Film Reviews Attack The Block And Finds Aliens On The Loose In South London - Who Will Come Off Worse?

A gang of teenage boys from a block of flats in South London stumble across an alien.

Little do they know, but their actions in the face of this alien (and how they treat it) will soon reek havoc on all of their lives - ultimately putting them and all those in their block in real peril from an extremely dangerous and violent alien invasion.  

500 Days Of Film Reviews 13 Assassins And Find A Film About Loyalty, Honour… And A Whole Lotta Sword Fights

At the end of Japan’s feudal era, a group of 13 assassins (some but not all of them samurai) unite on a dangerous, potentially suicidal, mission.

Their mission is to kill an evil lord whose sadistic actions threaten to plunge the country into war. 

500 Days Of Film Reviews Thor And Finds An Action-Packed Adventure With Humour And Heart

Having been chosen over his brother Loki (Tom Hiddleston) to succeed his father Odin (Anthony Hopkins) as King of Asgard, Thor (Chris Hemsworth) lets his arrogance overpower him.

As a result of his reckless actions, he is cast out of Asgard by his father and banished to Earth.

There, with the help of scientist, Jane Foster (Natalie Portman), Thor tries to become worthy of his position, regain his iconic hammer and has to protect Earth and Asgard from the evil that threatens both civilisations.  

500 Days Of Film Reviews Kick Ass And Finds A Comic Superhero Movie With A Violent Difference

I love my 500 Days Of Film Challenge. One minute I am sobbing over Toy Story 3, the next I’m watching the brutal violence (and language) of Kick Ass.

Dave Lizewski is at high school in America where he feels invisible to all around. He seeks solace in the world of comics and starts to wonder why everyone aspires to be like the latest celebrity but no one wants to be truly heroic.

As a result, Dave decides to become a superhero - little knowing that this will lead him down a dark and dangerous path. 

500 Days Of Film Reviews Inception And Finds A Layered And Wonderfully Complex Film That Puzzles Long After The Credits Close 

Inception is a film that is pretty hard to describe. I really don’t want to give anything away for those of you who haven’t had a chance to see Christopher Nolan’s complex masterpiece. So here goes with my best attempt at a plot summary...

Leonardo DiCapprio plays Dominic Cobb, a man who is able to enter the dreams of others in order to steal ideas - a method called extraction. 

For reasons that we do not fully appreciate at the start, Cobb is a wanted man who cannot return to the US and, as a result, cannot see his two young children.

So when Cobb is given the opportunity to have his record expunged, he takes it. All he has to do is plant an idea inside the head of another man (so that he feels that this idea is his own) - a method called inception.

So that will be simple then!