Long gone are the days when we had to wait for home entertainment to see “Making Of” videos explaining how filmmakers pulled off amazing stunts or effects sequences.
These days, they’re out before the film itself arrives.
And if you’re Tom Cruise, you don’t have the patience to hold off until the year the movie lands, let alone the month or week. Hence a new look online at the extensive preparation behind one of the keynote stunts of ‘Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One’, which will see his character, daredevil agent Ethan Hunt, sailing over a cliff on a motorbike and launching himself into the sky for a BASE jump.
‘Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One’ will be in theaters on July 14th, 2023.
He might not have the patience to wait and show off the team behind the stunt, but Cruise certainly has it to make sure the sequence goes flawlessly––and with good reason, because no one wants to see him pancaked on the ground.
Least of all writer/director Christopher McQuarrie, who can be seen in the video visibly aging as Cruise pulls off his latest wild activity.
Which means we’re treated to an extensive exploration of what goes into a sequence such as this––in this case, much stunt bike training, test jumps and even microchip-linked drones which accurately record his distance, velocity, and angles so all involved can make sure it’s worked out properly.
And the ‘Mission: Impossible’ movies could certainly use the good publicity after a couple of years that have seen them hit with pandemic filming delays and all sorts of issues as the mammoth shoot continued (and continues).
(L to R) Holt McCallany, Henry Czerny, and Nick Offerman in Paramount’s ‘Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part Two.’
We still don’t know exactly what the story will be this time (besides the obvious opportunities for Ethan Hunt to run/drive/jump off/into/out of things), besides hints that his past will be coming back to haunt him––particularly since old enemy Eugene Kittridge (Henry Czerny) is back from the original ‘M:I’ movie way back in 1996.
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Tom Cruise plays Capt. Pete “Maverick” Mitchell in ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ from Paramount Pictures, Skydance and Jerry Bruckheimer Films.
In related Cruise news, he also took time out from flying around to thank fans who showed up in droves and helped make ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ one of the biggest hits of the year.
But far from simply standing in front of a poster of the film (or in front of some pretty location where he’s still currently filming the two new ‘Mission’ movies), he chose to do it in his inimitable style––jumping out of a plane. Seems fitting, we suppose…
(L to R) Tome Cruise, director Christopher McQuarrie, and Rebecca Ferguson on the set of Paramount’s ‘Mission: Impossible – Fallout.’
After spending the last couple of years hard at work on two ‘Mission: Impossible’ movies to continue the successful franchise, you’d think that Tom Cruise and writer/director Christopher McQuarrie might want to spend some time doing other things than putting their life at risk (Cruise) and worrying about the risk to Cruise’s life (McQuarrie).
Yet the pair – who have been creative partners since ‘Valkyrie’ – show no sign of stopping working together. In fact, they have plans for more movies once the next two ‘Missions’ are complete. And if Deadline’s new report is to be believed, it’ll see them heading off in new directions.
Flying high on the success of ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ (which Cruise starred in and produced and McQuarrie produced/script polished), the pair has been busy making the next Ethan Hunt adventures. But after that? There are some options.
Talk flew last week after McQuarrie appeared on the ‘Light The Fuse’ podcast and hinted at something new for the pair, though still in the action genre.
“It’s kind of under wraps,” McQuarrie said. “It has neither a fuse nor a fuselage. Oh that’s not true… It does have some fuselages. It’s something we’ve talked about for a really long time. It’s way outside of what you’re used to seeing Tom do. It’s the kind of stuff I really love. It’s a little bit more in my wheelhouse. And yet it takes everything we’ve learned on this journey, which is making movies more and more about emotion and real emotional experiences. That’s what you’re feeling when you’re watching ‘Top Gun’; it’s me and Tom squeezing your adrenals for every emotion. Now we’re applying that to something that is gnarlier.”
Tom Cruise in Paramount Pictures’ ‘Mission: Impossible – Fallout.’
It’s hard to imagine something gnarlier than the stuff Cruise gets up to on a ‘Mission’ movie these days, but we’re excited to see that.
Expanding on that, Deadline mentions that the pair is also looking to work on a movie musical, a song-and-dance affair that would allow Cruise to show off his performing chops (as seen, singing-wise, at least, in ‘Rock of Ages’).
And there’s also the sweary, brusque studio executive Les Grossman that Cruise played in ‘Tropic Thunder’. The duo are said to be fixated on bringing Grossman back somehow (sounds like Cruise enjoyed reviving one of his previous characters for ‘Maverick’ and might be up to do it for this one). And, lest (or Les) we forget? Grossman has some dance moves of his own.
Before any of that, though, the two have their eyes on space. Cruise is still planning to shoot a movie in low Earth orbit on a new addition to the International Space Station with the support of NASA and SpaceX. That has Doug Liman attached to direct, while McQuarrie would produce.
(L to R) Holt McCallany, Henry Czerny, and Nick Offerman in Paramount’s ‘Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part Two.’
It might seem as though the next two ‘Mission: Impossible’ movies should already be in the can by now, but given Covid delays and cast scheduling, the cameras are indeed still cranking on ‘Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part Two’, the eighth instalment.
That’s not all – both McQuarrie and Offerman (virtually) stopped by the Light The Fuse Podcast to discuss the actor’s experience on the movie.
“Nick is quite literally drinking from the firehose, getting his first full bore ‘Mission: Impossible’ seeing-how-the-sausage-is-made,” McQuarrie said.
“It’s really fun and fascinating. There’s a handful of very high caliber actors that I’m getting to work with as well as the lead guy, and getting to toss the ball around is incredible,” Offerman explained. “Getting to watch them deal with the fire hose technique is fascinating, because everybody brings a great deal of elan and panache and years of experience. And watching McQ and Tom do their thing, you can’t really describe it to people. You have to be there. I’ve never seen anything like it. It’s like they’re painting an incredible mural and we’re all the paints.”
The full episode of the podcast lands on Wednesday, but you can hear a preview here.
(L to R) Mark Gatiss, Janet McTeer, and Charles Parnell in Paramount’s ‘Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part Two.’
No word on whom Offerman or McTeer are playing, though they could be government/military types – Offerman’s character is pictured alongside Holt McCallany, who we know is playing the Secretary of Defense, and what looks to be Henry Czerny, returning from the original ‘Mission: Impossible’ as Eugene Kittridge.
The plot of the next two ‘Mission’ movies is still a closely-guarded secret, though from the first teaser, we did get some hints. The return of Kittridge points to more trouble from within the Impossible Mission Force, as Kittridge is giving off real villain vibes. He tells Ethan Hunt he’s effectively on the wrong side of history and that the “ideals” he’s been fighting for don’t exist. There are shots of people being gassed with a mysterious green substance, explosions and all manner of chases.
And, of course, there are massive stunts, which as per usual, represent Tom Cruise putting his life on the line to up the spectacle with each movie.
Tom Cruise plays Ethan Hunt in ‘Mission: Impossible Dead Reckoning – Part One’ from Paramount Pictures and Skydance.
Tom Cruise is quite possibly the greatest movie star in the history of cinema!
His films have grossed over $8 billion dollars at the box office, and the actor is more than willing to hang off the side of a building or an airplane in order to entertain audience.
Now, with ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ opening this weekend, let’s take a look at the best action movies Tom Cruise has ever made, including the new ‘Top Gun.’
When Major Susan Turner (Cobie Smulders) is arrested for treason, ex-investigator Jack Reacher (Cruise) undertakes the challenging task to prove her innocence and ends up exposing a shocking conspiracy.
Though safely entombed in a crypt deep beneath the unforgiving desert, an ancient queen (Sofia Boutella) whose destiny was unjustly taken from her is awakened in our current day, bringing with her malevolence grown over millennia, and terrors that defy human comprehension.
Jack Harper (Cruise) is one of the last few drone repairmen stationed on Earth. Part of a massive operation to extract vital resources after decades of war with a terrifying threat known as the Scavs, Jack’s mission is nearly complete. His existence is brought crashing down when he rescues a beautiful stranger (Olga Kurylenko) from a downed spacecraft. Her arrival triggers a chain of events that forces him to question everything he knows and puts the fate of humanity in his hands.
With computer genius Luther Stickell (Ving Rhames) at his side and a beautiful thief on his mind, agent Ethan Hunt (Cruise) races across Australia and Spain to stop a former IMF agent (Dougray Scott) from unleashing a genetically engineered biological weapon called Chimera. This mission, should Hunt choose to accept it, plunges him into the center of an international crisis of terrifying magnitude.
A fugitive couple (Cruise and Cameron Diaz) goes on a glamorous and sometimes deadly adventure where nothing and no one – even themselves – are what they seem. Amid shifting alliances and unexpected betrayals, they race across the globe, with their survival ultimately hinging on the battle of truth vs. trust.
When a gunman takes five lives with six shots, all evidence points to the suspect in custody. On interrogation, the suspect offers up a single note: “Get Jack Reacher!” So begins an extraordinary chase for the truth, pitting Jack Reacher (Cruise) against an unexpected enemy, with a skill for violence and a secret to keep.
Ray Ferrier (Cruise) is a divorced dockworker and less-than-perfect father. Soon after his ex-wife (Miranda Otto) drops off his teenage son (Justin Chatwin) and young daughter (Dakota Fanning) for a rare weekend visit, a strange and powerful lightning storm touches down.
For Lieutenant Pete ‘Maverick’ Mitchell (Cruise) and his friend and co-pilot Nick ‘Goose’ Bradshaw (Anthony Edwards), being accepted into an elite training school for fighter pilots is a dream come true. But a tragedy, as well as personal demons, will threaten Pete’s dreams of becoming an ace
When Ethan Hunt (Cruise), the leader of a crack espionage team whose perilous operation has gone awry with no explanation, discovers that a mole has penetrated the CIA, and he’s surprised to learn that he’s the No. 1 suspect. To clear his name, Hunt now must ferret out the real double agent and, in the process, even the score.
Nathan Algren is an American hired to instruct the Japanese army in the ways of modern warfare, which finds him learning to respect the samurai and the honorable principles that rule them. Pressed to destroy the samurai’s way of life in the name of modernization and open trade, Algren decides to become an ultimate warrior himself and to fight for their right to exist.
Retired from active duty to train new IMF agents, Ethan Hunt (Cruise) is called back into action to confront sadistic arms dealer, Owen Davian (Phillip Seymour Hoffman). Hunt must try to protect his girlfriend while working with his new team to complete the mission.
John Anderton (Cruise) is a top ‘Precrime’ cop in the late-21st century, when technology can predict crimes before they’re committed. But Anderton becomes the quarry when another investigator targets him for a murder charge.
When an IMF mission ends badly, the world is faced with dire consequences. As Ethan Hunt (Cruise) takes it upon himself to fulfill his original briefing, the CIA begin to question his loyalty and his motives. The IMF team find themselves in a race against time, hunted by assassins (Henry Cavill) while trying to prevent a global catastrophe.
Ethan Hunt (Cruise) and his team are racing against time to track down a dangerous terrorist named Hendricks (Michael Nyqvist ), who has gained access to Russian nuclear launch codes and is planning a strike on the United States.
An attempt to stop him ends in an explosion causing severe destruction to the Kremlin and the IMF to be implicated in the bombing, forcing the President to disavow them. No longer being aided by the government, Ethan and his team chase Hendricks around the globe, although they might still be too late to stop a disaster.
Major Bill Cage (Cruise) is an officer who has never seen a day of combat when he is unceremoniously demoted and dropped into combat. Cage is killed within minutes, managing to take an alpha alien down with him. He awakens back at the beginning of the same day and is forced to fight and die again… and again – as physical contact with the alien has thrown him into a time loop.
Ethan Hunt (Cruise) and his team take on their most impossible mission yet—eradicating ‘The Syndicate’, an International and highly-skilled rogue organization committed to destroying the IMF.
Talented but unproven stock car driver Cole Trickle gets a break and with the guidance of veteran Harry Hogge turns heads on the track. The young hotshot develops a rivalry with a fellow racer that threatens his career when the two smash their cars. But with the help of his doctor, Cole just might overcome his injuries– and his fear.
After more than thirty years of service as one of the Navy’s top aviators, Pete “Maverick” Mitchell (Cruise) is where he belongs, pushing the envelope as a courageous test pilot and dodging the advancement in rank that would ground him.
When he finds himself training a detachment of TOPGUN graduates for a specialized mission the likes of which no living pilot has ever seen, Maverick encounters Lt. Bradley Bradshaw (Miles Teller), call sign: “Rooster,” the son of Maverick’s late friend and Radar Intercept Officer Lt. Nick Bradshaw, aka “Goose.”
Facing an uncertain future and confronting the ghosts of his past, Maverick is drawn into a confrontation with his own deepest fears, culminating in a mission that demands the ultimate sacrifice from those who will be chosen to fly it.
Tom Cruise in Paramount Pictures’ ‘Mission: Impossible – Fallout.’
Given that between them, the next two ‘Mission: Impossible’ movies might – heavy emphasis on might – represent the end for the venerable action franchise, the biggest takeaway from this first teaser for the seventh outing suggests that it has legacy on the brain.
But even beyond the presence of Eugene Kittridge (Henry Czerny), who hasn’t been seen since the first ‘M:I’ movie back in 1996, there are little nods here and there towards that original film. Not the least of which is Cruise once more battling baddies on a train (though it’s a much more old-school steamer than the sleek Channel Tunnel vehicles seen in the original).
Yet it’s far from just The Tom Cruise Show – we’re treated to footage of franchise veterans Simon Pegg (back as Benji) and Ving Rhames (Luther), plus more recent recruits including Rebecca Ferguson’s Isla Faust and Vanessa Kirby’s White Widow.
‘Dead Reckoning’ represents possibly the biggest challenge yet for Cruise and writer/director Christopher McQuarrie, who have collaborated on the last few ‘Mission: Impossible’ movies. They had to navigate a tricky, ever-changing shooting plan because the pandemic either cancelled or interrupted production. And then there’s wrangling with their own achievements – how do you top the level of stunts that they and their team have collectively pulled off in the past? The answer for Cruise, at least, appears to be even more derring-do, jumping off a bike that is itself falling off a huge cliff. Letting a train speed off another cliff. And breaking the story across two movies? That’ll lead to a more narrative cliff-hanger. These two like cliffs, is what we’re saying.
Story-wise, there’s not much to go on yet, though Kittridge certainly looks to be giving strong villain vibes, telling Ethan Hunt he’s effectively on the wrong side of history and that the “ideals” he’s been fighting for don’t exist. There are shots of people being gassed with a mysterious green substance, explosions and all manner of chases. Hunt, in his encounter with his old nuisance, mostly looks like he wants to blow up another fish tank…
‘Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One’ will be in theaters on July 14th, 2023.
‘Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One’ will be in theaters on July 14th, 2023.
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After deciding to leave their home for a new adventure, Crash (Vincent Tong) and Eddie (Aaron Harris) discover the Lost World and reunite with Buck Wild (Pegg), who seems to be happy living as a recluse. But when dinosaurs begin to threaten the Lost World’s existence, Crash and Eddie team with Buck, and his old friend Zee (Machado), to put a stop to them for good.
Moviefone recently had the opportunity to speak with actors Simon Pegg and Justina Machado, as well as director John C. Donkin and producer Lori Forte, about their work on ‘The Ice Age Adventures of Buck Wild’.
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Below you can read our full interview with Simon Pegg, or you can watch the full set of interviews in the video player above.
Moviefone: To begin with, what is it like for you to return to the ‘Ice Age’ franchise as Buck Wild after first appearing in ‘Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs,’ and having the opportunity to explore the character in his own film?
Simon Pegg: It’s like slipping into a pair of very comfy shoes. I really love playing Buck. He’s there in my muscle memory the whole time. I think that first experience of doing him in ‘Dawn of the Dinosaurs’ was so intense. It was such a big deal for me because I was joining the franchise and I figured that would just be it.
Then, he was invited back for ‘Collision Course,’ and now this. I always would say to Lori Forte, the producer, at the end of every session that we did with Buck, that we should do more of this. We should do like a Buck spinoff. And here we are, so I guess my wish came true.
MF: When we first see Buck in the new movie, he has been living by himself and seems to have gone a bit stir crazy. Can you talk about your character’s mental state when the movie begins?
SP: Well, Buck was always pitched to me as a cross between Indiana Jones and Colonel Kurtz from ‘Apocalypse Now.’ I think in the interim between when we first met him in this film, he has actually had a period of time where he met some other creatures. He was hanging out with Zee, his sort of girlfriend as it were, this equivalent to him, a female, but she’s as resourceful, as courageous, and more sane than he is. They’d formed this little pact where they were going to look after the Lost World.
In that time, they fell out, and so when Crash and Eddie, the possums come to the Lost World, they find Buck back to being a loner. He lives by himself and he talks to inanimate things. Part of the film is about encouraging Buck to re-embrace his sociability, which I think we’re all having to do now, or hopefully we’ll have to do at some point, when we come out of lockdown.
MF: I know you love comic books, and there is a real superhero team vs. super villain vibe to this movie. Can you talk about that aspect of the movie?
SP: I think obviously the superheroes are very much in vogue at the moment. There’s a lot of superhero content out there. I think superheroes, in some respects, are the ultimate sort of aspirational characters because you simply cannot ever be them because they’re beyond us. They’re preternatural.
But in this film, Buck says to be a superhero, you just need courage and resourcefulness. It kind of makes their superhero idea a little bit more relatable and a little bit more something that people watching the movie can be themselves, particularly children. So, I think that’s a nice little message for the era in which superheroes seem to dominate.
MF: The voice you use for Buck is very specific. Was it difficult to find it again for this movie, or does Buck’s voice just live inside your head always now?
SP: Oh, he definitely just lives inside me, and I’ve had to do the voice several times between films for kids who don’t believe that I’m Buck. I remember a little girl came up to me on holiday and told me that her mom said that I was Buck, and she didn’t believe it, because I didn’t look like a weasel. She genuinely was like, “Prove it.” So, I did. Then after that, every time she saw me on holiday, she’d go, “Hi Buck.” I’d have to go, “Hello little girl,” like this. So, it’s something that stayed with me the whole time.
When he’s playing Ethan Hunt in the ‘Mission: Impossible’ movies, Tom Cruise can do many things: jump out of planes, hang on to aircraft, climb mountains freehand. But the one challenge even he can’t seem to conquer is Covid delays.
Paramount has decided to move back the next two ‘Impossible’ movies on its release schedule, to July 14, 2023, and June 2024. The new films, currently still only known as ‘Mission: Impossible 7’ and ‘Mission: Impossible 8’ have bounced around different dates for the last couple of years – there was a time when the first of the two was due in July 2020. Remember that?
Most recently, the movies had been set for September 30 this year and July 7, 2023, respectively.
No specific plot details for either movie have been released, but we can expect plenty of the practical stunt action for which Cruise and the series has become known.
Alongside Cruise, returning actors for one or both movies include Simon Pegg, Ving Rhames, Rebecca Ferguson and Vanessa Kirby. And in a move likely to spark enthusiasm in fans of the original 1996 movie, Henry Czerny is back as Eugene Kittridge, the former director of the Impossible Mission force who was framed as a mole in that film.
McQuarrie and his ‘Mission’ cast and crew have faced their own challenges shooting in a time when the pandemic caused so much disruption. Plans to film in Italy were curtailed as Covid-19 began to take its toll on the world, and resuming production required a complicated mix of safety protocols and location changes.
Cruise was overheard berating crew members who breached the distance advice on set, and the various issues caused by the pandemic have been part of the reason why Paramount has been shifting the movies around the release calendar.
Add to that the ongoing challenges with cinema attendance levels and concern for audience safety, which have led to many movies either pushing back their release or moving to streaming services. Paramount is one of the studios that has tried to keep its bigger releases in cinemas, resulting in delays for several movies, including fellow Cruise project ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ (currently due to land on screens on May 27 this year).
That’s despite recent success with the new ‘Scream’, which has already earned more than $ 54 million at the worldwide box office. Paramount, of course is being more careful with the huge-budgeted ‘Mission’ movies, which also require extensive promotional tours.
“After thoughtful consideration, Paramount Pictures and Skydance have decided to postpone the release dates for ‘Mission: Impossible 7 & 8‘ in response to delays due to the ongoing pandemic. The new release dates will be July 14, 2023, and June 28, 2024, respectively. We look forward to providing moviegoers with an unparalleled theatrical experience,” Paramount and Skydance said in a statement.
Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is just to keep on waiting.
Schwarzenegger churned out hit after hit in the early ’90s, beginning with this explosive adaptation of a Philip K. Dick story. As with most Dick adaptations, it’s a pretty loose take on the source material. But when you combine mind-bending sci-fi goodness with all the classic Schwarzenegger tropes and director Paul Verhoeven’s sly, hyper-violent stylings, good things follow.
Director Luc Besson helped define the look and feel of a whole new wave of stylish French thrillers with this movie. It doesn’t hurt that star Anne Parillaud gave us the femme fatale heroine the movie world needed. It’s usually a good sign when an action movie inspires multiple foreign language remakes.
If ’90s kids had a bad case of deja vu watching “The Fast and the Furious,” it’s only because they had already fallen in love with “Point Break.” The two movies share the exact same plot, but “Point Break” has the benefit of some incredible surfing scenes and the late, great Patrick Swayze in the role he was born to play.
The first two “Terminator” movies are critical pillars of the sci-fi genre, but it’s really “Terminator 2” that stand as the high-water mark for this franchise. Great action, compelling characters and a heartfelt story about humanity struggling to change its fate make for an incredible sci-fi experience.
The ’90s weren’t a great time for supoerhero movies in general and Batman movies in particular, but at least we got one more great movie out of Tim Burton and Michael Keaton. Even though Keaton’s Batman is about as agile as a tortoise, “Batman Returns” features some great fight scenes and a generally more exciting, action-packed alternative to its predecessor. And Catwoman is the sh**.
Director John Woo cultivated his own unique brand of action movie in the ’90s, one that combines classics “cops and robbers” storytelling with stylish gunplay and liberal use of slow motion and flying doves. “Hard Boiled” is where Woo really perfected that formula, and also where American audiences began to sit up and take notice of star Chow Yun-fat.
I mean, how can you NOT love this movie?! That’s Stallone, stabbing a bad guy, on a stalagmite (or is it tite?) Whatever, the point is: This guilty pleasure gave Stallone a much-needed action movie career boost in the ’90s. And it’s one of the most beautifully shot action movies ever.
Sylvester Stallone didn’t fare so well in the ’90s, between “Rocky V” and some generally poor choices of roles. But at least he had “Demolition Man,” a futuristic movie that blends satisfying action with a healthy dose of satire. As guilty pleasures go, you could have worse. #ThreeSeashells.
By the time the ’90s rolled around, Harrison Ford was getting a bit long in the tooth to keep playing Han Solo and Indiana Jones. Instead, he transitioned into more an everyman action hero who kicked ass despite his age. And nowhere does that formula work better than in “The Fugitive.”
We’re down for any movie in which Jean-Claude Van Damme plays a Cajun butt-kicker with a mullet. The fact that “Hard Target” also marked John Woo’s first American film just made it that much more of an attractive proposition. Sure, it’s dumb, but the kind of dumb that keeps you enthralled from start to finish.
Few action stars have aged as gracefully as Harrison Ford. The star continued to carve out a new place for himself as a likable middle-aged action hero in this third installment of the Jack Ryan franchise. We’re not sure why Paramount has tried so hard to reinvent the character as a younger, sexier hero when this formula worked so well.
The Die Hard franchise has a pretty spotty track record when it comes to sequels. Luckily, At least we got one great follow-up to the original during the ’90s. “Die Hard With a Vengeance” is the only sequel to retain the blue collar everyman appeal of the original without also simply recycling the same plot.
While it wouldn’t see official release in the US until 2000, hardcore martial arts lovers swooned over Jackie Chan’s second “Drunken Master” movie. Never has the actor’s incredible blend of athleticism and physical comedy been more impressive.
Director Luc Besson became one of the dominant forces in the action movie world in the ’90s, and this film was a major reason why. It features one of the all-time coolest action heroes in the form of Jean Reno’s Léon, and the fact that a young Natalie Portman played his precocious sidekick/trainee just makes the whole ting that much more fun. We’re still holding out for a Portman-driven sequel.
For all of you who wanted “Die Hard” on a battleship, Steven Seagal made your dream come true. He plays, naturally, the ship’s cook (with some SEAL training) and, yup, gets into a vicious knife fight with baddie Tommy Lee Jones. This movie is dated, sure, but director Andrew Davis’ tension and TLJ’s scene-stealing performance still hold up.
A lot of the best action movies are the ones with the simplest premises. “Speed” makes the most of a simple idea and its two leads, Keanu Reeves and Sandra Bullock. Unfortunately, that simplicity is one reason it was so hard to cook up a worthwhile sequel.
As the decade wore on, Schwarzenegger started losing steam as a traditional Hollywood action hero. But at least we got one more great collaboration between Schwarzenegger and director James Cameron first. “True Lies” is a real crowd-pleaser and remains one of the best movies in both their careers.
Michael Bay was undeniably at his best in the ’90s, back before his career became dominated by “Transformers” sequels. “Bad Boys” offered an explosive new take on the buddy cop genre, one anchored by the terrific chemistry between Martin Lawrence and superstar-in-the-making Will Smith.
While 1992’s “El Mariachi” is a great showcase for what a skilled director can do on a minuscule budget, this 1995 sequel allows Robert Rodriguez to operate on a much bigger stage. You haven’t lived until you’ve seen a mariachi singer wield a rocket-launching guitar case.
The James Bond franchise was badly in need of a new direction and a new leading man in the ’90s, and it got both thanks to “GoldenEye.” The only Bond film with a story to live up to Pierce Brosnan’s thoroughly satisfying take on the character, “GoldenEye” remains one of the high points in this incredibly long-running series.
“Sudden Daeth” is basically a “Die Hard” sequel set inside a hockey arena. How could you not love that. While not one of Jean-Claude Van Damme’s bigger hits of the ’90s, it’s gained a healthy following thanks to its simple premise and strong execution.
If there’s one thing ’90s action movies were good at, it was updating classic ’60s TV series into sexy modern blockbusters. “Mission: Impossible” delivered a satisfying bled of stunts and intrigue. In the process, it established a formula so strong that the series is still alive and thriving even two decades later.
How good is this Michael Bay movie? Good enough to be selected for the Criterion Collection. “The Rock” is a high point in Bay’s career. It’s an expertly crafted action thriller that makes the most of the unusual but satisfying pairing of Nic Cage and Sean Connery.
Harrison Ford had one of his biggest hits ever in this 1997 “Die-Hard-on-a-plane” thriller. In a time of ongoing political scandal, it was refreshing to see a President getting down to business and punching a bunch of terrorists off of his plane. This film served as another reminder that Gary Oldman is the all-time champ when it comes to over-the-top villains.
The premise of “Face/Off” skirts the line between brilliant and ridiculousness, which is only fitting for a movie featuring John Travolta and Nic Cage impersonating one another. It’s a wild, stylish ride, as all John Woo films should be.
In a decade marked by one lousy comic book movie after another, “Blade” finally came along to show what was possible when studios treat the source material with the respect it deserves. “Blade” also doesn’t get enough credit for its influence on the action movie genre. It was basically doing “The Matrix” a year before “The Matrix” hit theaters.
When your crime thriller is crammed with one plot twist after another, it helps to have some satisfying, next-level car chases to keep things humming along. That’s no problem for “Ronin,” which features a nonstop stream of car chases, shootouts and betrayals to keep viewers hooked.
Arguably Will Smith’s most underrated ’90s effort, this paranoid thriller casts him as a likable DC attorney caught up in a conspiracy involving the murder of a politician. Soon, Smith finds himself on the run with surveillance expert Gene Hackman and a lot of fun twists ensue, thanks to Tony Scott’s deft direction.
The two “Matrix” sequels don’t exactly hold up, with dated CG effects and lousy storytelling choices reminding us why this franchise had such a meteoric rise and fall. But that doesn’t mean the original film should be forgotten. “The Matrix” delivered a unique mash-up of philosophy, martial arts and science fiction. It was a revelation at the time, and it’s still a darned good watch nowadays.
How many among us can say their childhood dream was realized? When he was 11, young Montanan Brad Bird visited Walt Disney Studios and declared he would join its animation team. After completing his first animation at 13 and working with legendary Disney animators as a hobby, Disney later awarded him with a scholarship to attend California Institute of the Arts. The rest is cinematic history, and to celebrate his birthday, here are some films he’s gifted us with.
‘The Iron Giant’ (1999)
This sweet story of friendship during the Cold War in 1957 focuses on a young boy named Hogarth (Eli Marienthal), and a giant robot (Vin Diesel) that Hogarth finds trying to eat power lines. Once they realize neither has hostile intent, they focus on the more challenging problem of keeping him hidden from the government agent searching for him. As he takes shelter in the local junkyard, the Giant’s softer side is revealed time and time again, whether it’s saving lives, learning about Superman, or processing the concept of death. But all good things, including hanging out with robot best friends and evading the government, must end. Or…do they?
‘The Incredibles’ (2004)
Before the Avengers were dealing with ramifications of tearing up cities in their quest to preserve civilization, there was this family of five living in Metroville. Since bystanders were suing, being a superhero is now outlawed—and the greatest superhero in Metroville, Mr. Incredible (Craig T. Nelson), now has to be known as…Bob. He’s selling insurance, although he dreams of going back to serving the public in big, splashy ways, as opposed to quietly helping individuals get their claims settled with his corrupt bosses. Unbeknownst to his wife Helen (Holly Hunter), he has been undergoing secret missions, until he realizes that he’s being played by a new super villain and they need to come save the day together.
‘Ratatouille’ (2007)
Brad Bird figured out how to bridge the great divide between restaurants and rats with the help of Patton Oswalt as Remy, the rat who dreams of being a chef. He seizes the moment when he sees Alfredo Linguini (Lou Romano), a kitchen garbage boy, screwing up a pot of soup he spilled, and steps (Crawls? Scuttles?) in to fix all his mistakes. When it’s a huge hit with the restaurant patrons, they keep Linguini on as a trainee, and Remy takes up residence under Linguini’s toque. Together, through ups and downs and health code violations, they forge a friendship and a glowing review from a cynical food critic (Peter O’Toole).
‘Mission Impossible – Ghost Protocol’ (2011)
Five years prior, Mission: Impossible III hit a critical low and what is now the second-lowest lifetime gross in the series. While still considered successful, if ever there was a time to jumpstart a franchise, 2011 would have been it, and Bird and the gang of beleaguered IMF agents delivered. Yet again, Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) and his IMF team are disavowed (are they ever avowed?) after a bombing of the Kremlin that gets pinned on Hunt. There’s the usual amount of trickery and action in this film, but certain sequences like the tower in Dubai with Tom Cruise, whipping wind, and a pair of what appeared to be Nintendo Power Gloves were unforgettable.
Hayley Atwell, who is perhaps best known for her role as Captain America’s lost love Peggy Carter in five Marvel Cinematic Universe movies (most recently “Avengers: Endgame”) and two seasons of her own spin-off series “Agent Carter,” has officially joined another long-running franchise – “Mission: Impossible.” Apparently she has chosen to accept it.
Writer/director Christoper McQuarrie, who is currently working on two follow-ups to last year’s brilliant “Mission: Impossible – Fallout” (set for release in 2021 and 2022), announced on his social media channels that Atwell would be joining the team. He framed a black-and-white photo of the actress against the black “IMF” dossier made famous in the original 1960s TV series. (Atwell turned her entire Instagram feed into a giant mosaic of the same image.)
It’s unclear if Atwell will appear in one or both of the sequels but either way, we are deeply excited.
