Here we’ve preserved Daniel Rutledge’s short and sweet reviews of action movies that have been moved from their original streaming platforms. You can find their current streaming homes by clicking each title.
21 Jump Street (2012)
Dynamic duo Phil Lord and Christopher Miller make the jump from animation to land a hilarious, action-packed buddy-cop comedy. Rebooting the old TV show, Channing Tatum and Jonah Hill make for the oddest of odd couples, Ice Cube embodies the grumpy police captain cliché, and there’s even a spot-the-Johnny-Depp cameo. Full of whip-smart comic cracks and action a-plenty, it’s big and silly but still enormous fun.
Crank (2006)
Directors Neveldine and Taylor kickstarted their careers with this heart-poundingly bonkers mid-budget masterpiece, in which Jason Statham’s LA hitman, Chev Chelios, must keep his adrenaline flowing to beat the poison in his veins. Ridiculous, rude, and relentless, Crank is visually stunning, thanks to the directors shooting whilst racing around on rollerblades and motorcycles, lending the stunning action set-pieces a vitality and verve that keep the crazy story thundering forward.
Daybreakers (2009)
Vampires rule (literally) in this Australian-made action-horror hybrid from the Spierig brothers. Fans of the original Blade and Hellboy will love this adventure, clearly influenced by the slick visual style of The Matrix. Set in a future where humans are running out, and the hunt is on for synthetic blood, Ethan Hawke and Willem Dafoe lead the resistance against corporate vampires, setting the scene for some high stakes (sorry) action.
The Gentlemen (2019)
Guy Ritchie returns to his Lock, Stock and Snatch UK gangster roots with a rip-roaring comedic tale of Matthew McConaughey’s cannabis kingpin, caught up in a comedic, twisted, and fast-moving plot involving gangsters, aristocrats, lowlifes, con artists, and tabloid journalists. Hugh Grant does a wicked Cockney accent, Jeremy Strong plays it camp, Charlie Hunnam gets his best role yet, and Colin Farrell is hilarious as the coolest boxing coach since Mickey trained Rocky.
Mad Max (1979)
George Miller’s first entry into the dystopian world of Max Rockatansky remains an intensely visceral classic. Mel Gibson rules as the titular cop turned vigilante, hunting Toecutter’s gang of motorbiking marauders to avenge his wife and son. The scene in which Max handcuffs Johnny to a petrol-leaking wreeck and gives him a hacksaw is up there with Clint Eastwood’s Dirty Harry asking a punk if he feels lucky.
Mad Max: Fury Road (2015)
Wow! George Miller’s action masterpiece blows me away every time I watch it. Tom Hardy burns as Max, Charlize Theron smoulders as Furiosa, and Hugh Keays-Byrne napalms the screen as Immortan Joe. The non-stop chase and fight never falls below top gear, and the array of mad, bad vehicular mayhem is jaw-dropping. From the amazing stunts to the stunning colours, vibrant cinematography, and ear-drumming sound, it’s Action with a capital “A”.
The Matrix (1999)
The Matrix explodes onto the screen, set in a brilliantly realised cyberpunk dystopia heavily influenced by anime including Ghost In The Shell and Hong Kong action flicks. The wire-fu fight choreography, “bullet time,” and sleek S&M costumes make this a top-notch rewatch. Featuring a great cast in Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne, Carrie-Anne Moss and Hugo Weaving, it remains the best in the franchise, and one of the best science fiction films ever made.
Robocop (1987)
Paul Verhoeven’s fascist satire is a brilliant, brutal, bloody film with brains. Paul Weller is a Detroit cop resurrected inside a shiny chrome exoskeleton created by Omni Consumer Products in a bid to corner the market on inner-city crime fighting. Witty, gritty and violent, but always with its tongue firmly in its cheek, Robocop rewards repeated viewings with an amazing 1980s cast, a sizzler of a score, and an overdose of over-the-top action.
Rolling Thunder (1977)
Co-written by Taxi Driver scribe Paul Schrader, John Flynn’s Rolling Thunder is a dynamite tale of revenge. William Devane plays the Vietnam vet out to avenge his murdered family, aided by BFF Tommy Lee Jones. Like watching a pot boil over, the tension and air of menace build to explosive violence. No wonder it’s one of Tarantino’s favourite films. Now a stone cold classic, it’s a savage 70s story up there with Clint Eastwood’s Dirty Harry and Charles Bronson’s Death Wish.
Skyfall (2012)
Daniel Craig’s second outing as 007 delivers one of the best Bond movies ever, in Sam Mendes exhilarating homage to the iconic action series. Highlights include Adele’s opening song, Javier Bardem’s deliciously scene-chomping villain and the stylish cinematography of Roger Deakins. The story, which involes M16 being compromised and relocated, grips like a vice.
