For many people, the idea of getting older can be a rather big downer simply because it makes them think about all of the things they haven’t done. Though maybe not on par with the complexity of life, getting older also means we’ve missed out simple things like checking out action movies.
It seems silly to think about what movies you may have missed along the way, but think about the usual ‘water-cooler’ conversations we tend to have. You ask about family, and even mention the weather a bit, but one of the more agreeable subjects to discuss is movies we’re recently watched. Action movies tend to be popular simply because everyone can get something out of them, especially if all you’re looking for is a good time at a movie theater.
But now we’re in the 21st century, which means that we’ve got to think about movies that came out way back in the 20th century. Once you’ve gotten over the shock of transitioning from century to another, it’s time you got serious about checking out some action flicks that may have slipped through the cracks of time.
Here are five 20th century action movies that you absolutely need to see with a quickness:
Point Break – What do presidential Halloween masks, surfer dudes, the singer of the Red Hot Chili Peppers, and sky-diving all have in common? Only one of the more underrated action movies of the last twenty-five years.
Léon: The Professional – Combine crooked federal agents, murder, parental neglect & abuse, and an unsettling “father-daughter” dynamic underscored by a version of love, and you have a film that still has teeth nearly a quarter century later.
The Matrix – No discussion about onscreen action will ever be complete without mentioning this 1999 classic. From beginning to end, this films oozes action but somehow still effectively tells a story about it may or may not mean to be human & alive.
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon – Western audiences didn’t know what to make of it. Jokes were made about the action sequences, but no matter how much the mainstream took liberties in poking fun at it, the movie’s beauty and harrowing story-telling made this movie a massive hit in 2000.
The Terminator – In the 1980s, we had become accustomed to seeing movie monsters seemingly not be able to die. They always came back, and while there was a vague reason for the incessant need to get revenge, this movie presented a villain that wasn’t a monster seeking revenge. The titular character was on a mission from the future and would stop at nothing to complete its mission. Through cold, calculated movements & speech, the audience understood that there would be no resolution until the end.
Action movies do one thing really well – action. They are fast-paced films aiming to get audiences hooked on a contact adrenaline high from start to finish. The best of these films do it very well, and the five mentioned above certainly are some of the best, though there will certainly be many voices adamant that a true classic was missed. Oh, well. There’s always the 22nd century to make up for it.