livingitup

Okay, they won’t make you cry.  Your heart won’t break, and you probably won’t wish your life is anything like the main characters.  Still, some of these action movies are just plain fun.  Put the kids in bed and get ready for some “bang, bang, shoot ‘em up” films.

1. Tombstone–Maybe the best western out there.  Doc Holliday, Wyatt Earp, classic stuff here.  Not only that, but it covers some important issues of the time that you don’t often see.  Laudanum addictions and consumption.  Need I say more?  Well, maybe,”I’m your huckleberry.”
2. Boondock Saints–Two Irish brothers are attacked in their home. They fend off the attackers, take themselves to jail to report the situation.  There they have an epiphany.  They decide that God has chosen them to rid the world of evil people.  Humor, murder, mayhem, and a lovely dose of that Irish accent will keep you watching.
3. The Last Boy Scout–Bruce Willis is a great action hero.  The dry humor alone makes this a great viewing.
4. Die Hard (any of them)–Bruce Willis really does rock the action hero scene.  Once again he is a part of a marriage in collapse, bless his dysfunctional-family soul.  Terrorists, bombs, money, and a line you are sure to memorize.  Yippie ki-yay….
5. Terminator (especially #2)–One of Arnold Schwarzenegger defining roles.  Futuristic, eerie, and full of quotable lines.  It’s a must see!
6. 300–History in a lovely, gruesome fashion.  Okay, maybe not entirely accurate, but there are some great details in this war film.
7. Black Hawk Down–Modern war (almost) made realistic.  This is about an operation in Somalia that hits closer to life than many of the glorious battle scenes of other movies.
8. Independence Day–It’s quirky, but that makes it fun.  The story-lines are entertaining, the characters are likable–and understandable, even if they are maybe too “good” to be realistic.
9. Transporter–Anyone that can fight in a suit and not rip a seam wins my vote.  He’s calm, collected, and less morally ambiguous than he wants to be.  The movie is smooth.
10. Bourne Trilogy–a story worth getting into, although it’s really a turn from the books.  Jason Bourne makes you curious.
11. The Rundown–A aspiring chef (the Rock) earns his keep by being a strong arm for a wealthy loan shark.  One more job should give our hero the money he needs to quit the business and open his restaurant.  The last job just happens to be hunting down the loan shark’s son.  The situation is not, big surprise, as straightforward as it would seem.  Quite funny.
12. I-Robot–Don’t trust the robots… Conspiracy, futuristic life, and an enjoyable character (played by Will Smith) make this one worth your while.

Here’s a start.  The ones at the bottom are probably more “chick”-friendly.  They have a bit more Hollywood glitz and lack some of the grit of other action movies.  All are quite enjoyable, assuming you have someone entertaining to watch them with.

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