233 Best Action-packed Movies to Watch (Page 13)

Why is Erin Carter, a British temp teacher in Barcelona, always on edge and stabbing people with random objects? Well, it seems that hiding in a Spanish-speaking country is the modus operandi for many a protagonist on the run (looking at you, The Chosen One), and yet they can't help but look suspicious in easily avoidable ways. But two episodes in, and it's barely clear what Erin is running away from, but luckily, she can shoot, stab, and throw a nasty open-palm slap. And if you're in the mood for bloody action, a standard dose of suspense and can ignore that this story feels as familiar as every other "badass person with a secret" show, it doesn't disappoint as much as it could. 

Genre: Action & Adventure, Crime

Actor: Charlotte Vega, Douglas Henshall, Evin Ahmad, Sean Teale, Susannah Fielding

Obliterated brings back the raunchy, yet epic ‘90s action through an inter-organization task force from the best of the best. From the team of Cobra Kai, it was expected to bring back some nostalgia, and it delivers with crazy, coked-up shenanigans with over-the-top explosions and great fight scenes in the neon-lit party city of Las Vegas. That being said, the actual story spreads thin across eight episodes, and the story beats are familiar if you’ve watched plenty of action films before, but it’s totally entertaining as they scramble around to get their wits together to be sober enough to fight old school Russian terrorists.

Genre: Action & Adventure, Comedy, Drama

Actor: Alyson Gorske, C. Thomas Howell, Eugene Kim, Kimi Rutledge, Nick Zano, Paola Lázaro, Shelley Hennig, Terrence Terrell

Rating: TV-MA

As the prequel to what’s been called “Chinese Lord of the Rings”, The Longest Promise has the stunning sets, costumes, and magic to match, but not the worldbuilding or storytelling. The world of Yun Huang has familiar magical fantasy elements, as well as a royalty romance plotline where different tribes and communities vie for power in the continent. However, the way these elements are introduced makes it hard for new viewers to follow, particularly those unfamiliar with the Mirror book series it is based on. It’s still an entertaining watch, especially for fans of the fantastic xianxia genre.

Genre: Drama, Sci-Fi & Fantasy

Actor: Fang Yilun, Han Dong, Li Mingde, Lu Yuxiao, Ren Min, Wang Churan, Wang Ziqi, Xiao Zhan, Ye Shengjia

Director: Jiang Jia Jun

Based on a PlayStation game of the same name, Twisted Metal has a lot of the bullet-heavy, high-speed action of the original but with a lot more characters and backstory thrown in the mix. It certainly scratches a nostalgic itch for those who played the game growing up, especially once big names like Anthony Mackie, Stephanie Beatriz, and Will Arnet (or his voice at least) bring familiar characters to life. But beyond all the furtive action and winks and nods made to the video game, there is little about Twisted Metal that’s likable, much less watchable. Sure, it’s fun to see guns go boom and cars go vroom, but the core of the series never feels substantial enough to justify its existence. You might enjoy watching it, but you likely won’t remember much of it. 

Genre: Action & Adventure, Comedy

Actor: Anthony Mackie, Samoa Joe, Stephanie Beatriz, Thomas Haden Church, Will Arnett

Rating: TV-MA

It would be unfair to demand the same things out of The Continental that the John Wick film series already does so well. And this three-episode prequel definitely works as its own animal; even if you haven't seen those increasingly elaborate Keanu Reeves movies, this miniseries easily finds a whole group of sympathetic characters worth rooting for and builds to a series of exciting set pieces full of personality and excellent choreography. The groundedness of The Continental's ensemble of heroes emerging from the seedy streets of this fictionalized 1970s New York works surprisingly well against the arrogance of the show's villains. And the world they all inhabit is rendered just as slickly as in the films.

But in its search for an identity of its own, The Continental becomes a reminder for why the John Wick movies work so well—and why this series just can't capture the same spark. Those are simple, primal movies that contrast Reeves' stoic, mythic protagonist against a bizarre world of colorful enemies. The Continental, in contrast, borrows from many hardboiled crime dramas but never actually provides any insight into the systems or rules that govern all the factions involved. Individual characters may achieve their goals by the end, but it's ultimately hard to see how they add to the grander ideas of revenge and redemption at play.

Genre: Action, Action & Adventure, Crime, Thriller

Actor: Ben Robson, Colin Woodell, Hubert Point-Du Jour, Jeremy Bobb, Katie McGrath, Mel Gibson, Mishel Prada, Peter Greene

Rating: TV-MA