2023 Oscar Action Films
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An Overview of the 2023 Oscar Action Films (and a review of last year’s recommended entries.)
Action
RRR – Fun-Loving Indian Super-Humans (4*)
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RRR is an over-the-top action movie in the Bollywood tradition. With CGI, action, humor, song, dance, and history, it is just three hours of fun. (4*)
The Batman – A Cut Above your Typical Super-Hero (4.5*)
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The Batman is one of this year’s best movies. While nominally an action film, it also is thrilling detective story, told at a human level.
Avatar: The Way of Water – (Superb Spirit & Beauty) (4*)
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Avatar: The Way of Water is a visual spectacle, a story setting up the next three sequels, and, yes, long.
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever – Beautiful but Oddly Unsatisfying (2.5*)
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Black Panther: Wakanda Forever starts with the death of the former Black Panther and moves through nearly three hours of sometimes beautiful, sometimes action packed, scenes but with so many obligations to fulfill that it is ultimately unsatisfying.
Top Gun: Maverick – Well Structured and a Blast (4*)
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Top Gun: Maverick is this year’s most popular movie. It tells a relatively simple story well, bursting with visual and aural excitement. First of this year’s “popcorn movies” and worth every kernel. (4*)
All Quiet on the Western Front – A Gut Punch Focus on War (4*)
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A German production, All Quiet on the Western Front re-adapts the 1928 novel of the same name, adding some distinctive scenes and commentary to the story of a young German man, and his friends, thrust onto the “Western Front” to fight the French in the final months of World War I. Accompanied by some stunning cinematography, dominating sound and music, and visceral visual effects, the film reaches new heights in presenting the horror of war. It also adds another, very important message about how events are felt differently depending on where you stand on the social ladder.
Everything Everywhere All at Once – Deep and Insane Look at the Multiverse (4.5*)
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Everything Everywhere All at Once is an insane look at one woman’s romp through the multiverse as she learns what is really important about life. (4.5*)
2022 Oscar Action Genre
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An Overview of the six movies that fall into the action genre and a look back at three I can recommend from last year
Free Guy
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(2.5*) Free Guy – Some good acting can’t quite save this fairly shallow movie.
Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings
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(3.5*) Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings is thrilling and a lot of fun to watch. It also involves a compelling story of family dynamics.
Spider-Man: No Way Home
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(4*) Spider Man No Way Home has great visuals but also tells a human-level story. A surprisingly good comic-book movie.
No Time to Die
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(3.5*) No Time to Die is exactly what you expect from a Bond film. Sixty years after Dr. No, the franchise has changed, but lives on.
Raya and the Last Dragon
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(2.0 *) Raya and the Last Dragon is visually stunning, but is going to leave adults rather empty!
Dune
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(5 Stars) A stunning sensory experience and quite likely the next Star Wars.
Greyhound
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(4 Stars) For those of us who like our heroes simple, with tense, sustained, action.
News of the World
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(3.5 Stars) Many good things here, but, in the end, not real memorable.
Tenet
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(3.5 Stars) A sensory delight, but if you want to follow the plot, bring a notepad.
Mulan
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(2.5 Stars) A disappointing remake when it could and should have been much better.
The 2020 Action Movies
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Five candidates but I think it is a toss up between the Avengers movie and Ford v Ferrari for pure bombastic action.
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker
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(3.5 Stars) I suppose if you are a Star Wars buff, you will be disappointed. But for the rest of us, it is just plain fun.
Ford v Ferrari
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(4 Stars) Rousing entertainment placing the viewer right behind the wheel at 200 mph.
Harriet
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(3 Stars) Good music, camera work, and Erivo’s performance. But stumbles on story-telling.
How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World
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(2.5 Stars) A good family movie: Kids will be entertained by the humor and the dragons; Adults will be mesmerized by the beautiful imagery.
Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse
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(3 Stars) A bit deep for those on the edge of the comic book world, but the different animation styles, all in one movie, are fascinating.
Incredibles 2
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(2 Stars) An outdated sequel that tries too hard to be relevant. Might be good for families with young children.
Avengers: Infinity War
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(3.5 Stars) Amazing Visual Effects, but the story, with 72 characters, is too big to wrap your mind around, unless you already know the comic book world well.
Ready Player One
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(4.5 Stars) My favorite action / adventure movie of the year with an intriguing story that bounces between a real dystopian future and an elaborate role-playing VR game.
Solo: A Star Wars Story
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(3.5 Stars) Star Wars fans will enjoy this origin story of Han Solo, with excellent visual effects. If you’re not into Star Wars, though, well it may not appeal.
Black Panther
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(4 Stars) A visually and aurally stunning action movie with a tightly constructed plot line that you can actually follow.