70 - The Avengers
The Avengers was a big gamble on Marvel's part. Linking together comic book franchises can be tenuous when done in print, let alone the less forgiving medium of film. For example, you take someone like Peter Parker who gets his powers from a Spider, add him together with Wolverine and you think; what a pair. Except, Wolverine comes from a world full of super powered mutants, Spiderman doesn't. The ideologies rarely match up and this is something writers have to contend with. In preparation for The Avengers, Marvel has been adding little scenes to their stand alone franchises; Iron Man, Hulk, Thor etc. It has been a long time coming. The master-stroke came in the form of hiring Joss Whedon. Known for his great ensemble casts and for writing witty banter, Whedon fit like a glove. The worry was whether he could juggle the comedy and the action. Could he? Yes yes. Ever wondered who would win in a fight between Thor and Iron Man? You'll find out. The action is well paced and suitably epic throughout however, the final reel is where the giant green s**t hits the fan. Poor New York seems to get destroyed a lot in movies but at least this time there was a Hulk to save the day, and a god. Not to mention a Billionaire, a WW2 vet and a guy who is handy with a bow and arrow..........
Best bit: Hulk Vs Loki
69 - Rumble in the Bronx
If I had to pick one person and crown them the king or queen of action cinema, I would crown Jackie Chan. In his prime he awed us with his death defying stunt work, his crazy fight choreography and his constant innovation. Rumble in the Bronx is one of Jackie's later films but even though Jackie was in his early 40s, he still brings it. Shot in Vancouver and set in New York, Rumble in the Bronx is intentionally westernised. It paid off because not long later Jackie made Rush Hour which was a huge hit. What sets Rumble in the Bronx aside from many of Jackie's films is the simplicity of it. One of the most dangerous stunts comes in the form of Jackie jumping from a multi-story car park to a balcony across the street. For Jackie this is mundane but it is still insane when you think about it. The fights are also really well done, especially the fight in the local gang's hideout.
Best bit: Jackie water-skiing off the back of a hovercraft with a broken foot. Legend.
68 - Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves
Robin Hood is probably Britain's only true folk legend. Why then he ends up being played by Americans all the time eludes me. Still, for all its faults (and there are many) Prince of Thieves stands up as being a cracking romp. Sure you have to ignore the Hollywood actors who don't even attempt a British accent, sure you have to accept Morgan Freeman as being from Jerusalem even though he is black. You even have to accept that the best thing about this movie (Alan Rickman) was largely edited out. If you
can accept all of that then you will have a cracking time. The cheese is relentless but so is the swashbuckling fun and when all is said and done, what else do you watch an action movie for?
Best bit: It has to be Robin's super slow-mo flaming arrow.