20 Action Movies From The 21st Century That Didn't Actually Suck

One of the most prolific filmmakers working today, Takashi Miike has directed over 40 movies since 2000 alone, as well as numerous straight-to-video features, music videos, documentaries and television series. Miike is also an incredibly versatile talent, with his filmography covering everything from children's movies to ultra-violent and hugely controversial projects, but his remake of the 1960 samurai flick is perhaps his most accessible work.

For a movie with a budget reported to be just $6m, 13 Assassins is impressively epic in its scope. The relatively straightforward story follows the titular group as they band together to stop the political machinations of a sadistic lord. Miike takes a slow-burning approach, taking the time to develop the characters and give them distinct personalities, making the audience care about the fate of each one of the thirteen as they head towards what is likely to be a suicide mission.

The controlled build-up pays off spectacularly by the climactic third-act battle; after limiting the action to a few sporadic bursts of violence Miike goes for broke in the final showdown as the 13 Assassins take on over 200 enemies in a deserted village. Outnumbered, outgunned and against the odds, the extended set-piece runs for almost 45 minutes and is without a doubt one world cinema's greatest action scenes of the last decade.