Best Action Movies for 1991
I’ve noticed that a lot of people have been searching for “best action movies” at OGM, so never let it be said that I don’t try to please my readers. A few of the movies on this list would qualify as some of the best action movies of the 20th century, especially T2, a film which seems to be the standard when people want to try out their new home entertainment system. We’ve also got offerings from Steven Seagal, Jean-Claude Van Damme, Bruce Willis, and even former football star Brian Bosworth. So grab yourself a cold one, turn off your higher brain functions, and prepare to enjoy this list of the best action movies for 1991.
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Terminator 2: Judgment Day – T2 is still considered a badass piece of sci-fi/action cinema, despite the fact that it was made almost 20 years ago. That’s largely thanks to the vision of director James Cameron, but don’t forget about the contributions of a buff Linda Hamilton, a not-yet-chubby Edward Furlong, and, of course, the future governor of California. This movie’s got plenty of shootouts, a great villain (Robert Patrick in his big-screen debut), and a relentless soundtrack that will split your skull open with the volume turned up. It also manages to just be fun, a trait sorely lacking in the most recent Terminator film from Christian Bale and company.
Double Impact – The only thing better than one Jean-Claude Van Damme is two! In Double Impact, that’s exactly what we get. The Muscles from Brussels plays identical twins (and I mean identical) separated as infants following the assassination of their parents. Years later, they’re brought together for the first time, and it doesn’t take long before they decide to team up and get revenge on those responsible. And get this: one Van Damme is a tough guy, and the other Van Damme is kind of a lightweight. Talk about your high concepts! Oh, yeah, that crazy-looking Bolo Yeung once again volunteers to play the baddie and get kicked in the face in slow motion.
The Last Boy Scout – Bruce Willis is Joe Hallenbeck, a former Secret Service agent turned private detective. After he fails to protect a stripper (Halle Berry in an early role), he and her ex-quarterback boyfriend (Damon Wayans), team up to get to the bottom of her death. What they find is corruption, lots of bullet-riddled bodies, and the rise of the dreaded Satan Claws. With a curse-laden screenplay by Shane Black (Lethal Weapon) and memorable performances from Noble Willingham, Danielle Harris, and Taylor Negron, The Last Boy Scout remains an overlooked gem from the early ‘90s.
Out for Justice – Steven Seagal raises hell in Brooklyn as Gino Felino, an unstoppable cop looking for the childhood pal (William Forsythe) who killed his partner. Seagal kicks all kinds of ass, from breaking bones in a butcher’s shop to busting heads (and teeth) with a cue ball in a local dive. He also finds time to adopt a puppy, reconcile with his estranged wife, and tell a heart-wrenching story about his father. And don’t miss the final ass-kicking delivered to Forsythe’s crack-smoking Richie Madano. Terrific casting throughout, including Jerry Orbach, Gina Gershon, Julianna Margulies, and Dominic Chianese. Undoubtedly, one of the best action movies of 1991.
Point Break – Keanu Reeves is Johnny Utah, a former college football star turned rookie FBI agent. He and his partner (crazy Gary Busey) are assigned to take down a gang of bank robbers known as the Ex-Presidents due to their fondness for wearing masks of Reagan, Carter, LBJ, and Nixon. This leads to the surfing community, and Utah meets the philosophy-spouting Bodhi (the late Patrick Swayze), a charismatic free spirit who may very well be the leader of the Ex-Presidents. Can Utah bring his new friends to justice, or will he be forced to fall to his knees and fire his gun into the air with a pained look on his face?
The Perfect Weapon – Jeff Speakman shows off his skills in Kenpo by using lighting strikes and a pair of sticks to get revenge on the mob members who killed his mentor. Speakman’s got the on-screen skills and looks, so it’s amazing that his career never got any bigger than it did. Still, The Perfect Weapon is a solid martial arts movie, and Law & Order: SVU fans should keep an eye out for an early appearance by Mariska Hargitay.
Showdown in Little Tokyo – The late Brandon Lee makes his first appearance in an American movie, and he co-stars with Dolph Lundgren as a pair of L.A. cops set on taking down a vicious drug kingpin. Plenty of action follows, as well as some buddy cop chemistry and the smokin’ body of Tia Carrere. It’s not the best action film of 1991, but it’s still solid enough to get a recommendation.
Stone Cold – Former football star Brian “The Boz” Bosworth portrays Joe Huff, an unconventional Alabama cop forced to go undercover to infiltrate a violent biker gang known as The Brotherhood. Besides running drugs with the mafia, it seems The Brotherhood is also planning to use stolen military equipment to storm the Mississippi capitol, kill a number of government officials, and rescue one of their members on trial for murder. The gang is led by Chains, a total white trash psycho played by Lance Henriksen, and his second-in-command, Ice Hensley (the always-wonderful William Forsythe). Mullets abound, as well as fistfights, chopper races, and even a pet Komodo dragon. Stone Cold is refreshing due to the fact that The Brotherhood accomplishes much of their objective before getting wasted. That’s a rarity in action movies, regardless of the decade.
So there you have it, an action movie list dedicated solely to 1991. While the above are really good action movies, you might also take a look at the ones below if you’re in the mood for something craptastic. Just remember, you’ve been warned.
Highlander II: The Quickening – Throughout the entire first Highlander film, we were led to believe that the winner of “The Prize” would gain mortality and die a natural death. Well, that’s not the case. In fact, it turns out that all the “immortals” from the first film were actually rebels from the planet Zeist, exiled to Earth and forced to fight in a centuries-long contest which was nothing more than a sham. Oh, brother. The ruler of Zeist, General Katana (Michael Ironside), decides to come to Earth and cause trouble, and Connor MacLeod (Christopher Lambert) and Ramirez (Sean Connery, somehow resurrected after having his head cut off) spend much of the film trying to take down a shield which has been erected over the Earth to provide an artificial ozone layer. Sound stupid? It is. Highlander fans were not pleased, and this entire storyline was largely ignored in future sequels.
Captain America – What better choice for the fighting symbol of America than the son of reclusive author J.D. Salinger? It also doesn’t help that the film was made on the cheap, reducing every action sequence to an exercise in intense agony. The Red Skull looks cheesy, Cap looks cheesy, and his shield looks especially cheesy. Even the presence of Ronny Cox as the President of the U.S. can’t save this stinker. Let’s hope the 2011 version is a little bit better.
The Hitman – Chuck Norris demonstrates all the acting range of a cigar store Indian in this film about a cop (Norris) who gets betrayed and shot by his corrupt partner. The department declares him dead, and he makes his return in the guise of a hitman named Danny Grogan in order to bring down two groups of mobsters. In between roundhouse kicks and shotgun blasts, he still finds time to make friends with a fatherless boy who lives down the hall. I don’t want to ruin the surprise for you, but Norris ends up saving the day and killing all the bad guys.
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And that concludes our selection of the best action movies for 1991 and a handful of others that aren’t so spectacular. If you’re looking for additional ways to waste your time, why not check out the following articles from OGM:
This entry was posted on Friday, October 9th, 2009 at 11:10 am and is filed under Good Movies, Movie Megalists, Thoughts on Film. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
Claude Lederman
Too good dude! I enjoyed!!