And we still don’t give up trying to sum up the results of combat films, although the FFI editorial team is small, and there are fewer and fewer motivating comments under our materials.
Today we are looking at three categories at once: "Best Action", "Best Sports Drama" и "Disappointment" 2018 year.
Best Action Movie of 2018
Traditionally, we would like to complain that not all visitors to our site, who proposed candidates for this nomination and then voted for it, understand the classic action film in the, so to speak, classical sense. For example, "Lucas" with JCVD in the leading role can hardly boast of action scenes, and "Accident" Adkins is still the same martial arts movie. But felt-tip pens, as we remember, are different. It’s good that everything is correct and good with the second and first places.
Mission: Impossible: Fallout (dir. Christopher McQuarrie) (2018) (23%)
The sixth film in one of the strongest and longest-running spy franchises, second only to "Bondians". Films of the series "Mission Impossible", as a rule, are different, but what is always at the highest level in them is the action scenes. Whether it be chases on any type of vehicle, hand-to-hand scenes or shootouts - each of these elements constantly pleased the eye of the action movie lover.
And also ageless Tom Cruise, who last year, at the age of 55, once again embodied the image of tough agent Ethan Hungt. And again I did almost all the stunts myself. By the way, I overdid it and dropped out of the filming process with a broken leg.
"Consequences" is not the best film in the franchise (by the way, what are your favorite films in the series?), but it closes an important story arc that the previous few films led to. But damn it, the action scenes are in perfect order. Even with hand-to-hand combat. The scene in which Tom Cruise и Henry Cavill confront the unkillable Liyangu Yang not only was included in the list of the best screen fights for 2018 in our project, but also took silver. However, we will talk about this separately.
Films about the adventures of Ethan Hungt and his team consistently end up on various lists of the best action films of the year. The film was no exception in our summing up. Well-deserved first place.
Upgrade (dir. Leigh Whannell) (2018) (18%)
“Move aside, luxury Hollywood! Give way to good auteur cinema in the field of action and fantasy,” the Australian director shouted in an emotional outburst Leigh Whannell and took it off "Upgrade". In fact, we don't know if that's exactly what Whannell shouted, but we suspect it's similar.
After all, gloomy cyberpunk "Upgrade" Lee filmed for just $5 million and we see where every cent went and where it went. Therefore, and because the creators really liked what they were doing, the film turned out. Global box office receipts show that audiences liked the semi-independent science fiction from Australia.
What about action? It is varied: shootouts, chases and hand-to-hand combat, performed in a distinctly bloody style. And also, since the main character has a super-duper computer chip in his head, which at times takes over the “reins of control” of the body from a person, hand-to-hand scenes look especially interesting. Logan Marshall-Green competently conveyed such scenes with facial expressions and emotions, which further draws the viewer into what is happening.
It is impossible not to note the interesting camera work. It is in action scenes that the camera seems to walk with the character, following his every move. Thanks to this, the same hand-to-hand combat adds color. In general, more - in movie review from Ravenside, today "Upgrade" becomes a silver medalist in the category "Best Action Movie of 2018".
Accident (dir. Jesse Johnson) (2018) (14%)
With another joint project Scott Adkins и Jesse Johnson - "Accident" the FFI editors had a flashback to last year and second place fourth "Undeniable", which bypassed "Atomic Blonde" simply because... Boyka.
Okay, maybe comparing these two films is not very appropriate, because in "Accident" there are other action elements besides hand-to-hand combat. But, alas, it is not enough. We expected to see a sequel on the list of winners in this category "The killers" or at least another Johnson and Adkins project "Collectors", where there is not such a serious emphasis on hand-to-hand combat.
But, apparently, we should get used to the fact that Adkins takes prizes in our annual summing up wholesale. And despite the fact that there is exactly one shootout in “Accident,” and everything else in the film is based on hand-to-hand combat, there are 17 votes and bronze among action films.
Best Sports Drama of 2018
It has traditionally been the case that sports drama is one of the most unpopular nominations in our country (along with historical cinema), but nevertheless, this is where good films are often made, because the direction obliges. Perhaps all of the films participating in the voting have something to see, but the top three did not cause us any surprise. Especially the gold medal...
Ultimate Fighting (dir. Jean-Stéphane Sauveur) (2017) (33%)
This is him in the Russian box office "Fights without rules", and in the original - "Pre-Dawn Prayer". And this title, which refers to the original source novel, is the most correct and “speaking” title.
There were many prison films with a similar plot: from "Prison" from Stallone to "Undisputed" with Adkins. Although the closest thing to “Prayer” is the recent "Fight in Block 99" и "Midnight Express" (1978) by Alan Parker. The latter can generally be considered as a source of inspiration for the “Prayer”. But that's not true. The fact is that Sauveur's film is based on the true story of a man who found himself in a Thai prison and went through hellish torments on the way to liberation.
The film can be roughly divided into two parts: in the first, the hero Joe Cole trying to adapt to the harsh life in prison: surrounded by people who do not understand his language, in the midst of torture, bullying, death and suicide. The second part is the protagonist’s ascent to a prison tournament in Thai boxing without rules, which is also, of course, extremely difficult and dangerous.
The main thing in this film is the atmosphere of despair and helplessness, fear and pain. However, at the center of it all is a man who refuses to give up and does everything to move on with his life. This effect consists of several aspects: a small number of dialogues; former prisoners of Thai prisons involved in the caste; competent camera work, the center of which is the main character; national flavor conveyed through language and ethnic motifs; excellent performance by the young British actor Joe Cole.
In general, with a large number of films about prison or the hero’s ascent to life through martial arts, such strong author’s projects as "Pre-Dawn Prayer" are extremely rare. Therefore, 21 votes and first place in the nomination are not surprising.
Champion (dir. Kim Young-wan) (2018) (19%)
The main topics for sports dramas in our annual voting are boxing and MMA, less often - underground fighting and fencing. But this is the first time we have a film about arm wrestling. And no wonder, because besides "With all my might" (1987) starring Stallone, there are no other films about this sport that come to mind.
What's nice is "Champion" There are also hand-to-hand fights, because the main character is a former arm wrestling champion, and now a bouncer in a club who does not hesitate to use his fists in difficult situations. But the main thing here is the story of each character who work on the dramatic component of the film, as well as the arm wrestling and training itself Ma Dong-seok, playing the main role. These scenes are shown dynamically and interestingly.
Unlike the gold medalist in this category, "Champion" looks quite easy and relaxed thanks to the bright picture, modern music and comedy inserts.
And also in "Champion" a wonderful cast, in which even the children play expressively, forcing the viewer to empathize. Well, in Ma Dong-seok we had no doubt - an excellent versatile actor who feels great in action films, comedies and dramas. Actually, here he displays the entire spectrum of the acting craft, pulling the film onto a silver pedestal.
Tiger (dir. Alistair Grierson) (2018) (14%)
Third place and another film story based on real events. This time around, the spotlight is on Sikh Pardil, nicknamed the "Punjabi Tiger", who is fighting for his religious rights to fight boxing matches without shaving his beard. It seems that such a plot was just pulled out of thin air? But no. It turns out that this really happened.
"Tiger" Grierson's film is not very smooth in terms of the script, which turns out to be not only a boxing drama, but also a procedural with an admixture of melodrama. But what is definitely good about him is the classic “student-trainer” scheme. Yes, don’t expect any discoveries - everything is quite clichéd. However, it is well shown. It is also important that coach Pardila plays Mickey Rourke and plays quite strongly even despite the plot's glass eye.
The training sessions and boxing matches themselves are also shown well. Film director Alistair Grierson did not leave his comfort zone, creating "Tiger", and, as a result, we see the same scenes with the usual light, color and music, which instantly give rise to associations with the best representatives of the genre a la "Rocky" Stallone. Bayan - tell me? Quite - we answer. But these are the conventions of the genre.
Can "Tiger" and not the best candidate for a bronze medal in this category, but visitors to our site chose him. But if you haven’t seen the film and are thinking about it, we don’t even know - should we advise? Only if you're a big fan of boxing dramas with all their clichés, you don't get sick of legal battles and weird love triangles, or you're a fan Mickey Rourke. To be honest, he is good here.
Disappointment of 2018
Let's take a look at those films that disappointed loyal fans of very specific actors. Fortunately, the top three in this category are, as they say, spot on!
Escape Plan 2 (dir. Stephen S. Miller) (2018) (26%)
Not the most obligatory sequel to a generally good fan service film from 2013, where two cult action stars ruled the roost Sylvester Stallone и Arnold Schwarzenegger, and without that we weren’t really looking forward to it. But the audience didn’t like what they got in the end.
Let's start with the fact that the film is frankly bad and cheap in everything related to special effects and camera work. The script here is quite simple and not much different from the first film, but if in "Escape Plan" The main stars of the film took on charisma and coolness, then the second film centers on a completely different character, who is played very poorly Huang Xiaomin. There is treacherously little Stallone here, and there is no Schwartz at all. It seems that the situation should have been corrected Dave Batista, who was brought into this trash by some miracle. But he also appears here in several scenes in order to frown at the camera in an already unfashionable cap.
They tried to lure our brother with hand-to-hand combat: they say that in the new sophisticated prison there are constantly survival tournaments between prisoners, and according to the script, the hero of Xiaoming is a martial arts master. But Juan is not a master at all, and never has been, so he is duplicated a lot here. Needless to say, the editing in such crafts is frankly jerky and unpleasant.
As for the famous Rambo and Rocky, he, of course, appears in the film at the end and even has a hand-to-hand fight with the main scoundrel, but if in the first film Sly fought with Schwartz for the sake of fan service, then here Sylvester methodically breaks the face of noneame. Add to this a janky camera and disgusting editing.
That's right. Even though it was not a highly anticipated film, "Escape Plan 2" I was able to surprise you unpleasantly. For this he was awarded first place.
Black Waters (dir. Pavel Patriki) (2018) (23%)
Another project of aged action heroes of the 80s and 90s, namely Jean-Claude Van Damme и Dolph Lundgren. In any case, that’s exactly how its creators presented it. But in the end, we didn't see any confrontation between the two action stars or their combined efforts against the villains.
In general, as in the case of the second "Escape Plan"In "Black Waters" Everything is bad: the script, cinematography, special effects, action and hand-to-hand combat. Making matters worse is the dark greenish filter, which is apparently intended to emphasize the fact that the action takes place on a submarine. But no, this does not add atmosphere; it completely deprives the viewer of the opportunity to see anything in the scenes of shootouts and fights.
The main star of the film is ZhKVD, but he is so bored in the frame that we immediately remember "Kill them all" and fight the urge to swear. Well, why? Why is this a DTV movie, which, in principle, cannot bring money to anyone from the film crew, even despite the big names in the trailers and on the posters?
By the way, about the second star of the film - Lundgren appears in three scenes here. And although the charismatic Dolph steals every frame he's in, it doesn't improve the situation. This film simply doesn't need him and anyone could have played his role. It's hard to watch the movie. It’s even harder to believe that anyone enjoyed the filming process. For this we hang a silver medal on this film.
22 Miles (dir. Peter Berg) (2018) (12%)
Significantly behind the leaders in this category in terms of votes, the unfinished construction project of Peter Berg took the honorary bronze. "22 miles". And, perhaps, this is the only film of the three winners in which the viewer had credibility. It's no joke: the Indonesian star of "Raids" Iko Uwais in a Hollywood action movie with Mark Wahlberg, John Malkovich и Ronda Rousey. Moreover, Iko here is not a typical Asian with a small role, but a full-fledged actor sharing time with famous stars equally.
What could go wrong given that the action movie premise had some potential? Why didn’t it turn out to be a strong thriller with elements of hand-to-hand combat? It seems that the whole point is that Berg is a bad director, and the screenwriters didn’t come up with anything worthwhile other than the general concept. Yes, there is a good plot twist at the end, but to get to it you have to watch the movie.
And in the cinema there is a hysterical camera, ragged editing, a confused narration, dull musical accompaniment and actors with absent looks that you don’t care about at all. The crowning glory of all this disgrace is Wahlberg, who seems to have had no character written. No, he is a nervous special agent here, the main thing for whom is service to his country. But they forgot to make him human, which is why everything that happens on the screen does not evoke any emotions, because we look at the events through his eyes.
Even Uwais's character seems to care more than Wahlberg's. And this is a plus for the Indonesian. But alas, it does not affect the quality of the film. The same scenes of battles and shootouts are mercilessly shredded by editing, so don’t expect any bright fights with the participation of the silat master Yuwais. Oh yes, the authors of the film stupidly leaked Ronda Rousey, without ever letting her swing her fist.
In general, there were hopes for this film, but they were not met. But they could. And that's why it's a shame.
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Tags: A Prayer Before Dawn, accident man, Black Water, Champion, Escape Plan 2: Hades, Mile 22, Tiger, Upgrade, Alistair Grierson, Henry Cavill, Jesse W. Johnson, Joe Cole, Dolph Lundgren, Dave Batista, Jean-Claude Van Damme, Jean-Stéphane Sauveur, Iko Uwais, results of action cinema 2018, Kim Young-wan, Christopher McQuarrie, Leigh Whannell, Logan Marshall-Green, Ma Dong-seok, Mark Wahlberg, Mickey Rourke, Mission: Impossible - Consequences, Pavel Patriki, Peter Berg, Ronda Rousey, Sylvester Stallone, Scott Adkins, sports drama, Stephen S. Miller, Tom Cruise, Huang Xiaomin, Champion
Tags: A Prayer Before Dawn, accident man, Black Water, Champion, Escape Plan 2: Hades, Mile 22, Tiger, Upgrade, Alistair Grierson, Henry Cavill, Jesse W. Johnson, Joe Cole, Dolph Lundgren, Dave Batista, Jean-Claude Van Damme, Jean-Stéphane Sauveur, Iko Uwais, results of action cinema 2018, Kim Young-wan, Christopher McQuarrie, Leigh Whannell, Logan Marshall-Green, Ma Dong-seok, Mark Wahlberg, Mickey Rourke, Mission: Impossible - Consequences, Pavel Patriki, Peter Berg, Ronda Rousey, Sylvester Stallone, Scott Adkins, sports drama, Stephen S. Miller, Tom Cruise, Huang Xiaomin, Champion
I watched and voted for Upgrade, Mission and Ultimate Fights, the films are quite good. The upgrade really surprised me with its old-school approach. Once upon a time, Cameron rented his Terminator for a penny and a half and dodged it to save money. Otherwise, now everyone else is ready to simply fool the computer scientists and even kill them, let them do as they want, as long as it’s possible. Thanks for the material.
Fights without rules will have to be checked out
The mission was also kind of boring, I only watched the second and fourth, and that was enough for me, I don’t even know this one - is it worth it?
Alex Ship,
Costs. There are some really cool scenes in there.
I don’t understand how Black Waters could be a disappointment if, in principle, no one needed the film, that is, it was not expected by default. It’s a pity that John Woo didn’t make it here - what a disappointment, such a weak comeback...
I don't see anything good in "The Mission" other than a fight in the toilet. A dark, dull movie. Almost fell asleep in the cinema.