This is a huge, ongoing project that I live to work on :D
If a movie that you think
should be in a category is not there,
it's probably because I haven't gotten around to re-watching it to
be sure. Same thing, if you see any glaringly wrong placements
of films in categories, please email me:
ripley@actionmoviefreak.com.
For a list of movies, see my
Hit List.
MORON #1 and MORON #2
BUDDY movies
are all about the relationship between the main characters: their
dynamic. Buddies can be friends or adversaries: both can be
good guys, or it can be good guy v. bad guy,
bad guy v. worse guy, etc. There might be times when you're not
sure which side is 'right', but that's not what matters (except to
them). What matters to us, and makes it worth watching, is how
they do or don't get along, often with hilarious results. Take, for
example, The Rundown, it's The Rock chasing
Sean William Scott, but it's a
Buddy movie not a Chase movie because it's all about their
dynamic.You watch because you're having fun with their
relationship; doesn't matter what they're doing.
48 Hrs.
(8 Dec 1982)
Eddie Murphy was on top of the world with this movie, one of his
best-loved roles, Reggie Hammond. This movie paired entertaining
opposites: white cop vs. and black criminal, crappy vs. crappy, mean
vs. nice. Nick Nolte was excellent as the
grizzled bulldog of a beat cop who uses the unconventional method
of getting a witness/criminal out of jail to solve a case.
It's great to watch Nolte get annoyed by Reggie, and Reggie turn out
to be right. They get into a fistfight but end up working
well together. At first Nolte abuses Murphy, but in the end they
have a grudging friendship . . . qell, as much as any cop and criminal
can.
This movie also starred James Remar and Predator's
"Billy" Sonny Landham. Remar stole the show as "Ganz" with an
intense performance that lent credibility to the script and balanced
out the comic posturing and over-the-top wise ass cracks from Reggie
Hammond, keeping the intensity needed for an Action Movie (something
Beverly Hills Cop needed a little more of).
Beverly
Hills Cop(5 Dec 1984) Eddie Murphy the one-man show.
This Buddy movie featured a trio. Eddie's character was so
entertaining, to balance it out he was paired with two cops:
Partners, but like different sides of a coin. Old vs. young, mean
vs. nice, by the book vs. the risk taker. Eddie messed with both of them
but earned their respect, and we so enjoyed the ride, it
carried us into a sequel. Not only was Eddie funny, but Taggert and
Roswood were funny together too (a Buddy movie within a Buddy
movie). Eddie manages to be funny with anyone.
The show stealer in
this move was Bronson Pinchot as "Serge". It's hard to steal
a scene from Eddie Murphy but Pinchot even had Eddie laughing that
unforgettable laugh. For me this movie is a little more Comedy than
Action.
Top Gun (16 May 1986)
This movie has true staying power. Not only was it a huge success
and an ejoyable ride, but it catapulted Tom's popularity into
reaches unknown. If I had to pick one movie that made him who he is,
this is it. He was just that good in it. Swagger, baby.
His relationship with his
'wing man' Goose was what the movie was all about, plus some major
Camaraderie and Dominance going on with Val Kilmer's Iceman
character. Just a bunch of guys having a lot of fun, until
someone gets hurt. Directed by Tony Scott, this is an Action
Movie Classic—as much as Die Hard, maybe more . . .
Say it with me "I feel
the need, the need for speed."
Heat (13 Mar 1987)
Oh how I love this movie! But then I'm a huge Burt fan and it's
classic Burt. Just watch the opening to understand why. At
first you're thinking "This guy's a jerk, what the hell Burt?" Then
when you realize what 'the game' is, it's sooo like Burt the hero to
take the fall to make the little guy look good (for money of course—he's nice, but he's not an idiot). Such a simple idea turned into
such an endearing movie by great performances and great chemistry.
How is this Action? Knockout fight scenes, plus explosions! It's a
fantasy that we, the little guy, could have a cool friend like "Mex"
who would make us feel like a Bad Ass. It's also a great movie about
friendship and who's saving whom?
The supporting class is incredibly strong. It's almost a tie
between who steals the show: Karen Young as Holly, or
Peter MacNicol as Cyrus Kinnick (but it's such an endearing performance
by MacNicol). That we relate to all 3 main characters is a great
testament to the acting talents of all 3. Every time I watch it, I
enjoy it as much as I did the first time. Plus, it's set in
Las Vegas
in the pre-mega resort era, which looks very cool.
If you've never seen this movie, you have to watch and then you will
know just how awful the
2015
remake Wild Card starring
Jason Statham
is because of the gutted script, also by William Goldman. What the hell
was he thinking? 3 fight scenes don't make a movie.
Lethal Weapon(6 Mar 1987)
Riggs and Murtaugh.
Mel Gibson and
Danny Glover. Remember when we liked Mel Gibson? He was so entertaining to
watch in this movie the story goes that
Franco Zeffirelli got the idea to cast him as
Hamlet
after watching the jumper scene (something
that first appeared inDirty Harry).
This was an enjoyable team to watch, for more than just Mel's
antics. Danny Glover's grounded sanity balanced out Mel's
manic peacockery and death wish. The placement of opposites again:
Young-er vs. seasoned, white vs. black, crazy vs. sane. As the series
capitalized on the popularity of these two buddies, they introduced
a sidekick, then a police detective (IA), girlfriend, and a wannabe
son-in-law. Buddy-sploitation!
Midnight Run(30 July 1988)
The oh-so-enjoyable-to-watch 'team' of the grimy Bounty Hunter and
the "white collar" criminal. A little "Odd Couple"
dynamic like water and oil. Charles Grodin is hilarious
and excels at getting under Robert De Niro's skin. While they
may seem far from 'buddies', it's probably the best antagonistic
Buddy movie of all time. Grodin could not be more annoying, and De
Niro is really short on patience and almost nothing goes his way or is
easy.
Dennis Farina
steals the show with his "Moron No. 1" and "Moron No.
2" henchmen. Never had being a Bounty Hunter seemed so funny or
like so much fun (then along came "Dog").
So much anger and cursing—it's awesome! It has a great
extended cast as well.
Women
sure were happy (butt movie). "There are buddy cops, and then there are Ray Tango
and Gabe Cash (Sylvester
Stallone and
Kurt Russell) They're rival L.A. policemen who have one
thing in common: each thinks he is the best. And each has the
commendations, battle scars, and ready supply of hilarious
one-liners to prove it. Team them and they're like oil and water.
But frame them for a crime, and they're like a match and kerosene." SOURCE:
Warner Bros. trailer
The Last Boy Scout(13 Dec 1991)
Another great Tony Scott movie, also underappreciated! Great
Action and a lot of give and take between
Bruce Willis (as Joe Cornelius Hallenbeck) and Damon
Wayans. It's uniquely 'California' to me, and although it's from
1991, seems very '80s. Shane Black
wrote the story (with Greg Hicks) and the script. It's also
signature Shane Black. A guy's guy type of movie ("An ex-secret
service agent and a former pro football star uncover a web of
intrigue and corruption in professional sports when they team up to
investigate the murder of the football player's stripper
girlfriend.") about the 'dirty world' of sports corruption. There
are a lot of similarities with The Nice Guys.
True Lies(15 July 1994)
The combination of Arnold and Tom Arnold was box office gold. This
movie was crazy fun! Over the top in the way that only Action Movies
can be. I loved that it was partly filmed in Miami. The cast
also included Jamie Lee Curtis and
Bill Paxton, Tia Carrere,
Eliza Dushku, Charlton Heston, and as the 'bad guy', Art Malik.
It was directed by James
Cameron.
Die Hard With A Vengeance(19 May 1995)
Bruce Willis teams up with Samuel L. Jackson. It's
fun! Jeremy Irons joins the cast as the brother of Hans Gruber from
the first
Die Hard. The Action is a wow all the way through. It's the
chemistry between Jackson and Willis though that drives the fun.
Directed by John McTiernan.
Money Train(22 Nov 1995)
The team of
Wesley Snipes and Woody Harrelson with
Jennifer Lopez
thrown in. My first tendency was to put this under the Heistsubgenre but as heists go there's not much to it and they don't keep
the money (well, not much). It's mainly the two of them bickering
and competing for the girl.
Wesley and Woody have a great dynamic but what
makes the story work is the conflict they have with Robert Blake's
character, who is so easy to hate, you're really rooting for them to
take the money. ALL the money. It's so compelling it's almost
unrealistic that Wesley Snipes' character has the values to know
it's wrong.
The two of them both want Jennifer Lopez
but it's Wesley who gets her. They're supposed to be
foster brothers but that's a little too closeness. Woody should have
just butted out and not made it weird, but his character is fun.
Broken Arrow
(9 Feb 1996)
A Western set in modern times with nuclear weapons! A shoot
out in the desert between 'cowboys' (it even has a train scene!). A
good guy and a good guy gone bad. This John Woo gem is as
much fun for the Christian Slater-John Travolata
dynamic as it is for the soundtrack/Spaghetti-Western feel.
Stealth bombers, nuclear weapons, helicopter crashes, etc., plus
Woo's dramatic style, give this movie a creative cool despite
Christian Slater's nerdiness and John Travolta's over-the-top
performance. Travolta is very entertaining to watch as his character
unravels [watch at right (at 1:19)]. It's boys and their toys
plus Howie Long and Delroy Lindo. You can't go wrong
here. It's a rush every time!
Lethal Weapon 4(10 Jul 1998)
I think this movie is the best of the series thanks to Jet Li.
If looks could kill, Jet Li's glaring at Mel and Danny would
have disintegrated them instantly. What a mismatch on the
final fight scene. You wondered how they were going to pull this one
off. Even with two against one, it was impossible to believe they
could beat him. According to Wikipedia's Trivia on the movie:
"Richard Donner asked Jet Li to slow down during
action sequences because he was moving faster then the camera
shutter speed, and it wasn't registering on film."
It was the first mainstream American audiences
had heard of Jet Li,
and what a memorable performance it was. This article from
OverthinkingIt.com makes all the observations about what's
wrong with the mismatch. It's really something when you
consider Jet Li is 5 6 1/4", Mel is 5' 9 3/4", and Danny Glover is
6' 3 1/2". It's worth watching for Jet Li alone but it's a
really fun movie, period.
Rush Hour(18 Sep 1998) Brett Ratner hit the jugular when looking for the
pulse of popular culture with this pairing. The
east-meets-west-and-maybe-the-best Buddy movie ever! They're
both good guys, but who's in charge? That's "G-14
classified". "I don't want no partner, I don't need no partner,
I ain't never gonna have no partner." Will they get along
well enough in time to solve the case? ?
The cultural differences and the charisma of both actors makes
this combination in casting impossible to go wrong with. We'd
watch these guys mow grass. This tagline said it all:
"The Fastest Hands In The East Meet The Biggest Mouth In The
West."
This movie has become a classic
and has a huge following. Still so much fun to watch. I give Martin
most of the credit because he's hilarious. It's important to
remember though, that a straight man helps makes a funny man
funnier. Will Smith is perfectly cast.
A lot of guys I know don't like this movie but
it's so much fun to watch, I don't know what they're complaining
about. The two lead characters Brian O'Conner (Paul Walker)
and Roman Pearce (Tyrese Gibson) are doing their version of
Crockett and Tubbs and it's really working for me since it's
filmed in Miami. As fun goes, this movie's on overload! Just
sit back and enjoy the ride, Bro.
Hollywood Homicide(13 Jun 2003)
An unexpectedly funny Action Movie. Are they Cops or are they a
Realtor and a Yoga Instructor/Actor? Until they make up their minds,
they're in hot water. It's got a really funny chase scene. I was
surprised how funny
Harrison Ford was. Josh Harnett
is really good too and they have fun with stereotypes and the
difference in their ages.
Dwight Yoakam (the country singer) is good as
the villain. It has a huge cast of big name stars, including several
as themselves, who keep turning up and keeping the pace and the
entertainment level high. The elevator scene is worth the
whole movie! Loved it. If you've ever been a Realtor, worked with or
for them, this could be your new favorite movie.
Bad
Boys II(18 July 2003)
A Michael Bay film and all the excitement that entails. Definitely
better than the first movie..
The
Rundown(26 Sept 2003) This movie is always fun to watch. The comedy plus the action
plus the way Seann William Scott's dogged persistence bothers
Dwayne
The Rock
Johnson's
'by the book' "No Deals" tough guy character. It should have been a
simple "rundown", but things go wrong. (We never seem to tire of the
Bounty Hunter movies—maybe it's the bring 'em to justice mentality
that appeals.) They tried to have fun with it in an Indiana Jones
treasure sort-of way, and used Christopher Walken in a role
that is classic Walken—the way only he can entertain leaving you
wondering "What is he talking about?" The ending is fun as they make
do and adapt to their surroundings to conquer this out-of-their
element fiasco. The movie kills with some great quotes, some you can
understand, some you can't, either way, you're laughing.
Arnold
made a cameo and it was seen as him "passing the torch" to The Rock.
We're just waiting for more action and less Disney from this
Scorpion King.
Hot Fuzz(14 Feb 2007)
A hilarious action homage movie, or as Tracy Morgan put it in
Cop Out: "hommidge". Starring Simon Pegg and
Nick Frost, this pair became wildly popular for Shaun of the
Dead, and while we expected this movie to be entertaining, the
action was surprisingly first rate. They really captured the
reasons we all love Action Movies and had fun with it as well. In
the tradition of
Laurel and Hardy, and
Abbott and Costello,
and the appeal of the everyman and the relationship between the two
friends goes a long way to relatability and keeping the audience in
stitches. These two took situational humor to explosive heights.
The contrast with the sleepy rural English village was genius.
Rush Hour 3 (10 Aug 2007)
This movie is really funny and much better than people gave it
credit for. I think the first two were so good we had huge
expectations. Jackie Chan couldn't be better. Parts
of it are a little bit crazy but isn't that what we were hoping
for?! Brett Ratner delivered everything we love about
these movies, so just shut up and eat your awesome. What pair
could compare to these two? What a perfect mix!
Cop Out(26 Feb 2010) Tracy Morgan in a cop movie. You had your doubts, but he
not only pulled it off, he stole the show as only he can. Didn't
see it? You missed out! (So evil but have to comment on Seann
William Scott's physical condition in this movie. From
Bulletproof Monk and
The Rundown to this?! His attempts at parkour-ish
stuntwork were as believable as when they cut the scene just a hair
late on Charlie Sheen in Major League, when you knew
he SO did not make it over the wall.)
Tracy Morgan is hilarious. This movie had a
lot of fun with
Bruce Willisbeing an Action Movie hero. As a
straight man, Bruce was a perfect choice. This is a movie you'll
watch over and over. (I saved the
"No, no, hell no"bit as a ringtone!) Classic!
Undisputed III: Redemption(17 June 2010)
Sure this is an amazing
Fightchoreography
movie. As fight scenes go (and there are plenty of them), it's
at the top thanks to stunt coordinator Larnell Stovall and
Director Isaac Florentine, who both know and love Action,
supported by a cast that is as skilled as it is buff and brawny,
including the amazing
Marko Zaror as a bad guy.
But while the plot centers around a group of international fighters
brought together for a fighting tournament just so corrupt men can
wager on them, the real story is the developing friendship between
Boyka and Turbo.
Scott Adkins and Mykel
Shannon Jenkins are great together. By the time they have to say
goodbye at the end, it's almost Casablanca-ish. "Yuri"
has to let "Jacob" go back home to his children, but you just want
them to stay together and tag along on their happy adventure with
all that money. Much of the credit for the fun in this movie must go
to Mykel who is as likable as "Jericho" aka "Turbo" as Scott as
"Yuri Boyka" is cold and hard. Can't wait for
Undisputed 4.
The Other Guys(6 Aug 2010)
The unlikely duo of
Will Ferrell and
Mark Wahlberg mine comedy gold out
of an ordinary situation. This hilariously anti-cop movie makes fun
of all the stereotypes of why people hate cops. A pair of ordinary
cops is contrasted with a stereotypical cocky super duo played by
Samuel L. Jackson and
Dwayne Johnson. It's a study
in how-not-to-be-a-cop movie, and yet the central characters really
are good guys, human, and likeable.
Mark Wahlberg lets it all hang out in his 102%
commitment to be funny. Guess anything less would not hold up
against Will Ferrell. Wahlberg holds his own and that's saying
a lot. I think we all expected Samuel L. Jackson and Dwayne Johnson
to be in it more, but it was still great without them. Imagine that!
21
Jump Street(16 Mar 2012)
It captured the dynamic of their "cool kid/nerd" relationship
transformation so perfectly, even the Action was funny. They made up
for the strange no explosions with one spectacular one. (Creative
low budget workaround!? LOL—I felt a little bit cheated but I liked
them so much, I went with it.) I would have like to see a
little more interaction with the rest of the characters who were
undercover in other schools (it was limited to gloating), but that's
a good thing because it means I liked it so much I wanted more. They
were both really good in it. Channing Tatum more so for the
bewildered awakening he experienced being uncool for the first time.
I expected
Jonah Hill to be good (he's everyone's favorite after Super
Bad) but I didn't expect Channing would be that good
(like Award good!). The brother relationship was very well
written, and well acted. They came off as so in tune, you forget it
isn't real. The best scene in the film for me was when
Jonah was trying to talk to a girl on the phone, and Channing came
into the room and just started torturing him—love the giraffe (it
was wordless and just perfect)! As a comedy team they worked as well
together as any famous comedy team. I think a lot of the
credit has to go to the material as well, but as a Buddy
Action comedy, the acting was superb and they hit all the sweet
spots :D!.
The
Heat(28 June 2013)
Sandra Bullock
is funny, period.
Meghan McCarthy
is a comic genius; her delivery
and timing are impeccable. The
two of them, in this movie, play
off each other in the hilarious
tradition of classic Buddy (Cop)
Action Movies.
They introduce us to each of them and then we get to watch them
clash.
McCarthy breaks the door down
from the get go, but she really gathers steam halfway through the
movie and becomes a one-liner semi-automatic weapon. They make the
most of situational comedy, make a play on opposites, flip flop our
expectations, and just let these two work on a funny script.
There are takeaways in the one
liners—I love that!
2 Guns(2 Aug 2013)
Mark Wahlbergtears
up the screen in2
Guns. He was incredibly good
inPain
& Gainand he does it again in
this movie. No small feat next to great performances byDenzel
WashingtonandBill
Paxton. Wise cracking his
way through every situation—you've gotta love his confidence—Wahlberg
steals nearly every scene. Even though they areSuper
Cops,
this is aBuddy
moviebecause
what makes it most enjoyable is
their interaction,their
camaraderie and fight for dominance.
"Come on man, ebony and ivory."
Each thinking the other is a criminal and both turning out to be
good guys. One is a DEA Agent Robert"Bobby
Beans"Trench
(Denzel), and the other a Naval Intelligence Petty Officer Michael"Stig"Stigman
(Mark). Read More
. . .
The Nice Guys (20 May 2016)
Russell Crowe is a steamroller in this movie. He makes it
look so easy to be that good! Ryan Gosling tries to keep up but
Crowe acts circles around him and that's saying a lot. It's hard
to separate the character from the acting with Gosling. Maybe
that's to his credit. Is he struggling or is the character
struggling, either way hilarity ensues. It has a similar
feel to The Last Boy Scout because it's a Shane Black
movie, but this time he also directed (RIP Tony Scott).
Bad Boys For Life (7 Jan 2020) The
third installment of the Will Smith and Martin Short duo, filmed
in Miami, delivered on the Action Comedy of their chemistry, and
was thoroughly enjoyable, giving that '80s action feel down to
the screaming Police Captain played by Joe Pantoliano. The young
blood introduced was refreshing (Vanessa Hudgens, Charles
Melton, Alexander Ludwig). This movie lived up to the series and
exceeded expectations. Even a few predictable moments didn't
take away from the enjoyment.
Hidden Strike (Coming Soon . . . 2023) Ex-Baghdad, Project X-Traction,
SNAFU, Hidden Strike had a long journey to the big screen. It's
directed by the same Director that made Expend4bles. How
exciting to have both movies due out soon on the big screen.
Jackie Chan is the undisputed king of Action Comedy and the
best/most popular Buddy movie Rush Hour series. There is a Rush
Hour 4 on IMDb in development.
action movie freak
The
third installment of the Will Smith and Martin Short duo, filmed
in Miami, delivered on the Action Comedy of their chemistry, and
was thoroughly enjoyable, giving that '80s action feel down to
the screaming Police Captain played by Joe Pantoliano. The young
blood introduced was refreshing (Vanessa Hudgens, Charles
Melton, Alexander Ludwig). This movie lived up to the series and
exceeded expectations. Even a few predictable moments didn't
take away from the enjoyment.