JANUARY 27 ― The start of 2024 is proving to be the same as any January in previous years, with precious few big Hollywood movies opening in local cinemas and a real scarcity in terms of excitement for local moviegoers.
But there’s one very welcome January coincidence that I’ve been noticing through the years, and more often than not, it emanates from the action DTV (direct-to-video) movie scene.
Very often you’ll find that some of the better action movies of any particular year are released in January.
Maybe it’s because the studios tend to dump their wannabe blockbuster stinkers in January, or maybe it’s because someone thinks that brainless action movies can be a good form of counter-programming against the prestige pictures that tend to be released in January and February just in time for Oscar season.
But whatever the reason, films like Ninja 2: Shadow of a Tear, Plane, Accident Man, Close Range and even John Wick: Chapter 2 were all released during the first two months of the year.
And looks like things are no different this year, with quite a few worthy action films released already, both in cinemas and on streaming platforms. Here are a few you should be checking out.
The Beekeeper
The moment John Wick became the surprise sleeper hit of 2014 and, let’s face it, a legit cultural icon, spawning not only a franchise that has so far included four films and a limited series, but plenty of copycats, using the argument that the premise of an action film is too simplistic or dumb is no longer a valid stick to beat them with.
If a film about a guy who goes on a murderous rampage because someone killed his dog (which is the premise of John Wick) can become a cultural phenomenon, then a film about a guy who goes on a murderous rampage because someone scammed his landlady out of her life savings (which is the premise of The Beekeeper) has no right to be called dumb as well.
A lean, mean action flick from director David Ayer of Suicide Squad fame, but whose work here is more reminiscent of the three films that truly made his name ― End Of Watch, Sabotage and Fury ― and starring none other than Jason Statham, this is a violent fantasy about scammers getting their comeuppance that will have audiences cheering, just as they did for those classic vigilante movies of the 1980s.
And wait till you see the glorious twist that screenwriter Kurt Wimmer came up with, which opens the door for at least a sequel, and maybe even a franchise if this one does well.
One More Shot
Who would have thought that One Shot, a low budget 2021 action flick about a group of Navy Seals attempting to extract a man from an island prison that’s presented as if it’s shot in one continuous take, would actually get a sequel, and a pretty good one too, in 2024?
Made by the same director, James Nunn, and starring the king of DTV action movies, Scott Adkins, One More Shot is a direct sequel that takes place right after the events of the first movie, and is again presented as if it’s shot in one continuous take.
Having managed to extract that man, a suspected terrorist and former businessman named Amin Mansur, in the first film, One More Shot continues their mission of wanting to ascertain from him the location of a dirty bomb with radioactive material that is expected to be used during the US President’s State of the Union address.
Amin has been transported to an airport in Washington DC for interrogation for that purpose, but soon all hell breaks loose as a new batch of villains have got them under siege and they, again, have to fight for their lives.
With an ending that surely promises another sequel, I wonder what that next film is going to be called. One Last Shot, anyone?
Sixty Minutes
An action flick from Germany that’s slowly picking up steam on the Netflix charts, this is probably not going to be on many Best Action Films of the Year lists come the end of year, but what I can safely say is that it is going to make breakout stars out of at least two members of its cast ― lead actor Emilio Sakraya and supporting actress Marie Mouroum.
Mouroum especially, previously a stunt performer in all sorts of films and TV series, from Black Panther to No Time To Die to John Wick: Chapter 4, seems well poised for a lead role in a future female-led fight flick, having the charisma, acting chops, and the physical skills needed to execute a good fight scene elegantly.
The film itself is one of those race against the clock films, and this being a German film, of course comparisons are going to be made with Run Lola Run, but this one’s about an MMA fighter who abandons his high profile fight because he’s given 60 minutes by his ex-wife to prove that he’s serious about keeping the promises he made to his daughter, whose birthday happens to be on the same date as the fight.
The fights are good, well-choreographed, and there are plenty of them in the film, which makes for a very decent rush of adrenaline, if you’re into this sort of thing.
* This is the personal opinion of the columnist.
