Every week at SiftPop.com, we challenge our writers to choose what they think is the best movie under a certain topic related to a new release. This week, with the release of Bob Odenkirk’s new movie Nobody, we’re counting down our favorite one-person army movies! Let us know @SiftPop what your ranking is!
Long before John Wick taught us not to kill a retired hitman’s dog, this film showed us kidnapping the little girl who’d given an alcoholic, depressed former CIA agent a reason to live again was an equally bad idea. Denzel Washington plays John Creasy, who’s down on his luck and hired as a bodyguard for a wealthy family in Mexico City. Dakota Fanning’s Pita gradually brings Creasy out of his malaise before tragedy strikes. In his quest for vengeance, Creasy is a man on a mission, extracting information and exacting revenge in a visceral, brutal, and creative fashion. His methods may be savage, but, like Creasy, we’ve fallen in love with Pita and the villains are irredeemable. So we’re cheering as he’s painting his masterpiece. Aside from the great relationship between Pita and Creasy and the awesome action, Tony Scott’s direction adds some stylistic flair, and a supporting appearance by Christopher Walken—who utters the line of the movie—is always welcome. This movie puts me in my happy place and, while I’m not sure what that says about me, when it comes to one-man armies, I wouldn’t bet against Creasy. (Jake Bourgeois)
This week I will not go to my list of shame as I discuss First Blood, one of the best examples of a one-man army going against what to most would be overwhelming odds. I doubt I have to go into detail for this film, adapted from a 1972 novel of the same name, how John Rambo (Sly Stallone) fights a one-man war against the police force of the city of Hope, Washington and its sheriff Will Teasle (Brian Dennehy) as Rambo’s former commander Sam Trautman (Richard Crenna) tries to diffuse the situation. This movie, unlike the rest of the Rambo series, portrays John as more than just the one-man army he was trained to be, instead making him a more complex character by portraying him as a man haunted by his past traumas as a POW, triggered by the abuse he receives at the hands of Teasle’s deputies. The only one who understands this is Trautman, who recruited Rambo, and who is acutely aware of the effects that Vietnam had on John’s mental state. The fact that John’s actions in First Blood are not that of a badass hero, unlike the rest of the movies in the series, makes this movie, for me, serve more as a commentary to the horrors of war and the traumatic after effects it has on soldiers, a feeling lost in the rest of the series. (Joseph Davis)
Are you afraid of pencils? They are an everyday item that we constantly write with… so why should be afraid of them? Well, anything in the hands of John Wick in a deadly weapon that should be feared above all else! John Wick was an action flick that hit the scene without much attention for star Keanu Reeves, but soon became the talk of the town and Reeves became a huge star again. The world-building of this seedy underworld is without comparison as the audience knows just how everyone fears this one-man army. Baba Yaga… The Boogeyman… the world’s greatest assassin… that is John Wick. Take a revenge plot and some of the greatest action ever put to film and you have every reason to check out John Wick. But one thing… don’t mess with a man’s dog. (Shane Conto)
Quentin Tarantino’s revenge two-parter, Kill Bill, makes for one of his most thrilling stories, which centers on a woman known as The Bride (Uma Thurman) who sets out on a warpath of vengeance as she tracks down the people who murdered her family at her wedding rehearsal and put her in a coma. While the one-person army is seen throughout both movies, never is this more apparent than in a stunning sequence in Vol. 1 where we see The Bride take on an army known as the Crazy 88, who do the bidding of one of The Bride’s targets, O-Ren Ishii (Lucy Liu). It’s not only one of the best scenes in Vol. 1, but is one of the best of the whole two-film story. The dazzling fight choreography grips you in the visceral energy of the sequence and shows just how ruthless The Bride can be, with Thurman’s ferocious, yet controlled performance having you feel her character’s determination to fulfill her mission. This scene shows Tarantino at his over-the-top best and will leave you both gleeful and shocked. (Vincent Abbatecola)
The Trend with what makes a lot of the movies on this list so great is that they are able to balance action and character. In my opinion, Léon: The Professional does this as well as it can be done. The movie follows the titular hitman Léon (Jean Reno) as he takes in and trains a young girl named Mathilda (Natalie Portman) after her family is murdered. If it sounds dark, it is, but it also explores themes of love, redemption, and morality. Portman and Reno are incredible as the two leads and director Luc Besson gets you sympathize with, and even root for, Léon, a killer. On top of this, Gary Oldman gives an iconic performance as the villain Stansfield. I don’t want to spoil the movie, so I’ll just say you need to watch it for a perfect mix of great action, heart, and emotion. (Robert Bouffard)
Action films are chalked with obvious stunt doubles and jarring cuts, but there are those few gems that take action to a new apex. The Raid is an all-out assault on the senses and shares a very familiar plot structure and premise to Dredd (or vice versa in this case). The main character Rama played by Iko Uwais was a star in the making. Excellent fight choreography and stunt work are by the best in the industry today. The camera work and following these professionals perform is showing the utmost confidence of their abilities. If you want a marital arts action classic in the making, The Raid is the film for you. (Joe Vargas)
I have never been a Bond fan. Before Daniel Craig, I had less than no interest in delving into the world of a womanizing pseudo-spy with awkward combat and silly villains. Then Casino Royale came along. Turning the series on its head, it made Bond a more fleshed out character and allowed us to go on the journey with him as he became the ultimate gentleman spy. Add to that some truly thrilling poker playing, an alluring and magnetic Eva Green, and a threatening and mysterious villain in Mads Mikkelsen and you have an almost three-hour movie that flies by in an instant. Finish off with a cherry of absolutely intense heart-pounding, well-choreographed fight scenes and you’ve got a winner. Still one of the strongest films in the franchise, Casino Royale is a thrilling jewel in this English legend’s crown. (Alice Micheli)
Hot Fuzz pays homage to the buddy cop movies, specifically Bad Boys II and Point Break ( the original and not the reboot). Simon Pegg plays the one-man army, Police Constable Nicholas Angel, who’s promoted to sergeant before getting transferred to the English countryside and investigating a series of mysterious deaths happening. Angel can no longer depend on himself and has to work with his new partner, buddy cop films fan, PC Daniel Butterman (Nick Frost) and new team to take on the town of Sandford. The film is action packed, hilariously nutty, and has the incomparable chemistry between Pegg and Frost. The second film of the Cornetto Trilogy, it nails the cop genre, making fun while making it fun. There are a series of running themes in this film from the unofficial trilogy, especially the fence gag and bringing the Hollywood action into the countryside. I would love to see a sequel because there are so many opportunities to run with it, but right now, we don’t need anymore of that and Hot Fuzz will suffice… For now. (Chantal Ashford)
Honestly, it almost feels wrong including only one Bourne film on this list when the first three meld together so well. Alas, I must, and so I would be remiss to pick anything but The Bourne Ultimatum, the one I would consider the strongest of the three. It’s really just a perfect amalgamation of a bunch of things that wouldn’t have worked in other circumstances. It takes a star in Matt Damon who, prior to Bourne, never really played a super physical role and makes him one of the most creatively lethal people in American film. It also takes Paul Greengrass using a lot of shaky-cam which can often be nauseating and make it impossible to tell what is really going on, yet here it makes the action leap off the screen and all the more intense. This also features what I consider the best fight scene in the franchise between Bourne and Desh as well as some fantastic creative fighting as Bourne continues to wreck people with the various objects in his surroundings. Where some of these types of movies rely on style over substance or the charm of the actors, this film specifically does it all. It keeps you glued to your seat and always waiting for the next piece of information. If you haven’t seen this franchise, it’s high time to check it out. (Nashua Doll)
What can I say about Die Hard that hasn’t been said a million times over? This movie is the one-man army of one-man army movies. After this came out, studios wanted to make “Die Hard on a” and fill in the blank. Plane, bus, boat even The Rock made Die Hard in a skyscraper whose name right now escapes me. I swear if Die Hard isn’t the number one on this week’s BEC, I’ll quit. You hear me…whoever is in charge this month? I can’t remember. I’ll just forever call the man in charge of these Blake. Blake has become the official name for who I yell at in these. Back to Die Hard, McClane is Die Hard. He modernized one-man army movies to perfection. You know I’m right. (Frank Kemp)
Deja Vu
Deja Vu is Tony Scott at his most somber and depressing. On the surface, it is a time travel film about stopping a terrorist from blowing up a yacht filled with military soldiers and their families, while also throwing in the usual 2000s Tony Scott style we all have been accustomed to — a perfect dad movie type of story! However, beneath the film’s scientific elements are components of romance and revenge. Denzel Washington’s Doug Carlin will do whatever it takes to not only stop Jim Caviezel’s Carroll Oerstadt, but is about one man finding that one person he cares about the most. Doug feels a connection when discussing the life of a woman named Claire Kutcher; he feels enamored by her. This film then becomes the “one-man army” of stopping Carroll and the interaction between Doug and Claire. Tony Scott always has a way of making these basic level stories more connected with how we feel as humans. He takes the morals and the emotions we feel into perspective when developing his scripts. And Deja Vu is another thought-provoking film in his filmography. (John Bizub)
Shooter
Guilty pleasure alert! Is this movie great? No, and if I’m honest, I don’t even know how good it is—but it’s so much fun. The film follows Mark Wahlberg’s Bob Lee Swagger as he fights to clear his name after being framed for an assassination. The cast and crew of this thing is surprisingly stacked. It’s directed by Antoine Fuqua (who must have a thing for this category having also directed both Equalizer films and Olympus Has Fallen) and also stars Michael Peña, Kate Mara, Danny Glover, and Ned Beatty. The latter two chew all of the scenery in their roles as corrupt officials. If you can give yourself to the fun when you catch it during one of its 10 million weekly showings on cable (or unedited, preferably) there’s plenty of cool action moments and cheesy dialogue to keep you entertained. (Jake Bourgeois)
Taken
It’s the movie that started it all and changed the course of Liam Neeson’s career. It’s the reason there are Liam Neeson action star memes and the reason Key and Peele made multiple sketches about how great he is. It’s also a pretty great movie! Taken revealed Neeson’s particular set of skills and kicked off what I’m dubbing the Liam Neeson Cinematic Universe (you can just call it the LNCU when the name catches on). Playing retired CIA agent Bryan Mills, Neeson’s daughter is kidnapped in Europe and he has to take down every single faceless thug that stands in his way when he’s saving her. If you haven’t seen it by now, I’d honestly be slightly surprised. It won’t blow you away, but it will help you understand how now-68-year-old Liam Neeson has become one of the most prolific action stars of the last decade plus. (Robert Bouffard)
Hardcore Henry
Out of all the movies on this list, this one is definitely the most unique. I’m of course talking about the 2016 highly underrated action flick Hardcore Henry. What stands out in this genre of one-man army is that the movie is completely filmed from the perspective of the main character Henry as you watch him fight his way through enemies to save his girlfriend from a warlord who plans to bioengineer soldiers. When I say his perspective, I mean that the movie is filmed like you’re watching a realistic first-person shooter video game take place before your eyes. You’ll watch as you actually get to feel what it’s like to be the action hero you’ve always wanted to be. If you have some time to kill, you can’t go wrong with this choice. (Alex Henderson)
Sudden Death
Have you had any contact with the aggressors? “I killed two. Is that contact?” Okay, shooting for the honorable mentions this week, it’s Sudden Death, a 1995 Jean-Claude Van Damme action movie and you already get the picture. Well, I’m gonna keep talking about this AWESOME movie! Taking place on Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals (for you non-sports people, final possible game of the playoffs for hockey) the Vice President is held hostage in the V.I.P. box and through yada-yada’s events, JCVD’s daughter gets involved, so obviously he’s gotta go save the day single-handedly. And while this movie is complete camp, I want to focus on the things that really make this a good time: JCVD, Powers Boothe as a merciless and vague villain, a director who actually knows hockey, and many instances of creativity since JCVD isn’t himself armed with a weapon. Look, I’m not saying this is going to blow your socks off and become your new favorite movie, but what I am saying is that this movie is a really fun time and certainly worth checking out, especially if you like a little ridiculous! (Aaron Schweitzer)
Also See: Commando, Escape from New York, The Equalizer, Atomic Blonde, Transporter, Olympus Has Fallen