Some people think that 2018 was not the best year for movies. For certain genres that may be true, but when it comes to horror and action films, 2018 came down on us like the hammer of Thor. The action films released this year are some of the best I’ve seen in years. Whether they are direct to video, Netflix, or theatrical, action movies have been a major staple of cinema since the beginning of the medium. Over the past decade or so, we’ve seen different kinds of action films that we really haven’t seen before. Movies like The Raid have made a huge impression on a lot of people with the level of violence and brutality. For this post, I’m also going to be including comic book-based movies, because there really wasn’t enough coming out this year that warrants their own post. Overall, 2018 has been a fantastic year for action addicts such as myself. So…with that in mind, let’s blow shit up with The Best Action Movies of 2018.
Mission Impossible: Fallout
While the plot device of the new Mission Impossible uses the tried-and-true nuclear weapon cliche, it’s the rest of the film surrounding it that is exceptional. Say what you will about Tom Cruise, but this guy puts in 150 percent in every role that he does, especially when it comes to action movies. The Mission Impossible films have always been pretty solid action flicks with number 2 being the weakest of the bunch, but Fallout is easily the best of the bunch, especially when it comes to the action. Tom Cruise does all of his own stunts and then some. He goes all out here. In the first 30 minutes, we see Cruise actually perform a HALO jump, which is a High Altitude Low Open jump. This thing is usually reserved for the military’s special forces, because of the training involved. It’s nuts. But Cruise keeps one-upping himself to the point where he’s actually flying a helicopter in one of the craziest vehicle chases I’ve ever seen in a movie. The stuff that happens on the ground is equally fantastic. This movie is a huge roller-coaster ride from beginning to end.
Avengers: Infinity War
There are big blockbuster movies and then there are event movies. The first Avengers in 2012 was an event movie. The second film? Not so much. But neither of those films compares to the grand and epic scale of Infinity War. People have often complained about Marvel’s movies playing it too safe and not upping the stakes in terms of who lives and who dies. Well, Infinity War not only raises the stakes, but it also takes the risk of ending the film the way it does. This is the Empire Strikes Back of the Avengers films. It is easily the darkest film the MCU has seen in years. The Avengers finally go up against a villain that is not only extremely intelligent and powerful, but could take on the entire team and win. The entire MCU after the first Avengers film has been building to this point, and it does not disappoint. The trailers don’t do it justice. This is by far one of the most epic and action-packed mainstream movies I’ve seen in years. This means that Avengers 4 is going to have to up the ante quite a bit in order to match Infinity War.
The Night Comes For Us
Netflix has really come through as a platform that can produce its own content. The Night Comes For Us is easily one of the most violent and brutal action movies released this year. In certain corners of the interwebs, this film could also count as a horror movie because of its extreme violence. It’s a solid story about a former Triad enforcer who refuses to kill a child, and ends up on the run from his former employers. It’s a simple redemption story, but one that works in a film like this. Joe Taslim and Iko Uwais worked together on The Raid, but to see them fighting each other in this film is one for the record books. Uwais usually plays the good guy, but he’s fantastic as a villain. This movie doesn’t shy away from the gore. There’s more gore in this film than you would find in a bog-standard slasher film, which makes The Night Comes For Us one of the most over-the-top action films that I’ve seen in years. That’s not just hyperbole. If you like your action movies brutal and unrelenting, The Night Comes For Us is fantastic.
Accident Man
When it comes to DTV action movies, Scott Adkins is pretty much the go to guy. This guy has made an absolute name for himself over the past decade, being involved with not only DTV films, but some really big theatrical films like Doctor Strange. So…yeah, he gets around. Accident Man is one of two action films released in 2018 starring Scott Adkins, with the other being The Debt Collector. Accident Man is actually a movie based a comic book that Mr. Adkins is a huge fan of, so this was a passion project for him. The film is about an assassin whose specialty is making his kills look like accidents. When he finds out that a former flame of his was murdered, possibly by one of his own, he goes on a rampage. The action sequences in this film are incredible. One fight has him taking on Michael Jai White AND Ray Park at the same time. Not only is it intense, but it also has a sense of humor, and that’s what really separates this film from a lot of others. It gets pretty funny at times, and a lot of that comes from Scott himself, whose character is a motormouth. It’s funny, it’s intense and it’s a lot of fun.
Buybust
Watching action movies from other countries gives you an insight into how they approach action film-making. Buybust is a film from the Philippines that takes place during the country’s war on drugs. It follows a police officer, whose previous team was slaughtered because of corrupt officers, and she’s recruited into a new team that’s been assigned to take out a notorious drug lord. This is one of the most ruthless action movies I’ve seen this year, but it also shines a light on the actual problems that were instigated by this war on drugs and how it affects everybody involved. The police team is surrounded not only by the drug gang, but also civilians who have had enough of both the police and the gangs. It makes for an incredibly intense film that when the action starts, it doesn’t let up.
Black Panther
When the character of Black Panther showed up in last year’s Captain America: Civil War, people were very excited for the prospect of a stand-alone film. Black Panther is one of the best films that Marvel has ever put out. While the film is definitely spectacular in terms of its visuals, it’s a far more character-oriented film than we are used to seeing from Marvel. Not only do we have a fantastic hero in the Black Panther, played to perfection by Chadwick Boseman, but the film also has a villain that is sympathetic and that you can understand where he’s coming from. What makes this film really standout, is not just how visually interesting it is, but also in terms of set and costume design. These are some of the most unique costumes I’ve ever seen, and they are all based on designs from various African tribes. It also helps that while the film acknowledges the events of the other films, it keeps the focus on a much smaller scale.
The Debt Collector
This is the second Scott Adkins film on the list, and it’s just as good as Accident Man. Director Jesse V. Johnson not only gets a great performance out of Scott, but he pairs him up with Louis Mandylor, who is pretty damn good in his own right. The chemistry that these two have is simply fantastic. There’s quite a bit of hilarious back-and-forth between the characters, but there’s also a pretty strong emotional element that I wasn’t expecting from this movie. The action is far more grounded and realistic than what we are used to seeing from Scott, but he puts everything into it, including getting thrown through walls. For a DTV action movie, The Debt Collector has a lot going for it: Solid writing, fantastic acting, decent story, and decent action. Jesse V. Johnson knows how to take a low-budget action flick and make it look like a million bucks, that’s a pretty unique talent, so yeah, I do recommend The Debt Collector.
There are a number of other action movies released this year that missed the list, but that doesn’t mean they’re bad, it just means they didn’t do enough to really wow me the way these ones did. So, these are what I consider to be the Best Action Films of 2018. Looking at what’s coming up in 2019, I’m legitimately excited for what next year is going to bring us.