"Lesser" 90's Action Films
This is a list of action films that are pretty entertaining, but didn't make much of a dent critically or financially. They may have even been box office bombs, or forgotten entirely. Still, if they have any merit, it's that they are still pretty fun to watch on a quiet afternoon with nothing to do. Will be adding to this list as time goes on and I am open to suggestions. There are many that I have either forgotten or just haven't seen yet.
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- DirectorWalter HillStarsBruce WillisBruce DernWilliam SandersonA drifting gunslinger-for-hire finds himself in the middle of an ongoing war between the Irish and Italian mafia in a Prohibition era ghost town.Bruce Willis and Walter Hill unleashing their John Woo tribute in a recycled Kurosawa setting in a Prohibition Era town? I'm game.
- DirectorPaul W.S. AndersonStarsKurt RussellJason Scott LeeJason IsaacsA soldier trained from birth is deemed obsolete and dumped on a waste planet where he is reluctantly taken in by a community of defenseless, stranded wayfarers.Sure, maybe it's not a great film by any stretch, but Kurt Russell gives an interesting performance and while the plot is nothing to write home about, its action scenes are still entertaining.
- DirectorMark L. LesterStarsDolph LundgrenBrandon LeeCary-Hiroyuki TagawaTwo L.A. cops with opposing views on what is the best way to uphold the law have to work together to bring down the Yakuza, while trying to protect a beautiful woman.An underrated classic schlockfest. This feels like a barebones adaptation of a men's adventure pulp novel. Glorious.
- DirectorRenny HarlinStarsGeena DavisSamuel L. JacksonYvonne ZimaSamantha Caine lives in a small town with her daughter. Eight years ago she emerged, two months pregnant, from a nearby river with no memory of her past or who she is. However, she's getting closer to finding out about her past.Nobody talks about this one, and that's a damn shame...
- DirectorKevin HooksStarsWesley SnipesBruce PayneTom SizemoreAn airline security expert must take action when he finds himself trapped on a passenger jet when terrorists seize control of it.Not very good either, but one of the better "lesser" Die Hard ripoffs. Makes a good double feature with Executive Decision. Speaking of which...
- DirectorStuart BairdStarsKurt RussellHalle BerrySteven SeagalWhen terrorists seize control of an airliner, an intelligence analyst accompanies a commando unit for a midair boarding operation.One of the few action films where Steven Seagal dies in the first half-hour and that's good enough for me. What follows after is a fine ride with Kurt Russell in a John McClane-like role... sort of.
- DirectorPeter HyamsStarsJean-Claude Van DammeMia SaraRon SilverMax Walker, an officer for a security agency that regulates time travel, must fend for his life against a shady politician who's intent on changing the past to control the future.As a time travel movie, it's garbage, but as a Van Damme action film, it's pretty good. Watch this with these next three and you're in for the best of 90's Van Dammage.
- DirectorSheldon LettichStarsJean-Claude Van DammeGeoffrey LewisAlonna ShawTwin brothers are separated when their parents are murdered but 25 years later they re-unite in order to avenge their parents' death.They never do explain how these two twin brothers raised in Miami and Hong Kong both have French accents... no matter. Double Impact is too much stupid fun for that sort of thing. It's a collection of most of my favourite dumb action tropes, right down to the explosive barrels of fuel stacked uselessly all over the bad guys' warehouses and docks.
- DirectorPeter HyamsStarsJean-Claude Van DammePowers BootheRaymond J. BarryA former fireman takes on a group of terrorists holding the Vice President and others hostage during the seventh game of the NHL Stanley Cup finals.Sure, Van Damme is game here (haha) in yet another Die Hard ripoff that's better than it deserves to be, but Powers Boothe steals the show!
- DirectorJohn WooStarsJean-Claude Van DammeLance HenriksenYancy ButlerA woman hires a drifter as her guide through New Orleans in search of her missing father. In the process, they discover a deadly game of cat and mouse behind his disappearance.A big cult classic now, with Lance Henriksen giving one hell of a villainous performance, but at the time, most people didn't seem to care.
- DirectorClarence FokStarsChingmy YauSimon YamCarrie NgA young woman is trained by a martial arts specialist to become a professional assassin.Hard to find an uncut version of this sleazy action classic, but find it and you might enjoy the over-the-top antics that ensue here.
- DirectorDwight H. LittleStarsBrandon LeePowers BootheNick MancusoWhen student Jake Lo witnesses a killing, he finds himself caught between two feuding drug lords. Betrayed and set up by the federal agents, the only person he can trust is Ryan, a Chicago cop who reminds Jake of his deceased father.Brandon Lee's second-best solo film behind The Crow, as far as I can tell.
- DirectorKathryn BigelowStarsJamie Lee CurtisRon SilverClancy BrownA rookie in the police force must engage in a cat-and-mouse game with a pistol-wielding psychopath who becomes obsessed with her.Perhaps more of a psychological thriller than an action film, I think this still deserves a spot on here. I didn't even know it existed until I looked back on Bigelow's career.
- DirectorDaniel LeeStarsJet LiChing Wan LauKaren MokA survivor of a supersoldier project must fight his former comrades as a masked hero.A mess in its own right, one release even replaced the original soundtrack with "trendy" hiphop. Somehow it fits this silly little film. Its action scenes are freaking awesome, though!
- DirectorChuck RussellStarsArnold SchwarzeneggerVanessa WilliamsJames CaanA Witness Protection specialist becomes suspicious of his co-workers when dealing with a case involving high-tech weapons.The last "good" Schwarzenegger action film, overshadowed by a string of failures and his career in politics.
- DirectorRingo LamStarsJean-Claude Van DammeNatasha HenstridgeJean-Hugues AngladeWhile seeking answers to the death of the twin brother he never knew he had, a French cop and his sibling's fiancee find themselves pursued by corrupt FBI agents and the Russian mafia.Couldn't resist adding this Van Damme piece.
- DirectorPeter HyamsStarsArnold SchwarzeneggerGabriel ByrneRobin TunneyAt the end of the century, Satan visits New York in search of a bride. It's up to an ex-cop who now runs an elite security outfit to stop him.Yeah, it's bad, but it's funny as hell. It's Arnold Schwarzenegger versus Satan! Come on!
- DirectorRon HowardStarsMel GibsonGary SiniseRene RussoMulti-millionaire Tom Mullen's son is kidnapped, but after initially agreeing to pay the ransom Mullen then decides to use the ransom money as a bounty.Pretty good movie, all things considered. Seems to have been all but forgotten nowadays.
- DirectorBrian HelgelandStarsMel GibsonGregg HenryMaria BelloAfter a successful heist, Porter is left for dead. Once he recovers, he seeks vengeance and wants his share of the money.I love both versions of this movie.
- DirectorCraig R. BaxleyStarsBrian BosworthLance HenriksenWilliam ForsytheA tough Alabama cop is blackmailed by the FBI into going undercover in a violent Mississippi biker gang.Bosworth's acting is atrocious here but the action and Lance Henriksen make up for its mediocre qualities.
- DirectorMark DiSalleStarsJeff SpeakmanJohn DyeMakoAn expert in "kenpo" karate avenges his Koreatown friend, slain by a mobster in Los Angeles.Jeff Speakman has no charisma whatsoever but it's a fine film to pop in every once in a while.
- DirectorLewis TeagueStarsCharlie SheenMichael BiehnJoanne WhalleyA battle-hardened SEAL Team set off on a mission to destroy a shipment of US-built Stinger missiles that have fallen into terrorist hands.Action is enjoyable and slightly above par. Despite its shortcomings, it is a minor classic.
- DirectorJames FoleyStarsChow Yun-FatMark WahlbergRic YoungWith the aid from a New York City policeman, a top immigrant cop tries to stop drug-trafficking and corruption by immigrant Chinese Triads, but things get complicated when the Triads try to bribe the policeman.One of the better American films starring Chow Yun-Fat. Not as good as Replacement Killers though... but the action is pretty good.
- DirectorAntoine FuquaStarsChow Yun-FatMira SorvinoMichael RookerA troubled hitman seeks aid from a forger to help him get papers to China. However, the drug lord has hired replacements to finish the job, and kill the hitman.Still one of Fuqua's finest in my opinion. Severely underrated.
- DirectorRobert MandelStarsTom BerengerRaymond CruzWilliam ForsytheShale's Mercenary team is retired after a (not so) covert mission in Cuba. He becomes a substitute teacher at his teacher fiancee's Miami high school to get those behind kneecapping her. His team helps him.Strangely enjoyable, if also forgettable.