X-Men (2000)
[7] It's amazing how good a superhero movie can be when you treat it with the seriousness it deserves. Bryan Singer (The Usual Suspects) was the perfect choice to direct this movie, and he chose a brilliant ensemble cast. Hugh…
Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014)
[6] Another installment in the Marvel movie franchise is never going to excite me. But if you want to be distracted for a while, Captain America: The Winter Soldier isn't bad. The plot centers around conspiracy, betrayal, and assassination --…
Independence Day (1996)
[7] The Irwin Allen disaster epic is alive and well in this 1996 summer blockbuster in which evil aliens threaten to destroy Earth, leaving it up to a rag-tag team of politicians, soldiers, and scientists (plus a drunken crop-duster and…
Hulk (2003)
[3] With two-time Oscar-winning director Ang Lee (Brokeback Mountain, Life of Pi) at the helm, and a cast that includes Eric Bana, Jennifer Connelly, Nick Nolte, and Sam Elliott, you should reasonably expect a much better movie than Hulk turns…
Bird on a Wire (1990)
[5] Bird on a Wire is a big, goofy Hollywood action spectacular with two likeable stars at its center. Mel Gibson plays an FBI informant in witness protection and Goldie Hawn plays an old flame he left at the altar…
Force 10 from Navarone (1978)
[5] Robert Shaw and Edward Fox reprise the roles originated by Gregory Peck and David Niven in The Guns of Navarone for this matinee adventure sequel. Shaw and Fox are led by Harrison Ford as a U.S. Colonel and joined…
The Gauntlet (1977)
[8] Clint Eastwood and Sondra Locke's romantic but combative relationship fuels this road-trip action/adventure also directed by Eastwood. He's a cop trying to transfer her from one jail to another, but both the mob and the cops want her dead,…
Premium Rush (2012)
[4] Joseph Gordon-Levitt stars as a New York City bicycle delivery man engaged in a never-ending cat-and-mouse chase with a nasty copy (Michael Shannon) for possession of a very valuable package. Premium Rush reminds me of movies like Rad and…
Jack the Giant Slayer (2013)
[5] They were re-writing the script for Jack the Giant Slayer while they shot the movie, and it shows. It's a bit of a hot mess. I'm a fan of director Bryan Singer (The Usual Suspects, X-Men) and I'm down…
The Rocketeer (1991)
[8] This is an underrated comic book adaptation with slick, period production design and top-notch action choreography from director Joe Johnston (Honey, I Shrunk the Kids, October Sky). There's a gee-whiz ebullience about The Rocketeer that I find utterly charming. …