web hit counter The Best ’90s Foreign Action Movies, Ranked – TopLineDaily.Com | Source of Your Latest News
Entertainment • Movies

The Best ’90s Foreign Action Movies, Ranked

December 28, 2024
0 Views
19 Min Read
The Best ’90s Foreign Action Movies, Ranked

The U.S. is well-known for its action movies, although some of the greatest films of the genre have come from abroad. Asian action films are hailed as some of the standouts of the genre, from Akira Kurosawa to Jackie Chan to Johnnie To. European film has generally had more of a reputation for arthouse and experimentalism — but that doesn’t mean those genres can’t blend with action as well.

Whether it’s with a comedic bent, edge-of-your-seat thrills, or dark grit, the action films of the 1990s were wonderful around the world. Many a franchise was spawned in this decade, and a number of new names and faces both in front of and behind the camera were brought to light. The world of action cinema is enriched by foreign pictures, as windows into different cultures can be the starting point for some of the best stories out there.

16

Mr. Nice Guy (Hong Kong, 1997)

New Line Cinema

The first film starring Jackie Chan to have been written and filmed in English, Mr. Nice Guy takes place in Melbourne, Australia. The story immerses the audience in Melbourne gangland, and focuses mainly on Chan helping a woman expose (and survive) a murderous drug gang. Chan masters his well-known balance of comedy and jaw-dropping action with his charming culinary character here.

When Chan’s character, a TV chef called Jackie, is mistaken for one of the gang members, chaos ensues. The fight choreography and action scenes are predictably glorious and transcend even the death-defying action of many other Chan films. Though it was not without risk — Chan had several injuries while making this movie. Mr. Nice Guy was also something of a comeback for director Sammo Hung, whose acting work had been panned, though he did give himself a small cameo here.

Event Horizon and Resident Evil director Paul W. S. Anderson’s debut was an action crime drama featuring a number of actors from the ‘Primrose Hill set’, including Sadie Frost, Jude Law, and Sean Pertwee — alongside stars Sean Bean, Jonathan Pryce, and Jason Isaacs. This was Law’s first leading role, and the movie follows his character, Billy, shortly after he gets out of prison. He then goes on to commit a series of crimes with his friends, in a fairly on-the-nose representation of Anderson’s view of the UK societal divide in the ‘90s. Shopping features stellar performances from its star cast despite not being very well-known.

Eva Mendes and Will Ferrell in The Other Guys (2010)

Related

The Best Action Comedies Netflix Currently Has to Offer

A good action comedy sandwiches humor in between high-speed car chases and bare-knuckle brawls, dishing out jokes as often as explosions. 

14

Dead or Alive (Japan, 1999)

Still from 1999 Japanese action movie Dead or Alive
Daiei Film

Director Takashi Miike’s action-packed yakuza drama is a thrilling ride through Shinjuku, Tokyo, through the eyes of former gang boss Ryūichi (played by Riki Takeuchi) and Detective Jojima (Show Aikawa), a police officer assigned to investigate a robbery. Deeply rooted in late-20th-century Japanese culture, particularly when it comes to the movie’s engagement with the yakuza crime syndicates and Japanese diasporic criminals, Dead or Alive is a masterclass in world-building. The rich, layered setting which the film carves out, however, does not diminish the focus on the action — and there’s a lot of it. The film was well-received enough that it also spawned two pseudo-sequels.

13

Riki-Oh: The Story of Ricky (Hong Kong, 1991)

Riki-Oh: The Story of Ricky is a hilariously over-the-top action film, the kind of movie where someone can punch a hole through a person. Its dystopian setting is a basic commentary on the prison-industrial system, taking place in a world where more and more people are arrested. One of such victims of the system happens to be the innocent Riki, who has borderline supernatural physical powers. He enters a place where the prisoners and guards (especially the higher-ups) are vicious and corrupt, and is forced to use his deadly skills to survive and help others. It’s a big, gory spectacle that’s non-stop fun.

12

Born to Kill (South Korea, 1996)

Jung Woo-sung as Kil and Shim Eun-ha as Soo-ha in 1996 action movie Born to Kill
Lee Sun-yeol

Born to Kill was an early role in the acting career of Jung Woo-Sung, a Korean model and film star who would go on to win numerous Asian film awards. In this movie, he plays Kil, a brutal hitman. The plot of this film is somewhat reminiscent of John Woo’s The Killer (or even 2023’s Hit Man), as Kil falls in love with his neighbor, a bartender called Soo-ha (played by Shim Eun-ha). Where the distinction lies, though, is in the execution. Born to Kill is a gritty, neo-noir exploration of the increasingly blurring lines between Kil’s personal and professional lives, and it does so to great effect.

11

The Mission (Hong Kong, 1999)

Six years and a whopping 11 films after his 1993 masterpiece The Heroic Trio, the iconic action director Johnnie To made The Mission, an action crime drama following one of Hong Kong’s many triad crime syndicates. The Mission is a lot more grounded in the real world than some of To’s other movies, focusing mainly on tightly-plotted assassination attempts and corruption of the criminal underworld. The film is rapidly paced, and its 81-minute runtime absolutely flies by without letting the audience stop to catch their breath. From one dodgy dealing straight onto the next, this is an intense, adrenaline-fueled joy.

Matthew Lillard and Angelina Jolie in 'Hackers'

Related

15 Movies That Are Pure ‘90s Time Capsules

The ’90s captured society’s fascination and fear of tech through films reflecting cyberpunk aesthetics, digital innovation, and analog nostalgia.

10

Ashes of Time (Hong Kong, 1994)

Still from Wong Kar-wai's 1994 action movie Ashes of Time
Newport Entertainment

Wong Kar-wai is one of the most famous Hong Kong movie directors in the world, and Ashes of Time is one of a long list of films which demonstrates why. This movie was loosely based on Jin Yong’s novel The Legend of the Condor Heroes, which centers around ancient Chinese martial artists. The film adaptation follows Ouyang Feng, nicknamed ‘the Western Venom’, a man determined to become the most powerful martial artist in the land.

Ashes of Time chronicles his turn to villainy, and features some incredibly uncomfortable scenes as he does so. It’s a notably experimental movie that doesn’t necessarily make sense on the first watch, but it has layers to it which are so much deeper than the martial arts story on the surface. It’s the kind of film that’s as much an arthouse classic as it is an action film.

9

La Femme Nikita (France-Italy, 1990)

La Femme Nikita

Young Nikita is framed for the killing of a policeman, she is given a choice — join Section One or rot in prison. Section One is a secret government organization comprised of some of the smartest, most dangerous and ruthless people in the world. When Nikita chooses to join Section One, she is trained to be an elite assassin in the supposed fight against international terrorism … at least that’s what Section One tells her. Nikita’s trainer is emotionless, coldly efficient Michael, with whom Nikita eventually becomes romantically involved.

Release Date

February 21, 1990

Runtime

117 Minutes

Cast

Anne Parillaud
, Marc Duret
, Patrick Fontana
, Alain Lathière

La Femme Nikita is a phenomenal action thriller focusing on drug user Nikita, played by Anne Parillaud, who is forced to choose between prison and working for a shady government agency. The movie is worth watching for Parillaud’s performance alone, and she’s supported by a tight script and excellent editorial choices. From Nikita’s arrest right through to her rigorous training as an assassin and then her life as a killer, writer-director Luc Besson allows the audience to understand everything going through Nikita’s mind. The action sequences are punctuated by strong character development and emotional context, making La Femme Nikita one of the best French action movies of all time.

A collage of action movies like John Wick, The Killer, Goldfinger, Heat, Run Lola Run, and more

Related

The 50 Best Action Movies of All Time, Ranked

The action genre is a difficult one to master, but these films have become iconic as some of the best action movies ever made.

8

Bullet in the Head (Hong Kong, 1990)

bullet-in-the-head-1990-poster.jpg

4.5
/5

Bullet in the Head

Bullet in the Head is a 1990 Hong Kong action film directed by John Woo. The story follows three childhood friends, played by Tony Leung Chiu-Wai, Jacky Cheung, and Waise Lee, who flee Hong Kong to escape troubles but get entangled in the Vietnam War. Their friendship faces severe tests as they navigate the chaos and moral challenges posed by the conflict.

Release Date

August 17, 1990

Runtime

131 Minutes

Cast

Tony Leung Chiu-wai
, Jacky Cheung Hok-Yau
, Waise Lee Chi-Hung
, Simon Yam
, Fennie Yuen Kit-Ying
, Yolinda Yan Choh-sin
, Lam Chung
, Pau Hei-Ching

Writers

John Woo
, Patrick Leung Pak-Kin
, Janet Chun Siu-Chun

Before director John Woo made his name in Hollywood with movies such as Face/Off and Mission: Impossible 2, he was a prolific director in his home country, Hong Kong. Bullet in the Head is one of his most impressive films, blending the action, war, and crime film genres effortlessly. Set during the height of the Vietnam War, this movie doesn’t shy away from depicting the brutality of what happened during the fighting. The action sequences are utterly sublime, and it remains one of the best movies of Woo’s extensive filmography.

7

Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels (UK, 1998)

Eddy (Nick Moran) convinces three friends to pool funds for a high-stakes poker game against local crime boss Hatchet Harry (P.H. Moriarty). Harry cheats and Eddy loses, giving him a week to pay back 500,000 pounds or hand over his father’s pub. Desperate, Eddy and his friends wait for their neighbors to rob some drug dealers, then rob the robbers in turn. After both thefts, the number of interested criminal parties increases, with the four friends in dangerously over their heads.

Release Date

August 28, 1998

Runtime

1h 46m

Guy Ritchie’s first feature film defined his style, borrowing equal amounts from the crime, action, and comedy genres (with a Cockney twist on Tarantino). This movie was also the film debut for both Jason Statham and Vinnie Jones, who would both very quickly dominate the action genre. Engaging with London’s gangland of the 1990s and the underworld of illegal gambling and drug deals, Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels has become a defining pillar of the UK crime comedy (and has one of the greatest soundtracks of all time).

6

The Heroic Trio (Hong Kong, 1993)

The Heroic Trio is Johnnie To’s first masterpiece. Michelle Yeoh has risen to increasingly impressive heights over the past several decades, especially after her Oscar win for Everything Everywhere All at Once, but in 1993, she wasn’t that well-known. The Heroic Trio stars Yeoh as Ching alongside Anita Mui as Tung and Maggie Cheung as Chat — the titular heroic trio. They are on a mission to catch an invisible person who is kidnapping young children, but all is not as it seems. Filled with twists, turns, incredible fight scenes, and a healthy dash of melodrama and fantastical plot devices, The Heroic Trio is a surefire hit through and through.

5

Once Upon a Time in China (Hong Kong, 1991)

once-upon-a-time-in-china-1991.jpg

4.5
/5

Once Upon a Time in China

Once Upon a Time in China is a 1991 martial arts film directed by Tsui Hark. The film stars Jet Li as Wong Fei-hung, a legendary folk hero and martial artist in late 19th-century China. It follows Wong as he combats foreign influence and local crime in Foshan while promoting Chinese martial arts and nationalism. The film blends historical drama with action, emphasizing themes of cultural pride and resistance.

Release Date

August 15, 1991

Director

Tsui Hark

Runtime

134 Mins

Led by Jet Li as a legendary folk hero and spawning five sequels and its own TV series, Once Upon a Time in China puts a huge emphasis on its action sequences, becoming one of the most acclaimed wuxia films in the process. Director Tsui Hark ensures that every fight scene is choreographed perfectly, and that all the action is not only believable but seems so realistic that the audience wonders how it was created within a movie.

Set during the Qing dynasty, Once Upon a Time in China is beautifully layered, placing a lot of importance on Chinese tradition and ancient martial artists. Asian cinema has historically been very well-known for its action movies, but this is one of the absolute finest.

10 Underrated Wuxia Movies That Deserve More Love-1

Related

10 Underrated Wuxia Movies That Deserve More Love

From The Assassin to Come Drink With Me, here are 10 underrated wuxia movies that are worthy of more recognition.

4

Taxi (France, 1998)

Serving as the basis for the atrocious 2004 remake starring Queen Latifah and Jimmy Fallon, the original 1998 French version of Taxi was a real work of art. Starring Samy Naceri as pizza delivery boy Daniel, the driver very quickly realizes he’s made of sterner stuff — so, naturally, he becomes a taxi driver.

Caught up in a police battle with a German gang, Daniel accepts a job driving on behalf of the cops. With a brilliantly directed extended car chase, the movie also wins us over with laugh-out-loud comedy moments and even some unexpectedly sweet moments. Taxi is a masterclass in the road action movie, and the original is a million times better than the US remake.

3

Run Lola Run (Germany, 1998)

Run Lola Run is a far more experimental and arthouse style of action film than many produced in the US — and it’s all the better for it. Its the rare film where its boldly creative aesthetic makes it an even more enjoyable film for mainstream audiences. The film examines the same story three times (and in real-time), each time altered by tiny events and decisions that change the result completely.

Centering on Lola, a young punk who has to quickly procure a lot of money to save the life of her boyfriend, Run Lola Run explores a number of themes, including free will, determinism, and chaos theory. It picked up the Audience Award at Sundance and was nominated for many, many more. It remains one of the finest alternative action movies of the 20th century.

2

La Haine (France, 1995)

la-haine-poster.jpg

5
/5

La Haine

La Haine, directed by Mathieu Kassovitz, follows 24 hours in the lives of three friends—Vinz, Hubert, and Saïd—navigating tensions in the Parisian suburbs. The film addresses social issues such as poverty, racism, and police brutality, and is noted for its stark, black-and-white cinematography. With Vincent Cassel, Hubert Koundé, and Saïd Taghmaoui in lead roles, La Haine offers a gritty portrayal of urban unrest in mid-1990s France.

Release Date

February 23, 1996

Director

Mathieu Kassovitz

Runtime

98 Minutes

Cast

Vincent Cassel
, Hubert Koundé
, Saïd Taghmaoui
, Abdel Ahmed Ghili
, Solo
, Joseph Momo
, Héloïse Rauth
, Rywka Wajsbrot

Writers

Mathieu Kassovitz

Taking place in the Parisian banlieues, La Haine is one of the most famous French movies to emerge after the New Wave. It follows Vinz as he and his friends deal with life in a part of France where everybody — including the police — is out to get them. With the majority of the plot focusing on real events (the opening sequence of the film is taken from real news broadcasts of rioting, set fittingly to The Wailers’s “Burnin’ and Lootin’”), and non-professional actors cast as some of the characters, La Haine is a brutal reflection of the tense race and class divides of 1990s France.

Two of the Best Action Movies of the 2000s Came from a Horror Director

Related

Two of the Best Action Movies of the 2000s Came from a Horror Director

David Cronenberg, the king of body horror, directed two mafia-related action flicks with the same actor back-to-back and surprised everyone.

1

Hard Boiled (Hong Kong, 1992)

John Woo’s action films have a long history of gangsters as protagonists. For his final film before he started making Hollywood movies, however, he decided that the ‘good guys’ should be cops. Hard Boiled follows Chow Yun-fat as a detective, nicknamed “Tequila,” who is on a mission to investigate the Hong Kong triad gangs — not realizing that an undercover cop is embedded within them. Filled with gorgeously filmed shootouts and chases, great dialogue, and epic set pieces, Hard Boiled might just be the best police action film ever to come out of Hong Kong. The final 30-minutes in the hospital is arguably the greatest action sequence of all time.


Source link

Tags