Here are ten of my favorite action scenes from 2024.
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While superheroes flailed a bit, the action genre got back to basics with bunches of bullets, blades, and a giant disaster or two to get the adrenaline pumping. Not only that we only got a bunch of non-franchise films in the mix including standouts on opposite ends of the action spectrum with team gritty involving Jason Statham and Dev Patel and team buddy comedy being represented by flicks like The Fall Guy. It's a rare year where I actually had to pair my final list down because there was so much glorious punching and kicking this year. A great problem to have.
With that in mind, here are ten of my favorite action scenes from 2024.
Sandworm Riding from Dune Part Two
Almost all of the action in the second Dune outing can be categorized as a military battle or intense bladed weapon combat. But for one scene, it gets to be pure wish-fulfillment, crowd-pleasing fun as Timothée Chalamet's Paul Atreides checks off another mark in the prophesy box by riding a giant sandworm.
By this point in the story Paul has demonstrated his worth as a fighter, taken a Fremen name, is romantically involved with a Fremen woman and has more or less been accepted into the Fremen guerilla force. So now it's time to pass the test that all the Fremen pass: hopping on and riding a sandworm.
But how do you do that?
One the clever things about this scene is that while we've seen folks ride the sandworms, we've yet to see how they get on those big boys. We know they call them with the thumpers and then use some hooks to jump on. Everything else? I dunno.
So as we're watching Paul's first time, this is also the audience's first time seeing this be done. Which also means we don't know the potential complications that could arise.
The only inference we get as to how hard or easy this is going to be comes from Chani and Stilgar, who react with shock and concern at every turn when they see the size of the worm and then see Paul taking off to intercept it.
It's all chaos as Paul tries desperately to reach the worm in time, before taking a leap of faith and trying to hang on for dear life. I love the editing here because it keeps the emphasis not on the scale of the worm, but what Paul's concerns are. It's the hooks and then getting upright. And then...it all slows down. Paul is riding. He has triumphed. He is one of the Fremen now. And he's one step closer to fulfilling his alleged destiny.
Bullet Farm Bonanza from Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga
You could pick any one of the extended set pieces from George Miller's latest action opus, whether it's Furiosa's failed escape via the War Rig, her mother's frantic attempt to recover her that opens the film, or the finale chase scenes as Furiosa tracks down Dementus.
But my favorite is the chaotic shootout at the Bullet Farm.
After working her way into Immortan Joe's good graces, Furiosa and her new ally Jack are sent to the Bullet Farm to grab supplies before they take down Dementus at Gas Town (which is now in open rebellion). Just one giant problem. Dementus is already there and springs an ambush on our heroic pair trying to pin them inside, kill them and claim the war rig for themselves.
But as Jack tries to send Furiosa away so she can claim her freedom, Furiosa shows her moral quality by refusing to leave Jack behind amidst a hail of gunfire, flamethrowers and hostile vehicles. And once that decision is made the scene never stops moving as Furiosa starts by picking Dementus' goons with sniper shots while Jack uses the War Rig to take down Dementus' lackeys and then frantically grabbing a bike to pull off a superhero level rescue as Bullet Farm is destroyed in a literal rain of bullets that falls from multiple crumbling towers.
A great way to use action to entertain and reinforce character.
But my favorite is the chaotic shootout at the Bullet Farm.
After working her way into Immortan Joe's good graces, Furiosa and her new ally Jack are sent to the Bullet Farm to grab supplies before they take down Dementus at Gas Town (which is now in open rebellion). Just one giant problem. Dementus is already there and springs an ambush on our heroic pair trying to pin them inside, kill them and claim the war rig for themselves.
But as Jack tries to send Furiosa away so she can claim her freedom, Furiosa shows her moral quality by refusing to leave Jack behind amidst a hail of gunfire, flamethrowers and hostile vehicles. And once that decision is made the scene never stops moving as Furiosa starts by picking Dementus' goons with sniper shots while Jack uses the War Rig to take down Dementus' lackeys and then frantically grabbing a bike to pull off a superhero level rescue as Bullet Farm is destroyed in a literal rain of bullets that falls from multiple crumbling towers.
A great way to use action to entertain and reinforce character.
Killing At Kings from Monkey Man
Some of my favorite action finales feature characters succeeding where they once failed. Maybe they pull off a move they couldn't do before. Maybe they have a new strategy. For Dev Patel's Kid, he's back at the club he barely escaped the first time around with months of training and renewed sense of purpose. He's not just fighting for himself, he's fighting for the oppressed.
And apparently fighting oppression comes with a form fitting black suit and some lethal knife work.
And apparently fighting oppression comes with a form fitting black suit and some lethal knife work.
The finale is a literal fight to the top as Kid works his way through a series of back of house grunts before heading up the elevator to take out his primary targets: Baba and his attack dog Rana.
Patel's Korean revenge film influences are on full-display in the sequences that mix taekwondo, grappling, boxing and bladed weapon bouts before exploding into multi-tiered chaos when The Kid's hijra allies arrive loaded with knives and armor. A righteous purge of the ruling class that's been oppressing them with bar top fights and a bunch of stabbing as this political movement celebrates an election win, while losing their lives.
Patel's Korean revenge film influences are on full-display in the sequences that mix taekwondo, grappling, boxing and bladed weapon bouts before exploding into multi-tiered chaos when The Kid's hijra allies arrive loaded with knives and armor. A righteous purge of the ruling class that's been oppressing them with bar top fights and a bunch of stabbing as this political movement celebrates an election win, while losing their lives.
Amrit Goes Red from Kill
Picking one close-quarters bout from this brutal action film feels foolish. Especially when the film's back half is an extended mental breakdown from our lead character who seemingly cannot die until he kills everyone responsible for his fiancé's murder.
What makes this scene stand out is the shift in our hero Amrit who, to this point, has been trying his best to disarm and incapacitate his opponents non-lethally. But now...that's all gone and Amrit is a gun with the safety off.
Something he quickly reveals and indicates by going expressionless and snapping a man's neck and then slicing and brutally murdering any of the bandits that comes into his orbit.
The performance from Lakshya is perfect as he see his eyes go dead and his moves look and feel unconscious. It's a coldness that clearly chills the bandits to the bone as they shift from attacking him to running away in a matter of seconds. It's a dark reveal of Amrit's terrifying capabilities and a perfect tonal shift to reinforce the movie's approach to violence.
What makes this scene stand out is the shift in our hero Amrit who, to this point, has been trying his best to disarm and incapacitate his opponents non-lethally. But now...that's all gone and Amrit is a gun with the safety off.
Something he quickly reveals and indicates by going expressionless and snapping a man's neck and then slicing and brutally murdering any of the bandits that comes into his orbit.
The performance from Lakshya is perfect as he see his eyes go dead and his moves look and feel unconscious. It's a coldness that clearly chills the bandits to the bone as they shift from attacking him to running away in a matter of seconds. It's a dark reveal of Amrit's terrifying capabilities and a perfect tonal shift to reinforce the movie's approach to violence.
Nova Compound Assault from Deadpool and Wolverine
A lot of folks went gaga for the simulated single take with Deadpool and Wolverine doing their slow motion walk before tearing through a multiverse's worth of other Deadpools. And while that scene is fun, I much prefer the assault on Cassandra Nova's compound with a collection of Fox and Marvel's discarded children.
This scene has a little bit of everything. The metatexual satisfaction of portrayers of comic book characters get a proper send off like Wesley Snipe's Blade or Channing Tatum's Gambit. The emotional payoff of Jackman's "worst Wolverine" embracing his role as a hero, along with a comedic arrival via a car trunk. And of course, crunchy hand to hand combat beats peppered with each character's signature weaponry, attack styles or abilities.
Each of our discarded characters gets a highlight reel moment or move, Deadpool and Wolverine start living up to that the title card team-up before truly getting to business in the finale, and fans get serviced with an action scene that's as frenetic and over-the-top as any other comic book battle.
This scene has a little bit of everything. The metatexual satisfaction of portrayers of comic book characters get a proper send off like Wesley Snipe's Blade or Channing Tatum's Gambit. The emotional payoff of Jackman's "worst Wolverine" embracing his role as a hero, along with a comedic arrival via a car trunk. And of course, crunchy hand to hand combat beats peppered with each character's signature weaponry, attack styles or abilities.
Each of our discarded characters gets a highlight reel moment or move, Deadpool and Wolverine start living up to that the title card team-up before truly getting to business in the finale, and fans get serviced with an action scene that's as frenetic and over-the-top as any other comic book battle.
The Rescue from The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare
Guy Ritchie's action movie romp approach to his WWII actioner is perfectly summed up by this rescue of Geoffrey Appleyard by Henry Cavill's Gus March-Phillipps and his rowdy band of misfits.
The mission is simple. The Gestapo have captured their colleague and they're going to get him back. The fact that Appleyard is held in a base featuring multiple platoons of soldiers is an afterthought.
But instead of a tense covert mission, the scene plays out like a bunch of created video game characters going God mode on batches of unsuspecting Nazis. This starts with Alan Ritchson's Anders Lassen taking out all of the scouts with a bow and arrow, before March-Phillipps and friends begin picking off Nazis one by one, stealing their guns and even their jackets, and then gunning down the next back.
And just when the Nazis start to notice something is wrong, they find that their anti-aircraft machine gun is being manned by March-Phillipps team before being blown into oblivion. All while Cavill and company casually duck when their friends fire, empty clips into barracks full of Gestapo goons with dry British one-liners. Because f***em they're Nazis.
The mission is simple. The Gestapo have captured their colleague and they're going to get him back. The fact that Appleyard is held in a base featuring multiple platoons of soldiers is an afterthought.
But instead of a tense covert mission, the scene plays out like a bunch of created video game characters going God mode on batches of unsuspecting Nazis. This starts with Alan Ritchson's Anders Lassen taking out all of the scouts with a bow and arrow, before March-Phillipps and friends begin picking off Nazis one by one, stealing their guns and even their jackets, and then gunning down the next back.
And just when the Nazis start to notice something is wrong, they find that their anti-aircraft machine gun is being manned by March-Phillipps team before being blown into oblivion. All while Cavill and company casually duck when their friends fire, empty clips into barracks full of Gestapo goons with dry British one-liners. Because f***em they're Nazis.
Beekeeper vs. Everybody from The Beekeeper
David Ayer and Jason Statham's sleeper hit may be 2024's action movie junkie guilty pleasure of the year. No fancy CGI, just a bad-ass as ever Jason Statham dishing out violent justice against a series of scammers and a crypto bro...who also happens to be the son of the U.S. president.
And the scene that took the movie from, eh this is kinda fun, into "oh we're going full 80s gonzo with this hell yeah" is Statham (his name is Adam Clay but you don't really care do you?) taking on potential friends and foes at Danforth Enterprises.
Half the fun of this scene is the one two punch of the anticipation and the misdirect.
The anticipation comes from Jeremy Irons who tells the audience all about what a "Beekeeper" is to a series of heavily armed and experienced mercenaries, who he does not expect to survive the encounter. He's literally telling all of them that they are nameless goons about to be pulled through the meat grinder that is one man. Haven't seen this kind of setup since the first John Wick film and I dig it.
But now we've got an additional element in play. The cops know Statham is coming too. And just like the mercenaries inside are loaded to the gills with heavy weapons, so is the tactical unit in military gear outside.
So he's got to find some sort of clandestine way to get in right? Nope!
Instead he goes straight through them, hitting them all with non-lethal blows and shots into their kevlar before going on a murder spree inside.
And the scene that took the movie from, eh this is kinda fun, into "oh we're going full 80s gonzo with this hell yeah" is Statham (his name is Adam Clay but you don't really care do you?) taking on potential friends and foes at Danforth Enterprises.
Half the fun of this scene is the one two punch of the anticipation and the misdirect.
The anticipation comes from Jeremy Irons who tells the audience all about what a "Beekeeper" is to a series of heavily armed and experienced mercenaries, who he does not expect to survive the encounter. He's literally telling all of them that they are nameless goons about to be pulled through the meat grinder that is one man. Haven't seen this kind of setup since the first John Wick film and I dig it.
But now we've got an additional element in play. The cops know Statham is coming too. And just like the mercenaries inside are loaded to the gills with heavy weapons, so is the tactical unit in military gear outside.
So he's got to find some sort of clandestine way to get in right? Nope!
Instead he goes straight through them, hitting them all with non-lethal blows and shots into their kevlar before going on a murder spree inside.
And said murder spree is basically like watching a slasher villain on a speed run as Statham bobs in and out of the line of fire, picking off his opponents with ruthless efficiency in a neon-dunked server room, before escaping into the night.
Next stop...the White House.
Next stop...the White House.
Woman vs. Tornado from Twisters
Twisters is at it's best when it fully embraces its inherent silliness. Case in point, it's finale when Daisy Edgar-Jones' Kate Carter fights a devastating tornado in a suped up truck and her tornado defusing solution.
But what's an action scene without stakes?
Deciding that simply taking down a tornado isn't exciting enough, the scene cuts between the nearby town of El Reno that is fully in the power EF5's wake as the Tyler Owens and his crew try to get people to safety and Kate's dogged attempts to get her beads into the tornado's heart.
But what's an action scene without stakes?
Deciding that simply taking down a tornado isn't exciting enough, the scene cuts between the nearby town of El Reno that is fully in the power EF5's wake as the Tyler Owens and his crew try to get people to safety and Kate's dogged attempts to get her beads into the tornado's heart.
All of which builds up to the townspeople and Tyler holding on for dear life, and holding onto a beloved member of his crew at a nearby movie theater as they hope against hope that Kate's longshot gets through.
The destruction is terrifying and chaotic with debris and buildings flying, with just enough quiet moments to late Kate's ultimate triumph hit home.
The destruction is terrifying and chaotic with debris and buildings flying, with just enough quiet moments to late Kate's ultimate triumph hit home.
Fighting for Everyone Lives from Life After Fighting
Bren Foster makes a stellar submission for martial arts movie stardom with his directorial debut's final stretch as our former fighter turned instructor fends off a bunch of child traffickers. The setup is a standoff between Foster's Alex Faulkner, who has our baddy's ex-wife and trafficked children stowed away at his facility and our bad guy who is holding his own son hostage.
Baddie sends in his goons and everyone quickly regrets it as Faulker shows that his retirement wasn't because he wasn't capable of fighting anymore.
Baddie sends in his goons and everyone quickly regrets it as Faulker shows that his retirement wasn't because he wasn't capable of fighting anymore.
It's a 20 minute sequence of hide and seek followed by furious melee bouts featuring moves and counter moves that keeps building intensity. First Faulker is taking down guys by throwing them through windows or delivering a sick spin kick. But once they get back up and brandish blades, he's turning their own weapons on them and dishing out lethal blows. All of which is enhanced by Foster and company's skill, constant variation in the kind of fighting (weapons to grappling to standard hand to hand and back again) and his eye for action directing. A promising showcase.
Clearing Colt's Name from The Fall Guy
It's a shame that David Leitch's latest didn't get more butts in seats, because it's shameless action comedy romance silliness was right up my alley. Especially when it features this much stunt-fueled insanity.
After being presumed dead and set up to take the fall for the death of Tom Ryder's latest stunt man, Colt Seavers finally has the upper hand and needs some way to clear his name. So Colt's rekindled flame, and Ryder's director, Jody Moreno and company put together an elaborate ruse to get Tom to confess. Make him do the giant trailer worthy car jump for real.
While Colt dog walks Ryder into the confession, Winston Duke's stunt team and Jody fend off Ryder and Gail's private security muscle. And just when you think everything is resolved, Colt has to hop from a moving camera dolly onto a helicopter to get the evidence and somehow get to the ground safely.
Is this set piece a giant excuse for a former stunt man to direct a bunch of his compatriots to do a bunch of death-defying bits? Why yes. Yes it is.
But if you're not into cars being blow up at just the right moment to go over another car, backward swan diving off of a helicopter while giving the the double deuce, or a car jump that would make Evel Kenievel blush, what the f*** do you come to action movies for?
After being presumed dead and set up to take the fall for the death of Tom Ryder's latest stunt man, Colt Seavers finally has the upper hand and needs some way to clear his name. So Colt's rekindled flame, and Ryder's director, Jody Moreno and company put together an elaborate ruse to get Tom to confess. Make him do the giant trailer worthy car jump for real.
While Colt dog walks Ryder into the confession, Winston Duke's stunt team and Jody fend off Ryder and Gail's private security muscle. And just when you think everything is resolved, Colt has to hop from a moving camera dolly onto a helicopter to get the evidence and somehow get to the ground safely.
Is this set piece a giant excuse for a former stunt man to direct a bunch of his compatriots to do a bunch of death-defying bits? Why yes. Yes it is.
But if you're not into cars being blow up at just the right moment to go over another car, backward swan diving off of a helicopter while giving the the double deuce, or a car jump that would make Evel Kenievel blush, what the f*** do you come to action movies for?
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