Fans of the action genre have had a pretty good year with a newJurassic Worldentry, a plethora of Marvel and DC content, an uber successfulTop Gunlegacy sequel, the long awaitedUnchartedadaptation, and the long, long awaitedAvatarsequel. But if we were to jump into a time machine and head back 20 years, we would find ourselves in an equally exciting time for the action genre.
It saw Dwayne Johnson, now quite possibly thebiggest action star in Hollywood, take on his first ever leading role. Pierce Brosnan put down the martini and hung up his suit, making his final appearance as the legendary James Bond as Matt Damon picked up the mantle, kicking off a whole new espionage franchise, as the now iconic Jason Bourne. Elsewhere, Vin Diesel was kicking butt in an explosive, high octane action romp that wasn’t aFast and Furiousmovie, and Steven Spielberg directed an underrated gem that feels more relevant today than ever before. Below, we take a look back at 6 action movies that turned 20 this year.
6Minority Report
Despite receiving rave reviews from critics,Minority Reportperformed under expectation at the box office and is often forgotten about when discussing director Steven Spielberg’s greatest movies. This star-studded sci-fi romp,headed by Tom Cruise, is just as thought-provoking as it is action packed. Set in a future where crimes can be detected and thwarted before being committed as a result of psychic technology, it follows Cruise as a detective who sees the tables turned as it is predicted that he is due to commit a murder himself. Incredible direction, stellar performances, and exploration of the timeless philosophical debate of free will versus determinism — all make this movie just as relevant and enjoyable today as it was two decades ago.
Related:The Most Underrated Action Movies of the 2000s, Ranked
5Die Another Day
2002 was the year that the fourth and final James Bond movie starring Pierce Brosnan was released. 40 years after the first James Bond movie was released,Die Another Daywas the highest-grossing movie to date, but unfortunately not all critics believed it deserved to be so, with many criticizing the unoriginal plot and over reliance on CGI. It sees Bond, after being captured and released in North Korea, on a mission to uncover who had betrayed him. Along the way, he becomes entangled in an obligatory romance and uncovers a plot involving a deadly laser. While it’s a fine popcorn blockbuster, don’t expect anything ground-breaking from 007.
4Resident Evil
As the abilities of gaming consoles rapidly increased during the late-90s and early-2000s, the survival zombie horrorResident Evilfranchise became one of its most beloved titles. A movie adaptation made sense, and while the movie was in no way flawless, compared to some notable previous attempts atvideo game adaptations(seeSuper Mario Bros., Street Fighter, andMortal Kombat), it was a valiant attempt. Milla Jovovich takes center stage here as Alice as she leaves a bloody path of destruction, blasting her way through the undead to take on the evil Umbrella Corporation.
3The Bourne Identity
Based on Robert Ludlum’s 1980 novel,The Bourne Identityhas grown into one of the world’s most successful action franchises, and it all started with this 2002 release. Already an accomplished actor, Matt Damon was shot into superstardom as he took on the role of Jason Bourne, a man suffering from amnesia who gradually discovers his life was anything but ordinary as he finds himself wrapped up in clandestine conspiracy within the CIA. Praised for its action set pieces, bouts of humor and overall tone and atmosphere, this action thriller certainly stands the test of time and remains the strongest entry in the franchise to date.
Related:Bourne Identity at 20: Why the Film Will Always Be an Action Classic
2The Scorpion King
Prior to 2002 and his rise to becoming one of Hollywood’s most bankable leading men, Dwayne Johnson, or simply The Rock, as he was known as back then, had only appeared in a handful of movies, most notably as the Scorpion King inThe Mummy 2. Despite the ratherdodgy CGI effectsused to create his half-man/half-scorpion character, his role was generally well received, enough so for the studio to greenlight a spin off with him as the lead.
The Scorpion Kingmarks Johnson’s first lead role, and in all honesty, it wasn’t all that good, lacking the humor and chemistry that made the first twoThe Mummymovies so enjoyable. Set in Ancient Egypt prior to his physical transformation, he plays an assassin hired to take out an evil ruler. Devoid of any relatable characters, the end result was a fairly tiresome sword and sorcery slog that, despite some fun action sequences, is probably best left in 2002.
xXxscreams early-2000s in every way possible. As heavy rock bands like Linkin Park, Sum 41, and Papa Roach dominated the radio airwaves, and the Tony Hawk skateboarding games were at peak popularity, Vin Diesel’s extreme sports loving, anti-authoritarian Xander Cage was the perfect embodiment of the era. After reluctantly accepting a job for the National Security Agency to avoid a prison sentence, Cage, is sent on a dangerous mission to infiltrate a group of Russian terrorists. The movie’s action is unrelenting, and the stunts are ridiculous, and while not delivering anything particularly ground-breaking or thought-provoking, it is still one of the most entertaining movies of the era for fans of all-out action.
