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#10
WANTED (2008)
Wanted poster

CAST
JAMES McAVOY, ANGELINA JOLIE, MORGAN FREEMAN, TERENCE STAMP, THOMAS KRETSCHMANN

DIRECTED BY
TIMUR BEKMAMBETOV

Based on Mark Millar’s violent (what else?) comic book series and directed by Timur Bekmanbetov, Wanted delivered on its premise of visually jubilant, ultra-violent action spectacle. Starring James McAvoy as cowardly office worker turned deadly assassin Wesley and Angelina Jolie as stone cold killer Fox, Wanted had sex appeal galore and even more head-shot-violent madness to make for a bloody good action movie.

 

 


#9

DREDD 3D (2012)

Dredd 3D poster

CAST
KARL URBAN, OLIVA THIRLBY, LENA HEADEY, WOOD HARRIS

DIRECTED BY
PETE TRAVIS

Executing the memory of the woeful Judge Dredd (in which Sylvester Stallone played the title character) Dredd 3D was the exact type of violent action movie fans of the comic book were waiting for, director Pete Travis creating a visually and sonically violent film in which our hero (played by an impressively gruff Karl Urban) lays waste to the scum of Mega-City with the power of the law entrusted in his capable – and trigger happy – hands.

 

 

 

#8
V FOR VENDETTA (2005)
V for Vendetta poster

CAST
NATALIE PORTMAN, HUGO WEAVING, STEPHEN REA, STEPHEN FRY, JOHN HURT

DIRECTED BY
JAMES McTEIGUE

A comic book movie with a strong social/political message to go along with its stylised violence (although comic series creator Alan Moore objected to its adaptation as watered down Hollywood nonsense), V for Vendetta focused on a dystopian future and its lone masked avenger (Hugo Weaving) who takes on the fascist government. Directed by James McTeigue and adapted by Matrix duo The Wachowski Brothers, V for Vendetta is an action movie for the mind and the senses.

 

 

 

#7

BLADE / BLADE 2 (1998/2002)

Blade poster

CAST
WESLEY SNIPES, STEPHEN DORFF, KRIS KRISTOFFERSON, N’BUSHE WRIGHT, UDO KIER

WESLEY SNIPES, KRIS KRISTOFFERSON, RON PERLMAN, LEONOR VARELA, NORMAN REEDUS

DIRECTED BY
STEPHEN NORRINGTON

GUILLERMO DEL TORO

The films that put Marvel Studios on the map before Spider-Man and X-Men did, Blade and its sequel Blade 2 took one of comic-doms cult characters and made him a household name thanks to the convincing performance from one time box office draw Wesley Snipes as the vampire slaying Blade and the great direction from Stephen Norrington and Guillermo del Toro, who infused their films with the right amount of action packed spectacle and blood soaked violence.      

 

 

 

#6
THE CROW (1994)
The Crow poster

CAST
BRANDON LEE, ROCHELLE DAVIS, ERNIE HUDSON, DAVID PATRICK KELLY, MICHAEL WINCOTT

DIRECTED BY
ALEX PROYAS

A dark tale of revenge, The Crow was an adaptation of a cult-comic book series that took its themes of good vs evil and love defeating death, very seriously.

Directed by Australian filmmaker Alex Proyas, The Crow focused on resurrected rocker Eric Draven (Brandon Lee) who takes on the criminal underworld that killed him and his wife. Rich in its gothic visuals and serious as a heart attack, the film is probably best known as the last to star Brandon Lee who tragically died on set, cutting sort what could have been a tremendous career.  

 

 

 

#5
A HISTORY OF VIOLENCE (2005)
A History of Violence poster

CAST
VIGGO MORTENSEN, MARIA BELLO, ASHTON HOLMES, ED HARRIS, WILLIAM HURT

DIRECTED BY
DAVID CRONENBERG

It makes perfect sense that David Cronenberg adapted a comic book as provocative and grizzly as A History of Violence.

Based on the graphic novel by John Wagner and Vince Locke, the film focused on small town family man Tom Stall who is thrust into the national spotlight when he kills two criminals in self-defence. Viggo Mortensen brilliantly plays Tom, whose new found fame digs up a shady past.

As always with Cronenberg sex, violence and pointed social commentary make for an engrossing – and gross out – watch.

 

 

 

#4
WATCHMEN (2005)
Watchmen psoter

CAST
MALIN AKERMAN, BILLY CRUDUP, MATTHEW GOODE, JACKIE EARL HALEY, JEFFEY DEAN MORGAN, PATRICK WILSON

DIRECTED BY
ZACK SNYDER

It underwent decades of development hell and saw many directors fall by the wayside, yet Watchmen – that un-filmable graphic novel written by Alan Moore – finally made its way to the big screen under the direction of Zack Snyder.

And what a visual and narrative triumph it was, with its violent neo-noir tale about retired superheros donning their spandex and capes to fight the good fight against an unknown and unparalleled enemy a thing of superhero movie brilliance.

It’s not one for the kiddies with much violence, sex and political/social commentary throughout, yet while graphic it is never gaudy, with Snyder perfectly blending style and substance.    

 

 


#3
ROAD TO PERDITION (2002)
Road to Perdition poster

CAST
TOM HANKS, TYLER HOECHLIN, DANIEL CRAIG, JUDE LAW, PAUL NEWMAN

DIRECTED BY
SAM MENDES

Sam Mendes followed his Oscar winning directorial debut on American Beauty with an adaptation of  Max Allan Collin’s and Richard Piers Rayner graphic novel Road to Perdition, a 1930s era gangster movie that was as bloody as it was heart wrenchingly emotional.

The always reliable Tom Hanks starred as Chicago mob enforcer Michael Sullivan, who goes on the run from the mob after his son witnesses a hit gone wrong.

Great period detail, engrossing story and excellent performances from Hanks, a creepy Jude Law, pre-007 Daniel Craig and Paul Newman in his last Oscar nominated performance makes Road to Perdition a moving, bloody and classy comic book movie.

 

 

 

#2
OLDBOY (2003)
Oldboy poster

CAST
MIN SIK-CHOI, JI-TAE YU, HYE-JEONG KANG

DIRECTED BY
CHAN-WOOK PARK

There are many words to describe Oldboy: Twisted. Confronting. Violent. Engrossing. Brilliant.
Chan-Wook Parrk’s revenge/mystery/thriller about the mysterious abduction of an everyday citizen (Min Sik-Choi) and his subsequent quest for revenge against those who kidnapped him is not for the faint of heart, yet for those able to stomach bloody violence and twisted twists, Oldboy is a film to admire.

Smack bang in the idle of Chan-Wook Park’s vengeance trilogy (proceeded by Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance and followed by Sympathy for Lady Vengeance), Oldboy is in fact based on the South Korean Magna of the same name. Unsurprisingly Chan-Wood Park’s strong filmmaking skills brought forth an adaptation that is its own monster.

An American remake starring Josh Brolin and directed by Spike Lee is currently underway. Lest it be said, they’ve got their work cut out for them.

 

 

 

#1
SIN CITY (2005)
Sin City poster

CAST
JESSICA ALBA, BENICIO DEL TORO, CLIVE OWEN, MICKEY ROURKE, BRUCE WILLIS

DIRECTED BY
FRANK MILLER, ROBERT RODRIGUEZ

Frank Miller’s iconic comic series Sin City is so stylishly and narratively dense, that it took two visionaries to bring it to life in Miller himself and top notch genre director Robert Rodriguez. The result is a spectacular piece of violent pop art, black and white with plenty of red crimson splatter for good measure.

Plot wise Sin City focuses on 3 different stories all set in the same rain soaked, neo-noir infused world of tortured anti-heroes, tough talking dames and sicko villains played by an ensemble cast including Bruce Willis, Clive Owen, Jessica Alba and a scene stealing Mickey Rourke as the tough as nails Marv.

With its release a new bar was raised in how a comic book movie should be made, especially one as violent, pulpy and dark as Sin City.  

 

 

 

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