Action Movie Anatomy
Popcorn Talk Network, the online broadcast network that features movie discussion, news, interviews and commentary proudly presents “Action Movie Anatomy”, the in-depth discussion shows for all the best action movies ever made. Hosts Ben Bateman and Andrew Ghai discuss and break down all aspects of action movies to find out what makes a great action movie.
TV & Film
176
Déjà Vu (2006) Review | Action Movie Anatomy
Action Movie Anatomy hosts Ben Bateman and Andrew Ghai break down Déjà Vu!<br /> <br /> Déjà Vu is a 2006 American science fiction action film starring Denzel Washington and directed by Tony Scott. The film co-stars Paula Patton, Jim Caviezel, Val Kilmer, Adam Goldberg and Bruce Greenwood. Déjà Vu involves ATF agent Douglas Carlin, who travels back in time in attempts to prevent a domestic terrorist attack that takes place in New Orleans and to save a woman with whom he falls in love, Claire Kuchever. Filming took place in New Orleans before and after Hurricane Katrina.
69 min
177
Fast Five (2011) Review | Action Movie Anatomy
Action Movie Anatomy hosts Ben Bateman and Andrew Ghai break down Fast Five!<br /> <br /> Fast Five (alternatively known as Fast & Furious 5 or Fast & Furious 5: Rio Heist) is a 2011 American action film directed by Justin Lin and written by Chris Morgan. It is the fifth installment in The Fast and the Furious franchise. It was released first in Australia on April 20, 2011, and then in the United States on April 29, 2011. Fast Five follows Dominic Toretto (Vin Diesel), Brian O'Conner(Paul Walker), and Mia Toretto (Jordana Brewster) as they plan a heist to steal $100 million from corrupt businessman Hernan Reyes (Joaquim de Almeida) while being pursued for arrest by U.S. Diplomatic Security Service (DSS) agent Luke Hobbs (Dwayne Johnson).
62 min
178
Commando (1985) Review | Action Movie Anatomy
Action Movie Anatomy hosts Ben Bateman and Andrew Ghai break down Commando!<br /> <br /> Commando is a 1985 American action comedy film directed by Mark L. Lester, and starring Arnold Schwarzenegger and Rae Dawn Chong. The film was released in the United States on October 4, 1985. The film was shot in Los Angeles.<br /> <br /> The film was nominated for a Saturn Award for Best Special Effects but lost to Back to the Future. The film's score was provided by James Horner. A critical success and commercial hit, Commando was the 7th highest-grossing R-rated movie of 1985 worldwide, and the 25th highest-grossing overall.<br /> <br />
58 min
179
The Bourne Ultimatum (2007) Review | Action Mov...
Action Movie Anatomy hosts Ben Bateman and Andrew Ghai break down The Bourne Ultimatum! The Bourne Ultimatum is a 2007 American-German action spy thriller film directed by Paul Greengrass loosely based on the Robert Ludlum novel of the same name. The screenplay was written by Tony Gilroy, Scott Z. Burns and George Nolfi. The Bourne Ultimatum is the third in the Bourne film series, being preceded by The Bourne Identity (2002) and The Bourne Supremacy (2004). The fourth film, The Bourne Legacy, was released in August 2012. Matt Damon reprises his role as Ludlum's signature character, former CIA assassin and psychogenic amnesiacJason Bourne. In the film, he continues his search for information about his past before he was part of Operation Treadstone and becomes a target of a similar assassin program.
69 min
180
The Nice Guys (2016) Review | Action Movie Anatomy
Action Movie Anatomy hosts Ben Bateman and Andrew Ghai break down The Nice Guys! The Nice Guys is a 2016 American neo-noir mystery buddy comedy film directed by Shane Black and written by Black and Anthony Bagarozzi. It stars Russell Crowe, Ryan Gosling, Angourie Rice, Matt Bomer, Margaret Qualley,Keith David and Kim Basinger. The film premiered on May 15, 2016, at the 2016 Cannes Film Festival, and was released in the United States on May 20, 2016 by Warner Bros. Pictures. The film received positive reviews from critics and has grossed $14 million.
64 min
181
Drive (2011) Review | Action Movie Anatomy
Action Movie Anatomy hosts Ben Bateman and Andrew Ghai break down Drive! Drive is a 2011 American neo-noir crime thriller film directed by Nicolas Winding Refn. The screenplay by Hossein Amini is based on the 2005 novel of the same name by James Sallis. It stars Ryan Gosling, Carey Mulligan, Bryan Cranston, Christina Hendricks, Ron Perlman, Oscar Isaac and Albert Brooks. Like the book, the film is about an unnamed Hollywood stunt performer(Gosling) who moonlights as a getaway driver. Prior to its September 2011 release, it had been shown at a number of film festivals. At the 2011 Cannes Film Festival, Drive was praised and received a standing ovation. Winding Refn won the festival's Best Director Award for the film. Reviews from critics have been positive, with many drawing comparisons to work from previous eras. The film was nominated for Best Film and Best Direction at the 65th British Academy Film Awards.
68 min
182
The Best of Year 1 | Action Movie Anatomy
Action Movie Anatomy hosts Ben Bateman and Andrew Ghai look back at an amazing first year of the show! They'll be counting down and sharing their favorite Action Movie Tag Lines, Ultimate Action Scenes, Guest Appearances, Impressions and more! On behalf of the Popcorn Talk Network and Action Movie Anatomy. Thank YOU for helping make the show what it is today and stay tuned, Year 2 is going to be even more fun!
61 min
183
Top Gun (1986) Review | Action Movie Anatomy
Action Movie Anatomy hosts Ben Bateman and Andrew Ghai break down Top Gun! Top Gun is a 1986 American action drama film directed by Tony Scott, and produced byDon Simpson and Jerry Bruckheimer, in association with Paramount Pictures. The screenplay was written by Jim Cash and Jack Epps, Jr., and was inspired by an article titled "Top Guns" published in California magazine three years earlier. The film stars Tom Cruise, Kelly McGillis, Val Kilmer, Anthony Edwards, and Tom Skerritt. Cruise plays Lieutenant Pete "Maverick" Mitchell, a young Naval aviator aboard the aircraft carrier USS Enterprise. He and his Radar Intercept Officer (RIO) Nick "Goose" Bradshaw (Edwards) are given the chance to train at the Navy's Fighter Weapons School at Miramarin San Diego. In 2015, the United States Library of Congress selected the film for preservation in theNational Film Registry, finding it "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".
67 min
184
The Rock – Action Movie Anatomy | Watchalong!
Sync up your Blurays and join the hosts of Action Movie Anatomy in watching The Rock!<br /> <br /> The Rock is a 1996 American action film directed by Michael Bay, produced by Don Simpson and Jerry Bruckheimer, and stars Sean Connery, Nicolas Cage and Ed Harris. The film is dedicated to Simpson, who died five months before its release. The film, set primarily on Alcatraz Island and in the San Francisco Bay Area, received generally favorable reviews from critics and was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Sound Mixing at the 69th Academy Awards.<br /> <br /> Download, Rate and Review the Audio Version on iTunes! https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/watchalong!/id1050050922?mt=2
135 min
185
The Rock (1996) Review | Action Movie Anatomy
Action Movie Anatomy hosts Ben Bateman and Andrew Ghai break down The Rock! The Rock is a 1996 American action film directed by Michael Bay, produced by Don Simpson and Jerry Bruckheimer, and stars Sean Connery, Nicolas Cage and Ed Harris. The film is dedicated to Simpson, who died five months before its release. The film, set primarily on Alcatraz Island and in the San Francisco Bay Area, received generally favorable reviews from critics and was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Sound Mixing at the 69th Academy Awards.
74 min
186
The Fifth Element (1997) Review | Action Movie ...
Action Movie Anatomy hosts Ben Bateman and Andrew Ghai break down The Fifth Element! The Fifth Element (French: Le Cinquième Élément) is a 1997 English-language French science fiction action film directed and co-written by Luc Besson. It stars Bruce Willis, Gary Oldman and Milla Jovovich. Primarily set in the 23rd century, the film's central plot involves the survival of planet Earth, which becomes the responsibility of Korben Dallas (Willis), a taxicab driver and former special forces major, after a young woman (Jovovich) falls into his cab. Dallas joins forces with her to recover four mystical stones essential for the defence of Earth against an impending attack. Besson started writing the story that became The Fifth Element when he was 16 years old; he was 38 when the film opened in cinemas. Besson wanted to shoot the film in France, but suitable locations could not be found; filming took place instead in London and Mauritania. Comics writers Jean Giraud and Jean-Claude Mézières, wh
86 min
187
Gone In 60 Seconds (2000) Review | Action Movie...
Action Movie Anatomy hosts Ben Bateman and Andrew Ghai break down Gone in 60 Seconds! Gone in 60 Seconds is a 2000 American action heist film, starring Nicolas Cage, Angelina Jolie, Giovanni Ribisi, Christopher Eccleston, Robert Duvall, Vinnie Jones, and Will Patton. The film was directed by Dominic Sena, written by Scott Rosenberg, and produced by Jerry Bruckheimer, producer of The Rock and Con Air (both of which starred Cage) and Armageddon (which starred Patton), and is a loose remake of the 1974 H.B. Halicki film of the same name. The film was shot throughout Los Angeles and Long Beach, California.
65 min
188
The Town (2010) Review | Action Movie Anatomy
Action Movie Anatomy hosts Ben Bateman and Andrew Ghai break down The Town! The Town is a 2010 American crime drama film, directed, co-written by and starring Ben Affleck, adapted from Chuck Hogan's novel Prince of Thieves.[4][5] The film opened in theaters in the United States on September 17, 2010, at number one with more than $23 million and to positive reviews.Jeremy Renner was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his performance, while Pete Postlethwaite was nominated (posthumously) for the BAFTA Award for Best Supporting Actor.
70 min
189
The Edge (1997) Review | Action Movie Anatomy
Action Movie Anatomy hosts Ben Bateman and Andrew Ghai break down The Edge! The Edge is a 1997 American survival drama film directed by Lee Tamahori and starring Anthony Hopkins and Alec Baldwin. Bart the Bear, a trained Kodiak bear known for appearances in several Hollywood movies, also appears in the film as a vicious grizzly; this was one of his last film roles. An intellectual billionaire and two lesser men struggle to band together and survive after getting stranded in the Alaskan wilderness with a blood-thirsty Kodiak Bear hunting them down.
77 min
190
Under Siege (1992) Review | Action Movie Anatomy
Action Movie Anatomy hosts Ben Bateman and Andrew Ghai break down London Under Siege with special guests Covino and Rich from Siriusxm! Under Siege is a 1992 American action-thriller film directed by Andrew Davis and written by J.F. Lawton. It stars Steven Seagal as an ex-Navy SEAL who must stop a group of mercenaries, led by Tommy Lee Jones and Gary Busey, on a U.S. Navy battleship. It is Seagal's most successful film in critical and financial terms, including twoAcademy Award nominations for sound production. The musical score was composed by Gary Chang. It was followed by a 1995 sequel, Under Siege 2: Dark Territory.
91 min
191
London Has Fallen (2016) Review | Action Movie ...
Action Movie Anatomy hosts Ben Bateman and Andrew Ghai break down London Has Fallen! Arms dealer Aamir Barkawi (Alon Aboutboul) is discovered to be the mastermind behind several terrorist attacks in Europe and around the world. Western intelligence services locate his compound and the United States launches a drone strike against it, supposedly killing Barkawi along with his family. Two years later, President Benjamin Asher (Aaron Eckhart) and his top Secret Service agent Mike Banning (Gerard Butler) are jogging together. Mike is expecting his first child with his wife Leah (Radha Mitchell) and hopes to take some time off to spend time with his family, contemplating resigning from the Secret Service. In Yemen, Barkawi is still alive, and he meets with his son Kamran (Waleed Zuaiter). They begin to set plans in motion for revenge.
65 min
192
Mortal Kombat (1995) Review | Action Movie Anatomy
Action Movie Anatomy hosts Ben Bateman and Andrew Ghai break down Mortal Kombat! Mortal Kombat is a 1995 American fantasy martial arts film written by Kevin Droney, directed by Paul W. S. Anderson, and starring Robin Shou, Linden Ashby, Bridgette Wilson, and Christopher Lambert. It is a loose adaptation of the early entries in the fighting game series Mortal Kombat. The plot of the film follows the warrior Liu Kang, the actor Johnny Cage, and the soldier Sonya Blade, all three guided by the god Raiden, on their journey to combat the evil sorcerer Shang Tsung and his forces in a tournament to save Earth. The film's primary source material was 1992's original game of the same title, but it was also inspired by and incorporates elements of 1993's follow-up game Mortal Kombat II.
57 min
193
Olympus Has Fallen (2013) Review | Action Movie...
Action Movie Anatomy hosts Ben Bateman and Andrew Ghai break down Olympus Has Fallen! Olympus Has Fallen is a 2013 American action thriller film. Directed by Antoine Fuqua, it starsGerard Butler, Aaron Eckhart, and Morgan Freeman, with Angela Bassett, Robert Forster, Cole Hauser, Ashley Judd, Melissa Leo, Dylan McDermott, Radha Mitchell, and Rick Yune in supporting roles. The film depicts a North Korean-led guerrilla assault on the White House, and focuses on disgraced Secret Service agent Mike Banning's (Butler) efforts to rescue the President (Eckhart).
69 min
194
Crimson Tide (1995) Review | Action Movie Anatomy
Action Movie Anatomy hosts Ben Bateman and Andrew Ghai break down Crimson Tide! Crimson Tide is a 1995 American submarine film directed by Tony Scott, produced by Don Simpson and Jerry Bruckheimer. It takes place during a period of political turmoil in the Russian Federation, in which ultranationalists threaten to launch nuclear missiles at the United States and Japan. It focuses on a clash of wills between the new executive officer (Denzel Washington) of a U.S. nuclear missile submarine and its seasoned commanding officer (Gene Hackman), arising from conflicting interpretations of an order to launch their missiles.
70 min
195
Troy (2004) Review | Action Movie Anatomy
Action Movie Anatomy hosts Ben Bateman and Andrew Ghai break down Troy! Troy is a 2004 American epic war film written by David Benioff and directed by Wolfgang Petersen. It is loosely based on Homer's Iliad, though the film narrates the entire story of the decade-long Trojan War rather than just the quarrel between Achilles and Agamemnon in the ninth year. Achilles leads his Myrmidons along with the rest of the Greek army invading the historical city of Troy, defended by Hector's Trojan army. The end of the film (the sacking of Troy) is not taken from the Iliad, but rather from Virgil's Aeneid as the Iliad concludes with Hector's death and funeral.
67 min
196
Face/Off (1997) Review | Action Movie Anatomy
Action Movie Anatomy hosts Ben Bateman and Andrew Ghai break down The Face.Off! Face/Off is a 1997 American science-fiction action directed by John Woo and starringJohn Travolta and Nicolas Cage. Travolta plays an FBI agent and Cage plays a terrorist, sworn enemies who assume each other's physical appearance.[3] It was the first Hollywood film in which Woo was given major creative control. The film went on to gross $245 million worldwide. The film was also nominated for an Academy Award in the category Sound Effects Editing (Mark Stoeckinger) at the 70th Academy Awards.
69 min
197
The Last Samurai (2003) Review | Action Movie A...
Action Movie Anatomy hosts Ben Bateman and Andrew Ghai break down The Last Samurai! The Last Samurai is a 2003 American epic war film directed and co-produced by Edward Zwick, who also co-wrote the screenplay with John Logan. The film stars Tom Cruise, who also co-produced, as well as Ken Watanabe, Shin Koyamada, Tony Goldwyn, Hiroyuki Sanada, Timothy Spall, and Billy Connolly. Tom Cruise portrays a formerly retired officer of the United States 7th Cavalry Regiment, whose personal and emotional conflicts bring him into contact withsamurai warriors in the wake of the Meiji Restoration in 19th Century Japan. The film's plot was inspired by the 1877 Satsuma Rebellion led by Saigō Takamori, and the westernization of Japan by foreign powers, though in the film the United States is portrayed as the primary force behind the push for westernization. To a lesser extent it is also influenced by the stories of Jules Brunet, a French armycaptain who fought alongside Enomoto Takeaki in the earlie
77 min
198
Tombstone (1993) Review | Action Movie Anatomy
Action Movie Anatomy hosts Ben Bateman and Andrew Ghai break down Tombstone! Tombstone is a 1993 American western film directed by George P. Cosmatos, written by Kevin Jarre (who was also the original director, but was replaced early in production) and starring Kurt Russell and Val Kilmer, with Sam Elliott, Bill Paxton, Powers Boothe, Michael Biehn, and Dana Delany in supporting roles, as well as a narration by Robert Mitchum. The film is based on events in Tombstone, Arizona, including the Gunfight at the O.K. Corral and the Earp Vendetta Ride, during the 1880s. It depicts a number of western outlaws and lawmen, such as Wyatt Earp, William Brocius, Johnny Ringo, and Doc Holliday.
68 min
199
Point Break (1991) Review | Action Movie Anatomy
Action Movie Anatomy hosts Ben Bateman and Andrew Ghai break down Point Break! Point Break is a 1991 American action crime thriller directed by Kathryn Bigelow, starring Patrick Swayze, Keanu Reeves, Lori Petty and Gary Busey. The title refers to the surfing term point break, where a wave breaks as it hits a point of land jutting out from the coastline. Reeves stars as rookie FBI agent Johnny Utah, who is investigating a string of bank robberies possibly being committed by surfers. Johnny goes undercover to infiltrate the surfing community and develops a complex friendship with Bodhi (Swayze), the charismatic leader of a gang of surfers.
72 min
200
Kill Bill Vol. 1 Review | Action Movie Anatomy
Action Movie Anatomy hosts Ben Bateman and Andrew Ghai break down Kill Bill Vol. 1! Kill Bill: Volume 1 is a 2003 American martial arts film written and directed by Quentin Tarantino. It is the first of two Kill Bill films produced at the same time, and was followed by Kill Bill: Volume 2 (2004). It was originally set for a single theatrical release, but with a runtime of over 4 hours, it was divided into two films. It stars Uma Thurman as the Bride, who seeks revenge on an assassination squad led by Bill (David Carradine) after they try to kill her and her unborn child. The film received positive reviews from critics and was a commercial success.
79 min