Action Movie Hall of Fame

This week, Matt and Dereck review Spider-Man 2 on it's 20th anniversary. When this movie came out, it was hailed as the greatest Comic Book movie of all time. But a lot of comic book movies have come out in the past 20 years. Matt and Dereck will see how it holds up, and if it deserves to hang around in the Action Movie Hall of Fame, or will this movie leave the guys up in arms?

in 1999, 16 years after The Return of the Jedi, George Lucas finally released the follow-up to his cinema-changing space fantasy, with the first of 3 Prequels, The Phantom Menace. With people waiting so long for the return of the Star Wars Universe (the SWU), the Phantom Menace made almost $1 Billion at the Box Office. But much has been made about, well, how bad it is. So, given all that history,...

In 1996, critics were not exactly blown away by Twister. But when Matt and Dereck revisited it for the Action Movie Hall of Fame, it was an easy choice as an inductee. Now, almost 30 years later, we the Twister is expanding it's universe. But is Twisters good enough to build a Twister Universe? Is this something we even want? This week, Matt and Dereck see Twisters on Imax, and give their gen...

This week, 25 years after its release, Matt and Dereck review 1999's The Mummy. A young Brendan Fraser and Rachel Weiss are an easy duo to cheer for: but what about the rest of the movie? Does The Mummy have some sort of secret power that will allow it to gain entry into the Action Movie Hall of Fame, or should this movie stay wrapped up and buried, before it hurts the general public?

This week, Matt and Dereck start off the Summer Movie Extravaganza with George Miller's Prequel to 2015's Mad Max: Fury Road, with Furiosa: a Mad Max Saga. In this installment, George Miller expands the Max Mad universe. But does anyone want this? We'll compare the movie to Fury Road, and talk about whether this movie is a hit or a miss, and if it has what it takes to be a Hall of F...

Part Action, part horror, all Terminator. This week, Matt and Dereck continue their summer movie spectacular with 1984's Terminator. How does this hold up 40 years later? And how does it hold up, when compared to it's sequel, arguably the best action movie of all time? Sure, Terminator 2 is already in the Hall of Fame, but is this installment enough for Arnold to say "I'll be b...

This week, Matt and Dereck review Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom. How does it hold up among the Indy Franchise? A darker movie, to be sure: but is it missing too many classic Indy elements to place in the Action Movie Hall of Fame, or does it have enough classic scenes to stop its heart from getting ripped out?

This week, Matt and Dereck join Indy again for what would not actually end up being his Last Crusade. Where does this rank among the Indy Films? Does this movie have what it takes to get into the AMHOF, or will it spend the rest of its life trying to get its Father's approval?

This week, Matt and Dereck watch their 3rd Harrison Ford movie in a row, with 1994's A Clear and Present Danger. How does this movie hold up to the other Jack Ryan movies? How does this hold up when compared to the last 2 Harrison Ford movies? And why is Ford so adept at lunging at bad guys? Does he know how to do anything besides lunging? And does A Clear and Present Danger have what it take...

French director Luc Besson attempts to get us to expand our minds, in 2014's Lucy. The movie explores what could happen if you unlock the brains full potential. This week, Matt and Dereck will attempt to review Lucy keeping our own limitations in mind. Does Lucy have what it takes to insert itself in the Action Movie Hall of Fame?  Or is this movie actually low on brain activity?

First, there was The Nice Guys. Then, there was Barbie. Now, a vehicle for Ryan Gosling to either make an action star rise, or a dramatic drop, with 2024's The Fall Guy. We know Gosling has the action/comedy chops. And the same can be said for co-star, Emily Blunt. This week, another buddy duo, Matt and Dereck, review The Fall Guy to see if it lives up to the hype, or will it crash land and b...

In 2004, Stephen Chow followed up Shaolin Soccer's break in the US with Kung Fu Hustle. This movie is full of ideas, heart, and bad special effects. How does it hold up 20 years after it was released? Does Kung Fu Hustle still have the moves to be relevant, and launch itself into the Action Movie Hall of Fame? Or will it not be able to reach the heights it wants, even with the help of a Falco...

In 2004, the French man who invented Parkour stared in his own movie, heavily featuring, you guessed it, Parkour. That movie, is District B-13: a dystopian film about the future, with a dash of Escape From New York, and a heavy seasoning of Parkour, does this movie have the special ability to climb into the Action Movie Hall of Fame? Or will it find itself slightly dated, with fewer and fewer peop...

This week, Matt and Dereck check out the latest from director Alex Garland, with 2024's Civil War. How does this actually play as an action movie? The guys give their general reactions after coming straight out of the theatre, then get into spoiler talk. This movie about Civil War breaking out in America is strangely non-political. The guys will discuss if that works in the movies favour, and...

The Gulf War had a brief impact on world history. 25 years after its release, what impact has Three Kings had on action movies? This week on the Action Movie Hall of Fame, Matt and Dereck revisit David O. Russell's 1999 Film, Three Kings, starring George Clooney, Ice Cube, Mark Wahlberg, and Spike Jonze. Does a war movie about a dated war hold any relevance today? And how does the movie itsel...

This week, Matt and Dereck take a dip in the stream,  checking out the new Road House remake, directed by Doug Liman, and starring Jake Gyllenhaal. Conor McGregor is in the movie as well. They'll try to be nice when they compare it to the original. Does this movie have what it takes to be a potential Action Movie Hall of Fame nominee? Or will this movie sure to be denied entry? 

The unplanned Denzel Washington/Tony Scott Marathon continues with 2009's The Taking of Pelham 123. This movie received mild reviews upon it's release. Does the Washington/Travolta pairing having enough to elevate this movie to Action Movie Hall of Fame status? Or will this movie end up careening wildly off the tracks?

In 2004, Tony Scott and Denzel Washington made the Equalizer movie before it even existed. But this 2004 action revenge thriller has mostly been panned by critics. How does this movie hold up 20 years later? And hoes does it compare to the EQ movies? Man on Fire also features a star performance from (at the time) kid-actor Dakota Fanning. Does Man on Fire have the leverage to make it's  way i...

This week, Matt and Dereck go back to their local movie theatre to check out Dune Part 2 in IMAX.  Is it worth the screen? Is it worth the hype? Have we seen this story before, or can we expect something deeper from Denis Villeneuve's Dune universe? Dunaverse? The guys will discuss how it stacks up to Part 1, give general reactions, then get into spoilers. Was Dune 2 worth the wait, or have w...

This week, Matt and Dereck wanted to let Jason Statham off the hook after the disappointment of The Meg 2: The Trench, and watch 2024's The Beekeeper, now available to rent.  Is this franchise going to be the one to really stick with audiences? Will Statham and Director David Ayer find the sweet-spot on this movie that's getting more buzz than you'd think for a early year release. T...

This week, Matt and Dereck Edge of Tomorrow, a sequel very loosely based on 1991's Groundhog Day. Of course, that's a lie. But it's hard to convince people about the truth, especially when it hasn't happened yet, in this Tom Cruise/Emily Blunt 2014 vehicle. This film didn't do as well as it should have at the box office, but has gained cult-like status in the following yea...

In 2004, Tom Cruise went out of his way to play a character he's never played before, with an actor we were only just getting familiar with, in Michael Mann's Collateral.  This moody thriller features Tom Cruise as a hitman who takes cab driver, Jamie Foxx, hostage during his night-long killing spree. But how does this movie hold up 20 years later? Does era-specific music, like say, Audi...

It's been 30 years since The River Wild was released and everyone forgot about it: until now. This week, Matt and Dereck review this white-water-rafting-romp of a film. We know Meryl Streep has the goods as an actor. But how does Streep do as an action star? But does this thrilling thriller have enough action to cruise into the Action Movie Hall of Fame? Or will this movie be left up the cree...

The Action Movie Hall of Fame is officially back for its 4th season. This episode, (starting at the 7m30s mark) Matt and Dereck have an on-air production meeting, about what movies should be part of their Summer Blockbuster series. Then, it's on to reviewing The Bourne Supremacy (25:18) on it's 20th anniversary. How does this sequel compare to the original Bourne movie? And does Matt Dam...

On it's 25th anniversary, Matt and Dereck do a deep dive of Enemy of the State, and REALLY get up into the movie's personal privacy. How much did it cost to serval Will Smith's character? Why did Jason Lee have to ruin Will's life? Why is Gene Hackman's character keeping a low profile while driving an El Camino? Should Denzel be the lead in this movie? Find out the answers...