The highly anticipated Brad Pitt-starring Bullet Train will soon be released, and the action movie is inspired by Jackie Chan, but it clearly has a lot more influences. Bullet Train mostly takes place in one location and it's full gun-fu and closed-in combat, and those styles started in films that don't get enough credit.
Redditors have debated over which action movies are the most underappreciated, whether it's because they were low-grossing, negatively received, or failed to find a cult following after release. Between an adrenaline-fuelled parkour flick, the best John Wick knock-off, and a hilarious high school reunion, these movies deserve more recognition.
District 13 (2004)
The 2000s were full of extreme trends, with the most notable being street racing, but parkour also had a huge impact on the zeitgeist. The free-running sport cropped up everywhere, whether in The Office, Casino Royale, or the video game Mirror's Edge. But it's best displayed in the French action movie District 13. Reddit user KiTa-movies succinctly puts it, "Light on plot, heavy on action."
The movie is set in the distinct future where the poorer suburbs of Paris have become overpopulated with gangs, and every gang member is seemingly an athlete and world-class free runner. Every fight sequence interpolates parkour, and it's one of the most inventive action movies ever.
The Raid 2 (2014)
Jerrymoviefan3 points to The Raid 2, which is a sequel to 2011's The Raid, as being underappreciated. The Redditor notes, "When you watch it view the long list of the medical team in the closing credits since that tells you how real the fighting was." Given how practical and dangerous all of the movie's stuntwork is, the long list of medical staff on call on set is hardly surprising.
However, the user is taking liberties with the question at hand, as the sequel is definitely appreciated by those who have seen it. It pioneered gun-fu before John Wick popularized it in Hollywood, and action sequences like the prison riot don't hold back. But while the movie is known amongst hardcore fans of action movies, it's hardly known amongst general audiences, and it certainly deserves more attention.
Nobody (2021)
Bits_of_paper believes that Nobody isn't appreciated enough and explains, "Same director as Hardcore Henry and written by the guy who did John Wick. Stars Bob Odenkirk." Though Bob Odenkirk doesn't seem like an action hero, that list of names makes up a dream team nobody knew they wanted.
Nobody might be extremely derivative of John Wick in its narrative and action, but it does enough differently for it to stand on its own. The "auditing" is a family business, and Odenkirk genuinely feels retired, as opposed to Wick effortlessly getting back into the game like he never left. Odenkirk is an unlikely action lead that blew audiences away, and the film is in dire need of a sequel.
RRR (2022)
RRR is another foreign movie, but it's less invested in innovative combat sequences and more interested in telling a story on an ambitious and epic scale. CautionaryWarning thinks the Indian film is massively underappreciated, as it tells the story of two real-life revolutionaries during their fight against the British Raj in 1920, and it's three hours of visually impressive action.
But while the film is definitely underappreciated, it's still one of the rare instances of an Indian movie finding an audience overseas. The film has made almost $100 million worldwide (as per Box Office Mojo), and given the growing positive word of mouth for the film, it'll definitely increase in popularity too.
Hard Boiled (1992)
LonelyGuyNextDoor thinks the John Woo-directed Hard Boiled, the 1992 Hong Kong action movie, deserves more appreciation. The Redditor notes, "Hard Boiled is my 7th favorite film," and it's easy to see why, as the film has the slickest action of any '90s release, and Alan is one of the coolest undercover cops in movie history.
Woo is the master of action, and his filmography of must-watch action flicks is laundry-list-long. Along with Hard Boiled, the filmmaker also directed seminal movies such as The Killer and A Better Tomorrow. But it starts getting a bit patchy when he transitioned to Hollywood movies, and Mission: Impossible 2 can totally be skipped.
Batman V Superman: Dawn Of Justice (2016)
While all superhero flicks can be classed as action movies, they aren't considered action in the way that John Wick or The Rock is. However, Austinrose7 genuinely thinks that Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice is an underappreciated action film. In fairness, the 2016 movie was overwhelmingly negatively received, and very few will defend it as the user does.
The Redditor makes a good argument too, as they point out "the warehouse scene," which is easily the best Batman scene in terms of hand-to-hand combat. The Caped Crusader uses his wrist gauntlets to deflect bullets, and he uses his grappling hook to slam enemies into the ground. Batman definitely breaks his only rule in the scene, but it's so enthralling that it can be ignored.
Drive (1997)
Dolph Lundgren-starring action flicks aren't the only ones that go straight to video. Redditor Nikilidstorm believes 1997's Drive is massively underappreciated, and given that the film went straight to video and nobody ever talks about it, it might be the best example of an underappreciated action movie.
The film has a unique concept, as it follows a prototype-enhanced human who is on the run from a group of Chinese hitmen. Even the Redditor admits, "Mediocre story, great choreography." While it sounds ridiculous, it's wildly entertaining, and the film has some of the most underappreciated action of the 1990s, and it goes to show that there is greatness in straight-to-video releases if people look hard enough.
Grosse Pointe Blank (1997)
Grosse Pointe Blank was positively received and had a decent box office run in 1997, and it has somewhat of a cult following now, but it isn't quite as popular as it should be 25 years later. Swordbringer33 sings the movie's praises, noting, "It's a mix of action and romantic comedy, but you might love it." The movie follows a hitman who visits his hometown for a high school reunion, but his work follows him there.
Grosse Pointe Blank is like a time capsule, as it embodies everything '90s, but that might be why it isn't talked about as much as the Redditor thinks it should be. A younger audience wouldn't understand half of the references, and the comedy is completely different from the humor in movies today.
Haywire (2011)
Steven Soderbergh is one of the most prolific directors working today, as he has directed over 30 movies and often directs two in a single year. That was the case in 2011, as he directed the immensely popular medical thriller Contagion and the action-packed Haywire. The latter lives in the former's shadow, as it was nowhere near as successful despite having some of the most thrilling action sequences of that year.
LonelyGuyNextDoor commends the lead actor, noting "Gina Carano kicks ass and doesn't deserve the hate." Though Carano's acting was criticized, her agility and MMA background led to the most impactful fight scenes, and audiences felt every punch.
Payback (1999)
Payback is a neo-noir crime thriller that follows Porter (Mel Gibson), who seeks vengeance on his former heist partner who left him for dead. Conscious-Salary-680 comments, "It's slick, funny, and gritty. Imagine Max Payne doing a mission in GTA." Unfortunately, while the Redditor is a big fan, it is derided by critics and audiences.
And though the movie was successful at the box office, making $160 million worldwide (as per Box Office Mojo), it certainly wouldn't have earned that much without Gibson's name attached to the project. And one thing's for sure, it's better than the actual movie adaptation of Max Payne.