Action thrillers are popular.Who doesn’t love shootouts, explosions, and valiant heroes saving the day?
The genre overflows with entries, from the great to the mediocre to the outright abysmal.
With this in mind, this list looks at some of the very worst action thrillers out there.
Image by Jefferson Chacon
Some of them fail because they try too hard to emulate successful franchises without understanding what made them work.
Others collapse under poor storytelling, bad editing, or laughable dialogue.
10’Samurai Cop' (1991)
Directed by Amir Shervan
“I’m a cop!
Image via Hollywood Royal Pictures
Nevertheless,the movie’s sheer incompetenceis precisely what its fans love about it.
It has become a minor cult film for this reason.
Interesting bit of trivia: prior to this, star Karedas had worked as a bodyguard forSylvester Stallone.
You come through me!”
It’s kind of jarring to see stars like Stallone andDave Bautistain such a shabbily put-together project.
The editing is sloppy, with blatantly obvious chroma-keyed explosions and gunshot effects.
It makes the movie forgettable.
“Simon Saysis an odd slasher that tries to blendhorror and actionbut winds up delivering neither.
For example, his over-the-top accent makes him difficult to understand at times.
The protagonists are not even likable, and they don’t have any real friend dynamic between them.
This baffling retcon immediately alienated fans and destroyed any of the mystique that made the first film compelling.
This is only one of many problems in the movie, however.
It’s marred by terrible special effects, disjointed editing, a generally incomprehensible plot (didL.
They oscillate between looking bored and chewing the scenery.
All told,The Quickeningis inconsistent, gory, absurd, and unimaginative.
WithKeanu Reevesrefusing to return,Jason Patricsteps in as the co-lead, but his performance lacks the required charisma.
There is simply no tension here, no momentum.
The only even vaguely enjoyable part ofSpeed 2isWillem Dafoe’s villain performance, and even that’s pretty cartoony.
The film finally serves up some spectacle during the climax, but it’s too little, too late.
“Toxicis an attempt at a stylish neo-noir that collapses under its own ambition.
It follows a tangled web of charactersincluding hitmen, strippers, and gangsterswhose lives intersect one night.
One might say it places style over substance, but even its style is underwhelming.
The characters aren’t fleshed out, so the audience can’t invest in them.
The dialogue is riddled with cringe-worthy attempts at wit, and the performances are largely forgettable.
3’Doom: Annihilation' (2019)
Directed by Tony Giglio
“Die!
TheDoomgames are epic, but none of the film adaptations have done them justice.
This direct-to-video embarrassment is another attempt at bringing the legendary first-person shooter to life.
Annihilationsticks closely toDoomlore but lacks personality.
By contrast, there’s nothing memorable aboutAnnihilation.
2’Ballistic: Ecks vs. Few action thrillers have achieved the level of critical panning thatBallistic: Ecks vs. Severdid upon its release.
Worse still, the movie tries to take itself seriously, draining it of any so-bad-it’s-good charm.
Not for nothing, it’s currently the worst-reviewed movie in Rotten Tomatoes' history.
However, Seagal isn’t even the main character; the promotion materials are highly deceptive.
Image via 20th Century Studios
He barely speaks throughout the film and, when he does, it’s usually in a slow mumble.
This movie is the poster child for heavy-handed exposition, info-dumping on the audience at every turn.
The film’s dreary, washed-out visuals only add to its unbearable dullness.
In the end,Against the Darkis not just a terrible action-thrillerits an absolute chore to sit through.
Even by Seagal’s dubious standards, it’s a major dud.
NEXT:The 10 Most Visually Stunning Movies of All Time, Ranked
Image via Warner Bros. Pictures
