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The UKFF's ULTIMATE Action Hero [WINNER ANNOUNCED]


John Matrix

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10 hours ago, DEF said:

Shocked that Chance Boudreaux and Robocop only getting the nod once. Chance would for sure been on my list had I not been utterly useless and busy. Well done for doing this Matrix, it's a cracking idea and I'm proper excited for this to get going. As much as I dislike Bruce Willis these days John McClane would have been my pick for the top spot I think.

Well I was the one that nominated Chance, so you're a bastard for not voting!

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1 hour ago, Chest Rockwell said:

Well I was the one that nominated Chance, so you're a bastard for not voting!

Yep I fully hang my head in shame.

I'm starting towards the T-800 aa my number one now cos Terminator 2 is on ITV4 and it's still amazing.

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I've spent an unhealthy amount of time on my holiday in Majorca thinking about this and whilst I think i have made a top 10 but theres another 20 names I could swap out. Its really hard. Whilst I respect the rules I think both Optimus Prime in TFTM 1986 and Frank Castle in Daredevil S2 deserve a shout for the top 20.

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Right boys and girls.  

Apologies for the lack of updates over the weekend - combination of workload and forum downtime conspired against me, but i'm back at work today and in full procrastination mode, so let us begin.  

So, without further ado I'm going to count down the UKFF's top twenty - all of whom received multiple votes.  Will keep it short and sweet until we get to the business end of the top 10, but you all put so much hard work into this for me, would be unfair to dismiss such a huge chunk of your nominations.

Doing it this way will also buy me some time to put the legwork into some decent write-ups once we get toward the finish line.  

I'll try and keep the posts consistent at around 5pm ish each day, but as a special bonus, I give you the first name in the UKFF Ultimate Action Heroes history books, the number 21 entrant just missing out on a place in the most credible list of it's kind since the last one...

Ladies and Gentleman....

 

#21 Axel Foley

axel_foley1.jpg

 

An iconic role, previously intended for the likes of Mickey Rourke and Sylvester Stallone in what was originally intended as a straight actioner - Murphy's quick wit and faster mouth, took the character in a whole new direction, giving us one of the most popular characters of the 80's.

A new spin on the traditional 'fish out of water' sees wisecracking Foley juxtaposed brilliantly against the straight laced duo of John Ashton (Insp. Taggart) and the legendary Judge Reinhold (Det. Rosewood) as his combination of street smarts and maverick approach to police work continually ruffles the feathers of the of his unknowing colleagues in the Beverly Hills Police Department.

It just so happens the action delivers in spades, from the chaotic opening which sees Foley dragged along in the back of an huge track running rampage through the streets of Detroit, to the standout action scene at the films climax as the outnumbered and outgunned trio attempt to infiltrate the home of shithouse Art-Dealer come drug kingpin Victor Maitland, played by current Man-Down caretaker Steven Berkoff. 

The setting will be familiar to action aficionado's as it also appeared in another little known action movie the following year and could have been yours for the princely sum of £30,000,000 just a few years ago.

https://www.curbed.com/2013/4/15/10253538/mansion-where-beverly-hills-cop-finale-was-shot-asks-30m

The UKFF said:

Super cop legend. Beverly Hills isn't the typical setting for evil bad guys, but not only does Axel foil any bullshit, he laughs in their face while doing so.

I live in gateshead and we rely on coppers around here. I'd swap 10 gateshead coppers for 1 Axel any day.

Lasting Legacy:

Murphy appeared twice more as smart mouthed Foley in 1987's Beverley Hills Cop 2 and again in the disappointing Beverley Hills Cop 3 in 1994 in which we saw a significantly toned down version of the character, a 'PG era' incarnation if you like, in as is so often the case, an attempt to bring in a few extra bob at the box office.

He may not have appeared in a film in over 20 years, although if the rumours which have persisted since, i dunno, 1995 count for anything, a fourth film which will return to the films original tone is in the workings.

Chances are however, you still think of Axel Foley at least once a week, thanks to his inimitable theme, composed by the King Midas of 1980's movie soundtracks, Harold Faltemeyer - which, since the dawn of personalised ring tones, continues to play out to this very day signifying incoming calls across the globe.

[\spoiler]

 

 

 

Edited by John Matrix
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That surprises me Axel didn't quite crack the top 20. Beverly Hills Cop is a superb film. I managed to get the entire Blu-ray box set last year for around 4 quid brand new from Amazon. An absolute bargain. Your not wrong about me thinking about him at least once a week. Can't help say 'AchmelI, Achmell Folllie' all the time.

In honour of this count down I will be watching each film in order of UKFF ranking. Great write up there Matrix. Thanks dude.

Edited by DEF
Spoilers
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Dont worry about spoiler tags chief :-)  

Was merely so the reveal had a little suspense for first time visitors (assuming like my end the topic opens on the first unread post)  sorry to panic you, and thanks for the kind words!

Made me realise how much work will be involved in turning this out over the next week or so! haha

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Cheers bud, I can't for the life of me get the damn things to work on my phone. Your a saint with cracking reviews like that but it will be totally worth it, way better than actually doing work.

Edited by DEF
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#20 REVEALED

It's very tight at the bottom end of the table.  A half vote here or there, and things could have looked very different.  

That said, our first official entrant, claiming the number 20 spot is...

 

#20 Jason Bourne

NEaeFdkCqoG1db_2_b.jpg
 
The early naughties were very much a transitional phase for action movies.  Schwarzenegger's last box office hit was Eraser back in 1996, Stallone had failed to re-capture the charm of 1993's Demolition Man, whilst the likes of Van Damme and Seagal were firmly ensconced in straight-to-video purgatory.
 
Action movies had taken a new direction - the films took a more dramatic approach, casting more bankable actors to lead in pictures such as Tom Cruise's Minority Report, a pseudo sequel to 1990's Total Recall with Ben Affleck adopting the Jack Ryan moniker in Sum of all Fears.
 
So when Matt Damon was cast as lead in The Bourne Identity, i'll be forgiven for rolling my eyes. More fool me.  Such was the strength of his performance in this role, he went on to become a credible action star in his own right.
 
What the Bourne movies do so well is to combine modern day, high octane set pieces, with old school hand to hand combat shot in a way which gives the viewer an opportunity to sit back and immerse themselves in the experience.
 
Whilst CGI, MTV style fast cuts, and shaky cam were becoming more and more prevalent to disguise the limitations of non traditional action performers,  Damon embraced the role, training extensively in Kali and Jeet Kune Do no less, to deliver a credible performance without the need for smoke and mirrors choreography.  

As the franchise developed, martial artists of different styles were bought in to keep the action fresh, giving us an opportunity to see the character responding to unique challenges, we got glimpses of Parkour, most famously in The Bourne Ultimatum's gorgeous window jump and of course, wonderful car chases which always go down better when they're in beat up early model BMW's as opposed to fucking Tesla's or whatever (someone feel free to confirm i've understood that correctly as an actual type of car - you get my point).
 
Now i'll settle for brawn in my action hero's, i'm easy to please - but if you want to go the extra mile, throw in some stealth.  There's a cracking example of this in 'Ultimatum' where Bourne has to outhink the enemy and react faster to steer a journalist to safety.
 
Bourne ticks all the boxes and, crucial to his inclusion on this list in my opinion - his scenes are beautifully shot giving us giving us the viewers, a true sense of peril and, ultimately, achievement as opposed to the far cheaper and more convenient blurred frenzy / establishing shot combo which had long since become the 'go-to' for mainstream action movies.
 
The UKFF said:
 
Would have been higher if he wasn't played by Matt Damon. A great character though, I just have no time for MD. 
 
The 1st Bourne film seemed to set the standard for most Western action films what followed with realistic fight sequences, haven't seen them all yet but he deserves a place on the list
 
giphy.gif
 
Lasting Legacy:
 
The original film spawned three successful sequels, The Bourne Supremacy, The Bourne Ultimatum, and 2016's Jason Bourne
 
Whilst you aren't likely to see anyone walking the street in 10 years time sporting a Jason Bourne t-shirt, the character, and his universe has become a bankable action franchise - a rare beast these days for anyone who hasn't historically adorned the pages of a comic book.
 
That said, I can totally envisage a world whereby the character is 're-imagined' in a few years time, with a new trilogy, stripped of all it's charms and turned into a fucking CGI fest, because...why not right?  Such has become the bankability of the franchise, I think fans can look forward to having it raped and pillaged in years to come.
 
 
Edited by John Matrix
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Wow I'm pretty shocked by Bourne getting the nod. Don't get me wrong he's a worthy action hero just more like top 30 material than top 20. I like the movies well enough. Particularly Ultimatum which to my eye is the rare beast of a fitting conclusion that surpasses the original in quality. It might be just that I've always thought the first two were slightly overrated in the action stakes. The much lauded mini chase for instance never really did it for me compared to truely great car chases.

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40 minutes ago, IANdrewDiceClay said:

I think with each entrant, Matrix should post a youtube link to a random 80s/90s action film song to get us in the mood.

DEAL!

No update today I'm afraid lads.  My son had surgery today so ill be in hospital with him the next few nights, which will give me ample time to get the write ups put together.

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Mate hope hes ok. Dont worry about updates unless you fancy it for fun. I'm having great fun disscussing this subject with my mates. Thanks for doing it and all the the best to your little one.

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