Iron Fist

Iron Fist harnessing his chi

First up is the enigmatic “Iron Fist”. Although a feature film was supposed to be in the works, it seems to have become lost in development hell since nothing concrete has ever materialized. A pity because Iron Fist is definitely one of the more interesting characters in comic books. A formidable martial-arts fighter, Iron Fist trained under the venerable master, Lei Kung. Through his training he learned deadly fighting techniques and developed the ability to focus his chi to augment his already impressive physical attributes. As a result, Iron Fist has enhanced strength, speed, reflexes, agility and durability. At one point, he even battled the powerfu Iron Man to a near standstill. How’s that for cinema worthy?

Captain Marvel

Captain Marvel shooting fire blasts

Not to be mistaken for Shazam, the DC Comics character with the lightning bolt motif on his chest and a host of powers similar to Superman‘s (though their super suits are so similar you’d be hard-pressed to distinguish the two), Captain Marvel is Marvel Comics‘ version of, well, Superman. But Captain Marvel is his own man—a superhero secretly sent by an alien race to spy on humanity, while living with the people of Earth, he fought alongside this planet’s heroes defending the populace from evildoers. Slowly, Captain Marvel began to understand us and empathize with us. When his superiors learn about his apparent betrayal, he is branded a traitor for his transgressions. Captain Marvel has the ability to fly and fire energy blasts. He’ll also kick anyone’s ass in a fight.

Winter Soldier

Marvel Comics' Winter Soldier

Comic aficionados know that Captain America once had a dependable sidekick. The young James “Bucky” Barnes bravely fought and stood by Captain America against the Nazis during World War II. Unfortunately, he suffered a terrible plane accident and was thought lost over the raging seas. Miraculously, his cold-preserved but badly battered body was then found by the Russians who saved him from certain doom. Unfortunately though, the hero was also brainwashed. He then was given cyborg appendages and became an elite assassin for the Soviets. Sounds like an intriguing Manchurian Candidate-esque concept ripe for a 3D viewing to us.

Machine Man

Machine Man

This obscure character started off his existence as a robot but was eventually granted the gift of sentience. An unlikely hero, he often wonders what it would be like to be human. He initially had a hokey, mechanized look but eventually made himself look more like a real person. Machine Man has a variety of weapons and has telescopic arms and legs which he uses for a variety of attacks. He also has superhuman strength as well as enhanced stamina and speed. Neo Terminator, anyone?

Zombie Spider-Man

Zombie Spider-Man attacking a fellow ghoul

The Marvel Zombie Universe is an alternate Marvel reality where most of the world’s super-powered individuals and regular folk have been devoured or turned into flesh-eating zombies. Unfortunately for us, the great Spider-Man has been zombified and teams up with most of the former heroes who have also been turned into to a rampaging horde of ravenous creatures. With their powers and abilities still intact, thi unstoppable army of the undead have the upper hand and systematically pick off the planet’s remaining survivors. The Marvel Zombie Universe effectively combines super-heroics with the time-tested zombie genre for some slam-bang action and intense terror. While the Spider-Man movies were great, a Zombie Spider-Man would indubitably be even better.

Rudy

Rudy, shorter than the whole Notre Dame football team

Most believe that Sean Astin’s career highlight was when he played the part of Samwise Gamgee in the Lord of the Rings trilogy. While it may have been a cinematic masterpiece, who would want to be remembered for being a bungling barefoot hobbit? If he was Frodo Baggins perhaps but that coveted part went to Elijah Wood. No, Rudy is clearly the superior project for Sean Astin. True, it was a very similar role. Astin was small dude who experienced incredible trials and adversities, overcame great odds and came out victorious. The main difference is, instead of helping defeat the evil Dark Lord Sauron and preserving all of Middle-Earth, he gained admission into the prestigious University of Notre Dame, became a practice player, and managed to play a home game as a member of the regular Notre Dame football team. After achieving all of that and earning a college degree, the saving the Middle-Earth deal doesn’t seem too important, does it?

Kate Bosworth getting some pipeline

Blue Crush

Yes, girls kick ass at making inspirational sports movies also, and Kate Bosworth as surfer chick Anne Marie is pretty hot in a bikini.  There is some plot stuff  in Blue Crush about a woman gaining status in society by marrying a wealthy man that draws on Edith Wharton novels, but we suggest you focus your attention on the ferocious waves of the North Shore Pipeline.  Without spoiling the end, the inspirational part of this movie comes from Anne Marie finding the confidence within herself to beat the demon’s of her past, and that is what makes someone a winner.

The Karate Kid

Ralph Macchio punching Pat Morita in catcher's gear in Karate Kid

Don’t even bother with the rehashed 2010 version. Although The Karate Kid of 1984 may have used the same Rocky formula where the underdog finds it within himself to achieve the unachievable, the film is unique in its own right and featured characters moviegoers loved and cared about. Who wouldn’t want to train under the venerable Mr. Miyagi? Who didn’t cheer for Daniel Larusso as he crane kicked the tar out of his bully adversary? And what warm-blooded guy didn’t think Elizabeth Shue was incredibly hot 27 years ago? That in itself is enough to earn this old gem a slot.

Hoosiers

Gene Hackman huddling in Hoosiers

Set in rural Indiana, Hoosiers tells of an unlikely small-tow high school basketball squad that beats the odds and that makes the state finals in the 1950s. Gene Hackman is clearly in his element as the fiery, school head coach while Dennis Hopper lends his considerable talents playing the part of Shooter Hackman’s drunkard assistant coach. This film isn’t just inspirational, it is a true David versus Goliath tale. Do yourself a favor and purchase a copy to keep in your collection of manly, guy stuff.

Victory

Michael Caine, Pele and some other guy beat the Nazi's

Allied POWs agree to play soccer against the vaunted German National Team in wartime Paris. As the Allied players train for the exhibition match, the local resistance work with British officers to help the team escape.  With the score tied at halftime, the ragtag team gets the chance to flee, but instead opts to play the entire match against the Nazi scum. Sportsmanship!  A little dated if you ask me but it certainly deserving to be included in this inspirational sports movies for guys list. The movie even boasts a true all-star cast with film and soccer greats alike working hand-in-hand to make Victory a success.

Rocky

Rocky beating his meat

Forget Rocky II through Rocky V. You can even forget about the relatively recent Rocky Balboa. If you want the best among inspirational sports movies, pick up the original Rocky. You have a small-time pugilist who gets a crack at a world title thanks to his monicker. To prepare for the fight, The Italian Stallion trains with an old-school gym owner who gets him into tip-top shape. He enters the ring and much to everyone’s surprise, goes the distance against the champion and loses only by a close, split decision. The ending is simply perfect. As the results are being read, Rocky and the love of his life embrace and profess their love for each other, not caring about the outcome of the fight.  Rocky shows us success in life is not so much about winning, but in having the confidence to take a shot at life and give it all you have.

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The Manchurian Candidate

Nothing is as American as moms and apple pies, especially a mother that gives the one in Psycho a run for the parent of the year award. With the insidiousness of mind control running rampant through The Manchurian Candidate this classic spy movie by Hitchcock delves into the double agent world as it picks apart who truly stands for America and who got the breakfast special of scrambled brains down at the Communist Chinese deli. With political intrigue and the dark horror of crushing Shaw’s will this film created a new place to fear invasion: the brain.

Dr. No

The Sean Connery version of James Bond makes you feel dirty in the best of ways and that’s why Dr. No is a classic spy movie. Ahh the 1960s where innuendo was as natural and necessary as breathing. Bond is as needed to the spy genre as a bespoke suit is to your work wardrobe and he is at his best when he’s off protecting the world and scantily clad women from the clutches of evil. A good spy movie has a villain and a great spy movie has a super villain like Dr. Julius No who plays the foil with brilliance.  Appreciate this silky love letter to the 1960s that is this film.

Where the Spies Are

Francoise Dorleac with jazz records on the floor

David Niven is watchable in every thing he does and Where the Spies Are is no exception. Playing a man recruited by his country to serve as a spy, Niven is past the days of youth but still manages to find enough in him to succeed where others of his age might fail. A classic spy movie that is equal parts amusement and a time piece as you’ll get to see the colonial British viewpoint of other countries, and therefore people, as satellites of the homeland, this film is a genuinely fun love note to the spy film genre.

Topaz

Woman in a purple gown in Hitchcock's Topaz

A constant feeling of an ever-tightening noose built from tension fuels Topaz from start to finish. With spycraft being practiced everywhere, Cuba becomes the target and prize of the brutal power play between America and Russia. With a mercy killing as one of the tender moments, the sacrifice of the killer and the victim translates in any language as an act of love. A truly classic spy movie that brings the reality of the closeness of Communist controlled Cuba to the present day audience and makes it feel as threatening as if it was a current event.

Torn Curtain

Julie Andrews in a plaid scarf and Paul Newman in a black suit

The Cold War is zooming along just fine as the Russians and Americans square off with a few of their pawns in Torn Curtain. With an emphasis on outwitting versus outgunning, this classic spy movie makes the most of brains while still creating many terse moments from the environment of communism that the protagonist and his girlfriend find themselves surrounded by. The spark that should reside between Newman and Andrews seems to misfire with occasional moments of heat but luckily the intrigue holds the heat and is skillfully carried off throughout the film.

Remo Williams:  The Adventure Begins

Cranky and curmudgeonly meets the immovable object in Remo Williams: The Adventure Begins and greatness is born. Not many movies made past the concept of equality would think to cast a Caucasian actor for the role of Asian martial arts master but this film embraces the hell out of that idea. Joel Grey gets hit with the makeup stick and then proceeds to hit Remo Williams with every imaginable stick in order to get him into super agent shape. An underrated ’80s action movie that makes the most out of the anti-hero role and pulls out enough fun to make this movie something to be appreciated and even loved.

Next of Kin

Long after the Earth’s curtain call, there will still be a satellite somewhere transmitting Road House, the cousin film of Next of Kin, on fifty channels. This explains why an excellent movie on country boy vengeance got overlooked as it was buried under a swarm of kids running to the hardware store to figure out how to put knife tips in their boots. The action has the best part of violence for the audience in that it in justified classic revenge and that makes it easy to rationalize why you’re rooting for Patrick Swayze to mete out punishment. A human take on the country mouse in the city tale with plenty of violence and enough arrows to make any Dukes of Hazzard fan happy, Next of Kin should hold a spot of honor in the hearts of action films everywhere.

Gleaming the Cube

Not content with inspiring the audience to take up skateboarding, Gleaming the Cube also showed that family isn’t limited to a certain color and that’s both beautiful and cheesy goodness that should be voraciously consumed. With a plethora of visually fun stunts that range from the simple to the complex and a nice goofy mystery, this is clearly one of the underrated action movies of the ’80s. This film has Christian Slater, which gives it enough ’80s street cred to deal with any minor plot bumps all while doing a front side power slide into cinematic history.

Young Sherlock Holmes

Outside of the privacy of your own home, you want to be careful when throwing around the word “romp” as the Victorian era police might beat you senseless with their nightsticks. Luckily here in the safe, warm blanket of anonymity that the internet provides it is fine to say that this movie is an insane romp that doesn’t ignore the core of the Sherlock Holmes mythos while still adding enough of its own accoutrement to make the story its own. Equal parts mystery and character study, Young Sherlock Holmes is a thinking man’s action movie that deserves much more recognition so it can leave the realm of the underrated ’80s action movie and move on to a career in middle management, possibly in accounting.

Supergirl

There are times when a movie sets itself up to be underrated and that is evident in Supergirl as the actress playing the titular role gets second billing. With this film you get a double shot of powerful females in the roles of the heroine and the villain.  Both actresses give this dichotomy their full attention with excellent performances that bring life to the eternal dance of good versus evil and spandex versus evening wear. The male performances are the picture perfect equivalent of their female counterparts in male-centric action movies of this time period as the guys in Supergirl are now the ditzes and subordinates. This role reversal proves both touching and hilarious; as turnabout isn’t just fair play it’s also satisfying to the audience.

Code Name Zebra

In the field of grammatical ambiguity in the phrase “bad movie police chases,” there’s the distinction between police chases in bad movies, and bad movies with police chases in them. By most accounts, Code Name Zebra falls into the latter category. The central police chase is typical low budget nonsense, but take a look at this premise—a band of Vietnam veterans pose as African Americans in order to fight crime. That’s it. They’re like superheroes, but instead of superpowers they’re just really racist. Any police chase in this movie would qualify as a bad movie police chase.

Hero and the Terror

At the risk of breaking the internet, we’re including at Chuck Norris movie in this list of bad movie police chases. “I thought Chuck Norris specialized in bad movie karate fights,” you’re thinking. Well, Hero and the Terror was The Chuck’s attempt to break out of his martial arts pigeonhole and into something … edgier. The plot is about chasing a serial killer known as The Terror, and the car chases in the movie are as inept as you might be imagining.

Street Knight

Any study of bad movie police chases wouldn’t be complete without Cannon Films, which has produced more than one of the movies on this list. Street Knight is part of the illustrious career of one Jeff Speakman, who knows a thing or two about bad movie police chases. As an added bonus, he knows karate as well. We don’t know if he ever had a showdown with Chuck Norris, but he definitely holds his own in the field of bad movie police chases.

Taxi

The crown jewel in the crown of Jimmy Fallon/Queen Latifah collaborations, Taxi is probably the least obscure movie on this list of bad movies police chases. You probably remember seeing the trailer, although chances are you never saw the movie. It was a “bomb” in industry jargon, and it has a lot of slick, anonymous car chases in it. Who has time to construct a good chase scene when you need to save precious film for Jimmy Fallon?

Polk County Pot Plane

Sometimes all it takes is a good title to stand out for a list of bad movie police chases. And if Polk County Pot Plane isn’t a good title, we don’t know what is. The bad movie police chases in this one are sub-Dukes of Hazzard, with a lot of shakey inside-the-car shots and footage of cars being flipped and crashed into one another. But with a title like that, we feel bad including it in a list of bad movie police chases.

Sometimes it seems like the art of bad movie police chases is lost in today’s modern times. But then, remember that one of the movies on this list is less than ten years old—Taxi. It seems like there will always be a market for bad movie police chases. And hopefully we’ll always be here to chronicle them.


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Ferrari F355

This fine automobile is one of the only Fast and Furious cars to appear in both The Fast and the Furious, and its sequel, 2 Fast 2 Furious. Driven by Neal Moritz, the Ferrari F355 has a top speed of 183 miles per hour, which definitely earns it the title of “fast,” if not “furious.” And the F355 if almost tailor-made for the street-racing depicted in the movie, since it has a “F1-style gearbox management system, taken directly from Formula 1 racing.

Mazda RX-7

The Mazda RX-7 is the other Fast and Furious car to appear in the first and second movies. And unlike the F-355, it was actually used in a race scene in both movies, albeit with a different color scheme in the sequel. If you’re interested in such things, the RX-7 was listed on Car and Driver magazine’s Ten Best list a total of five times, which is probably more than can be said with whatever you’re driving to work.

Dodge Charger

Probably the most famous Fast and Furious car, the Dodge Charger has been in a lot of movies besides the Fast and Furious series. Most famously, it appeared in perhaps the definitive “car movie,” Bullitt, starring Steve McQueen. (The bad guys drove it.)  But the Dodge Charger in The Fast and the Furious might also seem familiar to fans of The Dukes of Hazzard, since the model in the movie is the same as the infamous “General Lee.” How are them Fast and Furious boys gonna get out of this one?

Nissan Skyline GTR

This Fast and Furious car makes an appearance in the most recent entry in the series Fast Five. Inspired by the Nissa Skyline range, it’s nicknamed “Godzilla,” presumably because of the ease in which it can be made to rampage through downtown Tokyo. When the Fast & Furious was first released the Skyline was not legally available for import into the USA, which only added to the cool factor.

Nissan GTR R35

This is the latest automobile to earn the GTR badge (although the first legally available in the USA), and it’s also one of the latest Fast and Furious cars, also appearing in Fast Five. And unlike some of the other Fast and Furious cars, this is a new model. It might make a good birthday present for someone special—or if it’s out of your price range, maybe a couple Fast and Furious DVDs.

City Lights

Charlie Chaplin‘s City Lights may not be a “boxing movie” per se, but it does have at least one fantastic boxing scene, which takes place in the movie after Charlie’s Little Tramp wanders into a boxing venue after losing his job. And it might not be “realistic” per se, but it’s just as if not more entertaining than most more realistic boxing scenes in other movies. The Tramp uses some unorthodox methods in the ring, including hiding behind the referee. And the resulting scene is not only one of the funniest boxing scenes of all time, but one of the funniest comic set pieces of any kind ever filmed! The next time some guy at a party says boxing is just two idiots hitting each other, show him this boxing scene.

The Set-Up

One of the first movies to really depict the brutality of the sport in its boxing scenes–something we modern movie goers take for granted nowadays–and the fact this film was made in the 1940s definitely makes it worth checking out today. The boxing scenes in The Set-Up show punches landing and blood flowing in a way that was never seen outside of a real boxing ring. And that brutality isn’t just in the ring–the way director Robert Wise depicts the bloodthirsty members of the crowd is what really hits home. The boxing scenes may be violent, but they’re never violent enough for the people in the stands.

Rocky

Sylvester Stallone‘s breakout role, Rocky Balboa, is probably what most people think of when they hear “boxing movie.” Somewhat surprisingly, the slick and sometimes fake-looking boxing scenes in the Rocky movies aren’t exactly the best in the business–it’s arguable that most people are more responsive to Rocky’s quasi-triumph over adversity and his actual-triumph over his own weaknesses outside the ring. Still, no study of boxing scenes would be complete without Rocky, since they’ve been hugely influential on boxing scenes in movies and on TV in the years since then. And to all who say the boxing scenes “look fake”: We hope you never run into Stallone’s fists. 

Raging Bull

Martin Scorsese’s Raging Bull famously only has about ten minutes of boxing scenes in it, but the pitch-perfect performances from Robert De Niro along with the just-as-perfect cinematography still qualifies it as perhaps the best boxing movie ever made. Scratch that — one of the best movies ever made, period. And the boxing scenes in it do not disappoint; each of Jake LaMotta’s matches have a strong visceral impact that makes the viewer feel like he’s in the ring — either sharing the glory of victory, or being pounded into a pulp. These boxing scenes have an expressionistic impact that’s never really been duplicated. Remember when Jake’s opponent gets his nose punched to the other side of his face? Scorsese shows no mercy at the sight of the blood spraying from his head. Or how about the torrent of blood that sprays all the way into the stands?! Hyperstyled? Sure, but name one realistic boxing scene that’s more powerful than the ones in Raging Bull? That’s what I thought. 

The Fighter

As previously mentioned, different filmmakers who attempt to put their marks on boxing scenes try different approaches. In the case of David O. Russell, director of The Fighter, authenticity was the name of the game. The boxing scenes therein are designed to look as much like the original HBO broadcasts of the fights as possible, right down to using similar cameras to film the fights. Sometimes, Russell steps out of this TV-style in order to bring the viewer into the ring — particularly memorably for a super-slow-motion shot of a punch — but even then, realism and authenticity are the chief objectives. That and nailing those Boston accents, of course.

So there you have it. Luckily for any boxing scene fan, there are literally dozens more boxing movies to explore, and almost all of them have at least one boxing scene. And there are more coming out all the time. Just remember, kids, don’t try this at home.

Wonder Woman

Wonder Woman is pretty much the first character anyone thinks of when the subject of “women superheroes” is brought up (and honestly, has a day gone by when this subject hasn’t entered your conversation at least once?). This isn’t because she was the first female superhero, or even the best. But for whatever reason, she shook out as being the most famous, and why not? She’s got a nice patriotic thing going with her costume, and she’s also got a healthy dose of S&M with that truth lasso. Her most famous screen iteration is the ’70s TV series starring Linda Carter, but that could change if the upcoming TV … yeah, that’s probably not gonna change.

Spider-Woman

Women superheroes are often burdened by being mere reflections of their male counterparts. In this instance, Spider-Woman is obviously intended as a female Spider-Man, and there’s no point in even trying to get around it. Unlike many women superheroes, however, Spider-Woman has managed to be her own gal for quite a while, even getting her own motion comic “Spider-Woman: Agent of S.W.O.R.D.” And no, there’s no relation between her and Kiss of the Spider-Woman. That’s a different Spider-Woman.

All The Female X-Men

The X-Men series has brought possibly the most women superheroes to the screen. Jean Grey, Storm and Rogue are the most famous, but there have been several others in the series, which includes the recen X-Men: First Class. Not only do these women superheroes have to deal with the pressure of being mutants, protecting those that hate and fear them, they also have to deal with the pressures of being women! Would it be an exaggeration to say that watching the X-Men movies makes you a brave feminist crusader? No, no it would not.

The Tiger Woman

Unlike the other women superheroes on this list, it’s very possible that you’ve never even heard of The Tiger Woman. That’s probably because instead of originating in comics or on TV, The Tiger Woman comes from the lost art of the adventure serial. In a 12-chapter serial in the 1940s called The Tiger Woman, The Tiger Woman thrilled adventure-loving kids all over the country with her costume cat ears and she-Tarzan style. The Tiger Woman is not only one of the more obscure women superheroes, but she also might make a cool Halloween costume idea for your girlfriend. Run it by her, see what happens.

Batgirl

Some women superheroes are proud, upstanding symbols of female empowerment. Then again, some women superheroes are played by Alicia Silverstone in universally despised Joel Schumacher Batman movies. Batgirl was never a particularly interesting character, being basically Robin with boobs, but she is a female who wears a cape and fights crime, so she makes the list. Holy affirmative action, Batman!

Now you have at least some idea of the women superheroes that have made it to the big screen. Could all of these women superheroes hold their own against Batman, Superman, or Spider-Man? We don’t know, but we wouldn’t advise you bet against them. They’ve made it this far, after all.