Brent's Top Ten Films Of 2013

I wasn’t initially going to do a top ten list this year. It seems like indulgent ego stroking, a lot of work for very little gain, and, to be honest, not only am I super busy, I’m also a lazy sack of crap. Besides, while there may be one or two movies on my countdown that you won’t find on 90% of critic’s lists, there aren’t many earth-shattering surprises. But I’m bored at work, and I have to arrange my favorite movies into some semblance of order to vote on them later anyway, so what the hell, I might as well write about them, too, while I’m at it.

Blu-Ray/DVD Review: 'Ninja 2: Shadow Of A Tear'

For the most part, my favorite style of action has been relegated to the direct-to-video market. I’m talking about that genre that was prevalent in the 1970s and 80s, where a solitary badass, sometimes with a sidekick, faces down incredible odds in order to get justice and revenge. This is the genre that gave rise to icons like Schwarzenegger, Stallone, Bruce Willis, Chuck Norris, Seagal, and Van Damme. While films of this sort are still alive and well on VOD and DTV, you don’t often see them in theaters, unless they star Jason Statham. The ticket buying public wants spectacle and CGI and giant robots roaming the streets. The reigning king of this action underground is, without a doubt, Scott Adkins. Statham may be more of a draw, but as solid a lone wolf as he is, Adkins kicks so much more ass. (Statham is, admittedly, the better overall dramatic actor.)