Action: 245

Die Another Day (2002), a spy film and the twentieth in the James Bond series from Eon Productions, was directed by Lee Tamahori and written by Neal Purvis and Robert Wade. The film also marked the final appearance of Pierce Brosnan as the iconic MI6 agent, with John Cleese making his debut as Q. In the movie, Bond goes undercover to infiltrate a North Korean military base where Colonel Tan-Sun Moon is dealing weapons ...

15 Minutes (2001) is an American crime film directed and written by John Herzfeld. Two former inmates, Emil Slovak and Oleg Razgul, come to the United States to claim their share of a bank robbery in Europe. While at their partner’s shabby apartment, they are denied their portion of the loot. In response, Emil fatally stabs both his partner and his wife, as Oleg captures it on video with a stolen camera. Daphne Handlova, a Czech immigrant who witnessed the murders, narrowly escapes before being caught by the killers. To conceal the evidence, Emil sets fire to the apartment. Jordy Warsaw, an arson investigator in ...

Heist (2001) is an American heist film written and directed by David Mamet. The story follows Joe Moore, the leader of a team of skilled thieves consisting of Bobby Blane, Donnie ‘Pinky’ Pincus, and Joe’s wife Fran. During a jewelry store robbery in New York City, Joe’s uncovered face is caught on camera as he attempts to distract the store’s last employee. Knowing that both the photo and a witness can identify him, Joe decides to retire from crime and escape with his wife on their sailboat. However, this doesn’t sit well with Mickey Bergman, Joe’s fence who runs a garment ...

Alias (2001–2006), a popular American action thriller and science fiction television series created by J. J. Abrams, aired on ABC for five seasons from September 30, 2001 to May 22, 2006. It received praise from critics and was listed in the American Film Institute’s top ten television programs of 2003. The show also garnered numerous awards and nominations, including recognition for its strong female characters. Along with other shows like Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Charmed, Xena: Warrior Princess, La Femme Nikita, and Dark Angel, Alias is considered to be part ...

The action film, The Fast and the Furious (2001), was directed by Rob Cohen with a screenplay by Gary Scott Thompson, Erik Bergquist, and David Ayer. It was inspired by a Vibe magazine article titled Racer X written by Ken Li. In the movie, a group of heist specialists use modified Honda Civics to steal a truck full of electronics and evade capture on Terminal Island Freeway. As this crime spree continues, LAPD officer ...

The American action crime thriller film, Shaft (2000), was both co-written and co-produced by John Singleton. In the initial investigation of Trey Howard’s brutal attack outside a restaurant in 1998, NYPD Detective John Shaft apprehends Walter Wade Jr., the son of a wealthy real estate mogul, after noticing blood on his person. Claiming self-defense, Wade is taken into custody by Shaft. While surveying the scene, Shaft notices an injured waitress named Diane Palmieri who appears to be eyeing Wade. Attempting to gather crucial information from her, Shaft is unsuccessful in coaxing a statement. A friend of ...

Gone in 60 Seconds (2000) is an American action heist film directed by Dominic Sena and written by Scott Rosenberg. Produced by Jerry Bruckheimer, it is a loose remake of the 1974 H.B. Halicki film of the same name. Car thief Kip Raines and his gang are hired by British gangster Raymond Calitri in Long Beach, California, to steal 50 high-end cars. However, their plan goes awry when Kip unknowingly leads the police to their warehouse after taking a Porsche 996 from a showroom. ...

In Mission: Impossible II (2000), a thrilling spy movie directed by John Woo, Tom Cruise takes on the roles of both producer and star. Here, bio-genetics scientist Dr. Vladimir Nekhorvich reaches out to the IMF agency to warn his old friend Dimitri (Ethan Hunt) about his employer’s nefarious plans. Biocyte Pharmaceuticals has coerced him into creating a biological weapon for their own financial gain. Desperate to stop them, Nekhorvich injects himself with the Chimera virus and carries its antidote, Bellerophon, in a bag. However, things take a dangerous turn when ...

Inferno (1999) is an American action film directed by John G. Avildsen. The opening scene features a quote about the coyote’s significance in Native American folklore, as Eddie Lomax rides on an Indian motorcycle through the open desert plain known as the Dry Lake. However, his journey takes a quick turn when the motorcycle breaks down and he is left with only his jacket, .45 pistol, and a bottle of tequila. In the midst of drinking alone in the desert, Eddie is surprised by the arrival of his friend Johnny Sixtoes, to whom he had previously sent a postcard announcing his visit. During their conversation, Eddie ...

The spy film, The World Is Not Enough (1999), is the nineteenth installment in the James Bond series by Eon Productions. It features Pierce Brosnan as the iconic MI6 agent, James Bond, and is directed by Michael Apted. In Bilbao, Bond meets with Swiss banker Lachaise to retrieve funds for British oil tycoon Sir Robert King at the request of M. While attempting to extract information from Lachaise about an MI6 agent’s assassin, Bond is interrupted by his murder. He manages to escape with the money. At MI6 headquarters in London, it is discovered that the ...

Deep Blue Sea (1999) is an American science fiction horror film directed by Renny Harlin. In a remote underwater facility, doctors Susan McCallister and Jim Whitlock are conducting research on mako sharks to reactivate dormant human brain cells found in Alzheimer’s disease patients. This leads to chaos when one of the sharks escapes and attempts to attack a boat full of young adults. In response, corporate executive Russell Franklin is sent to investigate. While testing a certain protein complex removed from the largest shark’s brain tissue, Jim loses his arm when the shark awakens in the laboratory. The ...

The Siege (1998), directed by Edward Zwick, follows a fictional scenario in which New York City is plagued by terrorist attacks. FBI Special Agent Anthony Hubbard and his partner Frank Haddad find themselves at the center of the action as they intervene in a hijacking of a bus loaded with passengers and rigged with an explosive device. Despite their efforts, the terrorists manage to escape when the bomb turns out to be nothing more than paint. However, things escalate when Sheikh Ahmed bin Talal, a suspect in an earlier bombing, is demanded to be released by the FBI. As tensions rise, Hubbard clashes with CIA operative ...

The American buddy cop action film, Lethal Weapon 4 (1998), was directed and produced by Richard Donner. Pregnant LAPD Sergeant Martin Riggs and his partner Lorna Cole were not married, but the idea had crossed their minds. Meanwhile, the daughter of Riggs’ fellow sergeant Roger Murtaugh, Rianne, was also expecting a child. Due to issues with their department’s insurance carrier regarding their behavior as sergeants, Police Chief Murphy promotes them to captains. Along with Leo Getz, they stumble upon a Chinese immigrant smuggling ring after accidentally grounding an oceangoing vessel. Unfortunately, the ...

Directed by Stuart Baird, U.S. Marshals (1998) is a gripping American action crime thriller featuring a screenplay by John Pogue. In the bustling city of New York, two Diplomatic Security Service (DSS) agents meet their untimely demise during a routine briefcase exchange at a United Nations parking garage. The killer manages to escape with confidential documents, captured on security footage but yet to be identified. Fast forward several months and we find Senior Deputy US Marshal Samuel Gerard and his team successfully apprehending two fugitives in Chicago. Meanwhile, ...

The film Desperate Measures (1998) directed by Barbet Schroeder, follows the story of Frank Conner, a police officer and single father in San Francisco. In a race against time to find a bone marrow donor for his son Matt, who is battling leukemia, Frank resorts to extreme measures. He breaks into FBI headquarters and discovers a potential match in the form of Peter McCabe – a notorious sociopath serving life in prison for multiple murders. McCabe’s record includes numerous escape attempts and killings of guards and inmates, resulting in him being restricted with multiple restraints while out of his cell in ...

Hard Rain (1998), an action thriller flick by former cinematographer-turned director Mikael Salomon and written by Graham Yost, follows the story of armored truck drivers Tom and his uncle Charlie. Braving conditions of heavy rain and flooding, they are on a mission to collect money from banks in an evacuated Huntingburg, Indiana. However, things take an intense turn when they are ambushed by a gang of armed robbers led by Jim and accompanied by Kenny, Mr. Mehlor, and Ray. In the midst of chaos, Charlie calls for help but is tragically killed by Kenny while Tom narrowly ...

Ronin (1998) is a American action thriller film directed by John Frankenheimer. At a bistro in Montmartre, IRA operative Deirdre meets with two Americans, Sam and Larry, a Frenchman named Vincent, an Englishman called Spence, and a German named Gregor. The group is comprised of ex-government agents or former military members now working as mercenaries. Deirdre assigns them with the mission to steal a mysterious metallic briefcase from a heavily guarded convoy. Before carrying out the main mission, they must first acquire weapons, but this proves to be a trap. Despite surviving the setup and obtaining the weapons, Sam ...

The film Enemy of the State (1998), directed by Tony Scott, follows Senior NSA Assistant Director Thomas Reynolds as he meets with Congressman Phil Hammersley in a public park. The two discuss a controversial counterterrorism bill that would greatly increase surveillance powers of American intelligence agencies over individuals and groups. However, Hammersley remains steadfast in his opposition to the bill, arguing that the potential benefits are not worth sacrificing the privacy rights of ordinary citizens. On the other hand, Reynolds is determined to see the bill passed in order to secure a long-awaited promotion. He ...

The Peacemaker (1997), an American political action thriller directed by Mimi Leder, marks DreamWorks Pictures’ first film. During an Eastern Orthodox baptism celebration in Pale, Bosnia, the moderate Bosnian Finance Minister, who had been advocating for peace in the Yugoslav Wars, is assassinated. At a missile base located in Kartaly (Chelyabinsk Oblast), Russia, ten nuclear warheads from a SS-18 Satan ICBM are being loaded onto a train headed for a dismantling facility. However, Russian Army General Aleksandr Kodoroff and his rogue Spetznaz unit take control of the train and transfer nine of the warheads to ...

Based on the French film Nikita by Luc Besson, La Femme Nikita (1997–2001) (literally ‘The Woman Nikita’; called Nikita in Canada), is a Canadian action-drama television series. Co-produced by Jay Firestone of Fireworks Entertainment and Warner Bros. Domestic Television Distribution, it was adapted for television by Joel Surnow. The show premiered on the USA Network cable channel on January 13, 1997, and had a successful five season run until March 4, 2001. It also aired on the CTV Television ...