When That hard was released in 1998, Roger Everett gave it two stars out of four and called John McClane "Another one of those Hollywood action rolls where the hero's shirt is lifted in the first roll...." So Ebert's opinion didn't always line up with the consensus, nor did it Gene Siskel's. Moreover, sometimes their opinions did not even agree with each other At the movies, and if they didn't, there would be shouting matches. For the most part, however, they agreed, and this also applies to action movies. For example, both gave "Two Thumbs Down" to the 1998 big budget Hard rainstarring Christian Slater and Morgan Freeman, and "Two Thumbs Up" from Slater's 1990 rebellious little classic Turn up the volume.
On the other side of the coin, Siskel and Ebert knew an action classic when they saw it and were always quick to tell people to get to the theaters. And thanks to the internet, those recommendations and warnings are archived digitally, perfect for those nostalgic for the days of Blockbuster and VHS tapes. Note that war movies like Saving Private Ryan and gangster-themed crime movies, such as The godfather were excluded in favor of more straightforward promotional fare.
10 Natural killers
Oliver Stone's controversial but still relevant analysis of humanity's depravity, Natural killers, is and will continue to be an extremely divisive film. It follows Woody Harrelson and Juliette Lewis's Mickey and Mallory Knox, a deranged and bloodthirsty couple who storm across the country more violently than Bonnie and Clyde. And the movie doesn't shy away from showing off their deeds, which has the potential to ruffle a viewer's feathers. But both Chicago critics got a lot out of it at the time.
Roger Ebert wrote that once you see it, you don't see it well. In his words, "The first time is for the visceral experience, the second time for the meaning." Siskel agreed, calling it "Visually complex and thematically simple". In addition, Siskel thought the scene with comedian Rodney Dangerfield as serial killer Mallory Knox's abusive father was a highlight.
9 The refugee
One of the most intense and memorable films of the 1990s, Andrew Davis' The refugee is next to it 21 Jump Street as a definitive example of how a TV series should be adapted. With breakneck pace and top performances from Harrison Ford and Tommy Lee Jones, it's one of the best of the '90s, regardless of genre. It also features great stunt work and a handful of classic scenes, especially when Dr. Ford's Richard Kimble holds his hands above his head and yells, "I didn't kill my wife!" to Jones' Deputy Marshal Samuel Gerard behind him, who simply responds with a flat "I don't care!"
Ebert gave the film a perfect score, calling it "one of the best entertainment films of the year" and "a suspenseful, taut and expert thriller that becomes more than that, an allegory about an innocent man in a world prepared to Siskel was also a huge fan, writing, "I've already seen it The refugee twice" shortly after release, followed by "I'll probably see it again."
8 Speed
from Jan de Bont Speed is one of the most exciting and rewatchable action films of the 1990s. The same can't be said for the sequel, but considering Keanu Reeves is up for it and Sandra Bullock is still making movies that require athleticism, like The Lost Citymaybe that cruise ship disaster can be erased from memory.
Roger Ebert gave the film a perfect four-star review, calling it "An ingenious wind-up machine" and "a clever, inventive thriller...." For his part, Siskel wrote that Speed "corresponds to the merry excitement of the That hard photos." He also called Reeves "absolutely charismatic" as his LAPD SWAT team member Jack Traven "jumps through elevator shafts, under a bus speeding through LA's freeway system, and on top of a subway."
7 Die Hard 2: Die Harder
While Bruce Willis initially wanted the sequel to be more straightforward and serious than the original, Die Hard 2: Die Harder is tonally still reasonably in line. But it is also a repetition at its core. A nice repetition, but a repetition nonetheless.
This is what makes it so surprising that Roger Ebert (and Gene Siskel) got into it Die harder but not the multiple That hard. In his words: "die hard 2 is just as unlikely as the Bond pictures, and just as fun." Siskel agreed with the comparison, writing that "die hard 2 matches James Bond at his best."
6 Gold finger
Arguably the best James Bond film in a litany, Gold finger contains every aspect of the franchise that works. From beautiful cinematography to an on-point performance from Sean Connery as 007, the third film in the superspy saga set a ridiculously high bar that only Casino royale has come close.
Ebert wrote that "of all bonds, Gold finger is the best, and can serve as a surrogate for the others...and [it] contains all the elements of the Bond formula that would work time and time again." Siskel also liked Gold fingerwho cited it as a standout in his less positive reviews for both To Her Majesty's Secret Service And Golden Eye.
5 Raiders of the Lost Ark
Even in a filmography as staggeringly solid as Steven Spielberg's, Raiders of the Lost Ark scores high. It was and remains the ultimate adventure film, consistently oozing serial love through every frame. It has inspired countless other filmmakers and is a masterclass on how to keep up the pace.
In his review, Ebert gave the film the highest score possible, writing that the film "Plays like an anthology of the best cuts of any Saturday matinee series ever made." Siskel also gave the film a perfect score, writing "Raiders... is, in fact, about as entertaining as a commercial movie can be ... It's the kind of movie that first got you excited about movies as a kid. "
4 Seven Samurai
by Akira Kurosawa Seven Samurai was released the same year as Ishirō Honda's Gojira and stands as an equal testament to the power of Japanese cinema in the 1950s. The film's plot involves a group of farmers seeking a group of trained swordsmen to avert further attacks from the local criminal population and this central concept would inspire countless other classics, most notably The beautiful seven.
Ebert wrote that Seven Samurai is "not just a great film in its own right, but the source of a genre that would last for the rest of the century." Siskel was also a huge fan of the important movie, to the point that the Siskel Center had a Kurosawa double movie after his passing, featuring Seven Samurai.
3 The negotiator
When Siskel and Ebert discussed the thriller led by Samuel L. Jackson and Kevin Spacey The negotiator on At the movies, the latter called it a "tight and effective police thriller". It certainly is, and has a twist that still pays off more than 25 years later. He then went on to praise the directing and writing before calling Jackson and Spacey as "On the top of their form".
Siskel agreed, admiring the film's unpredictability and general reluctance to delve into clichés. In his words, "You have a real chess game. Played at high stakes with high tension, and it works." The negotiator is an underrated action classic from the late '90s. And while it's a little uncomfortable to watch Spacey after all his controversy, the viewer will be too caught up in Jackson's committed performance to notice.
2 The Hunt for the Red October
The Hunt for the Red October is the benefactor of several masterful technical elements that merge into a classic end product. Tight direction of the music Predatorfrom John McTiernan, one of the best film scores of the '90s, to the steely renditions of Alec Baldwin and Sean Connery, it was and remains the best Tom Clancy adaptation to date.
Roger Ebert called it a "skillful, efficient film that engages us in the clever and deceptive game at play...." This thought was largely echoed by Siskel, as was the praise for the on-screen talent and overall adherence to the complexity. of Clancy's novel.
1 Dark man
Before Sam Raimi took on the world's most famous wall crawler in Spider-Man he directed a pre-A-list Liam Neeson and Frances McDormand in his original superhero movie, Dark man. It's a movie whose quality makes it clear why the director later got a higher budget gig, as there's just as much focus on building the characters as there is on building the suspense via set pieces and face swaps.
In their review of Raimi's film, Ebert praised the film for "having a lot of original twists in it", while at the same time admitting that the story did not "compel" him. But in the end, he gave it a recommendation in the form of Raimi's direction, calling it "worth seeing." Siskel agreed with the latter point, but took it a step further by calling the film and its title character "interesting."
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