Six Classic Action Movies the Critics Got Wrong

The action genre has never been a favourite of critics and while we do now and again see agreements on stone cold classics like John Wick (2014) or The Getaway (1972) it can be hard to tell which classic action movies are worth throwing on if you go by Rotten Tomatoes alone. So, as we explode into our Action Packed Summer this July I thought I’d highlight a handful of great action films critics and audiences disagreed on.

Death Wish (1974)

Premieres July 2 at 9pm ET on HS70
Available on demand in July

When Charles Bronson redefined vigilante exploitation films in the early 70s, critics were not on board. Vincent Canby of the New York Times wrote multiple articles lambasting the film’s violence and push for vigilante justice and other critics rated it somewhere between stupid and dangerous. Audiences were hungry for violent justice though, so the film grossed $22 million and got five sequels, successfully pushing Charles Bronson back into the mainstream after years languishing in European exploitation. With hindsight we know the 70s were a real watershed moment for violence in the movies and while Death Wish still has a lot of 70s grit, it’s almost quaint to think critics worried about its influence “if it got popular.”

Road House (1989)

July 7 at 9pm ET on HS80
Available on demand in July

One of the big splits when it comes to critics and audiences in action is silliness, and it’s hard to imagine a sillier movie than this one that sees Patrick Swayze’s roadhouse bouncer pushed into a violent confrontation. You would not expect this fun action classic to have an abysmal 40% on Rotten Tomatoes, but contemporary critics barely reached beyond so bad it’s good ratings. Maybe it’s the years of replays on cable or the tragic loss of Swayze at a young age, but this silly, breezy-yet-bloody film has aged well and even in its day made $60 million on a $15 million budget and its legacy goes on in an upcoming remake with Jake Gyllenhaal.

Wheels on Meals (1984)

July 25 at 9pm ET on HS80
Available on demand in July

Some movies lack the classic reputation simply because they didn’t get solid enough distribution to be noticed by critics in their time and now have a long road to building one, such as this Hong Kong action classic. Wheels on Meals teams Jackie Chan, Sammo Hung and Yuen Biao as bumbling food truck workers and a PI all drawn into the web of a beautiful pickpocket and the violence tracking her every move. As you may expect, this film features breathtaking stunts and some of the best martial arts action of the period and yet it’s not the sort of movie you tend to see on top 10 lists because it took so long to properly get to North American action fans.

Daylight (1996)

July 6 at 9pm ET on HS90
Available on demand in July

In spite of an atrocious 26% average on Rotten Tomatoes, Sylvester Stallone’s Daylight managed to almost cross $160 million at the box office thanks disaster-hungry 1990s audiences and I think age has only made it look better. While it may have felt a bit like going through the motions in the 90s, the giant-budget practical effects, ensemble cast (featuring Viggo Mortensen, Amy Brenneman and Sly’s son Sage) and ruthlessness when it comes to good guys dying makes this a very worthy throwback watch. Also, personally, there’s something nice about a disaster movie that manages to shoehorn in drowning, toxic gas, explosions, fire, criminals and a solid dog performance in one underground tunnel.

U.S. Marshals (1998)

July 29 at 9pm ET on HS90
Available on demand in July

This action-thriller never really stood a chance with critics because it lives under an inescapable shadow as the sequel to The Fugitive, truly one of the best action movies of the 90s. The film itself though tries hard to divorce from that legacy by changing the likeable ‘man on the run’ plot to a twisty spy thriller centred on a man who the audience can’t be sure is quite as innocent as his predecessor. Wesley Snipes brings both pathos and next-level action as this outing’s fugitive from Tommy Lee Jones, while Robert Downey Jr. brings some of his usual slick charm. The procedural elements are a nice balance with its big action set pieces that deserve much more than its paltry 30% fresh rating.

Rush Hour (1998)

July 15 at 9pm ET on HS90
Available on demand in July

Nowadays Rush Hour seems like a Hollywood fait accompli, a light crowd-pleaser mixing stars from two countries that was surely destined to make hundreds of millions of dollars, but critics were a bit wobbly when it came out. On the negative side were those torn between Jackie Chan fandom, who saw the film as a dulling and narrowing of his talents, and those who saw the buddy cop movie as a a worn-out concept that lost its legs in the 80s. But, there’s something undeniable about the chemistry between Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker which floated the Rush Hour franchise for three movies and keep audiences demanding another instalment in the franchise.