Movies in the Action/Comedy genre

For an action comedy, it's generally advisable that the movie be (a) exciting, (b) funny, or (c) both of the above. In the case of Hit & Run, the unfortunate choice is (d) none of the above. A slow, meandering misfire of a movie, this co-directoria...

The Hitman’s Bodyguard is a throwback to the mixed-race buddy films of the 1990s. Think Bruce Willis/Damon Wayans in The Last Boyscout or Willis (again)/Samuel L. Jackson in Die Hard with a Vengeance. Those movies, and others like them, emph...

Four years ago, when I reviewed The Hitman’s Bodyguard, I described it as a fun throwback to the mixed-race buddy pictures of the late 1980s and early 1990s. Due in large part to the combustible chemistry between lead actors Ryan Reynolds (w...

The full title of Hobbs & Shaw is “Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw.” By referencing the “parent” franchise in the name, Universal Pictures reminds viewers that this is attached to the behemoth franchise that, over the course of e...

There have been some great mistaken identity films over the years – The Life of Brian, The Big Lebowski, Being There, North by Northwest. From these titles, it’s clear that the concept is pregnant with possibilities and, in the hands of a c...

We have entered the world of post-modern superheroes, where the concept of someone with special powers doing battle against the forces of evil seems quaint, almost boring. Batman is The Dark Knight. Superman is on hiatus because the most interest...

The summer blockbuster season of 2013 is over, so what do we get as we move into the dog days of August? Yet another superhero movie. If there was ever any question about their ubiquitous multiplex presence, this answers it. A sequel to the breath-...

Perhaps nothing illustrates how far Arnold Schwarzenegger’s fortunes have fallen since his return to acting than his participation in Killing Gunther, a second-tier action/comedy written and directed by ex-SNL cast member Taran Killam. This ...

Kingsman: The Secret Service is to the '60s British spy movie genre what Kick-Ass is to today's motion picture superhero movement. Part homage, part cartoonish spoof, and part high-energy actioner, Kingsman feels right at home with the likes ...

The action/comedy genre has grown in popularity over the past couple of decades, but it remains difficult for filmmakers to find a workable balance between the seemingly disparate elements of the recipe. Too much action often results in marginaliz...