Five Great Action Movies Set In Europe

It’s the summer, and this is the season where you usually see the big blockbuster action movies roll out of movie theaters all over U.S.. While fans of these thrill-a-minute films flock to theaters in droves, it seems as though they rarely ask themselves a fairly interesting question — why are most of these great action movies set in Europe?

You figure that with the diverse backdrops that the U.S. is littered with, a great action movie would find itself set anywhere in at least the 48 contiguous states. There is so much open road and highway out there in this great country, so why more action films tend to go abroad is kind of a mystery.

You can actually go online and find a treasure trove of articles citing social, psychological, and cultural theories on why Europe seems to be a mainstay in certain types of popular media with particular concentration in cinema. But academia aside, it’s also important to ask yourself, especially if you’re a fan of action films, one other big question — does it really matter where the movie is set?

The truth is that no, it really doesn’t matter. If you’re an action junkie, you want your fix of car chases, explosions, impossible stunts, and, of course, a tacked-on plot that feels a little “eh”.

Here are five great action movies set in Europe that you definitely should check out if you’re a true fan of action:

The Italian Job (original 1969 version) — The greatest cliffhanger ending ever!

The Da Vinci Code — Adapted from the Dan Brown novel, this thriller doesn’t let up at all.

Ronin — A stellar cast and some of the greatest car chase sequences ever put on film. Underrated.

The Transporter — He shouldn’t have opened the package, but you’re really glad he did, right?

District B13 — Parkour legends go nuts in this epic story about a desolate future (technically 2010).

Action movies, regardless of their setting, are all about getting you on the edge of your seat while grabbing you by the throat and never letting go. Do yourself a favor, and don’t get caught up in the details.

Click here for more action movies in Albuquerque ABQ.

5 Action Movies You Should Definitely Watch Again

Getting older can sometimes mean that we’ve missed out simple things in life like action movies. On the surface, it seems a little silly to think of action movies in this way, but action movies are one of the few ways we can truly have a blast at a movie theater. What’s more, the right action movies will have you coming back again and again because they’re just that good.

Here are five action movies that you absolutely need to see again:

Point Break — What do presidential Halloween masks, surfer dudes, the singer of the Red Hot Chili Peppers, and sky-diving all have in common? Only one of the more underrated action movies of the last twenty-five years.

Léon: The Professional — Combine crooked federal agents, murder, parental neglect & abuse, and an unsettling “father-daughter” dynamic underscored by true paternal love, and you have a film that still has teeth nearly a quarter century later.

The Matrix — No discussion about onscreen action will ever be complete without mentioning this 1999 classic. From beginning to end, this films oozes action but somehow still effectively tells a story about it may or may not mean to be human & alive.

Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon — Western audiences didn’t know what to make of it. Jokes were made about the action sequences, but no matter how much the mainstream took liberties in poking fun at it, the movie’s beauty and harrowing story-telling made this movie a massive hit in 2000.

The Terminator — The titular character was on a mission from the future and would stop at nothing to get the job done. Through cold, calculated movements & speech, the audience understood that there would be no resolution until the end.

Action movies do one thing really well — action. They are fast-paced films that get audiences hooked on a contact adrenaline high. These five are some of the best, but you owe it to yourself to head down to your local theater & check out the latest crop of action movies available.

Looking for action movies in Des Moines? Check out Flix Brewhouse today