Bear in mind that this list contains the opinions of only one passionate movie follower. It is by no means absolute. So, if you agree/disagree then please add your own comments to the form.

25. Ray Quirk vs The Number 5 Bus-

"The Specialist"

In terms of developing the plot of the movie this scene was utterly pointless, but who cares? As ever, Sly Stallone plays the nice guy with muscles, and kindly gives up his seat to a pregnant lady who is left standing- bless him- but along comes some inconsiderate goon to jump in the seat to the astonishment of surrounding passengers. You can guess what happens next...

24. Dutch vs The Predator-

"Predator"

If it bleeds, Arnie will kill it. In this, possibly his toughest challenge yet, he does battle with an outer space warrior who likes to skin his victims alive, and save the skulls to show his brothers and sisters back home. It's safe to say this isn't a routine victory for Arnie, who is picked up by the throat, tossed around like a rag doll, and beaten senseless for a majority of the fight. A classic man vs monster spectacle, which notches up another victory for the human race. Right on!

23. Joe Hallenbeck vs Some Cocky Moron-

"The Last Boy Scout"

In this hilarious scene, Hallenbeck (Bruce Willis) has been captured by the mob and asks for a cigarette. He gets his wish, but is takes a couple of knocks to the jaw for his trouble. He kindly warns the guy "If you touch me again I'll kill you." But does he listen?

22. Mickey O'Neill vs Good Night Anderson- "Snatch"

"One Punch Mickey" has been given orders not to knock out his opponent and throw the fight, or feel the wrath of "Brick Top".

21. John Spartan vs Simon Phoenix-

"Demolition Man"

In the year 2032 violence and crime is virtually unheard of. Fortunately for us, Wesley Snipes and Sylvester Stallone, who were both cryonically frozen in prison, are woken up and begin to slug it out in an epic final battle which leaves Phoenix (Snipes) decapitated. Awesome.

20. Trevalyan/006 vs James Bond/007-

"Goldeneye"

In easily my favourite Bond film, Trevalyan (Sean Bean) does battle with 007 (Pierce Brosnon) with both men having personal scores to settle. Oooo you can feel the tension. For England James?

19. Tyler Durden vs Narrator-

"Fight Club"

I was always confused to how a person with a split personality could pull himself along the floor with his own hair. Anyways, the final scene where the film's unnamed protagonist (Ed Norton) brutally kicks the crap out of "himself" is still pretty awesome. If you haven't seen Fight Club where the hell have you been?

18. Daniel LaRusso vs Johnny Lawrence-

"The Karate Kid"

Who hasn't tried the crane kick? Daniel, barely able to stand, takes it Johnny and wins the all valley karate championship, even gaining respect from his opponent. Of course, all the credit should go to his mentor Mr Miyagi. What a legend.

17. Maximus Decimus Meridius vs Commodus- "Gladiator"

Father to a murdered son, husband to a murdered wife; and he will have his vengeance. The so called "slave" Maximus (Russell Crowe) is trained with formidable combat skills, which lead to his rise in popularity with Rome's blood thirsty audience, and the eventual overhaul of the ruthless emperor Commodus (Joaquin Phoenix)

16. Frank Leone vs Gateway Prison Guards-

"Lock Up"

A man can only be pushed so far until he reaches breaking point. One night a stranger in a wheelchair visits Leone's cell and informs him that the Warden made a deal to reduce his jail time, and in exchange, this stranger will rape his girlfriend Melissa. Not taking this too well, Leone goes berserk and tries to escape, but is soon captured by the guards. It's 3 on 1 but he still comes out on top. Let's not forget the classic line "Rape This!" preceding a blow to the family jewels. Gets me fired up every time.

15. T-800 vs T-1000-

"Terminator 2: Judgement Day"

In short, but brilliant scene, John Connor's protector and killer first meet at the Galleria. They proceed to shoot each other senseless and smash up the decor. Why use humans when you can use robots. Sorry, I mean "Cybernetic Organisms".

14 John Rambo vs Some Dude in Thailand-

"Rambo III"

The rest of the movie wasn't much cop, but shortly after the opening credits Rambo ignites our screens with an explosive stick fight. Why use fists?

13. Bruce Lee vs Bob Wall-

"Enter The Dragon"

In this one sided contest Bruce Lee straight up owns his opponent. Watch him dance.

12. Jake LaMotta vs Sugar Ray Robinson-

"Raging Bull"

The biography of real life boxer Jake LaMotta boasts that he was never knocked down once. Here, the brutal fighter is played by Robert De Niro and takes the beating of his life from his most famous opponent Sugar Ray Robinson. And still he stands.

11. Chun Li vs Vega- "Street Fighter II: The Animated Movie"

Not to be confused with that crock of shit live action adaptation starring Van Damme, this brilliant animated movie stays true to its video game roots, and has some of the best fight scenes in anime history that I've witnessed. Watch in awe.

10. Gino Felino vs Everyone-

"Out For Justice"

Before Steven Seagal piled on the pounds and started playing the guitar he went into American bars and kicked everyone's arses just for the hell of it. The pick of his fights comes when he is on the search of Richie Madano, who foolessly shot his cop friend in broad daylight. He walks into a bar, asks a few questions, slaps a few people around, and even breaks jaws with a pool ball in a hanky. Hilarious.

9. Tang Lung vs Colt -

"Way of the Dragon"

Aside from the very disturbing moment when Chuck Norris strips down to reveal his insanely hairy chest, this is a must see.

Lung (Bruce Lee) is matched all the way, but eventually defeats Colt, who is then covered with his white gi to represent respect and admiration. A good fight gentlemen. Next time bring the wax.

8. Rocky Balboa vs Tommy Gunn-

"Rocky V"

Ok, this one is going to cause some controversy. I could have quite easily included every one of the fights from films I-VI but I've selected this one because it sees Rocky with his classic "street fighter" persona. He came from the gutter and, due to bankruptcy, he ends up back there, taking under his wing the up and coming fighter Tommy Gunn. When Tommy dumps his mentor and sells out; thus failing to gain respect from the fans he goes hunting for Balboa and challenges him to a fight. Reluctant at first, Rocky walks back to the bar, only for Paulie to get a crack to the jaw for getting involved. "You knocked him down now why don't you try knocking me down now?" says Rocky. Into the alley they go. Completely unrealistic, but I still love it. Nothing like seeing a guy with a mullet get his arse kicked by a down-on-his-luck-snow-white-underdog.

7. John Matrix vs Bennett-

"Commando"

In quite probably the most over the top action movie in cinema history, Arnold Schwarzenegger has taken out the entire world's army and is now one on one with a guy who wants to "shoot him in the balls." On the contrary, Arnold would prefer if he "stuck a knife in him." It all gets a bit homoerotic in the end, but you still got to love it.

6. Raphael vs Leonardo-

"TMNT"

Despite its critics, I loved the new Turtles movie, and I'm not even that fond of CGI. In this brilliant scene, Raphael has had enough of Leonardo being the big leader of the Turtles clan and sticks it to him. The animation is wonderful, and its great for nostalgia seeing two classic cartoon characters slog it out in a contemporary form. There ain't no room for grown men in Jim Henson suits here; the turtles have an edge, and are as cool as ever.

5. Sean Archer vs Castor Troy-

"Face/Off"

One of the most insane action movies ever made. Castor Troy (Nicolas Cage) has been relentlessly pursued by FBI agent Sean Archer for years after the execution of his son. Troy is arrested, but has been knocked into a coma, and things get messy when the FBI discover his briefcase and the plans to blow up Los Angeles. Archer must assume the physical appearance of his sworn enemy and find out the location of the bomb by interrogating Troy's brother in prison. Unfortunately, Troy then wakes up from his coma and foils Archer's plan; this all results in a spectacular final cat and mouse chase scene that ends up on the beach, where Archer (who is really Troy) and Troy (who is really Archer) beat the living crap out of each other. You get me?

4. Ellen Ripley vs The Alien Queen -

"Aliens"

All be it with the aid of a cargo loader, Ripley had some balls taking on the queen of the alien nest. Even with a squad of trained marines getting their arses kicked beyond belief, and the previous experience of the Alien taking over her ship, she wasn't bothered. In this, one of the most intense and accomplished science fiction films ever made, the female heroine and the alien end up tumbling into a large airlock, which Ripley then opens, expelling the queen into space. Not bad for a woman eh?

3. Nick DiMarco & Kristi Jones vs Stingray-

"Undeletable"

Regrettably, I am yet to see the entirety of this film, but this heavily overracted and deliberately stereotypical (well at least I think it is) fight scene was brought to my attention via the internet. Some dude named "Stingray" licks his knife and does battle with a police officer, and then this chick gets involved. Its all pretty ridiculous, but I loved every minute of it.

2. Rocky Balboa vs The USSR-

"Rocky IV"

In another ridiculously over the top fight scene, The Italian Stallion manages to overcome superhuman strength of Ivan Drago (Dolph Lundgren), and the entire country of Russia to defeat Communism once and for all. It's all very American, and all very patriotic, and the ranks easily at the top of many people's guilty pleasures list for entertainment value.

1. Martin Riggs vs Mr. Joshua-

"Lethal Weapon"

Even after all these years I am yet to see a better man-on-man fist fight than this hardcore encounter on Detective Murtaugh's front lawn. Mel Gibson and Gary Busey go at it like animals while the police crowd around and watch; there's everything from dropkicks, headlocks, elbows, headbutts, poles to the face; this is how fight scenes should be done.

There are a few rules, because there always are. First is no powers. That's a bye bye to Vader & Skywalker, Spider-Man, Superman and all the rest. Second is no gadgets or toys. Bond, Batman, and the Ghostbusters, this means you. You're only allowed to use the common tools and technology of the time. There are some others who definitely belong in the club. Don't worry, they'll be given their BAMF badges soon. Samuel, it'll be in the mail by next week. This isn't politics so that's enough of the red tape and legal jargon.

 

Martin Riggs & Roger Murtaugh

 

There are two here, but it's impossible to split them up. Anytime it does happen, anyone in the way of them reuniting doesn't live long enough to regret it. Together they've taken down mercenaries, Gary Busey, corrupt South African ambassadors abusing their diplomatic immunity, gang bangers, dirty cops, the Chinese Triad and Jet Li. Most of them while putting up with Joe Pesci's "okay okay okay." The only reason they're at number 5 is they both had armed forces training in Vietnam, including Special Forces for Riggs. So actually add Vietnam to the list of things they've survived.

There is basically nothing these two can't do. They get the job done no matter what. While taking down the laundry list of bad guys, they've been shot, stabbed, tortured, electrocuted, and that's just in Lethal Weapon 1. Shane Black, the creator of the buddy cop genre and an honorary BAMF himself, also penned the first 2 movies. Black's other credits include The Long Kiss Goodnight, Kiss Kiss Bang Bang and the Last Boy scout. Any bad guy who sees he's up against Riggs and Murtaugh just gives up now. The only thing that scares these two is growing old. As we all know, they're getting too old for it. Sadly, so are Mel Gibson and Danny Glover. No one wants to see Lethal Weapon 9: Retirement Home Justice. But I do want a LW5. Almost had it when Gibson made his racist remarks. Come on, you guys aren't too old for this yet.

The Dude

The other Jeffrey Lebowski. He doesn't bust "em up in the same way as the rest, but this tenacious little stoner won"t stop until he's solved the problem. Corrupt cripple fake millionaires, electronica bands turned nihilists, porn producers and dim-witted henchmen beware. He only has 1 movie, but it's so good that it counts as 3. His philosophy makes him all the cooler. Sometimes you eat the bar and sometimes the bar eats you. No matter what, he keeps on keeping on. Walter's rambling and overly sensitive semi-Semitic ideals don't even faze him. Donnie passes on, but the Dude keeps doing what he has to. White Russians became an instant classic thanks to him. And his acid flashbacks are well choreographed. He's not moving at break-neck speeds, but he's still an unstoppable force.

Not to mention the bowling troubles. John Turturro? He's a pederast and he's going down next Wednesday. The Dude even engages in coitus with Julianne Moore and brings the best line ever spoken by Tara Reid. The one that would make all of us find a cash machine. Part of his power might be derived from keeping his mind limber. A variation of f- is used 281 times. Oh yeah, and he makes witty remarks when strangers shove his head in the toilet. If that's not a BAMF maneuver, I don't know what is.

Ripley

In space, no one can hear you scream. But everyone has seen her kick the acid blood out of the Aliens, or Xenomorphs. Alien is the perfect natural killer. Its prey turns into its host. If you hurt it, the acid blood kills you. It can climb on walls and ceilings; it's fast, strong and tough. Razor sharp teeth and tail, it can hide in the shadows or small shafts, or just kill everything in a room in about 3 seconds. You take down one of these and you're BAMF material. Take down dozens, including queens, and the organization can't survive without you. Her most shining moment has to be the end of Aliens, where she does the right things to beat the queen. She gears up first, getting plenty of normal rounds, flame thrower and maybe some grenades. When she passes the face-huggers on the ground, she drops the flares to make sure they're dead instead of assuming they are and getting killed because of it. She goes back, saves Newt and kills the whole colony of xenomorphs.

She's not just the bane of Aliens everywhere cause she can take them down after they kill a whole platoon of marines though. Her ability to think and adapt is also great. The android from Alien was a corporate tool in a few ways, but she still learns to trust Bishop later on. She recognizes not to trust all Bishop androids though, as seen at the end of 3. She's even willing to make the ultimate sacrifice to make sure the company doesn't get its hands on an Alien, which would lead to them killing billions more across the galaxy. True, Resurrection is a strike against her. There's no denying that. The rest are good enough to make up for it though. And, she had enough sense to stay away from the Alien vs. Predator disaster. AVP2 was better, but the first was just so bad.

Those of you looking back at the rules and saying that Ripley used some nifty gadgets and toys are both right and wrong. She does, but the technology is common at that time. Most of it is primitive for that time. She's cruising around in spaceships with suspended animation and the best thing she has is modified radar or a mining suit. Most of the time she's got fire or a gun. Even we have fire and guns.

John McClane

So I couldn't choose who would be #2 or #1, so I'll go the NFL wide receiver route and make it option 1 or option 1A. General consensus would probably put the remaining BAMF as the sole #1, but the general consensus isn't writing this.

He's saved people from L.A. to New York to D.C, from sea to shining sea. He has no special training; he's a New York beat cop. He's not the smartest guy around or very tech-savvy. He loves his family and he hates bad guys. He's John McClane and he's 100% certified BAMF. One on one, he'll take anybody down. It's hard to believe that there were serious doubts about Bruce Willis in an action role. But back then he was seen as a comedy guy from Moonlighting. Now, he is the action genre. Movies are described as Die Hard on a boat (Under Siege), Die Hard on a train (Under Siege 2: Dark Territory), Die Hard on a plane (Snakes on a Plane!). Bruce Willis was actually option #5 for Die Hard. Check imdb. As everyone knows, if it's on there it must be true.

Here's the resume: Beats Hans Gruber and a dozen other highly trained, well financed faux terrorist thieves. Al helps, Ellis dies. Everyone is happy when Ellis dies. Beats an ex-colonel who's turned traitor, his group of elite commandos, a corrupt major and his group of elite commandos. Saves Holly's plane and every other plane except the one Miles O'Brien was piloting. Al helps a little bit. Hans Gruber's brother Simon comes at him with a squadron of terrorists and mercenaries. Runs through all of Simon's games, defeats small army. No help from Al this time, but lots of help from SamueL. Defeats helicopter with a six-shooter and electric wire. Beats former DoD super computer genius and some other exaggerated baddies. This time defeats helicopter by driving a car into a concrete pillar, which ramps it instead of crashing it. Random craziness with a semi and F-15. Kevin Smith cameo.

The best is clearly the original rumble in the Nakatomi building. Everything about that is perfect action. Even Carl Winslow learns a lesson. The same lesson as McClane in the movie - shoot people. Second best is his New York romp with former 2nd unit stand in for Bill Cosby, SamueL. Let's not bring up Live Free or DH. McClane's infinite toughness really boosts him up. He's shot, runs barefoot through broken glass, shot a whole lot more, ejected from an exploding plane, dropped onto a barge and that craziness with the jet fighter. And he keeps going. Any sort of emergency, give me John McClane and I'll be happy watching him save the day and shoot everyone in his way.

 

Indiana Jones

 

It's a shame that so many on this list have one movie that counts against them instead of for them. Crystal Skull, Live Free or DH, A: Resurrection, and LW4. But it proves not even Hollywood milking these BAMF's dry can stop them.

This was almost called the INDY club, that's how good he is. He takes down Nazis like they're Lego's. Solves legends from two major religions. He found the Ark of the Covenant and the Holy Grail, and he's still a down to Earth guy. He can beat the living daylights out of you and give you a history lesson at the same time. And make history come to life. More recently, he took down some commies, but let's focus on the good times. The times before Lucas' infinite crazy was allowed to run unhinged. Indy has completely smashed the bad guys and saved the day on 5 different continents. Very few others can make that claim. He hasn't gone down under, but what's he going to solve there? Everyone knows who ate the baby. And Antarctica, there's no archeological artifacts down there despite what AVP says. I told you, AVP is terrible. Indy wins on land, sea and air. He's got it all.

If you can find the Ark, you're already in. Keep it out of the Nazis hands and you're a legend. Smart enough to survive the opening of the Ark, then there's not even a word to describe you. He saves kids from evil Thuggee cults and returns the Sankara stones to save the village. He survived the trails to find and was knowledgeable enough to get the true Grail. It's arguably as good as the Monty Python quest for it. And his dad is Sean Connery. He's the son of James Bond for crying out loud. He can solve any mystery, defeat any enemy and recover any treasure. There's really no explanation needed. He is the BAMF chief. None of the wannabes (National Treasure, Lara Croft, The Librarian) can even see him, much less touch him. Long live the king.

Therefore, when there is an episode of violence caused by a female action hero it is not the same as what we see when there is an episode of the same kind originated by a male one. Like it was implied before, in the latter type there is usually more gore, more blood, more brutality, whereas in the former there is usually not so much of any of that. Gina Arnold explains it very nicely in her article “Bad Ass Girls on Film - Is it a Good Thing When Women Beat the Crap Out of Men at the Movies,” by saying that the violence that we find in a female action hero movie “lacks the viciousness we tend to associate with fighting [and it is] stripped of danger and cruelty and the ugly and mean competitiveness that taints the violent actions of the male world.” What is more, male action heroes happen to get hurt more often and more seriously than female ones: Bruce Willis' character in “Die Hard” lacerates his feet severely after having to walk barefooted over broken glass; Mel Gibson's one is tortured in “Lethal Weapon”; Brendan Fraser's one in “The Mummy” is sentenced to death by hanging and just as he is being hanged they revoke the sentence so they cut the rope and he lives, but he still went through the torture. We practically never see any of these severe wounds or acts of brutal aggression happening to female action heroes, but we do see it happening often to vulnerable or fragile female victims in many movies. However, when we do see things like these happening to female action heroes, the movies which includes them do not seem to receive the acceptance of the audience. Such was the case of the movie previously mentioned “The Long Kiss Goodnight,” in which Geena Davis' character, Charly, is tortured and also receives one too many punches which covered her in bruises and blood. We must wonder what the reason for this lack of acceptance is. Perhaps it is that we are still not ready to see a woman who appears to be so strong and fearless in such a vulnerable position, since this is exactly what we have seen for years in movies where women were the victims. The audience wants something new, and that is why they like female action heroes.

What we can conclude from this is that there is a noteworthy importance placed on the hero's body. Susan Jeffords claims in her book Hard Bodies: Hollywood Masculinity in the Reagan Era that “what determines a hero is the possession of a hard body. Though other characters may be quick-witted, charming, experienced, or clever, without the hard body to go with, they cannot be heroes.” Notwithstanding, this may be true for male action heroes, but it is certainly not the case for female ones, as has been already analyzed and explained. Female action heroes are all of what Jeffords mentions, plus they have the hard body. Moreover, they have the beauty and sex appeal that women naturally possess and they make it work to their advantage. And this beauty and their well shaped bodies are probably the equivalent to the focus on the body that we see occurring in male action heroes: the latter get hurt, and the former look pretty.

What the sophisticated and attractive character played by Julia Robert in this potboiler sees in Gibson, to let him get anywhere within 10 feet of her, is unclear. But no matter how nutty his utterances, Alice Sutton (Roberts) seems intrigued. Well, otherwise we wouldn't have a story.

Even though I wasn't thrilled with the character Gibson was playing, I hated to see him tied with duct tape to a wheelchair with his eyes propped open, and being tortured by a cluster of 'spooks'. After his miraculous escape from that situation, it isn't long before he's minding his business in Midtown Manhattan when he suddenly notices a black helicopter has swooped down to 50 feet above street level, and 4 or 5 guys are coming down on ropes to get him. This is the height of unreality and reminded me more than anything else of the comical "Men in Black". The very idea that these spook-propelled black helicopters would disgorge a pack of men on ropes, and nobody on the crowded street would think twice about it, or even seem to notice, is the height of unbelievability.

You can only suspend your disbelief for so long, and then you start disbelieving everything. I did have a hard time accepting Patrick Stewart's performance as a creepy bad guy in this film. Obviously he didn't want to be typecast forever as ultra-good-guy Picard on "Star Trek : The Next Generation", but is it wise to go to the opposite extreme and play someone who is just asking to be killed? At least he wasn't asked to wear a wig. That would be frightening in the extreme - Patrick Stewart with a full head of hair, albeit a wig!

One thing I did NOT appreciate about this movie is the ambiguity of the trick ending, about whether the main characters go happily off into the sunset or not. (I am trying NOT to give away the endings, even while needing to talk about them in these reviews!) But it is NOT an ending where the good guy is kissing the girl, let's put it that way, and it follows a nasty trick of making the audience think the hero is dead for sure. It sure does look like one of those bullets catches him right in the heart!

Our female star finds a little pin attached to a piece of cloth which may imply her lover is still alive, because who else would have put it there? But that is a weak, weak ending. Meanwhile, our hero views the lady from the vantage point of the back seat of a spook-driven car, but wouldn't it have been nicer if Jerry and Alice had just gotten a chance to hold hands as they went off into the sunset? They could have both been on horseback. Or both in the back seat of a car. But not as divided up and possibly never to meet again, as the kid is from the girl he loves at the end of Spiderman, let's say, another movie I have to quibble with on this point. An ending which makes you wonder... Who's writing these scripts, anyway? Leave the ambiguity for the plot, not the ending. Make it a clearly happy ending - that would be even better!

Several of the films below have been banned for sacrilegious content, religious reasons, killing of animals, what is interpreted as "wordly"or "offensive", and violent content. Things which naturally, I do not advocate.

The reason for this list is not because I agree with these things, but rather because in my reading for this research, I've found that these films actually possess a true artistic quality not present in other movies. Alas, it may be their "realness" and authenticity in the way they have portrayed human tendencies which caused them to be banned in the first place.

I have not seen all of these movies, but aim to.

The Kite Runner - Banned in Afghanistan

This film was largely shot in Afghanistan and is about a young boy who carries the guilt of childhood betrayal all through his adulthood. The story line involves rape, extra-marital affairs, and turbulent events about the political climate of Afghanistan at the time.

A well-written and totally captivating story line. A must-see because films like these that have such a lasting effect long after they have been viewed and digested, are not often made.

Saturday Night Fever - Banned in Burma, Iran, Malaysia

This is about a troubled teenager whose life is made bearable by his constant visits to the discotheque. This film tackles real life problems faced by average people in dead-end jobs, living in societies in which they feel they no longer belong, and having friends with whom they no longer anything in common.

If only watched for the music and dancing, this is a superior film. However, it also offers a challenge to take the viewer away from fantasy, sci-fi, or unreal worlds often presented in modern films, and bring us back to one with which we are intimately familiar.

Day Of The Dead - Banned in Canada and Germany

Scientists on one hand are determined to study the living dead, soldiers on the other, are not so sure that this is such a good idea. This leads to a breakdown in the already volatile relationships between the two factions. Meanwhile, the dead are walking the earth, to see whom they may next devour.

A fantastically funny film which had me in stitches in parts, but it's the out of this world premise and accurate portrayal of human nature which earns it a place on this list.

Ben Hur - Banned in China

Two men who were childhood friends, one from a noble Jewish background, the other a Roman officer, face each other in a powerful tale about love, friendship, inner political turmoil and the strength of family.

This film is the one which marries perfectly, the intense religious story line to an unstable political theme. Not only do they run parallel with each other, but during the scenes in which they clash, they do so fantastically! A satisfaction to watch.

Bruce Almightly - Banned in Egypt, Malaysia, and Burma

A man who is unhappy with his failing life complains to God about not being treated fairly. When offered the chance by God, to do a better job, he soon realizes that he cannot handle supreme power sanely and is forced to hand his life back over to the One who can.

This film is not only hilarious, it carries a deep message, delivered in such an uncomplicated way, that it's deceptively easy viewing.

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre - Banned in Iceland, Germany, Singapore, the UK (for a period of time), and the Ukraine

The classic "stranded teens" movie. They run out of petrol in the wrong place, and at the wrong time. In a frenzy of meat hooks, noisy chainsaws, sledge hammers, and what could be interpreted as inbred freaks, the slaughter is happily unleashed.

A good laugh and an even better scare for those who enjoy this genre of film. I enjoyed it immensely, and flitted through periods where I laughed out loud, covered my eyes, stomped my feet, shouted at the screen, and became bewildered at their oblivion of walking into trap after trap after trap.

Cannibal Holocaust - Banned in (well it may be easier to say where it wasn't banned) Germany,UK, Australia, Italy, Malaysia, Morocco, New Zealand, Norway, Singapore, South Africa, Turkey, Australia, Finland

I have included this film for its social commentary and artistic values, not because I am in support of killing animals because I am not. (It was alleged that animals were actually killed during the making of this movie)

Four documentarians go to the thickest part of the Amazon Rainforest to make a film about the life of the native people, but they never return home. When the rescue mission is sent in to find them, a tape is found instead, and therein unfolds issues of rape, murder, sacrifice and brutality, but who are the real culprits?

A filmed banned in several countries, I suspect because of alleged animal killings. The film does portray fairly the depraved mind of the so called "civilised" and brings to the fore, the real issues of society as we know it.

The Passion of the Christ - Banned in Morocco, Burma, and Malaysia

Mel Gibson's film contains scenes of violence and is based on the biblical accounts of the life, arrest, trial, crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

A superb film and a beautiful credit to the producer and director. The scenes are fantastically real and evoke heart-wrenching emotions, hardly if ever, tackled in films before. It would enrich anyone who's been allowed to watch it.

The Omen - Banned in Yemen

A baby is born, but he is not the anxiously awaited son the parents hoped for. He brings violence and death, ultimately of his own mother, and is marked by the Devil's number, 666.

This first offering is a good one, and was a sort of pioneer in its time. The actors are all suitably omnious and as the story plays out, the viewer gets a feeling of someone watching you. The music, the screams, and the crisp directing, all play a part to make this film one of the most chilling of its genre.

Saving Private Ryan - Banned in Burma and Malaysia

The opening scene of this movie is explosive and emotive. Back in the US, it is discovered that 3 brothers have died in battle and that the mother is supposed to receive all the notices on the same day.

It is also discovered that the fourth son is missing in action somewhere in France, and a squad is immediately put together to wade through a terrible war and certain death find him and send him home.

A list of banned films which are so worth seeing couldn't be complete without this masterpiece. Powerful scenes unfold on the screen and the entire film hits you like the explosion that it is. Each scene effortlessly flows into another, and it's only during the credits at the end, when you remember to breathe, that you realise that you've been mersmerised. Totally!

The story of Apocalypto is about a struggle for a Mayan to return home. It starts with the capture of main character, Jaguar Paw. He is stuck unable to help as he and his family is taken away to an Aztec city to be sacrificed or sold to trade. Later Jaguar Paw escapes and the movie turns in to a survival struggle of one man verses a group of men. This concludes with Jaguar Paw saving his pregnant wife and son and killing off most of the group of men.

Most critics for the movie industry believe this was Gibson's best movie. It was nominated by the famous award ceremonies such as Oscars, Golden Globes, and the Critics Choice Award. They believe this is a great depiction of the the Mayan life styles. Critics think the civilization as an exciting cannibal culture:

But the film radiates a kind of electric, shamanic craziness. From the first scene, showing a tapir being brutally killed and eaten, right up to the fantastic denouement, Apocalypto never lets up: a riveting tale of proud tribesmen being captured by a brutally efficient slavemaster attack-squad, then tied up and led to the capital: fresh meat for the 24/7 human sacrifice operation with its continuous waterfall of blood, maintained by a desperate oligarchy in order to propitiate the angry gods who are spoiling their crops. (Bradshaw).

This is a perfect reason how the movie portrays a bad idea. It is giving off the idea that the Mayans and Aztecs were crazy, blood thirsty, primitive men and their only goal was to spill as much blood possible. This couldn't have been so wrong. First the Mayans and Aztecs used blood to worship. They believe blood was a portal to the deceased and to their gods so they would never just kill someone without using them and their parts to please their gods. They did use captured people to sacrifice. Though the movie shows lot of people getting decapitated but was more common for captured kings and not common people (Demarest 191).

This was more popular with the Mayans. The Aztecs would murder mass quantities of people to please their gods. They also would capture people from the surrounding area and war prisoners to scarify but some say “There's no evidence that innocent women and men were harvested from the hinterlands and sold into slavery or to provide flesh for sacrifice. Generally captives appear to have been taken during war between polities” (Lovgren). It can be assumed that it wasn't too common for gangs of Aztecs to go out and find people in the jungle to scarify them.

Apocalypto is giving this idea of primitive. The Mayan culture was really advance during this time period. They were able to predict events such as eclipses and had a calendar. Does this sounds like a civilization that didn't know what it was doing? They weren't just some tribe out in the middle of the woods. Most scolars believe in this time that:

“During Classic times the Maya were an agricultural people. They hunted, but wild game was a relatively small percentage of the diet, and meat in general may have been seen as more of a luxury item. At that time, it appears that almost all the forest was maintained, manicured, and owned by somebody, and [the fact] that you have a Maya group [in Apocalypto] that doesn't practice agriculture is virtually impossible.

This shows that Mayans were intellectual people. They knew how to used tools and solve problems. They didn't just live in the middle of nowhere always having to fight to survive. They were farmers. They own huge amounts of land. They wouldn't didn't just track down their food to eat instead they grew it. A Mayan hunt wasn't just a stick hut. It had some structural strength. Their huts have said to of been, “Although houses may have been of perishable materials, they had stone foundations and were often built in cleared plazas but certainly not in the wild jungle” (Lovgren). The house would have looked a lot different than in the movie. Instead of this jungle atmosphere it would have been more open and friendly. A typical idea of how a yard and house should look with garden and open area.

Though this movie portrayed a idea of the Mayan idea. It did more damage than help their cause. It showed a typical western idea of the Mayan and Aztec idea. It showed that they were a primitive and horrible people. This couldn't have been so untrue. Their cultures were advance and did a lot of great things. From this movie, try not to believe too much of it. Instead do your own research and find out the truth of such a great culture.

The greatness of “The Patriot” starts with an affecting musical score and stunning sound effects and vivid visuals. The use of color and lighting is magnificent, from the bloody scenes to the more subtle as Martin testing his rocking chair. The first person narration also makes the film especially personal and close to the viewers' hearts. All these physical aspects make the film an incredible war suspense/drama movie.

In general, the tone of the film was intended to be suspenseful / tragic / melodramatic. It focused more on epic-like persona characterizations than the factual plots of war tactics. This could be reflected by the various types of characters portrayed in the movie, and the moving dialogues they made. There were redcoats, loyalists, lovers, priests, vagabonds, a black slave, and a Frenchman. Who could forget Benjamin Martin's line “Before this war is over - I'm going to kill you…”, and the flag scenes.

It gives us a glimpse of the thoughts and feelings of the characters whose homes are destroyed and loved-ones endangered by the war's brutality. The director all but wanted us to sympathize with real people who happened to be, unfortunately, in that horrifically eventful war past; He wishes to rekindle in us a sense of strong patriotism even at present - a strive for the good welfare of the people instead of just an empty pride of following "bloody" orders perfectly. This is the central message of the film.

On the other hand, the effectiveness of the movie's conveying of its message were obscured by some extremely violent scenes that seem to promote brutality fighting - brutality. Some critics would not pass for the scenes involving children being taught how to use rifles. Others would even disapprove of the elements such as the presence of sharp ('bloody') blade weapons.

Some people could even come to points that Ben Martin was not working for patriotism at all but for sheer personal revenge and bloodshed fanaticism - that he was a "mad killer" from the beginning. Still, the film maintains the patriotic message it had from the start, not only through its title and national (flag) elements.

Perhaps Martin wanted to kill redcoat Col. Tavington not only for his personal content but also for all the other (and prospective) colonial victims of the brutish war? The other side of Benjamin was his love for family and sense of brotherhood - American fellowship aside from his war officer heroism - evoked all over the movie. It remains an effective communication tool for general patriotism in this respect.

Yet again, the movie has its limits - once it is viewed strictly in terms of academics. Everyone could take pleasure in the film as it effectively stirs American patriotism, which anyone could relate to. However, history buffs and scholars expectant of detail will find it disappointing. Again, the film did not dwell on the factual courses of war tactics.

Only among the questions left to the mind even of a common spectator is, "Why did the French came in late?" "What happened to the British Commander-in-Chief after?" and so on. If a person is well read in the British-American Revolution, then there could be more scenes that he is expecting to see in the movie; only in vain, he would revert to his history pages for review and answers.

The emotional appeal of the film is extraordinary, but it could have been better had it its equal share of intellectual weight most especially beneficial for students. Otherwise, it is a general-viewers must-see.

There are two things you need to know before you see “Apocalypto:

1. it’s graphic.
2. it’s entirely in subtitles.

Is the graphic violence justified by the plot? Yes. Could it have been avoided and not disrupt the integrity of the film? Probably.

What about the “R” rating?

In addition to the violence there was also national-geographic-style nudity. Was it justified by the plot? Absolutely. Could it have been avoided without disrupting the integrity of the film? I think great pains were taken to minimize the nudity. The costuming was excellent and authentic enough for my uneducated eye. The nudity would have been a fact of life for the characters of the film but to us it stands out, so Gibson needed to have it but use it sparingly. He did just that.

Larger Story

I didn’t run out to see this film, but I couldn’t miss it either. The question is, “what was Gibson trying to say with his first film after ‘The Passion of the Christ?’” Was he just trying to go as far away from making a religious statement as he could so that he doesn’t get type cast? Not with the tag line, “when the end comes, not everyone is ready to go.”

This story is about primitive living in a place you have dominion over. Being taken captive by an aggressive society as a sacrifice to try and maintain their dying system. If you escape, you are pursued by an enemy who is both relentless and sadistic. Then the end comes and the system will die, but those who are brave enough have a chance for a new beginning.

The film setting and events are plausible. The Mayan empire (which lasted 2500 years) kind of faded off the scene instead of a cataclysmic end. The introduction of westerners was a final straw more than a death blow. The environment of Central America was delicate and the process Mayans had for building their amazing cities destroyed their ability to make enough food.

There is some good stuff in this movie, like the way one of our hero’s tormentors renames him, “Almost.” Over all, this is a good movie but if your major motivation in seeing it is to glean mythic truth then you are going to have to wade through a lot of violence to get there. I’m going to call this one a video pick. Watch it with remote in hand and if it gets too much push stop.