Tubi is fast becoming a gold mine of straight-to-video action films, and we have 13 explosive ones for you to watch…
When it comes to action cinema, you could watch the tried and trusted classics like Die Hard and Commando, but pretty soon you’ll find yourself endlessly rewatching the same things.
Back in the 80s, a little thing called VHS came around and then in the late 90s, DVD. This opened up a whole new avenue of distribution beyond just theatrical or cable and saw a slew of genre movies (most notably action and horror) heading straight to the shelves of blockbuster video (or your local mom and pop store).
A number of them were dire, of course and visibly cheaper than their theatrical counterparts, but for genre fans, there were some action gems to discover. Time has also been pretty kind to those once deemed a bit crappy. The action genre is dying a slow death at the hands of perfunctory storytelling (even more than ever), awful production values and quality (even on seemingly more expensive straight-to-streaming star vehicles) and an over-reliance on CGI. Now all of a sudden films once considered a nadir in the careers of some action stars, now look a hell of a lot better, even if only compared to their recent works.
The less said about the modern direct-to-video action realm, the better, with flat, lifeless photography (that seems weirdly in vogue), action lacking punch (and stunts), and godawful VFX plug-ins used where practical squibs and explosions would have been used 20-30 years ago. A few last bastions like Jesse V. Johnson and Scott Adkins continue to actually deliver at the very base minimum, serviceable (and occasionally great) action films.
Nowadays, Tubi is something of a treasure trove of action cinema, and a whole heap of rollicking old video specials from the 90s and 00s have popped up there. A few of the better ones from the past decade have also appeared. Here are 13 action-packed straight-to-video films on Tubi…
Direct Action
Dolph Lundgren was in a career slump in the early noughties before ending the decade with a brief theatrical fling with his part in the Expendables franchise. In 2003 and 2004, he teamed up with Sidney J. Furie for back-to-back, wilfully routine and by-the-numbers action films (having experimented, just a little, with films like Jill Rips and Hidden Agenda, which dipped into a little cross-genre).
Of his two Furie films, Direct Action is the better picture (though Detention is an inconsistent but enjoyable Die Hard in a school flick with Dolph as a hunky teacher, scrapping with a punky gang of thieves). Here, Lundgren goes Serpico as a moralistic cop who’s about to testify against his corrupt colleagues. Of course, his life is then under threat, and consequently, his new rookie partner, played by Polly Shannon.
It’s got absolutely no visual gloss whatsoever, but that’s almost welcome when a modern equivalent might still look murky and dull or like it’s been left in log. Likewise, its meat and potatoes action set pieces aren’t hugely elaborate, but they’re physical and practical and there in camera. Meanwhile, Dolph gets to utilise his martial arts more than normal with some solid and bone-crunching fights. It’s nothing new, but the cast is good, veteran Furie lures a decent performance from Lundgren, and he and Shannon have a good rapport. It’s got a bit of sincerity to it, and it’s as lithe as Lundgren looks in this.
Until Death
For some Van Damme fans, there’s an era. It’s an era that I like to call the misery years. Van Damme tended to play quite grim, tortured or haunted characters from 2003 to now (though of late he dips in and out of comedy too). Occasionally, dark anti-heroes, as was the case with Until Death. The film is distinctly split, beginning as a riff on Bad Lieutenant before Van Damme’s out-of-control, corrupt cop is shot in the head by his nemesis. He survives and recovers, with the film transitioning into an admittedly less interesting spin on Regarding Henry.
Still, for a straight-to-video action thriller with Bulgaria doubling for a New York-esque city, this rises higher than many might have expected. Firstly, because Van Damme gives a great performance, channelling his inner-Harvey Keitel. Then there’s Stephen Rea, who, whilst carefully rationed, provides a slimy villain with some gravitas. Director Simon Fellows, aided by a good DOP in Douglas Milsome (Full Metal Jacket), actually injects this with some direction (these days you’re lucky to get functional, given the rapid decline in budgets and shooting days).
Diamond Cut Diamond/Witness to a Kill
A Gary Daniels banger that has a couple of titles and yet rarely gets associated with its predecessor, The Queen’s Messenger. He plays the Bond-esque Captain Strong, and Daniels sets out to take down smugglers in South Africa. The first film boasted Christopher Waltz as a villain but felt largely underwhelming. The sequel makes far better use of Daniels, with some higher-intensity fight sequences.
The locations are great too, and although Daniels has certainly made better, Diamond Cut Diamond, for a long time, so difficult to get a hold of (particularly in the UK), is now streaming. It’s also worth a watch for Daniels fans.
Drive
This might be an unbeatable grand champion of straight-to-video action, currently streaming on Tubi. Steve Wang’s action-packed, Hong Kong-style buddy action film is a total riot. Mark Dacascos kidnaps Kadeem Hardison whilst evading mercenaries who are tracking him and tries to sell the technology he’s carrying inside him (that effectively makes him superhuman).
Fights aplenty, expertly choreographed by the alpha stunt team and a script stuffed with great one-liners. Dacascos and Hardison have great chemistry, and when the late Britany Murphy is thrown into the mix (and she also has great chemistry with the two leads), it gets even better. For a US-made production, it has some of the best fight scenes ever. Again, all captured in camera.
Redline/Deathline/Armageddon
I’m pretty sure this quirky dystopian action film has about 50 different names, but to be clear, Tibor Takacs directs a grungy and idiosyncratic film that pits Rutger Hauer against the aforementioned Dacascos. It’s wildly anachronistic, utilising its Hungarian locales and evoking cold war era architecture and military uniforms in this Russia-set future. Hauer is a bio-tech smuggler, who is resurrected by a Government agency (using said tech) in order to take out Merrick (Dacascos).
Takacs, though largely famous for horror, marked himself as a reliable action director in the straight-to-video arena, able to inject plenty of style. Redline is a bit of an oddity that feels unique in its fusion of elements. It’s not perfect by any stretch, but the quirks, the ability of Hauer to elevate material, and the ever-consistent Dacascos make this one well worth watching. Again, Tubi has given this one a new lease of life after a number of years consigned to out-of-print and extortionate physical copies on eBay.
Freefall
Another South African set film makes full use of the dazzling locations. Eric Roberts and Jeff Fahey give this one a little bit of charisma, opposite Pamela Gidley as a wildlife photographer who gets caught up in international espionage and is thrust into whatever the hell the enigmatic base jumper, Grant (Roberts), is involved in.
John Irvin brings a wealth of action experience as director, and it shows with the set pieces. The plot gets a little too convoluted and jumps the cliff itself, but this one benefits from some good aerial stunts and (Walter) Hill-esque shootouts.
Belly of the Beast
Anything Jean-Claude Van Damme can do, his arch nemesis Steven Seagal can do better. Okay, maybe not better, however, where Van Damme went and poached John Woo, Ringo Lam and Tsui Hark from Hong Kong to inject Eastern flair into his Western actioners, Seagal pulled over a couple with Out of Reach (Po-Chih Leong of Hong Kong 1941 fame) and Belly of the Beast, from Siu-Tung Ching. Ching is best known for directing the Chinese Ghost Story trilogy, as well as being the action director on Jet Li’s Hero.
Shot in exotic Thailand locations, Belly of the Beast looks great and has plenty of style thanks to its director. It mixes folklore into an otherwise perfunctory kidnapped daughter plotline, but it’s one of the more interesting vehicles Steven Seagal made in the noughties. If there’s a weakness in the film, it might just be Seagal, who only intermittently seems like he wants to be there, whilst the action design defies a man of his hefty stature (with his significantly smaller double leaping around like Jackie Chan). Despite the issues, there are some great set pieces, and it’s also packed with a chunky practical effects and stunt budget.
The Expert
Jeff Speakman’s dalliance with the big screen was short-lived, not without some misfortune, after some post-Perfect Weapon studio politics derailed suitable follow-ups. Come The Expert four years after his breakout film, he was firmly in the video arena. However, Speakman delivered his share of solid action films with his unique martial arts skillset (predominantly Kenpo), which looked somewhere between what Van Damme and Seagal were showing off on screen.
The Expert features James Brolin and Jim Varney. The late era Orion film has plenty of faces to kick and limbs to break for Speakman, who had a bit more charisma and presence than a lot of his contemporaries at the time.
Black Creek
Stepping forward to a far more recent film, but one rooted in warming nostalgia. Cynthia Rothrock’s passion project, Black Creek has her on a wild west high-kicking trail of revenge. The cast is stuffed with B-movie martial arts veterans like the late great Richard Norton, Don “the Dragon” Wilson, Patrick Kilpatrick, Keith Cooke, Benny “The Jet” Urquidez and Keith Vitali. It’s so hefty, you can only assume Olivier Gruner, Billy Blanks and Gary Daniels missed the call.
It’s rough around the edges on an evidently tight budget, that’s in keeping with many modern action movies (with a reliance on CGI plug-in FX) but it’s also sincere, good fun, and it’s still great seeing Rothrock delivering those stingers.
Life After Fighting
Another recent gem, Life After Fighting, came out of the blue and surprised a lot of action fans upon its release. Aussie action man Bren Foster is well and truly on the rise now, after years of doing his dues as a bit part player (notably in a couple of Seagal films).
His passion project, Life After Fighting, which he wrote, directed, starred in, and designed the action for, was the perfect showcase for Oz’s answer to Scott Adkins. Now he’s seen a bump up to becoming a marketable leading man in the indie action realm (with upcoming films like Mexicali and Beast). A solid actor with presence and a phenomenal physical performer, Foster may just become a leading light in the genre.
Close Range
Speaking of Scott Adkins, his regular collaborations with Isaac Florentine have proved fruitful, whether playing a ninja or a Russian former prisoner brawler. Close Range doesn’t necessarily play entirely to the strengths of Adkins and Florentine (or indeed them as a cohesive pairing), but the modern western, with Adkins fending off corrupt cops and cartels, is way above average for a 2015 made straight to video action.
As said, Adkins rarely drops the ball and delivers something unwatchable, and for the most part, his dedication and care give audiences something entertaining. You’re also guaranteed to get some impressive fight sequences, too, and Close Range is no different, with a particularly great long take sequence early on.
Falcon Rising
It would be rude not to mention another pretty consistent and fine deliverer of ass whuppins, Mr Michael Jai White. Falcon Rising has Jai White taking on Yakuza in Rio, with some great locations (actually shot in Puerto Rico) providing the backdrop.
White’s impressive physical stature, force and agility have always made him stand out from the crowd. Whilst he’s never quite lived up to just how immense he was as Black Dynamite, he’s made some pretty rock-solid action films in an era where even mediocre feels like a far reach (you need only look at every DTV action film Stallone has made of late). Ernie Barbarash is a decent director to grab if you’re making a straight-to-video action flick, and he brings the best out of White.
Pit Fighter
Speaking of reliable action directors, Jesse V. Johnson has diligently worked his socks off, progressively rising up the ranks to the top of the pile in DTV action, alongside the likes of John Hyams, as a director who deserves to be tossed a hefty budget to play with. Still, he’s worked with some stellar cast members (a lot lately with Aaron Eckhart) as it is. He’s also worked with arguably one of the best actors Britain has produced in the modern era, Stephen Graham, back in his breakout film, Pit Fighter.
A real down and dirty, bull by the horns, shake down the sofa for loose change, kind of motley crew production, but one with plenty of blood, guts and broken bones. Johnson put his faith in stuntman Dominique Vandenberg as the leading man here, with Steven Bauer in support to add some gravitas. Scott Adkins also stars in an early, if unmemorable role (latter collabs with JVJ would produce far more memorable roles). Whilst it was Johnson’s third feature in (the previous two also starring Vandenberg), this rough-edged early work certainly showed promise, and his background in stunts definitely benefited the plentiful action scenes. It would prove to be the attention grabber that the previous efforts weren’t.
What’s your favourite DTV action film currently on Tubi? Let us know on our social channels @FlickeringMyth (and if you’re looking for something outside of the action genre on Tubi, why not take a look at our horror The Baby in the Basket and suspense thriller Death Among the Pines)…
Tom Jolliffe
