Some of the best action movies of the last decade are on the telly if you happen to be sitting in…
Want to know what to see in the cinema this weekend? Then check out the latest episode of our movie review show right here:
Sitting in? Then we’ve got these recommendations for you from Friday to Sunday…
FRIDAY 18 MAY
There’s Something About Mary – RTE Two – 21:30
“Franks and beans!”
The Bourne Ultimatum – ITV4 – 22:00
The topper to the spy trilogy (most people try to forget Legacy, and the Vegas-set return), with one of the best ca chases ever committed to film, set in the middle of Manhattan.
Ted – Film 4 – 23:15
“Fuck you, thunder!”
Scream 3 – Sky One – 23:55
To be fair, this one almost feels more like a comedy than a horror, but it still does a great job of skewering sequels that don’t know when their best days are behind them, and the cast are still having a ball in their roles.
The Raid – Film 4 – 01:20
The greatest action movie of the decade. End of discussion.
SATURDAY 19 MAY
Tron: Legacy – BBC One – 12:00
It isn’t BRILLIANT, but it is good fun, with Olivia Wilde and Michael Sheen in particular burning small holes in the screen. Plus there is that fantastic score by Daft Punk!
The Fault In Our Stars – Film 4 – 18:30
Shailene Woodley and Ansel Elgort play two teenagers in love, both of whom have been diagnosed with terminal diseases. This is a movie designed to make you cry the tear ducts straight out of your head, and it will. So be prepared for that.
The Martian – Channel 4 – 21:00
Matt Damon is an astronaut that has been left to survive on the surface of Mars all by himself, and a rescue mission is several HUNDRED days away. It doesn’t sound like a fun movie, but somehow, it really is, mostly thanks to a funny script and director Ridley Scott at the most purely entertaining he’s been in a long time.
Saving Private Ryan – Sky One – 21:00
Spielberg. Hanks. War. That beach scene. Do we need to say more to recommend this absolute classic?
Role Models – Comedy Central – 21:00
Paul Rudd and an extremely underrated Seann William Scott are two friends forced to become Big Brothers to some teenagers in order to avoid jail time. Very, very funny, with so many quotable lines, and endlessly rewatchable.
Inception – RTE Two – 21:20
Christopher Nolan gets an incredible cast – Leonardo DiCaprio, Tom Hardy, Cillian Murphy, Ellen Page, Marion Cottilard, Ken Watanabe – in on his high-concept sci-fi action heist, in which there are dream levels and trains in the middle of busy roads and big empty cities and spinning tops.
Desperate Measures – RTE One – 00:55
Andy Garcia is a cop and his daughter is very sick. She needs an organ transplant, and the only match can be found in serial killer Michael Keaton, who escapes mid-surgery and causes havoc in the hospital. Garcia needs to catch him, but also make sure he isn’t killed by other cops, or his daughter will also die. Listen, this isn’t a great movie (or even necessarily a good movie), but it is a very FUN movie.
SUNDAY 20 MAY
Jurassic World – ITV2 – 20:00
Chris Pratt and Bryce Dallas Howard are working at a now fully functioning dinosaur-filled theme-park, but it isn’t long before their new genetically engineered super-predator escapes and heads straight for the guests.
The Heat – Film 4 – 21:00
Sandra Bullock and Melissa McCarthy play mis-matched partners, forced to work together to take down a major crime ring, but Bullock’s uptight personality and McCarthy’s penchant for not doing things by the book will be rubbing off on each other before the closing credits.
16 Blocks – TV3 – 21:00
Bruce Willis is charged with bringing a criminal – played by a bizarrely accented Mos Def – just 16 blocks to the court house to give a testimony, but when a price is put on their heads, that short journey becomes almost impossible.
Green Zone – ITV4 – 21:00
Matt Damon reteams with the director of The Bourne Supremacy and Ultimatum for this action-thriller set in the small safe area within Iraq, and his travels to the more dangerous parts of the country, as he and his army inspectors search for the country’s elusive chemical and nuclear weaponry.
The Purge – E4 – 22:00
With the upcoming prequel about to hit cinemas this summer, head back to the first movie, with Ethan Hawke and Cersei Lannister, set entirely within their home on the night of the all-crime-is-all-good event, as they try to survive and protect their young kids.
South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut – Comedy Central – 23:00
Did you know that the song ‘Blame Canada’ was nominated at the Oscars for Best Original Song? We prefer ‘Kyle’s Mom Is A Big Fat Bitch’ ourselves, though…
Tango & Cash – ITV4 – 23:15
A cornerstone of OTT 80’s action, with Sly Stallone and Kurt Russell as two competing cops who are framed for the murder of an FBI agent and sent to prison. They’re forced to work together, escape jail, and find the real killers. It is an OUTRAGEOUS amount of fun and we will be ending the weekend on this high.
LISTEN: You Must Be Jokin’ with Aideen McQueen – Faith healers, Coolock craic and Gigging as Gaeilge
