Typically, one doesn’t approach an action movie expecting to turn on the waterworks, however, the genre can offer as much drama and emotional anguish as any other because heroes simply wouldn’t be heroes without the willingness to make great sacrifices.
After all, a good couple of hours of shooting, beating and slashing past bad guys usually has action movie fans believing these protagonists are immortal, hence why it’s especially surprising when Hollywood goes for a bittersweet or just outright grim finale. And yet, it’s that very game-breaking twist that makes a sad action movie all the more extraordinary, with some of the greatest films in that realm opting to kill their stars or leave them heartbroken and empty-handed.
Rambo: First Blood
The stereotypical conception of Rambo is that this franchise is an all-out action fest that banks on the star power of Sylvester Stallone, nevertheless, those that remember First Blood well enough know fully well that, despite taking place during Christmas, this actually a very pessimistic film that depicts the toll war takes on its soldiers. Funnily enough, subsequent Rambo movies devolved similarly to Stallone’s own masterpiece Rocky, who went from the deep emotion that led to Oscar glory all the way to the cheesy antics of Rocky 4 in less than a decade.
First Blood sees Rambo go on a rampage as the downtrodden Vietnam veteran is harassed and hunted down by local police officers who clearly didn’t know who they were messing with. Ironically, Rambo doesn’t kill anyone in First Blood, and the film’s climactic scene where he breaks down yelling how he was abandoned by his country and a system where he simply doesn’t fit is only surpassed by the sight of seeing Rambo being taken into custody.
Léon: The Professional
While America tends to prefer happy endings, the French do not hesitate when it comes to handing out a tragic hand of fate, and who better to piece together a true French ending than Luc Besson (The Fifth Element and Taken). Léon: The Professional stars Jean Reno and a 12-year-old Natalie Portman putting in the kind of performance that had many knowing she’d be star someday, albeit in a slightly awkward role that becomes more uncomfortable depending on if one sees the theatrical cut or the extended version.
Léon is a hitman who takes up a young Mathilda after her family is murdered by corrupt DEA agents, and the two strike a beautiful relationship as two lost souls in New York. Mathilda’s infatuation is ignored by Léon who’s just out to protect her the best way he can, but the part made the pre-teen Portman a subject of sexualization nonetheless. In the end, Léon blows himself up to save Mathilda from villain Norman Stansfield, played masterfully by Gary Oldman, because that’s what father figures are supposed to do.
Gladiator
It’s no surprise Gladiator features such great battles considering this a Ridley Scott film, but what truly made this movie legendary was Russell Crowe’s performance as Maximus, a man stripped of everything he had, including his family. Although this historical drama didn’t triumph solely because of its action, the fights and emotional baggage they bring make for an amazing inspirational montage.
Gladiator deals Maximus a huge blow toward the start of the film and his death, as well as the vision of his wife and son bookend a true tragedy that is 100% entertaining, even despite the fall of its hero. Braveheart came before it, yet somehow Gladiator holds up better, plus there's a sequel in the works.
Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines
Sure, it’s the first two Terminators directed by James Cameron that remain sci-fi gems, but while those two films carried a message of hope for humanity, Rise of the Machines had very different plans. Cameron played no part in this direct sequel, but Arnold Schwarzenegger returns, and given what’s come after it, it’s probably safe to say this is the better Terminator film made in the 21st century.
Rise of the Machines may have its flaws but its ending sequence showing a powerless John Connor unable to fulfill his destiny flipped the Terminator narrative, and it’s really not that often that movies depict the end of humanity as we know right before the closing credits, so it definitely deserves some credit for that. At least Cameron was supportive of this one when it came out.
I Am Legend
Based on the apocalyptic horror novel of the same name, I Am Legend had to take a more action-minded approach to make the jump to Hollywood, and in 2007 few men were better suited for the job than a Will Smith, then at the peak of his powers. The somber tone of I Am Legend comes from the loneliness Robert Neville endures throughout most of the film, barely retaining a grasp on reality as the world is coming down on him.
It doesn’t get any worse than the scene where Robert has to put down his sole companion, his dog Sam, after she’s infected with the same virus plaguing the Darkseekers. Like most tragic heroes, I Am Legend sees its protagonist sacrifice himself which makes the idea of a greenlit sequel somewhat puzzling, but regardless of that, the moments that precede it are just as sad as the ending.