As a cultural commodity, the action movie is in a state of flux. On one end of the spectrum, you have enormous, globe-devouring public spectacles like Avengers: Endgame, this year's biggest blockbuster and a genuine pop culture phenomenon; on the other end, smaller crime thrillers and adventure stories, once the beating heart and lifeblood of the genre, have been relegated to relatively under-the-radar releases on streaming platforms and on-demand services. Except for the rare successful franchise like John Wick, it feels like the middle class of action movie-dom has been hollowed out.
Still, the current moment is a fascinating time to be a fan of movies where cars blow up and people kick each other in the throat. Like last year's list, the goal here is to celebrate the best action titles of 2019 on the big screen and on streaming platforms, which could mean superhero epics, foreign language slugfests, and, more likely than not, at least one movie starring a former professional wrestler. As the grizzled, tobacco-spitting squad leader in an action movie might say, we're getting the gang back together.
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