Entertainment
“Beef” season 2, “Lorne” pulling back the curtain of “SNL”, and Laufey becoming a 'Madwoman' top this week's Must List
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“Exit 8” and Adrien Brody and Tessa Thompson leading “The Fear of 13” round out our picks for the weekend of April 17.
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Even if you’ve never seen a popular sci-fi film or TV series, certain genre quotes have gained such omnipresent prominence within the cultural lexicon that there’s a good chance you’ve heard them and recognize their origins. Look no further than the plethora of options provided by Star Wars or Dune, for instance. Where television is concerned, there’s no saga more preeminent than the grandfather of them all, Star Trek, and no shortage of famous words within its 60-year history, either.
Despite facing decent competition, between his philosophical insights, his sneaky repartees, and the fan-traumatizing rite of passage that is Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan‘s “You have been and always shall be my friend,” Spock’s (Leonard Nimoy) quote collection reigns supreme. Arguably the franchise’s most defining and recognizable character, no Spock phrase from Star Trek: The Original Series is more recognizable to the general culture or more defining to Star Trek‘s enduring ideals than “live long and prosper” — four words coined by writer Theodore Sturgeon in his screenplay for the Season 2 episode “Amok Time.”
“Live Long and Prosper” Embodies ‘Star Trek’s Core Values
A deservedly iconic highlight of The Original Series, “Amok Time” houses several Trek firsts beyond originating “live long and prosper.” The Enterprise visits the planet Vulcan for the first time, dives into their cultural conventions and biology (that pesky pon farr mating drive), and provides the first glimpse at Spock’s private life through his fiancée, T’Pring (Arlene Martel). “Live long and prosper,” usually paired with the Vulcan salute, doubles as a benediction and a traditional Vulcan greeting or farewell.
Spock speaks the words before he returns to the ship near the episode’s conclusion. After giving his well-wishes to T’Pau (Celia Lovsky), the Vulcan official overseeing his failed wedding, and receiving hers in return, Spock solemnly states, “I shall do neither. I have killed my captain and my friend.” It’s an unexpectedly heartfelt moment for a character known for his cool-headed stoicism, stripping away Spock’s cerebral mystique and replacing it with vulnerability. He’s spent “Amok Time” alternatively embarrassed, delirious, and resigned to his fate, which already subverts expectations. Once his senses return, he believes he murdered Captain Kirk (William Shatner) during their ceremonial combat. Unlike the rest of the episode or his rare outbursts throughout Season 1, Spock’s visible regret isn’t a side effect of either pon farr or outside manipulation. His response to T’Pau’s “live long and prosper” reflects the depth of his capacity to feel grief, loyalty, and affection.
Following “Amok Time,” the phrase and the Vulcan salute were formally integrated into the species’ society and sprinkled throughout the spin-off movies and series. Outside the screen, the combination adopted a life of its own, transforming into a signature catchphrase and a greeting that fans exchange. An easy shorthand for fan enthusiasm, “live long and prosper” also resonates once it’s applied to a wider context. It speaks to Trek‘s optimism, compassion, and acceptance, a galaxy where celebrating differences is a form of empowerment. “Amok Time” doesn’t assign that framework to its most famous four words, but the relevance being retrofitted doesn’t deprive the words of their deeper sentiment.
Leonard Nimoy’s Input and Experience Expanded Spock’s Character
As for Spock, for all his credentials and the admiration bestowed upon him by his fellow officers, he’s a permanent outsider. His parents’ marriage bridges two worlds, neither of which he can fully fit within. Even among the Enterprise‘s interspecies crew, he either symbolizes professional balance or alien oddity, depending on the officer’s perspective and prejudice. Spock’s inner conflict takes decades to align into a balance between his human heart and his Vulcan head. “Live long and prosper” reverberates on a deeper level when coming from a wise, dignified, deeply feeling individual of mixed heritage.
Besides being the main speaker and keeper of those words, Nimoy applied his own sense of alienation to the role through his performance and by improvising the Vulcan salute. He based the sign on the Jewish Priestly Blessing, a benediction performed by the Kohanim upon their congregation. “[Director Joe Pevney] had me approach T’Pau and I felt a greeting gesture was called for,” Nimoy reflected in a 2012 guest blog post for Star Trek.com. “So I suggested it to Joe, who accepted it immediately.”
After Nimoy’s parents, both Ukrainian Jews, immigrated to Boston, Massachusetts, the household spoke fluent Yiddish and actively attended Orthodox synagogues. In the same blog post, Nimoy shared how strongly the blessing ceremony affected him once he witnessed it as a child:
“I still have a vivid memory of the first time I saw the use of the split-fingered hands being extended to the congregation in blessing. […] I was entranced. I learned to do it simply because it seemed so magical. It was probably 25 years later that I introduced that gesture as a Vulcan greeting in Star Trek and it has resonated with fans around the world ever since. It gives me great pleasure since it is, after all, a blessing.”
The only Trek actor nominated for an Emmy Award and in many ways the keeper of the franchise (a leading aspirational image, at least), Nimoy naturally integrated a cherished cultural and religious practice into a series that’s become an empowering balm for those who experience ostracism. Those four excellent words, paired with an intentional but incidental moment, did what fiction does best: coalesced into something greater. There’s no better legacy for Trek‘s iconic phrase and its most famous face to embody.
Star Trek: The Original Series
- Release Date
-
1966 – 1969-00-00
- Showrunner
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Gene Roddenberry
- Directors
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Marc Daniels, Joseph Pevney, Ralph Senensky, Vincent McEveety, Herb Wallerstein, Jud Taylor, Marvin J. Chomsky, David Alexander, Gerd Oswald, Herschel Daugherty, James Goldstone, Robert Butler, Anton Leader, Gene Nelson, Harvey Hart, Herbert Kenwith, James Komack, John Erman, John Newland, Joseph Sargent, Lawrence Dobkin, Leo Penn, Michael O’Herlihy, Murray Golden
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Muldoon’s manager and his sister confirmed the news to outlets.
Alex Garland’s Elden Ring has felt like one of those projects that barely needed a hard sell the second it was announced. The game is already a worldwide sensation with a massive fanbase, and Garland — whose experience in the last decade with horror, sci-fi and extremely weird cinema makes him the perfect fit — is leading from the front. Now the adaptation has taken a major step forward. A24 and Bandai Namco have officially set a release date for the film and confirmed it will be filmed for IMAX, while also unveiling the full cast as production gets underway this spring.
The live-action Elden Ring will open in theaters on March 3, 2028, with Garland writing and directing. The original film project was first officially announced in May 2025, when Bandai Namco and A24 confirmed Garland’s involvement and revealed that the adaptation would be based on FromSoftware’s hugely successful 2022 game, which has shipped more than 30 million units worldwide. Filming is now underway in the UK, which lines up with the latest production update.
Who Stars in ‘Elden Ring’?
The cast is stacked, and for this one the names alone do a lot of the work. Elden Ring stars Kit Connor (Warfare, Heartstopper), Ben Whishaw (Peter Hujar’s Day, This Is Going to Hurt), Cailee Spaeny (Alien: Romulus, Civil War), Tom Burke (Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga, Black Bag), Havana Rose Liu (Tuner, Bottoms), Sonoya Mizuno (Ex Machina), Jonathan Pryce (The Two Popes, The Crown), Ruby Cruz (Bottoms, The Threesome), Nick Offerman (The Last of Us, Margo’s Got Money Troubles), John Hodgkinson (Dear England, Napoleon), Jefferson Hall (House of the Dragon, Oppenheimer), Emma Laird (28 Years Later: The Bone Temple, A Haunting in Venice), and Peter Serafinowicz (Guardians of the Galaxy, Star Wars: The Phantom Menace).
The film is being produced by Peter Rice alongside Andrew Macdonald and Allon Reich from DNA, with George R.R. Martin and Vince Gerardis also producing after Martin helped build the game’s mythological backstory. FromSoftware’s previous titles like Dark Souls and Bloodborne were well received but very dense and not considered the most accessible for casual players. Martin was approached and given the freedom to design the backstory and with world building,
a job he accomplished with some aplomb.
There’s still a lot we don’t know about how Garland plans to tackle the Lands Between on screen, but this update makes one thing very clear: Elden Ring is coming.
Stay tuned to Collider for more updates.
- Director
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Alex Garland
- Writers
-
Alex Garland
Travis Barker celebrated wife Kourtney Kardashian’s recent birthday by sharing a peek inside their spicy bedroom life.
Barker, 50, took to Instagram on Sunday, April 19, to post a gushing tribute to Kourtney, who turned 47 one day prior. Capturing recent memorable moments, the post showed the reality TV star enjoying quality family time, plus the pair posing for photos together. In the final frame, the Blink-182 drummer was seen with two of Kourtney’s toes placed inside his mouth.
The image zoomed in on Barker’s amused face as the pair appeared to be stretched out on a bed together. Kourtney’s foot appeared in Barker’s mouth from the opposite direction, suggesting that she had snapped the shot herself.
“Happy Birthday my beautiful wife. I love you forever and ever. Thank you for being such an amazing woman, an incredible wife, and the best mom to our humans. I feel so grateful to spend this life with you @kourtneykardash 🖤,” he captioned the carousel.
Travis Barker is feeling grateful for the life he and wife Kourtney Kardashian have created together as she celebrates her 45th birthday. “Happy Birthday to my beautiful wife, soulmate and best friend forever,” the Blink-182 drummer, 48, wrote via Instagram on Thursday, April 18, alongside a carousel of photos of the husband-wife duo, including a […]
The post attracted plenty of praise, including fond words from Kourtney’s sister, Kim Kardashian. “I love this post and all of these pics,” Kim, 45, wrote, attracting amused fans who pointed out the toe photo. “Even the last one lol,” wrote one follower, while another wrote, “The last one is the best one 🤫😂.”
Barker even responded to Kim’s kind words, sharing a black heart emoji with his sister-in-law before Kourtney responded with her own black heart emoji directed at Kim.
Travis Barker Courtesy of Travis Barker/Instagram
Khloe Kardashian also commented on the post, writing in the comments section, “The cutest girl ever.” Barker agreed with Khloe, 41, responding with, “1000%” and sharing another black heart emoji with her.
Kourtney and Barker were longtime friends before they began dating after spending quality time together at mom Kris Jenner’s Palm Springs, California, house in January 2021. They tied the knot in 2022 and have since shared plenty of PDA with fans through their social media accounts.
In March 2022, Kourtney even publicly discussed the couple’s sex life, revealing in an interview with Bustle that the pair underwent a “sex fast” as part of an Ayurvedic cleanse that resulted in better-than-ever performance. “Oh, my God, it was crazy,” she told the publication at the time. “Like, if you can’t have caffeine, when you have your first matcha, it’s so good.” (According to Healthline, the cleanse involves sex fasting, dietary adjustments and the tweaking of other lifestyle habits.)
Kourtney is also accustomed to turning up the heat on her socials via posts that flaunt her sizzling frame. On January 19, she compiled a series of her favourite swimwear photos as part of the 2016 trend bandwagon and shared them with delighted fans.
Before dragons became every fantasy fan’s obsession on TV and the big screen, vampires and werewolves ruled the genre. These supernatural creatures dominated the 2000s and 2010s, thanks to hits like The Twilight Saga, The Vampire Diaries, The Originals, and True Blood, captivating audiences with their brutality and dark mythology. During that period, a popular teen drama emerged, quickly becoming a standout in the supernatural-fantasy era and which led to the birth of one of Paramount+’s most-watched original productions.
Since its debut, the teen fantasy series has built a loyal fanbase that, to this day, remains supportive of the franchise. It ran from June 5, 2011, to September 24, 2017, ending after six seasons. Six years later, a follow-up movie was released. Teen Wolf is the fourth installment overall in the titular franchise, inspired by the 1985 film of the same name. It follows Scott McCall (Tyler Posey), an ordinary high school student whose life changes after a werewolf bite draws him into a dangerous world of supernatural creatures.
On January 26, 2023, Teen Wolf: The Movie premiered on Paramount+ as a continuation of the dark fantasy, with most of the show’s cast reprising their roles. The supernatural thriller was a critical flop upon its release, but went on to break Paramount+ records as the most-watched original film on its debut day. Three years later, it is surging on Tubi in the U.S., making it a recommendable late-night binge as you can stream it absolutely free.
‘Teen Wolf: The Movie’ Is the Perfect Late-Night Binge
In Teen Wolf: The Movie, fifteen years after leaving his hometown, the fictional Beacon Hills, Scott, no longer a teenager yet still an Alpha, now runs an animal shelter in Los Angeles and is single. As he lives his life peacefully, a full moon rises in Beacon Hills, and with it, a terrifying evil emerges. The wolves are howling once again, calling for the return of Banshees, Werecoyotes, Hellhounds, Kitsunes and every other shapeshifter of the night. But only a werewolf like Scott can gather both new allies and reunite trusted friends to fight back against what could be the most powerful and deadliest enemy they’ve ever faced.
You can watch Teen Wolf: The Movie on Tubi.
- Release Date
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January 26, 2023
- Runtime
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140 minutes
- Franchise(s)
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Teen Wolf
Paramount+ faces stiff competition in the streaming game. While other streamers like Prime Video and Disney+ offer a wealth of pop culture hits for their subscribers, the major draws of Paramount+ tend to fall into one of two categories: the ever-expanding Yellowstone universe or a dwindling collection of Star Trek spin-offs. When it comes to movies, Paramount+ is packing two of the biggest action films ever in Top Gun and Top Gun: Maverick. Both films, particularly Maverick, have been major hits for the platform and a reminder of why Tom Cruise is one of the biggest action stars in the world.
The Top Gun films focus on Cruise’s Captain Pete “Maverick” Mitchell, as he attends the U.S. Navy’s Fighter Weapons School, better known as “Top Gun”. There, he hones his skills as a fighter pilot while also forming personal bonds with fellow pilots and instructors. Both films also became major box-office hits during their theatrical runs, as the mix of high-flying heroics and character dynamics proved a major draw for audiences. With the franchise receiving a major update during CinemaCon, there’s never been a better time to revisit both Top Gun films, especially if you’re an action fan.
The ‘Top Gun’ Films Cemented Tom Cruise as an A-List Action Star
Top Gun and Top Gun: Maverick do not disappoint when it comes to aerial combat, as both films are packed full of heart-racing flight sequences. This was accomplished by the men behind the camera, who worked tirelessly to ensure that the flight sequences felt as real as possible.Tony Scott mounted cameras inside the cockpit of an F-14 fighter jet, while Joseph Kosinski developed camera technology to withstand the punishing G-forces of actual flight. The end result feels like the audience is in the cockpit with Maverick, experiencing every barrel roll and takeoff. The Top Gun films don’t hold back on the emotional stakes, either. In the original Top Gun, Maverick struggles with the loss of his fellow pilot Goose (Anthony Edwards). Top Gun: Maverick takes it one step further when Maverick ends up training a new class of pilots that includes Goose’s son, Rooster (Miles Teller), forcing him to revisit his past.
The Top Gun films transformed Tom Cruise into a bona fide action star, as his commitment to the high-flying action sequences is equal to his rapport with the rest of the cast, particularly Val Kilmer‘s Iceman. It also led him to take on more action roles, particularly in the Mission: Impossible films, where he developed a reputation for performing death-defying stunts. While Top Gun would earn Cruise an actual award from the U.S. Navy, Top Gun: Maverick earned blessings from none other than Steven Spielberg, who told Cruise that he felt the film was a godsend for Hollywood:
“You saved Hollywood’s ass and you might have saved theatrical distribution. Seriously, Top Gun: Maverick might have saved the entire theatrical industry.”
‘Top Gun’ Meets ‘Transformers’ in This Colossal Sci-Fi Sequel Exploding Onto a New Streamer
A Star Wars icon leads the sequel.
A Third ‘Top Gun’ Movie is in The Works
The success of Top Gun: Maverick more or less guaranteed another sequel, and at long last, said sequel was finally confirmed during Paramount Pictures’ presentation at CinemaCon. Co-head of film Josh Greenstein revealed the news, saying that Tom Cruise would return to the role of Maverick alongside producer Jerry Bruckheimer. Last year, Joseph Kosinski also revealed to Collider’s Steve Weintraub that screenwriter Ehren Kruger was also working on a script for a third Top Gun, saying that it would “make Maverick feel small in comparison.”
This means that Cruise will continue a working relationship with Paramount, as he also filmed a video touting the studio’s history for CinemaCon. Since the Top Gun franchise helped make him into a household name, it only makes sense that he’d continue to be involved with future films. It also means that action fans can expect more high-flying, death-defying action to hit movie screens in the future, and cements the first two Top Gun films as a perfect weekend watch.
- Release Date
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May 16, 1986
- Runtime
-
110 minutes
- Writers
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Jack Epps Jr., Jim Cash
When Terminator: Dark Fate underperformed at the box office, James Cameron offered a theory about its failure. Cameron boarded the project as a producer and writer after watching others take his franchise in various directions that left fans unimpressed. Dark Fate was positioned as a direct sequel to Terminator 2: Judgment Day, eliminating the three installments that came after it. However, the movie grossed less than $300 million worldwide against a reported budget of nearly $200 million. When the dust settled, Cameron suggested that Arnold Schwarzenegger was simply too old to draw younger audiences and that, combined with the return of Linda Hamilton, the movie gave the impression that it was meant for “grandparents.” Disney and Lucasfilm apparently didn’t take his observations seriously when it put together the fifth Indiana Jones movie, with 80-year-old Harrison Ford back as the whip-wielding and fedora-wearing character. While the movie bombed at the box office, it’s now seeing a sudden surge on home video.
There were rumblings that Ford would hand over the baton to a younger star after the fourth installment, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. But that didn’t happen, even though the movie itself positioned Shia LaBeouf as a possible successor. Later, Chris Pratt‘s name was floated as a replacement. But when Lucasfilm began setting a new movie in motion, Ford was back, and the character wasn’t really written to reflect the star’s actual age. However, Steven Spielberg handed over the directorial reins for the first time in the franchise’s history to another filmmaker: James Mangold.
Here’s How Much the Fifth Indiana Jones Movie Grossed at the Box Office
The movie in question, Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, was released in 2023 to mediocre reviews and a disappointing box-office performance. The skepticism could be traced back to the film’s first trailer, which seemed to rely too heavily on digital effects. While the film brought back a couple of fan-favorite characters, the cast was mostly made up of new characters played by Phoebe Waller-Bridge and Mads Mikkelsen. The movie ultimately grossed around $385 million worldwide against a whopping reported budget of $419 million, making it one of the most expensive movies of all time and also the least successful installment of the long-running franchise. Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny holds a 71% score on the aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, where the critics’ consensus reads, “It isn’t as thrilling as earlier adventures, but the nostalgic rush of seeing Harrison Ford back in action helps Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny find a few final bits of cinematic treasure.” According to FlixPatrol, the movie found a spot on the domestic iTunes chart this week, three years after its disappointing theatrical run. Stay tuned to Collider for more updates.
- Release Date
-
June 25, 2023
- Runtime
-
155 minutes
- Writers
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David Koepp, Jez Butterworth, James Mangold, John-Henry Butterworth
- Producers
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Frank Marshall, Kathleen Kennedy, Simon Emanuel, Zakaria Alaoui, Anthony Dixon, Candice D. Campos
Universal love is a hard thing to earn in action cinema. Plenty of action movies are iconic. Plenty are influential. Plenty have one immortal set piece, one immortal star, one immortal villain, one immortal line. Universal love asks for more. It asks for a movie people return to with real affection, the kind that survives changing tastes, new technology, endless imitation, and the usual backlash that comes for anything successful enough to become part of the culture. These are the films that somehow keep clearing every generation anyway.
And I’ve noticed that among these movies, the common thread is precision. Each one understands movement, stakes, character, and escalation so well that the thrills never feel empty. The action keeps revealing people. The plot keeps tightening while the set pieces get bigger. The audience gets excitement and emotional payoff in the same breath. That is why this list is limited to eight movies. All eight of them stayed beloved instead of becoming dusty important classics for a reason.
8
‘Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon’ (2000)
This film has universal love because Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon gives action the one thing a lot of imitators never quite manage to hold onto: yearning. Every fight has longing inside it. Every leap across rooftops carries pride, repression, unfinished love, wounded discipline, or the hunger to live outside a life somebody else designed. Li Mu Bai (Chow Yun-fat) and Shu Lien (Michelle Yeoh) are heartbreaking because the movie lets years of restraint sit between them in every scene. Jen (Zhang Ziyi) explodes into that emotional geometry like a lit match, gifted enough to astonish everyone and immature enough to weaponize that gift against herself.
That is why the action feels so complete. Jen stealing Green Destiny is plot. Jen fighting Shu Lien with escalating weapons is character. Jen flying across rooftops is rebellion. The desert story with Lo (Chang Chen) turns her into something fuller than a spoiled prodigy and makes the final tragedy hit harder. People love Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon because it gives them beauty, velocity, romance, pain, and one of the greatest uses of movement as emotional language ever put on screen.
7
‘Mad Max: Fury Road’ (2015)
People love Mad Max: Fury Road because it feels like action cinema purified down to instinct and then rebuilt with miraculous control. The movie has speed, noise, sand, chrome, fire, and vehicles that look like they were invented by people who never slept again after the apocalypse. It also has an emotional spine strong enough to make the whole thing matter. Furiosa (Charlize Theron) is the key. Her decision to smuggle the wives out turns the movie from chase spectacle into liberation story, and once that clicks into place, every mile gets heavier.
Max (Tom Hardy) helps because he enters as a man reduced to survival reflex, and the script slowly drags him back toward human commitment. Nux (Nicholas Hoult) becomes one of the film’s secret weapons because his arc turns fanaticism into something sad, then brave. The Green Place revelation is where Mad Max: Fury Road becomes a masterpiece. Hope in one direction dies, and suddenly the answer is to go back through the nightmare and take the citadel itself. That reversal is such a brilliant plot turn that the second half feels even more alive than the first.
6
‘Aliens’ (1986)
This movie has stayed beloved because Aliens gives people everything they want from action while deepening everything they loved in Alien. Ripley (Sigourney Weaver) returns carrying trauma that the film treats seriously, then gets pushed right back toward the species that broke her life. That alone gives the movie emotional weight before a single pulse rifle starts firing. Then James Cameron adds marines, machinery, swagger, military procedure, corporate greed, and the child-survival bond with Newt (Carrie Henn), and suddenly the film has a much bigger heartbeat.
The colony discovery is such a great slow burn. The movie lets dread accumulate through architecture, silence, and evidence. Then the motion trackers start mattering. Then the hive becomes a kill box. Then Gorman (William Hope) collapses, Hudson (Bill Paxton) loses his nerve, Vasquez (Jenette Goldstein) goes full war spirit, Burke (Paul Reiser) exposes his rot, and Ripley becomes the only adult in the room who understands what this enemy actually means. The power loader ending has action writing with blood in it.
5
‘Raiders of the Lost Ark’ (1981)
This movie remains beloved because Raiders of the Lost Ark moves with the confidence of a film that knows every second should entertain, reveal, or endanger. Indy (Harrison Ford) gets the idol in the opening and already feels complete as a hero: smart, lucky, tough, vain enough to miscalculate, human enough to get hurt. Then the movie keeps handing him problems that feel bigger than one man without ever breaking the line of adventure. Marion (Karen Allen) matters because she brings emotional friction and toughness. Belloq (Paul Freeman) matters because he is the version of Indy with the conscience sanded off.
The truck chase makes you grow out of everything the movie has built, and puts Indy through hell in a way that keeps him heroic. The supernatural payoff at the end is the final reason people love this film so fiercely. The Ark stays mysterious long enough that when it finally opens, the movie reveals it was never just an object to be won. Everybody chasing it with greed, pride, or arrogance gets exactly the ending they earned.
4
‘The Matrix’ (1999)
Universal love came to this film because The Matrix gave people action that felt like revelation. And it’s more relevant than ever today in 2026, 27 years later and that’s something. That’s brilliant. Neo (Keanu Reeves) starts out with a feeling every audience member understands in some form: something about life is wrong, but the structure around him is too complete to challenge directly. The red-pill choice is a pop culture phrase now. Once Neo wakes up in the real world, every piece of action that follows gains an extra charge. Fights are arguments about reality, control, and belief.
Morpheus (Laurence Fishburne) gives the movie mythic conviction. Trinity (Carrie-Anne Moss) gives it emotional proof that faith in Neo existed before he could justify it. Smith (Hugo Weaving) turns authority into hatred with a face and a voice that keep getting more frightening the more he talks. And while the set pieces aren’t brilliant as per today’s standards, they’re okay still because the movie is strong. The themes justify them still. The dojo teaches the rules. The lobby shootout declares war on those rules. The rooftop and helicopter rescue announce that Neo is crossing into a new level of agency. The subway fight and resurrection make the whole film click into destiny. People still love The Matrix because it feels smart, cool, emotional, and structurally perfect all at once.
3
‘The Dark Knight’ (2008)
The Dark Knight takes blockbuster action and ties it directly to moral pressure. Gotham feels like a real city under stress instead of a comic-book backdrop waiting for destruction — all thanks to Christopher Nolan. Bruce (Christian Bale) wants Harvey Dent (Aaron Eckhart) to become the public face that could let Batman step back, which gives the story a genuine political and emotional center. Then the Joker (Heath Ledger) arrives and starts attacking every fragile structure at once: organized crime, public confidence, legal order, heroic symbolism, and the private bonds between Bruce, Harvey, and Rachel (Maggie Gyllenhaal).
The action sequences are beloved because each one changes the story. The bank robbery introduces the Joker’s logic. The penthouse attack exposes how vulnerable Bruce’s emotional hopes really are. The armored convoy chase feels huge because Dent matters. The interrogation scene works like action without movement because the power balance keeps shifting. Harvey’s collapse matters because the movie spent real time building him as Gotham’s answer. The ferry dilemma and the ending give people something bigger than spectacle to love.
2
‘Die Hard’ (1988)
This movie has universal love because Die Hard feels perfectly calibrated from the first minute. John McClane (Bruce Willis) arrives in Los Angeles carrying marital strain, attitude, and enough vulnerability to make him feel human before the shooting starts. Then the office Christmas party gets hijacked, and the movie becomes a masterpiece of pressure. Every floor of Nakatomi has a purpose. Every side character adds friction. Every setback deepens McClane’s isolation while also making him more inventive.
Hans Gruber (Alan Rickman) is one huge reason people love this film so much. He brings intelligence, style, contempt, and adaptability, which means the movie never gets lazy about the villain side of the chessboard. Powell (Reginald VelJohnson) gives the story warmth and a lifeline to the outside world. Holly Gennero McClane (Bonnie Bedelia) matters because she is written as capable and proud, which raises the stakes far above generic hostage material. The barefoot detail is classic action writing because it turns McClane’s body into part of the suspense structure. By the time he is bloody, tired, and pulling glass from his feet while still trying to stay alive long enough to stop the whole operation, the audience is completely with him.
1
‘Terminator 2: Judgment Day’ (1991)
This is number one because Terminator 2: Judgment Day gives people almost everything they could want from action cinema and does every part of it at an elite level. And it has this weird nostalgic pull that other films in this list don’t. It’s the one that you watched with your cousins and kept thinking about it. Watching it now reveals that Judgement Day’s first brilliant move is the role reversal. Arnold enters carrying the memory of terror from the original film, then the mall hallway sequence flips that memory into protection. Suddenly the T-800 (Arnold Schwarzenegger) is the shield, the T-1000 (Robert Patrick) is the nightmare, and the sequel has reinvented its emotional engine before the chase has fully begun.
Then there’s John Connor (Edward Furlong). The movie lets him be a kid with pain, defiance, and genuine emotional influence. Sarah Connor (Linda Hamilton) matters because the film shows what surviving the first movie actually did to her. She has become hard, prophetic, nearly machine-like in her sense of purpose, and the Dyson scene proves how close that hardness has brought her to losing the line entirely. Every action sequence does story work: the canal chase, the hospital escape, the Cyberdyne siege, the steel mill finale. It has scale, clarity, sadness, and perfect payoff.
Terminator 2: Judgment Day
- Release Date
-
July 3, 1991
- Runtime
-
137 minutes
- Director
-
James Cameron
- Writers
-
James Cameron, Gale Anne Hurd, William Wisher
Dakota Mortensen has publicly addressed the now-closed police investigation into an alleged domestic violence incident involving his ex Taylor Frankie Paul.
In an Instagram post shared in the early hours of Monday, April 20, Dakota, 33, addressed attention he has received after news broke on March 16 that he and Taylor, 31, were involved in an alleged dispute that halted season 5 production of The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives. Us Weekly confirmed on Tuesday, April 14, that Taylor will not be charged in light of the investigation.
“Over the past several weeks, I’ve taken a step back and had time away from the chaos. That space has been a breath of fresh air and has given me clarity. My focus now is where it should have been all along-on my son and creating a stable, healthy environment for him moving forward,” Dakota wrote in black text against a white background. (The pair, who share a son, Ever, 2, engaged in a tumultuous romance from July 2022 until December 2024.)
Dakota’s post continued, “I regret not stepping away from the difficult cycle sooner. I’m not perfect, and I take accountability for my part. I’m sincerely sorry to those I’ve hurt. At the same time, I don’t agree with how this situation has been portrayed publicly. It does not reflect the full context of what occurred or the impact it has had on me and my son.”
Dakota Mortensen accused Taylor Frankie Paul of “scratching” him and physically assaulting him during their most-recent domestic dispute as new details continue to come to light. According to a report from the Draper City Police Department in Utah, obtained by Us Weekly on Monday, March 30, police opened a domestic assault investigation involving the former […]
The statement comes one day after Us Weekly shared details into an alleged February altercation between Dakota and Taylor. Dakota had claimed at the time that Taylor “grabbed” his neck and throat during an argument, with a friend of Dakota’s calling the Draper Police Department on February 23 to allege that Dakota was assaulted by Taylor. The friend claimed to a 911 dispatcher that Dakota was concerned about reporting the incident because of Taylor’s “celebrity status.”
District attorney Sim Gill told Us in a statement on April 14 that the alleged situation was thoroughly considered. “After reviewing reports and evidence submitted to the Draper Police Department and West Jordan Police Department, the Salt Lake County District Attorney’s Office has declined to file charges against Taylor Frankie Paul,” the statement confirmed.
Dakota Mortensen Araya Doheny/Getty Images
Dakota’s Instagram post touched on how he will navigate moving forward after the investigation. “I’ve chosen to step away from the spotlight to focus on my family, my growth, and our healing, and that’s where my energy will remain,” he continued. “I’m closing an unhealthy chapter and moving forward with hope for better days ahead.”
He added, “I’m grateful for all of the encouragement and support I’ve received, and I’m committed to showing up in a way that reflects that. My intention, over time and when appropriate, is to use what I’ve learned in a way that supports others navigating similar situations.”
Taylor Frankie Paul Craig Barritt/Getty Images for TIME
Dakota concluded the post, “For now, my priority is on showing up as the best father I can be for Ever,” before adding a second image that contained contact details for the National Domestic Violence Hotline.
Three years prior to the alleged February altercation, Taylor was arrested following a separate altercation with Dakota. She pleaded guilty to aggravated assault at the time, while additional charges of domestic violence in the presence of a child, child abuse with injury and criminal mischief were dismissed.
If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence, please call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 for confidential support.
Ryan Reynolds is making it clear where he stands when it comes to Blake Lively.
Amid ongoing headlines tied to her legal battle with Justin Baldoni and growing public scrutiny, the actor didn’t hold back while speaking about his wife.
His remarks arrive at a time when rumors and divorce speculations have continued to swirl around their marriage, but the Hollywood star chose to focus on something else entirely: his admiration for his wife and what he believes people are getting wrong.
Ryan Reynolds Publicly Defends Blake Lively Amid Growing Scrutiny
Ryan Reynolds did not shy away from addressing the pressure surrounding Blake Lively when he appeared on “Sunday Sitdown Live,” with Willie Geist.
Without diving into specifics, he made it clear that public perception does not match reality.
“You know, you really see the illusion behind so much of this stuff – digital life versus real life,” the 49-year-old said per the Daily Mail, pointing to the gap between headlines and lived experience.
Reynolds then doubled down on his support, adding, “Without getting into too much, I have never in my life been more proud of my wife, really.”
His remarks came at a time when the actress’s court battle has been closely followed, with new updates raising questions about her career decisions and relationships.
Still, Reynolds emphasized that outsiders do not fully understand the situation, saying, “People have no idea what’s really going on, you know? I have never in my life been more proud of someone with that level of integrity that brings that with them with everything they do.”
Reynolds And Lively’s Marriage Faces Rumors And Public Pressure
Despite the strong front, rumors about Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively’s relationship have also been pulled into the spotlight as the legal drama unfolds.
The couple, who married in 2012, shares four children, James, Inez, Betty, and three-year-old Olin, and have often been viewed as one of Hollywood’s steady partnerships. However, that perception was recently tested.
The speculations particularly began after the “Deadpool” star skipped his wife’s settlement conference at the U.S. District Court in Manhattan on February 11.
The absence fueled speculation, especially as comparisons were drawn to others involved in the case.
For example, Justin Baldoni’s wife, Emily, was present at his court appearances, highlighting a significant difference that did not go unnoticed.
Still, Reynolds’ recent comments appeared to push back strongly against any suggestion that their marriage is anything but solid.
Ryan Reynolds Drawn Into Blake Lively’s Legal Case Against Justin Baldoni
Reynolds has not remained on the sidelines when it comes to Lively’s legal situation involving Baldoni.
The “Gossip Girl” actress filed claims against the “It Ends With Us” director, his company Wayfarer Studios, and publicists Melissa Nathan, Jennifer Abel, and Jed Wallace, citing breach of contract and retaliation.
However, the case shifted when a judge dismissed 10 of her 13 claims, including those tied to sexual harassment.
Baldoni is still expected to testify, and Reynolds’ name has also surfaced as part of Lively’s witness list, meaning he could face questioning over his involvement.
That involvement includes reported contributions to the film at the center of the dispute. Reports indicate that Reynolds personally rewrote a rooftop scene in the 2024 domestic violence drama despite an ongoing WGA strike.
His company, Maximum Effort, also handled a controversial marketing campaign that tied Lively’s Betty Buzz brand to themed cocktails like “Ryle You Wait.”
Reynolds’ Behind-The-Scenes Moves Add New Layers To The Controversy
Ryan Reynolds’ actions away from the spotlight have also played a role in the ongoing situation.
He reportedly referred to Justin Baldoni as a “sexual predator” and “predatory fraudster” in messages sent to WME executives Ari Emanuel and Patrick Whitesell, before Baldoni was dropped as a client.
The filmmaker also appeared to address the situation creatively. In “Deadpool & Wolverine,” he introduced a character named Nicepool, widely interpreted as a dig at Baldoni.
The moment gained more attention when Lively’s Ladypool character shoots him in a scene.
Meanwhile, the controversy has largely gone untouched by major late-night hosts with Stephen Colbert, Jimmy Fallon, Jimmy Kimmel, Seth Meyers, and John Oliver avoiding the topic.
This comes after Reynolds’ company, Mint Mobile, helped sponsor their 2023 podcast, “Strike Force Five.”
Another layer to the story involves Vanzan, Inc., a dormant company tied to Reynolds and Lively, which was reportedly used to obtain private messages via a subpoena targeting unnamed individuals.
Those messages were later published by The New York Times, though parts of the reporting have since been challenged by Baldoni’s own evidence and timeline.
Ryan Reynolds And Blake Lively Continue Work As Legal Drama Unfolds
Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively have continued focusing on their careers even as the situation unfolds.
Lively has taken a strong creative role in her recent project, stepping into multiple areas including directing, script development, wardrobe, score, and editing.
She has signed on to produce and star in “The Survival List,” though updates on the project have been limited since last summer.
At the same time, Reynolds is preparing for upcoming releases, including the Apple TV comedy “Mayday” and the Warner Bros. film “Animal Friends,” both produced through Maximum Effort, as his public support for Lively continues to shape the narrative surrounding them.
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