5 Best English Action Movies Of 2009

The 5 best action English action movies of 2009 included a mix of Victorian England sleuthing and futuristic lunar exploration. And of course, there were the standard gritty movies about foul-mouthed London crooks with quick trigger fingers and quicker tempers. The search for the five best English action movies of 2009 should definitely consider some of these titles for consideration.

1. "Sherlock Holmes."  A departure for British director Guy Ritchie, who helmed several of the best English action movies in recent years, this reboot of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's hero gave us a quirky and intense Holmes (a well-cast Robert Downey Jr.) and a kick-ass Dr. Watson (Jude Law), who's definitely not the bumbling sidekick we've become used to in countless other Holmes movies. The story deals in black magic and has plenty of Ritchie's trademark camera angles, quick cuts and lots of Victorian-style action.
2. "Harry Brown." Old school British star Michael Caine shows that he's still got his bad-ass chops from his "Get Carter" days in this hyper-violent revenge drama. Did we mention it's violent? Caine's title character goes after the local scumbags who killed his best friend. There's a riot scene that's a little disturbing, but overall it's a cut above most revenge movies and that's largely due to Caine as a ruthless former Marine on a mission.
3. "Moon."  While not an action movie in the traditional sense, with car chases and lots of explosions, this unusual science-fiction story of a lone astronaut trying to hold it together just weeks before his long-awaited return to Earth is one of those offbeat movies you find once in awhile and never quite forget. Sam Rockwell is phenomenal as the astronaut working alone on the Moon. Undoubtedly one of the best English action movies of 2009, "Moon" was directed by Duncan Jones, his first full-length feature, and he does a masterful job handling the steadily building intensity and creepiness from beginning to end.
4. "Jackboots on Whitehall." If you liked "Team America," then you'll probably get a kick out of this goofy alternative World War II story featuring animatronic puppets and voices of well-known UK actors like Ewan MacGregor, Richard E. Grant, Richard Griffiths and Timothy Spall. The what-if premise has the Nazis in control of London and the Brits staging a last stand at Hadrian's Wall. It's all in good fun and keep an eye out for the dozens of movie references, from "Apocalpyse Now" to "Braveheart" and many more great English action movies.
5. "Solomon Kane." This UK-French-Czech production is a dark fantasy/adventure movie with plenty of swordplay and other action. The movie is based on characters created by Robert E. Howard, best known for creating Conan the Barbarian. In this graphically violent action movie, Solomon Kane is an English soldier who discovers he's headed for Hell when he encounters a messenger from the Devil. He vows to stop his violent ways, but, as always happens when someone renounces violence in action movies, he's pulled back into action. Let the slashing and beheading begin. Though this is essentially a fantasy story, it's definitely not for the kids. As the English might say, "It's bloody good." But it's also just plain bloody.