Not all great stories start at the beginning, sometimes they start in the middle or even the end. Throughout the course of filmmaking there have been instances where the beginning of a story get’s told sometimes years after the story has made its mark. This list is a celebration of two things: action movies and prequels. Let’s turn our attention now to number five on our list…
5. The Scorpion King
One of The Rock’s first vehicles was the action movie The Scorpion King. It also featured Michael Clark Duncan, Kelly Hu, Steven Brand, Ralf Moeller and Grant Heslov with Chuck Russell directing. What makes it a prequel is that it takes place 5000 years before the events in The Mummy Returns.
The Rock (Dwayne Johnson) plays as Mathayus the last true Akkadian mercenary on a mission to defeat an evil King, avenge his dead brothers, and of course get the girl. The movie may not be a cinematic masterpiece but it does have tons of action and one Ms. Kelly Hu to boot. The movie would only be the beginning for Dwayne Johnson who would go on to star in several lucrative films.
4. Underworld: Rise of the Lycans
This was one of the most highly anticipated prequels of all time as Underworld has garnered a rather sizable cult following. In the fictional world of Underworld Vampires and Werewolves both coexist, but it is a tenuous relationship at best. In fact this prequel takes you all the way back to when the war between the two races first broke out.
Bill Nighy stars in this monster epic with Michael Sheen, Rhona Mitra, Kevin Grevioux, Steven Mackintosh, and Kate Beckinsale. The movie picks up with the first Lycan ever born (the first werewolf to take human form) and his attempt to free his fellow Lycan’s from the slavery imposed on them by the Vampires. When it comes right down to it, this movie is action packed and intense, easily one of the best prequels of all time.
3. The Godfather part 2
We know what you’re thinking, how could the Godfather not be the best prequel ever? Simple, it isn’t necessarily an action movie. There is plenty of action, but not more than the next two films. Also technically The Godfather Part 2 is a prequel and a sequel as the story of the first movie is extended in part 2. The back story and family history of the Corleone’s is explored making it a prequel as well.
With an all-star cast that was nominated for 11 Academy Awards, of which they took home six, The God Father part 2 set a benchmark for filmmaking and is considered by some to be one of the greatest movies of all time. Taking place in two different era’s The Godfather Part 2 is about the Corleone crime family and the things they go through to keep the family together through diversity. The key note action scene is when Sonny (James Caan) get’s wacked at the toll booths, ouch.
2. Star Wars Episode 3: Revenge of the Sith
Typically the first prequel you think of are the prequels referred to as ‘The Prequels’ and that would be Star Wars. Instead of putting each one on the list we went with the best of the three from the monster that George Lucas built. Star Wars is the story of the rise and fall of Anakin Skywalker better known as Darth Vader. The prequels deal with his early childhood and life as a young adult.
We could spend all day going back and forth about which prequel should have made the list but that’s the beauty of the series and the genre. This prequel series probably holds the record for longest time between prequel and sequel as well.
1. Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom
That’s right gentlemen, Indy is the king. While the Temple of Doom isn’t the best of the Indy series, it is the best prequel ever. Featuring a odd mix in casting and one of the toughest filming setbacks in movie making history this film almost didn’t get made!
The movie had all the right elements for a good action flick. It was funny and intense and how do you get more action packed than Harrison Ford tossing around knuckle sandwiches every which way! Kate Capshaw was a babe in her time and that still holds up. It’s for certain that Steven Spielberg and George Lucas would come together to make the best action prequel of all time, now if we could have just killed off Short Round in the first act this movie would have been perfect.
