Urban Adventure Movies

[urbpan]

There's a whole subgenre of urban adventure movies--movies where a person or a group of people have to quest into the wilderness of a city, to rescue or acquire or protect or escape someone or something. Usually (but not always) there is a fantastic or supernatural element. I like these movies. Here's a list of ones I can remember seeing. Does anyone have any to add?

Escape From New York -- Probably my favorite of this kind of movie. I haven't seen the L.A. sequel, but it's in my queue.

After Hours -- Haven't seen it in years but I remember it as darkly hilarious.

The Warriors -- party of adventuring gang members persecuted by dark forces (sort of a cross between Krull and West Side Story).

Streets of Fire -- kind of campy 80's ("Rock 'n' Roll Fable") Urban Adventure, good Willem Defoe part.

The Last Dragon -- REALLY campy 80's Urban Adventure. Basically a kid's movie, but fun. Who am I? SHO' NUFF!

Big Trouble in Little China -- Really this is more like a Dungeons and Dragons Asian Adventures Expansion Module, but it does take place below a city.

The Golden Child -- BTILC reminded me of this one. Urban Youth Leader Eddie Murphy protects the reincarnation of the buddha from dark forces.

Judgement Night -- The soundtrack is about a million times better than the movie.

Repo Man -- One of my all-time favorite movies. I wasn't going to include it, but it meets all the criteria I outlined above, so why not?

cross-posted to urban_adventure

Comments

[shellizzle.livejournal.com]

I haven't seen any of these, but my brother LOVES Big Trouble in Little China.

[cottonmanifesto.livejournal.com]

It's a great movie! :)

[urbpan.livejournal.com]

It's lots of fun, if you like that sort of thing.
(lightweight fantasy action-adventure movies)

[cottonmanifesto.livejournal.com]

I saw the golden child on tv - I remember it being vaguely painful.

[urbpan.livejournal.com]

I liked it, but it definitely marked (along with Best Defense) the dulling of the Eddie Murphy lustre.

[cottonmanifesto.livejournal.com]

What about C.H.U.D.?

[urbpan.livejournal.com]

I'm trying to exclude horror movies from the list (partly to exclude Predator 2).

[miz-geek.livejournal.com]

How about Adventures in Babysitting?

And the spouse suggests Subway, a weird French movie, but I admit I don't really remember the quest part. It may just be weird movie that happens to take place in the Paris Metro.

[urbpan.livejournal.com]

Yeah, Adventures in Babysitting definitely counts, although its a slippery slope with the kid-friendly fare--in no time we'll be including Madeline and Herbie the Love Bug.

Subway, I'm intrigued by. Apparently it was done by the same guy behing La Femme Nikita and Unleashed (unless I'm mistaken) and includes cross-eyed North American has-been Christopher Lambert (I'm a Highlander fan, so I make fun lovingly). From what I've read, it doesn't seem to actually be about anything and after Napoleon Dynamite, I may have to take a break from that. But I'll scrutinize it rather than dismiss it.

[miz-geek.livejournal.com]

Well, you started it with BTILC :D

I don't remember Subway very well. It was a lot darker than Napoleon Dynamite (which I didn't mind too much) - closer to La Femme Nikita. You know, one of those alternate societies living in the subways kind of movie.

[anais2.livejournal.com]

If I had to name a favorite urban adventure movie, I would nominate Pig in the City (The Babe sequel.

My music is much harder than my films...

Ther can be only one

[brush-rat.livejournal.com]

How can you mention Christopher Lambert and not include Highlander? It seems to fit your criteria. I would think I'd be able to pull a couple dozen of these out of my head, but the only thing that comes to mind is Die Hard III, Run Lola Run and The Man Who Knew Too Little.

On a side note, the novel The Warriors is based on is actually quite good and much more deep than the movie. It's been decades since I read it, but I remember being surprised it ended on such a downbeat.