Lights, camera, action! From Bruce Willis to Tom Cruise and a new generation of action stars, action movies always put you in a good mood. You can pump your fists in the air as your favorite protagonist repels off buildings, engages in high-speed car chases, and fights to the death. It’s all make-believe, after all.
Some action movies have a humorous angle, which gives them an entirely new flavor. Others are all serious, all the time. Whatever your poison, there are three action movies on Amazon Prime Video you need to watch in September. They’ll entertain you for a few hours as you shut out from the world.
Jackpot! (2024)
An Amazon Original action comedy, Jackpot! combines the comedic forces of John Cena and Awkwafina in a match made in hilariously action-packed fashion. It’s set in a future version of California where the government has developed a Grand Lottery program. Each day, someone new is selected as a winner, and if they can survive the day, they get the money. But if someone else kills them, and many try, they take home the prize instead. Awkwafina is Katie, a former child actor who is selected as the day’s winner, earning billions if she can stay alive. She happens upon Noel (Cena), a skilled fighter who works as a freelance Lottery protection agent, who agrees to help if she gives him a percentage of her winnings.
Noel springs into action, following the rules of using any means necessary to eliminate hunters without using guns. Katie must either put her trust in him in hopes of getting the money or make her way to a place known as the Grapevine, which allows her to quit the game and ensure her life. Jackpot! hasn’t exactly been receiving rave reviews, but if you have watched some of Cena’s latest films, you know exactly what to expect. It might just be the escapist entertainment you need.
Stream Jackpot! on Amazon Prime Video.
Die Hart (2023)
Another action movie in the comedy space, Die Hart is a parody of Die Hard that more generally pokes fun at action movies and action movie stars. It stars Kevin Hart as a fictional version of himself as a Hollywood actor who yearns to become an action star. But he doesn’t exactly fit the mold. He begins to study at an action star boot camp led by Ron Wilcox (John Travolta) where he also meets Josh Hartnett, who plays himself and a former student of the boot camp.
Die Hart was initially released on Quibi back in 2020 as a TV series where it earned seven Primetime Emmy nominations. It was then re-edited and made into a feature-length movie for Amazon Prime Video in 2023. Also starring Ben Schwartz, Paula Pell, John Cena, and Nathalie Emmanuel, Die Hart is pure fun to watch, especially if you love Hart’s loud and exaggerated humor. Once you’re done, check out Die Hart 2: Die Harter, which was released in May 2024 and is also streaming on Amazon Prime Video.
Stream Die Hart on Amazon Prime Video.
Man on Fire (2004)
Does it get any better than Denzel Washington? This 20-year-old action thriller stars the Hollywood heavyweight as John Creasy, a former CIA officer turned bodyguard, battling an alcohol addiction. He becomes enraged when a little girl he’s protecting named Lupita (Ripley‘s Dakota Fanning) is abducted in Mexico City. Not settling until he finds her and takes down everyone responsible (and whoever gets in his way), the case brings Creasy a renewed sense of purpose and vigor for a life he had all but given up on.
Based on the A.J. Quinnell novel of the same name, Man on Fire also stars Christopher Walken, Giancarlo Giannini, Marc Anthony, and Mickey Rourke. Interestingly, while Man on Fire was a commercial success, it received mixed reviews. Some critics thought it was just an average film that ran for too long (it’s almost two and a half hours), but fans were all in with this version of Washington as a man on a mission.
Stream Man on Fire on Amazon Prime Video.
