Action & Adventure

A group of American fortune hunters enlist the aid of an American ex-patriot and ex-Army officer in seeking out a priceless treasure in the mountains of China, only to find their mission complicated by forces beyond their comprehension. The story begins in the 1930s, when the Soviets were cracking down on religion. A Buddhist artifact known as the Tangka was smuggled across the border into China, and secretly hidden deep in the mountains. The diamonds decorating the gold-inlaid textile alone are rumored to be worth $50 million, prompting a team of fearless fortune hunters to travel halfway around the world for an adventure that could make them rich beyond their wildest dreams. But these adventurers are going to need some help if they hope to recover the Tangka and make it back home alive, so they travel to inner-Mongolia in search of an experienced American ex-patriot named Xander Ronson (Dolph Lundgren). Ronson has served his time in the military, and now all he wants is to fade into obscurity while indulging in drink and women, and participating in the occasional bare-knuckle brawl. But Ronson is no fool; he realizes that if her were to find the Tangka he would never have to work another day, and he aggress to help the mercenaries track down their treasure for a healthy finder's fee. What the treasure hunters have failed to realize, however, is that Ronson is being tracked by a group of violent Russian mercenaries, and that the Tangka is protected by a sinister force with seemingly unlimited power. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

The battle continues as the fearless Marines who single-handedly took on Al-Qaeda return to thwart a deadly terrorist plan to steal an anti-hijack device and crash an airplane into a top-secret U.S. Military Intelligence base in a non-stop, adrenaline-charged action thriller starring Mark Dacascos, Theresa Randle, and Jeff Fahey. The Ground Control Encoder was designed to lock out the pilot's instruments and allow Air Traffic Control to fly the aircraft to safety in the event of a terrorist hijacking. When terrorists hatch a plan to steal the Ground Control Encoder and use it to crash a plane into a U.S. Military Intelligence base located deep in Southeast Asia, the Strike Force team must stealthily venture into hostile territory to seek out and recover the stolen device before terrorists use it to expose the U.S. military and potentially take out hundreds of innocent lives in the process. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

Roland Emmerich and Dean Devlin, the director/producer team responsible for such sci-fi blockbusters as Independence Day, Stargate, and Godzilla, take a step back in time with this drama set during the American Revolution. Farmer Benjamin Martin (Mel Gibson) was born and raised in South Carolina, and fought bravely during the French-Indian wars. But since the death of his wife, Benjamin has renounced violence and quietly tends his crops, raising his seven children alone. In 1776, over Benjamin's objections, his oldest son Gabriel (Heath Ledger) joins the fight against the British. Gabriel returns from battle seriously wounded, with Lord General Cornwallis (Tom Wilkinson) calling for his arrest. A skirmish breaks out on Benjamin's plantation, and one of his children is killed as Gabriel is captured by Col. Tavington (Jason Isaacs) and sentenced to hang. Benjamin sets aside his vow of pacifism and rescues Gabriel; with the help of his former comrade-in-arms Harry Burwell (Chris Cooper), the father and son form a regiment of Carolina patriots whose cunning and ruthlessness make them heroes among the colonists -- and wanted men by British troops. Loosely adapted from the true story of Francis Marion and filmed on location in South Carolina, The Patriot was the first feature film made with the cooperation of the Smithsonian Institute, who advised the producers on historical accuracy. Joely Richardson also stars as Charlotte, Benjamin's sister-in-law who helps him care for the children. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

A Lieutenant leading a raid on al-Qaida terrorists is forced to abandon his mission and rescue a captain trapped behind enemy lines in this military-themed action thriller starring Mark Dacascos, Theresa Randle, and Rutger Hauer. Al-Qaeda terrorists have holed up with Philippine rebels, and it's up to Lt. Matt Daniels to lead an amphibious mission to raid the site and capture the enemy. When Captain Amy Jennings' helicopter is gunned down deep in enemy territory, however, Daniels and his crew courageously leap into the line of fire in a brave attempt to rescue their fallen compatriot and take out the enemy's powerful bio-weapons cache. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

The latest innovation in high-tech defense hardware turns out to have a very dangerous mind of its own in this action thriller. Kara Wade (Jessica Biel), Henry Purcell (Jamie Foxx), and Ben Gannon (Josh Lucas) are three highly ranked U.S. Navy pilots who are part of a top-secret project involving the next generation of stealth fighter technology, the Talon Jet. Wade, Purcell, and Gannon are surprised when their commander, Captain George Cummings (Sam Shepard), introduces them to the new member of their team -- "Edi," an "extreme deep invader" developed as part of the "Unmanned Combat Aerial Vehicle" program. Utilizing the latest innovations in artificial intelligence, Edi is a computer-based flight controller that will take over the wingman's position in the team's formation, and while the pilots initially balk, Edi performs admirably in its first mission. However, after Edi is struck by lightning on a return trip, the computer's circuits and software begin to change in unexpected ways, and Edi not only begins to think for itself, it begins to violate direct orders. During a mission investigating the forces of a dangerous Chinese extremist, Edi starts an attack that could launch World War III, and it's up to Wade, Purcell, and Gannon to stop both Edi and its dangerous plan before it's too late. Stealth also stars Joe Morton and Richard Roxburgh. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide