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5 Kick-Ass Action Movies That Are Pure Propaganda

cracked.com — These days, we don ’t go for propaganda via posters or showy military parades. No, if you want the populace subdued, you’d better dress up your message with some high-wire kung fu and guys running in slow motion from fireballs. Some fine examples of thought control via the kick-ass action movie:

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  • KevenM, on 10/25/2007, -4/+70Funny list as usual, but missing the #1 'Propaganda' movie: Independence Day
    • ninsei, on 10/10/2007, -6/+10I'm w/ you, I liked that movie (funny/campy) but the "America, ***** Yeah!" overtone made me want to yak!
      • rebattim, on 10/10/2007, -9/+4No, not Team America: World Police...Independence Day, there's a little bit of a difference.
        • Scienceisfun, on 10/10/2007, -1/+5I think you missed his point.
        • Dundasbro, on 10/10/2007, -1/+9That whooshing sound you are hearing is ninsei's point flying over your head, do not be alarmed.
    • Alpione, on 10/10/2007, -6/+16I'm sure most on here would prefer the "America sucks!" overtones...
    • Directrix1, on 10/10/2007, -1/+1I disagree. #1 should be the new Transformers movie.
    • JettaMan, on 10/10/2007, -3/+2Hmm... the article seems to be a piece of propaganda too, since he's telling us how supposedly kick-ass these films are.
    • Taciturn, on 10/10/2007, -0/+3"Hero." Message: the Chinese government should be allowed unchecked expansion, because only when all lands and all peoples are under the sway of the Middle Kingdom will there be peace.

      They don't actually blow anything up. But an entire army fires arrows at Jet Li and he knocks them out of the way with his sword. If that's not kick-ass then the term has lost all meaning.
    • KevenM, on 10/10/2007, -0/+1Pretty much anything by Michael Bay or Jerry Bruckheimer now that I think about it.
    • IMustBeEmo, on 10/10/2007, -4/+1When I saw the Bourne Ultimatum (***** movie but I was forced into it), I saw trailers for a movie that looked like pure propaganda trash supporting the war in Iraq. I can't remember what it was called, does anybody know? If it helps, I remember another trailer was for American Gangster.
    • farmboymdp, on 10/10/2007, -1/+4STARSHIP ***** TROOPERS.

      Would you like to know more?
      • ISIfunded911, on 10/10/2007, -1/+1You did not understand that Starship Troopers was a criticism of fascism, propaganda, and perpetual war.
  • bossm4n, on 10/25/2007, -3/+31Dugg for Red Dawn.
  • cloudyprison, on 10/25/2007, -8/+48You don't need that many pages to show 5 movies.
    Article on one page.
    http://www.cracked.com/print.php?sid=2405
    • rudy23, on 10/10/2007, -0/+10too bad you are being dugg down. it sucks they have to put 5 movies on 5 fricking pages. especially considering that the deadly digg effect can strike any moment.

      GRRRRRR session expired and got logged out again. Fix the fkins site kevin.
      • rickbauls, on 10/10/2007, -1/+4It links back to the original page. Good idea, but he did it wrong.
      • ostracize, on 10/10/2007, -1/+2You can't link to the print version directly. That's why he's getting dugg down.
    • rickbauls, on 10/10/2007, -2/+5Fail
    • Kronos6948, on 10/10/2007, -2/+1I agree...I mean, all their other lists are separated into maybe 2 pages at most.
  • Goodbyeworld, on 10/25/2007, -3/+59CRACKED.COM- Your #1 source for highly debatable lists
    • cmuwriter, on 10/10/2007, -2/+13You've got to admit that they crank out some of the best lists the interweb has to offer.
      • ShrimpCrackers, on 10/10/2007, -0/+5Indeed. I would've included Hero. Hero basically regurgitates the Chinese Communist Party line and justifies the brutal history of China by saying people killed each other because they had a higher "Chinese consciousness" and invaded each other on a monthly basis in order to create a "unified China as we see today amongst different ethnicities". This is the same justification that they used to invade Tibet even though Tibetans are acknowledged as different. It has as much ***** as Hitler when he said he just wanted to unify the Aryan race.
      • picsectionpleez, on 10/10/2007, -2/+2No they don't. And it takes FIVE ***** pages to read this particular list- Ever wonder how they're getting their pages to the front page? You don't think it could be the same people Digging their stories do you? Oh wait- could that mean that the employees there all vote for their story at the same time? No, say it couldn't be so. No one who would put ***** lists on 5 long ass pages would even think of getting their employees to Digg their story.....
    • rickbauls, on 10/10/2007, -0/+2I like the list of bad fight scenes
    • over90000, on 10/10/2007, -0/+4What's #2 to 10?
  • Varney, on 10/10/2007, -20/+13No Starship Troopers?
    As great as that movie is, it has to be the most pro-fascist action film ever.
    • Hetman, on 10/10/2007, -1/+13That is not what he is saying. He is saying only people who have experienced combat IE citizens should be able to make a decision to go to war. Because they are the only ones who know the sacrifices wars take.
      • ShrimpCrackers, on 10/10/2007, -2/+7Plus the government portrayed was Federalist, not Fascist. Even in the movies. Also try reading the book.
      • Varney, on 10/10/2007, -4/+3I have read the book. It's pretty pro-fascist as well. Even though Heinlein did a complete 180 with the pro-libertarian "Moon is a Harsh Mistress."
    • Luigi30, on 10/10/2007, -4/+8That's because the book was political satire on governments like that or something.
      • umrgregg, on 10/10/2007, -0/+3Are you smoking crack? You need to read that book again, because it was not satire. At all. Really.

        The film took a craic at the book, but the book was not satire.
    • cthulhukb, on 10/25/2007, -2/+17Starship Troopers would only be pro-fascist if it wasn't a satire.
      • umrgregg, on 10/10/2007, -3/+2I hope you're talking about the movie... Sheesh. When did reading comprehension become so bad?
        • cthulhukb, on 10/10/2007, -0/+0Well, I am talking about the movie. Reading comprehension indeed.
    • ThE0eNiGmA, on 10/10/2007, -1/+12You completely missed the point of the movie. It was satire. It was poking fun at the propaganda techniques used by fascist governments while at the same time incorporating them for a bit of a realistic feel.
    • Xondar, on 10/10/2007, -3/+1That's cause the book was extremely pro-fascist.
      • ogden, on 10/10/2007, -0/+1Read the book sometime. Unfortunately the movies makers tried to turn a cautionary tale about the power of the state and propaganda and sacrifice into an action film. I personally think it was just bad film making ... not any sort of propaganda.
    • Error601, on 10/10/2007, -2/+2It was a brainless movie that claimed to be made from a great book.
  • dagnabbit, on 10/25/2007, -2/+50Ever go back and watch Rocky 4? Reagan didn't end the Cold War - Rocky did.
    • Luigi30, on 10/10/2007, -0/+5Everyone knows Rocky ended the Cold War by defeating Dolph Lundgren in a battle to the death.
      • Alpione, on 10/10/2007, -1/+1Except his name, I believe, was Ivan Drako... "I must break you..." I used to love that movie when it came out...
        • thcobbs, on 10/10/2007, -0/+4The actor was Dolph Lundgren.... Also, he is a very intelligent man with a Masters in chemical engineering.
          • Alpione, on 10/10/2007, -0/+1I know.. But you can't say "Rocky" beat "Dolph Lundgren." It would have to be "Stalone v Lundgren" or "Rocky v Drako." Can't mix your actors with your fictitious characters. :-)
          • thcobbs, on 10/10/2007, -0/+1Why not? The pink unicorn that gets my coffee for me says I can!
    • thcobbs, on 10/10/2007, -0/+4< hamburger face >
      If yous can change, then we all can change!
      < /hamburger face >

      Any boxing movie where your defense is "HIT ME IN THE FACE" you know its gonna be a good movie.
    • happyhappyhappy, on 10/10/2007, -4/+3Gee, and I thought it was Gorbachev with his reforms of Perestroika and Glasnost, but it was Rocky all along! (Reagan wasn't even in the running)
    • tical2756, on 10/10/2007, -0/+2Everyone knows the pope ended the Cold War
  • RogaDanar, on 10/10/2007, -1/+8Wolverines!

    And aren't the Rambo movies pretty propagandized?
    • norman619, on 10/10/2007, -2/+3Appearan't some unknown Turkish movie beat Rambo out.
    • thcobbs, on 10/10/2007, -0/+2Yeah, Vietnam vets are bad until your ass needs saving and you've got an excess of ammunition.
  • Alpione, on 10/10/2007, -26/+12Considering 95% of movies mentioning politics in Hollywood are far-left liberal propoganda, I'm not sure this list has any meaning... The liberals just don't like to admit those flicks are propoganda...
    • Hetman, on 10/10/2007, -3/+10Did you watch the sitcom bing bang last night. It is total propoganda. It is teaching our young kids that the world was created in a big band and then it goes on to show men evolving from animals. Pure liberal propoganda rubish.
      • Alpione, on 10/10/2007, -0/+1What's a "big band?"
      • Hetman, on 10/10/2007, -1/+6hehe A big band is a type of musical ensemble associated with playing jazz music and which became popular during the Swing Era from the early 1930s until the late 1940s, although there are many big-bands around nowadays. A big band typically consists of approximately 12 to 19 musicians and contains saxophones, trumpets, trombones, and a rhythm section.
    • ZiggityZhang, on 10/10/2007, -1/+7Oh GAWD not far-left propoganda!!! Don't worry, Fox news will catch it in their Latest Liberal Outrage segment.
    • arbulus, on 10/10/2007, -2/+2Yes, because balancing that out with the far-right propaganda from Fox News makes you so much better.
  • chicoer2001, on 10/10/2007, -1/+11How did Billy Zane and Gary Busey get caught up in a crappy movie like Kurtlar Vadisi Irak.
    • nirav72, on 10/10/2007, -1/+3Because both of them are crappy actors. (Ok maybe Busey was good back in the day.)
    • hockey, on 10/10/2007, -0/+3Money.

      Their actors and someone offered them work pure and simple.
      • thcobbs, on 10/10/2007, -1/+2"Their actors"

        Who's actors?
        • LeoChan, on 10/10/2007, -1/+2* Whose actors?
          You were correcting his and yours wasn't grammatically correct either, so I took the liberty.
        • anachronaut, on 10/10/2007, -0/+1Whose actors?

          If you're going to bust someone's balls over grammar, at least do it correctly. *****.
    • thcobbs, on 10/10/2007, -2/+1Because they are crappy actors?
    • blaze4metal, on 10/10/2007, -1/+2"Apparently, Busey's schedule was open" -- Jon Stewart
    • Zsigmund, on 10/10/2007, -0/+0They were plants by the US govt. to discredit and smear the films reputation, obviously! It's a waste really, we should just drop Gary Busey directly into Iran for maximum effect. Unfortunately most people in the world could care less who Billy Zane is, so they could pack him an empty chute and hope for some minor collateral damage.
  • rudy23, on 10/10/2007, -16/+9South Park Movie and Tv Show.

    digg me down all you want but its nothing but heres what we think is right and you should believe it too.

    still love the show.
    • cmuwriter, on 10/10/2007, -1/+5I think they were going more towards action movies, but I would tend to agree with you about South Park. I remember when it used to just be about zombie turkeys.
    • vypergts, on 10/10/2007, -2/+2I dugg you down because this article is about ACTION movies not Comedies.
    • oldhick, on 10/10/2007, -2/+4Too bad you don't get it... They don't necessarily believe that its right. If you read interviews with Matt and Trey, they simply wish to mock what is popular and to provide alternatives. Funny as hell!
    • arbulus, on 10/10/2007, -1/+2I don't even understand what you said. Your second sentence is completely incoherent.
  • EarlOfLade, on 10/10/2007, -5/+6What? This list is BS...

    Any such list without the biggest propaganda tripe of them all on it, is nothing but BS.
    The list needs "The Green Berets"
    • Nickface, on 10/10/2007, -1/+2I agree 100%. That's the second movie that comes to mind when I think of "propaganda action movies," with #1 being Red Dawn, of course.
  • hornfinger, on 10/10/2007, -9/+16They missed off Flight 93, The Queen and World Trade Center from that list.
  • norman619, on 10/10/2007, -3/+9"Kurtlar Vadisi Irak (Valley of the Wolves: Iraq)"

    Was I the only one that said "What?" when they got to #5?
    • mithrasinvictus, on 10/10/2007, -1/+2it might not be kick-ass, but it is definitely propaganda.
  • Nizza, on 10/10/2007, -1/+7Iron Eagle.
  • Essefgy, on 10/10/2007, -3/+7What about Rambo 3? How could they do a list like that without Rambo 3?
    • garvallagh, on 10/10/2007, -0/+0didnt see your comment before i posted, Rambo was the ultimate PG weapon,
    • eddielummox, on 10/10/2007, -0/+1Rambo 3 was originally on the list, but it was taken out because of another recent Cracked article that mentioned Rambo. They didn't want to over-Rambo the site.
  • inajeep, on 10/10/2007, -3/+3Steven Segal? If I was 10 I might think he was bad-ass. Watch Mad TV reruns where they show the real Steven Segal movie out -takes.
  • cmuwriter, on 10/25/2007, -1/+15Dugg for "Jihad of awesome".
    • gmiley, on 10/10/2007, -0/+6Damn I got beat to it, best line in that whole article. That is, from now on, my newest favorite line and I will use it regularly.
      • GfunkGbuss, on 10/10/2007, -0/+0Same here... excellent way to end the article.
    • Hetman, on 10/10/2007, -2/+2Last night on the daily show. Stewart was pretending to be Mayor Gilliuni at the NRA when his wife called. and he ended his phone call with Shoot ya later 911. I think it is my favorite good bye now.
  • rudy23, on 10/10/2007, -3/+2does anyone else think that nasty ad for cacique on the right is semi NSFW? so fkin annoying.
    • ChayD, on 10/10/2007, -0/+2No, but that f**king poorly coded *Slam! Slam! Hey! look at me! I'm eating up your CPU!* Intel ad that keeps freezing up my browser certainly is. Bastards.
  • iBookG4, on 10/10/2007, -2/+8#6: Snakes on a Plane
  • hockey, on 10/25/2007, -3/+27Chuck Norris movies are not propaganda. They are pure fact and based on true stories.

    All of them.
  • imightbewrong, on 10/10/2007, -7/+20V for Vendetta anyone?
    • norman619, on 10/10/2007, -4/+7Awesome movie. Most Americans actually need to see that movie and I'm saying just becuae Natalie Portman is in it.
      • umrgregg, on 10/10/2007, -5/+2All Portman movies are mandatory viewing in my house. Daily.
      • yohnstoppable, on 10/10/2007, -1/+2She was way hotter in The Professional
      • arbulus, on 10/10/2007, -2/+3No, most Americans need to read the graphic novel. The movie was a bastardization and the filmmakers basically told Alan Moore (the author of the graphic novel) to go ***** himself. I have zero respect for that.
    • iceschade, on 10/10/2007, -1/+2One of my favorite films of all time. Also see: Equilibrium
  • garvallagh, on 10/10/2007, -1/+3and Rambo 3 ??? how ***** appropriate is that propaganda... blow back hehehe. The American generals (while being tortured) speech to the Russian officer regarding the nobility of the Afgan peoples. LOL
    • norman619, on 10/10/2007, -2/+7And Al-Qaeda since we actually trained them there to fight the Russians. Priceless!
  • Alpione, on 10/10/2007, -5/+11They need to follow up with a list of "anti-American" propoganda action movies. There were about 25 of them at the film festivals this year alone...
    • TimoP, on 10/10/2007, -2/+4I've never heard of these 25 propoganda movies. It'd be great if you could give us a few titles.
  • MrMysterious, on 10/10/2007, -0/+6Wow, Red Dawn looks good, I just added it to the top of my Netflix que!
    • Hetman, on 10/10/2007, -0/+2Its definatly a classic.
      • axehind, on 10/10/2007, -1/+1Yeah it's a classic. It basically was one of the worst fears from the 70's-80's cold war days.
    • MacGruber, on 10/10/2007, -0/+0For Christ's sake, Do Not confuse it with Steel Dawn!!
    • cmuwriter, on 10/10/2007, -0/+2That movie got me through a lot of hot, boring summer afternoons as a young boy in Northern Michigan. It usually started at 2:05 p.m. on TBS around 1994.
  • mtaylor314, on 10/10/2007, -1/+9How about "Enemy of the State" Growing up near baltimore I loved seeing the scenes that were shot locally
  • agentsandoval, on 10/10/2007, -1/+3Pew. And I thought Top Gun was propaganda.
    • Comatose51, on 10/10/2007, -1/+3No Top Gun was just homo-erotica.
  • pfeester, on 10/10/2007, -6/+19"300" ...a few good white guys against the inhuman middle east hordes.
    • blaze4metal, on 10/10/2007, -2/+6Shouting pro-democracy rants every other second as well. I was waiting for them to say "and one day a man named Bush will destroy our work here today..."

      Yes I'm anti-Bush, but the annoyance is still there.
      • TrevorBradley, on 10/10/2007, -2/+1I'd love to see a word count of the script compared to the word count of one of Bush's speeches.... Would come out with a fairly similar distribution.

        I don't think the movie was anti-Bush at all.. it uses the words freedom, liberty, and justice in the same way Bush does... Spartans were hardly liberated, killing the messenger is hardly justice. It came across as crazy Bush speech. The only kind way to look at it is as a parody.

        300 was the most awful movie I've seen in 10 years, for this very reason.
    • Zurvan, on 10/10/2007, -9/+4History is propaganda now? WTF are you smoking?
  • doktorzee, on 10/10/2007, -6/+3Its about damned time people wake up and realise that Hollywood is pushing out ***** for the Gov. No more war/military parades like the days of the Soviets, now we have movies.
    • Alpione, on 10/10/2007, -2/+5So you're saying that Hollywood is pro-government and pro-war? Seriously, there are ignorant people and then there's you...
  • over90000, on 10/10/2007, -3/+2No live free or die hard?
  • happyhappyhappy, on 10/10/2007, -7/+11Top Gun was an Air Force recruitment film. They consulted with the military at every step while making that film.
    • txtphile, on 10/10/2007, -3/+1The worst Air Force recruitment film ever.
      • umrgregg, on 10/10/2007, -2/+1Well, it depends on what kind of 'soldier' you're looking to recruit.
      • TimoP, on 10/10/2007, -2/+2Except it actually boosted the Air Force recruitment.
    • agentsandoval, on 10/10/2007, -1/+5Yeah, but it cranked up the sunglasses business.
    • VewDew, on 10/10/2007, -0/+7Although I agree it was a recruitment movie, it was the Navy not the Air Force, they were all Navy F-14 Tomcat pilots.
    • Varney, on 10/10/2007, -0/+6Top Gun was about the Navy.
      • Butros, on 10/10/2007, -0/+2Thank you. God I was wondering if any of these people actually saw the movie.
    • Alpione, on 10/10/2007, -0/+1But come on... Top Gun was a great, cheesy flick... Any American male at the time that didn't enjoy that has got to be queer... Not that there's anything wrong with that...
    • crapmatic, on 10/10/2007, -2/+4"Top Gun was an Air Force recruitment film. They consulted with the military at every step while making that film."

      Typical Digger talking completely out of his ass. And look at everyone digging him up, too. For *****'s sake, Top Gun was PURELY about the U.S. Navy.
    • shagwAg3n, on 10/10/2007, -0/+1consulted the military at every step? well whoever they consulted w/ought to have been fired, check out the # of factual mistakes in the movie.

      http://www.moviemistakes.com/film1312?singletype=f ...
  • bytor4232, on 10/10/2007, -2/+10Dugg for Red Dawn. Great movie. In my neighborhood one of my friends would kick their door open, hold his guitar up like an AK-47, and yell "WOLVERINES!" whenever one of us biked by his house. Badass movie.
  • Xondar, on 10/10/2007, -3/+14Yep. When the Commies invade, I'm sure they'll attack small mid western towns and take out the high school first. Why bother with those dumb "military" targets when you can kill the entire football team!
    • hockey, on 10/10/2007, -0/+3In the south if you were to target football you would demoralize the public.

      It's like targeting sick puppies or special needs kittens.

      AVENGE ME!!!!!!!
  • angelwings1777, on 10/10/2007, -1/+3I agree that all of these movies are propaganda based, but I also think that you missed many many more movies. If you had made a list of current propaganda movies from the last 2-3 yrs, that included Shooter and Valley of the Wolves: Iraq, you would have had more than enough material for your article.
  • roguepirate, on 10/10/2007, -2/+3Ladder 49 was a 2 hour recruitment video if that counts.
  • tical2756, on 10/10/2007, -0/+4How was On Deadly Ground a kick-ass movie?
    • salinemist, on 10/10/2007, -0/+1You can make a great drinking game out of it.
  • MacGruber, on 10/10/2007, -3/+8AMERRICA! ***** YEAH!
  • DeathBloodbutt, on 10/10/2007, -2/+2Be a Wolverine. You’ll rule the hills
    Just get some guns and Cheerios
    Any kid can conquer Libya
    Just steal a fighter plane
  • garvallagh, on 10/10/2007, -1/+1Die Hard 4.0, the dialogue outside the coffee shop when the White House was destroyed.
    • Butros, on 10/10/2007, -0/+1Capitol building nub. Legislative branch.
  • guairdean, on 10/10/2007, -0/+1Amazingly, the Lethal Weapon series wasn't listed.
  • TheChikinGuy, on 10/10/2007, -3/+3...and with that I'm officially tired of cracked.com-it's taught me that just because a site has a bunch of lists doesn't mean they're any good.
  • bjs3171, on 10/10/2007, -4/+2Die Hard 2 was ***** terrible. loud bangs do not make a movie interesting, and I love Die Hard.
  • bjs3171, on 10/10/2007, -2/+1oh, and this list is pretty stupid. any movie could be considered propaganda for some side. THis list should have been Top 5 GOVERNMENT Propaganda movies. Shooter is obviously against the current government. not that i saw it.
  • getatmedigg, on 10/10/2007, -0/+3"Behind Enemy Lines" with Owen Wilson.
  • xlar54, on 10/10/2007, -0/+2Rocky IV???
    • Butros, on 10/10/2007, -0/+1Yeah but the commies like him at the end. Kind of a pro peace movie vs. a pro American one
  • Error601, on 10/10/2007, -5/+4No, these are stupid action movies and make no claim not to be fiction. The real propaganda movies are from Al Gore and Micheal Moore where they lie to you and claim it's truth.
    • tonage, on 10/10/2007, -0/+2Just forget it Error601, there is no debate here. The lefties censor any opinion other than theirs by burying you.
  • smokinDND, on 10/10/2007, -1/+3how about National Treasure
  • skyfire1, on 10/10/2007, -5/+2Die Hard 4 was a insult to every digger.
  • zomgorly, on 10/10/2007, -4/+5TRANSFORMERS!

    How could you not include transformers? Military was portrayed to be these bad ass men that could take down a transformer, with some kick ass weaponry.
    • serpentor, on 10/10/2007, -1/+2Agreed. That's the only thing that detracts from this great movie, it's a 2-hour armed forces commercial..
    • wrestlingnrj, on 10/10/2007, -0/+2I don't know if you realize this but Special Forces are bad ass men with kick ass weaponry.
  • cityhuman, on 10/10/2007, -4/+2They should just put a link to Cracked.com on digg or add it as a category since all of their articles end up on here anyways.
  • londubh, on 10/10/2007, -3/+4Oh, C'mon. Team America is greatest propaganda film evar! "America, ***** Yeah!" "I hate you Alec Baldwin" "I'm so ronery." "Everyone must get AIDS" "Durka Durka Durka, Mohamed jihad" and "Let me explain to you the kind of man Gary is. He's a man who knows that when you put another man's ***** in your mouth, you make a pact. A bond that cannot be broken. He's a man so dedicated that he will get down on his knees and put that ***** right in his mouth."
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