Film

Blast

Name: Blast
Genre: Action
Released: 2004
Cast: Eddie Griffin, Vinnie Jones, Breckin Meyer, Vivica A. Fox, Nadine Velazquez

A mid-budget action film about a former Navy SEAL tugboat captain pulled back into combat when terrorists hijack an offshore oil rig. It's brisk, unpretentious, and mostly interested in set pieces over character development. Eddie Griffin carries it with charisma. This is comfort-food action: nothing profound, everything efficiently entertaining.

TMDb rating

2.4

If you liked this

Under Siege1992

A retired Navy SEAL must retake a battleship from terrorists. Same premise DNA as Blast, executed with greater craft and a genuine sense of jeopardy. Van Damme as the villain alone is worth the night.

But It's three decades old and sometimes feels it. Seagal's stiffness as an actor won't charm everyone. More 1990s action-movie contrivance than plausibility.

The Rock1996

A chemist and an ex-SAS soldier infiltrate Alcatraz to stop rogue Marines from launching biological weapons. Perfectly calibrated action filmmaking: witty, thrilling, stars having visible fun. Michael Bay before he forgot he could direct.

But If you hate 90s bombast and Nicolas Cage's delivery style, this won't convert you. Some of the plot mechanics creak audibly.

Die Hard 21990

Bruce Willis must prevent terrorists from taking over an airport. Escalates smartly beyond the first film's confined premise. More ambitious in scope, with genuine surprises. The best Die Hard sequel.

But Cynics say it retreads the original's beats. The airport setting is less tactile than a skyscraper. Some action beats haven't aged gracefully.

Not sure tonight? Get a pick in a minute, starting from Blast

The wildcard

Something you would not have found on your own.

Project A1983

Both trap their protagonists in contained spaces (oil rig, armored vehicle) and treat escape as a problem-solving exercise rather than a heroic arc. Same claustrophobic math of survival.

A Belgian patrol in Afghanistan encounters insurgents in real time, mostly in a single military vehicle. Documentary-like in texture, mounting tension without conventional action-film grammar. Pure tactical suspense with no musical score cushioning the stakes.

But It's slow-building and minimalist compared to Blast's MTV-paced energy. Long stretches without dialogue. The outcome matters more than spectacle, which frustrates genre fans expecting catharsis.

Eraser1996

Arnold Schwarzenegger plays a U.S. Marshal helping a witness disappear from criminals. Dumb, loud, gleefully violent action with real set-piece spectacle and charm. James Caan chewing scenery. Pure adrenaline.

But The logic is swiss cheese. Schwarzenegger's deadpan delivery won't appeal if you need naturalistic acting. It's very specifically 90s action filmmaking.

Executive Decision1996

A civilian linguist must board a hijacked 747 mid-flight. Tense, tightly wound, and smartly cast. Uses its mid-air setting for genuine suspense. Kurt Russell and Steven Seagal mesh unexpectedly well.

But The dialogue can clang. Seagal's presence divides audiences sharply. Some plot turns strain credibility even for the genre.

Air Force One1997

Harrison Ford's president must save hostages aboard the presidential plane. Propulsive B-movie energy from a A-list budget and cast. Gary Oldman as a villain with understated menace. Endlessly watchable.

But It's aggressively silly if you stop to think about national security protocol. Ford is playing a fantasy version of leadership. Some action sequences feel recycled even then.

Stealth2005

A military test pilot must stop an AI-controlled fighter jet. Post-9/11 action excess with genuine spectacle and a bonkers premise. Josh Lucas and a hilariously incongruous plot that never stops moving.

But Critics destroyed it, not entirely unfairly. The script is aggressively dumb. The tonal shifts jar constantly. But it's never boring.

The Fast and the Furious2001

Street racers and undercover cops collide in Los Angeles. The first film is lean, genuinely tense, and captures real car culture before the franchise became superhero movies. Vin Diesel and Paul Walker have genuine chemistry.

But It's ultimately a B-movie with a modest budget trying very hard. Some acting is strained. If car chases bore you, nothing here changes that.

Navy Seals1990

A SEAL team pursues terrorists across the Middle East. Charlie Sheen and Michael Biehn lead a film that's earnest about military action and doesn't waste time. Competently directed, efficiently paced.

But The characterization is paper-thin. It's purely plot-driven action machinery with little heart. Sheen's performance is as subtle as the screenplay. Feels dated in its geopolitical assumptions.

Plan B2021

Military operatives solving a problem with combat skills and improvisation, but Plan B refuses to separate the tactical from the moral cost. It's what Blast's world looks like when consequences actually matter.

A Brazilian crime-thriller miniseries about a special forces unit moving through Rio's favelas. Visceral action filmmaking with social weight, grit that makes most Hollywood action look softcore. Five hours of genuine tension.

But Subtitled. The violence is unglamorous and sometimes hard to watch. It doesn't offer clear good guys, and the favela politics complicate easy heroism. Significantly darker than studio action fare.

The Losers2010

Same DNA of wronged military professionals fighting bureaucratic enemies while bonding with each other, but The Losers embraces playfulness and style where Blast stays utilitarian. It's the answer to 'what if Blast had $30 million and a sense of humor?'

A black-ops team hunted across continents, turning the tables on whoever framed them. Stylish, funny, animated in its editing but grounded in character. Zoe Saldana and Jeffrey Dean Morgan lead an ensemble that actually clicks.

But It's based on a comic book and doesn't hide it; if that tonal signature annoys you, the whole film will. The plot is satisfyingly convoluted without making sense. It asks very little of you intellectually.