You know the trouble with the action movie genre and, by extension, whittling down a list of the best action movies?
The term is so damn broad that taxonomy often fails to box it all up neatly. And what you’re left with is a million options as well as a whole lot of crossover.
Prime example: Edgar Wright’s Hot Fuzz is definitely an action comedy, although it can also be categorised under crime action. The same can be said about Lethal Weapon, The Other Guys, Beverly Hills Cop, and even Black Dynamite.
Another example: John Wick starring Keanu Reeves — is it crime action or martial arts action? The answer is… yes. File it under both.
Then there’s the matter of what should theoretically have a place here but instead has been omitted. Surely the Rocky franchise is also martial arts action. Right? Wrong. It’s apparently a sports drama. Meaning we have to give it a miss in this conversation entirely.
With all this in mind, check out BH’s 101 best action movies of all time below.
The 101 Best Action Movies Of All Time
Classic Action
Genre:
Action
Actors:
Bruce Willis, Alan Rickman, Alexander Godunov, Bonnie Bedelia
Directed by:
John McTiernan
New York City policeman John McClane (Bruce Willis) is visiting his estranged wife (Bonnie Bedelia) and two daughters on Christmas Eve. He joins her at a holiday party in the headquarters of the Japanese-owned business she works for. But the festivities are interrupted by a group of terrorists who take over the exclusive high-rise, and everyone in it. Very soon McClane realises that there’s no one to save the hostages — but him.
Die Hard not only set the standard for modern action flicks, but also established the blueprint. Here we have Bruce Willis at his very finest: an extremely capable cop who, like the archetypal hard-boiled detectives before him, can’t seem to get a handle on his personal life and effectively takes it out on a band of terrorists led by the late great Alan Rickman’s Hans Gruber. It’s peak escapism.
Mad Max: Fury Road (2015)
Genre:
Action Adventure
Actors:
Tom Hardy, Charlize Theron, Nicholas Hoult, Hugh Keays-Byrne
Directed by:
George Miller
Years after the collapse of civilisation, the tyrannical Immortan Joe (Hugh Keays-Byrne) enslaves apocalypse survivors inside the desert fortress the Citadel. When the warrior Imperator Furiosa (Charlize Theron) leads the despot’s five wives in a daring escape, she forges an alliance with Max Rockatansky (Tom Hardy), a loner and former captive. Fortified in the massive, armoured truck the War Rig, they try to outrun the ruthless warlord and his henchmen in a deadly high-speed chase through the Wasteland.
While the franchise’s earlier instalments undoubtedly had more of a cultural impact, as a film, Mad Max: Fury Road is by far the strongest (and most technically brilliant). Despite the reported on-set tensions between the two, Tom Hardy and Charlize Theron nail it. Actually… given their characters’ begrudging dynamic, the icy treatment of one another in real life might have enhanced the performances.
Kill Bill: Volume 1 & 2 (2003-2004)
Genre:
Martial Arts Action
Actors:
Uma Thurman, David Carradine, Lucy Liu, Vivica A. Fox
Directed by:
Quentin Tarantino
A former assassin, known simply as The Bride (Uma Thurman), wakes from a coma four years after her jealous ex-lover Bill (David Carradine) attempts to murder her on her wedding day. Fuelled by an insatiable desire for revenge, she vows to get even with every person who contributed to the loss of her unborn child, her entire wedding party, and four years of her life. After devising a hit list, The Bride sets off on her quest, enduring unspeakable injury and unscrupulous enemies.
Quentin Tarantino does what he does best as a fanboy of cinema in this ultra-stylish pastiche of the grindhouse genre, kung fu flicks, samurai flicks, blaxploitation movies, and of course, Spaghetti Westerns. It’s like they say: revenge is a dish best served a la Tarantino. We can still hear that unforgettable guitar riff of Tomoyasu Hotei’s ‘Battle Without Honor or Humanity.’
Genre:
Action Thriller
Actors:
Chow Yun-fat, Tony Leung Chiu-wai, Teresa Mo, Philip Chan
Directed by:
John Woo
A cop (Chow Yun-fat) who loses his partner in a shoot-out with gun smugglers goes on a mission to catch them. In order to get closer to the leaders of the ring, he joins forces with an undercover cop (Tony Leung Chiu-wai) who’s working as a gangster hitman. They use all means of excessive force to find them.
Bold. Brash. Bloody. This is the quintessential Hong Kong action movie; and the final one director John Woo produced before he transplanted himself to the Hollywood system and started pumping out the likes of Broken Arrow and Face/Off (see:vbelow). One can easily see why both Woo and leading man Chow Yun-fat skyrocketed to international stardom shortly after its bullet-riddled premiere.
Genre:
Action
Actors:
Keanu Reeves, Dennis Hopper, Sandra Bullock, Joe Morton
Directed by:
Jan de Bont
Los Angeles police officer Jack (Keanu Reeves) angers retired bomb squad member Howard Payne (Dennis Hopper) by foiling his attempt at taking hostages. In revenge, Payne arms a bus with a bomb that will explode if it drops below 50 miles per hour. With the help of spunky passenger Annie (Sandra Bullock), Jack and his partner Harry (Jeff Daniels) try to save the people on the bus before the bomb goes off, while also trying to figure out how Payne is monitoring them.
A key testament to Keanu Reeves enduring star power, as the synopsis suggests, this is non-stop thrills over the course of two hours. Bar The Matrix, the man has never looked more bankable. The same can be said about Sandra Bullock.
Genre:
Action Thriller
Actors:
Sean Connery, Nicolas Cage, Ed Harris, Michael Biehn
Directed by:
Michael Bay
FBI chemical warfare expert Stanley Goodspeed (Nicolas Cage) is sent on an urgent mission with a former British spy, John Patrick Mason (Sean Connery), to stop Gen. Francis X. Hummel (Ed Harris) from launching chemical weapons on Alcatraz Island into San Francisco. Gen. Hummel demands $100 million in war reparations to be paid to the families of slain servicemen who died on covert operations. After their SEAL team is wiped out, Stanley and John deal with the soldiers on their own.
No list of best action movies is complete without a dose of Michael Bay, and for our money, it has to be The Rock. Between Sean Connery at arguably his most Sean Connery-ish to Nic Cage playing the straight man, this highly-quotable yet intellectually nutritionless piece of explosive Americana is a must-watch. Side note: it also provides quite a convincing fan theory regarding the fate of Connery’s James Bond.
Leon: The Professional (1994)
Genre:
Action Thriller
Actors:
Jean Reno, Natalie Portman, Gary Oldman, Danny Aiello
Directed by:
Luc Besson
Mathilda (Natalie Portman) is only 12 years old, but is already familiar with the dark side of life: her abusive father stores drugs for corrupt police officers, and her mother neglects her. Léon (Jean Reno), who lives down the hall, tends to his houseplants and works as a hired hitman for mobster Tony (Danny Aiello). When her family is murdered by crooked DEA agent Stansfield (Gary Oldman), Mathilda joins forces with a reluctant Léon to learn his deadly trade and avenge her family’s deaths.
Creepy undertones regarding age-appropriate relationships aside, this twisted assassin’s apprenticeship between Jean Reno’s titular Leon and Natalie Portman’s Mathilda makes for fascinating viewing. Leon: The Professional also features Gary Oldman at his most menacing.
Genre:
Action Sci-Fi/Horror
Actors:
Sigourney Weaver, Tom Skerritt, John Hurt, Veronica Cartwright
Directed by:
Ridley Scott
In deep space, the crew of the commercial starship Nostromo is awakened from their cryo-sleep capsules halfway through their journey home to investigate a distress call from an alien vessel. The terror begins when the crew encounters a nest of eggs inside the alien ship. An organism from inside an egg leaps out and attaches itself to one of the crew, causing him to fall into a coma.
There’s a reason why Alien put Ridley Scott on the (mainstream) map: it’s a goddamn masterpiece in tension and horror. While it would eventually spawn a string of, shall we say, “mixed bag” follow-ups, this debut instalment deserves to be celebrated as the stunning achievement it is.
Genre:
Crime Action/Drama
Actors:
Steve McQueen, Don Gordon, Robert Vaughn, Simon Oakland
Directed by:
Peter Yates
Senator Walter Chalmers (Robert Vaughn) is aiming to take down mob boss Pete Ross (Vic Tayback) with the help of testimony from the criminal’s hothead brother Johnny (Pat Renella), who is in protective custody in San Francisco under the watch of police lieutenant Frank Bullitt (Steve McQueen). When a pair of mob hitmen enter the scene, Bullitt follows their trail through a maze of complications and double-crosses. This thriller includes one of the most famous car chases ever filmed.
Bullitt essentially revolutionised car chases in modern cinema with that unforgettable sequence over the hilly San Francisco streets (and Steve McQueen has honestly never been cooler).
Genre:
Action Thriller
Actors:
John Travolta, Nicolas Cage, Joan Allen, Alessandro Nivola
Directed by:
John Woo
Obsessed with bringing terrorist Castor Troy (Nicolas Cage) to justice, FBI agent Sean Archer (John Travolta) tracks down Troy, who has boarded a plane in Los Angeles. After the plane crashes and Troy is severely injured, possibly dead, Archer undergoes surgery to remove his face and replace it with Troy’s. As Archer tries to use his disguise to elicit information about a bomb from Troy’s brother, Troy awakes from a coma and forces the doctor who performed the surgery to give him Archer’s face.
Is it bloody ridiculous? Yes. But is it enjoyable AF? Also yes. It was comforting to see that director John Woo hadn’t rid himself of that over-the-top flair that made him a household name in Hong Kong. Sometimes you just want to observe a spectacle. However silly it may strike you upon further analysis.
Rambo: First Blood (1992)
Genre:
Action
Actors:
Sylvester Stallone, Richard Crenna, Brian Dennehy, Bill McKinney
Directed by:
Ted Kotcheff
Vietnam veteran and drifter John J. Rambo (Sylvester Stallone) wanders into a small Washington town in search of an old friend but is met with intolerance and brutality by the local sheriff, Will Teasle (Brian Dennehy). When Teasle and his deputies restrain and shave Rambo, he flashes back to his time as a prisoner of war and unleashes his fury on the officers. He narrowly escapes the manhunt, but it will take his former commander (Richard Crenna) to save the hunters from the hunted.
Zero explanation required. Just Sly doing Sly things.
Action Comedies
Genre:
Action Comedy/Crime
Actors:
Mel Gibson, Danny Glover, Gary Busey, Mitchell Ryan
Directed by:
Richard Donner
Following the death of his wife, Los Angeles police detective Martin Riggs (Mel Gibson) becomes reckless and suicidal. When he is reassigned and partnered with Roger Murtaugh (Danny Glover), Riggs immediately clashes with the older officer. Together they uncover a massive drug-trafficking ring. As they encounter increasingly dangerous situations, Riggs and Murtaugh begin to form a bond. Riggs’ volatile behaviour might just help them apprehend the criminals — if it doesn’t kill them both first.
As far as breakout screenplays go, this one is certified a Hall of Famer. It slingshot Shane Black, then a 20-something-year-old wunderkind, into Hollywood superstardom and delivered riches beyond his imagination. Black would go on to pen The Last Boy Scout, Last Action Hero, The Long Kiss Goodnight; penning and directing Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, Iron Man 3, as well as The Nice Guys. The Lethal Weapon franchise, on the other hand, spanned four films and grossed well over half a billion dollars in box office revenue.
Genre:
Action Comedy/Crime
Actors:
Simon Pegg, Nick Frost, Jim Broadbent, Paddy Considine
Directed by:
Edgar Wright
Hot-shot police officer Nicholas Angel (Simon Pegg) smells foul play when the residents of a sleepy Somerset village start to die in terrible accidents. Something’s afoot and he must work with daft local plod Danny Butterman (Nick Frost) to find out what.
Aside from Shaun of the Dead, Edgar Wright’s direction has honestly never been sharper. Shaun of the Dead, which also stars Simon Pegg and Nick Frost as a buddy duo, also deserves a spot on this list. But for the sake of variety, we’ve opted to stick with the slightly stronger Cornetto Trilogy instalment.
Genre:
Action Comedy/Crime
Actors:
Will Ferrell, Mark Wahlberg, Eva Mendes, Michael Keaton
Directed by:
Adam McKay
Unlike their heroic counterparts on the force, desk-bound NYPD detectives Gamble (Will Ferrell) and Hoitz (Mark Wahlberg) garner no headlines as they work day to day. Gamble relishes his job as a paper pusher, but Hoitz is itching to get back on the street and make a name for himself. When a seemingly minor case turns out to be a big deal, the two cops get the opportunity to finally prove to their comrades that they have the right stuff.
I defy you to name a comedic duo with more unexpected chemistry than Will Ferrell and Mark Wahlberg in The Other Guys. While Adam McKay would eventually direct the likes of The Big Short and HBO’s Succession, this was his original masterpiece. At least in our books.
Genre:
Action Comedy/Crime
Actors:
Russell Crowe, Ryan Gosling, Angourice Rice, Matt Bomer
Directed by:
Shane Black
Holland March (Ryan Gosling) is a down-on-his-luck private eye in 1977 Los Angeles. Jackson Healy (Russell Crowe) is a hired enforcer who hurts people for a living. Fate turns them into unlikely partners after a young woman named Amelia (Margaret Qualley) mysteriously disappears. Healy and March soon learn the hard way that some dangerous people are also looking for Amelia. Their investigation takes them to dark places as anyone else who gets involved in the case seems to wind up dead.
Prior to Barbie, Ryan Gosling was considered an underrated comedic actor. The Nice Guys proves what a select few had known the entire time.
Genre:
Action Comedy/Martial Arts
Actors:
Stephen Chow, Danny Chan Kwok-kwan, Yuen Qiu, Yuen Wah
Directed by:
Stephen Chow
When the hapless Sing (Stephen Chow) and his dim-witted pal Bone (Lam Chi-chung) try to scam the residents of Pig Sty Alley into thinking they’re members of the dreaded Axe Gang, the real gangsters descend on this Shanghai slum to restore their fearsome reputation. What gang leader Brother Sum (Danny Chan Kwok-kwan) doesn’t know is that three legendary retired kung fu masters live anonymously in this decrepit neighbourhood and don’t take kindly to interlopers.
This love letter to classic martial art cinema, gangster flicks, and even cartoons is a masterfully layered pastiche that both film buffs and the everyday punter can appreciate. It’s hard to pull of slapstick in the 21st century but if anyone could do it, it was gonna be Stephen Chow.
Genre:
Action Comedy/Crime
Actors:
Jonah Hill, Channing Tatum, Brie Larson, Dave Franco
Directed by:
Phil Lord & Chris Miller
When cops Schmidt (Jonah Hill) and Jenko (Channing Tatum) join the secret Jump Street unit, they use their youthful appearances to go under cover as high-school students. They trade in their guns and badges for backpacks, and set out to shut down a dangerous drug ring. But, as time goes on, Schmidt and Jenko discover that high school is nothing like it was just a few years earlier — and, what’s more, they must again confront the teenage terror and anxiety they thought they had left behind.
Scott Pilgrim vs The World (2010)
Genre:
Action Comedy
Actors:
Michael Cera, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Kieran Culkin, Brie Larson
Directed by:
Edgar Wright
As bass guitarist for a garage-rock band, Scott Pilgrim (Michael Cera) has never had trouble getting a girlfriend; usually, the problem is getting rid of them. But when Ramona Flowers (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) skates into his heart, he finds she has the most troublesome baggage of all: an army of ex-boyfriends who will stop at nothing to eliminate him from her list of suitors.
Genre:
Action Comedy/Crime
Actors:
Michael Jai White, Salli Richardson, Arsenio Hall, Kevin Chapman
Directed by:
Scott Sanders
After “The Man” kills his brother and poisons the neighbourhood with tainted liquor, a kung fu fighter (Michael Jai White) wages a war that takes him all the way to Nixon’s White House.
Genre:
Action Comedy/Crime
Actors:
Eddie Murphy, Judge Reinhold, John Ashton, Lisa Eilbacher
Directed by:
Martin Brest
After his childhood buddy is murdered while visiting Detroit, rebellious cop Axel Foley (Eddie Murphy) follows the leads to Beverly Hills, Calif., under the auspices of a vacation. He checks in with old friend Jenny Summers (Lisa Eilbacher) and starts to believe her boss, art dealer Victor Maitland (Steven Berkoff), might somehow be involved in the murder. However, Lt. Bogomil (Ronny Cox) of the Beverly Hills Police Department does not trust Foley, and hinders his search for evidence.
Genre:
Action Comedy
Actors:
Ben Stiller, Jack Black, Robert Downey Jr, Nick Nolte, Tom Cruise
Directed by:
Ben Stiller
While shooting a war film, the director attempts to liven up proceedings by dropping the actors into the middle of a real jungle, claiming he is going to capture their performance with hidden cameras. The hapless group including Tug Speedman (Ben Stiller), drug-addled comedy star Jeff Portnoy (Jack Black), and po-faced method man Kirk Lazarus (Robert Downey Jr) are completely unaware when a series of unfortunate events leads them into the middle of a real war zone.
Crime Action
Genre:
Crime Action/Drama
Actors:
Al Pacino, Robert De Niro, Val Kilmer, Jon Voight
Directed by:
Michael Mann
Master criminal Neil McCauley (Robert De Niro) is trying to control the rogue actions of one of his men, while also planning one last big heist before retiring. Meanwhile, Lieutenant Hanna (Al Pacino) attempts to track down McCauley as he deals with the chaos in his own life, including the infidelity of his wife (Diane Venora) and the mental health of his stepdaughter (Natalie Portman). McCauley and Hanna discover a mutual respect, even as they try to thwart each other’s plans.
Genre:
Crime Action/Drama
Actors:
Denzel Washington, Ethan Hawke, Scott Glenn, Tim Berenger
Directed by:
Antoine Fuqua
Newly recruited police officer Jake Hoyt (Ethan Hawke) spends his first day as a narcotics officer with Detective Alonzo Harris (Denzel Washington) who is more than what he appears to be.
Genre:
Crime Action/Thriller
Actors:
Emily Blunt, Benicio del Toro, Josh Brolin, Daniel Kaluuya
Directed by:
Denis Villeneuve
After rising through the ranks of her male-dominated profession, idealistic FBI agent Kate Macer (Emily Blunt) receives a top assignment. Recruited by mysterious government official Matt Graver (Josh Brolin), Kate joins a task force for the escalating war against drugs. Led by the intense and shadowy Alejandro (Benicio del Toro), the team travels back-and-forth across the US-Mexican border, using one cartel boss (Bernardo Saracino) to flush out a bigger one (Julio Cesar Cedillo).
Genre:
Crime Action
Actors:
Jake Gyllenhaal, Michael Pena, David Harbour, Frank Grillo
Directed by:
David Ayer
Longtime LAPD partners and friends, Brian Taylor (Jake Gyllenhaal) and Mike Zavala (Michael Peña) patrol one of the most dangerous neighbourhoods in Los Angeles. Though they may bend the rules, their honour and dedication to the job are unquestioned. Taylor and Zavala always have each other’s back, even if Taylor’s surreptitious filming of their daily activities for a college course is a bit ill-advised. All hell breaks loose for the officers when they run afoul of a vicious Mexican cartel.
Genre:
Crime Action
Actors:
Patrick Swayze, Keanu Reeves, Gary Busey, Lori Petty
After a string of bizarre bank robberies in Southern California, with the crooks donning masks of various former presidents, a federal agent, Johnny Utah (Keanu Reeves), infiltrates the suspected gang. But this is no ordinary group of robbers. They’re surfers — led by the charismatic Bodhi (Patrick Swayze) — who are addicted to the rush of thievery. But when Utah falls in love with a female surfer, Tyler (Lori Petty), who is close to the gang, it complicates his sense of duty.
Genre:
Crime Action/Superhero
Actors:
Christian Bale, Michael Caine, Heath Ledger, Gary Oldman
Directed by:
Christopher Nolan
With the help of allies Lt. Jim Gordon (Gary Oldman) and DA Harvey Dent (Aaron Eckhart), Batman (Christian Bale) has been able to keep a tight lid on crime in Gotham City. But when a vile young criminal calling himself the Joker (Heath Ledger) suddenly throws the town into chaos, the caped Crusader begins to tread a fine line between heroism and vigilantism.
Genre:
Crime Action
Actors:
Al Pacino, Steven Bauer, Michelle Pfeiffer, Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio
Directed by:
Brian De Palma
After getting a green card in exchange for assassinating a Cuban government official, Tony Montana (Al Pacino) stakes a claim on the drug trade in Miami. Viciously murdering anyone who stands in his way, Tony eventually becomes the biggest drug lord in the state, controlling nearly all the cocaine that comes through Miami. But increased pressure from the police, wars with Colombian drug cartels and his own drug-fuelled paranoia serve to fuel the flames of his eventual downfall.
Genre:
Crime Action/Thriller
Actors:
Denzel Washington, Marton Csokas, Chloe Grace Moretz, David Harbour
Directed by:
Antoine Fuqua
Robert McCall (Denzel Washington), a man of mysterious origin who believes he has put the past behind him, dedicates himself to creating a quiet new life. However, when he meets Teri (Chloë Grace Moretz), a teenager who has been manhandled by violent Russian mobsters, he simply cannot walk away. With his set of formidable skills, McCall comes out of self-imposed retirement and emerges as an avenging angel, ready to take down anyone who brutalizes the helpless.
Genre:
Crime Action/Thriller
Actors:
Denzel Washington, Dakota Fanning, Radha Mitchell, Christopher Walken
Directed by:
Tony Scott
In a Mexico City wracked by a recent wave of kidnappings, ex-CIA operative John Creasy (Denzel Washington) reluctantly accepts a job as a bodyguard for 9-year-old Lupita (Dakota Fanning), the daughter of wealthy businessman Samuel Ramos (Marc Anthony). Just as Creasy begins to develop a fondness for the young girl, a bloodthirsty gunman (Jesús Ochoa) kidnaps her. Now, Creasy must pick off a succession of corrupt cops and criminals to reach his ultimate object of vengeance.
Genre:
Crime Action/Black Comedy
Actors:
Jason Statham, Stephen Graham, Dennis Farina, Brad Pitt
Directed by:
Guy Ritchie
Illegal boxing promoter Turkish (Jason Statham) convinces gangster Brick Top (Alan Ford) to offer bets on bare-knuckle boxer Mickey (Brad Pitt) at his bookie business. When Mickey does not throw his first fight as agreed, an infuriated Brick Top demands another match. Meanwhile, gangster Frankie Four Fingers (Benicio del Toro) comes to place a bet for a friend with Brick Top’s bookies, as multiple criminals converge on a stolen diamond that Frankie has come to London to sell.
Sci-Fi Action
Genre:
Dystopian Action
Actors:
Clive Owen, Clare-Hope Ashley, Julianne Moore, Michael Caine
Directed by:
Alfonso Cuaron
When infertility threatens mankind with extinction and the last child born has perished, a disillusioned bureaucrat (Clive Owen) becomes the unlikely champion in the fight for the survival of Earth’s population; He must face down his own demons and protect the planet’s last remaining hope from danger.
Genre:
Sci-Fi Action/War
Actors:
Tom Cruise, Emily Blunt, Bill Paxton, Brendan Gleeson
Directed by:
Doug Liman
When Earth falls under attack from invincible aliens, no military unit in the world is able to beat them. Maj. William Cage (Tom Cruise), an officer who has never seen combat, is assigned to a suicide mission. Killed within moments, Cage finds himself thrown into a time loop, in which he relives the same brutal fight — and his death — over and over again. However, Cage’s fighting skills improve with each encore, bringing him and a comrade (Emily Blunt) ever closer to defeating the aliens.
Genre:
Sci-Fi Action
Actors:
Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne, Carrie-Anne Moss, Hugo Weaving
Directed by:
The Wachowskis
Neo (Keanu Reeves) believes that Morpheus (Laurence Fishburne), an elusive figure considered to be the most dangerous man alive, can answer his question: What is the Matrix? Neo is contacted by Trinity (Carrie-Anne Moss), a beautiful stranger who leads him into an underworld where he meets Morpheus. They fight a brutal battle for their lives against a cadre of viciously intelligent secret agents. It is a truth that could cost Neo something more precious than his life.
Genre:
Sci-Fi Action/Epic
Actors:
Timothee Chalamet, Rebecca Ferguson, Oscar Isaac, Josh Brolin
Directed by:
Denis Villeneuve
Paul Atreides (Timothee Chalamet), a brilliant and gifted young man born into a great destiny beyond his understanding, must travel to the most dangerous planet in the universe to ensure the future of his family and his people. As malevolent forces explode into conflict over the planet’s exclusive supply of the most precious resource in existence, only those who can conquer their own fear will survive.
Genre:
Sci-Fi Action/Thriller
Actors:
Leonardo DiCaprio, Ken Watanabe, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Marion Cotillard
Directed by:
Christopher Nolan
Dom Cobb (Leonardo DiCaprio) is a thief with the rare ability to enter people’s dreams and steal their secrets from their subconscious. His skill has made him a hot commodity in the world of corporate espionage but has also cost him everything he loves. Cobb gets a chance at redemption when he is offered a seemingly impossible task: Plant an idea in someone’s mind. If he succeeds, it will be the perfect crime, but a dangerous enemy anticipates Cobb’s every move.
Terminator 2: Judgement Day (1991)
Genre:
Sci-Fi Action
Actors:
Arnold Schwarzenegger, Linda Hamilton, Edward Furlong, Robert Patrick
Directed by:
James Cameron
Young John Connor (Edward Furlong), the key to civilization’s victory over a future robot uprising, is the target of the shape-shifting T-1000 (Robert Patrick), a Terminator sent from the future to kill him. Another Terminator, the revamped T-800 (Arnold Schwarzenegger), has been sent back to protect the boy. As John and his mother (Linda Hamilton) go on the run with the T-800, the boy forms an unexpected bond with the robot.
Genre:
Sci-Fi Action
Actors:
Ryan Gosling, Harrison Ford, Ana de Armas, Sylvia Hoeks, Robin Wright
Directed by:
Denis Villeneuve
Officer K (Ryan Gosling), a new blade runner for the Los Angeles Police Department, unearths a long-buried secret that has the potential to plunge what’s left of society into chaos. His discovery leads him on a quest to find Rick Deckard (Harrison Ford), a former blade runner who’s been missing for 30 years.
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016)
Genre:
Sci-Fi Action
Actors:
Felicity Jones, Diego Luna, Ben Mendelsohn, Donnie Yen
Directed by:
Gareth Edwards
Former scientist Galen Erso (Mads Mikkelsen) lives on a farm with his wife and young daughter, Jyn (Felicity Jones). His peaceful existence comes crashing down when the evil Orson Krennic (Ben Mendelsohn) takes him away from his beloved family. Many years later, Galen becomes the Empire’s lead engineer for the most powerful weapon in the galaxy, the Death Star. Knowing that her father holds the key to its destruction, Jyn joins forces with a spy and other resistance fighters to steal the space station’s plans for the Rebel Alliance.
Genre:
Sci-Fi-Action
Actors:
Bruce Willis, Milla Jovovich, Gary Oldman, Ian Holm, Chris Tucker
Directed by:
Luc Besson
In the 23rd century, a New York City cabbie, Korben Dallas (Bruce Willis), finds the fate of the world in his hands when Leeloo (Milla Jovovich) falls into his cab. As the embodiment of the fifth element, Leeloo needs to combine with the other four to keep the approaching Great Evil from destroying the world. Together with Father Vito Cornelius (Ian Holm) and zany broadcaster Ruby Rhod (Chris Tucker), Dallas must race against time and the wicked industrialist Zorg (Gary Oldman) to save humanity.
Genre:
Sci-Fi Action/Crime
Actors:
Tom Cruise, Max von Sydow, Colin Farrell, Samantha Morton
Directed by:
Steven Spielberg
John Anderton (Tom Cruise) works with the PreCrime police which stop crimes before they take place, with the help of three “PreCogs” who can foresee crimes. Events ensue when John finds himself framed for a future murder.
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Action Western
Butch Cassidy & The Sundance Kid (1969)
Genre:
Action Western
Actors:
Paul Newman, Robert Redford, Katharine Ross, Strother Martin
Directed by:
George Roy Hill
The true story of fast-draws and wild rides, battles with posses, train and bank robberies, a torrid love affair and a new lease on outlaw life in far away Bolivia. It is also a character study of a remarkable friendship between Butch (Paul Newman) — possibly the most likeable outlaw in frontier history — and his closest associate, the fabled, ever-dangerous Sundance Kid (Robert Redford).
Genre:
Action Western
Actors:
Kurt Russell, Val Kilmer, Sam Elliot, Bill Paxton
Directed by:
George P. Cosmatos
Wyatt Earp (Kurt Russell) and his brothers, Morgan (Bill Paxton) and Virgil (Sam Elliott), have left their gunslinger ways behind them to settle down and start a business in the town of Tombstone, Ariz. While they aren’t looking to find trouble, trouble soon finds them when they become targets of the ruthless Cowboy gang. Now, together with Wyatt’s best friend, Doc Holliday (Val Kilmer), the brothers pick up their guns once more to restore order to a lawless land.
The Magnificent Seven (1960)
Genre:
Action Western
Actors:
Yul Brynner, Steve McQueen, Horst Buchholz, Charles Bronson
Directed by:
John Sturges
A Mexican village is at the mercy of Calvera (Eli Wallach), the leader of a band of outlaws. The townspeople, too afraid to fight for themselves, hire seven American gunslingers to free them from the bandits’ raids. The professional gunmen train the villagers to defend themselves, then plan a trap for the evil Calvera.
The Good, The Bad, & The Ugly (1966)
Genre:
Action Western
Actors:
Clint Eastwood, Eli Wallach, Lee Van Cleef
Directed by:
Sergio Leone
In the Southwest during the Civil War, a mysterious stranger (Clint Eastwood) and Mexican outlaw Tuco (Eli Wallach) form an uneasy partnership — he turns in the bandit for the reward money, then rescues him just as he is being hanged. When the stranger’s shot at the noose goes awry during one escapade, a furious Tuco tries to have him murdered. The men re-team abruptly, however, to beat out a sadistic criminal and the Union army and find $20,000 that a soldier has buried in the desert.
A Fistful of Dollars (1964)
Genre:
Action Western
Actors:
Clint Eastwood, Marinne Koch, Gian Maria Volonte, W. Lukschy
Directed by:
Sergio Leone
A wandering gunfighter (Clint Eastwood) arrives in the Mexican village of San Miguel in the midst of a power struggle among sheriff John Baxter (W. Lukschy) and the three Rojo brothers. When a regiment of Mexican soldiers bearing gold is waylaid by the Rojo brothers, he’s hired by Esteban (Sieghardt Rupp) to join the gang, but he plays one side against the other.
For A Few Dollars More (1965)
Genre:
Action Western
Actors:
Clint Eastwood, Lee Van Cleef, Gian Marian Volonte, Mario Brega
Directed by:
Sergio Leone
In the Wild West, a murderous outlaw known as El Indio (Gian Maria Volonte) and his gang are terrorizing and robbing the citizens of the region. With a bounty on El Indio’s head, two bounty hunters, Monco (Clint Eastwood) and Col. Douglas Mortimer (Lee Van Cleef), come to collect the prize. Upon their first meeting, the two men view each other as rivals, but they eventually agree to become partners in their mutual pursuit of the vicious criminal.
Genre:
Action Western
Actors:
Jeff Bridges, Hailee Steinfeld, Matt Damon, Josh Brolin
Directed by:
Joel & Ethan Coen
After an outlaw named Tom Chaney (Josh Brolin) murders her father, feisty 14-year-old farm girl Mattie Ross (Hailee Steinfeld) hires Rooster Cogburn (Jeff Bridges), a boozy, trigger-happy lawman, to help her find Chaney and avenge her father. The bickering duo are not alone in their quest, for a Texas Ranger named LaBoeuf (Matt Damon) is also tracking Chaney for reasons of his own. Together the unlikely trio ventures into hostile territory to dispense some Old West justice.
Genre:
Action Western
Actors:
Jamie Foxx, Christoph Waltz, Leonardo DiCaprio, Kerry Washington
Directed by:
Quentin Tarantino
Two years before the Civil War, Django (Jamie Foxx), a slave, finds himself accompanying an unorthodox German bounty hunter named Dr King Schultz (Christoph Waltz) on a mission to capture the vicious Brittle brothers. Their mission successful, Schultz frees Django, and together they hunt the South’s most-wanted criminals. Their travels take them to the infamous plantation of shady Calvin Candie (Leonardo DiCaprio), where Django’s long-lost wife (Kerry Washington) is still a slave.
Genre:
Action Western
Actors:
Clint Eastwood, Gene Hackman, Morgan Freeman, Richard Harris
Directed by:
Clint Eastwood
When prostitute Delilah Fitzgerald (Anna Thomson) is disfigured by a pair of cowboys in Big Whiskey, Wyoming, her fellow brothel workers post a reward for their murder, much to the displeasure of sheriff Little Bill Daggett (Gene Hackman), who doesn’t allow vigilantism in his town. Two groups of gunfighters, one led by aging former bandit William Munny (Clint Eastwood), the other by the florid English Bob (Richard Harris), come to collect the reward, clashing with each other and the sheriff.
Once Upon A Time In The West (1968)
Genre:
Action Western
Actors:
Claudia Cardinale, Henry Fonda, Jason Robards, Charles Bronson
Directed by:
Sergio Leone
There’s a single piece of land around Flagstone with water on it, and rail baron Morton (Gabriele Ferzetti) aims to have it, knowing the new railroad will have to stop there. He sends his henchman Frank (Henry Fonda) to scare the land’s owner, McBain (Frank Wolff), but Frank kills him instead and pins it on a known bandit, Cheyenne (Jason Robards). Meanwhile, a mysterious gunslinger with a score to settle (Charles Bronson) and McBain’s new wife, Jill (Claudia Cardinale), arrive in town.
War Action
Genre:
War Action/Drama
Actors:
Josh Hartnett, Eric Bana, Ewan McGregor, Tom Sizemore
Directed by:
Ridley Scott
The film takes place in 1993 when the US sent special forces into Somalia to destabilize the government and bring food and humanitarian aid to the starving population. Using Black Hawk helicopters to lower the soldiers onto the ground, an unexpected attack by Somalian forces brings two of the helicopters down immediately. From there, the US soldiers must struggle to regain their balance while enduring heavy gunfire.
Saving Private Ryan (1998)
Genre:
War Action/Epic
Actors:
Tom Hanks, Edward Burns, Tom Sizemore, Jeremy Davies
Directed by:
Steven Spielberg
Captain John Miller (Tom Hanks) takes his men behind enemy lines to find Private James Ryan (Matt Damon), whose three brothers have been killed in combat. Surrounded by the brutal realties of war, while searching for Ryan, each man embarks upon a personal journey and discovers their own strength to triumph over an uncertain future with honour, decency, and courage.
Genre:
War Action/Drama
Actors:
Marlon Brando, Robert Duvall, Martin Sheen, Dennis Hopper
Directed by:
Francis Ford Coppola
In Vietnam in 1970, Captain Willard (Martin Sheen) takes a perilous and increasingly hallucinatory journey upriver to find and terminate Colonel Kurtz (Marlon Brando), a once-promising officer who has reportedly gone completely mad. In the company of a Navy patrol boat filled with street-smart kids, a surfing-obsessed Air Cavalry officer (Robert Duvall), and a crazed freelance photographer (Dennis Hopper), Willard travels further and further into the heart of darkness.
Genre:
War Action/Drama
Actors:
Matthew Modine, Vincent D’Onofrio, Lee Ermey, Adam Baldwin
Directed by:
Stanley Kubrick
Stanley Kubrick’s take on the Vietnam War follows smart-aleck Private Davis (Matthew Modine), quickly christened “Joker” by his foul-mouthed drill sergeant (R. Lee Ermey), and pudgy Private Lawrence (Vincent D’Onofrio), nicknamed “Gomer Pyle,” as they endure the rigors of basic training. Though Pyle takes a frightening detour, Joker graduates to the Marine Corps and is sent to Vietnam as a journalist, covering — and eventually participating in — the bloody Battle of Hué.
Inglorious Basterds (2009)
Genre:
War Action
Actors:
Brad Pitt, Melanie Laurent, Christoph Waltz, Eli Roth, Michael Fassbender
Directed by:
Quentin Tarantino
It is the first year of Germany’s occupation of France. Allied officer Lt. Aldo Raine (Brad Pitt) assembles a team of Jewish soldiers to commit violent acts of retribution against the Nazis, including the taking of their scalps. He and his men join forces with Bridget von Hammersmark (Diane Kruger), a German actress and undercover agent, to bring down the leaders of the Third Reich. Their fates converge with theatre owner Shosanna Dreyfus (Melanie Laurent), who seeks to avenge the Nazis’ execution of her family.
Genre:
War Action/Epic
Actors:
George MacKay, Dean-Charles Chapman, Mark Strong, Andrew Scott
Directed by:
Sam Mendes
During World War I, two British soldiers — Lance Cpl. Schofield and Lance Cpl. Blake — receive seemingly impossible orders. In a race against time, they must cross over into enemy territory to deliver a message that could potentially save 1,600 of their fellow comrades — including Blake’s own brother.
Genre:
War Action
Actors:
Brad Pitt, Shia LaBeouf, Logan Lerman, Michael Pena, Jon Bernthal
Directed by:
David Ayer
In April 1945, the Allies are making their final push in the European theatre. A battle-hardened Army sergeant named Don “Wardaddy” Collier (Brad Pitt), leading a Sherman tank and a five-man crew, undertakes a deadly mission behind enemy lines. Hopelessly outnumbered, outgunned, and saddled with an inexperienced soldier (Logan Lerman) in their midst, Wardaddy and his men face overwhelming odds as they move to strike at the heart of Nazi Germany.
Genre:
War Action
Actors:
Tom Cruise, Miles Teller, Jennifer Connelly, Jon Hamm
Directed by:
Joseph Kosinski
After more than 30 years of service as one of the Navy’s top aviators, Pete “Maverick” Mitchell (Tom Cruise) is where he belongs, pushing the envelope as a courageous test pilot and dodging the advancement in rank that would ground him. Training a detachment of graduates for a special assignment, Maverick must confront the ghosts of his past and his deepest fears, culminating in a mission that demands the ultimate sacrifice from those who choose to fly it.
Genre:
War Action/Epic
Actors:
Mel Gibon, Sophie Marceau, Angus Macfayden, Patrick McGoohand
Directed by:
Mel Gibson
William Wallace (Mel Gibson) is the medieval Scottish patriot who is spurred into revolt against the English when the love of his life is slaughtered. Leading his army into battles that become a war, his advance into England threatens King Edward I’s (Patrick McGoohan) throne before he is captured and executed, but not before becoming a symbol for a free Scotland.
Spy Action
Genre:
Spy Action/Thriller
Actors:
Pierce Brosnan, Sean Bean, Izabelle Scorupco, Famke Janssen
Directed by:
Martin Campbell
When a powerful satellite system falls into the hands of Alec Trevelyan AKA Agent 006 (Sean Bean), a former ally-turned-enemy, only James Bond (Pierce Brosnan) can save the world from an awesome space weapon that — in one short pulse — could destroy the earth! As Bond squares off against his former compatriot, he also battles Trevelyan’s stunning ally, Xenia Onatopp (Famke Janssen), an assassin who uses pleasure as her ultimate weapon.
Genre:
Spy Action/Thriller
Actors:
Daniel Craig, Eva Green, Mads Mikkelsen, Judi Dench
Directed by:
Martin Campbell
After receiving a license to kill, British Secret Service agent James Bond (Daniel Craig) heads to Madagascar, where he uncovers a link to Le Chiffre (Mads Mikkelsen), a man who finances terrorist organizations. Learning that Le Chiffre plans to raise money in a high-stakes poker game, MI6 sends Bond to play against him, gambling that their newest “00” operative will topple the man’s organization.
The Bourne Identity (2002)
Genre:
Spy Action/Thriller
Actors:
Matt Damon, Franka Potente, Chris Cooper, Clive Owen
Directed by:
Doug Liman
The story of a man (Matt Damon), salvaged, near death, from the ocean by an Italian fishing boat. When he recuperates, the man suffers from total amnesia, without identity or background… except for a range of extraordinary talents in fighting, linguistic skills, and self-defense that speak of a dangerous past. He sets out on a desperate search-assisted by the initially rebellious Marie (Franka Potente) — to discover who he really is, and why he’s being lethally pursued by assassins.
Mission: Impossible (1996)
Genre:
Spy Action/Thriller
Actors:
Tom Cruise, Jon Voight, Emmanuelle Beart, Henry Czerny
Directed by:
Brian De Palma
When US government operative Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) and his mentor, Jim Phelps (Jon Voight), go on a covert assignment that takes a disastrous turn, Jim is killed, and Ethan becomes the prime murder suspect. Now a fugitive, Hunt recruits brilliant hacker Luther Stickell (Ving Rhames) and maverick pilot Franz Krieger (Jean Reno) to help him sneak into a heavily guarded CIA building to retrieve a confidential computer file that will prove his innocence.
Genre:
Spy Action/Thriller
Actors:
Denzel Washington, Ryan Reynolds, Vera Farmiga, Brendan Gleeson
Directed by:
Daniel Espinosa
Dangerous CIA renegade Tobin Frost (Denzel Washington) resurfaces after a decade on the run. When the safe house he’s remanded to is attacked by mercenaries, rookie operative Matt Weston (Ryan Reynolds) escapes with him. Now, the unlikely allies must stay alive long enough to uncover who wants them dead.
Genre:
Spy Action/Thriller
Actors:
Charlize Theron, James McAvoy, John Goodman, Til Schweiger
Directed by:
David Leitch
Sensual and savage, Lorraine Broughton (Charlize Theron) is the most elite spy in MI6, an agent who’s willing to use all of her lethal skills to stay alive during an impossible mission. With the Berlin Wall about to fall, she travels into the heart of the city to retrieve a priceless dossier and take down a ruthless espionage ring. Once there, she teams up with an embedded station chief to navigate her way through the deadliest game of spies.
Kingsman: The Secret Service (2014)
Genre:
Spy Action/Comedy
Actors:
Colin Firth, Samuel L. Jackson, Mark Strong, Taron Egerton
Directed by:
Matthew Vaughn
Gary “Eggsy” Unwin (Taron Egerton), whose late father secretly worked for a spy organization, lives in a South London housing estate and seems headed for a life behind bars. However, dapper agent Harry Hart (Colin Firth) recognizes potential in the youth and recruits him to be a trainee in the secret service. Meanwhile, villainous Richmond Valentine (Samuel L. Jackson) launches a diabolical plan to solve the problem of climate change via a worldwide killing spree.
The Man From U.N.C.L.E. (2015)
Genre:
Spy Action
Actors:
Henry Cavill, Armie Hammer, Alicia Vikander, Elizabeth Debicki
Directed by:
Guy Ritchie
At the height of the Cold War, a mysterious criminal organization plans to use nuclear weapons and technology to upset the fragile balance of power between the United States and Soviet Union. CIA agent Napoleon Solo (Henry Cavill) and KGB agent Illya Kuryakin (Armie Hammer) are forced to put aside their hostilities and work together to stop the evildoers in their tracks. The duo’s only lead is the daughter of a missing German scientist, whom they must find soon to prevent a global catastrophe.
Genre:
Spy Action/Thriller
Actors:
Saoirse Ronan, Eric Bana, Vicky Krieps, Cate Blanchett
Directed by:
Joe Wright
Raised by her father (Eric Bana) in the Finnish wilderness, teenage Hanna (Saoirse Ronan) has trained all her life to be the perfect assassin. Her father sends her on a mission, and she stealthily makes her way across Europe while evading agents sent after her by a ruthless operative named Marissa (Cate Blanchett), who once worked with Hanna’s father. As she draws closer to her target, Hanna faces startling revelations about her existence and begins to question her humanity.
Genre:
Spy Action/Comedy
Actors:
Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jamie Lee Curtis, Tom Arnold, Bill Paxton
Directed by:
James Cameron
Secretly a spy but thought by his family to be a dull salesman, Harry Tasker (Arnold Schwarzenegger) is tracking down nuclear missiles in the possession of Islamic jihadist Aziz (Art Malik). Harry’s mission is complicated when he realizes his neglected wife, Helen (Jamie Lee Curtis), is contemplating an affair with Simon (Bill Paxton), a used-car salesman who claims he’s a spy. When Aziz kidnaps Harry and Helen, the secret agent must save the world and patch up his marriage at the same time.
Action Adventure
Raiders of the Lost Ark (19810)
Genre:
Action Adventure
Actors:
Harrison Ford, Karen Allen, Paul Freeman, Ronald Lacey
Directed by:
Steven Spielberg
In 1936, archaeologist and adventurer Indiana Jones (Harrison Ford) is hired by the US government to find the Ark of the Covenant before the Nazis can obtain its awesome powers.
Romancing The Stone (1984)
Genre:
Action Adventure/Rom-Com
Actors:
Michael Douglas, Kathleen Turner, Danny DeVito, Zack Norman
Directed by:
Robert Zemeckis
Dowdy romantic-adventure writer Joan Wilder (Kathleen Turner) is hurled into a real-life adventure in the Colombian jungle in order to save her sister, who will be killed if a treasure map is not delivered to her captors. She is helped out by brash mercenary Jack T. Colton (Michael Douglas), and together they search for the priceless gem located in the map.
Genre:
Action Adventure/Fantasy
Actors:
Robin Williams, Kirsten Dunst, David Alan Grier, Adam Hann-Byrd, Bonnie Hunt
Directed by:
Joe Johnston
A magical board game unleashes a world of adventure on siblings Peter (Bradley Pierce) and Judy Shepherd (Kirsten Dunst). While exploring an old mansion, the youngsters find a curious, jungle-themed game called Jumanji in the attic. When they start playing, they free Alan Parrish (Robin Williams), who’s been stuck in the game’s inner world for decades. If they win Jumanji, the kids can free Alan for good — but that means braving giant bugs, ill-mannered monkeys and even stampeding rhinos.
Genre:
Action Adventure/Western
Actors:
Antonio Banderas, Anthony Hopkins, Catherin Zeta-Jones, Stuart Wilson
Directed by:
Martin Campbell
After being imprisoned for 20 years, Zorro — Don Diego de la Vega (Anthony Hopkins) — receives word that his old enemy, Don Rafael Montero (Stuart Wilson), has returned. Don Diego escapes and returns to his old headquarters, where he trains aimless drunk Alejandro Murrieta (Antonio Banderas) to be his successor. Meanwhile, Montero — who has secretly raised Diego’s daughter, Elena (Catherine Zeta-Jones), as his own — hatches a plot to rob California of its gold.
Genre:
Action Adventure
Actors:
Brendan Fraser, Rachel Weisz, John Hannah, Arnold Vosloo
Directed by:
Stephen Sommers
Adventurer Rick O’Connell (Brendan Fraser), Egyptologist Evelyn Carnahan (Rachel Weisz), and her clumsy brother Jonathan (John Hannah) inadvertently wake up a bedevilled mummy, Imhotep (Arnold Vosloo), Pharaoh Seti I’s high priest, during a dig at the ancient city of Hamunaptra.
Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003)
Genre:
Action Adventure
Actors:
Johnny Depp, Geoffrey Rush, Orlando Bloom, Keira Knightley
Directed by:
Gore Verbinski
Captain Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp) arrives at Port Royal in the Caribbean without a ship or crew. His timing is inopportune, however, because later that evening the town is besieged by a pirate ship. The pirates kidnap the governor’s daughter, Elizabeth (Keira Knightley), who’s in possession of a valuable coin that is linked to a curse that has transformed the pirates into the undead. A gallant blacksmith (Orlando Bloom) in love with Elizabeth allies with Sparrow in pursuit of the pirates.
The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)
Genre:
Action Adventure/Fantasy
Actors:
Elijah Wood, Ian McKellen, Viggo Mortensen, Sean Astin, Sean Bean, Orlando Bloom
Directed by:
Peter Jackson
The future of civilization rests in the fate of the One Ring, which has been lost for centuries. Powerful forces are unrelenting in their search for it. But fate has placed it in the hands of a young Hobbit named Frodo Baggins (Elijah Wood), who inherits the Ring and steps into legend. A daunting task lies ahead for Frodo when he becomes the Ringbearer: to destroy the One Ring in the fires of Mount Doom where it was forged.
Lawrence of Arabia (1962)
Genre:
Action Adventure/Epic/Biographical/Drama
Actors:
Peter O’Toole, Alec Guinness, Anthony Quinn, Jack Hawkins
Directed by:
David Lean
Due to his knowledge of the native Bedouin tribes, British Lieutenant T.E. Lawrence (Peter O’Toole) is sent to Arabia to find Prince Faisal (Alec Guinness) and serve as a liaison between the Arabs and the British in their fight against the Turks. With the aid of native Sherif Ali (Omar Sharif), Lawrence rebels against the orders of his superior officer and strikes out on a daring camel journey across the harsh desert to attack a well-guarded Turkish port.
Martial Arts Action
Genre:
Martial Arts Action/Wuxia
Actors:
Jet Li, Tony Leung, Maggie Cheung, Chen Daoming, Donnie Yen
Directed by:
Zhang Yimou
In this visually arresting martial arts epic set in ancient China, an unnamed fighter (Jet Li) is being honoured for defeating three of the king’s most dangerous enemies. When Nameless recounts his battles with the assassins — Broken Sword (Tony Leung), Flying Snow (Maggie Cheung) and Moon (Zhang Ziyi) — the king begins to question some of the details. As Nameless goes on, the king challenges the tales, interjecting his own take on these perhaps suspect version of events.
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000)
Genre:
Martial Arts Action/Wuxia
Actors:
Chow Yun-fat, Michelle Yeoh, Zhang Ziyi, Chang Chen
Directed by:
Ang Lee
In 19th century Qing Dynasty China, a warrior gives his sword, Green Destiny, to his lover to deliver to safe keeping, but it is stolen, and the chase is on to find it. The search leads to the House of Yu where the story takes on a whole different level.
Genre:
Martial Arts Action/Crime
Actors:
Donnie Yen, Louis Koo, Collin Chou, Ray Lui, Fan Bingbing
Directed by:
Wilson Yip
Sergeant. Ma Jun (Donnie Yen) is a Hong Kong police officer with a reputation for violent behavior. He is determined to find and take down three powerful Triad drug dealers (Ray Lui, Collin Chou, Xing Yu). One of his fellow officers, Wilson (Louis Koo), is an experienced undercover agent working within the Triad gang. He and Jun agree to a partnership, but, when Wilson’s cover is blown, Jun is forced to confront the gang the only way he knows how: with his fists.
Genre:
Martial Arts Action/Psychological Thriller
Actors:
Choi Min-sik, Yoo Ji-tae, Kang Hye-jung, Kim Byeong-ok
Directed by:
Park Chan-wook
Dae-Su (Choi Min-sik) is an obnoxious drunk bailed from the police station yet again by a friend. However, he’s abducted from the street and wakes up in a cell, where he remains for the next 15 years, drugged unconscious when human contact is unavoidable, otherwise with only the television as company. And then, suddenly released, he is invited to track down his jailor with a denouement that is simply stunning.
Genre:
Martial Arts Action/Comedy
Actors:
Jackie Chan, Brigitte Lin, Maggie Cheung, Chor Yuen
Directed by:
Jackie Chan
Honest Hong Kong police officer “Kevin” Chan Ka-Kui (Jackie Chan) finds himself framed for the murder of a dirty cop while protecting a Triad boss’ girlfriend-turned-informer.Â
Genre:
Martial Arts Action
Actors:
Tony Jaa, Petchtai Wongkamlao, Pumwaree Yodkamol, Chattapong Pantana-Angkul
Directed by:
Prachya Pinkaew
In Thailand, the impoverished village of Ban Nong Pradu has its most precious Buddha statue stolen from the temple. Luckily, the small town also has a very skilled fighter in the form of Ting (Tony Jaa), who sets out on a quest to recover the cherished figure. His journey leads him to Bangkok, where he must wrangle the statue from Don (Wannakit Sirioput), a volatile drug dealer. Meanwhile, the village is suffering a severe drought and needs the Buddha to restore vitality.
Once Upon A Time In China (1991)
Genre:
Martial Arts Action/Adventure
Actors:
Jet Li, Yuen Biao, Jacky Cheung, Rosamund Kwan
Directed by:
Tsui Hark
Legendary martial arts hero Wong Fei-Hung (Jet Li) fights against foreign forces’ plundering of China. When Aunt Yee (Rosamund Kwan) arrives back from America, Wong Fei-Hung assumes the role of her protector.
Genre:
Martial Arts Action/Comedy
Actors:
Jackie Chan, Yuen Siu-Tin, Hwang Jang-lee, Dean Shek
Directed by:
Yuen Woo-ping
Wong Fei-Hung (Jackie Chan) is a mischievous yet righteous young man, but after a series of incidents, his frustrated father has him disciplined by a master of drunken martial arts.
Genre:
Martial Arts Action
Actors:
Bruce Lee, John Saxon, Jim Kelly, Ahna Capri
Directed by:
Robert Clouse
A Shaolin martial artist travels to an island fortress to spy on an opium lord, who is also a former monk from his temple, under the guise of attending a fighting tournament.
Genre:
Martial Arts Action/Comedy
Actors:
Yuen Biao, Lam Ching-ying, Sammo Hung, Frankie Chan
Directed by:
Sammo Hung
A young man discovers that his reputation as a fearsome martial artist is manufactured by his rich father, after meeting a real martial arts master, who’s also a master thespian, and is determined to apprentice under him to learn kung fu.
Genre:
Martial Arts Action/Drama
Actors:
Iko Uwais, Joe Taslim, Ray Sahetapy, Yayan Ruhian
Directed by:
Gareth Evans
A rookie member of an elite team of commandos, Rama (Iko Uwais), is instructed to hang back while his comrades-in-arms go ahead with their mission to take down a brutal crime lord called Tama (Ray Sahetapy). However, the team’s cover is blown, and Tama offers sanctuary to every criminal in his high-rise apartment block in exchange for the cops’ heads. Now Rama must take command and lead his remaining team on an ultraviolent charge through the building to complete — and survive — the mission.
Genre:
Martial Arts Action/Thriller
Actors:
Keany Reeves, Michael Myqvist, Alfie Allen, Adrianne Palicki
Directed by:
Chad Stahelski
Legendary assassin John Wick (Keanu Reeves) retired from his violent career after marrying the love of his life. Her sudden death leaves John in deep mourning. When sadistic mobster Iosef Tarasov (Alfie Allen) and his thugs steal John’s prized car and kill the puppy that was a last gift from his wife, John unleashes the remorseless killing machine within and seeks vengeance. Meanwhile, Iosef’s father (Michael Nyqvist) — John’s former colleague — puts a huge bounty on John’s head.
Genre:
(Mixed) Martial Arts Action/Drama
Actors:
Tom Hardy, Joel Edgerton, Nick Nolte, Jennifer Morrison
Directed by:
Gavin O’Connor
An estranged family finds redemption in the unlikeliest of places: the MMA ring. Tommy (Tom Hardy), an ex-Marine with a tragic past, returns home and enlists his father (Nick Nolte), a recovering alcoholic and former wrestling coach, to train him for Sparta, the biggest MMA tournament ever held. But when Tommy’s underdog brother, Brendan (Joel Edgerton), fights his way into the tournament, the two brothers must finally confront each other and the forces that pulled them apart.
Historical Action Movies
Genre:
Action/Drama
Actors:
Russell Crowe, Joaquin Phoenix, Connie Nielsen, Oliver Reed
Directed by:
Ridley Scott
A former Roman General sets out to exact vengeance against the corrupt emperor who murdered his family and sent him into slavery.
Genre:
Action/Epic/Drama
Actors:
Rudy Youngblood, Dalia Hernandez, Jonathan Brewer, Morris Birdyellowhead
Directed by:
Mel Gibson
The Mayan kingdom is at the height of its opulence and power but the foundations of the empire are beginning to crumble. The leaders believe they must build more temples and sacrifice more people or their crops and citizens will die. Jaguar Paw (Rudy Youngblood), a peaceful hunter in a remote tribe, is captured along with his entire village in a raid. He is scheduled for a ritual sacrifice until he makes a daring escape and tries to make it back to his pregnant wife and son.
Genre:
Action War/Drama
Actors:
Tom Cruise, Ken Watanabe, Koyuki, Timothy Spall, Hiroyuki Sanada
Directed by:
Edward Zwick
Captain Nathan Algren (Tom Cruise) is an American military officer hired by the Emperor of Japan to train the country’s first army in the art of modern warfare. As the government attempts to eradicate the ancient Samurai warrior class in preparation for more Westernised and trade-friendly policies, Algren finds himself unexpectedly affected by his encounters with the Samurai, which places him at the centre of a struggle between two eras and two worlds.
Kingdom of Heaven [Director’s Cut] (2005)
Genre:
War Action/Epic/Drama
Actors:
Orlando Bloom, Eva Green, Jeremy Irons, David Thewlis, Edward Norton
Directed by:
Ridley Scott
Still in grief over his wife’s sudden death, village blacksmith Balian (Orlando Bloom) joins his long-estranged father, Baron Godfrey (Liam Neeson), as a crusader on the road to Jerusalem. After a perilous journey to the holy city, the valiant young man enters the retinue of the leprous King Baldwin IV (Edward Norton), which is rife with dissent led by the treacherous Guy de Lusignan (Marton Csokas), who wishes to wage war against the Muslims for his own political and personal gain.
Genre:
War Action/Epic/Drama
Actors:
Brad Pitt, Eric Bana, Orlando Bloom, Diane Kruger, Brian Cox
Directed by:
Wolfgang Petersen
Based on Homer’s ‘Iliad,’ this epic portrays the battle between the ancient kingdoms of Troy and Sparta. While visiting Spartan King Menelaus (Brendan Gleeson), Trojan prince Paris (Orlando Bloom) falls for Menelaus’ wife, Helen (Diane Kruger), and takes her back to Troy. Menelaus’ brother, King Agamemnon (Brian Cox), having already defeated every army in Greece, uses his brother’s fury as a pretext to declare war against Troy, the last kingdom preventing his control over the Aegean Sea.
Genre:
War Action/Drama
Actors:
Alexander Skarsgard, Nicole Kidman, Claes Bang, Anya Taylor-Joy
Directed by:
Robert Eggers
Prince Amleth (Oscar Novak) is on the verge of becoming a man when his father is brutally murdered by his uncle, who kidnaps the boy’s mother. Two decades later, Amleth (Alexander Skarsgard) is now a Viking who raids Slavic villages. He soon meets a seeress who reminds him of his vow — save his mother, kill his uncle, avenge his father.
Genre:
Action/Drama
Actors:
Takashi Shimura, Yoshio Inaba, Daisuke Kato, Seiji Miyaguchi
Directed by:
Akira Kurosawa
A samurai answers a village’s request for protection after he falls on hard times. The town needs protection from bandits, so the samurai gathers six others to help him teach the people how to defend themselves, and the villagers provide the soldiers with food. A giant battle occurs when 40 bandits attack the village.
Dances With Wolves (1990)
Genre:
War Action/Western/Drama
Actors:
Kevin Costner, Mary McDonnell, Graham Greene, Rodney A. Grant
Directed by:
Kevin Costner
A Civil War soldier develops a relationship with a band of Lakota Indians. Attracted by the simplicity of their lifestyle, he chooses to leave his former life behind to be with them. Having observed him, they give the name Dances With Wolves. Soon he is a welcomed member of the tribe and falls in love with a white woman who has been raised in the tribe. Tragedy results when Union soldiers arrive with designs on the land.
Genre:
Action Adventure/Epic
Actors:
Charlton Heston, Jack Hawkins, Haya Harareet, Stephen Boyd
Directed by:
William Wyler
An epic drama about an aristocratic Jew living in Judaea who incurs the wrath of a childhood friend, now a Roman tribune. Although forced into slavery on a galley and compelled to witness the cruel persecution of his family, he survives, harbouring dreams of vengeance. A battle at sea and a chariot race are among the memorable sequences. The film used 300 sets at Rome’s Cinecitta Studios and won a record 11 Oscars.
Genre:
War Action/Drama
Actors:
Gerald Butler, David Wenham, Lena Headey, Giovanni Cimmino
Directed by:
Zack Syder
In 480 BC, a state of war exists between Persia, led by King Xerxes (Rodrigo Santoro), and Greece. At the Battle of Thermopylae, Leonidas (Gerard Butler), king of the Greek city state of Sparta, leads his badly outnumbered warriors against the massive Persian army. Though certain death awaits the Spartans, their sacrifice inspires all of Greece to unite against their common enemy.
There’s more where that came from.
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The 100 Best Action Movies Of All Time — Frequently Asked Questions
What is the action genre?
An action movie, and the action movie genre, is generally typified by films that involve exciting events, often acts of violence, and incredible physical feats.
Is action the most popular genre of movies?
Action is certainly among the most popular movie genres alongside drama and comedy (globally). In the United States, action is the fourth most-streamed genre behind drama, animated, and crime.
What is the highest-rated action movie of all time?
According to IMDb, Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight starring Christian Bale and Heath Ledger is the highest-rated action movie of all time (9.0). This is followed closely by Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, and another Nolan flick with Inception.
