Best Action Movies

When it comes to the best action movies, there’s as much artistic beauty as anything hanging in the Louvre. Sure, these films may not have been made by some old guy who died of syphilis, but when’s the last time you saw the Mona Lisa leap through the air in slow motion while firing a pair of .45 pistols? I rest my case.

This best action movies list is filled with films that are widely regarded as classics. I’ve also thrown in a few personal favorites, sometimes blurring the line between the best action movies and those of the sci-fi, adventure, or martial arts genres. Ultimately, if a film features more fighting than talking, then there’s a good chance it’s included.

  1. Die Hard (1988) - Bruce Willis is appropriately spunky as NYPD cop John McClane, and Alan Rickman (in his film debut) turns Hans Gruber into one of cinema’s all-time great baddies. Wall-to-wall shootouts and fistfights, with richly detailed characters thrown in for good measure. Quite simply the greatest action movie ever made.
  2. Lethal Weapon (1987) - Mel Gibson and Danny Glover star as LAPD detectives (Martin Riggs and Roger Murtaugh, respectively) who take on a drug ring made up of former special forces soldiers. From the soundtrack handled by Michael Kamen, Eric Clapton, and David Sanborn, to the climactic martial arts showdown in the suburbs between Gibson and Gary Busey, Lethal Weapon turned the “buddy cop” film into a viable sub-genre of the action movie.
  3. Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior (1981) - With his dog and V-8 Pursuit Special, former cop Max Rockatansky (Mel Gibson) roams the post-apocalyptic wasteland. This eventually leads him into conflict with a gang of murderous marauders led by the massive hockey-mask-wearing Lord Humungus. The film’s climactic car chase (involving a semi loaded down with gasoline) is what really sets this sequel to Mad Max apart from the crowd.
  4. The Killer (1989) - John Woo (once described by Jean-Claude Van Damme as “the Martin Scorsese of Asia”) directs and Chow Yun-Fat stars as an assassin who accidentally blinds a young pop singer during a contract killing. Deciding to take one last job to pay for her surgery, he’s pursued by double-crossing criminals and a dedicated cop (Danny Lee). Plenty of slow motion gunfights ensue, and The Killer is easily the best of the Hong Kong action films.
  5. Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991) - Arnold Schwarzenegger returns as a lethal android from the future, but this time he’s been sent to save the life of John Connor (Edward Furlong), the future savior of mankind. A new model of Terminator (Robert Patrick) is sent to do the killing, and all this gunplay also gets Linda Hamilton (and her muscles) involved. Directed by James Cameron, T2 is the epitome of the big-budget action film.
  6. From Russia with Love (1963) - Every James Bond movie is packed with action, but From Russia with Love stands out thanks to fiery boat chases, a battle in a cramped train compartment between Connery and Robert Shaw, and Rosa Klebb’s lethal toe-spike (no doubt the inspiration behind Frau Farbissina from the Austin Powers series).
  7. Above the Law (1988) - Steven Seagal gives a bone-breaking debut performance as Nico Toscani, a dedicated cop trying to keep a senator safe from a CIA assassin. Pam Grier co-stars as his partner, and a young Sharon Stone appears briefly as his wife. The first of many good action movies from the ponytailed badass.
  8. Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981) - Harrison Ford stars as Indiana Jones, an archeologist in a race to obtain the legendary Ark of the Covenant before the Nazis. Directed by Steven Spielberg, this globe-trotting adventure is perfect for both kids and adults.
  9. Predator (1987) - Arnold Schwarzenegger and his group of American soldiers are being hunted in the South American jungle by a creature from beyond the stars. Of course, this all leads to an inter-species throwdown between Arnie and the Predator, and the sci-fi/action genre has never been the same. Also starring Carl Weathers, Jesse Ventura, and Bill Duke.
  10. Big Trouble in Little China (1986) - A total bomb at theaters, this John Carpenter film has since developed a large cult following thanks to the presence of comedy, action, kung-fu, magic, romance, monsters, and Kurt Russell.
  11. Police Story (1985) - Jackie Chan stars as policeman Kevin Chan in this Hong Kong film pitting cops against gangsters. Action sequences include a car chase right through (and I mean <I>through</I>) a shanty town, and a spectacular ending battle in a shopping mall that features Chan grabbing a pole wrapped in light bulbs, sliding down several stories, and then crashing through a glass ceiling (Chan dislocated his pelvis while filming this stunt). One of the best action movies ever made by Jackie Chan.
  12. Robocop (1987) - Peter Weller is Murphy, an honest cop who gets killed in the line of duty and brought back as a cyborg cop by a greedy corporation. Features the kind of violence we’ve come to expect from a Paul Verhoeven film, in addition to memorable performances from Ronny Cox and Kurtwood Smith.
  13. Last Action Hero (1993) - With a wink and a nudge, Last Action Hero provides a loving satire of both the action genre and the film’s star, Arnold Schwarzenegger. When a young boy receives a magical movie ticket, he soon finds himself inside the latest movie of his hero, Jack Slater (Schwarzenegger). Cameos and action sequences abound, and the soundtrack features such hard-rocking acts as AC/DC, Alice in Chains, and Megadeth.
  14. The Transporter (2002) - Jason Statham is Frank, a professional driver who’ll transport anything for the right price. But when he breaks his own rules and looks inside one of his packages, he finds himself battling a gang of international slave traders. Statham fights his way through several well-choreographed battles, including one scene in which he covers himself in oil to negate the numerical superiority of his opponents. Much better than the action sequels that followed.
  15. Road House (1989) - If you’re looking for good action movies to rent, you’ll want to consider this 80’s classic starring Patrick Swayze as the best “cooler” in the business. Hired to clean up a nightclub, he soon runs afoul of the town’s local rich guy/homicidal madman. Sam Elliott co-stars in all his grizzled glory. Featuring fight scenes that would be the envy of any trailer park, it’s also filled with plenty of cheesy-yet-quotable lines.
  16. Out for Justice (1991) - The last great Steven Seagal action movie, Out for Justice features Seagal as a cop looking to avenge the murder of his partner. Gritty martial arts action, plus appearances by Gina Gershon, William Forsythe, Jerry Orbach and Julianna Margulies.
  17. The Rundown (2003) - If this film had been made in the ‘80s or ‘90s, it would be considered one of the best action movies ever made. Director Peter Berg delivers a succession of solid action sequences, and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson has all kinds of charisma in his first starring role. Wacky Christopher Walken is the villain, and Rosario Dawson provides both sex appeal and a mid-film plot twist. By all means, don’t miss this underrated action flick.
  18. The Legend of Drunken Master (1994) - Wong Fei Hung (Jackie Chan) returns in this sequel to 1978’s Drunken Master. A practitioner of the Drunken Boxing style (in which the fighter becomes more powerful by getting smashed on alcohol), Fei Hung must take on the villainous British consul in order to foil their theft of numerous Chinese artifacts. The final fight sequence has to be seen to be believed, and it took almost four months to film it.
  19. Hero (2002) - As beautiful as it is action-packed, Hero stars Jet Li, Donnie Yen, Zhang Ziyi, and Maggie Cheung in a tale revolving around a plot to assassinate the King of Qin (who would later become the first emperor of a unified China). Vivid colors wash over each fight, and Hero would become the first foreign-language film to debut #1 at the U.S. box office.
  20. Rambo: First Blood Part II (1985) - John Rambo (Sylvester Stallone) is released from prison to search for American POWs in Vietnam. He finds them, of course, along with plenty of Soviets up to no good. A monster hit around the globe, many people still think of Rambo being synonymous with the United States. Now that I think of it, do explosive-tipped arrows really exist?
  21. The Matrix (1999) - Keanu Reeves transforms from a lowly office drone into a kung-fu master known as The One. The Matrix is peppered with iconic gunplay and martial arts showdowns, with the virtual dojo battle between Reeves and Laurence Fishburne being my personal favorite. The series went downhill from here, but The Matrix still remains one of the best action movies ever made. And, boy, does Trinity look great in that leather bodysuit.
  22. Total Recall (1990) - Arnold Schwarzenegger stars as Douglas Quaid, a lowly construction worker in the year 2084 who takes a “vacation” to Mars via false memory implants. But something in the process goes wrong, leaving him to wonder if he’s actually a spy named Hauser whose memories have already been erased. This is the film which got co-star Sharon Stone noticed, and she would team up again with director Paul Verhoeven in Basic Instinct. One of Arnie’s most violent action movies.
  23. Crank (2006) - Playing out like a big-screen video game, Jason Statham stars as Chev Chelios, a hitman who wakes to find himself poisoned by a lethal Chinese concoction. With his life rapidly fading away, Chev seeks revenge and gets some handy tips on staying alive from his doctor (Dwight Yoakam). The public sex scene with Amy Smart is one for the books.
  24. Bloodsport (1988) - Jean-Claude Van Damme stars as Frank Dux, the first American winner of the underground Kumite martial arts tournament. As Dux advances and makes friends and enemies, numerous martial arts styles are on display. It tanked at the box office, but it’s now regarded as one of the greatest martial arts movies ever made.
  25. Commando (1985) - The movie itself is all kinds of cheesy, but it does provide a chance to see John Matrix (Arnold Schwarzenegger) mow down wave after wave of soldiers with everything from machine-guns to saw blades. Pre-hotness Alyssa Milano plays Arnie’s daughter, and the primary nemesis of Matrix is portrayed by Vernon Wells, who also starred as the mohawked Wez in The Road Warrior.

So there you have it--enough suggestions to keep you swimming in a sea of testosterone for months. Whether you’re looking for the best action movies to buy or the best action movies to rent, you’ll be hard-pressed to do better than the films listed above.