Best action movies of all time

Welcome to our guide to the most Essential Action Movies! Where everyone enters…and only leave.

By David Fear. All you need to make a movie, a wise French man once said, is a girl and a gun. It helps, of course, if you throw in a few explosions, several car chases, some knockdown mano a mano fistfights, a smattering of kung fu and any number of swordfights as well. The holy trinity of cinema, i. These are the films we go to when we want an uncut dose of that kinetic-cinema rush. Strap yourself in. Henry Cavill is Napoleon Solo, the C.

Best action movies of all time

While we love all types of movies here at IGN, we're especially fond of action films. That's what we were weaned on, both the good and the bad. As fondly as we recall the mindless slaughterfests that powered the Saturday evenings and lazy Sunday afternoons of the '80s and '90s, the term "action movie" means more than just camp B-movie schlock. So along with the classic action fare, we've tried to invigorate this list with the best action anywhere you can find it. Our list was compiled by and voted on by IGN's biggest action fans, where we took into account a variety of factors, including quality of action, amount of thrills, and overall legacy of the film in question. The action scenes, vehicle demolition, and fight choreography were in top form here as Steve threw down against his past, both professionally and personally. This one is hailed by many as the best MCU film, Avengers-outings included. Where to Watch: Netflix. Rama Rao Jr. Over three hours of glorious cartoonish violence and sweeping musical numbers with Oscar-winning songs creates an intoxicating, over-the-top crescendo parade - one that will most likely leap up our ranks as years press on. Where to Watch : Prime Video. It's hard to believe that the John Wick movie franchise squeezed in so much action into four movies in just under a decade. The journey of one unstoppable hitman's quest to avenge his dead puppy which was helping him grieve for his late wife opened up into a worldwide battle for redemption full of kung fu, gun fu, krav maga, judo, and just about any other form of cinematic badassery. Not since the Hong Kong films of John Woo had gunplay been treated so much like a dance, with bullets being extensions of the characters' will.

Critics Consensus: The plot is thin and so is character development, but as a thrilling, spectacle-filled summer movie, Independence Day delivers. Most notably the classic wrap-around shot showing the gang fully assembled for the first time.

As long as there are movies, there will be action movies. Because no young girl or boy grows up pretending to be a damsel in distress or a sidekick. They all want to punch, draw swords, and run toward the danger. They are the heroes and the future directors, choreographers, and performers who bring these imaginations to life. If anything, we are now experiencing another golden age of ass-kicking cinema.

Action has been part of cinema ever since the days of The Great Train Robbery more than a century ago. But somewhere along the way filmmakers started realizing that they didn't necessarily have to couch their car chases , fight scenes, gun battles, and explosions within the confines of another genre. The action didn't need to be part of a Western or a swashbuckling historical adventure or a sci-fi extravaganza; the action could actually be the point. So by the late 20th century, a whole new genre was booming in Hollywood. Combining the precision of the best stunt and visual effects work with the emotional resonance of the best dramas and comedy, a truly great action film feels like something that really does have it all, even when the focus is tight and the set pieces are unquestionably over-the-top. There are plenty of masterpieces in the genre, but here are 30 of our absolute favorites in chronological order. Note: For the purposes of this list, to try to keep things concise, we chose, for the most part, to focus on films in which "action" is the primary genre associated with the story, which is why you won't see much in the way of Westerns, superhero films, and other genres among these choices.

Best action movies of all time

Few genres benefit from the art form of film as much as the action genre does. More grounded, less explosive genres like crime, mystery, or drama stories sometimes work just as well in novel form or as stage plays, for example, as they would in the form of a movie. Yet while there might be some good action-heavy books out there, there's an argument to be made that action just hits harder when it's visual, audible, and presented on the big screen. Let's be honest: the best action movies are often better - or at least more entertaining - than the best movies from any other genre.

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Sign In. The journey of one unstoppable hitman's quest to avenge his dead puppy which was helping him grieve for his late wife opened up into a worldwide battle for redemption full of kung fu, gun fu, krav maga, judo, and just about any other form of cinematic badassery. By entering your email address you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy and consent to receive emails from Time Out about news, events, offers and partner promotions. Director William Friedkin sucks up the sights and menacing sizzle of the rundown, wintry metropolis, with a shouty, near-comic raid on a Brooklyn dive bar and ample shots of wet streets, looming bridges and packed subway trains. The plot is fairly straightforward overall, being about a woman on the run and how she joins forces with a group of monks to eventually stand up to those pursuing her, but it's the execution that makes the film special, and an undeniably essential watch for any and all martial arts fans. Rolling Stone is a part of Penske Media Corporation. Exactly the kind of big, fat hit that Hollywood was invented to make, Gladiator brought out the best in everyone. Nazis, the Staff of Ra and a boulder the size of a small house were the order of the day for Harrison Ford in his first Indy outing. Watch on Max. The killer scene: Jackie leaps from a high cave mouth actually an airplane , landing on a hot-air balloon rising hundreds of feet in the sky. Donnie Yen stars in the most Donnie Yen movie ever. Read our review of Casino Royale or see our guide to James Bond movies in order. The story is simple: When a SWAT team of 20 elite cops becomes trapped inside a building full of killers with no backup, they must fight or die. Synopsis: Mob assassin Jeffrey Chow Yun-Fat is no ordinary hired gun; the best in his business, he views his chosen profession Synopsis: Honed from childhood to be an elite assassin, Sook-hee embarks on a rampage of violence and revenge to finally earn

While we love all types of movies here at IGN, we're especially fond of action films. That's what we were weaned on, both the good and the bad.

James Cameron's sequel to the movie that made Arnold Schwarzenegger a worldwide star, Terminator 2: Judgment Day packs in non-stop action, state-of-the-art special effects that still manage to look impressive today , and a great villain the seemingly unstoppable T, played by Robert Patrick. See our guide to the Terminator movies in order. From the impressive, kinetic opening with Alan Cumming 's Nightcrawler Bamf-ing around the halls of the White House to Stryker's Brian Cox forces storming the X-mansion, it's a whirlwind of powers, power-plays and fun stunts. Their only hope is a man locked in with them, yet free to roam, a lone hero who must pick off the bad guys one by one, arcade-game—style, until he reaches the Big Boss. The name of my god is money. Thunderball Image via Union Film. The movie offers one awesome scene after another as the heroes do everything in their power to keep a hunk of junk bus moving over 50 mph. Neo decides to square up to humanity's oppressors, opting to duel the dastardly Agent Smith rather than run. Few genres are as rewarding as action when it comes to second chapters upping the ante, improving on the stunts, pumping up the explosions. Synopsis: In a rural province of France, a mysterious creature is laying waste to the countryside, savagely killing scores of women