Best action movies of all 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.

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.

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. Good action movies are worth celebrating, and that's what the following list of titles aims to do: show the action genre at its very best. Adrenaline junkies and action fans should make it a priority to check out all the following, as they comprise what can be definitively declared the best action movies of all time. In celebration of what could be the most cinematic genre out there, here's an overview of the action genre throughout the decades, and the movies that represent it best. With a mix of classics and newer films, the following is an attempt to rank some of the greatest action-packed movies of all time, with all being essential viewing for fans of the action genre. This is the fourth film that was made within that series, and somehow came out the same year that the first three did: Baby Cart in Peril continues the adventures of the revenge-seeking former executioner Ogami Itto and his young son, here being assigned with killing a notorious assassin while clashing with a feared clan of fighters.

Synopsis: A cop who loses his partner in a shoot-out with gun smugglers goes on a mission to catch them. Filled with wild stunts, colorful characters, crushed chassis and fearless camerawork, director Richard C.

These are what make going to the cinema fun, exciting, and thrilling. These are the films that keep you at the edge of your seat and blow your damn socks off, These are the Certified Best of, the Action Movie Genre. So without further a due, Sit back, grab some popcorn, and enjoy the show folks. R min Action, Sci-Fi. A cyborg, identical to the one who failed to kill Sarah Connor, must now protect her ten year old son John from an even more advanced and powerful cyborg. R min Action, Thriller. A New York City police officer tries to save his estranged wife and several others taken hostage by terrorists during a Christmas party at the Nakatomi Plaza in Los Angeles.

Thanks for subscribing! Look out for your first newsletter in your inbox soon! 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. Our newsletter hand-delivers the best bits to your inbox. Sign up to unlock our digital magazines and also receive the latest news, events, offers and partner promotions. Because if the main point of film is to make you feel something, well, what produces more visceral feeling than a good action flick? The best action movies choreograph violence with almost balletic grace, and can karate kick your heart harder than any romantic drama. This list of the greatest action films ever made is proof that the genre is more versatile than it appears. Bruce cannon So here it is.

Best action movies of all time

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. We also, apart from a few precursors, primarily stuck to films made after , in order to focus on the decades when action cinema as a standalone genre really blossomed.

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Starring: Robert Downey Jr. The real A-Team It seems almost quaint now, 12 years and approximately 9, universe-expanding movies and TV shows later, but in , the very idea of Iron Man, Thor, Captain America et al sharing the same screen for a full feature seemed utterly mind-blowing. Moments later, the stuntmen tumbling from the top deck to the tarmac all ended up in hospital, lengthening a serious injury list that saw the star form a stunt-team association to pay their medical bills. This year, two of the challengers discover a conspiracy to rig the competition and also…ninjas! Yup, that's him. It was instrumental in transforming the series into one of the 21st century's biggest action-heavy movie franchises so far, and holds up as a series high point, ultimately being worthy of squeezing into a list of the best action movies of all time. From the early fight in New York against Thanos' 'children', to the face-off in space and the brawl on Titan, it only lets up to allow for occasional exposition and character-building drama. The more you watch the god-awful entries in this subgenre, the more you appreciate how easy the folks behind Midnight Run make it all seem. Die Hard R min Action, Thriller 8. Critics Consensus: A simple-minded but visually exciting experience, full of blood, violence, and ready-made movie quotes. Critics Consensus: Black Panther elevates superhero cinema to thrilling new heights while telling one of the MCU's most absorbing stories -- and introducing some of its most fully realized characters. Synopsis: Douglas Quaid Arnold Schwarzenegger is a bored construction worker in the year who dreams of visiting the colonized Mars Synopsis: Years after the collapse of civilization, the tyrannical Immortan Joe enslaves apocalypse survivors inside the desert fortress the Citadel.

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.

A stunningly astringent finale offers no easy solutions for a divided nation. Synopsis: A man wakes up in a Moscow laboratory to learn that he's been brought back from the dead as a Staggering stuff. Fast Five PG Rolling Stone is a part of Penske Media Corporation. Critics Consensus: While Alien was a marvel of slow-building, atmospheric tension, Aliens packs a much more visceral punch, and features a typically strong performance from Sigourney Weaver. Come back, Shane! 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. Read Empire's The Matrix review. Critics Consensus: Distractingly violent and historically dodgy, Mel Gibson's Braveheart justifies its epic length by delivering enough sweeping action, drama, and romance to match its ambition. Lee plays a Shaolin martial artist working undercover for British Intelligence to bring down the villainous Shih Kien. The killer scene: Finally, acting giants Al Pacino and Robert De Niro stare each other down across a diner booth—the moment is electric. Image via CJ Entertainment.