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- The Spy Who Loved Me (1977) James Bond had been in a slump since 1974’s lackluster “The Man With the Golden Gun.” But Roger Moore’s third time as the secret agent ended up being one of 007’s biggest crowd-pleasers, as “You Only Live Twice” director Lewis Gilbert returned to the franchise, pairing the secret agent with Russian counterpart XXX, aka Anya Amasova (Barbara Bach), who was the perfect foil for Moore’s debonair spy.
- Top Gun: Maverick (2022) Tom Cruise had long since established himself as willing guinea pig for any and all death-defying physical stunts when time came to follow up his first blockbuster, “Top Gun” — so why wouldn’t he fly the actual Navy vessels that the characters pilot in “Maverick”?
- The Fugitive (1993) This update of the classic ’60s TV series leaps from the original premise into a game of cat-and-mouse between grumpy old men Harrison Ford and Tommy Lee Jones.
- Vanishing Point (1971) This dusty, greasy classic follows the revved-up adventures of Kowalski (Barry Newman), a delivery driver amped on speed, racing the police and everyone else on the road to get a Dodge Challenger from Colorado to San Francisco in record time.
- We count down the most explosive films in the history of cinema.
- 25. Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014)
- 24. RRR (2022)
- 23. John Wick: Chapter 4 (2023)
- 22. Fast Five (2011)
- 21. Casino Royale (2006)
- 20. Ip Man (2008)
- 19. Independence Day (1996)
- 18. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000)
- 17. The Raid: Redemption (2011)
By IGN Staff
Updated: Dec 11, 2023 8:03 pm
Posted: Nov 26, 2023 8:00 pm
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. Action/comedy, sci-fi action, martial arts, superhero action, war, and adventure - they're all here.
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.
Where to Watch: Disney+, Prime Video
The Russo Brothers' first directorial effort within the MCU was so superb that they not only went on to get their hands on Captain America: Civil War, but also the culminating Avengers films of the Infinity Saga. Winter Solider is a hard-hitting espionage thriller of the highest order, one that threw not only Steve Rogers' life into disarray but the entire MCU as well when it was revealed that SHIELD had been inadvertently serving HYDRA for decades following the Red Skull's defeat. 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
Taking select audiences by storm in 2022 was RRR, an outlandish Indian action epic featuring fictional versions of two Indian revolutionaries - Alluri Sitarama Raju (Ram Charan) and Komaram Bheem (N. T. Rama Rao Jr.) - their friendship, and their fight against the British and a baddie played by the late Ray Stevenson. 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. Chapter 4, which broke Wick saga records, brought everything to an insane, crunching conclusion (perhaps?) as the hurdles John faced became a literal 300-step staircase into oblivion.
Where to Watch: DirecTV, Turner apps
Even though the Fast and Furious movies have gotten increasingly more death-defying (and reality-defying) since they began over two decades ago, Fast Five is still considered by many to be the best of the bunch, and the pinnacle that bridges the original story with the crazy world-saving A-Team style adventures that take place in the back half of the franchise. Before the Shaws were even introduced, The Rock debuted as Luke Hobbs, a DSS agent charged with bringing in Dom Toretto and his thieving "family." Everything culminated in Brazil with a wild, destructive money heist that remains uber-important to this day considering the whole revenge plot of Fast X.
Where to Watch: Max
This one is perhaps the most cerebral of all 007's adventures. Daniel Craig played James Bond as thuggish on the outside, but emotionally damaged and vulnerable underneath, in the process adding a layer of depth previously unseen in Bond's outings. (An absence of ice palaces and invisible cars also helped, of course.) Craig's 007 is a finely tuned machine who is absolutely believable as someone who could clear a room, and as a cold, hardened man who has buried his heart as far away from harm as possible. The action sequences – several of which, like the opening parkour set-piece, must be seen to be believed – are breathtaking and returned Bond to his down and dirty roots.
Where to Watch: Netflix, Prime Video, Peacock
Bruce Lee's martial arts teacher, the legendary Ip Man, is the focus of this four (soon to be five) film franchise that follows the Wing Chun grandmaster and his life during the Sino-Japanese War. Starring Hong Kong icon Donnie Yen in the title role, and with martial arts choreography by the unparalleled Sammo Hung, the first Ip Man is graceful, thrilling martial arts expertise mixed with a refreshing character-driven drama. Never meant to be a true biography, Ip Man hits the broad strokes with a palpable, pulpy verve.
Where to Watch: Starz
This rousing slice of '90s bravado showed us a world outmatched by hostile alien forces bent on the utter annihilation of humanity. Arriving one day in city-size flying saucers, capable of causing mass destruction with a single beam blast, these extra-terrestrials had it in the bag - were it not for a plucky ensemble of characters that include a scientist, a pilot, a drunk, and the President (complete with an inspirational speech). Independence Day is expert popcorn-fare. It's a spectacle to be seen, not believed. It kickstarted director Roland Emmerich's penchant for obliterating world monuments, solidified Will Smith's place as an action hero, and played us a new version of War of the Worlds in that monstrous Martians can always be felled by a virus (in this case a computer one).
Where to Watch: Prime Video, The Roku Channel
Since this is an Ang Lee film, every character carries an angsty longing - while their bodies can fly weightlessly through the air, their souls are weighed down by repressed love and dark secrets. The magnificent, Oscar-winning Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon - starring Michelle Yeoh and Chow Yun-fat - has a moving love story and fight scenes that boggle the mind. The action is wonderfully choreographed and set against incredibly beautiful backdrops, like an ancient bamboo forest. Faced with the cliche of a tavern bust-up, Lee and choreographer Yuen Woo-Ping turn Jen's furious flight through a litany of daftly named challengers into a magnificent alloy of kung fu chops, wire-work, dance, and comedy timing. Of course, it's performed to graceful perfection by Ziyi Zhang, who does what every girl stuck in a bar with a bunch of boasting, patronizing oafs has dreamt of doing, and gives them all a proper butt-whooping.
Where to Watch: Netflix
One of the leanest and meanest action movies from the last decade comes to us from Indonesia. The Raid's (called The Raid: Redemption in the U.S.) incredible action sequences don't just stun you, they kick your teeth in. 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. What isn't simple, however, are The Raid's incredibly choreographed fight scenes, of which there are plenty. Confidently shot and brutally realistic, The Raid is an essential action experience.
From ‘Aliens’ to ‘Zatoichi’: the greatest car-racing, punch-throwing, walking-away-from-explosions thrill rides in cinema. Everyone loves a good action movie, even if some won’t admit it.
1 day ago · From John Wick and Die Hard to Mad Max and Atomic Blonde, these best action movies ever will thrill you and get the adrenaline pumping!
- Jeremy Urquhart
- 55
- 2 min
- 'Casino Royale' (2006) Director: Martin Campbell. The James Bond series is one of the longest-running in cinema history, and it's a vitally important one within the action genre as a whole.
- 'The Bourne Ultimatum' (2007) Director: Paul Greengrass. Beginning with The Bourne Identity in 2002, the series about Jason Bourne - a CIA assassin struggling to recollect his past - proved hugely influential for the action genre.
- 'Avengers: Endgame' (2019) Directors: Anthony and Joe Russo. The impact of Avengers: Endgame is only truly felt when one's seen the majority of the MCU movies that came before it.
- 'RRR' (2022) Director: S.S. Rajamouli. In a year when some people began to express a certain amount of superhero fatigue, RRR stepped up to the plate and showed the world how modern action blockbusters should work.
Jul 11, 2023 · 25 Best Action Movies: The Highest-Rated of Each Year Since 1998 Critics and audiences recommend Mission: Impossible, Top Gun, John Wick, James Bond, Bourne, and more!
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1. Kill Bill: Vol. 1. 2003 1h 51m R. 8.2 (1.2M) Rate. 69 Metascore. After waking from a 4-year coma, a former assassin wreaks vengeance on the team of assassins who betrayed her. Director Quentin Tarantino Stars Uma Thurman David Carradine Daryl Hannah.
