What are the best action movies of all time?

[Gibson87]

I'm making a list of must-see action movies and then I'm gonna go down the list and watch all of them. So, what are the best action movies of all time?

[Powerage5]

Mad Max: Fury Road
 

[Len Cnut]

Film geek answer:  Depends what you're looking for out of an action movies.  I kinda like what were action movies before action movies worked out most of its conventions and notions.  Westerns were action movies, Charles Bronson movies were action movies, Steve McQueen movies were action movies.  Y'know, where the hero isn't some guy who fuckin' counted how many grams of protein he took in and spent 3 hours a day looking in the mirror with a poo pushing expression on his face tryna hit the six pack vaccum.  Not that there isn't some great shit in action movies post the 1980s.  Arnie got some good ones in there, Predator, Red Heat, True Lies...I always liked Rapid Fire with Brandon Lee, then you got your corny but weirdly enjoyable action like fuckin' Point Break, the 90s one.  Die Hards kind of a good place to go to because, despite being incredibly unrealistic also, there is a weight of realism to those movies in that...McClane kinda looks like your every man, he panics, he freaks out, he kinda...reminds me of your older time action movies where the central protagonist looked vaguely normal.  

It depends, I guess the main question you gotta answer before I can answer for you exactly how shit a level of acting is acceptable to you?  

[Gibson87]

@Len Cnut  to answer your question... really good plot, believable acting and good special effects are all I care about 

Edited May 9, 2018 by Gibson_Guy87

[Len Cnut]

I'm probably the wrong person to ask then, never been a big one for special effects, I always kinda like the idea of actually blowing shit up on film sets   Terminator, there's a brilliant action movie.  Last Boy Scout is another.  Hmmm, what else?  Its weird I know thousands of shits but when i gotta think em up like that shit don't occur to me!

Edited May 9, 2018 by Len Cnut

[DieselDaisy]

I would look no farther than Hong Kong as Americans do not know how to do ''action'' - they have ''swelled heads'' to quote Master Xian. Try (in chronological order) Fist of Fury, 36th Chamber of Shaolin, Executioners of Shaolin, Five Deadly Venoms, Project-A, Police Story, Wheels on Meals, A Better Tomorrow, The Killer, the Once Upon A Time In China trilogy. 

[action]

I don't know which are the best action movies, but these are definately my favorites:

terminator 1 - 2 (badass movie series)

predator (iconic dialogue)

indiana jones 1-2-3-4

commando

heartbreak ridge (eastwood's finest moment)

every which way but loose (some funny barfights in them)

the good, the bad and the ugly

true lies (funny dialogue)

lethal weapon 1-2-3 (great buddy cop series)

robocop 1 - 2 (brains and radioactive waste)

rambo 2 - 3 (great torture scenes)

[Len Cnut]

1 hour ago, DieselDaisy said:

I would look no farther than Hong Kong as Americans do not know how to do ''action'' - they have ''swelled heads'' to quote Master Xian. Try (in chronological order) Fist of Fury, 36th Chamber of Shaolin, Executioners of Shaolin, Five Deadly Venoms, Project-A, Police Story, Wheels on Meals, A Better Tomorrow, The Killer, the Once Upon A Time In China trilogy. 

If hes asking for action isnt Kung Fu like a bit too specific?  If you’re gonna head orient-wise for action you’re talking about a Better Tommorow and all that game.  

[DieselDaisy]

6 minutes ago, Len Cnut said:

If hes asking for action isnt Kung Fu like a bit too specific?  If you’re gonna head orient-wise for action you’re talking about a Better Tommorow and all that game.  

5 of the films I listed are not kung fu films including A Better Tomorrow. Even the three prime period Chan's present are not specifically kung fu genre films: Project A owes as much to Buster Keaton as anything else whilst Police Story is a cop film.

[jamillos]

The Last Boy Scout and some of Die Hards, with Bruce. 

[Gibson87]

I got a long ass list now haha. Oh btw, you guys need to check out a film called 'The Raid: Redemption'. It's an Indonesian film and the choreography is the best I've ever seen.  

 

[J Dog]

I'll try and add some not listed.

Rambo First Blood and Cobra

Running Man

Under Siege

Universal Soldier

Death Wish

Delta Force

Face Off

Of course most of those have 80s/90s era cheeziness, but whatever they're good!

[Len Cnut]

All the Ramboses are sick. 

[Gibson87]

1 hour ago, J Dog said:

Of course most of those have 80s/90s era cheeziness, but whatever they're good!

That's my favorite era for action movies. Lethal Weapon, Rush Hour, Die Hard, etc. It's cheesy but believable at the same time. 

[J Dog]

Assassins is really good overlooked Stallone one. And one of Antonio Banderas' best roles. Kind of a slow burn for a action film but it's worth a watch.

[Len Cnut]

Striking Distance is a lesser regard Bruce Willis one.  I quite like The Fan too with De Niro and Wesley Snipes, sort of actioney in its way though not pure action.

[Fitha_whiskey]

One of my all time favorites is Warriors. It’s a 70s movie about NYC street gangs. Kinda cheesy but awesome.

 

[Len Cnut]

2 minutes ago, Fitha_whiskey said:

One of my all time favorites is Warriors. It’s a 70s movie about NYC street gangs. Kinda cheesy but awesome.

 

Yknow i never seen that to this day despite multiple reccomendations.

[Fitha_whiskey]

1 minute ago, Len Cnut said:

Yknow i never seen that to this day despite multiple reccomendations.

It’s worth a watch just for the 70s vibe alone... 

[James Bond]

I’d consider my namesake to be more of the “spy thriller” or “adventure” genre than straight up action, but it wouldn’t hurt to throw a few Bond flicks into the mix.

Goldfinger is the universal standard, but Casino Royale and Skyfall fit the bill for action and a more modern take.

Otherwise, Die Hard is a necessity.

[J Dog]

5 hours ago, Len Cnut said:

Striking Distance is a lesser regard Bruce Willis one.  I quite like The Fan too with De Niro and Wesley Snipes, sort of actioney in its way though not pure action.

I like Striking Distance. It's kinda like Assassins I was talking about where it's kind of a slow burn for that era of action.

I liked most of Snipes old movies. Passenger 57. Money Train with Woody Harrelson is a good one. Demolition Man with Stallone. That one's extremely over the top but it's still ok, Snipes is an excellent crazy bad guy in that one.

48 Hours and Beverly Hills Cop ain't bad action movies for a guy who at the time was just considered a straight up comedian.

[AtariLegend]

For Hollywood action, Pre-Titanic James Cameron films.

Terminator 2: Judgment Day and Aliens especially. Aliens I think is the best (the original is a horror, the sequel, is full blown action). True Lies although not as strong as iconic is fun too.

On 5/10/2018 at 5:03 PM, Len Cnut said:

Yknow i never seen that to this day despite multiple reccomendations.

The Warriors is shown on TCM if you have SKY or Virgin literally every other week. You should see it. It's not one of the greatest films ever made, but it's one of those cult cheesy classics with terrible acting, but a great sound track and lines, that got terrible reviews by critics decades ago that people just love.

In the past few years, the only top tier action film I've seen is Mad Max: Fury Road. 

[Ace Nova]

I like most of the Terminator movies, Rambos, Lethal Weapons, 48 Hours, etc....but in terms of action movies, I tend to prefer the ones that make you think a little....The Italian Job, Ocean's 11 series, etc.  Then there's always the classics lke Braveheart & Gladiator...although I guess some wouldn't call those pure action flicks. 

 

Edit:  Forgot to mention Heat....definitely an all-time classic action movie. 

Edited May 17, 2018 by Kasanova King

[Dazey]

1 hour ago, Kasanova King said:

I like most of the Terminator movies, Rambos, Lethal Weapons, 48 Hours, etc....but in terms of action movies, I tend to prefer the ones that make you think a little....The Italian Job, Ocean's 11 series, etc.  Then there's always the classics lke Braveheart & Gladiator...although I guess some wouldn't call those pure action flicks. 

 

Edit:  Forgot to mention Heat....definitely an all-time classic action movie. 

To me none of those are action movies really. 

[Len Cnut]

3 hours ago, Dazey said:

To me none of those are action movies really. 

I see your point with all except Rambo, which is almost a pure action movie.  Heat, Italian Job, Oceans, these are heist movies, 48 Hours Lethal Weapon are cop movies or buddy cop movies, Terminator, well, I believe the technical term is Tech Noir but its basically Sci Fi I guess.  They overlap to a point with action movies.

Edited May 17, 2018 by Len Cnut