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.
Here, then, are IGN’s 25 best action movies of all time:
25. Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014)
Where to Watch: Disney+
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.
24. RRR (2022)
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.
23. John Wick: Chapter 4 (2023)
It’s hard to believe that the John Wick 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.
22. Fast Five (2011)
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.
21. Casino Royale (2006)
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.
20. Ip Man (2008)
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.
19. Independence Day (1996)
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).
18. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000)
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.
17. The Raid: Redemption (2011)
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.
16. The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002)
Where to Watch: Max
Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings trilogy contained plenty of armies clashing on the battlefield, but it was the war for Helm’s Deep, which brought The Two Towers to its brutal close, that stands out in the arena of action cinema. The Two Towers split the fellowship into three storylines, making for a much more fragmented story compared to the first movie. But Aragorn and King Theoden’s last-ditch stand at Helm’s Deep, mixed with the Ents’ terrific takedown of Saruman’s forces, gave us the saga’s most thrilling and satisfying spectacle. The dark forces would have prevailed here if not for the fierce determination of humans, elves, hobbits, and trees.
15. True Lies (1994)
Where to Watch: Apple TV+, Paramount+, Peacock
Arnold Schwarzenegger’s action star had begun to fade slightly until James Cameron’s action/comedy True Lies reinvigorated it. The future Governator portrays a secret agent whose own wife does not realize the kind of life her husband leads. Featuring excellent comic turns by Tom Arnold, Bill Paxton and Jamie Lee Curtis, True Lies is a great mix of gags and unbelievable action. The horseback chase through the city and amazing bridge explosion are some of the best moments in a movie filled with thrills.
14. Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
Where to Watch: Disney+
The Empire Strikes Back is still considered by many Star Wars fans to be the best film of the bunch, meaning O.G. trilogy, prequel trilogy, sequel trilogy, and spinoffs. A big reason for that is the stunning actions scenes, from the assault on Hoth by Imperial AT-ATs, to the Millennium Falcon’s escape through the asteroid field, to the first lightsaber showdown between Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader. In many ways, Empire, in director Irvin Kershner’s hands, felt light years ahead of the first movie in terms of scope and set pieces, ramping up the thrills and expanding the ideas of what sci-fi could be.
13. Hard Boiled (1992)
Chow Yun-fat plays Inspector “Tequila” Yuen, who turns gunplay into a form of ballet with everyday objects exploding in a hail of bullets as he single-handedly takes down a criminal empire. While it may seem old hat to have a hero (or villain) firing away with two guns or coolly sliding down a banister to blow someone away, in 1992 John Woo was literally writing that stylistic playbook. There are in fact too many cool sequences to even mention here, although three set-pieces (the opening teahouse shootout, the warehouse showdown and the epic finale at the hospital) will undoubtedly go down in history as some of the greatest gunfight choreography ever executed onscreen. Many of the film’s trademark cues may strain plausibility to the near breaking point, but Hard Boiled is exhilarating to watch as an exercise in style that also happens to possess substance.
12. Speed (1994)
Where to Watch: Prime Video, Hulu, Peacock
Director Jan De Bont gifted us with one of the most ridiculously fun flicks of the ’90s, Speed. Boiling action moviemaking down to its most febrile essence, Speed is a thrill ride so unrelenting that audiences are still catching their breath 30 years after its release. 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. Even when the bus is blown to hell, the explosions still keep coming right until the very end. Keanu Reeves pairs up with Sandra Bullock, in one of her big breakout roles, for a series of unforgettable set-pieces – a dangling elevator, a runaway bus, a breakneck battle atop a subway car – that rank among history’s most hair-raising sequences.
11. The Rock (1996)
Where to Watch: Fubo
Michael Bay’s second theatrical film, and also second collaboration with Jerry Bruckheimer, is about as close to perfect as one of these military action movies can get. Starring Nicolas Cage (in his first foray into muscular action films) and Sean Connery (in a role that some have head-canoned into James Bond post-Diamonds Are Forever), the film just exudes pure testosterone. Need proof? Sean Connery rampages through the streets of San Francisco in a Hummer. It is glorious. This is one of Bay’s best outings.
10. Mission: Impossible – Fallout (2018)
Where to Watch: Paramount+
Tom Cruise’s Mission: Impossible series — which is creeping up on 30 years — has only gotten bigger and bolder with each installment, upping the danger in both story and stunt work as Cruise himself now participates fully in the franchise’s ferocious feats of daring. Once he hung onto a plane as it took off in Rogue Nation there’s been no going back, and Fallout features Cruise performing a full HALO jump at 25,000 feet. Yup, that’s him. Doing the thing. And not only that but between the bathroom brawl alongside co-star Henry Cavill and the hair-raising helicopter chase at the end, Fallout contains the best action of the series (so far). Which is saying a hell of a lot considering the Mission competition.
9. RoboCop (1987)
Where to Watch: The Roku Channel, Hoopla
“I’d buy that for a dollar!”
Some of Paul Verhoeven’s best satirically violent work, this gritty, hard-edged tale of police corruption and criminal brutality stands as one of the most nasty mainstream films ever released. The story follows a fallen cop who is converted into a cyborg enforcer known as “Robocop.” Brilliantly and coldly portrayed by the underrated Peter Weller, Robocop is an automated killing force in the mold of The Terminator, stumbling onto stoic but funny one-liners. Despite being violent, the film’s tone is sardonic and humorous, and paints a vision of a bleak future overrun by the dark forces of the criminal underworld – and corporate America.
8. Predator (1987)
Where to Watch: Max
The 1980s were full of bigger and louder everything. The action movies produced from this era are testosterone-fueled, explosion-packed odes to excess, but Predator for some reason stands out from the pack. Oh, so many gems here. Arm-wrestling handshakes! Predator’s plasma canon vs. Bill Duke’s skull! Arnold vs. pincer-mouthed Predator! The movie also taught us the first and best rule for how to survive jungle-based combat with an intergalactic murder dealer: When in doubt, camo yourself with mud, montage the hell out of making your own weapons, and let out a macho-man roar when done to signal that it’s fightin’ time. Smart, tight, and timeless.
7. Kill Bill: Vol. 1 (2003)
Where to Watch: Tubi
The premise is simple: Following an assassination attempt at her wedding, The Bride (Uma Thurman) awakens five years later to exact revenge on her enemies. The execution, meanwhile, is impossibly complex: Ultimately requiring two films to tell her story, the Bride travels from one exotic locale to another wreaking havoc and getting, as she puts it, “bloody satisfaction.” In director Quentin Tarantino’s film-literate hands, he crafts a visceral bloodbath that allows the audience to feel every punch, recoil at every kick, and thrill nervously at every amputated limb. The action scenes, especially the epic battle between The Bride and the Crazy 88, are mind-blowing.
6. The Matrix (1999)
Where to Watch: Max
“What’s he doing?”
“He’s beginning to believe!”
Neo decides to square up to humanity’s oppressors, opting to duel the dastardly Agent Smith rather than run. The two mega-powered avatars locking horns in “bullet time” created an instant pop culture touching point, as kung fu fetishists the Wachowskis introduced a whole new generation to the old school with the help of legendary wire-work choreographer Yuen Woo-Ping and a revolutionary camera system. The Matrix is brimming with all sorts of philosophical questions. What is reality? Is the world around us real or an illusion? Whose kung fu is strongest? The film strove to be more intelligent and thoughtful than the average action movie, yet it was never afraid to put aside the musing for some well-choreographed butt-kicking. The Matrix’s slow-motion combat ballet inspired legions of imitators, but none have lived up to the original, not even the three Matrix sequels.
5. Mad Max: Fury Road (2015)
Where to Watch: AMC+ (via Prime Video)
Taking cues from the masterful, practical demolition car stunts he brought to the screen in The Road Warrior (which was very close to making this list), director George Miller brought Mad Max into the 21st century with Fury Road: a magnificent, eye-popping two-hour chase that uses computer effects to enhance the very real car stunts, delivering a bold new world of cinematic action. Over the course of four movies, the Max character has found himself more and more becoming the ping-pong’d pawn in others’ redemption stories and here, in Fury Road, Tom Hardy’s take on the character lends his particular blend of survival madness to Charlize Theron’s instantly-iconic Furiosa and the abused women she helps escape dystopian tyranny.
4. Aliens (1986)
Where to Watch: Starz
Stepping into a film series that didn’t yet know it was a franchise, James Cameron revived the terror of Ridley Scott’s 1979 classic Alien seven years later and transformed a contained thriller into an expansive, take-no-prisoners pulse-pounder. Sigourney Weaver netted an Oscar nom reprising her role of Ellen Ripley and holds together the film’s ensemble cast, which includes Michael Biehn, Bill Paxton, Paul Reiser and Lance Henriksen. Cameron ratchets up both the suspense and the action, elevating a scuffle between humans and their seemingly indestructible adversaries into an all-out war, and climaxes the film with a battle so epic that no sequel could satisfy its ambitious promise. As Paxton says in the film, “Game over, man!” There won’t be an Alien movie as scary – or exciting – as this one made ever again. We think. Honestly, we hope we’re wrong, Fede Alvarez.
3. Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)
Where to Watch: Paramount+
Steven Spielberg partnered with George Lucas to create what would eventually become one of his most enduring films and career franchises: the Indiana Jones saga, launched in 1981 with this unforgettable action classic. Inspired by ’30s movie serials and James Bond flicks, this adventure opens with one of cinema’s most unforgettable sequences – Indy’s nimble victory over a booby-trapped temple – and never stops until the bad guys have (literally) melted away and the hero gets the girl. Some fans may prefer the spooky ritual human sacrifice of Temple of Doom or the rollicking father-and-son japes of The Last Crusade but, for us, the original gets the nod here. A triumph of writing, directing, and acting, Raiders remains the cinematic thrill ride by which all others are judged, and confirms Spielberg’s status as the greatest of all living mainstream directors.
2. Die Hard (1988)
Where to Watch: Starz
This 1988 classic redefined both the action movie and the action star, creating the “terrorists take over a [blank] and a lone hero must go up against them” formula. Bruce Willis made a name for himself on the action hero scene with this first and best entry in the Die Hard franchise. From start to finish, Willis’ John McClane gave us a different “everyman” take (compared to indestructable ’80s musclemen), killing his way to the top of Nakatomi Plaza without even the benefit of shoes. Alan Rickman’s Hans Gruber is the action movie villain every other action movie wish they had, a character just as memorable as the hero he matched wits with. Masterfully directed by John McTiernan, Die Hard is the perfect action movie, with great set-pieces, humor, character development, a brilliant and nasty bad guy, and a plot that actually makes you care about the characters. Yippee-ki-yay indeed!
1. Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)
James Cameron’s 1991 sequel to the 1984 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-1000, played by Robert Patrick). From Arnold’s entrance to the breakout of Sarah Connor (Linda Hamilton) from the hospital to the shoot-out at the lab and the Terminators’ battle at the steel foundry, the action doesn’t let up and Schwarzenegger never looked cooler. T2 is host to some truly epic action and chase sequences, and even after three decades, the film puts most action movies to shame. But where T2 truly earns its enduring status is in its heart and thoughtful message. T2 was all about the notion that the future is not set in stone, and that people can rewrite their destinies if they so choose. Even a cold machine can learn what it means to love and feel emotion!
What are your favorite action movies? What explodes to the top of your list? Let’s discuss in the comments!
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