Over the years, action movies have diversified themselves. While big explosions and chase sequences remained a guaranteed thing in the 90s and the 80s, the 21st century saw the implementation of CGI based climax scenes. As time went by, the choreography and the editing started to get enhanced which can be easily seen in movies like The Raid, John Wick, The Bourne Quadrilogy and many more. There is a lot of time invested to make every scene pitch perfect and have the desired output. While there were actors who were typecast as an action hero, nowadays an actor goes through vigorous training program to look the part than rather be called one. So today we discuss and rank the greatest action movies of all time. The movies included are selected exclusively by writers of OutLoud! Culture. So, there will surely be good movies which are going to be missed. Jason Statham fans, be ready to bear some pain if you’re going to read ahead.
10. GLADIATOR
Starring Russell Crowe in the lead role, Gladiator (made on a $100 million budget) is undoubtedly one of the finest films of 2000, and can also be termed as a revenge film.The movie is partially based on the events of the Roman Empire during the 2nd century A.D. This historical drama paved the way for huge battle scenes to be filmed later on. The movie went on to win several accolades at the prestigious Academy Awards. Though most of the scenes required CGI to show ancient Rome and part of it, the one on one gladiator tournament fights remains the highlight of the movie. And who could forget The Battle of Germania scene? The duels which show the traditional fight scenes still remain the favourite. Most critics called it the performance of a lifetime for Crowe, and the movie also promoted Ridley Scott as a bankable director in Hollywood. Also starring Joaquin Phoenix, the movie provides an insight into the political intrigue of ancient Rome. The success of Gladiator also helped to revive the historical genre with movies like Troy, and 300. Not only theatrically, but the movie was a hit among the DVD sales. Many may argue that 300 stands up as a better film but you already know how we decided the ranking.
9. MISSION IMPOSSIBLE: GHOST PROTOCOL
The fourth part of Tom Cruise‘s Mission Impossible series helped to revive the franchise in a big way. The death-defying stunts performed by Tom himself are enough to watch the movie. Also starring Jeremy Renner, Simon Pegg, and Paula Patton, the movie focuses itself on IMF’s next impossible task to stop a nuclear war between Russia and U.S.A. Like any other MI installment, the movie holds no great deal of plot but the screenplay, MichaelNyqvist‘s performance as the villain and a nail-biting climax merge together to form an exciting ride for the viewers. Be it climbing the tallest building in the world, a man on man fight in a hotel room, running through the roads of Abu Dhabi or escaping a prison. Tom excels in every frame of the movie. The movie also holds the record for the stunt by performed by an actor at the most height. Filmed in various parts of the world, it uses the locations very adequately and provides the viewers with a satisfying experience. Director Brad Bird did not go for scenes just for the sake of it but always gave us a motive behind that particular scene. Also, Simon Pegg providing comic relief is a delight for most of the time.
8. SKYFALL
Starring Daniel Craig as the sixth James Bond, Skyfall is a spy action film from the eminent Bond franchise. The movie starts as a depressing one but picks up to become very personal for the protagonist until the climax. The background score compliments every scene of the movie perfectly. Javier Bardem plays the antagonist Silva who’s some kind of computer genius and he crafts a complete personality for the role. The movie is filmed at exotic locations and the stunts very neatly choreographed. It was this movie which made me clear about Craig’s portrayal of Bond. For me, it is also arguably the best Bond movie yet. The underplayed but spot-on humour with an opulent style of film-making makes it a completely riveting watch. The movie also marks Judie Dench‘s last performance as M who is later replaced by Ralph Fiennes. And what a treat to the eyes that Aston Martin is!
7. LETHAL WEAPON
Let’s say you decide to make a buddy cop action film. You require certain inspiration for that. Where do you find it? Well, LethalWeapon is your guru in that case. Starring Mel Gibson and Danny Glover can be considered first of it’s kind and also the very best. The success of the movie marked three sequels and an average TV reboot. If you’re a cheesy 90’s fan then this one is for you. Heavy explosions behind the actors, tension between the leads which forms for the humour and a baddie to catch. This movie is nothing short of every check in the textbook. Also, Mel Gibson performing martial arts is rare but fun to watch. The trick here was to play on the edge of absurdity and seriousness and it worked big time. You can see the numerous movies which were influenced by it like Tango and Cash, Hot Fuzz and also the Rush Hour series.
6. THE DARK KNIGHT
Not just the greatest comic book movie of all time but one of the greatest action movies too. Directed by the man himself, Christopher Nolan, the movie plays like a direct sequel to Batman Begins. What raises the bar here is that you know they have just destroyed a trailer, created a Batmobile, and have also made a bike for him. The action is realistic and very hard hitting. Though certain fight scenes look a bit choppy due to the editing, the overall result is stupendous. Heath Ledger‘s performance as the Joker earned him an Academy Award. Most of the characters from the film are still remembered due to the performances of the respective actors. It also boasts an ensemble cast consisting of Michael Caine, Morgan Freeman, Gary Oldman, Aaron Eckhart, and few others. The writing of the movie is its core strength which makes it unforgettable. Also, a special mention to Gary Oldman who can be easily seen to have invested a lot in Gordon’s character and he does stand out by a mile.
5. BAD BOYS
Starring Will Smith and Martin Lawrence, this buddy cop action flick focuses on a particular sect of society and the drug mafia. This can be called Lawrence’s most remembered role. Both the original and the sequel have a somewhat similar plot which sees the leads go after a drug dealer and mess it up for themselves before the finale. The chemistry of the leads and the humour provided by Lawrence are the key ingredients of the dish. Director Michael Bay also talked about how a number of scenes were improvised by the cast because they felt the movie looked soulless. Though most of the set pieces involve things getting blown up (that’s where Michael Bay comes in), you don’t get bored easily. The movie also broke the buddy cop generic plot cliché in many cases to, showing us that not every movie of the genre is Lethal Weapon. Though the plot may be the weak link of the movie, the leads do not provide you a chance to leave it.
4. MISSION IMPOSSIBLE: FALLOUT
Another installment of the Mission Impossible franchise which release in August earlier this year stands out as the best one in the franchise. After watching the promos you get the idea of almost the complete story but the gripping set pieces, stunts and Cruise’s sheer dedication to making every scene realistic and practical stands out. The mission does take a personal turn until the very end. Also, director Christopher McQuarrie has invested more on the impact of the scene rather than shooting it at locations which don’t make any sense. The bathroom fight scene which spans for around 5 minutes took 3 weeks to be shot and you can very much see every blow landing on the actor’s face. They cast Henry Cavill as a CIA agent who turns out to be the routine bad guy. Even though Cavill offers nothing new to the role, he carries the menace a movie like this requires. Most of the stunts consist of long takes and fast-fight scenes, smoothly edited. Throughout the movie, my heart kept pacing up and down. Even the finish to the end is nail-biting. Lorne Balfe‘s musical score turns up your excitement even more.
3. DIE HARD
Yes, It is surely a Christmas movie. Released in 1988 Die Hard stars Bruce Willis in a role which earned him the spot of a prominent action hero for the next years. Though the quality of the sequels never really matched what the first part offered. The movie revolves around detective John McClane who is about to celebrate Christmas with his family but learns about a hostage situation in an office building. As the movie proceeds, it turns out that his wife is one of the hostages. This is one of the finest holiday classics to watch and the taut action thrills are something that has gone missing in today’s films. The direction of the movie is very focused as you feel the tension of each scene and fear the worse for the protagonist. It is very hard for an action movie to develop a character fast but this one succeeds in that department.
2. MAD MAX: FURY ROAD
From acclaimed director George Miller, Fury Road was the last sequel in the Mad Max movies which starred Mel Gibson in the earlier parts. This post-apocalyptic action thriller spends most of its time in the dirt. Do not think of it as a road trip movie, though a majority of the cast is moving throughout it. Tom Hardy and Charlize Theron support the movie with outstanding performances. The technical aspects of the movie really stand out and as a result, the movie earned 10 academy award nominations. The narrative heft is unique and the cinematography a piece of art. With vigorously depressing visuals also, there is a sense of life in the movie. The stunt team needs to be praised for performing special stunts. Special, because most of the set pieces take place on moving vehicles so you are not sure where you are going to land next. Each character having unique traits, a curiosity-arousing screenplay, and a sound design which is ear-splittingly cacophonous, this is one of the greatest motion pictures to be ever made.
1. TERMINATOR 2: JUDGEMENT DAY
Directed by visionary James Cameron, the movie stars Arnold Schwarzenegger as a terminator (futuristic robot) sent to protect John Connor (Edward Furlong) from a shape-shifting Terminator. Arnold emerged as the biggest action star of the decade with this movie and became very bankable. After Star Wars, the movie influenced pop culture in a big way and gave the industry a couple of famous quotes. The movie went on the win big at the Academy Awards. From the first frame of the movie, Arnold completely owns the character. Every scene of the movie connects to the next one like a chain. The hyperbolic plot may look small but the screenplay shows that there is a lot to gather for the audiences. The special effects and CGI were great considering the 80s decade. It was one of those movies which embedded the idea of computer-based effects in the industry for other film projects in the coming years. The eye-popping visuals and the concept laid down by Cameron’s direction make it the number one movie in our list.
