Greatest Action Films

100 Greatest Action Films of All-Time



The 100 Greatest Action Films of All-Time

Action Films include movies that have tremendous impact, continuous high energy, lots of physical stunts and activity, possibly extended chase scenes, races, rescues, battles, martial arts, mountains and mountaineering, destructive disasters (floods, explosions, natural disasters, fires, etc.), fights, escapes, non-stop motion, spectacular rhythm and pacing, and adventurous heroes - all designed for pure audience escapism with the action sequences at the core of the film. Action films and adventure films have tremendous cross-over potential as film genres, and road films often overlap with action films. (See the adventure film genre listings for examples of these action/adventure pictures.) Both types of films come in a variety of forms or genre-hybrids: sci-fi or space, thrillers, crime-drama, war, horror, westerns, etc. Oftentimes, action films are great box-office hits, but lack critical appeal because of their two-dimensional heroes or villains.

The main action centers around a male action hero or protagonist - portrayed by these most prominent actors: Bruce Lee, Steven Seagal, Sylvester Stallone, Harrison Ford, Bruce Willis, Chuck Norris, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Douglas Fairbanks Sr., Bruce Lee, Charles Bronson, Steve McQueen, Jean-Paul Belmondo, Chuck Norris, and Jean Claude Van Damme. Women in action-films usually play the roles of accomplices or romantic interests of the hero, although modern action films have featured strong female characters to broaden demographic appeal.

More About Action Films:

Greatest Action Films
Introduction to Action Films


Greatest Action Films
100 Greatest Action Films of All-Time

Filmsite's 100 Greatest Action Films
(chronological order, unranked)
The linked titles below refer to reviews (with screenshots) in the "Greatest Moments and Scenes" section of the site

The Most Dangerous Game (1932)

Seven Samurai (1954, Jp.) (aka Shichinin no Samurai)

The Guns of Navarone (1961)

Yojimbo (1961, Jp.) (aka The Bodyguard)
Dr. No (1962)
Dr. No (1962)
From Russia With Love (1963)
From Russia With Love (1963)

Goldfinger (1964, UK)

Bullitt (1968)

Airport (1970)

Billy Jack (1971)

Dirty Harry (1971)

Duel (1971)

The French Connection (1971)

Vanishing Point (1971)

Deliverance (1972)

The Getaway (1972)

Enter the Dragon (1973, US/HK)

Earthquake (1974)

The Towering Inferno (1974)

Rollerball (1975)

Smokey and the Bandit (1977)
The Spy Who Loved Me (1977)
The Spy Who Loved Me (1977)

Star Wars (1977) (aka Episode IV: A New Hope)

Superman (1978) (aka Superman The Movie)

The Cannonball Run (1981)

Mad Max 2 (1981, Austr.) (aka The Road Warrior (1982))

Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)

First Blood (1982) (aka Rambo: First Blood)

Beverly Hills Cop (1984)

The Terminator (1984)

Commando (1985)

Rambo: First Blood Part II (1985)

Aliens (1986)

Raw Deal (1986)

Top Gun (1986)

Predator (1987)

RoboCop (1987)

The Running Man (1987)

Die Hard (1988)

Batman (1989)

The Hunt for Red October (1990)

Total Recall (1990)

Backdraft (1991)

Point Break (1991)

Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)

Hard-Boiled (1992, HK) (aka Lat Sau San Taam)

Under Siege (1992)

Universal Soldier (1992)

Cliffhanger (1993)

Demolition Man (1993)

The Fugitive (1993)

In the Line of Fire (1993)

Clear and Present Danger (1994)

Leon (1994, Fr.) (aka The Professional)

The Specialist (1994)

Speed (1994)

True Lies (1994)

Bad Boys (1995)

Desperado (1995)

Outbreak (1995)

Eraser (1996)

Executive Decision (1996) (aka Critical Decision)

Independence Day (1996)

Mission: Impossible (1996)

The Rock (1996)

Twister (1996)

Air Force One (1997)

Con Air (1997)

Dante's Peak (1997)

Face/Off (1997)

Men in Black (1997)

Starship Troopers (1997)

Volcano (1997)

Armageddon (1998)

Deep Impact (1998)

Run Lola Run (1998, Germ.) (aka Lola Rennt)

The Matrix (1999)

Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000, US/HK/China/Taiwan) (aka Wo Hu Cang Long)

The Perfect Storm (2000)

X-Men (2000)

The Bourne Identity (2002)

Kill Bill: Vol. 1 (2003)

The Day After Tomorrow (2004)

Casino Royale (2006, UK)

United 93 (2006)

V for Vendetta (2006, UK/US/Germ.)

The Dark Knight (2008)

The Hurt Locker (2008)

Ip Man (2008, HK/China)

Rambo (2008) (aka John Rambo, or Rambo 4)

The A-Team (2010)

Inception (2010)

Fast Five (2011)
Skyfall (2012)
Skyfall (2012)

John Wick (2014)

Furious 7 (2015) (aka Fast & Furious 7)

Mad Max: Fury Road (2015)

San Andreas (2015)

Mission: Impossible - Fallout (2018)

Top Gun: Maverick (2022)


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