From dodging a hail of bullets, to mastering martial arts, action films are the most popular with audiences around the world. Most are unoriginal, but there are many notable exceptions, with immortal characters like Tequila, John McClane and James Bond, and using some of the greatest stunts and sequences put to film, in order to create a powerful work. Without further ado, here are the 30 best and most influential films of this genre.
a simply ungodly action film that takes all gunfights to epic heights, each and every setpiece is done to perfection with certain cinematic nuances to maintain flow, woo is a graceful poet, all stars kick major ass
quite easily the greatest action film in terms of matching style with substance, woo reaches the apex of his craft and challenges assumptions on how to compose highly kinetic films, a blood-soaked tragedy for the ages
quite possibly the best domestic action film to be made ever, an insane yet self-reflexive premise gives the film a rare introspective view inside all of the chaos, willis' signature role has defining film presence that is unmatched
among the great films of mainland china, this proves that not all wu xia films are corny, rather lee provides a rich and intuitive story that focuses on its detailed characters, a superb martial arts feature
a deceptively simple story and extraordinary visual flourishes make for a unique take on a classic narrative style, all actors are worthy of praise, as a take on an ancient chinese folk legend, it is unparalleled in imagination
the iconic bond film and easily hails as the best of them all, great villains gadgets and gorgeous women, this has everything for a great bond and an outstanding action film, connery has his best acting role ever
one of the best bonds to date, connery makes this film his own and shows us why he is the best of all the 007's, the cold war has never before been brought to such heights, a classic in every respect
the quintessential martial arts film for all time, lee is an idol and a screen treasure that should not be missed, unbelievable choreography and stunts, an awesome tribute to the legend that will never die
although not a perfected reboot of the franchise, it has definitely been revived to most of its glory, craig does very well in his first of several films as bond, highly entertaining and really refreshing to watch
swift in action yet surprising in the amount of historical intrigue present in the plot, an abrupt ending is the film's major weak point yet nakadai's performance makes the rest of it entirely worthwhile, thoroughly dramatic
totally underrated as a visual work, woo's masterful skill is on display in his finest overseas film to date, the plot is a little more heavy-handed than his typical style but all technical features remain largely unmatched
a fitting finish to one of the better action series to be made in recent memory, the thrills never seem to end due in part to a solid screenplay and a unique editing style, damon owns the screen, a well-made trilogy in every respect
this is the kind of action that all action films should have, not since bruce lee has this film been so magnificently crafted and made, jaa lives up to the hype, acting aside, its all about the technical work