The Genre's Best - Action


  1. paultheitie
  2. Paul

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.

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1
Lat sau san taam (Hard-Boiled) 1992,  R)
Lat sau san taam (Hard-Boiled)
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
2
The Killer (Dip huet seung hung) 1989,  R)
The Killer (Dip huet seung hung)
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
3
Die Hard 1988,  R)
Die Hard
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
4
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (Wo hu cang long) 2003,  PG-13)
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (Wo hu cang long)
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
5
Hero 2002,  PG-13)
Hero
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
6
Goldfinger 1964,  PG)
Goldfinger
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
7
A Better Tomorrow 2010,  R)
8
House of Flying Daggers (Shi mian mai fu) 2004,  PG-13)
9
From Russia With Love 1963,  PG)
From Russia With Love
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
10
Enter the Dragon 1973,  R)
Enter the Dragon
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
11
Police Story (Ging chaat goo si) (Police Force) 1985,  PG-13)
12
Jing wu men (Fist of Fury) (The Chinese Connection) 1972,  R)
13
Casino Royale 2006,  PG-13)
Casino Royale
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
14
Hung Hsi-Kuan (Executioners of Shaolin) 1977,  R)
15
36th Chamber of Shaolin (Shao Lin san shi liu fang) 1978,  R)
16
Jing wu ying xiong (Fist of Legend) 1994,  R)
17
Five Deadly Venoms 1978,  R)
18
Drunken Master (Jui kuen) 1978,  PG-13)
19
The Sword of Doom 1967,  Unrated)
The Sword of Doom
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
20
Face/Off 1997,  R)
Face/Off
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
21
Sholay (Embers) (Flames) (Flames of the Sun) 1975,  PG)
22
Bullet in the Head (Die xue jie tou) 1990,  R)
23
The Bourne Ultimatum 2007,  PG-13)
The Bourne Ultimatum
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
24
Heroes of the East 1979,  Unrated)
25
A Better Tomorrow II 1988,  Unrated)
26
Ong-Bak (Ong Bak: Muay Thai Warrior) 2005,  PG-13)
Ong-Bak (Ong Bak: Muay Thai Warrior)
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
27
One Armed Swordsmen 1967,  Unrated)
28
Once Upon a Time in China 1991,  R)
29
Tang shan da xiong (Fists of Fury) (The Big Boss) 1971,  R)
30
First Blood (Rambo: First Blood) 1982,  R)

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