Ah, action films. Is there not any greater form of cinematic masterpiece? Well, yeah, there is. All I know is that if I’m looking to watch a movie at the video store, this is the types of films that I want to see.
Entertainment Weekly recently rattled off their choice of Top 25 films of all time. Some of them you’ve probably seen over and over. Some you haven’t but at least heard of. Some you’ve probably never heard of. I compiled the list here so you can submit you agreements or disagreements.
25. The Incredibles (2004)
I was surprised that this made the list, being that it is a computer-animated movie. However, there are certain scenes of action that revel James Bond. Especially the Omni-droid sequences at the beginning and end of the film.
24. Lethal Weapon (1987)
Mel Gibson broke out of his Mad Max persona by becoming a character who was even more mad. He and Danny Glover worked well together in this buddy cop movie that started many an imitator. This spawned three other sequels, none of them quite as memorable as this one.
23. Drunken Master II (1994)
Before Jackie Chan was a big star in America, this particular film, which goes by many titles, started his career on a track into international stardom. It was finally released in America in 2000 under the title The Legend of the Drunken Master.
22. Preadtor (1987)
Before he was governor, Arnold Schwarzenegger made a series of action films, some good, some bad. This is one of the better ones, and had the plot of a horror film. The only difference is when the bad guy kills the good guys off one by one, it happens to be an alien. An alien who can turn invisible in an effect that was quite interesting an often imitated when it comes to invisibility.
21. Spider-man 2 (2004)
Although its predecessor did not make this list, the sequel really kicked it up a notch as far as the action scenes with Spidey and his new foe, Doctor Octopus. There was one scene in particular that stopped audiences cold: when Peter Parker has to stop an L-train before it goes off a bridge.
20. Kill Bill Vol. 1 (2003)
Quinten Tarintino directed a film that became a classic because of one scene: a duel in a Japanese Lounge. Here, Uma Thuman slices up the crazy 88’s many masked ninjas, a Japanese school girl with a ball and chain, as well as Lucy Liu. All is done with impressive choreography as well as gallons of fake blood.
19. Goldfinger (1964)
Not the first James Bond film, but certainly one of the greatest. Almost all Bond conventions were created with over-the-top masterminds with odd henchmen like Oddjob, who had a guillotine in his hat. Spy gadgetry took a new level as his car had an ejector seat. The scene of Sean Connery being interrogated with a laser is pretty classic.
18. Adventures of Robin Hood (1938)
Critics everywhere panned Kevin Coster’s Robin Hood: Prince of Theives, because it could not compare with this classic Errol Flynn film. Flynn established Robin Hood as one of the earliest action heroes in this list’s oldest movie.
17. The Bourne Supremacy (2004)
Matt Damon returned as Jason Bourne, the amnesiac assassin who only wants to know the truth about himself, and for the bad guys to leave him alone. The scene contained several car-chase scenes that felt as real as they were exciting.
16. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000)
This film pushed the barriers of a traditional martial arts film as it mixed mid-air fighting with serious plot action. All characters in the film can defy gravity, yet live in a world where their freedom is sadly limited.
15. Enter the Dragon (1973)
Bruce Lee made a name for himself with this particular flick that started a martial arts craze that still resounds in Hollywood. Lee plays Lee in a film that just screams the 70’s.
14. Robocop (1987)
Paul Verohoven pushed the levels of cinematic violence with this dark futuristic cop film that had Peter Weller rise from the dead to become a “half-man, half-robot, all cop. Robocop not only fights crime, but inner corruption as well, not to mention a two-legged extremist robot who looks like a refugee from Star Wars.
13. The Wild Bunch (1969)
Sam Peckinpaugh directed this anti-western that had an awesome ensemble cast. I say anti-western because in the film, the wild wild west is getting less and less wild, and these outlaws go for one last score.
12. The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
I have no idea what train of success that George Lucas was on back when he did the first Star Wars trilogy, but he actually produced a better-than-original sequel to one of the greatest films of all time. Not only did this film take the Jedi journey of Luke Skywalker to the next level, but pushed the limit for special effects action scenes. The Snow walker action sequence, along with the Millenium Falcon chase sequence, finishing off with the Luke vs. Darth plus family revelation made this film pass the test of time.
11. Speed (1994)
Speed has a very simple premise: what would happen if a bus had a bomb that was activated after it goes 55 miles per hour, then would detonate once it went under that? The answer is Speed, a film that spends all of it at this speed. The film not only is good after the bus sequence, but had even better action scenes up to the climax where Dennis Hopper loses his head. This film established Keanu Reeves as the next action hero, and Sandra Bullock as one of the highest paid “girl next door” actresses.
10. Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)
There are films that are better than the originals, then there are sequels that are quantum leaps over the originals. T2 is one such film that introduced us to morphing, something that is a special effects staple. Not only that, but the stunts were no stinting, like when a motorcycle is taken onto an elevator in order to crash through a glass wall and jump onto a helicopter. James Cameron not only used all of his imagination to create this, but made the characters completely human, including a robot who would be governor.
9. Hard Boiled (1992)
Ever since action heroes used two guns instead of one, it is known as John Woo style. It has been imitated in many an action film since the beginning with this film. It made name for not only Woo, but Chow Yun Fat.
8. Saving Private Ryan (1998)
Although I would call this more of a drama, than an action film, it certainly has the most astounding scenes of war from any film of any time. From the opening scene at D-Day to the defense of a bridge in France, this is not gratuitous violence by any means. The action feels real, and shows viewers that war really is hell.
7. Gladiator (2000)
Ever since Maximus made his debut, Russel Crowe has known nothing but Oscar gold. Ridley Scott used special effects and action to give us an idea what Ancient Rome and the terrifying world of gladiator arenas were like. “Are we not entertained?” The answer is, “yes”.
6. Seven Samurai (1954)
Who could forget this sword-swinging flick about a group of samurai who take on bandits invading a small town? Not only was it definitely inspiration for The Magnificent Seven, but the A-Team, and other underdog action movies and TV shows to come.
5. The Matrix (1999)
Nothing has changed the world of action and special effects in the new century than this movie. The Wachowski brothers experiment with the mix of slowed-action along with bullet time created a world that viewers everywhere knew as the The Matrix. It has been imitated and satirized in many movies to follow.
4. The Road Warrior (1982)
Mad Max made his second appearance in this post-apocalyptic adventure where Max must save a town and the one thing it prizes most: its oil. The ending car chase scene is nothing short of exciting, and incredibly fun in the process.
3. Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)
The adventure genre was reborn when Indiana Jones hit the screen. This scene with its non-stop opening of the rolling rock, to angry natives with spears, to everything else is simply a classic. Good luck topping this with Indiana Jones 4.
2. Aliens (1986)
James Cameron brought back the chest-bursting critters in something that was amazing as it was terrifying. Sirgourney Weaver is one of the most empowered females in history as she takes a gun/flame thrower/missile launcher then goes into the mouth of hell itself just to save a little girl.
1. Die Hard (1988)
The ordinary man who faces amazing adversity. A 40-story tower. Lots and lots of explosions and shooting. The action film genre was reborn with a bang as Bruce Willis showed us how to deal with terrorists.
Well, there you have it. The top 25. Feel free to submit your comments, because I know there are a few I would have taken out, and would have added in their place.
