Top 25 Action Movies of All Time

JoMama

JoMama

Bench
Entertainment Weekly's Web site ranked these as the all-time greatest action movies. IMHO it's pretty hard to argue about the first 10, they're all great - "Hard Boiled" would be my pick for No. 1. "Speed" is weak, so is "Robocop" and the "Incredibles" (no way!). Wadda ya think?



  • Die Hard
  • Aliens
  • Raiders of the Lost Ark
  • The Road Warrior
  • The Matrix
  • The Seven Samurai
  • Gladiator
  • Saving Private Ryan
  • Hard Boiled
  • Terminator 2: Judgment Day
  • Speed
  • The Empire Strikes Back
  • The Wild Bunch
  • Robocop
  • Enter The Dragon
  • Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
  • The Bourne Supremacy
  • The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938)
  • Goldfinger
  • Kill Bill: Vol. 1
  • Spider Man-2
  • Predator
  • Drunken Master II
  • Lethal Weapon
  • The Incredibles
 
Are they in order or, like the 50 greatest players, just all part of the Top 25?
 
I don't think I like this list but I can't quite put my finger on it... but I think it has to do with the fact that some of these flicks are definitely best of breed but not necessarily the most action packed.

And I strongly object to The Incredibles being anywhere near this list.
 
I can only assume that these are listed 1-25, and not the other way around.

Think the biggest problem is that the list is very confused as to what type/sub-genre of action flick it's considering -- Die Hard/Speed should be on one list, Enter The Dragon/Drunken Master on another and The Bourne Supremacy on a third. As it is, the list is a little too... jumbly for my taste.
 
Having a hard time figuring out what is an "'action" movie from that list. sci-fi, near comedies, westerns...?,

Figure just of the list I will go for these:
Die Hard
Aliens
Raiders of the Lost Ark
The Road Warrior
The Matrix
The Seven Samurai
Gladiator
Saving Private Ryan
Terminator 2: Judgment Day
Speed
The Empire Strikes Back
Robocop
Enter The Dragon
The Bourne Supremacy
Spider Man-2
Predator
Lethal Weapon

Object to these as not worthy or not of the right genre (although it seems like some Bond should go in there somewhere):
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
Goldfinger
Kill Bill: Vol. 1

And either have not seen or do not clearly recall these:
Hard Boiled
The Wild Bunch
Drunken Master II
The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938)
The Incredibles

To fill in some of those gaps what about (and again, the definition is unclear but...):
Last of the Mohiccans
The Fugitive
Batman Begins
The Professional (Leon)
Braveheart
The Outlaw Josey Wales
Heat
The Hunt For Red October
The Untouchables (genre?)
 
Bricklayer said:
To fill in some of those gaps what about (and again, the definition is unclear but...):
Last of the Mohiccans
The Fugitive
Batman Begins
The Professional (Leon)
Braveheart
The Outlaw Josey Wales
Heat
The Hunt For Red October
The Untouchables (genre?)
Click to expand...

Gotta say, the omission of Heat and The Professional on the original list is VERY troubling to me.
 
Bricklayer said:
And either have not seen or do not clearly recall these:
Hard Boiled
The Wild Bunch
Drunken Master II
The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938)
The Incredibles
Click to expand...
Since you have not seen - recap:
Hard Boiled is Hong Kong Chow Yun-Fat and John Woo and definitely belongs right at the top of the list. This movie has been a huge influence on the style of action films of the last 2 decades. If John Woo spent his entire career in the United States it would be hard not to put 3 or more of his films on the list.

Wild Bunch is a Western but almost certainly belongs on this list - for the time it was considered over the top for its level of violence and it also is credited with defining the way that slow-mo has been used in action films along with various other editing techniques which have become staples in action films that follow.

Drunken Master II is Kung-Fu.
The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938) is Errol Flynn and generally considered the best Robin Hood flick ever.
Both of these are debatable defining how you classify the genres. My personal opinion is no since I agree with the "Everything blows up" mentality.

Incredibles - Pixar meets the Fantastic Four meets Get Smart. No place on this list imho. I guess there is no strict stipulation that "action" implies "live action" but for me it does. And if you want to open the list to animated films there are ones that better fit the bill. You really aren't familiar with that one Brick?
 
slugking50 said:
Several remakes are planned according to IMDB. Wild Bunch and Seven Samurai for instance.
Click to expand...
Sheesh, why do they insist on remaking masterpieces? Seven Samurai doesn't even need another adaptation in an alternate genre.
 
The Bourne movies are my all-time favorites, and I can't wait for The Bourne Ultimatium in August!

And, one vote for Superman II.
 
Fresno King said:
The Bourne movies are my all-time favorites, and I can't wait for The Bourne Ultimatium in August!

And, one vote for Superman II.
Click to expand...

I'm with you on the Bourne movies - grrrrrrrreat! Thumbs down on Superman I though XXVIII or so. Not a big man of steel fan.

BTW - "Drunken Master II" is also one of the funniest "action" movies ever, too!
 
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