Best Action Movies Hollywood

Who doesn't like action-packed movies, loaded with ammo, and pumped up with a face like Arnold Schwarzenegger or Sylvester Stallone on a bad day? Well though the croons movies are generally linked with what guys like, let's leave that stereotypical categorization of action movies. I mean, no one can always love to watch movies with romance, animation, or comedy forever; everybody loves change and with the recent developments of CGI and VFX technologies, who could resist an action-packed movie.

Today there is a variety of movies that have marvelous action sequences, whether it's a hero-centric or a superhero movies like that of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Watching such movies is always a treat to the eyes and full of adrenaline rush that makes our heart pump faster as to what's going to happen next? Today we are going to list some of the best action movies in cinematic history, which include not only some recent blockbusters but also some classic old ones too. So let's see the best action movies Hollywood of all time

1. Aliens (1986)

So our list starts with a 1986 science fiction action movie directed and written by one and only James Cameron, who is famous for making movies extravagant that you just enjoy the whole duration of the movie with thrill. This movie was the sequel to the sci-fi horror movie Alien 1979. The story of the movie is set in the far future, where the protagonist of the movie is the sole survivor after an alien attacked her spaceship. She tries to contact others and alert them about the danger lurking in the space. She encounters the Queen of the Aliens and their cocoon nest and offspring and has to fight them to save her own kid and herself from vicious many toothed foes.

The movie perfectly depicts the combination of mom and ammunition and the female strength with some kick-ass action sequences. It was one of the highest-grossing movies worldwide in 1986. It has got numerous awards and nominations, including Academy Awards, Golden Globe, 40^th British Academy Film Awards, etc. In the 1987 Academy Awards, the movie won two awards for Best Visual Effects and Best Sound Effects Editing.

Director - James Cameron

Starring - Sigourney Weaver, Carrie Henn, Michael Biehn

IMDb Rating - 8.4/10

Rotten Tomatoes- 97%

2. Seven Samurai (1954)

This black and white movie was set in war-torn Japan in the 16^th century. The story revolves around the desperate farmers of a village who hire seven masterless samurai to fight bandits who will return to steal and harass the people of the village after harvest. It is among the most expensive movies made in Japan. It is an all-time classic action movie by Akira Kurosawa, who is held in high regard. He has picturized the condition of the vulnerable farmers so realistically that you can actually feel their fear and vulnerability along with the desperation of the masterless samurais to be hired. In a 2018 poll by BBC of 209 critics in 43 countries, Seven Samurai was voted the Greatest Foreign Language Film of All Time. In 2021 it was ranked 7 in the list of The 100 Best Movies Of All Time by Time. This movie has won many awards and was nominated in many reputed award shows.

Director- Akira Kurosawa

Starring - Toshiro Mifune, Takashi Shimura, Seji Miyaguchi

IMDb Rating - 8.6/10

Rotten Tomatoes- 100%

3. The Wild Bunch (1969)

It is an American revisionist western film of 1969. Its story is based in the state of Texas that focuses on a gang of outlaws who are aging but want one final score before retirement from the world of crimes, and the story follows the course. This movie was one of the most controversial movies of its time due to its portrayal of crude men and graphic violence. The film has been nominated for many awards. The film was also ranked in the 100 Best American Films by American Film Institute. American Film Institute also listed it in the 10 Best Films in 10 Genres.

Director - Sam Peckinpah

Starring - William Holden, Ernest Borgnine, Robert Ryan

IMDb Rating - 7.9/10

Rotten Tomatoes- 90%

4. Police Story (1985)

This 1985 Hong Kong movie is an action-comedy movie and the first movie in the franchise of police stories. It is a story about a police detective who helps to arrest the drug lord, but before he can do so, he must clear his name from a case of murder. Jackie Chan directed this movie, and he was also the lead actor of the movie, so you are definitely going to get some awesome action sequences. This movie was a blockbuster in Europe and Asia. Police Story also won the Best Film Award at the 1986 Hong Kong Film Awards. In the 2016 Time Out Poll, it was voted as the 4^th Best Action Film of All Time.

Director - Jackie Chan

Starring- Jackie Chan, Maggie Cheung, Bill Tung

IMDb Rating -7.5/10

Rotten Tomatoes- 93%

5. Enter the Dragon (1973)

Any action movie list is incomplete without mentioning the movie starring Bruce Lee. Enter the Dragon is an action spy martial art movie that was released in 1973, and it was also the last movie of Bruce Lee before his death. The story is about a Shaolin martial artist who helps the British Intelligence undercover agents on a mission to arrest the crime lord involved in the sex trade and drug trafficking. The film has earned over 400 times its budget and is considered one of the most successful martial arts films as well as the most profitable films of all time.

Director - Robert Clouse

Starring - Bruce Lee, John Saxon, Jim Kelly

IMDb Rating- 7.6/10

Rotten Tomatoes- 95%

6. The Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior (1981)

The Mad Max franchise has many movies, but Mad Max 2 is one of the best in this franchise. It is an Australian film set in the post-apocalyptic background where a former police officer is living to survive as a lone wanderer and meets a small group of people who are running a remote oil refinery turns out to be his only hope for survival. It was nominated in six categories for Saturn Award and won Best International Film Award.

Director - George Miller

Starting - Mel Gibson, Emil Minty, Bruce Spence

IMDb Rating- 7.6/10

Rotten Tomatoes- 94%

7. Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)

It is an action-adventure American movie that is still quite popular among lovers of action genre films. The story is set during the period of World War II when a globe-trotting archeological professor tried to find the long-lost Ark of Covenant before the Nazi forces could find it. He puts up the fight against Dr. René, who was guiding the Nazis. It has won 1 BAFTA Award, 5 Academy Awards, and 7 Saturn Awards. The Indians Jones Franchise includes three more films, and the fifth one will be released in 2023.

Director - Steven Spielberg

Starring - Harrison Ford, Karen Allen, Paul Freeman, Ronald Lacey

IMDb Rating- 8.4/10

Rotten Tomatoes- 95%

8. Die Hard (1988)

This American action movie is based on the novel Nothing Lasts Forever by Roderick Thorp. The story is set in the city of New York, where John McClane, a police detective, is hoping to spend his Christmas with his estranged wife but is caught up in a hostage situation by a group of terrorists in the sky scrapper of Los Angeles where his wife is among the hostages. Die Hard is a franchise movie, and there are many sequels to this one. The movie was nominated in many reputed awards ceremonies.

Director- John McTiernan

Starring- Bruce Willis, Alan Rickman, Bonnie Bedelia, Reginald Vel Johnson

IMDb Rating- 8.2/10

Rotten Tomatoes- 94%

9. Terminator 2: Judgement Day (1991)

It is one of the most famous sci-fi action movies directed and produced by James Cameron. This is the sequel to the film The Terminator 1984. The story revolves around John Connor, who is the leader of the human resistance, and his enemies sent an AI terminator back in time in 1995 to kill John Connor when he was a child. But to ensure humanity's future resistance sends back a reprogrammed Terminator to protect John. This movie proved to be a significant success in enhancing the cadre of Cameron and Schwarzenegger. It was the highest-grossing film of 1991 and won several awards, including BAFTA, Saturn, Academy Awards, etc.

Director - James Cameron

Starring - Arnold Schwarzenegger, Edward Furlong, Robert Patrick, Linda

IMDb Rating- 8.6/10

Rotten Tomatoes- 93%

10. The Matrix (1999)

It is a sci-fi action movie and the first installment of this film series. The movie depicts a dystopian future, and humanity is trapped inside a simulated reality, the matrix. Intelligent machines use these stimulated realities to distract humans and use their bodies as an energy source. This reality was uncovered by a computer programmer who joined the rebellions against the machines. This film is also popular for its visual effect, known as Bullet Time. The film was nominated and won several accolades. It has won in all four categories it was nominated for 72^nd Academy Award, Best Special Effect and Best Sound at the 53rd British Academy Awards, Best Director and Best Science Fiction at Saturn Awards, etc.

Director - The Wachowskis

Starring - Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne, Carrie Anne Moss, Hugo Weaving

IMDb Rating- 8.7/10

Rotten Tomatoes- 88%

11. Kill Bill (2003-2004)

This movie franchise has three movies, but the first two-volume is worth mentioning in the list for their story and action sequences. It is an American martial arts movie whose story revolves around a lady, the Bride, who wants to take revenge on a group of assassins and his leader Bill who tried to kill her and her unborn child. The movie was nominated for various award ceremonies, and the lead actress Uma Thompson won the Best Actress and Best Female Performance awards in three award ceremonies. The movie won the title of Best Action Movie and Best Fight awards at the 30^th Saturn Awards and 2004 MTV Movies Awards, respectively.

Director - Quentin Tarantino

Starring - Uma Thurman, Lucy Liu, David Carradine, Michael Madsen.

IMDb Rating-8.2/10

Rotten Tomatoes- 85%

12. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000)

This multinational venture movie was released in 2000 and is based on a 1941-42 Chinese novel Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. It was premiered at Cannes Film Festival. The story of the movie is set in the 19^th century Qing Dynasty where a renowned swordsman and a Machete female warrior head a private security company. A warrior Master Li asks Shu Lien to pass the sword Green Destiny to the woman he loves, but the sword gets stolen, and Li goes on a mission to find it. This movie has won 40 accolades and was nominated for 10 awards in different categories at the Academy Awards and won the Best Foreign Language Film, Best Cinematography, Best Original Score, and Best Art Direction. It has also won 2 Golden Globe Awards and 4 BAFTA Awards.

Director- Ang Lee

Starring- Chow Yun-fat, Michelle Yeoh, Zhang Ziyi, Chang Chen, Sihung Lung

IMDb Rating- 7.9/10

Rotten Tomatoes- 97%

13. The Bourne Identity (2002)

This is an action thriller movie based 1980's novel by Robert Ludlum. This movie franchise has five sequels. It revolves around a man with a bullet-ridden body who is suffering from amnesia and is looked after by strangers. He is on a journey to find out about his identity and is unaware that the road ahead is full of danger. This movie has been nominated for several accolades and won a few of them.

Director - Dough Liman

Starring - Matt Damon, Clive Owen, Chris Cooper, Brian Cox

IMDb Rating- 7.9/10

Rotten Tomatoes- 84%

14. The Dark Knight (2008)

Who doesn't love to watch the childhood superhero perform some kick-ass action scene on the big screen? Well, this movie is one of the most loved Batman action movies and the second installment of The Dark Knight Trilogy directed by Christopher Nolan. The story follows Batman in Gotham City, who is fighting against a psychotic villain, Joker, who is hired by the mob to kill Batman. This movie was on the top ten list in 287 critics' posts. The role of the joker was played by Ledger, which made this character iconic, and he also won Best Supporting Actor posthumously at the 81^st Academy Award. In 2020 the Library Congress selected this movie for preservation in the US National Film Registry. It has been nominated and won numerous accolades.

Director - Christopher Nolan

Starring - Christian Bale, Heath Ledger, Gary Oldman, Michael Caine

IMDb Rating- 9/10

Rotten Tomatoes- 94%

15. The Raid Redemption (2011)

This crime-action Indonesian movie was released in 2011. There is also a sequel to the movie, and both of these showcase the Pencak Silat, the traditional martial art of Indonesia. The story revolves around a gang rookie who is stuck with his team in a 15-story safe house that belongs to a drug lord. They try to take the drug lord down and survive this unofficial mission with the little ammunition they have. The movie was nominated at different awards ceremonies and won a few of them at Toronto International Film Festival, Dublin International Film Festival, SXSW Film Festival, etc.

Director - Gareth Evans

Starring- Iko Uwais, Joe Taslim, Donny Alamsyah, Yayan Ruhian

IMDb Rating- 7.6/10

Rotten Tomatoes- 87%

16. John Wick (2014)

It is a neo-noir action thriller movie released in 2014, and it is the first movie of this series franchise. The role of John is played by everyone's beloved Keanu Reeves, who was a former assassin in the movie and is searching for the man who broke into his house, took his prized car, and killed the puppy, which was the last gift from his deceased wife. The film was critically acclaimed, and Keanu's performance was appreciated.

Director- Chad Stahelski

Starring- Keanu Reeves, Michael Nyqvist, Alfie Allen, Adrianne Palicki

IMDb Rating- 7.4/10

Rotten Tomatoes - 84%

17. Mad Max: Fury Road (2015)

It is a post-apocalyptic Australian action movie and the fourth installment of the Mad Max franchise. The story is set in a desert wasteland where water and gasoline are scarce resources. Max joins forces with Imperator Furiosa to flee from the cult leader, and the fight to survive began. The movie won several accolades and was nominated at different prestigious awards ceremonies. It won six awards at the 88^th Academy Awards.

Director - George Miller

Starring- Tom Hardy, Charlize Theron, Nicholas Hoult, Hugh Keays Byrne

IMDb Rating- 8.1/0

Rotten Tomatoes- 97%

18. Mission Impossible- Fallout (2018)

Tom cruise's Mission Impossible series is popular around the world, and the 2018 Fallout stands out in this franchise. The story is about a group of terrorists who are planning one of the most dangerous nuclear attacks on different cities, and Tom Cruise (Ethan Hunt) tries to stop this. It has some teeth-clenching action scenes and is full of a thriller. In 2019 it won the Best Action Movie at the Critics Choice Movie Awards and Saturn Awards for Best Action/Adventure Movie. In December 2018, it won Best Visual Effect and Best Film Editing awards at the Seattle Critics Society.

Director- Christopher McQuarrie

Starring- Tom Cruise, Henry Cavill, Ving Rhames, Simon Pegg, Rebecca Ferguson

IMDb Rating- 7.7/10

Rotten Tomatoes- 97%

19. Avengers: Endgame (2019)

The movie that broke the record of Avatar and became the highest-grossing movie of all time. Avengers Endgame is an action/sci-fi superhero movie that is based on the marvel comics. The story is set in the aftermath of Avengers Infinity War, where the remaining superheroes are putting their best effort into reversing the destruction caused by Thanos. The film was nominated and won several awards at different awards ceremonies. In 2022 94^th Academy Awards movies' most popular scene, "Avengers Assemble" was nominated among the five finalists for the Oscars Cheer Moment as the part of Oscar Fan Favourite though the movie was not eligible for other academy awards for 2022.

Director - Anthony Russo, Joe Russo

Starring- Robert Downey Jr, Chris Evans, Chris Hemsworth, Jeremy Renner, Scarlet Johansson, Mark Ruffalo

IMDb Rating- 8.4/10

Rotten Tomatoes- 94%

20. Spider-Man No Way Home (2021)

This superhero movie is set in the aftermath of Spider-Man Far from home, where the identity of the spider man is revealed, and his name is linked to a case that made him seen in a bad light. He seeks help from Dr. Strange, but the consequences followed by that make things worse for him. It was the highest-grossing film of 2021 and the sixth highest-grossing movie of all time. It was nominated for several awards and won many of them. The scene of teaming up three different Spider-Man from different dimensions was one of the five finalists for Oscar Cheer Moment as a part of Oscar Fan Favourite.

Director- Jon Watts

Starring - Tom Holland, Zendaya, Toby Maguire, André Garfield, etc.

IMDb Rating- 8.3/10

Rotten Tomatoes- 93%