As we all know, action films are some of the most popular movies out there. There have been action movies dating back to the origins of film, and we continue to see a climb in their production today. As time goes on, technology advances, which means the action films are becoming more and more realistic. No matter your tastes or preferences, everyone can enjoy an action film from time to time. Surprisingly, action films also have the most money spent on them each year! Here is, in my opinion, the top 10 action films of all time.
# 10 – Lethal Weapon (1987)
Lethal Weapon is an iconic action film that started a huge wave of action films in the 80s. Lethal Weapons stars Mel Gibson and Danny Glover and is all about these two police officers who love to hate working together. Unfortunately for them, they must learn to work together to take down a serious drug operation that has been affecting their city. Lethal Weapon was nominated for 1 Oscar, but unfortunately did not win.
# 9 – Die Hard (1988)
Who can forget the classic movie starring Bruce Willis who plays police officer John McClane. Die Hard is all about this police officer who stumbles upon a terrorist attack and does what he can to stop it. Any serious action movie fan knows that this movie is definitely one of the best to have been made. Die Hard started as a moviemaker’s idea of taking a famous novel and turning it into a movie, and turned into a series of 5 films.
# 8 – V for Vendetta (2006)
V for Vendetta tells the tale of V, a mysterious figure who is trying to over throw the British government. Based on the popular graphic novel, V for Vendetta is a futuristic take on something that everyone fears. This movie didn’t win any Oscars, and is definitely one of the most underappreciated movies on the list, but I think it deserves to be mentioned.
# 7 – Alien (1979)
This classic Ridley Scott movie takes the number 7 spot on this top action movie list. Alien tells the tale of a space craft that receives a stress signal. This signal does not turn out to be a stress signal, but alien life trying to take over the ship that the crew has. Alien has gone down in history as being one of the best science fiction and action moves out there. Alien won 1 Oscar and won 16 other awards. Any serious movie buff knows that Alien is truly a master piece that has earned its spot on this list.
# 6 – Gladiator (2000)
Gladiator is a classic when it comes to action films. Russell Crowe stars as a Roman general who is betrayed by the empire which results in the death of his family. In order to be pardoned and free himself, he must become a gladiator and fight in the coliseum. Gladiator won 5 Oscars and was nominated for over 100 other awards. During its opening weekend, Gladiator grossed well over $34 million dollars, and premiering all over the world. Gladiator is one of the best portrayals of the Roman Empire, and the brutality that went on in the coliseum.
# 5 – Vishwaroopam (2013)
Vishwaroopam is an Indian film that was created in Bollywood. I wanted to keep this list diverse, so I thought this was the perfect movie to take the #5 spot on our list. This movie is about a dance teacher who hires a detective to keep a watch on her husband as she suspects he is cheating. After being watched for a certain period of time, the wife discovers something horrifying about her husband. This movie definitely takes the cake in action movies that are surprisingly weird. If you haven’t checked out this film, which I suspect most of you haven’t, it is definitely worth checking out if you want to check out a different cultures take on an action film.
# 4 – Seven Samurai (1954)
A truly underappreciated gem in today’s society, Seven Samurai basically invented the action genre that we know of today. Seven Samurai is about a village that is under attack and it is up to seven samurais to help them defend all they have. Within its first year of release, Seven Samurai grossed well above 270 million Yen, and is still one of Japan’s highest grossing movies. Despite being a foreign film, Seven Samurai is studied intensely in many American film schools. If you are a film buff of any kind, Seven Samurai should definitely be a movie that you have in your collection.
# 3 – The Matrix (1999)
Keanu Reeves stars in the Matrix, the embodiment of an action film of the early 2000s. The Matrix is all about a hacker who learns that the reality he thought he was living in, is in fact a lie. The Matrix has super intense scenes of action and a great story line. The Matrix won 4 Oscars and grossed about $28 million dollars during its opening weekend. The Matrix definitely set the stage for modern day action films and without a doubt, The Matrix will be remembered as a great film that everyone should see.
# 2 – Inception (2010)
Inception takes the number 2 spot on our list. Leonardo DiCaprio stars in this action movie that people either loved or hated. Inception tells the tale of a thief who stole secrets from a big corporation. It turns out this secret was the ability to travel through the dreams of other people. This thief has plans to use this technology for evil, so it is up to a certain group to track him down and get the technology back. Inception won 4 Oscars, and grossed well above $62 million dollars in its opening weekend. Inception started a lot of thinking and had a lot of people wondering whether or not the technology could actually exist to travel inside of other people’s dreams. Without a doubt, Inception will be remembered as a weird action film that is on everyone’s must see films list.
# 1 – The Dark Knight (2008)
Christian Bale stars in Dark Knight, which is, in my opinion, the best action film to have been released recently. The Dark Knight is the epitome of an action film and that is why it takes the number 1 spot on the list. You have your good guy, Batman, who has to fight off the bad guy, Joker, and save humanity. The Joker is trying to destroy the city of Gotham, and it is up to Batman to stop him. The Dark Knight had one of the biggest opening weekends of all time, grossing more than $158 million dollars in its first weekend in the theaters. Without a doubt, The Dark Knight is one of the best action films to have been released in the past 10 years. The Dark Knight was nominated for 150 awards and it won 2 Oscars and 146 other wins.
Clearly, the top 10 list shows America’s love for action movies. Though, some other countries have produced some worth-watching action films. One thing is for sure, there is no indication that the action genre is going to stop producing great films. There are a lot of great films planned for 2018, and I for one cannot wait to see them all!
