200 Best Action Movies of All Time

by Tamara_Nartichti | created - 24 Jan 2011 | updated - 03 Jan 2014 | Public
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1. Kill Bill: Vol. 1 (2003)

R | 111 min | Action, Crime, Thriller

69 Metascore

After awakening from a four-year coma, a former assassin wreaks vengeance on the team of assassins who betrayed her.

Director: Quentin Tarantino | Stars: Uma Thurman, David Carradine, Daryl Hannah, Michael Madsen

Votes: 1,194,524 | Gross: $70.10M

the Best Action movie ever made - fight scenes evolved since Day One of Kung Fu movies, sword fights like you didn't think it was possible

Fist of Fury -> Drunken Master -> Kill Bill (the climax of evolution at the moment) ” - Tamara Nartichti

Bruce Lee -> Sonny Chiba -> Zoe Bell

2. Kill Bill: Vol. 2 (2004)

R | 137 min | Action, Crime, Thriller

83 Metascore

The Bride continues her quest of vengeance against her former boss and lover Bill, the reclusive bouncer Budd, and the treacherous, one-eyed Elle.

Director: Quentin Tarantino | Stars: Uma Thurman, David Carradine, Michael Madsen, Daryl Hannah

Votes: 805,982 | Gross: $66.21M

3. Grindhouse (2007)

R | 191 min | Action, Horror, Thriller

77 Metascore

Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez's homage to exploitation double features in the '60s and '70s with two back-to-back cult films that include previews of coming attractions between them.

Directors: Robert Rodriguez, Eli Roth, Quentin Tarantino, Edgar Wright, Rob Zombie | Stars: Kurt Russell, Rose McGowan, Danny Trejo, Zoë Bell

Votes: 191,211 | Gross: $25.04M

4. From Dusk Till Dawn (1996)

R | 108 min | Action, Crime, Horror

48 Metascore

Two criminals and their hostages unknowingly seek temporary refuge in a truck stop populated by vampires, with chaotic results.

Director: Robert Rodriguez | Stars: Harvey Keitel, George Clooney, Juliette Lewis, Quentin Tarantino

Votes: 340,781 | Gross: $25.75M

5. Sin City (2005)

R | 124 min | Crime, Thriller

74 Metascore

An exploration of the dark and miserable Basin City and three of its residents, all of whom are caught up in violent corruption.

Directors: Frank Miller, Quentin Tarantino, Robert Rodriguez | Stars: Mickey Rourke, Clive Owen, Bruce Willis, Jessica Alba

Votes: 793,943 | Gross: $74.10M

6. The Terminator (1984)

R | 107 min | Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi

84 Metascore

A human soldier is sent from 2029 to 1984 to stop an almost indestructible cyborg killing machine, sent from the same year, which has been programmed to execute a young woman whose unborn son is the key to humanity's future salvation.

Director: James Cameron | Stars: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Linda Hamilton, Michael Biehn, Paul Winfield

Votes: 924,558 | Gross: $38.40M

7. The Matrix (1999)

R | 136 min | Action, Sci-Fi

73 Metascore

When a beautiful stranger leads computer hacker Neo to a forbidding underworld, he discovers the shocking truth--the life he knows is the elaborate deception of an evil cyber-intelligence.

Directors: Lana Wachowski, Lilly Wachowski | Stars: Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne, Carrie-Anne Moss, Hugo Weaving

Votes: 2,054,195 | Gross: $171.48M

8. Hellboy II: The Golden Army (2008)

PG-13 | 120 min | Action, Adventure, Fantasy

78 Metascore

A prince of the mythical world starts a rebellion against humanity in order to rule the Earth. Hellboy and his team must fight to stop him from locating the all-powerful Golden Army.

Director: Guillermo del Toro | Stars: Ron Perlman, Selma Blair, Doug Jones, John Alexander

Votes: 286,019 | Gross: $75.75M

Prince Nuada

he made this movie into a supervillain one, he deserves his own movie

an amazing fan video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fQtWYvmERiQ

the greatest character ever created the finest male warrior even seen in a film

9. Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)

R | 137 min | Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi

75 Metascore

A cyborg, identical to the one who failed to kill Sarah Connor, must now protect her ten year old son John from an even more advanced and powerful cyborg.

Director: James Cameron | Stars: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Linda Hamilton, Edward Furlong, Robert Patrick

Votes: 1,174,576 | Gross: $204.84M

10. Lara Croft: Tomb Raider (2001)

PG-13 | 100 min | Action, Adventure, Fantasy

33 Metascore

Video game adventurer Lara Croft comes to life in a movie where she races against time and villains to recover powerful ancient artifacts.

Director: Simon West | Stars: Angelina Jolie, Jon Voight, Iain Glen, Noah Taylor

Votes: 219,014 | Gross: $131.14M

11. Aliens (1986)

R | 137 min | Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi

84 Metascore

Decades after surviving the Nostromo incident, Ellen Ripley is sent out to re-establish contact with a terraforming colony but finds herself battling the Alien Queen and her offspring.

Director: James Cameron | Stars: Sigourney Weaver, Michael Biehn, Carrie Henn, Paul Reiser

Votes: 763,391 | Gross: $85.16M

12. Lara Croft: Tomb Raider - The Cradle of Life (2003)

PG-13 | 117 min | Action, Adventure, Fantasy

43 Metascore

Adventurer Lara Croft goes on a quest to save the mythical Pandora's Box, before an evil scientist finds it, and recruits a former Marine turned mercenary to assist her.

Director: Jan de Bont | Stars: Angelina Jolie, Gerard Butler, Chris Barrie, Ciarán Hinds

Votes: 144,902 | Gross: $65.66M

13. Hard Boiled (1992)

R | 128 min | Action, Crime, Thriller

A tough-as-nails cop teams up with an undercover agent to shut down a sinister mobster and his crew.

Director: John Woo | Stars: Chow Yun-Fat, Tony Leung Chiu-wai, Teresa Mo, Philip Chan

Votes: 54,043

14. Highlander (1986)

R | 116 min | Action, Adventure, Fantasy

24 Metascore

An immortal Scottish swordsman must confront the last of his immortal opponents, a murderously brutal barbarian who lusts for the fabled "Prize".

Director: Russell Mulcahy | Stars: Christopher Lambert, Sean Connery, Clancy Brown, Roxanne Hart

Votes: 147,510 | Gross: $5.90M

15. El Mariachi (1992)

R | 81 min | Action, Crime, Thriller

73 Metascore

A traveling mariachi is mistaken for a murderous criminal and must hide from a gang bent on killing him.

Director: Robert Rodriguez | Stars: Carlos Gallardo, Consuelo Gómez, Jaime de Hoyos, Peter Marquardt

Votes: 71,319 | Gross: $2.04M

16. Equilibrium (2002)

R | 107 min | Action, Drama, Sci-Fi

33 Metascore

In an oppressive future where all forms of feeling are illegal, a man in charge of enforcing the law rises to overthrow the system and state.

Director: Kurt Wimmer | Stars: Christian Bale, Sean Bean, Emily Watson, Taye Diggs

Votes: 347,112 | Gross: $1.20M

17. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000)

PG-13 | 120 min | Action, Adventure, Drama

94 Metascore

A young Chinese warrior steals a sword from a famed swordsman and then escapes into a world of romantic adventure with a mysterious man in the frontier of the nation.

Director: Ang Lee | Stars: Chow Yun-Fat, Michelle Yeoh, Ziyi Zhang, Chang Chen

Votes: 281,670 | Gross: $128.08M

18. Sucker Punch (2011)

PG-13 | 110 min | Action, Adventure, Fantasy

33 Metascore

A young girl institutionalized by her abusive stepfather retreats to an alternative reality as a coping strategy and envisions a plan to help her escape.

Director: Zack Snyder | Stars: Emily Browning, Vanessa Hudgens, Abbie Cornish, Jena Malone

Votes: 252,857 | Gross: $36.39M

19. Fist of Fury (1972)

R | 107 min | Action, Drama, Romance

68 Metascore

A young man seeks vengence for the death of his teacher.

Director: Wei Lo | Stars: Bruce Lee, Nora Miao, James Tien, Maria Yi

Votes: 33,901 | Gross: $1.29M

20. Skyfall (2012)

PG-13 | 143 min | Action, Adventure, Thriller

81 Metascore

James Bond's loyalty to M is tested when her past comes back to haunt her. When MI6 comes under attack, 007 must track down and destroy the threat, no matter how personal the cost.

Director: Sam Mendes | Stars: Daniel Craig, Javier Bardem, Naomie Harris, Judi Dench

Votes: 731,282 | Gross: $304.36M

21. Predator (1987)

R | 107 min | Action, Adventure, Horror

47 Metascore

A team of commandos on a mission in a Central American jungle find themselves hunted by an extraterrestrial warrior.

Director: John McTiernan | Stars: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Carl Weathers, Kevin Peter Hall, Elpidia Carrillo

Votes: 455,063 | Gross: $59.74M

22. Man of Steel (2013)

PG-13 | 143 min | Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi

55 Metascore

An alien child is evacuated from his dying world and sent to Earth to live among humans. His peace is threatened when other survivors of his home planet invade Earth.

Director: Zack Snyder | Stars: Henry Cavill, Amy Adams, Michael Shannon, Diane Lane

Votes: 812,066 | Gross: $291.05M

23. Desperado (1995)

R | 104 min | Action, Crime, Drama

55 Metascore

Former musician and gunslinger El Mariachi arrives at a small Mexican border town after being away for a long time. His past quickly catches up with him and he soon gets entangled with the local drug kingpin Bucho and his gang.

Director: Robert Rodriguez | Stars: Antonio Banderas, Salma Hayek, Joaquim de Almeida, Cheech Marin

Votes: 197,717 | Gross: $25.63M

24. Wanted (2008)

R | 110 min | Action, Crime, Thriller

64 Metascore

A frustrated office worker discovers that he is the son of a professional assassin, and that he shares his father's superhuman killing abilities.

Director: Timur Bekmambetov | Stars: Angelina Jolie, James McAvoy, Morgan Freeman, Terence Stamp

Votes: 408,691 | Gross: $134.51M

25. Face/Off (1997)

R | 138 min | Action, Crime, Sci-Fi

82 Metascore

To foil a terrorist plot, FBI agent Sean Archer assumes the identity of the criminal Castor Troy who murdered his son through facial transplant surgery, but the crook wakes up prematurely and vows revenge.

Director: John Woo | Stars: John Travolta, Nicolas Cage, Joan Allen, Alessandro Nivola

Votes: 401,035 | Gross: $112.23M

26. Die Hard (1988)

R | 132 min | Action, Thriller

72 Metascore

A New York City police officer tries to save his estranged wife and several others taken hostage by terrorists during a Christmas party at the Nakatomi Plaza in Los Angeles.

Director: John McTiernan | Stars: Bruce Willis, Alan Rickman, Bonnie Bedelia, Reginald VelJohnson

Votes: 945,913 | Gross: $83.01M

27. The Dark Knight Rises (2012)

PG-13 | 164 min | Action, Drama, Thriller

78 Metascore

Eight years after the Joker's reign of chaos, Batman is coerced out of exile with the assistance of the mysterious Selina Kyle in order to defend Gotham City from the vicious guerrilla terrorist Bane.

Director: Christopher Nolan | Stars: Christian Bale, Tom Hardy, Anne Hathaway, Gary Oldman

Votes: 1,828,238 | Gross: $448.14M

breath-taking visuals

could have been higher if it wasn't for my love for great dialogue, interesting characters, a plot that makes sense and poetic kung fu fight sequences

Despite a rather underwhelming plot, forced character development, sloppy fight sequences (but I never expect much from Nolan in that particular department) and somewhat weak acting from certain individuals, the action scope of this picture is magnificent, I'd say unprecedented. The Dark Knight is still the better FILM in my book, this one, however, is the better ACTION.

28. The Long Kiss Goodnight (1996)

R | 121 min | Action, Crime, Drama

43 Metascore

Samantha Caine lives in a small town with her daughter. Eight years ago she emerged, two months pregnant, from a nearby river with no memory of her past or who she is. However, she's getting closer to finding out about her past.

Director: Renny Harlin | Stars: Geena Davis, Samuel L. Jackson, Yvonne Zima, Craig Bierko

Votes: 85,692 | Gross: $33.33M

29. Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai (1999)

R | 116 min | Crime, Drama

68 Metascore

An African-American Mafia hit man who models himself after the samurai of old finds himself targeted for death by the mob.

Director: Jim Jarmusch | Stars: Forest Whitaker, Henry Silva, John Tormey, Cliff Gorman

Votes: 96,994 | Gross: $3.31M

30. G.I. Jane (1997)

R | 125 min | Action, Drama, War

62 Metascore

Lt. Jordan, a US Navy topographic analyst, joins the US Navy Special Warfare Group and struggles to prove her worth in a unit dominated by men. But a cynical woman Texan senator has sold her out.

Director: Ridley Scott | Stars: Demi Moore, Viggo Mortensen, Anne Bancroft, Jason Beghe

Votes: 87,046 | Gross: $48.17M

31. Under Siege (1992)

R | 103 min | Action, Thriller

58 Metascore

An ex-Navy Seal turned cook is the only person who can stop a group of terrorists when they seize control of a U.S. battleship.

Director: Andrew Davis | Stars: Steven Seagal, Gary Busey, Tommy Lee Jones, Erika Eleniak

Votes: 95,537 | Gross: $83.36M

32. Team America: World Police (2004)

R | 98 min | Action, Comedy

64 Metascore

Popular Broadway actor Gary Johnston is recruited by the elite counter-terrorism organization Team America: World Police. As the world begins to crumble around him, he must battle with terrorists, celebrities and falling in love.

Director: Trey Parker | Stars: Trey Parker, Matt Stone, Elle Russ, Kristen Miller

Votes: 178,623 | Gross: $32.79M

33. The Dark Knight (2008)

PG-13 | 152 min | Action, Crime, Drama

84 Metascore

When the menace known as the Joker wreaks havoc and chaos on the people of Gotham, Batman must accept one of the greatest psychological and physical tests of his ability to fight injustice.

Director: Christopher Nolan | Stars: Christian Bale, Heath Ledger, Aaron Eckhart, Michael Caine

Votes: 2,871,997 | Gross: $534.86M

34. Fast Five (2011)

PG-13 | 130 min | Action, Crime, Thriller

66 Metascore

Dominic Toretto and his crew of street racers plan a massive heist to buy their freedom while in the sights of a powerful Brazilian drug lord and a dangerous federal agent.

Director: Justin Lin | Stars: Vin Diesel, Paul Walker, Dwayne Johnson, Jordana Brewster

Votes: 407,298 | Gross: $209.84M

35. Point Break (1991)

R | 122 min | Action, Crime, Thriller

59 Metascore

An F.B.I. Agent goes undercover to catch a gang of surfers who may be bank robbers.

Director: Kathryn Bigelow | Stars: Patrick Swayze, Keanu Reeves, Gary Busey, Lori Petty

Votes: 202,403 | Gross: $43.22M

36. Mortal Kombat (1995)

PG-13 | 101 min | Action, Adventure, Fantasy

60 Metascore

Three unknowing martial artists are summoned to a mysterious island to compete in a tournament whose outcome will decide the fate of the world.

Director: Paul W.S. Anderson | Stars: Christopher Lambert, Robin Shou, Linden Ashby, Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa

Votes: 124,656 | Gross: $70.45M

37. Hero (2002)

PG-13 | 120 min | Action, Adventure, Drama

85 Metascore

A defense officer, Nameless, was summoned by the King of Qin regarding his success of terminating three warriors.

Director: Yimou Zhang | Stars: Jet Li, Tony Leung Chiu-wai, Maggie Cheung, Ziyi Zhang

Votes: 187,682 | Gross: $53.71M

38. La Femme Nikita (1990)

R | 117 min | Action, Crime, Drama

65 Metascore

Convicted felon Nikita isn't going to jail; she's given a new identity and trained, stylishly, as a top secret spy/assassin.

Director: Luc Besson | Stars: Anne Parillaud, Marc Duret, Patrick Fontana, Alain Lathière

Votes: 76,452 | Gross: $5.02M

39. Blade II (2002)

R | 117 min | Action, Horror, Sci-Fi

52 Metascore

Blade forms an uneasy alliance with the vampire council in order to combat the Reapers, who are feeding on vampires.

Director: Guillermo del Toro | Stars: Wesley Snipes, Kris Kristofferson, Ron Perlman, Leonor Varela

Votes: 234,502 | Gross: $82.35M

40. Underworld (2003)

R | 121 min | Action, Fantasy, Thriller

42 Metascore

Selene, a vampire warrior, is entrenched in a conflict between vampires and werewolves, while falling in love with Michael, a human who is sought by werewolves for unknown reasons.

Director: Len Wiseman | Stars: Kate Beckinsale, Scott Speedman, Shane Brolly, Michael Sheen

Votes: 285,260 | Gross: $51.97M

41. Underworld: Rise of the Lycans (2009)

R | 92 min | Action, Fantasy, Thriller

44 Metascore

A prequel centered on the origins of the centuries-old feud between the race of aristocratic vampires and their former slaves, the Lycans.

Director: Patrick Tatopoulos | Stars: Rhona Mitra, Michael Sheen, Bill Nighy, Steven Mackintosh

Votes: 167,902 | Gross: $45.80M

42. RoboCop (1987)

R | 102 min | Action, Crime, Sci-Fi

70 Metascore

In a dystopic and crime-ridden Detroit, a terminally wounded cop returns to the force as a powerful cyborg haunted by submerged memories.

Director: Paul Verhoeven | Stars: Peter Weller, Nancy Allen, Dan O'Herlihy, Ronny Cox

Votes: 283,240 | Gross: $53.42M

43. The Killer (1989)

R | 111 min | Action, Crime, Drama

82 Metascore

A disillusioned assassin accepts one last hit in hopes of using his earnings to restore vision to a singer he accidentally blinded.

Director: John Woo | Stars: Chow Yun-Fat, Danny Lee, Sally Yeh, Kong Chu

Votes: 51,089

44. Blade (1998)

R | 120 min | Action, Horror, Sci-Fi

47 Metascore

A half-vampire, half-mortal man becomes a protector of the mortal race, while slaying evil vampires.

Director: Stephen Norrington | Stars: Wesley Snipes, Stephen Dorff, Kris Kristofferson, N'Bushe Wright

Votes: 299,095 | Gross: $70.09M

45. The Crow (1994)

R | 102 min | Action, Crime, Drama

71 Metascore

A man brutally murdered comes back to life as an undead avenger of his and his fiancée's murder.

Director: Alex Proyas | Stars: Brandon Lee, Michael Wincott, Rochelle Davis, Ernie Hudson

Votes: 203,287 | Gross: $50.69M

46. Seven Samurai (1954)

Not Rated | 207 min | Action, Drama

98 Metascore

Farmers from a village exploited by bandits hire a veteran samurai for protection, who gathers six other samurai to join him.

Director: Akira Kurosawa | Stars: Toshirô Mifune, Takashi Shimura, Keiko Tsushima, Yukiko Shimazaki

Votes: 366,960 | Gross: $0.27M

47. True Lies (1994)

R | 141 min | Action, Comedy, Thriller

63 Metascore

A fearless, globe-trotting, terrorist-battling secret agent has his life turned upside down when he discovers his wife might be having an affair with a used-car salesman while terrorists smuggle nuclear war heads into the United States.

Director: James Cameron | Stars: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jamie Lee Curtis, Tom Arnold, Bill Paxton

Votes: 281,074 | Gross: $146.28M

48. First Blood (1982)

R | 93 min | Action, Adventure, Thriller

61 Metascore

A veteran Green Beret is forced by a cruel Sheriff and his deputies to flee into the mountains and wage an escalating one-man war against his pursuers.

Director: Ted Kotcheff | Stars: Sylvester Stallone, Brian Dennehy, Richard Crenna, Bill McKinney

Votes: 275,687 | Gross: $47.21M

49. Kick-Ass (2010)

R | 117 min | Action, Comedy, Crime

66 Metascore

Dave Lizewski is an unnoticed high school student and comic book fan who one day decides to become a superhero, even though he has no powers, training or meaningful reason to do so.

Director: Matthew Vaughn | Stars: Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Nicolas Cage, Chloë Grace Moretz, Garrett M. Brown

Votes: 593,549 | Gross: $48.07M

50. Drunken Master (1978)

PG-13 | 111 min | Action, Comedy

68 Metascore

Wong Fei-Hung is a mischievous yet righteous young man, but after a series of incidents his frustrated father has him disciplined by a master of drunken martial arts.

Director: Woo-Ping Yuen | Stars: Jackie Chan, Siu-Tin Yuen, Jeong-lee Hwang, Dean Shek

Votes: 43,875

51. Underworld: Awakening (2012)

R | 88 min | Action, Fantasy, Thriller

39 Metascore

When human forces discover the existence of the Vampire and Lycan clans, a war to eradicate both species commences. The vampire warrior Selene leads the battle against humankind.

Directors: Måns Mårlind, Björn Stein | Stars: Kate Beckinsale, Michael Ealy, India Eisley, Stephen Rea

Votes: 161,257 | Gross: $62.32M

52. Ip Man (2008)

R | 106 min | Action, Biography, Drama

59 Metascore

During the Japanese invasion of China, a wealthy martial artist is forced to leave his home when his city is occupied. With little means of providing for themselves, Ip Man and the remaining members of the city must find a way to survive.

Director: Wilson Yip | Stars: Donnie Yen, Simon Yam, Siu-Wong Fan, Ka-Tung Lam

Votes: 233,632

53. The Matrix Reloaded (2003)

R | 138 min | Action, Sci-Fi

62 Metascore

Freedom fighters Neo, Trinity and Morpheus continue to lead the revolt against the Machine Army, unleashing their arsenal of extraordinary skills and weaponry against the systematic forces of repression and exploitation.

Directors: Lana Wachowski, Lilly Wachowski | Stars: Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne, Carrie-Anne Moss, Hugo Weaving

Votes: 630,860 | Gross: $281.49M

54. The Avengers (2012)

PG-13 | 143 min | Action, Sci-Fi

69 Metascore

Earth's mightiest heroes must come together and learn to fight as a team if they are going to stop the mischievous Loki and his alien army from enslaving humanity.

Director: Joss Whedon | Stars: Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson, Jeremy Renner

Votes: 1,459,777 | Gross: $623.28M

55. The Fifth Element (1997)

PG-13 | 126 min | Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi

52 Metascore

In the colorful future, a cab driver unwittingly becomes the central figure in the search for a legendary cosmic weapon to keep Evil and Mr. Zorg at bay.

Director: Luc Besson | Stars: Bruce Willis, Milla Jovovich, Gary Oldman, Ian Holm

Votes: 506,492 | Gross: $63.54M

56. The Abyss (1989)

PG-13 | 140 min | Adventure, Drama, Mystery

62 Metascore

A civilian diving team is enlisted to search for a lost nuclear submarine and faces danger while encountering an alien aquatic species.

Director: James Cameron | Stars: Ed Harris, Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio, Michael Biehn, Leo Burmester

Votes: 193,477 | Gross: $54.46M

57. Iron Man (2008)

PG-13 | 126 min | Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi

79 Metascore

After being held captive in an Afghan cave, billionaire engineer Tony Stark creates a unique weaponized suit of armor to fight evil.

Director: Jon Favreau | Stars: Robert Downey Jr., Gwyneth Paltrow, Terrence Howard, Jeff Bridges

Votes: 1,125,291 | Gross: $318.41M

58. Tropic Thunder (2008)

R | 107 min | Action, Comedy, War

71 Metascore

Through a series of freak occurrences, a group of actors shooting a big-budget war movie are forced to become the soldiers they are portraying.

Director: Ben Stiller | Stars: Ben Stiller, Jack Black, Robert Downey Jr., Jeff Kahn

Votes: 448,253 | Gross: $110.52M

59. Commando (1985)

R | 90 min | Action, Adventure, Thriller

51 Metascore

A retired Special Forces colonel tries to save his daughter, who was abducted by his former subordinate.

Director: Mark L. Lester | Stars: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Rae Dawn Chong, Dan Hedaya, Vernon Wells

Votes: 174,955 | Gross: $35.10M

60. Hard Target (1993)

R | 97 min | Action, Crime, Thriller

63 Metascore

A woman hires a drifter as her guide through New Orleans in search of her missing father. In the process, they discover a deadly game of cat and mouse behind his disappearance.

Director: John Woo | Stars: Jean-Claude Van Damme, Lance Henriksen, Yancy Butler, Chuck Pfarrer

Votes: 56,296 | Gross: $32.59M

61. Die Hard with a Vengeance (1995)

R | 128 min | Action, Adventure, Thriller

58 Metascore

John McClane and a Harlem store owner are targeted by German terrorist Simon in New York City, where he plans to rob the Federal Reserve Building.

Director: John McTiernan | Stars: Bruce Willis, Jeremy Irons, Samuel L. Jackson, Graham Greene

Votes: 408,289 | Gross: $100.01M

62. Rush Hour (1998)

PG-13 | 98 min | Action, Comedy, Crime

61 Metascore

A loyal and dedicated Hong Kong Inspector teams up with a reckless and loudmouthed L.A.P.D. detective to rescue the Chinese Consul's kidnapped daughter, while trying to arrest a dangerous crime lord along the way.

Director: Brett Ratner | Stars: Jackie Chan, Chris Tucker, Ken Leung, Tom Wilkinson

Votes: 294,818 | Gross: $141.15M

63. Ran (1985)

R | 160 min | Action, Drama, War

97 Metascore

In Medieval Japan, an elderly warlord retires, handing over his empire to his three sons. However, he vastly underestimates how the new-found power will corrupt them and cause them to turn on each other...and him.

Director: Akira Kurosawa | Stars: Tatsuya Nakadai, Akira Terao, Jinpachi Nezu, Daisuke Ryû

Votes: 136,257 | Gross: $4.14M

64. The Running Man (1987)

R | 101 min | Action, Sci-Fi, Thriller

45 Metascore

In a dystopian America, a falsely convicted policeman gets his shot at freedom when he must forcibly participate in a TV game show where convicts, runners, must battle killers for their freedom.

Director: Paul Michael Glaser | Stars: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Maria Conchita Alonso, Yaphet Kotto, Jim Brown

Votes: 167,789 | Gross: $38.12M

65. Demolition Man (1993)

R | 115 min | Action, Sci-Fi, Thriller

34 Metascore

A police officer is brought out of suspended animation in prison to pursue an old ultra-violent nemesis who is loose in a non-violent future society.

Director: Marco Brambilla | Stars: Sylvester Stallone, Wesley Snipes, Sandra Bullock, Nigel Hawthorne

Votes: 193,426 | Gross: $58.06M

66. Chocolate (2008)

R | 110 min | Action, Drama

An autistic girl with powerful martial art skills looks to settle her ailing mother's debts by seeking out the ruthless gangs that owe her family money.

Director: Prachya Pinkaew | Stars: JeeJa Yanin, Hiroshi Abe, Pongpat Wachirabunjong, Taphon Phopwandee

Votes: 18,862 | Gross: $0.01M

67. Van Helsing (2004)

PG-13 | 131 min | Action, Adventure, Fantasy

35 Metascore

The famed monster hunter is sent to Transylvania to stop Count Dracula, who is using Dr. Frankenstein's research and a werewolf for nefarious purposes.

Director: Stephen Sommers | Stars: Hugh Jackman, Kate Beckinsale, Richard Roxburgh, Shuler Hensley

Votes: 284,693 | Gross: $120.18M

68. Once Upon a Time in Mexico (2003)

R | 102 min | Action, Crime, Thriller

56 Metascore

Hitman "El Mariachi" becomes involved in international espionage involving a psychotic CIA agent and a corrupt Mexican general.

Director: Robert Rodriguez | Stars: Antonio Banderas, Salma Hayek, Johnny Depp, Willem Dafoe

Votes: 169,770 | Gross: $56.36M

69. So Close (2002)

R | 111 min | Action, Crime, Thriller

66 Metascore

A conflict of interest between two high-kicking assassin sisters is complicated as they're pursued by the criminals who hired them and an equally high-kicking female cop.

Director: Corey Yuen | Stars: Shu Qi, Wei Zhao, Karen Mok, Song Seung-heon

Votes: 8,043 | Gross: $0.08M

70. X-Men (2000)

PG-13 | 104 min | Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi

64 Metascore

In a world where mutants (evolved super-powered humans) exist and are discriminated against, two groups form for an inevitable clash: the supremacist Brotherhood, and the pacifist X-Men.

Director: Bryan Singer | Stars: Patrick Stewart, Hugh Jackman, Ian McKellen, Famke Janssen

Votes: 646,814 | Gross: $157.30M

71. Pacific Rim (2013)

PG-13 | 131 min | Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi

65 Metascore

As a war between humankind and monstrous sea creatures wages on, a former pilot and a trainee are paired up to drive a seemingly obsolete special weapon in a desperate effort to save the world from the apocalypse.

Director: Guillermo del Toro | Stars: Idris Elba, Charlie Hunnam, Rinko Kikuchi, Charlie Day

Votes: 531,046 | Gross: $101.80M

72. The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen (2003)

PG-13 | 110 min | Action, Adventure, Fantasy

30 Metascore

In an alternate Victorian Age world, a group of famous contemporary fantasy, science fiction, and adventure characters team up on a secret mission.

Director: Stephen Norrington | Stars: Sean Connery, Stuart Townsend, Peta Wilson, Jason Flemyng

Votes: 183,999 | Gross: $66.47M

73. Men in Black (1997)

PG-13 | 98 min | Action, Adventure, Comedy

72 Metascore

James, an NYC cop, is hired by Agent K of a secret government agency that monitors extraterrestrial life on Earth. Together, they must recover an item that has been stolen by an intergalactic villain.

Director: Barry Sonnenfeld | Stars: Tommy Lee Jones, Will Smith, Linda Fiorentino, Vincent D'Onofrio

Votes: 613,158 | Gross: $250.69M

74. Live Free or Die Hard (2007)

PG-13 | 128 min | Action, Thriller

69 Metascore

John McClane and a young hacker join forces to take down master cyber-terrorist Thomas Gabriel in Washington D.C.

Director: Len Wiseman | Stars: Bruce Willis, Justin Long, Timothy Olyphant, Maggie Q

Votes: 420,723 | Gross: $134.53M

75. Under Siege 2: Dark Territory (1995)

R | 100 min | Action, Adventure, Thriller

52 Metascore

Casey Ryback hops on a Colorado to LA train to start a vacation with his niece. Early into the trip, terrorists board the train and use it as a mobile HQ to hijack a top secret destructive US satellite.

Director: Geoff Murphy | Stars: Steven Seagal, Eric Bogosian, Everett McGill, Katherine Heigl

Votes: 50,154 | Gross: $50.02M

76. Total Recall (1990)

R | 113 min | Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi

60 Metascore

When a man goes in to have virtual vacation memories of the planet Mars implanted in his mind, an unexpected and harrowing series of events forces him to go to the planet for real - or is he?

Director: Paul Verhoeven | Stars: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sharon Stone, Michael Ironside, Rachel Ticotin

Votes: 354,711 | Gross: $119.39M

77. Transformers (2007)

PG-13 | 144 min | Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi

61 Metascore

An ancient struggle between two Cybertronian races, the heroic Autobots and the evil Decepticons, comes to Earth, with a clue to the ultimate power held by a teenager.

Director: Michael Bay | Stars: Shia LaBeouf, Megan Fox, Josh Duhamel, Tyrese Gibson

Votes: 675,030 | Gross: $319.25M

78. Hanna (2011)

PG-13 | 111 min | Action, Adventure, Drama

65 Metascore

A sixteen-year-old girl who was raised by her father to be the perfect assassin is dispatched on a mission across Europe, tracked by a ruthless intelligence agent and her operatives.

Director: Joe Wright | Stars: Saoirse Ronan, Cate Blanchett, Eric Bana, Vicky Krieps

Votes: 206,901 | Gross: $40.26M

79. Machete (2010)

R | 105 min | Action, Crime, Thriller

60 Metascore

After being set-up and betrayed by the man who hired him to assassinate a Texas Senator, an ex-Federale launches a brutal rampage of revenge against his former boss.

Directors: Ethan Maniquis, Robert Rodriguez | Stars: Danny Trejo, Michelle Rodriguez, Robert De Niro, Jessica Alba

Votes: 204,103 | Gross: $26.59M

80. Cliffhanger (1993)

R | 113 min | Action, Adventure, Thriller

59 Metascore

A botched mid-air heist results in suitcases full of cash being searched for by various groups throughout the Rocky Mountains.

Director: Renny Harlin | Stars: Sylvester Stallone, John Lithgow, Michael Rooker, Janine Turner

Votes: 140,003 | Gross: $84.05M

81. My Wife Is a Gangster 2 (2003)

110 min | Action, Comedy, Crime

Former Scissor Gang leader Eun-jin (Shin Eun-kyung), who now suffers from amnesia, nevertheless defends Jae-cheol (Jun Gyu Park), a restaurateur who employs her, from a gangster who wants his business.

Director: Heung-sun Jeong | Stars: Shin Eun-kyung, Jun Gyu Park, Jang Se-jin, Ryu Hyun-kyung

Votes: 1,359

82. Supercop (1992)

R | 91 min | Action, Comedy, Crime

A Hong Kong detective teams up with his female Red Chinese counterpart to stop a Chinese drug czar.

Director: Stanley Tong | Stars: Jackie Chan, Michelle Yeoh, Maggie Cheung, Kenneth Tsang

Votes: 24,288 | Gross: $16.27M

83. Elite Squad (2007)

R | 115 min | Action, Crime, Drama

33 Metascore

In 1997 Rio de Janeiro, Captain Nascimento has to find a substitute for his position while trying to take down drug dealers and criminals before the Pope visits.

Director: José Padilha | Stars: Wagner Moura, André Ramiro, Caio Junqueira, Milhem Cortaz

Votes: 110,341 | Gross: $0.01M

it's more of a crime drama than action, but still those action sequences it has are superb. Besides, this movie and its sequel give us THE best portrayal of urban warfare in film to date.

84. Elite Squad 2: The Enemy Within (2010)

Not Rated | 115 min | Action, Crime, Drama

71 Metascore

After a prison riot, former-Captain Nascimento, now a high ranking security officer in Rio de Janeiro, is swept into a bloody political dispute that involves government officials and paramilitary groups.

Director: José Padilha | Stars: Wagner Moura, Irandhir Santos, André Ramiro, Milhem Cortaz

Votes: 86,804 | Gross: $0.10M

action and cinematography-wise this one beats its predecessor, but I find the story and story-telling of Elite Squad (2007) superior to this one.

85. Resident Evil (2002)

R | 100 min | Action, Horror, Sci-Fi

35 Metascore

A special military unit fights a powerful, out-of-control supercomputer and hundreds of scientists who have mutated into flesh-eating creatures after a laboratory accident.

Director: Paul W.S. Anderson | Stars: Milla Jovovich, Michelle Rodriguez, Ryan McCluskey, Oscar Pearce

Votes: 288,552 | Gross: $40.12M

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

R | 96 min | Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi

77 Metascore

In the post-apocalyptic Australian wasteland, a cynical drifter agrees to help a small, gasoline-rich community escape a horde of bandits.

Director: George Miller | Stars: Mel Gibson, Bruce Spence, Michael Preston, Max Phipps

Votes: 193,794 | Gross: $12.47M

87. Ip Man 2 (2010)

R | 108 min | Action, Biography, Drama

67 Metascore

Centering on Ip Man's migration to Hong Kong in 1949 as he attempts to propagate his discipline of Wing Chun martial arts.

Director: Wilson Yip | Stars: Donnie Yen, Xiaoming Huang, Sammo Kam-Bo Hung, Lynn Xiong

Votes: 111,044 | Gross: $0.21M

88. The Boondock Saints (1999)

R | 108 min | Action, Crime, Thriller

44 Metascore

Two Irish Catholic brothers become vigilantes and wipe out Boston's criminal underworld in the name of God.

Director: Troy Duffy | Stars: Willem Dafoe, Sean Patrick Flanery, Norman Reedus, David Della Rocco

Votes: 250,749 | Gross: $0.03M

89. The Blade (1995)

105 min | Action

A swordsmith trains his friend's orphaned son. The boy seeks revenge for his father's murder but loses an arm rescuing the swordsmith's daughter. A hermit girl nurses him, and he learns swordsmanship with his father's broken sword.

Director: Hark Tsui | Stars: Wenzhuo Zhao, Xin Xin Xiong, Sonny Su, Valerie Chow

Votes: 3,580

90. The Princess Blade (2001)

R | 93 min | Action, Sci-Fi

59 Metascore

Raised by assassins, Yuki is the last of the Takemikazuchi royal bloodline. A deadly weapon in her own right, she learns the gruesome truth about the death of her beloved mother and joins forces with a mysterious rebel leader.

Director: Shinsuke Sato | Stars: Yumiko Shaku, Hideaki Itô, Yôichi Numata, Shirô Sano

Votes: 3,084

91. Yojimbo (1961)

Not Rated | 110 min | Action, Drama, Thriller

93 Metascore

A crafty ronin comes to a town divided by two criminal gangs and decides to play them against each other to free the town.

Director: Akira Kurosawa | Stars: Toshirô Mifune, Eijirô Tôno, Tatsuya Nakadai, Yôko Tsukasa

Votes: 131,400

92. Smokin' Aces (2006)

R | 108 min | Action, Comedy, Crime

45 Metascore

When a Las Vegas performer-turned-snitch named Buddy Israel decides to turn state's evidence and testify against the mob, it seems that a whole lot of people would like to make sure he's no longer breathing.

Director: Joe Carnahan | Stars: Jeremy Piven, Ryan Reynolds, Ray Liotta, Joseph Ruskin

Votes: 152,110 | Gross: $35.66M

93. Drunken Master II (1994)

R | 102 min | Action, Comedy

74 Metascore

A young martial artist is caught between respecting his pacifist father's wishes or stopping a group of disrespectful foreigners from stealing precious artifacts.

Directors: Chia-Liang Liu, Jackie Chan | Stars: Jackie Chan, Ho-Sung Pak, Lung Ti, Anita Mui

Votes: 48,936 | Gross: $11.55M

94. Die Hard 2 (1990)

R | 124 min | Action, Thriller

67 Metascore

John McClane attempts to avert disaster as rogue military operatives seize control of Dulles International Airport in Washington, D.C.

Director: Renny Harlin | Stars: Bruce Willis, William Atherton, Bonnie Bedelia, Reginald VelJohnson

Votes: 383,187 | Gross: $117.54M

95. District 9 (2009)

R | 112 min | Action, Sci-Fi, Thriller

81 Metascore

Violence ensues after an extraterrestrial race forced to live in slum-like conditions on Earth finds a kindred spirit in a government agent exposed to their biotechnology.

Director: Neill Blomkamp | Stars: Sharlto Copley, David James, Jason Cope, Vanessa Haywood

Votes: 717,095 | Gross: $115.65M

96. Shoot 'Em Up (2007)

R | 86 min | Action, Comedy, Thriller

49 Metascore

A man named Mr. Smith delivers a woman's baby during a shootout, and is then called upon to protect the newborn from the army of gunmen.

Director: Michael Davis | Stars: Clive Owen, Monica Bellucci, Paul Giamatti, Stephen McHattie

Votes: 155,038 | Gross: $12.81M

97. Fight Club (1999)

R | 139 min | Drama

67 Metascore

An insomniac office worker and a devil-may-care soap maker form an underground fight club that evolves into much more.

Director: David Fincher | Stars: Brad Pitt, Edward Norton, Meat Loaf, Zach Grenier

Votes: 2,325,214 | Gross: $37.03M

98. Death Wish (1974)

R | 93 min | Action, Crime, Drama

51 Metascore

A New York City architect becomes a one-man vigilante squad after his wife is murdered by street punks. In self-defense, the vengeful man kills muggers on the mean streets after dark.

Director: Michael Winner | Stars: Charles Bronson, Hope Lange, Vincent Gardenia, Steven Keats

Votes: 44,064 | Gross: $22.00M

99. 300 (2006)

R | 117 min | Action, Drama

52 Metascore

In the ancient battle of Thermopylae, King Leonidas and 300 Spartans fight against Xerxes and his massive Persian army. They face insurmountable odds when they are betrayed by a Spartan reject.

Director: Zack Snyder | Stars: Gerard Butler, Lena Headey, David Wenham, Dominic West

Votes: 864,583 | Gross: $210.61M

100. Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol (2011)

PG-13 | 132 min | Action, Adventure, Thriller

73 Metascore

The IMF is shut down when it's implicated in the bombing of the Kremlin, causing Ethan Hunt and his new team to go rogue to clear their organization's name.

Director: Brad Bird | Stars: Tom Cruise, Jeremy Renner, Simon Pegg, Paula Patton

Votes: 528,577 | Gross: $209.40M



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