Hollywood’s love affair with action movies is now in its tenth decade, despite some historians considering The Great Train Robbery, released in 1903, to be the very first action movie. The genre has a rich history and more subgenres than any other. As sound came to film, action heroes such as Buck Jones developed loyal followings. In the ’30s, Hollywood studios churned out dozens of gangster films like The Public Enemy and Little Caesar. It wasn’t until the 1960s that American audiences discovered what was happening on the other side of the Pacific: Chinese movies about martial arts. After Bruce Lee’s death in 1973, the genre became an international sensation with movies like Enter the Dragon, which featured a 19-year-old stuntman, Jackie Chan.
Fast forward to today, and you can still find the same passion for action movies you could see in the last century. Whether you’re a Star Wars fan, a superhero buff, or just can’t get enough of Keanu Reeves in The Matrix series, it seems like the world doesn’t want to give this genre up. We went through the most popular, top-earning, and the best-reviewed films to select what we believe are the best action movies and franchises ever made, in no particular order.
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#1 John Wick Franchise
2014-Present | Created by Derek Kolstad
There’s little doubt that John Wick is one of the best action movies in recent memory. It’s about a retired mafia assassin who comes out of retirement to get revenge on the people who killed his dog, the last gift his deceased wife left him. The first movie was so good that it spawned several sequels and a television series. It also helped relaunch Keanu Reeves’ career as an action star: The Matrix trilogy had ended years earlier, and his other films weren’t exactly setting the world on fire. But in this role, he proved he still had a lot to show.
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53points
#2 Gladiator
2000 | 2h 35m | Directed by Ridley Scott
Gladiator is a film that knows how to play to its audience and take risks: the death of Maximus’ family is shockingly brutal; Commodus is never painted as a black hat villain, and Maximus isn’t painted as an entirely good guy either. This complexity and willingness to venture into grey areas make Gladiator a favorite for many people. The movie was met with critical acclaim and won multiple awards, including Academy Awards for Best Picture and Best Actor for Russell Crowe.
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50points
#3 The Lord Of The Rings Trilogy
2001-2003 | Directed by Peter Jackson
When they were released in 2001, 2002, and 2003 respectively, The Lord Of The Rings films redefined the fantasy genre and became one of the most successful film series of all time. The creators managed to take an ambitious project and make it real, creating an unforgettable journey that attracted fans from all over the world. Even though the films have been out for years, they still hold up as some of the top action movies in cinema.
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50points
#4 Dark Knight Trilogy
2005-2012 | Directed by Christopher Nolan
Christopher Nolan’s Batman Begins was a breath of fresh air in 2005, the first in a spate of superhero origin stories that rethought and redefined what made a good comic book movie. Nolan takes the Batman mythos, which is so well known by millions of fans worldwide, and makes it fresh and original. He gives us a new take on the character while at the same time making him true to his comic book origins.
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49points
#5 Saving Private Ryan
1998 | 2h 49m | Directed by Steven Spielberg
Saving Private Ryan is an epic war drama film set during the Invasion of Normandy in World War II. Directed by Steven Spielberg, the film is notable for its graphic and realistic portrayal of war and the intensity of its opening 27 minutes, which depict the Omaha Beach assault of June 6, 1944. It follows United States Army Rangers Captain John H. Miller and his squad as they search for James Francis Ryan, the last-surviving brother of four servicemen. In 2014, Saving Private Ryan won five Oscars and was selected for preservation in the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant.”
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49points
#6 Predator Franchise
1987-2022 | Created by Jim Thomas and John Thomas
The Predator franchise features hostile, trophy-hunting, military aliens known as Predators, who hunt humans for pure and simple fun. Since its release, the Predator franchise has received much recognition for its groundbreaking special effects, creature design, and contribution to popularizing the hybrid subgenre of science-fiction/action films with creatures as antagonists.
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48points
#7 Star Wars Franchise
1977-Present | Created by George Lucas
Star Wars is the epic space franchise created by George Lucas, which began with the eponymous 1977 film and quickly became a worldwide pop-culture phenomenon. The franchise has been expanded into various films and other media, including TV shows, games, novels, comics, and theme park attractions. The franchise holds a Guinness World Records title for the “Most successful film merchandising franchise.”
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48points
#8 The Terminator Franchise
1984-2019 | Created by James Cameron and Gale Anne Hurd
The Terminator franchise is one of the greatest action franchises ever created. The series is about a human resistance against a race of killer machines that want to exterminate the last humans left on the face of the earth. The plot is simple and effective, and it’s always fun to watch humans take on killer robots. The movies are full of special effects, explosions, and a great cast of actors. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s performance is iconic in the history of cinema.
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46points
#9 Indiana Jones Franchise
1981-Present | Directed by George Lucas
One of the most influential action movie franchises globally is Indiana Jones, which tells the story of an adventurer who travels around the globe searching for precious artifacts. The development of this franchise was no happy accident. It was a collaboration among three legendary Hollywood powerhouses: director Steven Spielberg, producer George Lucas, and actor Harrison Ford.
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44points
#10 Die Hard Franchise
1988-2013 | Created by Roderick Thorp
The Die Hard franchise is an action film series that originated with Roderick Thorp’s 1979 novel Nothing Lasts Forever. The book was first adapted into the 1988 film Die Hard, directed by John McTiernan and starring Bruce Willis as police officer John McClane. With a total of 5 movies, each entry focuses on McClane, who gets involved in violent conflicts with terrorists and represents the only one who can save the day.
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42points
#11 The Matrix Franchise
1999-2021 | Created by The Wachowskis
The Matrix franchise is a cult classic, the brainchild of two college dropouts who went on to become Hollywood millionaires. The Wachowski Sisters, as they are now known since their respective gender transitions, have had a fair share of successes and failures. The Matrix franchise is by far their greatest triumph, introducing the world to a new brand of science fiction and winning four Academy Awards in the process.
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42points
#12 Braveheart
1995 | 2h 58m | Directed by Mel Gibson
Directed and produced by Mel Gibson, who also starred as the main character, Braveheart is a historical drama that follows William Wallace, a Scottish commoner, as he leads an uprising against the English in an effort to gain independence for his country. The movie won five Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Director, though it has come under some criticism for its historical inaccuracies.
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41points
#13 First Blood
1982 | 1h 33m | Directed by Ted Kotcheff
John Rambo is a former Green Beret and Vietnam War veteran who can’t adjust to civilian life and finds himself in the middle of a one-man war against a cruel Sheriff and his men. First Blood is just as much an action movie as it is a story about the plight of veterans. Rambo’s struggle with PTSD is real and relatable in post-Vietnam War America and plays such a significant role in the plot. Rambo is also one of Stallone’s best performances, and he really sells the idea that his character has been pushed too far by a system that doesn’t understand him and really makes no effort to.
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41points
#14 The Good, The Bad And The Ugly
1966 | 2h 58m | Directed by Sergio Leone
Let’s jump back in time to the spaghetti western of the 1960s. Spaghetti westerns are so-called because they were typically filmed in Europe, often with Italian directors and crews, even though most of them are set in the American Southwest. Italian filmmaker Sergio Leone was the king of spaghetti westerns and, despite creating many great movies, this film is arguably his masterpiece.
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41points
#15 Jurassic Park Franchise
1993-Present | Created by Michael Crichton
Jurassic Park, also known as Jurassic World, is a visually stunning adventure centered on a disastrous attempt to create a theme park inhabited by cloned dinosaurs. With its good share of action, Jurassic Park is also a thoughtful science fiction movie saga about the ethics of genetic engineering and how greed can be a dangerous motivator.
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40points
#16 The Fugitive
1993 | 2h 10m | Directed by Andrew Davis
The Fugitive is an action-packed film based on the 1960s television series of the same name. It stars Harrison Ford as Richard Kimble, a well-respected surgeon who has been falsely accused of murdering his wife. He escapes custody and goes on the run from the law to prove his innocence and capture the real killer. But one man stands in his way: U.S. Marshal Samuel Gerard, who is determined to hunt him down no matter what it takes.
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37points
#17 Alien Franchise
1979-Present | Created by Dan O’Bannon and Ronald Shusett
The Alien franchise has had a unique place in the sci-fi horror genre ever since its release in 1979. The first movie created several famous tropes for alien invasion movies, such as the facehugger, chestburster, and acid blood. But even back then, it was still different from other alien movies in many ways. While most other stories of extraterrestrial life focus on humanity’s discovery of alien species or humanity’s war with aliens, Alien takes place entirely on a spacecraft where the crew has no idea what they’re up against until it’s too late.
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37points
#18 Mad Max Franchise
1979-Present | Created by George Miller and Byron Kennedy
The Mad Max franchise has been around for almost 40 years, but it’s recently gotten some renewed attention thanks to the release of the fourth installment. Mad Max is an Australian post-apocalyptic action film franchise based on a character created by George Miller and Byron Kennedy. The series follows the adventures of Max Rockatansky (initially portrayed by Mel Gibson, then by Tom Hardy), a policeman in a dystopian Australia.
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35points
#19 Bourne Franchise
2002-Present | Directed by Doug Liman, Paul Greengrass, and Tony Gilroy
The Bourne films were a refreshing change from other franchises because they didn’t rely on heavy special effects to keep the audience engaged. Instead, they used a compelling story, great actors, and real stunt work. The overall plot centers on Jason Bourne, portrayed by Matt Damon, a CIA agent suffering from dissociative amnesia.
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35points
#20 Total Recall
1990 | 1h 53m | Directed by Paul Verhoeven
The original Total Recall is an absolute classic. It tells the story of Douglas Quaid, portrayed by Arnold Schwarzenegger, a construction worker who starts to question his memories and identity after he visits Rekall, a company that promises to implant new memories into his brain. From there, Quaid finds himself in the middle of a conspiracy and has to fight for his life and that of his wife, Lori.
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33points