If you are a movie buff, you must at some point in time loved action movies. They are hard to resist and the allure and entertainment that comes with them is worthwhile. Action figures have attained commercial god status in some countries with millions in memorabilia sales. A few action movies stand out with epic storylines, action scenes and memorable dialogues. Here are the top ten:
1. Die Hard
The first installment of the Die hard franchise will forever be in the history books of action cinema. The 1988 classic redefined both the action movie and the action star, creating the formula terrorists and lone heroes co-exist. Bruce Willis made a name for himself, starring as detective John McClane. Directed by John McTiernan, Die Hard is the perfect action movie, with great set-pieces, humor, character development, a brilliant and nasty villain, and a plot that actually makes you care about the characters. Yippee-ki-yay indeed!
2. Terminator 2: Judgment day
Director extraordinaire James Cameron’s 1991 sequel to the 1984 movie, Terminator that made Arnold Schwarzenegger a worldwide star, Terminator 2: Judgment Day awes with in non-stop action, state-of-the-art special effects (that still manage to look impressive today), and a great villain (the seemingly unstoppable T-1000, played by Robert Patrick)
3. The Raid : Redemption
The leanest, meanest action movie of the last couple of years came to us from Indonesia. Released in 2011, The Raid’s incredible action sequences don’t just stun you, they kick your teeth in. The story is simple: when a SWAT team of 20 elite cops are trapped in a building full of killers with no backup, they must fight or die. The Raid’s absolutely incredibly choreographed fight scenes are what action movies are about. Confidently shot and brutally realistic, The Raid is an essential action experience. Thumbs up to Director Gareth Evans.
4. Enter The Dragon
Enter the Dragon was the last movie the legendary Chinese actor Bruce Lee acted in before his death. It marked the martial arts master’s entrance into big-budget Hollywood films. Directed by Robert Clouse, with the fighting choreographed by Lee himself, Enter the Dragon was thrilling and shocking in similar fashion. With some of the best action sequences in any martial arts movie, including a memorable battle between Lee and the claw-fisted Han , Enter the Dragon showed a great martial artist at his peak and makes fans wonder what would have come next.
5. Speed
Director Jan De Bont reduced action moviemaking to its most febrile essence by creating Speed, a thrill ride that is so unrelenting that audiences are still catching their breath almost 20 years after its release. The movie offers one thrilling set-piece after another as the heroes do everything in their power to keep a bomb laden bus moving. Even when the bus is blown to smithereens, the explosions still keep coming right until the very end. Keanu Reeves, playing to his strengths as a strong, silent type, pairs up with Sandra Bullock for a series of unforgettable set-pieces.
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6. Rambo First Blood
Despite being tarnished by its dumb sequels, First Blood will forever go down as one of the greatest action movies ever produced. John Rambo’s first outing was a psychologically sophisticated and rather harrowing account of a disturbed Vietnam veteran on the run from an overzealous sheriff. Rambo uses his well-honed combat and survival skills against Sheriff Teasle’s posse and the National Guard. Ultimately, Rambo’s former commanding officer is called in to try and bring a peaceful end to the deadly standoff.
7. Casino Royale
Released in 2006, Casino Royale is perhaps the most celebrated of all 007’s adventures. Daniel Craig played a rugged James Bond on the outside, but emotionally damaged and vulnerable underneath, in the process adding a layer of depth previously unseen in Bond’s outings. The action sequences – several of which, like the opening parkour set-piece, must be seen to be believed – are breathtaking and returned Bond to his down and dirty roots.
8. Desperado
Starring Antonio Banderas and directed by Robert Rodriguez, the Mexican set film has an intriguing storyline. Banderas stars as a former ‘Mariachi’ (Bandit) who seeks revenge on the drug lord who killed his lover. It’s the second film in the Mexico trilogy. It’s the prequel to ‘Once Upon a Time in Mexico.’ The musical composition for the film has also been widely praised.
9. Olympus Has Fallen
The film qualifies as the best action film of 2013 (so far). It has a powerful main cast in Gerard Butler and Morgan freeman. The action scenes and the tense atmosphere put in place by director Antoine Fuqua make the movie a masterpiece. Despite it portraying the United States government as vulnerable, the film offers quality entertainment from beginning to end. The solid performance by Gerard Butler has been widely praised.
10. The Bourne Ultimatum
The Paul Greengrass-directed sequel is a slam-bang conclusion to one of the most unique and adult action franchises ever produced by a major studio. Ultimatum is the most relentlessly-paced entry in the frenetic trilogy; the action scenes are breathtaking and they include some of the best foot and car chases ever filmed. Bourne’s prolonged bout with CIA asset Desh in Tangiers is arguably the most brutal hand-to-hand fight in the series, while the car chase between Bourne and another asset is like The French Connection on steroids.
