The action genre is practically as old as cinema itself. While The Great Train Robbery (1903) is often cited as the first “official” action movie, it had its predecessors, including single-scenario films like Attack on a China Mission (1900) or rousing space adventures like Georges Méliès’ A Trip to the Moon (1902).

Those laid the groundwork for early action stars like Buster Keaton, Douglas Fairbanks, Pearl White, Tom Mix, and William S. Hart. Swashbuckling adventures and war epics proliferated in the ’30s and ’40s, while things took a turn toward spies, cops, assassins, and sci-fi in later generations.

Action as we know it today came into its own in the 1980s, when tough guys like Arnold Schwarzenegger, Chuck Norris, Sylvester Stallone, Jean-Claude Van Damme, and Kurt Russell became fixtures of the multiplex, eager to beat the tar out of domestic terrorists and save the world from nuclear arms dealers. Lately, the genre has become the well-trod turf of superheroes.

However, there’s really nothing like the visceral punch of an action movie with some crunchy practical effects. Join Entertainment Weekly as we celebrate cinema’s oldest genre with the 30 best action-adventure movies of all time.

01 of 30

The Mummy (1999)

Reimagining the classic Universal monster movie for modern audiences, this impeccable popcorn flick revolves around adventurer Rick O’Connell (Brendan Fraser) joining forces with quick-witted librarian Evie (Rachel Weisz) in search of the lost city of Hamunaptra. They accidentally awaken a 3,000-year-old evil in the form of mummified High Priest Imhotep (Arnold Vosloo).

The Mummy captures everything you’d want in summer multiplex entertainment, plus some quintessentially creepy flourishes that hark back to Universal’s heyday. Fraser and Weisz gauge their performances perfectly — and they’re backed up by a real chef’s kiss of a supporting cast.

The frequent detours into high-octane (and impressively suspense-driven) action brilliantly evoke adventure serials of the ’30s and ’40s in a modern form.

Where to watch The Mummy: HBO Max

02 of 30

Logan’s Run (1976)

In a self-contained, hedonistic utopia in which people are allowed to live only until the age of 30, lawman Logan 5 (Michael York) has a simple job: Track down “runners” who try to avoid their fate by fleeing to the rumored “Sanctuary.” Logan is eventually tasked with finding Sanctuary and infiltrating the runners who seek it, but after getting involved with rebel Jessica 6 (Jenny Agutter), he becomes a runner himself — and even begins thinking about overthrowing the government he’s devoted his life to.

A captivating chase movie, Logan’s Run has ideas (and sequined costumes) to spare, offering hard truths about how governments and corporations view their constituents. It also delivers dazzlingly arranged action set pieces, accompanied with luscious production design that rivals the following year’s Star Wars (1977).

Where to watch Logan’s Run:Tubi

03 of 30

The Professional (1994)

Jean Reno stars as professional killer Léon. He takes a precocious orphan (Natalie Portman) under his wing, teaching her the ways of wetwork so she can seek revenge on the dirty cop (a bonkers Gary Oldman) responsible for her family’s murder.

The Professional is a sly inversion of — and indulgent celebration of — action cliches, made at a time when action movies were ubiquitous but often redundant, featuring a succession of distinctly European stars like Schwarzenegger and Van Damme. Besson turned the idea on its head with an Italian hitman operating out of an Italian restaurant.

Despite the ridiculous trappings, this is ultimately a terrific action movie. It moves like a bullet and culminates in a tremendously tense sequence in a New York apartment block.

Where to watch The Professional: YouTube

04 of 30

The Fifth Element (1997)

A loony trip into Luc Besson’s singularly perverse mind, this movie stars Bruce Willis as a New York cabbie (circa 2263) who gets drawn into an interplanetary search for four mythical, all-important stones representing the classical elements. The linchpin is the mysterious, barely intelligible Leeloo (Milla Jovovich), who happens to be the eponymous fifth (and most pivotal) element.

A classic across many genres, this unhinged odyssey finds the director at the height of his powers. Besson has tried in recent years — i.e. Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets (2017) — to recapture this sort of world-building epic, but he’s not come close. The Fifth Element is a stunning combo of thrilling action, thoughtful ideas, madcap performances, and literally awesome set design. (The digital effects have held up pretty well, too.)

Where to watch The Fifth Element: Netflix

05 of 30

Captain Blood (1935)

This seminal high-seas yarn stars Errol Flynn as Dr. Peter Blood, who’s convicted of treason and sold into slavery to Arabella Bishop (Olivia de Havilland). Eventually escaping with his fellow prisoners after they seize a Spanish ship, Blood and the liberated men take to the ocean to lead a life of piracy, becoming feared throughout the Caribbean.

Michael Curtiz’s Captain Blood finds Flynn almost at the top of his swashbuckling game. (He fully came into his own with The Adventures of Robin Hood, which wouldn’t have existed without Captain Blood.) This is a proper epic, the kind of movie that truly has something for everyone. The action sequences are crisp and crackle with excitement and an indescribable whir of perfectly choreographed chaos.

Where to watch Captain Blood:Amazon Prime Video (to rent)

06 of 30

Assault on Precinct 13 (1976)

John Carpenter’s Hollywood calling card — and the job that got him the directing gig on Halloween (1978) — was this lean, vicious actioner about a small group trapped inside a police station who are forced to fend off an all-out ambush by the band of gangsters who’ve descended upon the eponymous precinct.

A remarkably savage and satisfying neo-Western, Assault on Precinct 13 demonstrates all of the things Carpenter did best as a director. It offers its characters generous, irreverent dialogue and backstories while ceaselessly chugging along in a genre riff that is thrilling, comical, and ultimately surprisingly emotional. This is one of the very best siege movies ever made.

Where to watch Assault on Precinct 13: Amazon Prime Video

07 of 30

The Northman (2022)

​​​​​​​​Robert Eggers’ take on Hamlet — or rather, the original myth that inspired Shakespeare’s Hamlet — stars a bulked-up Alexander Skarsgård as a violent Viking who was once a prince before his father (Ethan Hawke) was murdered by his own brother (Claes Bang). Now an adult, Amleth embarks on a journey to save his mother (Nicole Kidman) and kill his uncle.

Eggers’ picture is narratively routine, but who needs plotting with such a propulsive adventure? It’s also one of the most violent (and perverse) movies to find wide release in America. (A very high compliment.) Some sequences, namely one particular head-bashing, go on for so long that the camera’s unblinking eye becomes humorous. Eggers manages to make it quite jolly. The movie is in on its own nasty joke.

Where to watch The Northman: Netflix

08 of 30

The Bourne Identity (2002)

Doug Liman kicked off Matt Damon’s action franchise with this taut riff on Robert Ludlum’s signature character. Found floating in the ocean, amnesiac Jason Bourne attempts to piece together fragments of his past with the help of a young woman (Franka Potente). Meanwhile, Clive Owen and other assassins pursue them through the streets of Europe.

Liman’s original installment is often overlooked in the wake of Paul Greengrass’ follow-ups. Those movies are a technical improvement and benefit from Greengrass’ knack for breakneck pacing, but neither is concerned as much with story as the OG. Liman does an impeccable job setting up various threads for the franchise, while also servicing a pleasing little mystery about how Bourne ended up where he did.

Where to watch The Bourne Identity: Amazon Prime Video (to rent)

09 of 30

Edge of Tomorrow (2014)

Tom Cruise stars as scaredy-cat military officer William Cage who, having never seen combat, is assigned to a deadly mission in the humans’ war against aliens. Killed within seconds, Cage is reborn into a time loop; with the help of Rita Vrataski (Emily Blunt), he has to take advantage of his seemingly unlimited lives and figure out a way to defeat the invaders.

Despite suffering an infamous identity crisis (its Live. Die. Repeat. tagline was later emphasized so heavily in marketing that it practically became an alternate title), this is one of the best blockbusters of the new(ish) millennium. As for Cruise? The man knows how to make a popcorn movie. This is an exhilarating way to execute a heady conceptual premise, elevated by a brutal wit and crisply staged action sequences.

Where to watch Edge of Tomorrow: Amazon Prime Video (to rent)

10 of 30

Escape from New York (1981)

One of many classics from John Carpenter, this futuristic punch-up finds Special Forces veteran-turned-outlaw Snake Plissken (Kurt Russell) attempting to free the U.S. president (Donald Pleasence) from captivity on the island of Manhattan, which has become a maximum security penal colony.

Escape from New York is sort of the opposite of Carpenter’s earlier Assault on Precinct 13 in that the hero is now tasked with breaking into the central location, in this case a mesmerizingly designed neo-Manhattan. At this point in his career, Carpenter was in full command of his signature blend of merciless wit and brainy thrills, something that he’s able to tap into tenfold with Russell’s commanding presence in the lead.

Where to watch Escape from New York: Amazon Prime Video

11 of 30

RRR (2022)

This ravishing, full-hearted epic is set during British rule in India, circa the early 1920s. It follows a fierce protector of the Gond tribe (N. T. Rama Rao Jr.) and an Indian police officer with revolutionary ambitions (Ram Charan) who eventually join forces against their colonial oppressors.

More than a retina-scorching action picture, an uproarious buddy comedy, or a heartfelt romance — though it is all of those things — RRR is a moving, refreshingly sentimental, and unironic exploration of male friendship. This is the epitome of cinema: an emotional thrill ride that gives audiences plenty of eye candy but even more to think about after the credits have rolled.

Where to watch RRR: Netflix

12 of 30

Romancing the Stone (1984)

Robert Zemeckis’ romantic adventure follows writer Joan Wilder (Kathleen Turner), who ventures into the jungle with the help of adventurer Jack Colton (Michael Douglas) to save her sister from a pair of antiques smugglers, including Ralph (Danny DeVito).

A sly and exciting blockbuster in the classic style, Romancing the Stone features top-tier work from a cast at the height of their powers, guided by a director likewise at the peak of his. In many ways, this movie set the template for the modern action-comedy blockbuster, but few of its many imitators have come close to matching the spunky edginess and swooning romantic intrigue of the original trend-setter.

Where to watch Romancing the Stone: Amazon Prime Video (to rent)

13 of 30

Speed (1994)

A group of Los Angelenos, including Sandra Bullock’s Annie, have the misfortune of being on the wrong bus at the wrong time. It’s been strapped with explosives, you see — all part of a vengeful ransom plot by an aggrieved former cop (Dennis Hopper) who wants millions for… well, reasons. In any case, the bus is rigged to explode, ostensibly holding Annie and everyone else in a deathtrap. Enter SWAT officer Jack Traven (Keanu Reeves), who gets himself on board said deathtrap bus in order to save the day.

Speed is pristine — a perfectly structured blockbuster built on the likability of its two magnetic leads. Hopper ended his career with a variety of similar villain roles, but here he brings real terror to the shopworn “mad bomber” archetype.

Where to watch Speed: Netflix

14 of 30

Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003)

This is the immortal story of Captain Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp), the disgraced and drunken pirate who teams with lovelorn Will Turner (Orlando Bloom) to rescue Elizabeth Swann (Keira Knightley) from the clutches of undead Captain Barbossa (Geoffrey Rush) and his band of ghoulish maties. Depp’s performance is electrifying — and still carries enough zing to remind us how subversive it was two decades ago.

The Curse of the Black Pearl is surely the best movie ever made from a theme-park ride; that might sound like damning with faint praise, but it’s really not. It unfolds like a classic adventure, almost in the key of a Hammer picture, as Gore Verbinski combines its adventure and horror leanings with the tactile imagination of a Rube Goldberg machine.

Where to watch Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl: Disney+

15 of 30

The Matrix (1999)

The ultimate cyberpunk thriller stars Keanu Reeves as Neo, an office drone by day / hacker by night who discovers, thanks to Trinity (Carrie-Anne Moss) and Morpheus (Laurence Fishburne), that his life is a simulation.

The Wachowskis’ ballet of heady sci-fi concepts and awe-inspiring action has aged remarkably well in the 27 years since its release. None of the sequels have matched its splendor (though they’re better than you remember), but the original remains one of the era’s most innovative and exciting films. Discussion about The Matrix’s influence invariably dwells on its ample visual contributions to action filmmaking. What’s often lost, however, is the Wachowskis’ deft scripting — their ability to create new worlds and weave complicated mythologies while delivering pure popcorn thrills at every turn.

Where to watch The Matrix: Peacock

16 of 30

The Great Escape (1963)

John Sturges’ wartime epic follows a group of Allied prisoners of war, including Steve McQueen’s Capt. Virgil Hilts, who meticulously plot their liberation from the Nazis holding them captive. Though it hardly ends on a victorious note, this is a visceral and wry escape picture with a historical backdrop that undeniably makes it more powerful. It’s another terrific action movie with the suspense of a white-knuckle thriller, something that only the Mission: Impossible sequels are clever enough to do nowadays.

McQueen was never better than he was here, but he’s joined by a murderer’s row of supporting players, including Donald Pleasence, Charles Bronson, and James Garner. If you’ve not caught up with this absolute classic, stop reading this list and do so now.

Where to watch The Great Escape: YouTube

17 of 30

Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969)

This thematic precursor to RRR, “based on a true story,” stars Paul Newman and Robert Redford, respectively, as the title outlaws, on the lam after a string of train robberies. With a team of trackers from the U.S. hot on their trail, they eventually flee to Bolivia with Sundance’s betrothed, Etta (Katharine Ross).

George Roy Hill’s breezy action-comedy is a deft melding of tones and genres. In lesser hands, some of the flourishes might play as laughable; here, they give the movie a singular charm that populates its every frame. This is one of the ultimate “feel-good” movies, despite its less-than-feel-good ending — which, of course, is one of the film’s greatest tricks.

Where to watch Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid: Amazon Prime Video (to rent)

18 of 30

Mission: Impossible – Fallout (2018)

The sixth and best of the Mission: Impossible films finds Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) and his IMF team trying to recover stolen plutonium while contending with betrayal from within their own ranks. That’s mere window dressing, however, for the series’ most death-defying and thrill-inducing installment to date.

Christopher McQuarrie assumed directing duties with the prior entry (taking the baton from Brad Bird’s franchise-revitalizing Ghost Protocol)and proceeded to push the series to greater and greater heights. Fallout represents M:I at its absolute best. The film delivers all the insane action sequences we’ve come to expect, but also ties up seemingly abandoned threads from previous installments in satisfactory, and surprisingly emotional, fashion.

Where to watch Mission: Impossible – Fallout: Paramount+

19 of 30

John Wick (2014)

With this ultra-violent twist on the classical revenge picture, Keanu Reeves revitalized his career and gave us the action hero we didn’t know we needed. The eponymous former assassin is drawn back into the game after some thugs (led by Alfie Allen) kill his dog and royally piss him off.

Nothing beats the straightforward thrills of this stylish actioner, which turns Reeves into a hybrid of Alain Delon, Chow Yun-fat, and Lee Marvin from Point Blank (1967) and filters him through a less old-fashioned, more pulp-mythological lens. His John Wick was a breath of fresh air. The movie builds a world that’s not just fleshed out but worthy of further exploration, while delivering proper thrills and jaw-dropping mayhem, all in 101 minutes. Is there anything better?

Where to watch John Wick: AMC+

20 of 30

Die Hard (1988)

Bruce Willis proved his cinematic star power with this endlessly influential action movie. Willis stars as New York cop John McClane, who takes a Christmas trip to L.A. to see his estranged wife (Bonnie Bedelia), only to find himself the quite accidental fly in the ointment of a terrorist plot. The once and future Mrs. McClane and her co-workers are taken hostage by dapper Hans Gruber (Alan Rickman) and his merry band of international thieves. John aims to stop them even if it means walking over broken glass barefoot to do it.

Even after years of inferior sequels and retreads, the pure adrenaline high of Die Hard remains inimitable. There’s something deviously satisfying about how brilliantly John McTiernan’s film hits the expected beats.

Where to watch Die Hard: Amazon Prime Video

21 of 30

Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000)

Ang Lee’s soaring epic, set in Qing dynasty-era China, follows a swordsman (Chow Yun-fat) and his warrior lover (Michelle Yeoh) whose lives become entangled with a rebellious young aristocrat (Zhang Ziyi) after she steals his prized sword, the Green Destiny. The ensuing pursuit tests their martial arts skills and everything they’ve learned to date.

In crafting one of the best martial arts films of all time, Lee offers an expansive, mythic take on a genre too often confined to the grindhouse. The film, renowned for its gravity-defying action sequences and post-Matrix wire work, earned Best Picture and Best Director nominations for its soulful, nuanced characterizations and lush visuals.

Where to watch Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon: Amazon Prime Video (to rent)

22 of 30

Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)

The first of Steven Spielberg’s Indiana Jones franchise stars Harrison Ford as the archaeological adventurer. His mission is to keep the Ark of the Covenant out of the hands of Nazis who seek it for (needless to say) nefarious means. They’re aided by Indy’s archaeological rival, René Belloq. Essentially it becomes a race, chase, and scavenger hunt, with Indy joined by his ex-lover Marion Ravenwood (Karen Allen) and loyal pal Sallah (John Rhys-Davies).

The classic modern adventure remains endlessly rewatchable; Spielberg is simply in top form, executing a dizzying array of action sequences and comic stunts. It’s also hard to imagine anyone other than Ford as the wisecracking hero, a definitive piece of casting if there ever was one.

Where to watch Raiders of the Lost Ark: Disney+

23 of 30

Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)

James Cameron basically invented the modern blockbuster with this sequel to The Terminator(1984). Moving from a simple chase movie to a full-on action epic, Cameron sends the T-800 (Arnold Schwarzenegger) to save John Connor (Edward Furlong) in order to prevent the end of days. First they have to rescue John’s imprisoned mother Sarah (Linda Hamilton), who’s refashioned herself into a ruthless war machine. (Convincing her Arnold is the good guy this time is another matter.)

The remarkable thing about Judgment Day is how the special effects look better than just about anything in cinemas today. This came during Cameron’s most fertile and creative period. It plays like the work of a filmmaker completely unleashed, capturing his wildest dreams. There’s giddiness in every frame.

Where to watch Terminator 2: Judgment Day: Paramount+

24 of 30

On Her Majesty’s Secret Service (1969)

George Lazenby’s only outing as James Bond is this rollicking romp by Peter R. Hunt. Bond is forced up against Blofeld (Telly Savalas), who has a plan to ransom the entire world, threatening the global food supply with biological agents designed to render crops and livestock infertile.

On Her Majesty’s Secret Service was controversial at the time, with many decrying Lazenby’s casting. The actor had no prior acting experience before replacing Sean Connery. In truth, he acquits himself nicely as the superspy. The film itself is an exciting, terrifically structured spy thriller that represents the best of what the 007 franchise does. Its central set piece, a thrilling ski chase down the Alps, inspired a similar sequence in Christopher Nolan’s Inception (2010).

Where to watch On Her Majesty’s Secret Service: Amazon Prime Video (to rent)

25 of 30

The Fugitive (1993)

Andrew Davis’ taut Best Picture nominee stars Harrison Ford as Richard Kimble, a respected doctor falsely convicted of his wife’s murder. In a stroke of luck, he finds himself free and on the run thanks to an escape attempt by fellow inmates, then takes the opportunity to uncover the truth — and the real killer. A dogged, no-B.S. U.S. Marshal (Tommy Lee Jones) is close in pursuit.

This star vehicle is one of the best examples of a chase thriller; its script is smart and ruthlessly structured, while Ford and Jones are perfectly matched. The movie features several spectacular set pieces, some of which defy gravity and credulity, but at its heart, The Fugitive is a classically satisfying mystery in the Agatha Christie tradition.

Where to watch The Fugitive: Amazon Prime Video (to rent)

26 of 30

The Lords of the Rings trilogy (2001–2003)

Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings trilogy remains unmatched. The story of Frodo Baggins (Elijah Wood) embarking on a quest to destroy a powerful ring in order to save Middle-earth from the Dark Lord Sauron is a towering achievement. The final installment, The Return of the King, rightfully won the Oscar for Best Picture.

Jackson was seemingly born to make this sort of film, a deeply detailed and exhaustively layered depiction of the universe created by J.R.R. Tolkien. That it’s populated with disgusting creatures and monsters, Jackson’s forté, doesn’t hurt. The greatest trick is that he imbues the larger-than-life fantasy with real-world stakes without the material ever becoming bogged down in its own import. These films are, first and foremost, propulsive, good-time rollercoaster rides. 

Where to watch The Lords of the Rings trilogy: HBO Max

27 of 30

The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938)

Errol Flynn has never been better than in this buckling charmer. When King Richard (Ian Hunter) is captured, Flynn’s Robin Hood must stop the king’s conniving brother, Prince John (Claude Rains), from ascending the throne. Rounding up his merry men of Sherwood Forest, and his Maid Marian (Olivia de Havilland), Robin goes about resisting John’s rule and securing Richard’s throne.

This beautifully designed, sweepingly romantic epic plays as if Flynn and Michael Curtiz took everything they did right on Captain Blood and plotted to outdo it. The action sequences have an astonishingly visceral quality; one can’t imagine how dangerous they seemed in 1938. Robin Hood plays most like a giddy stunt show, a succession of hair-raising sequences executed with only the intent to wow the audience.

Where to watch The Adventures of Robin Hood:Tubi

28 of 30

Aliens (1986)

James Cameron’s Aliens takes Ridley Scott’s predominantly horror-inflected original and spins it into a rollicking actioner. Sigourney Weaver returns as Ripley, who’s awakened decades after the events of the first film to find herself on a futuristic space colony. With a crew of military commandos, Ripley must defend the colony from an alien attack and keep 9-year-old Newt (Carrie Henn) in safe hands.

Cameron’s enthralling action epic still looks stunning four decades later. It’s the first movie to truly herald the director as an auteur of unhinged spectacle, and it remains one of his most pure and unfiltered movies. Aliens is thrilling and frightening in equal measure, with a driving score by James Horner that ranks among the decade’s finest.

Where to watch Aliens: Amazon Prime Video (to rent)

29 of 30

Heat (1995)

Michael Mann’s hyper-masculine odyssey through the darker corners of Los Angeles is one of the best movies of its time, let alone one of the finest action movies ever made. A film that continues to inspire imitators, Al Pacino plays an intensely committed cop trying to track down a crew of merciless bank robbers, led by Robert De Niro.

This labyrinthine crime epic is most frequently discussed for the central action sequence, a bank robbery that turns into an intensely realistic firefight in downtown L.A., but its best attributes are its attention to character and detail. Many movies have tried to be Heat, but none have come close to matching its exquisite blend of thrills, character, and cinematography.

Where to watch Heat: Amazon Prime Video (to rent)

30 of 30

Mad Max: Fury Road (2015)

There’s no better action movie on Earth than George Miller’s hell-for-leather quest for water and redemption. There’s something classically mythical about Miller’s straightforward action opus, which follows the titular Max Rockatansky (Tom Hardy) teaming up with one-armed Furiosa (Charlize Theron) on a desperate race across the desert to escape the grotesque and tyrannical Immortan Joe (Hugh Keays-Byrne), certainly one of the most fearsome and disgusting villains in modern cinema.

As movies slip further into the uncanny valley of digital chaos, Miller devised a brilliantly practical antidote to all the weightless CGI bogging down multiplex screens. There is a genuine power and weight to the action sequences here, which comprise most of Fury Road’s two-hour runtime.

Where to watch Mad Max: Fury Road: Amazon Prime Video (to rent)

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