Summary

• Outstanding action movies can be enjoyed over and over again if they combine thrilling action sequences with a compelling story.
• Big-name action stars and humor can enhance the appeal of an action movie, but it ultimately relies on delivering high-stakes thrills.
• The best action movies retain their allure even after the surprises of the plot have been revealed, allowing for timeless enjoyment.

Action movies are usually great for multiple rewatches, but some hold up better than others. The action genre trades in fights, chases, and big stunts. If they are done well, none of these should lose their appeal after the first watch, so outstanding action movies can be enjoyed over and over again. However, even if a movie has great fight choreography and thrilling stunts, it also needs a compelling story to create a sense of jeopardy.

If a movie is able to combine an interesting plot with flawless action sequences, it can be enjoyed for endless rewatches. Big-name action stars and a good sense of humor can always help, but an action movie lives and dies by its ability to deliver high-stakes thrills. The best action movies retain most of their allure even after the surprises of the plot have all been revealed, and this means that some classics are enjoyed over and over again, even decades after they were made.

15 Kingsman: The Secret Service (2014)

A send-up of spy tropes that still has tons of originality

Matthew Vaughn’s stylish spy movie pokes fun at the sci-fi gadgets and bizarre villains of the James Bond franchise, but it doesn’t fail to deliver on some incredible action sequences. While Kingsman is proudly derivative in some ways, it has plenty of action set pieces which are wholly original. The first Kingsman movie features a car chase in reverse, a villain with sharpened blades instead of feet, and a rainbow-colored head-popping climax. It’s no wonder that such a fun and creative action comedy kick-started a franchise.

14 Taken (2008)

Liam Neeson helps elevate a simple premise to a high-octane thrill-ride

Taken works with the simplest of premises. A former CIA operative uses his skills to rescue his daughter and her friends from a human trafficking ring. After the chilling phone call which remains the film’s most famous moment, Liam Neeson runs around Paris with fury in his eyes, using any weapon he can get his hands on to make good on his promise. Taken works within the conventions of the action genre, but Neeson’s fights seem like they genuinely hurt, which raises the stakes even higher.

13 Oldboy (2003)

A South Korean action masterpiece with mystery elements

After being held captive for 15 years, Oh Dae-su seeks revenge on those who imprisoned him. Rather than strafing through his enemies with a machine gun, Oh Dae-su often uses a hammer, which gives Oldboy a completely unique visual style. Although it’s a classic of South Korean cinema, Oldboy has taken a while to reach an international audience. It’s still relatively underrated in the West, but Spike Lee’s underwhelming remake shows just how brilliant the original is.

12 Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)

A superb sci-fi sequel that revolutionized visual effects

Terminator 2
pioneered the use of CGI for the T-1000, but its most impressive stunts are all achieved with practical effects.

Terminator 2 is a rare example of a sequel to an action classic that manages to surpass the original. Arnold Schwarzenegger and Robert Patrick play two very different Terminators from the future who fight through the streets of 1990s Los Angeles over a young boy who leads the human resistance in the future. Terminator 2 pioneered the use of CGI for the T-1000, but its most impressive stunts are all achieved with practical effects. Director James Cameron ensures there is no shortage of tense action sequences.

11 Skyfall (2012)

A James Bond movie that delivers on everything fans could hope for

There are plenty of James Bond movies which can be enjoyed over and over again. Casino Royale, Goldfinger and The Spy Who Loved Me are all excellent, depending on one’s particular taste in Bond, but Skyfall still stands out. Skyfall pits the typically suave and detached 007 against a uniquely personal foe, as he must protect M from a rogue agent who has come seeking revenge. Daniel Craig gives a brilliant performance as Bond, and Javier Bardem is equal to him as one of the franchise’s best villains.

10 Hot Fuzz (2007)

Edgar Wright’s action spoof is both hilarious and thrilling

Hot Fuzz is a hilarious genre parody of action thrillers, placing an all-action hero-cop in a sleepy English village. However, while Hot Fuzz lampoons shoot-em-ups like Bad Boys and Lethal Weapon, it also matches up to them in terms of explosive, thrilling action. Director Edgar Wright uses Hot Fuzz to poke fun at a genre he loves, and the result is a chaotic but hilarious ride to uncover a shadowy conspiracy hiding beneath the quaint bucolic pleasures of the English countryside.

9 Rush Hour (1998)

Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker form an unlikely duo with boundless charm

In many ways, Jackie Chan’s dynamic with Chris Tucker represents his transition to Hollywood movies. Lee is highly-skilled and incredibly well-respected, but when he arrives in America he is forced to work with people a lot less talented and a lot louder than him, and he has to work within the confines of their system. Rush Hour has hilarious moments to accompany Chan’s jaw-dropping stunt work. His ability to combine physical comedy with impressive fight scenes is what makes Rush Hour stand out from other action comedies.

8 Enter The Dragon (1973)

Bruce Lee’s martial arts magnum opus influenced the genre long after his death

Enter the Dragon shows Bruce Lee at his brilliant best, shortly before his tragic death at the age of 32. As one of the first movies to combine martial arts with elements of espionage, Enter the Dragon helped shape the future of the genre. Lee plays a martial artist who goes undercover to spy on a drug kingpin, fighting his way through legions of enemies and eventually leading to the unforgettable hall of mirrors scene.

7 Mission: Impossible – Fallout (2018)

Massive stunts, beautiful locations, and a powerful plot

Although it’s the sixth movie in the Mission: Impossible franchise, Fallout can be enjoyed by newcomers as an outstanding action thriller with high stakes and a compelling plot. Ethan Hunt and his team race against the clock to prevent a nuclear disaster, and Tom Cruise once again takes Mission: Impossible‘s unbelievable stunts to new heights. Fallout develops Ethan’s character much more than previous movies in the franchise, but the main draw is and always will be the extravagant set pieces in some beautiful locations.

6 John Wick (2014)

Chad Stahelski’s stylized revenge thriller has no shortage of imitators

The John Wick franchise has since developed the complex world around its protagonist a lot more, but the movie that started it all keeps things simple. John Wick is a retired assassin who seeks revenge on Russian gangsters after they kill his new puppy. This is all the set-up that’s necessary for a neon-soaked revenge rampage featuring some revolutionary fight choreography. John Wick was such a shot of adrenaline to the action genre when it first came out that it has essentially inspired a subgenre of John Wick copycats, but the original is hard to beat.

5 Kill Bill: Volume 1 (2003)

Tarantino’s tribute to action classics is a patchwork of eye-catching fight scenes

The two Kill Bill movies add up to an exciting double feature, but they can also be appreciated separately. Volume 1 introduces the Bride and sets her on her path toward bloody revenge, and it takes her through the Crazy 88, O-Ren and more villains. Quentin Tarantino’s revenge thriller sacrifices any hint of realism for stylized, cinematic violence. It’s a tribute to the pulp hits that he would watch in his youth, but Kill Bill surpasses many of the movies it pays homage to.

4 Mad Max: Fury Road (2015)

A triumphant return for one of the great action franchises

Mad Max: Fury Road shows that practical effects are alive and well in the age of CGI-heavy blockbusters. Essentially one exhausting car chase through the desert, Fury Road constantly comes up with new ways to reinvent car stunts and post-apocalyptic action. The subtle worldbuilding sets the scene expertly, with some oddities seen but never explained, providing an immersive tale. Tom Hardy and Charlize Theron are both excellent, but the movie puts hair-raising action in focus, with the characters desperately clinging on for survival. The upcoming Mad Max prequel, Furiosa, has a lot to live up to.

3 Raiders Of The Lost Ark (1981)

Spielberg and Ford whisk their audience away on a globe-trotting treasure hunt

With a rollicking score by John Williams and a charming performance from Harrison Ford,
Raider of the Lost Ark
is a relentless crowd-pleaser.

Steven Spielberg’s original Indiana Jones trilogy is always good for a rewatch, and the first movie is a perfect action-adventure, with plenty of danger and an exciting mystery. From Indy’s introduction as he tries to steal a golden idol right up to Raiders of the Lost Ark‘s incredible face-melting scene, Spielberg delivers a non-stop thrill ride. With a rollicking score by John Williams and a charming performance from Harrison Ford, Raider of the Lost Ark is a relentless crowd-pleaser.

2 The Dark Knight (2008)

A superhero classic which probes at the nature of human morality

Over 15 years after its release, The Dark Knight is still the gold-standard for superhero movies. In a stellar trilogy, Heath Ledger’s unforgettable performance as the Joker puts The Dark Knight over the top. The Joker’s war with Batman is a fascinating battle over the heart of Gotham. It’s not just Bruce Wayne’s life which is at stake, but the moral fortitude which underpins all human society. In the Joker’s vision of the future, humanity becomes indistinguishable from animals, and chaos reigns.

1 Die Hard (1988)

A high-intensity thriller from start to finish

Die Hard has every element that makes action movies great for multiple rewatches: a sympathetic hero, clearly defined stakes, and a villain who is just as compelling. The fact that Die Hard executes all of these basics so adeptly, and with such confidence, is what makes it an action classic. John McClane is just a regular cop in an impossible situation, and this tension pulses throughout the entire movie. When he gets glass stuck in his feet or bullets fly past his head, there is an authentic sense of danger.