Top 20 Action Films That Define Excitement

Great action films have the power to make audiences gasp, cheer and leave theaters with an adrenaline rush. The best examples feature thrilling spectacle, charismatic protagonists and kinetically choreographed fights and stunts. This list celebrates the most intense, influential and exhilarating action movies that continue to set the bar for the genre.

Spanning decades, these definitive films exemplify the tremendous skill and craftsmanship involved in creating gripping, memorable cinematic thrills. Whether focusing on martial arts masters, covert operatives, superheroes or renegade cops, the Top 20 action movies of all time feature bold visionaries and talented performers at the top of their game. From hidden gems to box office smashes, these movies remind us why heart-pounding action remains one of cinema's most beloved genres.

Top Twenty Action Films of All Time

Before going into details of each movie separately, we have compiled a list of all the top twenty action movies in the following table. You can jump to any song details by clicking its name from the following table.

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1 - The Dark Knight (2008)

• Lead actor: Christian Bale as Bruce Wayne (Batman)
• Supporting actors: Heath Ledger as The Joker, Aaron Eckhart as Harvey Dent
• Director: Christopher Nolan
• Release date: July 18, 2008
• Runtime: 152 minutes
• IMDB Rating: 9.0
• Box office: $1.005 billion
• Language: English

Christopher Nolan revolutionized superhero movies with The Dark Knight, transforming Batman into a visceral crime saga exploring chaos and escalating violence. Christian Bale dons the cape and cowl, facing off against Heath Ledger's chilling, Oscar-winning take on the Joker as he unleashes terror on Gotham City.

Nolan grounds the film in palpable realism, examining mature philosophical themes through tense sequences like the interrogation room face-off between Batman and Joker. Supported by an excellent Aaron Eckhart as Harvey Dent, The Dark Knight cemented Batman as a complex tragic hero and remains an undisputed modern classic.

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2 - Inception (2010)

• Lead actor: Leonardo DiCaprio as Cobb
• Supporting actors: Joseph Gordon-Levitt as Arthur, Ellen Page as Ariadne
• Director: Christopher Nolan
• Release date: July 16, 2010
• Runtime: 148 minutes
• IMDB Rating: 8.8
• Box office: $836.8 million
• Language: English

Christopher Nolan again broke new ground with Inception, a mind-bending heist thriller exploring dream manipulation. Leonardo DiCaprio stars as Dom Cobb, an "extractor" hired to plant ideas in targets' subconscious. To pull off his riskiest job yet, Cobb assembles a skilled team for an ambitious dive into layered dream states.

Nolan's complex narrative unfolds with gripping suspense, leading to stunning visuals like cities folding in on themselves. Remaining ambiguous while exploring the fragility of reality itself, Inception became an instant sci-fi classic thanks to its grand scale and human core embodied by DiCaprio's emotional performance.

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3 - Casino Royale (2006)

• Lead actor: Daniel Craig as James Bond
• Supporting actors: Eva Green as Vesper Lynd, Mads Mikkelsen as Le Chiffre
• Director: Martin Campbell
• Release date: November 14, 2006
• Runtime: 144 minutes
• IMDB Rating: 8.0
• Box office: $616.5 million
• Language: English

In Daniel Craig's first outing as 007, Casino Royale rebooted James Bond with a grittier, more grounded take on the iconic spy. After earning his license to kill, Bond pursues Le Chiffre (Mads Mikkelsen), a banker financing terrorists, in a high-stakes poker game. But Bond falls for alluring treasury agent Vesper Lynd (Eva Green) , compromising the mission.

Director Martin Campbell emulates Bond creator Ian Fleming's sensibilities, stripping away quips and outrageous stunts for a tense, hard-hitting tone. Craig's intense, physical performance made him a worthy successor by showing a cunning yet vulnerable side to Bond. The thrilling parkour chase and brutal fight scenes display the agent's skill and determination in his early years.

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4 - Aliens (1986)

• Lead actress: Sigourney Weaver as Ellen Ripley
• Supporting actors: Carrie Henn as Newt, Michael Biehn as Cpl. Dwayne Hicks
• Director: James Cameron
• Release date: July 18, 1986
• Runtime: 137 minutes
• IMDB Rating: 8.3
• Box office: $183.3 million
• Language: English

James Cameron's nerve-wracking sequel Aliens elevated the sci-fi action genre with its relentless dread, groundbreaking effects and iconic heroine. Reprising her role as Ripley, Sigourney Weaver leads a group of Colonial Marines to planet LV-426, infested with predatory xenomorph creatures. Once the aliens ambush their mission, Ripley must protect the young Newt and survive the nonstop terror.

Cameron deftly balances horror and military action for relentless suspense, punctuated by explosive showdowns with the alien Queen. Bolstered by Weaver's fierce performance, Aliens became the rare sequel surpassing the original and set new standards for sci-fi.

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5 - The Bourne Identity (2002)

• Lead actor: Matt Damon as Jason Bourne
• Supporting actors: Franka Potente as Marie Kreutz, Chris Cooper as Alexander Conklin
• Director: Doug Liman
• Release date: June 14, 2002
• Runtime: 119 minutes
• IMDB Rating: 7.9
• Box office: $214 million
• Language: English

Based on Robert Ludlum's novel, The Bourne Identity launched one of cinema's best modern spy franchises led by Matt Damon's tormented amnesiac hero. When Jason Bourne wakes up with no memory or identity, instinct propels him to piece together his mysterious past life as a CIA assassin.

Damon brings an electrifying physicality to Bourne through stunning fight choreography and real-world locations. Director Doug Liman grounds the intrigue in gritty realism, vaulting the character into a class of his own distinct from James Bond's gadget-heavy escapades. With its intense car and foot chases, Bourne reinvented the espionage thriller for a new generation.

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6 - Mad Max: Fury Road (2015)

• Lead actors: Tom Hardy as Max Rockatansky, Charlize Theron as Furiosa
• Director: George Miller
• Release date: May 15, 2015
• Runtime: 120 minutes
• IMDB Rating: 8.1
• Box office: $378.9 million
• Language: English

Four decades after his original Mad Max, director George Miller topped himself with the masterful Fury Road. Tom Hardy steps in as the drifter Max, reluctantly aiding rebel Imperator Furiosa (Charlize Theron) in escaping a hellish desert wasteland and homicidal warlord Immortan Joe.

Miller creates jaw-dropping practical effects and road stunts, filming with incredible grit and kinetic energy. Theron matches Max scene for scene with fierce physicality and emotional depth that expanded the franchise's scope. With sparse dialogue and inventive world-building, Fury Road set a new bar for the action genre through sheer exhilarating craft.

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7 - Edge of Tomorrow (2014)

• Lead actors: Tom Cruise as Major William Cage, Emily Blunt as Sergeant Rita Vrataski
• Director: Doug Liman
• Release date: June 6, 2014
• Runtime: 113 minutes
• IMDB Rating: 7.9
• Box office: $370.5 million
• Language: English

Tom Cruise stars as an Army officer reliving a deadly battle with aliens, experiencing countless deaths through a time loop until gaining the skills to win. Once Cage teams up with legendary warrior Rita Vrataski (Emily Blunt), he trains over many grueling replays to defeat the extraterrestrial Mimics.

Director Doug Liman infuses the repetitious storyline with energy and emotion while showcasing Blunt as a formidable heroine. Groundhog Day meets Starship Troopers, Edge of Tomorrow combined clever sci-fi ideas with Cruise's bravura performance to create a unique, crowd-pleasing summer blockbuster. The nonstop action and gravitas sets it apart from typical alien invasion films.

8 - The Matrix (1999)

• Lead actor: Keanu Reeves as Neo
• Supporting actors: Laurence Fishburne as Morpheus, Carrie-Anne Moss as Trinity
• Directors: The Wachowskis
• Release date: March 31, 1999
• Runtime: 136 minutes
• IMDB Rating: 8.7
• Box office: $463.5 million
• Language: English

The Wachowskis’ reality-warping sci-fi saga sent shockwaves through Hollywood with its game-changing action visuals and existential ideas. Keanu Reeves stars as hacker Neo who learns that humanity lives trapped inside a simulated reality created by machines. A band of rebels, led by Morpheus (Laurence Fishburne) and Trinity (Carrie-Anne Moss), battle to free humankind.

Breakthrough "Bullet Time" effects created limitless possibilities for choreographing fights. Blending anime influences, wire-fu stunts and philosophical concepts, The Matrix remains a seminal modern sci-fi film. Its iconic moments like Neo dodging bullets never lose their sense of cool.

9 - Gladiator (2000)

• Lead actor: Russell Crowe as Maximus
• Supporting actors: Joaquin Phoenix as Commodus, Connie Nielsen as Lucilla
• Director: Ridley Scott
• Release date: May 5, 2000
• Runtime: 155 minutes
• IMDB Rating: 8.5
• Box office: $457 million
• Language: English

Ridley Scott brought staggering realism and spectacle to the swords and sandals genre with Gladiator's epic tale of a Roman general's fall from glory. After Emperor Commodus (Joaquin Phoenix) betrays Maximus (Russell Crowe), the former general becomes a gladiator, seeking revenge while rallying the Colosseum crowd behind him.

Scott immerses viewers in the savage yet honorable gladiator arena with visceral, bloody fight scenes. Crowe conveys Maximus’ inner nobility and grief with a stoic, commanding performance. Grandest in scope and execution, Gladiator revived the historical action drama through top-notch filmmaking.

10 - Taken (2008)

• Lead actor: Liam Neeson as Bryan Mills
• Supporting actors: Maggie Grace as Kim Mills, Famke Janssen as Lenore Mills
• Director: Pierre Morel
• Release date: January 30, 2008
• Runtime: 93 minutes
• IMDB Rating: 7.8
• Box office: $226 million
• Language: English

Liam Neeson commandeered the violent vigilante thriller Taken with his restrained yet intimidating turn as former CIA operative Bryan Mills. When Albanian criminals kidnap Mills' daughter (Maggie Grace), he uses lethal skills honed over his long career to pursue the culprits and rescue his child.

While economical in execution, Taken still delivers with stylish, hard-hitting action courtesy of producer Luc Besson. Neeson grounds the far-fetched setup in palpable fury and fatherly love, making Bryan Mills an immensely satisfying avenging hero. His standout speech promising violence still stands among the great modern tough guy movie moments.

11 - Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)

• Lead actors: Arnold Schwarzenegger as The Terminator, Linda Hamilton as Sarah Connor
• Director: James Cameron
• Release date: July 3, 1991
• Runtime: 137 minutes
• IMDB Rating: 8.5
• Box office: $520.9 million
• Language: English

James Cameron raised the bar for action filmmaking and visual effects with the relentlessly exhilarating T2. Arnold Schwarzenegger returns as a reprogrammed Terminator sent back in time to protect teenage John Connor (Edward Furlong), future leader of the human resistance, from the liquid metal T-1000 (Robert Patrick).

Cameron expands on the original's cat-and-mouse chase dynamic by having the heroes stay mobile to evade the morphing T-1000. Expertly paced with heart-stopping stunts, T2 cemented Schwarzenegger's icon status with the perfect role for his robotic yet sympathetic presence. Linda Hamilton likewise transforms Sarah Connor into a gritty warrior. Both a technical marvel and popcorn classic, T2 set action spectacle standards still imitated today.

12 - Die Hard (1988)

• Lead actor: Bruce Willis as John McClane
• Supporting actor: Alan Rickman as Hans Gruber
• Director: John McTiernan
• Release date: July 20, 1988
• Runtime: 132 minutes
• IMDB Rating: 8.2
• Box office: $140.8 million
• Language: English

John McTiernan's Die Hard redefined the action genre by confining an off-duty cop in a claustrophobic Los Angeles high-rise taken over by terrorists. With precise editing and camerawork, McTiernan maximizes tension throughout the expansive Plaza tower. As NYPD's John McClane, Bruce Willis brought quips, tenacity and vulnerability to the iconic role, spawning countless imitators trying to match his relatable heroism.

McClane's guerilla tactics using the tower's resources against Hans Gruber's (Alan Rickman) crew set exhilarating new standards for action set pieces. Cementing Willis’ stardom, Die Hard combines spectacle, wit and heart into arguably the definitive American action classic.

13 - Logan (2017)

• Lead actor: Hugh Jackman as Logan (Wolverine)
• Supporting actors: Patrick Stewart as Charles Xavier (Professor X), Dafne Keen as Laura (X-23)
• Director: James Mangold
• Release date: March 3, 2017
• Runtime: 137 minutes
• IMDB Rating: 8.1
• Box office: $619 million
• Language: English

After 17 years playing Wolverine, Hugh Jackman retired the character on a powerful note with Logan, an R-rated, emotionally charged swan song. In a bleak future where mutants have mostly died off, Logan cares for a dementia-addled Professor X (Patrick Stewart) before meeting his savage young clone Laura (Dafne Keen).

Director James Mangold crafts a profoundly dark, intimate tone that still delivers intense claw-slashing action. Jackman finally gained the freedom to depict the berserker rage within Wolverine, resulting in brutal, bloody fights. More nuanced than the average superhero film, Logan took bold risks that paid off through gripping character drama and gritty style.

14 - The Bourne Ultimatum (2007)

• Lead actor: Matt Damon as Jason Bourne
• Supporting actors: Julia Stiles as Nicky Parsons, David Strathairn as Noah Vosen
• Director: Paul Greengrass
• Release date: August 3, 2007
• Runtime: 115 minutes
• IMDB Rating: 8.0
• Box office: $443.2 million
• Language: English

The thrilling trilogy capper to Jason Bourne's globetrotting quest to recover his past pushed visceral action to new heights. Still on the run from shady CIA forces, Bourne (Matt Damon) pursues clues about his recruitment into the covert Treadstone program while dodging assassins and ruthless operative Noah Vosen (David Strathairn).

Paul Greengrass grounds chases and fights in restless handheld camerawork, actualizing the disorientation innate to Bourne's fragmented psyche. Damon fully inhabits the capable fugitive trying to reconcile his two personas amidst escalating perils. Moving at a breathless pace, Ultimatum concludes Bourne's journey in exhilarating fashion.

15 - The Dark Knight Rises (2012)

• Lead actor: Christian Bale as Bruce Wayne (Batman)
• Supporting actors: Tom Hardy as Bane, Anne Hathaway as Selina Kyle (Catwoman)
• Director: Christopher Nolan
• Release date: July 20, 2012
• Runtime: 165 minutes
• IMDB Rating: 8.4
• Box office: $1.084 billion
• Language: English

Christopher Nolan capped his groundbreaking Dark Knight trilogy with the sweeping epic The Dark Knight Rises. Set eight years after The Dark Knight, a retired Bruce Wayne must become Batman again to stop hulking terrorist Bane (Tom Hardy) from destroying Gotham City.

Nolan amplifies the blockbuster spectacle while retaining intricate plotting, social commentary and emotional stakes. Bale completes Wayne's dynamic character arc from playboy vigilante to mythic savior making heartbreaking sacrifices. Hardy's menacing, revolutionary Bane makes a memorable adversary commanding chaotic city battles. Operatic yet intimate, Rises concludes the trilogy with triumph and catharsis.

16 - Léon (1994)

• Lead actors: Jean Reno as Léon, Natalie Portman as Mathilda
• Director: Luc Besson
• Release date: September 14, 1994
• Runtime: 110 minutes
• IMDB Rating: 8.5
• Box office: $45.6 million
• Language: English

Before The Professional's American release, director Luc Besson unleashed Léon as a stylish thriller showcasing unexpected heart beneath the gunplay. Jean Reno stars as a loner hitman shaken from isolation when his orphaned neighbor Mathilda (Natalie Portman) asks for help avenging her family's murder.

Reno brings a soulful weariness to the killer Léon, developing endearing rapport with Portman. While controversial for its violence involving a young lead, Léon movingly juxtaposes their innocence and need for connection against the bloody crime world. Besson crafts poetic visuals during assassin training and climactic mob shootouts that ascend style into high art.

17 - Mission: Impossible - Fallout (2018)

• Lead actor: Tom Cruise as Ethan Hunt
• Supporting actors: Ving Rhames as Luther Stickell, Henry Cavill as August Walker
• Director: Christopher McQuarrie
• Release date: July 27, 2018
• Runtime: 147 minutes
• IMDB Rating: 7.7
• Box office: $791 million
• Language: English

Tom Cruise pushed himself to the limit performing jaw-dropping stunts in the sixth Mission: Impossible film, cementing his daredevil movie star status. Returning IMF agent Ethan Hunt races the clock to secure stolen plutonium cores, forming an uneasy alliance with CIA operative August Walker (Henry Cavill).

Writer, director Christopher McQuarrie outdoes previous installments with the awe-inspiring HALO jump, bathroom brawl, helicopter duel and more. But for all the derring-do, Cruise's unwavering commitment holds it together whether sprinting, flying and clutching cliff sides. A nonstop parade of exquisitely engineered stunt work makes Fallout a new action benchmark.

18 - Predator (1987)

• Lead actor: Arnold Schwarzenegger as Major Alan "Dutch" Schaefer
• Supporting actors: Carl Weathers as Dillon, Jesse Ventura as Blain
• Director: John McTiernan
• Release date: June 12, 1987
• Runtime: 107 minutes
• IMDB Rating: 7.8
• Box office: $98.3 million
• Language: English

Arnold Schwarzenegger leads an elite team of commandos stalked by an alien trophy hunter in this tight, focused sci-fi, action classic. Director John McTiernan generates constant tension as the unit, including co-stars Carl Weathers and Jesse Ventura, realizes something invisible and lethal is picking them off in the South American jungle.

With Stan Winston's iconic creature design, the Predator avoids cheesy movie monster territory. Schwarzenegger is well matched against the hunter, with their final fight highlight his imposing strength and cunning. Grisly yet clever, Predator ushered in an enduring franchise blending machismo and extraterrestrial thrills.

19 - Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)

• Lead actor: Harrison Ford as Indiana Jones
• Supporting actors: Karen Allen as Marion Ravenwood, Paul Freeman as Dr. René Belloq
• Director: Steven Spielberg
• Release date: June 12, 1981
• Runtime: 115 minutes
• IMDB Rating: 8.4
• Box office: $389.9 million
• Language: English

Steven Spielberg and George Lucas' Raiders of the Lost Ark rejuvenated big-screen escapism with the iconic hero Indiana Jones, played with charm and swagger by Harrison Ford. As an archaeologist racing Nazis to discover the biblical Ark of the Covenant, Indy battles snakes, tribes and booby-trapped temples for the prize.

Spielberg masterfully stages non stop excitement while Douglas Slocombe's lush cinematography makes 1930s globetrotting action exhilarating. Supported by Karen Allen's spunky Marion Ravenwood, Indy embodied old serial thrills updated with modern, ironic sensibilities. The film set adventure cinema on a bold new course that shaped countless blockbusters.

20 - Kill Bill: Volume 1 (2003)

• Lead actress: Uma Thurman as The Bride
• Supporting actors: Lucy Liu as O-Ren Ishii, Vivica A. Fox as Vernita Green
• Director: Quentin Tarantino
• Release date: October 10, 2003
• Runtime: 111 minutes
• IMDB Rating: 8.1
• Box office: $180 million
• Language: English

With Kill Bill, Quentin Tarantino took inspiration from 1970s martial arts films to craft a bloody revenge saga for fans of grindhouse aesthetics. After a brutal wedding massacre, The Bride (Uma Thurman) embarks on systematically eliminating the Deadly Viper Assassination Squad who betrayed her.

Volume 1 details The Bride's origins and quest for vengeance against Vernita Green (Vivica A. Fox) and yakuza boss O-Ren Ishii (Lucy Liu). Tarantino revels in diverse combat styles like anime swordplay, Hong Kong kung fu tropes and intense knife fights. Striding alongside iconic heroines, Thurman's Bride claimed fierce agency through relentless, stylized vengeance.

DPM Top Picks

Here are our top 3 picks of all 20 movies discussed above:

1. The Dark Knight - Christopher Nolan's brilliantly crafted crime epic grounded superhero drama in thought-provoking philosophy and visceral action.
2. Die Hard - Its confined cat-and-mouse set pieces made John McTiernan's Die Hard the gold standard for gritty, relatable one-man-army films.
3. The Matrix - The Wachowskis' reality-bending sci-fi spectacle introduced "bullet time" action and influenced the genre like few films before.

Final Verdict

Great action films have the primal power to quicken pulses while showcasing what the medium can achieve through gripping fight choreography and technical mastery. The best entries require not just stunning skill behind and in front of the camera but heroic icons and imaginative stories to transcend mere spectacle.

From John McClane to Jason Bourne, Indiana Jones to The Bride, the protagonists who occupy this pantheon demonstrate courage, strength and resourcefulness that inspire audiences to root for their survival and success. These top action movies set our hearts racing, give us iconic one-liners to quote and remind us of cinema power to generate excitement. When the films on this list first premiered, they raised and often set new bars for staging gritty gunplay, balletic martial arts and death-defying stunts with maximum impact. Any lover of pure cinematic thrills must watch these definitive films that capture the action genre at its adrenaline-fueled peak.

FAQs

Q: Why are action movies the most popular movie genre?

Action movies are thrilling to watch with kinetic fight scenes, engaging stakes and charismatic heroes overcoming obstacles. They move at a fast pace and are visual spectacles keeping audiences on the edge of their seats. The sheer escapist fun makes action films universally enjoyable.

Q: What is considered the greatest action movie of all time?

Die Hard is considered one of the most influential and best-made action movies ever. Its claustrophobic setting, relatable hero and exceptional stunts set new standards for the genre. Other contenders for the greatest include The Matrix for its innovative visuals and Terminator 2 for raising the bar on CGI and spectacle.

Q: What was the highest grossing action movie of the 2000s?

Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest released in 2006 is the highest grossing action movie of the 2000s. It made over $1.066 billion at the worldwide box office.

Q: Which action star has been in the most successful action movie franchises?

Harrison Ford has led several iconic action franchises, including Star Wars, Indiana Jones, The Fugitive, Air Force One and Blade Runner. His films have grossed over $9 billion total.

Q: Which action movie is the shortest to ever win the Oscar for Best Picture?

The most concise action film to win Best Picture is The Departed from 2006 directed by Martin Scorsese. It runs for 151 minutes.