There are many great action movies that have been released over the years. Here are a few that are widely considered to be among the best:
The Matrix (1999)
The Matrix is a 1999 science fiction action film[5][6] written and directed by the Wachowskis.[a] It is the first installment in The Matrix film series, starring Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne, Carrie-Anne Moss, Hugo Weaving, and Joe Pantoliano, and depicts a dystopian future in which humanity is unknowingly trapped inside the Matrix, a simulated reality that intelligent machines have created to distract humans while using their bodies as an energy source.[7] When computer programmer Thomas Anderson, under the hacker alias "Neo", uncovers the truth, he joins a rebellion against the machines along with other people who have been freed from the Matrix. The Matrix is an example of the cyberpunk subgenre of science fiction.[8] The Wachowskis' approach to action scenes was influenced by Japanese animation[9] and martial arts films, and the film's use of fight choreographers and wire fu techniques from Hong Kong action cinema influenced subsequent Hollywood action film productions. The film popularized a visual effect known as "bullet time", in which the heightened perception of certain characters is represented by allowing the action within a shot to progress in slow-motion while the camera appears to move through the scene at normal speed, allowing the sped-up movements of certain characters to be perceived normally.
Mad Max: Fury Road (2015)
Mad Max: Fury Road is a 2015 Australian post-apocalyptic action film co-written, co-produced, and directed by George Miller. Miller collaborated with Brendan McCarthy and Nico Lathouris on the screenplay. The fourth instalment[7] in the Mad Max franchise, it was produced by Village Roadshow Pictures, Kennedy Miller Mitchell, and RatPac-Dune Entertainment and distributed by Roadshow Entertainment in Australia and by Warner Bros. Pictures internationally. The film stars Tom Hardy and Charlize Theron, with Nicholas Hoult, Hugh Keays-Byrne, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, Riley Keough, Zoë Kravitz, Abbey Lee, and Courtney Eaton in supporting roles. Set in a post-apocalyptic desert wasteland where petrol and water are scarce commodities, Fury Road follows Max Rockatansky, who joins forces with Imperator Furiosa against cult leader Immortan Joe and his army, leading to a lengthy road battle. Miller came up with the idea for Fury Road in 1987, but the film spent many years in development hell before pre-production started in 1998. Attempts to shoot the film in the 2000s were delayed numerous times due to the September 11 attacks, the Iraq War, and controversies surrounding star Mel Gibson, leading Miller to recast Gibson’s role of Max Rockatansky. Miller decided to pursue the film again in 2007, after the release of the animated comedy Happy Feet. In 2009, Miller announced that filming would begin in early 2011. Hardy was cast as Max in June 2010, with production planned to begin that November. Principal photography was delayed several more times before it actually began in July 2012. The film wrapped in December 2012, although additional footage was shot in November 2013. .
The Dark Knight (2008)
"The Dark Knight" is a superhero film released in 2008 and directed by Christopher Nolan. It is based on the DC Comics character Batman, and is the second film in Nolan's "The Dark Knight" trilogy. The film stars Christian Bale as Batman, Heath Ledger as the Joker, and Aaron Eckhart as Harvey Dent. The film's plot follows Batman as he struggles to confront the Joker, a psychopathic criminal mastermind who seeks to undermine Gotham City's crime-fighting efforts and create chaos. The film was a critical and commercial success, and Heath Ledger's performance as the Joker received widespread acclaim. It is widely considered to be one of the best superhero movies ever made.
The Bourne Ultimatum (2007)
The Bourne Ultimatum is a 2007 action-thriller film directed by Paul Greengrass. It is the third film in the Bourne film series, which is based on the series of novels by Robert Ludlum. The film stars Matt Damon as Jason Bourne, a former CIA assassin suffering from amnesia who is trying to uncover the truth about his past. The film also stars Julia Stiles, David Strathairn, and Scott Glenn, and features a score by John Powell. The film was a commercial and critical success, grossing over $442 million at the box office and receiving widespread praise for its action sequences, direction, and performances.
John Wick (2014)
John Wick is a 2014 American neo-noir action thriller film directed by Chad Stahelski (in his feature directorial debut) and written by Derek Kolstad. It stars Keanu Reeves, Michael Nyqvist, Alfie Allen, Adrianne Palicki, Bridget Moynahan, Dean Winters, Ian McShane, John Leguizamo, and Willem Dafoe. It is the first installment in the John Wick film series. The story follows former hitman John Wick and his attempt to hunt down the men who broke into his home, stole his vintage car, and killed his puppy, which was a last gift to him from his recently deceased wife.[7]
Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol (2011)
Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol is a 2011 action spy film directed by Brad Bird. It is the fourth film in the Mission: Impossible film series, and stars Tom Cruise as Ethan Hunt, a member of the Impossible Missions Force (IMF) who is forced to go on the run after the IMF is falsely blamed for a terrorist bombing. The film also stars Jeremy Renner, Simon Pegg, Paula Patton, and Michael Nyqvist, and features a score by Michael Giacchino. Ghost Protocol was a critical and commercial success, grossing over $695 million at the box office and receiving praise for its action sequences, performances, and direction. It was nominated for several awards, including a Best Sound Editing Academy Award.
Inception (2010)
Inception is a 2010 science fiction action film written, co-produced, and directed by Christopher Nolan. The film stars Leonardo DiCaprio as Cobb, a thief who enters the dreams of others to obtain information and plant ideas, and who is offered the chance to have his criminal record erased as a reward for a difficult mission: the inception of an idea into the mind of a target. The film also features an ensemble cast that includes Ken Watanabe, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Ellen Page, Tom Hardy, Dileep Rao, Cillian Murphy, Tom Berenger, and Michael Caine. Inception was a commercial and critical success, grossing over $828 million at the box office and receiving widespread praise for its visuals, music, direction, and performances. It was nominated for several awards, including four Academy Awards, of which it won two for Best Cinematography and Best Visual Effects.
Jurassic Park (1993)
Jurassic Park is a 1993 science fiction adventure film directed by Steven Spielberg. It is based on the 1990 novel of the same name by Michael Crichton, and follows a group of scientists who visit a theme park filled with cloned dinosaurs, but who are stranded on the island when the power goes out and the dinosaurs escape. The film stars Sam Neill, Laura Dern, Jeff Goldblum, Richard Attenborough, and Bob Peck, and features special effects and animatronics by Industrial Light and Magic and Stan Winston Studios. Jurassic Park was a critical and commercial success, grossing over $1 billion at the box office and becoming the highest-grossing film of all time at the time of its release. It received widespread acclaim for its special effects, direction, and performances, and was nominated for three Academy Awards, winning three for Best Sound Editing, Best Sound Mixing, and Best Visual Effects.
Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)
Raiders of the Lost Ark (also known as Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark) is a 1981 action-adventure film directed by Steven Spielberg. It is the first film in the Indiana Jones franchise, and follows archaeologist Indiana Jones (played by Harrison Ford) as he searches for the Ark of the Covenant, a biblical artifact believed to have powerful supernatural properties. The film also stars Karen Allen, Paul Freeman, John Rhys-Davies, and Denholm Elliott, and features a score by John Williams. Raiders of the Lost Ark was a critical and commercial success, grossing over $390 million at the box office and becoming the highest-grossing film of 1981. It received widespread acclaim for its action sequences, performances, and direction, and won four Academy Awards, including Best Art Direction and Best Sound.
The Terminator (1984)
The Terminator is a 1984 science fiction action film directed by James Cameron. The film stars Arnold Schwarzenegger as the Terminator, a cyborg assassin sent back in time from a post-apocalyptic future to kill Sarah Connor (Linda Hamilton), a woman whose unborn child will become a leader in the human resistance against the machines in the future. The film also stars Michael Biehn as Kyle Reese, a soldier sent back in time to protect Sarah, and Paul Winfield as Detective Ed Traxler. The Terminator was a critical and commercial success, grossing over $78 million at the box office and becoming a classic of the science fiction and action genres. It was nominated for several awards, including a Best Visual Effects Academy Award, and spawned a franchise of sequels, television shows, and other media.