Top 5 Best Action Movies of All Time!

I'd consider myself a bit of an action movie connoisseur. A lot of my favorite movies are action movies, and while I can go on for DAYS about all the action films that I've loved, I decided that I had to narrow it down.

So, out of all the action movies I've ever watched, here are my top five favorite, in no particular order. But before we start, I want to say a few things: I haven't yet watched Mad Max 2, The Bourne Ultimatum, Mad Max: Fury Road, Aliens, or Kill Bill. So, this is just my list for now.

And it's very important to define what an action movie is. I'd say an action film is a movie where the basis of the film is crime, and the plot gets driven forward through action sequences. So, Star Wars is a space opera, The Departed is a crime thriller, and The Dark Knight is a superhero movie, not action.

So, here we go.

'Speed' (1994)

Director: Jan de Bont

Writer: Graham Yost

Starring: Keanu Reeves, Sandra Bullock, Dennis Hopper, Jeff Daniels

Premise: After LAPD officer, Jack Traven, foils an extortion plot done by Howard Payne, Payne formulates revenge on Jack by planting a bomb on a bus. When the bus goes over 50 mph, the bomb gets armed. If the bus goes below 50 or if any passengers leave, it explodes. Jack must get onto the bus and keep the hostages safe as the LAPD tries to track down Payne.

While some may consider this to be a corny 90s action movie, it remains wildly entertaining, keeping you on the edge of your seat and engaging you into the story.

Rating: R for language, violence, and brief sexual reference

'Terminator 2: Judgement Day' (1991)

Director: James Cameron

Writer: James Cameron, William Wisher

Starring: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Linda Hamilton, Edward Furlong, Robert Patrick

Premise: A technologically advanced T-1000 terminator arrives from the future in order to kill future warrior, John Connor, before he can grow up to lead the resistance in a battle between man and machine. However, the resistance is able to reprogram a slightly-less advanced T-800 to go back and protect John.

The original Terminator was such a good movie. However, James Cameron was able to take advantage of his increased budget by writing a sequel that ended up outshining the original in nearly every way.

Rating: R for language, violence, and mild nudity

'John Wick' (2014)

Director: Chad Stahelski

Writer: Derek Kolstad

Starring: Keanu Reeves, Michael Nyqvist, Alfie Allen, Willem Dafoe

Premise: Shortly after John Wick loses his wife to an illness, a group of criminals kill his dog and steal his car. Sent into a rage, we discover his roots as an elite hitman, as he returns to the criminal underworld to get revenge on the people who did this to him and kill anyone who gets in his way.

Recent action flicks don't usually reach the masterpiece level that this film was able to nail, with its slick gun-fu action sequences to the gritty hand-to-hand combat.

Rating: R for language, violence, and brief drug use

'Mission: Impossible – Fallout' (2018)

Director: Christopher McQuarrie

Writer: Christopher McQuarrie

Starring: Tom Cruise, Henry Cavill, Ving Rhames, Simon Pegg, Rebecca Ferguson, Sean Harris

Premise: An IMF mission ends badly when team leader, Ethan Hunt, decides to save his team instead of recovering three plutonium cores, which are gonna be used for a large-scale nuclear attack. Hunt and his team now must stop the attack while also uncovering the identity of the man behind it all: the mysterious John Lark.

This film has some of the best action setpieces in cinematic history, while giving us an intriguing story, mind-blowing plot twists, and an ending that will blow you to the back of the theater.

Rating: PG-13 for violence and language

'Die Hard' (1988)

Director: John McTiernan

Writer: Steven E. de Souza & Jeb Stuart

Starring: Bruce Willis, Alan Rickman, Reginald VelJohnson, Bonnie Bedelia

Premise: John McClane is an NYPD cop who flies out to LA to spend Christmas with his estranged wife and kids. However, the building his wife, Holly, works at gets hijacked by terrorists led by the smooth-talking Hans Gruber. Armed with nothing but a handgun and a twisted sense of humor, McClane must kill the terrorists before they murder the hostages.

To this day, Die Hard remains an amazingly fun movie to watch with brilliant performances from Willis and Rickman, as the film mixes over-the-top action scenes with Christmas themes and memorable one-liners.

Rating: R for language, violence, and brief nudity

And a HUGE honorable mention to: Taken, Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol, The Terminator, and John Wick: Chapter 2.

So, simply put, these are my top five favorite action movies ever. Did I miss any? If I did, let me know by tweeting me at @JonathanESim. Thanks for reading.