Top 10 Most Overrated Action Movies Of All Time

#10: Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga (2024)

Its extremely hard to follow up on Fury Road, and Furiosa does an admirable-enough job. But to call it on par, or even better, than its predecessor is just silly. The film has a ton of flaws, including what even its most ardent defenders tend to point out - poor visual effects and borderline awful green screen work. This is Mad Max if it went straight to streaming. The characters are also quite weak and unmemorable, bar maybe Dementus, and the film suffers from extreme pacing issues. And lets be honest, these action sequences pale in comparison to what weve seen before. Lets just say, were not surprised that this bombed and made half of what Fury Road did.

#9: 300 (2006)

A lot of people hold the movie 300 in high regard. But lets be honest, most of that is pure nostalgia. It has little to offer if youre not a 13-year-old boy, and if you are, then youll think its probably the greatest thing youve ever seen. We dont even care about the historical inaccuracies; this is a stylized recreation of history, and thats fine. Its just sosilly. The desaturated color scheme and wonky green screen effects makes it look like visual goop, and the use of slow motion borders on the ridiculous. And all those meme-worthy quotes - again, awesome if youre a teenage boy, pretty goofy if youre not. 300 is the very definition of all style, no substance.

#8: Baby Driver (2017)

Sometimes you can appreciate a movies craftsmanship while still acknowledging its glaring flaws. Enter Baby Driver, which, we admit, has to be one of the most technically-proficient action films in some time - maybe even of all time. But this movie lives and dies on its editing and sound design, because theres not much else to latch onto. The style masks a lack of substance, which perhaps speaks to Wrights shortcomings as a solo writer. The romance at the heart of the film relies on ancient tropes, and the characters are underwritten, including Baby himself. The story also drops off hard in the third act, with weird tonal shifts and unearned bits of character development. Come for the car chases and turn your brain off.

#7: The Boondock Saints (1999)

Many cult favorites have glaring gaps between critic and audience reception. For example, The Boondock Saints has a critic score of 26% on Rotten Tomatoes, but its audience score sits at a mindblowing 91%. We think theres a middle ground to be found here, but its hardly the masterpiece that general audiences seem to think. Troy Duffy was an inexperienced director and it shows, with an inconsistent tone and clunky pacing, editing, and choreography. The screenplay is also shallow, with zero character development, unnatural dialogue, and a muddled message. And perhaps worst of all, The Boondock Saints is purely derivative, borrowing pretty much everything from Tarantino and the stylized flicks that followed in his wake. Its a cheap knockoff, a dollar store Pulp Fiction.

#6: Dredd (2012)

Well give Dredd this - its better than that awful Stallone movie. Theres definitely some fun to be had here, most notably in the innovative and stunning slow-mo sequences. But once again, Dredd is largely a case of style over substance. Some found it to be a poor adaptation of the comic, particularly in regards to its lack of satire. The film also takes place within a single building, which severely limits the expansive dystopian world that is presented in the source. The narrative also lacks complexity and deeper themes, instead offering up a rather simplistic story about capturing a drug lord and fighting through her goons, which weve seen about a million times before.

#5: The Dark Knight Rises (2012)

Christopher Nolan faced immense pressure when it came to The Dark Knight Rises, considering what a phenomenon its predecessor became. And while Rises is a very competent movie, this is a case where general audiences werent as pleased as the critics, who generally praised the film as a worthy conclusion. The movie was relentlessly mocked and memed online, especially its opening sequence involving Aidan Gillen[a]. Then theres Batmans limited screentime, Marion Cotillards weak portrayal of Talia al Ghul, and the myriad plot holes and logical inconsistencies. And then there are all the problems with Bane, like his minion status, anticlimactic defeat, and poor sound mixing, making his dialogue nearly impossible to discern.

#4: Everything Everywhere All at Once (2022)

Its certainly original and well made, but looking at the critical reception to Everything Everywhere All at Once, youd think its one of the greatest movies ever made. Seven Oscars, including Best Picture, and with 343 total wins, it stands as one of the most awarded films in the history of cinema. Thats a bit much. Speaking of a bit much, the film tries biting off more than it can chew, resulting in an overwhelming narrative and some overstuffed themes. It really is everything, everywhere, and all at once. The films quirky humor is also not for everyone, with many finding the jokes juvenile and arguing that they distract from the emotional weight of the film.

#3: Heat (1995)

Behold, what could be the most overrated crime drama ever made. Heat is often ranked up there with The Godfather, and sorry, but theres just no way. We admit that the action sequences are facemelters, and Robert De Niro and Al Pacino sparkle with chemistry. But theres one major problem - this movie is three hours long. Heat is painfully bloated, with entire subplots that add little to the film and drag the pacing to a screeching halt. The films cool, detached style also makes it feel emotionally distant, and Al Pacino is bizarrely over-the-top, his eccentric performance clashing with the films otherwise restrained tone. There is an all-time movie buried in here, but it required another pass in the editing room to be properly excavated.

#2: Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning (2023)

Its a shame that Dead Reckoning was filmed during the peak of COVID, because we would love to see a version without the obvious safety protocols. Its evident that this movie suffered from behind the scenes limitations, with some sloppy editing and weird camera choices. Its like they patched together a movie from people standing by themselves on a soundstage. Its also way too long, filled with clunky exposition, and serving as a part one, it didnt stand alone as a satisfying narrative. The action - undoubtedly a result of COVID - was also much weaker than previous installments, both in ambition and technicality, often marred by poor visual effects and green screen work. Still, props to Tom Cruise for still putting in the work.

#1: Skyfall (2012)

Often heralded as the greatest James Bond film, Skyfall does indeed have a lot going for it. It also has a lot going against it. The decision to make Bond an aging, past-his-prime figure was enormously divisive, and immediately on the heels of peak Bond in Quantum of Solace. That particular tonal shift and storytelling device was way too abrupt. The movie is also filled with sloppy writing decisions that border on plot holes, like the nonsensical list of agents, Silvas comically convoluted plan, and Bond somehow surviving that massive fall off the bridge. There is one shining aspect of the film, however, and that is Roger Deakins. Dang is this movie gorgeous.

What do you make of these movies? Let us know in the comments below!

[a]AY-din GHILL-lin https://youtu.be/DzrLtBC7wXc?si=xNrCrd34sBSc6YHR

mah-ree-OWN coh-tee-YARR (because it's french, you finish kind of halfway through the "n" in "Marion") https://youtu.be/HDy1U_njApo?t=21
tally-uh https://www.yarn.co/yarn-clip/b17afbd5-0a88-4182-9265-33ea5c9c571e
al ghoul https://www.yarn.co/yarn-clip/29f3a688-af13-400f-aa5e-1354912acd40