Top 20 Action Movies That Were Better Than We Expected
#20: “Red” (2010)
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This movie’s whole ethos is that underestimating someone or something can come back to bite you, so how appropriate that it surprised us. Bruce Willis, Morgan Freeman, Helen Mirren, and John Malkovich star as former assassins and special agents who seemingly retired and left the game, but retained their deadly skills. Hence them being tagged as RED: Retired and Extremely Dangerous. Much like the legion of goons who make the mistake of thinking these retired badasses will be pushovers, audiences didn’t expect much from this one, and got one heck of a surprise when it turned out to be one of the most fun action flicks in years.
#19: “The Equalizer” (2014)
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And speaking of movies about retired action heroes, Denzel also added his entry to the sub-genre with this 2014 flick. The film plays to a lot of familiar tropes: a quiet, mysterious man with a shady past is just trying to live a peaceful life when he meets a young girl in need of saving. This forces him to brush off his former skills and bring the pain to some unsuspecting baddies. Yep, definitely sounds like a movie we’ve seen a few times before, but Denzel’s legendary onscreen charm and the directing chops of Antoine Fuqua really helped this movie rise above its well-trodden premise.
#18: “Speed” (1994)
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These days, Keanu Reeves is one of the biggest names in action. But back in the mid-90s, he was still settling into action roles after an early career more defined by goofball comedies like “Bill & Ted.” But this now-classic action flick helped put Reeves on the track to action stardom, something that definitely must have come as a surprise to audiences at the time. Reeves plays a young cop thrown into an insane situation when he finds himself aboard a bus rigged to blow up if it goes below fifty miles per hour, leading to one insane stunt sequence after another.
#17: “The Bourne Identity” (2002)
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Once in a while, an action movie comes along that completely changes the game for years to come, and this is one of those movies. In addition to cementing Matt Damon as a viable action movie headliner, the film also helped introduce styles that would become a staple of 2000s action movies going forward, like shaky camera work and rapid-fire editing during fight scenes. The style has its detractors, but you can’t deny that at the time this was something new and dynamic for the action genre. We’re guessing that audiences back in 2002 didn’t expect to see this movie break new ground for an entire genre, but boy were those folks wrong.
#16: “Bumblebee” (2018)
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Michael Bay’s “Transformers” movies have their fans and detractors, both among movie fans and devotees of the “Transformers” franchise as a whole. But virtually everyone found themselves enjoying the series’ 2018 spinoff, which injected a ton of heart into the series and tweaked the franchise’s visuals to be more appealing to old school fans. “Transformers” diehards were instantly won over by the opening scene, which showcases new character designs much more in line with the classic appearances of characters like Optimus Prime, Soundwave, and Shockwave. Casual movie fans, meanwhile, got something more than the usual mindless action with a story with a surprisingly strong emotional core.
#15: “Atomic Blonde” (2017)
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Female-led action movies may have been a rarity in the past, but the late 2010s have seen a resurgence in movies focusing on butt-kicking women and we’re absolutely here for it. One of our favorite recent examples is this entry, starring Charlize Theron as an undercover MI6 agent sent to Berlin during the height of the Cold War to retrieve important intelligence. Many dismissed it at the time as a female-centric imitator of “John Wick,” in large part due to it being helmed by the same director. However, the film surprised audiences with its unique action sequences, effortlessly cool atmosphere, and the take-no-prisoners performance by Theron.
#14: “True Lies” (1994)
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Arnold Schwarzenegger’s career as the ultimate action movie star was in full-swing in the 1990s, and anybody expecting him to start winding things down was in for a disappointment. Reteaming with “Terminator” director James Cameron, who helped put Arnie on the map, the future Governator continued his winning streak in 1994 with this fondly remembered actioner. Schwarzenegger plays a devoted family man who moonlights as a world-class secret agent who must balance his two lives. You know how it goes, one moment you’re on the trail of stolen nuclear warheads, the next you’re suspecting your wife is stepping out on you. All in a day’s work, really.
#13: “Shoot ‘Em Up” (2007)
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You may think you know what an over-the-top action movie really is, but unless you’ve seen this 2007 Clive Owen vehicle, you don’t know jack. Things start simply enough when Owen’s character, a mysterious badass with a shady past, runs across a woman in distress. But it’s around the time Owen kills a guy with a carrot that things start to go a little crazy. While largely forgotten, this movie is absolute insanity from almost start to finish, with enough over-the-top kills and ridiculously cheesy one-liners to satisfy any action fan. It’s basically what would happen if Bugs Bunny were transported into a modern action movie and we love every moment of it.
#12: “Edge of Tomorrow” (2014)
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A film that could be easily summarized by calling it “‘Groundhog Day’, but with aliens and Tom Cruise” is a hard sell to put it mildly, and by the time of the film’s release most audience members had already dismissed it as another braindead Cruise actionfest. And yet, those who gave the film a chance found themselves watching an intelligent and well-crafted film, with Cruise the most likable and human he’s been in years, to say nothing of a surprisingly badass turn from the film’s leading lady, Emily Blunt. If only we could relive the day of the film’s release and be surprised all over again.
#11: “The Raid” (2011)
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Before 2011, Indonesia wasn’t a country that often came up when it comes to action cinema. But that completely changed with the release of this entry, which took martial arts movies to whole new brutal levels. Our hero Rama is a member of a Jakarta SWAT team that participates in a raid on an apartment building owned by a local crime lord. But when the team gets inside, the doors are locked and every resident is unleashed upon the unsuspecting team. The film is a showcase of Silat, a martial arts form native to Indonesia, and the cast pulls absolutely no punches in showing what the style can do. Trust us folks, this is one of those movies that will leave you wincing.
#10: “Kingsman: The Secret Service” (2014)
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A raucous send-up of spy movies like the James Bond series, this recent favorite proves that England can still roll with the best of them when it comes to action movies. Based on the comic by Mark Millar and Dave Gibbons, the film follows a young man named Eggsy who becomes inducted into a super-secret spy organization. Under the tutelage of Colin Firth’s refined older agent, Eggsy’s street smarts prove to be an asset in the world of international espionage when a rich philanthropist unveils a sinister plan to overturn the world order. This movie came totally out of left field for a lot of audiences, who were instantly won over by the charming cast and over-the-top action.
#9: “Rise of the Planet of the Apes” (2011)
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Remember what we said before about reviving old properties? Well this 2011 reboot of the “Planet of the Apes” franchise is another exception. Anchored by a fantastic performance by the king of mo-cap himself, Andy Serkis, this account of how hyper-intelligent apes took their first steps toward global domination surprised audiences with its intelligence and pathos, crafting a lead who was both sympathetic and relatable despite the whole “being a monkey” thing. Rather than a cheap cash-in attempt to revive a dead franchise, this entry revitalized the “Apes” series, leading to a whole new series that continued with “Dawn of the Planet of the Apes” just a few years later.
#8: “Mission: Impossible - Fallout” (2018)
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Over the years, “Mission: Impossible” has just gone from strength to strength . . . provided of course we ignore that disappointing second entry. After the excellent “Ghost Protocol” and “Rogue Nation”, audiences could have been forgiven for assuming that the franchise had peaked. But “Fallout” proved that that wasn’t the case at all - with Tom Cruise still nailing the stunts and action sequences even in his mid-50s. With a welcome return for Rebecca Ferguson and Sean Harris, and the addition of Henry Cavill, the movie was a well-rounded, consistent, action-packed extravaganza that set a new benchmark for the series.
#7: “Alita: Battle Angel” (2019)
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When it comes to live-action adaptations of manga, expectations are generally low. Fans have been burnt before. Published in the early 90s, Yukito Kishiro’s cyberpunk manga “Battle Angel Alita” received its first adaptation with an animated OVA in 1993. Based on the first two volumes of the manga, it became an instant cult classic. So when a live-action adaptation finally climbed out of development hell and onto the big screen, there was both excitement and trepidation. Critical reception was mixed, with many pointing out plot holes, but praising the immersive visuals. It received a much better reaction from audiences, who gave it a 93% score on Rotten Tomatoes.
#6: “Mad Max: Fury Road” (2015)
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Reviving a property that’s been stalled for over 20 years rarely turns out well, but director George Miller’s return to the series that put him on the map has since been hailed as one of the greatest action movies of the decade. With a new lead in the form of Tom Hardy and bigger, badder, and more explosive action than any of the previous installments, the fourth entry in the “Mad Max” franchise wins additional points for a phenomenally crafted story, endearing and memorable characters and an amazing score by Junkie XL. Miller spent years working to get this film made, and against all odds his work paid off.
#5: “The Terminator” (1984)
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Here in the far-flung future, we know that this is one of the most beloved action films of all time, but bear in mind that the two biggest names to come out of the seminal film, star Arnold Schwarzenegger and director James Cameron, were virtually unknown back in the early 80s. Arnie’s biggest film before this was “Conan the Barbarian,” and Cameron’s only previous directorial credit was “Piranha II: The Spawning.” Who would have guessed that the passion project of a little-known director starring an Austrian bodybuilder with relatively little acting experience would redefine sci-fi action films as we know it? Certainly not us.
#4: “RoboCop” (1987)
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We wouldn’t be even remotely surprised if audiences back in 1987 sat down to this movie expecting a mindless sci-fi action flick, but those folks forgot one thing: nothing is ever what it seems when Paul Verhoeven is at the helm. While the film more than delivers when it comes to action, the satirical elements Verhoeven managed to weave into the tale of a cop turned into a cyborg law enforcer have helped it remain a classic. Its dystopian version of the future, where big corporations manipulate both crime and the police, seems less far-fetched every day. Top-notch action and social commentary? We’d buy that for a dollar.
#3: “John Wick” (2014)
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This Keanu Reeves vehicle didn’t look like anything too special from initial trailers, and mostly seemed like just another revenge thriller but with a dead dog rather than a murdered wife or girlfriend. But when Keanu suits up and sets out to avenge his dearly departed doggy, the resulting carnage is some of the most breathtaking gunplay in early 21st century cinematic history. Rather than the shaky camera work and frantic editing of many contemporary action films, directors Chad Stahelski and David Leitch opted to keep the action clear and coherent, and the result is pure action movie bliss.
#2: “The Matrix” (1999)
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What do you get when you combine martial arts, Japanese animation, and Plato’s Allegory of the Cave? Throw in some Descartes’ “First Meditation” for good measure. Well, turns out what you get is one of the greatest science-fiction films of all time! “The Matrix” took everyone by surprise. In terms of sci-fi, 1999 was supposed to be the year of “The Phantom Menace”. The Wachowskis had only ever directed a single feature film, and Keanu Reeves’ previous forays into sci-fi “Johnny Mnemonic” and “Chain Reaction” had been critically panned. But together, they opened our eyes to a frightening, but thrilling new world - sweeping up four Oscars and launching a blockbuster franchise in the process. Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions. “The Grey” (2011) For Liam Neeson vs Wolves “Smokin' Aces” (2006) For Style by the Truckload “Jack Reacher” (2012) For a Charismatic Tom Cruise Doing His Own Driving Stunts
#1: “Die Hard” (1988)
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It’s an action movie classic . . . and one of the greatest Christmas movies ever made! Since “Die Hard’s” release, actor Bruce Willis has become synonymous with “action hero”. But at the time, he was a sitcom actor known best for the comedy-drama “Moonlighting”, where he played a wisecracking detective. In fact, the role of John McClane was originally offered to Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sylvester Stallone, Harrison Ford, and a string of others. They all turned it down, uninterested in the project, which actually started out as a sequel to 1968’s “The Detective”, starring Frank Sinatra. Fortunately, Willis signed on, and the rest is cinematic history!
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