Time Out's The 101 Best Action Movies Ever Made

New York cop John McClane gives terrorists a dose of their own medicine as they hold hostages in an LA office building.

Ripley, the sole survivor of the Nostromo's deadly encounter with the monstrous Alien, returns to Earth after drifting through space in hypersleep for 57 years. Although her story is initially met with skepticism, she agrees to accompany a team of Colonial Marines back to LV-426.

Seven Samurai is the masterpiece from Akira Kurosawa from 1954 in which a town hires an old samurai to protect their village. A mix of action, comedy, and social drama. This epic film is an intimate look into the powerful emotions of the characters and named the greatest film in Japanese cinema history.

The Wild Bunch is one of the best representations of the Western genre; A group of outlaws is in battle with the law and with modern society.

Chan Ka Kui (Jackie Chan) is a Hong-Kong policeman, who single handedly captures and arrests a big drug lord. The drug-lord then frames Kevin with the murder of a corrupt cop. Now a fugitive cop killer, Chan Ka Kui must try to catch the drug lord and clear his name.

A martial artist agrees to spy on a reclusive crime lord using his invitation to a tournament there as cover.

In a post-apocalyptic wasteland, a woman rebels against a tyrannical ruler in search for her homeland with the aid of a group of female prisoners, a psychotic worshipper and a drifter named Max.

John Woo’s Hard Boiled tells the story of jaded detective “Tequila” Yuen (played with controlled fury by Chow Yun-fat). Woo’s dizzying odyssey through the world of Hong Kong Triads, undercover agents, and frenzied police raids culminates unforgettably in the breathless hospital sequence.

It has been ten long years since a Terminator failed to kill Sarah Connor and her unborn son, John. Now, Skynet has sent back another Terminator. John Connor, who is now ten years old, is the target. The future John sends back a replica of the Terminator that tried to kill him back in time to 1995.

The adventure-seeking whip-slinging archaeologist goes on a mission to find the lost Ark Of The Covenant before the Nazis can get their hands on it and use it for evil.

In the post-apocalyptic Australian wasteland, a cynical drifter agrees to help a small, gasoline rich, community escape a band of bandits.

Cult Director Quentin Tarantino tells the bloody story of a female killing machine who wants a new life away from killing. But she must first kill. Coming out of a Coma she must seek revenge on the people who betrayed her and tried to kill her. Tarantino’s first of a two part series in tribute to Martial Arts films.

There are still three names on ‘The Bride’s’ revenge hit list as well as the task of finding her daughter who she thought never existed. Tarantino’s second Kill Bill film is a revenge epic with original style and a final close to the martial arts mayhem this film started.

A revolutionary medical technique allows an undercover agent to take the physical appearance of a major criminal and infiltrate his organization.

In the year 2029, the rulers of Earth, to ensure their success, decide to reshape the future by changing the past. They send The Terminator back in time to the year 1984 to destroy the mother of a future rebel leader - Sarah Connor, who doesn't realize the awesome role her unborn child will play in the decades to come.

When the head of a statue sacred to a village is stolen, a young martial artist goes to the big city and finds himself taking on the underworld to retrieve it.

Predator is a big mix of science fiction, horror, action, war films and of course the muscle packed Arnold Schwarzenegger as the leader of a group of solders on a mission in to rescue a Guatemalan cabinet member from guerilla forces. Set in the jungle the group is attacked by a mysterious predator.

Bourne is once again brought out of hiding by reporter Simon Ross who is trying to unveil Operation Blackbriar an upgrade to Project Treadstone in a series of newspaper columns.Information from the reporter stirs a new set of memories, and Bourne must finally uncover his dark past whilst dodging The Company's best efforts to eradicate him.

Bomber terrorist's elevator plan backfires, so he rigs a bomb to a LA city bus. The stipulation is: once armed, the bus must stay above 50 mph to keep from exploding. Also if LAPD Officer tries to unload any passengers off, Payne will detonate it.

In the sequel to the Tsui Hark classic, Wong Fei-Hung faces The White Lotus society, a fanatical cult seeking to drive the Europeans out of China through violence, even attacking Chinese who follow Western ways. Wong must also defend Dr. Sun Yat Sen, a revolutionary, from the military.

A mentally unstable Vietnam war vet gets abused by a bigoted small town police force and begins a one man war with it.

In a dystopic & crime ridden Detroit, a terminally wounded cop returns to the force as a powerful cyborg with submerged memories haunting him.

Neo is a young software engineer and part-time hacker who is singled out by some mysterious figures who want to introduce him into the secret of 'the matrix'. The cops also seem to be after him, and he takes a chance on discovering what he has always suspected: that the world is not quite what it seems to be and a sinister conspiracy is at work.

As the railroad builders advance unstoppably through the Arizona desert on their way to the sea, Jill arrives in the small town of Flagstone with the intention of starting a new life.

During the Qing Dynasty, a fishmonger is killed by the reigning Manchu government for supporting the anti-government movement; his son manages to escape to Shaolin Temple, where he plans to learn its secretive brand of martial arts to seek revenge.

Obsessive master thief McCauley leads a crack crew on various military-style heists across L.A. while equally obsessive detective Hanna tracks him. Each man recognizes and respects the other's ability and dedication, even as they express the willingness to kill each other, if necessary.

After more than thirty years of service as one of the Navy’s top aviators, and dodging the advancement in rank that would ground him, Pete “Maverick” Mitchell finds himself training a detachment of TOP GUN graduates for a specialized mission the likes of which no living pilot has ever seen.

Returning home with his father after a shopping expedition, Wong Fei-Hong is unwittingly caught up in the battle between foreigners who wish to export ancient Chinese artifacts and loyalists who don't want the pieces to leave the country. Fei-Hong must fight against the foreigners using his Drunken Boxing style, and overcome his father's antagon...

In late 19th century Hong Kong, the British may rule the land, but the pirates rule the waters. Coast Guard officer Dragon Ma is determined that his beloved Coast Guard will not be made a fool of.

A veteran cop, Murtough, is partnered with a young homicidal cop, Riggs. Both having one thing in common, hating working in pairs. Now they must learn to work with one and other to stop a gang of drug smugglers.

Mob assassin Jeffrey is no ordinary hired gun; the best in his business, he views his chosen profession as a calling rather than simply a job. So, when beautiful nightclub chanteuse Jennie is blinded in the crossfire of his most recent hit, Jeffrey chooses to retire after one last job to pay for his unintended victim's sight-restoring operation....

Bullitt is an American action thriller from director Peter Yates from 1968. Steven Mcqueen plays the leading role as a mafia-chasing police officer who must protect a valuable witness. The film’s ten minute high speed pursuit is legendary.

Deep in the heart of Jakarta's slums lies an impenetrable safe house for the world's most dangerous killers and gangsters. Until now, the run-down apartment block has been considered untouchable to even the bravest of police. Cloaked under the cover of pre-dawn darkness and silence, an elite swat team is tasked with raiding the safe house in ord...

The General is an American silent film comedy from Buster Keaton from 1927. The film was in its time a flop yet now days is regarded as the height of silent film comedy. The film is based on events from America’s civil war.

A pair of NYC cops in the Narcotics Bureau stumble onto a drug smuggling job with a French connection.

Robin Hood (Errol Flynn) fights nobly for justice against the evil Sir Guy of Gisbourne (Basil Rathbone) while striving to win the hand of the beautiful Maid Marian (Olivia de Havilland).

John Matrix, the former leader of a special commando strike force that always got the toughest jobs done, is forced back into action when his young daughter is kidnapped. To find her, Matrix has to fight his way through an array of punks, killers, one of his former commandos, and a fully equipped private army. With the help of a feisty stewardes...

Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon is an epic Chinese martial arts film. Ang Lee delivers in a classical storytelling manner breathtaking landscapes exciting fight scenes and many unforgettably beautiful images.

Jackie Chan stars as a hot-shot lawyer hired by a Hong Kong chemical plant to dispose of opposition to their polluting ways. But when he falls for a beautiful woman out to stop the plant, Jackie is torn in a conflict of interest and asks his trusty friends Samo and Biao to help out at least until they discover the true purpose of the plant.

Oldboy is the revenge drama from Director Park Chan-wook. Based on a Manga comic it depicts the suffering path of a man who must deal with the never ending torment of having unknowingly made someone his enemy.

John Rambo is removed from prison by his former superior, Colonel Samuel Troutman, for a top-secret operation to bring back POW's still held in Vietnam. Rambo's assignment is to take pictures of where the POWs are being held, but Rambo wants to rescue them.

A reforming ex-gangster tries to reconcile with his estranged policeman brother, but the ties to his former gang are difficult to break.

In the coastal town of Los Angeles, a gang of bank robbers call themselves The Ex-Presidents commit their crimes while wearing masks of Reagan, Carter, Nixon and Johnson. The F.B.I. believes that the members of the gang could be surfers and send young agent Johnny Utah undercover at the beach to mix with the surfers and gather information.

Stephen Chow is Sing, a lovable and hapless ne'er do well. Determined to become a "tough gangster," he attempts to join the Axe Gang. He doesn't know that underneath his useless, bumbling exterior lies the heart of a true martial arts master...

When an IMF mission ends badly, the world is faced with dire consequences. As Ethan Hunt takes it upon himself to fulfill his original briefing, the CIA begin to question his loyalty and his motives. The IMF team find themselves in a race against time, hunted by assassins while trying to prevent a global catastrophe.

The Professionals is a 1966 American Western film directed by Richard Brooks. A kidnap-rescue adventure set in about 1917, it features a small group of experts heading into Mexico to free the Mexican-born wife of a wealthy Texan from several hundred bandits. The film is based on the novel A Mule for the Marquesa by Frank O'Rourke.

During the Japanese invasion of China, a wealthy martial artist is forced to leave his home when his city is occupied. With little means of providing for themselves, Ip Man and the remaining members of the city must find a way to survive.

Chan, an articulate senior detective nearing the end of his career, is taking care of the daughter of a witness killed by ruthless crime lord Po. Martial arts expert Ma is set to take over as head of the crime unit, replacing Chan who wants an early retirement.

Ben Hur is the critically acclaimed monumental masterpiece historical film starring Charlton Heston as a chariot racer in the first century. The film is a cult classic.

An American comedy from director James Cameron that parodies the genre of special agent films. Arnold Schwarzenegger plays an undercover agent with complications as he has to save America from a terrorist attack by nuclear warheads. True Lies is the remake of the French film La Totale!