The Top 100 Action Movies of All Time - 2014 Edition

This is the big one. With no warning or announcement, I have officially selected my 100 favorite action films as of 2014! I want to explain three things first though about this list.

Taken 2 (2012)

1: The films on the list are a combination of good action and good storytelling. Some films may rank higher than others and not be all around better films but have insanely good action. Therefore, I sometimes went with a film that simply had the best action and sometimes went with the film that simply had the best story and characters.

The Tale of Zatoichi (1962)

2: There are about 10 essential action films I have never seen before. Therefore, they are not on my list. These are those 10.

Legend of the Drunken Master

Lethal Weapon

Lethal Weapon 2

Die Hard 2: Die Harder

Die Hard With a Vengeance

True Lies

The Fugitive

The Blues Brothers

Fearless

Under Siege

I have listed these films so that complainers can't hate on me for not including the films on my list because these are films that many action junkies love and worship. Until I see them, I can't put them on the list.

Death Wish (1974)

3: Also, three of the most essential action films, Die Hard (1988), The Matrix (1999) and Aliens (1986), are low or absent yet I have seen them. Die Hard is low because I saw it once long ago and can't really give an opinion about it while Aliens and The Matrix accidentally missed the list. Maybe a year from now my opinion will change on these classics. But for now, they sit where they are.

Without further ado, here's the bad boy itself according to Better Clear On Out The Back...

The Top 100 Action Movies of All Time - 2014 Edition

Max Max Beyond Thunderdome (1985)

100: Samurai II: Duel at Ichijogi Temple (1955)

99: Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones (2002)

98: Cruel Gun Story (1964)

97: The Chronicles of Riddick – Director’s Cut (2004)

96: Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome (1985)

95: Drug War (2013)

94: Lone Wolf and Cub: Baby Cart to Hades (1972)

93: Gladiator (2001)

92: The Expendables 2 (2012)

91: The Replacement Killers – Extended Cut (1998)

Yojimbo (1961)

90: Captain America: The First Avenger (2011)

89: Sudden Impact (1987)

88: The Warriors (1978)

87: Equilibrium (2002)

86: District 9 (2009)

85: The Big Boss (1972)

84: Goldfinger (1964)

83: The Bourne Identity (2002)

82: Yojimbo (1961)

81: The Dark Knight (2008)

In The Line of Duty 4 (1989)

80: In the Line of Duty 4 (1989)

79: The Magnificent Seven (1960)

78: Sin City (2004)

77: Die Hard (1988)

76: Enter the Dragon (1973)

75: Troy – Director’s Cut (2004)

74: Lone Wolf and Cub: Baby Cart at the River Styx (1972)

73: The Bourne Ultimatum (2007)

72: Django Unchained (2012)

71: Eastern Condors (1987)

Rambo III (1988)

70: Saving Private Ryan (1998)

69: Thunderball (1965)

68: Army of Darkness (1992)

67: Black Hawk Down (2001)

66: Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol (2011)

65: Star Wars Episode 3: Revenge of the Sith (2005)

64: The Man From Nowhere (2010)

63: Sanjuro (1962)

62: Rambo III (1988)

61: Rich and Famous (1987)

The Big Racket (1976)

60: Police Story (1985)

59: Exiled (2007)

58: The Outlaw Josey Wales (1976)

57: Dredd (2012)

56: The Sword of Doom (1967)

55: Iron Man (2008)

54: Rambo (2008)

53: The Big Racket (1976)

52: The Good, the Bad, the Weird (2010)

51: From Dusk Til Dawn (1996)

Death Wish 4: The Crackdown (1987)

50: Skyfall (2012)

49: The Wolverine – Extended Cut (2013)

48: Death Wish 4: The Crackdown (1987)

47: The Inglorious Bastards (1978)

46: Brotherhood of the Wolf – Director’s Cut (2001)

45: The Raid: Redemption (2012)

44: Three Outlaw Samurai (1964)

43: Magnum Force (1973)

42: Blade II (2002)

41: Death Wish (1974)

Rapid Fire (1992)

40: The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers - Extended Cut (2002)

39: Vengeance (2010)

38: Kill Bill, Vol. 1 (2003)

37: Once a Thief (1991)

36: The Wild Bunch (1969)

35: Taken – Unrated Cut (2009)

34: Face/Off (1997)

33: A Bittersweet Life (2005)

32: Rapid Fire (1992)

31: Keoma (1976)

For a Few Dollars More (1965)

30: SPL: Sha Po Lang (Kill Zone) (2006)

29: Full Contact (1993)

28: Leon: The Professional - Extended Cut (1993)

27: 13 Assassins (2011)

26: Commando (1985)

25: Spider-Man 2 (2004)

24: For a Few Dollars More (1965)

23: A Better Tomorrow 2 (1987)

22: Total Recall (1990)

21: Django (1966)

The Untouchables (1987)

20: Casino Royale (2006)

19: Predator (1987)

18: The Untouchables (1987)

17: Ip Man (2008)

16: Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989)

15: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly (1967)

14: The Crow (1993)

13: Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)

12: The Road Warrior (1981)

11: Bullet In The Head (1990)

10: Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)

9: Red Cliff – International Version (2009)

8: The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring – Extended Cut (2001)

7: Dirty Harry (1971)

6: The Killer (1989)

5: Seven Samurai (1954)

4: The Terminator (1984)

3: RoboCop (1987)

2: Hard Boiled (1992)

1: A Better Tomorrow (1986)