The Top 100 Action Films of All Time: 2015 Edition (70-61)

70

Eastwood's The Outlaw Josey Wales (1976) is as good as classic mythical Westerns get. Eastwood directs and stars in arguably his most action packed film that features numerous gun fights and memorable kills. Josey Wales is a great loner character who builds up a group of outsiders who struggle through post Civil War America. Definitely one of the greats.

69

Stallone's fourth Rambo (2008) adventure was a balls to the wall action film that rounded up the Rambo series with a nice bow. Essentially Stallone's Unforgiven, Rambo blends the gut wrenching drama of First Blood with the insane action of Rambo II and III. The final battle in the film is one of the most violent action scenes in cinema history.

68

Akira Kurosawa's second Yojimbo adventure, Sanjuro (1962), is an excellent chambara sequel. Toshiro Mifune leads a group of young men against actor Tatsuya Nakadai in this popcorn samurai film. Sanjuro features numerous thrilling sword fights that land the film its spot at #68.

67

The Inglorious Bastards (1978) is a slam bam Italian war film that blows all other war films out of the water. Fred Williamson and Bo Svenson lead a team of escaped prisoners against numerous Nazis in this highly entertaining and fun filled flick. Enzo G. Castalleri's action scenes feature some of the best slow motion editing in all of action cinema, they are that great. The film was also a big inspiration on Tarantino's own Inglourious Basterds (2009).

66

Hideo Gosha's debut film, Three Outlaw Samurai (1964), is an excellent and underrated samurai gem that all samurai fans need to search out! The film is essentially the origin story of how three outlaws came together to fight off a ruthless ruler and to defend the poor. The photography, acting, and writing is all pitch perfect. And all of this in only 93 minutes! 

65

Van Damme, Dolph Lundgren, and the amazing Scott Adkins make their mark on action cinema with the fourth Universal Solider film, Day of Reckoning (2012). This low budget sci-fi actioner ranks with Rambo as one of the most brutal and violent action films in cinema history. Scott Adkins' fight scenes with Andrei Arlovski, Dolph Lundgren, and Van Damme are some of the best fist fights in recent memory. Major kudos goes to Arlovski for a small, silent, but incredibly memorable performance as a UniSol hell bent on killing Adkins. Seriously guys, if you haven't seen this underrated gem check it out!

64

Aw man, samurai cinema doesn't get more bloody, gory, and over the top than this. Lone Wolf and Cub: Baby Cart at the River Styx (1972) is the most popular and well received of the Lone Wolf films. The villains of the picture, the Lords of Death, are three of the coolest characters in all of action cinema. Daigoro continues to grow as an important character even though he is a nearly mute child while Itto Ogami cements himself as the most bad ass dad in movie history. An exploitation masterpiece.

63

Screw the haters. I love The Matrix Reloaded (2003) regardless of what anyone else says. This much maligned and despised sequel is a fantastic and action packed sci-fi thrill ride that blows me away every time. The Neo vs. Smiths fight, the Vampire Chateau battle, and the entire freeway chase are three of the best action scenes in cinema history. Don Davis' score is what truly cements this film for me. Every piece of music revs my engine and makes me want to fight off a hundred Agents just like Neo.

62

Bruce Lee's iconic Enter the Dragon (1973) is the man's very last completed film and also the martial arts film that cemented the martial arts genre into the American psyche. Essentially a James Bond film starring Bruce Lee, Enter the Dragon is packed with great characters and amazing fight sequences. Lee will forever be remembered as one of the greats and Enter the Dragon's legacy will continue to remind audiences of his action prowess.

61

Kurosawa's Yojimbo (1961) is one of the most imitated and iconic action films in all of action-dom. Toshiro Mifune gives the performance of a life time as Sanjuro, a man truly with no name and with no life other than the one that he makes for himself. The film's sparse and few action scenes are also great. This is a classic art house film that is hailed by critics as one of the greatest films ever made but also hailed by action fans as one of the most bad ass films too. It's nice when we can all agree like that.

The Top 100 Action Films of All Time: 2015 Edition (80-71)

80

The original Death Wish (1974) marks the emergence of the vigilante sub-genre and Bronson at the top of his game. Winner adapted Brian Garfield's novel into a gritty and realistic portrayal of crime and arson on the streets of New York City. The film is essentially about what happens when the ordinary citizen is pushed to the brink. Bronson gives one of his best performances as the vulnerable and trigger happy Paul Kersey. A definite action classic.

79

The extended cut of James Mangold's Wolverine (2013) is an amazing feat in superhero cinema. Hugh Jackman gives his best performance as Wolverine to date. The film features intense fight scenes and a heaping helping of ninja and samurai aesthetics too. Arguably the most small scaled and focused of the X-Men films, The Wolverine is another contemporary action film that wows me every time.

78

Pete Travis' Dredd (2012) is one of the great contemporary action films. Karl Urban gives the best performance of his career as Judge Dredd, a judge, jury, and executioner all rolled up into one. The film paints a crime ridden future where Judges take it upon themselves to rid mega-cities of filth and crime. Dredd is very similar to ultraviolent and satirical classics like RoboCop and Total Recall with its excessive gore and dark humor. Olivia Thirlby also gives an amazing supporting performance as a psychic judge. 

77

This is the Robert Rodriguez that I love and miss. The guy who used practical effects and used to blow up practical heads off of dummies filled with fake blood and goo. The guy who had the confidence to make one half of his film about a hostage situation and the second half about killer vampires. The guy who round up genre legends like Tom Savini and Fred Williamson next to George Clooney, Tarantino, Harvey Keitel, Danny Trejo, Salma Hayek, and many more. The guy who ruled the 90's with his creative energy and wit. In my opinion, From Dusk Til Dawn (1996) will always be the guy's best action film. Rest in peace to the Robert Rodriguez who made films before he got his hands on a computer.

76

Brian De Palma is mostly known for psychological thrillers and tense horror films. However, I wish the guy had dabbled in action cinema more because his directorial style turns action films into works of art. The Untouchables (1987) represents the gangster action film at its best with fantastic performances by Sean Connery and Kevin Costner, amazing score by maestro Ennio Morricone, and awesome slow motion blood letting and editing that only De Palma can nail. The train station sequence easily ranks as one of the greatest pieces of cinema in my opinion.

75

Seagal haters can suck it! Hard to Kill (1990) kicks ass and takes names! The film is small scaled 90s action at its very best. The action scenes are fantastic, the plot and characters are engaging, and the soundtrack by David Michael Frank is amazing. In my opinion, this is Seagal's very best film.

74

Stallone makes his first mark on the list with Rambo III (1988), the biggest, manliest, and most excessive of the Rambo sequels. Widely hated and maligned at the time of its release, Rambo III has since become one of the definition representations of action movie machismo in the 80s. I love this film because it is essentially Lawrence of Arabia done Rambo style. The action scenes in this film are absolutely massive and breathtaking. Highly recommended to all action fans.

73

The Man From Nowhere (2010) is a contemporary action classic in my eyes. The film is essentially a Korean effort at combining The Professional with Taken. Won Bin gives a transformative performance as a depressed loner turned redemptive killing machine. This is more of a drama than action film unfortunately. When the action scenes hit though, you best watch out. The final knife fight between Won Bin's character and the main villain's right hand man is THE greatest knife fight in cinematic history. It wows me to this day.

72

Oh man, we're getting serious now. The 8 Diagram Pole Fighter (1983) blows both my balls and socks off. This is what you call a freakin' action movie. Gordon Liu's fight scenes are some of the very best I have ever seen. The climactic 8 minute finale is one for the books. Themes of honor, brotherhood, and loyalty abound in this martial arts masterpiece that reminds me why I love action movies so much.

71

I wasn't kidding when I said this list was getting serious. Lone Wolf and Cub: Baby Cart at the River Hades (1972) is samurai cinema at its most epic, violent, and gratuitous. This is the only example of exploitation cinema that I will ever defend. Regardless of the nudity, head decapitations, and 100 plus body count, these films are masterpieces of storytelling. 

The Top 100 Action Films of All Time: 2015 Edition (90-81)

On to part two! This segment of the list oddly contains four part four's! And trust me I did not plan that. It is just how things turned out. Several action icons also make their first appearance on the list such as Clint Eastwood, Steven Spielberg, Donnie Yen, Tom Cruise, Bruce Campbell, Andy Lau, the "real" Bruce Lee, and Enzo G. Castellari.

90

Spielberg's Saving Private Ryan (1998) is a fantastic war epic that features first rate performances, gritty action, and one of the best film scores of the 1990's. If one were to analyze the film without discussing its action scenes, its a first rate Oscar winning film. However, its gritty and horribly realistic action scenes are some of the best within a WWII film. Highlights include the horrifying invasion of Ohama Beach, the sniper face off, and the final battle within the destroyed town. Kudos to Spielberg for making Tom Hanks a bad ass.

89

Death Wish 4: The Crackdown (1987) is one of Cannon Group's best low budget productions. Unlike the previous Death Wish films, the fourth entry is all about cracking down on drugs and being as 1980's as possible. Even though the story and acting is weak in parts, the fun-varied action scenes and Bronson's presence holds the film together. Not a great film but a fun one. 

88

This early venture by director/choreographer Yeun Woo Ping is essentially the most action packed film of all time. In under 90 minutes, In the Line of Duty 4 (1989) contains over 14 separate action scenes! This is another film like Game of Death II where the insane amount of action is responsible for the film's placement on the list, not the storytelling or acting. Still, the film does feature some good comedy, a well put together story, and a great physical performance by a young Donnie Yen.

87

Three part four's in a row! That's odd. Anyways, Brad Bird's Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol (2011) is a fantastic spy thriller that features fantastic stunts and set pieces that prove that Tom Cruise is one of the hardest working men in action cinema. The film does a fantastic job at revitalizing the franchise and proving that Mission Impossible films can kick ass even with PG-13 ratings. 

86

Even though Army of Darkness (1992) has fairly clunky action scenes and silly editing errors, I can't help but love it with all of my heart. The film and the entire Evil Dead trilogy were my first venture into cult cinema back in high school. I love all of the cheesy one liners, Bruce Campbell's amazing performance, and the fun special effects. It's a cool film that combines humor, horror, and fantasy all into one. "Hail to the king, baby."

85

Rich and Famous (1987) is an incredibly underrated Hong Kong gangster film that features Andy Lau and Alex Man as two adoptive brothers who become understudies to Triad gangster Brother Chai (played by Chow Yun Fat in a movie stealing supporting performance). The film is part one of a two part saga that depicts the fall of the two brother's relationship and the collapse of Chai's reign. The film is essentially an action packed version of the The Godfather Saga. One of my favorite heroic bloodshed films, a definite great.

84

Goldfinger (1964) is the film that certified the James Bond formula and stands as one of the series' greatest entries. The film also features the iconic pairing of Goldfinger and Odd Job, two of the most memorable movie villains of all time. Packed with great romance, gadgetry, and Bond girls galore, Goldfinger is an action classic that will live on in eternity.

83

Ah, we can't talk action without Euro-Crime or Enzo G. Castellari. The Grand Racket (1976) is a horribly brutal and at times vile Italian action picture that features some of the best gun fights of the 1970's. Castellari showcases first rate action with excellent camera work and gorgeous slow motion editing that would make even John Woo and Sam Peckinpah jealous. The final gun fight inside of the abandoned factory is an action set piece for the ages. Fabio Testi also proves himself as one of the most likable and bad ass leads in Italian action cinema with his no nonsense performance and willingness to roll down a hill inside of car without a stunt double.

82

Bruce Lee's debut action picture is about as great as martial arts cinema comes. The Big Boss (1971) features Lee at his most brutal as he transforms from a peaceful hippie into a no nonsense fighter. The film is also notable for its excessive violence and introduction of Lee's iconic fighting style and facial features. 

81

Clint Eastwood makes his way onto the list with the fourth entry of the Dirty Harry series, Sudden Impact (1983). Sudden Impact benefits not only from its iconic dialog, awesome action scenes, and engaging rape/revenge plot, but also its director, Clint himself. Sudden Impact is the only Dirty Harry film that Eastwood ever directed and the film benefits greatly from his work behind the camera as well as in front. Eastwood elevates the standard action and plot of a Dirty Harry film with his confident direction and eye for minimalistic storytelling.

Top 100 Action Films of All Time: 2015 Edition (100-91)

It's time for a new edition of the 100 greatest action films ever made! According to me that is. It's quite interesting updating the list with new films and removing old ones. It goes to show just how varied your opinions are from one year to the next.

Just as I stated last year, there are numerous "great" or "classic" action films that did not make the list because I have not gotten around to seeing them yet. Therefore, action favorites like True Lies, Blade, Blood and Bone, Undisputed III: Redemption, Bloodsport, The Long Kiss Goodnight, Black Dynamite, The Great Escape, The Getaway, the Sonna Chiba Street Fighter Trilogy, No Retreat No Surrender 2, Lethal Weapon 1 and 2, Dr. No, Drunken Master 1 and 2, Project A, Fearless, and Once Upon a Time in China did not make the list.

Anyways, let's get to the first part of the list! That's right, I am splitting up the list into parts this time and giving my reasons for a film's inclusion as well as its theatrical poster. Enjoy!

Better Clear On Out the Back Top 100: 2nd Edition, 2015

100

The Bourne Identity (2002) is a solid PG-13 actioner that features good action scenes and one of the best characters of action cinema and literature, Jason Bourne. The film also features smooth and steady action photography that contrasts the shaky cam-ness of its sequels. I love that this is a film all about a former assassin taking on numerous assassins while on a journey to rediscover himself. It's a great and simple premise that makes for one of the best action films ever made.

99

Game of Death II (1981) technically has nothing to do with Robert Clouse's Game of Death beyond the stock footage of Bruce Lee that it uses. The film also has some of the worst acting, storytelling, and use of stock footage you will ever see. Why did I include this film you ask? For the action scenes of course! Even though this is a piece of crap, the action scenes are some of the best ever committed to cinema. I am dead serious. Every fight scene in this film blows my mind. God bless Yuen Woo Ping's eye for action choreography.

98

John Sturges The Magnificent Seven (1960) is a classic film that defines the glorious and triumphant American Western. It features one of the best ensemble casts of bad asses in cinema history too: Yul Brynner, Steven McQueen, Eli Wallach, Charles Bronson, James Coburn, and several more bring their acting chops to the mix. The film is also a remake of Kurosawa's Seven Samurai, a film that also lands on the list. Combine the awesome cast with exciting shootouts and an iconic score by Elmer Bernstein and you have a great Western that all action fans must see.

97

You can't talk action without bringing up James Bond! Thunderball (1965) has always been one of my favorite Bond films simply for its awesome underwater fight scenes and gadgetry. Connery is great, the girls are hot, and the villainous Emilio Largo is a great antagonist. You can never go wrong with Connery as Bond.

96

Sin City (2005) is in my opinion the last great Robert Rodriguez film. Ever since Rodriguez entered the digital age, his films have sucked hard. However, Sin City is a great example where computer graphics and green screens are essential in establishing the film's visual style. The film is bolstered by beautiful and violent imagery that makes the film both one of the best action films ever made as well as one of the best film noirs of the contemporary era. The incredible ensemble cast alone is worth checking out. 

95

The Corruptor (1999) is a film that you will never see on anyone else's top action list but mine. However, I love Chow Yun Fat with all of my heart and find it impossible not to include nearly every film he has ever made. The Corruptor is an excellent American action film that blends Hong Kong influences to great effect. The big car chase in the middle of the film stands as one of the most underrated car chases in movie history. Mark Wahlberg also gives one of his best early performances. I always recommend this film to action freaks and consider it to be one of the most underrated action films of the 1990's.

94

The Dark Knight (2008) only lands at #94?! What blasphemy is this? Well, this is my list and I say that The Dark Knight is an excellent but overrated and over exposed film. It's a fantastic superhero action film that features great characters, beautiful imagery, and a score for the ages. But a masterpiece it is not. Performances by Heath Ledger, Michael Caine, and Gary Oldman are what keep me coming back to this one, not the action. Still, it is one of the most important superhero blockbusters ever made and I don't think I can make a list without it.

93

Even though Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome (1985) is a tame sequel in comparison to its masterful predecessors, it is still an ass kicking film worthy of inclusion. The Thunderdome fight between Max and Blaster still excites me to this day. The film also features a fantastic film score by legendary composer Maurice Jarre and great songs by Tina Turner, the villain of the film. Mad Max is 80's post-aopcalyptic action at its best. 

92

I know some people don't like this film very much and consider it to be a flop in comparison to Pitch Black. But I think it's great! The Chronicles of Riddick (2004) is essentially a mix between Dune and Star Wars featuring Vin Diesel as the lead. What's better than that? The extended cut is especially fantastic. It restores essential character background and even more action. The epic battle between Riddick and the Necromongers on Crematora is the standout action scene of the film. I highly recommend this sci-fi epic and consider it to be one of the most underrated sci-fi films of the past decade.

91

Edgar Wright's Hot Fuzz (2007) love letter to action cinema is also one of the funniest films ever made. It is also one of the best scripted films in cinema history. The jokes, humor, and characters are that tight. If the jokes aren't enough for you though, than the final action scene should do the trick. I wish every action comedy was as fantastic and memorable as this one. Wright, Penn, and Frost just get it.