The Best Action Movies of All Time
What is the first thing that strikes you when we mention The Godfather, Citizen Kane, There Will Be Blood, or the Terminator series?
How some of them are the best action movies, right?
Action is considered the ultimate film genre that attracts people of all generations and gender. However, making one is another story, as the process involves different ingredients that make it worth watching, appreciating, and enjoying.
Guaranteed to rake in money at the box office as well as providing the perfect binge-worthy material, we found that action movies have certain ingredients that make them so entertaining.
Wondering what we mean? Read on to find out more.
A Strong, Resilient Protagonist
Does your list of the best action movies include one that doesn’t have a larger-than-life hero or a spectacularly strong heroine? We thought so too.
The strength and resilience of the main character – hero or heroine – need to shine through. While ensemble casts are great, every action film needs a brave, singular protagonist that brings the bad guys to their knees.
And it’s not that the protagonist needs to have a whitewashed personality. On the contrary, character flaws like breaking rules, not following protocols, a little bit of the mafia, etc., are much appreciated.
If the hero or heroine isn’t likable, the movie – especially one in an action genre – isn’t going to work.
Fight Scenes, Car Chases, and Lots of Stunts
Whether it’s The Fast and The Furious series to Point Break to The Matrix, every action movie lover adores the thrill revolving around a good fight scene or car chase. In fact, the more the better! But that doesn’t mean that directors can simply stuff these scenes or stunts to attract the viewer's attention.
The overall choreography of these scenes can be extremely complicated, which is why they need to be well coordinated. Safety also is an important priority that includes stunt professionals and performers in addition to the actors. Once these aspects are smoothened, it's important to ensure that the fight scenes and chase scenes are enjoyable.
An Explosive Plot, Preferably One that Involves Revenge
Wife avenging her lover. Son avenging his family. Or Keanu Reeves avenging his dog. Action lovers just love a good revenge plotline. The angst, revenge, and vengeance are all we need to sit through three hours in front of the screen.
If revenge isn’t on offer, action films still need a solid plot to work. It just wouldn’t make sense to have a strong hero and villain, with plenty of fight scenes, if the crux of the story doesn’t make sense or is lukewarm at best.
A Depiction of the Hero’s Journey
With a strong plot in place, story writers should include parts where the viewers get to see the journey of the hero till the very point he emerges as the winner. This can include training montages similar to Sylvester Stallone in Rocky, or Jean-Claude Van Damme in Bloodsport.
While we love an all-powerful hero like Arnold Schwarzenegger in Terminator or Angelina Jolie in Tomb Raider, seeing the journey just makes the film more realistic and impactful, allowing the viewer to connect with the hero.
One Big, No-Holds-Barred Showdown
If it were to us, we would want every action movie to end with a final showdown between the hero and the villain, with said showdown having a healthy dose of stunts, punches, over-the-head kicks, blasts, and more! In fact, it isn’t necessary for everything to be about guns and bombs – natural martial arts work just as well.
Since the final fight is going to serve as the climax for the action movie, it is vital for the choreography to be elaborate and tight. Long, engaging sequences with intrigue and drama is a must.
Concluding Thoughts
Action movie lovers don't want a mind-bending or artistic plot – using a basic framework that includes all the ingredients that we've mentioned above works just as well for them.
While the hero emerging as the ultimate winner is more than welcome, directors and story writers are always free to have an alternate ending, like maybe even killing off the hero. But then again, who wouldn't want Rocky Balboa or Michael Corleone to win it in the end?
Resources— Junkee, Priceonomics
