11. Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol (2011)
Ghost Protocol is the Mission: Impossible where we all noticed that Tom Cruise might kill himself for the sake of our entertainment. Correction — it’s probably for his own entertainment, and our entertainment is merely a side effect. His ascent/descent/tetherball around the Burj Khalifa is an absurd act of stuntmanship that most filmmakers would make the professionals handle. Except Cruise has made himself a professional in every field of the job. You need to fly a helicopter, he’s your guy. You need to dangle off an aircraft; he’s your guy. You need to scale a building; he’s your guy. This is where Tommy gets his jollies. Don’t get in his way. (Brad Gullickson)
10. Haywire (2011)
Gina Carano is a legit assassin, right? Kinda. Steven Soderbergh didn’t recruit her out of Langley but MMA. The director was enamored by her unstoppable abilities and constructed a film around her physical talent. Haywire paved the path for flicks like John Wick and Atomic Blonde, where actors are entrenched in tactical training and expected to fight America’s wars after shooting wraps. Drop Carano or Keanu behind enemy lines during post-production and watch them “democratize” a small nation. I don’t doubt it. (Brad Gullickson)
9. Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation (2015)
We don’t thank Tom Cruise nearly enough for the ongoing miracle that is the Mission: Impossible franchise. It’s twenty-three years strong now and arguably stinker-free across its six films — I’ll admit to not being the biggest fan of the first two, but from 2006’s part three on they’ve each delivered an enormity of personality, fun, and kick-ass action sequences. Rogue Nation marked the arrival of Christopher McQuarrie in the director’s chair, and the result is possibly the series’ best (so far) pairing a familiar story with gorgeous visuals, a stellar supporting cast, and enough highly memorable action sequences for a half dozen lesser action films. Cruise hanging outside of a cargo plane as it takes off shows a blend of skill, dedication, and insanity that few can match, and it’s a recipe that continues to be the bread and butter of this epic and entertaining franchise. Keep em coming! (Rob Hunter)
8. Fast Five (2011)
The Fast & Furious franchise has become a worldwide phenomenon, and not even the death of one of its leads could stop the momentum. The absolute high point of the series remains the one currently at the middle of the pack chronologically — where the first four are smaller and less memorable, and parts six through nine have embraced nonsense to a ludicrous degree, Fast Five is the film that broke the gang out of the familiar and into the world of stunning action set-pieces. There’s CG at play here, but unlike later installments that embraced digital trickery more and more the bulk of the action and stunts here are practical and glorious. The safe heist is an exercise in equal parts precision and mayhem, and it remains a sight to behold. The world can keep the increasingly goofier sequels, but I’m happy just re-watching this utter blast again and again. (Rob Hunter)
7. John Wick: Chapter 2 (2017)
The first movie laid the foundations, teasing a criminal underworld with more layers than Hell itself. However, the sequel dug deeper into the mythology that makes this universe so fascinating and we’ve wanted more ever since. Of course, the series’ true calling card is putting Keanu Reeves through the wringer and letting him do what he does best — beat people up in majestic ways. Chapter 2 ups the ante in terms of story, scale, and action set-pieces (the highlights include a destructive car chase and a stylish museum massacre), and Reeves glides through every scene like a sexy angel of death. This is a rare example of a sequel that surpasses the greatness of the original, and that’s no easy feat considering that the first movie is pretty freaking special in its own right. (Kieran Fisher)
6. Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014)
If you’ve been reading this list from the top down (instead of jumping straight to this page) then you’ve noticed a distinct lack of superhero movies from Marvel and DC. We’re fans of many of those movies, obviously, but when it comes to action sequences the bulk of them rely far too heavily on CG, green screens, and other trickery to create the illusion of action resulting in uninteresting “stunts” and unimpressive “fights.” The Winter Soldier — ie the best film in the MCU — has its share of f/x but it succeeds better than the rest in delivering plenty of grounded, physical action as well. From the gun fight in the streets to Cap’s epic elevator brawl, effort is made here to choreograph and capture action beats we can feel, and the results speak for themselves. (Rob Hunter)
5. The Raid: Redemption (2011, Indonesia)
Every once in a while, a movie comes along that sets the bar so high that it just feels unfair to all other movies. With The Raid, Gareth Evans unleashed a beast and only a handful of movies have managed to contend with it, one of which was this film’s sequel. The Raid is so expertly edited that the action seems like it’s taking place in real-time, which makes every fight scene look legitimately dangerous for the performers involved. The action here is completely off the rails, and the film deserves extra points for introducing the Pencak Silat fighting discipline to the masses. (Kieran Fisher)
4. The Man from Nowhere (2010, South Korea)
South Korean cinema is extremely well represented on this list for obvious reasons — they make extraordinary genre films — but while every year seems to deliver another gem the country’s best this decade remains one of the decade’s first. Writer/director Lee Jeong-beom’s tale of a mysterious man who can’t turn on his back on a young girl in need hits all the right dramatic and emotional beats while also featuring action sequences that grab you by the throat. But in a good way. Sure it’s a riff on Luc Besso’s Leon (1994), but it’s still perfection with an epic knife fight that I keep returning to. Lee’s follow up (No Tears for the Dead) also made our list and is great, but The Man from Nowhere is in a class of its own. Think John Cassavetes’ Gloria (1980) but with a Korean man in the title role and several perfectly crafted action scenes between the opening and closing credits. It’s that goddamn great. (Rob Hunter)
3. The Night Comes for Us (2018, Indonesia)
Gareth Evans was an ex-pat who came to Indonesia and made two of the greatest action movies of the century with The Raid and The Raid 2, but instead of yelling “fuck colonialism!” and hiding in his room, filmmaker Timo Tjahjanto decides he was just going to do the same damn thing. So he did. The Night Comes for Us reunites some cast members from Evans’ films including Joe Taslim, Iko Uwais, and Julie Estelle, but the story is its own tale of twisted loyalties and brutal violence. The carnage, mayhem, and fighting brilliance on display combine for two hours of pure bliss as we’re introduced to cool antiheroes, vicious villains, and more human fodder than you can poke a knife at. It’s a film with far more story to tell and blood to spill so we better get a sequel announcement soon. (Rob Hunter)
2. The Raid 2: Berandal (2014, Indonesia)
The Raid 2 is not The Raid. The sequel makes you work for your bloodlust, trading simple rampaging siege film for undercover gangster epic. Don’t drum your fingers through the drama. Get to know these characters. Your frustration with the slow bits matches their frustration. The film will go off, and when it does, Gareth Evans tops the original’s whirlwind of violence in every way. The final sequence of The Raid 2 acting like the greatest series of boss battles the NES could never possibly achieve, but every subscriber to Nintendo Power dreamed of seeing as they rapidly tapped A and B through their side-scrolling missions. Rama vs. Batboy. Rama vs. Hammer Girl. Rama vs. The Assassin. It’s a beautiful mess of meat, man. (Brad Gullickson)
1. Mad Max: Fury Road (2015, Australia)
To see something this wild, bold, and strange come out of the studio system is nothing short of amazing. George Miller, in his seventies, showed that he still had more imagination, ambition, and energy than directors a third of his age. Why more crazy action movies with a penchant for death-defying practical stunts, off-the-wall concepts, and thought-provoking themes didn’t follow in its wake mystifies me. With Fury Road, Miller unleashed a sociopolitical allegory in the form of a relentless car chase blockbuster, and its success and acclaim just goes to show that audiences are willing to support movies that take risks when they’re this fucking good. (Kieran Fisher)
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