Greatest Action Film (The Entertainment Weekly List)

[Woochifer]

In honor of John Woo's 1992 action classic Hard Boiled finally coming out stateside as a fully loaded special edition DVD, I'm posting the list of Greatest Action Films Ever as written up a few weeks ago by Entertainment Weekly. Aside from Gladiator making the top 10, in general I thought this was a pretty good list to start with. For one thing, it has Hard Boiled, Die Hard and The Road Warrior (my personal top three) in the top 10.

The extended top 25, and top 50 lists are a LOT more debatable IMO (e.g., I would easily put Jackie Chan's Supercop or The French Connection or Bullitt above Point Break (?!) at #49).

The Rest of the Top 25 Actioners
#26 thru #50

[JSE]

While I like pretty much every movie you listed and agree they are all great action films, Radiers IMO has always set the standard for action films. The action, the score, the actors, the locations just all work perfectly in this film. One of my all time favorites!

[PeruvianSkies]

Interesting how a large majority of them are sci-fi/horror genre flicks and not just all-out action/adventure movies.

[kexodusc]

I had to vote T-2, not because I liked it more than the others, but I felt that it's action sequences carried the movie more than the other selections' action sequences carried their respective films.
Ie: The Matrix had some good scenes, but there was a lot more than just action going on in that film. Same with Raiders or Gladiator.


Ya know...there's 2 movie franchises that I've never seen any films of - Jaws was the first, Die Hard is the second. Keep meaning to, but...

Aliens kinda surprises me...when I think action film, it doesn't really come to mind.

[Feanor]

In honor of John Woo's 1992 action classic Hard Boiled finally coming out stateside as a fully loaded special edition DVD, I'm posting the list of Greatest Action Films Ever as written up a few weeks ago by Entertainment Weekly. Aside from Gladiator making the top 10, in general I thought this was a pretty good list to start with. For one thing, it has Hard Boiled, Die Hard and The Road Warrior (my personal top three) in the top 10.

The extended top 25, and top 50 lists are a LOT more debatable IMO (e.g., I would easily put Jackie Chan's Supercop or The French Connection or Bullitt above Point Break (?!) at #49).

The Rest of the Top 25 Actioners
#26 thru #50

A list of films of which I've seem most, (being an indifferent movie viewer). I haven't see Hard Boiled, (that I recall), but if it's on DVD I'll likely check it out.

These aren't necessarily my "top ten" but it is a good list. Reluctantly I had to vote Raiders; reluctantly I say because most of these flicks were really good. But Raiders really pulls it togeher: it's clever, polished, funny but well-balanced, and doesn't seem to take itself too seriously, (though it's a serious effort indeed).

A very, very close second for me is Road Warrior.

Aliens is very good, but the stand out in that series was the first one, Alien, though it relied on much more on suspense than action.

If there is a dubious top-ten there from my perspective, it's Gladiator. In the first place I didn't fell that it was as good a film as its reputation suggests; secondly, I don't consider it primarily an action film.

[Rich-n-Texas]

I'm the only one who voted for Private Ryan? That one stands out the most for me when I think action/adventure movies. It isn't science fiction by a long shot (no pun intended); instead it was more true to life than any I've seen so far. I haven't seen Hard Boiled and a couple of the others though... more movies to queue up!

[Troy]

I chose "Road Warrior." Man, I just love that movie. It's a cultural icon that is still being aped today in film and even advertising.

While SPR was book-ended by spectacular battle sequences, the middle section of the movie, the character-driven part, is Spielberg at his cornball worst.

Rich, rent the HBO series "Band of Brothers." Same production team as SPR so it has the same gritty, harrowing visual quality, but without the typical shmaltz and contrived plot conveniences so common to Spielberg movies. It's a much more realistic depiction of the overall western front experience. Best. War. Movie. Ever.

[GMichael]

Great list Wooch. But trying to pick the best is like a parent trying to pick which kid is their favorite. As I read through your list, my first thought was, "Ooh, Die hard! Yeah, that one. Oh, Aliens, that may be a little better. Raiders!? Forgot about that one! T2?! Yes! That's the one.
Can I pick more than one? If not, I'll have to say........ T2. No! Make that Aliens. D'm it!

I don't know which one. Both were so good for me.

[PeruvianSkies]

If HARD BOILED made the list, so should THE KILLER...also a superb first-rate John Woo shot em' up action flick.

[Feanor]

If HARD BOILED made the list, so should THE KILLER...also a superb first-rate John Woo shot em' up action flick.

Is that pic from Hard Boiled or The Killer, which ever one it was, I did see it. I wasn't all that impressed though -- just another "kick opera". Or maybe I'm just not a Yun-Fat Chow fan.

[PeruvianSkies]

If we are putting action scenes vs. action scenes this gets a bit tough, but if we are choosing the 'best' film, than SEVEN SAMURAI wins by a mile. You really can't put these other films up against a masterpiece like SEVEN SAMURAI. For action scenes alone, I am torn between ALIENS and T2.

[Woochifer]

Is that pic from Hard Boiled or The Killer, which ever one it was, I did see it. I wasn't all that impressed though -- just another "kick opera". Or maybe I'm just not a Yun-Fat Chow fan.

That would be The Killer (I personally liked it, but it's not easy viewing). For people unfamiliar with John Woo or HK cinema in general, I would recommend that they watch Hard Boiled first because it more closely resembles a conventional actioner, as we know it in this hemisphere. I think Hard Boiled made the list over The Killer simply because it's easier to digest as a pure testosterone and adrenaline-fueled thrill ride. Woo's other high octane bullet ballets like The Killer, A Better Tomorrow, or Bullet In The Head integrate more operatic and tragic elements along with over-the-top melodrama that don't necessarily play as well with American audiences.

If you want a different representation of Chow Yun-Fat (and more of an idea why the LA Times once called him "the coolest actor in the world"), I would also recommend Ringo Lam's Full Contact and John Woo's Once A Thief, both of which have had R1 DVD releases. Believe it or not, Chow was actually known more for his work in primetime TV soap operas and comedies before he starred in A Better Tomorrow.

[Rich-n-Texas]

Thanks for the tip Troy. I'll queue it up right behind UP IN SMOKE!

[Worf101]

I own the "Seven Samurai", "Aliens" and "Gladiator", and have seen all of the above save "hard boiled. I sat and pondered this one long and hard. In the end I picked "Raiders of the Lost Ark". The reason was simple. No other movie on that list made me go "WOW" the first time I saw it. I mean jaw dropping, mouth drooling "WOW". Raiders did that to me and more. I grew up on broadcasts of the old movie serials of the 30's and 40's, this was all that and more. And the ending to SEE the "Wrath of God"????? Are you chitting me???? Both sequels sucked but the original was one of a kind.

Da Worfster

[Feanor]

If we are putting action scenes vs. action scenes this gets a bit tough, but if we are choosing the 'best' film, than SEVEN SAMURAI wins by a mile. You really can't put these other films up against a masterpiece like SEVEN SAMURAI. For action scenes alone, I am torn between ALIENS and T2.

Seven Samurai is a work of art and as such the arguably best film on the list, but not best for action scenes alone. (My only quibble with S-S is that it is awfully long.)

By the same token, as I mentioned, Alien was the better film than Aliens but not for action scenes per se.

[PeruvianSkies]

While John Woo's THE KILLER has about half the body count as HARD BOILED, which is still high...about 90-100 people, it is a superior film in my opinion. I like the grittier nature of the film, I think the storyline is superior, and the gun battles are more natural, despite being artistically enhanced. HARD BOILED is also a great film, but a bit over-the-top with the focus on how many people can be killed, or how many bullets can be shot in a short period of time.

ALIEN vs. ALIENS is a great discussion because in many ways they are completely different films. Ridley Scott and James Cameron brought different angles to the films and made them unique in their own way. ALIEN is a suspenseful work of SciFi/Horror and really helped establish that type of genre in it's own right. ALIENS is a revenge-laded action flick with lots of guns and testosterone, even the chicks are hardcore! In both films I find myself on the edge of my seat, but for different reasons. ALIEN is a film where I am scared stiff at moments even though I know what is going to happen. ALIENS I am on the edge in the excitement of the action scenes.

SEVEN SAMURAI really stands out here as I already mentioned and it's action scenes are obviously dated by todays standards of action. I mean, come on it was made in the 1950's!!! If you compare the scenes of that film to what was a typical action film of the 1950's you can tell just how superior of a film it is, not just in the action, but in the entire construction of the narrative and all of the elements of superior filmmaking. It's kinda like saying ...what has better animation...MICKEY MOUSE or THE LION KING? It's kind of an unfair question.

[Woochifer]

I own the "Seven Samurai", "Aliens" and "Gladiator", and have seen all of the above save "hard boiled. I sat and pondered this one long and hard. In the end I picked "Raiders of the Lost Ark". The reason was simple. No other movie on that list made me go "WOW" the first time I saw it. I mean jaw dropping, mouth drooling "WOW". Raiders did that to me and more. I grew up on broadcasts of the old movie serials of the 30's and 40's, this was all that and more. And the ending to SEE the "Wrath of God"????? Are you chitting me???? Both sequels sucked but the original was one of a kind.

Da Worfster

Good criteria Worf. That kind of goes into the trickiness of how to rate action films in general, because while some films with action elements have better plots or acting or dramatic elements, the whole purpose of an action film IMO is get the adrenaline pumping and take the audience on a nice thrill ride. Much like a good rollercoaster will deliver the goods, regardless of whether the ride follows an intricate theme or storyline.

The whole wow factor is exactly why Hard Boiled, Die Hard, and The Road Warrior are my personal top three actioners. Hard Boiled is just an unapologetic ballet with bullets that delivered the action thrills without the melodramatic excesses that accompanied some of John Woo's previous films. Since you haven't seen it yet, you owe yourself big-time to check it out before delving off into Woo's other great HK gangster pics.

Die Hard combined great action with great tension between two very strong adversaries -- it's that sense of peril that seems to have departed the action genre as of late. At the time, it was a groundbreaking film because it upped the ante on the action sequences while setting the blueprint for the action genre over the next decade and painting a wry picture of the late-80s business and media culture. First time I saw the movie, I was so thoroughly blown away that I watched it at least four more times in the theater that summer.

In the end though, I picked The Road Warrior because it depicted such an apocalyptic and surreal world, yet it was very grounded and gritty. The first time I saw that movie was an incredible jolt, not just because of the thrilling action scenes and gripping nature of the film but also because of how real it all felt. At that time, the threat of a nuclear winter was still very real, and the whole storyline of nomadic tribes killing each other over a few gallons of gasoline added to the peril that the action scenes depicted, because as bizarre as these situations were -- it all seemed plausible. The Road Warrior is also one of those rare films that works equally well for me whether I choose to click my brain off or not.

I guess we'll now have to brace for the arrival of Indiana Jones IV, to see how much more Spielberg, Lucas, Ford, & Co. can milk off of the original movie.

[Groundbeef]

This was a tough one.

While I enjoyed Mad Max/Road Warrior, and really felt they showed a "gritty" feel, ultimatly I chose T2.

Raiders had it for me when I was younger, but I recently watched them with my kids, and they felt a bit flat. Perhaps time has not been as kind on them as my memory had. They just didn't have the punch that they held when I saw them the first time.

T2 stands out as one of the films where I was totally blown away by the special effects. The "liquid metal" effects were some of the best I have ever seen, and I still think that they stand out as a gold standard for usage of CGI.

Up to T2, RoboCop stood out as one of my favorite (if not a bit of a guilty pleasure) action films. I realize the acting was perhaps not the best, and the effects were somewhat low-tech (who uses stop motion for a robot movie anyway?) but Peter Weller really carried the show. Between Dick Jones, "I'll buy that for a dollar!", and "You have 10 seconds to drop the weapon...9,8,7, I DROPPED THE GUN, 6,5, SOMEONE SHUT IT OFF, 4,3,2,1, and then the executive gets shot out of the 100th story suite"...yeah that was one awesome film.

[PeruvianSkies]

This was a tough one.

While I enjoyed Mad Max/Road Warrior, and really felt they showed a "gritty" feel, ultimatly I chose T2.

Raiders had it for me when I was younger, but I recently watched them with my kids, and they felt a bit flat. Perhaps time has not been as kind on them as my memory had. They just didn't have the punch that they held when I saw them the first time.

T2 stands out as one of the films where I was totally blown away by the special effects. The "liquid metal" effects were some of the best I have ever seen, and I still think that they stand out as a gold standard for usage of CGI.

Up to T2, RoboCop stood out as one of my favorite (if not a bit of a guilty pleasure) action films. I realize the acting was perhaps not the best, and the effects were somewhat low-tech (who uses stop motion for a robot movie anyway?) but Peter Weller really carried the show. Between Dick Jones, "I'll buy that for a dollar!", and "You have 10 seconds to drop the weapon...9,8,7, I DROPPED THE GUN, 6,5, SOMEONE SHUT IT OFF, 4,3,2,1, and then the executive gets shot out of the 100th story suite"...yeah that was one awesome film.

Actually the guy doesn't get shot out of the window or from the 100th story...he gets shot and then falls back onto the model of the future city where he is then shot more while blood and guts fly all over the place.

[Woochifer]

This was a tough one.

While I enjoyed Mad Max/Road Warrior, and really felt they showed a "gritty" feel, ultimatly I chose T2.

Raiders had it for me when I was younger, but I recently watched them with my kids, and they felt a bit flat. Perhaps time has not been as kind on them as my memory had. They just didn't have the punch that they held when I saw them the first time.

T2 stands out as one of the films where I was totally blown away by the special effects. The "liquid metal" effects were some of the best I have ever seen, and I still think that they stand out as a gold standard for usage of CGI.

Up to T2, RoboCop stood out as one of my favorite (if not a bit of a guilty pleasure) action films. I realize the acting was perhaps not the best, and the effects were somewhat low-tech (who uses stop motion for a robot movie anyway?) but Peter Weller really carried the show. Between Dick Jones, "I'll buy that for a dollar!", and "You have 10 seconds to drop the weapon...9,8,7, I DROPPED THE GUN, 6,5, SOMEONE SHUT IT OFF, 4,3,2,1, and then the executive gets shot out of the 100th story suite"...yeah that was one awesome film.

Robocop is indeed another great actioner. The level of violence was shocking the first time I saw it, but I've grown more to appreciate how ahead of the curve that movie was. Some of the satirical/peripheral elements like the gas guzzler TV ads and the whole subplots of corrupt industrialists pushing large-scale urban redevelopment and private paramilitary armies seemed outlandish at the time, but have to some extent come true (i.e., the SUV craze, the homogenization of many big city downtown areas, and the outsourcing of military functions).

I was also blown away the first time I saw T2, largely because the visual effects created images and action scenes that were simply not possible before. Plus, the action was draped around a very strong plot line. The CGI was applied very well because it looked plausible and integrated very well with the live action. I could actually believe that the T1000 was there on screen. Too bad so many CGI action sequences since then have tried to play around with the physics and go for more of a cartoon-like look. If the effects are overdone, for me it tends to detract from the adrenaline rush that good action movies are supposed to provide. T2 is a case for how the effects added to the thrills.

[PeruvianSkies]

The Criterion edition of ROBOCOP both on the DVD and Laserdisc format is a MUST-listen. It is one of the best commentary tracks for any film released to date. Paul Verhoeven discusses how the film in many ways reflects the Vietnam-era mentality and the fact that the ED209 looks like a microphone for certain reasons. There are many things going on with this film beneath it's 'Superheroish' front.

[Smokey]

I was surprise not seeing Star Wars in the poll. That would make choosing a winner in this poll even harder

I am having hard time choosing between T2 and Road Warrior. T2 was the fits movie I saw on laser disc and was blown away. But time might be T2 worst enemy as it goes by, it make the movie more dated.

So Road Warrior might get the nod as best picture. It hold up today as it did 26 years ago.

[Groundbeef]

Actually the guy doesn't get shot out of the window or from the 100th story...he gets shot and then falls back onto the model of the future city where he is then shot more while blood and guts fly all over the place.

Its been a while, and you may be right about that. I thought he went out the window, but either way it was a spectacular way to go!

[PeruvianSkies]

I was surprise not seeing Star Wars in the poll. That would make choosing a winner in this poll even harder

I am having hard time choosing between T2 and Road Warrior. T2 was the fits movie I saw on laser disc and was blown away. But time might be T2 worst enemy as it goes by, it make the movie more dated.

So Road Warrior might get the nod as best picture. It hold up today as it did 26 years ago.

I don't know about that, T2 looks pretty darn good being 16 years old this summer. I saw the film in 70mm blow-up prints and it looked (and sounded) stunning beyond belief! It is, as some may recall a previous thread, my choice for the greatest sequel ever made. I have also seen this film on Laser and I own 2 versions of the film on DVD. I have the Artisan release with DTS and the 'Extreme' edition with restored picture that really helps the special effects date well. There is a Blu-ray of the film out as well, which I do not own, but I have seen and it really brings back the definition and depth of the film that reminded me of my initial 70mm viewing. After 16 years the effects still look great and to me, even looked better than T3, which may have had more technology, but the movement of the mechanics seemed way to 'digital' looking. T2 incorporated the best of both worlds with models and some early digital work and blended the two together incredibly well.

[Worf101]

Just wanted to say, great poll and great answers. Thanks Wooch!!! I see many HK gun totin action flicks in my near future....

Da Worfster