1. Mad Max: Fury Road (2015)
Synopsis:
Mad Max: Fury Road is set in a post-apocalyptic setting where Max Rockatansky (Tom Hardy) lives as a solitary drifter tortured by his history. He crosses paths with Imperator Furiosa (Charlize Theron), who is on a quest for redemption, and is being chased in a convoy. Furiosa swindles a number of ladies from the clutches of the despotic warlord Immortan Joe; towards the end of the film, Max is tricked into their battle. They are all on the run against vicious hordes from the warlord seeking to reclaim their hopeless lives from the harsh desert.
Why It’s a Must-watch:
Such directional mastery is not easy to come by, which is why I admire every aspect of Mad Max. George Miller effortlessly delivers everything we expect in an action move, plus much more. In each frame, there’s mayhem, running and shooting, massive vehicles rolling into view, endless intrigue, and the need to defeat the antagonist’s character – all accompanied by a captivating storyline about survival and praise - everything one needs in a movie.
Notable Accolades:
Interestingly, it won six academy awards.
Cinematography and action charmed viewers.
IMDb Rating: 8.1/10
2. The Dark Knight (2008)
Synopsis:
Christopher Nolan had decided to make entirely different movies than everyone else. In The Dark Knight, everything revolves around the battle between order and disorder. The fear is intensified for Bat-Man (Christian Bale) as his worst enemy, a master criminal by the name Joker (Heath Ledger), sets foot into Gotham City, unleashing chaos and violence in the town. The contrasts are constructive and not eccentric and give the movie a unique feel as opposed to anything typical or clichéd.
Why It’s a Must-Watch:
This film echoes many of its predecessors in crafting a believable narrative which, coupled with riveting moments such as the truck-flip and the Hong Kong skyscraper heist, raises the bar in the action genre. Heath Ledger brought the character of the Joker to life and go on record with one of the best performances of all time.
Notable Accolades:
Academy Award for best Supporting Actor (Heath Ledger).
Considered the best superhero from the first to the last frame movie.
IMDb Rating: 9.0/10
3. John Wick (2014)
Synopsis:
Widowed retired hitman John Wick, played by Keanu Reeves has a sad life that is made all the worse by events when the son of a mafia boss decides to take things too far as he kills Wick’s dog and steals his ‘special’ vehicle. This small altercation causes Wick to use his skills in taking down the Russian mafia as he goes for revenge.
Why It’s a Must-Watch:
Chad Stahelski has worked incredibly hard to make action fans fall in love with the genre once again because of the choreography and the creativity displayed with the use of weapons. John Wick must be noted as a character which is very rare and hard to portray however Keanu Reeves did this phenomenally.
Notable Accolades:
Saw the launch of an incredibly popular franchise.
Most importantly changed the way action sequences are created forever with ‘gun-fu’ combat.
IMDb Rating: 7.4 out of 10.
4. Terminator 2: Janvanumer Judgement Day: Released in 1991
Synopsis:
James Cameron’s Terminator 2: Judgment Day begins with Sarah Connor (Linda Hamilton) and her son John (Edward Furlong) on the run from an almost indestructible Cybernetic organism named the T-1000 (Robert Patrick), a Terminator made of liquid metal which time traveled from the future. They also have the former T-800 Cybernetic organism (Arnold Schwarzenegger) programmed into allegiance with them to stop Skynet from turning into an artificial intelligent threat to mankind and thus saving the world.
Why It’s a Must-Watch:
In addition to being a box office smash hit, a lawsuit was also filed against the producers for too many elements in T2 film that other films hadn't done. It has a remarkable visual impact. The action scenes including the chase sequences in the canals, the steel mill climax are still talked about years later.
Notable Accolades:
It got awarded with 4 Academy Awards Best Film, Actor and Supporting Actress.
It had the greatest impact on how CGI technology was placed in the industry.
IMDb Rating: 8.6 out of 10.
5. Die Hard: Released in 1988
Synopsis:
Bruce Willis stars as Officer John McClane, a New York cop who is invited over by his wife who he gets along with after the couple wasn’t in good terms and decided to attend a party in Los Angeles. However, his dream marriage party turned hostile as a bunch of armed terrorists, led by Hans Gruber (Alan Rickman), seized an elite skyscraper during the annual Christmas bash. Alone and having had no choice to back out, McClane however wins against such terrorist assaults armed only by the sheer wits featuring and captivating the entire break and chase scenes.
Why It’s a Must-Watch:
Die Hard changed the action movie landscape by giving us an everyman hero who is more brain than brawn. Its sharp script and riveting tension, combined with clever set-pieces allows it to stay relevant.
Notable Accolades:
Celebrated around the world as one of the best Christmas films, and perhaps one of the best Action movies.
It established Bruce Willis as an action hero.
IMDb Rating: 8.2/10
Honorable Mentions
Although these five movies cut across the history, others still deserve attention:
Gladiator (2000): It tells of vengeance with the twist of Ancient Rome as a playground.
The Matrix (1999): The best sci-fi action film that changed the face of cinematic art.
Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981): Indiana Jones meets a heroine in his first and most exhilarating movie ever.
Final Thoughts
The action genre is dynamic in nature and never ceases to surprise. It would not matter what sort of action one prefers; be it thrilling car chases or epic large scale wars, or hand to hand fights; these movies are the best in the genre. Starting from the rough and filthy streets of Gotham to the empty and barren wasteland after the apocalypse, all of these films are an experience.
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