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Image via Sony Pictures Classics
Although the 1980s and ‘90s are often thought of as the peak of the genre, the 21st century has provided more than a few modern action classics. Advancing technologies, a growing appreciation for stunt performers, and more interest in reviving classical franchises have led to an era in which action can be considered “prestige.” Although not all of the blockbusters films that dominated the 21st century box office were necessarily of the highest quality, those that stood out as critical successes tended to be commercial hits as well.
There was a great diversity to the best action films in recent memory, as there has certainly been a greater interest in international action cinema. Even some of the more popular English-language films have been unafraid to acknowledge their international influences. Here are the ten most thrilling action movies of the 21st century, ranked.
10 ‘Baby Driver’ (2017)
Directed by Edgar Wright
Image via Sony Pictures Baby Driver was the culmination of Edgar Wright’s career, proving that he had far more to offer than just making parodies of popular genres. Although Wright has pulled off some impressive stunt sequences in his buddy cop comedy Hot Fuzz and his adaptation of Scott Pilgrim vs. The World, Baby Driver brought to life a thrilling love story between a charismatic getaway driver (Ansel Elgort) and the young waitress (Lily James) that wins over his heart.
Baby Driver was made all the more thrilling due to the practical filmmaking, as Wright destroyed countless actual cars on set filming the excellent chase scenes. This level of realism is what differentiates elevated cinema like Baby Driver from the more forgettable entries in The Fast and the Furious or Transformers franchises, which are far too reliant on computer generated imagery to do the hard work.
Baby, a talented and music-obsessed getaway driver, works for a ruthless crime boss, using his incredible driving skills to execute flawless heists. Dreaming of a normal life, he falls for a charming waitress and decides to escape his criminal past. But his plans are jeopardized when a heist goes wrong, forcing him to fight for his freedom and the future he desires.
Release Date June 28, 2017
Director Edgar Wright
Runtime 113 minutes
Writers Edgar Wright
Budget $34 million
Studio(s) Sony
Distributor(s) Sony
9 ‘Oldboy’ (2003)
Directed by Park Chan-wook
Image via Show East Oldboy is one of the most disturbing movies ever made, as director Park Chan-wook completely turned the revenge thriller on its head with one of the most shocking endings in the history of cinema. Film fans have certainly been taught to think ahead about the potential twists that could occur within a story, but the twist in Oldboy is so brutal, unexpected, and thoroughly upsetting that almost no one was able to see it coming.
Oldboy has incredibly gritty action sequences, which emphasized the fact that the stars of the film were doing their own stunts. The infamous “hallway” fight was an incredibly innovative moment on Park’s part; it ended up inspiring many imitators that tried to recreate the unfiltered brutality of the scene, including the Bob Odenkirk action thriller Nobody and a memorable episode of the Netflix series Daredevil.
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Oldboy
Obsessed with vengeance, a man sets out to find out why he was kidnapped and locked into solitary confinement for twenty years without reason.
Release Date November 21, 2003
Director Park Chan-wook
Cast Choi Min-sik , Yoo Ji-tae , Kang Hye-jung , Kim Byeong-Ok , Oh Tae-kyung , Yoon Jin-seo , Woo Il-han , Ji Dae-Han
Runtime 120 Minutes
Writers Park Chan-wook , Hwang Jo-yun , Lim Jun-hyung
Tagline
Budget $3 Million
Studio(s) Egg Film , CJ Entertainment
Distributor(s) Show East , DreamWorks Distribution
Sequel(s) Lady Vengeance
Franchise(s) Oldboy
8 ‘Casino Royale’ (2006)
Directed by Martin Campbell
Image via MGM/ DANJAQ Casino Royale was the boost of energy that the James Bond franchise needed, as the mixed reception to the last few films that had starred Pierce Brosnan has suggested that the 007 series was no longer as relevant as it once was. Casino Royale went back to the origins of the character, as it served as an adaptation of the very first novel in Ian Fleming’s spy series.
Daniel Craig instantly proved himself to be one of the best Bonds ever, as he was able to capture the mix of cynicism and heroism that made the character so complex. In addition to providing Bond with one of his best love interests ever thanks to the amazing performance by Eva Green, Casino Royale also featured the particularly intimidating villain Le Chiffre, who was played by the incredible Danish actor Mads Mikkelsen.
Release Date November 14, 2006
Runtime 144 minutes
Writers Neal Purvis , Robert Wade , Paul Haggis , Ian Fleming
Budget $150 million
Studio(s) Sony
Distributor(s) Sony
7 ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ (2022)
Directed by Joseph Kosinski
Image via Paramount Pictures Top Gun: Maverick was the legacy sequel that no one knew that they needed, as the prospect of Tom Cruise returning to the world of the 1986 classic from Tony Scott was met with skepticism from the moment that it was announced. While it did have more than a few clever nods to the film that had preceded it, Top Gun: Maverick was so engaging on a character level that it was able to become a multi-generational success.
The aerial combat scenes in Top Gun: Maverick are among the best ever filmed, and feel particularly impactful due to the actual flying that Cruise was willing to do. Although Cruise is just as charismatic as he has always been, Top Gun: Maverick put a spotlight on the next generation of movie stars thanks to the terrific roles for Miles Teller and Glen Powell.
After thirty years, Maverick is still pushing the envelope as a top naval aviator, but must confront ghosts of his past when he leads TOP GUN's elite graduates on a mission that demands the ultimate sacrifice from those chosen to fly it.
Release Date May 27, 2022
Runtime 130 Minutes
Writers Ashley Miller , Justin Marks , Peter Craig , Zack Stentz
Studio
Story By Peter Craig , Justin Marks
Budget $170 Million
prequel(s) Top Gun
Franchise(s) Top Gun
6 ‘Mission: Impossible- Fallout’ (2018)
Directed by Christopher McQuarrie
Image via Paramount Pictures Mission: Impossible- Fallout is perhaps the greatest achievement in the Mission: Impossible franchise thus far, which is no small statement considering that the series is among the most consistently excellent ongoing sagas. It’s almost impossible to talk about the success of the entire Mission: Impossible franchise without mentioning the amazing stunt work that Cruise put into it; his commitment to giving the audience the best experience possible makes the experience of watching the film even more entertaining.
Mission: Impossible- Fallout is easily the most emotional installment within the franchise, as it shows how Ethan Hunt is forced to reckon with wanting to save his friends and the world at the same time. While he never got a fair shot at playing Superman in the DCEU, Henry Cavill delivered a terrific performance in Mission: Impossible- Fallout as the villain Walker, who actually poses a serious threat to Ethan.
Ethan Hunt and his IMF team, along with some familiar allies, race against time after a mission gone wrong.
Release Date July 25, 2018
Runtime 148 Minutes
Budget 178 million
Studio(s) Paramount Pictures
Distributor(s) Paramount Pictures
Franchise(s) Mission: Impossible
5 ‘The Bourne Ultimatum’ (2007)
Directed by Paul Greengrass
Image via Universal Pictures The Bourne Ultimatum was the culmination of one of the greatest action trilogies of all-time, and added some surprisingly emotional qualities to the series. While the original The Bourne Identity had revolutionized the modern spy thriller and The Bourne Supremacy achieved an incredibly relentless pace, The Bourne Ultimatum served as a satisfying conclusion because it finally provided the titular character (Matt Damon) with the elusive secrets about his past that he had been searching for. Damon certainly is able to show Bourne’s arc over time, but he is at enough distance from the audience that the shocking ending still lands with the most impact possible.
The Bourne Ultimatum is an excellent conspiracy thriller that is able to delve deeply into the government conspiracies. While it was followed by the spinoff The Bourne Legacy and the sequel Jason Bourne, The Bourne Ultimatum remains the most impressive achievement within the series.
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The Bourne Ultimatum
Release Date August 3, 2007
Runtime 115 minutes
Writers Tony Gilroy , Scott Z. Burns , George Nolfi , Robert Ludlum
Tagline This summer, Bourne comes home.
Budget $110 million
Studio(s) Universal Pictures
Distributor(s) Universal Pictures
Sequel(s) Jason Bourne, The Bourne Legacy
prequel(s) The Bourne Supremacy, The Bourne Identity
Franchise(s) Jason Bourne
Directed by Ang Lee
Image via Sony Pictures Classics Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon almost single-handedly revived interest in the martial arts genre, as Ang Lee crafted a classical epic about love, revenge, betrayal, and honor. Although the themes that Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon harked back to the most primal era of mythological storytelling, the film was shot with such gorgeous cinematography that it felt like a complete revelation.
Lee does an excellent job at crafting stylized action, as the film provides many sequences in which the characters appear to levitate in the midst of battle. However, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon is certainly not intended to be complete escapism; it offers a very emotional hero’s journey story arc, which is made even more powerful thanks to the breakout performance by Michelle Yeoh. Yeoh’s performance turned her into an icon of the genre, and certainly led to her groundbreaking win for Best Actress at the Academy Awards for Everything Everywhere All At Once.
A young Chinese warrior steals a sword from a famed swordsman and then escapes into a world of romantic adventure with a mysterious man in the frontier of the nation.
Release Date December 8, 2000
Runtime 120 Minutes
Writers Wang Hui-ling , James Schamus , Tsai Kuo-jung
Tagline A timeless story of strength, secrets and two warriors who would never surrender.
Budget $17 Million
Studio(s) Columbia Pictures Film Production Asia , Good Machine International , Edko Films , Zoom Hunt Productions
Distributor(s) Sony Pictures Classics
3 ‘Gladiator’ (2000)
Directed by Ridley Scott
Image via DreamWorks Distribution Gladiator is one of the few action movies that actually won the Academy Award for Best Picture, and the accolade certainly could not have been more deserving. Ridley Scott crafted one of the greatest revenge thrillers ever, as the film centered on the former Roman General Maximus Decimus Meridius (Russell Crowe), who is forced to fight in the Gladiatorial arenas in order to get revenge on the Emperor Commodus (Joaquin Phoenix), who murdered his entire family.
Scott weaves in real aspects of history with tremendous action scenes, and succeeds in giving Maximus an inspiring character arc about the importance of retaining democratic institutions. While Crowe’s performance is certainly one of the greatest “movie star” roles in recent memory, Phoenix deserves just as much credit for creating a villain that the viewers could genuinely love to hate because of how evil he was.
In ancient Rome, after the death of Emperor Marcus Aurelius, loyal general Maximus is betrayed and sentenced to death by the new emperor, Commodus. Escaping execution, Maximus is enslaved and forced to fight as a gladiator, where his skills and honor lead him toward a path of vengeance and redemption.
Release Date May 5, 2000
Runtime 155 minutes
Writers David Franzoni , John Logan , William Nicholson
Tagline
Website
Story By David Franzoni
Budget $103 million
Studio(s) DreamWorks Distribution , Universal Pictures , Scott Free Productions , Red Wagon Entertainment
Distributor(s) DreamWorks Distribution , Universal Pictures
Character(s) Maximus Meridius , Emperor Commodus , Lucilla , Proximo , Marcus Aurelius , Gracchus , Juba , Falco , Gaius , Quintus , Hagen , Lucius , Cassius , Cicero , Tigris , Slave Trader , Praetorian Officer , Scribe , Assassin #1 , Assassin #2 , Valerius , Praetorian Guard #1 , Engineer , German Leader , Giant Man , Rome Trainer #1 , Narrator , Maximus' Wife , Maximus' Son
2 ‘John Wick’ (2014)
Directed by Chad Stahelski
Image via Summit Entertainment John Wick was a complete shock that took the entire industry by surprise, as the film had received almost no marketing, and at one point was almost sent to be a direct-to-DVD style. It was a good thing that it opted to go into theaters, because John Wick proved to be an inventive blend of neo-noir, martial arts, gunplay, and comic book world building that felt like a breath of fresh air.
The stylized action in John Wick was crafted to perfection, which is mostly due to director Chad Stahelski’s actual experience as a stunt performer. Keanu Reeves had been an action icon due to Speed, Point Break, and The Matrix among others, but he gives arguably his best performance in John Wick, as the character is meant to embody his signature characteristics. The film ended up being the beginning of one of the best franchises of the past few years.
An ex-hitman comes out of retirement to track down the gangsters who killed his dog and stole his car.
Release Date October 24, 2014
Runtime 101 Minutes
Writers Derek Kolstad
Studio
Tagline
Website
Budget $20-30 Million
Studio(s) Thunder Road Pictures , 87Eleven Productions
Distributor(s) Summit Entertainment
Franchise(s) John Wick
1 ‘Mad Max: Fury Road’ (2015)
Directed by George Miller
Image via Warner Bros. Mad Max: Fury Road was an astounding success on every level that instantly proved to be one of the greatest sequels of all-time. While the original Mad Max trilogy that George Miller had directed certainly set precedents for post-apocalyptic Australian westerns, Mad Max: Fury Road was a nonstop chase thriller that barely gave the viewers a chance to breathe.
Enough good things cannot be said about the practical craftsmanship in Mad Max: Fury Road, as Miller poured his heart and soul into making everything as real as it possibly could have been. Tom Hardy did a great job at playing the title role, and in many ways surpassed the performance that Mel Gibson had given in the original trilogy; however, it was the debut of Charlize Theron as Imperator Furiosa that became the true action icon of a new generation.
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Mad Max: Fury Road
Release Date May 13, 2015
Director George Miller
Runtime 120
Writers George Miller , Brendan McCarthy , Nick Lathouris , Byron Kennedy
Studio Warner Bros. Pictures
Tagline What a Lovely Day.
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