The 80s and 90s were the golden age for action movies. We had stars like Arnold, Keanu, Cruise, Harrison, Seagal, Stallone, and so many more! But which ones are the best? It's time to vote!
1 Terminator 2 v 2 Top Gun
James Cameron masterfully blends high octane chases, explosive shootouts, and a deeply emotional storyline that explores themes of humanity, fate, and unintended consequences of even the best of intentions. Arnold’s iconic portrayal of the T-800, coupled with the introduction of Robert Patrick’s relentless T-1000 keeps the tension high from start to finish. Its influence on the genre is undeniable.
Maybe the most quotable action movie in the bracket, Top Gun took rising star Tom Cruise and made him into an icon. The sunglasses, the leather jacket, the beach volleyball scene! Val Kilmer is transcendent as Iceman, a young Meg Ryan steals the show (“take me to bed or lose me forever”), and we all mourned the loss of Goose and fell in love with Kelly McGillis.
1 Die Hard v 3 Speed
Yippee-Kay-Ay! It’s the quintessential Action Movie, and a Christmas Movie too! Bruce Willis’s NY cop John McClane and Alan Rickman’s perfect villain battle their way through Nakatomi Tower in one of the greatest action movies of all time.
Is Speed the best action movie with the most ridiculous premise? The bus will explode if it goes below 50 miles per hour. Regardless of the insanity of the plot, this movie built the foundation of the careers of Keanu Reeves and Sandra Bullock. But it’s also the supporting performances from Dennis Hopper and Jeff Daniels that take this story and elevate it from the ridiculous to the wonderful.
1 The Matrix v 2 The Rock
Unquestionably one of the most influential movies ever made, The Matrix completely reinvented how we think about filmmaking and about reality. The “bullet time” technology created for the movie has become ubiquitous in action films. And can we really be sure that we aren’t living in a simulation now?
Nicolas Cage and Sean Connery team up to infiltrate Alcatraz, which is being held hostage by a disgruntled Ed Harris, who is threatening to deploy poison gas against San Francisco unless the U.S. Government recompenses the families of marines who died on covert missions. Do the characters have names? Yes. But with a cast like that, does it matter?
1 Raiders of the Lost Ark v 6 The Terminator
Harrison Ford may be the action hero that appears the most times in this bracket, and Indiana Jones is one of his most iconic roles. From the boulder trap at the beginning to melting Nazi faces off at the end, every moment is action-packed and unforgettable.
The early 80s were the peak time for action movies, and The Terminator is at the top of that peak. Directed by James Cameron (who has five movies on this bracket and is unquestionably the greatest action movie director of all time) and starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, this movie took the most elusive sci-fi action concept—time travel—and made it epic. This is the movie that made Arnold a one-name icon. And it just might be the most iconic movie in this whole bracket.
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