Summary
- Action movies have created iconic and enduring film franchises with explosive visuals and thrilling stories.
- Top action franchises like Jason Bourne, John Wick, Mission: Impossible, Indiana Jones, and James Bond define the genre.
- James Bond sets the standard for action films with iconic characters, thrilling stunts, and lasting cultural impact.
Arguably the most celebrated and popular genre of film ever produced, action movies are, and always will be, a bedrock of cinema. Utilizing explosive visual set-pieces depicting electrifying fights, adrenaline-infused chase sequences, and death-defying stunts, this thrilling genre has spawned some of the most enduring and wildly successful film franchises of all time.
The 20 Best Action Movies on Netflix Right Now
This eclectic collection of classic and modern action movies are among the very best available to stream on Netflix right now.
The perfect action franchise blends longevity, lasting cultural impact, and acclaim from fans and critics alike to produce a masterpiece of a premise, the success and appeal of which is so great that it's impossible to limit the subject matter to just one film. While commercial success also factors into the equation, it has never been an indispensable attribute for the greatest action franchises to be considered "great."
5 Jason Bourne
Laying The Foundations For The Genre's Evolution
- First release: The Bourne Identity (2002)
- Latest release: Jason Bourne (2016)
- Lead actor(s): Matt Damon, Jeremy Renner
While the series may not match its peers in terms of longevity, the Bourne franchise changed the landscape of action films forever. Based on Robert Ludlum's character of the same name, Matt Damon portrays a CIA assassin suffering from amnesia in a deadly game of cat and mouse with his former employers, with Avengers star Jeremy Renner turning in a one-and-done lead performance as Aaron Cross in 2012's The Bourne Legacy.
Jason Bourne Producer Wants to Make Sixth Movie
Frank Marshall - a producer behind all five Jason Bourne movies - wants to make a sixth film and describes what he's doing to make it happen.
The Bourne franchise is renowned for its ruthless realism, brutal action sequences, and a unique style of run-and-gun cinematography, establishing a new blueprint for action films that followed in its wake. Despite a mixed critical reaction to the series' latest installment in 2016's Jason Bourne, a sixth film is in early development, with Damon in talks to return as the iconic lead character once again.
4 John Wick
The Purest Action Franchise Ever Conceived
- First release: John Wick (2014)
- Latest release: John Wick: Chapter 4 (2023)
- Lead actor(s): Keanu Reeves
John Wick is an action franchise like no other, laying claim to some of the most intricate combat sequences ever seen on the silver screen. The stunning choreography of the franchise's brutal signature fight scenes coupled with Keanu Reeves' stoically compelling take on the eponymous legendary hit man have combined to produce four critically acclaimed blockbuster offerings, with many critics labeling John Wick as one of the greatest action franchises of all time.
John Wick: 16 Strongest Hitmen In The Movies, Ranked
The John Wick franchise has had some seriously strong assassins with a wide variety of skills, but who is the best hitman in the franchise?
The wildfire success of the first four films has already spawned the prequel television series The Continental, based on Wick's universe. The Ana De Armas-led spin-off movie John Wick Presents: Ballerina is set to follow in 2025, with a fifth chapter in the series and an untitled production based on Donnie Yen's blind assassin Caine also in the works. Simply put, this seminal action franchise appears to just be getting started.
3 Mission: Impossible
Blockbuster Sequences Led By Tom Cruise's Indetractable Star Power
- First release: Mission: Impossible (1996)
- Latest release: Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One (2023)
- Lead actor(s): Tom Cruise
Depicting the exploits of the infamous Impossible Missions Force and spearheaded by the inimitable movie star aura of Tom Cruise, the Mission: Impossible franchise has carved out a niche as one of the most exciting and lauded action series of all time. From scaling the Burj Khalifa to driving a motorcycle off a cliff to land on a moving train, Mission: Impossible is notorious for the spectacular nature of its stunt sequences — not to mention the legitimate danger they posed to Cruise while shooting them, as he performs as many of his own stunts as possible.
Best Mission Impossible Villains, Ranked
Over the course of 7 movies, there are been some incredible and terrifying Mission Impossible villains. Yet, who's the worst of the bunch?
However, unlike action laden contemporaries in the vein of Fast & Furious, Mission: Impossible bears the rare distinction of a franchise that keeps getting better with age. The wave of critical acclaim in response to the Cruise-led enterprise just keeps on growing; a status quo that fans will be anxiously monitoring when the as-yet unnamed eighth entry lands in 2025.
2 Indiana Jones
An Action-Adventure Icon Of The Highest Order
- First release: Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)
- Latest release: Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny (2023)
- Lead actor(s): Harrison Ford
A series of incredible and thrilling adventures helmed by one of the greatest action stars of all time in Harrison Ford, Steven Spielberg's Indiana Jones series began with the wildfire success of Raiders of the Lost Ark. Acclaimed as one of the finest films ever made, the 1981 introduction to the whip-toting "Dr. Jones" spawned one of the most iconic characters in the history of cinema, in addition to four further movies that expanded upon him.
All Indiana Jones Movie, Ranked
With Indiana Jones hanging up the hat and whip in Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, it's time to rank all 5 of his cinematic adventures.
Ford's fedora-wearing charge and his endlessly entertaining adventures provided inspiration for virtually every action-adventure outing post-1981. While the series' quality regrettably fell off as it entered the 21st Century, the inimitable quality and lasting cultural impact of the first three films in the franchise is such that no list in this vein would be complete without "Indy" making an appearance.
1 James Bond
Cinema's Most Celebrated Secret Agent
- First release: Dr. No (1962)
- Latest release: No Time to Die (2021)
- Lead actor(s): Sean Connery, George Lazenby, Roger Moore, Timothy Dalton, Pierce Brosnan, Daniel Craig
The most famous spy in cinematic history, James Bond has appeared in 25 official live-action films as of 2021, in addition to two more offerings independent of Eon Productions. Based on Ian Fleming's literary character of the same name, Bond's electrifying exploits have provided the gold standard for action films since the first live-action version of the character debuted in 1962's Dr. No, with no fewer than six actors stepping into the legendary role of "007" in the decades since.
Actors That Would Make A Great James Bond
Who will be the next James Bond? Nothing's confirmed yet, but there are plenty of actors who are up to the challenge.
An iconic blend of physical prowess, inherent vice, and suave magnetism, Bond and his movies have had an unmistakable influence on popular culture. The stylish MI6 operative's jaw-dropping stunt sequences have inspired countless imitations, while the franchise's villains have arguably provided the archetypes for the majority of cinematic bad guys. From commercial success to lasting impact, James Bond stands alone at the top of the action franchise mountain.