There’s nothing that can suck an audience into a movie faster than an opening action sequence. Just as there’s nothing that can leave an audience as satisfied than when the hero emerges victorious from the film’s climactic battle scene. This is why action-heavy movies have and continue to be some of the biggest blockbusters of all time. However, just because studios continue to pump out more and more of these types of movies, doesn’t necessarily mean they’re getting any better. We’re sure we’re not the only ones who have emerged from the theater with our ears ringing and our eyes burning after what felt like three hours of explosions. In other words, sometimes more isn’t always better. And as action movies have now become a year-round affair, they’re struggling to stand out amidst the never-ending supply of intricate set pieces, savage fist fights, and lengthy car chases.
Of course, critics are a lot harder to impress when it comes to this type of spectacle. So it's no wonder that some of the best-reviewed action movies on Rotten Tomatoes are from decades past. This may be because these films did it better, or simply because they did it first. But whatever the reason may be, modern audiences shouldn't be dissuaded by these older release dates. Since a ton of movies contain action sequences, we've zeroed in on the movies where action is the predominant genre. So movies that would better fall into another category (sci-fi, fantasy, superhero, etc.) won't be seen here.
With that in mind, here are the 15 Best Action Movies According To Rotten Tomatoes (And 5 Stuck With 0%).
20. Raiders of the Lost Ark (95%)
One of the most beloved movie characters of all time, Indiana Jones made his debut in the 1981 action-adventure Raiders of the Lost Ark. The film found Harrison Ford suiting up to play yet another iconic hero, who is set on tacking down the mythical Ark of the Covenant before the villains can get their hands on it. While countless movies have tried to recreate the success of this blockbuster masterpiece, few have managed to give audiences as enjoyable a ride as Raiders.
Unsurprisingly, the film was a critical and commercial success upon its release, grossing nearly $400 million at the box office and earning a Best Picture nomination. It went on to spawn three sequels with a fourth currently in the works — which we dearly hope is nothing like Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.
19. The Prince (0%)
Bruce Willis may have starred in arguably the greatest action movie of all time with 1988’s Die Hard. But in the last decade, the aging action star has appeared in a string of flops and straight-to-VOD spectacles that have aligned him with the wrong side of the Tomatometer.
In 2014, Willis appeared alongside John Cusack and Jason Patric in The Prince — an action-thriller that many called a totally uninspired knock-off of Taken. And much like Taken, the film follows a former assassin who must spring into action after his daughter is taken away. As one critic writes, "Originality, either in of writing or direction, is in short supply in this assembly-line vigilante thriller." Unfortunately, that same line could be copied and pasted under the majority of Willis's recent films.
18. Super Cop (96%)
Originally released in 1992, this action-comedy finds Jackie Chan suiting up for his third Police Story movie — which would go on to earn him internationally success in the States under the title Super Cop. Here, Chan reprised his role as Chan Ka-Kui, a Hong Kong police officer who is assigned to take down the drug lord, Chaibat. Ka-Kui ends up going undercover in Chaibat’s gang, which often carries out in comedic fashion as the police officer tries to convince the gang that he’s just as much of a criminal as they are.
Super Cop features the perfect balance of comedy and martial artist that Jackie Chan has become synonymous with, and the fact that Chan actually performed these stunts makes them all the more thrilling to watch.
17. Dr. No (96%)
The tent-pole film of the James Bond franchise, Dr. No was released in 1962 to great critical and commercial success. Drawing inspiration from the Ian Fleming novel, the movie found Sean Connery suiting up to play the MI6 agent, who is sent to Jamaica after a fellow spy disappear.
Made on a relatively small budget of $1.1 million, Dr. No doesn’t boast the flashy spectacle of subsequent Bond installments. But as one critic writes, Dr. No is “about as perfect a franchise-starter as you could imagine and certainly accomplished the task of leaving you eagerly anticipating Bond’s next adventure.” Of course, the franchise has seen its fair share of ups and downs since the 1962 original. But even still, James Bond as regarded as one of the greatest action heroes cinema has to offer.
16. The Fugitive (96%)
Drawing inspiration from the 1960s TV series, The Fugitive is a 1993 film starring Harrison Ford and Tommy Lee Jones. Here, Ford plays Dr. Richard Kimble, a man who has been sentenced to spend the rest of his life in prison after being incorrectly convicted of his wife’s murder. He manages to escape, leading him on a search for the truth while U.S. Marshal Samuel Gerard (Jones) tries to track him down.
The critics on Rotten Tomatoes praise The Fugitive for its tight script, effective action pieces, and two powerful performances from the film’s leads. This is a movie that could very easily slip into the realm of ridiculousness, but it’s simply too well made to stop viewers from getting sucked into the adrenaline rush.
15. Term Life (0%)
In recent years, Vince Vaughn has struggled to shed his comedic persona in favor of more dramatic work. In 2015, he played career criminal Frank Semyon in the massively-underwhelming second season of True Detective. And the following year, he starred in the action-drama Term Life, which earned unanimously negative reviews on Rotten Tomatoes.
Here, Vaughn plays Nick Barrow, a heist orchestrator who must go on the run after he’s double-crossed. Nick takes his estranged daughter (Hailee Steinfeld) with him, who will inherit Nick's life insurance policy so long as he can survive the few weeks until the new policy kicks in. While Vaughn and Steinfeld are certainly capable of believable performances, such is not the case in Term Life. Critics agreed that both leads felt horribly miscast, and the uninspired work behind the camera certainly wasn't doing them any favors.
14. From Russia with Love (96%)
As far as the Tomatometer is concerned, the first and second James Bond movies are pretty much neck and neck with one another in of quality. From Russia with Love was released just one year after Dr. No and, thanks to the success of its predecessor, the film enjoyed twice as big of a production budget. That meant even grander and more inventive action sequences for audiences to feast their eyes upon.
The film follows Bond as he’s tasked with tracking down a Soviet encryption device that has fallen into the hands of SPECTRE. As many critics have noted, this Bond installment is bristling with confidence and From Russia with Love is notable in that it introduced a number of concepts and quirks that would become integral to the series.
13. Enter the Dragon (96%)
Before he tragically ed away at the age of 32, Bruce Lee completed his work on the 1973 film Enter the Dragon — which is widely regarded as the greatest kung fu film ever made. The action film has a no-frills story that involves Lee’s character (also named Lee) venturing to the private island of the crime lord Han, who is hosting an elite martial arts competition. While there, Lee attempts to gather evidence against Han, while also seeking out the man responsible for the loss of his sister's life.
Enter the Dragon was lauded for being pure action entertainment, unencumbered by an overcomplicating plot which allowed the immensely talented Bruce Lee to steal the spotlight.
12. Mad Max: Fury Road (97%)
For a movie that is ostensibly a two-hour chase scene, Mad Max: Fury Road managed to become one of the best-reviewed movies of 2015 — earning it a Best Picture nomination and a near-perfect score on Rotten Tomatoes. Written and directed by George Miller (the very man who launched the original Mad Max franchise back in 1979), Fury Road finds Tom Hardy taking on the role of the eponymous hero. But it’s ultimately Charlize Theron’s Imperator Furiosa who steals the show, as she kicks-off the story by fleeing the Citadel, taking with her the five wives of the tyrannical Immortan Joe.
The film was lauded for its intense chase scenes, along with its ability to weave in timely themes without ever feeling heavy-handed.
11. The True Memoirs of An International Assassin (0%)
This 2016 Netflix release follows Sam Larson, a lowly ant and hopeful novelist who is working on a book about an accomplished assassin. However, when his story is mistakenly published as a non-fiction memoir, Sam is taken under the hopes that he will help his captors carry out a real-life crime. The True Memoirs of An International Assassin may have an intriguing premise, but the action-comedy ultimately falls flat on both fronts — failing to provide any significant laughs or thrills. Kevin James provides his same brand of slapstick that we've come to expect from the Paul Blart: Mall Cop actor. But the schtick seems to have long worn out its welcome.
Out of the slew of negative reviews on Rotten Tomatoes, at least one critic was nice enough to note that it's not as embarrassing as The Ridiculous 6.
