There are many subgenres within the action movie genre, but perhaps the most beloved is the buddy action movie. These types of movies deliver on the big action sequences that audiences love while also telling a story about friendship.
A true buddy movie pairing features two heroes, sometimes on the opposite sides of the law. The relationship almost always begins with animosity before they find a way to start working together and form a mutual respect. And while every fan likely has their own personal favorite, Rotten Tomatoes reveals which buddy action movies are the best in critics' opinions.
21 Jump Street (2012) - 85%
While the series 21 Jump Street tackled serious topics in its story of undercover cops in high school, the movie wisely has fun with the premise. Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum star as two young police officers posing as students to take down a high school drug operation.
Hill and Tatum make for a great pair as they navigate going back into the high school environment in very different ways. The filmmakers also clearly love the action movie genre as 21 Jump Street is filled with clever references to the tropes of these kinds of movies.
Kiss Kiss Bang Bang (2005) - 86%
Shane Black is one of the most prolific filmmakers within the buddy action genre and his directorial debut offers one of its best entries. Kiss Kiss Bang Bang stars Robert Downey Jr. as a small-time thief who ends up in Hollywood where he is partnered with an eccentric private detective (Val Kilmer).
Black's script is laugh-out-loud funny as it plays around with the genre in some fun ways. Downey Jr. began his pre-Iron Man comeback with this terrific performance while Kilmer is hilarious as his brutally honest partner.
Unstoppable (2010) - 87%
Unstoppable is a movie that may have flown under the radar for a lot of fans but is well worth checking out. Chris Pine stars as a train conductor on his first day with his training officer (Denzel Washington). But soon the rookie and the veteran have to put aside their squabbling to stop a dangerous runaway train.
This ended up being the final movie of action legend Tony Scott whose talents are on full display. The movie is fast-paced right from the start, keeping audiences on the edge of their seats. Washington and Pine also ground the adventure with their enjoyable chemistry.
Ant-Man and the Wasp (2018) - 87%
There have been plenty of team-up movies in the MCU, but Ant-Man and the Wasp is the first true buddy action movie of the cinematic universe. After Ant-Man had all the spotlight in his first solo movie, he shares the stage with The Wasp as she makes her badass debut.
It is clear the people at Marvel had buddy action movies in mind as inspiration for this sequel. It is fun to see the genre transplanted into a big superhero movie with the two heroes making for a complementary pair. And it will be thrilling to see them take on Kang in the third movie.
Hot Fuzz (2007) - 91%
After Edgar Wright poked loving fun at the zombie genre in Shaun of the Dead, he took the same approach to buddy action movies with Hot Fuzz. Once again, Wright obviously has a lot of ion for these types of movies yet can still have fun with how ridiculous they can be.
The movie has a lot of meta-humor as Simon Pegg's serious cop tries to convince Nick Frost's bumbling officer that police work isn't like what is seen in the movies. Of course, this pays off in the end when the movie turns into a typical wild action movie.
The Nice Guys (2016) - 91%
Shane Black delivered yet another hilarious dark comedy about a pair of unorthodox heroes who form an unlikely partnership. Russell Crowe and Ryan Gosling star as two private detectives who find themselves working the same case involving a deadly conspiracy.
one of the most rewatchable movies of the last decade thanks to the twist-filled plot and endless jokes. Crowe and Gosling each deliver their funniest performances and it would be wonderful to see them reteam for a sequel.
Men In Black (1997) - 92%
In another genre-bending take on the buddy action movie, Men in Black infuses a sci-fi element into this adventure starring Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones. Set in a highly secret agency that monitors aliens on Earth, Smith plays a new recruit introduced to this wild world by Jones.
With Smith's high-energy charisma and Jones's dry-witted tough-guy persona, they make for a wonderful team. The movie is also an exciting adventure with wild sci-fi action, interesting world-building, and a lot of humor.
48 Hrs. (1982) - 93%
One movie that was hugely influential for future buddy action movies was 48 Hrs. Nick Nolte stars as a gruff and mean detective searching for the criminal who killed his partner. In a risky move, he takes a convict (Eddie Murphy) out of prison to help locate the dangerous villain.
The constant fighting and tension between Nolte and Murphy bring a great spark to the movie as well as a lot of humor. It is a rough and ugly movie yet it is endlessly fun. And although it was his big-screen debut, it remains one of Eddie Murphy's best movies.
Hard-Boiled (1992) - 94%
John Woo is one of the most influential action directors of all time and Hard-Boiled may be his best movie. The Hong Kong action epic stars Chow Yun-Fat as a tough cop and Tony Leung as an undercover agent who team to take down a mobster.
Woo's action set-pieces would inspire countless American action movies of the 90s while the two stars play off each other wonderfully. As their bond grows throughout the movie, it turns into a genuinely touching relationship that culminates with them side-by-side in the climactic shootout.
Midnight Run (1988) - 94%
Midnight Run is not only a great buddy action movie but it also manages to become a solid road trip movie at the same time. Robert De Niro plays a bounty hunter transporting a fugitive (Charles Grodin) across the country as mobsters, cops and rival bounty hunters follow their trail.
De Niro gives his best comedic performance, doing his normal tough-guy routine but with a fun playfulness. Grodin is his perfect foil as the smart and kind white-collar criminal who wants to get to know his captor. It is a thrilling, funny, and energetic adventure every fan of the genre should check out.
