
25 Greatest Action Movies of All Time
#1
Posted 16 June 2007 - 07:44 PM
Goldfinger gets a small pic on the cover and ranks #19 in their listing. I'll scan it in when I get a chance.
(I apologize if this has already been posted, I looked but didn't see a thread on it yet.)
EDIT:
Also a mention on the new batsuit for The Dark Knight. (Costume Designer: Lindy Hemming)
#2
Posted 16 June 2007 - 07:58 PM
#3
Posted 16 June 2007 - 09:35 PM
#4
Posted 16 June 2007 - 10:36 PM
What was their number one choice?
Die Hard
#5
Posted 17 June 2007 - 12:21 AM
#6
Posted 17 June 2007 - 01:10 AM
Here's the list:
1. Die Hard
2. Aliens
3. Raiders of the Lost Ark
4. The Road Warrior
5. The Matrix
6. Seven Samurai
7. Gladiator
8. Saving Private Ryan
9. Hard-Boiled
10. Terminator 2: Judgement Day
11. Speed
12. The Empire Strikes Back
13. The Wild Bunch
14. RoboCop
15. Enter The Dragon
16. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
17. The Bourne Supremacy
18. The Adventures of Robin Hood
19. Goldfinger
20. Kill Bill - Vol. 1
21. Spider-Man 2
22. Predator
23. Druken Master II
24. Lethal Weapon
25. The Incredibles
#7
Posted 17 June 2007 - 01:23 AM
#8
Posted 17 June 2007 - 01:42 AM
I got my issue today and I have to say the list is really hit and miss. EW doesn't know the difference in Sci-Fi and Action. Way too many sci-fi films in there. Speed is an action film. The Empire Strikes Back is not.
Here's the list:
1. Die Hard
2. Aliens
3. Raiders of the Lost Ark
4. The Road Warrior
5. The Matrix
6. Seven Samurai
7. Gladiator
8. Saving Private Ryan
9. Hard-Boiled
10. Terminator 2: Judgement Day
11. Speed
12. The Empire Strikes Back
13. The Wild Bunch
14. RoboCop
15. Enter The Dragon
16. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
17. The Bourne Supremacy
18. The Adventures of Robin Hood
19. Goldfinger
20. Kill Bill - Vol. 1
21. Spider-Man 2
22. Predator
23. Druken Master II
24. Lethal Weapon
25. The Incredibles
Saving Private Ryan was an action movie?

I could see Black Hawk Down as an action flick maybe but not SPR.
I think Raiders should be # 1
#9
Posted 17 June 2007 - 02:28 AM
Here I'll label each film in the proper genre:
1. Die Hard - Action
2. Aliens - Sci-Fi
3. Raiders of the Lost Ark - Adventure
4. The Road Warrior - Action
5. The Matrix - Sci-Fi
6. Seven Samurai - Historical Epic
7. Gladiator - Historical Epic
8. Saving Private Ryan - War
9. Hard-Boiled - Action
10. Terminator 2: Judgement Day - Sci-Fi
11. Speed - Action
12. The Empire Strikes Back -Sci-Fi
13. The Wild Bunch - Western
14. RoboCop - Sci-Fi
15. Enter The Dragon - Martial Arts
16. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon - Martial Arts
17. The Bourne Supremacy - Spy
18. The Adventures of Robin Hood - Adventure
19. Goldfinger - Spy
20. Kill Bill - Vol. 1 - Action
21. Spider-Man 2 - Comic Book
22. Predator - Sci-Fi
23. Druken Master II - Martial Arts
24. Lethal Weapon - Action
25. The Incredibles - Comic Book
Only six films could I classify as pure action flicks.
#10
Posted 17 June 2007 - 04:02 AM
#11
Posted 17 June 2007 - 07:33 AM
Typical EW then

#12
Posted 17 June 2007 - 03:36 PM
This is a pretty poor list which seems catered for and written by people who consider a good action movie "a very guilty pleasure".
Indeed, although lists like this would be nothing without a few "controversial" choices.
Me, I'd put TITANIC up there. Sure, it's only partly an action flick, but then the same is true of SAVING PRIVATE RYAN, and the action in Cameron's masterpiece - yes, that's right, Cameron's masterpiece - is stunning. Still, I'll defend the choice of RYAN on the grounds that its jerky filming of action scenes with desaturated colour does seem to have been influential on the genre.
To show my film historian stripes, I'd also nominate the 1926 Douglas Fairbanks adventure THE BLACK PIRATE. To be mildly eccentric and hip, I'd add ROCKY III - what, boxing isn't action? The many fights in the third Rocky outing are like human versions of CLASH OF THE TITANS, with punches landing to sound effects that put one in mind of field artillery going off.
I'm very baffled by the inclusion of GOLDFINGER, though. Yes, it has two splendidly brutal one-on-one fights, but other than that.... the undisputed action classic of the Bond series is surely CASINO ROYALE, with ON HER MAJESTY'S SECRET SERVICE at two.
#13
Posted 17 June 2007 - 05:32 PM
I'd want more quantification on what they consider "great."
As in most enjoyable? Artistic merit? Short term effect on the genre? Long term effect on the genre?
GF is the most influential Bond film of all time, but I concur with Loomis, others like OHMSS have a much higher "action" quotient.
#14
Posted 17 June 2007 - 05:44 PM
#15
Posted 17 June 2007 - 09:08 PM

Couldn't they at least have gone with GoldenEye or Tomorrow Never Dies?
#16
Posted 17 June 2007 - 09:48 PM
What was their number one choice?
Die Hard
Thanks. I'm kind of surprised to see such a gap between Die Hard and Lethal Weapon. Thought both of those would be right next to eachother.
#17
Posted 17 June 2007 - 11:53 PM
Those lists are always bound to cause controversy, and EW seems to relish in making ones that are high on smarm, low on charm...or even common sense.
They like to be hip and "in with it." For example it is now "hip" to like OHMSS so now they say Dalton was worse than Lazenby.
#18
Posted 18 June 2007 - 01:19 AM
To show my film historian stripes, I'd also nominate the 1926 Douglas Fairbanks adventure THE BLACK PIRATE. To be mildly eccentric and hip, I'd add ROCKY III - what, boxing isn't action? The many fights in the third Rocky outing are like human versions of CLASH OF THE TITANS, with punches landing to sound effects that put one in mind of field artillery going off.
Ha, yeah why not a Rocky movie. Hang on, there's no Rambo on this list either. How can ya ignore Sly on a list like this? The man launched two huge action franchises, but they don't consider a Rocky or a Rambo to be better "action" movies than The Incredibles or Spider-Man 2?! Spider-man 2 to me represents the typical modern garbage that passes for "action". Two blurry CGI blobs fighting does not thrill me in the least. Give me FIRST BLOOD any day, its a thrill ride all the way - Rambo going berzerk in a police station and taking out half a dozen cops, followed by a motorbike chase, then that breathtaking leap off a cliff while being chased by a helicopter, and that's just the first half hour. What's Spider-man 2 got? Depressing scenes of an old woman struggling to pay her mortgage. Now that's action!
Truly, Peter Griffin had the right idea, when upon discovering he was out of toilet paper, reached for a copy of Entertainment Weekly...

#19
Posted 18 June 2007 - 01:15 PM
Based on this, someone explain to me how Empire's action outranks The Bourne Supremacy's and Kill Bill's.

#20
Posted 18 June 2007 - 02:45 PM
#21
Posted 18 June 2007 - 03:10 PM
#22
Posted 22 June 2007 - 09:44 AM
Edited by Fiona Volpe lover, 22 June 2007 - 09:45 AM.
#23
Posted 27 June 2007 - 08:27 AM
http://www.imdb.com/poll/
Edited by Safari Suit, 27 June 2007 - 08:28 AM.