Punches, and kicks, and explosions, oh my! When it comes to action movies, the net is wide and a lot of movies can fall under the umbrella of that genre, but for this list, we’re narrowing our definition of action.
Basically, we’re excluding superheroes and sci-fi, so no Avengers or Terminators here, instead focusing on action that’s just slightly based in reality.
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So without further ado, here at the 10 best hrd-hitting action franchises!
Which action franchise do you think should land in the top spot?
10. ‘The Transporter’
Kicking off the list at No. 10 is The Transporter series.
Jason Statham has been popping up in tough guy roles since Lock, Stock, and Two-Smoking Barrels, but it was his role in The Transporter as the titular character where people realized how tough he might actually be.
9. ‘John Wick’
At No. 9 is John Wick. Perhaps nobody has reinvented themselves more often than Keanu Reeves, who came along in 2014 at the age of 49 to churn out one of the best action movies in years, with Chapter 3 currently in development.
8. ‘Dirty Harry’
No. 8 is Dirty Harry. Clint Eastwood’s grizzled performance is perhaps his most iconic role, often credited with popularizing the “loose-cannon cop” archetype.
7. ‘Lethal Weapon’
6. ‘Rambo’
No. 6 is the Rambo series. There’s a reason why Sylvester Stallone has been synonymous with action movies since the 80s.
A lot of it was all thanks to Rambo, the disgruntled Green Beret vet who introduced the concept of the one man army.
5. ‘Fast and the Furious’
In the fifth spot is the Fast and the Furious franchise.
Over time, the sequels evolved from a film about street racing into high octane explosion fests.
4. ‘Jason Bourne’
At No. 4 is the Bourne series. The original trilogy turned Matt Damon into an unconventional action hero, and even the spin-off with Jeremy Renner was better than it had any right to be.
3. ‘Mission: Impossible’
No. 3 belongs to the Mission: Impossible movies. Tom Cruise has been playing Ethan Hunt for nearly 25 years at this point, and he still hasn’t missed a step.
2. ‘Die Hard’
Landing in the No. 2 spot is Die Hard. The original was groundbreaking in almost every conceivable way when it came to upending action movie tropes at the time.
While the sequels have been hit or miss, the franchise has been running strong for 30 years now.
1. ‘James Bond’
But the No. 1 action franchise of all time has to go to 007 himself, James Bond.
In over 50 years on the big screen, Bond has been portrayed by 7 actors and the franchise has spawned 26 films with a 27th on the way. No one encapsulates the smooth action hero better than James Bond.
