Action can often be a beloved and picky choice for viewers, considering that these movies need to remain engaging, and splice plenty of action to be remembered. Some of the best action movies that turned 20 in 2022 deserve recognition on this list, with franchises helming the scene.
8 Reign Of Fire
Reign of Fire offers audiences a new take on the fantasy setting. Instead of beautiful dragons glistening in a fantasy landscape, dragons are instead the cause of a post-apocalyptic nightmare in the modern world. With a cast like Matthew McConaughey and Christian Bale fighting against dragons, there’s plenty to enjoy.
The story for Reign of Fire follows the modern age, in which fire-breathing dragons have awoken, emerging from the Earth beneath to indulge in the destruction of the planet and the modern world. A group of survivors teams up with what is left of the military in an attempt to destroy the beasts that reign over the planet.
7 Star Trek: Nemesis
The final adventure for the Star Trek: The Next Generation crew comes brimming with action. Although the film may not have been the triumphant epic that one would hope for, it still harbors plenty of exciting moments, as long as audiences are familiar with the characters that are emerging.
The USS Enterprise departs the joyous wedding of Riker and Troi for urgent peace treaty conversations with Romulus’ new leader, Shinzon. When Shinzon is revealed to be a clone of Captain Jean Luc Picard, conversations of a false peace treaty are quickly dropped into a new mystery about this clone and his threat.
6 The Bourne Identity
Before there were the likes of John Wick, there was Jason Bourne. The Bourne Identity is the first in the Bourne trilogy and offers audiences a smart and thrilling story of spy espionage. There’s a lot of mystery and paranoia in The Bourne Identity, and it’s bolstered by the array of exciting action scenes spliced through the run time.
The Bourne Identity follows a man without a name as he recovers from bullet wounds in his body. After waking up, he realizes that he has a blank memory, with no idea of who he is. His journey to discover his identity is met with many dangers ahead, dangers that he seems to subconsciously be able to defend from.
5 Equilibrium
The audience is thrust into the shoes of the protagonist, forced to witness the cruel dystopia of Equilibrium. This action/sci-fi movie provides audiences with a stellar and chilling performance from Christian Bale, with a hit of emotions and mind-blowing action.
Human emotions are illegal in Equilibrium. To feel is to commit a dangerous crime, and as such, the government enforces officers like John Preston to implement this law. However, as Preston sees the world around him for what it is, he decides the best form of freedom is through revolution against the system and state.
4 Star Wars: Attack Of The Clones
It’s no surprise that a Star Wars release would make the rankings for an action film, but this Star Wars title tries to be a detective film, a love story, and an all-out war. Star Wars: Attack of the Clones may be slow in parts, and dull in others, but it shines with the action, especially when it’s an army of Jedi fighting droids.
Star Wars: Attack of the Clones is the second film in the prequel era, and follows the story of Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker. Obi-Wan discovers a plot that could threaten the Jedi and the Republic, whilst Anakin must protect the senator of Naboo, Padme Amidala. The two missions are vastly different, but both have a profound impact on the galaxy far, far away.
3 Blade 2
As an action/horror, Blade 2 offers a lot for fans of both genres, whilst remaining a fun Marvel movie. Wesley Snipes excels again as Blade, pathing the road for future Marvel movies to include great casting and direction. Said direction in Blade 2 is from Guillermo del Toro, which ensures a great horror and action blend.
In the story of Blade 2, Blade is once again thrust into a fight with vampires. However, this new breed of vampires hunts other vampires, showing just how strong their bloodlust is. It’s up to Blade to wipe out the Reapers, and ensure that humanity won’t be enslaved by vampires.
2 Minority Report
When Tom Cruise is cast as the lead in a movie, it’s assured that there’s going to be plenty of action, with Cruise at the front for his stunts. Minority Report is an undervalued sci-fi film with plenty of great action, in which the plot presents an interesting and philosophical moral dilemma for provocative thought, and engaging action.
In a future where police can catch criminals before the crime is committed, officer John Anderton is accused of such a crime. John must go on the run, and attempt to prove himself innocent.
1 Spider-Man
2002 saw the debut of Marvel’s most famous hero on the big screen. Spider-Man was brought to live-action in 2002, with a pairing from director Sam Raimi and actor Tobey Maguire. The film itself perfectly blends style, action, and comic-book goodness, with Spider-Man paving the way for future possibilities of the webhead on screen.
Spider-Man acts as an origin story, and audiences are introduced to the life of the high school student Peter Parker. However, Parker’s life is soon changed forever after being bitten by a radioactive spider. Through tragedy, a hero is born, and Spider-Man must swing his way through New York City to protect it from the looming threat of the maniacal Green Goblin.
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