The best action movies of all time

TOPICAL scores 1,181 films listed as action; here are the top 250, best first. The top three are Star Wars (1977), The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001), The Dark Knight (2008). A film can be in more than one genre. The last column is each film's rank among all 6,624 films.

Rank	Film	Year	Score	All-time rank
1	Star Wars	1977	97.5	9
2	The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring	2001	97.2	11
3	The Dark Knight	2008	97.0	12
4	The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King	2003	96.2	18
5	Inception	2010	95.1	29
6	The Matrix	1999	93.4	48
7	Raiders of the Lost Ark	1981	92.9	55
8	The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers	2002	92.8	57
9	The Empire Strikes Back	1980	92.1	66
10	Gladiator	2000	92.0	68
11	Platoon	1986	91.5	76
12	The French Connection	1971	90.8	88
13	Terminator 2: Judgment Day	1991	90.7	89
14	The Incredibles	2004	90.5	92
15	Iron Man	2008	90.1	99
16	Seven Samurai	1954	89.4	113
17	Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse	2018	89.0	120
18	Mad Max: Fury Road	2015	88.9	123
19	Dunkirk	2017	88.2	137
20	Aliens	1986	87.1	160
21	Avatar	2009	87.0	163
22	Avengers: Endgame	2019	86.2	181
23	Top Gun: Maverick	2022	85.9	189
24	Everything Everywhere All at Once	2022	85.6	197
25	Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon	2000	85.1	208
26	The Avengers	2012	85.0	211
27	Die Hard	1988	84.4	226
28	Return of the Jedi	1983	84.4	227
29	The Adventures of Robin Hood	1938	84.1	234
30	Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse	2023	84.1	236
31	Ford v Ferrari	2019	83.3	256
32	Guardians of the Galaxy	2014	83.0	264
33	Skyfall	2012	82.1	291
34	The Bourne Ultimatum	2007	81.9	297
35	Captain America: The Winter Soldier	2014	81.8	300
36	Ran	1985	81.5	309
37	Heat	1995	81.1	321
38	The Fugitive	1993	80.9	329
39	Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade	1989	80.4	343
40	Superman	1978	80.4	344
41	Black Panther	2018	79.8	364
42	The Terminator	1984	79.7	366
43	Star Trek	2009	79.4	375
44	Children of Men	2006	79.4	377
45	Batman Begins	2005	79.2	383
46	Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl	2003	78.9	391
47	Casino Royale	2006	78.2	416
48	Planet of the Apes	1968	78.2	417
49	Léon: The Professional	1994	77.8	429
50	Scarface	1983	77.6	437
51	Sicario	2015	77.5	440
52	The Dark Knight Rises	2012	77.4	443
53	Ghost in the Shell	1995	77.4	445
54	Speed	1994	77.3	449
55	Logan	2017	76.8	465
56	Kung Fu Panda	2008	76.7	468
57	Sinners	2025	76.4	480
58	Harakiri	1962	76.2	487
59	The Fifth Element	1997	75.7	508
60	Avengers: Infinity War	2018	75.4	517
61	How to Train Your Dragon 2	2014	75.4	518
62	Training Day	2001	75.4	519
63	Spider-Man 2	2004	75.3	521
64	Star Wars: The Force Awakens	2015	75.1	531
65	The Hidden Fortress	1958	74.4	556
66	Goldfinger	1964	74.0	574
67	Spider-Man: No Way Home	2021	73.7	584
68	Wings	1927	73.6	588
69	Captain Phillips	2013	73.6	589
70	The Odyssey	2026	73.4	596
71	Thor: Ragnarok	2017	72.9	616
72	Mad Max 2	1981	72.9	617
73	King Kong	2005	72.7	625
74	Captain America: Civil War	2016	72.1	652
75	Big Hero 6	2014	71.6	673
76	Avatar: The Way of Water	2022	71.5	676
77	Letters from Iwo Jima	2006	71.3	687
78	Demon Slayer -Kimetsu no Yaiba- The Movie: Mugen Train	2020	71.0	698
79	Akira	1988	70.9	703
80	Kill Bill: Vol. 1	2003	70.8	708
81	Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith	2005	70.7	712
82	Castle in the Sky	1986	70.7	713
83	The Mission	1986	70.4	725
84	Kagemusha	1980	70.4	726
85	Minority Report	2002	69.9	749
86	Baby Driver	2017	69.8	753
87	Spider-Man	2002	68.7	803
88	V for Vendetta	2005	68.5	812
89	Star Wars: The Last Jedi	2017	68.4	817
90	The Hunt for Red October	1990	68.4	818
91	Iron Man 2	2010	68.3	823
92	Blood Diamond	2006	67.4	863
93	Hero	2002	67.4	866
94	Batman	1989	67.2	875
95	Run Lola Run	1998	67.1	877
96	Avengers: Age of Ultron	2015	67.1	879
97	Mission: Impossible - Fallout	2018	66.8	891
98	The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug	2013	66.8	892
99	Kung Fu Hustle	2004	66.8	894
100	Twelve O'Clock High	1949	66.8	895
101	Dirty Harry	1971	66.7	898
102	The Dirty Dozen	1967	66.7	900
103	Incredibles 2	2018	66.6	901
104	No Man's Land	2001	66.6	902
105	Enter the Dragon	1973	66.6	905
106	X-Men	2000	66.4	911
107	Scarface	1932	66.3	917
108	Black Hawk Down	2001	65.8	941
109	Wonder Woman	2017	65.6	952
110	Rogue One: A Star Wars Story	2016	65.5	956
111	Bullitt	1968	65.4	962
112	American Sniper	2014	65.4	963
113	X-Men: Days of Future Past	2014	65.3	970
114	Train to Busan	2016	64.8	993
115	Men in Black	1997	64.6	1,006
116	Spider-Man: Homecoming	2017	64.5	1,007
117	John Wick: Chapter 4	2023	64.4	1,013
118	Beverly Hills Cop	1984	64.4	1,016
119	Thor	2011	63.9	1,038
120	Ne Zha 2	2025	63.9	1,039
121	Spider-Man: Brand New Day	2026	63.9	1,040
122	X-Men: First Class	2011	63.9	1,041
123	The Hunger Games	2012	63.5	1,060
124	The Towering Inferno	1974	63.5	1,063
125	Spider-Man: Far From Home	2019	63.3	1,069
126	Raya and the Last Dragon	2021	63.3	1,071
127	Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One	2023	63.2	1,077
128	Kung Fu Panda 2	2011	63.1	1,080
129	Face/Off	1997	63.1	1,083
130	Dr. No	1962	62.8	1,096
131	Godzilla Minus One	2023	62.8	1,100
132	Doctor Strange	2016	62.7	1,101
133	Edge of Tomorrow	2014	62.5	1,113
134	Independence Day	1996	62.3	1,125
135	John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum	2019	62.2	1,128
136	Dawn of the Planet of the Apes	2014	62.1	1,134
137	Rush	2013	62.1	1,136
138	True Romance	1993	61.9	1,149
139	Iron Man 3	2013	61.7	1,157
140	Kill Bill: Vol. 2	2004	61.6	1,162
141	John Wick	2014	61.4	1,172
142	F1	2025	61.4	1,173
143	Snowpiercer	2013	61.4	1,175
144	The Last Samurai	2003	61.2	1,183
145	Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3	2023	61.2	1,187
146	Top Gun	1986	61.1	1,190
147	X2	2003	61.1	1,192
148	Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2	2017	60.7	1,212
149	Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End	2007	60.2	1,240
150	Sherlock Holmes	2009	60.2	1,243
151	Apocalypto	2006	60.0	1,255
152	Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom	1984	59.8	1,263
153	RRR	2022	59.7	1,268
154	Sanjuro	1962	59.7	1,272
155	Warrior	2011	59.6	1,276
156	The Hunger Games: Catching Fire	2013	59.5	1,283
157	Rise of the Planet of the Apes	2011	59.4	1,290
158	The Rock	1996	59.1	1,305
159	Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation	2015	59.1	1,307
160	Batman Returns	1992	59.0	1,310
161	From Russia with Love	1963	59.0	1,312
162	The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies	2014	58.9	1,319
163	Ip Man	2008	58.8	1,323
164	RoboCop	1987	58.7	1,330
165	Kung Fu Panda 3	2016	58.5	1,340
166	Brother	1997	58.4	1,344
167	Looper	2012	58.3	1,349
168	The Karate Kid	1984	58.2	1,355
169	Spectre	2015	58.2	1,360
170	Predator	1987	58.0	1,367
171	Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan	1982	57.9	1,377
172	Duel	1971	57.6	1,391
173	Hot Fuzz	2007	57.6	1,393
174	Grand Prix	1966	57.4	1,403
175	Shaolin Soccer	2001	57.4	1,406
176	Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings	2021	57.2	1,419
177	Black Widow	2021	56.9	1,437
178	Prey	2022	56.8	1,438
179	The Bourne Identity	2002	56.6	1,451
180	The War of the Worlds	1953	56.5	1,457
181	House of Flying Daggers	2004	56.5	1,460
182	The Professionals	1966	56.4	1,468
183	Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol	2011	56.3	1,470
184	Star Trek Into Darkness	2013	56.3	1,474
185	Fury	2014	55.9	1,498
186	First Blood	1982	55.8	1,505
187	Tropic Thunder	2008	55.7	1,506
188	Kingsman: The Secret Service	2014	55.6	1,513
189	Nimona	2023	55.5	1,518
190	Foreign Correspondent	1940	55.5	1,521
191	Crimson Tide	1995	55.4	1,529
192	Troy	2004	55.2	1,540
193	Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest	2006	55.0	1,552
194	Captain America: The First Avenger	2011	54.8	1,562
195	The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey	2012	54.6	1,574
196	Battle Royale	2000	54.3	1,594
197	Assault on Precinct 13	1976	54.3	1,597
198	Rise of the Guardians	2012	54.2	1,603
199	The Matrix Reloaded	2003	54.0	1,614
200	Samurai I: Musashi Miyamoto	1954	53.8	1,625
201	Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness	2022	53.8	1,628
202	In the Line of Fire	1993	53.6	1,642
203	The Warriors	1979	53.6	1,644
204	The Northman	2022	53.1	1,672
205	The Crow	1994	53.1	1,673
206	Die Hard: With a Vengeance	1995	53.0	1,678
207	Ant-Man	2015	52.7	1,699
208	Elite Squad	2007	52.7	1,701
209	Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem	2023	52.6	1,703
210	Runaway Train	1985	52.5	1,714
211	Patriots Day	2016	52.4	1,717
212	The Raid	2011	52.4	1,721
213	The Day of the Jackal	1973	52.3	1,724
214	Enemy of the State	1998	52.3	1,728
215	Hotel Mumbai	2018	52.2	1,735
216	Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace	1999	52.0	1,744
217	Total Recall	1990	51.8	1,756
218	True Lies	1994	51.8	1,760
219	Escape from New York	1981	51.7	1,765
220	Bāhubali: The Beginning	2015	51.5	1,776
221	The Mask of Zorro	1998	51.5	1,777
222	Lethal Weapon 2	1989	51.5	1,780
223	Mad Max	1979	51.4	1,787
224	Captain Marvel	2019	51.2	1,799
225	The Gentlemen	2019	51.1	1,807
226	The Count of Monte Cristo	2002	51.1	1,808
227	Sonic the Hedgehog 3	2024	51.0	1,811
228	John Wick: Chapter 2	2017	51.0	1,812
229	Deadpool	2016	50.8	1,822
230	Puss in Boots	2011	50.8	1,825
231	Ready Player One	2018	50.8	1,826
232	The Navigator	1924	50.7	1,833
233	No Time to Die	2021	50.5	1,848
234	RED	2010	50.4	1,851
235	The Bourne Supremacy	2004	50.3	1,856
236	Serenity	2005	50.3	1,860
237	Zack Snyder's Justice League	2021	50.2	1,866
238	The Lego Batman Movie	2017	50.1	1,872
239	The Nice Guys	2016	50.0	1,877
240	Lethal Weapon	1987	50.0	1,878
241	Scott Pilgrim vs. the World	2010	49.9	1,886
242	Mongol: The Rise of Genghis Khan	2007	49.9	1,888
243	Greyhound	2019	49.8	1,891
244	Nobody	2021	49.5	1,911
245	Star Trek: First Contact	1996	49.5	1,917
246	Predator: Badlands	2025	49.4	1,924
247	Thunderball	1965	49.2	1,932
248	Lust, Caution	2007	49.2	1,933
249	The Suicide Squad	2021	49.1	1,938
250	Deadpool 2	2018	49.1	1,939