The evolution of action cinema derives from key genre films in the ’60s and ’70s, paving the way for what audiences see today in movies made all over the world. Riveting action franchises have been born because of a growing popularity among fans to see pure spectacle on screen.
Action films don’t get the larger critical success they deserve because they are not considered arthouse. Still, over the years, there have been a number of specific action franchises that are highly regarded for doing what they do best. There have been so many great action movies, especially in the 21st century, but a handful are perfection, masterful works that never miss a beat.
The Daniel Craig James Bond Films are Still Some of the Best Ever
It’s probably a little easier to differentiate between James Bond eras because each is distinctly unique and offers something different to fans. Furthermore, the overall Bond franchise does miss a few beats with entries that don’t live up to the best of the series. However, when just looking at more recently, Daniel Craig’s Bond films arguably entertain at the same level from start to finish. Never mind the fact that Casino Royale is the best James Bond movie ever made; Skyfall is up there as well, and the five-film series ended on a high note with No Time to Die.
While the second and fourth Craig films are a little underwhelming, they even have moments worthy of James Bond greatness. Specifically, Bond faces off against a terrifying foe in Spectre, and the desert climax in Quantum of Solace is better than people remember. Combined with how memorable, action-packed and iconic the other three films are, Craig’s era was a mini five-film franchise that is as good as most of the action franchises in recent years.
Even though Bond movies fall under multiple genres, including spy thrillers, heist action and even caper at times, it’s in the modern films where a lot of more contemporary action tropes are included, making these films have a very energetic pace and gritty tone. The James Bond franchise has evolved considerably and come a long way from the ’60s and ’70s format. Craig’s iteration of James Bond is unforgettable, and his films are a perfect action compilation.
The Dirty Harry Movies Remain Iconic Clint Eastwood Classics
Clint Eastwood as Dirty Harry, aiming his gun.Image via Warner Bros.
While The Dead Pool is arguably a bad movie, it works really well as a definitive final chapter for “Dirty” Harry Callahan. What started with Dirty Harry in 1971 evolved into a solid five-film series that fits in perfectly with other iconic cop thrillers like Bullitt. With this in mind, Dirty Harry fits into a very specific category as both a crime film and an early ’70s action classic. In a lot of ways, the Dirty Harry movies influenced many of the ’80s and ’90s cop action movies that became so popular.
Obviously, the most popular would be Die Hard, but the merging of crime and action has been happening with various franchises since the ’70s. Following multiple cases of San Francisco detective Harry Callahan (Clint Eastwood), the Dirty Harry franchise includes a ton of gunplay, mystery, epic action, car action and memorable dialogue. What’s most interesting about the films is that they each take on a different tone, style and format. While Dirty Harry is more of a crime thriller, The Enforcer is a more direct action classic.
Every film rolls nicely into the next, episodically putting Harry into a different situation that he’s forced to overcome. Every obstacle he faces appears more formidable than the last, and the tests he faces are meant to challenge whether he’s willing to remain stubborn in his ways (something necessary to defeat the bad guys). Crime action doesn’t get enough credit, but it’s a sub-genre of action and crime that has produced multiple iconic franchises. None are as iconic or as entertaining as the Dirty Harry movies.
Die Hard’s Original Trilogy Is One of the Best In Cinema History
John McClane stands in an elevator shaft in Die HardImage via 20th Century Studios
The biggest reason so many fans continue to revisit the Die Hard movies is that the 1988 original is still one of the most iconic action movies of all time, as well as a Christmas classic. However, it’s worth pointing out how effective the entire five-film franchise actually is. Bruce Willis will always be legendary because of his time playing John McClane, and every threat he faced upped the stakes. Some people don’t realize how good the fourth and fifth films actually are, even though they don’t quite live up to their predecessors.
Even still, the argument can be made for the original Die Hard trilogy alone, which is arguably one of the best movie trilogies of all time. At the very least, it is one of the best action trilogies of all time. Die Hard is a classic, but even Die Hard 2 recreates a lot of the same magic that made the original entertaining. It even features higher stakes in the form of a plane hijacking that Holly happens to be involved in. Die Hard With a Vengeance is the real hidden gem, acting as a more conventional cop thriller and throwing John McClane up against new and more complex challenges.
The third film is a cult gem that some fans like even more than the original. The chemistry between Willis and Samuel L. Jackson speaks volumes, and it features an overall grittier tone and style. What the Die Hard films do best is combine creatively designed action set pieces with clever twists in the writing. Pure spectacle, it’s hard (no pun intended), even with rough spots in later installments, to say that the John McClane adventures ever really miss a beat.
The Bourne Franchise is an Unforgettable Trilogy
Matt Damon as Jason Bourne running in The Bourne Ultimatum (2007)Image via Universal Pictures
It might be a hot take, but for some fans, the Jeremy Renner-led Bourne Legacy is secretly one of the best sleeper action gems of the 21st century. At the very least, it’s a better film than Jason Bourne, which didn’t remotely live up to the previous Matt Damon/Paul Greengrass action masterpieces. With all of this in mind, the Bourne movies are near-perfect episodic adventures for action hero Jason Bourne. Playing off the novels, the films have a similar structure, format and style that make them endlessly entertaining.
What’s most entertaining is the overlapping arc of Jason Bourne in the first three films, which is another iconic action trilogy among the best in cinema. With The Bourne Identity featuring complicated themes, a compelling mystery and epic twists, the stage was set for one of the most action-packed character arcs in modern action cinema. Jason Bourne becomes an anomaly that audiences find themselves attached to from the second he flawlessly disarms a couple of cops in a quiet Paris park.
The way the action sequences are filmed, especially once Paul Greengrass gets involved, is still a cinematic achievement that people still laud. The Bourne films include distinct fighting styles for its titular hero, car action and shocking narrative twists. They essentially embody all the elements that fans have come to love most about spy action movies over the last 25 years. Only a few action franchises have surpassed the Bourne films, and one of them is a spy action phenomenon like no other.
Mission: Impossible Has Become a Staple of Modern Pop Culture
Tom Cruise Riding a Motorcycle in Mission: Impossible – Rogue NationImage via Paramount Pictures
What started in the ’90s with a seemingly solid but forgettable remake of the classic ’60s TV series turned into so much more when Tom Cruise dedicated his craft to distinct Ethan Hunt tales throughout the 21st century. Brian De Palma’s 1996 original is a gem, John Woo’s follow-up is underrated, and J.J. Abrams threequel features the best villains. However, it’s from Brad Bird’s Ghost Protocol onward that the Mission: Impossible franchise has become a masterful compilation of epic action stories.
Raising the stakes with each entry, fine-tuning the tropes, stunts and mechanics, as well as redefining the genre’s elements, Mission: Impossible became the bar for action movies everywhere. Audiences were mesmerized by each new adventure, as well as the big new Tom Cruise stunt that each film was framed around. Beyond the ways that Tom Cruise and Christopher McQuarrie creatively raised the bar with stunts and spectacle, the writing in each film is also complex and consistent.
Mission: Impossible — Fallout is usually the one fans love to point to first, as it turned the tables on Ethan in a big way by hiding a twist right under his nose. However, Ghost Protocol is still the best of the franchise, Rogue Nation has become a cult gem and Dead Reckoning arguably features the best stunt. While the final climactic film didn’t entirely live up to its predecessors, it was still an epic action film of recent years. As iconic as anything else in modern cinema, the Mission: Impossible franchise truly never misses a beat.
The John Wick Franchise Doesn’t Have A Single Bad Movie
John Wick in front of red neon lighting in John Wick Chapter 4Image via Murray Close / © Lionsgate / Courtesy Everett Collection
Other than the Mission: Impossible movies, the John Wick franchise is the only flawless action series in cinema. Most action franchises have a dud here and there, even Mission: Impossible, but it feels like the John Wick films get better and better and there has yet to be a bad movie yet in the franchise. What’s even more impressive is the way the next film always seems to top the last one. It’s worth noting the tonal and stylistic differences between John Wick and John Wick: Chapter 2.
While John Wick will always feature the best character arc and motivation, the fantastical elements, lore and stunts increase brilliantly over the next three films. These elements are what they are now known for, and as they have transformed into true martial arts masterpieces, the John Wick films have also created an icon in the form of the titular hero played by Keanu Reeves. This is another action franchise that aims to build upon whatever came before, and this includes finding new obstacles for John and presenting new solutions.
Whether fighting enemies with various new weapons or facing off against foes with heightened qualities, the world of John Wick is what has had a profound effect on fans everywhere. It’s hard to find a franchise with hit after hit in it because eventually there’s a dud. This will likely even happen at some point with John Wick, and maybe for some, it has happened with Ballerina. However, for now, the John Wick franchise is perfection and never ceases to entertain.
