Shubhabrata Dutta
Action comes in all shapes and sizes. Guns, bullets, missiles, aliens, zombies, the wrath of God; movies provide us with the thrill that we, as viewers, cannot otherwise get or would rather not. They serve as an effective means to escape from our mundane lives and be a part of a different world with different characters, some that we love and some that we love to hate. This is what makes them one of the most popular film genres across the world. Paramount+ houses a collection of great action movies, which are unique in the way they handle action while portraying a story and characters that are seamlessly sewn together to give the viewers the required adrenaline rush.
14. The Italian Job (2003)
Inspired by the eponymous British film that came out in 1969, ‘The Italian Job’ is a heist action drama by F. Gary Gray. The film centers on a crew of skilled individuals, led by Charlie (Mark Wahlberg), who decide to rob a former associate, Steve (Edward Norton) after the latter double-crosses them during a heist in Italy and has since been living a lavish lifestyle in Los Angeles. The robbery would also be an act of revenge for the death of a teammate, John, which resulted from Steve’s double-crossing. Charlie also enlists the assistance of John’s daughter Stella (Charlize Theron) for the “Italian job.”
Co-starring Jason Statham, Mos Def, Seth Green, and Donald Sutherland, ‘The Italian Job’ is renowned for its action sequences involving cars. The befitting combination of action and humor makes the film a must-watch star-studded flick. You can watch it here.
13. Minority Report (2002)
‘Minority Report’ is what happens when a world-renowned director collaborates with a world-famous bonafide action star. Directed by Steven Spielberg and starring Tom Cruise, ‘Minority Report’ tackles a topic that is a potential reality and a threat to humanity. The movie takes place in the U.S. in 2054, where the PreCrime taskforce of the Metropolitan Police Department of Washington DC uses the “PreCogs” (a trio of mentally altered humans) that preempt a murder and provide the name of the murderer, the victim, the date and time of the crime and the sequence of events leading to the crime. However, the one thing that the PreCogs do not provide is the location. It is up to John Anderton (Cruise), head of the PreCrime taskforce, and his team to carry out the arrests.
But one day, the PreCog Agatha (Samantha Morton) preempts that Anderton himself is going to commit a murder in 36 hours. Now, he not only has to escape from the very system that he has been a part of but also has to find a way to prove himself innocent. Is that even possible? ‘Minority Report’ is a sci-fi action film that ups the ante of the genre big time. The rest of the movie cast includes Colin Farrell, Max von Sydow, Kathryn Morris, Neal McDonough, Peter Stormare, and Tim Blake Nelson. You can watch the movie here.
12. World War Z (2013)
‘World War Z’ may or may not be a zombie movie, depending on how you analyze the term ‘zombie.’ If you believe that zombies are the living dead, then this movie doesn’t have them, but if you believe that zombies are humans who have lost control of their minds and are under some kind of influence by some entity, then ‘World War Z’ has a lot of them. In the movie, we have hordes of people affected by a virus that has turned them into vicious, mindless beings that are attacking the unaffected and biting them. Those bitten are becoming part of the hordes very quickly. So, the effect of the virus is very fast, and it’s spreading across the world.
In the middle of this chaos are retired U.N. investigator Gerry Lane (Brad Pitt) and his family in Philadelphia, who have also come under the virus’s grasp. Whether Gerry, recruited into the UN emergency team and tasked with finding the source of the virus, is able to locate the source and stop the spread amid a world war is what the Marc Forster directorial shows. The movie offers a lot of large-scale action, which effectively justifies the title of the movie. So, if you are looking for a zombie movie that doesn’t ridicule the zombie genre, this one is a pretty good watch. Feel free to check out the movie here.
11. Star Trek: Into Darkness (2013)
‘Star Trek Into Darkness’ is a sci-fi action movie directed by J. J. Abrams. It is a sequel to ‘Star Trek’ (2009) and together form a part of the rebooted film series of the Star Trek franchise that began in the 1960s and has today become a part of pop culture. ‘Star Trek Into Darkness’ stars Chris Pine as Captain James T. Kirk, Zachary Quinto as Commander Spock, and Benedict Cumberbatch as the villainous Khan Noonien Singh. In the film, we see the USS Enterprise starship face a force to be reckoned with in the form of Khan, who is bent on destroying the Starfleet fleet. The only way to stop him is to find out what he wants, and to do that, he needs to be captured. You can stream the movie here and find out whether Kirk and his team can accomplish this objective before they are all killed.
10. Tropic Thunder (2008)
The cult-favorite action comedy is equally famous for its satirical comedy and action. Directed by Ben Stiller, the film follows a group of actors cast in what will be the world’s best Vietnam War movie. Unbeknownst to the actors, each of whom is a caricature, the cast and crew have been dropped in the Myanmar jungle. After the director dies, thanks to a landmine, the rest of the lot soon find themselves in the land of the Flaming Dragon gang. The actors are thus forced to fend for themselves and find a way to survive until they are either out of danger or rescued.
The film is mostly remembered for Robert Downey Jr.’s portrayal of Australian method actor Kirk Lazarus, whose iconic line, “I’m a dude playing a dude disguised as another dude,” still reverberates in the ears of film fanatics. He won a Best Supporting Actor nomination at the Oscars and the Golden Globes for his part. Joining Downey are Ben Stiller, Tom Cruise, Jack Black, Jay Baruchel, Danny McBride, and Matthew McConaughey. Cruise also won a Golden Globe nomination for Best Supporting Actor alongside Downey. The film won the Hollywood Comedy of the Year Award at the 2008 annual Hollywood Film Festival. You can watch it here.
9. Shooter (2007)
Antoine Fuqua’s ‘Shooter’ is a gripping action thriller that revolves around retired Marine Scout Sniper Bob Lee Swagger (Mark Wahlberg). He is reached out to by Colonel Isaac Johnson (Donald Glover) to prevent what has been pre-empted as an assassination attempt on the US President. However, things go haywire, and Swagger soon finds himself in the cross-hairs of the cops and government agents. Now, he has to find a way to protect himself and find the one who pulled the stunt on him. Based on Stephen Hunter’s novel ‘Point of Impact,’ ‘Shooter’ is custom-made for action cinephiles and does a good job balancing a dramatic plot and action sequences. You can watch it here.
8. Transformers: Rise of the Beasts (2023)
‘Transformers: Rise of the Beasts’ is the 7th movie in the Transformers film franchise that itself is based on the Hasbro line of ‘Transformers’ action figures. If you have seen the Transformers movies, well enough, but even if you haven’t, this movie provides the same amount of fun. While in the other movies, the Autobots and Decepticons (the robots from Cybertron) transform into cars, in this movie, the robots, called Maximals, transform into animals. The movie, based on the Beast Wars sub-Transformers toy line, shows how the Maximals, led by Optimus Primal (voice by Ron Perlman), and the Autobots, led by Optimus Prime (voiced by the legendary Peter Cullen), team up and fight against the forces of Unicron, an evil Transformer god.
The movie is directed by Steven Caple Jr., with Michael Bay as one of the producers. The cast includes Anthony Ramos, Dominique Fishback, Dominique Fishback, Lauren Vélez, Dean Scott Vazquez and Tobe Nwigwe. The appearances of the Autobots are different from those in the rest of the movies and more accurately resemble the cartoons. Be that as it may, ‘Transformers: Rise of the Beasts’ is an entertaining action movie you won’t regret watching. You can stream it here.
7. Jack Reacher (2012)
Directed by Christopher McQuarrie, ‘Jack Reacher’ is based on Lee Child’s 2005 novel ‘One Shot.’ Starring Tom Cruise as the titular character who is a former US Army Military Police Corps investigator. When a former United States Army sniper named James Barr is accused of multiple homicides and writes Reacher’s name on a piece of paper as his only statement, the latter arrives to look into the matter. When he finds out that Barr is not responsible and is being framed, he sets off to find the real culprit. How he does it is what makes this convoluted action thriller a must-watch. Alongside Cruise, the movie also stars Rosamund Pike, Lee Child, Werner Herzog, Richard Jenkins, and David Oyelowo. You can stream it here.
6. Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol (2011)
The fourth installment of the ‘Mission Impossible’ franchise starring Tom Cruise as spy Ethan Hunt of the IMF- Impossible Missions Force, ‘Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol’ sends Hunt and his team on a race against time to acquire Russian nuclear launch codes for a strike on America. A mishap makes the U.S. government disavow the IMF completely, executing the Ghost Protocol. Now, it is only up to Ethan and his team, comprising IMF agents Benji (Simon Pegg), Jane (Paula Patton), and the IMF Secretary’s aide William Brandt (Jeremy Renner), to find the codes for which they have to fake two meetings.
The movie made a mark in the action genre due to Tom Cruise’s stunt featuring a climb and a subsequent descent on the exterior walls of the Burj Khalifa, Dubai, the tallest building in the world. It also features Indian actor Anil Kapoor in a negative role. You don’t have to watch the previous installments to understand this movie, and the same goes for the other installments as well, and that is the specialty of the franchise. The primary characters, like Ethan and Benji, remain the same while the plots keep changing and are standalone. However, as a cinephile, it becomes one’s duty to watch all the films of a particular franchise, so you might want to watch the rest, too. You can check out ‘Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol’ here.
5. Top Gun: Maverick (2022)
The movie that, as per Steven Spielberg, saved Hollywood post the pandemic, ‘Top Gun: Maverick,’ starring Tom Cruise as naval aviator Maverick and directed by Joseph Kosinski, is a sequel to ‘Top Gun’ (1986) that is directed by Tony Scott. After its release, the movie became the second-highest-grossing film of 2022 and got six nominations at the Oscars 2023, out of which it won for Best Sound. Applauded for its practical effects, which involved customized camera rigs set up inside the cockpit to capture the reactions of the pilots, the movie is a first-of-its-kind visual treat and an unfortunate miss for those who didn’t get to watch it on the big screen.
As for the story, we have Maverick training a group of young pilots to destroy an unsanctioned Russian uranium plant while staying under the radar of the anti-aircraft systems and GPS jammers. Alongside Cruise, the cast includes Miles Teller, Glen Powell, Monica Barbaro, Jay Ellis, Danny Ramirez, John Hamm, Jennifer Connelly, and Val Kilmer, who makes a comeback as Tom “Iceman” Kazansky, present commander of U.S. Pacific Fleet and rival-turned-friend of Maverick. You can stream ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ here.
4. The Hurt Locker (2008)
Kathryn Bigelow’s star-studded war action drama ‘The Hurt Locker’ delves into the psychology of war from the POV of a team of soldiers tasked with handling explosive devices. It centers on an Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) team deployed in Iraq during the Iraq War. After losing its leader (Guy Pearce), Sergeant First Class William James (Jeremy Renner) becomes its new one, and the guy is hell-bent on taking risks, putting himself at odds with the rest of the team (Anthony Mackie, Brian Geraghty, Christian Camargo). However, his talent for diffusing bombs cannot be ignored. The question is: how long before he makes a single human error? With an authentic portrayal of the Iraq war and an intense depiction of how the soldiers risk their lives in the line of duty, ‘The Hurt Locker’ is a rare action flick with six Academy awards to its name. You can watch it here.
3. Saving Private Ryan (1998)
Steven Spielberg’s masterpiece on war, ‘Saving Private Ryan’ is no less than a handbook on how to make a war movie. Winner of 5 Oscars, 2 Golden Globes, and 2 BAFTAs, among many other awards and accolades, the film is considered a timeless gem in world cinema. Set during the Normandy invasion of World War II, it follows Captain John H. Miller, who, along with a team of seven soldiers, is tasked by the United States Department of War to find, rescue, and bring back Private James Francis Ryan, whose three brothers have already been killed in action (KIA). Loosely based on a true story, the film’s graphic depiction of war was highly appreciated. With a stellar ensemble, including Tom Hanks (Captain John H. Miller), Matt Damon (Private Ryan), Edward Burns, Tom Sizemore, Jeremy Davies, and Vin Diesel, ‘Saving Private Ryan’ is a must-watch action movie. You can stream it here.
2. Gladiator (2000)
Directed by Ridley Scott, this film is what made Russel Crowe a household name. Set in 180 AD, the film follows the rivalry between General Maximus Decimus Meridius (Crowe) and Commodus (Joaquin Phoenix), son of Emperor Marcus Aurelius (Richard Harris). Meridius is prioritized by Aurelius over Commodus as the successor. Commodus doesn’t like it at all and kills his father, thereby becoming the new emperor. After this, he has Meridius arrested. Subsequent events lead Meridius to find out that his wife and child have been killed. He returns as a trained gladiator to take revenge on Commodus. One of the best historical dramas ever made, ‘Gladiator’ is partially based on true events, inspired by Daniel P. Mannix’s 1958 book ‘The Way of the Gladiator.’ The cast also includes Connie Nielsen, Oliver Reed, Djimon Hounsou, Ralf Möller, and Tommy Flanagan. You can watch the film here.
1. Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)
‘Terminator 2: Judgment Day’ is a cult movie. There’s no other way to describe it better. It is directed by the one and only James Cameron (‘Titanic,’ ‘Avatar,’ ‘Avatar: The Way of Water’). Set in 1995, it stars Arnold Schwarzenegger as a cyborg (T-800) who has been sent from the future to protect John Connor (Edward Furlong) from T-1000 (Robert Patrick), a more advanced cyborg also sent from the future by Skynet. It is an A.I. that is to become self-aware on August 29, 1997, as prophesied by John’s mother, Sarah (Linda Hamilton), and take over the planet, eliminating all humans. Now a kid, Connor will grow up to lead the resistance against Skynet, which is why he must be killed. The T-800, on the other hand, has been sent by the resistance.
It will do you good if you want the first installment, as it will make things clear about Skynet and how Sarah knows about it. But the movie serves as a treat for Arnold Schwarzenegger fanatics, so if you just want to watch him shoot and blow up stuff, you are most welcome. You can stream it here.
Read More: Best Action Movies on Apple TV+
