10. The Long Kiss Goodnight
Charlie Baltimore should have been the next great female action heroine, the script is tight and the action is some of Harlin's most assured and imaginative.
9. The Matrix
Ghost in the Shell and John Woo were huge influences on a movie that became a massive action influence itself heading into the new Millenium. The rescue of Morpheus is one of the most stunning sequences ever commited to film, from the lobby shooout to the bullet dodging to the helicopter dive.
8. Speed
High concept action at it's best, the tension building and set pieces are nicely balanced with the great chemistry between Keanu and Miss Sandy.
7. The Rock
Bay's best, Cage and Connery make for a fun odd couple as the leads, Ed Harris is a conflicted villain and the action is fantastic, from car chases to two cool infiltration sequences and a number of shoot-outs.
6. Air Force One
Take two great actors, make one a salt of the Earth leader of the free world and the other zealot-esque terrorist, stick em both aboard the worlds most famous aircraft in a Die Hard structured action thriller and you have a winner.
5. Cliffhanger
Stallone's Die Hard, set on one of the most beautiful mountain ranges in the world, visually grand set pieces taken to greater heights thanks to the location, are the perfect accompaniment to a cat & mouse game between Sly's blue collar mountain climber and Lithgow's sneering, sociopathic mercenary.
4. True Lies
Arnie and Cameron make a Bond movie, the action set pieces are incredible with the Harrier Jet sequence still standing out even today, plus there is a healthy dose of humour amid the mayhem.
3. Face/Off
John Woo finally fully unleashed in the US, Cage and Travolta at the top of their charismatic games, a high concept set up and some stunning bullet ballet shootouts combine to make an action classic.
2. Hard Boiled
One of the most influential action films ever made, the ballistic gunplay is just astounding while Tony Leung and Chow Yun Fat play the leads in Woo's classic two hander formula as a renegade cop and undercover agent who is losing his grip on who is. The hospital sequence at the end packs in more money shots than 5 regular action films put together, yet I think the warehouse raid sequence is even better, just a perfectly cut and constructed action sequence.
1. Terminator 2: Judgment Day
To this day it remains Cameron's best film IMO, groundbreaking effects, a great sci fi story, a strong performance from Arnie and some of the most stunning chases and shoot-outs ever committed to film.
This one caught my eye though, what do you think of their list and what would your top 10 be?
