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Action films are renown box office sweepers, and can most of the time count on a solid box office performance even if the story and characters are lacking, if there’s enough action, people usually flock to the theaters. We’ve compiled a list of 10 action movies which actually had some story, decent acting and original feel.

Note: the list is limited to contemporary films (or that take place in a contemporary setting), not ones set in the distance future (e.g. Mad Max, Star Wars) or the past (Saving Private Ryan, Gladiator).

10: Bad Boys (1995, IMDB link)

Michael Bay’s first film — and some would say one of the most decent ones he’s made — was a new take on the buddy-cop movies, with a cast of then-TV actors (Will Smith, Martin Lawrence), which gave a genuine comedic touch to the film, besides Bay’s array of explosions and action scenes. While not perfect, it still influenced a wide variety of buddy-comedy movies that came after it.

9: Speed (1994, IMDB link)

At first, a rather original, but silly idea of a bus that has to stay above a certain speed in order not to blow up — silly enough for a lot of studios to initially pass on the script, but it eventually got made, and the execution of the script, combined with the editing, made a memorable film out of Speed, and made stars out of Keanu Reeves and Sandra Bullock.

8: Goldfinger (1964, IMDB link)

Hailed as the greatest Bond film ever made — and rightfully so — Goldfinger was the quintessential Bond film, with a genuine antagonist and his over the top plot to blow up Fort Knox, and Sean Connery in his best role as Bond, carrying a level of sophistication and style that no other Bond actor as been able to mimic to date.

7: Terminator 2 (1991, IMDB link)

James Cameron’s sequel to The Terminator was bigger, badder and cooler than anyone originally anticipated. The film became one of the top grossing hits of 1991 (and the 1990s in general). Its use of visual effects set new standards, with not only action set pieces, but the shape-shifting T-1000, which challenged even the masters at Industrial Light and Magic.

6: Lethal Weapon (1987, IMDB link)

Lethal Weapon, which spawned no less than three sequels, is widely considered as one of the best buddy-cop movies of all times, thanks to the performances of Mel Gibson and Danny Glover, whose characters are the complete opposite, which, of course, set up s a lot of interesting moments. The original Lethal Weapon screenplay has since been used by teachers as an example for all kinds of screenwriting functions, from characters, to plot and structure.

5: Leon (1994 IMDB link)

Luc Besson is no stranger to action movies, but Leon might stand as his greatest work to date. Centering around an assassin, wonderfully played by Jean Reno, and his news student, Matilda, played by then unknown Natalie Portman, whom he teaches his craft to. It’s not one of the most action-filled movies on this list, but it’s definitely one of the smartest and most original ones.

4: The Bourne Identity (2002, IMDB link)

The first of the Bourne movies, while not the most complex one, was original and fast paced enough to capture the audience form the opening shot. Matt Damon gave an impressive performance and Jason Bourne, suffering from amnesia and chased by assassins, who must not only escape but figure out who he really is. The film could be considered the opposite of James Bond, as it’s highly realistic and uses no gadgets, nor are there any large set pieces. It’s just great acting, story and pacing.

3: The Matrix (1999, IMDB link)

Undoubtedly one of the most stylistic and original films of the 1990s, The Wachowski brothers’ The Matrix not only had a story and concept unlike most action films to date, but stood out with its visual effects, from “bullet time”, to its use of martial arts, The Matrix remains at the top of the list of any die hard action fan.

2: Die Hard (1988, IMDB link)

Often cited as the greatest action movie of all time — second greatest on our list — Die Hard changed the way we see action heroes, not as indestructible, muscle-ridden perfections, but as the case if John MacClane, just a bad ass cop stuck in a building with a lot of terrorists.

1: Hard Boiled (1992, IMDB link)

While most action films try and squeeze a story in between the action, or some form of half-decent character development, John Woo’s Hard Boiled will have none of that. Bullets are flying everywhere, hordes of people are killed and the hero as as anti-John McClane as he can be. Hard Boiled is the purest action film ever made, and it gets the top spot on our list.

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