100 Greatest Action Movies of All Time

84 - Taxi

As obscure French films go, crazy action scenes aren't really the norm. Taxi is the exception, following the exploits of a speed mad taxi driver (complete with suped up yellow cab) and a cop who.....wait for it.......can't drive. Well how about that for team work? What makes Taxi work is the gleeful way that the action is strung together. It is fun and avoids the Fast and Furious approach of car porn. This isn't a film about boy racers and car modification, it's a film about speed. Best bit: Daniel delivering pizza at break neck speed, dodging traffic on a crappy scooter.

83 - Transformers

Transformers is undoubtedly the dumbest movie on this list. The plot is so dumb it makes Harry and Lloyd look like geniuses. When the mcguffin is a pair of glasses that have the location of giant frozen robot etched onto them, you know that your brain isn't going to be tested. So what is Transformers about? Well it is about sex and robot fights. The sex comes in the form of the digitally thinned Megan Fox who's multi-faceted performance ranges from bitchy-cold to bitchy. The robot fights come in the form of arguably the best cgi in film history. These Transformer guys really do come to life, seamlessly shifting from real life stunt cars to cgi hulks. Disengage your thinking cap and but your mind in neutral because if you just go with it, Transformers is a great ride. Just don't expect to come away smarter. Best bit: An unidentified military helicopter lands in a US military base. Turns out its a giant freaking robot.

82 - Watchmen

From the guy who brought us the inexplicably homo-erotic 300, comes Watchmen; the second most faithful comic adaptation. Following the life and times of America's superhero community, Watchmen is set against a backdrop of real life events altered by the 'what if' scenario that superheroes existed. The clever and thought provoking subject matter is the work of the legendary Alan Moore and while he scrubbed his hands of the whole project, almost all of Moore's fine work has made its way to the big screen intact. Zack Snyder took a similar approach to Robert Rodriguez and did his utmost to bring the graphic novel to life. Still, it is clear that Snyder himself is all style and little substance. Thankfully, by being true to Moore's writing, Watchmen balances a smart and though provoking story with the excessive and hugely entertaining action that is Snyder's forte. Best bit: Every single scene with Rorschach in it.

81 - Top Gun

Tony Scott and Tom Cruise both made their name with this classic example of an 80s blockbuster. Looking back you will notice the gay undertones, the homo-erotic volleyball game, the flirting between the pilots. You will probably laugh at the representation of other races and you will probably crease up over the use of Berlin's "Take my Breath Away". What wont make you laugh is the flying. In all of film history no one has captured flight in such an exciting way. Through combining real life jet fighters and expert model work, Scott will make you believe a man can fly........upside down and flip the bird. Best bit: The end dog fight against the Russians. Dodging bullets like a pro.
 
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