50 Greatest Action Movies Of All Time

20. The General (1926)

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United Artists

By far the oldest movie on this list, Buster Keaton's silent classic is one of the earliest examples of a studio action movie; the $750,000 budget made it one of the most expensive projects ever made at the time, headlined by a big-name star and featuring no shortage of death-defying stunts.

With less emphasis on comedy that many of his previous efforts, audience reaction was mixed but The General holds up today thanks to a bare-bones narrative that allowed Keaton to do what he did best; provide a string of thrilling, inventive and jaw-dropping physical feats all performed by the man himself.

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