7 Bad-Ass Action Movie One-Liners

Explosions are nothing without Arnold Schwarzenegger's quips...

This Is Sparta 300
Warner Bros.

There are certain things we expect from action movies - outrageous stunts, epic set-pieces, riotous combat scenes and last, but certainly not least, one-liners worthy of mic-drop status.

In a genre where the script usually takes second billing to the muscle-bound antics of the stars - or the precisely choreographed ultra-violence of their more modern counterparts - the strategic positioning of a few explosive words is often all the talking we need. And if it sounds like something you'd put on a T-shirt, even better.

Modern action heroes had been considered something of a dying breed until a mainstream revival brought genuine A-listers like Keanu Reeves, Liam Neeson and Gerard Butler into the ranks and now action franchises are among the most lucrative at the current box office. And you can guarantee that every one of them still has an iconic one-liner or quip or two. Because nothing says imminent global danger like stopping to make a bit of a joke.

To celebrate Butler’s explosive return to the big screen in the latest chapter of his Fallen franchise - Angel Has Fallen (in UK cinemas now) - we’ve rounded up some of the all-time best movie quips that we’ll be quoting until the end of time.

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