

Time Out ’s critics have weighed in, too.

And so, to help put together this definitive list of the greatest action movies ever made, we reached out to some of the people who understand the glory of action better than anyone, from Die Hard director John McTiernan to the actual folks in the line of fire, such as Machete himself, Danny Trejo. Shoot, some even have character development. Others might dropkick you right in the heart. Action flicks needn’t be dumb or epic or even particularly loud to succeed.

The truth is, action is a deeply misunderstood genre. And the only thing that will scratch the itch is watching something get blowed up real goodnb v. No matter how cultured you are, there’s a part of your lizard brain that loves explosions and shootouts and badass one-liners – and it needs to be satisfied. Sure, film school snobs may turn up their noses, but even hardcore cineastes cannot live on indie dramas and experimental art flicks alone.
