30) Hard Target (1993)
Director: John Woo
Writer: Chuck Pfarrer
Stars: Jean-Claude Van Damme, Lance Henriksen, Yancy Butler
Action Sub-genre: Man is the Deadliest Prey, Shoot ’em Up
Synopsis: “A woman hires a drifter as her guide through New Orleans in search of her father, who has gone missing. They discover a deadly game of cat and mouse behind his disappearance in the process.”
29) American Ninja (1985)
Director: Sam Firstenberg
Writers: Paul De Mielche, Avi Kleinberger, Gideon Amir
Stars: Michael Dudikoff, Steve James, Judie Aronson
Action Sub-genre: Ninja, Martial Arts
Synopsis: “American soldier, obviously very skilled in martial arts, single-handedly takes on mercenaries in the Philippines.”
Celebrating Cannon Films’ Greatest Action Movie – American Ninja (1985)
28) Hard to Kill (1990)
Director: Bruce Malmuth
Writer: Steven McKay
Stars: Steven Seagal, Kelly LeBrock, William Sadler
Action Sub-genre: Cop, Revenge
Synopsis: “Left for dead with his wife killed in their house, L.A. Detective Mason Storm will have to make a quick recovery, expose those behind the murder and take revenge.”
27) The Terminator (1984)
Director: James Cameron
Writers: James Cameron, Gale Anne Hurd, William Wisher
Stars: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Linda Hamilton, Michael Biehn
Action Sub-genre: Sci-Fi, Cyborg, Thriller
Synopsis: “A seemingly indestructible android is sent from 2029 to 1984 to assassinate a waitress, whose unborn son will lead humanity in a war against the machines, while a soldier from that war is sent to protect her at all costs.”
The Terminator Was Almost Completely Different and Had a Totally Lame Ending
26) Delta Force 2: The Colombian Connection (1990)
Director: Aaron Norris
Writers: James Bruner, Menahem Golan, Lee Reynolds
Stars: Chuck Norris, John P. Ryan, Billy Drago
Action Sub-genre: Special Forces
Synopsis: “When DEA agents are taken captive by a ruthless South American kingpin, the Delta Force is reunited to rescue them in this sequel to the 1986 film.”
25) Lethal Weapon (1987)
Director: Richard Donner
Writer: Shane Black
Stars: Mel Gibson, Danny Glover, Gary Busey
Action Sub-genre: Buddy Cop, Comedy
Synopsis: “Two newly paired cops who are complete opposites must put aside their differences in order to catch a gang of drug smugglers.”
24) The King of the Kickboxers (1990)
Director: Lucas Lowe
Writers: Keith W. Strandberg, See-Yuen Ng
Stars: Loren Avedon, Billy Blanks, Don Stroud
Action Sub-genre: Martial Arts, Cop, Revenge
Synopsis: “A cop goes undercover in Thailand to avenge his brother’s death in this martial arts film.”
23) Dirty Harry (1971)
Director: Don Siegel
Writers: Harry Julian Fink, Rita M. Fink, Dean Riesner
Stars: Clint Eastwood, Andrew Robinson, Harry Guardino
Action Sub-genre: Cop
Synopsis: “When a mad man calling himself ‘the Scorpio Killer’ menaces the city, tough as nails San Francisco Police Inspector Harry Callahan is assigned to track down and ferret out the crazed psychopath.”
22) Mad Max (1979)
Director: George Miller
Writers: James McCausland, George Miller
Stars: Mel Gibson, Joanne Samuel, Hugh Keays-Byrne
Action Sub-genre: Wasteland
Synopsis: “In a self-destructing world, a vengeful Australian policeman sets out to stop a violent motorcycle gang.”
21) First Blood (1982)
Director: Ted Kotcheff
Writers: Michael Kozoll , William Sackheim, Sylvester Stallone, David Morrell
Stars: Sylvester Stallone, Brian Dennehy, Richard Crenna
Action Sub-genre: Revenge
Synopsis: “Former Green Beret John Rambo is pursued into the mountains surrounding a small town by a tyrannical sheriff and his deputies, forcing him to survive using his combat skills.”
wow this is one screwed up list, cobra #1 really? this movie never even got a sequel because it was one of stallones worst ever, picking it over terminator and die hard, again WOW