The Best Action Movie Every Year of the 1990s

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The 1980s action genre showcased bulky physiques and hefty weaponry. This period was characterized by men known by a single name such as Stallone, Schwarzenegger, or Van Damme, often with minimal emotional expression.

During the ’90s, films themselves grew more expansive. Stars like Schwarzenegger and Stallone skyrocketed in popularity, not just in terms of their physical size, but also in status. This surge in fame led to inflated budgets for their movies, with larger stunts and visual spectacles becoming the norm. Action films were no longer confined to B-movies shown at drive-ins; they seized control of mainstream cinema. They filled multiplexes and topped box office charts. However, this period also marked a shift in action movie production. The traditional, hands-on approach to stunts started losing favor as digital special effects and green-screen technology gained prominence.

On ScreenCrush today, we’re revisiting an era significant to the evolution of action cinema, highlighting outstanding films from the 1990s that stand out in the genre. We’ve meticulously selected one exceptional action movie from each year of the decade – a task more challenging than it appears given the abundance and diversity of action movies during this period. Ranging from raw direct-to-video thrillers to blockbuster spectacles, from martial arts films in Asia to sci-fi puzzles at home, choosing only ten remarkable films was no easy feat, much like comparing a crisp apple to an authentic Rambo survival knife. However, the lessons we’ve learned from ’90s action movies are clear: heroes rise to the occasion when challenges seem insurmountable, often accompanied by the catchy beats of Lalo Schifrin’s soundtracks.

The Best Action Movie Every Year of the 1990s

1990: Total Recall

In a nutshell, Arnold Schwarzenegger’s standout film is “Total Recall,” a captivating science fiction tale where a construction worker purchases a memory of a Mars vacation but uncovers unexpectedly his hidden past as an undercover agent. It could also be argued that he’s experiencing side effects from the memory implant, and the events on screen are the final moments of a deteriorating mind. Regardless, director Paul Verhoeven skillfully manipulates viewers and maximizes Schwarzenegger’s talents as a fugitive grappling with his identity, questioning his domestic life, yearning for adventure, and delivering witty humor. (“Consider that a divorce.”) In essence, “Total Recall” encapsulates Arnold at his finest: Rough, action-packed, darkly humorous, and surprisingly profound.

1991: Terminator 2: Judgment Day

The 1990s, particularly, were dominated by Schwarzenegger in terms of action films. For the much-anticipated sequel to “Terminator”, director James Cameron went all out with the action sequences, marked the dawn of CGI with the introduction of the T-1000, a liquid metal Terminator, and introduced one of the greatest female action heroes ever in Linda Hamilton’s rugged Sarah Connor. As a reformed robot discovering human ways, Schwarzenegger is both humorous and poignant. If his final thumbs up doesn’t bring tears to your eyes, you might be a future robot yourself.

1992: Hard Boiled

In John Woo’s film “Hard Boiled”, the narrative begins with the preparation of a cocktail. Initially, tequila is poured into a glass, followed by the addition of soda to the same vessel. The drink is then mixed violently when it’s dropped onto the bar, mirroring the explosive events that unfold throughout the movie. Despite director John Woo’s fondness for birds, this sequence hints at the underlying theme: the film portrays the powerful collision that ensues when two contrasting entities are thrust together and collide forcefully. Chow Yun-Fat and Tony Leung are captivating individually, but their union ignites the spellbinding power of an action movie masterpiece.

1993: The Fugitive

The common perception is that a movie that offers pure entertainment, which one might watch multiple times, loses value if it lacks complex themes or intellectual symbolism. However, The Fugitive raises the bar for large-scale chase films, making them seem effortless. On the contrary, creating such a film, filled with a gripping mystery, sharp action sequences, and outstanding performances, particularly from Tommy Lee Jones as the relentless U.S. Marshal Sam Gerard, is a challenging task. This movie continues to be enjoyable due to its exceptional production quality and skill, which are harder to find today than they were in 1993.

1994: Drunken Master II

If you were to save just one Jackie Chan film as a representation of his career for future generations, it would undoubtedly be “Drunken Master II”. This movie encapsulates Jackie Chan’s remarkable agility, humor, and grace. In this film, he portrays the Chinese folk hero Wong Fei-hung, whose fighting skills become even more impressive when he’s under the influence. The concept of drunken boxing makes “Drunken Master II” the ideal platform for showcasing all of Jackie Chan’s talents, seamlessly blending his lightning-fast physicality with his unique brand of inventive physical humor.

1995: GoldenEye (1995)

Everyone cherishes the first Bond film they watched as children, and that one is mine; my father took me to see it when I was 14 years old, sparking my lifelong interest in Bond (a month later on my birthday, I received several Bond movies on VHS, solidifying my fandom). However, GoldenEye isn’t just sentimental; it’s an exciting film from start to finish. It boasts a fantastic opening scene with two thrilling stunts (a bungee jump from the top of a bridge and a leap off a cliff into a plummeting plane), a catchy Tina Turner theme song, a formidable adversary for 07 in Sean Bean, an action-packed tank chase, and Famke Jannsen’s breakout performance as a ruthless henchwoman with iron legs. Brosnan may not have brought much innovation to the role of James Bond, but when I was 14 and he delivered the line “No more foreplay” to Xena Onatopp, I considered him the coolest person on Earth.

The main changes made are:
– Simplified sentence structure for easier reading.
– Replaced some formal language with informal language (e.g., “sparking my lifelong interest” -> “solidifying my fandom”, “Boasts” instead of “has more than nostalgia going for it”).
– Made the last sentence a bit more conversational to reflect the speaker’s youthful enthusiasm at the time.

1996: Mission: Impossible

In the original “Mission: Impossible” film from 1996, while it might not have reached the level of complexity in later sequels, it certainly didn’t shy away from action. Featuring a daring Pentagon break-in, Tom Cruise outrunning an exploding aquarium, and the iconic finale on top of a speeding train where Ethan Hunt outwits a helicopter with a stick of gum, this movie held its own against other notable action films of that year such as “The Rock” by Michael Bay. Despite several other impressive action movies in 1996, it’s hard not to single out the first “Mission” for its unique blend of action and suspense.

1997: Con Air

In the 1990s, the action movie Con Air was met with skepticism by critics who were puzzled as to why Nicolas Cage, fresh off his Oscar-winning role in Leaving Las Vegas in 1995, decided to star in over-the-top action films. Today, however, Con Air is less seen as a ludicrous thriller and more as a purposefully silly and amusingly self-aware action comedy.

The action sequences are solid, and the cast is outstanding: John Cusack, Steve Buscemi, Danny Trejo, Ving Rhames, John Malkovich, and of course, Nicolas Cage himself as Cameron Poe, a former Army Ranger and the honorable man on a hijacked plane filled with dangerous criminals. Each actor seems to understand the kind of movie they’re in and appear to be genuinely excited about it. They have fun, and we enjoy watching them have fun.

1998: Ronin

In the late-career masterpiece of director John Frankenheimer, a hard-boiled ensemble of rugged mercenaries are assembled for an ambitious heist. While the narrative is familiar, the stellar cast (Robert De Niro, Jean Reno, Natascha McElhone, Stellan Skarsgard, Sean Bean, Jonathan Pryce) and gritty dialogue, penned by a pseudonymous David Mamet, set it apart. Moreover, it boasts one of the most thrilling car chases ever filmed in cinema history. Notably, 1998 was a year filled with impressive action films, including “The Mask of Zorro” and the original “Blade”. However, “Ronin” outshines them all.

1999: The Matrix

In various film categories such as science fiction, superhero, and romance, “The Matrix” stands out, primarily due to its electrifying action sequences. This masterpiece, produced by the Wachowskis, is undeniably one of the most thrilling action films ever released by a major Hollywood studio. The creators aimed to honor their favorite martial-arts movies from the past, and they achieved this by having their stars (like Keanu Reeves, Carrie-Anne Moss, Hugo Weaving, and Laurence Fishburne) undergo extensive training for months to execute the movie’s intricate kung-fu moves without the aid of stunt doubles. This dedication resulted in some of the most exhilarating and easy-to-follow fight scenes during that era. Moreover, the film features stunning gun battles and the groundbreaking introduction of “Bullet Time,” making it a contender for the best action movies of the ’90s.

The 10 Worst Action Movies of the Last 10 Years (2015-2024)

10. Infinite (2021)

Numerous outstanding films were released on streaming platforms or directly to home video during the pandemic, including my top pick for 2021. Regrettably, even in a world without pandemics, a streaming release would still have been less than what “Infinite” deserved. Starring Mark Wahlberg at the age of 50 as a directionless character who yearns for purpose amidst his wasted existence, this film was more forgettable than engaging. The plot revolves around Wahlberg discovering that he is an “Infinite,” a person capable of recalling all past lives along with their accumulated knowledge and abilities. Despite the high-budget production, Wahlberg seemed uninterested, which is understandable given that “Infinite” resembles an Asylum knockoff of “The Matrix,” featuring a cheap screenplay.

9. Expend4bles (2023)

Initially, “The Expendables” series has been more effective in generating excitement than delivering on its promise as a franchise. Indeed, the concept of legendary action stars banding together for one final hurrah (or rather, four final hurrahs) is an enticing marketing strategy. However, when it comes to the actual films, they’ve ranged from mediocre to downright poor, and this latest installment was the poorest yet. It barely meets its own expectations, with only Sylvester Stallone and Dolph Lundgren remaining as the old-school action stars in “Expendables 4,” and their roles are minimal at best.

In truth, this isn’t even an exciting action movie. The special effects are primarily CGI, and not only do they look poor, but they also fail to evoke the authentic, gruesome action spectacles of the 1980s that this series aims to celebrate. In fact, the title of these movies has never felt more apt.

The sole exception being a brief fight between Jason Statham and Iko Uwais, this movie lacks the thrilling action that one would expect from such a production.

8. Red One (2024)

I find myself curious about Dwayne Johnson’s Christmas action movie titled “Red One”. My main question, though, is who exactly this film caters to? It seems unusual to create a light-hearted Christmas blockbuster featuring elements like profanity, frightening monsters, subpar CGI, and scenes of female characters in bikinis. I understand the demand for Christmas content, but this movie appears to be particularly poor quality. In fact, it’s really quite terrible.

In this rephrased version, I tried to maintain the original’s tone and sentiment while using simpler and more natural language. The emphasis on the film’s questionable elements and the use of a more conversational style are intended to make the text easier for readers to comprehend.

7. Geostorm (2017)

In what might come as a surprise, the man who collaborated on blockbuster disaster films such as “Independence Day,” Dean Devlin, ended up botching “Geostorm,” a movie about a global storm that threatens to destroy Earth. The reason is straightforward: the directorial skills of Dean Devlin made his screenwriting abilities appear inferior to those of William Shakespeare. The film’s pacing resembles a slow-melting glacier, with only the action sequences that are enjoyable for their silliness being concentrated in the final 30 minutes. For the most part, “Geostorm” features Gerard Butler portraying a brilliant scientist (if you can believe it), attempting to solve a mystery on a space-bound weather satellite. Despite Ed Harris wielding a rocket launcher at random moments, this production was not salvageable. (A theatrical adaptation of William Shakespeare’s “Geostorm” – now that would be an intriguing idea worth $15 to witness!)

6. Meg 2: The Trench (2023)

In the original “Meg” film, we didn’t have a resemblance to “Jaws,” nor was it “Jaws: The Revenge.” I actually gave a favorable review for this movie back in 2018. However, this dull sequel drags on without any appearance of a Meg (short for megalodon, the colossal prehistoric shark) while the characters investigate an illicit deep-sea mining operation. The film clocks in at over 90 minutes before the action involving the shark even begins — by that point, I was so bored that I could no longer appreciate it.

5. Morbius (2022)

Released on April 1st, 2022, the film “Morbius” seemed like an elaborate April Fool’s Day joke to the movie audience. The final product barely resembled its trailers, with entire scenes and plotlines conspicuously absent. It appeared that during post-production, the entire movie was significantly altered to make it obvious that it did not belong in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Unfortunately, this was one of the few things that were clear about “Morbius”, a vampire film that seemed like it was pieced together haphazardly by Dr. Frankenstein; cobbling together fragments of different storylines and characters that didn’t fit well, only to be brought awkwardly to life.

4. Borderlands (2024)

Cate Blanchett transitioning from scoring the ‘Monster Hunter’ soundtrack, a role she seemingly took for financial reasons, to starring in an uninspired video game adaptation, will provide an intriguing contrast when chronicling her illustrious career. The film adaptation of the ‘Borderlands’ series, while notoriously poor, was surprisingly refreshing after a string of well-received video game movies and TV shows, considering its consistent lack of quality. One might say that progress is being made.

Cate Blanchett moving from composing the ‘Monster Hunter’ soundtrack, a role she seemed to take for monetary reasons, to appearing in this soulless video game adaptation offers an engaging contrast in a future biography about her distinguished career. The ‘Borderlands’ film adaptation, while criticized as being terrible, was unexpectedly refreshing following a series of well-regarded video game movies and TV shows, given its consistent low quality. It could be said that things are gradually improving.

3. Suicide Squad (2016)

As a movie enthusiast, I’d rephrase the given text like this:

In this film, if it wasn’t for the Suicide Squad, the very predicament they were summoned to resolve wouldn’t have arisen. The villain of the piece is one of the Suicide Squad members who turns against the team, and a major chunk of the story revolves around rescuing a character shrouded in mystery – someone who, as a spoiler alert, is none other than the mastermind behind the Suicide Squad. In essence, the Suicide Squad in this movie is like Homer Simpson describes alcohol: It’s both the source and the remedy for all the story’s troubles.

To be fair, David Ayer initially envisioned the Suicide Squad in a cohesive manner, but by the time the movie hit the theaters, it had been sliced into cinematic cabbage. A word to the wise: Don’t expect the “Extended Cut” to enhance the film. In fact, the Suicide Squad could have done without any additional length. Alas, this was the lowest point of the DCEU (Rest in Peace). Thankfully, James Gunn’s The Suicide Squad was a notable improvement over its predecessor.

2. Madame Web (2024)

As a die-hard Marvel fan, I found myself in a peculiar situation while watching the movie “Madame Web”. It’s reminiscent of many pre-Marvel Studios Marvel films that seem somewhat awkward about their comic book origins. Dakota Johnson, our lead actress, portrays Cassie Webb, not the titular character Madame Web. Despite her role as the main protagonist, she’s never called by that name in the film. Interestingly enough, she seldom dons a superhero costume too. It feels like everyone involved is a bit self-conscious about their part in this production. (Given the circumstances, I can’t really blame them.)

Now, let me tell you what this movie is all about – it’s absurd, quirky, and at times, almost inexplicable. It makes “The Amazing Spider-Man” look like a masterpiece compared to this. Watching it with Kevin Feige would surely make for an entertaining experience!

1. China Salesman (2017)

In essence, the 2018 movie titled “China Salesman” features a fight scene that allegedly pits boxing legend Mike Tyson against action star Steven Seagal. However, I use the term “allegedly” because it’s unclear whether Tyson and Seagal ever shared screen space during this particular sequence. The pay for the stuntmen in this scene was probably well-deserved, given the circumstances. This epic clash culminates with Tyson emerging victorious – by “epic,” I mean catastrophic, as the entire confrontation ends disastrously and tragically. With some clearly visible body doubles and peculiar dialogue deliveries, this film becomes an unusually bad action flick that is simply terrible in every aspect.

The 2018 movie “China Salesman” showcases a fight between boxing champ Mike Tyson and action star Steven Seagal, but it’s not entirely clear if they ever filmed together for this scene. Regardless of the stuntmen’s pay, they deserved an extra bonus. This intense battle concludes with Tyson prevailing – by “intense,” I mean disastrous, as the whole thing ends in a tragic mess. Add in some obvious stand-ins and bizarre dialogue, and you have a rather peculiar, very poor action movie that is simply awful from start to finish.

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2025-06-30 17:26