The Best Intelligent Action Movies of All Time

Updated February 26, 2021 3.1k votes 264 voters 6.4k views115 items

List RulesVote up the best intelligent movies, or those that are smart, clever, etc.

Action movies are always entertaining to say the least, but an intelligent action movie combines the best of both worlds: keeping the audience excited, as well as making them think. Even if you're just there to see some dudes fight and some cars crash, a thought-provoking action flick only makes the experience better. Think of it this way: you like these non-stop action films because they're so stimulating. Well, adding clever storylines or thought-provoking elements adds to that stimulation, and you leave the theater both entertained and a little smarter... maybe.

Whether a movie packs in good social commentary alongside explosions, features the top action stars, or simply creates the perfect setting for the film, plenty of aspects constitute an intelligent action movie. Take Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon for example. Aside from the incredible display of martial arts, the film is renown for its cinematography and story—putting it at the top of its class. The same could be said about many of these popular action films to follow.

Check out the intelligent and action-packed films below and vote up the ones you think are best. You can also vote down any that may have missed the mark, or at least deserve to be lower on the list. Feel free to add your own picks to the list as well.

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The Terminator
Arnold Schwarzenegger, Bill Paxton
Released: 1984
Directed by: James Cameron
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Gladiator
Russell Crowe, Joaquin Phoenix
Released: 2000
Directed by: Ridley Scott
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Inception
Leonardo DiCaprio, Tom Hardy
Released: 2010
Directed by: Christopher Nolan
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Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back
Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher
Released: 1980
Directed by: Irvin Kershner
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Casino Royale
Alessandra Ambrosio, Eva Green
Released: 2006
Directed by: Martin Campbell
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Alita: Battle Angel
Rosa Salazar, Christoph Waltz
Released: 2019
Directed by: Robert Rodriguez
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#Alive
Yoo Ah-in, Park Shin-hye
Released: 2020
Directed by: Cho Il-hyung
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The Matrix
Keanu Reeves, Hugo Weaving
Released: 1999
Directed by: Andy Wachowski, Lana Wachowski
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Kill Bill Volume 1
Uma Thurman, Lucy Liu
Released: 2003
Directed by: Quentin Tarantino
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The Dark Knight
Christian Bale, Michael Caine
Released: 2008
Directed by: Christopher Nolan
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Aliens
Sigourney Weaver, Bill Paxton
Released: 1986
Directed by: James Cameron
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Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark
Harrison Ford, Alfred Molina
Released: 1981
Directed by: Steven Spielberg
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Minority Report
Cameron Diaz, Tom Cruise
Released: 2002
Directed by: Steven Spielberg
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Blade Runner
Harrison Ford, Daryl Hannah
Released: 1982
Directed by: Ridley Scott
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The Fugitive
Julianne Moore, Harrison Ford
Released: 1993
Directed by: Andrew Davis
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Starship Troopers
Neil Patrick Harris, Denise Richards
Released: 1997
Directed by: Paul Verhoeven
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In the Line of Fire
Clint Eastwood, John Malkovich
Released: 1993
Directed by: Wolfgang Petersen
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Dirty Harry
Clint Eastwood, Don Siegel
Released: 1971
Directed by: Don Siegel
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Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
Zhang Ziyi, Michelle Yeoh
Released: 2000
Directed by: Ang Lee
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Die Hard
Bruce Willis, Alan Rickman
Released: 1988
Directed by: John McTiernan
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Tom Cruise, Paula Patton
Released: 2011
Directed by: Brad Bird
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Total Recall
Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sharon Stone
Released: 1990
Directed by: Paul Verhoeven
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First Blood
Sylvester Stallone, Brian Dennehy
Released: 1982
Directed by: Ted Kotcheff
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Speed
Sandra Bullock, Keanu Reeves
Released: 1994
Directed by: Jan de Bont
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True Romance
Brad Pitt, Val Kilmer
Released: 1993
Directed by: Tony Scott
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