Theaction genreproduces many franchises because daring stunt work, charismatic heroes, and unique premises garner enough interest in action films to warrant sequels for them. However, asSpeed 2, one of theworst movie sequels of all time, demonstrates, not every good idea can or should be reused. There’s always franchise potential in any engaging action thriller concept, but some action films tell complete stories that don’t have any reason to continue.
Yet, manymovies that try to be the newDie Hardalmost succeed by putting their own spin on the blueprint provided by the Bruce Willis starter. Even more iconic isJames Bond, a franchise that keeps getting updated every decade, allowingJames Bondmovies to redefine the spy genrein every era. So, when done creatively, or if there’s an intention beyond giving audiences more of the characters or the settings, action movies can yield amazing sequels.
Mad Max: Fury Road
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Mad Max: Fury Road is a post-apocalyptic film set in a desolate desert landscape where society has collapsed. Released in 2015, the story follows two rebels, Max Rockatansky and Imperator Furiosa, as they attempt to survive and bring balance to a world torn by chaos and strife.
After years in production jail, Miller was finally able to bring back his seminal franchise, which redefined the post-apocalyptic action genre, in 2015.Mad Max: Fury Roadhad been part of Miller’s plans for a long time, and when the new film was finally announced, there was, unsurprisingly, a huge amount of hype generated by the franchise’s return. Both Tom Hardy and Charlize Theron are action movie stalwarts, so audiences were excited to see them in the beloved franchise.
It is perhaps safe to say thatMad Max: Fury Roadis the bestMad Maxmovie. Its gritty depiction of the post-apocalyptic world, where every resource has to be fought for tooth and nail, often earns it the reputation of beingone of the greatest action movies of all time. With a run time of two hours, it doesn’t drag despite mostly featuring action set pieces because the action is high-octane, the acting makes the characters' plights believable, and the cinematography is gorgeous.
Die Hard: With a Vengeance
Die Hard: With a Vengeance, the third installment in the Die Hard series, follows New York detective John McClane, portrayed by Bruce Willis, as he teams with civilian Zeus Carver. Together, they navigate a series of challenges orchestrated by the antagonist Simon in an attempt to save innocent lives in the city.
John McTiernan’sDie Hardintroduced the world to Bruce Willis' most famous character, John McClane. The director, however, wasn’t involved in the making ofDie HarderorDie Hard IIas it is more commonly known, and the sequel is a disappointing follow-up. He returned to the franchise as a director and a producer forDie Hard With a Vengeance, and the result is one of thebest action movies turning 30 in 2025.
Unfortunately, the franchise’s revival was short-lived, as both the sequels toDie Hard With a Vengeanceare subpar.
Die Hard With a Vengeancerevived the genre by switching up the winning formula. It has the same time-sensitive premise asDie Hard, but expands the setting to the whole of New York City. Moreover, Bruce Willis is coupled with Samuel L. Jackson toshift the movie into the buddy cop genre. The two of them play off each other to create memorable moments of camaraderie as they solve the villain’s riddles at various locations of the city before finally confronting him.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 follows Peter Quill as he grapples with the loss of Gamora while rallying his team to defend the universe. The Guardians face a crucial mission to protect one of their own, with stakes that could alter the fate of the group forever.
James Gunn’sGuardians of the Galaxytrilogy is arguably the best trilogy in the MCU. In 2014, he made the first movie featuring the ragtag group of superheroes who band together to save the universe. Asci-fi movie with an incredible ensemble cast, the movie won over audiences with the hilarious interactions between the memorable characters and their heartwarming journey into becoming a functioning crew.
WhileGuardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2had the challenge of expanding their world and lore, James Gunn had an even more daunting task with its sequel. AfterAvengers: Endgame, the biggest showdown in the history of the MCU, it was important to retain the tone of the franchise while moving it forward with its consequences in mind. Gunn didn’t just prove up to the task, he delivered what isperhaps the best film in the trilogy. A devastating backstory and a touching show of familiarity between the characters makes it the ideal farewell.
John Wick: Chapter 2
Following up on the hugely successful John Wick, John Wick Chapter 2 is an action thriller film that sees Keanu Reeves return to the role of a retired assassin forced back into the game to uphold an oath. When crime boss Santino D’Antonio comes to collect a promised favor from John, his reluctance gives way to honoring the agreement. Now tasked with helping Santio rise to a top position at the “High Table” crime organization, John will face off against some of the underworld’s deadliest hitmen and bodyguards.
John Wickwas one of the biggest surprise hits of 2014, and its titularcharacter helped reshape genre expectationsforever. The action genre has never been the same since the realistically choreographed and gorgeously shot action sequences moved the genre away from the frenzied shaky cam aesthetic that had prevailed in the 2000s. However, the premise, personal to the character, didn’t seem possible to extend for long.
The film continues its predecessor’s trend of changing how action scenes are shot.
Yet,John Wick: Chapter 2is just as delightful. Wick may have fulfilled his mission of vengeance, but his resurgence has caused waves, and he is forced to return after a ghost from the past threatens his peace. The film continues its predecessor’s trend of changing how action scenes are shot, as most of the sequences occur in background scoreless silence, with the only sound coming from the blows delivered. Themirror room fight scene is one of the greatest in the history of the genrebecause of its imaginative use of blocking.
Mission: Impossible III
Mission: Impossible III: Released in 2006, this film follows agent Ethan Hunt, who is retired from active duty and training recruits for the Impossible Mission Force. He faces the cunning arms dealer Owen Davian, whose threats endanger Hunt and those he cares about, including his love interest.
Mission: Impossibleis an impressive action franchise, because, after seven films and an eighth and final movie on the way, it remains exciting and refreshing.Tom Cruise’s unbelievable and life-threatening stunts continue to be the highlight of the franchise, and despite the use of the last-minute escapade trope, the movies never lose their charm. While the first film was more focused on the espionage aspect of Ethan Hunt’s missions, the franchise has successfully moved away into more action-focused territory.
This shift was, of course, first introduced by John Woo when he directed the second movie in the franchise. However, it’s a disappointing sequel due to its overuse of slow motion and its lack of stealth work. J.J. Abrams revived the franchise with the third film, which increased the stakes and introduced one of the most despicable villains in the franchise, portrayed to perfection by the late Philip Seymour Hoffman. The film balances action and espionage, and introduces a darker world with more gritty action scenes.
Terminator 2: Judgment Day
Terminator 2: Judgment Day is a sci-fi action film directed by James Cameron, set ten years after the original. It chronicles a new effort to eliminate future rebellion leader John Connor, despite a reprogrammed terminator dispatched to safeguard him.
James Cameron’sThe Terminatorwas one of the most successful action blockbusters of the ’80s. It bolstered Arnold Schwarzenegger’s popularity as Hollywood’s go-to action star. After seven years, a second movie was released, which is widely considered one of the greatest sequel movies of all time. Cameron wanted to makeTerminator 2: Judgment Dayto complete the story he had started in the original, butthe film’s popularity spawned an entire franchiseof movies and even one TV show.
John Connor is perhaps the most important character of the franchise, alongside Schwarzenegger’s Terminator, but it’s easy to forget that he’snot a character in the first movie. It’s the second film that introduces viewers to John Connor, portrayed as a kid for the majority of the film by Edward Furlong.Terminator 2: Judgment Dayis an action film with a lot of heart as it explores the terminator’s allegiance to the cause of humanity.
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
The final installment of the Lord of the Rings trilogy, The Return of the King concludes the epic saga of the Fellowship’s quest to destroy the One Ring and put an end to Sauron’s reign of terror. As Frodo and Sam continue on their way to Mordor and Mount Doom, accompanied by Gollom, the rest of the Fellowship work to defend Minas Tirith from Sauron’s forces. The film’s ensemble cast includes Elijah Wood, Sean Astin, Ian McKellen, Vigo Mortensen, Orlando Bloom, John Rhys-Davies, Billy Boyd, and Dominic Monaghan.
Peter Jackson’sThe Lord of the Ringstrilogy is the only other trilogy, besideThe Godfather, to have every film be nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture. Tolkien’s epic is brought to life with the use of novel technology, including models and miniature cameras. It doesn’t get more grand and expansive thanThe Lord of the Rings, and it’s plain to see why each film was deemed worthy of the Oscar, even ifonly the third part won the Academy Award for Best Picture.
Jackson arguably gave us the best film in the trilogy at the end.
The narrative threads set up over the course of the previous films come together for the legendary conclusion to the tale inThe Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King. Despite a huge number of plot points to cover, the film never drags and takes its time covering every emotional beat with sincerity and attention to detail. It is a daunting task to bring together every element of a large-scale fantasy duology, but Jackson arguably gave us the best film in the trilogy at the end!
The Dark Knight
The Dark Knight, directed by Christopher Nolan, is the second installment in the Batman trilogy starring Christian Bale as Batman. Released in 2008, the film follows Batman’s alliance with Jim Gordon and Harvey Dent as they combat the organized crime that threatens Gotham, facing the menacing Joker.
Christopher Nolan’sBatman Begins,a movie that celebrates its 20th anniversary in 2025, introduced a more grounded approach to superhero filmmaking with a sense of realism in its narrative. Christian Bale quickly won over audiences with his portrayal of Batman and Bruce Wayne, delivering the caped crusader’s lines with a memorable raspy whisper that makes him terrifying to his enemies. Despite it being a fantastic film, no one could have predicted how good the sequel would be.
The Dark Knightis often considered to be among the best films ever made in the history of cinema. Heath Ledger’s inspired performance as the villain Joker, which won him a posthumous Oscar, continues to influence villain performances today. The film exploresthe philosophy behind Batmanand balances chaos, despair, and hope, to tell its story.The Dark Knight’s beautiful IMAX cinematography, with stunts all created without the use of CGI, adds to the sense of realism that defines Nolan’s trilogy.
Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back
The Empire Strikes Back is the second installment in the original Star Wars trilogy, directed by Irvin Kershner. Released in 1980, it follows Luke Skywalker as he trains under Jedi Master Yoda, while Princess Leia, Han Solo, and the Rebel Alliance face ongoing threats from the Galactic Empire and Darth Vader.
George Lucas’Star Wars, now titledStar Wars Episode IV: A New Hope, is aperfect non-animated action movie for children to watch. It introduces the world to lightsabers, the Force, the Death Star, Han Solo, Princess Leia, Luke Skywalker, and Darth Vader. However, viewers have to wait for the next movie to discover the most quoted line from the whole ofStar Wars, where Darth Vader tells Luke,“I am your father.”
The Empire Strikes Back has a lot more to offer beyond the meme, of course, from introducing Yoda to expanding the lore of the Jedi and the Force. Yoda’s mentorship sequence is one of the greatest training montages in all action cinema, andThe Empire Strikes Backis undoubtedly the bestStar Warsmovie. It deals with darker topics than the original movie, but that doesn’t detract from the charm of the galaxy far, far away. A sense of adventure still hangs over every scene, especially ones where John Williams' instantly recognizable score plays in the background.
Top Gun: Maverick
Top Gun: Maverick is the sequel to the 1986 original film starring Tom Cruise as Pete “Maverick” Mitchell, a top-tier pilot in the Navy. Thirty years after the original film’s events, Maverick is asked to head up a section of the TOP GUN program to embark on a dangerous mission. Things become personal when the program includes the son of Maverick’s late friend, forcing him to confront his past.
Top Gunpropelled both Tom Cruise and Val Kilmer to action stardom. Arguably,Val Kilmer’s most iconic characterof all time is Iceman fromTop Gun, a role he reprised for a cameo inTop Gun: Maverick. There was a span of 36 years between the movies, and the 2020s have seen the release of some remarkably lifeless and unimaginative sequels and remakes. Despite whatever misgivings one might have had,Top Gun: Maverickis on par withTop Gun.
Tom Cruise’s titular character Maverick has a different role in the film, and he is joined by new trainees, played by Miles Teller, Glen Powell, Monica Barbaro, and others. The high-octane third act of the movie features some of the best airplane stunt work ever committed to the silver screen, and it brings back the same level of thrill one feels when watchingTop Gun’s climactic confrontation.Top Gun: Maverickwas even nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture, a rare feat for theaction genre, which evenTop Gundidn’t achieve.
