As World War Z, one of this summer's most action-packed movies, hits DVD and Blu-ray, we look back at 30 summer action movies of the last 30 years. Read on...and have a blast!
Grab your cigars and man your panels as Tony Scott's tense thriller kicks off our list of the top 30 action movies of the past 30 years. Featuring excellent back-and-forth dialogue between Denzel Washington and Gene Hackman (some scripted by Quentin Tarantino), the movie earned three Oscar nominations.
Legendary Hong Kong action director John Woo brought his unique touch to the Mission: Impossible franchise. The second installment in the Tom Cruise-starring franchise found the special agent in Australia trying to destroy a genetically modified disease.
If it's a list of action movies, you know Arnold is going to be in there. Teaming up with Carl Weathers, Arnold leads a team of special force ops to hunt down some ugly mother-effers.
Staying with the Arnold theme, the action star joined forces here with James Cameron for the blockbuster True Lies. Co-starring Jamie Lee Curtis, Tom Arnold and a very young Eliza Dushku, the film features Arnie taking down a bunch of terrorists no matter what it takes... including a missile.
Interestingly enough, out of all the Fast & Furious movies, fans voted Tokyo Drift into the Top 30. Perhaps this means we'll be seeing more drifting in the next two Fast movies...
How do you make the ultimate action movie? Well, start off by casting a bunch of action movie icons, add in a rescue mission and kick back and watch the good guys blow stuff up and shoot down the bad guys real good.
Four years ago, hardly anybody knew who Sharlto Copley was...then Neill Blomkamp's District 9 happened and put the actor on the map. Drawing on sociological themes, the sci-fi thriller about a government agent and extraterrestrial creatures captivated audiences worldwide.
The Asgardian God earns a solid spot on the Top 30 list. Before he teamed up with The Avengers or prepared to enter The Dark World, the son of Odin was banished to Earth, fell in love with Natalie Portman and took down a giant walking incinerating robot aptly named Destroyer.
The Joes returned to theaters earlier this year in full force, but four years ago the comic book/toy franchise made the leap to the big screen with big names playing famous (toy) characters.
Well, he did say he'd be back. Sure enough Arnold and that pesky T-1000 played by Robert Patrick make our top action movie list. James Cameron's sci-fi action flick deployed some breakthrough computer technology to animate the metallic T-1000.
If the world is coming to an end, Roland Emmerich is probably behind the camera. Famous for destroying the White House in Independence Day, Emmerich took a much more global approach to mass destruction in this movie as Dennis Quaid and Jake Gyllenhaal were left to figure out how to save us all.
We searched every warehouse, farmhouse, henhouse, outhouse and doghouse in the area and sure enough, Andrew Davis' action adventure and one of Harrison Ford's best thrillers was a fan favorite.
How do you revive a franchise that left a sour taste in fans' mouths? Start from the beginning. Matthew Vaughn brought us all the way back to the beginning of the X-Men story and interlaced real world events in a superhero movie that both fans and critics loved.
Speaking of superheroes and starting from the beginning, Marc Webb and the folks at Sony decided to start over fresh with the story of Peter Parker. Co-starring Emma Stone and Denis Leary, the superhero flick performed so well, we're getting two more installments over the next few years!
Yippie-kai, oh, you know the rest. In the late '80s John McTiernan helmed one of the most influential and entertaining movies ever made. While there was no indication of how the franchise would devolve over the years, the original Die Hard still stands as one of the smartest and best action movies ever made.
Is Christopher Nolan's mind-warping sci-fi flick really at number 15... or is it all a dream? Quick, grab your tops and give them a spin! Nolan steps outside the Batman franchise to weave this trippy tale of dream invasions that earned $800 million worldwide to become one of the highest grossing movies of all-time.
If you don't know his name, you're probably living under a rock. Just don't tell that to Tony Stark; you might bruise that massive ego of his. Marvel's run-up to one of the highest grossing movies of all-time *cough* Avengers, began here, with Tony escaping from a cave in Afghanistan and being forced to stop his business partner Obadiah Stane.The rest, as they say, is history.
Ah yes, Men in Black. Back in the late '90s when summer blockbusters starring Will Smith were accompanied by hit rap songs, Barry Sonnefeld's extraterrestrial busting flick was cleaning up at the box office, much to fans' delight. The unforgettable one-liners and characters are proof that Neurolyzers don't work on movie audiences.
Very few directors could bring Bruce Willis, Ben Affleck and Billy Bob Thornton together in the same movie and yet, Michael Bay did just that. While the premise of the movie is quite action-packed, the movie did earn Bruce Willis a Razzie Award for Worst Actor and left us with a terribly annoying Aerosmith song.
He may be the king of sci-fi nowadays, but just a few years ago, J.J. Abrams was rebooting the Star Trek franchise much to the nervous anticipation of Trekkies everywhere. Their concerns were for naught as Abrams delivered a solid movie worthy of a sequel and a ticket to prolonging the Star Wars franchise.
Of Christopher Nolan's three Batman movies, the second one remains the most beloved. Featuring an Oscar-winning turn by the late Heath Ledger as The Joker, The Dark Knight raised the level of drama and chaos in the Caped Crusader's life up to a whole new level.
“I feel the need. The need for speed!” Tom Cruise stars as ace fighter pilot Maverick in this glorified commercial for the US Navy. In fact, the US Navy set up recruiting booths in major cinemas to try and catch some of the adrenaline charged guys leaving the screenings. They had their highest applications rates for years as a result!
Action director Michael Bay was tasked with turning a 20-year-old toy franchise into a super, action-filled mega movie and he did it with Transformers, the 2007 film starring Shia LaBeouf and Megan Fox. Giant robots that turn into cool cars and back again to fight each other -- What’s not to love?!
Ewoks aside, 1983’s Return of the Jedi was a great action movie and the culmination of George Lucas’s original trilogy of Star Wars films at the time. Space battles, Jabba’s barge and, ok, the Ewok battle of Endor all make this movie an action-filled, fun ride.
One of director Roland Emmerich’s first big budget action/destruction films was this 1996 spectacle that had Will Smith fighting off an alien invasion, of course, on July 4th, Independence Day!
The Bourne franchise started with a young Matt Damon playing the secret spy trying to figure out his identity in the 2002 film that started it all, The Bourne Identity. Damon starred in two more sequels before handing the torch off to Jeremy Renner in 2012’s The Bourne Legacy.
“Welcome to Jurassic Park!” Although the iconic Steven Spielberg film came out 20 years ago, it is back in the theaters in a modified 3D format for a whole new generation to enjoy. And, although the dinosaurs are mostly CG, we dare you not to be adrenalized when the T-Rex chases the jeep!
Christian Bale's Batman shows up again in his last outing directed by Christopher Nolan and going up against a menacing Bane, played by Tom Hardy. The summer action flick was a huge success at the box office taking in over 1 billion dollars worldwide. That’s billion with a ‘B.'
Who can turn a theme park ride into a billion-dollar franchise? Johnny Depp can! And he did with the Pirates of the Caribbean movies as lovable pirate Jack Sparrow. The 2003 movie started it all and it’s had 3 sequels to follow, with a fifth planned for 2015.
"The Best Superhero Movie Of All Time" is the quote on the box art (and yes, it's our own)...and we still believe it. Joss Whedon’s A-list collection of Marvel superheros was an action lover's dream come true, the Star Wars for the new generation, and our favorite summer action movie of the last 30 years.
Recibe gratis un boleto infantil al comprar un boleto de adulto de igual o mayor precio, hasta $11 de precio total y cargos, usando el código TELEMUNDO
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Get the Spider-Man: Brand New Day Exclusive Poster Bundle and receive one ticket to Spider-Man: Brand New Day and an exclusive poster!
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Get 1 free ticket instantly when you join FanClub with your The Odyssey ticket order.
The ‘The Odyssey – 1 free ticket FanClub Promotion' offer (the “Offer”) begins 6/9/26 and will run for a limited time. Offer valid for new FanClub members only. To be eligible, you must subscribe to a 1-month paid FanClub membership ($9.99 per month + tax) when purchasing tickets to The Odyssey on the Fandango website or mobile app, and the Offer will be automatically applied at checkout. To redeem the Offer, you must complete checkout while an eligible FanClub membership is in your cart and Offer is applied. Offer valid in the U.S. only (excluding U.S. territories and where prohibited by law); void where prohibited. Adjustments to prior purchases not permitted. Taxes may apply. Offer may only be redeemed once per person. Fandango reserves the right to withdraw or modify this Offer at any time, in its sole discretion, and without notice. Additional terms and conditions apply, including Fandango’s Terms and Policies at www.fandango.com/terms-and-policies.
Get 1 free ticket instantly when you join FanClub with your Spider-Man: Brand New Day ticket order.
"The ‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day – 1 free ticket FanClub Promotion' offer (the “Offer”) begins 6/17/26 and will run for a limited time. Offer valid for new FanClub members only. To be eligible, you must subscribe to a 1-month paid FanClub membership at $9.99 per month + tax when purchasing tickets Spider-Man: Brand New Day on the Fandango website or mobile app, and Offer will be automatically applied at checkout. To redeem the Offer, you must complete checkout while an eligible FanClub membership is in your cart and Offer is applied. Offer valid in the U.S. only (excluding U.S. territories and where prohibited by law); void where prohibited. Adjustments to prior purchases not permitted. Taxes may apply. Offer may only be redeemed once per person. Fandango reserves the right to withdraw or modify this Offer at any time, in its sole discretion, and without notice. Additional terms and conditions apply, including Fandango’s Terms and Policies at www.fandango.com/terms-and-policies. "
Buy a ticket to Minions & Monsters, get the Minions 2-Movie Collection for $10 on Fandango at Home.
*Limited time offer. Log into your account on Fandango.com or the Fandango app and purchase, between 12:01am PT on 6/9/26 and 11:59pm PT on 6/30/26, at least one movie ticket to ‘Minions & Monsters'. Purchaser will receive a post-purchase email containing 1 Fandango at Home Promotional Code (“Code”) that is good for the purchase (and not the rental) of the Minions 2-Movie Collection for $10 in My Offers in your account on http://fandangoathome.com and via participating Fandango at Home apps. You must have, and be logged into, your Fandango account to receive a Code. Fandango is free to join; you must be 18 years of age or older to create a Fandango account. Code expires on (and must be used by) 7/3/26 at 11:59pm PT. Limit one per transaction. You may have to pay taxes additionally. One-time use only. Void where prohibited. If lost or stolen, cannot be replaced. Offer is non-transferable and cannot be combined with any other offer or discount. No cash value, except as required by law. Not for resale; void if sold or exchanged. Offer valid in the U.S. only (excluding U.S. territories and where prohibited by law). You must have a Fandango at Home account to redeem your Code on Fandango at Home. Fandango at Home is free to join; you must be 18 years of age or older to open a Fandango at Home account. Credit card may be required for transactions on fandangoathome.com. Fandango reserves the right to modify or cancel this offer at any time and without notice. This offer and redemption of the Code are subject to Fandango Terms and Policies and Privacy Policy at http://www.fandango.com/terms-and-policies.
See it in RealD 3D and get $5 off a ticket with code MINIONSIN3D.
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Be the first to see Minions & Monsters at an exclusive early screening for Xfinity members and Fandango account holders, exclusively on Fandango.
Get The Beyond Infinity Bundle and receive one movie ticket to Toy Story 5 plus a limited-edition Animation Print!
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Experience Supergirl in RealD 3D and get $5 off a 3D ticket with the code SUPERGIRL3D
Limited time offer. While supplies last. There is a limited quantity of Code redemptions allowed in this promotion. Log in to your Fandango account on Fandango.com or via the Fandango app between 6/3/26 and 7/12/26, purchase one or more RealD 3D tickets to see Supergirl at a participating Fandango theater, and enter the Fandango promotional code SUPERGIRL3D ("Code") to receive up to $5 off your purchase. Code expires, and can no longer be used, if not redeemed by 11:59pm on 7/12/26, or when the limit of Code redemptions is reached, or when Supergirl is no longer available in RealD theaters, whichever comes first. Code must be entered at checkout. Only valid for purchase of movie tickets made at Fandango.com or via the Fandango app and cannot be redeemed directly at any theater box office. You must have, and be logged into, a Fandango account to redeem the Code on Fandango. Fandango is free to join; you must be 18 years of age or older to create a Fandango account. If cost of movie ticket and associated fees and charges is more than Code’s maximum discount, then user must pay the difference. Any price difference between total transaction price and Code’s maximum discount will not be refunded. One-time use only. Void where prohibited. Offer is non-transferable and cannot be combined with any other offer or discount. No cash value, except as required by law. Not for resale; void if sold or exchanged. Offer valid in the U.S. only (excluding U.S. territories and where prohibited by law). You may have to pay taxes additionally. Limit 1 Code redemption per person. Fandango reserves the right to modify or cancel this offer at any time and without notice. This offer and redemption of the Code are subject to Fandango's Terms and Policies and Privacy Policy at http://www.fandango.com/terms-and-policies.
Buy a Toy Story 5 IMAX ticket and receive $5 off your AMC concessions order.
There is a limited number of Code redemptions allowed in this offer. Limited time offer. While supplies last. Offer only valid for participating AMC Theatres. Check [https://www.fandangomovietickets.com/AMCTheatreConcessions] to see whether your preferred AMC Theatre offers concessions through Fandango. Log in to your account on Fandango.com or the Fandango app and purchase, between 6:00am PT on 5/26/26 and 11:59pm PT on 6/21/26, at least one (1) movie ticket to ‘Toy Story 5’ at a participating AMC Theatre. Purchaser will receive a post purchase email containing one (1) Fandango Promotional Code (“Code”) that is good for up to $5 off AMC Concessions. Code expires on (and must be used by) 7/31/26 at 11:59pm PT, or your showtime, whichever comes first. Code must be entered at concessions checkout. Only valid for purchase of concessions on Fandango.com or via the Fandango app and cannot be redeemed directly at any Theatre. You must have, and be logged into, a Fandango account to receive and redeem a Code. Fandango is free to join; you must be 18 years of age or older to create a Fandango account. Limit one per transaction. You may have to pay taxes additionally. One-time use only. Void where prohibited. If lost or stolen, cannot be replaced. Offer is non-transferable and cannot be combined with any other offer or discount. No cash value, except as required by law. Not for resale; void if sold or exchanged. Offer valid in the U.S. only (excluding U.S. territories and where prohibited by law). If cost of purchase is more than Code’s maximum discount, then user must pay the difference. Any price difference between total transaction price and Code’s maximum discount will not be refunded. Fandango reserves the right to modify or cancel this offer at any time and without notice. This offer and redemption of the Code are subject to Fandango Terms and Policies and Privacy Policy at http://www.fandango.com/terms-and-policies.
