From Harold Lloyd to John Wick, the action movie genre has evolved massively over the decades.
Along the way, groundbreaking films have one-upped each other with audacious action, wince-inducing stunts and cinematic carnage, taking the genre to the next level.
These four films are great examples of movies that exploded onto screens, wowing audiences and influencing everything that came after.
Read on to learn how this kick-ass quartet exploded out of Hollywood and Hong Kong with innovative action that elevated the genre, inspiring generations of filmmakers to go harder, faster and louder.
1. The Wild Bunch (1969)
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A band of outlaws try to stay one step ahead of their former partner and a ruthless posse, but soon learn their time is over.
This rugged western is one of the key films that ushered in a grittier, more cynical Hollywood golden age in the 1970s: hard-living director Sam Peckinpah was known for pulling no punches, and he redefined onscreen violence with a series of escalatingly brutal shoot-outs.
Instead of using the standard gunshot sound effect Hollywood had used for years, Peckinpah had his sound team record booming sounds for each different gun, layering the gunfights with an overwhelming and chaotic soundtrack.
And he had exploding blood squibs placed on both the front and back of the actors so it looked like bullets were blasting through them. Most memorably, Peckinpah pioneered the use of slow-motion to make the gun battles seem more disorienting and intense.
Audiences were shocked at this ferocious combination of mud, blood and chaos that redefined how violence was depicted on the big screen.
2. The French Connection (1971)
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Almost as long as there have been movies, there have been car chases. Automotive action is a key ingredient in films from Buster Keaton's silent comedies to today's Fast and Furious blockbusters, and most film fans can name their favourite chases that raised the bar.
One of those memorable milestones is the heart-stopping chase in 1971's The French Connection.
This gritty thriller featured a definitive performance by the late Gene Hackman as a stubborn cop. The infamous car chase sums him up, as he hijacks a Pontiac Le Mans and swerves into hectic New York traffic, smashing and crashing into other cars but refusing to give up – no matter how much damage he causes.
Director William Friedkin put the camera in the car for the hair-raising race through the busy streets, putting us right at the centre of the chaos as he cuts between close-ups of Hackman's yelling face and increasingly violent crashes – many of which were real. It's a bruising action scene that gets the adrenaline pumping.
3. Enter the Dragon (1973)
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The martial arts film that started it all. In 1973, Enter the Dragon became a global blockbuster hit and introduced the world to the legendary Bruce Lee.
Its cultural impact was enormous: the film inspired a martial arts craze in the West, made Lee one of the most famous stars in the world, and spawned a new form of action movie – not to mention laying down the blueprint for beat-'em-up video games a decade later.
As well as being hugely influential, Enter the Dragon remains a huge amount of fun. Lee's iconic intensity and the electrifying fight scenes are mixed into an entertaining adventure that's part James Bond-style spy thriller and part Blaxploitation romp.
It all builds to a climactic fight in a hall of mirrors that's endlessly copied but never bettered.
4. Heat (1995)
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The late Val Kilmer is just one of the stars on top of their game in Michael Mann's 1999 crime thriller, Heat.
Centred around the face-off between Al Pacino's tempestuous cop and Robert De Niro's stoic robber, Heat elevated action filmmaking with nail-biting heists and gunfights.
Soldier-turned-author Andy McNab trained the cast in weapons handling for the savagely realistic shootouts, which remain a masterclass in editing and sound design – on your home cinema setup, just listen to how the gunfire echoes off the buildings during the famous bank robbery sequence.
Packed with great characters, memorable scenes and unforgettable action, Heat is endlessly rewatchable.
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