The 1990s were a phenomenal decade foraction movies, with almost every year seeing the release of multiple iconic films in the genre. Many of thebest action movieswere released in the 90s, the decade simply being something special when it came to dreaming up long-lasting action franchises and memorable one-off thrillers with plenty of heart, humor, and creativity. From 1990 to 1999, some of the greatest names in the space saw their debut for a very lucky generation of movie goers.
Thebig action movies of the 80slikeFirst BloodandCommandohad come and gone by the start of the 90s, with some of them carrying their influence into future action spectacles. However,the 90s also saw a rise of action heroes that were more like relatableeverymen compared to the unstoppable muscular juggernauts of the 80s, creating a unique voice for the generation of films. More creativity and better CGI also allowed for some quite fantastical premises that might not have flown for big Hollywood studios any earlier in the history of cinema.
Total Recall
Cast
Based on Philip K. Dick’s short story “We Can Remember It for You Wholesale”, Total Recall tells the story of Douglas Quaid (Arnold Schwarzenegger), a construction worker who receives an implanted memory of an adventure in humanity’s colony on Mars. Quaid finds his memories playing out in real time, hunted by agents of a mysterious organization as he works to topple the tyrannical regime of a Martian dictator (Ronny Cox).
Though he might be more famous for his slew of action capers in the 80s,the 90s were truly where Arnold Schwarzenegger hit his stride. The decade settled this immediately with the release ofTotal Recallin 1990, a brilliant science fiction book adaptation by Paul Verhoeven ofRobocopfame.
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The film posits Arnold as a bored construction worker whose desire for a fantastical experience leads him to purchase false memories, only for the facade to reveal his very real past as a freedom fighter on the planet Mars.Total Recall’s creative world is built excellentlyin typical Verhoeven fashion, making for a believable vision for the future populated by strange psychic mutants and devious government agents.
Beyond the strange technology, Arnold Schwarzenegger is at his pun-dispensing best, leaping through gruesome action beats that are a treat to watch. From small joys like the “Get ready for a surprise!” scene to an early appearance from Dean Norris pre-Breaking Bad, there’s so much to appreciate aboutTotal Recall.
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.
Arnold Schwarzenegger was truly on fire in the early 90s, following up the best action movie of the previous year with one of the best action movies ever made in general. EnterTerminator 2: Judgment Day,James Cameron’s thrilling follow-up to his original sci-fi horror masterpiece.
This time around, Schwarzenegger’s T-800 is the good guy, protecting a young John Connor and his mother from the devious and advanced T-1000, a new breed of Terminator made of pure liquid metal. The legacy ofTerminator 2: Judgment Dayis immediately obvious to anyone who sees it for the first time.
Terminator 2: Judgment Dayhas a 91% rating onRotten Tomatoes.
Balancing incredible shootouts with creative vehicle chases, tender beats of bonding between man and machine, and a devious time travel plot,the film simply exceeds expectationswith every single solitary thing it sets out to do. Spawning so much iconic imagery and ending the story on a perfect note,Terminator 2: Judgment Daytruly should have been the last ofthe Terminator movies.
Batman Returns
Batman Returns sees the return of Michael Keaton’s Bruce Wayne after his victory over the Joker. This time, the Dark Knight faces a new threat in the form of The Penguin, an outcast who wants revenge on Gotham City. Featuring Danny DeVito as Oswald Cobblepot, Michelle Pfeiffer as Selina Kyle a.k.a. Catwoman, and Christopher Walken as Max Schreck, Batman Returns is Tim Burton’s second and final movie based on the iconic DC comics character.
In truth, 1992 may have been the weakest year for action movies of the 90s, with no real contender able to give Tim Burton’sBatman Returnsany competition. That’s not to say the film is bad by any means,still standing out as a great action movieand an atmospheric superhero film besides.
The return ofMichael Keaton’s Batmanexamines Gotham City in the throes of the holiday season battling two new criminals, the terrifying mutant politician, The Penguin, and the alluring vengeful murderer, Catwoman. Compared to 1989’sBatman,Batman Returnsfeels like it extends a greater measure of control to Tim Burton as a visionary director.
Gotham in the winter time is as gloomy as ever, and the even more macabre tone matches up Burton’s sensibilities perfectly with the character. The action itself is also a good deal more exciting this time around, with upgraded gadgets, worthier opponents, and a dizzyingly feverish setting that doesn’t quite operate on the same logic as the real world.
Demolition Man
In the 1993 action movie Demolition Man, Sylvester Stallone stars as time-displaced police officer John Spartan, who struggles to adapt to the year 2032 after being cryogenically frozen for messing up a job. However, his old-school skills come in handy for innocent cop Lenina Huxley (Sandra Bullock) and the futuristic city of San Angeles when the criminal Simon Phoenix (Wesley Snipes) is thawed and the complacent authorities don’t know how to react.
Sylvester Stallone may have certainly had his heyday in the previous decade, but his rivalry with Arnold Schwarzenegger was still kept contentious thanks to great flicks likeDemolition Man.This unique science fiction romp imagines a distant future in which society has evolved past the need for violence, with any uncomfortable or dangerous aspects of life being sanded away.
Snipes and Stallone have some great chemistry as archrivals, and their increasingly explosive conflict is pure popcorn-munching joy to watch unfold.
When a dangerous criminal, played by Wesley Snipes, escapes into the coddled world after being preserved into the future, his old nemesis, a loose-cannon cop nicknamed the “Demolition Man”, is brought out of storage to stop him.Snipes and Stallone have some great chemistry as archrivals, and their increasingly explosive conflict is pure popcorn-munching joy to watch unfold.
Seeing Stallone’s John Spartan interact with his new sanitized world and ravage it like a foreign virus as he encounters confusing elements likeDemolition Man’s infamous three seashellsis a great layer of comedy on top of the thrills, as well. Over time, conversations about political correctness in movie and life has only madeDemolition Manage all the better.
Drunken Master II
Drunken Master II is a martial arts film directed by Lau Kar-leung and starring Jackie Chan as Wong Fei-hung. Set in early 20th century China, the story follows Wong Fei-hung as he employs his unique style of drunken boxing to combat corrupt officials and foreign agents smuggling valuable artifacts. The film is renowned for its intricate choreography and traditional kung fu elements.
Many excellent martial arts movies were released during the 90s, though few of them were great enough to actually compete with classic Hollywood filmmaking for the decade’s greatest action films. The one glaring exception to this rule isDrunken Master II,billed in the West asThe Legend of Drunken Masterwhen it finally released overseas a full six years later.
Continuing the story of Jackie Chan’s drunken boxer, Wong Fei-hung,Drunken Master IItakes the stunning choreography from the first movie and dials it up several notches. With his training arc complete and some experience already under his belt, Chan’s brilliant performance is allowed to shed the training waits and go absolutely ballistic on some unprepared opponents.
His athleticism, agility, and slapstick comedy is truly something to marvel at in the film, which upgrades the first movie’s relatively simple story with a more daring and funny plot surrounding the mistreatment of Chinese laborers at the hands of the West. Essentially the perfect kung fu movie,Drunken Master IIdeserves a deep bow.
5Heat
1995
The 90s seemed to have a strong fascination with strong rivalries between cops and criminals, with films likeDemolition ManandFace/Offflooding the decade. Of all of them, Michael Mann’sHeatis by far the strongest, not only working as a great action flick but as a genuinely cinematic work of art.
The movie stars Al Pacino as a Los Angeles detective chasing a professional criminal, played by Robert De Niro. This clash of two iconic actors is well-realized with slick gunfights, exciting heists, and tense action sequences that need to be seen to be believed.
The film is also shockingly dramatic, taking the time to explore the other relationships of its two leading men and how their dangerous livelihoods are affected by them.A high-brow action movie unlike anything else released during the decade,Heatcontinues to stand the test of time as a winning genre-defying experiment and one ofRobert De Niro’s best movies.
Mission: Impossible
Mission: Impossible follows Ethan Hunt, a member of an elite espionage team, who becomes the prime suspect in a failed operation. As he seeks to uncover the true mole within the CIA, Hunt must navigate a complex web of deception to clear his name.
From the moment the opening trills of its iconic theme song came into earshot, it’s clear thatMission: Impossiblewas the start of something special. Technically a continuation of the old TV series of the same name from the 60s,Mission: Impossibleintroduces Tom Cruise as the legendary Ethan Hunt for the first time.
Hunt is a decorated former member of the fictional Impossible Missions Force organization who is framed for the murder of his old team, going on a globe-trotting adventure to clear his name. It’s no surprise thatMission: Impossiblewent on to spawn such a venerated action franchise still going strong so far into the future.
The instantly-recognizable rope drop has been parodied in pop culture dozens of times, and Tom Cruise’s penchant for dangerous real-life stunts first became apparent here with the spectacular glass tank scene, putting his life on the line for the sake of entertainment.Mission: Impossibledeserves recognition for not only being one of the best action movies of the 90s, but one of the best heist and espionage films ever.
Men In Black
Men In Black is a science fiction film directed by Barry Sonnenfeld, starring Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones as agents of a secret organization overseeing extraterrestrial activity on Earth. The agents are tasked with managing alien immigrants while protecting humanity from intergalactic threats. The film explores their partnership as they confront various challenges while ensuring the public remains unaware of alien presence.
1997 was a fierce year for competition for action movies, with Paul Verhoeven’s brilliant satireStarship Troopersand John Woo’s absurd crime thrillerFace/Offboth being top contenders. However, in the end, the crown for the best action film of 1997 surely has to go toMen In Black.
Loosely based on thecomic of the same name,Men In Blackstars Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones as Agent J and Agent K, operatives inthe titular secret organization dedicated to taking down extraterrestrial threatswhile keeping them out of the public eye.Men In Blackis, simply put, the perfect blockbuster.
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Smith and Jones have endless chemistry as buddy cop partners who may not see eye to eye all the time, but are nevertheless a force to be reckoned with in action. Vincent D’Onofrio is also excellent as the stiff alien villain Edgar the Bug, balancing out the interplanetary goofs with some genuinely frightening menace. Even if some of the CGI may not have aged the best,Men In Blackis endless amounts of funfor any viewer.
Blade
Blade is a 1998 film featuring Wesley Snipes as the titular character, who is a half-vampire, half-human vampire hunter. The story revolves around Blade’s mission to protect humanity from a secret vampire society that threatens to destroy the world.
Another superhero from the 90s deserving of the title of best action movie in the year it was released,Bladehas since become nothing short of a legendary picture.The first mainstream Black Marvel hero to get a solo movie,Bladeposited Wesley Snipes as the titular vampire killer, a half-vampire “Daywalker” born with all of the undead monsters' strengths, but none of their weaknesses.
On his bloody crusade against creatures of the night, Blade carves a path of violence in an effort to stop an upstart vampire leader from activating an ancient power. Wesley Snipes simply oozes with personality and style as Blade, getting across more character with a single flash of his pearly whites than many modern MCU characters do across several movies.
Snipes' very real martial arts skills are used to their full effect inBlade, with excellent choreography that starts the moment the opening club scene begins blaring its memorable techno beat. If the Marvel Studios remake ever gets out of development limbo, it’ll have huge shoes to fill.
The Matrix
The Matrix, released in 1999, is set in the 22nd century and follows a computer hacker, Neo, portrayed by Keanu Reeves. He joins a group of underground insurgents led by Morpheus to combat the domineering computers that control the earth, in a battle that blurs the lines between reality and illusion.
A film that revolutionized action and science fiction as modern cinema knows it,The Matrixhas a shot at being the best action movie to come out of the 90s in general, let alone in the year 1999. The Wachowski sisters' epic follows the gifted hacker known as Neo, played by Keanu Reeves, as he learns thatwhat he believes to be reality is actually a digital simulationran by sentient machines that have enslaved all of humanity. Waking up from The Matrix, Neo soon becomes the prophesied leader of a human rebellion.
As far as action movies go,The Matrixwill forever be an adrenaline-fueled classic that bears repetitive praise.
The Matrixisn’t just great because of the tight action scenes or the philosophical musings, but it’s alsoa perfect hero’s journey. Neo’s natural evolution from meek computer whiz to kung fu-wielding superhero is an amazing one to follow, and the intriguing dystopian world knows exactly when to pose more questions and when to answer them. As far asaction moviesgo,The Matrixwill forever be an adrenaline-fueled classic that bears repetitive praise.
