So, what makes a great action movie? Needless to say it must have thrilling fight sequences. A few chases would be good. Special effects add to the fun and so does a terrifying villain. Also hard-core action fans prefer dark movies with little or no comic respite as compared to action comedies. So we took all these things into account to prepare a list of 10 best action movies of 2012. Although direction and screenplay are essential to make any good movie our list gives preference to movies with better fight sequences and other factors that I mentioned above. So here are the 10 best action movies of 2012.
#10 Wrath of the Titans
| Tagline: | Feel the Wrath |
| Director: | Jonathan Liebesman |
| Stars: | Sam Worthington, Liam Neeson, Ralph Fiennes |
| IMDB: | 5.8 |
| Metascore: | 37/100 |
Although the movie was not well received by the critics, it grossed more than $300 million worldwide. Definitely better than its predecessor, it makes it to the list because of some exciting action scenes between Perseus and massive beasts.
#9 Safe
| Tagline: | She has the code. He is the key. |
| Director: | Boaz Yakin |
| Stars: | Jason Statham, Catherine Chan, Robert John Burke |
| IMDB: | 6.6 |
| Metascore: | 55/100 |
In Safe, Statham plays an ex-cop and former cage fighter who must protect a gifted child who is being chased by the Russian mafia, Chinese Triads, and corrupt New York City police. It has some good car chases and action sequences.
#8 Jack Reacher
| Tagline: | The law has limits. He does not. |
| Director: | Christopher McQuarrie |
| Stars: | Tom Cruise, Rosamund Pike, Richard Jenkins |
| IMDB: | 7.0 |
| Metascore: | 50/100 |
Although most of the movie is about Jack Reacher working to solve a mystery, the action in the final scenes is worth a watch. Although Tom Cruise is nowhere as massive as Jack Reacher is supposed to be, he delivers a good performance as the title character.
#7 Django Unchained
| Tagline: | Life, liberty and the pursuit of vengeance. |
| Director: | Quentin Tarantino |
| Stars: | Jamie Foxx, Christoph Waltz, Leonardo DiCaprio |
| IMDB: | 8.6 |
| Metascore: | 81/100 |
This multiple Oscar winning western by Tarantino is definitely the best adventure movie of 2012. It also has some great gun-fight sequences and is definitely worth a watch for action fans too.
#6 Dredd
| Tagline: | Judgment is coming |
| Director: | Pete Travis |
| Stars: | Karl Urban, Rachel Wood, Olivia Thirlby |
| IMDB: | 7.0 |
| Metascore: | 59/100 |
Despite positive critical reviews, Dredd was not successful at the box office. It has good visual effects and game style fight sequences which action movie fans should enjoy. The movie is very fast paced with only a few moments where the viewer can relax.
#5 Skyfall
| Tagline: | None |
| Director: | Sam Mendes |
| Stars: | Daniel Craig, Judi Dench, Javier Bardem |
| IMDB: | 7.8 |
| Metascore: | 81/100 |
An entertaining villain, an exciting chase and thrilling fight sequences: Skyfall has all the ingredients an action fan desires. The story keeps your brain working while the action keeps your adrenaline pumping. A must watch for all Bond fans.
#4 The Dark Knight Rises
| Tagline: | The Legend Ends |
| Director: | Christopher Nolan |
| Stars: | Christian Bale, Gary Oldman, Tom Hardy |
| IMDB: | 8.6 |
| Metascore: | 78/100 |
A solid conclusion to the best film adaption of Batman, The Dark Knight Rises grossed over $1 billion. Though not as good as the Joker, Bane still makes a terrifying villain. The editing, sound, score, visuals, direction and action are all top notch making this film a must watch.
#3 Dragon (Wu Xia)
| Tagline: | Blood always leaves a trail |
| Director: | Peter Chan |
| Stars: | Donnie Yen, Takeshi Kaneshiro, Wei Tang |
| IMDB: | 7.0 |
| Metascore: | 62/100 |
Starring Donnie Yen, considered Asia’s biggest action star, Dragon premiered in 2011 but it was released in many countries in 2012. It has an intriguing story and the action keeps you on the edge of your seats. The climax is laden with great fight sequences and the quirky villain makes it even more fun.
#2 The Avengers
| Tagline: | Avengers Assemble! |
| Director: | Joss Whedon |
| Stars: | Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson |
| IMDB: | 8.3 |
| Metascore: | 69/100 |
The Avengers received positive reviews from most film critics and set or tied numerous box office records, including the biggest opening weekend in North America and the fastest film to gross $1 billion. It was nominated for the Academy Award for best visual effects. The film is packed with action with many superheroes going face to face. The sequence where Hulk fights with Loki is simply awesome.
#1 The Raid: Redemption
| Tagline: | When there’s nowhere left to run or hide… you fight or die. |
| Director: | Gareth Evans |
| Stars: | Iko Uwais, Donny Alamsyah, Ray Sahetapy |
| IMDB: | 7.6 |
| Metascore: | 73/100 |
This 2011 Indonesian movie was released in most parts of the world in 2012. The film features almost exclusive hand to hand combat featuring Pencak Silat, a style of martial arts not widely known in the West. The film is an adrenaline rush that kicks into high gear almost immediately and never slows down. The action of course is as good as it gets.