When I think of action movies, I think of the 1990s. Films starring action icons like Bruce Willis, Sylvester Stallone, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Nicholas Cage set the tone for the action films today. This was before the John Cena’s and Jason Stathams. This was a time when action movies were at their finest.
The following are what I consider to be the best action movies from 1990 to 1999.
Any list of films from the 90s that doesn’t include Terminator 2, action or not, is simply making a mistake. We had never seen anything like the T1000 turning to liquid.
It may have been 1999 when it came out, but that counts and The Matrix definitely makes the list. Starring Keanu Reeves as Neo, and Lawrence Fishburne in an iconic role as Morpheus, the Matrix combines many themes with a futuristic setting and awesome battle sequences.
Another great action film from this decade was Demolition Man, starring Sylvester Stallone and Wesley Snipes. In a futuristic world where White Castle is the only fast food franchise left and people get tickets for cursing on the street, Sly is cryogenically unfrozen to take down Snipes.
The Rock is another great action film. Sean Connery plays the only convict to ever escape from the Rock, also known as Alcatraz and when a hostage situation on the island turns nuclear, Connery and Nicholas Cage team up to break into the Rock and stop the bad guys.
One other fantastic action film, also starring Cage, is Con Air. Nicholas Cage stars as Cameron Powe, a wrongfully accused ex-marine who is almost free to get back to his wife (played by Monica Potter) and his daughter who has never even met. All he has to do first is get through Steve Buscemi and John Malkovich, which is harder than it sounds.
One final film I have to mention is Men In Black. Who would have thought that Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones would make a great on screen team?