Current Events > Greatest movie action star of all time?

(+) Yeah! (+)

I tried to put some of the biggest names in the top 9... here are a few other good candidates:

Sean Connery
Clint Eastwood
Mel Gibson
Jet Li
Liam Neeson
Chuck Norris
Kurt Russell
Will Smith
Jason Statham
Jean-Claude Van Damme
Denzel Washington
John Wayne

(Im guessing Arnie wins by a good margin, and hes my pick... but Im curious.)

---

Jean-Claude Van Damme was my first thought before entering, and i'm surprised he didn't get a poll slot over The fucking Rock.

Mad respect to Dwayne, don't get me wrong. Van Damme is an icon for action films.

---

arnold as a straight action icon but tom cruise overall tbh. he does some insane jackie chan shit and has 3 oscar nominations

---

For me Arnold.

Ford or Schwarzenegger. Bruce Willis is also awesome. Kurt Russell and Reeves get my vote for most underrated. Stallone was such a monster too. It was clearly Stallone and Arnie growing up.

Jackie Chan's stunts shit all over Arnold's acting.

---

MabusIncarnate posted...

Jean-Claude Van Damme was my first thought before entering, and i'm surprised he didn't get a poll slot over The fucking Rock.

Mad respect to Dwayne, don't get me wrong. Van Damme is an icon for action films.

It was pretty tough narrowing it down to the nine guys on the poll. I had him on the list originally (Arnold, Sly, Bruce, and JCVD were the first four I thought of at first), but pulled him simply because I figured most of his movies might not be mainstream enough. His top movies are probably Bloodsport, Kickboxer... and Im not sure what #3 would be. There are a lot of choices, but were talking about Universal Soldier, Time Cop, Double Impact, Lionheart, or even Street Fighter. I like him, but some younger people might not be very familiar with him.

Tom Cruise was someone I blanked on at first, and nearly left off. Hes getting votes though, so Im glad I got him on there.

---

Jackie Chan is the best at what he does. And it's action. I don't think Jackie Chan could pull off a serious character like the terminator though. Or he hasn't. Police Story was Jackie Chan's serious movie and he always seemed to come off more Charles Bronson.

I like Jackie Chan the best from that list but when I think of action star I think of Arnold Schwarzenegger, so it wouldn't feel right voting for anyone else.

---

Im shocked at how few votes Sly has. Although maybe its just because he is directly compared to Arnold.

---

"all time" makes Ricardo Montalban a major contender.

Questionmarktarius posted...

"all time" makes Ricardo Montalban a major contender.

I looked him up and he looked oddly familiar... it wasnt until I saw his filmography and realized it was from Naked Gun.

---

There are a fuckton of great candidates, but let's be real

It's Arnold

I agree on sly. Arnie and Sly were equally huge and are probably the biggest action stars ever. I like Ford better than sly but as far as a big action star. Ford was always the grumpy sarcastic senstive fearful action star. the fugitive. Sly was Rambo and Rocky. Bruce Willis encapsulated cool. Welcome to the party pal. Jackie Chan was just really likeable.

I prefer martial arts action and stunts to stuff with guns so it has to be Jackie Chan. He's probably given me the most enjoyment out of any of them.

---

The disrespect for Stallone..

Smh.

I don't mind Arnie winning but I figured it would be a two man race between the two.

---

Sly could go from real dramatic acting to all out beast. Arnold couldn't do that.

BettyWhite posted...

The disrespect for Stallone..

Smh.

I don't mind Arnie winning but I figured it would be a two man race between the two.

i also thought stallone woulda been up there. had him figured for #2

Herodopus posted...

i also thought stallone woulda been up there. had him figured for #2

My overall top 5 is

Stallone(Love First Blood)
Schwarzenegger
Chan
Willis
JCVD

Like TC said I'm guessing Arnie is siphoning off votes from Sly.


---

Stephen Chow tbh

---

I think the best of the best are Arnie, Sly, Ford, Willis, Chan.

STeven Seagal didn't make the list. My 5th would probably be I don't know. Tom Cruise is all about massive stunts. Mel Gibson is really good. JCVD is also really good. Clint Eastwood maybe. Kurt Russell is kind of like Bruce Willis as far as cool. Big Trouble in Little China is a great movie. Bruce Lee. Christopher Reeves was superman. Keanu was NEO. Matt Damon. Christian Bale. John Wayne. Wesley Snipes. I always like Laurence Fishburne and Jeff Goldblum too. Johnny Depp.

#5 if I had to choose would probably be Mel Gibson. Or Tom Hanks. JCVD is up there too. Totally different though. No one mentioned Linda Hamilton either. Or Michael Biehn.

kg88222 posted...

#5 if I had to choose would probably be Mel Gibson. Or Tom Hanks. JCVD is up there too. Totally different though. No one mentioned Linda Hamilton either. Or Michael Biehn. Sigourney Weaver is also really good. I'd probably go with her over Chan even.

Typo?

---

Ahhhnald for sure

A lot of these actors it wasn't their focus. Saving Private Ryan and Forest Gump Tom Hanks was an action star in those movies though. I really think Tom Hanks is as good as anyone as far as anything. He's basically mr. everything.

Keanu Reeves

---

Arnold and Keanu

---

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M_mnh0DoFBU

---

charlie sheen, tom beringer and willem defoe kind of fit that mold too. Willen Defoe is awesome. His role in platoon was legendary. Michael J Fox as Teen Wolf and Marty Mcfly.

If you are talking about actual combat and fighting and massive stunts. Tom Cruise obviously is huge but I also think he is somewhat overrated as an action star. Minority report was probably his best action movie or Top Gun. But he's got to be up there just the amount of action he's done.

kg88222 posted...

A lot of these actors it wasn't their focus. Saving Private Ryan and Forest Gump Tom Hanks was an action star in those movies though. I really think Tom Hanks is as good as anyone as far as anything. He's basically mr. everything.

Gotcha. I didnt expect to see a name like Hanks, so I didnt know if it was supposed to be someone else. I dont necessarily agree with him being an action star, but I appreciate the explanation.


---

I have a hard time with Cruise because Minority Report was really a collaberation between him and Spielberg and science fiction action movie. Collateral was more just an action movie. So was Top Gun really. I think Cruise has done a ton of big budget movies and stunts. I don't overly like him as an action star though. He has more just done a lot and it's more the modern action star. Vin Diesel concentrates more on big budget stunts vs substance as well.

Arnie came along and they tried to make Dolph Lungren an action star too. That didn't work so well.

A lot of Tom Cruises best roles are when he's not an action star like a few good men and some of his earlier movies.

We could do tv action stars too like Scott Bakula and David Hassellhoff, Tom Selleck, Lee Majors etc, etc too.

I think Tom Cruise is an action star where Tom Hanks really isn't but it's more because of volume. Guys like Bruce Willis, Arnie, Stallone, Ford all did it better. Cruise dabbles into sci fi and a lot of cgi as well. His stunts are all him and he probably has the most impressive resume in that regard. I think it's done purposely though where some of these modern action stars lose substance.

I think it's Arnie, Stallone, Ford, Willis. Chan has a case. JCVD has a case. So do several others. Clint Eastwood might have the best case. Or Sean Connery. Bruce Lee, Strathum always seems to get underrated but I think he lacks charm too.

jcvd

---

I voted for Ford-- Han Solo, Indiana Jones, Deckard, etc.

I never liked that many of Arnie's movies. Loved Conan. Predator & Terminator were good. Didn't really like any of his other stuff though.

Watching Double Impact with JCVD.

One of the only JCVD movies I've yet to see.

Stoked to see Bolo Yeung.

---