In a lot of ways, the action movie genre got taken to the next level during the 2000s. It seems like these films got bigger budgets, used more CGI than ever before, and several even found themselves in contention for major accolades come awards season.
Those are all evident when trying to find the best action movies from the decade. Since so many memorable ones were released during the era, it can be tough to pick out which ones to watch but thankfully, the users at Letterboxd have given out their ratings and that makes it easier to find the most acclaimed of them all.
Casino Royale (2006) - 3.92
Stream On Amazon Prime
A brand new era of James Bond began in 2006 when Daniel Craig took over as the sharply dressed, martini sipping MI6 agent. His first foray into the character was Casino Royale and though it's classified as an action movie, it is slower-paced and features fewer set-pieces than many other entries in the franchise.
Casino Royale sees Bond on his first mission as agent 007. He must play an intense, high-stakes poker game against a terrorist financier (the always excellent Mads Mikkelsen), and he falls in love with a woman (Eva Green) along the way. Reviews were sparkling and most ratings have it at four stars (36%).
Cowboy Bebop: The Movie (2001) - 3.94
Not Available To Stream
These days, everyone seems to be talking about Cowboy Bebop again since the live-action adaptation of the anime has become quite popular on Netflix. Of course, long before that the original television series ran in the late '90s and was a smash hit. In 2001, a movie version was released to more critical acclaim.
Set in between the 22nd and 23rd episodes of the show, this film sees the crew of Bebop go after a terrorist threatening to destroy all humans on Mars with a deadly pathogen. It was lauded for how it was true to the series while being its own engaging standalone tale and most Letterboxd users gave it four stars (38%).
Gladiator (2000) - 3.97
Stream On Netflix & Paramount+
It's not often that action movies are considered when it comes to the Academy Awards but Gladiator managed to buck that trend in a major way to start the decade. The Ridley Scott-directed flick took home Best Picture among its five wins, along with Russell Crowe winning Best Actor.
Gladiator takes place during the year 180 and centers on a former Roman general who is betrayed and must fight his way through arena battles to avenge his family's murders and get revenge on the tyrant emperor who is behind it all. Once again, four stars (33%) is the most common score.
Kill Bill Vol. 2 (2004) - 4.00
Stream On HBO Max & Max Go
There are a handful of things that filmmaker Quentin Tarantino is better at than most others. Among them are crafting scenes that are dialogue-heavy but engaging and putting together some stunning action sequences. Both are on display in his Kill Bill films.
Instead of releasing the story as one long picture, it was split into two volumes. The sequel, Kill Bill Vol. 2, sees The Bride (Uma Thurman) continue her quest for revenge on the man who tried to kill her and her unborn kid. It received a warm reception, with both Thurman and David Carradine earning Golden Globe nods and the film receiving a consistent four-star (35%) rating.
Hot Fuzz (2007) - 4.04
Stream On Max Go
In a lot of cases, parody films never quite live up to the genre they're making fun of. Alas, that's not the case when it comes to the work of Edgar Wright and Simon Pegg. Together, they created Shaun of the Dead, which is both a great zombie and comedy movie and the same goes for the follow-up.
That came in Hot Fuzz, which parodies action movies as it centers on a skilled police officer who is sent to a quiet town with carefree cops only to discover a sinister mystery to unravel. Praised for both the action and comedic elements, Hot Fuzz has most often scored four stars (32%) but also received five stars (23%) a lot.
The Incredibles (2004) - 4.08
Stream On Disney+
The early days of Pixar saw the studio focus its feature films on animals, fish, and inanimate objects like toys. Things changed with the arrival of The Incredibles, telling the story of a family of superpowered individuals in a world where being a superhero has been outlawed.
Long before the MCU and the rise of popularity of superhero films, The Incredibles might've actually been the best of its era. It expertly blends fun action sequences with comedic moments and well-developed characters. That all lines up with why it received four stars (33%) and five stars (27%) as the most common ratings.
Kill Bill Vol. 1 (2003) - 4.14
Stream On HBO Max & Max Go
Typically, the first installment of an action film series will have less excitement than sequels since it has to set everything up. The opposite is true for Kill Bill Vol. 1, which includes some of the most tremendous breathtaking fight scenes ever put on the big screen.
Most memorably, The Bride cuts down a slew of villains known as the Crazy 88s and Tarantino ensures no bit of gore is held back, making for a visceral sequence. Kill Bill Vol. 1 ended up nominated for a slew of awards and typically received four stars (32%) from Letterboxd users.
Inglorious Basterds (2009) - 4.28
Stream On Fubo TV
Considering the history of Quentin Tarantino as a filmmaker, it makes total sense that he has a third action movie that ranks among the best of the decade. Inglorious Basterds certainly has less major action in it than the Kill Bill films but it delivers in major ways in terms of dialogue and drama.
The film centers on a group of Jewish United States soldiers during World War II and their quests to kill Nazis, which coincides with another plot at a theater in the movie's most action-packed scene. Interestingly, reviews gave it a perfect five-star score (35%) more than any other.
Oldboy (2003) - 4.31
Not Available To Stream
It's actually kind of surprising that more action movies from South Korea aren't ranked this high because the country is known for putting out some show-stopping cinema. The best of the crowded bunch likely arrived in 2003 with Oldboy.
The film won the Grand Prix at the Cannes Film Festival, remains held in high esteem almost two decades later, and is considered one of the best movies of the decade. Oldboy sees a man who was imprisoned and tortured for 15 years attempt to get revenge on his captors. Five stars (35%) is the most common score given out.
The Dark Knight (2008) - 4.42
Stream On HBO Max
You'd be hard-pressed to find a more iconic film from the 2000s than The Dark Knight, regardless of genre. Directed by Christopher Nolan as the middle entry into his Batman trilogy, this movie took the success of the first installment and expanded upon it greatly.
Christian Bale was strong as Batman but the film really shines because of Heath Ledger's Oscar-winning performance as The Joker and Aaron Eckhart's work as Harvey Dent, showcasing his rise and fall from hero to villain in Gotham. A whopping 46% of users gave it five stars and it still might be the greatest superhero movie ever made.