Though action movies have been around for quite some time, the 1990s are still regarded as one of the best eras for the genre. Before CGI and franchises took over Hollywood, there were some truly fascinating, bold, and innovative action movies that really made a huge impact.
Films of this genre can sometimes get dismissed by critics, but when done well, they can be as visually stunning as any cinematic work out there. The '90s are full of action movies that are still beautiful to look at all these years later. If you're a fan of the genre, take a look back on some of the best-looking films that still stand out from the crowd.
Saving Private Ryan (1998)
Though it is a harrowing depiction of war, Saving Private Ryan also functions as a thrilling action film. Tom Hanks plays a captain of a small company of men in World War II who must travel across the war-torn country in order to find a soldier who is being sent home.
From the opening D-Day attack scene, it is clear that this war movie is putting the audience right in the middle of the battle. It shouldn't be surprising that Saving Private Ryan's action is so brilliantly captured with the masterful Steven Spielberg directing the film.
Total Recall (1990)
In the sci-fi action film Total Recall, Arnold Schwarzenegger plays a mild-mannered man looking for excitement. He undergoes a procedure in which an adventure is implanted in his memories, but when the procedure goes wrong he finds himself in the middle of a huge conspiracy.
Paul Verhoeven has a very distinct directing style and always brings a vibrant flair to his action films. The practical effects for Total Recall seemed ahead of their time and helped to create this surreal world of the story.
Dick Tracy (1990)
Warren Beatty brought the beloved comic strip, Dick Tracy, to life with this colorful noir film. Beatty stars as the titular hero, a yellow-coat-wearing detective who takes on his city's deadly gangsters.
The color scheme of the film is immediately arresting and makes it feel like the comic has really come to life. Even more interesting is how Beatty managed to create the unusual look of Tracy's fun rogue's gallery of villains. Their grotesque and unusual aesthetics are achieved through some astonishing make-up work.
The Last Of The Mohicans (1992)
Daniel Day-Lewis is certainly not known as an action star, but he proved he could even do that in The Last of the Mohicans. Michael Mann's adventure film tells the story of a trio of trappers who protect the daughters of a British colonel from a vengeful enemy.
Few directors can craft a shot as beautifully as Mann, and The Last of the Mohicans is an example of his staggering talents. The beautiful landscapes and stylish sequences make for an unforgettable period-action film.
Hard Boiled (1992)
Many of the American action movies of the 1990s were inspired by their Hong Kong contemporaries, which had been exploding. One of the best films to come out of that era is John Woo's Hard Boiled.
The film stars Chow Yun-Fat as a cop who teams with an undercover agent to take down a dangerous mobster. Woo's stylish approach to the action sequences is utterly compelling, and the movie is filled with glorious shootouts that are endlessly enjoyable to watch.
Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)
James Cameron is another filmmaker who can be counted on to deliver a crowd-pleasing genre film that also pushes the boundaries of visuals. The sequels to Cameron's breakout out film The Terminator boldly reinvented the franchise as Arnold Schwarzenegger's killer cyborg is now the hero sent back in time to protect young John Connor.
Cameron crafts some outstanding action sequences and unforgettable images. Some of the most memorable moments come from the looks of the T-1000, who is made out of liquid metal, which is used wonderfully in the film.
The Fifth Element (1997)
Another sci-fi action film, The Fifth Element is set in a colorful and wild future in which a New York City cab driver finds himself in the middle of a war to uncover a powerful weapon.
Director Luc Besson wanted to go against the typical dark-looking sci-fi films by having a colorful world and showing much of the action in the daylight. The unusual creature designs also help to make this a gloriously strange feast for the eyes.
Heat (1995)
Michael Mann returns in what many consider to be his greatest film. Heat is a crime epic about a master thief whose team carries out daring heists as they are hunted by a determined detective.
Though it does not feature the same big-budget visual effects as most of the other aforementioned films, Heat is an incredibly beautiful piece of cinema. The grounded action is also incredibly intense to experience, especially the massive heist shootout in the second half of the film.
Jurassic Park (1993)
Once again, Steven Spielberg proves to be one of the greatest entertainment filmmakers with his wildly thrilling Jurassic Park. When scientists discover a way to clone dinosaurs, a group of people comes to inspect the proposed attraction featuring these ancient creatures. Of course, all hell breaks loose.
The movie is such a fun ride, largely due to the fact that the dinosaurs look so real. Spielberg and his team used a combination of computer graphics and practical creations to create effects that still hold up all these years later.
The Matrix (1999)
Though the '90s were filled with iconic action movies, it's safe to say none had as big an impact on the world of cinema as The Matrix. The visionary film followed a man named Neo who is plucked from his mundane life and shown the shocking truth of his reality.
The Matrix introduced so many new and exciting concepts never before seen in action movies. The bullet time sequence remains one of the most unforgettable cinematic moments of all time. It is an ambitious film that forever changed the Hollywood action game.