The 1990s was a very good decade for action crime movies, and for the people who love to watch them. For those same fans, the 2000s also had some excellent viewing options to choose from. Whether it’s blood-drenched sword fighting, comic book carnage brought convincingly to life, or fast cars being stolen and driven in a race against the clock, here are 10 of the best action crime movies that the 2000s has to offer.
1. Collateral
Year: 2000
Cast: Tom Cruise, Jamie Foxx, Mark Ruffalo,
Genre: Action, Crime
Rating: R
Runtime: 120 minutes
Director: Michael Mann
Trailer: Watch here
Michael Mann returns once again to his adopted home of Los Angeles for another unconventional and darkly compelling crime story. This one focuses on a hitman (Tom Cruise) who arrives in town to kill five people on his hit list, forcing a cab driver (Jamie Foxx) to drive him around as he carries out his assignment. Tense moments follow, such as a gunfight in a Korean nightclub set to the music of Paul Oakenfold’s “Ready Steady Go” and a simple exchange where two armed robbers hear the phrase “Yo, homie!” before realizing that they chose the wrong person to steal from. Overall, the film shows us how both characters affect one another while drawing out some of the best performances of both Cruise and Foxx’s careers.
2. Kill Bill Vol. 1
Year: 2003
Cast: Uma Thurman, David Carradine, Lucy Liu
Genre: Action, Crime
Rating: R
Runtime: 111 minutes
Director: Quentin Tarantino
Trailer: Watch here
Inspired by the martial-arts movies and revenge flicks he grew up watching and loving, Quentin Tarantino created The Bride character (Uma Thurman), a former assassin who goes on a roaring rampage of revenge against her former teammates who betrayed her and left her for dead. This includes her ex-boyfriend, Bill (the late David Carradine). The film’s final chapter is absolutely not for the squeamish, as The Bride shows just how dangerous she is with a sword in her hand, no matter the odds. One of Tarantino’s finest works that features one of Thurman’s very best performances as well.
3. Miami Vice
Year: 2006
Cast: Jamie Foxx, Colin Farrell
Genre: Crime, Action
Rating: R
Runtime: 132 minutes
Director: Michael Mann
Trailer: Watch here
Colin Farrell and Jamie Foxx play detectives Sonny Crockett and Ricardo Tubbs in this feature film adaptation of the NBC crime drama of the 1980s. Despite what many critics and fans believed when it was first released, the film is every bit as dark and intense as the television show itself. And Mann isn’t shy or lazy in showing the physical and psychological toll of undercover work, while also giving his audience the thrill of seeing white supremacists getting much-deserved beatdowns in the expertly choreographed gunfights that he is known for.
4. Man on Fire
Year: 2004
Cast: Denzel Washington, Christopher Walken, Dakota Fanning
Genre: Crime, Drama
Rating: R
Runtime: 146 minutes
Director: Tony Scott
Trailer: Watch here
Denzel Washington is known for his numerous collaborations with the late Tony Scott, and in this one, he gets to show off a mean streak while playing one of the good guys. Washington plays an ex-CIA agent who agrees to work as a bodyguard for a young girl (Dakota Fanning) in Mexico City, and declares all-out war when she is kidnapped by a mysterious entity known only as “The Voice.” Scott films every scene in the film as if it’s an acid-fueled documentary that grabs the audience by both shoulders to demand attention, and it works quite well, as we see Washington exact cruel and inventive acts of revenge in order to find who he’s looking for.
5. Sin City
Year: 2005
Cast: Clive Owen, Bruce Willis, Jessica Alba, Rosario Dawson
Genre: Crime, Thriller
Rating: R
Runtime: 124 minutes
Director: Frank Miller, Robert Rodriguez
Trailer: Watch here
Comic book writer-artist Frank Miller’s black-and-white tribute to film noir and pulp novels is skillfully brought to life by director Robert Rodriguez and a large ensemble cast including Bruce Willis, Jessica Alba, Mickey Rourke, Clive Owen, and Rosario Dawson. Three stories about betrayal, honor, revenge, survival, redemption, and smashing the patriarchy with guns and samurai swords fill a bleak and corrupt metropolis in a film that, while not right for the whole family, still stands out as a comic book adaptation that’s worth your time.
6. Taken
Year: 2008
Cast: Liam Neeson, Maggie Grace, Famke Janssen
Genre: Crime, Action
Rating: PG-13
Runtime: 90 minutes
Director: Pierre Morel
Trailer: Watch here
Liam Neeson’s career got an unexpected shot of adrenaline thanks to his starring role in this action thriller (and franchise starter pack) about a retired CIA operative (Neeson) who discovers that his teenage daughter (Maggie Grace) has been kidnapped while vacationing in Paris. Much of the thrills come from seeing Neeson turn words into actions as we see him dish out ferocious tactics against a parade of enemies while saving the day in this film that helped to keep the mid-priced action thriller alive and well at the start of the comic book hero re-boom.
7. Bad Boys II
Year: 2003
Cast: Will Smith, Martin Lawrence, Gabrielle Union
Genre: Action, Crime
Rating: R
Runtime: 143 minutes
Director: Michael Bay
Trailer: Watch here
When Michael Bay made his feature film debut with Bad Boys, it wasn’t exactly known for its subtlety. But its sequel takes everything that fans loved about the first film, kicks it up several notches, and reminds us why his work in the action genre should not be easily dismissed. Martin Lawrence and Will Smith return as Miami detectives Marcus Burnett and Mike Lowry, cops who are as good at cracking jokes as they are at taking down the bad guys, whether on their home turf as they dodge coffins flying at them during a car chase, or in Cuba, as they literally drive through people’s houses during yet another car chase.
8. Wanted
Year: 2008
Cast: James McAvoy, Angelina Jolie, Morgan Freeman
Genre: Action, Crime
Rating: R
Runtime: 110 minutes
Director: Timur Bekmambetov
Trailer: Watch here
Almost everyone dreams of living a better and more exciting life, and Timur Bekmambetov’s adaptation of the Top Cow comic book series shows what happens when that dream becomes a reality and quickly becomes a nightmare. James McAvoy plays an ordinary office drone who agrees to join a secret society of assassins after being recruited by one of its deadliest members (Angelina Jolie). The action is far more impressive than the story itself, as the film throws the gauntlet down and shows that it won’t let a little something like the laws of physics get in the way of making sure that the audience is enjoying this particular ride. Think of it as a more grounded and less ambitious version of The Matrix.
9. The Rundown
Year: 2003
Cast: Dwayne Johnson, Sean William Scott, Christopher Walken
Genre: Action, Crime, Comedy
Rating: PG-13
Runtime: 104 minutes
Director: Peter Berg
Trailer: Watch here
Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson launched his career as an action star with this action-adventure film, playing a bounty hunter who heads to Brazil to find his boss’ son (Seann William Scott) and bring him back to the U.S., only to end up in a treasure hunt and a battle to the death with a ruthless interloper (Christopher Walken). Peter Berg shows a deft hand balancing action and comedy while taking advantage of the great chemistry between his leads as they bicker and battle through the jungle. A solid debut for Johnson that hinted at his movie star potential.
10. Gone In 60 Seconds
Year: 2000
Cast: Nicolas Cage, Angelina Jolie
Genre: Action, Crime
Rating: PG-13
Runtime: 118 minutes
Director: Dominic Sena
Trailer: Watch here
Producer Jerry Bruckheimer and director Dominic Sena’s remake of the 1974 exploitation film is much glossier in comparison to the low-budget, hard-edged original. But seeing Nicolas Cage as a reformed car thief who reunites with his former crew to steal fifty cars in one night (and all of the nonstop vehicular mayhem that happens as a result) qualifies as a high-speed, pedal-to-the-metal pleasure to watch. Pretty cars, slick dialogue, and a collection of supporting characters played by Angelina Jolie, Robert Duvall, Delroy Lindo, Timothy Olyphant, and a scenery-chewing Christopher Eccleston as the big bad add to the watchability for this 2000s action gem.
