Epic Action backdrop

Epic Action movies

Big-scale action movies with city-to-world stakes, massive set pieces, and nonstop spectacle.

Four Brothers

261. Four Brothers

Action Crime Epic Action Organized Crime
6.8

20051h 49min

United States

Director: John Singleton

Four adopted brothers return to their Detroit hometown when their mother is murdered and vow to exact revenge on the killers.

Themes

Deception and manipulation, Crime and corruption, Family loyalty under pressure, Vigilante response vs police, Protection money dynamics, Survival through violence

Available on

Netflix
Amazon Video
Apple TV
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

Fullmetal Alchemist the Movie: Conqueror of Shamballa

262. Fullmetal Alchemist the Movie: Conqueror of Shamballa

Action Adventure Animation Drama Adventure Epic
7.3

20051h 45min

Japan

Director: Seiji Mizushima

Munich, Germany, 1923. Two years have passed since Edward Elric was dragged from his own world to ours, leaving behind his country, his friends and his younger brother, Alphonse. Stripped of his alchemical powers, he has been all this time researching rocketry together with Alphonse Heiderich, a young man who resembles his own brother, hoping to one day find a way back home. His efforts so far had proven fruitless, but after lending a hand to a troubled gipsy girl, Edward is thrown in a series of events that can wreak havoc in both worlds. Meanwhile, at his own world, Alphonse Elric ventures deeper into the mysteries of alchemy in search for a way to reunite with his older brother.

Themes

Power and control, Displacement and adaptation, Oppression and resilience, Science vs alchemy, Utopia as illusion, Persecution and solidarity

Available on

Crunchyroll
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

The Island

263. The Island

Action Thriller Science Fiction Adventure Dystopian Sci-Fi
6.8

20052h 16min

United States

Director: Michael Bay

In 2019, Lincoln Six-Echo is a resident of a seemingly "Utopian" but contained facility. Like all of the inhabitants of this carefully-controlled environment, Lincoln hopes to be chosen to go to The Island — reportedly the last uncontaminated location on the planet. But Lincoln soon discovers that everything about his existence is a lie.

Themes

Memory manipulation, Control and containment, Deception within systems, Genetic commodification, Autonomy versus exploitation, Survival under surveillance

Available on

Netflix
Amazon Prime Video
Amazon Video
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith

264. Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith

Adventure Action Science Fiction Epic Action Space Sci-Fi
7.6

20052h 20min

United States

Director: George Lucas

When the sinister Sith unveil a thousand-year-old plot to rule the galaxy, the Republic crumbles and from its ashes rises the evil Galactic Empire. Jedi hero Anakin Skywalker must choose a side.

Themes

Legacy of violence, Power and corruption, Loyalty under pressure, Political manipulation, Fall from grace, Duty vs temptation

Available on

Disney Plus
Amazon Video
Apple TV
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

The Myth

265. The Myth

Action Adventure Comedy Drama Fantasy
6.1

20051h 58min

China, Hong Kong SAR China

Director: Stanley Tong Gwai-Lai

When a fellow scientist asks for Jack's help in locating the mausoleum of China's first emperor, the past collides violently with the present as Jack discovers his amazing visions are based in fact.

Themes

Loyalty under pressure, Duty over desire, Conflict between science and myth, Immortality and consequence, Artifact exploitation, Memory across lifetimes, Institutional manipulation

Available on

Fandango At Home
History Vault
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

Kingdom of Heaven

266. Kingdom of Heaven

Drama Action Adventure History War
7.3

20052h 24min

Germany, Spain

Director: Ridley Scott

After his wife dies, a blacksmith named Balian is thrust into royalty, political intrigue and bloody holy wars during the Crusades.

Themes

Leadership under pressure, Mercy as strategy, Religious power struggles, Political intrigue and betrayal, Loyalty vs conquest

Available on

Amazon Video
Apple TV
Google Play Movies
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

Assault on Precinct 13

267. Assault on Precinct 13

Thriller Action Adventure Crime Mind Game Thriller
6.3

20051h 49min

United States, France

Director: Jean-François Richet

On New Year's Eve, inside a police station that's about to be closed for good, officer Jake Roenick must cobble together a force made up cops and criminals to save themselves from a mob looking to kill mobster Marion Bishop.

Themes

Police corruption, Prison transport tension, Drug abuse pressure, Snowstorm isolation, Undercover cop betrayal, Mexican standoff dynamics

Available on

Amazon Video
Apple TV
Google Play Movies
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

Chaos

268. Chaos

Drama Action Crime Epic Action Heist
6.4

20051h 46min

Canada, United Kingdom

Director: Tony Giglio

In Seattle, detective Quentin Conners is unfairly suspended and his partner Jason York leaves the police force after a tragic shooting on Pearl Street Bridge, when the hostage and the criminal die. During a bank heist with a hostage situation, Conners is assigned in charge of the operation with the rookie Shane Dekker as his partner. The thieves, lead by Lorenz, apparently do not steal a penny from the bank. While chasing the gangsters, the police team disclose that they planted a virus in the system, stealing one billion dollars from the different accounts, using the principle of the Chaos Theory. Further, they find that Lorenz is killing his accomplices.

Themes

Deception and manipulation, Loyalty under pressure, Power and control, Chaos vs order, Police accountability, Internal corruption, Evidence integrity

Available on

Amazon Video
Apple TV
Google Play Movies
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

Flight of the Phoenix

269. Flight of the Phoenix

Action Adventure Drama Survival Adventure Epic Action
6.1

20041h 53min

United States

Director: John Moore

When an oil rig in the Gobi Desert of Mongolia proves unproductive, an aircraft crew are sent to shut the operation down and fly them out. On the flight out over the desert on the way to Beijing, Capt. Frank Towns and co-pilot A.J. are unable to keep their cargo plane, a C-119 Flying Boxcar, in the air when a violent sandstorm strikes. Crash-landing in a remote uncharted part of the desert, the two pilots and their passengers -- a crew of oil workers and a drifter -- must work together to survive by rebuilding the aircraft. Soon, low supplies and a band of merciless smugglers add even greater urgency to their task.

Themes

Desert isolation, Resource scarcity, Crisis leadership under pressure, Bandit threat, Collaborative problem solving, Interpersonal conflict under stress

Available on

Amazon Prime Video
Amazon Video
Apple TV
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

Godzilla: Final Wars

270. Godzilla: Final Wars

Action Adventure Science Fiction Fantasy Thriller
6.3

20042h 5min

Japan, Australia

Director: Ryuhei Kitamura

Humanity finally rids themselves of Godzilla, imprisoning him in an icy tomb in the South Pole. All is peaceful until various monsters emerge to lay waste to Earth's cities. Overwhelmed, humanity is seemingly saved by a race of benevolent aliens known as Xiliens. But not all is what it seems with these bizarre visitors. If humanity wishes to survive, they must reluctantly resurrect their most hated enemy, Godzilla.

Themes

Betrayal and loyalty, Survival through alliance, Defense force fragility, Alien intervention and manipulation, Genetic control and autonomy, Moral ambiguity of power

Available on

Amazon Video
Google Play Movies
YouTube
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.