10. Enter the Dragon (1973)

The premise is pretty straightforward: the CIA secures Agent Lee (Bruce Lee) an invitation to a secret fighting competition run by a devious ex-Shaolin fighter who is now corrupt and running drug and prostitution operations. By pitting the protagonist against varied athletic adversaries (not to mention a few convenient dozens of generic, no-name henchmen), what we get is a veritable festival of kicks and punches. Though the plot is pretty silly and irrelevant, it still provides an excuse to show hardcore fans why Bruce Lee was the master of kung fu films. Sadly, Lee died just prior to the release of this action-packed flick, making Enter the Dragon a noteworthy swan song.

9. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000)

Set in a very colorful 19th century China, Ang Lee's marvelous Best Foreign Film winner gives us a believable love story amid a flurry of swords and other sharp weapons. Crouching Tiger allowed Western audiences to discover talented Hong Kong action star Chow Yun-Fat, who had already built himself a considerable reputation (namely in John Woo films) before breaking through in this period actioner. He plays Li Mubai, an expert swordsman yearning for a quiet life while harboring secret feelings for a fellow warrior (Michelle Yeoh). Yun-Fat not only dazzles viewers with his acrobatic and sword skills (courtesy of choreographer Yuen Wo-Ping) but also manages to ensnare us into the romantic aspect of the story without steering the movie into drama or romance territory. Extra points to Yeoh and Zhang Ziyi for keeping up with the lead star's paces.

8. Goldfinger (1964)

Though there are now 20-odd James Bond films in circulation, most agree Goldfinger best captures 007 as the lone hero created by series author Ian Fleming. Plot-wise, Goldfinger is simplicity in action: Gold magnate Auric Goldfinger (German actor Gert Frobe, who barely spoke English and had to be dubbed) plans to contaminate the gold in Fort Knox thus spiking the worth of his own supply of the precious metal. No satellites equipped with lasers or impenetrable fortress here, just a down-to-earth, greed-driven plot with Sean Connery doing his level best to save the day... when he isn't too busy seducing voluptuous ladies with questionably creative names. Bond fans fondly call Goldfinger their favorite, thanks to (among other things) early Bond nemesis Odd Job (Harold Sakata), an impervious manservant equipped with a razor-sharp bowler hat and incredible strength.

7. The Professional (1993)

French director Luc Besson's big budget follow-up to his 1991 cult classic La Femme Nikita, The Professional (also known as Léon) is another tribute to high-caliber firefights where ammunition supply doesn't seem like an issue. Jean Reno plays the silent pro assassin with a heart of gold who does his best to protect a young girl (Natalie Portman in one of her earliest roles), whose family gets gunned down by a sadistic, drug-crazed DEA agent (a brilliant Gary Oldman) and his men. A highlight of the film is watching this introverted "cleaner" teaching his trade to the youngster should she wish to exact vengeance someday. Morally ambiguous but Reno and Portman pull it off nicely.

6. Die Hard (1988)

The action film that put Bruce Willis on the road to bigger and better things, Die Hard had two great elements going for it. First, there's a likeable everyday NYC cop (Willis) in Los Angeles pitted against insurmountable odds when his ex-wife is one of several partygoers taken hostage by dangerous European terrorists on Christmas Eve. The second is the casting of Alan Rickman (now Hollywood's go-to baddie) as Hans Gruber, the mastermind of the aforementioned hostage situation, part of a plot to steal hundred of millions of corporate dollars. Filled with highly quotable one-liners, Die Hard teaches viewers one invaluable lesson: if you're going to take down a dozen armed men in a tower made mostly of glass, keep your shoes on.

5. Kill Bill Vol. 1 (2003)

Quentin Tarantino's bloody revenge tale about a former killer on a quest to murder her ex-teammates acts as a nice counterweight to his previous films Pulp Fiction and Reservoir Dogs, both of which veered toward the underworld crime genre. In Kill Bill, Tarantino gets to have gratuitous fun setting up violent scene after violent scene, following The Bride (Uma Thurman) in her vendetta against all of those who wronged her and her unborn child. Over the course of this two-parter, Thurman kills no less than 100 people in the name of vengeance (though killing all but one of a group called Crazy 88s boosts the death tally) to get to Bill (David Carradine), the source of her hardship. Add to that a killer soundtrack and you find yourself with another Tarantino winner.

4. The Bourne Ultimatum (2007)

Despite its filmic predecessors, audiences had to wait for this third installment in the Bourne series for pay-dirt on the amnesiac spy hero, brilliantly played by Matt Damon. As Jason Bourne, Damon races through each situation with determination as to who he really is and how he can finally escape the clutches of the CIA, who have been hounding him for two films. As such, the best is saved for last, and we are treated to impressive hand-to-hand combat, more precision driving, and a consistent level of intrigue. If there was ever an American James Bond, Bourne would be it.

3. The Matrix (1999)

Though it also rates as a sci-fi classic, The Matrix's stunning blend of action, ground-breaking hand-to-hand combat and kinetic visuals earn it a top spot on our action list. The Wachowski Brothers took audiences by storm with this inventive tale about a society caught unawares with only a select few discovering we are all plugged into a gigantic computer simulation where the rules of physics can be bent. This premise gives Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne and company license to kick butts and shoot baddies with complete disregard for nagging concepts such as gravity. Thanks to more choreographic magic by Yuen Wo-Ping (see entry #9) The Matrix taught us that Keanu knows Kung Fu.

2. Hard Boiled (1992)

When a film's original title translates into God of Guns, you know you've got a massive shoot-'em-up on your hands. Chow Yun-Fat (of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon fame) and John Woo slammed the action world with this police tale of betrayal and corruption. Woo pits Yun-Fat's Detective Yuen against the Triad with help from an undercover cop. With loyalties changing, bullets flying and bodies piling up left and right (over 200), Hard Boiled became the most famous action export out of Asia in the 1990s, paving the way for Woo to jump to Hollywood for more high-intensity films, each with a character holding two guns at once.

1. Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)

OK, the body count on this Steven Spielberg classic may not rival John Woo's or Quentin Tarantino's but Raiders remains a prime choice for action and adventure. You have a seasoned archeologist/adventurer (Harrison Ford), a former flame (Karen Allen), a nemesis equally skilled in ancient artifact (Paul Freeman), and a dangerous menace (the Nazis) threatening to foil everything. This winning formula has been duplicated by countless directors in the past 30 years with limited success (Jake Speed or Quigley Down Under anyone?). In this case, a great script guided by a great director proves the missing ingredient for a textbook definition of a perfect action movie. Be sure to check out its two equally enjoyable follow-ups but skip the fourth installment if you don't want to see the series jump the proverbial shark.