#10 Bruce Lee
We literally kick things off with a man who is quite simply the greatest martial arts pioneer of all time, who tragically lost his life at the young age of 33. Had he lived longer then he may have become the ultimate film star of the new age, but as it stands all we have to remember him by is some epic kung fu moves. Lee's story begins with street fighting in San Francisco, and through that reputation he was able to become a cultural icon, developing a film genre that helped to pave the way for many others on this list who have prospered from this man's legacy. The stories that have been told about this legendary human being are quite extraordinary. There are many tales scattered around that describe how he would beat up any challengers, but the truth about his personal life is an area we simply don't know much about. However what we can witness are his action packed films that lack any sort of emotion or detail, and just rely on Lee kicking many people in the face in order to look totally badass.
Lee's dream was to conquer the world of Hollywood for his Chinese heritage, that he felt was often misinterpreted in the fictional realms of Hollywood action movies. The results are films which depict Lee bashing the privileged whites, including Chuck Norris on one occasion, showing the world just how epic thoughtless violence could be on the big screen. In his career Lee only appeared in five feature length films, which when you consider his impact on popular culture is an incredible achievement. I'll admit it's not my style of movie, but back in the day this raw violence was a breath of fresh air that captivated American audiences, in turn popularising many martial art forms into Western society. Lee died of a cerebral edema whilst filming his epic 'Enter the Dragon', quite literally giving his life for the film industry. His ideology now lives on in his martial art 'Jeet Kune Do', which translates into English as 'the way of the intercepting fist'. He is such an awesome man, and a huge loss.
#9 Jason Statham
A man from London that I would happily believe can knock out any human being in the world, and almost has done in his extensive roles in the action genre. The man's brutal British charm has landed him in some unforgettable roles over the years, and as a result he's become an iconic name in the business. Unbelievably Statham started out in life as a professional diver, which might actually be the least macho thing a man could ever do. Looking at pictures of Statham's diving career is hilarious now considering what an intense psychopath this man has become in recent years. Statham's deep voice and chiseled physique could make any jacked up thug shit his pants, and don't think he's a fake either; he performs all his own stunts. Statham is a genuine tough guy, and will no doubt never lose that image. He may not be the best of actors, and he can fuck off for the atrocity that was the remake of 'The Italian Job', but you can't fault his dedication and legendary status when things need to get blown up in style.
#8 Vin Diesel
Vin Diesel can thank the 'Fast & Furious' franchise for launching him into the spotlight, and also giving this man a well earned career as an action hero. If that sounded like I was being enthusiastic about his talent then I'm sorry to have mislead you, as although Diesel is an action mainstay, he's certainly not the world's greatest actor. However things blowing up have given this man a purpose in life, and when he sticks to that he's a quality cast member with a lot of charisma. Diesel just works as protagonists like Riddick and Dominic Toretto from the 'Fast & Furious' series, as they just fit his rough and tough attitude towards acting. Diesel lives for those roles, and although that has led him to become a slightly monotonous character, it's still a positive influence on what have been some good films. Diesel's hardman antics, name and deep voice that only his mother could love would make you believe that Diesel is a black belt in sixteen million martial arts, but he's actually a bigger fan of 'Dungeons and Dragons'. Yep, one of the most loved action heroes is actually a bigger nerd than I am. That's like finding out The Pope is a big fan of BDSM.
#7 Jackie Chan
Are Bruce Lee films too mature for you? Well then I present to you the legendary Jackie Chan. Chan admits that he hates violence in films, so naturally he became a star in the action genre that very, very rarely contain any violence whatsoever. But the amazing thing is that Chan managed to fit right in, and even made his name from films that are relatively 'PG' compared with more full blooded adrenaline fueled box office smashes that a normal action hero relies on. Chan's films might not be the most gritty and mature, but they do make you laugh in a way that most over the top sequences do. I'm not a huge fan of that myself, but as something unique it's elevated Chan's career to that of legendary status, so fair play to him.
Chan is a man that is obviously dedicated to his career. Under all the joking is a guy that is passionate about performing some fucking awesome stunts. So much so that Chan usually can't get insurance for his films as the stunts are so dangerous, and his track record is also extremely poor. Chan has been injured numerous times over his extensive career, even fracturing his skull on one occasion, so I think we'll let him off for not going to those extreme levels now that he's in his twilight years. As a result of turning down the stunts, Chan's recent films have been shocking, and the quality of his film's is now no longer existent. If anything he's known more for his political activism these days than anything else, which is a shame for a man who's appeared in countless iconic films. 'Bruce Lee lite' he may be, but their similar approaches to stardom have made them both legends of action films, standing the test of time and remaining cultural icons to this very day.
#6 Dwayne Johnson
In my opinion this guy is one of the most awesome people in human history. Everything this man does is so smooth that you can't help but admire his personality. To wrestling fans he will always be known as 'The Rock', and for me that was a time when Johnson was at his best, laying the smackdown on anyone else with his legendary charisma and screen presence. Even now he's still one of the greatest wrestlers of all time, and although that can't be said for his acting abilities, he was still the highest grossing actor of 2013. He's obviously a man that many people enjoy watching, including myself, and I would be lying if I said I didn't get sexually excited every time this man appears on my screen, because you know with this guy that things are about to get intense.
The problems with Johnson begin when you take into account his previous work, which are properly shit. Aside from the 'Fast & Furious' series, Johnson always manages to find himself on the wrong side of some terrible films that only a man of his charisma can even try and rescue. I'm genuinely struggling to think of any film Johnson has been in that's even decent, which I honestly don't understand from such an awesome personality. Surely 'The Rock' doesn't deserve train wrecks like 'Tooth Fairy'. Do people believe that he can only do hardcore or gimmicky performances and so just ignore him? Come on, the guy's an absolute tank; he's made for huge blockbusters. Okay he might not be the world's finest actor but the effort he shows towards himself, his fans and the industry is commendable to say the very least, and I couldn't think of another guy who's presence is anywhere near as epic as Johnson in this day and age. He's an extraordinary person, that me and many others would love to see appearing in better quality action films to finally complement that legendary career.
#5 Jean Claude Van Damme
How can you have one of these lists without including 'The Muscles from Brussels'? He may be a pretty shit actor that's graced some of this age's shittest films, but he's a shit actor that's very talented at kicking people in the face, and looking damn fine doing it. Van Damme is quite simply a martial arts machine that must have fucked up every B-movie actor in his low budget atrocities. His films all have the same basic premise, and that's watching Van Damme beating the shit out of everyone, and then maybe if he's feeling pumped up the odd bit of showboating for good measure. I'll admit that doesn't make his films very good,*cough* 'Street Fighter', but as testosterone filled thrills they're fucking epic when you've had a lot to drink. Van Damme's legitimate badass persona is what sets him apart from his competitors, yet never enough to get the guy some serious popularity. As a black belt in shotokan and an action movie legend it's no surprise that Van Damme has been the inspiration for many performers over the years, but nobody has quite managed to become as brutally sexy as the man himself.
#4 Chuck Norris
Hugely christian, hugely republican and a former member of the air force that enjoys beating the hell out of bears and insurgents; Chuck Norris must be the most American person of all time. However what makes him special is his skills in martial arts that have even led him to creating his own discipline known as 'Chun Kuk Do', which probably doesn't mean anything in Japanese but sounds pretty intense anyway. However reading the personal code is like looking at a scout promise and so I'm amazed that Chuck Norris has become famous for being the manliest bastard in the known universe. Norris has a black belt in judo, a black belt in jiu jitsu, and a huge list of badass action films that do support the various jokes that are littered across the internet that suggest this guy is the toughest guy in history. I still doubt that he has the ability to come into my house and smash my face on the keyboard when I piss him off like some jokes suggest, which at least reassures me to say that I think Chuck Norris is actually a terrible acto kdfg m'dfslgskmgmlsgkmkgsdrsytshsrfjuytsitstuxfgs
#3 Sylvester Stallone
An actor so epic that even his mere presence is enough to make any man cry. He's a walking lump of testosterone fueled action who's become an iconic actor even though he hasn't yet gained the ability to talk in proper sentences. It's almost a crime against humanity that this once legendary man has been demoted to appearing in really crappy low budget films that are just painful to watch. He's a man of great talent having written the script for both 'Rambo' and 'Rocky', so why the hell does he keep on appearing in the same crap over and over again? I just hate that his presence is now solely to elevate already shitty films, which although impressive for a 68 year old, is still not acceptable for a man with a history as grand as this man's. I do hope I'm that badass when I'm 68, but then I doubt I'll beat up every action star worth knowing about, even taking a shot from Dolph Lundgren and Steve Austin, ending up in intensive care both times. Sure he might be a dreadful actor, but you can't help but get all excited when this man pops into shot. He's possibly the only man alive that can get away with a monotonous voice and wooden acting in action epics and still look fucking fine doing it. Stallone is a man that can make a shit ton of money from blowing a few things up, and that's why he's become an action film icon.
#2 Arnold Schwarzenegger
It took us a while, but we've now finally come to the action icons that have frequently starred in some good films. The first of those is a man with the greatest one liners in human history, and that's helped cement his place in cinema's hall of fame with some memorable roles in the action genre. That's an amazing feat considering that Schwarzenegger started out in life as just a bodybuilder who impressively won the Mr. Universe crown on three separate occasions. That simply translates as a man not destined for acting, but that doesn't really matter when you can blow things up with a fuck load of charisma. Just look at him holding that rocket launcher in the photo above; how badass does he look? Couple that stature with an iconic monotone voice and his legendary charisma and the products are various films that Arnie dominates from start to finish. He's not in the action spotlight anymore, and has recently made his name in the political world preaching about the environment, which isn't much like the man who bought the first ever Hummer. Still, back in the day everyone could recognise that Arnie was an absolute legend.
#1 Bruce Willis
Is there another action movie better than Die Hard? I can't think of one, and so Bruce Willis has become synonymous to me with the whole action genre in a way that nobody else has. His role in 'Die Hard' alone is enough to make him an action god, but I even believe that he surpasses legends such as Schwarzenegger when it comes to blowing things up in an over the top fashion. Of course there are now many films on the market that cater to the adrenaline filled action market, but Willis' role as John McLane helped kick start an era of flammable objects detonating for no apparent reason. The thing that makes Willis' explosions much more appealing is that he does it in style, and given the immense amount of charisma this man possesses, anything he does appear in is usually a box office smash.
It just doesn't matter whether Willis decides to be a police officer or in the military, as it always produces a pretty epic result. He's done his fair share of other genres, showing that he's actually a decent actor, but you never end up with a laid back snoozefest when Willis is around. He may have toned down a little since his glory days of the late eighties, and so now unfortunately only produces crap in a similar decline to almost every other action star in history. The most recent installment of the 'Die Hard' franchise was an episode were Willis didn't look like he cared anymore, appearing as though he's become bored of being cast in that same tough guy role with good morals for the past few decades. We should only remember Willis when he actually used to show the world his talent for punching people in the face, and even when deciding to veer away from those stereotypical manly roles.
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