It might not be as difficult for action movies to get a reasonable score on critic websites such as Rotten Tomatoes as it can be for other genres. After all, action films aren’t trying to do anything too fancy most of the time, they are meant for crowd-pleasing and so critics can often be a little more forgiving if they find the film to be a crowd-pleaser.
However, it is still difficult for franchises to maintain high scores on websites like IMDB and Rotten Tomatoes on a consistent basis, especially for long-running franchises. Nevertheless, many franchises in the action genre have managed to retain the favor of critics on Rotten Tomatoes, even over several decades.
7 Indiana Jones
It may surprise fans of the franchise, but critics of Rotten Tomatoes actually enjoyed the reviled fourth entry in the franchise, Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. Or at least, when the film was originally released in 2008 there weren’t many critics complaining on Rotten Tomatoes, where the film holds a 78% fresh rating.
The much more beloved trilogy of films that preceded this one is unsurprisingly also over 50%, and the legendary Harrison Ford character remains unblemished in his cinematic adventures as far as Rotten Tomatoes is concerned. With Indiana Jones 5 finally being released in 2023, this could all change soon.
6 John Wick
Unsurprisingly the high-level action of the John Wick films has kept it in the good graces of critics as well as fans since the first film was released in 2014. Keanu Reeves’ legendary character has provoked changes in the way Hollywood directs action scenes, and much of the action has been said to just get better with each new entry in the franchise. Three films have already come out with another two on the horizon for John Wick.
While story elements of these films have often been left to the side or minimalized in favor of sticking to their guns, the franchise has been praised for not trying to be anything more or different from exactly what it is. The crowd-pleasing action and character work of Reeves among others have led the franchise to continued massive success.
5 Mad Max
Mad Max: Fury Road brought this franchise back to life on a major and surprising level, and it has been called one of the best action films of the entire decade, certainly the best of 2014. But the original Mel Gibson-starring trilogy of films is not to be slept on either. Mad Max: Road Warrior was considered one of the best action films of the 1980s, and the whole trilogy was very well-regarded by critics.
Despite inconsistent storytelling across the original films, this trilogy holds huge percentages on Rotten Tomatoes and the lowest of the entire franchise is Mad Max: Beyond Thunderdome, which sits at 81% on the aggregate website.
4 Mission Impossible
It may be surprising for fans to learn that the Tom Cruise flagship franchise has never had a lesser entry, as far as Rotten Tomatoes is concerned, over the twenty-six years since Mission: Impossible was released in theaters. The original trilogy of films was not as well regarded as the more recent three entries, which are more team-focused.
However, despite this there has not been an entry that fell below 50% on Rotten Tomatoes, with Mission Impossible 2 only managing 56% as the lowest in the franchise. Tom Cruise has another two entries in the franchise coming in two parts starting in 2023, but so far this franchise has never managed to be a draw to both fans and critics.
3 Jason Bourne
Jason Bourne has had a shakier franchise since the franchise tried to continue past the original trilogy of films, but nevertheless, they have still not managed an entry that failed with Rotten Tomatoes. While the more recent entries like The Bourne Legacy and Jason Bourne have both scored between 50-60% on the critic score meter, none of the entries have fallen beyond that point.
These shakier entries may have spelled doom for the superspy, but he will always be remembered for helping define the action genre in the early 2000s with the original trilogy of films. The role helped define Matt Damon’s career and set him apart from Ben Affleck as a star in his own right.
2 The Hunger Games
The Hunger Games is a mixture of action, sci-fi, and fantasy, but Katniss Everdeen and her four-film series managed to succeed on Rotten Tomatoes consistently. Never falling lower than 69% on the site, The Hunger Games was hugely successful with both fans and critics despite the controversial decision to split the final book of the series, Mockingjay, into two parts.
Jennifer Lawrence, Liam Hemsworth, and Josh Hutcherson were all made stars because of the films, and other actors like Woody Harrelson and Elizabeth Banks found resurgences in their careers due to their parts played. A prequel, based on a young President Snow, is in the works for an adaptation as part of continuing the franchise.
1 Top Gun
Top Gun only recently became a franchise, but despite the original not being as well-received by Rotten Tomatoes as one might expect, the franchise has stayed high on the critical scores. The original Top Gun starred Tom Cruise and was released in 1986 to mediocre critical reviews, only scoring 56% on RT.
However, business picked up as the film became legendary, and a sequel was eventually commissioned. As one of the best-loved films of 2022, both among fans, critics, and the box office returns, Top Gun: Maverick united everyone and managed to score 96% among critics on the website.