Top 30 Ranked

Best 1997 Action Movies Ranked

High Octane Classics and Explosive Blockbusters

Explore the best action cinema from a landmark year. From sci-fi adventures to runaway thrillers, relive the greatest stunts and heroics ever filmed.

Draft Best 1997 Action Movies with friends and our judges will crown a winner!

About 1997 Action Movies

In the long arc of action cinema, 1997 stands as a holy year, a fever dream of practical stunts, high-concept plotting, and a specific brand of earnest absurdity that we simply do not see in the age of digital capes and shared universes. It was a year where the genre felt unburdened by the need for realism, opting instead for a gloriously loud operatic excess. If you walked into a multiplex in 1997, you weren't looking for a gritty deconstruction of a hero. You were looking for Nicolas Cage to drop a stuffed bunny, or for John Travolta to wear someone else's face like a store bought mask.

The undisputed champion of this era was John Woo, whose Hollywood masterpiece Face/Off redefined the American shootout. It is a film that balances on a razor thin edge between high art and unintentional comedy. By swapping the identities of an FBI agent and a psychopathic terrorist, Woo allowed his lead actors to indulge in the most joyous overacting ever captured on cellulose. More importantly, he brought the visual language of Hong Kong blood operas to the California sunshine. Double-fisted pistols, fluttering white doves, and slow-motion debris became the gold standard for cool.

While Face/Off was reimagining the gunfight, Con Air was perfecting the ensemble blow-up. It is perhaps the most 1997 movie to ever exist. It featured a rogue's gallery of character actors, a mullet that deserved its own billing, and a script that treated every explosion like a dramatic monologue. It represented a time when the mid-budget action movie was the king of the summer. The stakes were rarely about saving the entire multiverse. Usually, they were just about a man trying to get home to his daughter while a plane crashed into the Las Vegas strip.

The year also showcased a fascinating pivot in how we viewed the future. Paul Verhoeven gave us Starship Troopers, a film that many audiences at the time mistook for a simple bug hunt. In reality, it was a razor sharp satire of fascism wrapped in the skin of a big-budget blockbuster. Its special effects remain surprisingly tactile and terrifying today, proving that practical models often age better than early CGI. Meanwhile, Luc Besson brought a European neon sensibility to the genre with The Fifth Element. It was weird, colorful, and sexually fluid in a way that American blockbusters rarely dared to be. It proved that sci-fi action could be high fashion rather than just military hardware.

Even the movies that didn't aim for the heavens still hit their marks with professional precision. Air Force One gave us Harrison Ford as the ultimate dad-commander, a film that succeeded purely on the strength of its simple premise and high-octane execution. It was a year of Peak Stardom, where the name on the poster mattered as much as the stunts.

Looking back, 1997 was the final sunset of a certain kind of filmmaking before the digital revolution truly took hold with The Matrix two years later. It was a year of sweat, real fire, and directors who weren't afraid to be sincere even when they were being ridiculous. We might have better pixels now, but we rarely have this much fun at the movies anymore.

The Complete Rankings

Based on the top picks in drafts on SnakeDrafts

See Top Ten
30
1997 Action in On Guard (1997)
On Guard
1997

France, 17th century, during the reign of Louis XIII. When a dear friend, the Duke of Nevers, is treacherously assassinated by a powerful relative, a skilled swordsman, the noble Henri de Lagardère, seeks his rightful vengeance as he tries to protect the innocent life of the duke's last heir.

Adventure
Action
2h 8m
Philippe de Broca
Daniel Auteuil, Fabrice Luchini, Vincent Perez, Marie Gillain
29
1997 Action in Dragon Ball GT: A Hero's Legacy (1997)
Dragon Ball GT: A Hero's Legacy
1997

Son Goku Jr. is the great-great-grandson of the legendary martial artist Son Goku. However, unlike his predecessor he's not a brave fighter. He's constantly picked on by school bullies, his grandmother Pan sees this and she's worried, but even though Goku Jr. is not a strong and powerful Saiyan, he has a kind heart, and Pan loves him. When Pan gets sick Goku Jr. realizes he must do something if he doesn't want to lose Pan. Then he will remember about the legends of the Dragon Balls. It was told they granted a wish to the bearer, Goku Jr. needs a magical wish more than ever.

Adventure
Action
45m
Osamu Kasai
Masako Nozawa, Yuko Minaguchi, Shin Aomori, Kazuyuki Sogabe
28
1997 Action in The Edge (1997)
The Edge
1997

The plane carrying wealthy Charles Morse crashes down in the Alaskan wilderness. Together with the two other passengers, photographer Robert and assistant Stephen, Charles devises a plan to help them reach civilization. However, his biggest obstacle might not be the elements, or even the Kodiak bear stalking them -- it could be Robert, whom Charles suspects is having an affair with his wife and would not mind seeing him dead.

Action
Adventure
1h 57m
Lee Tamahori
Anthony Hopkins, Alec Baldwin, Elle Macpherson, Harold Perrineau

Draft this topic with friends

Think you'd pick differently? Start a draft with your crew and see who really has the best taste in Best 1997 Action Movies.

27

Hitman Martin Blank becomes a moving target after he rebuffs a fellow assassin's invitation to form a union. On the advice of his quirky assistant and neurotic psychiatrist, Martin begrudgingly heads out to Grosse Pointe, Michigan for his ten-year high school reunion, where he soon comes across the woman he jilted on prom night.

Action
Comedy
1h 47m
George Armitage
John Cusack, Minnie Driver, Dan Aykroyd, Joan Cusack
26
1997 Action in Rurouni Kenshin: Requiem for the Ishin Patriots (1997)
Rurouni Kenshin: Requiem for the Ishin Patriots
1997

The war against the Tokugawa Shogunate ended years ago. But there are some who are not happy with the outcome. Shigure Takimi watched his friends and family get slashed down in the name of freedom and prosperity. Now he and a band of desparate rebels have sworn to settle one final score. Only one man stands in their way: Rurouni Kenshin. Will the former assassin take up his sword to fight again? When Shigure discovers Kenshin's true identity and his fight becomes a personal vendetta, the young hero will have no choice.

Animation
Action
1h 31m
Hatsuki Tsuji
Mayo Suzukaze, Miki Fujitani, Yuji Ueda, Mina Tominaga
25
1997 Action in The Saint (1997)
The Saint
1997

Simon Templar (The Saint), is a thief for hire, whose latest job to steal the secret process for cold fusion puts him at odds with a traitor bent on toppling the Russian government, as well as the woman who holds its secret.

Thriller
Action
1h 56m
Phillip Noyce
Val Kilmer, Elisabeth Shue, Rade Šerbedžija, Henry Goodman
24
1997 Action in Killer (1997)
Killer
1997

An innocent cab driver is mistaken for a contract killer and imprisoned. Soon, he is sprung by a mob boss who needs a "killer" for a few more jobs.

Comedy
Action
1h 44m
Juliusz Machulski
Cezary Pazura, Małgorzata Kożuchowska, Jerzy Stuhr, Janusz Rewiński
23

After a police chase with an otherworldly being, a New York City cop is recruited as an agent in a top-secret organization established to monitor and police alien activity on Earth: the Men in Black. Agent K and new recruit Agent J find themselves in the middle of a deadly plot by an intergalactic terrorist who has arrived on Earth to assassinate two ambassadors from opposing galaxies.

Action
Adventure
22
1997 Action in Knockin' on Heaven's Door (1997)
Knockin' on Heaven's Door
1997

Two young men, Martin and Rudi, both suffering from terminal cancer, get to know each other in a hospital room. They drown their desperation in tequila and decide to take one last trip to the sea. Drunk and still in pajamas they steal the first fancy car they find, a 60's Mercedes convertible. The car happens to belong to a bunch of gangsters, which immediately start to chase it, since it contains more than the pistol Martin finds in the glove box.

Comedy
Crime
1h 29m
Thomas Jahn
Til Schweiger, Jan Josef Liefers, Thierry van Werveke, Moritz Bleibtreu
21
1997 Action in Beverly Hills Ninja (1997)
Beverly Hills Ninja
1997

Haru, an orphaned American who washes ashore in Japan and is mistaken for the great White Ninja of legend. Raised among the finest Ninjas, Haru grows strong and big - very big. With the grace of all Three Stooges rolled into one body, Haru is an embarrassment to his clan. But when a beautiful blonde pleads for his help, Haru is given one dangerous, disastrously funny chance to prove himself.

Comedy
Action
1h 28m
Dennis Dugan
Chris Farley, Nicollette Sheridan, Robin Shou, Nathaniel Parker
20
1997 Action in Metro (1997)
Metro
1997

Roper, a hostage negotiator catches a murderous bank robber after a blown heist. The bank robber escapes and immediately goes after the man who put him behind bars.

Action
Comedy
1h 57m
Thomas Carter
Eddie Murphy, Kim Miyori, Art Evans, James Carpenter
19
1997 Action in Excess Baggage (1997)
Excess Baggage
1997

A rich brat fakes her own kidnapping, but in the process ends up locked in the trunk of a car that gets stolen.

Action
Comedy
1h 41m
Marco Brambilla
18
1997 Action in Steel (1997)
Steel
1997

When a renegade military reject puts new superweapons in dangerous hands, John Henry Irons becomes Steel. Wearing body armor, wielding a fearsome electrohammer and riding a gadget-packed motorcycle, he's ready to wage war... if he can fix the untimely glitches in his untested gear.

Science Fiction
Action
1h 37m
Kenneth Johnson
Shaquille O'Neal, Annabeth Gish, Richard Roundtree, Judd Nelson
17
1997 Action in Money Talks (1997)
Money Talks
1997

Sought by police and criminals, a small-time huckster makes a deal with a TV newsman for protection.

Action
Comedy
1h 37m
Brett Ratner
Chris Tucker, Charlie Sheen, Heather Locklear, Elise Neal
16
1997 Action in Fire Down Below (1997)
Fire Down Below
1997

When an EPA representative is murdered in a small Appalachian community, EPA undercover agent Jack Taggart is sent in—posing as a handyman working with a Christian relief agency—to determine what happened.

Action
Thriller
1h 44m
Félix Alcalá
Steven Seagal, Marg Helgenberger, Stephen Lang, Brad Hunt
15
1997 Action in Speed 2: Cruise Control (1997)
Speed 2: Cruise Control
1997

A disgruntled former employee hijacks the Seabourn Legend cruise liner. Set on a fixed course, without any means of communication and at the mercy of the hijacker, it's up to the one cop on vacation, and his soon to be fiancé (hopefully) Annie, to regain control of it before it kills the passengers and causes an environmental disaster. Insurmountable and daunting tasks await them on their perilous journey throughout the ship trying to fend off the hijacker and save the passengers.

Action
Thriller
2h 5m
Jan de Bont
Sandra Bullock, Jason Patric, Willem Dafoe, Temuera Morrison
14
1997 Action in The Jackal (1997)
The Jackal
1997

Hired by a powerful member of the Russian mafia to avenge an FBI sting that left his brother dead, a psychopathic hitman known only as The Jackal proves an elusive target for the people charged with the task of bringing him down: a deputy FBI director, a Russian MVK Major, and a jailed IRA terrorist who can recognize him.

Action
Thriller
2h 4m
Michael Caton-Jones
13
1997 Action in Double Team (1997)
Double Team
1997

A CIA agent is interned for failing to kill an international terrorist. Escaping from his island exile, he teams up with a flamboyant arms dealer and sets out to find the terrorist and rescue the agent's family. Together they're a two-man arsenal... with enough voltage to rock the free world.

Action
Science Fiction
1h 33m
Tsui Hark
Jean-Claude Van Damme, Dennis Rodman, Mickey Rourke, Paul Freeman
12

On their cross-country drive, a married couple, Jeff and Amy Taylor, experience car trouble after their SUV breaks down. Stranded in the New Mexico desert, the two catch a break when a passing truck driver offers Amy a ride to a nearby café to call for help. Meanwhile, Jeff is able to fix the car and make his way to the café, but Amy isn't there. He tracks down the trucker ― who tells the police he's never seen Jeff or his wife before. Jeff then begins a desperate, frenzied search for Amy.

Crime
Mystery
1h 33m
Jonathan Mostow
Kurt Russell, J. T. Walsh, Kathleen Quinlan, M.C. Gainey
11
1997 Action in Spawn (1997)
1997

After being murdered by corrupt colleagues in a covert government agency, Al Simmons makes a pact with the devil to be resurrected to see his beloved wife Wanda. In exchange for his return to Earth, Simmons agrees to lead Hell's Army in the destruction of mankind.

Action
Adventure
1h 36m
Mark A.Z. Dippé
Michael Jai White, Martin Sheen, John Leguizamo, Theresa Randle
10
1997 Action in G.I. Jane (1997)
G.I. Jane
1997

In response to political pressure from Senator Lillian DeHaven, the U.S. Navy begins a program that would allow for the eventual integration of women into its combat services. The program begins with a single trial candidate, Lieutenant Jordan O'Neil, who is chosen specifically for her femininity. O'Neil enters the grueling Navy SEAL training program under the command of Master Chief John James Urgayle, who unfairly pushes O'Neil until her determination wins his respect.

Action
Drama
Demi Moore, Viggo Mortensen, Morris Chestnut, Josh Hopkins
Why it ranks

Ridley Scott applies his impeccable visual eye to this grueling tale of endurance, capturing the visceral brutality of military training with uncompromising grit. Demi Moore’s fierce physical transformation serves as the engine for an action drama that feels both deeply personal and intensely cinematic.

9
1997 Action in Dante's Peak (1997)
Dante's Peak
1997

Volcanologist Harry Dalton comes to the sleepy town of Dante's Peak to investigate the recent rumblings of the dormant volcano the burg is named for. Before long, his worst fears are realized when a massive eruption hits, and immediately, Harry, the mayor and the townspeople find themselves fighting for their lives amid a catastrophic nightmare.

Action
Adventure
1h 48m
Roger Donaldson
Pierce Brosnan, Linda Hamilton, Arabella Field, Jamie Renée Smith
Why it ranks

Technical precision and a slow-burn sense of dread elevate this volcanic odyssey above its peers, favoring atmospheric tension over pure spectacle. The film captures the raw, terrifying power of nature through impressive effects that still command a visceral reaction today.

8
1997 Action in Volcano (1997)
Volcano
1997

An earthquake shatters a peaceful Los Angeles morning and opens a fissure deep into the earth, causing lava to start bubbling up. As a volcano begins forming in the La Brea Tar Pits, the director of the city's emergency management service, working with a geologist, must then use every resource in the city to try and stop the volcano from consuming LA.

Science Fiction
Action
1h 44m
Mick Jackson
Why it ranks

Los Angeles becomes a molten playground in this frantic urban disaster epic that prioritizes practical destruction and relentless momentum. Its charm lies in the sheer audacity of its geological chaos, transforming familiar city streets into a literal river of fire.

7

Set in the future, the story follows a young soldier named Johnny Rico and his exploits in the Mobile Infantry. Rico's military career progresses from recruit to non-commissioned officer and finally to officer against the backdrop of an interstellar war between mankind and an arachnoid species known as "the Bugs."

Adventure
Action
2h 9m
Paul Verhoeven
Casper Van Dien, Dina Meyer, Denise Richards, Jake Busey
Why it ranks

Paul Verhoeven subverts the big-budget creature feature by layering biting fascist satire beneath a glossy veneer of hyper-violent militarism. Beneath the spectacular bug-killing carnage lies a sophisticated, cynical critique of the very heroics the genre usually celebrates.

6
1997 Action in The Peacemaker (1997)
The Peacemaker
1997

When a train carrying atomic warheads mysteriously crashes in the former Soviet Union, a nuclear specialist discovers the accident is really part of a plot to cover up the theft of the weapons. Assigned to help her recover the missing bombs is a crack Special Forces Colonel.

Action
Thriller
2h 4m
Mimi Leder
George Clooney, Nicole Kidman, Marcel Iureș, Aleksandr Baluev
Why it ranks

Mimi Leder brings a sharp, procedural intensity to this nuclear thriller, grounding the high-stakes pursuit in a palpable sense of geopolitical urgency. It eschews cartoonish heroism in favor of a lean, muscular realism that keeps the viewer perpetually on edge.

5
1997 Action in Tomorrow Never Dies (1997)
Tomorrow Never Dies
1997

A deranged media mogul is staging international incidents to pit the world's superpowers against each other. Now James Bond must take on this evil mastermind in an adrenaline-charged battle to end his reign of terror and prevent global pandemonium.

Adventure
Action
1h 59m
Roger Spottiswoode
Pierce Brosnan, Jonathan Pryce, Michelle Yeoh, Teri Hatcher
Why it ranks

Pierce Brosnan finds his stride in this sleek, media-savvy installment that pits the superspy against the escalating dangers of the information age. The film thrives on its relentless pacing and a series of sophisticated, hardware-heavy stunts that revitalized the franchise for a modern audience.

4

In 2257, a taxi driver is unintentionally given the task of saving a young girl who is part of the key that will ensure the survival of humanity.

Science Fiction
Action
2h 6m
Luc Besson
Why it ranks

Luc Besson delivers a vibrant, maximalist fever dream that redefined the visual vocabulary of the genre through its eccentric European sensibilities. It stands as a kaleidoscopic triumph of world-building, where the frantic action is matched only by its startlingly original aesthetic flair.

3

When Russian neo-nationalists hijack Air Force One, the world's most secure and extraordinary aircraft, the President is faced with a nearly impossible decision to give in to terrorist demands or sacrifice not only the country's dignity, but the lives of his wife and daughter.

Action
Thriller
2h 4m
Wolfgang Petersen
Why it ranks

Harrison Ford delivers a towering performance that anchors this claustrophobic thrill ride, blending presidential gravitas with gritty, desperate combat. The film excels as a masterclass in escalating tension, utilizing its confined aerial setting to sharpen every pulse-pounding confrontation.

2

Newly-paroled former US Army ranger Cameron Poe is headed back to his wife, but must fly home aboard a prison transport flight dubbed "Jailbird" taking the “worst of the worst” prisoners, a group described as “pure predators”, to a new super-prison. Poe faces impossible odds when the transport plane is skyjacked mid-flight by the most vicious criminals in the country led by the mastermind — genius serial killer Cyrus "The Virus" Grissom, and backed by black militant Diamond Dog and psychopath Billy Bedlam.

Action
Thriller
1h 56m
Simon West
Why it ranks

This is high-octane spectacle at its most gloriously unhinged, boasting a rogue's gallery of performers who lean into the film's sweaty, muscular absurdity. It remains the definitive artifact of the Jerry Bruckheimer era, where thunderous set pieces and macho charisma collide with maximum velocity.

1

In order to foil a terrorist plot, an FBI agent undergoes facial transplant surgery and assumes the identity of a criminal mastermind. The plan turns sour when the criminal wakes up prematurely and seeks revenge.

Action
Crime
2h 19m
John Woo
John Travolta, Nicolas Cage, Joan Allen, Alessandro Nivola
Why it ranks

John Woo reaches his operatic zenith here, orchestrating a ballet of ballistic carnage that succeeds entirely on the back of its lead actors' fearless, high-wire mimicry. It is a masterpiece of stylized kineticism where the emotional stakes feel as explosive as the signature pyrotechnics.

FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

Everything you need to know about this list and SnakeDrafts

1997 was a landmark year for action movies due to its blend of practical stunts, inventive storytelling, and a flair for over-the-top, operatic action sequences that defined the era. Films from this year often combined high-concept plots with a sense of earnest absurdity, offering an escape unlike the more CGI-heavy action films of today.

The 1997 film 'Face/Off,' directed by John Woo, is renowned for its inventive premise where a cop and a terrorist literally swap faces. This movie set a high standard with its intense action scenes and psychological drama, making it a memorable entry in 1997 action cinema.

Science fiction played a crucial role in shaping 1997's action genre, as seen in movies like 'The Fifth Element' and 'Starship Troopers.' These films combined futuristic settings with thrilling action, bringing imaginative worlds and complex characters to life, thereby enriching the year’s cinematic variety.

Many action-thrillers from 1997, such as 'Con Air' and 'The Peacemaker,' focused on high-stakes scenarios involving hijackings and terrorism. These films emphasized suspenseful plotting, large-scale set pieces, and charismatic performances, reflecting the decade's fascination with political and physical conflict.

Yes, films like 'Volcano' and 'Dante's Peak' from 1997 combined disaster movie tropes with action storytelling. These movies utilized natural catastrophe scenarios, intense special effects, and heroic survival narratives to deliver adrenaline-pumping scenes.

'G.I. Jane,' directed by Ridley Scott, starred a female protagonist challenging gender norms through rigorous Navy SEAL training. This film was notable for its dramatic and physical portrayal of a woman's perseverance in a traditionally male-dominated field.

Many action movies in 1997 expertly blended genres, such as combining action with science fiction, thriller, or adventure. For example, 'Tomorrow Never Dies' fused espionage thrills with action set pieces, while 'Spawn' mixed superhero elements with horror and fantasy, reflecting the era's genre-crossing creativity.

Star power was significant in attracting audiences in 1997, with actors like Nicolas Cage, Harrison Ford, and Bruce Willis headlining major action releases. Their charisma and established action personas helped drive box office success and lent credibility to ambitious, high-octane productions.
Join Thousands of Drafters

Think You Can Pick Better?

Challenge your friends, make your picks, and let AI + human judges decide who has the best taste!

Download on the App StoreGet it on Google Play