The 10 Worst Action Movies of the Last 10 Years

Action movies are finally getting the respect they deserve. For the first time ever, the Oscars are adding a Best Stunt Design award, something that will only serve to elevate both the craft of stunts and action in cinema, but also the public’s awareness of the enormous amount of artistry and talent that goes into creating these pieces of thrilling entertainment.

Now, that said … not every action movie is worthy of an Academy Award. Or even most action movies. A lot of them are pretty mid. And a few are outright awful.

We’ve already ranked the ten best action movies of the last decade, the ones that should have competed for that Best Stunt Design Oscar had it been around at the time — and the ones you should watch today if you’re in the mood for a great action movie. Today, it’s time for the flip side; the worst action films of the last ten years. The ones to stay far away from, unless you’re in a deeply masochistic mood. (No shame if you are; we all have those moods sometimes.)

These action movies’ sins are legion. (Much like the 2010 motion picture Legion, which was also a crummy action movie.) They are poorly choreographed. Badly edited. Confusingly plotted. Indifferently acted. Loaded with bad computer effects. Awkwardly adapted from comic books and video games and previous, far superior movies. Most fundamentally, they are simply not exciting, which is all anyone truly demands from an action film.

Here are ScreenCrush’s picks for the ten worst action movies of the last ten years…

“Honorable” Mentions: Bright, The Dark Tower, Fantastic Four (2015), Godzilla: King of the Monsters, Independence Day: Resurgence, Rambo: Last Blood, Rebel Moon: Part Two — The Scargiver, Red Notice, Robin Hood (2018), Warcraft.

READ MORE: The 10 Best Action Movies of the Last 10 Years