Action Movies To Watch With Your Dad

This week I decided to watch a movie with my dad and y’all, it’s really hard to find a movie he’s up for because he won’t watch drama or gratuitous violence or romcoms or satire or even comedy specials or documentaries or horror. There’s a very narrow window of action movies that fall into my dad’s specifications. 

These movies are generally action-something movies; that includes action comedy, action thrillers, action sci-fi, etc. 

Let me make it very very clear that anyone can enjoy these movies, I enjoyed them and I think they’re really fun to watch, if a movie falls into this category there’s also the chance that my dad will like them, which I’m assuming is a problem other people face? I don’t know, I just thought this would be a fun article to write so here we are! 

Let’s get started, shall we? 

Nobody (2021)

This is the movie that inspired this list. This is the dad version of John Wick. It’s fun, there’s a ton of fun action and a really believable performance by Bob Odenkirk who just looks so done with everything the whole time but also like he’s made for this. 

Also did anyone know that Tobey Maguire is one of the producers? Not significant but still a cool fact. 

This movie has some delightful action sequences, not all of it seems plausible but it makes for entertaining action, well shot, intense, really cool action, with some rather creative stuff thrown into the mix. 

I enjoyed this movie a little more than I thought I would and my dad was also pleasantly surprised. 

The Nice Guys (2016)

This movie made my top 10 watches of 2021. I adore it. Unmistakably 60s, full of life and some of the most fun I’ve had in a long time. It’s like getting punched in the face with serotonin. I love the way it’s lit and how crazy this movie gets. 

Starring Russell Crowe and Ryan Gosling as an unlikely pair of enemies to best friend private detectives, who get wrapped up in a much more complicated situation and the party scene of the 70s, they really make the film. They have the chemistry needed to make a movie like this work. 

And the action is fun, sure, some of it is serious but some of it is ridiculous and wonderful. I enjoy movies where the surroundings are integrated into the fight scenes and that happens here a lot. 

And we all burst out laughing so many times with this movie it was just such a brilliant time! I cannot recommend it enough!

Snatch (2000)

The editing in Snatch is unmatched, that along with Brad Pitt and the whole plot? Shit is crazy but so much fun. There’s also a hint of tragedy mixed with the generally hilarious plot. This is a movie about fighting and a diamond and honestly I can’t explain it, that’s the beauty of it. 

Directed by Guy Ritchie, this movie is out there and a bit nuts but a really fun, action filled, dirty looking, joyride with a lot of fantastic moments and editing that shines through. It’s a film about crooks and bad guys and repetitive bad decisions and impeccable pacing.

I appreciate films that don’t waste my time and so does my dad. He liked it because of how crazy this film was and I concur. 

No Time To Die (2021)

Alright. So this was the most recent James Bond film and I’ve heard mixed reviews for it but personally I liked it. I thought it was a bit stupid in parts as every James Bond flick should be and I think this one has some emotional weight to it, nothing groundbreaking but still, more than I was expecting. 

It doesn’t feel like a James Bond movie but maybe that’s a good thing. It doesn’t limit itself to a lot of the things that Bond was previously restricted to. It’s not quite as effective as other spy thrillers but it’s an entertaining movie that even at its slightly inexcusable runtime doesn’t feel too long.

I liked watching it and my dad thought it was one of the less terrible Bond films, overall an entertaining time with some real badass scenes even if the mystery in this one is practically nonexistent. 

Blade Runner 2049 (2017)

This one is more for artsy dads. Blade Runner 2049 directed by Denis Villeneuve continues the story of Blade Runner (1982) which was based on the book ‘Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep’ by Phillip K. Dick. The film is beautiful and has some really intense sequences what qualifies it for this list is the nostalgic element of Blade Runner. 

I cannot promise that it’ll have the desired reaction but it’s such a well made film that I think there’s something to love for everyone here. It’s cold, it’s sci-fi and it has the coolest visuals of any of the films on this list. 

Mission Impossible (All the films in the series)

I need everyone to understand that I’m obsessed with the fact that the Mission Impossible movies exist. Somehow one of those series that does the same thing over and over again but differently each time and with more bonkers action than what came before. 

Tom Cruise is a star, the fact that he’s willing to climb the tallest building, jump out of planes and do whatever else is required to make these insane movies makes for a series that is consistently entertaining and never disappoints with the action. And watching this series of films with my dad gave both of us something to look forward to for a few days. I love the Mission Impossible films and cannot stress enough how much fun they are. 

Conclusion 

There are so many other films that belong on this list like Shooter (2007) a movie my dad and I once watched 4 times in a week because it was on TV 4 times that week, talk about re-watch value (and the main character is actually named Swagger).

There’s also Jack Reacher (2012), another Tom Cruise action movie that doesn’t disappoint, and also the Bourne Trilogy (yes, I’m only counting the first three 2002-07) based on the books by Robert Ludlum, starring Matt Damon as Jason Bourne, a spy thriller with a staircase sequence that is seared into my brain because I’ve watched it so many times. 

Action movies have to be a little ridiculous and all of these films somewhat fulfill that criteria. These are fun, light movies that are all quite well made and entertaining. The plot in a few of these is near identical but that doesn’t mean they’re bad, it just isn’t a priority. 

I hope this list is helpful or at least fun to read! Let me know if you’d like to see any other specific lists!