BY: Amanda Jane Stern

Who doesn’t love a good action film? The adrenaline rush you get from watching whether the movie’s protagonist will pull off whatever daring deed they are attempting, is a real thrill. Below we have rounded up the top 10 action films of the 21st century so far.

Kill Bill (2003)

In part one of this two-part Tarantino action extravaganza, Uma Thurman is on a vengeance mission. She plays a former assassin known only as The Bride. She awakes from a coma four years after her ex, Bill (David Carradine), tried to murder her on her wedding day and vows to get even with everyone who wronged her.

The Dark Knight (2008)

In the second film in Christopher Nolan’s Batman trilogy, Gotham’s caped Crusader (Christian Bale) must go head-to-head with a new villain who calls himself the Joker (Heath Ledger). Soon, he finds himself toeing the line between hero and vigilante as he tries to bring down a foe who strives to cause chaos.

The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo (2009)

In the Swedish-film adaptation of Stieg Larsson’s book, wealthy Swedish recluse Henrik Vanger (Sven-Bertil Taube) hires journalist Mikael Blomkvist (Michael Nyqvist) and hard-edged hacker Lisbeth Salander (Noomi Rapace). They come to his remote island to help determine who murdered his niece forty years ago.

Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol (2011)

Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) is back with another seemingly impossible task. In the fourth film in the Mission: Impossible franchise, Hunt and the entire IMF agency are wrongly blamed for a terrorist attack on the Kremlin.  Without the support of the U.S. government, Hunt and the rest of his team must clear their names and prevent another attack.

Skyfall (2012)

When James Bond’s (Daniel Craig) latest mission goes awry, it puts the entire MI6 team in jeopardy. With undercover agents around the world exposed, M (Judi Dench) relocates the whole agency. M tasks Bond with tracking down the man responsible for everything, Silva (Javier Bardem), with whom M has a past.

John Wick (2014)

In the first film in the John Wick franchise, Keanu Reeves plays retired hitman John Wick. Wick goes on the offensive after a mobster (Alfie Allen) and his goons break into his home, steal his car and murder his puppy, a gift from his recently deceased wife. Meanwhile, a former colleague’s father puts a bounty on his head.

Lucy (2014)

This sci-fi action movie from Luc Besson follows 25-year-old Lucy (Scarlett Johannson), an unwitting drug mule dosed with a synthetic drug that gives her superpowers. With her new-found powers and the help of Professor Norman (Morgan Freeman), she decides to turn the tables on her captors.

Mad Max: Fury Road (2015)

Set in a dystopian wasteland, Imperator Furiosa (Charlize Theron) escapes from the tyrannical Immortan Joe (Hugh Keays-Byrne) along with his five wives. In order to reach safety, Furiosa teams strikes an alliance with loner, and former captive Max Rockatansky (Tom Hardy). Together, they must outrun Joe and his henchmen.

Atomic Blonde (2017)

Set during the Cold War, Lorraine Broughton (Charlize Theron) is the most elite spy MI6 has. Think of her as the female James Bond. With the Berlin Wall on the precipice of collapse, Lorraine must travel into central Berlin to retrieve a dossier and take down a dangerous espionage ring.

Logan (2017)

In this neo-western, X-man Logan (Hugh Jackman) spends his days caring for an aging Professor X (Patrick Stewart). His life is upended when he meets a young mutant (Dafne Keen) with powers similar to his own. Now, he must do whatever it takes to protect her from those who want to capture her.