The 10 Best Silly Action Movies to Watch with Friends

There is something wholesome and disarming about silly action films, despite how armed to the teeth and violent the protagonists are. These films turn extreme violence into a pulpy spectacle where we are rooting for the hero to succeed with a corny one-liner. These types of films work well for watch parties because there isn’t usually a complicated plot that you need to pay attention to or heady themes to appreciate. They are something you can just put on and have a normal conversation while they are playing, enjoying the feast of violence before you. When watching party action films, the sillier they are, the more entertainment value they will provide. Here are ten of the best silly action films to liven up your next watch party with your friend group.

Updated January 18, 2025: This collection of silly action movies best enjoyed with friends has been updated with additional information, including where to stream each film featured.

10

Commando (1985)

Starting off, we have the explosive action fest Commando. Commando is a hostage rescue movie from 1985 that was distributed by 20th Century Fox. It stars Arnold Schwarzenegger as a retired Army commando named John Matrix. John is enjoying a quiet retirement with his daughter in the mountains when he receives word that his former Army unit has been taken out and that he might be next. John is subsequently subdued by a group of armed mercenaries, and his daughter, Jenny (Alyssa Milano), is kidnapped by a dictator whom John had previously helped remove from power in his home country. John must reequip his military gear and inflict brutal violence on all the mercenaries responsible for this ordeal to save Jenny.

Commando Knows Exactly What It Is

Commando goes to great lengths to portray its testosterone-fueled action scenes spectacularly. This earnestness causes the film to go over the line into campy and silly territory at times. Your friend group is in for a fun time if you put this film on. You will be treated to noisy explosions, epic gun battles, and over 80 brutal on-screen deaths. The film tries not to take itself too seriously, but the sense of humor it has makes you feel like you are watching a cartoon. It wastes no time getting straight to the action. For example, a rocket launcher is used within a minute of the film starting. To add to this, its special effects are top-notch too. Commando received a Saturn Award nomination for its special effects, only losing the award to Back to the Future. Stream Commando on Prime Video.

Release Date

October 4, 1985

Runtime

90 minutes

9

Bloodsport (1988)

Next up is the martial arts Jean-Claude Van Damme feature Bloodsport. This film was released in 1988 and distributed by Warner Bros. The film follows a young martial artist named Frank Dux, who is just the coolest guy ever. He has an impressive morning acrobatics routine, is popular with the ladies, and gets to kick guys walking on the street whenever he wants.

However, Frank decided to leave his career in the military when he found a love for martial arts competitions in Hong Kong. Here he meets a master who puts him through some harsh and often hilarious training. At one point, Frank has to kick a tree to death in what may be the most brutal tree murder ever filmed. From there, Frank enters a martial arts competition and is pushed to the limit in every fight against the greatest warriors in the area. To raise the stakes even further, this tournament features battles to the death, giving some excellent excuses for violent mayhem to occur in the ring.

Full of Memorable Moments

In an interview with Yahoo Entertainment, Jean-Claude Van Damme described how the film was his last shot at becoming a star, and how this passion provided inspiration for the film’s development. It goes without saying, but the film’s success allowed him to quickly become an acting sensation. Full of iconic moments, cheesy but endearing performances, and plenty of action throughout, Bloodsport became a cult classic for plenty of reasons. While its real-life inspirations would come under more intense scrutiny in the years after its original release, Bloodsport is still one of the best martial arts movies from the 1980s. Stream Bloodsport on Pluto TV.

Release Date

February 26, 1988

Director

Newt Arnold

Runtime

92minutes

Cast

Jean Claude Van Damme
, Leah Ayres
, Forest Whitaker
, Donald Gibb
, Roy Chiao

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8

Demolition Man (1993)

Another fan-favorite action film that dips into some wacky territory is the 1993 film Demolition Man. The film was distributed by Warner Bros. and stars Sylvester Stallone and Wesley Snipes. This feature is a science fiction and action combo that has a unique, if a bit silly, premise. In the near future, crime has gotten so bad that society will go through a complete transformation to become as non-violent as possible. A cop named John (Sylvester Stallone) lives in the violent past, gaining the nickname “Demolition Man” for his propensity for collateral damage. After a run-in with his criminal nemesis, Simon Phoenix (Wesley Snipes), they are both frozen and emerge in a non-violent future.

Surprisingly Solid and Consistent

The film has a surprisingly solid world-building foundation and makes many fish-out-of-water jokes with its characters. In the future, people will listen to commercial jingles because everything is so corporatized, and using swear words gives you a fine. Another fun moment involves the audience discovering that Taco Bell is the sole survivor of the restaurant “Franchise Wars,” meaning that all restaurants are now Taco Bell locations. The action in the film is as outlandish as the premise too. Wanton destruction, gorgeous practical effects, and more result in a watching experience that delivers goofy fun. Buy or Rent Demolition Man on Apple TV.

Release Date

October 8, 1993

Director

Marco Brambilla

Runtime

115 minutes

7

Crank 2: High Voltage (2009)

Crank 2 is the next film on the list. The film starred Jason Statham and was distributed by Lionsgate in 2009. Its premise follows up on the absurdity of the original Crank but turns it up to 11, no pun intended, as it picks up immediately after the first film’s explosive ending. The main character, Chev (Jason Statham), awakens in an unknown place full of Chinese gangsters, where doctors are removing his heart and replacing it with an artificial one. In the previous film, Chev had to keep himself alive by constantly pumping adrenaline after getting poisoned. In this follow-up film, Chev’s artificial heart can only sustain itself for an hour, causing Chev to constantly need to recharge it through intense electric shocks. Chev’s real heart has been stolen, and he needs to not only find who kidnapped it, but also someone who will put it back in his chest.

Even More Manic Than Crank

The film’s strengths are mindless action and crazy scenarios. Saying the film is over-the-top is ironically understating just how wacky the film can get. Whereas Crank was still somewhat grounded in reality, Crank 2 allows for intense fantasy sequences, superhuman feats of endurance, oodles of sex, violence, and over-the-top antics, all encapsulated in a single scene during the film’s climax: Jason Statham flipping the bird to the audience while engulfed in flames. If you want a mile-a-minute action film, Crank 2 is for you. Buy or Rent Crank: High Voltage on Apple TV.

Release Date

April 16, 2009

Runtime

85 minutes

Cast

Jason Statham
, Amy Smart
, David Carradine
, Dwight Yoakam
, Bai Ling
, Clifton Collins Jr.
, Jose Pablo Cantillo
, Efren Ramirez
, Julanne Chidi Hill
, Reno Wilson
, Keone Young
, Art Hsu
, J. J. Soria
, Corey Haim
, Geri Horner
, William Brent
, Jamie Harris
, John de Lancie
, Ho-Kwan Tse
, Galen Yuen
, Shu Lan Tuan
, Anne Girard
, Yeva-Genevieve Lavlinski
, Reid Harper
, David Scott Rubin
, Chester Bennington
, Setu Taase
, Eidan Hanzei
, Najja Meeks
, David Rolas
, David Dooyun Kim
, Portis Hershey
, Atticus Todd
, Peter Mark
, Chad Damiani
, Jai Stefan
, Tom Roach
, Maynard James Keenan
, Danny Lohner
, Danna Hansen
, Keith Jardine

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6

Gamer (2009)

Gamer is an action sci-fi film that was distributed by Lionsgate and released in 2009. It stars Gerard Butler as a gaming avatar named John, who is a top player in a video game known as “Slayers.” This game was developed through technology that allows people to control other people’s real-life actions as their avatars in a virtual simulation game. John is controlled by a 17-year-old gamer, Simon (Logan Lerman), against his will, and must survive 30 matches in the game to win his freedom. The game designer, Ken Castle (Michael C. Hall), is intent on stopping John’s winning streak and starts to introduce unfair elements so the mind-controlling nature of the game is not exposed.

Better With Friends

Gamer isn’t necessarily the best film on this list, but it’s one whose enjoyable qualities are amplified by the presence of friends. The same co-directors of the Crank series are back behind the scenes, Gerard Butler puts on a decent performance during the peak of his popularity, and you can even find an uncommon villainous performance by Terry Crews once the action really heats up. The film’s take on futuristic gaming technology will surely entertain as well, given the ever-growing popularity of video games in the modern day. The film has solid action, but its direction and editing occasionally make it hard to follow. Buy or Rent Gamer on Prime Video.

Release Date

September 4, 2009

Runtime

94 minutes

Cast

Gerard Butler
, Kyra Sedgwick
, Ashley Rickards
, Ariana Scott
, Zoe Bell
, Keith David
, Milo Ventimiglia
, Jonathan Chase
, Amber Valletta
, John Leguizamo
, Ludacris
, Jade Ramsey
, Logan Lerman
, Terry Crews
, Aaron Yoo
, Michael C. Hall
, Alison Lohman
, Mimi Michaels

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5

Face/Off (1997)

Face/Off has perhaps the silliest action premise on this list, and is a top contender for the wackiest action premise ever. The film was released in 1997 and distributed by Paramount Pictures. The film stars John Travolta and Nicolas Cage as cop and criminal rivals whose faces are swapped with each other. The FBI agent hopes to use the criminal’s face to infiltrate the underworld of crime in an experimental procedure, but the criminal gets a hold of the FBI agent’s face too. This results in a sort of Freaky Friday situation where they must pretend to live the other person’s life.

Cage, Travolta, and So Many Explosions

The film features no shortage of jailbreaks, plane explosions, and boat chases. While the premise is outrageous, it actually ends up working out in the film’s favor, making for an epic action viewing experience. You can thank director John Woo for the incredible action in Face/Off, which marked Woo’s first Hollywood film wherein he had significant creative control. It’s certainly evident by the time you get to the explosive boat chase. Face/Off would later go on to earn an Academy Award nomination for Sound Effects Editing. Stream Face/Off on Paramount+.

4

Broken Arrow (1996)

Broken Arrow is an action movie distributed by 20th Century Fox and released in 1996. It stars John Travolta as a rogue US pilot who steals two nuclear devices from the military. This action soon devolves into an elaborate game of cat and mouse that delivers cheesy action at a high level. Christian Slater and Samantha Mathis play Air Force Captain Riley Hale and Park Ranger Terry Carmichael, respectively, with Frank Whaley, Kurtwood Smith, Jack Thompson, Howie Long, and Daniel von Bargon making up the rest of the main cast, among others.

Travolta At His Most Villainous

Written by Graham Yost (Justified, Speed) and directed by the legendary John Woo, Broken Arrow is a fun action movie that was undeservedly buried back in the 1990s, sharing more in common with something like Face/Off than Woo’s other English-language efforts. John Travolta’s villainy is on full display here and his impressive dynamic with a heroic Christian Slater will make for a fantastic watch. Of course, you can also expect plenty of high-impact squibs and vehicle explosions as well. Buy or Rent Broken Arrow on Apple TV.

Release Date

February 9, 1996

Runtime

108 minutes

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3

True Lies (1994)

Next on the list is the action spy thriller True Lies. It was directed by James Cameron and released in 1994. The film was distributed by 20th Century Fox and starred Arnold Schwarzenegger. Schwarzenegger plays a secret agent named Harry, who pretends to be a regular guy with an average life. After he suspects his wife, Helen (Jamie Lee Curtis), might be having an affair, the sudden return of an elusive foe leads to the two getting wrapped up in a dangerous mission involving terrorists, nuclear weapons, and ludicrously expensive set pieces. Tom Arnold, Bill Paxton, Art Malik, and Tia Carrere form the rest of the major cast.

Full of Outrageous Set Pieces

The outrageous special effects deliver some laughs at how ridiculous the action set pieces are, making it an enjoyable action flick. It’s a movie you can’t even really take seriously at points — especially when it comes time for the climax, which involves fighter jets, infrastructure damage, a truck being blown off of a bridge suspended over the water, a helicopter, and a lengthy fight inside the confines of a car. Despite some dated dialogue here and there, True Lies is an absolute blast with the right group of friends. Buy or Rent True Lies on Prime Video.

Release Date

July 15, 1994

Runtime

141 minutes

2

Last Action Hero (1993)

Last Action Hero is an action comedy released in 1993 by Columbia Pictures. The film stars Arnold Schwarzenegger as Jack Slater, a fictional action hero conjured by the imagination of a young boy, Danny (Austin O’Brien), with a magical ticket. In the fictional film world, Danny must work together with Jack when the film’s villains get the ticket and use it to return to the real world. F. Murray Abraham, Art Carney, Charles Dance, Frank McRae, Tom Noonan, and more make up the main cast.

An Underrated Arnie Gem

While nowhere near as popular or successful as Arnold Schwarzenegger’s other films, this self-aware action comedy definitely deserves some attention. A love letter to action films in general, Last Action Hero blends parody with earnestness in a film that’s as action-packed as it is laugh-out-loud funny. It’s worth noting that John McTiernan directed this film as well, having previously directed not only Die Hard, but Predator too. Last Action Hero is ultimately an underappreciated gem that delivers hilarious moments, though not always intentionally. Buy or Rent Last Action Hero on Apple TV.

Release Date

June 18, 1993

Runtime

130 Minutes

1

Raw Force (1982)

Rounding out the list is the 1982 film, Raw Force. The film followed a group of martial arts students, known as the Burbank Karate Club, who must battle a Hitler lookalike and his gang of slavers. These two groups enter an epic battle with each other that involves zombies, cannibals, and other wacky plot elements. The film was an international co-production between the United States and the Philippines, and features the likes of Cameron Mitchell, Jillian Kesner, Geoff Binney, and other beloved B-movie favorites in its cast.

No Logic, No Problem

This is an outrageous action movie that has an endearing charm if you let logic go out the window. Cameron Mitchell does what he does best when it comes to B-movies, and while the first hour of the film has all the same issues most B-movies tend to feature, things really get kicked up a notch once the supernatural gets involved. It really is a movie where just about anything and everything is thrown against the wall to see what sticks, making for perfect riffing fodder with your friends. It’s sleazy, it’s silly, and it’s outright zany. Stream Raw Force on Plex.

Raw Force

Release Date

July 1, 1982

Runtime

86 minutes

Cast

Geoffrey Binney
, Hope Holiday
, Jillian Kesner
, John Dresden
, Jennifer Holmes
, Carl Anthony
, Carla Reynolds
, Mark Tanous
, Cameron Mitchell
, Rey Malonzo
, Camille Keaton
, Jewel Shepard
, Edward Talbot ‘Chip’ Matthews
, Vic Diaz
, Britt Helfer

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