The 30 best Action movies of the 1970s

1. 1

   Star Wars (1977)

   directed by George Lucas · 121 min · 8.2 22,818 votes

2. 2

   The Warriors (1979)

   directed by Walter Hill · 92 min · 7.7 2,458 votes

3. 3

   Dirty Harry (1971)

   directed by Don Siegel · 102 min · 7.5 2,832 votes

4. 4

   The French Connection (1971)

   directed by William Friedkin · 104 min · 7.5 2,201 votes

5. 5

   They Call Me Trinity (1970)

   directed by Enzo Barboni · 115 min · 7.6 1,498 votes

6. 6

   Rocky II (1979)

   directed by Sylvester Stallone · 119 min · 7.3 4,946 votes

7. 7

   Enter the Dragon (1973)

   directed by Robert Clouse · 103 min · 7.4 2,153 votes

8. 8

   Duel (1971)

   directed by Steven Spielberg · 89 min · 7.4 2,134 votes

9. 9

   Superman (1978)

   directed by Richard Donner · 144 min · 7.2 4,402 votes

10. 10

    The Way of the Dragon (1972)

    directed by Bruce Lee · 99 min · 7.4 1,329 votes

11. 11

    Drunken Master (1978)

    directed by Yuen Woo-ping · 111 min · 7.4 1,163 votes

12. 12

    Watch Out, We're Mad (1974)

    directed by Marcello Fondato · 101 min · 7.5 904 votes

13. 13

    Assault on Precinct 13 (1976)

    directed by John Carpenter · 91 min · 7.3 1,252 votes

14. 14

    The Day of the Jackal (1973)

    directed by Fred Zinnemann · 143 min · 7.5 707 votes

15. 15

    The Taking of Pelham One Two Three (1974)

    directed by Joseph Sargent · 104 min · 7.5 652 votes

16. 16

    Fist of Fury (1972)

    directed by Lo Wei · 107 min · 7.2 1,109 votes

17. 17

    The 36th Chamber of Shaolin (1978)

    directed by Lau Kar-leung · 116 min · 7.5 517 votes

18. 18

    Lady Snowblood (1973)

    directed by Toshiya Fujita · 97 min · 7.5 433 votes

19. 19

    Magnum Force (1973)

    directed by Ted Post · 123 min · 7.1 1,245 votes

20. 20

    The Big Boss (1971)

    directed by Lo Wei · 101 min · 7.1 865 votes

21. 21

    The Driver (1978)

    directed by Walter Hill · 92 min · 7.2 538 votes

22. 22

    The Getaway (1972)

    directed by Sam Peckinpah · 122 min · 7.1 690 votes

23. 23

    The Towering Inferno (1974)

    directed by John Guillermin · 165 min · 7.0 1,076 votes

24. 24

    Snake in the Eagle's Shadow (1978)

    directed by Yuen Woo-ping · 97 min · 7.3 373 votes

25. 25

    Smokey and the Bandit (1977)

    directed by Hal Needham · 96 min · 7.0 831 votes

26. 26

    Vanishing Point (1971)

    directed by Richard C. Sarafian · 105 min · 7.1 542 votes

27. 27

    Cross of Iron (1977)

    directed by Sam Peckinpah · 133 min · 7.1 498 votes

28. 28

    Crime Busters (1977)

    directed by Enzo Barboni · 114 min · 7.0 732 votes

29. 29

    Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia (1974)

    directed by Sam Peckinpah · 112 min · 7.1 434 votes

30. 30

    The Message (1976)

    directed by Moustapha Akkad · 178 min · 7.1 414 votes

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Method: TMDb audience rating weighted by vote count, with a vote floor per list. No position is editorial opinion; it is the catalogue, ordered.

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