Action is one of the best genres to pick if you want to lose yourself in a movie. The point is that action films are thrilling and occasionally just what you need. The year 2022 has been enjoyable because studios have finished releasing films that had been delayed by the pandemic for up to two or three years. The action movie lineup for 2022 was particularly intriguing because it featured new iterations of many cherished properties from renowned directors.

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From Everything Everywhere All at Once to Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, this year's new slate has it all, featuring numerous superheroes across live action and animation. There are enough action-packed films that feature "fists flying in the air,""thrilling races against the clock," or "mind games with some ammo thrown in there too."

'Jurassic World Dominion' - 29%

Jeff Goldblum, Laura Dern, and Sam Neill in 'Jurassic World Dominion'
Image via Amblin Entertainment

The movie Jurassic World Dominion introduces several new characters who overwhelm its "star," Owen Grady, in the movie's true narrative which requires some time to properly unravel and fully understand. In a movie that seems devoted to feeding the audience this idea of recreating the past but with new and better genetics.

Jurassic World Dominion succeeds because of the nostalgia of seeing Dr. Settler, Dr. Grant, and Dr. Malcolm working together again. They remind audience that this trilogy's duo was a failed attempt to replicate the magic of Jurassic Park.

'Secret Headquarters' - 44%

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Image via Paramount+

Secret Headquarters' logline raises doubts about Jack's identity as The Guard, a superhero. The premise of Jack is typical of 90s films, with a workaholic absent father who doesn't get to spend much time with his child. Although the script is standard, the movie never fully develops the idea.

Henry Joost and Ariel Schulman, who collaborated on writing and directing Project Power for Netflix in 2020, have experience with the superhero genre. But ultimately, this movie works better because of its overall positive vibe, maturity, and sense of humor.

'The Gray Man' - 46%

Chris Evans as Lloyd Hansen have a drink in The Gray Man
Image via Netflix

The Gray Man, one of Netflix's star-studded movies till now, is nothing less than a mix of Fast and Furious with any other action movie franchise one can think of. The Gray Man is the first book of a proposed series based on the same-titled novel by Mark Greaney. The idea is to rely on the popularity of the original adaption, which has been streaming on Netflix since its constrained theatrical run.

The action is so all-consuming that one forgets to stop and use reason. It is worth mentioning the cast of Chris Evans as a villain after almost a decade of him being the righteous superhero as Captain America in MCU. It goes against the grain, yet it succeeds splendidly. The Gray Man is a thrilling and entertaining distraction that can be compared to James Bond's 007 and all the other secret agent "O's" in various ways. Ryan Gosling plays Six well, yet he's no Daniel Craig or Sean Connery.

'Ambulance' - 69%

Danny and Will talking in Ambulance.
Image via Universal

Another person who occasionally doesn't seem to know when to stop is Michael Bay. While Bay's early career is full of outrageous action movies that were fun to enjoy, including Bad Boys, and Armageddon, his latter work sometimes feels like a grind that never knows when to end.

But with Ambulance, Bay has rediscovered that earlier version of himself, when he could go big and absurd and maintain a level of excitement and enjoyment throughout an entire picture. Ambulance is Bay's sixteenth movie and his first theatrical release since 2017. Ambulance begins immediately and doesn't stop until the very end. For the first time in a very long time, Bay creates an adventure that is captivating from start to finish.

'Sonic The Hedgehog 2' - 69%

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Another triumph for Paramount has been Sonic the Hedgehog 2. Our hero, Tails, navigates through conflicts, friendship, family, and the sacrifices made by heroes. The legendary Jim Carey, aka Eggman, is incredible!

Sonic 2 concentrates on Sonic and his new allies and foes. It's simply amazing how well Jeff Fowler has managed to bring the crazy environment and characters of the Sonic the Hedgehog video games into the real world.

'Black Panther: Wakanda Forever' - 84%

Angela Bassett as Queen Ramonda in 'Black Panther - Wakanda Forever'
Image via Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

An ode to Chadwick Boseman, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is one of the most emotional movies Marvel has made in its phases so far. Starring Lupita Nyong'o, Danai Gurira, Letitia Wright, Winston Duke, Angela Bassett, and Martin Freeman, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever blends the boundaries between a hero and an anti-hero with the introduction of righteous rage.

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Boseman's passing serves as a reminder that some things are irretrievable and that the only thing we can do is learn to live with loss, as Shuri ultimately must. Her approach to dealing with losing T'Challa, however, entails finding a way to deal with her grief by using science and ingenuity to solve the problem of the divine guardianship of Wakanda. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever might not be the ideal MARVEL film, but it does demonstrate its value as a link between Phases 4 and 5, as well as from the desolation of loss to a secure foundation from which a new generation can advance.

'The Northman' - 89%

The Northman

The Northman by Robert Eggers is a bleak and bloody Viking story that is a cruel tale of retaliation and common barbarism. Along with Nicole Kidman, Ethan Hawke, Anya Taylor-Joy, Willem Dafoe, and Icelandic singing phenomenon Björk as the Seeress, the movie also stars an utterly seething Alexander Skarsgrd.

The Northman and Shakespeare's play, Hamlet, have a lot in common structurally. By drawing viewers through a fierce attachment to familial honor, The Northman forces audiences to deconstruct oppressive patriarchal values, poisonous masculine heroism, and the foolishness of retaliation. Unlike in his earlier works, Eggers' kind of psychological shock is bolder here and more forceful in bursts, yet it hardly succeeds on the basis of boldness alone.

'The Woman King' - 94%

Viola Davis as General Nanisca leading the Agojie in The Woman King.
Image Via Sony Pictures Releasing

In The Woman King, Viola Davis commands an all-female army of warriors that free enslaved women in 1823. The movie, which was directed by Gina Prince-Bythewood and also features John Boyega, features some of the most exciting action sequences this year.

The movie is a coming-of-age character study in addition to having many well-executed action setpieces. After the start, the narrative takes its time to develop all the intricate elements of its world. Beyond Nawi and Nanisca, who bond as they get to know one another better, there are tonnes of other fascinating characters who all shine.

'Everything Everywhere All At Once' - 95%

Michelle Yeoh in 'Everything Everywhere All At Once'
Image via A24

As a laundromat owner who finds she is a part of a vast multiverse and must use all of her parallel selves to combat an evil entity, Michelle Yeoh does an outstanding job. As she switches between "herself," it can be confusing at first, but you'll adore the action and Michelle Yeoh's flawless portrayal.

Everything Everywhere All at Once truly lives up to its title with a perfectly calibrated assault on the senses, as stated in the Rotten Tomatoes consensus: "Led by an amazing Michelle Yeoh." The movie is much more than just a straightforward account of a family; it explores themes of love, relationships, human emotions, needs, wants, and potential, while also incorporating aspects of romance, drama, satire, science fiction, action, and adventure.

'Top Gun: Maverick' - 96%

Val Kilmer as Iceman in Top Gun Maverick
Image via Paramount Pictures

Top Gun: Maverick was a big hit worldwide. Tom Cruise reprises the role of Maverick and proves the point that actors like him are evergreen. Tom Cruise's star power is so potent that Top Gun: Maverick not only helped preserve the summer film industry, but the action-packed sequel is now being considered for the Academy Award.

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The Tom Cruise-led sequel also saw a nearly 400% rise in viewing for the 1986 original movie and a 140% increase for the Mission Impossible franchise films.Miles Teller plays the son of Tom Cruise's late co-pilot, Goose, in Maverick, which also pays a fitting tribute to what might have been Val Kilmer's last starring appearance.

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