20 Favorite Buddy Action Films
My favorite action/comedy films, in almost no order, and no accounting for taste. Not for the squeamish nor for fans of high art. No brain required, just testosterone and a sense of humor.
List activity
5.7K views
• 1 this weekCreate a new list
List your movie, TV & celebrity picks.
20 titles
- DirectorRichard DonnerStarsMel GibsonDanny GloverGary BuseyTwo newly paired cops who are complete opposites must put aside their differences in order to catch a gang of drug smugglers.Still the standard, no action duo has nor will ever have, the chemistry of Mr. Gibson and Mr. Glover.
- DirectorRichard DonnerStarsMel GibsonDanny GloverJoe PesciRiggs and Murtaugh are on the trail of South African diplomats who are using their immunity to engage in criminal activities.One of the best sequels in history, the pair return and continue to blow away bad guys and argue like a married couple. Classic.
- DirectorWalter HillStarsNick NolteEddie MurphyAnnette O'TooleA hard-nosed cop reluctantly teams up with a wise-cracking criminal temporarily paroled to him in order to track down a killer.Murphy in fine form and Nolte before the mugshot, essential viewing for buddy-cop completists.
- DirectorTony ScottStarsBruce WillisDamon WayansChelsea FieldA private detective's protected female witness is murdered, prompting him and the victim's boyfriend to investigate the crime that leads to a corrupt politician and a crooked football team owner.Another Shane Black script, another dynamite outing. Willis and Wayans try to stay alive amidst several plotholes, deadpanning it all the way. For guilty-pleasure gluttons.
- DirectorAndrey KonchalovskiyAlbert MagnoliStarsSylvester StalloneKurt RussellTeri HatcherFramed by their ruthless arch-nemesis, a pair of mismatched LAPD officers must put their differences aside to get even with the brutal crime baron who sent them to rot in a maximum-security prison.One nearly two-hour cliche, but this has to be one of the most enjoyable movies Russell and Stallone have ever made.
- DirectorRichard ShepardStarsPierce BrosnanGreg KinnearHope DavisA globetrotting hitman and a crestfallen businessman meet in a hotel bar in Mexico City in an encounter that draws them together in a way neither expected.Maybe not technically an action film, but I couldn't leave this one off of the list. Brosnan and Kinnear make up one of the most unusual pairs in cinema history.
- DirectorClint EastwoodStarsClint EastwoodCharlie SheenRaul JuliaA veteran detective is assigned a rookie partner after his previous partner is killed by a car theft gang. He is determined to apprehend those responsible for his friend's death but his new partner isn't really up to the task.Eastwood rarely 'buddies' up, but when he does the screen ignites. Even Sheen is in fine form, one wishes he'd return to 'sanity'.
- DirectorShane BlackStarsRobert Downey Jr.Val KilmerMichelle MonaghanAfter being mistaken for an actor, a New York thief is sent to Hollywood to train under a private eye for a potential movie role, but the duo are thrown together with a struggling actress into a murder mystery.I just can't stop putting Shane Black on this list! Downey Jr. returns to top form with this one, paired with a hilarious Val Kilmer. Love a buddy movie where they never really become buddies.
- DirectorMartin BrestStarsRobert De NiroCharles GrodinYaphet KottoA bounty hunter pursues a former Mafia accountant who is also being chased by a rival bounty hunter, the F.B.I., and his old mob boss after jumping bail.DeNiro and Grodin, on the road, and on each other's nerves. May seem cliched now but this one is still quite enjoyable.
- DirectorWalter HillStarsArnold SchwarzeneggerJim BelushiPeter BoyleA tough Russian policeman is forced to partner up with a cocky Chicago police detective when he is sent to Chicago to apprehend a Georgian drug lord who killed his partner and fled the country.The only thing worse than making them mad...is making them angry! Belushi plus Arnie equals awesome flick. Who would've guessed?
- DirectorJohn McTiernanStarsBruce WillisJeremy IronsSamuel L. JacksonJohn McClane and a Harlem store owner are targeted by German terrorist Simon in New York City, where he plans to rob the Federal Reserve Building.I define this as a 'buddy' movie. Bruce and Samuel L. Jackson turn a routine outing into my personal favorite sequel.
- DirectorJohn GrayStarsSteven SeagalKeenen Ivory WayansBob GuntonTwo cops are forced to work together to solve a chain of mysterious killings by a killer nicknamed "The Family Man".Seagal doesn't pair up often, but this instance paid off.
- DirectorRenny HarlinStarsGeena DavisSamuel L. JacksonYvonne ZimaSamantha Caine lives in a small town with her daughter. Eight years ago she emerged, two months pregnant, from a nearby river with no memory of her past or who she is. However, she's getting closer to finding out about her past.Another Black script? Yep. This time Sammy is partnered up with a tough Geena Davis.
- DirectorJohn BadhamStarsMichael J. FoxJames WoodsStephen LangAn action movie star researching a role is allowed to tag along with a hardboiled New York City policeman, who finds him superficial and irritating.Whoever thought to put Michael J. Fox and James Woods in the same move is an outright genius.
- DirectorPeter HyamsStarsGregory HinesBilly CrystalSteven BauerTwo street-wise Chicago cops have to shake off some rust after returning from a Key West vacation to pursue a drug dealer who nearly killed them in the past.A little dated but still fun.
- DirectorPeter BergStarsDwayne JohnsonSeann William ScottChristopher WalkenA tough aspiring chef is hired to bring home a mobster's son from the Amazon but becomes involved in the fight against an oppressive town operator and the search for a legendary treasure.A little over the top, but the Rock/Scott squabbling is priceless.
- DirectorLes MayfieldStarsSamuel L. JacksonEugene LevyMiguel FerrerSpecial Agent Derrick Vann is a man out to get the man who killed his partner, but a case of mistaken identity leads him to Andy Fiddler, a salesman with too many questions and a knack of getting in Vann's way.Derivative but this extremely guilty pleasure is one of my favorites.
- DirectorGraham BakerStarsJames CaanMandy PatinkinTerence StampIn 1988, Earth makes the first contact with an alien civilization. In 1991, these aliens, known as Newcomers, slowly begin to be integrated into human society after three years of quarantine.A nice switch on the buddy-cop formula.
- DirectorRonny YuStarsSamuel L. JacksonRobert CarlyleEmily MortimerAn American master chemist plans to score big on a once in a lifetime drug deal. All does not go as planned and he is soon entangled in a web of deceit.I know, not a lot of people like this one. But I like it's unusual style and Carlyle and Sammy aren't bad together.
- DirectorMichael BayStarsWill SmithMartin LawrenceLisa BoyleTwo hip detectives protect a witness to a murder while investigating a case of stolen heroin from the evidence storage room from their police precinct.A decent Michael Bay movie? Yep. Sequel isn't half bad either, but I ran out of room.