A good action sequence is genuinely amazing to watch, as it can be as expansive as explosions crashing across the screen or more intimate, like a duel between two people. This gives the best action scenes such a range, and in 2022 we were given some unique spectacles.

For me, the best action scenes excel in every element, whether that be live actions, special effects, digital effects, or animation and bring every facet to shine. It is also the category that looks at some of the department’s people don’t often fully understand, like stunt coordination or the 2^nd unit.

2022 was also the year of action, so my usual hope to keep these entries down to 5 or 6 got thrown out the window.

So without further ado, these are the moments of action that awed us in 2022. Be warned that there may be slight spoilers for the films in question.

The Nominees Are –

Ambulance

Helicopters chasing an ambulance down a concrete river.

The Batman

Batman makes himself known at a Club & The Batman chases down The Penguin

Everything Everywhere All at Once

When you turn a fanny pack into a dangerous weapon.

The Expanse

The attack on the Ring Space.

The Northman

The attack on the village.

Prey

The Frenchman massacre.

RRR

Train Rescue, Dance Off, Party Interrupted, and An Empire Crumbled.

Top Gun: Maverick

The trench run.

Violent Night

The Woman King

The attack on the waiting enemy.

And the Winner is!!!!! – RRR

Directed by – S.S. Rajamouli
Second Unit Direction – Nick Powell
Stunt Coordination by – Vicky Arora, Ivan Kostadinov, Nick Powell & Raicho Vasilev

I had to cull so many good action films just to get to this elongated shortlist, but that was the power of action in 2022. But even in a category as crowded as this, one stood out among the rest. I am not sure if anyone is truly ready for when they sit down to watch RRR for the first time, and I have had the joy of being with many people as they have that experience.

RRR not only has one action sequence to get them on this list, but it also has at least four, including one of the best dance battles I have seen in an age. The opening introduction of one of the characters is a showdown with a tiger that would have gotten this film on the list for that alone. However, just when you think it can’t be improved, the next scene walks in and asks you to hold its beer. Absolutely a highlight for the year and a standout in a year of excellence for action.        

By Brian MacNamara: You can follow Brian on Twitter Here, when he’s not chatting about Movies and TV, he’ll be talking about International Relations, or the Solar System.

What are your favourite cinematic moments from 2022?, let us know what you thought in the comments below, feel free to share this review on any of the social medias and you can follow us Here. Check out all our past reviews and articles Here, and have a happy day. 

Credits – All images used were created by the respective studio and artists of each film