The 1970s were a great time for cinema, producing many of the classics beloved by generations today (per American Cinematographer). It was the decade movies like Jaws and Carrie graced movie theaters all across North America and the world, while directors and actors like Martin Scorsese and Bruce Lee had their big break during the decade. The 70s in film history consists of a time when many movies and people in the public consciousness got their start, per The Washington Post, paving the way for a new turn of movies, television, and entertainment globally. But if there was one genre that stands out among all, it happens to be the action movies that came out during this time.

Most notably, blaxploitation and Hong Kong martial arts movies rose to prominence in the early-70s, and while they may not be the best-remembered of the era, they certainly made an impact. These movies marked one of the few times in early movie history in the West that films made by BIPOC were openly acknowledged and loved. Outside these genres, action movies continued to thrive and develop many of the beloved characters and storylines that can still be seen in movies today. These are the best action movies of the 1970s.

7 Death Wish

1974’s Death Wish was an adaptation of a novel of the same name that stars Charles Bronson. Michael Winner directs a story in which an architect, named Paul, goes rogue after his wife and daughter are attacked inside their home. His wife tragically dies, leading him to become a vigilante, leaving behind a rather successful career in his industry, and hunting down criminals on the streets of New York City. This was the first in a series of four movies focusing on the character of Paul and his antics in fighting against crime, and the movie was initially controversial when it first came out due to how its main character fights crime with crime.
Related: Best Horror Movies of the 70s, Ranked

6 The Warriors

Paramount Pictures

Walter Hill directed The Warriors, a 1979 film focusing on a New York City gang looking for redemption after a false accusation. Set in a time when New York’s young men, particularly ones from lower socio-economic classes, joined gangs to make sense of the world, a midnight summit of gangs leads to the death of the most influential gang’s leader. One group is accused of murder when they are innocent, leading them on a journey to Coney Island from the Bronx in the name of getting justice.

5 The Spy Who Loved Me

United Artists

Multiple James Bond films were released in the 70s, but the one that stands above the rest in terms of action and plot is The Spy Who Loved Me. The tenth entry to the series, Roger Moore’s James Bond returns to save the world after a submarine disappears. Now forced to investigate the potential crime, James Bond is sent to find out what happened and meets a KGB agent, Anya, in the process. They join forces, ultimately finding love along the way with a flair for drama. However, this villain is not going to stop in his pursuit of setting off World War III.

4 The French Connection

20th Century Fox 

The French Connection has repeatedly been named one of the best American movies ever made, and the year it was released, it took home four Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Director, and Actor. Adapted from a Robin Moore novel, two NYPD detectives are on the hunt for a notorious heroin smuggler. Alain Charnier holds the world’s biggest heroin syndicate and has a grand plan to bring large amounts of the drug into the United States, specifically New York City. When the goods arrive, the local police are not going to let this slip by easily, thus beginning a thrilling chase and manhunt across the city. A sequel was released four years later in 1975.
Related: Best 70s Crime Films, Ranked

3 Enter the Dragon

Warner Bros.

Enter the Dragon was one of Bruce Lee’s final film appearances, as he tragically died before its official release date in the United States. It is now considered one of the greatest martial arts movies to ever have been released. Bruce Lee is Lee, a Hong Kong martial artist who finds himself tangled up in a British intelligence plot. A crime lord, Han, is being pursued by the British for his drug trafficking and prostitution. After discovering one of Han’s men has a connection to his sister’s death, Lee enters a tournament hosted by him, leading to some epic fights in and out of the ring.

2 Dirty Harry

Warner Bros.

Released in 1971, Dirty Harry was only the beginning of a series of five movies and was one of Clint Eastwood’s roles that were not a Western movie. Inspired by the Zodiac Killer, the movie’s villain is a sniper dubbed Scorpio, and he has a penchant for threatening the San Francisco police for money. Harry Callahan (Eastwood), an inspector for the police department, ends up being assigned the case. Dirty Harry set the standards for police drams to come, and is considered a pivotal change in the genre into becoming what it is known for today.

1 Mad Max

Kennedy Miller Productions

Mel Gibson stars in the iconic Mad Max as Max Rockatansky, a former police officer who chooses a life of crime and becomes a vigilante. Set in a near-dystopia version of Australia, what is left of society is on the brink of collapse as the world faces increasing oil shortages. Max is a man in doubt, as he begins to question his role on the police force and the criminals he is hunting down. But when his wife and child are killed, so begins his epic journey for vengeance and redemption that spans decades and five films.