Top 5 Action Classics to Help You Introduce Your Teenage Kids to the Genre

As exciting as action sequences are, they don't seem to resonate with kids the way they do with adults. That's why it's a special moment when your kids start to appreciate the genre and you can watch action movies together. But where to start? These five are best suited for the occasion.

Red Dawn (1984, 6.3 on IMDb)

Available on: Max, Hulu, Apple TV+, Amazon Prime

Before Charlie Sheen made his name and fortune on Two and a Half Men, he starred in a number of action films, including John Milius' classic, which tells the story of a World War III in which the US is invaded by the allied military of the Soviet Union and other communist countries of Europe and Latin America. The movie follows the Wolverines, a group of teenage guerrillas who resist the Soviet occupation of Colorado.

Commando (1985, 6.7 on IMDb)

Available on: Disney+, Apple TV+, Amazon Prime

The classic action film stars Arnold Schwarzenegger as John Matrix, a former US Army Special Forces colonel who is being hunted by a group of mercenaries who have already killed Matrix's former teammates. When his eleven-year-old daughter Jenny is kidnapped by the assassins, John is forced to pretend to cooperate with them in order to foil their plans and prevent further murders.

Top Gun (1986, 6.9 on IMDb)

Available on: Paramount+, Netflix, Apple TV+, Amazon Prime

One of the most iconic action movies of all time, the film centers on Tom Cruise's Lieutenant Pete Maverick Mitchell, a young fighter pilot aboard the USS Enterprise in the Indian Ocean. Brash and defiant, Maverick is often at odds with his superiors, but his flying skills earn him the opportunity to attend the special titular course for pilots, where he learns about teamwork and discipline.

Big Trouble in Little China (1986, 7.2 on IMDb)

Available on: Disney+, Apple TV+, Amazon Prime

Although John Carpenter's iconic film is third fantasy, third comedy, and only third action, it's one of the best places to start your kids' journey into the genre. The movie follows Kurt Russell's Jack Burton, a truck driver who helps his friend rescue his girlfriend from the bandits of San Francisco's Chinatown. To travel safely through Chinatown, the characters descend into the mysterious underworld filled with dangerous demons and monsters, where they face far more problems than in our realm.

Speed (1994, 7.3 on IMDb)

Available on: Hulu, Disney+, Apple TV+, Amazon Prime

Starring Keanu Reeves and Sandra Bullock, this action classic revolves around the passengers of a bus that has been transformed into a controlled bomb that will detonate if the vehicle's speed drops below fifty miles per hour, and a group of special agents who go to great lengths to save innocent lives. This high-stakes movie won two Academy Awards, albeit in the sound category.