The summer is all about the blockbuster. These types of movies are the perfect form of escapism. There’s nothing better than sitting in a cold theater on a hot summer day with a huge tub of popcorn as you prepare for a blockbuster to blow your mind. The action movie tends to be the best blockbuster because of the nonstop thrills and riveting entertainment.

It is important to get to your local theater and watch movies. However, there are ways to bring the blockbuster into your home. Here are five action movies available on Max that are perfect to watch over the summer.

Max Max 2 (1981)

Village Roadshow

In 2015, George Miller made one of the five best action movies of the 21st century with Mad Max: Fury Road. The film was praised for its exhilarating action and insane, fast-paced action sequences. The crazy thing is Miller also has an argument for the best action film of all time with Mad Max 2.

Originally known as The Road Warrior, Mad Max 2 sees the return of Mel Gibson’s Max Rockatansky, the policeman-turned-outlaw who avenged the death of his wife and son in the first film. Max, who now drives the highways of the Australian outback, agrees to help protect a group of peaceful settlers from a ruthless gang as they travel to a new home. Mad Max 2 provided the blueprint for Fury Road: intense car chase sequences, high-octane action, and a rebellious Max Rockatansky.

Stream Mad Max 2 on Max.

The Terminator (1984)

Orion Pictures

“I’ll be back.” You can’t start a conversation about The Terminator without mentioning the iconic line. Now that we got that out of the way, The Terminator remains one of the most influential sci-fi action films ever. With all due respect to Piranha II: The Spawning, The Terminator introduced the world to James Cameron, a director with meticulous attention to detail and an innate understanding of action and spectacle.

In The Terminator, a cyborg assassin (Arnold Schwarzenegger) from 2029 is sent back to 1984 to kill Sarah Connor (Linda Hamilton), the mother of the unborn John Connor, the leader of the resistance who will ultimately save mankind from the machines. Kyle Reese (Michael Biehn) is also sent to 1984 by the resistance to protect Sarah. Thanks to an iconic performance from Schwarzenegger and multiple heart-pounding action scenes, The Terminator is a terrific adventure and a master class in sci-fi action filmmaking.

Stream The Terminator on Max.

Casino Royale (2006)

Sony Pictures Releasing

After 2002’s Die Another Day, the James Bond franchise desperately needed to change. While Goldeneye remains one of the better entries in the franchise, the next three Bond films starring Pierce Brosnan got progressively worse. They became too silly, almost bordering on parody, especially in Die Another Day. (The overreliance on product placement is unforgivable.) Eon Productions listened to the criticisms from Die Another Day and rebooted the franchise, and the Broccoli family picked Daniel Craig to play a more serious, darker version of Bond.

Craig’s first film was 2006’s Casino Royale, the third film adaptation of Ian Fleming’s novel. Bond must track down Le Chiffre (Mads Mikkelsen), a private banker who finances global terrorism. Bond’s travels lead him to Montenegro, where he enters a high-stakes poker tournament at the Casino Royale to prevent Le Chiffre from winning millions that will fund terrorist organizations. From its edgy tone to the riveting action sequences, Casino Royale was a much-needed entry in the James Bond universe.

Stream Casino Royale on Max.

Edge of Tomorrow (2014)

Warner Bros.

If there’ss one man who could conquer a time loop and save the world, it’s Tom Cruise. The Top Gun: Maverick star headlined Edge of Tomorrow, the sci-fi action film from 2014. Cruise stars as Major William Cage, a public relations officer forced by his superiors to fight against the Mimics (aliens) in a beach invasion. The intelligent Mimics are ready for the attack and destroy the humans, including Cage. However, Cage gets stuck in a time loop, reliving the previous day after each death.

Cage joins forces with Sgt. Rita Vrataski (Oppenheimer‘s Emily Blunt), a talented operative who trains Cage to be an elite fighter. With each passing day, Cage grows stronger as he gains more intel on how to defeat the Mimics. Directed by Doug Liman, Edge of Tomorrow is a fresh addition to the time loop genre with invigorating action scenes and excellent chemistry between Cruise and Blunt.

Stream Edge of Tomorrow on Max.

The Batman (2022)

Warner Bros. Pictures

After making two great Planet of the Apes movies, Matt Reeves continued to work on famous IP when he entered the world of Gotham City for The Batman. To differentiate the character from the previous Batman played by Ben Affleck, Reeves cast the younger Robert Pattinson to play a darker version of Bruce Wayne, who has only served as the caped crusader for two years. Batman must face his toughest opponent to date in the Riddler (Paul Dano), a serial killer who targets Gotham’s elite.

The Riddler leaves behind clues for Batman to solve as a way to spotlight his next victim. The Batman is a much gritter version than in Christopher Nolan’s trilogy or Affleck’s version in Zack Snyder’s films. Yet, the result is a thrilling detective story with terrific action sequences.

Stream The Batman on Max.

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