A sub-genre involving action and humor.^[2] The sub-genre became a popular trend in the 1980s when actors who were known for their background in comedy such as Eddie Murphy, began to take roles in action films. The action scenes within the genre are generally lighthearted and rarely involve death or serious injury.^[3] Comedy films such as Dumb & Dumber and Big Momma's House that contain action-laden sub-plots are not considered part of the genre as the action scenes have a more integral role in action comedies.^[2] Examples of action comedies include The Blues Brothers (1980), 48 Hrs. (1982), Midnight Run (1988), Bad Boys (1995), Rush Hour (1998), and Charlie's Angels (2000).^[2][3]

The story takes place in limited location - a single building, plane, or vessel - which is seized or under threat by enemy agents, but are opposed by a single hero who fights an extended battle within the location using stealth and cunning to attempt to defeat them. This sub-genre began with the film Die Hard but has become popular in Hollywood movie making both because of its crowd appeal and the relative simplicity of building sets for such a constrained piece. These films are sometimes described as "Die Hard on a...".^[4][5] Among the many films that have copied this formula are Under Siege^[6] (terrorists take over a ship), Speed^[7] (Die Hard on a bus), Under Siege 2: Dark Territory^[8] and Derailed (hostages are trapped on a train), Sudden Death^[9] (terrorists take over an Ice Hockey stadium), Passenger 57,^[6] Executive Decision^[9] and Air Force One^[6] (hostages are trapped on a plane), Con Air (criminals take over a transport plane), and Half Past Dead and The Rock^[9] (criminals or terrorists take over a prison). Paul Blart: Mall Cop is a recent spoof of these movies.

This sub-genre of films and animation, especially Hong Kong action films and anime, uses a female protagonist in a strong lead role, set in a modern context. The genre involves gun-play, stunts and martial arts action. Some of the best known female fighters are Angela Mao Ying, Cheng Pei-pei, Moon Lee, Michelle Yeoh, Zhang Ziyi and Cynthia Rothrock. European and US films with female protagonists include Nikita (1990); Lara Croft: Tomb Raider (2001); and Kill Bill (2003/2004).

This Hong Kong sub-genre revolves around dramatic themes such as brotherhood, honor, redemption and the effects of violence on the individual and society at large. It often features stylized shootouts with slow-motion scenes of barrages of gun fire with large-caliber automatic pistols.