The best action movie posters influence what people decide to watch. They also leave a lasting impact on culture, as these poster exemplify the type of entertainment that people cherish. In a society that revolves so heavily around entertainment, these really capture the true feelings and ideas of the time as well as any other medium.

The following are qualities that the best movie posters often share:

- They have intriguing characters that people are interested in.
- They have exciting scenes.
- They use bright colors and special effects, or colors and effects that lend an idea of mystery to the characters.
- They have few words; they use the words to the best effect, though, to hint at how good the movie will be.
- They use characters and images that catch people's attention.
- They use popular characters that people love.

The best action movie posters may not use all of these traits at once, but they use some of them. The following are the best posters that have come out in the American cinema over the last few years. They are posters that people love, posters that will be remembered for a long time.

Dark Knight: Why So Serious Joker Poster

This poster, for the Batman movie The Dark Knight, shows a picture of the Joker. The poster uses this recognizable character and gives him some mystery, shrouding him in shadow. It also uses his popular catch-phrase, asking "Why so serious?" The words are written in a red that looks like blood, with the Joker's smile, to suggest the blood and violence of the film.

The Boondock Saints Poster

This cult film poster shows the violence of the film in stark relief, showing the two main characters with their guns pointed down in what looks to be an execution pose. Words are not used at all, save for the name of the movie. This is a poster that is so good because it captures the attitude of the film without having to use any tricks, but just by showing a frame of a single scene.

Fight Club: Brad Pitt and Edward Norton Poster

The poster for Fight Club shows both of the main characters next to each other, both in their own boxes. Over them is a bar of pink soap with the name of the movie written on it. This poster works so well because it shows the main twist of the film -- the characters being both separate and the same -- and also shows the strangeness of it, with the bar of soap. It works despite the fact that it ignores the main plot of the film.

King Kong Poster

This poster shows a group of airplanes flying toward the tower that King Kong has climbed. He is standing on top of it, a huge monster, clutching an airplane in his hand. This is a great poster, because it shows the shocking contrast between the wild animals and the man-made civilization that is at the heart of the film, and also show that the film will give a sensationally exciting experience to the audience.

Kill Bill Poster

This poster works because of the colors. The background is bright yellow, the same color as Uma Thurman's jumpsuit; Uma is the only character shown, since she is well-known, and she is holding a samurai sword. There is a splash of bright red blood behind her. This catches the eye, and shows how there will be excess blood in the film, which is a tribute to the old samurai movies.

Iron Man 2: Mark VI Poster

The Iron Man suit is the main focus of this poster, which is why it is so successful. The suit is the thing that fans of the movies love the most, and seeing it in such good detail shows the audience what it looks like and what they can expect to see it do in the movie. The suit is also bright red, so it stands out against the background. It makes Iron Man 2 look exciting, fun, and futuristic.

Star Wars: The Phantom Menace Poster

This poster captures the atmosphere of the space opera, showing many characters all together with a very elegant feel. It shows some of the more exciting aspects of the movie, such as a Jedi with his lightsaber held for battle. It also shows the evil that is inherent to the film, and the clash of good and evil is sure to come, by putting Darth Maul's red eyes behind everything else, huge and imposing.

Overall, these are some of the best action movie posters to come out in recent years. They show the main characters and suggest violence much of the time, giving the audience an idea what will be in the film. They utilize their colors well, catching the eyes and holding people's attention.