It’s easy to forget that when Hulu helped usher in the streaming era in 2007, it was free to use because it was a deterrent to piracy. “Free” has subsequently fallen by the wayside among the streamers, as even Amazon is sunsetting its Freevee service. And good luck trying to find a free movie to watch on Amazon now that doesn’t require a Prime Video subscription.
For the moment, YouTube and Tubi are the best outlets that thrifty fans can find that allow users to watch Hollywood movies free of charge. And while they don’t have the same selection of titles that are available on the streamers, they do have a strong lineup of action flicks. To help you find your best viewing options, we’ve put together this list of three great free action movies that you can stream right now. You may have to sit through some ads to watch these flicks, but you won’t have to pay a dime.
If you’re curious about what’s available in action on other streaming services, we also have guides for the best action movies on Netflix, the best action movies on Hulu, as well as the best action movies on Amazon Prime Video. For more options, check out guides for the best new movies to stream and the best movies on Amazon Prime Video.
Rush Hour (1998)
Imagine being so successful in a movie series that you never really had to work again. Chris Tucker had that with the Rush Hour trilogy, and he’s only been in three films since Rush Hour 3 in 2007. All three of the Rush Hour films are currently on Tubi, but the first remains our favorite installment and a great example of an action comedy.
Tucker plays James Carter, a detective with the Los Angeles police who isn’t particularly liked by his colleagues. That’s one of the big reasons why he gets stuck watching over Chief Inspector Lee (Jackie Chan), a cop from Hong Kong who is on a personal mission to rescue Soo-Yung Han (Julia Hsu), a diplomat’s daughter who is also one of Lee’s students.
Carter and Lee don’t get along right away, and they have trouble getting on the same page. But once this unlikely duo find common ground, they realize that they may be Soo-Yung’s only hope for survival, and the only cops who can challenge the enigmatic Hong Kong drug lord known as Juntao.
Watch Rush Hour on Tubi.
The Mummy (1999)
Twenty-five years ago, writer and director Stephen Sommers successfully rebooted Universal’s The Mummy with a more comedic tone that emphasized action and adventure over horror. Brendan Fraser did his best Harrison Ford impression as Rick O’Connell, a rogue mercenary in 1920s Egypt whose life is spared from execution by archeologists Evelyn Carnahan (Rachel Weisz), and her brother, Jonathan Carnahan (John Hannah).
Rick has knowledge that may lead the Carnahans to a valuable artifact, but what they find is a mummy named Imhotep (Arnold Vosloo). Imhotep just spent thousands of years imprisoned, and he’s not particular about who he gets his revenge on. He’s also mistaken Evelyn for his lost lover and unleashed a horde of undead creatures on Rick to prevent his rival from saving her.
Watch The Mummy on YouTube.
Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves (1991)
Yellowstone‘s Kevin Costner has a lot dramatic talents, but a convincing English accent isn’t one of them. That doesn’t mean you won’t enjoy Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, which has an absolutely stacked cast that includes Alan Rickman, Morgan Freeman, Christian Slater, Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio, Michael McShane, and a cameo from a certain James Bond actor. (Hint: It’s not George Lazenby, folks!)
Robin and his new friend, Azeem Edin Bashir Al Bakir (Freeman), return to England after the Crusades and discover that the Sheriff of Nottingham (Rickman) is ruling with an iron fist in the absence of King Richard. To fight this injustice, Robin becomes a celebrated outlaw and courts Lady Marian (Mastrantonio). However, the Sheriff wants Marian for himself, and he’ll do everything he can to destroy Robin and his men.
Watch Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves on YouTube.
