When Die Hard was released in 1998, Roger Ebert gave it two stars out of four, calling John McClane "Another one of those Hollywood action roles where the hero's shirt is ripped off in the first reel...." So Ebert's opinion didn't always match up with the consensus, nor did Gene Siskel's. Furthermore, sometimes their opinions didn't even line up with one another's on At the Movies, and when they didn't, there would be shouting matches. For the most part, however, they did agree, and this includes action films. For instance, both gave "Two Thumbs Down" to 1998's big-budget Hard Rain, starring Christian Slater and Morgan Freeman, and "Two Thumbs Up" to Slater's 1990 rebellious minor classic Pump Up the Volume.

On the opposite side of the coin, Siskel and Ebert knew an action classic when they saw it and were always quick to tell people to head for the theaters. And thanks to the internet those recommendations and warnings are digitally archived, perfect for those nostalgic for the days of Blockbuster and VHS tapes. Note that war films such as Saving Private Ryan and gangster-themed crime films such as The Godfather were excluded in favor of more straightforward action fare.

10 Natural Born Killers

Oliver Stone's controversial yet still-relevant analysis of humanity's depravity, Natural Born Killers, is an extremely divisive film and will remain as such. It follows Woody Harrelson and Juliette Lewis' Mickey and Mallory Knox, a disturbed and bloodthirsty couple storming their way across the country more violently than Bonnie and Clyde. And the film doesn't shy away from showing their deeds, which has the potential to ruffle a viewer's feathers. But both of the Chicago-based critics got a lot out of it at the time.

Roger Ebert wrote that to see it once was to not see it properly. In his words, "The first time is for the visceral experience, the second time is for the meaning." Siskel agreed, calling it "Visually complex and thematically simple." Furthermore, Siskel felt that the scene featuring comedian Rodney Dangerfield as serial killer Mallory Knox's abusive father was a standout.

9 The Fugitive

One of the 1990s' most intense and memorable films, Andrew Davis' The Fugitive stands alongside 21 Jump Street as a definitive example of how to adapt a TV series. With breakneck pacing and highpoint performances from Harrison Ford and Tommy Lee Jones, it's one of the '90s' best, regardless of genre. It also features some terrific stunt work and a handful of classic scenes, most notably when Ford's Dr. Richard Kimble holds his hands above his head and yells "I didn't kill my wife!" to Jones' Deputy Marshal Samuel Gerard behind him, who simply responds with a flat "I don't care!"

Ebert gave the film a perfect score, calling it "one of the best entertainments of the year" and "a tense, taut and expert thriller that becomes something more than that, an allegory about an innocent man in a world prepared to crush him." Siskel was also a big fan, writing "I've already seen The Fugitive twice" shortly after its release, followed with "I'll probably see it again."

8 Speed

Jan de Bont's Speed is one of the 1990s' most exhilarating and re-watchable action films. The same can't be said of its sequel, but considering Keanu Reeves is up for it and Sandra Bullock is still filming athletics-requiring movies such as The Lost City, perhaps that cruise ship disaster could be erased from memory.

Roger Ebert gave the film a perfect review of four stars, calling it "An ingenious windup machine" and "a smart, inventive thriller...." For his part, Siskel wrote that Speed "ranks with the fun-loving excitement of the Die Hard pictures." He also called Reeves "absolutely charismatic" as his LAPD SWAT team member Jack Traven "jumps through elevator shafts, under a bus speeding through the L.A. freeway system, and atop a subway train."

7 Die Hard 2: Die Harder

While Bruce Willis initially wanted the sequel to be more straightforward and serious than the original, Die Hard 2: Die Harder is still fairly in line tonally. But it's also a rehash at its core. A fun rehash, but a rehash nonetheless.

This is what makes it so surprising that Roger Ebert (and Gene Siskel) took to Die Harder but not the superior Die Hard. In his words: "Die Hard 2 is as unlikely as the Bond pictures, and as much fun." Siskel agreed with the comparison, writing that "Die Hard 2 matches James Bond at his best."

6 Goldfinger

Arguably the best James Bond film in a litany, Goldfinger features every aspect of the franchise that works. From gorgeous cinematography to an on-point performance from Sean Connery as 007, the third film in the superspy saga set a ridiculously high bar that only Casino Royale has neared.

Ebert wrote that "Of all the Bonds, Goldfinger is the best, and can stand as a surrogate for the others...and [it] contains all the elements of the Bond formula that would work again and again." Siskel also loved Goldfinger, citing it as a highpoint in his less positive reviews for both On Her Majesty's Secret Service and GoldenEye.

5 Raiders of the Lost Ark

Even in a filmography as jaw-droppingly solid as Steven Spielberg's, Raiders of the Lost Ark ranks high. It was and remains the ultimate adventure film, consistently oozing love for serials through every frame. It's gone on to inspire countless other filmmakers and stands as a masterclass on how to keep the pace moving.

In his review, Ebert gave the film the highest score possible and wrote that the movie "Plays like an anthology of the best parts from all the Saturday matinee serials ever made." Siskel also gave the film a perfect score and wrote "Raiders...is, in fact, about as entertaining as a commercial movie can be...It's the kind of movie that first got you excited about movies when you were a kid."

4 Seven Samurai

Akira Kurosawa's Seven Samurai was released the same year as Ishirō Honda's Gojira and stands as an equal testament to the strength of Japanese cinema in the 1950s. The plot of the film concerns a group of farmers who seek a group of trained swordsmen to stave off further attacks from the local criminal population and this central concept would go on to inspire countless other classics, most notably The Magnificent Seven.

Ebert wrote that Seven Samurai is "not only a great film in its own right, but the source of a genre that would flow through the rest of the century." Siskel was a major fan of the important film as well, to the point that, after his passing, the Siskel Center held a Kurosawa double feature, featuring Seven Samurai.

3 The Negotiator

When Siskel and Ebert reviewed the Samuel L. Jackson and Kevin Spacey-led thriller The Negotiator on At the Movies, the latter called it a "tightly-wound and effective police thriller." It certainly is that, and has a twist that still pays off over 25 years later. He went on to praise the direction and the writing before citing Jackson and Spacey as "At the top of their form."

Siskel chimed in with admiration for the film's unpredictability and general reluctance to delve into cliché. In his words: "You have a real chess game. Played at high stakes with high tension, and it works." The Negotiator is an underseen late '90s minor action classic. And, even if it's a bit uncomfortable to watch Spacey after all his controversy, the viewer will be too wrapped up in Jackson's committed performance to notice.

2 The Hunt for Red October

The Hunt for Red October is the benefactor of multiple masterful technical elements coalescing into a classic final product. From the music, tight direction by Predator's John McTiernan, one of the best film scores of the '90s, to the steely performances from Alec Baldwin and Sean Connery, it was and remains the best Tom Clancy adaptation to date.

Roger Ebert called it a "skillful, efficient film that involves us in the clever and deceptive game being played...." This thought was largely mirrored by Siskel, as was the praise given to the film's onscreen talent and overall adherence to the intricacy of Clancy's novel.

1 Darkman

Before Sam Raimi was tackling the world's most famous wall-crawler in Spider-Man he was directing a pre-A-list Liam Neeson and Frances McDormand in his original superhero film, Darkman. It's a film whose quality makes it obvious why the director got a higher budget gig down the line, as there's as much focus to building up the characters as there is building up the tension via set pieces and face swaps.

In their review of Raimi's film, Ebert praised the film for "having a lot of original twists to it" while simultaneously admitting the narrative didn't "compel" him. But, in the end, he gave it a recommendation in the form of calling Raimi's direction "worth seeing." Siskel agreed with the latter point but went a step further by calling the film and its title character "interesting."