Sitting down and watching a historical film is a unique experience. The audience is transported to a different time, taking them out of the present day and making them adjust their mindset to that of the characters from either a short time ago or a forgone era. There needs to be enough information available from that time for the filmmakers to have made the film, so it will always be at least a little bit accurate. It also has to have been an interesting enough tale to warrant a film made about it, and will probably feature some historical figures who are iconic in their own way.

But not every historical film is made the same way. 1776, for example, is very different from All the President's Men. Historical epics are a special breed of these kinds of films. There will be action, and the setting probably involves a war that happened a long time ago. The sets are more expansive and the directors need to have a grasp on the smaller stories within the larger picture. Some of the greatest films ever made have been historical action epics.

Here's our list of the best historical action epics out there.

Wolfgang Petersen was already known for making epic action thriller films, as his resume included films like Das Boot, Poseidon, Air Force One, Outbreak, and The Perfect Storm. fell in line with those films as it featured a ton of huge scenes with a notable cast and terrific fight scenes. Based on the story of Achilles, Brad Pitt plays the tanned Greek hero who fights in the Trojan War. Eric Bana plays Prince Hector, Orlando Bloom is Paris, Diane Kruger is Helen, Brian Cox is Agamemnon, Sean Bean is Odysseus, Brendan Gleeson is Menelaus, and Peter O'Toole is Priam.

The cast featured many famous actors and more who would become famous, with Garrett Hedlund and Rose Byrne in smaller but important roles. While many know the story of the Trojan War, this retelling of the tale made it visionary for a younger audience. While it may not be entirely accurate, it's a good rewatch on a rainy afternoon, as you can pick it up at any point and enjoy.

Another film that takes some leniency with the truth for Hollywood, tells the story of Mel Gibson as Benjamin Martin, a veteran of the French and Indian War, who must join the Revolutionary War as the leader of a militia for the Continental Army in South Carolina. Martin is based on an amalgamation of many real-life people from the time period. Heath Ledger plays his son, Gabriel, who joins the Army against his father's wishes. When a ruthless British Colonel, played by Jason Isaacs, kills one of Martin's sons and burns their house down, Benjamin and Gabriel join the fight to help the U.S. beat Britain.

The Patriot was directed by Roland Emmerich and featured Chris Cooper, Tom Wilkinson, Donal Logue, Joel Richardson, Tcheky Karyo, Rene Auberjonois, and Lisa Brenner. Isaacs is terrific in the villain role, and his battles with Gabriel and Benjamin are timeless. While the movie focuses on one man's fight for his family, it keeps its sights on the war for independence as a whole.

Another historical epic starring Orlando Bloom and Brendan Gleeson, is set during the lead-up to the Third Crusade in the 12th century. Bloom stars as Balian of Ibelin, who joins forces with his father Godfrey, played by Liam Neeson, in the fight for the Holy Land. The film's battle sequences are stylish and gritty, with great sword fighting and choreography. The supporting cast featured Eva Green, Jeremy Irons, David Thewlis, Marton Csokas, and Michael Sheen.

While the movie didn't go over well with critics, it still earned $218 million at the box office. Since its release, Ridley Scott has released his director's cut of the film, which varied drastically from the original. It's the preferred version by most that have seen both and delivers a different way to see the film. A fun fact about this film is that Edward Norton chose not to be credited for his role as King Baldwin IV to add to the lore of the character.

While they had both made movies before, Zack Snyder and Gerard Butler broke out in 2006 with . Butler stars as King Leonidas in this retelling of the Greco-Persian Wars based on the comic book by Frank Miller and Lynn Varley. Stylized like Sin City, which came out the year before and was also written by Miller, it's a shot-for-shot recreation of the comic book. Leonidas led an army of 300 soldiers against the Persian God-King Xerxes and his army of 300,000 in the Battle of Thermopylae.

The movie costarred Lena Headey, David Wenham, Dominic West, and Rodrigo Santoro. The battle sequences are legendary, as Snyder shows his hand at directing massive films at scale, showing a sign of things to come for his career. The film was a massive success, earning $456M at the box office against a $65M production budget. The bottomless pit scene is one of the most famous in the past 20 years, as is Butler yelling, "This is Sparta!"

is a nautical epic starring Russell Crowe, directed by Peter Weir. It features Crowe as Captain Jack Aubrey, the captain of the HMS Surprise during the Napoleonic Wars. His ship is ambushed by the French ship Acheron off Brazil. The back-and-forth battle between the two ships makes for constant action and entertainment. There's a scene where Crowe and a crew board the Acheron for some heavy hand-to-hand combat.

With cannon explosions and a great supporting performance from Paul Bettany, this movie was overwhelmingly successful with critics. It was supposed to set up a franchise, but the box office returns were minimal against its production budget. While a prequel is being planned, it remains to be seen if this is the only entry fans ever get of a series.

Stanley Kubrick had directed historical epics before and after it, but Barry Lyndon is much different than any of the other films. The film was set partly during the Seven Years' War and followed Ryan O'Neal's Redmond Barry, a man who wants to be from high society and marries a widow to climb the social ladder. While there, he lives a lavish life while thriving in the lies and deceit.

For anyone who likes movies with duels, this is one for them. There are numerous duels throughout the film, and the fights are all well-choreographed. It's a technically impressive film that shows the skills Kubrick and his crew had. The film won four Academy Awards, including Best Cinematography, Best Art Direction, Best Costume Design, and Best Original Score.

Another Kubrick classic, came out 15 years before Barry Lyndon. It, like his 1957 outing Paths of Glory, starred Kurt Douglas as the main character. Douglas plays Spartacus, a slave who leads a rebellion during the Third Servile War. Laurence Olivier stars as Crassus, the Roman politician and general who has it out to stop Spartacus's rebellion. The movie also features Jean Simmons, Tony Curtis, Charles Laughton, and John Gavin.

The iconic "I'm Spartacus" scene is made even more impressive by its appearance in a historical action epic. It's about human beings and what it means to be human while not belittling the people around you. Even though it was made 65 years ago, the film still feels pertinent today and is a spectacle.

Mel Gibson returns to this list, this time as the star and director of The 1995 epic was a box office smash and a critically acclaimed hit while earning prestige awards like the Best Picture Oscar that year. The movie tells the story of Scottish warrior William Wallace during the First War of Scottish Independence. The movie marks the third time Brendan Gleeson has appeared here, as he costars alongside Sophie Marceau, Patrick McGoohan, and Angus McFadyen.

Before Game of Thrones made throwing someone out a tower window cool, Braveheart did it in a notable scene. But the battle scenes are what everyone remembers about Braveheart. The lush green countryside of Scotland, clad with warriors in face paint and kilts, made for a visionary backdrop for Gibson's masterpiece. Wallace's battle cries still elicit goosebumps today.

One of the most well-recognized films of the past 25 years, Gladiator also won an Academy Award for Best Picture during its awards season. The historical classic starred Russell Crowe as Maximus, a Roman general in AD 180 who is betrayed by the Emperor's son and forced into slavery. There, he fights as a gladiator in the Roman Colosseum, staving off death and helping lead a rebellion from within.

Crowe is electric as Maximus, giving an all-time performance en route to a Best Actor Oscar win. Joaquin Phoenix plays Commodus, who takes over the throne for his father, and Connie Nielsen stars as Lucilla, sister of Commodus. The film features some intense battle sequences as well as spectacular fight scenes within the Colosseum. The musical score by Hans Zimmer is incredibly recognizable as well. The main reason that it lands at #2 on the list is because the #1 entry basically gave it its stylized approach to gladiator fights.

Another film that is world-renowned and recognized globally, came out in 1959 and was directed by William Wyler. It starred Charlton Heston as Judah Ben-Hur, a Jewish prince at the time of Christ who is imprisoned by his former friend, who wants to take over Rome's imperial glory. Ben-Hur is sentenced to years in the galleys and, while there, he becomes a legendary charioteer. The religious epic features the characters reacting in real-time to events with Jesus Christ.

The movie features a nine-minute chariot race scene that is arguably one of the most famous scenes in the history of cinema. It walked so Gladiator and others behind it could run. The thrilling sequence is special to this day because of its advanced choreography and impressive acting. It was the most expensive movie ever made when it was released, and it earned more Academy Awards than any other up to that point. The film picked up 11 Oscars, including Best Picture.