Live action is a phrase used to refer to films and movies that are acted out by actual flesh-and-blood actors, as opposed to cartoon characters, puppets, or computer-generated imagery. When used as a description of a Hollywood movie or any other motion picture, the phrase is used to specify that the film is not a cartoon. This is important in situations when the film in question is inspired by a cartoon, such as the Flintstones or Dennis the Menace movies.

For long periods of time the majority of live action adaptations of previously animated or comic book stories, especially ones with heavy scifi or fantasy elements, were considered poor until the advent of better special effects. However, many still view such adaptations with suspicion.

The term is also used within the animation world to refer to non-cartoon characters. For example, in a movie such as Who Framed Roger Rabbit?, where humans and cartoons co-exist, "live action" characters are the "real" actors, such as Bob Hoskins as opposed to fake actors, such as Roger Rabbit himself.