Mel Gibson's character is introduced with a gun barrel in his mouth as he contemplates suicide because of his loss of his wife, and ends with him at his wife's graveside, his character ready to let go and move forward in life. Both Die Hard and Lethal Weapon also have a high quota of explosions, general mayhem, and heroes vanquishing evil bad guys. They also have something deeper embedded in that action. Ideas about grief, loss, and renewal. The most painful scripts I read are action scripts that are just an on-going series of mayhem.
Characters die by the dozens and no one in the story cares.
This isn't a suggestion that an action film read like an art film. Both types of stories are enjoyable when well-told. An art film can be action-oriented and expressive. A Room with a View opens with two narrow minded, repressed women fussing about finding themselves in a room without a promised view. They quickly meet two expressive men who have a room with a view, who offer to trade.