What makes an action hero? Is it the actor or the character? Well, both. But sometimes, you get the perfect actor in the perfect role. Those make up my first Mount Rushmore – the most iconic action-hero roles. But the actors who’ve proven themselves over a host of roles deserve their own Mt. Rushmore too – and they’ve got it.
The 2nd mountain contains a shocking name. A name that other, lesser lists, don’t even have in their top 20. You know what I say to those other lists? Hasta la vista, baby.
Qualities:
- Explosive action – but must seem realistic. A single guy with a pistol against a horde of enemies with automatic rifles who can’t seem to find the mark doesn’t work. Okay, maybe it works with Rambo, but he’s different.
- A flawed character. Whether battling PTSD, an extreme fear of snakes, or disdain for authority, an internal struggle adds to the drama.
- High stakes – what happens if the hero fails? Is it a realistic scenario? If not, can I believe it for a couple hours while I’m watching the movie or reading the book?
- One-liners – can the action here deliver both a punch and a punch-line? Also acceptable are quotes that make a statement.
- No superheroes. And humans only.
Mt. Rushmore of Action Hero Characters
Chiseled in Stone
“Dirty” Harry Callahan – arguably the character who spawned the action-hero genre. There were plenty of other action films prior, but this one made a lasting impact.
Stakes – Stopping a psychopathic killer threating to take more random victims.
Character flaws – Temper, disrespect for authority, anger at the system
Best quotes:
- “You’ve got to ask yourself a question: ‘Do I feel lucky?’. Well, do ya, punk?”
- “Go ahead. Make my day.”
Rambo – iconic hero, brought attention to the PTSD that our veterans face.
Stakes – Survival against overwhelming odds; battle for sanity.
Character flaws – inability to distinguish between reality at home and war abroad. Hewas trained to be a killing machine but not to adapt to civilian life.
Best quotes:
- “I’ve fired a few shots” (Rambo III)
- “Live for nothing, or die for something” (Rambo IV),
- “They drew first blood” (Rambo, First Blood)
John McClain
Stakes – Stopping a massive heist, saving hostages including his estranged wife
Character flaws – Struggles with relationships, authority issues
Best quotes:
- “Come out to the coast, we’ll get together, have a few laughs…” (while stuck in an air vent)
- “Now I have a machine gun. Ho, ho, ho.” (note left on dead bad-guy’s chest)
- “Welcome to the party, pal!”
- “Yippee-ki-yay, …”
Maximus – “The General Who Became a Slave. The Slave Who Became a Gladiator. The Gladiator Who Defied an Emperor.” So said the emperor Commodus to the wounded gladiator Maximus before their final showdown, in this unforgettable story of honor and loyalty.
Stakes – The honor and prestige of an empire… and a gladiator’s soul
Character flaws – Inability to compromise. Loyal to the empire and principled to the extreme. Not really a flaw, but he should have defied the emperor in the opening scenes.
Best quotes:
- “Are you not entertained? Is this not why you are here?” …to the stunned crowd in the coliseum.
- “My name is Maximus Decimus Meridius, commander of the Armies of the North, General of the Felix Legions and loyal servant to the TRUE emperor, Marcus Aurelius. Father to a murdered son, husband to a murdered wife. And I will have my vengeance, in this life or the next.”
- “The Frost, It Sometimes Makes The Blade Stick.” – to a panicked enemy, unable to draw his sword.
- “Brothers, What We Do In Life Echoes In Eternity.”
- “At my signal, unleash hell.”
Very Honorable Mention
- Jason Bourne – There’s only room for four faces to be hammered into the mountain. Robert Ludlum’s iconic character is played perfectly by Damon on the big screen. Between the amnesia and the moral implications of his profession, Bourne’s character is unforgettable. A few more memorable one-liners to fit my arbitrary criteria, and he’d be on the mountain.
- Martin Riggs – Lethal Weapon is one of my favorite franchises, especially the original. Pairing the retiring cop with the crazed young gun contemplating suicide is genius.
- Ethan Hunt – Mission Impossible. Tom Cruise. Enough said.
- William Wallace – A strong case could be made for this Braveheart character to be on the mountain, but there’s only room for four.
- Sarah Connor – Stakes are to save humanity from the machines. An AI thriller before its time.
- John Wick – I might take flack for this, but I never got into this series. All that over a dog? I mean, I love my dog, but…
- Bond, James Bond – He’d top some lists, but is 007 more of a spy than an action-hero?
- The Bride – The revenge theme is carried out expertly (and bloodily) by Uma Thurman in Kill Bill
Honorable Mention
Maverick, Agents J and K, Luke Skywalker (would a true action hero need the force?), Reacher (movies not as good as the books), Bullitt, Katniss Everdeen, Axel Foley, Ellen Ripley, The Equalizer
Mt. Rushmore of Action Hero Actors
Chiseled in Stone
Arnold Schwarzenegger – The most unlikely of actors to make a Mt. Rushmore, and yet he’s at the top of almost everyone’s list. Schwarzenegger set the bar with his size and his charisma.
Best Roles:
- The Terminator, obviously
- Conan – The role that put the bodybuilder on the Hollywood radar
- Commando’s Colonel John Matrix
- Predator’s Major Alan “Dutch” Schaefer – It takes a special action hero to take down this alien
- Total Recall’s Douglas “Doug” Quaid / Agent Carl Hauser – Just a fun, futuristic movie to watch
- The Expendables‘ Trent “Trench” Mauser
- Other action-packed movies: True Lies, The Running Man, Red Heat, Eraser
Best quotes:
- Remember when I said I’d kill you last? I lied. -Commando
- Consider that a divorce. -Doug Quaid, Total Recall
- I eat Green Berets for breakfast. And right now, I’m very hungry! -Commando
- To crush your enemies, see them driven before you, and to hear the lamentation of their women! -Conan
- If it bleeds, we can kill it. -Dutch Schaefer, Predator
- Hasta la vista, baby. -Terminator
- Come with me if you want to live. -Terminator
- I’ll be back. -Terminator
Tom Cruise – Does his own stunts, captures the screen, never stops working
Best Roles:
- Top Gun’s Maverick – Timeless
- Mission Impossible‘s Ethan Hunt – A little too much with the masks in some of the sequels, but a classic series with incredible action, stunts, and story lines
- The Firm’s Mitch McDeere – Classic Grisham suspense; with heart and intrigue
- Jack Reacher – personally, I like the books better. And Cruise looks nothing like the book’s character. But if you can suspend that, it’s well-played.
- Days of Thunder – Only Cruise could make NASCAR an action-packed movie
- Minority Report’s Chief John Anderton
- Collateral’s Vincent
- A Few Good Men’s Lt. Daniel Kaffee – Not an action-hero flick, but it’s too good not to list
- Others: All the Right Moves, Edge of Tomorrow, American Made
Memorable Lines:
- We Just Rolled Up A Snowball And Tossed It Into Hell. Now Let’s See What Chance It Has. -Ethan Hunt
- I feel the need… the need, for speed! -Maverick
- I want the truth! -Lieutenant Daniel Kaffee
- I am the storm. -Ethan Hunt
- Max, six billion people on the planet, you’re getting bent out of shape cause of one fat guy. -Vincent, from Collateral
- What’s done is done when I say it’s done. -Ethan Hunt
- This is what I call a target-rich environment. – Maverick
- Claire, I’m more afraid of bein’ nothing than I am of being hurt. -Cole Trickle
- We’ll burn that bridge when we get to it. -Ethan Hunt
- If you open that trunk, they go inside. -Vincent to Max when two cops show up
- I’m going to need a beer to put these flames out. -Maverick
- Kittridge, You’ve Never Seen Me Very Upset. -Ethan Hunt
Harrison Ford – Likely to get some disagreement, the depth and breadth of his work is unparalleled. Plus, my wife would have my head if I didn’t include him.
Best Roles:
- Indiana Jones – What kid didn’t want to become a swashbuckling archaeologist after Raiders of the Lost Ark?
- Star Wars‘ Han Solo – the best character in the history of this series.
- Blade Runner‘s Rick Deckard – Amazing sci-fi for its time, although it is set in 2019 which is now long past
- Witness’ Detective John Book – My wife’s favorite movie
- Patriot Games‘ and Clear and Present Danger’s Jack Ryan
- The Fugitive’s Dr. Richard Kimble
- Air Force One’s – President James Marshall
- Others: Apocalypse Now, The Call of the Wild, Frantic, Force 10 From Navarone, The Frisco Kid
Best quotes:
- Hokey religions and ancient weapons are no match for a good blaster at your side, kid. -Han Solo
- I’m sorry, Mr. President, I don’t dance. -Jack Ryan
- You want to talk to God? Let’s go see him together, I’ve got nothing better to do. -Indiana Jones
- Nothing surprises me; I’m a scientist. -Indiana Jones
- Want me to start with the other knee? -Jack Ryan
- Get off my plane! -President Marshall
- I don’t know, I’m making this up as I go! -Indy
- X never, ever marks the spot! -Indy
Mel Gibson – Yeah, that’s right, I went with Mel Gibson. Look at the spectacular list of roles he’s played expertly, and make my day – try to prove me wrong.
Best Roles:
- Braveheart‘s Sir William Wallace – Freedom!
- Lethal Weapon‘s Martin Riggs – the top series in Gibson’s quiver.
- Mad Max – Epic dystopian action flicks.
- Tequila Sunrise‘s Mac Mckussic – Perhaps more a romance/drama than action, but I love this movie
- The Patriot‘s Benjamin Martin – action-packed revolutionary war period piece. Mel is great, playing a grieving father, reluctantly driven by patriotism and revenge
- Bret Maverick, from Maverick is an extremely funny western with romance, poker, con-games, and plenty of action
- Ransom, Signs, Conspiracy Theory, Payback are all good too
Memorable Lines:
- Every man dies, not every man really lives. -Wallace
- You have the right to remain unconscious. Anything you say ain’t gonna be much. -Riggs
- Aim small, miss small. -The Patriot
- I don’t make things complicated. That’s the way they get, all by themselves. -Riggs
- Not many people know what their life’s worth is. I do. Seventy grand. That’s what they took from me. And that’s what I was going to get back. -Porter, from Payback
- I’m only paranoid because they want me dead. -Jerry Fletcher, Conspiracy Theory
- We all end up dead, it’s just a question of how and why. -Wallace
Very Honorable Mention
- Sly – Rambo, Rocky, Cliffhanger, Expendables – Two great series, and a bunch of okay action movies. And some bad ones too (looking at you, Tango and Cash)
- Denzel Washington – Equalizer, Mag 7 (remake), Man on Fire, Training Day – One of the greatest actors of our time, but no truly iconic roles.
- Keanu Reeves – The Matrix, John Wick, Point Break, Speed – A nice assortment of action flicks. I love Point Break and The Matrix. And Keanu seems like a great guy, by all accounts. He makes the Rushmore basecamp. But seriously, does anyone see Keanu as a brilliant actor? I couldn’t see him playing Bourne, Indiana Jones, James Bond, or so many other iconic characters.
- Bruce Willis – Die Hard is his signature, almost good enough to get him on the mountain by itself. Very good action hero in other roles, but not quite a Rushmore portfolio.
- Will Smith – Men in Black, Independence Day, Bad Boys – not enough depth of action movies to crack the mountain.
- Steve McQueen – Mag 7, The Great Escape, Towering Inferno, Bullitt
- Chuck Norris – Chuck Norris doesn’t do push-ups. He pushes the earth down.
Honorable Mention
Pam Grier, Steven Segal, Charles Bronson, The Rock, Nick Cage, Kurt Russell, Jason Statham, Matt Damon, Angelina Jolie, Russell Crowe, John Wayne
One response to “Indisputable Action Hero Mount Rushmore X2
Best Action-heroes on the big screen
”Should point out that Harrison Ford’s Indiana Jones is totally superfluous to Raiders. It has been pointed out that the ending would have been the same for the bad guys. Also, most all of these are 80’s stars and I think Die Hard is the pinnacle of action movies as well as Christmas movies. My favorite, which is more than 25 years old now, is The Matrix with it’s deeper symbolic meaning to the classical action story. It is almost allegorical.