Bruce Willis savors the Christmas season in DIE HARD.
© 1988 Twentieth Century Fox
Your 25 Greatest Action Heroes
By: Jarrod Sarafin, News EditorDate: Wednesday, October 24, 2007
Source: Entertainment Weekly
The movie fans over at Entertainment Weekly have published a new “Greatest” list, this time focusing on action stars. Basically, they count down the 25 Awesome Action Heroes as they see it in the world of genre cinema. Their list is open to interpretation. At the very least, serious genre fans can question the list.
Click the link above for pictures and reasoning behind their decisions but here it is in a nutshell.
25. Toshiro Mifune—Seven Samurai (1954)
24. Steven Seagal---Under Siege (1992)
23. Sean Connery---Goldfinger (1964)
22. Kurt Russell---Escape From New York (1981)
21. Anne Parillaud---La Femme Nikita (1990)
20. Antonio Banderas---Desperado (1995)
19. Burt Lancaster---The Crimson Pirate (1952)
18. Sylvester Stallone---Rambo: First Blood Part II (1985)
17. Tom Cruise---Mission Impossible III (2006)
16. Jean Reno---The Professional (1994)
15. Jackie Chan---Drunken Master II (1994)
14. Uma Thurman---Kill Bill. Vol 1 (2003)
13. Errol Flynn---The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938)
12. Matt Damon---The Bourne Supremacy (2004)
11. Bruce Lee---Enter the Dragon (1973)
10. Peter Weller---Robocop (1987)
9. William Holden---The Wild Bunch (1969)
8. Arnold Schwarzenegger—Terminator 2: Judgement Day (1991)
7. Chow Yun-Fat---Hard Boiled (1992)
6. Russell Crowe---Gladiator (2000)
5. Keanu Reeves---The Matrix (1999)
4. Mel Gibson---The Road Warrior (1982)
3. Harrison Ford---Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)
2. Sigourney Weaver---Aliens (1986)
1. Bruce Willis---Die Hard (1988)
As I said, it’s as questionable as every other list anyone compiles in the world of genre entertainment. I can name a few factors that ran through my head while reading it. Steven Seagal is on this list but Chuck Norris isn’t?? Peter Weller & Arnold S. are ranked higher then Bruce Lee? For what, using guns? I’m not sure about choices of movies attached to each actor as well. One would think Arnold S. in Commando was a lot more action oriented then his role as the Terminator in T2. At least, they're consistent in their #1 choice. Over the summer, they chose Die Hard as the Greatest Action Film of All Time. It makes sense they’d place the star of the film on the #1 spot for this list.
But enough of my thoughts for this Mania Discussion. What are your thoughts? Who would make your top 25 list of “Most Awesome Action Heroes”? Who would be your top 10?
2. Arnold Schwarzenegger
3. Harrison Ford
4. Bruce Willis
5. Milla Jonovich
6. Keanu Reaves
7. Kurt Russell
8. Sylvester Stallone
9. Mel Gibson
10. Hugh Jackman
11. Kate Beckinsale
12. Michael Keaton
13. Jackie Chan
14. Bruce Lee
15. Wesley Snipes
16. Christopher Reeves
17. Vin Deisel
18. Tom Cruise
19. Sean connery
20. Antonio Banderas
21. Geena Davis
22. Chow yun fat
23. Samuel L. Jackson
24. Peter Weller
25. Chuck Norris