What makes movies so great is their incredible diversity, where fans can indulge in a wide range of masterfully told stories. However, sometimes fans just need a little bit of badass action and entertainment. Leaving little to think about, these movies are some of the most popular films because of theincredibly cool style, action, and moments that enthrall fans with their tough, assertive and admiring style.
While movies likeJohn Wickare becoming a recent staple, badass movies can come from any time, especially the glorious decade of the 2000s. It’s easy to find a cool and hardcore R-rated film, but what istruly impressive is being a badass while remaining within the confines of a PG-13 rating. These films remain tough, mean-tempered, violent, and unforgettable while delivering a (mostly) family-friendly experience of badassery.
10’Iron Man' (2008)
Directed by Jon Favreau
Kicking off things in the MCU, it’s hard to believe thatIron Manwas once a B-list superhero before doing a full 180 to become fans' most beloved hero. After a terrorist group kidnaps weapons manufacturer Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) to build weapons for them, he eventually escapes with his newfound creation and purpose. With his advanced suit finally built, he takes to the skies to fight crime, but his business partner has other ideas for this new weapon.
While Stark has some behaviors in this film that have aged poorly, he certainly does have his fair share of badass moments. Everyone knows cool guys don’t look at explosions, but it’s even cooler when they do it twice, with both Stark and Iron Man doing the iconic pose. With hisnatural charisma and cool suit,Iron Man alone makes this adventure badassand one of thebest movies in the MCU.
9’The Fast and the Furious' (2001)
Directed by Rob Cohen
Back when the franchise actually used to be about cars,The Fast and the Furiousremainsthe most badass in a franchise marinated in badassery. The film has undercover cop Bryan O’Conner (Paul Walker) investigating a series of hijackings, leading him to a street gang where he develops a complex friendship with the members, especially the leader, Dominic Toretto (Vin Diesel).
What makesThe Fast and the Furiousso thrilling and hardcore is the characters; each one provides an incredibly cool personality. To make the film even better,The Fast and the Furioushas a badass cast, making it one of their best movies. Withtough exteriors and action sequences to match, every character is a badass, creating a movie that, while flawed, isa hardboiled and entertaining experience from start to finish.
The Fast and the Furious
8’The Dark Knight' (2008)
Directed by Christopher Nolan
Fans still considerThe Dark Knightthe best superhero movie of all time. More impressively, it manages to hit on the badass moments while remaining widely accessible. Once again centering on Bruce Wayne (Christian Bale) as Batman, the film sees him encounter his biggest problem yet, the Joker (Heath Ledger), who tries to convince the world that everyone is just like him; Batman must prove the opposite.
Batman movies always find the balance between thrills, dark, and badass, with each movie creating an enthralling spectrum more unique than any other superhero movie.The Dark Knight, in particular, relies heavily on each aspect,with Batman having his cold and tough personality on display, more uncompromising than ever. While it is wrong to glorify the Joker, his schemes and intimidating presence could be construed as badass.
The Dark Knight
7’Hellboy' (2004)
Directed by Guillermo del Toro
In many ofRon Perlman’s team-ups withGuillermo del Toro, he finds himself landing the lead role, and 2004’sHellboy, a cult classic superhero movie, is no exception. Summoned as a baby by the Nazis during The Second World War, the Allies rescue Hellboy, who eventually becomes a member of the Bureau of Paranormal Research and Defense, where he and others fight off the dark forces threatening the world.
WithPerlman perfectly cast asHellboy, he naturally exudes the character’s sarcasm and rough voice, creatinga badass lead doing badass things in a badass movie.Hellboyis another example of how simply having an uncompromising and decisive character can make the entire movie feel more hardcore. For example,Hellboyuses his iconic pistol to fight demons and protect the world; there isn’t anything more badass.
6’The Rundown' (2003)
Directed by Peter Berg
Bounty hunter and aspiring chef Beck (Dwayne Johnson) must track down and rescue Travis (Sean William Scott), the son of infamous mobster Walker (William Lucking). This expedition takes him into the deep reaches of the Amazon, where he and Travis must work together to escape while dealing with tyrannical treasure hunters and fighting for the attention of a mysterious rebel.
PutDwayne Johnsonin virtually any action role, and the movie is instantly badass.The actor is the epitome of cool and tough, and this movie gives him ample opportunity to let his badass flag fly. Johnson gets even more hard-nosed as he fights off treasure hunters in the Amazon, systematically destroying their tyrannical rule. If that isn’t badass enough, he doesn’t even use a gun, showing fans that a true action hero can fight with nothing but his talent.
The Rundown
5’Mission: Impossible III' (2006)
Directed by J.J. Abrams
After years of development hell, the studio broughtJ.J. Abramsto helm this long-awaited movie in his directorial debut.Mission: Impossible IIIfollows Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise), training recruits for the Mission Impossible program. However, after the emergence of ruthless arms dealer Owen Davian (Philip Seymour Hoffman), Hunt must come out of retirement as Davian threatens his girlfriend and national security.
Like any otherMission Impossiblemovie, this one offers fans some of the most intense stunts, proving why Cruise is one of the highest-paid actors in Hollywood. The high stakes keep fans at the edge of their seats,delivering incredible stunt workenhanced by Hunt’s characteristic calculating yet physically imposing approach. Witha badass hero and villain along with world-class action,Mission Impossible 3is one of the most explosive movies in the franchise.
Mission: Impossible III
4’The Transporter' (2002)
Directed by Louis Leterrier and Corey Yuen
Living a quiet life in the French Mediterranean, ex-special forces operative Frank Martin (Jason Statham) now lends himself to mercenary work with no questions asked. However, after his latest job requires him to kidnap the daughter of a notorious Chinese crime lord, he gets caught up in a global crime scheme. Along with the feisty daughter, Frank must put a stop to this heinous crime, one badass fight at a time.
Certain actors exude an unspoken badass nature that is ever present in all of their films, andJason Stathamis one of those actors.The Transporteris another one of his endlessly hardboiled personas, full of nothing but mind-numbing action in all the right ways. Statham’ss gruff exterior and personality help build the film’s cool factor, and histhrilling fights and stalwart attitude, which keep him standing no matter the beating, establishone of the most badass characters of Statham’s career.
The Transporter 2
3’The Bourne Ultimatum' (2007)
Directed by Paul Greengrass
The Bourne Ultimatumis the final movie of theBournetrilogy, following Jason Bourney (Matt Damon) as he continues to fill in the gaps of his lost memory. However, after encountering a journalist, the two begin to expose an unsettling conspiracy, leaving Bourne’s former employers to send mercenaries to dispose of him and keep their secrets hidden forever.
Establishing Bourne as one of the most badass characters in fiction,The Bourne Ultimatumsatisfyingly concludes his story while giving fans the most thrilling andrewatchable movie of theBournetrilogy. If fans were somehow unsure of how badass Bourne is, this explosive movie should leave them with no doubts. With some of the most exhilarating action sequences and stunning fights,The Bourne Ultimatumis one last badass journeyfor the character.
The Bourne Ultimatum
2’Taken' (2008)
Directed by Pierre Morel
Takenfollows former government agent Bryan Mills (Liam Neeson), who now wishes to reconnect with his daughter in his spare time. However, after sex slavers kidnap his daughter in France, Mills must use every skill he has to track them down, eliminate them, and get his daughter back. The simple plot and story allow for the badass action moments to shine, with the film being an iconic piece of media.
With a very particular set of skills,Takenis one of the most badass movies ever, to the point many question how in the world it is PG-13. No matter what strings were pulled to do so, the movie is nonetheless incredibly badass, withLiam Neeson on his A-game. His deadly seriousness and terrifying motivation allow him to let loose, delivering some ofcinema’s most iconic badass moments.
1’Casino Royale' (2006)
Directed by Martin Campbell
Reinvigorating theJames Bondfranchise with a new lead and darker style,Casino Royaleestablishes itself as one of its best movies. Learning of a man who finances terrorist organizations, MI6 sends Bond (Daniel Craig) to deal with him through a gambling match, hoping to expose and take care of him. However, things quickly go south as the still-fresh Bond must improvise and deal with the villain with his trademark style.
James Bondis the epitome of a badass, from his calm and suave demeanor to his cool stunts and action scenes.Casino Royaleemphasizes these points, bringing the franchise into a dark tone that onlyenhances the sheer toughness of the character,as he is a bit more brooding and tough. With action galore and bloody cool fights,Casino Royaleis one of the most badassJames Bondmovies,pushing the PG-13 rating to the fullestwith its abundance of violence.
