The Hero

[dex]

I just rewatched Taken, so I thought it would be neat to determine The Hero of all movie heroes. We will do this by one-upping each other. The rules:
- The Hero should be balanced: realistic (so no Sean Connery as 007), cool, kick-ass.
- Since this is silly, Hero will be referred to by actor's name.
- Heroines, too, of course.
- Argue why your pick is better than the current candidate.

So, who beats Liam Neeson in Taken?

[TheOogieBoogieMan]

Feb 11, 2010 16:33:40 GMT -5 dex said:

- The Hero should be balanced: realistic (so no Sean Connery as 007)

No superheroes either, then?

If we're going for tough-guy action heroes, I'll nominate Bruce Willis in Die Hard, and Die Hard with a Vengeance, to a lesser degree (Die Hards 2 and 4 don't figure in at all). Tough, smart, funny, and fighting Germans in the name of his estranged wife.

I liked Taken, but Liam Neeson's action choreography always seemed a little too perfect. Meanwhile, John McClane has to contend with tiny terrorist shoes, broken glass, and Alan Rickman with an American accent. And he still comes out on top.

I'm curious what other people think... who beats Bruce Willis in Die Hard?

[PoolMan]

NOBODY beats McClane. End of game.

Taken was a decent enough movie, but my main problem with it was how more and more contrived the story had to get to work. The daughter just happens to room in Europe with someone dumb enough to hand out both their address and the fact that there's no one there to protect them. Neeson just happens to get the one guy in the room who says "good luck" like he heard it on the phone (and by the way, it sounded nothing like the guy on the phone). And it just kept going.

It was fun. I liked it. I liked Neeson quite a bit. But the story was just so jarring.

Anyway. McClane, woot!

[bigtuna]

Arnold Schwarzenegger from Predator. I'm not denying that John McClane is a bad ass of the highest degree, I'm just saying, Dutch would ruin his day. even if we take the Green Beret training out of the picture, Dutch's arms are the size of McClane's legs, and i don't believe for a second that McClane could take that many direct punches from a predator when a long haired Ralph Lauren model was almost too much for him.

also, Green Beret training.

So, who beats Arnold Schwarzenegger from Predator?

[RobOfTheDead]

Chow-Yun Fat in every John Woo movie he acted in is definitely a contender for most badass hero just for the duel handguns alone.

I now cue you to this scene from Hard Boiled and yes, the movie gets crazier from there.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=3wYCh5nxyCI&feature=related

[dex]

Ah, sorry, slip of the keyboard: meant to type "Roger Moore" instead of "Sean Connery" to hint at the required realism.

Sure, Taken has lazy story-telling, but I think it's neither too bad nor too jarring. And although we started not too high up with Liam Neeson, we escalated rather quickly, didn't we? Sure, Bruce Willis rules*, but for a more rounded out Hero, especially compared to Predator's Arnie:

*Oh, and Chew Your Fat also presides over the Hall of Fame, of course, but since I can't hit anything with one pistol, I rule him unrealistic. I'm just that petty.

Mel Gibson in Payback. He jumps into the fray for no reason and lets himself get tortured, just to marginally improve his plan. Willis and Arnie stop when the job's done, but it ain't over until Gibson says so. But he doesn't do anything impossible afair. Plus, he saves the girl and the dog, so he had something to lose.

Oh, and thank you that nobody mentioned Chuck Norris.