The Tower's Greatest Ever Movie Heroes
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Ok, time to kick things off again (apologies for being tardy folks). I'm just gonna dive right in and start posting my write ups later, I've kept you all waiting long enough:
39. Aragorn son of Arathorn
38. Morpheus
37. "Dirty" Harry Callahan
36. Lt. Vincent Hanna
35. Leon
38. Morpheus
37. "Dirty" Harry Callahan
36. Lt. Vincent Hanna
35. Leon
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Favorite Movies
How the hell did I miss this thread! Full of win and rep! Keep it going!
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Favorite Movies
Ok, sorry for the long absence, uni and exams and all that. Now I'm finally on a break, so I'll post the remainder of my list which I've had saved on my computer for months. However, yall will have to wait a bit more for some of the write ups.
20. Doctor Manhattan
21. William Wallace
22. Clarice Starling
23. Jack (Chinatown)
24. Frank Serpico
25. Elliot Ness
26. Forrest Gump
27. Rambo
28. Simba
29. Ethan Hunt
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Favorite Movies
15. Andy Dufresne
16. Samwise Gamgee
17. Maximus Decimus Meridius
18. Rocky Balboa
19. Atticus Finch
16. Samwise Gamgee
17. Maximus Decimus Meridius
18. Rocky Balboa
19. Atticus Finch
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Favorite Movies
Ok, so here we are, hitting the top 5! Let's start:
5. Han Solo
Portrayed in 4 movies (so far) by Harrison Ford
Star Wars is a cultural phenomenon which has made a lot of people in Hollywood extremely successful and one of those is Harrison Ford, a struggling actor before A New Hope first hit the big screen. With Han Solo, Lucas and Ford crafted the perfect maverick hero, a rogue with a heart of gold. This is the type of character that Ford would become perfect in playing.
Now, I'm not the biggest Star Wars fan but there's no denying certain aspects of the franchise, the fun, the technical brilliance and of course, the iconic characters. Han Solo has be come one of the most iconic faces in cinema, his roguish charms often imitated but never, ever duplicated. Han Solo is the original bad boy with a heart and it's impossible not to root for him.
Portrayed in 4 movies (so far) by Harrison Ford
Star Wars is a cultural phenomenon which has made a lot of people in Hollywood extremely successful and one of those is Harrison Ford, a struggling actor before A New Hope first hit the big screen. With Han Solo, Lucas and Ford crafted the perfect maverick hero, a rogue with a heart of gold. This is the type of character that Ford would become perfect in playing.
Now, I'm not the biggest Star Wars fan but there's no denying certain aspects of the franchise, the fun, the technical brilliance and of course, the iconic characters. Han Solo has be come one of the most iconic faces in cinema, his roguish charms often imitated but never, ever duplicated. Han Solo is the original bad boy with a heart and it's impossible not to root for him.
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Favorite Movies
4. James Bond
Portrayed by: Sean Connery, George Lazenby, Roger Moore, Timothy Dalton, Pierce Brosnan and Daniel Craig
James Bond is as iconic a literary and movie character as any in the history of both mediums. Across 24 films (in the main canon) and over five decades in cinema, Bond...James Bond has become every bit as important to cinema as any hero ever.
It's in the strength of the writing, the literary heritage and the men who have played England's finest, that the characters has gone through multiple iterations and themes. From the camp and suave of Connery in the 60s, through to the modern day, darker, grittier, meaner version of Daniel Craig.
Some roles are made iconic by the men who play them and other roles make the men who play them iconic. Bond is the latter. Would Connery or Moor or Brosnan and lately, Craig, become household names without Bond? I think not.
James Bond is the archetypal spy, cocky, resourceful, a hit with the ladies and of course, violent when the situation requires it. It's hard to like him at times and on a personal level, I can never get away from his misogynistic and right wing minded antics, perfectly personified by the line, "For England, James". Yet it is difficult to stay away from the Bond movies, they are big, bold, loud and action packed. The perfect cure for a rainy Sunday afternoon.
Portrayed by: Sean Connery, George Lazenby, Roger Moore, Timothy Dalton, Pierce Brosnan and Daniel Craig
James Bond is as iconic a literary and movie character as any in the history of both mediums. Across 24 films (in the main canon) and over five decades in cinema, Bond...James Bond has become every bit as important to cinema as any hero ever.
It's in the strength of the writing, the literary heritage and the men who have played England's finest, that the characters has gone through multiple iterations and themes. From the camp and suave of Connery in the 60s, through to the modern day, darker, grittier, meaner version of Daniel Craig.
Some roles are made iconic by the men who play them and other roles make the men who play them iconic. Bond is the latter. Would Connery or Moor or Brosnan and lately, Craig, become household names without Bond? I think not.
James Bond is the archetypal spy, cocky, resourceful, a hit with the ladies and of course, violent when the situation requires it. It's hard to like him at times and on a personal level, I can never get away from his misogynistic and right wing minded antics, perfectly personified by the line, "For England, James". Yet it is difficult to stay away from the Bond movies, they are big, bold, loud and action packed. The perfect cure for a rainy Sunday afternoon.
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Favorite Movies
3. Luke Skywalker
Portrayed by Mark Hamill
A long, long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away, there was the nerdiest hero of all time...and I quite like him. Heroes are meant to be the good guys, emphasis on good. They're meant to save the day, be selfless, not know their full potential and yes, rescue the princess...Luke does all that and more, like you know, kissing the princess before he realises that's his sister.
Lucas and whoever else was involved in making Luke what he is today, preserved the innocence of a bygone age, as Luke is a hero without any of the qualms or teen angst of modern day good guys. He doesn't want to look particularly cool, he actually wants to learn new things and cares about saving strangers. In the age of cynicism, Luke Skywalker is the perfect antidote.
Of course, Luke wouldn't be who he is without the boyish charms and country boy looks of a certain Mark Hamill. Now, I'm not saying Hamill is a great actor, such as the other men and women who played other heroes on this list but he suits the Jedi in training down to a tee.
Star Wars is probably one of the last, live action, family friendly franchises left in Hollywood and it's great to see that the face, the hero, is someone we can all root for.
A long, long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away, there was the nerdiest hero of all time...and I quite like him. Heroes are meant to be the good guys, emphasis on good. They're meant to save the day, be selfless, not know their full potential and yes, rescue the princess...Luke does all that and more, like you know, kissing the princess before he realises that's his sister.
Lucas and whoever else was involved in making Luke what he is today, preserved the innocence of a bygone age, as Luke is a hero without any of the qualms or teen angst of modern day good guys. He doesn't want to look particularly cool, he actually wants to learn new things and cares about saving strangers. In the age of cynicism, Luke Skywalker is the perfect antidote.
Of course, Luke wouldn't be who he is without the boyish charms and country boy looks of a certain Mark Hamill. Now, I'm not saying Hamill is a great actor, such as the other men and women who played other heroes on this list but he suits the Jedi in training down to a tee.
Star Wars is probably one of the last, live action, family friendly franchises left in Hollywood and it's great to see that the face, the hero, is someone we can all root for.
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Favorite Movies
2. The Terminator
Portrayed by Arnold Schwarzenegger
Now, here we are, the penultimate hero on my list and it's one that I'm sure will divide a lot of opinions. In the original Terminator movie, the T-101, portrayed by a menacing Arnie, is the opposite of the hero but by the time the sequel rolled round, Arnie was the biggest star in Hollywood and there was no way he was going to be the bad guy.
It's that one movie, T2: Judgement Day, that solidified the T-101 not only as a hero but quite possibly the most iconic screen character of the late 20th century. The catchphrases, the action sequences and Arnie at his absolute peak, there's nothing quite like him or T2 as a
movie.
Of course, in the years that have followed, Hollywood has tried to rebuild the Terminator brand, first with an aging Arnie, picking up a retirement check before he left to become the governator, then without Arnie and once more with an aging Arnie (now no longer the governator). The problem is, T2 was lightning and that doesn't strike twice.
It's a shame that the franchise has suffered so much but people, mostly any way, only ever remember the first two movies and it's the second that has gone on to reach legendary status, as has Terminator as a good guy. The robot assassin with a heart.
Now, here we are, the penultimate hero on my list and it's one that I'm sure will divide a lot of opinions. In the original Terminator movie, the T-101, portrayed by a menacing Arnie, is the opposite of the hero but by the time the sequel rolled round, Arnie was the biggest star in Hollywood and there was no way he was going to be the bad guy.
It's that one movie, T2: Judgement Day, that solidified the T-101 not only as a hero but quite possibly the most iconic screen character of the late 20th century. The catchphrases, the action sequences and Arnie at his absolute peak, there's nothing quite like him or T2 as a
movie.
Of course, in the years that have followed, Hollywood has tried to rebuild the Terminator brand, first with an aging Arnie, picking up a retirement check before he left to become the governator, then without Arnie and once more with an aging Arnie (now no longer the governator). The problem is, T2 was lightning and that doesn't strike twice.
It's a shame that the franchise has suffered so much but people, mostly any way, only ever remember the first two movies and it's the second that has gone on to reach legendary status, as has Terminator as a good guy. The robot assassin with a heart.
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Favorite Movies
Now this is quite a personal list, so it will not be consistently objective, however, I am keeping the quality of the movies these "heroes" have been in as a major criteria. Some of these heroes have been played by multiple actors over many decades and become an integral part of Hollywood but they were not necessarily creations of Hollywood, some of them may find their roots in literature, whether it be novels of comic books.
So let's start at number 50:
So let's start at number 50:
50. Captain Jack Sparrow
Portrayed by Johnny Depp in all 4 outings
Who would have thought that a theme park ride could give rise to one of the biggest movie franchises of the 21st century and turn an odd ball actor into a Hollywood icon. And that's where the success of the franchise lays, in the creation of Depp's most famous character: Captain Jack Sparrow. I went into the original movie with low expectations but came away a massive fan.
The original still stands as the best of the series and a shining example of a summer blockbuster with heart. The core of this movie is Depp's performance , he elevates it beyond typical popcorn fare and allows us to like a character who, let's be honest, is quite unlikable. He lies to get what he wants, he cheats, he steals but ultimately ends up having a change of heart. It's a cliched yet well made story arc and props Sparrow in at 50 on my list. This is a guy who is a reluctant hero but aren't all of the best heroes a tad lazy?
Who would have thought that a theme park ride could give rise to one of the biggest movie franchises of the 21st century and turn an odd ball actor into a Hollywood icon. And that's where the success of the franchise lays, in the creation of Depp's most famous character: Captain Jack Sparrow. I went into the original movie with low expectations but came away a massive fan.
The original still stands as the best of the series and a shining example of a summer blockbuster with heart. The core of this movie is Depp's performance , he elevates it beyond typical popcorn fare and allows us to like a character who, let's be honest, is quite unlikable. He lies to get what he wants, he cheats, he steals but ultimately ends up having a change of heart. It's a cliched yet well made story arc and props Sparrow in at 50 on my list. This is a guy who is a reluctant hero but aren't all of the best heroes a tad lazy?
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Favorite Movies
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User Lists
Nice to see some love for Andy in The Shawshank Redemption...one of cinema's most awesome heroes.
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Favorite Movies
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User Lists
Here we go...the number one choice is (drum rolls please):
1. Indiana Jones
Portrayed by Harrison Ford
What makes a great movie hero? They have to be charming, brave, funny and willing to give up personal gain for the cause, whatever that cause may be. In a nutshell, that describes Indiana Jones, who can be cocky and obnoxious but ultimately, he always does the right thing. Not to mention he can charm the pants off anyone and look good wearing a fedora and carrying a whip.
Harrison Ford, with a little help from George Lucas, has crafted two of the best movie heroes around and Indiana Jones rises above Han Solo because the archaeologist is the central focus of three of the best blockbusters ever. I know, there's a 4th movie but we won't talk about that.
From battling Nazis to fighting evil Gods in India to running from giant boulders, Indy has done it all. It's unusual to put together such fun, at times cheesy and downright stupid movies and make them work. In my personal opinion, the Indiana Jones movies work because of Indy himself, he's likable and in a weird sort of way, relatable. What more could Hollywood ask for?
What makes a great movie hero? They have to be charming, brave, funny and willing to give up personal gain for the cause, whatever that cause may be. In a nutshell, that describes Indiana Jones, who can be cocky and obnoxious but ultimately, he always does the right thing. Not to mention he can charm the pants off anyone and look good wearing a fedora and carrying a whip.
Harrison Ford, with a little help from George Lucas, has crafted two of the best movie heroes around and Indiana Jones rises above Han Solo because the archaeologist is the central focus of three of the best blockbusters ever. I know, there's a 4th movie but we won't talk about that.
From battling Nazis to fighting evil Gods in India to running from giant boulders, Indy has done it all. It's unusual to put together such fun, at times cheesy and downright stupid movies and make them work. In my personal opinion, the Indiana Jones movies work because of Indy himself, he's likable and in a weird sort of way, relatable. What more could Hollywood ask for?
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