Top 40 Badass Movies of the Last Ten Years
I’m sure you’ve come across this kind of movie. The one where right from the beginning you know it will be know no-holds barred. The gritty, in-your-face, relentless, gasp-for-air kinda films that can come from many genres, be it horror, action, suspense, or what have you. Wanton and careless disregard for life is often a common trait throughout. Violence, gore, cursing, and multiple headshots, yeah they’re here too. And you normally have a single character whose extreme attitudes and behavior are admirable. Think classics from the Schwarzenegger oeuvre, such as from his Commando days. Other classics include The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly, Scarface, Dirty Harry, and many of John Woo’s earlier works such as The Killer or Hard Boiled.
I’ll grant you, these aren’t always the best movies from an artistic standpoint, but they can be highly entertaining. And here are some of the best examples from the last decade. Sure, there are better action movies out there. And sure there are better overall movies. But these kind of movies make you think the individuals are just Jack Bauer/Chuck Norris-style badass.
40. Rambo (2008)
Rambo’s heyday may have been in the 1980s, but the latest installment doesn’t disappoint with this one man killing machine. For example, Stallone rigs a nuclear bomb and then outruns the blast radius and also single handedly ends the Burmese civil war with a truck mounted machine gun. If you ever wanted to see a guy’s head turn into a scrambled egg, then this is for you.
39. Payback (1999)
Sometimes, you just like to watch a badass do his thing. Gibson plays Porter, who’s basically just a total bad ass, doesn’t care about anything or anyone and is hell bent on revenge. I guess that’s what happens when you’re shot by your wife and best friend and are left to die.
38. Man on Fire (2004)
Teaming up Christopher Walken and Denzel Washington in a movie is never a bad thing. Having it happen in this extremely violent movie about kidnapping and corruption in Mexico City only sets itself up for Denzel to kick ass.
37. Exiled (”Fong juk”) (2006)
Exiled reminds you a bit of those Sergio Leone spaghetti westerns, except set in Macau circa 1998. Plenty of gunfights are present, and it shows Hong Kong still leads the trend in innovative action film-making.
36. Collateral (2004)
Michael Mann directed Collateral, and you can see that this is the same man that brought us awesome movies like Heat. Tom Cruise stars in this one as Vincent, an ice cold contract killer ready to burst forth at a moment’s notice with lightning quick reflexes to bring about sudden violence. As an utterly ruthless hitman, Cruise is excellent as he picks people off in the Los Angeles night.
35. Running Scared (2006)
This is the kind of movie that will get your pulse running out of control. In addition to extreme graphic violence, this film uses the f-bomb at least 315 times, features a chick killing people at point blank, a shot of someone getting their nuts blow off, and a final shootout at a hockey rink with glow in the dark paint. It has it all: drug addicts, hookers, mobsters, wife beaters, pedophiles, crooked cops, and pimps
34. Dawn of the Dead (2004)
Zack Snyder know how to make entertaining films, and this Romero remake launched his film career that we now enjoy. Would you like to see fast zombies? Check. Head shots? Check. Dismemberment? Check. It is chock full of bizarre creepiness, like when a zombie baby gets shot, plus it adds on Ving Rhames and plenty of guns.
33. Smokin’ Aces (2006)
Any movie that kills of Ben Affleck can’t be all bad. If you hadn’t had the opportunity to watch Smokin’ Aces yet, then do yourself a favor and get that popcorn popping! The sole point of the movie is a bunch of hitman attempt to pour pour boxes of bullets into one man, played by Jeremy Piven. In addition to the gun play, it also adds touches of grim humor and a dash of eye candy. Sounds like a fine recipe.
32. Open Range (2003)
Nothing says badass like an old-fashioned western. They don’t make that kind of film much anymore, but Kevin Costner and Robert Duvall team up for one of the better modern incarnations. There’s only one gunfight in the picture, but it is worth the wait and it makes you hearken back to stuff from Sam Peckinpah or Clint Eastwood.
31. Road to Perdition (2002)
Come see Tom Hanks wipe out almost an entire mob by himself. Irish mob movies don’t get much better than this 1930s gangster flick. For an added bonus, Jude Law’s performance as the psychopathic hitman Harlen Maguire was chilling.
Great list. It’s clear you put a lot of time and energy into this. I want to preface this with the fact that I haven’t seen all these movies, so I don’t have a full knowledge base to draw from, but I have a couple of critiques.
I think Boondock Saints has to ranked higher. It was non-stop action, great story line, no romance, and just an all-around well done movie.
I also think Gangs of New York has to make the cut somewhere. I know their was a love story, but it had more action and undertones of manhood than many of these movies.
Just my thoughts.
[...] Top 40 Badass Movies Of The Last Ten Years (Gunaxin) [...]
The list is not bad but I agree it should state only over the last 10 years. Almost any Clint Eastwood or Charles Bronson movie should make the list. The last Batman movie should also have made the list because of Heath Ledgers portrayal of the Joker. “I bet I can make this pen disappear”
Great list. +1 for including A Bittersweet Life, it really should be more well known.
Braveheart? Pulp Fiction? Reservoir Dogs? Kick the overrated and underwhelming Boondock Saints out and add a film more deserving.
good call on fight club and old boy tough….
Oh yeah….GOODFELLAS? WHERE IS GOODFELLAS?
maybe next time i will actually read the entire article headline and not just the first few words.
where’s the matrix????????
[...] Buzz Aldrin will knock you out – Blog of Hilarity A Humorous Gallery of People Caught Mid Jowling – Uncoached Top 40 Badass Movies of the Last Ten Years – Gunaxin [...]
Decent list… but it ultimately fails. I think you’ve forgotten to pay respect to Mr. Bruce. (Sin City does not count, it’s an ensemble cast). We all know Live Free or Die Hard wasn’t classic McClane, however, it is certainly better than that puckered pussy Paul Walker and Running Scared.
I’m requesting an amendment. Not for me. For Mr. Bruce and his harmonica.
[...] Gunaxin has a damn good list of the Top 40 Badass Movies of the Last Ten Years. [...]
[...] 40 Badass Movies of the Last Ten [...]
[...] Top 40 Badass Movies of the Last Ten Years – Gunaxin [...]
[...] ♣ Top 40 Badass Movies of the Last Ten Years [Gunaxin] [...]
I’m not going to lie to ya man, but some of your choices are just plain stupid… You really put smoking aces above rambo? Rambo, the movie with no story just 90 minutes of rape and dismemberment?
This list reads less like a well crafted list and more like a college freshman’s shopping list at the local wal mart.
Man Adam, you’re lucky you corrected those previous statements.
The new Rambo was a piece of shit. Payback at 39? Seriously? You have Spartan at 14 and Payback at 39…you have to be shitting me.
Overall the list is acceptable but surely “3000 Miles to Graceland” could’ve cracked the top 40.
[...] Top 40 Badass Movies of the Last Ten Years – Gunaxin [...]
[...] Top 40 bad ass movies. I got a big problem with some of the top 10. But no one ever wants my opinion on nuffin [...]
I have seen everything on this list minus Layer Cake. These are definitely some of the greatest movies of all time if you ask me. The order is ridiculous though. Gladiator over oldboy. Equilibrium over versus. I cannot believe shoot em up is even on there. Otherwise it is like someone got a list of awesome films and randomly put them together.
NO freakin’ way is 300 more badass than The Departed!
[...] Top 40 Badass Movies of the Last Ten Years – Gunaxin [...]
[...] Top 40 Badass Movies of the Last Ten Years – Gunaxin [...]
Can’t believe you forgot American Gangster.
you really fucked up this time mr. anderson!! you know dat? you really fucked up! SCARFACE!! damn idiot boy.
i just want to note the departed has no bussines being on this list, it is merely a bad remake of an infinitly better infernal affairs or mou gaan dou !
You can’t have a list that excludes Don (Ben Kingsley) from Sexy Beast. Second best bad guy ever imo.
Hey retards stop listing movies that are old as shit…the title clearly states OF THE LAST 10 YEARS meaning nothing older than 1999
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