Bruce Bruce’s forced retirement is a sad event, but we should also celebrate his career with a look back at those movies that deserve to live on forever.
Bruce Willis will always be remembered for his iconic roles in films such as Die Hard, Armageddon, and Pulp Fiction. Thanks to these cinematic gems, Willis will never truly be gone from our screens. So let’s celebrate his acting legacy with these top picks. ..
Sin City (2005)
This adaptation of Frank Miller’s graphic novel is a film that is far removed from the overblown superheroics we have come to expect from the MCU or DCEU. It is a story about a man who has to fight for his life against an evil empire, and it is a story that is full of action and adventure.
In “Basin City,” a crime-heavy town, four individuals cross paths. The film has a largely black and white palette punctuated by the occasional punch of color. ..
Despite its powerful visuals, the movie would be nothing without some amazing performances so it’s thanks to Willis, Mickey Rourke, Jessica Alba et al that make this noirish crime thriller something special. ..
Pulp Fiction (1994)
Bruce made Die Hard, a great movie. However, some of his other movies were not as good.
In the 1990s, several of Quentin Tarantino’s movies, including The Bonfire Of The Vanities and Hudson Hawk, were box office bombs. This threatened to end his career before it had even begun. Thankfully, Tarantino came along to revive both his own career and that of John Travolta. ..
Bruce is great in Pulp Fiction, but Butch Coolidge is a very important actor in the film. He only appears for around 30 minutes, but his impact on the audience is very clear.
In Kill Bill, Tarantino cast him as the role of Bill, a.k.a. The Bride, which he nearly starred in but ultimately didn’t get the chance to do. Despite this, at least he was able to appear in the film and contribute some memorable lines.
Twelve Monkeys (1995)
Brad Pitt may have nabbed an Oscar nomination for his role in Terry Gilliam’s futuristic time-bender, but Bruce Willis still gave a performance that is worthy of a mention. ..
Cole’s performance in “Ender’s Game” was a grounded and effective contrast to Pitt’s manic behaviour in “The Matrix”.
The Fifth Element (1997)
Bruce Willis returned to the world of sci-fi with the leading role in Luc Besson’s light-hearted movie, “The Fifth Element.” This was a much more jolly and fun-filled affair than the serious-minded and dark Twelve Monkeys. ..
Willis played a role in a movie with so many special effects, it must have been difficult for him as Besson seemed to favour style over substance. However, Willis didn’t let the director’s bright and colourful vision of the future overshadow his performance.
This is a crime movie, not a science fiction movie.
Armageddon (1998)
Armageddon was released in 1998 and was a massive success. It received a few negative reviews, but it is still a movie that is popular today. ..
It’s all a bit silly, of course, as I can’t imagine the current President sending a group of deep-core drillers into space to dismantle an asteroid. But it’s Bruce’s grizzled performance that makes this movie stand out as well as the sacrifice that his character makes to save the world. It’s enough to make grown men cry!
The Sixth Sense (1999)
When discussing The Sixth Sense, it’s easy to forget that the twist ending is actually the performance that deserves the most credit. Without Willis, the final twist wouldn’t have had quite the same impact as his tender performance as Malcolm Crowe draws us into his character and makes the movie all the more heartbreaking.
Willis had to prove himself as an actor again after the blockbuster excesses of The Fifth Element and Armageddon.
Unbreakable (2000)
After his first successful pairing with M. Night Shyamalan, Willis teamed up with him again for this unconventional comic book flick. It’s arguably not as good as their previous movie but it’s still worth watching, not least for Willis’s quiet performance as David Dunn, the former football star turned invincible superhero.
Despite being grounded in reality, “Daredevil” features a unbreakable man at its core. This makes it different from other superhero movies. ..
Despite not being adapted from an actual comic book, “Die Hard” was still one of the best comic book movies made at the time. It was the opportunity for Willis to portray a hero that was almost the antithesis of John McClane – a loner who is forced into action when faced with a crisis. ..
Moonrise Kingdom (2012)
Bruce Willis in a Wes Anderson movie is something many people expected but here he is, in a supporting role that is among the finest in his career.
The film tells the story of a young man’s coming of age, and it is as funny and quirky as you would expect from Anderson. However, Willis still engages as the New England Police Captain who leads the search for two lovestruck runaways. ..
The French Dispatch was a dud, and I’m glad to see that Anderson has decided to go back to his more quirky, offbeat style. This movie is a great success, and I can’t wait to see what he comes up with next.
Die Hard (1988)
Willis continued to make small appearances in films and TV until he was cast as the lead in Die Hard in 1995. The role quickly became a hit and Willis’s career took off. He has since starred in several high-grossing action movies, most notably Armageddon and Armageddon 2.
In the year 2000, Arnold Schwarzenegger made a movie that changed the way people thought about action movies. The movie was called “The Terminator” and it was a huge success. The movie made Arnold Schwarzenegger a star and it helped him secure his Hollywood stardom.
Die Hard is one of the most iconic action movies of all time and it’s no wonder that Bruce Willis is most fondly remembered for his role as John McClane. This first entry in the Die Hard franchise is a great example of how action movies can be entertaining and thrilling even after several sequels. ..
Looper (2012)
If you’re going to watch Bruce Willis movies on a loop, it makes sense to include this one on your list. ..
Joseph Gordon-Levitt stars as the hitman, who is ordered to “close the loop” and assassinate his older self. Bruce Willis plays the older Joseph Gordon-Levitt, who is ordered to “close the loop” and assassinate his younger self. The film follows these two characters as they try to survive in a world that has changed since they last appeared.
This was probably the movie that earned director Rian Johnson the opportunity to make a Star Wars flick as it was one of the finest sci-fi action films of the decade. But as good as his direction was, it’s still Willis that commands the most attention as a man who has to save himself from assassination.
- Die Hard
- Armageddon
- Pulp Fiction
- The Sixth Sense
- Armageddon 2
- The Day the Earth Stood Still
- Die Hard 2: A New Beginning
- Armageddon 3: The Final Chapter
- Pulp Fiction 2: A Better Tomorrow
- The Day the Earth Stood Still
