Fast-paced, adrenaline-fueled action games usually have tough heroes who save the day with their courage and fighting skills. These heroes are usually portrayed as young and energetic, but in many cases, old-school action heroes have proven that they can be just as effective at what they do.
Like Jackie Chan in Foreignerand Linda Hamilton in Terminator: Dark Fatethere are more than enough characters like this in this genre to prove that they can kick ass and look as cool as the youth while doing so.
Jackie Chan as Ngoc Minh Quan in The Foreigner (2017)
In this hilarious action thriller, a humble London businessman’s dark past comes to light when his teenage daughter is killed in a senseless terrorist attack and he must hunt down those responsible.
There is something incredibly touching, but at the same time cool in viewing Jackie Chan in Foreigner, playing an aging man struggling to polish his rusty skills. Either way, Chan proves he hasn’t lost his grip. Fueled by grief and a desire for revenge, his character moves in an environment very different from what audiences are used to seeing the actor in.
Harrison Ford as Indiana Jones in Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008)
Very few action heroes are as iconic and influential as Indiana Jones, a dashing professor and enterprising archaeologist. AT kingdom of the crystal skullan elderly Indy travels to Peru in search of an object purporting to have supernatural powers.
Fans had several complaints about the fourth Indiana Jones movie, but Harrison Ford too old for the role, there wasn’t one of those complaints. On the contrary: the actor has done his part well and hopefully he will continue to do so in the upcoming final film of the series.
Al Pacino as Vincent Hanna in Heat (1995)
Michael Mannacclaimed slow-paced crime drama Heat follows a compulsive thief leading a team on various heists in Los Angeles as a determined detective pursues him without rest.
Al Pacino plays Vincent Hanna, a police officer chasing the master thief. He knows how to handle weapons and is incredibly dedicated to his work - perhaps even too much. He’s a truly charming protagonist, and Pacino uses the role to show that his action star skills are just as polished as those of an energetic actor.
Chuck Norris as Booker in The Expendables 2 (2012)
There are many good reasons why Chuck Norris remembered as one of the baddest action stars in film history. So when they brought him on board The Expendables 2fans of the genre knew they were in for a treat.
A gripping sequel is hilarious enough as it is, full of iconic genre stars and testosterone-filled action sequences, but adding a Norris-sized legend in a fun little cameo is the icing on the cake. As you might expect, Booker is a fearsome one-man army, despite the fact that the actor was 71 years old and retired at the time of filming.
Harrison Ford as Han Solo in Star Wars Episode VII - The Force Awakens (2015)
Love or hate Disney star Wars sequel trilogy; if you’re a fan of the giant sci-fi franchise, you must remember the childhood excitement you felt when Harrison FordHan Solo returned to the Millennium Falcon for the first time after years of absence.
Khan is undoubtedly one of the best parts The Force Awakens and the entire sequel trilogy, and Ford fits into the character’s shoes like he never took them off. As sarcastic and reckless as ever, but with the addition of pathos and repressed sadness, he reminded fans why he is one of the most beloved characters in star Wars.
Linda Hamilton as Sarah Connor in Terminator: Dark Fate (2019)
No one expected anything from this legacy sequel/reboot, but Terminator fans surprise, dark fate turned out to be a fun action movie with good reviews and solid fan service.
Sarah Connor, the star of the first two films in the franchise, makes a triumphant return in this film, and it’s a real treat. Simply put, she’s one of the baddest action movie protagonists of all time, so the fact that she’s still an untouchable hero in the late ’60s makes her all the more badass.
Michelle Yeoh as Evelyn Wang in Everything, Everywhere (2022)
Without a doubt, one of the biggest surprises of 2022 has been All Everywhere All At OnceA sci-fi action comedy about an aging Chinese immigrant who discovers that only by connecting with the lives she could lead in other universes can she save them all, including her own.
Michelle Yeoh, one of the biggest female martial arts movie stars, plays the main character. Her line throughout the story and the incredibly fun and creative ways she fights arguably make her the best action movie protagonist of 2022.
Keanu Reeves as John Wick in the John Wick franchise (2014-)
Keanu Reeves has always been an absolute blast of fun in any action movie he’s starred in, but with John Wick Franchise, he took the world by storm. He plays a former hitman who is forced to return to the underworld he left.
The scripts of these films are not what draws people in, it’s the strong action, but Wick is still a fascinating and multi-faceted character that Reeves plays with incredible dedication. Each film’s direction is fantastic, and the sets are some of the best in the genre, so Wick’s age never shows.
Tom Cruise as Ethan Hunt in the Mission: Impossible franchise
When the film series Mission impossible started back in 1996, Tom Cruise was a young action star at the peak of his career. More than two decades later, he’s still at the top of his game, and Ethan Hunt is still the same badass action hero.
Cruz (and it’s safe to assume Hunt too) is in his 60s and still pulling off wild record-breaking stunts that look exhilarating on screen. Determined and fearless, Hunt is the perfect sidekick when you want to get a mission done quickly and efficiently, and watching him complete those missions hasn’t gotten boring all these years and likely won’t happen anytime soon.
Liam Neeson in all his latest films
You have to respect the person who sticks to their brand. In my 70s, Liam Neeson continues to be one of the most prolific and consistent action stars of modern times. Not everyone likes the films he’s been in for the past few years, but those who have the guarantee that if Neeson appears in a film, they’ll love him.
The actor likes to play courageous, tough, reckless heroes and anti-heroes, true to their mission and fearless in the face of danger. Even if a particular film isn’t great, Neeson as the star guarantees a fun time.
Source: Collider
