My Favorite Movie Heroes

When I think of movie heroes, a bunch immediately come to mind. Some are iconic and known the world over and some are a bit more obscure. My initial list for this subject came in at almost forty entries and as I whittled them down to a more manageable selection, I realized that almost all of these are fairly obvious choices. That doesn't bother me too much since I haven't I had the chance to write about most of these movies or characters yet. 

Check out Kyle's blog at Enter the Movies, too, for his list! 

1. Indiana Jones (Harrison Ford)

-- Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)

-- Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984)

-- Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989)

-- Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008) 

As a kid and teen, the Indiana Jones series were some of my favorite movies and I watched the trilogy repeatedly, largely due to how much I adored Indy himself and Harrison Ford as an actor. I wanted to be Indy. My friends and I used to run around the park, pretending to be him. I wanted the whip, the pistol, the leather jacket, and especially the kick-ass fedora. Indy wasn't just a cool and tough action star, either. I loved how smart, funny, and human the character was, too. Indy got beat up and knocked down, but he kept getting back up. He was scared of stuff ("Snakes. Why does it always have to be snakes?") but kept pushing on, intent on completing his quest. Raiders of the Lost Ark is still among my favorite films and Temple of Doom and The Last Crusade would probably make my Top 250 if I made such a list. I enjoyed the latest entry, too, even though it's a very rough and flawed film - seeing Indy back on the big screen was more than enough for me. I'm even hopeful for the rumored fifth installment, now set for 2020. As long as Ford's capable, I'll be in line at the theater to see him don that fedora one last time. 

2. John McClane (Bruce Willis) 

-- Die Hard (1988)

-- Die Hard 2: Die Harder (1990)

-- Die Hard with a Vengeance (1995)

-- Live Free or Die Hard (2007)

Yes, I'm leaving the dreadful fifth installment - A Good Day to Die Hard (2013) - off this list, as I wasn't even able to finish the damn thing. The original Die Hard is probably my favorite action movie of all-time and a big part of its charm is the great character of John McClane, played beautifully by Bruce Willis. McClane is just a regular cop who finds himself in the wrong place at the wrong time and it's this aspect that I love so much. He's not a superhero - though he gets vaguely superhero-ish by the fourth film. Willis wasn't a body builder like Stallone or Schwarzenegger, nor was he a martial arts master like Norris or Van Damme. He seemed like he could actually be a cop in real life. McClane used his smarts and guile to get the jump on the bad guys and I always appreciated that about him. He was tough (as the broken glass scene proved), there's no doubt, but he had vulnerabilities like a real person. Willis, especially back then, had charm to spare and made McClane seem like the perfect guy - cool, funny, smart, and able to get stuff done. 

3. Maximus (Russell Crowe) 

-- Gladiator (2000) 

Gladiator is a bit of a throwback to the epics of the 1950's and 1960's and Maximus always reminded me a lot of Spartacus, but I think both this film and its main character are much more developed and layered than those older films. Maximus' journey - from celebrated general to slave to gladiator - captivated me from the first time I saw the film, during its opening weekend in May of 2000. I went back to see it two more times that first week and loved it each time. Maximus is a damn near perfect movie hero and I was (and still am) intensely drawn to his character. Crowe is just as effective during the quiet emotional moments as he is during the action set pieces and over the course of the 150 minutes, he created a well rounded and instantly memorable hero. 

4. R.P. McMurphy (Jack Nicholson)

-- One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975) 

McMurphy is a different sort of hero, but I think he qualifies nicely for this list. He's not an action hero like the first three entries here, but he does manage to save at least one of his fellow mental ward patients from a life of silence and solitude. McMurphy enacts change on the ward simply by being himself - brash, confident, charming, funny, vulgar, and mean-spirited. He doesn't care what anyone thinks about him or if he offends anyone with his behavior or language and that allows him to get through to the men trapped alongside him at the hospital. Stuck in a depressing environment with a controlling and vile nemesis like Nurse Ratched (Louise Fletcher - look for her on my list of Favorite Movie Villains), most people would have wilted and given in. But not McMurphy. He doubles down on his zaniness and, in the process, becomes something more. Nicholson has been my favorite actor pretty much since I seriously got into film and his portrayal as McMurphy is the shining example of his talents.

5. Will Kane (Gary Cooper)

-- High Noon (1952)

Being a lawman in an old west town pretty much guarantees you're going to be heroic, strong-willed, and trustworthy, but Will Kane has all of these traits, and more, to the extreme. As the US Marshal of Hadleyville, Kane has sworn an oath to protect the town, no matter what the threat is or when it comes - even if it comes to town on your wedding day when you've recently retired and are set to leave on your honeymoon. Kane spends most of the film preparing to fight a gang of outlaws, going around and trying to gather support. Very few of the townspeople will even speak to him and he has little luck finding anyone willing to volunteer to become a deputy. A lesser man would have left and not looked back. Simply proceeded with their retirement and new marriage to the most gorgeous woman in the state, but Kane isn't most men - he's too honorable, strong, resilient, and stubborn to give in. Cooper plays the man with a steely demeanor that perfectly suits the character, but something in his eyes gives away the underlying current of fear. Kane is a true hero and I think he'd be the kind of guy you'd want in your corner, fighting for you, no matter the time or place.

6. Han Solo (Harrison Ford)

-- Star Wars (1977)
-- Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
-- Star Wars: Return of the Jedi (1983)
-- Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015)

Another Harrison Ford role. What can I say? I really love the guy! While the Star Wars films aren't quite as good as the Indiana Jones series, they're still extremely entertaining and the main reason why is clearly Ford and his character, Han Solo. Han is arrogant, snide, sarcastic, and insanely cool. With his trusty blaster and first mate Chewbacca at his side, and the Millennium Falcon at his disposal, Han is nearly unstoppable. He's able to cruise the galaxy in search of schemes and treasures. While he spends much of the original film talking about how he's only out for himself and monetary gain, when the time comes he shows his true colors and saves the day, he steps up and does so - in dramatic fashion. Ford seems tailor made to play this character and is the highlight of each film. When he appeared for the first time in The Force Awakens, I got goosebumps. It was magnificent to see this beloved character - looking much older, but just as cool - back after all those years. Without his heavy involvement, I'm a bit worried about the future Star Wars films. It'll be impossible to replace this iconic character and the hole he'll leave may sink the franchise, for this one fan at least.

7. T.E. Lawrence (Peter O'Toole) 

-- Lawrence of Arabia (1962)

As a film character, T.E. Lawrence is a bit of a mystery. As the audience, we don't get to know too much about the man. For some people, that's a negative, but it didn't bother me. A little mystery in regards to his motivations makes him more interesting, I think. There's no doubt that Lawrence is a great hero, though. He takes dangerous risks to not only complete his mission but also to help the tribal people in their war against the Turks. He becomes their leader, known for his fearlessness and intelligence, and they adopt him as one of their own. O'Toole's performance is remarkably compelling - it's hard to take your eyes off him when he's onscreen - and he showed great chemistry with his costars, which made Lawrence's relationships with them completely believable. O'Toole is also adept at conveying Lawrence's inner turmoil at the level of violence inherent in war as well as his struggles with being loyal to his native Britain or his newfound Arab friends. It's a terrific performance of an iconic character in an epic film.

8. Ripley (Sigourney Weaver)

-- Alien (1979)
-- Aliens (1986)
-- Alien 3 (1992)
-- Alien: Resurrection (1997)

Ripley changed quite a bit as the Alien series went on and these changes weren't always for the better. She made my list mostly because of the first two films and probably would have been even higher if not for the God awful Alien: Resurrection which is not only a terrible film but also features odd changes to her character and the only lackluster performance from Weaver in the whole series. In the original film, Ripley starts out as just a regular crew member. You can tell that her character will be special, and by the end, she's shown how tough and capable she is, but for the most part, she's more of a survivor than a hero. By the second film, she's in outright hero mode and it's a joy to watch. She's stronger, braver, and smarter than all her male counterpoints and does everything it takes to keep a lost little girl safe from the horrendous alien creatures. By the end, when she utters her iconic "Get away from her, you bitch" to the alien queen, she's transformed into a prototypical action movie hero. It's a great moment and certainly deserving of its status to this day.

9. Doc Holliday (Val Kilmer)

-- Tombstone (1993)

While Doc Holliday doesn't necessary seem like your typical hero - he's a gambling, alcoholic robber, after all - there's no doubt in my mind that Wyatt Earp wouldn't have stood a chance against the gang of outlaws in Tombstone without his trusty friend at his side. Throughout the film, Doc is slowly dying from Tuberculosis, but that doesn't keep him from doing what's right time and time again. I will admit that a lot of my love for this character comes from the utterly magnificent performance that Kilmer delivered. His version of Holliday may not be historically accurate - I'm only guessing here, I haven't done any research on the matter - but that doesn't make it any less interesting or thrilling. Kilmer gives him a sly wit, easy charm, and menacing look, all the while looking scarily near death. Tombstone used to be among my favorite films when I was in my teens, but the film as a whole doesn't hold up to my adult sensibilities. Kilmer's performance and Holliday's character do, though. They're just as wonderful for me today as they were when I first saw them in the theater when I was 11.

10. Erin Brockovich (Julia Roberts) 

-- Erin Brockovich (2000)

I'm no great fan of Julia Roberts - I urge you to check out my review of her in My Best Friend's Wedding if you haven't already - but I can't deny how fantastic she is as the real life advocate, Erin Brockovich. It's the role of a lifetime and Roberts doesn't miss a beat. Erin sacrifices a lot - time with her family, a burgeoning relationship with a man whom she could have loved, and her physical and mental health - to pursue a legal case because she believed in what she was doing and desperately wanted to help the families who had suffered. She works practically all day, every day, tirelessly sacrificing for the cause. It's a real life story of perseverance and triumph over huge corporate greed and those who would work just as hard to cover it all up. I'm a sucker for a great ending and Erin Brockovich doesn't disappoint. When Erin is handed her bonus check and is amazed to see the huge amount, a broad smile always crosses my face. Erin's able to help the families get their closure and cash settlements and, in the process, make more money than she ever dreamed possible. She's a hero to them and to her own family, who will never have to worry about money again.

Honorable Mentions:

* Marge Gunderson (Frances McDormand) in Fargo *

* Oskar Schindler (Liam Neeson) in Schindler's List *

* Captain America (Chris Evans) in the MCU series *

* Batman (Michael Keaton) in Batman and Batman Returns *

* Paul Rusesabagina (Don Cheadle) in Hotel Rwanda *

There's my list! What do you guys think? Which of your favorite heroes did I forget? Do you think any of my choices don't belong? Let me know in the comments below! 

Up next in the series, My Favorite Films of the 1970's.