Mount Rushmore - Action stars

9,289 Views | 141 Replies | Last: 5 yr ago by Cappo
Brian Earl Spilner
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Started discussing this with some friends after MI6. Here's mine.

Tom Cruise
Arnold Schwarzenegger
Keanu Reeves
Harrison Ford


Edit: Sly Stallone is bumped out by Ford.

Bruce Willis was tough to leave out, but I decided Keanu edges him out due to longevity and variety of movies. Similarly, Will Smith is edged out due to longevity.
Brian Earl Spilner
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Man, I totally forgot about Harrison Ford. He has to be the first runner up behind Stallone, just don't know if I can bump him in since he hasn't really done action since Crystal Skull.
rhutton125
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Tom Cruise has maybe the best all-time resume of anyone when it comes to action.

I'll have to think about mine. It gets complex when you go international. Kung fu stuff.
CheeseSndwch
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Chuck Norris or GTFO!
Orlando Ayala Cant Read
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Cruise Arnold and Sly are probably locks. If the locks are limited to 2 then leave Sly off maybe as a lock.

I think Id actually make Clint Eastwood my 4th.

(If the list is limited to domestic )
mslags97
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Chuck Norris can chisel the Action Star Mount Rushmore with his pecks!!!
Farmer1906
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Give it another 3-4 years and you can add The Rock to it.
Brian Earl Spilner
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How many big action hits has he been the lead in, though?

Skycraper crashed and burned. Rampage bombed.

The upcoming Hobbs/Shaw spin-off is probably a surefire hit, though.
Definitely Not A Cop
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Do westerns count as action?
Farmer1906
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Lead in Jumanji, Scorpian King, San Andreas, Skyscraper, Ranpage, Walking Tall, Baywatch, Doom, The Rundown, Journey 2 the Mysterious Island, and he plays a bigger big role in those silly furious movies and one of the GI Joes.

We can argue which ones are hits or which ones aren't.

How soon can we add Star Lord to this? Or at least in consideration?
Brian Earl Spilner
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A lot of duds and several ensemble pieces in there.

As for Pratt - let's give him 10 years. He's not sniffing this list yet.
Bruce Almighty
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Arnold, Ford, Willis and Cruise. Keanu Reeves and Stallone are up there as well.
The Debt
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Jack Slater, thanks for playing.
Bruce Almighty
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Brian Earl Spilner said:

Man, I totally forgot about Harrison Ford. He has to be the first runner up behind Stallone, just don't know if I can bump him in since he hasn't really done action since Crystal Skull.


What has Arnold done recently? Harrison Ford is the OG of action movies.
Brian Earl Spilner
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He had that Terminator Genisys movie, which actually wasn't awful. And a new one on the way. (Linda Hamilton returning also.)
NC2001
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Chuck
Arnold
Sylvester
John Wayne
Bruce Almighty
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Brian Earl Spilner said:

He had that Terminator Genisys movie, which actually wasn't awful. And a new one on the way. (Linda Hamilton returning also.)


And I'm not saying Arnold doesn't belong, I just don't think that a lack of action movies in the last few years of an actor over 70 years old should be held against him. Indiana Jones by itself puts Ford on Mt. Rushmore. He's the Babe Ruth of action movies.
Brian Earl Spilner
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You're not wrong. Maybe he does belong above Sly.

Indy
Han
Blade Runner
Air Force One
All the Clancy movies

It's a tough call.

But I just love the movies Keanu has done lately, plus all the stunts and fighting he does himself. He's on a similar tier as Cruise in that way.

And I mean, The Matrix is just iconic.
caleblyn
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Van Damme
Mel Gibson
Bruce Lee
Matt Damon
Sean Connery
Eastwood
Bruce Almighty
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Brian Earl Spilner said:

You're not wrong. Maybe he does belong above Sly.

Indy
Han
Blade Runner
Air Force One
All the Clancy movies

It's a tough call.

But I just love the movies Keanu has done lately, plus all the stunts and fighting he does himself. He's on a similar tier as Cruise in that way.

And I mean, The Matrix is just iconic.


I have Ford over Sly for a couple of reasons:

1. His most iconic and best role is in a sports movie, not action.

2. He really hasn't done that many great action movies. Get past First Blood and it's pretty slim pickings once you really look at his filmography closely. Demolition Man and the Expendables are fun movies, but they're not iconic.
Brian Earl Spilner
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You've convinced me.

Ford above Sly
Bruce Almighty
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What about Jackie Chan?
Ulrich
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Yeah, but you have to consider that Sly's career is almost entirely unsullied with drama, romance, horror, family fun, or other such ridiculous distractions. He's been making Rambo, Rocky, and thinly disguised copies for over 40 years.

I start with a pool of Arnold, Sly, Willis, Jackie Chan, Tom Cruise, Clint Eastwood, Harrison Ford, Sean Connery, Kurt Russell, Keanu Reeves, Mel Gibson, Will Smith, Chuck Norris, Vin Diesel, The Rock, Jason Statham, and Liam Neeson.

I'm pretty comfortable knocking Liam Neeson, Keanu Reeves, and Will Smith off the list. After that it starts getting really tough. Most iconic characters? Most worldwide name recognition? Do we give partial credit for Star Wars, Braveheart, or Rocky because they aren't pure action movies? Do the guys who have written or directed great action movies get extra credit? Do tv series count or movies only? Do the 80s count extra because that was the golden age of action movies? Extra credit for doing your own stunts?
Quinn
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Farmer1906 said:

Lead in Jumanji, Scorpian King, San Andreas, Skyscraper, Ranpage, Walking Tall, Baywatch, Doom, The Rundown, Journey 2 the Mysterious Island, and he plays a bigger big role in those silly furious movies and one of the GI Joes.

We can argue which ones are hits or which ones aren't.

How soon can we add Star Lord to this? Or at least in consideration?


Wow, hadn't thought about Scorpion King in forever. One of the worst movies ever made.
wangus12
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Quinn said:

Farmer1906 said:

Lead in Jumanji, Scorpian King, San Andreas, Skyscraper, Ranpage, Walking Tall, Baywatch, Doom, The Rundown, Journey 2 the Mysterious Island, and he plays a bigger big role in those silly furious movies and one of the GI Joes.

We can argue which ones are hits or which ones aren't.

How soon can we add Star Lord to this? Or at least in consideration?


Wow, hadn't thought about Scorpion King in forever. One of the worst movies ever made.
Kelly Hu was pretty hot in it though

AustinAg2K
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Arnold
Jackie Chan
Harrison Ford
Tom Cruise

A couple of honorable mention:
Bruce Lee
Steve McQueen
Mel Gibson
Sean Connery
double aught
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IMO, Harrison Ford is on there no question. You guys haven't even mentioned one of his best films:

The Fugitive

"You switched the samples!"
fig96
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Man, great topic.

I think we've all got a really good sense of who's in that top ten or so, then you've got to figure out your criteria.

Keanu literally redefined the genre with the Matrix, and John Wick is easily one of the best action films of the last decade. He's got two other classics in Point Break and Speed, but from there the resume thins out a bit.

Jackie Chan, Stallone, and Schwarzenegger are up there just on sheer body of work, and they've each got several classics as well. Ford is a bit more diverse but has played several really iconic characters in trilogies as well as some one offs, same goes for Bruce Willis but with a bit less distinction.

Cruise is the one no brainer for me, the Mission Impossible series along with Top Gun, Minority Report, Jack Reacher, Edge of Tomorrow, Last Samurai, and even his not great movies are entertaining as hell.
MSFC Aggie
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I have a soft spot in my heart for Kurt Russell
Burdizzo
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I would have a hard time thinking of Bruce Willis being on this list because my first memory of him was on the TV show Moonlighting. Nice body of work on the action films though.
Mayor West
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Jason Statham?
Cibalo
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I think Cruz and Ford are locks.

Arnold is up there as well he had movies like Conan, Red Sonja, and Beastmaster well before the Terminator movies. Also Last Action Hero, Commando, Total Recall, True Lies, and Predator were good action films. I think it would be hard to leave him off.

The 4th one is hard. Norris, Van Damme, Jet Li, Jackie Chan, Gibson, Reeves, Willis, Sly, Kurt Russel, Bruce Lee. I just don't know maybe between Gibson and Willis. Don't know if I can choose between Lethal Weapon and Die Hard.
Quad Dog
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For probably being the first: Buster Keaton

MookieBlaylock
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That was cool
Bruce Almighty
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Cibalo said:

I think Cruz and Ford are locks.

Arnold is up there as well he had movies like Conan, Red Sonja, and Beastmaster well before the Terminator movies. Also Last Action Hero, Commando, Total Recall, True Lies, and Predator were good action films. I think it would be hard to leave him off.

The 4th one is hard. Norris, Van Damme, Jet Li, Jackie Chan, Gibson, Reeves, Willis, Sly, Kurt Russel, Bruce Lee. I just don't know maybe between Gibson and Willis. Don't know if I can choose between Lethal Weapon and Die Hard.


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