Kurt Russell might be known now for more more family friendly movies but in the 80’s and 90’s he had one kick ass character after another. Today we honor the 5 most bad ass.
5. Gabe Cash
Give Cash credit for surviving an assassin and one of the world’s most unfriendly jails but he’s not higher because he had help from a certain Mr. Stallone. Cash is the maverick of the duo while Tango is the by the books guy. After being a thorn in Jack Palance’s side the two are sent to jail for allegedly killing a federal agent. They escape and eventually simultaneously shoot Palance in the head.
4. Wyatt Earp
First off, mustaches don’t get much more bad ass than that. Wyatt Earp is a legendary lawman of the wild west and in Tombstone, as played by Russell, he had to take on The Cowboys led by the terrible team up of Michael Biehn and Powers Boothe. Fortunately he had his brothers and Doc Holliday with him and engaged in all sorts of bad assery like beating the shit out of Billy Bob Thorton’s crooked card dealer, engaging in the shoot out at the OK Corral and eventually going on a killing spree against The Cowboys. Wyatt Earp is so bad ass in this movie he can wade across a river, wide open to bullets, and not be shot (even though there are about 5 guys shooting at him).
3. Jack Burton
Jack Burton is a wise ass as well as a bad ass. Street smart from all his time driving the Pork Chop Express, Jack is unprepared for the weirdness happening in Chinatown. He adjusts quickly however and is soon fighting off the demonic David Lo Pan and his mystical bodyguards Thunder, Lightning and Rain. Jack is a unique action hero in that he prefers knives over guns. This preference pays off when he impales Lo Pan in the head in one of the sweetest moves in movie history. I just wonder what he did with that hitchhiking monster?
2. Stuntman Mike
Stuntman Mike is basically Freddy Krueger in a muscle car. A serial killer, Mike got his kicks by targeting groups of girls and killing them by causing horrendous auto accidents. He survives because he made his car “death proof” or reinforcing the chasis and adding other safety features. He’s actually diabollically clever because the first group we see him target are getting drunk at a bar and after he kills them the cops assume it’s their fault since they were under the influence. Unfortunately for Mike the next group he targets are the Charlie’s Angelsesque trio of Tracie Thoms, Zoe Bell and Rosario Dawson who, after surviving a harrowing chase, chase down and beat him to death in the ultimate moment of girl power.
1. Snake Plissken
As if you didn’t see this coming. Snake Plissken is one of the biggest bad asses period. His name is “Snake” and he has an eye patch for god sakes! After getting locked away for god knows what he’s brought in to head into the wasteland of New York City to rescue the President. Snake takes on cannibals, gangs, giant thugs and the Duke of New York to eventually rescue the President and gain his freedom. Snake also inspired the creation of one of gaming’s biggest heroes in Metal Gear’s Solid Snake. If you need someone to go into extremely hostile territory there is really only one man to call.