Top 10 Series: The best TV and Movie Heroes
Hello everyone,
Today’s category is TV & Movie heroes.
Those pinnacles in hero’dom who fight the bad guys, kick the a** and save the world over and over again, even if they are not on this Earth. The majority of them are from the movies, yes, but we have a couple small screen a** kickers there as well.
10. Luke Skywalker
First on the list is the hero I encountered as a young boy of five years in 1977. He was to become an iconic character (as do all on this list) and his journey from callow youth, to galactic revolutionary, to Jedi Master is the story arc that drives forward the first Star Wars trilogy. The hero of my all-time favorite film Star Wars is Luke Skywalker and he’s the first on this list.
The Star Wars Saga is, at its core, the story of Anakin Skywalker. His discovery in Episode I, his turn to the dark side in Episode III and his final return to the good side of the Force in Return of the Jedi. While the prequel trilogy focuses on Anakin himself, the original trilogy uses a surrogate; his son Luke who’s journey is similar in narrative and even holds the same conclusion, only where Anakin fails, his son is able to succeed.
Most people may consider Han the cooler of the two, and that might very well be. But a hero isn’t made or broken by his cool factor. It’s the travels they partake and the lives they save. Luke saves his father and that may be the most important rescue of them all.
09. John Rambo
When one uses the term “One Man Army” the first thing that comes to mind of course is John Rambo from the First Blood series. Popularized by Sylvester Stallone in the original First Blood in 1982. A modest hit, the Rambo character became one with the stratosphere of pop culture status with the 1985 follow-up Rambo: First Blood Part II.
Ushering in the new action age, it featured senseless violence, big explosions and nonsensical plots. (Rambo itself inspired a series of ‘Nam action films to make up for the U.S.’s failure there). This new era in action films fizzled out rather quickly as audiences looked for more complex stories, even Rambo III did poorly at the box office with a take of $53,715,611. But the influence on the genre and pop culture cannot be denied.
The image of Rambo has been satirized, mocked, copied and lampooned dozens of times. From Hot Shots Part Deux to Gremlins 2. The name Rambo has meaning in the world’s vernacular beyond the name of the character. With Rocky, Stallone became a Hollywood player, but Rambo turned him into a superstar. And, yes, his ticket was written after the second film in the series.
For a while there anyway.
Despite the failure of the third film, Stallone managed to find interest for a fourth in the series Rambo and the worldwide success of that film has lead to a Rambo V being in the planning stages. For years Rambo stood for American righteousness and strength, though that image might have tarnished in these changing times, his mark has been safely secured for years to come.
08. John McClane
In 1988 we were introduced to a foul mouthed anti-hero who knew how to kick some serious terrorist a** in a little film called Die Hard and movie hero’dom has never fully recovered. Anti-heroes go as far back as the dawn of artistic endeavours, but this anti-hero was slightly different. A relentless fighter for friends and family (specifically his estranged wife), a hard nosed cop in a non-cop movie.
The basic story was simple, a hodgepodge of European and American mercenaries hold hostage an office building on Christmas Eve to rob the multi-national company who owns the tower. John McClane is an unexpected party guest, and once his instincts kick in, mayhem ensues.
McClane returned for 3 sequels, a running joke that he’s always having a bad day. Always at the wrong place at the wrong time. More often than not his adversaries have monetary reasons for their nastiness and in fact the cop is fighting against the thief. With a sardonic wit and Energizer Bunny-like relentlessness, McClane showed the bad guys why he’s good.
Each subsequent film ramped up the action the next degree, even to the point of having McClane in a semi-trailer pursued by an air force jet. One thing did change over time, the extreme potty mouth of Bruce Willis’ alter-ego.
An interesting point my wife made while watching an edited version of Die Hard With A Vengeance. McClane swears a lot, and that fact is interesting since the villains usually are less apt to curse. I re-watched Die Hard and quickly picked up on the fact that Alan Rickman always was the gentlemen.
The latest film in the franchise Live Free or Die Hard was edited to earn a PG-13 rating and so the f**ks and S**ts were toned down and the violence raised. A sad thing since his famous tagline had to be edited. We all know it!
Yippee-ki-yay, motherf**ker.
07. Harry Potter
Not to be confused with another famous British hero, this young wizard introduced to us in 1997 by author J.K. Rowling has become nothing less than a pop cultural phenomenon and the catalyst for thousands and thousands of children to read again.
In this day and age where kids have the attention span of a gnat, Ms. Rowling was able to do what more recent authors have failed, captivate her audience. The film series followed shortly and Warner Bros. took the correct approach, using the same actors for the same parts, keeping a great sense of continuity and importantly hiring young Daniel Radcliffe in the title role.
I will admit that I was not a fan of Harry Potter for a long time, fighting the juggernaut that threatened to envelop me out of spite. Everyone in the world seemed to be suffering from Potter mania and I vowed never to become immersed into it. I didn’t like the books, I didn’t see the films coming out and I hated Harry Potter! HARRY POTTER SHOULD DIE!! That was my motto for a while there.
Then things changed. Mostly my wife-to-be was a fan of both the books and the films and slowly forced me to become a fan. I bought her a copy of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows for her and we had a little film festival to prepare for the film release of Order of the Phoenix. We watched the first four in the series and I will admit that I was a little hasty. But enough about history, let’s talk Potter.
Rowling took all the points in creating a great saga. The series has the usual loyal sidekicks, interesting supporting characters, a great villain and evil henchman and a thought out story from start to finish. The mythology of Harry Potter is extensive and brilliantly put together to make a real world on paper and on film. (My only complaint is the stupid names Rowling uses)
And like all great series the center of it all is the lead Harry himself. The titular character an orphan with magical powers, Harry is simply a junior hero. A Luke Skywalker or James Bond in training. He’s got the baggage, the pain and pressures of hero’dom, but Harry started at the tender age of 11.
Over the course of the series we’ve watched as Harry slowly grew into manhood as he faced harder and harder trials. Two dangerous precursor battles with his mortal enemy Voldemort. Learning the truth about his parents’ death and his relationship with Sirius Black. Facing the return of Voldemort as a friend is murdered before his very eyes. Taking steps towards greater personal responsibility by standing up to the Death Eaters, losing a loved one in the process.
Finally we have the coming war with Voldemort and that should finish his growth and complete his entry into adulthood.
Through it all, Harry has remained steadfast in doing what needs to be done to save the day. Even at 11 he was seeking out the philosopher’s stone and in the second book fought off the Basilisk and Voldemort’s ghost, a feat that would surely see him a snack if not for the fact that he’s the hero.
One final note, this bares a second thought. Rowling has been quite clever in her work, if not her execution of prose. Rowling created a unique character since his fans (assuming they were 11) will grow up with Harry, sharing his life through their own experiences.
Kudos to you JK.
06. Buffy Summers
Joss Whedon introduced us to a cheerleading vampire slayer in the aptly named 1992 film Buffy The Vampire Slayer and though it was a dismal failure at the box office, Mr. Whedon was given a second chance this time on the small screen.
The result was a far better Buffy, a far better story and the universe was set right again. Sarah Michelle Gellar won the (not sure if it was at the time) coveted role of Buffy, replacing Kristy Swanson from the film. Whedon and his talented staff of writers and producers created the Buffy-verse in which our heroine would play and make friends.
The series was noticeable for that ol’ genre trick of tackling real life issues and disguising it under the veil of sci-fi, or horror, or action-adventure, or whatever you can think of. They littered that seriousness with a strong dose of humour and managed to make Buffy both vulnerable and super-strong at the same time. Don’t think there’s a character you can hate in that series, even the bad guys had their appeal.
Each season remained consistent, Buffy and her Scooby gang would fight various monsters leading up to the climatic battle against the current “Big Bad” of that year and earning themselves a restful summer. The top villains were not always consistent and Season 6 was far too depressing with Buffy’s return from the dead and being pissed about it.
Top 7 List of Buffy Villains
1. The Mayor (Season 3)
2. Glory (Season 5)
3. The First Evil (Season 7)
4. Angel (Season 2)
5. The Master (Season 1)
6. Adam (Season 4)
7. The Trio (Season 6)
But all in all the series always remained top notch.
Like all good shows of its day, Buffy had the occasional controversy, such as Season 3’s ending “Graduation Day” postponed due to the Columbine Massacre, or similarly themed episode “Earshot” where Buffy’s newly gained telepathy reveals a sniper at the Sunnyvale high school.
Buffy herself is Joss Whedon’s attempt at subverting the horror genre by turning the blonde victim into the hero. A symbol of female empowerment, Buffy started out as a typical valley-girl who doesn’t have a care in the world to a champion for humanity against the dark forces that threaten to consume us. Whedon willingly remade his heroine for television knowing that the format would suit his needs in telling a story. Starting out as a shallow, vein bubble head, Buffy would grow over seven seasons to a complex character, a young girl who grows into an adult.
Buffy rocks!
05. Ellen Ripley
Before there was Buffy, before Sarah terminated the Terminator, a lone survivor named Ellen Ripley fought the evil Alien and won. Sigourney Weaver came into film prominence when it was decided during the pre-production phase to make the pivotal role of Ripley in 1979’s Alien a woman instead of the planned male.
History was made in action films.
Ripley was the first female character to stand strong and brave against the enemy without having super powers or some sort of edge. Ripley was just as vulnerable as the rest of the Nostromo crew, she survived mostly by sheer will and the luck of having people giving orders that had Ripley not confronting the titular monster.
James Cameron took such a great character and for the sequel ramped up both the action and her humanity turning Ripley a mother bear, fighting for the orphaned Newt and facing her fears, and counterpart, that of the Alien Queen. Cameron was the smart one to know that Ripley was not merely the lynch pin of the series, but the champion for mankind.
The Alien series could not exist without Ripley as our representative and even after killing her off in Alien 3, Ripley was subsequently brought back from the dead for the aptly titled Alien Resurrection. Cinematically the series never went back to the same prominence as the first two, and perhaps someday someone will end the series on a higher note, but to be sure that person will be unable to accomplish it without the woman who kicks Alien butt better than anyone else…Ripley!
04. Sarah Connor
Before he helped to re-affirm Ripley’s status on this list, James Cameron wrote and directed a film which would bring us the “Mother of the Future.” That film was 1984’s The Terminator and that woman was Sarah Connor.
Played by Linda Hamilton in both the original and the first sequel Judgement Day, Sarah evolved from a scared girl to a powerhouse ass kicker who would not be stopped in her quest to prepare her young son John from saving humanity. No small feat I would imagine.
The second film allowed Linda to bring a mega strength to the character, both physically and mentally. The first images of Sarah in the asylum working out had a great effect on the audience and her buff look left an indelible mark on our psyche.
When Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines arrived in 2003, Sarah was noticeably absent from the proceedings and in my opinion weakened the film overall. That and other glaring continuity issues which shall remain nameless.
The homage line of John (Nick Stahl) saying to the new female lead Kate Brewster (Claire Danes) that she “reminds him of her mother,” is a testament to the importance of the character. Simply remarking that she had died of leukemia in 1997 is not the way fans wanted to see her go. I think to have her dramatically give her life for her son, in a fashion Reese gave his life to save his beloved Sarah would have been more fitting.
Recently the FOX network has created the Sarah Connor Chronicles which is an alternate take on the series with another actress assuming the role. Myself I have not seen any episode of this TV show, so I will not give a critique of Lena Heady’s portrayal. I will only say that I think I prefer my Sarah to always be Linda.
03. Indiana Jones
This hero inspired me to become an archaeologist, (until I learned how much studying was involved, and how little adventure there really was) but alas my life took a different route. George Lucas and Steven Spielberg made their first collaboration and that resulted in a franchise that has entertained the world, made them even more money, and given us one the screen’s greatest heroes since James Bond.
The globe-trotting Indiana Jones is third on my list of the best movie & TV heroes.
It was fitting that Sean Connery played his father in Last Crusade since it was Bond who was one of the inspirations for Indy. The two-fisted hero always fought on the side of good, first against Nazis and more recently against the Reds of Cold-War era Russia. Using his sheer brawn, and some brains, Indy always came out on top despite the odds.
Raiders Of The Lost Ark is number two on my fave film list and for good reason. Harrison Ford as Indy Jones was an incredible performance. His academic nature made him smart, his ability to fight an army of German soldiers alone made him tough. He got to do cool things in the course of his adventure and look brave throughout, even when facing a Well of Souls filled with snakes.
Compared to the revival of other past heroes, Indiana Jones remains on the top of the heap due to the audience who pays to see him. Compare the world wide box office returns of these films;
Indiana Jones (Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, 2008) $743,895,951
James Bond (Casino Royale, 2006) $594,239,066
Terminator (T3, 2003) $433,371,112
Rocky Balboa (Rocky Balboa, 2006) $155,363,331
John Rambo (Rambo, 2008) $112,481,829
Keep in mind Indy IV has just left theatres and has not even been released on home video yet. (It’s due out on Oct 14, 2008)
But Indy is number one in returns even after 18 years absent. James Bond has consistently been in theatres and so his returns are expected. Rambo had a 20 year break between films and his (less than stellar) staying power is obvious.
People want Indiana Jones saving the world from evil armies and using those fists to kick some serious butt. Expectation was so strong for this film and I wasn’t disappointed. I used to play to the audio soundtrack (in a makeshift costume; I had the fedora) in my room to the movies. I recorded the sounds myself from the TV. Can’t do that at my age now that’s for sure, I’m married with a 4 month old.
But I sure want to. And that’s because Indiana Jones is whom I’d most want to be.
02. Jack Bauer
Damaged, brooding and emotionally distant heroes are the current trend in film and TV. Personally I like my heroes to be rocks, but I do have an exception. One of the greatest shows on earth is 24. The hero of that series is Kiefer Sutherland as Jack Bauer and he’s awesome. A hero of mythic proportions he’s saved the world 6 times in literally 6 days, no other hero can say that I think.
But what makes Jack so awesome is not his heroism, but the tragedy and self-sacrifice he endures with each passing day. Jack has sacrificed so much for his country and yet he continued to stay loyal and very Bond-ian in his thinking. (see entry#1) Let’s put on a checklist the pain he’s suffered in six seasons of the show.
Day#1 - Wife Teri was murdered, daughter Kim kidnapped, best friend Nina Myers (and former mistress) revealed to be double agent.
Day#2 - Killed quasi-innocent convict, (signs of dark things to come?) made Kim think he died, CTU almost blown up, almost died from heart failure.
Day#3 - Became a heroin addict, lost new girlfriend Claudia, Kim chose boyfriend over fatherly love, killed Nina. (revenge always bad for soul) President (& friend) Palmer resigns from a scandal.
Day#4 - New girlfriend Audrey Raines is kidnapped, Jack tortures Audrey’s ex-husband Paul Raines (he later dies) and alienates Audrey, White House offers Jack to the Chinese for his actions in their embassy, Jack fakes his death and forced to live on the run.
Day#5 - (This one is a doozy!) Former CTU colleagues & friends Tony Almeida, Michelle Dressler and Edgar Stiles are assassinated, Jack is framed for former President Palmer’s murder, former mentor Chris Henderson turns out to be involved in the deaths of his friends, Kim’s discovery of Jack being alive turns her against him, Chinese learn Jack is alive and abduct him, taking him to China.
Day#6 - Jack is saved from Chinese then turned over to terrorists, Audrey is apparently dead, Jack kills former colleague Curtis Manning to protect a former terrorist (he’s needed), nuclear bomb is detonated in L.A. thousands murdered, Jack learns brother Graham (who told the Chinese about his return) and father Phillip are involved in terrorist plot to nuke America (as well as day 5’s plot); both are killed. Audrey is not dead, but mentally unstable and Jack leaves her and his former life once and for all.
It’s amazing that it took a whole 6 days before he finally said “enough” and vanished into the heroic sunset. (Actually it was night so sunrise is more apropos)
Not that that will matter since Jack’s curse is that when a new day comes, he will be invariably drawn into it and save the world yet again. That’s why Jack Bauer is the second best hero of all time.
01. James Bond, 007
Before there was Indy, or Jack Bauer before there was Han Solo, or Luke Skywalker, before them all there stood one man who saved the world from the forces of darkness. That man was a British spy created by the fruitful mind of one Ian Fleming, his code number is 007, but he’s better known as James Bond.
The man’s man and hero to millions of boys and men since he was taken from the pages of the paperback and put on the silver screen in 1962’s Dr. No. Though the Bond books were not widely popular in their day, the film helped to catapult the character into popular culture with a franchise still strong to this day. 6 actors have portrayed Bond in the officially sanctioned Eon Production series, with the first Daniel Craig outing Casino Royale being both a financial and critical success. His next film Quantum of Solace is due out in November of ‘08.
Bond as a hero is iconic, perhaps mythic, in nature. An assassin who has a licence to kill and the emotional detachment necessary for the job, a connosieur’s knowledge & appetites, a raw sexuality (critics say misogynistic) that always attracts his female leads and the kind of luck only a hero can have. Each actor has had a different take on the part, Connery is considered the epitome but I personally think Craig was truest to the role.
In this modern age of broken heroes, the loyalist to the British cause may seem contrite, even naive but its that black & white thinking which makes him a real hero. Even as the world changed around him, Bond remained consistent. The UK was always right in their convictions, those who opposed that way of life was the enemy and needed to be taken out. When Goldeneye (Brosnan’s first turn) came out, Bond tackled such ideas like his latent misogyny and his unwavering loyalty to King & Country.
Robbie Coltrane even asked him; “So Mr. Bond, what is it that brings you to my neighborhood? Still working for MI6, or have you decided to join the 21st century? I hear the new M is a lady!”
Another important issue within the Bond series and the Bond character. With the new millennium came a female boss and he seems to have taken it well. To the core, Bond remains the same man, the same user of women and fine foods, but yet his vulnerability has been revealed to us and we can have a little sympathy for someone who cannot be vulnerable within his realm and shall forever remain closed inside until the day he dies.
Bond is number one! And he will remain number one forever.
your Origami reporter,
L.Manly
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Topics: Television, Movies, Celebrities |
One Response to “Top 10 Series: The best TV and Movie Heroes”
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September 27th, 2008 at 1:41 am
If I were Jack Bauer, I’d get you pizza in under an hour…