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With his persona as King Leonidas in300 , Gerard Butler cemented his piazza as a household name and a raw material of action movies with him making many other notable contributions to the writing style in the geezerhood since .
update on July 25th , 2021 by Mark Birrell : Gerard Butler has had winner in romantic comedy and mysterious thrillers , but the actor is still best recognized for his activity roles . Even in the animated How to Train Your Dragon franchise , his booming articulation adds an extra shot of Adrenalin to the fantasy adventure stories . What are Butler ’s best all - out action moving-picture show though ? From disaster epics to crime capers , the actor ’s activity movies have a little bit of something for everyone .
Greenland (2020)
● Available on HBO Max
A more low - key – yet still highly volatile – catastrophe movie compared to a vital and commercial misfire likeGeostorm , Greenlandstars Butler as a married man and father trying to save his family from the close at hand apocalypse of a major planet - killing comet hit .
Butler ’s lead is nothing special compared to his ordinarily unstoppable action heroes but that tot up something to the movie ’s emphasis on dramatic play and tension , with the family fighting impossible odds to somehow make it through the hellish situation alert and the crisis bringing out both the good and bad in mankind .
Hunter Killer (2018)
● Available on Peacock
Gerard Butler leads this big - scale military activity movie as a submarine commander involved in the saving of the Russian President of the United States during a putsch attack , with supporting body of work from the like of Gary Oldman and Michael Nyqvist adding some supererogatory pedigree to the proceeding .
With Butler charter billing beneath the waves , a Navy SEAL team on the ground , and the top face make out with the confusing intelligence information , the natural action has lot of variation with passel of sizzle observe the machination high , even if the picture is a moment of a wilfully predictable throwback .
Olympus Has Fallen (2013)
● useable on Netflix
Just one of twoDie - heavily - inspired moviesset in the White House unblock in 2013,Olympus Has Fallenboasts an all - genius plaster bandage , and like any cataclysm picture , that adds to the silly merriment . Director Antoine Fuqua bring an old - fashioned exuberance to the legal action as the White House is have over by terrorist and Butler ’s last remaining action hero , Mike Banning , fights to save up the President of the United States .
With an excessiveness of blood and brash language , the moving picture catch John McClane ’s signature attitude and technically beat Roland Emmerich’sWhite House Downat the box office , thanks to its low budget , spawning a bonafide action dealership despite its lack of originality .
Reign Of Fire (2002)
● Available on Prime Video and Cinemax
sovereignty of Firetakes place in a close - future UK that ’s the epicenter of a break of firebreathing tartar that have desolate the world . Butler takes a hold up role alongside Christian Bale ’s lead here but it ’s Matthew McConaughey who really steal the show as an Ahab - like dragon hunter .
Something of a cult classic , this dragon - pocalypse fib is a wizardly surprise , perhaps if only for take itself so very seriously , which queerly works in its favour . With such a high - concept assumption most films would angle into the absurdity . By doing exactly the inverse , Reign of Fireactually spins a catchy adventure out of intimate themes and tropes .
Angel Has Fallen (2019)
In a critical move , the “ Fallen ” franchise vigorously reverse course from the step up heavy - scale of measurement legal action in its third installment . Instead , Angel Has Fallenaims for a more intimate narration by address Banning ’s age and exploring his transmissible problems . Banning ’s preceding take hold of up with him , he involve medication , and he ultimately reconvenes with his father .
Not without its own hardening of military action genre tropes , the picture still bump off these beat with gusto . An elaborate assassination attempt on the president using a swarm of explode drone is a definite highlight . However , the big standout of the picture show is doubtlessly Nick Nolte as Banning ’s father . The veteran soldier actor swank his talent and has a very natural chemistry with Butler .
Machine Gun Preacher (2011)
The violence in this movie is by chance graphic , although it palpate more stylish when depict the biker - gang lifestyle . Still , the action mechanism tropes are mostly upchuck by after Butler ’s protagonist change course early on , turn from a life of crime to a vocation as a preacher combat with the Sudan People ’s Liberation Army .
base on the unfeigned news report of Sam Childers , the write up explores how the most violent and tragical life can genuinely recover and do good . accordingly , Butler is whole unlikeable to lead off with but the supporter ’s redemption is fascinating and sincere . The difference of opinion it depicts is also shocking and call for attention .
Den Of Thieves (2018)
● Available to rent on Apple television receiver
This epic crime play is , in a plenty of ways , a remake ofHeat , a authoritative duel in the city between cops and robbers . Butler ’s top cop has marital issues , while the bank robbers have likable relationship and intense friendships . However , the law enforcement depicted here is far more ethically murky , being unusually ruthless .
The celluloid is definitely steady down for the bank robber , who many viewers get their thrills from anyway . Still , Butler ’s character is also distinctly clever . Overall , the game of true cat and mouse is n’t nearly as interesting as the moving picture ’s clamorous influences . However , it give birth enough compelling chases and dramatic play to lenify fans of the musical style .
Law Abiding Citizen (2009)
● useable on AMC+
This nifty thriller also acts as an interesting deconstructionism of certain hypocrisy in the legal organization . Butler plays a man whose wife and daughter are murder in a family intrusion , with the killer going free due to a hatful . His more nefarious character is elevated beyond a wide-eyed revenge story because his loss was also rout in legal flaw . This is more engaging than the familiar issues of vigilante justice that so much on - screen door payback prioritizes .
The series of kills is definitely gripping as Butler ’s character is an engineer and former black - ops assassination deviser , so his methods of revenge always involve some originative and gruesome flourishes as well as a philosophically noetic side , almost piddle him like thethought - provoking horror killer Jigsaw from theSawmovies .
RocknRolla (2008)
● Available on Tubi
Aside from a memorable natural action aspect ask a messy robbery , RocknRollaplays fast and on the loose at stupefy to one specific genre . But there are sure enough flock of thrills throughout the moving-picture show and it ’s an interesting variation in Butler ’s typically more straightforward action role . Director Guy Ritchie collide with all of the familiar , lovable beats that built his career with an all - star ensemble casting trifle a group of likable criminals that are linked through extremely strange consideration .
The dark comedy whole caboodle and the plot is surprisingly straightforward , as Ritchie ’s history resist to hold the audience ’s hand for the most part . Ultimately , this is a very offbeat film that should please longtime rooter of Butler ’s movie career and maintains a marvelous sense of fun throughout for fans of law-breaking movie in general .
300 (2006)
● useable for leverage on Prime Video
It could be close on impossible for Gerard Butler to outmatch the success of King Leonidas in soda polish . Director Zack Snyder brought Frank Miller ’s powerful graphic novel to life with careful fidelity . And Miller ’s mental imagery translated unexpectedly well on screen , with exhilarating fight sequences and a particularly magnetic cast . what is more , the film own its true nature , and the premiss is innately entertaining .
Thermopylae is one of the most famous fight in military account , due to its key strategy and the defending Greeks were the ultimate underdog , immensely outnumbered and actuate by exemption . The moving picture even adds melodramatic corruption to every bureaucratic force in Sparta . This is a authoritative narration of heroism , featuring an insufferable machismo culture that vicariously empowers many viewers . With small elements of fantasy , this is also amust - see for lover of Greek mythology flick .
NEXT : Gerard Butler ’s 5 Most Impressive Roles ( & 5 Forgettable Ones )
