Gerard Butler is one of the most talented and versatile actors working today. The Scottish actor has starred in action thrillers like theHas Fallenfranchise andLaw Abiding Citizen, historical and fantastical action epics such as300andGods of Egypt, romantic comedies includingThe Ugly TruthandPlaying for Keeps, and the animated seriesHow to Train Your Dragon.
Butler’s action features are particularly memorable because many of them are a throwback to actioners of the 20th Century. His recent film,Plane, is an example of aDie Hardrip-off like “Die Hardon a Plane” or “Die Hardon an Island” in which a heroic protagonist has to save hostages and battle several villains with limited resources and assistance. Here are some examples of Butler’s films that resemble old-school action pictures.
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The Has Fallen Series
Butler’s most notable franchise is theHas Fallenseries, where he portrays Secret Service agent Mike Banning, who resembles Bruce Willis' John McClane from theDie Hardfranchise, and Harrison Ford fromAir Force Onein terms of being a physically skilled fighter and an elite marksman. In the first film,Olympus Has Fallen, Banning is a one-man army that battles North Koreans who infiltrate the White House and take several hostages, including the President of the United States.
Olympus Has Fallencan be considered “Die Hardin the White House” (similar to another 2013 actioner calledWhite House Downwith Channing Tatum and Jamie Foxx).Reminiscent of John McClane inDie Hard, Banning has to sneak around, kill each terrorist one by one (either with a gun, knife, or with his hands), and taunts the primary antagonist by radio in order to ignore his demands and get in his head. There’s also the usual situation in which the hero has to defuse a bomb during the final countdown (an element used in countless action pictures like the James Bond franchise).
The sequel,London Has Fallen, also involves Banning protecting the President from more terrorists. However, instead of using just one setting like the White House in the first movie, this film uses London to effectively display car chases, shootouts, and high-octane action sequences (borrowing elements from the James Bond pictures and a hint of the Jason Bourne series due to the international landscape). The third feature,Angel Has Fallen, shares similar qualities toThe Fugitiveand other chase pictures since Banning is a wanted man on the run trying to clear his name, along with a more personal story involving his relationship with his father.
300 and Gods of Egypt
Gerard Butler already had a handful of roles as an actor, but it was his commanding performance as King Leonidas inZack Snyder’s historical epic300that made the Scottish actor a household name. Butler’s portrayal of Leonidas resembles Charlton Heston and his leading roles in epics likeThe Ten CommandmentsandBen-Hurdue to Leonidas being a loving father and husband, as well as a devoted warrior and combatant who leads his army with authority.300is also a throwback to swords and sandals epics, including Stanley Kubrick’sSpartacuswith Kirk Douglas, since Leonidas and Spartacus are battle-hardened men willing to risk their own lives, so their people can survive.
Gods of Egyptis a more comical and fantastical feature, but it is structured like a cheesy and campy picture that resembles the over-the-top epics of the 1950s through to the 1970s, includingThe Man Who Would Be Kingwith Sean Connery and Michael Caine. Butler doesn’t have as much screen time as his co-stars, but as Set (the Egyptian God of the Desert), he is a menacing villain who intends to control Egypt as a ruthless king that acts more like a dictator than a leader.
Law Abiding Citizen
While Butler is mostly known for his portrayals of heroic protagonists, his character in the action thrillerLaw Abiding Citizenis a man who goes from an emotionally tormented victim to a killer on a personal rampage. After the assault and murders of his wife and daughter, Clyde Shelton uses valuable weapons and resources to take down the two criminals responsible for destroying his family. However, even when locked up in prison, Clyde also goes after the entire judicial system (which he believes is corrupt and unjust).
Clyde has some dramatic interrogation scenes with district attorney Nick Rice (Jamie Foxx), reminiscent of the jail cell scenes between Hannibal Lecter and FBI agent Clarice Starling inThe Silence of the Lambs. There are also some bloody and brutal action sequences that resemble the hard-boiled action thrillers of the 1990s and early 2000s, including the Hannibal features andThe Bone Collector.
The Bounty Hunter
This action comedy paired Gerard Butler withFriendsstar Jennifer Aniston. Butler portrays Milo Boyd, an ex-cop turned bounty hunter who is ordered to find his ex-wife Nicole (Aniston) and send her to prison for skipping bail after her arrest for assaulting a police officer. While this seems like an easy job and payday for Milo, he ends up helping Nicole (who is a reporter) with a murder investigation involving a crooked cop.
The Bounty Huntershares similar qualities to other superior action comedyfilms involving bounty hunterssuch asMidnight Runwith Robert De Niro and Charles Grodin, andThe Rundownwith Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and Seann William Scott. Just like the protagonists in those films, Butler’s bounty hunter is a man primarily looking to get paid but realizes that working out his issues with Nicole (the person he loves and cares about the most) is more important.
Lara Croft: Tomb Raider-The Cradle of Life
This sequel to the first film starring Angelina Jolie as Lara Croft (based ontheTomb Raidervideo game series) is an action-packed throwback to theIndiana Jonesfranchise in terms of searching for treasures and valuable artifacts, along with greedy villains who threaten the hero in big shootouts and major chases by land, air, and sea. Butler portrays Terry Sheridan, a former colleague who had a relationship with Lara and works with her to search for Pandora’s box (an ancient object that can start a plague and kill millions).
Terry is a tough fighter and a skilled marksman who nearly matches Lara’s skill set. However, as Lara knows, Terry can also be reckless and greedy, caring more about retrieving rewards and treasures than completing the mission itself, which is all evident and leads to a more dramatic ending than expected. Terry is another intriguing role for Butler to show his charisma and his ruthlessness.
