Quite simply, this is a list of ten of the meanest fighter-characters to grace our screens. These are the last guys (or girls) that youd ever want to fight, whether it be due to their mad fighting skills, their unwillingness to give in or quite plainly how vicious or crazy they are. We'll avoid the supernatural and the superheroic for now, giving the toughest amongst us a fair shot - every entry is a standard issue human being. There are omissions galore, largely due to the varying opinion and generous supply of action heroes available. Picking just one Van-Damme or Seagal performance would be criminal, so we'll just get their honourable mentions out of the way right now. There's no doubt that Van Damme's TimeCop could hold a kick over your head for an entire day and the pony-tailed navy chef could flick you on a pressure point - making you vomit and sneeze simultaneously - but space has been made for the less obvious and arguably more deserving candidates. So have a stretch, put your fists up and prepare to lose...
10. Driver
The Film: Drive A mechanic/stuntman turned getaway driver (Ryan Gosling) is led down a slippery and violent path of vengeance after falling for his neighbour (Carey Mulligan) and inheriting her dangerous baggage. Nicolas Winding Refn's 2011 cult classic (can we say classic yet?) filled late night theatre seats and secured it's following with a deliciously retro soundtrack, sharp characters and dialogue, and violence that was only watchable from whilst wincing. The Character: Driver We never actually learn Driver's real name, but feel safely assured that his reputation is enough to precede him. A stuntman and mechanic by day and a getaway driver by night, he is a brooding and pensive example of a man not to be taken lightly. He speaks very little - but what he lacks in diction, he makes up for in brutal loyalty to the girl he loves and her child - autonomously taking to town the bad men who threaten them. A scene involving the finest head stamping you're likely to see and the first example on this list of how a hammer is very much a multi-purpose tool are two good reasons you'd never want to find yourself toe to toe with this particular driver. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i5ufgkJ-uVE
KJ Lewis is 35 years old, was able to rear three small children into three slightly bigger children and has a relatively untested and unfounded passion for writing.
You can find him at Twitter: @onefistintheair or Facebook: KJ Lewis
