15 Most Bad-Ass Teams In Movie History

3. The Wild Bunch

The Fellowship Of The Ring
Warner Bros.

A hugely controversial movie at the time of its release due to the amount of graphic violence, Sam Peckinpah's classic has since been lauded as one of the greatest Westerns ever made, as well as a pioneer of several revolutionary cinematic techniques. Over 45 years later, and the Wild Bunch themselves still endure as one of the most bad-ass collection of characters in cinema history.

Set in 1913, the plot centers on the titular aging outlaws as they both fail, and refuse, to adapt to a world that is rapidly changing around them. On paper, the characters could come across as unlikeable but the performances by William Holden, Ernest Borgnine and Warren Oates amongst others bring depth and humanity to the group of bandits that have fallen far behind the times.

Peckinpah's action scenes still hold up today, with the bridge explosion and final shootout being particular highlights. The Wild Bunch's refusal to change their ways sees the majority of the gang ultimately go out in a blaze of blood-splattered glory, remaining defiant to the end.

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