9 Smartest Decisions In Action Movie History
Sometimes an action hero thinks with more than just their fists.
Action movies are famous for their gunfights, fisticuffs, and - well let's be honest - stupid decisions. Tony Stark challenging a well-funded terrorist with his home address, Sheriff Teasle harassing and arresting Rambo when he was just passing through town, Peter Quill punching Thanos and breaking the mind-control technique on him, Q plugging the bad guy's laptop into MI6's mainframe without checking it for viruses first, or y'know - a bunch of Nazis opening the Ark of the Covenant.
There are numerous reasons for this - anti-jingoist themes pointing out that a guy with a double-digit IQ isn't right just because he has gold stars on his shoulders, the break-neck pace at which an action movie might progress leaving no time to think strategically, or just filling plot holes with stupidity to ensure the story progresses.
But not all action heroes, and especially not action villains, are complete idiots. Some of the best action movies are so great because the characters aren't just a bunch of cardboard cutouts moving from scene to scene. They're elite swashbuckling soldiers who prove they earned their stripes or a police detective who realises the scene's a frame-up or even an arms dealer that realizes you shouldn't negotiate fairly with idiotic alien mercenaries. So check out these 10 smart decisions that action movie heroes and villains brought to the screen.
9. Die Hard - Taping The Gun To His Back
The classic '80s Christmas film Die Hard has a number of smart decisions that both the villains and the hero, Bruce Willis' John McClane, choose. Among them are Hans Gruber's choice to fake an American accent and pretend to be an office worker in the building when he comes face-to-face with McClane, and another is McClane choosing not trust said fellow with a loaded gun.
The film also features a bunch of stupid decisions - like McClane opting not to steal a pair of shoes off any of the guys he kills. Even something a size too big, laced tightly, would be better than walking barefoot through glass and then picking the shards out of your toes, right?
But McClane's pivotal good decision is when he is tired, beaten, and low on ammunition near the end of the film. Gruber has his wife hostage and one remaining henchman and they are are about to escape. McClane chases after them and, wounded and in rough shape, he confronts them. They've got the advantage, though, and McClane is forced to toss away his gun. Unbeknownst to Gruber and his crony, though, McClane has taped a second gun to his back and uses it to surprise them both - something he certainly would have failed at unarmed in his condition.