Looking back on the career of Bruce Willis…
On 6th April, Bruce Willis will star in the new action-packed crime drama Death Wish directed by famed horror filmmaker Eli Roth. Following an attack on his wife and daughter, Paul Kersey (Willis) dedicates himself to seeking justice for his family and also avenges other innocent victims he meets through his work as a doctor in a hospital. Set on bringing his own kind of justice to the city by whatever means necessary, the internet buzzes wondering who this hooded man is, asking “is he a hero, or is it wrong?” to take the law into your own hands.
To celebrate the release of Death Wish on 6th April, we are going to look back at some of his best movies and most iconic characters of everybody’s favourite action hero.
6) Looper
In this high concept sci-fi thriller, Willis plays the older version of a man whose job it is to kill people from the future, which is fine by him until it’s his own future self (Willis) that he has to kill. Also starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Emily Blunt and Paul Dano, this star-studded movie has been compared to the likes of Christopher Nolan’s Memento and Inception, so prepare for some intense mind-bending.
5) The Fifth Element
Directed by the legendary Luc Besson, The Fifth Element is a cult classic and for good reason. This movie takes place in a distant future where cars fly through the sky and humans and aliens live together. Willis’ character, Dallas, is just your regular cab driver until one day a beautiful woman (Milla Jovovich) falls from the sky and through the roof of his car. With her sudden arrival comes an adventure that Dallas doesn’t want to be a part of but cannot escape; to find a deadly, cosmic weapon to keep evil forces (and Gary Oldman) at bay.
4) Twelve Monkeys
In a disease-ridden future where everyone has to live underground, James Cole (Willis) is sent back in time to try and get a sample of a man-made virus that will destroy all of humanity. That on its own is an intriguing enough plot, but it doesn’t stop there; Cole is accidentally sent too far back and is placed in an asylum where a psychiatrist gradually convinces him that his stories of time-travel are delusions. Time is running out yet not only is Cole struggling to get hold of the virus, he no longer knows if it even exists.
3) Sin City
Possibly the only comic-to-movie adaptation that didn’t have half of its fans in uproar about inaccuracies, Sin City follows three different storylines that all take place in the American noir town, Basin City. One man is hell-bent on avenging the murder of a hooker, another is set on protecting the Red Light District from gangsters and our very own Bruce Willis plays a disgraced police officer who protects an erotic dancer from a psychotic stalker. Almost entirely in black and white with only the occasional glimmer of colour, this film is one of a kind indeed.
2) The Sixth Sense
Though the plot of this film sounds like it could be a trashy horror that was thrown together quickly in the lead up to Halloween, The Sixth Sense is actually an incredible feat of a movie. Nominated for six Oscars, two Golden Globes and four BAFTAs, it follows a young boy who can see dead people as clearly as if they were alive, and the psychologist that is desperately to understand him, played by Bruce Willis. Even though it is nearly two decades old now, this is a mystery-thriller so well made that it is timeless and will stay with you forever.
1) Die Hard
And finally, the Willis movie that has the highest rating on IMDb… Die Hard. Is anyone surprised? A true cult classic, this action film really kicked off Willis’ acting career. Released in 1988, it is still the action movie to beat and the film all new action movies try to emulate. Following NYPD officer John McClane as he surprises his estranged wife at work, the building is taken over by terrorists and he singlehandedly tries to save his wife and the other innocent hostages, running around, guns blazing. Also starring the late (and great) Alan Rickman as the best bad guy Hollywood has ever had, this is truly an unforgettable film that will remain a classic forever. Rumour has it that a Die Hard 6 is on the cards with Bruce telling Jimmy Fallon a script is doing the rounds.
Death Wish will be in UK cinemas on 6th April 2018.
Originally published April 4, 2018. Updated July 27, 2024.
