The 4 most famous male leads ‘fighting the mafia alone’ on Hollywood screens

1. John Wick (John Wick)

The image of John Wick has helped the  John Wick movie series  earn a lot of money, nearly 600 million USD, becoming one of the most popular action movies of the decade. The character John Wick also has a large fan base around the world.

John Wick was born as an orphan adopted by the Russian mafia Tarasov. When he grew up, he became an assassin. Wick’s ruthlessness was so famous that he was nicknamed Baba Yaga, or the Boggart. The first film in 2014 opened the scene in which Wick had been retired for 5 years, turning him into a “reformed” assassin.

The source of the rage that drove this former assassin back to his bloody path came from the death of the dog Daisy that his late wife left behind. To John Wick, his wife is his whole world. When she passed away, this little dog was the motivation for him to continue living. So whoever dares to touch the dog will have to pay the price.

The old tycoon’s son broke into his house, stole his car and killed his dog, forcing Wick to return to being a ruthless man. The journey of revenge begins with the new nickname given to John Wick by the audience – “dog-loving assassin”.

John Wick and the dog in the movie.

From then on, John Wick’s life was a never-ending series of chases and assassinations. He also became the number one target of assassins for violating underground rules. However, the ability to “shoot the target without missing a single shot” helps John Wick maintain his position as a talented, cold-blooded assassin with a fighting spirit.

Behind the fierce and bloody killings is the warm heart of a man. John Wick returns to the path of a brutal assassin because he wants those who killed what he cherished to pay the price.

The unique “dog revenge” motive makes the character interesting and realistic in the dark “underworld”.

2. Bryan Mills (Taken)

Until now, many audiences still cannot forget the image of father Bryan Mills (Liam Neeson) in  Taken  in 2008. With only a budget of 25 million USD, the film achieved excellent results with a global revenue of 226 million USD.

Originally a CIA agent, Bryan just wanted to spend his entire retirement time with his daughter Kim. Perhaps it was fate because this former agent had to continue fighting when his daughter’s life was in danger.

While on a trip to Paris with her best friend Amanda, Kim was kidnapped by human traffickers. Bryan’s instinct to protect his daughter arose, his “crazy” blood and anger reached the highest level. He immediately rushed to Paris.

Bryan single-handedly searched for his child, penetrating the underground world of those who make money on women’s bodies – where his daughter was turned into a commodity for exchange.

Bryan Mills in the movie.

The thrilling gunfight and chase in  Taken  helped Liam Neeson suddenly become an action superstar. The image of a brave father, willing to do everything for his child even if he has to turn into a “merciless killer” has captured the hearts of audiences over the years.

3. John McClane (Die Hard)

Die Hard  is often considered one of the best action movies of Christmas. The work also ranked 20th on  Empire newspaper’s list of the 100 greatest movies of all time .

The film’s story begins when detective John McClane (Bruce Willis) of the New York City Police Department flies to Los Angeles with the desire to reconcile with his estranged wife. However, he and his wife were caught up in a kidnapping by the gang of German terrorist Hans Gruber.

Hans’ team attacked the Nakatomi corporation’s building to get the access code to the vault, and revealed that he was planning to rob 640 million USD. Only John McClane had combat experience. He used it to fight dangerous, heavily armed criminal gangs.

The image of John McClane later became one of the iconic heroes on American screens. The uniqueness of this character does not lie in his epic retaliations, but in his will to fight and his tenacity until the very end, no enemy can defeat him.

Thanks to this role, Bruce Willis became a Hollywood action star.

4. Hutch Mansell (Nobody)

“Sometimes, the man you don’t pay attention to is the most dangerous man.” The new film  Nobody  by young director Ilya Nashuller continues to build the image of “the hero exists in the villain”.

Hutch Mansell (Bob Odenkirk) – a military agent with a mysterious past – has now become an “anonymous man”, a father with a small family and doing administrative work like any other normal person.

Hutch always sought to suppress the skills he possessed when he was once a professional assassin. Now in the eyes of his wife and children, Hutch is simply an ordinary middle-aged man, without any talent or status. He was even despised and underestimated by his family members.

The turning point came when he witnessed a girl being teased by young men on the bus. A good person’s instincts arise. Hutch’s true self seemed to be “unlocked”. His composure was replaced by formidable fighting skills, turning him into a cold, terrifying assassin.

The character Hutch Mansell is considered another version of John Wick with cold blood and superior fighting skills, but at the same time is also a family man with many things to protect.