We have all seen films where the protagonist gets wronged and goes on a killing spree. Maybe their family is being held hostage by terrorists, their sister has just been raped by a vicious gang or their pet dog got a bullet in the head. No matter, the motivation, you know some bad guys are going to pay dearly. I like to call these ‘revenge rampage’ movies and here is a list of my personal picks of great ones to check out.
- The Foreigner
Jackie Chan (“Rush Hour”) takes a more serious turn in “The Foreigner”. He searches for a new I.R.A. group that carried out a bombing that killed his daughter. Chan gives a strong performance opposite Pierce Brosnan (“GoldenEye”).
- First Blood
After “Rocky”, Sylvester Stallone starred in “First Blood”, another iconic film. Here he plays John Rambo, a traumatised ex-soldier that served in Vietnam. Now, he’s being mistreated by local law enforcement. He will strike back the only way he knows how in this exciting and surprisingly moving movie.
- Hang ‘Em High
Clint Eastwood (“Dirty Harry”) plays an innocent cowboy that gets wrongly hanged by an angry mob. He then sets out to take down the men responsible. A very satisfying Western from Eastwood.
- Death Wish II
Charles Bronson (“The Magnificent Seven”) returns as architect Paul Kersey in “Death Wish II”. When his daughter is kidnapped, he’ll stop at nothing to rid the streets of the scum that took her. Often overlooked but easily the best of the “Death Wish” sequels.
- Mr. Majestyk
Charles Bronson plays a melon farmer that goes to get revenge when his crops are destroyed. Maybe not the most emotionally engaging reason to go out for vengeance but this an entertaining film regardless.
- Desperado
A great action flick with a terrific Mexican aesthetic as ex-musician El Mariachi (Antonio Banderas “Shrek 2”, “The Mask Of Zorro”) hunts down those that wronged him. Lots of spectacular shootouts throughout.
- Death Wish
The quintessential revenge rampage film. Charles Bronson plays a simple architect that turns to vigilantism after his daughter is raped and his wife murdered by thugs. A very realistic and captivating movie about the effects of vigilantism on a city.
- Fist Of Legend
A remake of Bruce Lee’s “Fist Of Fury”, this Jet Li (“Lethal Weapon 4”) martial arts classic sees him battle with Japanese occupiers in China after the death of his master. The brilliant fight sequences and simplistic plot make this very enjoyable.
- The Crow
After being murdered along with is girlfriend, Brandon Lee (“Rapid Fire”) plays a man resurrected and guided by a mysterious crow as he seeks vengeance. A really gritty superhero flick with a city that makes Gotham from the “Batman” films look like the Emerald City from “Wizard Of Oz”.
- Kill Bill: Vol. 1
Uma Thurman (“Pulp Fiction”) stars as the Bride as she seeks revenge on those that left her for dead on her wedding day. While people debate whether the first or second film was the best, I think the first entry was substantially more entertaining. The action scenes are phenomenal and some of the best I’ve seen.
Honourable mentions:
RoboCop and John Wick