Bruce Willis and his best action films that we must go back to, for some pure entertainment

As news of Bruce Willis' advancing health condition comes to light, we take a look back at some of his best action films that are a masterclass in every right. The actor's family has revealed that he has been diagnosed with untreatable dementia or in medical terms Frontotemporal dementia. 

Bruce Willis has done it all but he’s literally owned the action space in films like no other actor has! His true breakout film Die Hard remains a favourite among fans across ages as it is undoubtedly his best work to date. Layered yet simple in its storyline, Bruce Willis showed his true character as an actor in the hit franchise. Still considered his best, even after 33 years of its release, Bruce Willis paved the way for future action heroes with his quality act. 

One of the finest comic book adaptations, this crime anthology can give a tough competition to its modern-day contemporaries, like films born out of MCU. Larger than life yet grounded, Sin City promises a pandora’s box to the audiences and delivers on it. The film is about an ex-convict who embarks on a rampage in search of his one-time sweetheart's killer.

The film stars an ensemble cast led by Jessica Alba, Benicio del Toro, Brittany Murphy, Clive Owen, Mickey Rourke, Bruce Willis, and Elijah Wood, and featuring Alexis Bledel, Powers Boothe, Michael Clarke Duncan, Rosario Dawson, Devon Aoki, Carla Gugino, Rutger Hauer, Jaime King, Michael Madsen, Nick Stahl, and Makenzie Vega among others.

One of the most easily recognisable sci-fi films of its time, this Bruce Willis-starrer ticks all boxes – it has action, it has an element of surprise and awe and it’s well-written. A science fiction action film that won several awards, The Fifth Element was praised for its costumes, narrative scale and actors. The film is set in the 23rd century and shows us a time when the survival of our planet is at stake. `1It becomes the responsibility of Korben Dallas (Willis), a taxicab driver and former special forces major, after a young woman (Jovovich) falls into his cab. To accomplish this, Dallas joins forces with her to recover four mystical stones essential for the defence of Earth against the impending attack of a malevolent cosmic entity.
 

Rian Johnson's Looper delivers a smart and frankly brave original blend of futuristic sci-fi and classic action as it follows contract killers called "loopers" hired by criminal syndicates from the future to terminate victims whom they send back through time. An original film with a unique story, this Bruce Willis starrer is a must-watch on every film aficionado’s list. 

Die Hard With A Vengeance gave the franchise a much-needed life after Die Hard 2 did not deliver on the success of the first film. The pair, Samuel Jackson and Bruce Willis look every part menacing as they team up to stop bomb threats across New York City. It was released in 1995. The film later gained a cult following and has been considered by many critics and fans as the best sequel of the franchise.

The Last Boy Scout is a great watch for all those who enjoy buddy cop action movies. Led by Bruce Willis and Damon Wayan, the film has the star power and the much-needed hype that worked in its favour at the time. There’s obviously the helicopter blade sequence that is a talking- point for film schools. Also, brownie points for Bruce Willis who looked extremely dapper in the movie. 

Inspired by the Homage comics series of the same name, RED was a slick espionage-action genre in 2010. It has violence, dense action sequences and a stellar cast including Bruce Willis, Morgan Freeman, John Malkovich, Helen Mirren, Karl Urban and Mary-Louise Parker, alongside Rebecca Pidgeon, Brian Cox, Richard Dreyfuss, Julian McMahon, Ernest Borgnine, and James Remar. Red follows Frank Moses (Willis), a former black-ops agent who reunites with his old team to capture an assassin who has vowed to kill him.

It’s grander than anything we envisioned in the 1990s in the space of science fiction. Armageddon is a sci-fi, big-budget action movie of the highest order that combines a stellar cast with the maximalist direction of Michael Bay and Jerry Bruckheimer. The film’s plot is around a bunch of NASA scientists who discover they have eighteen days before an asteroid the size of Texas impacts Earth, destroying all planetary life. Armageddon is an important piece of cinema, if not a universally loved one.

Revered by industry stalwarts as the best they have seen in the action genre and also director Quentin Tarantino’s best work to date, Pulp Fiction has it all. Starring John Travolta, Samuel L. Jackson, Bruce Willis, Tim Roth, Ving Rhames, and Uma Thurman, it tells several stories of crime in Los Angeles, California. The film was released in 1994 and is a crime film written and directed by Quentin Tarantino.