This week, Frank Grillo and Gerard Butler hit the big screen in STX Film’s Copshop, an action packed thriller following the attempted hideout of Teddy Murretto (Frank Grillo) from hitman Bob Viddick (Gerard Butler). The movie also stars Alexis Louder as Valerie Young and Toby Huss as Anthony Lamb. With intense fight scenes throughout the film, we look back at 6 of Grillo and Butler’s best fight scenes from their previous cinematic hits.
Frank Grillo in Point Blank
In Netflix’s 2019 movie Point Blank, Frank Grillo stars alongside fellow Marvel cast member Anthony Mackie in a fight for survival against gang members and corrupt police. Grillo plays Abe Guevara and forms an alliance with Paul Booker (Anthony Mackie) in an attempt to stop the violent men after them. Point Blank features many vicious fight scenes but Grillo’s coolest (and best choreographed) occurs in a car wash. With purple lighting and a great soundtrack, this comedic yet brutal fight scene has to be one of Grillo’s best!
Frank Grillo in The Purge: Election Year
In the third movie of The Purge series, comes The Purge: Election Year, starring Frank Grillo as Leo Barnes. As the head of security for Senator Charlie Roan (Elizabeth Mitchell), it is Barnes’ mission to protect Senator Roan from the NFFA supporters (a Neo-Nazi group) looking to assassinate her for campaigning to stop the Purge forever. In this iconic fight at the end of the film, Barnes takes on NFFA leader, Earl Danzinger (Terry Serpico) in a knife fight. The fight is particularly gruesome and sees both Barnes and Danzinger take multiple stab wounds. Though most of the movie is action packed and bloody, this scene definitely highlights the horrors of the Purge!
Frank Grillo in Captain America: The Winter Soldier
In Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Brock Rumlow (Frank Grillo) intercepts Steve Rogers / Captain America (Chris Evans) in an elevator in one of the most popular fight scenes in the entire Marvel universe. Determined to stop Captain America from learning the truth about S.H.I.E.L.D’s infiltration from Hydra, Rumlow and his team surround Captain America in an effort to arrest him. In an interview with Conan O’Brien on Conan, O’Brien asks Grillo “You’re supposed to pretend to hit people! You just really hit them?” to which Grillo responds “Doesn’t it look better?!” With use of a falling elevator, electric shocks and some real punches thrown, this fight scene is one of Grillo’s most noteworthy!
Gerard Butler in Olympus Has Fallen
The final fight in Olympus Has Fallen features both gun fire and knife fights in a race against the clock. When the White House (code name Olympus) is attacked by a group of highly trained terrorists, a former Presidential bodyguard, Mike Banning (Gerard Butler) must use his knowledge of the White House to rescue the President and save Americans under threat. The final fight scene occurs in the White House bunker and features Mike Banning coming face to face with the main antagonist Kang Yeonsak (Rick Yune) in Banning’s last attempt to stop the clock counting down. The fight is intense, well choreographed and makes for a heroic last stand against the terrorists.
Gerard Butler in Den of Thieves
In the 2018 bank heist movie, Den of Thieves, Sheriff Nick O’Brien (Gerard Butler) sets out to stop a gang of ex-marines from robbing the Federal Reserve in Los Angeles. Sheriff O’Brien identifies Ray Merrimen (Pablo Schreiber) as his main suspect and aims to stop him before Merrimen and his crew steal approximately $30 million. The final shootout is just over ten minutes long and occurs in a traffic jam with armed police, Merrimen’s crew and civilians shielding from the bullets. As police and members of Merrimen’s gang are shot down, only O’Brien and Merrimen are left to duel. With a lot of suspense and some epic , this final shootout is one of Butler’s finest fights.
Gerard Butler in 300
“This is Sparta!” 300 is arguably Gerard Butler’s most famous role as King Leonidas and includes his most widely known fight scene. Based on Frank Miller’s graphic novel, 300 is a dramatic and fictional retelling of the Battle of Thermopylae in 480 BC. The “Hot Gates Battle” scene includes King Leonidas fighting his way through the Persian army with his spear, sword and shield. The drama of the scene is created not only by Gerard Butler’s acting but by the incredible fight choreography, moving music and stunning special effects.
Copshop is out in UK cinemas on 10th September.
