From Olympus Has Fallen to Geostorm, we take a look at what makes Butler the ultimate action star.
To celebrate Gerard’s return to action in submarine thriller Hunter Killer, in cinemas now, we deep dive into his action-packed past and round up some of his most gripping movies and moments. Whether he’s a US Navy Commander attempting to save the Russian President in Hunter Killer, saving the world from climate destruction in Geostorm or leading a Spartan Army, Gerard Butler is a go-to action star for the ages.
Geostorm
As fun as it is ridiculous, Geostorm sees Gerard at his action best. When some climate-moderating devices seemingly malfunction and wreak havoc on Earth, it’s up to satellite designer and mechanic, Jake Lawson (Gerard Butler) to save the planet. No pressure Gerry. Although the film stretches the truth a little, it’s hard not to enjoy yourself in this apocalyptic weather disaster movie with its abundance of epic action sequences and ‘end of the world’ visuals.
Den of Thieves
This 2018 action romp from director Christian Gudegest stars Gerard as Nick O’Brien, leader of elite L.A County Sherriff Department, the Regulators. Tasked with the mission of intercepting a devious heist co-ordinated by a savvy criminal gang, O’Brien and his men must out-scheme and out-smart their opponents at every turn. All comes to a head in the final scenes during a nail-bitingly stressful final shootout…
RocknRolla
One of Guy Ritchie’s best, RocknRolla introduces us to Gerard as “One-Two”, a Scottish mobster who heads up the suitably named gang, “The Wild Bunch”. Flanked by his partners in crime, “Mumbles” (Idris Elba) and “Handsome Bob” (Tom Hardy), Gerard Butler has a blast in this hilarious British gangster offering. As you’d expect from a buddy crime movie, things don’t always go according to plan for “One-Two” and his motley crew, as this brilliant clip shows…
300
This is GERAAAAAARD! What would a Gerard Butler action overview be without a nod to arguably his most iconic role; King Leonidas in the comic book adaptation epic, 300. Just shy of 2 hours long, 300 is essentially one highlight reel of pure, unadulterated ‘Gerard Butler’ – shredded and ready for war. With battle scenes and action aplenty, 300 is a heap of Spartan fun.
Law Abiding Citizen
In this ultra-violent thriller, Gerard Butler is Clyde, a disturbed, grieving man determined to punish those responsible for the murder of his family. Vengeful towards what he deems is a corrupt and failing criminal justice system, Clyde goes toe to toe with Prosecuting Attorney Nick Rice (Jamie Foxx) in his desire for revenge. Angry, and with nothing left to lose – Clyde will stop at nothing in his warped search for justice for his deceased loved ones. Grisly and with fight-scenes galore, Law Abiding Citizen is a first-class gritty action movie, and one of Gerard’s best.
Olympus Has Fallen
2013 American action thriller Olympus Has Fallen stars Butler as Secret Service agent, Mike Banning. When the White House and its resident President, Benjamin Asher (Aaron Eckhart) comes under attack from a terrorist organisation intent on destroying America’s democracy, Banning must intervene and protect the president and the country from total destruction. As you’d expect from a White House based ‘save the President’ American thriller, Olympus Has Fallen isn’t short of crazy action combat sequences just like this one:
London Has Fallen
An action-packed sequel that picks up from the explosive events of Olympus Has Fallen, Gerard Butler’s Mike Branning is back, this time on the other side of the Atlantic in the English capital. After the British Prime Minister passes away under mysterious circumstances, leaders of the Western world gather in London to attend the funeral and are met with a violent ambush. Once again, it’s the job of Mike Banning to defend and protect the President from those determined to have him killed. Set against the backdrop of London’s most iconic landmarks, this patriotic thriller will leave action fans more than satisfied.
Hunter Killer is in UK cinemas now.
