Let's get the obvious out of the way first: yes, the history of cinema has been unfairly dominated by men, both in front of and behind the camera. And action movies, the kind made for men, often have a bunch of guys shooting, punching and kicking each other.
But, that doesn't mean we still look for the stories that make for a good bromance. Here's a sampling of movies where friendships made over the course of an action movie take the cake, and if you want to add to the list, let us know in the comments (politely).
'Tenet' (2020)
"Tenet's" opening scene alone is worth seeing in IMAX. The only thing that would make this movie better is if the protagonist played by John David Washington had an actual name. Because Protagonist and Neil just doesn't sound like a great tag team, even though they have an incredible mentor/protégé situation — based on their direction in time — going on. "Tenet" deserves more credit, it whips serious ass, looks gorgeous, has great action scenes and a heady script that peels like an onion with every new watch. It's score is an all-timer by Ludwig Goransson, who's one more Oscar award since its release.
'The Nice Guys' (2016)
This Shane Black-directed neo-noir comedy is a cult classic, but no matter how many times fans scream about needing a follow-up on social media, the powers that be simply spit in their faces. Ryan Gosling is now a bigger than ever and he was excellent as Holland March. How about we bring it back, add to the stories about him and Russell Crowe bonding over a new case, Why not the '80s? Angourie Rice has aged, she can be the third wheel on their adventures, the story writes itself!
'Hot Fuzz' (2007)
Seemingly out of nowhere, three men from the UK came took the early 2000s film scene by storm with their creation of a legendary bromance spanning several films. Writer Simon Pegg, comedian Nick Frost and director Edgar Wright teamed up to make some brilliant films, and one of their best remains the action movie pastiche "Hot Fuzz." It pays homage to so many of the films on this list, but does its own thing in style. A perfect blend of guns and laughs, they should consider making a sequel to this as well. Maybe a pun about Agent Nicholas Angel and Police Constable Danny Butterman, I'm sure they can come up with something clever for the title.
'RRR' (2022)
"RRR" was a sensation when it came out in 2022. And about time! Bollywood is bigger than Hollywood, India is bigger than America, and yet after decades of ignoring Indian cinema and India's contributions to the medium, you'd think it would have happened sooner. But thanks to a gigantic budget, some kick-ass action scenes and an extremely catchy song and dance, "RRR" blew up and rightfully got the recognition it deserves. We need more of N.T.R. and Ram Charan teaming up, they're electric on screen together (with or without a tiger, or something on fire in the background, of course).
'21 Jump Street' (2012) and '22 Jump Street' (2014)
This should have not worked. At all. There is no way we got lucky enough to see a studio remake an old TV show turn into a successful film, one that outdid expectations. Phil Lord and Chris Miller (a writing team bromance themselves) got Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum to be the perfect idiot cop duo, and the results were fabulous. Celeb cameos, physical comedy, smart twists and some good action sequences too. We didn't deserve these two, but thank goodness we got them!
If you want stuff from the '80s: 'Top Gun' (1986), 'Lethal Weapon' (1987), 'Tango and Cash' (1989) and 'Midnight Run' (1988)
Off the top of your head, when reading the headline to this article, you might have gone straight to Goose and Maverick, Riggs and Murtaugh, or even Ray Tango and Gabe Cash. The '80s were chalk full of this successful formula. Put in two mismatched cops, criminals or pilots and sprinkle in some comedy. If you want our choice for the best of these movies, it's without a doubt "Midnight Run," a hilarious and memorable film that is sort of perfect and holds up incredibly well.
'90s nostalgia: 'Men in Black' (1997), 'Die Hard with a Vengeance' (1995) and 'Point Break' (1991)
The quintessential bromance of recent times is Patrick Swayze as Bodhi and Keanu Reeves as FBI Agent Johnny Utah, the blockbuster version of good and bad cop was the sci-fi action comedy "Men in Black" and one of the most successful on-screen pairings was Bruce Willis's John McClane and Samuel L. Jackson's Zeus Carver. These three films are all quite different, but are still rock solid. You'll have a fantastic time watching (or rewatching) them with the bros.
[Image: YouTube]
