From The Fifth Element and Pulp Fiction to Apex and Out Of Death, action star Bruce Willis has been in at least 124 movies over the years.
Bruce is stepping away from acting, however, at age 67 after being diagnosed with aphasia. This is according to a statement made by his family.
Aphasia is a condition that robs you of your ability to comprehend or formulate language because of damage to certain brain regions. The major causes of aphasia are stroke and head trauma. It can also happen over time due to a brain tumour or degenerative diseases.
“As a result of this and with much consideration Bruce is stepping away from the career that has meant so much to him” his family wrote on Instagram.
“This is a really challenging time for our family and we are so appreciative of your continued love, compassion and support,” the statement read.
“We are moving through this as a strong family unit, and wanted to bring his fans in because we know how much he means to you, as you do to him.”
“As Bruce always says, ‘Live it up’ and together we plan to do just that.”
In that spirit, here are some of Bruce Willis’ best 5 movies (in our opinion).
Fifth Element
In Fifth Element, a 1997 English-language French science fiction action film, Bruce Willis, Gary Oldman, and Milla Jovovich come together to create, what some reviewers have called one of the best movies many people have never seen.
Mostly set in the 23rd century, the film boils down to a conundrum where the survival of planet Earth is at stake. Tasked with saving it is Korben Dallas (Willis), a taxicab driver and former special forces major, after a young woman (Jovovich) falls into his cab. To save the world, Dallas joins forces with her to find four mystical stones which must be used to defend the Earth against the looming attack of an evil cosmic entity.
The Fifth Element earned $263 million at the box office. It got mostly positive reviews (however some critics slammed it). It also won a slew of awards. It currently has a 3.5 star rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
Whole Nine Yards
The Whole Nine Yards came out in the year 2000. It’s an American crime comedy. It’s very funny. Jonathan Lynn directed it. Warner Bros distributed it. Bruce Willis, Matthew Perry, Amanda Peet, Michael Clarke Duncan, and Natasha Henstridge starred in it. The plot centred around a dentist who travels to Chicago to tell a mob boss where his new neighbor – a former hitman with a price on his head – is. Whole Nine Yards got mixed reviews from critics and grossed $106 million. A sequel was released in 2004. It got two stars on Rotten Tomatoes.
The Jackal
Rated number #53 on Rotten Tomatoes review of all Bruce Willis’ movies ranked, we reckon this is a massively underrated action flick. During an FBI raid on a Moscow nightclub, the brother of Russian gangster Terek Murad (David Hayman) is killed. Murad seeks revenge by and hiring an anonymous hit man (the Jackal, played by Bruce Willis) to kill FBI Deputy Director Carter Preston (Sidney Poitier).
Preston teams up with Valentina Koslova (Diane Venora) and an imprisoned IRA terrorist who is the only person who knows what the Jackal looks like (Declan Mulqueen, played by Richard Gere) to trac Willis’ character down.
Although The Jackal film got mostly negative reviews from critics, it was a money maker, grossing $159.3 million worldwide against a $60 million budget.
Die Hard
What more can we say? The iconic action film. Perhaps the most famous movie Bruce Willis starred in, Die Hard boasts a rare 4.5 stars on Rotten Tomatoes. It’s plot isn’t overly complicated, but has just enough spice to keep things interesting.
In Die Hard, New York City policeman John McClane (Bruce Willis) is visiting his estranged wife (Bonnie Bedelia) and two daughters on Christmas Eve. He joins her at a holiday party in the office of the business she works for. But the party is interrupted by a group of terrorists who take over the headquarters. Soon McClane (Willis) realises it’s up to him to save the day.
Sixth Sense
If you like a little psychological horror to go along with your thriller, this one’s for you. Released in 1999, Bruce Willis shines as a child psychologist whose patient (Haley Joel Osment) can talk to the dead. If you’re a Bruce Willis fan, this is also parcicularly good for you: critics praised Willis’ performance (and some of the others stars) particularly, as well as the ambience created (and of course the twist).
Sixth Sense was nominated for a slew of Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Director and Best Original Screenplay, Best Supporting Actor, and Best Supporting Actress. Sixth Sense was also the second-highest-grossing film of 1999.
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