The Top 15 Manliest Movies Ever Made

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What exactly makes a movie "manly”? Is it the characters? The story? The special effects? The performances? Or is it a combination of all of these elements that makes film from simply appealing to a male audience to being a raging testosterone fest? Today we will be separating the wheat from the chaff and taking a look at 15 films that can truly be defined as being the manliest films of all time.

#15 Spartacus

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"Spartacus” starring Kirk Douglas (Courtesy photo)

Ah, gladiators. Is there any period in history manlier than ancient Rome? (Maybe Ancient Greece?) Directed by the legendary Stanley Kubrick, Spartacus was his fourth major studio film, but many film critics considered this one his first truly great movie. The Kirk Douglas led film of the 70 BC slave uprising against the Roman Empire was grand in scope and vision, and became the archetype for all historical dramas that came after it.

(http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0054331/)

#14 Starship Troopers

Starship Troopers – TriStar Pictures

Is there any director manlier than Paul Verhoeven? (Maybe Paul Schrader, but that’s a debate for another time.) Based on Robert A. Heinlein’s "juvenile” (that’s what they used to call YA novels back in the day, kids) novel of the same name, Starship Troopers is equal parts action movie and social satire, albeit it’s a very sneaky social satire that most casual viewers won’t pick up on. (If you’re familiar with Nazi propaganda films you’ll catch onto it fairly quickly.) The story of three childhood friends played by Casper Van Dien, Denise Richards, and Neil Patrick Harris who join Earth’s military invasion of an alien planet for nothing other than the fact that humans find the aliens living there really, really scary is a pure adrenaline and testosterone rush of extended, laser filled battle scenes.

(http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0120201/)

#13 Gladiator

Gladiator – Universal Pictures

Here come the gladiators again! (Yeah, they’ll be making more than a few appearances on this list). Ridley Scott’s Academy Award winning epic is far from Scott’s best effort as a director (I think that we can all agree that Blade Runner has that title tied up), or Russell Crowe’s best moment as an actor, but what it lacked in substance, it more than made up for in action. The story of the betrayal and enslavement of the much beloved Roman general, Maximus, by the wicked son of Marcus Aurelius, Commodus (played by a barely there Joaquin Phoenix), is stacked with so many battle scenes that it’s sure to grow more than a few hairs on your chest.

(http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0172495/)

#12 Braveheart

Braveheart – 20th Century Fox

Who likes revisionist history as much as I do? Obviously if you enjoy most of the "historical” films on this list, you really don’t mind the filmmakers fudging up actual facts a little bit. But, really, who cares as long as there’s non-stop action! And Mel Gibson’s Academy Award winning film of the short and violent Scottish uprising against the English throne led by William "The Pretender” Wallace is the epitome of non-stop action and constant male bonding. What sets Braveheart apart from most of the films on this list is the epic, extremely graphic battle scenes, all of which were painstakingly directed using hundreds of extras by Mel Gibson. No, Braveheart is far from historically accurate, but thanks to Gibson’s keen eye for wholesale blood and violence, you’ll be far too wrapped up in the battle scenes to actually care about the story.

(http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0112573/)

#11 300

300 – Warner Bros. Pictures

More gladiators! The film, based off of Frank Miller’s ridiculously over the top graphic novel, was perfect for director Zack Snyder’s over the top, CGI rich filming style. The story of 300 Spartans defending their nation against a barbarian horde of thousands launched thousands of other stop motion action film imitators. Much like Braveheart, Snyder was far from concerned with presenting the time period with a sort of historical accuracy, but instead focused on keeping the audiences blood pumping with adrenaline.

(http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0416449/)

#10 Shaft

SHAFT – Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer

He’s one bad mother— Shut your mouth!
The granddaddy of the so-called "blacksploitation” films is an absolutely terrible movie. But it’s terrible in that quirky way film buffs like. You know, it’s goofy, grandiose bad, but not "bad-bad”. Shaft is a private detective in the same vein as Mickey Spilane’s Mike Hammer. He’s a take no prisoners, take no sh*t kind of man that all the ladies love. And much like Spilane’s novels, Shaft is chock full of obvious plot holes and over-the-top action.

(http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0067741/)

#9 The Clash Of The Titians

Clash of the Titans – Warner Bros. Pictures

I swear this is the last gladiator film on the list. I’ll be blunt, Clash Of The Titians is not a good film. The acting is stiff, the script is lackluster, and the monsters all look like they were all crafted out of play-dough. But there’s just something about it that gets your blood pumping, especially when Sir Laurence Oliver trumpets, "Release the Kraken!”

(http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0082186/)

#8 True Grit

True Grit – Paramount Pictures

You can’t not include a John Wayne film on the list of the manliest movies of all time. While True Grit isn’t exactly Wayne’s finest moment as an actor (yeah, I know, I know, they gave him an Oscar for it, but, really, they gave it to him for all the MILLIONS of dollars his movies made for the film industry), you can’t help but get a chill down your spine whenever you hear the line: "That’s bold talk for a one-eyed fat man!”

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(http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0065126/)

#7 The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly

The Good, The Bad and The Ugly – United Artists

You could really include any of Sergio Leone’s so-called "spaghetti” westerns on this list. But the cast of Clint Eastwood, Lee Van Cleef, and Eli Wallach simply exudes machismo and dread with each frame. The story of rival bounty hunters joining forces to track down stolen confederate army gold is an intense ride. Plus, you get to see Clint Eastwood take on an entire army of bandits with a canon.

(http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0060196/)

#6 The French Connection

The French Connection – 20th Century Fox

What makes The French Connection so manly? One thing: Gene Hackman. And really, that should be enough of an explanation for you to consider this classic film of two New York City cops attempting to thwart the European drug trade. But if you need a bit more reason, all you need to do is watch the car chase scene mid-way through the film.

(http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0067116/)

(Chase scene: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IzEloJ5venk)

#5 The Rocky Franchise

Rocky – United Artists

No list of manly movies would be complete without Sylvester Stallone’s best known creation. The Rocky films are equal parts moving character dramas and hard hitting boxing films. The first two films in the series could easily be described as two of the best films about boxing ever made. (But not "the best”, that one will be coming along a little later in the list.) The later entries into the series verged into the category of being "bad-bad” films. But there’s no denying the overall visceral and inspiring power of the first two Rocky’s.

(http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0075148/)

#4 The Rambo Franchise

Rambo – Lionsgate

Nope, no list of manly without Sylvester Stallone’s second best known franchise, either. The story of Vietnam veteran John Rambo—which was originally based on David Morrell’s best-selling novel, First Blood—started out as being an intense melodrama that soon degenerated into nothing more than wholesale anti-Soviet Union propaganda. But there’s no denying the overall visceral reaction you get from Stallone’s Rambo taking on entire armies in film-after-film.

(http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0083944/)

#3 Fight Club

Edward Norton and Brad Pitt Fight Club (1999) – 20th Century Fox

"I want you to hit me as hard as you can.”

Has there ever been a movie about unchecked mental illness more entertaining and manly as Fight Club? The answer, of course, is no. The movie based on Chuck Palahniuk’s best-selling novel of the same name is perhaps director David Fincher’s most stylized and accomplished films, and is an utter bloodbath chock full of manly antiauthoritarianism.

(http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0137523/)

#2 Raging Bull

Raging Bull – United Artists

Easily the greatest boxing film of all time. The story of the rise and fall of the middle weight boxing champ Jake Lamotta is an absolute masterpiece of filmmaking from director Martin Scorsese. It’s also one of the great—if not the greatest—Robert DeNiro roles. DeNiro portrayed Lamotta as a beast among men; utterly driven to win no matter the cost to himself physically or emotionally. Along with the graphic fight scenes, Scorsese crafted a brilliant character study of one of the most fascinating athletes of the 20th century.

(http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0081398/)

#1 Die Hard

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Die Hard – 20th Century Fox

Was there any doubt in your mind that John McTiernan’s classic adaptation of Roderick Thorp’s  novel, Nothing Lasts Forever, would be #1 on the most manly movies of all time? Super cop John McClane is one of the true iconic action roles of the 20th century and catapulted Bruce Willis into movie stardom. What sets Die Hard apart from the rest of the pack is that the film is almost 100% action with very little filler to slow it down. Plus, Willis’ McClane is an every man who most viewers utterly identify with. Like the Rocky and Rambo franchises, the sequels were lackluster, but didn’t detract from the overall greatness of the original film. And Die Hard easily sports one of the manliest catch phrases of all time: Yippee ki yay, motherf*cker.

(http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0095016/)

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