Hollywood’s Most Badass Dad’s

On 6th April, Bruce Willis will star in the new action-packed crime drama Death Wish directed by famed horror filmmaker Eli Roth. Following an attack on his wife and daughter, Paul Kersey (Willis) dedicates himself to seeking justice for his family and also avenges other innocent victims he meets through his work as a doctor in a hospital. Set on bringing his own kind of justice to the city by whatever means necessary, the internet buzzes wondering who this hooded man is, asking “is he a hero, or is it wrong?” to take the law into your own hands.

To celebrate the release of Death Wish on 6th April, we are going to look back on some of Hollywood’s best and most badass dads.

Ray Ferrier – War of the Worlds

Extreme situations resulting in extreme actions is explored greatly in Steven Spielberg’s War of the World’s. Ray Ferrier, father of two, was pushed to the limits when an alien invasion threatens all of mankind. The pain in his eyes when he fears for the safety of his children is heart wrenching and the things he does to protect them is somewhat disturbing. SPOILER ALERT: he kills a man that he worries may hurt his daughter with his bare hands and a spade.

Bryan Mills – Taken

Now here is a dad that was a brilliant father as well as a badass. Taken, released in 2008, shook parents around the world when Liam Neeson’s on-screen daughter was abducted on holiday abroad. Being an ex-CIA agent, Bryan Mills was able to track down her kidnappers, take down a whole sex trafficking ring and get her home in one piece.

Big Daddy – Kick-Ass

Kick-Ass is a hilarious tongue-in-cheek superhero movie about regular people that don’t have magical powers but want to do what they can for their community (and wear capes in the process). Big Daddy is one of the good guys who teaches his young daughter that she can do whatever she wants, be whoever she wants and trains her to be a be a damn superhero. His daughter, Hit-Girl, very much takes the limelight in of badass-ery and fight scenes but she wouldn’t have become the ‘kick-ass’ girl she IS if it wasn’t for her father.

Frankie Dunn – Million Dollar Baby

They may not actually be father and daughter but Frankie Dunn (Clint Eastwood) is the best father figure in Maggie’s life. With a useless, heartless family, Maggie and her boxing trainer become all that is important in each other’s lives as they train her up to become world champion. Their relationship is pushed to the limits when tragedy strikes and they realise they don’t want to be without each other.

Atticus Finch – To Kill A Mockingbird

Be it the version in the book by Harper Lee or the Gregory Peck version on the big screen, Atticus Finch from To Kill a Mockingbird is one of the best father figures in all of fiction. Why is he a badass? Because he’s a white lawyer defending a black man against an undeserved rape charge during 1960 in Southern America. Why is he a good father? Because he spends a lot of time with his children and teaches them to be themselves and to stand up for the lowly and to defend those in need. Why is he possibly the most important character mentioned on this list? Because he isn’t a superhero, or super-buff, nor is he able to shoot people down half a mile away, but because he is a normal but great person.