Movies from the 2010s were great to cinephiles, with top hits from genres such as action, thrillers, and even animation. While all these genres deserve a special nod, for the purpose of this article, let’s dive into the action genre – specifically those starring the ruggedly handsome Gerard Butler.
Butler has had an exciting career, from his musical role in The Phantom of the Operato making many cry in his role in P.S. I Love You. For the most part, though, Butler is best known as an action film star. His most notable action performances come from the 2006 film 300, the 2009 film Law Abiding Citizen, and even his 2020 film Greenland. But what has he done in between then? The 2010s were good to Butler, earning him a role in 22 films – most of which were action roles. While we anxiously await the upcoming film Greenland: Migration, a sequel to arguably one of Butler’s best movies, Greenland, let’s take a look at some of his best action movies from the 2010s, ranked.
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6 Geostorm
Warner Brothers
When a network of satellites, that was created years before to control the Earth’s climate, start to malfunction and attack the Earth, humanity is at risk of extinction at the hands of a geostorm. The satellites, called Dutch Boy, are from the mind of Jake Lawson, who has since been replaced at his company by his brother Max. Jake ends up going to space to try and fix the satellite while his brother tries to handle things on the ground.
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It’s true that this is not one of Butler’s best films — it was, in fact, one of 2017’s biggest box office bombs — however, Geostorm was a decent film in itself. For those “end-of-the-world” film lovers, this movie is for you. There are plenty of moments that keep you at the edge of your seat and even some tear-jerking moments from Butler aboard the satellite.
5 Has Fallen Series: Olympus, London & Angel
Millennium Films G-BASE
This three-part series stars Gerard Butler as the United States Secret Service Agent Mike Banning. In the first film, Olympus Has Fallen, Mike has to rescue the president after the White House is seized. In the second film, London Has Fallen, he must rescue the president again after he is kidnapped this time by a new terrorist group. The third film, Angel Has Fallen, has Mike trying to clear his own name after he is accused of an assassination attempt on the new president.
The fourth installment titled Night Has Fallen is in the works, but the release date is TBA. Butler has revealed he signed on to reprise his role. A fifth and maybe sixth installment is also rumored for a future release, according to Any Good Films. The series has received mixed reviews, but has reached $523 million gross worldwide.
4 Hunter Killer
Hunter Killer lands Butler in the ocean aboard a submarine. Butler plays Commander Joe Glass who mans the USS Arkansas, which has been sent to rescue the USS Tampa Bay after it has disappeared. They team up with another US ship as they attempt to save the current Russian president from a possible new war threat.
The film is full of engaging action sequences and battles. Most viewers agreed that the film was exciting and worth watching. Its plot could have used some sprucing up, but the film certainly made up for that with its epic submarine battles. Plus, we love to see Butler as a commander.
3 Machine Gun Preacher
Relativity Media
Sam Childers, an alcoholic drug-using biker, is released from jail to find his wife has left her job as an exotic dancer and turned to Christ. He is against this lifestyle and returns to his usual ways until he almost kills a guy. Shaken by this experience, he himself turns to Christ with the help of his wife. Having completely turned himself around, he decides to go on a mission trip to Uganda where he learns of the war zone in Sudan. After meeting a preacher there, he decides to build orphanages for the victims of the cruel Lord’s Resistance Army that plagues the land.
Machine Gun Preacher is based on the events of the real-life Sam Childers. While the film was mostly a flop at the box office, its true-story nature helped make the film more popular after it was released on DVD and streaming services. Butler does a decent job at portraying Childers and at bringing his story to light.
2 Den of Thieves
STX Entertainment
LA Detective Nick O’Brien investigates the robbery of an armored truck that was targeted by a group of thieves. Upon catching one of the group’s drivers, Nick learns the group’s plans to rob the Federal Reserve for $30 million in old bills that would have been shredded instead. As the crew slowly infiltrates Nick’s life, it seems as if the detective has his work cut out for himself.
The heist thriller Den of Thieves will have you on the edge of your seat throughout the whole film. The twists towards the end of the film will have viewers questioning how they didn’t see that coming. When an action film combines a compelling storyline, you know you are in for a treat.
1 How to Train Your Dragon
DreamWorks Pictures
Hiccup is the brainy and lanky son of the village leader who wants to prove himself a real Viking. After ruining yet another dragon hunt, he is grounded from joining future hunts, which leads him to go off on his own. He comes across the Night Fury dragon, which is the rarest dragon of the land. Instead of killing him, however, he ends up working with Toothless as a way to show that dragons are good and not bad.
True, How to Train Your Dragon is an animated movie, but who’s to say animated films can’t also be considered action films. While we don’t get to see Butler himself, his character certainly sees enough action sequences — and this time, it’s with dragons. In the franchise, Butler plays Stoick, the macho father to the main character and village leader. His voiceover work further shows how diverse Butler is as an actor.
