5. John Creasy – Man on Fire
Creasy’s art is death and he’s about to paint his masterpiece – Christopher Walken on hand to explain the almighty swathe being cut across the Mexican underworld by Denzel Washington’s John Creasy, a formerly washed-up, now ruthlessly driven and focussed pursuer of kidnappers. He always had the skills, he just previously lacked the focus that has been instilled in him by seeing his young charge kidnapped. Severed digits, explosives in orifices not built for that sort of intrusion – Creasy is utterly intent on his objective and will not stop. Anyone involved, anyone who profited, anyone who looks at him funny, he’s going to kill them all.
It is an astonishingly deliberate and focussed piece of work by Washington, Creasy given depth and shade alongside is harder-than-thou credentials. That he fulfils his Badass promise not by destroying everyone but by sacrificing himself for the girl entrusted to him – a simple enough trade but one that will cost him his life in order to save her – only adds to the mythos. Astoundingly Badass.
Most Bad-Ass Moment – a life for a life. Because sometimes the most Badass thing you can do is make the big sacrifice.
