Action movies are being taken over by couples in lieu of the mismatched buddy action movie of yore. As evidenced by ‘Mr. & Mrs. Smith’, ‘Killers’, and ‘Knight and Day’, movie producers have decided that they need to throw a little something in their action movies for the ladies in the form of superstar couples. (Luckily, Jennifer Aniston stayed classy and didn’t exact her revenge on action movies by attempting to steal Tom Cruise or Ashton Kutcher; not that I can blame her for not wanting to try.) But if the humorous premise of giving a bickering couple guns and using car chases and espionage as a form of couples’ therapy isn’t your thing, perhaps you’d prefer the best couples of action movies on this list:
Bruce Willis and Milla Jovovich in ‘The Fifth Element’ – Cab driver Korben Dallas and his perfect chin manage to snag the perfect being in one of the best sci-fi action movies. Well, at least she seems like the perfect being at first; Leeloo doesn’t speak English for part of the film, which means the cabbie doesn’t have to deal with a nagging back street driver.
Arnold Schwarzenegger and Jamie Lee Curtis in ‘True Lies’ – When it comes to the couples of action movies, this one might be to blame for the slew of new action movies starring married folk. Arnie plays a computer salesman with a super secret: he’s actually a government agent. With his wife starting to go astray, he introduces her to his glamorous and dangerous life in the best way: having Jamie Lee Curtis perform a silly/sexy striptease. So take note, guys: the best way to save your marriage is to kidnap your wife and assign her a pseudo spy mission.
Sandra Bullock and Keanu Reeves in ‘Speed’ – Keanu Reeves plays an explosives expert (he should be by now after all the action movies he’s starred in) trying to save a bus from exploding, while Sandra Bullock plays the woman who uses her impressive bus driving skills (which include dodging obstacles, making impossible corners, and apparently making the bus magically fly over an impossible jump) to speed to the top of the list of America’s many sweethearts. Unfortunately, Sandra Bullock was right; couples that start their relationships in tense situations are doomed, and ‘Speed 2: Cruise Control’ ultimately tore one of our favorite couples of action movies apart.
Carrie Fisher and Harrison Ford in the ‘Star Wars’ movies – The first couple of sci-fi action movies definitely have their problems. I mean, Leia kissed her brother and she is a bit snooty (but I guess you can be when you look that good in a slave bikini), and Hans is definitely full of himself, but we just can’t help but love one of the universe’s greatest couples, anyway. However, we ladies are not amused with the response “I know” when we tell you guys we love you (you better hope you’re about to be encased in carbonite if you try that one).
Keanu Reeves and Carrie-Ann Moss in ‘The Matrix’ movies – As it turns out, Keanu Reeves was right for dumping Sandra Bullock (I know, it’s blasphemous to say that anyone is right for dumping Sandra Bullock, but hear me out). Instead of doing a bad sequel with her in the ‘Speed’ franchise, he became a part of a franchise with one good sequel and one bad one (two out of three action movies in a series ain’t bad), and he became the more important half of one of our new favorite couples of action movies with the coolest names: Neo and Trinity. I didn’t really feel their onscreen chemistry, but all that leather and those funky sunglasses sure made them one hot couple (literally, they had to be losing precious bodily fluids by the gallon running around in those getups).
Sam Worthington and Zoe Saldana in ‘Avatar’ – Compare them to John Smith and Pocahontas or the fairy and the human in ‘Fern Gully’ all you want, but, when it comes to couples in sci-fi action movies, Neytiri and Jake Sully are truly one-of-a-kind (two-of-a-kind?). I mean, in what other action movies (other than Steven Seagal’s) have ponytails been so important? Make fun of the giant Smurfs and their silly little love story all you want, but they’re still one of the biggest and best couples of action movies.
Angelina Jolie and Nicholas Cage in ‘Gone in Sixty Seconds’ – Sure Brad Pitt was an upgrade for Angelina, but you’ve got to admit that car thieves Memphis and Sway (what is it with couples in action movies having such awesome names?) had one sexy relationship. But gals into bad boys that steal wheels for a living beware: there’s a little lady named Eleanor that just might be worth leaving you for.
Rutger Hauer and Daryl Hannah in ‘Blade Runner’ – Sure Harrison Ford and Sean Young made a cute couple in one of my favorite sci-fi action movies, but out of the two replicant couples (yes, I believe Deckard was also a droid), my favorite is composed of the poetic Roy Batty and his better half with funky fashion sense, Pris. They may not get much screen time together, but the manufactured couple has seen things we couldn’t believe, and it’s truly heartbreaking to know that they’re forever lost in time; like tears in the rain.
Eva Green and Daniel Craig in ‘Casino Royale’ – I know James Bond has had many leading ladies over the years, but he doesn’t seem to be a guy that believes in the word “couple”. So as one of the only women to steal his heart and tempt him into becoming a one-woman man, the ravishing Eva Green helps the duo make this list of the best couples in action movies. He may not get to be with Vesper Lynd in the end, but it was nice to see the womanizer lose at his seductive game for once (even if Vesper Lynd ends up being the one who really loses big).
Uma Thurman and David Carradine in ‘Kill Bill’ – Talk about a bridezilla! Of course Bill’s former lover has a reason to be upset, seeing as how he ruined her perfect little wedding and plan of living a normal life. Perhaps the assassin and her former mentor are no longer an item, but they do share some quality time together as a family before the Five Point Palm Exploding Heart Technique finally brings their tumultuous relationship to an end for good.
So what have we learned from the couples of action movies? I guess that the couples that slay together stay together; you should trade in the his-and-hers towels for his-and-hers unique nicknames; and sword fighting, shootouts, and car chases beat couples therapy any day (just take note that not all couples on this list survived their action-fueled romances).
