Can you name these 90s Action heroes?

The 1990's were arguably the last era that could even remotely be described as radical or gnarly. The era brought forth some of the best shows and movies that defined entire generations of people and still influence modern pop culture. Right now, you could probably go to the GIF section of twitter, and some of the most popular and most used gifs have some connection with the 90's aesthetic, whether it's Ace Ventura saying "Alrighty then!" or a clip from Rugrats, the 90's were absolutely dope.

One of the absolute truest representations of the 1990's was the action flick. Sure, action and adventure films have been around arguably since the dawn of cinema, but a 1990's action film has a certain feel and vibe to it. You know what I'm talking about, the lead guitar riffs on a sunny beach in Florida while the hunky and unnaturally ripped protagonist plays a game of beach ball. We're talking product placement with perfectly aligned cans of Coke and Dr. Pepper. Quick cuts between fight scenes where the stunt double's hair is just poofy enough for you to tell there's a difference.

Yes indeed, the 90's were a different time. But enough reminiscing! It's time to start the quiz. Your job is to name the protagonist/action hero of each of the films laid before you. We aren't looking for the names of the actors, but instead their actual character's names.

Question 1

Who does Tom Cruise play in Mission: Impossible?

Based on the television series of the same name, Mission: Impossible sets a team up with an objective that is supposedly too difficult to complete, but it always seems that the hero and their team came out on top and were able to defeat whatever it was they were assigned. The series has gone on to be one of the highest grossing series of action films and is well known because Tom Cruise is often responsible for doing his own stunts.

Question 2

What was Jackie Chan's character called in Rush Hour?

Rush Hour represented one of the best team up action comedy films of the 1990's and has been a goal to strive for in cinema since. It's modern day comparison would be most closely related to the on screen chemistry between Dwayne Johnson and Kevin Hart in movies today. Rush Hour was a great film and highlighted what Jackie Chan was all about. For those who might not remember or simply didn't know, Jackie Chan was renowned for doing his own stunts

Question 3

Who is the main character in Hard Boiled?

John Woo is a cult classic favorite when it comes to action films. Whether its slow motion gunfights, incredible fight choreography, or intense characters, Hard Boiled has something for everyone. The film would go on to inspire many action films of the era and even spawned a spiritual successor in the form of a PS3 era game called "Stranglehold" that boasted all of the same high notes the film hit, even including a special attack that caused doves to fly out from behind the main character.

Question 4

Who was Will Smith in Independence Day?

Independence Day was one of the first action films I ever saw and it has always left a feeling of awe inspiring action in its legacy. Independence Day was the epitome of action/apocalypse cinema that had its heyday in the 1990's. This trend would continue well into the 2000's as films utilized the spectacle of special effects to draw in audiences, and notably continues to this day, most notably San Andreas, a film about the San Andreas Fault starring Dwayne Johnson.

Question 5

Who was Jeff Goldblum in Jurassic Park?

Jeff Goldblum was (and still is) one of the best examples of star power in the film industry, meaning that any project he was attached to would see a significant bump based solely on his involvement in the film. Jurassic Park continued this trend and was an incredible technical feat that set the industry standard for special effects and world-building. The series went on to spawn an incredible number of spinoffs, from sequels to video games, and even has a new film lined up for release.

Question 6

Who was Sean Connery in The Hunt for Red October?

Sean Connery is without a doubt one of the most well known action heroes of the past century. His portrayal of James Bond was as suave and charming as it was deadly. The Hunt for Red October sees a mature, silver fox Connery on the hunt for the titular Red October, a submarine vessel that gives the film a tense layer of cat and mouse strategy tactics in a confined underwater space. The film is tense, terrifying, and one hell of a movie.

Question 7

Who was Bruce Willis in Armageddon?

Armageddon was a really cool doomsday film for a few reasons. The first reason for the film's longevity is the fact that there is a chance that the apocalypse (aka a giant meteor) could be stopped, but at great cost. This source of tension is felt throughout the entire film as the characters cope with leaving home on a mission that they may or may not return home from. In the film, Bruce Willis plays the leader of the group.

Question 8

Who was Keanu Reeves in Speed?

Speed was a great action film that centered around a public transit bus. In the film, a bus has been rigged with explosives that are set to detonate if the bus goes below a specific speed threshold. With a bus full of passengers, the driver is forced to keep the bus moving until Keanu Reeves' character intervenes and saves the day in an incredible series of high speed chases and high octane action. This is one of Reeves' best films!

Question 9

Who was the protagonist in Total Recall

Arnold Schwarzenegger is the human embodiment of the action film. Literally any film the actor is involved in is practically guaranteed to have at least three explosions. Coming off the incredible success of the Terminator series, Schwarzenegger was the poster child of action and landed just about as many films as The Rock does today. Total Recall was a really fascinating action film that stepped into the realm of science fiction and is memorable for its special effects and makeup work.

Question 10

Who was Kurt Russel in Backdraft?

For the unitiated, a backdraft occurs during a fire, and is an explosion that occurs from the rapid introduction of oxygen into a confined space. Since the flames need oxygen, this rapid reaction has the impact of an explosion and the danger of a flame, and is the perfect premise for an action film. The film centers around firefighters and the tough day to day they deal with, especially when it comes to rescuing citizens from burning buildings and homes.

Question 11

Who was the protagonist of True Lies?

True Lies was another film in the action movie saga of the 90's that involved Arnold Schwarzenegger at the helm as the film's protagonist. The film follows Schwarzenegger as he goes on a globe trotting adventure to rescue Jamie Lee Curtis, who you might remember as the protagonist and sole survivor of John Carpenter's Halloween film series about the monster Michael Myers. True Lies had everything that made 90's movies rock, from nuclear warheads to promiscuous scenes between the leads.

Question 12

Who was Bruce Willis in The Fifth Element?

Any film buff could probably tell you that The Fifth Element is one of their favorite science fiction and action flicks of all time and I would have to agree with them. The film was a bright departure in terms of color saturation and character design that reminded me of old school Star Trek in terms of how the world and movie looked. Bruce Willis continued to dominate the action scene, so it made sense for him to be cast here as well.

Question 13

Who was Harrison Ford in The Fugitive?

Harrison Ford has always been able to play the determined family man seeking vengance with the same caliber of intensity that one would see in a Liam Neeson action flick, and Ford has history and an extensive resume on his side. I remember going to see The Fugitive in theaters and how unapologetically GLUED to the screen the audience was. I have rarely seen a film captivate audiences in quite the same way as this film and think Ford is a major cause for this.

Question 14

Who was Samuel Jackson in Die Hard with a Vengeance?

The Die Hard series founded itself on the premise of action, explosions, and catchprhases and Bruce Willis continued to deliver that intensity throughout the duration of the series before it sort of tapered off in the mid 2000's. This question in particular tasks you with looking at the third film and recalling the name of the character played by Samuel L. Jackson. In the film, this character works with Bruce Willis as the two work as a team over the course of the movie.

Question 15

Who was Casper van Dien in Starship Troopers?

Starship Troopers is a really fascinating, funny, and intense action movie set in the far flung future. In the movie, the military encourages high school students to join its forces and the plot centers around these characters eliminating major threats to the galaxy and life itself. The movie did well and has since become a cult classic, inspiring cosplays and spinoffs in its inner circles and recently was successful in crowd funding a sequel to the film which is in production

Question 16

Who was Ed Harris in The Rock?

No, we aren't talking about Dwayne The Rock Johnson. The Rock was an action/infiltration film that centered around Alcatraz, one of the world's highest security and difficult to infiltrate prisons. The film was directed by Michael Bay and that news may come as a surprise to some of you, considering the wavering pedigree of Bay following the success/flops of the Transformers film series. In the film, Harris is joined by Nicolas Cage and Sean Connery as the team infiltrates Alcatraz.

Question 17

What were the brothers' names in The Boondock Saints?

The Boondock Saints is one of my favorite films to come out of the 1990's and I am really glad that the series has more or less been left alone so as to not ruin it, a pitfall that so many action films fall in to. The film featured a star studded cast, ranging from the likes of Willem Dafoe to Norman Reedus, who would later go on to gain critical fame and fandom as Daryl Dixon in AMC's The Walking Dead.

Question 18

Who did Michael Keaton play in Batman Returns?

1992 was a good year for superhero movies, primarily for the film we will be discussing here. Batman Forever was peak Keaton Batman and succeeded where so many comic book films fail by having a really interesting villain, which is something that seems to be attributed to Batman's diverse history of villains over the years since he was first created. No scene sticks out more than the ending when the Penguin is finally reclaimed by his animal counterparts and mourned over.

Question 19

Who was Patrick Swayze in Point Break?

Point Break is one of those films that divides audiences. There are some for which the film has become a cult classic, giving the film praise for Reeves and Swayze in the undercover action film where the criminals behind a string of bank robberies are known for their surfing skills. It's the most 1990's plotline that I think could ever exist, and surprisingly enough, there was a remake of the film that came out a few years ago to average reviews

Question 20

Who does Keanu Reeves play in The Matrix?

The Matrix is one of the best science fiction action films to come from the 1990's. It also delved into the fantastical realm and was the first movie I ever saw with Keanu Reeves. Don't worry, he'll pop up again in this quiz later on! The Matrix deals with a technological alternate reality where anything is possible, but evil lurks around every corner and in the shadows. The film is also a triumph for its impact on the special effects industry.

Question 21

Who does Harrison Ford play in Air Force One?

One of the most memorable action film lines comes from this movie. "Get off my plane!" Ford shouts as he tosses Gary Oldman through an opening in the aircraft. As you could have guessed by the title and opening of this question, Air Force One is a film centered around the actual presidential transport where Ford plays the president as he must take down the hijackers of the plane. If you haven't seen this one before, you owe it to yourself to check it out.

Question 22

All of the following are TMNT names except...?

I'm pretty sure we all have our old plastic TMNT action figures from when we were kids and I think that's why this movie holds such a special place in the hearts of many. The ridiculous rubber suits were the stuff of dreams for any kid sitting in a theater chair because it meant you were about to see some awesome fighting scenes any minute. I think the reboot of the franchise a few years back lacked some of the heart that these original films had.

Question 23

Who was Liam Neeson in Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace?

Say what you will about the Star Wars prequels, I'll always consider Ewan McGregor and Liam Neeson as two of my favorite Jedi in the Star Wars universe. Granted that universe got a lot smaller when many of the extended universe books and media were no longer considered canon, but let's not hold grudges. In the film, Neeson plays a Jedi Master who is training a young Obi-Wan Kenobi. The fight with Darth Maul at the end of the film was the stuff of legends back then, and still is today to a degree!

Question 24

Who did Sigourney Weaver play in Alien 3?

Sigourney Weaver will forever be immortalized thanks to her role in the Alien series, a catalogue of science fiction, horror, action films by the great Ridley Scott. The series is all about the Xenomorph, an alien being that is an absolutely lethal predator and what better prey is there than the crew of a space ship? It's like fish in a barrel and the Xenomorph is the fishing rod and the dynamite at the same time. Alien 3 was no different in this aspect.

Question 25

What was Bill Paxton's name in Twister?

At the first sound of the name, you might think this is a movie adaptation of the popular board game but you'd be wrong! Twister follows a group of stormchasers out working against the advised caution of mother nature herself to get as close to a series of tornadoes as possible. The iconic scene with the flying cow and trucks gave even The Wizard of Oz a run for its money and was a unique take on the disaster genre so popular in the 90's.

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