4. Minority Report
Chief John Anderton is accused of a crime he has yet to commit, but in one of the greatest sci-fi thrillers ever dreamed up, that is enough to convict him, leading to him having to go on the run from the very men he formerly commanded.
Jet-packs, eye sensing spiders, and the dangers of the “progress” of the justice system are only a few of the things that combine to make this movie as exciting as they come.
Minority Report does an incredible job of making the world of 2054 feel like more than just a far off sci-fi concept. It really seems like an inevitability; something that we are moving closer to each day. That realistic feeling combined with the incredible performance by Cruise as a man fighting not only his destiny, but the horrors that haunt his past, give us a remarkable feeling of empathy for Anderton; an empathy that is so essential to this genre.
And to think that most rogue agents only have to worry about security cameras when breaking back into the agency. Anderton has to have his eyes replaced to have any chance of proving his innocence. His eyes replaced. I cringe just thinking about it.
3. Licence To Kill
James Bond and personal vendettas have shown to be nearly synonymous, leading to many more Bond films that could have made this list. Agents are supposed to be professional, and take their emotion out of their job. One of the reasons fans love Bond is the fact that he is unable, or perhaps just unwilling, to do so, regardless of what M has to say about it.
While Licence To Kill isn’t my favorite Bond film, nor is Timothy Dalton my favorite Bond, it is certainly the best example of 007 gone rogue, as Bond wreaks his havoc as never seen before.
Bond is absolutely ruthless in this movie. The scene where he throws Killifer to the great white shark and watches stone-faced as the shark devours the DEA agent is one of the best Bond kills ever. Add in letting Dario fall into the shredder and lighting a moving truck on fire, and Bond gets his merciless revenge and more.
And don’t tell me the opening scene of The Dark Knight Rises wasn’t inspired by the scene where they tie a cable from the helicopter to the flying plane below. Amazing.
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