The 1990s was an incredible time for film. There was the Disney Renaissance, the birth of Pixar, and many debut directors who have since rose to prominence, like Quentin Tarantino, David Fincher, and Wes Anderson. The 90s also saw a tremendous boost in visual effects. Just compare 1984's The Terminator with its 1991 sequel, and you'll see what we're talking about.
With these improvements in visual effects came some of the best action films in Hollywood. We were blown away by their explosive thrills -- and also by their iconic lines. Some of them pack a harder punch than the movie's protagonist. Others are one-liners that the hero says just before killing the villain, creating moments that are as awesome as they are cheesy. It's been over 20 years, and we still find ourselves repeating these famous lines. Here are ten of the most iconic quotes from '90s action movies.
10 "Kittridge, you've never seenme very upset." - Mission: Impossible (1996)
Mission: Impossible is what birthed the Tom Cruise blockbuster movie franchise. After his team is killed, Impossible Missions Force (IMF) agent Ethan Hunt (Cruise) meets with IMF director Eugene Kittridge (Henry Czerny) in a restaurant to discuss what happened. Kittridge tells him that they're looking for a mole within IMF and implies that Hunt may be that mole. "I can understand you're very upset," the director tells him. "Kittridge, you've never seenme very upset," Ethan responds coldly. Seconds later, Hunt uses an exploding piece of gum to make an iconic and spectacular escape. Tom Cruise's Ethan Hunt will make his return to the big screen in Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One this year.
9 "Plan B. Let's just kill each other." - Face/Off (1997)
Director John Woo is known for his action movies. And Face/Off might just be his masterpiece in the genre. This film pits Hollywood stars John Travolta and Nicolas Cage against one another while also allowing them to play each other. Castor Troy (Cage) and Sean Archer (Travolta) are mortal enemies, who end up swapping faces and identities and spend the whole film playing cat and mouse.
Their rivalry belongs on a list of greatest movie rivals ever, along with Batman and The Joker or Neo and Agent Smith. Their rivalry is perfectly summarized in a scene where Archer (now as Cage) and Troy (now as Travolta) are standing back-to-back against a mirror, guns at the ready. Sick of being in Archer's skin, Troy proposes that they switch back identities. When Archer declines, Troy proposes another solution. "Plan B. Let's just kill each other." They then point their guns at the mirror, seeing their enemy in its reflection.
8 "Don't let yourself get attached..." - Heat (1995)
Al Pacino and Robert De Niro are two of cinema's greatest actors. Interestingly, they had never appeared in a scene together until 1995's Heat. De Niro plays criminal Neil McCauley while Pacino plays LAPD Lieutenant Vincent Hanna, two characters caught in a deadly game of cat and mouse.
Throughout the film, McCauley shares the criminal mantra and famous quote he lives by: "Don't let yourself get attached to anything you are not willing to walk out on in 30 seconds flat if you feel the heat around the corner." Heat has since become one of the most iconic action films ever made, mostly because it brings together two of Hollywood's most legendary actors. Its director Michael Mann is reportedly working on a sequel based on a novel that he recently co-wrote.
7 "I make this look good." - Men in Black (1997)
Long before he infamously slapped Chris Rock, Will Smith was one of Hollywood's biggest stars. He killed it with action movies during the 90s, and Men in Black was one of his biggest hits. This film had a little bit of everything: action, comedy, science fiction. It also featured one of Smith's most iconic lines. After being recruited to a top-secret organization that monitors Earth's alien activity, Jay (Smith) puts on his iconic MIB outfit: the last suit he's going to wear.
As he's getting dressed, he tells his partner Kay (Tommy Lee Jones), "You know what the difference is between you and me?" The camera then zooms in on Jay's face. And as he slips on his black shades, he tells both Kay and the audience, "I make this look good."
6 "You're fired." - True Lies (1994)
Arnold Schwarzenegger was a huge star during the 90s. Aside from comedy, there's one genre this man does really well: action. True Lies is one of Arnold's most iconic action films and director James Cameron's most underrated movie. Unbeknownst to his family, Harry Tasker (Schwarzenegger) leads a double life as a secret agent. But these two lives clash when Tasker and his wife are kidnapped by terrorists.
At the end of the movie, Harry is flying a helicopter, while a terrorist hangs on to a missile. Tasker looks directly at the camera and says in a dry voice, "You're fired." He then shoots the missile, and the terrorist, at an enemy helicopter in the distance, causing a massive explosion. It's so cheesy and ridiculous but has since become a classic Arnold moment.
5 "No. For me." - Goldeneye (1995)
Goldeneye was Pierce Brosnan's debut as British secret agent James Bond. The film opens with 007 and his partner Alec Trevelyan, also known as 006 (Sean Bean), carrying out a mission. "For England," they both agree before pushing onward. Things go south, however, when Trevelyan is killed. Or so we thought. He returns later in the film and reveals himself to be Bond's latest villain.
The two former friends get into an epic scuffle that ends with Bond dangling Trevelyan over a tremendous height. "For England, James?" 006 asks him, calling back to that opening scene. And in typical 007 fashion, Bond hits him back with this badass and iconic line: "No. For me." Then he drops the villain to his death. In a franchise that spans over 60 years, Goldeneye is considered to be one of 007's best movies.
4 "Get off my plane." - Air Force One (1997)
In Air Force One, superstar Harrison Ford plays American President James Marshall, who grapples with Russian terrorists, led by a man named Egor (Gary Oldman), after they hijack the Air Force One. At the end, Marshall fights Egor at the edge of the open cargo door, while the plane is still flying through the air -- the kind of scene that you can only find in an action movie. Marshall wraps a parachute strap around Egor's neck, opens the parachute, brings his enemy in close, and growls this iconic Harrison Ford line: "Get off my plane." He then releases Egor, whose neck snaps shortly afterward. President Marshall is one of the most badass presidents ever, though our next entry gives him a run for his money.
3 "Today we celebrate our Independence Day!” - Independence Day (1996)
In Independence Day, Bill Pullman plays American President Thomas J. Whitmore, who guides the nation through an alien invasion. On July 4, towards the end of the invasion, President Whitmore gives an epic, uplifting speech that will get your adrenaline pumping. And he ends it with this iconic line, declaring freedom not just for America but for the entire world: "Today, we celebrate our Independence Day!" After that, the world launches a united aerial attack. And as a former fighter pilot and war veteran, President Whitmore decides to join the offensive. Why can't America find presidents like these guys?
2 "...and I show you how deep the rabbit-hole goes.” - The Matrix (1999)
The Matrix is so much more than a a great 90s action movie; it defined the turn of the century. Its main character, Neo (Keanu Reeves), meets his soon-to-be guru and mentor Morpheus (Laurence Fishburne), who seems to radiate mystery and wisdom. He hints to Neo that there may be more to his reality than meets the eye.
But before they can proceed any further, Morpheus holds out two palms, each with a different colored pill, and presents Neo with this iconic line and choice: “You take the blue pill: the story ends, you wake up in your bed and believe whatever you want to believe. You take the red pill: you stay in Wonderland and I show you how deep the rabbit-hole goes.” Morpheus' red pill vs. blue pill question has become a modern philosophical metaphor for free will and existentialism.
1 "Hasta la vista, baby." - Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)
Everybody knows Arnold Schwarzenegger's famous line from the original Terminator: "I'll be back." Its sequel, Terminator 2: Judgment Day, gives his character a new, equally awesome quote. During his mission, Schwarzenegger's killing machine bonds with John Connor (Edward Furlong), the teenager who he's been assigned to protect. Connor teaches the Terminator some "cool and modern" lingo.
After a vicious brawl in the ending, he gets a clean shot to destroy the T-1000 (Robert Patrick), a liquid-metal robot that's been sent back in time to kill John. But just before he pulls the trigger, the Terminator repeats a line that Connor had taught him, one of the most bad*ss quotes in cinema: "Hasta la vista, baby."
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