I think all of you will agree with me, that the evolution of this Ultimate Bad Ass award bracket that we’re doing has gotten me all pumped up.
A few people are owed thanks to this, like my wife Jina (who turned 33 yesterday, happy birthday!) for giving me the Friday Question last week, and then the Trousered Ape for suggesting the idea of the bracket system.
Once he made that suggestion, it just blew up and now here we are, with a list of 32 of our favorite action stars about to do battle to become the Pop Critics’ Ultimate Bad Ass.
Ape and I went over the final list last night, removed a few people and added a couple more than I found in browsing top 25 lists around the web, just to ensure we didn’t miss anyone awesome. A couple of the last minute additions were Maximus from Gladiator, Ethan Hunt from Mission Impossible and Blade from…Blade.
I almost removed MacGyver, because he’s not as much action as he is creative. In fact, he was so Martha Stewart-like that we almost slid him over to the girls bracket. But nah, he’s staying put *grin*
As I just mentioned, we have 32 contestants, with an entire bracket dedicated to the butt-kicking female variety. This way we’ll not only determine who our Bad Ass is, we’ll also find out which WOMAN we think is the ultimate action hero.
The guys are seeded 1-24, the girls 1-8. Check out the two lists below, lets me know if you think the seedings are wrong or off-base, and any other ideas you might have.
My plan is to put up the first four games on Monday, then the next on Tuesday, etc., until Thursday. I want to allow for 5 days of voting for each game, which should be enough time I think. If you have any better ideas, now is the time!
( I also plan on coming up with some logo for the entire thing, hopefully I can get it done this weekend)
And without further ado, here are the Ultimate Bad Ass seedings!
The Men
- Jack Bauer
- Chuck Norris
- John McClane
- Jason Bourne
- James Bond
- Jackie Chan
- Han Solo
- Bruce Lee
- Dirty Harry
- John Rambo
- John Matrix – Commando
- Indiana Jones
- Michael Corelone
- Tony Soprano
- James T. Kirk
- Mad Max
- Benjamin Linus – Lost
- Ash – Evil Dead
- MacGyver
- Maximus
- Blade
- Michael Westen – Burn Notice
- Ethan Hunt – Mission Impossible
- Martin Riggs – Lethal Weapon
The Girls
- Ripley
- Sarah Connor
- Sydney Bristow
- Kara “Starbuckâ€Â? Thrace – Battlestar Galactica
- Lara Croft
- The Bride – Kill Bill
- River Tam – Firefly
- Selene – Underworld
First off,, HAPPY BIRTHDAY JINA!!!!
Secondly, I’m highly surprised you added Blade, hes a superhero and has super human powers, and there is no Batman, who is mortal.
Thirdly dont diss McGuyver, he’ll probably whip a paperclip that richochets and wipes the others ones on the list with one shot!!
If you think Blade doesn’t belong, we can take him off…but Ape and I thought he didn’t have powers, he was just awesome…
But I’m not a huge Blade fan, so there is no surprise I didn’t realize that.
He has powers… Batman does not…
Alright, we’ll swap Blade out for Mr. T, who I had there before
Yeah Mr. T is fine, hes like a Giant Gary Coleman, so that should work!!
Oooh, what about the Man in Black from Princess Bride
“Good night , sleep well Wesley, I’ll most likely kill you in the morning”
I am going to vote for Jules from Pulp Fiction to replace Blade (surprise, surprise). Also, MacGyver should be seeded last. Love that you included Martin Riggs, although I think he should be seeded higher. How many times did he get shot in Lethal Weapon 2 and survive?
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Yeah, I am not a huge fan of Mr. T, hence me looking for someone else.
Jules is a good one…
Yeah, not only did Martin Riggs get shot, but he can dislocated his shoulder at will!
Good that you’re taking Blade off. He’s half-vampire. If he got to be there, I’d be arguing for Buffy on the women’s side.
R.A. Porter’s last blog post..Alamo Futility
You better Put Mr. T in this or I am boycotting your contest! Traveshamockery!!!
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This is gonna rock! Good idea putting Mr. T back on the list.
I’m afraid Mr. T can’t make the list. You see, Mr. T was defeated by Rocky in “Rocky III.” Since Rocky didn’t even make the list there’s no way that Mr. T can stand a chance of moving on past the first round.
I think we have to specify which version of James Bond is competing here as well. Not all James Bonds are created equal.
i wasn’t thinking so much about him in Rocky as I was about the A-Team.
Hmm…well, I can see that. Of course, the voting will probably reflect the fact that he lost a match in Rocky III to someone who didn’t even make the cut so…not sure he’s going to make it very far.
agree that he probably does not make it far but i believe there is merit to have him added.
Guess it’ll be up to Mike since he’s seeding it.
Well, since I’m a guy who watches chick-flicks, and DOES negotiate with terrorists, then I also want to avoid a boycott by Nicky, so I guess Mr. T. makes it in.
Sorry Jules, you may be a bad a$$ motherfraker, but not in this contest
Well at least we know who is out first round
And I will strike down upon thee with great vengeance and furious anger those who would attempt to poison and destroy my brothers. And you will know my name is the Lord when I lay my vengeance upon thee.
LOL would be more appropriate for the Lost :What piece… “Say What again… I dare you.. Say What again mother &*#!@#$%!!
Seriously Mr T instead of Jules? Now that’s kooky talk.
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Cap’n is commenting so much he doesn’t even remember what blog he’s supposed to be commenting ON
I strongly disagree of course, but it’s your contest Mike.
Steven’s last blog post..Top 100 Movies: Hooky, A Conspiracy Theory, and Laverne’s Masterpiece
Late, late entry, maybe for a 33/34 play-in challenge: Leon from The Professional.
R.A. Porter’s last blog post..Repo Trailer
Okay guys, I’ve come to a conclusion, and I blame Porter for the idea:
We’re going to have a playoff between Jules, Mr. T and…Leon, why the heck not.
I’ll post it tomorrow, the voting will last for 5 days like the others, and this last person will go into the final bracket grouping posted on next Thursday.
That should solve it!
Excellent! Happy to take the fall for that one.
R.A. Porter’s last blog post..Repo Trailer
Well, I posted it here cause it was in honor of not Jules not making the list originally, but it should of been posted on the Lost what clip… I was torn…
The play-offs are a good idea, though you could just add Maxwell Smart and be done with it!
Okay, now this brings up another issue…and maybe it wont matter, but Selenne from Underworld IS a vampire…so should she be ousted as well?
If so, I need another chick.
“And I will strike down upon thee with great vengeance and furious anger those who would attempt to poison and destroy my brothers. And you will know my name is the Lord when I lay my vengeance upon thee.”
lol
Mr. T. sucks and is not going to make the final-cut. Good idea for a playoff Mike.
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She is a vampire and would have superhuman power. You could substitute Number 6, but she could be counted as a machine since she is a cylon, and we didnt allow the female terminator, but you saw how Kara Thrace held her own against her….
For the 8th woman, how about giving Riggs some company and toss in Lorna Cole from Lethal Weapon 3/Lethal Weapon 4?
R.A. Porter’s last blog post..Repo Trailer
I could always move MacGyver over to the women’s circle where he belongs
ok now that would be funny, and then you could add Jules to replace Mcguyver?
MacGyver’s going to duct tape you to your chair for that comment.
Ohh, another possible woman I don’t believe I’ve seen mentioned: Tasha Yar
R.A. Porter’s last blog post..Repo Trailer
@ Mike – I think that’s for the best. We don’t want him to get too beat up.
The Trousered Ape’s last blog post..Who was Jesus of Nazareth? – Part 2 of 10 with Dr. Craig
How about Xena Warrior Princess?
The Trousered Ape’s last blog post..Who was Jesus of Nazareth? – Part 2 of 10 with Dr. Craig
Does Alice from Resident Evil have powers? Cause I can put her back in for Selenne
What about Cagney and Lacey or do those count as men?
Guys! C’mon!
Let’s make up our minds. Cagney, Lacey, and MacGyver all go to the same ‘Mullets and Stuff’ to get their hair cut. Either they’re all women, or they’re all men!
R.A. Porter’s last blog post..Repo Trailer
Okay, I think I have a few good ones:
Xena?
Did Buffy have powers?
What about Le Femme Nikita? She was a bad ass, no powers.
Well, she doesnt have powers per say, but she is an enhanced human, she has been modified and mutated..
“Le Femme Nikita” is a good one….
@ Cap’n – are you talking about McGirly again?
The Trousered Ape’s last blog post..Who was Jesus of Nazareth? – Part 2 of 10 with Dr. Craig
@ R.A LOL
@ Ape LOLOL
I’d say Jaime Sommers, but she was cancelled, so she cant even beat bad ratings…
Oh…and on the powers/no powers front:
Buffy – powers (there’s a demon inside her)
Xena – no powers
Nikita – no powers, and a bad ass
Alice – I believe she’s powered by the T-virus
R.A. Porter’s last blog post..Repo Trailer
@ Cap’n – bad ratings – nice!
The Trousered Ape’s last blog post..Who was Jesus of Nazareth? – Part 2 of 10 with Dr. Craig
Nikita it is!
Uh, I realize by saying “there’s a demon inside her” I might be stretching the bounds of a family-friendly blog. Sorry about that.
Obviously, I’m referring to the demon that inhabits all slayers, not to the demon that inhabits Angel or Spike and then subsequently…
well, you know.
R.A. Porter’s last blog post..Repo Trailer
I vote for a playoff match between McGirly and Sanjaya
The Trousered Ape’s last blog post..Who was Jesus of Nazareth? – Part 2 of 10 with Dr. Craig
{in a pirate voice}.. Aye, she fights er’ demons like all the rest of us matey… No ‘arm taken..except mine cause that why I have a hook!
If this was a family-friendly blog, it would probably be called
The Ultimate Awesome Guy or Girl
LOLOLOLOLOLOLOL Sanjaya..now THATS comedy…adding him/her to the girls side would be MEGA CLASSIC!
With all the cryin @ chick flicks you watch, Mo could win most Awesome Girl!
Hannibal Lector and/or Kaiser Soze
The Trousered Ape’s last blog post..Who was Jesus of Nazareth? – Part 2 of 10 with Dr. Craig
You know…. Ape brings up a good point.. we have mostly all good guys in this, what about the bad guys?!?! Hans Gruber, he would think most people to a beating… Are there any major baddies we are leaving out that should be in?
We’ll have to make a bad guy one later
And one with comedic characters might be funny – Austin Powers, Inspector Cluso, Maxwell Smart, etc…
The Trousered Ape’s last blog post..Who was Jesus of Nazareth? – Part 2 of 10 with Dr. Craig
And a movie bracket one, so we can put the Queen to rest once and for all…
Well on the women’s side you left out Fiona from Burn Notice, how could you?
Also on the female side I’d have to throw in Ivanova and Delenn from Babylon 5, Trinity from The Matrix, Xev Bellringer from Lexx, Leeloo from The Fifth Element, Juliet Burke from Lost, Sarah Walker from Chuck and probably quite a few others.
However, I think the ultimate award will eventually have to go to Ripley for being *mostly* dead and being brought back to life so many times.
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Probably not a lot of us watch Burn Notice, so that’s why Fiona didn’t come up.
BUt I would have chosen Trinity if powers were allowed, and Neo would have been in too.
Juliet Burke…egh…she’s not Le Femma Nikita