Highlighting a specific time period of an iconic actor's stellar career is not easy. In fact, for actors like the one and only Bruce Willis, his extensive filmography is something to marvel at. Willis has been in the film industry for decades now, and what does he have to show for it? LOADS. Some of Willis' most recognizable projects to date include 1988's Die Hard, 1999's The Sixth Sense, and Armageddon in 1998, to name a few.
However, for this ranking, we are going to narrow it down to just his movies released in the 2000s. During this time, Willis knew exactly how to keep himself busy and that was starring in and making film after film. He had roles both minor and major in a plethora of genres. From action and thriller to even comedy and animation, Willis cemented his reputation as the kind of actor that can do it all. Here is our ranking of the 10 best Bruce Willis films from the 2000s.
10 Fast Food Nation
The drama romance film Fast Food Nation came out in 2006. This movie follows the drastic career shift of a fast food chain marketing executive named Don Henderson, played by Greg Kinnear. Don is forced to investigate a rumor that cow manure has been found in the chain's burger meat. In this film, Willis plays Harry Rydell, an executive at Mickey's that has turned a blind eye to the glaring issue. This movie is definitely more favorable to audiences rather than critics and is definitely worth a watch.
9 The Whole Nine Yards
Jimmy "The Tulip" Tudeski is in big trouble. The Whole Nine Yards came out in 2000 and shows off Willis in a great light. Willis plays Jimmy, a former mob hitman that finds himself in a bit of a pickle. His life is threatened when he betrays the mob and in an attempt to start new, he moves to a quiet suburb. This seems to work until his dentist neighbor Nick (Matthew Perry) recognizes him from the news and then things get interesting.
8 Lucky Number Slevin
Willis stars as the assassin Mr. Goodkat in 2006's Lucky Number Slevin. This drama-thriller finds Slevin, played by Josh Hartnett, in the middle of a battle between some big crime lords in New York. Willis, as the big-name movie star he is, fits perfectly in this kind of high-action suspenseful drama. Also in this film are names like Morgan Freeman, Stanley Tucci, and Lucy Liu.
7 Alpha Dog
2006 was a pretty busy year for Willis. This time, he starred as Sunny Truelove, the father and drug supplier of LA party-goer Johnny Truelove (Emile Hirsch) in the crime drama Alpha Dog. When a deal goes wrong and a customer does not pay up, all hell breaks loose and things get testy with the police. If you are interested in checking out this film, it does happen to be based on a true story.
6 Hart's War
Hollywood is no stranger to a war drama, and with a career like the one Willis has, of course, there has to be a war film in there somewhere. In 2002, Hart's War told the story of Lieutenant Tommy Hart (Colin Farrell) after he is apprehended and put into a German prisoner-of-war camp. Willis plays Colonel William McNamara, the man who has Lieutenant Hart defend Lieutenant Lincoln Scott (Terrence Howard) when he is accused of killing a white fellow prisoner.
5 Bandits
In Bandits, Willis and Billy Bob Thornton play two escapees from prison, Joe and Terry. When the men trek across the West Coast, robbing banks in order to fund the life they want outside of prison, they run into a few complications after Terry gets hit by a car. The car is driven by a woman named Kate Wheel (played by Cate Blanchett), who turns their already complicated situation upside down. Bandits is a very underrated crime comedy that is sure to capture your attention from beginning to end.
4 Over the Hedge
Of course, Willis tried his hand at voice acting — and killed it! Over the Hedge came out in 2006 and is a boatload of family fun. Yes, as fans of the movie industry, we extend our appreciation for the immensely serious and heartfelt performances that test the abilities of big-name actors. However, sometimes watching a movie should just mean having fun. Over the Hedge follows a group of woodland creatures who are surprised to find human beings as their new neighbors after waking up from hibernation.
3 Unbreakable
M. Night Shyamalan, Bruce Willis, AND Samuel L. Jackson in one movie? Count us in! The 2000 sci-fi thriller Unbreakable is definitely one of the best films in Willis' filmography. The film follows the bizarre ability of a man to physically survive things that would leave the average person dead. He survives an otherwise completely fatal train crash, and he is tracked down to find the secrets behind his abilities.
2 Planet Terror
Planet Terror is a fantastic display of a zombie movie. Talk about a government experiment gone wrong. A gas is released from a botched experiment and people, civilians, start turning into zombies. This film follows a group of brave survivors who are trying to survive and find a solution to the otherwise out-of-control outbreak. In this film, Willis plays Lt. Muldoon, an antagonist in the film.
1 Live Free Or Die Hard
2007 gave us Live Free Or Die Hard, an action thriller that is definitely the best film from Willis in the 2000s. In this film, John McClane (Willis) is a cop that brings in computer hacker Matt Farrell (Justin Long) for questioning. Unknown at the time, the movie's main villain taps into the country's tech infrastructure and McClane is left to stop the chaos from getting out of hand. If high-action films are your thing, Live Free Or Die Hard is not one to miss.