Val Kilmerstands as one of the greatest actors of his generation whose filmography is packed with exceptional performances inall-time great action movies. While many will recognize Kilmer from acclaimed biopics likeThe Doorsor cult favorite Westerns such asTombstone, he’s also appeared in his fair share of complex crime thrillers, lauded heist stories, and even protected the citizens of Gotham Cityunder the moniker of Batman. With so many incredible credits to his name, Kilmer’s contribution to action movies should not be underestimated.
Many ofVal Kilmer’s best movieswere in the action genre, as he’s consistently demonstrated his commitment to giving his all to every role he plays. From his extraordinary debut in the satireTop Secret!to reprising an iconic role after going through major health difficulties inTop Gun: Maverick,Kilmer has been at the forefront of action movies for the past four decades.
Val Kilmer gave a compelling performance as Detective Joe Manditski inKill the Irishman, a biographical crime action movie that owed a lot to the influence of Martin Scorsese’sGoodfellas. As a mob storybased on the life of Irish-American gangster Danny Greene, Ray Stevenson starred opposite a star-studded cast including Vincent D’Onofrio, Christopher Walken, Linda Cardellini, and Val Kilmer. Detective Manditski encounters Greene after he arrests him, and he agrees to become an FBI informant in return for lesser charges.
Kill the Irishmanhad plenty of style and some great performances, although its similarities to countless other crime dramas meant it didn’t really stand out among this stacked genre. While this held the film back from achieving greatness, watching D’Onofrio, Kilmer, and Walken in the same movie was a delight, andKill the Irishmanwill more than suffice for someone looking to kick back and enjoy an action-packed crime drama.
Val Kilmer’s feature film debut came with the release ofTop Secret!, one of the best action comedies of the 1980s. Coming from the directing trio Jim Abrahams, David Zucker, and Jerry Zucker (known as ZAZ), this filmmaking group had already achieved recognition for making perhaps the greatest disaster spoof movie of all time,Airplane!, in 1980. This time, ZAZ shifted focus and lampooned everything from Elvis Presley to spy movies in this self-aware satire.
Top Secret!was packed with endless gags and hilarious one-liners as it consistently broke the fourth wall. Showcasing the sillier side of action movies, Kilmer excelled as the American rock star Nick Rivers, whose performance was bolstered by the talented cast of comedians surrounding him. WhileTop Secret!rarely gets its due as a comedy classic, it deserves far more attention from modern viewers.
While the muddled screenplay ofThe Saintmeant it was far from perfect, Val Kilmer’s committed performance helped elevate this unique action thriller. As the high-tech thief and master of disguise Simon Templar,The Saintsaw Kilmer using various Catholic saints as aliases as he seamlessly traversed the underworld of international industrial theft and espionage. With 12 disguises in all, it was a testament to Kilmer’s acting chops that each one was imbued with a unique accent and mannerisms.
The Saintblended action and comedy as it explored Templar’s mission to steal the secret process for cold fusion, which puts him at odds with the Russian government. One of the most enjoyable aspects ofThe Saintwas Kilmer’s clear chemistry with co-star Elizabeth Shue, the woman who holds the secret he’s looking for. WhileThe Saintwasn’t a hit with critics, looking back, it was one of Kilmer’s most wildly entertaining action movies.
Val Kilmer had big shoes to fill whenhe took over the role of Bruce Wayne from Michael Keaton inBatman Forever. This action-packed superhero movie embraced the campier side of the franchise and was envisioned as a more child-friendly depiction than the dystopian atmosphere of Tim Burton’s previous movies. With Jim Carrey in the villainous role of the Riddler, Tommy Lee Jones as Two-Face, and Nicole Kidman as the love interest Dr. Chase Meridian, there was plenty of star power in this soft franchise reboot.
There was a lot to love aboutBatman Forever, and its zany aesthetic was nowhere near as extreme as its much-maligned sequel,Batman & Robin. Kilmer brought a unique energy to the role, although he’s been commonly criticized for refusing to play with the distinction between the personas of Bruce Wayne and Batman. As a truly underrated iteration of the DC hero, it’s important to recognizeBatman Foreveramong Kilmer’s achievements in the action movie genre.
Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleanswas one of the most outrageous action movies of the 2000s, as itpaired acclaimed German filmmaker Werner Herzog with major stars like Nicolas Cage and Val Kilmer. Set in post-Katrina New Orleans, Cage starred as Terence McDonagh, a drug and gambling addict investigating the killing of five Senegalese immigrants. With an unhinged lead performance and brutal violence,Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleanswas an uncompromising journey into the world of corrupt policing.
While Cage’s performance overshadowed everything else inBad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans, credit should be given to Kilmer’s portrayal of Terence’s partner, Detective Stevie Pruit. While Kilmer doesn’t get as much screen time as Cage, he also shows off his violent side as his pragmatic nature sees him more than willing to consider killing those he knows will escape conviction. There was a dark side to the brutality ofBad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleansthat made it stand apart from the heightened, almost cartoonish nature of other action movies.
Director Tony Scott reunited with his formerTop Gunstar Val Kilmer forDéjà Vu, a thrilling time travel story starring Denzel Washington. With Washington as Special Agent Douglas Carlin, an AFT officer traveling back in time to try and stop a terrorist attack from happening,Kilmer portrayed the FBI agent who introduced him to the unique surveillance program known as “Snow White.”While the science behindDéjà Vuwas questionable at best, if you just let themselves be swept away by its heart-racing narrative, you’ll be in for a good time.
Kilmer was fantastic in his role as Agent Paul Pryzwarra, and the biggest criticism that had to be placed on his part inDéjà Vuwas that he was underused. With limited screen time, Kilmer made a big impact and, along with supporting characters played by the likes of Jim Caviezel, helped elevate this sci-fi action story. As a genre-bending thrill ride the likes of which only Scott could pull off,Déjà Vurepresented one of Kilmer’s most enjoyable action movie roles.
As the screenwriter behind action movie classics likeLethal WeaponandLast Action Hero, Shane Black attempted to shake things up with his neo-noir black comedyKiss Kiss Bang Bang. With Robert Downey Jr. as a crook mistaken for an actor and Val Kilmer as a private detective he’s training under,Kiss Kiss Bang Bangcleverly subverted the preestablished expectations of the hardboiled crime genre.
Kilmer’s character of “Gay” Perry van Shrike was intentionally written by Black as an attempt to break stereotypes, with Black saying in an interview (viaVariety), “I don’t think I’ve ever seen the gay guy who kicks down the door, shoots everyone and bails your ass out before.” With some dry wit and a unique sense of humor, Kilmer’s characterization worked well and him and Downey Jr. made the perfect onscreen duo.
Val Kilmer returned to reprise one of his most iconic roles in the legacy sequelTop Gun: Maverick. While Tom “Iceman” Kazansky was once a major rival of Tom Cruise’s Pete “Maverick” Mitchell, when we meet him again more than 30 years later these dynamics had shifted and he stands as one of his closest friends and supporters. As an admiral and protector, the inclusion of Iceman among the cast was an important factor in cementingTop Gun: Marverick’sstatus as one of the best sequels ever made.
While it was exciting to see Kilmer reprise his role as Iceman, it was also a poignant and emotional reunion as the actor’s real-life struggle with throat cancer was incorporated into the character. As an impactful cameo that harkened back to the power of the original film while highlighting the growth both Maverick and Iceman had gone through, Kilmer’s appearance inTop Gun: Maverickwas a touching addition to this long-awaited follow-up film.
Top Gunwas one of the greatest action movies of the 1980s and a defining reease in turning Tom Cruise into a bona fide global Hollywood movie star. While the story of friendship between Cruise’s Maverick and Anthony Edwards’ Goose was an important aspect of the film’s appeal, it was Val Kilmer as the antagonistic rival pilot LT Tom “Iceman” Kazansky who added tension and conflict to this story of young naval officers.
Kilmer’s role as a disciplined, highly skilled pilot was in sharp contrast to Maverick’s reckless, instinctive flying style inTop Gun. This contrast between the two characters was a real point of conflict that pushed each pilot further and encouraged them to learn from one another and eventually foster a sense of respect. As one of the biggest box office hits of the 1980s,Top Gun’spopularity has not faltered in the almost four decades since it was first released.
There were few cinematic events more exciting than watching Al Pacino and Robert De Niro share the screen for the first time in the epic crime storyHeat. While moments like the diner confrontation scene have gone down in film history, just as important to this Michael Mann movie’s success was Val Kilmer’s performance as Chris Shiherlis, a key member of Neil McCauley’s crew of professional criminals. As a skilled bank robber and weapons expert,Shiherlis stood out as an emotionally complex supporting antagonist.
While Robert De Niro and Al Pacino were both in The Godfather Part II, they were never on screen at the time same time.
As a movie that provides fascinating insight into the psychologies of both criminals and cops, Heat was a thrilling game of cat and mouse made all the more exciting through Kilmer’s impeccable performance. While Kilmer has earned a reputation as a compelling leading man in countless action movies,Heathighlighted his often underappreciated talent as a supporting character and ability to imbue smaller roles with real depth and urgency. As one of the most underrated actors of his generation,Val Kilmer’scontribution to action movies as a whole deserves far more credit.
