The Top 10 Movie Spies
These Movie Spies Are Never Shaken or Stirred.
Movie spies are the best. They’ve got the gadgets, the suave suits, and more often than not clean up when it comes to the ladies. However, there’s more to love about them than just those superficial qualities. The odds are never in their favor, and they have to use their wits to save the day as often as their fists. That’s why this week’s Top 10 List is devoted to movie spies. Now, because this list is just for movie spies, you won’t see the likes of Jason Bourne or John Creasy on here, since they’re primarily assassins. Instead, we’re focusing on the characters that deal mostly with intelligence gathering, analysis, and saving the world from disaster. That being said, not all the members of this list are going to be action superstars, but they all do the spy thriller genre justice. So, cover your webcam and turn off your cookies, because this list is top secret and we don’t need the NSA knowing about it.
10. Samir Horn- Traitor
We’re going to kick off this list of movie spies with one who might be a little lesser known. While he might not be James Bond, Samir proves to be one of the most effective covert agents in movie history. While so many other spies use a gun to solve difficult problems, Samir is a devout Muslim who can’t stand the idea of taking an innocent life. This makes things all the more difficult for him as he tries to infiltrate a terrorist cell and prove to them he can be trusted. As a deep cover agent, he’s left without hope of back up or rescue if things go wrong, and trust me, things definitely go wrong. Still, when the chips are down he’s an agent who uses his brains to solve problems, despite the fact that he’s a former Special Forces Operator.
9. Harry Tasker- True Lies
Let’s face it, Arnold Schwarzenegger only ever plays very specific characters. In fact, they’re all pretty much the same. However, he did manage to stand out as one of the more memorable movie spies in film history. While so many other spies try to get in and get out without being noticed, Harry takes more of a “scorched earth” approach when it comes to espionage. He’s certainly been a popular choice among my colleagues when it comes to similar lists, which is why he managed to earn a spot. Sure his motives are questionable and he definitely abuses his power from time to time, but at the end of the day he gets results. He might be more of a brute force kind of spy, but hey, at least he plays to his strengths.
8. Joe Turner- Three Days of the Condor
On the complete opposite end of the movie spies spectrum from Harry Trasker is Joe Turner. Joe is a CIA analyst codenamed: Condor. He basically spends his days pouring over Intel and trying to figure out exactly what the bad guys’ next moves are. It’s not the most glamorous job in the world, but it’s a living. The thing is that Joe’s quiet life is suddenly thrown into chaos when his entire office is killed while he’s out on a lunch run. Needless to say, he soon finds himself on the run and desperate to figure out who is behind this attack. In typical thriller fashion, he finds himself in the middle of a conspiracy involving some very powerful people. In the end, he has to rely on his intelligence and knowledge to win a deadly game of cat and mouse between him and his would-be assassins.
7. Tony Mendez- Argo
One of the more recent movie spies to grace the silver screen is actually based on a real person. In 1979, several Americans were taken hostage by Iranian revolutionaries and the CIA was sent in to rescue 6 of them who had managed to get away. Of course, given the fact that Iran was in utter turmoil at the time and Americans weren’t exactly smiled upon, they had to infiltrate the country using incognito mode. The team posed as filmmakers visiting the country to make a sci-fi film. Just to make sure no one suspected them at all, they also told everyone they were Canadian. I’m not going to spoil the ending for you, but if you happen upon the Wikipedia page you’ll see exactly how this played out. It is loosely based on historical events after all.
6. Bryan Mills- The Taken Franchise
Before he launched the geri-action genre to new heights, Bryan Mills was an operator working for the CIA. Of course, he didn’t invest too well in his 401K and is facing a retirement that’s going to be a little less than comfortable. That’s why he uses his unique skill set to make ends meet. Oh, he also saves his family members from being kidnapped, like, constantly. While not much is known about his early days working in espionage (unless you watch his origin series), it’s pretty clear that Bryan Mills has a reputation for being really good at what he does. In fact, he’s so skilled that he managed to turn saving his daughter into a franchise. Unfortunately, these movies are each worse than the last. However, that doesn’t change the fact that he’s still one of the best movie spies out there.