Pierce Brosnan is a legend among movie fans because of his iconic role as James Bond in the 90s and early 2000s. Is he the best version of this famous spy? That’s up for debate but video game fans especially have a love of him thanks to GoldenEye.
Pierce Brosnan did plenty of great movies before and after that franchise though. It’s been years since he has played a bigger role in a AAA movie and it will be interesting to see how things play out in Black Adam. For fans of this rugged Irishman, here are some well-known and underrated films he has appeared in from more action flicks to intense thrillers.
8 The Lawnmower Man
The Lawnmower Man is one of Stephen King’s most underrated film adaptations. Brosnan is a scientist working on bringing VR to life. It’s a hilarious look at how the 90s viewed VR and its practical implications in society.
As is always the case in a horror movie, Brosnan’s experiments go wrong and start to create chaos. It’s not a genuinely good movie that deserves an Oscar or anything like that. It's a good, and bad movie that has to be seen to be believed.
7 Live Wire
Live Wire predates Speed by two years and has a similar premise minus the bus. Brosnan is a bomb disposal technician who is struggling with a restraining order from his wife. When a maniac starts planting bombs around the city, he’s called in for his expertise.
Bombs is a loose term too for this movie because the explosives are a bit more inventive. It is peak the early 90s with car chases, explosions, and one-liners galore. It’s another one of those fun action movies from this era where viewers shouldn’t look too deep into the plot.
6 Mrs. Doubtfire
Brosnan does not have a huge role in Mrs. Doubtfire. It’s a significant pick because he is ultimately the bad guy. Robin Williams is the star of this attraction who dresses up as a woman so that he can see his kids as their nanny.
Brosnan plays the new boyfriend of Williams’ former wife. He’s not a bad man to the kids and they seem to enjoy Brosnan’s company. Both actors are great in this wild 90s comedy that has a lot of heart in it as well.
5 Dante's Peak
There was a trend in movies during the 80s and 90s where two studios competed by releasing similar movies. Dante’s Peak and Volcano were released around the same time and each featured a natural disaster centered on volcanoes.
Brosnan plays yet another scientist, a volcanologist, whose studies lead him to figure out that a volcano is about to erupt and he needs to help evacuate the area. This area is small compared to the bombastic setting of Los Angeles in Volcano. Of the two movies, Dante’s Peak is more fun.
4 Mars Attacks
Mars Attacks features Brosnan playing a scientist but this time his pompous attitude toward academics gets him in trouble. When aliens invade Earth, he tries to tell the President to keep an open mind.
This leads to Brosnan getting kidnapped and dismembered, literally, with every piece of him hanging on hooks aboard the alien ship. That’s kind of a huge spoiler but there is so much going on in Mars Attacks that that storyline is a drop in the bucket. There is so much to see in this Tim Burton epic comedy.
3 Nomads
Nomads is one of Brosnan’s earliest movies and it demands the viewer’s undivided attention. It’s an 80s thriller wherein a doctor discovers a crazed homeless-looking man speaking French in her hospital wing. This man is played by Brosnan and after he whispers something in her ear, the doctor starts hallucinating about him.
Is she recalling a former life, an alternate reality, or is there something else going on? This is definitely a Brosnan movie to watch during the Halloween season. It's not full of scares but it is creepy.
2 Mamma Mia
Mamma Mia is a musical involving the greatest hits from ABBA. The story follows a young girl getting married and invites three men to her event to find out which one of them is the father. The three potential fathers are played by Stellan Skarsgård, Colin Firth, and Pierce Brosnan.
Everyone sings in the film including Brosnan and let’s just say some actors are more talented than others. It’s an essential watch for romantic comedy lovers out there. Enjoyment probably depends on if viewers like ABBA or not, but what monster doesn't?
1 The Foreigner
The Foreigner sees Brosnan as the opposite of his character in Live Wire. He used to be part of the IRA, but then reformed and became a politician to help Ireland in a less bloody fashion. After a bomb goes off in London which kills an immigrant’s daughter, played by Jackie Chan, Chan goes on a quest for revenge.
He starts setting off bombs and terrorizing Brosnan in the hopes he will reveal the names of the bombers. It’s an intense thriller with some genuinely great performances from these aging actors.