As the war of the Chrises wages on, Chris Pine continues to be a strong contender in the battle. While he's not a member of the MCU like Hollywood's other favorite Chrises, he manages to earn his position through his good looks, effortless charm and exceptional talent.
Throughout the years, Pine has put together a strong resumé of roles showing great versatility. He jumps between smaller projects and some bigger budget affairs with ease and always manages to deliver a solid performance. So as you are still trying to decide which is your personal pick for best Chris, consider Chris Pine by revisiting some of his best roles.
Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit
Jack Ryan is a character that has been brought to life on screen by several different actors. Alec Baldwin, Harrison Ford, and Ben Affleck all played Tom Clancy's CIA analyst in films while John Krasinski plays him in the Amazon series. Pine got his crack at the role with this film directed by Kenneth Branaugh.
Meant to be a reboot/origin story of sorts, the movie follows Ryan on his first mission to uncover a Russian villain’s plot to crash the US economy. Pine convincingly plays Ryan as both a very intelligent analyst and a man who is terrified in the midst of a shootout.
The Finest Hours
The hero role is one that fits Pine extremely well and one he has played on numerous occasions. In The Finest Hours, Pine gets the chance to play a real-life hero in the true story of a 1952 Coast Guard rescue mission in the middle of a blizzard.
Pine plays the commanding officer of the small group of rescuers who risked their lives to save dozens of people. Pine avoids posturing as the ultimate hero, instead playing the man as someone who is just doing their job.
Into The Woods
It almost seems unfair how much Pine has going for him. He has the looks, he's funny, he's a great actor and, on top of it all, he's a pretty great singer as well. He got to show off his musical talent in a big way in this 2014 musical based on the hit Broadway show.
In this comedic retelling of several famous fairy tales, Pine plays Prince Charming as a pompous and self-involved womanizer. Alongside his impressive pipes, Pine gets to embrace his funny side, stealing the show as this pathetically insecure and selfish man.
Unstoppable
Unstoppable is a movie that might sound too silly to actually be worth a watch, but the end result is a surprisingly entertaining ride. A lot of that is due to the fun chemistry between Pine and Denzel Washington in the lead roles.
The action film from the late, great, Tony Scott centers on a runaway train filled with dangerous materials which threatens to do serious damage if it derails. Washington and Pine play two mismatched train operators who must stop the train before it's too late. Pine manages to successfully go toe-to-toe with his intimidating costar which helps give the film a lot of life.
6. Smokin' Aces
Perhaps because of his talents as a heroic leading man, Pine hasn't gotten many opportunities to play the villain. One of the rare occasions was in this wild, bloody action-comedy from writer-director Joe Carnahan.
The film centers on a Las Vegas magician who is set to testify against a mob boss and becomes the target of countless deadly individuals. Pine plays the leader of the Tremor brothers, a trio of neo-Nazi assassins. Pine goes appropriately over-the-top as this madman, giving a disturbingly funny performance that stands out among the star-studded cast.
Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse
Despite seemingly being the perfect fit for such a role, Pine has yet to play a superhero in a live action film. However, he did play one of the most iconic superheroes in one of the best superhero films ever made.
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse features a lot of different versions of Spider-Man, but Pine plays a version closest to the classic Peter Parker. Pine gets to open the film in a fun way, referencing past films. He fits the role perfectly and helps to sell the impact of some of the more shocking paths the film takes the character.
Outlaw King
Historical epics can be a very exciting genre especially when the right subject is chosen to focus on. In Outlaw King, the film centers on Scottish hero Robert the Bruce, who led the Scottish rebellion against the English king, Edward I after the death of William Wallace.
Pine plays Robert as a man conflicted with saving his people against a far larger army and fighting for the freedom they deserve. Though the film is less of an entertaining epic than Braveheart, Pine gives a stellar lead performance, carrying much of the film.
Hell Or High Water
Although he looks every bit the Hollywood leading man, Pine has a real talent for playing the everyman. In Hell or High Water, Pine plays a down on his luck man who, pushed by desperation, sets out to rob banks with his unpredictable brother (played by Ben Foster).
The film is a fantastic mix of the modern Western and a heist film, making it a highly entertaining and thoughtful film of these times. Pine balances the morality of his character expertly and has great chemistry with Foster.
Wonder Woman
Pine did finally join the live-action superhero genre with one of its best entries, but not playing the hero of the film. In Wonder Woman, Pine plays Steve Trevor, a WWI pilot who helps introduce Wonder Woman to the human world.
Though Trevor is certainly a heroic character in his own right, Pine rightly lets Gal Gadot take the spotlight as the titular icon. Pine also drives some great humor to the role, trying to explain the strange new world to this Amazon goddess.
Star Trek
When it was announced they would be rebooting Star Trek for the big screen, one of the hardest roles to recast was Captain James T. Kirk. William Shatner had played the role so memorably that it would be hard for anyone to make the role their own without seeming like a cheap impersonation.
Pine was not a star by any means at the time, but his funny, charismatic and compelling performance was a breakthrough for him. Pine effortlessly led the ensemble of young stars and did the impossible of creating a new version of Captain Kirk that fans could love just as much.