MFF Special: The Top Five Cinematic Presidents

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With the presidential election looming I decided to compile a list of my five favorite cinematic presidents. These five men are all incredibly different but if you combined them into one person our world would be a better place. What I love about these men is they have no problem making tough choices, jumping into fights and delivering amazing speeches.

The presidents might also have Jedi powers…

Here are the top five cinematic presidents!

5. President Thomas J. Whitmore – Independence Day

Thomas J. Whitmore (Bill Pullman) is a true hero who monologues like a champ and has no problem engaging in air combat with devilish aliens. I have deep respect for a man who leads his country into combat and survives to tell the tale. What impresses me the most about Whitmore is how he was able to belt out a rousing speech on the fly. He had no speechwriters or aids telling him what to say or do. He simply stood up and delivered a speech that saved the world.

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4. President Tom Beck – Deep Impact

Morgan Freeman is the best and his President Beck character in Deep Impact is the president everyone wants. He is cool, calm and has a beautiful voice that could prevent war. If an asteroid was headed towards earth, I’m pretty sure the only thing that would calm me down is a speech by Morgan Freeman. Anything that comes out his mouth sounds reassuring and I would briefly forget that a massive rock was headed my way. We need more Morgan Freeman president characters.

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3. President Merkin Muffley – Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb

Peter Sellers is my hero (watch Being There) and Dr. Strangelove or: How I learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb is my second favorite film (Jaws is #1). What I love about President Merkin Muffley is how relaxed he seems in the face of chaos. One of my favorite all time scenes involves Muffley talking to the Russian leader about potential nuclear war. It is the funniest phone conversation ever and proves that Peter Sellers can do no wrong.

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2. President Dwayne Elizondo Mountain Dew Herbert Camacho – Idiocracy

Terry Crews is an underrated comedic actor and his portrayal of President Camacho in Idiocracy is a blend of earnestness, anger and bouncing pecs. He is the type of president who will get down and dirty and allow others to have a voice (before he busts out his machine gun). Idiocracy is an underrated film that has managed to stay relevant and topical during the current election. I’d like to think that Camacho could make this country great again.

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1. President Tug Benson –  Hot Shots! Part Deux

I’ve watched Hot Shots! Part Deux countless times and it never gets old. It is loaded with hilarious sight gags, one-liners and characters. My favorite of the bunch is President Tug Benson (Lloyd Bridges). What I love about Benson is how he isn’t afraid to throw himself into action and occasionally incapacitate bad guys via stinky farts. The final battle between he and Saddam Hussein is a neat mixture of weird moments, asbestos skin and Terminator 2 gags. If our country was ever in trouble I would happily trust that Benson would save the day and still not remember who his wife is.