I just watched The Man from Nowhere where a former government operative is hiding out as a non-descript pawn shop owner, and then starts kicking ass when the bad guys show up.
Any more? Particularly, I want to see more scenes where the badass is dramatically revealed.
Also, I would prefer if the badassery is revealed in hand-to-hand combat.
Not exactly what you are looking for, but the kitchen table scene with James Cromwell in “L.A. Confidential” comes to mind.
“The History of Violence” where Viggo Mortensen plays a seemingly unremarkable restaurant owner in Indiana who one day goes medieval on a couple of guys who try to rob his place.
In “Target” Target (1985 film) - Wikipedia, Gene Hackman plays an unassuming-looking man who turns out to be a retired CIA spy and astonishes his grown son with his badassery.
Wouldn’t “Shane” be a perfect fit?
ETA - for those unfortunates who haven’t seen this great western, Shane is a drifter who is working temporarily as a hand at a random farmstead. It becomes obvious in some classic scenes that he is in reality quite the noted gunfighter…and badass, despite being played by Alan Ladd (I think; I may have the name wrong).
Kung Fu Hustle.
Kick-Ass. From sweet, dim little thing to…HIT GIRL!
I don’t think there’s a better answer than this one.
Big Trouble in Little China
The character played by Dennis Dun.
Serenity, of course.
The Karate Kid (Mr. Miyagi/Mr. Han)
Except that is anyone surprised that the star of the movie, Steven Seagal, turns out to be a badass?
The best scene in History of Violence, which was a great movie, was when the guy’s son finally beat the shit out of the high school bully. People in the theater went nuts when it happened, they were cheering and screaming and the audience erupted in applause. It was incredible to witness such an intense response. This is a testament to David Cronenberg’s unsurpassed genius at building tension.
If you guys like these types of movies, my favorites are:
Shaolin Soccer: Several levels actually…Iron Leg’s brothers are all pathetic and out of shape, then they kick some serious ass. Then, in the final confrontation, the weakest of the group shows some real badassery.
Brothers of the Wolf and/or 28 Days: I don’t want to spoil too much but it’s a real surprise when one of the weaker-seeming members suddenly goes medieval.
There are many hidden badass movies, but there is only one that is…
Available at your nearest Dollar Tree location. (Maybe. That’s where I got mine, at any rate.)
A dozen or so of Chow Yun-Fat’s early movies. A Better Tomorrow or God of Gamblers springs to mind.
Bruce Lee’s and Return of the Dragon. He’s not even a chef, just a dishwasher in a Chinese restaurant.
The bad guys were sure surprised. Briefly, in most cases.
I think the bad guys in the movies were the only ones who kept harping on “he’s just a cook.” 