I'm trying to think of examples from films where the bad guy gets his comeuppance and we punch the air.
So Mark Wahlberg taking down Matt Damon in the Departed.
Or the camp commandant executed at the end of Schindler's List.
Or the dragon eating Lord Farquaad at the end of Shrek.
Any more?
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Most films i currently watch are kids / cartoon etc (due to the family of course)...
So
- Lion King where Simba gets rid of Scar...
- King Fu Panda where Po defeats Tai Lung...
- Toy Story 1 where Woody & Buzz terrify Sid...
- Enchanted - Queen Narissa (evil step-mum) falls to her death at the end
I'm sure there's more...
How about Gollum falling into the fires of Mordor in the Return of the King?
Or is that not the sort of thing you're looking for, because it isn't one creature exercising judgment on another?
Changeling (with Angelina Jolie)
She is held (unjustly) in a mental institution and abused and is powerless to do anything about it.
A pastor and a lawyer then turn up with a warrant for her release and the release of all the women who are being unjustly held there.
When the staff try to block them, the towering lawyer tells the staff that they'll find themselves behind bars unless they move out of his way.
Needs to be watched - it's very powerful.
Die Hard 2 where John McClain lights his zippo and drops it into the trail of fuel leaking out the terrorists' plane.
Pretty much any children's story/film (for younger children, anyway) with a Big Bad in it. If there is someone evil in it, they will get their comeuppance else they'd be nightmares and so on.
I'm with Si on Die Hard 2. In fact the whole Die Hard series works for me on this.
Many of the classic westerns use this motif as a plot device.
Three titles that come top of mind to me are:
The Shawshank Redemption
"I believe in two things — discipline and the Bible. Here you'll receive both. Put your trust in the Lord. The rest belongs to me. Welcome to Shawshank." ~Warden Norton
Marathon Man
"Is it safe?" ~Christian Szell
A Few Good Men
"You can't handle the truth!" ~Col. Jessep
It's interesting how often this theme appears in Jack Nicholson's films, including, most recently, The Departed!
Braveheart, when Wallace rides his horse onto the traitor's bed and kills him with a long flail.