Action Movies

 Action movies are all about the hero, his journey, his stunts, his fights, his successes. And if the actor playing the central character is a favorite, then the movie is probably going to be a box office success. And the difference between an A and a B level actioner is the budget. The bigger the budget, the more likely the movie will have a top name action star (e.g., Tom Cruise), top director (e.g., Antoine Fuqua) and the stunts will be spectacular (e.g., the Fast flicks). But B actioners can be just as entertaining (Jason Statham movies).

 

Action movies are predictable in terms of plot and character development. Our hero is presented with some kind of complication that requires him to do something. In facing this task, he will encounter the villain’s henchmen that he will have to fight in any number of ways – fists, knives, guns, and if you’re a fan of the John Wick series, you can fight with swords and even cars. Eventually, our hero will have a showdown with the villain, who will get his just come-uppance and give us a satisfactory conclusion to the story. There is very little character development because he is the hero – his cause is just. The more talented director will try to show that our hero has regrets and is looking to leave his violent past  (Equalizer 3) or that he is most loyal to his comrades/friends and will do what it takes to save them (Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning).

 

Action movies require a suspension-of-disbelief. You can’t spend too much time looking for plot holes because there will be a lot. And the stunts – our hero jumping off a mountain and landing on a moving train; our hero sending his car into the air, hitting a crane which deflects a rolling bomb and landing safely on the road; our hero climbing 222 steps to the Sacre-Coeur Basilica and fighting off opponents with every step. These stunts are amazing and enjoyable to watch but not realistic. Just go with it.

 

Action movies are fun. You don’t have to think and you can forget your worries for an afternoon. And seeing the actioner on the big screen with popcorn and a diet coke just makes it all the better.

Random Thoughts

 It's been awhile since I've written anything here. Maybe it was because it had become a chore to write about movies. Maybe because the more time passed, the harder it was to get going again. I still enjoy watching movies on the big screen, the way movies were intended to be watched. I'm not a fan of streaming (although I will watch episodes if they're produced by my daughter: like, watch season 2 of The Great American BBQ on Netflix 😀 I continue to resist watching current movies on a streaming service.)

I will say that since the Pandemic and lockdown, I don't feel compelled to watch all of the Oscar nominated movies. If they don't appeal because they're about unlikeable people, the subject is depressing, they're stupid comedies, or schlocky horror, I won't see them.

I hope you were encouraged to see this summer's blockbuster duo, Barbie and Oppenheimer. Both are worth seeing. In fact, Barbie will be re-released in IMAX for one week starting Sept. 22, 2023 with exclusive post-credit footage selected by the film's director Greta Gerwig. I'll be there.