What happened to action films?

[Retinend]

Watching Rambo 2 and wondering what happened to this sort of hyper-masculine, highly enjoyable rubbish? All replaced by superhero films?

[BlodwynPig]

Sad to say it, but you grew up.

[El Unicornio, mang]

I think Hollywood finds them too risky. Back in the 80s they were usually 18-cert/R-rated, but that means less people going to see them. If you try to make them 12/PG-13 you end up with diluted pap like the last Die Hard film. Terminator 2, as brilliant as it is, might be partly to blame for this.

[Custard]

Some of Jason Statham's films are surprisingly fun. All incredibly OTT and daft, and have some pretty decent action

I'd recommend the knowingly ridiculous Crank films, the three Transporters, and War with Jet Li is alright.

They get slagged off a bit, but I think the two Expendables films are entertaining enough, too.

Hanna is quite good, about a teenage female assassin

Dredd was good action fare, though I guess that could be filed alongside some of the superhero stuff

The Raid is brilliant

Taken is a guilty pleasure. Fuck Harry Brown, though

Red State from Kevin Smith was alright

All not really a patch on yer 80s classics, but there's still reasonable action or action-filled fillums being made

[Van Dammage]

Most good, old school action films these days are either Direct to dvd or come out of thailand, indonesia, Hong Kong etc.
Korea has some really good action movies too.

Heres a nice action scene that they took from The Raid 2
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fs_Qhmiz40E

[olliebean]

One thing that happened is they became too dependent on CGI and forgot how to do physically plausible action scenes.

[Blumf]

One thing that happened is they became too dependent on CGI and forgot how to do physically plausible action scenes.

Add to that the obsession with fast cutting, which ruins any sense of space and, thus, any sense of peril in any action scene.

Somebody mentioned the Transporter series above, compare the driving action from the first one with the CGI BS in the second and third ones.

[Van Dammage]

Add to that the obsession with fast cutting, which ruins any sense of space and, thus, any sense of peril in any action scene.

Somebody mentioned the Transporter series above, compare the driving action from the first one with the CGI BS in the second and third ones.

It wasn't as awful as the action in the bourne movies though. That was just too much shakey cam.

[vrailaine]

AV Club done an article on this a bit ago, they seemed to think it's all happening on straight to video these days.

Only one of the list they had that I bothered to bookmark was this one http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1156466/

[Famous Mortimer]

http://www.avclub.com/article/todays-best-action-directors-arent-working-in-holl-104394

The later Universal Soldier films are surprisingly good, with decent action and even, without wanting to give them too much credit, some interesting questions asked. "Ninja" is fantastic, I think, a typical bullshit action plot with some properly brilliant fight scenes. Let me see if I can find my favourite:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Njhb0hI5y_Q

If you don't like this, then chances are you're not going to like many of the films reviewed in that article above. There's still stuff being made, but while the 80s had video shops to bring us together with this sort of thing, you'll have to go a little off the beaten track to find them now.

[El Unicornio, mang]

Just watched Escape Plan and it was very much an 80s-style action film. 50 Cent and Vinnie Jones aside, it was pretty enjoyable.

[checkoutgirl]

This came out last year and was about as good as could be expected (pretty decent). It's good enough if you like an action flick.

Plus we've got the Bourne films and the odd decent Bond film (I liked Skyfall). Does the new Godzilla film count? There's probably loads of stuff but I think the fantasy wizard and superhero franchises have taken (heh) their share of the business. Studios probably favour films that a woman might want to go to to maximise revenue. Action films nowadays are more likely to have a science fiction element (Star Trek, District 9, Avatar) as opposed to the lone nutter model (Rambo, Mad Max, Die Hard) that was so popular in the 80s.

[Retinend]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Njhb0hI5y_Q

This is a direct to DVD film? That's amazing. You can tell that there's a lot of smart filmmaking going on with the way it's all framed and edited. I was skeptical when I read  your article, in which the writer says "behind unpromising titles [are] in some cases, some of the finest filmmaking, period" but this is truly much better filmmaking than the big-budgeted blockbusters.

That said, I'm very surprised to hear that the Universal Soldier franchise is worth revisiting. As the cliffhanger to 3, iirc, Bill Clinton goes online as one of a new batch of secret universal soldiers.

[Funcrusher]

http://www.avclub.com/article/todays-best-action-directors-arent-working-in-holl-104394

The later Universal Soldier films are surprisingly good, with decent action and even, without wanting to give them too much credit, some interesting questions asked. "Ninja" is fantastic, I think, a typical bullshit action plot with some properly brilliant fight scenes. Let me see if I can find my favourite:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Njhb0hI5y_Q

If you don't like this, then chances are you're not going to like many of the films reviewed in that article above. There's still stuff being made, but while the 80s had video shops to bring us together with this sort of thing, you'll have to go a little off the beaten track to find them now.

Really enjoyed that clip and the article was a really interesting read. My film watching diet is very arthouse these days, partly because my tastes have changed and partly because entertainment movies are so crap these days. I often hanker for stuff that's like the John Carpenter, early James Cameron, George Miller type stuff I liked in the eighties. I think CGI really ruined things, and films stopped having any attention to plot or character - I really hated Terminator 2 and just stopped watching Hollywood stuff - I've never seen Die Hard, let alone the sequels. I enjoyed Ong Bak, will probably watch The Raid 2, although I could have done with at least a bit of actual plot and character in the first one.

[Funcrusher]

This is a direct to DVD film? That's amazing. You can tell that there's a lot of smart filmmaking going on with the way it's all framed and edited. I was skeptical when I read  your article, in which the writer says "behind unpromising titles [are] in some cases, some of the finest filmmaking, period" but this is truly much better filmmaking than the big-budgeted blockbusters.

It was well done. The ultra shaky camera action sequences in big budget films like 'The Dark Knight' are just shit.

[checkoutgirl]

Decent. Some of it was filmed in Ireland too.

[Famous Mortimer]

Haywire is a decent film, and Gina Carano has got another one coming out this year called "In The Blood" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eLj87gSx2U0 which looks good too.

According to director and star, the first "Ninja" was hampered by interference from money men, and the sequel, "Ninja: Shadow Of A Tear" is basically the first one done the way they really wanted to do it. I love the first one and have yet to see the sequel, so I'm looking forward to it.

I don't want to give too much credit to these films, as occasionally the acting is ropey and the plots aren't always super-coherent, but I followed the article and watched a few Isaac Florentine films and I think he's got a real flair for directing action.

[Van Dammage]

If you want bad acting, bad stories and amazing action just look at some of these...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T81BUH-r9jQ

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D3N6PY8IvPo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PfGTVNCThO4  This isn't even the best fight scene in the movie.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IM2atZfn87M  This ins't Direct to Video, its a Thai martial arts movie. Very nice 5 minute tracking shot.

[popcorn]

Some good movies recommended in this thread, but the OP's point is right: mainstream action movies aren't the same any more. You have to root through bargain bins and foreign cinema now. I don't particularly miss Rambo et al, though.

[Small Man Big Horse]

Some of Jason Statham's films are surprisingly fun. All incredibly OTT and daft, and have some pretty decent action

I'd recommend the knowingly ridiculous Crank films

They're fucking amazing and two of my all time favourite movies. All action movies since have felt pretty tame really. Well, bar maybe The Raid.

There's been a few OTT Grindhouse action flicks recently, Planet Terror and Machete (and to a lesser extent, it's sequel) that were a lot of fun. I'm struggling to think of anything else that hasn't already been mentioned in this thread though.

[Mister Six]

I think CGI really ruined things, and films stopped having any attention to plot or character - I really hated Terminator 2 and just stopped watching Hollywood stuff - I've never seen Die Hard, let alone the sequels.

It seems weird to me that you identify Terminator 2 as the beginning of the end, because the CGI elements in hat really were minimal (the T-1000 is played by some actual blobs of mercury at several points) and I think a lot of the plotting is solid, and the direction it took with both the Sarah Connor and John Connor characters was ballsy as hell. Plus the action scenes are kinetic and well staged, particularly the truck/bike chase down the storm drain. Cameron's movies are a mess now, but that one stands up.

And the original Die Hard came way before CGI, and remains the definitive action movie for me. The characters are memorable, the direction is tight, the jokes are genuinely funny and the script is - I say this with no exaggeration whatsoever - the greatest of its kind ever turned in. The first two sequels are fun too, though the second one gets the tone a bit wrong in places.

[Xindioka]

[Van Dammage]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q-hrWCgWkAA
Anyone ever see this hilariously OTT martial arts movie?
The highlight for me was when he slapped the guy in the back of the head and his eye popped out. Wish there was more like this now.

[Urinal Cake]

Political correctness.

[phantom_power]

For good violent actions films you could do worse than watch Ninja Assassin and Punisher: War Zone. Both very violent, very fun films

[El Unicornio, mang]

I actually though the Thomas Jane Punisher was a pretty good show. John Travolta's baddie living in a big Miami mansion gave it an 80s action feel.

[CaledonianGonzo]

Currently in UK cinemas:








Along with various other near-contenders like Hercules and Starred Up.

[Funcrusher]

It isn't currently April 11th.

[Van Dammage]

I like how they apparently used no CGI in the need for speed movie. Hopefully it has some good car chases.

[Thomas]

Casino Royale (2006) has some brilliant actions sequences. A very fine standalone spy thriller in itself, something not achieved by Bond since perhaps From Russia With Love.