Has the GOLDEN AGE of ACTION Movies gone? (1 Viewer)

[Chuck Mayer]

I need to watch Braveheart again. There were some excellent action setpieces, and Mel Gibson's Best Director Oscar owes something to that (and much more to John Toll). I think LOTR runs hot and cold. There are some excellent action sequences in it (FOTR is particularly good, with Moria and Amon Hen getting special notice), and some average ones.

I agree with Dennis on the Brothers W. being farther ahead of the game than most (but they were ably assisted by Yuen Wo Ping). Cameron is still a master at this, but it's been a while for him.

That said, we've seen some great movies with action over the past few years, though few "pure" action movies.

It depends on the definition.

Take care,
Chuck

 

[Andy Sheets]

It's not so much a consciously portrayed political message, just the standard complaints that get thrown at many action movies, particularly ones from the 80's: "Such heroes are fascist thugs because they abuse their authority to violate the rights of anyone they feel like, they respect nothing but brute force, they have no respect for the society they claim to protect, etc." Come to think of it, I remember one review of Lethal Weapon 3 that basically said that cops like Riggs and Murtaugh were the reason the LA riots happened. Which, you know, I can kind of see where that's coming from, if you approached the films from the point of view of someone that takes everything too seriously

 

[RobertR]

Given how far to the left Danny Glover's politics are, I think he might take exception to that characterization.

 

[Ernest Rister]

"...just the standard complaints that get thrown at many action movies, particularly ones from the 80's: 'Such heroes are fascist thugs because they abuse their authority to violate the rights of anyone they feel like, they respect nothing but brute force, they have no respect for the society they claim to protect, etc."' "

Sounds like westerns, to me. The cowboy figure who restores justice and order moved off the range and into the cities.

 

[Moe Maishlish]

Yup.

Superman, Batman, DareDevil, Spiderman, Punisher, Blade, X-Men, Hellboy, etc.

Basically almost ANY comic-book movie would fit into that list, given the latent vigilantyism that's a staple of the genre.

(I've left Hulk off that list 'cause it... well... as far as superhero movies go, it was based on a comic book, but was hardly a superHERO movie).

Moe.