The Problem with Action Movies Today

after publishing my video the problem with horror movies today many requested that i tackle other genres as well choosing another genre to dissect was simple there's really no competition action movies are suffering today and not just in the way they're crafted but at the box office as well sure nearly every huge superhero film and its sequels rake in crazy money but this video will focus more on pure action films the issues with how they're made and my suggestions for how to improve them for this video i came up with a simple process that action filmmakers can employ and of course this is just my opinion films are subjective and my thoughts on this subject may not resonate with everyone after listing these steps i will discuss one final requirement which i think is the absolute most important and something that action filmmakers seem to have forgotten about entirely let's get started number one the story this is likely the most important aspect of all filmmaking can we be invested in the story yet it is of particular pertinence to action films why is that action movie plots have become very overused at this point there's only so many times we can see a really evil guy threaten to blow up the world or some power-hungry baddie take somebody's daughter audiences may not be able to put their finger on it but they know when they've seen something special something unique that actually gets their adrenaline pumping let's talk about a film released in 1994 called speed this movie has one of the best action plots of all time there's a bomb on a bus if it goes under 50 miles per hour it explodes there you go instant two hour thrill ride this is a terrific concept because our hero is constantly on edge he never has a second to breathe and it gives the audience something to be excited about every single moment how about another little kiana reeves film called the matrix this movie has arguably one of the coolest stories ever put up on the screen not only was the action mind blowing but the film presented a world in which nothing was what it seemed and the movie as a whole pulled the rug out from under all of us action movies nowadays seem to have lost the sense of presenting a great story nearly every single one is a recycled plot from another better film taken 3 is essentially a cheap watered-down version of the fugitive ripd is a rehashed attempt to recreate the charm of men in black the legend of hercules is a shameless rip-off of gladiator and 300. don't even get me started with the endless string of reboots and remakes action movies need a story that is not only inhabited by characters we care about but features a plot that keeps the audience on the edge of their seat in raiders of the lost ark nazis want the ark of the covenant and so does indy and he'll do anything to get it this is a story that lends to action because it's a story that always keeps our hero moving he's rarely given the chance to stop so the film's momentum never drags if your action film doesn't have a plot that supports fast-paced filmmaking then you're doing something wrong number two the hero an action movie without someone to root for is an unholy sin against cinema goers our hero is the man or woman that we desperately want to relate to when this person is in peril we should be gripping our hands tighter and tighter not checking our watch wondering when the credits will start let's take one of the quintessential action heroes of our time john mcclane and compare the same character from two different films die hard and a good day to die hard in the original film the character of john mcclane is not an invincible badass he's actually a husband trying to reconnect with his wife this is what his character is doing in california he's not there to fight terrorists he's just unfortunately the only guy left the film takes its time in the beginning to briefly present a man afraid of flying a man having difficulty with his marriage and somebody we can actually care about so when the action starts we want to see him succeed because at this point it's all he has left in his life and he's all the nakatomi plaza has left he is but a pale shadow of this man in die hard 5. there is not even one single moment in the entire run time of this film in which our hero isn't completely on top of things john mcclane was a lovable [ __ ] in the previous four films but in this abomination he actually is an [ __ ] that guy you run into on the street that makes you question humanity he punches a pedestrian steals his car then crushes many civilian vehicles including one with an innocent woman inside the previous four die hard films presented mclean as a character who despite being a total ass actually cared about people that's why he became a cop die hard 5 lost all sense of these things and the movie sucked indiana jones is considered one of the greatest movie heroes of all time a lot of this is due to him just being a regular guy this is something that i want to cover towards the end of this video and it is in my opinion the most important part of presenting an above average action movie hero number three the villain there's a saying that your story is only as good as your villain this is very true in my opinion a compelling villain is generally the polar opposite of our hero but perhaps has one thing that connects them for instance consider the t-1000 from terminator 2 he and arnold are both terminators they're both connected by john and sarah connor and yet the t-1000 is vastly superior technologically and isn't governed by the orders of john like arnie is this makes for a very interesting villain and most importantly one that can actually challenge our hero another prime example is the joker in the excellent crime drama yes crime drama the dark knight if brute strength money and power were the deciding factors batman would crush the joker in a split second but unfortunately for batman the joker knows every single button to push psychologically to ruin our hero in the film's best scene the joker explains to batman how similar they actually are saying he's really just a freak like him for these reasons the joker is not only one of the best villains of all time but serves as an example for all writers out there on how to craft a powerful antagonist another very important aspect of getting the villain right is giving him motivation that we can understand so often the bad guy is portrayed as a cartoon character who just wants money the best villains are the ones we can actually understand consider le chief from casino royale to this day he remains my favorite bond villain why because we can actually understand where he's coming from he's at the end of his rope financially he absolutely requires money because his life is being threatened by a powerful organization he's not some faceless head of some powerful place who continuously strokes his cat he's actually someone who not only challenges bonds psychologically but a human being a great example of this is the one and only darth vader next to the emperor he's the most evil guy in the galaxy or is he in reality he's a person who watched his entire life crumble lost his children and the majority of his body but it's his connection with luke that made those original three films so unforgettable and the humanity under that helmet that made him so intriguing number four the stunts an action movie without great stunts is like a comedy without laughs however before the filming can even take place it's important to cast an actor who actually does some let's talk about tom cruise this man is the best example of a hugely famous artist who legitimately wants the audience to have a good time and someone who recognizes that actually seeing the action hero doing these amazing things makes not only the experience better but the film better from the very first mission impossible cruz has proven himself to be an excellent sport and has continued to do stunts so insane he's essentially the american jackie chan in most action films when the hero does something dangerous the camera is positioned behind him so that we are unable to tell that a stunt double has replaced the actor during the entire burj khalifa scene in mission impossible ghost protocol our palms sweat because cruz is actually out there suspended from a line some audience members assume they're looking at cgi yet are unable to explain in words why the scene was so great well simply put it's actually happening the best and most entertaining action scenes in history revolve around breathtaking stunt work and are performed by brave men and women who have a serious love of their craft actors like harrison ford and keanu reeves have been famously very dedicated to what they call physical acting not necessarily death defying stunts but performances infused with adrenaline that provide us with the knowledge that our favorite action heroes can actually do the things they are depicted on screen doing an actor who is unwilling to get involved with the stunts puts a strain on the director it causes him to incorporate more cuts and angle changes to his vision than perhaps he originally planned on this can be very frustrating not just for him but the audience it's vastly important to cast actors who actually are invested in the action scenes and who want the audience to have as much enjoyment as possible number five the camera work dear lord this is what i've been waiting to talk about you all knew it was coming shaky cam [ __ ] shaky cam at some point someone somewhere told hollywood that people like incoherent incompetent camera work blinding the audience with multiple cuts and assaulting us with nothing but a barrage of sound effects that are supposed to subconsciously tell us that something is happening on screen there is but one director out there who uses shaky cam successfully paul greengrass the bourne ultimatum is considered by many to be one of the best action movies of recent years and yet it is littered with shaky cam so why does it work many directors now use shaky cam as a cheap quick way to film a scene between two actors who have not one single clue how to pull off a stunt so it's used as a way to mask poor stunt work other directors actually do it because they like it i guess some of the worst examples of this technique are every film directed by olivier megaton his action scenes are extremely difficult to follow filled with endless cuts and angle changes that serve no purpose other than to make our eyes sting green grass doesn't use shaky cam to hide anything it's clear throughout the film that damon and the other stunt people are very invested in the action scenes and the seamless editing and use of wides at just the right moment make this apparent rob cohen's direction of the final fight scene in alex cross is so unimaginably awful that i struggle to comprehend how it was approved it's very easy to look at this scene and assume that these actors are unable to perform a convincing fight and that cohen is using this technique in an attempt to cover up their inability to sell convincing stunt work yet a quick look at this brief but memorable fight scene from another matthew fox film called speed racer shows us the exact opposite so clearly the man can do stunts so why film your action scene like there's an earthquake going on on the set speed racer was directed by the wachowskis two people who clearly understand the art of an action scene take for instance the final fight between neo and smith i watch and drool at the fluidity of the camera work and how beautifully it glides across the subway filming these talented actors in excellent wide angles letting our eyes soak in the moments kianda reeve's recent film john wick is another excellent example of how to do it right this movie was directed by veteran stuntmen who made their love of the genre infectiously obvious with the vivid lighting and terrific camera work something people often confuse is handheld cam for shaky cam these are two very different things a film like saving private ryan used handheld cam to beautiful results and a glowing example of handheld cam used effectively is the nightclub scene in collateral handheld cam is simply a shot that isn't locked down by a tripod or any other device oftentimes the cameraman is physically holding the camera and this creates an unpredictability to the camera work and with unpredictability being a major theme of collateral it was the perfect choice shaky cam is literally just the cameraman shaking the camera back and forth on purpose and even scarier sometimes the shaky cam effect is even enhanced in post with more vibration added foreign films have been a consistent example of how to do it right the raid 2 features swift cinematography and actors who've clearly trained tirelessly to make the action look convincing but there is a danger to excessive choreography and fight training that danger is that the battle will more closely resemble a dance than a fight this is what i fear happened with revenge of the sith the final lightsaber battle is cool and all but it was so flashy and well practiced that rarely throughout the fight do we ever get the sense that either of them are actually in danger the excuse has been made by some very forgiving star wars fans that these are jedi in their prime and they're using the force at such a fast level that they can successfully predict the other's movements that's fine and all but that doesn't change the fact that they don't appear worried or concerned even remotely one of the most important things to choreograph is not just the hits kicks and blocks but the acting that happens in between them this is something that jackie chan excels at he is a brilliant physical actor and one that understands that it's not just about the action it's about the drama that happens in between the action too often today action scenes appear so well staged that we can often sit back and watch the punches fly without being concerned for our hero this leads me to my final and most important point the vulnerability of our hero let's talk about a movie called lucy which was entertaining at times but that was mostly because it had a sleek look and scarlett johansson is effortlessly watchable but one of my largest complaints with the film was that once lucy was able to unlock the recesses of her brain there was not a single person left alive able to challenge her she took on hordes of people without even blinking an eye due to her invincibility this made the action scenes tensionless an action hero should have something about him or her that makes us relate to them a vulnerability a humanity we need to fear for our hero's survival let's compare the matrix to its sequel the matrix reloaded in the first film during the climactic battle between neo and smith the hits felt real dust flies off their chests blood trickles from neo's mouth there are legitimate moments throughout where you wonder if neo can actually win this is a vulnerable hero we feel like we could be like this man in the matrix reloaded we are given a series of fight scenes with dazzling choreography wondrous camera work and no sense of pain neo has literally become a superhero and nearly all tension has drained from the action the hits feel powerless the endless parades of smiths appear like balloon people being smacked into the air like toys the best fight scene in that film is the chateau sword fight and largely because there are moments throughout that neo genuinely appears a little bit concerned the sunglasses also have something to do with it by taking away our hero's eyes it's even harder to connect with him consider mel gibson in the first lethal weapon awesome badass cool crazy guy right well sure but he's also a man mourning the loss of his wife and contemplating suicide the character of martin riggs has an emotional center and his friendship with murtaugh made it all the better as already mentioned john mclean is the ultimate every man action hero throughout the action he's always more concerned about his children his wife and the hostages than how many people he can blow up the quintessential vulnerable action hero is indiana jones observe the brilliant truck chase scene from raiders why is this scene so perfect besides the incredible stunt work john williams pounding score and the live wire direction its success is due to the physical journey of indy throughout the scene once he gets inside the truck and has the upper hand on the guards he then gets shot in the arm and a smart ear will notice william's score instantly changes at this moment to a continuously building theme that tells us it just got serious one relentless soldier gets the best of indy pummeling him in the gunshot wound he then tosses indy through the windshield putting him inches away from being run over this is what i call the breaking point moment most great action films have this the moment where our hero is at his lowest point and has no choice but to dig his way out and somehow come out on top in john mctiernan's predator it's this incredible moment after all of arnie's team has been killed and he realizes he's the only one left alan silvestri's amazing score reflects the horror his character is feeling as he realizes he has no one left but himself this is why watching indy pull himself under the truck then getting dragged behind it only to come around and knock the crap out of the soldier is so enthralling we've seen our hero taken to the breaking point and then come out on top it makes my adrenaline rush every single time the last crusade had this moment as well indy hanging on the edge of the tank getting beaten by a shovel but eventually just at the last second he climbs back up temple of doom had it too when molar rom nearly pulls indy's heart out near the finale you know what film doesn't have the breaking point moment you guessed it kingdom of the crystal skull you might argue that there was about five seconds during indy's fight with the russian where he crawled on the ground briefly but essentially indy remained perfectly on top of things throughout the entire film there was never a moment where we feared for indie survival like in the previous three and that is just one of the reasons why indie four didn't succeed so basically our heroes need to be relatable in some way you'll find that even the best superheroes are the ones that have something about them that make them human something about them they're hiding or perhaps it's a belief system they're harboring that they're coming to realize is false another discussion i'd love to have is entirely about the pg-13 rating but that's for another video my sincere hope is that filmmakers who are making action films can perhaps use this video as a guide on what to avoid if you are planning an action film currently please consider these points because i strongly believe they will make your film better and if you are concerned with the current state of action films please share this video maybe we can make a difference so what do you guys think on this subject and if you missed my video on the problem with horror movies today there will be an annotation for it here shortly thank you as always so much for watching guys and if you like this you can click right here and get stuck managed you

Channel: Chris Stuckmann

Views: 3,685,834

Rating: 4.927175 out of 5

Keywords: The Problem with Action Movies Today, Chris Stuckmann, Film Critic, Movie Review, Raiders of the Lost Ark, Indiana Jones, Die Hard, Lucy, Scarlett Johansson, The Matrix, John Wick, Keanu Reeves, Olivier Megaton, Taken, Shaky Cam, Collateral, Tom Cruise, Stunts, Jackie Chan, Mission Impossible, Hunger Games, Directing, Stuntwork, Scene, Clip, HD, Full Movie, Trailer, Kill Bill, The Bride, Crazy 88s

Id: eac0lXfMs9c

Length: 20min 55sec (1255 seconds)

Published: Mon Feb 09 2015

Reddit Comments

[u/[deleted]]

after watching this, all I can say is - fuck shaky cam.

[u/steinbergmatt]

And now I have a new respect for Keanu Reeves and Tom Cruise. Didn't see that coming.

[u/WHAMwich]

I watched edge of tomorrow today and was pleasantly surprised. The trailer looked pretty bad but i thought it was really well done.

[u/EviLincoln]

I was hoping this was the video on Jackie Chan. The one that explains why the camera doesn't switch to a different angle for fight scenes and the like. The action scenes in Jackie Chan movies come across as more authentic.

[u/SSSSSSSid]

Out of interest - how is this guy allowed to use all of these movie clips? Does he need permission?

[u/boobsbr]

gee, the lightsaber battle highlights really show how dull the choreography is.

the part where they stand facing each other about 4 feet apart and just spin the sabers around is awful.

[u/watership]

"movies today"? Movies, all the time.

The issue I have with commentaries like this, is they act like the past was amazing full of strings of great movies with original concepts. 90 percent of mass market films are crap, with 5-10 percent of worthwhile, and at times, exceptional work. Film has always been like this. A few key films every year stand out, the rest is there to make money and appeal to demographics that just want to watch new movies.

This past year we've had fantastic action films with great stories like Edge of Tomorrow and Captain America: The Winter Solider.

I also take issue when people talk about movies like The Dark Knight as 'classic.' I mean, it's a great film, but I like to think 'Strangers on the Train' is classic.

I'm not that old right?

Edit: I mean to say the use of the word classic has to have some era of time to pass, so you can look back on it as such.

[u/belbivfreeordie]

Harrison Ford is one of the best action movie stars ever because he gets beaten up so well. He really sells getting hit, he gets sweaty and dirty and bloody and bruised, and (perhaps most importantly) after the fight he is THE BEST at acting like he's recently been beaten up, limping and wincing and such — not just immediately after, but even after a bit of time has passed. This all adds up to making him feel very real and very vulnerable, and raises the stakes in his next action scene.

[u/[deleted]]

I disagree with his points on the hero having to be a normal, relate able guy. That trend started with Die Hard, but there were plenty of great action movies in the 80's before with guys like Schwarzenegger and Stallone.