Where are the action movies?

[jackson113]

The Jamie fox ,Gerald butler movie form a couple of years ago....forgot the name...... rooted for Gerald butler the whole movie though!

[Captroop]

It seems like it.

 

This thought started when someone asked me what I thought the best action movies of all time were.  And then I realized pretty much all the non-comicbook flicks that popped into my brain - stuff like Speed, The Rock, Face Off, True Lies, etc - was all like ten to twenty years old.

 

What's the most recent action movie you'd put on that list?

 

Man, most of the ones that came to mind are comic book adaptations. Hell Boy and 300 are both comic books adaptations. The Incredibles is actually a solid action flick, but it's Super hero related, even though not based on a comic book. Dark Knight, however, you honestly can't slight for being a comic book movie, it is an achievement amongst action movies. And probably the greatest action movie villain on film ever.

 

But here are some recent non-comic book entries:

Predators (2010)

The Bourne Identity (although it marked the final departure from action movie to action-thriller)

Mission Impossible 3 and 4

Kill Bill Vol. 1 (Probably the truest action flick of the bunch, in spite of the fact it was a decade ago, and starred a woman)

 

Team America and Dawn of the Dead were both in 2004, which appears to be the start of the turning point.

 

 

[Zaximus]

It seems like it.

 

This thought started when someone asked me what I thought the best action movies of all time were.  And then I realized pretty much all the non-comicbook flicks that popped into my brain - stuff like Speed, The Rock, Face Off, True Lies, etc - was all like ten to twenty years old.

 

What's the most recent action movie you'd put on that list?

 

Last Bourne movie was decent, the previous ones were a while back though.  I'd say "Taken" was a great action film (Taken 2 was OK but the first is superior), The Raid 1 and 2, Judge Dredd (the new one) is actually awesome so it's action/sciFi mix, Casino Royale and the other new Bond flicks, the last Mission Impossible was great, Expendables movies are pretty good for action movies but nothing amazing.

 

Movies have evolved, straight up mindless action isn't as popular now, people want drama/mystery/sci-FI mixed in I guess.

 

[Scrumtrilescent]

I'd pay 10 bucks to watch Jason Statham eat a bag of chips.  15 bucks for IMAX 3D.

[jackson113]

Can't think of one good Stallone or Swarztneiger movie....their movies were corny to begin with.

[Captroop]

Last Bourne movie was decent, the previous ones were a while back though.  I'd say "Taken" was a great action film (Taken 2 was OK but the first is superior), The Raid 1 and 2, Judge Dredd (the new one) is actually awesome so it's action/sciFi mix, Casino Royale and the other new Bond flicks, the last Mission Impossible was great, Expendables movies are pretty good for action movies but nothing amazing.

 

Movies have evolved, straight up mindless action isn't as popular now, people want drama/mystery/sci-FI mixed in I guess.

 

 

Dredd is a comic book adaptation...Although I liked that one too.

 

[Zaximus]

Dredd is a comic book adaptation...Although I liked that one too.

 

 

So was things like Road to Perdition and whatnot but I wouldn't call them comic book movies really. 

[Mr. Scot]

I do count graphic novel adaptations like Sin City, 300 and Watchmen as comic book movies, but I'll grant it's debatable.

[PandaPancake]

Aren't graphic novels just months of comics put together?

Sent from my XT1080 using CarolinaHuddle mobile app

[Captroop]

Aren't graphic novels just months of comics put together?

Sent from my XT1080 using CarolinaHuddle mobile app

 

No. In the industry, what you are referring to is a "trade paperback," where several issues, usually covering a story arc are released as a single book. A graphic novel is just that, a full story told at once in a single book.

 

It's like the difference between stories that used to come out 40 pages at a time in magazines in the early 1900s and then were made into books later, versus novels.

 

The distinction is if you intend to do a trade, you have to think of your story in terms of issues, so you've got to tell a little mini-story, beginning, middle and end that wraps up every 23 or so pages for each individual issue, typically ending on a cliff hanger, while trying to weave the story arc into it.

 

A graphic novel on the other hand is not constrained by the page limitation and story telling considerations for issues. The story can be laid out in chapters exactly as the author intends, at the pacing they desire. Some graphic novels include Persepolis, Safe Area Gorazde (about the atrocities of the Bosnian genocide. Worth a read), Maus, and Barefoot Gen.

[jackson113]

Bruce goddamned Lee ....one of the baddest men alive...even kicked Chuck Norris's ass in a movie. Would have liked to see how movies would have changed if he lived longer.

[PandaPancake]

No. In the industry, what you are referring to is a "trade paperback," where several issues, usually covering a story arc are released as a single book. A graphic novel is just that, a full story told at once in a single book.

 

It's like the difference between stories that used to come out 40 pages at a time in magazines in the early 1900s and then were made into books later, versus novels.

 

The distinction is if you intend to do a trade, you have to think of your story in terms of issues, so you've got to tell a little mini-story, beginning, middle and end that wraps up every 23 or so pages for each individual issue, typically ending on a cliff hanger, while trying to weave the story arc into it.

 

A graphic novel on the other hand is not constrained by the page limitation and story telling considerations for issues. The story can be laid out in chapters exactly as the author intends, at the pacing they desire. Some graphic novels include Persepolis, Safe Area Gorazde (about the atrocities of the Bosnian genocide. Worth a read), Maus, and Barefoot Gen.

 

So when they refer to Watchmen as one of the greatest graphic novels of all time, who is lying?

[Captroop]

So when they refer to Watchmen as one of the greatest graphic novels of all time, who is lying?

 

Depends who you ask. I don't think it's a graphic novel, because it came out in an episodic fashion, but it's on the fringe because it wasn't an on-going series. It was intended for a short run and then being published as a book.

 

If you ask a lot of people, and if you go by the generally accepted definition, any book that uses the comics media to tell the story, and is generally bigger than a comic book, is a graphic novel.

 

And if you ask Alan Moore himself about it, he will tell you that the term "graphic novel" is a bullshit marketing ploy that translates to "an expensive comic book." They are all "comics."

[Zaximus]

Can't think of one good Stallone or Swarztneiger movie....their movies were corny to begin with.

 

Wha.....

 

Terminator 2 is not only top-5 SciFi movies of all time, it's a top movie period.  Total Recall is also regarded as a top Sci-Fi film.  Predator?  Running Man?  I agree he had some meh movies but also had those great ones.  For the time, most of his movies were great and did well.

 

Stallone did the Rocky movies (5 was terrible) and Rambo (1 and 2).  Rambo 1 was more than a straight action film, it was almost a protest film and dealt with Vietnam stuff.  He's not the most amazing actor but he's had some good stuff.  Cop Land was really good actually despite not getting any attention. 

 

That's how action goes because as new effects and things come, the older ones pale in comparison.  Only "some" old action movies hold up as the years go.  Terminator 2 is one, Rambo is one, Great Escape, etc. Stratham movies will be corny themselves in 20 years (the ones that aren't already).