[Silver]

Has anyone else noticed the trend of action heroes turned Disney flick, kids movie rejects? Might have started with Arnold Schwarzenegger back in the 90s. Now, it's taken the careers of some of our best up and coming replacements. Dwayne Johnson, Vin Diesel.. not saying they were flawless, but they had potential. You know, before they pissed it all away on crap like The Pacifier or Tooth Fairy. They weren't perfect, but someone has to fill the gap the old fogies are leaving. Johnny Depp can't do it all, right?

What do you think of this? I'm not saying there's no place for children's heroes in cinema, but why can't they pick up some second string losers no one has ever heard of? It's possible they didn't have a choice in the matter. Does anyone else know more about it? Perhaps I missed an article that explained how the film companies were blackmailing them into these roles. Maybe that was the only way they thought they could avoid being typecast? I suppose, I'm overlooking the obvious.. could have been about money. How much does one of those films bring in?

I dunno, maybe I'm spoiled. I grew up on Bruce Lee, Bruce Willis, Harrison Ford, and Schwarzenegger type action stars. Okay, there may have been some van Damme and Norris, but you'll never get me to admit it. Could you picture them doing a kids flicks? You could, but you would not.

[Rlyeh]

I'd ascribe it to the money. Kids movies, even terrible ones, bring in a LOT of money (they always swarm every theater I've ever worked at) and they're typically very cheap to produce.

[BlackBladeGroM]

You know, not all action heroes do it. Christian Bale, for example, started out as a kids' movie actor, back when he was a child, then worked his way through art-house up into the main action. And I can't really remember Statham doing a disney even once in his career.

[Silver]

I didn't mean to imply that they all do this.. touche.

Regarding Statham, I'm fairly certain he was in Pink Panther? Not exactly Disney, but PG none the less.

If Bale does another Disney flick, I'm disavowing his existence.

[Shadout]

Jason Statham is this decades Steven Seagal - terrible actor in terrible movies.

Action heroes these days tend to be grittier types, not the OTT, one-dimensional, interchangeable between movies types that they used to be. Bond has been reinvented as a troubled soul as opposed to the quip-in-a-tuxedo he used to be, and Jason Bourne (the current Don of action characters in my opinion) is more of a reluctant actioneer than anything else.

There are far fewer movies these days that simply have fight scenes and explosions aux 1980's, there are still a few around, you just need to look at Jason Statham's CV to see that. But oddly enough audiences seem to be demanding more than just big flashes and loud bangs these days, which is why action heroes are not the musclebound beefcakes with European accents any more because a smidgeon of acting ability is called for.

[C'Thulu Dawn]

there is no such thing as an "action hero" today by the 80's/ early 90's sense of the word.
None.
It's kinda pathetic, but at the same time, so are action heroes.

[Silver]

Aye, they are kind of pathetic. They haven't been the same since I grew up, truth be told. Once you're old enough to follow a plot line that's deeper than "see spot run", they do lose a bit of their appeal.

However, that's no excuse to give up trying. Some of us need a guy like Martin Riggs or John McClane in our lives.. if only on the big screen for an hour.

Haha.. which reminds me.. what the fuck are you doing John Travolta? Shaving your head and growing face carpet won't turn you into Bruce Willis.

http://ia.media-imdb.com/images/M/MV5BNjU2NDE4NjQ4M15BMl5BanBnXkFtZTcwNzY3MTAxMw@@._V1._SX600_SY400_.jpg

[BlackBladeGroM]

Don't diss on Travolta, he's the badass incarnate.

And action heroes, as a genre-forming stereotype, have changed just as much as the genre itself changed. So let's look at the action movie genre. And what we see is the advent of moral ambiguity in the mainstream action entertainment. For me, this started with Swordfish. Travolta's lead baddie was far more juicy, motivated and overall notable than the average stereotypical haxor of a good guy, whose name I can't even remember. And, more importantly, he was understandable. I, being 13 at the moment, nevertheless understood the motivation and idea behind this character.
And as the negative characters gradually acquired depth, so did their opponents. Also, some film noir crept back into mainstream via graphic novels and computer games (e.g. Sin City, Punisher, Max Payne). Overall, action genre matured over the decades, and now the classic action heroes are more of a self-parody and self-irony of the aged, weathered producers and a nice joke to be played on said oldfags by newfags of the industry.
As a side note, I severely advise all action fans to see a Russian movie called "На Игре" (Na Igre). I think there might be either a fansub somewhere on the 'nets or an official sub\dub soon. Anyway, it's a really good action movie, something I'm not ashamed to recommend to you.

[gothb4play]

Let's have a new TV series "Action Hero's Idol Wrestling Football Match" and who ever makes it to the end will be the New Tough Action figure of 2010, we'll do it up like Survivor and we'll phone in our votes, no wimps invited.

[unusual_vampire]

Oh, to hell with this "softies" =P Leon from RE sure could kick their ass together... hmmmm, or maybe Dante...
Deadly menage a trois if Prince of Persia joins xD

I know its not movie Action Heroes... but neither does the title of the thread so I'll use that on my advantage =D

This post has been edited by unusual_vampire: 26 January 2010 - 08:45 PM

[Fluid of life]

That may be why the WWE is so popular. there are "Action Heroes" of every gender, size, race and ethnicity. What ever your needs they will deliver one. Several have actually succeeded on the screen, like the Rock. Toothfairie=action hero?

[Eirian]

Statham rocks. I adore that guy but then anyone who can strip fight and make it sexy wins my vote.

I was having this conversion last night actually, about how us 80's kids were spoilt when it comes to our action heroes.

I tell you what though, the line up for The Expendables is enough to make me drool. There's some serious muscle in there.

Also, Norris was in Sidekicks with then child star Jonathan Brandis. Very PG.

[Archangel]

I grew up watching Sonny Chiba, Bruce Lee and Toshiro Mifune. That last fight in the movie Sanjuro is the best movie battle I've ever seen, for its elegance and simplicity.



Ah the good old days when gore was new and the shock value was palpable.

[BringerofLight]

Personally I grew up sitting around in underwear with my dad eating a big bowl of cereal watching cartoons and bad karate movies. Me and my dad love the Drunken Master with Jackie Chan, still a personal favorite of mine today. I have noticed there are not very many GOOD old fashioned karate movies like Jackie Chan movies and Bruce Lee.