Action movie

From ArticleWorld

One of the most successful film genres is that of the action movie. These tend to have a reasonably strong plot line to them, and so have an element of drama involved, but they rely on and incorporate a lot of activity to relay the story. Often the plot involves espionage or heroism and so the main protagonist in the plot is required to evade baddies or rescue hostages, for example, much of which involves some form of destruction.

Many action films tend to have limited periods of dialogue and plot information which serve mainly to provide a link from one action set piece to the next. Action films often include one or more of the following elements: car chases, explosions or fights.

Martial arts

Over recent years the action movie has seen a slight change in the fighting skills included. Martial arts have become increasingly popular and this is evident in the heightened success of Asian films in America, such as Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and Hero. Producers in Hollywood have taken some of the aspects of martial arts fighting and begun to include them in their own films, such as The Matrix trilogy and The Transporter which have a level of grace and elegance to the fight scenes. Traditional action films are those with more rugged, realistic street style fighting, such as the Lethal Weapon series.

Action stars

While many actors have appeared in films of different genres, there are a number of stars who are known predominantly for their roles in action films. Arnold Schwarzenegger is an example of a film star whose action roles define him. Although he has appeared in films of different genres, it is his performances in the three films which see him play The Terminator for which he is best known. Similarly, the most successful films in which Bruce Willis has appeared are the action films in the Die Hard series. Attempts to break away from this character have been less successful for him and the films concerned.