"I am a Tic-Tac guy. The right size and just enough flavor to pop one every hour or so. I always have a pack on my desk and coworkers are always asking for them."
Where have the action heroes gone?
I was watching a behind the scenes video of Expendables 2 earlier today. Sly Stallone is talking about how he hopes that this movie is the beginning of a revival but is more likely the end of an era. I realized how few real action heroes there are nowadays in film save for perhaps Jason Statham and The Rock. They seem to have been replaced by anti-heroes/geekish, awkward characters. Certainly not the silent tough guys that we say in the 70s, 80s and 90s. Why is this and do you think it could be a contribution to the suggested waning of masculinity that we often see being discussed in the media today?
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Native Son on -
They're all older, grayer, sometimes fatter, and in a lot of instances, pretty well stove up and slower than they used to be.
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Permalink Reply by JonEdanger on -
...older, grayer, sometimes fatter, and in a lot of instances, pretty well stove up and slower than they used to be.
You rang?
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Permalink Reply by Rick Shelton on -
"I'm not as good as I once was, but I'm good once, as I ever was."
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Permalink Reply by Ayden Dijkstra on
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Perhaps it has to do with identification. Nowadays it's important that the people who watch movies can identify tih the hero. (At least that's what I've learned and I'm hearing more often.) James Bond used to be a great hero that no one could touch but now also bleeds because that's what the audience want's to see. Real people.
But also masculinity is a hot topic and it's changing. Whether it's because of the media or because the world is constantly changing.
No I don't have the answer and I would love to talk to someone that has. But I have thought about this to. And these are things of which I think that also play a part in this.
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Permalink Reply by Titus Techera on -
I put it down to two things. One is the difficulty of writing good plots & of innovating in a genre. I'm not sure there is any kind of movie that depends on a good plot more than an action movie... This is a fault that lies with directors, writers, & producers.
The other is the opinion that movies cannot say anything about the world in which we live, because that world is too simplistic.
Hence no movies with Muslim terrorists--or at any rate none that attract public attention. I know some such movies from before 9/11, but none after. Famously, Tom Clancy's Sum of all Fears features Muslim terrorists--replaced by Neo-nazis in the movie--is that a plausible enemy? Is that a realistic plot?
I think this should point out the problem with action movies. In order to be plausible, they need to point to a serious flaw in American society.--Rambo would have been meaningless without the context of the Vietnam War, because the tragedy depended on the disgusting way in which veterans were treated.--The people do not really want to see that sort of thing; they will accept it if it's a good movie, but they don't go begging to hear what's wrong. Then again, I do not think writers & producers understand much about the country. You need people who have thought about the matter & at least can show that they're not hacks.
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Permalink Reply by LShieldes on
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There are plenty of action heros, they just aren't the steroid laden freaks of yesteryear.
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Permalink Reply by David F. on
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Well I just saw the Lone Ranger trailer. I certainly see that it is an action film.
As to the change of hero archetype.
It is a reflection of society. We are no longer under the Red Scare, the Iron Curtain etc.
Its is not easy to paint the bad guy as a quick simple character to hate and kill.
Why are they awkward / anti-heroes / geekish now?
Because it is the rise of the Nerd and Tech in our society.
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Permalink Reply by Rick Shelton on
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Are you saying that terrorists don't make good villians for movies? Kinda disagree with that.
The problem with using Muslim terrorist is that the media may not want to portray Muslims in that light in order to keep from fanning anti-Muslim sentiments with those who take such movies too seriously.
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Permalink Reply by Titus Techera on
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I'd like to see movies with Chinese villains, too, while we're at it.
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Permalink Reply by Luke on -
Titus, you'll like the trailer for the Red Dawn remake then.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nGoe7BdGdlg&feature=player_embedded
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