Look up Action film in
Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

It has been suggested that action genre be merged into this article or section. (Discuss)

Action films are a film genre where action sequences, such as fighting, stunts, car chases or explosions, take precedence over elements like characterization or complex plotting. The action typically involves individual efforts on the part of the hero, in contrast with most war films. The genre is closely linked with the thriller and adventure film genres. Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... Wiktionary (a portmanteau of wiki and dictionary) is a multilingual, Web-based project to create a free content dictionary, available in over 151 languages. ... Image File history File links Mergefrom. ... The action genre is a class of creative works characterised by a greater emphasis on exciting action sequences than on character development or story-telling. ... In film theory, genre refers to the primary method of film categorization. ... Staged fights in Cinema include performances of classical fencing, historical fencing, martial arts, close combat and duels in general, as well as choreography of full-scale battles. ... An under 16s motorbike display team perform a potentially dangerous stunt Freestyle & Stunt Show 2007 - Landrévarzec A stunt is an unusual and difficult physical feat, or any act requiring a special skill, performed for artistic purposes in TV, theatre or cinema. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... Characterization is the process of conveying information about characters in fiction or conversation. ... For other uses, see Hero (disambiguation). ... The war film is a film genre concerned with warfare, usually about naval, air or land battles, sometimes focusing instead on prisoners of war, covert operations, military training or other related subjects. ... Thriller films are movies that primarily use action and suspense to engage the audience. ... The quintessential adventure film. ...

Rise of the action film

In the West, during the 1920s and 1930s, adventure films were popularised by actors such as Douglas Fairbanks and Errol Flynn, but the settings were often period ones. The phenomenal success of the James Bond series in the 1960s and 1970s, helped to popularise the concept of the modern day action film in more recent years. The early Bond films were characterised by quick cutting, car chases, fist fights and ever more elaborate action sequences. The series also established the concept of the resourceful hero, who is able to dispatch the villains with a ready one-liner. Douglas Fairbanks (May 23, 1883 – December 12, 1939) was an American actor, screenwriter, director and producer, who became noted for his swashbuckling roles in silent movies such as The Mark of Zorro (1920), The Three Musketeers (1921), Robin Hood (1922), The Thief of Bagdad (1924) and The Black Pirate (1926). ... Errol Leslie Thomson Flynn (June 20, 1909 – October 14, 1959) was an Australian film actor, most famous for his romantic swashbuckler roles in Hollywood films and his flamboyant lifestyle. ... 007 redirects here. ... Editing is the process of preparing language, images, or sound for presentation through correction, condensation, organization, and other modifications. ...

Early American action films usually focused on maverick police officers, as in Bullitt (1968), The French Connection (1971) and Dirty Harry (1971). These were among the earliest films to present a car chase as an action set-piece. However, the action film did not become a dominant form in Hollywood until the 1980s and 1990s, when it was popularized by actors such as Arnold Schwarzenegger, Bruce Willis and Sylvester Stallone, who's film First Blood in 1982 is considered to be the beginning of the modern day action film. The 1988 film Die Hard was particularly influential on the development of the genre in the following decade. In the film, Bruce Willis plays a New York police detective who inadvertently becomes embroiled in a terrorist take-over of a Los Angeles office block. The film set a pattern for a host of imitators, like Under Siege (1992) or Air Force One (1997), which used the same formula in a different setting. Bullitt is a 1968 action crime mystery thriller film starring Steve McQueen, Robert Vaughn and Jacqueline Bisset, with Don Gordon, Robert Duvall, Carl Reindel, Felice Orlandi, Vic Tayback, Pat Renella, Paul Genge, Bill Hickman, Norman Fell and Brandy Carroll. ... The French Connection is a 1971 Hollywood film directed by William Friedkin. ... For other uses, see Dirty Harry (disambiguation). ... Arnold Alois Schwarzenegger (German pronunciation IPA: ) (born July 30, 1947) is an Austrian-born American bodybuilder, actor, and politician, currently serving as the 38th Governor of the U.S. state of California. ... Walter Bruce Willis (born March 19, 1955 in Idar-Oberstein, Germany) is an American actor and singer. ... Sylvester Stallone (born Sylvester Gardenzio Stallone on July 6, 1946) is a two-time Academy Award-nominated American actor, director, producer and screenwriter. ... For the David Morrell novel, see First Blood (book). ... This article is about the 1988 action film. ... Walter Bruce Willis (born March 19, 1955 in Idar-Oberstein, Germany) is an American actor and singer. ... This article is about the state. ... Flag Seal Nickname: City of Angels Location Location within Los Angeles County in the state of California Coordinates , Government State County California Los Angeles County Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa (D) Geographical characteristics Area     City 1,290. ... Under Siege is a 1992 action film in the Die Hard mold. ... Terrorist Egor Korshunov (Gary Oldman) confronts the President of the United States (Harrison Ford). ...

Action films tend to be expensive, requiring big budget special effects and stunt work. As such, they are regarded as mostly a Hollywood genre, although there have been a significant number of action films from Hong Kong which are primarily modern variations of the martial arts film. Because of these roots, Hong Kong action films typically center on acrobatics by the protagonist while American action films typically feature big explosions and modern technology. Special effects (also called SPFX or SFX) are used in the film, television, and entertainment industry to realize scenes that cannot be achieved by live action or normal means. ... This article is about stunt performance. ... ... Hong Kong action cinema is the principal source of the Hong Kong film industrys global fame. ... Martial arts film is a film genre that originated in the Pacific Rim. ...

Current trends

Current trends in action film include a development toward more elaborate fight scenes in Western film. This trend is influenced by the massive success of Hong Kong action cinema, both in Asia and in the west. Asian martial arts elements, such as kung-fu can now be found in numerous non-Asian action films. Now, a distinction can be made between films that lean toward physical, agile fighting, such as The Matrix, and those that lean toward other common action film conventions, like explosions and plenty of gunfire, such as Mission Impossible 3, although most action movies employ elements of both. Hong Kong action cinema is the principal source of the Hong Kong film industrys global fame. ... Hawaiian State Grappling Championships. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with wushu. ... This article is about the 1999 film. ... Mission: Impossible III (abbreviated M:I-III) is the upcoming third film based on the television series Mission: Impossible. ...

Feminist theory

Feminist film theory has been used to analyze action movies, owing to their rare variance from a core archetype. The separation between the physical male, who controls the scene and the gaze, and the female, who is almost always the object of the gaze, is very clear in most such films. Feminist film theory is theoretical work within film criticism that is derived from feminist politics and feminist theory. ... Look up Gaze in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...

Sub-genres

• Action drama - Combines action set-pieces with serious themes, character insight and/or emotional power. This sub-genre can be traced back to the origins of the action film. Carol Reed's The Third Man (written by Grahame Greene) was an award-winning predecessor of this sub-genre. The French Connection series are considered an apotheosis of the sub-genre.

• Buddy cop - Two mismatched cops (or some variation such as a cop and a criminal) team-up as the main protagonists. Major examples are Rush Hour, Bad Boys, 48 Hrs., Lethal Weapon and Tango & Cash.

• Action comedy - Mixture of action and comedy usually based on mismatched partners (the standard "buddy film" formula) or unlikely setting. The action comedy sub-genre was re-vitalized with the popularity of the Lethal Weapon series of movies in the 1980s and 1990s. Bad Boys and Rush Hour serve as other examples.

• Action thriller - Elements of action/adventure (car chases, shootouts, explosions) and thriller (plot twists, suspense, hero in jeopardy). Many of the James Bond series of films are icons of this popular sub-genre as too are Lethal Weapon, Lethal Weapon 2, Lethal Weapon 3, and finally Lethal Weapon 4. Nighthawks (film) starring Sylvester Stallone also applies. Also of note are the Matt Damon fueled The Bourne Identity (2002 film), The Bourne Supremacy (film), and The Bourne Ultimatum (film). All of which are based off of Robert Ludlum books of the same names.

• Caper / heist - Protagonists are carrying out robbery, either for altruistic purposes or as anti-heroes. The film You Only Live Once, based on the exploits of Bonnie and Clyde, was one of the first examples of this sub-genre. Other examples include The Italian Job, Heat, and Ocean's 11.

• Die Hard Scenario - Story takes place in limited location - single building or vehicle - seized or under threat by enemy agents. This sub-genre began with the film, Die Hard, but has become popular in Hollywood movie making both because of its crowd appeal and the relative simplicity of building sets for such a constrained piece. Among the many films that have copied the Die Hard formula are Under Siege, John Q, Executive Decision, Speed, and arguably even Titanic.

• Science fiction action - Any of the other sub-genres of action film can be set in a science fiction setting. The Star Wars films began the modern exploration of this combination of high action content with futuristic settings in the 1970s, based in part on the serials of the 1930s and 1940s such as Flash Gordon. An explosion of science fiction action films followed in the 1980s and 1990s, including The Fifth Element, The Matrix, Demolition Man, Alien and Serenity.

• Action horror - As with science fiction action films, any sub-genre of action film can be combined with the elements of horror films to produce what has increasingly become a popular action sub-genre in its own right. Monsters, robots and many other staples of horror have been used in action films. In the 1980s, Aliens introduced movie goers to the potential of a hybrid of science fiction, action and horror which would continue to be popular to the present day.

Sir Carol Reed (30 December 1906 – 25 April 1976) was an English film director, winner of an Academy Award for his film version of the musical, Oliver! (1968). ... This article is about film noir. ... This article is about the writer Graham Greene. ... “Rush Hour” redirects here. ... Bad Boys can refer to a: Film Bad Boys (1995 film) and Bad Boys II (2003), two films starring Will Smith and Martin Lawrence, produced by Jerry Bruckheimer and directed by Michael Bay. ... 48 Hrs. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Tango & Cash (1989) is an American action/comedy directed by Albert Magnoli (though the credit is given to Andrei Konchalovsky, he quit and Magnoli, who also directed Purple Rain took over), starring Sylvester Stallone, Kurt Russell, Teri Hatcher and Jack Palance. ... A buddy film is a film in which the central characters are two friends, often of the same sex, who appear together throughout the film. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... 007 redirects here. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Lethal Weapon 2 is the second movie in the Lethal Weapon series, released in 1989. ... Lethal Weapon 3 is a 1992 film starring Mel Gibson, Danny Glover, Joe Pesci, Rene Russo and Stuart Wilson. ... Lethal Weapon 4 is a 1998 film starring Mel Gibson, Danny Glover, Joe Pesci, Rene Russo, Chris Rock and Jet Li. ... Nighthawks is a 1981 action thriller movie starring Sylvester Stallone, Billy Dee Williams, Lindsay Wagner, Persis Khambatta, Nigel Davenport and Rutger Hauer. ... Sylvester Stallone (born Sylvester Gardenzio Stallone on July 6, 1946) is a two-time Academy Award-nominated American actor, director, producer and screenwriter. ... Matthew Paige Matt Damon (born October 8, 1970) is an American screenwriter and actor. ... The Bourne Identity is a 2002 film loosely based on Robert Ludlums novel of the same name. ... The Bourne Supremacy is a 2004 film loosely based on the Robert Ludlum novel of the same name. ... The Bourne Ultimatum is a 2007 film based on the Robert Ludlum novel of the same name. ... Robert Ludlum Robert Ludlum (May 25, 1927 New York City â€“ March 12, 2001 Naples, Florida) was an American author of 21 thriller novels. ... In literature and film, an anti-hero is a central or supporting character that has some of the personality flaws and ultimate fortune traditionally assigned to villains but nonetheless also have enough heroic qualities or intentions to gain the sympathy of readers or viewers. ... You Only Live Once is a 1937 crime drama film starring Sylvia Sidney and Henry Fonda. ... This article is about the outlaws. ... The Italian Job is a British caper film, written by Troy Kennedy Martin, produced by Michael Deeley and directed by Peter Collinson. ... For other uses, see Heat (disambiguation) In physics, heat, symbolized by Q, is energy transferred from one body or system to another due to a difference in temperature. ... Oceans Eleven is the name of two American crime movies: the original of 1960, and the remake of 2001. ... This article is about the 1988 action film. ... Under Siege is a 1992 action film in the Die Hard mold. ... John Q is a 2002 movie starring Denzel Washington as John Quincy Archibald, a father and husband whose son is diagnosed with an enlarged heart and then finds out he cannot receive a transplant because insurance wont cover it. ... Executive Decision is a 1996 action film released on Friday, March 15, 1996. ... Speed is a 1994 American action film directed by Jan de Bont set in Los Angeles. ... Look up titanic, Titanic in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Science fiction is a form of speculative fiction principally dealing with the impact of imagined science and technology, or both, upon society and persons as individuals. ... This article is about the series. ... DVD front cover for The Adventures of Captain Marvel, one of the most celebrated serials for both Republic Pictures and of the sound era in general. ... Flash Gordon is a 1936 film serial which tells the story of three people from Earth who travel to the planet Mongo to fight the evil Emperor Ming the Merciless. ... This article is about the 1997 film. ... This article is about the 1999 film. ... Demolition Man may refer to: Demolition Man (film), a 1993 film from Warner Brothers starring Sylvester Stallone Demolition Man (album), Stings soundtrack EP for the 1993 film Demolition Man, (band) A Tribute to the Music of The POLICE (Sting; Andy Summers; Stewart Copeland) Demolition Man (pinball), a pinball machine... Look up Alien in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Serenity is a 2005 science fiction space western/epic film written and directed by Joss Whedon. ... “Horror Movie” redirects here. ... Aliens is a 1986 science fiction movie directed by James Cameron and starring Sigourney Weaver, Michael Biehn, Lance Henriksen, Carrie Henn, Bill Paxton and Paul Reiser. ...

Luminaries of the Action genre

Actors

• Charles Bronson
• Jackie Chan
• Sean Connery
• Tom Cruise
• Johnny Depp
• Vin Diesel
• Clint Eastwood
• Harrison Ford
• Mel Gibson
• Bruce Lee
• Jet Li
• Dolph Lundgren
• Chuck Norris
• Brad Pitt
• Steve McQueen
• Keanu Reeves
• The Rock
• Lee Marvin
• Arnold Schwarzenegger
• Steven Seagal
• Jean-Claude Van Damme
• Wesley Snipes
• Slyvester Stallone
• Will Smith
• Chow Yun-Fat
• Jason Statham
• John Wayne
• Bruce Willis

For other persons named Charles Bronson, see Charles Bronson (disambiguation). ... Chan Kong-Sang (Simplified Chinese: ; Traditional Chinese: ; pinyin: ), also known as Jackie Chan Sing Lung (Simplified Chinese: ; Traditional Chinese: ; pinyin: ) or Jackie Chan SBS, (born on April 7, 1954) is a Chinese martial artist, action star, actor, director, screenwriter, film producer, singer and stunt performer. ... Sir Thomas Sean Connery (born 25 August 1930) is a retired Scottish actor and producer who is perhaps best known as the first actor to portray James Bond in cinema, starring in seven Bond films. ... Tom Cruise (born Thomas Cruise Mapother IV on July 3, 1962) is an Academy Award-nominated, Golden Globe Award-winning American actor and film producer. ... John Christopher Depp II[1] (born June 9, 1963) is an American actor, best known for his frequent portrayals of offbeat and eccentric characters such as Jack Sparrow in the Pirates of the Caribbean trilogy and the titular character of Tim Burtons Edward Scissorhands. ... Vin Diesel (born Mark Vincent on July 18, 1967 in New York City), is an American actor, writer, director, and producer, known for his muscular physique and deep voice. ... This article is about the actor/producer/director. ... For the silent film actor, see Harrison Ford (silent film actor). ... Mel Columcille Gerard Gibson (born January 3, 1956) is an American-born actor, director and producer. ... Bruce Lee (traditional Chinese: ; simplified Chinese: ; Pinyin: Lǐ Xiǎolóng; Cantonese Yale: Léih Síulùhng; November 27, 1940 – July 20, 1973) was a Chinese-American martial artist, philosopher, instructor, and martial arts actor widely regarded as the most influential martial artist of the 20th century and a... Jet Li (born April 26, 1963) is a Chinese martial artist, actor, Wushu champion, and international film star. ... Dolph Lundgren (born Hans Lundgren, November 3, 1957[1]) is a Swedish actor, director and karateka. ... Carlos Ray Chuck Norris (born on 10 March 1940) is an American martial artist, action star, Hollywood actor, and recently, an internet phenomenon, who is best known for playing Cordell Walker on Walker, Texas Ranger. ... William Bradley Brad Pitt (born December 18, 1963) is an American actor, film producer, and social activist. ... Steve McQueen (March 24, 1930 – November 7, 1980) was an Academy Award-nominated American movie actor, nicknamed The King of Cool.[1] He was one of the biggest box-office draws of the 1960s and 1970s due to a popular anti-hero persona. ... Keanu Charles Reeves (pronounced in IPA: ) is an actor, born September 2, 1964 in Beirut, Lebanon, and raised in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. ... Dwayne Douglas Johnson[2] (born May 2, 1972) better known by his former ring name The Rock, is an American actor and professional wrestler. ... Lee Marvin (February 19, 1924 – August 29, 1987) was an Academy Award-winning American film actor. ... Arnold Alois Schwarzenegger (German pronunciation IPA: ) (born July 30, 1947) is an Austrian-born American bodybuilder, actor, and politician, currently serving as the 38th Governor of the U.S. state of California. ... Steven Seagal (born April 10, 1951) is an American action movie actor, producer, writer, director, martial artist, singer-songwriter, and activist. ... Van Damme redirects here. ... Wesley Trent Snipes (born July 31, 1962) is an American actor, martial artist and film producer. ... This articles trivia section should be integrated into the article. ... “W. S.” redirects here. ... Chow Yun-Fat (Traditional Chinese: ; Simplified Chinese: ; Pinyin: ) (born May 18, 1955) is a Hong Kong actor. ... Jason Statham (born on 12 September 1972, in Sydenham, Lewisham, London) is an English actor, known for his roles in the Guy Ritchie crime films Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, Revolver and Snatch. ... For other persons named John Wayne, see John Wayne (disambiguation). ... Walter Bruce Willis (born March 19, 1955 in Idar-Oberstein, Germany) is an American actor and singer. ...

Directors

• James Cameron
• John Woo
• John Ford
• Luc Besson
• John McTiernan
• Antoine Fuqua
• Renny Harlin
• F. Gary Gray
• Robert Rodriguez
• Andrew Davis
• Rob Cohen
• John Sturges
• Doug Liman
• Martin Campbell
• Michael Bay
• Tsui Hark
• Paul Greengrass
• Sam Peckinpah
• Akira Kurosawa
• Tony Scott
• Ridley Scott
• The Wachowski Brothers
• Sergio Leone
• Sam Raimi
• Ringo Lam

For other persons named James Cameron, see James Cameron (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see John Woo (disambiguation). ... For other persons named John Ford, see John Ford (disambiguation). ... Luc Besson (IPA: ) (born March 18, 1959) is a French film director, writer and producer. ... John Campbell McTiernan, Jr. ... Antoine Fuqua (born January 19, 1966 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania) is an African-American film director of such films as The Replacement Killers with Chow Yun Fat, Bait with Jamie Foxx, Training Day with Denzel Washington, Tears of the Sun with Bruce Willis and King Arthur with Clive Owen. ... Renny Harlin (born Lauri Mauritz Harjola on March 15, 1959 in Riihimäki, Finland) is a film director and producer mostly known for action movies. ... F. Gary Gray (born 1 January 1970 in Highland Park, IL) is an African-American music video director, turned film director of such films as Friday with Ice Cube and Chris Tucker; The Negotiator with Samuel L. Jackson and Kevin Spacey; Set it Off with Queen Latifah and Vivica A... Robert Anthony Rodriguez (born June 20, 1968) is an American writer and film director who is known for making profitable, crowd-pleasing independent and studio films with fairly low budgets and fast schedules by Hollywood standards. ... Andrew Davis (born November 21, 1947) is an American film director, producer and cinematographer, noted for the action films The Fugitive and Under Siege. ... Director Rob Cohen on the set of Stealth Rob Cohen (born March 12, 1949 in Cornwall, New York, USA) is an American film director, producer and writer. ... John Eliot Sturges (3 January 1911 – 18 August 1982) Known as The dean of big_budget action movies made during the 1950s and 1960. Sturges movies include The Magnificent Seven, The Great Escape, Gunfight at the O.K. Corral, Ice Station Zebra and Marooned (movie). ... Doug Liman Doug Liman (born 1965) is an American film director and producer. ... Martin Campbell (born October 24, 1944, Hastings) is a New Zealand film and television director. ... Michael Benjamin Bay (born February 17, 1965) is an American film director and producer. ... Tsui Hark (Chinese: 徐克; Hanyu Pinyin: ; Wade-Giles: Hsü Ko) (born Tsui Man-kong (徐文光) on February 15, 1950) is a New Wave film director in Hong Kong who is also a highly influential producer, often likened to Steven Spielberg for a similar galvanizing effect on his countrys cinematic scene. ... Paul Greengrass (b. ... David Samuel Sam Peckinpah (February 21, 1925 – December 28, 1984) was an American film director who achieved iconic status following the release of his 1969 Western epic The Wild Bunch. ... Kurosawa redirects here. ... Anthony D. L. Tony Scott (born July 21, 1944) is a British film director. ... Sir Ridley Scott (born November 30, 1937 in South Shields, South Tyneside) is a British film director and producer. ... Laurence Larry Wachowski (born June 21, 1965) and Andrew Andy Wachowski (born December 29, 1967) are American film directors and writers most famous for the Matrix series. ... Sergio Leone (January 3, 1929 – April 30, 1989) was an Italian film director. ... For the American opera singer, see Samuel Ramey. ... Ringo Lam Ling-Tung (Traditional Chinese: ; Simplified Chinese: ; Pinyin: , Cantonese: Lam Ling-tung), born in 1955 is a Hong Kong film director, producer and scriptwriter. ...

See also

• List of movie genres
• Hong Kong action cinema
• List of action heroes
• List of women warriors in folklore, literature, and popular culture

In film theory, genre refers to the primary method of film categorization. ... Hong Kong action cinema is the principal source of the Hong Kong film industrys global fame. ... This list of action heroes refers to characters who are heroes or sometimes anti-heroes. ... This article is about examples of woman warriors in a number of contexts. ...

Further reading

• Inness, Sherrie A. (ed.) Action Chicks: New Images of Tough Women in Popular Culture, Palgrave Macmillan, 2004.
• Kim, L. S. "Making women warriors: a transnational reading of Asian female action heroes in Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon." Jump Cut: A Review of Contemporary Media. No. 48, Winter, 2006.
• Osgerby, Bill, Anna Gough-Yates, and Marianne Wells. Action TV : Tough-Guys, Smooth Operators and Foxy Chicks. London: Routledge, 2001.
• Tasker, Yvonne. Action and Adventure Cinema. New York: Routledge, 2004.
• ———.Spectacular Bodies : Gender, Genre, and the Action Cinema. London and New York: Routledge, 1993.