{"id":9006,"date":"2019-07-03T16:39:24","date_gmt":"2019-07-03T23:39:24","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog-proxy.atomtickets.com\/movie-news\/?p=9006"},"modified":"2019-07-10T15:39:12","modified_gmt":"2019-07-10T22:39:12","slug":"an-ode-to-the-big-dumb-action-movies-we-love","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/atomtickets.com\/movie-news\/why-we-love-action-movies\/","title":{"rendered":"An Ode To The Big, Dumb Action Movies We Love"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">We don\u2019t spend enough time talking about big, dumb action movies.<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0You know the type. The action flick with more explosions and ridiculous stunts than actual exposition. There\u2019s no\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">real world-<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">building, and if you pay too much attention to the details you\u2019ll start to see it all unravel right before your eyes. But they always have more than enough to keep you entertained, and the best of them have a whole lot of heart woven in with their plethora of booms, hi-<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">yahs<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">, and\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">car chases.\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2>What Are &#8216;Big Dumb Action&#8217; Movies?<\/h2>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Before we start off, let\u2019s take a look at what\u00a0<\/span><i><span data-contrast=\"auto\">isn\u2019t<\/span><\/i><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0a big, dumb action movie. A lot of times, we see folks who aren\u2019t really into action as a whole glom onto franchises like\u00a0<\/span><i><span data-contrast=\"auto\">John Wick, Ip Man,\u00a0<\/span><\/i><i><span data-contrast=\"auto\">James Bond\u00a0<\/span><\/i><span data-contrast=\"auto\">and even the films of the Marvel Cinematic Universe \u2013 pure action movies&#8217; snack food cousins. All of these films are glorious. They\u2019re beautiful, smart, nuanced, and have every move planned out from start to finish. The MCU might have some arguments against it, but series like\u00a0<\/span><i><span data-contrast=\"auto\">John Wick<\/span><\/i><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0and\u00a0<\/span><i><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Ip Man\u00a0<\/span><\/i><span data-contrast=\"auto\">are high-end, seven-course meals while our big, dumb action movie friends are like a bucket of extra crispy fried chicken. And that, boys and girls, is the furthest thing from an insult. Sometimes you just need a bucket of extra crispy fried chicken!\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1080\" height=\"608\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/PzCg9G3bjRs?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">So, if not all action is &#8220;big, dumb action,&#8221; then what is?\u00a0<\/span><i><span data-contrast=\"auto\">The Fast and the Furious<\/span><\/i> franchise is<span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0probably our best current example, as are series like\u00a0<\/span><i><span data-contrast=\"auto\">xXx<\/span><\/i><span data-contrast=\"auto\">, and standalone films like\u00a0<\/span><i><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Air Force One<\/span><\/i><span data-contrast=\"auto\">,\u00a0<\/span><i><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Independence Day,\u00a0<\/span><\/i><span data-contrast=\"auto\">and\u00a0<\/span><i><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Speed.\u00a0<\/span><\/i><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Sometimes a horror-leaning flick like\u00a0<\/span><i><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Tremors\u00a0<\/span><\/i><span data-contrast=\"auto\">or\u00a0<\/span><i><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Deep Blue Sea\u00a0<\/span><\/i><span data-contrast=\"auto\">makes its way into the classification as well. The rules are pretty simple: very little sensical narrative, lots of explosions, and probably at least one dude crashing through a window at full force.\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2>Stunt People Are The Reason Action Movies Work<\/h2>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Inside these films are countless insanely talented stunt teams and choreographers who put together some of the most ridiculous fight scenes seen on the big screen. Stunt teams are notoriously underappreciated, but none so much as the big action folks. Because there\u2019s so little focus on a complex story, it\u2019s up to the stunts to pick up that slack. Just look at<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0<\/span><i><span data-contrast=\"auto\">xXx<\/span><\/i><i><span data-contrast=\"auto\">: The Return of Xander Cage.<\/span><\/i><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">It\u2019s recent, it\u2019s exceptional, and it makes some choices that differ from the majority of other films of its kind, including the first two chapters of the series.\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1080\" height=\"608\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/KOwm2BBXj5o?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">The film opens with Xander (Vin Diesel) pulling off a ridiculous set of skateboard tricks to bring a football (soccer) game to the people of the village he\u2019s chosen to retire in. Shout out to Cody Townsend, Vin\u2019s stunt double, who made this and all of Xander\u2019s other crazy tricks in the film possible. Though the film is his by name, Xander isn\u2019t the character that steals the stunt show. That honor goes to Xiang (Donnie Yen)<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">, which ultimately ends up being a smart move by the team behind the film. When you\u2019ve got Yen in your movie, you just get right out of the way and let him do his thing. Shout out to Alvin\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Hsing<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">, who teamed up with Yen on stunts, but ultimately went uncredited on the film.\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">The lack of stunt team acknowledgment is mostly out of the control of the films we\u2019re talking about here. It\u2019s a systematic issue of Hollywood that you\u2019ve heard many film journalists harp about for years. They certainly deserve better. What is in the control of these big budget, snack flavored action films, is how they choose to treat their women narratively.\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2>Women Kick As Much Ass As Men<\/h2>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-9027\" src=\"http:\/\/blog-proxy.atomtickets.com\/movie-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/xander-cage.gif\" alt=\"\" width=\"798\" height=\"329\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">While the treatment of women in films is another overarching Hollywood issue, action films have been pretty notorious in creating vapid characterizations for their women.\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">The first two\u00a0<\/span><i><span data-contrast=\"auto\">xXx<\/span><\/i><i><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0<\/span><\/i><span data-contrast=\"auto\">films certainly fell into this category (and\u00a0<\/span><i><span data-contrast=\"auto\">The Fast and The Furious\u00a0<\/span><\/i><span data-contrast=\"auto\">films have only ever been a hair better about it). Fast forward to\u00a0<\/span><i><span data-contrast=\"auto\">The Return of Xander Cage<\/span><\/i><span data-contrast=\"auto\">, and the introduction of Serena Unger (Deepika Padukone) and Adele Wolfe (Ruby Rose). Serena might have ultimately served as yet another love interest to Xander, but her first function is to kick ass and take names. There\u2019s even a moment where the two ladies share a catty scene with one another, and immediately call it out for what it was.\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0Likewise, the upcoming <em>Hobbs &amp; Shaw<\/em> is set to feature Vanessa Kirby as the capable, extremely action-oriented Hattie Shaw, a woman who can hold her own against Luke Hobbs (Dwayne Johnson) and her brother, Deckard Shaw (Jason Statham). Heck, the last trailer even features Hobbs praising her as the most remarkable woman he&#8217;s ever met.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Now, are these women, and all of the other women that have been introduced in these kinds of films, sort of one-dimensional ass-kicking machines with very little emotional depth? Absolutely! But, so are the men, so I\u2019m not mad about it. Go blow some shit up with the boys, ladies! We\u2019re excited you\u2019re here.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2>A Lot Of Heart To Make Up For A Lack Of Depth<\/h2>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Snackable action films like these might not have a lot of narrative depth, but they\u2019ve\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">often<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0got plenty of heart and\/or moral message<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">s<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">. The\u00a0<\/span><i><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Return of Xander Cage\u00a0<\/span><\/i><span data-contrast=\"auto\">narrative focuses on timely commentary of political tyranny. Xander notes at the beginning of the film that \u201cthere are no more patriots. Just rebels and tyrants.\u201d You\u2019re not wrong, Cage. The\u00a0<\/span><i><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Fast and the Furious\u00a0<\/span><\/i><span data-contrast=\"auto\">has the \u201c<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">fambly<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u201d,\u00a0<\/span><i><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Armageddon\u00a0<\/span><\/i><span data-contrast=\"auto\">illustrates the relevance of sacrifice,\u00a0<\/span><i><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Starship Troopers\u00a0<\/span><\/i><span data-contrast=\"auto\">shows off the stupidity of war.\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">I\u2019m\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">gonna<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0stop before we all get lost in this list.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-large\" src=\"https:\/\/images.atomtickets.com\/image\/upload\/h_960,q_auto\/v1561055209\/ingestion-images-archive-prod\/archive\/1561055209083_270709_cops_15.jpg\" width=\"1824\" height=\"960\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">None of these popcorn flicks are winning Oscars anytime soon, but hey, they don\u2019t give stunt people the time of day at all, so who wants one of those trophies, anyway? The fact of the matter is, none of these flicks are any less fun because they\u2019re the cinematic equivalent to snack food. They\u2019re exciting, sometimes silly, and often full of adventure. Sometimes they can be a little extra with the machismo, but we\u2019re learning.\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Now that I\u2019ve got you all revved up for your next\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">high flying<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0action adventure, don\u2019t forget that we\u2019ve got an exciting lineup coming our way this year.\u00a0<\/span><i><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Shaft\u00a0<\/span><\/i><span data-contrast=\"auto\">is in theaters now.\u00a0<\/span><i><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Hobbs and Shaw\u00a0<\/span><\/i><span data-contrast=\"auto\">drives into theaters August 2<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">nd<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">. We all want justice for Han, but those trailers just keep getting better and better. You\u2019ve got a new\u00a0<\/span><i><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Fast and the Furious\u00a0<\/span><\/i><span data-contrast=\"auto\">coming out in 2020.\u00a0<\/span><i><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Stuber\u00a0<\/span><\/i><span data-contrast=\"auto\">heads to theaters in early July, and the year\u2019s closing out with a brand-new\u00a0<\/span><i><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Charlie\u2019s Angels.\u00a0<\/span><\/i><span data-contrast=\"auto\">The future is bright and filled with explosions, my friends!\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">Get your tickets for <a href=\"https:\/\/www.atomtickets.com\/movies\/fast-furious-presents-hobbs-shaw\/270709\"><em>Hobbs &amp; Shaw<\/em><\/a>\u00a0now.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.atomtickets.com\/movies\/fast-furious-presents-hobbs-shaw\/270709?ref=insidertickets\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-7948\" src=\"http:\/\/blog-proxy.atomtickets.com\/movie-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/Get-Tickets.png\" alt=\"get tickets\" width=\"200\" height=\"100\" \/><\/a>\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>We don\u2019t spend enough time talking about big, dumb action movies.\u00a0You know the type. The action flick with more explosions and ridiculous stunts than actual exposition. There\u2019s no\u00a0real world-building, and if you pay too much attention to the details you\u2019ll start to see it all unravel right before your eyes. But they always have more [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":9028,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[50],"tags":[40,37],"class_list":["post-9006","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-editorial","tag-featuredpage","tag-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/atomtickets.com\/movie-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9006","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/atomtickets.com\/movie-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/atomtickets.com\/movie-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/atomtickets.com\/movie-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/8"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/atomtickets.com\/movie-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=9006"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/atomtickets.com\/movie-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9006\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":9029,"href":"https:\/\/atomtickets.com\/movie-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9006\/revisions\/9029"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/atomtickets.com\/movie-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/9028"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/atomtickets.com\/movie-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=9006"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/atomtickets.com\/movie-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=9006"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/atomtickets.com\/movie-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=9006"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}