I've always said when Darth Vader removed his helmet and was just a pale broken man was far more brilliant then if he was some monster looking person.

I'm tired of seeing 90 lb. actresses beating up 250 lb men.

the sad thing is....almost 5 years later almost nothing has changed....

I almost got a Headache watching those “action scenes” with that earthquake camera work

Hollywood has gotten so afraid of new ideas they're rebooting movies that bombed.

Jackie Chan said in an interview that "when the camera moves that means the actors they don't know how to fight" and he also said that "I always do wide angle to let the audience see that I do the flips kicks and punches" which I strongly believe cause if the audience is there to see a fight scene but instead gets the camera bouncing around like a basketball instead of holding the shot long enough for us to see the bad guy vs good guy

Keanu Reaves’s agent needs a raise. Almost every action movie he’s in is exceptional.

Jackie Chan really is an incredible actor. He’s so underrated because his fighting skills over shadow people’s perception. But man can he act.

Shaky cam is the fucking worst. I want to see the fight , and not bad camera work.

YES DEAR GOD PLEASE MAKE A VIDEO ABOUT THE PG-13/R rating system, that shit pisses me off so much

Let's not ignore how incredibly good Tom Cruise was in Collateral.

Shaky cam worked in the Bourne movies because they gave scenes a sense of heightened anxiety that fit the narrative which itself was imbued with a sense of urgency and anxiety

Pointless love stories to fill up time

Hollywood should just stop with shaky cam in general. So many action scenes are ruined by shaky cam.

In regards to stunt, I have to say the Keanu Reeves absolutely is top-tier, if you've watched the John Wick films, no matter how over-the-top the action is it's always believable. Be at the fight scenes, with realistic movements, acting that can display the pain of strenuous physical combat or the gun play where every bullet is accounted for, and the character is forced to carry every bit of Hardware they're using. Top notch.

I do want to add one thing to your “Stunts” section, and it’s that not enough actors are trained in stage combat (the illusion of violence) and not having that training not only makes the actor not want to do the stunts (like you mentioned in the video), but also makes those in the movie hesitant to use that actor. By having the training, you not only are more comfortable with stunts, but you also know how to do fights safely. Without that training, and actor might be willing to do stunts, but they will not be allowed do to safety regulations. Just wanted to add as well.

I hate “Shaky cam” too close, too shaky. Finally someone who gets it right!!

Guns that fire more bullets than they can hold. Bad guys that couldn't hit the side of a barn at 10 feet. People dying instantly from one gun shot or from being stabbed. These are a few of the things that drive me mad with bad action films.

The day Keanu Reeves and Tom Cruise retire from the industry, will be the day I will probably stop seeing new action movies..... I'll still watch older movies religiously though!

I always hated that film “a good day to die hard” I could never work out why it brought up such a vile response from me. Now that you have put it in to words why it was so bad, I get why I hated it so much.

"Shaky camera". I have always called it "confusovision". I HATE IT!!!

The main problem with all movies of today is the total lack of new ideas by the writers.

Another amazing action sequence was in Troy, where Achilles fought the prince outside the wall. It was breathtaking and very genuine.

I studied cinematography in college in the mid 70's. Here's what I know about "shakey cam". The hand held, un-stabilized camera was a rarely seen filming technique at that point, and mostly avoided. In fact as soon as it began to be used, technology was invented to stabilize a hand or shoulder mounted camera. But the 60's audience had been inundated with news clips from reporters in the heart of battle in Vietnam. These were "shakey cam" by necessity. It was discovered that it had a deep psychological effect on the viewer, making them feel as though they were personally in that location witnessing what ever was being filmed. The average Granddad with his super 8mm movie camera took similar, shakey clips around the backyard swimming pool, and the audience could personally relate to the effect. In the night club scene it works because it makes the audience feel as if they are part of the crowd ... *as long as* the camera man is positioned as one of the crowd and the cuts have the continuity of the view of someone in the crowd. It DOESN'T work in the fight scenes because a bystander would do just that, stand near-by, well out of the way of flying fists. The idea is to make the viewer feel the hero's peril, but it's more uncomfortable for the viewer who wants simply to get up and move away from the danger. The further confusion caused by incongruous camera angles just heightens the viewers desire to flee. I was taught this was a technique that could have a powerful impact on the audience, but it was one that needed to be used with *extreme prejudice* and only if the situation made sense that the operator filming it would legitimately be in the scene. My instructor predicted it would become a filming cliche just like the "fast zoom" did in the 60s. As far as I'm concerned it reached that status by the mid 80s

I am guessing Hollywood would say people don't have the attention spans these days to develop an interesting story. Which is ironic, given that they are probably largely responsible for that dumbing down in the first place.

John Wick also ran out of ammunition, and carried extra magazines! One of the Best in recent years...

One other thing that made the Character of John McClane even more relatable and believable was the fact Bruce Willis did his own stunts. Especially in the first one, because they were working on such a small budget that they couldn't afford to pay a stunt double for Willis. So Bruce Willis volunteered to the stunts himself

Gosh action movie directors noticed this after the video was released John Wick Mad Max Fury Road and Kingsman sure did help

A good villain wants the same thing as the hero but with a different perspective.

- how many Indiana Jones movies are there? - three - good. you may pass

You opened my eyes and helped me better put my finger on why action movies nowadays are unrelatable. Absolutely Brilliant!

"A weakness of some sort" *Laughs in Captain Marvel*

I hate shaky cam fight scenes

Transformers, all clashing-action but no substance.

The fight between Anakin and Obi-Wan is a dance sequence. And I love it for that

Mission impossible has managed to stay amazing though,

A few problems you missed 1: The tacked on romantic sub plot 2: The token black guy 3: The lame comedic side kick

For me, unrealistic and heavily choreographic fight scenes are what ruined action movies for me. It's more like watching a damn ballet than a action movie.

I'm watching this 5 years late.... BY FAR! You should have made more videos like this. The few I've watched are amazing

Loving your critiques and reviews! I'm looking through your old videos now 😊

Holy crap, the shaky cam! Hate that shit.

John wick is a great modern action film. Not the best story, but the setting and style are amazing. The stunt work in the fighting scenes is amazing.

"Story" is the number one problem with nearly ALL modern movies. And no, the shaky cam doesn't work in the Brourne Trilogy either.

God, those action scene snippets gave me an aneurysm

This is the best video you've made, Chris, and I hope action filmmakers watch this. I agree with all your points; for the last one, I'd add that the hero's behavior should be plausible enough for the audience to maintain their suspension of disbelief. The Bourne trilogy is so efficient in that regard because the hero doesn't laugh or throw a one-liner during a life-threatening situation, and he has to face realistic consequences for each of his decisions.

When will you make a video about "The Problem with Porn Movies Today"???

You're critic is spot on! I'm going to have to start checking out more of your videos!

I think one of the most brilliant action-packed scenes in Star Wars is when Luke cuts off Vader's hand. The music is powerful but also very sad. You can clearly see the emotion on Luke's face, Vader's weakness, and the sinister look on the Emperor's face.

When he said, "A great villain is the polar opposite of the hero, but with one thing that connects them," I imagined Hannibal Lecter and Clarice Starling, and the chemistry between them that made Silence of the Lambs twice as good as most thrillers.

To sum up what was said during the Die Hard segment: John McClain became Bruce Willis.

I still love the revenge of the sith final fight, yes it's not a gritty down to earth fight , I always felt they both were confident in their skills which is why they don't look worried, they look more angry 🤷🏼‍♂️

Coming back to this video after all these years... I still find your statements more true than ever, and maybe even more than 7 years ago. Especially when it comes to hideous, shaky cameras. Thank you very much for putting this into this worthwhile video and all this good wording.

Mad Max: Fury Road, John Wick, Edge Of Tomorrow and Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation are all great recent action movies. Especially John Wick and Mad Max, they're fucking awesome movies.

That shaky cam compilation was brutal man

Thank you so much for calling out the camera work! It's so annoying to not be able to really see the action!

Wow, what a terrific in depth analysis💎!! Thanks so much.

I don't like tom cruise as a person but damn his stunts kill

The video inspired me to finally watch Die Hard. Let's just say that I wasn't disappointed.

I love Chris's videos... so thought out and intelligent. It's very refreshing.

Great commentary! You are 100% right about shaky cam. I walk out on movies like that.

Who else got really dizzy during his shaky cam section?

Next video: The problem with Michael Bay. :D

All through this I was thinking "Vulnerability of the hero!" and so glad you put it as the most important thing. Many modern heroes act as if they *know* they're invincible. e.g. they can walk into the bad guy's lair, with henchmen completely surrounding them, and don't even need a plan. They know they can't be shot in the back of the head because they're the protagonist.

I learned many things about films from this video. Thank you ❤

Wish he touched on Oldboy's famous hammer alleyway scene when he mentioned foreign films. That scene is picture perfect.

I'm watching this after having seen Mad Max: Fury Road, and well, your analysis of what makes an action movie great is spot on. (Fury Road Spoilers below) Fury Road has: 1. A plot that quite literally forces the protagonists to keep moving (even if the baddies aren't hot on their heels, the desert heat and lack of provisions means that have to keep going) 2. A hero (three, in fact) we WANT to root for. We will root for Max because he's Max and we know his established history, we root for Furiousa because she's an interesting character with pure motivations, and we root for Nux because he's been enlightened to the evil he was committing and seeks redemption. 3. A villain with understandable motivations. Immortan Joe keeps sex slaves because he's trying to produce healthy offspring in a world where nearly everyone is diseased or poisoned by radiation. We can understand that, but we can't agree with his methods for achieving that goal. That's what makes him a good villain. 4. I don't think I really need to explain that Fury Road's stunt work is some of the best ever filmed. 5. Camerawork... yep, has that to. The camera only shakes because it's mounted on a vehicle that's actually driving beside the vehicle being filmed. The object of focus is always in the center of the screen so you're not constantly scanning the picture for what you're meant to be looking at. The camera work is fantastic. 6. And vulnerability of the hero... yeah, I mean they take away Max's car in the first 5 minutes of the film, cut his hair of, use him as a hood ornament while draining his blood... and then you have Furiousa and Nux who, for all we know, are totally expendable. They killed the PREGNANT WOMAN, for crying out loud - everybody but Max himself was up for grabs.

This was excellent. I haven't been this sucked into a video in a while. Thank you!

One thing you didn't touch upon is time. Jackie Chan has always lamented the fact that he's given very limited schedules by Hollywood studios to shoot fight sequences. Quentin Tarantino knew the importance of giving enough freedom to action directors to showcase their craft. Hence, you'll notice that Yuen Woo-ping's choreography in the Kill Bill movies is closer to the quality of his work in Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon as opposed to the Rush Hour series failing to match the action of JC's Hong Kong flicks. As a result, most casual American moviegoers merely recognize Jackie as that funny martial artist rather than being as badass as Beatrix Kiddo. While elsewhere, he's known as the only non-Hollywood action star to ever really compete w/ the likes of Schwarzenegger & Stallone.

The new Mad Max and MI: Rogue Nation restored my faith in action films.

damn my respect for tom cruise just went up tenfold

It's 2020 and we have got a very good action movie called Extraction. Not a movie with great story but has mind-blowing action scenes.

6 years later still one of my favorite videos

Fury Road's "breaking point" moment: Max hanging upside down on the side of the War Rig as Furiosa struggles to keep hold of his foot after getting stabbed on the ribs. Immortan Joe passes by with one of the wives already captured, and leads his biggest trucks to trap the rig on all four sides. The music dramatically swells up to reflect this hopeless situation. Meanwhile, Slit sneaks inside the trap with the Interceptor and speeds up to ram Max. With the sudden change of music, the turning point comes when Furiosa rams the Interceptor into the Gas Town leader's truck, killing Slit. Nux, after fixing one of the engines, then emerges from underneath the rig and pushes Max towards said truck. Max grabs onto the vehicle, hijacks it, then speeds up to free the rig from the trap. With two gigantic vehicles in our heroes' possession, the battle rages on.

I think John Wick had something other action films can learn from. The world in which John Wick takes place feels so unique which is even better explored in the sequel

Great video. What you spoke about minus the shaky camera can be transferred to writing stories and novels as well. You made some extremely interesting points.

Well done! Nicely articulated review, thank you!

I feel like action movies nowadays have accepted the label of being most mindless genre for people who want to see some explosions and gunfights, that producers don't even bother with doing anything more ambitious than that.

John Wick is such as great action movie. It has enough world building and story to keep you wondering about the world after the film is over. For example, I want to know more about secret society of assassins who uses their special currency, have their own local spot where all assassins hang out, and such. However the world building never gets in the way of the initial story, unlike Jupiter Ascending, I like how it tells a complete story while giving clues about world.

Five years late but this just showed up on my recommended feed. I agree with everything you've said in this video except for when it comes to the Anakin-Kenobi battle. To me, the entire point of that fight was the fact that these two were brothers in war, fighters and soldiers who had not only trained excessively with each other throughout a major conflict but had put their very lives in each other's hands more times than either could count. It's a dance because they know each other too well. Even the cringy lightsaber twirling scene is actually a reflection of this as you can consider the two warriors to both be blocking strikes they would normally expect to come at them and instinctively moving to block what their muscle memories are treating as feints. The dance is essentially them acting on nothing but instinct with the fight only sometimes breaking out of this pattern into an actual attempt to defeat/kill the other. In a similar way, it's like how two close friends have a such a bond that they can spend hours slagging each other off as a means of showing their love for each other only for the friendship to shatter and then they get into a shouting match for real. They'd naturally fall into their old habits because of how much they're running on emotions and instincts. Don't get me wrong, that fight isn't flawless and I understand why some might not like it. But taking its choreography as is without actually looking at its context is, in my opinion, a massive disservice to the second greatest lightsaber duel in the entire franchise.

This was the best analysis I've heard on the topic

What about Rambo? In "First blood" he was a homeless Vietnam Veteran just trying to make it, and then he gets arrested by a dickhead cop. This is something that a lot of people can relate to (I never been arrested but I feel for this guy) He then breaks out with no casualties. And then in Rambo 2 and 3 he's killing stereotypical Russian Bad guys by the masses. He went through the dramatic "Person to invincible mass killing robot", like John McLane

I always liked Keanu Reeves, but this video makes me appreciate him even more than before!

Hi Chris, I was reminded of this video after watching Frame Voyager's analysis of John Wick 4's cinematography. The part that stands out to me about this video and the other on Voyager's channel is the explanation of effective vs ineffective camerawork in action movies. "The Problem with Action Movies Today" specifically is one of the videos that helped to deepen my own analysis on films and film making. Thank you.

i enjoy listening to people who are passionate about the medium. great work!

The problem with practically every movie today- IT'S ALL BEEN DONE OVER AND OVER AGAIN!!

To me the shaky cam is the element that kills an action movie entirely, I dont get what is the point of making so hard to see the biggest selling point of your movie, the action, that only proves that your movie has nothing to offer and the one having more action then the characters in the movie is the camera man.

I come back to this video from time to time, and I always loved the toonami soundtrack in the background of this!

Dude seriously love this!!! Absolutely great stuff! I had a slow week for my channel and this (along with a rewatch of the Point Break remake) inspired me to make a video called "Why Remakes Suck". While I think there is alot of great movies coming out right now I cant deny that there's alot of problems with modern film making and hopefully Hollywood can learn from that. Keep up the great work man!!!

This is why suicide squad sucked so much, it lacked everything of what he mentioned before.

Had to shut my eyes during the shaky cam scenes. Made me so dizzy. Felt like my brains were being scrambled.

Wow, what a breakdown. I want to go watch all these movies, some for the first time and some for the 5th or more times. Great stuff, I think I just got Stuckmannized!!!!! Thank you Chris.

Really interesting analysis - thanks so much for the vids, Chris.

These are awesome! A comedy themed one would be great too :D keep em coming

ugh 🙄 "shaky cam", Oh God do I hate "shaky cam". I agree with you 100%.

This video should be part of the curriculum at film schools. Chris really nails it. Great Video!! And for the love of God only use the "shaky cam" when it makes sense for the camera to be shaking!!

Brilliant analysis, you’re doing good work 🙏🙏🙏

Man! Chris this type of videos are more compelling than the "regular" ones, try doing these more often please!!

In my opinion, besides the movies plot, nowadays the actors are just cutie faces, nothing else. They just prefer to take pretty actors (terrible in acting) than good stories. A shame

I just hate that almost every action movie is trying to be like Marvel nowadays

Wonderful expose on what makes an action film good. Just finding this in 2020. Nothing really changed since 2015