What Makes A Good Action Scene?

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What Makes A Good Action Scene?

Рет қаралды 56,763

Күн бұрын

This time I'm going on about what makes a good action scene in a film, taking it as read that technical competence is a given. That's a whole other ten minute video I've got planned.
Patreon: / georgrockallschmidt

Пікірлер: 399

@richteffekt 3 жыл бұрын

Wallace and Gromit: The Wrong Trousers train chase. The surprisingly rare example of an action scene as a conclusive and gripping showdown.

@dbzfanexwarbrady 3 жыл бұрын

haha, i love that

@Johny40Se7en 3 жыл бұрын

Yeah, definitely. A Close Shave too, when Gromit's about to drive off the cliff but then wings pop out and he starts shooting porridge 😅😜

@_Braised 3 жыл бұрын

Not to mention an even rarer case of an action scene that completely breaks the boundaries of space and time... but nobody cares that it's doing that because it's just pure awesome

@MetFanMac 3 жыл бұрын

Ah, I see you, too, are familiar with the oeuvre of Patrick (H) Willems.

@richteffekt 3 жыл бұрын

@@MetFanMac I am and yet I had no idea about a specific P. (H) Willems video on the topic. Genuine thanks for pointing me there. Ha, great👍!

@davidh.4944 3 жыл бұрын

I've observed before that a lot of modern "action" sequences seem to simply substitute sensory overload for tension build-up. The over-use of jump cuts, shaky cam, ever-shifting camera angles, loud sound effects, bombastic music, and just plain going on-and-on-and-on, tends to build up increasing levels of stress in the viewer. Then, after raising the viewer into almost a numb shock-state, they follow it up with either some kind of final jump-scare, unexpected plot twist, or even just _finally ending the scene_ , and rely on the resulting let-up on the tension to make the viewer "feel" like they've just experienced something meaningful. Or in a nutshell, they replace psychological tension-release with physical tension-release, and believe that the audience won't notice the difference.

@luismarioguerrerosanchez4747 3 жыл бұрын

Most people don't, unfortunately.

@chrisramos6884 3 жыл бұрын

The comment I didn't ask for, but needed to read. Well formulated, sir!

@ptonpc 3 жыл бұрын

Another reason I do not watch many modern films any more.

@randmiller88 3 жыл бұрын

But if the end result is effective on the audience, does it really matter? This comment reeks of "nEw mOVIeS suCK!!!"

@ptonpc 3 жыл бұрын

@@randmiller88 Not all new movies. There are good ones but a lot of them rely on flashy tropes and lazy film making. Jump scares a good example.

@Assimandeli 3 жыл бұрын

Jackie Chan is honestly a great entertainer. I think a lot of people see him only as the "martial arts man", but his comedic timing, body language and great facial expressions are on par with his fighting skills. Even people who are not that much into martial arts action would probably enjoy his movies simply because he's so entertaining.

@malcolmhodnett8874 Жыл бұрын

Jackie is a 🐐

@davidlean1060 3 жыл бұрын

The famous chase in The French Connection was actually dangerous. Friedkin had no permission to do it to begin with. They tore around the streets at 80 mph. Anything could have happened. Hackman's crash wasn't staged, he really did crash, though the lady walking out with the pram was planned. Friedkin was a nutter back in the day!

@AtunSheiFilms 3 жыл бұрын

"Matrix 2: Matrices"

@markparkinson6947 3 жыл бұрын

That is actually genius!

@jeguschristie4300 3 жыл бұрын

Holy shit didn't expect to see you here, love your work!

@petergreene4428 3 жыл бұрын

@@jeguschristie4300 I had the same exact thought...now we hope for a collab George vs Johnny Reb

@mmclaurin8035 3 жыл бұрын

This is the GRS I've been craving.

@luismarioguerrerosanchez4747 3 жыл бұрын

Another aspect to make a good action scene is to have a good stablished knowledge of the geography the action scene takes place. In the first Die Hard, John McTiernan spends the fist act of thr film stablishing the Nakatomi Plaza, how the last few floors are on consteuction, the emergency stairs that McClain uses to go up and down without being noticed and the carefully put Playboy calendar that marks the floor from which McClain calls the police with the radio. All of these make the scenes more consequential and makes the audio more inmerse to the world and the dangers McClain goes into like jumping from the roof when you had already seen how big the tower was in the stablishing shot of LA. Something similar happens on the 1959 version of Ben Hur starring Charlton Heston, the movie takes a good amount of time stablishing the race track for the chariots race, you see how fast they're running and how much damage people get by being thrown off of their chariots, so when Messala starts trying to destroy Ben Hur's chariot you get more invested after seeing the impact that other racers went through before. The 2016 remake of Ben Hur and Another Good Day to Die Hard ignore this aspect and their action scenes feel inconsequential and boring.

@eldorados_lost_searcher 3 жыл бұрын

I've never seen Die Hard and Ben Hur compared like this before, but it's spot on. That first lap around the hippodrome isn't just spectacle for spectacle's sake, even though DeMille is showing off. He's setting up the geography and the time limit (the gilded fish).

@pentelegomenon1175 3 жыл бұрын

Despite not being action movies, Escape From New York and The Shining and The Thing (1982) and Dawn of the Dead (1979) are all telling a story about characters being cast into a menacing unknown where they are unsure of what to rely on, and as such they all need to immerse their audience in the "geography" in order to work, whether it be the lonely ravaged remnants of modern civilization or being trapped in a snowed-in domicile with an unseen enemy.

@luismarioguerrerosanchez4747 3 жыл бұрын

@@pentelegomenon1175 Must of those are horror films and the tension is there to create panic while in action is to be intense. They're different but not so much, they still follow some of the same rules. Escape From New York however, is an *action film!* and a great one at that.

@charoleawood 3 жыл бұрын

I thought the remake of Ben Hur was largely superior to the original

@luismarioguerrerosanchez4747 3 жыл бұрын

@@charoleawood Yeah, and my favourite movies are Ghostbusters 2016 and Robocop 2014.

@john-r-edge 3 жыл бұрын

My father used to defuse any tension in 1960s TV Westerns like Bronco and Laramie by observing "he's on next week".

@mrman5517 3 жыл бұрын

"what makes a good action scene; as told calmly by a man seated completely still" i love it :)

@ieuanhunt552 3 жыл бұрын

That Tekken 3 music was a gut punch of nostalgia by no mistake

@Games_and_Music 3 жыл бұрын

The King of Iron Fist Tournament! That was a nice callback indeed, Yoshimitsu ftw!

@ieuanhunt552 3 жыл бұрын

@@Games_and_Music Nina and Anna were my favourite. With Brian coming in a close second

@Games_and_Music 3 жыл бұрын

@@ieuanhunt552 Anna would be my favorite of them, blondes are fun, but i think a brunette will get my heart. Brian was Yoshimitsu's archenemy, but i kinda liked his fighting style, as it was similar to Tekken 2's Bruce. But my favorites were Yoshimitsu, (Prototype/Gun) Jack and, idk, Law is easy to fight with.

@rancho890 3 жыл бұрын

Thanks for this. Wasn't able to focus on the video trying to remember where I know that song from.

@gillri 3 жыл бұрын

@@rancho890 yeah it hit me hard took 10 seconds of umming and aaaahing to recollect

@porscheguy19 3 жыл бұрын

I paused this video near the beginning and watched Bad Day at Black Rock, and then finished the video. Made for an interesting evening. Thanks.

@BeautifulEarthJa 3 жыл бұрын

I thought I was the only person that did things like that LOL

@augustin5611 3 жыл бұрын

I did more or less the same with Alpha Dog, but it was after finishing the video x) Maybe I'll give a watch to Bad Day at Black Rock now !

@LaurieKoudstaal 3 жыл бұрын

At least you didn’t confuse it with Picnic at Hanging Rock, that would have really ruined your evening!

@residentelect 3 жыл бұрын

@@augustin5611 Is it worth a watch? Or is it nothing more than an angry young man kicking, punching and neck-snapping his way to the final "showdown". I live in a pretty rough part of town, so I could just as easily spend two hours peering out of my bedroom window to watch the aforementioned... The only difference being the cast of characters is far less diverse than Alpha Dog appears portrays?!

@pengwin_ 3 жыл бұрын

i did the same thing!

@NefariousKoel 3 жыл бұрын

No mention of the fight scene in 'They Live' (1988) ? Oh, the (in)humanity!

@myway7367 3 жыл бұрын

Well holy shit, I’d completely forgotten the new Die Hard movies were related to the old. It’s a bit like realizing Arnold became a scientist with a penchant for ice puns after taking down the Predator.

@sevenproxies4255 3 жыл бұрын

Jackie Chan's many, MANY broken bones and other assorted injuries resulting from the stunts he does himself shows that he very much is in peril. 😁

@tokyotentacle 3 жыл бұрын

@Wiley Combs He did happen to break his ankle filming Misson Impossible 6.

@ravenlord4 3 жыл бұрын

Totally agree -- the hero's safety and/or the situation's resolution has to credibly be in doubt. It's the difference between going into a scene and asking "if he will win" or asking "how will he win".

@Sahuagin 3 жыл бұрын

something I don't think you mentioned that can make a great action scene: mistakes. some of the best action scenes that are extremely re-watchable are the ones where the characters are constantly making mistakes and adapting to the situation as needed. we see them come up with a plan, execute it, it not play out exactly as they intended, and then formulate a new plan on the fly. this can happen many times back and forth between protagonist and antagonist. there's a delicate balance between who has the upper hand and we feel the characters "fighting" to maintain their slight advantage as much as they can. (examples include the end fight in Robocop, and the one in Predator. there's also the last fight scene in the movie Soldier.)

@leetri 3 жыл бұрын

Jackie Chan movies are great examples of "mistakes" in action scenes. He doesn't land every single hit, he gets hit himself, some of his tricks fail or backfire, but in the end he (usually) wins. He's constantly adapting on the fly because he's usually at a numeric disadvantage.

@TulilaSalome 3 жыл бұрын

This is also a general rule of storytelling: think of heist movies as a genre, or in books too - it cannot go, we plan the perfect heist, and the plan works perfectly, the end. That would lack any drama. Of course works in any type of story - you could not interest anyone in a story where 2 people in love plan their marriage and it goes as they planned.

@ptonpc 3 жыл бұрын

There is an example of that in the second Tomb Raider film (AJ's version) Lara is in a fight/chase with a gang leader in his lair. She finds a rifle with bayonet attached. She waits for him to come around the corner, aims and pulls the trigger when he is in front of her. Click. He is so surprised, he pauses and gives Lara just enough time to work out a new plan. It is just a second or so but you can tell from their expressions both characters are thinking "WTF?"

@thisisfyne 3 жыл бұрын

@@TulilaSalome Drama is important in an action scene, actually. I remember an essay or whatever talking about the LOTR - Two Towers - Helm's Deep action sequence and how it is itself constructed as a plot with a beginning, middle, and end.. turning points and climax included. Modern blockbusters often forget that action scenes should contribute to telling a story, not just be there for the sake of excitement. Otherwise it just feels empty and pointless.

@shira_yone 3 жыл бұрын

@@thisisfyne they said that drama is needed and not otherwise.

@dinogoldie9716 3 жыл бұрын

Very well argued. I would also add: 1) SCALE/PERSPECTIVE: Giant CGI monsters/robots hitting each other may be big and loud but it's not exciting. Entire planets being disintegrated are not as interesting as one-on-one dogfights or the arguments in the war room. 2) IMPACT: There's no physical gravity or heft to a lot of modern day movie action. It's all massless CGI collisions or people on wires effortlessly floating around one another. 3) CONSEQUENCE There's a place for endless Tom & Jerry antics but chases/fights should appear to take a tole on participants.

@eldorados_lost_searcher 3 жыл бұрын

Agreed but with the caveat that it also depends on the tone trying to be set.

@SuperFunkmachine 3 жыл бұрын

4) RULES: there should be rules to a fight, is the hero's gun empty? are they unarmed? Injured? Knocked to the floor? Once the rules are followed there can be consequences and twists an turns, the action can flow with highs an lows.

@Selrisitai 3 жыл бұрын

@@SuperFunkmachine I think you hit on the major thing here. You can almost disregard everything if you just establish some kind of limiting factor. For instance: I only have six bullets, and this man is known for being able to dodge bullets. My right arm has been injured. I normally could beat this guy, but maybe not while injured. There are too many men for me to fight normally, so I'll use my environment and basically guerilla warfare, attacking and running, getting my opponents into bottle-necks and impeding their movement with thrown or dropped obstacles. ( _A la,_ Jackie Chan.) Once you establish something like this, a lot of other things fall naturally into place, depending on the tone you want. Another method is to establish what you want to accomplish instead of necessarily a limitation. For instance, I want this fight to be uncertain. If you know that, then you know that BEFORE the fight you have to establish the skill of both the opponent, and the main character who is fighting him, so that the audience has no reason to believe that either one will win. Once _that's_ done, you can do all the shenanigans with the music, acting and cinematography to enhance what the storytelling has established.

@SuperFunkmachine 3 жыл бұрын

@@Selrisitai The rules don't have to be told, just followed. We all know that the side with better guns/sword, better armour, surprise or more fighters has an advantage. The fastest gun in the west or best swords men in all england can only fight so many people at once, an are only the best under certain settings.

@Selrisitai 3 жыл бұрын

@@SuperFunkmachine If you want dramatic tension, then I would suggest that you do need to inform the reader of this. It's not a matter of explaining to the reader, "Did you know one person can't beat up a thousand men?" It's about establishing a scenario with limitations, ensuring the viewer knows those limitations, and having the character work within those limitations in such a way that the reader is in on it. (I'm thinking of novels, but it works in movies, too, of course.) Having one man beat up ten men is inherently tense because, "Oh, no! How is he going to beat up all those men?" But if the _character himself_ doesn't act like he doesn't know if he can win, and is therefore not worried, but it hasn't been established that he indeed can beat up ten men, and the ten men whom he's facing aren't particularly surprised that he's beating them up, and there's no resolution to the question of, "Why the eff can he beat up ten men?" then you've created a situation in which you're not actually informing the viewer what the stakes are, _if any,_ and thus the reader is, at best, in a state of provisional supposition about the outcome, which naturally isn't a high-tension state, and a state which will not ever be resolved since the author is the only one who can do that, and he has failed to do so. Of course, laws of physics and the like should be followed without notifying the reader, but if you're going to do something that breaks the laws of physics or just common sense (like beating up ten men) then you should establish why this is possible, and this explanation doesn't need to be strictly accurate to reality, merely consistent in its delivery and execution and consequences. So for instance, if you say, "If he gets into a certain flow state, due to his ancestry, he can develop enhanced reflexes and fight so fast and efficiently that he could beat up ten men, but he's never done it yet. Probably not sufficient motivation," you've now set up a scenario that the reader can sink his teeth into. It doesn't matter if the whole thing is a crock of nonsense in real life, as long as the movie follows through with what it's stated, the audience will be able to suspend its belief. Furthermore, if you can give enough rules to this, such as he has to be in physical or emotional pain, he has to be in good athletic condition, _et cetera,_ then you can show the state failing and later show it succeeding during a time when the audience is aware that he should be in the right conditions. Just some storytelling thoughts.

@twigcollins8785 3 жыл бұрын

The Yekaterina Bridge fight in Snowpiercer. It's meaningful to the characters and the plot. It does a bit of worldbuilding. It looks great and raises the stakes. All things to all people.

@eldorados_lost_searcher 3 жыл бұрын

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

@synchro505 3 жыл бұрын

Professor Georg was in rare form today. Keeps getting better and better as well.

@blupunk01 3 жыл бұрын

Upgrade was an excellent example of how to do action scenes well while incorporating new and interesting techniques without letting those techniques overwhelm the core action.

@kildogery 3 жыл бұрын

Nearly spat my red wine out at the Jason Statham line.

@augustgreig9420 3 жыл бұрын

When you mentioned tension and realism, I was waiting for "Eastern Promises".

@daviddaumit6233 3 жыл бұрын

Yes, yes, and more yes! The bath house scene is one of my all-time favorites.

@daviddaumit6233 3 жыл бұрын

Great exploration of this topic! IMO, one of your best, Mr. R-S. For any who haven't seen it, the life-or-death fight in the bath house near the end of Eastern Promises complements everything said in this video about how tension + technical prowess + caring about the involved characters makes for an astoundingly good action scene.

@warren839 3 жыл бұрын

I read nothing lasts forever by Roderick Thorp recently and was surprised by how much more tense it was compared to die hard. I thought he was in real danger and the end blew me away.

@bobmcdade5217 3 жыл бұрын

One of my cherished cinema experiences was taking my 12 y/o son to watch Captain America: Winter Soldier, (a surprisingly good film), and watching him (my son) literally on the edge of his seat at the ticking-clock climax. The tension was almost unbearable for him and it made me melancholic to remember my own credulity when I was his age. I think the last time I felt tense watching a film was maybe Train To Busan, which I had the advantage of knowing little about beforehand.

@jamesabernethy7896 3 жыл бұрын

This is what i really love about your channel. You can can go on 2 and 3 hour comedic benders with Damien and come up with side splitting humour on that spot, where nobody knows which direction you are going to go in next. Then you do these short, well thought out and well presented videos ranging from the creative insights to movies to the realities of how Uber got ahead while covering everything in between. Amazing work that i feel is underappreciated.

@thisisfyne 3 жыл бұрын

I would argue that action scenes being successful (or not) is directly linked to how well the rules of the universe the movie takes place in have been established. If we know what the heroes can and can't do, what they clearly can or cannot survive, then the stakes are real when a dangerous situation arises. It also helps if everything feels grounded, raw, and tangible - meaning physically plausible in the world of the movie. Die Hard 3 has great examples. When John goes into the elevator with 3-4 fully armed fake cops, the tension is real. Because it's happening in the "real world", we KNOW that 1 bullet is enough to end him. John isn't bulletproof. Nobody is. On the other hand, when he and Zeus drop from 52943598763 feet onto the ship and barely get injured, the rules of that world are pushed to an extreme; it's barely plausible. But the movie makes a good job or ramping up toward that to really test our heroes to their breaking point, so we give it a pass. Anything more than that would be absurd though, and it seems that the filmmakers had the good judgment not to push beyond that. Die Hard 4, however............

@cdcaterham 3 жыл бұрын

101 Dalmatians when Pongo pulls the bloke on the bike into the pond.

@DPops-yf4zp 3 жыл бұрын

Those were great examples. One I can suggest... The entirety of Sorceror (1978) is literally a lesson on how to develop dread and tension throughout. That whole film will have anyone on the edge of their seat.

@RCAvhstape 3 жыл бұрын

Awesome film. Awesome soundtrack, too.

@DPops-yf4zp 3 жыл бұрын

@@RCAvhstape Especially during the montage of them rebuilding the trucks.

@Epicurus341 3 жыл бұрын

@@DPops-yf4zp Have you seen Clouzot's 1953 version "The Wages Of Fear"? I liked Sorcerer, but personally I prefer The Wages Of Fear. Maybe it depends on which one you see first...

@DPops-yf4zp 3 жыл бұрын

@@Epicurus341 I have not seen Wages of Fear. I first saw Sorcerer five years ago as a recommendation from one of my favorite websites. I will be watching Wages of Fear in the near future. I've heard nothing but great things about it. Thanks for your recommendation.

@Epicurus341 3 жыл бұрын

@@DPops-yf4zp You're very welcome. I do hope you enjoy it, even if you end up still preferring Sorcerer. They are both good tense films.

@Maggbba 3 жыл бұрын

Always a pleasure to listen to this guy.

@letsburn00 3 жыл бұрын

I keep getting reminded to watch bad day at black rock. It just seems like it's waiting for a remake set in 2003/4 based around an Iraq immigrant who got kill after 9/11 and his son who ran away in 2000 and later went as a soldier to Iraq.

@iainmiller3113 3 жыл бұрын

That would be cool and instead of Spencer Tracy walking about with one hand in his pocket, Adam driver could play Macreedy who had accidentally superglued his left hand to his forehead while making an airfix model on the train. As an homage to the original all the other characters can be played by planks of wood with felt tip faces drawn on them!

@RCAvhstape 3 жыл бұрын

Or, here's a little idea, instead of making a remake of an already good film, how about making a movie with an original story?

@letsburn00 3 жыл бұрын

@@RCAvhstape that would be better, but I actually had never heard of bad day at black rock until this channel brought it up. I also suspect that an original story on this topic would get huge pushback for being "Too woke" and too judgy of people living in backward unpleasant towns. In fact, I suspect a direct remake would be criticised heavily for this, mostly be people who really are just annoyed that people today don't like them being racist.

@RCAvhstape 3 жыл бұрын

@@letsburn00 Yeah, well, there is no way to please the wokesters. Everything is poison nowadays. Best just to accept that idiots think you're a racist, knowing you're not, and get on with life.

@florinivan6907 3 жыл бұрын

Is the premise you're talking about realistic? Or more exactly plausible?So iraqi immigrant killed after 9/11 there were only a few confirmed murders motivated by islamophobia up to 2005.Also this one guy that got killed just happens to have a son that enlisted and served in Iraq? The thing about WW2 is that it was a war in which everyone served so having a murder victim have a son in uniform was plausible.Statistically speaking it was inevitable.While your premise is not impossible it is unlikely there would only be a couple of cases of this type in the entire US.Then again movies thrive on statistically rare events.

@Ultracity6060 3 жыл бұрын

"Watching Jackie Chan on screen [...] he's making us think that he really _is_ in great peril." Well, part of how he does that tends to be by actually putting himself in peril. He used to break a lot of his bits doing stunts.

@breathingboy 3 жыл бұрын

Love the use of the character select music from Tekken 3.

@narcischism473 3 жыл бұрын

I appreciate the “great deal of value” I receive from your videos.

@angels2online 3 жыл бұрын

What makes the Sans Hosen podcast exciting is not knowing whether Damien will have any place left to shit in on the next podcast.

@schaffy_ 3 жыл бұрын

This made me realise why I enjoy some Marvel films and don't enjoy others. It really does come down to whether I feel the tension, whether or not there are consequences. If the characters aren't struggling or relatable, then why would I care whether they win or not?

@whatr0 3 жыл бұрын

While I agree with nearly all of your points for the most part, I think there is something to be said for well choreographed and impressive action scenes. I still derive plenty of enjoyment from seeing something done incredibly well and satisfying. While in the context of a movie, an action scene devoid of both tension and emotional connection most definitely fails at its part of contributing to the story, you can still derive enjoyment from the artistry at work to a certain degree. To follow along the lines of the video game analogy, even a game with an invincibility cheat on and absolutely no chance of dying can still have some level of enjoyment from the act and mechanics of things like how shooting and movement both feel.

@charoleawood 3 жыл бұрын

Yup, I made a friend play Doom 3, they were terrified the whole time even though godmode was activated

@natedetailscars 3 жыл бұрын

I like the inadvertent reference to 'The Seven Ups' when talking about 'The French Connection' at the end.

@CallsignJoNay 3 жыл бұрын

Thanks for mentioning Old Boy. Best fight scene ever. Reminds me of the two no-cut action scenes in Children of Men. Full of tension.

@thomasbyrne7372 3 жыл бұрын

This channel reminds me of BBC's Moviedrome.

@w4tkn 3 жыл бұрын

I love this channel

@avpclassic 3 жыл бұрын

Nice example with Ran. Kurosawa is one of the cinematic masters of tension and action. Any example from his samurai films will suffice. Seven Samurai with the master swordsman fighting the amateur near the movie's beginning. The Hidden Fortress with the duel suddenly interjected in the film's middle. Yojimbo with the final confrontation at the movie's conclusion. The spectacle/tension dichotomy is really well-exemplified also with two Tarantino films, Pulp Fiction and Kill Bill, Part 1. The ending speech of Pulp Fiction in the diner is in my opinion the most tense moment in any of Tarantino's films. Compare to the "crazy 88" whom the Bride slaughters without any feeling of peril behind it in Kill Bill. I would argue that the former is infinitely better than the latter. You don't need fountains of blood or dismembered limbs to create a memorable action scene, all you need is a great script, a great shot, and a great actor who doesn't even need to fire the gun he's holding.

@Louis-wp3fq 3 жыл бұрын

Of course, Tarantino is no amateur, and the fight scene at the end of Kill Bill, Vol. 1 isn't supposed to be about tension. It's about fun. (I laughed so hard throughout that sequence.) The battle with Orin Ishi, on the other hand, is much more tense.

@egoborder3203 3 жыл бұрын

the Major at the end of Ghost in the Shell tasking on the tank

@djeieakekseki2058 3 жыл бұрын

The game analogy was on point. I wish Breaking Bad and Fargo were mentioned too. The scene where Walter tries to kill Gus Fring, who was seemingly invincible, and the other scene at the end where Walter struggles to access his key to activate the machine gun and kill the Neo Nazis. In Fargo season 1, every time the camera is stuck on a character you expect him to die. Lorne Malvo is an unstoppable evil force. When he is at gunpoint there is a lot of tension, you don't really know if he is going to die or not, he might suddenly pull a trick again and kill the guy.

@RCAvhstape 3 жыл бұрын

Fargo season 1 is freaking awesome, maybe even better than the movie.

@cineturon 3 жыл бұрын

Isn’t Lorne Malvo in season 2?

@prathapkutty7407 3 жыл бұрын

@@cineturon nope season 1. Season 2 I think takes place in the 70s and is a prequel to season 1.

@thejustifier6602 3 жыл бұрын

Ernest Borgnine using an innocent woman as human shield while fighting the Mexican army. (In the Wild Bunch)

@ultrademigod 3 жыл бұрын

That's ridiculous, I bet he couldn't even beat a one armed man.

@grantbitman1448 3 жыл бұрын

@@ultrademigod He could if his mom would just let him.

@Andrew_L86 3 жыл бұрын

I think action is best when it comes with contrast. The most memorable action scene for me, the one I always think of when I think of high tension is Children Of Men's car ambush. Full of emotion, comedy, and then suddenly action is forced upon us. You have to connect to the characters immediately, because they are as powerless to the situation as the viewer is. There is surprise, a sense of anguish even, and ultimately it feels like what real life sudden tension feels like.

@simonfrederiksen104 3 жыл бұрын

uh that Ran scene is one of the best ever made:) gives me chills every time

@BrisbaneTeslaGuy 3 жыл бұрын

This is a quite a Master class really. I’m sure if you gave this to at least Jason Statham, he would most likely work with a director to change his approach to those types of scenes, where is Bruce Willis would not care at all. Also Stallone and Chan get it. Willis does not

@Blink_____ 3 жыл бұрын

The problem with Willis is not that he doesn't "get it". The problem is he has had a long prolific career, spent a long time in the action star slot, and just got sick of it all. He literally doesn't care because he's too exhausted and worn out. Arguably tired of life as a movie star.

@BrisbaneTeslaGuy 3 жыл бұрын

@@Blink_____ your right completely

@jemhoare2105 3 жыл бұрын

I think Bruce has to make movies as a deal with the IRS.

@dwc1964 3 жыл бұрын

@@Blink_____ so what you're saying is, Bruce Willis is too old for this shit

@prathapkutty7407 3 жыл бұрын

@@Blink_____ then he should just retire altogether.

@TheTomAbz 3 жыл бұрын

That Tekken Selection screen music hits just right

@nataliecameron 3 жыл бұрын

Yo I’m so happy you still make videos, I haven’t had your channel recommended to me in ages

@zigguratjones6458 3 жыл бұрын

I fell in love with Punch Drunk Love when I was a teenager mostly because of the scene where he finally snaps and starts smashing up with a tire iron. Moments where you're not exactly expecting something to break out and see how it affects the narrative of the film going forward.

@aarkmish8087 3 жыл бұрын

Me too. Thanks for sharing

@2st486 3 жыл бұрын

a perfect example of action/tension is District 9 third act. it's basically watching a videogame cutscene, but since the movie spent 90 freaking minutes developping the chracters and rising the stakes, we're involved in all the carnage, making it much more tense. also, georg, how could you make an essay about good action scenes and not even mention The Raid?? it's the most action-packed modern movie, it's tense as fuck from the start, and it doesnt let go until the end of the second movie.

@burningmisery 3 жыл бұрын

Gareth Evans' 'The Raid 2' has some of best actions scenes EVER! Don't agree? FIGHT ME! I know pencak silat, kung fu, wushu and a bunch of other fancy words ☻

@TransistorSounds 3 жыл бұрын

Thanks, that's good writing advice! Don't mistake spectacle for tension and suspense.

@georgeprout42 3 жыл бұрын

For me suspension of disbelief goes out of the water if I've seen a trailer. Or spoilers as I call them. I stopped going to the cinema when they played the film trailer "to build excitement" just before showing the film I went to see. You can look away, but you still hear dialogue. Here we saw the hero doing $thing, that will almost certainly kill them, as the film makers try to build a will they/won't they tension. Well, the film spoilers clearly showed other scenes that we haven't seen yet, so yes, it's a foregone conclusion. And he hasn't said those lines yet either...

@someguy7842 3 жыл бұрын

as always the quality of analysis is excellent.

@frankdantuono2594 3 жыл бұрын

Great video, 9 out of 10. It would have been 10 but you made me watch Transporter 2.

@deen118 3 жыл бұрын

10:33 not even trying to hide the stunt man lol

@GameplayandTalk 3 жыл бұрын

I totally agree, it's all about that tension.

@mentalplayground 3 жыл бұрын

I think with action and CGI mechanism is pretty much the same. It is all about feeling.If we care and like the hero we will care about CGI and no amount of CGI explosion, star ships will make us care. Also no amount of stunts man, gun shots, fire and explosion will make us excited about the action if we don't feel anything, we might feel little abused by noise and flashing screen.

@davidschrader4902 3 жыл бұрын

I like that you’re now using the lava lamp and a regular lamp. The ties are less impressive but I understand the need to fill the frame. But there is a beauty of having negative space. Having said that I do love your content. Well played Old Boy.

@ianlacey 3 жыл бұрын

Your videos often send me off to find old movies to watch or re-watch, which is nice.

@augustin5611 3 жыл бұрын

Thanks alot for making me discover the movie Alpha Dogs ! I just seen it and it really moved me. A great discovery.

@markparkinson6947 3 жыл бұрын

Welcome back, Georg!

@nabed4t 3 жыл бұрын

Saving Private Ryan water birthing scene... 5:28 Comedy Gold!

@laurencefinn1347 3 жыл бұрын

Good to have you back and thanks.

@kirbymarchbarcena 3 жыл бұрын

Shaky-cam in any action movie scene is so nauseating...I detest that style of filmmaking.

@anthonylewis2080 3 жыл бұрын

Die Hard (1988) : When McClane is chased by a helicopter with Law Enforcement/Military and FBI Officers before the explosion towards the end of the movie. Casino Royale (2006) : Stairwell Fight between James Bond and Steven Obanno, 007 nearly gets defeated - say no more. Taken (2008) : When Bryan Mills wiped out an apartment full of bad guys - fantastic to say the least. The Bourne Movies (2002 - 2016) : Vehicle chases, hand to hand combat scenes - that alone speaks for itself. Let's not forget the efforts on behalf of Stunt Coordinators who oversee the complexities in making sure no one gets killed or sustained serious injuries. As for the lava lamp...........................!.

@Manu-Official 3 жыл бұрын

My friend made the music for that Transporter 2 video. Also known as the V-Rally 2 intro music (Sin - Painful)

@CharlesVanNoland 3 жыл бұрын

If you do indeed talk about *something* or *other* in the next vid I think you might be the first 'tuber to engage such taboo subject matter. The suspense is killing me, aaaaaaarrgg!!

@michaelsoltesz3779 3 жыл бұрын

I guess it depends some times. The analogy I would use is with music. A well crafted song has a memorable melody, lyrics that are meaningful, and a production that pleases the ears. However, not every song can be fantastic and memorable. Sometimes you want lyrics that get to THE POINT. Some times you want to listen to the technical prowess of the lead guitar player bending the strings to his will. The song itself may be average, but those PARTS can often have a style that is meaningful and memorable. Even a “mindless” pop song can be fun to sing along to…but you will get sick of it after a while. Movies are much the same. I would PREFER that movies be amazing and memorable, but there are gaps in time that need to be filled with “other” kinds of entertainment. Mad Max: Fury Road only comes along once every 20-30 years. In the down time, I can easily be entertained by Liam Neeson trying to recover his lost cat and killing a bunch of Eastern block thugs in the process. I will watch Mad Max again and again because of the master craftsmanship. I won’t be “re-watching” the style over substance movies unless I am just drunk or can’t find anything “compelling” to watch at the moment.

@ImTakingYouToFlavorTown 3 жыл бұрын

when I think of a good action scene I think of the bathroom fight from season 2 of the punisher on netflix, its fast, its brutal, he fights very well and uses the environment to fight which shows him as not just a bruiser but someone who can fight smart as well, as well as the belt on his hand to protect his hand from a knife as well as the buckle adding more impact to his punches.

@KokoRicky 3 жыл бұрын

The comparison shot around 4:30 makes me ask, "Why the hell are movies so damn dark now?!" There's so much more contrast in the older film while still basking much of the shot in shadow.

@adventureindustries 3 жыл бұрын

If you want a good action scene, you need one thing - Hiptang.

@cheshirecat1611 3 жыл бұрын

As always a very good video and very interesting! However, I feel you are missing one ingredient here, which is fun. The transporter fight scene maybe doesn't have as much tension but it is stil fun to watch. as another example, the opening sequence of Deadpool does not have much tension since the audience knows that Deadpool is pretty much unkillable. Yet, the sequence is highly entertaining and a lot of fun. One could argue about whether that makes it "good" but it fits the style of the movie perfectly and, in my opinion, is very enjoyable for the audience.

@jamief1263 3 жыл бұрын

Two great action scenes for me which are the same and different at the same time. The unforgiven builds to clints showdown with Hackman. The action itself isn’t over elaborate, but we are eager to see Hackman get what he deserves and we know that Clint can do it, as we are told how much of a bad ass he is. The second is a fist full of dollars, Clint is bullied right at the start and it looks like he is willing to let it slide, but then he delivers his mule speech and wastes those two guys with ease.

@kyletitterton 3 жыл бұрын

I watched Alpha Dog on your recommendation. It was excellent. A bit uneven in the way it tries to follow all the characters arcs and give them equal conclusion. But highly engaging none the less. Thanks for the recommendation.

@Atom.Storm. 3 жыл бұрын

Surprised you didn't meantion The Raid. Top action film.

@jamesstafford3172 3 жыл бұрын

Brilliant work Georg

@Zachary_Sweis 3 жыл бұрын

Tekken music. Nice. Don't think I didn't recognize that.

@TulilaSalome 3 жыл бұрын

Jackie Chan is really good at selling this everyman that happens to know Kung Fu and is somewhat in over his head - also because he is interested in getting the best opponents for the "boss fight"; they are usually super talented martial artists themselves, and they are allowed to show that too. This way the feat of beating them is all the more exciting.

@exquisitecorpse4917 3 жыл бұрын

Jackie Chan is one of the greatest performers in film history, and part of that is his world-class physicality, but another huge part is his ability to create stakes and constantly raise them. His hands are tied, the floor is slippery, the building's on fire, there's a kitten he has to save, and a bomb-timer ticking...........and if he solves any of those problems, a bigger problem crashes through the window. He's a genius in movement, emotional expression, AND storytelling. It's almost unfair.

@Thickcurves 3 жыл бұрын

Damn it Georg... stop making me think about and appreciate my movies! You summa bitssh

@YamatoPower9000 3 жыл бұрын

I consider Korean " Bittersweet Life" better in terms of action than Oldboy (it does has a very unique story and setup though).

@hackermans 3 жыл бұрын

6:25 Well Jackie almost did die at the "20 minute" mark in Armour of God. He fell out of a tree, and now he has a plate in his head for our entertainment. In the actual release of the movie, the failed cut is moved to the end of the movie, shown when the credits roll, so it is not at 20 minutes per se, but the deadliest method acting is to have your star actor and director in real danger.

@eldorados_lost_searcher 3 жыл бұрын

Oh, there's a scene in Fort Apache where a wagon broke loose while the camera was rolling, and John Wayne's stuntman rode in and saved a guy from further injury. Guy still got pretty banged up, but at least he was alive.

@Selrisitai 3 жыл бұрын

And then wouldn't let him cut his hair anymore as they thought it was bad luck. Shame, because I think he looked quite handsome with shorter hair.

@michaelthomas9172 3 жыл бұрын

11:03 - saying the words ‘zero error’ in time with McCreedy’s hits, nice!

@ospritely8144 3 жыл бұрын

You're a great content creator because of your dry humor and the fluency with which you've always stated your opinions. Georg you could talk about anything off the cuff and it would make for a fantastic watchable video

@MPK1637 3 жыл бұрын

Your chanel is amazing. Every single video. Thank you!

@daniilslavandrushevych4118 3 жыл бұрын

The tension vs spectacle issue is an interesting one. I feel like the new Star Wars films perfectly capture this problem. Beyond a Death Star, making an even bigger, more destructive battle station doesn't really up the stakes. Whether it destroys one planet or ten planets doesn't really affect the actual sense of tension. The new It: Part 2 similarly had a rather overblown climax that I thought actually just began to diminish the tension as it dragged on.

@fersuremaybek756 3 жыл бұрын

i feel the part with the tension can also be related to the suspension of disbelief, the more you have to do it to enjoy it the worse it will be for you.

@thejudgmentalcat 3 жыл бұрын

Another absolute dud of an over-the-top action film was "6 Underground". Surprised you didn't mention any "John Wick" films.

@susiehenders Жыл бұрын

Love your critiques 💜 great channel thank you 🙏

@jothishprabu8 3 жыл бұрын

John Wick director needs to watch this

@mattposky2892 3 жыл бұрын

I hate every person that doesn't love this channel. May the sun never shine on their faces again.

@dancingdroid 3 жыл бұрын

You can't talk about good action without mentioning Ong Bak. That shit is amazing!

@andrewmontague9682 3 жыл бұрын

It's technically amazing but let's be honest it's just a set of scenes to show off Tony Ja's skills. And I say that as somebody who has watched that film several times and loved it.

@christianenglish7467 3 жыл бұрын

The better comparison would have been the 2 fight scenes happening simultaneously in matrix 2, the fight with neo basically dominating and the fight with trinity and Morpheus on the freeway where there is actual danger