Barry Turi

Genre research Action

The action genre is one of the most popular genres in modern film alongside comedy,
adventure and drama which have generated the most box office revenue between
1995 and 2005. The plot of an action film has a hero/band of heroes being forced into
challenges against a villain. The film concludes with the hero eventually becoming
victorious thus the film ends. Action films tend to have extended scenes of violence,
fighting, chases and a faster pace than other genres.

Cross-overs
The action genre crosses over with other film genres as well. These include:
-Comedy (21 Jump Street)
-Superhero (X-Men)
-Spy (James Bond)
-Sci-Fi (Terminator)

Generic Traits/Conventions
Action films generally follow a similar plot. They start with equilibriums - the world of
the film is safe until something threatens it. This is the disruption of the equilibrium. It
is then the protagonists job to go against the antagonist and stop him. After this, the
antagonist is defeated and the equilibrium is restored. Action films compliment
Todorovs theory of equilibrium disruption of equilibrium restoration of equilibrium.
Films in the genre are mostly targeted at typically male viewers aged 15 40,
however younger males are the majority of the mass audience who watch action
films.
Why is it primarily males who enjoy action films? The generic conventions of the
action genre stay persistent throughout the action genre. Male viewers are drawn into
watching action films because of their fast-paced scenes, use of weapons such as
guns and knives, the use of pyrotechnics to create explosions, the intense binary
opposites (Hero vs. Villain), and in some cases the use of CGI to create images that
the production team could not.

History and development

Many people think that the 1960s was the decade in which
action films were introduced to audiences, and consider The
Great Train Robbery (1963) to be the first ever action film.
Since then, the action genre has seen many films become
successful enough to branch out into a franchise; notably
the James Bond series which dominated cinemas worldwide
in the 60s, the Lethal Weapon franchise in the 80s ad 90s, and the Star Wars saga in
the 70s and 80s. The 1980s and 1990s are proclaimed the best years for action films,
as they generated consistent successes. Prime examples of successful films and
franchises of these decades were the Indiana Jones films, the two Terminator films
(Terminator 1 released in 1984 and Terminator 2: Judgement Day released in 1991)
and the continued James Bond films starring Pierce Brosnan (Goldeneye (1995),
Tomorrow Never Dies (1997), The World Is Not Enough (1999)). As well as these film
sagas doing well in the box office, Tim Burtons Batman released in 1989 was followed
by Batman Returns in 1992. With the success of both films, the action genre had
found a viable sub-genre the comic-book movie. In present day action films,
computer-generated imagery (CGI) is used frequently to replace a lot of the work
stunt doubles would have to do back in the day. This does not mean that stunt

Barry Turi

doubles arent present The Expendables series is a prime example of how CGI is
rarely used and how practical stunts are done to create a more realistic vibe to action
films. CGI, despite its advancement and popularity within audiences worldwide can
also be criticised if films contain a substantial amount of it. People complain that CGI
has transitioned from a last-minute resort to a necessity, and prefer effects and stunts
to be done practically rather than digitally. The crossover of action with comic book
heroes and stories, as well as science fiction, continued with making movie
adaptations of many Marvel and DC comic book characters. Christopher Nolans Dark
Knight trilogy proved to be one of the best film trilogies since 2000, and Marvels
cinematic universe have also received billions of dollars in revenue, most recognisably
Avengers Assemble released in 2012 which is the 4th most highest grossing film of all
time, and Iron Man 3.

The Top-10 best action films of 1980-2015 (rated by ScreenRant)

-Indiana Jones: Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)
-Rambo: First Blood (1982)
-Lethal Weapon (1987)
-Die Hard (1988)
-Terminator 2: Judgement Day (1991)
-Point Break (1991)
-Bad Boys (1995)
-The Matrix (1999)
-The Bourne Ultimatum (2007)
-The Raid (2012)