They may have a dream they decide to chase, a love they want to pursue, or a burning desire for change. Sometimes a call to action comes from within a character. Having something taken away from them, like a family member or a treasured heirloom, can be an incentive to fight back, kickstarting their adventure. Personal tragedyĪ personal tragedy can be a powerful call to arms for a character. A member of royalty, a prestigious institution (think Hogwarts), or a powerful authority may request the services of the main character because they believe the protagonist has the particular skills required for the role. One of the most common ways a character is called to action is by a significant figure who needs assistance. Most narratives begin with some form of antecedent action: Let's look in more detail at the various parts of the narrative structure. 1 - Freytag's Pyramid breaks a narrative down into five stages, which he claimed showed the typical story arc. To represent these stages, Freytag created a 'pyramid' illustrating the typical arc of a story.įig. Gustav Freytag (1816-95), a 19th-century German writer, proposed breaking down a Plot into five key stages: When we apply this definition, characters' movements that do not serve a larger purpose or meaning don't fit the definition of action.Īction, in some form, occurs in every narrative. This problem is why some writers would state that action in literature must have consequences. But, shouldn't action also be exciting and significant to the story? It's up for debate. But what about someone sipping a drink in a comfy chair, hitting the snooze button, or making themselves a sandwich? By the above definition, this still counts as action. You might think this definition seems too simple, and you might be right! Academics often debate over what can conclusively be labelled 'action'.įor example, does any form of physical movement suffice? When reading about a character in a high-speed chase or a deadly sword fight, we wouldn't hesitate to think of it as action. Along with again delving into the 2000s and modern times at these new hybrid action films including sci-fi, martial arts and neo-action.In literature, action refers to the physical movements and activities of characters. What makes the 80s and 90s action movies so ultimate?Īs well as looking at the roots of the action genre, whether those be western, spy or war films of the 50s, 60s and 70s. Films predominantly from the 80s and 90s before the genre moved further into hybridization. That means both honoring the pure action classics. One of the goals of the Ultimate Action Movie Club is to help define, and to appreciate, the ACTION film genre. The Ultimate Action Movie Genre Cross-Over Debate Some movies can easily be given this hybrid qualifier, while others might still have these action elements, but not formally used in the marketing or classification of the film. These “Action Hybrid Movies” allow for crossover genres where the heart of the story can be comedy, romance, suspense, etc… but allow for some level of spectacle – which is often the action genre definition.īut again, these get tricky. How ‘The Blues Brothers’ Blends Comedy, Music and Ultimate Action “Action” has really just become a catchall term that is usually used to tack onto other movie types when action occurs. Just about every movie has a hero and a villain as well. Some might be less physical and more psychological. Truth be told though, perhaps the majority of American films (at least counting the Blockbusters of the last 30 or 40 years) have many of these elements.Īlmost every movie has a fight of some sort. These can be fist fights, they can be car chases, they can be shootouts, they can be any number of things. The definition above might be boilerplate, but at the heart of the genre, the “action” moniker really just means that the films have lots of “action” on screen. The Ultimate List of the Best Action Movie Hero Names The article goes on to talk about CGI and the rise of the genre in the 1970s as a spectacle-styled genre made to wow audiences in cinemas. The definition goes on to cite the importance of an ACTION HERO and their plight through life-threatening situations and against a main villain. The Top 100 Ultimate Action Movies of All TimeĪccording to the Wikipedia definition, an ACTION FILM “ is a film genre in which the protagonist or protagonists are thrust into a series of events that typically include violence, extended fighting, physical feats, and frantic chases.” Yet, for many film fans the term is sometimes misused and very often misunderstood. You might not even think the genre title needs a definition. To most, action films are just that – ACTION films. Defining the most ultimate of film genres.
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