Not long ago Nikki Finke complained about today’s action hero. She looked back longingly to the '80s, back when we had Stallone, Schwarzenegger, and Willis busting heads and taking names. Now we have Michael Cera in Scott Pilgrim.
With all due respect to Ms. Finke, I think she’s missing a huge point. Action movies change. Today it’s big news that Stallone is even making an action movie. "The Expendables" is being touted as a return to the Old School. So when did New School become Old School? Scott Pilgrim provides a good example.
Comic Books Rule!
Not just comic books but YA and Urban Fantasy, videogames, toys, amusement park rides, any “established property” is considered a potential goldmine. Back in the '80s and early '90s you’d stick Stallone, Willis or Arnold in a building with terrorists and called it an action movie. Then it was about stars, now it’s about material.
If you’re adapting "Scott Pilgrim." you need somebody who looks like Scott Pilgrim. It you’re making "Twilight" into a movie you need someone who looks like Edward Cullen. Christian Bale is a fine actor but more importantly he looks like Bruce Wayne from the comic books.
Research Rules!
Another aspect is that idiot action films look more idiotic than ever. I had a discussion with my brother recently and he pointed out how ridiculous the plot to first "Lethal Weapon" was. Consider the whole movie was about villains trying to keep their drug delivery a secret. To do that they blow up a hooker in her house with a sophisticated bomb, shoot a witness from a helicopter, then finally kidnap two cops and a family member. Yeah, that will really keep the authorities in the dark.
Or how about "Die Hard," where the bad guys are totally reliant on the cops and FBI acting like total morons. Say what you will about Michael Mann’s recent films but the guy does research. His meticulous preparation in "Heat," "Collateral" and the big screen version of "Miami Vice" all show. Same goes for the Bourne series.
The overall plot may be far fetched but it sounds reasonable to modern audiences and the fight scenes are rigorously researched. Not too long ago Kevin Costner’s "Robin Hood" put the history book in a blender. Today Ridley Scott’s "Robin Hood" has to do with the Magna Carta and has its own History Channel special.
CGI
I personally think CGI is overused. I miss practical effects and stunt work. But if you’re going to toss a kid halfway across a square and into a tower, there’s just no other way to do it. The rise of CGI has lowered the bar for becoming an action star. Regardless of an actor’s physical shape a computer can turn him or her into a super strong, super fast whirlwind of death.
Arnold himself planted the seeds of this trend. He made his name combining the action genre with sci fi and fantasy which fueled development of computer generated special effects.
Personal Trainers
Arnold is also responsible for another trend, that of the personal trainer and body sculptor. Back when he made his debut most people believed pumping up left you muscle bound. They even made an "SNL" Hans and Franz skit about it.
Flash forward to the 21st century and body sculpting is down to a science. Nearly everyone is expected to hit the gym and beef up for a part. Daniel Craig went from rail thin in "Layer Cake" to bulging muscle man in "Casino Royale." Even actresses are going for the buff look.
World Wide Action
The action audience is a lot more canny and aware of what’s happening in other countries now. Back in the 80s, when American audiences were pumping their fists to "Rambo" and "Predator," over in Hong Kong Jackie Chan and John Woo were making action movies that made American efforts pale by comparison.
It wasn’t until "The Killer" burst onto the scene that there was a huge discovery of what we’d been missing out. Since then the action movie has been much more of a global genre. Hardcore action audiences can satisfy themselves with Asian, French, Russian, and South American entries. Usually these films are much more intense than what you can get here. That’s because…
PG 13
The biggest reason for the decline of the '80s action star is the decline of the '80s action movie itself. Rated R is out, general audience is what the studios want. "Lethal Weapon" opened with a topless hooker taking a dive off a balcony. Now you’re likely to find more skin in a "New Found Glory" video than in an action film. When the hero gets shot he’ll probably say “Darn it!” That’s if they’re allowed to fire guns in the first place.
The action movie is going back to its pre-Spaghetti Western roots, back to a time when the whole family went to see Errol Flynn battle Basil Rathbone. It probably won’t look exactly like those old classics. Even when things go back to way things used to be, they’re never the same.