Action Movies

Rock ’em, sock’ em, he-man, brawling, sprawling, blood and guts masculine cinematic confections that have been a mainstay of Hollywood production rift gold and appeal to audiences for decades. Using scenarios drawn from Westerns, adventure, war, superheroes or even terrorism, these movies showcase a masculinity of bravado, blood and violence. Key stars over decades have ranged from the suave Douglas Fairbanks, Jr or Errol Flynn to grittier portrayals by Bruce Willis, Sylvester Stallone, Wesley Snipes or Arnold Schwarzenegger. Some women, including Sigourney Weaver (Alien) and Linda Hamilton (Terminator) have expanded the genre, while Hong Kong stars like Jackie Chan and Chow Yun-Fat have also shown box-office appeal and even gained cult status. Box office,rift gold rather than art, after all, is the appeal that these epics offer to young men with or without dates on a summer evening, negotiating masculinity by fantasy and imitation.