Just to clarify a few “oopsies’” I made, I meant to say before 6:33 that some superhero movies had fantastic action, but for some reason my butthead self didn’t, so now it looks like I think the Iron Man vs Cap and Bucky scene is forgettable/terrible which it clearly isn't. I meant that it’s so good that it shows how inconsistent the quality of the other action sequences are in the same movie. Also, I obviously couldn't include every 2010s film with great action in this video or else it would be an hour long, so here’s a list of films that couldn't make it into this short video but deserved to just as much. Feel free to comment any that I missed! (in no particular order) Drive Logan Scott Pilgrim vs the World Deadpool 1,2 Looper Atomic Blonde Upgrade Snowpiercer Dark Knight Rises Of the Planet of the Apes 1,2,3 The World’s End Rogue One Doctor Strange Star Trek Beyond Django Unchained Tron Legacy Fast and the Furious 5,6,7,8 (I know, its dumb action but its really fun ok) The Revenant Dredd Kick-Ass Daredevil (Kind of cheating with this one but I did that with the Witcher so screw it) Battle of the Bastards (You know, while we’re at it) X-Men First Class Jumpstreet 21,22 The Nice Guys Alita Battle Angel (terrible dialogue though)
What About Zack Snyder? To Me and the Channel Godzillarex Zack Snyder Does Not know how to make a Bad Fight Scene! Come on BVS and Man of Steel had Phenomenal Action scene.
I thoroughly enjoyed this video. I can't believe there's somebody making RUclips essays in current year that isn't telling me that everything is actually bad.
@@unblorbosyourshows9635 It stands next to and a little above Wonder Woman as the best DC movie so far! Critics were too harsh, I had a great time watching it
Never seen it, so this video kinda lost me. Wtf is the story in aquaman. I’m trying, I really am, but I’m finding it impossible to think of a scenario that links dinosaurs, jellyfish, drum playing octopus, happy hour and giant tattooed badass...
You’re the first person that I’ve seen actually defend aqua man, and although I still think the writing makes it bad, I respect you for having the balls to give your honest opinion on one of the most toxic platforms online
Aquaman was deliberately made to just be that over the top, ridiculous, corny, stunning to look at roller-coaster of a movie. James Wan looked at Aquaman and was just like "Atlantian Superman who wears a stupid ass yellow and green suit, that no one takes seriously? Fuck it let's just go balls to the wall insane" and it worked tremendously.
Really? I’ve seen quite a few people like Aquaman. It’s no Wonder Woman in the eyes of the general public, but quite a few people seem to see it as a turning point for the series.
Most people I've heard talk about it said they like it. For me, anything having to do with direction or cinematography is incredible, and james wan needs to direct more action. But the script is complete garbage, start to finish. So many scenes where I just think "please don't do this. It's so predictable." and then they do it. If you're going to make a story predictable then at least give it some personal flair, but they couldn't even do that.
@@mr.fufucudlypoops8207 since this is one of the few topically relevant reply threads (to the comment I'm about to make), I'll just leave this here. With a portion of this video discussing action in superhero movies, isn't it weird he ain't include Man of Steel? That stuff legit blew my mind.
Wait what? Do people not like it? Like have you watched the Winter Soldier? It's the best MCU movie period (in my opinion) primarily due to it's action scenes.
You know, I really respect you for defending CGI. I feel like it's a case where people see poor or overused CGI and say that it's bad as a whole. Yes practical effects have their own very important place and merits, but the advance of technology lets media be capable of so much more.
Fury Road, Kingsman and John Wick are absolutely masterpieces in action. You clearly see what's happening, and you *feel* the whole film crew working to make it look fun and tense at the same time
2001-2010 still featured many classic easy-to-follow action scenes - Matrix Reloaded, Ong Bak, Star Wars Episodes 2-3, Transporter 1-2, Kill Bill, various Jackie Chan films, District B13, Mr. and Mrs. Smith, Kill Zone/SPL, Flashpoint, Unleashed, Never Back Down, JCVD. There was still a trend of shooting action so the audience could follow it. A lot of it was just reverb from the Hong Kong spillover into Hollywood in the late 90s. Admittedly, the Bourne-style action scene seemed to take the spotlight, even though it seemed to be used less often. It was hard to follow, but it clicked with the audience at the time. There was a lot of PTSD in the world in 2002 in light of the previous year's catastrophic event, and I think that style of violence "made sense" to the average filmgoer, much like the insane action of GTA3 "made sense". Crank was another by-product of this. Taken was probably the best example of it. Live action scenes are typically shot coverage-style, meaning multiple camera angles rolling on the same action, with an editor left to decide how to make use of it. If the editor is a fan of slow editing and only uses a master shot, production will have "wasted" the other 90% of the coverage and might come down on the editor, so there's an incentive to use all the coverage, and if you're supposed to fit it all into a small amount of time, you'll get faster editing as a result. The marginal costs of shooting more footage decreased rapidly with digital filmmaking and NLE systems, so there was a technological incentive to get more coverage. However, at least this action was handled by the stunt coordinator, who knows how to sell violence and can tune it for the various camera angles. The coordinator might even be able to request specific camera angles for pieces of action. As more stunt performers are filmmakers these days, they're better able to run camera and direct action scenes, so films like Kingsman involve the action team more in the shooting process. Films like John Wick which are directed by stunt veterans are shining examples of how action teams and production crews are merging. The action teams have an incentive to economize the shooting style to maximize the action and preserve the performers' bodies (fewer takes means harder knocks, Sammo Hung-style), and this results in a smoother shooting and editing style. Animated action scenes are rarely shot with coverage. Animators meticulously storyboard and choreograph every shot so they're not animating things that will be lost in the edit. This produces a deliberate method of shooting and editing, which tends to look more like Hong Kong style action. This stuff is almost always easier to follow. However, the stunt coordinator and action team is rarely consulted for this action, as it's likely choreographed by the animators. This could result in a break in action style between animated and live-action scenes. Also, animators tend to design action that is more pose-based, and they'll take a lot of ideas from RUclips. The best situation is for animators and action choreographers to work in the same room together. In the past there was a massive communication gap between the departments. This gap is narrowing slightly because action teams are starting to understand animation, but there is still a lot of work to be done in merging the two departments.
outstanding video as always but I'm personally offended that Daredevil didn't recieve an honorable mention for its hallway fights even though it's a Netflix series
Well I guess Daredevil’s a tv show and not an action movie, so I guess that’s why it was left out. But then again, The Witcher is in this video so maybe he just hasn’t watched it yet.
@@kaseycombs6968 Good point, he did use clips from the Witcher. It would make sense why he didn't even include shots from DD if he hasn't seen it. Hopefully he watches it sometime, I'd love to see a video by him about it.
Thanks same here. Haven’t finished the show yet, but it’s been amazing so far. Another one I hope he talks about is Alita. That movie is a surprise favorite of mine.
You sold me at 7:41, man recent animated movies have blown me away. Especially Into the Spider-verse, it had me gobsmacked. The amount of freedom you have to create amazing fight scenes in cgi and animated movies compared to live action is just crazy.
Guys like Tony Scott and Michael Bay also laid the groundwork for stylized action in the 90s. It definitely wasn't just the Wachowski's. Tho they definitely did bring in a new phase.
the action scenes in winter soldier are amongst the best of the decade. just old classic shootouts that somehow work perfectly and are very well executed
Finally! A video essay where they don't say bloated word salad along the lines of: "I was left PROFOUNDLY disappointed because we didn't get this NAILBITING climax of EPIC CELESTIAL PROPORTIONS that has every last viewer NERVOUS BEYOND BELIEF FOR THE FATE of these characters."
Such a refreshing take. All the negativity surrounding movies nowadays is exhausting, It’s nice to see someone focusing on the positives of how much technology has evolved and even more important, how much directors have grown.
The problem with many of this movies is the story and characters. I probably won't like a bad movie made with good techniques, but will like a good one with bad techniques. To me today's movies versus the 80s and 90s ones is like comparing a bad game with good graphics to a good game with bad graphics.
Agreed on the first part, which I think the Stuckmann video was touching on a bit (I think this is a response video to that, but I might be wrong). I do agree with the video that action movies have gotten a LOT more creative with its filmmaking.
@@balanced.3325 No. Action movies most of the time have bad writting, so I'd rather prefer if they wasted the least amount of time on it, since it's going to suck anyways.
While I agree with a lot of what you said, I feel like a lot of the amazingly choreographed, beautifully composed long takes, while being cool to look at, often take me out of the story because of how perfect everything is. I would take the "boring" action scenes from early GoT over the highly stylized Witcher, because there's just a lot more tension when the scene feels more raw. Oh, and great use of Hit Parade!
Zack Snyder's Style of shooting action scene has some of the best and some of my favorite action scenes I've ever seen, especially in Man of steel and 300 it just blows my mind every single time
As a 2000s kid, I sadly disagree with the transformer one, while I do like the LEGO movies, the transformer movies will always be in a special place in my heart.... well at least the original 3
5:46 *NOT TRYING TO BE THAT ONE GUY* but bumblebee actually does that in the final fight against sentinel prime in dark of the moon if you pay attention
Josh Keefe is one of those people who influence me to do filmmaking, mainly in animation. When he does these movie reviews and his own opinions, I feel like I can relate to the man because that's how I've been feeling about a lot of stuff that I never even thought about! Glad I found you bro!
You are officially my new favorite you tuber. So many people forget the "video" part of video essays, but not you. So freakin entertaining! please keep this up
I will always think that the 80's and 90's were the best for action because the camera work made everything feel grounded, nowadays the camera is constantly being thrown around like the cameraman has ADHD.
You're mostly referring to advancements in technology though. No one ever claimed that Die Hard had the best camera or stunt work, but the overall package sets it atop of the genre. The late 20th century is associated w/ iconic action stars & filmmakers that established their own brands. There's no mistaking John Woo's action for James Cameron's, or Steven Spielberg's for Michael Bay's. Whereas you can honestly incorporate John Wick action in the Raid movies and vice versa seamlessly, or switch around a lot of directors in the MCU. I think the genre nowadays needs more distinctive concepts, like the completely bonkers yet very entertaining plot of Face/Off instead of the overused "protagonist with a particular set of skills seeks bloody justice" scenario. Even Jackie Chan distinguishes his action scenes in his Hong Kong films based on the setting. Meaning one can't just switch around the fights of say Police Story, Miracles, & Drunken Master w/o it feeling awkward.
This was an amazing video! Most videos I watch on RUclips that are 9 minutes are usually feel much longer, but this felt just right. I didn't feel like I wasted my time watching this video.
This video had some really good points! I think people's opinions of action movies come from over-saturation, which has been an issue for many mediums of entertainment lately, especially in indie productions. Cheaper methods are readily available for people to produce films, animations, and games. As a consequence low quality productions are more numerous than before. I think it's a shame that you didn't mention Hong Kong Cinema as they are the action movie capital of the world! I believe they've had a great influence on action movies in the US and many of their actors boast in performing their own stunts in comparison. Personally I believe they were doing many things right before Hollywood Cinema even understood what they were doing wrong. I'm a big fan of your channel and look forward to your content! :D
Aww men, i was hoping you mention Netflix's Daredevil in the Superhero category, that show got some of the best action in superhero media like... ever! It borrows from movies like The Raid and OldBoy, sure, but why you wouldn't? Overall great video. Also, ARE THOSE *D I N O S A U R S ?*
Everything you said about Civil War was correct, but bad action in Suicide Squad? No. The part with Deadshot on the car... the end fight with Diablo growing giant? There's a ton of sick action in the movie and it's well done. Don't just hate cuz it's an easy target.
It's interesting that you focus specifically on the physical aspects of action scenes in action movies - camerawork, color, music - because for me the thing that makes an action movie exceptional is about how the action scenes interact with the everything else. Like, you say that you adore Aquaman, which, fantastic! I'm so glad you do! I think that the reason I could not get attached to it the same way is because I couldn't immerse myself in the rest of its world. I didn't find the characters or story particularly compelling - and, again, I do not think that they were objectively uncompelling, they were just uncompelling to me - and that meant that I couldn't appreciate the action sequences as much as I would have if I did find the rest of it compelling. And some of the shots are gorgeous, and some of the sequences are really cool! I just wish the story compelled me enough to make those things really sing. This might indicate that the action genre just isn't for me if I can't enjoy the action for its own sake, and to be sure I haven't watched enough action movies to really tell if I like the genre in general, but I don't think that this is the case. One of the movies used in this video essay, Mad Max: Fury Road, is my favorite movie of all time - and the action is a large part of that. (SPOILERS AHEAD) The action in Fury Road conveys the characters and stories, and that is what makes the action as compelling as it is to me. Would the climactic moment where Furiosa rips off Immortan Joe's face be as *incredible* as it is if we didn't know her story, if we hadn't seen the struggle of all the protagonists, if we didn't believe in what she was fighting for, if we didn't view the mask as the symbol of his power, if we didn't know what his death would mean? Would it be as enrapturing if we didn't know how Joe strips the personhood from everyone in his society and treats them as faceless bodies to be exploited and consumed, thus making ripping off his face and turning him into a body to be consumed by the Wretched that much more poetic? If the mask didn't symbolize the lies that his society was built on - an oxygen tank to keep alive his decaying form, turned into a symbol of his immortal godhood - would it be as cathartic to watch it be ripped off? I don't believe that I would be able to watch the movie and, time and time again, be at the edge of my seat during every last minute of action if I was watching the action for purely its own sake. The action itself is wonderful - I love watching it and having the same "ohhhhh, that's so cool!" moments that you mentioned in the video with Aquaman - but I think for me what makes it magnetic is how it furthers the story it serves. All this to say, I think it is interesting the way that our views of what makes good action differ. Yours here seems to be the sequences taken in their own context - which, to be clear, I think is a completely valid criterion, and I am glad that you are able to enjoy movies that I cannot - and mine seems to be how the sequences fit into the context of the wider story.
Thank you for this video 🙏🏻 I was in Last Kung Fu Monk movie released in 1sr October 2010 on Chinas national day 🇨🇳 it was huge (for better for worse) and hearing that 2010s had the best action movies makes me proud that I played the Russian mafia boss in That movie that year and I also played commander Schultz in Chinese WW2 ninja movie The Resistance from 2011 , these were great times in my career, thank you for honour us in 2010s 😊
I've noticed that since the john wick movies, a lot of action nowadays are focused on 2 things in their fight scenes. Focusing on the protagonist in combat as clearly as possible and with zero shaky cam so the audience can see the fight in as much detail as possible, and attempting to make that fight as realistic as they can. Ever since JW, we've had movies like "the accountant", "extraction" and the kingsman movies while the list goes on. Its become clear the audience wants a more convincing protagonist who's only as capable as any other real person with the right training. Its something I greatly appreciate nowadays and makes us really excited for good action again
I love this channel so much But it’s so hard to quote this man without feeling like a nerd lol You just can’t take it out of context bc it’s just that stylized lol 👏
My favourite action movie from the 2010s would have to be Winter Soldier. I used to hate it as a kid but now I love it because of how grounded it is compared to other Marvel films that are just too high concept to feel immersed in.
I love everything about this channel. Thank you for the blessing you are to my eyes ears and mind. You make me think, but not just think, you make me want more. I have to go intensively dove into every subject after I watch your video and it changes the way I see the world and how I react to life. Then your editing is amazing and you know exactly when to be serious and when your able to throw is a joke. Your someone who I can look to agree with when it comes to things like Christian film, music, and media. I love everything about the content you have worked so hard to create. Thank you
I liked Bourne action. Sure it's cheap, but it's also effective and a far more accurate representation of what violence is like in real life than choreographed long takes. Of course then movies started copying it for budget purposes and it lost its charm. But if it suits the sub genre, it's one of the best forms of action.
Just to clarify a few “oopsies’” I made, I meant to say before 6:33 that some superhero movies had fantastic action, but for some reason my butthead self didn’t, so now it looks like I think the Iron Man vs Cap and Bucky scene is forgettable/terrible which it clearly isn't. I meant that it’s so good that it shows how inconsistent the quality of the other action sequences are in the same movie.
Also, I obviously couldn't include every 2010s film with great action in this video or else it would be an hour long, so here’s a list of films that couldn't make it into this short video but deserved to just as much. Feel free to comment any that I missed!
(in no particular order)
Drive
Logan
Scott Pilgrim vs the World
Deadpool 1,2
Looper
Atomic Blonde
Upgrade
Snowpiercer
Dark Knight Rises
Of the Planet of the Apes 1,2,3
The World’s End
Rogue One
Doctor Strange
Star Trek Beyond
Django Unchained
Tron Legacy
Fast and the Furious 5,6,7,8 (I know, its dumb action but its really fun ok)
The Revenant
Dredd
Kick-Ass
Daredevil (Kind of cheating with this one but I did that with the Witcher so screw it)
Battle of the Bastards (You know, while we’re at it)
X-Men First Class
Jumpstreet 21,22
The Nice Guys
Alita Battle Angel (terrible dialogue though)
showing love to Upgrade >>>>>>
What About Zack Snyder?
To Me and the Channel Godzillarex
Zack Snyder Does Not know how to make a Bad Fight Scene!
Come on BVS and Man of Steel had Phenomenal Action scene.
Nice Guys Represent
Josh Keefe
What Apple happened to your video about what makes or breaks a good Movie?
Edge of Tomorrow is BABY
finally someone defending my gen z rights
Gen Z 2020
You mean Gen Snowflake?
@@therealmr.incredible3179 You just couldn't help yourself, could you.
Gen z = invalid opinion
And I'm saying that as one of them unfortunately
@@therealmr.incredible3179 🤓
I thoroughly enjoyed this video. I can't believe there's somebody making RUclips essays in current year that isn't telling me that everything is actually bad.
"Hey did you know what you like is shit?"
Jared Johnson I guess you don’t watch a lot of video essays
Shame it goes a bit too much in the opposite direction in my opinion. Trying too much to prove others wrong.
indeed too many video essays are more negative/criticizing
lost it at “ARe THoSE DINOsaURS?!” Like same bruh
I guess I'll have to watch Aquaman now smh
@@unblorbosyourshows9635 It stands next to and a little above Wonder Woman as the best DC movie so far! Critics were too harsh, I had a great time watching it
@@tofu3944 I 100% agree, also watch Shazam
@@ElizabethAlejandra Yes Shazam!!
Never seen it, so this video kinda lost me. Wtf is the story in aquaman. I’m trying, I really am, but I’m finding it impossible to think of a scenario that links dinosaurs, jellyfish, drum playing octopus, happy hour and giant tattooed badass...
Aquaman looks like a renaissance painting rendered by a PS2 powered by cocaine and LSD.
Oh and also it takes place UNDERWATER
Also Flex Tape works UNDERWATER
The best action movie is still "who killed captain alex"
Change my mind.
Luke Skywalker noice
I don’t need to as this is a straight fact
Yess the best action packed movie
yo they actually have skills
it not a opinion, it a fact
You’re the first person that I’ve seen actually defend aqua man, and although I still think the writing makes it bad, I respect you for having the balls to give your honest opinion on one of the most toxic platforms online
Aquaman was deliberately made to just be that over the top, ridiculous, corny, stunning to look at roller-coaster of a movie. James Wan looked at Aquaman and was just like "Atlantian Superman who wears a stupid ass yellow and green suit, that no one takes seriously? Fuck it let's just go balls to the wall insane" and it worked tremendously.
Really? I’ve seen quite a few people like Aquaman. It’s no Wonder Woman in the eyes of the general public, but quite a few people seem to see it as a turning point for the series.
Most people I've heard talk about it said they like it. For me, anything having to do with direction or cinematography is incredible, and james wan needs to direct more action. But the script is complete garbage, start to finish. So many scenes where I just think "please don't do this. It's so predictable." and then they do it. If you're going to make a story predictable then at least give it some personal flair, but they couldn't even do that.
@@mr.fufucudlypoops8207 since this is one of the few topically relevant reply threads (to the comment I'm about to make), I'll just leave this here. With a portion of this video discussing action in superhero movies, isn't it weird he ain't include Man of Steel? That stuff legit blew my mind.
The John Wick, Kingsman, and Mission Impossible franchises exemplify the mastery of action sequences achieved in the 2010s.
How can you ignore Red series!
They should be a classic action movies
Kingsman is great , like that church scene 😳
Peppermint, Sicario: Soldado and The Gunman also have really well choreographed action sequences.
And the Raid movies
Alright Josh. We get it. You like the Auqaman movie. Just do a video on it already!
He just did.
“Axe body spray badass” is not a term I knew I needed to hear
Am I the only one who loves the action in Winter Soldier and Civil War?
Hell no?
I love it too
No
Wait what? Do people not like it? Like have you watched the Winter Soldier? It's the best MCU movie period (in my opinion) primarily due to it's action scenes.
Why I was wondering why he kept on using those movies as examples of bad action
You know, I really respect you for defending CGI. I feel like it's a case where people see poor or overused CGI and say that it's bad as a whole. Yes practical effects have their own very important place and merits, but the advance of technology lets media be capable of so much more.
It's almost always poor or overused. A little goes a long way.
Fury Road, Kingsman and John Wick are absolutely masterpieces in action. You clearly see what's happening, and you *feel* the whole film crew working to make it look fun and tense at the same time
2001-2010 still featured many classic easy-to-follow action scenes - Matrix Reloaded, Ong Bak, Star Wars Episodes 2-3, Transporter 1-2, Kill Bill, various Jackie Chan films, District B13, Mr. and Mrs. Smith, Kill Zone/SPL, Flashpoint, Unleashed, Never Back Down, JCVD. There was still a trend of shooting action so the audience could follow it. A lot of it was just reverb from the Hong Kong spillover into Hollywood in the late 90s.
Admittedly, the Bourne-style action scene seemed to take the spotlight, even though it seemed to be used less often. It was hard to follow, but it clicked with the audience at the time. There was a lot of PTSD in the world in 2002 in light of the previous year's catastrophic event, and I think that style of violence "made sense" to the average filmgoer, much like the insane action of GTA3 "made sense". Crank was another by-product of this. Taken was probably the best example of it.
Live action scenes are typically shot coverage-style, meaning multiple camera angles rolling on the same action, with an editor left to decide how to make use of it. If the editor is a fan of slow editing and only uses a master shot, production will have "wasted" the other 90% of the coverage and might come down on the editor, so there's an incentive to use all the coverage, and if you're supposed to fit it all into a small amount of time, you'll get faster editing as a result. The marginal costs of shooting more footage decreased rapidly with digital filmmaking and NLE systems, so there was a technological incentive to get more coverage. However, at least this action was handled by the stunt coordinator, who knows how to sell violence and can tune it for the various camera angles. The coordinator might even be able to request specific camera angles for pieces of action.
As more stunt performers are filmmakers these days, they're better able to run camera and direct action scenes, so films like Kingsman involve the action team more in the shooting process. Films like John Wick which are directed by stunt veterans are shining examples of how action teams and production crews are merging. The action teams have an incentive to economize the shooting style to maximize the action and preserve the performers' bodies (fewer takes means harder knocks, Sammo Hung-style), and this results in a smoother shooting and editing style.
Animated action scenes are rarely shot with coverage. Animators meticulously storyboard and choreograph every shot so they're not animating things that will be lost in the edit. This produces a deliberate method of shooting and editing, which tends to look more like Hong Kong style action. This stuff is almost always easier to follow. However, the stunt coordinator and action team is rarely consulted for this action, as it's likely choreographed by the animators. This could result in a break in action style between animated and live-action scenes. Also, animators tend to design action that is more pose-based, and they'll take a lot of ideas from RUclips.
The best situation is for animators and action choreographers to work in the same room together. In the past there was a massive communication gap between the departments. This gap is narrowing slightly because action teams are starting to understand animation, but there is still a lot of work to be done in merging the two departments.
outstanding video as always but I'm personally offended that Daredevil didn't recieve an honorable mention for its hallway fights even though it's a Netflix series
Well I guess Daredevil’s a tv show and not an action movie, so I guess that’s why it was left out. But then again, The Witcher is in this video so maybe he just hasn’t watched it yet.
@@kaseycombs6968 Good point, he did use clips from the Witcher. It would make sense why he didn't even include shots from DD if he hasn't seen it. Hopefully he watches it sometime, I'd love to see a video by him about it.
Thanks same here. Haven’t finished the show yet, but it’s been amazing so far.
Another one I hope he talks about is Alita. That movie is a surprise favorite of mine.
@@kaseycombs6968 I haven't seen Alita, but I will write it down to watch sometime.
Thanks it’s well worth it. Fantastic movie with amazing action.
7:52
The Adventures of Tintin is a Masterpiece! Up there with Rango!
yeah, they really made it well, can't wait for the next one
@@frzd8chickensoup same.
Got I love Tintin, it was SOOOO GOOD!!
You sold me at 7:41, man recent animated movies have blown me away. Especially Into the Spider-verse, it had me gobsmacked. The amount of freedom you have to create amazing fight scenes in cgi and animated movies compared to live action is just crazy.
The raid and the raid 2
omg those 2 movies blew my mind off
I know he missed out on
They're so damn good. They've got to be up there with some of the best martial arts films of all time and honestly, the story's pretty damn good too.
Those #1#2 Top 2010s movie of all time
@@UnitedThrive What are you talking about? It's there 4:39
@@mikeoakeshart3823 Oh didn't see that
The raid, John wick, MI:fallout, baby driver, and Logan. Top 5 best action movies of all time.
We got two Raid movies this decade so I couldn’t be more thankful.
Legit tho, great video
I never thought I'd hear Eiffel 65's "Europop" used anywhere, especially over footage from The Matrix, and why does it work so well?!
"I can't even think of a dance to match [Kingsman]"
Obviously it's a punk mosh pit, Josh.
Two words: Speed Macarena
Guys like Tony Scott and Michael Bay also laid the groundwork for stylized action in the 90s.
It definitely wasn't just the Wachowski's. Tho they definitely did bring in a new phase.
The Wachowski Sisters also just took ideas from John Woo and brought it to the US
the action scenes in winter soldier are amongst the best of the decade. just old classic shootouts that somehow work perfectly and are very well executed
Fight scenes in animated movies can be so buttery and satisfying it’s so good
Finally! A video essay where they don't say bloated word salad along the lines of:
"I was left PROFOUNDLY disappointed because we didn't get this NAILBITING climax of EPIC CELESTIAL PROPORTIONS that has every last viewer NERVOUS BEYOND BELIEF FOR THE FATE of these characters."
You done Winter Soldier real dirty in this one. Real dirty
Love how honest you are without being pretentious unlike most essayist. Keep up the good work.
Such a refreshing take. All the negativity surrounding movies nowadays is exhausting, It’s nice to see someone focusing on the positives of how much technology has evolved and even more important, how much directors have grown.
my man, you are about this close to making a major breakthrough (again)
great moves, proud of you
Winter soldier had amazing action what are you talking about
Curtiszilla agreed!
Those "bad" shots were from Civil war, not Winter soldier.
@Kanra the action in civil war was good as well though
@@spacerogue3108 no
@@spacerogue3108 Eh... not really. First fight scenes were good, they turned into an anticlimatic comedy from the airport fight
The problem with many of this movies is the story and characters. I probably won't like a bad movie made with good techniques, but will like a good one with bad techniques.
To me today's movies versus the 80s and 90s ones is like comparing a bad game with good graphics to a good game with bad graphics.
I don't think the point of action movies is to have good writting. Like, it's nice if they do, but it's not a must
ElPseudocrítico That is the point for any movie
Agreed on the first part, which I think the Stuckmann video was touching on a bit (I think this is a response video to that, but I might be wrong). I do agree with the video that action movies have gotten a LOT more creative with its filmmaking.
@@unblorbosyourshows9635 you're kidding right?
@@balanced.3325 No. Action movies most of the time have bad writting, so I'd rather prefer if they wasted the least amount of time on it, since it's going to suck anyways.
Always nice to see people appreciate the amazing visuals of Aquaman.
While I agree with a lot of what you said, I feel like a lot of the amazingly choreographed, beautifully composed long takes, while being cool to look at, often take me out of the story because of how perfect everything is. I would take the "boring" action scenes from early GoT over the highly stylized Witcher, because there's just a lot more tension when the scene feels more raw.
Oh, and great use of Hit Parade!
I just realized how good all these movies would sound if they played jazz music.
He played Nirvana, a 1990s band when it got to the 1900s part. 👏👏👏👏👏👏👏
Alita Battle Angel also has amazing action 🤟🍫🍊 I freakin love her 2nd fight with Grewishka and her 1st Motorball
Zack Snyder's Style of shooting action scene has some of the best and some of my favorite action scenes I've ever seen, especially in Man of steel and 300 it just blows my mind every single time
As a 2000s kid, I sadly disagree with the transformer one, while I do like the LEGO movies, the transformer movies will always be in a special place in my heart.... well at least the original 3
The forest fight in Revenge of the Fallen still gives me goosebumps but don't tell anyone
Yeah I think it’s one of the best parts
Same
@@MaidenlessRunt69 the third movie is a classic in my opinion
Matthew yup
NICE use of mutemath. Underrated band
Buster Keaton and Jackie Chan's careers were the Absolute Best eras of live movie action and in this essay I will
DID THIS GUY JUST SAY THE BOURNE SERIES SUCKED?
More like the Bore series, amirite?
@@Josh_Keefe shut up josh u like aqua man
taeflea that movie was good
First one was a classic the rest honestly bored me to death
@@Josh_Keefe Ur wrong mate
5:46 *NOT TRYING TO BE THAT ONE GUY* but bumblebee actually does that in the final fight against sentinel prime in dark of the moon if you pay attention
Josh Keefe is one of those people who influence me to do filmmaking, mainly in animation. When he does these movie reviews and his own opinions, I feel like I can relate to the man because that's how I've been feeling about a lot of stuff that I never even thought about! Glad I found you bro!
Now this guy shares my kind of love for action, baby!
This video is criminally underrated. I can tell you put your soul into your videos. Keep your doing buddy. Love your works.
You are officially my new favorite you tuber. So many people forget the "video" part of video essays, but not you. So freakin entertaining! please keep this up
I will always think that the 80's and 90's were the best for action because the camera work made everything feel grounded, nowadays the camera is constantly being thrown around like the cameraman has ADHD.
You're mostly referring to advancements in technology though. No one ever claimed that Die Hard had the best camera or stunt work, but the overall package sets it atop of the genre. The late 20th century is associated w/ iconic action stars & filmmakers that established their own brands. There's no mistaking John Woo's action for James Cameron's, or Steven Spielberg's for Michael Bay's. Whereas you can honestly incorporate John Wick action in the Raid movies and vice versa seamlessly, or switch around a lot of directors in the MCU. I think the genre nowadays needs more distinctive concepts, like the completely bonkers yet very entertaining plot of Face/Off instead of the overused "protagonist with a particular set of skills seeks bloody justice" scenario. Even Jackie Chan distinguishes his action scenes in his Hong Kong films based on the setting. Meaning one can't just switch around the fights of say Police Story, Miracles, & Drunken Master w/o it feeling awkward.
I agree with you that you can swap MCU directors over. I just don't agree that you can do the same with John Wick or The Raid
Please make more of these, you are a great narator, and your opinions are actually valid.
Always happy to see you upload, my dude. Also, I really appreciate that Mutemath feature.
On the anime side of movies, we got Dragon Ball Super: Broly, which has some of the best animated action I’ve ever seen
Your channel has the best pieces of video essay i have ever seen and i just binge-watced it all, thank you very much.
Kingsman had really fluid fighting scene with a good story.
I think I just found another new favorite video essay RUclipsr! Your editing and little funny comments and personal insights are GREAT!!
Dude, Brotherswing was perfect for that scene.
Been waiting for you to upload josh.
Does Josh Keefe make the best video essays?
Yes, yes he does.
This was an amazing video! Most videos I watch on RUclips that are 9 minutes are usually feel much longer, but this felt just right. I didn't feel like I wasted my time watching this video.
One of the most underrated channels on here! Keep goin man, hopefully you could dive into music too
PLEASE do more videos like this. This is one of the best videos I've seen in a long time. Thank you
Just watched Aquaman because of this Video and its fricking Bonkers
This video had some really good points! I think people's opinions of action movies come from over-saturation, which has been an issue for many mediums of entertainment lately, especially in indie productions. Cheaper methods are readily available for people to produce films, animations, and games. As a consequence low quality productions are more numerous than before. I think it's a shame that you didn't mention Hong Kong Cinema as they are the action movie capital of the world! I believe they've had a great influence on action movies in the US and many of their actors boast in performing their own stunts in comparison. Personally I believe they were doing many things right before Hollywood Cinema even understood what they were doing wrong. I'm a big fan of your channel and look forward to your content! :D
I'm binging all of your videos rn and I can, with full confidence, say that you are the funniest person on RUclips 😂😂 you're timing is soooooo perfect
You're killing it brother. Great video! Really enjoyed it!
I enjoyed the creative use of era appropriare music for every era!
Godzilla King of the Monsters had the best big boi fights.
Lord Cthulhu
Thanks Cthulhu
Amen
Man!!! You're editing is just so gooood!
THANK you for mentioning the GOTG arrow scene. It love it.
Great video review by the way!
Water Male is my favourite movie with Africa remix in it
I'm really enjoying your videos man!
How did you forget the Warehouse Scene from BvS?? Easily one of the best superhero fight scenes to date.
I could literally listen to you talk about action for hours holy shit. This was fucking hilarious and so well done.
Your use of Major Payne in this makes me endlessly happy.
Aww men, i was hoping you mention Netflix's Daredevil in the Superhero category, that show got some of the best action in superhero media like... ever! It borrows from movies like The Raid and OldBoy, sure, but why you wouldn't?
Overall great video. Also, ARE THOSE *D I N O S A U R S ?*
Love your videos man! i really appreciate the quality and time put into each one!
great video my dude!! Also I'm very happy that finally someone acknowledged how cool of a movie Aquaman is
Everything you said about Civil War was correct, but bad action in Suicide Squad? No. The part with Deadshot on the car... the end fight with Diablo growing giant? There's a ton of sick action in the movie and it's well done. Don't just hate cuz it's an easy target.
Great stuff, man. Always a dopamine rush whenever a new video of yours pops up in the feed
A bold take on this past decade's action movies. Great job!
This video was *really* good, especially because of how excited you were to talk about movies. Nice channel, bring us more videos!!!
Aquaman sort of reminded me of the camp of early 2000 super hero movies like spider Man
It's interesting that you focus specifically on the physical aspects of action scenes in action movies - camerawork, color, music - because for me the thing that makes an action movie exceptional is about how the action scenes interact with the everything else.
Like, you say that you adore Aquaman, which, fantastic! I'm so glad you do! I think that the reason I could not get attached to it the same way is because I couldn't immerse myself in the rest of its world. I didn't find the characters or story particularly compelling - and, again, I do not think that they were objectively uncompelling, they were just uncompelling to me - and that meant that I couldn't appreciate the action sequences as much as I would have if I did find the rest of it compelling. And some of the shots are gorgeous, and some of the sequences are really cool! I just wish the story compelled me enough to make those things really sing.
This might indicate that the action genre just isn't for me if I can't enjoy the action for its own sake, and to be sure I haven't watched enough action movies to really tell if I like the genre in general, but I don't think that this is the case. One of the movies used in this video essay, Mad Max: Fury Road, is my favorite movie of all time - and the action is a large part of that.
(SPOILERS AHEAD)
The action in Fury Road conveys the characters and stories, and that is what makes the action as compelling as it is to me. Would the climactic moment where Furiosa rips off Immortan Joe's face be as *incredible* as it is if we didn't know her story, if we hadn't seen the struggle of all the protagonists, if we didn't believe in what she was fighting for, if we didn't view the mask as the symbol of his power, if we didn't know what his death would mean? Would it be as enrapturing if we didn't know how Joe strips the personhood from everyone in his society and treats them as faceless bodies to be exploited and consumed, thus making ripping off his face and turning him into a body to be consumed by the Wretched that much more poetic? If the mask didn't symbolize the lies that his society was built on - an oxygen tank to keep alive his decaying form, turned into a symbol of his immortal godhood - would it be as cathartic to watch it be ripped off?
I don't believe that I would be able to watch the movie and, time and time again, be at the edge of my seat during every last minute of action if I was watching the action for purely its own sake. The action itself is wonderful - I love watching it and having the same "ohhhhh, that's so cool!" moments that you mentioned in the video with Aquaman - but I think for me what makes it magnetic is how it furthers the story it serves.
All this to say, I think it is interesting the way that our views of what makes good action differ. Yours here seems to be the sequences taken in their own context - which, to be clear, I think is a completely valid criterion, and I am glad that you are able to enjoy movies that I cannot - and mine seems to be how the sequences fit into the context of the wider story.
I like this video for its pozitivity as well as him putting my favourite song by Mutemath in. Really good video!
Can't wait for you to reach 100K Subscribers. You deserve that and more! Josh Keefe is MY favorite Movie Critic to listen to
I can appreciate the work that went into this. Good work
damn bro, i really enjoyed this video. you've just earned yourself a subscriber
I’ve been waiting so long for another video thank you
Thank you for this video 🙏🏻 I was in Last Kung Fu Monk movie released in 1sr October 2010 on Chinas national day 🇨🇳 it was huge (for better for worse) and hearing that 2010s had the best action movies makes me proud that I played the Russian mafia boss in That movie that year and I also played commander Schultz in Chinese WW2 ninja movie The Resistance from 2011 , these were great times in my career, thank you for honour us in 2010s 😊
I've noticed that since the john wick movies, a lot of action nowadays are focused on 2 things in their fight scenes. Focusing on the protagonist in combat as clearly as possible and with zero shaky cam so the audience can see the fight in as much detail as possible, and attempting to make that fight as realistic as they can. Ever since JW, we've had movies like "the accountant", "extraction" and the kingsman movies while the list goes on. Its become clear the audience wants a more convincing protagonist who's only as capable as any other real person with the right training. Its something I greatly appreciate nowadays and makes us really excited for good action again
I love this channel so much
But it’s so hard to quote this man without feeling like a nerd lol
You just can’t take it out of context bc it’s just that stylized lol 👏
I liked how the only movie mentioned that tied the beat to their sound was baby driver
My favourite action movie from the 2010s would have to be Winter Soldier. I used to hate it as a kid but now I love it because of how grounded it is compared to other Marvel films that are just too high concept to feel immersed in.
Nice mutemath song at the 1:53 mark. Such an underrated band!
I love everything about this channel. Thank you for the blessing you are to my eyes ears and mind. You make me think, but not just think, you make me want more. I have to go intensively dove into every subject after I watch your video and it changes the way I see the world and how I react to life. Then your editing is amazing and you know exactly when to be serious and when your able to throw is a joke. Your someone who I can look to agree with when it comes to things like Christian film, music, and media. I love everything about the content you have worked so hard to create. Thank you
Well thought out and awesomely explained! The editing is superb! Bravo sir... Bravo 👍
I liked Bourne action. Sure it's cheap, but it's also effective and a far more accurate representation of what violence is like in real life than choreographed long takes. Of course then movies started copying it for budget purposes and it lost its charm. But if it suits the sub genre, it's one of the best forms of action.
@5.00 the take the lead movie and step up trilogy bit is soo true!!😅😅😂😂
Glad to see someone else share my exact opinion on Aquaman. Subscribed
Lol I grew up watching High School Musical with my older sister XD