Why Most Action Movies Fail

One of the main problems with action movies made today (and over the last thirty years) is that there is really nothing special at all about the main character, save for his or her extraordinary fighting ability.

A great protagonist must have additional qualities or flaws that make him appropriate for his role as the hero. He must have an arc or evolution of character that directly affects the climax and resolution of the movie, so that the final battle of the film is not simply a contest of martial prowess. Some examples of genre movies that do this well:

1. Star Wars: During the climactic battle, Luke finally believes in himself, trusts in a higher spiritual power, and uses the Force to destroy the Death Star.
2. The Road Warrior: The loner Max, as a result of his failure and desperation, lends himself to a higher cause by deciding to put his life at risk and drive the tanker.
3. Lethal Weapon: After a long bonding process, Riggs and Murtaugh finally become a team to take down Shadow Company (even to the point of shooting the main villain, Joshua, in unison).


In none of the above-mentioned films are the climactic battles simply about skill. There is always another, more important dimension touching upon the character of the protagonist. These arcs are appropriate outcomes which occur as a result of the consequences of individual action, as opposed to sudden "changes of heart", or the simple heeding of advice (for instance, the hero learning a "secret move" which allows him to take down the antagonist).

The Road Warrior is a good illustration of this principle. Just before the climax, when Max decides to drive the tanker, he is not experiencing a random change of heart. His decision makes sense because of what he has been through. He previously chose to abandon the noble struggle of the people, fled, and attempted to make it on his own as a loner. The consequences of this decision were devastating...he lost his car, his dog, and nearly his life. In light of this, his decision to join in the climactic fight by driving the tanker makes perfect sense. At stake is not only his life and livelihood, but his redemption.


Fights, Contests, and Duels

Why is this principle so important? Without an arc, there is no change in the hero's character that allows him to win. In the absence of any arc/evolution, he could have beaten the villain just as easily during the first ten minutes of the film. Because of this, the drama--even that which takes place during the action--is not as compelling as it could be.

Each personal combat, or duel, in an action movie should be about more than just a matter of who has the best spin-heel kick. This can be accomplished by integrating issues of character. Years ago there appeared a Japanese animated series called Rurouni Kenshin: Wandering Samurai that accomplishes this feat remarkably well. We can also look at the “gold standard” of dueling scenes in famous genre movies: Empire Strikes Back, Return of the Jedi, The Matrix, etc. In each climactic showdown, there is somehow an issue of character that must be resolved in order for the protagonist to conquer his opponent.

And in the case that the protagonist does not resolve his character problems (such as in The Empire Strikes Back), it may be appropriate for him to lose the fight.