As one of the super-genres in filmmaking, the action movie genre is one of American cinema’s biggest, most successful genres. While there’s no consensus on when the first action film was produced, it’s generally believed Edwin S. Porter‘s 1903 silent film The Great Train Robbery paved the way for the genre. Alongside the science fiction super-genres, the action genre greatly benefited immensely from the incorporation and advancement of technology in filmmaking.
With an ever-growing audience, many famous filmmakers across several generations have produced work in the genre at one point in their careers. In the early decades of the genre, movies like Buster Keaton‘s 1926 silent slapstick Western action comedy The General helped push the genre’s popularity. However, the genre’s success has been its ability to adapt and morph into several subgenres. More notably, these subgenres have helped redefine the action genre. These are 10 movies that helped redefine the action genre.
The Mark of Zorro (1920)
The Fred Niblo-directed silent film The Mark of Zorro (1920) ushered in a subgenre of action films known as Swashbuckler films. These movies often feature heroic characters with lots of sword fighting. Actor Douglas Fairbanks was the most prominent actor in many of these silent swashbuckler films. The Mark of Zorro may have redefined the action genre, but several other films helped achieve the subgenre’s success and popularity.
Proof of this is the numerous remakes/reboots most of the early swashbuckler films received through the ages. The Three Musketeers (1921), Robin Hood (1922), The Man in the Iron Mask (1939), and several others are great examples of early swashbuckler films that redefined the action genre. By the mid-1950s, the expansion of the Japanese cinema helped reinvent the swashbuckler subgenre. Akira Kurosawa‘s Seven Samurai (1954) is one of the genre’s early films that advanced the samurai cinema.
Goldfinger (1964)
The purchase of Ian Fleming‘s spy novels by producers Albert R. Broccoli and Harry Saltzman in 1961 greatly helped reshape the action genre. Although Dr. No (1962) and From Russia with Love (1963) were the first films in the James Bond film series, the 1964 Goldfinger was a game changer for the series and the action genre in general. Made on a $3 million budget, the Sean Connery James Bond film Goldfinger grossed $125 million at the Box Office. Spy action films had become a mainstay in the action genre. Since then, countless action spy fiction films have been produced as studio or independent films.
Enter the Dragon (1973)
Although the first martial arts film, The Burning of the Red Lotus Temple, was released in China in 1928, actor Bruce Lee helped redefine martial arts action movies in Hollywood. Enter the Dragon (1973) was released in the United States a month after Bruce Lee’s death. Although the actor had starred in The Big Boss (1971), Fist of Fury (1972), and The Way of the Dragon (1972), Enter the Dragon quickly outgrossed them to become the highest-grossing martial arts film at the time. It is still considered one of the greatest movies in the action martial arts subgenre. Selected for preservation in the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress in 2004, Enter the Dragon (1973) paved the way for several martial arts films and actors to flourish.
Star Wars (1977)
George Lucas‘ 1977 space opera Star Wars redefined the action genre by expanding into one of its most successful subgenres. Beginning with the 1977 Star Wars, the franchise is among the highest-grossing media franchises ever. Star Wars (1977) grossed a whopping $775.8 million on a $11 million budget. With the success of Star Wars, more action films began to tow the lines of space action films.
Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)
Less than half a decade after the action genre was redefined with George Lucas’ Star Wars, the action-adventure subgenre practically took off. With its story by George Lucas, the Steven Spielberg-directed Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981) became the first installment in what was later known as the Indiana Jones franchise. The $20 million Raiders of the Lost Ark grossed an astonishing $389.9 million at the Box Office.
First Blood (1982)
One of the biggest influences on the action genre in the 80s was the Rambo film series. The 1982 First Blood set in motion a revolutionary success in the genre. The genre has seen its fair share of violence with sword fights, tactical spy films, martial arts, and space and adventure movies. However, John Rambo’s excessive use of militarized weapons (guns and knives) greatly redefined the action genre. Over the years, the use of guns became the Holy Grail of the action film genre.
48 Hrs. (1982)
Action comedies weren’t exactly new to the action genre, considering Buster Keaton’s The General existed as far back as 1926. However, incorporating the buddy cop subgenre redefined the action genre. Although 48 Hrs. (Eddie Murphy film debut) may not be popular with newer film audiences, Beverly Hills Cop and Lethal Weapon franchises began in the 80s.
The Terminator (1984)
The Terminator (1984) took action science fiction to a new level. Time travel movies have existed for decades, but the 80s redefined them for the success they are today. James Cameron‘s The Terminator (1984) was an instant hit. Produced on a $6.4 million budget, the movie grossed $78.3 million after its theatrical run. With Robert Zemeckis‘ Back to the Future following in 1985, the blend of action with time travel became a leading success in the action genre.
Die Hard (1988)
Having a lone action hero in action movies weren’t exactly new to the genre. However, until Die Hard (1988), these lone heroes were either highly trained agents like James Bond or tactical military soldiers like John Rambo. Die Hard made the action genre more relatable for audiences. Its star character, John McClane, is an everyday detective with no extraordinary abilities. Unsurprisingly, the 1988 film birthed a franchise.
Batman (1989)
Tim Burton‘s 1989 Batman revolutionized the superhero genre and inadvertently redefined the action genre. Soon, superhero movies began incorporating more action sequences in the movies. 1998 Blade, although a superhero movie, was a perfect blend of action and horror. However, it wasn’t only superhero movies that benefited from the new subgenre. Two other notable examples include the Underworld film series and Van Helsing (2004).
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