Entertainment Binge

By Isaac White.

Who likes action movies? That’s basically a rhetorical question because I know it’s likely 99 percent of people like action films in some form or other. Perhaps the level of gratuitous violence you enjoy as readers and consumers of TV and movies is different, but the results are the same. We all enjoy watching impossibly ridiculous action sequences on the big screen. Even if you don’t, I’m still writing about action movies this week—one particular franchise, to be exact.

Yes, I’m going to delve a little into my personal history with action movies. Everyone reading this knows me by now. So, you all understand that connecting my personal experiences with film and television to what I write on the page is not just something I want to do. It’s something that I feel I have to do. I like hearing rounded-out stories. Full of context so that I can connect more deeply with the story.

My first memories of action movies come from the 80s. The classic time of Schwarzenegger, Stallone, Norris, Lundgren, Van Damme. There are countless other 80s action stars I could name. Those are the guys who first popped in my head. No, this isn’t sexist either. I truly can’t remember any sustained female action stars from the 80s.

It was a different time. I don’t condone it, but what could I do? I was only a child, and no one listened to kids in the 80s. That one was pretty good. Those of you who grew up in that era would know where I’m coming from. But I stand by my view and that was pretty funny.

One of my earlier memories of action movies was Commando, starring the Arnold himself. Schwarzenegger, I mean, is there another? I don’t remember the film scene for scene, but the movie has always stuck with me. It was one of the first times I wanted to keep watching the same movie over and over. Why? I just liked to watch the future governor blowing up everything around.

I’m guessing you may ask yourself if that is normal for a seven-year-old. I have no idea, and frankly, I don’t care. I’m just relaying my story. There is a montage in Commando that completely enthralled me. It’s when he is “gearing up” to face his biggest battle. Watching him enter the gun store and grab all the weaponry needed to wage war against his enemies impressed the heck out of me as a little kid.

It basically stuck with me too. You don’t see a ton of montages in films anymore. I think that was mostly a thing that petered out in the 90s. This is unfortunate because a room full of cool weapons and tactical battle gear that you can go through like a kid in a candy store is totally awesome.

I miss that radness. Obviously, action movies have gotten much more advanced in terms of technological and real-life physical advancements in film. I appreciate that. I really do. But nothing can replace the visceral excitement I experience when I see a weapons selection montage from the 80s. Even when they do it now, it is rare to see it now.

Just a little side thing here. I like that aspect of movies so much that it transfers to video games. I don’t play video games much now. It’s something that I still enjoy, just not as often. But one of the things I like best about a good RPG or open-world action game is selecting your weapons, armor, and accessories to boost your stats.

It’s kind of like you’re in control of a movie. Because let’s face it, video games that are done well these days are basically like playable movies. That is awesome beyond what I could imagine as a child.

So that wonder of movies and the magic they can impart upon you as a child happened with that movie. That sequence of scenes, with Arnold gearing up, and prepping for his fight, completely entranced me back then. It’s one of those cliched “movie magic” things they show in…Well, movies.

You’ve seen the film. It’s been done a million times. You watch the kid who is totally in love with movies have a particular experience that cements their adoration and appreciation for film. Well, I had one of those moments as a child with Commando.

The movie isn’t an Academy Award winner, I know. But it doesn’t matter. That’s what I think so many critics don’t understand. It’s not always about “artiness” (Another one of my made-up words) that attracts most of us to movies. The emotional part of experiencing film drives large contingents of society to love movies. That’s what I experienced with Commando.

And it’s that visceral and foundational experiences with film that formed much of my obsession with the medium. I’ll never make my own movie. I’ll never have a hand in creating one of these gems. But I can experience the ups and downs we all feel when watching movies. Good or bad, we will still have reactions and emotional responses to the picture you’re watching.

There are a laundry list of 80s action movies that were very impactful for me. Bloodsport, Predator, Red Dawn (Yes, I’m going to remind you how much I detest that crappy remake…UGH, why did they do that to a classic?) The Goonies, Top Gun (Yes, the sequel is amazing, I watched it again and I liked it even more), Raiders of the Lost Ark, The Empire Strikes Back (1980 so it counts but I also love those Ewok movies from the 80s), Return of the Jedi, Die Hard, and Lethal Weapon.

All of that backstory was told so that I could roll out the red carpet for an action film series that deserves to be perched right near the top of the action film hall of famedom. (Yes, I made up another word, I couldn’t think of anything else just now).

The John Wick films are something of a callback to me. Not because of how the movies look. Not because there are cheesy special effects. Not because the acting is stiff and awkward. It’s got, as the kids would say, a vibe. While I appreciate the innovations and quite frankly, the beauty of the films themselves, there is a connection I felt to the character of John Wick and some of his friends that I just don’t get very often with action films these days.

I love modern action films. In fact, I prefer to watch them now because they’re so smooth and fun to look at. But for whatever reason, and there are a few, I don’t typically become attached to characters in modern action films the way I did back in the 80s and 90s. I do with John Wick.

From the first movie, you connect with John immediately. He lost his wife. From the grave, she gifts him a puppy to comfort and help him through his grief. These idiotic monsters want his car, so they break into his home, take his car, and kill his pup. Now, I’m no skilled assassin. John Wick could look at me, and I’d be done.

But the writer of this series did something to connect every single one of us to John. It was the dog. If you don’t feel at least a tinge of sorrow for John losing his puppy to those fiends, I don’t understand why, and I’m not going to try and persuade you otherwise. The point is that they made that connection from character to the viewer. It was done simply but very impactfully. You’re in from that point on. The ride is going to be wild, but there is no doubt that John is your guy.

There are other characters whom I grew to truly adore along the way. Something else that is quite a feat for these writers considering that their hero (anti-hero whatever) and his buddies, are basically highly trained and skillful serial killers for pay. We end up not caring. Well, I didn’t anyway, and if you disagree, I think I can understand why you don’t. I disagree, but I can understand.

If you haven’t watched the films, of which there are now four, I really don’t want to give too much of the actual plot for any of the quads of movies. I gave you the impetus for John’s battle against the High Table. It’s a story that is straightforward but has nuances throughout. Ones which humanize John and his allies, despite that on paper these people are all essentially evil by society’s standards.

But the movies help you understand them. It’s crazy that they were able to do it so well. The movie’s action scenes get more and more ridiculous as you move from number one through to the end of number four. You don’t care how outrageous they are. It’s wonderful. I particularly loved the isometric fight scene in the fourth film. Just like playing Diablo or an RTS game.

I truly adore each and every one of these films. They never slacked off. In fact, I think you would have a hard time saying that ANY of the films is better than any of the others. And they did the thing that I think I’m looking for all the time from a film, something that I’ve shared with you repeatedly.

I want to connect with the characters when I’m watching a movie. Even if I can’t quantify why I’ve connected, that’s what I want above all else. I think it’s because, as humans, we’re wired to seek out and appreciate baseline connections that may be based on nothing but an unexplainable feeling.

John is my guy. I won’t tell you what happens in the end. I’ll leave you with the words that Winston, John’s great friend, said to him at one point during the final installment. I encourage you to do it when I tell you to watch these movies immediately.

“Just have fun out there.”

Thanks for reading and until next week…..