Who was your favorite action hero actor in the past 20 years?

[phyzik]

for me, back in the day it was Kurt Russell.

I think "Soldier" is underrated. The "Escape" movies are awesome, I dont care what anyone thinks. (escape from New York, Escape from L.A.)

Now? I still stick by my man, Jackie Chan.... The new "Karate Kid" movie lost him some points with me but "Legend of The Drunken Master" will always be a favorite of mine.

This is probably one of my most favorite fight scenes from any of his movies...

zAByieNMWUY

[MiamiHeat]

I was going to comein here to say Jackie Chan, but you already said it

if you really like Jackie Chan, you should check out Dragon Dynasty's DVD releases of a lot of his movies. they have exclusive interviews with Jackie on it, tons of special features and shit just for the Dynasty release :) I own like 5-10 of them

even his not as great movies, like Robin B Hood, are still good and funny

[leemajors]

Magnificent butcher is better than drunken master.

[panic giraffe]

bruce willis circa late 80's/early 90's. (die hard 1-3, last boyscout, pulp fiction)
muthafucka would shoot and then spit out wisecracks, made movies entertaining.

[CuckingFunt]

There aren't really that many candidates to consider, since the last twenty years has seen such a dramatic change in the action movie genre. There are guys now (Matt Damon in the Bourne films, for example) who I think are very good in action roles, but who I wouldn't necessarily consider "action heroes" in the same ilk as Schwarzenegger, Stallone, or Willis (Die Hard was released in 1988, by the way, making him an action star more than 20 years ago).

There are also a lot of names that American audiences are relatively recently aware of, like Jackie Chan and Jet Li, but who've been working, and hugely popular, in China for decades.

So, thinking purely of "action hero" over the last 20 years... Nic Cage was headed there for a stretch, but his work in comedy and drama has always been stronger so I can't quite go with him. Vin Diesel had promise (Pitch Black still rocks my socks off), but he took himself way too seriously and seems to have dropped off into obscurity.

The obvious choice, I think, is Statham.

[hitmanyr2k]

Jet Li is my favorite. I felt fortunate to grow up in Japan and see bootlegs of HK stars like Jet Li, Jackie Chan, Gordon Liu, etc. I remember eventually seeing Hollywood martial arts stars like Van Damme and Seagal and wondering what all the fuss was about :lol

[Trainwreck2100]

what i love about john mcclane is that he went from trying to take prisoners, to shoot every motherfucker in the room.

[panic giraffe]

Die Hard was released in 1988, by the way, making him an action star more than 20 years ago).


oh fuck, i keep forgetting what year it is. thanks for making me feel old now.

[eyeh8u]

vin. diesel.

[tlongII]

I'd say Tom Cruise in the Mission Impossible franchise.

[spursncowboys]

bruce willis circa late 80's/early 90's. (die hard 1-3, last boyscout, pulp fiction)
muthafucka would shoot and then spit out wisecracks, made movies entertaining.

+1

[z0sa]

Yippee ki yay, motherfucker(s).

[EmptyMan]

1. Sly
2. Van Damme

[florige]

Laugh out loud

[The Reckoning]

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[Viva Las Espuelas]

bruce willis circa late 80's/early 90's. (die hard 1-3, last boyscout, pulp fiction)
muthafucka would shoot and then spit out wisecracks, made movies entertaining.

Last boy scout was an awesome movie. Too bad he played virtually the same character in all those films you listed.

[Viva Las Espuelas]

Captain Furious
Eddie Torres (E.T.)

[Skywalker]

Mel Gibson...a couple Lethal Weapons, Braveheart, The Patriot...quality over quantity.

[xellos88330]

Jet Li for me.

[CubanMustGo]

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[CuckingFunt]

Twenty years ago = 1990 or after.

Nearly everyone mentioned in this thread so far was already well established within the action genre by that time.

[florige]

There aren't really that many candidates to consider, since the last twenty years has seen such a dramatic change in the action movie genre. There are guys now (Matt Damon in the Bourne films, for example) who I think are very good in action roles, but who I wouldn't necessarily consider "action heroes" in the same ilk as Schwarzenegger, Stallone, or Willis (Die Hard was released in 1988, by the way, making him an action star more than 20 years ago).

There are also a lot of names that American audiences are relatively recently aware of, like Jackie Chan and Jet Li, but who've been working, and hugely popular, in China for decades.

So, thinking purely of "action hero" over the last 20 years... Nic Cage was headed there for a stretch, but his work in comedy and drama has always been stronger so I can't quite go with him. Vin Diesel had promise (Pitch Black still rocks my socks off), but he took himself way too seriously and seems to have dropped off into obscurity.

The obvious choice, I think, is Statham.





:lol




I can't group Mel Gibson in those based on his Lethal Weapon films. It is really hard for me to take him serious in those films. I would probably have to go with Sly, Bruce Willis, Van Damne, and probably Seagal based on quantity.

[CuckingFunt]

I can't group Mel Gibson in those based on his Lethal Weapon films. It is really hard for me to take him serious in those films. I would probably have to go with Sly, Bruce Willis, Van Damne, and probably Seagal based on quantity.


Twenty years ago = 1990 or after.

Nearly everyone mentioned in this thread so far was already well established within the action genre by that time.

[tlongII]

Twenty years ago = 1990 or after.

Nearly everyone mentioned in this thread so far was already well established within the action genre by that time.

If they made a movie during the past 20 years they count. It doesn't matter if they were already established or not. Quit changing the rules!

[florige]

If they made a movie during the past 20 years they count. It doesn't matter if they were already established or not. Quit changing the rules!

If she is referring to newbies I guess I would go with Matt Damon just based on those fight scenes in the Bourne series. Tom Cruise was okay in the first Mission Impossible, but he lost me when they decided that Ethan Hunt was able to fly in the second one.

[Technique]

I'd have to say Jet Lie because of fearless, the perfect balance between action and drama imo.

[hitmanyr2k]

If she is referring to newbies I guess I would go with Matt Damon just based on those fight scenes in the Bourne series. Tom Cruise was okay in the first Mission Impossible, but he lost me when they decided that Ethan Hunt was able to fly in the second one.

You can hardly see any fighting in the Bourne movies :lol Those fight scenes look like crap with the shaky camera and rapid fire editing. You could throw Joe Schmo in those fight scenes and you wouldn't be able to tell the difference.

[EmptyMan]

Damn, the 80-90s was such a golden age of action movies.

Really its influence on kids at the time is the only reason America is still standing.

[howbouthemspurs]

Tony Jaa in those Ong-Bak movies! His action scenes were just ridiculous!

[fevertrees]

B. Barrilleaux

[phyzik]

Tony Jaa in those Ong-Bak movies! His action scenes were just ridiculous!

I Like tony Jaa.... I saw Ong-Bak WAY before the majority.... He is not an icon yet though, even after Ong-Bak 2 and The protector.

He is up and coming, but definately hasnt reached the ranks of Jackie Chan or Jet Li.

The only reason I pick Jackie Chan over Jet Li is that Jackie actually does his stunts, just like Bruce Lee would. Jet Li is a fraud compared to Bruce and Jackie.

[phyzik]

This shouldnt boil down to Jackie and Jet though.... There are plenty of action heroes in the past 20 years besides them.

I will say I loved Sylevster Stalone in the last Rocky and Rambo movies.... I really didnt think he could pull it off.... but he did.... and I have to commend him. Both where some pretty good sequels.

[florige]

You can hardly see any fighting in the Bourne movies :lol Those fight scenes look like crap with the shaky camera and rapid fire editing. You could throw Joe Schmo in those fight scenes and you wouldn't be able to tell the difference.



:lol Yeah that is so true especially when you watch them for the first time. I have watched each one like a thousand times, so I can follow what is going on. I still don't know why they do that. It was especially bad in the last one. For a person that watches real fighting movies I can see why that would be frustrating.

[hitmanyr2k]

I Like tony Jaa.... I saw Ong-Bak WAY before the majority.... He is not an icon yet though, even after Ong-Bak 2 and The protector.

He is up and coming, but definately hasnt reached the ranks of Jackie Chan or Jet Li.

The only reason I pick Jackie Chan over Jet Li is that Jackie actually does his stunts, just like Bruce Lee would. Jet Li is a fraud compared to Bruce and Jackie.

Do you honestly think Bruce Lee would jump off buildings and shit? Bruce would tell any director to fuck off if they wanted him to do that :lol Bruce Lee and Jet Li do their own martial arts scenes and that's all I ask out of a martial arts action star. If someone uses a stuntman to jump through fire, glass, or off an object higher than 10 feet that's completely acceptable.

[Stringer_Bell]

Bruce Willis, he blows shit up and acts at the same time.

I like Tony Jaa too, but I heard he's becoming a monk so no more movies.

[Spurminator]

Dennis Rodman

[760Spursfan]

Sly Stallone and Steven Seagal

[Nathan Explosion]

Last boy scout was an awesome movie. Too bad he played virtually the same character in all those films you listed.

That movies sucked ass so badly. I remember loving it. Then I saw it again when I was older, and god it was awful.

And if you love action movies, you haven't seen anything until you see Steven Seagal breaking arms.

When I was like 10, I used to love Bloodsport. Thought Frank Dukes was the coolest guy ever. I saw the movie again a few years back, and it was so terrible I actually laughed. This was his greatest scene ever.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CE8XKeN0zk4

Embedding has been disabled so I have to post the link.

[Dr. Gonzo]

Dolph Lundgren

[The Reckoning]

you cant forget harrison ford fighting armed-men with nothing but a tape recorder. not to mention all the indiana jones movies.

[alamo50]

http://www.planetvideo.com.au/blog/2009/11/10/956-067~Terminator-2-Posters.jpg

[CosmicCowboy]

Mathew McConaughey was pretty cool as Dirk Pitt in Sahara.

[CosmicCowboy]

Can't forget Jack Bauer either.