04 Apr 2010, Posted by John Merizalde in Articles, 0 Comments

Top 10 Tired Movie Clichés: Action

Ever feel like you are watching the same scene over and over again? Like the same gag is repeated in every generic big-budget or Hollywood release? It may seem like some form of cinematic Déjà vu, but what you are actually experiencing is the convenient implementation of clichés by unimaginative filmmakers. Movies too often fall into the same repetitious molds and re-use the same formulaic devices. Clichés can often be used to fill in a plot hole or do the work for a lazy screenwriter. Regardless of the reasons for using clichés, they often tire the average film viewer and detract from the suspension of disbelief that immerses the audience in the film.

In this first installment of “Top 10 Tired Movie Clichés”, I will take a look at 10 of the most irritating and common clichés in action movies, a genre that is essentially in itself cliché.

1.The bad guy(s) can’t hit a still target three feet in front of him, let alone shoot any of the protagonists. Present in virtually every action movie ever made, this is known as the Stormtrooper Effect.

2. An untrained civilian can pick up a gun and magically become a professional marksman/expert martial artist/all around bad-ass action hero when the time calls for it. The basis for the underdog action movie. (Star Wars, Wanted, Transformers, Eagle Eye, El Mariachi, etc.)

3. The main character never dies. A character gets shot in the chest, yet can still walk, breath and speak normally. A character gets shot in the arm, yet can still use it freely. A slight grimace must be made every now and then to remind you his arm has been shot. Conversely, the common enemy grunt will be killed by even a stray bullet to the knee. (To see this rule in action, check out anything with Bruce Willis, Sylvester Stallone, or Arnold Schwarzenegger)

4. A scene where the villain or protagonist struts towards the screen in slow-motion, with a giant fireball explosion erupting violently behind their backs, while the character refuses to look back or change the pace his stride. This is a staple in any modern action film. (Hilarious Relevant spoof)

5. Having a male and female protagonist in an action film will always lead to a totally unnecessary and cheesy love sub-plot. (James Bond movies, Indiana Jones movies, Starship Troopers, I, Robot, etc.)

6. A character gets shot in chest/back/abdomen and appears to be dead. Turns out the bullet was deflected by his handily placed bible/medal/coin/secret body armor. (Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, 3:10 to Yuma, Rush Hour 2, Batman)

7. A main character is on the verge of being shot by the villain when from nowhere, we hear a gun fired. After a slight dramatic pause, said villain guy drops to the floor. A forgotten or thought-to-be-dead character emerges from behind him brandishing a smoking gun. (Reservoir Dogs, Blade Runner, Avatar, District 9)

8. A character will always come into battle with dozens of guns, and simply discard a gun because it has run out of bullets. Coincidentally, the gun will always run out of bullets whenever a main character is about to shoot another main character. (The Matrix, Tomb Raider, Equilibrium, Public Enemies)

9. What Roger Ebert refers to as the One-at-a-time Attack Rule: “In any situation where the hero is alone, surrounded by dozens of bad guys, they will always obligingly attack one at a time.” (Kill Bill, Robocop, True Lies, anything with Chuck Norris)

10. Every bomb must be completely conspicuous, as it is either blinking/beeping or has some sort of convenient countdown which will signal its detonation. And the bomb will always be disabled milliseconds from exploding. (Total Recall, Speed, The Bourne Series, Mission Impossible)

So take note current and future story-tellers, and try not to resort to these cheap cop-outs, as you will only alienate and distract your audience, and end up on lists on the internet. Stay tuned for the next installment of “Top 10 Tired Movie Clichés” as we take a look at the cheese-filled “Horror” genre.

*Special Thanks to Reddit, who aided in the creation of this list.