Coronavirus reigns supreme, but this will not stop us from summing up the results of action cinema 2019. Today it’s time for nominations "Best Actor" и "Best Actress".
Best Action Film Actor 2019
Scott Adkins (Triple Threat, Karmuz War, Vengeance, Kidnapping) (27%, 40 Votes)
There was no revolution in the winners and there is no need to even change the Constitution. Scott Adkins will rule the roost, apparently, for a long time. A long time ago, we called Scott the white hope of action cinema, noting his performance and the lack of more or less decent competition. Many years have passed and the Briton still does not fade, although he is at plus or minus the same level in terms of the cinematic niche: he can no longer be called a hope, because he has long since passed that age, but he has not gained any more competition either. In addition, he has several films behind him that can feed him until old age (not particularly generously, but still). This is, of course, three parts “Undeniable” and now unexpectedly successful work Jesse Johnson - “Collectors”, which is coming out soon sequel.
"Revenge" The authorship of the same Johnson is also a good movie, but Adkins in it is again filled with rage and anger, breaking hands and objects, and we have already seen this in his performance more than once.
Although, if we abstract from this unoriginality, it is clear that "Revenge" (in Russian release "British Psychopath") is still an attempt to show Scott primarily as an actor, and not as a screen fighter.
Another thing - "Triple Threat" (Johnson again), which appeared in our best and worst. So to speak, “both in hell and on horseback.” In this picture, the Briton is again a villain, rather flat as a character, without any distinctive features, except for the opportunity to fight with Tony Jaa и Iko Uwaisom.
Well, if we are to travel from best to worst, then we cannot help but note "Abduction" и “War in Karmuz”. You simply can’t look at the first film without tears - a murky, extremely low-budget sci-fi something in which Adkins and Andy He obviously took part by mistake. A director we have all known for a long time Ernie Barbarash so I’ve never filmed anything worthwhile, except, perhaps, decent “6 bullets” с JCVD, and even then it’s a stretch.
And the Egyptian “War in Karmuz” - this is practically a trashy cameo by Adkins, in which he looks like a parody of his own villains, only in the extreme moronic.
Hence the question: don’t you think that the era of Scott as an on-screen villain and fighter is coming to an end, and a new round of his career is beginning - more acting and less “guyverk”?
Tandem "Adkins + Florentine" gave us Adkins the Destroyer and formed a certain screen template, but can the tandem "Adkins + Johnson" create something fundamentally new?
Although, if you look at Scott’s future projects, you can see that Florentine has not yet completely let go of Adkins with his tenacious paws.
William Zabka (Cobra Kai) (12%, 18 Votes)
But here everything is much more interesting, and the winds of revolution carry the smells of freedom. “Cobra Kai” burst into our “hit parades” with a fresh wind, despite the fact that both the story and the characters cannot be called fresh. But here’s a paradox for you - forgotten heroes and even more forgotten actors managed to regain interest in themselves, revealed themselves differently and flashed with a new light. And without any guy-kicks or tricking.
William Zabka back in the 90s, he was a rather interesting class B actor who successfully portrayed good guys and brilliantly played villains. And his good guys often turned out to be ambiguous, with devilry and internal contradictions. He never shone with outstanding fighting technique and variety, but he was also not at the bottom of the list, considering the number of wooden stars that reigned in this genre at that time. Convincing strong middle peasant. However, what made him noticeably stand out from his peers was his catchy appearance and acting potential, which could not be hidden even by so-so films. A blond man with an aquiline nose and bright, expressive, slightly wild eyes attracted everyone's attention, and his character in the original “The Karate Kids” 1984 was much more “human” than the lean and unctuous protagonist.
В “Cobra Kai” The zabka opens up even more abruptly. The naivety of the plot does not make its hero funny, does not devalue him, but, on the contrary, makes the viewer empathize. In fact, William is the main character in the series and a barge hauler who carries most of the dramatic moments.
And rare, but well-aimed battle scenes show that he still has gunpowder in his flasks.
Andrew Koji (Warrior) (11%, 16 Votes)
Bronze in this category - what is it? Spirit Bruce Lee, which does not lose relevance, or a real acting breakthrough?
Let's figure it out. Series "Warrior" all martial arts fans were waiting, and the main character, given the background of the series, should not have let us down. So did he disappoint? It seems that no. Many believed that the central character should be like Bruce Lee, and in the end Andrew Koji turned out to be an actor of a completely different type. And this is good. Yes, in some places he copies “Little Dragon”: with movements, stances or facial expressions, but it doesn’t look like cosplay. Koji's character is self-sufficient and that's the most important thing. Yes, there is a lack of volume and empathy. Often Ah Sam (that’s the hero’s name) walks in the frame with an equally sad face, but still this is not an attempt to clone Bruce Lee. This is a hero woven into the plot, this is an artistic character.
I really want him to reveal himself even more in the second season, since the drama of the first did not always give the character the opportunity to progress and develop. In the scene when he stands up for the heroine Joanna Vanderheim, we finally see the character as a person, and not just a super-fighter who bares his fists at every opportunity and whom the gang constantly uses like a torpedo.
However, with all the reservations, Koji coped with his task with dignity. And in the battle scenes he didn’t look like a fake either, as evidenced by his fight with Joe Taslim, which we'll talk about next time.
Best Action Film Actress 2019
Veronica Ngo (Furia) (27%, 26 Votes)
Veronica Ngo (“Rebel”, “Once Upon a Time in the East”) has already proven to us more than once that she can not only convincingly throw enemies into corners, but also play well. Another thing is that she usually worked in tandem with Johnny Nguyen and therefore was somewhat in the background.
"Fury" - this is a full-fledged solo work both in combat and in acting terms. The plot of the film is quite simple and can be perceived as a Vietnamese version “Hostages” or even "Commando". The only difference is that "Fury" - more budget-friendly and “rural-urban” in terms of locations, and in terms of the character concept - matriarchal, because the female image is central not only in the person of the main character, but also the main villain. We once discussed in detail on the topic of “combat matriarchy” in review of the film “The Villainess”, so those who haven’t seen it or have already forgotten - go ahead to our Youtube channel.
Veronica Ngo plays the former head of a criminal gang who has retired, lives with her daughter in a hut by the river and works as a debt collector. One day, her daughter is kidnapped and she gives chase, leading to the trail of a human trafficking organization.
As you can see, there is nothing new in terms of plot. Ngo herself, although not very similar to the former bandit, copes with the role perfectly, even if her main acting shades in this film are surprise, fear and anger. We see that she really cares and will go to the end to save her daughter. Despite the simplicity of the narrative and plot flaws (the heroine could have simply been killed 10 times, but for some reason they weren’t killed, or the police, as always, are helpless and late), Veronica’s character is integral and understandable.
Visually, the film, although inexpensive, is very beautiful due to the excellent cinematography and lighting work. The night scenes, when Ngo walks through the labyrinths of seedy slums, and the lamps above her shine in bright green, then red, then purple, are samples for those who want to shoot in style, but have a limited budget. Pay attention to the picture when the heroine stands against the backdrop of the staircase - the frame is beautifully structured and creates the right atmosphere, while it is made very simply and deliberately decorative. Or panoramic filming of scenes on a moving train - a thick, mystical blue-violet night and dangerous light in the cars. Even the heroine's clothes always catch the eye because of the bright color.
Of course, we can’t help but talk about the action scenes, and we must say that in this area the film is doing well. Despite the fact that there is no innovation here, everything looks “rhythmic and professional” (c), the camera work is excellent, everything is readable, and Veronica herself works to the fullest: contact and powerful. Often fragile girls destroying crowds of men do not look very convincing on the screen, and the viewer simply turns a blind eye to this out of habit, but "Furies" There are no complaints in this regard. The editing didn’t disappoint either: the takes and sequences themselves are quite long, and the heroine makes several complex movements at a time.
Speaking of minor characters, I would like to mention the interesting police inspector (Thanh Nien Phan), which could have been given more screen time, primarily combat time, because there is a feeling of untapped potential. But perhaps the creators decided that he would pull the blanket over himself and therefore limited him to a couple of scenes.
But the main villain (Thanh Hoa) turned out to be excellent, with bright negative energy, brutal and masculine, in contrast to the main character.
In this way, "Fury" will definitely add to the collection of action films with strong female characters, and it seems that this release was modest and received little attention.
We restore justice and Veronica Ngo receives a well-deserved gold in the category “Best Action Film Actress”
Katheryn Winnick (Vikings, Wu Assassins) (19%, 19 Votes)
Katheryn Winnick You can safely add to the list of people who came to cinema from sports and gradually developed their acting career to a top level. And we are now talking about an acting career without reference to any genre, for example, action, because practice has shown that Winnick can play, in general, in any movie.
I remember in articles about Amy Johnston we've often wondered if she could be considered a future fighting game star with a female face? There were arguments both for and against, but in the situation with Winnik, this reflection may be more appropriate.
She has much more opportunities to get serious projects, she looks no worse on the screen and can play different roles. Combat skills are beyond doubt.
Another question is whether she needs it, because the fighting niche is a very narrow one and there is always a danger of being an actor/actress of one direction.
TV Show "Vikings" definitely gives the opportunity to sit on several chairs and shows Winnick both as a fighter and as a serious actress, although she doesn’t have a lot of screen time. She plays Lagertha, the companion of the main character Ragnar (Travis Fimmel), - a stern warrior who mainly fights with swords and fights a lot: one on one, and against the crowd, in short, for every taste. But it still seems that she is better in hand-to-hand combat than with weapons.
"Wu Assassins" - a series in which there are a lot of characters, including women, so Winnick was in danger of getting lost in the crowd. But they spent enough time on her and the heroine generally turned out to be one of the most alive and complete, without all this fantastic nonsense. And the fight scenes with her turned out to be some of the most intelligible in the series. Second place in the category “Best Action Film Actress 2019” and our bright hopes for Katherine’s interesting projects.
Lee Shi-young (Sister) (12%, 12 Votes)
"Sister" - this is another variation "Hostages", only South Korean spill. The only difference is that it is not the mother (father) who is looking for the daughter, but the sister who is looking for the sister, but there is really no fundamental difference, especially for the Koreans, who are ahead of the rest in developing the theme of revenge and persecution in the name of revenge. Heroine Lee Shi-young served time in prison for assault (as you understand, a “strong” background is also necessarily present, although the supernatural abilities of the main character are not completely clear) and returns to her younger sister, who then suddenly disappears and the eldest goes in search.
The film has all the classic features, advantages and disadvantages of South Korean cinema: a sharp dramatic background, colorful characters, including minor and especially negative ones, sweeping and jagged action scenes, too schematic and at the same time, on the contrary, complex plot schemes that are not always perceived with the first time, both female central characters are “not like everyone else” (Koreans like to endow heroes with marginality, isolation from the world, or exaggerated qualities).
On top of everything else, the creators decided to give the film a touch of some painful and tragic sexuality - the character Lee Shi-young looks like an angel of vengeance in her short blood-red dress and long hammer in her hands, and the cameraman often emphasizes all this with rapid and low angles. Moreover, the story itself is tied precisely to the total depravity of society and that same tragic sexuality. The plot reveals a chain of monstrous events in which both heroines were forced to exist for a long time and it seems that it was possible to get out of this situation only in a radical way. Did the heroines manage to do this? The openness of the ending only puts an ellipsis.
The fight scenes are shot in the Korean style: a lot of hyperdynamics and sudden changes of plans. And I must say that the Koreans are perhaps the only ones who manage to shoot high-quality action with a shaky camera. Maybe they shake her in some special way?
Of course, the film contains many of the favorite “hero versus crowd” scenes for Koreans, but the final battle is more of a dramatic move than a full-fledged fight choreography.
The acting is also on the level - it is always exalted emotions and expression, while the main character works in contrast. She most often keeps everything to herself, but this makes her no less convincing. Pay attention to her face in the reflection of the mirror when she strangles one of the villains in the car. Her face seems motionless like a mask, but her eyes are full of suffering, hatred and despair.
"Sister" - this is not the best Korean action film with a female face, but the work is strong and definitely worth watching.
Lee Shi-young she looks very convincing as an action actress and she definitely needs to develop in this direction. Bronze in our category.
Home » Movie News »
Tags: Abduction, avenue, Cobra Kai, Fury, Karmooz Wars, Older Sister, Triple Threat, Warrior, Wu Assassins, Veronica Ngo, Jesse W. Johnson, results of action cinema 2019, Katheryn Winnick, Lee Shi-young, Scott Adkins, William Zabka, Andrew Koji, Ernie Barbarash
Tags: Abduction, avenue, Cobra Kai, Fury, Karmooz Wars, Older Sister, Triple Threat, Warrior, Wu Assassins, Veronica Ngo, Jesse W. Johnson, results of action cinema 2019, Katheryn Winnick, Lee Shi-young, Scott Adkins, William Zabka, Andrew Koji, Ernie Barbarash
And there is no mistake with the “Vikings” trailer, is this a trailer for the same series???
Alexander,
Yeah. The Vikings trailer has been updated.
Danil Chupakhin,
Sorry, I did it too late, I was already nodding off)