We continue to summarize the results of action films for the past 2021. This time we turn our attention to big-budget blockbusters and action series. We remind you that we always welcome your comments, which are the fuel for our work.
Blockbuster 2021
In relation to 2020, in the past there were several high-profile releases that were postponed due to the pandemic and other things. Not only the director's cut of Justice League, James Bond, the next Fast and the Furious and Mortal Kombat, but also other films made it to the wide screens. However, it seems that everything was clear with the winner from the very beginning.
Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (dir. Destin Daniel Cretton) (21%, 35 votes)
The comic book adaptation Marvel about the adventures of the superhero Shang-Chi, there are two qualities that determine his victory in this category. Firstly, the main character of the blockbuster is not a god, not a man mutated into a super soldier, and not a secret agent with 30 years of experience fighting world evil, but a young guy whose main skill is the knowledge and practice of kung fu. Secondly, martial arts are now the central theme of a multimillion-dollar film for the world's most famous brand. Such recognition of martial arts, it seems, has not happened since Bruce Lee.
Yes, the plot is still mixed with science fiction and fantasy (one might even say traditional wuxia), but within the main conflict it is the characters with quite “earthly” skills that our brother is interested in within the cinema. Thereby "Shan-Chi" is filled with hand-to-hand action, and some scenes stand out among almost all films in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Take, for example, scenes of fights on a bus or on scaffolding - such fragments do not immediately fade from memory.
"Legend of the Ten Rings" became the last film James Bradley Allan before his sudden death. Along with another former member of the Jackie Chan Stunt Association - Andy Chen They created a spectacular action game that takes us back to the hits of hand-to-hand Hong Kong cinema of the 80s. Being true talents, Allan and Chen perfectly “fit” their background into the superhero theme, building classic choreography in a fantastic manner.
Yes, the main character is played by a Chinese-Canadian stuntman and actor Sim Liu, albeit good in action scenes, but very dull in everything else, noticeably losing to his on-screen friend Awkwafine, which accounts for much of the film's humor. Yes, in the end "Shan-Chi" turns into a vague cartoon with flying dragons, but the film's box office success showed that it has an audience. And this is very important!
Well, it’s hard to imagine a more respectful bow to Chinese combat cinema than the involvement of such people who don’t need any introduction as Tony Leung Chu Wai, Michelle Yeoh и Yuen Wa. The latter has a slightly extended cameo, but when you see a 70-year-old legend in a Hollywood blockbuster, you begin to believe that all is not lost with action cinema.
Spider-Man: No Way Home (dir. Jon Watts) (15%, 26 votes)
The third film in the “Your Friendly Neighbor” reboot was anticipated not only by hardcore fans of the Marvel Cinematic Universe or fans of the comic books of the same name, but also by those who once watched the previous film adaptations: the trilogy Sam Raimi (2002, 2004, 2007) or duology Mark Webb (2012, 2014), because the good old Spiders could return in a Marvel film.
It is worth paying tribute to the creators and content makers: to hide the appearance Tobey Maguire и Andrew Garfield in classical roles it was 90% successful. Many theorized about the appearance of Peter Parkers from other universes, but no one knew for sure. Needless to say, the intersection of worlds and the appearance of familiar heroes and villains played a significant role in the success "No Way Home"?
The main violin is still played by the young and talented Tom Holland, who even under the mask of Spider-Man did many of his own stunts, since he is fond of acrobatics and parkour. All other characters, including Doctor Strange played by Benedict Cumberbatch, they are just playing along with the guy, because the third film in the series became not only the most fanservice, but also the most tragic. Holland confidently plays the drama, proving that in the future he can lay claim to something more than just a superhero movie.
From an action point of view, however, the new Spider-Man in fact, it is not much different from the previous two parts: little inventiveness and a lot of computer effects. Although each villain was given a chance to shine, the stunt coordinator Nick Benseman and choreographer Jack Spiedell We couldn’t, in our opinion, create something memorable. Despite the massive scale of events, the final battle between spiders and villains looks somehow “local” or something. And it’s not a matter of the limited space of one location. There just wasn't enough imagination.
In any case, "Spider-Man: No Way Home" looks bright and interesting due to fan service and the intersection of universes. Well, what an honorable cast: Jamie Fox, Alfred Molina, Thomas Haden Church, Rhys Evans, and of course, William Defoe! One hundred percent silver in the top three!
Dune (dir. Denis Villeneuve) (15%, 25 votes)
Another film adaptation of the cult novel Frank Herbert difficult fate: the project took a very long time to reach the wide screen. At first there were problems with copyrights, then it took a long time to write the script, and when "Dune" was ready for release in 2020, the coronavirus pandemic hit the world. As a result, the film was postponed several times, waiting for the maximum number of available screens to be released.
But when the 165 million dollar blockbuster was released, it became clear that the director Denis Villeneuve he and his team did a great job on the film. Cinematographer was awarded an Oscar Greg Frazier and composer Hans Zimmer, in addition, other technical nominations were also awarded with statuettes "Dunes".
Being primarily a strong visionary, Villeneuve brought the book universe to the screen with interesting design solutions. Looks and sounds new "Dune" it’s simply gorgeous and you can easily get caught up in the “web” of the visual side of the picture, without paying attention to the rather scanty story inside.
It seems as if for Denis this was a “test of the pen”, with which he showed that he could cope with the legendary cosmic peplum, that an impossible task for other directors was within his reach. Like an artist, the director carefully outlines the universe, characters and conflict, essentially filming only the first half of Herbert's first book. All large-scale events are still ahead, young Paul Atreidis performed Timothy Shalame He is just beginning his long journey, and Villeneuve himself seems to be recharging with him. "What was it? I want more immediately!” - these were the thoughts many had after leaving the cinema. And it's sad that we'll have to wait a long time for the sequel.
Methodicality of the new "Dunes" didn't allow much action to appear here, but what is there looks very impressive. Interestingly, the veteran stuntman and choreographer Roger Yuan specially developed a unique fighting style for the Atreides clan, which was based on the Philippine martial art of Kali. He also trained all the actors for the fight scenes.
From the hand-to-hand scenes that we can see, it becomes clear that this style of fighting has potential and will be further developed in the sequels. Villeneuve will take them off someday!
In the meantime, we can award a new one "Dune" bronze among blockbusters of 2021.
Action or martial arts series 2021
It’s nice that the shelf of action series in the past year arrived not only due to not very high-quality remakes "Walker", "Kung Fu" or "Cowboy BeBop" (although we are sorry that the series was not renewed), but also due to projects from the studio Marvel, which has released as many as four series based on its own Cinematic Universe. And one of them even made it into the top three. But again, we had no doubt about first place.
Cobra Kai. Season 3 (25%, 31 votes)
Nostalgic series "Cobra Kai" (2018-2022) has been in the top three best series for all three seasons, but this is the first time it has achieved first place. And not to say that the project had no competitors. This series is just really good, high quality and interesting.
If the first two seasons only “accelerated”, introducing new viewers and reminding fans of cult films about the karate guy about the characters and events, then the third season, which, due to the loss of the broadcasting platform, found a new “home” in the person of the streaming giant Netflix – unfolds to the fullest.
Firstly, we are immersed in the extremely difficult past of John Kreese, played by Martina Kouva, demonstrating the reasons why Kreese took the path of violence. Secondly, the characters Ralph Macchio и William Zabka find themselves after the events of the second season. The first through a deeper knowledge of Miyagi-do karate and a journey into his own past, the second through the restoration of his student Miguel. The theme of acceptance and change runs through the third season - one way or another this will affect almost all the characters, including teenagers studying in opposing karate schools.
The main characters, despite either adolescence or adulthood, are still charming, continue to generate curiosity, and although the local romantic lines are a little sloppy and cause some confusion in the viewer, the overall plot, coupled with the acting, holds the viewer's attention. Fans of the original franchise will be pleased with the cameo Tamlyn Tomita, Yuji Okumoto и Elizabeth Shue. Okumoto, 62, even has a fight scene and an important plot influence on Macchio's character.
As for the hand-to-hand combat scenes, in "Cobra Kai" this gets better from season to season. If at first the fights were a style a la the 80s, then by the end of the third season the local choreography directors are aiming for a modern production. Yes, the massive school fight from the last episode of the second season was never surpassed in the third, but, in addition to local skirmishes, the third again has a cool mass fight and even a personal settlement of scores between the main adult characters and Sensei Kreese. It is clear that Kouva, who was 74 years old at the time of filming, is actively dubbed, and karate from Ralph Macchio It still looks like a toy, but the scene itself has the necessary tension that is not often seen in specialized action films.
January 31, 2021 on Netflix the fourth season has appeared "Cobra Kai", but despite the release date, it will compete for the title of best series in the current one. And the first place in the third season suggests that the project has every chance of getting into the top three again.
Hawkeye (16%, 20 votes)
Six-episode project from the studio Marvel and streaming channel Disney + about the further adventures of the superhero Hawkeye after the events of the blockbuster "Avengers: Endgame" (2019). And, taking silver in this category, this project ranks with previous superhero series, like "Daredevil", "Arrow" or "Chastener", which adorned the top three in previous projects based on the results of combat films.
Why did our site visitors vote for "Hawkeye"? It seemed obvious to us at the editorial office that not only because of the good action, but also because of the Christmas atmosphere, which is very reminiscent of action films, like "Die Hard" (1988) "Long Kiss Goodnight" (1996) or, albeit very partially, but the same "Iron Man 3" (2013) from MCU. The main characters performed by a noticeably aged Jeremy Renner and young Hailee Steinfeld deal with a criminal gang and the attached Black Widow performed by Florence Pugh against the backdrop of the coming Christmas Eve. This means that the events are imbued with celebration. Plus, in this series, unlike other Disney+ TV projects based on Marvel comics, there are no serious dramatic events, difficult choices or other difficult moments for the viewer’s perception. The trademark Marvel humor is also in perfect order here.
Together with "The Falcon and the Winter Soldier" soap opera "Hawkeye" is also a “down-to-earth” superhero project, that is, there are no mutants or superpowers here, which means the action is staged as realistically as possible. Well... How is this even possible with the universe? Marvel. The stunts in this series were choreographed by a famous female stuntwoman. Heidi Moneymaker and she and the fight choreographer Adam Lytle was able to create decent action scenes that only enhance the story.
It's interesting that many tricks Jeremy Renner, Hailee Steinfeld и Florence Pugh (according to the editors, eclipsed Scarlett Johansson in film "Black Widow") performed independently. Yes, they are not at all complicated, but when the actor’s face is shown even during a simple roll, it always involves you in what is happening a little more than when the ubiquitous understudies do everything for the actors.
Let's add here the appearance of a charismatic Vincent D'Onofrio as Kingpin, whom he also played in "Daredevil" from Netflix, and we will get a good, bright and festive action series, worthy of second place in the top three.
Witcher. Season 2 (14%, 17 votes)
"The Witcher" from Netflix, which was supposed to be "Game of Thrones" for the streaming giant already came in second place in this category in the results for 2019, and then we wrote that the writers were unable to develop their own approach to the plot, which was very difficult to read due to the non-linearity of the narrative. We also talked about other disadvantages, noting the well-staged action scenes.
In the second season of the series based on the fantasy saga Andrzej Sapkowski Thank goodness for the Wild Hungt, the writers decided to abandon this approach. The big witcher Geralt performed by Henry Cavill in the company of the noticeably matured princess Cirilla and the sorceress Yennefer, they drag the story further, noticeably moving away from the book source. Actually, now we can say with complete confidence that all that remains of the cult story of Pan Sapkowski in the American series are names and titles, and the plot and characters have followed their own path of development.
You may or may not like it, but in this nomination we are talking specifically about the action component of the series. And the second season The Witcher in this aspect it raises questions. If in the first season there were enough action scenes and some of them were staged and played perfectly, then in the second there is only one full-fledged battle scene, where Geralt fights with human mercenaries and a couple of so-so scenes where the famous witcher fights with evil spirits. The fight with the mercenaries looks great and brutal, as it should be for a dark fantasy. But battles with bruxes and some dragon-like creatures don’t look interesting at all.
Hence our confusion about The Witcher in the top three. But, apparently, it’s not for nothing that the series has sky-high ratings on Netflix – it is felt that among the Russian audience there are many fans of the project. And bronze among the best series proves this.
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Tags: Cobra Kai, Hawkeye, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, The Witcher, Bradley James Allan, Henry Cavill, Denis Villeneuve, Jeremy Renner, results of action cinema 2021, Martin Cove, Summing up the fight cinema, Ralph Macchio, Roger Yuan, soap opera, Sim Liu, Tom Holland, William Zabka, Heidi Moneymaker, Andy Cheng
Tags: Cobra Kai, Hawkeye, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, The Witcher, Bradley James Allan, Henry Cavill, Denis Villeneuve, Jeremy Renner, results of action cinema 2021, Martin Cove, Summing up the fight cinema, Ralph Macchio, Roger Yuan, soap opera, Sim Liu, Tom Holland, William Zabka, Heidi Moneymaker, Andy Cheng
Spider-Man There's no way home. There is a lot of pink snot in the film. Only Dafoe carries the film.
I’ll write a few words, for the sake of reviving the comments section and so that the work of the author of the text is not in vain :-)
From what I watched:
- Spider-Man No Way Home - went to the cinema, a clear film, people my age clapped when Tobey Maguire appeared. Very worthy! Recommended viewing!
- Dune - I went to the cinema, almost fell asleep in the middle of the film, everything seemed canonical, but without dynamics. The only scene that I remember is when the commander of the Sarduakars says that they are the Sarduakars - the fangs of the emperor, he orders, they obey))) I did not see any unique fighting style for the Atreides clan :-) Recommended viewing only for fans of Frank Herbert's work.
- The Witcher Season 2 - the only normal episode is only in the last (penultimate) episode. There are a lot of actors - representatives of the Negroid race, who, in my opinion, should not be in this series. Not recommended for viewing!
PS When summing up the results in these nominations from the above, I only voted for Spider-Man.
Vladimir Egorov,
What about Shang-Chi? :)
Wave,
Yeah, I dropped everything.
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