Text | Ling Hu Boguang
Keanu Levi's "Fast Pursuit 4" is online, the film was released in the United States on March 24, and the global box office has reached $350 million.
The evaluation of this movie is also good, the American media have blown rainbow fart "the greatest action movie" and the like, and the domestic Douban score is also 8.0 points, a proper action movie ceiling.
However, many Chinese audiences said after watching this movie that the movie is just like that, all kinds of shooting are cool, but fake a batch of gunfight scenes, action scenes Keanu is really old and dull, close combat scenes feel that speed and strength are a little like an old man, the third part is a dragon set to follow Keanu to slow down to act, the fourth part is even more dull.
Donnie Yen is still so able to fight in his sixties, and Keanu's playing scenes are particularly slow in comparison...
"Rapid Pursuit" one or two is the pinnacle, leading to action scenes for the plot, killing for the task, the third part is not quite right at the beginning, it is completely for the sake of killing and leading to the plot, most movie sequels have such problems. The key is that the plot, action and scene are not coordinated, the scene is very large, the action is large, the plot is fished again.
The first two can still be watched repeatedly, and even if the last two are very good, you don't want to watch them after watching them once. So the question is, why can the "Speed Pursuit" series become a benchmark for action movies in the new era?
I combed through Hollywood action movies and finally understood why "Fast Pursuit" has become a new standard
Hollywood has never had a pure action film like Hong Kong, they are all films born from genre films, Western gunfight films and Japanese sword and halberd films in the 50s, 60s and 70s, and Chinese martial arts films are the world's three major regional cultural genre action films.
However, at that time, Hong Kong kung fu movies, action movies, including martial arts films (and martial arts films are still different), these movies "fight" is the main genre. And the directors, screenwriters and actors are mostly practitioners.
"Action scenes" in Hollywood are only important elements, and Westerns are the ancestors of action movies in Hollywood. The rise was still in the 80s, namely Stallone, Schwarzenegger and Bruce Willis. However, Hollywood action superstars are not from a family training background, and they are still attached to genre films.
Stallone's masterpiece "Rocky" series is a boxing film, which is a sports movie; The First Blood series is a modern warfare action film.
Schwarzenegger's "Terminator" series is science fiction, and "The Devil Series" and "True Lies" are also military action films.
Bruce Willis' "Die Hard" series is a police and bandit action film, the "Lethal Weapon" series; Will Smith's Jedi series. The special agent film "007" is known as an action blockbuster in the West.
So, including Will Smith, Tom and Nicolas Cage were once positioned as action actors in the West. It's just that they have a variety of dramas and handed over many classic movies of other styles. Unlike the first three, they are recognized as American action superstars.
There are also Hollywood action actors who really practiced martial arts at the same time, but they have always been second- and third-rate action actors in Hollywood movies, and their movies are mostly B-grade genre films.
For example, the "Reinventing the Warrior" series, "The Ultimate Target", "Time and Space SWAT" and "Street Fighter" of Shange Winton.
For example, the "Hidden Dragon Boom" series, Steven Siegel of "Violent Hidden Dragon" and "Deep Sea Hidden Dragon", and Duflungel are the same.
This time came to the mid-to-late 90s, when Hong Kong action films were the first in the world. Everyone knows that during this period, Hong Kong films declined, John Woo left Hollywood in advance, followed Jackie Chan to Hollywood, and Jet Li and Yuen Heping went to Hollywood with a vote of Hong Kong film elites.
Special agent films, and superhero movies? The impact of Hong Kong action films on the world is beyond imagination
At the end of the 90s, Hong Kong film elites went north to Hollywood to develop, after all, it is people's territory, Hong Kong filmmakers in addition to being supported to shoot action movies starring them, Jackie Chan movies needless to say, he is the most successful Hong Kong action superstar to enter Hollywood.
Jet Li is second, and there are action movies such as "Lethal Weapon", "Deadly Romeo" and "Dragon's Kiss".
Chow Yun-fat has filmed action films such as "Stand-in Killer", "Edge of Battle Again", "Bulletproof Martial Monk" and so on.
In addition, because of the history of Hollywood action films, the Hong Kong action elites who went north to Hollywood to develop also adapted to the environment of Hollywood action movies.
One went to shoot Hollywood pure second- and third-line action films, we are familiar with Guo Da. Statham, he was directed by Won Kyu and action designer "Very Human Trafficker" series.
In addition, "Boyka" Scott Akins' "Ultimate Fighter" series known to action movie fans, Michael G. White of "Blood and Bone" and so on. The former has developed in the Hong Kong film industry, and the action films of the two are also deeply influenced by Hong Kong action movies.
Another elite team entered the mainstream Hollywood genre blockbuster, which can be said to revolutionize the Hollywood action design system.
The martial arts design of Yuan Heping's "The Matrix", "Kill Bill" and "Thunderbolt Girl" is at the top level in Hollywood movies. Yuankui action design includes "X-Men 2", Donnie Danshen's "Blade 2", "Storm Raider", etc., Lin Dian action design "Spider-Man 2"
Let's not talk about Hollywood genre films without the participation of Hong Kong filmmakers, such as the protagonists of super-British movies also have many Wang Baquan, here is a criticism of Nolan's "Batman" series. Even if the above listed "X-Men", "Blade", "Spider-Man". Let's think about whether the same series of action films is a work in which Hong Kong filmmakers participate, and the action design is smoother and more beautiful.
At that time, Jet Li refused "The Matrix" because the foreign media gave it was not enough money, but later Jet Li came out and said that the computer copied his actions, and then they would lose their advantage.
The truth of why Jet Li didn't accept the movie is unknown, but it is indeed a joke. After more than ten years of development, it just so happens that Hollywood has experienced another digital special effects revolution, and the Hong Kong action film design system has been absorbed by Hollywood and integrated, the first to integrate Hong Kong action design, combined with the genre films that Hollywood is good at, and far-reaching works.
I think it's the "Spy" series, and the same period is Daniel Craig's "007" series.
Tom's "Mission Impossible" series is a series of experiences, witnesses and final breakthroughs, the first in 1996 is a classic American spy war film, the second director in 2000 is John Woo, and "Mission Impossible 3" in 2006 is a work combined with digestion.
The action director and speeding coach of this film is Luo Lixian, and the later films include "Parapower", "Raid 2", "Transformers 4" and so on
2011's "Mission Impossible 4" and the following two works, there are not many shadows of Hong Kong action design, which have been completely digested, breaking through and establishing their style.
Later, the mainstream Hollywood genre action blockbusters were all shot in this way, but the way of expression was slightly different, and they began to package them into different types of action movies in batches. Such as the "Ace Agent" series, such as various superhero movies. Including Dwayne Johnson's films, "Fast and Furious"'s "Family Man" Vin Diesel, etc.
Matt Damon, Tom, Daniel Craig and a group of superhero actors, none of whom are from a training family.
And action actors such as Shanger Winton are still in the second and third lines, such as "The Ultimate Fighter" Scott Akins, "Blood and Bone" Michael Gar White and so on.
In addition to Hong Kong movies, why these two Southeast Asian countries can also deeply affect "Speed Pursuit"
Of course, in terms of the development of Hollywood action films, in 2005, the Hong Kong filmmakers in Hollywood gradually declined, and I think there is another type of action film that occupies the market of the original Hollywood action stars.
"Olympus Falls", "London Falls", "Angels Fall" "Forever Falling" Gerard Butler. and "Hurricane Rescue", "Black Gold Rescue" and other Liam Neeson who is always rescuing.
In addition, it is to invest in the upper and middle police genre films, such as Denzel Washington's "The Wrongdoer" series, and there will be a "Little People" in 2022, and a large number of movies such as Guo Da are such type action films.
Around 2010, there were still two places in Asia where action movies were rising, which had a certain impact on world action movies.
The first is a Southeast Asian action film that completely imitates Hong Kong action movies, first the Thai action film represented by Tony Jia's "Boxer" series, and then the Indonesian action film represented by Iko Ouaiis's "Raid" series.
However, because the film markets in Thailand and Indonesia are too small, it is difficult to sustain after the two countries have made some works, Tony Ja, Iko Uais, Southeast Asian action film talents were instantly absorbed into the Lywood market, Tony Jia, Iko Uais also acted in a lot of Chinese.
The second is Korean action movies, Korean movies are more mature and the development is more complicated, but the "Speed Pursuit" series does not borrow much from Korean action movies, so I will not repeat it here.
Flashy gunfights and stiff movements? How "Speed Pursuit" became a new benchmark for action movies
I believe that many people should have discovered why "Fast Pursuit" has become a benchmark for action movies in the new era.
It is very similar to "The Wrongdoer", "Hurricane Rescue", "Little People" and so on in terms of genre films, because of "strange" reasons to take revenge (or save people); Then through the protagonist's ability and gangsters, anyway, what organization confrontation, there are a lot of gunfights and action scene designs in between. It's just that the action design of "Hurricane Rescue" and "The Wrongdoer" is obviously the influence of new-era special agent films.
Keanu Reeves has been working with Hong Kong filmmakers for a long time since the "Matrix" series, and he himself has come to China to shoot "Tai Chi Man" and "Kung Fu Man".
Therefore, the first two films of "Fast Pursuit" are between films such as "The Wrongdoer" (gunfight scenes and shot scheduling) and Hong Kong action films (action design). The first and second parts and "The Wronged Man Two" have little difference in status in Western action films, because they are very successful commercially, and then the third and fourth films enter the hall.
"Speed Chase" can become the world's top action blockbuster, one is to expand the world view setting, expand the marginal effect of the characters (relying on the Continental Hotel), and the other is to rely on this setting system to begin to accommodate action actors, action design systems and multiculturalism around the world in the new era.
The third Southeast Asian Thai action actor of "Speed Chase", the Indonesian action actor system is included, the Russian gangster forces, the Chinese gangster forces are only set to extend.
The fourth Donnie Yen clearly represents the Hong Kong action film system in the new era, and is included in the Japanese action film system. Finally, Hollywood New Age film action actor Scott Akins was also included. Hollywood action director, Hong Kong martial artist, Southeast Asian action film and Japanese action movie.
Finally, the first two parts of the "Speed Pursuit" series are similar to "The Wrongdoer" and "Hurricane Rescue". If you look at the action design alone, it is really not as good as Donnie Yen's "Angry Case" the year before last. But because of fusion and breakthrough, it became a carnival of world action filmmakers in the new era.
In the end, it has become a model of world action movies in the new era, and now it seems that it will expand into "chasing and killing the universe".
According to the practice of Hollywood capitalism, until the commercial value is squeezed out of more films. But this is still worth learning from Chinese films, because the most important thing for commercial entertainment movies is to try, and we have too few attempts in our current genre action films, so let's have the opportunity to analyze it again!