The Movies

[Mark Rippetoe]

I guess it beats the hell out of paying Jason to actually perform the fight scene correctly.

[spacediver]

Not sure if this has been posted earlier in this thread - but here's the archetype for what you refer to in such (deservedly) scathing tones - a sequence in Taken 3 where there are something like 15 cuts in a *7* second sequence. :-O

Bryan Mills jumps a fence - YouTube

I really REALLY hate this kind of editing and cinematography. When I watch Quantum of Solace I just fast forward through the action scenes because they are all presented that way. I really do. The entire final third of the first Star Trek reboot movie was this way, and I will not watch it. I don't know when this became fashionable, but it needs to stop.

Agreed. I found this video to be educational.

Also, this is one of the reasons I loved firefly. The action was coherent, interesting, and intelligent. It allowd your mind to track the spatiotemporal relationships between the interacting parts, and grasp the "story" of the action.

[Tom Campitelli]

I really REALLY hate this kind of editing and cinematography. When I watch Quantum of Solace I just fast forward through the action scenes because they are all presented that way. I really do. The entire final third of the first Star Trek reboot movie was this way, and I will not watch it. I don't know when this became fashionable, but it needs to stop.

The A-Team reboot was a horrific example of this. The action scenes, especially at the end, are completely unwatchable.

[Tim K]

Not sure if this has been posted earlier in this thread - but here's the archetype for what you refer to in such (deservedly) scathing tones - a sequence in Taken 3 where there are something like 15 cuts in a *7* second sequence. :-O

Bryan Mills jumps a fence - YouTube

Wow, I'm glad I tuned out of that series after the first one.

I think this stuff started a long time ago and has only escalated. Compare the battle scenes in Braveheart to the opening battle in Gladiator and you can see the first stages of shakycam fight scene devolution.

[anniemichael]

I really REALLY hate this kind of editing and cinematography. When I watch Quantum of Solace I just fast forward through the action scenes because they are all presented that way. I really do. The entire final third of the first Star Trek reboot movie was this way, and I will not watch it. I don't know when this became fashionable, but it needs to stop.

It's lazy, and bad storytelling. I assume it's because very few people in film know how to effectively communicate narrative through fight choreography anymore. (insert rant about staging and visual storytelling being a lost art, blah blah blah) MI: Ghost Protocol, on the other hand, had superb action sequences that were exciting, specific, and understandable. That it was Brad Bird's first live-action film is especially interesting, in this context.

This is about comedies, but explores similar ideas about modern film-making (i.e. how lazy it is): Edgar Wright - How to Do Visual Comedy

[kanahan]

I watched it last week and was quite underwhelmed. It had some good ideas that someone could turn into a decent film, but I felt like it was a three act play where the first and last act blew by in a couple of minutes while the second dragged on forever.

It was also just kind of unpleasant visually. It was almost like they were trying to save on the need for decent sets by using that perpetual fogginess look.

I'd love to see someone run with the lead's dilemma (don't want to spoil anything) and how knowing what she knew would affect living her life going forward.

Agree 99%. There could have been so much more value out of this film.

Visually I thought it was quite pretty, you could tell they wanted a minimalist thing and they did that just right.

[Mark Rippetoe]

It's lazy, and bad storytelling. I assume it's because very few people in film know how to effectively communicate narrative through fight choreography anymore.

I haven't seen the second John Wick, but the first movie did an excellent job with both the fight choreography and the videography. Absolutely beautiful action, flowed perfectly across the screen.

[Mark E. Hurling]

I haven't seen the second John Wick, but the first movie did an excellent job with both the fight choreography and the videography. Absolutely beautiful action, flowed perfectly across the screen.

I suppose it's just me being my typical white, male, privileged, racist self. But the fight scene from With Russia With Love on the Orient Express between Connery and Shaw reflected actual techniques used by Her Majesties Secret Service as taught by Fairbairn. With relatively few quick camera tricks and angles as cutaways. Just hard, brutal ass-kickery.

Of course now either a female or a black Bond would have to have that fight. Because. Rainbow. The best part would be the minority representative overcoming the bad white villain. The Queen would approve.

[zinedine kilbane]

Let's talk about Shaky Cam - YouTube Good video explaining the modern proliferation of shaky cam

[George Christiansen]

I haven't seen the second John Wick, but the first movie did an excellent job with both the fight choreography and the videography. Absolutely beautiful action, flowed perfectly across the screen.

Have you seen this?




Part of this was the fact that Keanu Reeves can actually fight. That is why the fight scenes in 'Roadhouse' are great too: Patrick Swayze may have been a buck fifty soaken wet, but he could move and even during his last TV series, which was quite good, his stuntman complained about having almost nothing to do and praised PS as one of the most athletic guys he's ever worked with......and this all while the poor bastard is in the late stages of cancer.