This document discusses the history and evolution of action films. It outlines how the genre began in the 1920s with swashbuckling films and grew in popularity through the 1940s-50s with westerns. The 1970s saw the rise of the James Bond films which changed audience expectations. The 1980s featured many famous actor-led action films while the 1990s saw advances in CGI allow for more adventurous films. Today, action movies require smaller budgets due to CGI and have expanded to include many subgenres.

1. Action movie research
By: Jonathan Newton

2. Action film genre
 Action film is a film genre in which one or more heroes
are thrust into a series of challenges that typically
include physical feats, extended fight scenes, violence,
and frantic chases. Action films tend to feature a
resourceful character struggling against incredible odds,
which include life-threatening situations, a villain, or a
pursuit which generally concludes in victory for the hero

3. The key points
 Action films started in the 1920s with actors such as Douglas Fairbanks who would wield
weapons in period dramas.
 It was not until the 1940 and 50s before action movies became popular and were believable.
Most of the time they were period westerns. Alfred Hitchcock pinioned the action movie with
some of his most notable work being north by northwest along with The guns of Navarone.
 1970s the Bond trilogy was born this was one of the first trilogy's of action movies to be
created they proved to be very popular and changed the course of action movie. This made
the way for the end of the period western dramas because these new kind of action films
changed what content the audience wanted to see, westerns were seen now to be tame
compared to James Bond.
 1980s this was “the action era” were Hollywood actors became famous for taking part in
action films, some examples are Arnold Schwarzenegger, Bruce Wills, and George Lucus.
 1990s saw big advances in CGI so action films became more adventurous, this lead to big
screen hits such as Tim Burtons batman, this was a one of kind movie.
 2000s this is were action movies start to need medium budget because they need less and
less special affects because CGI becomes so good. There were many hits such as the 2009
star wars.

4. Styles, attitudes and
Here is a list of some styles of action films
 Action comedy
 Action horror
 Disaster movies
 Martial arts
 Sci-fi action
 Action thriller
 Super hero films

5. Notable actors
 1950s and 60s John Wayne and Steve McQueen's
john Wayne most notable preforms is in the low
budget sci-fi film the blob (1959)
 1990s and 00s Jackie Chan appeared in a number
of action film which were mostly all successful both
wesley snipes and vin Diesel both had many roles
 Matt Damon was nominated for a academy award
for his main role in good will hunting

6. Notable directors
 1970s Sam Peckinpah and his 1969 western the wild butch
was both controversial but popular
 1980s to 00s James Cameron is the most notable director of
all with the first 2 terminator films, aliens and true lies. Wirth
the first terminator grossing $38,400,000 in the US alone

7. The Awards
 At many movie awards there are sub categories for the best
action movie.
 One of the most award action films of all time is Christopher
Nolan's batman the dark night(2008). It is rate the 4th best
film of all time on imdb, grossing $533,316,061 (USA)
 The film has swooped over twenty awards, with the most
notable being the academy award for best supporting actor

8. Key features
 CGI has played a key part in the expansion of action films
since the 1970s because it has made them easier to produce
and edit because specialist stunt crews are no longer need to
film unrealistic events.