Action film
A genre defined by spectacle and scholarly debate since the early 20th century.
Action films are a genre built around chase sequences, fights, shootouts, explosions, and stunt work. Since the 1980s, scholars have debated what exactly defines the genre. Some, like David Bordwell, argue these films prioritize spectacle over storytelling, while others, such as Geoff King, contend that the spectacle can actually serve the narrative. Action films frequently blend with other genres, appearing as hybrids like action-comedies, action-science fiction, and action-horror.
The term "action film" or "action-adventure film" dates back to the 1910s, but the modern understanding of the genre emerged with New Hollywood and the rise of anti-heroes in late 1960s and 1970s American cinema, drawing from war films, crime films, and Westerns. This led to a "classical period" in the 1980s, followed by a post-classical era influenced by Hong Kong action cinema and the growing use of computer-generated imagery. After the September 11 attacks, a return to earlier genre forms appeared in the wake of films like *Kill Bill* and *The Expendables*.
In 2008, Scott Higgins noted in *Cinema Journal* that action films are both widely popular and widely criticized, with mainstream discourse often lambasting them for favoring spectacle over finely tuned narrative. Bordwell echoed this, calling the genre "the emblem of what Hollywood does worst."
**Characteristics**
Lennart Soberson, writing in the *Journal of Film and Video*, noted that the genre has been debated since the 1980s. Repeated traits include chases, fights, shootouts, explosions, and stunts, though some scholars argue for deeper defining features. Bordwell claimed audiences are "told that spectacle overrides narrative," while Wheeler Winston Dixon described these films as typified by "excessive spectacle" masking a lack of content. Geoff King countered that spectacle can be a vehicle for narrative. Soberson found Harvey O'Brien's view most convincing: the action film is "best understood as a fusion of form and content," representing the idea and ethic of action through a form where action, agitation, and movement are paramount.
O'Brien further argued that action films are unique, not just a series of action sequences. He contrasted *Raiders of the Lost Ark* (1981) and *Die Hard* (1988): both are mainstream blockbusters with a hero asserting masculinity and overcoming obstacles, but John McClane firing an automatic pistol while swinging from a high-rise is not congruent with Indiana Jones swinging a whip in Cairo. Yvonne Tasker noted that action films have no clear, constant iconography or settings. In her 2015 book *The Hollywood Action and Adventure Film*, she found the most consistent themes are a character's quest for freedom from oppression and physical conflict, often against human or alien opponents.
By the late 2010s, genre analysis often replaced or supplemented the term "genre" with "mode" and "narrative form," used interchangeably. Johan Höglund and Agnieszka Soltysik Monnet said genre belongs to specific historical and cultural moments, while "mode" and "form" refer to broader patterns. In *Action Cinema Since 2000* (2024), Tasker, Lisa Purse, and Chris Holmlund suggested thinking of action as a mode is more helpful than as a genre, as action frames a manner of filmmaking and viewing that exceeds genre without eclipsing it. They noted that websites like IMDb and Wikipedia rarely label films by a single genre, and streaming services like Amazon Prime and Netflix further dilute what is marketed and received as action.
**History**
In transnational cinema, two major trends exist: Hollywood action films and their global imitation, and Chinese-language martial arts films. The roots of action films extend to the beginning of film, but it was only in the mid-20th century that action developed into its own recognizable genre, separate from Westerns, swashbucklers, or adventure films. Films were described as "action films" or "action-adventure films" as early as the 1910s, but the term "action" as a unique genre was not routinely used in promotion and reviewing until the 1980s.
**Hong Kong Action Films**
The first Chinese-language martial arts films trace back to Shanghai cinema of the late 1920s. These films were popular, comprising almost 60% of total Chinese films at the time. Man-Fung Yip described them as "rather tame" by contemporary standards, lacking dazzling action choreography and relying on crude, rudimentary special effects. These films came under increasing...
- field
- Film genre
- known_for
- Chase sequences, fights, shootouts, explosions, stunt work
- earliest_usage
- 1910s
- contemporary_definition_emerged
- Late 1960s and 1970s with New Hollywood
- classical_period
- 1980s
Lore & Background
The term 'action film' or 'action adventure film' has been used as early as the 1910s, but the contemporary definition usually refers to films that came with the arrival of New Hollywood and the rise of anti-heroes in American films of the late 1960s and 1970s, drawing from war films, crime films, and Westerns. These were followed by the 'classical period' in the 1980s, then the post-classical era where American action films were influenced by Hong Kong action cinema and the growing use of computer generated imagery. Following the September 11 attacks, the action film trend shifted toward gritty, realistic, and patriotic themes, exemplified by films like The Bourne Identity. In transnational cinema, two major trends exist: Hollywood action films imitated globally and Chinese-language martial arts films. The roots of action films extend to the beginning of film, but it was only in the mid-20th century that action films developed into their own recognizable genre. By the 1970s, Hong Kong martial arts films grew under the format of yanggang ('staunch masculinity'), leading to the kung fu film sub-genre.
Reader's Guide
Action film is both one of the most popular and popularly derided of contemporary cinema genres. Scott Higgins wrote in 2008 that 'in mainstream discourse, the genre is regularly lambasted for favoring spectacle over finely tuned narrative.' David Bordwell echoed this, calling the genre 'the emblem of what Hollywood does worst.' However, scholars like Geoff King argue that spectacle can be a vehicle for narrative. Harvey O'Brien suggested the action film is 'best understood as a fusion of form and content,' representing the idea and ethic of action through a form where action, agitation, and movement are paramount. By the late 2010s, studies of genre analysis often replaced or supplemented the term 'genre' with 'mode' and 'narrative form.' Tasker, Purse, and Holmlund stated that thinking of action as a mode is more helpful than as a genre, as it frames a certain manner of filmmaking and viewing that exceeds genre without eclipsing it. The genre has no clear and constant iconography or settings, with the most broadly consistent themes being a character's quest for freedom from oppression and physical conflicts or challenges.
Did You Know?
- The term 'action film' has been used as early as the 1910s.
- The contemporary definition of action film usually refers to films from the late 1960s and 1970s with the rise of anti-heroes.
- The term 'action film' has been in use for over a century, with its modern form crystallizing in the late 1960s and 1970s.
Launching a New Universe
This film marks the first entry in DC Studios' reimagined shared universe, effectively rebooting the Superman film franchise after the DC Extended Universe era. The path to this project was anything but linear. A sequel to Man of Steel (2013) was in development as early as October 2014 with Henry Cavill attached, but the troubled production of Justice League (2017) derailed those plans, and by May 2020 the sequel was no longer moving forward. James Gunn began work on a fresh Superman film around August 2022, and in October of that year he became co-CEO of DC Studios alongside Peter Safran. Gunn was publicly revealed as the writer in December, the title Superman: Legacy was announced in January 2023, and he was confirmed as director in March. By June, David Corenswet and Rachel Brosnahan were locked in as Superman and Lois Lane. The subtitle was eventually dropped by late February 2024, when principal photography commenced in Svalbard, Norway, before moving primarily to Trilith Studios in Atlanta, Georgia, with additional location work across Georgia and Ohio. Filming wrapped in July of that year.
A Story of Public Trust and Betrayal
The narrative centers on Superman's intervention in an international conflict between the fictional nations of Boravia and Jarhanpur, which sets off a chain of unintended consequences. After being defeated for the first time by a metahuman known as the Hammer of Boravia, Superman retreats to his Fortress of Solitude in Antarctica, where Kryptonian robots heal him using concentrated solar radiation and play a partially damaged message from his birth parents, Jor-El and Lara Lor-Van. The story takes a sharp turn when tech billionaire Lex Luthor, played by Nicholas Hoult, orchestrates a series of attacks—including unleashing a kaiju on Metropolis—while infiltrating the Fortress with his allies. The Engineer restores the damaged second half of the Kryptonian message, which Luthor broadcasts to the public, revealing that Superman's parents urged him to conquer Earth. Public opinion collapses, and Superman surrenders to the U.S. government. Luthor imprisons him in an artificial pocket universe, using Metamorpho's infant son as leverage to create a Kryptonite hand. The film's emotional core rests on Lois Lane's unwavering belief in Superman's goodness and his adoptive father Jonathan Kent's reminder that his choices define his identity, not his origins.
Creative Vision and Influences
James Gunn both wrote and directed the film, working alongside producer Peter Safran under the DC Studios banner. The creative team drew explicit inspiration from Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely's comic book run All-Star Superman (2005–2008), channeling its tone into the screenplay. The ensemble cast features David Corenswet as Kal-El, Clark Kent, and Superman; Rachel Brosnahan as Lois Lane; Nicholas Hoult as Lex Luthor; Edi Gathegi as Michael Holt / Mister Terrific; Anthony Carrigan as Metamorpho; Nathan Fillion as Green Lantern; and Isabela Merced as Hawkgirl. Supporting roles include Skyler Gisondo as Jimmy Olsen and the superpowered dog Krypto. The film positions itself as the opening installment of the DCU's Chapter One: Gods and Monsters, establishing a team-based approach with the Justice Gang—a group comprising Superman, Green Lantern, Mister Terrific, and Hawkgirl—working together against escalating threats. Gunn's dual role as co-CEO of DC Studios and filmmaker gave the project a singular creative vision, distinguishing it from the more fragmented production histories of earlier DC film eras.
Release, Reception, and What Comes Next
theaters through Warner Bros. Pictures on July 11. Critical reception was largely positive, with reviewers describing the film as fun, colorful, and earnest. The performances of Corenswet, Brosnahan, and Hoult drew particular praise, though some critics felt the narrative was overstuffed given the number of characters and plot threads woven together. This expansion signals DC Studios' intent to build a broader interconnected slate of properties around the characters and world established in this inaugural entry.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is an action film?
An action film is a genre built around high-energy set pieces such as chases, hand-to-hand combat, gunfights, explosions, and elaborate stunt work. It is one of cinema's most physically driven categories, treating kinetic spectacle as its central storytelling engine.
When did the action film genre first emerge?
The earliest recognizable action films trace back to the 1910s, but the genre as a distinct, named category crystallized in the late 1960s and 1970s alongside the New Hollywood movement. Before that era, action elements existed in various films without being organized into a coherent genre identity.
What separates an action film from other genres?
The defining trait is a heavy reliance on physical set pieces—fights, shootouts, chases, and stunts—rather than dialogue or character introspection. Scholars still argue over whether spectacle should lead the narrative or serve it, and the genre frequently hybridizes with comedy, science fiction, and horror.
What is considered the golden age of action films?
The 1980s are widely treated as the classical period of the genre, when spectacle-driven conventions reached their peak mainstream dominance and many of the tropes still in use were cemented. This decade set the production and pacing standards that later action films continue to reference.
Why is the action film genre important in film history?
Action cinema has shaped global box-office culture and pushed technical boundaries in stunt choreography, practical effects, and editing pace. Its persistent scholarly debate over whether spectacle elevates or undermines storytelling keeps it a central case study in film criticism.
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